Bishop José Ignacio Munilla Criticizes Father Pablo d’Ors’ Theory Linking Christianity with Buddhism in Madrid

José Ignacio Munilla, the bishop of Orihuela-Alicante in Spain, recently addressed controversial theories put forward by Father Pablo d’Ors.

The theories, which suggest a blending of Christianity and Buddhism, have raised concerns for the Spanish prelate.

Munilla was particularly critical of d’Ors’ interpretation of the Gospel, describing it as a “crazy” and syncretistic approach.

Father Pablo d’Ors’ Controversial Claims

The controversy began after Father d’Ors, the founder of the Friends of the Desert association, presented his ideas at the first Ibero-American meeting for religion teachers in Madrid in May 2022.

His talk, titled “Jesus of Nazareth, Teacher of Consciousness,” proposed a radically different understanding of Jesus, one that Munilla argues goes against the traditional teachings of the Church.

Father d’Ors’ central thesis, according to Munilla, is that to truly understand Jesus, we must discard what we know from the Scriptures and Church tradition.

Instead, d’Ors suggests that this existing knowledge of Jesus only confuses us and that we must “start from scratch” to find the truth about him.

The Theory of Jesus as a ‘Yogi’

Munilla took particular issue with d’Ors’ assertion that, during his “hidden years,” Jesus did not stay in Nazareth but instead traveled to places like India to learn Eastern wisdom.

This, according to d’Ors, would make Jesus a “yogi.”

Munilla described this theory as an ideological projection, accusing d’Ors of merging Christianity and Buddhism in a way that has no foundation in the Gospels.

For Munilla, claiming that Jesus’ wisdom came from places like India or Tibet before starting his ministry contradicts the Gospels and undermines the core Christian teachings about Christ.

A Rejection of the Gospels and Christology

Munilla emphasized that suggesting Jesus could have learned divine wisdom from India or Tibet disrespects the Gospels and misrepresents the nature of Christ.

He pointed to passages from the Gospel of St. John (5:19-20, 7:16-17, and 12:49) that highlight how Jesus’ wisdom comes directly from God the Father.

This, Munilla argued, stands in stark contrast to d’Ors’ claim that Jesus’ wisdom might have been influenced by Eastern teachings.

In the bishop’s view, d’Ors’ theory is an attempt to merge Buddhism with Christianity, requiring a reinterpretation of Jesus’ wisdom and message in a way that contradicts the Scriptures.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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