AUGUST 18, 2015

Bishop Thomas Dabre brazenly lies in the secular and Church media about the Church’s position on yoga

Fr. Conrad Saldanha challenges the deception of the Bishop on Yoga and Surya Namaskar

This is a report that is about two months overdue. Its writing and release was delayed due to a motor accident and consequent hospitalisation of this writer and the resultant delay in collating information.

Why does Bishop Thomas Dabre appear so surprised? Did he not know that Catholics would be incensed by the misinformation published by him and his misinterpretation of Church Documents?

I wonder what the necessity was for the Bishop, when there are so many grave problems and scandals and abuses and injustices that need to be addressed in the Indian Church, when New Age is rampant and institutionalized in Her, when there is the most critical Church event of the Synod on the Family just around the corner, to waste his precious pastoral time and energy in writing about Hindu yoga and Surya Namaskar.

There was no provocation or apparent reason for him to publish his articles online and in the secular media as well as in the weekly official mouthpiece of the Archdiocese of Bombay, The Examiner, unless his intention was to use the upcoming June 21 event of World Yoga Day/International Day of Yoga as an opportunity to deceive Catholics into believing that, if a Bishop said so, then he is speaking with the authority of the Magisterium and must therefore be correct when he holds that yoga and Surya Namaskar are areligious and may safely be practised by Catholics.

Some of my recent reports have revealed that the Bishop propagates an unacceptable form of interreligious dialogue that virtually denies the primacy of the role and the Gospel of the Catholic Church, that he permits liturgical abuses in his diocese and then defends them and that he is a yoga and Surya Namaskar enthusiast.

See the list of files with links on pages 55 through 57 and at the end of the present report.

My insertions/comments are as always, in green font. I have tried to make this report in chronological order.

A letter to this writer:

Subject: Yoga in Catholic schools Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2015 03:11:14 +0530

Dear Michael,

Thank you for all your emails and bless you for enlightening us on the various errors that are taking place in the Church today. Your emails are not only enlightening, but educational too.

This afternoon a parent from one of our Catholic schools in Colaba approached me to give me the sad news that yoga has been introduced in the school and is compulsory for all the children. They will have a ‘yoga’ period daily and all have to attend. He is going to take up this matter with the school and try to get his daughter exempted from this class. 

Just today you sent out the email on yoga* which was perfect, as I had recommended that he read your articles on this subject. We advised him to send his letter to the school with a copy to Cardinal Oswald Gracias and the Archdiocesan Board of Education.

The Catholic Church in India is getting from bad to worse and what else is in store for it only our good God knows.  Let us continue with our prayers and stay strong in His love and His truth.

Elaine M., Mumbai

*FR JOE PEREIRA-PLANS YOGA EVENT SPARKS DEBATE

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_JOE_PEREIRA-PLANS_YOGA_EVENT_SPARKS_DEBATE.doc

I. This is Bishop Thomas Dabre‘s FIRST Facebook post on yoga and Surya Namaskar in anticipation of the first World Yoga Day/International Day of Yoga on June 21, 2015

https://www.facebook.com/bishopthomas.dabre/posts/1786850248208141

Bishop Thomas Dabre

June 16, 2015 · 

Dear Friends,

The Indian Government has been preparing for the observance of Yoga Day on 21 June. There has been much debate about the pros and cons of the Yoga Day.
There are some who affirm that yoga is connected with Hinduism and there are some who regard yoga as a physical and mental exercise. It is certainly possible to detach the yoga practise and Suryanamaskar (homage to the sun). And so it is possible for the believers of various religions to practise yoga and Suryanamaskar for physical and mental gains that can accrue from these exercises.
The name Suryanamaskar can be misunderstood as a sort of veneration of the sun, regarded as a divinised entity. But one can certainly regard the sun as a material inanimate creation of God and practise the exercise for its physical and cosmic benefits.
Thus without being a Hindu it is possible to do the yoga and Suryanamaskar.
Even so yoga should not be imposed on people. People should be left free to choose free forms of exercises like yoga. There should be no imposition and no compulsion. 
Politically it is inadvisable and unwise on the part of the BJP led government to fervently promote the yoga practice, because already, the BJP is regarded as a Hindu right wing political party by its opponents. And so promotion of yoga by BJP will further strengthen their perceived communal character. And therefore, the government in a secular democracy should detach itself from whatever that is perceived as an expression of a particular religion and in the present context, Hindu religion.
Personally I see some good points in yoga. But it should be something that is observed freely and out of conviction.

10 Catholics agreed with the Bishop

There was only one dissenting comment which I’m sure that the Bishop must have ignored since he came out with two more on the same issue a few days later:

Francis Coutinho Your Holiness Bishop Thomas Dabre, there’s a very, very thick line …worshipping the creator and his creation. This is where the difference begins and it ends there!

June 17 at 10:04am

II A. On World Yoga day Christians have some serious thinking to do: Choose Life or Death

Should Christians dabble with Yogic Exercises?

{http://frconradsaldanha.blogspot.in/2015/06/should-christians-dabble-with-yogic.html?spref=fb

FRCONRADSALDANHA.BLOGSPOT.COM|BY FR. CONRAD SALDANHA}

By Fr. Conrad Saldanha

https://www.facebook.com/groups/243799285638212/permalink/1012236285461171/:

June 20

Fr. Conrad Saldanha is a priest of the Archdiocese of Bombay

(I was compelled to write this article in keeping with the urgency of the situation and the sham response of the hierarchy in India and Mumbai to the issue that is eating into the church like cancer.)

The world will celebrate World Yoga Day. While the Muslims have raised their voice against the imposition of yoga, the voices in the government have managed to appease them by removing the suryanamskar from the routine.

The Catholics seem to have welcomed the World Yoga Day minus the day chosen, which is a Sunday; a sacred day for Christian. Otherwise they don’t seem to have any objection to the practice of yoga.

Why would the Catholic Church in India not object to Yoga and the World Yoga Day?

It is solely because the hierarchy themselves, in search of the concealed ray of truth and in seeking to separate the good elements from the bad are indulging in yogic spirituality. It is part of the formation in many of the seminaries in India too.

Could it be true that even the Catholic Church at the UN voted in favor of the World Yoga Day without assessing the deceptive claims? (Some of these false claims have been answered in this article without highlighting them)

Besides the practice of it, many of from the hierarchy seem convinced and have either written introductions to books on the subject, written or commented positively on the subject, conducted sessions and classes or invited others to do the same and some of them are even exporting it to other countries, earning for their lavish lifestyles. Some have either started ashrams or are even heading institutions which promote and claim that they use yoga to reach out in healing for the people; which percentage of claim stands in need of verification because deception is always a fruit thereof.

How compatible is yoga with Christian spirituality? We need to especially look into what seems to be the most innocuous part of it: The physical exercises.

Unlike Hinduism which is free to adapt to a dual or even a multifaceted spiritual lifestyle, a Christian is supposed to be singular and cannot be dual in his ways, thinking and action. The word of God is supposed to be the primary focus and a basis for discerning and accepting every thought or action and these thought and actions are to ultimately be subjected to Christ through the Church tradition and magisterium.

There are well defined moral standards too for a Christian, whether he puts it into practice or not. One is supposed to do so without any duality.

All this, for a striving Christian, is made possible on account of the Salvation which Christ Jesus has accomplished on the cross. Jesus offers one the hope, the healing, the health, consolation and courage and above all the eternal salvation.

Therefore, Yoga in any form is unacceptable to a Christian who believes in Christ Jesus, whether it is the meditations or the exercises thereof.

Critical Analysis of the claims of Yogic exercises from a Christian point of view:

Yogic exercises are incompatible with Christianity because it is incompatible with truth. In other words, it doesn’t have a basis in truth. For Christians truth is the guiding factor. Unfortunately many may have been deceived into falsity in search of that ray of truth when they either through deception or wickedness of heart missed the fullness of it in Christ Jesus.

The reason why yogic exercises have growing popularity is on account of its many positive claims; some of which could be true but many are deceptively false, especially from a Christian world view.

Yoga, it is claimed has nothing to do with religion: While many of promoters of yoga claim that it has nothing to do with religion there are some yogi’s who have clearly affirmed that it has everything to do with Hindu religion. Some even accuse and condemn the Christians of trying to separate yogic exercises from the Hindu system and then condemn the Hindu’s as damned. Even though they may be disputes as to its religious leanings but no one seem to dispute as to its origin, which is Hinduism. It should be noted that even if a Christian tries to Christianize the system, it cannot be as the root itself is Hindu.

For a Christian the source of a concept is important to identify for further action. In the scripture, in the temptation narratives of Matthew and Luke when Satan comes to Jesus with the pure written word from the Bible, Jesus could have adopted the new principle of modern man in search of the ray of truth in other religions and separated the written word of God from him and observed it diligently but rejects it because the source and the application of it is not in God’s interest and thus in the interest of humanity.

Similarly the Catholic Church had issued a document in 2003: “It is difficult to separate the individual elements of New Age religiosity – innocent though they may appear – from the overarching framework which permeates the whole thought-world on the New Age movement. The gnostic nature of this movement calls us to judge it in its entirety. From the point of view of Christian faith, it is not possible to isolate some elements of New Age religiosity as acceptable to Christians, while rejecting others.” (#4:1; Jesus Christ, the Bearer of the Water of Life)

Hence anyone claiming that the church has not taken a stand is only abusing his office to deceive the ignorant laity. Similarly those suggesting that it can be safely practiced apart from its philosophy are already walking in deception and if they are shepherds then they should humbly step down for leading the flock astray for long.

Let’s arrive at the truth about the exercises from the existential point first:

The west, steeped in secular, scientific education and materialism, had failed to understand the Christian doctrine and many of them were left empty in their spiritual or psychological quest for God, peace, happiness, solace and relationships. They had the money to buy everything but didn’t realize that the fruit of the gospel was freely available to those who seek it in Christ.

Many entered into the deception of yoga because it claimed that it has nothing to do with religion. Their rejection of religion mired in the pride of education made it difficult for them to see the truth. They may be right in their thinking from their perspective but specifically from a Christian viewpoint it has everything to with religion as you will see from the explanations below.

The Church, in such circumstances, too failed to communicate the gospel of hope to them.

Hence their materialistic pride thought them that they could buy everything, including truth and for truth they got the deception they wanted. (cf. Romans 1:17 ff.)

No human being can attain God on his own wisdom, knowledge or efforts unless they humbly seek it, with perseverance: “You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

In the same vein yoga is considered scientific too. Though there are some verifiable facts about yoga and certain things about yoga can be verifiably affirmed but some the psycho-social benefits can be disputed about it. What is apparent or may be initial benefits or a deceptive feeling of well-being on account of partial difference may be claimed as achievements.

For example: India should have been a sporting giant on account of its roots in yoga and practice of yoga in sports but it is definitely a great giant in corruption and creating an index of unhappiness. We still need foreign coaches and trainers to train our sports personnel.

The practical reasons why one gets into yogic exercises and how compatible is it with the truth and with the Christian world view:

1. To fight stress or for distressing: Most of the stress we experience is due to hurts, un-forgiveness, guilt, every day conflicts and trials of life or taking decisions which are incompatible with one’s abilities. If a Christian can handle these through prayer, confession and sound counseling then does one need to practice yogic exercise to de-stress? I have seen countless people being healed of the symptoms of stress through the right approach to prayer and through the Sacramental ministry of the Church.

2. To attain peace of mind: Yoga doesn’t offer anyone Peace of mind and those who claim that have not really experienced the real peace which Jesus offers to his followers. In fact what yoga definitely offers is a state of calmness and this is often or even deceptively referred to as peace. It is like a deceptive baker selling his bread as a cake because the natives have never seen a cake.

Since one may imagine that I am only disputing about words; let me explain: If one is disturbed on account of a public insult then yoga deals with it through its method of either breathing or mantra or physical exercises, either by ignoring it, rationalizing it or suppressing it. On the other hand the Christian deals with such disturbances in prayer, either through surrender, forgiveness, letting go of what one has held back. Further, to help the weak do it we have the wisdom of the cross and the grace thereof to attain the peace that surpasses all understanding. (Philippians 4:6)

3. For good health: Exercises do give us good health but do they deal with the problem at its root? What is the main reason for most of our ill-health? The few reasons for ill-health:

Our not being reconciled to God is the primary reason for the ill-health we face in life and this ill-health working in us can ultimately lead us to eternal destruction, even though we may live long on account of our disciplined life of right eating, right sleeping, and right exercises.

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation.” Romans 5:8-11

The bitterness of un-forgiveness can be also a big reason for ill-health and most of our sickness. What would be better: to eliminate the problem or to ignore or rationalize or suppress it or may be just rise above it?

The guilt of wrongdoing could affect us and lead to some deep emotional problems too. But yoga will seek to ignore guilt as bad and thus suppress it rather than deal with it through the confessional.

The pain of deep hurt and rejection can leave deep emotional scars which again could be suppressed through physical exercises.

The deep rooted fears could be calmed too by yogic exercises with seeking to eliminate the root reason for it.

Likewise, many other emotional issues are not dealt with in the true human spirit and thus yoga rejects the truth of man.

4. To lose weight/slim down: On the one hand it is claimed that yoga brings about harmony between man and nature and deal with climate change and on the other hand it does encourage the reduction of weight through exercises; which means indulge yourself and then exercise to lose weight. Compare this with the ascetic spirituality of being frugal with our eating and drinking and thus donating and support the poor and orphans. Which would be more environmentally friendly? Most of these yogis are such vegetarian fanatics that they would want to preserve the bovines in order to increase the greenhouse gases in the universe but will not give up on their milk.

5. To remain young and youthful: The new self is self-confident, seeks to achieve, believes in oneself and adopts a spirituality that helps them in their selfish ambition to be achievers at any cost. There is very little of the moral principle at work. What is forgotten is that one could remain eternally young and youthful but lost forever into eternal damnation. Because scripture reminds us that God had reduced Man’s lifespan so that he may, reflecting on death would think of his creator and pay him homage (cfr. Gen 6:3; Ps. 39). Whereas yogic exercise has to lead you the other way: long life and youthfulness but eternal damnation.

6. For better performance: Indeed yoga could help one perform better in rote learning and may be alertness and in concentration minus the moral principles! Unless one has brought their sense of morality along on account of their family or school background one is lost in the maze of a deceptively glorified idea. Much of the sound discerning wisdom is in the morality of life’s principles. In India a cow may be of more value and may be worshipped than a human being. I have seen how concern for human life is poor and the karma principle justifies the indifference.

The immense evil in Yoga vis-à-vis the human being is remarkable: Though yoga may offer some of the benefits which I have acknowledged and described above but in keeping with its tall claim it ignores the moral principle in human nature. The claim of peace, de-stressing, equanimity, etc. is at the cost of ignoring of the human conscience. What sets human beings apart from the animal world is their conscience which at times even needs to be formed so that he may respect the other, not cheat or give false hopes and promises and make lofty statements of assurances and not fulfill them and give different value or meaning to the same word of assurance given.

All that unity and harmony that it claims to achieve in man is done minus/without reference to the conscience of man which is either ignored or suppressed or harmonized in oneself in order to create a new situation of health, harmony, goodwill, etc. But what appears apparently to be good is nothing but a creation of an intolerable world view that will not tolerate opposition to its ideological claims once it attains full power.

Finally, a hint of the evil in certain physical exercise revealed in Scripture: “In those days lawless men came forth from Israel, and misled many, saying, “Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles round about us, for since we separated from them many evils have come upon us.”
This proposal pleased them, and some of the people eagerly went to the king. He authorized them to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles. So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to Gentile custom, and removed the marks of circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant. They joined with the Gentiles and sold themselves to do evil.” 1 Maccabees 1:11-15

Choose: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live,
loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him; for that means life to you and length of days,” Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Adrian Mascarenhas Yoga doesn’t necessarily lead to death. For many, Yoga is purely a physical activity. Those who take up the spiritual side of Yoga should be careful.

June 21 at 2:08am 

Father Conrad Saldanha Fr. Adrian Mascarenhas Let me understand what you are saying: the first sin mentioned in the book of Genesis did not necessarily lead to death because Adam and Eve did not die after eating the fruit: is it in this sense then what you are saying is true. But remember spiritual death is a lot more dangerous and it requires a spiritual person and not rationalists to understand it. We both would agree that yoga is a physical activity BUT what is the basis of your surety that it is PURELY a physical activity? Are you a Yogi too?

June 22 at 7:07am 

Comment at http://frconradsaldanha.blogspot.in/2015/06/should-christians-dabble-with-yogic.html?spref=fb

https://www.facebook.com/fatherconrad/posts/10153442651408829

By Fr. Conrad Saldanha
[as in the article above]

Brenda Dsouza Very true Father Thank You for this. If we Christians have a Personal Encounter with Jesus Christ and make a commitment to sit in personal prayer (at least for an hour) then we do not need to seek other worldly channels

June 21 at 4:45am

Binu VJ Thank you Father Conrad Saldanha for this very useful article.

June 21 at 5:46am

Sharon Sarita Burkman Agree and support Rev. Fr. Conrad you in all your teachings as discernment discipline disciple. Truth is bitter to digest but we pray in silence. If YOGA is so great where is the CROSS which we are as Christ followers we cannot meditate on the passion of our Lord?

June 21 at 5:26pm

Unita Chandarana Sharon I agree with you. Where is the CROSS?

July 26 at 4:03pm

Sharon Sarita Burkman My dear corrupted Apostolate of the catholic church who are in power oh forgot status sitting in the CHAIR…..are having time for YOGA simple teaching talented priest like Rev. Fr. Conrad teaching is kept under the cushion……..why have they kept him closed door till date

July 26 at 4:36pm

Shaila Touchton Herein lies the problem; these Christians have abandoned the living water from Jesus Christ and have gone to broken cisterns, the world, and other religions to find refreshment. Never consulting the word of whom Jesus said: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:29). Jesus also said, “Now everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand” (Matthew 7:26). The main reason anyone, even a Christian will search elsewhere, is because they are not building their life on God’s word, they have walked away from it. Once one does this they become open to other religions influences and philosophies that are contrary to Jesus Christ.

June 21 at 7:18pm

Shaila Touchton Fr Saldanha, your article on yoga was timely reminder. Exercising and stretching is not a problem, but God would not encourage demonic practices. Yoga is Hinduism and it must not be practiced. Did Jesus do yoga or did he pray to God? Yoga comes from a pagan lifestyle and is different from Christianity, we are not to practice things from other religions.
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

June 21 at 7:21pm

Sue Kirby-Sidey Ocds Even in exercise for yoga, each movement would be a ‘sacrament’ so to speak… Everything thing has a meaning….and certainly not Christian-like at all!

June 22 at 1:15am

Odely Dsouza Derivations are made based on one’s imagination and current lifestyle. Yoga is a science of staying fit, which was adopted and practised by the Aryans thousands of years ago. Meditation, stretching & breathing patterns are the key arteries. 
Science and religion must not be mixed. 
Different ways of believing God’s existence and presence has given birth to Religion / sect where man exploited it for its own worldly benefits.

June 22 at 4:34am

Sue Kirby-Sidey Ocds

Odely, yoga is not a science…could you please give me a reference from a scientific magazine that states this.

Don’t Fall into the Holy Yoga Trap.

Stay away from Holy Yoga. If you want to deepen your relationship with Christ, spend some time sitting in the Presence of the Living God in your local adoration chapel. Do it once a week for one hour for at least three consecutive months, asking God to help you fulfill His most holy will for your life, and see what happens to your desire to pose your body in positions of worship to Hindu gods. Call it Holy Yoga vs. the Holy Eucharist.

Guess which one will win. 
See more at

Don’t Fall into the Holy Yoga Trap

By Susan Brinkmann
http://www.womenofgrace.com/blog/?p=13904%20-%20sthash.97tDZI5P.dpuf  

July 17 at 9:56pm

Father Conrad Saldanha The ones who believe yoga to be a science and not a religion are in a state of deception, not knowing that the qualities of Satan, revealed to us are also scientific in that sense … Can anyone, including Reshma Pinto, Odely Dsouza, Gladys Rodrigues, Akshata Amin, Sonal Monteiro, Derick Jose, Prakash Arthur, Renita Fernandes, Arun Joyson Tauro, S. J. D’Souza, & others who either support or believe that yoga is scientific and has nothing to do with religion tell me the following: What is science and how does yoga fulfill the 3 laws of scientific verification? Does what is claimed to be scientific, whether falsely or rightly automatically becomes a non-religious subject? You may have been deceived BUT DON’T DECEIVE US!

July 18 at 3:17pm

Sonal Monteiro Hello Father, for me yoga is not a religion. I practiced yoga for my fitness. I respect your article that yoga comes from the root of Hindus and I never knew it before. I studied in a convent school and I have learnt yoga from my school days. If this is the case, then they should not have let the Christian students to do yoga during the yoga hour. Since it is a convent school they should have known it. I apologize if I was wrong anyway. Thank you and bless me.

July 18 at 8:07pm

Father Conrad Saldanha Thanks and appreciate you Sonal Monteiro for writing and making us aware of the problem of convent schools. We even had them being taught in a seminary and what is more it is still being forced down people’s throats. I accept your apology and may the Lord bless and keep you strong.

July 18 at 8:10pm

Lourdes Fernandes Father, I had learnt yoga from a priest who had come to our church. I attended a yoga retreat under him because I had migraines for several years. It subsided for 2 years only to resurface again. But by then someone from the charismatic group told me to not indulge in yoga. I was healed of my migraines many years later when I attended Fr. Rufus Pereira’s advent outreach at St. Andrew’s Church. PTL!

July 19 at 1:28pm

Father Conrad Saldanha Thanks Lourdes Fernandes for sharing your testimony on the short lived experience of yoga, because yoga seeks to live with the problem till it gains a home in the system, hence the feeling of well-being, while on the other hand Christian spirituality seeks to deliver us from the root. God bless you!

July 19 at 6:10pm

Shailet Fernandes Fr. I really appreciate your effort of bringing the truth out instead of all the odds faced by you. I’m sure it is the Lord’s grace to get these things revealed out from you after being persecuted from such a long time, I pray sincerely that the Lord may keep enlightening you as well as protect you so that you may carry on this difficult mission of being in it still out of it. You are always in our prayers Father, and all that you have taught us during our DD retreats is helping us to make a better family today. God bless.

July 20 at 6:18am

Unita Chandarana Yeah Shailet very true, thanks to DD Retreats. In the teachings at a Dedicated Disciples retreat by Fr. Conrad Saldanha I learnt to face my daily sufferings and receive God’s graces and blessings. Every minute I see miracles in my life. I greatly Praise God my Lord Jesus Christ. May God bless you Fr. C in your journey of persecution. Amen.

July 21 at 4:24pm

III A. Church position on Yoga 

https://www.facebook.com/bishopthomas.dabre/posts/1789631837929982?fref=nf&pnref=story

By Bishop Thomas Dabre Bishop Thomas Dabre

June 22 at 4:40 am
Dear friends,

Yesterday, Yoga Day was celebrated both in India and in other parts of the world. It has raised awareness regarding the Indian tradition of yoga. Some of my face book friends have asked about the Vatican position on yoga and so I shall be sending a few messages on the issue of yoga and Surya Namaskar.

The text of the Vatican document does not mention yoga nor does it out of hand reject, condemn or ban it. (VATICAN DOCUMENT “ORATIONIS FORMAS”)
As you can see the following from the Vatican Document are relevant to the issue of yoga.

The majority of the great religions which have sought union with God in prayer have also pointed out ways to achieve it… “the Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions”.*
Human experience shows that the position and demeanour of the body also have their influence on the recollection and dispositions of the spirit. This is a fact to which some eastern and western Christian spiritual writers have directed their attention.
In prayer it is the whole man who must enter into relation with God, and so his body should also take up the position most suited to recollection. In some aspects, Christians are today becoming more conscious of how one’s bodily posture can aid prayer.
The genuine practices of meditation which come from the great non-Christian religions, which prove attractive to the man of today who is divided and disoriented, can constitute a suitable means of helping the person to come before God with an interior peace, even in the midst of external pressures.
Those who are interested in obtaining the whole document, can do so by advising me of their email id.

My reflection on this topic will continue.

My comments, interspersed here and there, are as always in green colour –Michael

*Bishop Dabre cites two lines of Section V. 16 QUESTIONS OF METHOD of the October 15, 1989 Document LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON SOME ASPECTS OF CHRISTIAN MEDITATION.

He does not give us the rest of the paragraph, which reads:

On the contrary, one can take from them what is useful so long as the Christian conception of prayer, its logic and requirements are never obscured. It is within the context of all of this that these bits and pieces should be taken up and expressed anew. Among these one might mention first of all that of the humble acceptance of a master who is an expert in the life of prayer, and of the counsels he gives. Christian experience has known of this practice from earliest times, from the epoch of the desert Fathers. Such a master, being an expert in “sentire cum ecclesia,” must not only direct and warn of certain dangers; as a “spiritual father,” he has to also lead his pupil in a dynamic way, heart to heart, into the life of prayer, which is the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For one, as seen in my various exposés on his errors, it is clear that Bishop Dabre is certainly not fulfilling that requirement.

Further, this Document, signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger the future Pope Benedict XVI, was specifically addressed to the Bishops of the world so that they could use it pastorally to WARN CATHOLICS worldwide of the dangers of Eastern meditation systems such as yoga, Zen and Transcendental Meditation.

The Document also says this in Footnote 1:

The expression “eastern methods” is used to refer to methods which are inspired by Hinduism and Buddhism, such as “Zen,” “Transcendental Meditation” or “Yoga.” Thus it indicates methods of meditation of the non-Christian Far East which today are not infrequently adopted by some Christians also in their meditation. The orientation of the principles and methods contained in this present document is intended to serve as a reference point not just for this problem, but also, in a more general way for the different forms of prayer practiced nowadays in ecclesial organizations, particularly in associations, movements and groups.

Now Rome would not issue a Document warning Catholics of the dangers of the monosodium glutamate (MSG) content in Nestlé’s Maggi noodles, would they? It is quite obvious that Rome would concern itself only with spiritual issues that affect Catholics. The practice of yoga, Zen and Transcendental Meditation by those who are baptized into the Church pose grave spiritual dangers to these Christians.

When during the twenty-six years since the release of this very important Document did Bishop Thomas Dabre or any other Indian Bishop communicate it to the faithful of their dioceses?

The fact that Catholics are blissfully unaware of the 1989 Document as well as the February 2003 Document on the New Age that also warns Catholics about the spiritual perils of yoga meditation is evident when one finds 16 Catholic lay persons writing in and disclosing their email ids (see below) and requesting the Bishop to send them the “whole document” in response to his offer. These lay Catholics are Internet savvy people who use Facebook and other social media and the latest apps and developments in information technology, but they are blissfully ignorant about things Catholic. Our priests and bishops like them that way and see that they remain that way. That is the reason why Bishop Dabre and others like him are able to convince them with two sentences extracted at random out of a Document that they have never even heard of, that yoga is OK for Catholics!!

Derek Saldanha Your Lordship, I think the document “Jesus Christ, the bearer of the water of life” is very clearly against indulging in any New Age spirituality. Is that right? Incorporating breathing techniques or postures from Yoga is different from practicing Yoga itself. Do you agree with that and if so would it then be advisable for Catholics not to attend Yoga classes at institutions like Iyengar Yoga.

June 22 at 5:16am

Derek Saldanha is an Indian seminarian studying for priesthood in the United States. He has been in touch with me since several years. He calls the Bishop’s bluff.

