Misuse of land granted to the Church. Running resort just 50 feet away from the church.

The erstwhile Kanan Devan company gifted 14.5 acres of land to tea estate personnel for the purpose of cemetery and worship.   An Anglican church, namely Kannan Devan Hills Church was established during 1910 in the land.  Different missionaries were working in the area and churches were established in different parts of Munnar.  When the CSI was established in 1947, this church too was merged with the CSI.  The land was also transferred to the North Kerala Diocese later.

When the KDH Resumption of Land Act 21st day of January 1971 came into force, the above land was exempted from vesting with the government.  This land has no patta and it is a special grand.  As such, the said land is a government lease land given for a specific purpose i.e. to establish a church, cemetery and for conducting any prayer related activities.

But the financial integration of the Munnar churches was made with the North Kerala Diocese only during 1981. The CSI North Kerala Diocese failed to utilize the land for the social development of the people.

A three story complex was built on the land which is adjacent to the church during 2003 without any proper consultations with the local elected bodies.  No proper monitoring committees were formed for the purpose with the elected representatives.  The diocese gave mass propaganda that they would be constructing a retreat centre on the south west of the Munnar CSI Christ church and accordingly foundation stone was laid at that location by the then Moderator Rt. Rev. K.J. Samuel. But later they slowly talked about a commercial complex instead of “CSI Retreat” and they constructed a three storied complex. No study was made as to whether this land can be utilized for commercial purposes when the land was granted specifically for worship and cemetery purposes. 

The Invitation of the laying the foundation stone for CSI Retreat Munnar

Two members of the church filed a case (Civil suit No.14 of 2004) at Devikulam Munisiff court, praying to use the building only for social and religious purposes and not for commercial purposes since the church did not give any clarification as to what they are doing in the building. However, one of the petitioner in the case Mr. Jacob Reginald was debarred from the church assembly for filing the case.  He went on a fast at the Pullivasal Church till midnight insisting the bishop to discuss all matters and to withdraw the order. 

The bishop promised to consult all the elected bodies and general body before taking any decision regarding the complex. Unfortunately, the bishop resigned and the present Bishop K.P. Kuruvialla took over the reins of the diocese.  He did not keep the promise made by the previous bishop. 

In the meantime, under the insistence of Munnar Task Force formed by the Govt., the Munnar Panchayat issued notice dated 6th July 2007 to the church, saying that the complex constructed is illegal and why it should not be demolished.  Immediately, the diocese named the complex as prayer hall and community centre under the advice of the moderator Rt. Rev. Dr. J.W. Gradstone.   Later it was dedicated by Rev. Dr. K.P. Kuruvilla as PRAYER HALL AND COMMUNITY CENTRE.  A board was fixed on the top of the building and the building was being used for church functions, marriages, political meetings etc.  official receipts are there. 

The Task force did not proceed with the action as the bishop and the church authorities assured the task force that it is being used for social purposes.  Exactly after one year, the bishop Rev. Dr. K.P. Kuruvilla leased (sub-leased) the Prayer Hall and Community Centre to a third party to convert it into a resort.  

There was no decision to this effect either in the pastorate committees or in the General bodies of the local church.  As a D.C. Member, Mr. Jacob Reginald sent two faxes to the Bishop to make public about the deal with the S.N. Tourist Home.  He did not respond at all.  Till date, the church members do not know what was the deal. 

A section of the of the church members including me went on a fast since 6th July 2008 and remained in the church for four days on tharna to cancel the sub lease.  As the police pressurized and negotiated with the agitating members and on the promise the bishop’s commission comprising of the diocese officers including the present treasurer and clergy secretary that he will have open discussion with all concerned, the agitation was withdrawn. 

The commission’s report was not considered and the bishop continued the work and did not take any action to discuss with the involvement of all concerned. Though he visited Munnar at that time.  This is totally against the wishes of the Munnar congregations, This is just 50 feet away from the church.  A mass appeal was sent by about 800 members of the congregations and the bishop was not listening to the cries of the members.  The appeal was also sent to the Panchayat to stop the conversion activities in the building.   

Instead the bishop and his atchens threatened all the people who signed the appeal with action.  On of the women member of church at Kalaar Estate was threatened on the morning of her marriage day (10.10.2008) that her marriage would not be solemnized unless she gives an undertaking against the appeal.  She had issued a lawyer notice to the concerned attchens. The achens apologized (25.10.2008) and found a scape goat, their church worker.  Bishop tried to foil false cases against us. 

The Panchayat issued stop two memos dated 16.7.2008 and 23.07.2008 to the bishop and advised them to demolish the converted portion immediately. 

Several cases were filed in the Hon’ble High Court to implement the order of the Panchayat and to stop the conversion of the building into a resort and to utilize the land and property only as per law and retain the prayer hall and community centre. 

The hon’ble High Court passed the following orders.

WPC. No. 35582/2008 (S) dated 9th December 2008 – The Establishment of a resort or a lodge or the building existing in the land  is subject to the result of the case. 

IA. 16311/08 IN WPC. No. 35582/2008 (S) dated 18th December 2008 – Further construction is stopped until hearing of the writ petition. 

When this case i.e. IA. 16311/08 IN WPC. No. 35582/2008 (S) came for final hearing on 21st January 2009, the learned Govt. Pleader Mr. M.P. Srikrishna submitted to the court under instruction from the government that the Government is considering mass representation filed and it will take appropriate action therefore no further orders are necessary. The case was disposed accordingly by passing judgement dated 21st January 2009. 

The bishop released a circular No.3/2009 dated 22nd January 2009 in which he stated that we are happy to inform you that these cases have now been dismissed by the division bench.  How the bishop is dare enough to issue such a defamatory statement?  Who is backing him?  Contempt notice was issued to him. 

The Bishop debarred 6 petitioners from the Church including myself and Jacob Reginald.  Mr. Reginald was debarred vide letter No.BP/75/2009 dated 2nd February 2009 just before the diocesan council held on 10th February 2009 mentioning utter lies in the letter.  The reason being we approached the Hon. High Court for justice. 

Mr. Jacob Reginald approached the Devikulam Munisiff Court seeking justice to stay the order of the Bishop.

In the above case, a report of Tahsildar dated 30.10.2008 was filed by the government in which it is clearly stated that the land given to the church authorities for establishing a church, cemetery and other allied prayer related activities only.  But the church authorities have seen constructed a commercial building in the property in question which is void (wide) and clear violation of lease conditions. In spite of the above orders and report the government was not taking any action as submitted to the court and the building was being constructed on day and night basis.  We issued several letters to the authorities and they kept mum.

The bishop, with the connivance of political force and government officials, allowed the 3rd party to convert the building into a resort and a restaurant. 

