127 October 2014

2 27 October 20142 27 October 2014

Royal Christian Family

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Royal Christian Family organised a get-together ofboys and girls with a view to matrimony on 12thOctober 2014 at Morello Hall, Above Holy Family

Hospital, Bandra West.Only good family boys and girls were given opportu-

Goans Seek To Meet PopeFrancis In Sri Lanka

Panaji: The GoaChurch will lobby withthe Sri Lankan Catho-lic Church authoritiesto organise a meet-ing for 1,000 Goanswith Pope Francis,who will visit the country in January next year for thecanonisation of Blessed Father Joseph Vaz. Vaz, thecountry's first saint, was incidentally of the Goan origin.

After the sainthood is conferred on Vaz, special prayerservices would be held in Goa, especially in the parishchurch of Sancoale where Vaz grew up in the 17th century,Father Eremito Rebello, vice-postulator for the cause ofcanonsiation of Blessed Joseph Vaz, told IANS Thursday.

"The Pope's itinerary is packed, but our (Goa) arch-bishop will get in touch with Cardinal Ranjith from Sri Lankaand request him to allow 1,000 Goans to meet the Pope.Ranjith is the head of the committee which is overseeingpreparations for the Catholic head's visit," Rebello said.

He said the Goa Church had received confirmationfrom around 1,000 Goans who will head for Sri Lanka towitness the canonisation process.

The Goa government is in the process of requestingthe central government to start a direct flight between Goaand Sri Lanka anticipating the rush. Vaz's followers from SriLanka are also expected to travel to Goa, to witness the landwhere their soon-to-be-saint grew up.

Goa has a 26 percent of Catholic population and wasone of the early south Asian regions to have embraced thereligion after being colonized by the Portuguese in the 16thcentury. Vaz was born in Benaulim village, located 40 kmfrom Panaji.

Vaz grew upin Sancoale, andbecame a RomanCatholic priest be-fore heading to SriLanka, where heworked often underdisguise under theCalvinist, a Protes-tant group's rule.

"We are alsoholding specialservices in honourof Vaz in Sancoale,once the canoniza-tion is complete,"Rebello said. Oncecanonized, Vaz willbe Sri Lanka's firstsaint and third eth-nic Indian saint.

nity to participate in the event whichwas observed by parents and homepeople of some of the participants.

The get-together was conductedby expert young compere Ivan D'Souza.Besides various activities to get to knoweach other there was also one-to-onetalk and introduction to the partici-pants.

There was an expert panel of twopersonalities to guide and advice theyoung marriageable boys and girls onvarious issues of marriage and choos-ing the right life partner. The panelmembers were Felix D'Souza, Execu-tive Secretary of Christian Chamber ofCommerce and Industry and Mrs.Ninette D'Souza, writer and schoolteacher.

The organisation is serving thecommunity for over 33 years.

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327 October 2014

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Marriage And Family Issues FacingCatholics Are Not All Universal

The Synod on the Family has provided an opportunity for people to bringup issues concerning marriage and family life facing Catholics around theworld, but it noted that not all of those issues are the same.

Spouses who are coordinators of the Pastoral Office of Marriage andFamily in the Maronite Patriarchate in Lebanon, had the opportunity to partici-pate as auditors in the synod, and said that although many issues are beingdiscussed, not all of them apply to Catholics worldwide.

For example, family issues plaguing Catholics in Africa such as polygamy,are not necessarily the same issues facing Catholics in Asia.

Each continent has its own problems … but there are some general for alland there are specific problems. What is good is the Pope is here everydaylistening to all and we have a really interesting debate; everybody is giving hisideas.

In Lebanon, divorce and remarriage is not as prominent as it is in Europeand North America, so there is less focus on care for those types of situations.The nuclear family remains strong there, with parents and children living underthe same roof even once the children become adults.

However, the slow economic environment in Lebanon has created adisruption in family life by causing many men to leave their families in search ofwork, sometimes taking them far from home.

But there are several issues of the family that are rooted in the peculiarsituation in India with its population consisting of multiple ethnicities, racialgroups, cultural identities, some of which are insulated from external influences.The prevalence of Caste has deep implications. The deep-rooted culturalpatriarchy has its impact on the role and status of women, including Catholicwomen. From this flows the rampant, and growing, incident of Dowry, which hasto be paid by the parents of a bride to the bridegroom. This has led to a greatsocial and economic crisis in many areas, specially in south India, andparticularly in the state of Kerala and nearby areas. In both Dowry and Caste, therole of the church has been controversial. Many Catholic human rights andgender activists have questioned the Church on its soft response to thesedisturbing facets of society.

A growing crisis now is of senior citizens, as couples or as widows whohave no place to live in because of poverty and displacement, or the increasein nuclear families. This is particularly so for landless labour and the urban poor,but is also a crisis in the lower middle classes in cities and small towns.

Contentspg 1 - Electoral Reforms - Our First

Prioritypg. 3 - Marriage and Family Issues

Facing Catholics Are Not AllUniversal

pg. 5 - International Front For ...pg. 6 - Cardinal Baselios Cleemis

Catholicos ...pg. 8 - Politicizing 'Love Jihad' in

Indiapg 11 - The 'Ever Ready' Dimension

of Dimensionspg 13 - Use The Digital Tools Effec-

tivelypg 14 - Evangelization Through

Media & Its Challenges Todaypg 16 - Discover Your Futurepg 19 - Inspiration!pg 20 - Matrimonialspg 22 - Corpus Christi, God's Gift To

Humanity

4 27 October 2014

While most members of themedia spent this weekperseverating on what the

synod's midterm progress report actu-ally means for cohabitating, civilly mar-ried or same-sex couples, few appar-ently noticed that the Synod fathersalso had something to say about con-traception.

Since few commentators seemedto think that paragraphs 53 and 54 ofthe report were worth mentioning, thosesections bear repeating here:

53. It is not difficult to notice thespread of a mentality that reduces thegeneration of life to a variable of anindividual's or a couple's plans. Eco-nomic factors sometimes have enoughweight to contribute to the sharp dropin the birthrate which weakens the so-cial fabric, compromising the relation-ship between generations and render-ing the view of the future less certain.Being open to life is an intrinsic require-ment of married love.

54. Probably here as well what isrequired is a realistic language that isable to start from listening to peopleand acknowledging the beauty andtruth of an unconditional opening to lifeas that which human life requires to belived to its fullest. It is on this base thatwe can rest an appropriate teachingregarding natural methods, which al-low the living in a harmonious andaware way of the communication be-tween spouses, in all its dimensions,along with generative responsibility. Inthis light, we should go back to themessage of the Encyclical HumanaeVitae of Paul VI, which underlines theneed to respect the dignity of the per-son in the moral evaluation of the meth-ods of birth control.

That these paragraphs did notgarner greater attention is tragic, espe-cially among Catholics invested in so-cial justice issues and the plight of thepoor.

The Synod fathers claim to beconcerned about a declining birth rate.While it is true that there is a decline incountries like Germany, Japan, Braziland Russia, in sub-Saharan Africa, the

population is soaring. In Niger, Mali,Somalia, Uganda, and Burkina Faso,the average number of births perwoman is six or higher.

Concerns over contraception arenot limited, of course, to the continentof Africa. The Catholic church in thePhilippines spent 10 years in the Su-preme Court blocking the implementa-tion of a state-sponsored reproductivehealth bill. Although 82 percent of Fili-pinos say that "the choice of a familyplanning method is a personal choiceof couples and no one should interferewith it," the Filipino hierarchy pressedon until a modified and more limitedversion of the law went into effect ear-lier this year.

Yet in all of the interviews I've seenwith Cardinal Luis Tagle of Manila (adarling of some Catholic progressives)at the synod, I have not seen any re-porter question him about contracep-tion, the swelling population crisis inthe Philippines, or the fact that CatholicFilipino families want access to contra-ception so they can feed their childrenand give them access to education.

For the global poor, access tocontraception can mean the differencebetween starvation and nourishment,poverty and stability, illness and health,death and life. Few issues are morecrucial to the fate of poor families aroundthe world.