Derek Saldanha I am sorry but can’t help recalling Fr. Anthony Lobo of Poona Diocese who was an avid practitioner of Iyengar Yoga and eventually left the priesthood and till today badmouths the Poona Diocese. More recently, Salesian priest Fr John Gonsalves who was at Yerawada {Poona} left, got married and started a Yoga center in Bangalore. It’s not surprising, because the spirituality of Yoga is about oneself but Christianity is about surrendering and doing the will of God in our lives. You will know better than anyone dear Lordship of the number of people suffering possessions and sayan attacks needing deliverance after indulging in the New Age spirituality like Yoga.

June 22 at 5:22am

Eugene Pinto I really do not appreciate you sitting on the fence on this one Your Lordship. Body Posture…and an Asana are two different things. I can sit in a position that is conducive to prayer and meditation or I can do an Asana to achieve the same effect. The document which you quote says both are the same, which is not the case. Christian Meditation is directed at a person who is outside of us namely Jesus. Other forms of meditation are inward looking. Big difference. We rely on the Clergy and Curia to stand for the TRUTH. This article which you posted does not do this. Please recant and clarify your position.

June 22 at 5:33am

Ditoza Maria Noronha There is way too much of confusion on the issue of yoga. Would greatly appreciate a clearer teaching

June 22 at 5:41am

She was or still is the Secretary to a Bishop and has been in touch with this ministry for many years.

Gregory Fernandes I think this encyclical by Pope John Paul II speaks about yoga http://www.vatican.va/…/rc_pc_interelg_doc_20030203_new…

Jesus Christ The Bearer Of The Water Of Life – A Christian reflection on the New Age

2.2. What does the New Age claim to offer? 2.2.1. Enchantment: There must be an Angel 2.2.2. Harmony and Understanding: Good Vibrations 2.2.3. Health: Golden Living 2.2.4. Wholeness: A Magical Mystery Tour

June 22 at 5:58am

That’s not from Pope John Paul II; it’s the 2003 Document on the New Age that I mentioned earlier.

Raju Felix Crasta You are very much true Bishop Dabre. What the government and Hindu outfits are calling Yoga is nothing but the safronization of real philosophy of Yoga given by Patanjali centuries ago. The real Yoga has eight steps called limbs. They are yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. What the present day yoga masters are doing is nothing but third and fourth step (asana and pranayama – posture and breath control). To begin with asana there are two steps need to follow in life that is, yama and niyama. Yama is moral conduct of the person. Again yama has five more issues to keep in mind. It is showing compassion (ahimsa), speaking truth (satya), non-stealing (astheya), sense control and being neutral to wealth (aparigraha). Niyama is sum total of all religious, cultural, social, political… norms which puts human in reality. They are being pure in mind and heart, discipling oneself, self-study etc. If these two are not followed in life, what path the person will teach others? What asana will the person do? It is nothing but hypocrisy. 
Mr. Derek Saldanha your observation is right. Yoga by its very meaning (root meaning of the word yoga) is uniting (Yuj). Yoga should unite the person with reality. It is holistic when it unites the person cosmotheandrically. Pope Francis has beautifully brought this issue in is latest encyclical though he did not make a mention of the word ‘yoga’. What he is advocating is ‘holistic yoga’.

June 22 at 6:25am 

Raju Felix Crasta is a priest. See the notes on him on page 14.

Russell Fernandes Vatican’s chief exorcist, says yoga is evil.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/…/Yoga-work-devil-says…

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2066289/Yoga-work-devil-says-Vaticans-chief-exorcist-doesnt-like-Harry-Potter-either.html

June 22 at 6:45am 

Biju Koshy The teachings of Christ are clear, meditate on the word of god, not meditate in yoga posture

June 22 at 7:07am

Shyla Shyla I appreciate all the people who are rebuking false teachings. God is not pleased with carnal, false teachings.

June 25 at 5:37am

Viceroy Thom Goenkar The foolishness of Church Leaders continues…. All bologna and looks like the Bishop is not the right pastor to guide his sheep… The Indianization of Roman Catholic Church has destroyed long ago…instead of genuflection to Jesus Christ, they are adoring Surya Namaskar, instead of Holy Trinity they’ve got Indian Trimurti, Shiva, Krishna or who else…why yoga meditation now when the Church had and taught in Monasteries and Trappists? Why do need Novelty in Catholic Church? If there no Church Document on Yoga… Just shut the mouth and stop preaching heresies… As A Roman Catholic I refuse to believe your explanation on Yoga… Which is nothing but Hindu culture and Not Roman Civilization aka Christian Civilization- May God enlighten your Lordship! Praying for you

June 22 at 7:11am

Shyla Shyla I certainly agree with you

June 25 at 5:35am

Joseph Joseph DANGERS OF YOGA

Please read this testimony below, about yoga. Hearken unto the voice of God and beware of such worldly exercise.
On Wednesday, I attended a talk by an ex-yoga teacher, Madame Poh Shon Choy, who sold her yoga centre (earning lots of money giving yoga lessons) and severed all ties with yoga. She urges us to inform relatives, friends, family members, etc., NOT to get involved at all. For those who had taken up yoga lessons (hot yoga, power yoga, pe-la-tei, so on), repent and ask God for forgiveness. Many claimed that they only join to keep fit, only doing the exercise poses and not meditation. Christians think it is ok so long they don’t participate in the meditation part. Mme. Choy explains that the central of yoga (originated from Hinduism) is the spirit of Kundalini (spirit of snake or cobra). Yoga poses are actually animal poses (e.g. camel, rabbit). All these look very normal and harmless, stretching and exercising. But the danger is, once a person does such poses, the spirit of Kundalini (the snake is in a coiled position) is stimulated or aroused. As the persons goes from basic to intermediate to advance stage of yoga lessons (still not meditation yet), the coiled “snake” will be aroused further. It will rise and rise further. There are 7 centres in the human body – starting from the navel. The final centre is the part between the eye brows (known to many as the third eye). When the spirit is aroused to the final centre, the third eye will be opened. This is called the full enlightenment. The first thing the person sees is demons. For some, they will become insane seeing such horrifying demons. For others, they are not afraid and will have the power to fore-tell other people’s health, problems, luck, etc. (like a fortune teller). In fact, they manipulate and control other people. The meditation part will come in very subtle. Mme. Choy said she was approached by a couple who found her contact from the yellow pages and told her they wanted to teach her new things about yoga. She was very keen and sat under their teaching. She learnt how to meditate and it must be done in odd hours of the day (past midnight). So she tried. She actually felt a wriggling feeling in her stomach! She also mentioned that her third eye was opened. She could see her own aura (electric fields in all human beings). Her turning point came when God caused her spiritual eyes to open – she witnessed a lady being delivered, wriggling like a snake on the floor. Mme. Choy thanked God for being gracious to her, she took 1-2 weeks to be delivered. She knows of a lady who took 3 months to be cleansed!! It is a sad thing, there is even yoga lessons for children. In the States, a Methodist started the Christian yoga. However, there are some believers who still continue, saying that they find no harm after doing yoga for 3 years. Mme. Choy says it is our soul that is in danger. The evil one will try all ways to ensnare/trap Christians.
Someone in the class raised a question – if we have the Holy Spirit, how can the spirit of kundalini be aroused? Mme. Choy replied our God is a holy God, the Holy Spirit will be grieved and will depart. God cannot be mocked. God’s spirit left King Saul when he disobeyed God. To God, rebellion spirit is witchcraft. We are not against yoga teachers, yoga students but we are fighting against powers, principalities in the spiritual realm. Let’s be on guard, be aware

June 22 at 9:20am

Veronica Dsouza Amazing. Truth revealed. Praise God. May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego lead us into truth. Yeshua is the only WAY, TRUTH & LIGHT.

June 22 at 12:09pm

Shyla Shyla I certainly agree with you. Why Bishop is teaching heresy? Why many are not enduring sound doctrine, even Pope Francis didn’t encourage yoga.

June 25 at 5:34am

Viceroy Thom Goenkar Shyla, I appreciate and love your courage to stand for the truth – Christ is The Way, The Life and The Truth to go to Heaven…. You don’t need a Pastor to send a pastoral letter on Hindu Yoga and belittling our Christian

June 25 at 12:09pm

Russell Fernandes Lordship…beg to differ…my sense is that for God the bodily posture doesn’t matter as long as the spirit/soul is on its knees…

June 22 at 9:25am ·

Brian Ferrao Lordship, pls. email the document to
1) eujoan07@gmail.com

2) abrianferrao@yahoo.co.uk

June 22 at 9:41am

Stanely John Lordship requesting you humbly to send me the document my mail id is stan.kathir@gmail.com

June 22 at 10:11am

Tamizhselvan Anthonymuthu Kindly send also to my mail id: amtamizhsdb@gmail.com

June 22 at 10:28am

Avinash Ignatius Why mix yoga and religion! (Even if others try to!) Yoga is a form of exercise. 
Opposing ‘Surya namaskar’ for semantics is juvenile. It’s just a sad reflection of the strength/conviction of one’s own faith, if it can so easily be shaken…

June 22 at 10:33am

Derek Saldanha Yoga is not a form of exercise. It is a spiritual activity. If any certified Yogi gives in writing that Yoga is not spiritual, I will give you a million dollars.

June 22 at 12:43pm

Derek Saldanha is an Indian seminarian studying for priesthood in the United States.

Avinash Ignatius You can keep your million dollars. I don’t need anyone’s certificate, it’s a matter of perception.
Even if it’s spiritual, there is nothing wrong, if one understands the true essence of being spiritual…
Being spiritual and being religious are two different things…

June 22 at 6:21pm

Biju Koshy The scripture in Genesis says we were made by the breath of God. Further in New Testament it says our bodies are a temple of God where the Holy Spirit abodes. What in yoga are we trying to achieve is it to replace that breath and also replace the temple of God. As Christians we should be grounded in the word and not adjust the word for worldly convenience. The word very clearly says life of human flesh is in the blood, But life of a born again is in the spirit. So what are we trying to amend by doing yoga? The scripture says the Spirit vitalises the body, yoga cannot save you nor guarantee you heaven. Nor does yoga increase our lives on earth by a second. When you got to go you got to go.

June 22 at 12:14pm

Stan Lobo Your Lordship my email address stanlobo@optusnet.com.au

June 22 at 12:33pm

Jaison Kunnel Alex Your Lordship I would like to get the document. My email id jkunnel2008@gmail.com

June 22 at 12:57pm

Monica Madhukar Gaikwad monicagaikwad@gmail.com

June 22 at 1:19pm

Daniel Lazarus lazarusdan@gmail.com Dear bishop request you to share the Vatican document with me. Thank you…

June 22 at 6:46pm

Jane Serrao janeserrao02@gmail.com

June 22 at 8:15pm

Lourdes De Menezes Please send me the document abjehs@hotmail.com

June 22 at 8:24pm

Joe Clare DSouza Bishop, please email me the Vatican a Doc. Thanks. dsouzajc@gmail.com

June 22 at 8:47pm

Hansel D’souza hanseldsouza82@yahoo.in

June 22 at 11:51pm

Janet De Cruz jdecruz@yahoo.com

June 23 at 12:18am

Raphael Andrade Kindly send the document on my email id raphaelandrade9@gmail.com

June 23 at 1:02am

Ray Morris Please send the document to raymorris71@yahoo.com

June 23 at 2:11am

Martin D’souza What yoga connect with religion?

June 23 at 8:24am

Shyla Shyla “Christian” Yoga? There are a surprising number of Hindu influences in our North American culture. Many of these go unchecked or even unnoticed by the Christian Church. Yoga for one has really caught on in the Christian community and many church calendars have become filled with Yoga classes. The spiritual effects, though, have been detrimental. Christians will often say about Yoga, “Well, I don’t practice the spiritual part of Yoga, I just do it for the exercise. It’s the same as the Apostle Paul saying it’s OK to eat food sacrificed to idols”(1 Corinthians 8). But, how many people who know of the New Age indoctrinations behind Yoga are standing outside watching Christians practicing it? What by our example are we telling the world? In 1 Corinthians 8:9-11, Paul warns, “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.” Not only does the Christian ruin the testimony of Christ to others, but as 1 Corinthians 8:12 states, “When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.” See more at: http://so4j.com/christian-yoga-false-teaching

June 23 at 7:47pm

Shyla Shyla What should we do with Yoga, then? 1 Corinthians 8:13 concludes, “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.” Yoga is not worth the workout if it puts your walk with Jesus in peril and ruins the chances of someone coming to Christ. Because there is a proliferation of false teachers promoting false doctrines indicating we’re living in the end times, Jesus is about to fulfill His promise to return (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22). May He not arrive and find us stretching to a “sun salutation” in a Yoga class.

June 23 at 7:48pm

Shyla Shyla WHAT DOES GOD SAY?
These and many other such things are being promoted through Christian book conventions, publishing houses, conference and retreat centres, bookstores, churches and more. Those that speak against the promotion, sales, endorsements, and distribution of materials that mix paganism with Christianity are labelled as divisive, unloving, etc. Worshipping Jehovah by mixing paganism, yoga and Eastern contemplative methods with Christianity is an outright abomination to God. Relabeling mysticism and paganism for Christians, in the name of “emerging” and “contemplative” worship is horrific. Second Kings 17:10-12 speaks about how Israel provoked the LORD to anger when they served idols. God very clearly said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” Is it any different when Christians do worshipful Hindu poses [asanas] and get “stretched out in worship” with “Yahweh Yoga”? 

God spoke very clearly to Jeremiah the prophet, “The Lord says, ‘Do not learn the way of the nations…” (Jer.10:1). Deuteronomy 12:2-4 speaks of the nations that worshipped other gods. Their altars and images were to be destroyed. “You shall not worship the LORD your God with such things.” And further on in Deuteronomy 18:9 “When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations.”
CHRISTIAN YOGA IS NOT CHRISTIAN AT ALL
Christian Yoga is a lie! Those who are caught up in it are deceiving and being deceived. The ultimate goal of yoga is “Self-realization” – to realize one’s own divinity. This is the lie Satan gave to Eve:
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil (Gen. 3:4-5).
Christianizing Yoga is pure chicanery. This is exactly what Christian Yoga is. It is “deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry”. Christian Yoga is a form of satanic deception masquerading as “a deeper form of Christian spirituality.” These things ought not to be so. We urge:
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2 Thess. 2:3) 
Yoga’s goal is “Self-exaltation”, “Realizing” one’s own “divinity” and “yoking with the Universal Consciousness”. These things have nothing to do with Jesus Christ and everything to do with Satan. Christian yogis, it is time to repent!

June 23 at 7:50pm

Shyla Shyla https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqdCgM-IvcA

June 23 at 7:52pm

Shyla Shyla https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSs8dcsGtcU

June 23 at 7:53pm

Shyla Shyla https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQOOiRhJ_Ts

June 23 at 7:54pm

Shyla Shyla https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpZBpBEWQ20

June 23 at 7:57pm

Shyla Shyla http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/…/New%20Age/kundalini.htm

June 23 at 7:58pm

Bishop Thomas Dabre Dear Derek Thank you for your reaction. It is in good spirit. However you have said ”I think the document “Jesus Christ the bearer of the water of life” is very clearly against indulging in any New Age spirituality. It is better that you quote explicitly the statement of the document about yoga, as that would help the discussion.

June 25 at 3:58am

Bishop Dabre, Derek Saldanha is an Indian seminarian studying for priesthood in the United States. He will make a good and faithful priest. The future of the Church is safe and secure with young priests like him, despite the Raju Felix Crastas and Thomas Dabres that abound.

Shyla Shyla Catholic Church has been attacked by those introducing false teachings, or heresies. So heresy should not be tolerated, it’s against our God, against Catholic teachings and should be rebuked and corrected when in error not to be encouraged. The Bible warned us this would happen. Paul told his young protégé, Timothy, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3–4).

June 25 at 5:29am

Swapneel Pandit swapneel23.pandit@gmail.com

June 25 at 11:00pm

Glenn Joseph Your Lordship my email is glenn.joseph17@gmail.com

June 26 at 10:13am

Biju Koshy BEST & POWERFUL YOGA. RECOMMENDED BY JESUS CHRIST.
Step 1: Take a Bible and read a chapter from it.
Step 2: Bend your knees & Kneel down.
Step 3: Close your eyes and empty your mind.
Step 4: Lift your hands up. Now start praising the Almighty Trinity God the Father, Son & the Holy Spirit. (10mins)
Step 5: Now Say thanks for everything that He did in your life. (10mins)

Step 6: Now open your heart and pour everything that makes you cry or feel. (According your problems)
Step 7: Wait for the God’s Voice and listen to him.
THIS YOGA WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE, THIS YOGA WILL SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS
THIS YOGA WILL HELP YOU TO KEEP YOUR PERSONAL LIFE CLEAN AND HOLY
THIS YOGA WILL GIVE YOU PEACE AND BLESSINGS
THIS YOGA WILL TAKE YOU TO HEAVEN AFTER YOUR LIFE IN THIS WORLD.

June 29 at 2:12am

Francis Lobo I am extremely upset with your {Bishop Dabre’s} statement. 
I think either you do not know this subject or knowingly you are compromising the truth.
People of your stature could have defended the truth and teaching of the church. I am imagining the condition of the church and where just it is leading. Going so liberal… women priests, new religious movements.
If something like this creeps into the Church, I can remember Bishop Dabre similar like Bugnini or Cardinal Kasper etc.

July 12 at 6:24pm

Francis Lobo Here are the some write ups of Fr. Raju Felix Crasta on his blog. 
http://rfcrasta.blogspot.in/…/fast-remaining-near-lord…
http://rfcrasta.blogspot.in/…/scriptural-10…
http://rfcrasta.blogspot.in/…/label/Onam%20Celeberations
http://rfcrasta.blogspot.in/…/tat-tvam-asi-as…
http://rfcrasta.blogspot.in/…/scriptural-10…
http://rfcrasta.blogspot.in/…/holistic-integration…
http://rfcrasta.blogspot.in/…/cosmotheandric…

July 21 at 8:12am

Francis Lobo Bishop Dabre, priests like Raju Felix Crasta (https://www.facebook.com/rajufelix.crasta) supporting Hindu religious practices in the church. What about Catholic practices? Are they degraded or good for nothing? They are not only two like you, but many more priests and Bishops eager to liberalize the teachings of the Church.

July 21 at 8:14am

We find that there are just two or three individuals, including the priest Fr. Raju Felix Crasta who support Bishop Thomas Dabre‘s pro-yoga stance and one or two people who appear from their comments not to know anything about yoga, while sixteen request the Bishop to send them the 1989 Document on Eastern meditation (Orationis Formas). It is heartening to note the number of Catholics who are aware that yoga is Hindu and a spiritual threat to Christians because they do not ask Bishop Dabre for the Document. They are well aware of it and the significance of its contents.

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta rfcrasta@gmail.com
as Francis Lobo points out on Bishop Dabre’s Facebook page, is a Hinduized priest:

His Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/rajufelix.crasta

http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=147759&cat=India

These priests are on the Internet at times of the night/dawn when they should be sleeping or praying for their people. The same is the case with Fr. Adrian Mascarenhas if you check his Facebook or blog comments.

With priests and bishops like these, what a pitiable condition the Indian Church is in. How much must we fear for the loss of souls of these clergymen and the laity who are led by them into eternal damnation?

Is it any surprise that Fr. Crasta’s blog generated this post from a dating site bestdatingsitesnow.com?

https://www.facebook.com/bishopthomas.dabre/posts/1791297547763411
By Bishop Thomas Dabre

June 25 at 2:59pm

Dear Friends,

As I continue my reflections on yoga, I now venture to write on Surya Namaskar. I will be glad to hear from you. On the whole, the responses are mixed and yet they seem to be in good spirit.
I think we should all learn to have intelligent and dignified discussions, even though we do not agree with one another. And so I appreciate all those who have commented on my yoga reflections.

Now you are welcome to respond to the following message on Surya Namaskar.

a) The Surya Namaskar puts the practitioner in direct contact and relationship with the sun in its two phases, rising and setting.

b) It is supposed to re-energize the practitioner in his/her bodily faculties and organs.
c) It is believed to have healing effects on the human practitioner.
d) Being a form of Yoga in its various postures, the Surya Namaskar puts the practitioner at ease and brings about certain balance and equilibrium in the person. It also helps in mental concentration. 
e) However, the very word Surya Namaskar, which would mean salutation, bowing and veneration is a complicated matter, because it can be construed as reverence to the sun as a person or a god. As a matter of fact, many Hindus do regard the sun as a god. And this is a problematic matter.
f) People who are well versed in the Catholic faith and also in Hinduism can separate the postures from the worship of the sun god. The sun is just a cosmic force of light, energy and vitalization, but not a person, nor a god, but just a creation of God. And there should be no difficulty in appreciating its natural powers and other elements which can be helpful which I have enumerated in 2 a b c d (see above).
g) However, can simple people make such a valid distinction and how will the Hindus regard such an exercise? Namely will they not think that the Christian also believes in the divinity of the sun? Also some Catholics MAY get scandalized and disturbed, misconstruing that the Christian practitioner is recognizing the personhood and divinity of the sun, like the Hindus. I am citing a prayer addressed to the sun during the Surya Namaskar, for your information.
Surya Namasakaras are practiced per cycle.
In the table, the following first 12 mantras corresponds to the 12 asanas in Surya Namaskar and can also be chanted or repeated mentally during the performance of each corresponding asana. They can also be pronounced at Pranamasana.
Salutation Sanskrit Transliteration

1 ॐ
मित्राय
नमः om mitrāya namaḥ
2 ॐ
रवये
नमः om ravaye namaḥ
3 ॐ
सूर्याय
नमः om sūryāya namaḥ
4 ॐ
भानवे
नमः om bhānave namaḥ
5 ॐ
खगाय
नमः om khagāya namaḥ
6 ॐ
पूष्णे
नमः om puṣṇe namaḥ
7 ॐ
हिरण्यगर्भाय
नमः om hiraṇya garbhāya namaḥ
8 ॐ
मरीचये
नमः om marīcaye namaḥ
9 ॐ
आदित्याय
नमः om ādityāya namaḥ
10 ॐ
सवित्रे
नमः om savitre namaḥ
11 ॐ
अर्काय
नमः om arkāya namaḥ
12 ॐ
भास्कराय
नमः om bhāskarāya namaḥ
13 ॐ
श्रीसवितृसूर्यनारायणाय
नमः om śrīsavitṛsūryanārāyaṇāya namaḥ

All these are various aspects or names of the sun who is bowed to. In particular the last invocation n.13, I bow to the sun god (Narayana) which is not acceptable to us.

Andrew Carvalho Very true.

June 25 at 2:42 am

Karen D’silva But why do v need to chant these asanas while performing these exercises? V can look at it as just a form of exercise like warm-ups, aerobics etc… The way I look at it is v can always take the good of different cultures and discard what is injurious to our faith, our body and our mind. In the context of yogic exercises the postures etc. do a great deal of toning up to our body and mind so I think there is no harm in just following the exercise routine (purely as a daily exercise) without chanting the asanas of some religion other than ours. This is solely my view and need not conform to anyone else’s view point

June 25 at 3:57 am 

Andrew Carvalho Yes

June 25 at 2:54 am

Janet De Cruz Yes I too agree with the above. I believe you take what is good for you still keeping in mind all that your faith does not permit.

June 25 at 3:28 am

Russell Fernandes The scripture says in Ezekiel 8:16 He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east.

Ezekiel chapter 8 talks about the idolatry in the temple of God. If we read below it shows about how God is angry with this act. Verse 18: Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them.
Surya Namaskar is the act of bowing towards Sun and the core basis of it points towards the origin of worshipping the Sun. There may be many advantages of doing it including physical fitness but as Christians we are commanded NOT to worship any other God [Ten Commandments of God]
Dear bishop. Is this really you? Or someone has hacked your account … whatever it may be under the Sun … the only thing we should be doing is Jesus namaskar. PERIOD

June 25 at 2:56 am

Bonny DeSouza What you have said is right Russell. By the way Catholic Church also do idol worship by placing statues in church so may be its ok for the church to add sun as another idol. Lol

June 25 at 3:41 am

True Man Bishop Thomas – Here on one hand are Hindus who are praying to God even as they exercise. Some may disagree that sun is god. Perfectly fine.
On the other hand many Catholics even in Church behave very disrespectful. They use filth words, dress up inappropriately for Church etc. Yet they claim Church is God’s house and Jesus is God.
Perhaps the Christians need to learn something here from Hindus. Sorry to say.

June 25 at 2:56 am

Colette D’Souza Best & blessed yoga is to sit in silent reverence front of the Blessed Sacrament & gain your peace from Jesus Christ … Jesus is sufficient for us

June 25 at 3:05 am

Joyce Pereira Very true. I try this very often. 
You can even do this in your house. Just forget the world around you and talk to the one who created you. It’s amazing

June 25 at 9:05 am

Karen D’silva Perhaps while doing these exercises it would be pertinent to repeat the name of Jesus. That way v can glorify God, receive indulgences and help the souls in purgatory too!

June 25 at 3:13am

Deven Sequeira I read somewhere that the Chief Exorcist of the Vatican says yoga is evil. I did not read in detail as I limit my internet access news. Wonder what made him say that!!!

June 25 at 3:18 am

Russell Fernandes Please read books written by Gabriele Amorth, Chief exorcist of Vatican.

June 25 at 3:26 am

Russell Fernandes 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2066289/Yoga-work-devil-says-Vaticans-chief-exorcist-doesnt-like-Harry-Potter-either.html

Yoga is the work of the devil, says Vatican’s chief exorcist…

Yoga leads to Hinduism…

June 25 at 3:28 am

Derek Saldanha Yoga is an alternative spirituality and those in the ministry of deliverance and exorcism have seen its bad effects first hand. That is why he said it.

June 25 at 6:27 am

Valerian Rozario Perhaps a Catholic who has encountered Jesus in an extraordinary and life-changing way will never advocate yoga … or the way around show a person who has encountered Jesus solely practicing yoga…

June 25 at 3:33 am

Valerian Rozario www.staycatholic.com/new_age.htm
StayCatholic.com – New Age

Catholics and the New Age: How Good People are being drawn into Jungian Psychology, the Enneagram and the New Age of Aquarius

June 25 at 3:42 am

Valerian Rozario http://www.vatican.va/…/rc_pc_interelg_doc_20030203_new-age…

Jesus Christ The Bearer Of The Water Of Life – A Christian reflection on the New Age

2.2. What does the New Age claim to offer? 2.2.1. Enchantment: There must be an Angel 2.2.2. Harmony and Understanding: Good Vibrations 2.2.3. Health: Golden Living 2.2.4. Wholeness: A Magical Mystery Tour

June 25 at 3:43 am

Karen D’silva According to me everyone encounters Jesus in an extraordinary way every day in our daily life of only v take time to treat people around us like God’s people and take time to appreciate the abundant blessings he had bestowed on us, perhaps more than v deserve. It is hypocritical for us to think that only certain people have experienced Jesus in extraordinary ways.

June 25 at 4:02 am

Gregory Fernandes http://www.catholic.com/…/articles/the-trouble-with-yoga
The Trouble with Yoga | Catholic Answers

http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/the-trouble-with-yoga
The Trouble with Yoga

June 25 at 4:04 am

Jonny Shelke As a matter of fact, Om can be replaced by Amen. It has more syllables and produces more vibrations for a better exercise – smile emoticon

June 25 at 4:14 am

Stan Lobo The origins of the discipline of Yoga is from the Vedic tradition in which spiritual, physical and therapeutic factors were gelled into one. The early church faced the same dilemma when gentiles accepted Christianity. Discerning what pagan ritual contravened the teachings of Christ was a major task of the early church. Analogies can easily be drawn in discerning what components of the Yoga discipline should be separated so that one is not misled into any kind of idol worship. A lot of room for theological and physical well-being innovation (Do not throw the baby with the bath water).

