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Recently, the Traffic Cell Department in Ponda has deputed traffic cops at various strategic locations. Such a favourable step has gone a long way in imbibing discipline among vehicle users. Pedestrians also have benefitted to a great extent. However, one aspect that needs to be tackled on a war-footing is that of initiating stern action against persons conversing on cellphones while driving vehicles. Such an undesirable practice has become very much common, and many vehicle riders fail to realise the adverse consequences that would follow under such circumstances. In order to discourage this practice, the traffic cell department needs to initiate a rigorous drive and issue challans to those using phones while driving vehicles. This would ultimately assure safety not only to the riders, but also to fellow travellers and pedestrians proceeding along different locations. I hope the higher officials at the traffic cell department in Ponda would take note of this issue and undertake prompt and positive steps to deal with this dangerous practice.
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Your timely co-ed, Questioning "miracles” of Mother Teresa, by Philip Almond, provides food for thought. While I disagree with the author and choose to “argue” that scientifically inexplicable events do occur, almost everyday, in the spiritual realm more than in the physical, due to God’s intervention, whose existence I do not doubt even for a split second, I congratulate the writer for boldly raising arguments against the purported and challengeable evidence that has the Catholic Church declare a “saintly” person officially as a “Saint”. As the space is not enough to delve on each of Philip’s arguments I restrict myself to asking: a) “Are we Catholics too gullible or forced to be so? b) What changes in Heaven might be taking place when the Church officially, at such and such moment, declares a dead person as “Saint”? A “rearrangement” of seats? Creation of more "pedestals"? Unmindful of each and every Church’s diktats, let’s recognise the myriad people that live as real saints in this very mundane life and try to emulate their good deeds. This will lead to a more peaceful and peaceable world.
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While the world celebrates the proclamation of Mother Teresa as a saint today, a church in Maharashtra will also have it’s own memorable celebration. The Blessed Mother Teresa Church in Virar near Mumbai will reportedly be re-christened as ‘St Mother Teresa Church’. The church authorities in Goa should also consider building churches in the state dedicated to St Joseph Vaz and Mother Teresa and have them as the patron saints. The church authorities need also consider elevating all the chapels dedicated to Mother Teresa to the status of a church after she is declared a saint. This will enable the faithful to pray to the saint for favours and also follow in her footsteps and reach out to the poor, the down-trodden and the marginalized people of the society.
