LETTERS TO THE HOLY SEE: THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] I. THE EIGHT-PAGE NCB CRITIQUE SENT TO THE HOLY FATHER, SECRETARY OF STATE AND ALL PONTIFICAL COUNCILS AND CONGREGATIONS OF THE HOLY SEE UNDER THE FOLLOWING LETTERS: 1a. From: prabhu To: benedictxvi@vatican.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 10:54 PM 1b. From: prabhu To: av@pccs.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:05 PM 1c. From: prabhu To: benedettoxvi@vatican.va; Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 11:00 AM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB]
AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] TO: HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of the City of the Vatican, Servant of the Servants of God. Dear Holy Father, I am sure that you are terribly busy out there with the Bishops' Synod on the Word of God and other matters of pastoral concern for the Universal Church. I am closely following all the daily news reports on NCR, VIS, Zenit, etc. But I am fairly certain that you will be interested in this letter with the attachment. It relates to the theme of the Synod. It is about a "New Age" [as described by French theologian Fr Jean de Britto Dupre OSB and other Indian priests] Bible that has been published in India by St Pauls. The commentaries in the NCB have many theological and other errors. It promotes relativism, religious pluralism, syncretism, saffronisation and confusion. The Bible, which is the Word of God, has also been Hinduised in the guise of inculturation. Our team has organised a crusade to have it withdrawn. Even 100 days after our writing to every Indian Bishop a minimum of three times, we are yet to get a clear response from the Bishops' Conference except to say that they are looking into the matter. Other than a few Bishops, most of the Bishops have not acknowledged our repeated reminders. The issue was discussed at the Bishops' Standing Committee meeting that concluded nearly three weeks ago, but their decision has not been communicated to us. The Indian Catholic media is not publishing the many letters that we have sent criticizing the NCB. Only the letters of the pro-NCB lobby are being published. Because of the physical attacks on Christians, this spiritual issue has been apparently sidelined. The Church here is more concerned about the saffron without than the saffron within the Church. In the meanwhile, we have received hundreds of responses from priests and laity from all over India, the Persian Gulf, Canada, Europe, the US and Oceania. Our crusade has been widely reported in the Indian secular press as well as by UCAN [Union of Catholic Asian News] on October 13, 2008 at: http://www.ucanews.com/2008/10/13/new-community-bible-criticized-for-causing-confusion/ We have all along informed the Bishops that we would be writing to Rome and now finally we are constrained to do so. We have great confidence in the Magisterium of the Church and we trust that the Holy See will examine this travesty of a Bible. Reproduced below is part of the initial ‘alert’ that we sent out. Also, attached herewith is our original report. It has been followed by other studies by our team. On behalf of our team, I look forward to hearing from you. Yours obediently, Michael Prabhu, Catholic apologist and evangelist Chennai, India [website: www.ephesians-511.net ]
SIMILAR LETTERS WITH THE NCB CRITIQUE ATTACHED SENT TO THE FOLLOWING: 2. From: prabhu To: vatio26@relstat-segstat.va; vatio23@genaff-segstat.va; vatio32@relstat-segstat.va; Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 5:23 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B.,
SECRETARY OF STATE Dear Cardinal Tarcisio,
3a. From: prabhu To: petitio@pospa.va Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 10:40 PM 3b. From: prabhu To: mondoemissione@pimemilano.com Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 10:49 PM 3c. From: prabhu To: cdf@cfaith.va Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:06 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Cardinal William Joseph Levada, Prefect, CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH [Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede] Your Eminence Cardinal William, 3d. From: prabhu To: pcombiblica@cfaith.va Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:18 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Cardinal William Joseph Levada, President,
PONTIFICAL BIBLICAL COMMISSION INTERNATIONAL THEOLOGICAL COMMISSION Interdicasterial Commission for the Catechism of the Catholic Church Your Eminence Cardinal William,
4a. From: prabhu To: cepsegreteria@evangel.va Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:22 PM 4b. From: prabhu To: cepprefetto@evangel.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:13 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect,
CONGREGATION FOR THE EVANGELIZATION OF PEOPLES
Member of the PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR LEGISLATIVE TEXTS Member of the PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE Your Eminence Cardinal Ivan, 4c. From: prabhu To: stefano.lodigiani@fides.org Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:29 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Congregazione per l'Evangelizzazione dei Popoli Dear Msgr. Stefano Lodigiani, 4d. From: prabhu To: fides.dir@fides.va Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:27 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Msgr. Luca De Mata, Il Direttore dell'Agenzia Fides Dear Msgr. Luca De Mata, 5. From: prabhu To: cultdiv@ccdds.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:53 PM From: prabhu To: cultdiv@ccdds.va Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 6:05 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect, [now: Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera] and Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige, Secretary
CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENTS [Congregazione per il Culto Divino e la Disciplina dei Sacramenti] Dear Cardinal Francis and Archbishop Malcolm, (Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil SDB, Guwahati, India, Member)
6. From: prabhu To: pcal@latinamer.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:09 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Prefect CONGREGATION FOR BISHOPS [Congregazione per il Vescovi] President, Pontifical Commission for Latin America Dear Cardinal Lucas,
7. From: prabhu To: clero@cclergy.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:25 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, Prefect, CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY [Congregazione per il Clero] Dear Cardinal Cláudio, 8a. From: prabhu To: univ@ccatheduc.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:33 PM 8b. From: prabhu To: vati133@ccatheduc.va Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 5:46 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, Prefect, [Congregazione per l'Educazione Cattolica] CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION [for Seminaries and Educational Institutions] Dear Cardinal Zenon, 9. From: prabhu To: cco@orientchurch.va; Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 5:47 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, Prefect, CONGREGATION FOR THE ORIENTAL [EASTERN] CHURCHES Dear Archbishop Leonardo, 10. From: prabhu To: civcsva.pref@ccscrlife.va; civcsva.segr@ccscrlife.va; vati059@ccscrlife.va; Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 5:49 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB]. To: Cardinal Franc Rodé, C.M., Prefect,
CONGREGATION FOR INSTITUTES OF CONSECRATED LIFE AND SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE Dear Cardinal Franc Rodé, 11. From: prabhu To: vati335@csaints.va Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 6:00 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., Prefect, CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS [Congregazione della Cause dei Santi] Dear Cardinal Angelo, 12. From: prabhu To: pcpl@laity.va; vatio89@laity.va; youth@laity.va; Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:00 AM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Most Rev. Stanislaw Rylko, President, PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE LAITY [Pontificium Consilium pro Laicis] Your Grace Archbishop Stanislaw, 13. From: prabhu To: office1@chrstuni.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:04 AM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB]. To: Cardinal Walter Kasper, President,
PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE PROMOTION OF CHRISTIAN UNITY [Pontificium Consilium ad Unitatem Christianorum Fovendam]; COMMISSION FOR RELIGIOUS RELATIONS WITH THE JEWS Your Eminence Cardinal Walter, 14a. From: prabhu To: pcid-office@interelg.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:09 AM 14b. From: prabhu To: dialogo@interrel.va Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 5:43 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President, PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE [Pontificium Consilium pro Dialogo Inter Religiones] Your Eminence Cardinal Jean-Louis, 15. From: prabhu To: cultura@cultr.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:15 AM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, President, PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR CULTURE [Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church] Your Grace Archbishop Gianfranco, 16. From: prabhu To: pccs@vatican.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:58 AM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB]
To: Archbishop John Patrick Foley, President
