JANUARY 18, 2004, vol 54, no 2 by CatholicNews

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Archdiocese joins fundraising for Iran earthquake victims By Mel Diamse-Lee SINGAPORE - If you come face to

face with a school girl in tudung carrying a Mercy Relief tin can at your church next Sunday, don’t be surprised. And don’t move away. The student is a volunteer of the Muslim welfare organisation helping to raise funds for the victims of the Iran earthquake. She’s in your parish because the Catholic archdiocese is taking part in the island-wide “street collection” together with MUIS (Islamic Religious Council O f Singapore), the Singapore Soka Association, Young Sikh

A M ERCY Relief volunteer at a street collection last year. The archdiocese is taking part in the island-wide Jan 25 fund raising for the victims of the Iran earthquake.

Association and Singapore’s Iranian community. All collections from the respective communities and other members of the public will be channeled to support relief and rehabilitation work for the 40,000 families affected by the

earthquake in Bam. According to Mercy Relief chairman Zulkifli Baharudin the organisation and the Singapore Red Cross Society are looking at short-to-mid-term relief projects to address the healthcare needs of the people, among others. □

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after their commissioning by Archbishop Nicholas Chia - the first time ever in Singapore. Some 20 guides were commissioned during Mass at the chapel of the Canossian Convent at Jalan M erbok on the Feast of Epiphany, Jan 4. The Sojourners’ Companions comprise

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commissioned and volunteer prayer guides who journey in prayer based on Scripture with pilgrims during a Week of Guided Prayer. The Sojourners’ Companions first came into being in 1995 and have since conducted more than 20 Weeks of Guided Prayer in local and Malaysian parishes. Recent sessions were conducted in the parishes of Holy Family, Holy Spirit, OLPS and St. Francis Xavier. To find out more about the Week of Guided Prayer, email sojourners@catholic.org.sg. □

SINGAPORE - Archbishop’s Cup 2003 - the annual

soccer tournament for Altar Servers - saw teams from 14 parishes participating: 8 from the U nder-13 years category and 15 from the Under-20 years category. The tournament was held December 13 at Boon Lay Primary School. The enthusiasm of the players was evident in spite of a slight downpour; all teams played in a spirit of friendly competition - some servers attributed this to the prayers said before each game; and parents gave much support and encouragement. The Church of St. Francis Xavier team (photo) won the Under 13 competition for the second time running with Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea second, and Church of St. Anthony third. The top scorer was Jeremy Mark from the Church of St. Francis Xavier. In the Under 20 finals, Queen of Peace Church (which participated after a long absence) beat Blessed Sacrament Church in a heart-stopping match.Third place went to Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea. The top scorer for this age group was Jason from Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea. L

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Archbishop Chia celebrates 40 years of priesthood SINGAPORE - Archbishop Nicholas Chia will celebrate the 40th anniversary of his ordination to priesthood January 26,2004. To commemorate this happy occasion, there will be a Eucharistic Celebration at the Church of the Holy Spirit on Jan 25 at 5.00 pm. Everyone is invited to this celebration. Following the Eucharistic Celebration will be a dinner at the Orchard Hotel at 7.30 pm. All tickets for the dinner have been taken up. Archbishop Nicholas Chia wants to use the occasion of his 40th sacerdotal anniversary to

focus on vocations to the priesthood and the religious life. In line with this, a commemorative souvenir magazine has been produced, focusing on the diocesan priesthood and the various religious congregations ministering in Singapore. To emphasise the theme, a Vocation Exhibition will be staged by the Holy Spirit Parish Vocations Team at the Church of the Holy Spirit on the weekends of January 1 7 - 1 8 and 24 - 25. In the afternoon of January 25, there will be a programme of Prayer for Vocations at the

Church of the Holy Spirit from 3.00pm onwards. The programme will include Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Divine Mercy prayer for vocations, praise and worship, a video clip of life in the Major Seminary, and rosary for vocations. Everyone is invited to participate in the programme. During the Anniversary Dinner, a video presentation on vocations will be screened. All Catholics are encouraged to pray for Archbishop Nicholas Chia on this anniversary, that the Lord God will bless him with good health and help him to lead and guide the Church in Singapore. □

the Holy Infant Jesus is Waiting

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New faces at CN Father Frederick Quek, of the Church of Our Lady of the Nativity, and Sister Wendy Ooi from the Daughters of St Paul, have joined the Catholic News as part of their apostolate. Father Fred, currenly the archdiocesan coordinator of the youth ministry, was a sports journalist with a local newspaper for 12 years. He joined St Francis Xavier Major Seminary in 1993 and was ordained to the priesthood in July 2001. Sr Wendy Ooi was a TV producer before joining the Daughters of St Paul as a novice in 1993. She took her perpetual vows in March last year. □

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9187-9051/9785-2605 By Mel Diamse-Lee SINGAPORE - While much of

Singapore was out in force merry making to welcome the new year, one group has steered away from the noise to spend the last several hours of 2003 and the first hours of 2004 praying for world peace. Gathered at the Kallang Theatre, some 2000 Bahais, Buddhists, Catholics, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs took turns to invoke G od’s blessings with chants, praise and worship songs and readings from their sacred scriptures. Amidst the prayerful ambience participants to the Dec 31, 2003-Jan 1, 2004 “Prayer for World Peace” gathering also mingled freely with one another, sharing in the halal vegetarian food catered for the occasion. Greeting believers at the main entrance of the theatre were exhibition panels on the nine

ARCHBISHOP’S OFFICIAL DIARY Jan 18

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major religions in Singapore. Guest-of-honour Chan Soo Sen, Minister of State for Education and Community Development and Sports, noted that the inter-faith prayer event is unique to Singapore. He said it is not within one’s control whether their prayers will be answered. At least they have played their part in promoting world peace and religious harmony, he assured the participants. Mr Tan Thiam Lye, chairman of the Singapore Taoist Federation said after the gathering that the federation “strongly believes the event has fostered the relationship between each religious organization and is a stepping stone towards achieving our goals.” Sr Theresa Seow, chairman of the Inter-Religious Organisation, also addressed the believers. “Prayer does not change things but changes the person who prays,” she quoted a popular saying. She noted that those who come to such prayer gatherings believe that there is a need to us to pray and gather. However such convictions should not end at the gathering but be lived out at home, in the workplace and elsewhere to foster peace, she said. □

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THE Singapore trio at the Orphanage in Bethlehem. are organising in December this year. In Jerusalem, “our spiritual fervor increased,” said Dr Oon as they partook of much spiritual nourishment including Latin Mass at Holy Sepulcher Basilica, the site of Jesus’cruciftxion and resurrection, and an English Mass inside the Crusader Chapel where the Hospitaller services first began. Leaving Jerusalem and crossing into Palestine, they reached the Holy Family Children’s Hospital in Bethlehem and the Orphanage which is run

separately by French Daughters of Charity. On Christmas day, they were greeted by the orphans - toddlers to eight-year-olds who were abandoned by their parents because of poverty or war - who sang them “ Jingle BelT’and “Silent Night”. “The Orphanage was a place of immense love, and we saw the faces o f many “baby Jesus” as they came forward to hug us,” said Dr Oon. “It was also a place of immense sadness, as they wanted so much to be loved,” he added. The Christmas Mass at the Nativity Church —the place o f Jesus’ birth - was celebrated by the Pontifical Representative for the Holy Land, Michel Sabbah. “We were all reminded o f our human frailties, and that no matter who we are - Jews, Muslims or Christians - we have to learn to live peacefully together,” Dr Oon remarked. The pilgrimage made, the rosary beads obtained, and hospital and children visited, Dr Oon could say again with satisfaction, “Mission accomplished.” □

Transfers in Kuala Lumpur KUALA LUMPUR - M sgr James Gnanapiragasam has been appointed the new parish priest of the Cathedral of St John in Bukit Nanas. He will take over from Msgr Daniel Lim, who has been appointed as parish priest of the Church of the Holy Rosary in Brickfields. Taking over from Msgr Gnanapiragasam as parish priest

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The mentally disabled need love too VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II says the

mentally handicapped have the same need for love proper to every man and woman, and he calls for “continuous and discreet educational support” for them. The pope addressed the emotional and sexual dimension of the mentally handicapped in a message sent to the participants of the Symposium on the Dignity of the Person with Mental Disabilities held here in early January. The symposium is an initiative of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the conclusion of the European Year of Disabled People. ’’Particular attention must be given to the emotional and sexual dimensions of disabled persons,” the lengthy papal message states. “It is an aspect that is often eliminated or addressed in a superficial and reductive or even ideological way.” ’’The sexual dimension is, however, one of the constitutive dimensions of the person who, insofar as created in the image of God Love, is originally called to manifest itself in encounter and communion,” he adds. ’’The assumption for the emotionalsexual education of the handicapped person lies in the conviction that he has the same need for affection as any other person. He also needs to love and to be loved, has need of tenderness, closeness

and intimacy,” the pope writes. ’’The reality, unfortunately, is that the person with disabilities must live these legitimate and natural needs in a situation of disadvantage, which becomes ever more evident with the passage from childhood to adulthood,” he continues. ’’The handicapped person, although he has lesions in his mind and in his interpersonal relations, seeks genuine relations in which he is appreciated and recognized as a person,” the pope states. ’’The experiences realized in some Christian communities have shown that an intense and stimulating community life, a

continuous and discreet educational support, the promotion of friendly contacts with adequately trained persons, the custom of channeling impulses and of developing a healthy sense of modesty as respect of one’s own personal intimacy, are often able to re-balance emotionally the person with mental disabilities and lead them to experience rich, fruitful and satisfying interpersonal relations,” the message adds. ’T o show the handicapped person that he is loved, means to reveal to him that we value them,” the Holy Father continues. “Attentive listening, understanding of

Pope John Paul II says the mentally handicapped person seeks genuine relations in which he is appreciated and recognized as a person, needs to love and to be loved.

“Rights cannot be only the prerogative of the healthy”

VATICAN CITY - The quality of life of a

community is measured by the care given to the weakest, especially the disabled, says Pope John Paul II. The pope expressed this conviction in a message sent to the participants of the international Symposium on the Dignity of the Person with Mental Handicaps. The three-day symposium, an initiative of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,took place at the conclusion of the European Year of Disabled Persons. The Holy Father begins his message by outlining the Christian view of the situation. The “disabled person, even when wounded in the mind or in his sensorial and intellective capacities, is a fully human individual, with the sacred and inalienable rights proper to every creature,” he writes. “The human being, in fact, regardless of the conditions in which he lives his life and the capacities that he might manifest, possesses a unique dignity and singular value starting from the beginning of his existence until the moment of natural death,” the lengthy message says. “The person of the disabled, with all his limitations and sufferings, compels us to question ourselves with respect and wisdom on the mystery of man,” the pope continues. “The more we penetrate the dark and unknown areas of human reality, the more we understand that precisely in

A M OTHER kisses her daughter during a special Mass for World Day of the Sick, c n s a u photo

