Art/ Heritage

THE CHRISTMAS CANVAS: ‘The Visitation’ by Piero di Cosimo

One of the most intriguing artists of Italian Renaissance, Piero di Cosimo (1462 – 1522) was known for the ‘strangeness of his brain.’ From Vasari, the biographer, we learn that Piero was terrified of lighting and thunder; he was frugal enough to cook 50 eggs at a time in order to save fuel; he often got enraged by flies and shadows and could not bear ‘the crying of children, the coughing of men and the chanting of friars’. The greatness of his intellect was to be revered and yet for his uncouth ways, he was regarded as a madman.

The madness of his peculiar personality creeps into his curious paintings delivering a unique and fascinating work of art. Gifted with eccentricity, he converts the ordinary into extraordinary while expressing the extraordinary through little nods of mundane life. He leaves the spectator with a zest of exploring the rich details of his painting without focusing on just the primary subject. Nay, your eyes cannot rest on the protagonist. If they do, you are simply missing out on something brilliantly bizarre.

 This Christmas let’s pry into one of his master works, ‘The Visitation.’

 Adhering to the Gospel, Piero dramatizes the meeting between two expectant mothers who have miraculously conceived. The young Virgin reaches out to embrace her elderly cousin. In a climatic blurt awakened by the leap of the unborn Baptist, Elizabeth exclaims ‘Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb!’ As their gaze and hands affectionately meet, it’s the encounter of the divine with the human.

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Opinion

The priests and seminarians were made to sit on the floor of the police station.

 Burning Santa’s sleigh

On the night of 14th December 2017, a  group of 30 Seminarians and two priests from St. Ephrem’ Theological College in Satna, Madhya Pradesh were detained as they were conducting a routine Christmas carol singing programme, which has been the practice during the Christmas season for the last 30 years.  The vehicle of the priests was torched by a mob of goons.

What is even more shocking is that eight priests who later went to inquire about the detained priests and seminarians were also taken into custody. Shamefully the situation outside the police station was allowed to be so hostile that even those who wanted to approach the detained persons could get no access to them.

The charge of conversion on which the priests and seminarians are detained is frivolous and laughable. The violence perpetrated by groups who claim to be “nationalists” and have taken upon themselves the mantle of protecting “nationalism’ and “religion” is disgraceful. The complicity of the police who arrested the seminarians and stood by helplessly as the priests and seminarians were assaulted, is disgusting and appalling. Such misuse of the police force and break down of law and order is not tolerable in a democracy and in a civilized society.

There is a rising anti-Christian wave in India after the BJP government took power. Fuelled often by tacit silence from the ruling government who are prone to issue platitudes, right wing Hindu groups have begun to now physically attack Christians. For some time now I have been reading anti- Christian propaganda on twitter and Facebook. Any criticism of the government is first met with a scrutiny of the religion of the author of the tweet. Abuse then follows, especially if you belong to one of India’s minority faiths. The Prime Minister and his government can no longer look at these as isolated incidences; they are patterns of a fascist behaviour that has to be stopped now, and that call must be heard from his office constantly till the madness stops. 

I have been heartened by the constant efforts of Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, SFX, Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India who has worked hard to constantly raise the concerns of the community, with the government. He has also been magnanimous in his praise for the Prime Minister and his government for the assistance that has been sought; yet has not been afraid to speak his mind. His leadership heartens me. 

The response of the government to the petitions of the community has always been too little, too late. When the Prime Minister seeks at an election rally to roll call individual priests and nuns whom the government has intervened on behalf off, in terrorist situations, he only betrays the fact that he has to make a ‘special effort’ for such individuals when this should be the duty of the government and they should have swung into action.

Here may I give credit to our foreign minister who seems to wear her heart on her sleeve when it comes to Indians stuck in foreign lands and who reach out to her. But this goodness is not in my opinion reflected of the government as a whole, who seem to be more agitated with constructive criticism and throw the baby out with the bath water.

The car of the priest set on fire

Recently a good bishop in Gujarat was singled out by the press for his ‘call for prayers’ in the light of the elections in his state. This same press chooses to look the other way when incidences like this take place.  ‘Presstitues’, a term which was contemptuously used by a member of this government  for some media houses that seem to have been bought out by political masters, is also being encouraged in action by this very government. While one may disagree with the choice of words that the good bishop used, one cannot disagree with the fears in his heart; fears that incidences like this only ratify.

Christmas is a time for giving and for forgiving. My first prayer was for our persecutors, the other was for my brother priests and seminarians in Satna. This mindless hatred must end, and end now. For me, the season is one of love and while I am angry at what has happened I know Jesus, our Lord, died for all humanity. On the cross He prayed for forgiveness, for those who did not know what they were doing; I doubt the government can hide behind that cover. But pray I do, for our nation that I love and that I am proud to be a son of.

