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Amid vedic chants and sprinkling of Ganga jal, Father Anthony Fernandes was today rechristened Shankar Dev. He returned to the Hindu fold after 12 years as Christian, becoming the first priest to reconvert. The reconversion or 'shuddhikaran' (purification), carried out by Hindu Sanskar Kendra, drew men and women to the Radhakrishna temple in Varanasi. Those manning Hindu Sanskar Kendra have links with the Sangh Parivar though they were vociferous in their claims to the contrary.
Clarifying that he was "returning to the ancestral roots of his free will and without any coercion from any person or organisation", Father Fernandes has not made things easier for the Sangh Parivar or the Church either. His reconversion followed serious allegations of irregularities and discrimination against the Church. However, the Church was quick to disown him. "Fr Anthony Fernandes is not associated with the Church anymore and we think his utterances are not worthy of any reaction ," said a spokesman of Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Varanasi.
As per plans, eleven Vedic scholars of Sankar Kendra performed the elaborate reconversion ceremony. A priest with the Catholic church in Gujarat till two years ago, Fernandes took bath in the holy Ganges and was escorted to the temple. The Mundan ceremony had his head being shaved off and the priests presented him with a new set of clothes. He was given his new name which had been chosen in advance. After the ceremony, Fernandes nee Shankar Dev was welcomed to Hinduism.
In October, Fernandes, a Konkani, had publicly criticised missionary activities. Not only did he come under media glare but was picked by the Sangh Parivar. The Hindu Sanskar Kendra accepts the motive behind reconverting people is the same as the Sangh Parivar but denies any links with them. "We provide priests for birth and death rituals to the poor who cannot afford to hire pandits. We have nothing to do with politics," said Ram Prasad Singh.
Fernandes has not just left Christianity
but provided enough ammunition to those advocating the Indianisation of
the Church. Among his eight demands from the government, he has demanded
that Bishops appointed by Rome should be derecognised. Dubbing the diocese
as "Papal Mafia", he has urged an investigation into the property under
the Diocese and Bishops which, he said, was being misused. Further saying
that Christianity did not approve of conversions, Fernandes has further
asked the Christians for an in-depth study of the Bible and Tora. He has
also alleged rampant discrimination within the Church.
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