Tuesday, November 19, 2024

The Dangers of Divination and Misplaced Faith Deliverance: A Reflection on Faith, Psychology and Ethics

 


In the Old Testament the practice of psychics and mediums is described as “an abomination.” The prophet Zechariah warns against false diviners who lead people astray, stating: “ the diviners have lying visions and publish empty dreams and voice misleading nonsense, naturally the people stray like sheep” (Zechariah 9:9-10). This powerful statement captures the essence of human vulnerability when faced with the unknown. Diviners, psychics, and mediums, who claim supernatural insight, often prey on this vulnerability. The Old Testament goes further to label such practices as “an abomination,” underscoring their incompatibility with the worship and honor of God. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church echoes this stance, admonishing that “all forms of divination are to be rejected”  including “other practices falsely supposed to 'unveil' the future.” These types of divining “conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone” (CCC 2116). This teaching serves as a backdrop to a recent and ethically complex case involving a 17-year-old girl allegedly “possessed” by spirits. 

Case Study: Ethical and Psychological Dimensions of "Possession"

A group of ten people from a family brought this young girl, to a priest  for ‘exorcism’ being fully convinced that she is possessed. She is living with her would-be-husband –ten years her senior– with the consent of her own non-Christian parents, for two weeks. After three days of waiting for an appointment, the priest declared her “possessed by 12 spirits,” reportedly driving them out through prayer and advising the use of religious tools such as a Rosary and  other prayers from a Bengali Prayer Book – Amar Sohochor. They brought the Rosary and the Prayer book to me, a priest, to be blessed. I prayed over and blessed them. On speaking with them I came to know that she was told to invite other family members to pray as well, and consequently get baptized. Therefore, this experience led to such a call for Christian family prayers and the encouragement of baptism for non-Christian family members. 

Ethical Concerns: A Veil of Proselytization? 

This seems, to me, a proselytizing process and strategy, which is forbidden by the Church. While spiritual healing is integral to Catholic pastoral care, there are ethical concerns when practices appear to blur the line between genuine care and proselytization. Encouraging the girl’s family to convert under the pretext of spiritual deliverance is problematic. Such actions risk contravening the principle of respecting individuals' freedom of conscience and belief.  In fact, the future-husband, a rationalist, does not endorse such ‘blind bhut-possession’ theory, saying, the girl is ‘acting’ that way, due to other factors which she is not disclosing.

A Psychological Perspective 

Which are these factors ? I tried to discuss and counsel her on the first day, in finding out the possibility of those factors, and  make her understand, accept, and act accordingly. She was advised to go back to her parental home, rest and relax. I suspect, she is going through a fear complex, unable to express and share with anybody. There might be a certain hysteria or hallucination. Therefore, the girl’s behavior, interpreted by her family and this priest as ‘possession’, raises questions about underlying psychological or sociocultural factors: 

Age and Marital Circumstances: The fact is the boy is ten years elder to her. At 17, the girl may not be emotionally or physically prepared for marriage, especially with a partner ten years her senior. 

Fear and Trauma: Her condition could stem from fear of sexual encounters, coupled with malnourishment and sleep deprivation. 

Mental Health Considerations: Symptoms such as hysteria or hallucinations could indicate an underlying psychological disorder rather than spiritual possession.  Her husband's rationalist perspective underscores the need for medical and psychological evaluation over supernatural explanations.  She needs counseling and mental support.

Seeking Balanced Interventions 

This case highlights the importance of distinguishing between spiritual care and psychological support. The young girl’s behavior might reflect internalized stress, fear, or even societal expectations rather than supernatural possession. Counseling, mental health support, and open dialogue are critical to addressing her challenges.  Furthermore, the Church's role is to focus on compassionate care rather than coercive or potentially manipulative strategies. This aligns with Christ's example of meeting individuals where they are, respecting their dignity and autonomy. 

Zechariah's words remind us of the dangers of misplaced faith in diviners who exploit fear and ignorance. Similarly, the Catechism warns against the desire for control over hidden powers. In this case, ethical and psychological dimensions call for a thoughtful response that prioritizes the girl’s well-being over spiritual sensationalism.  Addressing such situations requires an interdisciplinary approach, blending theological wisdom, psychological insight, and ethical discernment. Above all, respect for human dignity must remain at the forefront of any intervention. 

