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Trichur / Mumbai, Kerala / Maharashtra, India

Monday 12 October 2015


First Syro-Malabar parishes established in Europe


The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church has opened its first personal parishes in England when Major Archbishop Cardinal George Alencherry opened two parishes in the dioceses of Lancaster last week.

The Church in Preston is dedicated to St. Alphonsa and the other parish meant for Syro-Malabar Catholic in the rest of the dioceses is dedicated to Saints Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Euphrasia). These personal parishes are the first for the Syro-Malabar Church in Europe.

A speical blessing was given on the historic church and presbytery at St Ignatius, Preston which now serves as the worship, social and catechetical centre for the Syro-Malabar Catholics across the city and area.

The Major Archbishop also inaugurated the foundation in Preston of the Sisters of the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel (CMC) who have only recently arrived from Kerala.

This marks the first foundation of a community of Syro-Malabar Religious Sisters in Great Britain.


Some 1,000 20 clergy from the Syro-Malabar Church and some 20 priests from Lancaster diocese attended the colorful service, which was accompanied by music and drumming.

"The rest of the diocese has a smaller but well-established Syro-Malabar presence - connected canonically to the Blackpool St Kentigern's Deanery - and ongoing provision is being made for their needs," Bishop Michael Campbell explained in his blog.

"Meanwhile, we are becoming increasingly aware at the present time of the reality of migration and the plight of so many men, women and children seeking a better and more peaceful future. A frequent refrain in the Scriptures is that of 'the stranger in your midst', with the injunction to welcome and respect those who differ from us in any way.

"There is no doubt that the presence of the Syro-Malabar communities in the Diocese of Lancaster has brought many blessings to us, and we cannot but be impressed by the fervour of their religious practice and devotion to their faith.

"The concern of the Syro-Malabar Church authorities is to ensure that the faith and practice of their overseas communities be safeguarded and strengthened. In some parts of the world, eg the USA and Australia, the Syro-Malabar actually have their own dioceses and bishops.

"The Syro-Malabar chaplaincy in the Diocese of Lancaster was founded in 2004 by Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue and has, until this point, relied completely on various Roman Catholic parishes in Preston and further afield, to host their liturgies, social gatherings, meetings and prayer services.

"We warmly welcomed the Major Archbishop among us in the conviction that our own Church of Lancaster is strengthened and enriched by the presence of his faithful people among us," he said.
Archbishop of Philadelphia, Charles Chaput, says, "We are not here to win anything, we are here to arrive at the truth of the Lord that He has set out for His Church." 
This afternoon at the Vatican press office, with its director, Father Federico Lombardi, French Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, Monsignor Salvador Pineiro Garcia-Calderon, the American archbishop expressed this when commenting on the Holy Father's advice for prelates to not 'pick sides' and become divided in the Synod hall. The Synod Fathers were giving their thoughts on the third day of the Synod of Bishops, Oct. 4-25, being held on the topic "The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and the contemporary world."
The Synod Fathers, each for a different language group, observed that today first full day of the Circle of Minors. They expressed it was a great opportunity for different language groups with diverse ethnic and cultural compositions to start to examine family issues. Within these discussions, the topic of reforming language, in a way which does not in any way compromise, was brought up. 
When ZENIT asked Archbishop Chaput if changing language to seem more welcoming to some could potentially be used by politicians to mean things in ways the Church does not intend, the prelate said, 'Yes,' and that this has come up in their discussions and is being considered. He also added the concern that sometimes translations cause additional misunderstandings.
"We have to be careful with our language so people don't get hurt, but also we must be faithful to Church doctrine," he said.
"We need dialogue between the universal and local Church," the archbishop said, noting, "It's not appropriate for single episcopal conferences to make decisions on doctrine." 
To point out the magnitude of the task ahead of the Synod's bishops, he said, "Who is our audience? Our audience is huge, and we must address that diversity."  
From this, he mentioned how some in the English-speaking group expressed concerns this morning that Instrumentum Laboris does not reflect the Universal Church, but reflects more the Northern Hemisphere and Europe's concerns perhaps more than other continents and regions.
The American prelate spoke about the passage from the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia to where we are today, in the Synod discussing the family. He said it was his delight to host the Holy Father, and affirmed that the event had a great impact on him.
When reflecting on the World Meeting of Families, he said its purpose of celebrating family life was really visible as people came away "strengthened and encouraged about the future." He also praised that "there was a hunger for the reaffirmation of the Church’s teaching on marriage." 
When asked regarding the renewed language toward homosexuals, the archbishop noted that although mentioned, it was not the dominant point of the conversation. "I am sure the topic of same sex attraction will be in future conversations and I hope we find language that welcomes and doesn't hurt," he said.

