Father Francis D’Britto (1943-2024): Noted Marathi writer and environmental activist

Father Francis D’Britto who died on July 25 was many things to many people. The Catholic priest from Vasai, on the edges of Mumbai, was an environment activist, an ardent champion of people’s causes and a prominent Marathi writer.

To use a Christian analogy, D’Britto had to carry two crosses. In his role as a Catholic priest writing in Marathi, he sometimes faced hostility from conservative sections of society.

This became evident when he was nominated to be chairperson of the Akhil Bharitya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in 2020. When the inaugural function was held in Pune, the organisers of the association founded in 1878 had to seek police protection as they feared the meeting would be disrupted.

D’Britto also carried another cross, fighting for people’s issues, holding rallies and morchas to highlight problems that many in the church would usually stay silent about. This put him in the line of fire from within his fold.

Growing up in Vasai

To understand D’Britto, you have to understand the milieu from which he came. Vasai taluka, 60 kms north of Mumbai, is a semi-rural area that was once ruled by the Portuguese. The area has more than a dozen churches and a large Christian population with a strong attachment to the Marathi...

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