We live a life puffed up with conceit these days

  It's very common to see people, especially Christians, puffed up with conceit these days. They look for admiration, boast of their power and influence and, as Pope Francis says, "make themselves seen" with their life full of vanity.

They have no qualms about showing excessive pride in or admiration of one's own appearance or achievements. This is vanity. Vanity is something that can keep you away from Christ. He often rebuked those who boasted. We show one-upmanship, try to look down upon others and pretend “hey, I’m better than you…. have more knowledge and a higher position than you.”

  Who is behind vanity? It’s devil, the father of all liars and iniquities. We’re all in a make-believe world. We fantasize a lot. Vanity, the Pope says, "is a particularly grave spiritual illness":

 When you help the poor, don't sound the trumpet, do it secretly. The Father sees it, and that is enough. The Bible very clearly says that when you get adulation and praises for the charity or tithing in this world, you have already got back in return what you deserved. We often want others to know that ‘I have given this amount to charity or church’.

  If you do it secretly in such a way that your right hand doesn’t know what your left hand is doing, you will get a bigger prize from the Father in Heaven. Our biggest worry should be: Are we sharing enough with others? Like disciples did after the ascension of Jesus into Heaven. Most of us are amassing much more wealth than we actually need.

 Similarly, when you pray, the Lord warned, do not do it to be seen, do not pray so that people will see you; "pray in secret, go to your room."

  Most of us Christians are Sunday Christians. We run around to make more and more money for six days and on Sundays, we go to church and let others also know that ‘I’m also a Christian’. There would be dinners, receptions, cultural programmes and meetings, quietly adding to the clericalism bedeviling the church these days. Praise and worship take a backseat.

 "Christians who live that way for appearances, for vanity, seem like peacocks, they strut about like peacocks," Pope recently said in a homily. Good description. Peacocks love to display their colourful feather in bright sunshine.

 Listen to what he says. “They are the people who say, ‘I am a Christian, I am to that priest, to that sister, to that bishop; my family is a Christian family.’ They boast. What about your life with the Lord? How do you pray? Your life in the works of mercy, how's that going?”

 "How many Christians live for appearances?” he asks. Their life seems like a soap bubble. The soap bubble is beautiful, with all its colours! But it lasts only a second, and then what? Likewise, our money can disappear in a second. We can become bankrupt. A serious illness can strike a close family member, which can bring us back to senses. Seek Jesus before such dreadful things happen in our life. It won’t happen then. But we kneel down for hours of prayers after getting hit.

 “Do I do good? Do I seek God? Do I pray?” Pope asks. But we don’t have the time and inclination.

 The life in this world is finite. It ends one day. The life of a man is not more than 80 or 85 years. After that, what? As Pope Paul VI said, the bare earth awaits us, this is our final truth.

  We’re caught up in this world’s activities. We pretend that we’re busy.

 Most of us behave as if we are going to live for 1000 years. No. When we die much before that… we have to leave our power, money, position and influence in this world. Only our soul will go to the Creator, depending on our life in this world. We should try to remind ourselves about this fact at least once daily.

The most challenging and adventurous belief…

 When you enter the church, what’s the most important, or rather the most sacred, in the sanctum sanctorum? Is it the statue of Mother Mary or St Alphonsa or St George? “No, it’s not,” says Rev Fr Wilson Kannanaikkal, a preacher with over 25 years of priestly experience.

 “It’s the Holy Eucharist in the church which is the most sacred and important in the church. We don’t realize it. It may be due to ignorance or negligence of pure indifference.” Of course, you should seek the prayers and intercession of saints. You should follow in their footsteps.

 For an outsider, it’s just a piece of bread. It doesn’t make sense for him. “But the fact is that it’s Jesus which is present in the bread. “Your eyes should focus on the Holy Eucharist… not on the statues of Mother Mary or St Teresa. You must surrender yourself completely to Jesus in the Eucharist,” says Rev Fr Wilson who conducted a three-day retreat in Little Flower Church, Nerul, Navi Mumbai.

 Eucharist is a mystery. You have to believe in this mystery first, the most challenging and adventurous belief.

 When Rev Fr Wilson was serving in a parish in Kerala, a nun told him about visiting a church in a place called Pathanamthitta which is about 125 kms away from his parish, to see a Eucharistic miracle. 

  “Why should we go there?” the priest asked. “People saw the image of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist in a church there,” the nun said. Rev Fr Wilson nearly fell off his chair. “I was shocked, surprised and angry. The bread becomes the body of Christ during the Holy Mass. Holy Eucharist is the body of Christ in all the churches where Holy Mass is conducted,” said Rev Fr Wilson.

  “When I say the Holy Mass in my church, the bread becomes the body of Jesus. Why should I go to Pathanamthitta to see that miracle. I’m experiencing it every day,” Rev Fr Wilson said. The poor nun actually failed to fully understand Holy Eucharist. Here the actual substance of the bread and wine is changed into the body and blood of Christ, but the physical aspects or outward appearances of the bread and wine remain as before. This is called transubstantiation. Several miracles of Eucharist turning into flesh have also been reported from around the world.

