Exhibition!! Catholic Church!!

(Shri Jose Joseph - Delhi, once again strikes at the very pastoral approach we see everywhere - Administrator)

22 different colours and shades and prints to choose from!!. All designer made.

It is mentioned in the joint pastoral letter, that it is meant to give information to the laity about the new developments in the church. We wished that it was a letter of information, but it happened to be a set of illegal orders and commands. We wish to hear from the spiritual shepherds a joint pastoral on matters of faith. Here are some of our doubts which you have created with this JPL (Joint Pastoral letter) regarding the catholic faith.

a.  Are there scores of Jesus Christs who died for the scores of autonomous churches?

b.   Did St. Thomas, St. Francis Xaviour, and hundreds of missionaries come to India to evangelise for the same crucified Christ or for different Christs? Did one come for Syrian Christ and others for Latin Christ?

c.     Catholic faith is based on the Bible. With regard to the Bible, especially with regard to the four Gospels of the New Testament, what is the fundamental difference between Syrian and Latin faiths? Which of the four gospels are Latin and which are Syrian?

d.    With regards to the “Creed” which we consider as the foundation of Christian faith, what is the difference between Syrian and Latin Creeds?

e.    With regard to the Transubstantiation (the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist) what are the differences between Syrian and Latin faith?

f.  What are the fundamental differences in the prayer taught by Jesus “Our Father” in Syrian and Latin Churches.

g.  What are the differences in the Ten Commandments shared by God to Moses? Did he give one set for Syrians and another for Latins? If so give us a copy of each. Could you enlighten our understanding of the catechism that we learned in our childhood, that the sacrament of Baptism may be given even by a lay person when necessary. We believe that marriage is contract between the groom, the bride and Jesus our lord. Is there a problem about the Syrian Lord and Latin Lord to make it Syrian and Latin sacrament of marriage?  What is the difference in these sacraments? Does it mean that the sacrament of marriage is not valid if  it is blessed by a priest of another autonomous church? What is the essential difference between the Syrian and Latin faiths in catholic church?

h.    Are the seven sacraments different for Syrians and Latins?  Which ones are different? What are the differences?

i.     You demand that out of the seven sacraments, Baptism and Marriage have to be only through their own church? What is the specialty of these two sacraments from other sacraments?

j.   Can anybody from the Oriental  congregations explain to the ordinary lay people the differences in faith in the two dozen varieties of faith in the Oriental rites?

Jose Joseph (Delhi)