Caritas India organized a Faith Webinar on April 23, 2020, bringing all the leaders of the Church, the Cardinals, Archbishops, Catholic Religious of India, Catholic Health Association, Catholic Relief Services,  Catholic Council of India, Doctors and Nurses of Catholic Faith and the lay faithful through a virtual platform, to reflect how the unprecedented times of COVID 19 can be opportune moments of bringing transformation in our thinking, interaction and reach.

His Eminence, Oswald Cardinal Gracias, President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India while presiding over the webinar, recollected facts that there are outpouring efforts from all sections of the church to mitigate the sufferings of the people.  Despite the limitations, the Catholic Church in India, as a unison force, has responded generously and courageously considering all the advisories of the government seriously. His concern was however how the Church shall respond to the immediate crisis of food, shelter, medical aid for the distressed migrants, and the long haul of famine, extreme poverty, and unemployment.

His Eminence Cardinal George Alencherry, Head of Syro-Malabar Church focused on being a new Church, reaching out to the people, a Church incarnated in the world reality. He expressed that there is need for restructuring and reorienting society, creating an environment of journeying with the people and nature by reinstating eco-spirituality.

His Eminence Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, Head of Syro-Malankara Church shared that the effect of the crisis is going to remain for a long time in society. Hence, there is a need to have Pastoral and Spiritual Plan to support the people who are in distress and trauma.

He also gave emphasis to agriculture. The church should promote and respect the earth and her farmers by promoting agriculture. Small scale farming in the vicinity of our parishes and church structures would be an ideal message to our great nation about respecting farmers.

Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao, the President of CCBI, mentioned that there is a need to nurture the faith of the church, people, and community and motivate them to support the people who are in need. He invited the dioceses to support Caritas India, the face of the church in her ministry to the people.

Moderated by His Grace, Most Rev. Felix Machado, Secretary-General of CBCI, various panelist shared their thoughts and suggestions of how the Church can continue to be a catalyst for bringing about a culture of spiritual growth.

Most Rev. Sebastian Kallupura, the Chairman of Caritas India stated that we are gripped by the common enemy, we hold our hands together to be consciously at the side of God and to be led by his Spirit, that is churning the whole human race. “If God is with us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31). Let us take courage.

Some of the thinking that emanated from the discussions and introspection are the following:

Reach Out:  To make available our institutions, hospitals, volunteers, and experts to respond and reach out to a wider community who genuinely need help and ensure “No one goes hungry”.

Cooperate: To work and journey with the Government and civil authorities, maintaining protocols and directives, in identifying the vulnerable in the pursuit of protecting the citizens from this deadly virus.

Communicate: To explore new possibilities of using media and its platforms to its optimum for making accurate information available, interconnectedness, and reaching out.

Psychosocial counselling: The church should imitate Christ and be a source of hope and encouragement to many who may be facing economic as well as psychological problems. In the long run, Trauma Counselling may be an area the Church institutions of higher learning should introduce as a subject.

His Eminence Oswald Cardinal Gracias appreciated the panelists for their inputs. He added that there will be a circular that will go to all the Bishops of India. He mentioned that there would be a short-term project to work with the migrants, but he emphatically stressed on the need to initiate a long-term humanitarian plan to address poverty and famine.

As a way forward the Church fraternity proposed the following suggestions for immediate action.

• The Catholic Religious of India together with Caritas India should come out with documentation in coordination with Caritas India to present the contribution and work of the church to the government
• Regional Bishops must get in touch with the district authorities, municipal commissioner to collaborate and compliment the work of the government
• A similar video conference can be initiated at the regional levels so that the same messaging shall be percolated at the local levels.

The Faith Webinar came to a meaningful closure with the thought-provoking words of Pope Francis “Go down into the underground and pass from the hyper-virtual, fleshless world to the suffering flesh of the poor. This is the change we must undergo. And if we don’t start there, there will be no transformation.
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