by J A Dick (Reproduced with permission)

April 20, 2017

Reform-minded people need to change their conversation about church reform. Otherwise they end up either talking to themselves or simply repeating what everyone else has been saying for the past ten years. Changing the conversation means looking at church life in new ways and developing new strategies and patterns for church life today and tomorrow. It means thinking creatively and asking challenging and deeper questions….

Some proposals for refection: 
(1)   Look less at the church as institution and more as a community of faith. What is happening within your own community of faith? What are the life-issues that really concern your family and friends? Where do you find your support? How can you motivate and help the men and women in your community to truly minister to each other? What is keeping us from experimenting with new forms of parish and parish life? Perhaps a parish should be a collection of many smaller communities of faith? Household churches in which the heads of the households – men and women — preside over informal Eucharistic liturgies, as in the Apostolic era?

(2)   Look deeper than the shortage of ordained ministers and ordained women ministers. Let’s look at the meaning of ministry itself. Let’s look at and examine the very idea of ORDAINED ministry. Jesus did not ordain anyone. Let’s scratch our heads about new forms of ministry and break out of the old patterns and paradigms. Why not have ordained graduate students helping out in university parishes? Ordaining men and women for five year terms? Perhaps a parish should have many part-time ordained ministers who have “regular” jobs? And how about dropping the word “priest”? “Minister” has better resonance with the Gospel. Should we close all seminaries and agree that they are not the best structures for the formation and education of ordained ministers?

(3)   And why not elect diocesan bishop overseers for limited terms of ministry? Why not five year terms, which could be renewed for just another five-year term? Another thought, do bishops have to be the top person in a diocese? Why not give ecclesiastical authority to a diocesan leadership team? I could see a team of at least three people: a diocesan administrator, who could be a man or woman and not necessarily ordained; a diocesan director of pastoral formation, who could be a man or woman and not necessarily ordained; and a bishop (man of woman) who would serve as spiritual director and sacramental coordinator for the diocese. Shared decision-making and a great way to dismantle the clerical old boys club.

(4)   Catholic and Christian. Healthy Catholicism is rooted in healthy Christianity. So what does it really mean to be a follower of Jesus Christ today? This raises questions of belief. What do we really know about the historical Jesus? He was not white, for sure. Jesus was most likely dark brown and sun-tanned. What about all of those rather saccharin and androgynous images of Jesus that really distort who he was and what he was all about? Was his biological father the Holy Spirit or the man we call
Joseph? Isn’t the “virgin birth” more about saying he was a very special person than analyzing the biology of his conception? What if Jesus was gay or a married fellow with children? Would that make a difference for you? Would that destroy his meaning for Christian believers? Why? Was JesusGod? Early Jewish Christians, including St. Paul, would have never said that. Or was Jesus the revelation of God’s graciousness and love, as well as the revelation of authentic humanity? Jesus is “Lord,” the “Christ,” “Son of Humanity,” and “Son of God.” All of our language tries to point to his uniqueness……..

(5)   Ecumenical discussions. What are the real differences between church groups in Christianity today? Are there any good reasons why we cannot simply start worshiping together? Are we not locked in medieval theological categories about “them” and “us”? Are structural church distinctions based on Protestantism and Roman Catholicism still significant differences in belief? Isn’t Jesus Christ, for example, just as truly “present” in Episcopalian Eucharist as he is in Roman Catholic Eucharist? Are Lutherans and Presbyterians cut off from him in their worship services? What today is the uniqueness of Roman Catholicism? Perhaps the goal of ecumenical collaboration today should be respecting a variety of traditions and at the same time enhancing the Christian life of all believers and not creating a mega-church institution? Why not turn places, like the Vatican, into United Nations heritage sites? Tourist revenue could be used to fight world poverty. Church palaces could be turned into schools and hospitals or residences for political refugees.

(6)    Seven sacraments. We now know of course that the seven sacraments were created by the church not the historical Jesus. What then is the meaning of “sacrament” today? Who controls sacramental forms? Does it make sense to argue about who can “validly” administer certain sacraments? When I got married, I was told, based on Catholic sacramental understandings, that my wife and I as baptized believers “conferred the sacrament” on each other and the priest was simply an official
witness. OK, what about baptized gays and lesbians who get married? Isn’t their marriage then just as “sacramental” as mine? What about “lay” pastoral ministers in hospitals and homes for the elderly. They are often the key Christian ministers in these people’s lives. Why can’t they “anoint” the sick and dying? Maybe they should just start doing it? Isn’t Christian ministry about prayer and  compassion and comforting the sick?