By Archbishop Charles J. Chaput
Rome, October 07, 2015 (ZENIT.org)
"[The] synod is neither a convention, nor a parlor, nor a parliament or senate, where people make deals and reach compromises. The synod is rather an ecclesial expression, i.e., the Church that journeys together to read reality with the eyes of faith and with the heart of God; it is the Church that interrogates herself with regard to her fidelity to the deposit of faith, which does not represent for the Church a museum to view, nor even something merely to safeguard, but is a living source from which the Church shall drink, to satisfy the thirst of, and illuminate, the deposit of life."
Pope Francis
Remarks to the First Session of the Synod of Bishops on the Family
On Sunday evening, September 27, the Holy Father left Philadelphia for Rome after a hugely successful visit to Cuba and the United States. Four days later - barely time to breathe - I headed to Rome as a delegate to the 2015 Synod of Bishops on the Family.
It's taken until now for the scope of the World Meeting of Families to begin to sink in. But the truth is this: The Church, the city and the people of Philadelphia achieved something astonishing. In Rome I've been stopped again and again by bishops, journalists and everyday people from around the world. They describe their days in Philadelphia as something close to a miracle; a highpoint of their faith and their lives.
The credit goes to many people: generous donors, a tireless staff, wonderful volunteers and great cooperation from civic authorities. But above all, the credit goes to the priests, deacons, religious and people of our local Church. Success in Philadelphia had two ingredients: the grace of God and thousands of extraordinary families at the parish level who helped World Meeting of Families be the sign of hope God intended. Looking out on a parkway jammed with nearly 900,000 persons at the closing Mass, Pope Francis saw the face of the Christian family in our country; the very best of Philadelphia and the very best of the United States. The day clearly moved him, as it did all of us. And it set the stage perfectly for the Synod on the Family that began its first session yesterday, October 5.
A synod - from the Greek word synodos, for meeting or assembly -- is a global gathering of bishops called together by the Holy Father to give him counsel on a topic he chooses. Its role is purely advisory. The Pope can accept its counsel or choose a different path. But Francis has a keen sense of collegiality. He encourages a high degree of candor in discussing sensitive issues. And few subjects are more sensitive or more urgent than renewing the health of today's families, the focus of the current synod. If the first day's interventions were a sign, delegates at this synod will have no trouble being frank. Proceedings are closed to the public, but bishops are free to speak with the media, and many will. So as themes develop over the next three weeks, plenty of information will be available.
In his opening remarks on the first day of the synod, Francis urged his brother bishops to be guided by three principles in the days of discussion ahead:apostolic courage; evangelicalhumility and trustful prayer.
That's good advice for anyone seeking to live a genuinely Christian life. But it's vital for bishops in their work at the Synod on the Family.
I've come to Rome with the World Meeting of Families alive in my memory and my heart. I saw the hope and joy in those nearly 900,000 faces on Philadelphia's parkway, just as Francis did. That's what God intends for us all. Please pray for me during this synod, that God gives me the ability to share that hope and joy - so vividly alive in so many Christian families at the memorable closing Mass - with my brother bishops.
It is not easy to be a prophet, says Cardinal Alencherry to the Synod
Vatican City, 6 October 2015 (VIS) – This morning at 9 a.m., with the recitation of the Terce prayer, the third Congregation of the General Ordinary Assembly on the Family opened in the Synod Hall.
His Beatitude Cardinal George Alencherry, major archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabars, India, and president of the Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church, pronounced a homily in which he underlined, in the light of the Bible readings, the prophetic mission of the Church in our times.
“The reading from Jeremiah gives us a message very much applicable to the goal of our Synodal deliberations on family”, he began. “Prophet Jeremiah uttered a few oracles to the royal family of Judah cautioning the King against the ruin that may fall upon the Kingdom, if the King does not render Justice and righteousness and save the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor. Josiah and Jehoiakim were the kings of Judah, at that time. We know that both of them were weak kings, and Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, destroyed the Kingdom of Judah and the temple. Owing to the failures of the kings the people were driven to exile and all the sufferings that arose from it. Josiah and Nebuchadnezzar, the kings of Judah, could not render justice and righteousness and save the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor. Justice means the acceptance of the reign of God and righteousness is the grace of God resulting from the acceptance of God’s reign. The kings of Judah failed in their responsibility to give justice and righteousness to the people, and accordingly the people had to suffer the consequences”.
“The words of the prophet are applicable to rulers and leaders of all the times and also to the people governed by them. In many countries of the world people are denied justice and righteousness as a result of the promotion of individualism, hedonism and oppression by secularist values and lines of action. The question arises as to whether the leaders of the Church have come forward with a prophetic role like that of Jeremiah to support the people with the Word of God and by personal witness”.
“Jeremiah had to suffer the cost of his prophetic role”, the Cardinal observed. “His life was a symbol of the message he gave. Suffering and ruin he had to take upon himself. He was asked to accept three signs in his life: not to marry, not to attend funerals and not to attend parties”.
“'Do not take a wife': Jeremiah is not to experience the deep love of a bride, for the bride, Israel, has rejected Yahweh’s love. He must experience loneliness, as Yahweh experiences loneliness. In Christian times, celibacy becomes a sign”.
“'Do not go into a house where there is mourning': Jeremiah is not to mourn or show compassion to the dead, because Yahweh has lost all feelings for his people. They will die unlamented”.
“'Do not go into a house where there is a celebration': Jeremiah is not to join any celebration, because there is nothing to celebrate. Jeremiah is called to lead a terrible life, and no wonder he goes into deep depression and bitter lament. It is not easy to be a prophet”.
“The pastors of the Church in the present times are called to take upon their lives a prophetic role of suffering and kenosis, similar to that of the prophet Jeremiah”, concluded His Beatitude, citing Pope Francis' words in his apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium”:
“I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. I do not want a Church concerned with being at the centre and then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures. If something should rightly disturb us and trouble our consciences, it is the fact that so many of our brothers and sisters are living without the strength, light and consolation born of friendship with Jesus Christ, without a community of faith to support them, without meaning and a goal in life. More than by fear of going astray, my hope is that we will be moved by the fear of remaining shut up within structures which give us a false sense of security, within rules which make us harsh judges, within habits which make us feel safe, while at our door people are starving and Jesus does not tire of saying to us: 'Give them something to eat'”.

