Listen to CCV readers’ Nine Letters to read and reflect!

 

dr.james kottoor

              James kottoor “Recedant vetera, nova sint omnia”(Let bygones be bygones, may all things be new.” This is what an old Latin proverb and its English version exhorts. The year 2017 is gone and 2018 is already in and let us welcome it with all its promises and prospects, hopefully for a peaceful, progressive and prosperous New Year of global cooperation and harmony.

         Old habits die hard, so radical or total change is not to be expected all at once. Also there is a conflict between Global and Local, so what one should aim at is a happy  combination of both  global + local = GLOCAL.

        What regularly fill the columns of CCV are the views of reporters, writers, columnists and editors. But what CCV values most are the views and reactions of the  millions of readers which alone should make up public opinion in a democratic world.

          Often reactions come one or two days after an article or news item or column is published and added at the end of the published matter. So they often miss the attention of regular readers who never go back to old articles to see what reactions they have brought. Precisely that is the reason why we publish those reactions of a week as a cluster in one piece as an important news item.

            What is published below are the reactions CCV received during the past one week to various articles we published on Christmas and New year. This is to make sure all those who write in response are seen and heard and thought about. CCV is your voice and we want to make sure you are heard and listened to.

  Domestic Church

            So please react to every news item, for or against fearlessly, to make sure that your voice count, that “Voice of the people becomes the voice of God”(Vox poplui vox Dei). The real  Church is the  ‘Peple of God’ made up of thousands of living bricks called “The Domestic Church” enlightened and bound together by the light and love  of Jesus incarnate.

             The living church is not the organized, lifeless, pyramidal, shining concrete structure without any vertical or horizontal communication, the life-blood that ought to make it alive and kicking. Does that happen in the organized Catholic Church in India? It doesn’t. So it is dead and lifeless and stinking as rottenness is exposed day in and day out and make the so-called leaders hang their heads in shame as it happens now in Kerala’s Syromalabar church.

            So  make your individual Domestic Church vibrant if you care any bit for Jesus born  in a cattleshed and started the CATTLE CLASS of the poor, the forlorn, the homeless,  the needy on the peripheries of society. For that just forget for a moment  the highly placed comfortable class decked and decorated in royal finery out to rule and dominate as successors of Emperor Constantine!

       HAPPY AND A DARINGLY NEW YEAR OF HOPES AND CHALLENGES to overcome, till victory of the people of goodwill for peace and harmony is achieved, till we breathe our last! Dum spiro, spero! Let that hope lead us on to serve and not to be served like Jesus! To serve the Lord in the poor alone is to reign! (Servire Domino regnare est!) james kottoor, editor ccv.

               

Read the Reactions of readers of CCV last one week!

Bishop Gratian Mundadan, Dec.24, 2017

     
To Dr James Kottoor

My dear James,

Thank you very much for your Christmas and New Year Greetings. I appreciate that you thought of me at this Holy Season. I sincerely reciprocate your Greetings with my promises of Prayer for you during the Holy Masses at the Christmas Midnight and New Year Day. God bless us all!

 

JamesKottoor <jameskottoor@gmail.com>

     

to BishopGratian Mundadan

   It was indeed very gracious of you to say a kind word on what we the cattle class group is trying to do to give wings to the self-emptying  message of Jesus.May he bless you.james  who wants to be last in the cattle class of Jesus.

 

Gerald Lobo,Dec. 26/17

 

 

 

 

to Dr James Kottoor

DearJames,

I thank you very much for your kind Christmas and New Year wishes. I warmly reciprocate the same and pray that God may shower His choicest blessings on you through Christmas tide and New Year.

Kindest regards,

Gerald Lobo, Bishop of Udupi

 

James Kottoor <jameskottoor@gmail.com>

     

to Gerald Lobo – Bishop of Udupi

     

        Very Kind of you Dear Bishop Lobo for taking time out to send an encouraging  reply. Honestly I did not send it to you personally, you happened to get it when I sent it to all Indian bishops. You happen to be the second bishop to respond, first, Bishop Gratian Mundadan. also not known personally.

        Personally I don't know both of you. That makes your reply more valuable. It is elementary courtesy to reply to a mail, especially if you find something useful or valuable. Usually bishops don't do that in India. You are setting a good example for others. God bless you for it. james

 

Arul Louis, 24 Dec, 2017

     

to Dr James Kottoor

Why a sorry Christmas? I hope it is philosophical and not anything personal. Any way wish you the peace of Jesus, the philosopher-carpenter, which you can accept.

