फादर कामिल बुल्के !

श्रीरामपूरात आमचे घर मध्यवर्ती भागांत बाजारतळापाशी आहे. शहराची विभागणी रेल्वेच्या अलीकडे आणि पलीकडे अशी होते. दर रविवारी सकाळी आमच्या घरातली सर्व मंडळी देवळाला जाण्यासाठी रेल्वे ओलांडून जर्मन दवाखान्यापाशी म्हणजे संत लूक दवाखान्याकडे जायची.

यानिमित्ताने दर वेळेस आजही बेलापूर रेल्वे स्टेशन असे नाव असलेल्या (`बेलापूर स्टेशन: श्रीरामपूरके लिए यहा उतरीये') रेल्वे प्लॅटफॉर्मवरून जाणे व्हायचे.

साठ आणि सत्तरच्या दशकातली ही घटना आहे. वाचायला शिकल्यापासून मुख्य दरवाज्यापाशी वर असलेल्या एका फलकाकडे माझे नेहेमी लक्ष जायचे.

हिंदी राष्ट्रभाषा म्हणून वापरली जावे यासाठी काही महनीय व्यक्तींची वाक्ये त्या फलकावर लिहिली होती. महात्मा गांधी, आचार्य काका कालेलकर वगैरेंची वाक्ये त्यात होती.

यापैकी आचार्य काका कालेलकर यांचा सातारा जिल्ह्यातील नीरा या गावाविषयीचा एक धडा आमच्या मराठीच्या पाठ्यपुस्तकात होता.

त्या फलकावर असलेल्या एका नावाने मात्र मला अचंबित केले होते.

ते नाव होते फादर कामिल बुल्के !

तोपर्यंत माझ्यासारखे `कामिल' हे नाव असलेली इतर कुठलीही व्यक्ती मी पाहिली नव्हती आणि ऐकली नव्हती.

कोण असतील हे फादर कामिल बुल्के असा प्रश्न मनात यायचा. गोव्यात गेल्यानंतर मात्र कामिल नावाच्या कितीतरी व्यक्ती मला भेटल्या.

नंतर फादर कामिल बुल्के हे नाव मी विसरून गेलो. हिंदी राष्ट्रभाषासंबंधी काहीही विषय निघाला कि मात्र हे नाव लगेचच स्मृतीपटलावर लगेच वर यायचे, अजूनही येत असते.

नंतर मी स्वतःच जेसुईट फादर होण्यासाठी श्रीरामपूर सोडून गोव्यात गेलो, तेथेच अनेक वर्षे स्थिरावलो. जेसुईट असलेल्या आणि तेव्हाही हयात असलेल्या या फादर कामिल बुल्केची मात्र कधीच कुठे, पुस्तकांतसुद्धा गाठभेट झाली नाही.

काही वर्षांपूर्वी `मी ख्रिस्ती मिशनरींचे योगदान' या विषयावर इंग्रजी आणि मराठी पुस्तके लिहिली, तेव्हा अनेक वर्षे ओळखीचे असूनही गायब झालेल्या या फादर कामिल बुल्के यांची अचानक भेट झाली.

पण तोपर्यंत मी स्वतः संन्याशी जेसुईट होण्याचा विचार सोडून गृहस्थाश्रम स्विकारला होता.

मुळचे बेल्जीयम असलेले फादर कामिल बुल्के हे त्यांच्या हिंदी-इंग्रजी डिक्शनरीसाठी प्रसिद्ध आहेत, संपूर्ण बायबलचा हिंदी अनुवाद त्यानीं केला.

संस्कृत आणि हिंदी या भाषांचे पंडित असलेल्या या प्राच्यविद्या तज्ज्ञाचा भारत सरकारने पद्मभूषण 'किताब देऊन मानसन्मान केला आहे. राष्ट्रपती वराहगिरी वेंकट गिरी यांनी हा किताब फादर बुल्के यांना प्रदान केला.

त्याशिवाय भारत पारतंत्र्यात असताना हिंदी भाषेतून हिंदीतून डॉक्टरेट करणारे ते पहिलेच संशोधक.

आणि अलाहाबाद विद्यापीठातून डॉक्टरेट करण्यासाठी फादर कामिल बुल्के यांनीं प्रबंधासाठी विषय निवडला होता " राम कथा : उत्पत्ती और विकास'

ख्रिस्ती धर्मगुरू असलेले फादर कामिल बुल्के हे आजही राम कथा, तुलसी रामायण म्हणून प्रसिद्ध असलेल्या राम चरीत मानस या विषयांवरचे तज्ज्ञ समजले जातात.

माझ्या `ख्रिस्ती मिशनरींचे योगदान' या इंग्रजी आणि मराठी पुस्तकांत फादर बुल्के यांच्यावर एक प्रकरण आहे.

रामायणावर संशोधन करणाऱ्या एका ख्रिश्चन धर्मगुरूंचा हा थोडक्यात परिचय

कहाणी रामायणावर संशोधन करणाऱ्या एका ख्रिश्चन धर्मगुरूंची

Story by  आवाज़ मराठी | Published by  Pooja Nayak • 12 h ago

फादर कामिल बुल्के

 

कामिल पारखे 

 

`रामायण' आणि महाभारत ही महाकाव्ये भारतीय संस्कृतीचा एक महान ठेवा. या दोन महाकाव्यांवर विविध दृष्टिकोनांतून आणि पैलूंनी सतत लिहिले गेले आहे. वाल्मिकीकृत रामायण जसे लोकप्रिय आहे तसेच उत्तर भारतात संत तुलसीदास यांनी रचलेले `रामचरितमानस' खूप लोकप्रिय आहे. या काव्याला `तुलसी रामायण' या नावानेही ओळखले जाते. युरोपातून आलेल्या आणि भारतालाच आपली कर्मभूमी बनवणाऱ्या एका ख्रिस्ती धर्मगुरूला या `रामचरितमानस'ने भुरळ घातली अन मग त्यानी अनेक वर्षे या हिंदी काव्यावर मूलभूत स्वरूपाचे मौलिक संशोधन केले. या जेसुईट धर्मगुरूंचे नाव आहे फादर कामिल बुल्के. 

