KUALA LUMPUR – The newly appointed editor of The Herald, Malaysia’s Catholic weekly says she has big shoes to fill, taking over the helm from pioneering editor Father Lawrence Andrew S.J.
Patricia Pereira, 56, was appointed to the position by the three prelates of the Peninsular Malaysia Church, Kuala Lumpur Archbishop Most Rev Julian Liow, Bishop of Penang Diocese, Rt Rev Sebastian Francis, and Rt Rev Bernard Paul, Bishop of Melaka-Johor Diocese – joint publishers of the weekly.
Speaking to The Vibes, Pereira who commenced her new role on Thursday said: “I am excited and at the same time overwhelmed by trepidation. Excited, because of this great opportunity that has been given to me as a layperson to assume this responsibility. Trepidation because I certainly have big shoes to fill.”
She added: “Our Holy Father Pope Francis has called for greater roles for women in Church leadership and my appointment is proof that the Malaysian Church has always been open in having women play prominent roles and hold esteem positions whenever the opportunity arises.
“This is a realisation and acceptance that laypeople especially women are capable of making a great contribution to the Church in more ways than one.”
Pereira says she is aware of the mantle of editorship and is mindful of the great confidence and responsibility entrusted to her not only to maintain the current high standards set by Fr Lawrence Andrew – but to continue to sustain the weekly’s readership and steer it through this time of pandemic and uncertainty, with the print version and circulation already affected greatly.
Changes
Pereira said there will be changes to the newspaper but they will be made gradually.
“I feel that it is important to listen to the voice of our readers, to know and understand their preferences and needs. In 2020, our Catholic Research Centre headed by Rev Fr Dr Clarence Devadass conducted a Catholic Media Survey and some of the changes that I intend to bring about will be based on these findings as well,” she said.
Pereira said she anticipates huge challenges in the dynamic era of social media, and is committed to improving the quality of the publication, increase the “impact factor” and keep the paper relevant to the Catholic community.
“I see our publication, Herald Malaysia, as a great tool of evangelisation for catechesis, formation, enrichment of the Catholic faith and others.
“My wish is that the paper will not be cast aside after one has read it (like a daily) but will continue to serve as a reference and resource tool long after its publication date is over.
“This is our investment towards the Catholic community with an expectation that our ROI (Returns on Investment) will not be in dollars and cents but will be in terms of growth in faith, spirituality, and an increased understanding and love for the Catholic faith and the Church.”
“At the same time together with my dynamic team, we will be looking into innovative ways to continue creating engagement via our online platforms.
“Ideally, once we are able to print our newspaper once again and especially for the benefit of the elderly and for those who prefer a newsprint, I would like to create a symbiotic relationship between our print version and our online version, by supplementing each other to create a combination that is greater than the sum of the individual components,” she added.
Pereira has more than 25 years experience in the field of communications, having worked as a writer in public relations consultancies and corporate sectors over the years.
During this time, she amassed much exposure and was versatile in writing for different audiences and industry-types.
She is no stranger to Herald Malaysia, having worked there as a sub-editor cum-journalist for 10 years (1996 to 2006) before leaving to join the corporate world.
She returned to work for the Church when she was appointed as the Communications and Media Relations Officer for the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur in 2017.
Embroiled in ‘Allah’ controversy
The Herald was embroiled in a long-drawn controversy with the Malaysian Home Ministry and came close to losing its publishing license for using the term 'Allah' as a translation for 'God' in its Malay section.
The newspaper was ordered to refrain using the term 'Allah' in its publication, but then Kuala Lumpur Archbishop Most Rev Murphy Pakiam in 2009 filed a judicial review application at the Kuala Lumpur High Court to declare the Home Ministry’s ban of its use of the term 'Allah' as illegal, sparking a major national controversy which attracted the international community and media.
A long-drawn court battle prevailed between Church and state lasting six years, when in 2015 Malaysia’s Federal Court dealt the final blow to the weekly when it dismissed the final appeal by the Catholic Church for the right of non-Muslims to use the term ‘Allah'.
Outside the Federal Court, a disappointed Fr Lawrence Andrew told reporters, “... the door is finally closed” in the weekly’s fight to use the term 'Allah'.
He had said: “Definitely we are disappointed. Our counsel fought very well on procedural unfairness but the judge ruled it is not a case,” adding that, “Malaysians would have to work towards living in harmony and at the same time hope that the rights of minorities would not be trampled on.”
The ruling came at a time of rising tensions and targeted attacks against the country’s Christian minorities. The attacks included fire-bomb assaults on some local parishes and desecrations of churches and the seizure of some 300 Bibles in January 2014. – The Vibes, July 4, 2021
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