  Narrating another incident relating to the ignorance about Eucharist, Rev Fr Wilson said, “a 58-year old nun attended a one-week retreat. After the retreat, she came to me and said… ‘I experienced Jesus through Holy Eucharist for the first time during the retreat.’ Remember, for nearly 50 years she was receiving Holy Communion without the full understanding that it was the body of Jesus Christ.”

  Believers are taking it for granted. “Surrender fully to Jesus. Show total commitment to Holy Eucharist. Then your life will change,” Rev Fr Wilson said. “But most of us go to the church like beggars. We have a list of demands. We want all our demands to be met. And we don’t show any commitment to the Holy Eucharist.”   

Don’t fight with God… you can’t win

 Can you fight with God? You can’t… and you shouldn’t fight with God. If you fight with God, you can’t win.

  People leave a church over piddling issues. “It may be a small issue like the parish committee rejecting your proposal on something. Then you walk out in a huff. Remember that you are walking away from the Eucharist… from real Jesus,” he says.

 He says this is like fighting with God. “When somebody walks out in this manner, you (fellow parishioners) should try to convince that person and bring him back. If he still doesn’t come back, then leave where he is,” says Rev Fr Wilson.

  Ditto is the case when a person jumps from the church to another religious group. “You’re then fighting with God… and going into the darkness,” he says.

 “People who say that God doesn’t exist are also fighting with God. It’s their arrogance that comes out when they fight with God,” Rev Fr Wilson said.

“There’re some people who have no time for God and church. They are always busy. But when a major crisis happens in their families, they turn to God,” he said. Narrating an incident, he said, “when a ‘busy’ businessman fell sick he went to a doctor. The doctor said they will have to do a biopsy. He was on his knees praying for the next 15 days till the biopsy result came.” If he was on his knees before God earlier, he wouldn’t have encountered this ordeal.

      

         

When catechesis and Mass make way for cultural celebrations…

 What does it mean when a parish drops catechesis and a Mass on a Sunday and celebrates a cultural festival with film songs and dance numbers? This is purely spiritual worldliness lurking behind a fascination with social and cultural gain, or pride in their (believers) ability to manage such cultural programmes. My personal opinion is that it’s like going to the level of a culture club or a social institution.
 This is now happening  in many of our parishes.
  I won’t blame the clergy. For, in parishes, it’s the laity which takes the lead in conducting such programmes. And very often, this originates from a concern to be seen, in a social life full of appearances, meetings, lunches, dinners and receptions. Often clergy is forced to accept and approve such insidious worldliness propounded by closed and elite laity groups. To borrow the words of Pope Francis, they all have the same pretence of “taking over the space of the Church”.
 These laity groups raise funds for music, dance, shamiana and lavish spread of food without any murmur or protest. Ironically, these groups are nowhere to be seen when a charismatic retreat or a prayer meeting or adoration is conducted in the church. The priest runs from pillar to post to get people and money for spiritual programmes. This is what provoked me to write this stuff.

  The organizers of cultural programmes may have 200 reasons to justify their cultural extravaganza in place of catechesis and Mass on a Sunday. My personal opinion is that they are replacing religious fervour by the empty pleasure of self-indulgence and hedonism. In the name of culture and tradition, song and dance numbers were belted out. 
 Do we need to teach children about culture or Jesus? The principal beneficiary of such cultural programmes is not God’s people but the institutionalised church.

 Please don’t think that I’m quoting Pope out of context or extrapolating his comments to justify my opinion and beliefs. Maybe or may not be. As a writer and a journalist I have the freedom to choose my words. 

 To quote Pope Francis again, “the mark of Christ, incarnate, crucified and risen, is not present” during such programmes. As he says, closed and elite groups are formed, and no effort is made to go forth and seek out those who are distant or the immense multitudes who thirst for Christ. Moreover, expectations and hopes of children are given a different orientation, leading to the loss of spiritual fervour. Instead of opening the door to God’s grace, we exhaust our energies in arranging cultural programmes, receptions and lunches.

 I think we can consider such tendencies as “manifestations of an anthropocentric immanentism” so forcefully expressed by Pope Francis. The church, as Pope says, shows a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism, whereby instead of evangelizing, one analyses and classifies others, and instead of opening the door to grace, one exhausts his or her energies in inspecting and verifying.

 There’s no wonder when the same church organises a charismatic retreat or a prayer meeting or adoration, only a handful of people turn up.

  We see an ostentatious preoccupation for such meetings, programmes and dinners and for the Church’s prestige, but without any concern that the Gospel have a real impact on God’s faithful people and the concrete needs of the present time.
  “In this way, the life of the Church turns into a museum piece or something which is the property of a select few,” Pope Francis said in ‘Evangelii Gaudium’. “If something should rightly disturb us and trouble our consciences, it is the fact that so many of our brothers and sisters are living without the strength, light and consolation born of friendship with Jesus Christ, without a community of faith to support them, without meaning and a goal in life,” it says.

