Papers by Anthoniraj Thumma
Indian Currents, 2024
Through a Notification dated November 01, 2024 the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Go... more Through a Notification dated November 01, 2024 the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, has extended by a year the tenure of the Commission of Inquiry that was constituted on October 6, 2022 under the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1952, to examine whether Scheduled Castes (SC) status can be granted to individuals who have converted to religions other than Sikhism and Buddhism. This Commission headed by former Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan, comprises of former Indian Administrative Service officer Dr. Ravinder Kumar Jain IAS and University Grants Commission member Prof. (Dr.) Sushma Yadav as its members. According to the latest Notification, the Commission that was initially set to conclude its work on October 10, 2024, had sought additional time to finalise its report. It is now required to submit its report by October 10, 2025.
Actually, this data is not necessary at all for according the SC status because it is a constitutional and legal issue which is subjected to the socio-economic factors. On the other hand, the Commission is not mandated to examine this aspect and the Constitutional anomaly of granting SC status on the basis of religion. Hence, the very setting up this Commission, is a superfluous exercise, and extending its period for another year seems to be a ploy for further delaying of justice to the Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims that is already deferred for over 70 years. As it is rightly said: justice delayed is justice denied.
Smart Companion India, 2025
The Indian ecumenical movement denotes to the efforts to promote mutual understanding, unity, and... more The Indian ecumenical movement denotes to the efforts to promote mutual understanding, unity, and collaboration among various Churches in the country. It strives to overcome historical divisions and to foster common witness and service in the multi-religious and diverse cultural context of India. Christians in India have been among the pioneers of global ecumenical movement from the 19th Century. The western ecumenical historians often ignore this contribution of Indian Christians to the emergence of the 20th century global ecumenical movement. Beginning with indicating the main trends in the early stages, this article goes on to highlight the present trends in the ecumenical movement in India.
Counter Currents, 2024
Equal status to some sections of Indian citizens is being denied, divested and deprived and the d... more Equal status to some sections of Indian citizens is being denied, divested and deprived and the demand for it is being deferred, deterred and delayed. All the citizens are equal before the Constitution of India as all of them are accorded equal status and equal opportunities under Article 15. Nevertheless, in reality the Christians and Muslims of Scheduled Caste origin are treated as second class citizens. They are deprived of equal status and denied the constitutional rights and benefits. It is markedly evident that they, popularly known as the Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims, are thrice discriminated: (1) by the Government / State which deprives them of the equal status, fundamental rights, representation and protection; (2) by the society in which they live, which practises discrimination against them steeped as it is in the culture of casteism; and (3) by some sections within their own communities which follow the caste practices being part of the larger caste ridden society.
This article underscores the denial of equality and justice for the last 75 years to the Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims by divesting them of Scheduled Caste status and constitutional rights on the basis of their religion. It highlights the issue of this constitutional anomaly being prolonged despite their struggles for equal status and recommendations of various panels. Attempting to counter the objections and arguments that are put forward for denying them their fundamental rights, this article endeavours to dispel the presumed assumptions and misgivings that justify the anomaly. It is written in the context of setting up of Justice K G Balakrishnan Commission and extending of its period recently, which seems to be another excuse for further delaying of justice to the Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims; verily, justice delayed is justice denied.
The Herald, Kolkata, December 13 -19, 2024, 2024
Apart from the observations by various courts, the demand for an enactment of a legislation on Ch... more Apart from the observations by various courts, the demand for an enactment of a legislation on Church properties is being raised time and again by some Christians too. They keep lobbying with the Government Departments of the Centre and States for the same. In the past, attempts have been made by the Government of India and some State Governments such as Kerala and Andhra Pradesh to enact a legislation on Church properties and institutions. However, the national Church bodies like the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) and its regional units like the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC), Andhra Pradesh Bishop’s Council (APBC), now called Telugu Catholic Bishops’ Council (TCBC), and recently after the above mentioned High Court’s observation, Tamil Nadu Bishops’ Council (TNBC) have objected to setting up of Government Board on Church properties. Similarly, the ecumenical bodies like the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) and their regional units, and the Federation of Telugu Churches (FTC) have resisted the interference of the Government in the administration of Churches and Christian Institutions.
