Sunday, February 26, 2012

Statement on 'the Tenth Anniversary of the Gujarat Genocide'


 

 

       Prashant          .A Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace

                                                Post Box No. 4050,    Navrangpura,   Ahmedabad 380 009,    Gujarat,    India

                                                                Tel.:    +91 (079) 66522333,   27455913.    Fax:   +91 (079) 27489018

                                                Mobile:  9824034536.e-mail: sjprashant@gmail.com  www.humanrightsindia.in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STATEMENT ON "THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GUJARAT GENOCIDE"

 

Today, February 27th completes full ten years of one of the bloodiest chapters of post-independent India: the Gujarat Genocide of 2002. 

 

Plenty has happened during these past years. Victim-survivors all over the State and those who accompany them, continue in their pursuit for justice.  It has been a long-haul.  There have been some landmark judgements, pronouncements, and even convictions, which definitely point to the right direction; but on the whole, the wheels of justice grind very slowly.

 

All these years, there has not been the slightest hint or trace of remorse from those who control the lives and destinies of people.  Realisation and repentance are the first steps towards normalisation and for enduring peace.  To the contrary: minorities in the State are still treated like second-class citizens and a good section of them are confined to ghettos without even basic amenities.

 

Above all, meticulous and manipulative efforts are made on all fronts, to subvert the cause of justice and prevent the whole truth from emerging. 

 

It is hoped that at least on this tenth anniversary, we will awake to a reality based on the vision handed down to us by the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi (a son-of-the-soil) that is the twin doctrine of 'satyagraha' and 'ahimsa'.

 

May the people of Gujarat see a new beginning from today based on truth, justice, equity and peace for all!

 

 

 

Fr. Cedric Prakash sj

Director

 

 

 

27th February, 2012





--

PRASHANT 
-  A Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace
 
Street Address : (For COURIER)
Hill Nagar, Near Kamdhenu Hall, Drive-in Road, Ahmedabad - 380052, Gujarat, India
Postal Address (ONLY for ORDINARY MAIL):
 P B 4050, Navrangpura PO, Ahmedabad - 380 009, Gujarat, India
 
Phone : +91  79   27455913,  66522333
Fax : +91  79  27489018
Email: sjprashant@gmail.com
www.humanrightsindia.in

Saturday, February 25, 2012

TEN YEARS ON...! Poem by Fr. Cedric Prakash..25th February, 2012

 



TEN YEARS ON…!

-Fr. Cedric Prakash sj*

 

Ten years on…!

My unborn child

Still screams in pain

As cruel swords

Plunder her mortal remains….

 

Ten years on…!

My son, ten years then

Still haunts my day and night

As I search him relentlessly

In hope and in light….

 

Ten years on….!

I writhe in sheer agony

Me, they cut and chop

In a way most barbaric

Will they ever stop…?

 

Ten years on….!

I am no longer a child

But I still grovel in the earth

Looking for my aged mother

The one who gave me birth…

 

Ten years on….!

I wake up in gripping fear

My body is agitated

Remembering those hideous men

Who left me decapitated…

 

Ten years on….!

My quest for Truth and Justice

Will never die

These need to prevail

Only to nail the lie…

 

Ten years on….!

'Forgive and forget', they tell me

'Forgive', I can, if there is remorse

'Forget' never, never! I say

And I continue to run the course…

25th February, 2012

 

(This poem is written remembering the tenth anniversary of the Gujarat Carnage which began February-end 2002, leaving thousands - mainly Muslims - dead and many more homeless.)

 

(*Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is the Director of PRASHANT, the Ahmedabad based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace.)


Address: PRASHANT, Hill Nagar, Near Kamdhenu Hall, Drive-in Road, Ahmedabad - 380052

Phone: 79 27455913, 66522333
Fax:  79 27489018
Email: sjprashant@gmail.com     www.humanrightsindia.in


TEN YEARS ON...! Poem by Fr. Cedric Prakash..25th February, 2012

 
 



TEN YEARS ON…!

-Fr. Cedric Prakash sj*

 

Ten years on…!

My unborn child

Still screams in pain

As cruel swords

Plunder her mortal remains….

 

Ten years on…!

My son, ten years then

Still haunts my day and night

As I search him relentlessly

In hope and in light….

 

Ten years on….!

I writhe in sheer agony

Me, they cut and chop

In a way most barbaric

Will they ever stop…?

 

Ten years on….!

I am no longer a child

But I still grovel in the earth

Looking for my aged mother

The one who gave me birth…

 

Ten years on….!

I wake up in gripping fear

My body is agitated

Remembering those hideous men

Who left me decapitated…

 

Ten years on….!

My quest for Truth and Justice

Will never die

These need to prevail

Only to nail the lie…

 

Ten years on….!

'Forgive and forget', they tell me

'Forgive', I can, if there is remorse

'Forget' never, never! I say

And I continue to run the course…

25th February, 2012

 

(This poem is written remembering the tenth anniversary of the Gujarat Carnage which began February-end 2002, leaving thousands - mainly Muslims - dead and many more homeless.)

 

(*Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is the Director of PRASHANT, the Ahmedabad based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace.)


