LEAVE THE CHURCH ALONE & CATCH HOLD OF THR PANCHAYAT MEMBERS THANKS BONNY
--- On Thu, 11/12/09, Julia Macmahon <[email protected]> wrote: From: Julia Macmahon <[email protected]> Subject: [SALIGAONET] Re: Fwd: [Goanet] One Fine Day at the Saligao Church Confessional To: [email protected] Date: Thursday, November 12, 2009, 11:33 AM Brill....Cecil Pinto should do scriptwriting!.. > Date: Mon, 9 Nov 2009 15:50:38 +0530 > Subject: [SALIGAONET] Fwd: [Goanet] One Fine Day at the Saligao Church > Confessional > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > > > And this is Cecil Pinto's response... > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Cecil Pinto <[email protected]> > Date: 2009/11/9 > Subject: [Goanet] One Fine Day at the Saligao Church Confessional > To: [email protected] > > > "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 > > =============== > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ This message comes via the Google Groups "Saligao-Net" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net?hl=en Please post regularly to keep the e-village active! -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
