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Passion For God & Humanity

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We need more feet washing Jesus’ (Jn:13.5) than hand washing Pontius Pilates (Mt:27.24).

It was in the year 2013 that we received the first Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium by Pope Francis. Through this exhortation the Holy Father encouraged us to embark upon a new way of life marked by the joy that is born out of an encounter with the Jesus of the Gospel. And he assures us that with Christ, joy is constantly born anew and affirms that a joy which is shared is a joy ever new. 

Since then for the last ten years all the Apostolic Exhortations and Encyclicals of Pope Francis have been focusing on the joys, values and virtues of a Gospel way of life centered on Jesus the merciful Saviour, inviting us all to thank and praise God, and to learn from Jesus, to cultivate a loving and faithful, compassionate and caring heart that respects nature and all its creatures in our common home. The pope encourages us to be alive and active, giving thanks and praise to God and praying and forgiving like Jesus, so that we may know how to suffer with those who suffer, to rejoice with those who rejoice and be humble and Joyful like Jesus. Just a perusal glance at these documents makes it obvious that, all that is enshrined in them are the mind of Christ and the mind of the Church and are helpful in knowing God’s Will and doing it well.


Fr. Babu Jose Pamplany OFM

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Reviving the Soul of Consecrated Life: Embracing the Divine and the Marginalized

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Religious life grapples with an array of challenges in the contemporary world, which reflect the seismic shifts in social, cultural, and technological landscapes that have up-heaved the established global order. The intricate and multifaceted context, characterized by secularization, pluralism, diversity, social media, evolving moral values, scandals, credibility issues, youth disengagement, political entanglement, economic pressures, and environmental concerns, intensifies the complexities faced by religious communities. This dynamic reality underscores the interplay between tradition and transformation, as age-old structures, values, and institutions adapt to the forces progressively secularizing religious life.


Fr Jayaseelan Savariarpitchai SDB

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Transformative Encounters

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While studying Theology, I took the initiative to experience the pain that a beggar undergoes. For this purpose, I dressed myself as a beggar and sat on one of the busy footpaths of Pondicherry. It took nearly fifteen minutes to gather the courage to raise my hands and seek money from passersby, as I grappled with emotional pain and shame. Even though I spent an hour in that situation, unfortunately, no one offered me a coin. Seated on that footpath, I could sense the frustration, pain, hunger, and neglect that a beggar often endures. It is a reality that every encounter with the poor deepens our love and compassion for their struggles. In this context, the term ‘encounter’ is used to denote a casual or unexpected meeting with a person, thing or event that leads to a trans-formative experience for both parties involved.

Refrigerator Syndrome

What do we mean by the Refrigerator Syndrome in a religious community? It means that the atmosphere of the life in a community of a religious institute may create a ‘fake-spiritual ambience’ that seems very cool and comfortable like the ambience of a closed refrigerator. This is an ‘artificial coolness of religious life’ and those who live in this ‘comfort cool zone’ feel that they would be affected if they encounter the challenging realities of the poor and needy outside. Unfortunately, at times consecrated life misses or deliberately avoids opportunities to encounter the poor.


Fr Binny Mary Das

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Healthy Dialogue that Unites

Healthy Dialogue that Unites

On November 1, 2023, Pope Francis issued a concise document encouraging theologians to address the everyday challenges of life and actively participate in dialogue with non-believers. Keeping this in mind, I would like to reflect on my own experiences with non-believers and offer a few suggestions that can help us better understand their perspective of life.

During a journey, I engaged in a conversation with a person who identified as a non-believer but was curious about religious life. Initially hesitant, I mustered the courage to answer his questions. When he inquired about how it is possible to remain unmarried, I responded, “By God’s grace.” He then challenged me, asking where God is. Stunned, I explained that we believe God is present in others, as we are created in His image and likeness. He further questioned the need for an invisible God when one can practice values like love and respect without it. I defended my belief by stating that our conscience, which directs us to do good, is a manifestation of God. The non-believer argued that he lives a meaningful life by helping others based on his conscience. When I asked what guides his conscience, he admitted he couldn’t express it.


Sr Benny D’Cunha UFS

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OPEN YOUR HEART

OPEN YOUR HEART

In my tenure as the principal of St. Xavier’s, a women’s college managed by my congregation, I encountered a unique situation involving a Muslim family seeking admission for their daughter. The young girl seemed reluctant, and upon inquiry, her mother explained that she preferred a mixed gender college nearby. However, her father insisted on her attending our institution run by sisters. Observing the girl’s hesitance, I expressed my concern, suggesting that if she were forced into an environment against her wishes, it might adversely impact her academic performance. Addressing her father, I emphasized the importance of granting children the freedom to choose their educational paths in this evolving era. It took considerable effort to convince the father, but eventually, he relented. As the family left my office, there was a palpable sense of peace. Just before departing, the daughter returned, took my hands, and expressed her gratitude. I encouraged her to excel in her studies and not to disappoint her parents. The outcome of this encounter remains unknown to me, but in that moment, a small victory for the autonomy of the young student was achieved.

