Category: Church Reform
-
BISHOPS, THEOLOGIANS AND A COCKROACH
About 10 bishops and 50 theologians from across the country gathered at the Pastoral Centre, Agra on 25th/ 26th July for the 27th Colloquium of the CBCI’s Commission for Doctrine. As a layman I was the only cockroach. The theme was: A Rereading of the Theological Journey of Pope Benedict 16 (Joseph Ratzinger). Rev Dr…
-
DOES GOD NEED OUR MONEY?
The theft and alleged misappropriation of offerings at the Ram Janambhoomi Temple in Ayodhya has been hogging the headlines. Will the big fish be caught? Were huge sums of money siphoned off to purchase the loyalty of wayward MPs from some Opposition Parties? Gong by our past record of investigation; and sensitive issues being kept…
-
QUEERING THE PITCH
This saying literally means upsetting well laid plans. Whose plans? God’s plans. Who has queered the pitch – Church leaders and so-called missionaries. Why? Because they seem to have chosen their own path over the way the Lord would have expected of them. These thoughts came to me when, a couple of days ago, I…
-
AMAZING (F)ACTS
During Eastertide, till the Ascension, the daily Mass readings are invariably taken from the Acts of the Apostles. Some of these acts are amazing. This is how biblical scholars describe this compilation. It is usually attributed to Luke, a non-Jewish Syrian from Antioch, as both this and his gospel are addressed to one Theophilus. It…
-
FILM REVIEW: MISSIONARIES, REVOLUTIONARIES, MACHINERIES?
On Good Friday I ask myself, was Jesus a missionary or a revolutionary? Blessed Rani Maria of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) faced a similar dilemma when she began her service to the deprived adivasis in the Udaynagar region of Indore, M.P. This is a dangerous binary. Being a missionary and/ or a revolutionary are…
-
IGNORANCE, INTELLIGENCE, WISDOM
We are about to enter the holy season of Lent. By now “good Christians” will have decided what to give up for the next forty days. Most of these “sacrifices” are linked to food and drink. Several will abstain from non-vegetarian food. This year Lent will be concurrent with the Islamic month of Ramzan when…
-
KANPUR CHRISTIANS PLEDGE UNITY
The Christian community in Kanpur celebrated the Christian Unity Octave (CUO) from 18th to 26th January 2026 with devotion and dedication. For the first time all 8 days of the Octave were booked; three by Catholic churches, two each by the CNI and Methodist churches, and one independent church; hosted by Revs Antony K.K., Lancy…
-
THE YELLOW CARD
There are two reasons why I remember the Yellow Card. The first dates back to boarding school more than 60 years ago. We had monthly tests for which we got cards – Gold for excellence, Blue for good work, Yellow for average marks and Pink for failure. During my eight years of boarding I got…
-
SHIFTING SANDS & STANDS
On Tuesday 4th November two events occurred that seemed like undermining our very foundations. One gets such a feeling while standing on the seashore when the tide is running out. As the water recedes one feels that the ground (sand) under one’s feet is shifting, leaving one struggling to stay erect. What were these two…
-
DOES GOD PLAY GAMES?
Last night (30th October) my wife and I sat to watch the last two hours of the semi-final match between India and Australia in the ICC Women’s One Day World Cup. It is headlines today. Australia was defeated after 7 years, that too despite piling on a massive total of 338 runs. India’s star opener…