 From the time of the Priest's Consultation in 1980, there has been a growing awareness of social problems in general, among us. This was strengthened by the Priests' consultation of 1990. The centenary of the great social encyclical `Rerum Novarum' published in 1891 by Pope Leo XIII, which was commemorated by Pope John Paul II's Encyclical "Centesimus Anus' gave the Church in Mumbai an excellent opportunity to reflect on this aspects of the Church's life and mission. Not that nothing has been done in this field before. But the encyclicals provided an impetus and a help towards formulating our perspectives and plans. During the Centenary year, parishes and deaneries had organised programmes, and tried to identify some concrete for them to undertake. The culmination of the year's programmes were the two colloquia - one of St.Pius College, Goregaon, on April 24 and 25, 1992, and the other at Vasai on May 4.
As a result of this process, we have now (re-)formed the Diocesan Justice and Peace commission, and are hopeful that the commission will be the inspiring and motivating force for the Church in Mumbai to involve itself, according to its means, in problems of social concern - justice, peace, development which form a constituent part of the evangelizing mission of the Church.
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