फादर कामिल बुल्के यांचा जन्म १ सप्टेंबर १९०९ रोजी बेल्जियममध्ये झाला. कॅथोलिक धर्मगुरू होण्यासाठी येशूसंघात दाखल होण्यापूर्वी त्यांनी इंजिनिअरिंगचे शिक्षण पूर्ण केले. १९३५ मध्ये ते भारतात आले आणि १९४१ मध्ये धर्मगुरू म्हणून त्यांना गुरुदीक्षा देण्यात आली. कलकत्ता विद्यापीठात त्यांनी संस्कृत विषयात पदवी संपादन केली, त्यानंतर अलाहाबाद विद्यापीठात त्यांनी हिंदी विषयात डॉक्टरेट मिळवली. त्यांच्या प्रबंधाचा विषय होता, ‘रामकथा : उत्पत्ती और विकास’.  

विशेष बाब म्हणजे जन्माने युरोपियन असलेल्या फादर बुल्के यांचा हा प्रबंध अलाहाबाद विद्यापीठातील हिंदी साहित्यावरील पहिलाच हिंदी प्रबंध होता. तोपर्यंत भारतातील सर्व विद्यापीठांमध्ये प्रबंध हे केवळ इंग्रजीतूनच लिहिले जात असत. रामकथेवर हिंदीतूनच प्रबंध लिहिण्यावर फादर कामिल बुल्के ठाम होते. अखेरीस विद्यापीठाने प्रचलित नियम बदलून हिंदी भाषेतून संशोधनात्मक प्रबंध लिहिण्यास त्यांना परवानगी दिली.  ही घटना आहे १९४५ ची. 

जन्माने बेल्जियम आणि ख्रिस्ती धर्मगुरु असलेल्या फादर कामिल बुल्के यांना १९४९ मध्ये हिंदी भाषेतील पहिली डॉक्टरेट पदवी मिळवण्याचा मान मिळाला. फादर बुल्के यांचा हा प्रबंध स्वातंत्र्यप्राप्तीच्या सुमारास सादर केला गेल्याने त्यांचे नाव प्रकाशझोतात आले. 

आपण हिंदी भाषा आणि तुलसीदासांच्या `रामचरितमानस'कडे कसे आकर्षित झाले याचे स्पष्टीकरण फादर कामिल बुल्के यांनी दिले आहे. त्यांची गुरुदीक्षा होण्याआधी पाच वर्षे ते झारखंड येथे जेसुईट संस्थेच्या एका शाळेत शिक्षक होते. त्यावेळी स्थानिक लोकांना इंग्रजी भाषेत संभाषण करणे अभिमानास्पद वाटे. स्थानिक संस्कृतीचे त्यांना फारसे ज्ञान किंवा अभिमान नव्हता असे त्यांना जाणवले.  त्याचवेळी कामिल बुल्के यांनी भारतीय भाषांमध्ये प्राविण्य मिळवण्याचा निर्धार केला.   

राम कथेवर संशोधन पूर्ण केल्यानंतर फादर कामिल बुल्के पुन्हा आपल्या कर्मभूमीकडे म्हणजे झारखंडला परतले. जेसुईट संस्थेच्या तेथे असलेल्या सेंट झेव्हियर कॉलेजमध्ये फादर बुल्के यांनी संस्कृत आणि हिंदी विभागाची स्थापना केली.   

ख्रिस्ती धर्मगुरु म्हटले की आपल्या नजरेसमोर ख्रिस्ती धर्माचा प्रचार करणारे लोक अशी प्रतिमा उभी राहते. मात्र सर्वच ख्रिस्ती धर्मगुरु  धर्मप्रसाराचे कार्य करत नाहीत. बहुतांश ख्रिस्ती धर्मगुरु शिक्षण, व्यावसायिक प्रशिक्षण, समाजसेवा वगैरे अनेक मिशनकार्यांत गुंतलेले असतात. 

 

कॅथोलिक चर्च ही जगातील एक सर्वांत मोठी संस्था आहे. चर्चच्या विविध कार्यांना वाहून घेणाऱ्या धर्मगुरुंच्या आणि धर्मभगिनींच्या संस्था-संघटनाही आहेत. उदाहरणार्थ, जेसुईट्स, डॉन बॉस्को आणि मदर तेरेसा सिस्टर्स. यापैकी `जेसुईटस' म्हणजे सोसायटी ऑफ जिझस या धर्मगुरूंच्या  संघटनेचे सदस्य. जेसुईट धर्मगुरुंनी शिक्षण, समाजकार्य, साहित्य वगैरे क्षेत्रांत महत्त्वाचे योगदान दिले आहे.

