MUMBAI, OCTOBER 22, 2009: Your Excellency Archbishop Lopes Quintana, Your Eminence Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, my brother Archbishops and Bishops, dear Reverend Fathers and Sisters, my dear Seminarians, my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus.
In my welcome address on the opening day, I had welcomed you to the "intense city" and I promised you would have days of intense activity. I am sure you now understand what I meant. We have spent four days of real:
-Intense praying: celebrating the Eucharist in different rites: for many it may have been the first experience of participating in a Mass of a different rite: we had the morning and evening prayers together - it was a truly spiritual experience.
-We spent four days of intense listening to inputs:
-From a scholarly Bishop Thomas Dabre with a very comprehensive Keynote address
-From an insightful Fr. Sebastian Kizhakeyil MST who asked us repeatedly "what would Jesus do?"
-From the thought provoking Fr. Jose Mariadas OIC
-From the action oriented Bishop Singaroyan
-We spent four days of intense sharing: What does Jesus mean to me? What can I do for Jesus?
-Four days of intense discussion: What can our region do?, What can my diocese do for evangelization?
-Four days of intense inspiration: as we watched the really illuminating and moving accounts in the cultural programmes of the growth of the Church in different parts of our country.
-Four days of intense interaction - in the break at our tea and lunch, dinner about what is happening in our parishes and our dioceses.
Did we not feel inspired as we heard the story of Constance Livens liberating the tribes in Ranchi.
-Not felt thrilled at the account of how Church personnel and institutions faced difficulties and always overcame them.
-Not felt pained and shocked at the intense inhuman atrocities the Christians had to face in Kandamahal.
-Not felt encouraged by the stories of Fr. Thomas in Kerala and Tamilnadu – and those who walked in his footsteps: St. Francis Xavier, Fr. Joseph Vaz and Mother Teresa.
-Not felt strengthened by all the sharings of how Jesus was with them in all their difficulties and how with Jesus everything is possible.
-And did we not feel a fire burning within us to go out and to do likewise: to give everything for Jesus.
And so we go back now strengthened, transformed, edified with a deeper commitment - with an urge to go out and make a difference for Jesus.
We have not attended just another seminar, training course or Conference. For all of us – for me – it was a deeply spiritual experience – it was almost like a retreat – spending four days in the presence of the Lord – and hearing the story of Jesus’ presence in the Church in India.
How we wish that we could carry the light of Jesus more to the far corners of our country. He is the light of the world. He is the answer to all our problems. How we wish that we could give the good news to all – that God loves all men and women; that He sent His son Jesus to save the world; that the Gospel of Jesus preaches only love and service.
And as I say this, I think it is my duty to clarify: The Church is not here in a numbers game. Political parties seek numbers for power. The Church is not a political party - She does not seek power and prestige. She does not seek an increase in numbers just for greater influence. She seeks only to serve, she seeks only to bring light, the light that enlightens the world and all men and women. We seek to become more and more like Jesus Christ, living according to His teachings, so that our lives become the message and that we become messengers – bearing good news.
We are aware that there is a fear of "conversions." We have not addressed it directly in Prabhu Yesu Mahotsav. But I wish to speak about it. There are some state governments who want to pass anti-conversion laws. They say that the purpose of it is to stop forced conversions. Our answer to them is that there is no need of your anti-conversion laws. The Catholic Church does not believe in forced conversions. The Vatican Council documents clearly speak against them. A force conversion is meaningless, because conversion is a transformation of heart – a turning to God, for us Christians, a turning to Jesus Christ. And it would interest all to know that the Church has a long period of catechumenate to test the sincerity of any one desiring Baptism.
And so to all my fellow Indian brothers, sisters of other religions I would say – do not feel threatened: we seek only to serve, we seek only to do what Jesus told us, to live our lives according to His Beatitudes and to go out and love all and to serve all and make the world a better place. And we tell you that we serve because we were told to do so by Jesus who was sent by God to bring love, peace and harmony into the world.
As we totally reject forced conversions, we also insist that someone who sincerely wants to follow Jesus Christ as His disciple, has the right to do so. This is a human right, a right enshrined in our Constitution, a human right recognized by countries across the globe. No civil authority has the right to enter into the sanctuary of ones conscience, much less to decide what ones conscience should say. No government can enter my soul and lock my conscience saying: you can no longer change your religion!!
Orissa, Kandhamahal has been a bad dream. The victims have forgiven those who inflicted harm on them. Christ teaches us to forgive. But to Archbishop Raphael Cheenath, representing all the Bishops of Orissa and the people of Orissa, we say we are with you. The Church of India is with you. We are truly inspired by the stories of heroic martyrdom in your Church. To the government of Orissa and elsewhere we say: do not forget your constitutional duty to protect all minorities – Christians, Muslims and where Hindus are a minority as well. That is your duty and that is why you have been elected.
And so we go back home, we go back more encouraged and enthused. On Mission Sunday, during the festival of Diwali, we light our lamps from the person of Jesus. We go back to our diocese, our religious congregation, to our seminaries to light also the lamps of the lives of others. Last evening from one big lamp – the light of Jesus little candles were lit all over the Shamiana: what a beautiful sight it was. In a short while we will all make a commitment, Bishops, Priests, Religious, Laity – that we will fulfill our baptismal commitment – to let our light shine and to carry the light to others. May the Indian Mission Congress, Prabhu Yesu Mahotsav, be truly a moment of abundant grace for each one of us - for our diocese, our religious congregation, our seminaries and our country. May Mary the Star of Evangelization always be our protecting mother and guide.