YOUTH GATHERING

AT HOLY CROSS CHURCH, NAVSARI

20 youngsters of the parish gathered together for a meeting at Holy Cross Church, Navsari. Fedrick from Don Bosco Parish, Makarpura, Baroda animated the whole meet. The meeting began after Holy Eucharist at 9.30 am with an action song. After a short prayer Fedrick gave a short talk on the necessity of prayer in the life of ever youngster. He then asked them to share their views on the importance of prayer. The youngsters came out with very inspiring responses. In this modern media age when we think that prayer especially for youngsters is 'outdated' it was encouraging to see that most of them felt the need to pray and they did express that they prayed daily.

After that the youth decided to meet once every month on Sunday at 6.00 pm. for 45 minutes to pray. The Spiritual Director would be Fr. Robert Machado and the animater would be Fr. Lawrence Rodrigues. It was also decided to have Youth Mass and Adoration on every second Sunday of the Month. It would be fully animated by the Youth themselves. Clarence Hood and Liji Abraham were chosen as the leaders of the group.

The other decisions taken were: The youngsters were divided into 4 groups and these groups would be changed every three months. Every third Sunday would be day of activities. The youngsters would also teach catechism to the younger ones.

Fr. Lawrence then conducted a brain storming session as to what activities the youngsters could do during the whole year. The suggestions given were:

* Retreat

* Blood Donation Camp

* Quiz on religious and secular topics.

* Debates on current issues.

* Training in leadership, etc.

* Picnic

* Competitions according to the occasions.

* Best out of waste campaing.

* Visit to the hospital, prison.

* Growing Trees.

* Take steps to stop pollution and corruption.

* Games.

* Melo

* Talent day.

* Samu Bhojan.

* Mission Experience.

* Sharing problems.

* Testimony day.

* Confessions.

* Help in Parish Activities.

The activity chosen for the month of October was "Marian Quiz". It would be held on 3rd Sunday of October (16th October). The youth Mass would be on second Sunday (9th October).

At the end of the meeting good works paper was given to every youngster. In this paper each one is supposed to do a good work, offer to Jesus and Mary and write it down in the paper and the paper would be offfered to the Lord on the First Sunday of every month.

The gathering ended with a prayer. Tea and Snacks were served. It was indeed an enriching experience for all. Thanks to Fedrick for his support and ever helping hand.

for SOCOM.BARODA

Fr. Lawrence Louis Rodrigues

DIOCESAN PRIESTS Retreat 

at Saputara

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” (Lk. 4:18) 

 

It was the 23^rd of October, when 14 priests of the Baroda diocese gathered at Saputara to have a mountain experience like Moses at the burning bush. The main thrust of the retreat was “Holistic health for becoming whole”. Rev. Fr. Joel D’ Cunha, the preacher, a person of wide knowledge and vast experience, was very impressive in his talks and expressive in ideas. Some of the topics he dealt with at depth were: The Abba Father, Vision, Mission and Hidden Life of Jesus, Sin, Discernment, Priesthood, Spirituality, The Holy Eucharist, Commitment and Vocation. The themes chosen were very relevant for mission dioceses like ours. The spirit of the Lord touched and inspired everyone during the retreat. May this same spirit invigorate all the priests to carry out the mission of our Lord who says “Go into the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” (Mk. 16:15).

 

Fr. Brijendra Kumar

(Jhagadia Parish)

 

 

CHILDREN’S DAY

HOLY CROSS CHURCH, NAVSARI

On the 14^th of November, 2011 around 70 children and youth gathered together to celebrate children’s day.

The celebration began with a well-animated Eucharistic Celebration. It had a special introduction in which the children were asked to thank God for all the blessings God had given to them and to pray for those who are unfortunate. A special Prayer of the Faithful cum Offertory procession containing Candle, Incense Sticks, Musical Instruments and Games Articles were presented to the Lord with a small prayer. At the end, one of the children holding a lit candle said a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord and prayed on behalf of the children to make them all ‘Light of the World’.

After the Eucharistic Celebration the children gathered in the hall for some games, entertainment and snacks. The children participated in the games with full zeal and joy. Many won wonderful prizes too. There was joy on the faces of all. The parents too joined in the fun.

