1
Introduction
ROOTEDNESS AND OPENNESS
Reimaging Consecrated Life
to Transform Church and Society
Saju
Chackalackal CMI
1. Introduction
“Witnesses of
Joy,” the Apostolic Letter issued by Pope Francis on the occasion of the
opening of the Year of Consecrated Life, calls us to “look to the past with
gratitude, … to live the present with passion, and … to embrace the future with
hope” (I.1-3). These three attitudes can motivate us, and help us identify the
characteristics of Christian consecration stemming from the existential
challenges that the religious face today in the Indian context. Hence, in this introductory
essay, I propose to deliberate upon a few important concerns or challenges and
the emerging orientations that would be benefial to the consecrated in India.
Pope Francis believes that “the Church will grow as long as it remains
attractive” (17 June 2014). In making the Church more attractive, consecrated
persons and communities have played a significant role all through the
centuries. One of the concerns of observing and celebrating the Year of
Consecrated Life is the deliberation on the ways and means of making the life
of consecrated persons and communities more effective through which the Church
could be made more and more attractive and relevant. Hence, reflecting on the
consecrated life for a tranformed world calls for reimaging Christian
consecration in such a way that it is revitalized to respond to the existential
vicissitudes in the contemporary world.
2.
Redeeming the Foundational Charisma
Foundation of a
community of consecrated persons within the Catholic Church usually results
from a realization of a person or a group of persons that there is a need for a
renewal within the local Church. Be it Francis of Assisi, Ignatius Loyola, and,
in our own land India, Kuriakose Elias Chavara, who were instrumental in
initiating new religious communities, or Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross
who animated the renewal of existing communities, there was an intensely felt
need for reimaging Christian consecration, in a sincere attempt to set it back
on the Gospel track. Providentially, most of these processes were successful
and today we look at their attempts as innovative steps that had long-lasting
impact in spearheading renewal of the Church, precisely because their call of
an alternative style of life and mission originated from their deep convictions
about genuine Christian life, which came from the fact that they were already
transformed by the Word of God and the teachings of the Church. Indeed, their
deep convictions about the message of Christ and their unwavering commitment to
the person of Jesus Christ enabled them to be established in a lasting
communion with the Lord as well as his people. Before they undertook the
foundation of a community or the revamping of an existing community, they were
already touched by the Lord, and their being was transformed. Hence, in most of
such instances, we see that they were partaking in deep and intense mystical
experiences, which transformed them into prophets in their own times and the
heralds of the realization of the Kingdom in the local ecclesial and civil
communities.
The mystical experiences that they partook, the
transformation that they underwent, the prophetic vocation that they assumed
out of inner compulsion, and the community of collaborators that came up around
them gave shape to the charisma, which is bequeathed to subsequent generations
in view of continuing the renewal in the local as well as in the universal
Church. Although some religious communities, which had relevance at the time of
their foundation, have already been dismantled and disappeared as their
charisma lost its sheen at a later time, there are many communities that still
continue to flourish in different parts of the world – some of them having been
transplanted to totally different milieus – as their charisma is found to be still
capable of animating ongoing Christian renewal.
The charisma of any religious community within the Church
would remain vital and relevant as long as it is capable of facilitating a
personal encounter with Jesus and a lasting spiritual quest to be part of a
community to serve the Church and the humanity at large. While the personal
encounter would facilitate development of the heart of Jesus himself within the
person, leading him or her to the cultivation of the life vision of Jesus,
being part of a community of Jesuan disciples (namely, a religious order or
congregation, or a community of apostolic life) and the readiness to serve the
Church and humanity at large would enable them to keep the message of Christ
ever vibrant and relevant within the ecclesial matrix.
In order to realize this cherished goal, consecrated
persons and communities have to get reinstated into the proper track in which
religious life will be realized as a triple movement: a spiritual movement,
prophetic movement, and a missionary movement. All communities of consecrated
life originate from a quest for spiritual life, a communion with Jesus, and a
yearning to share the same experience with the larger community. Indeed, if we could
get to the origins of consecrated communities, we realize that the original
capital of their foundation was only their absolute trust in God and unreserved
commitment to the people. Communities of consecrated life emerged out of the
foundational experience of one person or a group of persons, precisely because
they wanted to ensure that the spiritual movement grows far and wide in order
to share the charisma, primarily and fundamentally by remaining a spiritual
movement within the Church.
It is the spiritual experience that gives shape to a
prophetic existence. A prophet is a
special envoy of God, who speaks in the name of God and with the authority of
God. Prophet offers an alternative consciousness or perception over against the
dominant one. In many instances, prophetic consciousness emerges from the peripheries of religious
and social existence than from the centre. The prophet often calls for
radical change; there is no scope for compromises. He always stands for God and
God’s word, and insists on tuning everything in accordance with God’s plan. As
consecrated life is fundamentally a prophetic movement within the Church (VC
84), every consecrated person and every
community of consecrated life undertake the demanding and arduous task of
becoming and remaining prophetic in their being as well as in the mission. For,
if vocation to consecrated life emerges from the call to mysticism, consecrated
persons have no option but to be prophets. Genuine religious life and
authentic priestly existence in the Catholic Church cannot but be fundamentally
prophetic. Religious have an innovative
function and a corrective role in the Church. As Metz puts it, the religious
are a kind of shock therapy instituted by the Holy Spirit for the Church
as a whole.[1]
Given the disturbing scenario of
the Indian society, especially rampant poverty, illiteracy, religious
intolerance, corruption, and violence perpetrated by political parties and
their associates, the prophetic role of the consecrated seems to be very vital
in redeeming the lives of the people and in letting the Church fulfil her
unique role and responsibilities. For, a prophet who is established in ‘Jesus
experience’ must stand firm on the Kingdom values and avail all the resources
at his or her disposal for the sake of establishing a just society. It is the
role of the prophet to ensure that discrepancies perceived within the society
are remedied and it is set back on the right track, in tune with the will of
God. If the prophet (personally) is genuinely transformed by the Word of God,
such a life would help in establishing a transformed consciousness in others
(collective or communitarian existence), which, in turn, would give rise to a
transformed society, a society founded on the Kingdom values.
