SAVE POPULAR PIETY (BHAKTI / DEVOTIONAL PRACTICES) FROM PIETISM

 

In the past few months, I have been noticing that lots of ‘novenas’ and prayers of/to various saints, Lectio Divina and many other structural devotions, laid out in text form or in video formats, are being shared by a priest over a WhatsApp group in which I have been enlisted. Of course, they are shared with the good intention of benefiting others in their religious, devotional and spiritual journey. As part of the popular devotions and piety, they are of help. Thanks to the despatches, the various video homilies, readings, reflections and liturgical notes are of much help to others who have access to them. Let me share with the readers, without any malice towards the sender, my take on such devotional dispatches and on a retreat, he preached in December 2022.

 After attending a biblically-based retreat preached by this priest, I did appreciate his strong memory in citing biblical verses, some quotations from the Church documents (e.g., Canon law) and from the Salesian constitutions. He has preached much in the past and the contents have got into his memory, and so, he does not need notes and papers. Here are some of my observations on his talks and their contents, for the readers’ personal benefit and for the benefit of all.

 The repeated mention of ‘all’, ‘always’, ‘everything’, ‘whole thing’, ‘every time’, in its absolute form, by this preacher, to me, seemed to me to be false statement. The use of words – entire, completely, never, all, everyone, all over, absolutely, nothing, not even one, can never be, exactly like – are all absolute terms. One can never absolutize an event or an incident, or a single idea or an opinion. They are relative, subjective and a part of the whole – one among many.

 

Some of the contents of his talks were subjective and coloured. Some of his statements lack objectivity, and are often mythicized and mystified (e.g., God asking him to sanctify a place/room at midnight, because of some one’s previous evil action committed there), exaggerated and absolutized by the use of ‘should’ and ‘must’. We just do not know beyond our personal human capacity.

 He talked about the ‘transfer or the mirror effect’ of one’s infidelity on his/her family. Remember, God who is love, never ‘curses’ or punishes the family for one’s own sins. Certainly, the ‘cause-effect’ theory applies to any reality within the natural created world.

 The speed and space with which he spoke did not allow the thoughts to sink into the listener’s self. His exaggeration in voice volume, its modulation, repetitions of ideas, long prayers, the speedy litany of saints, dramatized, shouted out, and sometimes artificial, did not impress me.

 The Catholic Church prohibits ‘divining’ of future events or tragedy, as done by a ‘lady’ (he never mentioned her name or background) over the phone telling him that ‘number of souls are lost, through wasting time by watching a movie in the theatre! In fact, CCC no. 2116 states: “All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to … practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future… interpretation of omens and lots, …. and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honour, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.” According to him, she (the lady he often spoke of) hears the “voice of God” and tells him that there was “a cavity in the tooth”. God tells him through her “when to go back”, etc. May be, he is, allegedly, influenced by this ‘lady’, by her ‘lay piety’ or pietism. In short, this preacher is ‘guided’ by a ‘lady’s divination, which is forbidden in the Church. (e.g., someone crying, a dead Salesian suffering in the purgatory for 18 years…..)

 There exists lot of negativities in his talks: judge, condemn, hell, Satan, devil, abuse, vengeance, sin, punishment, evil, skull, coffin, death, ugliness of sin, danger, destruction, demonising human action and failure, wickedness, miserable, worldly, grief, wretched, pitiable, filthy, pathetic, unforgiveable sins, etc. He has used the word ‘devil’ many times, besides talking of ‘sex, abortion, contraception, nuns, immoral relationship, things of the world’, etc.  Thus, a negative narrative is created, hyping it, to make a mode to propagate and market it. The repeated ‘babling’ on devil will only make one more obsessed with it. The threatening and frightening approach do not help one grow. No one can tell me: “no blessings of God will come on you”. No one has the right to say so. Even God will not say so.

 The ‘deposit of faith’ that we talk about cannot be transmitted as it was (status quo) formulated 1000 or 60 years back. Theology – the study on God – has gone ahead far beyond our static understanding of faith-system. There is so much still to analyse, reason, interpret and learn. We cannot justify our faith, suiting our self-interest. Similarly, we need to contextualize the Word of God for today through hermeneutic interpretation, and see what touches today most by reading the signs of the time. Therefore, we need, to recognize and interpret the signs of the time (primordial, perennial and episteme) in order to understand how they communicate the loving providence of God and understand the language of the Spirit, who speaks in different “languages” at varied times. Today, we need to hear the Spirit in the cry of the poor and those abused (e.g., Indian women wrestlers), in the groans of the sick and dying, in the discrimination on ethical ground (Kukis in Manipur), in the frustration of stranded migrants, in the protest of the oppressed, in the exploited ecological degradation, or in the impulses within our inner selves. Out-smarting knowledge of the Word of God (memorized verses) does not bring in salvation automatically.