 

The prizes were distributed by various persons namely, Fr. Robert, Mr. Bhaborbhai (PSI, Navsari), Mrs. Sumanben (Cook), Mr. David Macwan (Parish Council Member) and Mr. Cecil Elango (Collector Office).

The day ended with lovely snacks and a word of thanks to Fr. Robert (Parish Priest) and his team.

 

 

 

 

 

FOR SOCOM

FR, LAWRENCE LOUIS RODRIGUES

THE MARTYRDOM OF SR. VALSA JOHN

Dear Beloved of the Father,

On 16^th November, 2011 Sr. Valsa John belonging to the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary and involved in a movement against displacement of tribal people by coal mining companies in Jharkhand, was brutally murdered early on Wednesday. The killing occurred at Pachuwara village of Pakur district, 400 km from the State Capital of Ranchi.

She had been protesting against the functioning of a private coal mine in Pakur district who were exploiting the tribals. She was seeking to protect the interests of the Santhali tribe, some members of which were displaced by the Panem Coal Mines.

Because of her relentless campaign in 2006, she succeeded in getting for some of the displaced families compensation for their land on current market prices, some employment and even medicare and education for them.  However, she continued with her fight against the vested interests because the tribals were still badly off.

According to the police, some unidentified men approached her house around midnight. When she opened the door, she was beaten with sticks and hacked to death.

Sister Valsa John had often voiced her feelings to her family members in Vazhakala at Kakkanad in Ernakulam district that she faced death threats from the mining mafia. Baby her younger brothers said that during a visit in August, she spoke of death threats from the coal mining mafia that she was fighting in order to protect the tribal community. He said Sister Valsa spoke to her elder sister in Kochi on the phone on Tuesday evening and discussed her problems.

She was approached by the coal mafia several times for a settlement but she was firm on her stand and demanded due share for the tribals from the revenue generated from the mines. 

The life and message of Sr. Valsa John should indeed lead us out of the slumber of our comforts and compromises to become more like Christ…till death do us part.

FR. CEDRIC PRAKASH S.J.

Fr. Cedric Prakash S.J. calls on the cold blooded murder “A Martyrdom – which is a challenge to both the Country and to the Church”. He said, ‘Sr. Valsa’s martyrdom is indeed a wakeup call for the whole country. Hers is one more death, in a long list of activists be it Amit Jethawa in Gujarat , or Shehla Masood in Madhya Pradesh who were just eliminated because they took on the powerful mining lobby and other vested interests. The mining lobby has indeed become extremely powerful in the country with plenty of muscle and money.  They leave no stone unturned to maximize their greed and profits.  Their nexus with the police and the politicians is blatant. They operate with impunity and with very certain immunity.  No one dares touch them!  Sr. Valsa’s death raises larger issues namely, if there is a political will at every level to curb this menace which could only lead to more violence and erode the fundamental rights of ordinary citizens. Her martyrdom is also a challenge to the Church in India . Christianity in India must be seen very visibly on the side of the poor, the marginalized, the oppressed and the exploited. The Church must accompany the subalterns in very tangible ways in their struggle for a more equitable, just and humane society.  In doing so, the Church should demonstrate an unflinching courage to take on the powerful vested interests, even if it be at the cost of certain privileges it might be receiving from them.  Jesus would have done exactly that! In his last Encyclical letter entitled ‘Caritas in Veritate’, Pope Benedict XVI emphatically states, “Love – caritas – is an extraordinary force which leads people to opt for courageous and generous engagement in the field of justice and peace.  It is a force that has its origin in God, Eternal Love and Absolute Truth.”  The martyrdom of Sr. Valsa John, indeed personifies this statement!

KOTTAPPURAM BISHOP JOSEPH KARIKKASSERY

Kottappuram Bishop Joseph Karikkassery expressed deep sorrow over the murder of Sr. Valsa John. He said, ‘Sr. Valsa, of Vazhakkala in Kochi, was serving as missionary among the downtrodden in Pakur district for the last two decades. She had organised the local people to protest against the exploitation of the coal mafia. Her action had turned out to be the sore of the eyes of the coal mafia. It is suspected that the anti-social elements under the instigation of coal mafia were behind the killing of the nun.’ Bishop Karikkassery said that such incidents should not occur in a civilised democratic society. He urged the Jharkhand Government to take immediate steps to bring the culprits to book. The public consciousness should be awakened against the concerted move to eliminate the missionaries who worked for the progress of society. The Bishop said that the entire faithful of Kottappuram Diocese share the sorrow and grief of the family members and the Congregation of Sr. Valsa. A special prayer session will be held in Sr Valsa’s parish Church, St George Forane Church, Edappalli, at 9 am on Thursday.

CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL

More than 100 people took part in a candle light vigil in Delhi Friday to pay tributes to tribal rights activist Sr. Valsa John. Holding candles outside the Sacred Heart Cathedral, prelates, priests, nuns and the laity sang hymns and paid rich encomiums to the slain nun. “We are saddened by the incident but at the same time thank God for giving us such a courageous person,” said Bishop Abraham Mar Paulose of the Mar Thoma Church. He said that the nun had “motivated us to commit ourselves to the poor and the marginalised.” The bishop said that the state authorities should act and not just be onlookers in such matters.

Sister Ann Moyalan, a social activist in Delhi, said that the nun has set an example before us by sacrificing her life for the needy and the poor. “She opted to work for these people without thinking about her safety. Her struggle must continue,” she added.

John Dayal, General Secretary of the All India Christian Council, said the Church is shocked over the incident and asked for a CBI inquiry into the matter. He said that the allegations of the role of land mafia and political elements should also be investigated. Dayal said that this candlelight vigil has been organized to stress that such violent methods will not detract the social activists from their service to the poor.

Archbishop Vincent Concessao was also present on the occasion.

CARDINAL TELESPHORE P. TOPPO

Denouncing the killing of Sr. Valsa, Cardinal Telesphore P. Toppo said to the media, “Her murder is a shame for all of us in Jharkhand.” Even as the Adivasi-Moolwasi nexus had called for a Jharkhand Bund today, they — to the knowledge of this reporter — made no explicit mention of the killing of Sr. Valsa as championing the Tribal cause. The Bund itself was not entirely successful in Ranchi.

“The poor people have lost a benefactor. The religious sister was serving the poor, especially tribals and fighting for their justice,” said Cardinal Telesphore Toppo of Ranchi. Terming the incident as a “shame on the state”, he demanded a high-level investigation to “reveal mysteries behind the murder”.

SR. VALSA JOHN’S FUNERAL

Thousands bid a tearful farewell to slain nun Sr Valsa John, who was laid to rest at St Paul’s Cathedral in Jharkhand’s Pakur district. The cathedral was packed with mourners, while many more stood outside. Jesuit Fr. Verky of Raiganj province led the concelebrated mass by 50 priests.

Fr. Tom Kavalakatt SJ, director of Social Action Center at Kodma, Dumka, delivering the homily said that Sr. John had dedicated her life for the poor people. She was the voice for the poor.

Two hundred nuns and hundreds of people joined members of Sr. John’s family, including her brother and two nephews, at the funeral.

FOR SOCOM

FR. LAWRENCE LOUIS RODRIGUES

BAL MELA 2011

AT SNEHALAYA, VISHWAMITRI, VADODARA

CHILDREN’S DAY 14^TH NOVEMBER, 2011

 

Children's day is a special day for children. Universally, Children's Day is celebrated on 20^th November, every year. But in India it is celebrated on 14^th November, because the date marks the birth anniversary of our legendary freedom fighter and independent India's first Prime Minister - Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru.

As a tribute to Nehru and his love for children, Children's Day is celebrated on this day. It reminds each and every one of us, to renew our commitment to the welfare of children and teach them to live by their Chacha Nehru's qualities and dreams for our Nation, India.

 

Don Bosco Snehalaya celebrated DON BOSCO BAL MELA - 2011 for all children from the various railway stations of Gujarat, i.e. Ahemdabad, Nadiad, Anand, Vadodara, Bharuch, Ankleshwar, Surat, Valsad and Vapi. It was a celebration for those youngsters/children who will most certainly not get any opportunity to celebrate children's day anywhere else.

