This will be very disturbing to my wife who, as I have mentioned before, was brought up in a wonderful convent in Mumbai. Some of the older nuns are still there and as traditional as ever. The things described in the article would have been inconceivable. Everywhere I look, all countries including the U.S., I see evil in different forms, some more subtle than others, all requiring prayer. Goa is still a very Catholic-friendly place and I would like to visit someday.
Dear Friend in Christ,
I am a New Free Republic Member from India. I was born and raised in Bombay also known as Mumbai. I am an Orthodox Catholic of Portuguese Descent originally from Bardez, (North Goa) and I am in my early 30’s. I was educated at a prominent Jesuit School in Bombay or rather Mumbai and I am in touch with a number of Jesuit, Diocesan, and Salesian Priests in Mumbai. You are welcome to have a look at my profile.
By the way, Are you from Goa too? You make a mention in your message that “Goa is still a very Catholic-friendly place and I would like to visit someday”. But, if the Pentecostal Churches which are spreading rapidly in Goa are successful at what they do Goa’s Catholicity will not remain for long.
The situation is quite bad in this respect in Salcette and specially in Margao where a number of Catholic Families from all sections of society have left the Church. I personally know some close friends and distant relatives who have left.
Let me say this as frankly as possible. Goa is changing radically and rapidly. Large numbers of Goan Catholics have been leaving the Church since 1990 for a host of Pentecostal Churches namely The Jehovah Witnesses, Assembly of God, Seventh Day Adventists, and many other smaller Pentecostal Churches.
A Conservative Estimate puts the number of Catholics who have left the Church in Goa at 25,000 but recent figures reveal that as many as 50,000 could have left. Panjim, the capital of Goa is the headquarters of a number of Pentecostal Churches since the late 1980’s. In Mumbai(Bombay), the situation is much, much, worse. I know for a fact that 1,00,000 Catholics have left the Church and the figure is as high as 1,50,000. There are 600,000 Catholics in Mumbai.
The reasons why they have left are manifold. But, two of the main reasons are financial and more importantly a total lack of pastoral reach by our very own catholic priests who feel that appeasement of pagan religions like Hinduism and Islam will get the church richer dividends in the long run though it is ruining the church as I write to you.
Catholic Priests in India I have found are extremely short sighted and are quite indifferent to the faith life of Catholics and Catholic Families – this is specially true in Mumbai and Goa. They are not concerned at all about the exodus from the Catholic Church in Bombay, Goa, Bangalore, Calcutta, and many other places.
In the Archdiocese of Bangalore it is estimated that at least 20,000 Catholics have left the Church in the last 10-15 years but the figure could be higher.
I am the person who sent this article as an email to the webmaster of Catholic Church Conservation also known as http://cathcon.blogspot.com on the 31st of October which he posted on his web page on the 1st of November.
His name is Chris Gillibrand. The Objective of his Web –Site is to highlight Liturgical Abuse which it seems is rampant in the Catholic Church in a number of countries in Europe. If you visit his web- page you will know what I am talking about.
The purpose of my Article was threefold. One, to create awareness among fellow Orthodox Catholics in the West specially in North America and Europe about the deteriorating situation in the Catholic Church in India which has been getting from bad to worse for the last 15-20 years specially in reference to “Paganism” which I prefer to describe as “Evil Inculturation” which has been increasing in leaps and bounds in a number of Dioceses and Archdioceses in India led by a number of Heretic and Pagan Jesuits Jesuits and other priests most notably Salesians as well as Redemptorists in recent years.
Secondly, to highlight how Jesuit Priests and Bishops who style themselves as “International Sanskrit and Islamic Scholars” have been celebrating Sacrilegious Masses in various parts of India. Most notable among them are the present Jesuit Archbishop of Patna (Archbishop Benedict Osta S.J.) who since 1990 has been getting Muslims reciting verses from the Koran in various Masses he has unfortunately been celebrating .
He gets young muslim boys from Madrassas (Islamic Schools) in and around Patna to do this or he gets Islamic Clerics themselves to perform these Idolatrous Rites in the Mass.
Lastly, Over the last few years, he has started something new the incorporation of pagan hindu rituals in the holy sacrifice of the mass ie the recitation of “OM” in the Liturgy, the ritual of Aarti, the recitation of verses from the Vedas, Upanishads, BhagvadGita etc in place of the first or second reading in Mass which is usually traditionally taken from the Old and New Testament.
His brothers in arms have been a number of Pagan and Heretic Jesuits from Pune who teach at the Papal Seminary there as well as at DeNobili Seminary where this Paganism has been rampant and widespread for the last 2 decades. Priests like Father Francis D’sa, Father Noel Sheth S.J. etc have been evil pioneers in this regard.
