Saturday, December 16, 2017

The Calling of the NCW to India

Recently I mentioned that Kiko Arguello was in India.  He was invited by a cardinal in India who attended the Neocatechumenal Way retreat in Israel.  He was very impressed with the Way and decided to bring the Way to India.  According to news report:

Card. Toppo: Neocathecumens for a new evangelization of India

The prelate has convoked a meeting with representatives of the Neocathecuminal Way this week in Ranchi. He speaks to AsiaNews about his desire to succeed in spreading a new evangelization in Jharkhand and all India, restoring hope, love and unity to the Church, and overcoming ritualism.

New Delhi (AsiaNews) – Spreading a new evangelization in Jharkhand and all India , that’s the aim of a meeting organised by  cardinal Telesphore Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi, capital of Jharkhand with members of the Neocathecuminal Way. 6 bishops and 300 priests will participate in the meeting in Ranchi to be held from June 18 to 21.

Speaking to AsiaNews Card. Toppo said that “we are offering this new way of evangelisation to this state of Jharkand and this will lead to unity with the people and with their bishop and the universal church”.

“Kiko Arguello found his calling to start the Neocatechumenal Way in the slums of Madrid- continues Toppo - very much like Blessed Mother of Teresa of Calcutta who also found her calling to form the Missionaries of Charity in the slums of Calcutta. The Apostle and father in faith of the Tribals in these eastern states- Father Constant Lievens, in 1889 had envisioned that for the Christian Faith of the Tribal people  to grow, a basic prerequisite was a ‘ well knit and disciplined community formed on the rock of Gospel Values and based on love, and nourished by the word of God”.

“As a Tribal myself - adds the cardinal - I see perceive and understand that the Neocatechumenal communities are very like the Tribal way of life and within the context of our own culture.  It is important, that the Pastoral of evangelization must use the values already present in local cultures”. “Sadly, through the years, the Church in Jharkhand and in many other places in India stresses more on a Pastoral of Sacramentalization, and this has ‘Ritualised the Church’. This is sad, because in crisis of today’s world, more than ever before, the church needs to be a Sign of the Luminous Light of the Resurrection and this is possible only with a vibrant Church, which shows signs of love and unity”. “My earnest pastoral desire – concludes the cardinal - is that the Church of Jharkhand will embark on this adventure with ‘the Shepherd Jesus Christ’, and ultimately being the salt and leaven for the Church in India”.

6 comments:

  1. According to our catechists, the problem is that the law in India says that only Indians can evangelize. So, Indian itinerant and priests are needed to evangelize in India. The short video we saw at the Advent announcement showed Kiko calling for the young men to the priesthood. About 60 Indian youth and young men stood up. A calling was also made for the women who were interested in becoming itinerants or to join the monastery. About 62 Indian women stood up.

    India is a huge country and they have the second highest population in the world with China being the first. It was to both India and China that Kiko traveled to. The population to find priests are in these two countries; however, the challenge is that both countries are predominantly non-Christian.

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    1. Hi Diana. That's ok. The apostles went out into the world of the Gentiles and faced the same challenges. ☺

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    2. I hope bishop Byrnes can learn something from Cardinal Toppo. Hopefully Byrnes can stop listening to his corrupt priest advisors.

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  2. The irony is that here in Guam, which is catholic by name, the church leaders have chosen instead to kill the evangelization of the people by shutting down the RM Seminary. Talk about blind leaders!

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  3. Today is Gaudete Sunday,and we light the third Advent pink candle of our wreath to remind us that Joy is one mark of a true Christian. In spite of persecution oppression let us rejoice and be glad because He the almighty God is with us. He Loves us. Rejoice be filled with Joy!

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