It was Martin Luther who started the Reformation Movement in the 16th century. Although it began as a protest against the sale of indulgences by the playboy Pope Leo X to raise money to build St. Peter's Basilica, it soon developed into an effort to take the Church away from its human 'ecclesiocentricity' (centered around priests and bishops) to the divine 'Christocentricity' (centered around Christ) of the gospel.
These days, the Christian churches, particularly the Catholic Church in Kerala, is in a similar 'ecclesiocentric' situation. Power and wealth have become the two foci around which the Church is elliptically revolving. Most, if not all, Catholic dioceses in Kerala and many have amassed an unbelievable amount of wealth, solely controlled by the bishops who are accountable to no one. Christ has been kicked out of the central stage. The gospel and its message are perfunctory.
This situation, though existing for some time, came to limelight during the recent arrest of Franco, bishop of Jalandhar, for the alleged rape of a nun under his care. The seminary he started has all rooms (including those for the seminarians) fully airconditioned! The 50-lakh rupees he paid as rental for 2 days' stay with his entourage at the luxurious hotel Crown Plaza in Ernakulam when summoned for police questioning, is peanuts for this ecclesiastic. It is alleged that he contributes substantial sums to the Vatican. According to some media reports, when he is exhausted from 'serving' those poor, hungry, sick and abandoned members of his diocese, he dines on imported Italian pasta in the evenings, washed down with scotch whiskey followed by forced 'nude performances' by nuns under his administration. [One is reminded of the orgy held in the Vatican by Pope Alexander VI in 1501, referred to as Banquet of Chestnuts.] Where does all his money come from? And who or what allows him to squander all this in such fashion?
Recently, it was claimed in media reports and television debates that the diocese of Kottayam has spent around Re 500 crores (?) in defense of the two priests and one nun accused in the alleged murder of the young nun, Abhaya, found dead in her convent well about 25 years ago.
In the early Church, the faithful gathered in groups at a house. There, they recalled the life and teachings of Jesus, prayed and shared everything they had. The Church in Kerala was built on the sweat and contributions of the faithful (remember the widow in the gospel with her mite). As wealth increased, the Catholic Church invested it in hospitals and schools with a positive motive to help the poor. Charity, in course of time, gave way to sheer greed. As more wealth accumulated, it was invested in more productive enterprises like real estate with a much better return.
With such wealth at their command, bishops began to dabble in politics. The ever blind, obedient and brainwashed little lambs, the faithful, formed vote banks with which the bishops manipulate political parties. In return, the latter save them in times of crises: when priests, bishops and nuns are caught in illegal, immoral and criminal acts, rape, murder, pedophilia, tax evasion etc.
The faithful have begun to question the source of all this money and have started to demand accountability from the bishops. They are forming groups and action movements. All Kerala Church Act Action Council is demanding the passing of Church Act (bill), a legislation to make financial dealings of Churches transparent by bringing them under a trust. Another is the Kerala Reform Movement. Their agenda is manifold: women to confess only to nuns to prevent confessional solicitation by priests; rehabilitation of ex-priests and nuns; passing of the Church Act etc. In the aftermath of the 'illegal and underhand' land transactions done by Cardinal Alancherry, the Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency was formed demanding complete transparency in the financial affairs of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese.
Progress made by these groups is very slow. The naive lambs have been so deeply brainwashed from childhood in Sunday schools to believe that priests and bishops can do no wrong. The gospel messages are superficially transmitted by the clergy, who insists more on rituals: attendance at mass, sacraments, daily rosary, adoration, novenas, pilgrimages, festivals of saints, to name a few. Both CBCI (Catholic Bishops Conference of India) and KCBC (Kerala Catholic Bishops Conference) have lost their moral high ground, acting as they are in the Franco rape case, going out of the way to publicly support the alleged criminal and totally ignoring the victim, a nun for that matter, who has served the Church for a long. The faithful are beginning to see through the tactics of the bishops who, with the help of their fundamentalist supporters, divert criticism against the alleged rapist bishop as insults to the entire Catholic Church!
