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Mangalore: National convention on Mar 10 to press for Konkani Liturgy

  •   Wed, Mar 06 2013 03:06:26 PM

Mangalore: National convention on Mar 10 to press for Konkani Liturgy

Pics: Brijesh Garodi
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (BG)

Mangalore, Mar 6: “We have the right to pray in our mother tongue," said Eric Ozario, secretary, Global Konkani Organisation while addressing a press meet here on Wednesday March 6.

Jagotik Konkani Songhotton (JKS) in association with Catholic Konkani Rakann Sanchalan (CKRS) will organize a national convention on the topic ‘Konkani Liturgy’, on March 10 at the Catholic Club, Chikmagalur.

"Though the Constitution of India gives every citizen the right to pray in his/her mother tongue and the Catholic Church, realizing this need, at the 2nd Vatican Council had declared that every Catholic has the right to pray in the vernacular; Konkani Catholics have been denied this right in many dioceses of India, despite their sizeable presence. The diocese of Chikmagalur, the Archdiocese of Bangalore, the diocese of Mysore and the diocese of Shimoga, are just a few examples," he added.

"Time and again, Konkanis have demanded their right and have even agitated. Now to add to their woes, a few language fanatics in Karnataka have even begun attacking people praying in their mother tongue, other than in Kannada. There have been many instances of attacks on Konkani and Tamil masses," he said.

"Considering the seriousness of the situation, JKS and CKRS (Chikmagalur- Hassan), have taken the initiative to organize their national convention," he added.

The convention will be attended by around 500 delegates from four states, namely, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. The delegates will discuss the issue in depth and will try and find a solution to this vexing problem, Ozario said.

As a follow-up, all measures, legal and others, to assert the right of Konkanis to pray in their mother tongue will be initiated.

JKS and CKRS office-bearers, Roy Castelino, Alwyn D’Souza, Colman D’Souza and Sebastian D’Souza were present.
  

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Comment on this article

  • Denis Pinto, Mangalore

    Fri, Mar 08 2013

    Dear Eric & team, Congrats. This is the need of the hour when it comes to "liturgy". It makes alot of sense when we pray in the language you know best. It is like us Mangalorean Konkani Catholics going for a malayalam mass. The only draw back is the shortage of priests. That's the reason many churches / chapels have closed down in Goa.

    In the early 17th & 18th century, in our Indian Catholic community, the eldest or any one son had to join the priesthood or a female had to join the Convent. This is not prevalent these days because of education.

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Anil Monteiro, Mangalore/Israel

    Thu, Mar 07 2013

    Even in a country like Israel people are given the right to pray in their mother-tongue, because they do not understand prayers recited and masses offered in English, Arabic or Hebrew.

    Upon requests from the Konkani community working in Israel and by the efforts of KCS, Konkani masses had been introduced in Israel (St. Anthony Parish, Jaffa), in the year 2007.

    The process began firstly by introducing a Konkani reading during the regular English mass and today, there are regular Konkani masses for the Konkani people. People now attend mass in large numbers and actively participate in the liturgical activities. They are happy to pray in their mother-tongue.

    If a foreign country can happily give us our right of praying in our own mother-tongue, why do our own people object us, in our own land? Hope the Convention finds a way-out and may our people happily pray in their own mother-tongue.

    All the best to JKS & CKRS for the Convention!

    DisAgree Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • George D'Souza, Mangalore

    Thu, Mar 07 2013

    PRAYER IS COMMUNION WITH GOD.TO PRAY OR TO BE IN COMMUNION WITH GOD MOTHER TONGUE OR LANGUAGE IS NOT REQUIRED.INSTEAD OF FIGHTING TO PRAY IN OUR MOTHER TONGUE IN THE CHURCH LET US PRAY IN THE LANGUAGE WE KNOW.LET LANGUAGE BE NOT AN OBSTICLE TO US TO PRAY.ARE WE FIGTING IN OUR SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES, TO TEACH THE CYLABUS IN OUR MOTHER TONGUE,EVEN IF THE CONSTITUTION HAS GIVEN US THE RIGHT????? PRAYING IS GRACEFUL AND FIGHTING IN THE CHURCH TO PRAY IN OUR MOTHER TONGUE IS(DIS)GRACEFUL....

    DisAgree [4] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • Santhanm, Kateel/USA

    Thu, Mar 07 2013

    Seven Konkani speaking people come together in every city and town where there is good number of Konkani speaking population and register a society/trust at the charity commissioner. In your bylaws mention one purpose is to serve the religious and linguistic aspirations of local minority community. Nobody will have the guts to stop you from doing your worship in your own language and in your own way. If need be taking the help of some lawyer or informed well wisher write your bylaws is helpful.

