PRESERVING Human Voices  and Faces

Fr Joe Eruppakkatt SSP

Unpacking Pope Leo XIV’s Message for the 60th World Day of Social Communication

The 60th World Day of Social Communication, celebrated in 2026, comes at a time when digital technology and Artificial Intelligence are reshaping the way we interact, learn, and even love. Pope Leo XIV, in his message under the theme 'Preserving Human Voices and Faces,' reminds us that communication is not merely about transmitting information, but about safeguarding the sacred gift of human identity.

Faces and Voices: Sacred Gifts

"Faces and voices are sacred. God, who created us in His image and likeness, gave them to us when He called us to life through the Word He addressed to us."

This profound reflection from Pope Leo XIV sets the tone. Today, as digital images and synthetic voices proliferate, the Pope insists that our God-given identity must never be reduced to a simulation. Today, the shocking reality is that communicators, content creators, students, and even researchers increasingly rely on AI-generated texts, voices and images. Authenticity and creativity are sacrificed at the altar of polished perfection and easy access to artificial information.

The Threat of Simulation

Pope Leo warns: "By simulating human voices and faces, wisdom and knowledge, consciousness and responsibility, empathy and friendship, the systems known as Artificial Intelligence not only interfere with information ecosystems, but also encroach upon the deepest level of communication – that of human relationships."

Where He went, we cannot yet follow

Dr Fr John Singarayar SVD

The morning breaks differently when divinity departs. Not with violence or fanfare, but with the gentlest withdrawal—hands raised in benediction even as they fade from view. Luke captures this paradox with startling economy: "While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven" (Luke 24:51). Here is mystery clothed in simplicity, the eternal wrapped in temporal language that barely contains its weight.

Consider the choreography of this moment. Christ does not retreat; He ascends while actively blessing. His final earthly gesture becomes His first heavenly act, creating a bridge between realms that defies our understanding of departure. These are the same hands that multiplied loaves, touched lepers, and bore nails—now lifted in perpetual blessing as they cross the threshold between seen and unseen worlds.

The cloud that receives Him carries its own theological freight. Throughout Scripture, divine presence manifests in cloud and shadow—the pillar guiding Israel, the glory filling Solomon's temple, the voice speaking from Sinai's peak. When Acts records that "a cloud hid Him from their sight" (Acts 1:9), we witness not concealment, but revelation. The cloud does not obscure; it unveils the nature of His new presence, no longer bound by flesh yet somehow more intimate than before.

What did the disciples feel in that suspended moment? Their necks craned skyward, hearts reaching after retreating glory, they stood at the hinge of history. Luke tells us they returned "with great joy" (Luke 24:52)—a response that initially puzzles until we grasp its deeper logic. This joy springs not from denial of loss but from recognition of fulfilment. The Christ who had walked among them now walks within them, His physical limitation transformed into spiritual multiplication.

Conversion, Baptism, and the Constitution: A Christian Perspective on India’s Religious Freedom Debate

Bishop Savio Fernandes

The debate surrounding religious conversion is often emotionally charged, politically contested, and legally complex. Beneath the rhetoric and accusations, however, lies a deeply human and spiritual question: when does the conversion of a person truly occur? Are conversion and Baptism synonymous? At what point does an individual genuinely become a Christian? These distinctions acquire particular significance in the context of the Freedom of Religion Acts enacted in several Indian states.

Christian tradition has long reflected deeply on this question, and its answer is both nuanced and clear. Conversion and Baptism are inseparably linked, yet they are not identical realities. One begins within the human heart; the other consummates that transformation sacramentally and publicly within the life of the Church.

When an adult from another religion encounters Jesus Christ, begins to believe in Him, repents, and freely decides to follow Him, a genuine conversion has already begun. This moment marks a profound interior turning of the heart towards God in Christ. Canon 865 §1 of the Code of Canon Law reflects this understanding by stating that an adult seeking Baptism must first express the desire to receive it, receive instruction in the faith, and begin living the Christian life. The Church therefore recognises that faith and conversion precede the Sacrament.

This distinction is crucial. If conversion already begins inwardly through faith and conscience, then Baptism cannot be reduced to a mere ritualistic formality. Christian theology insists that Baptism is far more than an external sign of an already completed experience. In Catholic, Orthodox, and many Protestant traditions, Baptism is understood as a Sacrament instituted by Christ Himself – a grace-filled act through which the believer is united with Christ, incorporated into the Church, and participates in His death and resurrection.

Canon 840 of the Code of Canon Law teaches that the Sacraments are not empty symbols, but "signs and means" through which faith is strengthened and sanctification takes place. Similarly, Canon 204 §1 states that the faithful are incorporated into Christ through Baptism, and thereby become part of the People of God. Baptism, therefore, does not merely symbolise conversion; it sacramentally completes and seals it.

PORTRAITS OF THE PRIESTHOOD

Fr Gerard De Souza: "Where He Leads, I Serve"

As he marks twenty-five years of his priestly ministry this year, Fr Gerard De Souza expresses gratitude to God for a vocation rooted in prayer, nourished by the Word of God, and expressed in humble yet courageous service. His firm conviction – "God will send you to a place where He requires you; therefore, go wherever you are sent." – has been the guiding principle of his ministry; thus describing his priesthood as a journey of trust and surrender. 

