Sunday, June 28, 2020

The Quotation of the Week (June 28 - July 4, 2020)


A quotation of Steve Schmidt on 'President Trump's
capability', compiled by Jerome D'Costa
Design by Jerome D'Costa

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Sunday, June 21, 2020

The Quotation of the Week (June 21 - 27, 2020)


Quotations on the 'importance of thinking,'
compiled by Jerome D'Costa
Above design by Jerome D'Costa

(Click on the above image to read it on an enlarged format)


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Tuesday, June 16, 2020

The Catholic Church and Casteism


Casteism in the Catholic Church of India



A divided Catholic cemetery in Trichy of Tamil Nadu State, 
India (the portion on the left is for the upper-caste and
the one on the right is for the lower-caste Catholics)

Photo courtesy: bbc.co.uk/  

What is casteism? Casteism is prejudice or antagonism directed against someone of a different caste in the Indian Hindu society. Hindus, even after their conversion to other religions -- including Christianity -- do maintain some sort of casteism among themselves. 

Casteism comes from the word 'caste.' According to the Wikipedia, a caste is a form of social stratification characterized by endogamy (the custom of marrying within one's own caste or group), hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultural notions of purity and pollution. 

 According to the BBC, India's Hindu caste system is among the world's oldest forms of surviving social stratification. This caste system is more than 3,000 years old and it divides Hindus into rigid hierarchical groups based on their karma (work or occupation) and dharma (religion or duty). 

 Ancient India's religious texts, called the Vedas, speaks of the caste system that divides Hindus into four main categories -- starting from the top to bottom -- the Brahmins (priests, academics or teachers), Kshatriyas (warriors, kings or rulers, and administrators), Vaishyas (merchants, landowners or farmers, herders, craftspeople), and Shudras (manual labourers, peasants or farm workers, servants). Later, a fifth group or caste called the Dalits (outcasts or untouchables), emerged and they are persons, from the first four groups, who have been condemned and driven out of their individual caste because of their serious sins, transgressions, or crimes. They, then, sought refuge among other similarly condemned people, whose professions are considered 'dirty.' They work as street sweepers, latrine cleaners, leather workers,  etc. 

  In later ages, some Indian Hindus converted to Christianity but did not abandon their earlier socio-religious caste system. In spite of Christ's teaching "love your neighbor as yourself," they hung on to the caste system, which is more or less present among both the Catholic priestly class and laypersons. In name, they are Catholic ("without any bias towards others"), but in practice, they are still caste Hindus.    

During the 2003 'ad limina' (required periodic) visits of the Catholic archbishops of the ecclesiastical provinces of Madras-Mylapore, Madurai, and Pondicherry-Cuddalore of India, Pope John Paul II had reminded them that "It is the Church's obligation to work unceasingly to change hearts, helping all people to see every human being as a child of God, a brother or sister of Christ, and therefore a member of our own society." 

 Please read the following to see the situation of casteism in the Indian Catholic Church:



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Sunday, June 14, 2020

The Quotation of the Week (June 14 - 20, 2020)


Quotations of David Frum on 'President Donald Trump's
leadership,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa
(Click on the above image to read the quotes in an enlarged form)

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Monday, June 8, 2020

The Catholic Church and Racism -- 2


Pope Francis celebrating Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican
Photo courtesy: Remo Casilli/Pool and AP via forbes.com/

Pope Francis in a recent Angelus prayer service condemned "the sin of racism" and the violence in the U.S. He said: "We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human being." He also specifically mentioned the police murder of George Floyd, a black person, in Minneapolis in the U.S.  To read more, click here. 

Please read the following to learn more on the Catholic Church and Racism:


(The End)

To go to the beginning of this write-up, click on 
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Sunday, June 7, 2020

The Quotation of the Week (June 7 - 13, 2020)


A quotation of Jean Chretien on 'using one's own intellect 
and not listening to all the pundits during one's life,' 
compiled by Jerome D'Costa
Artwork © Jerome D'Costa

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Saturday, June 6, 2020

The Catholic Church and Racism -- 1


Several decade-old racist Catholic demonstration in the USA 
with the placard "Jesus did not choose nonwhite apostles," 
meaning 'Jesus chose white apostles.' 

