I feel for this man too. He seemed very nervous, and maybe even a little threatened (though not physically).
For starters, I do not want to make any serious assumptions concerning what transpired here. However, there are several possibilities. Bear in mind, the only thing we can do is speculate.
First of all, it did not appear the priest was very articulate. I wondered at times if he totally understood the questions and/or concepts. Perhaps there were serious language barriers here. It’s clear he had a hard time expressing himself.
Second, in India their way of thinking is radically different. They subscribe to a “both/and” way of thinking; in the west we are very “either/or.” There is a sense in which the things he said are true, but these truths need serious clarification coming from a western mindset. I can elaborate if you would like.
Finally, it’s likely he was reluctant to speak boldly on Christian beliefs because there are anti-conversion laws in India, prohibiting evangelization. Maybe he deemed the timing of such discussions unsafe, and was therefore reluctant to proclaim the gospel. (It’s unclear how many people surrounded him.) It could very well be that a police officer or a Hindu militia member was nearby. We just don’t know.
For all we know this is a hoax.
For all we know this was edited in such a way to undermine the Catholic faith.
For all we know the priest was promoting things contrary to the faith. (This would not be first time time.)
For all we know he could simply have poor apologetics skills.
I tend to think there could be pieces of truth to all these points, and in various degrees.
This is all speculation! We cannot make a definitive deduction based on these clips.
I hope and pray that this man can more clearly explain the Church’s beliefs in the future. I also hope and pray that many “seekers” are not misguided by this video.
