Multi-crore opulent churches: For whom?

 Did Jesus build any church? No. He was born in a manger. He lived among the poor, sinners, prostitutes and tax collectors and cared for them. He proclaimed the Good News of salvation. He died on the cross, that too in the most insulting way of that period. However, his followers are now busy building opulent and extravagant churches. More and more parishes of the influential Syro Malabar Church are now hankering for imposing structures. 

 Should there be a moratorium on building costly churches? We need good Church buildings, but they shouldn't be multi-crore ones to compete or showcase the power and money or to earn more money.

  Jesus, who was born and died a Jew, went to the synagogues to teach -- not to build new synagogues. But the new thinking in the Church curia is: let there be magnificent and luxurious church buildings. In fact, there's competition among Syro Malabar parishes to build tony, expansive churches. A parish in Navi Mumbai recently decided to demolish a beautiful 19-year old structure – not 900 years old -- and go for a bigger and spacious three-storied church.
  The number of Catholic parishes -- more so in Syro-Malabar Church -- which seem to have joined the mad race to build impressive edifices is increasing. In Kerala, every third church is under renovation or reconstruction. Saving the souls is now secondary. This is also at a time when people, even faithful, don't have roof over their heads, and struggling to keep both ends meet. Spending crores of rupees on opulent churches is an atrocious idea in a country like India where a sizeable number of people live below the poverty line. Remember what Acts 7:48-50 says: “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: “‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?’"
 Often, rich people in the parish are roped in cleverly and they don't mind diverting part of the black money generated from their businesses for church construction. Yes, the sad part is that church authorities are after these people for big construction activities of the church. Parishioners are given specific amount as contribution for church construction. There was a complaint from auto rickshaw driver in Kerala who was unable to give his share of Rs 35,000 for church construction in his parish. The result was that his daughter's baptism was blocked until he cleared his dues. There was another complaint in North Kerala about overestimating the construction cost and money collected from poor people getting diverted to the pockets of some people.   
 The multi-crore new church in Edappalli, Kerala, had recently raised many eyebrows. “It is a sin before God if the money offered by faithful is used for luxury instead of utilising it for social welfare projects or to help the needy,” Cardinal George Alencherry said while consecrating the Rs 50 crore church.
 While a section of people feel Cardinal could have prevented Edappalli parish from wasting Rs 50 crore on a new church building, there's also a demand that the Syro-Malabar Church should put a moratorium on building new churches. "Won’t it be right and proper, for the whole Church in India to declare a moratorium on new churches made of brick and mortar and concentrate on repairing and rebuilding ever so many domestic churches of flesh and blood going to pieces because of the too many unforeseen challenges facing families today," writes Dr James Kottoor, Editor-in-Chief in Church Citizens’ Voice (CCV).

 Why are churches going in for costly renovations, expansions and remodelling? Is the idea to remain contemporary and show its prowess to the world? Is it to proclaim to the world we are big and powerful? In fact, Jesus never built any church. Nor did he ask his followers to build churches for worship. When his disciples called his attention to look at the huge stones with which Jerusalem temple was built (That was the architectural wonder of his times) he told them flatly: Not a stone upon a stone will be left intact, Kottoor wrote in an article.

  In Europe, Church constructed huge buildings many decades ago. That's history. Most of them are either lying closed or auctioned off with some churches eventually getting converted into hotels and liquor bars.

 When the woman at the well asked Jesus where the Jews worshiped: “In that temple or this, on that mountain or this?” Jesus’ answer was: “Time has come to worship God in spirit and truth in the cave of one’s own heart, and not on that temple or this.” “Neither did Jesus go to any temple to pray. He went there to teach and chase out buyers and sellers. To pray he went in search of solitudes on mountain tops. In fact his instruction to all was to pray in silence closing all the five doors of our senses,” Kottoor’s article says.

 Are we embracing, as Pope Francis said, a “disposable” culture which is now spreading? Is the life of the Church turning into a museum piece or something which is the property of a select few? “Remember, the Church is not a toll house; it is the house of the Father, where there is a place for everyone, with all their problems,” Pope reminds us in Evangelii Gaudium (or The Joy of Gospel). Unfortunately, many parishes don’t have time for that as they are busy in renovations and construction. The focus of the church should be evangelization and saving souls for Jesus. 

 Are we now serving God or mammon?