It seems to be inherent in humannature: If an issue isn't affecting usdirectly, it's harder to become impas-sioned about it. Sometimes even themost well-meaning progressives canget caught up in their tight circle ofconcerns and cannot see beyond theirown privilege. On the issue of contra-ception, that needs to change, espe-cially as the Synod of Bishops on thefamily develops over the next two years.

Jamie L. Manson is NCR bookseditor. She received her Master of Di-vinity degree from Yale Divinity School,where she studied Catholic theologyand sexual ethics.

Source: National Catholic Reporter

Synod's Paragraphs On ContraceptionShould Be Getting More Press

Goa Tourism today launched awomen taxi service for women passen-gers, driven by women drivers trainedin self-defence.

The service was inaugurated byChief Minister Manohar Parrikar inMiramar, making Goa one of the fewstates in the country to have such afacility.

State Transport Minister SudinDhavalikar, Tourism Minister DilipParulekar and Goa Tourism Develop-ment Corporation (GTDC) ChairmanNilesh Cabral were amongst thosepresent on the occasion.

The release said the taxis wouldbe driven by women drivers who aretrained in self defence, soft skills, first-aid and have knowledge of tourist spots,thus doubling up as tourist guides totheir passengers when needed.

The drivers are groomed in basicetiquette, personal hygiene and cus-tomer relations to ensure a positiveexperience. The cars will be equippedwith GPS monitoring system which sup-ports a panic alert button backed bythe back office.

To begin with, ten new air-condi-tioned taxis will be available to ply toand from the airport, hotels, railwaystations and bus terminals and will bestationed at GTDC residencies.

Other salient features of the ser-vice include display of driver identityon the dashboard; electronic faremeters with digital receipt print-outs;fare payment option through card orcash; portable fire extinguishers & firstaid kit; monitoring of cab movement atall times by the central control room;emergency panic button in the cab;and prominent display of emergencycontact numbers.

Goa launches taxisdriven by women,

for women

527 October 2014

Bishops Hint AtSubstantiallyAltered Final

Synod DocumentVatican City: As the synod fathers'small groups continue to meet, it seemsincreasingly clear that the Synod ofBishops' concluding document, therelatio synodi, will be substantially dif-ferent than the midterm relatio whichwas released Monday.

The relatio synodi is called to mir-ror the concerns and proposals raisedduring the small group discussions thisweek, in which bishops have beengrouped according to language.

After the issuance of the midtermreport, the synod fathers raised theirconcerns in 41 free interventions, whichhighlighted the absence of the wordsin, the absence of the Gospel of Fam-ily, and some perhaps naive sentencesof the document which could be sub-ject to misinterpretation.

“The issue at stake is whether theCatholic Church is going to shape theworld with its teaching, the truth it re-veals, or if it is going to be shaped bythe world,” said Archbishop StanislawGadecki of Poznan, who is president ofthe Polish bishops' conference.

The small groups are said to behaving lively discussions about the is-sues at stake.

Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella,president of the Pontifical Council forPromoting the New Evangelization, un-derscored in a briefing with journaliststhat his small group has “discussedtopics which had not been properlydiscussed in the synod hall”.

Archbishop Fisichella stressedthat “there is little acknowledgement ofthe natural methods of family planning:there is almost a form of boycott toeducate about natural family planning”.

Meanwhile, Bishop Nicolas DjomoLola of Tshumbe, in the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, listed amongthe missing hotspots in the synod’smidterm report “the attention for thechildren without family because of war”.

Source: Catholic News Agency

Our era is marked by the rise ofthe religious-Right – not because of a “religious revival”

but rather due to the rise of far-Rightpolitical movements and states usingreligion for political supremacy. Thisrise is a direct consequence of neo-conservatism and neo-liberalism andthe social policies of communalismand cultural relativism. Universalism,secularism and citizenship rights havebeen abandoned and segregation ofsocieties and “communities” based onethnicity, religion and culture have be-come the norm.

The Islamic State (formerly ISIS), theSaudi regime, Hindutva (RashtriyaSwayamsevak Sangh) in India, theChristian-Right in the US and Europe,Bodu Bala Sena in Sri Lanka, Haredimin Israel, AQMI and MUJAO in Mali,Boko Haram in Nigeria, the Taliban inAfghanistan and Pakistan to the Is-lamic Republic of Iran and the IslamicSalvation Front in Algeria are examplesof this.

For many decades now, people in theMiddle East, North Africa, South Asiaand the Diaspora have been the firstvictims but also on the frontlines ofresistance against the religious-Right(whether religious states, organisationsand movements) and in defence ofsecularism and universal rights, oftenat great risk to their lives.

—Fr. Cedric Prakash sjDirector, "PRASHANT"

- A Centre for Human Rights, Justiceand Peace

International Front For Religious-Right, Secularism and Civil Rights

We call on people everywhere to standwith us to establish an internationalfront against the religious-Right and forsecularism. We demand:

1. Complete separation of religion fromthe state. Secularism is a funda-mental right.

2. Separation of religion from publicpolicy, including the educationalsystem, health care and scientificresearch.

3. Abolition of religious laws in thefamily, civil and criminal codes. Anend to discrimination against andpersecution of LGBT, religious mi-norities, women, freethinkers, ex-Muslims, and others.

4. Freedom of religion and atheismand freedom to criticise religions.Belief as a private affair.

5. Equality between women and menand citizenship rights for all.

Adopted at the 11-12 October 2014International Conference on the Reli-gious-Right, Secularism and Civil Rightsin London.

6 27 October 2014

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In an interview with ZENIT this weekin the Vatican, the major archbishop-Catholicos- of the Syro-Malankara

Church says Pope Francis’ call for thesynod is timely, while reminding that“All comes from the family. If that isbroken and fragile, the fruits will be ofthe same.”

ZENIT: First of all, for our readerscould you tell us your name, title,and responsibilities:

Cardinal Cleemis: I am CardinalBaselios Cleemis. I am Major Arch-bishop - Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and cur-rently I am also the president of theIndian Catholic Bishops conference. Ithas 168 dioceses and about 200 bish-ops in the conference. We are a minor-ity community in India as far as theChristians are concerned. And about2.5 percent of the population are theChristians, in which 1.8 percent isCatholic. And I come from Kerala, themost southern tip of India. The placefrom where St. Thomas the Apostlecame and preached the Gospel, andtherefore we are known as St. ThomasChristians. We have about 17 percentof Christians in that state of Kerala.

ZENIT: What are your hopes andexpectations for this synod? Whatare you hoping to bring back from it?

Cardinal Cleemis: I think the currentsynod is in continuation of our currentsearch to find out the basic unit of

human life. The church has been call-ing it as the family, the domestic Church.It is the basic of society and the humanrace. Looking at these years of devel-opments from the social, economicrealms, so much has been improvedupon, but the most affected unit is thefamily. It’s fragile and becoming moreexposed and broken, as you see. Andthe Church, of course, very much de-pends on this basic unit, the family.From there, comes God’s own people,the Chosen Ones, the faithful, and thevocations to priests, religious, and fam-ily. All comes from the family. If that isbroken and fragile, the fruits will be ofthe same.

Therefore, the Holy FatherPope Francis has called the worldwideCatholic Church to pray and reflectupon this basic unit of human race andthat of the Church: the family. He hasgiven us an area of concrete attention:the pastoral challenges of the families.The Present World. What are the realissues?

So we have come with a back-ground of discussion done early bylocal churches, with various areas andpeople. As a result we have come upwith the working document,Instrumentum Laboris. And now wehave a working paper. And we arereflecting upon that. We have come toour discussions, orientations, and moreprecisely, now in the small groups, we

are focusing on each number and dis-cussing it at length and proposingthings to the general assembly, whichwill propose it to the Holy Father. It willbe taken to the next synod asInstrumentum Laboris, the workingdocument. Therefore, the approach hasbeen very comprehensive and verypositive. The aim is very dignified andnoble. And of course when I came forthe synod, I am exposed to a world-wide Church, just different contexts,

Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Catholicos:Pope Has Given Us Areas of Concrete Attention

(Contd.. on p. 10)

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727 October 2014

Celebrities, many nominated tohold prominent public positions whichthey hardly attend to have been drawnon to the TV Screen to encourage vot-ers to cast their votes. Why is advertis-ing required to get people to vote if theissues concern the people personally?If I am a responsible citizen I don’t needa Sachin Tendulkar or Hema Malini totell me that I must vote and whom tovote for. No doubt the Election Com-mission takes great pains in preparingvoters’ lists but obviously there areforces that ensure that some names donot appear. This is a matter for seriousinvestigation.