A genuine mystic who experiences
an enduring communion with the person of Jesus and has acquired a value
consciousness based on the Gospels, who prophetically exists and involves in
the larger society, cannot but be a missionary in approach. Being missionary in
this sense will not result from an imposition from within the person; instead
it will be largely resulting from the spiritual aura that emanates from his or
her person and the unwavering commitment to the other-enhancing Christian value
consciousness. As the self is completely immolated for the sake of integral
welfare of the other, the life of such a consecrated person would emerge as
that of a missionary, someone who spreads the message of universal love,
compassion, and justice for all, especially the downtrodden and the marginalized.
3.
Charisma versus Institutionalism
Given the above
ideal understanding of the charisma of a religious community within the Church,
there is a lot of hope for the future of consecrated life in India. However,
looking at the way many of these communities originate or flourish in the
contemporary Church seems to pose a number of issues for our consideration. For
example, due to the thrust on performance and success, especially in the
context of established institutions and their future growth, both individuals
and communities seem to be losing their grip on the Christian idealism that
gives shape to these religious communities and consecrated persons. In other
words, pragmatism seems to be creeping into the inner recesses of a number of
consecrated persons and communities. In their quest to deliver quality and to
achieve institutional success, especially in the context of thriving religious
institutions and their ministries directly competing with secular agencies such
as cut-throat capitalists and multinationals, they tend to adopt any successful
strategy, sometimes even those strategies that would conflict with the
perspective of Jesus that we encounter in the Gospels. In this tragic slippery
slope, beginning with the adoption of successful ‘practical’ means, slowly some
of them tend to be quite pragmatic in their approach, losing their Christian
foundations and ecclesial commitment.
As many communities of consecrated life in India seem to be under the
spell of increasing institutionalization, the message of the Gospel and the
person of Jesus seem to be gradually losing their sheen. However, once the
focus on Jesus and his Gospel is lost, certainly these communities lose their
Christian relevance, as they can neither be mystical in existence nor prophetic
and missionary in approach. Many consecrated persons and communities treading
the path of pragmatism in their institutional mission seem to have lost their
capacity for being catalysts after the model of Jesus; instead they seem to be
getting firmly established as compromising persons and communities. In such a
situation, life of consecrated persons and the existence of such communities
reach a state of redundancy. Indeed, the Church should exist without them, if
it were to continue to witness to the person and message of Jesus Christ.
Further, as the identity and existence of many religious
communities seem too closely connected with certain institutions that they run,
the ‘successful’ strategies adopted by the latter seem to influence the former
in such a way that, in the course of time, their own identity and existence
evolve along the same line. In this process, such institutions and their
strategies may eclipse or even completely throttle the charisma of the
religious community, especially if the members – individually and collectively
– are not always vigilant. Such institutions seem to adopt the style of private mission, which is adjudged to be
a dangerous trend within the Church, especially among the consecrated. Maybe
from the point of view professional efficiency and institutional success, such
institutions may get significant mileage; however, from the point of view of
Christian witness, they are neither justified nor do they fit within the matrix
of consecrated life. When community
becomes an obstacle in realizing institutional excellence, such institutes of
consecrated life have already lost their Christian identity and credibility!
Along with the importance given to the mainstream
ministries, especially in the Indian context, new meaningful avenues opened up
consist of the frontier ministries in which a number of consecrated persons,
mostly through their personal charisma, avail themselves to take care of the
marginalized, orphans, sick, and dying. In many instances, such ministries
begin with the explicit and generous support of the public and the laity. As
these ministries many a time do not depend on high capital investment and do
not seem to be functioning on the logic of other established institutions, they
run the risk and invite undue criticism, especially from those directly engaged
in professional institutionalised ministries; yet, these ministries seem to be
capturing the attention of many, especially for their genuine Christian
approach and ability to transform the life of the consecrated into an
instrument of God’s mercy in its most visible form. Although in some instances
such ministries may evolve into institutional set up, they succeed to a great
extend to keep the Christian spirit as well as outlook with great appeal.
However, it must also be stated that the availability of personnel and monetary
investment for such ministries is minimal. The instruction from Pope Francis is
that, due to the unimaginable challenges faced by the frontier ministries, the
Church should be ready to send the best. According to him, we must “send the best, the most gifted people into these situations of
exclusion and marginalization.”[2]
While the conscious promotion of
frontier ministries in different formats seems to be sending out positive vibes
across the Church, serious engagement with the charisma of consecrated
communities should enable its members to connect with their spiritual sources
and foundational aspirations. The tendency to let the spirit of secularisation
and pragmatism seep into the life-vision and lifestyle of consecrated persons
and communities will radically alter the patterns of consecrated life in India.
Moreover, the tendency to run ‘one-man’ shows and autocratic styles in
Christian ministries must be curbed if the communitarian witness of any
consecrated community must be re-established for the good of the Church and to
be effective witnesses of the Gospel.
4.