Tackle rejection from your dear ones… with Jesus in Gethsamane

 Some of us might have faced rejection from our relatives, friends and colleagues. It’s a sensitive situation that can put you off for a long time a la the dying embers in the grate. This can happen in your house, workplace and even in the church.

 Rejection can be a harrowing experience if it comes from your close relatives. You’re completely at a loss, not knowing how to tackle it. Should you retaliate? And any retaliation can become a permanent fissure.

  Brother Thomas Paul, a Catholic charismatic preacher who comes on Shalom television channel frequently, says this can be tackled quite comfortably. In fact, you should happy when you face rejection or insult from your close people.

  Bro Paul once went to the UK for preaching some time ago. When he reached the UK, one family invited him to stay in their house. The lady of the house was keen that Bro Paul should stay in their house. He asked why. “I have many things to say about my personal life. I need your counseling and prayers,” she said.

  Bro Paul listened to her story. It was a story of rejection and slight from family members, relatives and friends. She was leading a wretchedly unhappy life. “I prayed for her. I saw a vision where Jesus was praying in Gethsemane. I saw this lady consoling Jesus in the vision,” Bro Paul said.

  Jesus knew what was going to happen next – His capture, trial and crucifixion.

  Read Luke 22:36-40: Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”  Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Not my will , but your will be done” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked.

  Imagine the degree of persecution, rejection, humiliation, insult and the physical assault that Jesus faced after Gethsamane. What you or I are facing is nothing when compared to that harrowing experience. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you,” says John 15:18.  

  “When you encounter rejection and slight from your family members,       

think about Jesus in Gethsamane. She was pleasantly surprised when I told her about the vision. She became overjoyed when I mentioned about seeing her consoling Jesus. Her sorrows and despair disappeared when she realized that she is consoling Jesus whenever she faced rejection and insult from her dear ones,” Bro Paul said.

 You should be happy when you face rejection and insult from your dear ones for no fault of yours.   

 You are likely to come across rejection and insults in the future also. Don’t get despondent and dispirited, you’re with Jesus. He will never forsake you. What you must do without fail is pray for people who reject or insult you. You must pray that the Spirit of God should act on them.  Jesus said to His disciples, “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me”: Luke 10:16.

 You’re in Gethsamane with Jesus.   

Why God’s call is missing in several countries? Why churches were shut down?

  What’s the status of the church in European countries? Where’re the priests and nuns? “When I visited the UK some years ago, I was shocked to hear that 14 out of 15 churches in a region closed down. Some of them were sold and became Sikh Gurdwaras, some of them turned into Hindu temples and Muslim mosques…,” says Rev Fr Mathew Elavumkal, VC.

 “There’re no believers. Convents have closed down. There’s no one to listen to God’s call and accept priesthood as a vocation,” says Fr Mathew, an inspiring Catholic charismatic preacher who touched and changed the lives of many people across the world. Through his powerful sermons and prayers, he has brought many believers and non-believers closer to Jesus. I happened to hear the sermon of Rev Fr Mathew, who is also the Director of Divine Retreat Centre, Kerala, India, at the Marian Convention organized by St Mary’s Church, Nakapuzha, Kerala, recently.

 The scenario is bad in Rome, where the headquarters of the Catholic church  -- Vatican -- is situated. I have noticed that every third building in Rome is a church, but most of them wear a deserted look. Even Sunday masses are sparsely attended. It was missionaries from European countries who spread Christianity across the world some five centuries ago. Now developing countries like India are sending priests to European countries to man their churches.

  “If we want more priests and nuns in our church, we should stop this practice of having only one or two children in our families. Parents should be role models for the children, we should take them to the altar of our Lord,” he says. In Holy Bible, please read 1 Samuel 3:1-10. Samuel was a young boy serving in the temple when he heard a voice calling his name. He assumed this voice was that of the priest, Eli. Eventually, Eli realized that Samuel was hearing God’s voice calling to him and instructed him to respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." Samuel needed Eli to tell him that the voice he heard was God’s. He didn’t recognize God’s voice on his own.

 You will get a priest from a good family which follows our Lord Jesus. “If we get good children in our families we can help them hear or understand God’s call. It’s a myth that God calls only children from poor families. Children in rich families are not hearing God’s call. They are busy with their worldly life,” Rev Fr Mathew says.

  He says family life is also an equally important God’s call. “God will find a partner for you in the marriage life. It’s not you or your parents or a marriage bureau which should get a partner for you. When you enter into a marriage vow, you will be filled with the paternity and maternity from God. You become a husband and wife only through the sacrament of marriage,” he says.