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Feast of the Holy Rosary at Bandel Basilica

 


The solemn celebration of the Feast of the Holy Rosary was observed at Bandel Basilica on the 9th  and 10th of November, 2024, with faithful pilgrims gathering in reverence to honor Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. This annual event, significant for its spiritual depth and community engagement, attracted devotees from various linguistic backgrounds especially from the Parish, from the Aspirantates and from other nearby parishes and villages, who united in prayer and worship.

On Saturday evening at 5 p.m. the Eucharistic celebration was presided over by the Most Rev. Thomas D’Souza, Archbishop of Kolkata, who delivered a heartfelt homily focused on the theme of saying “YES” to God. Reflecting on Mary’s “Fiat” at the Annunciation, the Archbishop encouraged the congregation to embrace a similar openness in their own lives, responding affirmatively to God’s call, extending compassion to those in need, and nurturing personal growth in faith—a journey that begins at Baptism and continues through the reception of each Sacrament. The liturgy was enriched by readings led by members from diverse groups, with the Prayer of the Faithful organized by the Mothers’ Sodality and the Offertory dance procession by the Ferrando hostel  girls.

After the final Mass, a grand Eucharistic procession took place, following an organized route led by seminarians, youth groups, and parishioners, with the Blessed Sacrament and the Archbishop carried on a vehicle surrounded by flower girls. The procession, orderly and reverent, proceeded with pilgrims lining the route through the street, praying the Rosary and singing hymns in devotion setting a reflective tone that was carried into the solemn procession led by the Altar servers with a cross and candles.

Devotees followed in a procession, with the statue of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary honored by the Mothers’ Sodality, lay parishioners, youth group, priests and aspirants from Don Bosco Seminary and other religious sister communities. Special hymns, including “Khristo Debota,” were sung as part of the worship, creating a vibrant and unifying experience for all present. The Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament marked a solemn moment for attendees, who were moved by the prayerful atmosphere created by the Eucharistic celebration. In his  inspirational talk before the final benediction, Fr. Roshan Tirkey SJ, emphasized on Mary being our Mother, given to us through St. John at Calvary, and that as her good sons and daughters, we respect her as our closest dear Mother. Mrs. Agnes James, a Sunday Catechist, expressed heartfelt gratitude in a vote of thanks, recognizing the efforts of volunteers, religious sisters, and parish groups who made the event a spiritual success.

Sunday’s liturgical program on 10th November included Masses in Hindi, Bengali, and English, reflecting the multicultural and multilingual composition of the congregation. The first service at 6:30 a.m. was conducted in Hindi, followed by Bengali Mass at 9:00 a.m., presided over by the Arch Bishop, wherein 16 boys and girls received the First Communion. The Prelate spoke of the gift of life of God  which is given to each Christian through the Eucharist, is to be lived through self-giving. There was an English Mass at 11:00 a.m.

The Feast of the Holy Rosary at Bandel Basilica was a deeply moving experience for all, inspired by Mary’s own faith, Fiat and surrender. The two-day event concluded with a final hymn dedicated to Our Lady, and all the attendees left with renewed faith and a sense of community solidarity.

The over-422 years old Bandel Shrine distinctively contributes to the spiritual growth of the ‘pilgrims’. Built in 1599 by the Portuguese, the Bandel Church dedicated to Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, holds the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Happy Voyage, which has become the ‘faith-focus’ for the faithful and the pilgrims.

 

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

AN OPEN LETTER TO SMT. MAMATA BANERJEE The Chief Minister, cum the Health and Police Minister of W. Bengal



Smt. Mamata,

 

In an earlier open letter, I congratulated you for taking oath for the past consecutive terms as the Chief Minister of Bengal, hoping that you would preserve the federal state’s democratic governance with oath-laden honesty, sincerity and dedication, and stopping the RSS-fed regressive ideology and communal juggernaut promoted by the BJP.