We again approached the Hon’ble High Court vide WP(C) No.8842/2009 (S)  and the court passed two orders

In Interim order WP(C) No.8842/2009 (S)  dated 25th March 2009 – We make it clear that in the meanwhile construction if any undertaken by the 6th respondent (S.N. Tourist Home) will be at his risk. 

In the final order in WP(C) No.8842/2009 (S)  dated 6th April 2009 – It is quoted that Tahsildar has submitted to the court that it is a government lease land and district collector has submitted it is an exempted land.  The court directed the District collector to take appropriate action under law within four months. 

But the district collector dragged on the matter for eight months.  At the first sitting itself he passed an order of status quo but that was ignored by both the Bishop and the S.N. Tourist Home.  They completed the construction and started the functioning illegally.  

The District Collector, Tahsildar and Panchayat are party to this illegal activity.  Now the building is converted as Sujatha Inn and Sri Krishna Gujarathi Marwadi Restaurant and functioning illegally. 

The action of the bishop has brought disrespect to the whole diocese.  It is generally believed that the property has been almost sold to a third party with huge pecuniary benefits by bishop and his close aids.  While the matter is still pending before the government for further action as referred by the district collector the resort is functioning illegally under the guidance of the bishop and SN group.



Courtesy: Jacob Reginald, Munnar

Amnesia: A malignant spiritual disorder

(You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt---- Duet. 16:12)

Memory is the basis of the identity of an individual or a community. Preserving historical monuments handed down by our forefathers is one way to pass on that memory to the succeeding generations. Only one who can lay claim to this heritage and re-live it relevantly in the present can be considered noble and faithful. Unfortunately Bishop Kuruvilla and his associates work with short term memory and material gains and a skewed understanding of power and authority. How can we keep alive the missionary heritage and the memory of what they lived for and worked for? What was the nature of their mission? What is more important: maintaining the unity and witness of the church or ones ego and “power”? 

Click on the image to zoom

Breaking down of the Gothic arches of the 145 year old English Church in Kozhikode is not the only incident. An attempt was made to demolish the old church in Mananthavadi which had been constructed before the settlers arrived in Wayanad and build a new church closer to one end of the property. Thus, with the demolishing of the old church building which is situated in the middle of the property, they could save 15 to 20 cents of land for sale or “Home-Stay Cottages” in the heart of Mananthavadi Town. Somebody spoiled this design; the Archeology Department of India came to know about this and they took over the old church building as an archeology monument.

Click on the image to zoom

We attach a lot of sentiments and sacredness to certain structures and institutions, particularly to churches, how old they may be. Before demolishing them we should think twice as to how we can preserve them for posterity. If the bishop of a diocese has no such sensitivity, what can we expect from the ordinary members of a congregation?

Besides this lack of a sense of history, there is callous disregard for the feelings of a congregation and its unity. Bishop Kuruvilla and his pastoral colleagues find joy in splitting congregations. We expect a vicar and a bishop to be sensitive to the feelings of each and every member of a congregation when age old traditions, practices and structures are tampered with. That is why even today, several years after the church union, the Basel Mission tradition is respected and acknowledged. We should not force any change, but rather wait patiently for changes to occur.  That is the Christian spirit we have been fostering during the periods of successive bishoprics.

What is the urgency to demolish or remove a 145 year old gothic architecture and the picture of Mary? If successive bishops can tolerate it and did not see anything obnoxious or against faith in it, why not the same tolerance be shown by Bishop Kuruvilla and a theologically illiterate vicar whose only qualification is subservience to the powers that be. CSI has only one constitution and no cannon law. To talk about it is to use the language of the Pope and the Catholic Church. These platitudes and hub bugs must be challenged. Bishop Kuruvilla’s ego has risen to the pathological level of elevating himself to the status of a Pope and his infallibility, which our forefathers threw away lock stock and barrel.

Old CSI Church at Mananthavady

What is important: removing the old gothic structure and the picture of Mary or retaining them as they are and thus, preserving the unity and witness of the church? St. Paul would say, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”(Gal. 5: 6) No cannon law should stand in the way of love commandment and preserving the fellowship and witness of a congregation. It is to preserve this unity and witness that we have adopted episcopacy and not to “lord it over” the flock.

Spirituality And Tourism - (Malayalam Version)

Spirituality And Tourism

Courtesy: C. GEORGE JOSEPH

"Do not be yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership have Righteousness and iniquity" (2 Cor. 6:14)

The report in the Indian Express of November 7, 2010 stating that spirituality and tourism are two sides of the same coin seems to be an eye opener to most of us.  Until then, we had misconceptions about both spirituality and tourism. Since we are Biblically ill-literate, we could not understand or appreciate, any relation between the two, until it was explained by the Bishop through the Indian Express. But, if we consider both Spirituality and Tourism as subjects outside the purview of the Bible, then there will be nothing in common for us to engage in this discussion.

Now let us take a look at ONE SIDE OF THE COIN

One of the reasons why we are unable to find “Good Samaritans” these days may be, perhaps, due to the non-availability of lodges run by spiritual organizations. Those who would like to assist victims of road accidents are dissuaded from taking the risk of not finding a suitable resting place for such persons. We are confident that with the inauguration of suitable lodging places at all main centres by the CSI, where the Church has properties, the number of Good Samaritans will increase and the number of accident victims left on the road uncared for will decline considerably.  

The Bishop’s categorical statement - that “In worldly life, spirituality and materialism are not two separate entities”, and that “there will be no conflict between spirituality and tourism” – the  quintessence of the elaborate discourse by the learned Bishop- is beyond the little knowledge that we have of the Bible and will cut no ice with Biblically ill-literate people like us. 

Under the circumstances, it is our primary duty to get a few of our little doubts clarified.  For example:

1. Proverbs 31:6 tells us about giving strong drink to him, who is ready to pass away, and wine to him, in bitter distress of heart.  Can those in charge of the home stay cottages assure that they would do only what was required, or expected of them, as recorded in the Bible, by providing such drinks to those brought to the Shalom Home Stay Inns, by the Good Samaritans?  Will they acknowledge Psalm 104:15, Isaiah 55:1 and 1 Timothy 5:23, as binding on them in case they are questioned on their action by a well-meaning and devoted church member?

2. It is a usual custom here in Kerala and other States, to serve liquor in the hotel rooms, especially to tourists. Can those running the Shalom Home Stay Inns claim that there will be NO CONFLICT between spirituality and tourism as stated by the Bishop and that their action, if any, of serving liquor or allowing the inmates to consume liquor at their rooms, would be justifiable?