Quality of society’s life gauged by care of disabled, says pope the most difficult and disquieting situations the dignity and grandeur of the human being emerges.” “The wounded humanity of the handicapped challenges us to acknowledge, accept and promote in each one of these brothers of ours the incomparable value of the human being

created by God,” the papal text explains. “The quality of life within a community is measured, to a large extent, by commitment in the care of the weakest and the neediest, and by respect for their dignity as men and women,” the pope adds. “The world of rights cannot be only

needs, the sharing of sufferings, patience in accompaniment are likewise ways to introduce the handicapped person to a human relationship of communion to make him perceive his value, to make him aware of his capacity to receive and give love.” ’’Without a doubt, handicapped people, in revealing the radical frailty of the human condition, are an expression of the drama of suffering and, in our world eager for hedonism and seduced by ephemeral and deceitful beauty, their difficulties are often perceived as a scandal and a provocation and their problems as a burden that must be eliminated or rapidly resolved,” the pope says. ’’They, however, are living images of the crucified Son. They reveal the mysterious beauty of the One who emptied him self for us and became obedient unto death,” the pontiff contends. ’’Because of this, and with reason, it has been said that persons with disabilities are privileged witnesses of humanity,” he points out. He adds: “They can teach all what saving love is and can become messengers of a new world, which is not dominated by force, violence and aggressiveness, but by love, solidarity, acceptance, a new world transfigured by the light of Christ, Son of God, incarnated for us, crucified and resurrected.” □ z e n i t

the prerogative of the healthy,” he writes. “The participation must be facilitated of the disabled person, to the degree possible, in the life of society and he must be helped to develop all his potential in the physical, psychic and spiritual order.” “A society that would only make room for fully functional members, completely autonomous and independent, would not be a society worthy of the human being,” he says categorically. “Discrimination in virtue of efficiency is no less to be condemned than that in virtue of race or sex or religion,” the pontiff explains. At the same time, John Paul II states that there is “a subtle form of discrimination in the policies and educational projects that try to hide or deny the deficiencies of the handicapped person, proposing styles of life and objectives that do not correspond to their reality and in the end are frustrating and unjust.” “The recognition of rights must be followed, therefore, by the sincere commitment of all to create concrete conditions of life, support structures and juridical guarantees capable of responding to the needs and the dynamics of growth of the handicapped person and those who share his situation, beginning with his relatives,” the papal document exhorts. “People with mental handicap perhaps have greater need of care, affection, understanding and love,” John Paul II adds. “They cannot be left alone, defenseless or unprotected, in the difficult task of facing life.” □ z e n i t

MASS

Silence is a vital ingredient that is too often missing at Mass, pope says in document marking Vatican II B y C in d y W o o d en

VATICAN CITY - Marking the 40th

anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s document on the liturgy, Pope John Paul II said the one ingredient too often missing from the modem Mass is silence. “An aspect which must be cultivated with greater commitment in our communities is the experience of silence,” he said in a Dec. 4 apostolic letter marking the anniversary of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. “The liturgy, among its various moments and signs, cannot ignore that of silence,” he said in the letter released during a Vatican conference marking the anniversary. “In a society that lives in an increasingly frenetic manner, often dazed by noise and scattered by the transient, rediscovering the value of silence is vital,” the pope wrote in the document, which was distributed in Italian to participants at the conference, sponsored by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. Pope John Paul said people’s pressing need for silence and for the experience of collecting or composing themselves is the main motivation behind so many new forms of meditation. While people may need some guidance in learning how to be silent and still, he said, respecting the times of silence called for in the Mass is an important part of Christian prayer.

Silence

CNS photo

REDISCOVERING the value of silence is vital, the pope says. Pope John Paul said the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council was one of God’s greatest gifts to the church in the 20th century. “With the passing of time, in the light of the fruits it has produced,” he said, the importance of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy “is increasingly clear.” The pope called for an “examination of conscience” regarding how the church and its parishes have put liturgical reforms into action. “Is the liturgy lived as the ‘source and culmination’ of church life?” he asked. Have people rediscovered the value of the Bible? Does the Mass truly set the rhythm for the life of

every Catholic community? Is the liturgy experienced as a “path to holiness” and a motivation for reaching out to the poor and to those who have not heard the Gospel? While “not being content with the minimum,” Catholic priests must teach people to pray and to participate in the Mass “taking into account the abilities of individual believers with their various conditions of age and culture.” One of the great things about the liturgical reform, he said, was that “it demonstrated how it is possible to join norms which guarantee the identity and decorum of the liturgy with space for creativity and adaptation that draw the liturgy closer to the

expressive needs of various regions, situations and cultures.” Pope John Paul said a lack of respect for the norms sometimes has led to “serious abuses” which cast a shadow over the mystery being celebrated and which cause concern and tensions among Catholics. “Such abuses have nothing to do with the authentic spirit of the (Second Vatican) Council and must be corrected by pastors with an attitude of prudent firmness,” he said, without specifying any particular abuse. The pope said it is “more necessary than ever to increase the liturgical life within our communities,” by educating Catholics about the meaning of the Mass and its various moments and their role as participants. The church faces a special challenge in regions where Christian life and practice are diminishing, the pope said. Despite secularization, he said, many people show signs of a thirst for the spiritual and for prayer. “Before this yearning for an encounter with God, the liturgy offers the deepest and most effective response,” he said. “It does so especially in the Eucharist, in which we have been given the possibility of uniting ourselves with Christ and nourishing ourselves with his body and his blood.” Religious educators and, especially, priests have an obligation to help people see the mystery, beauty and priceless gift of the Mass, he said. □ c n s

Individual’s need for a sense of devotion versus the liturgy’s role as the prayer of a believing community

Balancing needs By C in d y W o o d en

VATICAN CITY- Forty years after

THE Eucharist is Christ’s greatest gift to the Church, says the pope, c n s photo

the Second Vatican Council ordered a reform of Catholic liturgy, the church faces the challenge of balancing an individual’s need for a sense of devotion with the liturgy’s role as the prayer of a believing community, a Claretian priest said. Father Matias Auge, a consultant to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, told a Vatican conference that “putting in harmony the needs of the individual and those of the community” would solve many of the tensions currently surrounding the liturgy.

The priest spoke Dec. 4 at a daylong conference sponsored by the congregation to mark the 40th anniversary of Vatican II’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy and the 100th anniversary of Pope Pius X ’s document on sacred music. The reforms of liturgy, while disconcerting to some people and taken as a license for unbridled experimentation by others, have increased Catholics’ knowledge of and participation in the Mass, speakers said. Many of the speakers also cited as a positive result the renewed emphasis on sharing the Word of God as well as the Eucharist during Mass. Father Auge said the widespread feeling that the new Mass has lost a

“sense of mystery” must be addressed, but not by giving in to an attitude that liturgy should be “a strictly individual and purely private affair.” Downplaying the meaning of the liturgy as the prayer of the Christian community gathered together is a reflection of secularized culture that tolerates religious expression only when it is private, he said. Father Auge said respect must be given to the “spaces for silence, prayer and contemplation” called for in the liturgy because, even though people are praying together at Mass, they have a right not to be bombarded by an “arbitrary multiplication of words and gestures.”

Pope says music at Mass must reflect the sacredness of the occasion and help people pray, and Gregorian chant and pipe organs hold pride of place in Catholic liturgical music

Music

By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY - While Gregorian

chant and pipe organs hold pride of place in Catholic liturgical music, the use of new compositions and other instruments are appropriate at Mass if they reflect the sacredness of the occasion and help people pray, Pope John Paul II said. “To the degree that they help the prayer of the church,” other instruments and musical styles “can be a precious enrichment” of the liturgy, the pope said in a Dec. 3 document on sacred music. The document, released only in Italian, marked the 100th anniversary of a document on the same theme written by Pope Pius X. While many modem liturgical songs use styles and instruments “not lacking in dignity,” Pope John Paul said, “one must ensure that the instruments are appropriate for sacred use, suited to the dignity of the temple, are able to support the faithful’s singing and promote their edification.” Sacred music functions both as a way to pray and to praise God as well as a way to involve the entire congregation in the celebration of the Mass, he said. As St. Pius X said, music is “an integral part of the solemn liturgy” and not merely a decorative device, the pope wrote. “Throughout its history, the church has favored song in its liturgical celebrations, providing - according to the creativity of

INCULTURATION is especially important in mission territories. Above, indigenous Mexican dancers perform at the Mass of canonization for Juan Diego at Mexico City’s Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, c n s photo

MUSIC is an integral part of the solemn liturgy and not merely a decorative device. every culture - marvelous examples of melodious commentary on the sacred texts of the rites of the West as well as the East,” Pope John Paul said. The pope reminded readers that at a general audience in February, “I underlined the need ‘to purify worship of stylistic rough edges, of sloppy forms of expression, and of clumsy music

and texts, which are hardly consonant with the greatness of the act being celebrated’ in order to assure the dignity and beauty of liturgical music.” The music used at Mass must be sacred music based on sacred texts, he said. Its content and tempo must match the gestures and tone of the liturgical action it accompanies.

Secular music is not appropriate at Mass, the pope said, nor are “elitist” attempts to “introduce into the liturgy ancient or contemporary compositions which, while perhaps having artistic value, indulge in a language that is incomprehensible.” In the Latin-rite church, Gregorian chant has had a special

CARDINAL Ivan Dias of Mumbai, India, said the Second Vatican Council highlighted “the common priesthood of the faithful and the communal aspect o f the people of God in liturgical celebrations, especially in the holy M ass.” In the area of sacred music, the council encouraged singing by the entire assembly and the use of appropriate local music, he said. Inculturation - allowing local culture to influence the music and gestures used in the liturgy - is especially important in mission territories “to avoid the risk that Christianity is considered a foreigner or even an intruder in the local culture,” the cardinal said. Cardinal Dias, who was a Vatican diplomat before being named to Mumbai, said in working and traveling around the world he has been able to see “how well” sacred music has been inculturated.

“I have appreciated the popular liturgical songs which the faithful sing with joy during the holy Mass, the hymns and gracious dances with which they accompany the presentation of the gifts at the offertory,” he said. In India, he said, as the celebrating priest sings the doxology at the end of the eucharistic prayer, dancers offer homage to the Trinity with “flowers, fire and incense.” In Ghana, he said, the Ashanti people use drums during the consecration “to announce with pride the arrival of the king of kings, Christ the lord.” There is a limit to what should be permitted, Cardinal Dias said; “beat” music and jazz are too secular for Mass. The cardinal said he supported the idea of the Vatican establishing an office to promote sacred music, especially Gregorian chant, that can be used everywhere as a reflection o f the universality of the church.

“However, as regards inculturated sacred music, I believe it is best to leave promotion and vigilance up to the leaders of particular churches and to bishops’ conferences which know better the local cultural milieu,” he said.

