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Kolkata 22 May - 28 May 2020 Vol. CLVI No. 21 /-| | | 7

“If one follows Jesus, happy to be attracted by Him, others will take notice.

They may even be astonished. The joy that radiates from those attracted by Christ and by his Spirit

is what can make any missionary initiative fruitful.”

COVID 19 RELIEF WORK IN THE

ARCHDIOCESE pg 06

Online

competitions

pg.07– Pope Francis

The COVID-19 has impactedreligions across the globe invar ious ways. Churches,Mosques, temples and allplaces of worship are closed.E v e n G o d h a s b e e nquarantined! Worships andprayer services have beencalled off. People have beenadvised to pray and worshipfrom homes and participatet h r o u g h s o c i a l m e d i a -Webinars, TVs, livestream andso on.All major religious centresh a v e o p e n e d u p o n l i n echannels to stay connectedwith their devotees. Priestsand clerics have been live-s t r e a m i n g s e r v i c e s o nw e b s i t e s , Fa c e b o o k a n dYouTube. For many religiousleaders, the decision to shuttheir doors was difficult. TheVatican cancelled all Easterservices for public. Pope’sp u b l i c a u d i e n c e s w e r esuspended. Easter, Ramadanand all other festivals werecelebrated within the fourwalls of home.Many religious organizationsand groups have responded tothe crisis with supplies ofp o w e r e d a i r - p u r i f y i n grespirators, face shields,gloves, coronavirus nucleicacid detect ion reagents,ventilators, patient monitors,syr inge pumps, infusionpumps, and food and otheraids to affected areas andvillages. People have alsoconducted prayer services fora speedy end to COVID – 19.There have been prayers forthose who have died, whohave been affected by it as wellas for strength to doctors,nurses and health-workers,the frontlines in the waragainst this pandemic.The lockdown is a testingperiod of all religious sects and

d e n o m i n a t i o n s . R e l i g i o u sleaders are divided on the issue ofCOVID’s impact on religions.Willthe lockdown confirm Marx’sclaim that religion is opium of thepeople or herald its revival?History can repeat. After everycrisis, there has always been arevival of religiosity. There arealso people who predict thatCOVID -19 is a serious threat tor e l i g i o n s p a r t i c u l a r l yChristianity. ‘The killer diseasewill speed up the fast droppingChurchgoers and the churchesand parishes will soon struggle tosurvive.’Stephen Bullivant, whose book,Mass Exodus, studied Catholicattrition in Britain and America,offers three reasons why hebelieves churches will shrinkafter the pandemic. First, he says,churchgoers (both lay andclergy) tend to be elderly andtherefore more likely to die ofcoronavirus. Second, manychurches rely on a steady influxof immigrants. With the world inlockdown, that supply has, atleast temporarily, dried up.Third,churchgoing is a habit, and oncethat habit is broken it is hard torevive it (Luke Coppen in TheSpectator).L i v e s t re a m e d s e r v i c e s a reproving a poor substitute for thereal ways of worship. They lackthe vital communal dimension ofworship and even the most piousChristian will admit they are, attimes, excruciatingly dull. Worstof all, believers are unable toparticipate in the Eucharist.

Cyclone Amphan battersBengal

New Delhi: At least 70people were killed on May20 as Cyclone Amphan, oneof the worst storms over theBay of Bengal in years,pounded the eastern Indianstates of Bengal and Odisha.The cyclone, whose eye wasabout 30 km in diameter,made landfall with gustingwinds of up to 185 kmphand waves about 15 feet tall,destroyed thousands ofhouses, damaged buildings,u p r o o t e d t r e e s a n delectricity poles in Bengal.B e n g a l C h i e f Mi n i s t e rMamata Banerjee said theimpact of Amphan wasworse than the coronaviruspandemic and claimeddamages due to the cyclonecould be around 1,000billion rupees. More than500,000 people had beentaken to shelters in WestBengal and over 100,000 in

Odisha.B a n e r j e e t o l d a p r e s sconference in Kolkata thatthree people have died, butthat the number may rise toabout 12. She said Northand South 24 Parganasdistricts were the worst hitand that Bengal “will haveto rebuild everything.”The wind speed was 110-120 km per hour when itreached Howrah, Kolkataand Hoogli, a senior IMDoff icial told repor ters.Amphan weakened from asuper cyclone to an “extre-mely severe cyclonic storm”on May 19, causing strongwinds and heavy rain inparts of Odisha and Bengalas it advanced towards theIndia’s eastern coast.T h e a u t h o r i t i e s h a v escrambled to evacuate low-lying areas in Amphan’sp r o j e c t e d t r a i l o f

Global War against

COVID – 19

destruction, the second“super cyclone” to formover the Bay of Bengal sincerecords began. But theirtask is complicated by theneed to follow precautionsto prevent the spread of thecoronavirus, with infectionnumbers still soaring inb o t h c o u n t r i e s a n dhospitals struggling tocope.The met office warned ofpossible flying objects,“extensive” damage toc o m m u n i c a t i o n s a n dpower lines, and treesbeing ripped out of theg r o u n d b y t h e w i n d .Kolkata was battered byheavy rain and the muddyHooghly River was risingunder dark skies, while inthe coastal resort of Digha,large waves were poundingthe shore.Mattersindia

FR. J. FELIX RAJ, SJ

(Continued from last issue)

Church in IndiaChurch in India2 Kolkata 22 May - 28 May 2020|

Vol.156 (CLVI) No.21

Kolkata May 22 - May 28, 2020

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Atlanta: Ravi Zacharias, anIndia-born author who spenthis life defending Christianitythrough books and lectures,has died. He was 74.Zacharias had been battlingsarcoma and died at his homei n A t l a n t a o n M a y 1 9 ,Z a c h a r i a s I n t e r n a t i o n a lMinistries said.He was a leading figure amongChristian Apologists — abranch of Christian theologyt h a t d e f e n d s C h r i s t i a ndoctrines against objections.Zacharias founded ZachariasInternational Ministries in1984, and “launched a globalteam of nearly 100 Christianscholars and authors whocontinue to speak, resource,train and address the ques-tions of millions around theworld,” a news release said.“(Ravi) saw the objections andquestions of others not assomething to be rebuffed, butas a cry of the heart that had tobe answered,” said MichaelRamsden, president of Zacha-rias International Ministries.“People weren’t logical prob-lems waiting to be solved; theywere people who needed theperson of Christ. Those whoknew him well will rememberhim first for his kindness,gentleness, and generosity ofspirit. The love and kindnesshe had come to know in andthrough Jesus Christ was thesame love he wanted to sharewith all he met.”Zacharias is survived by hiswife, Margie, daughters Sarahand Naomi, son, Nathan, andfive grandchildren.Zacharias died two monthsafter he announced he hadbeen diagnosed with cancer.He preached in more than 70countries and authored morethan 30 books in his 48-yearcareer, teaching Christians toengage with skeptics andarguing that the Christianworldview has robust answersto humanity’s existentialquestions.Zacharias was born on March26, 1946, in Chennai (thenMadras). His family moved toDelhi when he was young and

