Bp Chacko Thottumarickal
Indore

Scandals are erupting in the Church. What are you, as a bishop, going to tell the people?
Truth will succeed; it will come out one day. The truth will set you free; that is what Jesus has said. It is unfortunate that media gloats over bad news. It’s a celebration. The media has conducted trials and passed their judgments.

The people should be able to digest and make proper use of these incidents in their Christian life; isn’t that the need of the hour?
Sure, but only those who are educated may distinguish between truth and falsehood. The Holy Father spoke about it in his message for the Communication Day. They need to be conscious about fake news. Many of the messages we get today are fake news. How many people are destroyed just because of fake news appearing on WhatsApp? Those who are not able to distinguish, think whatever comes on WhatsApp or on channels are all truth.

Are we to respond to this kind of news and the channels?
Yes, we have to respond wherever and whenever we get an opportunity to speak, but then, it is important that those who speak are able to coherently communicate. There will not be many who can do so. The channels very selectively call people who they think will support their agenda.

Are we a Church that confesses?
Yes, we are a confessing Church, but confessions are very rare. The Church accepts failures and has her own ways of dealing with failures.

Don’t you also think that everybody should learn to overcome human frailty?
Sure, that is what the Church wants of us. Even the very sacrament of reconciliation is about that. You confess a sin accepting that you have failed, but then you don’t want to live in that failure. You want to overcome it with God’s help.

What have you to say about the misuse of confessional secrets that has allegedly happened in the Orthodox Church?
It was never before heard of. You have so many priests who have suffered and given their life for keeping the confessional secret. It is unbelievable that somebody has used knowledge obtained in the confessional for their own selfish interest.

Self-interest has got globalized and the self is dominating everywhere and creeping even into holy domains?
Very true. Selfishness at a certain level is pervading in all areas. The selfless and sacrificing attitude is generally waning in the Church and we are becoming more and more conscious of the self.

Bishop Chacko, don’t you think that this kind of scandals arise because prayer and asceticism are somewhat waning within us?
That is happening for sure. In general, the world is becoming more and more secular and the worldly concerns, comforts, personal interest, individualism, and all similar things are creeping also into the Church. So, naturally, a time for prayer, deepening of faith, trusting in God and like to take a back seat. It is so unfortunate. Prayer and penance alone can help. Chastity will stay only through prayer and penance.