3. CSI Lodgings will, of course, be the most sought after Rest Houses for the terrorists, at least for some time, since the Police are not likely to break open the gate of a Church and the Shalom Home Stay Inns located safely inside the Church compound, as matters stand at present.  But, it will certainly become a target of the Police in due course. Then Sundays will not be the only days when the CSI Church premises will be under the Police surveillance.

As and when the foregoing procedures are given effect to, the Diocese can save on advertisement costs on Home Stay Inns. From the word of mouth of the tourists and Terrorists, who enjoyed their stay at our lodges, the news would naturally spread attracting  more and more tourists and terrorists (as tourists) to the Diocesan lodges. 

Conclusion

Now about the usage of ‘two sides of the coin’, the Dictionary has this to say, “anything can be viewed or thought about differently, just like two sides of the same coin.” Surely, there will be different ways that we can view or think about spirituality, tourism or terrorism. The question is only about the way a Christian would view it. 

What do you say about the probability of terrorists occupying the Diocesan Lodgings and the consequences connected therewith?  What do you say about the probability of the Diocesan Lodgings getting converted slowly, but steadily, into Bars? The only question at the moment is which is good or preferable to the Diocese and the general membership of the North Kerala Diocese.  Let the learned Diocesan Council members, who are the elected representatives, deliberate and take appropriate decision. 

The presence of the Police at some of the CSI Churches has become a regular feature on Sundays. Consequently, attendance and offertory are diminishing in such Churches.  Our prayer is that the Diocesan Home Stay Inns will not become such a source of attraction for the Police in the coming days as safe havens of terrorists. 

If we live for wealth and fame,

We’ll bring dishonour to Christ’s name,

But truth and light will flood our soul,

When we pursue a heavenly goal

(Mr C..George Joseph  is one of the senior members of the C.S.I.Christ Church, Elamkulam, who is loved and respected  by all  in the  Christ church  family. He served as a pastorate committee member and in various positions for more than 26 years in C.S.I.Cathedral, Kottayam. He is now an elected member of the pastorate committee of the Christ church. He is a student of the Word and a guide to TAFTEE students. He shares from the Word of God in the church as well as in other Christian fellowship meetings. He is also the director of operations in India of an international business organization)

C. GEORGE JOSEPH

CHEMMARAPPALLIL

AMBADY RETREAT

CHILAVANNUR ROAD.

COCHIN 682020

S. INDIA

Mob. 98460 34221

Tel. Res. 0484 2312873 

Plumbing The Depths of Moral Depravity

It is perhaps asking too much of CSI bishops, in this materialistic day and age,  to behave like  saints. But can they engage in  heinous acts of corruption that destroy the very church they are mandated to protect and still remain bishops?  That is the question which the CSI Bishops’ Council will hopefully ponder when it meets on Nov 11, 2010. Before the Council  will be the damming  report of the Fact Finding Committee (FFC) appointed by the Working Committee of the CSI Synod to probe the allegations against Coimbatore Bishop Manickam Dorai. Also of interest will be what action, if any,  the CSI Synod Executive Committee takes on  the  findings when it meets in late November.

Readers will recall the CCC had in its Newsletter 2 spotlighted the New Indian Express news report on the shocking findings of the FFC.  We now present the interim “Status Report” of the Committee (see Attachment 1) sent to the Moderator of the CSI, and on the leak of which the Express report was based.  The actual double-spaced report is 30 pages long and rather than burden the reader with going through 30 separate scanned pages, the contents have been typed verbatim as a word file that is attached here.

Justice Michael F. Saldhana, former Judge of  the Karnataka High Court,  as chairman of the three-member committee, authored this interim report.  It still remains unclear how this confidential report sent to the Moderator ended up in the hands of the New Indian Express. Then  in a surprise development, Justice Saldhana's  fellow FFC member Mr C.E. Sarasam -- who along with former senior police officer Mr A.J. Anandan were the other two members of the committee --  tendered his resignation from the Committee.  Mr Sarasam in his resignation letter to the Moderator (see Attachment 2  for contents typed verbatim, spelling mistakes et al,) takes a softer line on Bishop Dorai  and also alleges  that the report submitted by Justice Saldhana was not finalized by the committee as a whole. Yet even Mr Sarasam admits it is “apparently true” that “huge funds were misappropriated, bulk payments have been effected in cash, Bishop’s family members who held positions in the Diocese inflicted immense damage/loss to the Diocese,” etc. 

Given the absolute power wielded by bishops over their subordinates -- particularly one like Bishop Dorai who has held the post for the past 10 years during which most of the crimes were committed -- Mr Sarasam’s attempt to  shift the blame away from the Bishop and on to those working under him does not hold much merit. And Sarasam's  resignation from the FFC, coming as it does shortly before the Bishop's Council and the Synod Executive Committee were to consider its interim report, makes his timing suspicious.  Surely, it did not require over 20 visits for Mr Sarasam  to  come to the conclusion that “present mode of fact finding is a futile exercise” and put in his papers? Why did he not resign even earlier? Is he doing the bidding of those who are keen  to discredit the Status Report  and ensure the work of the FFC (which is still not complete) is derailed so no action need be  taken on its explosive findings?

The Fact Finding Committee -- according to the contents of the Synod Communique published by the CCC in Newsletter 2 -- made at least 20 visits to various institutions and areas of the  Coimbatore diocese. Below are some of the shocking highlights of  the Status Report.

“Fixed Deposit Receipts aggregating to Rs 3.00 Crores have been pledged to the Banks without the requisite authorization/resolution, etc. What is extremely serious about this matter is that an amount of Rs 80.00 Lakhs has been drawn against these Fixed Deposits. There is a total legal bar to a transaction of this type which has been put through by Bishop Dorai and his brother Murthy and we are unable to trace as to where this money has gone.”

“…Murthy has involved himself in a transaction relating to a so-called loan from a professional moneylender by the name of K. Murugesan who turned up uninvited and told us that he would be in a position to establish in Court that Murthy had borrowed from him a sum of Rs 1,70,00,000 in cash... What aggravates the situation is that as records stand, the four cheques issued by the Diocese would amount to the liability being accepted and the responsibility of paying up that money devolves on the Diocese. Inevitably, being a moneylender, the rate of interest is staggering, Murugesan has gone to a Civil Court and obtained Orders attaching the Diocesan properties on the ground that there is an amount of Rs 3.28 crores owing to him… The gravity of this case is so very serious that it endangers the position even of the SYNOD”

“The records indicate that during Bishop Dorai’s tenure, an extremely valuable property in the heart of Erode city has been sold for a figure that would hardly represent 20% of the fair market value. There are similar charges in respect of the sale of very valuable property in Yercaud and recently a case has surfaced in relation to the sale of land at Sundakkamuthur near CBE where a registration has been done without even obtaining the recorded amount.”