CARDINAL Francis E. George of Chicago told the conference there was need for more study and a better understanding of what it means to participate in the liturgy. For many people, he said, “the emphasis is on verbal response and physical gesture and, in fact, the post-conciliar experience is one of an extremely verbal liturgy with much activity going on.” While words, gestures and thinking are part of participating and understanding, he said, emotion, feeling and an appreciation of beauty also are involved.

place for centuries, and its beauty and appropriateness for Catholic worship have not waned, he said. Pope John Paul said, “I make my own the ‘general law ’” that new liturgical music should “draw its inspiration and taste” from Gregorian chant. “Obviously, it is not a matter of copying Gregorian chant, but rather making sure that new compositions are pervaded with the same spirit that gave rise to and slowly modeled that music,” he said. With solemnity and dignity, the pope wrote, the music at Mass should reflect an “exuberance of joy, love and faithful expectation of the salvific intervention of God.” The papal document also emphasized the importance of well-trained choirs, cantors and instrumentalists not only in making the Mass beautiful, but also in helping the congregation participate through singing. When the celebrant and other ministers, the lector, cantor, choir and assembly all fulfill their assigned roles, he said, the result is a “spiritual climate that makes the liturgical moment truly intense, participatory and fruitful.” Pope John Paul asked the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments as well as bishops and priests around the world to be more vigilant in assuring an appropriate use of suitable liturgical music and to promote both the training of liturgical musicians and the work of composers. □ c n s

An overemphasis on the people gathered in a particular church for a particular Mass, Cardinal George said, can block appreciation of the Mass as a prayer of the Trinity, of the saints and of the entire church of all time together. The way human beings engage in ritual behavior cannot be ignored, he said. “The activity is ceremonious, formal, repetitive.” If the gestures, signs and symbols are profound - as they are in the Catholic liturgy - then novelty and spontaneity actually get in the way of understanding, he said. “Immersion in the ritual action takes the participants out of themselves and transforms them,” he said. “On the other hand, numerous and rapid changes in ritual forms can produce estrangement and anomie, an experience reported by many of the faithful in the post-conciliar years.” □

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gestures, music and surroundings, inspires reverence for all of the Catholic faith and ultimately for God himself. H ere’s a checklist of the practices being encouraged at the parish level. Although written for parishes in the US, many of the recommendations are also applicable to Singapore : — Use different music and styles of liturgy at each Sunday Mass in parishes which offer more than one Mass every weekend. It is good for some Masses to be more solemn, and others to be simpler or quieter — Offer Communion under both forms when possible. — Teach people to chant parts of the Mass in Latin for use on special occasions or at multilingual liturgies. — Encourage all liturgical ministers - readers, servers, cantors, choir members, musicians and eucharistic ministers - to practice and prepare carefully for their roles. — Make use of optional rituals on special occasions such as the use of incense, processions with candles and other rites. — Keep the tabernacle in a prominent and readily visible place. — Celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours, regular or perpetual eucharistic adoration, and devotions such as the rosary and Stations of the Cross. — Show reverence for the name of Jesus by bowing whenever his name is mentioned in the liturgy or elsewhere. REVERENCE at Mass starts with actions such as dressing appropriately and arriving on time; praying and reflecting on the readings before Mass; observing the one-hour fast before Communion; repenting of one’s sins; going to confession frequently; performing acts of self-denial; and showing Christian charity to others. Most of all, prepare by saying your daily prayer.

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REVERENCE also requires worshippers to leave behind the day-to-day world and enter into the heavenly celebration of the Mass. That includes turning off our cell phones and (other) distractions to give our full attention to God. Participation in the Mass includes silence at appropriate times. Periods of silence allow the mystery of Christ to soak deeply into our soul during the liturgy. Priests, deacons and lay people who fill liturgical roles should give God the best they have to offer in the care and quality of items such as vestments, altar cloths and sacred vessels. Liturgical ministers must also give their best in terms of talent, which means not only performing their part well, but also understanding the role they play and its importance in giving glory to God. THE posture worshippers assume at various times during Mass is a way of showing reverence with our bodies. W hen receiving Communion, the faithful should stand as they approach the priest, deacon or eucharistic minister and bow their heads before receiving the host or the chalice. Other personal gestures of piety after receiving Communion are permitted, but singular practices that draw attention to oneself should be avoided. It is hoped that renewal of the Mass and other liturgies would lead to renewal in other areas of Catholic life. It is hoped that reverence in celebration of the liturgy will cause Catholics to take their faith more seriously, schoolchildren to become more interested and involved in the Mass, more people to convert to the faith, more young men and women to be inspired to consider a vocation to priesthood or religious life and, most of all, give rise to a family of believers that has become one body, one spirit in Christ. □ c n s This checklist is based on a pastoral letter on the liturgy “One Body, One Spirit in Christ,” - issued by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky o f Peoria, Illinois, USA. The letter explains and expands upon the new General Instruction o f the Roman M issal which took effect in all U.S. dioceses Nov 30,2003

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Vatican gives green light to joint statement on Mary CATHOLIC - ANGLICANN RELATIONS Mary document cleared as Rome reverses boycott By Simon Caldwell

CATHOLIC and Anglican leaders will go ahead with a joint statement on the Virgin Mary after a Vatican U-turn on the suspension of ecumenical dialogue following the ordination of an openly gay bishop. The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity has lifted its opposition to the final work of the Anglican - Roman Catholic International. Commission (ARCIC) and the long-awaited statement on Our Lady will be released at the end of January. ARCIC, set up in 1970 after a meeting between Pope Paul VI and Michael Ramsey, the Archbishop of Canterbury, will then be superceded by the International Anglican Roman

Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM), set up in 2001 to “foster practical initiatives that would give expression to the degree of faith shared by Anglicans and Catholics”. But while the Holy See has allowed ARCIC to finish its work, it has insisted on the suspension of IARCCUM initiatives until the “ecclesiological issues” raised by the consecration of Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, America, are resolved. Bishop Robinson, a

divorced father of two, shartres a home with Mark Andrews, bhis partner of 14 years. The Pope and Cardinal ''Walter Kasper, the President of the

THE Virgin Mary and Christ Child are depicted in this icon of the Theotokos or Mother of God. CNS photo

THERE is a certain happy irony in the fact that the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion have now decided to press ahead with a proposed joint agreement on the Virgin Mary. The decision comes at a time of crisis in relations between the two communions, and it is remarkable that it is an ancient source of controversy which has emerged as a new focus of unity. A few centuries ago Mary was a locus of violent division between the Catholic Church and the emerging Church of England. Ruined shrines and empty niches across the country testify to the ferocity of the effort to destroy the Marian devotion of the English people. The Thirty-Nine Articles - the Church of England’s attempt to define itself in the wake of the controversies of the sixteenth century - forbade the invocation of the saints and, therefore, o f the Blessed Virgin Mary. Nevertheless, a certain devotion to Our Lady remained alive in the Church of England. Many parish churches, retained their original dedication to St Mary and High Church Anglicans, notably, the seventeenth century Caroline Divines, insisted on the holiness of the Mother of God. And since the Oxford Movement, a growing number of Anglican theologians have come to accept the Marian doctrines of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. The emergence of Mary as a point of ecumenical convergence was anticipated as long ago as the 1960s. That was the decade that Martin Gillett, and other likeminded Christians, founded the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This interdenominational society was created “to advance the study at

Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, warned Anglican leader Dr Rowan Williams in October that the appointment could cause the collapse of ecumenical dialogue because the Catholic Church believes homosexual sexual acts are morally wrong. The Holy See grew more frustrated when Episcopalian Bishop Frank Griswold, a chairman of ARCIC, presided over the consecration. It was only Bishop Griswold’s resignation last month that salvaged the ecumenical project. The Holy See’s new position was adopted after meetings in Rome between Cardinal Kasper and Canon John Peterson, the secretary general o f the Anglican Consultative Council.

Our Lady

and the quest for unity various levels of the place of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Church under Christ and to promote ecumenical devotion”.

THE forthcoming document on Mary by the Anglican - Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) will mark a significant step forward on one of the most contentious issues in English Christian history. Although we do not yet know what it will say, those who have seen the draft document describe it as a beautiful reflection on the place of Our Lady in the Anglican and Catholic traditions. The statement is likely to note growing agreement over the identity and role of the Virgin Mary and to call for new efforts to resolve outstanding differences. There are both Catholics and Anglicans who view the forthcoming document as a minor issue in ecumenical relations. These hard-headed ecumenical realists point out that there is currently little chance of a major breakthrough in the search for unity between Catholics and Anglicans. The Vatican has, after all, suspended the work of the new ecumenical body, the International Anglican - Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM), following the consecration of Canon Gene Robinson as the

Episcopalian Bishop of New Hampshire. But at the same time, the Vatican has permitted ARCIC to move forward with the statement on Mary. So while there is a necessary pause for reflection on the “ecclesiological concerns” raised by Bishop Robinson’s appointment, ARCIC is

Pope enjoys clown, speaks of Mary at audience

A STATEMENT later released by the Vatican explained that ARCIC could continue because its work was of a theological nature. But the statement said: “It was decided that the next plenary session of IARCCUM and its work towards the publication and reception of a Common Statement of Faith would have to be put on hold in the light of ecclesiological concerns. At the same time, the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church remain committed to continuing their dialogue, and agree that the work of the subcommittees of the Commission would proceed.” The statement added that Cardinal Kasper has welcomed a request of Dr Williams that an “appropriate means be found to reflect jointly upon the ecclesiological issues” in the light of the relevant Agreed Statements of ARCIC. “An ad hoc sub commission of LARCCUM will soon be established to undertake this task,” it said. □ c n s

given the chance to prove that dialogue is not an open-ended process that will never result in meaningful conclusions. When the report is published in late January it should become clear that Our Lady is no mere side issue in the quest for unity. The attitudes of the various Christian denominations towards Mary are closely linked to their beliefs on the Incarnation, the Church, grace, justification, Scripture, revelation and papal infallibility. If there is a substantial level of accord on Our Lady between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion then it may be possible to achieve agreement on these related issues. It is for this that Catholics in England - Our Lady’s Dowry - must continue to pray. □ c n s CNS photo

VATICAN CITY - To a thumping drumbeat

and the steady rhythms of an electric guitar, am American clown responded to Pope Joihn Paul II’s admonition to “always live youir faith in Christ with joy.” A ndrew Philip, wearing a fair amount! of face paint and a big red nose, juggledl for the pope at the end of his Jan 7 w eekly general audience. In hiis main audience talk, Pope John Paul aslked people to look at a Nativity scene amd think about the attitude and role o f M ary. “Thie same love, the same care which she hadl for her divine son, she has for us

as well,” he said. “Therefore, let her guide our steps in the new year that divine providence has given us to live.” The pope said his wish for everyone at the first general audience of 2004 was that “sustained and comforted by her maternal protection we may contemplate with renewed eyes the face of Christ and walk more swiftly on the paths of goodness.” □ c n s

S u n d a y s J a n u a r y 18 an d J a n u a r y 25, 2 0 0 4

IVnKI'O

□

C athoIicN ew s

“Here I am, Lord” Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart. THIS is the Archbishop’s favourite hymn. Inspired by G od’s words to the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8), they echo how the Archbishop, as a young boy of 16, first responded to God’s call. Now, 49 years later, they continue to hold true. Archbishop Nicholas Chia has never failed to answer whenever God beckoned. First, it was to enter the priesthood, then to teach and later be the procurator and chancellor of the Archdiocese. “These various experiences were not of my choice,” said Archbishop Chia. “They were given to me and I just submitted. “Although I was not inclined to the work, since I was given the responsibility, I took it up as it was G od’s will and I found the experiences very beneficial. I saw the importance of G od’s will and not my own inclinations.” So when God called upon him again in 2001 to step into the shoes of the Archbishop and shepherd the Singapore flock, Archbishop Chia gamely took it on. Being Archbishop is not an easy job. “It’s much more challenging because I have to make many decisions. I am ultimately responsible,” he said. Archbishop Chia works seven days a week from 6am to 10pm — sometimes as late as 11pm — with time only to catch the nightly news on CNA before turning in. He has had to give up almost all his leisure time, including the swim he used to enjoy now and then as a priest. His “officiaf’day begins with the 7am Mass at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. The rest of the morning is a flurry of activity from attending to correspondence to dealing with the various needs of the people. He sneaks a siesta in the afternoon, then continues working late into the night. Often, there are events to attend and Masses to celebrate - so many that the Archbishop has given up writing his sermons out on paper. “1 prepare only when it is official,” he said with a smile. “Otherwise, I just put it in my head.” His confidence today is a far cry from the young, nervous priest who literally read his first sermon from a typewritten piece of paper. “I was shivering away,” said Archbishop Chia, laughing at the memory. “Over the years, I realized that you have to look at the people you are speaking to so, now, it’s 90 per cent spontaneous.” With 40 years of priesthood under his belt, spontaneity comes a lot easier. Archbishop Chia is an easygoing man with a ready smile and laughing eyes. Without his tall hat and Archbishop staff, he appears younger than his actual 65. Formalities are dispensed with and we sat in the high-ceilinged kitchen of the Archbishop’s house and chatted over egg

tarts and iced water (Archbishop didn’t have any - “I eat to live,” he said.). He even let CathoIicNews “pose” him all over the Cathedral’s garden for photos. Despite his busy schedule, Archbishop Chia tries to connect with his people as much as possible. It’s evident from the heap o f Christmas cards on his office table that many have kept in touch. W ell-known as a people’s priest from his days at Holy Cross, the people factor is something he badly misses as Archbishop. “T here’s a lot of difference now in my life because as a parish priest it was much easier,” he said. “There was more personal contact before. The parishioners whom I know well are still very close and visit me and phone me up, but the contact with the people is just not the same.” Perhaps some are in awe o f his stature as Archbishop and don’t dare venture to chat with him. Often, it’s simply because Archbishop Chia is such a busy man.

