Church apathy helps Neo-Christians| Cathnews India

Published Date: December 22, 2009

Tags: neo-Christian sects, Pentecostals, pontifical seminary, survey

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The Church’s inaction and people’s ignorance help neo-Christian sects wean away Catholics, shows an opinion survey conducted across Kerala.

The “shocking realities” of the survey were released in a Malayalam book “Vazhithettunna Viswasangal” (derailing faith) that Alwaye’s St. Joseph Pontifical Seminary published. Seminarians conducted the survey in 2009 October.

Majority of the 10,000 Catholic families (62 percent) surveyed said they have been approached by either Pentecostals or neo-Christian sects to leave their Church.

The influence was so strong that at least 28 percent said they had attended prayer meetings or healing ministries these groups conducted.

Majority of Catholics are also unable to defend their faith and the Church’s teachings. Some 53 percent said they had no answers to the criticism and arguments the sects made against the Church.

When Catholics are projected as idol worshippers and infant baptism as right-violation, how do Catholics react? As many as 65 percent said they had no idea about the Catholic teachings on such matters and so could not counter them.

Worse still, some 35 percent Catholics subscribe to neo-Christian and Pentecostal publications and television shows, the survey showed.

The influence was not without success. Some 30 percent said they were attracted to the teachings of these divisive sects.

Nearly 80 percent respondents blamed the Church for not taking pro-active action against the onslaught of these sects. They said they received no guidelines from the Church to counter the neo-Christian offensive.

Ignorance is the prime reason for Catholics joining neo-Christian sects, according to 50 percent people surveyed. Some 30 percent cited economical gains, 10 percent said selfish motives, while the rest blamed Church leaders’ behavior for forcing them to quit their Catholic faith.

The most vulnerable group is those working in the Persian Gulf nations, said another survey conducted among some select 1,000 people working overseas.

Majority of them (64 percent) do not attend weekly Mass and many attend only Easter or Maundy Thursday services. They (88 percent) also believe these nations do not have enough priests to meet their spiritual needs.

As a result, 42 percent attend non-Catholic religious services. Even abroad, Pentecostal and neo-Christian sects do not spare Catholics, with 72 percent of those surveyed admitting they have been asked to change their Church affiliations.

A large majority (74 percent) Catholics in the Persian Gulf nations said the neo-Christian sects make intensive efforts to influence them.

Some 60 percent asked for more churches, more priests (58 percent) and more nuns (40 (percent) to help advance their spiritual life in the Muslim dominated nations.

Source: UCAN

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