Asia mourns Fr. Augustine Kanjamala, 'a holy man of God'
The Divine Word Missionary was a well-known theologian and missiologist. He taught at major seminaries in India. As an academic researcher, he realized that the traditional concept of Christian mission is no longer relevant in Asia. From provincial superior, he opened a Mumbai center for migrant and domestic workers. The commitment to tribal and dalit has led to a change in the Hindu mentality of those who knew him.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Asia is mourning a noted Asian theologian and missiologist Rev Dr Augustine Kanjamala, SVD who died on 4th July, in Holy Spirit Hospital, Mumbai. Sr Meena Barwa (niece of Abp John Barwa) was deeply saddened by the death of Fr Augustine Kanjamala, "He was a Holy Man of God" she tells AsiaNews, "He was a simple priest who did many good things for the tribal people in Orissa, he is well known and loved among the Tribals of Orissa. I met Fr Augustiine in Mumbai in May 2016 and he was so encouraging and was very pleased with the way, God was working in my life. He was happy with my Law course, which I am pursuing and encouraged me to study more and use my legal services to help All women in all kinds of difficulties and challenges. Fr Augustine was a pioneer for Gender Justice and Equality in the Church, Fr Augustine Kanjamal loved the poor, and served tirelessly for the uplift to give them self reliance and dignity, he was concerned especially for girls and women and even Women Religious, he wanted them to have a greater role in the Church. God will grant him a place of Rest and Peace in Heaven".
Born in Kerala, South India, in 1939, Augustine Kanjamala, SVD, entered the Divine Word Seminary at the age of seventeen. He was ordained a priest in October 1970 and worked for three years among the tribal Catholics of Orissa in eastern India. He taught mission theology in major Indian seminaries and was a scholar in residence at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, in 1986. He is the author of Religion and Modernization of India (1981) as well as numerous articles. The Future of Christian Mission in India is the fruit of forty years of research, teaching, and publications.
Rev Augustine Kanjamala who had a Doctorate in Sociology from the University of Lancaster was the former, Director SVD's Indian Institute of Culture and was the former Provincial Superior. He authored “The Future of the Christian Mission in India” (Pickwick, 2014), in which he said the Catholic Church’s missionary efforts in India generally have failed to reach the upper classes.
Fr. Kanjamala said he believed the Christian message has been more appealing to Dalits and tribals because it preached the principle of equality and human dignity.“[Christians] opposed the so-called oppression of the peoples, so people from the lower castes see it as a way to overcome the historic oppression they’re under,” he said.
Recent statistics, he said, show that literacy rates in the Indian state of Odisha are far higher for Christian Dalits than non-Christian members of the group. He also said that generally speaking, Christians among India’s underclasses fare better in terms of unemployment rates and life opportunities.
On the other hand, he acknowledged that becoming Christian can also expose Dalits and tribals to additional discrimination, this time based on religion in addition to caste.
“Thus the fundamentalists' accusation of conversions to Christianity is ill - founded and politically motivated. If some people are disturbed by the findings of the research, on the positive side the future of the mission is as bright as the Kingdom of God which Jesus proclaimed (Mk 1:15)”
As an Academic scholar basing his research on empirical evidence, Fr Augustine told AsaiNews, that the traditional concept of the Christian mission is just not relevant any more, definitely not in Asia at least given the ground realities. After nearly three to four centuries of Christian Faith arriving in Asia less than 3% of the population has accepted it. After so much time money and effort as many as 97% of the population has rejected the concept of Christianity.
In his book, Fr. Augustine made a clear distinction between quantitative and qualitative understanding of mission and suggests that in terms of numbers –(Christians are merely 2.3%of the population). Qualitatively Mission has been instrumental in establishing the Kingdom of God, where human dignity, Justice, Peace, Development and have given integral human development to the most oppressed and depressed classes of people, the outcastes or untouchables, who are “treated worse than dogs”
Importantly, not merely talking only about institutions created for healthcare and education but also about a more fundamental Hindu mind-set change. This led to socials changes like the rejection of socially ill practices like sati, child marriage and castration of young children. The religious identity many marginalised caste and community groups found with Christianity, has helped them find a voice to question their oppression and exploitation and assert themselves.
In 2016 Augustine Kanjamala svd wrote “Mission Trends in India” , as CBCI Secretary for Evangelization (1996- 2004)Rev Dr Augustine Kanjamala svd conducted the ‘first ever National survey by the CBCI commission for evangelization in India’. Opinions and views of around 15,000/ respondents - priests, nuns and laity from 40 sample dioceses - on different aspects of the mission were collected by nearly 400 members of his research team
Fr. Augustine had explained to AsiaNews, “One of the major findings, among many others, is that for nearly 85% of priests and nuns, unlike in the past, the primary goal of the mission is not ecclesio-centric conversion. Because the official teaching on the possibility of salvation out - side the church (LG 16; GS 22) is readily acknowledged, in the backdrop of the failure in numerical conversions. Only 2.5% of the population is Christian. 97% of Indians are finding their salvation outside the Christian economy of salvation” he had said.
Fr Augustine embraced the Pope Francis, “Church of the Poor”, having worked in three years among the tribal Catholics of Orissa in eastern India, serving the poorest of the poor in the remotest rural areas, he zealously promoted the Dalits and the Tribals (even among the priests) for higher studies both academic and ecclesial. Like Pope Francis, he too advocated of ‘tough love”, during his tenure as Provincial, he dismissed two svd priests after nearly three years of dialogue and deliberations, “to uphold the dignity of the priesthood and the dignity of the Society” he explained to AsiaNews, that “this was the most painful decision as Provincial”.
Moreover he has a preferential option for the Migrant and Domestic workers in the city of Mumbai and in other places, where they migrated too in search of work . In 2001, as Provincial Superior, Rev Fr. Augustine inaugurated Maitri Sangatan- a Care center for Migrant and Domestic workers, a with this initiative, the SVD society has ventured into a new type of ministry in Mumbai for the thousands of Migrant and Domestic workers .
The care of the migrants, poor and marginalized was given special attention during the previous General Chapter and Fr Kanjamala as Provincial Superior sought out practical means to help them, firstly by initiating a Mass in Hindi language and helping out these people whatever way it can, like employing them with proper terms and conditions, negotiate salaries, protecting their rights and dignity, and freeing those who are working in a particular family for years, but not allowed to come out of the house, not allowed to meet friends and relatives, not paid for months and years, not even permitted to go home, taking up the cases of harassment and mistreatment etc. It is a challenge, a tough job but the option for the poor and marginalized takes priority over other things.
Making the Migrant and Domestic workers by making them aware of their rights, duties, dignity, freedom, and to share very specially the image of God in each person” was Fr Augustine’s priority.
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