Secular Citizen Vol.23 No.14 dated 7th April 2014 by Lawrence Coelho

7 April 2014

Knock Knock…. it’s I I who? Don’t pretend you don’t know. It’s me, the sum figure of your honesty, toil, sincerity, patriotism knocking on the door of your conscience with the sack of your guilt, regret, grief and desperation that I carry on my back……because the last time you voted without knowing your candidate or you simply did not vote. Elections are round the corner and all Indians above the age of 18 have to take 30 minutes off from their daily schedule to make that trip to the polling booth to vote for the person whom he or she wishes to represent him or her in the highest law- making body in the country- the Lok Sabha of the Indian Parliament! People of good will and good sense are sitting on the horns of a dilemma, experiencing a tug of war within them-

Silver Medal in M. Tech., to Joyline D'Sa

Joyline D'Sa, won prestigious Silver medal in M. Tech., at the renowned IIIT-Allahabad. The medal was presented to her in a glittering ceremony at IIIT-Allahabad on 10th March 2014. Presently she is pursuing her Ph.D. in the same institute. D'Sa who attended 'Divo' and 'The Secular Citizen' sponsored seminar: 'Leaders in the Making and reaching to the Top', way back in 2010 held at Nirkan, Mangalore. The seminar inspired her for higher studies and she excelled in her studies.

BY VERA ALVARES whom do I vote for? The scams, communalism, riots, terror attacks, growing poverty, inflation and unemployment have pushed the people to the brink of desperation. To add insult to injury, now parties are choosing candidates with criminal records, tainted with corruption and rags- to – riches life styles. Whom do I vote for? Facing the same situation, one morning I broached the topic when I nearly collided on my morning walk, with Srimathi Kanagali, my effusive next door neighbour, well informed and educated. I posed the query to her as she breezed past me towards the park. She had nearly reached the end of the road by the time she completed her opinion on the subject. “Weigh the pros and cons with a cool mind and then decide” Good idea! I needed to compare them and come to a conclusion as to whose promises carried more weight. But having shopped in the local market for the last decades I had got used to the shifting weights of the greengrocers who invariably gave me more pros than cons- more leaves than flowers in the cauli! So I discarded this piece of advice as ambiguous and unclear. Still confused, I reached home to pick up the morning paper at the door, with the intention of relaxing with a morning cuppa. The picture of someone larger than life, even greater than God loomed large on a page, accompanied by the fine print that he had no objection to his followers chanting praises to his divinity. What would happen if this god of big things was given charge of running the country for the next five years? My ‘Amnesia’ dissipated and the picture of young girls enjoying life at the local pub being dragged by the hair and assaulted by strange men came to my mind. The drama enacted in my home State just a couple of days ago unfolded in my mind, hate mongers being admitted into the party and discarded just as swiftly! This one act had levelled the playing ground between the two major partiesboth would recruit fascists to encourage lawlessness. Disgusted I discarded the paper. Now I know why people fail to vote, because they discover all are equally corrupt, dishonest and selfish. But what about my good friend who was planning a weekend trip to the nearest hill station because the Election Day would prolong into a long week-end? Does she lose her right to grumble about bad governance if she has not exercise her right to elect a good candidate? Feeling like a moron I turned to the idiot box. A repeat telecast of the previous day’s debate was heating up on the TV channel. Someone with a booming voice on the panel (Contd.. on p. 10)

7 April 2014

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Vol.23 No.14 April 7, 2014

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99, Perin Nariman Street, Fort, Mumbai - 400 001. Tel: 2269 35 78 / 2265 49 24 .: 2264 0996 E-mail : secular@vsnl.com, secular@sezariworld.com Website: www.sezariworld.com www.secularcitizen.com Editor-in-chief : LAWRENCE COELHO 1234567890123456 1234567890123456 1234567890123456 1234567890123456

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‘Thought for the week’

Either chase your dreams or chase someone else's - the choice is yours!

Contents

pg. 2 - Knock Knock ... It's I pg. 3 - Where does the buck stop in the Church? pg 4 - Selling the Country to CronyCapitalists pg. 5 - Views on News pg. 6 - 'Well, Actually I a Catholic' pg. 7 - Reader's Views pg 8 - The Pulse Of The Church pg 10 - Better Be 'Fools' pg 14 - Who is Superior, Men Or Women? pg 16 - BMC's Way of Grabbing the Church Lands pg 17 - The Pope Embodies Spirituality of the Faith pg 18 - What the Bible States ... pg 19 - Inspiration! pg 20 - Matrimonials

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7 April 2014

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Where does the buck stop in the Church? You could be forgiven for not knowing where the buck stops in the Catholic Church these days. In any society, organization or Church community, it is important to know who is ultimately responsible in decision making; otherwise, chaos or worse would prevail. In an unprecedented (for a cardinal) cross examinaBY FR MICHAEL KELLY tion in court last week, Cardinal George Pell of Sydney seemed confused about responsibility in the Sydney Church. He was speaking for the Archdiocese of Sydney which he led from 2001 until his transfer to a job at the Vatican, appearing before the Royal Commission into child sex abuse in institutions, including the Church’s, across Australia. The Cardinal blamed various mistakes on his hand-picked lieutenants, “couldn’t recall” the details of instructions being given on his behalf to his lawyers and claimed his legal representatives had gone beyond what was acceptable to any Christian in defending a case brought against the archdiocese by a child abuse victim, John Ellis. The same was true at a global level in February when the Vatican’s chief spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, ducked criticism from the United Nations committee investigating the Church’s compliance with a UN protocol it signed on the rights of children. No, the Vatican wasn’t responsible for the oversight of the Church’s 'best practice' in child protection. It was only responsible for the 32 children of employees in the Vatican City State. Accountability for the Church doesn’t reside in Rome. Cardinal Pell’s confusions and the Vatican’s dodges with the UN notwithstanding, accountability for the Church throughout the world has always belonged with Rome – despite attempted reforms at Vatican II. It is from Rome that the authority devolves to any bishop in the rest of the Catholic world. Every bishop on ordination makes a personal oath of loyalty to the Pope. That reality has intensified in the last 30 years, disempowering local bishops who have become branch managers of a multinational enterprise, charged with repeating whatever the line from HQ happens to be. (Contd.. on p. 22)

Selling the Country to Crony-Capitalists

very Election time I have been busy in my constituency trying my best to get a citizen’s candidate elected to political office. In two elections we almost succeeded. Topping all regional and National parties except the Congress and its money bags. In a neighbouring Constituency we actually succeeded in helping to elect a citizen consensus candidate to the Corporation. After Indira Gandhi’s Emergency when my column “Menezes Musings“ in the ”Debonair” journal was blacked out several times, I stopped voting for the Congress Party altogether. Today I am sworn to expend what is left of my energies to share, with who so ever is ready to listen to me, not to hand over our beautiful country into the hands of the most unsuitable man. I am a tactile person. My sign of friendship and approval of people is to give them a big Hug. Narendra Modi’s unique selling point is his 56 inch Chest. Watch his choreographed entrance to the stage of his captive audience rallies. No different from the defending champion in the Wrestling World Federation. How do I hug a man with a chest that automatically distances him from people? How do I get to like a man about whom I know nothing? Is he married? Has he stopped beating his wife which is rumored, he has. Does he have kids so that we can