Snehalaya is a Shelter Home where boys who are found on the railway platforms or at the railway stations or streets of some of the cities of Gujarat. They are orphans, destitute, runaways, abused, child labourers, in others words, all those who do not find meaning in life.

 

The Bal Mela began at 10.30 a.m. with the lighting of the lamp by the Chief Guest, his Lordship Bishop Godfrey de Rozario, the Chairperson of CWC Smt. Neelamben Kodnani, other Guests of Honor and Children’s representatives.

Children contacted at various stations between Ahmedabad and Valsad together with the residential children of Snehalaya and children from the nearby slum area numbering around 400 gathered together to participate in this Bal Mela which was specially meant for their enjoyment.

 

 

The programme began with raising our minds and hearts to God through a prayer dance followed by words of welcome by the director of Snehalaya.

 

 

Then followed a cultural programme made up of filmy-song dances performed with great skill by the children of Snehalaya.

 

The Chief Guest Bishop Godfrey de Rozario, the Chairperson of CWC Smt. Neelamben gave inspiring messages to the children. 

With the help of sponsors/donors the children received gifts of T. shirts, snacks, meals followed by a good enough time given to various skill-games stalls from which winners could choose a variety of prizes. Children also took advantage of hair cutting and cleanliness facilities as well as whatever medical treatment they needed.

 

The programme concluded with a detailed vote of thanks to God, the Chief Guest, Guests of honour, the press and multi-media, other Ngo’s sponsors, all our guests and especially to all the children who came to celebrate this Bal Mela 2011.

  

 

MR. SHREYAS MACWAN

(FOR SOCOM-BARODA)

ANTI-CORRUPTION CAMPAIGN

COME BE A PART OF IT

  *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

  

  Dear Beloved of the Father,

These days we are all bombarded with various social issues and at the heart of it all is the issue of corruption. Corruption is a big problem which is faced by almost all the countries up to a certain level. India has a very high level of corruption. We easily find people complaining about corruption but we will see very less people who talk about various ideas of saving oneself and others from corruption.

The Catholic Bishops of Karnataka have come out with a Pastoral Letter on Anti-Corruption which gives us good ideas for an anti-corruption campaign. Let us benefit from this pastoral letter.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

    

 

KARNATAKA REGIONAL

CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ COUNCIL

A PASTORAL LETTER ISSUED BY THE

CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF KARNATAKA

ON THE IMPORTANCE

OF ANTI-CORRUPTION CAMPAIGN

Introduction

On the eve of our departure to Rome for our ad limina visits, we, the Catholic Bishops of the Karnataka Region, would like to send this pastoral letter to make an urgent call for an end to the malaise affecting our Society, especially corruption, bribery, exploitation and other such vices. Corruption, bribery, exploitation, lawlessness, etc are the great evils that affect our state and country. In some sectors of society, these "works of the flesh" are made manifest in a crude and shameless fashion. We strongly denounce administrative corruption, fiscal evasion and indifference, which we describe as "entrenched in some areas." These places need Catholics to make a clear and defined proclamation of the living Christ, with a message that brings hope to the world.

As President of the Karnataka Region Catholic Bishops' Council (KRCBC), at the Press Conference held on 21st April, 2011, I had already said: "We welcome and endorse the Lokpal Bill, but it should have teeth. It should cover everyone, including the judiciary and the administration. Let it not be controlled by anybody. Only then will it be transparent and people will have confidence in it. In India, corruption is institutionalized. It is against moral and social teaching of the Church." I also said that the Lokpal Bill is a good idea and it will instil fear against corruption right from the top to the entire gamut of officials. Its insistence on accountability and action will make people hesitate before indulging in a corrupt act. I suggested the rules being framed are to be very simple and easy to understand, and leave no room for interpretation, which officials could exploit. This will also help the common man to understand the law.

What promotes corruption today?

