MAY 3, 2013
The Labyrinth in the Archdiocese of Bombay
The New Age labyrinth has overrun parish churches, religious houses and retreat centres in the West. Now it has reared its head in India, not surprisingly in the Archdiocese of Bombay which has become — with the official approval of the Cardinal Archbishop Oswald Gracias through the medium of the archdiocesan weekly, The Examiner — the launching pad for various alternative therapies, New Age organizations, New Age meditations and psycho-spiritual techniques, for example, acupuncture, Centering prayer, Earth-Centred Retreats, the enneagram, homoeopathy, Kripa Foundation, magnet therapy,
Myers-Briggs Temperament Indicator [MBTI], Neuro Linguistic Programming, vipassana, the World Community for Christian Meditation [WCCM], yoga, Interplay, etc.
My research, as documented in dozens of articles and reports at my web site, conclusively proves that the archdiocese of Bombay is the leading promoter of New Age in the Catholic Church in India.
The archdiocese of Bombay is also the operational base of the two leading lay feminist ‘theologians’, Virginia Saldanha and Astrid Lobo Gajiwala, both of who are longtime senior executives in archdiocesan bodies, and who promote
the ordination of women as priests.
The labyrinth — like the Enneagram — is largely a “Catholic” New Age phenomenon but it has already been adopted and adapted by Protestant churches in the West, mostly those that are already tainted by New Age.
For a compilation of information along with Catholic and other critiques of the labyrinth, see
THE LABYRINTH
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/THE_LABYRINTH.doc
1.
The labyrinth‘s association with a New Age activity called
Interplay* promoted by Fr. Prashant Olalekar SJ of the Pasayadan Holistic Spirituality Centre, Vasai, and the archdiocesan weekly of Bombay, The Examiner, in an article in India’s leading New Age magazine, Life Positive:
*See the detailed Interplay report FR PRASHANT OLALEKAR-INTERPLAY AND LIFE POSITIVE
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_PRASHANT_OLALEKAR-INTERPLAY_AND_LIFE_POSITIVE.doc
Write Therapy – Unheard voices, untold stories
http://www.lifepositive.com/Mind/Write_Therapy/Unheard_voices_untold_stories82009.asp
By Nandini Murali, August 2009 EXTRACT
A writer’s workshop that knitted together yoga, meditation, and interplay had a transformative impact on the participants.
A report
“I invite you all to tell your tale that you’ve been longing to tell… a longing deeper than words… to discover your personal story is part of Her story… an integral part of the Cosmic story… We’re part of the new story…” intoned Sr Margaret Gonsalves, feminist theologian, and founder of ANNNI (Alliance of Nari Nar Nisarg Ishwar) Woman Man-Nature God, a spiritual movement to foster the feminine, and transform systems that have traditionally suppressed it.
Invocation of the Divine before the start of a day
The unusual welcome was followed by an invocation to Sophia, Goddess of Wisdom*. A fitting beginning to the Women Writers’ workshop organised by ANNNI from May 4 7, 2009, at Pasayadaan Holistic Spirituality Centre, Vasai, 70 km from Mumbai. I was among the workshop participants. Interestingly, the workshop was inclusive in its approach to gender and was also open to men who were in touch with the feminine in themselves. Fr Prashant Olalekar, PhD; Director, Pasayadan Holistic Spirituality Centre, and Sharukh Vazifdar**, mechanical engineer by training and presently a correspondent at Life
Positive participated. The thematic workshop on “Telling and writing our stories” was facilitated by Katherine Keefer, US based artist, sculptor, and writer. The workshop, with a focus on autobiographical writing, provided a safe space for women writers to recall, process, and record their personal life
experiences as a tool for personal and spiritual growth.[…]
We began each day with morning yoga, and movement
meditation ***led by Maggie Gonsalves and Prashant Olalekar. The yoga, which included ‘yoga facial’, was a great way to start the day. The stimulation of the pressure points on the face and neck rejuvenated us
and set the ideas flowing (as we were to discover later!) The Movement
Meditation that consisted of the sublime ‘Touching the Earth’ meditation and the Labyrinth Walk****, a sacred inward journey, enabled me to get inside myself, and access my inner recesses. As I walked step by step across the labyrinth****, purposefully and mindfully, the concerns I chose to focus on seemed to evaporate and dissipate during the return journey.