“There has been a huge scandal [concerning the CSI Engineering College in Ketti] to the effect that every year an amount averaging Rs 2.00 Lakhs per student has been collected “IN CASH” (emphasis in original report) personally by Bishop Dorai and that these massive amounts of money were transported in bags and boxes all the way from Ketti in the Nilgiris to CBE by the Bishop’s agents …….  The aggregate amount of money involved in these transactions would be around Rs 14 crores.”

If the above instances shock you, be prepared to be shocked even more as what is recorded above is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

The evidence against Bishop Dorai revealed by this “Status Report”  should make any CSI member, and not just those belonging to the Coimbatore Diocese, hang his/her head in shame. Because the widespread nature of corruption pointed out by the Committee and the gross misuse of his powers by the Bishop is not unique to the Coimbatore Diocese, but prevails in many other Dioceses. Which is also why one cannot repose too much faith in the CSI Bishops taking stern action against one of their own.

The  only reason for this sorry state of affairs is that the laity across the CSI have been asleep at the switch for too long. Using the analogy of  Christ’s famous cry on the Cross to his Father,  the CSI laity today is guilty of closing its ears to this modern day cry from our Lord: “My people, My people, why have you forsaken me?” Will CSI members at least now shed their indifference to their Lord’s Church and make their voices heard? Or will they continue to indulge in idle chatter about the problem, blame their leadership, wring their hands in despair and do nothing about it?

One of the suggestions made to the CCC on what ordinary CSI members can do to force action against corruption  is that instead of dropping money into the offertory pouch every Sunday, they drop slips of paper which carry the message “Stop CSI Corruption NOW!”  Those advocating  this move argue that the quickest way to ensure accountability in church administration is by turning  off the money tap, even if only partially.  If tens of thousands of CSI members across parishes can, week after week, drop these slips of paper (which can be done discreetly and yet with telling effect), the results will be dramatic.  As any sane person knows,  God does not need or use the offertory; it is the church administration which does There are any number of good causes, including beggars sitting outside church gates on any given Sunday, to whom the individual offertory contribution can be given until such time the corrupt powers that be mend their ways.  If you agree with this suggestion or have any other of your own (of what ordinary CSI members can do to pressure change),  write in to the CCC with your views at time2savecsi@gmail.com  

It is high time the CSI “sheep” stop bleating about the rampant corruption that is destroying their church and use the stampeding power of their numbers to  send a long overdue message to  their shamelessly corrupt “shepherds”-- Enough is Enough !!

courtesy : CCC 

About the CCC

The CHRIST Centered Campaign (CCC) to Save the CSI seeks to be an independent voice for reform within the CSI. Its goals are  drawn from the very name of our Lord and Saviour as enunciated below.

C = A clean church free of corruption

H = A holy church

R = A church  that promotes reconciliation both within and outside.

I  = An informed church responsive  to the challenges of a changing world

S =  A church that remains steadfast in its mission

T =  A transparent and accountable church which becomes a model to the rest of society.

The CCC welcomes all those independent-minded CSI members who share the above ideals to become active participants in this journey of change. Write in to time2savecsi@gmail.com  and tell us how you would like to participate and/or your thoughts on how to take this campaign forward. Also do forward this to other CSI members you know who may be interested to get involved. Please  note the  CCC reserves the right to send future issues of its  newsletter only  to those who respond.  This as the CCC believes God calls on each of his children to be active defenders of his church, not mere passive recipients of information.

Desecrating Our Sacred Spaces

One can only hang one’s head in shame that a secular press reporter had to highlight the incongruity of the Church venturing out into tourism and such other commercial activities. The report rightly points out the world’s expectation of the church to distinguish itself by its selfless and sacrificial service to the world. It is also surprising that a reporter, with little knowledge of what is happening in the diocese and without having any close contact with Bishop Kuruvilla, has come to such a perceptive understanding of the bishop’s hidden agenda and the mercantile ways of his thinking that he (the church) is “unequivocally on a mission to explore the potential of tourism”.

Click on the image to zoom it

The level to which he has degenerated is manifested in the callousness with which he has become a spokesperson of the tourism industry. Bishop Kuruvilla was flaunting the examples of how the church had already engaged in the tourism industry citing the example of the retreat center in Goa. The bishop could only see the many retreats of clergy and churches, and visits of many congregations and church groups led by pastors as tourism activities. Isolated attempts by churches to utilize spaces in tourist locations for the construction of homestay cottages can be understood as human follies, but when it is advertised as well designed plan of action to join the neo-liberal economic band wagon and to work for “the well-being of humanity”, it becomes pernicious.

What many of us have been trying to bring home to the public has now been acknowledged as true by the bishop himself: that his primary agenda is “development” of the church properties, that development for him is to make the church financially rich and also in the process enrich himself, that the unutilized land of the church should be sold and invested in homestay cottages and tourism projects, that the lands in such prime locations should be leased out for good sums and again invested in other economically attractive commercial ventures, and that it should achieved at any cost and with urgency. The bishop views everything from a business angle and that is “spirituality” for him. But people have elected him to be their bishop and not to be the business manager of their properties. In short, he has not been able to rise beyond the level of an average Syrian Christian in Kodukulnaji who judges everything in life from the vantage point of its material benefit to him. He has denigrated his calling to this high office of moral leadership.

The saying ‘the fox’s eyes will always be in the hen’s cage’ is being illustrated by the bishop’s actions and his public utterances. His heart is very much set on things of this world. He is determined to store up “treasures on earth”. All the talk of storing up “treasures in heaven”, he considers as crap.  He is also determined to eliminate anybody who stands in the way of his design for diocesan development- a misnomer for filling one’s coffers. What was started as a Retreat Center in Munnar has been now been given away to SN Tourist home. The Kindergarten school in the Bethel Ashram premises is now a gymnasium and a beauty Parlor; another building on the same premises is now the office of the N.C.C. The English Buglow in Fort Kochi has already been leased out or is awaiting to be leased out. As per the news report, five cottages are under construction in the Vythiri church compound.  The beautiful landscapes of Wayanad are seen more in terms of its tourist potentials and the income that they would generate than in terms of the possibilities of realizing gospel values. What has been once considered sacred spaces have all been desecrated into “houses of trade.”  The gravity of these actions will become more poignant, when one realizes that these developmental initiatives have been undertaken without the knowledge and consent of the appropriate constitutional bodies and officers of the church.

