[steve86]

Ping for India -- I'm sure you know this already.

[MILESJESU]

Dear BearWash,

In Fact, I was aware of this for some time as there have been articles in the "Examiner" a Catholic Weekly published by Father Anthony Charanghat from Mumbai,Bombay for the past 2 years but last year there were a couple of articles by Bishop Bosco D'Penha and by Bishop Agnelo Gracias who are Auxiliary Catholic Bishops in the Archdiocese of Mumbai on the pros and cons of the installation of Permanent Married Deacons in Parishes in Mumbai.


My Only Prayer is that these Permanent Deacons will do some good for the Catholic Church in Mumbai, namely stem the exodus of Catholics to Born- Again Pentecostal Churches in Mumbai which has reached Epidemic Proportions in a number of parishes in Bombay.

The Born again Pentecostal Churches that are the biggest threat to the Catholic Church in Bombay and other places is the "New Life Fellowship" supposedly based somewhere in the South-Western United States as well as the Fundamentalist "Assembly of God" that has led many catholics out of the Church in Goa, Bangalore, and in some parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu too.

Let us pray that these Deacons will not be mere Figureheads but will promote the Eucharistic Kingdom of Jesus Christ among Christ's faithful.

My Biggest Concern in Mumbai is that most Catholics do not seem to be well educated in their faith and thus are falling for every trick of these Pentecostal Churches. If this Exodus can be stemmed, then we can say that these deacons are doing something worthwhile else, I guess it would be better just to have Priests as Our Pastoral Ministers.

However, that being said not many catholic young men are coming forward in large enough numbers in Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore, etc to serve the Church. Vocations have fallen by at least 20% in Mumbai, and by a third in Goa, Bangalore, etc.

[MILESJESU]

Dear BearWash,

In Fact, I was aware of this for some time as there have been articles in the "Examiner" a Catholic Weekly published by Father Anthony Charanghat from Mumbai,Bombay for the past 2 years but last year there were a couple of articles by Bishop Bosco D'Penha and by Bishop Agnelo Gracias who are Auxiliary Catholic Bishops in the Archdiocese of Mumbai on the pros and cons of the installation of Permanent Married Deacons in Parishes in Mumbai.


My Only Prayer is that these Permanent Deacons will do some good for the Catholic Church in Mumbai, namely stem the exodus of Catholics to Born- Again Pentecostal Churches in Mumbai which has reached Epidemic Proportions in a number of parishes in Bombay.

The Born again Pentecostal Churches that are the biggest threat to the Catholic Church in Bombay and other places is the "New Life Fellowship" supposedly based somewhere in the South-Western United States as well as the Fundamentalist "Assembly of God" that has led many catholics out of the Church in Goa, Bangalore, and in some parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu too.

Let us pray that these Deacons will not be mere Figureheads but will promote the Eucharistic Kingdom of Jesus Christ among Christ's faithful.

My Biggest Concern in Mumbai is that most Catholics do not seem to be well educated in their faith and thus are falling for every trick of these Pentecostal Churches. If this Exodus can be stemmed, then we can say that these deacons are doing something worthwhile else, I guess it would be better just to have Priests as Our Pastoral Ministers.

However, that being said not many catholic young men are coming forward in large enough numbers in Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore, etc to serve the Church. Vocations have fallen by at least 20% in Mumbai, and by a third in Goa, Bangalore, etc.