June 25 at 4:19 am

Avinash Ignatius One can go through the motions of Surya namaskar without the associated mantras!

June 25 at 4:59 am

John Cruz Jesus had told: “Go to your room, close the door and PRAY…!” No to do YOGA…!!!
We Catholics believe that Jesus is our healer, the concept of healing from Yoga has its roots in some other religion. For a Catholic, can Yogic Chanting save him or reading bible verses?

June 25 at 6:10 am 

Shyla Shyla The Bible informs us that God created Adam of the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7).

Man is a created, separate being. Man can have a relationship with the Living God by accepting His Son, God’s physical incarnation, Jesus Christ. The Bible does not teach that through yoga man can attain progressive higher levels of consciousness so that man will realize he is one with God and merge with Brahman as Hinduism teaches or that man’s personality can be extinguished as a flame is extinguished as Buddhism teaches. The Bible does not mention or recognize yoga or any system where man can become one with God.
God is so far above man that man cannot work his way up to God through his own actions. Because of the original sin of Adam and Eve man is fatally flawed. He is born in sin. But God so loved man that he provided a plan of redemption. God Himself became man (John 1:14) to provide the perfect sacrifice to atone for man’s sin. The perfect sacrifice had to be God Himself as only God is without sin. Accepting God’s provision for sin, his Son, gives man an eternal life in God’s presence. The earthly body is shed and replaced with an eternal body at death. Man does not become nor does he merge with God. Salvation is a free gift given by grace, and not something which has to be worked for.
Both Hinduism and Buddhism believe in reincarnation, the transmigration of souls from one body to the next over time. One reincarnates to overcome one’s karma or one’s attachment to the material world and the recurring patterns which bind one to the material world. Only by elevating one’s consciousness through yoga and piercing the “veil of illusion,” which is the material world, can one transcend and merge with Brahman or snuff out one’s flame and attain Nirvana.
The Bible teaches that man lives once and then comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27). For those who have accepted Christ there is no judgment as the decision has been made to spend eternity with the source of all goodness, joy, and purity, the personal God of the Universe. For those who never knew Christ God will judge with absolute fairness, but for those who have rejected Christ eternity will be spent in a horrible place where God does not exist, a place to which Jesus referred to more than anyone else in the Bible, a place of eternal agony … hell (Mark 9:48). 

June 25 at 7:02 am

John Cruz truly said

June 25 at 10:43 am

Nelson Carvalho Surya namaskar is wonderful work out… There is no need of chanting… Just breath properly …it actually helps.

June 25 at 6:25 am

Derek Saldanha Firstly, no one has any objections to using exercises used in Yoga for physical and health benefit. That would make it no different from aerobics and a workout in the gym.

This {Bishop’s} post and discussion gives me the impression that we are talking about Yoga as a spirituality or about incorporating it in our spiritual life. I am reminded of two Bible verses at this point. The first one is from 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you”. The second one is from John 6:68. Here, in response to Jesus’ question to his disciples about whether they too would leave them, Peter said, “Lord to whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life”. I feel Jesus is asking us whether his grace is sufficient or do we need to flirt with other spiritual powers? Can we respond with the faith and courage of Peter? It is such a shame that we are discussing whether or not to dabble in alternate New Age spiritualities when we have the greatest treasure in the Catholic Church i.e. the Eucharist, Jesus himself – body, blood, soul and divinity. When we have the Word and Sacrament, we do not need anything else. His grace is more than sufficient. We could care less whether a Sanskrit mantra is acceptable or not.

June 25 at 6:43 am

Shyla Shyla Exercising and stretching is not a problem, but God would not encourage demonic practices. Yoga is Hinduism and it must not be practiced. Did Jesus do yoga or did he pray to God? Yoga comes from a pagan lifestyle and is different from Christianity, we are not to practice things from other religions.
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

June 25 at 6:57 am

Shyla Shyla The use of yoga as a spiritual path is highly problematic. There are three major areas in which the spiritual practice of yoga is not in line with Catholic spirituality.

http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/the-trouble-with-yoga
The Trouble with Yoga

June 25 at 7:12 am

Shyla Shyla Christians who are considering its use, or the use of any practice derived from non-Christian philosophies or religions, should be familiar with two documents: the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s On Some Aspects of Christian Meditation, and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue’s Jesus Christ, The Bearer of the Water of Life. They should then scrupulously apply the principle of the necessity for the complete separation of a practice from any religious or philosophical system which is contrary to Catholic teaching or the practice of the faith.

June 25 at 7:17 am

Anthony Mascarenhas Do aerobics salsa gymnastics yoga or any exercises to keep yourself fit

June 25 at 7:45 am

Valerian Rozario The Catholic Church teaches that the interpretation of the scripture be done in the light of the Holy Spirit and should not be quoted isolated out of context… 
I wish to bring to your Lordship the context of the shlokas of surya namaskar mentioned by your Lordship in the OP is the worship of the sun god… one may try to avoid consciously the last sentence (13th) yet the context remains… that it is liturgy of a pagan religion to worship sun god with body & with spirit.

June 25 at 7:47 am

Robin Mantode John 4:23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

June 25 at 8:56 am

Robin Mantode 1 Tim 2:1-6 – Instructions on Worship
1. I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.

June 25 at 8:56 am

Robin Mantode Physical fitness, religious witness and spiritual Godliness are different things. God Bless you all friends

June 25 at 9:02 am

Shyla Shyla replied Exactly

June 25 at 9:10am 

Valerian Rozario “May the power of your love, Lord Christ, fiery and sweet as honey, so absorb our hearts as to withdraw them from all that is under heaven. Grant that we may be ready to die for love of your love, as you died for love of our love.” Amen. (Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226 AD)

June 25 at 9:14 am

Shyla Shyla Many Christians have lost their souls for paganism!

June 25 at 10:41 am

Veronica Dsouza The roots of yoga are in a pagan religion. In the Old Testament, we find YAHWEH telling his people time and again not to get involved in pagan practices. This command was not just for the OT Israelites. It also applies to Christians in this age. Our God is the same – – – yesterday, today and forever. His WORD does not change.

June 26 at 11:38 am

Donita Jha Superb. Well explained!

June 26 at 6:21 pm

D’souza Jv A Marathi saying goes as ‘Manla tar Dev nahi tar Dagad’ explains it all, if in your mind you feel nothing about all you chant it will be meaningless, i too do yoga and wherever chants come in i try to bring in jesus and the saints, and i am sure my God is going to be very happy with me if i respect other people’s beleifs instead of slamming them!!!

June 26 at 8:50 pm

Sure, D’Souza Jv, and maybe you will consume cyanide and “in your mind you feel nothing” and “bring in jesus and the saints“… If you survive, please do contact me.

I appreciate the comment of Valerian Rozario who says “Perhaps a Catholic who has encountered Jesus in an extraordinary and life-changing way will never advocate yoga“. Apparently Bishop Thomas Dabre hasn’t.

As with his Facebook post on yoga of June 22, Bishop Thomas Dabre once again fails to indoctrinate Catholics on Surya Namaskar. Around six conversations support the Bishop, but the vast majority of posts are absolutely against him. This is most encouraging. It shows that Catholics are not prepared to accept anything that even a top Bishop might attempt to teach as truth. It is a shame on the Bishop that Catholics are not falling for his deceitful lies and misrepresentations however scholarly and are thus losing their trust and confidence in those who we are supposed to look up to as guardians of orthodoxy and orthopraxis.

IV.
Catholic Bishop Thomas Dabre Obstinately Misrepresents Church Teachings

By Fr. Conrad Saldanha (as appearing on Facebook)

https://christianreforms.wordpress.com/category/uncategorized/page/9/

https://mumbailaity.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/catholic-bishop-thomas-dabre-obstinately-misrepresents-church-teachings/

https://www.facebook.com/fatherconrad/posts/10153473842843829?pnref=story

July 2 at 4:35pm 

Dear friends,

(My comments are in red against Bp. Dabre’s explanations in black –Fr. Conrad)

My article that was put up on World Yoga day, on my blogsite, and other social media network was widely disseminated and much appreciated by many. Some who opposed it said that they disciples of some yogi priests they argued with heretical arguments and misinterpretation of scriptures and church teachings. But the worst was yet to come, like a shocker, from none other than a Bishop who was formerly in charge of the CBCI Doctrinal Commission and who in seeking to present the correct Church position on Yoga confused and even was leading astray the gullible.

Some, including the Association of Concerned Catholics (AOCC), sent me this article and other such heretical postings in the social media page of the same Bishop. In my rebuttal below you can see for yourself how the Catholic Church teachings are audaciously misrepresented by him and this is not the first time that he has done this. Unfortunately, it has been going on in the social media for some time.

Bishop Thomas Dabre of the diocese of Pune has now ascended a new height of distortion and deception in what apparently seem to be through his yogic powers and practices to openly falsify the Catholic faith to ordinary people. One of the exposures on a popular blog site mentioned below clearly shows him leading the Archbishop of Goa on a wild goose chase. With the elapse of time he has become bolder, perhaps through the psychic powers of yoga to deceive gullible Catholics into believing what apparently seems to be “CHURCH POSITION ON YOGA” https://www.facebook.com/bishopthomas.dabre/posts/1789631837929982?fref=nf&pnref=story

https://ephesians511blog.com/2013/11/16/is-most-rev-thomas-dabre-former-chairmandoctrinal-commission-a-proponent-of-yoga/

There are other exposes of yours too on the same blogsite, and it puts your doctrinal capabilities in a very bad light and hence you should stop all such reflections with immediate effect.

Yesterday, Yoga Day was celebrated both in India and in other parts of the world. It has raised awareness regarding the Indian tradition of yoga. Some of my face book friends have asked about the Vatican position on yoga and so I shall be sending a few messages on the issue of yoga and Surya Namaskar.

Please be specific, unless you are communicating to us that India is synonymous with Hinduism; therefore what you are communicating, when you say, “Indian tradition of yoga, should be respected. Or maybe the confusion in your harmonious mind, post yoga, is no confusion for you!?!

The text of the Vatican document does not mention yoga nor does it out of hand reject, condemn or ban it. (VATICAN DOCUMENT “ORATIONIS FORMAS”)

If you had not ignored Michael Prabhu’s articles then you wouldn’t have sought to deceive ignorant flocks, who look up to you.

You appear right but any child versed in the basics will tell you that though the Vatican document Orationis Formas does not mention yoga in specific but the language of the document clearly and in no uncertain terms refers to Yoga and other eastern practices.

Further, the document itself clearly and in no ambiguous language asserts that in the footnotes No. 1: “The expression “eastern methods” is used to refer to methods which are inspired by Hinduism and Buddhism, such as “Zen,” “Transcendental Meditation” or “Yoga.””

Why then does the Bishop of Pune stoop to such levels of misrepresenting an important document in the name of presenting the Church position on Yoga and that too repetitively? Could be that he himself has been a promoter and practitioner of it to keep himself fit and trim and gain the psychic powers of doublespeak, as done by most Yogis’ in the Catholic church. Outsiders and their doublespeak if any don’t interest me.

Surely, it seems to nurture the selfish ambition of popularity and power at the cost of truth. And do you not come across as a good Bishop when you deceptively speak of universal brotherhood and unity in deceit at the cost of truth and Catholic faith.

As you can see the following from the Vatican Documents are relevant to the issue of yoga.

The majority of the great religions which have sought union with God in prayer have also pointed out ways to achieve it. ”the Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions”.

Bp. Dabre you know how to further misrepresent by taking things out of context, let me quote to you from the same document what follows after this quote of yours from Orationis Formas, from the same para 16: “On the contrary, one can take from them what is useful so long as the Christian conception of prayer, its logic and requirements are never obscured”

And you already seem to be obscuring ipso facto your presentation here is proof; hence incapable of even touching this subject!

Leave aside the concept of prayer you are even obscuring sound doctrine, as is done by most yogis like you in the Catholic Church.

Human experience shows that the position and demeanour of the body also have their influence on the recollection and dispositions of the spirit. This is a fact to which some eastern and western Christian spiritual writers have directed their attention.

It is also a fact that for a Christian the position and demeanor of the body is NOT a prerequisite and thus is never an issue for prayer. A Christian can even lie down and pray or labor and pray, etc. (cfr. Jn. 4:23-24, also OF: 28:2). They also take recourse to a position for a reason far different than a non-Christian.

Since it is never an issue for a Christian, then to encourage him, apart from the public or communitarian worship, to get into bodily positions and disposition, especially into that whose root and origins are clear, leads to a definite suspicion as to the motives behind the practitioners and as to their commitment to the flock of Christ.

(But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24)

In prayer it is the whole man who must enter into relation with God, and so his body should also take up the position most suited to recollection. In some aspects, Christians are today becoming more conscious of how one’s bodily posture can aid prayer.

So, does this mean that one should take up a yogic posture? Are there not enough postures already in existence in Christian circles from which Christians have taken enough benefit from?

The genuine practices of meditation which come from the great non-Christian religions, which prove attractive to the man of today who is divided and disoriented, can constitute a suitable means of helping the person to come before God with an interior peace, even in the midst of external pressures.

Why dear Bishop Thomas Dabre have you chosen to quote partly and that too by getting rid of certain words from the quote. Why are you so intent on leading the flock astray like an imposter in Shepherds clothing?

Here below is the complete quote from the Document with what you have missed out as highlighted in RED. Before I do that let me assert: That

1) Quoting in part

2) Omitting certain important words from the quote; GRAVE misrepresentation of facts

*Suits your insidious agenda to lead the flock astray; the specialty of a Catholic Yogi

“That does not mean that genuine practices of meditation which come from the Christian East and from the great non-Christian religions, which prove attractive to the man of today who is divided and disoriented, cannot constitute a suitable means of helping the person who prays to come before God with an interior peace, even in the midst of external pressures. It should, however, be remembered that habitual union with God, namely that attitude of interior vigilance and appeal to the divine assistance which in the New Testament is called “continuous prayer,”34 is not necessarily interrupted when one devotes oneself also, according to the will of God, to work and to the care of one’s neighbor. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God,” the Apostle tells us (1 Cor 10:31). In fact, genuine prayer, as the great spiritual masters teach, stirs up in the person who prays an ardent charity which moves him to collaborate in the mission of the Church and to serve his brothers for the greater glory of God.” (Orationis Formas 28:2)

It would have been also nice while deceptively quoting half information from a Church document and by misrepresenting facts and while seeking to catechize the flock to whom you have committed to do so faithfully, you would have also explained what is that “genuine practices of meditation which comes from the non-Christian religion” and are beneficial to a Christian. But I am glad you didn’t because that would amount to another grave error.

Such grave errors and lies are rampant expressions of Bishops!

Instead you could highlight the positive elements of prayer and how to pray the Christian way, which the documents mention and about which many of our Christians are not aware of.

Those who are interested in obtaining the whole document can do so by advising me of their email id.

Wow! Such a request will definitely give your attempts at deceitful indoctrination a sense of legitimacy. And which documents Yogi Maharaj Ji Thomas Dabre? Why have you ignored the other pertinent document of the church; viz. Jesus Christ the bearer of the water of life. Is it also not a Vatican document too which is clearer on the subject?

Is not your action a selective picking and choose in order to suit your insidious agenda?

My reflection on this topic will continue.

Should you continue to deceive, dear Bishop Thomas and create more confusion? And you have proved me right by do so in your subsequent posting on your timeline on Facebook.

As for the simple laity, I say: At least by their fruit know what manner of tree it is.

Fr. Conrad Saldanha

Adrian Mascarenhas As a student of Systematic Theology, with fairly good knowledge of Church documents and Church teaching, I would say that Bishop Thomas Dabre is in line with the official Church documents on this issue. He certainly has the majority of bishops in the world agreeing with him.

July 2 at 9:02pm

Fr.
Adrian Mascarenhas is a yoga-enthusiast priest of the Archdiocese of Bangalore.

Leena Rego  Thank you Fr. Conrad. Your article on this subject was very good and inspiring. Keep up the good work. God bless you and may Our Lady keep you under her motherly mantle.

July 2 at 11:13pm

Magdalen Kalaitzakis Duarte Good on you Father Conrad. The practise of manipulating body parts (yoga) requires full and undivided concentration and attention which would take AWAY from prayer to God. In the history of Christianity yoga IS NOT and has NEVER BEEN The Way of prayer to God and was NEVER considered or used as a way of prayer by Christians in general until the last decade or so until the sprouting of ‘new age’ movements. When in doubt about Christian matters always look to Christ and the Church He founded for answers. Jesus showed us how to pray and that is by humbling ourselves on our knees with our hands joined….. Hear that! Humbling ourselves on our knees with our hands joined and not in ANY other way in the way of unnatural bodily distortions or concortions of ANY kind which can look crude, offensive and dirty at times.

July 3 at 2:51am 

Father Conrad Saldanha Thanks Fr. Adrian Mascarenhas for your comment in which you too have chosen to obstinately join the bandwagon of frauds ready to mislead the flock astray. 1). Have I been less clear on the term MISREPRESENTATION? Have I not shown it through concrete PROOFS? 2). On the other hand you also seem to have a sure statistical data of the following that this Bishop has or is it again your ways of deceiving by claiming an ingeniously invented mass support. 3) Finally, happy to know that you are a “student of Systematic theology”, “with fairly good knowledge of Church documents and Church teaching”. WHEN did you as a mere student of “SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY” start issuing Nihil Obstat to a Bishop’s falsified assertions? 4). Besides the Bishop in question, you indeed are another wonderful example of what Yoga could do a person of theological learning. 

July 3 at 2:02pm

Adrian Mascarenhas Well Fr. Conrad, I don’t know how you expect me to reply to these wild claims. Let me answer them in reverse order. (4) For example, how on earth could yoga have done anything to me when I myself don’t practice Yoga? (3) Secondly, even as a “mere” student of Systematic theology, I have sufficient loyalty to Christ not to criticise the Bishops he has appointed. True, they make mistakes, but none of us is perfect, and I am not convinced that YOU would do a better job as bishop or (ha ha) as Cardinal. Hence I am content to accept the bishops whom God has given me, without trying to undermine their authority. (2) You’re right, I don’t have any statistical data on this fact, but I also know that the bishops of India haven’t been speaking against Bishop Dabre, whereas at least some of them are speaking against you and your teachings. (1) No you haven’t proven anything. This kind of proof requires an extensive investigation of different varieties of Yoga, but your knowledge of Yoga is extremely superficial and you’ve obviously obtained it only from charismatic/ Pentecostal literature and not from an actual study of Hindu philosophy.
Any further replies from me will be only with your explicit invitation: so if you want me to reply to your future comments, please explicitly ask me to reply to them.

July 3 at 8:18pm

Father Conrad Saldanha Fr. Adrian Mascarenhas, I don’t think I or anyone else is interested in your plausible rhetoric or justifications. When you have supported and are still approving of a criminal act of repeated and obstinate misrepresentation by ones in authority you are a participant in the same and you have no legitimacy to speak! .Everyone knows the evil fall outs of the sin of such blind loyalism that doesn’t seek to correct a serious wrong except the IMPERCEPTIVE.

July 4 at 1:34pm

Tanya Nathalya Holy Thank you Father Conrad Saldanha for defending Truth and for denouncing bishops and cardinals who are misleading God’s Children and leading them to hell. Yoga is satanic and people who become possessed by the devil often needs exorcism to liberate them.

Vatican issued the document Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life http://www.vatican.va/…/rc_pc_interelg_doc_20030203_new… to denounce the new age practices of yoga but many Catholics are unaware of this. It’s really disgusting that catholic Priests are indulging in these satanic practices and thus become possessed and are unable to lead their flock to Heaven. May God always bless you so that you can defend His Church. There’s nothing innocent in yoga and the following articles may enlighten our brothers and sisters about the dangers of yoga.

Jesus Christ The Bearer Of The Water Of Life – A Christian reflection on the New Age

2.2. What does the New Age claim to offer? 2.2.1. Enchantment: There must be an Angel 2.2.2. Harmony and Understanding: Good Vibrations 2.2.3. Health: Golden Living 2.2.4. Wholeness: A Magical Mystery Tour

July 4 at 4:57pm

Tanya Nathalya Holy Yoga in philosophy and practice is incompatible with Christianity, by Father James Manjackal MSFS http://www.jmanjackal.net/eng/engyoga.htm

July 4 at 4:58pm

Tanya Nathalya Holy Interview with Father James Manjackal (Priest bearing the stigmata) http://www.jmanjackal.net/eng/engintervw.htm

July 4 at 4:59pm

Tanya Nathalya Holy Vatican’s chief exorcist warns that practicing yoga is “SATANIC” http://www.naturalnews.com/049612_Vatican_exorcist_yoga…

July 4 at 5:00pm

Tanya Nathalya Holy “Harry Potter and yoga are evil”, says Catholic Church exorcist http://www.telegraph.co.uk/…/Harry-Potter-and-yoga-are…

July 4 at 5:02pm

Tanya Nathalya Holy Catholic Church’s Top Exorcist Claims He Rid World of 160,000 Demons http://www.christianpost.com/news/catholic-churchs-top-exorcist-claims-he-rid-world-of-160000-demons-96794/

Amorth is also an outspoken critic of yoga and Harry Potter books and dismissed them as ungodly hobbies.

“Practicing yoga brings evil as does reading Harry Potter. They may both seem innocuous but they both deal with magic and that leads to evil,” he said.

July 4 at 5:05pm

2 selected comments from

https://mumbailaity.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/catholic-bishop-thomas-dabre-obstinately-misrepresents-church-teachings/:

1. Till the time he was in the Bombay Seminary he was Thomas D’Abreo, now inculturated to Dabre. –John Menezes

2. Somehow and for reasons best known to the Catholic Church the administration at the AB house and the Arch Bishop Oswald Cardinal Gracias is silent and has not given the laity a clear cut catholic view on this issue.
There could be just two reasons.
1) The church is totally lost and like a ship without a rudder
2) They are playing political games, to gain favour from the Govt.
Those confused are the people of god. It is therefore no wonder that many Catholics are leaving the church to join other religious groups who are more straightforward and open.
I hope Oswald Cardinal Gracias and his bishops remember that they are accountable to The Lord on these issues on the day of their judgement. –Gordon Jacobs

Once again, the reader will have noted that the sole opposition to Fr. Conrad Saldanha’s post on Facebook /the MumbaiLaity blog is from Fr. Adrian Mascarenhas, a yoga enthusiast.

V. Yoga as I see it – Clarifying some of the mystic (sic) of yoga

Utterly disgracefully, a detailed article by
Bishop Thomas Dabre was carried by The Examiner, the official weekly magazine of the Archdiocese of Bombay, on pages 11 and 12 of its issue of July 4-July 10, 2015 https://sites.google.com/site/examinersite/issues/july-04—july-10 in which the Bishop gives his sanction to not only yoga but also Surya Namaskar, the Hindu worship of the sun god*.

*See YOGA, SURYANAMASKAR, GAYATRI MANTRA, PRANAYAMA TO BE MADE COMPULSORY IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS http://ephesians-511.net/docs/YOGA_SURYANAMASKAR_GAYATRI_MANTRA_PRANAYAMA_TO_BE_MADE_COMPULSORY_IN_EDUCATIONAL_INSTITUTIONS.doc.

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_JOHN_FERREIRA-YOGA_SURYANAMASKAR_AT_ST_PETERS_COLLEGE_AGRA.doc

SURYA NAMASKAR

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/SURYA_NAMASKAR.doc

Unlike the short June 22, 2015, write-up on his Facebook page, see page 8 of the present report, Bishop Dabre goes into great detail in The Examiner. On Facebook, he claims to give the “Church position on Yoga” which he modifies to “the Vatican position on yoga” within the write-up.

In The Examiner, the title of the article is “Yoga as I see it“.

On Facebook, he claimed that he was writing on the subject of yoga because “Some of my face book friends have asked…” However, one does not see any of the respondents expressing solidarity with him, except the Hinduized priest Fr. Raju Felix Crasta. A couple of lay persons appear to be uncertain about the whole thing. On the other hand, those who disagree with and oppose the Bishop come across as knowledgeable and confident and certain of their stand on what the Church really teaches, which is quite contrary to what Bishop Dabre falsely claims it does.

In my three reports on Surya Namaskar, see page 25, I have provided incontrovertible evidence that the practice is an intrinsic part of Hinduism. It is also associated with the Hindu meditation system of yoga.

In his enthusiasm to defend and endorse the ritual of Surya Namaskar, which means that the former Doctrinal Commission Chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Bishop Thomas Dabre, believes that indulgence in it by Catholics is a “harmless” physical therapy, he makes some statements that are very confusing and contradictory.

For instance, he describes it as “a sort of Yoga in its postures” but it “is a complicated matter, because it can be construed as reverence to the sun as person (sic) or a god“. So he adds a caveat, “People who are well versed (sic) in the Catholic Faith and also in Hinduism can separate the postures from the worship of the sun god … The Catholic May (sic) get scandalized and disturbed, mis-construing (sic) that the Christian practitioner is recognizing the personhood and divinity of the sun, like the Hindu.”

Bishop Dabre thus admits that Surya Namaskar AND yoga are Hindu.

He also admits to the inherent potential danger that the Catholic can violate the First Commandment of God.

If that is the case, why does he then attempt to cite in full detail**, in a Catholic magazine, “a prayer addressed to the sun during the Surya Namaskar” along with the related mantras? Again, he says, “In particular the last invocation n13. I bow to the sun god (Narayana) which is not acceptable to us.”

Has Dabre been consecrated and elevated as Bishop and appointed Chairman of the Doctrinal Commission to safeguard and communicate authentic Catholic teaching or to pontificate on the empty and pagan practices and rituals of a pre-Christian religion in which he seems to be a master?

He claims that “People who are well versed in the Catholic Faith and also in Hinduism can separate the postures from the worship of the sun god.” I absolutely disagree with that contention. People who are “well versed in the Catholic Faith” would simply have no need to be well-versed in Hinduism. The great saints of the Church were not well-versed in the beliefs and practices of pagan religions.

Moreover, the average Catholic is fairly uncatechized in respect of his or her own faith.

Those Catholics who lack sufficient knowledge of orthodox Catholicism and Catholic apologetics and dabble in the study of pagan religions and engage foolhardily in the study of Comparative Religion as is the case in our seminary curricula today, end up on the other side of the divide. Good examples of this are Fr. Adrian Mascarenhas, Fr. Raju Felix Crasta, Bishop Dabre and numerous others about whom I am constrained to write about on my web site in order to warn Catholics about the dangers that they pose to them.

Additionally, those individuals who really know their Catholic faith as well as Hinduism categorically reject the Hindu stuff that the Bishop eulogizes. Even on the Bishop’s Facebook page we have encountered Catholics like Derek Saldanha, Ditoza Maria Noronha, Eugene Pinto and Francis Lobo, all of whom are known to me (though none of them informed me about their rejoinders to the Bishop); every one of them rejects, disagrees, and condemns what Bishop Dabre teaches.

**There seem to be problems with the article in The Examiner. Missing information.

According to Bishop Dabre, “I am citing a prayer addressed to the sun during the Surya Namaskar…“, “In the table, the following first 12 mantras corresponds to the 12 asanas in Surya Namaskara…“, “I am adducing here below a few quotations from the Vatican document on eastern (non-Christian) methods of prayer in order to respond to the issue of Surya Namaskar. It is clear from these quotations…”

None of the promised information is found in the article which has apparently been intentionally edited for publishing by The Examiner. If so, the quality of editing is downright atrocious.

