POPE John Paul II has
once again created international controversy, by proclaiming the superiority of
the Catholic Church.
In a Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith Declaration - "Dominus Jesus" - this ailing, aging and sometimes
stammering Pontiff said only Catholics can attain full salvation from earthly
sins.
For many decades, the Catholic Church, from
its city enclave known as the Vatican in Rome, has been propagating the doctrine
of Ecumenism. In 2000 however, he admits: "The church's constant
missionary proclamation is endangered today."
As if to combat its falling membership, the
Pope has declared even other Christian churches like the Protestants have
defects that render them inferior. The major defect in these Christian
churches seems to be that they refuse to recognise the infallibility of the
Pope.
The Pope has gone beyond the boundaries of
Christianity, and from a pulpit of colonial arrogance, proclaimed that Jews,
Moslems and Hindus are not on par with the Catholics.
Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Martin Luther King, two
great 20th Century souls, will not enter the Pope's heaven, as they were not
Catholics. We take comfort in the knowledge Pope John Paul II and the
Catholic Church hold no exclusive franchise to God and to heaven.
Pope John Paul II has been traveling to
various countries of the world, preaching the message of peace, harmony and
tolerance. At times, this Pontiff has had to be carried up the steps of
the aircraft, and the world admired him as a man of peace. But now he has
shown that conversion is the true motive behind his numerous expeditions.
Even the World Council of Churches, according
to Associated Press, has said: "It would be a tragedy if Christian
cooperation was obscured by the churches about their relative authority and
status."
This Pope has been very insensitive to the
religious beliefs and feelings of people other than Catholics. Even those
who extend an arm of welcome in their own country have suffered his arrogance.
India is the home of Hinduism. That
country, with more than 900 million Hindus, extended a warm welcome and
unprecedented hospitality when he visited in November last year.
But this religious leader repaid
hospitality with arrogance when, on Divali morning (7/11/99), he told Hindus of
India that in the last millennium, Catholicism conquered the New World, and in
this millennium, it would conquer Asia.
What a Divali message from the Pope to Hindus!
After a meeting with India's Prime Minister AB Vajpayee, Pope John Paul II told
a gathering at St Peter's Square in Rome that in Indonesia, some 4,000
Christians and Muslims have been killed in communal violence.
The Pope referred to Christian attacks in
India and said reports from India were "alarming, after many attacks were
made against Christians." He made no mention of Ireland, where Catholics
kill Protestants, or Bosnia, where Christians kill Muslims.
The Pope, however, did not tell the gathering
how many Christians had died in the attack in India. If he had revealed
the actual number of those killed, he would have made no impact. Not even
a dozen persons have been killed in the "alarming" attacks on
Christians.
Someone interested in exaggerating religious
violence in India gave the Pope wrong information, and he has not yet apologised
for the false imaging of one billion Indians. In no country in the world
is religious freedom available to people as it is in India. There are
dozens of faiths which all co-exist.
The Pope, who recently apologised to the Jews
for the barbaric manner Christians persecuted them for centuries, is perhaps not
aware India is the only country where Jews have not been persecuted. The
Jews have built synagogues all over the country and are practising their
religion in total freedom.
When Parsis sought refuge in India, a Hindu
king gave them shelter. And ever since, they have been practising their
religion in total freedom. There are hundreds of tribes who have their own
gods and they are all free to worship as they please.
Some Hindus in India have decided to stop
conversions and this is what makes the Pope say there is no religious freedom in
India. For nearly two centuries, conversions have been going on in India,
without let or hindrance.
There was keen competition between the
Catholic and Protestant churches who were in partnership with the colonial
governments of Europe, whose purpose was to conquer and dominate the world.
Between them they were able to convert some unfortunate people.
Before the European conquest of India, there
were only a handful of Christians in the country. By using force, by
trickery and treachery, by dangling baits, by false propaganda, the missionaries
from The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany and England converted
Christians. They continue, with a lot of money coming from abroad.
Under the guise of helping leprosy
patients, providing education or medical facilities, the missionaries continue
their nefarious work. They go to tribal areas because the poor tribal
folks are illiterate and gullible and it is easy to convert them.
Conversion is the string attached to all the charity work they do.
Graham Staines, an Australian who was
killed, was a good missionary, but in addition to doing leprosy work, he was
also engaged in a conversion program.
Help the poor, conduct program of charity, spread the message of love, but stop
the religious arrogance.
(Satnarayan Maharaj is secretary general of
the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha of Trinidad & Tobago)
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