HOLY MARY MOTHER OF GOD

A will to change SINCE he stepped up as Archbishop on Oct 7, 2001, he has been hard at work making numerous improvements. The first big shake up was the reshuffling of priests, which was met with some resistance. Said the Archbishop: “There were some people who were not very happy at first, but I think, in general, everyone is happy now. It was not easy, but it was something good.” Change, he added, is inevitable as life is not static. The transfer o f priests ensured the parishioners would benefit from the different talents o f different priests while the priests would be challenged with new kinds o f work. “It was a win-win situation,” said Archbishop Chia. Also in the process of change is the streamlining o f the administration of parishes. As shepherd o f the Singapore flock, Archbishop Chia is working hard on bringing up the laity, not just as nominal Catholics but as committed Catholics.” He is well known for his four categories of Catholics: • The Hatched, Matched and Dispatched Catholics - so called because they show up in church only for baptism, marriage and their funeral, • The Supermarket Catholics, who choose to practise only what is convenient for them, • The Outstanding Catholics, who stand outside the church during Mass (“But now with the aircon there are fewer of these,” said Archbishop Chia with a chuckle),

ARCHBISHOP Nicholas Chia takes time off from his hectic schedule to make the Catholic News photographer happy.

4 4 1 see him as someone who is very kind, faithful to his priestly commitment who goes the extra mile for those in need. } 9 - Canossian Sister Angela Ng

• And the Catholic Catholics, whom the Archbishop hopes to see more of. The difficulties of priesthood in the m odem world is a cause of concern and Archbishop Chia knows the importance of reaching out to his priests. He said: “There is a danger of materialism gripping the outlook of our religious and priests, so there is a need to focus on their spirituality.” As for himself, he simply hopes to be able to do a good job as Archbishop. Quoting St Paul, he said: “To those who love God, all things will work unto good.” “It’s a challenging position,” he said. “But, so far, I’ve survived.” □

4 4 The Archbishop is perhaps best known for his strong organisational and management qualities. He has a keen eye for, and an emphasis on, order. With 40 years of pastoral experience, he is a good shepherd in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, loving, kind, compassionate and just. 9 9 - Vicar General Monsignor Eugene Vaz

What does Archbishop Nicholas Chia thinink of the various issues affecting the Catholic Church today? Catatholic News finds out. O n physical beauty and plastic surgery “We have to try and make people realize that the most important thing is the quality of the person. We should focus on the dignity of the person. The exterior is secondary. “While it is always good to dress nicely and look neat, there must always be a limit. It is very hard to draw the line. It is no point being so beautiful, but your life is in shambles. “Beauty is more what we can give than what we receive. You may be very beautiful and receive the admiration of people, but what is important is what you give.”

O n fam ily “We are fighting against odds to put forth our stand,” said Archbishop Chia with reference to contraception and abortion. “It’s a hard fight, but I won’t give up and say it’s a losing battle.” O n chu rch u p grad in g w orks

AXSI SEIT

O n education “We are working towards a more holistic education and not simply stress on intellectual development. We must mould our children to be real people. “Intellectual, physical and moral all play a part. In Singapore, there is a danger of focusing so much on the intellectual that you become deformed.” Archbishop Chia used the metaphor of a bodybuilder who focused on building muscles in only his arms, while neglecting the rest of his body. In the end, he would look disproportionate and won’t perform well. O n vocation s “We try to make vocations known to people. By publicizing it, we make the information available to them. “For the priesthood, recruitment is like a pendulum, but for the religious brothers and sisters, the numbers are dwindling. In

schools, be;, besides Catholic Junior College, and Maris iris Stella High School, all the principals sals are lay principals. “It’s a \s a worldwide phenomenon.” Archbihbishop Chia said it could be because fa family units are becoming smaller so there an are fewer people able to enter religious lis life as their parents would depend on them in in old age. Another factor could be the lureure of the material world, he said. “VocaVations are more difficult in countries ts that are materially thriving.” In poojorer countries, vocations are easier b e e cause people see the suffering and needs o f fth e people. Archbbishop Chia added that in the future, m m ore missionaries are likely to be coming ouiout of poor countries like Africa, India and M Vietnam - a sort of reversal of roles from tom the old days when missionaries from Europurope traveled the world.

A simple

FATHER Nicholas Chia, second from right, and other priests after their ordination by the late Archbishop Michael Olcomendy at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. (L-R) Fr Aloysius Doraisamy, Fr Robert Balhetchet, Archbishop Michael Olcomendy, Fr Nicholas Chia, Fr Philip Kolandaisamy (MelakaJohor diocese).

WHO would have thought that the simple boy from Hougang, who loved fishing, swimming and catching butterflies in the river, would one day lead some 300,000 of God’s people? Who could have known that the conscientious student who plunged into religious life with nary a moment of hesitation would one day be the first Singapore-born Archbishop? Even for Archbishop Nicholas Chia’s family, the appointment came as a shock. Said his youngest sister, Ms Mabel Chia, 57, in an interview with The Straits Times when her brother was ordained

“Our focus must always be that what is built must be user-friendly and for the good of the people. “Aircon, I feel, is now part and parcel of living in Singapore, but we would not be in line to spend on extravagances. Spending should be for the good of the formation of the people. “The Church is not a place where people go to admire aesthetic beauty. We must aim for an atmosphere of religiosity.” Asked what he thought of the upgrading of the churches so far, Archbishop Chia said: “Some might be guilty of a bit of extravagance.” O n a ttra ctin g n ew C atholics “There is the question of how some people go to church to be entertained, but we should strive to go to church to be transformed.” Archbishop Chia said it would be easier to attract more people to the Catholic Church if priests were to resort to entertaining sermons, songs and fun events. However, these won’t ensure the newly converted are transformed inwardly, he said. “It is a difficult process... We must always remember that what we are trying to communicate is Christ. We are just the voice. The Word is from God, the content is from God.” □

bb oy from Hougang

Archbishopshop: “He was quite happy being a parish pwessriesf, so this was quite unexpected.”

BORN the the fourth of six children - he has three brotheothers and two sisters - in 1938 to Catholic pac parents, Archbishop Chia grew up in Hougangang. His fathfather was a secretary and his mother a ht a housewife. He atteattended school at Holy Innocents’ English Sol School (now Montfort School), and enferedered the minor seminary at 16. Said And Archbishop Chia: “I was drawn towards pris priesthood because o f the example of the late late Bishop Francis Chan, his parish priest at thet the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Viid Virgin Mary, and the influence of the Gabrielbrielite brothers. “I founcbund what they were doing was something ring meaningful, so when it was time for mer me to make a choice - 1 could have gone vne into teaching or into priesthood - 1 chose pre priesthood. “I just wst went in without a second thought.” His panparents were delighted and supportive ive of his choice and he went on to be ordainemed priest of Malacca-Singapore on Jan 26, ’6,1964. He was later appointed assistant pat parish priest in two churches. Betweeveen 1969 and 1972, Archbishop Chia went nt to Rome where he did his Masters in Moral T Theology and studied Comparative Religion. H He also picked up many languages

including Italian, French and German. Archbishop Nicholas Chia spent five years lecturing in the Penang College General before returning to Singapore to start the Singapore Pastoral Institute, where he was director for 12 years. He was the parish priest of Holy Cross Church for 21 years and the Chaplain to the university students at the National University of Singapore for 10 years. He continued as an external lecturer in the Major Seminary. He was also appointed procurator and chancellor of the Archdiocese and handled the finances and official documents of the Church. As a priest who loved being and working with the people, administrative work was definitely not his cup of tea, but the Archbishop took up the challenge nevertheless. It was, after all, the will of God. He was appointed Archbishop of Singapore May 15, 2001 and was ordained Oct 7, 2001. Keeping up with his family has become increasingly difficult over the years. With a brother in the US and a sister in New Zealand, the Archbishop doesn’t get to spend much time with them. He said the festive seasons, such as Christmas and Chinese New Year, are rare opportunities for the Chia siblings to get together. □

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FASTCHANGEA FACTOFL/FE B y F a t h e r R o b e r t L . K in a s t

W H EN I bought my computer four years ago, it was the latest model with the market’s fastest processor. Today it is virtually obsolete in terms of speed, downloading capabilities and the storing of graphics. During that same time period, cell phones appeared everywhere. Now when I ’m in an airport or other public place, I have a hard time finding a pay phone to make a call. These are relatively minor changes compared to the incredible advances in medical technology, the influence of satellite communication (and surveillance), and the impact of a global economy. An accelerated pace of change is now simply a fact of life. Nearly 40 years ago Vatican Council II recognized this fact and addressed it in the Constitution on the Church in the Modem World (No. 4). The council acknowledged that the rapid, massive changes at that time caused people to “hover between hope and anxiety, and wonder uneasily about the present course of events.” That assessment is even more true today. Constant change pressures some people into feeling they must always have the latest product and use the latest service or else they will be perceived as out of touch. A VCR must be replaced by a DVD, an appointment calendar by a palm pilot, a road map by a GPS device. For others, however, the actual number and nature of today’s changes can seem overwhelming and incline a person to resist every new development. I know people who take pride in being computer illiterate or who refuse to change harmful eating or smoking habits. In between this determined refusal to adapt and its opposite, a wholehearted acceptance of every change that comes along, there is a more discriminating and Christian attitude that can help us deal positively with change.

1. FIRST, the impact of change in so many areas of life challenges us as Christians to clarify our priorities and to evaluate new or proposed changes in light of those priorities. For most of us, the top priority is our love and care for one another. Thus we see that cell phones may keep busy family members in contact with one another while a steady diet of computer games and Internet surfing can isolate individuals and retard their interaction. What are some other priorities that need to be clarified in this

world of rapid change? — A job market that assumes people frequently will change employment and regularly relocate may provide lucrative salaries. The cost, however, adds up to families without roots in any particular community of M ends and acquaintances. — As disagreements and grievances in society are handled more and more through lawsuits and court decisions, a Christian must decide whether compromise and forgiveness are not higher priorities than legal settlements.

