As far as any cool-headed reader can tell, Srinivasan has not attacked Mother Teresa. His column was not directed to Goans, but we have plenty of Goan priests and Church historians who could counter his historical statements about St. Thomas and St. Francis Xavier. If they have the true facts they should inform the public about them and clear the matter up. We should be prepared to stand up and engage in public debate of this sort, not just throw sand in people's eyes by talking about Mother Teresa's good works. As for Srinivasan's pointing out that the Church is again lining up yet another European saint to be a model for Indians of charity, he is in the good company of Indian Bishops stretching back from Cardinal Gracias, to Cardinal Pimenta, and Archibishop Henry D'Souza of Calcutta. Gracias was one of the entire body of Bishops from India, Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka who, together with 150,000 laity signed a Petition in 1956 to Pius XII asking him to beatify Joseph Vaz, so that the newly-independent India could be on the road to get a fully native Indian saint and an Indian model of charity and service, as well as courage under persecution. Then in the year 2000, all the Indian Bishops petitioned the Pope to canonize the Indian Blessed for the Jubilee so that India could have fully native Indian Saints. Then, in 2000, Cardinal Pimenta wrote a letter and personally handed the Petition to the Pope organized by George Pinto for the Joseph Naik Vaz Institute to have him canonized for the Jubilee. Then Archbishop Henry D'Souza of Calcutta, who has overseen Mother Teresa's Cause, both wrote to the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints and flew to Rome to speak to him personally to support this Petition. He even went so far as to say in a public address in Rome that the Cause of Joseph Vaz had been a victim of the Church's colonial mentality and that the injustice should be put right for the Jubilee by canonizing him. I would say that Srinivasan is a sharper observer than many of our own Goans in that he can see clearly what any thinking person can see: that the Church has no interest and inclination to canonize a fully native Indian Saint but is rushing to raise yet another European who worked in India to the honors of the altar. As for the remark made by Veronica (sorry, if I have the name wrong)in another Goanet post that, which of us would do what Mother Teresa did, leave our own country to work in a foreign land etc. etc. it only goes to show that there is a lot of mushy thinking out there when a Goan Catholic makes a remark like that. Have we Goans forgotten the number of Goan missionaries that have gone to foreign lands to work for the Church! Think about it, who are the majority of nuns cleaning sores and doing the hard work in India for the religious orders, Europeans or Indians? Why isn't one of them being made a saint as a model for their fellow-Indians?! Have we forgotten that Father Joseph Vaz smuggled himself as a laborer into Sri Lanka and worked for 23 years under pain of death, or that the Goan missionaries inspired by him, did the same for 150 years after his death to save the Church of Sri Lanka and build it up under persecution?! Incidentally, he also cleaned sores and took care of abandoned smallpox victims in Kandy with the help of only one Goan priest for more than a year! Think of all the help and money and liberty and privileges that Mother Teresa enjoyed to do the same sort of service and that Joseph Vaz had nothing except himself to offer! When the Church and we are more willing to give him his just recognition as a very great saint who worked against tremendous odds and under persecution, people like me would be more willing to accept official sainthood for Mother Teresa. Meanwhile, first-hand experience with the saint-making process as it relates to our own Goan, Joseph Vaz, leads me to agree with those that say that the saint-making process is flawed, unjust, and clearly sidelines great saints who happen to be non-European. Filomena
--- Bosco - Goanet Volunteer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Sat, 25 Oct 2003 09:21:17 +0400, Imran > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Why is so much hulla bulla made about the > beatification of Mother Theresa ?? > > can any one of us do a quarter of what she has done > alll her life for the poor, > needy and the neglected !! It is so much easy to > write coulmns against her work > from our AC rooms than clean a wound-infested, > sore-festered person. Mother > Theresa was, is and always remain a Saint .....no > ordinary person sacrifices > one's precious life for others and that too for > those reeking and carrying > deadly diseases from the gutters of a different > country !! Also she never asked > for the limelight or the laurels from people or the > media, she did it because of > her geniune love for the helpless and the sick. and > only a Saint could've done > all this in the present treacherous world of ours > where money and vested > interest is the only priority ....could there have > been any ulterior motive in > her work??? as quoted by a quack Indian doctor from > the UK who has insulted > humanity and kindness > > .... MAY HER SOUL REST PEACEFULLY AND ENJOY THE BEST > IN HEAVEN......AMEN > > Imran > > > > > Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2003 00:16:01 +0530 (IST) > > > From: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Subject: [Goanet]REDIFF.COM: The saint business > > > > > > >From http://www.rediff.com > > > Home > News > Columnists > Rajeev Srinivasan > > > > > > The saint business > > > > > > October 17, 2003 > > > > > > It requires only a slight change in > perspective to understand the > > > whole rationale behind the M Teresa > sainthood circus, which will > > > October 16, 2003 - Silver Jubilee of the papacy of > John Paul II > > ########################################################################## > # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > # > # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), > and avoid top-posts # > # More details on Goanet at > http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # > # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to > reflect respect to others # > ########################################################################## __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