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by George Menezes be gifted by another dynasty? Does he own a dog, a cat, a cow like Lallu did? Not long ago in Bihar trying to denigrate Nitish Kumar he referred to Mount Everest as a means to measure a person’s arrogance. Unfortunately in the din and dust of electoral politics Modi does not realize that people see him as more arrogant than most. His actions are there for all to see. Look at immense distance between the stage from where he speaks so eloquently and the crowd that is herded in to listen to him. Note the similarity with dictators in other countries. He delivers a monologue There is no dialogue with the audience. There are no questions allowed or answers given. The King arrives tells a whole lot of half truths and struts off stage and into a waiting helicopter Let me give other instances of arrogance. I quote Pavan Verma, former Indian Ambassador, journalist and writer. “The manner in which Modi assumed power was by riding roughshod over many dissenting voices, including, most significantly, in his own party. “ L.K. Advani’s open letter of protest, and his refusal to go to Goa, is on public record. What is less known, but was reported in the newspapers, is that Mr Advani’s house in Delhi was actually stoned by supporters of Mr Modi, and the same bunch of toughies were seen later, after Mr Modi’s anointment, distributing sweets in the BJP office.” “He has also mustered a formidable publicity machine. This machine

magnifies a thousand fold what he claims to be his achievements, and lashes out, sometimes in the most obnoxious and vituperative manner, at any one who has the temerity to question them. In addition, a virtual cult is sought to be created around his persona. He alone is extolled in every poster, every placard, every banner, every advertisement and on every tea cup where the faithful carry out conversations about his agenda. “The degree to which this cult is visible even to his own party can be gauged by the fact that Mr Advani reportedly expressed concern over it recently and even the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat protested that it is not the business of his organisation to chant NaMo, NaMo. “The BJP is a party which came into being on the basis of an ideological platform, and even if one disagrees with its fundamentals, the party itself has always criticised other parties which subordinate ideology to personality cults. Now, for the first time in such a visible manner, the BJP has itself become a prisoner of an unabashed personality cult.” During the 2002 riots, which some Gujarat NGOs described as “ethnic cleansing”, I visited the ruins of Best Bakery and sat in the ashes with courageous leaders of various communities including the Baroda Catholic Association and prayed for a return to sanity. I was once a member of the National Executive of the BJP and had unhindered opportunities to give talks on the tremendous contribution of a miniscule community to our country. Today observers have seen how Gujarat is run as a one- man show, with all opposition sidelined. The sway of the leader on the party has also presented the public with the rather visible spectacle of many leaders in the top echelons of the BJP having to toe the line or to accept being sidelined. The cleavage is entirely on the (Contd.. on p. 7)

7 April 2014

Elections 2014 Elections determine the future of a nation in a democratic set up. Therefore it assumes special significance. The electorate has a decisive role in this exercise. With the help of a few quotes [from my private collection] an attempt is made to caution all the stake holders so, that at the end of the day, we have a government we deserve. Better to take a little trouble to go out and vote once than to grumble for the next five years. For the general public – the words of John M Richardson are appropriate. “When it comes to future, there are three kinds of people; those who let it happen, those who make it happen and those who wonder what happened”. Unless we take active part in the process and vote for whichever candidate [or even NOTA] we will not be able to shape the future in which lies our own destiny. Let us not depend on others. Abraham Lincoln says “Elections belong to the people. It is their decision. If they decide to turn their backs on the fire and burn their behinds, then they must sit on the blisters”. For those who dream of leading the nation with special emphasis on patriotism will do well to remember the words of wisdom by Howard Thurman. “During times of war [elections in this case], hatred becomes quite respectable even though it has to masquerade often in the guise of patriotism”. Sometimes we stretch things too far by believing that, as George B. Shaw says “Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all because you were born in it”. A good leader will ensure that his feet are firmly planted in his country but his eyes survey the world. Political parties, in their quest for success, go any length to achieve their goal even if it means through foul means. Statements like ‘Modi Chops’ or ‘Chaiwala’ have no place in a civilized society. Campaigning has vitiated the atmosphere by calling each other names. Mansfield Hausmann says “Democracy means sticking to the rules of the game even when the referee is not looking”. Parties must speak about their visions and ideas for a better tomorrow. Unfortunately, as H.C.Menchen says “In a democracy, one party devotes its

7 April 2014

VIEWS on NEWS chief energies in trying to prove that the other party is unfit and both commonly succeed and they are right”. Most of the time is devoted to the faults of other parties. It is like going for a confession and reciting the sins of your neighbour. Tell the people what you are going to do and not, what the incumbent government did not do. We know that. Spell out your programmes clearly so people make an informed choice. Money power has vitiated the atmosphere. Theodore Wells says “The flood of money that gushes into politics today is a pollution of democracy”. All parties are guilty of this crime – no exceptions. The answer lies in bringing all of them under the RTI Act. Finally George B. Shaw puts our responsibility in a nutshell when he says “Democracy is a device that insures that we shall be governed no better than we deserve”. We need to be more concerned about what the new government will do covertly instead of overtly. The real danger is there – the hidden agenda. Attempts may be made to push it. Everybody needs to be alert all the time. So vote wisely keeping this in mind. Who will win? Well, Keith Richards said “Some doctors told me I have six months to live and I went for their funeral”. *****

A Mess Called ‘Cricket’ The Supreme Court is the saviour of the county. Without it we would have been orphans today because the authorities are not doing what they are elected for. When political patronage is available to Sports administrators, the interest of the game goes for a toss. We have seen this in Hockey, Boxing, and Wrestling etc. Even badminton went through a rough patch and a spectacle. The International Olympic Association even derecognized the nation and participants had to go in their individual capacity without the tricolour. Cricket is well above other sports as far as popularity is concerned. People are crazy nay mad about the game. Players are paid handsomely yet that greed persists to earn more through any means – fair or foul. The administrators are a bunch of self serving men who

by Marshall Sequeira make sure that this exclusive domain remains their private fiefdom. Each one has a skeleton in his cupboard and therefore no body wants to talk. From a pure gentleman’s game it has degenerated into a game for a selected few gentlemen. The apex court, in its interim order, has empowered the cricketing legend Sunil Gawaskar to take all decisions concerning the IPL. Gawaskar was actively involved in the IPL as a member of the Governing council when Lalit Modi started the venture. He opted out after non-payment of the promised amount. He has some business interests which he will continue even after the IPL is over. When even employees of India Cement are barred because of conflict of interest, it is right to put Gawaskar in charge? Gawaskar is like a runner between the wickets or a substitute fielder who cannot bowl but only field. Whereas, Shivlal Yadav is akin to a night watchman to hold the fort as long as he is allowed to. The role fits him as only a bowler is sent as a night watchman. With Srinivasan’s clout in the ICC which he may short head, will be not be able to act like a match referee. This is not spring cleaning – just dusting the furniture. When a politician makes a mess, all right thinking men and women who enjoy social and intellectual status come out openly. Why then so many past cricketers – Tendulkar, Gangully, Dravid, Kumble, Srikant, Kapil Dev and a bunch of others have not come out and spoken frankly? They all have their own interests to protect. Except Bishen Singh Bedi nobody has spoken. He said about Gawaskar ‘Never an opening bat is sent as a night watchman. Well he has to prove worthy of the trust reposed in him by the Apex Court. I would have liked Bedi to be put in charge.