 

You seemed to be a pragmatic, a down-to-earth politician, trying to push back divisive politics, in order to safeguard the “secular ethos”. You have the constitutional responsibility to protect everyone, appeasing no one. Remember, all communities have helped you to govern Bengal once more. Your ‘politics of populism’ and the multi-faceted welfare schemes have given you the people’s mandate.

 

Before everything else, it is time now to handle the present crisis starting with what has emerged after the heinous murder of a Doctor at R. G. Kar. The ‘fonsh’ and the fire are evident. We are seeing mass protest movement with such angst and total no-confidence against your government.  You as the Health Minister, please take up the moral responsibility for this killing and all the corruptions in the health and police departments. Otherwise, your government will surely be crippled by your own gross mismanagement of the situation. Kindly, follow the philosophy of Raj dharma. Acknowledge your deliberate negligence of duty and apologize to the people. Your humility will save from any mistake you make on the way. Your ‘welfarism’ policy and the ‘politics of populism’ have run its course. For people now, enough is enough. Get it clear!

 

As a Banglar meye, protect all people of Bengal from all ‘evils’ that prowl before your eyes and under your nose. You know them all.  Keep Bengal corrupt-free, healthy and united. And for this, here below are the DOs and DON’Ts that I recommend you to follow:

 

DOs :

 

1.      Put the systemic administration right, with law and order: stop all violences and acts that inflict deaths and distress, and divide communities.

2.      Directly intervene with the agitating junior doctors and sort out the issues; give good hearing to the valid demands.

3.      Let the Police do their job independently, do not patronize them. Bring back law and order in the state, immediately.

4.      Dismiss and suspend corrupt officers and other bureaucrats who do not do their duties.

5.      Initiate an urgent process and plan through the party decision, to handle the R. G. Kar  crisis with a sincere heart.

6.      Stop ‘political repression’ over those who do not align to your policy.

7.      Accept the fact that there is a widespread discontent against the TMC government at the grassroots level; an anti-incumbency trend mostly around the local Trinamul leaders and units; disaffection with Trinamul syndicates, extortions, commission cuts, Dadas, mafia Mastans (musclemen) and other anti-socials. 

8.      Curb the syndicates, dangabaji and goondagiri at every level.

9.      Clean up your party and the government; stop all kinds of corruption, coercion, criminality and mismanagement by your tier-leaders at various levels.

10.  Close all bomb-gun-factories in Bengal, and stop all smuggling of arms from outside.

11.  Get rid of the scam tainted party leaders and other corrupt colleagues around you.

12.  Stop the bribe (cut-money) which has become a part of your political system.

13.  Work with a systemic approach, through the SWOT strategy, having a Goal, Objective, Action Plan, and above all a Mission.

14.   Be a credible leader for Bengal whom all can look upto.

15.  Uplift the subalterns: ST, SC, OBC, Dalits, etc. Be a Mamatadebi for all sections of society, especially women and the vulnerable groups.

16.   Revive the educational and medical culture of Bengal through standard and secure institution with monitored quality and good infrastructure.

17.  Place yourself at the forefront of truth, honesty, humility and simplicity.

18.  Deliver on the promises you make.

19.  Form a new team of lieutenants for the future, delivering on governance and dealing with corruption from the very grassroot level.  

20.  You need to do course corrections too, keeping away personal ‘ego’   and give up authoritarianism.

21.  Stop all  arrogant behaviors and the increasing strong-arm tactics of your party leaders. 

22.  Implement and complete with honesty and transparency all the schemes (central and state) that are sanctioned.

23.  Build infrastructures for income and employment generation, through industrialisation. Get land for it.

24.  Suspend for good all corrupt and convicted ministers, MLAs and MPs.

25.  Make district and panchayat administration totally transparent, to oversee the implementation of the projects: The National Food Security Act, Shabuj Sathi, Kanyashree,  Ruposhree, Rural Development, Drinking water connection, Duare Sarkar, Didike bolo, SC/ST/OBC/BPL certificate distribution, etc.

26.  As the symbol of “Ma-Mati-Manush”, be a collective conscience of people of Bengal.

27.  If you are inspired by the ideals of St. (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta, allow her compassion and love shine through your honest political services in Bengal.

