By Fr Mathew Thankachen O.Praem.
Human history always co-existed with conflicts – conflicts among tribes, culture, nations and religions. Marxists have explained this inevitable conflict for growth and civilization of mankind in their theory of ‘Class struggle’ as “thesis, anti-thesis and synthesis”. We see tremendous progress as we have today emerging from tribal, monarchic, theocratic to democratic society, achieved through intra- intrinsic ideological and social warfare.
In the Biblical world, we find religious conflicts between ‘pantheism’ and ‘monotheism ’ from the time of Abraham, ultimately leading to the victory of ‘monotheism’ in the semitic world of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We too can observe how ‘monotheism’ was integrated by David for his ‘political mileage’ for securing national unity and later during the reign of his son Solomon who placed Egyptians gods in the Jerusalem temple, leading to schism.
The contemporary world of 21st century is driving towards a “monotheism abstracted from all what is good in religions and cultures, (not syncretism), placing “man as the center of creation” and the role of religions as “catalyzers”. The two great ‘Encyclicals’, ‘Laudato Si’ and ‘Frateli Tuti’ of Pope Francis “complements the universal redemptive plan” of Jesus by combining “Man and Nature” in its best integrity possible.
It is to be observed, despite the ‘hierarchical system’ as the result of ‘monotheistic’ religion entered in the early Church as the Apostles were Jews and the early Christians followed were of Jewish majority community, and such monotheistic hierarchy was convenient for the political unification of Roman Empire by Constantine, now sheds of its ‘exclusive language’ over the years following the Second Vatican Documents. The Church gradually brings out the ‘original meaning of the word Catholic ’as an invitation of Jesus as the ‘Savior of the World’. This ‘missiological dimension of a “multi- colored Umbrella Church” embracing all cultures and religions, devoid of its particularities and at the same time “embracing differences as the gift of God’s creation”, brings about conflicts with those religious and political leaders who want to play the game of ‘identity politics ‘as the ‘savior of a particular religion, caste or culture’ for vote bank of communal politics. At times, even the Church is threatened by the geo-political dominance of such ‘exclusive religions or political regimes’ while maintaining a peripheral amity in the midst of undercurrent animosity, waiting any time to erupt like volcano.
This ‘multi-colored umbrella’ missiological dimensions embraces the total ‘humanity’ under one ‘Father’ in Heaven and each other as brothers. This approach of multi-dimensions of ‘man to be human’ comprising the ‘holistic relation’ of man with ‘ecology, economy, society and God’ are highlighted in ‘Frateli Tuti’ of the Pope Francis. The contemporary generation is allergic to the word ‘Religion’. They find ‘Religion as a rigid and insipid institution immune to any change’ and hence is in ‘conflict with Spirituality’.
In the 19th century, such thinking gave birth to ‘Christian humanism’ against ‘Institutional Church’. In the present approach of the ‘Vision and mission of the Church’, this gap is further reduced to the minimum as the ultimate goal of every religion in which, “Human being is placed as the center” and every other ‘relationship’ (relegare=religion= relation) in fact is relegated in the context of ‘human welfare with a holistic approach. Sudheendra Kulkarni in his article, ‘What Gandhi, Saint Francis and Pope Francis have in common’ quotes, “Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for oneself, which are set aside as one’s quota, and must not accept or covet other things, knowing well to whom they belong.” He too appreciates the leadership of the Church in moving towards “Godward Faith and Man ward Love” as a universal phenomenon.
Constructive and creative ideological conflicts are preferred to biological warfare. Such social transformation is the fruit of ‘education, dialogue of ecumenical nature, leading to conversion of hearts. In this mode of ‘conflicts’, ‘bloodshed’ is avoided. The constructive use of social media could be of great help in ‘Dialogue’ despite it could be the ‘double-edged sword’ with “Boon and Bane”. Jesus proposed such a ‘non-violent weapon’ of the ‘realization of the kingdom of God here on earth as it is in heaven” through the medium of ‘education’ and ‘service’. Moreover, no wonder, Mahatma Gandhi found Him a ‘role model’ in his life to attain ‘Freedom from British’ with the weapons of ‘Truth and Non-violence’.
The recent publication of handbook titled, ‘That all may be one’ for Ecumenical Dialogue by the Nuncio in Delhi vindicates the conscientious effort of Indian Church to build a ‘peaceful co-existing’ Church and society. I wish this prayer of Jesus for ‘unity’ may first be realized among the bishops, priests and religious of the Church in such a way that its fragrance may be carried over by the breeze of the Holy Spirit to the rest of the society and nation. The greater the ‘convergence experienced within the Church as a Catholic, global Church, under the reign of the same ‘Father in heaven’ while respecting ‘different rites and religions’, nevertheless playing the prophetic role, the lesser will be the ‘conflict’ erupt as a ‘sign of counter witnessing’ to the society. When our ‘identity is centered on Christ’, the ‘synthesis of conflicts’ will help us to “embrace all, no matter their religion or culture, into the ‘salvific plan of Christ’ as the one “who takes away the sins of the WORLD”.
A good article giving a lot of history in a nutshell. Thank you for sending to me.