‘Church failed to implement Vatican II reforms'

‘Church failed to implement reformist recommendations’

CAMIL PARKHE

Monday, September 24, 2012 AT 12:05 PM (IST)

Tags: church,   Catholic church,   Vatican II,   Robert Kaiser,   Pune,   Camil Parkhe

‘Time’ magazine reporter who covered Vatican II council speaks up

PUNE: The Catholic Church which will soon launch the golden jubilee year celebration of the Vatican II Council has failed to implement many reformist recommendations of this historic conference including birth control measures and democratic church issues, former 'Time' magazine reporter Robert Kaiser has said.

The US-based Kaiser (82) who covered the four-year-long deliberations of the Vatican II Council in 1960s for the 'Time' magazine is presently on India tour to deliver talks at various Catholic institutions on the present relevance of the historic Church meet.

Kaiser was a 'Time' magazine reporter from 1961 to 1966, served as reporter of 'New York Times' from 1979 to 1981 and as 'Newsweek' reporter from 1999 to 2005.

Speaking to Sakal Times here on Sunday, Kaiser said that the Vatican II Council which took place from October 11, 1962 to December 8, 1965 was convened to usher in revolutionary reforms in the Church.

While the Church succeeded in replacing Latin with the local language in prayers and liturgy and in introducing inculturation to end its image as a colonial church, it has not taken steps to end its rigid hierarchical structure, the journalist-author said.

Not withstanding the dictum 'People are the Church', the clergy - priests, bishops and cardinals - are held accountable only to the pope and not to the faithful, lamented Kaiser.

“The Church must change as per the times or else it would soon turn into a museum,” he warned.

Kaiser said that the Church's opposition to contraception is not realistic as 95 per cent of the faithfuls see nothing immoral in family control measures.

Recalling his experiences of covering the Vatican Council II deliberations five decades earlier, Kaiser said that he was immensely helped by Thomas Roberts who was archbishop of Mumbai from 1937 to 1950.

“The archbishop who stayed as a guest in my house for two years during the Vatican II proceedings would pass on many confidential Latin documents to me and this helped to cover the deliberations extensively for the 'Time' magazine,” Kaiser said.

The Church scholar delivered two lectures on the various aspects of the Vatican II Council at the Jnana- Deepa Vidyapeeth campus in the city on Sunday.

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Pune is my home in India: Peter Vizenetz

Pune is my home in India: Peter Vizenetz

CAMIL PARKHE

Sakal Times

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/20120917/4635028146702087547.htm

Monday, September 17, 2012 AT 12:25 PM (IST)

Tags: India-Germany,   businessman,   Peter A Vizenetz,   Megacraft Enterprises,   AMA,   Pune,   Camil Parkhe

German businessman has been visiting the city for 2 decades

PIMPRI: German industrialist Peter A Vizenetz (78) who has been visiting Pune almost every year for the past two decades, says the city has now become his home during his sojourn in the country.

Vizenetz, who is the Executive Chairman of the Megatron Group, is presently on a fortnight-long business visit to Pune.He says that he is happy to choose Pune as his base during his India tour.

The German industrialist has business partnership with Bhosari-based Megacraft Enterprises, owned by Anjali and Shreekant Apte. He has also set up factories in France and China.

“I have a hectic schedule during my visit here, but I always find some time to meet people, visit local shops and markets for purchasing items of my special interest and even read the local newspapers,” Vizenetz told this correspondent in Bhosari on Sunday.

Vizenetz says during his stay in Pune, he reads local newspapers throughly. “I am interested even in the news of the local dams filling to their capacities. I also read advertisements and then choose to visit the sales and exhibitions to purchase paintings, antiques and brass items,” he says. “My recent acquisition is a statue of Lord Ganesh, carved in modern art style,” he added.

“While returning, I always choose the airliner which allows me to carry maximum luggage in cargo and also in my hand bags,” says the industrialist.

He has been instrumental in the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Berlin-based AMA Association for Sensors with the local Entrepreneurs International. headed by Santosh Lalwani.

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‘Time’ reporter to talk on Vatican II meet in Pune

‘Time’ reporter to talk on Vatican II meet

CAMIL PARKHE

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/20120920/5327203990623948528.htm

Thursday, September 20, 2012 AT 12:57 PM (IST)

Tags: reporter,   Robert Kaiser,   Vatican,   Vatican II,   Church,   lecture,  Pune,   Camil Parkhe

PUNE: Robert Kaiser, US-based award winning 'Time' magazine correspondent, who covered the Vatican II Council in 1960s will deliver a lecture on the humane side of the historic Church meet at the Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth on Nagar Road on Sunday evening.

Kaiser, a former Jesuit, covered the Vatican II Council (October 1962 to December, 1965) on behalf of the ‘Time' magazine, and won an international award for his highly professional work.

Kaiser (82) recently arrived in India on a three-week long lecture tour to deliver lectures on the Church in Kolkata, Pune, Mumbai and other cities in the country.