 The gospel of Matthew describes the very calling of the church in the context of Jesus being moved with compassion on the multitude, “because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”  (Matt. 9: 35-10: 8). Then he calls his disciples and sends them out with the authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness and to proclaim the gospel of the in-breaking of the Kingdom of God by healing  the sick, raising the dead, cleansing those who have leprosy, and driving out demons. Then he sternly advised them to carry forward this ministry by taking on utter poverty and not to fall into the trap of assuming that gospel mandate of proclaiming the good news and of making people whole can be reduced to a market activity of buying and selling. Jesus instructed, “Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff” (Matt. 10: 9). It is in obedience to this command that Peter and John tell the lame man sitting at the gate of the temple called ‘beautiful’, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (Acts.3:6). It is high time that we realize that the proclamation of the gospel is not something that we do with money, but more importantly, it is what we do in total trust in God’s power to transform and in total abandonment to his leading. It is only such a “poor” church can be in the vanguard of God’s liberative mission in the world. It is high time we realize that globalization and its neo-liberal economic ordering of the world and its cultural assumptions are the demons that destroy the word today. 

This is a time that, not only bishop Kuruvilla, but the entire church should sit in “sack clothes and ashes” and repent of the ways we have allowed ourselves to be led astray and make a turn around to God’s ways. We have lost both our vision and mission. Let the coming days be days when we strive to reclaim them.

By,

Dr. Carl Vijayan

[The Author is formerly a professor of National Institute of Technology, Calicut. And also a renowned structural engineer. Formerly he was the lay secretary of CSI North Kerala Diocese and presently, he is the Chairman of CSI North Kerala Laity Fellowship]

DIOCESE FUNDS EMBEZZLEMENT

Charge sheet on Bishop K P Kuruvilla

Date: 12/10/2010

Dear Bishop,



You came to this office with a good majority and with enormous good will of people. But you belied their expectations, betrayed their trust and made a mockery of this very sacred vocation. The last three and a half years of your tenure has been marked by fraudulent land deals, misappropriation and mismanagement of church property and funds, arbitrary and vindictive exercise of power, flouting of the C.S.I constitution, creating dissention and divisiveness within the church and parishes, demeaning and debasing the ordained ministry of the church, spreading falsehood without any moral compunctions, and administrative inefficiency and incompetence.



Your pathological preoccupation with your own self-importance and egotism has led the Diocese to a situation of spiritual and moral bankruptcy and crisis in administration, thus leaving us, the laity, with no other option except to organize and fight this moral and spiritual rot and stem the tide of a total collapse in the administration of the church.



Instead of maintaining and nurturing “the historic episcopate in a constitutional from” (CSI Constitution, Chapter 2-11), you have made the CSI constitution redundant, the constitutional offices and bodies irrelevant, and the democratic functioning of the diocese a far cry. Using threats and inducements, the Executive Committee, the Pastoral and Ministerial Committee and such other constitutional and elected bodies have been turned into instruments that serve your nefarious interests and designs. Besides the elected officers, a Working Committee constituted of shady characters with ill repute function as a coterie that implement your designs.



Democracy, which is a product of Reformation and Enlightenment, a historical legacy of Protestantism, can flourish only when dissenting voices are respected and encouraged. But, you have been trying to scotch them through threats of punishment and even summary removal from “the full, privileged membership of the church”, an epithet for excommunication; and through arbitrary and vindictive transfers of pastors and other employees in church institutions. This has caused dissention and division within parishes and great anguish to people who are deprived of the loving touch and nurture of a ‘good shepherd’. In this regard, you don’t seem to emulate the model of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The demoralized situation of the parishes in Puthiyara, Kozhikode (Cathedral Church and St Mary’s Church), Elamkulam and Kalamassery, to name a few, bear ample testimony to the consequences of your model of shepherding. Each week new parishes are being added to this list. This is spreading across-the-board destabilizing the unity and integrity of the pastorates.



The whole pastorate committee of Puthiyara was dissolved and five members including three members of the pastorate committee and one member of the diocesan council were removed from the “full, privileged, membership” of the church for acts which had apparently been described as indiscipline.  Spate of such actions continued on members of pastorate committees and members of diocesan councils in Cathedral Church, Kozhikode and Christ Church, Munnar. Instead of acting as an arbiter and reconciler, in all these instances, one finds you becoming part of the problem and supporting ministers in charge, who are devoid of any character and caliber. Then, without following the constitutional provisions and procedures of natural justice, you act without any effort for mediation and reconciliation. After having been so merciless in destroying the “sheep”, you lament about the 14 court cases filed against you but hide the fact that you are also a litigant and it is you who has gone on appeal, spending what was given by us as offering.



You have been vindictive towards Rev. Thomas John, a clergy who is held in high esteem in the ecumenical circles and in the public life of Kerala. First, you asked him to relinquish charge of the Holy Trinity Church, Aluva, at an odd time of the year, without showing any cause. Then you removed him from the Clergy Roll on the basis of a letter alleged to have been written by him asking for such removal. Why did you not listen to his plea that he had not written such a letter and that he be reinstated in the Clergy Roll? It would be clear for anyone with a sense of proportion and moral sensitivity that the action taken on him was premeditated and with malicious intent. Again, you transferred Rev. P. J. Jacob just after one year of his service in the Kalamassery Parish when the clearly laid out norm for transfer is three years of service or more. The pastorate committee and the whole congregation did not ask for such a transfer, but in fact, asked for his continuance in the parish. You treated this request with utmost disdain. This is nothing but a vindictive action against Achen for not complying with your clandestine deals associated with the leasing out of valuable properties in Fort Kochi for a pittance.



In this and many of the above mentioned actions, your derision to the rights of pastorates is obvious. While CSI constitution and the ecumenical convictions uphold the status of the pastorate as “representing in that place the same one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church” and that “every pastorate shall have general administrative authority within its area, shall have certain responsibilities in Church discipline, and shall have an opportunity of expressing its judgment both as to the appointment of its pastor ---“ ( CSI Constitution Chapter. 2-11), you were not willing to listen to the pleas of the congregations of Elamkulam and Kalamassery not to transfer their pastors. Rather, you were abusive and threatening. The Elamkulam pastorate, after being deprived of proper pastoral care for many years, had only one request that they be given a better Presbyter than the one who was transferred to their pastorate and who, according to their perception, had serious flaws in character. But, since you saw transfers as means of rewarding loyalty, the unanimous representations of both the congregations were not responded to and therein forcing them to take recourse to legal remedies.