Spiritual essence
The writing sessions were interspersed with Interplay, a body based improvisational arts practice that weaves together movement, song, and storytelling. These activities infused the process of writing with a spiritual essence. Indeed it was no mere coincidence that all the writers were also deeply engaged as seekers in a spiritual quest. It also enabled me to experience the reality that writing is not just a mental process but rooted in bodily experience and wisdom; an integration of the human trinity of body, mind, and spirit.
Participants also explored “seed” ideas to generate potential themes for stories. These encapsulated core issues. Some of the “seeds” that germinated during the workshop centred on themes as varied as forgiveness, spirituality, nature, food, death, fear, patriarchy, feminism, illness, infertility, and voices. We then chose one ‘seed’ to sow, water, and nurture with our creativity and imagination. [For the explanations denoted by the “stars”, please see the Interplay report]
The detailed Interplay [which is indisputably New Age] report was first published in DECEMBER 2010, updated in NOVEMBER 2011, again in MAY 2012 and in MAY 2013.
Two years prior to the release of the Interplay report, I had written this letter:
2.
TO
MOST REV. THOMAS DABRE, BISHOP OF VASAI, WHO WAS ALSO
CHAIRMAN OF THE DOCTRINAL COMMISSION OF THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF INDIA:
From:
prabhu
To:
vasaidiocese@gmail.com
Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 2:03 PM
Subject: NEW AGE PROGRAMMES BY FATHER PRASHANT OLALEKAR SJ. IN VASAI
Dear Bishop Thomas,
I received two letters which I reproduce below. This priest is conducting spirituality and meditation courses at the Pasayadaan Holistic Spirituality Centre* in your diocese of Vasai**.
It seems like Fr. Olalekar’s mentor initiated him into this program through contact with the dead, the “spirit” of a dead woman. This is necromancy and spiritualism if I understand correctly, and so what good can the course offer anyone, especially Catholics? *See pages 6, 10 and 18 of my Interplay report **Dabre is now Bishop of Poona
Also, I do not know if it is an advertising or Google issue, but whatever link I clicked on in the many of this article prepared by this Marita, I was connected to hard occult and New Age stuff like Quantum Touch, Silva Mind Control, Chakra Energy Healing, etc.
May I request you to please immediately investigate this priest and his centre and stop him before he causes grave and irreparable spiritual damage to your flock? Kindly acknowledge receipt.
In Jesus’ Name, Michael Prabhu
Bishop Thomas Dabre did not respond to my letter, but here is a letter written by the Bishop to Fr. Prashant Olalekar SJ just a month later. The InterPlay priest is on the Bishop’s mailing list!!!!!
From:
Bishop Thomas Dabre
To:
polalekar@yahoo.co.in; Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 1:53 PM
Subject: Christmas Greetings
This is to wish you a happy Christmas and a fruitful New Year. Jesus is God’s greatest gift to all mankind. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life for all of us. In him God became a human being like us and for us. He teaches us to love human life and protect it. But the persecution of Christians in Orissa and other places in India and recent Mumbai terrorist attacks show that human beings are destroying human life. Therefore we need to be all the more promoters of life.
I wish you all the joy and peace and light and truth of Christ. May you enjoy every day of the New Year 2009.
In union with Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother, Mary.
