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May 12, 2002

Final Statement of 25^th General Body Meeting of the

Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India

The church in dialogue - March 1-8, 2002, Jalandar

Introduction

We, the Catholic bishops of India gathered for our General Body Meeting from March 1 – 8, 2002 at Holy Trinity College, Jalandar. Reading the signs of the time, we reflected on the theme: “THE CHURCH IN DIALOGUE.” in prayer, worship and meditation, we sought God’s light and guidance to rediscover the significance of dialogue. We were happy to have with us this eminence Crescenizio cardinal sepe, Prefect of the Congregation of the Evangelisation of Peoples and his Excellency Archbishop Malcom Ranjit, Joint Secretary of the same Congregation. In their message to the plenary assembly, they stressed the need for dialogue for the mission of the Church.

The Church, mission of imparting good News is based on the dialogue of Salavation initiated by Triune God and revealed in Jesus Christ. It is significant , as the Holy Father says, dialogue is “the characteristic mode of the Church’s life in Asia” (E.A-3). The Church’s common worship and prayer culminating in the liturgy and the Eucharist is dialogue with the God, our Father in communion with the Holy spirit through Jesus Christ and with one another.

DIALOGUE WITHIN THE CHURCH

The Problems and inadequacies regarding the role and partnership of the laity, the clergy and the religious under the leadership of the bishops would urgently call for a dialogue in the different sections of the Church. It is only through dialogue the fast spreading evil of terrorism, violence, poverty, materialism and religious fundamentalism can be effectively dealt with by the Church and society.

A. Participatory Church

In order to fulfil her mission of cooperation in the realization of God’s plan of salvation the Church must be a community of dialogue. The pastors, the religious and the Laity must be imbued with the spirit of dialogue to live up to their vocation and to play their respective role in the Church. Dialogue thus means sharing of greater responsibility in accordance with the roles and charisms of persons in the Church.

Participation of the laity in the Church’s life and mission has significantly improved since Vatican II. Laity has been offered better opportunities for their apostolate. Priestly and religious life has also been greatly renewed. Formation for religious and priestly life too has been progressively updated. Liturgy, Catechetics, Biblical information and other areas of apostolate have been reorganized and reformed. All this has to be preserved and further promoted through a process of comprehensive dialogue within the Church.

In the community of the Church as the People of God we have a common faith, dignity and destiny. We are endowed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us by God in His generosity. We are members of the one body of Christ. “there is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gifts.”. (Eph.4:4-7). That is why it is necessary to ensure that the Church remains always a community of dialogue.

As a participatory Church we should listen to, learn from, encouraged and support one another as the whole body of the faithful have an anointing from the Holy sprit (1 Jn. 2: 20, 27) Through participation in the priestly, prophetic and kindly function of Christ, the laity has their own part in the life and ministry of the Church. (AA.10). we have to discern signs of God’s presence and purpose in the world in spirit of dialogue (GS. 2, 11). In this manner we are to work together for the common mission of the Church. In such an ecclesial community of dialogue all partners should respect the different roles and vocations and recognize the gifts and charisms of one another.

B. Servant leadership

Institutional and Charismatic leadership and authority are necessary for the unity, truth and growth of the Church as a hierarchical communion. But this authority and leadership should be exercised as non-dominating and animating servant leadership as exemplified in the life of Our Lord who came to serve and not to be served (Mk.10:45; Jn.13).

Therefore, consultation is a crucial factor in the process of decision-making. Plans, projects, activities and decisions in the Church must be done through dialogue with all concerned. Listen, discuss, share, exchange, learn and then decide are some of the important steps in the process of dialogue.

History gives evidence of the Church as a community of dialogue. Synods and Councils have been a regular feature of the Church’s life in the course of the last two thousand years. Since the Second Vatican Council all the sections of the Church – the hierarchy, the clergy, the religious and the laity are associated with assemblies and synods in different ways.

Conflicts, disputes and disagreements must be resolved in a peaceful way benefiting the Church as a Community of god’s People. All parties in a dispute must feel that they are duly heard, properly understood and justly treated.

In the Church as Communion, dialogue enables us to recognize and promote the ministries and charisms in the Church. The Pastors, ought to acknowledge and foster the ministries, the offices and roles of the lay faithful that find their foundation in the Sacrament of Baptism.

In the Church as a Pilgrim community in which we all have to grow in truth and love in order to attain the fullness of divine life (LG.8,9,14,21). We have limitations and drawbacks and sinfulness for which we need to repent and ask for forgiveness and thus grow with them in our Christian commitment. The spirit of dialogue helps to keep alive the pilgrim nature of the Church as she continues to live her mission Church.

