” Kottoor answers attackers”
New post on THE LAITYTUDE July 10/15 – Is there a Catholic Church,or is it Bombay, Kolkotta or Kochi, Latin, Syromalabar, or Malankara by The Voice Of Bombay's Catholic Laity
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My Dear Bombay Laity, Magnanimous, great and beyond all expectation. What I mean is, that I asked you for a small personal help like a piece of bread and you gave a whole loaf. I didn’t ask you to publish my request in your Laitytude but you did it because you wanted to be of utmost help to me, like going 3 miles with me when I asked for only quarter of a mile.
That is precisely, walking the talk of Jesus’ teaching. This is the kind of cooperation and collaboration to be fostered between the messengers of good news, irrespective of their being from east or west, north or south, from this Rite or that Rite, from a small community or a big community, from a leprous Lazar like me or from a well-fed Dives like our Bishops. At present there exists such a brotherly helpful cooperation between laity sponsored portals like Laitytude, Matters India, Soul and Vision and Church Citizens’ Voice(CCV).(we call ourselves “Church Citizens” not laity anymore since word “Laity” has become pejorative like Sudras in the Indian Caste structure)
We also share everything with everybody. I take anything from Laitytude or Matters India and you take what you need or like from CCV or publish what I sent.
Does such a collaboration exist between official church sponsored publications called “caged Parrots” or “His Master’s Voice”? — between publications like Examiner, Herald, New Leader, Sathyadeepam English edition? Do they collaborate or compete like their masters? Gone are the days, but there used to be a time some forty years ago when I happened to be editor of New Leader and when we had towering national personalities like Great Cardinal Valerian Gracias, Cardinal Piccachi and Cardinal Joseph Parecattil. all of whom used to be my great sponsors and promoters (not for my asking for it), and that in spite of their having their own publications to promote.
They were not just Maharajas in their own little fiefdoms but looked upon India as one whole indivisible unit politically and religiously. When they spoke for the Catholic Church, they spoke for the whole Church in India, not for Bombay, Kolkotta or Kochi, not for Latin, Syromalabar, or Malankara. I have an awful lot to speak about them, all good things and exemplary ones, nothing bad. I was just a leprous Lazar then (I am still that) but they all treated me like their son and I used to get return post communications from all of them especially from Cardinal Gracious.
Now I can’t even get a reply to letters sent to their publications, not even from NL of which I was editor once. So I stopped writing to these weeklies or individual Bishops except one or two like Alex Dias of Portblaire (whom I never met), Retired Archbishop Henry DeSouza of Kolkotta etc. Time permitting I shall write more about them if Bombay Laity are interested, because I too am in the fag end of my life, just a few days you will see me and just a few days you will see me no longer, because I am in my 80ies.
Just one more thought to conclude. Days of censored, church controlled publications are already dead and gone. Today it is time for instant, open and transparent communication lead by Neitzens who are not working for any profit, name or fame. The more the Church controlled publications try to cover up, the more their dirty linen will be washed in public. We don’t have to go searching for anyone’s dirty linen. But those causing hazard to public health should be washed clean, possibly in private, if not in public by totally independent portals like yours and mine
So let the workers of the world unite, for they have nothing to lose except their chains. Even so let the Neitzens, the Church Citizens of the world unite, for they too have nothing to lose except their chains. He(Jesus) has come to make us all free. Divided Churches — whether on the basis of Rite, name, country, community — have no reason for existence because Jesus never founded any such monsters (Read Jn.17). They have all lost their shell life. They all have to shape up to become just followers of Jesus, Jesus-like or ship out as irrelevant for the times we live in.
But just as the sleeping hierarchical church of Peter had to be shaken out of his sleep by a lady citizen, Mary (think of her response Rabboni) we the Church Citizens have to be extra generous to coax our present Hierarchy to wake up from their sweet slumber failing which pour cold water on them because that they “wake up” is a must. Let us hope they respond to our Coaxing. Affectionately,
james kottoor, editor, CCV
PS: For those interested to know more about “Church Citizens’ Voice”(CCV) may visit: *www.almayasabdam.com *, and read the attachment, CCV Editors. james kottoor
Zac Nedunkanal wrote: Reading all these stories of lies told by the eminent personalities of Indian church, one wonders what they do the whole day, the whole month and the whole year. Do they just adorn themselves putting on their best attire, cover their empty heads with a red cap and gather together in some well furnished and self contained palace like the St. Thomas mount complex at Kakkanad and secretly discuss what new lie can be concocted to counter to the well based accusations by Church Citizens all over Kerala, Mumbai and elsewhere? Aren't they thereby turning the whole life of the Church negative and fruitless, while a old Pope is doing hes best to gather the flock together, listen to their miserable life struggles and seek way to conserve the little life of the universe that is left? The question is urgent and relevant because we don't at all see these so called prelates in red anywhere in public. They never reply to a mail or a letter sent to them from various concerned believers and groups of them eager to to do their best before the time lapses until the next ordinary Synod starts in Rome to discuss and pool together a whole year's work and study done on Christian families and the problems they face. Studies and reflections on the subject is filling the tables in the Synod hall. Are our bishops not ashamed that none of them has so far gathered a single sheet of paper with the opinions of their faithful? Are they still thinking of attending the Synod in coming October, just two and a half months away? How will they face the Pope and the thousands of representatives from all over the world who come well prepared to share what they have in mind? Why don't our bishops and their spokesmen tell us the truth at least now, at least at this late moment that they have miserably failed in their duty? That they have always failed in doing their duty and that they will never be in a position to face their flock? Until and unless they acknowledge their total lapse and inactivity, we are going to honor each of them with the official title of unholy humbugs of the Indian continent.