Indian-born Christian

apologist dies of cancer

he grew up there. His familywas Anglican, but he was anatheist until the age of 17 whenhe tried to commit suicide byswallowing poison. While hewas in the hospital, a localChristian worker brought hima Bible and told his mother toread to him from John 14.Zacharias said it was John14:19 that touched him as thedefining paradigm, “Because Ilive, you also will live,” andthat he thought, “This may bemy only hope: A new way ofliving. Life as defined by theAuthor of Life.” He committedhis life to Christ praying,“Jesus if You are the one whogives life as it is meant to be, Iwant it. Please get me out ofthis hospital bed well, and Ipromise I will leave no stoneunturned in my pursuit oftruth.”In 1966, Zacharias immigratedwith his family to Canada,earning his undergraduatedegree from the Ontario BibleCollege in 1972 (now TyndaleUniversity) and his M.Div.from Trinity InternationalUniversity. In 1990, he spent atwo to three-month sabbaticalat Ridley Hall, a Church ofEngland theological school inCambridge.Zacharias started his ministrywith the Christian and Missio-nary Alliance (CMA). A grad-uate of Ontario Bible College(now Tyndale University) andTrinity International Univer-sity, he was commissioned as anational evangelist for theUnited States in 1977 andordained in the CMA in 1980.He founded RZIM in 1984, andthe organization has grown toabout 200 employees in 16offices around the world, with20 traveling speakers.His best-selling book, CanMan Live Without God?, soldabout 500,000 copies in 1995.His most recent book, TheLogic of God: 52 ChristianEssentials for the Heart andMind, won the EvangelicalC h r i s t i a n P u b l i s h e r sAssociation’s 2020 Christianbook award in the Bible studycategory. Mattersindia

Mumbai: Laudato Si’ week is atime to reflect on climatechange and its devastatingeffect on India and Asia,a c c o rd i n g t o t h e In d i a nb i s h o p s ’ p o i n t m a n f o recological issues. At the sametime, Bishop Alwyn D’Silvasays it’s a time to look to whatwe want a “post-COVID”society to look like.

The Archdiocese of Bangalorekicked off a subdued and mostlydigital Laudato Si’ week, withArchbishop Peter Machadosymbolically watering plantsplaced before the altar duringthe opening Mass. Mattersindia

Church in India

celebrates Laudato Si’

Week in lockdown

Church in the WorldChurch in the World3Kolkata 22 May - 28 May 2020|

Dhaka (AsiaNews) - Farmersneed arms to harvest rice andare receiving help from 20missionaries from the HolyCross. Many farmers cannotreach the paddy fields becauseof the lockdown decreed by theg o v e r n m e n t a g a i n s tcoronavirus.To address the pandemic, theauthorities imposed strictsocial confinement measures.Agricultural activities are per-mitted, but public transport issuspended, and workers can-not move from their homes.

Covid-19 kills pastor

who claimed to heal the

virus

Holy Cross brothers harvest rice for

quarantined farmers

This is a problem for thecountry. About 80% of thep o p u l a t i o n l i v e s o nagriculture, and rice is themain food. Local farmersexpressed gratitude to thevolunteers of Holy Cross,mostly young people. Theharvest takes place betweenthe end of April and the firsthalf of May: if done late, therice risks spoiling.In Bangladesh there are 110brothers from Holy Cross, whogenerally perform pastoralwork in schools. For them, life

in the fields is hard, but it islived with joy and participa-tion. “The ground is clayey,and it was very tiring for us, butwe are happy to have made ourcontribution. In two days weharvested 2 acres of rice, ”saysUjjal Placid Pereira, one of themissionaries involved in theharvest, to AsiaNews.Ujjal, who works as executivesecretary of the EpiscopalCommission for youth andschool, reveals that what thebrothers have earned will bedistributed to people whohave lost their quarantinejobs, and have nothing to feedthemselves on.He recalls that this is theL a u d a t o S i ' w e e k , Po p eFrancis' encyclical whichrelates the environmentalemergency to the social crisisof humanity: “The pontiffteaches that everything isconnected in the world. Byworking in the paddy field, wecan take care of nature,greenery, soil and help theneedy ”.

Cardinal Ignatius SuharyoHardjoatmodjo of Jakarta hasstressed the need for Catholicsto have “a noble heart” toprotect the earth in a messageto mark Laudato Si’ Week inIndonesia.The event marks the fifthanniversary of Pope Francis’encyclical Laudato Si’ (On Carefor Our Common Home).It is sponsored by the Dicasteryfor Promoting Integral HumanDevelopment and is meant toencourage Catholic commu-nities to take bolder action toprotect creation during theweek-long initiative from May1 6 - 2 4 u n d e r t h e t h e m e“Everything is Connected.”During the week, Catholicsfrom across the world are unit-ing to reflect, pray, and preparefor a better future together.In a seven-minute video mess-age screened by all parishes inJakarta Archdiocese during

livestreamed Sunday Masseson May 17, Cardinal Suharyotold the story of a parrot and abig tree.He said the parrot and otherbirds made nests in the tree asthey felt safe there. However, itwas only the parrot thatdecided to stay when the treestarted dying from a hunter’spoisonous arrow.When a stranger asked theparrot why it stayed, the parrotanswered that the tree hadhelped its family. The stranger,who had special powers, thenbrought the tree back to lifeand, as a result, other birdsreturned to the tree.“The story is simple, but themessage is powerful. We all areasked to have a noble heart,just like the parrot. With a nob-le heart, we can protect, prese-rve and make efforts to makeour earth a prosperous andpeaceful place for all creation,”

said Cardinal Suharto.“Let’s welcome Pope Francis’invitation to think about ourconcern and to listening to ourcall to preserve and protectthe earth so that it can be aprosperous and peacefulplace for us, human beings,and all God’s creation,” saidt h e p re l a t e, w h o i s a l s ochairman of the IndonesianBishops’ Conference.The archdiocese’s Commis-sion for Justice and Peacecalled on all parish priests toreintroduce the pope’s encyc-l i c a l a n d t o e n c o u r a g eparishioners to work for theenvironment.“Avoid wasting food becausethere are still many poor andhungry people. Plant treeswith families. Support localfarmers who are now suffer-ing, instead of only giving foodto street people in cities,”commission chairman FatherAgustinus HeriWibowo said.Speaking to UCA News, FatherWibowo said Catholics shouldnot be wasteful.“We are called to not buy andthen throw food away becausethere are still many peoplewho need it. Also, used clothesshould not just be discarded ast h e y c a n c re a t e a w a s t eproblem,” he said.He said the pope’s encyclicalhighlights a strong bond betw-een nature and human beings,particularly the poor. UCAN

Indonesia kicks off Laudato Si’ Week

EditorialEditorial4 Kolkata 22 May - 28 May 2020|

Vol. 156 (CLVI) No. 21 • KOLKATA • May 22 - May 28, 2020

**************** DISCLAIMER *****************© 201 The Herald. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged; except inthe case of third-party textual or artistic material, where use is expressly prohibited.The information and views contained in The Herald are those of the individual author(s) / contributors and do notreflect the official opinion of The Herald. NeitherThe Herald nor its owners, publishers or affiliated institutions andbodies nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for content published or the use of thecontent contained in the publication.