Bishop Thomas Dabre, Bishop of Vasai
MY SEPTEMBER 2011 LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF BOMBAY, VASAI AND POONA, COPIED TO INTERPLAY PROMOTERS AND THEIR ASSOCIATES
From:
prabhu
To:
Archbishop’s House ; abpossie@gmail.com ; abpossie@sancharnet.in ; diocesebombay@gmail.com ; Ferdinand Fonseca ; Percival Fernandez ; agnelorg@gmail.com ; bp_bosco@vsnl.net ; vasaidiocese@gmail.com ; bishopdabre@gmail.com ; punedioc@vsnl.com
Cc:
prash7654@gmail.com ; polalekar@yahoo.co.in ; prash7654@yahoo.co.in ; jaime.ligia@yahoo.co.in ; jaime.ligia@gmail.com ; jai_lig@yahoo.co.in ; interplayindia@gmail.com ; mgonsal@gmail.com ; jvsadan@gmail.com ; janetpinto@vsnl.com ; marita4@rediffmail.com ; zealheal@gmail.com ; Fr Cedric ; cedricprakash@gmail.com ; bcsabha.kalina@gmail.com ; president@bcsabha.org ; contactgordon@gmail.com ; contact@bcsabha.org ; atma@mtnl.net.in
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 10:10 AM
Subject: “INTERPLAY” – FR. PRASHANT OLALEKAR, JAIME AND LIGIA DA FONSECA
Dear Most Reverend Archbishop and Bishops of the Bombay archdiocese,
I understand that “Interplay” — introduced in your archdiocese by Jesuit Fr. Prashant Olalekar — is to be conducted at the parish of the Sacred Heart Church in Santa Cruz by the Marriage Encounter* couple Deacon Jaime and his wife Ligia da Fonseca as per the church “notices” of last Sunday:
25th Sunday of the Year
18th September 2011
5. The Parish Council members, Steering Committee and the Heads of the Associations are reminded of the “Interplay” session (a holistic spiritual practice to unlock your Body Wisdom on 25th September from 5:30 to 8:30 pm in the School Hall. Deacon Jaime and Ligia will be conducting this session.
“Interplay” sessions are conducted already on a regular basis at the Retreat House [Jivan Vikas Sadan], Bandra.
Please click on the link given below to access the December 2010 document written by me on the New Age affiliations of Interplay.
FR PRASHANT OLALEKAR-INTERPLAY AND LIFE POSITIVE
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_PRASHANT_OLALEKAR-INTERPLAY_AND_LIFE_POSITIVE.doc. [42 pages]
That report is to be updated to include information showing “Interplay”s association with the Enneagram [which is both New Age and occult] and with Dharma Bharathi [Mulanthuruthy], a New Age ashram headed by an ex-nun in Kerala.
I also understand that some lay Catholics have already approached particular priests and bishops with appeals to stop “Interplay”, but to no avail.
Now, after you read my report, I trust that you will do the needful to intervene and stop “Interplay” from being promoted by Catholics in Catholic institutions.
Obediently, Michael Prabhu Catholic apologist http://www.ephesians-511.net
Under copy to the Retreat House, Fr Prashant Olalekar, the Fonsecas, and others associated with Interplay.
3.
*From:
prabhu
To:
abpossie@gmail.com ; abpossie@sancharnet.in ; diocesebombay@gmail.com ; agnelorg@gmail.com ; bp_bosco@vsnl.net ; vasaidiocese@gmail.com ; bishopdabre@gmail.com ; punedioc@vsnl.com ; Percival Fernandez ; Archbishop’s House
Cc:
prash7654@gmail.com ; polalekar@yahoo.co.in ; prash7654@yahoo.co.in ; jaime.ligia@yahoo.co.in ; jaime.ligia@gmail.com ; jai_lig@yahoo.co.in ; interplayindia@gmail.com ; mgonsal@gmail.com ; jvsadan@gmail.com ; janetpinto@vsnl.com ; marita4@rediffmail.com ; zealheal@gmail.com ; cedricprakash@gmail.com ; bcsabha.kalina@gmail.com ; president@bcsabha.org ; contactgordon@gmail.com ; contact@bcsabha.org ; atma@mtnl.net.in ; Fr Cedric
Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2011 12:39 PM
Subject:
Fw: “INTERPLAY” – FR. PRASHANT OLALEKAR, JAIME AND LIGIA DA FONSECA//APOLOGY AND CORRECTION OF ERROR
I apologize to all addressees of my email of September 23 for stating that Jaime and Ligia da Fonseca are a Marriage Encounter [ME] team couple. That was an error on my part.
