Question:  Sr Mamatha, Bangalore

What is happening to the Church, is it an administrative mishap or a tragedy of the so called spirituality hijacked by impostors? Is the mushrooming of spirituality centres vindicated only by the “miracles,” a morality test of religion?

Answer:  Jacob Parappally MSFS

Dealing with spiritual matters is a dangerous thing. So too with mysteries of God! Both are beyond human control. Unfortunately, this is the age of so called spiritual leaders posing as persons with extraordinary powers in spiritual matters. The moment someone claims to have or is given the power to mediate them there is a possibility of misuse of the given authority for selfish ends. Those who misuse their role of mediation destroy themselves as well as credibility of the office they hold and the mysteries they handle. Church is “the visible society and the spiritual community; the earthly Church and the Church endowed with heavenly riches” (LG 8). The Church being a mystery as the Vatican II re-affirmed in Lumen Gentium is to be handled with care. If not, it would lose its ‘saltiness’ as warned by Jesus (Mt 5:13).

The language which Lumen Gentium or the Constitution of the Church uses to describe the reality of the Church combines both its mystical and institutional dimensions. As a visible society with its hierarchical structures, governing systems and laws it may look like any other human organization but its essential dimension is that it is the Body of Christ and a spiritual fellowship of humans and as such the sacrament of Christ’s presence in the world. Having both divine and human dimensions the Church is called to mediate the divine plan and project for humans and their liberation through means that are visible, tangible yet sacred handled by humans who are prone to weaknesses and sins that even thwart or block God’s plans and purposes. It is a tragedy of the Church when those who are ordained or appointed to guide, lead and care for the community of the Church fail in their duty by their human frailties, ignorance or even by their inadequate or wrong understanding of the duties associated with their office. Church leadership can also fail to fulfil its duties if they are not following the example of servant-leadership shown by the Supreme Leader of the Church Jesus Christ Himself.

What is happening to the Church, which is the household of God and home for those who are called to be a new creation through baptism, sustained by the Word and nurtured by the sacraments and duty-bound to be witness to the Kingdom? Is the Church failing to live its vocation to radiate Christ the light of the world? Is the Church identifying itself as a religion though from historical and sociological perspectives it is considered by others as a world-religion? Is it losing its witnessing value as a credible sign of Christ’s continued life-giving presence in the world which is liberating, challenging, disturbing and enabling humans to become what they are called to become and build a society of authentic communion? There are some disturbing signs that show that the Church is steadily losing its credibility in some places as a prophetic movement to challenge the society which is increasingly becoming ungodly, divisive, individualistic, consumerist and inhuman. Some of the reasons for this unsavoury situation seem to be the commercialization of religion, abandoning of the gospel values for material and transitory benefits, failure of the Church leadership to inspire, challenge and to be credible witness to Christ and His Kingdom.

Commercialization of Religion
Jesus had clearly warned his followers, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). The Church did not sufficiently heed this warning since it had become the religion of the Roman Empire since 313 AD. It had made compromises with mammon for the structures and systems were built in such a way that serving God required mammon and justified the collection of money for a worthy and solemn service of God. Magnificent churches were built, movable and immovable properties were acquired, church articles required for the celebration of the Mass and other rituals made of gold, silver and precious metals were bought, feasts and solemnities were celebrated with pomp and obscene display of wealth, offerings were collected for securing favours from God and the saints. The decadence of the Church by the abuse of power and wealth led to the Reformation and eventual break-up of the Church! When wealth is amassed even for the noble purpose of serving God it ends up in serving those who control it and eventually destroying themselves and the cause of God.

