Asian Cardinals for the Asian/Universal Church?

 

 Pope Francis has chosen and created new Cardinals (designate), surprising the world with a counter-traditional strategy. Unpredictably, these new ‘red hats’ represent a broader geographically promising land. Francis’ choice of Cardinals ensures the continuity of his reform process and the legitimate Church renewal, with emphasis on the Roman Curia, the laity, the family and the world itself. The new Asian entry into the new Curial structure mostly under the age of 80 (youngest being 48 years old) and from Religious orders, will decide on the choice of a new Pope after Francis’ heart and mind. There are 6 Jesuit Cardinals and 9 Salesians.

 

Six cardinals-designate are from Asia including the first Cardinal from the marginalized Dalit community. Of the 132 Cardinals who will enter a conclave to elect a new Pope, 83 of them (63%) are created by Francis of which almost 16% are Asian.  India has two new Cardinals – the first Telegu Dalit (“trampled upon") Cardinal Anthony Poola of Hyderabad and Archbishop Felipe Nerri from a Catholic stronghold Goa and Daman.

 

Dalit refers to people treated with disrespect and as untouchables following the caste system which is prevalent in the Church in India. Cardinal Poola is expected to represent the Dalit cause in the Church and resolve some of the issues concerned, including those of the Adivasis (Indigenous Tribals) as the late Cardinal Telesphore Toppo did.  Casteism is a serious issue of concern for the Church in India (cf. M. L. Satyan, https://mattersindia.com/2022/06/casteism-in-indian-catholic-church/, 2 June 2022). Biblically following, the Church leaders are to humbly ‘wash the feet of the Christian followers’ (cf. John 13:13-15). It is specifically stated: “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3: 27-28).  Following so, early Christians, in fact, as a united community, disposed of their possessions and shared them in common, avoiding any social and economic inequalities, following the Way. Today, the marginalized communities (SC, ST) have been discriminated and disrespected. Unfortunately, perpetrating the same, the CBCI has a separate commission for “Dalits and Minorities”!  

 

Francis has bypassed the traditional cardinal seats from major dioceses and regions, and focused on the emerging Churches as he selected Cardinals from the “peripheries”. It is noted that while the Oriental Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara, Maronite, Chaldean, Romanian and Ethiopian Churches have cardinals, many other small Churches have been left out. This shift itself is a reminder to the leaders of the Church and the new candidates to be the voice of Asia and not simply sound the Roman dictate (Cf. chhotebhai, https://mattersindia.com/2022/06/hat-trick/, June 3, 2022).  Preferring the liberals, the Pope wants his like-minded Cardinals to pave the way for much reformation in the Church following the Vatican II’s proposals of inculturation and decentralization. The Curial reforms initiated by Francis will affect a major change in the Church governance. The convening of Vatican III may follow the mega Synod on Synodality (October 2023). Now that there are going to be 21 Asian Cardinals, this will have major effect on the appointment of the next Pope.

 

In view of the election of the future, I firmly hold that all the presidents of national episcopal conferences are to be part of the electoral body. So too representatives from religious orders and the laity must be invited to express their view about the Church and in electing a Pope. Conclave need not be restricted only to cardinals, which the Pope chooses independently and at his own discretion. This is not in line with the principle and the spirit of Vatican II. Synodality implies co-responsibility at all levels of the Church. While trying to balance the relationship between the centre and the peripheries, papal primacy and collegiality, the clergy and  the laity, the pope and the Roman Curia, the present trend of  giving the red hat to men in countries, dioceses without cardinals, or to those from ethnic/tribal communities as mere appeasement, do not address the issues that most concern the Church.

 

Again, the College of Cardinals does not offer a "faithful image of (the Church's) diversity". (Robert Mickens, https://international.la-croix.com/news/letter-from-rome/synodality-and-electing-the-bishop-of-rome/16265, 20.6.2022). And the arbitrarily selected members by the pope alone does nothing to change that.  Robert Michen says, it smacks of absolute authority and risks in favouring the Pope’s favoured one. The lay people in the spirit of Synodality, must be part of selecting their Pope. Therefore, the Eastern Church Patriarchs and the members of the Synod of Bishops' permanent council can participate in the conclave.

 

The vocations of Cardinals and Bishops are a call to Christian unity. The exclusive power of the College of Cardinals to elect a Pope, can become a procedure of great abuse. This college "does not relate directly or structurally to the episcopal conferences". Again, neither the consultative body - College of Cardinals – is taken into confidence fully. Synodality signifies the Church's communal life and decision-making process, which includes the participation of all the People of God, ordained, lay and vowed religious. Francis’ radical reforming interest in revising or updating the Church has to extend to the selection and appointment of bishops as well.

 

Coming back to Asia/India, an appointment of a Cardinal from a Dalit/minority community is not enough; he must work towards the empowerment of Dalit community in India through “concrete plans” of action made public and persevered upon.  A Cardinal, of whatsoever background, is a Shepherd who serves the universal Church with “smell of the sheep”, working for all. In this context, Cardinal Charles Bo (FABC President), Joseph Zen, Cleemis Catholicos, Oswald Gracias, George Alencherry and other important Asian Church leaders will need to be more vocal in  public against the rising persecution of Christians by the Military regime of Myanmar, the Chinese Marxist government and the RSS-backed  BJP rule in India respectively, while sharing Francis’ worldview. As the final punch, here is what an Indian Church leader must do: lead a simple life, visit the prisons, hospitals, child care homes, home for the aged, those differently abled, help the poor, express solidarity and concern; join the justice-rally,  interact with the people, and listen and learn from them. He must commit himself to serve the needy, the marginalized and the oppressed.

