1. kripa center gives hope to drug addicts in calcutta - Michael Prabhu

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NEW WEBSITE: www.ephesians-511.net OCTOBER 2005 / SEPTEMBER 2007 / LATEST
UPDATE AUG. 2009 NEW AGE:FR.JOE PEREIRA,KRIPA FOUNDATION,
HEADQUARTERS: MOUNT CARMEL CHURCH, BANDRA, BOMBAY CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE.
IMPORTANT SUB-CENTRES: VASAI DIOCESE AND [ANJUNA AND MAPUSA] GOA CATHOLIC
ARCHDIOCESE
ALSO OPERATING IN BAREILLY, BARODA, DARJEELING, KOHIMA, MANGALORE AND PUNE
CATHOLIC DIOCESES,
AND IN CALCUTTA, DELHI, GUWAHATI, IMPHAL, RANCHI AND SHILLONG CATHOLIC
ARCHDIOCESES
And more INSTITUTIONALISED NEW AGE: The WCCM,
THE WORLD COMMUNITY FOR CHRISTIAN MEDITATION NOTE: SEE INDEX [LIST OF CONTENTS] ON PAGE NUMBERED AS 106*
INTRODUCTION: This report on KRIPA Foundation and Fr. Joe Pereira was
prepared in three stages. At first, it was the last ten pages in the ninety-
six page New Age in the Catholic Ashrams report published in October 2005.
The report is at http://ephesians-
511.net/articles_doc/CATHOLIC%20ASHRAMS.doc
The Kripa report was updated in September 2007, but not published, and the
current updating was done again in May 2009.
After my visit to some Catholic Ashrams, I could boldly accuse the movement
of "New Age, heresy, blasphemy and sacrilege". In that initial report, I
showed that Kripa Foundation is loosely linked with the Ashrams movement.
The initial report provided enough evidence that Kripa Foundation is New
Age, no matter that its founder is a priest of the Archdiocese of Bombay.
The Catholic Ashrams report with the Kripa report appended to it was sent
to most of the Bishops who possess email ids, commencing the first week of
October 2005. To a number of them it was sent twice, even thrice. To the
Cardinals and some Bishops and the Nuncio, a hardcopy was posted, again
twice in a few cases including the Nuncio.
The list of Bishops and Commissions who did not even acknowledge receipt is
too lengthy to reproduce. About 40 did.
The Apostolic Nuncio to India, who asked for the report as early as January
2005 in response to my pilot letter informing him about the problems at the
Ashrams, has steadfastly refused to acknowledge receipt of it despite 10
reminders and follow-ups. The office of Cardinal Toppo of Ranchi finally
acknowledged receipt only after the 10th reminder.
The offices of Cardinals Toppo and Vithayathil assured this ministry that
the Cardinals were not in India and that the report would be placed before
the Cardinals on their return. The third Cardinal, Ivan Dias, like the
other two, did not respond.
Even among the many Bishops' reponses, there was no firm commitment to do
anything about the very serious issues that I brought to their notice. Some
of the assurance turned out to be empty promises. As time passed, the
report has been completely forgotten and I have watched the Catholic
Ashrams continue their campaign to destroy the Church from within.
A follow-up report on the Catholic Ashrams movement is under preparation.
I have also watched Kripa Foundation and Fr. Joe Pereira grow from strength
to strength, receiving prestigious Church as well as National awards,
enjoying the patronage of more Archbishops and Bishops, and expanding their
operations into new archdioceses and dioceses. It is well known that this
priest and his Foundation have received the equivalent of crores of rupees
in aids and grants from foreign associates. Money and power buy silence and
compromise. It cannot be disputed that Kripa Foundation is doing a great
humanitarian service "weaning people away from chemical dependency on
alcohol, tobacco and other narcotics, and rehabilitating people affected
with HIV and AIDS". But does the end justify the means?
This priest is the diehard devotee of a Hindu yogi who practices the occult
forms of Kundalini and Tantra Yoga. What the disciple learned from his guru
and Master, philosophically and practically, he teaches and applies in his
programmes.
The priest admits that he "follows the 8-fold path set down in the yoga
sutra of Patanjali."
I have completed two intensively researched reports of around 100 pages
each that show conclusively that yoga is a Hindu religious practice and
there can be no "Christian yoga". See: http://www.ephesians-
511.net/documents/YOGA.doc and http://www.ephesians-511.net/documents/SURYA
NAMASKAR AND YOGA.doc.
As if the above were not serious enough, "Kripa blends Western techniques
[not only] with Indian yoga, [but also with] Buddhist vipassana meditation,
Chinese Tai Chi martial arts and Japanese Shiatsu massage".
There is also another "blend with Western techniques". Kripa has linked
with the WCCM or World Community for Christian Meditation, London-based,
founded by two Benedictine priests, the late John Main and the current
head, Laurence Freeman.
*NOTE: THIS PAGE IS NOT NUMBERED. THE NUMBERING COMMENCES FROM THE
FOLLOWING PAGE WHICH IS PAGE 1 In this report, I provide ample evidence that the "Christian Meditation"
that they promote is not really Christian at all.