Formación ecuménica de los Sacerdotes
Misiones Extranjeras: Revista de misionología, 2010
Formación ecuménica de los Sacerdotes
Misiones Extranjeras Revista De Misionologia, 2010
National Council of Churches Review - NCCR, Vol. 126, Jan-Feb. 2007, p. 31., 2007
Original version of this Article: “Towards a Christian Education Policy: Some Concerns and Consid... more Original version of this Article: “Towards a Christian Education Policy: Some Concerns and Considerations”, was published in National Council of Churches Review - NCCR, Vol. 126, Jan-Feb. 2007, p. 31.
In the present educational context, the needs and priorities are fast changing due to globalisation and market economy which have brought in cut throat competition and hedonic consumerism. The influence of communication media and information technology on the students and youth is enormous. Moral vacuum and value deterioration coupled with individualism and self gratification are eating into the Asian/Indian cultural ethos and family system. Commercialization of education has been propelled by the corporate colleges that are run like mass production factories or chicken farming aiming solely at producing top rank holders who are used as advertisements to further their profit. Some call them concentration camps where students are put to lot of stress leading to frustration, and in a few cases, to suicides too. Saffronisation is another virus that has crept into the education system and syllabus poisoning the minds of students, slowly but surely, instilling in them many prejudices and hatred against the Minorities. Saffronisation of the Hindutva ideology propagated by the Sangh Parivar groups jeopardizes the very secular pluralistic fabric of the nation.
Various developments in technology have implications in teaching methods and approaches using tele-vision, video-conferencing and internet. The growing complexity of education has led to new areas of research and specialized subjects of study effecting changes in curriculum and syllabus over-burdening the students. The educators are expected to go for specialization in a particular field of knowledge and keep updating their knowledge and skills. All these demand professionalism from educationalists.
The education system in our country, including the Christian Education System, is yet to effectively respond to the persisting poverty and inequality which result from social injustice and deprivation of human rights to the majority of citizens. With close to 50% Children and expectant mothers in India suffering from malnutrition, with high infant mortality rate, with 1.2 million children dieing every year due to hunger and diseases, with 12 million children subjected to child labour, with millions of children not getting enrolled in the schools and with half the enrolled dropping out by the time they reach the High School level, the education system has numerous challenges to face. It is a fact that majority of the deprived and disadvantaged children listed hail from the Dalits, Adivasis, Minorities and Backward Classes who are marginalized in the society. Majority of these dispossessed communities still remain illiterate in spite of the “education for all” policy of the government and the recent Constitutional amendment on compulsory education up to fourteen years of age, due to lack of political will and necessary budget allocations. This serious situation calls for special educational interventions.
The Christian Educational System itself is now beset with problems. In the last two decades, most of the Christian Educational Institutions were established in the towns and urbanized areas. As a result the Christian Institutions in the rural areas estimated to have got reduced from about 85% to below 55%. The general public is no more inclined to believe that the Churches are committed to render service to the marginalized in the rural areas and slums. The Church run educational institutions are being accused of primarily seeking profit by aiming mainly at merit and flocking the urban and metropolitan locations. Thus they too willy-nilly contribute to the commercialization of education that leaves no space for the poor. Due to these reasons the credibility of the Christian educational institutions is getting eroded.
The Churches cannot afford to be lethargic and indifferent regarding updating and keeping the standards for which their educational institutes are known for. The principals and heads of institutions need to instill in themselves and in the staff, a new motivation and enthusiasm to work towards the achievement of the objectives of Christian Education System. In order to adequately respond to the contextual factors and the educational issues mentioned above and to acquire professionalism in the administration of educational institutions, the Churches must formulate and follow a Christian Education Policy with right vision, aims and objectives. As the aftermath of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Annual Meeting of 2006 on the education of the marginalized, All India Catholic Education Policy (AICEP) was prepared by the CBCI Commission for Education. The other Churches and their Agencies / Associations of Educational Institutions need to take up the same process, so that coming together they all can eventually arrive at a common Christian Education Policy at the national level.
Without claiming to be comprehensive, a few suggestions towards the formulation of the Christian Education Policy are offered in this article along with the concerns and questions it must respond to. The required paradigm shift in educational leadership to design new strategies to meet the needs of the students is also indicated.
