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Cip, Gilbert: Perhaps a good start before engaging intelligent liberal Hindus on caste, is to provide thoughtful and serious answers to the questions below as the good journalist Fred Noronha did. Its a good way to gain credibility in these discussions - otherwise some might accuse you of the pot calling the kettle black. Regards, George --- George Pinto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Dear all, > > Given the current climate, is the Goan Catholic Church in a crisis? Would be > interested to read > some THOUGHTFUL views on this matter. Ten points (not an exhaustive list) to > consider: > > 1. Is there pride among Goans for our native work and accomplishments? How > is this > demonstrated? > 2. Is there a mission to promote justice and equality for all, including > ending the caste > system? > 3. Is the Goan church complicit by its silence in tolerating the evil of > caste? Are lay people > to blame? > 4. Does the church contribute, even if indirectly, to communalism? Or is > communalism largely > the fault or right-wing fundamentalists? > 5. Is there accountability and transparency and open communication by church > leaders? > 6. Is there an effort by the Church to identify sexual abuse and child abuse > (similar to what we > saw in the USA a few years ago)? Or is this an issue swept under the carpet? > Or is there no > problem? > 7. Does the laity have real prominence in the church? Or has church history > and activity > marginalized the laity? > 8. Is the laity encouraged to become self-sufficient, self-reliant, and > taught to expand their > potential and possibilities and not spend time on mindless events like church > feasts which do > not help improve their lives? > 9. What is being done to get native Goan saints canonized? Currently, all > the honours belong to > European saints. > 10. What steps are being taken to start SIGNIFICANT Goan orders? Most > significant religious > orders in Goa are foreign based who receive the glory for the hard work of > the Goan church. Goa > has had approximately 16,000 priests and 2,000 nuns over the last 3 > centuries. But they have > not received any recognition as Goans. Has the Goan Catholic Church become an > assembly line to > recruit for foreign orders? > > Regards, > George
