Category: Church Reform
-
NINE MONTHS TO CHRISTMAS!
Readers would want to pack me off to the loony bin. Here we are in the midst of Holy Week and I am dreaming of Christmas! Am I nuts? There is a famous book, “Nine days to Christmas” by Aurora Labastida and Marie Hall Ets, published in 1960. It is also the subject of a…
-
LOVE’S DARK SECRETS
Quite frankly, I must admit that I don’t like the title! How can love be bracketed with dark secrets? It should not, but so often is; hence this attempt to remove the dark secrets and bring love out into the sunshine. Let me begin with the story of Mary and John (not Joseph). They were…
-
LOVE JIHAD – CATHOLIC STYLE
(A sequel to “Love’s Dark Secrets”) Once again this heading challenges us to sit up and take note. We know that the term “Love Jihad” has been coined by ultra-nationalist right wing forces that have used it to push through stringent legislation against forced conversions in U.P., M.P. and Uttrakhand, all BJP ruled States. In…
-
THE ARCHBISHOP RAPHY I KNOW
Normally, when a new bishop or archbishop is appointed, we are presented with a “dry run” of when the person was born, his family history, educational background, posts held, etc. Since I am not “normal” I shall stray from the straight and narrow to share my personal experiences of Bp Raphy Manjaly who was installed…
-
DENOMINATIONS ARE ABOMINATIONS
I find the word “denominations” abominable. In an era of competition between different churches, the term was used to distinguish between them. In today’s ecumenical era, the term becomes redundant. I would rather call them “Sister Churches”. Did not St Paul write to the churches in Corinth, Thessalonica, Ephesus etc? Does not the Book of…
-
CHRISTMAS & FRIENDSHIP
Christmas is synonymous with joy and peace. That first Christmas night, when the Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the universal message was “Peace to people of Goodwill”. It was not just for Christians, but for all human beings. True friendship again is something that surpasses human barriers. It is like love that defies all…
-
CHOOSING OUR BISHOPS
(A sequel to DO WE NEED BISHOPS?) When I wrote the previous article on the need or role of bishops I expected howls of protest. Surprisingly, I received mostly positive feedback, including from several priests whom I have never met. So obviously I had my finger on the pulse of the community, or had touched…
-
DO WE NEED BISHOPS?
In the light of the recent appointments of bishops and archbishops, this question may seem audacious. But it is not altogether without merit. Do we really need bishops, what is their role in our lives, and if at all we do need them, then who should decide on their appointments? The role of the recently…
-
NUNC DIMITTIS NUNCIO
This title would be intriguing for those who don’t know Latin. Neither do I! It is the title of the prayer in the Breviary that priests are expected to recite before going to sleep at night. It is the prayer of the Prophet Simeon who had been waiting unendingly for the coming of the Saviour….
-
SUICIDE MISSION
During the Second World War this term referred to Japanese pilots who went on suicidal missions, where death was certain. The Kamikaze pilots flew their bomb-laden aircraft straight into enemy targets. Then we had the LTTE suicide bombers, like the one that assassinated former Prime Minister Rajive Gandhi. It gave rise to a host of…