Bishop Dabre then proceeds to instruct us in four points on what he deduces from those (non-existent) quotations. The first inference of his from the (non-existent) quotations is:

1. There are some good psycho-somatic values in some non-Christian methods of prayer which can be appreciated in the light of Vatican II, the document on dialogue with other religions.

The word psycho-somatic does not exist in the 1989 Document that the Bishop said he was citing. He has reversed 24 years to refer to the Document Nostra Aetate of October 28, 1965 promulgated by Pope Paul VI.

In point no. 2, he says, “These forms of prayer can put the practitioner at ease, quiet and peace.”

No. 4 states, “However, the practitioner should be trained to understand the nature of both Christian prayer and non-Christian methods. This is necessary to avoid dangers and misunderstandings.”

So, there are dangers! Obviously he’s talking of spiritual dangers. The Bishop admits there are spiritual dangers if non-Christian methods of prayer are engaged in by Catholics. To remind the reader, the Bishop is speaking on the subject of Surya Namaskar (which he said was “a sort of yoga“) and the Hindu meditation of yoga (it is NOT a set of physical exercises but is a spiritual path culminating in a monistic union with “god” using meditation and breathing techniques, which is the reason why Rome published a Document in 1989 to enlighten our yoga-promoting Bishops who in turn were expected to warn Catholics of these dangers).

I would like to ask Bishop Dabre as to which of his Bishop confreres and priests would “train” Catholics to differentiate between “Christian prayer and non-Christian methods“.

All of the priests whom I know fall into one of three categories:

1. Those who couldn’t care less what the faithful do

2. Those who practise, promote or favour eastern meditations like yoga (because of the exposure to it that they receive in our seminaries

(The above two groups constitute the vast majority of priests who split their time between administrative duties, education-social work-civil construction, loitering on social media and promoting New Age)

3. Those who are against the practice of eastern meditations by Catholics and would warn Catholics against using them as prayer “techniques”

Which is what Bishop Thomas Dabre is doing: Selling us “techniques” to use as aids to prayer.

I wonder how many Bishops and priests can truthfully say that they pray their breviaries every day and spend time before the Blessed Sacrament and in the confessional. I don’t see it happen around me.

If the Bishop would open his Bible to Psalm 119 — even the heretical 2008 St. Pauls New Community Bible that he certified with the Nihil Obstat and its still heretical Revised Edition 2011 for which he gave the Imprimatur — he would hear God in his infinite wisdom advising him to meditate on his statutes, on His Word (verses 23, 99, 148, etc.). The Bible and Church never proposed techniques for prayer.

In The Examiner, the title of Bishop Dabre’s article is “Yoga as I see it“, not as the Church sees it, not as Rome sees it. So I do not have to follow any of the proposals he makes when he continues with five points saying, “My own humble comment is that the use of yoga and other non-Christian methods can be approached in two ways…” There is nothing lacking in Catholic tradition that makes it necessary for me to attempt to practise “non-Christian methods” that carry potential or certain spiritual risks.

The Bishop’s sub-title is “Clarifying some of the mystic (sic) of yoga“. He means “mystique”. It concerns me when a Bishop writing for a Catholic magazine does not know the difference between mystique and mystic.

It gives me an opportunity to say that the great mystics of Catholicism who experienced a close relationship with God in prayer were not slaves of techniques and definitely not of yoga or other systems of meditation.

In point no. 2 of the five, the Bishop claims, “Though in Hinduism everything is connected with their philosophy and religion, these can be legitimately separated from religious beliefs and philosophy. So to adopt these does not necessarily imply acquiescence with Hindu religion and philosophy as some opponents opine.”

Let the Bishop explain to Catholics how one can separate Hindu symbols, Hindu rituals, or Hindu practices from their religious underpinnings and philosophies.

They’ve already installed a host of Hindu stuff in our institutions and liturgy, from the ubiquitous OM to the arati to the bindi and tilak to the dwaja sthambam to Bharatanatyam dancing to Carnatic music to the use of the kuthuvilakku or “Indian” oil lamp to the substitution of the sacrificial altar with a low wooden plank for the Indian-rite squatting Mass to depicting Jesus as a yogi to the singing of Vathapi Ganapathim Bhajeham which is an ode to the elephant-god Ganesha, at the start of CBCI programmes, and more.

These all are Hindu and will always remain Hindu as much as Christian symbols will remain Christian even if appropriated by people of other faiths.

Eminent exorcists, both priests as well as and bishops, have provided indisputable evidence of Catholics’ requiring deliverance after their having submitted, even unknowingly, to Hindu practices, even something as apparently innocuous as the consumption of prasada (food offered to idols).

Point no. 3 is a sort of disclaimer:

“However, on the level of practice and execution there can be errors and exaggerations so there is as a rule need for proper guidance and initiation and alertness and vigilance. The Vatican document does alert us to the mistakes involved in the use of such eastern methods.”

What the Bishop is saying to us is look, there are potential dangers in “meditating”, so take precautions.

Bishop, this is not the equivalent of going deep-sea diving or driving a vehicle on an icy mountain road. It is a matter of spiritual danger that the adept places himself in and that is not a matter of just being vigilant.

Yoga is sacred to millions of Hindus and is a sensitive religious issue to discuss in a Document. The security of millions of Catholics in India could be put at risk if Rome happened to overtly state that Catholics must definitely not engage in its practice. Hence a Document like the 1989 one where the Church expects her Bishops to explain it in the way that She means it to be explained, as many already have; but not the Bishops of India. It is with that in mind that I have repeatedly, in my reports, especially since yoga is Hindu and originated in India, asked the Indian Bishops to come out with a white paper on yoga. Let them say to us that yoga and Surya Namaskar may safely be practised by Catholics. (In the 2008 St Pauls New Community Bible, they have attempted to do that with along several controversial inculturational issues but protests from Hindus and a crusade launched by this ministry ensured that the Bible was withdrawn and around 90% of the errors excised. This demonstrates that the Bishops of this nation are not infallible in their teachings and cannot be trusted or depended on for orthodoxy and truth.)

The Bishop says, “The text of the Vatican document does not mention yoga nor does it out of hand reject, condemn or ban it.” True, the text of the Document does not mention yoga. The Bishop is speaking the truth. Half of it.

What he is concealing, assuredly with an intention to mislead and deceive (=lie), is that yoga IS mentioned in the footnotes:

“The expression “eastern methods” is used to refer to methods which are inspired by Hinduism and Buddhism, such as “Zen,” “Transcendental Meditation” or “Yoga.”…” I have already copied the entire portion of the particular footnote on page 8 of the present report.

The above footnote is given to the sentence that reads “Above all, the question concerns eastern methods.”

This again is in reference to the TITLE of the Document which is “LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON SOME ASPECTS OF CHRISTIAN MEDITATION“. While analysing the pros and cons of meditation in general and Christian meditation in particular, the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, the authors of the Document, then proceed to introduce us to the dangers of eastern methods of meditation.

This is barely into the fifth sentence of the Introduction to the issue in the over fifteen page Document!

And the footnote tells us that one of these eastern meditations is yoga!! What more does the Bishop want?

So his statement “The text of the Vatican document does not mention yoga nor does it out of hand reject, condemn or ban it“ is only half-truth, and half the truth is … a deception, a lie!

I could continue to critique the “Yoga as I see it” article of Bishop Dabre, there’s so much of playing with words and deception in it. I will end with my comments on something that the Bishop writes towards the end of his article, “With regard to a possible access to yoga (whatever that means) the purity and the integrity of the authentic Catholic faith has to be maintained. We do not engage in idolatry, polytheism and syncretism.”

No? Then how is it that I have been able to expose so many yoga-promoting priests and bishops on my web site? It is because they start with yoga, even “Christian” yoga, and end up in New Age, indifferentism, pluralism and syncretism. I have wasted thousands of rupees purchasing Catholic-authored books on yoga, mostly by priests but a few by lay persons, in the hope that I would find one book that did not glorify all those “isms” and lead me away from the orthodoxy of the Church that Jesus founded. I failed.

In the said reports, I have provided the reader with thorough documentation on each of the priests and Bishops investigated by me. Those priests and Bishops have NEVER been able to maintain “the purity and the integrity of the authentic Catholic faith” that the Bishop so ardently desires.

A prime example of those priests and institutions I was mentioning is Fr. Joe Pereira of Mumbai and his NGO called KRIPA Foundation. This disciple of the yoga guru BKS Iyengar is a leading proponent of “Iyengar Yoga”. He operates “de-addiction” centres in a large number of dioceses across the country. Headquartered in Bandra in the Archdiocese of Bombay, he de-addicts substance abusers from alcohol and drug dependency using Iyengar Yoga. His organization is flush with foreign funds and he controls the Bombay Church hierarchy using his wealth. He uses Church institutions to expand his influence and is given free advertising in The Examiner. Catholic activists in Mumbai are so afraid of his goondagiri and legal clout that they are reluctant to even name him in their complaints about his nefarious activities to the Cardinal Archbishop.

A few years ago, a certain Mr. Marianus Barnabas, a Chennai businessman now retired and living in Bangalore, not knowing that I was aware of this priest, revealed to me that he had been party to huge sums of money that were transferred to this priest’s accounts. He is also the leader in India for a UK-based organisation called the World Community for Christian Meditation or WCCM. The WCCM which promotes a so-called Christian Meditation is as New Age as any Catholic organization can get. The WCCM gets a lot of mileage in The Examiner and operates through Church institutions. Its leading lay figure is Christopher Mendonca who contributes full page articles regularly to The Examiner.

The links to this ministry’s reports on Fr. Joe Pereira, KRIPA Foundation and the WCCM are available at the end of this present report.

Bishop Thomas Dabre was an auxiliary Bishop in Mumbai before he became the Bishop of Vasai. He has had close associations with the Iyengar Yoga priest. In the light of his sanctimonious defence of yoga and comments like “With regard to a possible access to yoga the purity and the integrity of the authentic Catholic faith has to be maintained. We do not engage in idolatry, polytheism and syncretism,” how does the Bishop explain the New Age meditation promoted by Fr. Joe Pereira?

What is his response to my report YOGA AND THE BRAHMA KUMARIS AT A CATHOLIC COLLEGE IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BOMBAY http://ephesians-511.net/docs/YOGA_AND_THE_BRAHMA_KUMARIS_AT_A_CATHOLIC_COLLEGE_IN_THE_ARCHDIOCESE_OF_BOMBAY.doc?

NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 07-UNPUBLISHED LETTERS AGAINST ITS ERRONEOUS COMMENTARIES-THE EXAMINER
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_07-UNPUBLISHED_LETTERS_AGAINST_ITS_ERRONEOUS_COMMENTARIES-THE_EXAMINER.doc

http://www.htsyndication.com/htsportal/article/Bishop-s-article-on-Yoga-sparks-protests/7473747

http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/showarticle.aspx?article=a438fb17-6e4d-4e2e-ae1b-bdd9aaa39997

By Manoj R Nair manoj.nair@hindustantimes.com, Hindustan Times (Mumbai), July 9, 2015

Even as the debate over International Yoga Day has subsided, an article by a senior Catholic theologian on the benefits of Yoga, in the latest issue of the newsweekly Examiner, has become an issue of contention.

Bishop Thomas Dabre, who heads the archdiocese of Pune, has been criticised by community groups for promoting Yoga. A group called the Association of Concerned Catholics (AOCC) has said that when the Vatican, the headquarters of the church, has said that Yoga is incompatible with Christianity, articles by senior church officials like Dabre can confuse readers. “The official line (from the Vatican) is in two documents. Dabre’s article misrepresents the church’s position on Yoga,” said Father Conrad Saldanha, a priest at the St Pius College, a seminary in Goregaon.

Dabre, who was earlier the bishop of Vasai, said that he laid certain parameters that can be followed while practicing Yoga. “It does not make you Hinduised,” said Dabre. “I have looked at Yoga for its physical and mental benefits, its therapeutic value. Definitely, meditating in silence helps the mind,” said Dabre. “I am not an ambassador for Yoga, but as a Catholic theologian I can comment on society.”

Some community groups want the church headquarters in Mumbai to issue a statement clarifying its stand on the issue. “Dabre is a bishop, and if he has a viewpoint of his own I respect that,” said Gordon Jacobs, president of AOCC. “But I would like the archdiocese to issue a statement on this.” Father Joe Pereira, founder and managing trustee of Kripa Foundation, a group that helps people with drug addiction, has been using Yoga in his de-addiction programmes. He said, “I have been practicing Iyengar Yoga since 1968 and teaching it since 1971 and the church in India has never looked at Yoga as wrong,” added Pereira. “It is a fundamentalist view.”

Dabre, who is also a scholar on Tukaram, said that he was sensitive to the feelings of those who opposed his views.

VII. Bishop’s Sin of Apostasy: In India

https://frconrad.wordpress.com/2015/07/18/bishops-sin-of-apostasy-in-india/

July 18, 2015     

https://www.facebook.com/fatherconrad/posts/10153518893748829

By Fr. Conrad Saldanha

An open letter to Bp. Dabre, the Bishop of Pune, India; former head of the Doctrinal Commission of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI); and an expert in Indian culture and religion.

Your Lordship,

I am compelled to write an open letter to you as I find that it has become a norm with the church leaders either not to answer letters or mislead those who write to them. This is especially the experience of those that question the wrongdoings of the Bishops, when it has to do with serious slander, libel or heretical teachings. I too am a victim of it.

On the other hand you have so far consistently ignored the exposure of misrepresentation of Church document, on the same subject, by Michael Prabhu, our Church’s Catholic apologist and myself too.

What is more you have now made use of the official mouthpiece of the Archdiocese of Bombay, The Examiner weekly (4-10 July, 2015) – the key reason that has prompted this letter; thus finding endorsement from the masters of deception. These Bishops have both fostered heretics and apostates at all level and even encouraged their erroneous teachings in India and abroad. It is so because they themselves have proved that they are apostates and heretics, and it is all there in the public domain, some of them have been exposed with proofs by Michael Prabhu of Chennai.

One of the legacies which you have inherited from the Bishops of Bombay like Bp. Bosco Penha, is the Small Christian Community (SCC), which originally started on a Pelagianistic note and has been a cause for much destruction of the faith. Though he claims that it is mentioned in certain documents of the Church, yet what the documents mentions’ concerning SCC’s is far removed from what is the practice here in India. Hence another example of misrepresentation of church Document by a Bishop.

ON YOGA: Here below is your consistent date-wise misrepresentation of Church Documents and concealing the fact of a more pertinent document on the subject of yoga in order to sub-serve your insidious agenda:

On 16^th June, 2015:
Michael Prabhu, the great Indian Apologist, exposed the misrepresentation and distortion of the church documents by Bishop Thomas Dabre of Pune, India and also for leading the Goa Archbishop astray on the same issue.

(FR JOE PEREIRA-PLANS YOGA EVENT SPARKS DEBATE
16 JUNE 2015
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_JOE_PEREIRA-PLANS_YOGA_EVENT_SPARKS_DEBATE.doc

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/IS_BISHOP_DABRE_FORMER_CHAIRMAN_DOCTRINAL_COMMISSION_A_PROPONENT_OF_YOGA.doc)

On 21st June, 2015: On World Yoga Day, Fr. Conrad Saldanha wrote an article on “Why Christians shouldn’t dabble with yoga?” expounding it even from the Catholic point of view on his blogsite, which was widely disseminated.

On 22^nd June, 2015: Bp. Thomas Dabre,
on the social media, under the caption
“CHURCH POSITION ON YOGA” made a blatant attempt at selectively misrepresenting and distorting a particular church document and concealing the fact of the existence of a more pertinent document, viz. “Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life” and followed it up with other articles as a continuity on the same subject on subsequent days. No amount of protests from genuine Catholic readers seemed to have an impact on him. What is more, you even made cogent arguments in favor of yoga thus leading the laity astray on an important “New Age” issue.

On 26^th June, 2015: Fr. Conrad Saldanha, a priest persecuted for exposing the doctrinal errancies right from his seminary days, exposes the distortion in the above social media write-up of Bp. Dabre in one of the popular blog sites (MumbaiLaity) in the Archdiocese of Bombay under the caption: “Catholic Bishop Thomas Dabre Obstinately Misrepresents Church Teachings”

On 4-10^th July, 2015: The weekly “THE EXAMINER” the official mouth piece of the Archdiocese of Bombay, having got wind of my article carried a clarifying article by Bishop Thomas Dabre of Pune, which continued the tradition of misrepresentation and deceptive concealment of fact.

On 9^th July, 2015: In the Hindustan Times article, there was no remorse or clarification but only justification. On the other hand the priest who claims to have been practicing yoga since 1968 without any qualms of conscience, whom Bp. Thomas Dabre has also shepherded while as auxiliary of Bombay, was inadvertently honest enough to admit with great specifics: “the Church in India never looked at yoga as wrong” – which means even after the Vatican issued 2 documents on the subject, the Church in India REBELLIOUSLY chose to ignore the Vatican directives and consistently mislead and encourage the laity too into it and other matters of sound doctrine – Apostasy of the Indian Church & Perjury of the Bishops!

What more proof is required? The Bishops in India have to save their skin now for hoodwinking the people for long by promoting and encouraging yoga in the name of pseudo-inculturation. Hence you Bp. Dabre do it well by both misrepresentation of an older document on the subject and through deception concealing the fact of an existing more pertinent Vatican Document.

In a similar fashion, Bp. Agnelo Gracias, the emeritus Bishop of Bombay, who is notoriously well known for making heretical statements even in the public domain, and who had once succeeded you as chairman of the Doctrinal commission of the CBCI (it only proves the quality of the CBCI) is stated in the article of Mumbai Mirror as follows: “Meanwhile Bishop Agnelo Gracias, vicar general of the archdiocese, said, “Many members have come to us to complain about the issue. The church has never taken a stand on yoga and we consider it purely a form of exercise for better health and better life.” (Emphasis mine).

Which Church Bp. Agnelo Gracias, the Catholic Church or the Apostate church? If it is the latter then you are absolved of perjury! But it is right to expose your persistent hypocrisy by continuing as Bishop emeritus under another hypocrite!

In May 2008 Cardinal Oswald Gracias, in his office, had confronted me on being against yoga to which I responded by pointing out the New Document of the Vatican, viz. Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life, even asking him to read #4, first paragraph thereof. But he too stubbornly continues to promote and even write forewords to books on yoga and now endorses it by approving Bp. Dabre’s deceptive article on the subject and by not acting against his priests who freely promote and practice it and his seminary which uses it to form students.

I challenge any Bishops or Cardinal in India or anywhere else who supports the contrary, rebellious and fraudulent cause, for an open debate: If you, as you claim, have truth on your side and if you have a sound theological reason to advocate yoga then what was the need to consistently MISREPRESENT AND EVEN CONCEAL facts from the simple laity and even from few sincere Bishops, priests and religious for at least 25 years on this issue? Why have you hidden your sin of Apostasy, Incredulity and Heresy committed under perjury from the simple laity and clergy?

According to the 1983 code of Canon Law, such a grave sin incurs automatic excommunication; latae sententiae and even other penalties if it is a clergy and our Archbishop Oswald Gracias is capable of absolving himself by making someone else a scapegoat!

What will be also more interesting to note is the silence of the Vatican for so long without any action and this is not the only heresy prevalent here: is it because it has found the rebellion too consistent and difficult to handle? Could it be also on account of the tacit approval of Bishops like Oswald Gracias & his coterie and Thomas Dabre? Could it also be that the spirituality of double speak, which is the fruit of yoga, been used to hoodwink the “so called idiots” in the Vatican? (At least that is how the Vatican and the Pope was referred to in the seminary where I have studied).

The double speak or falsification of facts still goes on. Yet the Vatican, it seems, will still prefer to listen to its Bishop than the sincere layman or priest.

You know it well that I have brought to your notice similar facts while from my seminary days, even when you were the auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bombay. I have had to face much from the heretics who followed a similar pattern of misrepresentation, distortion and concealment of Church dogmas, even presenting their personal opinions as Church teachings. Later their sympathizers were bent on not having me ordained to the priesthood at all cost, even by pressurizing me to leave. Subsequently, Cardinal Ivan having understood the malice behind the action had me ordained after a year of extension.

Later, when Cardinal Ivan left the shores of Mumbai to take up assignment as prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of people and as I continued to voice my concern with the heretical teachings of the Bishops, the ones who followed him in his chair started a concerted attack, beginning with the then Administrator Bp. Bosco Penha. Having not succeeded they started, with the help of nefarious elements, to defame and defrock me through the abuse of Canon Laws (one of the key abuser is one of the 9 advisers to the Pope and is considered an expert in Canon law of the church and even tried to have me behind bars civilly). Let the Vatican reply to my letters and the letters of my advocate directly to them and prove me wrong on this.

Though you Bishops are disobedient to the word and tradition of the Church, yet you know how to demand such obedience from your subordinates. Indeed you have a right but you have no right to demand acquiescence to heretical teachings or ask anyone to pay obeisance to Baal in the name of obedience.

Now “The Examiner” which is the official weekly of the establishment of the church in Mumbai, India by doing so only carries on with a tradition long rampant in the Church in India of promoting and encouraging heretical thoughts. Such heretics and their teachings were partly curbed when Cardinal Ivan Dias had taken up the rein of Bombay but he too, many a times, was hoodwinked by cunning bishops and theologians like you.

Thanks to some kind soul for alerting me, a prisoner of the faith, with a copy of this above referred article, after the misleading newspaper article.

The two documents of the Vatican are:

1. Orationis Formas in the year 1989 (On some aspects of Christian Meditation)

2. Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life in the year 2003. (JCBWL)

Let’s also see if your so called theological reasonings and cogent arguments also stands the test of sound logic and truth:

At the beginning itself, in your misleading article, you make a deliberate attempt in vague language and in variance to your headline, to mislead the simple laity thus: “Some of my friends have asked about the Vatican position on yoga and so I am sending you my reflections on Surya Namaskar and yoga” (Emphasis mine)

In the above statement there are two contrary assertions in one statement and if we take into consideration the headline also then what do we conclude: Is it the Vatican position or the Bishop’s personal reflections or are we to believe that his arrived position, with misrepresentation, concealment and distortions, with dim arguments are synonymous with the Vatican position?

Maybe after reading this exposure about your faulty thinking ridden with flaws you may want to claim that you stopped doing yoga and hence faltered in making a coherent statement!

On the other hand: Is what is written really the Vatican position on Yoga as claimed by the sincere sounding Bishop? Is it not another way of making use of the official mouthpiece or the resources of the official Church to further his own dishonestly deceptive end? What is more there is a ready backing of the most forgetful Archbishop of Mumbai, one of the 9 advisers to Pope Francis. (From the many experiences of the laity and priests too; they have observed that Cardinal Oswald Gracias gets into amnesia or claims lack of awareness only when confronted with the truth: which means mentally he is not fit to run the Archdiocese, because consistent amnesia is a serious issue for those in positions of responsibility). (One such reference is in the public domain: https://ephesians511blog.com/2015/04/26/the-new-community-bible-cardinal-oswald-gracias-still-in-denial-of-responsibility-for-its-errors-2/.

All this deceit is taking place after having been exposed by the great apologist Michael Prabhu in November, 2013 and of late by me in the following 2 blogs respectively:

1.
https://ephesians511blog.com/2013/11/16/is-most-rev-thomas-dabre-former-chairmandoctrinal-commission-a-proponent-of-yoga/

2.
https://mumbailaity.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/catholic-bishop-thomas-dabre-obstinately-misrepresents-church-teachings/

https://mumbailaity.wordpress.com/2015/06/21/should-christians-dabble-with-yogic-exercises-fr-conrad-saldanha/

http://frconradsaldanha.blogspot.in/2015/06/should-christians-dabble-with-yogic.html

What is certain is this: one of the things that this “New Age” spirituality does is that it allows one to double speak, hoodwink, distort, be dishonest, abuse their powers, abuse the teachings of the church and abuse every legitimate laws be it canon, civil or natural and you too prove here how you are doing it and how the ones who allowed your articles in the “The Examiner” doing it likewise? When confronted the Archbishop of Bombay, Oswald Gracias will pretend to lack knowledge or feign ignorance, while he has also appointed heretics to officiate at The Examiner, some of whom his predecessor Cardinal Ivan Dias had kept at safe distance.

Are we as humans capable of arriving at the truth; is truth imminent to man? With all your knowledge and suggestions of solutions you still lack clarity on the subject you are arguing about? In fact you have contradicted yourself. Even in your actions, many a times the suggestions and solutions you give sound hypocritical; when your own house is in disorder and you have not been able to correct the indiscriminate evil from the practitioners of yoga then how can you suggest a proper catechesis approach?

Let’s assume there is goodness in what you are claiming but let me see by the fruit among the promoters and practitioners of yoga whether the manner of tree is good and that they are wonderful witnesses now to the gospel. (cf. Mt. 7:16) You yourself prove by your fruit and the priest you joined you in support of it, both in the newspaper article and the subsequent “The Examiner” through a letter to the editor!

The priest who wrote in support of you subsequently through a letter to the “The Examiner” (11-17^th July, 2015) prefers to be more explicit in his choice: to be an imitator of dogs, rather than of Christ Jesus. (cf. I Cor. 4:11; 11: 1; Eph. 5:1; 1 Thess. 2:14). There could be more to his choices for imitation!

Some of the worst corrupt theologians, who are used to deceiving and manipulating church doctrine, and abuse their authority and the laws of the church and land are the very ones who will come out vociferously in defense of Yoga. Could the reverse be true also in this sense: can we not safely assume that those who have tasted this fruit of Gnosticism (yoga) are the very ones who corrupt church doctrine and at the same time appear faithful and loyal to the church. I have had enough encounters of such kinds. There are some who can’t take a stand for Christ Jesus as their guru but instead proclaim someone else as their guru. Yet you as their Bishop do nothing about it, even though they either were or are your subjects.

You also seem to be more vocal in testifying to the wonders of yoga than to the wonders that Christ could achieve in the lives of individuals. Hence whose witness are you? And if you say that you accommodate both then you are serving 2 masters and in the end it is only one!

Besides you, I have also seen Catholic yogis who apparently seem faithful to the church and its doctrine and will even aver that, but warped in their thinking but wise in their own eyes and in the eyes of the deceived. To the indiscriminate their faithfulness to the church makes it difficult to know the difference between these weeds and the wheat. (Cfr. Mt. 13:24-30). It is like the termites glued to the bark and you can’t make out the difference until the tree is down, even as the bark of Peter is sadly corroded from within.

Can you also tell us what constitutes Christian prayer that you recommend it through incoherent reasoning while the document invites us to be cautious?

Are you saying that we can safely and interchangeably use the yogic method to enter into Christian prayer with great benefit? Do we then reject the gospel call to repentance and turning to God and instead adopt your method arrived at through a wrong interpretation of the document and now say: Do yogic exercise and believe in the gospel or more specifically: yogic exercise and turn to god in prayer. (Compare with what scripture exhorts us in 1 Tim. 4:8)

If you could distort the Vatican Document then what is there for you to distort the gospel of St. John too and say: “henceforth the true worshippers of the father shall worship in bodily postures and breathing exercises, uttering sacred mantras of surya namaskar” (Can be fine-tuned a little more to suit your mindset and evil intent). But how will you do it, quite a few of the laity had passed a judgment on your Nihil Obstat to a Bible loaded with falsehood.

Your cogent reasonings, besides the serious heretical goof-ups and distortions in your article in the Examiner and endorsed by the Archdiocese of Bombay throws up several questions, more so since you try to appeal to human reason.

