INTERVIEW WITH BISHOP MAR THOMAS ELAVANAL
By Sheena George & Nelson C. J.
Soft-spoken and affable Mar Thomas Elavanal, Bishop of
Kalyan Diocese, never minces words while talking about various issues
related to the faithful and the diocese. In an interview, Mar Elavanal
spoke about vocation, maintaining a personal relationship with God,
Catholic teachings and ways to tackle inroads by Protestants, sustaining
faith and the need to maintain a watch over children while using new
technologies like internet and smart phone. Excerpts:
As we celebrate the year of consecrated life, how can we, as parents, encourage our children to take up this as their vocation?
Vocation is a call from God. First of all what we need is
prayer from the part of parents. Second, set a good example to the
children. Everyday my parents used to go to church and in the morning
they used to pray Rosary for us. So I was always attached to the church…
and as an altar boy I used to recite the prayers in Syriac language. I
still remember how my parents used to talk about priests. With at most
respect they used to talk about them, like they are men of God. If a
priest visited our home, my mother would go and kneel before him and
kiss his hands. If she cooked something special at home, we children
were entrusted to take a share of it to the parish priests. Actually my
parents never asked me whether I wanted to become a priest. My two
sisters are nuns and my brother is a priest. Some of the examples of
priests also motivated me to become a priest.
At home, if the parents talk negatively about priests, children will
never get an idea to become a priest or nun. To conclude, I would say
that the vocation to priesthood is a gift of God and I got this gift of
God, the vocation, through my parents. So the parents should take up the
responsibility to make the children understand that it’s a sublime
vocation.
Your Excellency, do you think Sunday catechism and family
unit meetings are enough for children, or even adults, to get into a
personal relationship with Jesus? If not, what else is necessary?
Sunday school is helping the children and youth to grow in
faith. Theoretical knowledge about faith can be given
through Sunday school. There also, children need good examples to get a
conviction about what they learn in Sunday school. In school or college,
or to become a good engineer, theoretical knowledge is sufficient. But
faith is a conviction. That’s why after teaching the disciples for 3
years Jesus asked them: "who do you say I am?" This He asked to know
whether they got the conviction "who He is". So whenever I talk to
Catechism teachers I tell them to give the children living examples and
conviction about what they learn.
Last week, when we priests were
attending a retreat conducted by Fr Dominic Valanmanal, he spoke about
his life experience of living in faith. That motivated me very much.
Maybe I have learned the same or even more about faith theoretically but
his life example inspired me. Good relationship with Jesus will give a
good relationship with the church also. A good relationship with Jesus
will always reflect in the relationship with our brethren and with the
church. So children will never go away from the church when they become
youth if they have good relationship with Jesus.
How can we prevent ourselves from getting into the trap of protestant teachings?
First of all, this happens because of our lack of
knowledge about our faith. We don’t know how to answer their questions
or express the correct knowledge about our faith... hence we can get
easily influenced by them. That’s why faith formation must be a
continued process. So we must have a platform to discuss our doubts. In
Catholic Church, we have three fortresses to protect our faith: 1. Word
of God; 2. The Magisterium or the official teaching of the church and 3.
The Sacred tradition or the teachings of the Fathers of the church. In
Catholic Church, the deposit of faith is never the teaching or
interpretation of one person, it’s the collective teaching. Unlike
protestant teachings, Catholic Church gives importance to the Sacred
traditions as a source of faith. it's never a thought or interpretation
of one person. It must always fall in line with or in the light of the
tradition of the church. It’s a teaching of 2,000 years. So in order not
to get influenced by wrong teachings, we must have platforms to discuss
and clear our doubts. Hence an ongoing adult faith formation is a must.
I know about one such platform. Parents’ (who are waiting in the church
to take their children back home from Catechism classes) get together
on Sundays and a resource person to guide them. Whenever we get doubts
about venerating Mother Mary or about matters of faith like purgatory
etc., we must have such platforms for discussion to clarify our doubts.
But somebody must be guiding the discussion.
As inter-caste marriages are on the rise in the diocese, what can be done about the situation? What's your assessment?
Why do we discourage inter-caste marriages? In marriage,
God is bringing together two persons, making them one in body, mind and
spirit. They have to be one in faith to be one in spirit. If faith is
not one, they can never become one in spirit. Actually speaking, they
cannot pray together. Even ideologically, they can be one. But the
foundation is not stable. If the one partner, who is not in Christian
faith, is willing to change his/ her faith then you can say it’s a
little better than keeping their different faith and getting married. In
that case, you can say it's 75 per cent solved. Because there are cases
of conversion and there are people who faithfully keep it. So if
somebody does that (conversion), it should not be as a mask just to
enter into marriage.
