A GLANCE AT THE CATHOLIC DIRECTORY

It is finally out – The Catholic Directory of India 2013 (CDI 13). I have always been an ardent collector of the CDIs, because I believe that they contain a wealth of information on the state (or status) of the church in India. The oldest CDI that I have is of 1912, and the latest one I have is of 1998. So as soon as the 2013 issue was out I made a grab for it. I was surprised to read therein that the CDI was also published in 2000 and 2005/06. Despite my vigilance, I seem to have missed them.

 I believe that every serious writer, commentator or thinker in the church should be armed with a copy of the CDI, as it is the most authentic statistical yearbook of the church. Besides what is obviously stated, one also needs to read between the lines, and study the fine print, to determine the actual health, or wealth, of the church!

 The CDI 13 has been published by Claretian Publications, Bangalore, on behalf of the CBCI. It has over 2500 pages, and though it states that it is for “Private Circulation only”, it costs a whopping Rs 1650/-. It is value for money though, if we value knowledge and information. Surprisingly, though published in March itself, it already has the photograph of Pope Francis. One must therefore conclude that every attempt has been made to be spot on. That is a sign of good scholarship and sincere research. One must express unreserved appreciation for the Editor-in-Chief, Rev Benny Kanjirakatt CMF and his editorial team. We owe them a debt of gratitude.

 I am often tempted, for good reason, to compare the Catholic Church with the Govt of India. Both have an established hierarchy, with the aam aadmi at the bottom of the pyramid; with little or no say in governance, planning or decision making. Both roll out statistical achievements, which do not necessarily depict the quality of life of the intended beneficiaries. A preliminary (superficial) glance at the statistical data of the CDI 13 would have the bishops thumping each other’s backs in self-adulation.

 Look at the raw data:
• 166 dioceses, 166 bishops, 10 auxiliaries, 3 particular bishops, and 56 retired ones – altogether 223. Of these 5 were among the 115 cardinal electors for the new pope. And one of them has already been included in his panel of 8 advisors.
 • 296 religious institutes for priests, 29 for brothers, 343 for sisters, 41 pious associations, and 36 secular institutes.
• A total of 17,535,429 Catholics, covered by 10,715 parishes, 22,451 priests and 5764 religious houses.
• Institutionally, there are a phenomenal 12,781 educational institutions, 6603 for social welfare, 2692 for health, 668 for the media, and just 360 for spiritual services! They add up to 23,104 institutions. If just 360 of these (less than 2%) are categorised as spiritual ones, one must draw the odd conclusion that the Catholic Church in India is already so spiritual that it does not need much help; or that spiritual ministry is very low on its list of priorities. So why are we talking about a “year of faith” or a “new evangelisation”?
 • The priest to Catholics ratio is a healthy 1:781, and the institution to Catholics ratio is a similar 1:759.

 A detailed analysis of major data will follow in my next article. Among the interesting features of the CDI 13 is an article by Rev George Gispert-Sauch SJ on what he calls the “Provisional History of the Catholic Directory of India”. He uses the qualifying term “provisional”, because the history of the CDI is not clear. The first one was published in 1851; long before the Catholic hierarchy of India was erected in 1886. The earlier editions were called “The Madras Catholic Directory and Annual Register”. This CDI is probably the 106th edition. I might here add that there seem to be many more things in the CDI 13 that could be categorised as “provisional”, not very factual.

 The CDI 13 has three distinct sections. The first section on general information has a grey border. The second section, which is the main body of the directory, has a pink border. This gives diocese wise information (pgs 145 – 2232). The third section, again with a grey border, has details of religious orders and congregations (pgs 2233 – 2438), followed by an alphabetical index of parishes (pgs 2439 – 2491).

 As an amateur statistician I look for figures that tell a story. Here is where the CDI 13 fails miserably. For example, the number of priests is given, but not the number of religious sisters and brothers, who are actually the bulwark of the church’s apostolate. Do they not count?

 The most glaring omission is the total black out of the laity. Earlier editions had atleast some information about national Catholic organisations recognised by the CBCI. This edition draws a blank on the laity. There is only one reference to a CBCI-AICU Dialogue Committee. Ironically, it gives the names of the 5 bishop members, but not of the AICU lay members! So is this a dialogue or a monologue committee? On scanning the CDI 13 I find only one layperson’s name mentioned. I shall call him the “venerable” Edward A Edezhath, the Joint Secretary of the CBCI Laity Commission. As an active lay leader I have never heard of this venerable gentleman. Perhaps his only claim to fame is his address – “Bishop Edezhath Road, Cochin”. I leave readers to draw their own conclusions.

 Another oddity is that the section on general information begins with the Catholic Council of India (pg 43). It even precedes the CBCI. It talks of it as being “The Church as Communion”. This communion is restricted to just half a page! There is no mention of the office-bearers of this august body, or of what it has achieved since it was established on 12/1/1993. At that time I was the National President of the All India Catholic Union (AICU). I cannot recall being invited to this “communion”, or being made an ex-officio member of the same, by virtue of being the head of the largest and most representative democratically elected lay organisation in the country. The only “communion” that the aam aadmi in the Catholic Church experiences is that which is dispensed during eucharistic services. Perhaps our worthy bishops feel that is sufficient for the “church as communion”. A cruel joke.