 The said preacher used many devotional practices as part of his retreats. But I have this to say: hyper-devotional pietism of many, can become superstitious practices; their habitual repetitions can ‘numb’ the human conscious, blinding people from the present issues and realities. Such ‘opium’ can be truth-depressant, drugging the ‘believers’ into pseudo-devotion, leading to a narrow-minded pietism. In fact, some of the devotional expressions are designed to disguise psychological and physical realities. Such shadowed expressions are promoted at the cost of conscience. It reduces faith and morals to pious sentimentalities.

 Using some Christian belief system, various types of devotion to the saints or celebrations of pious-events, it is easy to manipulate human emotions. An emotional “belief” expressed out of sentimental pietism, can be extremely dangerous. It affects one’s moral and religious growth negatively. The sacrificial love of Jesus on the Cross and his resurrection, on the other hand, are a balance of a devotional and intellectual life by witnessing to Jesus Christ who died on the Cross and rose.  Unbridled human emotion, without critical questioning, begins to drive the faithful away from the creation – the real world.

God is truth. God is Atman, - the pure Spirit, the formless-Beyond. The forms and shapes (physical, material) through which the human worship God, are only means and methods. They are not the ends themselves. God does not want that people trample upon God’s truth in the name of ritual religiosity or various practices of piety! Besides, detached from context, culture and reason, the sentimental faith-expressions through such devotional practices become ill-educated, arrogant, and vicious. Certainly, popular piety does help live one’s faith.  But, God says, ‘learn to do good, be just, redress the wrong and defend the poor’ (cf. Is 1:10-17). Jesus speaks straight, “whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me (follow his ways) is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:38). Pope Francis warns: “Do not take refuge in a religiosity made up of extraordinary events and dramatic experiences, out of fear of facing reality and its daily struggles, its hardships and contradictions” (Lenten Penance and the Synodal Journey , 2023, www.vatican.va).

 

Therefore, pastoral discernment is needed within the context of preaching retreats, animating groups and communities, or promoting devotional practices, in order to sustain and support popular piety/devotions, and to purify and correct the manipulative pietism and superstitious sentimentalism. And such discernment must be accompanied by insights that come from the humanities and faith (faith and reason).

Consecration OR Entrustment to Mary?

   “Consecrating” a province, confreres, community or individual member to Mary under her various titles, seeking her protection of the vulnerable, healing of the unwell, and for those who work to cure people from the present pandemic virus, is theologically problematic and controversial. Louis Grignon the Montfort is one of the great masters of the spirituality underlying the act of "consecration to Mary". He “proposed to the faithful consecration to Jesus through Mary, as an effective way of living out their baptismal commitment” (Redemptoris Mater 48).

 Many Popes favoured the pious practice of "consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary" and the formulas publicly used by them are well known.[1] The term "consecration" is used here in a broad and non-technical sense.[2] Pope John Paul II increasingly replaced the term ‘consecration’ with ‘entrustment’, which he did, for example, after the attempt on his life on May 13, 1981 - Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. And the Pontifical International Marian Academy pointed out this important shift in 2005. During his visit to Fatima in 2017, Pope Francis confirmed this shift during his prayer before the statue of the Virgin Mary when he said: “I entrust myself to you. In union with my brothers and sisters, through you, I consecrate myself to God.”[3]

 The Latin term ‘consecratio’ is reserved “for those self-offerings which have God as their object, and which are characterized by totality and perpetuity, which are guaranteed by the Church’s intervention and have as their basis the sacraments of baptism and confirmation”.[4] We cannot consecrate ourselves to Mary. Post Second Vatican Council change in vision, based on “liturgical theology and the consequent rigorous use of terminology” the Church has made an explicit distinction between “worship”, the object of which is God alone, and “veneration”, which can be shown to Mary and other recognized saints.[5] The Council said veneration of Mary “differs essentially from the cult of adoration which is offered equally” to the three Persons of the Trinity “and is most favourable to this adoration” (Lumen gentium, 66). Within Catholic theology and devotional practices a consecration to Jesus through Mary is only a “praise” to the mother of Christ “for the great things” God has done to her (Lk 1: 46-55). Therefore, we need to make distinction between Mary as a creature and God as Creator. Such ‘entrustment’ must be expressed in a correct liturgical manner: to the Father, through Christ in the Holy Spirit, imploring the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom we entrust ourselves.[6]

  

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[1] Cf. Atto di affidamento alla Beata Vergine Maria pronounced by John Paul II on Sunday, 8 October 2000, together with the Bishops gathered in Rome for the celebration of the Great Jubilee.[2] Cf. Congregation for Divine Worship, Guidelines and proposals for the celebration of the Marian Year, n.86; Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Directory on Popular Piety and The Liturgy Principles And Guidelines, Vatican City, December 2001, n. 204.

