MARCH 2015
Responses to the “First Revised Edition 2011” of the 2008 St Pauls’ New Community Bible still not acceptable by Catholics
From the month following the release of the St Pauls “Indianised” or “contextualized” New Community Bible (NCB) in June 2008 by the Bishops of the Indian Church until January of 2015, during which period it had been withdrawn for “revision”, released again and even exported, this ministry had published a total of 21 reports analysing and documenting various issues related to this so-called Bible that we and many Catholics, including priests and theologians, had rejected and strongly objected to because of serious problems in its commentaries and in a few of its twenty-four illustrations or line drawings.
Our ministry, supported by good priests, had been forced to send copies of the NCB to certain dicasteries of the Holy See when the Society of St Pauls did not respond to our communications and our Bishops failed to give us any reassurance that the offending commentaries and drawings would be expunged from the NCB,
Last month, in February 2015, we once again re-visited the issue to bring Catholics up-to-date on the more recent developments which we had been keeping track of since our last three reports (old numbering 19, 20 and 21) of May and June 2013.
When doing so, we updated and/or revised and re-numbered six old reports (old numbers 16 through 21), and we wrote and released four new reports (numbers 22 through 25).
Please find the list with titles and links within the first three pages of the present report.
The present file, which will be updated from time to time, is a record of our communication with the Bishops and others on the new reports, numbers 22 through 25, and the responses that we receive.
Reports numbers 22, 24 and 25 of the NCB series give the details of the defense of the aberrations and errors of the 2008 edition by a Bombay Bishop, Most Rev. Agnelo Gracias, the revisions done in it after it was withdrawn from the shelves of Catholic bookshops, and our verdict on the Revised Edition, which is that it is still not recommended by us for Catholics.
Email ids which appear in red colour are those that have been rejected by the server.
1. From:
michaelprabhu@vsnl.net
To: agnelorg@gmail.com;
CC: diocesebombay@gmail.com; abpossie@gmail.com; bpdsf@rediffmail.com; dominicsaviofernandes@rediffmail.com; bpjohnrodrigues@gmail.com; bp.percivalfernandez@gmail.com; bp_bosco@vsnl.net; bishopdabre@gmail.com; archbishop@archtvm.in; catholicostvm@gmail.com; baselioscleemis@gmail.com; imarcleemis@hotmail.com;
Date: Sat, 07 Mar 2015 11:14:17 +0530
Subject: PROBLEMS PERSIST IN THE “FIRST REVISED EDITION 2011” OF THE ST. PAULS NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE
Dear Most Rev. Bishop Agnelo Gracias,
Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay
Our team has examined the “First Revised Edition 2011” of the 2008 St Pauls New Community Bible (NCB) published by the Bombay Saint Paul Society, and compared the revisions in its commentaries with the commentaries of the latter. Please see:
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 24-WHAT WERE THE REVISIONS MADE IN IT?
FEBRUARY 2015
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_24-WHAT_WERE_THE_REVISIONS_MADE_IN_IT.doc
We are pleased to report to you that the majority of those portions of commentaries and a couple of illustrations that we found in the 2008 edition to be offensive and unacceptable to Catholics have been expunged or excised, and we would like to express to you and your fellow Bishops our thanks for ensuring their deletion/removal by the publishers, the Society of St. Paul, thus graciously recognizing that we were completely justified in rejecting them.
This communication is addressed specifically to you because, toward the end of 2008, you had circulated a response to our July 14, 2008 critique on the NCB, which response you did not provide me a copy of despite my requests to you and to the Cardinal Archbishop for the same. See:
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 01-A CRITIQUE JULY 14, 2008
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_01-A_CRITIQUE.doc
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 22-BISHOP AGNELO GRACIAS DEFENDS IT YET IT IS PULLED FOR REVISION FEBRUARY 2015
Regrettably, our examination of the two editions reveals that there are a few retentions in the Revised Edition that continue to make it unacceptable to Catholics. On the basis of our findings and observations, we have published the report:
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 25-REVISED EDITION NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CATHOLICS FEBRUARY 2015
We have marked copies of the present email letter to the following Bishops:
1. His Eminence Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, former President-CBCI, President-CCBI, President-FABC
2. Bishop Percival Fernandez, Auxiliary Emeritus of Bombay, Former Secretary General-CBCI (who gave the Imprimatur for the 2008 edition)
3. Bishop Thomas Dabre, Bishop of Poona, then Chairman of the Doctrinal Commission-CBCI (who gave the Nihil Obstat for the 2008 edition)
4. Archbishop Maria Calist Soosa Pakiam, Metropolitan Archbishop of Trivandrum (Latin Rite), Chairman of the Biblical Commission-CBCI (who wrote the Preface to both editions)
5. His Eminence Baselios Mar Cleemis, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum (Syro-Malankara Rite), President-CBCI
6. Bishop Dominic Savio Fernandes, Auxiliary of Bombay
7. Bishop John Rodrigues, Auxiliary of Bombay
8. Bishop Bosco Penha, Auxiliary Emeritus of Bombay
Due to restrictions in the number of addresses that can be included in the Cc in my Outlook Express, I will be separately writing a similar letter to the Fathers of the Society of St. Paul and The Examiner as well as to other Bishops and individuals, around 10 to 12 email addresses at a time.