 The CDI 13 has interesting information on the Catholic population in 2003/2005/2013 (pg 86 ff), world religions (pg 91 ff), the Catholic population of various countries (pg 96), a chronology of “key events” in the church from 52 AD (pg 135 ff), and Census of India statistics (pg 84 ff).

 But the biggest drawback, as compared to earlier editions is the “Recapitulation of Statistics”. Earlier each diocese had a detailed recap, including how many Catholic children were in our own schools. However, in this edition they are all clubbed together in one table (pg 77 ff), minus the data on Catholic students. A pity. A detailed analysis of the available data, including how scientific or credible it is, is the subject matter of my next article on this topic.

 As already stated, the CDI 13 has over 2500 pages. It is so heavy that it must be placed on a study table to be read. Earlier directories were much slimmer. This issue could divest itself of some superfluous information. For example, each parish (over 10,000 of them), mention their mass timings; and each institution (again over 20,000 of them) mentions the number of professed and junior sisters. Of what use is such information to the general public? It should be dropped from future editions, thereby reducing the number of pages, as also the cost of the directory.

 Despite its shortcomings, and some long hauls, I would recommend the CDI 13 to all serious scholars of ecclesiology. Copies may be ordered from info@claretianpublications.org or by calling 080 23446977. Happy reading.

 May 2013

KUMAON BEAUTIES

Having spent eight years in a boarding school in the Kumaon Hills (at St Joseph’s College, Nainital), they act like a lodestone, beckoning me back every now and then. Whenever I vacation with my family in the Kumaon Hills we look for offbeat locations, where there is rich flora and fauna, and not too many pesky tourists. A high point of earlier trips was spotting a leopard as night fell near Almora (1997) and near Chaukori (2010). But the highlight of this year’s trip was spotting the elusive but exotic Himalayan Monal Pheasant near Munsiyari. It was a veritable explosion of vibrant hues; a crest like a peacock’s, an emerald green head, an orange red collar, parrot green on the nape of the neck, a bright purple body and a rufus tail. That night I could not sleep because I couldn’t identify the bird from “The Book of Indian Birds” by Salim Ali, India’s most illustrious ornithologist. Sensing my discomfiture, my daughter did a google on Himalayan pheasants, and asked me if it was the Monal? Indeed it was. It is the state bird of Uttarakhand and the national bird of Nepal, where it is called the Danfe. Before sighting the Monal, I had considered the Paradise Flycatcher, the Golden Oriole, the Cardinal and the Emerald Dove to be the most beautiful birds of India. Now I daresay that there is no Indian bird to match the Monal, for sheer beauty and vibrancy of colour. My father was a member of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and a subscriber to National Geographic magazine, way back in the 1950’s/ 60’s. He inculcated in us a love for birds and all of nature. At Sitlakhet, 1800 metres above sea level (masl) we discovered a small watercourse amid the charred pine forest. We saw some rare birds. On returning home I contacted Raju Kasambe and Nikhil Bhopale of the BNHS. They helped me to identify the White Throated Laughing Thrush (a babbler like bird with a swollen throat like those with a thyroid problem), the Black-headed Forktail (a drongo-like bird with a pronounced white V on its back), and the Nuthatch (which actually walks upside down on the branches of trees). At Munsiyari (2200 masl) we spotted the Pied Flycatcher Shrike (a black and white bird the size of a bulbul) and the Eurasian Jay (a black-whiskered fawn coloured bird the size of a myna). While descending from Munsiyari we chanced upon a brood of 8 Himalayan Vultures at a carcass, a rare sight. For those who came in late, vultures have almost disappeared from India, because they have been eating the carcasses of milch cattle that have been injected with milk-enhancing oxytocin; which in turn has rendered the vultures sterile. Today the vulture is a highly endangered species. Just imagine, if a drug can annihilate a carrion eating bird, then what will happen to delicate human beings who don’t know what they are ingesting? Sattal (1200 masl) is a bird watcher’s delight. Birds and water go together. There is no dearth of either. We were lucky to spot another Himalayan rarity, the Khaleej Pheasant (crimson red cheeks with a grey body and scimitar tail), rushing through the undergrowth. Birds we had seen before included the Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, the Paradise Flycatcher, the Verditer Flycatcher, the Green Barbet and the Blue Rockchat. While my wife and I were returning from an early morning sighting (we even saw some barking deer – kakar – as well) we bumped into a petite young lady hurrying along with a camera and zoom lens almost half her size! I couldn’t control my curiosity, as most bird watchers are senior citizens like myself! The lady wasn’t happy when I asked her if bird watching was her hobby. Was it a passion I asked, and she smiled. She was Dr Nitoo Das, an Asst Professor of English in Delhi. We later shared notes and she subsequently sent us some gorgeous pictures of the birds, taken with her powerful zoom. My wife, daughter and son are all avid nature enthusiasts. We were happy to meet a fellow traveller among all the “tourists”. People sometimes ask me, “Why do you take so much trouble for just a fleeting glimpse of something in the wild, when you can see it much better in the comfort of your home on Discovery Channel?” I have a standard reply. “ Which is better, curling up on the couch and reading a Mills & Boon romantic novel; or curling up with a romantic woman on the couch, even if it is just a touch or a glance?” Get it? Then get out and discover nature for yourself. It is truly romantic. * The write is a Kanpur based nature lover July 2012

WHO IS AFRAID OF THE LAITY?

