Rector Major on Inculturation
Talk to the Salesian confreres of ITM Vice – Province Fatumaca – audiovisual room of the DBTS, Timor Leste October 25, 2004. The summary below has been rewritten from notes taken during the talk, so while the RM's comments are accurately recorded in substance, the wording is not always verbatim
In response to a comment by the Provincial that the RM's talks have a prophetic meaning for his listeners here in ITM/EAO and are something to be kept in the hearts of all listeners, the RM went on to say....
One of the most important messages during my visit in ITM was in response to being asked about Inculturation and the signs of our times – is not easy to talk about, since it is a very challenging theme. It is, precisely, my doctoral thesis which was entitled ”inculturation of the Gospel”.
You know that in 1994 there was a final war between Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda/ Burundi – the last one between the two tribes. One of the most striking facts is that this country was the most evangelized of all Africa. It is difficult, then, to understand this war. Both presidents tried through dialogue to avoid the war, but with one air-to-air misile the two president were killed. In 90 days more than 1 million of the population was killed. Many who had supported the massive killings were priests and some religious sisters – I wonder what kind of inculturation there had been? Were they only baptized but not evangelized?
The big challenge is to touch the nerve, the heart, the back of, to change the way of living through the Gospel. Is easy to be baptized, difficult to be evangelized.
Hearing the question ‘ what do we want to inculturate? Do we want to canonize our culture?' sometimes we have to say that people don’t know what it means
Some different attitudes:
1. Those who don't’ believe in culture at all – these are reluctant to make any kind of effort;
This group can include evangelizers (often foreigners; you can understand this), but not only them...
Sometimes it includes the local people who don’t want to know deeply about their culture, and exhibit some kind of inferiority (I was delighted with the Dili 'academy' – all dances from Fuiloro; through dance the soul of Timorese culture is expressed). Many people do not want to be identified with their culture (they are AGAINST it). You can find it also here – people who are not identified with their culture.
2. “ Let's include tais (Timorese lap lap), introduce some dance-songs, external signs that can mirror inculturation”. This is not the whole of culture! Culture is the whole of life! Some folklore elements are included, so people think they are inculturated. This is just some folklore!
3. “How can I express the specifics of Christianity, the Salesian Charisn in my own culture?” This question is real inculturation. It should be done existentially, not in theory only. Of course we should know our culture well. In my own culture there are also setbacks, positives and negatives (we mistreated the laity! – One needs to change these things, recognise them as not human, not evangelical – so even if you say something is done because 'it is the Timorese way' it should be touched by the Gospel) There is a need for a deeper change.
4. Finally there are those who are completely against the ‘western’ thing. They do not wish not to talk about Christianity, and try to ABSOLUTIZE THEIR OWN CULTURAL elements.
It can happened here too that you will find the 4 attitudes. What is ours? Recently the FMAs suffered a bitter experience (two them were fighting against each other, bringing their clans into the fight). Where is the Gospel in this? Where is Religious life?
What do we wish to inculturate? We should know the positive element to be fostered, know the elements to be corrected, evangelized – in our own culture. Try to make them your life program!
Example: in Africa the kids don't’ count for anything! They are only manpower, owned. For the people it is unusual to see the priest working for the 'count-for-nothings'. Something similar happens in the case of respect for women etc.
1.KNOW SOURCE/ INSPIRATION TO BE INCULTURATED WELL
For this reason we should know Don Bosco very well, the Salesian charism, we need to study Don Bosco, not knowing him only through anecdotes, some short biographies – it is not enough for the Salesians who are/ should be identified with DB! And there's more. Every year I used read at least one biography of DB, study about DB. For Rectors – at least once a year you sholuld read the MO!! As the key for the future (DB) – “you will find the anwers for the questions to the future”.
You can find him in the Consitutions – he is there. Don Rinaldi was quite clear about this: If you want to know DB, study the Constituions. Try to make it the program of your life. I’m afraid we don’t know the Constitutions. (We read them during the GC meetings one article of C. daily, finishing with a prayer from the Project of life).
I would like to hear from you about the model, the figure of the ET, IND Salesian. One who is very ETand very IND and also very SALESIAN!
2. IN THE PROVINCIAL CHAPTER, IN THE PROVINCIAL DIRECTORY WE NEED TO CHOOSE SOME OPTIONS TO HELP US- to put the Project of life into our specific cultural, religious and Salesian context ; to help answer some questions about inculturation
3. SOCIALIZATION – in the study of society, the terminology is ENCULTURATION (not inculturation) such as when a mother is teaching her child some basic life habits, good manners etc informally.(going to the toilet, how to dress, how to eat). People are integrated into the life of their society. In our province we need the same for introducing the young aspirants into the Salesian life (to enculturate them as a mother would do):
The way we organise our timetabl for example. That means that the Salesian life should be lived in ALL the Salesian houses, not only in the formation houses – lived as a life that presents the IDEALS of Salesian life. If the young SDB during practical training is confused by the “different way of life” of the confreres, then where is the CONSISTENCY / coherence of Salesian life? The whole province tries to live according to the Consitutions. Is there a different real life from the ideal? Then what prevails? Of course - the reality, bcause we tend to follow the easiest way (Paul in his letters).
