Delivering the key note address to the participants at
the 3rd Chennai Mission Assembly of the Jesuit Madurai Province at
Loyola College, Chennai, Fr. Ambrose Pinto SJ put forth a challenge for all of
us, “Is it possible for us to move from charitable and developmental works to
social movements, from clerical communities to prophetic one?” His radical
reflections are very much applicable for the entire Church today, as we reflect
over the role of Christians in the politics today. We need to be proud that for
centuries together, we have been building very many institutions of great
excellence but humbly should we accept that we have failed to build effective
movements with a radical response to the current corrupt political system we
are in. The Catholic institutions have produced very many great intellectual
giants, who have brought name and fame to our country. At the same time, we
need to humbly accept that we have failed to produce ‘enough’ men and women,
who could fight against the shameful system we are in. I have oftentimes
wondered whether there is a flaw in our approach. We the Catholics have been
instrumental in empowering the people through many meaningful missionary
activities. Our nation owes a lot to the foreign missionaries who selflessly
struggled in the service of the poor and oppressed of our land. The past
prophetic deeds of the missionaries do inspire all the people of this nation even
today after these many years, and it is because of their prophetic vision with
a people- centered approach. But things have changed drastically. We, the
Catholics who are to take that prophetic vision of our forefathers forward,
have failed in doing so. Very recently, I asked a friend of mine, “What do you
think about the role of the Church in the Indian politics today?” My friend
sarcastically replied, “When the members of the Church are much concerned about
their power politics within the Church, how will they concentrate on the Indian
politics?” His words at once made me fuel with anger and sternly asked him not
to utter such statements. But, as he left, his words continued to trouble me
within. I couldn’t really stomach what he said. Yet deep within me, there was a
constant fight going on to prove my friend right and prove me wrong. His words
made me look at the sheer reality as it is. From his words, I discovered a
disturbing fact. Yes, we Christians need to get rid of our power politics and
get involved in playing a pivotal role in the Indian politics. For, I strongly
believe that there is an emerging need for prophetic politicians. The power
mongering politicians are playing a dirty political game using the people of
this nation for their whims and fancies. At this crucial juncture, the
teachings of Christ can play a remarkable role in combating this corrupt system
and envisaging an effective political system that has the common man at its
center. AAP, which was started as a social movement, has made everyone turn
their heads making a huge change in the political arena within a very short
span of time. We all might have come across various issues related to the AAP.
Yet, taking its epoch-making political entry and anti-corruption approach into
account we need to realize deep within that we have a lot more to learn from
them as we dream of playing an effective role in the Indian politics. Keeping
in mind the emerging need for making the Church of God alive and active
according to the signs of our times, we need to accept that there is a greater
challenge for us to offer to this nation in the field of politics. The need of
our nation today is not powerful politicians but prophetic politicians, who
could radically respond to the corrupt condition of our nation. So far, the
politicians have been very much bothered about their political power. In our
political system today, what matters is not PEOPLE but POWER. Forgetting that
power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, our political leaders
have been over the centuries concentrating on their vested interests and thus
turning their deaf ears to the cries of those in agonies. To put an end to this evil practice of power-
politics, the Christian values of love, peace and justice can contribute to a
great extend in building up a political system that respects people instead of
power; service instead of political success; and people’s interests instead of
their vested interests. A prophetic politician, in my opinion, is a person who
gets into politics in order to clean the corrupt system more courageously not
through mere words but through his/ her prophetic deeds and renew the system
with a radical approach of fulfilling the purpose of politics- to be and for
the citizens of the nation, which has been long forgotten by the present
politicians of our nation. Looking at the present political system of our
country, everyone would agree with me in stating that we are fed up with family
and party politics. And what we need now is to get rid of the present system
and get more involved in a new system that paves way for a new approach keeping
the people at its center. This can be more effectively made a reality only by
prophetic politicians. And so the prime responsibility for the Christians today
in the Indian politics is to bring forth many prophetic politicians, who could
clean this corrupt system with the radical approach of our Lord Christ himself.
The words of Fr. Ambrose Pinto SJ should stir our souls to reflect creatively
and respond radically. Enough of maintaining huge buildings in the name of
institutions, enough of making money in the name of mission, enough of
involving in dirty power politics in the name of caste, and above all enough of
remaining silent spectators of this corrupt political system. The present
situation beckons us to be prophetic in our approach. Are we as Christians
ready to get out of our huge institutions in order to build peoples movements
which could eventually become prophetic political movements? Or at least can we
conscientize the members in our institutions to be wary of the corrupt system
and build an effective system that promotes prophetic politicians? As the
general election is fast approaching, we Christians can do a lot to bring a
change in our system. A drop in the ocean can make a huge difference. So be it
with our prophetic deeds! ***********************************
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