Worst but God saved

History teaches us that it’sfoolish to write off religion. It isobserved that the virus’simpact on religious practice isoverwhelmingly negative.COVID 19 is consequently ablessing in disguise.‘For decades now, observersh a v e d e c l a r e d t h a tChristianity is dying. Rampantsecularization coupled withcoronavirus will only seem tobring forward the obsequies.But Christianity began amidsuffering and death. And, ifChesterton is right, this won’tbe the end, rather a newbeginning.’

Global War against COVID – 19

The family is the nucleus ofcivilization and the primaryunit of society. Strongerfamilial bonds ensure strongers o c i e t y. Di f f i c u l t i e s a n dtragedies can be transformedinto opportunities, of spirituala n d p e r s o n a l re b i r t h o fcommunities.As all institutions, factoriesand work places have beens h u t d ow n ; p e o p l e h a v eq u a ra n t i n e d t h e m s e l v e swithin the four walls of theird w e l l i n g s . W e a r eapprehensive of each other;w e a r e e v e n s u s p i c i o u swhether the other is a carrier;we maintain a safe socialdistancing of two meters from

each other including dear andnear ones.The pandemic makes seniorcitizens and children mostvulnerable. It is much more thana health crisis – a human andsocial calamity. It is attackingsocieties and families at the core.It poses challenges that make bigchanges in everyday life infamilies. People experience fearand anxiety, living under theominous shadow of an unseenenemy.Children may ask questions totheir parents about lockdown,social distancing or financialburdens. Parents need to behighly sensitive to their childrenand also to older members in thefamily and respond to them withutmost care and concern. Adultsneed to protect every member ofthe family and take pragmaticmeasures to combat the virus.

LiturgyLiturgy5Kolkata 22 May - 28 May 2020|

St. Augustine of Canterbury

In the year 596, some 40 monkss e t o u t f r o m R o m e t oevangelize the Anglo-Saxons inEngland. Leading the groupwas Augustine, the prior oftheir monastery. Hardly had heand his men reached Gaulwhen they heard stories of theferocity of the Anglo-Saxonsand of the treacherous waterso f t h e E n g l i s h C h a n n e l .Augustine returned to Romeand to Gregory the Great—thep o p e w h o h a d s e n tthem—only to be assured byhim that their fears weregroundless.Augustine set out again. Thistime the group crossed theEnglish Channel and landed inthe territory of Kent, ruled byK i n g E t h e l b e r t , a p a g a nmarried to a Christian, Bertha.Et h e l b e r t re c e i v e d t h e mkindly, set up a residence for

them in Canterbury and withinthe year, on Pentecost Sunday597, was himself baptized.After being consecrated abishop in France, Augustinereturned to Canterbury, whereh e f o u n d e d h i s s e e . H econstructed a church andmonastery near where thepresent cathedral, begun in1070, now stands. As the faithspread, additional sees wereestablished at London andRochester.Work was sometimes slow andAugustine did not always meetwith success. Attempts toreconcile the Anglo-SaxonChristians with the originalBriton Christians—who hadbeen driven into westernE n g l a n d by A n g l o - Sa xo ninvaders—ended in dismalfailure. Augustine failed toconvince the Britons to give up

certain Celtic customs atvariance with Rome and toforget their bitterness, helpinghim evangelize their Anglo-Saxon conquerors.Laboring patiently, Augustinewisely heeded the missionaryprinciples—quite enlightenedfor the times—suggested byPope Gregory: purify ratherthan destroy pagan templesand customs; let pagan ritesand festivals be transformedinto Christian feasts; retainl o c a l c u s t o m s a s f a r a spossible. The limited successA u g u s t i n e a c h i e v e d i nEngland before his death in605, a short eight years afterhis arrival, would eventuallybear fruit long after in thec o n v e r s i o n o f E n g l a n d .Augustine of Canterbury cantruly be called the “Apostle ofEngland.”

Sunday

Q1: I am a deacon. In myformer parish, we alwayssang at the end of Mass the“Go in peace, Alleluia,Alleluia” during the entireEaster season. My associatepastor in my new parish hastold me not to sing it — thatit is only sung during Easterweek and Pentecost. I couldnot find the instructions inthe General Instruction ofthe Roman Missal (GIRM).Could you help me out asthe Easter Season is almostover?Q2: When do we use “pere u n d e m C h r i s t u mD o m i n u m n o s t r u m ”instead of just the simplerf o r m “ p e r C h r i s t u mDominum nostrum.”?

A: Since these two unrelatedquestions are fairly techni-cal and can be answeredwith relative brevity, I haveopted to deal with themtogether.With respect to the firstquestion, the associate pas-tor is correct. The formula“Go in peace, Alleluia,Alleluia” is used exclusivelyduring Easter octave and onthe feast of Pentecost. It isused both at Mass and inthe Liturgy of the Hours andthus would close the Easterseason with vespers ofPentecost.Although not in the GIRM, itis indicated in the rubrics at