Lack of Communitarian Perspective
Call to
consecrated life in the Catholic Church is primarily seen as a call to live in
a community of Christian disciples who are committed to seek Christian
perfection in communion with those who have received a similar call. Becoming
part of a community is considered to be a supporting mechanism for growing in
and remaining firmly committed to the realization of the intimate following of
Jesus Christ of the Gospels. Hence, instead of conceiving community as an
obstacle in the process of one’s religious vocation, from an ideal Christian
religious perspective, it is considered as facilitating a blessed communion,
especially as communitarian existence not only boosts the practice of virtue
but also offers support and solace in their strenuous task of attaining
Christian perfection despite human frailties. The blessed communion among the
consecrated is, therefore, seen as a solid but dynamic base that can effectively
animate their deeper Christian aspirations and the ensuing apostolic
commitments.
From a Christian perspective, fellowship within any
consecrated community can be generated and sustained through the presence of
all members at the following key moments on a daily basis: Divine Table, Dining
Table, and Dialogue Table. According to the Vita
Consecrata, consecrated men and
women shall “commit themselves to strengthening their fraternal life, following
the example of the first Christians in Jerusalem who were assiduous in
accepting the teaching of the Apostles, in common prayer, in celebrating the
Eucharist, and in sharing whatever goods of nature and grace they had (see Acts
2: 42-47)” (VC 45). Given the human frailties involved in the life of consecrated
communities, it is essential that special daily moments that cover the core
areas of life are created to strengthen the bond of communion among the
members. This naturally includes the daily Eucharistic celebration and other
common spiritual exercises such as meditation and the Liturgy of Hours, common
meal, and the chance of coming together and dialoguing that facilitate sharing
and deliberating about various aspects of community living and apostolic
activities in which each member contributes in manifold ways.
These are called forth in view of the synergy that is
expected to be created through the dynamic process of being involved together
in a common search and common mission. It is a basic principle for the
constitution of any effective Christian community that each member considers
every other member as essential for the realization of the personal as well as
communitarian goals. This approach could be facilitated only if each member is
able to put every other member in prominence and lead a life as if one’s own
being is totally dependent upon the others. In fact, along the Cartesian line,
every religious must hold that “we are, therefore, I am.” The synergy emerging
within the religious consciousness naturally builds up a communion that becomes
the bedrock of the success of religious life and the apostolic activities
undertaken by them. As Vita Consecrata
proposes, “Communion begets
communion: in essence it is a communion that is missionary” (VC 46).
Based on its unique charisma, it is essential for every
community of consecrated persons to identify its own apostolic engagement for
the common good of the people of God and the larger society. However, by virtue
of their consecration in the Church, the call received as well as the apostolic
ministry identified in Divine Providence must be essentially communitarian. In
fact, it is important that all our
missions and institutions are initiated in the context of community and are
owned up by the community; instead, if any apostolic activity or institution
established to carry out an apostolate functions as if it were a ‘private’
mission of an individual, it is necessary that the superiors animate such
consecrated to understand the collective and communitarian nature of both the
institution and its mission. Although many a mission of the consecrated may be
initiated by individual members who are creative and sagacious, no mission
shall permanently remain a ‘fringe’ element within the communities of
consecrated persons. Such missions, though may originate through ‘private’
initiatives, in the course of a couple of years, should be accompanied and
animated by the rest of the community, especially by those who are in
responsible positions to animate the community, to bring them into the
mainstream consciousness and the core apostolic activities of a particular
community or congregation.
Consecrated life is not a way of
self-realization through isolation and withdrawal but a call to live in
communion with others and to build communities of freedom, fellowship, and
justice. In this process, if we are on the lookout for a successful formula,
especially from the point of view of apostolic activities, there is a need to
integrate task-oriented approach with relationship-oriented approach. In many
instances, as there are commitments within any apostolic activity to the
society at large, it is natural that those who are involved in realizing the
mission become more and more task-oriented; an over-emphasis on the task at
hand will naturally have its adverse impact upon the relationships – within the
religious community and within the institution established to realize the
apostolate. While task-oriented approach is essential for delivering the goals,
if the mission of a consecrated community loses touch with the people involved
and ignore the relationships with them, the final results – whatever be its
success-rate in the eyes of other agencies – will be unbecoming by the
standards of consecrated life lived in communion.
As the saying goes, a team that runs together stays
together. As far as the religious communities are concerned, the very
constitution of the team should naturally reflect their charisma as well as
their apostolic activities. Moreover, there should be a healthy combination of
members from different age groups so that there would be a natural process of
osmosis facilitating the organic development within the community dynamics and
outreach programmes for the wider society. It is important that the senior
members adopt a healthy approach in bequeathing their rich and mature experience
in religious life and apostolic works so that the younger members could take
advantage of the life-learning of the former. If this should take place, it is
also imperative that the senior members adopt an open and proactive approach
towards the younger generations. If they were to belittle or condemn everything
and refer back always to the ‘good old times’, naturally it would create an
unbridgeable gap between them, which will be too unhealthy for consecrated life
in communities and ecclesial witness. On the other side of the spectrum, young
religious should be not only accommodative, but also appreciative of the senior
members, their hard work, and unique contributions which made their community
and ministries come of ‘age’. The best thought to be emulated in this regard by
the younger generations of religious is the attitude attributed to Isaac Newton
who is said to have stated that “if I
have seen farther, if I have seen further, … it is only because I stand on the
shoulders of giants.” Recognition and appreciation of any contribution would
work wonders in religious communion and take it to a realm of positive and
vibrant presence. At the same time, it is a fact that many religious
communities experience difficulties in tending to those retired, sick, and aged
members; most of such members were the strong pillars of the communities and
their ministries at an earlier period. Instead of comfortably dumping them out
in ‘old-age homes’ (of religious) as if they are the cast-aways, religious
communities must take upon themselves the onus of caring for those who are no
more ‘active’ and ‘productive’ from a pragmatic point of view.
