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Arrogance of a Pope
By Sat Maharaj
http://www.hvk.org/hvk/

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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