Catholic Mother by Eunice de Souza(commentary)
This poem is a satirical take on the two institutions namely the church and family.It is based around a father named Francis X D'Souza who is entitled as "father of the year".Irony lies in the fact that the title is "Catholic Mother" but the role of the catholic mother is negligible in the poem.This poem shows how the role of women is taken for granted and overshadowed by the male dominated society.The person addressed as the father of the year is actually given this title because he has fathered seven children in seven years,and such a count is recognized by that society as a sign of prowess.Whereas the mother's effort is unrecognized by the society.what appears glorious and the cause of celebration is ironically a form of criticism of governmental family planning policies.This father in the name of religion opposes the family planning policy implied in India,he believed "India will suffer for her wicked ways".Two other members of the church-Par