Address: PRASHANT, Hill Nagar, Near Kamdhenu Hall, Drive-in Road, Ahmedabad - 380052

Phone: 79 27455913, 66522333
Fax:  79 27489018
Email: sjprashant@gmail.com     www.humanrightsindia.in


Friday, February 24, 2012

Gujarat: A Decade of Carnage 2002 IS III Feb 2012

 
A decade of Gujarat Carnage 2002

 

Ram Puniyani

 

India has witnessed many an acts of communal violence. Starting from the Jabalpur riot of 1961 to the last major one of Kandhmal (August 2008). Many an innocent lives have been lost in the name of religion. Amongst these the Gujarat carnage is a sort of marker. It came in the backdrop of massive Anti Sikh pogrom of 1984, the anti Muslim violence of post Babri demolition and the horrific burning of Pastor Graham Steward Stains in Kandhmal. It was a quantitative and qualitative departure from the other major carnages which have rocked the country.

 

To begin with the burning of Sabarmati S 6 coach was cleverly projected to be an act done by neighboring Muslims and in turn the violence was directed against the Muslim population of Gujarat, on the ground that the Hindu sentiments are hurt. The section of Hindu community was deliberately incited by the decision of state to take the burnt bodies of victims in a procession, against the advice of the collector of the city. The Bandh call given by VHP created the ground for violence. Here the social engineering was at its display, and dalits and Adivasis were mobilized to unleash the violence against the hapless innocent Muslims, accompanied by the propaganda which demonized the Muslim community as a whole. While in earlier acts of violence, the state police have been an accomplice and the silent onlooker to the violence, here a sort of active collusion of state machinery and the communal forces was on display.

 

The BJP ruled state Government had unrestricted run in the state as the Central Government was being ruled by BJP led NDA and the other allies of BJP were too enamored by the spoils of power to spoil the broth by speaking out. Modi had already instructed the officials to sit back when the Hindu backlash will take place. The leading light of socialist movement, George Fernandez, went to the extent of taking the violence against minority women in the stride by saying that rape is nothing new and it happens in such situations. What more was needed for the rioters to run amuck and to central BJP leadership to let the things go on. The pattern of violence against women was particularly horrific, targeting at their reproductive organs and shaming them to no end.

 

While the architect of Gujarat pogrom Narnedra Modi kept saying that violence has bee controlled in three days, and central BJP leadership patted him for this, the matter of fact was that violence went on and on painfully for a long time, uncontrolled and unrestricted. The attitude of the BJP controlled state was pathetic and showed the religious bias in relief and rehabilitation work. The compensations given to minorities were abysmally low, state quickly retreated from the refugee camps on the ground that the refugee camps are 'child production centers', hitting the minorities where it hurts most. The biases against them were on full display. The atmosphere was created by communal forces in such a manner that the riot victims could not go back to their houses as the people in their areas demanded a written undertaking from them, that they will withdraw the cases filed in the context of violence and that they will not file any cases. Most of the police as machinery either refused to file the FIRs or if registered they kept enough loopholes for the criminals to get away. It was in this atmosphere that the process of getting justice became a close to impossible task. The communalized state apparatus, the attitude of police and judiciary led the Supreme court to direct the shifting of cases away from Gujarat.

 

The investigation against Narendra Modi by the state police was an impossible task and so the Special Investigation team was constituted. Unfortunately, that also did not help the matters. Accompanying all this violence and attitude of state government the minorities started feeling extremely insecure. They were boycotted in trade and other social spaces. The result is the sprawling slum of Juhapura as the symbol of polarization of communities along the religious lines. The total dislocation of the monitories created multiple problems at the level of education and sources of livelihood for the minorities.

 

The religious polarization and section of media has created a Halo around Narendra Modi, while strictures against him are coming by, about his failure to protect places of religious worship of minorities, the malafide intentions of state in filing cases against social activist Teesta Setalvad, many another cases are still pending, crying for justice for the victims of Gujarat. Having consolidated the section of majority community behind him, assured of their ongoing support, Modi started the high profile propaganda about development and has been trying to distract the attention from the havoc which he has wrought in the state. The big capitalists are finding the state of Gujarat as a happy hunting ground for massive state subsidies, so the media controlled by them is singing praises and modulating popular opinion in his favor, creating a larger than life size image, development man, in order to suppress his role in the violence against minorities.

 

In this dismal scenario, there have been many an examples of victims and social activists standing for the cause of justice and doing the practically impossible task of getting justice for violence victims despite all the efforts to turn them hostile and protect the guilty of the communal crimes. While the massive propaganda and state policies are trying to turn the minorities into second class citizens, there are efforts which have gone on simultaneously to retrieve the democratic values in the face of such adverse intimidating situation created by the communal forces. Lately, apart from Court judgments, the civil society response has been picking up and the civil society is trying to overcome the stifling situation and trying to make its voice louder. While we are nowhere close to what should ideally be there in a democratic set up, the responses of civil society and social action groups are noteworthy in the matters of getting justice for victims and in the matters of recreating the liberal space which has been undermined by the communal forces. Times alone will tell if democratic values will be successfully brought in this 'Hindu Rashtra in one state'