“Debate on One Controversy Leads to Many: Allegations on Saint Teresa by Swami Paripoornananda”, Rally, 93, 6, (November 2017), 05-07., 2017
Debate on one Controversy leads to many
Allegations on Saint Teresa by Swami Paripoornananda
T... more Debate on one Controversy leads to many
Allegations on Saint Teresa by Swami Paripoornananda
This article: “Debate on One Controversy Leads to Many: Allegations on Saint Teresa by Swami Paripoornananda”, was published in Rally, 93, 6, (November 2017), 05-07.
In a televised debate conducted by a Telugu Channel based in Hyderabad on September 22, 2017 Swami Paripoornananda Saraswathi, Head of Sreepeetham at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, and Initiator and Advisor of Bhaarat Today TV Channel, levelled some false allegations and derogatory remarks particularly on Saint Teresa of Calcutta which are to be condemned by all right thinking persons. Since many citizens belonging to all religions are hurt and disturbed by Swamiji’s disrespectful comments, a need has arisen to clear the misgivings and apprehensions. The purpose of this article is not to hurt or attack anyone, rather to stall the attempts made to bring about rift and divisions between religions through hate-campaigns, and to promote peace and communal harmony among them by issuing necessary clarifications.
This Paper: “Ecumenical Events Marking the 500th Anniversary of Reformation in the Telugu Region”, was published in Third Millennium: Indian Journal of Evangelization, XX, 4, (October – December 2017), 87-91., 2017
This Paper: “Ecumenical Events Marking the 500th Anniversary of Reformation in the Telugu Region”... more This Paper: “Ecumenical Events Marking the 500th Anniversary of Reformation in the Telugu Region”, was published in Third Millennium: Indian Journal of Evangelization, XX, 4, (October – December 2017), 87-91.
The Federation of Telugu Churches (FTC) - earlier known as the Andhra Pradesh Federation of Churches (APFC), a fellowship of Bishops and Church-Heads of major Christian Denominations in the Telugu States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church (AELC) and other ecumenical groups organised several notable events to commemorate and celebrate 500th Anniversary of Reformation in the Telugu Region consisting of twin Telugu States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State. This Paper presents a short description of some of them with photographs.
Third Millennium: Indian Journal of Evangelization, XXII, 2, (April – June 2019), 68-71., 2019
POLITICAL MINISTRY AS PART OF CHRISTIAN MISSION
This Paper: “A Note on Political Ministry as Part... more POLITICAL MINISTRY AS PART OF CHRISTIAN MISSION
This Paper: “A Note on Political Ministry as Part of Christian Mission”, was published in Third Millennium: Indian Journal of Evangelization, XXII, 2, (April – June 2019), 68-71.
Although the Christians in India are just about 2% of total population, they render major services in various fields to the people of our country basing on the teaching and example of Sadguru Jesus Christ. The Christian contribution in the sectors of education, health, social welfare and rural development amounts to more than 20% of the social services rendered in India. Nearly 80% of care centers for the persons affected by the diseases like HIV/AIDS, TB, Leprosy and Terminal Cancer, and home for the disabled, destitute and aged are run by Churches and Christian organisations or being supported by them.
Churches and Christian organisations in India also are very much involved in poverty eradication and empowerment of the Marginalized through various ways such as conscientisation, organisation of self-help groups and skill training for self-employment. In doing these services, Church’s primary mission is to transmit the love and mercy of God and bring His reign of justice and peace to the people of India irrespective of caste, creed and community. These services have been acknowledged by the leaders of many states and national leaders who often commend and acclaim valuable Christian contribution to Nation building.
However, the signs of the times and place call for Church’s political service. There is a pressing need for the Christian political ministry in India. Christian political apostolate is the need of the hour. Pope Francis encouraged taking up political service in his Message for the World Day of Peace 2019 titled, Good Politics is at the Service of Peace when he wrote: “If exercised with basic respect for the life, freedom and dignity of persons, political life can indeed become an outstanding form of charity.” Hence, the Bishops and Leaders of Churches need to encourage the Faithful to opt for political vocation and to take up political service. They must urge Christians, especially the youth, both women and men, to take up leadership roles in public and political life.