The following are the listed particular activities that provide fertile ground for corruption.

a) Regulations and Authorizations: In our state and country, licenses, permits, plan sanctioning and approvals are required to engage in such activities as opening a shop, investing or engaging in local and foreign trades. These regulations and authorizations give the officials a monopoly power and require frequent and protracted contact between citizens and bureaucrats. Very often, the enormous time spent dealing with the officials can be reduced through payment of bribes.

b) Taxation: Unclear tax laws that require contacts between taxpayers and tax inspectors are more likely to lead to corruption than clear tax laws.

c) Spending Decisions: Lack of transparency and effective institutional controls can invite corruption in public spending through several channels, including investment projects, government purchases of goods and services, and extra-budgetary accounts set up to reduce the political and administrative controls more likely to accompany spending that goes through the budget.

d) Goods and Services: Provision for goods and services at below market prices-for example, foreign exchange at a special rate, credit at soft terms, electricity and water at subsidized rates, and public housing at subsidized rents-is another government activity that can breed corruption. In some cases, limited supply makes rationing and queuing unavoidable. Public employees often have to decide how to apportion this limited supply, while those who want such goods may be willing to pay a bribe to gain access.

e) Other Discretionary Decisions: Some public officials may have discretion over important decisions. In these situations, corruption, including high-level political corruption, can play a major role. It is natural that some individuals and enterprises to whom these decisions mean a lot will attempt to get favourable decisions either by paying bribes or exploiting close personal relations with public officials. Important areas include decisions regarding: the use of private land (zoning laws); authorizing major foreign investments; privatization of state-owned enterprises.

f) Bureaucracy: A final area is bureaucracy. The quality of the bureaucracy varies greatly among state and private institutions and bears on the degree of corruption. Politically motivated hiring, patronage, nepotism, and the absence of clear rules on promotions and hiring all undermine the quality of a bureaucracy and help create conditions for corrupt behaviour.

What brought about this disaster?

Corruption is older than sin itself. It is the subtle, yet powerful ploy of the enemy (devil), to enslave the human race to a never ending greed or need for more and more. Corruption is a seed sown deep into the human heart that produces an ever entwining creeper of sin that just creeps up upon and around us like a python, squeezing the life out of us, crushing us and grinding our bones to death.

Our minds are continually bombarded with advertisements justifying material luxury. Satan tempts all of us with his false promises of happiness and luxury and corrupts our minds by creating a lust for something, which is nothing but delusion that leads to bribery and other evil practices.

Desire for wanting more is so inherent in our human nature (inherited from our first parents) that we cannot get rid of it by ourselves.

Biblical perspective of this problem

The Bible tells us that corruption is the fruit from satan's seed called greed. Of all the chapters in the Bible, the third chapter of the book of Genesis is the most tragic one. In this chapter, we are told of the fall of man and its consequences. The most glorious and intimate door way to heaven was slammed shut. The deep and personal relationship between God and man was broken and lay shattered. The honey moon between Adam and Eve came to a screeching halt. Paradise was lost, and the misery of man began.

In this chapter:

• We come across the first recorded lie in the Bible.

• We see the subtlety of satan, who speaks through a serpent.

• Satan sows seeds of corruption in the mind of God's daughter.

• Eve allowed satan to access through the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.

• Adam became the first human sinner (Rom 5:12). Eve was deceived; Adam partook of the fruit knowingly.

• Adam was the head of the human race, and so the rest of the race (his children) was condemned, we inherited his sinful nature.

The following Scripture passages tell us the causes for and consequences of corruption:

"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man." (Mark 7:21-23).

"Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15).

"But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you." (Eph 5:3).

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36).

When Jesus Christ came to reconcile us to the Father, Satan refused to give up. Corruption crawled into Judas Isacriot. Judas allowed Satan to sow the seed of corruption in his heart. It bore fruit. He accepted bribe to betray his friend and saviour. Satan's plan backfired. Judas forfeited his soul to the fruit of corruption, in the form of a few pieces of silver.

Corruption usurps inner peace

Praise and Glory be unto our Lord Jesus Christ. The good news is that the love of God refuses to allow us to remain as slaves. God gave us Jesus Christ that whosoever accepts the invitation of Christ into his life can be delivered and set free from the slavery of wanting more (Heb 10:19).

The grace of God through the blood of Jesus Christ promises us freedom from the corruption that arises out of greed. We are freed from the corruption of lustful and greedy wants and desires, by abiding in the Word of God which is an incorruptible seed, blessing us with the fruits of everlasting and satisfying peace - A soul is perpetually at rest!

