[ebb tide]

Actually conversion is not a business of a pastor or missionary.

I guess Cardinal Alenchery thinks all the Catholic missionary martyrs deaths were in vain.

[dadfly]

and, for example, John the Baptist was doing...what?

[stanne]

Missionaries spread the good news of the Gospel. They do not work to convert people per se.

Very misunderstood.

[ansel12]

“Beauty will save the world – Gaudi’s basilica inspires conversions”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3284925/posts

[stanne]

What makes people think they don't sound silly when they criticize the educated and experienced statements of such people in the Catholic Church? "His Beatitude Mar George Cardinal Alencherry was ...had his primary schooling at St Mary's School, Thuruthy and secondary education at St Berchman’s High School, Changanacherry. He began his priestly formation in 1961 at the archdiocesan minor seminary at Parel, Changanacherry. While he pursued his studies in the minor seminary, he obtained his BA in economics with second rank from St Berchman's College...St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary, Aluva where he completed his philosophical and theological studies. ...Later he continued his higher studies at the Pontifica Institute of Theology and Philosophy from where he obtained his master’s degree in first rank. While Mar Alencherry was pursuing higher studies at Aluva he served also as vicar of the filial church at Periyarmugham in the archdiocese of Ernakulam‐Angamaly. After completion of studies at Aluva, Alencherry was appointed as assistant vicar at the Cathedral church of Changanacherry and Director of the Archdiocesan Faith Formation department. Thereafter he served three years as secretary of the Commission for Catechism of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC). After his tenure in KCBC he was sent to Paris for higher studies. There he pursued his studies at Sorbonne University and the Catholic Institute from where he obtained his doctorate in biblical theology. On returning to India in 1986, Alencherry was appointed director of the pastoral Oriental Centre (POC) at Palarivattom and deputy secretary of KCBC. He served the Church in Kerala in that capacity until 1993. Simultaneously he had served also as professor at St Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor. He continued to teach at Vadavathoor until 1997. From 1994 to 1996 he was the protosyncellus of the metropolitan of Changanacherry.

[piusv]

Well, proselytism is solemn nonsense.....duh.

Actually, I guess it is when one believes it isn’t necessary to be Catholic in order to be saved.

[RnMomof7]

"Evangelization is not converting people. Actually conversion is not a business of a pastor or missionary. Conversion happens in the mind of a person while listening to the word of God. Ghar Wapsi is too simple a reaction to a complex problem," he added.

He is right.. conversion is the work of God in a man through the word of God..

Missionaries are to bring the word of God to the world.. the rest is up to God..

The job of Pastors is to feed, encourage and protect the sheep

[vladimir998]

“I guess Cardinal Alenchery thinks all the Catholic missionary martyrs deaths were in vain.”

No, he said: “The church witnesses the charity of Christ and proclaims Christian values—truth, justice, love and harmony—to others.”

A martyr is a witness. That’s literally what the Greek word martyr means: witness.

[iowamark]

Indian Christians need to tread carefully in a Hindu-Muslim country. Think about that before you judge them from safety.

[BlatherNaut]

He must be channeling Cardinal Kasper.

Kasper: “Today we longer understand ecumenism in the sense of a return, by which the others would ‘be converted’ and return to being ‘Catholics.’ This was expressly abandoned at Vatican II.”

[piusv]

Well, perhaps the post Vatican II church “never works for conversions”.

These pre-Vatican II popes say otherwise:

http://www.catholicessentials.net/conversion.htm

[Zionist Conspirator]

I knew this already. In the Bible Belt, the only churches that don't proselytize (aside from the hyper-Calvinistic Primitive Baptists) are the Catholic and Orthodox churches.