Put curbs on fireworks, selling goods, loudspeaker announcements, cooking of food during church festival days, says Cardinal Alencherry Cardinal George Alencherry, the head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in India, has slammed the practice of churches going in for noisy and pompous feast celebrations and appealed to the faithful to put curbs on fireworks, trade and cooking meals in church premises and turn feasts into occasions of simplicity and devotion.
Stating that it's time that traditional festivals were given a makeover, Cardinal Alencherry said in a statement that the faithful are unable to pray in peace and tranquillity amid firecrackers and loudspeaker announcements during festival days. "In an atmosphere of fireworks, band sets and mike announcements, people are unable to pray peacefully, communicate and grow in fellowship. Churches are arranging band sets, fireworks and mike announcements and colourful electric illumination to attract more people to the feast celebration. The increase and intensity of these things destroy the intention of feast celebrations. It seems the organisers are keen to increase the offerings or income from the feast celebration every year. The increase in offerings/ income seems to be the measure to determine the success of the feast," he said.
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Cardinal George Alencherry's statement against noisy and pompous feast celebrations:
On July 28, the feast day of St Alphonsa, I got a chance to celebrate Raza Qurbana, the most holy form of Syro-Malabar Holy Mass, and give a sermon in Bharananganam (Kerala, India). The feast was being celebrated in a grand way. However, there was no drum and band procession. There was no elephant procession. There were no crackers and fireworks. But thousands of people were present on the occasion which was conducted in a spiritual atmosphere. Sermons, Holy Mass, sacrament of confession, visit to grave and rosary procession – the feast programme was conducted in an atmosphere that gives spiritual renewal to the faithful. Then some thoughts about feast celebrations came to my mind.
The absence of fireworks or band sets or the lack of colourful electric illumination did not trivialise or downgrade the importance of the feast celebration of St Alphonsa. On the contrary, it added more attraction to the spiritual ambience. I think all feast celebrations should have this beauty. The laity should be able to pray and deepen their faith during feast celebrations. Feasts should be spiritual celebrations. It should not be a display of materialistic world. I hope that feasts in all churches will be spiritual celebrations.
Feasts are very noisy these days. In an atmosphere of fireworks, band sets and loudspeaker announcements, people are unable to pray peacefully, communicate and grow in fellowship. Churches are arranging band sets, fireworks and mike announcements and colourful electric illumination to attract more people to the feast celebration. The increase and intensity of these things destroy the intention of feast celebrations. It seems the organisers are keen to increase the offerings or income from the feast celebration every year. The increase in offerings/ income seems to be the measure to determine the success of the feast!
The practice of cooking of food and food offering (Oottu nercha) on the feast location should be reconsidered. These things and other above-mentioned style of celebrations are actually eliminating the spirituality of feasts.
Small churches blindly follow the celebrations of a popular feast in a bigger church. The desire to project the miracle powers of saints, whose feasts are being celebrated, in an exaggerated manner is also increasing. The intercessory power of a saint is not something which should be advertised. Faithful get God’s grace through the intercession of saints. That doesn’t need any advertisement. Whoever receives that grace should inform others through self-inspiration. Artificial propaganda about the intercessory powers of a saint would always create a wrong notion. There are people who create new customs and practices to attract more people to feast celebrations.
Before urbanisation took roots, church premises were earlier used to buy essential items during feast occasions. It was a necessity during earlier years. At a time when urbanisation has become a reality and the number of super markets and malls has increased, it needs to be pondered whether church premises should be used for business activities. In order to attract more people, there is no justification to use the culture of consumerism. Jesus Christ chased away merchants and money-changers from Jerusalem church during the Passover festival. “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers,” says Mathew 21:13. He took the whip against the injustice done through business and money-changing. If an equivalent injustice happens in the church premises during a feast celebration, Jesus will oppose it.
It is seen that a major part of the offerings is require to meet the expenses of feast celebration. Is it justifiable to squander church offerings in such manner? When believers filled with piety and faith give offerings, shouldn’t it be used for worshiping God and charity work among poor people? Are people who are attracted by outward artificial programmes or genuine believers putting more offerings? As Jesus said, aren’t poor widows putting more money in church offering box? Aren’t these holy offerings being spent in an unholy manner? Feast celebrations are now becoming contradictions of piety. The journey from this contradiction to the right path is bumpy and difficult. For the smooth functioning of a parish, we have the good tradition of laity with good leadership style working with priests. This tradition should continue forever. However, some among the laity argue for outward celebrations stand for worldly things and oppose tooth and nail when priests and diocesan leaders put curbs. Such people put hurdles against reformation in feast celebrations. So church general body meeting, committees and spiritual organisations should think and deliberate for a proper formation of ideas.
It’s high time that feast celebrations got a new structure and character.
Neduvannoor parish in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly recently collected money for feast celebrations but they decided to drop fireworks and used that money to construct houses for two poor families. Kunnapillyssery parish dropped fireworks in the last two years and used that money to distribute saplings. Kandanad parish has also adopted this practice. These practices are so good. Likewise, many parishes have strictly controlled over-spending and pompous celebrations and used that money for charitable purposes. If only all the churches follow this practice in an era when fireworks are leading to tragic accidents...
We should understand the incongruence in celebrating the feasts of saints, who are models of simplicity, in a lavish and pompous style. We should bring our lives to an experience in spiritual celebration through Jesus Christ and the models set by saints. What make our feast celebrations more meaningful are worship, sermons, processions with songs and prayers, cultural programmes giving messages about Christianity and charitable work aiding poor and marginalised people that will help in spiritual growth and leading a holy life.
We should reform the feast celebrations in line with the guidance and leadership of Pope Francis who exhorted the Catholic Church to follow a simple life. We should make feast celebrations as the pinnacle of a spiritual experience. We should make feast celebrations as Christian witnesses of good charitable purposes and as a social obligation. We should salvage feast celebrations from fireworks and pomp.
(Translated from Malayalam)