“People’s Theology in Indian Context”, Theologizing Today: Voices of Indian Theologians, Raj Irudaya SJ & Roy Lazar, eds, Bengaluru, Indian Theological Association (ITA) and ATC, 2019, 108-122., 2020
This paper: “People’s Theology in Indian Context”, is included in: Theologizing Today: Voices of ... more This paper: “People’s Theology in Indian Context”, is included in: Theologizing Today: Voices of Indian Theologians, Raj Irudaya SJ & Roy Lazar, eds, Bengaluru, Indian Theological Association (ITA) and ATC, 2019, pp.108-122.
People’s Theology also known as “the Theology of the People” got highlighted lately with the publication of the book titled, Pope Francis and the Theology of the People by Rafael Luciani (Luciani 2017). It shows how and why the Theology of the People had a formative impact on Jorge Maria Bergoglio, and how its influence continues on his policies, practices and writings even now as Pope Francis. Hence, this Theology of the People is critical to understanding the current Pope and how he is leading the Church (Winters 2018a).
The Theology of the People that Pope Francis had imbibed back home in Argentina was popular in other countries of Latin America too as one of the models /patterns of Liberation Theology. It is founded on people’s culture and faith, day-to-day life experiences and way of life, belief and value systems including their sense of justice, and popular religion and spirituality. Theology of the People considers the people as the locus of God’s revelation and His liberative praxis with the people. It means that the poor people are not merely the object of liberation rather its subjects. As such, they are the subjects of theological reflection, as theologian Victor Fernandez affirms, “The people are capable of thinking in their own categories, capable of living the faith legitimately in their own manner, capable of forging paths based on their popular culture” (Winters 2018a).
In a recent article, “The 'theology of the people', according to Pope Francis,” Andrea Gagliarducci comments on a lecture given by Pope Francis as Cardinal Bergoglio that was published for the first time as “Forward” to the Italian edition of the book, An Introduction to the Theology of the People authored by the Argentine theologian Ciro Enrique Bianchi. According to Cardinal Bergoglio, “popular spirituality is the original way through which the Holy Spirit has led and continues to lead millions of our brothers,” (Gagliarducci 2015). This was clearly acknowledged in the 2007 Aparecida document of the Latin American Bishops’ Conference (CELAM) which was mostly drafted by him (Winters 2018b). Pope Francis maintains that “popular spirituality” contains the Theology of the People:”When we approach the poor to accompany them, we understand that they live life in a transcendental sense, beyond the huge daily difficulties. In some ways, consumerism has not enclosed them... (Their life) reaches out for something beyond this life. Life depends on Someone, and this life must be saved. This is what we found in depth of our people; even if (our people) are not able to express it... the transcendent sense of life glimpsed in popular Christianity is the antithesis of the secularism that is spreading in modern societies” (Gagliarducci 2015).
The Theology of the People / People’s Theology is not only prevalent in the Latin American countries it has also emerged among the indigenous and struggling peoples of other continents and countries as well. Black Theology in U.S.A., Minjung Theology in South Korea, Theology of People Power and of the Peasants in the Philippines, and Dalit Theology in India are notable among them (Abraham 1990). Diverse models of Feminist Theology and Eco-Theology also sprung up in various countries including India conditioned by their context. In this article, only a few aspects specific to the Indian People’s Theology are spelt out briefly, adding a short mention of the contribution of the Indian Theological Association (ITA) for its articulation. (For a detailed study on the subject one may refer to the serious of books on People’s Theology authored by the present writer.)
Keeping in mind what Pope Francis has said, an attempt is made in this article to respond to the ... more Keeping in mind what Pope Francis has said, an attempt is made in this article to respond to the difficulties and challenges that the Catholics face in their ministry of ecumenism in the present context of India. Though all of those issues cannot be dealt with exhaustively, attempt will be made to touch upon the crucial issues that directly affect ecumenical ministry. While mentioning
the progress and achievements made so far in India in the ecumenical field, I would offer some suggestions for responding to the present challenges in the ecumenical ministry of the Catholic Church in India with a view to take forward the ecumenical movement at the local, regional and national levels. At the same time, ecumenical ministry is required to respond to the exigencies, demands, advancements, failures, and vital issues, both positive and negative, of present Indian context.