C. Dialogue with the theologians

We appreciate the good work our theologians have been doing over the years in the midst of difficulties. We have to encourage our theologians and accompany them. The Church in India needs to develop a theology that will respond to the needs of the times and aspirations of the people. Our theologians have an important task of presenting the faith and the doctrine relevant to our situation. We are in the midst of grinding poverty and a variety of ancient religions and cultures. In such a situation the faith must be responsive to the legitimate aspirations of the people offering them hope. This way theology will be meaningful in our situation. Dialogue with theologians calls for mutual openness, respect and concern. Over the years the Doctrinal commission has organized colloquia with theologians. Such a dialogue with theologians especially on the part of the bishops should become a regular feature of the Church of India.

Among the foremost issues before our theologians are : inter-religious dialogue, inculturation, the nature of the church and her relationship with the Kingdom of God, the unique, universal mediatorship of Jesus Christ, the challenge of the socio-economic situation in India. Theology that would deal with these issues can become our unique contribution to the Universal that would deal with these issues can become our unique contribution to the Universal Church. As they theologize in a climate of freedom, originality and creativity they must strive to uphold the unity of the faith of the Church and the teaching of the magisterium. It is also necessary that they be open to the guidance of the Bishops who are teachers of the faith.

In the light of our reflection on dialogue within the Church, we make the following proposals:

As a result of dialogue facilitated by CBCI over the years, the three ritual Churches in India have grown in understanding and communion with one another. For the good of the evangelizing mission of the Church, we commit ourselves to promoting further this unity and communion.

We resolve to set up ‘reconciliation committees to deal with disputes and conflicts that may arise in the dioceses.

We resolve to promote in every diocese structures such as Parish Councils, Pastoral Councils, Financial Committee, Diocesan Pastoral Council, CRI units, etc.

As teachers of faith, we will try to keep in close contact with the theologians by studying their writings and by participating in the colloquia, the theological seminars and programmes.

CHURCH AND SOCIETY

A. Dialogue with Cultures

Through the course of its history, the Church has been in dialogue with the cultures of people among whom she carries out her mission. In this process, the gospel gets rooted in the cultures taking on their specific features. The Gospel in its turn challenges cultures to transformation. Thus the Gospel-culture encounter leads to the enrichment of cultures and the Christian community.

The Church’s mission directed to all people must take into account the rich variety of cultures all across the country. We thank God for the presence of such lively and vibrant, ennobling and enriching cultures as those of the numerous indigenous tribal and Dalit communities in different parts of our country.

In a spirit of honestly, we have to admit that we have not been open enough to appreciate the different cultures, particularly tribals, Dalits and other ethnic and regional groups and receive the treasures in these cultures.

It is disturbing to note that systematic attempts are made by forces of Hindutva and fundamentalism to impose a monolithic upper caste Sanskrit culture. This is being promoted through education, politics and social activities, projects and programmes. Another disturbing factor is the deliberate efforts of some fundamentalist organizations to hinduize the tribals and thus alienating them from their own indigenous cultures. Such an approach would lead to an impoverishment of the rich multi-cultural or multi-religious heritage of the nation as whole.

We are grateful to those who have worked for the well-being of tribals, dalits and women with courage, sacrifice and dedication. The church has to promote cohesion and unity among them as divisive forces among them will be harmful.

B. Dialogue with Religions

It is imperative for the church to be in dialogue with the followers of other religious traditions. Our visit to the golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikhs brought home to us the tremendous piety of the Sikhs and the deep and reverential devotion to the world of Gurugranth Sahib and the need for an ongoing inter-religious dialogue as part of the mission of the church.

The church in India has been in dialogue with other religions with varying degrees of fruitfulness. Informal inter religious dialogue is happening daily in the life of the believers, who live in peaceful co-existence with people of other religions. Formally, ingter-religious programmes are mainly conducted on occasion of festivals, incidents of communal violence, acts of injustice to individuals or groups or institutions, etc. For the most part these initiatives have provided opportunities for sharing about one’s Scriptures and religious beliefs, for promoting good will, friendly relationship, for eliciting mutual cooperation in resolving local problems, and in coming together to pray for peace and harmony. Narrowing down of prejudices and misconceptions, better understandings, mutual appreciation and admiration, joint programmes for the benefit of the society at large are among the fruits of inter-religious dialogue!.

