Abraham Lotha
(On behalf of the Catholic Church, Nagaland)
First of all, on behalf of the Catholic Church, I would like to congratulate the NBCC for initiating this Healing and Reconciliation Movement to usher in a better Naga society. The NBCC has been the forerunner in peace initiatives in the Naga society, and today is no exception. Your sensitivity to hear the cry of the Nagas and your efforts towards resolving conflicts are commendable.
Healing and reconciliation are fundamental values of the Catholic faith. Our efforts today for ‘social repentance’ and ‘social reconciliation’ are based on the teachings of Christ who taught us to seek the right relationship with our brother or sister before we seek to reconcile with God (Mt. 5:23-24). Reconciliation was also a central theme for St. Paul. (II Corinthians 5: 18-19). The Catholic Church also teaches that, “Christ has willed that in her prayer and life and action his whole Church should be the sign and instrument of the forgiveness and reconciliation that he acquired for us at the price of his blood.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church: 1442).
A fresh lesson for all of us to learn in reconciliation and conflict resolution is from the steps Pope Benedict XVI has taken to meet the envoys of the Muslim countries in order to calm the anger and protests following his remarks at a speech on Sept 12 in Regensburg, Germany. According to news reports, the Pope met each of the envoys and told the diplomats that Christians and Muslims must work together to “guard against all forms of intolerance and to oppose all manifestations of violence.” After the meeting with the Pope, Iraqi envoy Albert Edward Ismail Yelda is supposed to have said, “It is now time to put what happened behind and build bridges.”
Factional killings and tribalism have caused deep hurt and disorientation in the Naga society. Nagas today need Christ’s kind of reconciliation. And as Christians, Reconciliation is the best gift Nagas can give to each other today in order to heal our fractured society. It takes courage to forgive. But then, Nagas have always been known as brave and courageous warriors. Today we have an opportunity to be equally, if not more, brave and courageous to forgive and reconcile with our fellow Nagas.
In the traditional Naga society, the theology of the Nagas has always been to achieve a harmonious life. From the moment of birth to the time of death, our forefathers worked out different ways to safeguard the individual and the society to build a harmonious life. Now that we have become Christians, we have a greater responsibility to build a harmonious Naga society and in the process help build God’s Kingdom.
The Catholic Church is committed towards Reconciliation of all the Nagas so that we can live in peace and harmony. Instead of bloodshed and division leading to factionalism and tribalism, our differences should help us build respect for one another. The past is gone but we have the future. As Paul Boese says, “Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” Let our efforts today to heal and reconcile symbolize our spirit of forgiveness, recognition and mutual respect for each other. We can then put this goodwill into practice by working collectively to build a harmonious society. God bless you all.
KUKNALIM!