PONTIFICIUM CONSILIUM de COMMUNICATIONIBUS SOCIALIBUS Your Grace, Archbishop John, 17. From: prabhu To: pcf@family.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 8:37 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, President, PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE FAMILY [Pontificium Consilium pro Familia] Dear Cardinal Alfonso, 18. From: prabhu To: pcjustpax@justpeace.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 8:38 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, President, Archbishop Antonio Maria Veglio PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE [Pontificium Consilium de Iustitia et Pace] Dear Cardinal Renato, 19. From: prabhu To: corunum@corunum.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 8:48 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, President,
PONTIFICAL COUNCIL COR UNUM Dear Archbishop Paul,
20. From: prabhu To: office@migrants.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 8:54 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: H.E. Msgr. Stephen Fumio Hamao, President,
PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE PASTORAL CARE OF MIGRANTS AND ITINERANT PEOPLE [Pontificium Consilium de Spirituali Migrantium atque Itinerantium Cura] Dear Monsignor Stephen,
21. From: prabhu To: opersanit@hlthwork.va; jlozano@hlthwork.va; Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:12 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragán, President,
PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR PASTORAL ASSISTANCE TO HEALTH-CARE WORKERS [Pontificium Consilium pro Valetudinis Administris] Dear Archbishop Javier,
22. From: prabhu To: eccdei@ecclsdei.va Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 6:02 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Cardinal Darìo Castrillòn Hoyos,
PONTIFICIA COMMISSIO ECCLESIA DEI Dear Cardinal Darìo,
23. From: prabhu To: holysee@un.int Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 8:22 AM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Most Reverend Celestino Migliore Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations Your Lordship Most Rev. Celestino Migliore, 24. From: prabhu To: civcsva.pref@ccscrlife.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 8:33 AM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: His Eminence J. Francis Cardinal Stafford, Prefect, Apostolic Penitentiary Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura Your Eminence Cardinal Francis, 25. From: prabhu To: vati177@propfidei.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 8:38 AM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] Dear Cardinals, Bishops and Priests, 26. From: prabhu To: scavi@fsp.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 4:25 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] To: Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archeology
II. THE THIRTY-EIGHT-PAGE FOLLOW-UP TO THE CRITIQUE WAS THEN SENT TO THE HOLY FATHER, THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND ALL PONTIFICAL COUNCILS AND CONGREGATIONS OF THE HOLY SEE: From: prabhu To: benedictxvi@vatican.va; benedettoxvi@vatican.va; av@pccs.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 11:33 AM Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB]
TO: HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of the City of the Vatican, Servant of the Servants of God. Dear Holy Father, Dear Holy Father Benedict XVI, You must have received my earlier letter a few days ago which is copied below. Please read the second and new attachment which is a follow-up report to the first attachment and note the dangerous trends in a powerful section of the Indian Church which defies the teachings of Rome. Though several Bishops have responded in their individual capacities, we have not received a definitive official response from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India even after 15 weeks of repeated reminders
AN APPEAL TO THE BISHOPS' SYNOD ON THE WORD OF GOD, IN ROME DEAR BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AND SOME INDIAN THEOLOGIANS. PLEASE HAVE IT WITHDRAWN IMMEDIATELY I am sure that you are terribly busy out there with the Bishops' Synod on the Word of God and other matters of pastoral concern for the Universal Church... … … … … … … … … [as in the letter of October 15]. COPIES OF THIS LETTER SENT TO ALL THE ABOVE VATICAN ADDRESSES ON OCTOBER 24, 2008 III. TWO MORE REPORTS SENT TO THE HOLY FATHER, THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND ALL PONTIFICAL COUNCILS AND CONGREGATIONS OF THE HOLY SEE: 1. A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES + THE NCB TEACHES THAT THE ANGEL GABRIEL DID NOT APPEAR TO MARY 2. ONGOING ROBBERY OF FAITH: PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW MISSAL AND NEW BIBLE IN TAMIL LANGUAGE 1) From: prabhu To: benedictxvi@vatican.va ; benedettoxvi@vatican.va ; av@pccs.va; Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 10:00 AM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS
AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST TO: HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of the City of the Vatican, Servant of the Servants of God. A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1a. From: prabhu To: benedictxvi@vatican.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 10:54 PM 1b. From: prabhu To: av@pccs.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:05 PM 1c. From: prabhu To: benedettoxvi@vatican.va; Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 11:00 AM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with these letters was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at:
http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc
2. From: prabhu To: benedictxvi@vatican.va; benedettoxvi@vatican.va; av@pccs.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 11:33 AM Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment to this letter was a thirty-eight page follow-up report to the earlier critique, noting the dangerous trends in a powerful section of the Indian Church, connected with the Catholic Ashrams movement and teaching at our seminaries, which defies the teachings of Rome. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/PAPAL SEMINARY_NCB.doc And our intensively researched report on the "New Age, blasphemy, heresy and sacrilege" and open rebellion against Rome in the Catholic Ashrams movement is available at our ministry's website: www.ephesians-511.net My research shows that there is a close connection between the priests and bishops behind the new teachings, the Hinduisation [as opposed to genuine Indianization or inculturation which we favour] of the Church and the demand for a greater or full autonomy of the Indian Church, in effect, freedom from Rome. This is a worst-case scenario, but it will become a reality if the present aberrations go unchecked. In the coming months, this ministry will publish a number of carefully documented reports on what is happening in important dioceses all over the country. We have taken up the matter in writing with all the Indian Bishops especially since two Bishops, including the Chairman of the Bishops' Doctrinal Commission gave the NCB the Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat, and several others released the NCB at major functions in their dioceses. While two Cardinals and several Bishops have responded to our letters in their personal capacities, giving us assurances that the NCB is being examined by a Committee appointed by the Bishops, we have not received a definitive official admission of the errors and their proposed course of action from the directly responsible and concerned representatives of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India [CBCI] / CBCI Commissions even after eight months of repeated reminders on a matter seriously affecting the roots of the Faith of the Church. We are apprehensive that any revision of the commentaries will be superficial, and our anxiety is confirmed by the contents of a letter -- in the form of a response to our eight-page critique -- written by one of the Bishops to the others, a copy of which is in our possession. Meanwhile the "Bible" with all its errors continues to be sold in Catholic bookstores across the nation. We have now decided to reach two copies of the NCB to the Holy See through our friends in Rome. We have found similar errors in a) The newly translated Tamil language Missal, 1993 b) The new translation of the Holy Bible in the Tamil language, 1995 A senior priest, Dr. Fr. P.K. George SJ., has analysed some of the problems in his twenty-six page booklet titled, "Ongoing Robbery of Faith" authored in 1996. The priest's report is attached herewith for your perusal. After almost fifteen years, these defective and erroneous Tamil Missals and Bibles are the only ones available to the faithful. If Rome does not intervene, the same will be the situation for English Bibles. Recently a Bible in the Kannada language, prepared with the help of Protestant biblical scholars and co-published by the United Bible Societies of India has been released by the Bishops. We wonder if it has problems similar to the Tamil Missal, New Tamil Bible and the NCB. Apparently, the NCB is part of a larger problem, one of a lack of correct exegetical approach and historical-critical method of interpretation of Scriptures by our Indian scholars and theologians, something that most ordinary lay Catholics will unfortunately be unable to perceive when they read the commentaries. From the contents of the eight-page critique and the thirty-eight page attachment which I have already sent you earlier, there is no doubt that the NCB is not only an inter-faith book which compares Biblical persons and events to mythical figures and deities of pre-Christian religions like Hinduism, but is not in line with orthodoxy, tradition and Church teaching. This "Bible" also includes positive references to New Age [yoga, prana]. We find all these completely objectionable. We have collected hundreds of letters from priests, ministries and ordinary lay Catholics calling for the withdrawal of this so-called Bible.
