THE CHURCH AT THE SERVICE OF THE NATION (3)
3.3: In his inaugural manifesto, Jesus announced his mission of evangelizing
the poor (cf.Lk 4:16-21). The “year of grace” was prefigured by the Jubilee
Year of Old Testament legislation, when debts were to be remitted, ancestral
property returned, and slaves set free (Lev 25:8-17.25-28). His mission was
not political, but “religious” as a constitutive element of the totality of
our human-existential experiences. The “vertical” dimension is the basic
element from which all other “horizontal” elements flow: social, economic,
political, artistic (GS 42). The Church can, rather should contribute to
make the “family of man and its history more human” (GS 40).
3.4: The Third Synod of Bishops unhesitatingly declares: "Action on behalf
of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully
appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel,
or, in other words, of the Church's mission for the redemption of the human
race and its liberation from every oppressive situation".
3.5: Paul VI and John Paul II have stressed the secular dimension of
the Church's mission. Paul VI wrote: "But evangelization would not be
complete if it did not take account of the unceasing interplay of the Gospel
and of man's concrete life, both personal and social. This is why
evangelization involves an explicit message, adapted to the different
situations constantly being realized, about the rights and duties of every
human being, about family life without which personal growth and
development is hardly possible, about life in society, about
international life, peace, justice and development--a message especially
energetic today about liberation" (EN, no.29).
Soon after he became Pope, John Paul II took up the same theme in an address
to the General Assembly of Latin American bishops. Throughout his
pontificate John Paul II has taught that the Church is concerned with the
temporal life of Man and it has a servant role in the world (see RM, 1990,
n.58, also his Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 1987, nn.47, 48): "The Church and
her missionaries also promote development through schools, hospitals,
printing presses, universities and experimental farms. But a people's
development does not derive primarily from money, material assistance or
technological means, but from the formation of consciences and the gradual
maturing of ways of thinking and patterns of behaviour. Man is the
principal agent of development, not money or technology. The Church forms
consciences by revealing to peoples the God whom they seek and do not yet
know, the grandeur of man created in God's image and loved by him, the
equality of all men and women as God's sons and daughters, the mastery of
man over nature created by God and placed at man's service, and the
obligation to work for the development of the whole person and of all
mankind".
3.6: The mission of the Church is to reconcile humanity with God (cf.2 Cor
5:18-20; Eph 2:13-15). Being the agent of peace and reconciliation, it has
to heal the wounds, lead people to unity and peace. At the international
level there is threat of nuclear war. Man has to live in harmony and
communion with nature because of interconnectedness of the world. It has to
meet the deepest longings of the human heart, which is never fully
satisfied by what this world has to offer (see GS 41). It has to mediate a
genuine experience of communion with God (see LG 1). It is primarily
through the life of love that the Church reveals God's presence in our
day (see GS 21).
3.7: People of India do appreciate the contribution of the Church in the
field of education, health services and charitable works. But throughout we
have to be a credible sign of God's presence in the world and mediate to
our people a genuine experience of God. The transforming power of God
at work in us is revealed in the quality of our life and love. Otherwise,
we shall not succeed in being true witnesses of God in our country today. At
times we have projected the image of the Church as the defender of the
Establishment, of the status quo… We have shown the face of bigotry,
fanaticism and intolerance, not of a living God, who liberates, lets his
sun shine on the good and the evil, gives life and happiness.
3.8: We have to appreciate the religious and cultural traditions of India.
The Church needs institutions and material resources to fulfill her mission,
but the interest of the institutions can militate against the values of
the Gospel the Church is called to live by.
Vatican II gives us a green signal: “Since God the Father is the origin and
purpose of all men, we are all called to be brothers. Therefore, if we
have been summoned to the same destiny, which is both human and divine, we
can and we should work together without violence and deceit in order to
build up the world in genuine peace" (GS 92).
We have to work for the common good together with all the people of
goodwill. We have to collaborate with the NGO’s for the promotion of
well-being and peace. We have to influence even political life through our
personal and collective efforts, including the ‘tree-top’ level
(socio-political institutions).
4.1: Conclusion:
As a pilgrim community, the Church has to be inspired by the example of
Jesus of Nazareth, who opted to liberate the oppressed. It identifies
itself with the marginalized and becomes the voice of the voiceless. The
Church does not offer ready-made solutions, but inspires the people to
find out the true Christian action. This is their "spiritual side" of
their vocation. As citizens and leaders of the people, we have the
fundamental human right to protest against whatever harms the integral
development of the citizens. We do not need the advice from the power
and money-greedy politicians. Christ the Liberator gives us the
liberated social and political sensitivity. It is a shame and pity that
our Christian politicians are not giving their witness to their own
Christian vocation.
The mission of the Church is to respond to the situation of rampant
injustice, as the Asian Bishops meeting of 1970 has clearly stated: "We
resolve also to have the courage to speak out for the rights of the
disadvantaged and powerless, against all forms of injustice, no matter
from what source such abuse may come; we will not tie our hands and the
powerful in our respective countries...Along with men if other faiths,,
other Christians and all men of good-will we resolve to uphold and
promote the realization of human rights and defend them, wherever,
whenever and by whomsoever they are violated..."
Regards.
Fr.Ivo