From your particular reasonings in the article, with your reference no. in bracket let me affirm: (the emphases are mine in your statements quoted here.)

1.              According to you Christians now need to also “develop a relationship with the Sun” and I do not know what happens to our relationship with the Son of God in union with the Father and Holy Spirit. (ref. pt. a). And the Sun becomes a living being for Bp. Dabre with whom one can have a relationship! He confirms it more explicitly later, in another statement)

2.              A Christian now needs to be “re-energized in ones bodily faculties and organs” (wish you were more specific about which organs!) God the Holy Spirit too may have no place in this new schema of yours. (ref. pt. b) This indeed is some Gnostic knowledge! What cannot be achieved by mere walking or being in the sun is not enough but something more and yet vague is to be achieved by doing surya namaskar. Gone to the dogs!

3.              Shall I now for the sake of healing practice yoga, because there is no living God to give it to us or his physicians in modern medicines to alleviate. Christians have to dabble with the occult cosmic energy to receive healing. (ref. pt. c) Is healing a higher value than the purity of the faith, that we could even seek it indiscriminately and at any cost from occult sources and put our souls in peril?

4.              In the first place: Am I seeing a “certain balance and equilibrium” in you and your distortions that you should recommend yoga to achieve it? But there is definitely a concentrated effort on your part and hence I do not deny your accomplishment of a mental concentration directed towards the object of hell. (ref. pt. d) You may even beat the father of lies as far as your mental concentration is concerned!

5.              You find the Hindu regarding the sun as god a problematic BUT I find your interference in their personal beliefs and then sitting in judgment over them from your rational point of view a bigger problematic. (ref. pt. e). On the other hand, later when you recommend the mantras you seem to have no problem if we regard the sun as the god of gods (mantra 9). You insult the Hindus and more so the Christians by betraying the faith and also the oath, which you have taken to faithfully hand it down to the flock of Christ – perjury!

6.              You assert that it is possible “to regard the sun just as the cosmic force of light, energy and vitalization, but not as a person nor a god but just a creature of God.” (Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth has spoken again and hence the heretic Bishop has spoken a secret knowledge (Gnosticism) again: creation of God is to be bowed to by Christians as a creature of God.

To such was spoken the words of St. Paul: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth.
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse;
for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened.
Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles.” Romans 1:18-23) (ref. pt f.)

7.              That a Christian can utter the 12 mantras of the surya namaskar while practicing it; you say. From among your many deceptive recommendations, you suggest not reciting the 13^th mantra (what a ploy!) but it is fine to recite the other mantras such as; “I prostrate/bow to him who is god of gods (Om adityaya Namah; the 9^th mantra!) Is there also not a satanic deception about the whole suggestion in its entirety? Don’t you know the meaning of the term ‘om’ and ‘mantras’ O great master of Indian philosophy and adviser to the many bishops of India and abroad? (ref. pt. g). The yogi priest Fr. Joe Pereira, who supported you did seem to covertly suggest that one puts on the mind of a dog! Knowing my opposition to yoga he does back-bite and bark behind my back in plenty!

8.              It now seems that Christians can freely practice surya namaskar either by separating what seems apparently good from the bad BUT for what purpose and to achieve which goals which the Christians, in ages past and in our times too, have not been able to achieve through the faith handed down by the Apostles? (ref. pt. g)

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.” Isaiah 5:20

9.              Further in the subsequent first point after your rational deceptive exposition, you Bp. Dabre through mention of the Vatican document is asserting more than what the document is asserting: “There are some good psycho-somatic values in some non-Christian methods of prayer which can be appreciated in the light of Vatican II“

Which are those values Bp. Dabre which cannot be found in the great tradition of Christian prayer? It seems to me that you really seem to have a secret knowledge (Gnostic) of these values too, because even the document Orationis Formas refuses to discuss these Psychological values as affirmed in para 2.

If human beings have to come before God with bodily postures, as in yoga and if that gives “ease, quiet and peace” as you claim, then where is the need to come before God Bp. Thomas Dabre? (Compare Mt. 11: 28)

Can anyone enlighten me: If you have already achieved your peace; a fruit of reconciliation with God even before prayer, then why pray? Yogis are under deception and call that labored momentary calm peace while the Christian peace flows from reconciliation to God’s will.

That is why it is recommended that the documents of the Church are to be read in the light of God’s word and through its ancient tradition. But you Bishop have no regard for the Word of God or the tradition or magisterium of the church.

From the document which you have concealed from the simple in all your deceptive articles in the public domain I quote from it: “Nevertheless, given the underlying vision of New Age religiosity, it is on the whole difficult to reconcile it with Christian doctrine and spirituality.” (JCBWL, Para 2:2) Hence, why discuss even the part thereof, Bp. Thomas Dabre, when the whole concept of “New Age is unacceptable.

AbracaDabre! Has just managed to not only reconcile “New Age with Christian doctrine and spirituality but also hoodwink Bishops, priests and laity and some in the Vatican too and even have it endorsed by the Archbishop of Bombay and his appointees who manage his weekly magazine, “The Examiner”. Congrats! No resistance from any quarters or any protests too so far to such a blatant transgression! Vox yogi vox dei! Because the yogi is the Bishop!

Besides, you as a scholar in Indian culture and with a doctorate on Sant Tukaram, don’t you understand that though the Vatican document, Orationis Formas uses the term “Eastern prayer practices” but nowhere, in Indian culture or religion, is yoga, as hatha, with its various postures looked as a prayer practice. It is instead looked upon as a method or a technique to attain towards god; aimed at discovering the one who is within. The exercises fit in that category in all sense.

Hence you, with your background, adducing to the term, even through misrepresentation, in order to draw out your nefarious self-made catechesis, and almost getting a Nihil Obstat from the Bombay hierarchy, is unbelievably mindboggling and too inconceivably incredible.

There are many other flaws in your teachings and I could go on and on dissecting your deficient theology. But what I have exposed here and in my other articles on the same subject, in the public domain, should more than suffice.

While the Apostle of Christ is referred to as “Doubting Thomas”, you surely have given us reasons to doubt you Thomas, as Bishop and Shepherd of God’s holy people.

If you are genuinely a man of conscience then what is needed is an acknowledgment of your many misdeeds and step down as Bishop for not being true to your office, while expecting the self-absolving endorsers of yours to pre-empt your act.

Yours in the eternal Faith

Fr. Conrad Saldanha

(Prisoner for the sake of the truth of Catholic Faith)

Father Conrad Saldanha I am aware that this exposure is going to shock many, and many among these would not want to believe that the Bishop is blatant in leading the flock astray. Some would still want to see their bishops as upholders of the truth. If you do so then you are doing it at your own risk of losing your soul and will be responsible for the loss of many souls who have been led astray by these persistently false and rebellious teachings. Instead pray and if possible please do voice your concern to the Bishops with alertness.

July 21, 2015

Gladys Rodrigues Lord have mercy on him and make him to understand the church teachings as he is a priest he should guide lay people with your wisdom, Amen

July 21, 2015

Augustine Ukawuba What happened to the bishop?

July 21, 2015

Unita Chandarana The sun of universe is worshiped, where is the Son of God our Lord Jesus Christ. Certainly, we need to pray very hard to save our Catholic Church.

July 21, 2015

Tanya Nathalya Holy Let’s pray and fast for all Priests, Bishops and Cardinals who are leading their flocks astray. Let us ask God to have pity for them and to send His Holy Spirit so as to enlighten them. That’s a shame to have consecrated people who act like this. These Cardinals and Bishops should be defrocked immediately. The gates of hell will not prevail against the Catholic Church but Peter’s Boat may be badly shaken with these ‘evil’ people. How can Priests act like this? How can a Priest condone yoga? Jesus is being crucified today also by His Priests! He chose them and they make Him live His Passion continuously! Thank you Father Conrad for being a true Shepherd and for defending the Church! The demons of yoga have already possessed some members of the Clergy. We can only pray for them as they may be the souls which God will condemn to hell for eternity. Let us beg God’s Mercy for them before God’s Justice send them to hell with the many consecrated souls waiting for them in hell.

July 21, 2015

Alice Pinto Rodrigues Well said Tanya… Lord send your Holy Spirit on this bishop and enlighten him…

July 21, 2015

VIII. Bishop’s Sin of Apostasy: In India

https://frconrad.wordpress.com/2015/07/18/bishops-sin-of-apostasy-in-india/

Posted by
Fr. Conrad Saldanha, July 18, 2015 [As earlier]

Comments

Shailet
Hats off Fr. for an amazing eye opener article …… indeed the questions need to be answered.

July 20, 2015 at 3:24 pm

Gordon Jacobs
I believe, the official spokesperson of the Catholic Church at the archdiocese of Bombay needs to clarify and not hide like they usually do when answers to soul searching questions are up to them. Come on administration, have the spine to respond.

July 21, 2015 at 12:45 pm

Chris Fernandes
Where are we heading? The billboard on the seminary…displays what is happening inside. We have only cheap secular messages. The hub, the centre, the future of the Christian leadership is being taught there, but not one Christian message is forthcoming. Most of our parishes carry far better public messages on their boards.

Fr Conrad is like a voice in the desert, shouting hoarse on the serious slide the church is falling into … a “keep all happy” by compromising our faith, and our beliefs.

It appears that the leadership is defunct of all faith!! Just holding on to their red skull caps!!

Practising Yoga is deceptive. You begin by exercising and then letting your most valuable faith be neutered!!

Look at things realistically. We have the BEST with us, and yet Bishop Dabre in his final doctorate paper studies “Tukaram”.

Is there no Christian saint, no Christian thought or anything Christian that one can study?

As the seed is sown… so the tree grows…
Does the Bishop know who he is really following, or rather who he really belongs to?

Perhaps as lay people who still “cling” to the simple truth of Jesus as the ONLY way, ONLY Truth and ONLY light, we can only pray for our “leaders” and ask the Lord to protect us from the wolves in sheep clothing

July 21, 2015 at 10:56 pm

IX. Open Letter

From: Fr Conrad Saldanha
frconrads@gmail.com

To: Agnelo Gracias <agnelorg@gmail.com>, Cardinal Oswald Gracious <diocesebombay@gmail.com>, Cardinal Ivan Dias <servus@urbaniana.edu>, Cardinal Burke <civcsva.pref@ccscrlife.va>, Cardinal Pell info@ior.va + over 100 others

Subject:
It is now clear that the Church in India has been an Apostate church. Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2015 17:41:49 +0530

Requesting the Examiner Editor to publish this in the next week’s magazine! 

Fr. Conrad Saldanha 

http://frconrad.wix.com/home#!news-that-matter/c1nhm

Despite a rebuttal, Bishops continue in the gravest of sins along with a select band of clergy

https://www.facebook.com/fatherconrad/posts/10153513535798829

By Father Conrad Saldanha

Name the greatest sin of a Church official, and there will be no other evil or sin that can exceed the sin of apostasy.

It’s now become evidently clear that the Church in India has persistently been ignoring the directives of the Universal Catholic Church through lies and deception!

What is more, it has been deliberately misleading the simple laity and training the seminarians and future priests too into erroneous doctrines through such lies and misrepresentations.

In the forefront of this rebellion of apostasy have been none others than the Catholic Bishops & Cardinals of the Church in India.

The ones who are supposed to be the guardians of the faith and also supposed to feed the flock of Christ with the Bread of Life have been the worst perpetrators and wrong doers.

What is more, the rebellious apostasy has been committed in total deceptive misrepresentation, distortion and concealment of facts of pertinent Church documents; while shrouding them in incoherent cogent and falsified arguments. 

Thus we have a situation of perjury too, wherein the bishops have also acted false to the oath that they have taken when they assumed their episcopal office. 

Among others, Michael Prabhu, Advocate Arthur D’Mello, the AOCC & Fr Conrad Saldanha have taken the matter seriously to the highest level and various forums.

But the Bishop’s seem stubbornly obstinate in leading the simple laity to hell through lies and deception despite the confrontation and exposure for many years.  

There is an urgent need to call for the resignation of the bishops, for playing the greatest ever fraud on the simple Catholics of the Church in India, with stubborn persistence. 

The Silence of the Vatican on this apostasy and heresy of the bishops is intriguing.  For further details read the exposure on

1. Bishop’s Sin of Apostasy: In India

2. http://frconrad.wix.com/home#!heresy–apostasy/capk 

July 19 at 9:12am

Magdalen Kalaitzakis Duarte The Vatican needs to be involved ASAP and make things straight. This could destroy the growing Catholic Church in India.

July 19 at 9:31am

Barbara Cianci This is our entire world. The power of the Bishops have overtaken the Church. Priests are facing attack if they dispute any Bishop. Our Priests have their hands tied to the Cross.

July 19 at 9:45am

Michael Christen Good Friday, approaching Easter. Yes. But the church will Rise in all of Her Glory.

July 19 at 2:25pm

Brenda Dsouza Let the Holy Spirit enlighten you with His anointing and God’s blessings be upon you to carry out the good work in the Catholic Church, in India.

July 19 at 4:27pm

Tanya Nathalya Holy May God be praised now and forever! May God be praised for His True Shepherds! Thank you for saying to Jesus everyday: I love you Lord, like Saint Peter did when Jesus asked him! Thank you for defending the Church Teachings and Doctrines. Thank you for fighting to save souls from hell. I was deeply touched by your articles and am proud that you are a Priest of Jesus, a true Vicar according to His Sacred Heart. Thank you for not being contaminated by this evil world (John 17:14-18) I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world; as I also am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from evil. They are not of the world, as I also am not of the world. Sanctify them in truth. Thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
Father we have said many times that yoga is evil and goes against our One True God but evil people do not want to listen and are misleading people! That’s a real tragedy! They will have to render accounts one day to God, for all the souls they have lost (Jeremiah 23:1-5) Woe to the pastors, that destroy and tear the sheep of my pasture, saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord the God of Israel to the pastors that feed my people: You have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold I will visit upon you for the evil of your doings, saith the Lord. And I will gather together the remnant of my flock, out of all the lands into which I have cast them out: and I will make them return to their own fields, and they shall increase and be multiplied. And I will set up pastors over them, and they shall feed them: they shall fear no more, and they shall not be dismayed: and none shall be wanting of their number, saith the Lord. Behold the days come, saith the Lord, and I will raise up to David a just branch: and a king shall reign, and shall be wise, and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth.
God has warned us against these false prophets and their sects of perdition (new age) and He has also said that He will destroy them (2 Peter 2:1) But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there shall be among you lying teachers, who shall bring in sects of perdition, and deny the Lord who bought them: bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
Let us trust our God who came and conquered evil! Let us entrust ourselves to the Woman clothed with the sun (Revelation 12:1) who will crush Satan’s head under Her Feet (Genesis 3:15)
I was sad to read about your persecutions and the evil persons who wanted to prevent you from becoming a Priest! God’s Protection is on you and I know that Mother Mary loves the True Pastors of Her Son deeply.
We all know that we should be careful about these false prophets! Theirs bad fruits stink and God will bring His Judgement upon them (Matthew 7:15-23) Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them. Not everyone that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.
Father you are in my prayers and fasting. Continue the good fight and God will reward you one day. Continue to decry that yoga is evil and that people practicing yoga may become eventually totally possessed. That’s weird how some Cardinals have been chosen to advise our Pope!

May God bless you, may Mother Mary protect you and may the saints and holy angels accompany you.

Father Conrad Saldanha give us your priestly blessing.

July 19 at 11:10pm

Shailet Fernandes It’s sad where we are being led, church has become more of political power than spiritually powerful

July 20 at 11:02am

Father Conrad Saldanha But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Ba’al.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. Rom 11:4-5 Thanks Tanya Nathalya Holy, Shailet Fernandes, Barbara Cianci, Magdalen Kalaitzakis Duarte, Brenda Dsouza, Michael Christen & others too for reading the facts and voicing your concern. I rejoice, as I read your kind acknowledgment and support and all those who would be reading and praying for this situation too that there is a remnant (Dedicated Disciples) who have not bowed their heads to Baal in these most trying moments of Apostasy in the Church of God.

July 20 at 2:28pm

Magdalene Kalaitzakis Duarte I will NEVER bow to Baal. My love for God is too great.

July 20 at 2:30pm

Unita Chandarana I am thankful to Father God for inspiring you Fr. Conrad to write this article which is an eye opening to all our Catholic Brothers and Sisters. Alleluia!! Great work. This should have been known to us much before as many lost souls could have been saved. Every plant, which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up (St. Matthew 15:13). May God bless you in your mission and vision and keep you under HIS protection.

July 21 at 9:56pm

X. Open letter

From: Fr Conrad Saldanha
frconrad@rediffmail.com
To: punedioc@gmail.com, punedioc@vsnl.com

CC: ptribunal@gmail.com <ptribunal@gmail.com>, valdsouz@vsnl.com <valdsouz@vsnl.com>, Cardinal Oswald Gracious <diocesebombay@gmail.com>, Agnelo Gracias <agnelorg@gmail.com>, Bishop Percival Fernandez <bp.percivalfernandez@gmail.com>, abpossie@gmail.com <abpossie@gmail.com>, Cardinal Ivan Dias <servus@urbaniana.edu>, Cardinal Burke <civcsva.pref@ccscrlife.va>, Cardinal Pell <info@ior.va>, Holy Father Francis av@pccs.va Subject: The Open letter to Bp. Thomas Dabre Date: 24 Jul 2015 03:00:23 -0000

Dear Bishop Dabre, 

Greetings in Christ Jesus! 

In this age of the internet and modern communication, what is spoken in secret reaches the housetop very soon. 

I am sure this open letter, along with other articles of mine has reached you too, earlier than this. I am sorry for this delay, as I have to work with a sponsored internet for the last many years in this noble institution of St. Pius College seminary, which has a well serviced net, accessible to all except me a prisoner here. Even the most notorious terrorist Ajmal Kasab was treated better by a Government, in secular India, wherein he was even given free access to the daily newspapers, T.V. news and articles too. In fact I had to borrow this copy of The Examiner, which abused all norms of true Christian ethics by publishing your article, from an advocate friend of mine. 

Thanks to the Archbishop of Bombay and his select coterie, in which you may also be a party, by abusing the Canon Law and every other law, including the law of the land, and his position of influence in the church, has chosen to isolate me and torture me in order that I may either leave, die or commit suicide here. But the falsity of slander and libel from these noble servants has already reached the house top too. In order to protect their image and standing in the world – You’ll have to take advantage of the mindset of the people who think Vox autocaritas Vox Dei! A betrayal of people’s trust!  

What I have shared here is very much in brief but I am sharing this not to complain but more so that you may understand the constraints of writing to you or communicating with the outside world and to also understand the value of Dialogue in the post Vatican Church, which the church in India seems to use to deceive its own.  

You know my commitment to the faith and the risk I have taken in the past for the sake of the faith, right from my seminary days and even before. How I have been instrumental in exposing serious doctrinal errancies of the professors here and you yourself has been instrumental in acting against some of them. Hence it has always made me wonder at your many heretical thoughts in the past too, which is in the open sphere.  

I had chosen to ignore the many heretical ways, especially of the Bishops and theologians of India on account of my state of torture but now no longer; what belongs to darkness has no place in the Church of God; the light to the nation, even if it costs my life! 

Hence this open letter here below: you can either click on the link or read the letter below: It would be nice that you act on the suggestion thereof and likewise the others too. 

Your Lordship,

I am compelled to write an open letter to you as I find that it has become a norm with the church leaders either not to answer letters or mislead those who write to them…

Yours in the eternal Faith

Fr. Conrad Saldanha   

(Prisoner for the sake of the truth of Catholic Faith)

XI. Letter to the Bishops

Subject:
Urgent need for action on the part of the Bishops! Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2015 09:15:30 +0530

Your Excellencies and Lordships, 

I wonder whom will you turn against after reading this and what will be your reaction to this open letter: will it be that of justification or support of a brother Bishop? Will you opt to save the skin of a few who like den of thieves and robbers have corrupted the church in India? Many of you have allowed it by appointing them to position of power and by being deceived by their assumed humility. Maybe a few of you may even not want to act because belong to the same category as them. 

The Lord will require of you, especially on this serious matter. 

I pray and hope that the Bishops of the church in India will take this issue up seriously and make a concerted effort to oust the Apostates and Heretics with zero tolerance. Your primary responsibility is not just to save your brother bishops but to the flock of Christ with whom you were entrusted and whom you chose to serve with faithfulness, promising to even feed them with the faith of Christ. 

https://frconrad.wordpress.com/

An open letter to Bp. Dabre, the Bishop of Pune, India; former head of the Doctrinal Commission of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI); and an expert in Indian culture and religion.

Your Lordship,

I am compelled to write an open letter to you as I find that it has become a norm with the church leaders either not to answer letters or mislead those who write to them…

AS ABOVE:
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2015 09:23:16 +0530

XII. Church mouthpiece accused of promoting ‘heretical’ views

http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/showlink.aspx?bookmarkid=9BTD799GT0F5&amp;linkid=5f6647d6-5ee5-4f53-a7f4-6e402f974dfb&amp;pdaffid=%2fvdMgXYYd0ihcpRJ4LDFkQ%3d%3d

By Manoj R Nair manoj.nair@hindustantimes.com, Hindustan Times (Mumbai), July 24, 2015

Even as the uproar over the Indian government’s promotion of Yoga has died down, the debate whether the practice is compatible with certain religious beliefs continues.

After criticising theologians and priests for supporting Yoga, some community blogs have now accused the weekly The Examiner, the mouthpiece of Mumbai’s Roman Catholic establishment, of promoting ‘heretical’ views by publishing articles on the practice. Apostasy (abandoning religion), Heresy (dissention) and Gnosticism (a heretical movement in the early church) – words that were more likely to be used against non-believers in another period in history – have been used to describe those who wrote about Yoga.

The bloggers have called themselves ‘orthodox’ but their critics have accused them of being ‘radicals’.

One of the articles that has been criticised was written by Thomas Dabre, the bishop of Pune, who discussed the possible therapeutic benefits of Yoga on the mind and body. The groups are particularly incensed at his writings because Dabre is an important figure in the church: besides heading a large diocese, he is also a former head of the Doctrinal Commission of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) – an important decision-making body of the church. He is also an expert in culture and religion, having authored an important book on the life of the 17th century poet Sant Tukaram.

In his article, Dabre had said practising Yoga as therapy could provide physical and mental benefits. In response to the accusations that he was promoting the practice, Dabre has said he is not an ambassador for Yoga. “But as a Catholic theologian, I can comment on society.”

The Examiner, too, like Dabre, has said its articles on Yoga just reflected the social debate on the issue. Father Tony Charanghat, the weekly’s editor, is currently not in India, but a spokesperson said that every article in the journal did not reflect the church’s official stand on the issue. “The magazine gives space to people who have different views on a subject; we publish some of the letters that we receive. Similarly we also get articles from our readers that we sometimes print. The opinion given in the letters and articles are never our views and this is clearly mentioned in the magazine.”

The spokesperson added: “We publish articles that are thematic – issues that people are talking about.”

But the critics of the articles are not satisfied with this answer from the magazine; they want the church headquarters to issue an official statement on its view on Yoga.

Much of the criticism against the articles on Yoga has appeared on blogs written in Mumbai, but some articles are also from Chennai where a writer Michael Prabhu, who runs a website, has accused the theologians of misleading followers by misinterpreting two Vatican documents that said that practice of certain traditions, including eastern meditation and yoga, are not compatible with their faith.

“My calling (from God) is to expose errors in the church. When bishops and priests commit liturgical and doctrinal errors, I bring it to their notice,” said Prabhu who said that he has ‘nothing’ against other religions. “Yoga is not a form of physical exercise; it is a religious ritual, but the theologians are interpreting it to their fancies.”

Another senior theologian who has been criticised by the groups is Mumbai’s Bishop Agnelo Gracias, who is also associated with the Doctrinal Commission. This diarist spoke to Gracias who, explaining that he was attending an important official assignment out of Mumbai, declined to comment on the controversy. He promised to talk about the issue after coming back to the city.

FEEDBACK

Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2015 23:47:49 -0700

In respect of Bishop Dabre it isn’t the first time he is flirting with heresy and straying far from the protection of Catholic doctrine and unless the system where these bishops are rewarded for damaging the church is critiqued we may face many more such leaders in the future.

I did go through his Facebook page and though he does have many supporters for his views he has been criticised as well.

Thanks and God bless 

Derrick D’Costa, Bahrain/Mumbai

Subject: Hindustan Times Mumbai article today…

Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2015 09:03:07 -0700

This is most interesting. Secular media can see the rational arguments you make and understand fully the intent and logic but the hierarchy can only respond by attacking your credentials as the alternative is unthinkable – that is to respond with Catholic teaching and doctrine. This is most strange. God bless you and your ministry.

Derrick D’Costa, Bahrain/Mumbai

Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2015 08:13:49 +0530

May the storm brewing in Mumbai become a hurricane and blow away the heresy about yoga. May the truth shine forth and May You be vindicated and acknowledged by everyone. Let us pray.

Elma Barreto, Goa

On 6 Aug 2015 19:28, “Erika Gibello” wrote to Christopher, BCC to Michael Prabhu:

Dear Christopher,

I am attaching my article on Yoga, which is accepted by Pope Benedict XVI emeritus already in 1989. It is quite clear that in the publication: Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life, Yoga is negatively evaluated for a Catholic.

From experience working for many years with Father Rufus, he had found that practising yoga was a block to deliverance from evil spirits. Bishop Dabre might not believe such. When in Bombay I will try to speak to him. […]

In Christ,

Erika Gibello, Secretary, International Association for Deliverance, London

Sent: Monday, August 10, 2015 1:53 PM

Congratulations on your excellent work informing about yoga’s incompatibility with our faith. I found it particularly disturbing the “yoga therapy” to cure illnesses promoted in a Catholic Church. Not only is it contrary to our faith, but also extremely dangerous, since those types of “alternative” therapies have been repeatedly proved useless and dangerous, since patients who chose them instead of conventional science-based medicine can suffer serious consequences, even death.

As Christians, we protect life, and therefore yoga offered as a “healing cure” is unacceptable spiritually as well as physically.

Maria Laura Pio, Switzerland

Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2015 09:17:32 -0700

I hope Bishop Dabre does read the 1989 encyclical as well as understand his role as a prince of the Church.

I think there are many in the hierarchy implicit in John Allen’s note that are silently resisting this foolishness of yoga promotion though. It would help immensely if they ceased emulating Nicodemus and come out and oppose teaching of error. God bless,

Derrick D’Costa, Bahrain/Mumbai

Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2015 23:14:48 -0400

This interview-presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_yfxZmRokg (which I received today from an evangelical family member of ours) for about three minutes (from frame around 17:00 to 22:00) very sadly akins to yoga our Catholic belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, asserting that Catholics “practice the presence of God” and “walk in a mystical worldview” instead of walking in faith! “Why don’t we meditate on the incredible things that God has done for us… on the promises of God and not put your mind into a vacuum?” she asks.

In all our Masses O Lord we beg Thy pardon and mercy for all those who do not believe, do not adore Thee!!

There, but for the grace of God go I.

Cecilia Castelino, New York

On pages 25 and 28, we hear Bishop Dabre propounding on the “mystic” of yoga.

He should watch the above YouTube video (and dozens of similar others) to learn the error of his ways.

The interviewed person is Caryl Matrisciana, author of Gods of the New Age. As a Catholic, she lived in India for two decades and was into New Age till she became an evangelical. It is a shame that she left with a bad impression of the Catholic Church. Thousands more like her are leaving the Faith because of the scandal of yoga-preaching priests and bishops who should be instead teaching the faithful to meditate on the Word of God in the Bible and adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament instead of Hindu meditations.

