Archbishop’s Anger

Can an Archbishop get angry? Even if he is angry, should he express the anger in public? These are the questions many asked and discussed last week. When some one asked me the same, I got the clue. Last week many TV channels showed again and again an encounter between Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa and Bangalore Archbishop Rev. Bernard Moras, and that became the flashpoint for the interesting discussion.
When Yeddy became the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Archbishop Bernard Moras had sought an appointment with him to congratulate him, wish him success and to offer his government the Christian community’s prayers. Such courtesy calls are done by the heads of Churches in every State, irrespective of who the Chief Minister is, and which party he belongs to. Yeddy turned out to be so smart and stumped the Archbishop when he sought an appointment with the Archbishop and visited him in his place and sought his blessings. By the time Yeddy completed 100 ‘glorious days’ in office and hosted his saffron party’s national executive meeting in his capital, his foot soldiers started unleashing terror on the Christians and vandalizing churches one after the other. Perhaps they did not want to be behind their counterparts in Orissa! When Christians protested, unlike the poor dalits and tribals in Orissa, Yeddy’s police, like mad dogs, run amok, beating even the praying nuns and women, and dragging several youth to lock-ups. When Yeddy and his Home Minister put the blame on Christians for "forced conversions", their Bajrang goons run amok with fire on their tail-ends, and list of churches in their trouser pockets. Archbishop Moras was away in the Holy Land, Israel.
By the time the Archbishop returned Bangalore, dozens of churches were attacked and Christians were in jail. Yeddy’s Home Minister told the media that he had talked with his "friend archbishop" and that everything was "under control" (of the Bajrang Dal goons, of course). When the fire spread and reached the door step of the Archbishop, he was definitely shaken. So was Yeddy, after receiving an "advisory" from the Central government under article 355. He and his Home Minister rushed to the Archbishop’s House to douse the flame for the moment. And there, in front of TV cameras, Archbishop Moras raised his voice, and setting aside courtesy for a moment, said to Yeddy: "Mr. Yeddyurappa, we are hurt. The Church in Karnataka is wounded. What would you do if one of your temples’ sanctuary is destroyed….?" Yeddy stood like a dole and muttered sheepishly, "we too are hurt". The channels flashed the "tongue-lashing of the Archbishop"!
Now, the question is, ‘can an Archbishop get angry? Even if he is angry, should he express the anger in public?’
There is a general feeling that a Bishop or Archbishop should behave more like the loving and compassionate Jesus, who taught the disciples to show the left cheek to the one who slaps on the right cheek. Many construe this admonition as passivity and fear to speak out, react or question. Just imagine, if the shepherds become so sheepish, what would the sheep become! Two examples from the life of the same Jesus would suffice to make the shepherds and sheep become fully human. Consider these:
When Jesus was arrested and presented before the High Priest Annas, one of the guards slapped him for ‘tongue-lashing’. Then Jesus said: "If I have said anything wrong, tell everyone here what it was. But if I am right in what I have said, why do you hit me?" See here a Jesus questioning an agent of the Power, when the latter indulged in violating human rights and dignity! In the second case, when Jesus entered the Jerusalem Temple, he found the temple occupied by the business people and making money. Without preaching to them, He made a whip and drove out everyone, saying, "Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!" The gospel adds that the devotion to God’s house (Temple) burnt like a fire in Jesus. See here the angry Jesus!
Archbishop Moras who returned from the Holy Land found his churches vandalized and Christians taken to jail. What is wrong if he became angry and questioned the agent of the State in public, just as Jesus did? I do appreciate that, and not the passivity of some other shepherds who hid in shells when their churches were attacked, and justified their silence saying, "We don’t want to provoke them more." The irony is that such shepherds are easily provoked and become very angry when their educational institutions are targeted, or if some objectionable lessons are found in the text books of students!
My prayer is: "Lord, make all the Bishops and Archbishops angry at least when they see your temples vandalized, your crucified hands and legs again broken to pieces, your innocent followers targeted, thrown in jail or butchered after burning down their houses, Amen."
(jacobkani@gmail.com)