 

 

--

Issues in Secular Politics

For publication/circulation

 

Response only to ram.puniyani@gmail.com

Thursday, February 23, 2012

The Five Best Pieces of Jesuit Wisdom I’ve Ever Heard by Jim Martin, SJ

 
- - - - - - -     - - - - - - - -    - - - - - - -   - - - - -
PRASHANT   (A Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace)
Street Address : Hill Nagar, Near Kamdhenu Hall, Drive-in Road, Ahmedabad - 380052, Gujarat, India
Postal Address : P B 4050, Navrangpura PO, Ahmedabad - 380 009, Gujarat, India
 
Phone : 91  79   27455913,  66522333
Fax : 91  79  27489018
Email: sjprashant@gmail.com     www.humanrightsindia.in

The Five Best Pieces of Jesuit Wisdom I've Ever Heard

 by Jim Martin, SJ 

 Unlike most of the guys who write for The Jesuit Post, I'm not exactly a "young Jesuit." I'm 51. (On the other hand, these days anyone under 90 could be considered "young" in a religious order.) But even though I may not know as much about the latest music (read: nothing) I have a leg up when it comes to experience.

I've been a Jesuit for 23 years. I'll spare you the complete description of my training or "formation," as we say. (Short version: Boston to Jamaica to Chicago to Nairobi to New York to Boston to New York to California to New York.) Instead I'd like to boil down the most helpful things that I've heard from my elders: those who have trained me, who have been my spiritual directors, who have been my superiors, and who have been my colleagues and friends.

All of these pieces of wisdom stopped me in my tracks and left me speechless; all of them changed the way I look at life, God and my fellow human beings. And all of them, I hope, will be helpful to you, whether or not you're a Jesuit.

1.)   "Allow yourself to be human."

 In 1989, as a brand-new 28-year-old Jesuit novice in Boston, I was told that I would be sent to work for four months in the slums of Kingston, Jamaica. Though work with the poor was part of our life, I was terrified. Never having spent any time in the developing world, I was almost paralyzed with fear. What if I got mugged? What if I got sick? (It didn't help that one of the second-year novices kept telling me how dangerous it was: he was, by the way, exaggerating.)

The night before leaving for Kingston I was sitting in the living room staring at (I was too nervous to read) The Boston Globe. An elderly Jesuit came in to say hi. Joe McCormick, an experienced spiritual director, was one of the freest people I knew: warm, open, joyful. "Ready for Jamaica?" he said. Out came my worries. Joe patiently listened to them all.

"What's your biggest fear?" he said. I told him that I was worried that I'd get so sick I would have to come home. That would be embarrassing, I thought darkly.

Joe nodded and said, "Can you allow yourself to get sick, Jim? You're a human being with a body, after all, and sometimes bodies get sick. The worst that could happen – coming home – isn't the end of the world. So why not just allow yourself to be human?"

A cloud lifted. Yeah, why not just relax and be human? Getting sick wouldn't be the end of the world. I went to Jamaica…and never once got sick. But I got more human.

2.) "You don't have to be someone else to be holy."

 Too much of my time as a novice was spent trying to be like other people. I knew that I wasn't holy myself, and saw other novices who seemed far more holy, so, I figured, I needed to be like them. One guy was soft-spoken and diffident, and he was pretty holy, so I decided to be meek and mild. "What's wrong with you?" another novice said after seeing me piously moping around the house. Another novice woke up super-early and prayed before our morning prayers at 7 a.m. He seemed holy, too: so I started to get up super-early. "Wow, you look tired," one guy said. "Aren't you getting any sleep?"

Finally I said to my spiritual director, David Donovan, "I'm not sure how to be holy. Who should I imitate in the novitiate? Who's doing it right?" "Jim," he said, "you don't have to be someone else to be holy. Just be yourself. That's the person God called into the Jesuits, after all." David's advice helped me to relax, and to be appreciated for who I was, not for who I wasn't. Plus I got more sleep.

3)"You're not married to everyone."

When I was in philosophy studies at Loyola University in Chicago, I lived in a great Jesuit community, where I made tons of friends. But there was a problem: many of the community members had, not surprisingly, different likes and dislikes. It was the first time I had lived in a large community with so many different ways of looking at life.

For example, one guy got annoyed if you didn't move his wet clothes from the washer to the dryer. (Why didn't you put them in the dryer? They're all wet!") Another got angry if you did put them in the dryer. (Why did you put my clothes in the dryer? They'll shrink!") Another guy didn't like to talk about his studies at meals: too stressful. Another did: it helped him let off steam. I found it hard to keep track. How could I please everyone? One day I said to my superior, "I feel like I have to remember what everyone wants. And what everyone's little likes and dislikes are. It's driving me nuts."

Dick Vande Velde, the director of the Jesuits in formation in Chicago smiled and said, "You're not married to everyone, Jim. There's no need to please everyone. Plus, you couldn't if you tried. Just be kind and generous and the rest will take care of itself."

Behind the good desire to please everyone was the not-so-good desire to have everyone like you. Which is impossible. Even Jesus in his earthly life wasn't universally admired. Why should I be?

