Our New Global Website – Church Citizens’ Voice, Explained

by CCV · 09/06/2015

Dr. James Kottoor – Chief Editor

Our new Global website; Church Citizens’ Voice (Almayasabdam, in Malayalam) is visited daily by over 3000 people. It is made attractive with the image of the Risen Lord at the centre with smiling face exuding joy and peace and out-stretched hands blessing all, not any more hands nailed to the cross behind.

The message it gives is that we, being His followers, are a Risen People, not dead but fully liberated and free.

To read writings in the Masthead see below the enlarged version. The inscriptions of either side of the Risen image in the Masthead are the following: and are meant to highlight ideas explained below.

Church Citizens’ Voice (Eph.2.19) + AlmayaSabdam

Kerala Catholic Reformation Movement (KCRM), An open Forum for Church Citizens world over

“And you will know the truth and the truth will make you free”(Jn..32)

Meaning of the Inscriptions on Masthead

The name: Church Citizens’ Voice is rooted in Eph.2.19: "So you are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God's household". It also echoes words of Pope Francis (Nov.2013) "Responsible citizenship is a virtue and participation in political life is moral obligation" (so also participation in the religious activities and responsibilities in church as equal citizens).

Formerly the faithful used to be called and pejoratively branded as LAITY, the last rung in the hierarchical ladder like SUDRAS in the Caste ladder, a synonym for ignorance, incompetence, inequality, insignificance and disrespectfully kicked around. Recall Delhi inter-Rite explosion after creation of Eparchy. The hierarchical structure in the Church – Pope, bishop, priest to layman – is not God-made but man-made worldly rodent, virus and pest after Constantine in the 4^th century, and so must be wiped out lock-stock-and-barrel. Equality of all and even more, the attitude of readiness on the part of the First or Highly placed, to take the last place as Jesus washed the feet of disciples is to be the characteristic trait of all followers of Jesus.

Hence Pope Francis’s oft repeated cry: “Inequality in church and society is the biggest sin crying to heaven for retribution.” That is how the Apostolic Church functioned. It was a Domestic Church then. People gathered in families of one after another and the head of that family – man or woman – presided over the Table Fellowship, the breaking of the bread and wine. Where then is room for certain imperial intruders to dress up their yes-men in gold and silver, purple and satin with other-worldly comic head gears and enthrone them as Pope, Cardinal, Archbishop, Bishop, Monsignor, priest etc? It is therefore a tectonic shift in thinking and restructuring of the present hierarchical church, that the Masthead of the new global website calls for.

This website was originally started as Almaysabdam, in Malayalam, meaning: Voice of the Laity to promote and publicize the Christian goals and ideals of Kerala Catholic Reformation Society started in Palai, Kerala, to reform the Syromalabar Church more than four years ago. It completed its fourth Anniversary Last November 6^th and simultaneously launched its new Global version, which was being planned and got ready. So now with the global outreach it has become Catholic Reformation Movement, embracing all Catholic Churches.

The last inscription on the Masthead is: “And you will know the truth and the truth will make you free”(Jn..32) It was for this Jesus came into this world as the embodiment of truth “I am the truth..” He had also told Pilot “For this have I come into this world, to bear witness to truth.”

In conclusion, now we have two parallel websites: one continuation of the old one: www.almayasabdam.blogspot.com which now confines itself to publishing all articles, reports and feedbacks in Malayalam, while the new one: www.almayasabdam.com, caters to communications from around the globe in English. Visitors are cordially invited to join in this global discussion by writing their comments – critical or constructive – or by sending in their reports and articles to: almayasabdam@gmail.com

It goes without saying that all are strongly advised to be polite and courteous as demanded by Christian ethics and rules of journalism, in the use their language. The rule is to disagree in an agreeable way, when it comes to presenting a counter view. Uncivilized. anonymous and offensive language will not be tolerated by the administrators. The writers themselves are to be responsible for the views expressed and language used..Coopertion of all are humbly and cordially requested to make this FORUM OF EXPRESSION, and an EXERCISE IN DISCUSSION AND DIALOGUE, informative, enlightening, enriching and entertaining.

Can be contacted at:jkottoor@asianetindia.com