By Jacob Peenikaparambil

Indore, April 5, 2024: A front-page news published in The Indian Express on April 4 is significant from the perspective of the Catholic Church in India.

Under the caption, “Recite Preamble, don’t force Christian traditions: Catholic body to its schools,” the paper highlighted a slew of guidelines issued to Catholic schools by the Office for Education and Culture under the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI).

They include respecting all faiths and traditions, not forcing Christian tradition on students of other religions, reciting the preamble of the Indian Constitution during the daily morning assembly, and setting up an “interreligious prayer room” on school premises.

According to the news item, these suggestions are part of a 13-page guidelines and instructions issued to all Catholic schools in India. These instructions are in response to the current socio-political situation in the country marked by increased harassment and attacks on Christian institutions and personnel by right-wing groups.

The newspaper also mentioned as part of the news item about a radical Hindu group in Assam that gave Christian schools in the state a 15-day ultimatum to remove all Christian symbols and religious habits worn by priests, nuns and brothers on their campuses.

Late Father Varghese Alengaden, the founder of Universal Solidarity Movement, had been making these suggestions to bishops, major superiors, principals and heads of institutions since 1993 after the large-scale communal riots that took place in different parts of India after the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. He also evolved and presented an appropriate response to the unfolding sociopolitical scenario in the form of Universal Solidarity Movement (USM) of Value Education for Peace.

Facilitating interfaith harmony through respecting all religions, promoting pluralism or unity in diversity, promotion of the core values of the Indian Constitution that are akin to the core values of the Kingdom of God, focusing on spirituality based on the core teachings of all religions rather than being fanatic about rituals and grooming young leaders with character and competence are the main goals of the USM. Its vision and mission are building a civilization of love with justice, peace, and harmony by animating the youth, teachers, parents and civil society members.

The main programs of USM consist of orientation for students, seminar for teachers, seminar for parents, one- week residential leadership training for high school students in USM, Knit India – a three-day live together of students, teachers and principals from different parts of India for experiencing the beauty and richness of diversities, Christo Centric Leadership Retreat for bishops, major superiors, principals and heads of institutions and publication of books for spreading the values of peace, harmony, justice, pluralism etc.

The most important component of the USM value education programme is formation of Core Groups or Peace Clubs in schools to function as catalysts for promoting peace, interfaith harmony, and compassion to the less privileged in the society.

Some of the books of USM that are helpful to face the current challenges are 1) Sangam- consisting of short readings from the sacred scriptures of eight religions with short introduction about each religion, common songs or bhajans that can be used by people of all faiths and 33 motivational or patriotic songs written by Father Varghese Alengaden, 2) Tips for Principals, 3) Educare, 3) Prevention and Resolution of Crisis through Public Relations 4) New Wine and New Wineskins 5) Professionalism in Non-Profit Organizations 6) Practical Tips for Parents and 7) Vision 2030 (For the Church in India).

The response of bishops, priests and nuns to the movement started by Father Alengaden was varied. Some condemned and outrightly rejected it as anti-Church and anti-evangelization, while a large section viewed it with suspicion, and a few accepted it and experimented with positive results.

Although the USM value education program was introduced to more than 500 schools in 22 states of India due to the hard work of Father Alengaden and his team, it fizzled out in many institutions mainly due to the transfer of principals and not paying attention to the follow up.

Some schools have continued promoting USM value education program and they have found it very helpful to face the challenges arising out of the current socio-political scenario.

The suggestions by CBCI Commission for Education and Culture, though important, are not enough to deal with the current situation. A fundamental change has to take place in the attitude of the Church towards other faiths and the very concept of evangelization.

The Church has to accept and practice that evangelization is nothing but continuing the mission of Jesus in view of facilitating the Reign of God/Kingdom of God: A situation in which God is accepted as a loving Father/Mother and all human beings as brothers and sisters with equal rights, opportunities and dignity. The understanding of the mission of the Church is to be widened as individual and social transformation in view of realizing the Reign of God.

If this understanding of Evangelization/Mission is accepted, then Education can become the most effective means or ministry. In a highly competitive atmosphere in the field of education in India, the focus of Church educational institutions is also on competition, even to the neglect of the mission of the Church: bringing about individual and social transformation.

In an atmosphere of rat race, inculcation of moral/ethical values and the values of the Indian Constitution in students takes a backseat. Simple recitation of the preamble of the Indian Constitution can gradually become a routine ritual. What is crucial is the practice of the core values of Jesus and of the Indian Constitution by the Church personnel. The students should be able to see these values are being practiced in the schools and colleges.

Secondly, the leaders of the Church have to take immediate and strong measures to control the fundamentalist forces within the Church that deliberately create prejudices and antipathy against other faiths. These forces have infiltrated into the formation houses and training centres in the Church.

It is said that in every crisis there is a hidden opportunity. Let the present crisis be an opportunity for the Church in India to undergo a metamorphic transformation and become an effective facilitator of peace and harmony among the followers of different religions.