Editorial

The AICU needs to explore beyond its current boundaries.

Opinion | Editorial | John S. Shilshi | 08-Sep-2024

The All India Catholic Union, which is the apex body of lay Catholics in India, was born well ahead of India's independence. It is a union with inclusive representation, upholding the Catholic faithful's mandate from all three rites of the Catholic family. It stands tall as a father figure to an estimated 20 million Catholic faithful in this country, with its avowed goal of safeguarding their spiritual as well as secular interests. Throughout its glorious history, the organization proved to be steadfastly pro-ecclesia, serving as the unifying pilar of the Church. With such a history and standing, one would expect AICU to be a household name among Catholic families. But unfortunately, that is not quite the case on the ground.

To be fair to the organization, expecting a loyalty of all Catholics to the Union in a country the size of India would be unrealistic, even though the Catholic population in this vast landmass is only 1.55%. The diversity within the Catholic fold itself is a mountain to grapple with.  Regional aspirations based on language, culture, and life norms, present a constant challenge for any organization seeking to command an all-inclusive allegiance. The same therefore is true of AICU as well. But having said that, the significant lack of knowledge among the Catholic faithful about their apex body is a cause for concern, especially in the light of AICU’s constant efforts to transform itself into a truly democratic and federally structured unit. Upon conducting a reality check, it becomes evident that Catholics in the north, central, east, and northeast regions of India lack knowledge about this iconic pan-India body as compared to their brethren in the south and south-western regions. Even more concerning is the prevalence of a notion among some sections about AICU being there to serve the interests of states and regions with a large Catholic population in the country. Plugging this gap and unlocking such a mindset would be a major challenge.

Flipping through the pages of AICU history, one could gather that at no point in time, the leadership, including those who served the organization in troubled times, had ever lacked behind in ensuring that the union marches ahead. That has actually fructified into AICU being well received even outside the Catholic fold. But there is course corrections needed, not in the way the organization functions but in the manner in which it gets connected to the very people it strives to serve. Many good works and key steps taken by the organization are not adequately made known to the lay community in particular, and the church in general. As such, there is a trending tendency to perceive AICU through the lenses of a few unfortunate phase of its history, particularly by the Church hierarchy. Similarly, a large number of lay Catholics see AICU as a status quoist, not willing to leapfrog towards change and innovation.

The urgency lies in addressing these concerns, primarily stemming from the organization's lack of visibility. Like it or not, we live in an era where speed and visibility are paramount. From the media to the social media, the competition is all about who gives out first.  Therefore, to stay relevant and attract attention, AICU cannot stay away from this reality and needs to remain connected with the public, if not consistently, at least from time to time. The organization must communicate its numerous good works and key steps to the Catholic consumer to instill confidence. Additionally, it is crucial to acknowledge that seeking support from the largest lay Catholic community is the most reliable and secure way to gain respect and acceptability. How best this could be achieved must emerge from the collective wisdom of the leadership, and the earlier done, the better.

Since early times, the Catholic ethos has always been characterized by the principles of simple living and high thinking. However, a prolonged adherence to this principle has significantly harmed the Catholic Church. Despite being the largest contributor to nation-building in terms of education, health services, social services, empowerment, and awareness, the Church's inability to enlighten the Indian mass about its work has led to people believing false narratives from anti-Christian outfits, even to the extent of accusing Catholics of using institutions to convert people from other faiths. AICU too has the unique distinction of consistently speaking up against all forms of injustice, unlike other religious-based organizations. The Coonoor AGM calling for safety and security for Hindus in Bangladesh is a recent case in point. However, the commendable works are only known to a few sections of the Catholic community, giving others the impression that their organization is not sensitive to happenings around them. If this gap remains unplugged, AICU could potentially face the same fate as Mother Church.

Politically and socially, India is churning at a speedy pace. It is therefore imperative that AICU, the tallest lay organization, not only remains vigilant, active, and responsive, but also well connected with the masses through a two-way flow of inputs and information. Because all the hard work it chooses to risk as a responsible watchdog is bound to invite repercussions of all hues from different quarters; therefore, it would need the backing of the largest number in the community. We would also like to remind the Catholic faithful, who make up 90% of the synodal church, that an organization is only as good as the people it represents. Therefore, it would be unfair to always point fingers at the organization while they themselves resign to slumber. As we urge the AICU to open up, innovate, and start thinking out of the box, we too urge the lay Catholics to offer comments, suggestions, and constructive critical voices to help this apex body grow further.

 

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