I am deeply disturbed by reading in Times of India today 17.04.19 that our great Catholic priest, a supporter and promoter of our rights, Fr. Conceicao D’Silva has tendered his apology to the Collector in Margao. I am sure knowing him from close angle and moving with him on social service and also as activist in 1991-92 when I was in Goa for one full year during the invasion of Kuwait while he was assistant Parish Priest of Calangute Church, Fr. Conceicao D’Silva would not take his word back. However, in this episode I am sure heavy pressure must have been imposed on him by his superiors either from Altinho Panjim or elsewhere. Following the Central idea of Hinduism which is the “Obedience”, I am sure he must have tendered his apology by obeying the advice of his superiors. According to historian Toynbee, the central idea of Hinduism is “Obedience” while that of Islam is “Justice” and of Christianity “Love”.
By the way when you tender your apology you don’t become small but you must be perfectly convinced that what you are doing is correct. Fr. Conceicao is also known for his humility and helpfulness and I made use of both his attributes when we needed some help from the local Bom Samaritan to settle one court case we were fighting against one tenant at the time of the construction of our Hotel at Calangute, Hotel Goan Heritage. Fr. Conceicao at that time with the full blessing of his Pr. Vigar like a true Bom Samaritan did help us and this kind gesture of his I remember very well. Besides, he gave his help to many people whether he is a Christao or Hindu or anyone.
The intellectual might of Fr. Conceicao is very great, so too the spiritual because of which he was well protected by the Heavenly God. His political “dusman” and also the “Devchar” were prowling on him to liquidate him but with the mighty protective hand of God he is well protected and will be protected too in the future. What he preached in the sermon was absolutely true, he explained how God sends His punishment on the arrogant and cruel man. The miserable death came on Parrikar was according to wisdomatic persons deserving because he fooled the people of Goa enough. Good that the death has snatched him from this planet otherwise he would become like a Dada and would employ Hitlerism to create unwanted problems for the innocent people. Of late I noticed in him that power has reached to his head and became corrupt. According to Political Scientist Prof. Laski: Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Because of his death we escaped from tasting his absolute corrupt power. This type of episodes help us to warn our our living people to control their pride and arrogance and this is the job of the clergy to inform the living arrogant persons to behave well otherwise they will suffer from deadly sicknesses like Pancreatic Cancer, Brain Hemorrhage, Paralitic and Cardiac Strokes etc. Thru the fear of God, our clergy brings back the proud and the arrogant to their senses back. Was it not that due to the punishment of God so many of our “Torne Bonge” MLA’s and Ministers gone to the Simitir and Musudni? Is it not that some are still suffering as punishment from God for creating troubles for the innocent people especially from the minority community?
Elsewhere in India some speakers were known to speak so badly that what Fr. Concecao spoke is nothing and yet they were left scott – free while priest like Fr. Conceicao was reprimanded by the South Goa District Collector Ajit Roy with a warning not to repeat such actions and also with an advise “to confine himself to his priestly duties only”. Here I ask the learned Collector who gave his final verdict, “who told him what Fr. Conceicao D’Silva expressed falls beyond the Christian duties and outside the boundaries of Christianity?” I think our Jokers at Altinho imposed heavy pressure on Fr. Conceicao because they were I think, afraid that government would withdraw the grants the Diocesan Schools are getting. For this reason I think all the hurry and all the pressure for Apology. The grant that Diocesan Schools are getting from the government is not from those who are running this show and they are giving this not from their personal account. It is the grant given by the government from the public money. But the money accumulated thru the income from the Diocesan Scoiety is going into whose pockets? Who is responsible to take care of this money? In the construction of Diocesan Schools the contribution of the Church is zero if not negligible. In our village when the Church School built it was built thru the finance collected from the local parishioners based in Goa and outside Goa but the profit the Church makes out of this was not shared by the Church with any one leave aside with poor students in helping them to buy books, uniforms and other necessary amenities. In the name of charity we make our Church rich and richer and finally and ultimately in whose custody this accumulated money will fall? Church leaders are likewise hiding many of the financial transactions, for example, where does the Sunday and other Holiday Money Collection goes? In some Gulf countries a few of those who are entrusted withthe task of counting and collecting the money from the Tray are become “Lakhpotis”. And what about ours? The real truth must come out.
A.Veronica Fernandes.