ANTHONY SAMUEL_ADONAI_S BRIDE_CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC PREACHER TURNS PENTECOSTAL

NEW WEBSITE: www.ephesians-511.net

JUNE 21, 2007 [UPDATED LATER]

POPULAR CHARISMATIC PREACHER ‘PASTOR’ ANTHONY SAMUEL OF SECUNDERABAD LEAVES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, FOUNDS HIS OWN ‘CHURCH’ – ADONAI’S BRIDE – CONDUCTS ANTI-CATHOLIC PROPAGANDA FIRST CONTACT IN CHENNAI Anthony Samuel is a well-known and very popular figure in Catholic Charismatic Renewal [CCR] circles. Presently living at Sainikpuri in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, he has received invitations to preach at CCR regional programmes, youth and intercessory groups associated with the CCR, parishes, convents, and seminaries, and has reportedly given retreats to nuns and to priests. He has ministered extensively in Catholic circles in Secunderabad/Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, etc., and in several states in the North and North-East such as Bihar, Jharkhand and Manipur.

The name of his ministry is “Reach Out To India” [ROTI]. The ROTI team almost always consisted of a Catholic nun who would be given the opportunity to share a testimony, and at least one lay person accompanying them from Secunderabad.

I first met Anthony Samuel in 2002 when he preached retreats organized by prayer groups at Catholic churches in Chennai.

I attended two of those retreats. I recall finding it a bit odd, and being a trifle concerned when I heard him ridicule the enthusiasm that the music ministry showed for insisting on ‘action songs’ and Praise and Worship preceding each of his talks, and when he mimicked the way Catholics repeat the Hail Mary in the rosary. Apart from that, I noted that he preached like a Protestant- relying completely on the Bible, and never touching Catholic themes such as the Sacraments and Mary. But that was not sufficient to ring any alarm bells for me. Anthony Samuel was a Catholic preacher.

On being introduced to me and learning about my ministry to expose New Age error, he came over to my home for lunch and to enquire more about it. I was pleased to give him some of my articles and reports on New Age issues.

He also “borrowed” a number of books from my library - some of them very expensive - on the subjects of the occult, healing, deliverance and spiritual warfare. He has never returned any of the books despite several requests from me.

So much for “integrity”, one of the favourite themes of his retreats.

MY STAY WITH THE “REACH OUT TO INDIA” TEAM IN SECUNDERABAD In November 2002, a nephew of mine [who was in fulltime ministry] and I spent 12 days with Anthony Samuel and family in Secunderabad, on invitation to talk on New Age [I had earlier given similar programmes to other Catholic groups].

The talks were spread over 10 days, conducted for about three hours each evening. Each talk was always followed by a sumptuous dinner.

The community at home included Anthony Samuel and his wife Tranquil, their adopted baby Samara, Anthony’s mother, Tranquil’s sister Mabel, another young woman who was having problems with her family, a Catholic youth from Bangalore [who was at the end of a stay there], and a nun [whose identity I shall keep confidential].

About a dozen young men turned up every evening, and I observed that they were very particular about not ever being late even by a few minutes for the talks. I noted that despite the informality and bonhomie, a sense of discipline seemed to be in place, and Anthony Samuel held firm control over the group. It was only in retrospect that I came to understand why the group was eager to listen to me, and why they had taken my subject so seriously.

Anthony Samuel was a most hospitable and generous host. A two-wheeler was put at my disposal, and my nephew and I could attend the early morning Mass at the parish church. The nun too used to make it to Mass every day.

My nephew and I would get together privately during the day to say our rosary, and the Divine Mercy prayer at 3:00 pm.

We began to observe that there was neither personal nor community prayer at home; however, Anthony would retire to his room to read the Bible. There was also a conspicuous absence of any Catholic picture, image, icon, or statue in the building, and while there was a cross on the wall of one room, it was not a crucifix: the image of Jesus was missing.

I questioned Anthony Samuel about this, and he gave me a casual reply which I cannot recall today.

I do not remember seeing any Catholic books either in the small library that Anthony Samuel maintained downstairs.

None of the family attended daily Mass. Anthony Samuel would instead leave home around 6:00 am each day, about the time we went to church for Mass, to lead his group in what he called an “intercessory” prayer meeting.

Since several of them were attending my evening classes, it was evident that they were substituting Mass with the prayer meeting. A few days into our stay, when we discussed our concern with the nun, she simply asked us to observe their routine on the coming Sunday. We did: No one attended Sunday Mass.

During the penultimate session of my talks on New Age therapies and meditations, there suddenly arose from some of the young men in the group a strong, vocal condemnation of the Catholic Church.

Quite taken aback, I protested. Anthony Samuel quickly intervened to stop the criticism.

Connecting all my other observations with this incident, it became clear to me for the first time that the real reason that I had been invited to give the programme was not because Anthony Samuel wanted his team to understand the dangers of New Age, but so that they could make the connection that the alternative medicines, holistic health therapies, eastern meditations etc. that I was explaining as esoteric, anti-Christian, occult, and incompatible with Biblical revelation and Church teaching, are in fact being propagated in the Catholic Church by nuns and priests, one being a national-level leader in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, and in their very own city of Secunderabad by two Church-supported organizations, Dharma Bharathi and the Catholic Health Association of India [CHAI].

In short, he was using my talks to make his community believe that the Catholic Church is spiritually corrupt and could not be the true Church of Jesus Christ [something that he was already teaching them, as we shall see later.]

“DO YOU LOVE ME MORE THAN THESE?” Incidentally, whatever the excuse made, this is the very reason why I am obstructed from talking to CCR prayer groups: Most CCR leaders do not want their prayer group members to realize that the New Age is a present danger within the Church and within the Renewal. Their problem is not so much that this ministry exposes New Age practices but that by its very nature it also exposes New Age practitioners. It is difficult to explain to people why the philosophies and practices of say pranic healing or reiki or pendulum dowsing or Zen meditation or yoga are spiritually erroneous and dangerous for Christians without their becoming themselves aware that some Church or Renewal leaders are involved in their propagation.

Even if I spoke objectively, smart Catholics would realize that some popular leader or priest or nun is involved in the New Age practice that I was condemning. So the leaders prefer instead to keep their followers in ignorance about the New Age. It is more important for them to protect their friends, to please others, to avoid confrontation and rocking the boat, to throw the baby out with the bath water. So, if New Age is ever discussed, it is at a very superficial level.

When we asked the nun living in Anthony Samuel’s home how long this had been going on [their not attending Sunday Mass, etc.], she lamented that she had known for a long time but did not know what to do because she had left her congregation to stay with Anthony Samuel as she liked to be in active charismatic ministry, and could not bear to think of returning to her order. Moreover, she liked Anthony Samuel.

Everyone did. And therein lay a big problem. Several Catholics [including a member of my family] as well as evangelists and leaders in charismatic ministry had stayed with Anthony Samuel, some for weeks, some for months, and must surely have observed what we had, and must have come to understand his true disposition towards the Catholic Faith, but all of them seemed to have liked Anthony Samuel so much that that they did not warn the Renewal leadership about him.

Some of them have ministered along with him. It is impossible for someone to have been close to Anthony Samuel for more than a week without realizing that his Catholic Faith had been seriously compromised.

The late crusader against the New Age, Errol C. Fernandes, wrote in his quarterly EMMANUEL [emphases his]: "Jesus asked Peter, ‘Do you love me more than these’ (JOHN 21:15-17).

I have always heard it preached and taught that Jesus was asking Peter if he loved Him more than the other apostles present loved Him… Nowhere does the Lord ask us to love Him more than others love Him. Rather, wasn't the Lord asking Peter if he loved Him more than he loved his fellow apostles?

That would be a necessary condition if he was to fulfill the task of shepherding (Greek poimaine) ‘my sheep’.

Much of the problem in the Church lies in the fact that the pastors love their own kind (peers, clergy, favourites) more than they love the Lord's flock, and therefore more than they love the Lord!!"

It was once again left to this ministry to do the ‘dirty work’ of exposing a much-loved leader and become even more unpopular in some charismatic renewal leadership circles which seem to love their friends in high places more than they love Jesus and His flock.

I handed over to Anthony Samuel five sets of my articles and reports to be distributed among the community. He kept them all with himself. A couple of members contacted me after my return to Chennai, saying that despite several requests [and his assurances to me], Anthony Samuel had refused to give them the papers. I sent the material directly to them at their residence addresses. They soon left Anthony Samuel’s community, concerned about its anti-Catholic stances.

We also learnt that the nun was obliged to leave the ROTI team and community soon after.

Towards the end of our stay there, my nephew and I anxiously discussed between the two of us what we thought to be highly improbable, even impossible: Anthony Samuel was a Pentecostal. But, he was so well-known, respected, and highlyconnected in charismatic circles and with priests and bishops that we simply had to be wrong. Surely, if his faith was as compromised as we had noted, some good Catholic would have reported him in long before then.

Maybe we had missed something. What if we confronted him and he came out with some perfectly good and logical explanation- their baby Samara was not well for a few days during our stay there- we would have been acutely embarrassed. Moreover, we had Sister to think of. She was anxious by now that it would be known that she had tipped us off. So, we decided to return to Chennai and make enquiries from those who had participated closely in Anthony Samuel’s ministry in Chennai and in Bangalore, before informing the leaders concerned in the Renewal who invited him.

ENQUIRY, ACTION, CONSEQUENCES I talked to the members of a Catholic family who had hosted Anthony Samuel’s team when a retreat was conducted in their parish. They confirmed to me that they had had their suspicions when he had tried to remove their scapulars and rosaries.

I also talked to a Catholic evangelist who had stayed with Anthony Samuel for extended periods of time and ministered with him. While he did not deny what I claimed to have noted, he was not helpful either, asking me not to pursue the matter.

He had also gone to attend a retreat at Jose Anathanam’s “Upper Room” in Kanjikode, Kerala, after a stay with Anthony Samuel. It was common knowledge that Jose Anathanam had already left the Church, and an alert had been put out by the Church in Kerala and by several regional service teams of the CCR. Anthony Samuel had often acknowledged Jose Anathanam as his guru. They were close friends. Having confirmed my observations, and making a composite picture with other points that I had noted, I approached the leaders of a couple of Service Teams of the CCR, who had invited Anthony Samuel to preach retreats in their cities, to inform them that Anthony Samuel was in reality a Pentecostal.

This ministry then warned the Chairman of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in writing, in early 2003, the following: (i) For his personal use as well as preaching, Anthony Samuel uses the Protestant King James Version [KJV] of the Bible.

In my presence he placed a bulk order with OM books for the same, for distribution to persons associated with his ministry.

He (obviously) does not refer to the Deuterocanonical books or accept them as Canon. (ii) He subscribes to the 'Sola Scriptura' position [as against the Catholic position of the Bible and Tradition]. His talks have never contained references to Vatican/conciliar teachings or the Catechism of the Catholic Church. (iii) It is believed that it may be quite some time since he made his last confession. It is quite certain that he does not attend Sunday Mass. (iv) On weekdays he has conducted regular prayer meetings at the time of day when all parishes are celebrating the morning Mass. I have good reason to believe that his group could not make it for Mass at any other time. (v) His example has influenced many people. Those closely associated with him have been known to skip Sunday Mass. (vi) He does not pray the rosary or any other Catholic devotion. He is known to have removed rosaries and scapulars from the possession of several persons, and attempted to do the same with others.

He has commented negatively about practices and obligations that are “Church-instituted”. (vii) He has spoken disparagingly, in his retreats, of Catholics who parrot prayers, specially referring to the Hail Mary. The expressions mimicked by him, of Catholics saying the Hail Mary, invariably generate laughter. (viii) His wife Tranquil and he, according to his private confession and public statements at retreats preached to Catholics, have “decided not to have babies”, but will adopt them. (ix) Even in Catholic charismatic circles he is often addressed as “Pastor”, a title conventionally used by non-Catholics for their church leaders. [I have even heard a CCR regional service team chairman addressing Anthony Samuel as “Pastor”.]

A major problem this ministry faces is this: If an exposé gives names, it is rejected because priests, nuns and Catholics in lay ministry are named. If names are withheld [since one can easily figure out who I am referring to] as I was required to do in my initial personal meetings with some of the CCR leaders in the Anthony Samuel case, they then insist not only my giving the name of the alleged offender, but also on my providing the names of people who can corroborate my claims.

I did not receive a response from the National Chairman of the CCR to this letter which was sent to him by email more than four years ago. Since I had been earlier informed in writing that no action could/would be taken on my reports on erring individuals because I was naming them [!!!!!?????!!!!! Any useful suggestions, please], in that letter [it will soon be posted on our website], I encoded Anthony Samuel’s name as A, a CCR regional service team chairman as B, and so on.

I did not immediately receive any positive response or commitment from my personally sharing this information with senior leaders of other regional service teams, youth groups and ministries in early 2003 either.

However, the Madras Service Team soon stopped inviting Pastor Anthony Samuel to preach in Chennai, though a youth group called the CYIC or Chennai Youth in Christ, if I am correct, made use of the Pastor at least once in the same city.

A leader of the CYIC, who is also a personal friend, had assured this ministry a couple of times that he would arrange for a programme to be given by me to this group, many of whom are highly educated post graduates, intellectuals and professionals. When the promised invitation failed to materialise and I reminded my friend, he explained that the core team of the CYIC felt that the group was ‘not mature enough’ to be exposed to information on New Age. This was a new excuse to be included in my mental notebook for charismatic leaders’ ensuring that my ministry be limited as much as possible.

But, was it spiritual immaturity or certain other considerations that led them to extend preaching invitations to Pastor Anthony Samuel even after it was common knowledge in the city about my report to the Service Team and their withdrawal of official association with the ROTI ministry?

AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY Responsibility along with authority comes with the office of the Chairperson of the Regional Service Team. He or she is fully aware at all times of all charismatic preachers who give retreats and seminars to the parishes and prayer groups that are under their guidance. I personally know at least one such good Chairperson who has brought a couple of preachers with Protestant and other worrying tendencies to the attention of the local Bishop. Together they succeeded in guiding one in the right direction; the other refused to submit to authority and has been banned in the diocese.

It is difficult for me to accept the sincerity and integrity of a Chairman who uses his authority to restrict a certain ministry for no good reason except probably that the truth revealed by the said ministry makes some of his ‘friends’ uncomfortable, yet claims that he is unable to control a group which invites an Anthony Samuel already restricted by the Service Team.