2. SECOND, a discriminating response to changes based on one’s priorities reminds Christians to accept personal responsibility for the choices they make. We cannot simply presume that every change in our world is for the better or that no one is

— Improved medical care has led to another change: longer life spans. Whereas my parents never imagined retiring, their grandchildren take it for granted. Nonetheless, people now are called to prepare for the possibility of a longer life - to prepare financially, legally (insuring that their final wishes are carried out) and personally (by reflecting on what kind of life they hope to lead after retirement). Today’s changing world also challenges our attitudes toward new developments. Undoubtedly, Christians should have an open mind and be willing to consider some unprecedented developments. At the same time, because of the kinds of changes we witness, no one should expect immediate, clear-cut assessments of all of them. For example, are term limits a

4 4 The impact of change in so many areas of life challenges Christians to clarify priorities, evaluating new or proposed changes in light of those priorities. 9 9 worse off as a result. — One big change for consumers in our economy has been the shift from cash to credit - and with it a tolerance for carrying debt, especially on credit cards. Unless a person assumes mature and informed responsibility for managing personal funds, credit-card debt can mount quickly and undermine an otherwise stable and happy life. — The same sense of responsibility is required in other areas such as health care and retirement. It is not enough to have health insurance; it is necessary to be responsible for one’s own health and use insurance coverage responsibly for example, by requesting generic brands of prescription drugs.

useful way to curb the political power of public officials or a stepping stone for opportunists? Is globalization a benefit to world unity or does it homogenize and lessen the richness of cultural and national diversity? Answers to these questions may come slowly and require patient investigation and dialogue. As Christians we should anticipate the unexpected. And it may help, I believe, to remember that we live within the creative stirrings of the Holy Spirit and await the L ord’s unannounced return. This does not mean we should accept every change. It may suggest, however, keeping an open but discriminating mind while continuing to live by our nriorities.

FOODFOR THOUGHT By D av id G ib so n

IT ISN’T news to report that change is a constant of our world. What may be news is just how rapidly this world now is changing. It can leave people spinning! This fast-changing world makes demands on us, asks questions of us. Sometimes they’re exciting questions, other times they’re unsettling. But we also can address the world. We can praise its welcome developments and question others. We can make ourselves known. The bishop of Limerick, Ireland, recently said something interesting about our place in this fast-changing new world of globalization, interreligious contact (and conflict), information

technology and “incredibly destructive weapons.” Bishop Donal Murray noted how each “period in history brings new situations and challenges” not yet “touched by the Gospel.” He said that because of its “pace of change,” culture now “presents many areas” that never previously have “been lived in or reflected on by Christians and which are, therefore, not yet evangelized.” What is needed is to bring faith “to bear on all of these new spheres of life” he suggested, adding that each person, expert and nonexpert, “has experience and expertise that are relevant” to this evangelizing task “because everyone has a unique individual perspective, story and network of relationships.” ]

By C hristopher C arstens, Ph.D.

I READ recently that a very popular option on luxury vacation cruises is the short-term rental of a satellite phone. Equipped with one of these, one need never be out of contact with the people back at the office. Phone, e-mail, Internet: It’s all right there with you as you steam past the Bahamas. “When a customer needs support, they need it right away,” one upbeat satellite user said. “I can send an e-mail from anywhere, and they have no way of knowing I ’m not in the office.” It always seemed that sane people went on a sea voyage precisely to get very, very far from work. If your customers can’t tell that you are away from the office, you probably can’t either. While you type that e-mail, those beautiful islands are fading unnoticed into the distance. What we experience as modem life’s increased speed is often actually the constant stream of electronically driven communication into places in our lives where we used to have peace and quiet. At dinnertime, the television is on. Thus, many families no longer talk to each other at meals. After homework, children sit down with the television or the latest DVD, freeing their parents from the burden of reading to them. How many parents use the time saved to surf the Internet, watch television or - groan - do more work? People used to work at the office because that was where all the files and records were kept. With laptop computers, PDAs and cell phones, more and more work is bom e home on the

WIRED/. BVPHONIEAND E-MAIL OMLYI

information stream. The boundary between work life andid family life gets blurred. In the competition between work and 1 the rest of life, work often wins. s.

thing. Electronic communication is certainly beneficial in many ways. Still, two valuable things are lost as one is bombarded constantly by a stream of incoming data and information.

INFORMATION is not a badid

1. The first loss is one’s

“THE information streaam crowds out all our time for thinking, reflection andd prayer,” observes psychologist Dr. Christcopher Carstens. c n s photo

2. The second loss is even more critical. The information stream crowds out all our time for thinking, reflection and prayer. Those activities require periods of silence along with freedom from distraction. But the steady stream of electronic information abhors silence just as surely as the rest of nature abhors a vacuum. Seeking solitude and quiet after a very difficult time in my life, I was on retreat at a Benedictine monastery in northern New Mexico, seven miles from the nearest paved road. A young member of the religious order came to know that I lived in San Diego. He could not resist telling me one afternoon that the Yankees had finished off the Padres in the World Series. How did he know? H e’d learned it on the Internet. Even the desert monks are wired these days. □ c n s

By Father K enneth R. H im es, O FM

NEARLY 40 years ago Vatican Council II recognized ... that the rapid, massive changes at that time caused people to ‘hover between hope and anxiety, and wonder uneasily about the present course of events. That assessment is even more true today. c n s photo

4 4 Catholic tradition provides values by which to live attentively, intelligently, reasonably and responsibly in this fast-paced, changing world.} }

A FRIEND told me what she wished for more than anything else was to find a “still point” in her life. She is not alone in her desire. The pace of our lives is so rapid. Sometimes, the hour hand on the clock seems like the second hand. How to keep up with time? How stay on top of things? The daily news comes from all sorts of unfamiliar locales, and many issues pass us by before we can grasp what’s going on: stem cell research, hedge funds, identify fraud, religious terrorism. It can be overwhelming! What are we to make of it all? A much-respected Canadian theologian, the late Jesuit Father Bernard Lonergan, suggested a path to pursue amid the haste, noise and complexity of modem life: First, be attentive. It is not only big issues that baffle us.

concentration on the present moment. When on a cell phone, our attention is dragged away from wherever we actually are. If w e’re physically at home with our family but keep checking our voice mail at work, w e’re only partly at home. A hefty chunk of our brain is chugging away on work problems. It feels as though life is moving faster because we spend so much time trying to do two things at once. Our brains cannot actually do two things at the same time; we have to switch back and forth, and all that switching takes a lot of mental energy. No wonder people feel tired.

COPINGWITHA HIGHSPEEDWORLD There is also a failure to grasp tfhe small, everyday things. What kind of flowers and trees grow iin our yards? Do we remember all! the lyrics to our favorite song? W hat are the first names of the people who live on our street orr in our apartment building? We can drift through life, never really experiencing it in alll its rich detail and variety. Readimg a good newspaper or periodical, listening to an informative show on public affairs: There are manyy ways to be more attentive to the world around us.

Second, be intelligent. People can gather lots of information quickly and easily via the Internet. There is a difference, however, between knowledge and understanding. Wisdom is the ability to understand what to do with all the information. Wisdom is linked to other virtues. The world still needs generous, compassionate, just and prudent people to make sense of all the data in our computers. Third, be reasonable. We can settle on a viewpoint and then

refuse to reconsider our position. In a diverse and pluralistic world, allowing others with different experiences of life to share their insights is sensible. Conversation and debate are important elements in the quest for wisdom. Finally, be responsible. We must act on our understanding. We can allow ourselves to be so intimidated by what we don’t know that we never act upon what we do know. The sheer size and intricacy of problems can lead to passivity. But Christians believe we will be tested on the sincerity of our love and the effort we make to love wisely. Great saints and dedicated disciples have known confusion on their journey through life. We may feel confused sometimes too. But our Catholic tradition provides values by which to live attentively, intelligently, reasonably and responsibly. □

Bulletin of the Family Life Society, Archdiocese of Singapore

If Volunteer Work Is On Your List of Resolutions For 2004, Come Join Us!

From the E D Dear Friends of Family Life, 2003 was a good year for the Society’s and its affiliates'. Amongst the various activities we conducted in fulfilling our role was the 10th Human Life International AsiaPacific Congress on Love, Life & the Family, a fundraising Danceathon for 600 line-dancers at ACS, a special project with MCDS on baby-abandonment prevention, parish road shows, three pro-life masses and regular coverage in the Catholic News. All this, while we carried on directly our regular work of providing family and marital counseling services, pregnancy crisis intervention, hotline counseling for youth and young parents, family and human sexuality education, and pro-bono legal aid i services. As the voice for families and a coordinating and resource body for family life groups in the Archdiocese of Singapore, helping individuals, couples and families to live and love as God intends, we will continue, and even intensify where we can, this work in 2004. If I could make just three wishes for this year, they would be: I 1. That more parishioners will become more aware of the Church’s family life services offered through Family Life Society, and tap such freely-available resources (for a listing of our programmes and services, please visit our website www.famiiylife.org.sg) 2. That we become more and more a family-centered Church, with the establishment of effective family ministries in the parishes helping the parish priests to promote and strengthen marriage, family and pro life values and activities | 3. That families bond together strongly, especially by prayer and faith formation, so that they can withstand the challenges of a hostile secular world that tends to tear people up and scatter marriages W e kick off the year with a dynamic speaker from the USA, Dr John Diggs, whose talk on, “Sex & the City j - Challenges for the Family and Society” on Saturday, 31 January from 2 pm to 5.30 pm at CAEC promises to be an excellent one. All fam ily life advocates shouldn’t miss this opportunity to listen to him speak (please visit : our website for more information). The harvest is here. There’s much more we can do. We need more volunteers, and in the other article on this page you may find interest in using your talents, gifts and skills to help us help others. If so, please get in touch with us. James Wong Executive Director

Calling For Volunteers —

Ask homemaker Helen Lim if volunteer work is a sacrifice and she will tell you otherwise. “ I am very grateful for the opportunity to respond to the call from God,” she says. “If I don't come out to service, I’m just a simple homemaker.” That is why she does not mind the hour long commute from Yishun to the Pregnancy Crisis Service centre at Highland Road. In fact, for the last 10 years, she has been devoting her Wednesdays, from 9 am to 5 pm, at PCS as a volunteer. “God has equipped me with listening skills and com passion,” she said. “And I have this to offer to teenage girls in crisis.” Maria van der Straaten is another volunteer who felt called to help troubled youths. As the coordinator of the Youth Life-Line, a help hotline for youths in distress, she and husband Bill, spend their Monday evenings, after work, manning the help hotline. She was inspired by a friend who thought that she had a special gift of a “listening ear” . As a mother o f three grown up children, she said “ I felt that if I had been able to help my own children, why not help other young people in similar ways by being there to provide a listening ear whenever possible." Volunteer work not only involves time and energy, but requires a lot of commitment and patience. “Sometimes, you can get emotionally involved when youire journeying with people, and that can be tiring,” said Helen. “However, we learn in counselling how to be detached from the situation.” However, volunteers appreciate their work as it has given them the opportunity for personal growth. Their challenges and encounters with people have made them more patient, sympathetic and more understanding. Pamela Lim, a mother and coordinator of Joyful Parenting, notes, “In helping other parents cope with their roles, I’ve become more knowledgeable and it has given me the flexibility and self-confidence in bringing up my own child.” “I have grown to understand, through my experience, what it means to live the beatitude,” shares Maria.

Family Life Society & Catholic Medical Guild n re ras ue i nntt p

® -

Our volunteers Maria van der Straaten (Youth Life-Line); Pamela Lim and Margaret Lim and their children (Joyful Parenting) and Helen Lim (Pregnancy Crisis Service). “Blessed are those who know when to be quiet and listen - they will learn a lot of new things."

YO UTH LIFE-LIN E

• Are you a patient and good listener?

What W eDo: As a helpline which caters mainly to

• Do you have a few hours a week to spare? • Do you enjoy helping or counselling others? • Do you have a sympathetic and understanding heart? • Would you like to help promote the pro-life and pro-family values and issues?

youth in our society regardless of race, religion or background, we give telephone counselling on issues such as examination stress, family and peer pressure, boy/girl relationships and those who have doubts about their sexuality. W e listen, evaluate and provide the necessary options/alternatives and where necessary, provide contact numbers of the relevant agencies and/or help arrange face-to-face counseling sessions. Our operating hours are from 3 p.m to 10 p.m on Mondays to Saturdays. Calls are treated with strictest confidence.

