(picture: sermonsfromseattle.com
Jesus
who declared himself to be one with God, chose the illiterate, poor, weak and
meek men to be his disciples and messengers of his message. They were selected
from a massive crowd who followed him that included wise men, religious
leaders, rich businessmen, senior government officials, and royals. At the end
of his powerful public presence and life, which lasted for just three
years in a remote part of the world, he
chose the weakest of the 12 disciples to be the leader of his church. That was
Peter, to whom Jesus said, ‘You are
Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not
prevail against it’. (In Greek, Peter means rock). All popes who
provided leadership to the largest Christian community in the world, are
considered to be the successors of Peter. In other words, Saint Peter was the
first Pope.
Church
as an institution that has the largest membership base among all the Christian
religious communities in the world has grown too big in material terms viz.
infrastructure, multitude of congregations, institutions and scholars.
In
spite of a strong dogmatic structure, highly scholarly administration led by
the Curia, and geographically wide and highly diversified church traditions,
Popes can bring in radical transformation within the church, if they desire and
are convinced. Pope is not a mere symbolic head of the Catholic Christian
community; he could be a guide, motivator, and teacher for the entire humanity,
by virtue of his widely acclaimed position.
It is not clear whether all popes could really bring in lasting
spiritual revival within the church and could become an effective instrument in
bringing peace and unity among fighting nations and communities beyond the
encyclicals and public requests. History and related records show that most popes
faced difficulties in providing spiritual leadership uncorrupted by the material
world and accompanying profanity.
Two
radical steps that happened in the recent history of Catholic Church are the
Second Vatican Council and the Charismatic revival movement.
It
was Pope John XXIII who gave notice for his intention to convene the assembly
on 25th January 1959 within three months of occupying his seat and
was held between 1962 and 1964. (The
First Vatican Council was held in 1869 but could not complete its deliberations
due to the events followed the unification of Italy.) Pope John XXIII who died
in 1963 was replaced by Pope Paul VI who continued his predecessor’s mission.
The Council revived the central role of Bible in the theological and devotional life of
the Church and urged people to make Bible study a central part of their lives.
(Charismatic renewal movement within
Catholic Church originated in 1967 and provided strong spiritual foundation to
millions of Catholics. In 1998, Pope John Paul II said: "The
institutional and charismatic aspects are co-essential as it were to the
Church’s constitution. They contribute, although differently, to the life,
renewal and sanctification of God’s People. It is from this providential
rediscovery of the Church’s charismatic dimension that, before and after the council, a remarkable pattern of
growth has been established for ecclesial movements and new communities’)
New Pope and the hope for the Third Vatican
Council
(photo: telegraph.co.uk)
Some
of the news that circulated and shared in the public domain about the unique
qualities and traits of Pope Francis cannot be rebuffed as mere media hype.
They trigger fresh hopes. Pope can be a perfect role model to the clergy and
laity of Catholic Church through his humility, simplicity and spirituality. This year is in fact is the golden jubilee of
second Vatican council. Is there any scope for a Third Vatican Council under
the new Pope?
If
at all there is a Third Vatican Council under Pope Francis, what would be the
radical decisions?
Following
are some ‘wild’ arguments people make! These
are not necessarily my wish list!!
1 1. Allowing priests to marry. (As a Jesuit he would
know how many from his congregation left it for the sake of a loving partner to
share the cross of life!). But they should be barred from episcopacy.
2. Allowing women to be priests. (Number of women joining convents as nuns fast depleting. Of course, with a privilege of marriage, more women would love to celebrate the mass.)
3. Allowing an order of dedicated Brothers/Deacons from the laity to assist the priests by giving them proper training.
4. Strong message to those traditional Catholics who conceal the cross and the resurrected Jesus behind the huge statues of saints, and yet fail to consider them as role models to follow Jesus.
5. Encouraging inter-denominational prayers and joint gospel projects led by the Catholic Church. Clearing the misunderstandings of certain non-Catholic denominations about Catholic faith.
6. Requesting Bishops to be true spiritual leaders and devote less time to administer the institutions and funds.
7. Making adoration, prayer groups, and Bible study extensively along with a liturgy that would give ample scope for self-reflection, sharing and reconciliation.
8. Instead of allowing construction of huge church buildings investing millions of dollars, encouraging establishment of small church buildings in every locality of 100 catholic families.
9. Discouraging Catholic congregations whose only mission is to setup educational institutions and health facilities exclusively for the rich. They should rather divert their manpower and resources to spread the gospel of peace and love and to help the poor and needy across the World.
10. Radically revise the curriculum in seminaries in tune with the needs of the contemporary world, to face the fresh challenges in the technology driven materialistic world, by giving them a strong foundation in Biblical teaching, sociology, communication and management. Revise the catechism text books of children with innovative presentation and design so that there will be more interest to learn and more clarity in understanding the concepts.
I am not a strong advocate of all of the above, as some of them would be too radical and might not be appropriate in the contemporary times. But there can be a debate on the advantages and disadvantages of the above proposals. Let the new Pope ring the bell!
2. Allowing women to be priests. (Number of women joining convents as nuns fast depleting. Of course, with a privilege of marriage, more women would love to celebrate the mass.)
3. Allowing an order of dedicated Brothers/Deacons from the laity to assist the priests by giving them proper training.
4. Strong message to those traditional Catholics who conceal the cross and the resurrected Jesus behind the huge statues of saints, and yet fail to consider them as role models to follow Jesus.
5. Encouraging inter-denominational prayers and joint gospel projects led by the Catholic Church. Clearing the misunderstandings of certain non-Catholic denominations about Catholic faith.
6. Requesting Bishops to be true spiritual leaders and devote less time to administer the institutions and funds.
7. Making adoration, prayer groups, and Bible study extensively along with a liturgy that would give ample scope for self-reflection, sharing and reconciliation.
8. Instead of allowing construction of huge church buildings investing millions of dollars, encouraging establishment of small church buildings in every locality of 100 catholic families.
9. Discouraging Catholic congregations whose only mission is to setup educational institutions and health facilities exclusively for the rich. They should rather divert their manpower and resources to spread the gospel of peace and love and to help the poor and needy across the World.
10. Radically revise the curriculum in seminaries in tune with the needs of the contemporary world, to face the fresh challenges in the technology driven materialistic world, by giving them a strong foundation in Biblical teaching, sociology, communication and management. Revise the catechism text books of children with innovative presentation and design so that there will be more interest to learn and more clarity in understanding the concepts.
I am not a strong advocate of all of the above, as some of them would be too radical and might not be appropriate in the contemporary times. But there can be a debate on the advantages and disadvantages of the above proposals. Let the new Pope ring the bell!
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