Religious of India begin national meeting

October 29, 2012 - India’s consecrated men and women must be challenged to reinterpret the meaning of the visible sign of their lives, said the president of the Conference of Religious India (CRI). “We are faced with the realization that in today’s context our existing belief systems, practices and structures are becoming less effective in living out the goals and ideals of Religious life,” said Montfort Bro. Mani Mekkunnel on Sunday. He was speaking to about 550 superiors general and provincials of various congregations in India at the opening of the Oct 28-31 national triennial meeting of the Conference of Religious India (CRI) taking place at the Leonia Holistic Destination in Hyderabad. The Religious superiors are deliberating on the theme, “Innovations in Consecrated Life for Greater Effectiveness.” Br. Mekkunnel said that the demands of human needs especially of the poor, the marginalized, the voiceless and the oppressed should be the foundation stone of all innovative endeavours of the religious in the country. He urged on focusing on principals of good governance, solidarity and networking, eco spirituality and a spirituality of justice” so as to become the “defining moment” in the history of religious life in India. He reminded delegates that “innovation for innovation sake is meaningless” because the goal of religious life is the radical living of life, the way Jesus Christ lived his life. The content of Religious life is the mission of Jesus – to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty, to set free the oppressed and announce the good news of salvation to all,” Brother Mekkunnel said. The CRI has a total of 334 congregations and 822 major superiors. It represents more than 125,000 Catholic Religious brothers, priests and nuns in India. Most of the schools, hospitals, social service centers and other institutions of the Catholic Church are managed by this group. The last national assembly was held at Delhi three years ago.