These are just a few thought-starters…… Creative and critical reflection is not a dangerous activity and it can be a source of life….

by Kochurani Abraham

The foot washing ritual of women and other marginalized sections organized by the ecumenical feminist women's fellowship 'Women's Lives Matter' ( a local unit of ICWM), at Santwanam  Center for battered women and children, Kottayam,  was a meaningful, joyful and liberative experience for the  women and children who participated in this event and  the  women who conducted it.  The inmates of Santhwanam participated wholeheartedly in this celebration irrespective of their  age,  religion or caste factors. The children joyfully joined in the singing and then competed to wash the feet of the elders.   Even the tiny tots  between the age of two and three sat on the chairs and stretched their feet saying they also want to be washed. No wonder Jesus Christ made them the pillars of the Reign of God!

For the members of' ‘Women's Lives Matter' who conducted this ritual, this celebration served a two-fold purpose.  First and foremost, enacting this ritual  meant  sharing  the grace of  this gesture of Jesus Christ  with a public who are broken and marginalized, drawing inspiration from the initiatives taken by Pope Francis.  Since the mainstream churches in Kerala are bound by the so called ‘eastern tradition’ that restricts foot-washing only to men and boys,  for us  women, it was an occasion to  channelize the Spirit beyond the confines of the Church through this ritual. Secondly, this celebration also gave an opportunity for women and others who are excluded, not just to remain recipients of grace,  but also to  become mediators of this grace. Outside the official liturgy and its politics of exclusion,  this  was an inclusive gesture to realize  the 'politics of the Reign of God' . It was an occasion for women to affirm ‘we are the Church’ with prophetic commitment and a  liberative thrust !

31 March 2017

To,

Cardinal Oswald Gracias,
President, Conference of Catholic Bishops of India,

Cardinal George Alencherry,
President Syro-Malabar Bishops’ Synod (SMBS)

Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos
President, Holy Episcopal Synod - Syro-Malankara Church

Your Eminences,

Re: Including Women and Girls in the Washing of Feet on Maundy Thursday.

The Indian Christian Women’s Movement (ICWM) together with other organizations/individuals who are co-signatories of this letter come to you with an earnest appeal which has arisen out of our collective endeavour to discern the will of God for the Catholic Church in India in order that we may keep growing as an inclusive community of equal disciples in the Lord.

One of the most encouraging signs in the Church in recent times of such inclusiveness and equality has been the initiative of Pope Francis to include all people of God in the ceremony of the washing of the feet on Holy Thursday. Holy Thursday falls on 13 April this year and we come to you with his humble and urgent appeal so that the example set by Pope Francis may become a reality in every parish in India this year.

For this to happen, the initiative needs to come from you, dear bishop in the form of a clear instruction/guideline to be given to the parish priests in your communication to them, preferably on the occasion of the Chrism Mass so that they may be inspired to catechise the laity and implement this practice in their parishes.

We would like to put on record our appreciation for the dioceses and parishes which have already implemented this practice last year (2016). It is our prayer that this year more dioceses and parishes may take this cue and implement this single-most inclusive liturgical practice pioneered by Pope Francis.

The Decree on Holy Thursday’s Foot Washing Ceremony dated 06 January 2016 made public the significant change introduced by Holy Father Francis. The relevant portion of the text reads thus:

In order that the full meaning of this rite might be expressed to those who participate it seemed good to the Supreme Pontiff Pope Francis to vary the norm which is found in the rubrics of the Missale Romanum (p. 300 n. 11):«The men who have been chosen are led by the ministers…», which therefore must be changed as follows:«Those who are chosen from amongst the people of God are led by the ministers…»(and consequently in the Caeremoniali Episcoporum n. 301 and n. 299b: «seats for those chosen»), so that pastors may select a small group of the faithful to represent the variety and the unity of each part of the people of God. Such small groups can be made up of men and women, and it is appropriate that they consist of people young and old, healthy and sick, clerics, consecrated men and women and laity [retrieved from https://zenit.org/articles/decree-on-holy-thursdays-foot-washing-ceremony/ on 31/03/2017]

We are of the opinion that the directives given by Holy Father as well as the example that he himself has set (by including representatives from all walks of life, both men and women in the ceremony of washing of the feet during Holy Thursday since the year 2013) are powerful interventions for making the Church visibly and symbolically more inclusive. We as women and men committed to the vision of equal discipleship in the Church are inspired under the prompting of

the Divine Spirit in our collective and personal discernment to present before you, and other leaders of the Church in India our humble request that clear instructions may be issued to all the parish priests and pastors in the respective dioceses exhorting them to implement the exemplary practice of Pope Francis in the spirit of the above-mentioned directive from the Holy See.

We believe that such a symbolic representation of inclusion liturgically celebrated in parishes and mass centres across India will have a healing effect especially in the light of the recent instances of the scandal of sexual abuse in the Church.

We have noted with a sense of concern a news item that appeared in the national press on 29 March

2017 regarding the decision of the Syro Malabar Church regarding this issue. We understand that the modification suggested by Pope Francis is applicable to the provisions in the Roman Missal and hence not applicable to the non-Latin Churches. A report in The Hindu Newspaper quoted George Cardinal Alenchery as giving a clear instruction to the Syro Malabar Church to the effect that in the Eastern tradition the washing of the feet was reserved for men and boys and therefore the whole of Syro Malabar Church will continue the practice of including only men and boys for the ceremony of washing the feet. [http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/syro-malabar-church-sticks-to-tradition/article17738865.ece retried on 31/03/2017]

We would like to request the Syro Malabar Synod of Bishops to revisit this directive and look afresh at the possibility of emulating the esteemed example shown by Pope Francis for the whole universal Church and include all members of the people of God in the ceremony of washing the feet on Holy Thursday.