During his Ordination to the Priesthood by Cardinal Ivan Dias on March 31, 2001, Fr Gerard articulated a three-fold Vision-Mission statement that continues to define his ministry: To be at the service of the people in imitation of Christ's humble service in the washing of the feet; to exercise courageous authority when circumstances call for it by modelling himself on Christ cleansing the Temple; and to preserve the essence of his priesthood in Christ's greatest commandment of love. He summed it all up in his motto: 'Service by Exercising Authority with Love'.

Over the past 25 years, this vision has found concrete expression in his ministry across several parishes of the Archdiocese: St Joseph, Vikhroli; St Anne, Bandra; Infant Jesus, Dombivli; St Anthony, Mankhurd; Christ the King, Shivaji Nagar, Govandi; Our Lady of Lourdes, Kalyan (West); Christ the King, Oshiwara; Sacred Heart, Worli; and St Joseph, CBD Belapur – where he currently serves as the Parish Priest. Fr Gerard confidently embraced each assignment with the certitude that God appoints a priest to the place where He desires His work to be done. Therefore, he believed that transfers were never merely administrative changes, but divine placements – opportunities for grace to unfold in new ways. 

Going down memory lane, Fr Gerard shares that he was raised in a family that was deeply rooted in the faith, which provided the perfect atmosphere for his vocation to quietly take shape. His family participated in Daily Mass at their parish – St John the Baptist Church, Thane; and prayed the Family Rosary together. He began reading Sacred Scripture when he was just seven years of age, and completed it by the time he turned fifteen. Despite his parents cautioning him that a priest's life is one of difficulties, hard work, and sacrifices, Fr Gerard was determined to completely dedicate his life to Christ. Moreover, his father always advised him to give first preference to the Church and his priestly duties, reiterating that he now belonged to God more than to his family.

A Centenary Tribute to Mario Miranda - The Eternal Chronicler of Human Comedy

Hasnain Naqvi

As the sun sets over the terracotta rooftops of Loutolim and the bustling street corners of South Mumbai, there remains an indelible silhouette etched into the cultural fabric of India. May 2 marked the birth centenary of Mario de Miranda, the man who did not merely draw life; he distilled it into a whimsical, chaotic, and profoundly affectionate dance of ink and soul.

To call Mario Miranda a cartoonist is to call Mozart a piano player. He was a social historian with a nib, a master of the "crowd scene" who could find individual dignity in a swarm of people. His passing in 2011 left a void in the world of visual satire, but his centenary serves as a vibrant reminder of why his work remains the definitive aesthetic of a bygone, yet immortal, era.

The Xavierite Spirit

Long before his sketches adorned the halls of international galleries, Mario's genius was nurtured in the Gothic corridors of St Xavier's College, Mumbai. As an alumnus, his relationship with the institution was not a fleeting chapter of youth, but a lifelong romance. He remained a "Xavierite" in spirit and action, frequently returning to his alma mater for festivals like Malhar, and contributing his art to college publications.

For Mario, Mumbai was his laboratory, and St Xavier's was the crucible where his observational skills were honed. Even as he achieved global fame, he never turned down a request from his college, embodying a humility that defined his character as much as his cross-hatching.

Your FAITH decides your FATE

Roydon Cardozo 

Belshazzar's Fatal Feast (539 BC)

In 539 BC, King Belshazzar of Babylon hosted a lavish feast for 1000 of his nobles—a grand spectacle intended to display his immense wealth and unyielding power. Having fully embraced paganism and idol worship, he had long since turned his back on the one true God. On that fateful night, he escalated his defiance by ordering the sacred vessels—looted from the Temple in Jerusalem—to be brought forth and filled with wine for his guests. As they drank, they raised toasts to Babylonian deities amid an atmosphere of revelry and excess.

Then, in a moment that abruptly shattered the celebration, a disembodied human hand appeared and inscribed the enigmatic words "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin" upon the plastered wall. None of the king's wise men could interpret the message, despite their frantic efforts. In his distress, Belshazzar summoned the prophet Daniel, who solemnly declared that God had weighed the king on the scales and found him wanting. His days were numbered because of his arrogance and sacrilege, and his kingdom would be divided among the Medes and Persians. That very night, the prophecy was fulfilled; Belshazzar was slain, and Darius the Mede seized control of Babylon without resistance.

The 82nd Golden Globes: Glamour and Mockery (January 5, 2025)

Fast-forward to the modern era. On January 5, 2025, the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards took place in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, honouring outstanding achievements in film and television. Hosted by the noted comedian, Nikki Glaser, the event promised an evening of high glamour, red-carpet splendour, and a star-studded gathering of Hollywood's elite—directors, actors, producers, and influencers alike.

Yet, in a moment that startled both the live audience and millions watching worldwide, Glaser appeared onstage wearing a mock bishop's mitre perched atop her head and holding a pink, glitter-encrusted staff. She proceeded to mock core elements of the Catholic faith and the authority of the Holy See, blending satire with provocative imagery that drew laughter from the crowd.