    DisAgree Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • alwin lobo, ranipura/bangalore

    Wed, Mar 06 2013

    I agree with your comment. We all should request the bishop to allot us seperate churches so that we will have only konkani mass.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • Joe Colaco, Bangalore

    Wed, Mar 06 2013

    Good step by Mr. Eric Ozario and team. We give you full support as a konkani speaking layman. Here nobody understands who is playing the game in Church Affairs. If we look at the video about the incident which occured at St. Mary's Church, Hegde Nagar Bangalore, a few days back, I cannot believe any Catholic believer can act like that. We in faith give due respect to our Priests and believe that they represent Our Lord Christ during liturgy. How come a catholic believer can go to Altar during Bendiction and manhandle a priest. We konkani speaking Catholics are not against Kannadiga Catholic brothers, as all the languages are God's gift. Everyone has right to pray in his own language irrespective of where he lives. But in Bangalore and in few dioceses this right is withdrawn by hooligans but they say that Kannadiga catholics.
    For them their language is bigger than God. After finishing their journey on this planet in which language they want to talk to God. I pray Almighty God to have mercy on them, elighten their minds through Holy Spirit to believe Jesus Christ and His Church and not to believe manpower, money, muscle power and other vested interests. We all together condemn such incidents and we should avoid non believers to interfere in our church affairs as we have God given Shepherds to take care of us.

    DisAgree Agree [17] Reply Report Abuse

  • Agnello, Mangalore/Muscat

    Wed, Mar 06 2013

    Praying in mother tongue or any other language is between you and your God.I fail to understand how could constitution of India give or deny this right.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [12] Reply Report Abuse

  • Peter Lewis, Brahmavar/Sharjah

    Wed, Mar 06 2013

    While in Arab countries we are fortunate & the previlege to celebrate the mass in Konkani then why this is not allowed in India in certain Diocese only concrned bishops can answer.

    DisAgree Agree [16] Reply Report Abuse

  • John Louis Cunha, Bondel / Bangalore

    Wed, Mar 06 2013

    The Assumption Parish – Rajajinagar – Bangalore: Church attendance on Sundays is less than 50% because all Holy Masses are offered only in one language and that language is the mother tongue of less than 10% of parishioners. This parish is in the heart of the city and linguistic break up is as follows (Konkani – 40%, Tamil – 35%, Kannada – 10%, Malayalam – 10%, Others -5%). We requested several times for Holy Masses in English, Konkani, Tamil & Malayalam in addition to Kannada. But authorities are not applying their minds. As a result less than 50% of Parishioners go to Parish another 10% go to other Parishes and remaining 40% plus don’t attend Sunday Mass at all. Which means 40% of Parishioners are non practicing Catholics. We can change this if we can have regular Sunday Mass in English, Kannada, Konkani, Tamil and Malayalam. Otherwise, today the Parish is half dead situation will further deteriorate. Parish population is 4000 capacity of the church is 400 which means we should have 10 Sunday masses to accommodate all parishioners. There are many Religious Priests living in the Parish whose mother tongue is Konkani / Malayalam / Tamil. Kindly use your good offices and grant us regular Sunday Masses in all languages.

    DisAgree Agree [26] Reply Report Abuse

  • CYRIL MASCARENHAS, KIREM/MIRA ROAD/DUBAI

    Wed, Mar 06 2013

    WE NEED KONKANI MASS WHEREVER MAJORITY KONKANI PEOPLE ARE THERE.FOR EXAMPLE IN MUMBAI MIRA ROAD MORE THAN 90% PEOPLE ARE KONKANI SPEAKING FROM MANGALORE/GOA BUT WE ARE HAVING ONLY ONE MASS IN KONKANI AND REST ALL IN ENGLISH.EVEN OUR ALL PRIEST FROM MANGALORE ,BUT WHEN THEY LEAVE MANGALORE, THEY WILL FORGET KONKANI AND START ENGLISH.EVEN MAJORITY PEOPLE CANT UNDERSTAND ENGLISH..BUT FORCEFULY WE HAVE TO OFFER MASS IN ENGLISH..OUR CULTURE IS GREAT..ANYWAY GOD UNDERSTAND ALL THE LANGUAGES..

    DisAgree [2] Agree [26] Reply Report Abuse

  • gkvenugopal, bangalore

    Wed, Mar 06 2013

    All the best Mr.Ozerio. Your programme in Mangalore may come out successfully. God bless u

    DisAgree [8] Agree [23] Reply Report Abuse

  • antony arun d'souza, dubai

    Wed, Mar 06 2013

    Good move Eric baab.Go ahead and you will succeed in all things.We appreciate your spirit and we support you.We deffinately need Konkani mass.

    DisAgree [14] Agree [28] Reply Report Abuse


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