Present day possibilities of amassing wealth through the efficient use of the principles of marketing, namely, place, product, consumer wants and needs, cost, communication and promotion are well used by all religions to market the product that is divine favours. In places of worship the believers who are consumers are willing to pay the cost because they are in need of divine intervention in their lives. In the promotion of the product the communication skills are used to make the believers re-affirm their fears and guilt as well as their need for liberation, healing, answer to their doubts, anxieties, solutions to their family and financial problems. Further they are given possibilities to forget their pains and struggles and experience real peace and tranquillity or certain consolation and comfort that may or may not last long. So there is no wonder that the so called spiritual centres are mushrooming all over India promoted by all religions because it is a lucrative business with minimum investments and maximum returns. There is stiff competition among the places of worship, special centres of spirituality and pilgrim centres to attract believers through various means especially through the spread of the news of miraculous healings and securing of other divine favours. Stories of miracles taking place in a particular spiritual centre is advertised through all media communication channels so that those who approach such places are already disposed to receive miraculous intervention of God in their lives. If it does not happen in their lives they are told authoritatively that they lacked sufficient faith. Unfortunately, some of the spiritual centres of the Church too have succumbed to the temptations of using the principles of marketing in attracting believers to their centres offering them “miracles” as if they control the working of God. What God do such spiritual centres proclaim? What type of Church do they witness to the people seeking instant favours from God in such spiritual centres without being transformed by the Spirit of God? It is the bounden duty of enlightened Church leaders to stop any abuse of Church’s commitment to live and proclaim gospel values. Commercialization of the sacred ministry of the Church is a serious block to build communities and increase the holiness of the people. When the Church leaders themselves become promoters and beneficiaries of the commercialization of religion, not only individual leaders but also the entire Church loses its credibility to be a true witness to Christ and to His kingdom.

Signs of True Spirituality
Jesus worked miracles but He was not perceived as a miracle worker. When He healed people, they said, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited His people” (Luke 7:16). The disciples on the road to Emmaus spoke of Him as “a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people” (Luke 24:19). Peter spoke of Him as one who “went out doing good” (Acts 10:38) and part of that doing good was healing people of their sicknesses and possessions. Jesus’ so called miracles were signs according to evangelist John. They were the signs that revealed that God’s kingdom had come. They were signs and not the reality of the kingdom of God. Jesus preached the Kingdom of God and the disciples preached Jesus after His resurrection because the Kingdom was identified with His person. After the miracle of feeding the five thousand when the people wanted to make Him king, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on Him has God the Father set His seal” (John 6:26-27). Jesus did not reduce the kingdom which He proclaimed and established through His life, death and resurrection to some miracles!

When the Church gives the impression to the world that it is like an organization with huge buildings, institutions, spiritual centres where miracles are available, it loses its credibility as an authentic witness to Christ and His Kingdom. If the Church is missionary by its very nature her mission is to lead people to an authentic life of God-experience that is to be manifested in the personal and societal transformation by living the values of the Kingdom, namely, recognizing the sovereignty of God, love, justice, equality, fellowship, reconciliation, peace etc.

Spirituality should not be confused with pious exercises, multiplications of prayers, popular devotions, elaborate and well-organized rituals and ceremonies, loud cries of alleluias, falling unconscious at the touch of a preacher, expressions of submission to God and His Word because of the fear of punishment of God or the consequences one has to bear after death, praying to God for miracles to happen in one’s life etc. Some preachers in spiritual centres instill fear in the people by presenting a punishing God in their preaching and convincing people that the misery and misfortunes in their life are because their parents or grand-parents or relatives are still languishing in purgatory and therefore masses or other offerings are to be done to liberate them etc. These preachers are doing a great disservice to the Church and the gospel. In the early Church too such unchristian practices were prevalent. Tertullian warned against following ‘heathen practices’ in the Church. He says, “heathen magicians, among other miraculous impostures, were wont knock down and stun boys to make them prophesy” (Apologetics Ch.3.). The leadership of the Church must always remain alert to the misuse and abuse of spiritual mission of the Church for financial gains and securing power over the weak and the gullible. St James writes, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27).

Authentic Christian spirituality is becoming Christ-like in one’s attitude, behaviour and life-style, relationships by being open and docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. This is the same for the entire Church. The leadership in the Church is for building up the Body of Christ through the proper discernment of the Charisms in the Church and organizing them for the well-being of the Church and the society. The leadership needs to denounce all forms of superficial religious practices that appear to be Christian practices of piety but are in fact religious exercises skilfully manipulated by those who look for financial and other gains through them. If they go unchecked the backlash will be terrible when the people realize that they were fed with illusions and not with the transforming power of the Word and the Sacraments which would enable them to live an authentic and meaningful Christian life!