The Prime Minister’s oratoricalskills were used to generalize what hashappened, what is happening andpromises of what will happen He couldnot address local issues and specificproblems. Hence, there is no way to

write-up a score card after 100 days orsix months. Credit is being taken forlowering of fuel and wholesale priceswhen this a world-wide phenomenon.Credit was also taken for the ceasefires on the borders with Pakistan andChina because of the tough stand taken.But within a few days the trouble hasresumed. Propaganda is a system ofcarrying the masses with you whichwas perfected in the 20th Century andwhich is being effectively used today.

The new government has a mas-sive agenda for abolishing obsoletelaws. Labor laws are being stream-lined, land acquisition is being madeeasy. Environmental clearances arebeing given so that the projects can beput on fast track. Those who plan thesetectonic changes claim that they havea massive mandate from the people tobring about change. But what is theMandate? The BJP which has a major-ity in the Lok Sabha won only 31 % ofthe votes cast, and if we take the total

electorate, it is only 20 % .The majority,the 69 % who voted for other partieshave no say. The majority is at themercy of the minority. Does every votereally count? Land, environment, laborreforms are going to be pushed throughthough they may not be in the interestof the majority, The first past the postsystem of elections is at the heart of thismalady, but over the past 60 years nopolitical party has wanted it changed. Ithas come in handy to swing votesusing small groups, caste affiliations,local interests, etc. If we want the coun-try to progress it must start with who isrunning the country — It must startwith electoral reforms.

Can we talk of good governancewhen the system for electing a govern-ment is flawed? When we have govern-ments which do not work in the interestof the people, what can the people do?They have two choices — Keep quietand accept what is happening OR Learnhow to speak up.

(Contd.. from front page)

Electoral Reforms — Our First Priority

8 27 October 2014

A recent outpouring of supportfor Prime Minister NarendraModi's development agenda by

several Catholic and Protestant lead-ers is not likely to reduce the deep andseemingly abiding distrust the Indianpolitical and social system holds to-ward what are popularly known as the"missionaries". Nor will it mitigate thehate that is now erupting in India againstreligious minorities.

Missionaries was a term onceused in the Indian subcontinent to de-scribe clergy, religious and social work-ers who arrived during the course ofthree centuries from Europe and laterthe United States. They set up schools,hospitals and mission stations acrossmuch of the Indian land mass.

The coming of foreign, and al-most entirely white, religiouspersonnel stopped soonafter World War II, but therewas still a sizable number inthe country at indepen-dence. In 1993, India had1,923 registered foreignmissionaries. By 2001, thenumber was 1,100. No official dataexists for 2013-14, but estimates varyfrom 200 to 500. Most have lived inIndia for periods ranging from 20 yearsto 60 years.

This is far removed from the im-age that the Sangh Parivar and thegovernment paints of a land teemingwith Western missionaries. But sincethe 1960s, it has been impossible forany priest or nun to obtain a religiousvisa to India, and many who come ontourist visas have to sign papers atIndian consulates that they will not in-dulge in religious activity.

It is not entirely correct to suggestthat it is just the Hindu nationalistRashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS)and its political wing the BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) that oppose mis-sion work on grounds of ideology andreligion. The larger Indian political lead-ership, both in the Congress and inother parties, including those emerg-ing from the socialist movement of RamManohar Lohia of north India, have

seen the community as an appendageof the British Raj. The leader of thefreedom struggle, MohandasKaramchand Gandhi, already called amahatma and later formally named thefather of the nation, had serious doubtsabout missionaries. E. Stanley Jonesin his book The Christ of the Indian

Road, records an encounterwith the mahatma. He askedGandhi, "though you quotethe words of Christ often,why is it that you appear toso adamantly reject becom-ing his follower?" The replywas clear: "Oh, I don't rejectyour Christ. I love your Christ.

It is just that so many of you Christiansare so unlike your Christ". Gandhi'sstatement molded the political dis-course in independent India.

India's constitution promulgatedin 1950 nonetheless gave Christiansthe right to profess, practice and propa-gate their faith, with some lawmakersstressing that the propagation of faithwas integral to the religion. But amongthe first acts of the then governmentwas to withdraw affirmative action fromuntouchable groups other than thosewho were Hindu. The issue has agi-tated the community ever since.Theabsolute ban on freedom of faith ofthese people, who constitute 16 to 20percent of the population, was ostensi-bly to prevent conversion to Christian-ity or Islam.

The bane of the Christian commu-nity has been anti-conversion laws,ironically called Freedom of ReligionActs, which brought officialdom firmlyinto a process that was otherwise be-tween a person and his conscience.

Six states have these laws, another hasenacted but not yet implemented them.The BJP said in its election campaign itintends to make this a national law.Governmental permission and severepenalties are the cutting edge of theselaws. Political parties, barring perhapsthe Marxists, and even the SupremeCourt of India tend to agree to the needof the anti-conversion laws. The UNHuman Rights Council, EuropeanUnion and international freedom of faithorganizations have called them a graveviolation of the UN Universal Declara-tion of Human Rights.

The premise that no one convertsunless he is being lured, cheated orcoerced into Christianity or Islam isnow a major political slogan in theBJP’s mission to control every regionalgovernment after coming to power inNew Delhi in May.

The Muslim community has beenthe object of suspicion since the 1947partition of the subcontinent, which sawwidespread violence, and has left anunspoken but virulent Islamaphobia inIndian society. Recent acts of terror inIndia have deepened this chasm.

This officially sanctioned suspi-cion, and the political hate emergingfrom it, underpins the current cam-paigns by the RSS and its subsidiaries,which target both the Christian and theMuslim communities, especially innorth and central India.

A new dimension was added thisyear in the electoral rhetoric of the BJPin the run up to the general elections,and elections to the legislative assem-blies of several states in north and westIndia. This is a campaign to evoke thefear in highly patriarchal feudal societ-ies in rural India that young Muslim andChristian men are threatening the se-curity and sexual purity of their women.

It began innocently enough inKerala with the state High Court askingpolice if there was a strategy in cases ofinterfaith marriages to coerce Hinduwomen into converting to Christianityor Islam. Police could not find anydesign and the matter seemed to have

Politicizing 'Love Jihad' in India

BY JOHN DAYAL

The bane of the Christian com-munity has been anti-conversionlaws, ironically called Freedomof Religion Acts, which broughtofficialdom firmly into a processthat was otherwise between aperson and his conscience. Sixstates have these laws, anotherhas enacted but not yet imple-mented them.

(Contd.. on p. 9)

927 October 2014

ended, until it re-erupted in north India.But now, the police are on the side oflocal political thugs, and both seemacting under the patronage and pro-tection of powerful leaders in New Delhi.

Love Jihad, as it is called, hasbeen presented as a grand design inwhich young Hindu women are se-duced by Muslim and Christian men,lured into marriage, and then convertedin a conspiracy to alter the demographicprofile of Hindu India.

The result has been the houndingof young men, and the humiliation ofHindu women across the country. InMadhya Pradesh, a district police chiefannulled the marriage of a Christianman and a Hindu woman under pres-sure from a Hindu mob.

The state governments, and morethan that, the federal government, havemaintained an intriguing silence, withno official condemnation of this crimi-nal intimidation of young couples inlove.

This has led civil society groupsto believe that the hate campaign hasthe blessings of the government. Theinaction of the superior courts and thenational human rights commission infailing to recognize these extrajudicialintrusions into the personal life of citi-zens compounds the crisis.

John Dayal is the general secre-tary of the All India Christian Counciland a member of the Indiangovernment's National IntegrationCouncil.

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Hindu hardliners influencingofficials' treatment of Christians

New Delhi: Police and local officials incentral Madhya Pradesh state have beenharassing Christians at the behest ofhardline Hindu groups, according toChristian leaders.

In one case, a Christian group wasdenied permission by the local adminis-tration in Alirajpur district to host anannual gathering October 6-9. As justifi-cation, the authorities said the eventwould have created social tensions inthe area.