It also does not help when, as in the case of my diocese, a Bishop issues a general warning against ALL private charismatic prayer groups because a priest found fault with one prayer group operating in his parish [some say that it is a question of the group’s popularity across the diocese, and a lot of money being donated to the group, considering that many good priests were associated with it over a period of several years.] At the same time, there are several regular charismatic groups in the same city, a couple of them pastored by former regional Chairmen, from which entire families have left the Catholic Church and joined the Assemblies of God Pentecostal Church. Such tragedies did not evoke even a ripple of concern or the slightest introspection in the Renewal leadership. The Bishop’s office is probably not even aware, and if they knew, they probably would not care too. Does not this smack of a double-standard- or no standard at all?

In the light of my above observations, I have included some suggestions towards the end of this report.

CHARISMATIC CIRCLES REMAIN IGNORE-ANT AND IGNORANT In 2003-2004 I had attended two marriages, one in Bangalore and one in Secunderabad, at which the senior leaders of the CCR and other local Catholic ministries were present. Pastor Anthony Samuel and members of his team were also there.

During my Bangalore visit, I was taken by a common friend to the office of one Simon Rodrigues [who is presently a member of the Bangalore Service Team as informed to me a few days ago.] Pastor Anthony Samuel was there again, along with other Catholic charismatics who again were our common friends. I used the word ‘were’ intentionally, as their friendly relationship with me, along with some of those closely associated with them, the Pastor and me, soon deteriorated.

Apparently some people had to choose between one or the other friendship.

The Pastor himself was quite his usual genial self, a trait that easily endears him to all [and something that many of the CCR leaders could emulate. Why are Pentecostal leaders seen to be more warm and approachable than many of their Catholic counterparts?] inspite of knowing very well that I was quite engaged in warning Catholics everywhere about him.

During that period I had been to Kolkata and had had the privilege of ministering along with my nephew and a local team in some convents run by the Loreto sisters who informed us that Anthony Samuel was well known to all of them.

None of the Superiors whom I talked to seemed to know him as other than a good Catholic despite a nun from their Order having left him after she was fully convinced that he was a Pentecostal.

Over the last two weeks I have talked to several people who were closely associated with ROTI, some of them are nuns.

The nuns informed me that they had traveled with Pastor Anthony Samuel and ministered at retreats along with him.

These nuns who are still in active charismatic ministry disassociated themselves from him and ROTI when they suspected that he was not a Catholic, and this was AFTER I submitted my report to the service team leaders concerned.

And still the same Pentecostal ministry continued to preach to and teach the poor charismatics across the length and breadth of the nation.

Does this not raise very serious questions about the integrity and discernment of many of our leaders in the Renewal?

BANGALORE: ANOTHER ADONAI’S BRIDE? When I met Simon Rodrigues in Bangalore four years ago, he suggested to me that my ministry was a waste of time.

He even issued a sort of prophecy that if I continued to conduct my ministry in the manner that I was doing, it would bring me a lot of trouble. He suggested that I stop making investigative reports, copying them and distributing them.

Deeply disturbed and discouraged, I later entered a church and prayed before the Blessed Sacrament. I received a clear confirmation from the Lord that I was to ignore Simon Rodrigues’ false prophecy and carry on.

I went searching for our common friend [mentioned earlier, a person well respected in charismatic circles in Bangalore, who was present when Simon Rodrigues delivered his message, and who was also sufficiently influenced by it to request me to reconsider the ministry that I was engaged in.] I found him praying before the Blessed Sacrament in another church.

When he emerged, I shared with him what I believed the Lord had spoken to me. And my friend confirmed that he had received the same message from the Lord. Simon Rodrigues was dead wrong and was deliberately misguiding me.

Before and after this incident, I had written to the same Simon Rodrigues [I have been keeping fairly meticulous records during my 25 years of association with the Renewal] and sent him my articles and reports but he has never responded.

During the time that I was sitting before him in his office, Pastor Anthony Samuel was in and out of the room, evidently very much at home, with other Bangaloreans who had stayed at the ROTI centre in Secunderabad. These good Catholics and their families, who host the Pastor on his visits to Bangalore, are associated with the renewal activities in Bangalore and have close links with the Madras Service Team.

In fact, as mentioned earlier, the same Simon Rodrigues is a member of the Bangalore Service Team [one information given to me is that he was at one time Vice Chairman.] I was also informed by another source that one talk given by Simon Rodrigues to a renewal group was on the subject of the “rapture”, a favourite topic not of Catholics [I have never heard any Catholic preach or teach on the “rapture”] but of Protestants. And of Pastor Anthony Samuel [see further below].

A reliable source told me that Simon Rodrigues had also been close to Jose Anathanam, Pastor Anthony Samuel’s confessed ‘guru’ who left the Church a few years ago with a group of Catholics. When informed about the Pastor’s leaving the Church, he is reported to have stated, “My guru has left the Church.”

Yet another friend wrote me that the Pastor has announced at his services that God has spoken to him to start another “church” in Bangalore. If that sounds as much a fantasy as it did to me, I called up the Pastor’s sister-in-law Mabel in Secunderabad, and she confirmed it to me.

Now, if Pastor Anthony Samuel wanted to start another “Adonai’s Bride” in Bangalore, the moral and logistical support must surely be expected to come from those local Catholics who were his closest friends for the past many years.

I trust that the national leadership, and the Bangalore Service Team and its spiritual director, will institute a thorough enquiry into the matter, in case any of my sources have given me erroneous information, and require those of Pastor Anthony Samuel’s benefactors - starting with Simon Rodrigues - who are in officially sanctioned ministry in the CCR to make a confession of faith as Catholics, and abjure the teachings of the Adonai’s Bride “church” [see below].

I have refrained from identifying any individual by name in this report, but considering the seriousness of the issue, I am constrained to do so in the instance of Simon Rodrigues.

GOING, GOING, GONE In September 2006, I had been to Divine Word Centre, Muthangi, near Secunderabad, to meet Fr. Christuraj James SVD, the Director, for personal reasons. When I told him that Anthony Samuel was a Pentecostal, he was quite surprised, and asked me why I had not told him this before. Fr. Christuraj is the Spiritual Director of the Andhra Pradesh Service Team of the CCR. I also met other prominent Catholic charismatics in Secunderabad who agreed with me that Anthony Samuel did have some difficulties earlier, but had ‘changed’ and was now attending Sunday Mass and had settled down to being quite Catholic after news of my exposé had been circulated in Secunderabad. In response, I expressed to them my sincere doubts about any genuine transformation in Anthony Samuel’s Pentecostal preferences. I insisted that it was quite impossible. However, it appeared that Catholics everywhere could not bring themselves to see and accept reality On my visit to Mangalore for the May 2007 CCR National Leaders’ Seminar, I was informed by some of my local friends who had also played host to Anthony Samuel on earlier occasions, that Anthony Samuel had left the Church and started his own “church”. When I broke this news to some regional chairpersons and National Service Team members, including the National Chairman, most were shocked and dismayed.

The only leaders who knew were the Hyderabad group who confirmed the news to me. The Director of ICPE, Bangalore, was made aware of this in April 2007 when he gave a retreat in Secunderabad. My subsequent enquiries reveal that because of Pastor Anthony Samuel’s close Bangalore associations, Bangalore charismatics were aware of this ‘for some time now’, but the information had not reached other regional and national leaders of the CCR, the reason being probably because outside of Secunderabad, Pastor Anthony Samuel’s most ardent supporters are Bangalore charismatics.

I am informed that Anthony Samuel’s leaving the Church was discussed by the national leaders during their meeting on May 18/19, consequent to my breaking the news to them. I do not know what decisions were made concerning him.

I met with the senior-most leaders of a couple of other charismatic ministries at Kochi, etc., before my return to Chennai, and found that no one was yet aware that Anthony Samuel had founded his own “church”.

I pursued my enquiries on my return to Chennai. I learnt that the Archbishop of Hyderabad had already issued this short warning notice in the May 2007 issue of the Archdiocesan monthly, Shepherd’s Call: BEAWARE A lay person by the name called Bro. Anthony Samuel, a Charismatic Preacher has left the Catholic Church an is forming his own churches. I hereby request all parish priests and religious Institutions not to invite him for any prayer services.

The Archbishop also wrote to me, confirming that “Anthony Samuel has left the catholic church and started his own Pentecostal church at Sainikpuri, Secunderabad, which is called “Adonai’s Bride”… We have made an official announcement in our catholic circle not to be influenced by him…”

My above referred 2003 letter to the National Chairman of the CCR, copies of which were recently sent again to him and to other regional leaders across the country who have been associated with Anthony Samuel’s ministry, have elicited no response from any of those most closely associated with Anthony Samuel, despite reminders. Accordingly, the full text of the letter is available in the concerned article which is to be shortly uploaded on our website www.ephesians-511.net .

Copies were also marked to the Bishops concerned. The Bishop of Poona, who is the Episcopal Advisor to the CCR, simply acknowledged receipt, and as mentioned earlier, the Archbishop of Hyderabad confirmed to me that Anthony Samuel had left the Church and started his own “church”.

TEACHINGS OF PASTOR ANTHONY SAMUEL MARY 1. “The massive influence of the Roman Catholic system and its deceptiveness.”

“Worshiping a dead woman… is blasphemous, idolatrous.” [Refers to veneration of Mary] “It really is a form, an old, old pagan form of the goddess worship, Baal and Ashteroth, Isis and Osiris in Egypt.”

“You CAN-NOT worship the true God and sit at the table of demons. You can’t. It’s an abomination.”

[Calling Mary as] “…Queen of Heaven is nothing but an occult concept.”

“The Catholic cult of the Virgin Mary… leads people into demon worship because demons impersonate false gods.”

“I ask you, can the Roman Catholic Church escape the judgement of God? I don’t think so.”

PRAYER: “Rescue people, Lord, from this horrible, horrible deception…” [The deception of Catholicism] MARY 2. Teaching on “Jesus’ brothers and sisters” [Mary was not ever-virgin] “Mary is mentioned more times in the Koran than in the Bible… [because] Satan who authored the Koran would want to make more of Mary than ought to be made of her. ” [To support the argument that Satan is the author of Mary worship.]

“The worship of Mary is an ill-conceived effort to call up a dead woman. It is also a partner with mediums, spiritists, spellcasters, sorcerers, witches, diviners, and all the rest.”

“Catholicism has changed gods, substituted non-gods for God… That’s exactly what Romanism has done… exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature, a woman, rather than the Creator.”

1 COR 5:11 “You can’t associate with [Catholics] in an affirming accepting fellowship if they worship idols .”

“Idolatry is seductive, poisonous, it’s toxic. You can’t stay around it.”

“Roman Catholicism has nothing to do with true Christianity, the true Church… It belongs to the kingdom of darkness.” “…next Sunday night there’s one more element of Roman Catholicism that you need to know about and that’s the Mass.”

PRAYER: “…Help us Lord to lead many out of this horrible darkness.” [The darkness of Catholicism] I suppose it is difficult for those who know Anthony Samuel well, who hosted him in their homes, invited him to their family celebrations, and provided him the platform to teach, yes, to teach their prayer groups, and who themselves were enamoured of his flamboyant style, to believe that these awful deprecatory words against our beloved Church and Faith and the Virgin Mary come from the lips of the same man. Then let me make it a little easier on them.

These are the teachings of “Grace To You” ministries’ Pastor John MacArthur [http://www.gty.org, ‘Unleashing God’s Truth One Verse At A Time’], a Protestant fundamentalist and rabid hater of Roman Catholicism.

So what are they doing in this report on Pastor Anthony Samuel? Well, a Catholic friend from Secunderabad sent me a CDROM being circulated by Pastor Anthony Samuel. Titled “The Last Days”, it has two sound tracks titled MARY 1 and MARY 2. The statements reproduced by me above were made by Pastor John. If Pastor Anthony is going to the expense and trouble of circulating this anti-Catholic material free-of-cost, it is obvious that he not only shares the same views, but intends to corrupt the minds and souls of many more Catholics.

CATHOLIC APOLOGETICS Having listened to the almost two hours of preaching, I can assure you that many of Pastor John’s arguments from the Bible are very well stated, and can easily influence Catholics who do not have a solid knowledge of Catholic apologetics.

However, despite the 30 years of its existence in India, the CCR has not taken up the teaching of Catholic apologetics on a war-footing, considering that a number of charismatic leaders [including at least one counselor and also reportedly one senior preacher from Divine Retreat Centre, Muringoor, and two regular contributors of articles against New Age to Charisindia, Divine Voice, Shalom Tidings magazines, etc.] have left the Church and become Pentecostals. It took me hardly a minute to come up with over a dozen such names. I knew many of them personally, and had even ministered with some.

One must also take into account the hundreds [if not thousands] of Potta and CCR initiates who have gone on to join the New Life, Full Gospel and other Pentecostal sects, for whatever reasons. I know many of them personally too.

A proper enquiry must be instituted to understand the reasons, and there are many [I assure the reader that New Age in the Church is one of them], as to why these lay Catholics, especially trusted and recognized leaders have left the Church, disrupting homes, communities and parishes, and adding to the accumulated loss of confidence in genuine Catholic lay ministries by the Renewal and the Church.

And the Renewal must take up the ministry of Catholic apologetics. Enough of the ‘milk’ that we have been served for three decades. This is not my idea. At least two eminent speakers at the Mangalore Seminar expressed the same view.

I was happily surprised to find Catholic apologetics the major theme of the Seminar, though much more remains to be said, and done. I attended a workshop [not organized by the CCR] on Catholic apologetics, and I am sure that the organizers must have been as surprised as I was to find that maybe 75% or even much more of the one hundred or so people present hadn’t much idea initially as to what apologetics was all about.

The Renewal needs to serve more of ‘solid food’ to its members. Apart from apologetics, there are numerous modern issues that Catholics need to be sensitised to and made knowledgeable about: pro-life [contraception, abortion, embryonic stem cell research, in-vitro fertilisation, ovum donation, surrogate motherhood, cloning, eugenics, euthanasia, the death penalty], globalization, the environment and ecology [green theology, global warming, etc.], feminism and priestly celibacy, feminism and the new cult of earth worship, the gay movement, adoption by same sex couples, rock music [and its culture of pornography, drugs, the occult, bodywork and tattooing, etc.], psychological counseling [now the bane of the Church], the ministry of exorcism and deliverance… the list goes on. And, naturally, I must add, New Age.

To quote the inimitable Errol Fernandes again, "Our published stand on eastern spirituality and New Age has upset many priests and nuns. At the same time, the stand taken in terms of Catholic apologetics... has made me some enemies in the CCR. So we are getting it from both sides, while the hierarchy plays the spectator."