They use a "mantra"-based meditation technique which was taught by a Hindu
Swami to Fr. John Main OSB. They also incorporate the enneagram personality-
typing tool which the Vatican has warned Catholics about in a Document.
The WCCM website FAQ admits that there is an "essential harmony" between
Centering Prayer and their "Christian Meditation". Centering Prayer is not
Christian. They hold joint seminars and workshops with New Age
personalities who use "tai chi, chi gung and Iyengar yoga". Theirs is an
"ecumenical" meditation, Fr. Freeman finally admits, pages 61- 63, 90.
Kripa Foundation advertises itself as a project of the Catholic Archdiocese
of Bombay. His Eminence, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai,
heads its Board of Trustees. Fr. Joe states that Mumbai's Cardinal Ivan
Dias, who was in 2006 appointed Prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for
the Evangelization of People, strongly backs him. Thomas Dabre, Bishop of
Vasai and Chairman, Doctrinal Commission of the CBCI blessed the Kripa
Vasai centre. He felicitated the priest at a special Holy Mass on April 2,
2009. Bombay Bishops Agnelo Gracias and Bosco Penha celebrate Masses for
the WCCM.
And, The Examiner, the Archdiocesan weekly is a platform for the promotion
of both the WCCM and Kripa Foundation. NEW AGE: KRIPA FOUNDATION and FR.JOE PEREIRA I. WRITING IN OCTOBER 2005: After my completing the report on NEW AGE IN
THE CATHOLIC ASHRAMS**, my computer experienced a modem failure because of
which I could not use the internet to send out the said report.
I took the opportunity to write about KRIPA [**see its pages 38, 41, 44, 87-
96], which is an issue related to the ashrams. My decision to write on
KRIPA is not a recent one. When I shared my intention with Mumbai friends
by email in 2003, I received three letters warning me that I might face
retribution if I did, and asking me to carefully reconsider my decision.
KRIPA is not an "ashram" by any chance, but it is closely connected with
the World Community for Christian Meditation [WCCM] of Fr. John Main, OSB
[1926-1982] and his successor Fr. Laurence Freeman, OSB. [**13,
41, 60, 63, 72].
There are close ashram links, with the founders of Saccidananda Ashram,
with Fr. Bede Griffiths, etc., as we will see.
**NOTE: THE PAGE NUMBERS WITHIN BRACKETS ARE THOSE IN MY REPORT ON CATHOLIC
ASHRAMS. In that report, this page is numbered 87. This report is re-
numbered from page 1, as additional information is now incorporated. Their 8-page pamphlet says on its cover page, "KRIPA Foundation. AN
ARCHDIOCESAN PROJECT. Devoted to battling drugs and HIV / AIDS since 1981."
From "humble beginnings in a church compound in Bandra... this Public
Charitable Trust has grown to 28 facilities in 10 locations in India,
namely Bombay, Vasai, Goa, Mangalore, Calcutta, Darjeeling, Imphal, Kohima,
Shillong and Delhi*. It is funded through Government of India grants as
well as national and international donations." "Mother Teresa... blessed
our Calcutta and Vasai centres." *Catholic dioceses. Old information
KRIPA is located on the premises of Mount Carmel Church and Mount Mary's
Basilica in Bandra, Mumbai. KRIPA's Rehabilitation and Counseling Centres are involved in weaning
people away from chemical dependency on alcohol, tobacco and other
narcotics, and with people affected with HIV and AIDS. There is no
disputing the 'good' work that KRIPA is doing, but in this case of an
organization founded by a Catholic diocesan priest, and promoted by the
Archdiocese, it becomes necessary to look into Fr. Joe's mind, and into his
practices, and to ask finally if the end justifies the means.
The pamphlet says that "Kripa's strength is eastern disciplines and
facilitating lifestyle changes which it propagates in all its centres as
Basic Therapy to cope with life's stresses including addiction." What are these "eastern disciplines"? The New Leader of February 1-15,
2003, in 'Priest finds yoga effective therapy for drug addicts', says "A
Catholic priest in Mumbai has found that Yoga can be an effective therapy
for a modern curse. Fr. Joe Pereira who heads a chain of drug
rehabilitation centres in various parts of India has been successfully
using yoga to cure addicts. The 57-year old priest of Bombay archdiocese
claims, 'Patients respond to yoga therapy better' than to other
therapies... The ascetic Hindu discipline aims to achieve liberation of
self and union with a higher power through intense concentration and deep
meditation. Among its methods are 'asanas' (prescribed postures) and
controlled breathing. He uses the therapy on drug addicts... The priest
began using yoga after other forms of therapy failed to achieve desirable
results in his patients. He said their 'restless desires disappear' when
their minds 'are in harmony and find rest in the spirit within'. Yoga is
now widely used in all the Foundation's 17 branches in six Indian states.
All those centers utilize yoga as 'a psychosomatic and psycho-spiritual
methodology for holistic health', Fr. Pereira explained." The E