Kapil Sharma, president of theMoksha Foundation and an organizer ofthe event, told ucanews.com that thelocal administration is "playing at thehands of right-wing Hindu groups totarget minority Christians".

Sharma said he also was asked toprovide details about the event's fund-ing sources and questioned aboutwhether he was involved in any criminalor illegal activities.

The administration wants to "ter-rorize Christians," said Sharma, who con-verted to Christianity from the Hindureligion in 2006.

He said the recent series of inci-dents represented a basic denial of Chris-tians’ constitutional right to freedom ofreligion.

It was also in Alirajpur district thatpolice declared invalid the marriage of22-year old Christian Joseph Pawar andhis 19-year old Hindu wife Ayushi Wani

after the couple eloped.Wani's family and radical Hindu

groups objected to the marriage, alleg-ing it was a ploy to convert a Hinduwoman to Christianity. Police invalidatedthe marriage on October 3, claiming itviolated Madhya Pradesh’s anti-conver-sion laws.

Nirmal Singh, Pawar's relative, tolducanews.com that the couple had sent adigital copy of their marriage registra-tion certificate to the Alirajpur districtsuperintendent of police.

"But the officer seemed to havedeleted the copy, joined [in support of]the Hindu group and declared their mar-riage void in violation of the law," Singhsaid.

Pawar and his mother have goneinto hiding at an undisclosed location forreasons of safety, while the bride wassent to a “rehabilitation” facility, accord-ing to Singh. Such facilities are oftenused to hold women who have beencaught engaging in prostitution, druguse or other such socially stigmatizedactivities.

Richard James, Bhopal districtpresident of the National Christian Fo-rum, told ucanews.com that Hindugroups have been "more active and tar-geting minorities" since the BJP wonrecent national elections.

Christian leader and rights activistAC Michael of New Delhi said events in

Madhya Pradesh reflect whatis happening throughout In-dia since the party assumedpower.

"BJP cadres and theirallied groups seem to believethat the victory in the electionis a mandate for them to actupon their ideology of mak-ing India a Hindu nation. Butthey are sadly mistaken,"Michael said.

Michael tolducanews.com that humanrights groups have recordedmore than 600 attacks on re-ligious minorities in the coun-try since Prime MinisterNarendra Modi took office.

Source: ucanews.com

(Contd.. from p. 8)

10 27 October 2014

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different social realities, cultural pointsof view. Also, the faith application in itsvaried degrees. Therefore, it gives usagain the strength to bring back thebest out of the whole discussion bythese people.

ZENIT: Are you happy with the Relatiothat was just released yesterday?

Cardinal Cleemis: See, for example,the people outside of our assemblyhall, how many people actually evenunderstand the meaning of the word‘Relatio.’ This is the output of our freediscussions in the synod hall. Theseare combined together and are pre-sented by the special relator of thesynod. After its presentation, they werealready some points of disagreementsand opinions. It was just presenting ourfirst reflection. Then we have the freediscussions. But that is not there be-cause there was no time. To me, itwould have been more advisable tohave all these discussions in the smalllanguage groups, plus the Relatio al-ready published, combined as a com-prehensive opinion of the synod hall.Again, this is a working paper for thenext synod. Again, there are issueswhich require more patience and spiri-tual virtues to understand and act upon.And also we have to come to more apractical solution to include thosepeople who feel more fragile and bro-ken. That they are included in the main-stream Church. For that, we need moretime to pray, and to act upon. That’swhat I feel.

Generally, the discussion wasvery positive to bring the due attentionto the family system, to the families,and special attention to the brokenfamilies, the fragile ones. There is nodoubt about that.

ZENIT: Just to be clear, you believethe document should have includedsome of the products of these dis-cussion groups?

Cardinal Cleemis: In my assessment,the relatio plus the discussions, what isgoing on now in the small languagegroups, plus the presentation in thecoming days in the general assembly,

and that approved text should havebeen released.

You’ll see the difference whenthat approved text comes out, becausethere are also differences of opinion onthese issues. That would have beenmore comprehensive, more objective.

ZENIT: How would you describe thestate of the family in India?

Cardinal Cleemis: Generally, in India,the society depends very much on thefamily. In India, in our culture, familyhas a greater role to play, not individu-als, but the family as a unit. For ex-ample, the family takes care of the childand its education, as well as the reli-gious education and the upbringing ofthe adult, initiating him or her to thesocial life of the society. And also, evenwhen he or she is working, the familyaccompanies, like in spirit, prayer, andso on. And the same family is assistingthe son or daughter with the marriageas well. And some people misunder-stand this, with the termed “arranged

marriage.” It has a very negative con-notation, but in our culture it is not true.Especially in the Indian Christian fami-lies, the families help the son or thedaughter to seek and find out the bestpartner for him or her for an indis-soluble, for a long time, not for a shorttime. The simple logic is that peopledepend very much upon the internet tofind a suitable match. Is it more sen-sible to have that advice from the par-ents and from the family? So the familyassists its members to have a veryhealthy, reasonable, spiritual solutionof choosing the partner. Likewise, thefamily plays a greater role in one’s life,in our context.

Therefore, it is not an affair ofindividuals, in our culture. The family isa unit. It has its own value. But now thetrend of the West has also come to ourplace in the sense, there are difficultieswith employment, the scarcity of time,and so on. Still, the family is consid-ered to be a deciding unit in each one’s

(Contd.. on p. 18)

(Contd.. from p. 6)

1127 October 2014 1127 October 2014

The ‘Ever Ready’ Dimension of Dimensions

Frederick Gregory Mendonca isa MangaloreanCatholic, affectionately called Freddy ‘Ever

Ready’. He is currently, an ExecutiveDirector with Protocol Marine ServicesPvt. Ltd, a Mumbai-based, having of-fices/associates all over the Globe apast growing and expanding LogisticsCompany. Freddy, used his contactsand relationships to ensure ongoingbusiness to his company - so that timeinvested in his community-buildingactivities were never resented or cur-tailed.

Freddy’s first attempt in commu-nity-building activities wasin taking thelead in organizing the Johny Levershow in 1998 at the Central RailwayMechanical Institute at Parel for build-ing an English Medium School in hisnative village which was a hit. Next, in2004, in association with The SecularCitizen he organizedthe Life TimeAchievement Award ceremony atOrlem Church for the unsung heroAnthony Parakkal. Parakkal made hisway into the LimcaBook of Recordsand Genesis Book of World Recordsfor writing the maximum number ofletters to the editor. Anthony Parakkalwas given Rs. 50,000/-. On both occa-sions a colorful souvenir was takenout. However, it is with Dimensionsthat Freddy’s name has become syn-onymous with.

Freddy persuasively opened upthe mind-set of the Christian commu-nity to business networking. ‘Dimen-sions’ is the easily the most well-knownnetworking platform within the IndianChristian community. He enrolled agroup of fellow Christian Business per-sons to come together and build Di-mensions as a Networking Platformwherein growing Christian entrepre-neurs could solicit/give business toeach other and economically prosperthe community. It is because of hisvision, exemplary hard-work anddogged persistence backed by theBoard of Directors, that Dimensionshas become a house-hold name notonly in the Christian community inIndia; but also overseas.

As the Managing Editor of ‘Di-mensionally Yours’, Freddy has me-ticulously built up the readership toover 20,000; whilst the directors ofDimensions and sponsors of this news-letter have selflessly given and con-tinue to give advertising revenue sim-ply to sustain its existence and propelits growth.

Looking today at the thriving Di-mensions Community as it exists; it’seasy to laud Freddy and his untiringteam of directors. It is when you lookback over the carefully orchestratedevents and milestones that you realize

same time ensuring he is carryingone and all with him.

In 2012, Freddy was conferredwith the prestigious “Karma VeerPuraskar”by Icongo - the InternationalConfederation of NGOs that makes itits mission to identify and acknowl-edge such selfless, community build-ers. It was the high point of his life ashe got to interact with other selfless,humble, super yet often quiet com-munity builders.Freddy emphases thepoint that he continues to be a simplecommunity worker with a single-minded focus on building Dimensionsas a business networking platform forChristian businesspersons. So thatthe Christian community becomes aforce to be reckoned with, lendingsupport to one another and becomenoticeable in the economic main-stream of Nation building.Personally,he’s unprepared to accept any creditfor the achievements as he feels, it isthe collective work of the team and hewas just a facilitator and communica-tor. Without the able team he wouldhave been a zero!

