POLUR. NOVEMBER 30, 2024, Deepagam has organized a Symposium on Vatican II Documents for Polur parishioners at Don Bosco Higher Secondary School Hall on November 30, 2024 at Polur Parish, Tiruvannamalai Dt. Ninety village parishioners were present as the audiences - most of them were semi-literate and poor. The parishioners hail from four parishes namely: Polur, Veeralur, Semmiyamangalam, and Gengavaram (Tiruvannamalai Dt.)

The keynote addresses for the day was delivered by Lay Salesian Cooperators, namely: Mr. Maria Michael, Mr. Michael Raj, Mr. Devaraj and Mr. Maria Sahaya Pushparaj.

After the introductory address, Fr. Daniel Sharma (Semmiamangalam Parish Priest – Vellore Diocese) led the congregation in prayer. The choir sang hymn to the Holy Spirit - பரிசுத்த ஆவியே! என் ஆன்மாவின் ஆன்மாவே! Mr. Devaraj who read from the Second Vatican II document, quoted gospel sayings of Jesus: “I am the Light of the World” and “You are the light of the world and salt of the earth.”

Fr. Francis Sagaya Pinto SDB (Sacred Heart Church, Polur Parish Priest) highlighted the Catholic thrust in the West - declericalization - by which clergy-centered church is attempting to become laity-centered community. In view of this thrust, Fr. Parish Priest called on his parishioners: “You are the Church, you are to build-up the Church, (not by priests and religious alone). Quoting Pope Francis, he said, “today laity must be given preference in the Catholic Church" and this Symposium “aims to take the spirit and vision of the Vatican II, to the People of God.”

Drawing inspiration from the Catholic lifestyle today, Fr. Jesudoss P. SDB (Director, Deepagam Don Bosco Catechetical Center) remarked that ‘Kingdom of God is with us; because, God is with us.’ He, exhorted the audiences, ‘we are to introduce God to the world.’

Michael Raj (NBCLC Collaborator) in his keynote address pointed-out thus: “sixty-years has gone by since Vatican II, we are yet to realize the visions of Ecumenical Councils” (a revisited point from the previous symposiums). Mr. Michael presented 21 ecumenical councils of the Catholic Church and the various challenges addressed by them in a simpler way for the people as a prelude to understand Vatican II Council’s Documents.

Using hand-drawn infographic, Mr. Maria Sahaya Pushparaj shared his views on few wrong popular theological notions that existed before Vatican II. From the point of creator God who is resting beyond the creation, the world is understood as full of ephemeral desires, unholy, worldly, full of corruptible nature and unjust. In contrast, Church is Holy, Spiritual, Heavenly, Beyond Nature, and Christo-centric. Yet, Church structure is pyramidal and feature Latin Rite, Structures of Spirituality, Foreignness to nations, not human-centered, greater emphasis on priests and religious; the only way for salvation is truth, goodness, integrity, and holiness.

Church ministry is proclaiming the gospel and catechizing by which explicating the truths of the Church through oral methods in churches and schools. The effects of such ministry are alienation, stagnation, double-standard approach, distance, divisions, and oppositions. Four aspects of Church are: 1) no deeper contact with God, 2) no dialog between church and nations, 3) looking down at world and worldly life 4) World and Salvation History as opposing each other. Church in the world is foreign and heavenly, whose minority status makes it exclusive and distinct; Inside Church is the specter of self-sufficiency, laxity and clergy leadership; while, Outside Church is the dominant attitude and superiority complex. The world constitutes Society, Culture, Institutional Structures (sociology, economy, politics, education, science and technology), Human-centered principles, Movement ideologies, People-groups comprising workers and youth beset with wrong-doings, evils, corruptions, and destructional pathways.

Mr. Maria Michael began his keynote address with scientific outlook.  It took 1370 crores of years for the earth to take the present-day form. He said, “We cannot separate humanity from spirituality.” Highlighting the scientific fact that ‘energy can neither be created nor destroyed’, he associated it with God’s ongoing creation (தொடர் படைப்பு) in which, God is the creator and humans are His cooperators. He went on explaining the tripartite aspects of God’s relationship with the humanity: Kingdom of God (இறையாட்சி) – Revelation (இறைவெளிபாடு) – Divine Plan (இறைதிட்டம்). Sin enters when God’s plan is not carried-out; that is, when Will of God is not realized.

Speaking on the Catholic Church, he said, “Church is Church, not corporate office or headquarters of the organizations.” He made a big statement in Tamil: ‘பாறையாகிய திருச்சபை - நிறைவை நோக்கி பயணம் செய்யும் திருச்சபை’ (meaning, “Church which is a rock, is also a Pilgrim Church, journeying towards its fulfillment in God”). Today, Inculturation (பண்பாட்டுமயம்) efforts needs that we re-read the Word of God according to the signs of the times. He concluded his discourse to the semi-literate rural people with a note on Missa that is to dismiss the community after the Eucharistic Celebration to be sent on a mission to proclaim Christ to the world.

The participants were constituted into eight discussion groups for a workshop on Vatican II input sessions. The final outcomes were presented by the leaders at the conclusion of the symposium. 

Participants’ Expectations were:

• Needing Vision of New Heaven and New Earth
• Fulfilment of Will of God and share in God’s Plan
• Participation in politics
• Family Prayer and Personal Prayer
• More understanding on Vatican II
• Mission proclamation of Christ to Non-Christians
• Equality in the church means that all jointly fight for justice
• Need for the conversion of heart by Christians
• Proclaim Christ to 7 lakh children

Participants’ Appreciations were:

• Vernacular languages in liturgy
• Man-woman equality in liturgy 
• Love and Affections as Christian values in thought-word-deeds
• Support Church in problems with solidarity and presence
• Symposium Outcomes were:

Leaders of the discussion groups expressed these as Symposium outcomes:

• Love in family / pious associations / equality in anbiums and cultural programs
• Laity-involved-Church especially in nuclear Church in families leading to fuller involvement
• Understanding that Church is equally for laity

Mr. Devaraj gave his keynote address on sixteen Vatican II documents as conclusion of the Symposium based on the introductory document by Fr. Lourdusamy SDB: “New Perspectives from Vatican II”. A simple fellowship meal was provided for all participants of the Symposium during the day.