If at all any of these issues have been treated, they have received superficial attention, a mild article here and there, a brief mention in an editorial or in a talk [and couple of seminars in one welcome exceptional case].

‘Saved’ Catholics in the Renewal need to learn more of all these things. Otherwise they will continue to fall victim to marauding, sheep-stealing Pentecostals and former role model ex-Catholics. The Conciliar and post-Conciliar Documents of the Church, Apostolic Exhortations, Letters, and Encyclicals and the Catechism must be used more in our teachings with respect to all the above issues. If there is one good reason why these issues have not been taken up, it is because Catholic leaders in ministry do not read much of Catholic literature. What then can one expect of those whom they minister to.

On my visits to leaders’ homes, I have discreetly noted in many of them the glaring absence of Catholic books and magazines with the possible exception of the few books produced by the NCCRS [how often out of peer pressure ?], a few older foreign charismatic publications that were purchased years ago, and Charisindia. Few leaders even subscribe to any other Indian Catholic charismatic periodical [and there are several of them], leave alone any of the general Catholic magazines that provide current information on the Church at home and overseas.

OM: Which reminds me that I examined a copy of the ninth edition of the Praise the Lord [PTL] hymnal published by the

NCCRS that was on sale at the Mangalore Seminar, and I was frankly quite horrified to find three bhajans using the “OM” mantra [on page 155] STILL INCLUDED in this latest edition. I just went through the 5 th edition which I bought 25 years ago in Bombay in 1983, a year after I began to serve on the first Delhi Service Team, and I find that there are FIVE of these “OM” bhajans in it as well as in the sixth edition of PTL. Past and current members of the National Service Team, as well as dozens of priests and lay leaders have privately confessed to me that they are completely against use of the “OM” mantra. Then who are the persons responsible for its finding its way into the PTL hymn books for the last 30 years ? Can they theologically justify/defend the use of “OM” in Catholic [charismatic] Praise and Worship ? Does any regional or national leader possess the moral courage to either publicly assume responsibility or to publicly denounce the incorporation of “OM” in the praise and worship book?

It is no wonder that disaffected Catholic charismatics are easily persuaded by Pentecostals into leaving the Church.

BETRAYAL: “ADONAI’S BRIDE” DID NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT To return to Pastor Anthony Samuel’s CD-ROM, apart from the two audio tracks, there is a 55-minute movie titled “Countdown to Armageddon”. While it presents a lot of interesting, useful, and correct historical facts, when it comes to interpretation of Biblical prophecy for the ‘end times’, the teachings are fundamentalist Protestant. The interpretation of Bible passages is literal, and is not acceptable to Catholics. There is the inevitable inclusion of the rising of an antichrist, a one-world ‘religion’, the “Rapture” and the millennial reign of Jesus on earth.

I spoke on the ’phone to Mabel, the sister-in-law of Pastor Anthony Samuel, and she confirmed to me that the CD-ROM in my possession was produced by their “church”. She was married [2003?] to an ex-Catholic youth Raymond Rego, one of the many whom Pastor Anthony Samuel drew out of the Church. She also promised to send me a CD-ROM, but she didn’t.

The date of production of the CD-ROM shows as March 31, 2007.

I logged on to the internet, something that I very rarely do, to learn about “John MacArthur” and, assisted by the knowledge of the CD-ROM’s contents, used the search words “Catholicism”, “Mary”, “demon” and “occult”. I was able to find a lot of this John MacArthur’s material, but it did not require much reading to understand his “Christian” worldview.

I sent a draft of this letter to several of my friends for checking out the contents, and a few of them provided additional material. There are over 350 results in the word search for “Mary”. His favourite themes are The Idolatry of Mary Worship, The Heresy of the Catholic Mass, The Scandal of the Catholic Priesthood, Scripture, Tradition and Rome, etc.

[However, another fundamentalist site, http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/wolves_in_sheep's_clothing.htm, that “exposes” almost every major known Protestant evangelist and organization: Benny Hinn, Billy Graham, Chuck Colson, Creflo Dollar, Jerry Falwell, Joel Osteen, John Avanzini, John Hagee, Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, Morris Cerullo, Oral Roberts, Paul and Jan Crouch, Rick Warren, Robert Schuller, Rodney Howard-Browne, Steve Brock, Steve Hill, T.D. Jakes, Pat Robertson, The 700 Club and Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), etc., includes an attack on John MacArthur, his “heresies”, and his popular “The John MacArthur Study Bible”.]

Pastor Anthony Samuel and his “Adonai’s Bride” did not materialise overnight.

My most recent enquiries further reveal that many Catholics from all over the country have either been suspicious of the Pastor for a long time [from 3 to 10 years] and distanced themselves from him, or were aware of his non-Catholic beliefs and practices. I am informed that he has been conducting immersion re-baptism and ‘communion services’ for years now.

He has patiently cultivated relationships and friendships over an extended period of time, insidiously poisoning the minds mainly of youth but also of other disaffected Catholics, carefully testing the ground so as not to trip up and expose himself [though he did with at least one staunchly Catholic family in Chennai who failed to report him to the Renewal leadership.]

But he has taken the greatest precautions to lead a double life in public.

It is said that his wife Tranquil had already turned Pentecostal, but that they were married in the Catholic Church. Was the Pastor’s sister-in-law Mabel married in the Church, and was Tranquil’s baby baptised in the Church, and which priest and renewal leaders were there to bless them. The Pastor’s mother, who passed away about a year ago, was given a Catholic funeral service, I am told. There is speculation that he waited till after her death to make his break with the Church.

I am informed that “Tracing back 10 years ago, Anthony Samuel was promoted by Father Solomon Thumma who was then Spiritual Director of Hyderabad Service Team. They had floated a team called ROTI (Reach out to India) and went around preaching in parishes, house, convents and other parts of India- Bangalore, Bombay, Delhi, and Calcutta and also gave retreats to leaders.”

Even when I had stayed with him in 2002, Anthony Samuel used to tell me about this priest, his spiritual director, Fr. Solomon Thumma, and he had gone over to visit him and spoken to him a couple of times on the ’phone, but he took great precautions that I never got to meet or know the priest personally. I am perplexed as to how Fr. Solomon Thumma did not notice what was happening to Anthony Samuel- who is not an isolated case. I understand that Rajesh Paul, another Secunderabad Catholic who had been very close to Fr. Solomon Thumma left the Church to start his own ministry. “[Senior-most leaders of the Hyderabad Service Team, names withheld] were his guardians and godparents. [They] spiritually encouraged him, even financial helped him included his marriage to Tranquil. About four years back he started a prayer meeting every Friday evening at YWCA Secunderabad… [Many] Catholics attended this prayer meeting, where prayer cards were distributed to collect personal data of people attending… Next he took up a house on rent opposite the church entrance at St John the Baptist Church, Sainikpuri. This is about four kilometers from his residence; he informed the people it was for intercessory prayers. He attended daily Mass and took the people opposite [to his meeting]. People called him the friendly fox, he created chaos among the Catholic community of Arul Colony, this continued for almost three years. He started a bible class near Auxilium School, Mahindra hills…” says one letter.

When you read my letter of 2003 to the Chairman of the National Service Team [on this ministry’s website], you will see [under point a)] that I had written, prophetically, that the Service Teams’ continuing to inviting Anthony Samuel to preach was tantamount to setting “the FOX among the chickens” !!!

Remember that Anthony Samuel was also all along attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion at the retreats that he preached, when he himself had absolutely no faith in their authenticity and believed that the Church “belongs to the kingdom of darkness.”

Another friend wrote, “[He] has about 65 followers, in combination of both Catholics and Protestants. Mostly, attended by Catholics, he has two services every week. One conducted on Friday from 6.30 pm to 8.00 pm with the prayer and message starting at 7.00 pm. And on Sundays, the service is from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm. About 20-25 people attend on Friday and about 60-65 people attend on Sundays. Interestingly, he also gives communion on Second Sunday of every month.”

Now that the truth is in the open, there is a great sense of having been betrayed, among many Catholics who trusted the Pastor- a brother, friend and guest who took advantage of the trust reposed in him. The fact is that many of us have simply helped to nurture the growth of what has become one more Pentecostal ‘church’. Certainly, many Catholics did not know the truth. Several suspected him they say, BUT NOT A FEW CATHOLIC DID KNOW for a long, long time.

SUGGESTIONS So, who, may I ask, is willing to assume responsibility for the debacle surrounding the long saga of Anthony Samuel?

Either there is no proper feedback from the regional service teams, or there is no will at the central command to do anything to stop these popular but errant preachers within the Renewal. Some Bishops have privately expressed to me that while they can ban [and have banned in the past] such preachers whose ministries are located within their own dioceses, it is up to the national leadership of the Renewal to ensure that an alert is issued at the all-India level, while local action is to be taken by the Bishops of the dioceses in which these preachers are invited to give retreats.

A few days ago, when Anthony Samuel’s sister-in-law Mabel informed me that he was conducting ministry in the State of Manipur, I at once called up the Archbishop of Imphal and apprised him of the situation. In October last year he gave a programme in Ajmer, and has been active during the last few years in the Delhi Renewal circuit, though the National Charismatic Office which is located there should have long since been aware about him. Remember my letter of 2003.

There is another popular charismatic preacher whom I shall be alerting the diocesan Bishops concerned and CCR national and regional leadership about shortly. Banned in his own diocese, he has gained a strong following in adjoining States.

I suggest that the NCO/NCCRS, with the Bishop who is the Episcopal Advisor to the NCCRS, call for a report from every regional service team on the different independent Catholic charismatic ministries that serve the Renewal and preach to its prayer groups. These preachers would be required to obtain a letter every year from their local Bishop after his verifying the continued Catholicity of the said preachers and their submission to Church authority. This would ensure the allocation of responsibility somewhere if and when as in Pastor Anthony Samuel’s case [and as has occurred in a number of other similar cases] something goes wrong. A list of approved preachers and ministries can thus be prepared.

Such a discipline will serve other purposes also. It will ensure that regional teams will not give preaching invitations to their ‘friends’ while excluding others. It will also legitimise ministries like mine that faithfully serve the Church but still face subtle persecution for the very reason that they stand firmly on Catholic teaching and tradition, and witness to the truth.

The first step forward is admitting to the errors of the past and recognizing the reality of our situation [LUKE 15: 17, 18] [A more detailed report will soon be available at www.ephesians-511.net.]

RESPONSES, APART FROM THE MANY TELEPHONE CALLS RECEIVED FROM NATIONAL AND REGIONAL LEADERS: I am reproducing here two recent letters from Bishop Thomas Dabre, Chairman, Doctrinal Commission, CBCI [though not connected with this issue. He acknowledges ALL my reports]: From: Bishop Thomas Dabre To: prabhu Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2007 4:01 PM Dear Michael Prabhu, Greetings of Peace and Joy! Your prayerful support is helpful in my ministry. I appreciate very much your concern in Orthodoxy. We need people like you. May God bless you in all your endeavours, With an assurance of prayers and good wishes, Yours sincerely,

Bishop Thomas Dabre From: Bishop Thomas Dabre To: prabhu Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 2:25 PM Dear Michael Prabhu, Greetings of peace and joy. Thank you very much for your Felicitations. Thank you also for all the reports. You are very alert. God bless you. + Bishop Thomas Dabre.

Chronologically, here are selected letters from Bishops, and lay leaders and priests in the Renewal: From: XXX To: YY, ZZ etc. Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 9:35 AM Subject: Antony Samuel Hi All, Popular preacher Antony Samuel of Secunderabad is no longer Catholic.

Apparently God spoke to him to start a new ministry that would reach out to people of all denominations and religions.

He's supposed to have received confirmation of this calling during a conference he was attending.

He felt it would be impossible to run this kind of ministry inside the Catholic Church and so he has started his own "church."

The strange thing is, his spiritual director happens to be a Catholic priest and didn't have any issue in him leaving the church!! A learning for all of us: this is what can happen when we don't study, learn and believe our Faith properly.

He's named his Church "Adonai's Bride." As if all the other churches are Adonai's mistresses/concubines!

Lets also keep Bro. Antony in prayers that God will bring him back to the Faith. After all we need good preachers like him and knowing him personally, I can say that he is a wonderful God-centered man and I am sure he is sincerely convinced that he is actually doing God's will. [MINISTRY LEADER, CHENNAI] From: XXX To: AA, BB, etc. Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 12:47 PM Subject: FYI - Important Dear Brothers & Sisters Archbishop Joji from Hyderabad has issued a warning in the May 2007 issue of the Shepherd's Call on Bro. Anthony Samuel. There has been a lot of confusion in the past as Anthony has been very popular amongst the renewal community.

It is sad news for us but something we need to keep in mind if we plan to call him for any of our programmes.

Let's pray for him to come back to the catholic church - please also keep this to yourself as a leader i am only informing you to use this info only among your core groups. [MINISTRY LEADER, CHENNAI]

THE ABOVE TWO LETTERS PRECEDED MY ALERT AND REPORT!!!!!!!!!

From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 6:18 PM Subject: Re: ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO FORM HIS OWN 'CHURCH' Dear Michael Thank you for informing me about Anthony Samuel. I am not aware whether he has friends here in Mumbai, but to be forewarned is to be forearmed. I was sorry I did not have a chance to meet you in Mangalore… Loving regards to Angela. Yours in Christ, [SENIOR NATIONAL LEADER, MUMBAI] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 9:15 AM Subject: Details on Antony Samuel Dear Prabhu, Last night, I checked the mails, only to find that you did not receive the CDRom, and hence I have sent another copy, this time through BLUE DART, to Mr. YY’s address.

About meeting Mr. Anthony Samuel, he was not available on last Sunday. I was told he was going out of station.

So, I worked backwards to find out who gave the CD to my colleague, from whom I had taken to listen. I found that person yesterday, and she was Mrs. Roberts. And she has given information to me, which may be of use to you.

Anthony Samuel is called as Bro. Anthony Samuel. His mission is called as REACH OUT TO INDIA and has about 65 followers, in combination of both Catholics and Protestants. Mostly, attended by Catholics, he has two services every week.

One conducted on Friday from 6.30 pm to 8.00 pm, with the prayer & message starting at 7.00 pm. And on Sundays, the prayer starting at 10.30 am to 1.30 pm. About 20-25 people attend on Friday and about 60-65 people attend on Sundays.

Interestingly, he also gives communion on Second Sunday of every month. On Sundays, lunch is also provided. The prayer service is conducted at Bharani Colony, Sainikpuri. In his absense, two of his trusted lieutenants take his place. One Freddie Fernandez and the other is Raymond Rego. Currently, Anthony Samuel is in Sikkim.