Tuesday 16 June 2015

Prot. No. 0137/2015

02 June, 2015

My Dear Loving Archbishops/ Bishops/ Very Rev. Fathers,

Greetings of prayer and best wishes from Bishop Raphael Thattil, Apostolic Visitor for the Syro Malabar Faithful in India Outside the Proper Territory!

I write this letter to bring to your kind notice a step taken by the office of the Apostolic Visitation for the Syro-Malabar faithful in India. During the Synod of Bishops in January 2015, I had mentioned my intention of starting an office outside Kerala with the purpose of bringing more coordination in the Pastoral Care activities of the Syro-Malabar Migrant Faithful in India. Now I am happy to inform you that we are starting this office at Nagpur.

In consultation with the Major Archbishop and after obtaining the permission from the Bishop of Kalyan, I have appointed Rev. Dr. Francis Eluvathingal, responsible for this office with the title Co-ordinator General, for a period of 5 years w.e.f. 03rd July 2015. In this capacity he will coordinate our migrant ministry in India. He will be responsible for visiting the missions and bringing more coordination, connectivity and continuity in our apostolate for the migrants. I request you to give him whole hearted support in discharging this most important mission for the good of our Church.

Fr. Francis is ordained for the Eparchy of Kalyan in 1995. After his doctoral dissertation in the Oriental Code of Canon Law, he was serving as the Chancellor and then as the Judicial Vicar for more than 11 years in the Eparchy of Kalyan. As he is very much interested and specialized in the ministry among the Syro-Malabar migrants, his service will be of great help for the office of the Apostolic Visitation. He will start functioning, for the time being, from Pallotti Bhavan, (Provincial House), Seminary Hills, Nagpur, Maharashtra 440006. He can be contacted by his email eluvathingal@gmail.com and mobile nr. 09869685140.

.... While I thank you for all your encouragement and cooperation for the works of migrants of our Church in India, I request your continued prayer support and solidarity for this cause.

With prayerful greetings, Yours in Christ Jesus,


Bishop Raphael Thattil
Apostolic Visitor of the Syro-Malabar Faithful outside the Proper Territory in India

Thursday 9 April 2015

MARRIAGES AMONG CATHOLIC MIGRANTS:
DIFFICULTIES AND CHALLENGES

Dr. Francis Eluvathingal

Introduction

The scope of this paper is to evaluate the present day marriages among the Catholic migrants and to identify the difficulties and challenges this institution faces today. This evaluation is done as a result of the first-hand experience obtained by working in the Curia and Tribunal of the Eparchy of the Kalyan which is the first Syro-Malabar Eparchy erected for the migrant faithful.
For the scientific nature of this paper, some definitions will be explained before going to the practical problems related to the marriage.   

1. Catholic Understanding of Marriage

As specified in the Canon Law, by marriage a man and a woman enter into a contract giving their personal consent to live together as partners for their whole life.[1] This contract is for a life of love, caring, understanding, communion, fellowship, giving, taking, sacrifice, etc.  The model of Christian marriage as per St. Paul is the way Jesus loved the Church: a total self-giving even at the cost of sacrificing one’s own life.[2]