Kaiser has won an award for reporting on Second Vatican Council. He has authored 13 books, four of which are based on the Catholic Church. His latest book is 'A Church in Search of Itself : Benedict XVI and the Battle for the Future.'

Pope John XXIII had convened the Vatican II Council in 1962 to discuss and formulate the Church's policies on various issues. The Council, later presided over by Pope Paul VI, was attended by 2000 bishops from all over the world.

The Vatican II Council is said to have modernised the Church and its approach towards people of other faiths. The first Vatican Council took place in 1870.

Fr Noel Sheth, a Sanskrit scholar from the Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, said that the lecture has been organised as a part of the forthcoming 'Year of the Faith' declared by Pope Benedict XVI to commemorate the golden jubilee of the Vatican II Council.

The Year of Faith will commence on October 12.

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Pune's St Anne’s Church enters 50th year

St Anne’s Church enters 50th year

CAMIL PARKHE
http://www.sakaaltimes.com/20120725/4848857293787076440.htm

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 AT 12:19 PM (IST)

Tags: St Anne's church,   church,   Solapur Bazaar,   camp,   19th century,  christian,   golden jubilee,   Pune,   Camil Parkhe

PUNE: St Anne's Church, which was first built as a small chapel in Solapur Bazaar in Pune Camp in early 19th century to serve the Goan officers in the Peshwa's army, is celebrating the golden jubilee of its foundation this week. The church community has arranged a four-day celebration, starting on July 26.

The church constructed in 1963 has a unique architecture. It is the only church in the city having its front view in the shape of a 'gopuram.' In fact, many people find it difficult to believe that the building is a Christian religion shrine.

In early 20th century, the then British government had given a piece of land in Mule Lines to St Anne's Chapel, which was used for building St Vincent's Poor Home and a school. In 1925, the school had 157 students. Veteran Jesuit Fr J B Hass looked after St Anne's Church which was still a part of the St Xavier's Church in Pune Camp.

In 1979, St Joseph's School, which was a purely Tamil medium school, turned into an English medium middle school. An independent St Anne's Parish was established only in 1983.

Church's parish priest Fr S A Louis told Sakal Times that the jubilee celebrations will be launched by Nashik diocese Bishop Lourdes Daniel with a mass at the church on July 26 evening.

Heads of the Pune provinces of the Jesuit and Salesian religious congregations, Fr Bhausaheb Sansare and Fr Michael Fernandes will celebrate the mass on July 27 while emeritus Bishop Valerian D'Souza will celebrate the mass on July 28.

Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre along with emeritus Bishop D'Souza will concelebrate the mass on the last day of the jubilee celebrations on July 29. The festivities will conclude with a community. The oldest members of the church and former parish priests will be feliciated during the jubilee celebrations.

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Bishop Valerian D’Souza’s sermons on Facebook

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Emeritus Bishop Valerian D’Souza’s sermons on Facebook a hit online http://www.sakaaltimes.com/20120717/5030742391848188986.htm CAMIL PARKHE Tuesday, July 17, 2012 AT 10:44 AM (IST) Tags: bishop,   Valerian D'Souza,   facebook,   social networking,   Pune,   Camil Parkhe 79-year-old prelate has 1,775 friends on Facebook. His spiritual reflections are getting much love in cyberspace PUNE: Emeritus Bishop Valerian D'Souza who administered the Pune diocese for 31 long years has begun posting sermons on Facebook. The 79-year-old prelate has as many 1,775 friends on Facebook and is receiving many hits to his posts from youngsters across the globe. The Emeritus Bishop who is also known as the singing Bishop for his penchant for playing the guitar during his preachings opened his Facebook account in March 2010. However, he began posting his spiritual reflections and short sermons on the networking site only a few months back. “I have won over 1,775 friends on Facebook and the list is increasing rapidly. Every day, I get at least 10 requests for confirmation as friends ,” the Emeritus Bishop told Sakal Times on Monday. The net savvy Bishop was busy working on his laptop at the Viannny Home, the home for retired clergy in the Bishop's House complex on Empress garden road, when this correspondent paid him a visit on Monday afternoon. As the former Bishop of Pune, Rt Rev D'Souza has been a much sought after speaker at religious discourses in India and abroad. He has published three collections of his sermons. Until a few years ago, some cable networks used to telecast video CDs of his preachings, especially during the Holy Week comprising Good Friday and Easter. In his Facebook profile, D'Souza, an alumnus of the St Vincent's High School and the Nowrosjee Wadia College said, “Now in retirement, but busier than before. Slowly changing into a lower gear, with more time to myself.” Besides posting his sermons and spiritual advices on Facebook, the retired Bishop also uploads and tags pictures, shares links and greets and blesses people on their birthdays and anniversaries.