I was told by some other person that Anthony plans to start his outfit in Bangalore too. Anthony has told during the services that God has called him to start a church in Bangalore.

Impact of Antony Samuel: One believer is a Protestant married to a Catholic in the 1980s. The indoctrination is so much that she says that the Catholics give more importance to idolatry. And that salvation is only through Jesus and not by praying to Mary and the saints. Interestingly, her husband is a born Catholic and she says that she has failed to make him understand that Catholicism is wrong and what she follows is right. However, she has managed to take her children on her side. And she adds that she is praying very hard for Catholics, so that they change their ways and stop worshiping idols.

I thank the Lord and pray for that blessed husband that he remains undettered in his faith, with the onslaughts being at home itself. I also met one Mr. XXX, a … member, a Catholic, who was pretty sarcastical of Antony Samuel. He also gave me a phone number of a Catholic nun, Sr. XXX, who can provide more info on him. Regards Phone Numbers. You can get more information from these numbers. Mr. AAA Sr. BBB. Contacts at REACH OUT TO INDIA: Antony Samuel: 09391172250 (cell); 040-65960608 (res) Raymond Rego: 040-27847606 (shop); 040-27116922 (res) From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 2:45 AM Subject: Re: Details on Antony Samuel dear prabhu, the writing on the cdrom is entirely my own. the only writings that i found on the cd was "Last Days" ....... interestingly, when i asked the Parish Priest about antony samuel, he did tell me that a note on the sheperds call is out and he cautioned me. and the reason i called him, was that, i vaguely remember that antony preached in our parish too, but that was years back. were you able to open the cd. if not, please let me know. i am in the city today. just returned after a hectic tour to the remotest areas of the state. [LAY PERSON, HYDERABAD] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 9:12 AM Subject: RE: FYI - Important I sent Anthony Samuel an SMS asking him if this is true, didn't get a reply.

Will speak to my friend in Hyderabad and see, hopefully we'll get a copy of the CD-ROM... still find it hard to believe AS is doing this! [This response is against my letter saying: I BELIEVE THERE IS A CD ROM BEING CIRCULATED BY A.S. WITH HIS TEACHINGS AGAINST THE CHURCH. SEE IF U CAN GET A COPY PRONTO.] To: prabhu Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 10:42 AM Subject: RE: ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES… Mike, I really liked ur initial email to Cyril John...very well written, it's a shame on the recipient for not reverting to u! ...

Love [LEADER IN MINISTRY, CHENNAI] From: archdiocese hyd hyd To: michaelprabhu@vsnl.net Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 6:39 PM Dear Michael Prabhu, Greetings from the Archdiocese of Hyderabad.

I am in receipt of your E-mail letter dated June 3, 2007 concerning Anthony Samuel.

I would like to inform you that Anthony Samuel has left the catholic church and started his own Pentecostal church at Sainikpuri, Secunderabad, which is called “Adonai’s Bride”. We are very much aware of this and also published the same in our Archdiocesan News Letter in May issue of this year. We have made an official announcement in our catholic circle not to be influenced by him. Wishing you all the best and assuring you of our prayers, With all good wishes, Yours sincerely, + M. Joji Archbishop of Hyderabad From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2007 8:57 AM Subject: Re: ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES… Hi Michael, Thanks for your mails as always…

I would be grateful if you could burn me a copy of Anthony Samuel's CD- ROM "Last Days"…

My Postal address: XXXXX Bangalore 560 025 Many thanks, wishing you all good things, [LAY PERSON, BANGALORE] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2007 11:21 AM Subject: Re: ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES… Thank you, and God bless [SENIOR LEADER, HYDERABAD] From: XXX To: prabhu Cc: AAA; BBB Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 8:06 PM Subject: Re: ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES… Hi Michael: It is good that the archbishop has replied to you. Would love to get a copy of the CD. If you can somehow host it somewhere, I can download it. The key question is: What is attracting Catholics to Pentecostalism? and what can we do to counter this? [CATHOLIC APOLOGIST, USA] From: XXX To: "prabhu" <michaelprabhu@vsnl.net> Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2007 3:20 PM Subject: Hi Mike Thanks mike for the article on Anthony Samuel, will wait to hear from you on the reason for his unjustified exit. Do send me the CD's on Benny Hinn's opposition by those pentecostal pastors. Do send me the email of the NRI who conducted the apologetics programme in India. Thanks once once again God Bless You [LEADER IN MINISTRY, BANGALORE] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2007 8:12 PM Subject: Re: ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES… THANKS, RECEIVED [SENIOR LEADER, HYDERABAD] From: XXX To: Michael Prabhu Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 2:22 PM Subject: Re: Fw: ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES… Dear Michael, I need to call you and discuss an important issue. Please give me your telephone and mobile numbers.

Warm wishes, [SENIOR LEADER, BANGALORE] From: Poona Diocese To: prabhu Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 4:00 PM Subject: Re: ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO FORM HIS OWN 'CHURCH' Dear Mr. Prabhu, His Lordship Bishop Valerian has recieved your emails. As per his direction I am giving below what was circulated in the diocese i.e. to parishes and institutions, with regard to the Army of Jesus*. With best wishes, Yours sincerely, Mr. Samson Dawson

ARMY OF JESUS: Kindly do not entertain the “Army of Jesus” for any talks in your parish/institution.

2 Sisters from the Congregation of Sisters of St. Anne of Tiruchirapalli started a ministry of their own and stayed away from the Order. They were asked to leave the Congregation. Their group goes as “Army of Jesus”.

For the last 10 years they go about preaching without any ecclesiastical approval. They cannot be considered Catholic evangelizers and are more in touch with leaders of other sects. *ARMY OF JESUS: EX-NUNS TURNED PENTECOSTAL MASQUERADE AS CATHOLICS. My report of December 2006.

From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Monday, June 18, 2007 11:02 AM Subject: RE: VERY URGENT: ANTHONY SAMUEL - DRAFT OF FINAL REPORT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION* Hi Mike Went through the report...very well written and I found it very objective in approach too! However, I redid the formatting of the report to make it easier to read and made a few minor changes here and there....hope it helps.

Just one clarification under "ENQUIRY, ACTION, CONSEQUENCES" point (X): I think this refers to XXXXXXXXXX... you may have to delete this point. They ....... pls keep it confidential, this is sensitive info...hope u understand.) ....... pls pls keep it to urself. I am enclosing 2 versions in this email: "AS-1.doc" will show you all the changes I have made. "AS-2" is the updated report after making the changes. [MINISTRY LEADER, CHENNAI] *THE DRAFT WAS SENT TO 28 LEADERS IN MINISTRY ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. TWO FOUND NEED FOR CORRECTION. ONE IS THE ABOVE LETTER. THE OTHER WAS FROM A VERY SENIOR LEADER IN BANGALORE WHO TELEPHONED ME. BOTH CORRECTIONS WERE INCORPORATED IN THE FINAL REPORT. IT MEANS THAT NONE OF THE 28 LEADERS DISAGREED WITH THE CONTENTS OF MY DRAFT. From: XXX To: "prabhu" <michaelprabhu@vsnl.net> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2007 8:02 PM Subject: Re: CORRECTION : ANTHONY SAMUEL - DRAFT OF FINAL REPORT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION Hi Michael, I went through the report and its seems to have been well drafted. I also felt that there were 2 separate issues mixed up, the Anthiny Samuel situation as well as the lack of acceptance and existence of your ministry. I felt it would be useful to clearly delineate the two.

Regarding Anthony Samuel, I am glad its all in the open now. I always felt there was a problem in his case and thats why I would diplomatically make sure I was never connected with any of his retreats to the extent possible, whether by attendance or participation. The flaws were there from day one, (around 1995 for me) and its only later that they became more visble and pronounced. I appreciate teh effort you have taken to create this awareness and reduce the future damage and perhaps if more people had listened to you on this issue earlier a lot of damage could have been avoided.

Regards to you and Angela. God Bless [NATIONAL PREACHER, BANGALORE] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 4:21 PM Subject: RE: TWO RECENT EMAILS FROM THE EPISCOPAL ADVISOR TO THE CCR All the best on your report Mike!! [MINISTRY LEADER, CHENNAI] From: XXX To: michaelprabhu@vsnl.net Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2007 5:50 AM Subject: Re: THANK U Dear Prabu, Infact I actually started transcribing it and was just 17 minutes short of Mary 1 sound track. Later when I started browsing the gty website, I reckoned my folly, for the transcripts were available on the site itself. Met YYY* yesterday and YYY was very appreciative about you. YYY referred to as "Prabhu actually opened our eyes to reality.

Otherwise, we were sleeping on facts". Well, not much time did YYY spend as we met at one parish church, where in YYY just concluded a mission meet. I gave YYY the CDROM and the print out of transcripts. Asked YYY to go through it fully. YYY wanted to give the CDROM to Bishop Joji and I asked YYY to just wait for some time, keeping in mind that your report should be out first. Regards [LAY PERSON, HYDERABAD] *YYY is a senior CCR leader From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 10:03 PM Subject: Re: No. 1. ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES… Dear Michael Praise God!!! Received your mails, thank you very much. God bless you and your mission Regards to Angela [NATIONAL PREACHER, BANGALORE] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Friday, June 22, 2007 3:37 PM Subject: RE: LETTERS TO FOUR BISHOPS: ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES THE CHURCH

Dear Prabhu, I see that you are doing a lot of good; the voice of the chruch- more of Whistle Blower. We need to be informed against such prayer groups working against our Catholic faith... [LAY MAN, BANGALORE] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Saturday, June 23, 2007 9:47 AM Subject: Re: LETTERS TO FOUR BISHOPS: ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES THE CHURCH Dear Brother, May God Bless u and guide u more and more to support his body our church Prayers [LAY PERSON, BANGALORE] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Saturday, June 23, 2007 10:21 AM Subject: Re: REPORT, AND LETTERS TO FOUR BISHOPS : ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES THE CHURCH

Dear Michael, Congratulations once again for the good work of defending and protecting the Mother Church. Thank you for exposing Anthony Samuel. My prayer and support are with you. Carry on the good works.

I am happy to inform you that I have prepared a booklet titled "Catholic Answers to Christian Fundamentalists Questions" to counter challenges posed by the Christians and Non-Christians sects and cults. This booklet answers all the question posed by fundamentalists. I am sending a copy of same to you. This booklet is very much in demand. I am translating this booklet in other vernacular languages so that our catholics will know their faith better. I need your favour if you could ask somebody to translate it in Tamil. Thanks and God bless. [PRIEST IN CHARISMATIC MINISTRY, MUMBAI] From: Dominic Lumon To: prabhu Sent: Saturday, June 23, 2007 2:53 PM Subject: Re: REPORT : ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES THE CHURCH We acknowledge the receipt of your report and information. Archbishop is aware of it*. He is out of the Archdiocese for some days. Fr. Isaac Secretary, Archbishop of Imphal *Anthony Samuel currently ministering in Manipur From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Saturday, June 23, 2007 9:23 PM Subject: ROTI Dear Michael, Thank you very much for the information on the ROTI group. They used to come to Calcutta to preach retreats to girls in the convents. When we pointed out certain things about them, the Sisters were not convinced. Any way now they will come to know the truth. I have also forwarded the file to a priest of the Diocese in-charge off Judicial matters. So the Bishop also come to know the matter. with best wishes, [PRIEST IN CHARISMATIC MINISTRY, KOLKATA] From: XXX To: 'prabhu' Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2007 2:34 PM Subject: RE: REPORT, AND LETTERS TO FOUR BISHOPS : ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES THE CHURCH Thanks Michael you have gone through a lot of effort – keep up the good work… [FORMER DELHI CORE TEAM MEMBER, AUSTRALIA] From: XXX To: 'prabhu' Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2007 11:37 PM Subject: RE: REPORT, AND LETTERS TO FOUR BISHOPS Dear Michael Thank you for your mail. I’ll keep you and the church of India in my prayers. New age is really disturbing.

It saddens me to read about the difficulties of the church in India and on the other hand I admire your perseverance to the truth to thrive. Your ministry does need to be supported. God bless [MINISTRY LEADERS FAMILIAR WITH INDIA, MAURITIUS] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 9:32 AM Subject: Re: REPORT, AND LETTERS TO FOUR BISHOPS… Dear Brother, This came as a shocking news to me...well thank you so much for your sincere efforts in defending our church. Regards, [LAY PERSON, DELHI] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 10:33 AM Subject: Re: REPORT, AND LETTERS TO FOUR BISHOPS Thank you Michael, this was very information. I will do my best to spread the word around if I come across things like these we need to pray a lot for all that is happening in the Church....it is really very sad, more sad coz it is also happening in the Renewal. Regards [LAY PERSON, MUMBAI] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 10:58 AM Subject: RE: REPORT, AND LETTERS TO FOUR BISHOPS Thank you very much for sending this to everyone. God bless you and the ministry. Warm regards, [LAY LEADER, BANGALORE] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 12:55 PM Subject: Re: REPORT, AND LETTERS TO FOUR BISHOPS Dear Michael, Thanks for the information........... [MINISTRY LEADER FAMILIAR WITH INDIA, FROM SRI LANKA] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 1:48 PM Subject: Re: REPORT, AND LETTERS TO FOUR BISHOPS… Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ. I am very pleased to read the content and the time taken by you.......

[LEADER IN MINISTRY, BANGALORE] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 2:24 PM Subject: Re: REPORT, AND LETTERS TO FOUR BISHOPS : ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES THE CHURCH Dear Mike, Thanks for the report on Antony Samuel.....God bless you for your efforts....Priase God for the letters from our Bishops who have approved and encouraged your work. God Bless.. Love, [LAY PERSON, MANGALORE]

From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2007 10:30 AM Subject: Re: ANTHONY SAMUEL Thanks Mike for the mail... I have been talking to the leaders here and i must say that your evaluation of the situation here is correct. He has very strong supporters here. I am sure this makes you much more sad than i could be. luv, [LEADER IN MINISTRY, BANGALORE] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2007 8:22 PM Subject: Re: REPORT, AND LETTERS TO FOUR BISHOPS… Dear Prabhu, Greetings from Blore. Thanks for all your msgs. On the 29th Jun, I had a lengthy discussion with the Archbishop of Blore reg. the same for imm. action. with prayers and wishes, GOD BLESS YOU. [SENIOR PRIEST, BANGALORE]

From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:03 PM Subject: Re: BRO. JOHNSON SEQUEIRA / PASTOR ANTHONY SAMUEL Dear Michael, The peace and love of Jesus be with you and Angela. Thank you for your eamils about Anthony Samuel and Br Johnson… Will met you on the 4th July... Give me a call when you arrive Bangalore and I will fix a time for us to meet.