2. Various Possibilities of Marriages in the Catholic Migrant Context

In this changed times, one may be surprised to see different types of marriages among the migrants in mega cities such as arranged marriages, love marriages, civil marriage between two free persons, civil marriage between one divorcee and the other free, marriage between two divorcees, marriages between one/both living separately without obtaining civil divorce or ecclesiastical nullity, marriage into other religion, marriage of convenience, living together of free or divorced, etc. On observing deeply the marriages contracted in the Churches, one will come across different categories of marriages which may sound incredible. They are the marriages between:
a.     Two staunch Catholics - they always prefer to have their wedding in their Catholic Rite and practise their faith in their Catholic Church.
b.    One practising and another non-practising Catholics - most of them are conducted in the Catholic Church.
c.      Two non-practising Catholics - most of them are conducted in the Catholic Church.
d.    One practising Catholic and another practising non-Catholic - depends on their decision as to where to conduct the marriage.
e.     One practising Catholic and another non-practising Non-Catholic - marriages may take place in Catholic Church and later on they may be practising the Catholic faith.
f.       One non-practising Catholic and another non-practising Non-Catholic – In this case, marriage takes place in Catholic or non-Catholic Churches and later on they may not practice at all.
g.    One Catholic and another Oriental non-Catholic -mostly the marriages take place in Catholic Church though in some cases they go the Oriental Non Catholic Churches.
h.    One Catholic and another non-oriental non-Catholic - mostly the marriages take place in SM Church though in some cases they go to  the Non-oriental Non-Catholic Churches)
i.        One Catholic and another from Christian sects - Mostly the marriages take place in SM Church, the sect member converting to the Catholic Church though in some cases the marriages are conducted as per the customs of the sects.
j.        One Catholic + a non-Christian with a Religion -Mostly the marriages take place in SM Church, the non-Christian member converting to the Catholic Church though in some cases the marriages are conducted as per the customs of the sects.
k.    One Catholic + an atheist - Mostly the marriages take place in SM Church, the non-Christian member converting to the Catholic Church though in some cases the marriages are conducted as per the customs of the sects.

3. Statistics

Going through the statistics with simple calculations, from among the total number of marriages more than 70% of them are arranged marriages between two from the same Church. Some 8% could be love marriages or arranged marriages between Catholics i.e. inter-ecclesial marriages out of which 4% take place in the Syro-Malabar Churches and 4% take place in Syro-Malankara or Latin Churches with proper permission or with the provision of indult. And other 10% between Catholic and a non-Catholic i.e. mixed marriages. Inter ecclesial marriages and mixed marriages are on the increase as either they do not get good choices from the same community or they get better choices from other communities. In this category of mixed marriage, there are almost 4% Catholics who get married in the Non-Catholic Churches without permission from the Catholic Authorities. The last 12% marriages are love marriages, solemnized in the church between a catholic and a non-Christian, out of which half of them get converted at the time of the marriage and another half do not get converted but marry in the church with the provision of the disparity of cult. In this category a small 2% are love marriages where the Catholic party defect their Catholic faith and join non-Christian religions and get married in temples, mosques, etc.

4. Marriage Preparation Courses

The diocese insists that all those who get married in the church including those who get married with the provision of the disparity of cult should attend the marriage preparation course and no exemption is given whatsoever. Non-Christians come to the course with reluctance, but after the course, they show satisfaction of having participated and find it an enriching experience. Apart from sessions on various topics related to family life, this three-day long marriage preparation course includes opportunity for marriage counseling, confession, etc. The course is conducted in English. 

5. Canonical Issues

A Catholic is obliged to have the catholic form[3] for his marriage and if goes against it, the marriage would be invalid. If the Catholics are born and brought up in one place but approach the parish priests in Kerala or elsewhere, they cannot conduct it without delegation of the proper parish priest for which the concept of domicile is to be respected. In such cases, all the process before the marriage is to be done where the person has the domicile and only the kettukuri (delegation) is to be given to the parish priest of the place where the marriage is solemnized. Very often the young bachelors and spinsters do not register their names in the migrated place but just before the marriage approach the priests for free-state certificate.   

6.        Customs and Traditions during the Marriage celebrations

    The liturgical customs are observed fully as per the prescriptions of the liturgical texts. In some places, bringing the bride and the groom from the entrance of the church to the main altar as a procession is introduced and found to be a well-received by the community. Though many of the customs of the Catholics are observed, unfortunately many western elements have crept in to our culture. Bridal garment is mostly westernized.  Best man, best woman, wedding march, toasting with wine, dance, etc are nowadays very common during marriage celebrations. The reception programme goes on till midnight. The custom of solemn welcome to the bride to the matrimonial home, entrusting the bride to the family of the groom, marupallikumbidal (visiting the parish church of the husband for the first time) on the following day, etc are slowly getting extinct.

7. Tribunal Experiences

Falling in love is on the rise nowadays. The parents insist that a Catholic should get married only to another Catholic especially when they come to know about the religiosity of the other party. This situation forces the Catholic party to heed the plea of the parents and finally give consent to marry a Catholic, at the same time; they secretly continue the relationship with the person in love. This obviously leads to the break of marriage and they approach the tribunal for the declaration of the marriage null and void.
Some love marriages between Catholics and non-christians are contracted with the provision of the disparity of cult. But when they start living together, the faith matters a lot for each one. But the disparity leads to conflicts especially when there are children.
Undue interference of the parents in the family life and decision making of the children leads to the break of marriage. Over possessiveness is found to be another reason.