  

जेसुइट संस्थेचे मुंबईतील सेंट झेव्हियर कॉलेज तसेच जमशेदपूर येथील झेव्हियर स्कूल ऑफ मॅनेजमेंट ही भारतातील अग्रगण्य मॅनेजमेंट शैक्षणिक संस्था आहे. पुण्यात लोयोला आणि सेंट व्हिन्सेंट या शाळा आहेत. लोकमान्य बाळ गंगाधर टिळक आणि गोपाळ गणेश आगरकर यांनी आधुनिक शिक्षणसंस्था स्थापन केल्या, त्या जेसुईट मिशनरींच्या मिशनरी कार्याने प्रभावित होऊनच. लोकमान्य टिळक आणि आगरकर यांना ‘इंडियन जेसुइट्स’ असे संबोधन देण्यात आले आहे ते यामुळेच. फादर कामिल बुल्के याच परंपरेचे पाईक होते.   

 

श्रीरामपूरला दहावीची परीक्षा दिल्यानंतर मी स्वतःही  गोव्याला जेसुईट धर्मगुरू होण्यासाठी गेलो होतो. त्या प्रशिक्षणाच्या पाच वर्षांच्या काळात येशूसंघीयांची काम करण्याची तळमळ, धडपड आणि अपार कष्ट घेण्याची, त्रास सहन करण्याची तयारी मी जवळून अनुभवली आहे. आताचे पोप फ्रान्सिस हे पोपपदावर पोहोचलेले जेसुईट संस्थेचे पहिलेच धर्मगुरु आहेत. 

बेल्जियममधून भारतात आल्यापासूनच फादर कामिल बुल्के या देशाच्या प्रेमात पडले. फादर बुल्के यांनी धर्मगुरुपदाचे कार्य पार पाडण्यासाठी सर्वप्रथम स्थानिक लोकांशी आणि संस्कृतीशी एकरूप होण्यावर अधिक भर दिला. त्यासाठी त्यांनी १९५० मध्ये भारतीय नागरिकत्व स्वीकारले.

अलाहाबाद विद्यापीठाने फादर कामिल बुल्के यांचा ‘रामकथा : उत्पत्ती और विकास’ हा प्रबंध १९५० मध्ये प्रसिद्ध केला आणि त्या प्रबंधाची विस्तारित म्हणजे ८१८ पानांचे ‘रामकथा’ हे पुस्तक प्रकाशित झाले. रामकथेवर डॉक्टरेट मिळवल्यानंतरसुद्धा अनेक वर्षे  या विषयावर फादर बुल्के यांचे संशोधन सुरूच होते. आणि पुस्तकाच्या सुधारित आवृत्या प्रसिद्ध होत होत्या. या तीन आवृत्तींच्या प्रकाशनांवरुन जवळजवळ पंचवीस वर्षे फादर बुल्के हे रामकथेच्या कसे प्रेमात पडले होते हे दिसून येते.

फादर बुल्के यांची साहित्यक्षेत्रातील कार्याची दखल घेऊन १९५० मध्ये बिहार राज्याच्या राज्यपालांनी बिहार साहित्य अकादमीचे संस्थापक सदस्य म्हणून त्यांची नेमणूक केली. त्यानंतरच्या काळात राष्ट्रीय पातळीवरील अनेक महत्त्वाच्या समित्यांचे सदस्य म्हणून केंद्र सरकारतर्फे त्यांची निवृत्ती करण्यात आली. राज्य आणि राष्ट्रीय पातळीवरील अनेक साहित्य संस्थांचे सदस्य म्हणून त्यांनी कार्य केले. राष्ट्रीय पातळीवर हिंदी भाषेचा राष्ट्रभाषा म्हणून मोठ्या प्रमाणात वापर व्हावा म्हणून त्यांनी प्रयत्न केले.

रामकथेच्या संशोधनानंतर फादर बुल्के यांनी इंग्रजी-हिंदी शब्दकोशाची निर्मिती आणि संपूर्ण बायबलचे हिंदीत रूपांतर करण्याच्या कार्यात स्वत:ला वाहून घेतले. त्यांचा ‘इंग्रजी-हिंदी कोश’ १९६८ मध्ये प्रसिद्ध झाला. त्यानंतर या शब्दकोशाच्या अनेक आवृत्त्या निघाल्या. १९७७ मध्ये संपूर्ण नव्या कराराचा म्हणजे बायबलच्या दुसऱ्या खंडाचा त्यांनी केलेला अनुवाद प्रसिद्ध झाला. संपूर्ण बायबलचा हिंदी अनुवाद १९८६ मध्ये प्रसिद्ध झाला. 

फादर बुल्के हिंदी भाषिक प्रदेशातील बिगर ख्रिस्ती समाजात ‘बाबा बुल्के’म्हणून ओळखले जात. हिंदी आणि संस्कृतव्यतिरिेक्त फादर बुल्के यांना हिब्रू, ग्रीक, लॅटिन भाषा अवगत होत्या. डच, फ्रेंच आणि जर्मन भाषांतसुद्धा ते उत्तमरीत्या संभाषण करत असत.

कॅथोलिक चर्चमध्ये आंतरधर्मीय सामंजस्याचे आणि सुसंवादाचे वारे १९६२मध्ये भरलेल्या दुसऱ्या व्हॅटिकन परिषदेनंतर सुरू झाले, पण या परिषदेपूर्वीच फादर बुल्के यांनी या दिशेने वाटचाल सुरू केली होती. त्यामुळेच त्यांना अनेकदा विरोध आणि टीकेस तोंड द्यावे लागले. आज मात्र फादर बुल्के यांनी केलेल्या कार्यास सगळीकडे मान्यता मिळाली आहे. 

