The following was received as an anonymous comment today. Administrator.
It may be time for the Knanaya community away from Kottayam to face the music. KCCNA leadership, as it should, focus on studying the possibility of undoing the rescript. While they are exploring the feasibility in doing so, they should also think of other direction of action, just in case the first route become impossible. I like to think of that as 'Surgically splitting the Siamese Twins', for the sake of the weaker sibling. 'Siamese Twins' being the unified nature of Church and Knanaythwam. Yes, I know they were not born together but in Kottayam their existence has been indifferentiable and interdependent.
As things have become recently, survival of Knanayathwam outside of Kottayam and the interdependency has become under fire. The Church has its tentacles strangulating its sibling, and eventually it may reach all the way to Kottayam. Being already malnutritioned, the lack of oxygen is bound to paralyse the community. The time has come to sever the dependency chord and survive independently. In that direction, what actions can KCCNA take? Taking on the Catholic Church legally, if they deny endogamous parishes, will be foolish. Besides, what for?
Sui Juris Church status may be another option. But after all these hoopla, no one in their right mind would think it is possible with out conditions just like in the rescript!
In my opinion, the community should focus more on the nourishment and oxygenation of itself, if we give any value to our traditions. KCCNA can take many positive steps in that direction:
KCCNA change the name to Knanaya Christian Congress of North America. Acronym stays the same. All member associations should replace 'Catholic' with 'Christian'.
Force the church to remove any use of the 'knanaya' name. No region, no parishes anywhere outside Kottayam Arch-diocese with 'Knanaya'.
Make association strong by inviting our Knanaya-Jacobite brothers and sisters and bringing all Knanayathwam under one umbrella.(not the church)
Rewrite the constituition so as to accommodate these changes, while making provisions to ever preventing any religious influence from tampering with knanayathwam.
Limit Church involvement by knanaya people for spiritual and pastoral needs only. Join which ever church makes you feel comfortable!
Focus on the community's needs and improvement, prepare avenues for frequent interaction, provide for and encourage youth via competitions and exclusive sports facilities. Encourage their education via scholarships, etc.
Every Sunday plan activities for the young and old alike, after Holy Mass, in community centers. Discourage our priests from allowing any entertainment activities in care of the Church.
KCC should also move in the same direction of community development rather than diocese enrichment activities!
Many other avenues of action is possible, but you get the point!
Unless knanayakkar wise up and take action that is practical and positive, knanayathwam will die out sooner than we want. We need to pry ourselves free from the tentacles of the Church and keep them in their place. Co-existing with Church independently is the only way we can move forward in the future.
Wasting energy and resources by taking on the Catholic Church will put us back in the same boat years from now. We helped Church in Kerala, but it is time we help ourselves! It is imperative our kids recognize the difference between Church and Community in a positive way!
I put this forth only in the interest of the peaceful existence of the community. We came to this foreign country to survive and sacrificed many things achieving it. Is it necessary to destroy ourselves here for a few self-righteous people who lost their 'kooru'? Ask yourselves!
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