A Call to Mirror God’s Way of Communication

Fr Anthony Charanghat

The Examiner Catholic Newsweekly, based in Mumbai and serving the Archdiocese of Bombay since 1850, stands as a bedrock of Catholic religious faith-based journalism, endeavouring to emulate the divine mode of communication God established with humanity. The call to The Examiner on the monumental event of the 175th Anniversary titled the De Quadrant Bicentennial year is to encapsulate the essence of mirroring God's Way of Communication, by incorporating the profound messages of God as revealed in Christian scriptures.

The core of these messages posit that Christian communication is a divine gift, initiated by God to unveil the existential and spiritual realms of the world He created. This foundational belief steers The Examiner's editorial focus towards illuminating God's teachings and fostering a deeper bond between humanity and the divine.

The Examiner's De Quadrant Bicentennial celebrations will have programmes conducted during the celebratory event that will display the vibrancy of the faith of the community in writing and reading Christian literature. The inauguration of the jubilee celebrations began with a prayer dance by the Holy Name School children, which was followed by The Examiner anthem, composed by Mr Tony Menezes and music arranged by Adv. Amanda Rebello and the children's choir of the Church backing the family of The Examiner to raise their hearts in thanksgiving.

Cardinal Gracias then unveiled The Examiner commemorative issue, symbolising its longevity. These moments underscore the publication's evolution and its unbroken connection to its roots and mission in spite of being an arduous journey. His Eminence, the Chief Guest and patron of The Examiner, lit the inaugural samai, marking the commencement of the celebrations. His address highlighted The Examiner's esteemed position within Catholic journalism, acknowledging its resilience and purposeful navigation through changing technological landscapes. The Cardinal's words serve as a testament to The Examiner's dedication to journalistic excellence and its role in shaping critical narratives within the community.

The Examiner event also featured jubilee memorial lectures, beginning with Fr (Dr) Plavendran's analysis of Artificial Intelligence's impact on Catholic media; his caution against uncritical adoption of technology without alignment to Catholic teaching reflects a broader discourse on maintaining authenticity in the Digital age. The next lecturer, Dr. Rochelle Almeida, Professor Emerita of The Humanities New York University,  shared her recollections on her journey with The Examiner, from a young contributor to a celebrated academic, underscoring the publication's role in nurturing intellectual and spiritual growth to great heights of excellence, which also motivated her to write an article for the successive Christmas Bumper Publication every year. It also made her realise how popular The Examiner was, as readers in various parts of the world showered encomiums on her.

The discussions extended into the regulatory and operational challenges faced by print media today, as outlined by Mr Gavin D'Souza. His emphasis on compliance and the strategic importance of accreditation in India highlighted the behind-the-scenes efforts required to maintain The Examiner's legacy.

The crowning event was The Examiner awards founded in honour of the parents of the Mascarenhas family. This year's Golden Pen award was won by Ms Nirmala Carvalho, a well-known independent journalist not only in The Examiner, but in other Christian media outlets around the globe. Mr Christopher Mendonca was the recipient of the Silver Pen award for writing on the extraordinary liturgical seasons of the year for The Examiner and for his reflections on contemplative prayer and spirituality in the Christian tradition. Ms Fiza Pathan was the winner of the Bronze Pen award for being a prolific writer and having written and published 17 award-winning books and short stories.

Amidst the celebration, The Examiner Editor's candid admission of past shortcomings revealed a humble introspection and a fervent desire to live up to the divine mission. This acknowledgment speaks of the publication's resilience and its commitment to spreading God's light through truth, justice and love, despite facing challenges. He underlined that we were unworthy vessels of clay and have been remiss in our mission to spread the brilliant light of God anchored in truth, justice and love. However, he emphasised that deep in our hearts, we are more resolved than ever that with the Spirit of God, we will labour courageously to fulfil our mission, no matter what the cost.

