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Amala Michael, ICM, from Bangalore, South India, has been involved in peace and justice work for 17 years and is affiliated with the National Biblical, Catechetical and Liturgical Center there.
“God so loved the world that He sent His only son into the world, not to condemn the world, but the world might be saved by Him.” (John 3:16-17)
Jesus who was rich emptied himself, took the form of a slave, even death on the cross, thus he gave us life. He became man in order to serve us. Likewise the Church, like the master who came to serve, should serve the world, but not be served. In the history of the Church, her leadership has been expressed in the form of service.
The Church of Jesus Christ is called to express herself in a meaningful and relevant manner to the society of today and will endure to the end of time and continue the original mission, thus the Church becomes, “the universal sacrament of salvation.” The Church is meant to be in the world of today, the historical embodiment of love manifested by God, for all men in Jesus Christ. A task never completed, continuously she has to struggle to become true to herself. “The Pilgrim Church is missionary by her nature.” (Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity, No. 2, Documents of Vatican II.)
Jesus continues to send his followers into the world as he himself was sent by his father. “Go into the world and preach the Gospel to the whole Creation.” Thus the servant church listening to the voice of the spirit seeks to carry out her mission, by which God’s will is to be manifested and fulfilled in the world and in human history."
The Church has to fulfill her mission in each particular situation and culture. However, since Christ’s mission is universal, all the local churches are called to live in communion with the universal and sister churches. In this context the local church is in union with the universal church and never departs from the basic ministerial structure given to the Church by her founder.
In each particular context the Christian mission is shared by the whole people of God. All the members participate in the common mission in various ways. We know in the early Church there was growth of different ministries — prophet, teacher, evangelist. Thus the early Church had adaptability and variety while preserving the essential structure of ministry. This creativity in the spirit shown by the early Church remains with the Church for all ages and places.
In the Indian Context
The Christian community of faith in India is called to live and realize its mission within the context of the Indian situation. The Church in India is apostolic, yet more than 600 million have never been able to experience the love God manifested in Jesus. The proclamation of the Good News remains the primary task of the Church and her members. We are called to preserve our cultural identity but also realize and develop it by living and communicating our faith.
Today the country is engaged in a determined struggle against the social and economic evils that oppress it, and has launched various programs for self-development. So the Church has to join wholeheartedly in this common struggle in order to give effective witness. Our faith has to proclaim the good news to the poor and be a help to people to liberate themselves from various unjust social structures including political systems and structures including women’s liberation in society. Her ministry should be to bring hope, justice and reconciliation to all people.
Church in India also has to keep in mind the rich variety of religious and cultural heritages. The majority of the population has been shaped and inspired by Hinduism. Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism and other religions in the country have contributed to the shaping of a rich indigenous culture. Today Indian Christians are aware of their own culture and heritage and they want to live in closer communion with them, inspired by the common search for the love and truth of God. So in this context our mission becomes a three-fold task: proclamation of the Gospel, the struggle for justice in all forms, and interreligious dialogue.
Role of Women and Ministry
There is a growing awareness in the country and especially in the Church on the role of women. The research seminar on ministries in the Church in India, “Women in Ministry,” proves that the social and cultural myths concerning women in ministry should be studied deeply in the context of Ordained Ministry.
Vatican II points out the need to pay attention to the aspirations of women and it is very important that they participate more widely in various fields of the Church’s apostolate. Ancient Christian tradition, to which some churches have remained faithful even to this day, conferred the diaconal office on women. Hence it would hardly seem right to continue to exclude women from ordination to the diaconate. Women have expressed their desire for lay and diaconate ministry and the Church feels its importance. With regard to their ordination to the presbyterate, further Biblical, theological and sociological research is required. The active insertion of women into the ministry of the Church, new initiations in the fields of service for which women are particularly gifted are needed. It will eventually prepare the way for team ministries at various levels.
The Church in India offers women special fields for the exercise of ministries: the catechesis of children, youth and adult, the promotion of family life, and responsible parenthood, the care of the fallen woman, and unmarried mothers; the care of working girls; healing, counseling, medical, education work; work among Muslim women; ministry of evangelization to neighbors of other faiths, ministry of animator for prayer, helping people to pray and experience God, assist at the liturgical services, and conduct non-organized liturgical services; caring and being with the poor; and health welfare programs, employment bureaus, vocational guidance, ashram apostolate, conscientization of women towards liberation, and so forth.
Many women in India are already committed to these various services. By turning the exercise of their charisms into ministries through an act of formal recognition, the Church will provide a new coherent ecclesial recognition. It will also be an incentive to participate more actively in church life and mission. It goes without saying that the installation of women into lay ministries and the diaconate will demand on the one hand that they receive adequate training; on the other hand, communities will have to be prepared for this change in the life of the Church.
When speaking about special formation, charism acceptance by the community, and professional training available for men should be extended to women, depending on ministry. Basic theological studies at national or regional levels should be given, bearing in mind that they must be suited to Indian needs. The Church in India will fail in its task if it does not study the question and explore the apostolic challenges related to women’s ministry and social and cultural myths. A scientific study has to be done.
The application of outdated and irrelevant cultural elements in church teaching which create an unchristian attitude should be done away with, so that real change of attitude may take place in church ministry. Jesus promoted changes of heart and mind in people by siding with the women’s cause against current opinion. Women’s ministries are conferred on the basis of charisms. Hence no discrimination should be made on the basis of sex. As a result of the social situation in India, there is widespread discrimination against women. The church has the responsibility to take a stand to promote liberation of women and equal partnership of men and women. It is an urgent task that some women be allowed to participate in the theological reflections of the Church.
It is possible among 40,000 religious in India today that there are sisters who, while having a strong charism for service in the Church, do not have charism for religious life (celibate community life). While they do not have an alternative form of recognized ministry, the women will continue to join celibate religious communities where their charisms may not be developed to the fullest and where they struggle to live a life to which they are not suited.
Recognized lay ministries or the diaconate should be made open to them so that they could be happier persons and give better service (either married or unmarried women). Those with charism to celibate community as a ministry would be free to identify and express their specific call within the Church.
In the Church there is nothing equivalent to consecrated ministry for women. Nothing stands intrinsically against it. Given her special situation, the Church in India today may well take the step for the fulfillment of the long-felt need of the ministry of women and how we could develop fuller feminine discipleship within the Church. Jesus called out the best from women. He showed the importance of their task in social and ecclesial life. He made women aware of their possibilities.
Conclusion
Keeping in mind that the Gospel message is ageless, the twelve apostles were with Jesus and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary Magdalene, Joann, Suzanna. Thus the permanent presence of women in the group around Jesus is established and these women played their roles as disciples. It seems that the honor which well might have been bestowed on Peter to be the first witness of resurrection has been transferred to Mary Magdalene, who became the first witness of the empty tomb. This fact is of great importance, because these three were authoritative figures within the Christian community, comparable with the authority which the apostles enjoyed.
A distinction should be made between timeless, ongoing divine revelation and time bound theological interpretation. In every age the Church has to reconsider again the implications of the Gospel. Does she (do we) properly understand the message regarding the role women should play in Christ’s kingdom? Are we really open to the Word of God as it encounters us in the ideal of the Gospel, and in new awareness and experience in the Church today? A charism of the spirit should be recognized and affirmed regardless of sex and race. Ordained ministry is a unifying ministry and thus a special gift, a charism of the spirit different from other charisms, though related to them.
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