Author: P. Deivamuthu
Publication:
Date:
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 steeling 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:
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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
210 Abhinav, Teen Dongri
Yeshwant Nagar, Goregaon West
Mumbai 400062.
