INTRA-MURAL SEMINAR ON
“KENOTIC VISION OF AUTHORITY IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH” AT DARSHAN THEOLOGATE
TO MARK THE 80TH BIRTHDAY OF REV. FR. DR. MALCOLM SEQUEIRA [PROFESSOR
EMERITUS OF SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY]
Intra-Mural Seminar for the academic year 2020-2021 was held on 29th August
2020 in the conference hall. The theme of the seminar was - "Towards a
Kenotic Vision of Authority in the Catholic Church". The resource person for
this seminar was Rev Fr Dr Baptist Rodrigues. This year's seminar was very
special because it was organised IN THE HONOUR OF 80TH BIRTHDAY OF REV FR DR
MALCOLM SEQUEIRA, PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY. Due to pandemic
situation this year's seminar was not open for public. However, the colour
and taste of the seminar was just like that of a public seminar. Everything
was well arranged and organised by the event manager Rev Fr Albert Lewis
with utmost precision.
The seminar began exactly at 9:00 am in the conference hall of DSA. Br
Roshan Sequeira of 2nd year theology student was M.C. of the day. He gave a
warm & cordial welcome to the audience present there for seminar. The
session started with the invocation hymn "Make me a servant" followed by the
Word of God which was read by Br Deacon Lenson who lead us also into a
prayerful ambience and prayed for the success of the seminar . Then we had
the ceremony of lighting the lamp by Fr Rector, Fr Albert, Fr Baptist, Fr
Malcolm and Br Vincent (Student representative) followed by a bhajan song.
After that Rev Fr Albert Lewis gave a beautiful welcome speech and
introduced the resource person of the day Rev Fr Baptist and also Rev Fr
Malcolm in whose honour this seminar was organised. Rev Fr Baptist, the
speaker of the day presented his seminar on the theme: "Towards a Kenotic
Vision of Authority in the Catholic Church", where he highlighted the key
issues on the topic of Authority covering various aspects such as Authority
in crises toady and its general understanding, Biblical understanding of
Authority and what Vatican II has to say about the nature of Authority, St
Francis and his teaching on Authority and Servant leadership. The keynote of
the entire seminar can be summed up in one phrase - "Authority as Service".
After the successful presentation by Rev Fr Baptist, we had a small round of
Q & A session where everyone participated in full swing. There were
questions raised and clarifications sought by the Fathers and students
respectively. Thereafter, Rev Fr Dr Malcolm Sequeira Professor Emeritus
Systematic Theology shared his rich experience of religious life as a
teacher of Theology with the gathered assembly. After that Rev Fr Salvador
Fernandes the Rector of the Institute spoke a few words of gratitude
honouring Rev Fr Malcolm Sequeira and the resource person of the day Rev Fr
Baptist with a shawl respectively. In the end Seminar Programme concluded
with the Institute Anthem.
For Darshanites
Br. Roshan Sequeira
II Year Theology