four great Americans in a speech before the U.S. Congress in September 2015 and encouraged sowing dialogue and peace in "the contemplative style of Thomas Merton." Criticism In 1989, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, led by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) issued Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation. The letter addresses problematic elements found in some modern prayer methods, many of which have been influenced by Eastern religions and the New Age movement. Fr. Keating notes that this letter does not apply to Centering Prayer, and states that "the gift of contemplative prayer can only be granted through the Holy Spirit." Connie Rossini and Dan Burke, however, argue that there are similarities between the teaching of Fr. Keating and his colleagues and specific criticisms made by the CDF, while Dan DeCelles considers Centering Prayer to fall afoul of the caution against similar prayer forms in this letter. In 2003, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Pontifical Council for Culture published Jesus Christ, The Bearer of the Water of Life: A Christian Reflection on the "New Age". Susan Brinkmann writes that her concerns were addressed in this document. Centering Prayer practitioners respond that Bearer of the Water of Life does not have doctrinal authority, and neither Vatican document mentions Centering Prayer, Contemplative Outreach, or Fr. Keating by name. According to Connie Rossini, Centering Prayer is contradicted by the teachings of St. Theresa. She further states that centering prayer is in contradiction to Lectio Divina, arguing that traditional prayers such as the Holy Rosary and Lectio Divina engage the heart and mind with Sacred Scripture, while Centering Prayer is "devoid of content". Rev. John D. Dreher argues that Centering Prayer is a distortion of the teachings of the Desert Fathers and The Cloud of Unknowing. Research Research has been conducted on the Centering Prayer program, indicating that it may be helpful for women receiving chemotherapy, and that it may help congregants experience a more collaborative relationship with God, as well as reduced stress. Andrew B. Newberg explained one study that examined the brains of nuns who engaged in Centering Prayer, which is meant to create a feeling of oneness with God. The nuns' brain scans showed similarities to people who use drugs like psilocybin mushrooms, Newberg said, and both experiences "tend to result in very permanent changes