PREFACE
Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram, under the auspices of Vinayasadhana Institute of Formative Spirituality and Counselling, hosted an international conference on consecrated life as the Catholic Church celebrated the “Year of Consecrated Life” during 7-9 January 2016. The focus of this conference was identified in tune with the orientations offered by Pope Francis while marking the inauguration of the year of consecrated life (Witnesses of Joy III.2-4). It is acclaimed by many that Pope Francis, himself a consecrated person, is genuinely human to the core and wants to cherish and nourish consecrated life, as he understands the vital role it plays in the life of the Church. Following his life example and the animation that he offers to the consecrated in the Catholic Church, the conference deliberations were arranged around the theme “Consecrated Life in a Globalized Era: The Catholic, Ecumenical, and Interreligious Perspectives.”
Contributors and participants in this conference consisted of those who love and promote consecrated life in the Church with a view to make consecrated life more meaningful and contextual in this new era of globalism, secularism, and religious fundamentalism. Activities and presentations during the three days of the conference were divided into four categories: (i) Liturgy (Catholic) and Prayer Sessions (Ecumenical and Interreligious), (ii) Keynote Addresses, (iii) Plenary Sessions, and (iv) Parallel Sessions. In all, there were above forty presentations covering the major areas of concerns in consecrated life, especially taking cue from the contemporary contexts and challenges for which this conference offersed a platform to search together for new avenues and effective solutions, both in being consecrated persons and in reaching out to the larger ecclesial and social realities.
We witness profound and lasting changes in the arena of our ecclesial and social life, which affect the form and content of consecrated life in the Church. A merely transplanted consecrated life may not be organically suitable to the local ecclesial communities, and may fail in its apostolic mission. Consecrated life, perhaps, needs a new language and new way of seeing things and a new style of functioning so that it would be more intelligible, practical, integral, and wholesome. Hence, the conference on “Consecrated Life in a Globalized Era” aimed at (i) identifying the peripheries and essentials in consecrated life, especially in the context of India, (ii) examining the commonalities that the Catholics share with others who lead consecrated life in other Churches and other religions, (iii) opening up a wider horizon to nourish and cherish vocation to consecrated life, (iv) exploring new paradigms in formation and mission, (v) promoting psycho-spiritual integration in consecrated life, and (vi) achieving wholeness in consecrated life, thus, to realize mystical communion with the person of Jesus Christ and a prophetic existence within the ecclesial communion.
Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram, being a confluence of consecrated persons hailing from different Churches and religious congregations (along with a few also hailing from other religions), offer an ideal germinal ground for an enriching deliberation on the relevance and import of Christian consecration to initiate transformation in our contemporary society which gets increasingly globalized as the years pass by. The presence of about one thousand consecrated persons on Dharmaram Campus and the multifarious ministries undertaken by different communities offer a strong statement on the impact of Christian consecration in the contemporary times. Moreover, the initiatives of Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram in offering scientific training to hundreds of candidates in religious and priestly formation and ecclesial consecration through the programmes of Vinayasadhana Institute of Formative Spirituality and Counselling offer the confidence and the best possible ambience to convene an elaborate and extensive discussion on the emerging issues and intricate avenues of consecrated life in the Indian Catholic Church. Therefore, it is opportune that we place on record our gratitude for the extensive and quality support offered for the successful conduct of the conference to Rev. Prof. Dr. Paulachan Kochappilly CMI, President of DVK and Rev. Prof. Dr. Thomas Aykara CMI, Rector of Dharmaram College. Their effective guidance and generous support were crucial in the planning and execution of the conference on consecrated life. At the same time, envisioning the conference theme and identifying the personnel and strategic support for the successful conduct of the conference were offered by Rev. Prof. Dr. Francis Thonippara CMI, Director of Vinayasadhana, and Rev. Dr. Wilson Chakkyath CMI, the Convener of the Conference, along with Rev. Dr. Mary Julit Mandampala CMC. The meticulous planning and able execution of the entire conference event were graciously carried out by Rev. Dr. Wilson Chakkyath CMI, who deserves a special mention for his commitment and hard work. The constant accompaniment and guidance offered by Rev. Dr. Joy Philip Kakkanattu CMI, Dean, Faculty of Theology, and Rev. Dr. Mathew Maniampra CMI, former Director of Vinayasadhana, are acknowledged with gratitude. The teaching staff and the entire student body of the Vinayasadhana Institute generously joined hands together in preparing for the conference on consecrated life and, through their vibrant communion and genuine commitment, they proved themselves to be worthy of the ecclesial consecration that all of them have chosen and have been striving to excel in through their specialised training offered at DVK. Thus, the officials and students associated with the conference on consecrated life not only facilitated an excellent intellectual exchange but made it possible for the participants of the conference as well as the members of the Dharmaram Campus to have a heightened experience of ecclesial consecration.
As selected papers from this conference on consecrated life are published in this edited volume with the title Consecrated Life for a Transformed World: Catholic, Ecumenical, and Interreligious Perspectives in a Globalizing Era, we make the best of it available to the larger public with a hope that the rich and meaningful contributions made by many experts – most them leading consecrated life in different communities of consecrated life or institutes of apostolic life –continues to inspire many more in the larger ecclesial context, especially of India. In order to make this collection of essays more easily accessed and benefited, the whole book is divided into five parts, namely, (1) Inspirational Foundations, (2) Towards Holiness and Wholeness, (3) Commitment to the Society, (4) Ecumenical and Interreligious Perspectives, and (5) Formation for Consecration in Contemporary Times. Each part contains keynote addresses, plenary sessions, and selections from parallel sessions.
A psycho-social and theological understanding of consecrated life along with common grounds we share with other ecclesial traditions and religions enriches and nourishes consecrated life in the Catholic Church; it can not only promote greater harmony and peace in the society but would also open up greater pastoral and prophetic witness by consecrated persons who live with a holistic attitude and can promote harmony in all aspects of human life. While emphasizing the communitarian and ecclesial dimensions, we shall not miss the individuals whose personal charisma, genuine growth and maturity are of utmost significance in the effective realization of the mission and ministry of the Church. To this effect, all consecrated persons need to be empowered by an integral formation towards wholeness, which is one of the primary thrusts of the Vinayasadhana Institute of Formative Spirituality and Counselling at DVK and the whole exercise connected with the conference and the pubilcation of its proceedings in the form of this edited book. It is hoped that these scientific and theological deliberations on consecrated life from multiple perspectives, especially with a focus on their existential import, will contribute not only to a better understanding of the life of consecration in the Church but also meaningful and more effective facilitation of the consecration to Jesus Christ lived out by thousands in India and other parts of the world.
Saju Chackalackal CMI
Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram
Email: saju@chackalackal.com
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