Further, on Sunday, 29 August 2010, you went to an aided mission school in Thripunithara, broke open the school building which was under the control of the Elamkulam parish, and made a mockery of divine worship with six persons in attendance and a large public as onlookers. Except displaying your pomposity, what have you achieved by this action in terms of Christian Witness? Similarly, on Sunday, 5 October 2010, you walked into the Elamkulam Church without any notice or invitation, accompanied by a group of subservient clergy and a permanent entourage of sidekicks gathered from other churches. The divine service was conducted with the members of the congregation and the choir standing outside. As you left the church, you also did not forget to take the offertory with you, an act that is highly reprehensible, but characteristic of you.



In the ensuing meeting, you declared that you are dissolving the duly elected pastorate committee and constituting an officiating pastorate committee, while there are  very clearly laid out procedure given in the constitution for such an action (North Kerala Diocesan Constitution, Chapter 2-10 a, b, c). You had no qualms in initiating such an unconstitutional act which is unbecoming of a bishop. When the head of a Church is behaving in such an irrational, unpredictable, illegal manner, what recourse is left with the congregation except to seek the protection of the secular court?



In all these extra-constitutional ecclesiastical visits, you had the entourage of the same group of clergy who had left their flocks to themselves. Instead of being a good example to the clergy, you have debased their standard to that of your attendants rather than ministers of Jesus Christ and good shepherds of God’s flock. When sycophancy and servility are emphasized and rewarded, the quality, uprightness and moral fiber of the clergy is compromised. This using of clergy, particularly the younger ones, as pawns in your game plan will have long term and deleterious consequences for the diocese extending beyond your period of service. In the final instance, you will create a class of clergy who will be a disgrace to the Church and its witness in a rapidly changing world.



For a Christian, even in a legal battle, there is a certain standard of ethics one has to follow such as truthfulness and genuineness of the cause we are fighting for. Even persecutions in a court of law are, for a Christian, occasions for Christian Witness. But, it is surprising that you had no qualms in making false statements in your affidavits and counter affidavits. You made a sworn statement that there are no clearly laid out norms when the Executive Committee and the Pastoral and Ministerial Committees had concurred on certain norms as evidenced by the minutes of these committees.  You claimed that Rev. Thomas John is not a presbyter but only an honorary presbyter, when you know very well that there is only one ordination in CSI and that is to the position of presbyter. It has become obvious to us that you have no moral compunction in uttering blatant lies. Kindly note that this is not befitting the position that you hold; you are consecrated for a role, the measure of which is Jesus Christ. By these lies, you may or may not win a legal battle but it will be a moral defeat for the cause of Christ.



It has become rather clear that corruption in many forms is flourishing under your administration. It is public knowledge and your own financial statements reveal that the church does not have the necessary capital to start the four Higher Secondary Schools that the government has granted to the diocese. Surely getting the sanction for four Higher Secondary Schools by staying close to the corridors of power is not a mean achievement, but it is despicable that the finance to build these schools is being raised through donations of huge sums of money (according to Malayala Manorama Rs. 30 lakh per candidate) for the appointment of teachers in these schools. We understand that about 60 vacancies are being filled in this manner. In its news report, Malayala Manorama has highlighted how the church leadership/private management-politician nexus indulge in practices that are not only corrupt but also endanger the future of many prospective teachers who try to get employment by paying hefty sums.



The corporate managements of schools in Wayanad and Malabar, and the CMS Schools are mired in corruption and incompetence. When there are very competent lay persons with integrity and long years of educational and administrative experience in the diocese, you have found only two incompetent pastors to hold this position, whose prominent qualification is their subservience to you. This has led to a spate of departmental interventions and court cases as transfers were made on the basis of bribes and as punishments, in total violation of the Kerala Education Rules. As your genuine followers they cannot be blamed if they think of themselves as above the laws and rules of this country.



It has become evident to all and sundry, and even your records show, that you sold 2.75 acres of church property in Thalikulam for Rs. 2.75 crores when that property would have fetched CSITA by the least estimate close to Rs. 10 crores. You have done this without following the procedures for selling a trust property such as advertising it in prominent dailies; against the expressed instruction from the CSITA not to sell it; without power of attorney; and by a false statement that “CSI meeting has authorized you to sell it”, when there is no such constitutional body. Moreover, while you show Rs. 2.75 crores as the amount received from the sale of the said property, the sale deed shows Rs. 95 lakhs as the total price received for the land. Thus, you colluded with the buyers in creating a fraudulent document for the pecuniary benefit of both parties and causing heavy loss to the state exchequer. Now, civil and criminal cases are pending in the courts of Thrissur and Chavakad.



A similar attempt was made to sell a piece of land in a scenically beautiful location in Thariyode, which had been stalled by the timely publicity given by us and the subsequent intervention of the CSITA. Lease agreements signed or not signed or delayed in various places as in Munnar and Fort Kochi highlight the clandestine nature of these dealings and the resultant alienation of valuable properties in various locations in our diocese for inconsequential amounts. To begin with, you fell 300 mature teak wood trees from our property in Vaniamkulam worth Rs. 1 crore and the platry sum that the diocese received was only Rs. 5 lakhs. Then, you fell another 6o immature teak would trees under the pretext of constructing the Bishop’s House. Subsequently, we came to know that you fell another 12 rather big teak wood trees from the Trichur Bethel Ashram compound apparently for the same reason. These actions had been initiated without the permission or consultation of any of the constitutional bodies.



By your inaction, you have made obvious your complicity in the action of those who defrauded the All Saints Church of funds worth Rs. 13.5 lakhs as per the audited statement of accounts of 2005, 2006 and 2007. Consequently, a criminal case had been filed against the prime accused and yourself in the court of Judicial First Class Magistrate, Trichur.



You have initiated construction of the Bishop’s House and many school buildings without technical and engineering clearance, without proper estimates and appropriate administrative sanctions from the Executive Committee or other appropriate constitutional bodies. It is known to all that construction and “developmental activities” are misnomers for swindling money when they are carried out without transparency and authority.

You have made the Executive Committee and other constitutional bodies irrelevant and have been running the administration of the diocese with a coterie of corrupt people around you and in accordance with your whims and fancies. Now you are trying to undermine the democratically conducted election and the installation of the new Diocesan Council in connivance with one Bhagyaraj from Munnar through judicial wrangles. You could have replied to Bhagyarj’s complaint in 14 days from the date of election, whereby the stay granted by the court could have been vacated. Instead, you did not even bother to file a counter affidavit in the Devikulam Munsif Court and thus, inordinately delaying the installation of the new Diocesan Council.



Your arrogance, administrative incompetence, and lack of statesmanship are visible in the kind of wrangles and even physical violence that have taken place recently in congregations such as the St Mary’s Church in Kozhikode. You joined hands with the vicar and a section of the community to remove a portrait of Mary that has been there for a very long time, disrespecting the sentiments of the people in the pew. Spate of such judicial and extra judicial infightings will only multiply when the leader is unable to settle disputes with an attitude of Christian love and forgiveness.



