By Verghese V Joseph –
Varanasi: Mysuru Bishop Kannikadass William’s issue refuses to die down.
This time, at a meeting organized by the Indian Catholic Forum (ICF) at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, four priests from Mysore raised the issue of Bishop K.A. William who faces allegations of murder, kidnapping, sexual, and other serious offences.
ICF is an informal platform of like-minded persons concerned about the renewal of the Church and nation-building. As many as 30 delegates, including seven priests, attended the February 17-18 meeting on Synodality and Secularism at Anjali, the provincialate of the Indian Missionary Society of Varanasi.
In the last session of the event, four priests from the Mysore diocese, led by Father Gnana Prakash, presented an account of their struggle for justice against Bishop K.A. William.
They said that after a four-year struggle, in early January, Propaganda Fide ordered the bishop to go on leave of absence and appointed an apostolic administrator. However, the bishop continues to call the shots, planning his comeback, they alleged.
The participants have demanded that the errant bishop undergo the paternity test as ordered by the Vatican, following strict legal procedures. In the interim, he should not be permitted to reside in the geographical territory of the diocese, nor should he have access to diocesan funds.
However, supporters of Bishop William refuted the allegations, and said that there was no truth in the allegations, and termed the Varanasi event as a conspiracy meeting.
They claimed that when Bishop William took over, the yearly turnover of the Mysore Diocese was around Rs 5 crore and educational institutions’ Rs 60 crore, respectively. In six years’ time, the diocesan turnover rose to Rs 160 crore and educational institutions to Rs 170 crore, respectively. They also said the accounts were audited by an external agency.
Bishop William is currently on leave and retired Archbishop Emeritus of Bangalore Dr Bernard Moras is the apostolic administrator of the diocese of Mysore.
The ICF Convenor, chhotebhai, gave a brief report on its functioning since the last meeting in Kolkata in 2019. He then presented a paper on how Vatican II teachings are central to synodality. He contrasted the ecclesiology of the pre and post-Vatican II church. For example, one earlier said that there was no salvation outside the Catholic Church (Extra ecclesiam nulla salus), whereas the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church now clearly states that even agnostics and atheists can be saved (LG 16). Another famous saying was “Rome has spoken, the chapter is closed” (Roma locuta est, causa finita est), while we now acknowledge that the Church should avail of the laity’s prudent advice (LG 37).
Earlier the Church was too closely identified with Latin and even Roman customs, like genuflection. Now it recognises the ingenuity of local language, culture etc. This is reflected in its social praxis as well. Blind obedience has been replaced by the right to form labour unions and even to go on strike (GS 69). Meek submission has been replaced by the right to legitimate defence (GS 79). St Paul had said that “It is a good thing for a man not to touch a woman” (1 Cor 7:1), whereas the family is now described as the domestic church (LG 11). Women were expected to keep quiet (1 Cor 14:34). They are now recognised as equals (GS 9). The earlier paternalistic attitude has been replaced by “The laity have Christ for their brother … they also have for their brothers those in the sacred ministry” (LG 32).
Swami Anildev IMS of Matridham Ashram spoke on the centrality of Jesus to synodality. “If we prayerfully reflect on Jesus’ life we find him to be a totally synodal person. He lived among the people, listened to them and stood by them. He was constantly surrounded by people and sensed their feelings. Even at Gethsemane he sought the prayers of his disciples and after the Resurrection returned to the very ones who had deserted him,” he said.
Unfortunately, the Church has lost sight of Jesus. We are too busy cutting ribbons and becoming flower vases (decorative pieces). Our so-called seminars are reduced to reports that gather dust in libraries. If Pope John XXIII opened the windows through Vatican II, Pope Francis has opened the doors for the laity through synodality.
Anildev continued that this going off track has happened because we have stopped praying and seeking Jesus in the Sacred Scriptures. These should be our guiding lights in the synodal process. He also shared his ashram experience of how thousands of people have become believers (Khrist Panthis) and how their lives have been transformed by the Word of God.
Dr Swami Sachidananda bore witness to how he encountered Jesus after an air crash. He was earlier an officer in the Indian Air Force. He opined that the Church in India had missed the boat because it lacked an Indian face. The nascent church had a Jewish face, that later developed into a Roman and Greek one. This was followed by the Colonial Face and then the Commercial face. It was time to rediscover the spiritual genius of Indian spirituality and evolve a truly Indian face, rooted in the local language and culture.