We are constrained to publicize our reports using the social media because from past experience (the NCB issue, etc.) the concerns that we expressed in our correspondence with the Bishops was not taken seriously until they were picked up by the print and Internet media.
We look forward to acknowledgements of this communication as well as assurances that our reports will be studied by yourself and your fellow Bishops, and eventually being informed by you of your individual and/or collective decisions.
The other reports from our ministry in the New Community Bible series are:
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 02-THE PAPAL SEMINARY, PUNE, INDIAN THEOLOGIANS, AND THE CATHOLIC ASHRAMS 18 SEPTEMBER 2008/SEPTEMBER 2009/APRIL 2012
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 03-A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES FEBRUARY 24, 2009
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 04-THE ONGOING ROBBERY OF FAITH FEBRUARY 24, 2009
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_04-THE_ONGOING_ROBBERY_OF_FAITH.doc
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 05-THE ANGEL GABRIEL DID NOT APPEAR TO THE VIRGIN MARY MARCH 15, 2009
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 06-PRESS REPORTS AND READERS’ CRITICISMS MARCH 22, 2009/DECEMBER 2009
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_06-PRESS_REPORTS_AND_READERS_CRITICISMS.doc
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 07-UNPUBLISHED LETTERS AGAINST ITS ERRONEOUS COMMENTARIES-THE EXAMINER MAY 2009
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 08-LETTERS CALLING FOR ITS WITHDRAWAL 31 DECEMBER 2008/DECEMBER 2009
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_08-LETTERS_CALLING_FOR_ITS_WITHDRAWAL.doc
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 09-LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH APRIL-MAY 2009
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 10-CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE SECULAR MEDIA, AND WITH PRIEST-CRITICS OF OUR CRUSADE AGAINST ITS ERRORS MAY 2009
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 11-VATICAN HELD RESPONSIBLE, BRAHMIN LEADERS DEMAND ITS WITHDRAWAL JUNE 25, 2009/DECEMBER 2009
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 12-LETTERS TO ROME JUNE 2009/AUGUST 2013
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_12-LETTERS_TO_ROME.doc
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 13-RESPONSES FROM THE BISHOPS AND THEIR EXECUTIVE COMMISSIONS AUGUST 2009
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 14-UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX GREEK CATHOLIC BISHOPS CALL IT A NEW AGE BIBLE, “EXCOMMUNICATE” INDIAN BISHOPS
MARCH 2010/APRIL 2012
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 15-DEMAND FOR ORDINATION OF WOMEN PRIESTS-FR SUBHASH ANAND AND OTHERS
APRIL 2010/JULY 2010/APRIL 2012/17 MARCH/10 APRIL 2013
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 16-CRITIQUE BY DERRICK D’COSTA
JULY 2010
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_16-CRITIQUE_BY_DERRICK_DCOSTA.doc
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 17-EXTOLLED BY CAMALDOLI BENEDICTINE OBLATE 1/5/10 MAY 2013
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_17-EXTOLLED_BY_CAMALDOLI_BENEDICTINE_OBLATE.doc
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 18-REVISED EDITION COMING, ST PAULS IN DENIAL JULY 2010/DECEMBER 2011
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_18-REVISED_EDITION_COMING_ST_PAULS_IN_DENIAL.doc
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 19-REVISED EDITION PUBLISHED A YEAR AFTER DENIAL JULY 2010/DECEMBER 2011
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 20-HALF-TRUTHS FROM CARDINAL OSWALD GRACIAS 28 JUNE 2013
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_20-HALF-TRUTHS_FROM_CARDINAL_OSWALD_GRACIAS.doc
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 21-INDIAN CHURCH’S SYNCRETIZED BIBLE EXPORTED 7 MARCH/6/9/24/30 MAY/5 JUNE, 2013
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_21-INDIAN_CHURCHS_SYNCRETIZED_BIBLE_EXPORTED.doc
NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 23-EDDIE RUSSELL CALLS IT A HINDUISED HERETICAL BIBLE FEBRUARY 2015
HINDU RELIGIOUS MARK ON THE FOREHEAD 22-THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE
FEBRUARY 2015
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/HINDU_RELIGIOUS_MARK_ON_THE_FOREHEAD_22-THE_NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE.doc
Yours obediently,
Michael Prabhu
2. To: Categories: Hinduisation of the Catholic Church in IndiaRelated Articles
FRANCIS WON’T ABOLISH ‘HINDU RITE’ EUCHARIST
THE SPIRITUAL DECEPTIONS OF THE NEW AGE MOVEMENT AND WHAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS PRONOUNCED ON THEM
Pope Francis’ New Age Holistic Health Conference on “Exploring the Mind, Body and Soul”
“Compendium of New Age Deceptions and Corresponding Church Teachings: Medications and Meditations in the New Age” Book Author – Michael Prabhu
EPHESIANS-511.NET- A Roman Catholic Ministry Exposing Errors in the Indian Church 
Leave a Reply