  Rev Fr Mathew narrated an incident: Parents of a six-year old child came to him. “This child had several bad habits… which I’m not mentioning as children are sitting here. When I talked to the parents, they told me they used to watch porn movies after the marriage to get maximum pleasure. This child was born when they were indulging in such sexual pleasures. Hebrew 13:4 says ‘let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous’.”

  In short, when husband and wife get a child when they were indulging in worldly pleasures and leading a sinful life, that child will have some handicap. It can be mental or emotional or psychological handicap.

 Rev Fr Mathew spoke about a married woman. This woman and her mother came to him when the wife was pregnant and one doctor said the growth of unborn child in the womb is weak and the child, when born, could become mentally retarded. “I strongly advised them not to abort the child. Anything is possible for God. Years later, I saw this woman at a retreat centre. She cried and told me they disregarded my advice and aborted the child. While aborting the child something happened and her uterus got infected. Her uterus had to be removed,” he said.

  While her unborn child was killed, she wouldn’t be able to conceive again. She went into depression. Rev Fr Mathew asked her why she aborted the child against his advice. She said her mother prevailed upon her to get rid of the child as she didn’t want a mentally retarded child.

  When it comes to heeding to God’s call, a country like India is in a better position. But Rev Fr Mathew says there’re ominous signs. Lets pray that more people listen to God’s call – be it for priesthood or family life.

  

‘If you avoid the protection of the church, you may get trapped by devil’

 Is there salvation outside the church? No, says Rev Dr Joseph Pamplani, well-known Catholic theologian and preacher who has done some outstanding studies on the history and tradition of the church. “Church is the fortress set up by Jesus Christ where devil can’t enter. Church is the protective fortress for all believers,” he says emphatically.

 “When you are a member of the church, devil can’t defeat you,” Rev Fr Pamplani says. “Church is a sacrament of salvation. Jesus Christ formed a fortress which is not accessible to devil. This fortress is known as church,” he said at a Marian convention held as part of the feast of Mother Mary at Nakapuzha church in Kerala, India.

  “When you say that you’re a member of the church, that means you are living close to Mother Mary,” he says. Yes, the same Mother Mary who was entrusted to you by Jesus, through St John, minutes before He died on the cross. “Church is the gate of salvation.”    

 “When a believer gets out of this fortress of church for any reason discredit or dishonor priests, devil will catch that person. Narrating an incident from his childhood days, Rev Fr Pamplani says, “When I was young, it was my responsibility to put hen in a coop just outside the house in the evenings. However, some of the hen would avoid the coop and get on to the nearby tree and they would never come down to the coop. One night, we heard the loud sounds from the tree near the coop. A fox had come and took away one hen. It’s very simple. When this hen avoided the protection offered by the coop, it ended up in the hands of the fox,” he says.

 Likewise, if you avoid the protection offered by the church, you may get trapped by the devil. “There’s no hope for anybody outside the church. Here we’re not talking about other religions like Islam or Hindu etc. There’s only one person outside the church. That’s devil,” he says.

“All others are saved by the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. After becoming a believer, if you, at any stage, avoid going to the church or skip sacraments, there’s a chance that devil which comes in the form of a fox will catch you. Beware parents, if your kids avoid attending the church on Sundays and keep away from confessions, you need to be scared,” Rev Fr Pamplani says.

  Citing another example, he narrated an incident in a parish in Kerala. “A rich businessmen who owns a transport service filed a case against the parish claiming the parish appropriated 17 cents of land which, he claimed, originally belonged to him. I told the church committee members not to go for a case in a court and instead, return the land to the businessman. After six months, the businessman came running to me, saying he incurred massive losses in his business. Suspecting some curse on him, this businessman offered to return double of what he originally took away,” Rev Fr Pamplani says.

  He says church is the communion of people who strongly believe that nothing is impossible for God.  “For nothing is impossible with God," says Luke 1:37.  Yes, nothing is impossible for God -- this is what God conveyed to Moses in the Old Testament and Mother Mary in New Testament. Mother Mary believed that nothing is impossible for God.

  In a nutshell, what he says is: don’t lose that protective cover of the church. We must remain in that fortress in order to avoid the trap of devil.            

 Who gave us the Bible?

  “Who put together the Holy Bible in the current format?” asks Rev Fr Joseph Pamplani. There were thousands of Christian books, including ones written by St Thomas in the first two centuries after the death of Jesus. It was Pope Damasus, head of the Catholic church in 366-384, in his Decree, who listed the books of today's canon or the Holy Bible in the current form. The Council of Rome in 382 was apparently the forum which prompted Pope Damasus' Decree.

 

Why do you allow (evil) spirit to keep away Holy Spirit in baptism, wedding, house-warming parties

  When Jancy, the only daughter of Mr and Mrs Benno (names changed) got ready to receive the first Holy Communion some years ago, they were more than happy. They wanted to celebrate the occasion with much fanfare, in the presence of friends and relatives.

