The article will give the reader an idea of what to expect in this series on CHARISINDIA and the CCR in India.

In this series, I will name names. I am constrained to do so because, over the 30 years of my sojourn in the Renewal, I have seen the condition of things deteriorate, while at the same time not a single prophetic voice has been raised in protest.

My scores of letters to the senior-most leadership have either elicited unfulfilled assurances or been studiously ignored.

I must stress here on one point that I mention under point 5 on page 3 of my above-cited April 2011 article: the loyalty of too many rank and file charismatics is to their leadership instead of to the teaching authority of the Church.

If the reader dismisses my statements as generalizations, the true incidents that I will record in the articles in this series — justifying my having to name certain people — should convince him that this is not so.

2. The immediate reason for this series on CHARISINDIA/the CCR is the CHARISINDIA July 2012 issue.

A pro-contraception article authored by a Protestant was published. On learning of it, I personally contacted the CCR’s Episcopal Advisor
Most Rev. Francis Kalist, the bishop of Meerut by ‘phone and by email. He was cordial and expressed his thanks and appreciation of my initiative on the ‘phone as well as in writing*. However, all subsequent letters to the bishop have remained unanswered. Furthermore, all letters from me to
Constantine Fernandez, the publisher of CHARISINDIA, its Chief Editor
Cyril John, and to the National Charismatic Office [NCO] staff,
Gilbert Faria and
K.P. Shaji
were also completely ignored by them. While I had spoken on the ‘phone to Fernandez, Faria and Shaji, Cyril John simply declined to take my many calls or call me back. Two months have passed. The August and September 2012 CHARISINDIA issues had no correction of the error.
See our report CHARISINDIA ERRORS-01.

The July 2012 CHARISINDIA also carried a story on the funeral of Fr Rufus Pereira. I detected in that story what I believe to be an error:
eulogies given during the Mass.

*My first email & the Bishop’s response are copied here.

The update to January 4 was emailed to Bishop Francis Kalist and the CHARISINDIA/NCO team
on
January 30, 2013. If a reply is received from any of them, the report will be further updated.

7. Report CHARISINDIA ERRORS-06, detailing the errors in the CHARISINDIA reporting of
the XV National Catholic Charismatic Convention in Goa, November 12-15, 2012 as well as errors and liturgical abuses noted and recorded by me during my participation in the event, will be released later.

For that reason, the documenting of those issues in CHARISINDIA ERRORS-07 is not chronological.

9. The report CHARISINDIA ERRORS-08 records the utter carelessness with which the magazine continues to be edited/published despite my series of reports which I expected would ensure greater vigilance. It concerns the chairmanship of Fr. A.J. Thamburaj, SJ in the February 2013 CHARISINDIA issue.

10. The last report CHARISINDIA ERRORS-09 is about the false prophecies recorded in the April 2014 issue.

As a result of that report, a female member of the Renewal’s Intercessory Network in Mumbai broke off correspondence with me. We had also spoken a few times over the ‘phone. She has blessed my ministry with her tithes. But after the release of the report which concerned her ministry of intercession, I have not received any response to my emails to her.

My sin appears to have been in criticizing the charismatic renewal ministry in which she is a leader. She had however never found a problem with any of my earlier reports. This is a situation that I have encountered earlier and repeats itself fairly regularly. All is fine as long as the target is far from home. But when issues hit very close to individuals, their loved ones or their prayer groups, it’s unacceptable. I guess I will lose a few “friends” after this one too! I keep repeating that too many Catholics’ loyalties are not to the Truth and Righteousness, or to Christ and the teachings of His Church, but to their prayer groups, their pious organizations and retreat centres, leaders and “elders”, however much in error they may be.

If any recipient of this present report agrees, disagrees with me or has any other perspective, please send me your take on the “prophecies”. I will include your input in this report as an update without your name and email address should you so desire as long as you are a genuine person and not trying to obfuscate the issue. In case my views can be proved to be judgemental and misinformed, I can be convinced to pull this report from my web site.

11. The present report CHARISINDIA ERRORS-10 concerns the cover page of the January 2016 CHARISINDIA issue.

The occasion was the 16^th National Catholic Charismatic Convention held at St. Ursula’s High School grounds, Nigdi, Pune, from 11 to 14 November 2015. Present too were the delegates to the parallel-running Youth Convention, Kairos 2015.

The two oil lamps on the dais at the inaugural ceremony are being lit by the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, with Baselios Cardinal Cleemis, the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (to his right).

Other Bishops who were present/spoke at the Convention were Bishop Thomas Dabre of Poona, Bishop Francis Kalist, the Episcopal Advisor to the National Service Team (NST), Bishop Raphael Thattil, the Auxiliary Bishop of Trichur, and Bishop emeritus Valerian D’Souza, former Episcopal Advisor to the NST. A number of charismatic priests and nuns were present.

A photograph of the lamp-lighting ceremony is in the same CHARISINDIA issue at the top of page 18. In that picture, one can see several other national lay leaders, a couple of other clerics, and former long-time chairman Cyril John who is presently Chairman of the ISAO and Chief Editor of CHARISINDIA.

High-level lay charismatic leaders and preachers from other states and cities like Kerala, Mumbai, Goa, Vasai and Bangalore were also present. Apparently not one of them had an issue with the lamp-lighting inaugural ceremony.

The lamps in the picture above are only used by Hindus in temples, in their puja rooms, and to inaugurate all functions where they have to placate, appease and worship their deities so that the devotees will be blessed auspiciously.

They are not used by Indian Muslims or any other religious community in India because of the Hindu religious connotations that are associated with them.

See WHAT DOES THE KUTHU VILAKKU OIL LAMP SIGNIFY