While they did do their ME weekend in Goa, I am informed that they were [or still are], however, active in Couples for Christ.
Michael Prabhu
NO RESPONSE WAS RECEIVED FROM THE CHURCH HIERARCHY TO BOTH ABOVE LETTERS. HOWEVER, THERE WERE AUTOMATED RESPONSES FROM THE EMAIL ID OF FR. OLALEKAR
From: “Prashant Olalekar” <prash7654@gmail.com> To: <michaelprabhu@vsnl.net>
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 10:20 AM
Subject: Re: “INTERPLAY” – FR. PRASHANT OLALEKAR, JAIME AND LIGIA DA FONSECA
Please note my new email ID is <olalekar@gmail.com> Please delete this old ID. Thanks.
Blessings of Peace, Prashant
From: “Prashant Olalekar” <prash7654@gmail.com> To: <michaelprabhu@vsnl.net>
Sent: Wednesday September 28, 2011 1:08 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Re: “INTERPLAY” – FR. PRASHANT OLALEKAR, JAIME AND LIGIA DA FONSECA
[As above]
MY MAY 2012 LETTER REGARDING INTERPLAY TO THE CARDINAL AND A BISHOP OF BOMBAY
From:
prabhu
To:
diocesebombay@gmail.com ; Archbishop’s House ; abpossie@gmail.com
Cc:
St.Pius College ; agnelorg@gmail.com
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2012 7:07 AM
Subject: FR. PRASHANT OLALEKAR USES “INTERPLAY” DURING HIS HOMILY
KIND ATTENTION
HIS EMINENCE OSWALD CARDINAL GRACIAS, ARCHBISHOP OF BOMBAY
MOST REV. AGNELO RUFINO GRACIAS, AUXILIARY BISHOP OF BOMBAY
Dear Cardinal Oswald and Bishop Agnelo,
I received the following email which is self-explanatory.
From:
Name withheld
To:
prabhu
Sent: Friday, March 09, 2012 9:27 PM Subject: Re: Mail
Dear Michael,
Fr Prashant Olalekar was invited to our parish, St Anthony’s Church Malwani, Malad (W), Mumbai on Vocation Sunday [January 22nd?] to say the 9:15 am mass.
In his sermon he spoke about how he joined the priesthood. Mainly about how his father did not approve of him to join but he eventually did. He then followed it up with how he went for a home rehabilitating prostitutes. There was this one girl and he asked her what she was holding in her hand (a doll) and she said this is Bhagwan. And he said that the doll is you. He then spoke about how at Interplay he made people break the ice in their life.
The vocation prayer was a song for which he made the congregation stretch out their hands and sing, “I am the hands, I am the feet.” I can’t remember the rest, but it had nowhere close to any form of prayer. It did not even mention God. He just followed his song by the final blessing, and that is how we ask the Lord to get vocations in our church.
I am obliged to bring it to your attention because Interplay, which is fostered by your archdiocese, is New Age.
The evidence is available at
FR PRASHANT OLALEKAR-INTERPLAY AND LIFE POSITIVE
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_PRASHANT_OLALEKAR_INTERPLAY_AND_LIFE_POSITIVE.doc
for your necessary action please.
Yours obediently,
Michael Prabhu
CARDINAL OSWALD GRACIAS‘ RESPONSE:
From:
Archbishop Bombay
To:
prabhu
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2012 2:43 PM
Subject: Re: FR. PRASHANT OLALEKAR USES “INTERPLAY” DURING HIS HOMILY
Email to Mr Michael Prabhu (michaelprabhu@vsnl.net)
May 23, 2012
Dear Mr Prabhu,
I have your email of May 7, 201 re: Fr Olalekar. I have sent it to the Parish Priest for a clarification.
With kind regards and best wishes,
Yours sincerely in Christ,
X Oswald Cardinal Gracias
Archbishop of Bombay
4.
