Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides) - “Thanks to the flowering of vocations to the priesthood and religious life, we hope to become a missionary Church, providing missionaries to the Churches in need.” These were the words of the Archbishop of Dacca and President of the Bangladesh Bishops’ Conference, His Excellency Paulinus Costa, in a dialogue with Agenzia Fides, while he has been at the Vatican June 9-14, for his ad limina apostolorum visit. Below is the text of the interview.
What is the role of the Church in a country with a small Catholic community of 300,000 faithful?
We are Bengalese and we feel very much a part of the Bengal people, but as Christians we are called to share our values – the Gospel values – with all people. We try to remain entirely integrated in society. That is why we have extended our work of education for all people. There are many Catholic schools in our country, many of which are noteworthy and well-respected. They are considered the schools that offer the best education all around. In addition to education, with which we offer a service to the entire nation, is the area of medical and social assistance which is very well established. Our clinics offer assistance to a large number of people, especially the terminally ill and those that no one else looks after.
How is the evangelization effort going? Is the Church growing?
Following the 1999 publication of the Post-Synodal document “Ecclesia in Asia,” we have begun to more seriously consider preaching and evangelization. It is our task to make Christ’s message known to all peoples. However, we do have to be careful in our relationship with the Muslims, as the fundamentalist groups view the Christians as a threat. In spite of everything, however, many people – mostly from among the tribes and the Animists – continue to join us. There are many conversions and there are constantly more requests for pastoral assistance for the Catholics in the smallest and most remote areas. The number of Baptisms grows every year.
Are there vocations to the priesthood and religious life?
The vocations are for us a great sign of hope. Thanks to the flowering of vocations to the priesthood and religious life, we hope to become a missionary Church, sending priests and religious to the Churches in need of them. We are seeing the most growth in the vocations to religious life and we recently opened a cloistered monastery in the Diocese of Mymensingh. Another is under construction in Dianajpur. In addition, our seminaries are full and there are more and more youth who wish to enter. For us, the most important challenge is that of formation of religious personnel and the youth. In my Archdiocese of Dacca, we have ordained 8 new priests this year.
How are relations with the Islamic world?
We are in constant dialogue with the Muslims in every moment of our life: at the school, the supermarket, in public life, on the street, everywhere. We have developed a friendly atmosphere and a “dialogue of life,” especially collaborating in areas of “Justice and Peace.” The dialogue takes place on all levels: from the leaders to the local parishioners. We form a part of the same nation and we should stand united in defending the dignity and rights of all men. Many Muslims collaborate in our charitable activities, for example in our hospitals and clinics.
Is the Church working in the area of mass media?
We do all we can to announce the Truth, in spite of the general lack of infrastructures and technological means. The Bishops’ Conference has made a great effort in this respect, promoting magazines and other forms of communications media. We believe that is important to foster a just vision and image of the Church. We are currently in contact with “Radio Maria,” which will help us in opening a new Catholic radio station in our country.
What are your reflections and hopes for this ad limina visit?
We are filled with joy and gratitude. We have met with the Holy Father, who showed us his great love and care for us. We explained our situations and problems to him. We are sure that the Holy See will do all it can, through its Dicasteries, to help us, her small children. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 10/6/2008)