 

 

DON’Ts :

 

1.      Do not indulge into toxic politics of communal polarization.

2.      Do not allow your grassroot leaders to use threat tactics and take law in their hands in connivance with the local police. 

3.      Do not prevent the local Thanas to work independently and keep law and order in the region.

4.      Do not allow the inclusive cultural heritage of Bengal to be destroyed by the Hindutva invasion.

5.      Do not do politics of ‘tokenism’, doling out just a superficial ‘pleasing taste’.

6.      Do not divide and dissatisfy the intellectual cultural elite and the learned of Bengal.

7.      Do not lure non-party intellectuals and activists in Bengal. Respect their independent views.

8.      Do not do minority/clubs-appeasement, with Puja bonus, money, footballs and such freebees. Serve all the 91 million people of Bengal. 

9.      Do not do something that your people will revolt against.

10.  Do not allow your ministers and party leaders to make illegal money either for the party or self (e.g. alleged Coal scam, Sand scam, Cow scam, Cut-money, Sarada, Narada, and the recent alleged Health Scam, etc.).

11.  Do not fall into nepotism and appeasement politics.

12.  Do not create a cult figure invincibility for blind followers/partymen and women.

13.  Don’t be too impulsive, while working by instinct, discern well for the decisions to be made.

14.   Do not be ‘cheap’ in your speeches. Invest time and preparation, integrated with more ‘stuff’ that are built on research and reason. Let them not be unorganized ‘freebees’. Keep the dignity of statesmanship.

 

Yours sincerely,

(Soroj Mullick)  

A common citizen of Bengal 

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

WHO REALLY IS JESUS OF NAZARETH ?

 


There is a question at the heart of history, a question that no one can avoid: "Who really is Jesus of Nazareth?" It is vital to know this, not so much for history, but for each of us. It is Jesus himself who asks every human being: "Who am I for you?"

It is he himself who asks this strange question directly to his friends and, indirectly, to us: "Who am I?" We cannot avoid answering, if we are endowed with a normal mind, because many surprising or inexplicable facts prevent us from doing so:

Eight billion people, that is, practically the entire planet, use his year of birth as a reference for their calendars, even if they have never heard of him. All contracts concluded, all legal acts and all publications in the world use this reference. This is evidently an extraordinary fact, considering the numerous attempts, all of which failed, to delete this time reference. The French revolutionaries tried to create a new calendar that had 1793 as year one, but the attempt, limited to France alone, lasted only twelve years. Jews, Muslims and Chinese also have their own calendar, but its use, limited to the spheres of influence of individual countries, still goes hand in hand with that of the Christian calendar. The date of Jesus' birth thus ends up representing an absolute and universal meridian, an "equator of time" that divides the history of humanity in two, with a "before" and an "after Christ".

More than 20 thousand books have been written about him in the last century alone, and hundreds of new ones are published every year! For its part, the Bible is the most widely circulated and most translated book in the world in all languages. To date, 2.5 billion people, or a third of humanity, say they believe in the divinity of Jesus.

Logically, Jesus should have remained an illustrious unknown! His is a hidden life: The son of a single mother, he was born in an obscure village; he fled to Egypt with his parents; returned and  grew up in stature, knowledge and skills in another village – Nazareth; there he worked as a carpenter until he was thirty. He lived a simple life. Then, for three years, he toured his land preaching. He never wrote a book. He never held public office. He never had a family or a home. He did not attend university. He did not stray more than three hundred kilometers from where he was born. He didn't do any of those things that are usually associated with success. He had no credentials other than himself. This Son Servant chosen by God was anointed by the Spirit and baptized at the Jordan; fasted for forty days and was tempted towards worldly powers but did not succumb to it. He continued his mission to help and heal, and proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He called illiterate fishermen as his disciples, ministered in Galilee.  As a prophetic light to all the nations, with the help of his apostles he accomplished his mission without fanfare. He was only thirty-three years old when public opinion turned against him. His own people plotted against the ‘Suffering Servant’, who similarly plotted against the poor and conspired against the innocent. Matthew writes, “The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.”  Jesus withdrew from confronting his enemies. But one day he rode to Jerusalem on a donkey; was arrested in the garden. His friends fled. He was sold out to his enemies and underwent a trial that was a farce. He was nailed to a cross, between two thieves. While he was dying, his executioners played dice on his clothes, which were the only property he had on earth. He was totally rejected by his own people, but he was patient, meek and humble. He did not engage in frenetic activism and aggressive confrontation (cf. Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 167); he did not wield power, prestige and pride. He was crucified outside the city at Golgotha with criminals. When he died he was placed in a tomb made available by a friend moved by pity. Two days later, that tomb was empty.