8. Marriage Involves Decision Making

The Church insists that a person must have sufficient development of their faculties of intellect and will, to be able to judge and to will a truly human act.[4]As marriage involves a decision, discretion of judgment refers to the capacity of intellect and will to specifically evaluate, decide and freely enter marriage. Intellectual maturity is the most basic level expected in the adults who make a commitment for whole life. But unfortunately in some adults this reasoning is overpowered by only emotions. Still worse situations occur when this reasoning is done by some other minds like parents, or other kith and kin other than the contracting parties.

10. Difficulties and Challenges:

1.     The migrants all over the world have enormously benefitted by the recent permission with regard to the announcement of banns before the engagement. At the same, there is only very short period between the engagement and marriage and there is hardly any time to know each other.
2.     There is an increase in the number of cancellation of marriages after marriage fixing, engagement and announcement of banns.
3.     Spending time together during the marriage preparation course also benefits positively as they come to know each other in a deeper way. Sometimes they realize their incompatibility and they decide to cancel the marriage.
4.     Parishes nowadays try to collect all the certificates including that of the marriage for the official entry in their registers and find the irregularity in the marriage unions. In the same way at the time of the celebration of other sacraments such as the Baptism, Solemn Holy Communion such irregularity in the marriage unions are found.
5.     The concept of arranged marriages is to be understood with clarity. Who takes the final decision on marriage: the contracting parties or their parents? Decision forced on their children by the parents is undesirable as per the letter and spirit of the law. At the same time, many feel insecure for a decision taken by the contracting parties alone as it lacks perfection. I would say, a perfect decision making on marriage should be a process where the contracting parties take the final decision with the constant assistance and involvement of the parents who help them to evaluate and decide. A decision for marriage made by the parents against the will of the contracting parties is unjustified.
6.     Marriages are made in Heaven, which we solemnize on earth. Human person is a composite of body, mind and soul. Solemnization of a marriage is not just a spiritual ceremony happening in the church where only the soul is involved. But it is solemn moment of officially exchanging the consent for an already taken decision where mind and body are involved. A boy and a girl who take a decision for their whole life need to have basic knowledge about the other person. The migrant community must uphold the traditional values of not permitting relations before marriage but at the same time the parents show much openness towards this “knowing each other” concept and permit their children to interact adequately without crossing the limits.
7.     Unfortunately “falling in love” is a trap where many of our youngsters are unable to take decision with due discretion involving their intellect and will. The youngsters say that they just fall in love. One is blind to the demerits of the other when one falls in love. It is dangerous when the youngsters get married only because they are in love. Here, being in love is the only reason or quality for marriage. They do not consider many other key factors that are very important for a successful married life. Love need not be the only component that sustains a whole life together but rather is one of the many components. What is necessary is that one loves the partner whom one marries.
8.     Nowadays, one of the major problems in love marriage is having different faiths. Disparity of cult marriages is on the increase. Disparity of cult marriage is taking place in traditional catholic families where they practice the faith very strictly. It seems that our youngsters do not have the conviction that the person whom they marry should also have the same faith. This is a very dangerous situation. If our youngsters consider disparity of cult marriages as the fashion of the day, living our faith as one family will be almost impossible and it will result in the disintegration of the family; thus the stability of the community will be at stake.
9.     Though it is negligible minority, some of our Catholics, abandon their catholic faith and get married to a non-Catholic or a non-Christian either because there is no choice from the same catholic faith or because they are in love. The result is similar as in the above said situation.
10.            Conversion of heart only should lead to conversion to another religion. I fear sometimes that some non-Christians who get converted do it only for the sake of getting married. In these cases usually there is no living of faith in the families. The children, even if they are baptized, are not given opportunities of family prayers, Sunday obligations, nor sent for catechism classes. In some cases, once the marriage is over, even if they are converted Catholics, they just go back to their original religion and do not care for collaborating for anything further as per the laws of the church.
11.            Among the migrant families, most of the families are very small. They suffer from the lack of family bond and hence lack of strength. Hence the parents totally depend on their children for their future. Many parents especially mothers suffer from the insecurity feeling and hence show total dependence on their male children. This leads to undue interference in their family life. This phenomenon affects the growth of the newly wedded couple. There are complaints of friction between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law which also leads to separated life of the spouses. It is very much opportune to begin some family oriented courses for the parents before the marriage of their children.
12.            One or two children in the family sometimes prevent the holistic development of the children. They get all they want and need not share with anyone else. This leads to selfishness and egoism. It is surprising to see the young families resist in sharing together including their salaries. In some other families, the husband and wife share the family expenses equally and the remaining money is saved separately. These are against the basic concept of family values of giving and sacrificing. 
13.            The parents, at that time of migration, in order to get foot hold in these cities had to undergo lots of hardships. And they made sure that their children do not face the same difficulties. Many parents do not share their problems with their children but they suffer in private. And some others do not include their children in the decision making process. The parents take care of each and every need of the family and of the children. Hence most of the children lack practical knowledge and experience even to do small or big house hold activities. When their children get married and found new families, they do not know to take decisions, to handle many family situations and do household activities.
14.            The young families undoubtedly need follow up programme after their marriage and looking at the current development it goes without saying. The strain and stress of the job situations, increased financial burdens and loans, lack of other family members for offering a helping hand, etc. contribute tremendously to the pressure of the young families and they are not able to cope with the rigorous schedule of family life. These situations force them to neglect their prayer life and Sunday obligations etc.
15.            For the growth in faith, the small children need models and witnesses. In the Catholic tradition, the grand-parents were also god-parents at the time of baptism of their grand-children and they took initiatives for traditionally handing over the faith to their grand-children. They were either living together or close by and it was possible. Now among the migrant families, also because of lack of space in small flats or houses, most of the young families live separately from their parents and there is not much chance to hand over the faith to their newly born grand-children. This will definitely affect the future practising of the faith of the young families.
16.            Career oriented women become independent in the families. They earn good salaries, sometimes more than men. Sometimes these create innumerable problems such as inferiority complex of men, lack of time and interests for women in the family affairs, considering rearing children a burden, lack of qualitative and quantitative interaction with the extended family members etc.
17.            Those singles working abroad do not get ascribed to the available parish community in the foreign country.  At the time of their marriage, proving their free state to enter into marriage is a very difficult task.
18.            Those singles working abroad come here to get married. In a few days of leave, they need to fix the partner, fix the marriage, and conduct the engagement and marriage. Also for the sake of the guests coming from Kerala and elsewhere, they request for the engagement and marriage to be conducted in the same week. The purpose of engagement becomes questionable though very expensive ceremonies and celebrations have become part of the culture of the present day.
19.            The young families need lot of follow-up by the pastoral team in the parishes. Frequent enquiry about the well-being of the families, making sure of their presence together for the ecclesial activities, informal talks about the life adjustments of the young families, invitation for counselling when problems are observed, etc. should be under the permanent vigilance of the pastoral team. Family counselling cell and reconciliation forums are the need of the hour.
20.            Some Practising Catholics do not have the wedlock. It is a challenge to our community and for its stability. At the same time, wedlock becomes a reason for anonymity for some migrants when they have contracted some irregular marriages elsewhere.