In India “the ecumenism of love” and “ecumenism of life” are to be promoted at the local, diocesan, regional and national level. Enhancing such “local ecumenism” is the need of the hour and a possible breakthrough in
order to carry forward the ecumenical movement at this moment of crisis and stalemate related to the theological and moral issues at the global official level.
At the outset, it must be clarified that the purpose of coming together of the Christians, Churches and Ecclesial Communities, and their collaborative work
is neither aimed at gaining superiority over other religions nor is it for power and hegemony in the world. Its goal is to promote the well-being, liberation and salvation of humanity by carrying out Church’s mission of proclaiming the Gospel of the Reign of God and fostering it more effectively through united strength. It is to be underlined that, though the ecumenical activities may be as the diverse as the local contexts, their ultimate goal is promote Christian unity for the common mission of realizing the Reign of God.
Books by Anthoniraj Thumma
A Hermeneutical and analytical study of the menthodological foudations of peoples theology in india
Shodhganga, Mar 1, 1997
Voices of the victims: Movements and models of people's theology
Springs from the subalterns: Patterns and perspectives in people's theology
MARCHING WITH THE MARGINALISED
EXPLORATION IN CONTEXTUAL MISSION
Pope Benedict XVI recently st... more MARCHING WITH THE MARGINALISED
EXPLORATION IN CONTEXTUAL MISSION
Pope Benedict XVI recently stated: “The Church must of course ask if she does enough for social justice... It is a question of conscience which we must always pose ourselves.... What must the Church do? What can she not do? What must she not do?” This book attempts to explore the relevant answers to those pertinent questions applying the Values of the Kingdom of God and Principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church to our context and exploring from the perspective of the Marginalised. This volume belongs to the Series on the People’s Theology brought out by the authour articulating the theological reflections emerging from the life struggles and experiential wisdom of the Marginalised. The authour presents the insights in the book as suggestions and proposals for making our mission more relevant and effective by responding to the signs of the times and places through focusing on human rights and justice. This book invites us to pro-actively join the struggles of the Oppressed for liberation and inter-actively march with the Marginalised for realizing the “Just Peace” of the Divine Reign.
Anthoniraj Thumma, a Catholic Priest from the Diocese of Nellore, secured Master degrees in Sociology as well as Systematic Theology, and Doctorate in Religious Studies from the University of Madras. Besides his regular pastoral ministry, he served as the Director of Social Service and Youth Work and worked with the human rights groups and people’s movements. After his higher studies and research, he became a Professor of Systematic Theology and Missiology at St John’s Regional Seminary, Hyderabad. Presently, he is a Guest Professor in Contextual Theology, Regional Director of the Commission for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue, Executive Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Federation of Churches (APFC), and Deputy Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Bishops’ Council (APBC). He is an Executive Member of the Indian Theological Association (ITA) and Asian Coordinator of the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT). He has authored and edited many books in English and Telugu (see the last pages of this book for the list). His Series of books on the People’s Theology is a valuable contribution to Contextual Theology which is much appreciated.
Voices of the victims : movements and models of people's theology
Springs from the subalterns: patterns and perspectives in people's theology
A Hermeneutical and Analytical Study of the Methodological Foundations of People's Theology in India
University, Mar 1, 1997
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Papers by Anthoniraj Thumma
Actually, this data is not necessary at all for according the SC status because it is a constitutional and legal issue which is subjected to the socio-economic factors. On the other hand, the Commission is not mandated to examine this aspect and the Constitutional anomaly of granting SC status on the basis of religion. Hence, the very setting up this Commission, is a superfluous exercise, and extending its period for another year seems to be a ploy for further delaying of justice to the Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims that is already deferred for over 70 years. As it is rightly said: justice delayed is justice denied.
This article underscores the denial of equality and justice for the last 75 years to the Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims by divesting them of Scheduled Caste status and constitutional rights on the basis of their religion. It highlights the issue of this constitutional anomaly being prolonged despite their struggles for equal status and recommendations of various panels. Attempting to counter the objections and arguments that are put forward for denying them their fundamental rights, this article endeavours to dispel the presumed assumptions and misgivings that justify the anomaly. It is written in the context of setting up of Justice K G Balakrishnan Commission and extending of its period recently, which seems to be another excuse for further delaying of justice to the Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims; verily, justice delayed is justice denied.