THE NCB TEACHES THAT THE ANGEL GABRIEL DID NOT APPEAR TO MARY The commentary Luke 1 [page1796 of the NCB, right hand column] denies that the angel Gabriel literally appeared and spoke to Mary. The commentator, the late Fr. George Soares Prabhu SJ., now teaches Catholics that "The story of the annunciation is not to be read as a literal report of what happened, but as a dramatization of the inner experience of Mary's call to be the mother of the Messiah." In effect, he is saying, "The angel Gabriel did not appear to Mary. It was not a real, historical, external event. The Annunciation is just a story explaining how Mary experienced internally the call of God and responded to it." Frankly, to me that sounds like heresy. A theologian who is faithful to tradition and Church teaching might be able to explain better the wider implications of such liberal theology as the above. He would also be able to find many more such errors in the other NCB commentaries, subtle untruths that have earlier escaped my team and me [I have not included this point in my original critique]. If the Bishops have given the Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat for the NCB, it means that they have endorsed the new teaching that the Annunciation of the angel Gabriel to Mary was not an actual historical event. It also means that all the Bishops who have released the NCB, the priest-editor of The Examiner, the Archdiocesan weekly of Bombay, and all others who defend
the NCB, print and publish it and promote its sale are in agreement with this teaching that is not in any catechism or other Catholic study Bible. Or else, they did not read this commentary. The Bishop referred to earlier took so much of pains to study the commentaries of the NCB to write a detailed defense in response to my critique on the NCB [please expect the Bishop's response and my own reply to it]. May I point out to him that he has completely missed this important issue and the errors pointed out now by the French theologian. But, this is not an isolated error. It is typical of the problem that Catholics are finding with the entire NCB. Right from the Book of Genesis, the commentators keep stating that certain events/narratives are 'stories', 'myths', 'dramatizations, etc'. While a person like me who has made a scholarly study of the Bible from a Catholic perspective can understand what the commentator means, for example when he explains the Creation story or the Flood, the average Catholic ends up confused over what to believe anymore. Please also find herewith, in a second document attached to this letter, the comments of a summa cum laude theologian on some more errors in the commentaries on the Gospels of St Matthew and St. Luke, along with a couple of related reports on your Holiness' address to the Synod on the Word of God which was held in Rome in October. I trust that you will acknowledge this letter and ensure that the St Pauls' New Community Bible is withdrawn. Yours obediently Michael Prabhu, Metamorphose Catholic Ministries, Chennai, INDIA PLEASE READ THE TWO ATTACHMENTS 2) From: prabhu To: vatio26@relstat-segstat.va ; vatio23@genaff-segstat.va ; vatio32@relstat-segstat.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 6:23 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST TO: SECRETARIAT OF STATE KIND ATTENTION: Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., Secretary of State A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: vatio26@relstat-segstat.va; vatio23@genaff-segstat.va; vatio32@relstat-segstat.va; Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 5:23 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with these letters was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: vatio26@relstat-segstat.va; vatio23@genaff-segstat.va; vatio32@relstat-segstat.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 11:33 AM Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 3) From: prabhu To: petitio@pospa.va ; mondoemissione@pimemilano.com ; cdf@cfaith.va ; pcombiblica@cfaith.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 6:28 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Cardinal William Joseph Levada, Prefect, CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH [Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede] PRESIDENT, PONTIFICAL BIBLICAL COMMISSION INTERNATIONAL THEOLOGICAL COMMISSION Interdicasterial Commission for the Catechism of the Catholic Church A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Cardinal William, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1a. From: prabhu To: petitio@pospa.va Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 10:40 PM 1b. From: prabhu To: mondoemissione@pimemilano.com Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 10:49 PM 1c. From: prabhu To: cdf@cfaith.va Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:06 PM 1d. From: prabhu To: pcombiblica@cfaith.va Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:18 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with these letters was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: petitio@pospa.va; mondoemissione@pimemilano.com; cdf@cfaith.va;
Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 4a) From: prabhu To: cepsegreteria@evangel.va ; cepprefetto@evangel.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 6:56 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect, CONGREGATION FOR THE EVANGELIZATION OF PEOPLES Member of the PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR LEGISLATIVE TEXTS Member of the PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Your Eminence Cardinal Ivan, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: cepsegreteria@evangel.va Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:22 PM b. From: prabhu To: cepprefetto@evangel.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:13 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with these letters was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: cepsegreteria@evangel.va; cepprefetto@evangel.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 4b) From: prabhu To: stefano.lodigiani@fides.org Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 7:01 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Congregazione per l'Evangelizzazione dei Popoli Dear Msgr. Stefano Lodigiani, A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Msgr. Stefano, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: stefano.lodigiani@fides.org Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:29 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: stefano.lodigiani@fides.org; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 4c) From: prabhu To: fides.dir@fides.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 7:05 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Msgr. Luca De Mata, Il Direttore dell'Agenzia Fides A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Msgr. Luca De Mata, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: fides.dir@fides.va Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:27 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: fides.dir@fides.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 5) From: prabhu To: cultdiv@ccdds.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 7:21 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS
AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, Prefect and Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige, Secretary CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENTS [Congregazione per il Culto Divino e la Disciplina dei Sacramenti] A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Cardinal Antonio and Archbishop Malcolm,, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: cultdiv@ccdds.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:53 PM From: prabhu To: cultdiv@ccdds.va Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 6:05 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with these letters was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: cultdiv@ccdds.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 6) From: prabhu To: pcal@latinamer.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 7:28 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Prefect, CONGREGATION FOR BISHOPS [Congregazione per il Vescovi] President, Pontifical Commission for Latin America A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Cardinal Lucas, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: pcal@latinamer.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:09 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: pcal@latinamer.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 7) From: prabhu To: clero@cclergy.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 7:29 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, Prefect, CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY [Congregazione per il Clero] A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Cardinal Cláudio, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: clero@cclergy.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:25 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: clero@cclergy.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 8) From: prabhu To: univ@ccatheduc.va ; vati133@ccatheduc.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 7:51 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, Prefect, [Congregazione per l'Educazione Cattolica] CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION [for Seminaries and Educational Institutions]
A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Cardinal Zenon, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1a. From: prabhu To: univ@ccatheduc.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:33 PM 1b. From: prabhu To: vati133@ccatheduc.va Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 5:46 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with these letters was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: univ@ccatheduc.va; vati133@ccatheduc.va Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 9) From: prabhu To: cco@orientchurch.va ; Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 7:54 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, Prefect, CONGREGATION FOR THE ORIENTAL [EASTERN] CHURCHES A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Archbishop Leonardo,, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: cco@orientchurch.va; Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 5:47 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: cco@orientchurch.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 10) From: prabhu To: civcsva.pref@ccscrlife.va ; civcsva.segr@ccscrlife.va ; vati059@ccscrlife.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 7:56 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Cardinal Franc Rodé, C.M., Prefect, CONGREGATION FOR INSTITUTES OF CONSECRATED LIFE AND SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Cardinal Franc Rodé, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: civcsva.pref@ccscrlife.va; civcsva.segr@ccscrlife.va; vati059@ccscrlife.va; Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 5:49 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: civcsva.pref@ccscrlife.va; civcsva.segr@ccscrlife.va; vati059@ccscrlife.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 11) From: prabhu To: vati335@csaints.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 8:38 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., Prefect, CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS [Congregazione della Cause dei Santi] A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Cardinal Angelo, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: vati335@csaints.va Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 6:00 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at:
http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: vati335@csaints.va Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 12) From: prabhu To: vati089 ; vatio89@laity.va ; youth@laity.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 8:41 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Most Rev. Stanislaw Rylko, President, PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE LAITY [Pontificium Consilium pro Laicis] A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Your Grace Archbishop Stanislaw, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1a. From: prabhu To: pcpl@laity.va; vatio89@laity.va; youth@laity.va; Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:00 AM 1b. From: prabhu To: vatio89@laity.va ; youth@laity.va Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 5:41 PM 1c. From: prabhu To: pcpl@laity.va; vatio89@laity.va; youth@laity.va; Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 5:47 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with these letters was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: vati089; vatio89@laity.va; youth@laity.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 13) From: prabhu To: office1@chrstuni.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 9:15 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Cardinal Walter Kasper, President, PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE PROMOTION OF CHRISTIAN UNITY [Pontificium Consilium ad Unitatem Christianorum Fovendam]; COMMISSION FOR RELIGIOUS RELATIONS WITH THE JEWS A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Your Eminence Cardinal Walter, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: office1@chrstuni.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:04 AM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB]. Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: office1@chrstuni.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 14) From: prabhu To: pcid-office@interelg.va ; dialogo@interrel.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 9:33 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President, PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE [Pontificium Consilium pro Dialogo Inter Religiones] A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1a. From: prabhu To: pcid-office@interelg.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:09 AM 1b. From: prabhu To: dialogo@interrel.va Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 5:43 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with these letters was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: pcid-office@interelg.va; dialogo@interrel.va Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 15) From: prabhu To: cultura@cultr.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 9:37 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST
To: Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, President, PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR CULTURE [Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church] A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Your Grace Archbishop Gianfranco, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: cultura@cultr.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:15 AM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: cultura@cultr.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 16) From: prabhu To: pccs@vatican.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 9:43 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Archbishop John Patrick Foley, President PONTIFICIUM CONSILIUM de COMMUNICATIONIBUS SOCIALIBUS A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Your Grace, Archbishop John, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: pccs@vatican.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:58 AM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: pccs@vatican.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 17) From: prabhu To: pcf@family.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 9:49 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, President, PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE FAMILY [Pontificium Consilium pro Familia] A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Cardinal Alfonso, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: pcf@family.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 8:37 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: pcf@family.va Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 18) From: prabhu To: pcjustpax@justpeace.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 9:51 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, President, Archbishop Antonio Maria Veglio PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE [Pontificium Consilium de Iustitia et Pace] A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES
Dear Cardinal Renato, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: pcjustpax@justpeace.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 8:38 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: pcjustpax@justpeace.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 19) From: prabhu To: corunum@corunum.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 9:53 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, President, PONTIFICAL COUNCIL COR UNUM A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Archbishop Paul, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: corunum@corunum.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 8:48 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: corunum@corunum.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 20) From: prabhu To: office@migrants.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 10:00 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: H.E. Msgr. Stephen Fumio Hamao, President, PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE PASTORAL CARE OF MIGRANTS AND ITINERANT PEOPLE [Pontificium Consilium de Spirituali Migrantium atque Itinerantium Cura] A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Monsignor Stephen, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: office@migrants.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 8:54 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: office@migrants.va Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 21) From: prabhu To: opersanit@hlthwork.va ; jlozano@hlthwork.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 10:02 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragán, President, PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR PASTORAL ASSISTANCE TO HEALTH-CARE WORKERS [Pontificium Consilium pro Valetudinis Administris] A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Archbishop Javier, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: opersanit@hlthwork.va; jlozano@hlthwork.va; Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:12 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: opersanit@hlthwork.va; jlozano@hlthwork.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)…
22) From: prabhu To: eccdei@ecclsdei.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 10:12 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Cardinal Darìo Castrillòn Hoyos, PONTIFICIA COMMISSIO ECCLESIA DEI A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Cardinal Darìo You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: eccdei@ecclsdei.va Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 6:02 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: eccdei@ecclsdei.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 23) From: prabhu To: holysee@un.int Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 10:21 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: Most Reverend Celestino Migliore Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Your Lordship Most Rev. Celestino Migliore, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: holysee@un.int Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 8:22 AM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: holysee@un.int Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 24) From: prabhu To: civcsva.pref@ccscrlife.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 10:23 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST To: His Eminence J. Francis Cardinal Stafford, Prefect, Apostolic Penitentiary Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Your Eminence Cardinal Francis, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: civcsva.pref@ccscrlife.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 8:33 AM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: civcsva.pref@ccscrlife.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 25) From: prabhu To: vati177@propfidei.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 10:26 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST Dear Cardinals, Bishops and Priests, A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: vati177@propfidei.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 8:38 AM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)
The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: vati177@propfidei.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)… 26) From: prabhu To: scavi@fsp.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 10:28 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS AN ERRONEOUS AND DANGEROUS CATHOLIC BIBLE HAS BEEN RELEASED IN INDIA: THE ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW TAMIL MISSAL AND THE NEW TAMIL BIBLE ANALYZED BY A PRIEST
Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archeology A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES Dear Cardinals, Bishops and Priests, You must have received my earlier letters on this issue of the errors in the New Community Bible. 1. From: prabhu To: scavi@fsp.va Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 4:25 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT) The attachment with this letter was an eight-page critique of the NCB. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc 2. From: prabhu To: scavi@fsp.va; Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Subject: INDIA: THE INTER-FAITH SYNCRETIZED NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] (WITH ATTACHMENT)…
From: "Internet Mail Delivery" <postmaster@messaging-lh.vatican.va> To: <michaelprabhu@vsnl.net> Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 7:07 PM Subject: Delivery Notification: Delivery has failed This report relates to a message you sent with the following header fields: Message-id: <010701c999a9$93776d10$3a6841db@mr8ca4381299fd> Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:56:21 +0530 From: prabhu <michaelprabhu@vsnl.net> To: cepsegreteria@evangel.va, cepprefetto@evangel.va Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS Your message cannot be delivered to the following recipients: Recipient address: cepprefetto@evangel.va Reason: Over quota
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ONE RESPONSE FROM ROME, AND MY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: From: "Pontifical Council for Culture--Th. Mascarenhas" <asia@cultura.va> To: "prabhu (tramite Pontificium Consilium de Cultura <cultura@cultura.va>)" <michaelprabhu@vsnl.net> Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 1:49 PM Subject: Re: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] PUBLISHED IN INDIA BY ST PAULS Dear Mr. Prabhu,
Thank you for the emails and letters which you send us regarding cultural matters in India. Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi has read your letters and has taken note of your concerns. In his conversations with some Bishops from India, he has been assured that the CBCI has appointed a commission to look into the concerns expressed by people regarding the interpretations in the newly published version of the Holy Bible in English. May God bless you Yours Sincerely in Our Lord Fr. Theodore Mascarenhas Official Incharge for Cultures in Asia, Africa and Oceania
From: Pontifical Council for Culture--Th. Mascarenhas [cultura@cultura.va] To: prabhu (tramite Pontificium Consilium de Cultura <cultura@cultura.va>) Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 2:20 PM Subject: from the pontifical council for culture Dear Mr. Prabhu, Thank you for the emails and letters which you send us regarding cultural matters in India. Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi has read your letters and has taken note of your concerns. In his conversations with some Bishops from India, he has been assured that the CBCI has appointed a commission to look into the concerns expressed by people regarding the interpretations in the newly published version of the Holy Bible in English.May God bless you Yours Sicerely in Our Lord Fr. Theodore Mascarenhas Official Incharge for Cultures in Asia, Africa and Oceania From: prabhu To: asia@cultura.va ; cultura@cultura.va Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 4:27 PM REPEAT Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 6:16 PM Subject: Acknowledgement from Michael Prabhu to Fr Theodore Mascarenhas, the Pontifical Council for Culture, The Vatican Dear Fr. Theodore Mascarenhas, This is to acknowledge receipt of your two letters, reproduced below. I greatly appreciate your response to this ministry's reports to the Holy See about the theological errors and inculturational aberrations in the St Pauls' New Community Bible [NCB], on behalf of Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture at the Vatican. Please convey our sincere thanks to the Archbishop for his having discussed the issue with some Bishops from India. May I reiterate a few points here? 1. The problem is not just with the commentaries in the English translation [NCB]. I have sent your Council the report by a Jesuit priest on the new Tamil language Missal and Bible. The deviations in all the commentaries and translations are a symptom of a deeper malaise: i) an "inculturation" gone awry; a syncretistic, pluralistic and relativistic approach, leading to "Hindu-isation" ii) a modernistic approach which conflicts with the teachings of the Church. [I have supported these arguments with information in the reports sent to you.] 2. Bishop Agnelo Gracias of Bombay has written an internally-circulated response to my critique on the NCB. I have obtained a copy of it. It is not encouraging. If that response is any indication of the Bishops' minds and what corrections or revisions are going to be made, we can only be pessimistic and very skeptical. We will send you a copy of the Bishop's response and our detailed answer to it, in due course. We will also send you the compiled letters [which continue to come in] from dozens of priests and hundreds of lay Catholics and Catholic lay ministries who have joined this initiative asking for the NCB to be withdrawn. 3. Based on our recent reports, you may be looking at the NCB problem in isolation. We would request you to examine just two of the many reports on our website www.ephesians-511.net : i) http://ephesians-511.net/articles_doc/CATHOLIC%20ASHRAMS.doc, a detailed report on the Catholic Ashrams movement: New Age, blasphemy, heresy, sacrilege, a rebellion against Rome. [Summaries are available in English, French and Spanish at the site]. ii) http://ephesians-511.net/articles_doc/IN%20PRAISE%20OF%20SHIVA_A%20CD.doc, where a Catholic priest owns Hindu temples and spends Rs 15 million to produce a music CD honouring the Hindu deity Shiva; this priest went public on this issue once again a few days ago and we are updating the report. We are confident that Rome will help us in our battle to preserve the orthodoxy of the Faith in India. Michael Prabhu From: prabhu To: cultura@cultura.va ; asia@cultura.va Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 5:05 PM Subject: NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE KIND ATTENTION: Fr. Theodore Mascarenhas Official Incharge for Cultures in Asia, Africa and Oceania
Pontificium Consilium de Cultura Dear Father Theodore Mascarenhas, A priest-friend of mine is coming from India to Rome in a couple of weeks. He is a member of our team that is opposing the errors in the New Community Bible. May I send you/Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi a copy of the New Community Bible through him for examination by your Council? Yours in Jesus' Name. Michael Prabhu, Chennai, India From: Pontifical Council for Culture--Th. Mascarenhas To: prabhu Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 2:04 PM Subject: Re: NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE Dear Mr. Prabhu, Yes, please do send us a Bible for our perusal. Thanks Fr. Theodore From: prabhu To: asia@cultura.va ; cultura@cultura.va Cc: Victor Borde Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 8:57 PM Subject: Re: NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE Dear Fr Theodore, I thank you for your letter dated 24th March in response to my request of March 21. I greatly appreciate your willingness to receive a copy of the Indian Church's New Community Bible [NCB] published by St Pauls, for perusal by your Council. This is to inform you that a copy is on its way to you in Rome through Rev. Fr Victor Borde who will hand it to you sometime after he reaches Rome on April 14th, 2009. He will hand it to you in person at the Pontifical Council for Culture. To enable that, may I please have the postal address of your Council as well as your personal telephone number? Thanking you, Michael Prabhu, Chennai, India COPY TO: FR. VICTOR BORDE From: prabhu To: asia@cultura.va ; cultura@cultura.va Cc: Victor Borde Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 2009 9:00 AM Subject: REMINDER PLEASE Re: NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE I will be away from home on mission, and meanwhile Fr Victor will have left for Rome, so kindly respond. Michael From: "Pontificium Consilium de Cultura" <cultura@cultura.va> To: "prabhu" <michaelprabhu@vsnl.net> Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 2009 12:34 PM Subject: Re: REMINDER PLEASE Re: NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE Dear Mr Prabhu, Fr. Theodore is out of office till saturday. The office address is: Via della Conciliazione, 5 - 3rd floor, 00120 Vatican City Telephone N. 06.698.93806 thanks Paola Fontana From: prabhu To: Victor Borde Cc: cultura@cultura.va Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 2009 3:07 PM Subject: COPY OF NCB FOR THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL OF CULTURE Dear Father Victor, Here is the telephone no. and postal address of the Pontifical Council for Culture office where you will meet Father Theodore Mascarenhas, the Secretary, when in Rome. Michael Prabhu PS. Thanks, Paola
EMAIL LETTER of April 2, 2009 on ministry letterhead through Fr. Name Withheld, Rome to The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Kind Attention: Archbishop Luis Ladaria, S.J., Secretary to Cardinal William Joseph Levada, Prefect, CDF, The Vatican, Rome [REPLY RECEIVED]
INDIA: THE ST. PAULS’ NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] Your Grace, Archbishop Luis Ladaria, Along with this letter, I am reaching a copy of the NCB to you through a priest coming to Rome. The St. Pauls’ New Community Bible [NCB] was released in India on June 28, 2008. The NCB bears the Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat of two Bishops, including the Chairman of the Bishops' Doctrinal Commission. Cardinals and Bishops released the NCB at major functions in their respective dioceses. Our team of priests and laity found many problems with the commentaries, etc., and we wrote to the publishers, St. Pauls, and to the Nuncio, who did not respond, and to all the Bishops of India, requesting that this confusing and erroneous "Bible" be withdrawn. While two Cardinals and several Bishops have responded to our letters in their personal capacities, giving us assurances that the NCB was being examined by a Committee appointed by the Bishops, we have not received a definitive official admission of the errors and their proposed course of action from the directly responsible and concerned officials of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India [CBCI] or CBCI Commissions even after months of reminders.
