By Varghese Alengaden

Indore, July 3, 2020: In comparison to the reports of suicide by nuns in the Church suicide by priests has been rare. Surprisingly the Catholic Church has been rocked by the suicide of three priests within 14 days in three different dioceses and three states. A few months ago another priest was found hanging in his room in Uduppi diocese of Karnataka.

Four decades ago I was shocked when a priest hanged himself on the top of the altar in a church in a north Indian diocese. In my knowledge it was the first case of suicide by a priest. It was an unbearable tragedy for me because the priest was known to me. He was jovial and friendly to everyone. We both had studied in the same college in Nagpur.

It was a well-planned suicide because he had prepared a two page letter explaining the reasons for his suicide and scattered several copies of the letter in and around the parish church. He also sent the copies of his letter to many bishops and friends across the country. He hanged himself wearing the Mass vestments. He ended his life when priests, religious and laity were celebrating Mass to mark the anniversary of the Episcopal ordination of the bishop in the cathedral church.

This priest had a dream of becoming a medical doctor to serve the people. Respecting his wish, his bishop had sent him to Nagpur to complete the science studies before joining St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore. After getting admission in St. John’s Medical College the priest started his medical studies. While his studies were in progress his bishop asked him to stop medical studies and return to the diocese.

On his return to the diocese as an obedient priest he was appointed pastor of a city parish. Despite his repeated requests the bishop did not give any explanation to the priest for the drastic decision of discontinuing his study. The bishop who was following the traditional authoritarian style did not feel the need to give any explanation. Although the priest made many attempts to have a dialogue with bishop, he was given no satisfactory response. He withdrew to himself. Upset and depressed of the humiliation, he ended his life in an unprecedented manner.

Since internet, social media, mobile phones and TV had not arrived at that time the tragic news did not make any media sensation as today. The bishop who was responsible for the suicide of a dedicated priest was promoted as archbishop to another diocese.

What is common to all cases of suicide and murder of consecrated women and men is the indifference, secrecy, lack of open discussion in the communities and dioceses. Those in authority discourage members to have any discussion or analysis even if it is for learning lessons from such cases. The result is repetition of such incidents. Analysis and discussion do not take place even when the Church faces opposition, harassment, alienation and even elimination from the hostile forces. As a result the Church fails to make any strategy and action plans to prevent/ manage crisis.

Anyone who commits suicide is defeating himself/herself. Self-defeat is the worst defeat. Developing a vision of life and living with focus on the vision passionately will enable persons to overcome depression and adverse situations. Lives of all great men and women teach us many lessons to manage crisis. Some 40 years of my priestly life had been a journey through much water and fire. I was humiliated with six punitive transfers within two years. Yet I did not experience loneliness because by God’s grace I had learned to be in communion with God through contemplation on the life and teachings of Christ. The hobby of serious reading of biographies of people who suffered crisis and making use of time for creative writing helped me to beat depression and loneliness.

These days the vocation promoters prepare various strategies to attract young boys and girls to religious and priestly life. In the past young people were attracted by the heroic example of priests and nuns. Moreover, they were given orientation to be ready for adventurous and austere life. Many of those who joined priestly and religious life were people from affluent families with different kinds of comforts. Many candidates were asked to meet the expenses of their initial formation.

Women religious had the practice of getting patrimony from the families. Criterion of quality was given importance in the formation and promotion of the candidates. The candidates developed inner motivation to face gladly all kinds of rigid ways of the superiors and hardships in the community living and mission.

Today congregations and dioceses are in need of numbers to maintain the institutions which they started for expanding their empire. Quantity not quality, has become the criterion of selection and promotion of the candidates. Many young people are attracted by the status and comforts religious and priestly life provides.

Moreover, the congregations and dioceses meet all expenses of their training and they are assured of life time security. Austerity, commitment, adventure and hardships of life are alien to a large majority of priests and nuns today. In reality many of these women and men are escaping from the responsibilities and hardship of living in the world.

Though there are many religious exercises like retreats, renewal programs, numerous prayers and rituals, they do not help the priests and nuns to develop personal spirituality with self-discipline and self-education.

The number of rules and restrictions, which vary from one congregation to another, deprive the members of their essential freedom. Many congregations still do not allow personal mobile phone or email address. The increasing number of rules and restrictions prove that there is a serious trust deficit. Because of lack of trust, personal freedom and dignity a large number of nuns and priests do not have a sense of belonging to their community and mission. Despite spending many years as priest or nuns their emotional attachment is to their family or someone outside, not to the community in which they live. Rituals and rules do not make people spiritual.

Personal contemplation is very essential to develop a personal spirituality. This contemplation is missing in the religious and priestly life. The long hours of formal prayers, uniform religious attire, rigid rules and discipline of living in a community do not make people spiritual.

Neither those in leadership of the Church and congregations nor those in formation are able to be mentors of the young in the formation. The bishops and superiors of congregations fail to lead the members from the front and set example by their life. They are not able to give time and attention to the priests and nuns who are under their care. They are preoccupied with expanding their empire by starting more and more institutions in different parts of India and abroad. They take the members for granted and don’t give time and attention to listen to their struggles. They are often leaders with misplaced priorities.
Some practical proposals:
• Create an atmosphere in the institutions and communities where every member can feel at home. Let all feel that they are trusted and loved as in their families.
• Ensure individual dignity and freedom to all members irrespective of junior or senior difference.
• Create a system where members can express their opinion freely and fearlessly to those in authority. Those in leadership should have more informal meetings and dialogue with all members irrespective of any consideration of caste, region and status of the family.
• Equip the priests and religious to develop personal spirituality with self-discipline and self-education. Stop compelling members to follow the crowd and copying the traditional routine practices.
• Make facilities and benefits available equally to all members as in a family.
• Priests and nuns should be helped to formulate their vision, goals and policies of life. Each one shall be encouraged and supported to engage in a ministry of his/ her choice instead of imposing the stereotyped, traditional activities to maintain the institutions.
• The most important and urgent need today is to return to the WAY OF CHRIST instead of preserving the Jewish and Roman legacies in prayer, worship, dress, food habits, terminologies, content of formation, titles, systems, buildings, celebrations and meetings.