"There is absolutely no satisfaction in this life, except in the life Jesus Christ came to give eternal peace and joy (Jn. 10:10). The joys of the earth are transitory, but the joy in the Kingdom of God is eternal and incorruptible. The pleasures of the earth are not fulfilling, and only create the hunger for more. To those the Lord said: "Woe to you who are full! For you shall hunger". (Luke 6:25); if you are deceived into forever seeking the things and pleasures of the world, you will never ever be content in this life.

"Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' 32 For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. 34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day." (Matt 6:31-35)

"Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present for He Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. Not, not, not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down." (Heb 13:5)

Can we just remain silent spectators?

We cannot close our eyes to the happenings around us and remain silent spectators. It is our Christian responsibility that we discuss the extremely important issue of corruption and fight against it tooth and nail. Despite corruption being something that is deeply entrenched in the system and that sometimes seems inevitable, we need to keep on and improve our efforts to tackle this problem.

It is well known that economic growth in our State and Country has been greatly hindered by corruption. Corruption can be thought of as fast growing termites, which can dig deep and undermine the system of government. However, if we have the desire and commitment to continue with the fight, and if we choose effective methods of improving systems and reforming attitudes, we can substantially reduce corruption over time.

We feel the problem of corruption within our system of government is a large and multifaceted one that is outside of the control of any one body. We think it is necessary to make this point clear to everyone since it has important implications for how we are to fight corruption.

Only by working together can we expect a range of improvements in our administration. We cannot expect the job to be done by a single person or committee or agency, or by a single system of accounting or auditing.

Secondly, we believe that as well as using a range of tools for improvement, we have to appeal to the people at all levels of government administration, and in all agencies of the public service and private sector, to improve their own attitudes, and do their own part each day to make the system work more honestly.

And thirdly, we believe it is vital in present circumstances that we have several bodies with a watchdog function, and a public voice – both in the Parliament, in the form of the Public Accounts Committee and/or in the form of the Ombudsman Commission.

Of the many different types of corruption, our greatest concern is the leakage or misuse of scarce public funds. This has limited the effective flow of basic goods and services from the Government to the bulk of the population in the rural areas of our state and country.

We need to go back to the root causes of this. Why is there a misallocation and leakage of scarce resources in the public sector?

Firstly, there is the problem in the chain of delivery of basic goods and services. There are difficulties in determining who is responsible for each part of the process and what the guiding principles are that combine to make that particular task happen. Many people do not know exactly what their roles and responsibilities are and there is a lack of accountability. As a result, much less is received at the end of the chain, although the funds provided at the beginning were enough.

Another major problem can arise from firms obtaining illegal favours from government agencies, such as obtaining contracts that have not been won on their merits, and then providing much less in goods or services than the value of the contract should buy.

This is where proper process in the management of public funds and contracts can help. Officials should be open about what they are doing in their jobs, they should accept the need to keep to the rules, they should produce reports so that other officials supervising their work can know what is happening, and they should accept being accountable for whether they do their jobs properly.

Although efforts are being made to promulgate stringent laws to eradicate corruption in our systems and also to improve in the public financial management, we are yet to succeed in making our society corrupt-free.

We need to sow the message of Christ in these sectors and among the urban and rural population. We also express our deep concern for the constant loss of moral values due to the widespread of false ideologies promoted in many cases by the leaders with a vested interest and by the onslaught of the mass media. We also lament the progressive breakdown of moral and spiritual values, which has led our leaders to promote a culture founded on selfishness, greed, exploitation, corruption, bribery, injustice etc.

II. Introduction of Lokpal Bill

The Lokpal bill seeks to establish an ombudsman (an agency) to check corruption at the national level. This will be an independent body that would investigate corruption cases and complete the investigation within a year.

The second year it envisages trial and completion of every case that comes up before it in two years time. The present proposed bill is the result of Anna Hazare's recent fast that began on 16th August.

The first attempt to table the bill was nearly 42 years ago by the same member who represent the civil society now in the drafting of the bill, Mr. Shanthi Bhushan. The bill after that has been introduced several times in the parliament but it got killed in the other House. The first Administrative Reform Commission (ARC) headed by former Prime Minister of India,

Mr. Moraji Desai recommended in 1966 the setting up of Lokpal.