Archdiocese of Bombay, 21 Nathalal Parekh Marg, Mumbai 400 001, +91-022-22021093/1193/1293, Fax +91-022-22853872, Archdiocese website: http://archbom.org
MY COMMENTS
The Cardinal did not respond to the information that Interplay — the propagation of which is supported by his archdiocese — is New Age. Now, we must wait and see if he will communicate to us the response of his parish priest. [Update, May 03, 2013: He did not!]
MY SECOND LETTER OF MAY 2012 TO THE CARDINAL ARCHBISHOP OF BOMBAY
From:
prabhu
To:
abpossie@gmail.com ; diocesebombay@gmail.com
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2012 10:21 PM
Subject: Re: FR. PRASHANT OLALEKAR…
Your Eminence Oswald Cardinal Gracias,
While I thank you for your response, may I point out to you that there were three parts to my communication to you. They are:
1. That Interplay is New Age;
2. That the Archdiocese of Bombay is helping promote it;
3. That Fr. Prashant Olalekar, the main proponent of Interplay misused the Vocation Sunday homily to advertise it.
Your response concerns only the third point of my letter to you. I hope that I will be informed about the parish priest’s reply to you.
My letter of May 7 is not the only one that I wrote you concerning Interplay/Fr. Prashant Olalekar.
I had written to you on September 23, 2011 [excerpt from page 44 of my Interplay report] about Interplay being conducted at Sacred Heart Parish, Mumbai:
MY LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF BOMBAY, VASAI AND POONA, COPIED TO INTERPLAY PROMOTERS
From:
prabhu
To:
Archbishop’s House; abpossie@gmail.com; abpossie@sancharnet.in; diocesebombay@gmail.com; […]
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 10:10 AM
Subject: “INTERPLAY” – FR. PRASHANT OLALEKAR, JAIME AND LIGIA DA FONSECA […]
Yours obediently,
Michael Prabhu
NO RESPONSE WAS RECEIVED FROM THE CARDINAL
INTERPLAY made its foray into the Bombay-Vasai belt in 2007 as per the records in my INTERPLAY report and as indicated in the Life Positive story, the ‘Touching the Earth’ meditation
and the
Labyrinth Walk were already alive and well as early as then, the location being the Pasayadaan Holistic Spirituality Centre at Vasai where Fr Prashant Olalekar, SJ was the
Director
and the then Bishop, Thomas Dabre, was the Chairman, Doctrinal Commission, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.
While Fr. Paul Vaz SJ‘s Earth-Centered Retreat ads first appeared in the Bombay archdiocesan weekly The Examiner in January 2007, see FR PAUL VAZ-ENNEAGRAM WORKSHOPS AND EARTH CENTRED HEALING RETREATS http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_PAUL_VAZ-ENNEAGRAM_WORKSHOPS_AND_EARTH_CENTRED_HEALING_RETREATS.doc, they were a logical succession to the ‘Touching the Earth’ meditation
and the
Labyrinth Walk which were already sanctioned by the bishops.
In connection with the New Age retreats of Fr. Paul Vaz, I had written to the Cardinal Archbishop of Bombay and the Archbishop of Goa on April 22, but there has been no response till the time of filing this report.
The first independent labyrinth notification — at least the one that I came across — in The Examiner in recent years was in the issue of May 7, 2011 captioned “Retreat for Christian Meditators” in the Local News column.
35 meditators from various Christian Meditation groups in Mumbai met for a Lenten Meditation Weekend Retreat conducted by Br. Kevin Ward CFC and Christopher Mendonca at Salvation school, Dadar on April 16-17. […]
The programme started with an introduction to Silence and stilling the senses. The stage was set with insights into the very nature of God, dispelling the myth of a judgemental God doling out reward and punishment. […]
The ancient religious symbol of the labyrinth was used to depict the pilgrimage of life and growth. The Labyrinth (not to be confused with the Maze) leads us unerringly, but in a round-about manner (three steps forward, two steps backward) to the centre. The programme included a virtual Way of the Cross in Triads…
Christopher Mendonca is a leader, along with yoga proponent Fr. Joe Pereira of Kripa Foundation, Mumbai, of the out-and-out New Age World Community for Christian Meditation [WCCM], see FR JOE PEREIRA-KRIPA FOUNDATION-WORLD COMMUNITY FOR CHRISTIAN MEDITATION
It seems that anything goes but a sacramental, Christocentric spirituality, and the bishops condone the propagation of this New Age ridiculousness! The Christian Meditators’ “Retreat” appears, from the write-up, to be a syncretistic blend of Catholic rituals and New Age, which basically is what much of New Age is about.