4)"Don't let anyone prevent you from becoming the person you want to be."

 I'll keep this story vague. At one point in my Jesuit training I lived with a difficult person in community. (Imagine that!) He had many good qualities, but he was also argumentative and combative. (Eventually he would leave the Jesuits.) Since I was always running into him, it seemed that I was slowly changing in response. I was always on guard – combative and argumentative myself – in order to protect myself.

At one point, I told my spiritual director that his personality seemed to be making me into a different person, someone I didn't like. I was becoming someone in reaction to him.

"Don't let anyone prevent you from becoming the person you want to be," he counseled. "He has no right to do that, nor does he really have the power. God desires you to become loving and charitable. Don't let him distract you."

It was hard advice to follow. But it was essential. Rather than let someone else's problems mold you, become the person God wants you to become.

5)"You're not Jesus." 

After philosophy studies, I worked with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Nairobi, Kenya. It was fantastic work. (Needless to say, I had gotten over my worries about working in the developing world: I asked to go!) But gradually I started to fret about doing all that needed to be done. Our work was helping East African refugees start small businesses, which meant: meeting with them on a regular basis; checking on their businesses (tailoring shops, bakeries, restaurants, chicken farms); helping them navigate their way through government agencies; arranging for them to get medical help when they were sick; and just listening to them. How could I do it all?

After a few months, I confessed to my spiritual director, George Drury, a New England Jesuit stationed in Nairobi, how overwhelmed I felt. "Where did you get the idea that you had to do everything all at once?" he said.

What a dumb question, I thought. Well, I said, that's what Jesus would do. He would visit them. He would check on their businesses. He would fix their problems. He would help to heal them. He would listen to them. And George said, "That's true. But I've got news for you: you're not Jesus! No one person can do everything. And even Jesus didn't heal everyone in Palestine." Accepting my limitations and my "poverty of spirit," that is, my own limitations, helped me to do my best and leave the rest up to God.

Later on another spiritual director put it more succinctly: "There is Good news and there is the Better News. The Good News is that there is a Messiah. The Better News is that it's not you!"

James is culture editor of America magazine and author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything. His latest book is Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor and Laughter are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life. -http://thejesuitpost.org

 

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

CHRISTIANS BEGIN THE SEASON OF LENT ON ASH WEDNESDAY by Fr Cedric Prakash

 

 

CHRISTIANS BEGIN THE SEASON OF LENT ON ASH WEDNESDAY

-Fr. Cedric Prakash sj*

 

February 22nd is observed as Ash Wednesday by most Christians.  It marks the beginning of the season of Lent which is the holiest period for the Christians.  Spread over more than forty days (in commemoration of the rigorous fast which Jesus undertook in the desert before he began his public ministry), the season ends on Easter Sunday when Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus into Heaven.

 

'Ash Wednesday', derives its name from the practice of Christians having ashes imposed on their forehead or on their head as a sign of their own sinfulness and mortality. On that day, one is reminded of the need and importance of repentance for one's sins and to live a life of true and meaningful Christian discipleship.

 

These dimensions are meant to permeate the life of the Christian all through the season wherein sufficient importance is given to prayer, fasting, abstinence and doing concrete works of mercy.  Hopefully, Lent is meant to have a profound and transforming experience on the life of a Christian which in turn would impact on wider society.

 

It is significant therefore, that in his message for Lent 2012, Pope Benedict XVI enjoins all Christians not to remain silent before evil, 'let us be concerned for each other', he says, 'to stir response in love and good works.'

 

Further, the Pope insists that all Christians cultivate a way, "of seeing others as our brothers and sisters, (so that) solidarity, justice, mercy and compassion will naturally well up in our hearts".

 

It is also symbolic that the first week of the Christian Lenten season coincides with the tenth anniversary of the Gujarat Carnage.  The Pope in his message challenges all Christians when he says, "Christ himself commands us to admonish a brother who is committing a sin (cf. Mt 18:15). The verb used to express fraternal correction - elenchein – is the same used to indicate the prophetic mission of Christians to speak out against a generation indulging in evil (cf. Eph 5:11). The Church's tradition has included "admonishing sinners" among the spiritual works of mercy. It is important to recover this dimension of Christian charity. We must not remain silent before evil".

 

A great act of mercy for all, (not only for Christians),  is to speak out and stand up against any evil!

 

21st February, 2012

 

 

(* Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is the Director of PRASHANT, the Ahmedabad based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace.)

 


Address: PRASHANT, Hill Nagar, Near Kamdhenu Hall, Drive-in Road, Ahmedabad - 380052

Phone: 79 27455913,  66522333
Fax:  79 27489018
Email: sjprashant@gmail.com     www.humanrightsindia.in


POPE'S MESSAGE FOR LENT 2012



MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI FOR LENT 2012

"Let us be concerned for each other,
to stir a response in love and good works" (Heb 10:24)

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Lenten season offers us once again an opportunity to reflect upon the very heart of Christian life: charity. This is a favourable time to renew our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community, with the help of the word of God and the sacraments. This journey is one marked by prayer and sharing, silence and fasting, in anticipation of the joy of Easter.

