Eleuterio’s Advertisement on the daily “Herald” on 9th March 2010

Miguel Vas,H. No. 178,Sinquetim, Navelim,Salcette, GoaDate: - 13/04/10

District Collector, (South Goa),Margao, Salcette, Goa.

Subject: - Gross miscarriage of justice.

Sir,

I wish to put on record the following facts about the recent events in Navelim which led to the arrest of Mr. Eleuterio Carneiro and Mr. Constancio Fernandes due to the publication of an advertisement in the daily Herald on 9th April 2010.

The first point I would like to highlight is the manner of Eleuterio’s “arrest”. At the time of his arrest no warrant was shown to him. The police were in plain clothes and did not identify themselves. His wife was not allowed to accompany him. She was told (falsely) that they were taking him to Canacona Police Station, Chaudi. His mobile was confiscated. Thus he was cut off from all contact with his family, his friends and his lawyer. No wonder he went into shock as the doctors in Hospicio Hospital will testify.

What horrifies me is the thought that in the interim period between his being picked up by the Police and his being admitted to Hospicio Hospital, he could have been physically eliminated and the police could have denied that they were even involved in the matter!

But even more important than this is the fact that the allegations made in the advertisement are true.

1. The Parish Priest of Navelim, Fr. Leonard Moraes, did indeed try to produce Holy Water by visualization during the Easter Midnight Mass. This is testified to by reliable witnesses. This action grossly violates the strict rules laid down by the Church for producing Holy Water and is a fraud on the faithful of Navelim. In fact when I became aware of this, I consciously decided not to allow the priests of Navelim Parish to bless my house at Eastertime.

2. The statement regarding the inverted cross on the Altar of the Holy Trinity Church in Benaulim is also true. This Chapel dedicated to St. Anne, and which housed the famous statue of Livrament Saibinn was raised to the status of a Parish Church during the tenure of Fr. Leonard Moraes as Parish Priest. He is responsible for building the new church, and as such the Altar. A photograph of the inverted cross is attached as also its meaning. It is amply clear that the symbol is an abomination to discerning Catholics and it is their right and duty to protest. This is not the only instance when Fr. Moraes has hurt the religious sentiments of the faithful by his words and actions.

3. The statement about the Bishop being involved in selling Church property to builders is also true. As proof, I attach a copy obtained under RTI. Also attached is the Canon Law relating the sale of Church property.

Hence I would like to state that the said Eleuterio has simply stated the truth in the said advertisement. Stating the truth cannot be called defamation. And if there are groups in

society that protest the revelation of the truth, then I believe it is the duty of the Police to suppress such elements. In this case, the Police have tried to harass the man responsible for telling the truth.

But a society that is not ready to accept the truth is doomed to destruction. I believe the Constitution of India guarantees me the right to speak the truth; and also ensures that I may not be punished for it howsoever bitter it may be to others!

Next I would like to discuss the matter of culpability. It is true that Eleuterio may have drafted the advertisement. But he did not publish it in Herald. He merely passed it on to Mr. Constancio, the owner of an advertising agency. Even if the latter did not peruse the advertisement, how did Herald fail to scrutinize the same before putting it on their newspaper? So the degree of culpability progressively increases from Eleuterio to Constancio to Herald. And yet cases are filed against Eleuterio and Constancio. Herald is allowed to go scot-free. Is this justice? Should a newspaper that exposes (and rightly so) the mistakes of others, not admit its own mistake? Should it not be made to bear punishment for the same?

Next the Sections of Law under which Eleuterio is charged. If a statement of truth causes a law and order problem in society, are the Police allowed to solve the problem by jailing the one who spoke the truth? I shudder to think of the future of such a society. Indeed the day is not far off when bands of robbers will come together to demand that those who are not guilty of robbing be put into jail! If tomorrow someone produces 50 people demanding action against an innocent man, can the Police be allowed to take the easy way out by jailing the innocent man?!

The matter is purely intra-Catholic in nature. No other religions are involved. So how then does one claim that the matter may create communal tensions?

But above all, I wish to state that it is an outright lie that there was tension in Navelim at all. The people of Navelim know who is right and who is wrong. An artificial impression of tension was created by a select group of individuals for their own nefarious ends of settling personal enmities.

Finally, I wish to state that a certain Police Officer who is handling the case has tried to justify his behaviour on the excuse that powerful persons are pressuring him (through phone calls, etc.) to act against Eleuterio. It becomes amply clear that powerful people at the helm of the Church and otherwise are involved in this attempt to cause a gross miscarriage of Justice. It would be instructive if the names of these people and the contents of their instruction (telephonic or otherwise) are revealed to the people. This matter again shows the Police in poor light.

It has also come to my notice that powerful individuals aligned with the Parish Priest of Navelim are still involved in trying to trap Eleuterio and others with whom they have personal enmities.

It is my opinion that treating the matter as a purely law and order issue is simplistic and is designed to let those guilty of hurting the religious sentiments of the Catholics go scot-free.

It is also my contention that powerful individuals within the Church are guilty of having flouted the fundamental laws of the Roman Catholic Church and are now trying to hide behind the Police and are also trying to create terror in those who dared to question them. This terror is also a message to others who might think of opening their mouths in future.

