A national consultation “We Too Are Church” has appealed for the convening of Vatican III. In an era of breaking news, and shifting goal posts, it is not enough to hark back to Vatican II that concluded 54 years ago. It is now time for Vatican III to address the rapidly mutating issues faced by the church in the modern world, says a press release from the consultation.
As reported by mattersindia.com, As many as 60 delegates from 15 Indian states attended the Feb 9-11 consultation held at Proggaloy Pastoral Centre, Kolkata. The gathering of lay leaders, clergy and religious was a collective response to the various political and moral crises that the church finds itself embroiled in, without an adequate or credible response, the press release explains. It also says “Pastoral Letters” on elections issued by three archbishops and the alleged rape of a nun by a bishop have attracted a hostile press. The bishops of Kerala in a recent statement have labelled those raising their voices as “enemies of the church,” it adds.
The consultation asserted that such a situation cannot be perpetuated, nor can such a grievous accusation be left unchallenged. The participants decided to form the “Indian Catholic Forum” (ICF), a platform to reform the Church and speak up for it on critical issues in the media. It elected a Core Team with chhotebhai as the convener, Swami Sachidananda as the co-convenor, and Isaac Gomes as the secretary general, together with 8 others from across the country.
Source: www.pravachakasabdam.com