बिशप डिसोझा यांची 'फेसबुक'वरून जगभर प्रवचने

बिशप डिसोझा यांची 'फेसबुक'वरून जगभर प्रवचने

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http://www.esakal.com/esakal/20120717/5105214348076612140.htm

Camil Parkhe

Tuesday, July 17, 2012 AT 01:15 AM (IST)

Tags: bishop d'souza,   facebook,   pune

बिशप डिसोझांचा 79व्या वर्षी उपक्रम 

कामिल पारखे 
पुणे- ख्रिश्‍चन समाजाच्या पुणे धर्मप्रांताचे निवृत्त बिशप व्हॅलेरियन डिसोझा यांनी वयाच्या 79व्या वर्षी "फेसबुक'च्या माध्यमातून प्रवचने देण्यास सुरवात केली आहे. त्यांच्या उपक्रमाला अल्पावधीतच चांगलाच प्रतिसाद मिळत असून, जगभरातून सुमारे अठराशे मित्र जोडले गेले आहेत.

डिसोझा यांनी 126 वर्षांच्या पुणे धर्मप्रांताच्या इतिहासात तब्बल 31 वर्षे बिशपपद भूषविले. या कालावधीत त्यांनी शेकडो मोठी प्रवचने देऊन भक्तांना प्रभू येशूचा मार्ग दाखविला. प्रवचन देताना स्वतःच गिटार वाजवीत गाणी म्हणण्याची सवय असल्याने त्यांना "सिंगिंग बिशप' म्हणून ओळखले जात असे. अशा या उत्साही धर्मगुरूंनी मार्च 2010 मध्ये सुरू केलेल्या फेसबुक अकाउंटला सर्वाधिक प्रतिसाद तरुणवर्गाकडून मिळत आहे.

यासंदर्भात ते म्हणाले, ""मी आतापर्यंत 1,775 मित्र फेसबुकमार्फत जोडले असून, दररोज त्यात सरासरी दहा जणांची भर पडत आहे.'' सोमवारी त्यांच्या निवासस्थानी भेट घेतली तेव्हाही ते लॅपटॉप घेऊनच बसले होते. प्रवचन पोस्ट करण्याबरोबरच परिचितांना लग्न आणि वाढदिवसाच्या शुभेच्छाही ते नियमित पाठवीत असतात.

पुणे धर्मप्रांताचे बिशप असताना डिसोझा यांना देशात आणि युरोपात अनेक ठिकाणी धार्मिक प्रवचन देण्यासाठी मोठी मागणी असे. त्यांच्या प्रवचनांचे तीन खंड प्रसिद्ध झाले आहेत. गुड फ्रायडे आणि ईस्टरदरम्यान एका स्थानिक केबल नेटवर्कच्या माध्यमातून त्यांच्या प्रवचनांचे प्रक्षेपण अगदी अलीकडील काळापर्यंत करण्यात येत होते.

Y B Chavan A leader of the masses

Leader of the masses

CAMIL PARKHE

Sakal Times

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/20120605/4784396601594012927.htm

Tuesday, June 05, 2012 AT 08:18 PM (IST)

Tags: Y B Chavan,   Camil Parkhe column

I joined Tilak High School in Karad as a standard XI student and soon I learnt that the then foreign affairs minister Y B Chavan was an alumnus of the school. Chavan often came to his home-town and I had the opportunity to watch him and hear his speeches from close quarters. Often, he wore his famous grin from ear to ear and mingled with party workers and others freely. These and several other incidents  flashed before my mind when his birth centenary celebrations were launched recently.

As the chief minister of the Mumbai bi-lingual state and as the first chief minister of Maharashtra, Chavan was instrumental in shaping the destiny of the state to a great extent. He outlined his vision for a new Maharashtra when the state was carved out in 1960. He took many decisions having far-reaching impact on the cultural, social, political and economic sectors of the state. The policies he laid down were followed by his successors. Under his enlightened leadership, Maharashtra became possibly the most progressive state in the country. Three decades after his demise, he continues to be a role model for political leaders and thinkers of the state.  Chavan had a flair for writing - as is noticed in his numerous writings, including the letters written to his wife, Venutai. I happened to read some pages from his first and the only volume of his incomplete autobiography, "Krishna Kath" and I regretted that he could not complete his memories. People would have got an insight into the personal life of this great personality and also into what went on in New Delhi, especially before and after the Emergency.

Chavan was a true leader of the masses. He had a direct rapport with political workers across Maharashtra. In his public career spanning five decades, he had nurtured close associations with people from different walks of life. He knew the pulse of the state, over which he never lost control, although he was in New Delhi for two decades. He knew innumerable rural leaders by name. He knew their families and even years after their last meeting, he could recognise the people and would inquire about their families - a feat few political leaders can match today. The rural folks were welcomed with open arms whenever they visited the residence of the ‘Saheb’ in New Delhi.

Chavan epitomised Maharashtra in New Delhi and belonged to the political genre of K Kamaraj and Devraj Urs. It's a pity that the tribe of leaders of such stature, values and concern for the people is becoming extinct in Maharashtra and also in the country.