MAY 16/20,
2014
Errors in Charisindia – 09
Ambiguous Prophecies about the election results?
“CHARISINDIA is a monthly magazine, published on behalf of the National Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (NCCRS) which has been recognised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) as the principal coordinating agency of the CCR* in India.”– CHARISINDIA *Catholic Charismatic Renewal
THE REASONS FOR OUR CONTINUING THIS SERIES ON CHARISINDIA/THE CCR
1a. It has been my observation for a very long time that the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in India has been the propagator of errors and abuses especially in the liturgy of the Mass, something that, as an apologist, I now find impossible to ignore.
I admit participating in most if not all of them at one time or another for several reasons, the chief among them being ignorance; moreover, no one objected to them and almost every charismatic priest, religious and lay leader practised them.
However, circumstances — and the personal counsel of some good CCR leaders who would like to see these abuses and errors stopped — make it imperative that they be now exposed.
1b. It has been my experience — when I have pointed out these abuses and errors on certain occasions — that most “charismatics” are not very receptive to correction of any sort. Their responses have ranged from indulgence to hostility.
My pointing out that I am only repeating the teaching of the Church has not saved me from being labeled “anti-charismatic”.
It is almost as if “charismatics” are “superior” to other Catholics and have a licence to modify the rubrics of the liturgy.
No one is above the liturgy, not any priest and not any bishop. The rubrics must be followed by the Church to the letter.
Since my antecedents are not known to many who visit our web site, I proudly affirm that my spirituality is charismatic.
One of my spiritual directors, a holy and orthodox French Benedictine priest, actually finds it impossible to reconcile my “conservative” ministry with my being “charismatic”. To him it’s an oxymoron. To me, it seems a natural thing.
1c. My wife and I helped plant several prayer groups in New Delhi starting 1982 and I was a founder-member of the very first Service Team of the CCR in New Delhi. As a life member and benefactor of CHARISINDIA, a stockist of the magazine in the ‘mid 80s, and possessing back issues of CHARISINDIA almost from its inception, I have a relationship with the magazine that cannot be deterred either by criticism or by the ignoring of my letters by those who now run the magazine.
I invite the reader to read pages 2 to 4, especially the section sub-titled “Errors and excesses” on page 4 of my April 2011
article
CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/CATHOLIC_CHARISMATIC_RENEWAL.doc.
The article will give the reader an idea of what to expect in this series on CHARISINDIA and the CCR in India.
In this series, I will name names. I am constrained to do so because, over the 30 years of my sojourn in the Renewal, I have seen the condition of things deteriorate, while at the same time not a single prophetic voice has been raised in protest.
My scores of letters to the senior-most leadership have either elicited unfulfilled assurances or been studiously ignored.
I must stress here on one point that I mention under point 5 on page 3 of my above-cited April 2011 article: the loyalty of too many rank and file charismatics is to their leadership instead of to the teaching authority of the Church.
If the reader dismisses my statements as generalisations, the true incidents that I will record in the articles in this series — justifying my having to name certain people — should convince him that this is not so.
2. The immediate reason for this series on CHARISINDIA/the CCR is the CHARISINDIA July 2012 issue.
A pro-contraception article authored by a Protestant was published. On learning of it, I personally contacted the CCR’s Episcopal Advisor
Most Rev. Francis Kalist, the bishop of Meerut by ‘phone and by email. He was cordial and expressed his thanks and appreciation of my initiative on the ‘phone as well as in writing*. However, all subsequent letters to the bishop have remained unanswered. Furthermore, all letters from me to
Constantine Fernandez, the publisher of CHARISINDIA, its Chief Editor
Cyril John, and to the National Charismatic Office [NCO] staff,
Gilbert Faria and
K.P. Shaji
were also completely ignored by them. While I had spoken on the ‘phone to Fernandez, Faria and Shaji, Cyril John simply declined to take my many calls or call me back. Two months have passed. The August and September 2012 CHARISINDIA issues had no correction of the error.
See our report CHARISINDIA ERRORS-01.
The July 2012 CHARISINDIA also carried a story on the funeral of Fr Rufus Pereira. I detected in that story what I believe to be an error:
eulogies given during the Mass.
See the report CHARISINDIA ERRORS-02 http://ephesians-511.net/docs/CHARISINDIA_ERRORS-02.doc.
3.
Between July 13 and August 8, I had written four letters to the CCR’s Episcopal Advisor
Most Rev. Francis Kalist, but the Bishop terminated correspondence with me after responding to the first letter. The first three emails concerned the pro-contraception article. I reproduce the fourth letter immediately below as published in my report CHARISINDIA ERRORS-01
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/CHARISINDIA_ERRORS-01.doc*.