For me from childhood, Christmas brought sadness thinking of the deprived. But on the advice of my oldest sister, a nun who worked among the poor, i stopped telling everyone about it. She said that it was one day for them and many poor to leave their cares behind and have a day of peace. New York

 

James Kottoor <jameskottoor@gmail.com>

25 Dec 2017

 

 

 

to arulouis

I am totally with your sister but sad and at peace with Jesus alone thinking of the poor, thinking also of the slaughter of innocents by Herod, which is repeated even today across the world.  Be at peace. james (Arul is a great editor in New York, but for me he is still the ideal student-apprentice at New Leader office in Chennai, in 1960-ies.jk)

 

 

Behold the Poorest,  And Low and  the  Lost!

From: Varghese Pamplanil              

Hats off james for your cry in the wilderness for the poorest and the lowliest  and the lost:  “Wish you Happy or Sorry Christmas”.

When the midnight hour strikes on the 24 December, while the bells of a thousand churches ring loud in joy on the Birth of the Fisherman Saviour, from the thatched derelict huts of the fisherfolk on the Malabar Coast, loud cries and wailings of despair of the daughters and mothers will rise in a crescendo for their beloved ones  lost in the Arabian Sea due to the devilish dance of destruction of Cyclone Ockhi.

But there will be no let up in the merriments  in the nearby palaces of the Arch-bishops, the bishops and the well-healed, who have been shedding copious crocodile tears for the lost; the corks of choicest cognacs and rare matured single malt scotch whiskies will pop-up; the best quality cashew nuts, almonds and pistachios and the best of pork, beef and mutton, crabs and lobsters will be there on their dining tables as usual. Merry Xmas to them all.

“Pride can never approach to where thou walkest in the cloths of the humble among the poorest, and the lowliest, and lost, and last.

My heart can never find its way where thou keepest company with the companionless among the poorest, the lowliest, and the lost.”

“This is my prayer to thee, my lord –strike, strike at the root of penury in my heart.

Give the strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent might.

Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles. “ (Gitanjali)

(Pamplanil, Kanjirapally)

 

 

Jose Joseph,Dec.26/17

     

to Dr James Kottoor

Thanks for sharing!   With each of your writing, my Respect and Appreciation for you is on the upswing.  I consider you as a genuine Reform Leader unlike many who's intention is the Extinction of the Catholic Church.    Keep up your good work.  I am praying for your good health.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays again.

Regards,

Jose Kallidikil. Chicago

       
 

Dear Jose,

            Thanks for your frankly speaking. I don't want to be leader of any group. I have been and I still am a 'Know nothing.' I too have disagreed with you many times, not against you but what you said or did. 'Friend of truth first, friend of Plato  second' has always been always my God-given conviction and truth can elude all of us. So we should stop short of judging anyone, leaving that to a God, if he exists. He who seeks the truth  (subjective or objective} comes to light. 

            That has been my lived experience of 83 years. So I am now at peace and ready to go. Wish you a happy new year, which is meaningless for me because  for long I  live only for one day, from dawn to dusk, unable as I am to see beyond my nose and unsure of completing the day.

          So be at peace at the thought that we have people like  Pope Francis, who is more an outward looking  leader of humanity like Jesus, and not inward looking like all organised religions, including the Catholic Church.

             james

 

Antony Pancras

(Editor NL) Dec.31/17

 

 

 

 

 

to Dr James Kottoor

The NL office will remain closed for Christmas & New Year holidays from 24 December ‘17 to 2 January ‘18.

 

James Kottoor <jameskottoor@gmail.com>

     

to Antony Pancras

                                                      

Thank you dear Anto for this piece of information and wish you and the New Leader a safe journey through 2018, which augurs for me one tossed about by winds and waves. That is what the words of Jesus that He came also as a prince of War, not of peace only, of sword not only a victim on the cross.

      Wish you and NL good rest till Jan.2/18. When I was editor and manager of NL what I used to do during Christmas was to visit the homes of the poor workers of NL, leaving the lunch at the Bishop's house, to give small presents to them which made me more happy than having lunch at Bishop's house. Yours and mine  are two world views. Let the better informed judge which world view is right since comparisons are odious.

        My  prayerful good wishes to you and the New Leader to carry on the message of Peace to men of Goodwill.  

 

On Ernakulam land deal row:

 

Readers’ reaction to report  “What’s on Your mind? Asks face book Cover story on Cardinal Alancherry land deal loss” 

 

Jose kallidikil, Chicago.

