By Stanislaus Alla

Delhi, Dec 12, 2021: Here are a few thoughts on the Church’s involvement in the social movements in the context of the just concluded historic protests of farmers in India.

Using the word ‘Church’ can be tricky: if a few priests, religious and seminarians join a protest, then we tend to say that the Church was present or joined or supported. While they do represent the Church, somehow the role and significance of laity gets ignored in this designation. Often we are accustomed to see ‘Church’ symbolically in the clergy and the religious. This nomenclature is inadequate and we need to reimagine the idea of the Church as all of us, all of God’s people.

Indian Catholics, by and large, enthusiastically join protests or candle-lit processions when the members of clergy or religious are attacked or a church or a statue is vandalized. In such instances they do identify themselves as Catholics, see themselves represent their Churches, parishes or institutions. However, some begin to feel uneasy to join protests (due to fear or the lack of time or disconnect from the cause) when the cause is distant and is related to discrimination or injustice or violations of human dignity and human rights. They do sympathize, for sure.

Several reasons could be identified for such a response: the idea that ‘we are a peace loving community and do not want to be on the streets,’ ‘we are not accustomed to join protests since they are called by civil unions or political parties,’ ‘we are a minority and do not want to take sides,’ ‘we don’t want to appear to be against the government, the administration,’ and other excuses.

Also, it is true that we are ‘unlike’ the other communities. Christians are a minority (though strongly present in a few places in the country) and do not like to be at the frontlines.

Obviously, when one joins the protests, out of conviction and for a right cause or called by an official ecclesial body, people have to get their hands dirty. Are we prepared for this, is an important question. We have thousands of priests, Brothers and sisters across the country – highly qualified and holding enormous power and influence in their respective fields and regions.

But can they generate and guide a public discourse on the role of the civic society and of the need to join the protests when needed (obviously, non-violent Gandhian protests) which are entirely in accordance the teachings of Christ and of the Gospel values? Can we comfortably hold conversations on this?

With all goodwill, several of them will shy away from this responsibility, not because they are uninterested but because they have not been oriented in that direction. Virtues (or false virtues?) such as humility, obedience, and patience are likely to dissuade them from joining the protests. At this point, what’s needed is not only a thorough sociocultural analysis, but a theology and, more importantly, a spiritualty of protests.

It may look outright odd. Subtly or explicitly, the Gospels portray many accounts of peaceful protests but Catholics are not taught to read or interpret those accounts in that way. A genuine spirituality of protest would be rooted in prayer and neighborly love and in a willingness to suffer so that God’s reign is realized among us.

One will be (or will not be, depends) astonished to know that the clergy and religious are more eager than the laity to send or forward ‘purely’ spiritual and devotional messages than about issues that are related to human rights and human dignity or constitutional values. Not that forwarding a text alone makes a huge difference (it can in the longer run, surely) but the stubbornness to keep oneself away from worldly affairs is the issue that needs to be tackled.

One may like to spend hours in the chapel for a just cause than to go to the streets. One is likely to prefer to educate the children on environmental concerns and help them plant saplings in their area than engage them to discuss deforestation in the neighborhood and the need to oppose those who fell trees indiscriminately. An overhaul is needed in the formation of clergy and the religious if they have to join in the civil society in resisting evil.

(Jesuit Father Stanislaus Alla teaches at Vidyajyoti College of Theology, Delhi. He hails from Warangal, Telangana; got a Licentiate from Alphonsinum, Rome and a PhD in Theological Ethics from Boston College, USA. At Vidyajyoti he teaches various subjects related to ‘Moral Theology.’)