This great milestone for the Chris-tian Community has come at a greatpersonal price. He has built the wealthof the community at the cost of hisown health and wealth. He is knownfar and wide within the community.No one can truly plumb the depths ofa Crusader. Freddy is now commit-ted at making long over-due amends,as he looks at life beyond his 65thbirthday.

Freddy says he was inspired bythe work of Bishop Percival Fernandeswho single-handedly collected anamount of Rupees 10 crores(as on to-day) forproviding medical assistanceto the poor of the Archdiocese ofBombay. The quote that fired him upwas, if there is inspiration, they are innumbers to perspire! Now heisinvolved in “CHEMS”(CatholicHigher Education and Mentoring So-ciety – registered under charity com-missioner) activities – as its Vice Presi-dent. Already an amount of Rs.18 lacs

(Contd.. on p. 15)

(Raymond D’Souza continuesto work closely with Mr. FreddyMendonca in the interest of theChristian business community.He can be contacted at :raymond@passionpreneur.in)

the painstaking efforts taken. Till thenew Chairman Joseph Mathews tookoverthe day to day functions of Dimen-sions since 2012,Freddy had to ensureadequate quorum for each monthlymeeting.In addition he had to ensure achairperson for every meeting; arrangefor inspiring speakers and drum upenthusiasm in members; besides so-liciting articles for the ‘DimensionallyYours’ newsletter as its founder editor.He had to sensitively carry his teamwith him feeling the pressure of deliver-ing results to his community and at the

Frederick Mendonca

12 27 October 201412 27 October 2014

THANKSGIVINGThey Prayed andFavours Granted

All your family problems, financial needs, purity,dangers, job, housing, happy death and other needs,pray to your favourite Saints from the bottom of your

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Infant Jesusfor the favours

granted—V. A. D'Souza,

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ThanksgivingThanksgivingThanksgivingThanksgivingThanksgiving

Thanks to Sacred Heart ofJesus for the favours

granted

—Ms. B. A. Menezes, Mangalore

ThanksgivingThanks to St.Francis Xavier forthe favoursgranted. Prayingfor more favours.

— Mrs. Sarita F. Vaz,Santacruz (E)

'Huge gulf' between China and Catholic church, says US congressman

The state of religious freedom inChina is moving from bad toworse, said US Rep Chris Smith

(R-NJ), responding to a new report bythe Congressional-Executive Commis-sion on China.

“There’s a huge gulf now” be-tween China and the Catholic Church,Smith stated during an October 9 con-ference call with reporters.

He acknowledged that “the un-derground church has been brutallypersecuted in China, both Protestantand Catholic,” but said that now eventhe state-recognized church is facingpersecution.

“The Patriotic Church, the Catho-lic Church, they are being targetedwith church demolitions and other

kinds of repression which we have notseen before. So there’s a great deal ofconcern that religious freedom, as badas it was, has further deteriorated inChina.”

Smith went on to cite a statementfrom the report: “Chinese authoritiescontinued to harass, detain, imprison,

and interfere with the religious activi-ties of members of both registeredand unregistered Protestant commu-nities who ran afoul of government orparty policy.”

The report also detailed thegovernment’s hostility to Catholicism,saying that “authorities continued toharass Catholics who practice theirfaith outside of state-approved pa-rameters”.

Among the incidents of harass-ment in the past year were the re-ported detainment of two under-ground Catholic priests for “organiz-ing adult catechism classes” and fineslevied against laymen supporting thepriests’ efforts.

Unfailing Prayer to St. AnthonyO holy St. Anthony, gentlest of

Saints, your love for God and Charity

ever ready to speak for those in troubleor anxiety. Encouraged by thisthought, I implore of you to obtain forme (request). The answer to my prayermay require a miracle, even so, youare the Saint of Miracles. O gentle andloving St. Anthony, whose heart wasever full of human sympathy, whispermy petition into the ears of the SweetInfant Jesus, who loved to be foldedin your arms; and the gratitude of myheart will ever be yours.

—Mr. Nelson Fernandes, Mulund

for his creatures, madeyou worthy, when onearth, to possess mi-raculous powers.Miracles waited on yourword, which you were

1327 October 2014 1327 October 2014

Evangelization Through The Media& Its Challenges Today

Tie-up of important points emerging from the deliberationsby Virginia Saldanha

Use The Digital Tools Effectively

S peaking onWomen inthe Media,

Carol Andrade re-ferred to the misogy-nist comment of SatyaNadella which ap-peared in all the main-line newspapers thatmorning (11 October2014), that “Womenin technology shouldnot ask for pay hikes”implying that womenhave to work hard toshow that they de-serve the pay rise. Yes, women inmedia have to work twice as hard toprove themselves worthy of a goodsalary. Despite the bias she pointedout that there are increasing numbersof women entering the field of informa-tion technology (IT); though excellentcommunicators, there are very fewwomen at the top because stereo-types persist. The media she said hasfailed women.

Yes, women are good communi-cators. We are always sharing storiesand information but often this has beennegatively termed as “gossip”. In real-ity we are communicating, bondingand creating circles of communities oftrust. Men, less skilled as they are ascommunicators and who do not un-derstand this, should actually learnfrom women to communicate by shar-ing their stories instead of labellingcommunication between women as“gossip”! She said that the technologyin media presents a variety of ways forevangelization through the various so-cial media platforms like twitter,facebook, email etc. She drew atten-tion to the story in the Indian Expresson the campaign for more toilets for

women and suggested that such sto-ries could be shared with many othersusing digital technology.

Yes, Social transformation is alsoan important form of evangelization andthe digital media is a vital way to createawareness as regards social issues. Iam personally involved in the socialjustice field and use e-mail and facebookto share information on various issues.

Speaking on Media and Reli-gious Life, Sister Joeyanna stated thatthe numbers of people inhabiting thedigital world is so large that it has cometo be known as the 6th continent! Shementioned the different kinds of peoplewho inhabit the digital world – thosewho use it when needed, those who areaddicted to IT, and those who reject itoutright.

Sr Joeyanna opined that “mediatransforms people, inspires people”,and so its role in evangelization is vital.She estimated that 53% of Religioususe IT. Most religious are on socialnetworking sites which can enhancelife and be used as a major resource.Pointing out that Jesus was the bestcommunicator of all time she stressedthat Jesus the person was the medium

the World, pointed out that thoughmedia is a powerful tool, the Churchhas not used it effectively - the Churchneeds to communicate the truth anduse the available digital tools effec-tively to do so.

He felt that social platforms canconnect to millions of people; he gavevarious examples available like theexcellent quotes from Pope Franciswhich could be broadcast to groupswho in turn share it with other groups,thus interlinking people. There arealso scripture passages which can beshared in a similar way thus bringingthe Word alive.

Father Nigel gave the partici-pants enough food for thought whenhe presented us with two strikingwords that he coined (and with a briefexplanation). He urged all to be an “E-Soldier” and an “E-Curator”! Howone wished homilies at Mass couldlikewise be short and effective using afew effective words!

Among the comments and que-ries from the audience the concern ofa Sister Formator was very significantas she was concerned as to whether

of his communication, by his exampleand his word bringing about transfor-mation in people. We need to trans-form ourselves by being more likeJesus.

Father Nigel, whose topic was,Media in Relation to the WORD and

(Contd.. on p. 15)

14 27 October 201414 27 October 2014

Evangelization Through TheMedia & Its Challenges Today

by Monica Fernandes

As part of their centenary celebrations, the Daughters ofSaint Paul hosted a sympo-

sium on the title theme on Saturday11 October 2014 at their facility onWaterfield Road, Bandra West withcheerful and efficient LadislausD’Souza, Copy-editor of St Paul’s/Better Yourself Books as moderator.

The veteran and respected jour-nalist, Ms Carol Andrade, currentlyDean, Post Graduation Journalism,S.P.I.C.E., speaking on Women inthe Media, said that it was unfortu-

nate that women are blocked fromattaining senior and powerful posi-tions as journalists and editors whocan make a difference in reportingsocial and economic issues. Womenjournalists have achieved prominencein fields that appeal to women such asbeauty, clothing, jewelry and décor.But in terms of prominence, the onlywoman in media that they have heardof is Barkha Dutt!

