Pics: Meryick D'Silva
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (JS)

Mangaluru, Apr 30: "My visit is just to have an overall understanding about the local church here, namely the diocese of Beltangady. When I use the term 'church', I mean not only the Christians, but all people, irrespective of caste and creed. People have wrong perception that we are doing conversion business, but according to the Gospel we have other people also who are bound to get something from the church," said Cardinal George Alancherry, major archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church.

He was addressing reporters after being accorded a grand welcome by the bishop of Mangaluru Dr Aloysius Paul D'souza at St Alphonsa Forane Catholic Church in Kankanady here on Thursday April 30.

"The church is actively engaged in running schools and colleges, hospitals, social service, institutions and various other charitable institutions, extending service to all groups of people belonigng to all religion. The purpose of my visit to express solidarity with Catholics and all people of this land," Cardinal Alancherry said.

"I am happy to be here in the state of Karnataka, which is a great state that has made enormous contributions to the nation. It has also played a very important important role in shaping modern Indian religions and philosophy.

"Christianity reached India in the first century itself through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus by St Thomas the Apostle. The people in the diocese of Beltangady are the descendents of the first Christian community who were mainly in Kerala. It is true that the state of Karnataka came to know Christianity first only in the 16th century between 1500-1600 AD with the arrival of the Portugal missionaries," he said.

"Pastoral visit, according to the directory of the pastoral ministry of bishops, is one of the ways, confirmed by centuries of experience, through which the bishop maintains personal contact with the clergy and with other members of the people of God. It is an occasion to rejuvenate the energies of those engaged in evangelisation, to praise, encourage and reassure them. It is also an opportunity to invite the faithful to a renewal of Christian life and to an ever more intense apostolic activity. The pastoral visit helps the bishop to evaluate the effectiveness of the structures and agencies designed for pastoral service, taking account of the circumstances and difficulties of the task of evangelisation, so as to determine more accurately the priorities and the means required for overall pastoral provision," he explained.

"Now in the sixteenth year of the establishment of Beltangady as a diocese, I am making this pastoral visit in my official capacity as major archbishop of the Syro-Malabar church. The major archbishop, as per the law of the church, is considered father and head of this individual church. The Catholic church is a communion of 23 individual churches sui iuris of which 22 are in oriental tradition and one in the Latin tradition. In India we have the presence of three individual churches, namely Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara and Latin," he added.

"As per the particular law of the Syro-Malabar Church the major archbishop makes canonical visitation of the eparchies once in ten years. Pastoral visit in a parish is the canonical obligation of its bishop. Likewise pastoral visit in a diocese is the duty of the major archbishop," he said.

"Pastoral visit is an apostalic endeavour, an event of grace. This visit paves the way to put fresh spirit into the faithful. In a rare occasion like this the spirit will flow down into the faithful like rain and will bear various fruits in different people as on the day of Pentecost for which we need intense prayer and good mental disposition. There will be very many occasions during this visit to celebrate the Holy Eucharist and to proclaim the word of God with the different communities convened for the occasion. I assure you that in all these occasion I will be praying for on all of you and your families," the major archbishop added.

It gives me an occasion to come into close personal contact with the eparchial bishop, parish priest, religious priests and sisters, head of various departments of the diocese, and the lay people responsible for various areas of the pastoral life of the diocese. The pastoral visit is large, intended to bring encouragement and hope to all those who invovled in pastoral work and to all the people of the diocese. The actual visitation provides an opportunity to discuss the pastoral visit of the diocese, the development and welfare of the people as a whole and any particular challenges and difficulties. As its name implies, a pastopral visit is an expresasion of pastoral concern and support and comprises such activities such as litergical and para-litergical celebrations, meetings with the clergy, religious and laity, especially the pastoral council and the various association in the diocese," he said.

"It helps me to become acquainted with the reality of the environment, the socio-economic condition of the people, the current pastoral programmes, and the overall functionning of the diocese," he added.

"This pastoral visit, from a faith perspective, gives me chance to look at the diocesan community in its main components, which are faith, education of people of all age groups, sacramental and liturgical life, service to society, the relationship of the eparchy of Belthangady with the Syro-Malabar Church sui iuris and the Universal church.

"This visit also intents to make known the pastoral priorities of the Syro-Malabar Major Archipiscopal Church and to foster sense of belongingness to this individual church. I believe that by this visit I will be much enriched and likewise you will also enjoy its benefits. By no doubt with this visit I will get a good picture of the life of the diocese of Beltangady and its activity in a deeper way. It also gives the diocese an opportunity to meet with the major archbishop as its father and head and therefore of the diocese of Beltangady too.

"Above all these I have come to appreciate your selfless and dedicated service in this mission and to share with you the joys and hopes, efforts and commitments, ideals and aspiration of your land, and to confirm you in the faith, love and harmony," he said.

Mar Lawrence Mukkuzhy, bishop of Belthangady, Fr Joseph Valiaparambil, J R Lobo, MLA Mangaluru South and Ivan D'Souza, MLC were present at the occasion.