Having been raised in a family of nine, where the insistence on a convent education was particularly emphasized by my father, all five girls, myself included, were enrolled in the renowned convent school of our city. Looking back, it is undeniable that the education we received at this esteemed institution played a pivotal role in shaping the successful and contented lives that all of us lead today. The impact of our convent schooling is perhaps most evident in the life choices made by my sister and me. Influenced by the disciplined atmosphere and the emphasis on spiritual matters, both of us decided to pursue a religious vocation, albeit in a different congregation. Today, we find immense happiness and contentment in our chosen paths, all stemming from the educational foundation laid in the convent school during our initial years. While my memories of school are enduring, they often revolve around the strict rules and punishments that characterized the environment. Teachers and nuns were figures to be feared, and the freedom for students to express themselves was notably limited. Despite the stringent atmosphere, the positive outcomes of our education are unmistakable in the fulfilling lives we lead.


Sr Shalini Xavier CTC

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Learning from Personal Experiences

Learning from Personal Experiences

I had a meaningful experience at the Kuki Worship Centre in Byrathi, Bangalore, led by Rev. Lunmang Haokip. In response to the ethnic violence in Manipur, Rev. Haokip opened his church to shelter 300 internally displaced people from June 2023. It was during one of their Sunday noon gatherings that I, accompanied by some of our lay associates, went to meet the community. With utmost respect, they invited us to join in their fellowship and communion service. After the service, we entered into conversation about the refugee crisis and their adaptation to life in Bangalore.  Rev. Haokip, with remarkable courtesy, shared insights into their situation, emphasizing, “Our people do not like to be known as migrants or refugees but as internally displaced since we are within India.”  He went on to explain that many had found temporary placements in malls, shops, restaurants, hostels, and shelter homes. These individuals had experienced an abrupt loss of everything, rendering them in need of emotional and spiritual support more than material and financial assistance. As our conversation with Rev. Haokip and other Kuki community members deepened, a poignant message emerged: “The Catholic Bishop, clergy, and religious have done so much to reach out and they stood by us in these most critical times in Bangalore.” Their hope resonated strongly as they expressed a wish for such compassionate outreach to extend universally, stating, “We wish this happens everywhere wherever people suffer violence, hatred, and loss of dignity.”  Recognizing the sense of acceptance they felt, they expressed their readiness to join hands with us and celebrate Christmas meaningfully, aiming to bring more joy to their displaced brethren. This encounter marked the beginning of more conversations that transcended boundaries, creating a sense of unity rooted in shared humanity and a commitment to mutual support.


Sr. Anitha Precilla Lobo, SCB

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The Art of Dialogue in Priestly Formation

The Art of Dialogue in Priestly Formation

The art of conversation is to be the art of healing the wounds of the world. The absence of healthy conversation is the beginning of the breakdown of relationships. For example, when Adam and Eve hid themselves from the presence of the Lord among the trees of the garden of Eden and hesitated to converse with the Lord, one of the first breakdowns of relationship happened. Many of the problems in the communities (local/national/international) arise from the ‘flight mode of conversation’ of their members. In fact, a ‘non-conversation state’ is a ‘frozen state’ (that does not have any growth) in human relationships.

Context

The apostolic letter Ad Theologiam Promovendam (‘To Promote Theology’), released by Pope Francis on November 1, 2023 in the form of a motu proprio, presents a vision for the renewal of theological pursuit within the life of the Church. The letter calls for an ‘outgoing theology’ that develops in a culture of dialogue and encounter between different traditions and different knowledge. Thus, one of the crux of the teachings of this apostolic letter hovers around the concept of ‘dialogue’.


Fr Binny Mary Das

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Synodality: An Emblem of Hope Reborn

Synodality: An Emblem of Hope Reborn

Pope Francis at the opening address of the Synod in October 2021 said that ‘we must not forget God’s style, which is closeness, compassion and tender love.’ It was a time when the fear of death and dying masked in the form of Covid19 pandemic played havoc with life and hope.  The pope then emphasized that he envisaged ‘a church that does not stand aloof from life, but immerses itself in today’s problems and needs, bandaging wounds and healing broken hearts with the balm of God.’ When wearing masks and maintaining distance and quarantine were becoming the new normal and covid was becoming synonymous with hopeless end, Synodality was ushered in to pave the way for an endless hope.