 On the D-day, the bishop of the diocese himself came personally to give the first Holy Communion to nearly a dozen children. Bishop spoke in detail about the significance and importance of the occasion. After the Holy Mass, Mr Benno, his family and friends went to the restaurant – cake was cut and wine served. So far so good.

  The “highlight” of the celebration then followed. He opened the liquor counter. He had stocked all varieties – rum, whisky, beer and brandy. Friends and relatives flocked to the liquor counter. Yes, liquor virtually flowed. Many people went home sozzled.

    This is a common sight, which is nothing but despicable and abominable, in Roman Catholic parishes. Think about this – your child is receiving Jesus Christ for the first time in his/her life. The Holy Spirit is coming into the body and spirit of the child. However, Mr Benno is inviting the evil spirit by consuming liquor and offering it to others as part of the “celebrations”. People like Mr Benno are destroying the holiness of the occasion with such practices. They play into the hands of devil. For one soul gained for Jesus, the devil takes away 15 others.

   I attended the wedding reception of the daughter of Mr and Mrs VG, my friends in my previous parish in Mumbai. After the marriage was solemnized in the church, people moved to the reception venue. The usual song and dance numbers were performed. There was not a single song or dance praising/ worshipping God. Vulgar songs from Hindi film songs were belted out. The dance numbers were equally shocking with scantily clad women gyrating to tawdry songs.

 The second part was alcohol. There was a bar on the one side of the reception area where people queued up with great enthusiasm and energy. My God. It’s shocking. The booze party actually started in the previous night. Liquor started flowing and the so-called men of God got drunk. The newly wed couple was united by God in a solemn service in the church. Then why should one indulge in this tamasha in the wedding reception. Do you think Jesus will approve of such things? Jesus will keep away from such occasions. You’re giving room to devil for his nefarious activities.

   I recently attended the house-warming party of a fellow Christian. It was the same story. Almost 75 per cent of the people in the party were sozzled and reeking of alcohol. Hours earlier, a priest had blessed the house. But the cocktail party ensured that evil spirit came back with a bang. Sad.          

   Bible clearly says against getting drunk. Says Galatians 5:21: “Envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

  I recently happened to hear a talk by Rev Fr Joseph Kochuparambil on Shalom television channel, warning against serving liquor during baptism and marriage celebrations. He also raised his voice against the trend of people getting drunk when their relatives pass away. Is it to drown their sorrows? No. Instead of praying for the soul of the departed father or mother, son gets sozzled. When the coffin lies in the living room of the house, drinking sessions go on for long hours in the bedroom. This is a reality in some Syro-Malabar Catholic families in Kerala, India. I don’t know whether this social ill is prevalent in European countries and the US.

  I have seen priests warning Christians against such “celebration”, but it continues without any fear or reverence towards Almighty God. People fail to understand the meaning of sacraments. They go by the world’s standards and stay away from Jesus and His teachings.

  My intention is not to run down Catholic families. This custom of serving liquor is devilish. For some it has become a matter of prestige and status to serve liquor during solemn occasions. Jesus can’t tolerate it. You’re keeping the Holy Spirit away by resorting to such odious practices.

 God is saying it directly. God completely disapproves drunkenness, whether it’s during wedding, baptism or any other occasion. You’re driving away the Holy Spirit. And the result is that the evil spirit then takes control of your life. It becomes a big bondage and you will lose the grace of God. Don’t play into the hands of devil. They forget what Bible says. Ephesians 5:18 says, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”

   We must stop this practice of serving liquor during wedding and baptism parties. If we can abolish it totally from our lives, Jesus will be the happiest. Evil ideas, thoughts and actions come to our mind after consuming alcohol. We can be sober in our life. That’s better for our life in this world and afterward.

‘This will not last long, two or three years, and then, to the House of the Father’

   Pope Francis has said he has another two or three years left before going to “the House of the Father”.

  When journalists asked Pope about how he perceives his “intense popularity”, he said he “thanks the Lord that His people are happy and for the generosity of the people”.  “Inside, I try to think of my sins and my mistakes so as to not believe that… because I know that this will not last long, two or three years, and then, to the House of the Father,” he said in an impromptu press conference aboard the papal plane after his visit to Korea.

He also spoke about the ongoing violence against Christians and other minorities in Iraq, and about plans for future foreign trips. Excerpts from an article published by Vatican Radio:

On persecution of Christians by fundamentalists of the Islamic State (IS):

 It is legitimate to halt the unjust aggressor. The methods used to halt the aggressor are to be evaluated. In these cases we must not forget how many times with the excuse of halting the unjust aggressor (…) have powerful nations taken possession of peoples and waged a war of conquest!” A single nation cannot judge how to stop an unjust aggressor. The United Nations is the right venue to discuss the issue. Persecuted Christians are close to his heart… there are also other minorities suffering persecution, and they all have the same rights.