It has become almost certain that, at least for a period, the diocesan administration is going into the hands of a Synod appointed administrative body. Day by day, the situation in the diocese is going from bad to worse. It is in this context that the 55,000 and odd laity in the North Kerala Diocese have decided to come together as a registered organization in the name of CSI North Kerala Diocesan Laity Fellowship.



We, the members of the CSI North Kerala Diocesan Laity Fellowship, appeal to you, the officials of the diocese, and the Executive Committee to constitute and install the newly elected Diocesan Council at the earliest. Till then, you and the committees may continue only as caretaker administrators and refrain from taking any crucial administrative decisions that will have long term implications for the diocese. Kindly refrain from taking any financial decision which is outside the routine and involves bigger amounts.



Kindly treat this as a final warning before we proceed with appropriate judicial and other remedies as per the provisions in the constitution. Our successive efforts to convince you of the dangers of the un-Christian path you tread have only fell in deaf ears. But we still pray and hope that good sense will prevail and relief and salvation for this diocese would be ushered in by our Lord. Crucial questions of episcopacy, the shape that it has taken today contrary to that envisaged by the CSI constitution; the notion of authority and obedience, the distinctiveness of our protestant-reformed tradition in understanding them; the role, powers and functions of pastorates; the status, functioning and role of CSITA; and the badly needed change in the polity of CSI in general are matters to be taken up at a more intellectual and broader platform.



Hence, kindly understand that our fight is not against you as a person, but more against the way you function within the existing system using more of its weakness to carry forward your designs in an arbitrary and dictatorial fashion, causing irreparable damage to the diocese and its spiritual and material development and more importantly, its mission in the world, the very basis of our existence as a church in the world.



Kindly facilitate a meeting of the CSI North Kerala Laity Fellowship along with some of the newly elected Diocesan Council members, presided over by you to seek ways of amicable settlement of these issues. We anticipate a positive response from you. If we don’t get a response to this letter within seven days of receipt of this letter, we reserve the right to go ahead with appropriate remedial measures.



Thanking You,

Yours Sincerely,



T. J. John

(Secretary, CSI North Kerala Laity Fellowship)

‘Mechanism soon to curb corruption in churches'

CHENNAI: A self-regulatory mechanism will soon be in place to check corruption in churches, said Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the principal leader of the Church of England and the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the 175th  jubilee celebration of the inception of the Diocese of Madras at St George’s Cathedral.

Responding to queries from the media on corruption in churches he said, “We know there are some reported cases of  corruption, which are pending in the court, and the Moderators of the churches are working to constitute a self-regulatory mechanism to look into the issue.”

The Church of South India(CSI), a member of the Anglican Communion consisting of 80 million Christians and 44 different churches, played host to the visiting Archbishop.  He will be here till October 24 andwill visit  member churches and leaders.

About the Church’s stand on Gay Marriages, The Archbishop said, “The church was against it. But, we need to be tolerant with such people.”

Earlier in the day, during an interaction with  economically disadvantaged members of the congregation at Vyasarpadi,  he said, “Am touched by what I see and I will cherish my Indian experience.”

The public reception in the evening was well attended by  the congregation and eminent representatives from all faiths like the Nawab of Arcot, N Ram, Journalist, Chinnappa, Archbishop of Madras - Mylapore Diocese of the Catholic Church, Bishop Devasahayam of CSI diocese of Madras, CSI Moderator Vasantha Kumar and Geetha Jeevan, Minister of Social Welfare.

Courtesy : Express News Service

Episcopal Goonda-ism Yet Again

 

It is rather unfortunate that bishop K. P. Kuruvilla, obsessed with his own self-importance, has been repeatedly exercising his ‘ecclesiastical authority’ to disrupt church services. On Sunday, 3 October 2010, without any prior notice to or invitation of the pastorate committee, the bishop, accompanied by Rev. Jacob John, Rev. Daniel John, Rev. Kurien Peter, Rev. Jacob Daniel and Rev. P. G. Denny (his five loyal henchmen who had been skipping their responsibilities towards their own “sheep” for the last few Sundays to accompany the bishop) laid siege on the CSI Christ Church, Elamkulam, and conducted a worship service against the wishes of the congregation. Anguished by the complete disregard shown by the bishop, the choir, the pastorate committee and large sections of the congregation boycotted the worship service.

As the congregation refused to enter the church in protest, the Bishop ensured that some of his loyalists from other churches in Ernakulam such as Jayan Samuel, Sawmini Jayan and Jacob Mathew filled the pew. In the ensuing melee and supposed “reconciliation talks”, the bishop declared the existing pastorate committee dissolved and a new officiating pastorate committee appointed. This was done when a newly elected pastorate committee has been awaiting confirmation and the whole matter regarding the rights of the pastorate remaining a subject matter before the court (sub judice). It is a matter of immense shame that the bishop and his loyalists left the Elamkulam church that day with the offertory.



While this apparently seems to be a matter of conflict between a bishop and a parish, both in the case of Kalamassery and Elamkulam, Save CSI has learnt that the conflict raises fundamental questions regarding the rights of parishes envisaged in the CSI constitution, which states: “every pastorate shall have general administrative authority within its area, shall have certain responsibilities in Church discipline, and shall have an opportunity of expressing its judgment both as to the appointment of its pastor and the selection of candidates for ordination from that pastorate. (CSI Constitution Chapter. 2-11)



The conflict arose in the context of the bishop’s disinclination to listen to the pleas of the congregations of Elamkulam and Kalamassery not to prematurely transfer their pastors without adequate reasons. Every delegation of both the congregations was met with abuses and threats. The case of Elamkulam parish was such that it was deprived of proper pastoral care for many years. In the context of the existing pastor retiring from service, a pastor with serious flaws in character was imposed on the parish. The parish objected to this and requested that they be given a better pastor, and until such a time, the existing assistant pastor be retained. However, for the bishop, transfers have been a means of showing his largesse to those pastors who remain loyal to him than meeting the unique needs and spiritual nurture of parishes. Hence, he did not feel the need to respond to the unanimous representations of the congregation, thereby forcing them to take recourse to legal remedies.



 The officiating committee that has been constituted in Elamkulam church is in flagrant violation of the North Kerala Diocesan Constitution. The NKD constitution stipulates the conditions for dissolving a pastorate committee and then concludes: “the bishop after conducting the enquiry by a panel constituted of the Executive Committee members (not exceeding three) and if satisfied shall dissolve the Pastorate Committee and shall appoint an Officiating Pastorate Committee in consultation with the Executive Committee”. (NKD Constitution, Chapter 2/10) Certainly, members of the congregation feel that the bishop is capable of fabricating an enquiry commission report, but even that cannot be done without showing cause to the existing pastorate committee and the newly elected pastorate committee, who are awaiting confirmation. Moreover, this action has been initiated when various related matters are pending before the honorable courts, including the High Court of Kerala.