Should not the Parish Priest (who is the father of the whole village), have called the offending party to himself so as to explain to him his fault (if fault he did indeed commit)? Instead he took the easy way out, and regrettably, the Police allowed him to take that way out. Hence I request you to restrain the Police from interfering in the disputes among Catholics in future. Instead let them take the lead to conciliate between the groups instead of terrorizing one group at the instance of the other.

In the light of all this, I suggest that you kindly intervene and listen to both the parties involved. Also I request you to kindly drop all charges against Eleuterio and Constancio and also against Herald.

If you fail in this, and thus encourage the miscarriage of justice that is being perpetrated, may God Himself punish you.

Yours Sincerely,

(MIGUEL VAS)

Enclosures: - 1. Photo of inverted cross,2. Document showing sale of Church property,

Copy to: -1. Home Minister, Mr. Ravi Naik,2. Mr. Allen D’Sa, SP, South Goa (for personal intervention)

INVERTED CROSS PLACED ON THE ALTAR OF HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, BENAULIM

THE MEANING OF THE INVERTED CROSSThe inverted cross represents the Enemy of Jesus, that is Satan, that dread Adversary of the

Human race. Its significance can be enumerated as follows:1. The inverted cross opens the abyss of Hell, just as the Cross of Jesus is the key that opens for

us the Door of Heaven.2. The inverted cross represents the inversion of the Ten Commandments of God. The result is

the “Decalogue” of Lucifer which is as follows: “thou shalt worship idols, thou shalt take the Name of the Lord in vain, thou shalt violate the Sabbath, thou shalt murder, thou shalt steal, thou shalt give false witness”, etc.

3. The inverted cross represents the inversion of the moral values of the Roman Catholic Church. The result is that the seven cardinal Virtues become vices and vice versa. Hence Lust, Sloth, Gluttony, etc. become virtues!

4. The inverted cross represents the continual striving of Lucifer to make null and void the Salvific Work of Jesus for our sake. Hence a person who adores the inverted cross accepts that the Incarnation, the Passion, the Death and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ are useless as far as he is concerned. By the same token, the Parish that adores the inverted cross rejects the salvation offered by Jesus.

5. The priest who would make you adore the inverted cross is a secret disciple of Lucifer and is now attempting to make you the same!

6. The one who adores the inverted cross is asking to be filled by the Evil Spirit, just as the one who adores the Cross of Jesus is asking to be filled by the Holy Spirit.

7. Finally, the inverted cross represents the rejection of God as God and the deification of Satan, i.e. the one who adores the inverted cross accepts that Satan is God!Hence I request you, my dear brothers and sisters, please don’t ever accept the inverted cross

on your person, in your homes or in your Churches or Chapels!It is true that the first Pope, St. Peter was crucified upside down at his own request. But his cross, (i.e. the inverted cross), cannot be used as a symbol of worship in our Church. This is because St. Peter is not our saviour. Our Saviour is Jesus Christ. Hence we are bound to worship only the Cross of Jesus Christ. And this saving Cross is an upright Cross. There is Salvation only in the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ.

CAN CHURCH PROPERTIES BE SOLD?

What does cannon law have to say about such sale? Is the sale of Church property permitted by this law? The answer is a resounding “NO”. I have quoted below the Canon 15 of the Fourth Council of Constantinople. What it states is that any bishop who sells Church property is to be demoted. Furthermore, anyone who buys Church property is under a curse till he restores it to the Church and publicly BURNS the sale deed! So here below is the text of the above mentioned canon:

“This holy and universal synod, in renewing the canons of the apostles and fathers, has decreed that no bishop may sell or in any way dispose of precious objects or consecrated vessels except for the reason laid down long ago by the ancient canons, that is to say, objects received for the redemption of captives. They must not hand over endowments of churches by emphyteutic leases nor put on sale other agricultural properties, thereby damaging ecclesiastical revenues. We decree that such revenues are for church purposes, the feeding of the poor and the assistance of pilgrims. However, bishops have full powers to improve and enlarge, as opportunity offers, the ecclesiastical properties which produce these revenues.

Now that this decree has been made, whoever appears to have acted in a way contrary to this holy and universal synod, must be deposed on the grounds of violating divine law and precepts. Any sale which was made by the bishop, either in writing or otherwise, must be made entirely void, as well as any emphyteutic lease or any other act disposing of precious objects or endowments. Whoever buys or acquires any of the aforementioned precious objects or endowments and does not restore to the church what belongs to it and does not hand over for burning the bills of sale or leases, is anathema until he does what has been determined by this holy and universal synod.”

And Canon 2 of the same Council mentions the following penalty for anyone disobeying any of the Canons promulgated:

“Whoever, then, shall be found, after these directives of ours, despising any of the articles or decrees which have been promulgated by these popes, must be stripped of his dignity and rank, if he is a priest or cleric; a monk or lay person, of whatever dignity, must be excommunicated until he repents and promises to observe all the decrees in question.”

So my advice to you is do not be involved in the buying or selling of Church properties in any form. Leave Church property to the Church! If you get involved in the selling or buying of Church property (on any pretext whatsoever), you will invite the curse of God into your life and into your family for generations to come till the mistake has been rectified by returning to God what belongs to God!!

Remember also, that once you have become aware of this law which absolutely prohibits the sale of Church properties, you will have no excuse before God to plead your ignorance should you still go ahead and become a party to the sale of Church properties. You will close the gates of God’s Mercy to you and to your family with your own hands. May you never become guilty of such a great crime against God and yourself and your family and your future generations.