The Vatican published a study to explain the New Age movement--what it is, its history and practices--and determine whether it is compatible with Christianity.
They say that New Age, which includes a mix of cosmic religiosity and beliefs and practices such as yoga, mediation and healing with crystals, should be taken seriously and is influencing many aspects of contemporary culture.
Members of the New Age movement believe that the Age of Aquarius, which will begin early in this millennium, will signal the phasing out of Christianity.
The Vatican’s 90-page document, "Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life: A Christian Reflection on New Age," was six years in the making and says the popularity of the New Age movement stems from a "spiritual hunger of men and women" unsatisfied with existing religion, political institutions or science.
It is intended, primarily, for pastoral workers of the Catholic Church to understand some of the elemental differences between New Age and Christian thought, including the concepts of God, Jesus and sin.
While the study acknowledges that some aspects of the New Age movement, such as environmental preservation, are positive, it stresses that marketing books, therapies, and crystals drive much of the New Age phenomenon.
The Vatican is worried that people might turn away from the church in favor of a holistic spiritualism that risks diminishing God. The document offers some practical steps for priests to follow, such as highlighting the "riches of the Christian spiritual heritage" as a way to counter the search for New Age remedies. It also offers a glossary of New Age terms, like the Age of Aquarius, feng shui and crystals.
The document encourages dialogue between the groups, but cautions that some New Age prayer meetings or initiation ceremonies may lure people into a false sense of worship.
The Vatican didn’t say why the document is being released some 30 years after the New Age movement began in the United States, but did suggest that it is not their final word on the subject, a more definitive document will be published in the future.
The Miami Herald February 4, 2003
VOA News February 4, 2003
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