Ms Lucile Kuriakose presented a paper on the Status of Women in the Church. There was gender equality in the beginning of creation. It was gradually suppressed by a male dominated society. She observed that in the New Testament while Jesus’ male disciples deserted him, the women stood by the cross.
Of late, the Church had taken some steps for gender equality. Even the Vatican had appointed some women to responsible positions, like Sr Nathalie Becquart for the Synod, but by and large they are still on the periphery. Several women have been victims of clerical sexual abuse and they are still far from the decision making process.
She advocated ordination for women and married persons, as there was no theological reason to deny this. There was also dire need for the Church to change its rigid stance on Natural Family Planning. What is really shocking is that a woman who procures an abortion (regardless of the circumstances) incurs a latae sententiae (automatic) ex-communication, without an opportunity to be heard (cf Can 1398).
Rev Sunil Francis Rozario, former editor of The Herald, Kolkata, dwelt on the role of the media in promoting synodality. He said that Pope Francis himself had to rely on the secular media to express his thoughts as the official Vatican media was inadequate. Tragically, the pope seemed to be walking the path of synodality all alone.
During the discussions the issue of online masses and services arose. The participants felt that this had served its purpose during the Covid lockdown, but there was no need to perpetuate them, as they had neither communion nor participation. Besides, sundry preachers were competing for audiences.
From Synodality the focus shifted to Secularism that was under severe threat in the country. Isaac Gomes presented a detailed analysis of how various State governments were enacting Anti-Conversion laws euphemistically referred to as “Freedom of Religion Acts”, beginning with Orissa in 1967. It is unfortunate that despite the Christian community’s massive contribution to nation building, it is today being viewed with suspicion by the present political dispensation.
What is particularly worrying is that some of these laws place the onus of proving one’s innocence on the accused, the person involved in alleged conversion. What further militates against human rights is the provisio for taking prior permission from the district authorities for conversion or even for an inter-faith marriage. While placing our trust in the wisdom of the Supreme Court the community needs to simultaneously be eternally vigilant.
M.L. Satyan presented the next paper on the Threat to Secularism. The 42nd Amendment to the Constitution, in 1976, declared India to be a secular nation. Articles 16,25,26,27 & 28 lay the foundation for equality of treatment and opportunity for all, regardless of religion.
Satyan said that the Hindutva agenda of “India only for the Hindus”, with one language and one culture is striking at the root of secularism and needs to be addressed socially and politically. But why blame only the majority religion? The speaker showed some videos in Tamil and Malayalam of how Christian preachers also indulged in religious bigotry.
The focus now shifted to specific case studies – the Saffronisation of the North East and the Struggle for Justice in Mysore Diocese.
John Shilshi, a former Additional Director General of Police, native to Manipur State, gave a lucid explanation of how Christian majority States in the North East, like Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland, now have either BJP governments or those in alliance with it; something that Christians living in other parts of the country find difficult to digest.
Shilshi identified the following key reasons for the BJP’s success in the region: Infrastructure development, improved security, the China threat on the one hand and on the other, the materialistic mindset of the public, blatant misuse of money power, the inability of the Christian leadership to assume the moral high ground, and the lack of co-operation among various sister churches that are invariably competing with each other.
That was a good thing- raising the WILLIAM issue. I do hope something comes of it. I mean, what is the progress of d investigations in the issue?
Perhaps the MULACKAL issue side needed 2 have ben raised simultaneously. The two prelates seem 2 b having the time if their lives!!
The Indian Church will as usual sit on both Mulakkal and William matters. At least Mulakkal matter is sub-judice, although no one knows about the High Court proceedings which is supposed to be in camera. As far as I know William matter is not being pursued legally. Without legal recourse, he will continue ruling the roost and torment his detractors, especially junior priests at his Diocese. Officially he is on “sick leave” (what sort of sickness, only the Vatican can say). Unofficially he is very much around, scheming and manipulating. What we lack is top-notch Christian lawyers. The Catholic Church must invest heavily in producing such lawyers. This investment in legal and other professional courses will stand us in good stead in the long run.
In this case, it must be mentioned the proportion of Christian students is abysmally low below 10% in our Christian institutes. At least this is the scenario in Kolkata and Bengal where our missionary institutions have sold their soul to Bajorias, Kanorias, Mittals and Guptas. If more than 90% student population is filled up with these categories, the leaders also will come out from them – they are and will rule the Indian business, corporates, administration, judiciary and politics and put more Fr Stans to death. Whom are our Missionary Institutes serving in the name of Minority Institutes? Certainly not Jesus! Our founding fathers must be tossing in their graves!!