CATHOLIC CULTURES, INDIAN CULTURES

A Workshop on Rites, Religiosity, and Cultural diversity in Indian Catholicism

Abstract

India is a multicultural society and home of the three rites (Roman, Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara) within the Catholic Church. The origin of each of the three rites in India had its unique historical context, ‘incarnating’ the Christian faith in a particular socio-cultural milieu. This process of inculturation, although within the basic framework of the particular rite, has been taking place integrating elements of the local cultures. As Indian culture is so varied, this inculturation within the same rite also has been varied. The unique combination of three rites within the Catholic Church in India has created a particularly rich and diverse context for Catholic religious life.