An open letter to Most Rev. Anil. J.T.Couto, Archbishop of Delhi and
Most.Rev.Kuriakose Bharanikulangara, Bishop of Faridabad Eparchy on the issue
of rite.
Also for
the information to Most Rev. Salvatore Pennachio, Apostolic Nuncio in
India
5.
All our sacraments are established
by the organised Catholic Church after centuries of Jesus’ Crucifixion. But
they all have some connections with events in the life of Christ. You have
mentioned two sacraments the baptism and marriages. If all the other sacraments
can be acceptable by both the groups as sacraments of the holy church, what
happened to these two sacraments? Is
baptism and marriage differently constituted in the early Church?? The baptism
which was in remembrance of St. John the Baptist, baptising the Jews and
gentiles and also Jesus himself was given the sacramental status by the ancient
Church .There was no Syrian baptism or Latin baptism anywhere in the early
years of the church.
In early church, there were no Catholic priests. The elders of the family did
it for their children. The sacrament of matrimony is the remembrance of the
marriage at Cana where Jesus did His first miracle of converting water into
wine. And that marriage was also that of a family of Jews. In the early years,
there was no Syrian and Latin marriage. Even today, according to our faith,
there are only three people involved in a marriage contract. The groom, the
bride and Jesus, the God. The priest is only a witness. Anybody can be a
witness. Then why this catch on Baptism and Marriage? An opportunity to milk
the sheep!
6.
There is one area you have
forgotten. The Christian cemeteries in Delhi.
The share of these cemeteries now belongs to the Catholics who are under
the Archdiocese of Delhi. I am 80 years old and waiting to be called by the
Lord. I don’t mind my body being buried, cremated or even thrown into the sea.
But my Syrian children must know where I can rest in peace (R. I.P). You have
clarified about the birth and marriage. Please clarify what happens at death
also. A man who is born as a Syrian has to die a Syrian! Will you please
explain the modalities for this too? Who has to do the last rites? Where is to
be done? Is there place for “both type” Catholics demarcated? If we could not
get the right “rite pastor”, will our bodies be eaten by the vultures?
7.
What we lay-Catholics see now is a
competition between the clergy of the two rites to take control of the laity
who is the real source of finance and power. Only thing is that these clergy
are experts in using many synonyms of love, peace, unity, fraternity and so on
to achieve their cynical designs. To these shepherds of different shades of the
church, we have only one appeal - Please for the sake of Jesus; don’t try to
divide the followers of Jesus into two or even more diverse group. This is a serious crime and a
cardinal
sin for which there will be no absolution from the divine presence. In these
challenging times we need to stand together as one and face the communal and
material forces in the world.
8.
There is a very ironical statement
given in one of the pastoral letters by one of the shepherds. “The church has
the good tradition of giving one tenth of the income to the church”. The
intentions are coming out of the bag. The government of this country allows the
people not to pay any tax by those who earn less than a certain amount. This is
to make sure that this amount is needed for the survival of the people. The
people have to pay house rents, house loans and personal loans educational
loans and educational expenses for children, expenses for the marriages of
their children from their earnings. Many of these are exempted by the
government tax. Only after deducting some of these expenses,
the payment of income tax starts. I can
understand if the church asks for a share from the “savings” of a family but
not income. Most of these Catholics are lower-middle class families surviving
on the meagre income. For what does the church need this money to be used? To create a duplicate catholic church? To
build mansions for the shepherds and their officials. A catholic church does
not need a palace. It is the reminiscences of the colonial
and feudal system. Learn to live like
your flock that live by their sweat and blood. Shun the luxurious and the
pompous life you lead at the cost of the faithful. Follow your leader Pope
Francis. He is a real shepherd of the Catholic community. He says that the
shepherds are supposed to serve and not to be showmen like the peacock.
9.
Again the people are exhorted not
to give money out of this ten percent of their income to anybody who comes and
ask money for any charitable activities in the name of God. It must be given
either to the parish priest or with his permission to agencies which he recommends.
But one thing the shepherd forgets is that anybody who is in need of our help
is coming to us another form of God. I must have the right to decide who needs
my help and service
more. Nobody on earth has a right to decide who the God in need is. We are asked
to pay the parish priest his share of ten percent of our income and only with
the remaining I am supposed to help others or other organisations which are
helping the needy. This means that all the N.G.Os, orphanages, hospitals for
poor, sisters of charity of Mother Terasa, Don Bosco orphanages and many other
activities though run by congregations of fathers, sisters or brothers of the
church are not serving God unless the parish priest decides so! According to our understanding of the cannon
law, this man has got no infallibility in matters of faith or in any matters.
Who is he to decide which God’s work is and which is not? Are you suggesting that we the lay people,
regardless of our education, age and
experience do not possess the discretion, prudence and intelligence to decide
on such matters as this holy of holy man can ?
I
have put down some of my thoughts and doubts in this letter. I hope that as
true followers of Jesus Christ, you stand for the love and justice which Jesus
stands for. We expect of you to be the
real witness to the Jesus Christ who died on the cross for all our sins,
the Jesus Christ who resurrected for us, and the very Jesus Christ still living
in our midst. We, the Lay Catholics expect of you to take decisions on the
lives of people not as dictators but as partners in the church of the one and
only one Jesus. Please do not sacrifice Jesus again on the cross and tear his
mystical body for our worldly powers. Also be aware of the moral laws and be
respectful of the laws of this great country of ours.
With all
the pride in being Catholics, and that too as Syro-Malabar Catholics, with love
and respect for both of you.
Delhi laity
No comments:
Post a Comment