Was Jesus afraid, or reluctant to empower his disciples? Did he not rather say that anyone who believed in him would infact “perform even greater works” (Jn 14:12) than himself? Jesus empowered his disciples; he did not feel threatened by them. The explanation lies in the same farewell discourse, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me … it is the Father living in me who is doing his works” (Jn 14:10). Thereby hangs a tale. Why is the Indian church hierarchy so afraid of a strong, enlightened and united laity? This has again become more evident in the opposition to the proposed Lay Synod being organised by the All India Catholic Union (AICU). St John again provides the answer. “In love there is no room for fear, but perfect love drives out fear … and whoever is afraid has not come to perfection in love” (1 Jn 4:18). I have been actively involved in the lay apostolate for the last 43 years, and can say with certitude that the clergy and hierarchy are intrinsically afraid of empowering and enlightening the laity. They feel threatened. If they have nothing to hide then why are they afraid? It is 47 years since the Second Vatican Council ended in 1965. There have been 47x52 = 2444 Sunday sermons since then. I throw an open challenge. How many of these sermons referred to the role and rights of the laity in the Church? Most lay organisations are under the direct control of the hierarchy. The AICU and its affiliated Catholic Associations are the only autonomous lay organisations, as provided for in the Latin Code of Canon Law of 1983 (cf Can 323). Unfortunately there is no such provision for “Private Associations of Christ’s Faithful’ in the Oriental Code of Canon Law of 1990. But self-seeking or spineless lay leaders tend to sacrifice their autonomy to curry favour with the all-powerful hierarchy. Vatican II’s “Dogmatic Constitution of the Church” (LG) was a course correction for the church. Chapter IV articulates the rights and role of the laity, both within and outside the church (LG 30-38). The Latin Code of Canon Law (LC) also has specific provisions for the laity to express its views and expectations (cf LC 212:3, 229, 231). Again, the Oriental Code does not have any such provisions. Is this one of the reasons why the ancient, apostolic, Oriental churches of Kerala have less autonomy for the laity than the Latin church? Since bishops, priests and religious of Kerala origin are the vast majority in India, they are the de facto controllers of the church. Could this be a contributory factor to the infantile and servile status of the laity? As for the proposed Lay Synod, what is so threatening about it? The word “synod” comes from the Greek “sunodos”, which etymologically means, “walking together”. According to the Collins dictionary it has the acquired meaning of “any council, especially for discussion”. Significantly, the word is not found in the Bible, hence it is a mere man-made term. Nobody has a monopoly over such a word, or its usage. If a group of sadhus or university professors were to call a synod, could the Catholic hierarchy object to it? Ironically, here again the LC provides for a Synod of Bishops (342-346) and a Diocesan Synod (460-463), but there is no mention of a synod in the Oriental Code. These omissions are significant and should not be lost on us. In the Christian context, a synod is not just of walking together, but of walking with the Lord, as on the road to Emmaus. The disciples were discussing current affairs (Lk 24:14), when Jesus joined them (Lk 24:16), explained the scriptures (Lk 24:27), opened their eyes (Lk 24:31) and their hearts burned with zeal (Lk 24:32). A significant sequence of events. This is what the Lay Synod is supposed to be. It is meant to be an exercise in discernment to, to know “what the Spirit is saying to the churches” (Rev 3:22). It should contextualise our faith in the modern world. It should address genuine lay concerns like its autonomy in temporal affairs, participatory structures and accountability in the church’s functioning, and the entire gamut of sexual ethics, family planning etc. As I have said before, it is unfair for celibate old males in boardrooms to decide what young couples should do, or not do, in their bedrooms. The church should welcome the Lay Synod. But it is afraid, because its priorities are not in consonance with God the Father, but from father parish priest, who usually dictates terms, and has his own concerns. Fear, as St John has shown us, is symptomatic of an absence of love, in this case pastoral love. Pastors have now become masters! The laity has distinguished itself in temporal affairs. We even have a Catholic candidate for the President of India. We have had Chiefs of the Army, Navy and Airforce, Governors, Ambassadors and Supreme Court Judges. How many of these worthies have been found worthy of a position of authority in the Catholic Church? It is only when they are in office that bishops go to them seeking favours. After retirement, they fall out of favour! Whether or not the AICU is able to pull off a real Lay Synod, it is incumbent on the laity of India and its leaders, to revolutionise, reform and renew the Catholic Church that we love. For love casts out fear, even of rejection. Else the laity, for fear of reprimand or rejection, will continue in its infantile and servile role of pray, pay and obey, Vatican II and Canon Law notwithstanding. * The writer is a former National President of the AICU JULY 2012