“Dear brothers and sisters” said Pope Francis during the Homily at the opening of the Synod, “Let us have a good journey together, may we be pilgrims in love with the Gospel and open to the surprises of the Holy Spirit. Let us not miss out the grace filled opportunities born of encounter, listening and discernment.” This was something the world was waiting to hear, a call to break free from the clutches and confinements of the culture of death and dying of our time and to journey forward on the road to life and living, warming one another’s heart to move together spreading the good news. So that with synodality being our way of life for the future  all our tower of Babel confusions and divisions may give way to the one heart and mind with a spirit of unity and understanding of the Pentecost.


Fr. Babu Jose Pamplany OFM

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ROLE & STATUS OF THEOLOGICALLY EDUCATED LAITY

ROLE & STATUS OF THEOLOGICALLY EDUCATED LAITY

On the occasion of the World Synod of Bishops, I had the privilege of attending the 1st World Meeting of Professional Lay Ministers on the theme of ‘Beyond clericalism, for the people’s sake on the empowerment of non-ordinary ministers’. This meeting was organized from the 1st of October to the 5th of October 2023 in Rome by the Association of Professional Pastoral Ministers in Germany, which at this moment might be the largest organization of full-time lay theologians in the world.

The meeting aimed at bringing together theologically educated laity and pastoral lay ministers from all continents to reflect on their status, role, and mission in a synodal church. The meeting also aimed at empowering lay ministers (non-ordained but theologically educated professional pastoral ministers) working in various countries all over the world given the fact that though their work is a long-given reality in the Roman Catholic Church, it still seems to be overshadowed many times by subversive ecclesial perspectives.  Also though this ministry reveals an ecclesiological alternative to the “classical” dualism between clergy and laity, it is neither well-known nor largely accepted.

THE PEOPLE & THE PROCESS

The meeting was attended by 22 professional lay ministers and theologians from 12 countries – Bolivia, Austria, Switzerland, Peru, Philippines, Ghana, India, USA, Germany, Korea, and Slovenia. In our five days together we prayed, discussed, shared amazing meals, and also had the chance to visit some important historical sites of Rome. We got to know each other, shared our experiences, and listened to each other as we engaged in the various processes designed to help us connect and reflect. Some members of our group attended the opening Mass of the Synod on the 4th of October to show our solidarity with the Synod process. In addition to our exchange and as a fitting conclusion to our process, there was also a meeting with the participants of the Synod at an official evening get-together. The outcomes of the reflections of the meeting (which had been synthesized and compiled in a paper) were then shared with the Synod delegates. Through our interactions with the delegates and the paper, we hope that their voices would influence the processes of the World Synod of Bishops so that lay ministries could become a sign of hope for the emerging Church.


Ms Grace David

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SYNODALITY & GLOBAL SOLIDARITY

SYNODALITY & GLOBAL SOLIDARITY

Ubuntu is a profound Nguni Bantu term that encapsulates a fundamental essence of African culture, translated as “I am because we are.” This concept emphasizes the interdependence of all people, highlighting that our individual well-being is intertwined with the well-being of others. In a philosophical sense, Ubuntu signifies a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity and eloquently underscores the intrinsic values of community, compassion, and mutual respect. In a world increasingly marked by individualism, violence, hate, and extreme secularism within the Church, Ubuntu becomes relevant, serving as a beacon, inspiring a longing for global solidarity, moving from aloneness to ‘we’ness. Pope Francis, a vocal advocate for synodality, revitalizes a ‘we’ Church that stimulates a ‘journeying together’; promotes one human community celebrating diversity; and suggests a Pilgrim Church that is always in movement, embracing global Catholic solidarity.

A ‘We’ Church: Navigating Beyond Comfort Zones

With each stroke of his pen in the ecclesiastical writings, Pope Francis, challenges Catholics to move beyond comfort zones. In a special way, Evangelii Gaudium urges outreach to the peripheries, Laaudato si’ emphasizes the urgent need for care for the Earth, Fratelli Tutti highlights the importance of universal fraternity, and synodality awakens and strengthens the ecclesial ‘we’, practicing communion at the service of the ‘common home’.

In his quest for a synodal Church, Pope Francis not only preaches, but also practices this ‘we’ philosophy, creating a harmonious resonance that reverberates throughout the ecclesiastical landscape. Once during his visit to the regional seminary in Bologna, Italy, Pope Francis posed a thought-provoking question to the seminarians: “What is the opposite of ‘I’?” Anticipating a simple ‘you’ in response, the seminarians were surprised when the Pope gently shook his head. He patiently explained, “No, the word ‘I’ denotes an individual, as does ‘you’. It’s illogical for singular words to be opposites. The true opposite of ‘I’ is ‘we’, representing the rich fabric of communitarian plurality.” The event loudly speaks of an inclusive, multicultural, and interconnected ‘we’ Church. This metaphorical shift from fragmented singular to communitarian plural represents the fertile diversity and collective existence that defines a synodal Church.


Fr Jayaseelan Savariarpitchai SDB

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