Although Ms. Matrisciana has not understood it, Catholics do possess, as she herself admits, the mystical presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. When that is so, why do we prefer the emptiness of the mysticism of eastern meditations? Why do we reject the Truth of the World for the “ray of truth” in other religions?

XIII. As Chairman, Doctrinal Commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Bishop Thomas Dabre, then Bishop of Vasai, published an article in the Vidya Jyoti Theological Review of March 2004 in which he elaborated on the “New Age Phenomenon”. This was thirteen months after the release of the Document, Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life, a Christian Reflection on the New Age by Rome.

While examining the Document, the Bishop admitted that “much of the New Age thinking emanates from Indian sources“. To be accurate and honest, he should have said that New Age thinking emanates from HINDU sources. What other “Indian” sources could New Age thinking possibly emanate from?

In electing to use those words, even though he tried to camouflage the truth, the Bishop had endorsed the stand of the Document that YOGA (#2.1, #2.3.4.1) IS NEW AGE.

In that article, Bishop Dabre also refers to the earlier (1989) Document in which Rome warns Catholics of the spiritual, mental and physical dangers of eastern meditations like YOGA, Zen and transcendental meditation. This Document, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on some Aspects of Christian Meditation, signed by Cardinal Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, was published explicitly to inform Bishops like Thomas Dabre that YOGA, Zen and T.M. were a no-no for Catholics, and they were mandated to convey these cautions to us.

This is what Bishop Dabre wrote in the theological journal:

Eastern Forms of Prayer and Meditation

In this age of interreligious dialogue, there is greater interest in the spirituality of Eastern religions. Some of the clergy, religious and the laity are adopting
Zen meditation, yoga exercises, vipassana
and other eastern and psychic and therapeutic practices and techniques. Some of these things are done in our houses of formation. Some go to the USA and conduct eastern exercises but do not practice them in their personal lives or ministry when they are here!

As the Second Vatican Council has urged us, whatever good and noble values we find in other religions has to be acknowledged, preserved and promoted (NA* 2). But these must be correctly assessed in the light of the Christian understanding of faith, prayer, meditation and mysticism. This will help for proper integration and enrichment, and avoid syncretism on the one hand and dissipation of authentic Christian prayer and meditation on the other. For this the document On Some Aspects of Christian Meditation
gives us useful guidance. (St Paul Publications, 1990.) *Nostra Aetate

But how many Catholics, whether clergy or religious or laity have even heard of the existence of these two Vatican Documents, let alone read them?

RECAP:

On June 22, Bishop Dabre wrote the pro-yoga piece on his Facebook page when there was absolutely no call for him to do so. It was even reproduced in the Bombay Church mouthpiece, The Examiner, July 4-10, 2015.

This, reported the Hindustan Times on July 9, sparked protests from Catholics across the nation.

To further obfuscate things for the already largely ignorant laity following him on his blog, Bishop Dabre called the 1989 Document by its Latin title, Orationis Formas. No less than seventeen (16) individuals furnished their email addresses and requested the Bishop for the Document (as if they could not download it from the Internet), and this they did not realizing that the Bishop was using his blog to distort the truth and misinform Catholics on the issue of YOGA.

While one of those Hinduised Indian Catholic priests out there took the Bishop’s side, not everyone was hoodwinked. An Indian seminarian in the United States, a Bishop’s secretary and a fair number of lay Catholics rejected and challenged Bishop Dabre’s errors and lies; one even called it heresy.

Bishop Dabre very cunningly uses the term “yoga exercises” for YOGA — instead of admitting that the clergy of the Indian Church are promoting YOGA as an additive or embellishment or alternative to prayer!

I can prove my charge from the contents of any Catholic priest-authored book on yoga — and there are many — that is printed/published/sold at St. Pauls or other Catholic bookstores.

Even in the Bombay Catholic Church, the Cardinals’ and Bishops’ blue-eyed boy, the disciple of yoga guru BKS Iyengar, Fr. Joe Pereira who runs the enormously wealthy Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) KRIPA Foundation that has spread its tentacles across the nation, clubs YOGA with the New Age “Christian Meditation” of the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM). And all this is done under the aegis of the Cardinals and Bishops of Mumbai who lend their institutions — and archdiocesan weekly The Examiner — to him for his anti-Christian agendas.

To support my statements, I have already furnished the hierarchy of the Church with scores of pages of evidence on my web site, and I will provide links to a few of those reports at the end of this file.

In his Vidya Jyoti 2004 article, the Bishop engaged in verbal semantics. The great majority of Indian Bishops know how to say a lot without saying anything. They’re diplomats. I have experienced this over years of correspondence with them. The Bishop’s “theological” analysis of the New Age is available at

NEW AGE-BISHOP THOMAS DABRE

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_AGE-BISHOP_THOMAS_DABRE.doc

Now, the two Roman Documents that I referred to are DOCUMENTS in every sense of the word. But Bishop Dabre and his confreres prefer to gloss over them, misinterpret them and dismiss them lightly.

However, at the same time, theologians like him appeal to other Church Documents such as Nostra Aetate (Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions) which was issued during Vatican Council II. Now Nostra Aetate is a PASTORAL document, and not dogmatic.

Pastoral Documents are not “binding” on the faithful.

Catholics agree that many of the Vatican II Documents are ambiguous in their statements and there can be as many interpretations of a couple of sentences as there are theologians. I have come across the writings of theologians who reject all sixteen Council Documents because of their pastoral nature and believe that there will one day be a Pope who will throw out Vatican II and link the Church back to its 2000-year old tradition, thus ridding Her of the doctrinal heresies and liturgical aberrations that have crept into the post-Conciliar Church even though nowhere mandated by the Council*.

Bishop Dabre, in the same way, cites Nostra Aetate authoritatively in his 2004 article on the New Age while glossing over Orationis Formas which can only give us, he says, “useful guidance“.

It’s what the Bishop doesn’t say that’s significant.

To expose the Bishop’s duplicity, I reproduce for the reader the entire section of Nostra Aetate #2 from which the Bishop has reproduced a few words:

[O]ther religions found everywhere try to counter the restlessness of the human heart, each in its own manner, by proposing “ways,” comprising teachings, rules of life, and sacred rites. The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men. Indeed, she proclaims, and ever must proclaim Christ “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), in whom men may find the fullness of religious life, in whom God has reconciled all things to Himself.

*Liberal Bishops and theologians, inculturationists, and Hinduisers never cite the whole of #2. It is not surprising why they don’t. This is what I mean by remarks on the Vatican Council II Documents. There are as many interpretations as there are liberal theologians like Bishop Dabre, as a result of which heretical teachings abound (while in the liturgy, anything goes!).

XIV. SHOCKING NEWS: The Examiner apparently defrocks Bishop Dabre!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153529097413829

http://frconrad.wix.com/home#!news-that-matter/c1nhm

By
Father Conrad Saldanha, July 26, 2015

By inferring that Bp. Thomas Dabre, of Poona Diocese of India is a mere reader contributor to the Examiner, the Archdiocesan weekly of the Bombay Church, seemed to have defrocked the one whose wrong actions they once had aided and abetted.
Thanks to the exposure by a few dedicated Christians such as Michael Prabhu, Arthur D’Mello, and Fr. Conrad Saldanha and the protests of many other members of the community.
Even as the heat is on them; the official mouthpiece seems to be finding means and ways to escape the heat on the serious assertions of Apostasy, Heresy, Perjury, Irrationally argued issue of yoga, and above all of Misrepresentation and Concealment of an important Church document on the issue by no less a figure than the most popular Bishop, considered an expert on sound doctrine.
Earlier, Bp. Dabre had clearly stated in the article published in the Examiner of July 4-10, 2015 that; “Some of my friends have asked about the Vatican position on yoga and so I am sending you my reflections on Surya Namaskar and yoga” (emphases mine). This seemed clearly a rebuttal to the exposure of his earlier article by Fr. Conrad Saldanha in the social media. That article of his had similar arguments but captioned as “Church Position on yoga”
After the Examiner article Fr. Conrad Saldanha along with some members of the community decided to confront the issue and wrote another article to expose the lies of the Bishops and their offense of apostasy now becoming evident, aided and abetted by the Archbishop and his coterie.
In a statement made to the Hindustan Times of 24th July, 2015 a spokesperson of The Examiner seemed to have said that “every article in the journal did not reflect the church’s official stand on the issue“. 
In a way implying that Bp. Thomas Dabre’s article did not fit in with the Church’s official stand on the issue.
Thus the Examiner now apparently seems to be dissociating with Bp. Dabre stand, who had graduated from stating; “Church position on yoga” (on 22nd June, 2015 on his Facebook timeline), to lay claim on: “Vatican position on yoga” in the weekly “the Examiner” (of July, 4-10).
Yet the confusion remains: Whom do the simple people believe: the mouth piece of the Bishops “The Examiner” or the Bishops mouth that speaks or an anonymous spokesperson of the Examiner speaking? BUT what is evidently clear now thru the spokesperson is that Bp. Dabre’s article in the Examiner does not reflect the church’s official stand on the issue.
In other words, there seems hidden somewhere someplace the church’s official stand on the issue and thus even Bp. Agnelo Gracias and Fr. Joe Pereira, the founder of Kripa apparently are liars, because they have stated otherwise!!!
The open secret is this: the simple people know for sure the church’s official stand which the apparent liars have kept from them.
But what is worse, The Examiner obstinately, in keeping with its tradition, further blatantly asserts: “The magazine gives space to people who have different views on a subject; we publish some of the letters what we receive. Similarly we also get articles from our readers that we sometimes print. The opinion given in the letters and articles are never our views and this is clearly mentioned in the magazine.” (Emphasis mine, as quoted by HT of 24 July, 2015)
Wow! Ingenious to the core when it comes to deceptive speak!
The discredited magazine, the Examiner by taking recourse to its disclaimer here on this issue only affirms its lost credibility and even is deliberately dishing out a doctrine of ambiguity through deliberate misleading assertions.
What is most intriguing and interesting is the spokesperson keeping his or her identity as anonymous!
The question that it has avoided and needs an answer:
1. Was the Catholic Bp. Dabre, supposed to be heading a doctrinal commission of the CBCI and well consulted theologian, even widely consulted by Bishops, an ex-auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Bombay whose mouthpiece if the Examiner, a mere reader, like any other reader?
2. Did what he express a mere opinion, whereas the evidence proves otherwise?

3. Has he not also misleadingly claimed that it represented the Vatican position on yoga? Hence where is the question of it being a personal opinion of a mere reader?
4. In the light of the above questions, the Examiner proves that it has either a bunch of ignoramuses appointed by the Archbishop and his coterie or con artists who know well to mislead and defend but can’t give people sound articles even if such articles were to represent personal opinions. Incompetent!

5. If one were to believe what the Examiner says is true, then what about officials and news items, which are not contribution of their readers, but by members of the staff, Bishops of the Archdiocese and clergy and also are heretical in nature? And, what about some heretics holding office, as patrons, beginning with the Cardinal Archbishop of Bombay?
It now seems that the criteria for accepting an article or a letter is never sound reasonings or arguments but the poorest of logic will also do, as long as it is an opinion! 
At the same time by issuing and reaffirming its disclaimer, the Examiner apparently seems to have defrocked Bp. Dabre by categorizing him as a mere reader and that what he has written is merely his personal opinion.
It apparently has also dissociated and condemned Bp. Agnelo and Fr. Joe Pereira, who claimed that the church had no stand on the issue! Whereas we know now there is a Church’s stand somewhere, someplace but the common Laity who subscribes to the official mouth piece to know the truth of the faith is not supposed to know, they only have a right to know what is contrary to sound Church doctrine. 
A Bishop whose job is to teach and present the faith to the people, faithfully, and who in the light of the major issue of misrepresentation, distortion, concealment, perjury, heresy and apostasy, their actions are now justified as the heat is on them, by categorizing them as mere readers and opinion givers.
Are they dumping him and the others in order to save their own skin when complicity of the Archbishop Cardinal Oswald Gracias, in this transgression is clearly proved!
What could be so important for Bishop Agnelo, who chose not comment? Even if he was out of Mumbai on assignment, and since he has also spoken the language of heresy and apostasy, should not have avoided commenting to the press, as reported in the same issue of Hindustan Times, on such an urgent concern? Here we are reminded of Nero who fiddled on the roof as Rome burnt! Having done the damage and now refusing to even care to repair! Alas for the attitudes of the Bishops! 
In the end it still means that the Examiner seems to approve, aid and abet serious offenses, even that which incurs automatic excommunication in the light of the 1983 code of Canon Law, because the person is mere reader who is contributing and because it is termed by them as opinion. Alas for their incredulity and lack of credibility!
Yet nothing will happen because the peritus of Canon Law, one of the 9 advisers to the Pope, will abuse the law again to save his thick skin from damage, even by saving the rest. We keep scratching each other’s back! 
The time is ripe to seek the sacking of the Bishops of the Archdiocese and to close down the Examiner which is subsidized by the Church’s money only for abuse.

Sue Kirby-Sidey Ocds Brilliantly written! Thank you Fr Conrad for your courage in portraying the Truth! Where are your clerical supporters? May Our Lord keep you under the mantle of Our Lady!

July 25 at 4:41pm

Irene Tauro Thanks for the tag Fr.

July 25 at 10:18pm

Christopher Correya I don’t think this is a forum to discuss these issues. I think it causes more damage than good. I am reminded of the scripture passage that says we need to remove the log that is in our own eyes before we remove the splinter in our brothers.

July 26 at 2:45am

Christopher Correya I think as Christians we need to focus on the larger picture, not get caught up in this finding fault and pointing fingers game. It is time we become subject to the authority God has placed irrespective whether they are right or wrong, lest we play into the hands of the Devil.

July 26 at 3:12am

Adrian Mascarenhas Hello, though I have a high regard for Bishop Thomas Dabre, I realise that this is not a proper forum to discuss his character or his teachings. Anyway, would just like to point out that the priests criticised in this article are: (a) prayerful persons (b) faithful to the Church (c) knowledgeable about Indian philosophy as well as Christian teachings (d) pastorally minded and sensitive to the needs of the people. 
I accordingly request people to hear both sides of the story before making up their mind.

July 26 at 3:20am 

Sumithra Y M As my mentor the greatest saint of the Reformation, St. IGNATIUS LOYOLA says “If you Gain the whole world at the loss of your own soul there’s no meaning to our lives.” Beware of being wolves among sheep. Many Catholics are going to the divisional churches for this reason only.

July 26 at 3:49am

Adrian Mascarenhas Thanks for the clarification Christopher Correya. Since you are associated with the Bishops in many different ways, it would be better to refrain from associating with those who consider some of India’s leading bishops to be false teachers.
The article itself points out that Cardinal Gracias is one of the top 8-9 advisers personally chosen by the Pope to give recommendations for the renewal of the Church. And Bishop Dabre has been chosen by the Vatican (in the past) to lead India’s Doctrinal Commission. By criticising them, the article clearly intends to challenge the wisdom of the Pope’s decisions.

July 26 at 3:06am

Sumithra Y M In reply to everyone who needs a clear thought and particularly with respect and regards to Rev. Fr. Adrian Mascarenhas I am happy to share that at the outset Yoga when as emulating Christ who has given us a free choice, is unchristian no more arguments as Guruji Jaggi Vasudeva himself says it’s a form of Sun worship in thanksgiving to the source of life that he is. Now you decide for yourselves. The article was published in the Deccan Herald. Further you can visit the website of ISHA Foundation. 
As for the infighting we should read James 4:1 wherein “Those Conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?” provides an answer to it. James 4:11 and 12, “Do not speak evil against one another. Whoever speaks evil against the law and judges the law… gives us a sound advice and warning. And there is a Hidden Blessing in James 5:19 and 20, “My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. 
And counseling from the Holy Spirit comes to each of you Catholic Priest in 2 Peter 1:3-11.
And above all our Salvation is entirely dependent and only Dependent ON JESUS CHRIST, the Only Son of God.

July 26 at 4:45am

Adrian Mascarenhas Dear Ms. Sumithra Y M I request you also to clarify as to whether you approve of this article which condemns or speaks sarcastically of a number of leaders of the Catholic Church.

July 26 at 2:27am

Adrian Mascarenhas So in other words you support the idea that the leaders of the Catholic Church are mostly heretics?

July 26 at 6:05am

Adrian Mascarenhas Don’t forget that Bishop Thomas Dabre was appointed by the Vatican to supervise the Church doctrines in India, and to make sure that wrong teachings are not spread in the name of Catholicism. Cardinal Oswald Gracias is one of the 10 most important persons in the Catholic Church today, and Pope Francis has appointed him to be one of those in charge of reforming the Church. Thirdly, Bishop Agnelo Gracias is also highly trusted by the Vatican. In fact he was one of the three-member team to study the language issue in Bangalore two years ago. He has also been involved in various other Vatican-appointed commissions.
If you want to condemn these people please go ahead, but you also better join a divisional church in that case!

July 26 at 6:20am

Sumithra Y M NO NEVER… I am saying that infighting for a cause other than Christ is irrelevant and we need to bring such people back to the fold. Please check the bible reference accompanying. I have used simple language

July 26 at 7:19am

Sharon Sarita Burkman Wow yoga was stressed reading from start to …….please read the epistle letter St. Paul’s teaching… and Lumen Gaudium… Then why is Rev. Fr. Conrad’s teaching, proclamation kept underground by the hierarchy? What are we given in Mumbai? Blessed in the seminary house in Mumbai Jesus Christ or scripture is not on the public notice board in Goregaon, Mumbai St. Pius. We parishioners are the church… St. Anthony Abbott help us on this topic.

July 26 at 5:16pm

Sharon Sarita Burkman Our Apostolic of Mumbai Maharashtra is in fear to write about Jesus Christ teaching Word of God.

July 26 at 5:18pm

Father Conrad Saldanha Fr. Adrian Mascarenhas your heretical assertions in the public domain and thus leading the flock of Christ astray is a serious trait, which needs to be corrected. I need to ask the great Indian apologist Michael Prabhu to report this to your esteemed Bishop whom I hold in high regard and who may not be aware of your heretical leanings and how you lead the flock of Christ astray. And now here, your ever ready intent to defend the serious wrongdoing of the Bishops in question reflects your own state of the heresy of modernism at work in you. I have pointed some of the limitations and shortcomings in your arguments earlier too on some of the other threads too and you have dared not replied to it. 
While Bishop Thomas Dabre freely discusses his heretical view points on Fb you are again quick to assert that “THIS IS NOT A PROPER FORUM TO DISCUSS HIS CHARACTER OR HIS TEACHINGS”. I have sent a copy of my article to the Examiner, the official mouthpiece, if that is the proper forum will you ask them to get it printed. While I have refrained from discussing the CHARACTER of the Bishop in all my article, with due respect to the person on the other hand you freely give him and other priests, who have been exposed for wrong doing, a CHARACTER certificate too which doesn’t fit in with what is there in the public domain by them. It should also be noted, since you give everyone the impression, that I am not basing my articles on hearsay or self opinions but on FACTS of statements made by these Bishops and Priests, and thus brought disrepute to the community in Public. 

On the other hand, the Bishop’s whom you hold in high esteem are quickest to defame people’s character on false allegations and unproved charges. Do I have to prove it to you? 
In an earlier forum you did give him a Nihil Obstat (i.e. No Error) too when the writing on the wall are very clear. 
Your invitation to people to hear both sides of the story is a deceptive request when both sides of the story are large on the wall. How come you comment without reading both sides of the story or give apparently wise advice without being rooted in reality? I have not made up stories here in my writings based on my imaginations but based them on FACTS and I AM READY FOR THE CONSEQUNECES IF I AM PROVED WRONG. 
Hence don’t make judgments based on empty arguments and wishful thinking, as you always have been doing. Quote from my articles and prove to me or the people whom you are trying to instigate and the Bishop whom you are trying to please, for reasons best known to you, that I am wrong in my quotes or that my arguments are based on false premise. When your basic doctrine itself is wrong and your method of argument incoherent, even contradicting yourself as proved here too, then do we require your CHARACTER CERTIFICATE? 
When I say that the Bishops, including Bishop Thomas Dabre are Apostates or Heretics, committed perjury, conning people, Concealing important Church documents, Misrepresenting facts, abusing their teaching office then I am not basing myself on the illusions of mind but on FACTS! And your Nihil Obstat to them proves where you stand. Do we need any more of your irrational arguments?

July 26 at 8:53pm

Father Conrad Saldanha “It is time we become subject to the AUTHORITY God has placed IRRESPECTIVE WHETHER RIGHT OR WRONG, lest we play into the hands of the Devil.” –Christopher Correya, I understand that you want to be subject to authorities in all matters, even in matters that break God’s divine law. Good for you! If you want to walk into hell with the authorities instead, then please do but don’t dish out your corrupt wares in public and lead the flock astray. The devil too is an AUTHORITY and he has been given AUTHORITY too to deceive, to misrepresent church doctrine, to abuse one’s authority, to con people in believing even a serious lie, to commit perjury, and above all to make wrong application of scripture and hence some like you think that the scripture that talks about not taking the log out from a brothers eye is ONLY (WHOLLY) meant for the other. Please note: If you are not aware of the disrepute and the betrayal brought about by the Bishops in the public sphere, then read it first before passing a judgment on what is right or wrong for others.

July 26 at 9:15pm

Tanya Nathalya Holy {Matthew 10:26-27} Therefore fear them not. For nothing is covered that shall not be revealed: nor hid, that shall not be known. That which I tell you in the dark, speak ye in the light: and that which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the housetops.
Liars and cheaters have been revealed! Now we know who the good Shepherds are really. Now we know the truth about yoga! How can so-called pastors willingly lead their flocks to hell and at the same time condemn their own souls to hell! A big thank you to all the True Children of God who have been denouncing the ferocious wolves in sheep’s clothing and the false prophets! It’s a shame to see that a Cardinal who is an advisor of the Pope is behaving like a cheat! I’m so sad to see that His Own Church is crucifying Jesus again today, starting with those at the higher levels of the hierarchy. Shame on you Cardinals, Bishops and Priests who are trying to destroy the Church and God’s People. Yoga is evil and people become possessed when they indulge in it. We clearly see the results of their possessions by their behaviors and when they defend yoga.

July 26 at 10:22pm

Kimberly Martin Yoga is Evil & it is SAD that some of the Heads of the Catholic Church are leading the faithful astray… People open your eyes & see the truth before blindly practising.

July 27 at 2:38am

Renata Jackson Thank you Father!

July 27 at 3:14am

Adrian Mascarenhas Michael Prabhu is a great person but not a great apologist! He has great zeal for the Lord but his knowledge is picked up from unreliable sources. For example, on his Ephesians site, he has sometimes posted the views of schismatic bishops from the Ukraine, including some priests who have ordained themselves bishops! These people are ultra-fanatical and they have poured poison into the Church. I pointed this out to him once before; if you need to know more I can do the research again.

July 27 at 4:06am

Adrian Mascarenhas Michael Prabhu has already reported me to the bishop. His report was a tissue of lies, so my only concern is that God should not hold this against him. For my part, I fear only the one who has the ability to destroy both body and soul in hell.

July 27 at 4:07am

Adrian Mascarenhas Sorry, the facts are not being misrepresented by Thomas Dabre or any other bishop you mentioned. The majority of priests in India – including people who have studied these subjects – are in agreement about Yoga. People who oppose yoga are entitled to their own opinions including the right to dissent from Church Authority in this minor matter. It is not as though the Gospel explicitly condemns yoga. It depends on your personal opinion as to whether yoga is a physical exercise (in which case we are free to practice it) or a false religion (in which case we are not free). Whatever course you adopt, neither of these opinions is heretical in the strict sense as per canon law.

July 27 at 4:12am

Adrian Mascarenhas Yes, and your position is that each and every priest has the right to judge and condemn the higher authorities, which is pure LUTHERANISM. Remind me to wish you on October 31.

July 27 at 4:13am

Valentino Alphonso I am glad that the heretical teachings of yoga are being exposed and while it is vitally important that everyone in the Catholic Church (including authorities) come to the knowledge of this truth and turn to God in repentance, it is also important to communicate the truth in love. Tearing each other apart with strong, intimidating words does not really serve the purpose of Christ – but only increases the animosity and strife between the brethren. We who have the truth have been made free because the truth has set us free. There are others in the body of Christ who are weak whose minds are still blinded to truth and believe something that is a lie. They are the weaker brethren and you who are in Christ are in a better position to strengthen them. Remember, the Devil has no authority because all authority was seized from him by Jesus on the cross. Jesus has given that same authority to you and I to tread over scorpions and serpents and over all the power of the enemy. It’s time we take our position and exercise the authority given to us. Blessings!

July 27 at 4:37am

Francis Lobo Dear Christopher Correya, I think you are a member of International Association of Deliverance and have deliverance ministry. 
I need straight answer from you. Does form of yoga in practice as well as in philosophy compatible with Christianity.
The second point about Bishop Dabre, He openly supported Yoga in public, then why not this is a right forum to discuss this issue? If people like you taken a firm stand, then these types of spiritual practices would not have creeped into Indian Church. 
What is that larger good you are talking about when you poisoning your own house with these types of new age movements?
It is crystal clear, no preacher has dared enough and speak against the church authority to stop new age activities.

July 27 at 9:03am

Barbara Cianci FRANCIS, you are so needed.

July 27 at 3:42pm

Binu VJ Blessed Mary warns us against Yoga
October 31, 2005
Our Lady’s Message to The Remnant Faithful
Blessed Mother says: “I have come to you today to strengthen the Remnant Faithful. I desire that untruths be uncovered, as these are presented to My children by those who are leaders — leaders who have been misled themselves. As Mother and Protectress of the Remnant Church, I cannot allow the true Tradition of Faith to fall prey to Satan’s lies.” 
“Certain practices are being presented to you, My children, as favorable–even Vatican approved. The time after you receive the Sacred Eucharist is the special time between you and the Lord. Remember, in Holy Love we must love God above all else. This means He must be first. After My Son comes into your heart, it is a time for union with Divine Love. The Holy Father never asked you to stand and sing and be united with each other at this special moment of grace. These are all distractions. Do not be tricked into thinking otherwise. Do not relinquish this most cherished time with My Jesus to some avant-garde practice.” 
“Furthermore, there are certain ‘New Age’ practices that some dioceses support as generally acceptable–reiki is one of them. Anything ‘New Age’ — such as reiki, yoga, tarot cards, ‘New Age’ massages and music — is occult! Do not be fooled because someone important claims otherwise.” 
“I have promised to you the Holy Refuge of My Heart during these confusing times. I will not forsake you. I will nurture your faith with the truth–always the truth. Your faith in Me will be rewarded, dear children.”

July 27 at 10:14am

Binu VJ Blessed Mother says: “Praise be to Jesus.” “This is what I wish to impart to you today, and to imprint upon each heart. Never place obedience above the Truth. My Son taught you this in His Exemplary Life on earth. Do not deny the Spirit of Truth for loyalty to any man. Otherwise, you are embracing darkness and obeying untruth. Obedience, for the sake of obedience, is not what God asks. God desires you search out the Truth and follow it.”
(April 26, 2013 / Feast of Mary, Our Lady of Good Counsel)

July 27 at 12:27pm

Adrian Mascarenhas I think that Christopher Correya has already given his crystal clear answer: he does not intend to join the author of this article in slandering Indian Church leaders.