We are apprehensive that any revision of the commentaries will be superficial, and our anxiety is confirmed by the contents of a letter -- in the form of a response to our eight-page critique -- written by Bishop Agnelo Gracias to the other Bishops, a copy of which is in our possession. Meanwhile the "Bible" with all its errors continued to be sold in Catholic bookstores across the nation. After a futile wait, we finally wrote to Rome: On October 15, I had sent you by email an attachment with an eight-page critique of the NCB. From: prabhu To: cdf@cfaith.va Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:06 PM Subject: CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] The critique is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A NEW AGE BIBLE THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE.doc
On October 22, 2008 I had sent you a second email. The attachment to this letter was a thirty-eight page follow-up report to the original critique, noting the dangerous trends in a powerful section of the Indian Church, connected with the Catholic Ashrams movement and teaching at our seminaries. It is available at: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/PAPAL SEMINARY_NCB.doc Our intensively researched report on the "New Age, blasphemy, heresy and sacrilege" and open rebellion against Rome in the Catholic Ashrams movement is available at our ministry's website at: http://ephesians511.net/articles_doc/CATHOLIC%20ASHRAMS.doc There are a number of other similar reports on our website. The above is one example only. We find a connection between the priests [liberal theologians] and bishops behind the new approach, the Hinduisation [as opposed to a genuine Indianization or inculturation which we would support] of the Church, and the demand for a greater autonomy of the Indian Church, in effect, freedom from Rome to do what they please [see the Catholic Ashrams report]. This is a worst-case scenario, but it might become a reality if the present trend is unchecked. Again I had written to your Congregation on February 28: From: prabhu To: petitio@pospa.va ; mondoemissione@pimemilano.com ; cdf@cfaith.va ; pcombiblica@cfaith.va Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 6:28 PM Subject: THEOLOGICAL ERRORS IN THE COMMENTARIES OF THE NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE [NCB] There are similar errors in a) The newly translated Tamil language Missal, 1993 b) The new translation of the Holy Bible in the Tamil language, 1995 A senior priest, Dr. Fr. P.K. George SJ., has analysed some of the problems in his twenty-six page booklet titled, "Ongoing Robbery of Faith" authored in 1996. The priest's report was attached for your perusal: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/ONGOING%20ROBBERY%20OF%20FAITH_NEW%20COMMUNITY %20BIBLE_4.doc After almost fifteen years, these defective and erroneous Tamil Missals and Bibles are the only ones now available to the faithful. If Rome does not intervene in the case of the NCB, the same will be the situation for English Bibles. Apparently, the NCB is part of a larger problem, one of an incorrect exegetical approach and historical-critical method of interpretation of Scriptures by our Indian scholars and theologians, something that most ordinary lay Catholics will unfortunately be unable to perceive when they read the commentaries. From the contents of the eight-page critique and the thirty-eight page attachment which I have sent you, there is no doubt that the NCB is not only reduced to an inter-faith book which compares Biblical persons and events to mythical figures and deities of pre-Christian religions like Hinduism, but its commentaries are not true to orthodoxy, tradition and Church teaching. THE NCB: THE ANGEL GABRIEL DID NOT APPEAR TO THE VIRGIN MARY Please see the report by a Benedictine French theologian on the NCB: http://www.ephesians511.net/documents/FRENCH%20THEOLOGIAN%20DENOUNCES%20ERRORS%20IN%20THE%20NCB %20COMMENTARIES_NEW%20COMMUNITY%20BIBLE_3.doc The commentary on Luke 1 [page1796 of the NCB] denies that the angel Gabriel literally appeared and spoke to Mary. The commentator, the late Fr. George Soares Prabhu SJ teaches that "The story of the annunciation is not
to be read as a literal report of what happened, but as a dramatization of the inner experience of Mary's call to be the mother of the Messiah." In effect, he is saying, "The angel Gabriel did not appear to Mary. It was not a real, historical, external event. The Annunciation is just a story explaining how Mary experienced internally the call of God and responded to it." A theologian who is faithful to tradition and Church teaching might be better able than me to explain the wider implications of such liberal theology as the above. He would also be able to find many more such errors in the other NCB commentaries, subtle untruths that had earlier escaped my team and me [I have not included this point in my original critique]. If the Bishops have given the Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat for the NCB, it means that they have endorsed the teaching that the Annunciation of the angel Gabriel to Mary was not an actual historical event. It also means that all the Bishops who have released the NCB, the priest-editor of The Examiner, the Archdiocesan weekly of Bombay, and all others who defend the NCB, print and publish it and promote its sale are in agreement with this teaching that is contradictory to tradition [e.g., the writings of St. Gregory, Bishop of Neo-Cæsareia, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf06.txt; the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/summa.TP.ii.TP_Q30.TP_Q30_A1.html etc.] and not in any catechism or in any other Catholic study Bible. But, the above is not an isolated error. It is typical of the problem that Catholics are finding with the entire NCB. Right from the Book of Genesis, the commentators keep stating that certain events/narratives are 'stories', 'myths', 'dramatizations, etc'. While a lay person like me who has made a scholarly study of the Bible from a Catholic perspective [in Catholic Bible colleges] can understand what the commentator means, for example, when he explains the Creation story, or the Flood, the average Catholic ends up confused over what to believe anymore. Bp. Agnelo Gracias of Bombay wrote an internally-circulated response to my critique on the NCB. I have obtained a copy of it. It is not encouraging. If that response is any indication of the Bishops' minds and what corrections or revisions are going to be made, we can only be pessimistic and very skeptical. The Bishop took so much of pains to study the commentaries of the NCB to write a detailed defense of the NCB in response to my critique. Apparently, he has completely missed the errors pointed out by the French theologian. We will send you a copy of the Bishop's response and our detailed answer to it, in due course. This "Bible" also includes comparative references to yoga, prana, etc. which are intrinsically part of Hindu religious philosophy and practice. This infers that the Church has no moral judgement against them. We want those New Age references removed. Please also read our report IN PRAISE OF SHIVA…: http://ephesians-511.net/articles_doc/IN%20PRAISE %20OF%20SHIVA_A%20CD.doc, where a Catholic priest owns Hindu temples and spends Rs 15 million to produce a music CD honouring the Hindu deity Shiva; this priest went public on this issue once again recently and we are updating the report. There are several similar scandalous reports either already on our website, or to be posted shortly. They reflect the current trend in the Church in India. The deviations in the new commentaries and translations are a symptom of a deeper malaise: i) an "inculturation" gone awry; a syncretistic, pluralistic and relativistic approach, leading to "Hindu-isation" ii) a modernistic and liberal theological approach which conflicts with the teachings of the Church. [I have supported these arguments with information in the reports sent to your Congregation.] The news of our opposition to the NCB was reported in the leading English dailies in many cities as well as in the vernacular press. We were interviewed by UCAN, the Catholic news agency: "New Community Bible Criticized For Causing Confusion" by Leo Fernando http://www.ucanews.com/2008/10/13/new-communitybible-criticized-for-causing-confusion/. Several secular reports claim that Rome is behind the NCB, but this has not been refuted by the CBCI or by the publishers of the NCB. I reproduce just three of the many such reports: 1. Vatican hopes Indian Bible will translate into surge of converts Times of India http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4402482.ece "The New Community Bible is part of an attempt by the Vatican to attract more converts…" 2. Vatican banks on sari-clad Virgin Mary