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'Well, Actually I am a Catholic'

ver so many years, we’ve learnt from the Bible and Sunday school not to hurt any life – human or otherwise. Killing is not right. Hurting people physically or mentally whether by word or action is wrong. So life should be lived with compassion and non violence, the basic point is, we don’t know where we come from, we also don’t know where we go after death. But you have to raise your voice against injustice. Then if you have hurt someone who has hurt other people, it is justified. But we – our community are silent even though we have the potential to make a difference as we have not understood the meaning of justice, equality, liberty and fraternity. In Church we are not told to vote for a specific candidate or party. We are told that we should vote for someone who is secular, believes in freedom of religion, is open to social change and does not impose forced conversion. We support the secular parties only out of compulsion although we believe that political parties are corrupt. This belief has left the secular parties this time looking like neither fish nor fowl nor even a good red herring and in some serious trouble before this Lok Sabha polls — and that compulsion might soon be over if we are not out there on election day to cast our vote or else the communal/fascist parties will do well at the Lok Sabha polls. Are we going to allow our country to be devoid of its secular character? Where Minorities will be looked upon as second-class citizens and will be targeted and there will be selective discrimination of minority communities. Are we this time siding with the fascist and fundamental forces and have lost our power to call ourselves Christians as the greatest sin is our silence on the issue of maintaining our secular nation which has been a betrayal, We've also experienced what St. Paul affirms, "Where sin abounds, grace

Don Aguiar abounds all the more." Even when we have to address tragic situations, we must search for the seed of the good, true and beautiful. I recall my grandmother prayer – “Oh!!! Lord This Is What I Seek I do not ask to walk smooth paths, nor bear an easy load. I pray for strength and fortitude, to climb the rockstrewn road. Give me such courage I can scale the hardest peaks alone. And transform every stumbling block, Into a Stepping Stone.” Fridays for us was and is abstinence day from all meats - I recall my mother saying ‘Tomorrow’s Friday.”.And everybody is making faces and then she reminds us of our grandmother’s prayer which gets us to make the difference. As the years passed we got so used to it that whenever we went out for either lunch or dinner with our friends or colleagues on Fridays we would always abstain from all meats on Fridays while our friends or colleagues had their beef, chicken, pork, etc. Fridays being the weekend after a long work week, my colleagues liked relaxing after work and so keeping to my father’s advice - “If you want to walk fast walk alone but if you want to walk far walk together.” Walking together meant joining my colleagues at their usual place for dinner and light funny chit chat. One of my non Catholic colleague who liked to be the joker noticed that I only ordered fish on Fridays and thinks I like fish and so I am having fish. I tell him I like pork chilly very much. “But you ordered prawn chilly fry I heard.” “Today’s Friday,” I say. He asks if I am a Catholic and I say I am. “So this is what you have to do to get to heaven, eat fish on Friday?” The next time too he takes one look at my plate and his eyes light like neon. He wants to know what that is, on my plate. I explained that it is mackerel. “All in the fish family” he laughs. My neighbor laughs and laughs till I think he is going to fall off his chair – What’s

so funny about a guy eating fish on Friday?” The biggest mistake by most human beings – listen half, understand quarter and telling double - makes some people just not missing the odd screw but the whole tool box is gone.This is how my colleague the joker understood and put it He told me – Stan did you hear about the Irishman who went to a restaurant on Friday and asked for some fried Prawns on Friday. He was told that there was no fried Prawns and the Irishman retorted “The Lord knows I tried! Then get me some beef steak.” “Stan I understand that you Catholics do not eat meat during lent. I heard a guy who ate so much fish that his stomach used to rise and fall with the tide.” Ha ha!!!!! A few week down the line after all his taunting and jokes on fish and me my colleague the joker tells me that a guy who sticks to his principles is the only kind he thinks is worth having for a friend – It made me sure of two things – I was glad that I stuck out for what I believe in, but also you’ve got to watch out for putting the wrong interpretation on what another person does and says. Most of us have experienced this situation and stick out for what we believe in. Now, people are happy to say 'Well, actually I am a Catholic,' and sometimes they're quite keen to let themselves be known as a Catholic," British Cardinal Vincent Nichols said. "And I think that's the effect of Pope Francis. There is credibility around the Catholic project. BUT it must not be limited to this – We must all walk together and be there on Election Day to cast our vote as we must ensure that we should not sell ourselves to the devil and we should not sell our country to the communal/fascist party. Don Aguiar - Is an Ex CEO & Owners Rep. of multinational shipping company(s) and presently involved in promoting social, civic & political activities

7 April 2014

Rite in Catholic Church There are three "Rites" in the Catholic Church in India. They are known as 1 Latin Rite 2 Syro-Malabar Rite 3. Syro-Malankara Rite Earlier to the establishment of diocese for the Syro -Malabar and SyroMalankara Rites in Mumbai ,the people belonging to these Rites Were attending Latin Rite Churches for their spiritual needs. .It appears in the initial stages there were protests and arguments against formation of diocese of these two Rites outside Kerala. However new diocese at Kalyan was established and as there was some sort of compulsion, Pope JohnPaul II gave freedom to people belonging to these two Rites living in Mumbai to choose once a rite and follow. In this connection I feel that unmarried children of parents belonging to these Rites have freedom to change to Latin Rite or to retain the Rite of the parents. Will some authority please clarify whether my assumption is cor(Contd.. from p. 4) basis of an inner circle of trusted operators with all the rest being treated as outsiders or with suspicion. The position of senior leaders on the question of seat distribution has been unfolding before the public in the last few days. The truth is that the collective leadership which the BJP has always valued has been dismantled in response to a new imperative dictated by the demands of its new leader. What finally is most disturbing is that Modi’s development agenda is driven by “crony capitalism” From reports I have read it is said that thousands and thousands of acres of fertile land has been taken away from farmers and sold to our richest builders and industrialists on lease for Re 1 for 99 years. But when politicians of all hues gang together for a piece of the pie the rich will get sickeningly rich the poor will get suicidealy poor and you and I will become as impotent as is humanly possible to be.

7 April 2014

rect?

—K.C.Thomas

Luring the community with dinner parties? Till recently, we have been disturbed with corruption, price rise and chaos inside the Parliament but once the elections are declared everything seems to have forgotten. Some of us have started following our political idols. We have conveniently forgotten the torture we went through during the last 5 years because of this corrupt political system which only swelled the bank balances of certain politicians. Their wealth is multiplied by many times where the poor man has been milked almost dry. Every party has come out with a new set of promises without honouring the promises made during last elections. Those who attend the dinner parties organized by the politicians-friends lose the moral right to question them on every issue affecting our own existence. The Christian community of Mumbai. also is passing thru such an experience. Grave issues such as usurping of the Church lands by BMC and many other conveniently sidelined by hosting dinner parties. No politicians are serous about our issues. We get only lip service when complain because we are not a vote bank except in Mumbai North constituency. Serving lollypops with the dinner has already started in different parts of the city . One such dinner party is organised at Orlem today evening to lure our unsuspecting community members. Usually we being a disciplined community, do not fall

easy prey to the idea of politicians but when come luring we become the soft targets. Till recently, we supported Anna’s movement against corruption but conveniently everything is sidelined due to vested interests. This election offers us two choices to defeat the communal & corrupt forces by pressing the new button “NOTA” if we do not like any one of them. The new entrant Aam Admi party also offers a choice for those who believes in eradicating corruption, money power & muscle power. This country has to be freed from all such forces to make a better place to live in. Can we elect a clean candidate this time? The choice is mine & yours.

—Alex DMello

Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima - Karjat Fatima message of prayer, penance, sacrifice and consecration is not new, especially during this season of Lent. The Shrine of Our Lady of FatimaKarjat, which is the first Shrine dedicated to Fatima in Asia has made this place available during this season to many devotees, to experience God’s love more deeply in the presence of the renowned statue of Our Lady of Fatima brought from Fatima, Portugal. Many church oriented groups and associations which came to make this lent meaningful found their visit fruitful. A devotee from Dadar called back saying “ my problems have remain the same but it is I who has changed to see the problem in different angle”. The preacher during the day stresses on finding contentment in the given situation and to seek God’s will rather than ours. This day, set aside is clubbed with The way of the cross, Fatima message on conversion and repentance, Holy Eucharist, fellowship meal and Eucharistic Adoration. 13th of every month is always a special day at the Shrine of Our Lady Fatima. Those parish oriented groups who like to avail to this opportunity are urged to get in touch with the pastor for more details.

Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima -Karjat Tel.: 09422095931 Email: calistusf@gmail.com

The Pulse Of The Church

oll surveys are the flavour of the season. By feeling the pulse of the people they are able to reasonably project or predict the outcome of an election. Before the advent of CT Scans and ultrasound, a GP would feel the patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pulse or touch his neck with the back of his hand, and arrive at a fairly accurate diagnosis, and prescribe treatment accordingly. In public life there is no substitute for feeling the pulse of the people. There is the old Latin saying â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Vox populii vox dei (the voice of the people is the voice of God). In ecclesiastical circles it is referred to as sensus fidei (the sense of the faithful). In 2010 I had written an article â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I were the Popeâ&#x20AC;?, in which I had stated that the pope would conduct a worldwide survey, from the bottom up, to gauge the thinking of the people. In 2013, shortly after his unexpected election, Pope Francis did order such a survey on family issues, sexuality and morality. Several countries have already conducted the survey, and their findings have been made public. The worldwide trend (it was no secret anyway) was that the laityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s understanding of sexual ethics was at great variance from the Catholic Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s professed stand. The results so far are an outright rejection of the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teachings. On the other hand, the bishops of India have shown neither the guts nor the gumption to conduct such a survey. Are they burying their ostrich heads in the sand?

... the bishops of India have shown neither the guts nor the gumption to conduct such a survey.... In contrast, in 2011 I did conduct a survey on behalf of the All India Catholic Union (AICU). Perhaps the AICU, like the CBCI, has also lacked the guts and gumption to analyse the findings of the National Survey, and make its findings public. Though it was my brainchild, it was a thoroughly planned and executed survey, preceded by several rounds of discussions. At my insistence the data was made available to me, and the raw data is given at the bottom of this analysis. Before one goes to the data it is critical to explain the methodology of the Survey, and also to give a profile of the respondents. If the methodology is correct, the responses free and fair, and the respondents varied and widespread, then there is good reason to believe that the final analysis is a fair reflection of the reality. First the methodology. It was felt that the common â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes/ No/ Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t knowâ&#x20AC;? format was incorrect; as there was little that was black and white. Most things were various shades of grey. Hence the Questionnaire followed a grading system on a scale of 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10, with an X mark for a â&#x20AC;&#x153;donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t knowâ&#x20AC;?. The responses reflect the awareness or agreement

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BY CHHOTEBHAI level of the respondents to specific questions, which were objective in nature. Since the Survey sought to know the pulse of the laity (church citizens) in India, it was only addressed to them, on issues that affected them. The Survey itself was conducted with utmost transparency through publication in various journals, dissemination through the Catholic Associations, and a dedicated website. Even the website was programmed in such a manner as not to accept more than one response from the same email ID, to avoid manipulation of the responses. It may therefore be safely presumed that the Survey was free, fair and widespread. The sample base of the respondents is over 1000, which is a reasonable figure, considering that poll pundits operate on a sample size of less than 10,000. Though attempts were made to translate the Questionnaire into other languages, it may be presumed that the respondents were basically English speaking or knowing. My home unit, the Kanpur Catholic Association (KCA) gathered all the respondents together (over 50), and explained the Questionnaire in Hindi. In the responses we see two sets of figures, e.g. 3.49/ 1.84. The first index is the All India grading, and the second one is the KCA grading. Since both sets were available with me I felt that publishing both would have its own relevance. In the respondents profile we find that the KCA respondents are somewhat lesser educated and from a lower income group than the All India average. This disparity is reflected in the responses that directly affect the poor and disadvantaged. The Questionnaire itself had three distinct parts: A was Ecclesiological (pertaining to the internal functioning of the church); B was on Moral and Ethical issues; and C was on Sociological issues or Temporal Affairs.

7 April 2014

On Ecclesiological issues we find a below par response, almost across the board. The only area where the church shows signs of healthy improvement is in inculturation and liturgical renewal. When it comes to rights and expectations, they are above par for the “Right to Information”, autonomy, transparency, accountability, dispute redressal and ecclesiastical appointments. The time has come for radical attitudinal transformation, and not just for cosmetic changes as in the liturgy. On Moral and Ethical issues the Survey reflects the trend in other countries; that there is a yawning gap between what the Church professes and what church citizens are actually practicing. The lowest grade of 0.58 is given by the KCA regarding the laity being consulted on their specific issues of marriage, divorce, annulment, family planning and sexual ethics. The KCA gain gives a very low grading of 1.34 for the automatic excommunication (latae sententiae) of a woman undergoing an abortion, regardless of the circumstances! In the area of Temporal Affairs/ Sociological issues too, there are only a few areas where the Church gets an above par grade, as in the treatment meted out to dalit and tribal Christians. The highest expectation, with a grade of 8.05, is for the demand for Dalit Christians to be treated on par with other dalits for Govt reservations etc. In this sector too, the KCA differs from the rest on some critical parameters. It gives a very low grade of 1.13 for the Church’s social welfare benefits going to our own people. Apparently the Catholic Church in India does not subscribe to the dictum that “charity begins at home”! One must leave the readers to study the responses in detail, and arrive at their own conclusions. For now, one may safely state that, to date, this is the most reliable Survey on the life of the Catholic Church in India vis-à-vis it laity. Let us hope that it contributes towards a radical rethink in the Church, followed by concrete action. May the Holy Spirit lead us where it wills, provided, of course, that we are open to its promptings.

7 April 2014

Views of Indian Catholics Respected Cardinal Gracias, I refer you to a news item in the Hindustan Times dt 31/3/14, of which a scanned copy is attached for ready reference. It quotes you as saying that the data from India is not quantified and only showed general perceptions. It is not out of order to state that our wonderful Pope Francis had ordered a Survey on the Family last year. As one of his core group of 8 advisors, the Church in India expected you to take the lead in conducting this survey, more so since you are also the CBCI President, and therefore in the best position to act. Results of the Survey from several countries are already in the public domain. It is however, most unfortunate that the papal commissioned survey has not been conducted in India. This shows that the Church in India pays scant regard or respect for the papal office, of which you an advisor. I do not know on what basis you refer to "unquantified data", as data has to be quantified, by its very nature. In the absence of a data or survey one is constrained to conclude that the statement attributed to you is just your personal opinion, and not based on any ground reality. In the circumstances May I humbly request you to just issue a clarificatory statement about the so-called "unquantified data" and also to immediately conduct the Family Survey as directed by Pope Francis. A word in acknowledgement will be greatly appreciated. Yours Sincerely,