Similarly, we appeal to the Synod of the Syro Malankara Church to kindly issue clear directives to the pastors and parish priests to include all people of God in the ceremony of the washing of the feet of Holy Thursday, so that in words and spirit we celebrate the all inclusive love of Christ as demonstrated by our Spiritual leader Pope Francis.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Noella D’Souza, MCJ
Convenor, ICWM
Streevani, Pune.

Indian Women Theologians Forum, Montfort Social Institute, Hyderabad Forum of Religious for Justice & Peace Satyashodak, Mumbai,
Dr. M.T. Joseph SVD

‘Holy Father Church’, aging, dying?

A reflection on an interview with Kochurani Abraham in Global Sisters Report

by Dr. James  Kottoor

                           From the time of Constantine, we always had only the “Holy Father Church”,  patriarchy, male dominated. Vatican II brought in Collegiality with bishops. Pope Paul VI asked “Where is half of humanity’’ looking at the Council Fathers, with no mothers in Sight. It was the first vocal public expression of a papal concern for women folks in the Church. Pope Francis speaks a lot about women’s participation even in decision making. He appointed an Irish Lady in the commission monitoring  pedaphols. She quit the post recently out of frustration.

                        It only shows Patriarchcal mindset is so deep rooted to get changed in one generation, two or three. Persons like Kochurani has only one generation to live and so must act at least in her fifties. She did. We need many more ‘Kochuranies’ and ‘Rajas’ to open the blind eyes, deaf ears of Popes and Cardinals  in their ‘Sanyasa’ years.

                      Leadership, in Church or Society, is for the young and energetic, who are in their ‘risk-taking’ years, when they have all their ‘get-up-and-go’ not for those whose ‘get-up-and-go’  got up and went decades ago. In this we have first the example of Jesus himself, in his 30s. Whom are we suppose to imitate and follow?  ‘Sweet Jesus meek and mind only?’  He was also  ‘Bitter Jesus rough and wild”, nay the most morally violent historic figure who showered a long list of ‘woes’ against  the “hypocrites, white-washed sepulchres and brood of vipers?”. Read the whole of Mathew  23. If anyone uttered such words today against the High priests and  Pilots (political leaders) of  any religion,‘calling a spade’ today he is sure to be locked up in prison. Yet the tragic comedy is, Jesus is presented as the paragon of Non-violence, not Gandiji who was much more pacific both in words and deeds.

                   As Sr. Chittister titled her speech at the first world conference of Women’s Ordination  in the Catholic Church, Dublin 2001, “Preaching equality and practising inequality” none can expect from a hierarchical leadership bend with age to take any earth-shaking revolutionary steps like the ones Jesus took. Hence all the talk – and talk only bereft of action ---  like “Vox populi vox Dei”(Voice of the people voice of God”, “Ecclesia simper reformanda est” (Church should change constantly), ‘Church is the people of God’, not the  self-supporting and self-promoting hierarchy. They adamantly continue to proclaim,  that the Church is not  and can’t  be a democracy. ‘Aggiornamento’ (up dating) must have been meaningful for Good Pope, John XXIII, not for anyone after him.

                    So all the Churches, especially the Catholic Church, with its hierarchical structure is incapable of acting like Jesus. It is a counter witness to Jesus who knelt down to wash the feet of his disciples, including betrayers, doubters, deniers. In his famous speech Pope Francis said that his church is to be an ‘inverted pyramid’ where his place was one step below the laity, to rightly deserve the title, “Servant of Servants”, that in his Church all are equal, that now is the time of the laity, when the Clergy are required to look up to the laity to learn and get inspired.

                    Pope Pius XII had said it long ago: “Laity are on the front lines of the Churc.” But has anything changed?  Will anything change in the foreseeable future? Honestly CCV cannot say “YES” to any of these questions for the sake of being realistic. No use trying to appear optimistic or pessimistic, better be realistic. We wish the better enlightened prove us wrong. 

                   By way of conclusion, we also understand,  it is of no use blaming the leadership alone in the Church for acting like the ‘Pharisee and publican’ in the temple, saying ‘we are better than all other churches’. These leaders are chosen from among us. “We get the Government we deserve”,  it is said of  political systems. Think of Donald Government in US. It was voted in by 52 % of Catholics including bishops and priests. These very same people make up the bulk of Catholic Church both in US, India and in every other country.

                 So to change the church for the better we, the laity, have to become the change we advocate, imitating Kochurani, as an inspiring example of leadership in the Church. james kottoor, editor.