Carol felt that one of the factorsblocking women’s progress is gen-der discrimination. Women who havemade significant contribution despitethe odds have faced snide remarksand disgruntled juniors, another be-ing that many women have to give upworking in order to raise a family. It isnever the man giving up his career butalways the woman. When she tries toget back to journalism after a break,she has to start afresh, her experiencediscounted.

Regrettably, women are partlyto blame for the fact that not sufficient

importance is given to issues that con-cern their own gender, Carol pointedout, deploring the fact that social is-sues such as rape are reported in asensational manner that have eyeballsrolling. And, why? Because people loveyellow journalism even as the underly-ing reasons for these occurrences andhow they can be addressed so as tomake society change for the better arenot dwelt upon.

Carol opined that when priestsand nuns send their grievances to thePress, these are not published, and

where they are, the write-up in ques-tion is shortened and relegated to anobscure column. She felt that the onlyway to surmount this problem was bypestering the publication concernedwith phone calls and emails. Shepointed out that perhaps, given thereluctance of the press to publish re-ligious issues, articles on social is-sues could be sent.

Sister Joeyanna D’Souza, fsp,Manager IP Team, Daughters of SaintPaul, Bandra, speaking on Media andReligious Life, highlighted the im-portance of communication in orderto spread the Word. The statistics shegave showed the volume of use thesocial media is put to in service of theGospel and how much needs to bedone on the part of the religious tomaximize its use. Appropriately, sheemphasized the need for impartingcommunication skills to religious.

Father Nigel Barrett, Director,Bombay Archdiocesan Catholic Com-munications Centre, speaking on the

Media in relation to the Word andthe World, touched on the excel-lence of Jesus as a communicatorwho could talk on the same wave-length with the educated and the un-educated alike! He said that as Chris-tians we are called to be communica-tors as well, optimally using the me-dia in order to spread the message ofJesus. Father Nigel’s PPT presenta-tion demonstrated the use of modernmethods of communication in being‘e-messengers’ who use the electronicmedia in order to proclaim the goodnews through the written word and ‘e-curators’ who could copy-paste rel-evant articles and messages and sendthem on to others. For instance, wecould circulate messages of PopeFrancis via email or facebook andtwitter accounts. Point out the useful-ness of e-media when communicat-ing with our youth, he informed thegathering of the formation of a groupof “What’s Ap” users whom he inti-mates as regards any important eventstaking place and who in turn send themessage across to their respectivecircles.

Father Nigel also urged cautionand discreetness as regards sendingmessages to the Press so as not tocreate issues for the Church. For in-stance, he says he is careful to toe theline in his official capacity but doesfeel free to express his personal viewswhich may be different.

As a result of the general discus-sions and exchange of ideas that fol-lowed, a priest-participant suggestedthat we look at the possibility of con-ducting Catechism classes throughSkype, suggesting that the matter tobe studied could be emailed to theyouth concerned. Father Nigel re-sponded by saying that while the elec-tronic media could be used to someextent, it cannot replace face-to-facecommunication in terms of catechesis.

The Symposium, which com-menced with a dance essay of theCanticle in Praise of the Media bySister Silvia, fsp, at 4.30 pm con-cluded at 6.30 pm with a tie-up of themain points of the deliberations byMrs Virginia Saldanha, the Vote ofThanks by Sister Rosily, and refresh-ments.

1527 October 2014

Indian BecomesDubai's Latest

MillionaireThe draw for Dubai Duty Free’s

176th Millennium Millionaire took placeon Tuesday, where Biju JoseChakkalakkal, an Indian national livingin Dubai, won the prize of his lifetime,$1 million (Dh3.67 million).

The winning ticket no. 2086 wasdrawn by Colm McLoughlin, ExecutiveVice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free,along with George Horan, President,Salah Tahlak, Senior Vice President –Corporate Communications andSinead El Sibai, Vice President – Mar-keting in the presence of passengersand staff in Concourse C, Dubai Inter-national Airport.

The lucky dollar millionaire is cur-rently on a holiday in India, and wasspeechless when he heard the news ofhis newfound wealth.

Commenting on his stroke of luck,Chakkalakkal said: “I had a gut feelingthat this day will come and finally Imade it. My family has always encour-aged me not to give up and now, thanksto Dubai Duty Free and lady luck, myperseverance has finally paid off. I’mlooking forward now to come back toDubai to receive the much-awaitedprize.”

The Millennium Millionaire Pro-motion was first introduced in 1999 andin its 15-year lifespan has resulted in176 $1million cheques being presentedto winners from all around the globe.Chakkalakkal is the 80th Indian na-tional to win the raffle since the promo-tion was first introduced.

she should control the use of the mo-bile phone among her formees or not.Father Nigel aptly said that the use ofdigital gadgets has to be accompa-nied with control bordering on respon-sibility, pointing out that without a senseof responsibility these gadgets cancontrol us.

Today when we are talking aboutthe importance of the family with theSynod on the Family in session inRome, the question of control of digitalgadgets in the family is vital. Familiescan sit around the dining table, eachbusy with their own communicationgadget but in no way communicatingwith each other - this is the pitfall ofdigital communication which we haveto watch out for!

Going back to Sister Joyeanna’spoint about Jesus being the mediumof communication – well, each one ofus can be a medium of communica-tion for evangelization. The way welive and interact is important to con-veying values. Indeed, nothing canreplace the human person as a me-dium of communication. Though theoldest form of communication, it con-tinues to be the primary and the mosteffective. Personal communicationbuilds relationships and bonds peopletogether.

During the group discussion aSister shared about her visits to fami-lies in her neighbourhood. The fami-lies she visits belong to all faiths andthey appreciate her visits. She prayswith them, even respects their way of

praying. Sister is the medium of evan-gelization.

To Father Nigel’s suggestion onhomilies I would like to add a requestthat priests be told not to use internethomilies as these are only read outand, not coming from the heart of thepreacher, can be quite boring andineffective. The best and most effec-tive homilies, even if they be as shortas the two striking words that FatherNigel referred to and which havegripped our attention, come out ofpeople’s experience.

One question that was not an-swered and which I feel needs to is thequestion on marriage preparationcourses on the internet to meet theneeds of today’s busy young peoplewho are short on time to be physicallypresent for the interactive sessions.While an internet course is a goodidea, it has its limitations as a marriagepreparation course. Giving informa-tion is okay, but it cannot replace theface to face interaction between thecouple that takes place in a marriagepreparation course. As pointed outearlier, the person is the most impor-tant medium of communication. Com-munication is crucial for the marriagerelationship and this is facilitated in theperson to person interactive marriagepreparation course and cannot be re-placed by an internet session.

To conclude: First, using digitalcommunication is wonderful as longas it is done in a responsible manner.Second, we should never replace theperson as the best medium of commu-nication.

(Contd.. from p. 13)

has been collected to finance thehigher studies of under-privilegedchildren.

We salute you Freddy, for per-manently altering the fabric of theChristian community and for creat-ing the space and the Dimensionsplatform for its members to enthusi-astically network, bond, learn andgrow as prosperousbusinesspersons.

(Contd.. from p. 11)

Keeping Your Pan Card Safe

This is the first most important andalmost mandatory document required for investing in any asset

class in India. PAN number is frequentlyrequired for travelling abroad, buyingGold, Car, and property or opening abank account, applying for a passportapart from normal investments. Re-member, two-three things are very im-portant here – Name, Date of Birth andyour signature. The name should becorrectly spelled else chances are ev-erywhere your name will be wrong.Check the date of birth as it is a valid

document for your age proof. Put in thesame signature as you put elsewherewhile applying PAN Cad as it also usedas your signature proof. Needless tomention your father name should alsobe correct. Please note these informa-tions are printed on the PAN Card.

You should also give correct andcomplete address while applying PANCARD as your INCOME Tax refundsare sent to this address only even if yougive different address while submittingIT returns. Remember, the address isnot printed on the PAN Card.

16 27 October 2014

Asking yourself thesequestions can help you fig-ure out your journey andfuture

What are some things you feelyou do well?Think about the talents you alreadyknow you have, and ask friends andfamily what they think you’regood at. You might be surprised bywhat they say.

