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(In the sequence of “If I Were the Pope” and “If I Were the Prime Minister”) A mischievous friend of mine said that if a black man were to enter the White House then pigs would fly, and swine flu (flew)! It is a witty ditty to which I trust nobody will take offence, as…

Writing about a giant is a dwarfing experience. The giant is my spiritual mentor (I won’t call him Guru), Fr Augustine Deenabandhu Ofm Cap. I write this on the occasion of his Birth Centenary. First the basics. He was born on the 9th of April 1911 in Bajpe parish of Mangalore diocese, and baptised Henry…

Good Friday is a holiday, and holidays are associated with festivities, so it is not surprising that some of my well-meaning non-Christian friends wish me a “Happy Good Friday”! We Christians are ourselves to blame for a wrong choice of word. It should actually be called “Holy Friday” in English; just as in Hindi it…

There is a popular TV programme named after the old adage “The Buck Stops Here”. It literally means, “Who is ultimately responsible?” It is usually asked in a pejorative sense, for somebody shirking responsibility, or for apportioning blame. Now that Anna Hazare has made his Jan Lokpal Bill (JLB) a life and death issue, it…

When I was born 60 years ago, 6 paisa made an anna and 16 annas a rupaiya.  Today we have one Anna Hazare, and hazaron log who have milked our country of trillions of rupaiya.  Speculating on the amount received in bribes, siphoned off in commission, or stacked away in Swiss Banks is mind boggling….

(A Sequel to “If I Were Pope”) Is it easier to be the Pope or the Prime Minister of India?  To a large extent the answer would depend on one’s understanding of the Papacy.  If it is to be the Vicar of Christ, then of course it is the most demanding job on earth.  If…

The title of this piece is somewhat different from the common Latin phrase “Ora et Labora”, which means “Pray and Work”.  It is one of the basic premises of Christian spirituality. Unfortunately, we are sometimes confronted with a corrupted version “Ora o Labora”, which means “Prayer or Work”. Is there a choice?  Some over zealous…

Catholic Associations (CAs) seem to have something of the “underdog” status in the Church in India.  They are gravely misunderstood by the hierarchy, and apathetically looked at by the laity.  The role of CAs is often confused with that of parish councils (PCs).  It is understandable that the unlettered and ignorant laity is not aware…

 (The Present North Indian Context of the Mission of the Church – a presentation at the CCBI Seminar on “How to help our institutions to become centres emanating the Good News” – Nav Sadhana, Varanasi, 10th -13th August 2003) 1. INTRODUCTION:  The fig leaf could not hide the shame of humanity (cf Gen 3:17).  But…

(A sequel to “BOTTOMS UP – NOW BUTTONED DOWN”) The assistant placed the symbol of authority around the neck of the leader.  A bell rang.  The assembly began.  An exhortation was given.  A collection box was passed around.  They shared something to eat.  Announcements were made.  The assembly ended.  They came out of the hall…