‘Tribal Mary’ offends Hindus who suspect a Catholic plot

Hindus in India are concerned that a portrayal of what appears to be a tribal India ‘Mary with baby Jesus’ is part of a Catholic plan to mislead:

The issue of Christian missionaries proselytizing in India has taken a bizarre turn after a church in the eastern state of Jharkhand installed a statue of Mother Mary and Baby Jesus depicted as “tribals,” the indigenous people of the state. With dark brown complexions and sporting traditional Indian tribal clothing (white sari with red border, etc.), the statue in a church in the village of Singhpur has sparked outrage from local Hindus and other non-Christians who have called for its immediate removal…

“Showing Mother Mary as a tribal is a part of the larger design to make the tribal population believe that she was from their community and confuse them,” Tigga added. “One hundred years from now, people here would start believing that Mother Mary was actually our tribal goddess. It’s an attempt to convert Sarna tribals to Christianity. If they do not remove it, a nationwide protest will be organized.” Tigga told the Times of India that “Mother Mary was a foreigner and showing her as a tribal woman is definitely not correct.”

In response, Christian tribals have defended the statue. “What’s wrong in this? It’s just like the Chinese, Japanese, Irish, German or even the African version of Mother Mary and Baby Jesus,” said Father Augustine Kerketta, a senior church official in Ranchi. “It happens everywhere as part of enculturation of the local tradition.”…

The Haindava Keralam, a Hindu advocacy group based in the southwestern state of Kerala, commented that, by draping Mother Mary in the clothes of Indian tribals, Christian missionaries are creating “distortions” by masquerading “foreign religions” as “local religions by appropriating (more correctly, stealing) their way of worship and religious symbols.”

Haindava noted that the sari is a “Hindu dress worn by Hindu women. The white sari with a red border is used by women of the Sarna community on auspicious occasion[s],” adding that Christian missionaries are attempting similar practices in Kerala. “Should we permit such degradation of our religion?” Haindava asked rhetorically. “These are the [same] people who derided our religion, culture, rituals as mythology and superstition, why are they [seeking to] to imitate it?” http://www.ibtimes.com/virgin-mary-sari-hindus-outraged-christian-statue-depicting-blessed-mother-jesus-indian-tribal-dress#

There are several points to make about this.

First, the Hindus are correct that Mary, the mother of Jesus, did not go around wearing Hindu saris.

Second, the Catholic priest is correct that the Church of Rome long has depicted their version of Mary in whatever way they thought would best help them in local cultures and/or push their agenda. Furthermore, the statue above that my wife Joyce photographed in Sicily shows twelve stars that the Catholics got to be placed on the flag of the European Union (see Vatican News: EU Flag is Marian) which is in a sense setting the Europeans up for an ecumenical ‘Mary’ to rise up.

Third, historically, because of their reverence for mother goddesses like Durga, Hindus have tended to be willing to identify with the Catholic Mary, even though various teachings about her conflict with Hindu doctrines. Some Hindus even went to Fatima, Portugal and performed a ceremony in honor of the so-called Marian apparition that appeared there, even though this is a major Catholic shrine. Some Hindus are also ecumenical.

Fourthly, yes, the Church of Rome has long had plans and beliefs that they would get more Indians to be part of their church and have believed that utilizing versions of statues claimed to be Mary would help them. Notice the following confirmation of several of those points from my book Fatima Shock! (note: Fulton Sheen was a very famous Catholic archbishop, see Fulton Sheen, ‘Mary,’ and the End Times):

Archbishop Sheen essentially thought that the appearance in Fatima was to also ultimately result in Muslims (and possibly Hindus) accepting his faith. Notice that he also wrote:

Our missionaries report the most extraordinary reaction of these peoples as the Pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima was carried through the East. At the edge of Nepal, three hundred Catholics were joined by three thousand Hindus and Moslems, as four elephants carried the statue to the little church for Rosary and Benediction…The final evidence of the relationship of the village of Fatima to the Moslems is the enthusiastic reception that the Moslems in Africa and India and elsewhere gave to the pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima…

Missionaries in the future will, more and more…be successful in the measure they preach Our Lady of Fatima….

Archbishop Sheen also wrote:

At Patna, the Brahman Hindu governor of the province visited the church and prayed before the statue of Our Lady. In one tiny village of Kesra Mec, more than twenty-four thousand people came to see the statue.

But, that is not an isolated incident. Notice the following account of a group of Hindus who visited Cova da Iria in 2004:

Hindus…were allowed to conduct a pagan prayer chant at the altar in the sanctuary of the Little Chapel of the Apparitions…on May 5, 2004…a national television station in Portugal broadcast that a group of Hindus from Lisbon was allowed to commandeer the Shrine for a pagan prayer chant, with the Hindu “priest” standing at the Catholic altar invoking false gods in the causes of peace, while the Hindu congregation in the Little Chapel responded with a chant. This is a desecration…since Sacred Scripture teaches “the gods of the Gentiles are devils” (Psalm 95:5)

This Hindu ceremony, as expected, upset some Catholics. (Note that Psalm 95:5 in the DRB is Psalm 96:5 in the NJB/NKJV which use the word “idols” instead of “devils.”)