भारतीय संस्कृतीशी एकरूप होऊन महान कार्य केल्याबद्दल मदर तेरेसा यांना ‘भारतरत्न हा सर्वोच्च नागरी सन्मान देऊन सरकारने त्यांचा गौरव केला. त्याचप्रमाणे रामकथेवर मूलभूत स्वरूपाचे संशोधन करणाऱ्या, इंग्रजी-हिंदी शब्दकोशाची निर्मिती करणाऱ्या फादर कामिल बुल्के या जन्माने बेल्जियम असणाऱ्या ख्रिस्ती धर्मगुरूचाही १९७४ मध्ये ‘पद्मभूषण' हा सन्मान देऊन गौरव करण्यात आला. 

प्राच्यविद्यापंडित, संपूर्ण बायबलचे हिंदीत रूपांतर करणारे अनुवादक, हिंदी व संस्कृत भाषेचे पंडित म्हणून फादर बुल्के यांचा खास उल्लेख केला जातो. फादर बुल्के यांचा इंग्रजी-हिंदी शब्दकोश आजही नावाजला जातो. फादर बुल्के १९५० ते १९७७ या काळात यांची येथील सेंट झेव्हियर कॉलेजमध्ये हिंदी आणि संस्कृत विषयांचे विभागप्रमुख होते. यावरून त्यांनी या विषयांमध्ये किती प्राविण्य मिळवले होते, याची कल्पना येते.

त्यांच्या निधनानंतर रेडिओवर आणि दूरदर्शनवर या प्राच्यविद्यापंडिताच्या कार्यावर आधारित खास कार्यक्रम प्रसारित करण्यात आला होता . त्यात एका हिंदी समीक्षकाने म्हटले होते की ‘जोपर्यंत जगात रामकथा सांगितली जाते, तोपर्यंत बाबा बुल्के हे नाव विसरले नाव विसरले जाणार नाही.’ 

फादर कामिल बुल्के यांच्या निधनानंतर पस्तीस वर्षांनी दिल्लीतील त्यांचे अवशेष त्यांच्या कर्मभूमीला म्हणजे रांची येथे नेण्यात आले आणि अनेक लोकांच्या उपस्थितीत तेथे समारंभपूर्वक पुरण्यात आले. रांची येथील सेंट झेव्हियर कॉलेजात त्यांचा एक अर्धपुतळा उभारण्यात आला असून तेथील रस्त्याला त्यांचे नावही देण्यात आले. 

- कामिल पारखे  

(लेखक पत्रकार असून ख्रिस्ती समाज आणि संस्कृती यांवरील त्यांची पुस्तके प्रसिद्ध आहेत.)

Camil Parkhe 

Pope Francis elevates Goa archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao as a Cardinal

 

Pope Francis elevates Goa Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao as a Cardinal in Vatican City 

Christianity in Goa is over 450 years old but it was only on Saturday, August 27, 2022 , that a `Real Goan’ Goa and Daman Archbishop Filipe Neri Antonio Sebastiao De Rosario Ferrao was appointed as a cardinal in the Catholic Church. 

 

I said `Real Goan’ because many Pogo or Persons of Goa Origin have been appointed as cardinals in the past. (By the way, Persons of Goa Origin (Pogo) Act, a private member’s Bill was recently moved in Goa Assembly to define Goans).

 

Filipe Neri Antônio Sebastiâo Do Rosario Ferrão is such a long name, but that is the style of Goan Catholic names. And Mind you, these are the person's names, not of the father or the middle names.

Like his name, the new cardinal also has a long list of his designations. 

 

Besides Goa, he is also the archbishop of Daman, located near Gujarat and far off from Goa - and he is also the Patriarch of the East Indies. 

 

Pope Francis elevated Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao as Cardinal during a consistory for creation of Cardinals held at St. Peter's Basilica at Vatican City. He was among 20 new cardinals including Archbishop Anthony Poola of Hyderabad. 

 

Mumbai Archbishop and later Cardinal Valerian Gracias was the first Asian to be appointed as a Cardinal by Pope Pius XII in 1952, a few years after India achieved her Independence. Born in Karachi, Cardinal Gracias was a Person of Goa Origin, hailing from from Navelin near Margaon. 

 

Pune Bishop late Valerian D’Souza, though born in Pune, was also a native of Goa, hailing from Parra near Porvorim. Goa has given several bishops and archbishops - and thousands of priests and nuns - to the Catholic Church. 

 

Pakistan’s first Cardinal Joseph Marie Anthony Cordeiro, also hailed from Goa. As a staff reporter of the Panjim-based English daily, `The Navhind Times' , I had met and interviewed Cardinal Cordeiro when he had visited Goa in early 1980s. 

 

Cardinal Simon Pimenta, the first Marathi-speaking Cardinals of Mumbai was another cardinal I have interviewed. 

 

The post of cardinals in the Catholic Church is very important. These senior ranking clergies with Red Hat were in the past referred to as Princes of the Church. 

 

It is among these College of Cardinals that a new Pope is elected whenever there is a vacancy. (This is a very rare situation that for the past over a decade we have two popes, Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. 

 

Those cardinals less than 80 years old are entitled to participate and - also to be candidates - in the secret elections held at the historic Sistine Chapel in Vatican City to elect the new Pope. Incidentally, the number in the College of Cardinals does not exceed 120. 

 

The number of cardinals from India has remained static to six during the past many years. 

 

However this does not reduce the chance of an Indian cardinal being elected to the papacy. 