Love and God Bless XXX [SENIOR LEADER IN MINISTRY, BANGALORE] From: XXX To: michaelprabhu@vsnl.net Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 9:55 PM Subject: ANTHONY SAMUELS AND JOHNSON SEQUIERA Dear Michael, I was out of station for the last few days. Thanks for your email on Bro Johnson. I also received your earlier emails on Anthony Samuel. It is good that you are keeping track and alerting concerned people/areas/Diocese about the various preachers who are anti-catholic or who have left the Church but continue to use the Church or Charismatic platforms for anti-Church teachings/activities. To my knowledge, Anthony Samuels has not been invited to any Charismatic Prayer Group in [my city]. I have also not heard of him being invited to any Parish/Church and we will ensure he is not invited in the future also. Johnson Sequiera wanted to come to [my city] and I was contacted in this regard about two years ago. I enquired about him and was told that he was preaching a prosperity gospel. That was enough for me to ban him from being called to any of the prayer groups in [my city]. To my knowledge, he has not visited any prayer group in [my city] during the last two years or so. I will again caution all the Prayer Group leaders about Anthony Samuels and Johnson Sequiera during the next Service Team meeting to be held shortly. Thanks once again and keep up the good work… Regards and prayers, XXX [REGIONAL CHAIRPERSON, NST MEMBER] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Friday, June 29, 2007 2:31 AM Subject: [Fwd: Report: Charismatic preacher Anthony Samuel leaves the Church.]

Hi Michael, Thank you very much for the report. I hate the aspect of sheep stealing. There are so many of them around us.

I have sent your mail to 2 important teams here*. waiting for some response. Hopefully he wont be called for any further programs in the Charismatic circles. Thanks, XXX [LEADER IN MINISTRY, BANGALORE] *Dear all, Here below is some important and shocking news. The well known Charismatic Preacher - Anthony Samuel has left the Church and formed his own church. Br. Michael Prabhu has brought out a report on his ministry and the associated activities. The report is attached with this mail.

Anthony Samuel has preached very many retreats, including many Jesus Youth retreats and full timership programs.

I remember seeing his name in the 'Project Life' ppt.

Also mentioned in the report is the name of Br. Simon Rodrigues and few other current Charismatic leaders of bangalore. …kindly forward this mail to the JY National Team and concerned teams so that Anthony Samuel is not called for any of our future programs. Thanks, XXX From: XXX To: prabhu Cc: XXX Sent: Monday, July 02, 2007 11:24 PM Subject: Re: BANGALORE Hi Mike, I am happy that you are getting the responses from the receipients. It sure helps to know what the Official Church feels. I say so, cause many of the laity here (that i have seen here) have a whole different picture. They seem to defend Anthony more and find you as the trouble maker. Well i have heard of the term 'changing the topic'...The best way not to react to the information is either change the topic, or find fault with the sender.

Good that we know you from a few months, else i gurantee that i would have found it very difficult to accept the work that you are doing, and along with the rest of them would have given you labels. As the Bishops have well said to you, ' Thanks for all the trouble you take for safeguarding the faith. God bless you.' XXX [LEADER IN MINISTRY, BANGALORE] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2007 12:27 PM Subject: Re: REPORT, AND LETTERS TO FOUR BISHOPS..

Mike, Thank you for this write up. I too have been feeling very strongly about the need to intensify Catholic apologetics.

A lot is available on the net esp ewtn.com. Let us pray that we will be able to defend our beautiful church in all earnestness. Blessings! XXX [LAY LEADER, NEW DELHI] From: XXX To: prabhu ; michaelprabhu@ephesians-511.net Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2007 4:24 PM Subject: Fwd: REPORT, AND LETTERS TO FOUR BISHOPS : ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES THE CHURCH Dear Prabhu - I am resending the mail I sent you earlier regarding Anthony Samuel. In Christ & Mary, Joseph ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: XXX Date: Jun 25, 2007 6:44 PM

Dear Michael Prabhu – God bless you and your work. My name is XXX and I used to be part of a prayer group in Delhi (Living Waters) several years ago. I briefly knew Tranquil and had heard stories about how God gave Anthony Samuel a vision of his to be wife (Tranquil). I have also heard Anthony preach at Delhi (via Living Waters) a couple of times. I just read about your expose on Anthony Samuel. While I am shocked about the incident, I always felt that his teachings had a very 'Protestant' zeal. Grapevine rumors about his distance/issues with the Catholic Church were always public news but it was always written off as “Anthony's calling is to talk about God and Jesus and not Mary and the Saints”. I did not realize that he had a strong anti-catholic streak in him and this has me worried because I suspect that he has a very strong following who might be willing to follow him out of the Catholic Church.

I have heard about your efforts several years ago (via YYY in Delhi and also ZZZ in Chennai) and personally think that you are doing a wonderful Christ-led task at keeping the Catholic faith authentic. I realize your call is a challenge and cannot even imagine the hurdles you have to surmount. May God keep you going!!!

Can you put me in touch with like-minded Catholics in Mumbai? I was also wondering if you could also include my email address in your distribution list… XXX [LAY PERSON, MUMBAI] From: Joseph O'Callaghan To: 'prabhu' Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 5:55 AM Subject: RE: REPORT, AND LETTERS TO FOUR BISHOPS : ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVESTHECHURCH Dear Michael, Shalom!! Thank you for your email. When I hear from you I’m always reminded of that line from Jeremiah – ‘Clean your ground thoroughly - sow nothing among thorns’. Jer 4:3[b].

May Jesus continue to give you the strength to serve Him faithfully and with perseverance in the ministry to which He has called you. United in the ‘New Evangelisation’. With best wishes and warm regards. Joe ISOE Website: http://www.esatclear.ie/~isoe/ [DIRECTOR, IRISH SCHOOL OF EVANGELISATION. He has given retreats in India] From: maria laura pio To: prabhu Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 5:30 PM Subject: RE: VASSULA IN KERALA Very dear Michael, Thank you for your mails, which I have seen just today. I'm still reading the report on Samuels, and I must say it is unbelievable!! I admire your courage and your persistance, and I hope that the latest events will make people reflect. I have also been inspired by your reflection on Jesus' words to Peter: "Do you love me more than these?" I pray God to give me always the force to love him above everything, in particular in my work on the website.

I thank you very much for the report of Vassula's meetings in Kerala. I will write to the KCBC (I found their email: kcbc@ipath.net.in) and also to the new leader of the Syro Malankara Church, Most Rev. Isaac Mar Cleemis. I however do not have much hope of getting a positive response, in particular because the new President of the KCBC is also a long time supporter of Vassula (Cardinal Vithayathil).

I have in several occasions written (by email and by postal mail) to bishops in India, without any answer from them (not a surprise, right?). In particular, I wrote several months ago a certified letter to Cardinal Toppo, who gave the nihil obstat to Vassula's books, pointing out to him that his nihil obstat was in contradiction with the Notification from the Vatican, which points out doctrinal errors in Ryden's books and requests the faithful not to consider them as supernatural. I didn't even get a confirmation of receipt. Anyway, I believe as you do, that one has the duty to inform and point out the truth.

I wish you a holy Sunday! With my sincere prayers, Maria Laura [CATHOLIC MINISTRY www.mypage.bluewin.ch/cafarus/tlighome.html SWITZERLAND] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 12:40 AM Subject: praise the Lord!

Dear Brother Praise the Lord! The Lord has done great things through you and surely the persecutions you are undergoing is a sure sign that there is truth in your work. Brother I am a simple person with not much knowledge about the political happenings in the Church. I read the whole report about brother Anthony Samuel. In fact my family and I are deeply hurt and sad about what he has done. Though there is 100% truth in all that you have written, as a common Catholic I want to ask you some thing. (this is my very personal feeling about our Church and I request you to tell me if I am right or wrong and personally guide me). As an ordinary Catholic I have noticed the following things in the Catholic Church: 1. Mother Mary is most of the time worshiped by the Catholics. Rather many poor and uneducated catholics do not know Jesus at all. In fact when Daddy was alive, when he used to go out to minister to people and bring them back to the Church, teach them catechism, prepare them for Holy Communion, some of them would say (in Tamil) “Nango Matha vangito uncle”. Which means “We have already received Mary”. Who is responsible for this utterly ignorant statement? We pray the litany everyday where Morning Star is Jesus how can we call Mother Mary also with the same name? (plz note I am a lover of my Mother Mary and I have nothing against her.) There are so many prayers in the Church books where Mary and other saints are given more importance than Jesus. For example: The novena Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help prayed every Thrusday in St. Mary’s Church, Secunderabad has a statement, “Dear Lady you are the hope of the living and the salvation of the dying. You are our salvation and we are in your hands…” Is this prayer acceptable? And in prayer to St. Jude it says, “I promise to make known your name to many people”. Is it right? I agree that we have a rich culture. But there are also many

things not very right that has been going on since ages and recited blindly. The leaders of the Church have to change things and inculcate healthy and right teachings of the faith in Christ (plz explain if I am wrong).

2. When the Church leaders even the parish priests (not all of them) come to preach to the large crowds, they must give us that which makes sense. If they preach theology and big English sermons, who understands? If they are educated highly or are in a high position that does not mean that the whole crowd are theologians or intellectuals.

People rush to Muthangi to sit there for more than 6 hours and tirelessly listen to the Word of God but they get restless to participate in the Mass in most parish churches if the sermon is extended for more than 10 mins because what the fathers speak is either tasteless or their personal lives contradict what they speak. It is very sad that there is more zeal among the Catholic Church leaders to build their own lives and reputation rather than zeal for the kingdom. Who is to be blamed?

3. A house with an irresponsible father will never be a home. It is the same with the Catholic Church. If the Children are starved at home they will surely find food elsewhere. This is exactly what is happening in the Church today.

I may sound very stupid to you. I am not even a speck of dust before you because you are such a great and experienced man.

4. When the Divine Word Centre does some good work of giving Jesus to the simple people, you can count the number of priests in the diocese who support the ministry. Fathers [priests] condemn and blame them saying that the Centre is stealing their parishioners. They are not worried about the number of people receiving Jesus but the reduction in the collection. Money, money, money. Everywhere things can be done if you have money. (Everywhere means in Church, parish office, Catholic schools…).

5. There is no morality in the leaders and much worse in the lay people. Homosexuality and prostitution is common is Catholic colleges but it is all ignored because they do not want to interfere in anyone ’s personal life. If so what then are they called for?

6. Let me tell you about the plight of the service team here. It is all so political. I don ’t even associate with them because a couple of times I met some of them they were found to be complaining and crying over each other, finding fault and only differences. Music, singing everything is dominated. Each one blows their own trumpet and each one thinks he/she is the most anointed one and meant to preach. There is no sense in being a Charismatic!

7. Brother, there is one Hindu person Ganesh who fell in love with Jesus and he and his family wanted to get converted. Ganesh got converted, went against all his brothers and other relatives and faithfully served in the Church. Suddenly he stopped coming to Church. When I enquired why, I was told that he could not bear the insults of the other Catholics who did not give him place to sit in the first bench, did not allow him to do little help like going for collection etc and spoke rudely to him. He was so hurt that he went back to his old ways and became a Hindu again. Another Hindu man Basant got converted, - My parents were His God Parents but he also left the Catholic Church and joined the Assemblies of God because he says he finds no meaning in our services except for monotony and no word of God. 8. There are many more like them. What is the solution? New Age and other things are not at all spoke about. New Age is too far, at least let them teach the Bible to the people! Even that is not done. Now Feng Shui is added to the list where Catholics paint their walls at home in blue color,… this has become another added misery.

9. We are more bothered about warning people not to go to sheep stealers but don’t we have to warn ourselves about changing our attitudes, relaxed kind of an attitude and indifferece. I feel those who pose to be Catholics including lay and religious are more dangerous than those who leave the Church.

10. Brother most catholic girls working in MNCs live such double standard lives. Married Catholic women behave so cheaply. But I know of some of them who lived as immoral catholics but once they became born again they have changed! Why should anyone leave the Church in order to be changed? Is our Mother Church so weak that it can not hold its children intact?

11. I feel we must work toward reconstructing and repairing our own Church rather than crying over the broken walls.

12. It really hurts me when I see fathers [priests] being so insensitive to the people and to their call to Holy Priesthood.

I sometime wish I was someone big so that I can go and shake them up a little bit. Condemnation, teasing, making fun, self pity, laziness in the name of discipline, immorality, pride, disrespect, unfaithfulness in their call. This is all you can see in priests and religious today. If a priest is eloquent then surely you will find him condemning the Charismatic prayers. Why do they take up a vocation that they can not fulfill. Who forced them to become priests?

If they are not faithful how can they counsel and help families to be faithful? If they themselves are weak how can they talk about families being strong? Right from their eating habits to their attitudes nothing match with Jesus then how can the Catholic Church stand?

13. I deeply respect priests and religious and I have nothing against anyone personally but this is what I see. The ignorant are becoming more ignorant, the exploiters are continuing to exploit and Catholics continue to live false lives.

14. Catholics follow Hindu culture. Very very few Catholics know the truth of the Bible even the truth of the Eucharist and the veneration of the Blessed Mother. Very few Catholics know the doctrines of the Church. In the name of shrines money is collected and used for personal needs of the priests. There is no need of any evidence. It is all open secret. St. Anthony or Mother Mary are gods for many Catholics. People believe in crowning St. Anthony if their requests are granted. This is all prevalent and when the Protestants come to teach the Catholics that they are

wrong, they find that all they are saying is true because actually Catholics tend to live a false life and all that these fellows say sound correct at last they leave the Church and become faithful Christians. Who is to be blamed???

15. My husband’s cousin in Banglore was a great devotee of Mother Mary I was told that she used to spend hours before the statue of Our Lady and they literally used to drag her out of the Church because she went before every statue and prayed after mass and it took her at least an hour to finish her visits to all the statues. Such a girl suddenly left the Church and now became a Protestant. She, her brother and his family, her uncles, aunties and everyone in the family gradually left the Church and now only her mother is left probably because she works in a Catholic school. Why?

16. Brother I think our leaders have to wear their armor and get on to the war, they need to wake up and get the army ready. It is such a shame that the lay people go to preach to the anointed ones of God [priests] and finally condemn them, get to know all their weaknesses and finally talk ill about them! The Church leaders have to humble themselves and get back to work. Parish work is ok but saving and safeguarding souls is more important.