In the present educational context, the needs and priorities are fast changing due to globalisation and market economy which have brought in cut throat competition and hedonic consumerism. The influence of communication media and information technology on the students and youth is enormous. Moral vacuum and value deterioration coupled with individualism and self gratification are eating into the Asian/Indian cultural ethos and family system. Commercialization of education has been propelled by the corporate colleges that are run like mass production factories or chicken farming aiming solely at producing top rank holders who are used as advertisements to further their profit. Some call them concentration camps where students are put to lot of stress leading to frustration, and in a few cases, to suicides too. Saffronisation is another virus that has crept into the education system and syllabus poisoning the minds of students, slowly but surely, instilling in them many prejudices and hatred against the Minorities. Saffronisation of the Hindutva ideology propagated by the Sangh Parivar groups jeopardizes the very secular pluralistic fabric of the nation.
Various developments in technology have implications in teaching methods and approaches using tele-vision, video-conferencing and internet. The growing complexity of education has led to new areas of research and specialized subjects of study effecting changes in curriculum and syllabus over-burdening the students. The educators are expected to go for specialization in a particular field of knowledge and keep updating their knowledge and skills. All these demand professionalism from educationalists.
The education system in our country, including the Christian Education System, is yet to effectively respond to the persisting poverty and inequality which result from social injustice and deprivation of human rights to the majority of citizens. With close to 50% Children and expectant mothers in India suffering from malnutrition, with high infant mortality rate, with 1.2 million children dieing every year due to hunger and diseases, with 12 million children subjected to child labour, with millions of children not getting enrolled in the schools and with half the enrolled dropping out by the time they reach the High School level, the education system has numerous challenges to face. It is a fact that majority of the deprived and disadvantaged children listed hail from the Dalits, Adivasis, Minorities and Backward Classes who are marginalized in the society. Majority of these dispossessed communities still remain illiterate in spite of the “education for all” policy of the government and the recent Constitutional amendment on compulsory education up to fourteen years of age, due to lack of political will and necessary budget allocations. This serious situation calls for special educational interventions.
The Christian Educational System itself is now beset with problems. In the last two decades, most of the Christian Educational Institutions were established in the towns and urbanized areas. As a result the Christian Institutions in the rural areas estimated to have got reduced from about 85% to below 55%. The general public is no more inclined to believe that the Churches are committed to render service to the marginalized in the rural areas and slums. The Church run educational institutions are being accused of primarily seeking profit by aiming mainly at merit and flocking the urban and metropolitan locations. Thus they too willy-nilly contribute to the commercialization of education that leaves no space for the poor. Due to these reasons the credibility of the Christian educational institutions is getting eroded.
The Churches cannot afford to be lethargic and indifferent regarding updating and keeping the standards for which their educational institutes are known for. The principals and heads of institutions need to instill in themselves and in the staff, a new motivation and enthusiasm to work towards the achievement of the objectives of Christian Education System. In order to adequately respond to the contextual factors and the educational issues mentioned above and to acquire professionalism in the administration of educational institutions, the Churches must formulate and follow a Christian Education Policy with right vision, aims and objectives. As the aftermath of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Annual Meeting of 2006 on the education of the marginalized, All India Catholic Education Policy (AICEP) was prepared by the CBCI Commission for Education. The other Churches and their Agencies / Associations of Educational Institutions need to take up the same process, so that coming together they all can eventually arrive at a common Christian Education Policy at the national level.
Without claiming to be comprehensive, a few suggestions towards the formulation of the Christian Education Policy are offered in this article along with the concerns and questions it must respond to. The required paradigm shift in educational leadership to design new strategies to meet the needs of the students is also indicated.
Allegations on Saint Teresa by Swami Paripoornananda
This article: “Debate on One Controversy Leads to Many: Allegations on Saint Teresa by Swami Paripoornananda”, was published in Rally, 93, 6, (November 2017), 05-07.
