Will the Church hierarchy which has been aping the
mundane imperial ways of the world from
Emperor Constantine in the 4th century take a cue now from the
Indian President who forbad the use of colonial titles to refer to him, in
order to be one with ordinary humans?
Dr. James Kottoor
Our Indian President Pranab Mukherjee has set an example of
humility and equality of all humans. He wants to be addressed only as Sri
Pranab, not His Excellency according to reports in Manorama daily
5/10/12.
President Pranab was to preside over the graduation function at the
Dalit Narayana Misra University in Bihar. In the invitation card for the
function President was referred to as: His Excellency. When this was brought to
his notice, he forthwith instructed the University to use only “Sri” before his
name and never to go for any honorific titles reminiscent of colonial
domination. In addition he asked the University not to prepare any special elevated
seat to honour him. The message he sent out was clear: He wants to be an ordinary man among ordinary humans, without the
distinctions of Dalits and upper cast, in contrast to the ‘Ordinary’ with
capital “O” used to refer Catholic bishops and other imperial, honorific and
heavenly titles for higher ups.
In this he was literally, but unwittingly or unintentionally, imitating
a Carpenter of Nazareth of yore who asked “Why you call me Good?” when some one
addressed him “Good Master” because God alone is Good according to Jesus, we
are all just brothers, equals and friends, nothing more.
Mr. President
of Krishna Menon
It is said it was V.K.Krishna Menon who was the first in India to
address Sanjeeva Reddy, the then President of Indian National Congress (later
he also became Indian President) as “Mr. President” and even when others
objected to the use of “Mr.” he stuck to his gun. How many in India will have
the guts to imitate him? Now that Pranab has come out strong and stark every
one might dare. Why? Isn’t the most
powerful head of state which is also the oldest democracy, USA, is called Mr. President
or Mr. Obama, nothing more, for long? How is it that it has not influenced us
to think independently and act independently in dealing with such matters at
home?
Today the practice of resorting to outdated imperial and divine titles (shall
we call them a type of Privy Purses mentality?) is kept alive mostly by so-called “god-men” in various religions, following the
bad example first given by the Catholic Church, ever since Emperor Constantine
in the 4th century. It was
against this St Bernard stingingly castigated the then Pope saying in
substance: “When you revel in royal dress, ride a snow white horse with
glittering sword and are addressed by imperial titles, you are proclaiming to
the whole world that you are the successor of Constantine, not of Peter the
fisherman.”
History has records of many more
such rebukes. The latest was the mild
one from the Indian Bishop Alex Dias of Port Blair who went hammer and thong
against all anachronistic practices. He had the audacity to come out publicly
and say he would prefer to be called just “Alex” his personal name with no
qualifications whatever. He wrote: “I am
also thinking of the titles we are
holding on to in the Church: “Holiness”, “Eminence”, “Beatitude”, “Excellency”,
“Grace, “Lordship”….. A number of times I have had people asking me how they
are to address a Bishop, an Archbishop, a Cardinal, and a Pope. They would
rather stay away from us for fear they may address us wrongly. I find these
titles come in the way of a warm and friendly conversation. I would just like
to call a person by name, and be called by name, dropping all formalities and
titles” and he quoted (Mt. 23: 8-10) to clinch his argument that you are
not to be called Rabi etc since we are all
just brothers under the fatherhood of
God. That is why I suggested more than once in articles they should be called
just: Mr. Pope, Mr. Cardinal, Mr. Bishop, and Mr. Priest etc. But the
initiative should come from them first. It will, but only if they are really led by the spirit
of Jesus.
Grotesque
Mundane Attires
In his article Bishop Alex
even argued that it was high time that the church “give up all obsolete,
grotesque and mundane attires” like the other worldly head gear called Mitre,
gold chain, ring, shepherd’s crook etc. seeing which the younger generation
shout in derision; “abhi joker log aa
rahe hai!”. (Here comes the Joker
procession). (See his article: Needed a Church Shorn of Grandeur” in IC 12/3/12
and my response: Only Remedy: Damascus Treat, IC 26/3/12)
Many readers of IC wrote endorsing and
congratulating Bishop Alex’s stand. But the wonder of it all was, not even one
of his brother bishops in India, (they are over 160) cared to say a word of approval in public. What does their
silence speak eloquently? Approval, disapproval, their inability to make a choice or their
adamant blind adherence to the “sacred” traditional practice nut shelled in the
Ottoviani dictum “Eclesia simper Idem” meaning the Catholic Church remains the
same always, since it makes no mistakes?
That is not the mind of Vatican II when
it says: Eclesia simper Reformanda (Church is to be reformed
constantly) especially since it has to live in today’s modern democratic world,
not any more in the middle ages of dictatorship and imperialism, and has to
respond to the signs of the times marked by free speech, respect for public
opinion and democratic code of conduct. It means it has to stop being a church
in the sacristy and start being one in the market place to see, listen and
speak as Jesus did when he trudged the dusty roads of Palastine. Here one is
reminded of the three proverbial monkeys which sees not, hears not and speaks
not. It was not for this that Pope John XXIII asked to open wide the doors and
windows and come out. Will the Rome Synod make a difference?
Rome Synod on Evangelisation
The fiftieth anniversary of that epic
Vatican II meet is now being held on a
grand scale in Rome to review the gains and losses of the Council, through the
search light called “New Evangelization” the theme of the meet. Asian bishops
already met in Pune recently to study this issue to highlight the challenges
and the collective thinking of the region to meet them head on. Nothing much
has appeared even in the Catholic press to conscientize the public and ensure
its active involvement, although the leadership trumpet ad nauseam that church
is the “people of God”, that the vast majority of the laity really constitute
the church, that they are not just the front lines of the Church, that the
divide between clergy and laity was man made and has no biblical base.
It is in this context I wrote: Evangelize the Evangelisers, the
clergy and hierarchy who still live in ivory towers. Like the pastors, so the
people! One person with a broad vision, Pope John XXIII brought about a total
revolution in the Church. How many bishops have we today with such vision and
leadership qualities, bishops who speak up their mind on burning issues of the
times – poverty, illiteracy, ill health, broken homes, corruption,
exploitation, violence, conflict within and between nations -- as did Cardinal Maria
Martini of Milan who passed away recently and take a public stand for or
against problems affecting family, social and political life of the people of
God, not minding the cost, instead of keeping silent?
At least one Indian bishop, Alex
Dias has spoken, on the anachronistic life style of the Catholic prelates. That
life style simply drives thinking
sections of the rank and file of the church away from their bishops, as from
Mortal sin sharply expressed in the saying Fuge prelatum Tamquam Peccatum
(Flee from bishops as from Mortal sin). Here is just one instance for all
to put in the pipe and smoke in the light of foregone discussion: What will be
the decision of the Rome Synod on holding fast to “obsolete, mundane titles”
especially in the light of the example given by our President Pranab Mukherjee?
Will they open their mouth at all to speak on this issue? Or will they just
keep mum and pass the buck?
+++++++++++++++++++++++
No comments:
Post a Comment