By: Msgr. Siluvai

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PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETIES IN INDIA

• By Msgr. Siluvai
• National Director PMS India

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ROLE MISSION

• To execute the last testament of the Risen Lord.
• The missionary mandate of the Risen Lord
  accompanies us into the Third Millennium urges
  us to share the same enthusiasm of the very first
  Christians as Peter, Paul , John etc..
• NMI Pope John Paul - II

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Christianity The Early Church in India
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Early Church in India

• The 1500 years saw the Growth of Christianity in
  the Subcontinent Malabar (Kerala) Madras
• The 15th Century marked the 2nd Spring of
  Christianity in India.
• Arrival of the Portuguese and Missionaries like
• St Francis Xavier, St Gonzalo Gracia and
• St John de Britto
• Christianity spread across the East West Coast
• The Missionary Zeal saw Mission Hospitals
  Mission Schools bring ve Relief, Charity, Zeal
  Empowerment

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Church Post Vatican II

• 1969 National Bishops Conference to implement the
  Vatican Council II
• 1973 Consultation on Evangelization took place in
  Patna
• Role of the Church in India
• The BISHOP will promote
• Evangelization work among the faithful
• The Papal Mission Works

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Church Post Vatican II

• The PRIESTS should
• Stir up and persevere amid the faithful a Zeal
  for evangelization of the World
• The LAITY will
• Cooperate in the Churchs work of Evangelization
  as witnesses
• As living Instruments, they share in her saving
  Mission especially if they have been called by
  God and accepted by the Bishop

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Church Post Vatican II

• The Religious Institutes are
• Bound to practice with greater perfection their
  role in active and contemplative life
• Obliged impelled to a truly Catholic spirit of
  work in and through prayer, suffering and works
  of penance charity
• Professors in Seminaries Universities shall
• Teach young people the true state of the Church
  and focus on the Missionary Elements while
  teaching on the Dogmas, biblical, moral and
  historical branches, to form missionary awareness
  in the future priests

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Church Post Vatican II

• The Whole people of God shall
• Lead a profoundly Christian Life
• Have a lively awareness of their responsibility
  to the world
• Foster in themselves a truly catholic spirit
• Spend their forces in the work of evangelization

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Contribution of Christians to Education,
Healthcare, Development irrespective of Caste or
Creed
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Contribution of Christians to Education,
Healthcare, Development irrespective of Caste or
Creed
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Contribution of Christians to Education,
Healthcare, Development irrespective of Caste or
Creed
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Contribution of Christians to Education,
Healthcare, Development irrespective of Caste or
Creed
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INTROSPECT

• Where is Christ in these Institutions?
• Are these expressions of Christs presence
• in society?
• Our Institutions Lost Charity in the 1970s,
  Lost Service in the 1980s and Mission itself in
  1990s
  .. Anonymous
• The Catholic Institutions reflect the Colonial
  Architecture but they are hiding the face of
  Christ ......Blessed
  Paolo Manna

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Church Today in India

• New Opportunity to Evangelize

Video Source youtube.com
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Church Today in India

• Significant increase in religious vocations
• Priests and Missionaries from India travel the
  World to announce the Gospel
• Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service's role in
  Faith Building and Formation of the Laity
• Proclamation Commissions for the Active
  Proclamation of Gods Word using novel methods
• Missionary work in remote corners of
• the country
• Your sons, O India, will be the ministers of
  your salvation ..Pope Leo XIII

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Challenges..

• Traditionally tolerant Hindus turn hostile toward
  peace loving India Christians
• How can a 2.3 Christian population threaten 85
  Hindu population ?
• India a land of religious people and several
  ancient religions like Hinduism, Jainism,
  Buddhism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Sufi etc are
  religions born in India
• India is also home to Christianity, Islam,
  Parsi.. all of different ethnicities, languages
  and strong tradition that is deeply ingrained in
  the spirit and composition of the Indian

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Challenges..

• Existence of Caste System among Christians.
• (It is the grading of humans based on caste from
  High to Low, based on the degree of purity or
  impurity reputedly inherited by birth)
• Indian Christians treated as anti-national by the
  Majority Community and Government
• Atrocities against Christians

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Inspiring Growth of the PMS

• Motivating
• the Bishops

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Inspiring Growth of the PMSIn the wake of
Persecution

• Christians in Gujarat being Systematically
  targeted since 1990s
• Burning and killing of Dr. Staines and his 2 sons
• Rape of Catholic Nuns in Jhabua (MP), Khandhamal
  (Orissa)
• Fr. Christudas paraded naked in MP
• Churches - vandalized, burnt down, desecrated in
  various parts of the country

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Inspiring Growth of the PMSIn the wake of
Persecution

• Atrocities in Orissa - Dec 2007 to Aug 2008
• 33 Christians Killed
• Thousands of Christian Houses Burned
• Over 50,000 Christians run into the forests and
  make shift refugee camps
• Aug 24, 2008 saw a Catholic Nun in Kandhamal
  dragged and gang raped by Hindu extremists in the
  presence of police, while she pleaded for help.
• Truly it was a rape of the Love, Compassion and
  Service, that she stands for

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Inspiring Growth of the PMSIn the wake of
Persecution

• Victims refugees of Khandamal, in the forests
  insist on contributing towards Mission Sunday and
  collect INR. Rs. 30,000/-(US 750)
• Manipur 1952 350 New Baptized Catholics
• 2008 80,000 Catholics
• Kohima 1950 No Catholic Presence
• 2008 56,000 Catholics
• (Catholic nun from Spain sent by the Governor of
  Assam to cater to sick. Her prayer , zeal and
  evangelizing effort, sees 56000 Catholics in
  Kohima today)

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Church in India Dedicated to the Mission of
Christ

• The 2nd Vatican Council spoke of the Church being
  Missionary by it very Nature
• Just as in the 1st Millennium, the cross was
  planted in the soil of Europe and the 2nd
  Millennium on that of Americas and Africa, WE
  PRAY that in the 3rd Millennium a great harvest
  of faith will be reaped in this vast and vital
  continent ASIA
• Pope John Paul II
• (Ecclesia in Asia)

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Video Source youtube.com