Bishop Jacob Manathodath

The contemporary Church is facing a lot of crises and challenges. The Indian Church is no exception. Reports of scandals of various sorts, accusations, litigations, internal conflicts and strife, counter witness especially by the consecrated people, etc. frequently appear in the media. The entire Church is affected in different ways by these sad events and developments. Such crises scandalize the faithful, demoralize the innocent people and put the Church leadership into task. These scandals may be characterized in the words of St Paul, as acts of the flesh (Gal 5:19-21). They are, according to his list, idolatry, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions and drunkenness. Apart from the internal crises, the Church is challenged also by the threats, planned or otherwise, from outside, namely politicized moves, hate-talks, aggressive media attacks against the Church personnel, etc.

The allegations against the Church create at least three grave spiritual challenges. First, the name of God is dishonored among the non-believers. In the words of St Paul: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (Rom 2:24). Second, the credibility of the Church is seriously shaken. There is no correspondence between what is preached and what is practiced. Third, the faithful get scandalized. These are serious consequences. What is imperative is that we make a realistic analysis of the crisis. Only then will the crisis help produce sustainable and heroic Christian fruits. It is good to recall what St Paul told the strife-ridden Corinthian communities: “But, of course, there must be divisions among you, so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!” (1 Cor 11:19). The present crisis will serve as a touchstone to test the real faith of the people.

The saintly Archbishop Fulton J Sheen used to state in his retreats: ‘I like to live in a suffering and turbulent Church, rather than in a peaceful Church. For, it is the time for worthy men and women to rise up.’ The way we understand and address a crisis is very critical. For instance, in the sixteenth century, the Church faced a host of moral crisis and ecclesiastical challenges. But Martin Luther reduced the whole issue to one question, namely, how can an unworthy Pope be the head of the Church? Had Luther addressed this issue from another angle, the history of the Church would have been quite different. In what follows, I propose first, some basic convictions we should hold firm in this period of crisis and then some practical steps towards a solution.

Basic Convictions in a Challenged Church
1) For a Christian, faith in the Church is concomitant to faith in the Trinitarian God. In the Credo we affirm our faith in the Church which cannot be forgotten when she is despised and her image is tarnished. The Church in which we believe is holy and at the same time tends to go unholy. The Church is holy because of its divine elements such as the Trinitarian presence, Holy Eucharist, sacraments, Word of God, Mother Mary, communion of saints and a host of saintly people around us. The unholy elements emerge because numerous men and women in the Church are sinful. To admit it does not mean an excuse to condone unholy practices in the Church; they need to be fought against.

Those who unjustly defile the Church are not condemned or despised people. They are sinners who await conversion. They continue to be members of the Church. Those who cause scandals in the Church too belong to the Church. That is why the CCC (827) qualifies the Church as one that is sanctified and at the same time that needs sanctification. Vatican II made it clear that the Church which embraces sinners is at the same time holy (LG 8).

2) The reason why we believe in the Church is Jesus Christ. The crucified and risen Jesus is the head of the Church. We believe in the Church not because of its leaders; they are also believers of Christ in the Church. They take a leading role and minister to the Church and the world. In principle, failures of leadership shall not shatter the faith of the faithful. The failure of the Church leaders however, often challenges the faith of people.

The thirteenth century Italian Church faced plenty of scandals and damages. That Church, according to the gospel-standards, was to a great extent rotten. St Francis of Assisi took upon himself the task of renewing it. He with his confreres started a heroic life in their religious community. Once a member of his community asked Francis, “Suppose that you come to know that the concubines of the celebrant priest are also attending the Holy Mass, what would you do?” Francis answered, “Without any hesitation I would receive Holy Communion from his anointed hands.” With this answer, he was making it clear that the effectiveness of the ministries of the Church does not essentially depend on the sanctity of its ministers. It does not however mean that the ministers can therefore choose a wayward life.

3) If the Church belongs to God, He shall take care of its ultimate survival and victory. The Church grew to the present state and stature continually facing challenges. They include schisms, heresies, strife, failure of its leaders, attacks from outside, religious persecution, political opposition, etc. The well being or growth of the Church is a work of God; He will ensure it in His own ways. In that process individuals may however fail and falter. The fall of a few Church leaders does not just lead to the end of the Church.

Arianism for example divided the Church of the fourth century. Divinity of Jesus along with God the Father was the point of contention which was settled in the Nicene Council in 325. During the heresy, many bishops and priests drifted away from true faith. The holy Spirit however led the Church along the path of true faith.

Prophet Elijah during the reign of Ahab complained to the Lord, “All people have deserted you except myself. But the Lord replied, “I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18). That is the remnant chosen by grace, according to St Paul (Rome 11:4-5). The Lord leads the Church forward through the community of people chosen and led by grace. Our task during the time of crisis is to belong to this holy remnant which can revitalize the Church and thereby the world.

Practical Steps towards a solution
1) The first and foremost response to any crisis in the Church is the holy life of its members. We cannot fight evil with evil; we cannot eradicate sin with sinful acts. We cannot regain the glory of the Church through immoral or undesirable ways. The Church cannot challenge anybody except through evangelical means. The holy life is the best way of confronting any crisis in the Church. This suggestion may look like a kind of spiritualization. This however is how saintly people faced challenges in the Church, which in return resulted in the renewal of the faith-community.