The editorial content's future, as led by Fr Joshan Rodrigues, promises a dynamic and forward-looking approach to faith-based journalism. His concluding words of thanks encapsulated the collective spirit that has sustained The Examiner, acknowledging the contributions of Bp Dominic Savio Fernandes, Rector of Holy Name Cathedral, the clergy, educators, contributors, and the wider community as partners in the publication's journey, not failing to thank specially the personnel of the various departments involved in giving birth to the people's favourite Examiner weekly. And also, our gratitude goes to Fr K.T. Emmanuel who compered the entire show of the evening with his sense of humour, keeping the audience riveted to the exciting story of The Examiner's uphill task of traversing from Quill to Digital.

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Fr Anthony Charanghat

Ae raise our hearts on the occasion of the 175th year of the uninterrupted publication of The Examiner to give thanks to God for the gift that He has given us. Through His merciful love, the genesis of The Examiner began in the Church of India in March 1850. It has been a record of sorts, ranking among one of the premiere English publications in this country.

We do not take this occasion to trumpet the glories of our work, for we are just frail vessels of clay made from the earth, and unto dust we shall return. But praise we must: give glory to God for the wonders and marvels of His work; and loudly proclaim and communicate the grandeur of His Love.

Where do we begin to tell the story of how great the Love of God can be, greater than the ocean and the sea, a communion between God and Humanity! This is the essence of the branding of The Examiner insignia which gives us the motto, and the icon of what a religious Catholic newspaper ought to be. The above mentioned quote summarises the quintessence of what Cardinal Valerian Gracias, the first Indian editor, exhorted the subsequent editors, when he inducted them into The Examiner publication 50 years ago.

We are also beholden to our Emeritus Cardinals - His Eminence Simon Pimenta and His Eminence Ivan Dias, and our current Shepherd of the Archdiocese of Bombay, Cardinal Oswald Gracias for their support and guidance in helping us run the Catholic newsweekly.

Accordingly, the logo and motto were conceptualised to spell out the purpose and goal of The Examiner which was to unravel the Word of God in human language to be understood by the people of God – a theme well depicted in The Examiner emblem.

The Coat of Arms of The Examiner is shaped within the circle of God's embracing love. It is anchored in God, illumined on the top of a Cross by a flame spreading the light of Christ. Perched at the bottom of the Cross are two arms of the anchor on which are two pens symbolising the medium of our time - the written word, to spread His Truth, Justice and Love.

It is a religious magazine which gives primacy of place to human relationship with God. Hence, The Examiner is called to function as a mirror of God's Love revealed by His Word, who is Christ. The Examiner, being a Catholic religious newspaper, has to interpret the deeper insights of God's Word in the language of the common person.

The Examiner has employed the language of scripture to convey the message of the mission entrusted to every man and woman to fulfil their call to bring the Kingdom values on Earth. The literary genre of the language of the Bible has been extensively used in The Examiner and by our writers who were legends of yore, that has elevated the tenor and tone of The Examiner and raised it to the touch of the Divine, casting a spiritual glow that makes The Examiner so riveting.

It is interesting to observe that human religious writings are always inspired by God, especially if they mirror the revelations of God, as evidenced by the authors of the Bible. The language of the Bible has been extolled as the best literature in the world which touches the mind, moves the heart and changes the world. The Bible has been deemed universally as the greatest story of Love ever told.

We pay tribute to a galaxy of eminent writers and contributors who have embellished the volumes of The Examiner over the years with their expertise, knowledge and writing skills, who have made it a readers' delight to be found not only in many Christian homes, but also avidly read in public libraries, educational institutions and hospitals, to bring comfort and solace in the healing powers of God in their moments of pain and suffering.

Above all, the Bible is a story of Salvation realised in the redeeming life of Jesus Christ, our mediator between God and man.

I cannot fail to thank the dynamic and exuberant Fr Joshan Rodrigues, who has been a pillar of strength, upholding the edifice of The Examiner as he assisted me in editing the content and operations of The Examiner, and on several occasions, writing the leaders of the Newsweekly.

It is our sincere belief and hope that the next generation of The Examiner family will surely steer the forward march of The Examiner to greater heights into the last lap of the bicentennial. May Godspeed your journey.