Superiors of Catholic religious congregations of men and women in India have stressed the need for inter-congregational collaboration for the betterment of the Church amid increasing hostility against Christians. The Conference of Religious India (CRI), the national body of major superiors of Catholic religious congregations, heard several such calls at its May 14-17 gathering in Bengaluru, a southern Indian city. “When we come together, it not only helps us promote innovation and creative thinking among ourselves but also helps us effectively address several pressing problems,” said Apostolic Carmel Sister Maria Nirmalini, the forum president.
“We find the need to enhance inter-congregational collaboration for better networking,” Nirmalini told. Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore asked the gathering to contemplate strategies to arrest the increasing persecution of Christians in the country. The CRI under Nirmalini has initiated a healthcare programme for elderly nuns after the survey found that 64% of nuns were elderly or in-firm. Nearly 190 congregations participated in the survey. More than 61% of the elderly nuns are retired because of physical inability, the survey said. The survey found that 40% of the participating congregations had no facility to look after their elderly. The meeting stressed the need for priests, brothers, and sisters to spare time for the youth and families rather than spend time in institutionalized jobs.