‘Go in Peace, Alleluia, Alleluia’

the end of the Easter vigilM a s s i n w h i c h , a f t e rpresenting the music for thedismissal with the doubleAlleluia, says: “This practiceis observed throughout theOctave of Easter.”It is also indicated at the endof the Mass of Pentecost.With respect to the conclu-sion “per eundem ChristumD o m i n u m n o s t r u m(through the same ChristOur Lord)” it would nolonger be used in liturgicaltexts of the ordinary form ofthe Roman rite. It is stillused in devotional textswhich retain the olderliturgical formulas.The criteria regarding theconclusions of the collectscan be found in the GIRMNo. 54, and in No. 77 for theprayers over the offerings.The English missal nowprints these texts in full soall possible confusion isavoided.“The Collect“54. Next, the priest invitesthe people to pray. All,together with the priest,observe a brief silence so

that they may be consciousof the fact that they are inGod’s presence and mayformulate their petitionsmentally. Then the priestsays the prayer which iscustomarily known as theCollect and through whicht h e c h a r a c t e r o f t h ecelebration is expressed. Ina c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h eancient tradition of theChurch, the Collect prayeris usually addressed to Godthe Father, through Christ,in the Holy Spirit, and isc o n c l u d e d w i t h atrinitarian ending, that is tosay, the longer ending.“77. Once the offeringshave been placed on thealtar and the accompany-ing rites completed, theinvitation to pray with thepriest and the Prayer overthe Offerings conclude thePreparation of the Gifts andprepare for the EucharisticPrayer.“In the Mass, only onePrayer over the Offerings issaid, and it ends with theshorter conclusion: PerC h r i s t u m D o m i n u mnostrum (Through Christour Lord). If, however, theSon is mentioned at theend of this prayer, theconclusion is Qui vivit etr e g n a t i n s a e c u l asaeculorum (Who lives andreigns forever and ever).— Zenit

6 Kolkata 22 May - 28 May 2020|

ArchdioceseArchdiocese

Calcutta: The CoronavirusPandemic raises fundamentalquestions about who we are,what we believe and how weshould act to protect humanlife and dignity and promotethe common good in a time offear, danger and loss.Archbishop Thomas D'Souzaof Calcutta has encouraged allthe parish priests of the FourD e a n e r i e s o f K o l k a t a ,Midnapore, 24 Parganas andHowrah Hooghly to reach outto the poor, marginalised andv u l n e ra b l e i n t h e p a r i s hc o m m u n i t y a n d t h eneighborhood irrespective ofreligion.T h e p a r i s h e s i n t h e

archdiocese since lockdowntook up the noble cause todistribute relief materials inurban and rural areas. This isdone with the approval of thelocal police and governmentoff icials fol lowing safetyprotocols on social distancing,wear ing mask and usingsanitizers. Dry ration such asdal, rice, salt, pulses, sugar,cooking oil, tealeaf packets,soyabean, potatoes, onions,tomatoes, groceries, soap, surfpackets, shopping bags andother commodities includingmask, sanitizers, etc. were alsodistributed. The leadershiptaken up by the parish priestsi s p r a i s e w o r t h y. R e l i e f

Parishes in the Archdiocese step up to offer relief

CHRISTINE CRA MER

materials was distributed withthe help of the parish activebodies, viz. SCC, Council, CAB,Youth, Catholic Sabha etc.Kolkata parishes like Christ theKing Park Circus, St Thomas’Middleton Street, Prabhu JisuWellesly, Queen of PeaceTo l l y g u n g e , S t Te r e s a ’ sM o u l a l i , M a r y H e l p o fChristians Auxilium Gobra,Stella Maris Garden Reachhave covered more than 6000local people including familiesof all religions. Howrahparishes, viz. Happy Voyagereached out to the families inDasnagar, Tikiapara and localp e o p l e . I m m a c u l a t eConception, Serampore, beinga small parish communitydistributed dry ration onEaster Sunday to people of allreligion. The Pilar Fathers ofNirmala Mata Maria Girja inAndul provided mid-daymeals to the poor on ForeshoreRoad under the flyover andalso distributed ration with thehelp of a few parishioners. StMichael Catholic ChurchPremnagar , St Joseph theWorker Santragachi, DonBosco Liluah having four localzones namely Bhattanagar,Joypur, Bhagar, and Belur havealso generously contributedr e l i e f m a t e r i a l s t o t h emarginalised poor sector inthe society.

The whole archdiocese hasbeen one in its generosity tooffer relief at this time, and thework is continuing with eachp a r i s h h a v i n g r e g u l a rinterventions.All this is addition to the goodw o r k b y l a y p e o p l ei n d i v i d u a l l y , a n d l a yorganisations such as theC a t h o l i c A s s o c i a t i o n o fBengal. The official SocialDevelopment Arm of theArchdiocese namely SevaKendra has also contributedand helped a large number ofbeneficiaries through the reliefw o r k n a m e d O p e r a t i o n

Karuna. In collaboration withgovernment departments,L o c a l C o u n c i l o r s , G r a mPanchayat , Pradhan andPolice Seva Kendra was able toreach 8 districts inWest Bengalwith the rel ief mater ialsduring this pandemic. Dryr a t i o n ( f o o d i t e m s ) a r edistributed to Rag Pickers,Widows, Children, TruckDrivers, Disabled, and DailyW a g e E a r n e r s . T o t a lBeneficiaries impact is around2 9 , 4 2 3 . A w a r e n e s s o nCOVID19 do's and don’ts hasalso been imparted to thebeneficiaries including thedistribution of mask ands a n i t i z e r s . S e v a Ke n d r aa d m i n i s t e r e d S t Jo s e p hHospital Midnapore facility of

130 beds, on request by thehealth depar tment for thedistrict of Jhargram is a centre formitigation and controll ingCOVID19.T h e d e a d l y c o r o n a v i r u ssweeping across the world haskilled many priests all around theglobe. We remember them inp r a y e r. T h e Wo r l d He a l t hOrganization has said it is stillp o s s i b l e t o “ C h a n g e t h eTrajectory”. Our Parish Priestsare some of the hardest working,spearheading this action for theChurch. We must keep them ino u r d a i l y p r a y e r s a s t h e yshepherd and lead sacrificingand offering themselves for theK i n g d o m o f G o d . L e t u sremember them in our prayersand pray for their good health.

7Kolkata 22 May - 28 May 2020|

Amidst the current situation ofcorona virus (COVID-2019), Iwould like to make a smallcontribution of my thoughtsthrough this article.Almost going to be fifty days,how do you all feel stayingtogether without any reasonfor once? Well, if you ask for apersonal perception, I wouldlike to express in a vividdescription. This event hasmade our lives stagnant, thefleeting and bustling life hasnow become poignant. A phaset o d e f i n i t e l y t e s t o u rendurance, let’s pay the healthcare workers our reverence. Atr ibute to retur ns of ourmotherland, who has given somuch in abundance, sufficingbillions of people’s demands.The chain of duplication forthis virus is unimaginable, asingle person’s negligence canmake the situation so muchmore alarming and unstable.This minuscule structure hasenlightened the brevity ofhuman life.Are we aware of its effect as a

The Indian Catholic YouthMov e m e n t ( I C Y M ) - We s tBengal and Sikkim Regiono r g a n i s e d t h r e e o n l i n ec o m p e t i t i o n s b a s e d o nG o s p e l t h e m e s . T h e s ecompetitions were open forthe youths between the agegroup of 13 to 30 years.

