INDIA, November 27, 2002: An array of practices is being employed by Christian faiths when converting Hindus to Christianity, which are designed for Indians to be more comfortable with Christian worship practices. A letter written from Vatican City to an Archbishop in India in 1969 which was in response to a set of proposals from the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India, seeking adaptation of Hindu religious practices for worship by the newly enrolled faithful. Among the proposals were: The posture during Mass, both for the priests and the faithful, may be adapted to local usage, that is, sitting on the floor, standing and the like; footwear may be removed also. Genuflecting may be replaced by the profound bow with the anjali mudra, holding hands together. Oil lamps could be used instead of candles. In the offertory rites, the Indian form of worship may be integrated, that is, double or triple “arati” of flowers and incense. To read the full report, go to “source” above.
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