On traveling to Kurdistan:

 Pope said he is ready to do so if it is deemed a good thing to do. At the moment, however, he pointed to the various initiatives undertaken by the Vatican, such as sending Cardinal Fernando Filoni, writing to the UN Secretary General, and writing a personal communiqué that was sent to all the nunciatures and governments in the area.     

On tensions and internal war in many nations:

  Today, we are in a world at war – everywhere! It is a world at war where these cruelties are carried out. Today, children don’t count. Once, one spoke of conventional warfare. Today, this doesn’t count.  I am not saying conventional warfare is a good thing, no.  But today a bomb goes off and you have an innocent killed with the guilty one, the child, with the woman, with the mother… they kill everyone. The level of mankind’s cruelty at this moment is a little frightening.

  Today, torture is one of the most – I’d say – ordinary methods of behavior of the intelligence services, of judicial process.  And torture is a sin against humanity; it is a crime against humanity. And to Catholics, I say: to torture a person is a mortal sin; it is a grave sin!

 On relations with China:

 Pope Francis said he happened to be in the cockpit when the plane was about to enter Chinese airspace. He said he “prayed intensely for that noble and wise people”. His thoughts turned to the Jesuits and to Father Matteo Ricci and expressed his love for the Chinese people. He also referred to the letter written by Benedict XVI regarding relations with China and said this letter is still very up-to-date and it is good idea to read it again. The Holy See is always open to be in touch, because it has true esteem for the Chinese people.

On his next trip:

 He referred to the history of Albania, which was unique among the communist nations in that its Constitution foresaw practical atheism. If you went to Mass, it was anti-constitutional” he said. And he recalled that 1820, churches were destroyed in Albania. So, today he feels the need to go there. Pope Francis also mentioned his desire to travel to Philadelphia next year for the World Meeting of Families and said he has received a “shower” of invitations from across the world including New York, Mexico and Spain. But, he said, nothing has been decided yet.

On relationship with Benedict XVI:

 (I) visited him before departure for Korea and discussed theological questions.  Benedict’s resignation a noble, humble and courageous gesture… (I) would consider doing the same. He opened a door which is 'institutional' not 'exceptional' ”.

On tough work schedule and vacation:

 He said he has taken some vacation time at home… (I) read an interesting book about being “happy to be neurotic". 

 I have some neuroses and you need to treat them well. I am a bit too attached to life.  The last time (I) had taken a vacation with the Jesuit community outside Buenos Aires was in 1975.  When (I) take time off now from busy schedule, I sleep more, read the things that I like, listen to music, pray more… In July and part of August I did this and it’s ok.

 On what he does every day while in the Vatican and the Santa Marta guesthouse:

  I think I’m free…There are the office, the work appointments… Sure, I’d like to be able to go out, but it’s not possible, not possible.”  Within Santa Marta, I have a normal life of work, rest, chatting. There are reasons for some of the constraints though “some walls have fallen.”

 On his latest encyclical on the environment in the works:

 It has been written with much collaboration from Cardinal Peter Turkson (President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace) and others, and it is still being revised. It is “one-third longer than ‘Evangelii Gaudium’ and that it posed many difficult questions, because  it is possible to discuss the stewardship of creation and ecology with clarity “only to a certain point, but then scientific hypotheses come into play, some feasible, and others perhaps not”. An encyclical that must adhere to the Magisterium must be based only on certainties.

  

On invocation of peace in Holy Land that took place in Vatican:

It was not a failure. The event sprung from the political leaders themselves, who could not find the right place to do it. Initially they wanted to organize it when the Pope was in the Holy Land in May in a neutral venue like the Nunciature. But that would have posed problems as the president of the State of Palestine would have had to enter Israel and it was not easy. So they said to me: “Let’s do it in the Vatican!” the Pope said. They are both men of peace. They are convinced that the only way forward is the way of negotiation and dialogue. And today that door is still open… were there to open the door of prayer. Peace is a gift and it was important to show humanity that the way of negotiation and dialogue is important, and it is not possible without prayer. Today, we cannot see that door through the smoke of the bombs, but it is open.

Excessive clericalism bedevilling Catholic church

  If there’s someone who consistently opposes the clerical attitude in the Roman Catholic Church, that’s the Pope himself. Time and again, Pope Francis has been broaching the subject of clericalism in the church, much to the discomfort of many in the church.

 He has understood that the menace of clericalism is at the root of most of the problems troubling the Catholic Church.

 According to Unam Sanctam Catholicam, clericalism is defined as a state of affairs in which there is an unnecessary or overly exaggerated importance attributed to clergy, in such a way that the laity relate to them as subjects to be ruled rather than a people to be lovingly pastored. “Basically, a clericalist ideology is one that places too much emphasis on the clergy or attributes undue importance to their actions. It is a defect of the virtue of temperance by excess as applied to the government of the Church,” it says.

  It has often led to sacramental blackmails in the church which are suppressed within its four walls.