 

Conclusion

With regard to the marriage, customs, life, etc. Catholic Church has a very rich tradition and patrimony which our forefathers treasured, preserved and handed down through centuries along with unwavering faith. By upholding sanctity of marriage, fidelity in marriage, maintaining family ties and reputation, they carried forward this legacy.  The onslaught of globalization, consumerism, nuclear family situation, imitation of the western culture, development of technology and the resultant misuse of it, workaholism, wreak havoc in the life and faith life of this migrant Catholics. Though it might seem difficult, the pastors of the Church, with the collaboration of all, need to address the issues related to the Holy Matrimony to safeguard the faith of the individuals, families and the community.  




[1] By the marriage covenant, founded by the Creator and ordered by His laws, a man and a woman by irrevocable personal consent establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life; this covenant is by its very nature ordered to the good of the spouses and to the procreation and education of children (CCEO c.776  §1).
[2] Ephesians 5: 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
[3] C.828 §§1-2. Only those marriages are valid that are celebrated with a sacred rite, in the presence of the local hierarch, local pastor, or a priest who has been given the faculty of blessing the marriage by either of them, and at least two witnesses, according, however to the prescripts of the following canons, without prejudice to the exceptions referred to in cc. 832 and 834, §2.The very intervention of a priest who assists and blesses is regarded as a sacred rite for the present purpose. And CCEO C.7812º,The Church recognizes any form prescribed or admitted by the law to which the parties were subject at the time of their wedding, provided that the consent was expressed publicly and, if at least one of the parties is a baptized member of an Eastern non-Catholic church, the marriage was celebrated with a sacred rite.

[4]They are incapable of celebrating marriage who suffer from grave lack of discretion of judgment concerning essential matrimonial rights and obligations mutually handed over and accepted (CCEO c. 818, 2).

