Carlo Torriani

SWARGA DWAR

The conversion of a catholic missionary

presented by

Card. Simon Pimenta

PIME Publications, PIME Regional House, Eluru - 534 0-07, A.P., India

Introduction

THE CONVERSION OF A MISSIONARY

At the end of seventies, when I realized that my work for leprosy patients in India was consolidating, I also realized the need to assure my stay in India.

In 1976 when the slum near Chunabhatti railway station was demolished, also our kuccha dispensary below the Eastern Express Highway bridge was demolished. Along with the slum-dwellers we resisted and we were taken to the police station of Matunga. There the senior police officer threatened me of deportation in 24 hours. During those years foreign  missionaries were deported from Madhya Pradesh and Orissa under the allegation that they were making conversions.

The health authority of Bombay Municipality had given us for leprosy control two wards of the city: L and M, Kurla and Chembur. To check a population of one million, we needed at least twenty paramedicals.

For this reason we registered a society, Lok Seva Sangam, which grew up very quickly up to more than 60 staff members. This put me, as Director, in a very delicate situation. Any unfavorable report to the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) by any disgruntled staff could jeopardize my stay in India.

So at the end of the seventies I decided to apply for Indian citizenship. It was not an easy decision. It implied giving up my Italian citizenship and my Italian passport. But the “marriage” with India was my vocation, and the citizenship was the condition for stability. There was no doubt that I should try to get it.

The processing of the application took three years and a long inquiry by the CID. They came to see the work of Lok Seva Sangam; they spoke with the staff; they call me for a long inquisition.

The officer-in-charge, at a certain point told me sincerely: “I must ask you one question. I hope you will not mind. You are free to answer or not: “Are you making conversions?

The Spirit assisted me. I understood that everything was depending on this answer. As a matter of fact I had never baptized any Muslim or Hindu. I could have easily said no. But I could not because there was a principle involved: the evangelical invitation to all for conversion, a change for better. I could not renounce to this principle and to this right. I could have distinguished between the absolute need to convert to God, and the relative one, sometime, to change religion. But it was not possible to make too many distinctions to a policeman who was searching for a clear answer.

The Spirit enlightened me and I simply said: “ I am trying to convert myself”.

I do not know what that CID officer understood. He went on to the next question.

In 1981 I was granted Indian citizenship.

Every time I go back to that moment I thank Jesus who had told his disciples: ”When they will drag you in front of tribunals, do not worry what to say, the Spirit will speak for you”.

We can only convert ourselves. Conversion is a gift of God, it is a personal answer to “his” call. We cannot try or pretend to convert others We can only witness his call with our own conversion.

Going through these letters for the purpose of publication, I realize my slow but constant conversion to God, caused by India, by the pluralism of religions, by the service to and sharing with the leprosy patients.

I would like to suggest the reader to keep in mind this key-note: this is the story of a missionary who slowly slowly got converted.

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