What challenges you?The things that challenge you mightbe opportunities to improve andmove toward your goals and theymight suggest areas of study andwork that will keep you interestedlong into the future.

What do you like to do for fun?Think about the reasons you enjoyyour favorite activities, the thingsthey have in common and thestrengths they bring out in you.

Who do you look up to?The people you admire — celebri-ties, historical figures or people youknow personally can tell you some-thing about who you are and whatyou value. Consider what it is aboutthem you likeand whether those qualities areworth reaching for.

What’s something you’ve al-ways wanted to try?Consider your reasons for wantingto do this and why it is you haven’tdone this yet. Do you find it excit-ing? What do you expect to get outof it?

What accomplishment thatmade you most proud?Your answer might have nothing todo with winning a trophy. Instead,the time you stuck up for some onewho needed your help. What youare proud of can help you see whatmatters most to you.

What’s your favorite class?Don’t limit yourself to the subjectsthat come easiest to you. Thinkabout which classes make you losetrack of time. Is it the teacher or thesubject matter that holds your inter-est?

What do you read about in yourfree time?The kinds of stories you follow in thenews, your favorite books andwebsites— these can help you figure outwhat really makes you curious.

If you could do any job for adayThink about which careers you wantto try on. What is it about them youfind so appealing? What would you

Discover Your FutureYour big future begins with you — it’syour journey. Asking yourself questionscan help you figure out who you are andwhere you want to go.

What now?

Keep asking yourselfquestions like theseand you’ll make impor-tant discoveries aboutwho you are. Stay opento the places and inter-ests they lead to. Formore self-discovery ex-ercises, read

change to make them fit you bet-ter?

You always want to be a kidonce you grew upEven if your childhood dreams seemsilly now, remembering them showyou what’s always been importantto you. It brings back fond memo-ries and make you smile. You longfor those carefree days of child-hood.

1727 October 2014

particular function,” explained Fr.Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D., director ofeducation for the National Catholic Bio-ethics Center.

He said the transplantation of ahealthy womb to a woman who lacks awomb because of birth defects or dis-ease can be licit and “would be analo-gous to a situation where a kidney failsto function” and a donor provides ahealthy organ to someone in need.

Recently, a Swedish woman gavebirth to a baby boy after receiving atransplanted womb donated by a post-menopausal friend in her 60s. It was

the first successful womb transplant tobe coupled with a pregnancy, after twoattempts by other medical teams thatfailed to lead to successful pregnan-cies.

Fr. Pacholczyk explained thatwhile the number of couples who couldbenefit from this therapy “is relativelysmall,” the transplant itself opens thepossibility for a new morally accept-able therapy.

Transplanting the uterus alonecould be morally acceptable, he said,as long as the transplant of ovaries andsex cells were not also done, respect-ing the uniqneness of each person'sgenetic information.

For such a womb transplant to becompletely licit, Fr. Pacholczyk said,in-vitro fertilization could not be used,and children would need to be con-ceived naturally “through the maritalact.”??

Source: Catholic News Agency

Catholic expert discusses morality ofgiving birth following womb transplant

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“If I had my life tolive over...

I would have gone to bed when I was

sick instead of pretending the earthwould go into a holding pattern if Iweren’t there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candlesculpted like a rose before itmelted in storage.

I would have talked less and listenedmore.

I would have invited friends over todinner even if the carpet wasstained, or the sofa faded.

I would have taken the time to listento my grandfather ramble about hisyouth.

I would have shared more of theresponsibility carried by my family.

I would never have insisted the carwindows be rolled up on a summerday because my hair had just beenteased and sprayed.

I would have cried and laughed lesswhile watching television and morewhile watching life.

I would have sat in the garden withmy grass stains.

I would never have bought anythingjust because it was practical,wouldn’t show soil, or was guaran-teed to last a lifetime.

When my kid kissed me impetuously,I would never have said, “Later.Now go get washed up for dinner.”There would have been more “Ilove you’s.” More “I’m sorry’s.”

But mostly, given another shot atlife, I would seize every minute…look at it and really see it .. liveit. and never give it back.

Stop sweating the small stuff. Don’tworry about who doesn’t like you, whohas more, or who’s doing what. In-stead, let’s cherish the relationshipswe have with those who do love us.Let’s think about what we’ve beenBlessed with. And what we are doingeach day to promote ourselves men-tally, physically, emotionally.I hope you all have a Blessed day...”

—Agnelo Rodrigues, Wadala .E.

T he first successful birth toa woman who

had undergone awomb transplanthighlights both op-portunities resultingfrom new technologyand the need for cau-tion, said a Catholicbioethics expert.

“The womb canbe recognized as anorgan that serves a

The Only Weekly fromMumbai with LargestKonkani Readership

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A sister publication of TheSecular Citizen

18 27 October 2014

life, for the Christians, as well as forIndians in general.

ZENIT: If you could say the biggestdifference between families of theEastern Catholic Churches and thosewhich are not? Is there a certain waythe synod should respond to this?

Cardinal Cleemis: I think we have avery strong family system in the East-ern point of view, because of the par-ents. The mother and father have agreater role to play in each one’s life.This is not an imposed authority oversomebody, but a personal assistancefor the further growth. That’s very muchseen in the family system, coupled withthe culture of our nation. We have alsothe Oriental Christian point of view offamily and we have an old axiom: ‘Thefamily that prays together stays to-gether.’ We have a rather positive ap-proach toward family prayer and all themembers of the family, especially inthe evening, assemble together andpray, which has sustained the familysystem. Even if there are issues, con-cerns, and so on, we have a commonprayer in the family which sometimesresolves the issues themselves byprayer itself. And also that atmosphereof the prayer is conducive to havingyou talk freely among the family mem-bers. Otherwise, what will bring youtogether? Food, a taste? A drink? Hardlynone.

But along with the spirit of theprayer, the family will come together asa unit. And also God’s justice, God’smercy, God’s care. Everything is tan-gible and felt personally by each one.

So family prayer makes a big positivedifference in the life of the Catholicfamilies, especially Eastern Catholicfamilies. They are strong in that.

ZENIT: What would you say is thebiggest challenge facing families inIndia? Is the synod responding tothis?

Cardinal Cleemis: Generally speaking,the attitude of consumerism. Moneymakes everything and money decideseverything. As Jesus himself said, ‘Youcannot serve two masters at the sametime: God and mammon. So this isexactly true. The world feels that . Theaverage moral feeling of man is thatyou need God as some kind of decora-tion, like a social ornament. But whatyou need for life is money. So this is thedichotomy. God, for us, is Emmanuel,the one who is with us always. In everyaspect of our lives, God is present. Tohave the globalized sense of assumingwealth is also affecting the Christianfamilies. For example, both are work-ing, husband and wife. They have towork because of the financial need. Butthen who suffers? The family, the chil-dren. They have no time to rear chil-dren, to care for the children. So there-fore the children lack the care of themother, for example, or the attention ofthe father. They lack the spiritual nour-ishment in the family and so on. It isseriously affecting the family and thefamily system. So these are the chal-lenges. Your health, your wealth, yourbeauty, and your power to conquereveryone makes you feel comfortablyat home with you – in the sense ofindividualism, forgetting the person ofGod. So that’s a serious challenge for

the young, more well-economicallyplaced families. This needs to be tack-led by the pastors and the Church, ingeneral, to have a serious look into it,and to bring in positive solutions tobring them back into the mainstream ofcaring families believing in the truepresence of God.

ZENIT: Do you expect the synod toproduce challenges?

Cardinal Cleemis: I think so becausethe situations are different from placeto place. The Church in Europe faces alot of different issues than that in ourpart of the world. So I think it needs tobe looked at with a sense of patience.Everyone has to look into the [situa-tion] of the other ones with more pa-tience and with a more open mindset.Because if the family is affected, thebasic unit of the human race is af-fected. Therefore, we have to get spe-cial attention to it, to this unit of thehuman race. We have to take collectivesteps in a collaborative way to facethese challenges.

ZENIT: If a change were made inwhich those divorced and remarriedcould receive Communion, how doyou think the bishops of India wouldreact?