Thursday 26 March 2015

Canonical Provisions for the Syro-Malankara Church. 
The Holy Father on Thursday, has erected the new Eparchy (diocese) of St John Chrysostom of Gurgaon and a new Apostolic Exarchate (Vicariate) of St Ephrem of Khadki, both of the Syro-Malankara Church in India. The Pope has also appointed Msgr. Jacob Mar Barnabas Aerath, OIC, until now titular Bishop of Bapara and Apostolic Visitor for the Syro-Malankars of India out of its territory, as the first Eparchial Bishop, and Msgr. Thomas Mar Anthonios Valiyavilayil, OIC, as the first Exarch and Titular Bishop of Igilgili hitherto Curia Bishop of the Syro-Malankara Church.
The Eparchy stretches across the northern part of India, embracing 22 of the 29 states of the country. The southern boundary of the eparchy is formed by the four central states: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa. In addition to these states, the faithful are distributed widely, especially in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Bengal.
Gurgaon is the seat of the Eparchy, because in this metropolitan area is the most substantial concentration of the faithful, distributed in nine parishes. In the region there are two colleges and ten schools run by the Syro-Malankara Church. In the pastoral, educational and charitable works there are 15 priests, including eparchial and regular, and about 30 religious.
The first eparchial bishop has his residence and chancery at the Mar Ivanios Bhavan in the district of Neb Sarai, where there is also the church of St. Mary, which will serve as the cathedral.
Mons. Jacob Tues Barnabas Aerath, OIC, the new Bishop of St John Chrysostom of Gurgaon, was born in Karikulam in the archeparchy of Tiruvalla on December 7, 1960. He entered in Order of the Imitation of Christ, was ordained priest on 2 October 1986. He holds a doctorate in moral theology from the Alfonsianum in Rome. He knows and speaks English, German, Italian, in addition to Malayalam.
After his ordination he has held the following positions: Procurator of his religious Institute; Vice-Rector (in charge of pre-novices); Rector and Superior of the Major Seminary of the Institute; Professor of moral theology at various seminaries in India; Provincial Superior (for two consecutive terms); and Master of Novices of the Navajyothy Province at Alwaye.
On February 7, 2007 Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Apostolic Visitor of the nature of a Bishop for the Syro-Malankars of India out of its territory and had been assigned to the Titular See of Bapara.
The Exarchate (Vicariate) of St Ephrem of Khadki, extends throughout the southern part of India so far devoid of ecclesiastical districts of the Syro-Malankara Church, that of entire states of Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, together with the States of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The mission of the Syro-Malankara outside the territory just began in 1955 with the founding of Bethany Ashram in Poona for the pastoral care of migrants. Today the Syro-Malankara presence in the region is divided into 27 parishes Exarchate or missions. There are twenty-one priests dedicated to pastoral care, thirteen convents of nuns and a dozen schools, including a college of higher education.
The majority of the faithful are located on the outskirts of Mumbai and Pune, in the western state of Maharashtra. The first Exarch will have his residence and Chancery in the city of Khadki, in the complex that includes St. Mary's Malankara Catholic Church which will serve as a cathedral.
Msgr. Thomas Mar Anthonios Valiyavilayil, OIC, the new Apostolic Exarch of St Ephrem of Khadki for the Syro-Malankars, was born on November 21, 1955 at Adoor, in the Archeparchy of Trivandrum. He is a religious belonging to the Order of the Imitation of Christ, where he made his first profession on January 15, 1974 and perpetual profession on December 9, 1980. He was ordained a priest on December 27, 1980. Subsequently, he obtained a doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical Oriental Institute. Apart from English and Malayalam, he speaks Italian, German, Hindi, Syriac and reads greek and latin.
After his ordination, he held the following positions: Superior of various convents; Director of the boarding school, Kottayam; Master of the Postulancy; Treasurer; Chaplain and pastor; Professor at the St. Mary's Malankara Major Seminary in Trivandrum and other major seminaries; General Councillor of his Institute and postulator of the cause of the beatification of the Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios; Chancellor of the curia of the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Church.
Mons. Thomas Mar Anthonios was elected Bishop of the Curia on January 25, 2010 and he was assigned to the Titular See of Igilgili.