A Repeat of Ecclesiastical Arrogance

Worship inside an empty church

On Sunday, 17 October 2010, the bishop returned to disrupt the church service yet again. This time, he was accompanied by his mannequin treasurer, Rev. B. F. Fenn and the “in-his-obedient-service” Rev. Daniel John, who has been skipping his responsibilities towards his parish for the last several weeks. The bishop and his entourage once again staged a worship service with a handful of members of the parish and outsiders. But this time, in protest, the congregation was determined to hold a parallel worship service outside the church. The joint chorus of the choir and the congregation drowned the discordant and empty voices emerging from inside the church. The day was concluded with the bishop, once again calling for a mock meeting with the congregation.

Worship outside the church

This incident once again raises the fundamental question as to the rights of the members of a pastorate who build churches out of their generous contributions and support the clergy and the bishop of the diocese with 60% of their contributions. There cannot be a division of the church into rulers and the ruled. It is the generous giving of the people that sustains the bishop and other entities in the administrative structure and they have no legal or moral authority to consider themselves as ‘rulers’. The ordained ministries of the church are for ‘equipping the saints’, the laity, for their ministry in the world. As the protestant tradition reminds us, they have no inerrancy and are fallible human beings who share in the sinfulness of the world. Hence, CSI only envisages a ‘constitutional episcopate’ – a bishop who functions as per the terms and references of the constitution. It is also important to note that there is no understanding of episcopal authority in the Bible but only the exhortation, “Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.”



It is sad to note that under the leadership of bishops like Kuruvilla, the shepherding in the CSI is fast degenerating into the one that is described in Ezekiel, Ch. 34.

“The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.”

EPISCOPACY

Obedience and Authority

By Rev. John Chryssavgis

(A Christian Perspective)

Ecclesiastical authority must be seen in terms of service and not rule; in relation to "diakonia" and dialogue, not domination. In order, however, for this to occur the faithful must be regarded as gifted people of God, and not manipulated as objects or "sheep" to be taken for granted.

Authority in the Church is never the monopoly of an ordained few (cf. Eph. 4:11-12) whether bishops or other clergy. Authority is the responsibility of all (cf. Eph. 5:34). Likewise, obedience is not the obligation of an "inferior" laity or lower clergy, but a requirement of all faithful, lay and ordained.



In the history of Christianity, centuries of institutionalism and clericalism, followed by the "lay revolution," in conservative and anti-hierarchical churches alike, have rendered the concepts of authority and obedience problematic to a point of contention and almost disdain.



Nevertheless, clergy and laity cannot exist without one another; spiritual elder and child must be existentially united.





Together they constitute the living body of Christ; together they experience the mystery of Christ. Any distinction between them is merely functional and provisional, not essential. What is essential is the relationship of love and trust in Christ. Unity lived out even in diversity is precisely the promise of God to His Church. Any form or expression of authority, then, must not be the expression of human pride but of humility before God, of assimilation to the divine hierarchy, and of obedience to the will of Him who alone is called Father (cf. Mt. 23:9). Such obedience is of the very essence ("esse") not simply the well-being ("bene esse") of humanity. Hierarchy exists in order to reveal the priestly vocation (cf. 1 Pet. 2:9) and function of all within a world that is beautifully ordered by its Creator as cosmos.



In an age when movements for securing human rights appear to have achieved so much for the improvement of living conditions, and when the "gulag archipelago," the abuse of vulnerable children and adults, as well as the exploitation of the earth's resources have shocked the world; at a time when freedom of thought and expression is emphasized, and when imperialism and totalitarianism are at all levels questioned, if not rejected; authority should neither be blindly accepted nor unquestionably permitted to be objectivized or institutionalized, and its representatives or ministers in the various structures to assume shades of "infallibility."



The ultimate goal of all authority becomes the sharing in the vision and depth of God. God never compels persons, but only redresses evil. God speaks with authority, but never imposes His will even upon those who would reject, condemn, betray, crucify, and kill Him. God does not desire slaves, but friends (cf. Jn. 15:14-15). The whole life and ministry of the Church should be based on the person of Christ, whose Body it constitutes in space and time. Throughout history, it is persons, the saints, who have manifested this attitude of Christ. They have exercised their responsibility for the other and in response to the needs of the other "with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their strength and with all their mind" (Lk. 10:27). Authority, therefore, means, above all, love towards one's neighbour "with one's whole power" (Mk. 12:30). It is not control over others, but commitment to them, even to "the least of one's brethren" (Mt. 25:45).



In the spiritual life, "easy" children tend to become "easy" adults who cannot think or decide who are passive. Yet we are called not to passivity but to active love, to vision and praxis. Unfortunately, the hierarchy are not expected to respect the laity as they should, preferring instead to revere their own ecclesiastical elders. Still less are they able to make use of criticism from below. ---- The wrongful exercise of authority conceals many dangers, not least of which is that God Himself gets overlooked and ignored, relegated to the "third heaven," from where He cannot reach humanity except through a barrage of layers and levels, all of them so human. The ultimate abuse of pastoral concern is its transformation into spiritual coercion.



Admittedly, people sometimes feel secure in obeying and setting up idols of "our fathers." -------  The aim of the Christian life is seen in terms of receiving, seldom in terms of maturing through questioning. Is it right, however, that authority in the Church overpowers and stifles every other aspect?



Ecclesiastical authority must be seen in terms of service and not rule; in relation to "diakonia" and dialogue, not domination. In order, however, for this to occur the faithful must be regarded as gifted people of God, and not manipulated as objects or "sheep" to be taken for granted.



Present realities and structures will continue to exist. Yet we must learn to be more open, allowing the Spirit to be more active in them. In the course of His ministry, Christ was asked on several occasions by what authority He acted. In fact He never explicitly answered this question. Rather, He responded by the way He lived, that is by the authority of love incarnate. Authority outside this Christ-like love is an arbitrary tyranny. Authority lived in the laying down of life for one's neighbour (cf. Jn. 10:11), on the other hand, is creative and life-giving.



(These are excerpts from a longer article, Obedience And Authority: Dimensions Of A Hierarchical Church, by Rev. John Chryssavgis of Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. This article seems to be very pertinent in the context of much talk of ecclesiastical authority and obedience to it, particularly as it comes from a Presbyter who has a hierarchically ordered church polity.  For the full article, go to the website: http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith8172