Dedicated Disciple of the Cross -DDC

Fr Conrad - in HIS service

(written by one whose life was changed by Fr Conrad's retreats)

Fr. Conrad Saldanha: A priest of the Archdiocese of Bombay, India was ordained in the year 2002.

He Grew up in a devout Catholic family and yet grew up doubting his faith, growing to be an Atheistic humanist.

 

At 18, while at an all India youth convention, he had a deep encounter with God’s love for him and for all mankind,

This was a turning point in his life - a conversion!

 

As a young man Fr. Conrad was actively involved in the Church & at Archdiocesan level, even being a part of

the "spiritual preparation committee" for the Pope John Paul II visit to India in 1986.

 

Around 1982-83 he was exposed to theology taught by the seminary professors and had

his first shock -  on the corruption of theology by the theologians of the same seminary.

Despite having no scholarly background in theology... the Lord had given him the WISDOM.

So serious was it, that he had to step down from the covenant community in Mumbai as

he could no longer compromise on the corruption of doctrine and manipulation of church teachings to suit a socio-Marxist agenda,

actively supported and backed by the then Bishop’s of Bombay and their chosen theologians at that time.

 

At around 29 years, he discerned that he had a calling to join the diocesian priesthood

but the conflict in him of being brainwashed by the strong Psycho-socio-Marxist leanings of the seminary professors was a discouragement & fear.

 

And as expected, the seminary days were ridden with conflict and confrontation against erroneous doctrines, misrepresentation of Church Dogma, concealment of church documents.

 

Young Bro. Conrad, a keen reader and gifted by the Lord in this area, finally decided to act and brought it to the notice of the Archbishop, Cardinal Simon Pimenta who happened to be symphathetic to his concern but did very little to change the apple cart.  

 

The staff at the seminary not only rebuked but  pressure on him to leave as he did not fit in with the seminary thinking.

 

Fr. Conrad persisted with the issue with the new Archbishop Ivan Cardinal Dias, who did act - two senior professors were discontinued from teaching at the seminary!.  The hostility now increased manytimes over as they operated like mafia's with special backing from particular auxiliaries. 

 

Various attempts were made to hound and persecute Fr. Conrad, even attempting to  isolate him from the rest, hoping he would leave the seminary frustrated.  Attempt was also made to have him thrown out, on some pretext or the other, so that he would never be ordained.

Hence he was stalked and watched by even sycophants from among the seminarians.

 

Finally, they found a reason - when they sighted him for not attending the notoriously compromising Indian rite mass, which had readings from the scriptures of other religions, they made a case for the rustication of Fr. Conrad as a misfit and disobediet priest. But the Lord saw him through all this!

 

It was the final diaconate year, through a cleverly devised ploy, he was placed  in a parish and they had connived with the parish priest and his assistant, whose brother was on the staff at the seminary and related to one of the auxiliaries of the Archdiocese, to give a false & bad report to the Archbishop Cardinal Ivan and have him thrown out. Here again the Lords Hand was upon him.

 

Cardinal Ivan discerned the game plan!  After having delayed decon Conrad's ordination for year to ascertain for himself the truth of their accusations, he now placed him under a trusted Parish priest who gave a true and superlative report !

 

It is only the Lord's grace, that saw him finally ordained a Priest, with all the odds against him! - for HIM alone!

 

Post ordination, the Lord blessed Fr Conrad's hands - the spiritual contemplative retreats conducted by him was now becoming a rage, with abundant testimonies of healing and delivverance too!

 

Cardinal Ivan later appointed him full time for the ministry with a mandate that it should be encouraged and promoted as the ministry grows.

 

But it was shortlived! No sooner was Cardinal Ivan called to Rome to take up assignment as prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Poeples", his oppressors who now took charge of the Archdiocese, started a campaign to suppress the retreat work and ministry and they eventually managed to succeed.... on the pretext that Fr Conrad had no pastoral experience !!

 

The irony being, even as a young layperson, conrad was actively involved in active pastoral minstry in the Archdiocese.

 

Assurance from the new Archbishop that he will review and have it restarted later... were empty!

 

After 2 years of pastoral work,  when Fr Conrad followed up with the promise of re-starting the retreat ministry, he was now confronted with now even more devastating reasons.... allegation of sexual misdemeanor! and his questioning the SSC, i,e, “Small Christian Community "  as heretical in nature and destructive of the church. The so called SCC happened to be the brain child of one of the Auxiliaries. who could stomach no criticism of it.

 

Even though Canonically speaking there was no issue,  the Archbishop, an International expert in Canon Law, abused his office and knowledge of Canon Law and instituted an enquiry with clear aim of defrocking him as a priest, even on grounds of false beliefs.  But the Lord's hand encircled him !  

 

Not only did they not succeed but it only exposed their abuse of Canon Law, Civil law, Natural law and also the more stringent or grave violation of the "Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela".

 

They dug a pit before my face, and they are fallen into it.  Ps 56:7 (Douay-Rheims)

 

The decree issued against Fr Conrad by the Cardinal, seems to implicate the then Pope emeritus Benedict XVI too.  Perhaps the reason for the silence of Vatican in order to save their prince by disregarding the pauper!

 

Compelled to appeal to Rome, the appropriate dicastery has so far sadly, not responded either to Fr Conrad's appeal nor to the appeal of his learned and wise advocate Mr. Arthur D’mello.

 

The intrigues and falsity is evident in the slander and libel spread, threats received, attempts made on his life, isolating him, attempts at kidnapping and ill treatment meted out to Fr. Conrad Saldanha in the seminary, through isolation and left over food and not providing with basic facilities enjoyed by the others.  The intent is clear: WE WANT HIM OUT!!

  

Through many years of reflection under severe persecution,  Fr Conrad has rediscovered his primary vocation finally:

To be like his MASTER - Jesus.. .viz. fearlessly to expose and fight the falsity of erroneous doctrine that is lived and taught in the Church of Christ!!