It is time for another Reformation. Who will wear the mantle of present day Martin Luther?
These days, the Christian churches, particularly the Catholic Church in Kerala, is in a similar 'ecclesiocentric' situation. Power and wealth have become the two foci around which the Church is elliptically revolving. Most, if not all, Catholic dioceses in Kerala and many have amassed an unbelievable amount of wealth, solely controlled by the bishops who are accountable to no one. Christ has been kicked out of the central stage. The gospel and its message are perfunctory.
This situation, though existing for some time, came to limelight during the recent arrest of Franco, bishop of Jalandhar, for the alleged rape of a nun under his care. The seminary he started has all rooms (including those for the seminarians) fully airconditioned! The 50-lakh rupees he paid as rental for 2 days' stay with his entourage at the luxurious hotel Crown Plaza in Ernakulam when summoned for police questioning, is peanuts for this ecclesiastic. It is alleged that he contributes substantial sums to the Vatican. According to some media reports, when he is exhausted from 'serving' those poor, hungry, sick and abandoned members of his diocese, he dines on imported Italian pasta in the evenings, washed down with scotch whiskey followed by forced 'nude performances' by nuns under his administration. [One is reminded of the orgy held in the Vatican by Pope Alexander VI in 1501, referred to as Banquet of Chestnuts.] Where does all his money come from? And who or what allows him to squander all this in such fashion?
Recently, it was claimed in media reports and television debates that the diocese of Kottayam has spent around Re 500 crores (?) in defense of the two priests and one nun accused in the alleged murder of the young nun, Abhaya, found dead in her convent well about 25 years ago.
In the early Church, the faithful gathered in groups at a house. There, they recalled the life and teachings of Jesus, prayed and shared everything they had. The Church in Kerala was built on the sweat and contributions of the faithful (remember the widow in the gospel with her mite). As wealth increased, the Catholic Church invested it in hospitals and schools with a positive motive to help the poor. Charity, in course of time, gave way to sheer greed. As more wealth accumulated, it was invested in more productive enterprises like real estate with a much better return.
With such wealth at their command, bishops began to dabble in politics. The ever blind, obedient and brainwashed little lambs, the faithful, formed vote banks with which the bishops manipulate political parties. In return, the latter save them in times of crises: when priests, bishops and nuns are caught in illegal, immoral and criminal acts, rape, murder, pedophilia, tax evasion etc.
The faithful have begun to question the source of all this money and have started to demand accountability from the bishops. They are forming groups and action movements. All Kerala Church Act Action Council is demanding the passing of Church Act (bill), a legislation to make financial dealings of Churches transparent by bringing them under a trust. Another is the Kerala Reform Movement. Their agenda is manifold: women to confess only to nuns to prevent confessional solicitation by priests; rehabilitation of ex-priests and nuns; passing of the Church Act etc. In the aftermath of the 'illegal and underhand' land transactions done by Cardinal Alancherry, the Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency was formed demanding complete transparency in the financial affairs of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese.
Progress made by these groups is very slow. The naive lambs have been so deeply brainwashed from childhood in Sunday schools to believe that priests and bishops can do no wrong. The gospel messages are superficially transmitted by the clergy, who insists more on rituals: attendance at mass, sacraments, daily rosary, adoration, novenas, pilgrimages, festivals of saints, to name a few. Both CBCI (Catholic Bishops Conference of India) and KCBC (Kerala Catholic Bishops Conference) have lost their moral high ground, acting as they are in the Franco rape case, going out of the way to publicly support the alleged criminal and totally ignoring the victim, a nun for that matter, who has served the Church for a long. The faithful are beginning to see through the tactics of the bishops who, with the help of their fundamentalist supporters, divert criticism against the alleged rapist bishop as insults to the entire Catholic Church!
It is time for another Reformation. Who will wear the mantle of present day Martin Luther?
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