Twenty centuries have passed and today he is the central figure in the history of humanity.   The majority in the world accepted his Gospel. Not even the armies that marched, the fleets that sailed, the parliaments that met, the kings that reigned, the thinkers and scientists put together, changed the life of man on earth as much as this one hidden life. Each of us is capable of seeing it for ourselves: the destiny of Jesus of Nazareth is something beyond any effort of imagination.

The Unsustainable Responses

Indeed, this question "But you, who do you say that I am?" (Mt 16:15), which at first glance seems simple and harmless, in reality poses a problem of implacable logic, because the possible answers are very few and we possess enough information to exclude almost all of them. These are the answers that have been given in the course of history and which are, moreover, logically, the only possible answers to the question: "Who can Jesus be?" (they tried them all!):

Jesus never existed; he is a myth created later. The historical reality of Jesus is well documented and quietly ascertained by historical and archaeological evidence.

He was just a great sage, a character who was all in all quiet and profoundly human, he is the easy choice of mediocre and superficial people. Writer C.S. Lewis states very clearly: "You have to make a choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God or he was a madman, or even worse. We can then throw ourselves at his feet and call him Lord and God, or silence him because we think he is a fool or kill him; but please, let's not bring up nonsense complacent that he is only a great moral teacher. This option was not granted to us."

He was a visionary fanatic. In reality, no one, not even his enemies and the great accusers at his trial, describe him in this way.

He was an impostor who failed. An accusation more senseless than useless. But it is ancient. Let's summarize his main points: taking advantage of the feverish wait for the Messiah, a cunning schemer, after learning the art of magic in Egypt, declares that he is the long-awaited Messiah. This character seduces the crowds with miracles and tries to drag them into a revolt in order to seize power, but the initiative is dangerous enough to frighten the authorities. The impostor is then arrested, convicted, executed, and buried. His disciples, who had dispersed at the time of his death, gather in secret and within a few hours decide to improvise a daring sequel to this adventure. They steal the body of Jesus, bury it in a secret place and, showing the empty tomb, stage a sensational hoax by proclaiming that he has risen from the dead.

Why, at that point, did the high priests not have Jesus' body searched? It would have been simple! Unmasking, evidence in hand, this absurd scam of the resurrection invented by the followers of Jesus, offered them an ideal opportunity to silence them once and for all! They had the possibility, simply by finding the body, to put an end to this far-fetched and dangerous staging. But no, officially no investigation is instituted!

Do we really want to believe that this handful of frightened disciples could have agreed in a few hours to set up the greatest deception in history? To pass off the one who in the end had revealed himself to be only an impostor, an ordinary mortal, for the God who came down to earth, stealing his body, recovering it and then proclaiming his Resurrection! What, then, would have been the purpose of this daring staging? Why leave to go to the ends of the world, each alone, presumably without a wife, without children, without money, to tell the story of a resurrected Messiah to pagans who did not even know the term, let alone the meaning of the concept of Messiah?

He was a prophet. Because of the violent criticism he had to suffer and his death on the cross, Jesus could therefore be fully included in this long list of prophets. His exhortations to conversion also have a prophetic tenor. Muslims, on the other hand, currently about 1.5 billion people, also think that Jesus was a prophet, as reported in the Qur'an.

However, this thesis inevitably clashes with insurmountable improbabilities.

First of all, a prophet who by nature knows the future would not have surrounded himself with a gang of swindlers and criminals, who would one day have unearthed him and buried him elsewhere and then passed him off as the God made man. Finally, a prophet, not being God, certainly cannot be resurrected. Consequently, everything we have said about the improbability of the operation staged by the disciples, with the disappearance of the body, the false resurrection and all that follows, also applies in this case.