The three competitions wereas follows: the Online Singingcompetition, Poster Makingcompetition and the OnlineDancing Competition whichstarted on 29th, 30th April and2nd May, respectively. Whilethe worldwide pandemicCovid 19 physically distancedpeople, it evidently failed toquarantine the young minds.Hundreds of entries camefrom all across the region. Thename of Christ was glorifiedthrough different forms of art.

The eminent judges forsinging, poster making anddance events were: Fr. Kalyan

Divine Retribution ICYM -WB and Sikkim Region

Organises Online Competitions 2020double edged knife? Thenature has finally redeemed itslost charm, while the humansare falling like bowling pins,raising the alarm. It’s theperfect opportunity for overallintrospection, to devote one’stime for all unlearned lesson.Some are restless for they havealways lacked discipline, forothers are diligent followingrestrictions having faith inmedicine. As the situation getsmore baffling, let’s not give into our fears, if so Corona will bewinning. Which no humanbeing wants.

जात� िह�ुवोमृ� ु�ु�वंज� मृत� चत� ादप�रहाय�ऽथ�न� ंशोिचतुमह�िस ||27||j t a s y a h idhruvom ityurdhruva janmam itasya chat a s m d a p a r i h r y e’rthenatva hochitumarhasi

This exemplifies the power ofpositivity, let’s not take COVID- 2019 as a retribution but adivinity. Its time to Stay safe,maintain social distancingand keep everyone in ourprayers.Remember, This too shall pass!And that too, too soon. Amen.

K . T i r k e y S J , Tr a i n e dMusician, Fr. Michael Singh,the former Regional YouthDirector(RYD) of the regiona s s i s t e d b y M r. S a i b a lSengupta, Art Master of St.Robert's High School and Fr.Edward Arokiaraj SJ, Master inPerforming Arts, respectively.

After 3 weeks of immense

hardwork, the judges came upwith the final results. The firstposition for the singing eventwas taken up by Mr. Savio Bor,f r o m t h e A r c h d i o c e s e o fCalcutta, followed by MissPratiksha Chettri, BagdograDiocese and Miss ChristinaGomes, Archdiocese of Calcutta.

The winner of the postermaking competition was MissA n g e l a P e r r i s , f r o m t h eArchdiocese of Calcutta. MissJoel Mary Benzer, Archdiocese ofCalcutta and Kaushik Baidya,Baruipur Diocese were awarded1 s t a n d 2 n d r u n n e r s u prespectively.

Mr. Allen Tirkey, BagdograDiocese was declared the winnerfor the dance event, followed byMiss Angela Maria Gurung,Archdiocese of Calcutta. Thethird position was jointly sharedby Miss Aparna Kujur, BagdograDiocese, Miss Juin Biswas,Krishnagar Diocese and MissSushmita Kujur, JalpaiguriDiocese.

The objective of these eventswas not only to engage the youngminds but also to creativelyspread Christ's message of lovea n d h o p e a m o n g o t h e r s ,especially during the dark timeswhen the entire world is reelingunder the impact of Covid 19.

TRISHITA G. GOMES

NARESH GUPTA

While the nation is gripped by the corona virus crisis and is observing a lockdown, millions have beenstranded with no food and shelter. People are faced with penury and deprivation as economic activitygrinds to a halt due to lockdown. This has left many people jobless and dispossessed, making themmore vulnerable to the deadly virus Covid-19.

At a time like this, one which is filled with despondency the Fatima Parish Family felt the urge to reachout to its people by giving them some basic ration items. By the grace of God, we were able to lend ahelping hand to the people in 2 phases of distribution in the month of April (5th, 6th, 7th and 8th) andMay (10th and 11th), 2020 by giving them some basic ration items like Rice, Dal and Potatoes.Throughthis Food for life program we were able to help 950 families - 500 families in the month of April and 450families in the month of May, 2020.

However, this wouldn’t have been possible without the help and generous support of the FatimaParish Family parishioners. Together with their enthusiastic support and willing assistance we couldat least reduce some of the food insecurity during this lockdown. As Christians let us turn to God intimes of fear and uncertainty as we do in times of joy and celebration. Please let us spiritually unite inthe Lord as we pray for God’s love, mercy, and to show us how to face the challenges posed by theongoing pandemic.

Food for Life Program

during Covid – 19

8 Kolkata 22 May - 28 May 2020|

‘The Herald’ tribute to the COVID19 warriors

Srinagar: It is around 2 am andD r. B i l q u i s S h a h , a f t e rspending 17 hours in the hos-pital, is readying to go homeonly to return at the first light.A Resident Medical Officer(RMO) at Jawahar Lal NehruMemorial Hospital, Dr. Bilquishas been working round theclock to treat COVID-19 at thequarantine center, unmindfulof her own health.

With her husband, ShabirShah languishing in Tihar Jaila n d a n e l d e r d a u g h t e rstudying abroad, Dr. Bilquis’syounger daughter stays athome all alone. “I have had notime for my family. I have notspoken to my elder daughterfor many days. I am worriedabout her safety, yet I am herefor the service of my people,”she said.It has been a tough task for Dr.B i l q u i s g i v e n h e rresponsibility as a doctor anda mother. “I just go home for afew hours to change clothes,s a n i t i z e m y s e l f a n d m yaccessories. I sleep hardly for afew hours. Although I am in

administration, I am workingalongside doctors, nursesbecause they were scared oftreating COVID-19 patientsi n i t i a l l y. A f t e r p r o p e rcounseling and guidance allstaff came on board,” she saidDr. Bilquis is not an isolatedcase. Doctors, nurses, ando t h e r m e d i c a l s t a f f a r eworking overtime despitebeing at the risk of contractinginfection given the poorfacilities.“I have a year old son who I

n e e d t o b re a s t f e e d . Bu tworking in the hospital till latenight is making it impossible. Icry when I think of him. Evenafter properly sanitizingmyself and changing clothes Idon’t feel safe to feed him.

Most of the time he is asleepwhen I reach home,” saidanother woman doctor who is att h e f o r e f r o n t o f t r e a t i n gcoronavirus patients.Dr. Shahzada, another doctorassociated with tackling COVID-19, said medicos are risking theirown lives to save the infectedpatients. “It would have not beendifficult for doctors to treat suchpatients had we been providedproper personal protectiongear,” she said.She said the protective gearsprovided by the authorities aren o t u p t o m a r k . “ We s t i l ldischarge our responsibilitiesdespite knowing that there is riskinvolved. This is not a favor toanyone rather it is our duty toserve mankind,” she said.