If your answer to most or all of these questions is ‘Yes", then you may just be the person we're looking for. In our continuous efforts to help individuals and fam ilies in distress and to promote Pro-life and Profamily values, we are looking for volunteers to help with our mission. From counselling troubled youths to helping teenage unwed mothers to giving talks to promote family and life values, there is much you can do. Training will be provided. To sign up, log on to www.familylife.org.sg or call us at 6488 0278.

DATE Saturday, 31 January 2004 TIME 2 pm to 5.30 pm VENUE Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre 2 Highland Road, St Peter Auditorium ADMISSION IS FREE Registration is required. To register, Call Family Life Society at 6488 0278 OR email: dianagveritas.org sg by Friday, 30 Jan. AH are w elcom e! ( specialty parents, teachers, young adults, ca te ch ists, educators, so c ia l and health w orke rs, th e ra p ists and clergy.

What It Takes -

Able to commit 4 hrs per week for a minimum of one year. Volunteers can choose the 3 pm to 7.30 pm shift or the 7.30 pm to 10 pm shift. Able to converse well, preferably bilingual and matured.

PREG NANCY C R ISIS SERVICE

W hat W eDo: At Pregnancy Crisis Service, volunteers

JO YFU L PARENTING

man the helpline and counsel women, most of whom are young and unmarried, who are facing unplanned pregnancies. W e also help with fam ily intervention where necessary. Our centre is open from 9 am to 5 pm on Mondays to Fridays and from 9 am to 1 pm on Saturdays.

What W eDo: Joyful Parenting consists of a group of

Sharing her painful abortion experience at a pro-life mass on the feast of Our Lady of

W hat It Takes: 3 hrs per week - either to man the

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This book which chronicles the poignant journey of one woman after her abortion, was recently reviewed in December 21 and 28

Gain a greater undemanding of the scientific merits of chastity, sexual abstinence until marriage and new insights into issues regarding adolescent pregnancy, contraceptives, sexually transmitted diseases, and much more... Or. John R- 0*09. A seminar a n d pcfclic forum b y Dr. John R. Diggs, whose more than 20 years of m edical training a n d clinical experience make him a sought after public speaker on topics regarding the sanctity of marriage, hum an life e n d the proven benefits of sexual self-control.

week from 9 am to 5 pm.

WHAT IT TAKES

issue o f the Catholic News.

c h a lle n g e s f o r th e fa m ily & s o c ie ty

What It Takes: Able to commit at least one day a

volunteers who provide a free telephone hotline service to help mothers cope with their role as breast-feeding mothers and parents with parenting issues. The helpline service is available from 10 am to 5 pm on Mondays to Saturdays. Our volunteers are also attached to the KK Women’s Hospital maternity wards to help new mothers get started with breastfeeding. W e also promote breastfeeding to young couples at the Marriage Preparation Course. Our volunteers are supported, trained and guided by physicians and nurses who are qualified in International Board Certified Lactation. To provide support and formation for Catholic mothers, we’ve also formed the Catholic Mums Support Group which organises monthly prayer meetings at Church o f Christ the King and Holy Cross Church. These meetings are open to all Catholic Mums.

SCX a n d the C tty :

Guadalupe at St Joseph’s Church on 12 December 2003, Margaret Soon encouraged mothers who are contemplating abortion to keep their babies.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE (COL)

The book is available at $10 from Family Life Society at 2

W hat wedo: COL is the education and training arm

Highland Road. Part of the proceeds from sales will be

of FLS in the area of human sexuality and pro-life matters. We give talks, seminars, workshops on these areas to promote the culture of life. We reach out to all, both Christians and non-Christians.

donated to organizations dedicated to protecting the well being of women and their unborn children.

W hat ItTakes: Time from the volunteers is determined

mm M arriage E n cou n te r W eekend 6 - 8 Feb a t S a lva tio n A rm y C hangi C onference C entre A weekend marriage enrichment programme for couples to deepen their relationship. Tel: 6289 5349 Legal A id M onday, 9 Feb (To Be C on firm e d) Free legal counsel on family related issues given by experienced lawyers. From 7 pm to 9 pm at Family Life Society, 2 Highland Road. No appointment required. J o y fu l P a ren tin g - C a th o lic M om s S u p p o rt G ro u p M eetings The monthly prayer meetings and support group is open to all Catholic mothers. • 25 Jan, 11.45 am to 12.45 pm at Church of the Holy Cross (St Matthew Room). Topic: “ W elcom ing You C hild” ~ Tel: 90227652 • 1 Feb, 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm at Church of Christ the King (Rm 109) Topic: “ W hy A R eligious Fam ily?” - Tel: 92713335 C ho ice W eekend 27 - 29 Feb a t C hoice R etreat H ouse, 47 Ju ro n g W est St 42 A weekend programme for single adults to discover self and the importance of family relationships. Tel: 9307 7752/ 9671 0767 ______

cm.

hotline (this is carried out from home) or to assist new mothers with breastfeeding at the KK W omen’s Hospital.

by the number of requests we receive for our talks and seminars.

ADMIN EXEC WANTED! Responsible for payroll processing, basic accounts and admin matters. Minimum ‘O’ level with LCCI Intermediate or equivalent, IT proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access). Catholic, likes working with people, proactive and creative.

Interested? Please submit applications by email to jamesw@veritas.org.sg or write to Family Life Society, 2 Highland Road LG-01, Singapore 549102 before 5 Feb 04.

F a m ily L ife S o c ie ty

Our Programmes and Affiliates:

CatholicArchdiocesanEducationCentre

Family and Marital Counselling; Pregnancy Crisis Service; Youth Life-Line; Joyful Parenting; Catholic Legal Aid; Celebration of Life; Marriage Encounter; Engaged Encounter; Couples for Christ; Marriage Preparation Course; Natural Family Planning; Hope, Retrouvaille and Choice.

2 Highland Road, #LG-01, Singapore 549102 Tel: 6488 0278 www.familylife.org.sg

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clergy:

PLEASE GIVE US HELL WHEN w as ihe Iasi time you heard a homily on Hell'. . The chances are lhal it was sometime before th e Second Vatican Council. It’s not that Vatican II modified Church teaching on the afterlife. It didn’t. But in the wake of th e Council there w as a well-meaning desire on the part of progressive theologians to replace the preconciliar Church’s emphasis on sin and Hell with a more upbeat message about joy in the present life and salvation in the next. The new emphasis was welcome and necessary, but some preachers and catechists were so cogpemed to appear positive that they entirely ignored the Church’s "negative” teaching. Catholics in the pews quield^ensed they were being cheated of an integral element of Magisterium. For them the omission of Hell toolv avvay much of the dramatic tension of Christian life. Perhaps an elect of theologians could progress spiritually w ithout the (ear of Hell, but for the average Catholic spiritual growth required a certain moral friction, a sharp distinction between those acts and altitudes that led to Heaven and those that led to Hell. Are we likely to hear priests and catechists preach the Church's teaching on all the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell? ■

Rosary in 4‘President” Martin Sheen’s pocket is more than a prop By Sam L ucero

MARTIN Sheen received an honorary doctorate from M arquette University for his dedication to social justice, c n s photo

Why forgiveness is good for you By F rederic Flach, M D

IT was not until I became a physician specializing in psychiatry that I saw firsthand the damaging effects of persistent anger and hostility. I learned that there is a remarkable similarity between the guidelines for living a life of faith and spiritual enrichment, and those for living a life that is both physically and mentally healthy. I grew up saying the Lord’s Prayer. The word “forgive” entered my vocabulary early on. But it was not for many years that it began to have any real meaning for me beyond asking God to forgive my own transgressions. I never particularly thought of being forgiven by or forgiving other people. For one thing, my behavior was pretty good. For another, no one really hurt or offended me in any significant way. But as a psychiatrist I saw that the presence of resentment made recovery from disorders like clinical depression much more difficult for patients. Relationships were destroyed, careers halted. Even physical health was at risk. What answers did psychiatrists have for resentment? Not many. It was a long time before they finally realized that forgiveness, in many instances, was an antidote and that they should be leading their patients toward letting go of old grievances, not necessarily for the sake of those who had insulted or betrayed them but for their own sakes. It is important to understand the difference between forgiveness (primarily

ANGRY people in Port-auPrince, Haiti, set tires afire to commemorate the burning of a church ten years ago. c n s photo an inner experience) and reconciliation (an interpersonal experience). Reconciliation follows forgiveness. However, the kind of relationship, if any, you may then have with the person you’ve forgiven may vary greatly from case to case. One may even need to forgive persons with whom no reconciliation is possible, even the dead. What is true for us individually is equally true for us collectively. It must be hard to imagine forgiving someone

responsible for Nazi death camps or killing fields in Cambodia, or the powerful leaders who engineered two World Wars, Korea or Vietnam. It isn ’t easy to imagine forgiveness for thieving business leaders or people who fly hijacked jets into skyscrapers to murder thousands of people, situations calling for legitimate outrage and vigorous action to mete out justice. But somehow people have to let go and move on. Forgiveness is an important catalyst toward peace, in the heart and in the world, a peace that has seldom seemed as far aw ay as it does today. One w ay to forgive perpetrators, even at the very moment of punishing them, is to distinguish between the persons and their acts. W hat they did may have been horrendous; they may even show no signs of rem orse. Still, we cannot really know, in the deeper recesses of their minds and hearts, ho w or why they embraced so m alevolent a course. We m ay have clues - that they were m esm erized by devilish leaders, or committedl atrocities to revenge atrocities, or were m entally imbalanced, or grew up in camps filled with poverty-stricken, hum iliated, desperate refugees. But we cannot really know the entire story. So, w hile we condemn the sin, we are careful about condemning the sinner, requiring ornly that justice take its course. And, in o u t search for peace, we don’t condemn a whole race or nation for the actions of a few. I believe this kind of forgiving calls for wisdom and courage, without which nothing will be solved. □ c n s

MILWAUKEE - Catholic actor and social activist Martin Sheen carries a rosary in his suit pocket. While the prayer beads are used as a prop for his character, President Josiah Bartlet, on the NBC television drama “The West Wing,” Sheen said his devotion to the rosary is not an act. “I ’ve come to love the rosary,” Sheen said he prays the rosary while driving to the NBC studio in Burbank, which is about one hour from his home. “I ’ve gotten into the habit of trying to do the rosary,” he said. “What I do is place a name on each bead, particularly people who are not too fond of me, or that I ’m not too fond of. I try to include them in my prayer life.” Sheen called the rosary “a very powerful prayer.” “It’s repetitive, so it’s kind of a mantra. But it keeps you focused on a theme, and the theme is always deeply human and personal,” he said. “So, yeah, I ’ve come to love the rosary - and Bartlet keeps one in his pocket at all times.” W hile he enjoys playing the president on television, Sheen has no political aspirations. He is, however, outspoken on political issues. Just as Sheen’s political views can draw strong reactions, so does his social activism. He regularly participates in nonviolent protests against nuclear weapons and human rights violations. A pacifist, Sheen credits the Catholic Worker Movement for instilling in him an active social conscience. He was exposed to the movement while working at the Living Theater in New York in 1959. “The director was Julian Beck. He told me he had a friend who had a bread line nearby and if I wanted to go down there I had only to show up and they would feed me,” he said. “It turned out to be the Catholic Worker. I started with them and our relationship goes back more than 40 years. It has become a very powerful spiritual nourishment now.” Sheen’s association with the Catholic Worker Movement led to his return to the Catholic faith, which he said is “inextricably connected” to his social activism. “I came back to being a practicing Catholic in 1981 and I chose to come more to a radical practice of the faith,” he said. “If you want to say activism, that would be correct.” He credits “liberal, democratic forces in the church,” including Jesuit Father Daniel Berrigan, Dorothy Day and Pope John XXIII for inspiring and nourishing his faith. Applying the church’s social teachings to everyday life has been rewarding as well as challenging, he added. “The last 23 years of my life have been by far the most difficult, but equally the happiest and I don’t really make any separation of my faith and my life,” he said. “I think if you do then it becomes impersonal. You have to take it seriously, you have to take it personally, and you have to express that in your own chosen way.” □ c n s

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B S 1E S X S S I

Sunday, January 18 □ Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 96:1-3,7-10; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11

What does it mean to fall in love?

