NEW DELHI, India, FEB. 4, 2011 (Zenit.org).- To mark the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s historic first visit to India, the bishops of the nation organized a symposium to reflect on the teachings of the Pontiff, and to launch a book on his social thought.
The event, sponsored by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), took place Thursday, and gathered some 300 participants, including Papal delegate Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, the retired archbishop of Westminster. During his address, Cardinal Murphy O’Connor summed up some of the outstanding qualities of John Paul II, describing him as a courageous champion of the Gospel of Christ, a friend of the youth and a man who was totally free and fearless in braving opposition, suffering, and even persecution. Cardinal Oswald Gracias described John Paul II as an ardent disciple of Christ, a man who had a passion to promote human dignity, peace and the varied facets of life. He noted how John Paul II visited 10 cities across the country and spoke of issues such as inculturation, interreligious dialogue, and the need to bridge the divide between the rich and the poor. Though 25 years have elapsed since that visit, John Paul II’s message to India continues to be timeless, the cardinal said. Speaking on John Paul II and the apostolic exhortation «Ecclesia in Asia,» Father Christopher Lakra, director of the Indian Social Institute in New Delhi, outlined some of the challenges facing the Church in India today and called for a fresh look at the document. Joan Antony, a professor of psychology at the Jesus and Mary College in New Delhi, spoke on family and the woman in the teachings of John Paul II. She highlighted the many pressures and problems confronting the family today, and how John Paul II made connections between the family of the church with the world of today. No other spiritual leader of our times has touched on the theme of the family so comprehensively and compellingly as John Paul II, she pointed out. Cyriac Thomas, a member of the Minority Commission for Education, called John Paul II a rare personality who won the hearts of all and found a place in history. He made travel part of his routine and taught how to confront challenges, he noted. Thomas stressed the need for the Christian community to examine the current situation of the church in India and to undertake a comprehensive review of the way it is responding to issues such as human rights, unemployment, empowerment of women and the marginalized sections of society. Guide and tool During the symposium, Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor launched the book «The Social Teaching of John Paul II: Commemorating His Pastoral Visit to India in 1986,» authored by Father Charles Irudayam. The priest is the executive secretary of the CBCI Office for Justice, Peace and Development. Bishop Gerald Almeida of Jabalpur, while presenting the book, highlighted the contribution of John Paul II to Catholic social teaching. He described the book as a valuable tool for understanding John Paul II’s social teaching. Father S. Arockiasamy, a professor of moral theology at the Vidyajyoti College of Theology, called the book a practical guide that could be of benefit to church leaders and students of theology. He said the book is a source of inspiration to an authentic living out of the social content of the gospel in the local churches as embodied in the life of John Paul II. Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor, 78, is in India through Feb. 10. He will stop at many of the places visited by John Paul II, including Calcutta, where he will pray with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. He will meet with clergy and religious, as well as seminarians, and celebrate a Mass for the youth before departing. Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor will also emphasize some of the same themes John Paul II stressed. In Ranchi, he will speak about the Eucharist; in Calcutta, charity; and in Cochin, the central role of the family. The dates of his trip exactly coincide with those of John Paul II’s. The Pontiff was in India from Feb. 1 to Feb. 10, 1986.