*My first email & the Bishop’s response are copied here.
4.
I wrote to Bishop Francis Kalist and the CHARISINDIA/NCO team once again on January 4, 2013 in connection with errors in the January 2013 issue. Since there was no response as usual, the information is partly reported in CHARISINDIA ERRORS-04 at
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/CHARISINDIA_ERRORS-04.doc, and the rest of it in my to-be-published report CHARISINDIA ERRORS-06. The update to January 4 was emailed to Bishop Francis Kalist and the CHARISINDIA/NCO team
on
January 30, 2013. If a reply is received from any of them, the report will be further updated.
5. On January 29, 2013,
this ministry
emailed
Bishop Francis Kalist and the CHARISINDIA/NCO team about an error in the September 2012 issue of CHARISINDIA. If a reply is received from any of them, the report CHARISINDIA ERRORS-03
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/CHARISINDIA_ERRORS-03.doc will be updated.
6. On January 31, 2013, and again on February 1, 2013, I sent a 17-page preview with a follow-up letter to Bishop Francis Kalist and the CHARISINDIA/NCO team, of my report CHARISINDIA ERRORS-05 concerning the issue of my being banned from attending the XV National Catholic Charismatic Convention in Goa, November 12-15, 2012. The completed 26-page report at http://ephesians-511.net/docs/CHARISINDIA_ERRORS-05.doc was mailed to them the same evening. If a reply is received from any of them, the report will be updated.
7. Report CHARISINDIA ERRORS-06, detailing the errors in the CHARISINDIA reporting of
the XV National Catholic Charismatic Convention in Goa, November 12-15, 2012 as well as errors and liturgical abuses noted and recorded by me during my participation in the event, will be released later.
8. The out-of-turn report CHARISINDIA ERRORS-07 http://ephesians-511.net/docs/CHARISINDIA_ERRORS-07.doc
chronicles errors and problems [as perceived by me] with CHARISINDIA/the CCR in the past, some of which were taken up with the NCCRS/NST/NCO, and some of which were not. Most were from Cyril John‘s tenure as Chairman of the NST and publisher of CHARISINDIA and during the term of Most Rev. Valerian D’Souza, Bishop of Poona [the predecessor of Bishop Francis Kalist of Meerut] as the CCR’s Episcopal Advisor. More will be added on as and when I come across them in my files. For that reason, the documenting of those issues in CHARISINDIA ERRORS-07 is not chronological.
9. The report CHARISINDIA ERRORS-08 records the utter carelessness with which the magazine continues to be edited/published despite my series of reports which I expected would ensure greater vigilance. It concerns the chairmanship of Fr. A.J. Thamburaj, SJ in the February 2013 CHARISINDIA issue. See CHARISINDIA ERRORS-08
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/CHARISINDIA_ERRORS-08.doc.
10. The present report CHARISINDIA ERRORS-09 is about prophecies recorded in the April 2014 issue.
On pages 30 through 32, we find the report of the “Cenacle Intercession School 2014” organised by the National Service Team at Satyodayam Retreat Centre, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh from March 1 to March 7, 2014, coordinated by the Youth United for Christ (YU4C) and the Hyderabad Service Team. The number of delegates was seventy. It was presided over by the Bishop of Meerut, Most Rev. Francis Kalist, the Episcopal Advisor to the CCR.
I quote from the report:
“The sessions on ‘Prophetic Intercession’, ‘Intercession Outreach’ and ‘Jericho March’ were opportunities to exercise charisms and also to put into practice the lessons learnt… Six groups were made and each group had 11 to 12 members. Each group was split into two teams, one team sat in front of the Blessed Sacrament and the other team went to the destination to pray at site for the intentions identified in prayer. The intercession throughout the school was based on prophetic messages received from the Lord.”
One of the destinations was the State Legislative Assembly Secretariat.
“Bishop Kalist was one of members of the team that went to pray at the State Assembly Secretariat. When they prayed outside the building, they were inspired to go inside the Assembly building and intercede. Bishop took the imitative of going and talking to the security personnel and they were issued official passes to go inside. They went inside … and sprinkled holy water across the Secretariat buildings. … The Lord did not delay in revealing His mind to them.
There was a Jericho March held for free and fair General Elections in April-May 2014 and formation of a stable, secular and honest Government. There were several prophecies from the Lord that he was taking control of the whole nation and would give the discernment to the people to choose the right representatives to Parliament and State Assemblies.”
