Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Church to encourage local lingo and traditions

Church leaders in northern India have decided to promote traditions and culture through Hindi and other local languages in the region.

The decision was taken at a two-day meeting of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops held August 8-9.

The prelates underscored the need for the Church to ensure their language of communication was Hindi, the national language, in the region.

They felt this would help in better interaction with the people, especially the poor and those living in remote villages.

The meeting was attended by 27 bishops and 20 priests who took stock of the issues confronting the Church in the Hindi-speaking north.

Outgoing convener of the Assembly, Bishop Isidor Fernandez of Allahabad said there is an urgent need to promote Hindi to address the common issues of the Hindi-speaking belt.

“Unless the Church joined the people through their language, culture and tradition, it would not be able to make much difference in their lives,” he added.

Archbishop Leo Cornelio of Bhopal, who replaced him as convenor, said “the Church needs to bridge the communication gap between people and its officials”.

The Church will insist on its officials and workers learning Hindi, he said.

He said the Church leaders agreed to promote not only Hindi but also local dialects and improve the Church’s communication through literary works.

Father Anand Muttungal, spokesman of the Catholic Church in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, said they had agreed to start a Hindi tabloid to promote the language. 

The fortnightly publication will be launched before next January, he added.

Conference of Diocesan Priests of India national president, Father Francis Scaria welcomed the decisions and said this will help the Church to become one with the local masses.