This year I would like to propose a few thoughts in the light of a brief biblical passage drawn from the Letter to the Hebrews:" Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works". These words are part of a passage in which the sacred author exhorts us to trust in Jesus Christ as the High Priest who has won us forgiveness and opened up a pathway to God. Embracing Christ bears fruit in a life structured by the three theological virtues: it means approaching the Lord "sincere in heart and filled with faith" (v. 22), keeping firm "in the hope we profess" (v. 23) and ever mindful of living a life of "love and good works" (v. 24) together with our brothers and sisters. The author states that to sustain this life shaped by the Gospel it is important to participate in the liturgy and community prayer, mindful of the eschatological goal of full communion in God (v. 25). Here I would like to reflect on verse 24, which offers a succinct, valuable and ever timely teaching on the three aspects of Christian life: concern for others, reciprocity and personal holiness.

1. "Let us be concerned for each other": responsibility towards our brothers and sisters.

This first aspect is an invitation to be "concerned": the Greek verb used here is katanoein, which means to scrutinize, to be attentive, to observe carefully and take stock of something. We come across this word in the Gospel when Jesus invites the disciples to "think of" the ravens that, without striving, are at the centre of the solicitous and caring Divine Providence (cf. Lk 12:24), and to "observe" the plank in our own eye before looking at the splinter in that of our brother (cf. Lk 6:41). In another verse of the Letter to the Hebrews, we find the encouragement to "turn your minds to Jesus" (3:1), the Apostle and High Priest of our faith. So the verb which introduces our exhortation tells us to look at others, first of all at Jesus, to be concerned for one another, and not to remain isolated and indifferent to the fate of our brothers and sisters. All too often, however, our attitude is just the opposite: an indifference and disinterest born of selfishness and masked as a respect for "privacy". Today too, the Lord's voice summons all of us to be concerned for one another. Even today God asks us to be "guardians" of our brothers and sisters (Gen 4:9), to establish relationships based on mutual consideration and attentiveness to the well-being, theintegral well-being of others. The great commandment of love for one another demands that we acknowledge our responsibility towards those who, like ourselves, are creatures and children of God. Being brothers and sisters in humanity and, in many cases, also in the faith, should help us to recognize in others a true alter ego, infinitely loved by the Lord. If we cultivate this way of seeing others as our brothers and sisters, solidarity, justice, mercy and compassion will naturally well up in our hearts. The Servant of God Pope Paul VI stated that the world today is suffering above all from a lack of brotherhood: "Human society is sorely ill. The cause is not so much the depletion of natural resources, nor their monopolistic control by a privileged few; it is rather the weakening of brotherly ties between individuals and nations" (Populorum Progressio, 66).

Concern for others entails desiring what is good for them from every point of view: physical, moral and spiritual. Contemporary culture seems to have lost the sense of good and evil, yet there is a real need to reaffirm that good does exist and will prevail, because God is "generous and acts generously" (Ps 119:68). The good is whatever gives, protects and promotes life, brotherhood and communion. Responsibility towards others thus means desiring and working for the good of others, in the hope that they too will become receptive to goodness and its demands. Concern for others means being aware of their needs. Sacred Scripture warns us of the danger that our hearts can become hardened by a sort of "spiritual anesthesia" which numbs us to the suffering of others. The Evangelist Luke relates two of Jesus' parables by way of example. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite "pass by", indifferent to the presence of the man stripped and beaten by the robbers (cf. Lk 10:30-32). In that of Dives and Lazarus, the rich man is heedless of the poverty of Lazarus, who is starving to death at his very door (cf. Lk 16:19). Both parables show examples of the opposite of "being concerned", of looking upon others with love and compassion. What hinders this humane and loving gaze towards our brothers and sisters? Often it is the possession of material riches and a sense of sufficiency, but it can also be the tendency to put our own interests and problems above all else. We should never be incapable of "showing mercy" towards those who suffer. Our hearts should never be so wrapped up in our affairs and problems that they fail to hear the cry of the poor. Humbleness of heart and the personal experience of suffering can awaken within us a sense of compassion and empathy. "The upright understands the cause of the weak, the wicked has not the wit to understand it" (Prov 29:7). We can then understand the beatitude of "those who mourn" (Mt 5:5), those who in effect are capable of looking beyond themselves and feeling compassion for the suffering of others. Reaching out to others and opening our hearts to their needs can become an opportunity for salvation and blessedness.