July 27 at 3:51pm

Francis Lobo Yoga? What the YOUCAT says:

Yoga: What the Catechism says

https://mumbailaity.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/yoga-what-the-catechism-says/

YOUCAT, the Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2011

#355:

“You shall not have strange Gods before me”.  What does that mean?

This commandment forbids us:

. To adore other gods and pagan deities or to worships an earthly idol or to devote oneself entirely to some earthly good (money, influence, success, beauty, youth, and so on)

. To be superstitious, which means to adhere to esoteric, magic, or occult or New Age practices or to get involved with fortune telling or spiritualism, instead of believing in God’s power, providence, and -> BLESSINGS

. To provoke God by word or deed

. To commit a -> SACRILEGE

. To acquire spiritual power through corruption and desecrate what is holy through trafficking (simony). [2110-2128, 2138-2140]

#356:

Is esotericism as found, for example in New Age belief, compatible with the Christian faith?

No. ->ESOTERICISM ignores the reality of God. God is a personal Being; he is love and the origin of life, not some cold cosmic energy. Man was willed and created by God, but man himself is not divine; rather, he is a creature that is wounded by sin, threatened by death, and in need of redemption. Whereas most proponents of esotericism assume that man can redeem himself, Christians believe that only Jesus Christ and God’s grace redeem them. Nor are nature and the cosmos God (-> PANTHEISM). Rather, the creator, even though he loves us immensely, is infinitely greater and unlike anything he has created. [2110-2128]

Many people today practice yoga for health reasons, enroll in a -> MEDITATION course so as to become more calm and collected, or attend dance workshops so as to experience their bodies in a new way. These techniques are not always harmless. Often they are vehicles for doctrines that are foreign to Christianity. No reasonable person should hold an irrational world view, in which people can tap magical powers or harness mysterious spirits and the “initiated” have a secret knowledge that is withheld from the “ignorant”. In ancient Israel, the surrounding peoples’ beliefs in gods and spirits were exposed as false. God alone is Lord; there is no god besides him. Nor is there any (magical) technique by which one can capture or charm “the divine”, force one’s wishes on the universe, or redeem oneself. Much about these esoteric beliefs and practices is -> SUPERSTITION or -> OCCULTISM

The Catechism is simply the magisterial teaching of what is embodied in the Holy Bible.

It is thus the Word of God. From reading the YOUCAT, one understands that the practising of YOGA and Eastern meditations by Christians violates the First Commandment of God.

The Church definitively categorizes them as esoteric, occult, New Age practices.

July 27 at 4:45pm

Thom Agshekar Again I will say so to my dear Catholics: Yoga is Not a Catholic prescription but a bad pride and karma is going on. Some of these Cardinals, Bishops and priests – they should be kneeling down and pray for the salvation of souls… They have Indianized the Catholic Church, brought Hindu Trimurty on the Tabernacle, dances and bhajans, celebrating Mass sitting on the floor. By giving us impression and false pretensions that more Hindus would join the Catholic Church…. have you seen your Hindu neighbour joined the Church? Or how many Catholics dropped attending the Sunday Mass?

Now BJP Party waiting to radicalize their party and soon or later they will lash out Catholics to renounce their faith or burn houses and churches and impose on everyone Ghar Wapsi to revert to Hinduism. Why Church leaders are getting idiots? That’s part of the prophecy that even chosen ones will denounce Christ … And these stupid theologians are part of these heresies. Let the Bishop Dabre and his supporters do his Namaskar Surya and Yoga in his own bed! For they are teaching false theology and heresies to the ordinary simple folks and faithful!

July 27 at 5:26pm

Father Conrad Saldanha When you Adrian Mascarenhas are so full of lies and deception, then can we expect you to understand the truth as truth and teach us the truth?

July 27 at 8:21pm

Father Conrad Saldanha When you Adrian Mascarenhas understand TRUTH as lies then how will you understand the truth as TRUTH and expect you to teach the TRUTH to us.

July 27 at 8:23pm

Father Conrad Saldanha “Yes, and your position is that each and every priest has the right to judge and condemn the higher authorities”. Most Rev. Fr. Adrian the deceiver has now started putting words in my mouth, claiming that it is my position. Let this too be a testimony to people in this forum that how he attributes the above quoted position to me … If anyone in this forum finds that this idea or position is mine and proves it … then I shall hide my face in shame and make a public apology to all whom I have exposed as children of the father of deception! But if you acknowledge with me that this man, who is supposed to be a priest of the Archdiocese of Bangalore, is a deceiver and that he may be ashamed of his pathological sickness of lying and he is not worth listening to or arguing with, you may also BOO him.

July 27 at 9:09pm 

Sue Kirby-Sidey Ocds Satan, be gone! For these are your perverted works! May the Blood of Jesus wash away any of your lies, for you are the father of lies! Whether Pope, cardinal, bishop, priest or lay member…. I bind your evil in the Holy and Sacred Name of Jesus Who is King above all else and you, master of nothing, are also a creature of the Mighty God Whom we adore and serve! Begone! May Our Lady, Help of all Christians, protect all the people and especially Fr Conrad whom your son died for! May her foot crush Satan’s head!

July 27 at 9:17pm

Father Conrad Saldanha To all in this forum: The key issue is not yoga in this particular forum but that of serious misdeeds of the Bishops, which has been clearly exposed in my earlier articles about them, with ABUNDANT PROOFS. As per Canon Law, such a wrong doing leads to AUTOMATIC EXCOMMUNICATION! Anyone defending them can only have some ulterior motives or hidden agendas! 
The MISDEEDS of the Bishops are evident from what is there in the open forum and are not a fabrication of my mind, nor are they based on any aspersions cast by any misguided or mischievous elements but SOLELY based on their OWN writings in the public forum. Thus they have also brought disrepute to the Catholic Community, exposed the Sheep to the ravenous wolves and have betrayed the trust reposed on them by the ordinary simple Catholics. Judas betrayed the One while they have betrayed the many! If anyone sees hurts or motives in this then he or she is self-conceited and acting blind, to what is freely there in the electronic media. 
These BISHOPS have betrayed the trust of the People on an important element of Church doctrine, through MISREPRESENTATION of Church documents, apostasy and yet pretending to be faithful to the Catholic Church, double speak, aiding and abetting a serious wrongdoing, Concealing an important Church document on the subject, being persistent with their deception repeatedly, Malicious Intent to Mislead, Breach of Trust reposed on them by the people and the Vatican who have appointed them, leading other Bishops of India astray too on this subject, calling people to break the First Commandment and inviting them to worship of creature rather than the Creator God, incredulity, promoting heresy, with incoherent arguments and lies and above all the most serious wrongdoing which is evident: PERJURY! If these are not serious wrong doing then what are they, in what better language do we coat them in?
IF THEY ARE MEN OF CONSCIENCE THEN THEY NEED TO STEP DOWN WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT, MORE SO BECAUSE THEY STAND AUTOMATICALLY EXCOMMUNICATED AS PER CANON LAW.

July 27 at 10:11pm 

Adrian Mascarenhas In Canon Law, an automatic excommunication still has to be declared by the Church authorities. It can’t be declared by any priest or private individual. Even if these bishops are excommunicated Latae Sententiae, the declaration of the sentence cannot come from you, nor do you have the authority to act as though their excommunication is already certain! Since Cardinal Oswald Gracias is a member of the committee for reforming the Vatican itself, it’s pretty obvious that the Vatican doesn’t consider him to be under a latae sententiae sentence of excommunication so I would like to know who are the canonists whom you have consulted in this matter.

July 28 at 5:37am

Viceroy Thom Goenkar We Told You So! His Grace is stepping out of his bounds with his personal opinions and creating controversies, heresies and scandal to the Catholic Faith… And some of these faithful fellas want to defend the Bishop – for what? For introducing Yoga as part of the Catholic Theology? He should step down or the Vatican should remove him and keep him on administrative duties. Never make up stories on Catholic Doctrine until approved and published by the Vatican. Here is the chance for the Bishop for rebuttal if his statements reiterate with The Vatican! Yoga & Surya Namaskar is not on the list of official Vatican Documents… Is it???

July 28 at 8:38am

Father Conrad Saldanha Grow up Adrian Mascarenhas, learn some immediate historical facts. The Vatican takes its own sweet time and many a times only when there is an increased protest after an exposure. Don’t present to the people of this forum your limited peanut understanding with all boast, lies and deception.

July 28 at 3:28pm

Adrian Mascarenhas Well I’m not the one criticising the Church leadership! Obviously I consider that I should be loyal and obedient to the Church leaders and that definitely includes the Vatican of which I consider Cardinal Oswald Gracias to be one of the important representatives in India. I would presume that the one who condemns the cardinals and the bishops of the Church is the one who considers himself to be above the Vatican!

July 28 at 3:30pm

Valentino Alphonso Father Conrad Saldanha what kind of reasoning is this?? While I appreciate the stand you are taking on various social issues, statements like these are really detrimental to the purpose that you are trying to achieve. With such strong and intimidating words you are without an iota of doubt burning bridges and creating discord and disharmony in the body of Christ. Scripture tells us, that we aren’t fighting with flesh and blood, but principalities, powers and rulers in high places. It is so sad that men are being targeted to ruthlessly and let’s be sure that the Devil has an upper hand when we attack our brethren with such words. 
I appeal to the Body of Christ to seek God for a spirit of discernment – We may have a right standing on certain issues, but should we be out of the will of God, the enemy will have an open door in our lives. Let’s remember, it’s Not by Might, nor by Power, but by His Spirit. Speaking the truth in love must always be our aim. If we defend ourselves on human standards, then we haven’t left any room for God to move in and defend us. Let’s not be Spiritual crybabies or act like children … May God be with you all. 

July 28 at 5:19am

Tyler Lorge II VALENTINO! YE YOURSELF ATTACK GOOD FATHER CONRAD, AND YE PERSECUTE HIM FOR BEING BOLD AND NOT BACKING DOWN IN TRUTH OF THOSE EVIL BISHOPS! WHERE DONT YE GET IT WHEN MOTHER MARY EVEN SPOKE OF BISHOPS THAT WILL LEAD THERE FLOCKS ASTRAY! INSTEAD OF BEING HAPPY AND THANKFUL THAT FATHER CONRAD IS AMOUNG THOSE THAT JESUS CHRIST SAID WILL BE PERSECUTED BECAUSE THEY BOLDLY AND SPIRITUALLY BRING THE TRUTH OF WOLVES IN SHEEP CLOTHING YE ALL CONDEM HIM ! BUT REMEMBER THAT PEOPLE AS YE AND ADRIAN HAVE DONE THIS TO JESUS CHRIST TOO! IM NOT VERY EDUCATED IN BIG WORDS AND MY SPELLING IS THE WORST, AND I TYPE IN CAPS BECAUSE OF HANDICAP, AND I READ MORE WORDS IF IN LARGE LETTERS! SO IM NOT SCREAMING AT ALL! BUT SHAME ON YE BIG BOYS ATTACKING THIS GOOD HONEST PRIEST FATHER CONRAD, AS HE WILL BE REWARDED FOR GOING THROUGH THIS PERSECUTION YE TWO ARE PUTTING HIM THROUGH FOR BEING SINCERE AND TRUTHFUL! JESUS I BELIEVED IS TRULY PLEASED WITH THIS FAITHFUL MAN CONRAD!!! HES NOT AFRAID TO CALL OUT EVIL DECEIVING OF EVEN BISHOPS AS HIS HEART IS IN SPIRITUAL HARMONY WITH ALMIGHTY GOD JESUS CHRIST AND THANK ALMIGHTY GOD WE STILL HAVE FAITHFUL PRIEST AS FATHER CONRAD! WE THE TRUE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST JESUS SUPPORT YE GOOD FATHER CONRAD! I BELIEVE YE WILL EVEN GO TO YE DEATH PROCLAIMING TRUTHS TO IGNORANT PEOPLE WHO TRULY ARE TAKEN IN BY SATANS LIES! I KNOW MANY, MANY GREAT GOOD CHRISTIANS THAT WERE HARMED AND BECAME SAD, DEPRESSED AND LOST IN SATAN’S WAYS BY ANY OF THIS EVIL YOGA. JESUS CHRIST WANTS THIS GONE! HE TELLS US SO! NOT SATAN! I THINK ADRIAN AND YE BOTH OWE THIS MAN OF HONOR, FATHER CONRAD A VERY BIG APOLOGY! FOR AS YE TREATED HIM OUT HERE YE ALSO DID TO JESUS CHRIST! IM JUST A NOBODY, JUST A HUMBLE SIMPLE LAD OF 21 YEARS OF AGE, BUT FATHER DAVID TOLD ME THAT ALMIGHTY GOD EVEN USED MOSES FOR HIS PLANS TO FULFIL AND MOSES HAD A GREAT BIG SPEECH IMPAIRMENT!!! YET GOD CAN USE EVEN THE HANDICAP! AND I FEEL BETTER AS I TOO ON THIS LETTER TOLD NOTHING BUT TRUTH FROM THE INSPIRATION OF ALMIGHTY GOD JESUS CHRIST! IT IS FROM HIM! IM JUST A WEE LIL MESSENGER! JESUS CHRIST WANTS YE TO LISTEN TO HIS GOOD TRUSTING SERVEN FATHER CONRAD! JESUS HIMSELF OUT LOUD SHAMED THE PEOPLE AT TIMES TOSSED EVIL FROM HIS FATHERS TEMPLE, CURSED SOME CALLED SOME SATAN. He could show harsh strong anger for silly ignorant people! Just because they are bishops it don’t make them honest ones! Let’s be kind and pray on this truth God has chosen to be brought to us by this loyal unafraid priest almighty God choose as Father Conrad! I do not know Father Conrad well but Jesus Christ tells my spiritual heart that I can trust and believe in him! After all, he stands for keeping true Catholic traditional Church teaching from almighty God Jesus Christ alive and meaningful! Only the devils will persecute him wrongly! I trust Father Conrad and his well intention true compassionate heart! Instead of dismissing what he says as whole truth, examine yourself and take very careful spiritual inventory of why ye are so upset by him standing firm on god’s word alone! Thank ye all for reading! I love ye all and I will pray and light candles for ye all! We must welcome the good servant priest as father Conrad that God shows his light through as he sends these good honorable ones now to warn us as God predicted in these times now! Instead of rebuking and persecuting him welcome him and learn! I prayed the blood of Christ Jesus before I read any of Father Conrad’s statements and he is as blunt and firm as Jesus Christ was to his flock, in which many mocked Jesus for it! Father Conrad will hold up as Christ Jesus is his staff and light in all he says amen and amen.

July 28 at 6:47am

Adrian Mascarenhas Hello Tyler. I am also a priest, I am here trying to defend some of our holy and noble-minded bishops and cardinals who are being unjustly and unfairly attacked by Fr. Conrad.

July 28 at 9:06am

Francis Lobo Fr. Adrian We know that you are also a priest.
One priest is compromising the truth and another is firm on truth. That’s the difference.
We have seen priests who worship Ganesha, Hindu deities. Even they are on good terms with the Bishops. For you these things are ok. If you are liberal, you will grow, you will get promoted. That is what the Indian Church is. “Yes Sir, Yes Boss culture”
There are well known priests who spoke against New Age and Yoga. I rather take their views than yours.
Christopher Correya is a member of International Association of Deliverance. Ask him to contact Erika Gibello. I think she has written a book on Yoga and New Age with a foreword by Pope Benedict XVI. I hope she will give some insight to you and Christopher Correya.

July 28 at 9:34am ·

Binu VJ 

RELIGION: Catholics Warned About Yoga

http://articles.latimes.com/1989-12-14/news/mn-601_1_roman-catholics

December 14, 1989

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican today cautioned Roman Catholics that such Eastern meditation practices as Zen and yoga can “degenerate into a cult of the body” that debases Christian prayer.

“The love of God, the sole object of Christian contemplation, is a reality which cannot be ‘mastered’ by any method or technique,” said a document issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The document, approved by Pope John Paul II and addressed to bishops, said attempts to combine Christian meditation with Eastern techniques were fraught with danger although they can have positive uses.

The 23-page document was believed to be the first effort by the Vatican to respond to the pull of Eastern religious practices.

July 28 at 9:42am

Father Conrad Saldanha Thanks Tyler Lorge II, God has blessed you much to be his instrument. Please keep at it. Thanks Francis Lobo for seeing thru the lies and deception of an obstinate priest. Valentino Alphonso My issues are not “SOCIAL ISSUES” which you claim to appreciate. When one appreciates falsely or falsehood then it is no appreciation. Are you still a Catholic or a breakaway? My doors were always open to you to discuss your difficulty in understanding the Catholic faith. Let people know then the seriousness of your concern to build bridges. FYI: there seems to be a spiritual schizophrenia in what you write and the way you think

July 28 at 3:43pm

Sharon Sarita Burkman We are not judges … but myself feels about the truth has to be rectified for Jesus Christ. Bless u Rev. Fr. Conrad.

July 28 at 8:04pm

MY COMMENTS ON THE FACEBOOK CONVERSATIONS

Overwhelmingly, the Catholics here on this Facebook page are in support of Fr. Conrad Saldanha, and some of the comments made by simple lay persons are scathingly critical and condemnatory of Bishop Dabre.

Both Christopher Correya, who as Francis Lobo reveals, is in the ministry of deliverance in Bangalore, and Fr. Adrian Mascarenhas, a priest of the Bangalore Archdiocese, did not have any takers. Frankly, what with our Church being saddled with Bishops like Thomas Dabre, priests like Adrian Mascarenhas and charismatic renewal ministry leaders like Christopher Correya, I am quite surprised; I expected it to be 50-50… or worse.

When will our spiritual “leaders” ever learn?

Christopher Correya is very much aware that this ministry is in the war against the errors taught by Bishop Dabre when Fr. Conrad Saldanha mentions my name in his Facebook article:

Thanks to the exposure by a few dedicated Christians such as Michael Prabhu … and the protests of many other members of the community.

I can therefore come to only one conclusion: Christopher Correya must strongly disapprove of my ministry which, using the Internet, seeks to expose unacknowledged and uncorrected public error (liturgical, doctrinal, New Age, etc.) in high places in the Church.

That will explain his having been non-committal on all the issues that I wrote to him about, his never having had one good word to write or say about my ministry, his twice dropping me for a year at a time from the mailing list of his Light of Christ Covenant Community newsletter (if it really wasn’t oversight as he says).

(Read FR ADRIAN MASCARENHAS-YOGA AT ST PATRICK’S CHURCH BANGALORE

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_ADRIAN_MASCARENHAS-YOGA_AT_ST_PATRICKS_CHURCH_BANGALORE.doc,

BANGALORE DELIVERANCE MINISTRY LEADER OBJECTS TO PRIEST’S CRITICISM OF YOGA-ENDORSING BISHOP THOMAS DABRE http://ephesians-511.net/docs/BANGALORE_DELIVERANCE_MINISTRY_LEADER_OBJECTS_TO_PRIESTS_CRITICISM_OF_YOGA-ENDORSING_BISHOP_THOMAS_DABRE.doc

July 26 at 2:45am

Christopher Correya I think as Christians we need to focus on the larger picture, not get caught up in this finding fault and pointing fingers game. It is time we become subject to the authority God has placed irrespective whether they are right or wrong, lest we play into the hands of the Devil.

July 26 at 3:12am

To be fair, Christopher Correya did not comment, this way or that, on yoga. He was only concerned about the Bishop being critiqued. But that too goes against him, because he, being in the charismatic ministry of deliverance, is expected to make a public statement/commitment on whether or not Catholics may practise yoga. But populist leaders need to be on the “good side” of the Bishops, and they can be so in at least two ways: by not condemning the errors allowed or propagated by the Bishops/priests and by not publicly discussing/getting involved in “controversial” issues such as Catholic yoga.

Again to be fair, Christopher Correya is not alone in his choice of position; virtually every senior leader in these Covenant Communities and in charismatic renewal — barring a few exceptions — exhibits the exact same disposition, eschewing prophetic speaking and fraternal admonishment for the reward of seminar and retreat invitations, forewords to books authored by them, and the acclaim of men.

Some of these leaders have evolved a clever scheme to befool their critics. They do not speak against New Age or other error at major programmes (because most often their own Bishop is fostering it) but they boldly do so when teaching small groups with no priest or bishop present to hear them; and they do so only because they have no alternative, because if they don’t, they will have embarrassing questions to answer.

People who claim to be in deliverance ministry have to make up their minds whether yoga, homoeopathy, the consuming of prasada offered to a pagan deity, OM chanting, Bharatanatyam dancing etc. are New Age and/or have occultic impact on the Catholic individual… or not.

If they cannot do that, I simply am unable to imagine what counseling they can offer and how they can correctly discern the spiritual requirements of Catholics who come to them for deliverance.

Christopher Correya describes speaking prophetically, fraternal correction, admonishing a fellow Christian, defending the truth, warning Catholics of imminent spiritual danger, and exposing lies, deceit and error as “this finding fault and pointing fingers game“.

Has he not read the New Testament where St. Paul disagrees with and rebukes Pope St. Peter?

I advise him to read the contents of this file:

DEFENDING OUR FAITH-CONSCIENCE AND OBEDIENCE-SPEAKING PROPHETICALLY OR JUDGING OTHERS?

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/DEFENDING_OUR_FAITH-CONSCIENCE_AND_OBEDIENCE-SPEAKING_PROPHETICALLY_OR_JUDGING_OTHERS.doc

It will also refute his advice: “It is time we become subject to the authority God has placed irrespective whether they are right or wrong“. I am subject to the authority of my Bishop, all Bishops, but I do not have to obey him when he misinterprets Church teaching or proposes personal or liberal interpretations of the same.

If I had followed the leader’s advice, the New Community Bible would never have been pulled for revision.

We “play into the hands of the Devil” (to quote Christopher Correya) not by fighting error but by condoning it.

“Not to oppose error is to approve it, and not to defend the truth is to suppress it” – Pope St. Felix III

Fr. Adrian Mascarenhas appeals to Christopher Correya twice; birds of a feather. He even speaks for him!

Remember (see the report for which the title and link is given by me at the top of this page) that the priest is an agent of New Age error in the Archdiocese of Bangalore.

He’s all over Facebook but doesn’t like to identify himself as a Catholic priest. He has laicized himself. He only revealed that he is a priest to try to win critic Tyler over to his side of the debate.

Adrian Mascarenhas Hello, though I have a high regard for Bishop Thomas Dabre, I realise that this is not a proper forum to discuss his character or his teachings. Anyway, would just like to point out that the priests criticised in this article are: (a) prayerful persons (b) faithful to the Church (c) knowledgeable about Indian philosophy as well as Christian teachings (d) pastorally minded and sensitive to the needs of the people. 
I accordingly request people to hear both sides of the story before making up their mind.

Adrian Mascarenhas Michael Prabhu is a great person but not a great apologist! He has great zeal for the Lord but his knowledge is picked up from unreliable sources. For example, on his Ephesians site, he has sometimes posted the views of schismatic bishops from the Ukraine, including some priests who have ordained themselves bishops! These people are ultra-fanatical and they have poured poison into the Church. I pointed this out to him once before; if you need to know more I can do the research again.

Adrian Mascarenhas Michael Prabhu has already reported me to the bishop. His report was a tissue of lies, so my only concern is that God should not hold this against him. For my part, I fear only the one who has the ability to destroy both body and soul in hell.

Adrian Mascarenhas Sorry, the facts are not being misrepresented by Thomas Dabre or any other bishop you mentioned. The majority of priests in India – including people who have studied these subjects – are in agreement about Yoga. People who oppose yoga are entitled to their own opinions including the right to dissent from Church Authority in this minor matter. It is not as though the Gospel explicitly condemns yoga. It depends on your personal opinion as to whether yoga is a physical exercise (in which case we are free to practice it) or a false religion (in which case we are not free). Whatever course you adopt, neither of these opinions is heretical in the strict sense as per canon law.

Adrian Mascarenhas I think that Christopher Correya has already given his crystal clear answer: he does not intend to join the author of this article in slandering Indian Church leaders.

Adrian Mascarenhas Hello Tyler. I am also a priest, I am here trying to defend some of our holy and noble-minded bishops and cardinals who are being unjustly and unfairly attacked by Fr. Conrad.

(From above) Fr. Adrian Mascarenhas writes, “Cardinal Gracias is one of the top 8-9 advisers personally chosen by the Pope to give recommendations for the renewal of the Church. And Bishop Dabre has been chosen by the Vatican (in the past) to lead India’s Doctrinal Commission. By criticising them, the article clearly intends to challenge the wisdom of the Pope’s decisions … Don’t forget that Bishop Thomas Dabre was appointed by the Vatican to supervise the Church doctrines in India, and to make sure that wrong teachings are not spread in the name of Catholicism. Cardinal Oswald Gracias is one of the 10 most important persons in the Catholic Church today, and Pope Francis has appointed him to be one of those in charge of reforming the Church. Thirdly, Bishop Agnelo Gracias is also highly trusted by the Vatican.”

i) Since when did Bishops and Cardinals given official postings, however important, by Rome become infallible? I have reported on Bishop Thomas Dabre‘s presiding over liturgical aberrations and his defense of them, on his promotion of Surya Namaskar and yoga, and his giving the Nihil Obstat and the Imprimatur for the heretical New Community Bible that had to be withdrawn and revised following our protests.

IS BISHOP DABRE FORMER CHAIRMAN DOCTRINAL COMMISSION A PROPONENT OF YOGA?

