Author: Kristen Wyatt
Publication: The Charlotte Obsrver
Date: September 19, 2003
Group Accuses Churches of Being
Frauds
[Note from Hindu Vivek Kendra:
The Catholic Church is involved in similar fraud in India, where they have
a movement called Catholic Ashrams. It gives an impression that the
people are worshipping in a temple. The priests dress in saffron
clothes, the church structure is made to look like a temple, etc.
But then hypocrisy is a hallmark of all Christian churches.]
Atlanta - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese
of Atlanta has filed a lawsuit accusing a network of Spanish-speaking churches
of falsely claiming to be Catholic - with priests who conduct Mass, hear
confessions and offer Communion to immigrants who mistakenly think the
churches are tied to the Vatican.
"These men dress as priests and
conduct services that appear to be a Catholic Mass," said archdiocese attorney
David Brown. "You cannot simply set up in whatever church and call yourself
Roman Catholic. That's fraud."
The lawsuit, filed Monday, seeks
an injunction against Capilla de la Fe, or Chapel of the Faith, churches,
barring them from calling themselves Catholic. It is also asking for unspecified
damages for donations worshippers gave in the belief the money would go
to the Catholic Church.
It is thought to be the first lawsuit
of its kind ever filed by the U.S. Catholic Church, Brown said.
The Capilla de la Fe churches would
not allow reporters inside. A secretary at one location said only that
the church was nondenominational.
The archdiocese argues that the
congregants, often new to America, are duped into believing they are in
a Roman Catholic church.
The Capilla de la Fe priests "raise
considerable funds" selling religious items and holy objects, Brown said.
The archdiocese was so alarmed that
it sent its own Hispanic priests to services to see what Capilla de la
Fe priests were telling people. In July, Archbishop John Donoghue sent
a letter to churches warning them about phony Spanish-speaking priests.
"For months now this group, `Capilla
de la Fe,' has been creating confusion in the Hispanic community by pretending
to be in communion with the Church," Donoghue wrote. "Unfortunately many
of our good Hispanic people are confused by their pretense and they are
leading many away from the Catholic Church."
The archdiocese said it first asked
the chapels to stop using the phrase "Mision Catolica," or Catholic Mission,
in their names. Capilla de la Fe agreed, but the archdiocese argued in
court papers that the churches still employ deceptive practices.
In downtown Atlanta, Capilla de
la Fe holds services at a "Stop Suffering Center," where pamphlets in Spanish
tout the cure-all effects of holy water available with a donation.
Some Capilla de la Fe services are
unlike anything offered at Roman Catholic parishes, including one focusing
on "strong prayer to destroy witchcraft, demon-possession, nightmares,
curses, envy, bad luck or spiritual problems."
