The Conference of Religious India held a meeting in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) from 27 to 30 May. Participants agreed that, despite criticism of Christians, they will continue to work together for the good of the country.
Speaking at the event, Msgr Theodore Mascarenhas, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), reiterated the importance of Church unity, stressing the need for everyone – bishops, Caritas, religious and laity – to work together.
Speaking to AsiaNews, Fr Rayarala Vijay Kumar, regional superior of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), said that the meeting provided an opportunity to talk about the country’s political situation, ahead of next year’s general elections.
The venue also gave participants a chance to reiterate “the commitment of the Catholic Church to the needy people of India,” Fr Kumar said, “not only their material needs,” he added, “but spiritual ones as well.” The general assembly of superiors of religious – male and female – congregations is held every three years. About 550 superiors and representatives of Church hierarchies were present at this year’s meeting, including Msgr Giambattista Diquattro, apostolic nuncio to India and Nepal.
“One thing we greatly appreciated was the fact that the nuncio stayed for all four days,” Fr Kumar said. “He spoke to at least with 250 men and women religious. This shows the Vatican’s interest in India.”
Taking a cue from a topic dear to Pope Francis, the Assembly discussed “the Church going forth,” i.e. “the Church going out to the edges (or peripheries) of society,” Fr Kumar explained. “It means finding the Lord in those who thirst for him, the marginalised, and lend a helping hand to those in need.”
With the term edge (or periphery), “we mean being on the margins – the needy, the poor, the sick – but also spiritual, that is, those who live in the misery of the spirit, whether rich or poor.”
Fr V.M. Thomas, a former CRI president, was one of the first to speak. He highlighted the challenges the Indian Church has to face at a very delicate moment in the country’s political life.
