Author: admin

  • Kitne Aadmi Thhey

    A video about the U.P. POPULATION CONTROL BILL. I look at the data from the Census of India over the decades and see the decadal growth of population and reduction in population growth. Do the statistics of the Government of India back the direction that this bill is looking to enforce? I find out in…

  • 75 YEAR TWITCH

    Married men are supposed to suffer from the 40 year itch when, though hitched, they start looking for greener pastures. A body continues to twitch for sometime as the muscles and nerves relax. Does a nation also itch or twitch in the course of its history? India Today magazine tried to stitch together this itch…

  • WHOSE FAMILIES ARE THEY ANYWAY?

    This piece has been inspired by two recent events. This morning (4th July), I read that “nice guy” Amir Khan was divorcing Kiran Rao, his second wife, of over a decade.  The previous day I had read a Vatican News report by Devin Watkins that Pope Francis was convening the 10th edition of the World…

  • KANPUR STANDS WITH STAN

    The citizens of Kanpur stood as one under the banner “We Stand with Stan” at a commemoration cum commitment service held at St Patrick’s Church hall on 9th July. It was organised by the Kanpur Catholic Association (KCA), with the active collaboration of St Aloysius’ School. Due to Covid protocol the gathering was restricted, nevertheless…

  • CUSTODIANS OF WHAT TRADITION?

    The magician was dressed in .flowing robes. He had his back to the audience. He claimed to be an alchemist that could change lead into gold – transubstantiation. In between his secret mumbo-jumbo he would suddenly turn around to face his audience, raise his arms, with his index fingers touching the thumbs, as in a…

  • WEAPONIZING COMMUNION – DEMONIZING PEOPLE

    (A sequel to “Hello … Can you hear me?”) A middle aged man with a shock of dishevelled straw-yellow hair approached the altar of the cathedral in London, in wedding attire. He had been born a Catholic and subsequently joined the Anglican Church. He had been twice married and divorced, and now had a child…

  • HELLO … CAN YOU HEAR ME?

    “Ciao,questo e` Papa Francesco” (Hello, this is Pope Francis calling). “Aap jis number ko call kar rahe hain,vah kaphi samay se network coverage se bahar hai” (The number you are calling has been out of the network area for some time)! Pope Francis was desperately trying to get through to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of…

  • DECALOGUE SIX & BOOK SIX

    Lest one go into sixes and sevens over this title; it was occasioned by a recent headline in the Times of India that read “New Vatican Law criminalizes sexual abuse by priests, laity”. It was referring to Decalogue Six, the sixth commandment, “You shall not commit adultery” (Ex 20:14, Deut 5:18). It was also referring…

  • MURDER AT THE ALTAR

    This title could be shocking.  Is it some kind of Agatha Christie “who dunnit”?  But such an event did take place about 1000 years ago when St. Thomas Becket was murdered at the altar of Canterbury Cathedral, of which he was the Archbishop, on 29/12/1170.  This was at the behest of King Henry II, who…

  • FORTY EUROS FOR A RED HAT

    The red hat is synonymous with cardinals. I have no idea of the cost of such a hat in Rome; whether the cardinals have to purchase their own, or they are presented to them by the Pope. However, the tag of Forty Euros (E40) is the limit that Pope Francis has now put on the…