Cultural intrusion?

Sir, - Any dialogue between Christian and Hindu leaders to be fruitful should centre round the root of the problem, namely what poisons the social climate. Is what goes on as evangelisation acceptable in India or is it provocative and if so, why?

Conversion, especially mass conversion, disrupts social harmony. So it cannot be the exclusive right of the Church to define what conversion or evangelisation is.

According to the decree on the Church's missionary activity of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), it is the members of the foreign missionary orders, either foreigners or Indians recruited to the orders, who are the ``heralds'' of the gospel ``sent out'' by the Church to preach the gospel in certain territories ``recognised by the Holy See''. Here the Church means the Church in the West, particularly the Vatican. The Council decree further states that it is the curial office at the Vatican that should direct and coordinate the missionary work and also provide funds. Thus central control is complete. Christ gave the mandate to preach the gospel to all the eleven apostles (Matthew, 28:20 & Mark, 16:15). The bishops all over the world, including those in India, are successors of the body of the apostles. Then how did the Vatican Council declare the bishops in India not good enough for preaching the gospel on their own? Is it not natural to see in this a vestige of colonial era and the Church in India as the long arm of the Church in the West?

It is admitted even at the highest level, even Pope John Paul II has admitted that Christianity has lost the West. At the time of the Vatican Council there was some disposition to think that the mission should also cover the de-Christianised West. But it was rejected. The missionary work controlled and funded by the West was to target Asia, Africa and Oceania. Did the Vatican Council envisage preaching of the gospel or cultural intrusion?

India is too deeply steeped in religiosity to oppose the preaching of the Christian gospel. But if gospel is just a veneer for cultural intrusion and evangelisation a disrupter of social harmony, India will have good reason to resist it. Any dialogue should address this problem.

R. Rubin,

Chennai

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