 

Camil Parkhe 

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Pope Francis may visit India this year

Pope Francis may visit India this year

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Thursday, 31 March 2016 AT 10:35 PM IST

    

Pope Francis, visit India, Catholic Bishops Conference, CBCI, Roman Catholic Church, Pune, Camil Parkhe

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsId=5485323426147461785&SectionId=5171561142064258099&SectionName=Pune&NewsDate
=20160331&NewsTitle=Pope%20Francis%20may%20visit%20India%20this%20year

PUNE: There are high chances that Pope Francis may visit India this year as the Catholic Bishops Conference of India has formally urged the Indian government to invite the pontiff on a state visit. If Pope Francis accepts India’s invitation, it will be the fourth papal visit to the country.

Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, President of the CBCI, has recently sent an invitation to the Pope to visit India. As per the procedure, the CBCI has also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to formally in-vite the pontiff to India.

Head of the Roman Catholic Church is also the head of the Vatican City state and therefore as per the protocol, needs a formal invitation by both the Indian government and the Indian Catholic Church to visit the country.

The Church leadership in the country would be happy if the Pope attends the proposed canonisation ceremony of Mother Teresa in Kolkata. Pope Francis has already announced that the Nobel laureate would be formally declared a saint on September 3, on the eve of her death anniversary. The visit of the global head of the Catholic community in India is expected to boost the image of the BJP government, which is often accused of being anti-minorities.

Pope Paul VI was the first Pope to visit India to attend the international Eucharistic Congress held in Mumbai in 1964. Pope John Paul II was on a 10-day India visit in 1986 and again on a three-day visit to New Delhi in November 1999. Incidentally, Pakistan had also last month sent a formal invitation to Pope Francis to visit Pakistan. Pope John Paul II had visited Pakistan in 1981.

Mother Teresa’s canonisation an acknowledgement of dedication

Mother Teresa’s canonisation an acknowledgement of dedication

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Wednesday, 16 March 2016 AT 12:43 PM IST

    

Mother Teresa, saint, canonisation, Catholic church, blog, Camil Parkhe

During her lifetime, Mother Teresa was referred to as the living saint as she along with her Missionaries of Charity congregation nuns served the poor and the destitute all over the world. Now the Catholic Church has decided to formally declare her as a saint on September 4, on the eve of her 19th death anniversary. There are already five other St Teresas in the list of saints declared by the Church, St Teresa of Avila being the most famous among them. Therefore Mother Teresa will be henceforth will have to be referred to as St Mother Teresa of Kolkata to provide her a distinct identity.

Canonisation or the method of bestowing sainthood in the Catholic Church is a complicated and a very lengthy process. There are many persons belonging to the previous centuries who have crossed the first stage of beatification and are awaiting the crucial and final stage of canonisation for decades. Joseph Vaz from Goa who worked in Sri Lanka in the 17th century and was declared Blessed in 1995 was declared saint by Pope Francis only last year. There are many persons declared Blessed but may never be declared as saints. Comparatively Mother Teresa has been declared a saint in a short span of 19 years after her death. Pope John Paul II was declared saint recently in the shortest span in the 2000 year old history of the Catholic Church.

Born at Skopje, now capital of the Republic of Macedonia, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu left her home at the age of 18 to become a nun and arrived in India in 1929 and lived here until her death seven decades later.

Mother Teresa was one of the most prominent personalities of the 20th century. Her five-decade long service to the orphaned children, lepers, the aged and other destitute attracted the world’s prominent personalities including heads of the states, films stars and philanthropists to her house in Kolkata. Pope John Paul II, Lady Diana were among those called on her and appreciated her service to the needy.

Mother Teresa’s work among the poor and destitute won her the Nobel award and the Indian government too bestowed on her the coveted Bharat Ratna award.

Soon after she was presented the Nobel award, Mother Teresa had arrived on a visit to Goa. As a reporter of a local daily, I had then covered her tour and got an opportunity to watch this living saint. The Mother was not an eloquent orator and most of the times, she was not even audible. But her smile was spontaneous and contagious. With her humility and dedicated work, the frail woman was successful in attracting a large number of women to the congregation Missionaries of Charity founded by her and open several homes for the destitute and the aged all over the world. Having faith in her work, philanthropists all over the world happily funded her projects. During my visit to Rome, I had the opportunity to witness the work of the male section of the Missionaries of Charity who offer food and shelter to the destitute.

During her lifetime, Mother Teresa’s work had also caused controversies. She was accused of exploiting the poverty of the people for evangelisation. After her death too, controversies did not elude her. Recently an allegation was levelled against her that she served the poor and needy with the intention of converting those people to Christianity. Notwithstanding the charges, Mother Teresa continued her work, never replied to the charges against her. Her canonisation will bring smiles on the faces of all those who appreciate her dedicated service.

Comments

Savio Abreu - Friday, 18 March 2016 AT 04:46 PM IST

True. The canonisation of Mother Teresa is a proud moment for all Indians. The work she did among the poor, sick, destitutes in Kolkata is remarkable. She is a true Indian since she worked for the welfare of the people of India, in fact gave her life for them. All of us should follow her model rather than mouthing platitudes about nationalism and patriotism and polarising the nation. I congratulate Camil on a nice article.

 

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Ajit Waghmare - Wednesday, 16 March 2016 AT 10:15 PM IST

Nice Article. Well Summarised. Brings pride to us, Indians.

