Lay leader in India asks priests to work for new image

(February 16, 2012) A lay leader, who credits priests for his return to the Catholic faith, wants the clergy to create a new image to help them become more relevant in modern era. “It is because of the good, humble and holy priests I know that I have come back to the Church and continue to love it,” said John Dayal, secretary general of the All India Christian Council and a senior journalist. He told the members of the Conference of Diocesan Priests of India (CDPI) now gathered in Mumbai that Catholic priesthood is a unique institution since it helps a person to serve God and humans at the same time. The CDPI’s February 14-16 annual meeting is addressing the theme, “New Evangelization: Its Meaning, Relevance and Ways of Doing in India.” The priests are meeting a week after the country’s bishops sought ways how the Church could help create a better India. Dayal, who addressed the priests on Wednesday, observed that their voluntary consecration to God liberates them so that they can help the poor and marginalized regain their rights and dignity. A priest “makes oblations to God, brings the Word of God to people and ensures even their material needs such as education, health and social work,” he added. The lay leader also observed that the crises in the West along with globalization and liberation challenged the Church in India and its priests. He wants seminary training to keep pace with the times so that future priests could face challenges from other religions, poverty and human rights violations that hinder evangelization. “Our evangelization must be by living with the poor and bringing service to their doorsteps along the Word of the Lord. We should fulfil both their physical needs and their spiritual yearning,” he added.