While entering into dialogue with other, those representing the Church should be deeply rooted in their faith and committed to Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the saviour of the world. An attitude of compromise leading to giving up of the basics of one’s faith and tradition will also be detrimental to genuine dialogue. We have to develop a positive attitude of respect towards other religious traditions as a pro-condition for dialogue. Any form of superiority complex and suspicions or doubts about the motives of one another on the part of the dialoguiging partners would hinter genuine dialogue.

C. Dialogue with the poor and the marginalized

The Church is called upon to identify herself with the poor in imitation of her Lord, Jesus Christ. He manifested special love and compassion for the poor, the distressed and the oppressed, living in total solidarity with them. Therefore, we need to empower the poor and the marginalized for their human dignity and wellbeing and thus to enable them to realize their destiny as God’s children, made in his image and likeness. We have to work with them to help them to regain their true humanity and thus bring a complete change it in the existing unjust situation.

We are called to liberate the poor from the oppressions of various types like Moses who liberated the Israelites from Pharoah and led them to the promised land (Ex.1, 8-14, 2, 23-25) “The Church ought to contribute to the diffusion of the social and communitarian message. Only in this manger can the Church present herself as the Church for all peoples and above all as the Church of the poor”. (Pope John XXIII, Inaugural Address at the Vatican II Council 1962). This is assuredly a mark of our fidelity to Jesus Christ. (Tertio Millennio Adventure, No.49)

The Dalits and Tribals are politically exploited, educationally most backward, and are socially discriminated against. The Church should be in solidarity with the poor and marginalized make a preferential option for them. In the situation of appalling poverty of the vast majority of the people in India, the Church has to become not just Church for the poor but the Church of the poor. This would mean, being with the poor in their daily experience of poverty and oppression, and being with them in their efforts to liberate themselves for fuller human life. To realize this objective, the Church should join other people of goodwill and work towards the dismantling of structures like caste and class that cause and perpetuate poverty and oppression.

We have to recognize the fact that the poor and the marginalized to contribute much to us when we are in dialogue with them. We can learn much from their faith, hope and patience. They challenge us to live the Gospel in its radicality relying more on God and freeing ourselves from undue dependence on material things.

Some Concrete Proposals for action.

All institutions in the diocese should make committed efforts to promote inter-religious dialogue for peace, harmony, and human rights.

Dialogue demands a certain level of preparation and competence on the part of partners in dialogue. The clergy and the religious have a long process of formation which the lay faithful generally do not have. Dialogue would demand that the laity be given sufficient and relevant faith formation for their mission in the Church. For this purpose sufficient funds should be set aside in the parishes and dioceses. Centres for the formation of the laity should be set up and suitable courses should be organized in deferent parts of the country.

Resources of the Church should be available for the educational empowerment of the Dalits and the tribals. Training and educational opportunities for jobs and appropriate leadership will be offered to the Dalits and Tribals.

We the bishops appeal to the Catholics who are well placed in society to share their resources with the marginalized and the poor for education and socio-economic empowerment as apart their Christian commitment.

Both the diocesan and the religious personnel involved in institutions should adopt a clear policy in favour of the poor and the marginalized, particularly in matters of education and vocational training as a sign of preferential option for the poor and marginalized.

Conclusion

We are privileged to work in union with Jesus Christ for the accomplishment of His mission of the total salvation of mankind. The Church is the instrument of this mission of salvation. God in His generosity endows us with gifts and charisms that we may all collaborate in this task in accordance with our appropriate roles and responsibilities. We have great challenges, problems and needs to address. We can do it well for the glory of God and for the good of the people to extent to which we become a Church of dialogue.

As we intensely realize the importance of dialogue for us all our hearts are saddened by the outbreak of violence and destructions of precious human lives and property in the state of Gujarat. We express our deep sentiments of solidarity with victims and their bereaved families. The long standing dispute over Ram Janam Bhumi – Babri Masjid in Ayodhya has been a cause a tension and turmoil in the country. We therefore humbly appeal to all our leaders, both civil and religious, to strive for a just and peaceful resolution of this issue. We earnestly pray that peace and harmony may prevail in all our communities. Trusting in the power of the God of dialogue and the intercession of Mary, who through her life of dialogue cooperated in god’s plan of salvation and in the goodness and wisdom of people , we commit ourselves to a life of dialogue. In the complex realities of the present-day life in our country and in the world at large, “we launch into the deep” (Lk.5:4).

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