"Being concerned for each other" also entails being concerned for their spiritual well-being. Here I would like to mention an aspect of the Christian life, which I believe has been quite forgotten:fraternal correction in view of eternal salvation. Today, in general, we are very sensitive to the idea of charity and caring about the physical and material well-being of others, but almost completely silent about our spiritual responsibility towards our brothers and sisters. This was not the case in the early Church or in those communities that are truly mature in faith, those which are concerned not only for the physical health of their brothers and sisters, but also for their spiritual health and ultimate destiny. The Scriptures tell us: "Rebuke the wise and he will love you for it. Be open with the wise, he grows wiser still, teach the upright, he will gain yet more" (Prov 9:8ff). Christ himself commands us to admonish a brother who is committing a sin (cf. Mt 18:15). The verb used to express fraternal correction - elenchein – is the same used to indicate the prophetic mission of Christians to speak out against a generation indulging in evil (cf. Eph 5:11). The Church's tradition has included "admonishing sinners" among the spiritual works of mercy. It is important to recover this dimension of Christian charity. We must not remain silent before evil. I am thinking of all those Christians who, out of human regard or purely personal convenience, adapt to the prevailing mentality, rather than warning their brothers and sisters against ways of thinking and acting that are contrary to the truth and that do not follow the path of goodness. Christian admonishment, for its part, is never motivated by a spirit of accusation or recrimination. It is always moved by love and mercy, and springs from genuine concern for the good of the other. As the Apostle Paul says: "If one of you is caught doing something wrong, those of you who are spiritual should set that person right in a spirit of gentleness; and watch yourselves that you are not put to the test in the same way" (Gal 6:1). In a world pervaded by individualism, it is essential to rediscover the importance of fraternal correction, so that together we may journey towards holiness. Scripture tells us that even "the upright falls seven times" (Prov 24:16); all of us are weak and imperfect (cf. 1 Jn 1:8). It is a great service, then, to help others and allow them to help us, so that we can be open to the whole truth about ourselves, improve our lives and walk more uprightly in the Lord's ways. There will always be a need for a gaze which loves and admonishes, which knows and understands, which discerns and forgives (cf. Lk 22:61), as God has done and continues to do with each of us.

2. "Being concerned for each other": the gift of reciprocity.

This "custody" of others is in contrast to a mentality that, by reducing life exclusively to its earthly dimension, fails to see it in an eschatological perspective and accepts any moral choice in the name of personal freedom. A society like ours can become blind to physical sufferings and to the spiritual and moral demands of life. This must not be the case in the Christian community! The Apostle Paul encourages us to seek "the ways which lead to peace and the ways in which we can support one another" (Rom 14:19) for our neighbour's good, "so that we support one another" (15:2), seeking not personal gain but rather "the advantage of everybody else, so that they may be saved" (1 Cor 10:33). This mutual correction and encouragement in a spirit of humility and charity must be part of the life of the Christian community.

The Lord's disciples, united with him through the Eucharist, live in a fellowship that binds them one to another as members of a single body. This means that the other is part of me, and that his or her life, his or her salvation, concern my own life and salvation. Here we touch upon a profound aspect of communion: our existence is related to that of others, for better or for worse. Both our sins and our acts of love have a social dimension. This reciprocity is seen in the Church, the mystical body of Christ: the community constantly does penance and asks for the forgiveness of the sins of its members, but also unfailingly rejoices in the examples of virtue and charity present in her midst. As Saint Paul says: "Each part should be equally concerned for all the others" (1 Cor 12:25), for we all form one body. Acts of charity towards our brothers and sisters – as expressed by almsgiving, a practice which, together with prayer and fasting, is typical of Lent – is rooted in this common belonging. Christians can also express their membership in the one body which is the Church through concrete concern for the poorest of the poor. Concern for one another likewise means acknowledging the good that the Lord is doing in others and giving thanks for the wonders of grace that Almighty God in his goodness continuously accomplishes in his children. When Christians perceive the Holy Spirit at work in others, they cannot but rejoice and give glory to the heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5:16).

3. "To stir a response in love and good works": walking together in holiness.

These words of the Letter to the Hebrews (10:24) urge us to reflect on the universal call to holiness, the continuing journey of the spiritual life as we aspire to the greater spiritual gifts and to an ever more sublime and fruitful charity (cf. 1 Cor 12:31-13:13). Being concerned for one another should spur us to an increasingly effective love which, "like the light of dawn, its brightness growing to the fullness of day" (Prov 4:18), makes us live each day as an anticipation of the eternal day awaiting us in God. The time granted us in this life is precious for discerning and performing good works in the love of God. In this way the Church herself continuously grows towards the full maturity of Christ (cf. Eph 4:13). Our exhortation to encourage one another to attain the fullness of love and good works is situated in this dynamic prospect of growth.

Sadly, there is always the temptation to become lukewarm, to quench the Spirit, to refuse to invest the talents we have received, for our own good and for the good of others (cf. Mt 25:25ff.). All of us have received spiritual or material riches meant to be used for the fulfilment of God's plan, for the good of the Church and for our personal salvation (cf. Lk 12:21b; 1 Tim 6:18). The spiritual masters remind us that in the life of faith those who do not advance inevitably regress. Dear brothers and sisters, let us accept the invitation, today as timely as ever, to aim for the "high standard of ordinary Christian living" (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 31). The wisdom of the Church in recognizing and proclaiming certain outstanding Christians as Blessed and as Saints is also meant to inspire others to imitate their virtues. Saint Paul exhorts us to "anticipate one another in showing honour" (Rom 12:10).

