Category: Church Reform
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GRANDPARENTS REJOICE
Though a creature of the day, I am not particularly enthused by various “Days” like Father’s, Mother’s, Doctor’s, Constipation etc. I suspect that in the era of greeting cards (now extinct) they were invented by manufacturers like Archies, to promote their wares. However, I got a pleasant surprise when my parish priest, Rev K.K. Antony,…
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THE BLAME GAME CONTINUES
A highly respected and erudite clergyman from Kerala sends me his articles. Of late he has made three claims: 1. The Jews killed Jesus 2. Priests have always manipulated people to commit violent acts, justified in the name of religion. The innocent “lay faithful” consider it their religious duty to white wash or defend the…
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THE ROLLING STONES OF EASTER
Senior citizens like me would remember the 1970’s musical by Andrew Webber, “Jesus Christ Super Star”. It was an artist’s creative attempt to recast the Lord Jesus in a modern idiom. But nobody will associate Jesus with the Rolling Stones begun by Mick Jagger in 1962. That’s because Jesus’ association with rolling stones has nothing…
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JESUS & THE ROLLING STONES
Most of us would have heard of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1970 musical “Jesus Christ Superstar”. It was an attempt to re-present Christ in a modern day idiom. Nobody will have heard of Jesus and The Rolling Stones, the jazz group Mick Jagger founded in 1962. Rightly so, for the rolling stones that I am now…
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THAT VACANT LOOK!
One wears a vacant look when lost, in love, or both! A vacant glassy look is also associated with death. Who has this vacant look – the Catholic Church in India? Why? Because 21 of 174 (one in eight) dioceses in the country have no bishops – the Sees are vacant. The question therefore arises…
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IN DEFENCE OF NORTH EAST CHRISTIANS
Not belonging to the North East (NE), why should I bother about what is happening to the Christians there? As always, Sacred Scripture has the answer. While describing the community of believers as a body, we are told that “If one part is hurt, all the parts share its pain” (1Cor 12:26). Again, “Each part…
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BAD APPLES, SAD COUPLES, GLAD TIDINGS
Fortunately I belong to a small parish where just a handful of people come for the Sunday evening Mass. It is therefore a time of quiet reflection for me. These reflections then are based on the first two readings of the first Sunday of Lent. The first reading was from Genesis on the “fall” of…
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INDIAN SYNOD – FORWARDS OR BACKWARDS?
Synod, what’s that? Are we suffering from collective amnesia? The next round, the Continental one, is slated for 24th – 27th February. For Asia it will be held in Bangkok, Thailand. If I correctly recall, our Asian bishops had earlier met in Pattaya, Thailand, better known for its sex tourism! Back to the Synod; how…
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CHRISTIAN UNITY IS IMPERATIVE
Let me shoot from the hip. Efforts for Christian unity, or ecumenism, are imperative, not an optional extra. We have just concluded the Christian Unity Octave that is held annually from 18th to 25th January, concluding on the feast of the Conversion of St Paul. The Octave was celebrated with both solemnity and sincerity in…
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CONTRASTING & COMPLEMENTARY COUSINS
This piece is occasioned by the Gospel reading at the third Sunday of Advent. From prison, John the Baptist sent his emissaries to Jesus with the question “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else?” (Mat 11:3). A seemingly innocuous question, but pregnant with meaning. In the midst…