Thursday 8 January 2015

Expectations from the New Pope

It is my hope that the next pope will better guide the Church according to the principles on which Jesus founded it: to bring the Good News of salvation to those who do not know it.
Asia, the largest of the world’s continents and with two nations whose populations exceed a billion souls, must become a greater priority. Indeed, this region is where the Gospel is perhaps least known.
But the Good News and Asia have a deep bond. Jesus was Asian, as were the apostles and the Virgin Mary. It was in Asia in the early centuries of the Church (in Syria, Armenia, Palestine, Persia and Afghanistan) that the Gospel spread quickly and took root.
In those days, Asian Christians using the Syriac as the liturgical language outnumbered Christians in Europe.
Today, the major religions with which dialogue is needed, the cultures with which we must engage, the poor and oppressed that require liberation, are in Asia.
But Asia remains on the margins of ecclesiastical concerns and underrepresented within the institutional Church. Cardinals from Asia are few and the voice of Asian Catholics is seldom heard – this despite the fact that Asia (along with Africa) represents the fastest-growing Catholic community in the world and one of the most oppressed.
So it is my hope that the new pontiff will continue opening new ground in Asia, and in China in particular, by giving Asia the attention it deserves.
Benedict XVI made sincere attempts at dialogue with China and had a special regard for the Church and its people there.
As has been said in the past by Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong, Vatican officials did not seize the opportunity Benedict provided them. Instead, they responded with traditional diplomatic skirmishes, from which only miserable consequences for the good of the Gospel come.
I also hope that the new pontiff drastically diminishes the significance and function of the Vatican’s secretary of state, as Pius XII did. Such titles perpetuate, among those who do not know the Gospel and the Church, the misconception that the Church is an earthly power – even a state – and should be dealt with as such.
The diplomatic apparatus of the Church must also be dramatically downsized, as it has nothing to do with the will of Jesus and the apostolic nature of the Church. Rather, it produces an array of powerful careerist officials wholly unknown to Christian communities.
The Chinese government, in unmitigated bad faith, continues to play on this ambiguity by charging the Church with pursuing political aims.
When the news of Benedict’s resignation made headlines worldwide, Chinese officials suggested that he had been defeated and overwhelmed by scandal – thereby promoting the idea that the Church is a political and financial power that can win or lose on the world stage.
To combat such a mistaken notion, it is my hope that the next pontiff will abolish the Vatican Bank – or if this is impossible, then at least transform the institution into something that will not continue to humiliate Christians as it has done for the last 30 years.
The Church, like the bank, must be a glass house with no secrets and nothing to bring shame on the people of God.
If this is to happen, then the next pope must be a true man of God, a man who believes in God in a way that is palpably clear to all believers in all parts of the world and from every faith and culture.
He must be a man of unimpeachable honesty and sincerity, whose actions accord with his conscience, a man bereft of all political or ecclesiastical scheming. The Church needs a simple man who prizes simple truth above clerical prestige.
Such a man would be an enigma to famous intellectuals and the international media, and he would utterly disregard the opinions of political, economic or cultural potentates.
I hope for such a man, who like Jesus valued the poor more than the rich, the oppressed rather than the privileged, the humble more than the high-born. A man capable and willing to fight for peace and justice and who trembles with pain and outrage at the economic and political oppression under which the majority of humanity still lives.
The next pontiff must esteem women, value their contributions and promote their greater input in the Church. He must have good friends as well as loyal and trustworthy collaborators. He must steer clear of worldly entanglements and insist his cardinals do the same.
At the end of the day, it is my hope that the next pope will inspire fidelity and humility by doing what Benedict XVI has done in relinquishing his office: diminishing his personal role while magnifying the role of the true head of the Church, which is Jesus.
Father Gianni Criveller is a member of the Pontifical Foreign Missions Institute and a veteran Sinologist who is based in Hong Kong.

Tuesday 6 January 2015

The consistory had been announced on 11 Dec 2014 to be held on 14 Feb 2015. This will be the second consistory to create new cardinals by Pope Francis. The following will be added to the College of Cardinals at that time: 15 Cardinal Electors:
* Dominique François Joseph Mamberti, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura; Age: 62.9
* Manuel José Macário do Nascimento Clemente, Patriarch of Lisboa {Lisbon}, Portugal; Age: 66.5
* Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, C.M., Archbishop of Addis Abeba (Ethiopian), Ethiopia; Age: 66.5
* John Atcherley Dew, Archbishop of Wellington, New Zealand; Age: 66.7
* Edoardo Menichelli, Archbishop of Ancona-Osimo, Italy; Age: 75.3
* Pierre Nguyên Van Nhon, Archbishop of Hà Nôi, Viet Nam; Age: 76.8
* Alberto Suárez Inda, Archbishop of Morelia, Michoacán, México; Age: 76.0
* Charles Maung Bo, S.D.B., Archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar; Age: 66.2
* Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij, Archbishop of Bangkok, Thailand; Age: 65.6
* Francesco Montenegro, Archbishop of Agrigento, Italy; Age: 68.7
* Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet, S.D.B., Archbishop of Montevideo, Uruguay; Age: 55.6
* Ricardo Blázquez Pérez, Archbishop of Valladolid, Spain; Age: 72.8
* José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuán, O.A.R., Bishop of David, Panama; Age: 70.9
* Arlindo Gomes Furtado, Bishop of Santiago de Cabo Verde; Age: 65.2
* Soane Patita Paini Mafi, Bishop of Tonga, Pacific (Oceania); Age: 53.1
Plus 5 Cardinals already over the age of 80:
* José de Jesús Pimiento Rodriguez, Archbishop Emeritus of Manizales, Colombia; Age: 95.9
* Luigi de Magistris, Pro-Major Penitentiary Emeritus of the Apostolic Penitentiary; Age: 88.9
* Karl-Josef Rauber, Apostolic Nuncio Emeritus to Belgium; Age: 80.8
* Luis Héctor Villalba, Archbishop Emeritus of Tucumán, Argentina; Age: 80.3
* Júlio Duarte Langa, Bishop Emeritus of Xai-Xai, Mozambique; Age: 87.2