 

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Pope to open Holy Door today

Pope to open Holy Door today

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Monday, 7 December 2015 AT 11:03 PM IST    

St Peter's Basilica, holy doors, opening

Pope Francis will ceremoniously open the Holy Door at St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Tuesday, December 8, marking launch of the jubilee year of the mercy. This reminds me of the moments I spent at the famous Holy Door when I visited the Vatican a couple of years ago.

When one is visiting St Peter's Basilica, one needs a guide or someone who is well acquainted with the importance of the sculptures, paintings and other artefacts at this pilgrim site. For example, as I entered St Peter's Basilica, I was shocked when I noticed at the right side, La Pieta, a master piece of veteran sculptor Michelangelo. The 15th century marble sculpture was covered with a bulletproof glass, following an attempt to damage the statue of Mother Mary grieving with the corpse of her crucified son, Jesus.

I carefully looked at the Holy Door and the carvings at the bronze door only when I was informed of the door's significance by a priest who was guiding me and my family members during the tour to the holy city.

Incidentally, a Holy Door is one of the many important monuments or heritage works at the impressive St Peter's Basilica. A Holy Door is an entrance portal located in the Papal Major basilicas in Rome. The doors are normally sealed by mortar and cement from the inside so that they cannot be opened. The pope ceremoniously opens these doors with symbolic knocking with a silver hammer. The Holy Door at St Peter's Basilica was last opened by Pope John Paul III on December 24, 1999 and closed on January 6, 2001. Prior to that, Pope Paul V had opened the Holy Door St Peter's Basilica on the eve of Christmas in 1975.

There are no accurate historical records to indicate when the tradition of opening of the holy doors began. But it is certainly not more than five centuries old. In the past, the doors used to be opened after 100 years, later after 50 years and more recently it was reduced to 25 years.

Although this is not a jubilee year, Pope Francis has, as a special case, declared Jubilee of Mercy and so the holy doors in Rome and at a few places outside will be opened this year and will remain open for a year.
The jubilee year is expected to provide time to the faithful for their spiritual renewal.

Marking another break from the past, Pope Francis has also instructed opening of a Door of Mercy in each diocese to enable the faithful all over the world to celebrate the Jubilee of Mercy. In Pune, Bishop Thomas Dabre will ceremoniously open the Door of Mercy at St Patrick's Cathedral at 6 pm on Sunday, December 13.

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsId=4711145250998045298&SectionId=4861338933482912746&SectionName=Blog&NewsDate=20151207&NewsTitle=Pope%20to%20open%20Holy%20Door%20today

Khadki’s first Bishop arrives in city

Khadki’s first Bishop arrives in city

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Friday, 17 April 2015 AT 01:07 PM IST

    

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsId=4806707999328682008&SectionId=5171561142064258099&SectionName=Pune&NewsTitle=Khadki%E2%80%99s%20first%20Bishop%20arrives%20in%20city

Thomas Mar Anthonios Valiyavilayil, Kirkee-Pune exarchate

Khadki: Thomas Mar Anthonios Valiyavilayil, the designate first bishop of the new Kirkee-Pune exarchate (vicariate), arrived here on Thursday for the first time after he was appointed to the post by the Vatican last month.

The new bishop visited St Mary’s Syro-Malankara Catholic Church at Bhau Patil Road in Khadki, which will serve as the cathedral for the new diocese of Malayalam-speaking Syro-Malankara Catholics in six states of south India.

During the day, Bishop Thomas Mar Anthonios also called on Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre (Latin rite) at St Patrick’s Cathedral. He was accompanied by Bishop Jacob Mar Barnabas of the newly created diocese of St John Chrysostom of Gurgaon. The two bishops also visited Bethany Ashram at Ramwadi on Nagar Road.

Speaking to Sakal Times, Bishop Thomas Mar Anthonios said that as the first bishop of the Khadki-based Syro-Malankara diocese, his priority would be to strengthen the Malayalam-speaking community of the diocese.

“Holy Father Francis has fulfilled a long pending demand of the Syro-Malankara community to have a new exarchate in this region. We will conduct various religious activities for the devotees and also several charitable works for people belonging to various castes, faiths and creed,” he said.

“I have studied at the Pune-based Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth. The then bishop Valerian d’Souza had appointed me as the first chaplain and later as the parish priest of the Khadki-based St Mary’s Syro-Malankara Church. The same church site now has been chosen as the cathedral of the new exarchate. In a way, it is a home coming for me,” Bishop Anthonios said.  
“It will also be our endeavour to unite with non-Catholic churches like Orthodox, Jacobites and Marthomites, to foster Christian and also human unity,” he said.  