Chhotebhai Former National President All India Catholic Union

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(Contd.. from p. 2) was issuing an ultimatum to political parties- “make up your minds if you want to end corruption or not. Your actions do not endorse your words.” Though the debate was fought tooth and nail, all the panellists were toeing the party line of shielding the guilty. This public proclamation of ending corruption on one hand and rewarding criminals with a poll ticket the next day amounts to hypocrisy which the people of this land abhor…….! Well, that opened my eyes to some extent in the light of the TV serial I had watched the previous day, out of sheer boredom. The real India was pictured in vivid shades where families are ostracised for breaking traditions, where a Neta’s son was treated like a hero for raping and killing the labourer’s daughter, where a rich Zamindar fraudulently usurped the farmer’s land, where the Panchayat had banished from the village the Brahmin family for patronising a Dalit family…..crimes being not only condoned but brazenly endorsed. So who cares if a hundred or two criminals get into the Lok Sabha and make laws for Millions of honest citizens? What is poison for the goose is food for the gander. The advocate now retired from active service was holding court in the park that evening- “the bad, ugly and uglier face of political parties is being exposed before the nation. This election is a do or dies war. Those who have tasted the easy money and unbridled power to do wrong and to get away with it will not give up so easily. They will fight from their wheel chairs, hospital beds supporting themselves on the Crores they made while in power. Do not underestimate the power of those hiding behind their wives and daughters, they are the survivors! “

Keep the enemy at the door away…VOTE!! The driest place on Earth is located in Chile, Known as Atacama Desert. 10

Better Be 'Fools' We know first April as 'Fools Day', But let us think of it in another way, Fools are joyful and free And simple as clowns or children can be. When faced with difficulties they play it cool, Seeming to wise adults much of a fool. Think how foolishly we worry many years ahead of each day, Instead of enjoying every moment that comes our way. Better we live as a child or a clown, Casting aside troubles that make us frown. Christ was thought of as a fool and He lived as one, In this foolish world 'twas the right thing done. To God the wisdom of this world is absurdity, Didn't Jesus pick ignorant men his friends to be? So let us be fools for Christ's sake, For childlike fools to His Kingdom He'll take, And the worldly wise the fools may be, For the Kingdom of God it's doubtful they'll see.

—Ella Almeida

Walking Pilgrimage to Mt.Mary Basilica (29 March 14)

This year too the walking pilgrimage from Cross Maidan to Mount Mary's Basilica Bandra, was a success, as there were about 20,000 who joined the walk. As usual the organisers/volunteers did a good job with regard to Security, providing water, biscuits, first aid, etc. But one important aspect should be stressed upon, and that is the people taking part in this walk should not litter the streets/ road with the water satchets/biscuits wrappers that was so genorusly handed out by our Non Christians at about 6 places enroute on the way to the Mount. They should try to follow the instructions of the volunteers, they should avoid talking loudly with each other, they should avoid using their cell phones, they should concentrate on saying the Rosary/praying and singing hymns softly, they should not walk fast as there are many seniors, but they should maintain a steady pace. Some of the organisers/volunteers are senior citizens, and some have health problems, so the youth should be encouraged to volunteer and take part/ join in so as to continue this trend in the years to come.

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7 April 2014

Terry D’Souza Elected as the First Indian Origin Woman Governor for Lions in the US

Dave Hansen, Di Hansen, Terry D'Souza & Dr. Austin Prabhu Chicago, March 30, 2014: District 1A – Mother District of Lionism held their Annual District Convention at the Westin Hotel, Northwest, Chicago on March 28, 29 and 30th with great colors. Larry Dicus, International Director from California along with his wife Jane were the International guests for convention. Over 500 Lions, Lionesses, Leos and guests attended this convention from District 1A’s 72 clubs. District 1A is a much diversified district in lionism in the US filled with various ethnic clubs to name a few – Filipinos, Mexicans, Puerto Ricon, Ecuadorians, Indians, Pakistanis, Whites and Blacks. This is the second time in the history of 98 years of Lionism in District 1A a woman was elected as district governor and the first time in the history of Lionism in the US, a woman governor of Indian origin has been elected to this prestigious post. This honor went to Terry D’Souza, wife of two terms District Governor of District 1A Dr. Austin Prabhu who belongs to The Forest Kala Sampath Lions Club. Dr. Austin already set a record by being District Governor for two terms and also by being the first Indian Origin District Governor from District 1A. Once Terry gets inducted at the 97th International Convention in Toronto, Canada Dr. Austin & Terry will become the first governor couple from District 1A. US President’s Council for Voluntary Service Awards member Dr. Austin Prabhu awarded Larry Dicus with a Life Time Voluntary Service Award for his dedication to improve humanity in his communities. Ralph Zarada elected as the First Vice District Governor and Ernie Lapid elected as the II Vice District Governor. For District 1A Lions of Illinois Foundation Trustee, Frank Kirar got elected.

7 April 2014

Remembering Mummy

CA THERINE D’SOUZA CATHERINE 03 July 1923 - 03 April 2013 RONEY, GLENEY, BERTRAND, LADISLAUS, MELVILLE, ARNOLD, LAMBERT & STALIN 11

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O holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God and Charity for his creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Miracles waited on your word, which you were ever ready to speak for those in trouble or anxiety. Encouraged by this thought, I implore of you to obtain for me (request). The answer to my prayer may require a miracle, even so, you are the Saint of Miracles. O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the Sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms; and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours.

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7 April 2014

Who Is Superior, Men Or Women?

rom time immemorial women are treated inferior to men and the truth is that the men have already succeeded in convincing women to accept this great IDEA. Not only that, the society which we live-in has conditioned her mind to convey this idea to her siblings so as to continue this tradition when they grow up. Strange but true, during the marriage the mother will advise her daughter to live in submission to the wishes of her husband and never question his wisdom whether right or wrong and no objection from any quarters for her being treated like a commodity. The man is neither superior nor the woman is inferior. Actually they are two different categories of humanity hence cannot be compared. If we start comparing, we may be asking for trouble. Why woman has been branded as inferior to man? The reasons given for her inferiority are that she has less muscular strength, that she has not produced any philosophy, theology and not founded any religion, that she has not produced any masterpiece of art, that she never been a religious heirarchy or a Priest. She is considered good in flower arrangements, cooking & cleaning. The Church has given her the responsibility to look after the convents, orphanages because men think that she can’t take a challenging responsibility. But in reality managing homes whether her own, asylum, old

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by Maria D’Mello

... The male dominated Catholic Church never recognized her talents but always assigned her to the supportive roles... age or cancer patients or convents is a daunting task which in certain circumstances men are incapable of handling. The male dominated Catholic Church never recognized her talents but always assigned her to the supportive roles. Every religious institution today is headed by a male, why? Because that’s the only way to keep a woman in bondage. Very few succeeded in breaking away from this bondage because of sheer guts and ability. Did anyone ever tried to understand her from her point of view? I think it’s a big NO. Now, let’s focus our attention to what way a woman is superior man. Nature has not given a womb to man. A woman being a mother has to carry a child in the womb for nine difficult months and then give birth….. that is almost as if passing through death (many women also die during child birth). Then she is either pregnant or looking after her siblings till she is invalid. Now where is the time on this

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earth left for her to become a painter, theologian, musician, poetess or a founder of any religion? There is a unwritten rule that the wife should be at least 5-8 years younger to her husband. In fact the wife should be older by that age because men die early thus making her a widow at the age of 50-60 and she lives for another 15-20 years more than her husband. If we change this practice there would be less widows than at present. Now let’s look at some real life facts. Women fall less sick than men, even if they become sick recovery is faster. Suicide rate are 50% lesser than men and the same ratio is true of mental disorders. Men get frustrated faster which shows their psychological weaknesses. In many a real life situations, after the death of her husband she assumes the responsibility of earning & caring her siblings and even look after her in-laws when no one is around to support. In our community as we see many widows who turn tutors to support their livelihood. War widows are another example of continuing the saga of life in spite of becoming widow at a very early age. Do we need any further justification to prove this point? Can the society give women their legitimate due? I think the fight has already begun. Let’s give their right place in the society as all of us came to this world through our mothers. May God bless them.