Pope Francis offered Mass atthe tomb of St. John Paul inm e m o r y o f t h e 1 0 0 t hanniversary of his birthAlmost 10 weeks after St.Peter's Basilica was closed tothe public in cooperation withItaly's Covid-19 lockdownmeasures, the faithful andtourists were allowed back inMay 18.Pope Francis celebrated Massat 7am at the tomb of St. JohnPaul II to mark the 100thanniversary of the Polishpope's birth. Then, at 8am, thegeneral public was admitted.The basilica was sanitized May15 in preparation for thereopening. It had been closedto the public since March 10.On the edge of St. Peter'sSquare, a sign advises visitorsthey must wear a mask and stay2 meters (6.5 feet) away fromothers in order to enter thebasilica.The Vatican sanitation serviceplaced hand-sanitizer dispen-sers at the end of the colonnadesurrounding St. Peter's Square.From there, the public finds"keep your distance" labelsand tape on the cobblestonepath leading to the health andsecurity checks before enteringthe basilica.

After the security check andbefore entering the church,visitors find another hand-sanitizer dispenser.While many of the peopleattending the Mass celebratedby Pope Francis were notwearing masks, once thecelebration was over, Vaticansecurity began enforcing theface-mask requirement andbreaking up any situationwhere it looked like peoplewere standing close to eacho t h e r t o t a l k , i n c l u d i n gjournalists trying to interviewsome of the first people inside.Vatican Media did not showpeople receiving Communionat the pope's Mass. For theMasses celebrated later thatmorning, Communion wasdistributed only in the hand.Vatican workers with largespray bottles resanitized thealtars and pews where Masseswere celebrated with thepublic.Except for the expanded spaceneeded for the line for securitychecks, St. Peter's Squareremained closed.

St. Peter's Basilica

reopens to the public

Meet Kashmir’s braveheart women

docs who risk their lives to treat

corona patients

T h i r u v a n a n t h a p u r a m :Several heads of shrines inKerala have written to thestate government seeking itspermission to open temples,mosques and churches in astaggered manner.All places of worship in Indiaare closed since March 25 afterthe federal government impo-sed nationwide lockdownrestrictions to contain thespread of coronavirus disease.The leaders appeal has comeamid reports of a growing cashcrunch as the lockdown hasforced devotees to stay away.However, the federal govern-ment’s decision to impose thefourth round of lockdown for14 days from May 17 has disa-ppointed the shrine heads.The government directivebars gatherings in all places ofw o r s h i p i n t h e c o u n t r y,including Kerala.Cardinal George Alencherry,Major Archbishop of the Syro-

Malabar Church, wrote toKerala Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan on May 17 seekingpermission to open Christianreligious centers to conductdaily ceremonies with thefaithful in a restricted manner.The All India Imam Councilhas also approached thegovernment. The TravancoreDevaswom Board ( TDB),which runs 2,000-odd templesin south and central Kerala,including the hil l shr ineSabarimala in Pathanamthittadistrict, has urged the stategovernment to at least allowdevotees, who want to makesignificant offerings.“Many are devoid of spiritualsupport these days. If thelockdown continues, it’ll leadto a growing psychologicalconflict. No one will be able toprevent such consequences.Churches must be allowed toopen in a restricted manner.Religious ceremonies are

essential for a believer for solaceand inner peace,” said CardinalAlencherry.The Muslim bodies stand dividedover the lockdown norms.The All India Imam Council haswritten to Vijayan, urging him toopen mosques in a limitedmanner. Samastha Kerala SunniFederation leader Basheer FaizyDeshamangalam in a socialmedia post commented that it isunfair to keep mosques closedwhen liquor stores and otherestablishments are allowed toopen.But many within the communitydon’t share Deshamangalam’sviews.“We need to apply our minds. It’spainful that all mosques areclosed during the holy month ofRamzan. It’d be difficult tomaintain social distancingn o r m s i f t h e m o s q u e s a reopened,” said a senior IndianUnion of Muslim League leader.Mattersindia

Kerala religious leaders seek

staggered opening of worship places

DocumentsDocuments09 Kolkata 22 May - 28 May 2020|

The announcement of BishopLobo’s retirement on May 4 bythe Vatican was a moment ofsadness for many and at thesame time it was a moment ofjoy for the diocese that he sawthat a son of the soil BishopShyamol Bose, to succeed himas Bishop of Baruipur. It waswell-planned succession of alocal Bishop, not seen indecades.His theological upbringingand insights of the SecondVatican Council was certainly amotivating force to implementsome of those demands thatneeded appropriate action forp a s t o r a l a n d s t e a d ydevelopment of the diocese,that celebrated its Ruby Jubilee(40 years) in 2017, underBishop Lobo’s able pastoralleadership.In his own style of leadership,he tried to fulfill the demandsof the time, despite manya d v e r s i t i e s i n t h eimplementation of action planand to continue the vision ofL a t e A l b e r t D ’ S o u z a ,Archbishop of Calcutta, (1962-68). In order to find laborersinto the vineyard of Lord JesusChrist in Bengal, in the 60s andduring the period of SecondVatican Council (1962-65), thevocation drive were made toinvite vocations from theSouth for the Archdiocese ofCalcutta and Bengal Region.Morning Star major Seminarybegan officially in 1968. It was ad r e a m p r o j e c t o f L a t eArchbishop Albert D’Souza. Itw a s a l s o h i s m i s s i o naccomplished.A m o n g t h o s e s t r e a m o fvocations that mainly camefrom Mangaloreand a few fromTamilnadu, in late 60s andearly 70s, Bishop EmeritusSalvadore Lobo was one of thep i o n e e r s w i t h a g r o u pconsisting of Late MauriceD’Souza, Fr. Cyprian Carlo, Fr.Alexander Rebello and Fr.Robert D’Souza. They allbelonged to the CalcuttaArchdiocese.The Archdiocese was dividedwith the creation of Baruipuras diocese in 1977. BishopEmeritus Linus Gomes, S.J.was appointed its first BengaliBishop. Bishop Lobo opted tojoin Baruipur diocese and hemade a definite choice to goout into the periphery of theA r c h d i o c e s e . A f t e rdiscernment and prayer, thisdecision of his reflected hismissionary zeal already.

