Provincials decry Vatican suspicion of Asian
theology
By NCR STAFF
Jesuit provincials of South Asia, in a statement highly critical
of Vatican mistrust of Asian theology, voiced their strong support
for two of the orders theologians whose work has come under doctrinal
scrutiny.
The major superiors, in a statement issued after their biannual
meeting Feb. 28 to March 6 at Mount Abu in northern India, said that they and
many in the Jesuit community are pained by the atmosphere of suspicion,
not to say mistrust, created by recent decisions of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith about our brothers Anthony de Mello and Jacques
Dupuis.
They called the decision symptomatic of a general
discouragement, even disapproval, of the direction that Asian theology is
taking. We think that such suspicion has been a disservice to the whole
church.
In June 1998, the congregation issued a notification warning that
some writings by the late Indian Jesuit Fr. Anthony de Mello are
incompatible with the Catholic faith and can cause harm.
It then launched an initial inquiry in November on the book
Towards a Christian Theology of Religious Pluralism by Belgian Jesuit
Fr. Jacques Dupuis, who taught theology in India for 25 years.
Such moves, along with rifts between Asian bishops and the Roman
curia at last years Synod for Asia and the since-lifted excommunication
of Sri Lankan Oblate Fr. Tissa Balasuriya, seem to reflect Vatican misgivings
about the impact of Eastern thinking on Christianity.
The major superiors noted with satisfaction that many
bishops at last years Synod for Asia demanded a rightful autonomy
for the churches of Asia.
The approximately 20 provincials attending the meeting also
expressed thanks for the support that Jesuit theologians in Asia have received
from bishops and others among the people of God in Asia and the rest of the
world. They invited continued support with trust that is sympathetic but
not naive, critical but not censorious.
The superiors noted that interventions such as those against
Dupuis and de Mello are eventually detrimental to the life of the church,
to the cause of the gospel and to the task of interpreting the Word to those
who do not belong to the Western cultural tradition. The statement was
signed by Fr. Lisbert DSouza, president of the Jesuit Conference of South
Asia.
The statement said that de Mello, who died in 1987 at age 56,
pioneered integration of Asian and Christian spirituality. Abundant
testimonies and our own personal experiences show that he helped
thousands in Asia and across the world in gaining freedom and in
deepening their life of prayer, they observed.
Dupuis was noted for his experience of South Asias
inter-religious situation and his loyalty to the churchs
theological tradition, they said.
We do not claim that their work is above critical
attention, the superiors said. In an evolving situation, open and
constructive criticism and dialogue are healthy and welcome. But we wish that
this is done in full appreciation of the Asian cultural and inter-religious
context in which these and other theologians are working.
They also called on the church to be mindful of legitimate
pluralism in theology and said that decisions taken unilaterally
without a dialogue with the Asian churches reflect a lack of
appreciation of differences and of proper procedures.
They assured continued support and encouragement to their
theologians to go ahead, joyfully and in fidelity to God, to the gospel
and to the church, with the difficult and challenging task of making the Word
of God relevant to the situation in South Asia.
DSouza told UCA News March 18 that the statement underlines
the need for inculturation that considers the multireligious and
multicultural South Asian milieu.
It also stressed the churchs teaching that the universal
church is a communion of local churches and that there is
legitimate pluralism in theology within the unity of faith,
DSouza said.
He added that the South Asia Jesuit provincials meet twice a year,
and this was the first time we met after the development connected
with the two Jesuit theologians, and so we discussed the issue.
This story is based on UCA News reports.
National Catholic Reporter, April 2,
1999
|