Given the difficulties that members of consecrated
communities encounter, it is imperative that due emphasis is placed on formation
for community living. Moreover, formation
of new members should also focus on the essential quality of being
communitarian in all apostolic endeavours. This is a necessity in
the contemporary times as the general trend of the new generations is to lay
undue emphasis on individuals and their own personal self-realization,
sometimes even at the exclusion of everybody else. As Christian communion
offers a view of life in which the individual person is seen in the context of
a community, and his or her self-realization is seen only in relation to other
members and the common mission, formation for community living must be
emphasized and programmes are to be laid out in order to cultivate a
contrasting Christian communitarian way of life, which in fact would be central
to any initiative of the consecrated in the Church. Knowing well that “The temptation against fraternity is that
which is most disruptive to progress in consecrated life,”[3]
constant care must be exercised to ensure that all members of consecrated
communities – newly inducted ones as well as those who have lived out their
committed lives for years – exercise caution against the onslaught of
individualism among the consecrated persons.
5. Consecrated Persons and Members of the Hierarchy
Consecrated persons are placed in the heart of the Church
in order to function as a vital force that continuously inspires and transforms
Christian life through their life witness and apostolic activities. Although
communities of consecrated persons enjoy relative autonomy in programming their
internal affairs of living their consecration in tune with the charism and
traditions as they are laid out in the constitutions, the apostolic activities
undertaken by such communities are conceived by the Church as an integral part of
the local ecclesial community, which is presided over by the local hierarch or
bishop. Vita Consecrata holds that “the pastoral initiatives of consecrated persons should be
determined and carried out in cordial and open dialogue between Bishops and
Superiors of the different Institutes” (VC 49). This is conceived in
order to ensure that the local Church benefits from both the leadership offered
by the local hierarch and the apostolic activities initiated by the consecrated
communities without being in conflict with each other.
It is very important that the consecrated persons identify
their role as partners or collaborators in the mission of the Church. It is
believed that the specific charism bestowed upon a community of consecrated
persons is for the good of the whole Church and, therefore, they should not
look at the charism as a ‘private’ good to be cherished and cultivated
exclusively. Charism of a consecrated community is a dynamic gift that
ultimately transforms and strengthens the ecclesial communion by being at its
service. “Consecrated persons are called to be a leaven of communion
at the service of the mission of the universal Church by the very fact that the
manifold charisms of their respective Institutes are granted by the Holy Spirit
for the good of the entire Mystical Body, whose upbuilding they must serve (see
1Cor 12:4-11)” (VC 47). Therefore, all
consecrated persons are invited to imbibe a spirit of universal openness in
their ecclesial existence and mission.
It is interesting to see that
the universal Church considers the presence of consecrated communities in every
local Church essential, as otherwise it would be deprived of the great riches
that the former could offer in building up Christian communion and in facilitating
more effective Christian witness. It is said that “A Diocese which lacked the consecrated life would not only
be deprived of many spiritual gifts, of suitable places for people to seek God,
of specific apostolic activities and pastoral approaches, but it would also
risk a great weakening of that missionary spirit which is characteristic of the
majority of Institutes. There is a duty then to respond to the gift of the
consecrated life which the Spirit awakens in the particular Churches, by
welcoming it with generosity and thanksgiving” (VC 48).
While authority in the Church, including that of the local
hierarch, is seen as a sign of greater responsibility and an opportunity to
serve the larger community, communities of consecrated persons are visualized
as instances of sharing the gifts of the Spirit in varied ways for the building
up of the local Church and the society at large. Both of them are bound by
Christian charity in ensuring that all their contributions, including the role
of animation and the creative ministries adopted, ultimately contribute towards
establishing the Kingdom of God, and that they are never in conflict with the
vision enshrined in the Gospel. For this purpose, both parties are called to be
generously available and to be at the service of the people of God.
In reality, however, conflicts arise in the relationships
between the local hierarch and communities of consecrated life, especially
their leadership. While some of such conflicts originate from ego conflicts
among the individuals involved, sadly some of them grow to the stature of
causing great public scandal and, sometimes, even loss of faith in the Church.
Although ideally the offices in the Church are considered to be avenues of
service to the people of God, many a time they seem to be functioning like any
other bureaucratic office in our society so much so that they lose their
Christian credibility and effectiveness. The fundamental principle that should
govern the affairs of the Church must be charity; no one, including the officials
of the Church, shall be instrumental in overlooking and downplaying charity in ecclesial
life, including its administrative affairs. Hence, even when it comes to the
relationship between the local hierarch and the communities of consecrated
persons, charity should reign in resolving the complicated issues involved in
the apostolic services rendered by the consecrated communities. Juridical
procedures and canonical provisions are needed in the Church for its smooth
functioning; however, when everything is managed primarily from the angle of
legal (canonical) justice, the primacy of charity is either lost or is almost
invisible. Legal language, couched in conceptions of rights and duties, is
capable of settling disputes arising in our social living; however, as a
community of disciples of Jesus Christ, whatever the nature of the conflict
involved, the fundamental law of charity should not be overlooked. In this
regard, the local hierarch, as the elder in the community of disciples, has a
greater responsibility to initiate ongoing dialogue in charity and to see that
charitable solutions in view of the common good of the faithful are arrived at.