The present crisis in the church is a loud call to holy life. Responding to the crisis, many men and women should resolve to lead a holy life and strive for the renewal of the Church; They must renew the Church internally; The obesity of the Church in structural matters should be burnt out; All anti-gospel fascinations existing in the Church must be discarded. Some may suspect that only the reverse may happen in a crisis-ridden Church. This suspicion carries some weight. Only when genuinely motivated pastors inspire the communities with their holy lives, the crisis will be overcome.

Church history proves that after every serious crisis or during it there emerged holy people with brilliant caliber and character who were able to revive and reform the Church. For example, Peter Damian, a saint and doctor of the Church, could rebuild the Church of the tenth century; similar role was played by Francis of Assisi in the thirteenth century. St Ignatius Loyola healed the wounds of the Church divided after Reformation and regained its vitality. The same period also witnessed the saintly archbishop Charles Borromeo in Italy. The Lord brought forth St Francis de Sales to lead the Church wounded in the wake of Calvinism.

2) When a controversy brews up, there shall be factions and divisions within the Church. Everybody tends to stand by a position which he or she believes is right. Nobody in good conscience would love to stand by evil. That is how different factions emerge in the Church on the account of the same issue. Every group would believe that their position is true. They may get deceived. St Augustine acknowledges his intellectual delusions, especially in his attitude to Manichaeism. He says, “I believed what they told was true. I did so, not because I understood the truth of what they professed, but because I decided them to be true” (A. Trape, St Augustine, New York, 1986, 59-60).

We must be intelligent enough to know that often what the media provide is not unadulterated truth. Rather than factual description and exact facts and figures, the media offers partial news or partisan analysis. Prudence demands that until we know the truth at least in a morally convincing way, we shall not take sides in a row. And once we know the truth, we have to abide by it. The following maxim is often attributed to Aristotle, “Amicus Plato, sed magis amica veritas” which can be translated as “Plato is my friend, but better friend is truth.” Aristotle meant that he would value truth more than Plato, his mentor and friend.

3) If issues in the family or the Church are not dealt with prudence, it may result in greater disputes. Crisis management can create greater crisis. We should seek first and foremost the Kingdom of God and His justice. Otherwise we may be led astray. St Francis de Sales was asked once: how do you look at the scandals among priests? He replied in a succinct way, “Those who give scandals are guilty of spiritual murder (because they kill the faith of others); those who are scandalized are guilty of spiritual suicide (because they allow their faith to be killed).”

4) To regain the purity and strength of the Church, its members, as members of the same body, must make reparations through prayer and fasting. The simple reason is that behind every serious scandal and often in the way it is handled, there is sin, and selfishness. Sin requires reparations. St Paul writes: “And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?” (2 Cor 11:28-29). In a similar way, he says, “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the Church” (Col 1:24). It is the duty of faithful Christians to suffer for and make reparations for the Church.

5) You may think that I am spiritualizing issues rather than addressing them. It may seem so. All issues and scandals must be settled first and foremost in a spiritually acceptable manner; we should listen to what the Spirit of the Lord tells the churches. So whatever be the solutions proposed, they must be spirit inspired and gospel-friendly. The supreme law is the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Any crisis must be solved keeping in mind truth and justice. St James says, “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness” (Jam 3:18). What is desired is a peaceful establishment of justice. That would naturally include admission of wrongdoings, forgiveness of the offender, reconciliation between parties, modification of structures, if required, etc. We need however to reiterate; no evil means can bring about a right solution to a problem.

In solving any problem in the Church, space must be given also for mercy and forgiveness. In other words, the verdicts of the Church must transcend secular jurisprudence. Mercy should supersede justice.

Conclusion
In conclusion, two short notes of caution: First, we have to keep a realistic perception of the crises in the Church. Secondly, some of the so-called crises or scandals about which fake premises because they are fabricated for ulterior purposes. They may be products of the media or creations of people who are ill-motivated. I don’t mean that all scandals are such. Similarly, some of the scandals may not really affect the whole Church. They might be upsetting the Church leadership or people who are involved in its administration. The ordinary faithful may live least concerned about such issues, as far as their faith life is concerned. On the other hand, certain crises might do enormous harm to the Church. So, my point of caution is this: we shall not exaggerate crises in the Church to undue proportions; in the same way, we shall not underestimate real issues.

Secondly, handling a crisis reveals the mettle of the Church. The way in which internal or external issues are sorted out would reveal the maturity and faith of the community. In this process, confirming the line of thought I have been following, I must say, all anti-gospel means adopted by us should be thrown into the trash bin of Church history. Those structures and individuals who do not follow the spirit of the Gospel of Jesus have no lasting value in the Church which is the sign and signboard of the kingdom of God. Those however who advocate gospel- means to address crisis in the Church will be held dear for generations to come, as light of the world and salt of the earth. We are not to become causes of any crisis in the Church, but people who solve crisis in keeping with the spirit of the Gospel and the mind of Christ.

(Talk at the concluding the Jubilee of 125 Years of Papal Seminary In Pune.)