<< It seems to us that Goan Catholics have little or no influence in Rome and in the churches and dioceses they serve. It seems to us that those Catholic churches such as the Portuguese Church and dioceses around the world that Goan Catholics have faithfully served could and should petition the Vatican to be as flexible in its rules for a Goan and other Indian saints as it has for those of other communities and countries. It amazes many of us that while the Catholic Church has bent its rules to give saints to other nations, she continues to withold from India, the mother of great religions and land of saints, the honor of having a single fully native Indian Catholic saint. It amazes us that the churches around the world that benefit from the service of Indian Catholics are silent on this lack of Indian Catholic saints. >> JNVI
WHY do we need a *native* Indian Catholic saint? Will having *our very own saint* enable us to enjoy: "" 1. Electricity supply that is 24x7 and in dire emergencies gets restored in a few hours. 2. Cable TV that is steady and stable (i.e. no sudden switching of channels, hijacking of one channel by another, channels going on and off like a Christmas tree's lights etc) 3. A newspaper guy who can deliver a Mumbai paper latest by noon and not 6:00 in the evening and sometimes the next day! 4. Computer guys who have every intention of keeping their home service appointments. 5. Streets, roads, highways (and sidewalks) that are free of potholes. 6. A beach that is free of litter and not black. 7. A public library that is systematically run and has an uptodate collection of books, periodicals and papers. 8. Long distance connectivity by bus, train or plane that is cheap and cheerful and available on demand. 9. At least one more petrol station where one can get air pressure checked automatically and not manually. 10. A riverside road in town that is not a micromini roller coaster with umpteen bumps along the way. "" ? If yes, why wait for a *firangi* in Rome to declare XYZ as *our very own saint*? Let's go ahead and declare to the world that XYZ is henceforth *our very own* native Indian Catholic saint. Lawrence