For Bishop Rodrigues, the light of faith helps build a good Indian society
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - As India celebrates its 67th Independence Day, AsiaNews spoke with Bishop John Rodrigues of Mumbai about the meaning of the Encyclical Lumen Fidei in light the Year of Faith, of which he is the coordinator in the Archdiocese.
"On the feast day of the Assumption of Mary, we celebrated our freedom, which we love. Certainly, we can choose what is good for us, for society and for our country and work towards the realisation of the vision that our great leaders had when we became an independent nation. The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary invites us to be people of vision and hope, to believe that God can do many more things for us, more than we can imagine. The document reminds us that " faith becomes a light capable of illumining all our relationships in society" (n. 54) and "helps us build our societies in such a way that they can journey towards a future of hope" (n. 51).
AsiaNews asked Mgr Rodrigues to point out the answers the encyclical offers with regard to certain issues that touch Indian society.
In a multi-religious society like that of India, how can Christians work with people of other faiths? How can Christians, who are only 2.3 per cent of the population, profess and practice their faith as guaranteed by India's secular constitution?
In a country with a young population, where the average age in 2020 will be under 30, how can we recognise and encourage young people to live their faith with enthusiasm? What are the difficulties families face in order to live their faith and pass it on to their children? What steps will enable Christians to pay more attention to environmental issues and true development?
Here is what Mgr Rodrigues had to say.
"We welcome the encyclical Lumen Fidei with joy during this Year of Faith. Pope Francis offers it to the Church and he states in the encyclical that he has completed what Pope Benedict XVI had begun. The document is indeed relevant for our times when some question the significance and value of having faith in God. The following are some questions for reflection flowing from the document", exclaimed Bishop John Rodrigues who is also the Rector of the Archdiocesan Seminary of Bombay.
"Lumen Fidei, the Light of Faith, is the first encyclical of Pope Francis. Encyclicals are among the most important documents issued by the Pope and, as the term indicates, they are meant to be circulated or made available to the whole Church. A document on faith was expected since Pope Benedict XVI had written encyclicals on love (Deus Caritas Est) and on hope (Spe Salvi). In the introduction, Pope Francis expresses his gratitude to Pope Benedict XVI who "had almost completed a first draft of an encyclical on faith" and adds that "as his brother in Christ" he has "taken up his fine work and added a few contributions" (n. 7).
"Three striking features of the encyclical are: Firstly, it has theological and spiritual depth as it presents different facets of faith and invites the members of the Church to be renewed and transformed; secondly, it is simple in its style - a quality of Pope Francis that has won the hearts of many; and thirdly, its message is relevant for our times when so many do not find their beliefs meaningful and society seems to be pushing faith in God to the periphery.
In his Angelus message on July 8, 2013, Pope Francis mentioned the purpose of the document, namely: (i) to go to the essentials of the Christian faith (ii) to deepen our faith (iii) to measure current issues by our faith and (iv) to help those who are searching for God and for the meaning of life.
A look at some statistics will help us to identify certain key themes in the encyclical. Besides the word "faith" which occurs most frequently, other words (and their variations) which occur often and indicate the focus of the encyclical are "light" (141 times), "truth" (82 times), "love" (161 times) and "transform" (22 times). The encyclical consists of an introduction and four chapters. We shall consider each of these sections briefly.
Introduction (LF 1-7)
The introduction presents the context of the encyclical. Society at times questions the value of faith. In fact, some writers of the recent past described faith as an illusion or as a leap in the dark and compared it to darkness that prevented progress. The Pope counters this view stating that "the light of autonomous reason is not enough to illumine the future" (n. 3) and states that "there is an urgent need, then, to see once again that faith is a light, for once the flame of faith dies out, all other lights begin to dim. The light of faith is unique, since it is capable of illuminating every aspect of human existence" (n. 4).
Chapter One (LF 8-22): We have believed in love (cf. 1Jn 4:16)
The chapter emphasizes faith as a personal encounter and shows how faith is a response to God's love. Abraham is the model of faith in the Old Testament. "Something disturbing takes place in his life: God speaks to him; he reveals himself as a God who speaks and calls his name... Faith thus takes on a personal aspect. God is not the god of a particular place, or a deity linked to specific sacred time, but the God of a person ..." (n. 8). Our faith is a response to God who is faithful. Saint Cyril of Jerusalem remarked that we believe that God is faithful and at the same time we, too, are called faithful (n. 10) but like the people of Israel we stray into idolatry. The document describes idolatry as a pretext for setting ourselves at the centre of reality and worshipping the work of our own hands. We put our trust not in God but in what we have made.