I am a founder member of the Delhi Service Team of the CCR and served on it for 10 years while also looking after its book ministry for New Delhi; I have maintained my contacts with the CCR for 30 years, am a life member of CHARISINDIA and have been a benefactor to its causes; so I would normally be the last one to question or disparage these prophecies.
I had been tempted to write this report immediately on my receiving the CHARISINDIA issue and reading about the claim through prophecy that “the Lord … was taking control of the whole nation and would give the discernment to the people to choose the right representatives to Parliament and State Assemblies.”
Instead I decided to wait until the counting was complete and the figures were released. I do not want to go into the analysis of today’s election results. But I will remain with the basics and try to be as brief as possible to make my point.
Much will be written by many on this matter in the coming days, but I am interested only in the “prophecies” of the CCR.
No priest or prominent lay Catholic I met and spoke to or whose articles I read in Catholic magazines or on the Internet wanted to witness the scenario that we now are confronted with: the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning more than five seats for every one won by the Congress party, an unprecedented victory for potential communal forces.
Traditionally, Christians have generally stood with the secular Congress party. For reasons known to everyone, Christians have generally opposed the BJP which they see to be saffronised and Hindutva-agenda tainted. One can safely assume that most Christians anywhere in this nation would not have wanted to see a BJP landslide victory and a Congress wipeout.
Nagaland, which is at least 95% Christian, has only one seat. And that one seat has gone to the BJP.
In several States, the Congress has not obtained even a single seat. The BJP will rule unopposed.
In Goa and in other constituencies with a sizeable Christian population, the Congress party has been drubbed soundly and the saffron brigade has once again triumphed.
Priests from the Andhra/Telengana region, the very place where the prayers, “Jericho March” and prophecies happened, certainly did not want the outcome that has been announced today. Catholics from that region had been campaigning underground for a different result.
But to go back to the prophecies, how will the National Service Team of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal justify them in the light of the electoral verdict of the people of India?
They will probably do just that — interpret the prophecies in the light of the results. (Even a fortune teller does that.)
Or maybe they will put forward the persecution paradigm.
Good Christians who I have talked to are of the opinion that the Church is in for a time of purification… or persecution.
(I welcome that, if it is God’s will for our Church in India. We have become lukewarm and complacent and need to have a fire lit under us. It is under those circumstances that the Church has always emerged stronger.)
Or they will argue that God wills (even though Church leaders didn’t) for us to live under a BJP government which will eventually be “stable, secular and honest”. (A fortune teller can interpret it that way too.)
But if a Congress-led government had come to power today, the CCR’s prophets would again have said, “I told you so.”
I, for one, am very cynical about such “generalised” prophecies that can be interpreted any which way after the fact.
If any recipient of this report agrees, disagrees with me or has any other perspective, please send me your take on the “prophecies”. I will include your input in this report without your name and email address should you so desire as long as you are a genuine person and not trying to cause confusion. In case my comments can be proved to be judgemental and misinformed, I can be convinced to pull this report from my web site.
From:
Michael Prabhu
To:
kalistfrancis@gmail.com
Cc:
nco ; charisindia ; charisindia@gmail.com ; cyriljohn@vsnl.net ; dcrsoffice@gmail.com ; shajikp2000@gmail.com ; National Charismatic Office
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2014 4:36 PM Subject: AMBIGUOUS PROPHECIES ABOUT THE ELECTION RESULTS?
Dear Bishop Francis Kalist,
CHARISINDIA ERRORS-09 report attached.
Yours obediently,
Michael Prabhu
RESPONSES
From:
A senior leader in the CCR
To:
Fourteen other senior CCR leaders
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2014 8:21 PM Subject: CHARISINDIA_ERRORS-09.doc
Dear All,
An interesting analysis sent by Michael Prabhu, in case you haven’t received it already. Deep honest reflection required.
From:
Name Withheld
To:
Michael Prabhu
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2014 8:53 PM
Subject: Re: AMBIGUOUS PROPHECIES IN CHARISINDIA ABOUT THE ELECTION RESULTS?
Dear Michael, Praise Jesus!
How are you and Angela? We are well by God’s grace. We read your mail and marvel at the way you have been keeping tabs for the sake of God’s kingdom. For us, we know that it is only a miracle and the grace you have to continue inspite of all the persecution. We truly see your point and how we need to be careful in prophesying publicly. As we too are praying that God works through our country’s elections for our good, I wish to commend you on the good work you are doing. Please continue to do so and trust Him to bring about the change in the church. Do not lose heart and hope because this is what all the saints went through, to bring change always involves a cost. I pray that you will always stay humble that in due time the Lord will exalt you. Keep the Spirit of the Master and the Apostles, the Saints and Martyrs in your heart as you continue to work for the good of the Bride.
