Fr Micael Fernandes writes " He strove to unite the clergy under the banner of Catholic Priests Conference of India (CPCI), an initiative that was 'hijacked' by the then local representative of the CBCI through two lieutenants -- later duly rewarded, one as seminary Rector and the other as pastoral institute Director."
Does anyone know the politics enough of the times enough to explain this allusion? Augusto On Sun, Jun 9, 2013 at 7:08 PM, augusto pinto <pinto...@gmail.com> wrote: > There is an obituary of the late Danzil Dias written by Fr Micael > Fernandes on Goanet. Both of them had written a book entitled > Our Goan Personality and The Local Catholic Church a summary of which > which I am appending along with the obituary. > > OBIT: Danzil Oscar Serafio Dias > > by Fr. Micael Fernandes > > Danzil Oscar Serafio Dias continued to be popularly known as > "Father Danzil" to his very end. That is a measure of the > imprint he left from 30-plus years of service to the Church > in Goa, often amidst opposition from the hierarchy. He lived > ahead of his time, read the future much before his > contemporaries, and walked in his thoughts and actions as a > forerunner who at times was mistaken for a rebel. > > He was born September 4, 1941 at Sarzora-Chinchinim, > the famed 'Granary of Priests' in Goa. Danzil > hailed from an ancestry that studded several > priests. Heeding the call of priestly vocation, he > offered the prime of his life in service of the > Church, with an ardent hope of ushering a new > relationship in society, shorn of caste and class > trappings, particularly among Goa's Catholic > segment. > > This was in line with the teachings of Christ, the Gospel > values and the decisions of Vatican II. > > During his pastoral ministry, wherever posted as Assistant > Parish Priest or Chaplain, he set to root out man made > distinctions that divided the community. He naturally took > the side of the underdog. > > Society generally resists change and Danzil's path-breaking > 'activism' naturally ruffled many feathers. But the seeds > sown were germinating, sprouting and taking root. In fact, > they were illuminating the greenery of the Goa Archdiocese. > Both clergy and lay people were attracted to Danzil's > innovative ideas to create a new Church environ in the Goan > scenario, in tune with Vatican II. > > The 451-year feudal set up in Goa felt threatened. The plants > from seeds sown by Danzil were uprooted and transplanted on > different ground. The Council for Social Justice & Peace was > eventually established. This demonstrated that Danzil lived > and thought ahead of time. > > He associated with different groups within the Church and in > the secular domain, conceiving and articulating ideas that > were ahead of the times. Both civil and ecclesiastical > society realised the importance of his ideas, but only after > a long period, when society was on the threshold of another > socio-political relationship. > > Danzil dedicated his life to bring about changes in > intra-Church hierarchical relations and improvement in the > living conditions of Goan clergy. He strove to unite the > clergy under the banner of Catholic Priests Conference of > India (CPCI), an initiative that was 'hijacked' by the then > local representative of the CBCI through two lieutenants -- > later duly rewarded, one as seminary Rector and the other as > pastoral institute Director. > > The path of reformation propounded by Danzil, however, was > gradually implemented. He was marginalized. Ingrained with > certain values, he did not raise a ruckus, but quietly went > his own way. > > Danzil also strove to address the pathetic work > conditions and insecurity of Church employees like > sacristans and sextons. He was friends with trade > unionists like the late George Vaz, Subhash Jorge > and Christopher Fonseca. Church authorities > eventually moved to improve working conditions and > remuneration of its employees. > > On Goa's larger social scene, Danzil played a key role to > bring together leaders of factions representing the backward > classes, particularly Gawdas, traditional fishermen, toddy > tappers and the like. > > As a true follower of Christ, he made himself available to > the afflicted and the suffering -- whether individuals or > sections of the community -- and used his considerable > influence to get them succour and relief in their distress. > > Always a man in a hurry, a man ahead of time, and a man for > others, he had little time for himself. On the morning of > June 4, 2013, while in Margao and true to his trademark > style, Danzil departed from our midst quite unexpectedly, > quickly and without suffering, and yes -- ahead of time. I > bow to the memory of a close friend and a true Christian. > > -- > * Fr. Micael Fernandes, MA, LLB, is an archdiocesan priest, > currently serving as Parish Priest at Batim, Tiswadi-Goa. He > can be contacted via +91-9850 630 190 > > * Danzil > http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/8992907059/in/photostream/ > > > ........................................................................................................................................................... > > Our Goan Personality and The Local Catholic Church by Mr. Danzil Oscar > Dias and Fr Michael > Fernandesk. > > This book was privately published through funds raised through > donations and advertisements which constitutes some of the 154 pages.. > > It has ten chapters the titles of which give an indication its contents: > Catholic Religion in Goa: An Instrument of > Hegemony; Brahminical Hegemony imbued by the RCC in Goa; Our Padroado > da Goa and Her Method of Evangelisation; The Church of Padroado da Goa > no Oriente; Clericism of the RCC and the Whole People of Goa; The > Confrontational Deconstruction of Roman of the Church; Reconstruction > of the Whole People of Goa and the Konkani Culture; Secular > Perspectives of Religion; Spirituality and Faith; The Planned Synod > and its Relevance; > > The book contains some peculiar pictures with titles like The Powers > of the State of Goa with photographs of the Archbishop with the Pope > and Manohar Parrikar; The Evil Forces: Clericalism - with a Kangaroo like > devilish figure hovering over a city; Combination of Lord Vishnu and > Shiva ... > > The book is a swirling eddy of ideas of all sorts seething with > anger against what it sees as Brahminical Hegemony, and while it might > not always be coherent it does hurl ideas left right and center at > some perceived enemy within the Church. One of the writers was a former > Roman Catholic > priest while the other did not leave it. > > > ................................................................................................................................................. > > > -- > > > Augusto Pinto > 40, Novo Portugal > Moira, Bardez > Goa, India > E pinto...@gmail.com > P 0832-2470336 > M 9881126350 -- Augusto Pinto 40, Novo Portugal Moira, Bardez Goa, India E pinto...@gmail.com P 0832-2470336 M 9881126350