Christopher Mendonca is a regular contributor of Scripture reflections as well as WCCM propaganda in The Examiner.
In The Examiner issue of June 2, 2012, we read that the Salesians religious order, already heavily into New Age psycho-spiritual techniques and pseudo-counseling, see THE SALESIANS, OSWALD CARDINAL GRACIAS AND NEW AGE PSYCHOLOGIST CARL ROGERS
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/THE_SALESIANS_OSWALD_CARDINAL_GRACIAS_AND_NEW_AGE_PSYCHOLOGIST_CARL_ROGERS.doc and
SANGAM INTEGRAL FORMATION AND SPIRITUALITY CENTRE, GOA-NEW AGE PSYCHOLOGY, ETC.
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/SANGAM_INTEGRAL_FORMATION_AND_SPIRITUALITY_CENTRE_GOA-NEW_AGE_PSYCHOLOGY_ETC.doc, inaugurate a “Labyrinth Prayer Garden“:
A new Labyrinth Prayer Garden at Don Bosco Provincial House, Matunga, was blessed on May 29, 2012, by Fr. Michael Fernandes, Provincial of the Mumbai Province in the presence of the entire Salesian community. Fr. Ian Doulton, Rector of the community, officially inaugurated the Prayer Garden and welcomed one and all to use this eco-friendly setting to get closer to one’s self, others, and God. […]
The Labyrinth Prayer Garden will be open to people of all faiths and age groups. […] At any given moment, the garden can accommodate about thirty pilgrims.
Fr. Fernandes, Provincial, thanked all those responsible for setting up this Prayer Garden and hoped that many more communities in the Province would create such Prayer Gardens to enable our young people to become more prayerful, serene and reflective.
What a devious way of diverting people away from the Most Blessed Sacrament where the Lord of all creation, adored and worshiped by countless saints, awaits, to focusing on His creation. What an ingenious way of negating or diluting the powerful aids to prayer that the Church has developed and made easily available to the faithful over two millennia. This is one more of those inter-faith adventures; hence missing are Jesus Christ, the Real Presence, His Mother, the Stations of the Cross, the Rosary and other Catholic realities which would offend the sensibilities of people of other faiths.
The Examiner issues of December 15, 2012, January 5, 2013, and January 12, 2013 under News Local Forthcoming Events announce the availability of the Don Bosco Youth Services, Matunga, Labyrinth Prayer Garden giving the name of Fr. Glenford Lowe as the priest to be contacted for those who would like “to get in touch with Self, Others, World and God”. Since The Examiner is an archdiocesan weekly for Catholics, it means that the invitations are addressed to Catholics, offering them an alternative spirituality to the traditional Catholic devotions that they have been groomed in, a spirituality that is loaded with New Age.
I WROTE TWO LETTERS TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF BOMBAY CONCERNING THE LABYRINTH
1. From:
Michael Prabhu
To:
abpossie@gmail.com
Cc:
Archbishop’s House ; Archbishop Bombay
Sent: Friday, May 03, 2013 7:26 AM
Subject: NEW AGE: LABYRINTH PRAYER GARDEN AT DON BOSCO PROVINCIAL HOUSE, MATUNGA, MUMBAI
HIS EMINENCE OSWALD CARDINAL GRACIAS
ARCHBISHOP OF BOMBAY
Dear Cardinal Oswald Gracias,
A Labyrinth Prayer Garden has been inaugurated in your archdiocese at the Don Bosco Provincial House, Matunga, Mumbai.
It is being used by Catholics.
The labyrinth is New Age.
