THE TRIO HELMING MALAYSIAVOTES
l-r:jacqueline surin, danny lim, cindy tham
l-r:jacqueline surin, danny lim, cindy tham
Ah, to be young again! I was once. Together with a French priest, (thru respect I do not wish to reveal his name, although he has passed on), former Johanian and former President of the Bar Council, the late Ronald Khoo Teng Swee (I know that he would be proud to have his name revealed) and humbly yours, toyed with the idea of an underground Catholic News media, to spice up the tiredly bland sermonising of the Malaysian Catholic News, predecessor to the current Herald. But the late Archbishop Tan Sri Vendargon got wind of this and summoned us to his office.
He was cordial but not so later on when he threatened me with excommunication because I drafted out the dispensation letter for the ex-priest and my mentor the former Father Larry Leguen of st. Jpseph's Church, Sentul.
OK back to 1968....he told us that the Government would never allow another Catholic paper. That was a fact. We impressed on him that the ecumenical council (vatican II) was over and Malaysian catholicism was moving at snail's pace. Changes were reshaping the face of Catholicism; a comprehensive revised liturgy was laboriously moving uphill; a stronger emphasis on ecumenism was watered-down and inter-faith dialogue was a distant possibility. Convinced that we could not clear the hurdle, we put temporary repose to that idea. When we came out of his office I told my two conspirators....."but we are supposed to be underground!" From thence, it literally went underground, buried, forgotten....just a faint memory.....that led to my brief sabbatical from the Catholic Church.
You see we did not have the Internet then. The gust of fresh air came when blogging was born and we now have Malaysiakini and Malaysia Today and thousands of bloggers out there, determined to tell it as it is.
He was cordial but not so later on when he threatened me with excommunication because I drafted out the dispensation letter for the ex-priest and my mentor the former Father Larry Leguen of st. Jpseph's Church, Sentul.
OK back to 1968....he told us that the Government would never allow another Catholic paper. That was a fact. We impressed on him that the ecumenical council (vatican II) was over and Malaysian catholicism was moving at snail's pace. Changes were reshaping the face of Catholicism; a comprehensive revised liturgy was laboriously moving uphill; a stronger emphasis on ecumenism was watered-down and inter-faith dialogue was a distant possibility. Convinced that we could not clear the hurdle, we put temporary repose to that idea. When we came out of his office I told my two conspirators....."but we are supposed to be underground!" From thence, it literally went underground, buried, forgotten....just a faint memory.....that led to my brief sabbatical from the Catholic Church.
You see we did not have the Internet then. The gust of fresh air came when blogging was born and we now have Malaysiakini and Malaysia Today and thousands of bloggers out there, determined to tell it as it is.
Congrats malaysiavotes.com. Let this be awake up call not only to Catholics but also to all believers that attending church or BEC meetings ain't enough if you are prepared to speak the Truth and stand for Christ against the injustices perpetrated against His people.
ReplyDeleteplease also take time to check out the latest happening place in cyberspace at http://margeemar.blogspot.com
Congrats malaysiavotes.com. I trust all men of goodwill will hear that call.
ReplyDeleteHi , Bernard, this is a quick Hello from Le Guen in France