We had a long time of prayer today, and there was a time when we went into intercession crying for all the sins of our priests as they project themselves on Facebook and post pictures of themselves which are not in line with what Christ would expect of His anointed ones. I remember the words of Pope Francis to a group of seminarians just a few days back where he warned them that the flock would not forgive them for two sins: one is the sin of love for money and the second is vanity.
We are fully involved in the ministry of intercession. Be assured of our prayers. Love to Angela. God bless.
Prominent charismatic intercession ministry
From:
Priest, Name Withheld
To:
Michael Prabhu
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2014 9:06 PM
Subject: Re: AMBIGUOUS PROPHECIES IN CHARISINDIA ABOUT THE ELECTION RESULTS?
Thank you, Michael Prabhu. It seems they were not mature enough for making a good discernment.
Priest in leading charismatic ministry
From:
Name Withheld
To:
Michael Prabhu
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2014 10:56 PM
Subject: Re: AMBIGUOUS PROPHECIES IN CHARISINDIA ABOUT THE ELECTION RESULTS?
Dear Michael,
Greetings in the name of Jesus! I hope and pray that you are doing well. Thank you for your email and for sharing your thoughts with me.
Let me share my thoughts with you on this prophecy. It says “the Lord … was taking control of the whole nation and would give the discernment to the people to choose the right representatives to Parliament and State Assemblies.”
The Lord’s ways are not our ways. We have to approach this with trust and faith in God. Leaving the prophecy aside, many of us prayed hard during this whole election process. One group had a whole pray for India campaign online. Do I think the Lord did not hear our prayer? Absolutely not. Just because a BJP leader with a controversial past got elected with a majority does not mean that the Lord did not hear us.
He is always in control and therefore I do not see anything wrong in the prophecy. In Andhra, where they prayed, the ruling and opposition parties are both secular. In the national scene, yes, it may seem undesirable but let’s take a closer look. Modi won by talking mainly about development and governance. Not a word about temple or any Hindutva issue was mentioned. Yes, he may be itching to take up one of these issues in power but I think he knows he will be digging his grave by doing so. India has changed. Majority of India is young and aspirational and have no interest in communal politics. Therefore, Modi will not have the liberty to talk about such issues and he will be under intense media and public scrutiny.
As far as the Church is concerned, if he does try to bring an anti-conversion law or any law that hurts the Church, the BJP government in Goa will fall as it depends on 10 Catholic MLA’s. Manohar Parrikar, Goa CM, who knows he cannot survive a day without Catholic support, is influential with Modi and will prevent such laws from being passed. Therefore I do not see any major new problems for the Church. Lastly, Parrikar will be playing a key role in organizing the exposition of St Francis Xavier and Modi may even visit and pay homage to the great saint. Let us proceed with faith and trust that God is in control. To say that God is in control is a truth that does not require prophecy.
Praise the Lord! God Bless you Michael! Wish you good health and peace!
Seminarian
That is exactly my contention: “To say that God is in control is a truth that does not require prophecy.” So, why a prophecy that can be interpreted ambiguously? Whatever the result of the ballot, one will argue that the prophecy was correct.
From:
Name Withheld To:
Michael Prabhu
Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2014 4:53 AM
Subject: Re: AMBIGUOUS PROPHECIES IN CHARISINDIA ABOUT THE ELECTION RESULTS?
I appreciate your deep concern over the Catholics of India. Lay preacher
From:
Ivan Lobo
To:
Michael Prabhu
Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2014 9:54 AM
Subject: Re: AMBIGUOUS PROPHECIES IN CHARISINDIA ABOUT THE ELECTION RESULTS?
Dear Mike, Good Morning. Hope all is well with you and Angela and everyone in the family.
At the outset you are free to publish my name, telephone number or email and my comments. I have no problem.
Some points that I would like to make.
1. Sorry if people are shocked including you. I personally do not advocate the Jericho March. I will not participate in it and will not advise anyone to do so.
2. If you want to pray then one team sits before the Blessed Sacrament and some persons go to the place? sorry once again I find it funny. I do not see the necessity to do so and as such trying to go the place and going inside the place to pray and sprinkle holy water also does not appeal to my mind.
With due respect I say this, and as such I must not be misunderstood. Well you may ask for reasons for the same to which I say that if some one puts in writing the reasons as to why they are doing such things I will reply.
With regard to prophesy and the congress party,
1. I must say good government and stable government in the mind of the Christian means Congress government is a read in between the prophetic lines. I do not agree.