Your archdiocesan weekly, The Examiner issues of June 2, 2012, December 15, 2012, January 5, 2013 and January 12, 2013 carried information about the labyrinth.
I trust that you will ensure that the Salesians close this Labyrinth Prayer Garden so that Catholics are safeguarded from error and spiritual harm.
Yours obediently,
Michael Prabhu
Catholic apologist, Chennai
michaelprabhu@vsnl.net; http://www.ephesians-511.net
2. From:
Michael Prabhu
To:
abpossie@redifmail.com
Cc:
Archbishop Bombay
Sent: Friday, May 03, 2013 5:44 PM
Subject: NEW AGE: ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE LABYRINTH AND FR. PRASHANT OLALEKAR’S INTERPLAY
HIS EMINENCE OSWALD CARDINAL GRACIAS
ARCHBISHOP OF BOMBAY
Dear Cardinal Oswald Gracias,
This morning, I sent you an email regarding the opening of a Labyrinth Prayer Garden in your archdiocese by the Salesians at the Don Bosco Provincial House, Matunga, and the regular advertising of it in the Local News column of your archdiocesan weekly, The Examiner. I trust that you have read the email and arranged to ensure that the Labyrinth Prayer Garden is closed.
Concerning Interplay, I had written to you on September 23, 2011, alerting you about the propagation of Interplay
in parishes of your archdiocese, and in that email I had given the link to
FR PRASHANT OLALEKAR-INTERPLAY AND LIFE POSITIVE
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_PRASHANT_OLALEKAR-INTERPLAY_AND_LIFE_POSITIVE.doc, the report on Interplay at my website, but I did not hear from you.
Once again, on May 07, 2012, I had written to you about developments regarding Interplay in a parish, to which letter you had replied to me that you were seeking clarification from the parish priest. I did not hear from you after that. I immediately wrote back to you that you had only responded to one point in my letter, glossing over two others, and reminding you of my earlier email of September 23, 2011. However, I did not hear from you in return.
Now I would like to elaborate on my email letter of this morning. India’s leading New Age magazine LIFE POSITIVE wrote a story on Interplay. In that story, they associated Fr. Prashant Olalekar, SJ and Interplay with a Labyrinth Walk conducted at his Centre in Vasai. The details are available on pages 21 through 23 of my referred Interplay report. Interplay, like the labyrinth, is New Age.
Like the labyrinth, Interplay continues to be propagated through The Examiner.
I trust that you will do the needful to stem the spread of New Age in your archdiocese, and its ever-increasing promotion in The Examiner. About this last statement of mine, I will send you a separate report as soon as it is ready.
Yours obediently,
Michael Prabhu
Catholic apologist, Chennai
michaelprabhu@vsnl.net; http://www.ephesians-511.net
MY MOST RECENT LETTERS – TO THE FORMER AND PRESENT BISHOPS OF VASAI
SINCE THE
PASAYADAAN HOLISTIC SPIRITUALITY CENTRE WHOSE DIRECTOR IS FR. PRASHANT OLALEKAR SJ IS LOCATED IN THE DIOCESE OF VASAI,
I HAD WRITTEN TO
BISHOP THOMAS DABRE OF VASAI, THE THEN
CHAIRMAN OF THE DOCTRINAL COMMISSION OF THE C.B.C.I., IN 2008, BUT HE DID NOT REPLY, SEE PAGE 56.
ACCORDING TO TIMES OF INDIA JOURNALIST JOEANNA REBELLO, SEE “Let your inner child have a free run November 24, 2008” ON PAGE 11 OF MY INTERPLAY REPORT, FR. PRASHANT OLALEKAR SJ HAS APPARENTLY CONDUCTED INTERPLAY AT “the clergy house of Vasai” [THE BISHOP’S HOUSE IN VASAI?]
ON PAGE 13 OF THE SAME REPORT, AN INTERPLAY PROTAGONIST, GARY FIELD, REPORTS THAT BISHOP DABRE CONDUCTED INTERPLAY ALONG WITH HIM, AFTER WHICH HE CONDUCTED FOUR MORE WORKSHOPS IN VASAI DIOCESE WITH THE BLESSING OF THE BISHOP.
