-------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | | | | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cristianismo na India, percursos e proximidades Conclusions
A Symposium on Cristianismo na India, percursos e proximidades took place in Fátima (Portugal), on the 3rd and the 4th of December, 2005. More than 150 people took part in it with great interest, attending several conferences and panels and participated in the Eucharist celebration in honour of S. Francis Xavier. All were touched by the graceful religious dances and several other cultural events. One of the main purposes of this Symposium was to provide an opportunity to know India, by opening windows on its vast variety of peoples, languages, cultures and religions. This aim was fully achieved thanks to the richness of its contents and to the appealing and lively style of the most of the presentations. We also intended to investigate todays Theology of Mission, its methods, goals and challenges, at the beginning of the commemorations of the 500th birth anniversary of St. Francis Xavier. Although this reflection was not exhaustive, we maintain that Gods Mission continues at work in the world; the co-operation of all Christians in this mission remains an imperative; and todays ways of doing mission comprise the opening to the Transcendent, the witness of brotherly love and the proclamation of Jesus Christ in an attitude of dialogue, inculturation and the enhancement of a better life for all. It brought to our awareness how India is in a deep process of transformation on all levels (social, political, economic) and how it looks to the human, cultural and spiritual wealth of its peoples for inspiration. We feel as a challenge the implementation of conditions that foster the access of all to education and equal opportunities, without discrimination based on caste, religion or social class. We took notice of multi-secular history of Christianity in India, from its arrival, surely during the apostolic times, to our own days when it assumed a fully Indian face and has reached great ecclesial maturity. Although the Christians are only one small minority (2,3%), their presence witnesses itself with a number of achievements from the service to the poor to the sending of missionaries abroad. We pointed out the increasing role played by the Catholic Church in the inter-religious dialogue. We emphasized the outstanding and innovative action of St. Francis Xavier and his companions at the beginning of the Modern Age and in our own days, the radiant figure of Madre Teresa of Calcutta, model of todays missionaries, engaged in the service of the poor, unveiling to them the smiling and welcoming face of God. We acknowledged with satisfaction that the Divine Word Missionaries, the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Spirit, and Missionaries in general continue to announce Jesus Christ in India, through the witnessing of their faith, the dialogue with members of other religious traditions and through the unselfish service to the needy and the poor. The example of a healthy and harmonious collaboration among the different cultures and religions of India challenges us to promote, in our own society, ties of friendship, dialogue and solidarity with people and groups belonging to other religions and cultures. We promised to publish the texts of all the talks in order to provide a wider audience, the subjects discussed in this Symposium and at the same time, to comply with the request made by the participants. [Submitted by Eugénio Monteiro <evmonteiro at aese.pt> ] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * G * O * A * N * E * T *** C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S * ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Spread the Christmas cheer - even when you're not here! Send Christmas Greetings to your loved ones in Goa. 2005 Christmas Package - Flowers, Bubbles and Layers of Love. http://www.goa-world.com/expressions/xmas/ -----------------------------------------------------------------------