For those who continue to spread hate in this nation, I doubt they even understand the meaning of nationalism. It’s time they realise that burning Santa’s sleigh makes them villainous!

Fr Warner D’souza

Extracts of the first three paragraph taken from the CBCI statement

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Opinion

Super Identity: Anchored To The Ultimate Aadhar

I’ve been loyally linking everything—from my mobile number to my IT returns and bank account—to that all-encompassing Aadhar card that has got me photographed, fingerprinted, numbered and indexed. I guard my Aadhar under lock and key only to be produced when i travel or seek governmental goodies that i hope are forthcoming. But, there’s an Aadhar that i’ve been anchored to since my birth and beyond, who keeps me safe amidst stormy seas of life, and that is: God.

Aadhar is rich in meaning. It refers to foundation, root, stronghold, refuge, shelter, rock, fortress, security, ultimate, substratum and so on. The Bible uses these words as metaphors and similes to describe God. In other religions, too, nuances of Aadhar appear as appellations and attributes of the Absolute Being called by different names.

In the Bible, saved from his foes, King David calls God: “My rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my refuge, my stronghold, my shield and my saviour—worthy to be praised” (2 Samuel 22:1-4). Psalm 91 describes God as: “My shelter, my shadow, refuge and my fortress.” As response, God promises: “I will deliver you, protect you, be with you in trouble, rescue you and show you my salvation.”

The biblical believer is exhorted to trust God totally since one is primarily a pilgrim on a lifelong yatra. Psalm 121 reminds the pilgrim: “God who neither slumbers nor sleeps is your keeper, your shade at your right hand. God will keep you safe from evil … will keep your going out and your coming in secure now and forevermore.”

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Art/ Heritage

THE CHRISTMAS CANVAS: ‘The Dream of Joseph’ by Georges de la Tour

 It was indeed a tough day for Joseph. Post his labour at the carpenters table, he had discovered with deep sorrow that Mary his betrothed was pregnant. As the tongues in the town wagged furiously with the news, Joseph was deeply embarrassed as only he knew that he was not the father.

He was well aware of the gruesome punishment and the disgrace that would await Mary if she was prosecuted for adultery. His delicate feelings decided otherwise. Despite his painful discovery and his ignorance of the divine incarnation plan, he resolved not to defame his affianced but rather to divorce her privately without a messy public trial.

As the sun goes down the horizon, a night of obscurity, anguish and introspection invades Joseph. Post the bustle of the day; he desired the inner silence of the night. As thoughts stormed his mind, he lay down at rest in his favourite armchair seeking some refuge in the sacred scriptures.

Georges de la Tour, through today’s painting, takes this impeding scene to the next level. Gone is the Italian architecture and the Dutch landscape. The nature of the canvas takes us far from the outwardly or the human point of view, dwelling rather deep on the intimate, more inner nature of man. The room is devoid of cluttering details. It exemplifies the essentials i.e. two protagonists and the play of divine light.

No utterance rather deep silence permeates the room. The silence lulls Joseph into a sagely slumber. The flame of the consuming candle soon finds company in divine radiance. In comes an immaculate little mediator from God. Face aglow, eyes focused, the left hand of the angel moves in parallel with Joseph’s consciousness transcending his being into divine space.

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Opinion

Driving sense

I have been sitting in the neuro surgery ward of the Goa Medical College hospital since the last two days hearing agonising screams.

From my limited understanding, the patients fall in two categories; those who have medical issue suffered as a consequence of nature and those caused by man.

Those who fall in the category caused by man constitute, in a large majority, bike accidents; some of no fault of theirs .

What ever be the reason the consequences are horrendous and I wish these words of mine strike terror in your heart.

There is no substitute to cautious riding. It is folly for both for the rider and the pillion not to wear a helmet. In three cases here, all three are pillion riders.

In their ruling a few years ago, the courts made it mandatory for all bikers to wear helmets yet they fell short of mandating the same for pillion riders who are more prone to fatal injuries.

What is bizarre is when riders choose to drink and drive, thinking that ‘they are in control’ or one drink(sic)‘can’t kill them’.

Even more bizarre is when stupidity takes over and bikers choose not to wear a helmet because they are ‘in control’. The fact that their mental ability is not ‘in control ‘to take an obvious choice is reflective of how little their physical faculties operate.

The law must change both in insisting that both riders and pillions wear helmets and that those caught violating laws such as drinking and driving GO TO JAIL with no exception. Licences must be suspended for a year and stricter fines must be imposed.

It has become more than evident that citizens of this country are prone to break traffic rules and the time has long passed for stricter penalties. The clock has long overtaken us.

If we must drive common sense into people’s minds, even with the harshest of laws, then so be it . For those who disagree you are welcome to any goverment hospital neurosurgical ward where if you still disagree, I will humbly rest my case .

Fr Warner Dsouza

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