In a world which demands of Christians a renewed witness of love and fidelity to the Lord, may all of us feel the urgent need to anticipate one another in charity, service and good works (cf. Heb 6:10). This appeal is particularly pressing in this holy season of preparation for Easter. As I offer my prayerful good wishes for a blessed and fruitful Lenten period, I entrust all of you to the intercession of the Mary Ever Virgin and cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 3 November 2011

 



Saturday, February 18, 2012

CHALLENGES TO CATHOLIC SOCIAL COMMUNICATORS OF THE WESTERN REGION -Fr. Cedric Prakash sj*

 

 

CHALLENGES TO CATHOLIC SOCIAL COMMUNICATORS OF THE WESTERN REGION

-Fr. Cedric Prakash sj*

 

 

Dear Archbishop, Bishops, Sisters and Brothers gathered together at this Annual Social Communications Meeting of the Western Region Catholic Bishop's Council, here in Chanda today.

 

It is good to be here!

 

At the outset, I wish to place on record on behalf of all of us gathered here, my heartfelt felicitation to Bishop Vijay Anand Nedumpuram and the diocese of Chanda on its GOLDEN JUBILEE! Every Jubilee is a significant moment of grace…, while thanking God for all the blessings showered upon the diocese of Chanda, we pray that he may continue to bless and guide every single person in this diocese and help the Church here in every possible way to be a more communicating one in the spread of the kingdom values of justice, equality, peace and love.

 

We have chosen as theme for this Annual Meeting, the theme which our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has given to the world for the 46th World Communication Day this year namely, "Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization".

A superficial understanding of the theme may perhaps provoke one towards "a dumb silence". In fact, the Holy Fathers provides us with the very antithesis of this, when he says, "Silence, then, gives rise to even more active communication, requiring sensitivity and a capacity to listen that often makes manifest the true measure and nature of the relationships involved. When messages and information are plentiful, silence becomes essential if we are to distinguish what is important from what is insignificant or secondary. Deeper reflection helps us to discover the links between events that at first sight seem unconnected, to make evaluations, to analyze messages; this makes it possible to share thoughtful and relevant opinions, giving rise to an authentic body of shared knowledge. For this to happen, it is necessary to develop an appropriate environment, a kind of 'eco-system', that maintains a just equilibrium between silence, words, images and sounds."

Therefore, at the heart of this message is the courage each one of us needs, to always search for the truth by listening to the cries of our people, to be sensitive to the world around us.  "Silent contemplation immerses us in the source of that Love who directs us towards our neighbours so that we may feel their suffering and offer them the light of Christ, his message of life and his saving gift of the fullness of love."

The Holy Father makes several other references to the questioning world we live in and the hunger of people to find answers. He reiterates here the indispensable services which communication plays in the task of evangelization.  "The fundamental question of the meaning of human existence finds in the mystery of Christ an answer capable of bringing peace to the restless human heart. The Church's mission springs from this mystery; and it is this mystery which impels Christians to become heralds of hope and salvation, witnesses of that love which promotes human dignity and builds justice and peace."  

 

                        

 

 

 

In his path-breaking Encyclical 'Caritas in Veritate', Pope Benedict very strongly emphasizes that, "Love – caritas – is an extraordinary force which leads people to opt for courageous and generous engagement in the field of justice and peace. It is a force that has its origin in God, Eternal Love and Absolute Truth." (#1)

In the light of the above, those of us who have gathered here, need to ask ourselves once again, what role should we play,  as Social Communicators in this Western Region of our great country? 

Where the Church in India is concerned, this region is indeed vast with diversity and blaring contrast, second to none. We house some of the richest people in the world, yet we are aware of highly under-nourished children and suicides by farmers; our eco-system has a wealth that could rival the best in the universe, on the other hand total insensitivity is systematically devastating our natural wealth; while we can boast of the biggest corporate houses and multi-nationals in the country, we have hundreds and thousands of the poor and marginalized who are displaced from the land which they once called their own; while we take great pride of the variety of religions in this area, we are painfully aware that communalism and sectarianism has gripped many areas of our States; scandals, scams, corruption, police atrocities and killings, nexus among power-lobbies seem to be the in-thing in this region…..!

The CBCI General Body Meeting of January 2004 held in Trichur came out with a very powerful statement, "Called to be a Communicating Church". In their very second point, the Bishops stated, "We are happy to note that the mainstream mass media in India, by and large, have contributed greatly to uphold democratic and secular values.  In the face, at times, of intense pressure from opposing forces, they have striven to safeguard the rights of citizens, particularly of the weaker sections and the minorities. We express our gratitude to the media for contributing substantially to liberate our society from the dark forces of caste and communal hatred, corruption and crime. We salute those who have stood firm in a world of market forces, refusing to surrender to sensationalism, trivialization or to the fanning of social hatred. They have demonstrated that media have a prophetic role, indeed a vocation: to speak out against the false gods and ideals of the day – materialism, hedonism, consumerism and narrow nationalism". (#2)

Further, in the same document, the Bishops very strongly stated, (#8) "Social Communications have a significant role to play in every aspect of the Church's mission, and hence they must be integrated into every Church ministry. A Pastoral Plan for Social Communications should become an integral part of the mission of the Church. We request that the CBCI Commission for Social Communications draw up a Pastoral Plan, which would include a vision and strategies to stimulate, inspire and promote Catholic activities in this field.  Thereby, the whole apostolate of the media will be 'placed under a single, overall direction'."       

