Fr Baptist Menezes to Unveil Late Bishop Basil's 'The Unknown’ Side on Sep 5
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Sep 1: ‘The Late Bishop Basil Salvadore D’Souza, The Unknown’, authored and published
by Rev Fr Baptist Menezes, Episcopal Vicar, Udupi district of Mangalore diocese, is all set to be released
on the 14th death anniversary of the late Bishop on September 5, 2010. The author says that it is
his long association with the late Bishop, first as a priest of the diocese and then during their trip to
Europe together to attend the “year of the Priests” that gave him ample opportunity to know the Bishop
personally. And this book is the result of his knowing him from close quarters, and to bring to the
fore the “unknown side” of this great religious personality as seen by him, unlike the tough image he
presented to the public.
Fr Menezes says, “Almost everybody has a notion that he was heartless, ruthless, business-minded,
workaholic and money-minded, but a very able administrator. This is the only side practically everyone
has about the late Bishop. But he was not so. There is another side of this great personality which is
the “Unknown Side” and I have delved to bring to the public domain this lesser known side of the late
Bishop, surprisingly after a long gap of 14 years since his death”.
Bishop D' Souza - The Known
Late Bishop Basil D’Souza was born on May 23, 1926, at Bondel in the parish of St Lawrence and was
baptized at Omzoor church. He was christened Basil Salvadore by his parents Diog D’Souza and Mary
Pereira. Basil was the eldest among the seven children born to his parents. He was born at a time when
life was quite hard, poverty was rampant and money was absolutely in short supply. The family was
dependent on the only source of income derived from the cultivation of beetle leaves. His family was
hardworking and god-fearing too. That was the time when life of Christian families was as strong as a
rock and he belonged to such a family.
He was appointed as the Bishop of Mangalore diocese on 22nd March, 1965 when he was serving as the
Manager of the Catholic Board of Education and at the well-known Kodialbail Press. It was Fr James
Knox, Nuncio in India, who ordained him as the Bishop on May 11, 1965. Then onwards he administered
the diocese of Mangalore with an iron hand till he passed away in 1996, thus becoming the longest
serving Bishop of Mangalore diocese.
He was one of the privileged few who participated in the final sessions of the Second Vatican Council.
He prudently and conscientiously implemented the renewal then proclaimed by this council, thereby
becoming the first Bishop in India to translate into action the mind and spirit of the Universal Church as
envisaged in the Documents of Vatican Council II. While the older generation of clergy was reluctant
to accept these changes the younger generation was over enthusiastic rather than realistic to accept
them, which made way for novelty and spontaneity in liturgy. It was a herculean task to strike a
balance but the late Bishop managed it in his own strength as his words carried weight and his stature
and personality added respect and a bit of fear too. And since then, as the cliché goes, there has been
no looking back.
The Mangalore diocese under his able stewardship marched forward with renewed vigor and with
a sense of purpose. A major step forward was taken by introducing vernacular services in the
diocesan churches. The bible and other necessary liturgical books were translated into Konkani.
It was under his guidance and leadership up-to-date arrangements were made to welcome the Supreme
Pastor of the Universal Church, the late Pope John Paul II, during his historical visit to Mangalore. The
podium erected to receive the late pope stands even today as a visible sign of his gift to the Diocese of
Mangalore. His greatest contribution was the adoption of Bidar as a missionary territory, which went
on to become a part of Gulbarga diocese.
His end came suddenly and unexpectedly on September 5, 1996. He had five more years for retirement
and considering his robust health even after crossing the age of 75, it was expected that the Vatican
would allow him to continue for another couple of years. He was interred at the Rosario Cathedral on
September9, 1996.
The Unknown Side of Bishop in the Eyes of Fr Menezes
Fr Menezes goes on to recollect the first time when he saw a Bishop in his life and presents ‘‘Unknown’’
side of the late Bishop Basil. The book gives a vivid account of his personal interactions with him or the
so called encounters, both pleasant and unpleasant ones. This book has brought to light the other side
of the late Bishop, which otherwise would have escaped the attention of the public making people
believe he was authoritarian and too demanding.
He says, “The ‘Unknown’ side of the late Bishop Basil is my personal experience and there would
certainly be many others who also might have come across, seen and felt the other side of him as well.
But I have dared to write before others because other than my own personal experience, I also have
gone through his letters to the benefactors in Malta, which, to a large extent have enriched me with a
lot of information as to his spirituality and simplicity of life, mission oriented attitude and disposition
and above all his detachment from looking for material wealth though he had opportunities galore to do
so”.
Fr Menezes also says that only he had the privilege of listening to him and to several hitherto unheard
narratives of his, which has helped shape the contents of the book “Unknown” during the long walk they
had in the village of Weingarts in Germany and Missionhaus in Bamberg. “That sharing without even
an iota of exaggeration prompted and motivated me to come out with this cumbersome but worthy
mission of making known his other unknown side”.
“Even the individuals concerned whom Bishop Basil had in mind when he spoke to me, after reading
the book think what I have written is correct. If this book helps in the changing the wrong impression
people had about him which might have resulted in causing misunderstanding and pain, who knows
salvation might come in the form of the “Unknown”, opines Fr Menezes.
About the Author
Fr Baptist Menezes, the Episcopal Vicar of Udupi district, was born on July 28, 1948 at Pernal and
completed his primary and high school studies at St Mary's, Shirva. He joined St Joseph's interdiocesan
seminary for priestly studies for the diocese of Mangalore in 1965 and was ordained priest on Oct 25,
1974 by the late Bishop Basil himself. After three years of priestly ministry in the diocese of Mangalore,
he was appointed to be on the staff of St Peter's Pontifical Seminary at Bangalore in 1977 and was sent
to Rome for higher studies in moral theology.
Having completed successfully his doctoral studies, he joined the teaching staff of the said seminary in
1982 and rendered his teaching ministry there up to 1994 in moral theology at the B Th level and canon
law in the department of canon law for M CL degree. In 1995 he was appointed administrator of the
St Joseph's Interdiocesan Seminary and continued his teaching ministry there in moral theology till he
was appointed director of Fr Muller Charitable Institutions, Kankanady on February 22 1997, where
he served till he was appointed Episcopal Vicar of Udupi district in the diocese of Mangalore on July 6,
2007.