By Sujata Jena
Bhubaneswar: If I were to design religious life anew for our day and time, I would propose a fourth vow — against gossip.
I am a final professed sister of the congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. I am convinced my vocation to religious life comes along with an abundance of God’s unconditional love, mercy and blessings.
We sisters respond to the gratuitous call of God through the public profession of temporary vows (nine years maximum) and then perpetual vows of chastity, poverty and obedience.
Add to that the vow against gossip, a modern curse.
What is “gossip”? The Oxford dictionary defines it as informal talk or stories about other people that may be unkind or not true. Merriam-Webster defines a gossiper as a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others.
How are religious men and women engaged in gossiping? In religious communities, it usually consists of one or more members talking about someone’s limitation in her/his absence. An inner dynamism forms within the group, and judgment is passed on the victim of the gossip.
Sometimes, in our community gatherings we talk less about ourselves, the people we serve, or the challenges in our lives; rather, we talk about others, even those not necessarily members of our community. Someone brings up a topic that engages others, who become active or passive gossipers.
We know gossip is undesirable and fruitless, and yet we engage almost spontaneously — perhaps, in many cases, because we have nothing much to do.
Why should we take a vow against gossiping? Gossip is unbecoming to our religious life. We are not encouraged to talk one way about people in front of them and a different way behind their backs. Gossip humiliates and demeans a person. Gossip annihilates and assassinates their character.
On January 21, 2018, Pope Francis addressed some 500 contemplative nuns and urged them not to succumb to gossiping in their convents, comparing it to terrorism.
“Gossip is like a bomb. … [One] throws the bomb, destroys and calmly walks off,” he said.
Gossip destroys people’s lives. I know that we have lost some religious as a result — they left communities as they no longer wanted to be victims of gossip. Besides that, it wastes the gossiper’s time and energy and weakens the very purpose of religious life just for a meaningless pastime that becomes a habit.
Everything we have is a gift from God. As stewards of these gifts, we must spend our time, gifts and privileges in building a rightful relationship with God, sisters/brothers, and Mother Earth.
Pope Francis summed it up on September 6, 2020: “Please, brothers and sisters, let’s try not to gossip. Gossip is a plague worse than Covid. Worse. Let’s make a big effort: no gossiping!”
(Sujata Jena is a human rights activist, a freelance journalist and an advocate with a special interest for the cause of the poor, Dalits, tribal women, children, minorities and migrants. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, she has been actively involved in the safe return of the migrants and continues to work for their rights through advocacy and lobbying through networking with government administrations and civil society groups. Currently, she is working as the deputy director of the Excellent IAS Academy in Bhubaneswar in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. She is the coordinator of the social projects of the congregation. This column first appeared in Global Sisters Report on August 30, 2021)
If we practice with commitment all three vows…surely it will sanctify us. ..the vows will tell us how to go to God for every need and help…we will live a contented ..joyful life…
Dear friends,
If we really love God and his people we will not pin point the weakness of others or gossip. We need to pray for gosnipers that they may come to their senses and realised that no one is a supper human.We are all finite being only God is perfect.
Therefore, no one has a right to gossip others.
There is no need of the 4th vows but we need the grace of God’s wisdom to please God in our thoughts, in our words, in our action.
This is actually stretching a point too far. Why single out gossip only? Take a vow against disobedience of the entire Decalogue. In any case the apostle James has already warned in his letter that the tongue though a small organ can set ablaze huge fires (cf Jas 3:5-6),
Enough to observe the three vows properly, together with the anointing grace, that is LOVE of God and neighbours.
Way to go Sister Jena Sujata! Gossip among and by religious was one aspect of Church life never spoken about and for an Indian Nun to come out so boldly on the topic is an achievement for all right thinking believers in general and conscientious religious in particular! Every word of what Jena has said in her write-up is true and genuine, breaking down as it does a particular wall of prejudice that had all along apparently shielded religious gossip from lay gossip until Pope Francis, known for his jibe in relation to ‘mothers-in-law’, threw the bombshell on religious barely an year ago, on 06 September 2020 to be precise!
May Jena’s tribe increase manifold to the greater glory of a God of justice and probity!
Excellent, Sr Jena.
All citizens have the right to human dignity, and in particular, to their reputation.
In the secular world, the victim can, if she or he wants to do so, file a criminal case or civil suit for defamation.
The religious are perhaps expected a grade more not t indulge in such a criminal activity.
But, I think is also important that vows and even human kindness not bring about a situation where we are tolerating and covering up acts of a criminal nature.
There must be Zero Tolerance against sexual crimes against helpless women and men who are in a custodial situation.
And as away person, I think there should be zero tolerance also for financial corruption, as much as this would be in civil life.
God bless you and he important work you do.
First of all, I appreciate the “open confession”, rather, an “introspection” of Sujata Jena. I wish to throw before her the following questions for her “further introspection”:
1) Do all religious (men and women) sincerely observe the vow of POVERTY? Globally, one of the most secured groups is “religious”. The five basic needs of Food, Clothes, Shelter, Health and Education are taken care of. Look at the movable and immovable properties (worth millions of rupees) of many religious congregations. Is there any sign of poverty???
2) What about the vow of CHASTITY? Many “skeletons” (meaning incidences of sexual abuses) are buried within the four walls of a convent. What preventive measures are initiated?
3) The vow of OBEDIENCE is another matter of serious concern. “Who should obey whom?” is a question dominating in every religious community. EGO is so dominant in every member that obedience is usually pushed behind. What steps are taken for a “participatory decision-making and lifestyle”?
With regard to the above vows, if the “existing gaps” are plugged properly, then, what is the need for a fourth vow??? Let every religious community “keep its house in order”! Charity begins at home!!