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/vatican-banking-on-sari-clad-virgin-mary-in-indian-bible-to-drawin-converts_10076012.html "The Vatican is hoping to attract more people into turning to the Catholic church in India…" 3. Vatican banks on Indianised Bible Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad, July 27, 2008 PTI "As congregations decline in West, the Vatican hopes to attract more believers to its fold with an “Indianised” Bible…" We will eventually send you the compiled letters [which continue to come in], from dozens of priests and hundreds of lay Catholics and Catholic lay ministries from India and overseas, who have joined this initiative asking for the NCB to be withdrawn. We are confident that Rome will help us in our battle to preserve the orthodoxy of the Faith in India. Pro Pontifice et Ecclesia, Michael Prabhu April 2, 2009 LETTER RECEIVED BY POST FROM THE SECRETARY, CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH May 9, 2009 This will acknowledge receipt of your recent letter, which you addressed to Cardinal William Levada. Sincerely yours in Christ, Sd/- Archbishop Luis Ladaria, S.J., Secretary to the Prefect From: PRIEST, Name Withheld To: prabhu; Fr. François Dupre Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2009 9:59 PM Subject: Fwd: LETTER TO THE CDF, ROME Dear Michael, Below you will find the email sent by his Eminence Archbishop Luis Ladaria, (below which you will find mine to him as well), in which he wants me to let you know that he thanks you for all the documents and be assured that everything will be studied with care and attention. Happy Easter. PRIEST, Name Withheld. ---------- Forwarded message ---------From: ladaria@unigre.it Date: 2009/4/10 Subject: Re: LETTER TO THE CDF, ROME To: PRIEST, Name Withheld Caro [PRIEST, Name Withheld] ho ricevuto tutta la tua documentazioine. Da parte mia puoi dire al Sig. Michael Prabhu che tutto sarà studiato con attenzione. Tanti auguri di buona Pasqua! L. Ladaria ----- Original Message ----From: PRIEST, Name Withheld To: ladaria@unigre.it Sent: Friday, April 03, 2009 8:58 AM Subject: LETTER TO THE CDF, ROME Mons [Luis Ladaria], Trova allegato la lettera di Signore Michael Prabhu. Il suo email è michaelprabhu@vsnl.net Fino a 9 Aprile lui sarà fuori di casa per una conferenza, allora potrà rispondere al email solo dopo 9 Aprile. Cari Saluti, PRIEST, Name Withheld. From: prabhu To: asia@cultura.va ; cultura@cultura.va Cc: Victor Borde; Dupre Jean De Britto Sent: Friday, June 05, 2009 9:35 AM Subject: ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE Dear Fr. Theodore Mascarenhas, When Fr. Victor Borde was in Rome in mid-April, you were not available. He has given your copy of the St. Pauls' New Community Bible to his friend Fr. George Verghese who is in Rome but has presently gone to Sri Lanka. Fr. Verghese will reach you the copy after he returns to Rome. Another friend of mine from France, Fr. Jean Dupre had also tried to meet you in Rome. As the phone line was not too clear when he called me, I cannot remember whether he was successful in meeting you or not. God bless you all, Michael Prabhu, Chennai, India From: prabhu To: asia@cultura.va ; cultura@cultura.va Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2009 9:11 AM Subject: ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE Dear Fr. Theodore, I understand from Fr. Jean that he presented you with a copy of the NCB. As Fr. George is still holding the copy that I sent for you through Fr. Victor, can you suggest who in Rome we could give it to? Thanks, Michael NOTE: I. THE EIGHT-PAGE NCB CRITIQUE SENT TO THE HOLY FATHER, SECRETARY OF STATE AND ALL PONTIFICAL COUNCILS AND CONGREGATIONS OF THE HOLY SEE: TITLE: NEW AGE BIBLE? NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE_1. PAGES 8. JULY 14, 2008. URL: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/A%20NEW%20AGE%20BIBLE%20THE%20NEW%20COMMUNITY %20BIBLE.doc II. THE THIRTY-EIGHT-PAGE FOLLOW-UP TO THE CRITIQUE WHICH WAS THEN SENT TO THE HOLY FATHER, THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND ALL PONTIFICAL COUNCILS AND CONGREGATIONS OF THE HOLY SEE: TITLE: PAPAL SEMINARY, PUNE_NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE_2. PAGES 38. SEPTEMBER 18, 2008. URL: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/PAPAL SEMINARY_NCB.doc
III. TWO MORE REPORTS SENT TO THE HOLY FATHER, THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND ALL PONTIFICAL COUNCILS AND CONGREGATIONS OF THE HOLY SEE: 1. A FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES SOME ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES + THE NCB TEACHES THAT THE ANGEL GABRIEL DID NOT APPEAR TO MARY TITLE: FRENCH THEOLOGIAN DENOUNCES ERRORS IN THE NCB COMMENTARIES_NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE_3. PAGES 7. FEBRUARY 24, 2009. URL: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/FRENCH%20THEOLOGIAN%20DENOUNCES%20ERRORS%20IN%20THE %20NCB%20COMMENTARIES_NEW%20COMMUNITY%20BIBLE_3.doc 2. ONGOING ROBBERY OF FAITH: PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW MISSAL AND NEW BIBLE IN TAMIL LANGUAGE TITLE: ONGOING ROBBERY OF FAITH_NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE_4. PAGES 8. FEBRUARY 24, 2009. URL: http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/ONGOING%20ROBBERY%20OF%20FAITH_NEW%20COMMUNITY %20BIBLE_4.doc
From: michaelprabhu@vsnl.net To: pcid-office@interelg.va Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 9:58 AM Subject: NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE: VATICAN HELD RESPONSIBLE, BRAHMIN LEADERS DEMAND ITS WITHDRAWAL
FOR THE KIND ATTENTION OF: Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE THIS IS REGARDING YOUR RECENT VISIT TO MUMBAI, INDIA
THE 'INDIANISED' ST. PAULS' NEW COMMUNITY BIBLE: VATICAN HELD RESPONSIBLE, BRAHMIN LEADERS DEMAND ITS WITHDRAWAL Secular media reports claim that Rome is behind the New Community Bible [NCB], but this has not been refuted either by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India or by the Society of St. Paul, the publishers of the NCB. I reproduce below extracts from eight of the many such reports: 1. Mother Mary in sari, Joseph in turban Hindustan Times http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=&id=b16c27be-01f4-497b-be40e4c5b325ed09&&Headline=Mother+Mary+in+sari%2c+Joseph+in+turban&strParent=strParentID As congregations decline in the West, the Vatican hopes to attract more believers to its fold with an 'Indianised' Bible depicting Virgin Mary in a sari and Joseph clad in a loincloth and turban… 2. Bible 'Indianized' to attract converts Ottawa Citizen, Citizen News Services July 26, 2008 http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=49f13bcf-c2e3-4f57-962c-b97ac4ab7be2 …The New Community Bible is part of an attempt by the Vatican to attract more converts in the world's second-most populous country as congregations decline in Europe and North America. 3. Vatican aims to spread the word with 'Indianised' Bible By Jeremy Page in Delhi July 26, 2008 © The Times, London http://www.independent.ie/world-news/middle-east/vatican-aims-to-spread-the-word-with-indianised-bible-1441317.html? service=Print …The New Community Bible is part of an attempt by the Vatican to attract more converts… 4. Vatican for sari-clad Virgin Mary on ‘Indian’ Bible http://news.in.msn.com/international/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1585800 July 26, 2008 5. Vatican hopes Indian Bible will translate into surge of converts Times of India http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4402482.ece "The New Community Bible is part of an attempt by the Vatican to attract more converts…" 6. Vatican banks on sari-clad Virgin Mary Sakaal Times, Pune, July 27, 2008 http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/vatican-banking-on-sari-clad-virgin-mary-in-indian-bible-to-draw-inconverts_10076012.html "The Vatican is hoping to attract more people into turning to the Catholic church in India…" 7. Vatican puts Mary in sari for Indians Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad, July 27, 2008 London, July 26 ANI: With the picture of a sari-clad Virgin Mary and a loincloth and turban –clad Joseph in the first “Indianised” Bible, the Vatican is hoping to attract more Indians into turning the Catholic Church, as congregations decline in Europe and North America… page 1 8. Vatican banks on Indianised Bible Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad, July 27, 2008 London, PTI "As congregations decline in West, the Vatican hopes to attract more believers to its fold with an “Indianised” Bible…" page 15 The detailed reports, along with readers’ comments, can be read at http://ephesians-511.net/documents/PRESS %20REPORTS%20AND%20READERS%20CRITICISMS_NEW%20COMMUNITY%20BIBLE_6.doc I have already informed the Bishops of the Church in Rome of the above situation through one of my email letters.