Cardinal Cleemis: I think generally, theimpression, what I felt, during all thisdiscussion in the General Assembly, isthat everyone wants God’s mercy to beshown, to people who are really inneed of that. And everybody is really inneed of that, especially those who arefragile, those who are weak, those whoare kept outside the mainstream, out ofthe existing system and so on. There-fore, we need to patiently go throughthe solutions. We need not be in a hurryto push up these solutions. We need topatiently, pray and reflect upon thesolutions. One solution that is appli-cable in this part of the world may notbe applicable to another part of theworld. So that should be done by thelocal bishop’s conference, and also bythe local ordinary. They have a greaterrole to play, at least in bringing solu-tions to propose in the bishops’ confer-ences. So I would advise that.

(Contd.. from p. 10)

1927 October 2014

InspirInspirInspirInspirInspiration!ation!ation!ation!ation! Some BlessingsFor Your Day

If you need something to makeyou feel better, here are a fewblessings from the heart that Iwanted to share with you...

Don’t be defined by the box life putsyou in

Stand up to your fears

Enjoy the little things in life

And let yourself be nutty from time totime

Don’t be afraid to open doors

And treat yourself!

Don’t let anything interrupt your rest

And learn to overcome obstacles inyour way

Give a big hug to anyone you care for

And don’t be afraid of challenge!

Remember, life is a wheel, just give ita whirl

And you will get what you need toreach high

I’m here for you, always!

Agnelo Rodrigues

When life seems pointless,use positivity. It can be in-credibly difficult, but it’sworthwhile.

There are positive things to tell your-self when you’re feeling down. It’sdangerous to sulk inyour sadness and ashard as it is, you haveto try to make yourmind a happier place.Don’t let yourself be-lieve that it’s pointlessto keep living your life.Start changing yourattitude by readingthese positive thingsto tell yourself.

You Have the Powerto Change Your LifeOne of the positive things to tell your-self is that you have the potential tochange your situation. Look at RobertDowney Jr. He suffered through drugaddiction, jail time, and rehab. Nowhe’s one of the most talented, respectedactors who’s starred in multiple mov-ies. Never give up hope, because therewill be moments in life worth living for.Even if your current situation is rough,that can change.

You’re Stronger than You ThinkBe proud that you’ve made it this far inlife. You’ve made it through countlessarguments, bad days, and embarrass-ing moments. You’ve endured difficultthings and you’ll have the willpower tomake it through more. Remember howfar you’ve come and know that you’re astrong person.

Your past is a MemoryIf your past makes you cringe, focus on

something else. Everyone has memo-ries that make them sick to think about.If you can use your past mistakes asreminders to be a better person, that’sgreat. But if it only brings pain, push thethoughts away. Tell yourself that yourpast is your past and not an indicationof your future.

You Can’t Rush Suc-cessIf you’re worried aboutwhat your future holds,remember to take lifeone day at a time. Don’tget overwhelmed withwhether or not you’llsucceed with your goalof becoming a teacher.Start small. Take theclasses you need totake, tutor, and go onjob interviews when

you’re ready. Don’t rush things or you’llstress yourself out more than youshould.

Others Are in the Same BoatWhatever you’re feeling, you’re not theonly one in the world to feel that way.Plenty of people think that their exist-ence is useless and that their life isgoing nowhere. It doesn’t mean thatyour emotions are unimportant. It justmeans that others have gone throughwhat you have and have come outalright. You can survive too.

Happiness is a ChoiceIf your feel like your life is horrible, youcan still take moments out of the day tobe happy. Use escapism by watchinga movie or reading a book. Or just havea conversation with your friends. Justremember that you have the power tomake choices that can lead to happi-ness. So don’t isolate yourself fromthose you love or punish yourself byrefusing to do things that bring you joy.

Motivation after failure

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2127 October 2014

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22 27 October 2014

THE Feast of Corpus Christi celebrates God’s gift to humanity.A truth which has a divine di-

mension; given to the Church by theLord as a mission to propagate theEucharist as His memorial to the world.

Christ is God’s hand to human-kind, and ‘Corpus Christi’ is the armourto help his People to overcome fearand all ugly shades of evil through the‘Body of Christ’ in the Holy Eucharist.

You feel a surge of faith when youjoin in the Corpus Christi processionbecause it is an out-pouring and vis-ible propagation of belief when youattend and it makes you feel spirituallystrong, unafraid in the crowd of believ-ers. For once you begin to understandthat you are one in over a billion mem-bers of the Roman Catholic Churchtaking part in the blessing and adora-tion of His Body and Blood.

To solemnly commemorate theinstitution of the Holy Eucharist theCatholic Church celebrates the feastof Christ the King. God works in amysterious way.

Many generations earlier in thethirteenth century Divine Providencehad sent into the world a girl child whowould become an Augustinian nun,Juliana of Liege. She would grow upwith great veneration for the BlessedSacrament and always desired a feastday in its honor. Centuries later shewould become a saint and foundressof the institution of Corpus Christi.

Juliana was born at Retinnes inBelgium, 1193. At the age of 15 Julianalost both her parents and was placedin the convent of Mount Cornillion,near Liege. She grew up in the conventwith great devotion to the Blessed Vir-gin, the Sacred Passion and espe-cially to the Blessed Sacrament. Sheread the works of St. Augustine and St.Bernard. From very young Juliana hada single desire for the propagation ofthe Holy Eucharist.

In the year 1206 the pious andwell-read Juliana received the veil andwas made an Augustinian nun. Sheattended to the sick in hospital, com-forted many in pain and suffering with

her prayers and encouragement. Shebrought peace to those who were ter-minal patients.

By the year 1230 Juliana waschosen to be superioress of her com-munity. About this time in her life ofprayer the Lord Jesus appeared toJuliana. So powerful and clear wereher visions of the Lord that Juliana keptit a secret for twenty years till it waseventually told to her confessor and,he in turn informed the bishop.

In 1208 Juliana had a vision ofChrist and He instructed her to pleadfor the institution of Corpus Christi.Obeying the word of God, Juliana pe-titioned the Archdeacon of Liege whowas to become Pope Urban IV, andRobert de Thorete, Bishop of Liege. Abroad spectrum of doctrine and criti-cism followed. Juliana however, didnot relent in her quiet and simple plea.In those early years bishops had theauthority to declare a feast day.

Finally, in 1246 Bishop Robertconvened a synod and ordered a cel-ebration of the feast of Corpus Christito be held every year. It should benoted that bishop Robert had beenvery unkind and aggressive in the ear-lier years when he was told of Juliana’svisions.

At one time he had driven thehumble nun out of her convent, and

much later re-turned her to theconvent in Liege.The feast of Cor-pus Christi in theRoman calendarwas broughtabout through therepeated visionsof Christ.

After the death of Juliana atFosses, April 5, 1258, several miracleswere attributed through her interces-sions. The feast of Corpus Christispread to most European countries.“So we, though many, are one body inChrist” (Rom.12:5).

Pope Pius XI instituted the feastof Christ the King in his 1925 encyclicalletter Quas Primas, because of a grow-ing wave of nationalism and secular-ism. 35 years later, 1960, Pope JohnXXIII’S revision of the Roman Catholiccalendar, in the ranking of feasts, clas-sified the Feast of Christ the King in thefirst class.

A second pontiff, Paul VI (in 1969)announced a new title : D.N. IESUChristi universorum Regis (Our LordJesus Christ King of the universe). TheHoly Father gave the feast a new date:the last Sunday in the liturgical year,before the start of a new year, the FirstSunday in Advent, the earliest date is27 November.

Corpus Christi is a Western Catho-lic feast. It is also celebrated in somechurches of the Anglican Commun-ion. Corpus Christi is the declaration ofthe extraordinary truth of “Christ andHis Body present in the Eucharist”.The message to the world is clear:God’s love and forgiveness is for all.That our journey in life leads to Him.

The Church of England calls it“The Day of Thanksgiving” for the insti-tution of Holy Communion and has thestatus of a festival. Corpus Christi istoday a vibrant force in the world forthe promotion of the Catholic faithbrought to the Church by its spokes-woman for the Holy Eucharist, SaintJuliana, the Augustinian nun of Liege.

Corpus Christi, God’s Gift To Humanity

BY MELVYN BROWN

2327 October 2014 2327 October 2014

24 27 October 2014

24 27 October 2014

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