"Forgive me Father for I have sinned." "But Father you are the Vicar and I am only an assistant priest. How can I hear your confession?"
"You can Father. There is no rank in the confessional." "Ok Father. Tell me what happened." "Yesterday evening, just when the sun was about to set I saw this tall bald man approaching the church from his parked car. Behind him was a short driver type guy struggling under the load of a tripod and a huge camera bag. It looked like one of those drawings of safari hunters in Africa who had slaves carrying their equipment." "I know what you mean Father. Some people are like that. Can't carry their own load." "So this fat spectacled guy then starts a big production of getting his camera and tripod up." "But Father, I thought you said he was tall and bald?" "He was tall and bald and fat and spectacled." "Oh!" "So anyway this chap starts talking loudly to his driver, Babu, about something called ISO 800 and ISO 100 and Canon Tilt-Shift 17mm lens. It was obvious that Babu didn't understand and cared even less about these technical terms. The braggart was just trying to impress me and some other parishioners who happened to be within earshot." "I know the type Father. We see them around all the while. Was he an NRI?" "Looked the type. Very boastful. Anyway this ill mannered chap then has some problem with his tripod being jammed and utters all sorts of vile curses at the tripod and at Babu and at the world in general. Even blamed the current Government for his tripod being jammed." "I know the type Father. Either boasting about or blaming their tools." "Now I had to intervene since Holy Mass was going on and there were parishioners within earshot. I approached him and asked him to stop cursing. This got him even more agitated and he started calling me a 'tiresome clown' and 'big banana' and he called the parishioners chelas." "Really Father?" 'Really!" "And he also called me a little git. What's a git?" "I don't know Father." "I politely told him to mind his language or he would have to wash it in Holy Water. He started shouting about court fees and applications and called me charlatan." "He called you a charlatan?!!" "Yes he did! That was the last straw. I told him this was place of prayer and place of God and that he should take his equipment and his foul mouth and leave immediately." "So then what did he do Father?" "He was muttering something about ghantis and exposing me on something called GoaNet and putting up large prints of the Church for sale in California." "I wished him luck in his endeavours but insisted that he leave immediately and not sully our holy grounds with his vile presence." "Well done Father. You did the right thing! But then what is the sin you want to confess?" "I wonder if I did the right thing?" "Of course you did the right thing Father. His curses and foul language have no place on church grounds. It has nothing to do with photography and all to do with manners and courtesy and respect. Dozens of photographers come to our church every day and take photos without making a big production of it. We never object to them." "That I know but maybe I could have responded differently." "Like how?" "Maybe I should have kicked him in the butt and physically thrown him out of the church compound!" "No Father. That would have been a sin. But a pardonable sin!" ============= ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rajan P. Parrikar" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, November 07, 2009 7:42 PM Subject: [Goanet] Shame on Saligao's parish priest > To Goanet - > > I had a nasty verbal altercation this evening with, as it turned out, the > parish priest of the Mae de Deus church in Saligao. > > Background: I was at the Mae de Deus church at daybreak a couple of > days back and again during the twilight hours yesterday, for what > turned out to be fulfilling sessions of photography. I have several > captures of the church taken in the years past (see, for example, > http://www.parrikar.com/#/Goa/Religion/2). > > Armed with the newly released Canon Tilt-Shift 17mm lens, ideal for > architectural photography due to its Shift capability, I was eager to re-do > some of Goa's special sights. During my shoot yesterday, I inadvertently > set the camera ISO to 800 (which is not that big an issue with my dSLR > body given its superb high-ISO performance). But I wanted to reprise the > scene with ISO 100, which is why I was again in Saligao this evening. > Earlier at daybreak this morning, I had scored an atmospheric shot > of the Panjim church. > > Since I got there early enough, I sauntered to the front door and > watched the evening mass for a while. While fiddling with my tripod > there, I discovered to my dismay that it had jammed, and so knew > right away that my photo session was shot (pardon the pun). As > I made my way back, this small fellow intercepted me and said > rather brusquely, "You can't take photographs here." I asked him > the reason. He said the committee has decided not to allow photos > within the compound. I immediately switched to Konkani and > pointed out that tens of tourists stop by inside the compound > every evening with their cameras. He was unmoved. I said I > had been documenting the major churches and temples in Goa and > that this new lens was especially suited to photography of this church, > that if he could let all these tourists wield their cameras, I see no > reason why he cannot let me, a Goan, do it as well. As I pressed > him on this, he whipped out a new one - he said I will have to > make an application. He had a companion with him and I had > my driver Babu around. I said I will do all the necessary > paperwork but that I had to take my shots since the light was > fast fading and I wanted to capture the cobalt blue of the sky > which lasts perhaps 3-4 mins just before the onset of darkness. > > I knew I could not do any photography since I was saddled with > an impaired tripod but the xapoter in me had been aroused in > accordance with Parrikar's Rule #2, which is: If someone tells > you that you cannot do something, it is your bounden > duty to do exactly that something and then wave it in the guy's > face. (Parrikar's Rule #1 had already been satisfied - Open your > mouth and let the xapotam flow, but only AFTER you have taken > the shot you want.) > > Mind you, at this stage in my xapotam innings, I still had no > idea who this tiny oaf was. I asked again why he was not consistent > in enforcing the rules. To that he pulled out yet another rabbit - he > said small cameras are allowed but that a professional photographer > with my kind of equipment is not allowed until I had prior > permission and had paid the stipulated fees. He claimed that > I would make money by photographing the church. The tiresome > clown was impervious to all reason and good sense, and he > was making up rules as he went along. > > After this, I kicked it up a notch and said I was going to shoot > anyway, and dared him to stop me if he could. He shot back > with, "I will file a suit." Take it to to the Supreme Court right > away, said moi, and that I will pay for the court fee paper. > Our decibel level was now high enough that it had drawn a small > audience. At this point one fellow softly asked me to "calm down" and > that the dude I was speaking to was the parish priest, the big banana > himself, the keeper of the Faith (Parrikar's Rule #3: If you want to > keep the Faith, stay away from the priest). I then told him that he > was no man of God, with his kind of attitude and conduct. As he > left the scene, a gaggle of his chelas descended and said that I had > "insulted the parish priest." I stood my ground and told them he had > no business speaking on behalf of God. They made menacing grunts > but it never got close to anything more than verbal fisticuffs. It soon > petered out and we repaired to our car for the drive back home. > > I have had no problems at any of the churches. Some of the fathers > have been very gracious and kind to me. Not this git. The only other > comparable situation I have found myself in was at the Ravalnath temple > in Moolgaon, with a temple official. > > Shame on the charlatan who serves as the parish priest of Saligao. > > Aside: What exactly is wrong with making money from honest > effort? To stick it to him a little more, I plan to make large prints of > the Saligao church when I get back to California and put them up > for sale online. Stay tuned. > > Regards, > r ===============
