Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jun 1: Amid reports that the state government proposes to reduce the number of public holidays, including on Good Friday, the diocese of Mangaluru on Saturday June 1 submitted a memorandum to the chief minister through the deputy commissioner against the proposal of removing holiday on Good Friday.
A delegation led by Msgr Maxim L Noronha, vicar general, diocese of Mangaluru met the deputy commissioner Sasikanth Senthil and gave the memorandum on behalf of Mangaluru diocese.
The members of delegation Fr Victor Viajy Lobo, PRO of Mangaluru diocese, Fr J B Crasta, secretary, laity commission, Fr Anthony Sera, secretary, Catholic Board of Education, Fr Richard D'Souza, director Canara Communication Centre, Susheel Noronha, member of Catholic Council of India and Roy Castelino, former president, Konkani Sahitya Academy urged the DC to do the needful.
In the memorandum, bishop of Mangaluru Dr Peter Paul Saldanha said, "The Christian community in Karnataka is peace-loving, law-abiding and adhering to the secular ideals of our country. Though the community is small, its contribution to the nation building process in terms of social development, education and healthcare is big. Our institutions with their dedicated approach are rendering yeomen service to the society, without any discrimination of caste and creed.
"Now, we are given to understand that the government of Karnataka is meditating upon the idea of removing the holiday on Good Friday. The Christian community is availed only two government holidays in the year, viz, Good Friday and Christmas. Christmas is the birth anniversary and Good Friday is the death anniversary of Jesus. For Christians these two days are the most sacred and the Christian Community spends the days with intense prayer. Besides, Good Friday is also a day of fasting as the Lord Jesus died on the Cross that day," the memorandum stated.
"The Good Friday being directly connected with the belief and practice of Christian religion, we the members of the Christian community strongly demand that the holiday on this day is continued to be given as in the past. It will be a great injustice to the Christian community to remove this holiday or to dilute the importance of this day. You (CM of Karnataka) may also remember as to how the Bombay high court had quashed the decision of Goa government to remove the holiday on Good Friday.
"On behalf of the Christian community, I request you to continue these holidays as in the past," the bishop said in the memorandum.
In response, the DC assured that he would strongly put across the concern of the Christian community to the chief minister of Karnataka.