Pope Benedict has not given any hint that he will be visiting India this year or next year or in the near future but as and when he decides to visit India and as and when he arrives in India he will have to face questions not just from the right wing hindu groups but also from lay catholic groups on issues related to corruption in the catholic church in India.
The BCSABHA (Bombay Catholic Sabha), CSF (Catholic Secular Forum) & AOCC (Association of Concerned Catholics) should give their full support to the Poor Christian Liberation Movement (PCLM) which is agitating for the below demands : 1. Church Lokpal type body to check corruption within Catholic Churches in India. 2. Catholic Church in India should introduce the Right to Information (RTI) for catholics so as to expose corruption at all levels in the Church. 3. Make corrupt bishops, parish priests & clergy accountable and liable for punishment. 4. Utilize vacant church properties for the housing needs of poor catholics. 5. Reservation of 50% seats for catholics in Catholic Schools and other Catholic Church run institutions. 5. Catholic Missionaries to stop evangelization activity in India and use the foreign funds for the welfare & upliftment of poor catholics. 6. 50% of members of parish councils, church committees, finance committees, property cell committee & catholic school committees to be from poor catholics & 50% from rich catholics. 7. Bishops to be appointed by lay catholic groups of the diocese and not Vatican. 8. Parish priests to be appointed by local parishioners and not the Bishop. 9. Declaration of how church funds are utilized in parish bulletins. 10. Lay catholics should be appointed in Government Committees & Commissions setup to look into human rights violations against catholics. BISHOPS & PRIESTS IN INDIA DON’T HAVE TO WORK IN THE MIDST OF HINDU CO-WORKERS IN PRIVATE OR PUBLIC OR GOVT. ENTERPRISES TO EARN THEIR LIVELIHOOD DUE TO WHICH THE BISHOPS & PRIESTS ARE IGNORANT ABOUT HOW THE ORDINARY LAY CATHOLICS HAVE TO STRUGGLE TO EARN THEIR LIVELIHOOD AND HOW THE ORDINARY LAY CATHOLICS HAVE TO WORK & BEHAVE WITH THEIR HINDU CO-WORKERS. BISHOPS & PRIESTS LIVE IN PARISH BUILDINGS WHERE THEY DON’T HAVE HINDU NEIGHBOURS DUE TO WHICH THE BISHOPS & PRIESTS ARE IGNORANT ABOUT HOW THE ORDINARY LAY CATHOLICS HAVE TO LIVE WITH THEIR HINDU NEIGHBOUR. IT IS VERY COMFORTABLE FOR THE BISHOPS & PRIESTS TO TALK OF EVANGELIZATION OF HINDUS BUT FOR THE ORDINARY LAY CATHOLICS IT IS BETTER TO OPPOSE EVANGELIZATION AND MAINTAIN BROTHERLY RELATIONS WITH THE MAJORITY HINDU COMMUNITY. The Catholic Church in Bombay / Goa / Mangalore and other diocese has to create a culture of partnership by giving the lay catholics prominence in the official decision-making bodies, training them for Civil Services ( IAS/IFS/ IPS/ IRS/ UPSC, MPSC, etc.) professions and assisting them in their political involvement. Community Leaders of goan christians, mangalorean christians, eastindian/marathi mobaikar christians, gujarati christians, etc should ensure that their community members have reservations in government jobs in their respective states and also ensure that community members are adequately represented in the defence force, police force and the corridors of power i.e. parliament , state assemblys, collectors office, municipalities, etc. Money is not wealth. Real wealth is character and competence, which is what the Bible seeks to tell us. Money is just the outcome or measure of our character and competence. To be wealthy one must cultivate the correct mindset, acquire good or rich habits. It is the way of thinking and the habits that make one rich. The Bible is the best business book that teaches one to change mindset and to acquire the character and competence to manage or look after His creation. God has given us the mind (knowledge), the hands and feet (human body), the talents & skills, the will (emotion) and spiritual power (faith, hope and love) and God’s bank (natural resources) to bring positive change to ourselves, our family, community, and country or to create tangible wealth to this world. Poverty is a state of mind when one fails to know God and God’s character, unable to find or know themselves, to own themselves and to be the best they can be. Poor people can be freed from poverty by renewal of the mind, to see things with their mind/ faith, not with their eyes, to believe that with God’s help they can do all things for His glory. The highest form of wealth is wisdom. To receive wisdom is very easy, just pray to Jesus and invite Him to enter your heart. Jesus is WISDOM. His gift of wisdom will transform people, their mind, character and competence. Wealth in the form of being wise, knowledgeable, happy, healthy and wealthy will follow through. Character is intangible wealth. Competence is to use God given talents to convert resources into tangible wealth. The Bible said, seek ye first the Kingdom of God (which is character) and all these things (human needs or tangible wealth acquired through competence) shall be added to you. Christians should stop receiving, and start giving. When we give love, we receive love. When we invest in serving others, we build God’s account, and we receive favor in return. We build business because of our goodwill account. Those who invest in Character – Words of gold in his lips (Integrity & trust), and heart of gold (to love and serve others), and in building Competence – effective use of time to value add life and use of resources to create tangible wealth, will be greatly blessed and succeed in the Game of Life. The whole Bible teaches man about the Game of life – to be a human asset, not human liability. To have Jesus Christ in your heart, the character and competence (love, compassion, hard work, discipline, etc) as a God’s servant or servant heart, to submit to the will of God, will make you a human asset. Accept and invite Jesus today. God’s love will change you. Amen. Jorge Monteiro Bombay - Mobai - Mumbai.
