“INCULTURATION”       “ACCOMODATION”       “CAPITULATION”

CARDINAL WILLIAM LEVADA, PREFECT OF THE HOLY SEE’S CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH

WEARS A HINDU MARK IN THE CENTER OF HIS FOREHEAD

THIS MARK, CALLED “TILAK” IS OF RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE TO HINDUS.

IT IS NEVER APPLIED BY MUSLIMS OR CHRISTIANS [ESPECIALLY PROTESTANTS].

MANY CATHOLIC WOMEN HOWEVER COMMONLY FLAUNT A STYLISED “BINDI”.

NOW THERE IS AN ALARMING TREND OF THE MARK’S INCREASING USE BY NUNS

AND BY CATHOLIC MEN – NOT AMONG THE LAITY,

BUT AMONG PRIESTS, BISHOPS, CARDINALS, EVEN THE APOSTOLIC NUNCIO AND THE ROMAN CURIA

The February 5, 2011 cover of the Bombay archdiocesan weekly The Examiner has pictures of Cardinal Levada lighting the controversial oil lamp, the kuthuvilakku or nilavilakku which is use only by Hindus and never by Muslims, so it cannot be claimed to be ‘Indian’, and receiving the Hindu mark on his forehead, in Mumbai, while Cardinal Oswald Gracias, President of the
CBCI and the CCBI, Secretary General of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences and member, Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts, recently appointed by Pope Francis along with 7 other Cardinals to advise him on Church governance and the reform of the Roman Curia, who organised the ceremony, looks on.

I have scoured the internet and my research library seeking information, any information which says that the bindi or tilak is a purely Indian cultural phenomenon. While I didn’t find a shred of evidence that says that, I found tons of evidence to the contrary. My findings are compiled in a separate article titled, “BINDI OR TILAK MARK ON THE FOREHEAD-INDIAN OR HINDU?”

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/BINDI_OR_TILAK_MARK_ON_THE_FOREHEAD-INDIAN_OR_HINDU.doc

APRIL 2013

Categories: Hinduisation of the Catholic Church in India