17. There is no leader in the Catholic Church today. NO teacher, no corrector, no master. All are busy then where else will the Church go? If people are becoming deceivers who is responsible? I do not deny that there are many priests and religious who risk their lives and do a lot of good in remote and unreachable places but that is what they are called for. If they also want to live a comfortable life then what different are they from us?

Brother I am not trying to find fault here with anyone. As I am writing to you it is 12 a.m. Monday. I just want to tell you that I am deeply pained by the attitude of the Catholic Church. We are practically doing nothing. All I can do is pray and be of some help through the little work I do for the Lord. Pray for me and if I am wrong please pardon me and let me know.

Thank u XXX [LEADER IN MINISTRY, SECUNDERABAD] From: SPIRDAILY@aol.com To: michaelprabhu@vsnl.net Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 3:42 AM Subject: Re: REPORT, AND LETTERS TO FOUR BISHOPS : ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVESTHECHURCH Appreciate hearing from you, please know that you are in my daily prayers, please pray for us, and please let your friends know of http://www.spiritdaily.com/. God bless, Michael H. Brown [FOUNDER, SPIRITDAILY MINISTRIES, USA] From: XXX To: michaelprabhu@vsnl.net Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 11:40 AM Subject: Re: NO RESPONSE FROM YOU Dear michael, I am [overseas] - going through a very hectic time. I saw all your mails - I haven't seen any personal mail which requires a reply from me. You already talked to me about Antony [Samuel] when we met - that is why I haven't responded.

Thank you very much for the information. With lots of love and prayers, XXX [SENIOR LEADER IN MINISTRY] From: Javier Lopez Torres To: prabhu Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 3:19 PM Subject: Re: ANTHONY SAMUEL Praise the Lord! Dear Michael I am really surprised with this "Anthony Samuel".

It's so important your task of unmasking these kind of people. I expect bishops will thank you for your warning. It's a shame to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal to have people like this and a way to loose credibility. Does the Renewal have in India any superior organism or coordination to avoid and denounce such cases?

Love Javier [CATHOLIC APOLOGIST, SPAIN] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 3:20 PM Subject: Re: praise the Lord!

Dear brother thank you for your reply. May God bless you and your ministry to break the walls of pride and ignorace in our church. I was glad too to talk to you and more than glad i am privileged that i am of some help for your work for Jesus.

Every propeht and truthful man of God was alone including JEsus. if today you are alone it is because you are a loyal man of God. May the anointing that you have received be imparted on many more young people soon so that the Church may live, Amen. Brother with regard to the talks on apologetics - i will speak to YYY and get back to you.

Regards from AAA and BBB. i had told them about all this. AAA assured you of her prayer for your ministry. Thanks a lot once again and may God bless you love XXX [LEADER IN MINISTRY, SECUNDERABAD] From: George Palli To: prabhu Sent: Friday, July 13, 2007 12:34 AM Subject: Re: ANTHONY SAMUEL AND JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Hai Mike, Thank you for the letter. So sorry to hear that you have not heard from the Bishops in Bangalore and chennai.. pity..

Be sure of my prayers. Please keep up the great work you ar doing. I shall be cautious about these.

Please send me the materials available about them. Praying for you +George [George Pallipparambil sdb Bishop of MIAO] From: George Pallipparambil To: prabhu Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2007 11:26 PM Subject: Re: ANTHONY SAMUEL AND JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Dear Mike, Thank you for the details on the two. I hope you are OK. Be sure of my prayers. Love +George P. sdb

From: XXX To: michaelprabhu@vsnl.net CC: YYY Sent: Monday, July 16, 2007 10:36 AM Dear Michael, Thanks for sharing the response by [leaders] GGG and HHH. There is no clear stand taken and no hint of it as well. I think the new Vatican Document from CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH -

RESPONSES TO SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE DOCTRINE ON THE CHURCH, is one which is come out at the right time, at a time when there is a lot of discussion about Anthony Samuel leaving the Church. Thanks and Regards, XXX [LAY PERSON, BANGALORE] From: prabhu To: XXX Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2007 9:27 AM Subject: FROM MICHAEL Dear XXX, It was nice talking to you yesterday. I understand the way that you feel about my recent alerts.

It is difficult for me to make them, as always some people known to me are involved, sometimes good friends.

When I post these reports, I am always aware that I am also probably going to lose some friends who might not understand my ministry and calling. But it is something that I must do at whatever cost.

Many former close friends of mine who are in ministry have slowly eased out of correspondence with me because of these reasons. It is a painful price that I am paying.

However well meaning the suggestions given me by a couple of people, I somehow cannot but think that: 1. Somehow, ALL the people involved [WITHOUT EXCEPTION] do not support this ministry [even if a couple might earlier have been good friends]; so even if I had consulted them, I could not have expected a response as they have ALL received many letters from me on other issues which remain unanswered; 2. The fact of their long silence, over many many years, inspite of full knowledge of the reality, indicates to me their priority is popular ministry, a safe gospel, friends, whatever. Their silence implicates them.

As someone wrote to me, he was wondering whether many of us are working for God's Kingdom or to build up our own little kingdoms. I trust that you understand me. Love, Michael.

READ THIS: Tell the Truth Boldly, Urges Pontiff Reflects on Life of St. John the Baptist VATICAN CITY, JUNE 24, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI, on the solemnity of the birth of St. John the Baptist, called on the Church to bear "witness to the truth without compromise." The Pope said this today in the address he delivered before praying the Angelus with the thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square.

The Holy Father urged the faithful to follow the example of the cousin of Christ, and to not be afraid to denounce "transgressions of God's commandments" even when the protagonists are people in power.

"John the Baptist was the precursor, the 'voice' sent to announce the Incarnate Word," the Pontiff said.

"For this reason, to commemorate the birth of John the Baptist in reality means to celebrate Christ, the fulfillment of the promises of all the prophets, of whom John was the greatest, called to 'prepare the way' before the Messiah," the Holy Father added, speaking from the window of his study. …Recalling the beheading of John the Baptist, the Bishop of Rome added: "As an authentic prophet, John bore witness to the truth without compromise. He denounced transgressions of God's commandments, even when the protagonists were people in power. "Thus, when he accused Herod and Herodius of adultery, he paid for it with his life, sealing with martyrdom his service to Christ, who is the truth in person."

From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2007 11:57 AM Subject: Re: FROM MICHAEL Dear Michael, Thank you for your email. I thank you again for considering me as your friend. Be assured that I feel the same about you. I fully appreciate all that you do to bring to light, all that is hidden from the naked eye in the area of the New Age & Occult. The few things that I feel uncomfortable though: 1. Though I do not subscribe to the 'Popular Gospel' theory, I still feel that all things should be done in LOVE. My approach is that if I feel that someone is doing wrong stuff, I need to confront the person first, clarify his/her position and then if the person is still in the wrong, pray for him/her.

2. I am really comfortable with your ministry in the exposure of New Age & Occult, but am not comfortable in the 'exposure' of Christian People (whether catholic or protestant) who maybe in the wrong. This is because my approach to resolving these issues is different (point 1).

Am awaiting your coming to bangalore, and to meetup with you! Love & Jesus Bless!! XXX From: XXX To: michaelprabhu@vsnl.net Cc: YYY Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2007 8:09 PM Subject: Re: ANTHONY SAMUEL Dear Michael, Peace of Christ! Thank you for your visit. I apreciate the time you spent and your openness to clarify my doubts. God has gifted you a great Ministry to set right error regarding the fallacy of the New Age Movements that many are indulging in. Thank you for your deep love for the Church.

However, (I say this in love), my concern is about fingers being pointed at individuals who have made a conscious and personal choice to go their own way. In trying to set the record right we could unconsciously become judgemental. And however well- intentioned, could hurt the Kingdom. I believe the deadwood will weed itself out.

I pray that your Ministry will grow and be a great source of information to educate the God's People. Let us pray for each other while we continue this dialogue. XXX [LAY PERSON IN MINISTRY, BANGALORE] 17TH: Dear XXX, Praise the Lord ! Thank you for responding with frankness. I understand what you and a few others in Bangalore have felt about the Anthony Samuel / Johnson Sequeira episode. In response, I am not trying to "justify" my position, but, as I wrote to YYY* earlier, QUOTE: *Previous email UNQUOTE

I have received dozens of supportive letters from very senior leaders, priests and Bishops. Shall send you the same [without ids]. There is much New Testament precedent [both Peter and Paul] for warning people of erroneous teachers in their midst- BY NAME. Another very important point is that I would not have to go to this extent if the leaders concerned would even acknowledge my letters or indicate that they would take some precautionary action against the warnings given by me in person. They don't. I am unable to find a single leader who does not want to play safe publicly when it comes to his ministry. If I am assured that the leaders in the CCR and the Bishops are going to listen and do something, I would not need to make my reports public when naming people. Once again, thank you for writing.

I am above all, a Catholic apologist, and those of us who have been for years in apologetics view the issue of a Catholic [especially a leading preacher] leaving the Church and then attacking her teachings and stealing her sheep, differently.

This is part of a letter that I received yesterday from Bangalore:

QUOTE I think the new Vatican Document from CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH - RESPONSES TO SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE DOCTRINE ON THE CHURCH, is one which is come out at the right time, at a time when there is a lot of discussion about Anthony Samuel leaving the Church. UNQUOTE. Love, Michael From: prabhu To: Sundeep J Rodricks Sent: Friday, June 22, 2007 11:49 PM Subject: Re: REPORT: CHARISMATIC PREACHER ANTHONY SAMUEL LEAVES THE CHURCH

Hi, Sandeep, I will be in Bangalore on the 4th July. Maybe we could meet. Your questions cannot be answered briefly, better in person.

The problem is not that AS became Pentecostal, changing his Faith, but that for 10 years at least he was lying, pretending... However, some responses from me are below [underlined] alongside your questions.

You took much pain to write this letter, but there are several mails from me that remained unanswered. Love, Mike

From: Sundeep J Rodricks To: prabhu Sent: Friday, June 22, 2007 2:27 PM Hi Prabhu, if possible i would want a copy of the CD Pastor Anthony Samuel is distributing ....... will it be possible to send me a copy? in addition i like to clarify certain things....... I can bring a copy along, but I am afraid that if you hear it, you might want

to leave the Church. But as you wrote below, why should it matter ? how can we stop any one from leaving the Catholic denomination? We cannot, but we can be educated in our faith and

apologetics and know the answers, because those who leave or think of leaving do not understand true Bible exegesis and interpretation. is it right for us to doubt someone's loyalty to catholics till proven other wise?

No, but in this case, if one KNEW that someone was a murderer or a liar or a pretender, and did not turn him in, he is as guilty, and therefore, if he is in ministry to Catholics, he can be trusted only after he makes a statement of Faith.

even we catholics preach the gospel and encourage people to convert right. given this fact we should be open when people leave the church. i dont think Catholics are so naive that some one can fool them to leave the church. (no matter how big a preacher he / she is) I am in ministry for 25 years. My experience: Most Catholics and most charismatics know poor little

about their faith. Yes, people can very easily be fooled, even by small preachers.

i guess every one has the right to be a part of or NOT be part of any denomination he or she chooses why should any body be bothered about it? why make it an issue? I have many Pentecostal friends and have no problem with them. The issue with AS is

that till yesterday he was pretending to be Catholic and the next day he reveals himself as a hater of the Church. How can all the thousands of Pentecostal churches be true when each one differs from church to church and from day to day ? The Catholic Church is the only Church that has been faithful to the same teachings for 2000 years. No other has. Other denominations might have the truth, but only in part. The Church has the full deposit of faith and truth. That's why we are Catholic, at least I am.

Anthony was a good preacher and for reasons best know to him he choose to start a new church of his own why should we be bothered? if its the work of God it will sustain itself and carry on else it will crumble and be evident for all to see and learn a lesson may God deal with him according to HIS will If that is true, then we need not do ANY minstry or evangelization. the fact remains that many parishes including the BCCRS - blore catholic charismatic renewal have used his services

It shows lack of discernment and in some cases the covering up because of personal friendship. Don't forget he was my friend too. But I chose, painfully, to stand for Truth and consequently being unpopular with him and his friends .........till he was a catholic he was every ones poster boy now that he has left the church every one has something to say about him. i dont think its fair. if something is wrong it is with in us (Catholics) and not the ones who are leaving (us) catholics I haven't heard ANYONE saying anything against AS. I am the only one who has, and I am taking the flak.

Many good people leave the Church sincerely, because of our errors. I am NOT disputing that. Or judging them. It is exactly also one of the points that I have tried to include in my report. Did you not read it fully ? i guess we need to sit and introspect what is wrong with in us what is causing people to leave

Yes, that's what I have also called for in my report.

any ways it will be difficult to find a preacher like Anthony with in the catholic circles i wish him well sorry to disagree with you but this is my honest opinion .

I appreciate your honesty, but you can be completely honest and way off the mark. I doubt that I will get even ONE single letter from ANY Bishop or CCR leader saying that I am wrong even in the smallest way on this issue.

From: Sundeep J Rodricks To: prabhu Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 9:11 AM hi prabhu, i still completely and totally disagree with you BUT I DO RESPECT YOUR OPINION and i refuse to accept that i am totally off the mark ;) ...... how ever would meet you when you are in Bangalore om 4th july, how long are you in town

and where are you put up? will you available on a local phone in bangalore ? do let me know ......... one more thing you other mail required information from other sources and i had to depend on them to reply to you how ever this mail needed only my understanding ........and nobody else so thats why i could not reply since i could not gather information on time so thats the reason ..........nothing else it does not matter to me if AS is a catholic or a protestant or what ever i just know that he has followed his heart and nobody has fooled him ..... whats pluzzing is ....... you being afraid that i may want to leave the church after listening to AS's CD if thats how shallow one's faith is it does not matter if he is a catholic or something else ......... also it just proves how ignorant we are about our faith .......and how we have failed in educating our people about their faith and heritage and tradition ....... its OUR failure ........... any ways see you in bangalore soon bye till then rgds sandeep [NOTE: On the basis of these emails, I checked out Sandeep and learnt that he has rejected some Catholic teachings and is known to be Pentecostal. In the light of that information, the content and tone of his letters are understandable.]

From: <cyriljohn@vsnl.net> To: "prabhu" <michaelprabhu@vsnl.net> Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 4:34 PM Subject: Re: CHARISINDIA July 2007 issue Dear Bro. Michael, Thanks for your mails. I have taken note of the contents and would try to do my best for the betterment of the Renewal.