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/IS_BISHOP_DABRE_FORMER_CHAIRMAN_DOCTRINAL_COMMISSION_A_PROPONENT_OF_YOGA.doc

CHURCH MOUTHPIECE THE EXAMINER ACCUSED OF PROMOTING HERESY (BISHOP THOMAS DABRE)

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/CHURCH_MOUTHPIECE_THE EXAMINER_ACCUSED_OF_PROMOTING_HERESY.doc

BANGALORE DELIVERANCE MINISTRY LEADER OBJECTS TO PRIEST’S CRITICISM OF YOGA-ENDORSING BISHOP THOMAS DABRE

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/BANGALORE_DELIVERANCE_MINISTRY_LEADER_OBJECTS_TO_PRIESTS_CRITICISM_OF_YOGA-ENDORSING_BISHOP_THOMAS_DABRE.doc

BISHOP THOMAS DABRE CONSORTS WITH THE ENEMY-THE BHARATIYA SANSKRITI PEETHAM AND THE BEDE GRIFFITHS SANGHA

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/BISHOP_THOMAS_DABRE_CONSORTS_WITH_THE_ENEMY-THE_BHARATIYA_SANSKRITI_PEETHAM_AND_THE_BEDE_GRIFFITHS_SANGHA.doc

ii) For Bombay Archbishop Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the reader may please check out:

CARDINAL OSWALD GRACIAS ENDORSES YOGA FOR CATHOLICS
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/CARDINAL_OSWALD_GRACIAS_ENDORSES_YOGA_FOR_CATHOLICS.doc

PAPAL CANDIDATE OSWALD CARDINAL GRACIAS ENDORSES YOGA
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/PAPAL_CANDIDATE_OSWALD_CARDINAL_GRACIAS_ENDORSES_YOGA.doc

NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 20-HALF-TRUTHS FROM CARDINAL OSWALD GRACIAS

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_20-HALF-TRUTHS_FROM_CARDINAL_OSWALD_GRACIAS.doc

NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 27-CARDINAL OSWALD GRACIAS STILL IN DENIAL OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS ERRORS

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_27-CARDINAL_OSWALD_GRACIAS_STILL_IN_DENIAL_OF_RESPONSIBILITY_FOR_ITS_ERRORS.doc

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

HINDU RELIGIOUS MARK ON THE FOREHEAD 16-CARDINAL OSWALD GRACIAS WEARS

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/HINDU_RELIGIOUS_MARK_ON_THE_FOREHEAD_16-CARDINAL_OSWALD_GRACIAS_WEARS.doc

SHOULD OSWALD CARDINAL GRACIAS HAVE RESIGNED AS CARDINAL OBRIEN DID

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/SHOULD_OSWALD_CARDINAL_GRACIAS_HAVE_RESIGNED_AS_CARDINAL_OBRIEN_DID.doc

iii) On Cardinal Ivan Dias:

CARDINAL IVAN DIAS PROMOTES CONTROVERSIAL MARIAN APPARITIONS

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/CARDINAL_IVAN_DIAS_PROMOTES_CONTROVERSIAL_MARIAN_APPARITIONS.doc

HINDU RELIGIOUS MARK ON THE FOREHEAD 11-CARDINAL
IVAN DIAS WEARS

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/HINDU_RELIGIOUS_MARK_ON_THE_FOREHEAD_11-CARDINAL_WEARS.doc

CARDINAL IVAN DIAS LIGHTS A LAMP FOR THE HINDU DEITY GANESHA

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/CARDINAL_IVAN_DIAS_LIGHTS_A_LAMP_FOR_THE_HINDU_DEITY_GANESHA.doc

iv) As for Bombay auxiliary Bishop Agnelo Gracias, he was the leading defender of the heretical/New Age/Hinduized St Pauls New Community Bible when Catholics protested against it following its release

NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 22-BISHOP AGNELO GRACIAS DEFENDS IT YET IT IS PULLED FOR REVISION

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_22-BISHOP_AGNELO_GRACIAS_DEFENDS_IT_YET_IT_IS_PULLED_FOR_REVISION.doc

HINDU RELIGIOUS MARK ON THE FOREHEAD 08-BISHOP WEARS –
AGNELO GRACIAS

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/HINDU_RELIGIOUS_MARK_ON_THE_FOREHEAD_08-BISHOP_WEARS.doc

v) Bombay Archdiocese is the most New Age-ridden diocese in India. I give the reader a few of my reports:

THE LABYRINTH IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BOMBAY

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/THE_LABYRINTH_IN_THE_ARCHDIOCESE_OF_BOMBAY.doc

THE ST PIUS X SEMINARY CELEBRATES HINDU DEITY GANESHA

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/THE_ST_PIUS_X_SEMINARY_CELEBRATES_HINDU_DEITY_GANESH.doc

YOGA AND THE BRAHMA KUMARIS AT A CATHOLIC COLLEGE IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BOMBAY

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/YOGA_AND_THE_BRAHMA_KUMARIS_AT_A_CATHOLIC_COLLEGE_IN_THE_ARCHDIOCESE_OF_BOMBAY.doc

FR JOE PEREIRA-KRIPA FOUNDATION-NEW AGE ENDORSED BY THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BOMBAY

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_JOE_PEREIRA-KRIPA_FOUNDATION-NEW_AGE_ENDORSED_BY_THE_ARCHDIOCESE_OF_BOMBAY_AND_THE_CBCI.doc

INSTITUTIONALIZED NEW AGE IN BOMBAY ARCHDIOCESE-HOMOEOPATHY, YOGA AND KRIPA FOUNDATION

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/INSTITUTIONALIZED_NEW_AGE_IN_BOMBAY_ARCHDIOCESE-HOMOEOPATHY_YOGA_AND_KRIPA_FOUNDATION.doc

IS THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BOMBAY IN THE LIBERAL CAMP AT THE SYNOD ON THE FAMILY?

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/IS_THE_ARCHDIOCESE_OF_BOMBAY_IN_THE_LIBERAL_CAMP_AT_THE_SYNOD_ON_THE_FAMILY.doc

CHURCH MOUTHPIECE THE EXAMINER ACCUSED OF PROMOTING HERESY

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/CHURCH_MOUTHPIECE_THE EXAMINER_ACCUSED_OF_PROMOTING_HERESY.doc

NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 07-UNPUBLISHED LETTERS AGAINST ITS ERRONEOUS COMMENTARIES-THE EXAMINER

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_07-UNPUBLISHED_LETTERS_AGAINST_ITS_ERRONEOUS_COMMENTARIES-THE_EXAMINER.doc

FR PRASHANT OLALEKAR-INTERPLAY AND LIFE POSITIVE (ARCHDIOCESE OF BOMBAY)

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_PRASHANT_OLALEKAR-INTERPLAY_AND_LIFE_POSITIVE.doc

vi) Bombay Archdiocese is the epicentre of the women priests movement in the Indian Church:

VIRGINIA SALDANHA-ECCLESIA OF WOMEN IN ASIA AND CATHERINE OF SIENA VIRTUAL COLLEGE-FEMINIST THEOLOGY AND THE ORDINATION OF WOMEN PRIESTS

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/VIRGINIA_SALDANHA-ECCLESIA_OF_WOMEN_IN_ASIA_AND_CATHERINE_OF_SIENA_VIRTUAL_COLLEGE-FEMINIST_THEOLOGY_AND_THE_ORDINATION_OF_WOMEN_PRIESTS.doc

VIRGINIA SALDANHA–WOMENPRIESTS INFILTRATES THE INDIAN CHURCH-CATHERINE OF SIENA VIRTUAL COLLEGE

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/VIRGINIA_SALDANHA-WOMENPRIESTS_INFILTRATES_THE_INDIAN_CHURCH-CATHERINE_OF_SIENA_VIRTUAL_COLLEGE.doc

WHAT’S VIRGINIA SALDANHA DOING WITH “NUNS ON THE BUS”?

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/WHATS_VIRGINIA_SALDANHA_DOING_WITH_NUNS_ON_THE_BUS.doc

Dear reader, the above list of files related to the Archdiocese of Bombay is FAR from exhaustive.

vii) The Archdiocese is also morally bankrupt and financially corrupt if one reads the daily emails & blog of the Association of Concerned Catholics (AOCC),
https://mumbailaity.wordpress.com/author/mumbailaity/, pp. 21, 30.

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FOCOLARE_THE_WORK_OF_MARY-IS_IT_GOOD_FOR_CATHOLICS.doc

2. NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE 14-UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX GREEK CATHOLIC BISHOPS CALL IT A NEW AGE BIBLE, “EXCOMMUNICATE” INDIAN BISHOPS
MARCH 2010

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_COMMUNITY_BIBLE_14-UKRAINIAN_ORTHODOX_GREEK_CATHOLIC_BISHOPS_CALL_IT_A_NEW_AGE_BIBLE_EXCOMMUNICATE_INDIAN_BISHOPS.doc

3. NEW AGE-UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX GREEK-CATHOLIC CHURCH
AUGUST 2011

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_AGE-UKRAINIAN_ORTHODOX_GREEK-CATHOLIC_CHURCH.doc

In the second report (of March 2010) I had very clearly written, thinking that they might be Traditionalist:

QUOTE NOTE: I DO NOT KNOW IF THE UKRAINIAN GREEK-CATHOLIC CHURCH IS IN UNION WITH ROME OR NOT. IF THEIR LETTERS OF APPEAL TO THE POPE IN MY FOCOLARE REPORT ARE ANY INDICATION, THEY APPARENTLY ARE. THEIR INTEREST IN FOCOLARE APPEARS TO CONFIRM THAT. DESPITE MY DILIGENT SEARCHING OF INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CHURCH ON THE INTERNET, I COULD NOT FIND ANY INFORMATION THAT MIGHT CONFIRM THESE BISHOPS TO BE TRADITIONALISTS. I DO NOT INCLUDE TRADITIONALIST INFORMATION IN MY REPORTS WITHOUT CLEARLY INDICATING THAT IT IS SO.

I ALSO CANNOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE CANONICAL VALIDITY OF THE EXCOMMUNICATIONS / ANATHEMAS PRONOUNCED BY THESE BISHOPS ON THE INDIAN BISHOPS ON THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE ISSUE.

EVEN IF THESE BISHOPS DO EVENTUALLY TURN OUT TO BE TRADITIONALISTS, [INFORMATION TO THIS END WILL BE MOST WELCOME AND WILL BE INCLUDED AS AN UPDATE TO THIS REPORT], ONE MUST APPRECIATE THEIR ORTHODOXY, THEIR ZEAL FOR PROTECTING THE FAITH AGAINST ERROR, AND THEIR UNCOMPROMISING STAND AGAINST HERESY, SYNCRETISM AND NEW AGE. UNQUOTE

When FOCOLARE was written 3 months earlier (in January 2010) I had believed them to be Catholic Orthodox bishops. The NEW AGE report of August 2011 carries the same disclaimer as the 2010 report.

—Fr. Mascarenhas says, “Michael Prabhu has already reported me to the bishop*. His report was a tissue of lies“.

Please read FR ADRIAN MASCARENHAS-YOGA AT ST PATRICK’S CHURCH BANGALORE

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_ADRIAN_MASCARENHAS-YOGA_AT_ST_PATRICKS_CHURCH_BANGALORE.doc
and decide for yourselves after studying my documentation.

*The Archbishop of Bangalore Most Rev. Bernard Moras is another Bishop who has allowed New Age to flourish in Catholic institutions in his archdiocese, doing absolutely NOTHING to curb it, for example:

ARCHBISHOP OF BANGALORE-LETTERS FROM THIS MINISTRY

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/ARCHBISHOP_OF_BANGALORE-LETTERS_FROM_THIS_MINISTRY.doc

PRANIC HEALING CONVENTION AT CHRIST COLLEGE, BANGALORE

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/PRANIC_HEALING_CONVENTION_AT_CHRIST_COLLEGE_BANGALORE.doc.

—Fr. Adrian Mascarenhas: “It is not as though the Gospel explicitly condemns yoga“.

Agreed. Neither does it explicitly condemn Freemasonry and the New Age Movement. But the Church, the Gospel’s teaching authority, does through Her Magisterium (Vatican Documents), the Catechism (the YouCat was cited by one individual on Facebook). Fr. Adrian Mascarenhas cannot accept that. So who’s the heretic?

Francis Lobo Dear Christopher Correya, I think you are a member of International Association of Deliverance and have deliverance ministry. 
I need straight answer from you. Does form of yoga in practice as well as in philosophy compatible with Christianity.
The second point about Bishop Dabre, He openly supported Yoga in public, then why not this is a right forum to discuss this issue? If people like you taken a firm stand, then these types of spiritual practices would not have creeped into Indian Church. 
What is that larger good you are talking about when you poisoning your own house with these types of new age movements?
It is crystal clear, no preacher has dared enough and speak against the church authority to stop new age activities.

Francis Lobo Yoga? What the YOUCAT says [… … …]

Binu VJ 

RELIGION: Catholics Warned About Yoga [… … …]

—Fr. Adrian Mascarenhas: “People who oppose yoga are entitled to their own opinions including the right to dissent from Church Authority in this minor matter.” Minor matter?

Theologians, Theological Commissions, Bishops’ Conferences, individual Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops, and exorcists believe that doing yoga is very major matter since it transgresses the First Commandment.

If yoga were not a spiritual danger why would the Church warn about its potential dangers in two Documents? One doesn’t see Her writing about the dangers of Nestlé-Maggi flavour-enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) that was headline news recently or of riding a two-wheeler without a helmet (the Madras High Court made helmets mandatory last month to protect bikers from injuries to the head… and death).

The Church warns the faithful not to engage in Freemasonry, yoga, ZEN and the like for one simple but major reason: because they result in SPIRITUAL DEATH.

XV. Global Catholicism and the politics of yoga

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/08/08/beware-of-unintended-consequences-on-the-divorced-and-remarried/

By John L. Allen Jr., john.allen@cruxnow.com August 8, 2015

(Keep in mind when reading his article that John L. Allen is a liberal and endorses Hindu yoga)

Back in 1989, the Vatican’s doctrinal watchdog agency, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued a document expressing caution about eastern spiritual practices such as Zen meditation and yoga. It drew howls of protest from outraged Western devotees of those pursuits, many of whom saw the warning as typically blinkered and reactionary.

Especially in the case of yoga, most Americans and Europeans don’t attach any real spiritual significance to it – many would be hard pressed to explain what role it plays in Hindu devotion, and some might not even realize it has a link to Hinduism. As a result, the idea of the Vatican being threatened struck them as saying more about the defensiveness of Rome than about the dangers of yoga.

Today, however, that document is enjoying a new vogue in what many Westerners might consider an unlikely setting: India, where yoga was born.

If nothing else, the ferment in Indian Catholic circles offers a lesson in one of the core truths about Catholicism in the early 21^st century. It’s a global faith, and trying to see issues in the Church exclusively through Western eyes just won’t cut it.

By way of background, India elected a new government last year under Prime Minister Narendra Modi that’s closely allied with the country’s burgeoning Hindu nationalist movements, especially the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS. Since taking power, Modi has moved aggressively to promote India’s Hindu identity, a trend that critics refer to derisively as the “saffronization” of the country.

(Saffron is the golden yellow color of the robes worn by Hindu sages, and also the color of banners carried by Hindu nationalists.)

One priority in this campaign has been the promotion of yoga. On June 21, the government sponsored a first-ever “International Yoga Day” featuring a mass yoga demonstration in one city and a large international conference in another extolling the physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits of yoga. All in, Modi’s team spent more than $5 million US on the event.

That pro-yoga drive is of a piece with a number of other recent initiatives, including beef bans and anti-conversion laws in several Indian states, and even a new national science project intended to demonstrate the health benefits of cow urine. (Given the cow’s status as a sacred animal, Hindu devotees will sometimes drink cow urine or rub it on their heads and bodies.)

Religious minorities generally view the saffronization campaign as indirectly aimed at them. Christians in particular were irked that the government set “International Yoga Day” for a Sunday, seeing it as a deliberate poke in the eye.

These trends help explain the row that’s broken out among Indian Catholics over what the Church ought to be saying about yoga.

Earlier this summer, the official newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay published a series of articles that struck most readers as yoga-friendly. One such piece, by Bishop Thomas Dabre of Pune, suggested that yoga can have positive therapeutic effects on both mind and body.

It was especially striking since Dabre is a respected intellectual and a former head of the Indian bishops’ doctrinal commission. Ferocious backlash ensued on-line, with various Catholic pundits, bloggers, and activists tossing around terms such as “heresy,” “apostasy,” and “schism.”

Those critics prominently cited the 1989 Vatican document.

Many Indian Catholics applauded the reaction, not necessarily because they shared the doctrinal assessment, but because they felt Dabre and other Catholic leaders were being feckless in failing to stand up to the government’s pro-Hindu agenda.

It’s an understandable sentiment in a country where mobs of Hindu radicals sometimes descend upon unarmed Christians, burning their churches and homes, raping their women (occasionally including Catholic nuns), forcing people to endure “reconversion” ceremonies to Hinduism, and killing those who refuse in gruesome fashion.

Compounding the outrage is the fact that there’s a widespread culture of impunity for such behavior. It’s been seven years since an anti-Christian pogrom in Kandhamal in eastern India that left 100 people dead, for instance, but only two perpetrators were ever charged with murder, and only one is actually in jail.

In that context, some Christians can’t help but see going along with the yoga drive as sending a message that the Church lacks the will to resist, potentially emboldening radicals to engage even more forceful forms of coercion and intimidation.

Of course, none of this settles the theological question of whether yoga passes Catholic muster. Officially speaking, the Church neither condemns nor endorses the practice, and most bishops around the world seem content to leave it at that.

What we can draw from the debate, however, is perspective.

For most Americans, yoga is something slotted in between spinning class and the treadmill. From that vantage point, it can be almost incomprehensible why anyone, let alone the Vatican or some other serious Catholic authority, would feel the need to issue cautions.

Yet in a Catholic Church in which two-thirds of its 1.2 billion members now live outside the West, American Catholics have to accept that it’s not all about us.

Although Indian Catholics are only about 1.6 percent of the national population, the place is so big that works out to almost 20 million people – larger than the Catholic populations of Canada and Great Britain combined, and with much higher rates of Mass attendance and greater numbers of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Given those realities, it shouldn’t surprise anybody that India is moving rapidly up the charts of Catholic cultures the Vatican feels obliged to take seriously.

For Americans in particular, life in a global Church means realizing that just because something seems a no-brainer here doesn’t mean it plays out that way everywhere. Grasping why some Indian Catholics take a hard line on yoga – sometimes on theological grounds, but more and more for reasons of self-defense – is probably as good a place to start as any.

XVI A. LETTER

From: Fr. Conrad Saldanha To: CBCI President Baselios Cleemis
catholicostvm@gmail.com

Date: 18 Aug 2015 21:03:45 -0000 Subject: Silent Deceptive Apostasy of the Church in India

Your Eminence, 

Greetings in Christ Jesus our Lord!

I the unworthy servant of the Lord would like to bring to your notice the following statement of yours in the light of some recent development: 

“The Church is not against yoga but church practices on Sunday cannot be compromised,” said CBCI president Cardinal Baselios Cleemis said in UCAN – a serious anomaly and a very unfortunate statement! If you read the following article on my blog then you will understand how serious your misguided statement is. More and more parishes and Catholic schools are even imposing them on the gullible laity and students respectively. 

https://frconrad.wordpress.com/2015/07/18/bishops-sin-of-apostasy-in-india/

Having been conducting silent retreats in the Archdiocese of Bombay for some years and approved by the then Archbishop Cardinal Ivan Dias, I find that yoga in any form is seriously dangerous to the faith and the church in India has done serious damage by misleading the Vatican and the laity on the issue. 

What is more, the document Orationis Formas, when referring to Yoga as an Eastern Prayer Practice warns us about the dangers of yoga. But what is worse, the same document makes a serious mistake by referring to yoga as an Eastern Prayer practice when the Eastern world, who practices it, believes it to be mere techniques to attain union with God rather than a prayer, thus rendering that document defunct in relationship to Yoga. (When a judgment is wrong then any action based on that judgment cannot be right) 

On the other hand the Church, as if enlightened by its folly, rightly refers to Yoga as a NEW AGE practice and as dangerous in any form to the faith of the Catholics in its later document named: “Jesus Christ the bearer of the water of life”. You can refer to #4:1 and also #2 in this regard. 

I have also written articles on the subject cautioning about it both from an anthropological point of view and also from the spirituality and psychological angle. 

I have seen the dangers of yoga in the practitioners, whose only defense is intelligent sounding incoherent arguments, which often borders on heretical opinions, even applying wrong scriptures to justify their point of view. 

A very good example are the Bishops of Pune and Mumbai who have defiantly and obstinately promoted a falsified teaching on the subject in spite of an open confrontation by way of an open letter. 

Having also been in the ministry of deliverance I have seen the dark side of yoga too. Some of the most serious cautions against yoga have come from priests who have been in the ministry of deliverance and Exorcism such as Fr. Gabriel Amorth and his successor and even our own Fr. James Manjackal. 

There has also been a great deal of writing by one Michael Prabhu, whom most of the astray Bishop are allergic to and who has been an excellent apologist on the subject. 

I had to take recourse to the “open letter” route as I have been a victim of abuse of authority at various levels in the church whereby the Church has failed to dialogue with its own for their own good. Thanks to their abuse of power I now have the open route to address the issue.  

Here below I am presenting some of my writings on the same subject for your urgent action.

Trust the deception of yoga is crushed in the church under your able leadership and that the Church in India and the Vatican takes a firm stand against yoga, with even the document as the basis so that the Christian community no longer walks in the darkness away from the faith of Christ. 

If there is any clarification required, I shall be happy to furnish the same for the good of the Church of God, whose servant I am. 

Thanking you 

Yours in Christ Jesus, 

Fr. Conrad Saldanha

http://frconradsaldanha.blogspot.in/2015/06/should-christians-dabble-with-yogic.html

https://frconrad.wordpress.com/2015/07/18/bishops-sin-of-apostasy-in-india/

http://frconrad.wix.com/home#!heresy–apostasy/capk

http://frconradsaldanha.blogspot.in/2011/10/deception-in-yogic.html

http://frconrad.wix.com/home#!news-that-matter/c1nhm

XVI B. LETTER

From: Fr. Conrad Saldanha To: editor@examinerindia.com, Examiner Press <cccbom@gmail.com>, editor@examiner.in, mail@examiner.in

CC: arcanjo sodder <arcanjosodder@hotmail.com>, zezie sodder <zeziesodder@hotmail.com>, Gordon Jacobs <gordonjacobs2004@yahoo.com>, Adv. Arthur D’Mello <agdmello@hotmail.com>, Cardinal Oswald Gracias diocesebombay@gmail.com Subject: For Publishing Date: 19 Aug 2015 09:24:27 -0000

Dear Rev. Fr. 

Sorry for this delay in writing to you. 

After hearing of your disclaimer in the Hindustan Times to Bp. Dabre’s article appearing in your weekly I feel encouraged to present to you my articles. I am herein submitting the following links to my articles for publishing in your weekly. 

https://frconrad.wordpress.com/2015/08/19/this-catholic-bishop-could-be-a-pagan/

https://mumbailaity.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/catholic-bishop-thomas-dabre-obstinately-misrepresents-church-teachings/

https://frconrad.wordpress.com/2015/07/18/bishops-sin-of-apostasy-in-india/

http://media.wix.com/ugd/ee9ef5_39d7c9584b8940a3aa82a62df3d7dbf8.pdf

http://frconradsaldanha.blogspot.in/2015/06/should-christians-dabble-with-yogic.html

http://frconradsaldanha.blogspot.in/2011/10/deception-in-yogic.html

They will definitely help in preserving the faith of the Laity in the church. 

With prayers,

Fr. Conrad Saldanha

MORE ON YOGA

YOGA-REPORTS

BRAHMA KUMARIS WORLD SPIRITUAL UNIVERSITY

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/BRAHMA_KUMARIS_WORLD_SPIRITUAL_UNIVERSITY.doc

CATHOLIC YOGA HAS ARRIVED

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/CATHOLIC_YOGA_HAS_ARRIVED.doc

DIVINE RETREAT CENTRE ERRORS-05
YOGA PROMOTED

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/DIVINE_RETREAT_CENTRE_ERRORS-05.doc

EXORCISTS WARN AGAINST USE OF YOGA MANTRAS

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/EXORCISTS_WARN_AGAINST_USE_OF_YOGA_MANTRAS.doc

FORMER YOGI REJECTS A CHRISTIAN ALTERNATIVE TO YOGA

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FORMER_YOGI_REJECTS_A_CHRISTIAN_ALTERNATIVE_TO_YOGA.doc

FR JOE PEREIRA-KRIPA FOUNDATION-NEW AGE ENDORSED BY THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BOMBAY AND THE CBCI

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_JOE_PEREIRA-KRIPA_FOUNDATION-NEW_AGE_ENDORSED_BY_THE_ARCHDIOCESE_OF_BOMBAY_AND_THE_CBCI.doc

FR JOE PEREIRA-KRIPA FOUNDATION-WORLD COMMUNITY FOR CHRISTIAN MEDITATION

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_JOE_PEREIRA-KRIPA_FOUNDATION-WORLD_COMMUNITY_FOR_CHRISTIAN_MEDITATION.doc

FR JOE PEREIRA-KRIPA FOUNDATION-WORLD COMMUNITY FOR CHRISTIAN MEDITATION-LETTERS TO THE BISHOPS AND THEIR RESPONSES

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_JOE_PEREIRA-KRIPA_FOUNDATION-WORLD_COMMUNITY_FOR_CHRISTIAN_MEDITATION-LETTERS_TO_THE_BISHOPS_AND_THEIR_RESPONSES.doc

FR JOE PEREIRA SUPPORTED BY HIS BISHOPS CONTINUES TO MOCK AT CATHOLICS

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_JOE_PEREIRA_SUPPORTED_BY_HIS_BISHOPS_CONTINUES_TO_MOCK_AT_CATHOLICS.doc

FR JOHN VALDARIS-NEW AGE CURES FOR CANCER

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FR_JOHN_VALDARIS-NEW_AGE_CURES_FOR_CANCER.doc

NARENDRA MODI SEEKS TO INTRODUCE YOGA IN UNIVERSITIES

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NARENDRA_MODI_SEEKS_TO_INTRODUCE_YOGA_IN_UNIVERSITIES.doc

NEW AGE GURUS 01-SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR-THE ‘ART OF LIVING’

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NEW_AGE_GURUS_01-SRI_SRI_RAVI_SHANKAR-THE_ART_OF_LIVING.doc

PAPAL CANDIDATE OSWALD CARDINAL GRACIAS ENDORSES YOGA

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/PAPAL_CANDIDATE_OSWALD_CARDINAL_GRACIAS_ENDORSES_YOGA.doc

SEXUAL PREDATORS MORE PREVALENT AMONG RABBIS PASTORS YOGIS THAN AMONG PRIESTS http://ephesians-511.net/docs/SEXUAL_PREDATORS_MORE_PREVALENT_AMONG_RABBIS_PASTORS_YOGIS_THAN_AMONG_PRIESTS.doc

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/U_S_CATHOLIC_MAGAZINE_ENDORSES_NEW_AGE-REIKI_YOGA_AND_ZEN.doc

VISHAL JAGRITI MAGAZINE PULLS YOGA SERIES OF FR FRANCIS CLOONEY

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/VISHAL_JAGRITI_MAGAZINE_PULLS_YOGA_SERIES_OF_FR_FRANCIS_CLOONEY.doc

YOGA IN THE DIOCESE OF MANGALORE

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/YOGA_IN_THE_DIOCESE_OF_MANGALORE.doc

YOGA-ARTICLES/COLLATIONS

AYUSH-THE NEW AGE DANGERS OF

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/AYUSH_THE_NEW_AGE_DANGERS_OF.doc

A CATHOLIC ALTERNATIVE TO YOGA-PIETRA FITNESS

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/A_CATHOLIC_ALTERNATIVE_TO_YOGA-PIETRA_FITNESS.doc

AN INDIAN CATHOLIC’S PROBLEMS WITH THE CONDEMNATION OF YOGA ARE ADDRESSED

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/AN_INDIAN_CATHOLICS_PROBLEMS_WITH_THE_CONDEMNATION_OF_YOGA_ARE_ADDRESSED.doc

AUM SHINRIKYO YOGA CULT

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/AUM_SHINRIKYO_YOGA_CULT.doc

AYURVEDA AND YOGA-DR EDWIN A NOYES

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/AYURVEDA_AND_YOGA-DR_EDWIN_A_NOYES.doc

DEATH OF A GURU

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/DEATH_OF_A_GURU.doc

MANTRAS YOGA WCCM CHRISTIAN MEDITATION ETC-EDDIE RUSSELL

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/MANTRAS_YOGA_WCCM_CHRISTIAN_MEDITATION_ETC-EDDIE_RUSSELL.doc

PRANAYAMA

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/PRANAYAMA.doc

REIKI YOGA AND CENTERING PRAYER

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/REIKI_YOGA_AND_CENTERING_PRAYER.doc

ROME WARNS CATHOLICS ABOUT YOGA AND ZEN MEDITATION SYSTEMS

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/ROME_WARNS_CATHOLICS_ABOUT_YOGA_AND_ZEN_MEDITATION_SYSTEMS.doc

TRUTH, LIES AND YOGA-ERROL FERNANDES

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/TRUTH_LIES_AND_YOGA-ERROL_FERNANDES.rtf

WAS JESUS A YOGI? SYNCRETISM AND INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE-ERROL FERNANDES

http://ephesians-511.net/docs/WAS_JESUS_A_YOGI_SYNCRETISM_AND_INTERRELIGIOUS_DIALOGUE-ERROL_FERNANDES.doc