Unity is at the heart of God’s plan

WORDS are really all we have to fend off chaos. They can’t make or remake reality, but they can give us a vision with which to lift ourselves out of the ordinary. But today so many of the words we need to fend off the chaos no longer have much power to do that. We are like DH Lawrence s Lady Chatterley. Of her world, Lawrence, writes: “All the great words were cancelled for her generation. Love joy, happiness, home, mother, father, husband, all these great dynamic words were half-dead now.” That’s true too for us. More and more, the words we need to give us meaning have less and less power to do that. The deep things aren’t deep any more. What’s meant by that? The meaning we give things depends upon the words, the symbols, with which we surround them. For example, suppose you suffer from chronic backache. Your doctor can tell you that you have arthritis, a biological way of explaining your pain. You feel better for that. A symptom is less painful when it’s named. But there are various levels of naming. You can go to see a psychologist and she can tell you that your pain is more than a medical condition: “You’re in mid-life crisis,” she says. Those words speak of more than simple arthritis. Your symptom now has a meaning beyond the simple creaks of old age. But it can go deeper still. Talking to a spiritual director, you are told that this pain is your cross, your Gethsemane, the place where you are being asked to sweat blood. Ordinary pain now becomes something with a religious meaning and significance. Meaning depends upon the words we use to describe our pain. The same holds true for love. What does it mean to “fall in love”? That you have “great chemistry” with someone? That you have found a “soul mate”? Or that you have found the person whom God, from all eternity, has destined you to meet? That last interpretation doesn’t exclude “great chemistry” or finding a “soul mate”, but it adds a wonderful By Fr Ronald extra dimension, God’s providence in Rolheiser our lives. A deeper set of words sets your finite experience against an infinite horizon and that, precisely, is the secret to faith and meaning. When we surround our everyday experiences with the proper words those experiences are no longer half-dead, as DH Lawrence says. Ordinary experiences —love, joy, pain, happiness, marriage, being a father, being a mother, being a husband, being a wife, making coffee, drinking it, doing our ordinary chores - will contain something of the timeless, the eternal. Meaning and happiness are less about where we are living and what we are doing than about how we view and name where we are living and what we are doing. A symptom suffers less when it is correctly named and an experience is only sublime when it’s given its proper name. THERE’S a famous story of a journalist interviewing two workers at a construction site where a new church was being built. She asked the first: “What do you do for a living?” His reply: “I’m a bricklayer.” She asked the man standing beside him: “What do you do for a living?” He replied: “I ’m building a cathedral!” Perspective changes everything and it comes from how we understand and name what w e’re experiencing. Canadian poet JS Porter once said: “When you take away the sky, the earth wilts!” H e’s right. When we don’t surround our ordinary activities with the proper words and symbols we soon lose all enchantment, and our experiences become precisely half-dead. We need vision, high symbols, and the right words to turn the seeming poverty of our ordinary lives into the stuff of faith and poetry. Rainer Marie Rilke once received a letter from a young man who complained that it was difficult for him to become a poet because he lived in a small town where life was too domestic, too parochial, and too small-time to provide the stuff of poetry. Rilke wrote back something to this effect: if your daily life seems poor to you, then tell yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches, because there “are no places or lives on earth that are not rich.” Every life is potentially the stuff of poetry, of romance, of the sublime. What’s the secret to calling forth those riches? GK Chesterton, I think, had it right when he said that we need to learn to look at things familiar until they look unfamiliar again. We’ve an unhealthy itch for what’s new - salvation through novelty alone - but the words we need to lift us to the heights of poetry and the sublime are more often found in the ancient wells of faith, on old parchments of scripture and in over familiar hymns and confessions that we call the creeds. When our own words are half-dead, we need to relearn some older secrets. □

YOUNG or old, rich or poor, man or woman, Asian, African, or American: Whoever we are, and wherever we live, we will all hear the same readings at Mass today. And those readings will have the potential to pierce our hearts with G od’s vision for his church. So whatever our background, let’s carve out some time today to contemplate this vision. The Book of Isaiah depicts a restored Jerusalem something that we can look at as a foreshadowing of the church. God’s desire is that all his children would be filled with divine life. His goal was that u n ited w ith each other, we would become as intimate with Jesus as a bride is with her h u sband. Ju st as Jesus transformed the water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana, so too does he want to transform us from a disparate group of individuals into one holy people, a manifestation of his love and power to all the world.

Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox will be united only when all our hearts are transformed.

How different the reality is from the vision! Despite God’s desire to bring us together as one people, Christians around the world - and in every city are divided from one another. Today begins the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, a week set aside to ask God to bring his people together into one church. U nity w ill not com e about sim ply by changing church rules. We will only see Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox united as all our hearts are transformed. Today, let’s put aside all prejudice and division. L et’s commit to working for the c n s photo unity that is at the heart of G od’s p lan . G o d ’s v isio n is b o th immense and compelling. Let’s allow that vision to pierce our hearts so that we can become one living w itness to Je su s’ glory and power. □ ‘‘Lord God o f peace, source o f all consolation, grant us the gift o f your Holy Spirit. In a world th a t seeks se c u rity through v io le n c e a n d war, m ake us messengers o f your peace. As m em bers o f you r church, the body o f Christ, forgive us the sin o f our divisions and give us the courage to seek that unity which is your gift and your will and in which lies our peace.”

Sunday, January 25 □ Nehemiah 8:2-6,8-10; Psalm 19:8-10,15; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1: 1-4; 4:14-21

When we celebrate Mass P I C T U R E the crowd of people, young and old, who so intently listened to Ezra reading the words of Scripture and explaining their meaning. For some, it was their first encounter with the Scriptures, and the words they heard described a life they had only dreamed about before. They recognized how obeying God would bring about protection in threatening times, joy in hopeful times, and comfort in difficult times.

your ancestors in faith, go out into the world as a shining witness to the new covenant that is yours in Christ. “Holy Spirit, release joy and refreshment to all who gather today to worship Jesus. Bind us to all the saints from history who celebrate your redemption. Let our ‘A m en, A m en ’ sound throughout the world.” □ CNS photo

Now consider how we gather to celebrate Mass each Sunday. We walk through the doors of church after a week of challenges. We carry concerns of varying intensity from home, work, or school. We come as families with young children, as retired people, as single men and women. We come together as sons and daughters of the Lord. We gather to participate in and witness the miracle of our redemption through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The words of Scripture reveal the Father’s love and the w ay to life . H av in g so m o v in g a demonstration of G od’s care for us can fill us with confidence and move us to rejoice. It also shows us that our celebration of the Eucharist is not just a mem orial that recalls historical facts. It is a p a rtic ip a tio n in the v ery m y stery o f our redemption, an opportunity for us to be nourished on nothing less than the body and blood of Christ. What could be a greater privilege for fallen human beings than to be filled with divine life? This day is holy to the Lord. As you join your brothers and sisters to celebrate Mass, lift up your heart in worship. Let the word of God pierce your heart and his truth enlighten your mind. Then, like

Let the word of God pierce your heart then go out into the world as a shining witness ...

CatholicNews Fortnightly new spaper o f the Catholic A rchdiocese o f Singapore M a n a g in g E d ito r

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Email: cnedit@catholic.org.sg Please include your full name, address and telephone number. Ms. Elaine Ong Email: elong@catholic.org.sg

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takes courage and selfless love I READ with great admiration the story of Fraemone Wee’s sharing on being a mom (CN Jan 4 and 11). Fraemone’s decison to keep Ryan was a great act of love, a courageous and selfless love which many young girls would not be able to give. This is especially so in the context of Singapore today when young and eager university graduates crave high pay and social recognition. Fraemone has shown Catholics and non-Catholics how precious and beautiful a little life can be, how much this little life can bring us hope and reveal to us the beauty of living. She has shared with us how infinite God’s love is for all of us sinners - that no matter how many times we have failed Him, God still loves us so much and will always give us the necessary grace to pull us through life’s difficulties. The immeasurable value of motherhood has been shown also by Mother M ary’s guidiance and

A bouncing bundle of joy Ryan at six months prayers during Fraemone’s pregnancy. As I end, I would like to share this phrase from Matthew 16:24: "Then Jesus said to his disciples," I f anyone wants to be a follow er o f mine, let him renounce him self and take up his cross and follo w m e.” Clearly, Fraem one’s sharing has touched me a great deal. In returning to church and carrying her cross, God has blessed Fraemone with Ryan and stronger family bonds. I am sure, she will experience greater treasures in the near future!

Do not use efficacy data to justify “no condom” CN provides useful guidance teaching I REFER to the articles “Use of condom to prevent disease transmission not acceptable”) by Rev Fr James Yeo and Dr. John Lee and “Church has been right about Aids and condoms” by Dr. John Hui (both articles from CN, Jan 4 and 11). All three writers speak from the standpoint of our Catholic faith. I come from many generations of Catholics. At times, logic and science lead me to question the teachings of my religion but at the end of the day I obey because I have chosen to continue as a member of the Catholic family. The alternative is to forsake the faith I was bom into. I do not contend what Fr James Yeo and Dr. John Lee said about the teaching of the Church regarding condoms, but followers of other religions may see the use of the condom differently, and what about the atheist or agnostic? It was pointed out in the articles that the condom reduces risk by only 85%. This leaves a 15% hole for Aids. But does this make the condom useless? Are the high incidence of Aids caused by the deficiency in condoms or is it caused by an increase in sexual activity? Would the infection rates be higher if there were no condoms? I believe it is better to leave the teaching on condoms as a command from the church than to try to argue the case using “efficacy” data. Dudley Au Singapore 248238

IT SEEMS to me from reading CN of Jan 4 and 11 that CatholicNews is providing useful guidance to Catholics on various contemporary issues. The front page contains the text of the pope’s address when the new Singapore ambassador to the Vatican presented his credentials. This serves to emphasize the relevance of the Church to our country. Making the full text of the pope’s address available is veiy useful. The back page is on ‘Prayers for peace at Christmas’It reports

the pope’s fair and balanced views on war and terrorism. The extensive coverage on the coming movie “The Passion of the Chris” is most welcome. In the past I often had uneasy feelings about commercial ‘Christian’ movies and videos, but had little access to the views of theologians. It also appears to me that CN is allocating priorities to various issues. Y. J. Chong Singapore

No impressed by newer hymns I REFER to the article “The stories behind his songs” (CN Jan 4 & Jan). I certainly found it interesting to read about Dan Schutte, the person behind such songs as “Here I Am, Lord” and “You are Near”. Makes one wonder if there are any Catholics in Singapore also writing hymns and what their stories and inspirations might be. However, I was rather puzzled by Schutte’s description that the Church before Vatican II was “stuck” and that “in the case of music, the hymns were no longer speaking to peoples’ faith.” As a Catholic of the postVatican II era, I am not personally impressed by the newer hymns. I find them rather mushy, sentimental and lyrically awkward. If we take Schutte’s position seriously, we would rashly throw out many beloved and spiritually profound hymns from our Catholic heritage.