BISHOP DABRE OF VASAI WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN MY SEPTEMBER 2011 LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF BOMBAY, VASAI AND POONA, COPIED TO INTERPLAY PROMOTERS AND THEIR ASSOCIATES, AGAIN SEE PAGE 56. I DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE FROM HIM TO EITHER OF MY LETTERS. I NOW WROTE AGAIN:
From:
Michael Prabhu
To:
punedioc@vsnl.com ; bishopdabre@gmail.com
Sent: Friday, May 03, 2013 9:24 PM
Subject: NEW AGE: ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE LABYRINTH AND FR. PRASHANT OLALEKAR’S INTERPLAY
MOST REV. THOMAS DABRE
BISHOP OF POONA {FORMER BISHOP OF VASAI}
Dear Bishop Thomas,
Concerning Fr. Prashant Olalekar’s Interplay, I had written to you in 2008, letter reproduced below.
In 2011, I had emailed you another related letter, once again reproduced below.
I have not been favoured with a reply to both when you were the Bishop of Vasai.
Now, a Labyrinth Prayer Garden has been opened by the Salesians at the Don Bosco Provincial House, Matunga, Mumbai.
India’s leading New Age magazine LIFE POSITIVE wrote a story on Interplay. In that story, they associated Fr. Prashant Olalekar, SJ and Interplay with a Labyrinth Walk conducted at his Pasayadaan Holistic Spirituality Centre in Vasai. Interplay and the labyrinth are decidedly New Age.
My December 2010 report on Interplay [the title and link are provided to you in my September 2011 letter reproduced below] records that you participated in the first Interplay workshop conducted by one Gary Field and provided him with the opportunity to conduct a total of five such workshops for Catholic participants in Vasai.
I trust that you will acknowledge this letter and also arrange to ensure that Interplay and the labyrinth are not allowed to affect the traditional spirituality of Catholics by blending it with New Age practices.
Thanking you, Yours obediently,
Michael Prabhu
Catholic apologist, Chennai
michaelprabhu@vsnl.net; http://www.ephesians-511.net
From:
Michael Prabhu
To:
archbp.48@gmail.com ; vasaidiocese@gmail.com
Sent: Friday, May 03, 2013 9:54 PM
Subject: NEW AGE: ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE NEW AGE LABYRINTH AND FR. PRASHANT OLALEKAR’S INTERPLAY
MOST REV. FELIX ANTHONY MACHADO
ARCHBISHOP OF VASAI
Dear Archbishop Felix,
This email concerns Vasai diocese-based Pasayadaan Holistic Spirituality Centre and Fr. Prashant Olalekar’s Interplay.
I am reproducing below my 2008 letter to Bishop Thomas Dabre, then of Vasai, in this connection.
Also, India’s leading New Age magazine LIFE POSITIVE wrote a story on Interplay. In that story, they associated Fr. Prashant Olalekar, SJ and Interplay with a Labyrinth Walk conducted at his Pasayadaan Holistic Spirituality Centre in Vasai.
Now, a Labyrinth Prayer Garden has been opened by the Salesians at the Don Bosco Provincial House, Matunga, Mumbai.
Interplay and the labyrinth are decidedly New Age.
My December 2010 report on Interplay [the title and link are available in my September 2011 letter to the then Bishops of Vasai and Poona, and the Bishops of Bombay, reproduced below] records that Interplay workshops were conducted by one Gary Field for Catholic participants in Vasai under the auspices of Bishop Thomas Dabre.
I trust that you will acknowledge this letter and also arrange to ensure that Interplay and the labyrinth are not allowed to affect the traditional spirituality of Catholics by blending it with New Age practices.
Thanking you, Yours obediently,
Michael Prabhu
Catholic apologist, Chennai
michaelprabhu@vsnl.net; http://www.ephesians-511.net
For a compilation of information along with Catholic and other critiques of the labyrinth, see
THE LABYRINTH
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/THE_LABYRINTH.doc
Categories: new age
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