 Last week, returning to one of his favourite themes of the Church as a field hospital for those who have been wounded, Pope Francis said God’s people are seeking and needing to be consoled. “The Church has many wounds and some of them have been caused by us, priests and practising Catholics,” he said.

 So often, he added, our “clerical attitudes” have done much damage to the Church. However, he continued, there are “no wounds that cannot be consoled by the love of God and priests are called to tend to these wounds, with the certainty that God will always bring forgiveness and hope”.

  In one of his homilies in December 2013, Pope Francis prayed, “Lord, free your people from a spirit of clericalism and aid them with a spirit of prophecy.” Pope Francis then said, in the Gospel, those who met Christ with a spirit of prophecy welcomed him as the Messiah, but without it, “the void that is left is occupied by clericalism; and it is this clericalism that asks Jesus, ‘By what authority do you do these things? By what law?”

  Writing in National Catholic Reporter, Robert McClory said, “clericalism is contagious, breeding a kind of mentality that revels in ecclesiastical ambition, status and power. For some, especially those attracted to the episcopacy, it often leads to indifference toward the experiences and needs of ordinary Catholics. It encourages the creation (or repetition) of teachings and regulations worked out in ivory-tower isolation from the real world.”

 “For many generations earnest, young male seminarians have been taught that they are aspiring to a higher level not available to the laity, a level at which they will have the authority to teach, sanctify and govern those below,” he says.

 “In effect, they become members of a kind of boys club that is warm, supportive and exclusive — and never breaks ranks. For what they give up, they can expect a relatively high standard of living and the respect, even adulation (at least until the abuse scandal hit), of their grateful congregations,” McClory writes.

 “Priests were so well respected that they were often times feared rather than loved, the sacraments so revered that their power was almost magical, the stress on clerical obedience so emphatic that independent thought was stifled, and the hierarchy exercised so much power that the priesthood became in effect a boundary restricting the faithful's access to God rather than an intermediary who brought their petitions to God,” says Unam Sanctam Catholicam.

 Will Pope succeed in eliminating clericalism from the Catholic Church? He himself set an example with his frugal lifestyle, avoiding pomp and pageantry, after becoming the Pope. It’s not going to be an easy task.

  Please read what Pope says in Evangelii Gaudium. “A clear awareness of this responsibility of the laity, grounded in their baptism and confirmation, does not appear in the same way in all places. In some cases, it is because lay persons have not been given the formation needed to take on important responsibilities,” Pope says.

  “In others, it is because in their particular Churches room has not been made for them to speak and to act, due to an excessive clericalism which keeps them away from decision-making. Even if many are now involved in the lay ministries, this involvement is not reflected in a greater penetration of Christian values in the social, political and economic sectors,” Pope writes. It often remains tied to tasks within the Church, without a real commitment to applying the Gospel to the transformation of society. The formation of the laity and the evangelization of professional and intellectual life represent a significant pastoral challenge, Pope says in the apostolic exhortation.

 The following incident is a classic case of clericalism happened over two years ago. Similar incidents are frequent in the Catholic world but remain unreported.

 An unmarried woman with a baby had to embark on a depressing pilgrimage around Buenos Aires city to find a place where she could have her baby baptised. She was turned away by priests.

 The Archbishop of the region questioned, “Why a poor girl, who has resisted the temptation to have an abortion and stood up at great cost to herself for the right to life should be persecuted in such a way.”

 The Archbishop reminded the priests that the young woman was requesting baptism for her child, not herself, and that they have no right to deny a sacrament in that manner.

“I say this with sadness and if it sounds like a complaint or an offensive comment please forgive me: in our ecclesiastical region there are presbyteries that will not baptise children whose mothers are not married, because they have been conceived outside holy wedlock,” a Vatican insider quoted the Archbishop as saying.

 The Archbishop said he was making a call to end what he called sacramental blackmail.

 He went on to speak about the hijacking of a sacrament, calling it an expression of a rigorous and “hypocritical neo-clericalism”, which uses the sacraments as tools to affirm its own supremacy.

 He was critical of priests for what he described as rubbing the fragility and the wounds of people in their faces by hosing down their hopes and expectations, simply because they do not fit squarely into parish requirements or live up to someone else’s moral expectation.

  He said that apart from being misleading, such pastoral models distort and reject the dynamic of Jesus Christ’s incarnation, which he pointed out cannot be reduced to a doctrinal slogan or used to serve the power hungry.

 The Archbishop was none other than Jorge Mario Bergoglio – currently Pope Francis. This happened months before his selection as Pope.

Nobody understands you? Then you need fellowship with Holy Spirit -- By Simmy Joshi

 “Nobody understands me,” my Mumbai-based cousin often tells me. 

 This is not her grouse alone. This is a common complaint that each one of us makes at one juncture or the other. I’m also not spared. I think there would hardly be any person who has not thought along these lines.

 One thing is clear: No relationship can completely satisfy you except in your association with the Lord. If you have put your relationship right with the Lord, all other relationships would flourish and grow effectively. That is, it enables us to remain satisfied and can satisfy others as well.