Thanks for being in touch. With regards and prayers, Cyril John [CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL SERVICE TEAM, CCR] From: prabhu To: cyriljohn@vsnl.net Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 8:42 PM Subject: ANTHONY SAMUEL AND JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Dear Cyril, It is very encouraging to have you back again. I am sorry for the late response.

You have not yet acknowledged my many letters regarding Anthony Samuel and Johnson Sequeira.

I was out of my office for the last several days. I had been to Bangalore where I met as many of the senior leaders in the CCR and private ministries as I could. I also met many people from different prayer groups.

It is most regretful that Bangalore is now clearly polarised, with some influential leaders and people supporting these two persons and continuing to invite Johnson Sequeira over to minister in Bangalore at least every other week in the recent past. He is so much in demand that he flies between the two cities!!!

I am informed that he has shifted base from Mumbai to Bangalore and has taken up a place on rent there.

Some leaders find no problem with Anthony Samuel's having cheated Catholics with his pretense at being Catholic for so many years and finally founding his own Church. This pastor was recently in Bangalore and visited all their homes where he was warmly welcomed. He gave "his side of the story".

Mostly the same persons are sympathetic towards Johnson Sequeira.

The Renewal is so ridden with politics that leaders seem to be taking sides on the Anthony Samuel / Johnson Sequeira issue. Some seem to approve of my reports and alerts not because they are exposing dangerous trends and error, but only because they can now use them to make things difficult for other leaders whom they do not like. Only a very few leaders are looking at the issue objectively, and taking a position based on the Catholic Faith and on the Truth.

Personal friendships, emotions, rivalries, Pentecostal influences etc. are affecting decision making.

Other leaders are so affected by the teachings and techniques of the Benny Hinn and other ministries, that they find many reasons to defend the two preachers named by me. Some of them have earlier criticized articles that CHARISINDIA carried years back exposing the Prosperity Gospel and the dangers on the MiracleNet channel, etc.

I simply cannot understand how things have reached this deplorable state of affairs in the Renewal; this seems to be repeating in other cities too, as I understand from letters and telephone calls received.

It seems that all my exposes on New Age did not provoke as much response- outrage, denunciation of this ministry, personal attacks- as have my reports on these two preachers. Is this an indication of a deeper malaise in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal that needs to be addressed on top priority?

What do you think can / should / must be done?

I was glad to meet many other leaders and hear from very ordinary Catholics in Bangalore and all over the country who stood for the Church and supported me and my decision to publish my findings.

I thank you too, sincerely, for being on my side.

This ministry continues to be flooded with letters of encouragement. And information.

Please expect another detailed report in the near future on this same issue.

Yours in His Name, Michael From: prabhu To: Michael Prabhu Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 9:30 AM Subject: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Dear friends, I have already sent you by email or given you in person [in hardcopy] the responses from Bishops, priests and Renewal leaders to the recent alerts on Pastor Anthony Samuel and Bro. Johnson Sequeira.

[If you do not have the earlier responses (prior to July 3) and wish to read them, please do let me know.]

Here are some more for your kind information please. KINDLY ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT. Michael Prabhu

SELECTED RESPONSES, CHRONOLOGICALLY: From: XXX To: prabhu Cc: YYY Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 3:48 AM Subject: Re: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES

Hi Mike, that was indeed a flood of responses that you recieved for the report on Anthony Samuel. But most of the reports looked positive. Are you making a seperate document of the harsh or negative comments that you recieved about the report ? Ofcourse it will not serve any purpose. But with the support that you have from the Bishops, those who send you negative reports can be easily classified into the 2 categories (Catholic and Pro Protestant ) that you mentioned in your document… Thanks, XXX [YOUTH IN PRAISE AND WORSHIP MINISTRY, BANGALORE] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 6:19 PM Subject: RE: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES Dear Mike, Greetings in Jesus’ precious Name !!

Let me first reiterate that you are one of the persons I admire and also hold very dearly…

I must say that I had a very good time listening to you. Only thing I can say about Anthony Samuel is that he has been very dear Brother to me for more than 17-18 years.

Though I don’t support him leaving the Church, still he is a dear brother to me. I have known him to be a very sincere and humble person and still is.

Due to my position in the Renewal I have take precaution to ensure that his leaving the Church does not impact it negatively. In fact, after meeting with you, I have officially spoken to the Service Team about the need for some sessions on Catholic Apologetics for our leaders. Most probably, we should be having it from Aug’07 onwards.

Be assured Brother, that I am not deliberately keeping silent. Please send me your Mobile No. so that I can explain better.

Please convey my regards to Angela. With love XXX [CHAIRPERSON, REGIONAL SERVICE TEAM, CCR] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 6:54 PM Subject: RE: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Dear Mike, I would appreciate if you can send a copy of your response to the mail dated 9/7/2007 from Secunderabad, in which the person has raised some 17 concerns. With love [AS ABOVE] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 2:56 PM Subject: RE: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES Dear Mike, Greetings in Jesus’ precious name !

Thanks very much for the trust you have in me. You are a very special Brother to me and will always be. We will continue to pray for the mother Church and do our best to bring the Good News of Jesus to as many as we can.

Do let me know if you have any plans of coming to […] so that we can meet again and if possible have to meeting with the Spiritual Director and other members of the Service Team as well, and probably talk about you being the resource for some sessions on Catholic apologetics. With love XXX From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 9:15 PM Subject: Re: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Dear Michael, Thank you very much for the up-date on certain charismatic leaders with some questionable type of minstry.

Our Archbishop is preparing a circular to give some guidelines to his flock. So some good is done through your efforts. with best wishes, XXX [PRIEST IN CHARISMATIC MINISTRY, KOLKATA] From: George Palli To: prabhu Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 10:49 PM Dear Mike, Thank you for the reesponses. I am happy that people are taking note of what you write ansd respond in such big numbers. Be sure of my prayers. Love +George Pallipparambil sdb [Bishop of MIAO] From: George Pallipparambil To: prabhu Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 11:08 PM Subject: Re: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Dear Mike, I have read and written in the rediffmail. LOve +George From: XXX To: 'prabhu' Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 12:45 AM Subject: RE: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Thank you dear Michael – I got the mail. Love, [SENIOR LEADER IN INDEPENDENT MINISTRY, KERALA] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 12:22 PM Subject: RE: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES Dearest Mike, I want to thank you so much for coming over to my place that day. The whole place was a big mess, but I know you didnt mind it. It was real great having that short time with you. Even YYY said, if possible he wanted to sit with you. Evening I had called another friend of mine too to come in case you are coming. I referred to you as the person who always puts me on fire. In the evening, everything was getting tight pressed, and that was when I rethought whether it would actually give benefit if you were to come over from one side of the city to here in the heavy traffic. And when you said over the phone that there are people there waiting to hear you speak on apologetics, I sensed it as the Lord's plan that you have to be there. So absolutely no need of apologies. I hope your presence there helped many.

I received the e-mail and the attachment on the additional responses. I have gone through it all. Thanks for sending it across. I had also gone through the hardcopy of the AS/JS reports but has not actually gone through the CD you gave me.

When I get the post parcel, I will let you know. But to which address had you sent it? Do you have my current address?

I fully know that yours is the only ministry of this kind and I thank the Lord for it, and I would defend this ministry anywhere. Though I had not kept you on copy, the moment I had received the AS report, I had forwarded it to the Jesus Youth Service team here. ZZZ had sent it after I sent, reason being that my earlier mail to the Jesus Youth Service Team bounced off his mail id. There were a handful of responses- some of them negative- and I had defended this report and its contents because I was fully convinced that they contained the truth. There was another friendin the service team with whom I had a talk two days back and he told me that he didnt find much positive things in your reports. I told him that there are hardly any positive things in these matters to be reported and that the truth needs to be brought out.

Though I havent corresponded frequently with you in the last two years, it was never because of lack of support. Instead there is a strong admiration and thankfulness to the Lord whenever I think of you.

When we called off the evening meeting and I informed ZZZ, he asked me wont I miss the chance to correspond with you and I told him that if I need some clarification, I would just straightaway call you.

I frequently remember you. Will begin praying more fervently for this wonderful ministry. As for me, Lord is using me in some small ways. I have begun to share the WOG mostly in our JY circles. I am thankful to him.

It occurred to me a few days back, that I will fire you some questions to which I havent got an answer yet in apologetics.

You should be able to help. God bless you dear Mike.

We will keep in touch. My special love to you. May our Blessed Mother keep you. ZZZ [JESUS YOUTH] From: XXX To: 'prabhu' ; YYY Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 4:00 PM Subject: RE: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES Dear Michael, Thanks for sharing all the responses.. I understand that there are a lot of positive responses and its encouraging. Its indeed good to see a very positive looking mail from [SERVICE TEAM CHAIRPERSON]. One of the positive things is the realisation for the need of Catholic Apologetics for the leaders, but yet again I hope things are done out of conviction... Regards, XXX [JESUS YOUTH] From: XXX To: 'prabhu' Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 5:59 PM Subject: RE: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Dear Mike, I have received the details and have painfully noted the same… will continue to pray for this intention.

God bless you. Your brother in Christ. XXX From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 6:31 PM Subject: RE: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Dear Michael, I made two attempts to open the attachment, but it did not. It says "File canot be found." Can you please resend it so that I can then reply accordingly. God bless. [CHAIRPERSON, REGIONAL SERVICE TEAM, CCR] From: "Joel G Fernandes" <joel.godwin.fernandes@gmail.com> To: "'prabhu'" <michaelprabhu@vsnl.net> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 1:32 AM Subject: RE: JOHNSON SEQUEIRA EXTRACT: Dear Br. Mike, …as you'd know from my previous mails, I am one that longs to live and practice Catholic teaching above everything else and for now I do not have to look outside of the Catholic Church as we have enough in our Church for this one lifetime I have. I know Johnson and his ministry members from then. I had known few of the things which I didn't know then that were a little off track. But since I progressed within the Catholic Church, I realized that a lot of the group leaders preaching in Catholic Church based their talks on programs aired on all these Pentecostal TV programs, i.e. GOD TV for one of which I was a committed audience. Then I thought that "name it claim it" was an in-thing. But not exactly! This was actually going against the very scriptural foundation leave alone the Catholic Church teachings. And I have known that not only Br. Johnson, but a lot of people use it, including here in Dubai. People take it easily here as the Catholic Church here is choosy about inviting the preachers which apparently is once a year...such a pity. Lay preachers aren't allowed. That included Br. Fritz, when he was here and who preaches only Catholic teachings. So people don't mind prosperity gospel being preached.

The priests here are hardly bothered. You can feed any fodder to the hungry.

Coming back to Br. Johnson, personally, I have nothing against him or his teaching based on my knowledge and hearing him in June/July 2005 in 2-3 retreats. So I don't exactly know if his teaching has leaned more and more on prosperity Gospel. Besides, I don't endorse or reject anyone's teaching as long as we go back to Scripture (2 Tim 3:16) and the Rich Catholic teaching and sound doctrine, that which is beneficial to us in becoming convicted Catholics. As of now, many people know the Pentecostals preaching prosperity gospel are nothing but hoax so also people will sooner or later discover the error taught by others. You would also agree with me nowadays people want to hear what their ears are itching to hear (2 Tim 4:3) …As for teachings, he bases them solely on scripture, no mention of CCC, (I have never heard anyone here in Dubai referring the CCC either, except me quoting it when I teach) and the mixing of Pentecostal "name it claim it" theory.

And pointing God's promises back to Him to receive the graces he has promised. Well that teaching seemed OK to me then, not any longer (Mark 8:34) So his way of teaching may be questionable, but banning him totally rather than correcting him or maybe asking him to take a break would not be a good idea. Like politics in India, if bad is banned, worse seems to creep in as "good" is busy making money. I'm sure you get my point here. So coming back to the scripture from Paul's letter to Philippians Chapter 1:18, I also stand by what Paul wrote of "Christ being preached" and I am also doubly sure that Br. Johnson would also know the scripture from Paul's letter to Galatians 1:6-10 of the One Gospel which is to be

preached. If not, then he better stop emphasizing on scripture and its interpretation altogether and the prosperity gospel completely.

I am also blind copying this mail to my dear friend's wife, who first attended Br. Johnson's retreat and then on she has encouraged about 2 dozen people to attend his retreats and each one of whom was convicted including myself and have been able to mend their ways, to whom I shall ever be grateful. If she so wishes, she may write to you but I do not wish to name her here nor would want to involve her as I have not expressed my intentions to her personally. She's not a part of his ministry but she's definitely an avid winner of souls for Christ, the way I see it.

And last but not the least, thank you for bringing this to light. And know that I am not favoring BJ but I am expressing my experience which dates back to June/July 2005. I am certain people who attend his future retreats, if any, know what to expect, what to keep and what to leave behind. And as for Anthony Samuels, I don't know who he is and if he has started his own church, then he would definitely turn into a sheep stealer and he would need to be stopped. So your exposing him is well timed. Thanks once again for your love and zeal for Christ. Our regards to you and Angela on behalf of me, YYY and kids. Do please keep us in prayer and so shall you be in ours. God bless, XXX [DUBAI]

From: SPIRDAILY@aol.com To: michaelprabhu@vsnl.net Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:10 AM Subject: Re: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Thanks for being in touch, please pray for us, and know we pray for you. Please also let your friends know of www.spiritdaily.com. In Christ, Michael H. Brown From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 12:07 PM Subject: Re: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES Hiya Mike, As I've always said I thank you for all your mails – yes sometimes they are lengthy and don't always get the time to read them fully at one stretch but manage to do so eventually…

I admire your commitment amidst all the furore and pray the Lord bless you abundantly and drown you with Grace to move forward… Love n hugs, XXX [BANGALORE] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:25 PM Subject: Re: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES Dear Michael. Greetings in the neame of Jesus. Thanks a lot for taking the trouble. I also wanted you to find out if Johnson has undergone any training in hypnotism or any other similar course, do try and find out. Thanks and God bless. XXX [DO] From: XXX To: michaelprabhu@vsnl.net Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:00 PM Subject: Praise God hi bro long time, no news hows things ur side yes i just got back from European conference for deliverance… i had prayed for u just to tell u also that i had recom ur name for the next conference . Fr YYY was also with me this 1 was great i was the only Indian layman with 350 from all over the world .i hv some coins for u as it is ur hobby that what u hv told me. bro some weeks back u hv sent me a mail about bro Johnson can u pls re send it again if u dont mind as my fly washed it off by mistake i hva person who cant beleive what she heard so i want to prove it to her . from tomm i am in AAA givinga retreatfor 3 days pray for me sure we will also keep u in prayer.God bless [MUMBAI] From: XXX To: 'prabhu' Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 11:57 PM Subject: RE: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA In receipt of your last e-mail. Keep up the good work XXX [USA] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 7:04 AM Subject: Re: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA received. God Bless [SENIOR LEADER IN INDEPENDENT MINISTRY, CCR, MUMBAI] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 7:40 AM Subject: Re: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Dear Michael Praise God!!!! Thank you for the mails… [SENIOR LEADER IN INDEPENDENT MINISTRY, BANGALORE] From: SISTER XXX To: <michaelprabhu@vsnl.net> Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 10:34 AM Subject: RE: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Dear Prabhu, Thanks for your e-mail messages. I am particularly grateful to you for information on Bro Johnson as he comes to our campus every year to give retreats to our girls. I have taken a copy of the same to show to our Provincial.

