Can Bishops, Priests participate with non-Christians’ religious celebration?

Dear friends, these days, there are several criticisms and comments about some photos of priests and religious nuns’ participation in the Hindu - festival of “Vinayka Sathurthi”. Several Christians are surprised and stunned to see the photos of Catholic priests and religious nuns’ participation, and one step further; some are scandalized by the offering rituals and veneration of priests before the statues of Vinayka.

Obviously, such kind of incidents will give negative opinion among Christians.

Let me allow to give the “Teaching of the Catholic Church” regarding Christians’ participation with non-Christians’ religious ceremonies and rituals.

Before stating from the “Church Magisterium – Official Teaching of the Church”, let us remember the participation of various religious people, their religious heads and Leaders of various countries, for example the participation of Indian External Minister Mrs. Shusmasuraj and Mr. Advani who is one of the former Senior leaders from RSS, during the Canonization Ceremony of Mother Teresa of Calcutta in Vatican City. Participation out of respect and to show unity and solidarity is always welcomed and it is needed in the modern days especially where Christians live among the pluralistic religious contexts.

The Catholic Magisterium, teaching of the Church exhorts in the following way, using two key words: “PRUDENCE AND LOVE” 

“The Church, therefore, exhorts her sons, that through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions carried out with prudence and love and in witness to the Christian faith and life, they recognize, preserve and promote the good things, spiritual and moral, as well as the socio-cultural values found among these men”. (see. DECLARATION ON THE RELATION OF THE CHURCH TO NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS NOSTRA AETATE no 2).

Christian’s Participation with our Hindu brethren is the need of the hour as the Church teaches as “prudent and love” for expressing our solidarity and maintaining unity. At the same time, giving reverence and active participation in their rituals may not be a prudent act.  

Again the Church exhorts, that “Christians should respect other religions with respect (see. Dialogue and Proclamation, no 35). Therefore, giving respect is different and taking active part in the rituals is different.

And let us all be prudent and love towards all. – Fr. John Buckthese.ocd. 

Mother Teresa of Calcutta and her Vision of Jesus

It wasn't until after her death, for the vast majority of people, that this part of Mother Teresa's spiritual life was uncovered. “It was a big discovery,” Missionary of Charity priest, Fr. Vazhakala told CNA.  

When Mother Teresa's cause for canonization was opened, just two years after her death in 1997, documents were found in the archives of the Jesuits in Calcutta, with the spiritual director and another of Mother Teresa's close priest friends, and in the office of the bishop, containing her accounts of the communications.

Fr. Vazhakala, who co-founded the contemplative branch of the Missionaries of Charity alongside Mother Teresa, said he has a document handwritten by Mother Teresa where she discusses what Jesus spoke to her directly during the time of the locutions and visions.

During a period lasting from Sept. 10, 1946 to Dec. 3, 1947, Mother Teresa had ongoing communication with Jesus through words and visions, Fr. Vazhakala said. This all happened while she was a missionary sister in the Irish order of the Sisters of Loreto, teaching at St. Mary's school in Calcutta.

Mother Teresa wrote that one day at Holy Communion, she heard Jesus say, “I want Indian nuns, victims of my love, who would be Mary and Martha, who would be so united to me as to radiate my love on souls.”

It was through these communications of the Eucharistic Jesus that Mother Teresa received her directions for forming her congregation of the Missionaries of Charity.

“She was so united with Jesus,” Fr. Vazhakala explained, “that she was able to radiate not her love, but Jesus’ love through her, and with a human expression.”

Jesus told her what sort of nuns he wanted her order to be filled with: “'I want free nuns covered with the poverty of the Cross. I want obedient nuns covered with the obedience of the Cross. I want full-of-love nuns covered with the charity of the Cross,'” Fr. Vazhakala related.

According to the Missionary, Jesus asked her, “Would you refuse to do this for me?” “In fact, Jesus told her in 1947,” Fr. Vazhakala explained, “'I cannot go alone to the poor people, you carry me with you into them.'”

After this period of joy and consolation, around 1949, Mother Teresa started to experience a “terrible darkness and dryness” in her spiritual life, said Fr. Vazhakala. “And in the beginning she thought it was because of her own sinfulness, unworthiness, her own weakness.”

Mother Teresa's spiritual director at the time helped her to understand that this spiritual dryness was just another way that Jesus wanted her to share in the poverty of the poor of Calcutta.

This period lasted nearly 50 years, until her death, and she found it very painful. But, Fr. Vazhakala shared that she said, “If my darkness and dryness can be a light to some soul let me be the first one to do that. If my life, if my suffering, is going to help souls to be saved, then I will prefer from the creation of the world to the end of time to suffer and die.”