New Syro-Malankara exarchate at Khadki

New Syro-Malankara Exarchate at Khadki
Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Friday, 27 March 2015
Khadki: In a major decision, Pope Francis on Thursday has established a new Kirkee-Pune exarchate (vicariate) for Malayalam-speaking Syro-Malankara Catholics in south India having its cathedral at St Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church in Khadki.
Thomas Mar Anthonios Valiyavilayil will be the first bishop of the new exarchate.
With this Holy See announcement, Pune will now have two Roman Catholic bishops, the other being Latin Catholic rite Bishop Thomas Dabre.
Roman Catholic Church recognises 21 rites worldwide and three of them are in India, namely Latin rite, Syro-Malabar rite and Syro-Malankara rite.
Bishop Thomas Mar Anthonios is at present in Australia to lead the Holy Week celebrations of the Syro-Malarkara community there.
Bishop Thomas Mar Anthonios, belonging to the Order of the Imitation of Christ (OIC), was born in 1955 at Adoor. He was ordained a priest in 1980 and elected bishop of the curia in 2010. Apart from English and Malayalam, he speaks Italian, German, Hindi, Syriac and reads Greek and Latin.
The new Kirkee-Pune exarchate will be spread over six states in south India except Kerala. The states include Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and some parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The new exarchate will have  27 parishes. There are 21 priests dedicated to pastoral care, 13 convents of nuns and a dozen schools, including a college of higher education.
Fr Mathew Varikkattu, vicar of St Mary’s Malankara Church in Khadki, has expressed joy over the creation of the new  exarchate. The church has 80 families as parishioners.
On Thursday, Pope Francis also erected a new eparchy (diocese) of St John Chrysostom of Gurgaon with Jacob Mar Barnabas Aerath as the first eparchial bishop.
With this, the Vatican has granted the Syro-Malankara Church ecclesiastical authority for the whole territory in India.
Speaking to Sakal Times, Bishop Thomas Dabre welcomed establishment of the new exarchate in the city. “It is good news for the Catholics, especially the Syro-Malankara community in Maharashtra and other parts of south India,” he said.

Investiture ceremony
Thomas Mar Anthonios will be consecrated the first bishop of the new Kirkee-Pune exarchate at a ceremony to be held at the new cathedral in Khadki on Saturday, May 30. The ceremony will be attended by the Vatican  ambassador in India Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India president Cardinal Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos and Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre.

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शशिकांत बोर्डे - Friday, 3 April 2015 AT 06:37 PM IST
कमिलजी मराठी भाषेला थोडतरी महत्व द्या कारण आपण मराठी मातीतूनच शिकलो सावरलो बागडलो तेव्हा मराठीला विसरू नका 

Church seeks views on family matters

Church seeks views on family

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Monday, 9 March 2015 AT 11:10 PM IST

    

Pune Diocese, survey, christians, family, Father Roque Alphonse, Camil Parkhe

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsId=5373316677985569020&SectionId=5171561142064258099&SectionName=Pune&NewsTitle=Church+seeks+views+on+family

Pune: The Pune Diocese has undertaken a survey of Catholics on the issue of family-related matters including divorces and live-in relationships as preparation for the synod on family issues to be held in Rome in October this year.

The diocese has circulated a questionnaire to its various parishes and other church institutions, asking the faithful to respond to various questions related to family including relationship between spouses, parenting, marriage preparation courses, contraception, abortion and homosexual tendencies.

Fr Roque Alphonso, director of family apostolate of Pune diocese, said that the survey is a part of the global-level  preparation for the proposed synod on family convened by Pope Francis at Vatican City.

The Church members are asked to reply to questions as to how the Church can care for those who seek annulment/ divorce and those in irregular marriages and  how to counter negative social influences. The questionnaire has been drafted in English and Marathi. 

The diocese-level survey will be completed before March 20 and the data will be sent to Dharmapuri  Bishop Lawrence Pius, chairman of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) Family Commission. It has aimed at reaching out to one lakh people to know their views on family matters. The proposed synod in Rome is a sequel to the synod held on the same theme last year.

Christians to meet on March 15
Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre has convened a meeting of Christians belonging to various denominations on Sunday, March 15, to plan programmes to highlight the present situation of the Christians in the country.

The meeting will be held at St Patrick’s Cathedral’s  Bishop Valerian Hall at 4 pm.

The meeting will finalise three programmes including a session of prayer and fast, a seminar to raise awareness about the need of community action to address the present situation of the Christians in the country and to organise a prayer procession to highlight the issues of the community.

The proposed meeting is subsequent to an inter-denominational Christians meet held in the city a fortnight ago to discuss the series of attacks on churches and the Ghar Wapsi campaign.
The meet was attended by Bishop Dabre and Church of North India’s Pune Bishop Andrew Rathod and Bishop Naresh Ambala.

Goa celebrates canonisation of St Joseph Vaz

Goa celebrates canonisation of St Joseph Vaz

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Friday, 16 January 2015 AT 12:05 AM IST

    

Joseph Vaz

Panaji: The excitement at the ancestral house and sanctuary of St Joseph Vaz at Sancoale is palpable. Sancoale will celebrate the feast of St Joseph Vaz on Friday, for the first time after the son of the soil became the first Goan to be declared a saint.

Hundreds of people have been visiting the oratory of St Joseph Vaz and his sanctuary at Sancoale during the ongoing novena of the new saint.

The feast mass will be celebrated at St Joseph Vaz Sanctuary at 10 am on Friday, January 16. Goa, Daman and Diu Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao who attended the canonisation ceremony in Sri Lanka on Wednesday will be the main celebrant at the feast mass.

The feast day is celebrated on the death anniversary of the saint who had died at Kandy in Sri Lanka on January 16, 1711. St Joseph Vaz’ oratory room, the only remaining portion of his ancestral house in the village, is maintained by the nuns belonging to a local congregation, Holy Family of Nazareth. The nuns said that a large number of devotees have been visiting their convent to pray at the oratory room of the new saint.

Holy Family of Nazareth congregation’s Mother General Alivita along with a team of a nuns had gone to Sri Lanka to witness canonisation of Joseph Vaz.

The nun’s congregation also runs a school in Sancoale which is named after the new saint.

‘Canonisation of St Joseph Vaz a memorable event’

‘Canonisation of St Vaz a memorable event’

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Sunday, 18 January 2015 AT 11:36 PM IST

    

St Joseph Vaz, Canonisation of St Vaz

Pune: For Fr Denis Joseph, who was among the group of 15 Puneites who recently flew to Colombo, witnessing the canonisation of St Joseph Vaz and watching Pope Francis from up close was an exciting and memorable experience.

