'Not numbers, Church more concerned of serving'

It is not numbers, the Church is more concerned of 'serving' and having people acquainted with the life and message of Christ Jesus, says the Archbishop of Mumbai and vice-president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, Cardinal Oswald Gracias.

Speaking at the conclusion of the Indian Mission Congress (Prabhu Yesu Mahotsa) in Mumbai on Oct. 18, Cardinal Gracias spelled out that Church is not a political party seeking numbers for power.

"She [Church] does not seek an increase in numbers just for greater influence. She seeks only to serve, she seeks only to bring light, the light that enlightens the world and all men and women," he explained.

"We seek to become more and more like Jesus Christ, living according to His teachings, so that our lives become the message and that we become messengers – bearing good news."

Picking the controversial 'conversion' issue, Cardinal Gracias said the Church totally rejects forced conversions. "A forced conversion is meaningless, because conversion is a transformation of heart – a turning to God, for us Christians, a turning to Jesus Christ. And it would interest all to know that the Church has a long period of catechumenate to test the sincerity of any one desiring Baptism."

But, he also cleared up that people had the right to choose and the church welcomes new converts.

"This is a human right, a right enshrined in our Constitution, a human right recognized by countries across the globe. No civil authority has the right to enter into the sanctuary of one's conscience, much less to decide what ones conscience should say. No government can enter my soul and lock my conscience saying, 'you can no longer change your religion'," he construed.

Cardinal Gracias asks Indians not to "feel threatened". He adds: "We seek only to serve, we seek only to do what Jesus told us, to live our lives according to His Beatitudes and to go out and love and serve all and make the world a better place. And we tell you that we serve because we were told to do so by Jesus who was sent by God to bring love, peace and harmony into the world."

About 1500 delegates, including more than 100 bishops, hundreds of priests, nuns and lay leaders from the 160 dioceses of India attended the Indian Mission Congress christened Prabhu Yesu Mahotsav from October 14-18 at the St. Pius College, Goregaon.