By Jose Kavi
New Delhi, Sept 27, 2022: An advocacy group for Catholic religious in India has urged the leaders of their congregations and their national association to implement Catholic social teachings that stress involvement in the life of the poor, marginalized, exploited and vulnerable.
“This will enable us to effectively and prophetically respond to the signs of the times for a more just and peaceful society,” says a statement from the national convention of the Forum of Religious for Justice and Peace.
The 17th convention addressed the theme “Deepening our Identity as Religious: Responding to the Signs of the Times.”
More than 60 men and religious from 16 Indian states representing 20 congregations participated in the September 22-24 conference held at the Montfort Social Institute, Hyderabad, capital of Telangana state.
The participants urged their leaders to ensure the mainstreaming and implementation of all general and provincial Chapter documents and Catholic Social Teachings, “which emphasize our accompanying and involvement in the life of the poor and the marginalized, the excluded, the exploited and the vulnerable.”
They called for conducting programs on the Constitution of India and Social Analysis with the necessary exposure to the realities of the poor, at all stages of formation.
They also want the leaders of Catholic religious congregations in India to take “an unequivocal, visible and vocal stand and to accompany the victims of abuse both within Church and in society at large.”
“We need to go on an inner journey to re-discover interiority and capacity to appreciate what is important and to live it with passion, enthusiasm and energy,” she said in her keynote address.
She also said every religious has to go through a personal transformation and “this is not magic but a slow intentional process. We will be asked to shift, adapt, change and live into the future that will not look the same as we see it now.”
The process, she added, is a gift from God and “we have to be open by deepening our prayer, listening and discerning and practicing radical availability to the signs of the times.”
Bishop Raphael Thattil of Shamshabad, in his address, exhorted the participants to continue playing a prophetic role in the Church. Referring to Pope Francis’ homily on the Good Samaritan, he said that many in the Church today stress the ‘cultic’ and conveniently forget about being ‘prophetic.’
He commended the significant role that the participants play for the cause of justice in the Church and in the country today.
Earlier, Buddhist monk Tashi Chodup led the assembly in a meditation.
Another resource person was Meera Sanghamitra, a renowned activist actively involved with feminist, civil liberties, transgender rights issues as well as in the National Alliance of Peoples Movements (NAPM. She provided an incisive picture of the many issues that grip the poor and marginalized today.
The possible way forward, she added, should be in Hope, Healing and Harmony, along with Struggle, Solidarity and Sustained engagement in the present socio, political, economic, cultural and religious context.
The convention expressed its concern at the deteriorating situation on every front in the nation. “Fascism seems to have come to stay. We have reached abysmal depths on every parameter: be it social, economic and political,” it regretted.
The forum quoted the Global Human Index that ranked India at 132 among 191 countries evaluated. “There are several other global indices today which put India at rock bottom,” the participants said.
The convention expressed alarm at the poor in India becoming poorer every day while the rich and powerful continue amass scandalous amounts of wealth.
“The Adivasis are robbed of their jal, jungle and jameen. The Dalits and OBCs and other subaltern groups, are still denied the dignity, equality and justice, which are legitimately theirs,” it regretted.
Minority groups such as Muslims and Christians are targeted with hate speech and persecution, “by a regime which systematically and continuously denigrates and demonizes them with a divisive and violent agenda.”
The forum noted that intolerance is on the rise in the country. “Unconstitutional anti-conversion laws are center-stage today. The four labor codes go against the rights of the workers and clearly favor the profiteering big corporates.”
It bemoaned the “pitiable conditions of the migrant workers” that came to the fore after the nationwide lockdown announced in March 2020. “The fisher workers of Kerala and other parts of the country are fighting against corporates who intend to destroy their livelihood. Unemployment and spiraling inflation have greatly impacted the lives of the poor.”
The forum criticized the anti-poor and anti-minority new National Education Policy that caters only to a small section of the rich and the elite.
“Corruption is mainstreamed, crony capitalism is rampant,” the statement pointed out.
The progressive Catholic religious said they are “deeply pained at the silence of the Church: bishops, priests and religious on issues which are destroying the democratic, pluralistic and secular fabric of our country.”
On their part the participants resolved to continually deepen their identity as radical disciples of Jesus and have the prophetic courage to respond to the signs of the times.
They also pledged to ensure personal transformation as the first step towards social transformation. The would “internalize and actualize the values enshrined in the ‘Constitution of India’ giving it due place in our formation, catechesis and in all our ministries.”
Another resolution was to continue to strive to build more inclusive communities, transcending the religious, caste, gender and ethnic divisions and every form of sectarianism
Montfort Brother Varghese Theckanath, the host and director of the institute, traced the forum history since its inception and explained the dynamics of the convention.
The inaugural session included the release of a booklet ‘The Kuravilangad Case: A Critical Study’ published by the forum and an interaction between Sister Nirmalini and the participants.
Forum’s national convener Presentation Sister Dorothy Fernandes welcomed the dignitaries.
The convention re-elected Sister Fernandes as the convener of the forum, Capuchin Father Antony F Thekkiniyath, the secretary, and Indian Missionary Society Father Anand Mathew, the treasurer.
