GL responds: Thanks Fr. Ivo for the post. You have clearly told us about the past and about the present in Goa and the attitudes of the Goan Catholic church.
Your quote: Casteism, understood as lack of respect for persons of so-called "lower caste", is a "sin". .. And ... Today casteist mentality is not so strong as it was in my childhood. I fully concur with your post. I also applaud you for displaying our Catholic teachings and manifesting again that our religion considers caste discrimination like all other discrimination a sin. We have been getting a lot of loaded nonsense from some Catholic laity of late in cyberspace. All of them are living outside Goa and they think they are smart. This abuse is hurled on Goa's church prehaps because the Goan priests have just chosen to stay silent rather that confront these allegations piously and if necessary vehemently. I applaud you for not engaging in private posts as some claim Goa's priests and nuns do - though I don't buy that statement for a minuite - aka lagao bhathi. But now that you have spoken, the same are saying borem padre ani many thanks! Please keep it up. Christ died for us. We can at least stand for Him and His Church. Thanks, GL Cornel Fr. Ivo Da C. Souza, Many thanks for your endorsement of my position/struggle against casteism. I do wish other Goan priests (including ex-priests), nuns and bishops would be able to do the same. Cornel DaCosta, London Message: 9 Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 22:30:21 +0530 From: "Fr. Ivo Da C. Souza" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [Goanet]Genuine meaning of Easter To: goanet@goanet.org Reply-To: goanet@goanet.org I do endorse your struggle against casteism. Caste is there, to some extent, ingrained in our society. It is difficult to eradicate it totally from our minds and hearts. But I know that Christian message has been a leaven for the traansformation of our society. Casteism, understood as lack of respect for persons of so-called "lower caste", is a "sin" (whether in the religious/theological or secular sense), just as racism is. Today casteist mentality is not so strong as it was in my childhood. Yet, I remember well, our Catholic families would not allow us to speak of caste and dwell in it. We had friends from all "types" of families, even among Hindu boys and girls. Let us be united and fight against casteism and communalism... Ivo da C.Souza