31/12/2017 at 3:52 pm  

I am not sure if Mar. Alencherry is in way responsible for the huge monetary and reputational loss that the Ernakulam- Angamali  Archdiocese suffered  in the contraversial land deal.  But from what I heard in one of discussions on this subject in TV, it is clear  that somebody in the Diocese either deliberately or inadvertently played a role in this fraudulent deal.  If Mar Alencherry who claims Control over all the Syro Malabar Faithful, the world over, inspite of the clear instructions from Vatican that facilitating the extension of spiritual Services  should not be construed as conferring any special powers to him, it's his responsibility to prove to the faithful that he is suitable and capable of handling such an awesome and enermous  responsibility.  

I am at a loss to understand how the Archdiocese could send a Circular to the Parish Priests explaining the circumstances that led to this land deal with Instructions not to reveal the contents to the faithful.  It shows the total disregard and disrespect with which the Syro Clergy treats it's faithful.  We the  Faithful are the real owners of all the property and Institutions that the Catholic Church possess.  But the Clergy are under the wrong impression that they own all the Church properties and are not answerable to any one.  This arrogant attitude has to change.  The Church Act is the only solution to avoid the recurrence of similar fraudulent activities.

Jose kallidikil,  Chicago.
 

Reply

Isaac Gomes   31/12/2017 at 3:38 pm  (Edit)

Matrubhumi dated 31 December 2017 published the following report captioned "Land scam: Believers send letter to Pope asking for probe"

Kochi: A group of believers sent a letter to the Pope demanding a probe in the land deal under Angamaly-Kochi Archdiocese. The letter was in the name of V. J. Hyacinth, chairman of Mother Teresa Global Foundation.

The letter alleges that there was tax evasion and black money transaction involved in the land deal. It also demands that the transaction was done violating the laws in India, so that a probe commission excluding Cardinal Mar George Alencherry should investigate into the case. As per the church rules, Cardinal is the next higher authority after the Pope, and no priest can question his power according to the canon law, said V. J. Hyacinth

The allegation of illegal land transaction is against Catholic Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Cardinal Mar George Alencherry.  A group of priests had accused that the church suffered huge loss due to the land deal which was initiated to repay the bank loans. Though the Archdiocese has appointed a probe commission, they have to submit the report to Mar Alencherry. V. J. Hyacinth added that all of the 6-member commission are loyal to the Cardinal which in turn will affect the impartial investigation into the case.

Alexian brothers, a Belgium-based congregation, had handed over the land at Thrikkakkara to Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, on an agreement that the land should be used only for charity purposes. The land worth Rs 100 crore was sold to repay the loan of about Rs 50 crore.

It seems it will be a repeat of the recent outcome of 2G Scam case. 
 

01 January 2018
Dr James Kottoor

According reports in Time of India today 31/12/17/ the letter to Pope has not been sent. They are waiting to hear from  Mar Alanchery his response to include that also,  if found convincing. If he fails to give his response, or gives one not convincing, it will not be included in the letter. So the latest report in Times of India says that the  letter is now shedueled to be sent to Rome on or before Jan.4th. The middle men may have made financial gains but not Mar Alanchery according to me.           

        The only plausible complaint againt him could be his lack of  transparancy with brother bishops living in the same Archbishop's House. According to Toi report quoting Bishop Adayanthrath he and  his brother bishop didnot know about it till now which is hard to believe. So let us wait for the Cardinal's reply.

 

Joseph Mattapally (Asso. Editor)

The present crisis in the Syro-Malabar Church has a long withheld story of infight. It all began from a debate on the tradition and liturgy, Syro–Malabar Church is supposed to follow. A group lead by Mar Joseph Powathil stood for absolute Chaldean tradition (which got the approval of Vatican) but the fact was that Nazranis had no hierarchical connection with Chaldeans except that we let them do their practices in our churches. Mar Powathil was forcing his understanding of liturgy and tradition into the Syro–Malabar Church and the present conflict is the culmination of the unsuccessful resistances against this autocratic move. The present crisis is the result of effective utilisation of a golden opportunity to pounce upon the accused group, which introduced Mar Alenchery to the central stage. It is important that a few Bishops and some priests are in hands in glove breaking their vows of obedience to the Arch Bishop. The only solution is reconciliation, according to which the interests of the Church, the laity and the fighting groups in the clergy are to be considered amicably.  

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