The members of the core team are Jesuit Fathers Cedric Prakash and John Bosco, Holy Spirit Sister Julie George, Brother Theckanath, Congregation of Jesus Sister Ancy, Salesian Father Devassay Kadaparambil and Sister Anitha Chettiar, a member of the Daughters of the Heart of Mary.
Response to Ms Karen:
Definitely money comes first. With money comes power (when one becomes principal of a school/college and chancellor of a university). With power backed by the flow of money, comes other things (sex and latest gadgets including cars and properties). Take away the schools and colleges from our priests and religious. They will be bereft of all their power including libido power!
Church is speaking about the poor and Marginalised people but same Church leaders grabbed vast property from my parents secretly without paying them the consideration and finally neglected them without giving them medical support. The legal proceedings pending in court but Church leaders sold land saying no legal procedures pending . Do You follow what you preach ? Why I am not getting justice from my own Church and community ?
Whatever the PCR have said is Right, I Quote *They are deeply pained at the silence of the Church: Bishops, Priests and Religious on issues which are destroying the democratic, pluralistic and secular fabric of our country*
What is the Head of the Catholic Church in India Cardinal Oswald Gracious and Nuncio Doing??
Nuns are being Raped by Bishops and Priest. Alter Boys are being Sodomised by Priest.
37 Qualified Priest from Mysore are giving punishment positions in the Jungel. Bishops are having Kids and Families. Bishops are registering FIR and Bogus Police complaints on the Laity. Cardinal supporting the Bishop’s and says the Voice recording is Mischiefsly Edited. Church Properties are being Sold in Mumbai, Goa, Mysore, Thane etc… and Money being Siphoned by Cardinal and Bishops.
Where has the Justice for Catholics Desipered????
Cardinal Oswald Gracias has to step down and Resign with immediate effect.
Nuncio is Enjoying his Holidays in India. We don’t need him in India and He needs to leave the country immediate.
I am totally in agreement with all especially Chhotebhai. Our call first is to follow our religious diktat and throw out the weeds that are destroying all the corn.
Our religious seem to have just two attractions/distractions – Money & Sex. I honestly don’t know which comes first.
Why haven’t we reached out to the raped nun and Sr. Lucy??
The forum quoted the Global Human Index that ranked India at 132 among 191 countries evaluated. “There are several other global indices today which put India at rock bottom,” the participants said. The Forum should first take a look at its own congregations’ Happiness Index. So many young nuns have been committing “suicide”. This includes an increasing number of priests too. How can the Laity go them for Counselling? Incidentally the resolution of the Forum does not include Self-defence for women empowerment. What does CRI have to say about the throwing out Sister Lucy (renowned Mathematics teacher) and not even giving her basic food and other amenities? Quo Vadis CRI?
The resolution of the advocacy group for Catholic religious in India (CRI) that “Corruption is mainstreamed, crony capitalism is rampant” is absolutely right. Very sadly this corruption is well-entrenched within the religious groups themselves. In February 2022, St Stephen’s Group of Schools (under CNI Barrackpore Diocese) terminated the services of the principal (lay Catholic) of one its schools within half an hour of its management committee’s meeting with him. To add insult to injury, the termination order was served through WhatsApp and no hard copy was sent. This was totally illegal and against Christian spirit as an employee’s job cannot be terminated without serving him/her a Show Cause Notice and Charge Sheet. The docile principal immediately took ill and did not have the courage to counter the illegal termination legally. That’s not all. When the sacked principal applied for his gratuity of 12 years of service, he was informed that being principal of a non-affiliated school, he was not entitled to any Gratuity. This high-handed decision of the Founding and Governing Body of the school is against the recent Supreme Court of India judgement which reiterates that teachers are eligible to be paid gratuity with retrospective effect from 03.04.1997. In an earlier incident, a Salesian School in Central Calcutta too unjustly terminated the employment of one of its woman employees and that too during the peak Covid period in 2021. In this case also the hapless victim did not approach court for lack of finance and backing from her fellow victims who were afraid to lose their jobs if they spoke out against the priest principal’s indecent approaches to female teachers/members of staff. The Archbishop of Calcutta is fully aware of this case as the victim had approached him much before her wrongful termination. This predator priest is on the Education Committee of the Education Commission of the Archdiocese of Calcutta. Will Sister M Nirmalini, the National President of CRI care to look into the case of which Mrs Virginia Saldanha is also very much aware?
CRI should ensure our missionary institutes do not misuse Article 30 of the Indian Constitution by hire and fire of staff at their whims and fancies.
This Forum has expressed itself on a host of social issues but is silent on ecclesiastical issues. Was there any discussion on the criminality of the bishops of Jalandhar and Mysore or a priest of Pune diocese? Like charity, justice too begins at home!!
The desire to live and die in the warm embrace of the infrastructure takes away much of the shine of any religious calling. Involvement in the life of the poor, marginalized, exploited and vulnerable is indeed the superstructure of any noble calling. The late Stan Swamy was a dignified member of that endangered species.