Category: Church Reform
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A PENTECOSTAL CATHOLIC
Does this sound like an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms? Is it possible to be both a Pentecostal and a Catholic, when there is so much animosity between the two? I have another question, as we prepare for celebrating the feast of Pentecost. Where was the Holy Spirit before Pentecost? Let me answer the first…
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THE TEACHER & THE PEON
(Concluding part of the Trilogy “Love’s Dark Secrets” & “Love Jihad- Catholic Style”) Tubal Cain was a man of might In the days when the earth was young. Tubal Cain faded into the twilight By the queen bee he was stung! The first two lines of the verse are from a poem that I recall…
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THE BLAME GAME
The Blame Game, and shirking responsibility for one’s acts, is as old as the hills. When God questioned Adam, he blamed Eve, who in turn blamed the serpent (cf Gen 3:12-13). Their son Cain also sought to deflect responsibility for his brother’s death saying “Am I my brother’s guardian?” (Gen 4:9). This passing the buck…
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NINE MONTHS TO CHRISTMAS!
Readers would want to pack me off to the loony bin. Here we are in the midst of Holy Week and I am dreaming of Christmas! Am I nuts? There is a famous book, “Nine days to Christmas” by Aurora Labastida and Marie Hall Ets, published in 1960. It is also the subject of a…
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LOVE’S DARK SECRETS
Quite frankly, I must admit that I don’t like the title! How can love be bracketed with dark secrets? It should not, but so often is; hence this attempt to remove the dark secrets and bring love out into the sunshine. Let me begin with the story of Mary and John (not Joseph). They were…
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LOVE JIHAD – CATHOLIC STYLE
(A sequel to “Love’s Dark Secrets”) Once again this heading challenges us to sit up and take note. We know that the term “Love Jihad” has been coined by ultra-nationalist right wing forces that have used it to push through stringent legislation against forced conversions in U.P., M.P. and Uttrakhand, all BJP ruled States. In…
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THE ARCHBISHOP RAPHY I KNOW
Normally, when a new bishop or archbishop is appointed, we are presented with a “dry run” of when the person was born, his family history, educational background, posts held, etc. Since I am not “normal” I shall stray from the straight and narrow to share my personal experiences of Bp Raphy Manjaly who was installed…
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DENOMINATIONS ARE ABOMINATIONS
I find the word “denominations” abominable. In an era of competition between different churches, the term was used to distinguish between them. In today’s ecumenical era, the term becomes redundant. I would rather call them “Sister Churches”. Did not St Paul write to the churches in Corinth, Thessalonica, Ephesus etc? Does not the Book of…
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CHRISTMAS & FRIENDSHIP
Christmas is synonymous with joy and peace. That first Christmas night, when the Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the universal message was “Peace to people of Goodwill”. It was not just for Christians, but for all human beings. True friendship again is something that surpasses human barriers. It is like love that defies all…
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CHOOSING OUR BISHOPS
(A sequel to DO WE NEED BISHOPS?) When I wrote the previous article on the need or role of bishops I expected howls of protest. Surprisingly, I received mostly positive feedback, including from several priests whom I have never met. So obviously I had my finger on the pulse of the community, or had touched…