In a televised debate conducted by a Telugu Channel based in Hyderabad on September 22, 2017 Swami Paripoornananda Saraswathi, Head of Sreepeetham at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, and Initiator and Advisor of Bhaarat Today TV Channel, levelled some false allegations and derogatory remarks particularly on Saint Teresa of Calcutta which are to be condemned by all right thinking persons. Since many citizens belonging to all religions are hurt and disturbed by Swamiji’s disrespectful comments, a need has arisen to clear the misgivings and apprehensions. The purpose of this article is not to hurt or attack anyone, rather to stall the attempts made to bring about rift and divisions between religions through hate-campaigns, and to promote peace and communal harmony among them by issuing necessary clarifications.
The Federation of Telugu Churches (FTC) - earlier known as the Andhra Pradesh Federation of Churches (APFC), a fellowship of Bishops and Church-Heads of major Christian Denominations in the Telugu States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church (AELC) and other ecumenical groups organised several notable events to commemorate and celebrate 500th Anniversary of Reformation in the Telugu Region consisting of twin Telugu States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State. This Paper presents a short description of some of them with photographs.
This Paper: “A Note on Political Ministry as Part of Christian Mission”, was published in Third Millennium: Indian Journal of Evangelization, XXII, 2, (April – June 2019), 68-71.
Although the Christians in India are just about 2% of total population, they render major services in various fields to the people of our country basing on the teaching and example of Sadguru Jesus Christ. The Christian contribution in the sectors of education, health, social welfare and rural development amounts to more than 20% of the social services rendered in India. Nearly 80% of care centers for the persons affected by the diseases like HIV/AIDS, TB, Leprosy and Terminal Cancer, and home for the disabled, destitute and aged are run by Churches and Christian organisations or being supported by them.
Churches and Christian organisations in India also are very much involved in poverty eradication and empowerment of the Marginalized through various ways such as conscientisation, organisation of self-help groups and skill training for self-employment. In doing these services, Church’s primary mission is to transmit the love and mercy of God and bring His reign of justice and peace to the people of India irrespective of caste, creed and community. These services have been acknowledged by the leaders of many states and national leaders who often commend and acclaim valuable Christian contribution to Nation building.
However, the signs of the times and place call for Church’s political service. There is a pressing need for the Christian political ministry in India. Christian political apostolate is the need of the hour. Pope Francis encouraged taking up political service in his Message for the World Day of Peace 2019 titled, Good Politics is at the Service of Peace when he wrote: “If exercised with basic respect for the life, freedom and dignity of persons, political life can indeed become an outstanding form of charity.” Hence, the Bishops and Leaders of Churches need to encourage the Faithful to opt for political vocation and to take up political service. They must urge Christians, especially the youth, both women and men, to take up leadership roles in public and political life.
People’s Theology also known as “the Theology of the People” got highlighted lately with the publication of the book titled, Pope Francis and the Theology of the People by Rafael Luciani (Luciani 2017). It shows how and why the Theology of the People had a formative impact on Jorge Maria Bergoglio, and how its influence continues on his policies, practices and writings even now as Pope Francis. Hence, this Theology of the People is critical to understanding the current Pope and how he is leading the Church (Winters 2018a).
The Theology of the People that Pope Francis had imbibed back home in Argentina was popular in other countries of Latin America too as one of the models /patterns of Liberation Theology. It is founded on people’s culture and faith, day-to-day life experiences and way of life, belief and value systems including their sense of justice, and popular religion and spirituality. Theology of the People considers the people as the locus of God’s revelation and His liberative praxis with the people. It means that the poor people are not merely the object of liberation rather its subjects. As such, they are the subjects of theological reflection, as theologian Victor Fernandez affirms, “The people are capable of thinking in their own categories, capable of living the faith legitimately in their own manner, capable of forging paths based on their popular culture” (Winters 2018a).