When the partners keep their different faith and
get married, what about their children? I say this inter-caste marriage
is a crime against their children. Which faith should they follow? Who
will teach them? They are confusing their children. The Bible teaches no
marriage is allowed with non-believers because you will lose your
faith. But unfortunately many a time we have to give the consent letter.
You know why? Some parents who are living in good faith find their
children adamant in marrying someone from different faith.
Seeing these
parents' tears and fearing that if they're not allowed to marry in the
church we may lose both, we give the consent. So to keep at least one in
the Church we give dispensation. But that (inter-caste marriage) is not
considered as a sacrament. To receive the sacrament of matrimony, both
the partners must be Catholics. I take classes for the youth and when
they understand the teaching even they say this kind of marriage must
not be allowed in the Church.
What are the challenges before the diocese at present and
in the coming years? Has the diocese been able to take the message of
Jesus to interior regions of Maharashtra?
We have four missions. I can say, to a great extend, we
are able to take the message of Christ. Sangli mission is the topmost.
There we have social and charitable activities -- Christ witnessing
events. There was one priest in one of the villages. Every morning he
used to pray before the Holy Eucharist in the church. He told the
villagers if they have any prayer intentions they can give it to him so
that he can pray to God about it. One day, villagers asked whether they
can join the prayers. The priest agreed and together they started
praying. It so happened that the villagers found their intentions
answered and the number of people increased like 25-30.
One day, when I
visited this place they were praying. All of them were Hindus but they
were praying around the Holy Eucharist. All came to greet me touching my
feet. The end result was that a whole village received our faith and we
have a parish there just for Marathi people. There was nobody to oppose
as the whole villagers took the decision together and not one person.
It’s a small village comprising only 35 people.
We don’t have any challenges at present or even recent times for our
diocese. In most of the places, there is an understanding between us and
other communities. The advantage they see is that we work for the poor
out of love for our Lord and as per His commandment. We had crisis
situation before but not at present. We have 185 priests in the diocese
including the mission areas.
How can we prevent the young generation from endangering
themselves by modern technology? For example, smart phones and internet
etc...
A conscientisation must be given to the youth about this
through classes. We must keep a watchful eye on them. Only parents can
give that. Even in seminaries, our brothers are not allowed to use
personal cell phones. The use of computer by our children must be given
even more vigilant attention. Even though modern technologies have made
our life easier, it has many adverse effects as well. Distraction from
their studies is one of them. An enticing or tempting world has been
created by the digital world. So we have to be all the more watchful or
else there is every chance that our children will go wayward.
How can we encourage our youth to get involved in religious work?
What I suggest is give them various responsibilities,
guiding them from behind and correcting them whenever necessary. That
will make them more responsible and confident. When I visited Kalewadi
parish, Pune, I saw the second trustee was a young person -- from the
youth section. I was surprised. Children born and brought up in Kerala
are prompted to do things more responsibly than their counterparts in
Mumbai. Here in Mumbai, they are provided with whatever they need. So
they are not that self responsible. So it is better to train them,
giving responsibilities at a young age itself. Then they will do church
work without any reluctance. Entrusting them with responsibilities,
having confidence in them and giving proper guidance and correction are
necessary to make them responsible.
How can we the parishioners help you in your ministry?
What I feel is that members of Kalyan Diocese are a group
of people who love the church and the diocese. It's not me alone... but
also the priests who have visited here feel the same. People are more
co-operative here than in Kerala. It's not because here it is a small
number, but here we are responsible to build everything for us. In
Kerala, everything is provided. Here we can have a church only if we
personally contribute.
Each person plays an important role. Major
Archbishop visited various churches in our diocese. After visiting these
churches, the Major Archbishop asked me, how were you able to build
these beautiful churches? I had to tell him, here in our diocese, we
have people who are generously supportive and who collaborate with the
church. It's because of the people of God we are able to build. Here we
feel a sense of belongingness.
Your Excellency has turned 67 years, the diocese is 27
years old and this is your 18th year as Bishop. What do you feel when
you look back all these years?
I have satisfaction and joy. When I say joy, I didn’t have
any crisis situation at all. Satisfaction because Lord has done many
things for our diocese like helping us build churches, buying places
etc. We needed a minor seminary and a pastoral centre. All these we got
by His grace. That’s why this satisfaction. Another thing is we don’t
have any tension like big financial crisis or problems in relationship
between priests and the bishop or with the people.