Right from the beginning of itsestablishment as missionfield, South 24 Parganas was avictim of natural disasters,environmental crises, itsr e g u l a r r e c e s s i o n i neconomy,lack of educationala n d h e a l t h c a r ei n f r a s t r u c t u r e s , l a c k o fpersonnel in the missionf i e l d s , j o b l e s s n e s s , a n dmarginalization, , poverty anddeprivation of all forms.C e r t a i n l y , i t w a s v e r ychallenging at the time, forBishop Lobo to make thischoice of the new diocese.During those years, exceptRaghabpur, Morapai, Basanti,other mission fields had verylittle infrastructures. Evenover hundred years of hardm i n i s t r y by t h e Je s u i t s ,particularly the YugoslavianMissionaries in this marshyl a n d , i n u n d a t e d a n duncultivated, was always aland ‘of the poor and for thepoor’, in the words of HolyFather, Pope Francis in hisvision for the Church inEvangelii Gaudium. (EG 27) “Id re a m o f a “ m i s s i o n a r yoption,” that is, a missionaryi m p u l s e c a p a b l e o ftransforming everything, sothat the Church’s customs,ways of doing things, timesand schedules, language andstructures can be suitablyc h a n n e l e d f o r t h eevangelization of today’sworld rather than for her self-preservation.” The diocese ofBaruipur in Bengal has been asymbol of this image of theChurch.As a young and energeticmissionary priest, BishopLobo had experienced manydeprivations, lack of properinfrastructures to continueGod’s mission, poverty andl a c k o f e c o n o m i csustainability. He remained aman of vision and a man ofsimplicity all his life. With hisdeep faith and strength ofGod, he continued his mission

for the love of God and Hisgreater glory.The challenges inherent in thediocese makes Baruipur, theChurch of the incarnate word,By becoming incarnate meanst u r n i n g t ow a rd s p e c i f i chuman beings, from amongour Bengali people, keeping itsdeep cultural and spiritualheritages, ‘by its poverty,d e p r i v a t i o n s a n dhumiliations, it is rich in God’smercy and compassion’ withtheir particular mode ofChristian life, and their culturetheir particular mode oftemporal life. Over a centuryand decades, this mode ofChristian life, grounded in thevery soil of Bengal, has beencultivated slowly and surely,through those missionariesand who also took interest inenculturation,Bishop Lobo inherited theseas a legacy to his shepherdingthe flock in Baruipur. I mustsay, he executed boldly someof his visions for the Churchdespite many hurdles. Withdeep conviction and a sense oftrue commitment, he carriedon building God’s Kingdomwith limited resources andinfrastructures.During his tenure as the leaderof the Church in Baruipur, hebuilt many new structures; herenovated Church buildings,o p e n e d n e w c h a p e l s i ninterior rural mission lands.H e a l s o i n v i t e d n e wcongregations into the dioceseto bring stability, continuityand sustainability to thediocesan plans and projects.For him, it was no turningback, once he put his handsinto the plough. God wasactive in all those endeavorshe dreamt towards building astrong local Church, with alocal leadership.(To be continued in the next

issue)

FRANCIS SUNIL ROSARIO

FR. MERVYN CARAPIET

VISIBLY ACCEPTED

Birthdays, Anniversaries,Christmas Day, and festivals:these are the occasions forgiving and receiving gifts. Thegifts must be gaily wrappedand hopefully useful. Youdon’t want to be left guessing ifthe gift wasn’t appreciated orthrown aside as useless. Menand women have been givingpresents to one another fromas early as we can remember.It’s also part of religiouspractice. Human beings haveoffered gifts to God, or call itmaking sacrifices. There weredifferent objects of sacrifice:fruits, for instance, milk, oil,animals, even human beings,usually a girl child. And they’dbetter be the best and comefrom a sincere heart, or theywouldn’t be accepted, andthey’d be in trouble from anangry god. Those days, godsw e r e b a s i c a l l y a n g r ycharacters, and had to be keptin good humour!In order to prove that the giftwas handed over to God, it hadto be poured out (milk and oil)or destroyed by slaughteringand burning. Once the gift wasout of the hands of humans, itwas presumed that it was inthe hand of God. But there wasa weak point in this logic,namely, how could the peopleever be certain that God waspleased with and acceptedtheir gift? They hoped for thebest, and tried again and againand again.Then came Jesus Christ on tothe stage of humanity andbrought along his sacrifice onthe Cross. He went throughdeath on to the Resurrection.His Resurrection was the marko f d i v i n e a p p r ov a l . G o dt r a n s f o r m e d s o m e t h i n gb r o k e n , h i s b o d y, i n t osomething living and glorious.You can hear God telling us: “Igave you a personal gift,named Jesus; you smashed it. Irestored it, for your sake.”So, how does the Ascensioncome into all this? Well, look atJesus going up to heaven: thebillowing clouds, snowy white,opening grandly and receivinghim. The clouds are a symbol

of the divine presence. So youcan quite easily imagine God theFather opening his arms towelcome His Son back home.You could almost hear himsaying, “Welcome home, Son.That was a splendid job you did.”The disciples of Jesus, left backon earth, stood around rightthere and saw it all. The disciplesactually saw Jesus’ self-offeringvisibly accepted by the Father;for how could the Father refusethe Son?Now it is easy to understand howthis sacrifice fulfilled all others.Milk, oil, fruits, animal andh u m a n s a c r i f i c e s we re a l lsurpassed by the Passover ofJesus to the Father. And as Jesusascends higher and higher, hebecomes more and visible, i.e. hebecomes universally available.Didn’t he once declare, “When Iam raised up I shall draw allp e o p l e t o m y s e l f ? ” T h eAscension tells us that thesacrifice of Jesus is complete andaccepted. The Ascension was thesignature of divine acceptance.Jesus went up to his heavenlyglory to sit at the right hand ofthe Father. He has assumed hisrightful place, by nature and byconquest - the brave warrior ofour redemption’s drama.The clouds have folded up, andwe, like the disciples, are leftstanding, staring into space.However, no one ever achievedanything by staring into vacancy.The Paschal Mystery was not anending but a new beginning.There is a job to be done, andmuch of it is unexciting. Life istoo stark a reality to allow us theluxury of merely thinking aboutJesus sitting at God’s right handin heaven. Fantasising aboutheaven will not get us there.D i v i n e g ra c e c o m e s t o u senfleshed in the apparenttrivialities of daily life. Our dailyduties, however banal, are realc h a n n e l s o f G o d ’ s l o v e .Tra n s f o r m i n g g ra c e k e e p spouring into us through suchunpretentious channels and thesmall details of our life. The greatTeresa of Avila once said, “Likegenius, the service of God is anu n r e m i t t i n g a t t e n t i o n t odetails.”

