|
Most of us
start out
as ethnocentric, that is, we assume that our ways of thinking,
perceiving, judging, and of doing things are the "right ways."
We might not always come out and say it that way, but when we see others
doing things differently we think them backward, misguided, or just
wrong. In a parish for example, when we set up a Mass for
immigrants who do not speak English, sometimes we often talk about
"those people," as if they truly are not a part of
"us."
Being ethnocentric
does not mean that people are bad people or are of ill will. It
simply means that they assume their perspective and perceptions of the
world are "the correct ones." He or she thinks that
their spiritual practice, faith expressions, prayer devotions, etc. are
the "best" ones.
When a person who is
ethnocentric meets other groups, he or she may think they are
"cute." They might wonder when "they" will
learn "how we do things." Or they might minimize the
cultural differences and say that they don't matter: "After all, we
are one in Jesus, so language and customs don't matter, so let's speak
my language and do it my way."
Sometimes people from
other groups, especially oppressed minorities, will themselves minimize
their own culture. Since nobody wants to be part of an oppressed
group, they would prefer to deny their own painful history and prefer to
identify with another group. It can be a long process to accept
one's own culture. But to grow and develop in emotion maturity and
in faith, one has to deal with who one really is--not who one would like
to be.
A goal is to
recognize that all of us have been created by God and that we have been
blessed with the different cultures and backgrounds we have.
We--and all our languages and ethnic backgrounds and cultures--are all
part of God's plan. Our religious communities and our parishes are
all the richer when all of us are fully appreciated and fully a part of
the Body of Christ. That is what it means to be ethnorelative.
For the Church--our parishes and our religious communities--to be what
we really should be, everyone should have his or her culture and faith
expressions genuinely respected. All peoples and all cultures
belong to God.
Brother Thomas
Krieter and Father John Korcsmar left Austin for a gathering of
provincials and provincial stewards in Rome. They went to Fatima
on their way there. It seemed as though everybody else in the
world had the idea of going to Fatima on their way somewhere because all
of the planes were full, and the one to Lisbon seemed "more than
full" somehow. Most of the people on the plane were
pilgrims--including one group with Archbishop Sheehan of Santa Fe.
Marian devotion must still be strong
 At Fatima Tom and John checked in
at their hotel, took a very short nap, and went to Our Lady's Shrine.
It was quite impressive with a large plaza, reminiscent of St. Peter's
Square. There is a chapel marking the spot where the apparitions
took place, and another large church. When they got to the large
church, it was 3:00 p.m. and Mass was just beginning so Tom and John
stayed for the Mass which was entirely in Portuguese.
On Tuesday morning in Fatima, Tom
and John got up and made their way through the Portuguese countryside to
the seaport city of Nazaré. Although neither one speaks
Portuguese or had been there before, they managed to find their way
without getting lost and with having to ask directions only once.
But there in Nazaré, they ran into HIM: John's four-legged sibling
rival,
 Duffy
The countryside along the way was
beautiful with hills, farms, valleys, and small cities. The roads
were two-lanes, but there was not much traffic.
"Beware the
Ides of March," Caesar was warned. At first, he didn't get
the point, but he did--brutally-- several times later.
Nevertheless, it was on the Ides of March that Tom, John, and other
provincials and stewards entered Rome.
Father Hugh
Cleary, the Superior General, had called a meeting. The changing
world demographics and finances also affect our Congregation.
People in Europe and North America--especially Anglos--are aging.
The populations of many developing nations are young. The European
and North American countries are relatively much better off financially
than are the people in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The same
holds true for our us. Our religious are older and diminishing in
numbers in North America and France, but growing in Haiti, Bangladesh,
India, and Latin America.
|
