By Thomas Scaria

Mangalore: Cardinal Oswald Gracias, head of the Catholic Church in India, on September 13 joined political and social leaders to mourn the death of Oscar Fernandes, a former federal minister.

Fernandes, a member of the Congress party, died earlier in the day at Mangaluru, a port town in Karnataka state. He was hospitalized after he suffered an injury in July. He was 80.

Fernandes was being treated the ICU at Yenepoya Hospital in Mangaluru after the fall during his regular morning yoga sessions.

He is survived by his wife Blossom Fernandes, son, and a daughter.

Fernandes “was a staunch Catholic and always upheld Gospel values in public,” said Cardinal Gracias in his condolence message.

The prelate recalled his interactions with Fernandes where the Catholic politician put “the interests of the people as a priority. He was genuinely selfless. The Congress party has lost a pillar. The country has lost a true patriot who gave his all for the nation.”

Cardinal Gracias also hailed Fernandes as a “family man and he has left a great void for them and all his friends.”

Church people in Mangaluru say they have lost a “Catholic role model” in the death of Fernandes.

“More than a good politician, he was like a good Christian role model who never compromised his Christian values even at worst scenarios,” Father Faustine Lobo, the former director of the Pontifical Mission Societies for India, told Matters India.

According to the Mangalore diocesan priest, Fernandes was “a very honest politician, approachable, well respected, always available and never arrogant.”

Father Lobo recalled that Fernandes was liked not only by the Congress people, “but even his rivals in politics admired his simplicity and non-controversial approaches.”

John Dayal, a senior Catholic journalist and human rights activist, recalled his association with Fernandes from the time he became a Member of Parliament and relocated to New Delhi. “The Catholic Church loses an important interlocutor,” said Dayal, adding that Fernandes was a “friend to even his critics.”

Dolphy D’Souza, a Catholic lay leader and politician, told Matters India that he was inspired by Fernandes’ humility and simplicity. “I have never seen him arrogant and angry, but always kept a serine smile as his trade mark,” said D’Souza who had worked with Fernandes as a member of the Labor Welfare Board.

Sister Jessy Kurian, an advocate at the Supreme Court of India, also found Fernandes a “very friendly and ever ready to help.”

“What touched me is whenever I visited his office in Delhi, I saw some children around him, so shabby and smelling, poor children, from the nearby locality. They called him uncle. He used to touch every child, and then they were provided with something to eat. His gesture inspired me. Oscarji, a great and inspiring son of India,” Sister Kurian told Matters India.

A C Michael, a former member of the Delhi Minority Commission, says he can only remember Fernandes’ smiling face. “A simple, ordinary, never tiring attitude is his trademark,” said AC Michael, a former member of the

According to him, Fernandes met visitors until 2 am when he was the federal minister. “Not only that, he will not hesitate to call up his friendly chief ministers to get his visitors’ work done at any time and his friends never failed him,” he added.

Fernandes was a founding president of the Catholic Sabha, a lay movement which was initiated in 1987 to promote social and political leadership from Christian community. Catholic Sabha has been involved in the Mangalore and Udupi dioceses ever since.

Fernandes was born to Rockey Fernandes and Leonis Fernandes on March 27, 1941, and started his political career as councilor of Udupi Municipal Council in 1972.

A five times Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Udupi Constituency in the coastal Karnataka, Fernandes shot to national fame with his election to the 7th Lok Sabha in 1980.

He served as the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee and the federal minister for Transport, Labour and Employment in the Congress led coalition governments.

Fernandes was a multi-faceted person. He was often seen with his mouth organ at public functions and was passionate about sports such as kabaddi, volley ball, and swimming. Whenever time permitted, he used to also sing in the church choir