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BMC’s Way Of Grabbing The Church Lands Champions were born on March 15 from amongst the people of Malwani young and old what a way to go. We salute each one of you along with Fr. Austin Norris the Parish Priest of St. Anthony’s Church and the team of Frs James Correa, James Dcosta and Henry Dsouza. A special thanks to entire SOUL Team who dedicated their time and worked very hard to see this success. Agitation is the only means of a struggle against the silence and the apathy of the authorities. Amongst the CHAMPIONS who addressed the Rally were: : Justice H. Suresh, Fr. Cedric Prakash, S.J , Human Rights Campaigner from Ahmedebad, Fr. Allwyn Dsilva Chairman- Archdiocesan Office of Environment, Fr. Lancy Pinto, Chairman - Justice and Peace Commission, Smt Dominica Dabre - Activist from Vasai, Fr. Frazer Mascarenhas- Principal -St. Xaviers’ College, Nicholas Almeida, Trustee Watchdog Foundation, Mr. Joseph Gonsalves- President Dharavi Beth Bachao Samiti, Mr. Vivian DsouzaPresident- Mumbai East Indian Association, Mr. Alexander Dsouza of IEICC, Mr. Alpi Dsouza Secretary of Mobai Gaothan Panchayat, Mr. Greg Pereira and Ms Bernadine Dcosta of Soul Team, Jaya - Chairperson - Sabha Unit of Malwani, Fr. Austin Norris- Parish Priest and Dolphy Dsouza- Spokesperson- SOUL. Before the Rally began we met with the Municipal Commissioner [ delegation of Fr. Austin, Stanley, Greg and Dolphy] and submitted to him a Memorandum. We told him we are troubling him but we will keep on troubling him till the issues are sorted out. BMC Commissioner listened patiently and smiled throughout. Oswald Cardinal Gracias, Archbishop’s Warm Letter of encouragement and support to our campaign and the other concerns was read out by his Secretary, Fr. K.T. Emmanuel to the gathering. We then presented a Memorandum at the Rally to Shri Munaf Hakim,

Chairman - Maharastra State Minorities Commission who also addressed us and promised that he was with us on these community issues. We cannot forget the motivation presented by the Youth [Elrica and Team] on songs and then Helen and the band, sabka baza diya band The opening prayer was led by Fr. James Correa The rally was compered ably by Stanley Fernandez. We also thank the presence of so many Priests and Nuns. We had representatives from over 60 parishes from all over Mumbai/ Gorai/ Uttan and Kalyan and several other Activists groups across communities. Thank you our friends for standing in solidarity and unity. We thank the Parish Priests and the Clergy team of all the Parishes who welcomed our activists and supported this just campaign. We thank the following organisations for their support: Justice & Peace Commission (Archidiocese Of Bombay), Watchdog Foundation (Ngo), Bombay East Indian Associa-

tion (BEIA), Mobai Gaothan Panchayat (MGP), Marol Citizens Forum, I C Colony Residents Welfare Association (ICCRWA), Bombay Catholic Sabha (Malwani & Orlem Units), Silent Voice, Dharavi Beth Bachao Samiti, Sahar Citizens Forum, Ieiec, Bombay Indeginous People Assocation, United Social Welfare Association, Kolivari Welfare Association, Civic & Political Cell [St. Vincent D’paul And Many More… Dont count the days , make the days count for the Politicians as we go out to vote on April 24 in Mumbai - A promise that we all gave - 100% voting by the community. Babasaheb Ambekar had said: Educate, Organise, Agitate. Another clear message : Next call let us get prepared to play a greater role in politics and contest elections to make a difference to the governance of the Country and the State. The count down has begun. Watch out for the next action to ensure that our demands are met.

—Alex D'Mello

7 April 2014

The Pope Embodies Spirituality of The Faith BY MELVYN BROWN JESUS CHRIST and the Pope are two fountainheads of the Christian Faith. Christ is the Godhead and the Pontiff is the Lord’s architect to establish missions, laws, dioceses and the creation of institutions of the faith across the globe, pastoral and liturgical structures, and ecclesiastical directions among many other aspects of the Church. The Pontiff is the visible Vicar of Christ on earth. He is the head of the Roman Catholic Faith. Global pastoral planning, spiritual decrees, dogmas, policies of growth in the faith must have his approval and seal before they are strategically promulgated from the Vatican and sent to every corner of the Roman Catholic world. 1978 was called “The Year of Three Popes”. On 6th August Pope Paul VI passed away; his successor, John Paul 1, died suddenly in his sleep after 33 days of his appointment. The Cardinals had to sit once again in the Sistine Chapel behind locked doors. They would not come out till the new Pope was chosen. The Cardinals in the Conclave came from Africa, Asia, and Australia. Among them were Cardinals from Europe and America. Above the sitting Cardinals was a painting by Michael Angelo called the “Creation”. The painting loomed larger than life, and above the altar was a painted scene of “The Last Judgment”. In a corner of the Sistine Chapel stands a simple stove with a chimney running up to the roof. The Cardinals pray and ask God for His will to direct their choice. The rising smoke from the chimney informs the world outside of God’s decision. Black smoke indicates the choice was not decided. When the smoke is white, a new Pope is announced. A Senior Cardinal appears on a balcony in front of St. Peter’s marble statue and he declares, “Habemus Pap am!” in Latin. It means “We have a

7 April 2014

Pope!” In 1978 the Third Pope was elected, Karol Wojtyla, who took the name, John Paul II. The Pontiff is the Bishop of Rome. And the whole world is his parish. He rules the smallest independent state on earth, having its very own newspaper, postage stamps and mints its own currency. St. Peter’s Church is one of the largest in the world and can accommodate 60000 devotees and people at a single event. Pilgrims come from all parts of the globe to be blessed by the Holy Father. St. Peter, the first Pope was told by Christ : “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.” (Mt.16:18). The Holy Father wears a plain gold ring with his seal on it. This ring is known as the Fisherman’s Ring, because St. Peter was a fisherman. When a Pope dies the ring is broken. Popes have other jeweled rings, and wear them on certain occasions. It is of interest to note that Pope John Paul II had given one of his jeweled rings to people in a slum area where he was visiting the poor. The same act of charity had been done earlier by John Paul I when he gave away his jewelry to assist handicapped children. The vestments of a Pope are tailored by the firm of Gamarelli over the past many decades. The shoes of the pontiff are of red velvet on the outside, but some Popes prefer their own choice of shoes. The Pontiff as enforcer of the faith takes the risk not to be known as ‘being of the world’ rather than of the Church. It was Pope Paul VI who put it so well, about, in his coronation homily, July 1, 1963: ‘We will try to preserve and increase the pastoral virtue of the church, which keeps her free and poor as mother and teacher, most loving of her faithful children, respectful, comprehending and patient, and warmly call-

ing to those who are not her children.” Pope’s compare the Church to a symphony orchestra. They both agree to follow stringent rules created to forward both majesty and mystery. Both have many roles to play but one glorious message; many participants but one leader they must obey. The Pope, like the Conductor is praised even before he raises the baton. The Bishop of Rome embodies the authority and spirituality of the Roman Catholic Faith. He always stands for making a win back for Jesus, whichever way the wind blows during his reign. He gives assurances in his papal homilies and always continues a dialogue with society and humankind. The Holy Father is the anointed successor of Peter, the ‘rock’ on which he must build Christ’s Church. The Pope always listens. He listens to everyone, and remains true to principles. He believes in a popular Benedictine motto, Succisa virescit (Pruned, it grows again). He is always unhappy for all those who say they are Catholics and do not accept “the obligations of the faith.” The Holy Father, Peter’s successor, was given by Christ the Keys of the Church, and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock…. This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church’s very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope. (CCC 881).When the Church is confronted by certain issues of the times, say abortion, reproductive technologies, homosexuality and celibate priesthood, how do we know what is said about them? The Gospels do not tell us everything. Pope Benedict XVI once said, “ The church hierarchy decides that, with the Pope as the ultimate authority. These ‘truths’ are given by God and are non-negotiable. “ Pope Benedict wrote, “Faith comes not from reflecting (as in phi(Contd.. on p. 22)

