SAR NEWS STORIES 08-03-2005 Archbishop Oswald Elected CCBI President; Says New Responsibility 'Joyful Burden'
By SAR NEWS RANCHI, Jharkhand (SAR NEWS) -- The newly elected president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in India (CCBI), Mumbai-born Archbishop Oswald Gracias of Agra, said he has accepted the new responsibility as a "joyful burden". He told SAR News after the CCBI election, March 7 at Ranchi that the Catholic Church in India was keen on contributing towards nation-building. "We want to help the country so that it may progress. We want to become catalysts in establishing peace and harmony, understanding and cooperation, unity and integrity in India," the archbishop said. Archbishop Gracias said as the new president of the CCBI his priorities would be to create a better understanding and collaboration among the different Rites in India. "This has been the area of our concern and we plan to go ahead for greater coordination and understanding between the various rites," he told SAR News He also spoke of the efforts to establish understanding and unity with the Protestant Churches. "We have a commonality of vision but we need to a have commonality of action," he said. He emphasised the need for building bridges between the brethren of other faiths in India. Commenting on the theme of the 17th plenary assembly of the CCBI, 'The Family-Good News for India', Archbishop Gracias praised the family system in Jharkhand. "According to me, the families in Jharkhand are very closely knit. There is love and unity in the tribal families which should be an example for the entire nation." Now, 'Padri' Hopes To Purge 'Sins' By SAR NEWS PANAJI, Goa (SAR NEWS) -- Exit Sins, Enter Priest. After the flop show of the controversial Hindi film Sins across the country, popular Konkanni playwright from Goa, Prince Jacob, is all set to convert his super-hit play Padri (Priest) into a movie. The formal launching of the film was held near Our Lady of Snows Church, Raia-Salcette, in the presence of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president, Mr. Luizinho Faleiro, president of the Konkanni Academy, Mr. Pundalik Naik and others including priests. The script and dialogues will be penned by Prince Jacob and the lyrics and music by Mr. Wilfy Rebimbus of Mangalore. The producer of the Rs 5-million film is Mr. Raymond Quadros and the director, Mr. Rajesh Fernandes - his debut Konkanni film - who has successfully directed three films in Kannada. Padri will be shot in Goa and Karnataka -- on the famous Colva and Dona Paula beaches and the churches of Raia, Panjim and one in Karwar. It will have eight songs and plenty of comedy, which is characteristic of the Konkanni tiatr. Unlike Sins, which deals with the illicit relationship of a Catholic priest with a teenaged girl, Padri will present a good message and create communal harmony, sources said. Prince Jacob has dedicated the film "to the many priests I know personally and whose life of sacrifice I admire." END *********************************************************************** * G * O * A * N * E * T *** C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S * *********************************************************************** Greet your loved ones in Goa with flowers! http://www.goa-world.com/goa/expressions/ EXPRESSIONS - The Flower Shop. World famous all over Goa! ***********************************************************************