Sometimes there arise conflicts based on differences in
the perception of the common good of the Church. While we admit the fact that
the local hierarch is the head of the local Church, understanding the common
good and deciding on how to realize the same cannot be considered the sole
prerogative of the local hierarch. As the Church promotes dialogue among her
members, even in situations of conflict, in perceiving the common good of the
faithful and the larger society, being the elder of the community of faithful,
the local hierarch must convene sessions of dialogue, not to impose his
personal viewpoints upon others, but primarily to listen to the stirrings of
the Spirit revealed through the concerned members of the Church as well as
members of the consecrated communities involved, and to finally arrive at a
commonly acceptable formula for the realization of the common good of the
Church.
Such processes of dialogue and attitude of ‘give-and-take’
practised within the local Church will naturally create a more conducive
atmosphere for Christian witness and establishment of the Kingdom of God. It
would also enhance mutual respect among all involved, especially between the
local hierarch and his collaborators in the mission of the Church, among whom
the communities of consecrated life have a unique place. Despite the
hierarchical structure that has become part of managing the temporal affairs of
the Church, a sense of equality in mission, especially among the members of
ecclesial communion is essential if the Church should remain a spiritual
movement which has the inner power to be a catalyst in the whole society. In
this regard, members of the consecrated communities have a serious role to
ensure that their involvement and enthusiasm in fulfilling various apostolic
activities in no way become counter-productive by going against the explicit
instructions of the local hierarch. When any of the directives or legislations
issued either by the universal Church or the local hierarch seems to hinder the
smooth and effective functioning of the ministries adopted by the communities
of consecrated persons, all involved should facilitate a dialogue in charity
and openness so that effective changes could be adopted for the common good of
the Church and the society at large. While it is natural for all religious
authorities to be limited by their ‘human’ dynamics and powers in their policy
making and formal dealings, it is important that gospel perspectives,
particularly charity, prevail in all deliberations and decision makings
pertaining to the mission of the Church and redressal of grievances emerging in
the relationship between the local hierarch and the animators of consecrated
communities.
In extreme cases, even if there is injustice meted out to
any single member or a group, including communities of consecrated life,
Christian internal forums must be approached to settle them. At the same time,
it must be the prerogative of those in responsible ecclesial service positions
to generate and maintain confidence among the faithful about the impartiality
and rootedness in Christian charity in such ecclesial institutions. Moreover,
following the style of Jesus, all involved in such situations shall be reminded
that justice dispensed without mercy is not in tune with the understanding of
justice in the Gospel. Ultimately, no one involved in the mission of the Church
shall forget communion in charity as the core of Christian existence; if
charity is lost, the very existence of the ecclesia of Jesus Christ will be a
mere sham. If it is at stake, everyone involved in Christian mission should be
ready for open dialogue in such a way that no mission undertaken by or
entrusted to any one comes in the way of distorting fundamental Christian
perspectives.
6. Enrichment through Ecumenical and Interreligious
Openness
Ecclesial and
religious plurality is a fact of contemporary human existence. Although ecclesial
and religious plurality sometimes adversely affects the social fabric and
humanity’s surge towards integrated horizons and peaceful coexistence, proper
understanding and genuine practice of plurality in religious experience and the
corresponding emergence of ecclesial and religious diversities offer
innumerable opportunities to express the ineffable Divine, the fullness of
which cannot be captured by any human endeavour. It is important for the
Catholic Church that all its members cultivate an open attitude (Nostra aetate 1-2) in sharing with and benefitting from the mystical approaches,
methods, and experiences of consecrated persons of different ecclesial and
religious traditions.
A religion comes into existence through human attempts to
capture and crystallize either a single or a series of Divine-human encounters
as an ongoing source of inspiration for furthering such meaningful encounters
in the lives of those who come together and create a new identity centred upon
them. As it is a fundamental human aspiration, human beings living in different
geopolitical locations have given expression to their own religious search in
different forms, some of which – based on their own basic perception of the
religious core and its perpetuation – have expanded their horizons by
attracting and enlisting more members from different parts of the world. As
each religion is a response to the basic human aspiration for Divine encounter
and to lead a more meaningful life based on the captured core experience of the
Divine, which may vary from case to case, it is possible that individuals or
groups of people prefer one religious way of life to another. A genuine
religion is capable of offering a closer look at the Divine and the human so
that it captures certain specific dimensions of the Divine-human encounter and,
in the course of time, becomes a vehicle to initiate those who feel inclined to
that way or method, thus, constituting a unique religious identity. This paves
the way for a unique place for every genuine religion in the life of humanity,
and without any exaggeration we could maintain that each religion enshrines
certain specific religious truths and methods of realizing them, which, in
turn, become the common patrimony of the entire human race.
Similar dynamics are at work in the development of various
ecclesial traditions. It is certain that various historical facts and divergent
theological positioning have played their role in the emergence of various
churches; however, in the course of their existence, attempts to grapple with
the existential realities based on the Word of God and the person of Jesus
Christ – in specific geographical locations and historical moments – have given
rise to divergent ecclesial approaches, most of which have been capable of dynamically
expressing the Divine-human encounter facilitated through the person of Jesus
Christ. Each of such traditions has brought into existence certain specific
nuances of appropriating Jesus Christ and responding to the invitation of
establishing the Kingdom of God.