Three of my priest-friends had met very senior leaders of the Church in Rome even of the rank of Secretaries of a Congregation and a Pontifical Council, and handed over copies of the New Community Bible to them for their examination. None of them had even seen a copy of this "Indianised" Bible before, and one Archbishop whose department should be fully aware of the production of a new Bible admitted that he had not even heard of it. In Mumbai, India, on the 12th of June, 2009, an "inter-faith dialogue" was held between the Catholic Bishops led by Cardinal Jean Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi, Bishop Thomas Dabre of Poona and Apostolic Administrator of Vasai, Bishop Gali Bali of Guntur, Bishop Felix Machado of Nashik, Bishop Ralph Manjaly of Varanasi and Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, Apostolic Nuncio, on the one hand, and the leaders of the Hindu faith led by the Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Jayendra Saraswati, and represented by the godman Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living movement, Sudheendra Kulkarni, senior BJP member and adviser to Mr. L.K. Advani, etc. on the other.
From the pro-Hindutva media reports, the Church came across as being apologetic and on the defensive: "The Catholics did not expect HH* to hit them so hard - well revealed in their faces." We were asked by the Hindu leaders for our assurance on several issues ranging from desisting from (forced) conversions, to the management and disbursal of funds received by Catholic institutions. The Catholics were also asked to bring along with them the representatives of the Protestant churches -- whom the Catholics have accused of being behind the forced conversions: "The Catholics denied that they are involved in conversion and it was only the Protestants who do the same. So HH* asked them to bring the Protestants for the next meeting, scheduled for December" -for the proposed follow-up meeting. One blog quotes the Sankaracharya as saying that the next such dialogue will be held only if and when the Catholic leaders meet their demands: "The next meeting like this, according to Periyava* will only happen when they do what they have agreed to do". *The Kanchi Sankaracharya It is common knowledge that the Kanchi Sankaracharya is the main accused in a case relating to the murder of his temple manager and his case is still pending before the courts. Apparently he has used the "inter-faith dialogue" to strengthen his political clout among fellow-Hindus by aggressively making a number of demands, eleven to be exact, which are listed on the Kanchi Math’s web site http://www.kanchiforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2535. One of the eleven points, the last one, is reproduced below:
"11. The Church in India must stop forthwith the use of Hindu religious words, phrases and symbols like Veda, Agama, Rishi, Ashrama, Om and other such in what is referred to as ‘inculturation’ tactics, but which are only intended to deceive the vulnerable sections of our people who are the intended targets for religious conversion. This is also insulting to and wounding the religious sensitivities of Hindus. Similarly it has been brought to our notice that some churches are scripting a new Bible for the new converts by usurping sections of our sacred Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas and incorporating them into the Bible. This must stop immediately and all such Bibles must be withdrawn from circulation. We urge the Indian government to look into the issue and do the needful." [See page 23 for more] The Sankaracharya is referring to the St. Pauls’ New Community Bible. It will be a year, June 28th, that the New Community Bible was released. To mark that date, I will be publishing on this ministry’s web site the hundreds of letters that I received from Catholics, laity as well as priests, rejecting it and calling for its withdrawal by the Bishops of the Catholic Church in India. To their voice is now being added that of the Sankaracharya whom we have accepted as the spokesperson for Hindus. The following unsolicited letter, used here with permission, is from a very knowledgeable Catholic lay man whose area of interest is the study of the Early Church Fathers:
"From: derrickdcosta@yahoo.com To: prabhu Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 4:21 PM Subject: Re: NCB in the meeting with the Sankaracharya Dear Michael, I feel the NCB has in fact not been very appealing to the right wing, the very constituents that the NCB appeared to please. The unnecessary focus on Brahminical Hinduism which characterised the NCB seems to have pleased a small section of liberals, estranged the dalit Christians who have already rejected Brahminical Hinduism, and also enraged the Brahmins themselves… God bless, Derrick" I quote again from the kanchiforum web site. EXTRACT:
"After their Press Briefing, when question time arrived, I put a question to Cardinal Oswald Gracias: "In the Indian Community Bible released by Mumbai Catholic Church, you have included hundreds of verses from Vedas and Upanishads. Does this not amount to steeling [sic] the intellectual property of Hindus?" The answer given by the Cardinal was "I am not aware of this." P. Deivamuthu, Editor, Hindu Voice, 210 Abhinav, Teen Dongri, Yeshwant Nagar, Goregaon West, Mumbai 400062. Tel: 022-28764460, 28764418, 09324728153."
This is an issue that will not go away. The New Community Bible is opposed by Catholics, by the Dalit community, and by Brahmins, though for different reasons. A total of ten different reports on the New Community Bible are already available at this ministry’s web site, and a further two or three will follow shortly. We once again appeal to the Magisterium to take note of the genuine concerns of the people of India as well as the people of your Church, concerning the Church’s efforts in what is perceived as inter-faith dialogue and inculturation; and the erroneous New Community Bible which is both a vehicle and product of that inter-faith dialogue and inculturation. We can achieve much more against the forces of communalism in India by walking in the Spirit than acting in the flesh. Yours obediently, Michael Prabhu, Catholic apologist, Chennai, India www.ephesians-511.net, michaelprabhu@vsnl.net INDIVIDUALLY-ADDRESSED LETTERS ALONG THESE LINES WERE SENT TO THE HOLY FATHER AND TO ALL CONGREGATIONS AND PONTIFICAL COUNCILS OF THE HOLY SEE ON JUNE 25, 2009