I’m going to write a letter in ACTS (AGC) about Inculturation. It will not address just Asia, Oceania, Africa! Even the cities of Europe should be inculturated in the Gospel, and in the Salesian charism. I can’t celebrated Mass for young people in the same way as I do for seminarians. It is not only a matter of Mass in Tetum because the youth mightn't otherwise understand what we are celebrating. (Nobody understood it in Latin), and anyway, we ended up praying the rosary during the Mass – unbelievable but true! After Vat. II we understood, though the new generations might end up understanding the words but not the meaning. The challenge is to have very good catechesis.
How to read the sign of our times? We need to be very spiritual!
We should listen his WORD, what he says. It is not a question of strategies, of sociology! This is not enough! At the end of 1the 9th Century, the industrial revolution in Europe, how did Marx, how did DB read the same history? You can understand how people look at the same history, the same historical elements. But If I do the same now in ET through Marxist eyes – I’m angry, looking simply at poverty. If I read it with the eyes of Christ, then I ask how he reads the reality!
In Africa you see how the people become after imbibing certain ideologies; they become poorer than they were in colonial times, and full of bitterness! ET has a high rate of fertility! How does it cope with this? By having a regulation, only one child? No! It depends on one's point of view. DB saw urbanisation moving from countryside to the big cities, he saw many kids moving, becoming more at risk. He wanted to help them.
In this moment of history there should be no more wars in ET! War is useless, brings only destruction, delays democracy, progress, and leaves people full of bitterness! I believe that for ET war has been forever overcome. But we should prepare the children for democracy, with a sense of solidarity, not to be egoistic. What does it mean to be an honest citizen in ET now!? After leaving our schools? Do we want to prepare just the elite or a leaven to change society? What does it mean to form good Christians in ET – in one more year the Timor Gap will be explored, money will come, and then will all the urban vices enter our society?
If we are not very spiritual we will fall into the communist/ capitalistic way of life, mentality. We should look at what kind of contribution we are making.
I believe in having a more consistent democracy, more responsiblity, solidarity – looking more carefully at the context, at history – it is up to you to do this work!
Some reactions, questions? I will feel free to answer or not
Q1: I would know what ET culture is? I don't’ think we know our culture.
RM: As a novice I never studied Mexican culture. Only lately was it studied in the postnovitiate, helping to understand ourselves, the more positive, negative elements. Maybe here it's not a case of study on the scientific level – just sharing: what do you rate the postives, negatives?
Q2:There are some young confreres who have studied overseas, but they are not in a position to do it. Of course the locals are the ones who should do it, especially our young confreres who have studied abroad (Cremisan, Manila).
RM: If you go to Patagonia, you see SDBs who have studied the local culture (Fagnano, Agostini did so; worked but also contributed to the cultural studies)
Sharingt 3: Our culture has also been invaded by foreign elements, breaking it down. Young people especially, are confused. Where should we start now? We have a problem in looking after our culture. Foreign trained Timorese are running the country, and the local church! (remember the 4 models: but these are suffering fast transformation, globalization is on the move) We need to catch up: Culture is like water for a fish – if you pull the fish out of water it will die! You can change the water, but when migrants move to other countries they suffer a lot, especially if they are not understood, as well as undervalued. The small communities gather together, Chinese, Timorese speaking in their own lange
Sharing 4 – I have the same impression about the breaking down of culture. I am interested in knowing my own culture. Before ordination . learned missiology in Manila, I gave seminars also about inculturation, and was peaching in the Western part of East Timor: we should clarify our cultural roots. First of all we should know our history (lulik, …. As parallel). There is no contradiction between the Timorese culture and the Catholic faith. I’m glad to listen Fr. Rolando. Now I appreciate my own culure more. Sometimes I react to the Salesian way of life in Timor, because it does not reflect the Timorese way of living. Now after reflecting on why the people are neglected, bored to attend the mass, Catchesis I sense why - because the evangelisation aas not inculturated.
RM conclusion: It is important never to absolutize own culture! The only criteria of inculturation is Jesus' Cross. If Jesus was trying talk about the Gospel he was put on Cross! I feel quit Mexican, I don't’ need the hut, the colts. We can say say I’m Pakistani, Indian. What's most important is that I can deal with other people, relating to others in my own way.
That’s why I insisting on the transcultural approach. I live in Rome as a Mexican, reacting as a Mexican RM, not as Vigano, or as Vecchi. You need to reflect on this.
I would like to congratulate you on some choices made by ITM
- to place the novitiate here. As the Valdocco of ET. In touch with reality, and the young people. In order to conform to DB's way of living and working with them – very wise choice. But at the same time be careful, help them by creating an oratory for the different missions of Fatumaca.
