dictionary.reference.com gives the meaning of the word "Saint" as:
- any of certain persons of exceptional holiness of life, formally recognized as such by the Christian Church, esp. by canonization.
- a person of great holiness, virtue, or benevolence.
- a founder, sponsor, or patron, as of a movement or organization. (in certain religious groups) a designation applied by the members to themselves.
- Has The Hindu accepted the arbitrariness and onesidedness in the usage of the word "Saint" by the Roman Catholic Church? Is a person deemed to be a "Saint" only if he/she has been "canonized" to be so by the Vatican. One of the six articles boldly declares “First Woman Saint of India”, pray, what happened to Mirabai, Jana bai, Kannagi, Ahilyabai Holkar, Sharada ma, Anandamayi maa, Durgapuri maa, Gauri maa, Akka Mahadevi, Mata Amritanandamayi, Anandamurti guru maa, (who have/are lived/living a life of "holiness, virtue and benevolence.") Not only this, India has a rich tradition of having produced woman leaders (Jhansi Rani Lakshmi Bai, Jijabai, Ahilyabai Holkar etc.) hence the "first" ness of Sister Alphonsa doesn't surprise a lay Indian, but what surprises him/her is the time it took the church to recognise an Indian woman as a "Saint" (howsoever dubious the basis be.)
- Is The Hindu which has carried 6 items in its "National" section about the event, in consonance with the basis for the "canonization"? (that of "The miraculous cure of the club foot of Thomas Athiyalil wrought through her intercession") Has it gone into the facts of the case? In case it hasn't, I, Shrivathsa, hereby claim that I have raised a hunderd people from the dead, and have 6 people write articles about me to The Hindu. To be fair to me, The Hindu should publish such articles. Or is it that it won't publish them just because the recognition wouldn't come from the Roman Catholic church. Doesn't this show the newspaper in a poor light, a hangover from the colonial times of the native being overawed of the gorababu.
- Does The Hindu accept the implication from the act of canonization of Annakutty that the Christian religion which claims its existence for 1800 years in India has not been able to find a single "native" Female "Saint" till the canonization of Annakutty? Does it accept that this isn't an honour but a disgrace (howsoever dubious the basis for the "canonization" be)? Can it gather the courage to write an editorial about the insult that has been meted out to the women of India?
- Is The Hindu indeed a voice of the Christian church? Why does it carry so many articles on one day on almost a non event. What is the event after all? There was a woman who is claimed to have done a "miracle", that of curing a person with a club foot. The woman is "canonized" as a "Saint" by an organization (Roman Catholic church) which has a declared aim of christianizing India by 2020. (Ref.: Joshua 2 project site)
- The Hindu has dubious reputation of publishing only those letters to the editor which toe its line. This being the case, publishing six articles on a single day on the "canonization" probably betrays a belief in such practices?
Landed this video on youtube which summarizes the above article:
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17 comments:
Hard hitting piece.
The secularists may claim that six articles are not enough. The whole issue of Chindu should have been dedicated to this (dubious) event. After all, we don't get an Indian woman Catholic "saint" everyday!
Having celebrated this much, Chief should now campaign for an Indian pope.
Sonia Maino for Pope !!
(Registering domain name right now :D)
Contrast Chindu and Rediff
SIMI, Bajrang Dal dangerous, says Narayanan
He claimed that “SIMI and Bajrang Dal are not two sides of the same coin, but both of them are dangerous.”
http://www.hindu.com/2008/10/13/stories/2008101356501200.htm
Ban against Bajrang Dal can't be sustained: NSA
"You cannot ban an organization unless you build your case against it," he said.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/oct/12ban.htm
Shrivathsa,
Hard hitting thoughts. The fact that after 1500+ years to suddenly canonize an Indian lady seems rather fishy. I really liked the part about raising people from the dead.
Now if you could only send them over to Anna Salai .....
The fact that Chindu published half a dozen articles points to its secular stance and its liberal apologetic frame of mind given the incidents in Orissa and Karnataka.
The Hindu is always criticizing the Sangh Parivar for obscurantism. Wonder why the same charge will now not apply to a paper that has published a spate of articles glorifying miracles and deification.
Looks canonization and media attention is all happening due to the representative of Vatican Mrs.Sonia(won't like add Gandhi to her name as it the surname of "Our Bapu" - M.K.Gandhi and it's wont suit her and her wickedness) - the u in order to promote conversion and gain place in heaven - the silent way of terrorism....
Looks canonization and media attention is all happening due to the representative of Vatican Mrs.Sonia(won't like add Gandhi to her name as it the surname of "Our Bapu" - M.K.Gandhi and it's wont suit her and her wickedness) - the way or system to promote conversion and gain place in heaven - the silent way of terrorism....