2. Just because the party may have been communal before it does not mean it will be communal always. The B.J.P. has fought the election with the slogan development and good governance and as such I appreciate the slogan.
3. A Christian I feel is a person who participates in election not just voting for a party because it is secular alone. Do we feel that our existence is threatened? If yes what are the major steps Christians have taken when Christian people were tortured and killed.
4. Partly the political parties have taken are votes for granted and our attitude for granted that is why we are not much a force to reckon with. Our ways are predictable. One may say that we are small in number and size. Then what about our relationship with God and the David and Goliath story. Sorry I for one I am looking forward to the new ruling party and waiting to see if they deliver.
The above is not an election analysis but the way I feel.
Prophesy.
1. If the prophesy is that it will be a good and stable government the interpretation to me is good and stable government.
2. If the prophecy is B.J.P. will win to me it is B.J.P. will win.
3. Read between the lines is not prophecy for me.
People giving prophetic messages.
1. They should not be attached the message in order to prove it right or wrong. The moment they do so their message is to be junked.
2. A person giving a prophetic message and trying to stand tall on account of it both should be junked.
3. After a message is given if the person tries to correct what was said or adds provisional clauses to what was said and tries clarifying what was said both should be junked.
About the message.
1. God giving people the ability to discern I do not think is a prophetic at all. According to me the choice to do is in the hand of a person. God indicating to person the right way I accept and do not dispute. So when choice is in the hand of a person though option of understanding right wrong may be there or given the wrong may still be chosen.
I have not read the other articles that you mentioned.
1. But if Christians are doing wrong charismatic or non charismatic we need to change.
2. With regard to leaders not responding to letters I only say that they are not leaders in the real sense of the term.
3. Petty-mindedness I do not think is acceptable in the Christian Life.
4. If the Charismatic Renewal is all about chair politics, banning people, criticizing people, not understanding people, hating people, avoiding people, judging people then I feel the renewal needs a metanoia.
My View-
If the leaders of the Church do not have a loving answer that guided Peter when he asked how many times do I forgive and is not able to say do the doubting come put your hand into my side and do not doubt and unable to say it with love we have a long way to go to realise Christ in our lives, help others realise Christ in their lives and even call ourselves Christian.
Thank you Mike for sending me your views. Love and prayers, Ivan. Retreat Preacher
From:
Name Withheld
To:
‘Michael Prabhu’
Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2014 11:16 AM
Subject: RE: AMBIGUOUS PROPHECIES IN CHARISINDIA ABOUT THE ELECTION RESULTS?
Hi Mike, It has been a long time since I have written/replied to any of your mails… I must also confess that my prayer group is no longer a charismatic prayer group which inspires and strengthens me for the week. I hope I do not apply that to the whole CCR in general. I too have had my run-ins with CCR and her leaders on issues every now and then. My faith in the leadership is sorely eroded… A certain vision of CCR is missing and much too much of the self comes in…
Regarding the prophecy, it is non-committal, non-specific, non-directional and inspirational. It is a general idea/attitude that all in charismatic circles already have, believing the Lord knows best and gives the nation the freedom to choose. Whether or not your “I told you so…” remarks have followed or would follow is a matter of debate. But through this kind of prophecy could it be the Lord warning and preparing us to be prepared for anything, to accept anything and everything as His Perfect Plan and Wisdom.
You have found many irregularities among priests and leaders. In your zeal and perfectionism, you have not spared anyone and gone about it hammer and tongs. Definitely this would be necessary for some issues which can be described as serious. But with many others e.g. the prophecy above, was it really necessary, apart from bringing it to the notice of those concerned? Once done, your duty is done and the rest has to be left to God’s Holy Spirit to do. God Bless, dear brother. Very senior person in charismatic ministry
That is exactly my contention: “the prophecy… is non-committal, non-specific…” What is its purpose then? To be interpreted any which way in the future? God doesn’t speak that way.
“But through this kind of prophecy could it be the Lord warning and preparing us to be prepared for anything, to accept anything and everything as His Perfect Plan and Wisdom.” Doesn’t it once again boil down to a matter of interpretation?
Concerning the last paragraph of the letter, the mandate received by me from the Lord, before the Blessed Sacrament on March 25, 1995, and discerned by my spiritual directors, is Isaiah 30:8 which says, “Now come, write in a book… that it may be in future days an eternal witness. This is a rebellious people, deceitful children, children who refuse to obey the law of the Lord.” Since the errors, excesses and abuses that I write about remain unacknowledged and uncorrected by the leadership (Church/CCR), it is my burden to make them public so as to reach Catholics who may benefit from reading my reports.
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