A Missionary Bishop with a vision for

the Diocese

10Kolkata 22 May - 28 May 2020|

STORY BANKFR. FELIX RAJ SJ

Field Marshal Sam BahadurManekshaw once startedaddressing a public meeting atAhmedabad in English. Thec r ow d s t a r t e d c h a n t i n g ,“Speak in Gujarati. We willhear you only if you speak inGujarati.”Field Marshal Manekshawstopped. Swept the audiencewith a stern stare and replied:“Friends, I have fought many abattle in my long career. I havelearned Punjabi from men ofthe Sikh Regiment; Marathifrom the Maratha Regiment;Tamil from the men of theMadras Sappers; Bengali fromthe men of the Bengal Sappers,H i n d i f r o m t h e B i h a rRegiment; and even Nepalifrom the Gurkha Regiment.”“Unfortunately there was nosoldier from Gujarat fromwhom I could have learnedGujarati.”You could have heard a pindrop!John F. Kennedy’s Secretary ofState, Dean Rusk, was inFra n c e i n t h e e a r l y 6 0 ’ swhen Charles DeGaule, theFrench President, decided topull out of NATO.DeGaule said, “I want all USmilitary out of France as soonas possible.”Rusk responded, “Does thatinclude the 180,000 soldierswho are buried here?”DeGaule did not respond.You could have heard a pindrop!Robert Whiting, an elderly USgentleman of 83, arrived inParis by plane. At FrenchCu s t o m s ; h e t o o k a f e wminutes to locate his passportin his carry on.“You have been to Franceb e f o r e , M o n s i e u r ? ” t h e

C u s t o m s o f f i c e r a s k e dsarcastically.Mr.Whiting admitted that he hadbeen to France previously.“Then you should know enoughto have your passport ready.”The American said, ‘the last timeI was here, I didn’t have to showit.”“Impossible! Americans alwayshave to show their passports onarrival in France!” shouted theFrench officer.The American senior gave theFrenchman a long, hard look,and then he quietly explained,“Well gentleman, when I cameashore at Omaha Beach, at4:40am, on D-Day in 1944, tohelp liberate this country, Icouldn’t find a single Frenchmanto show a passport to.”You could have heard a pin drop!Pharisees brought a womancaught in the act of adultery andliterally dropped the fornicatorat the feet of Jesus before a largecrowd (John 8:5).They reminded him, the Law ofMoses states that such a personshould be stoned to death by thecommunity. Now what do yousay?”Jesus turned the trap into apowerful statement on thenature of sin and the importanceof mercy and grace. He looked atthe crowd holding stones, readyto make her pay, and made onesimple statement:“Let any one of you who iswithout sin, be the first to throw astone at her.”You could have heard a pin drop!“ Wo m a n , w h e r e a r e y o u ra c c u s e r s ? H a s n o o n econdemned you?”“No one, Lord,” she answeredThenJesus declared, “Neither doI condemn you. Now go and sinno more.”

The Jesuit Curia in Rome onWednesday announced thedeath of former SuperiorGeneral of the Society of Jesus,Fr. Adolfo Nicolás SJ. He died inTokyo, Japan, on 20 May afterbeing ill for a number of years.He was 84 years old.“With sorrow, but at the sametime full of gratitude, I wish toinform you that today… theLord called to Himself FatherAdolfo Nicolás, our formerSuperior General,” said Fr.A r t u r o S o s a , S J , c u r re n tSuperior General, in a messageto the Jesuits.F r. S o s a r e m e m b e r s h i spredecessor as “a gift for thePeople of God and… for thefuture… a light for those whodesire to serve the same Lord inthe Society of Jesus.”He describes Fr. Adolfo as “a

wise, humble and free man;totally and generously given toservice; moved by those whosuffer in the world, but at thesame time overflowing withhope drawn from his faith inthe Risen Lord.”

BiographyFr. Nicolás was born on 29April 1936 in Palencia, Spain toAd o l f o Ni c o l á s R i c o a n dModesta Pachón. He spentmost of his childhood inB a r c e l o n a a n d n u r s e dthoughts about having a careerin education as a member of acongregation of Brothers.After being put in contact withthe Jesuits by his brother, heentered the Society of Jesus on14 September 1953 and wasordained a priest on 17 March1967. During his philosophy

studies, he responded to a callfrom the then Superior Gene-ral, Father Jansens, who invit-ed Jesuits to volunteer for mis-sions abroad. Fr. Adolfo wassent to the mission of Japan.After finishing his philosophy,Fr. Adolfo went to Japan wherehe did his regency and compl-eted his theology studies. Hethen completed a Master’sdegree in Sacred Theology atthe Ponti f ical Gregor ianUniversity, in Rome.He served in various apostolicareas. Among others, he was ap r o f e s s o r o f Sy s t e m a t i cTheology, rector of Jesuitscholastics and provincial ofJapan. For ten years he lived inthe Philippines, serving as theDirector of the East AsianPastoral Institute (EAPI) andlater as President of theConference of Provincials ofEast Asia and Oceania.

Fr. Adolfo Nicolás was electedthe thirtieth superior Generalof the Jesuits by the 35thGeneral Congregation on 19January 2008. Eight years later,on 3 October 2016, he offeredhis resignation to the 36thGeneral Congregation ongrounds that his health nolonger allowed him to carryout his mission as he should.

New Delhi: The Supreme Courton May 19 said there can be noexistence of free citizens if thenews media cannot speak, andtherefore journalistic freedomlies at the core of freedom ofe x p re s s i o n , b u t i t i s n o tabsolute.The observations were madeby a bench comprising JusticesDY Chandrachud and M R Shahwhile asking Republic TVE d i t o r - i n - C h i e f A r n a bG o s w a m i t o m o v e t h ecompetent court to quash anFIR for a news show on Palgharmob-lynching.The bench though refused tot r a n s f e r t h e p r o b e f r o mMaharashtra Police to CBI, ite x t e n d e d s o m e r e l i e f t oGoswami by providing himprotect ion from coerciveaction for the next three weeks.On May 11, the bench hadreserved the judgment on pleasb y G o s w a m i . J u s t i c eChandrachud, pronouncingthe judgment, said India’sfreedom of press stays as longas journalists can speak truth topower, but noted freedom isnot “absolute”.

The bench observed that freecitizens cannot exist if thenews media cannot speak.“Journalistic freedom lies att h e c o r e o f f r e e d o m o fexpression,” said the top court.Goswami had sought transferof the FIRs filed in connectionwith his shows on the Palgharlynching and Bandra migrantgatherings. Goswami hadurged the apex court to quashthe cases filed against him as itwas an attempt to silence himas a journalist.The top court reiterated that itis the duty of the court top r o t e c t t h e f r e e d o m o f

expression and noted multiplecomplaints against Goswamiwill have a stifling effect.Mult iple FIRs were f i ledagainst Goswami regardingthe Palghar lynching in variousstates.The top court agreed to quasha l l F I R s e x c e p t t h e o n ecurrently under investigationin Mumbai.The apex court refused toquash the FIR and askedGoswami to seek quashing of itbefore the competent courtsand follow the normal processby moving the Bombay HighCourt. Mattersindia

Jesuits mourn passing of former

Superior General

Freedom of press not absolute:

Supreme Court