Syro-Malabar Church should try Christo-centric way to end conflicts

By Varghese Alengaden

Indore, Aug 23, 2022: The two-week-long 30th Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church began at Mount St Thomas in Kochi on August 16.

As the Church continues to face several internal problems, it is time the bishops introspected whether they are following “The Way” of Christ. What way God is glorified by all these negative publicity, hatred and divisions among the bishops, priests, religious and laity? Isn’t it a failure of the leaders of the Church to take all stakeholders into confidence? What is the meaning of Synodality about which Pope Francis is enthusiastically exhorting all Catholics?

As shepherds, the Syro Malabar bishops have to make sure that peace and reconciliation are established according to “The Way” of Christ. All divisions, hatred and negative publicity for the sake of uniformity of celebrating Mass are not the way of Christ. As the leaders of the Church, bishops should be humble enough to give up their ego and punitive attitude to follow “ The Way” of Christ.

Spiritual leaders will be prompt to bring about reconciliation in all humility. It will be magnanimous on their part, if they could decide and declare, “Based on the pluralistic spirituality of Christ we give freedom to celebrate Holy Mass as per the choice of the local churches. Love should unite us, not external rituals, dress and customs”. If you can take this step, you will be writing one of the most sublime chapters in the church history.

Honorable bishops, please don’t waste your time to defend a cultic practice. Jesus lambasted the cultic practices in the Jewish religion. Why should we carry on this Jewish cultic legacy instead of following the spiritual legacy of Christ who said categorically, “worship God in truth and spirit?” We should also remember what Jesus said against rigidity of man-made laws, “Sabath is for man not man for Sabath.”

When the Synod of Bishops is in session, you may do this great act, this U turn to unite the Church and set a new trend. This will be a great example to all bishops, priests, nuns and laity to settle disputes which we have in abundance in parishes and dioceses.

Brother Roger of Taizé has said, “If you want to reconcile, don’t ask who is wrong and who is right, and just get reconciled.”

I wish that bishops who are participating in the Synod in these days take some time to read this article. You will be enlightened to do this act of reconciliation which is the most pleasing act to God than hundreds of cultic Masses offered with feelings of hurt and hatred. Remember what St. Paul said, “Anyone who approaches this sacrament unworthily brings condemnation on himself.”

We also should remember what Christ has said to those who cause scandal, “It is better for them to tie a mill-stone around their neck and be drowned in the sea.” This is applicable more to the leaders than to the ordinary people.

Let us all very intently for all the bishops who are in the Synod. They may open their heart and mind to the Holy Spirit and act without delay and doubt.

To heal the wounds in the minds of hundreds of people the Synod shall take a proactive and prophetic decision to reinstall Arch Bishop Antony Kariyil back to his responsibility in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly to close the conflicts and scandal.

The whole people of God and saints in heaven will rejoice with this act.

I say this with conviction of making sincere efforts to follow “The Way” of Christ during my 42 years of priestly life. I have guided more than 400 groups of priests and nuns who are in leadership positions to follow the same for effective way of witnessing Christ.

As many as 18 bishops were also part at this renewal program. During the last four decades, I have been engaged in all kinds of pastoral works in parishes, mission works in the interior villages and involved in animating the youth. The turning point in my life took place when I was working in the village missions and animating the youth in the capacity of regional youth director of Madhya Pradesh Bishops’ Youth Commission.

In my training sessions and retreats, I have been focusing on the following criterion for making decisions: “What would Jesus do if he were here? What is the mind of Christ? What is the heart of Christ?” I have been following this approach mainly due to my study and analysis of the failures of the Church personnel to create lasting impact in society, i.e., “bearing lasting fruits” despite doing so much hard work through thousands of our institutions across the country.

It will not be an exaggeration if I say that the Church in India has drifted away from “The Way” of Christ. Jesus gave us one commandment before he left this world, “Love one another as I have loved you.” He also gave us a uniform and personal ID, Love: “By your love the world will know that you are my disciples’. But we have failed to bear witness to Christ as the early Christians did. They were recognized by the gentiles on account of their love for one another, “Look at the Christians, how they love one another”, non-Christians used to exclaim.

Many men and women who were not formal members of the Church like Mahatma Gandhi lived “The Way” of Christ and made a lasting impact on the lives of millions of people across the world. Philosopher Bertrand Russell rightly said, “I know only one Christian, but he is not a Christian” (not a member of the Church).

Jesus before his arrest, passion and death, during the farewell dinner prayed intensely for the unity of his disciples because he knew that the devil will play his trick of dividing the disciples with their ego, power politics, dogmatism and cultic practices.

He has also given us the best leadership model of ‘Good Shepherd’ who goes ahead of the sheep (lead by example) and is prepared to die to protect his sheep.

Jesus also has given us his crystal-clear teaching on forgiveness and reconciliation as the hallmark of his disciples. He said unambiguously, “If you come to offer your gift and there you know that your brother has something against you, then leave your gift there and first go and reconcile with your brother.”

The unconditional forgiveness of God demands forgiveness from every disciple of Christ, more so from the leaders.

In the life and teachings of Christ we can find several examples of diversity as an essential dimension of spirituality. Uniformity cannot bring unity. In fact, when we don’t have unity in heart and mind, we impose external uniformity as a cover up. This is not the way of Christ.

I wish and pray that bishops may take this article as God’s message and just do what I have suggested with all humility without much delay. As good shepherds, bishops in the Synod should discuss issues which affect the nation and common people. May the words of Christ as presented in the Gospel be our guide.