Some sort of Pastoral Plan is indeed in place (on paper) but a careful analysis of what we do here in the Western Region, necessitate the importance to highlight some dimensions which have to be addressed very urgently:

·        At the outset, we all need to appreciate the good work that is being done in the field of communications. Plenty is being done in small and big ways by several all over the region…. there is no denying that. Congrats to one and all!

 

 

 

 

Having said this, let's have the courage to critically look at the Social Communications in our region:

Ø      many of us think that Social Communications is about "hi-tech Communication Centres" producing videos or audios or even publishing books; while such activities definitely play a role, to make it a focus of Social Communications is like 'missing the bus'.

Ø      our diocesan magazines, parish bulletins and even our websites and blogs are-at the most-pedestrian. Very often, they are like a report of activities done by a particular priest or bishop. Our websites are hardly updated and some who blog have a tendency to inform about "pious activities taking place in a Parish or diocese"

Ø      here we need to ask a key question, as Social Communicators, how many of us have seriously taken, the Pope's Message for the World Day of Peace 2012 which he addresses to all in "'Educating Young People in Justice and Peace' in the conviction that the young, with their enthusiasm and idealism, can offer new hope to the world. My Message is also addressed to parents, families and all those involved in the area of education and formation, as well as to leaders in the various spheres of religious, social, political, economic and cultural life and in the media. Attentiveness to young people and their concerns, the ability to listen to them and appreciate them, is not merely something expedient; it represents a primary duty for society as a whole, for the sake of building a future of justice and peace"

Ø      or for that matter, as Social Communicators, how seriously are we in the mainstreaming and in the implementation of Catholic Social Teaching?

Ø      let's revisit the CBCI Message on Social Communications. One of the prerequisites is that every diocese has a Social Communication Commission, very sadly - and I say this very strongly - in this region, with the exception of two or three, practically no other diocese has a Commission! This is a serious reflection on our reality. Some dioceses in this region, have some of the most well-known Catholic lay communicators of the country; besides, some of the most well-known Communication Centres run by religious congregations, yet these dioceses still do not have a Commission! Are we afraid of our lay professionals? Are we afraid of being transparent and accountable? Do we not want to truly empower those whom we are called to accompany?

Ø      Social Communications is about taking a stand, about being faithful to Christ and his message, very specially in the context of truth and justice.  Jesus took a stand against the powerful of his times. He did not mince words to call them, what they actually were! He forgave those who asked for forgiveness. He did not compromise with his values nor hobnob with the 'Pilots' and 'Herods' of his time for the sake of power, position and privilege. As Social Communicators, we are called to live, witness to and proclaim the radicalness of the Gospel. Nothing less!

Ø      in this context, we need to applaud the Bishops of India, who in their recently concluded CBCI General Body Meeting in Bangalore (February 8th, 2012) reiterated 'The Church's Role for a Better India…...' "She recommits herself to being a prophetic Church, taking a decisive stand in favour of the poor and marginalized.  How does she as a prophetic Church plan to contribute towards a Better India?"

Ø      the question we need to ask ourselves very seriously at this meeting, what is this prophetic role which we as Social Communicators can play in this our Western Region? In Goa? In Maharashtra? In Gujarat? How should we respond to the cries of our people and take a stand for truth and justice?

 

 

 

 

 

In this presentation, I have briefly touched on some of the challenges we face as Catholic Social Communicators in this region….Yes, I wanted to share with you, dear sisters and brothers, my pain and frustrations, my feelings. I know they are judgemental but also in total fidelity, to Christ and his message and to the teachings of the Church…..I have also done so, with a hope, that all of us become more effective Communicators in this region.

As Church, we continue to remain in the 'comfort zones' of our institutions and Church compounds. Our charity work has been too concentrated on the 'benefactor – approach' and on projects. Our ideology has been warped by institutionalization and fear or favour….as Social Communicators, we need to break out, transcend narrow walls and take a stand for what is right…!

I would like to conclude with the words of our Holy Father in 'Caritas in Veritate'  (#73) "Just because social communications increase the possibilities of interconnection and the dissemination of ideas, it does not follow that they promote freedom or internationalise development and democracy for all. To achieve goals of this kind, they need to focus on promoting the dignity of persons and peoples, they need to be clearly inspired by charity and placed at the service of truth, of the good, and of natural and supernatural fraternity.  In fact, human freedom is intrinsically linked with these higher values.  The media can make an important contribution towards the growth in communion of the human family and the ethos of society when they are used to promote universal participation in the common search for what is just."

If we, as Social Communicators, do not pay heed to our Holy Father…who will?

 

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(This Presentation was made at the Annual Social Communications Meeting of the Western Region Catholic Bishop's Council (WRCBC) held in Chanda on February 18th, 2012)

 

(* Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is the Secretary for the Social Communications of the Western Region Catholic Bishop's Council and the Director of PRASHANT, the Ahmedabad based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace)

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PRASHANT 
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Hill Nagar, Near Kamdhenu Hall, Drive-in Road, Ahmedabad - 380052, Gujarat, India
Phone : +91  79   27455913,  66522333
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Email: sjprashant@gmail.com
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