What The Bible States Of The 4 Blood Moons To Come In the Scriptures in (Joel 3:4-5) we read: “ The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the day of Yahweh dawns, that great terrible day. All who call on the name of Yahweh will be saved” The coming of the 4 blood moons will be a world shaking event. Traditionally a moon is a signal to Israel and sun is signal to the world. This is written in the Word of God and has happened, and will also happen again. The blood – red moons prophetic in Scriptures. (Joel 2; Acts2:19-20; Revelations.6:12). The 4 blood moons have occurred thrice in 500 years, have affected Israel and World events. The Bible speaks of signs in the heaven that have been discovered by NASA Scientist have predicted on the Jewish Passover April 15th 2014 and the next on Sukkot (feast of the Tabernacle) on October 8th 2014. This same event will occur on the Jewish Passover on April 14th and on Sukkot on September 28th 2015. The Jewish feasts relevant to Yahweh, and related the moon? Yes (Lev 23). These 4 Blood Moons happen on a high holiday with solar eclipse in the middle, and then there will NOT be any for the next 100 years. The Blood Moon is a fore lunar eclipse and the four of them in a row is called tetrad. In Genesis 1:14 -15 “God said, Let there be lights in the vault of heaven to divide day from night, and let them indicate festivals days of the year.” God uses the moon for signs? Yes Lk21:25. In biblical prophecies there is a direct correlation between signs in heavenly bodies and distressing events happenings on earth…We are rapidly approaching the time of the fulfillment of these signs. This is something that the Bible is using the heavenly bodies the sun, moon, stars and planets as a communication system to humanity warning that some catastrophes and tragic events will take place, and the world history is going to change forever. God is sending these signals to the earth, something tragic is going to happen and mankind is not picking it up. Circumstantial evidence should also be considered. You look at the

Capt. Mervin John Lobo world and you hang your head in shame. It is sad to see mankind destroying each other and choosing this world over God. In every aspect of life, we see the God of the universe and His creation on two different roads. One is dilled with love, patience, kindness, and salvation, where the other is filled with hate, murder, adultery, and perversion. No wonder our world is in such a mess. Creation is groaning for the day when the Father will make things new. The Lord’s wrath will come due to the sin which is daily increasing as Gay marriages, abortions, defrauding the poor and killing of innocent in wars and blood shed. Is this the end of the ages? In the Jewish Talmud (book of tradition/interpretation) says; “ When the moon is in eclipse, it is a bad omen for Israel. If its face is a red as blood, (it is a sign that) the sword is coming to the world.” Therefore : Lunar Eclipse= bad omen for the Jewish people and Israel, Blood Moon= sword coming; Solar Eclipse= bad omen for the world.

The Last three “Blood Moons” The expulsion that Columbus refers to was so cataclysmic an event that ever since; the date 1492 has been almost as important in Jewish history as in American history. On July 30th of that year, the entire Jewish community, some 20,000 Jews were expelled from Spain. Tens of thousands of refugees died while trying to reach safety. In some instances, Spanish ship captains charged Jewish passengers exorbitant sums, then dumped them overboard in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. In the last days before the expulsion, rumors spread throughout Spain that the fleeing refugees had swallowed gold and diamonds, and many Jews were killed by brigands hoping to find treasures in their stomach. On 14th May, 1948-Israel proclaimed its independence. Less than 24 hours later, the regular armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq

invaded the country, forcing Israel to defend the sovereignty it had regained in its ancestral homeland. In what became known as Israel’s war of Independence, the newly formed, poorly equipped Israel Defense Forces (IDF) repulsed the invaders in fierce intermittent fighting, which lasted some 15 months and claimed over 6,000 Israeli lives9nearly one percent of the country’s Jewish population at the time). Four TOTAL lunar eclipses occurred on the Jewish Passover and Feast of Tabernacle in 1967-1968 coinciding with the 6 Day War when recaptured Jerusalem. As Israel’s neighbors prepared to destroy the Jewish state, Israel invoked its inherent right of self defense, launching a pre-emptive strike (5th June1967) against Egypt in the South. It was followed by a counter attack against Jordan in the East and the routing of Syrian forces entrenched on the Golan Heights in the North. At the end of the six days fighting, previous cease –fire lines were replaced by new ones, with Judea, Samaria, Gaza, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights under Israel control. As a result, the northern villages were freed from 19 years of recurrent Syrian shelling; the passage of Israeli and Israelbound shipping through the Straits of Tiran was ensured; and Jerusalem, which had been divided under Israeli and Jordanian rule since 1949, was reunified under Israeli’s authority. The coming Blood Moons of 20142015.. These four Total lunar eclipses and two solar eclipses WILL occur on the Jewish holidays of “Passover,” the feast of Tabernacles” and the “Feast of Trumpets.” We believe that the “tetrad” of 2014 through 2015 will have something to do with Israel for the start. The blood moons show a pattern of Jewish persecution and then new land for Israel after a time of war. “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen.” (Lk21:36 Jesus spoke those words after He warned us of many of the events that will happen in the end times. They are especially (Contd.. on p. 19)

7 April 2014

Inspiration!

Brinjal Pickle

Why are Goals Important?

n the best sunny day, the most powerful magnifying glass will not light paper if you keep moving the glass. But if you focus and hold it, the paper will light up. That is the power of concentration. A man was traveling and stopped at an intersection. He asked an elderly man, "Where does this road take me?" The elderly person asked,

Benefits of fasting Fasting is a powerful therapeutic process that can help people recover from mild to severe health conditions. Some of the most common ones are high blood pressure, asthma, allergies, chronic headaches, inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease), irritable bowel syndrome, adult onset diabetes, heart disease, degenerative arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, eczema, acne, uterine fibroids, benign tumours, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Fasting can provide a clean and revitalized foundation upon which you can build and maintain a strong and well-conditioned body by consistently making healthy food and lifestyle choices. So it is good to fast at least once a week. — Jubel D’Cruz, Dombivili (Contd.. from p. 18) relevant to us today when we consider current headlines are now fulfilling Bible prophecy at an absolutely amazing rate- which is setting the stage for more ominous events to happen at any time. The signs are sometimes obvious, such as rumbling in the Middle East, economics turmoil , shifts in geopolitical policy. Earthquakes, signs from heaven, and many more. At other times, the clues are more subtle, yet equally astounding to those who know Bible prophecy.

7 April 2014

"Where do you want to go?" The man replied, "I don't know." The elderly person said, "Then take any road. What difference does it make?" How true. When we don't know where we are going, any road will take us there. Suppose you have all the football eleven players, enthusiastically ready to play the game, all charged up, and then someone took the goal post away. What would happen to the game? There is nothing left. How do you keep score? How do you know you have arrived? Enthusiasm without direction is like wildfire and leads to frustration. Goals give a sense of direction. Would you sit in a train or a plane without knowing where it was going? The obvious answer is no. Then why do people go through life without having any goals?