Not just Hindu, all the leading(?) english dailies have 'covered' this rubbish news in detail the same way... looks like majority of the finance to these media (both print and electronic) comes from pseudos and c0nverts...
the other aspects . . .
though it is a well known fact that the Editor of 'THE HINDU' Mr N.Ram is a hardcore " ANTI-HINDU", mail & emails of this sort need to be flooded to their office & inbox giving a vivid message that NOT all non-sense given by them are accepted.
Also, there are debates,discussions & open houses on why women (aged 11-45 yrs) shouldn't be allow to Sabarimala Iyyappa temple & why not a woman Priest Head. Here, why aren't the media dare to ask a lady pope or atleast Bishop for that matter or why NOT a Lady Maulvi . . ?
For all those Atheist & so called right minded people directing us & the GOVT to spend the money on feeding the poor & improving education rather spending the same on Hindu temples. Why aren't you NOT sensitive enough on GOVT spending crores of peoples money on Hajj Subsidy & what is need for 15 member official delegates including Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes & Former Finance Minister of Kerala Mr K. M. Mani standing with lighted candles to a function in Vatican.
There is a somewhat amusing photograph in today's Chindu (print edition, Chennai). The caption says "Pope greeting nuns from India" whereas he is actually looking in another direction (away from the few "Indian" nuns seen in the picture) with a raised hand!
Today also seems to be a very busy day for Chindu with so many reports on the canonisation.
---------------------------------
Pope creates four new saints
Catholic Church celebrates Alphonsa’s canonisation
Festive atmosphere at St Alphonsa's home town
Catholics in Delhi celebrate over Sr. Alphonsa's sainthood
Sister Alphonsa gets rare honours after sainthood
Thousands throng sister Alphonsa's tomb
Cardinal Vithayathil hospitalised at Vatican
---------------------------------
Perhaps we may expect these dubious saint reportings throughout the seek and anniversary celebrations next year.
"I really liked the part about raising people from the dead.
Now if you could only send them over to Anna Salai"
Well, i do volunteer my services to raise the communist holocaust-perpetrators from dead (ones who killed more than 10 million people):
1. Comrades Chiang Kaishek, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong.
2. Comrades Stalin and Mao who killed more than 30-50 million people.
3. And also Comrade Pol Pot for having eliminated 1/3 of the population of Cambodia.
so that they could face trials for crimes against humanity so that the likes of "The Hindu" stop supporting their diabolical ideology.
as said.
destruction doesnt come without doing anything.
xtians digging their own graves inviting death.
world follows newtons 3rd law
"to every action there will always be equal and opposite reaction
Wonderful article. We should increase the number of "our" people who should boycott CHINDU and go on public campaign against "Anti-Hinduism".
Do keep up the excellent work.
N. RAMANATHAN
This whole thing about gifting a Saint to India is politics. They want to spread Christianity in India.
It is shocking to see that the Indian govt sent an official delegation there to attend the ceremony. It is also bringing out a coin in memory of the manufactured saint. And no one questions if India is secular?
And of course the Hindu is always biased against Hindu interests. Everyone knows that.
Came over to this web link while searching for 'Athiyalil'
I believe in God and religion and the divine power. I have Hindu, Muslim and Christian friends.
IF you keep chanting the manthras of hatred, it won't do any good other than destroying yourself..
To clear some facts.. Athiyalil Thomas whose club foot was cured by intercessions to St Alphonsa is still living. His cure was identified as the cause of Beatification of St Alphonsa by Pope John Paul II in 1986. When the miracle was considered, many people gave testimonies, including Hindus. Athiyalil Thomas is my paternal uncle and my father(still living) and his aunt(passed away last year) witnessed the healing of his foot during the days after the miracle..
Well..miracles still happen.. and God and His power is beyond race and religion...
Have a nice day.
MMA
"IF you keep chanting the manthras of hatred, it won't do any good other than destroying yourself.."
first of all, please get to know the etymological meaning of the word "manthra" before you throw it at others. How come you saw "hatred" in this post? "destroy" myself??? thanks for the condescending advice Mr. MMA.
To clear some facts.. Athiyalil Thomas whose club foot was cured by intercessions to St Alphonsa is still living. His cure was identified as the cause of Beatification of St Alphonsa by Pope John Paul II in 1986. When the miracle was considered, many people gave testimonies, including Hindus. Athiyalil Thomas is my paternal uncle and my father(still living) and his aunt(passed away last year) witnessed the healing of his foot during the days after the miracle..
Bigger miracles happen in India. the biggest miracle is that a thorough inquiry into the matter hasn't taken place till date. I wonder how much money the "testimony" givers got from the church... should be quite sizeable indeed. And it is quite surprising that you also choose to keep yourself anonymous while at the same time claim yourself to be a nephew of a person who was at the receiving end of a "miracle". Miraculous are the ways of the man!
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