May God bless you and your ministry. Thanks also for you timely help as regards the Dowsing. It is also confirmed by another prayer group that intercedes for religious and priests. I am also placing your request and your mission to them.

Whatever response I get I will forward to you. Love SISTER XXX From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 12:15 PM Subject: Re: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA EXTRACT: Dear Mike, Praise Jesus This past year I have been in touch with many leaders and 2 co ordinators of the CCR and have found really serious serious

areas in their personal lives that they are not ready to deal with or they are not willing to admit. All these members of the body of Christ are happily serving the Lord in the Renewal. What do you get ? ask this question yourself to the Lord?. …As regards Johnson- We have personally invited (I) Johnson to our [meeting] in 2004 a couple of times,to which we were all blessed with his teachings on the word of God. He has also allowed me to intercede at the night vigil he was conducting in a church at that time so I could pray for our pilgrimage to YYY. We have been blessed by the fruits of that intercession as at that time we did not have a body like we have today… I have led praise and worship at his outreaches earlier with the permission of our local bishop whom I come under. But after he has been asked not to preach in our Diocese I have not been involved with him nor I have any contact. I pray for him cause I have seen the passion that he has for the Lord, much much more than the many many of the leadership here in Bombay. It is sad when I heard of many areas of Johnson life that need to come under the Lordship of Jesus, I must admit that there are problems in his personal life too. I am praying that he will submit to Bishop ZZZ. I am enclosing the invitation of the outreach for u to pray and if you so desire to come we would be most happy to house u and Angie. God Bless XXX [MINISTRY LEADER, MUMBAI]

From: maria laura pio To: prabhu Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 2:40 PM Subject: RE: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Dear Michael, I confirm receipt of your mail and attachment. Thank you!!

I also wrote to the bishops of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Conference regarding Vassula and received two thank you mails AND two answers from two bishops who confirmed that the KCBC did not invite Vassula, but that she asked to speak in front of the KCBC and this possibility was granted to her. But that the KCBC does not endorse her. I am still waiting to see if I get other answers. I will be away for a week, and will publish the answers upon my return.

Warmly in Christ, Maria Laura [SWITZERLAND] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 11:16 PM Subject: Re: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Dearest Mike, Trust things go well with you and your loved ones. Thanks for the updates - Sad that when someone is not approved by their authorities, our very priests rebel against their authority and take the law into their own hands. As the Lord says in the scriptures "You are the light of the world....if the light itself is darkness, HOW GREAT IS THE DARKNESS"!!!

God bless you and keep up the good work. Much love and prayers, XXX [CCR LEADER, GOA] From: XXX To: michaelprabhu@vsnl.net Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 8:46 AM Subject: Anthony samuel.

Dear Michael Thank you for your e-mail. We appreciate your good work and our prayers are with you, God may continue to strengthen you at all times to continue his work. keep in touch, and pray for the leaders conference… which will be hosted by us… XXX [CHAIRPERSON, REGIONAL SERVICE TEAM, CCR] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2007 7:08 PM Subject: Re: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Thank you Prabhu for making me uptodate. We as a ministry and me in person do pray for the matter and do support you and your ministry in prayer. May God bless you to continue your good works. withlove and prayers, XXX [INDEPENDENT MINISTRY, DELHI] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2007 4:40 PM Subject: Re: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Dear Mike This time I got it, read it and thank you for being so prompt. A priest called me the other day from Jhansi. He is having some big program and asked my opinion about Johnson. Though I was frank and repeated what Bp. YYY had said, at the end of it all he decided he would call him any way but "will be sure someone is on the stage at all times to monitor what he says." I told him most likely the fallout would be his follow up when he realizes a door has been opened to him there. Pray for more wisdom in the Church [CHAIRPERSON, REGIONAL SERVICE TEAM, CCR] From: XXX To: prabhu Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 10:53 AM Subject: Re: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA Hi Michael, Praise the Lord ! got a chance today to read the attachment....thank you so much and God bless you for all the wonderful work you are doing for building the kingdom of God !

I got to know a few days back that a person who was a charismatic from my area has left the church and conducts meeting in her house. Her name is Dagma (I am not sure if you know her, Dockyard Rd/Mazagoan, she is one of the board members for St. Isabel's School Mazagaon) The person by whom she was influenced is from Andheri, I forgot the name, but told my husband to get the information in the evening.

How does one talk to people who have left the church, I know of so many others too.... Regards XXX [MUMBAI] From: XXX To: michaelprabhu@vsnl.net Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2007 9:10 PM Subject: Re: ADDITIONAL RESPONSES_ANTHONY SAMUEL_JOHNSON SEQUEIRA

Dear Mike, Thanks for keeping me updated. It was great to have you with us and please keep up the good work. But take me seriously you need to be more open and please go for a course on writing or communication i dont know what they call but please find out as many people without naming them have felt a little uncomfortable with your style of writing or presentation i have mentioned to you before but i dont think you have done anything about it. well no point in letting precious work go unaccepted for minor flaws that cam be addressed. one point that a person mentioned was that have an attitude of hate sin and have compassion on the sinner. another point is please be subjective where its required but be objective and present your arguments rather than be subjective when you need to be objective. hope you will receive the comments in good taste and work on them. love and prayers, XXX [MANGALORE] From: martin.rebeiro@iflexsolutions.com To: michaelprabhu@vsnl.net Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 12:28 PM Subject: RE: WANTED TO MEET U, BUT COULD NOT Hi Michael, Praise Jesus for His Mercy and Grace, for He has pulled me from the depths of darkness and brought me into His glorious light!!! I am enjoying His amazing grace. How about you Michael? how are you faring in your spiritual walk? Are you growing closer in your relationship with the King of Kings?

I love our brothers and our co-laborers in Christ: Johnson, Anthony Samuel, Simon Rodrigues they are certainly fine men of God. I consider myself honored and blessed to have had the privilege of interacting closely with a couple of them, the fruits of their labor is so very evident – It is love all the way. They practice what they preach, help lift the burdens from those burdened, and are always there for the downtrodden and weak. I have personally learnt much from them, both in theory and in practicality (from their teaching and lifestyle), I praise God for them. These men have a passion (Inexhaustible stamina) to spread the Gospel, and they are going about it selflessly. Let us pray that the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon them and fill them with the anointing to ‘Go fish’ and ‘make men-fishers of men’. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

In the Father’s overall game plan, we are called to play a role, to produce ‘good fruit’, for that ‘good fruit’ to remain, to be enjoyed by others. We also know that fruit bearing trees are destined to be stoned. Our Lord teaches us much on this topic in the 23rd chapter of Matthew.

May the Spirit of the Lord rest upon you, and all you do. May He fill you with Wisdom, Knowledge, understanding, counsel and power and may your delight be in fearing God, and leading a life of holiness and piety. Many thanks for your prayers and be rest assured of mine for you and your ministry.

God Bless you, With the Love of the Lord Jesus Christ! Marty [BANGALORE] From: prabhu To: martin.rebeiro@iflexsolutions.com Sent: Saturday, September 22, 2007 6:01 PM My dear Bro. Martin, I thank you for your very kind letter. It was not critical of me, and you put forward your point in love. I have much to learn from you. I would like to write in detail, but I am leaving for the Holy Land tomorrow and I have dozens of emails to reply to. I will be back on October 3. I look forward to your delayed response.

Briefly, Antony Samuel's teachings have broken up my son's marriage. His wife, influenced by AS believes in contraception, that all things taught by the Church need not necessarily be correct, and she does not believe in the permanency of the Sacrament of Matrimony. We are suffering because of that.

Regarding Johnson, I have received several excellent testimonies, but also several very negative ones.

As for dear Simon, a few months ago, he used Sandeep Rodrigues to give a testimony in a Catholic prayer group.

Sandeep, from his correspondence with me, is Pentecostal, and does not believe in many basic tenets of the Catholic faith.

So, what do we do, then?

More when I hear from you, after my return. Shall be remembering your name in prayer in the Holy Land. Love, Mike

CONCLUSION: The Anthony Samuel-Johnson Sequeira issues keep coming up, mainly through reports or enquiries from lay Catholics, but also in my personal interaction with leaders in both independent and Catholic Charismatic Renewal [CCR] ministry.

See the update of my report on Johnson Sequeira.

Recently, in April 2008, our son was telephonically invited to attend a retreat in Bangalore. Since the invitation came from a respected lay Catholic who is in an independent counseling ministry, he agreed to be there. When I checked on the identity of the preacher, I learned that it was Johnson Sequeira. Our son followed our advice to decline the invitation.

The person who invited him has received a Catholic formation on being received into the Church a few years ago. However, he is one of those who depend entirely on the Bible and have little or no knowledge of the teachings of the Early Church Fathers, the lives of the saints, Tradition, Vatican Documents and Encyclicals, etc. Like most people in ministry, they do no Catholic reading, except for the odd CCR monthly most are obliged to subscribe to. This person also happens to be one of those who discipled under Anthony Samuel at Secunderabad, and did a retreat with Jose Anathanam AFTER he broke with the Church [mentioned earlier, see page 3].

I continue to be amazed at the number of leaders in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal who are sympathetic to both Anthony Samuel and Johnson Sequeira. These leaders do not see any reason to be concerned about their manipulation and personal interpretation of Scripture, their rejection of the restrictions placed on them by the Bishops, or even their having broken with the Catholic Church as in the case of Anthony Samuel.

A few days ago, at our nephew’s wedding on his coffee estate in Chikmagalur, I met one such leader with an independent preaching ministry, and some of his team members who were guests. One of them quite unashamedly told me that he had stopped saying the rosary and praying to Mary. Just then our conversation was interrupted and I could not learn more, but a little later he introduced me to the leader of his team, a person whose background I was already well aware of.

In less than a minute, he raised the issue of my alert on Anthony Samuel with whom he was associated very closely both personally and in ministry for many years. While he said that he completely stood by my ministry to expose New Age error, even if I name priests and Bishops who are involved, he maintained that I had done a very grave injustice in writing about Anthony Samuel and Johnson Sequeira. He kept repeating what a fine man Anthony Samuel is, while I submitted all my reasons for my confidence that Anthony Samuel’s sheep-stealing ministry is as serious a danger to Catholics as New Age. He accepted that my crusade against New Age is a God-given ministry, but holds that I did not receive a sanction from the Lord to write about Anthony Samuel. To me, that type of evaluation seems very biased – and definitely not from God. I have heard from several sources close to this preacher that there are quite a few Catholic practices that he rejects.

For not a few leaders in independent and even in official CCR ministry and leadership, this is not uncommon.

Still, they continue to call themselves Catholics and to minister in Catholic circles with official blessing. In Catholic situations, they go through Catholic rituals, while privately they carry on without as many Catholic essentials as they can avoid.

FROM A SUPPORTER OF ANTHONY SAMUEL’S: From: Noella Gama To: prabhu Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 2:47 PM Subject: Re: Put Christ back into Christmas Dear bro. in Jesus Christ, I came across the below mail of yours received some years back, a time when I was not reading the bible.

During this period many truths have been revealed.

Reg. Pastor Anthony Samuel trust you have left Jesus to judge him. I recall In the book of Acts too paul was ridiculed for teaching the people Jesus and the resurrection. Teaching a worship that was contrary to what they were doing. Has this changed today? No today too we get disturbed when people worship the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in a way different from what we have been doing - sacrifices on the altar. The book of Hebrew will clear your doubt. Is Pastor Anthony teaching another gospel - a gospel without Jesus, repentance and the cross?

Satan has so cleverly distracted us from our focus i.e. Jesus, by giving saints and Mary the position that is His alone stealing the glory of the Lord, thereby causing us to break the commandment. "Thou shall not steal". read Isaiah 45:21, 22. Not to talk of the church traditions, doctrines, dogmas and philosophies that have nothing to do with our salvation.

Mary is a good role model of a disciple, we need to emulate her, who was very obedient to her Son knowing who He was.

The mistake we make is we start idolising her a thing she would never want and using her to intercede for us when Jesus in John 14:6 clearly tells the way to the Father is thru Him. We behave like the people in Moses' time who did not know who was the one providing them the manna. They thought it was Moses. Is there any difference in our thinking today?

Ever since I started reading the bible for my self as has rightly been shared by pastor anthony too, I have learnt that Mary that the Roman Catholic Church worships/venerates is not the Mary mother of Jesus, she is a form of false worship in guise of Mary - a mother and child worship having its origin in babylonia from where all pagan religions/worship of moon god, sun god, etc of the world originated. Read Jeremiah 44: 16 - 30.

When the devil tempted Jesus He said : It is written there is only one God and Him alone should you serve. Then how is it we are venerating Mary? [TEACHINGS OF PASTOR ANTHONY SAMUEL MARY 1…]

We should ask ourselves why the bible does not give Mary, mother of Jesus the place that the Roman Catholic church gives her. After all 2 Tim 3:16 says All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for correction, for instruction in righteousness he bible is inspired word of God. Therefore what the bible says is truth.

In God's kingdom there is neither jew nor gentile, neither roman catholics or protestants or whatever. We need to stop throwing stones on the church of Jesus Christ (not talking about roman catholic church). The church is very dear to Jesus whom He considers as His Bride of whom He is very jealous. Jesus Christ is the only one who can show us how to go to Heaven because He is the only one who has come from there. Let us be His followers. Be blessed!!

From: prabhu To: noella@wallacepharma.net Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 7:53 PM Subject: Re: Put Christ back into Christmas Dearest Noella, You do not know me, but I would like to encourage you: KEEP UP YOUR GOOD WORK!!!! I note that your name too is NOELLA!!! Wishing you a Holy Christmas and a Blessed New Year. Love & Prayers, Michael Prabhu Metamorphose Catholic Ministries against the New Age www.ephesians-511.net