Given the above analysis of plurality of religious and
ecclesial traditions, it becomes obvious that all these enshrine certain
specific aspects of the Divine in and through various religious ceremonies or
programmes shaped by the generations of faithful devotees. The same is the case
with consecrated life across these religions of the world and the divergent
ecclesial traditions within the Church. Some such traditions have been
exploring different types of consecrated life for a longer period than the
Church itself and we must be capable of taking advantage of their wisdom and
expertise. This brings to focus an important opportunity that the consecrated
persons and communities within the Catholic Church should understand,
appreciate, and take advantage of. If some of the best practices of consecrated
life developed by members of other religions or ecclesial traditions could
enhance the consecrated life lived within the Catholic Church, we must be open
for such creative possibilities. This calls for greater openness on the part of
the consecrated, particularly in India, as it witnesses to a unique situation
of rich religious and ecclesial variety in a number of ways.
In this regard, it is imperative that better respect for
other traditions is cultivated through (i) open and sincere study of the
religious sources of other religions and churches and (ii) by creating
opportunities for ongoing dialogue with consecrated persons belonging to other
ecclesial and religious traditions. Pope Francis invites the consecrated
persons within the Catholic Church to tread this path of openness and dialogue
in order to further enrich the Catholic tradition by imbibing the best through
a process of encounter and discernment. In his Apostolic Letter “Witnesses of Joy,”
after dwelling on the divergent approaches to consecrated life in other
ecclesial traditions and religions (III.3-4), the Pope offers an invitation to
open up the avenues of mutual enrichment, in spite of being aware of the
existential and doctrinal difficulties that we may encounter in the process:
“Journeying together always brings enrichment, and can open new paths to
relationships between peoples and cultures, which nowadays appear so difficult”
(III.4). This is a positive invitation specially extended to those Catholics
leading consecrated life in India; if we find ourselves journeying together
with the consecrated of different traditions and if we are ready to know them
closely and genuinely, there could be any number of opportunities to be enriched
by sharing in their religious experiences.
India being home to a number of prominent religions of the
world, especially religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, both of which having
millennia long rich traditions of leading consecrated life, our closer encounters
with them offer great potentials for enrichment as well as making Catholic
consecrated life lived in India more relevant to the people of different
faiths. In ancient times, Buddha viharas
and Hindu yogis offered rich
varieties and effective methods in leading consecrated life. In other parts of
the world, there are traditions of consecrated life practised, for example, by
Sufi saints or the monks belonging to the monasteries at Mount Athos (Greece).
They enshrine approaches with varying degrees and depths in consecration to the
Divine and divergent styles adapted to their time and place. Despite the
varieties in approaches many of them are capable of crystallizing certain valid
and effective methods, which could be integrated into Catholic way of leading
consecrated life. This proposal is made with an explicit understanding that
there are differences in the core faith tenets of these religions; however,
some of their practices could inspire certain creative changes paving the way
for deeper religious experience and lasting transformation aimed at in the life
of all consecrated in the Catholic Church.
For, as the whole humanity forms one community, we
gradually come to the realization that “the bonds that unite us are stronger
than the barriers that separate us.”[4] Mutual
bonding among the seekers belonging to different religious and ecclesial
traditions, it is believed, will open up the wider horizons of religious
experience, which a Catholic consecrated person or community could appropriate
for becoming better rooted and realized in the person of Jesus Christ and,
thus, enhance the traditions of consecrated life already available within the
traditions of the Church itself. Moreover, an open approach towards other
religions and ecclesial traditions adopted by the consecrated persons will also
have positive impact upon the mind-set of ordinary faithful in the Church, as
they also would feel more inclined to understand the goodness in other
traditions and, thus, to build bridges of relationship with their members,
ushering in better social and religious cohesion in our society.
7. Formation to Consecrated Life
A clear
understanding of the charisma of a religious community and readiness on the
part of all members to imbibe the spirit of the same and to adapt it to their
existential conditions are two essential requirements in the formation of new
members in consecrated life. Vatican II and subsequent documents lay emphasis
on an integral formation offered to candidates which includes a clear thrust on
four different areas such as spiritual, intellectual, communitarian, and
apostolic. Accordingly, every religious congregation or institute of apostolic
life offers ample opportunities for the young members to imbibe the special
thrust and charisma of the community during the formative years.
Although formal programme of formation offers a lot of
opportunities for the initiation and sustenance of neophytes in consecrated
life with sufficient emphasis on spiritual, intellectual, communitarian, and
apostolic dimensions, the increasing importance accorded to the
institutionalized ministries and the maintenance of structures needed for such
missions lay emphasis on intellectual formation and the adaptability of the
candidates to the institutional needs as important criteria for selection and
promotion. This approach strips the genuine need for integral formation in the
candidates and they tend to be satisfied by being and becoming mediocre in many areas that are supposed
to be vital in their existence as consecrated persons as well as in fulfilling
the ecclesial mission entrusted to them.
There seem to take place two foundational lapses in the
areas of spiritual and communitarian existence. That is, although initiation is
offered into spiritual life and communitarian living, as candidates move up on
the ladder of formation in consecrated life, they may perceive that by being
just average in these areas they would successfully pass through the formation
stages, and promotions come almost automatically. Indeed, as the saying goes
among formators, if candidates are not found to be making serious lapses in
their spiritual life and communitarian living, they could easily get through
the promotion process. However, the tragedy is that these two key areas are
still considered fundamental to the constitution and promotion of consecrated
life in the Church, in line with the conception of the Fathers of the Church
and many celebrated stalwarts in spiritual and consecrated life.
Religious communities today seem to have more self-proclaimed professionals than
mystics and spiritually equipped and attractive Fathers or Brothers and Mothers
or Sisters; formation setting is increasingly complicated due to the fact that
life in our society has become more complex and the baggage with which
candidates embrace consecrated life seem to be heavier than they used to be.