But "faith consists in the willingness to let ourselves be constantly transformed and renewed by God's call" (n. 13). The journey of faith described in the Old Testament reaches its culmination in Christ, in whom we encounter the love of God. "Our culture has lost its sense of God's tangible presence and activity in our world. We think that God is to be found in the beyond, on another level of reality, far removed from our everyday relationships...Christians, on the contrary, profess their faith in God's tangible and powerful love which really does act in history and determines its final destiny: a love that can be encountered, a love fully revealed in Christ's passion, death and resurrection" (n. 17). Just as in our interpersonal relations, we believe in a person and therefore we believe in what he or she says, so too, we believe in Jesus and consequently we believe what he says. Like St Paul, we are invited to realize that faith is a gift and that we are justified not on the basis of works of the law but by faith. Faith brings salvation because Christ's love inwardly transforms us and works in us and through us (n. 20).
Chapter Two (LF 23-36): Unless you believe, you will not understand (cf. Is 7:9)
From 'faith and love', the Pope moves to 'faith and truth.' He teaches that there is a "bond between faith and truth" (n. 25). "Because God is trustworthy, it is reasonable to have faith in him, to stand fast on his word" (n. 23). We are called to trust completely in God who is the solid and steadfast rock. This is what is meant when we use the word "Amen," which implies firmness, stability and being established. "We need knowledge; we need truth, because without these we cannot stand firm, we cannot move forward. Faith without truth does not save; it does not provide a sure footing" (n. 24). The document then goes on to explain the relationship between faith, truth and love. "Faith knows because it is tied to love, because love itself brings enlightenment." (n. 26). Only when love is grounded in truth can it endure over time and be sufficiently solid to sustain a shared journey. "Without truth, love is incapable of establishing a firm bond...Without love, truth becomes cold, impersonal and oppressive for people's day-to-day lives" (n. 27).
This chapter also reminds us that we cannot think that our faith makes us superior to others; in fact, truth leads to humility "since believers know that, rather than ourselves possessing truth, it is truth which embraces and possesses us. Far from making us inflexible, the security of faith sets us on a journey; it enables witness and dialogue with all." (n. 34). Pope Francis also speaks of those who do not believe in Jesus but seek God and are sincerely open to love. "Anyone who sets off on the path of doing good to others is already drawing near to God, is already sustained by his help, for it is characteristic of the divine light to brighten our eyes whenever we walk towards the fullness of love" (n. 35).
Chapter Three (LF 37-49): I delivered to you what I also received (cf. 1Cor 15:3)
The title of this chapter indicates that faith comes to us through others - our parents, catechists, the religious, priests and all those who inspire us by their witness of the faith. This chapter highlights the communitarian or ecclesial dimension of faith. As persons, we always live in relationship. "We come from others, we belong to others, and our lives are enlarged by our encounter with others" (n. 38). Our own knowledge, self-awareness and language are relational and so faith, too, is experienced and lived in communion with others. "It is impossible to believe on our own. Faith is not simply an individual decision which takes place in the depths of the believer's heart..." (n. 39). We can respond, "I believe" because we are part of the Church that professes "We believe." The Church also transmits the faith when it celebrates the sacraments, especially Baptism and the Eucharist. When Christians pray 'The Lord's Prayer,' they "learn to share in Christ's own spiritual experience and to see all things through his eyes" (n. 46). Further, the Church lives this faith, in the form of moral life, by following the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, and the other requirements of Christian morality. Since this is all a shared experience, faith leads us to unity - to one Lord, one body, one Spirit. "Since faith is one, it must be professed in all its purity and integrity." (n. 48). We cannot choose what is convenient and deny what is challenging. We accept all the articles of faith.
Chapter Four (LF 50-60): God Prepares a City for Them (cf. Heb 11:16)
This chapter gives us the practical application of what has been taught earlier. The "city" in this chapter represents the world as a whole, and this chapter explains to us how faith helps us to build a better world, or rather, how God builds a better world through us. "Faith is truly a good for everyone; it is a common good. Its light does not simply brighten the interior of the Church, nor does it serve solely to build an eternal city in the hereafter; it helps us build our societies in such a way that they can journey towards a future of hope" (n. 51). "The first setting in which faith enlightens the human city is the family...Grounded in this love, a man and a woman can promise each other mutual love in a gesture which engages their entire lives and mirrors many features of faith (n. 52). "In the family, faith accompanies every age of life, beginning with childhood: children learn to trust in the love of their parents. This is why it is so important that within their families parents encourage shared expressions of faith which can help children gradually to mature in their own faith." (n. 53). The Pope appreciates "the joy that young people show in their faith and their desire for an ever more solid and generous life of faith" (n. 53).
The document points to the ecological and social significance of our faith. "Faith, on the other hand, by revealing the love of God the Creator, enables us to respect nature" since it is "entrusted to our protection and care." (n. 55). "Faith also helps us to devise models of development which are based not simply on utility and profit, but consider creation as a gift for which we are all indebted; it teaches us to create just forms of government, in the realization that authority comes from God and is meant for the service of the common good" (n. 55).
The encyclical closes with a brief meditation on the faith of Mary, and a beautiful prayer to Our Lady to inspire us and to help us to deepen our faith.
.png)