 Since the late 19th century, Jesus and his apostles, although being 
Jews were thought to belong to the Caucasoid race as the whites, 
Middle Eastern people, and most people of north-west and south 
India. Latter scientists began to propose that Semites -- Jews and 
other Middle Eastern people -- are not white, but brown or 
dark brown. To see how Jesus Christ really looked like, 
click on the following: The Real Face of Jesus  
Photo courtesy: stdominicsmedia.com/


Catholics participate in the black civil rights 
movement in the USA in the 1960s
Photo courtesy: Marquette University Archives via thrivingparish.org/



 "What Is Racism? 

 "Racism arises when—either consciously or unconsciously—a person holds that his or her own race or ethnicity is superior, and therefore judges persons of other races or ethnicities as inferior and unworthy of equal regard. When this conviction or attitude leads individuals or groups to exclude, ridicule, mistreat, or unjustly discriminate against persons on the basis of their race or ethnicity, it is sinful. Racist acts are sinful because they violate justice. They reveal a failure to acknowledge the human dignity of the persons offended, to recognize them as the neighbors Christ calls us to love (Mt 22:39).

 "Racism occurs because a person ignores the fundamental truth that, because all humans share a common origin, they are all brothers and sisters, all equally made in the image of God. When this truth is ignored, the consequence is prejudice and fear of the other, and—all too often—hatred. Cain forgets this truth in his hatred of his brother. Recall the words in the First Letter of John: “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him” (1 Jn 3:15). Racism shares in the same evil that moved Cain to kill his brother. It arises from suppressing the truth that his brother Abel was also created in the image of God, a human equal to himself. Every racist act—every such comment, every joke, every disparaging look as a reaction to the color of skin, ethnicity, or place of origin—is a failure to acknowledge another person as a brother or sister, created in the image of God. In these and in many other such acts, the sin of racism persists in our lives, in our country, and in our world. Racism comes in many forms. It can be seen in deliberate, sinful acts. In recent times, we have seen bold expressions of racism by groups as well as individuals. The re-appearance of symbols of hatred, such as nooses and swastikas in public spaces, is a tragic indicator of rising racial and ethnic animus. All too often, Hispanics and African Americans, for example, face discrimination in hiring, housing, educational opportunities, and incarceration. Racial profiling frequently targets Hispanics for selective immigration enforcement practices, and African Americans, for suspected criminal activity. There is also the growing fear and harassment of persons from majority Muslim countries. Extreme nationalist ideologies are feeding the American public discourse with xenophobic rhetoric that instigates fear against foreigners, immigrants, and refugees. Finally, too often racism comes in the form of the sin of omission, when individuals, communities, and even churches remain silent and fail to act against racial injustice when it is encountered." 
--Compiled from Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love -- a pastoral letter against racism (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, November 2018)

 In spite of Biblical and Catholic Church teachings on love, justice, and human dignity and equality, a good number of Catholic Church members (both the laypersons and the hierarchy) are not immune from racist behaviour.   

 To learn more about the positive and negative aspects of the Catholic Church and racism, please read the following:


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Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Pope Francis Decries Racism And Violence in the U.S., Calls For Reconciliation


Pope Francis
Photo courtesy: Shalom World TV

Protesters, including Catholic nun Sister Quincy Howard,
(4th from left) on June 2, in Washington, D.C., USA
Photo courtesy: AP via npr.org/

Pope Francis today in his live-streamed general audience termed the tragic death of African-American George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis, USA, as "tragic" and mentioned that he was praying for him and "all others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism," reports the CNN. 

 "Dear brothers and sisters in the United States, I have witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation in these past days, following the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd," the pope said.

"My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life.

