Exposed – Mumbai Arch Bishop’s Blatant Lie

I attended the Press Conference, held today (12th June 2009) at 3.30 p.m. at the Shanmukhananda Hall, King Circle, Mumbai, addressed by Kanchi Shankaracharya Swamiji and the Archbishop of Mumbai, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, subsequent to the Inter-Religious Dialogue held at the same venue.

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 stealing the intellectual property of Hindus?”.

The answer given by the Cardinal was “I am not aware of this”

Now look at the press reports published by Mumbai newspapers datelined July 09, 2008, reproduced below:

==============================================================

Mumbai, July 09, 2008: The Catholic Church has released a special Bible for India, one that has reference to Indian scriptures, uses Indian cultural and religious themes, and will appeal to the new generation.

The liberative knowledge of the spirit (atman) is to be attained through ‘seeing, listening, reflecting and meditating’ This verse from the hoary Brihadaranyaka Upanishad explains chapter 51 of the Book of Isaiah, in The New Community Bible (Catholic Edition) for India.

Church leaders called the book, that was released in Mumbai last month by the Archbishop of Bombay, Oswald Cardinal Gracias, “a work of lasting importance”.

Christened the ‘Indian Bible’, the book is the culmination of a significant 18-year long experiment by the local Catholic Church to adapt the Bible for the Indian community.

Thus, apart from using Indian cultural and religious themes in the narrative, the book also uses English that is familiar to Indians, unlike the older editions of the holy book.

This Indianised bible also dipicts Virgin Mary in a sari and Joseph clad in a loincloth and turban.

=============================================================

Having himself released the Book – The New Community Bible – the Cardinal had the temerity to say that he was not aware of it, in the presence of about 30 journalists and photographers. If this is not a blatant lie, what is it?

My subsequent question was:

 “Does that mean that Bible was written by human beings, and has nothing to do with Jesus Christ?”

His answer was: “It was spoken by the God and written by people”.

P. Deivamuthu
Editor, Hindu Voice

Responses