By Jessy Joseph
New Delhi, March 28, 2022: The newly elected leader of northern India’s first Catholic religious congregation for men says his priorities include fostering unity and missionary zeal among his people and bringing a movement of indigenized Catholicism to mainstream society.
“Our community life is not perfect. Some members are indifferent. So, my first priority is to bring all the members together under one umbrella through dialogue,” says Father Francis Prasanna Raj, who on February 28 was elected as the superior general of the Indian Missionary Society.
The 67-year-old leader told Matters India March 27 that he also wants to revive his congregation’s missionary zeal.
The congregation was founded on November 3, 1941, by Father Gaspar Arseuius Pinto, a Mangalorean, to provide the Church mission-minded indigenous priests and evangelist brothers, especially trained for pioneering missionary work in India and neighboring countries.
Father Raj had been serving the congregation as its interim leader since August 31, 2021, when the then general Father Standley W Francis resigned three years before his term ended.
While Father Raj said his predecessor resigned because of serious health problems, Father Francis told Matters India September 17, 2021, that he had found it difficult to deal with some issues within and outside the congregation. “I felt quite disheartened and discouraged and felt like I have reached saturation,” he added.
Some members, who had raised several allegations against Father Francis, said he quit after the Vatican had asked him to resign.
One of them, Father Dominic Thundathil, says around 30 members have left the congregation in the past ten years because of the “hurdles created” by the leaders.
According to him, hunger for money and power had led the superiors to forget the congregation’s real mission. “They have no time to listen to the priests or help solve our issues,” he told Matters India in September 2021. He also alleged the previous leaders had indulged in misappropriation of funds and illegal sale of land. “Those who question them are maltreated,” he said.
Father Raj dismissed the allegations as fabricated to discredit his predecessors who had questioned some members for their misconduct. “It is true that some 30 priests have left the society in the past ten years, but for various personal reasons,” he explained
The congregation’s accounts are “well audited and there is no way the leaders can misuse funds,” Father Raj asserted.
The news superior general also wants to bring to mainstream society the Khrist Bhakta (devotees of Christ), non-baptized devotees of Christ. The spiritual movement began as the result of the congregation’s evangelization work in Varanasi, a holy city of Hinduism in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
The Khrist Bhaktas believe in Christ but do not receive baptism to avoid social and family problems. The community, constituted by Dalits and Other Backward Classes, is 85 percent women. They are found mostly in the villages of the Varanasi region.
“The Khrist Bhaktas are deprived of their basic rights, education, and employment, just because they follow the teachings of Jesus. I plan to uplift them socially and economically, by finding employment,” Father Raj said.
He said his men will have to “invest our energy, quality time and resources for a meaningful religious and missionary life and cooperate with all, in building up a harmonious society and for the reign of God.”
He also plans to encourage his men to reach out to those on the peripheries.
Father Raj was ordained a priest on March 25, 1984. He has specialized in English literature, and Phonaesthetics of Communication from EU, Hyderabad, Psychology and Counseling from England, and master’s in biblical theology from Rome.
He has served the missions of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Warangal. He also spent a few years of pastoral service in the United States.
He was also the congregation’s Delhi provincial.
He has served as rector and professor at the congregation’s minor and major seminaries. He is a good musician, dancer and poet.
The congregation now has two provinces — Delhi, Varanasi — and a region, Ranchi where 222 priests serve 43 dioceses in four countries.
The article ‘Indian Missionary Society’s new leader sets priorities’ by Jessy Joseph, dated March 29, 2022, can cause serious obstacles in the work of evangelization as it singles out the Khristbhaktas movement. The IMS Society does not make publicity of its work of sharing the Good News with the people as it may draw undue attention in communally charged situation of our country. The article makes reference to my resignation as the Superior General by quoting dubious sources like ‘Some members, who had raised several allegations against Father Francis, said he quit after the Vatican had asked him to resign’. To put the fact correctly, the Vatican never asked me to resign, on the contrary it was I who requested permission of the Vatican to resign. There are many registered societies within the IMS. The Superior General only exercises religious authority over these registered Societies. Legally these are independent juridical entities and take their own decisions. These Societies maintain their own audited accounts. If there is a need to buy or sell certain unproductive property, these may require the permission of the competent ecclesiastical authority. The article mentions that some 30 members left the congregation. It is true that many members left the Congregation in the past. If they had boarded the wrong train it was only natural that they took the right decision to quit. Zero tolerance in disciplinary matters especially related to sexual boundary violations, gross financial irregularities and habitual violation of the religious norms of the Congregation may invite sanctions. The Superiors must be ready to face stiff opposition and criticism if they have to take certain disciplinary actions. My humble request to Matters India : please check the documentary facts before you publish such articles.
Standley W. Francis
Thank you ☺️
I thought the paper had already taken down the article. It’s so shabbily presented, and full of lies. How do y’all do ‘investigative’ journalism?
Secondly, it’s absolutely wrong to say that the Khrist bhakt does not receive baptism so as to avoid social and family problems. Please don’t make these simple people objects of hate and suspicion due to your ignorance and cheap desire for increasing your ‘TRP’. I expected something better of Matters India. So sad.
It is not correct to say that “The Khrist Bhaktas are deprived of their basic rights, education, and employment, just because they follow the teachings of Jesus”. This is the general condition of all the backward communities in and around Varanasi irrespective of their religious affiliations.
Heartfelt congratulations to Fr Francis Prasanna Raj and his team. I am aware of the creative contribution by the IMS Congregation in Evangelisation, specially in promoting all round Inculturation, promoting Krist Bhakt Movement and grassroots conscientization of the marginalised for integral liberation and so on. They are creative pioneers in many areas. God Bless us all.
Building houses for the Khrist Bhakts is not the solution. It will be termed a fraudulent inducement. Building communities is far more challenging than building houses, especially when the funds are sourced from others.
The Khrist Bhakt movement is good to a point. After that what, especially in today’s hostile environment and Varanasi being the Prime Minister’s constituency?
I have a 40 year long association with the IMS. About a year ago I was asked to share my thoughts with them via video conferencing. They need to return to their roots of being Indian, not Romanised missionaries.
Fr.Francis Raj is the new wine in more than one way. There are many who believe in Jesus, but due to social resons cannot commit themselves.They are a important part of followers of Jesus.
Secondly the indifferent attitude can be changed through dialogue.
Fr. Francis positive hope will overcome the challenges and I wish him all the best.