Given these facts, both the programme of formation and the formation personnel
should undergo a thorough revamping so that both could be fine-tuned to address
the genuine issues and, through them, prepare the candidates for an earnest but
attractive consecrated existence and effective ecclesial mission.
Although serious efforts are made in order to thoroughly
prepare the candidates for a life-long commitment to God and his people,
various programmes offered for their spiritual uplift seem to be ineffective.
It may happen due to the fact that the baggage of emotional and spiritual
disturbances with which they enter consecrated life do not seem to be properly
handled; many carry with them their burdensome past. In some cases, even though
they would be charged by strong inner religious motivation, it is said to be
short-lived as their unsettled emotional baggage may drag them down. In many
instances, it is unfortunate that long years of spiritual formation offered to
young religious, finally, result only in effecting some external and temporary
changes, without having made any significant and lasting interior
transformation; most of the formation processes seem to end up like cosmetic
interventions that have no power to bring in genuine and lasting inner healing
and transformation as demanded by the Gospel. Analogically, sometimes,
formation of consecrated persons ends up like a hard stone on the riverbed; due
to the flowing waters and the resulting movements of the hard stone, it is
externally smoothened; however, the stone not only remains hard but,
practically, its interior does not get affected by the surrounding water flow
and movement. Given the foundational role of spiritual formation, it must be
treated as the most important domain of initiating a person into consecrated
life. As lasting spiritual transformation is the goal, formation should be seen
as a lifelong process, where accompaniment
by the initiated or mature religious and accountability
to God as well as the consecrated community are to be taken seriously into
consideration.
Call to consecrated life is an invitation to a challenging
life in every sense; perfection in various domains mentioned above is stressed
upon by the Church. However, mediocrity seems to be gaining momentum and the
mediocre leadership as well as formation personnel are instrumental in grooming
generations of mediocre consecrated persons and communities. While the
dwindling spiritual life is clearly visible in the lack of interest for
spiritual matters and the loss of communitarian focus, quality in intellectual
formation also suffers due to the lack of proper orientation and motivation.
Many among the new generation consecrated persons, for example, are said to
have no interest to make any serious academic investment in order to enhance
their personal capabilities which would play a pivotal role in their effective
involvement in apostolic activities. This may be seen as another negative
offshoot of institutionalization that is rampant within modern consecrated
communities, where what matters the most is not personal merit or genuine
religious commitment but the need to fill the vacancies in various institutions
falling vacant year after year.
While spiritual formation and communitarian orientation
form the core of religious life, the fact that most of them involve in various
ministries in reaching out to various segments of the society calls for serious
personal investment in equipping each one academically and professionally. As
the rest of the society is progressing in the levels of education imparted and
received and as the professional standards are set higher and higher as the
years go by, it is imperative that the consecrated who prepare themselves to
involve in various institutionalized ministries, at least, undergo rigorous
academic and professional formation[5] along
with their initiation and maturing in the spiritual and communitarian domains.
Although it is true that the ministries offered by the consecrated should be
attractive primarily by their ability to offer Jesus and to cultivate a
Christian perspective in life, the contemporary competitive scenario of various
service sectors necessitates academic and professional excellence on the part
of those consecrated who are specially called to undertake any mission, be it
inside or outside their own consecrated communities.
8. Letting Go: Christian Way of Living Consecration
There is a basic
belief in almost all religions that one’s consecration will be complete only
when absolute reliance on God (or some form of the supernatural) is made by
oneself, which is expected to be expressly lived in all situations of life.
Call to consecrated life in the Catholic Church is a call to let go everything,
one’s own self, one’s own possessions, and even one’s own free will so that a
consecrated person will absolutely and unconditionally lead a life of total
surrender to the person of Jesus Christ. Gospel perspective on consecrated life
is very clear in insisting that one should let oneself go following the
self-surrendering attitude of Jesus Christ himself, whose life climaxed in his
death on the cross, a total self-gift willingly offered in order to give life
in abundance to the entire humanity. It is in this perspective that the
consecrated persons identify and witness to a contrasting Christian life
vision, especially in the context of most of the people abiding by the logic of
self-interest.
Jesus lived for others; he gave up his life in order to
give life to others (Jn 10:10). It is this attitude of Jesus that makes him the
model par excellence for all consecrated persons in the Church. If Jesus is
Christ fundamentally because of his readiness to let himself go for others, the
Christian way basically offers the same call to all those who claim themselves
to be his disciples. From this perspective, it may be stated that the life of a
Christian will be genuine to the extent that he or she is ready (potentially
and actually) to sacrifice one’s own being and all the possessions for the sake
of giving life to or enhancing the life of others. On the contrary, if a Christian
is found to be thriving in life, making use of all available avenues and
opportunities, even by partaking in cut-throat competition without any
hesitation for the sake of being successful in the world, we could easily make
out that something is amiss in the practice of such a Christian way. In other
words, a permanent and ever-growing and eternally powerful Christian or
Christian institution is a contradiction in terms. For, if a Christian begins
to amass wealth and material possession for oneself, it is an indication of the
loss of Christian direction. Instead the genuine Christian call is to let one’s
own self and all the possessions go in order to ensure that, in the process of
this letting go, all that would turn out to be life-giving and life-enhancing
for others and, in turn, for oneself (Lk 17:33).
If this is the fundamental Christian orientation to be
adopted by ordinary disciples of Jesus Christ, the onus on the consecrated to excel
in this Christian way of total self-giving is immense and uncompromising.