[3] Prayer of His Holiness Pope Francis, Pilgrimage of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, 12-13 May 2017, http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/prayers/documents/papa-francesco_ preghiere_20170512_fatima.html, 2.8..2020

[4] Cf. Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, op.cit., n. 204.

[5] Cf. Hendro Munsterman, Why are bishops still "consecrating" their countries to Mary, in Best of La Croix International 2020, Understanding Your Church, La Croix International 2020, p.41

[6] Cf. Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, op.cit., n. 204.

 

Bandel Walk Pilgrimage: in Search of Grace

Marian shrine of Bandel has attracted thousands of pilgrims on this Sunday, 12^th January 2020. The pilgrims progressed in their ‘march’, reaching the Shrine of the Holy Rosary on foot, in search of grace. Thousands of pilgrims including men women, young people and children started their walk from different starting points in Nadia, Hooghly, Howrah, Kolkata, 24 Paraganas, many  walking over 40 km distance bare foot as penance, as well as thanksgiving for favours received. Many leaders including priests and nuns accompanied the pilgrims from respective parishes. The uninterrupted walking pilgrimage of its 66^th year, held on second Sunday of January, has been a traditional practice for many people from these neighbouring districts, organized by the Catholic Association of Bengal.

Peoples’ expeditions into devotion, brought together thousands of pilgrims to Our Lady of Happy Voyage walking from diverse directions. Those from South 24 Paraganas, Kolkata and Howrah began their walk after attending the usual early Mass at Happy Voyage Church, Howrah. The pilgrims carrying the cross walked down the Grand Trunk Road towards Bally bridge where they were joined by other pilgrims, walking through old colonial townships of Serampore, Chandernagore, Chinsurah along Hooghly river, before they reached the Basilica by sunset.

The attraction towards Our Lady of Bandel, sends spirit-filled grace to many young and old to take up the ‘radical challenge’ to walk the way exploring individual and group devotions, with prayers and songs carrying with them candles, flowers and incense . With the decline of the elderly joining in the walk, the young generations have taken up the challenging tradition of old. They all come in search of the Mother who awaits eagerly her children. The statue of Our Lady of Happy Voyage eventually ‘lifts’ them up to her (many kneeling their way up the stairs!) for blessings and graces from above. Unlike other pilgrimages this one includes a well dedicated community effort from respective parishes with their banners, to ‘walk the faith’ as a ‘family’ under Mary’s mantle.

It emphasizes each one’s quest to express concretely his/her devotion. While many ‘walks’ to pay homage to Mary, saints and martyrs, are managed by Church authorities, this one is one of the laity. On arrival, the Prior blessed the pilgrims at the Church gate and received the pilgrims’ Cross at the main altar before the Eucharistic celebration for the weary pilgrims.

Often, the ‘adventurous’ open-minded fellow ‘pilgrims’ in their maiden efforts venture into the sacred spheres of their lives either invited or challenged by friends and relatives, or by mere chance. Sitting tired in the Church for the Eucharistic celebration after a long walk, a young girl expressed: “I grew up without struggles in life, but this stomach-blowing walk from Roghunathpur, Kalyani to Bandel, has made me grow-up a bit strong in spirit, body and mind.  My ‘hunger’ has been met.”

The Bandel Walk experience is only lasting when the external expression coincides with what is internal. As the regular pilgrims move through the pews of their past annual walk memories, their perseverance has a ‘prize’ to offer – grace from God.  As another young pilgrim while limping after a long leg-shivering walk, remarked, “What my heart wanted, it has achieved - Mother Mary has looked upon me.” 

Pilgrimage is an important part of spiritual life for many people. Life itself is a journey, coming from God and returning to God. These pilgrims seek to separate themselves from the everyday concerns of the world, and spend time in the presence of God as they walk all the way to the Church of Bandel. On their return home, nourished by grace, they live their faith better. The over 400 years old Bandel Shrine distinctively contributes to the spiritual growth of the ‘pilgrims’, whose ruminations will certainly sanctity their deep desire for that which is mysteriously Supreme.

