The Indian Catholic community and society at large are looking with hope toward the newly elected leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI). Archbishop Anthony Cardinal Poola of Hyderabad has been appointed as the new President of the CBCI. Growing up in a poor Dalit family in Andhra Pradesh, he is the first Dalit Catholic to hold the position of CBCI President in history.
India and the Indian Church are currently navigating a historically difficult period. A government controlled by those who dream of a religious autocracy- both from within and without- is currently in power. They are supported by plutocrats driven solely by profit. Through secretive and powerful propaganda, the people are being divided along communal lines and polarized through social conspiracies.
When rulers lead the country toward a theocracy by using the immense wealth poured in by corporations as a weapon to seize power, they allow the exploitation of the people as a favour to those corporations so they can recoup their investments many times over. If this rapidly unfolding and highly destructive process cannot be resisted, the dream of “India” envisioned by our ancestors will be lost.
In North Indian states where the BJP has come to power, minorities, including Christians, are being ruthlessly suppressed. Stories of minority persecution have surged since 2014. Planned agendas for the destruction of democracy are being enacted. The Church’s response, protest, and resistance must be raised strongly against these circumstances. This is necessary not only for the Church but for India and its future. The Church needs self-reflection on how much it has achieved thus far and consideration of what more can be done.
On one side, the extreme right-wing in India continues to launch false rhetoric filled with “patriotism” and “national pride”. On the other, concerns are rising that these proponents of false pride have mortgaged the country’s sovereignty to global powers. A situation has arisen where the U.S. President announces India’s trade policy reforms. While a foreign nation dictates what India should buy and from where, those with “56-inch chests” who constantly preach the vigour of patriotism stand bowed in submission. In the rapid march toward a unipolar world, they serve as lackeys to the “world’s policeman”. This decline of a nation that stood tall among world powers by following a non-aligned policy- even as a newborn nation- is pathetic.
Recent revelations by former Army Chief M.M. Naravane challenge the self-respect of every Indian citizen. When Chinese encroachment was imminent, the military, listening for orders from the rulers, received only silence. The Minister and Prime Minister, duty-bound to protect the country’s borders and dignity, remained inactive in the face of a grave threat. Ultimately, they passed the ball back to the military’s court to save themselves. Such irresponsible governance!
Finally, the fact that the Indian Prime Minister’s name has appeared even in the “Epstein Files” leaves true patriots in shame. The Prime Minister needs to explain to the country what kind of dealings he had with a notorious criminal who controlled global politics through diabolical means, exploiting the minds and bodies of children. The Prime Minister, who keeps the media at a distance and conducts “Mann Ki Baat” even in Parliament, must face the questions of the opposition and the country directly.
In this Indian context, the Church, which should stand as the conscience of society, has great responsibilities. For the Church in Kerala- which exists in the comfort zone of manpower, institutional wealth, and secular governments- to fully understand this, it requires a value-based conscience and a spine of justice. The Kerala Church’s most recent response to fascism was to revoke an invitation to a journalist who was asked to lecture on the state of democracy in the country. The times demand a prophetic mission, not this shameful devotion to the ruling power. May the new CBCI leadership be able to provide true Christian witness and fulfill its prophetic role in Indian society.
