Hi Fred, How can one get in touch with Fr Xavier Pinto?
I am glad that some priests and nuns have now vowed to treat their servants (Christians and non-Christians) as people with human dignity and not extract work out of them without any consideration whatsoever. The Catholic Church pioneered the movement to give workers dignity and justice without being exploited -- to this extent we should refer to the following Encyclicals: 1. RERUM NOVARUM (ON CAPITAL & LABOUR) by Pope Leo XIII on May 15th 1891 2. MATER ET MAGISTRA by Pope John XXIII of May 15th, 1961. (Both these Encyclicals -- English translation -- can be accessed from Papal Encyclicals online www.papalencyclicals.net -- ) However, my own observations have been that a very large number of priests, nuns and religious do not seem to have read or digested the Church's teaching on this subject even to the extent that they rarely encourage formation of workers' unions nor do they advise employees to join such unions in their places of work. Where some courageous priests and nuns have taken up the challenge of helping workers get their rightful dues and treatment, their superiors have in most cases condemned their actions. I think most Christian teachers in Christian schools have heard "God will Bless you" from their religious priest or nun Principal when they are called upon to do extra work without payment of over time -- while non-Christian teachers are not called upon nor expected to do this type of extra work. Today we see new very well equipped modern schools being set up by private bodies / politicians, which pay their teachers very handsome salaries, do not expect their students to take tuitions nor encourage their teachers to give tuitions and yet make fantastic profits -- whereas our schools and colleges are permanently crying poverty and yet giving dedicated service to the education of the young without consideration of caste, religion or class -- in many cases making such education facilities available to those who could not ordinarily pay for this service. Our Lord said "The worker is worthy of this hire" -- I wish our priests and nuns in schools, hospitals, parishes would ensure that their employees get salaries which would enable to live DECENT LIVES. Fr Xavier Pinto has started by converting priests and nuns in Asansol -- I pray that he and others like him will convert all priests and nuns throughout India to dealing with their employees with justice and dignity. Cheers Aloysius ---- Original Message ----- From: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Priests, Nuns Of Asansol Diocese Resolve To Treat Workers With Dignity By SAR NEWS ASANSOL, West Bengal (SAR NEWS) -- Workers of the Church institutions and parishes of Asansol Diocese, cheer. For, the Catholic priests and nuns have vowed to shun flippancy towards their employees and treat them with dignity.