“At the canonisations ceremony, I was hardly two feet away from the Holy Father. He is so humble and has an infectious smile,” says Fr Joseph, Principal of St Joseph School in Ghorpadi. The canonisation ceremony of Goa-born missionary Joseph Vaz was held on January 14.

Fr Joseph said that over a million people from Sri Lanka, India and other parts of the world had assembled to witness the ceremony, presided over by the pope.

“The flags of Vatican City and Sri Lanka greeted the visitors on a nearly 100-km stretch of road leading to Colombo. It was such a wonderful experience,” he says.

“St Joseph Vaz, the only Goan to be declared a saint, has done tremendous work in Sri Lanka. During our short visit there, we could see the fruits of his hard work in the island nation,” Fr Joseph told Sakal Times.  “That is why St Joseph Vaz, the pride of Goa, was also described at the ceremony as a gem of Sri Lanka,” the  priest added.

No Indians among new cardinals

No Indians among new cardinals

Sakal Times Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Friday, 9 January 2015 AT 01:37 PM IST

    

Pune, Pope Francis, no Indians, 20 church officials , 15 archbishops , Camil Parkhe

Pune: There are no Indians among the 20 church officials whom Pope Francis elevated to the rank of cardinals on Sunday. This has certainly disappointed the local clergy and also the laity who expect a bigger share for the country in the international church hierarchy. 

Pope Francis announced names of 15 archbishops and bishops whom he will consecrate as cardinals on February 14. The pontiff  will also elevate five retired archbishops and bishops as cardinals in recognition of  their  “service of the Holy See and of the Church.”

Incidentally, 15 of the 20 new cardinals are below 80 years and thus eligible to join the conclave who will elect the pope’s successor.  They are from 14 countries and from every continent, symbolising the universal nature of the Church. Nonetheless, as in the past, among the 20 new ‘princes of the Church’, Europeans are the single largest group with seven including three Italians.

Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre said that India already has four cardinals at Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram, Ranchi and Ernakulam. The Holy See appoints cardinals as per the Catholic population proportion of the respective country and this may have been the main factor why no new cardinals have been appointed in India, he said.  

Diago Almeida, Chairman of the  Catholic Association of Poona, said that the Vatican should have elevated an Indian  bishop or archbishop as cardinal in view of the large Catholic population in the country. “Catholic population in India may be hardly 2.5 per cent but the Catholic Church has been doing impressive work in the country,” he said.

Disappointed-

Diago Almeida, Chairman of the  Catholic Association of Poona said, “The Vatican should have elevated an Indian  bishop or archbishop as cardinal in view of the large Catholic population in the country.”  

Vasai priest Pereira is new Jammu bishop

Vasai priest Pereira is Jammu bishop

Sakal Times Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Thursday, 4 December 2014 AT 11:37 PM IST

    

 

pope francis, priest, Ivan Pereira, bhishop, Thomas Dabre, Pune, Camil Parkhe

PUNE: Pope Francis on Wednesday appointed Vasai-born priest Fr Ivan Pereira as the new bishop of Jammu-Srinagar diocese.

Fr Pereira (50) will succeed Bishop Peter Celestine who resigned after turning 75.

As per the canon law, bishop's retirement age is 75 while cardinals retire after turning 80.

Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre, in whose presence Pereira was ordained a priest in 1993, has congratulated the new bishop-elect.

Fr Pereira, who has chosen Jammu-Srinagar diocese for his work, had served as the vicar general and secretary of the Jammu-Srinagar bishop from 2004-2009. Presently, he is serving as the principal of the Burn Hall Higher Secondary School in Srinagar.

Pereira will be the seventh priest from Vasai taluka in Thane district to be elevated as bishop, an important post in the Church.

Bishop Dominic Abreu was the first Vasai clergy to be appointed by the Vatican as bishop.

He was appointed as Aurangabad diocese bishop. Ignatius D'Cunha, who succeeded him in Auragabad diocese, was also from Vasai.

The other Vasai-born priests to be elevated to the ranks of the bishop are Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre, also the first bishop of Vasai diocese, Vasai archbishop Felix Machado, Amravati Bishop Elias Gonsalves and Aurangabad Bishop Edwin Colaco.

ST COMMUNITY CONNECT
CHRISTIANITY AND VASAI
- Christianity in Vasai dates back to mid-16th Century when Portuguese established their rule in Vasai and nearby areas on the west coast.
- Tradition claims that Jesus Christ’s apostle St Bartholomew came to the neighbourhood of Vasai and preached Christianity near Kalyan nearly 2,000 years ago.
- Pereira will be the seventh priest from Vasai taluka in Thane district. 

 

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Vincent Bagul - Saturday, 6 December 2014 AT 03:44 PM IST

Congratulations Bishop Elect Fr Pereira. Thanks to Mr Camil Parkhe for bringing to us all the news through media coverage.

 

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Lloyd - Saturday, 6 December 2014 AT 02:41 PM IST

We all vasaikars are proud of our beloved Bishop Ivan and especially being 'Neighbors' we feel double excited.his lordship has been extremely humble and down-to-earth catholic priest and I am glad to mention that ever since his ordination to priesthood in 1993,when-ever he comes for holidays,he has been regularly visiting the village & parish families and always inquiring about everyone's well-being...God Bless you Lordship Bishop Ivan!

 

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