Consecrated persons are called to
closely follow and continuously realize Jesus’ self-emptying and self-giving
love both in their personal and collective existence. In the same way,
if institutions are ‘owned’ and managed by communities of consecrated persons,
they should be on the right Christian track by placing their resources at the
disposal of the people, especially those who are the least and the lost, or
those who are on the margins or peripheries of the society; it is the
prerogative of these communities to ensure that they are cared for and are
given opportunities, following the example of Jesus Christ himself whose life
was a testimony of total self-giving for the sake of ensuring life in abundance
for others.
If a Christian – individual or institution – begins to
function for the sake of self-interest or begins to exist for oneself, it is
the beginning of the end of Christianness.
For, as it was stated above, when a Christian ceases to exist for others, he or
she ceases to be a Christian! We may
slip into the same danger, especially if the institutional goals are not
clarified from time to time and if measures are not taken to ensure that they
are in perfect tune with the Gospel message of being undoubtedly on the side of
the poor and the marginalized. However, as institutions become larger in size
and better established in logistics, we run the risk of losing sight of the
original vision and the fundamental Christian thrust so as to be blinded almost
exclusively by self-centred or institution-centred interests. At least it must
be clear to the consecrated persons that their institutions are not conducted
the way the corporates conduct their business establishments; the primary
intention of any such institution should not be profit, but the establishment
of the Kingdom of God through the institutional avenues created. Instead of
being mere service providers like the corporates, institutions run by the
consecrated must be capable of instilling a Gospel-based value consciousness
among the stakeholders, associates, and beneficiaries. In stating this, I have
no intention to imply that, therefore, we must not emphasise on quality and
excellence in conducting our institutions. To the contrary, while we commit
ourselves to quality and excellence on par with other agencies, the uniqueness
of a Christian institution run by the consecrated persons should be
conspicuously visible in our uncompromising commitment to the Gospel values and
respect and support for the weak and the downtrodden. The Spirit calls us to become a sign of the Kingdom in the world
by becoming the voice of the poor and the voiceless, by becoming an
anchor for those who are totally unanchored in the socio-political life, and by
partaking in their struggles to find fullness of life. Truly, consecrated
communities are not meant for business, but a life of Christian witness rooted
in the principles of self-sacrifice and unconditional life-giving.
9. Conclusion
As Pope Francis
wishes in the concluding paragraph of his Apostolic Letter “Witnesses of Joy,”
the consecrated persons should become “the gifts of grace and light” (III.5)
for themselves as well as for the rest of the world. Indeed, consecrated
persons and communities ought to become the powerhouse that would light up the
world and, thus, to remain perpetually relevant in the Church.
Different charisms of consecrated persons and communities
offer avenues to deepen their faith experience; the apostolic ministries that
they undertake offer them openings to excel in their faith practice. Their
communitarian existence offers them opportunities for public witness of their
unwavering commitment to the person of Jesus Christ and the people of God.
Thus, we could say that consecrated persons become “the light of the world,” if
they are the role models in intense faith practice. This calls them to remain
on the radical path opened up by Jesus during his lifetime and made available
to us in the Gospels. Therefore, it is necessary that the consecrated engage
themselves in an ongoing manner in appropriating the person and message of
Jesus Christ in their personal as well as communitarian and institutional
existence.
In the context of our society becoming increasingly individualistic
(against communitarian orientation) and secular (against the spiritual quest),
life of consecrated persons and consecrated communities becomes important
avenues of offering a contrast lifestyle within the Catholic Church. However,
if these consecrated are not cautious, they would also easily slip into the
individualistic and secular ways of the rest of the world; if it were to
happen, the very purpose of consecrated life in the Church would become redundant.
Hence, it is a necessity that the Church as a whole and those who have already
chosen the path of consecrated life to consider their vocation seriously and
set in motion internal processes that would facilitate an ongoing
self-examination and metanoia to
ensure that they firmly remain on the consecrated path. Change or
transformation is always welcome in the life of Christians and consecrated persons
provided it paves the way for deeper faith experience in the person of Jesus
Christ and more effective realization of the common good for all, namely, the
Church and the society.
[1]J. B. Metz, Followers
of Christ: The Religious Life and the Church, London: Burns and Oats, 1978,
12.
[2]Pope Francis, “Wake Up the World! Conversation with
Pope Francis about the Religious Life” by Antonio Spadaro, trans. Donald
Maldari, La Civilta Cattolica 165, 1
(2014), 13, at http://www.laciviltacattolica.it/articoli_
download/extra/Wake_up_the_world.pdf, accessed on 15 October 2015.
[3]Pope Francis, “Wake Up the World” in “Conversation
with Pope Francis about the Religious Life” by Antonio Spadaro, trans. Ronald
Maldari, La Civilta Cattolica 2014,
10.
[4]This is a Second Vatican Council inspired motto of
Divyodaya, a centre established in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, to promote peace and
harmony in the society through interreligious dialogue. The inspiration is from
Gaudium et Spes 92, which directly
deals with the bonding among the faithful resulting from the instrumentality of
the Church that is presented as a sign of communion inspired by the Holy
Spirit.
[5]According to Leopold Beccaro, an Italian Carmelite
missionary and the first biographer of St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara, the latter,
even as a young cleric, realized that “an uneducated priest was not only
inefficient to do anything worthwhile in his pastoral work, but may be even
detrimental to the salvation of souls.” Leopold Beccaro, A Short Biography
of Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara (originally written in Malayalam in
1871), trans. Postulation of the Cause of Bl. Chavara, Mannanam: St. Joseph
Monastery, 2003, 6.