  So establishing constant and continual fellowship with the Lord is important for an individual to lead a contented and fulfilling life. This also gives you wisdom from God. “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority” (Col 2: 9 – 10 NIV).

 One needs to understand that you are blessed with a Heavenly Father who understands you completely. “God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us” (Act 15:8 NIV). The very thought of being understood by God is indeed refreshing to all of us. This assurance can relieve us of all the humongous and boundless efforts to impress others and gain their recognition and praise.

  Even in the most intimate and closest of relationships as marriage, the couple could remain clueless over certain behaviour or reactions even after long years of being together. This is true even for the couples who lead successful married life. This is not because of lack of communication or any other problems between them, but it is the reality that no person can understand another person fully. But the cravings for people to be understood do exist and so we get frustrated if this craving is not fulfilled in any of our relationships.

 To avoid frustration and other serious problems in our worldly relationships, one needs to establish a good relationship with the Lord. We also get the freedom from the constant efforts to please or satisfy us as well as other people around. God expect that from each one of us. “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15: 4 – 5 NIV). “But the Father will send the Friend in my name to help you. The Friend is the Holy Spirit. He will teach you all things. He will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (Romans 8: 10 NIV). 

  Thoughts about our Heavenly Father who understands and knows even our intentions are extremely relieving for a genuine and sincere person. This assurance would help us to tide over confrontations, accusations, criticisms and other negative life situations very easily. That is, we would no longer be affected by the small and big setbacks or upsets and other negative life situations that we confront on a daily basis. Through continual fellowship with the Lord we would be trained to look up to the Lord for the solution, rather than wasting time thinking about the issue and thereby getting deeply entangled in the issue. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41: 10 NIV). 

 If Christ takes control of us, we can live peacefully and happily.  

  In any relationship, say husband-wife; parent-child relationships; relationship between siblings, neighbours, friends, etc one cannot follow a clear-cut rule or policy to make it successful. There are lots of ups and downs in any relationship and it is the mental stability of the individual which helps him to attain the needed balance in any relationship. This state of mind (mental stability) can be attained only through the help of the Holy Spirit, the Helper whom God has given us. That is, only a spirit-filled person can take both negative and positive happenings with a peaceful mind. Holy Spirit would always fill us with the right thoughts, decisions and remind us what to speak, act and decide. “But the Father will send the Friend in my name to help you. The Friend is the Holy Spirit. He will teach you all things. He will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14: 26 NIV).

  If you sincerely urge for the infilling of the Holy Spirit you can become an anointed person and get freed from the worthless efforts to please people and the world. So take conscious efforts to taste and experience the gifts of the Holy Spirit and get better day by day...
 (The writer is a marine biologist based in Cochin)

THE GREAT EXODUS OF THIS CENTURY: Christianity finished in Iraq after 2000 years

 History is repeating itself. The painful saga of exodus in Bible is being reenacted in Iraq, one of the cradles of Christianity in the world. Christianity is now as good as extinct in the country after a series of religious cleansing, killings and exodus.
  Christians are fleeing on foot with no food, money or water to escape the wrath of ISIS militants. And it’s a pity that the conscience of the world has still not woken up. “Today the story of Christianity is finished in Iraq,” said a priest who identified himself as Fr. Nawar, according to CNA website.
 “People can’t stay in Iraq because there is death for whoever stays,” he was quoted as saying by CNA.
  Vatican is following with deep concern the dramatic news reports coming from northern Iraq, which involve defenseless populations. Christian communities are particularly affected: a people fleeing from their villages because of the violence that rages in these days, wreaking havoc on the entire region.
  In light of these terrible developments, Pope Francis renewed his spiritual closeness to all those who are suffering through this painful trial, and makes the impassioned appeals of the local bishops his own, asking together with them in behalf of their sorely tried communities, that the whole Church and all the faithful raise up with one voice a ceaseless prayer, imploring the Holy Spirit to send the gift of peace.
  Pope called on the international community to protect all those affected or threatened by the violence, and to guarantee all necessary assistance – especially the most urgently needed aid – to the great multitude of people who have been driven from their homes, whose fate depends entirely on the solidarity of others.
 The Pope also appealed to the conscience of all people, and to each and every believer he repeats: “May the God of peace create in all an authentic desire for dialogue and reconciliation. Violence is not conquered with violence. Violence is conquered with peace! Let us pray in silence, asking for peace; everyone, in silence....”
 The Obama administration announced late Thursday night that it had authorized “targeted airstrikes” to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and defend U.S. military advisors in the Iraqi capital of Irbil. It is also airdropping humanitarian aid to a Yazidi group trapped in the mountains of Sinjar without access to food or water.
  According to reports from BBC News, the Islamic State militants have taken down crosses and burned religious manuscripts.  Islamic State forces have given an ultimatum to Christians and other minorities demanding that they convert, pay the jizya tax or be killed.