I do not remember reading any document of an earlier Pope that was so pointedly pastoral as Pope’s Francis’ post-synodal Apostolic Letter, Evangelii Gaudium. He is well informed about what is happening in the Church. He is not quite happy about many things. That is why many of us—priests, bishops and cardinals—are not happy with him.
I like to believe that Francis is aware of the post-modern critique of theological truths as instruments of power, as instruments of controlling people. Much of the popular piety that is patronized by the priests and bishops is superficial, and the biggest beneficiaries are the priests and bishops. There are shrines that honour the Infant Jesus. What is sad is that not only Jesus but even the devotees continue to be infants. When that happens those in power are safe and comfortable.
You need money, open a shrine in honour of Mary or some saint. Use the different church bulletins and the social media to advertise it. Make sure you ascribe some special power to your place. Soon your business shall flourish. In due time you may even be able to put up a small township around your shrine. The Church in India appears to be largely unaware that “in our time humanity is experiencing a turning-point in its history, as we can see from the advances being made in so many fields… This epochal change has been set in motion by the enormous qualitative, quantitative, rapid and cumulative advances occurring in the sciences and in technology…We are in an age of knowledge and information” (no. 52). We do not want anybody, not even the Pope, to upset our apple cart. But then we are on a suicidal path. It is time to wake up.
Subhash Anand, Udaipur, 313001