The outbreak of several scams in our country in the recent past is a catalyst factor for the civil society to demand a Jan Lokpal Bill. This bill seeks to bring under its fold the Central Government, Supreme Court, Bureaucracy etc.

III. Corruption : A Crisis of our Nation's Character

Corruption is not only illegal it is also immoral, unjust and exploits the helplessness of people who are forced into bribing. The tremendous response of the people to Anna's appeal is an indication of how prevalent the problem is and that the people's awareness of the problem has grown.

We need an effective Lokpal to deter people from corruption as a first step towards a corruption free India". India is full of corruption. No work is done without so called bribery big or small. It is also because laws are made, which could be interpreted either way. Today, India is filled with scams and people in position make illegal money at the cost of poor and illiterate.

What we need is the education of our parliamentarians so that they can amend the Lokpal Bill to ensure its effectiveness in practical terms. That would ensure the responsiveness of our parliamentarians to the needs and aspirations of the people they represent.

IV. Church's view point

The Church welcomes the move of the government to tackle the menace of corruption. We, as a nation, have let slip the values of honesty and integrity. The cancerous spread of corruption in India's public and personal life is evident in all areas. Common Indians, especially women, dalits, tribals, poor and minority communities face the brunt of it with a deep sense of desperation.

It is tragic when people regard honesty, truth and integrity as negotiable values. We live in an immoral culture, which sometimes even infiltrates into our church institutions. This is sinful. Such evil acts are disgraceful and must be condemned.

The greater tragedy is that the highest seats of leadership in our political, administrative and educational arenas are the worst affected by corruption.

The crisis of corruption illustrates that deception, injustice and violence reign supreme when politics is not an arena of truth. Lies and falsehood are the refuge and shelter of the corrupt as they fear for their power, oppressing those whom they are meant to serve.

The extensive coverage of corruption scandals in high places over the years has kept the issue of corruption in the limelight. While those who hold leadership roles have a greater accountability and responsibility, corruption is a social problem that requires comprehensive social churning and cultural changes.

V. What should Church do?

1. We should make our own establishments corruption free, and for this we need to be more transparent and accountable.

2. We strongly appeal to all of you to effectively contribute in the ongoing fight against the corruption scourge in our country. The Catholic Church could contribute in eradicating the corruption virus in the country. This is because the Catholic Church is a key actor in promoting moral values and has always denounced acts of corruption.

3. We should establish a system that could play a major role in checking corruption within the Church administration and institutions. Those holding offices in the Church are to become transparent and made accountable.

4. We need to know that ethical and moral corruption comes from degradation of values, and undermining the dignity of life and respect for others. Hence, promotion of basic human, social and ethical values is a must.

5. We should have courage to fight against corruption, bribery, in any form and in all our dealings. The focus of the whole campaign is to bring about an awareness of the menace of corruption which is also a moral evil.

6. We should educate people to fight against corruption and encourage those who work towards rooting out corruption from all sectors of public life. There should be nothing more important to us than the welfare of our children and their future. One of the most basic goals we can set for ourselves as good citizens is to leave the world a better place for our children than it is for us now.

7. The strategy we follow should bring in a common understanding and greater harmony in the fight against corruption and define the roles of those who involve themselves in this crusade.

8. Last but not least, we need to pray to God to help us establish a just society based on integrity and transparency.

Conclusion

The movement against corruption must be viewed as a re-awakening of the moral consciousness of our nation, for we are created in the image and likeness of a Holy God. A nation depends on truth and truth depends on the struggle of the truthful people on behalf of truth. As Jesus said, "You

will know the truth and the truth will set you free," (John 8:32). It is we, the People of India and Members of the Church in Karnataka, will and can make India and our state corruption free only by becoming honest and courageous persons of of integrity. The present crisis is also a clarion call for the Church to introspect and repent. The Church by its witness to the truth needs to be a powerful influence in transforming our nation and state by promoting humility, honesty, integrity and loyalty to God and its policies. As the Bible teaches, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people" (Proverbs 14:34).

Let us introspect and unite in purpose, joining hands together to dialogue and work towards making India and the Church corruption free.

Most Rev. Dr. Bernard Moras

29th August, 2011 Archbishop of Bangalore & President

Karnataka Regional Catholic Bishops’ Council