Eastern Signs and Faiths

While “Mary” is known throughout the Middle East and West, she is less known, though revered by some like a goddess, in Eastern religions:

Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and other pilgrims regularly worship at famous Roman Catholic shrines to the Virgin Mary such as Lourdes in France and Fatima in Portugal…Many venerate her like one of their own goddesses.

…those in various Eastern faiths can be intrigued by the feminine, and may be highly impacted by public alleged Marian apparition(s) in the future. But, no Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim, Hindu, Protestant, Mormon, Catholic, or anyone else should. (Thiel B. Fatima Shock! Nazarene Books, 2012)

Notice also some Catholic private prophecies about various ones, including Indians, becoming part of their end time ecumenical faith:

St. Bridget (14th century): Before Antichrist comes, the portals of Faith will be opened to great numbers of pagans (Birch, DA. Trial, Tribulation & Triumph: Before During and After Antichrist. Queenship Publishing Company, Goleta (CA), 1996, p. 449)

Venerable Magdalene Porzat (died 1850) (Great Monarch)… shall…restore to their dominions the legitimate kings. A just and pious man born in Galacia shall be the Supreme Pontiff: then the whole world will be united and prosperous. One faith only and one emperor shall reign over the whole earth (Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p. 38).

Cardinal La Roque (c. 18th century): A regeneration of Faith will appear in Asia (R. Gerald Culleton. The Prophets and Our Times. Nihil Obstat: L. Arvin. Imprimatur: Philip G. Scher, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno, November 15, 1941. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 193).

Elizabeth Canori-Mora (died 1825):…Such is the glorious triumph reserved for the Catholic Church; she shall be praised, honored and esteemed by all men. All men shall become Catholics, and shall acknowledge the Pope as Vicar of Jesus Christ.” (Connor, p.24).

Alphonse Eppinger (1867): “After God has purified the world faith and peace will return. Whole nations will adhere to the teachings of the Catholic Church.” (Connor, p.25)

Pope Leo XIII (1893): The Orient, courageously and successfully explored by the Portuguese, is coveted by many today for its lucrative trade. We, however, have a more noble purpose in mind…To take care, therefore, of the preservation and propagation of the Catholic religion among the Hindus, a Hindu clergy has to be formed that could administer the sacraments and govern the Christian people properly, no matter how menacing the times…Be sure that the role of Christianity in such remote regions becomes well known. Make your people understand that something must be done for the Hindus (Leo XIII. AD EXTREMAS ON SEMINARIES FOR NATIVE CLERGY. Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on June 24, 1893. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/leo_xiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_24061893_ad-extremas_en.html viewed 07/19/09).

But this acceptance of the “Catholic” leaders and teachings by those of Indian heritage will not last. Perhaps I should mention that even many Catholic writers have warned that one that they call an “antipope” will lead a changed church calling itself “Catholic” that will be an ecumenical world religion that many all over the world will follow, but should not follow (see also The Malachy Prophecies and “Peter the Roman”).

For more information related to India, please see the article Might Hindus Unknowingly Be Looking for the Arrival of the Beast and False Prophet?

The introduction of a ‘tribal Indian Mary’ seems to be a step to try to get more Hindus to warm up to Catholic ecumenical plans. And the Bible shows that the world will do so for a time (Revelation 13:4,8).

Some items of related interest may include:

Fatima Shock! What the Vatican Does Not Want You to Know About Fatima, Dogmas of Mary, and Future Apparitions. Whether or not you believe anything happened at Fatima, if you live long enough, you will be affected by its ramifications (cf. Isaiah 47; Revelation 17). Fatima Shock! is a highly documented book by Bob Thiel for those interested in the real truth about Fatima and how future apparitions may affect the future. In addition to the print version, there is a Kindle version of Fatima Shock! which you can acquire in seconds.
Marian Apparitions May Fulfill Prophecy May is consider Mary’s month by various Catholics. On May 13, 1917, a Lady appeared in Fatima, Portugal. Pope Francis has asked for his pontificate to be consecrated to Mary. Prophecies in Isaiah 47 and Revelation 18 tell of a woman involved with signs and enchantments. Could you be affected by Marian apparitions?
Fatima Shock! YouTube Dr. Thiel highlights a few points of why no one would support Fatima, etc., as discussed in the documented book Fatima Shock!
Did the Lady of Fatima Wear a Short Skirt? Some have falsely challenged the idea that the Lady of Fatima wore a culturally-inappropriate skirt. What are the facts?
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet.” Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy. You can also watch a video titled What Does the Bible teach about the Antichrist?
Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What happened at Fatima? What might they mean for the rise of the ecumenical religion of Antichrist? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How do the Eastern/Greek Orthodox view Mary? How might Mary view her adorers?
Feast of the Immaculate Conception? Did early Christians teach Mary had an immaculate conception and led a sinless life?
Origin of the Marian Dogmas: Where Do Catholic Scholars Say The Four Dogmas of Mary Came From?
Assumption of Mary Did Mary die? Was she taken to heaven on August 15th? What is known? What does the Bible show?
India, Its Biblical Past and Future: Any Witness? The Bible discusses the origins of those of Indian heritage. This article quotes the Bible and also discusses some of the witness to India throughout history and what is happening in the 21st century (including those in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka).
Might Hindus Unknowingly Be Looking for the Arrival of the Beast and False Prophet? Do biblical and even Hindu prophecies suggest that many in India will follow, for a while, the Beast and False Prophet/Antichrist?