"At the same time, we have to recognize that the violence of recent nights is self-destructive and self-defeating. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost," he said.

From the U.S. Catholic Church, a number of priests, bishops, laypersons, and some organizations also expressed their disgust and concern for George Floyd's death and violence and voiced their demand for justice. 

For details on Pope Francis' message, please read the following:



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Tuesday, June 2, 2020

President Donald Trump in Cartoons


Cartoon courtesy: ottawaherald.com/

The world, especially the U.S., is gripped with the consequences of the childish behaviour of President Donald Trump. His narcissism, irresponsibility, quirkiness, constant belittling of others, and total lack of love and empathy are causing many people to suffer unnecessarily. 

 You may see the reflection of this in the following cartoons, provided by the U.S. News and World Report website: 

  • Cartoons on President Donald Trump (Click on the first cartoon and then click on the arrow on the right one by one to view more than 800 cartoons on President Donald Trump)

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Monday, June 1, 2020

The Racial Killing of George Floyd and the Catholic Church Reactions


George Floyd of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA,
was brutally killed by police on May  26
Photo courtesy: nytimes.com/

A mural of George Floyd of Minnesota, USA
Photo courtesy: medium.com/

Police arrested George Floyd, an African-American man, on a complaint of passing a spurious 20-dollar bill in a store in Minneapolis on May 27. He was handcuffed and the police tried to place him in a police vehicle but failed as he was unwilling to enter the vehicle saying that he was claustrophobic. Then four policemen pinned him to the ground with their knees. In spite of his cries, " I can't breathe," " I can't breathe," one policeman, Mr. Derek Chavin, kept on pressing his knee on his neck for minutes. When his limping body was taken to hospital, he was pronounced dead.

 The whole scene of arrest and policemen's brutal behaviour toward him was videotaped by more than one spectator. The videos became viral and spread throughout the world like wildfire. Condemnation and anger were expressed around the world including the USA against this blatant racism. 

The U.S. Catholic Church leaders were quick to express their resentment and outrage, too. A number of priests, bishops, laypersons, and Catholic charities and organizations condemned the racist and dreadful behaviour of the policemen and demanded justice for it. 

  On May 29, U.S. Bishop Chairmen (of seven committees of U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops) gave a statement in the wake of the death of George Floyd and national protests, saying: "We are broken-hearted, sickened, and outraged to watch another video of an African American man being killed before our own eyes. What's more astounding is that this is happening within mere weeks of several other such occurrences. This is the latest wake-up call that needs to be answered by each of us in a spirit of determined conversion." 

The statement also said: "We cannot turn a blind eye to these atrocities and yet still try to profess to respect every human life. We serve a God of love, mercy, and justice."

  On May 31, Archbishop Jose H. Gomes of Los Angeles and President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in a separate statement said: "The killing of George Floyd was senseless and brutal, a sin that cries out to heaven for justice. How is it possible that in America, a black man's life can be taken from him while calls for help are not answered, and his killing is recorded as it happens?

 "I am praying for George Floyd and his loved ones, and on behalf of my brother bishops, I share the outrage of the black community and those who stand with them in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and across the country. The cruelty and violence he suffered does not reflect on the majority of good men and women in law enforcement, who carry out their duties with honor. We know that. And we trust that civil authorities will investigate his killing carefully and make sure those responsible are held accountable."

 It further states, "We should not let it be said that George Floyd died for no reason. We should honor the sacrifice of his life by removing racism and hate from our hearts and renewing our commitment to fulfill our nation's sacred promise -- to be a beloved community of life, liberty, and equality for all."

 The Catholic Church has its own drawbacks, too. It needs to be consistent, insistent, and striving all time to see changes in the discriminatory behaviour in all spheres of life. Its own people are not immune from racism, casteism (especially in south India, where the higher caste Catholics have separate seats in certain churches and separate graveyards than the low-caste Catholics), and other types of injustices. 

 For more details, please read the following: 


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