Computer data file size although computer data and file size is normally measured in binary code using the binary number system (counted by factors of two 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, etc), the prefixes for the multiples are based on the metric system! The nearest binary number to 1,000 is 2^10 or 1,024; thus 1,024 bytes was named a Kilobyte. So, although a metric "kilo" equals 1,000 (e.g. one kilogram = 1,000 grams), a binary "Kilo" equals 1,024 (e.g. one Kilobyte = 1,024 bytes). bit = 1 bit byte = 8 bits Kilobyte = 1024 bytes Megabyte = 1024 kilobytes Gigabyte = 1024 megabytes Terabyte = 1024 gigabytes Petabyte = 1,048,576 gigabytes Exabyte = 1,073,741,824 gigabytes Zettabyte = 1,099,511,627,776 gigabytes The prefix comes from Greek i.e. mega, giga, etc

Ingredients: 1 kg brinjals 2 tbsp salt 50 dry red chillies 6 pods garlic 1½ tbsp turmeric 1 ½ tsp mustard seeds 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds 1 ½ tsp fenugreek seeds Vinegar 500 ml cooking oil 4-inch piece ginger (sliced) 2 pods garlic (sliced) A few curry leaves 5 tbsp sugar Method: Wash and wipe the brinjals. Cut them into 2-inch pieces, apply salt and leave in the sun for 3 or 4 hours. Allow the water that collects to drain out. Grind the next 6 ingredients using vinegar, to a fine paste. Heat the oil in a large pan, add slices, ingredients and curry leaves, after a minute, mix the spice paste and fry for 2 minutes. Add brinjal pieces, sugar and cook on slow fire till brinjals are soft. If required, add salt, sugar and vinegar. Cool the preparation, bottle it and store it in the fridge. — Jubel D’Cruz, Dombivili

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Where does the buck stop in the Church?

(Contd.. from p. 3)

And it has neutralized dioceses and groups of dioceses in bishops’ conferences from assuming the authority and responsibility called for in Vatican II. Perhaps the confusion at the Vatican reflects something – this way of organizing things doesn’t work. The chaos that such a 'command and control' system of administration for a mul(Contd.. from p. 17) losophy). Faith’s essence consists in the re-thinking of what has been heard”. The Pontiff is the guardian of Church orthodoxy. Even in a short papacy much can be “revealed”. “The college or body of bishops has no authority unless united with the Roman Pontiff, as its head. “As such, this college has ‘supreme and full authority over the universal Church; but this power cannot be exercised without the agreement of the Roman Pontiff.’ (CCC883). The Pope travels. He moves far and wide across the world. Pope Paul VI put it firmly and in simple words: “Yes, the Pope is becoming a missionary, which means a witness, a shepherd, an apostle on the move.” Roman Catholics believe and trust in him to guide them through the administration of his bishops and priests in their pastoral ministry.

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tinational community stretching across all the continents of the world and their diverse cultures reached the high point of its dysfunction with Benedict XVI. The well documented chaos and mismanagement of that period underlines something well known outside the Church: Imperial government is unsustainable and has been for a century. But the efforts of Rome to control all Catholic activities from headquarters, particularly while Joseph Ratzinger was cardinal prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith and as reiterated by the current prefect, Cardinal Mueller, extended to the neutralizing of regional groups of bishops conferences. In Asia as in the Americas – North and South – that meant that continental aggregations of bishops’ conferences were told that their groups had no doctrinal footing and therefore little significance for anything but convening occasional topical meetings. The situation appears to be changing with the emphasis of Pope Francis on decentralization, consultation and synods. He wants participation, consultation, devolution and decentralization. As well, what the pope wants of bishops – or any pastor in the Church – points to deep cultural change as well: shepherds who have the smell of the sheep they tend to, who know and feel with their people rather than look over their shoulders to Rome. But the desire for inclusiveness and participation runs into a very thick brick wall. At the moment, on most important matters, the pope takes full responsibility. The overwhelming power of the pope reached its high point in Vatican I’s 1870 definition of papal infallibility. Not only did the council decree that the pope would be “free from error” in defining faith and morals. It also held that the pope had “primacy and immediacy of jurisdiction” in the Church. The universal jurisdiction of the pope not only doesn’t work, as displayed especially in the confused mis-

management of Benedict XVI’s time as pontiff. It also represents a major obstacle to promoting Church unity. Both Paul VI and Blessed John Paul admitted that the biggest obstacle to building Church unity was in fact the pope. Reform of his office is what Blessed John Paul sought in his 1995 encyclical Ut Unum Sint. While some responses followed, there was little substantial reaction. The main sticking point for Orthodox Christians in their dealings with the papacy is their rejection of an overriding submission to the Bishop of Rome, not so much in doctrinal areas about which they mostly agree with the Romans. It is more Rome’s presumption of moral and disciplinary authority and the differing cultures and histories of theological emphasis that divide the Romans and the Orthodox. This is a disciplinary requirement to which the Orthodox will never submit. Having ultimate responsibility remain with the Vatican doesn’t work for the good governance for a Church that stretches worldwide. And it actually works against something every Christian should know was Jesus Christ’s hope – unity among his followers. The Holy See hires and fires bishops and sets the general terms for the operations of the Catholic Church through various instruments – papal directives, administrative decrees for dioceses and religious congregations, and the code of Canon Law. The Vatican and the pope can’t have it both ways. It either has the authority that carries responsibility and liability or it doesn’t. At the moment, by its own rules, it does; and that isn’t working. In fact it works against one of the main emphases of the post Vatican II Church. If it wants to change that and delegate authority and responsibility, it will need to revise Vatican I’s decree. Fr Michael Kelly SJ is the executive director www.ucanews.com. Source: ucanews.com

7 April 2014

Bless me Father: Pope makes surprise visit to confession Vatican City: Leading a penitential liturgy in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis surprised his liturgical adviser by going to confession during the service. After an examination of conscience March 28, the pope and 61 priests moved into confessionals or to chairs set up against the walls to offer the sacrament to individual penitents. However, as Msgr. Guido Marini, master of papal liturgical ceremonies, was showing which confessional the pope would be using to hear confessions, the pope pointed to another confessional nearby, indicating that he himself was going to first confess. The pope, dressed in a simple white alb and purple stole, spent about three minutes kneeling before the priest's open confessional and received absolution. The priest also clasped the pope's hands and kissed his simple silver ring. Pope Francis then went to another confessional and spent about 40 minutes hearing confessions. In his homily, the pope said following God's call to conversion is not supposed to happen only during Lent, but is a lifetime commitment. He also spoke about two key characteristics of Christian life: putting on a "new self, created in God's way" and living in and sharing God's love. Shedding sinful behaviors and focusing on the essential become a daily commitment so that a life "deformed by sin" can become a life "illuminated by grace" from God. When hearts are renewed and "created in God's way," good behavior follows, he said, for example: "always speaking the truth and steering clear of all lies; no stealing, but rather, sharing what one has with others, especially with those in need; not giving in to anger, rancor and revenge,

but being meek, magnanimous and ready to forgive; not taking part in malicious gossip that ruins the good name of people, but looking mainly for the good side in everyone." The second aspect of Christian life is living in God's eternal love, the pope said. God never tires of looking out for his children, both those who have lost their way and those who have remained faithful by his side. Jesus, in fact, calls on everyone to imitate this same merciful love and become "credible disciples of Christ in the world," he said. In that missionary spirit, the penitential liturgy opened an initiative called "24 Hours for the Lord," sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization. The council asked dioceses around the world to have at least one parish open all day and night March 28, so that anyone could go to confession and take part in eucharistic adoration. It's part of the pope's focus on celebrating God's mercy and power of forgiveness.

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