My Friend “Voice of India” seems to think that the Jesuits are still what they were 40-50 years ago ie traditional and in sync with Church teaching; they certainly are not. I can vouch for that as I was educated at a Jesuit School having mentioned that above and I am a member of a Jesuit Parish in Bombay at present.
The Jesuits specially the younger ones are extremely liberal and modernist in Mumbai. It is only the Spanish Jesuits and some Indian Jesuits who are in their 70’s or 80’s who can be said to be “Traditional” or “Conservative”.
There is a Bishop from Mumbai – Bishop Thomas Dabre who is the greatest promoter of this paganism in the liturgy and has a keen desire to implement this as soon as possible in the Parishes of Mumbai.
Recently , at a parish in the distant suburb of Mumbai he had vermillion applied to himself as well as to some members of the congregation and to concelebrants at this Mass. This information I have received from the Examiner which proudly publicized it in one of their recent issues.
There are even some nuns who over the last few years have started reciting verses from the Koran, Bhagvadgita, Vedas, Upanishads, and still believe they are catholic and spreading the Message of Christ and his Church.
Recently, I had the unfortunate experience of attending an “Anticipated Mass” at a Jesuit Parish in Bombay where Father Charles Vas S.V.D. performed a Pagan Litrurgical Dance in front of the altar in a semi- naked state aka “Bharat Natyam Style” on the Second Saturday in August 2005.
He has been actively encouraged in this gross paganism by an infamous fellow Divine Word Priest Dr. Francis Barboza S.V.D. who is now resident in the United States and dances in a semi- naked state before the altar in a number of catholic churches in the states of New York and New Jersey where he currently is based and promotes this evil nonsense.
He has a web site to boot namely www.drbarboza.com – For crying out loud will some one tell me whether he is a male, a female, or what ? You will be definitely shocked to see what he does as I was when I accessed that web site.
I just cannot understand this. Why doesn’t some Orthodox Catholic Bishop, Archbishop, or the Pope do something about this. They could easily excommunicate these heretic priests after pulling them up if they still do not mend their ways.
Finally, I lived in the United States for 5 years specifically in Philadelphia and Atlanta till I returned recently to India in 2002 and I hope to come back soon to the United States. You can tell your wife that Liberalism and Modernism of all kinds are flooding all religious orders(Male and Female) in Bombay and other places too.
I am aware of the Sex Abuse Scandals in the Priesthood in various parts of the United States, but unlike the United States where this issue is being tackled right now – Paganism, Heresy, and Evil Inculturation in the Catholic Church in India is being given two thumbs up by almost every Bishop and Archbishop in most parts of the country as well as by a number of Religious Orders.
You and your wife may not be aware of this, but in Bangalore there is a Church called the “N.B.C.L.C. Church” which has images of Brahma, Shiva, Etc and which was financed by the C.B.C.I. but is now independent – it has been the source of great controversy since the early 1980’s.
I must say this as I end this long message “All Praise, Honor, and Glory be to Jesus Christ in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and to no one else” Not to the Prophet Mohammed, nor to Ram, Sita, Laxman, Brahma, Shiva, or to any of the pantheon of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses that exist.
My Friend “Voice of India” may not be aware of this. But, Cardinal Simon Lourduswamy and his infamous brother priest Father Amaloporvadass S.J. have been at the forefront of the paganization of the Catholic Church in South India. I know for a fact, having received credible information from a number of well- respected Priests and Religious in Mumbai and Goa who are Conservative that in a number of Churches in some Dioceses in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka particularly in Mysore and Bangalore as well as in Madras now known as Chennai – Pagan Rituals in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass have been practiced for a number of years.
It is very sad and unfortunate that I have to say this. But, in the Archdiocese of Mumbai Cardinal Ivan Dias and his Predecessor Cardinal Simon Pimenta for a number of years have turned a blind eye to the activities of these heretic priests. Cardinal Ivan Dias although traditional is sitting on the fence with regard to this issue. Maybe he feels that if he takes any action the priests in question will leave the Church enmasse causing a vocation crisis.They have also not done anything at all with regard to the continuous exodus from the Catholic Church in Mumbai to a number of Pentecostal Sects.
In Mumbai(Bombay) Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life have sharply dropped both among men and women with the Jesuits suffering the worst drop in 2 decades. If anyone on this thread, would like to have any more information on this issue I am willing to provide it as soon as possible.
I have a number of excellent articles of recent date with me from the Statesman which is published from Calcutta now known as Kolkata and from the Mumbai Mirror a new addition to the Tines of India. Just let me know in your response to this post.
In Jesus and Mary,