 

  

 

 

LIBERATING THE INDIAN MAN AND WOMAN

 

Before I am a Christian, Catholic, I am a human being living in India within its socio-cultural reality. The past few years have proved that India is in the midst of political violence, killings, corruption, religious intolerance, bigotry, religions politicized, terrorism, poverty, injustice, inequality and social discrimination. Within a pluralistic setting of India, with its various religious faith expressions — diversities within one nation — one finds the national integrity, peace and unity is at risk. Religious pluralism is threatened. Religions often devalued the economic, social, political activities due to narrow vested interest. Men and women are not free. These paradoxical situation prompted me to reflect and give a possible answer to the total integral freedom of Indian men and women, from a Christian point of view.

The real peril India faces is majority communalism (Cf. Sunanda Datta-Ray, “Closed minds”, The Telegraph, Kolkata 11 June 2022.). Religious, political or social practices (even superstition) are mixed up for particular political agenda.  It becomes all the more difficult of separating the social from the religious. Secularism in its true sense is difficult in India. Traditional cultural rites are sanctified into rituals giving them religious overtone with the majoritarian ‘Brahmanical sanctions’ making others ‘non-Hindustanis’. Consequently, such majoritarianism makes the minority communities to assert their identities in this democratic republic India. The Gyanvapi mosque controversy, disrespect to Religious founders by the leaders of the ruling party, reduce the minorities to victimhood, just being ‘tolerated’ to live in India, faced with public humiliation. It exposes the closed minded, opportunistic and unprincipled majoritarian leaders, insensitive to all the rest of the minorities.  The lack of commitment to ethnic and cultural pluralism within India’s demographic reality, will only put India in peril and anarchy. The politicians at the helm of governance, go scot-free for their abusive and divisive remarks on media, the Cow-vigilantes, the ‘Love-jihad terrorism’, communalization of central institutions including education,  and the RSS-VHP-Bajrang- Sanghis’ ‘crusadic’ Dharma Sansads and venomous speeches, the rewriting of pro-Hindutva history, are all instruments of intimidation. The cultures of the Indian men/women, against the present Hindutva demagogues, have to be respected.

 India is passing through a time of tension. Today, we are fighting over collective history (objectively interpreted) and selective and personalized memory (subjectively owned) in India. The ruling political parte is engaged in an exercise of rewriting ‘memory’ and thus destroying the historical legacy. The fanatic Hindutva-ites, having politically identified themselves with particular religious narratives, are determined to reclaim their heritage, with the coercive path of uniformity of language, culture and economy (Hindurashtra) for electoral gain, through distorted memories and destructive violence. Paradoxically it breaks the cohesive bonds of the Indian men/women.

 

Following the Fascism ideology, the present dispensation, use manipulative strategies to win sympathy from the majority community, and denigrate and demonize minorities. The hatred and divisiveness incite people to violence in order to further their vested interests towards polarisation thus destroying pluralism and diversity. The Hindutva elements, for the past 20 years, have been disrupting the communal harmony in India, by accusing the Christians of forceful conversion and the Muslims of terrorist activities against India. Manipulative lies and divisive politics by the ruling regime have brought in anti-conversion laws in the states. It lacks the competency to deal with economy, inflation and unemployment. Outright, it is violating the rights and freedom of all minority citizens, to comply with the carefully planned Hindutva agenda.

 This multi-dimensional situation is the background to our reflection on the Christian faith and its contribution to liberation of Indian men and women. Christianity in a pluralistic India, through its belief in the triune leberative God (cosmotheandric and communitarian), has an answer to an integral living in freedom. Only a Trinitarian concept of Reality can make a synthesis of a multi-dimensional spirituality in India (Karma, Bhakti, Jnana).  Through this pluriform Trinitarian understanding, while taking Jesus of history and Christ of faith as a pathway, the Indian men and women could reach the integral freedom. An understanding of this Trinitarian structure of religious experiences offers a path for collaboration among all religions for growth and development. This liberation is possible only when we commit ourselves in transforming the present situation in India through communitarian living and communicative dialogue. 

I present here the Indian man and woman in his/her relationship with others and wish to confirm that Jesus is the path and mode to integral freedom with the India’s social-cultural, religio-spiritual settings. I have placed an understanding of the Trinitarian, Cosmotheandric vision of Reality — a closer relation of the Triune-God and Indian Pluralism. I propose a holistic approach to integral liberation. Certainly there is no one Indian understanding of men and women, or single understanding of various religions. Within a pluriform understanding of the Indian reality, being created in the image and likeness of God, a Christian has to be creative and liberative, opposing any dehumanizing force, and fight for equality and justice through the social and cultural praxis of love and solidarity. Integral freedom is the goal of Christian response to the Indian situation, following the “pedagogy of Jesus.”