He is the Messiah and an extraordinary man, but only a man. The thesis according to which "Jesus is the Messiah, but he is only a man", after his death becomes absolutely untenable, because by definition the Messiah is a king destined by God to reign over Israel. But, to the great disappointment of those who hoped that Christ would rebuild the temporal power of Israel, Jesus dies on the cross, abandoned by all. If he is considered a Messiah, he cannot therefore be a purely human Messiah.

The Only Possibility: Jesus Is God Made Man

Once the challenge is taken up, everything begins to become clearer, and doubts and contradictions disappear. To begin with, this thesis makes clear the meaning of words that had previously seemed puzzling or even upsetting.

If Jesus is the Son of God, in fact, then he has always been so and can well say:

 "Before Abraham was, I am" (Jn 8:58).

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away" (Mt 24:35).

Jesus' divinity makes him omnipotent, even over death and sin, and justifies the words:

"Your sins are forgiven" (Mt 9:5).

"I am the resurrection and the life" (Jn 11:25).

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Mt 28:18)

By means of the Eucharist he can finally give his body as food, in the form of consecrated bread:

"I am the bread that has come down from heaven" (Jn 6:41).

On the part of anyone else, these words would have been the sign of an immeasurable pride, of a scandalous presumption, of a dangerous delirium of omnipotence. But in the mouth of the Son of God, of the Messiah, they take on a completely new meaning, in a logic that goes beyond our usual categories.

The Radical Change in the Behavior of the Apostles becomes Understandable

At this point, the metamorphosis of the apostles is also perfectly explained: cowards who had been able to deny Jesus and shut themselves up in the Upper Room with a double mandate, suddenly reveal themselves, as if by miracle, full of audacity and strength, determined to preach the proclamation of the Good News to the crowds. As if by a miracle, indeed, since this transformation is the result of their encounter with the risen Jesus. They have seen him and touched him, and now nothing can stop them: they have understood that death is only a passage towards resurrection, and that persecutions are a necessary testimony of faith, as well as a participation in the sufferings of Christ. Their attitude is therefore perfectly logical.

The Success of the Apostles does not have an exclusively Human Origin

Far from being satisfied with words, the apostles live their faith totally, a faith that is dearer to them than life.

Blaise Pascal writes: "I believe in witnesses who are killed." It is the ultimate argument, the one that convinced the masses at the beginning of Christianity. Thus, the fate of the persecuted Christians under Nero did not interrupt the flow of conversions. On the contrary, the witness of the martyrs was stronger than the persecutions.

Thus, the latter hypothesis is definitely the only possible answer to the question "Who is Jesus of Nazareth?".

Now it's up to Us to Respond

A little story can help us understand what we need to do.

A powerful ruler traveled through the desert followed by a long caravan carrying his fabulous treasure of gold and precious stones.

 Halfway along the way, exhausted by the fiery glare of the sand, a camel in the caravan collapsed gasping and never got up.

The chest he was carrying rolled down the sides of the dune, broke apart and scattered all its contents, pearls and precious stones, in the sand.

The prince did not want to slow down, also because he had no other chests and the camels were already overloaded. With a gesture between displeasure and generous, he invited his pages and squires to keep the precious stones they managed to collect and take with them.

While the young men eagerly threw themselves on the rich booty, and searched the sand frantically, the prince continued his journey into the desert.

However, he noticed that someone continued to walk behind him. He turned and saw that it was one of his pages, following him panting and sweating.

"And you," asked the prince, "didn't you stop to pick up anything?"

The young man gave an answer full of dignity and pride: "I follow my king."

Many of Jesus' disciples backed down and no longer went with him. Then Jesus asked the Twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You alone have words that give eternal life. And now we believe and know that you are the one God sent." (Jn 6:66-69)

 

(Translated and adapted by Soroj Mullick SDB. Cf. Carmen Laval, La Domanda, in Bolletino Salesiano,  June 2024, pp.10-13.)


The Dangers of Divination and Misplaced Faith Deliverance: A Reflection on Faith, Psychology and Ethics

  In the Old Testament the practice of psychics and mediums is described as “an abomination.” The prophet Zechariah warns against false divi...