Some 10,000 people including followers of other faiths attended the annual Walk Pilgrimage to Bandel Basilica this year. Number of priests concelebrated Mass and heard confessions. Built in 1599 by the Portuguese who set up their colony in Hooghly in the 16^th century, the Bandel Church holds the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Happy Voyage, which has become the ‘faith-focus’ for these pilgrims of Bengal and beyond.

Bandel Shrine: Popular with People of All Faith Communities

Devotees in millions travel from all over India and abroad to Our Lady of Bandel each year. A popular pilgrims’ centre, Our Lady of Bandel draws Muslims, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, Catholics and Hindus alike. Nasifa Bibi saddened by a stroke that left her husband paralyzed three years ago paid a visit here as a pilgrim and found Mary’s help, the woman of dialogue and unity among Christians, Muslims, Hindus, etc.  People irrespective of caste and religion, young and old travel to the shrine on foot, by bicycle or in vehicles to pray and intercede with the Blessed Mother for special favours. They light candles, incense sticks and pay homage to the statue of the Mary on the Balcony, with gifts (sarees, ornaments, candles) in keeping with traditions. Thousands of Muslims express their personal devotion to Mary, whom the Quran honours as the mother of Jesus and is revered in the Muslim Scripture.  So do the Hindus. "All religions teach peace and love." Many come and share the miracles in their life with the priests they meet and during the testimony sessions at annual retreats.Some childless couples, with their prayers heard, beget children after many years of their marriage.

Many devotees believe that the miraculous statue of OLB at this sacred location motivates them to come to this religious shrine to honour her. The Annual observance of the Feast of OLB started many years ago is a moment of special grace for many. The festive atmosphere, with other ritual practices popularize their ‘pilgrimage’ to Bandel. The pilgrimage by all sort of people is more than a devotional moment. People from all walks of life reach here amid hot and humid weather to show their gratitude and feel one with the rest of the pilgrims. Many young people, belonging to different religious communities, cycle annually or arrive on foot despite the summer heat from their homes, a journey that may often take them several hours (as far as Krishnagar, Nadia). Several organizations, religious associations reach here during the year (Blue Army, 1^st Sunday of Lenten Procession, Anglo-Indian and Chinese communities pilgrimage, May and November feast of OLB etc.)

With a minimum fee, the Shrine offers board and lodging to Christians who come here with the Parish Priest/Pastor’s letter. Presently, it accommodates about hundred persons at a time in the old monastery rooms attached to the Church on special occasions. Besides, families come on weekend and spend a day or two in prayers. New centre of the pilgrims is being built with enough rooms and halls to cater to these pilgrims in the coming years.

Other events include: daily adoration, pilgrims’ mass, healing prayers, gospel singing, counselling and healing by priests, sharing of testimonies and rosary recitations, retreats (annual and monthly). There are nearly 40 Christian volunteers to manage the pilgrims on special occasions. 

Dialogue among all faiths demands tolerance and it opens new ways. Hopefully in future all Catholics, Hindus, Jain, Sikh, Buddhist and Muslim devotees will join together to celebrate the Marian feasts here at Bandel. God grant all pilgrims from all walks of life, blessings and miracles!

 Boosts of Business or Pilgrimage?

Just outside the Church campus, there are number of stalls selling candles, rosaries, photos of the Holy Family, cross pendants and Christian wooden bracelets to pilgrims. There is a souvenir shop attached to the Church. In front of the Shrine, beside the road, there are other stationary and grocery shops and restaurants as well.  The selection of goods and services include Christian gifts, souvenirs, gospel CDs, toys, clothing, food, beverages and even saloon and tattoo parlour.

Bandel Church, founded and built by the Augustinian priests, had 777 bighas of land offered by the Muslim Emperor Shahajahan for Christians to live and work after seeing a priest Joan da Cruz being miraculously saved before an elephant in Agra ordeal. There is a mela, a religious fair centered around the shrine, that are vibrant during the festive occasions.

The pilgrimage, which is a desired, determined and dedicated journey of ‘souls’ for spiritual growth, is more than a business opportunity. Business continues round the clock in the shops. The pilgrimage benefits everyone.

Beefed-up Security and Challenges

Besides appointing of few policemen for security on certain occasions who collaborate to protect the pilgrims, there are hired guards and volunteers managed by the internal governance of the Shrine. CCTV cameras are installed all around along with floodlights at prominent places. Yet, security remains the biggest challenge. On Christmas Day and New Year, on request there is deployment of additional police around the shrine and it is kept closed for public. Probably, few walk-through gates are needed to be installed at the entrance. Additionally, a mobile phone jammer can be installed in the church compound. Parishes around are offered special instructions for the pilgrimage. Private-owned TV channels have been airing documentaries, instructions and Church events since few years.