In a recent article, “The 'theology of the people', according to Pope Francis,” Andrea Gagliarducci comments on a lecture given by Pope Francis as Cardinal Bergoglio that was published for the first time as “Forward” to the Italian edition of the book, An Introduction to the Theology of the People authored by the Argentine theologian Ciro Enrique Bianchi. According to Cardinal Bergoglio, “popular spirituality is the original way through which the Holy Spirit has led and continues to lead millions of our brothers,” (Gagliarducci 2015). This was clearly acknowledged in the 2007 Aparecida document of the Latin American Bishops’ Conference (CELAM) which was mostly drafted by him (Winters 2018b). Pope Francis maintains that “popular spirituality” contains the Theology of the People:”When we approach the poor to accompany them, we understand that they live life in a transcendental sense, beyond the huge daily difficulties. In some ways, consumerism has not enclosed them... (Their life) reaches out for something beyond this life. Life depends on Someone, and this life must be saved. This is what we found in depth of our people; even if (our people) are not able to express it... the transcendent sense of life glimpsed in popular Christianity is the antithesis of the secularism that is spreading in modern societies” (Gagliarducci 2015).
The Theology of the People / People’s Theology is not only prevalent in the Latin American countries it has also emerged among the indigenous and struggling peoples of other continents and countries as well. Black Theology in U.S.A., Minjung Theology in South Korea, Theology of People Power and of the Peasants in the Philippines, and Dalit Theology in India are notable among them (Abraham 1990). Diverse models of Feminist Theology and Eco-Theology also sprung up in various countries including India conditioned by their context. In this article, only a few aspects specific to the Indian People’s Theology are spelt out briefly, adding a short mention of the contribution of the Indian Theological Association (ITA) for its articulation. (For a detailed study on the subject one may refer to the serious of books on People’s Theology authored by the present writer.)
the progress and achievements made so far in India in the ecumenical field, I would offer some suggestions for responding to the present challenges in the ecumenical ministry of the Catholic Church in India with a view to take forward the ecumenical movement at the local, regional and national levels. At the same time, ecumenical ministry is required to respond to the exigencies, demands, advancements, failures, and vital issues, both positive and negative, of present Indian context.
In India “the ecumenism of love” and “ecumenism of life” are to be promoted at the local, diocesan, regional and national level. Enhancing such “local ecumenism” is the need of the hour and a possible breakthrough in
order to carry forward the ecumenical movement at this moment of crisis and stalemate related to the theological and moral issues at the global official level.
At the outset, it must be clarified that the purpose of coming together of the Christians, Churches and Ecclesial Communities, and their collaborative work
is neither aimed at gaining superiority over other religions nor is it for power and hegemony in the world. Its goal is to promote the well-being, liberation and salvation of humanity by carrying out Church’s mission of proclaiming the Gospel of the Reign of God and fostering it more effectively through united strength. It is to be underlined that, though the ecumenical activities may be as the diverse as the local contexts, their ultimate goal is promote Christian unity for the common mission of realizing the Reign of God.
Books by Anthoniraj Thumma
EXPLORATION IN CONTEXTUAL MISSION
Pope Benedict XVI recently stated: “The Church must of course ask if she does enough for social justice... It is a question of conscience which we must always pose ourselves.... What must the Church do? What can she not do? What must she not do?” This book attempts to explore the relevant answers to those pertinent questions applying the Values of the Kingdom of God and Principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church to our context and exploring from the perspective of the Marginalised. This volume belongs to the Series on the People’s Theology brought out by the authour articulating the theological reflections emerging from the life struggles and experiential wisdom of the Marginalised. The authour presents the insights in the book as suggestions and proposals for making our mission more relevant and effective by responding to the signs of the times and places through focusing on human rights and justice. This book invites us to pro-actively join the struggles of the Oppressed for liberation and inter-actively march with the Marginalised for realizing the “Just Peace” of the Divine Reign.
Anthoniraj Thumma, a Catholic Priest from the Diocese of Nellore, secured Master degrees in Sociology as well as Systematic Theology, and Doctorate in Religious Studies from the University of Madras. Besides his regular pastoral ministry, he served as the Director of Social Service and Youth Work and worked with the human rights groups and people’s movements. After his higher studies and research, he became a Professor of Systematic Theology and Missiology at St John’s Regional Seminary, Hyderabad. Presently, he is a Guest Professor in Contextual Theology, Regional Director of the Commission for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue, Executive Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Federation of Churches (APFC), and Deputy Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Bishops’ Council (APBC). He is an Executive Member of the Indian Theological Association (ITA) and Asian Coordinator of the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT). He has authored and edited many books in English and Telugu (see the last pages of this book for the list). His Series of books on the People’s Theology is a valuable contribution to Contextual Theology which is much appreciated.