Mangalore Churches vow to stand united

(November 20, 2010) All major denominations in the southern Indian town of Mangalore have agreed to organize social and Church programs together to project a united face to the public. “We need to go beyond traditional ecumenical gatherings and organize social events jointly,” Catholic Bishop Aloysius Paul D’Souza of Mangalore told some 70 priests and presbyters from various Christian Churches in Mangalore, Karnataka state. The ecumenical Mangalore Christian Council (MCC) organized the November 18 programme in the city, a Christian stronghold in the state, to explore how the local Churches could work together for common good. Church of South India Bishop John Sadananda of Karnataka Southern Diocese reminded the pastors they are called to become peacemakers. “Unless we are in peace with each other it is impossible to preach the message of peace” to Christians and others, the Protestant prelate asserted. Reverend V. C. Jose, a priest of the Syrian Orthodox Church, suggested the Churches jointly tap various governmental schemes available for religious minorities in India. Jesuit Father Ronald Prabhu, secretary of the Ecumenical Council of the Karnataka region, wants the Churches to take up development programs along with people of other religions. Anil Kumar, the Protestant secretary of MCC, suggested holding festivals, jubilees and community celebrations together. The participants represented the three Catholic rites of Latin, Syro-Malankara and Syro-Malabar, Protestant and Methodist Churches, Orthodox Church, Malankara Syrian Orthodox Jacobite Church and the Mar Thoma Church.