I fear that this has already taken place. How many Catholics know “Salve Regina” or “Veni Creator Spiritus”? (Strangely, these timeless tunes catch on fast when Catholics go on pilgrimage and are exposed to the treasures o f the Catholic liturgical past.) Pre-Vatican doesn’t mean it’s all bad. We are still singing many preVatican Christmas carols! Have those songs failed to speak to our Faith? Obviously not! It is also telling that there is no replacement for the classic “Down in Adoration Falling” for Eucharistic Benediction. And those traditional Marian hymns sung at Novena Church obviously haven’t turned away the crowds. So, I beg those responsible for music in parishes not to forget and throw out the timeless musical heritage of the Church. Augustine Chen Singapore

As I go to bed tonight and imagine Fraemone snuggling up with baby Ryan, I pray that God will shower her with His bountiful blessings and graces to provide Ryan with the daily necessities and that Mother Mary continues to guide her in bringing up her little child in the “rightest” way possible. Hazel Ho Singapore 530579

Moved to tears I WAS moved to tears when I read the article above by Fraemone Wee. That is true courage and triumph of love over selfish world values. Ryan is indeed fortunate to have a m other with such courage. Anthony Yong Singapore 090025

I am a single mother too I WANT to applaud “Being a m om”. As a single mother with a son out of wedlock, my heart goes out to Fraemone and others in the same situation. Many people shun us single mothers. But we have to accept our irreversible ‘mistake”; not waste time licking our wound, but urgently get our act together to raise our children. We learn to take life in our stride and move on with G od’s grace and mercy. Our top concern has always been our children - they have done no wrong and deserve the same treatment as any other children. As for me, I thank God for this precious gift of my son. In our struggles, we learn to be stronger and more courageous. Fraemone, Mother Mary knows all our burden and pain and Lord Jesus has always been most gracious to our children. Keep praying because God listens and answers our prayer. Teresa Singapore

UNICEF, UNCHR should be given support I DISAGREE with Dr John Chuah Khoon L eong’s comment that it’s inappropiate to promote contribution to UNICEF and UNHCR (CN Jan 4 and 11). Dr Chuah cited the Vatican’s suspension o f symbolic contribution to these two international organisations on account of their support of contraception and abortion. In voicing the inappropiateness of promoting contribution to UNICEF and UNHCR, Dr Chuah had actually ignored the fact that these two UN organisations are foremost in the domain of international humanitarian aids.

It is important to note there are pros and cons to everything, including evil, which God in His infinite power can turn to good. It is also to be noted that the Vatican’s suspension is merely a symbolic one. Hence we should not simply look at the evil side of this matter. What is required of us is to pray that the stances of these two UN bodies will change. Cessation of support for these two UN bodies is certainly not in the overall interest. Joseph Lucas Lee Singapore 650213

Yes, let’s have Gregorian chants and Latin Masses I FULLY agree with the call of Simon Ho for Gregorian chants and Latin Masses (CN, Dec 2128, 2003). It’s truly a great pity that these beautiful rites and chants are now being cast aside to make way for the present day generation with a different appeal. Anyone who is privileged to listen to the beautiful Geogorian chants will certainly be enthralled by the lyrics. In the past when the

Gregorian chants and Latin Masses were still in use, I always felt a sense of ecstasy at the singing of the Pater Noster (The Lord’s Prayer) after the consecration, and the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) prior to Communion time. It would be most wonderful if these two chants could at least be reintroduced at Masses by the archdiocese. Joseph Lucas Lee Singapore 650213

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Pastoral councils should offer advice, not orders, pope says By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY - Parish councils

and diocesan pastoral councils are to offer advice, not orders, to the pastor and bishop, Pope John Paul II said. “A balanced relationship between the role of the laity and that which properly belongs to the diocesan ordinary or pastor must be safeguarded,” the pope told members of the Congregation for Clergy. Meeting the congregation members Jan. 10, the pope said that lay people m ust “take an active part in the mission of the church,” offering their input and expertise, but without confusing their role with the role of the bishop or pastor. “In exercising their office, legitimate pastors never are to be considered simply executors of decisions deriving from the majority opinions” of the parish or diocesan pastoral council, he said. The hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church was willed by Christ, the pope said. While all members of the church have an equal dignity and a role to play, the roles are not the same for everyone. The congregation held its

plenary meeting Jan. 8-10 at the Vatican. Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, prefect of the congregation, told the pope the members had examined various aspects of the functioning of the councils, “some of them very worrying, and proposed indications to present to Your Holiness.” The cardinal said the congregation’s proposals for the correct functioning of the councils underline the “diverse

and specific participation of each of the faithful in the edification of the church.” The proposals, he said, would help local church structures “recognize, defend and distinguish with greater clarity the particular gift of each member of the church and heal or remove the possible confusion of roles, functions or theological and canonical conditions.” Cardinal Adam J. Maida of Detroit, a congregation member, said the discussion was based on the vision of the church as a communion of people in Christ. “We all have a responsibility to contribute to the life of the church,” he said, but the roles people play are distinct based on whether they are lay or ordained. Problems arise, however, when people think in political terms and feel that a consultative role is meaningless unless they have decision-making powers, the cardinal said. But in the church, he said, “a pastor cannot delegate his role to the lay faithful. He must lead, but he must also listen to advice.” “People have a right and obligation to speak and pastors have an obligation and right to listen,” the cardinal said. □ c n s

The importance of communications VATICAN CITY - Blessed Mother

Teresa’s legacy set a prime example for future communicators in India, said U.S. Archbishop John P. Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. In a Jan. 7 keynote address at the biennial assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Archbishop Foley said, “The work of M other Teresa ... indicates how effectively good example can communicate, and how the best communication depends upon the authentic example of communicators.” He said the non-threatening but courageous way Blessed M other Teresa sought to serve Christ “has been a marvelous form of evangelization.” Archbishop Foley said that, just as “almost everyone has

heard of M other Teresa and of her work,” the Indian church’s communications strategy “should ... continue to include cooperation with projects to make better known the educational and charitable work of the Catholic Church.” The history of the (Indian) church and the work of individual Christians must be shared with people around the world, he said. “Communications is an important part of the evangelization work of the church, in my view perhaps the most important part,” said Archbishop Foley. He said a Vatican document published in 1986 by the Congregation for Catholic Education calling for curriculum changes to give future priests communications media formation

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has “been implemented almost nowhere.” But priests need to be better formed in the use of the media, he said. Lack of funding for communications in the church’s mission societies also needs attention, he added. After seeing a report of the church’s mission societies, Archbishop Foley noted “that less than 2 percent of the allocations to the missionary areas is designated for communications.” That figure was “not an adequate investment,” he said. Also part o f the problem “is the failure on the part of the communicators to communicate to state clearly and well their needs in the mission of the church,” the archbishop said. In an interview with Vatican Radio, Archbishop Foley said the news media in rich countries too often ignore the conflicts and tragedies of developing countries, which severely limits both the financial help and the political pressure outsiders can bring to resolving the situation. The Catholic media, he said, should take the lead in “promoting this awareness of the suffering world.” “A well informed world is the basis for a peaceful world,” he told Vatican Radio. □ c n s

M IG R A N T S COURSES AT LAK SETHA SKILLS CENTRE Laksetha Skills Centre will be registering students for classes at the old St Joseph’s Convent, 11 Hillside Drive on Jan 25 and Feb 8 and at C hurch o f O ur L ady of Lourdes on Jan 18, Feb 1 and 15 from 10.30 am onwards. C ourses available: sewing, hairdressing, English, computer softw are & hardw are, beauty culture, baking, dancing. Contact: G eneview (6566-6706)

RCIA Date: Tues. Feb 24, at 7.30 pm .Venue: Verbist Hall, 4th Fir, Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (31 Siglap Hill). Enquiries: Joanna Wong (6339-8868) Am anda Woon (6374-8302). N EW RCIA CATECH ISM CLASS Venue: Church of St Francis Xavier, 64A Chartwell Drive. Date: Tuesday, Feb 24,7.45 pm. Non-catholics who wish to know the Catholic Faith and Catholics who wish to deepen their understanding of the faith or to journey as sponsors with th e c a te c h u m e n s a re w e lco m e . Enquires:Mrs Monica Kwok 6288-9712.

O THERS T A L K : “ D O E S M E D IT A T IO N M AKE A DIFFEREN CE TO OUR LIFE?” By F r Laurence Freeman OSB. Date: W ed, Jan 28,7.30-9.30 pm in Holy Fam ily Church. Book & CD Sales: 7-7.30 pm. Organised by the Singapore Christian Meditation Community. PERANAK AN MASS 2004 Annual Peranakan Mass to usher in the Year o f the M onkey on Chinese New Year on Jan 21, at 11 pm at Church of the Holy Family. All are welcome. TALK: “SEX & THE CITY: CHALLENGES FOR THE FAM ILY AND SO CIETY” By D r John Diggs from the USA. Date: Saturday, Jan. 31,2pm to5.30pm . Venue: Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre, 2 Highland Rd, St Peter Auditorium (2nd Fir). Free Admission. To register: 64880278 or e-mail your name and contact num ber to dianal@ veritas.org.sg by 5 pm on Jan. 30. Jointly organised by Family Life Society and Catholic Medical Guild. C O M M O N S E N S E P A R E N T IN G W O RK SH O P This workshop developed by Boystown, USA, has helped thousands of parents to correct and prevent problem behaviours, teach children self control and help parents th e m se lv e s stay calm in u p se ttin g situations. The workshop will use video examples, role-plays and actual practice. Dates o f workshop: Thursdays Feb 5, 1 2 ,1 9 ,2 6 and M ar 4 ,1 1 ,8 - 10pm. Place: Morning Star Community Services at 4 Lor Low Koon. Fee: $150. Enquiries: Kelvyanne or Juliana at 6285-1377 or email us at m starfcc@ singnet.com.sg ANNUAL M ARIAN RETREAT Date: 7.30pm Friday, 13 Feb to 6pm Sunday, 15 Feb. Venue: Major Seminary, Punggol 17th Ave. Retreat M aster: Fr Paul G lynn (M arist Priest). Contact: M aureen Tan (6777-2773 / 9108-7710 em ail: sw htan@ pacific.net.sg). Please state your name and the type of room you need. Cheques to be crossed and made payable to: Magnificat Marian Centre Pte Ltd. Post to: Mrs Phyllis Goh, 21 Still Rd, S ’p o re 4 2 3 9 5 9 . N o n sta y -in : $ 90 , Dormitory: $120, Double Rm: $170. CONSECRATIO N TO GOD THE FATHER Every 7th of the month, 7.30 pm. Venue: C hurch o f O ur Lady Queen o f Peace, Rm 3.3 House of David M ASS AT SCIENCE PARK Date : Every First Friday o f the Month, 12.30 pm. Venue: Reuters Building, Science Park I. Enquiries: Evelyn Lau (9839-0920). All Catholics are welcome!

EL SHADDAI DW XI-PRAYER PARTNERS FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL, INC. (SINGAPORE CHAPTER): • F a m ily A p p o in tm e n t w ith EL S H A D D A I-e v e ry S u n d a y in Blessed Sacram ent Church from 12.30pm-4.30pm (Healing Message and Mass). • Prayer M eeting-every W ednesday in BSC, Damien Hall from 8pm10pm. • Radio Program- listen to 101.5FM “Alay Pagm am ahal” program m e lfom Monday 10pm-12pm, Tuesday to Friday from 10pm-l 1pm. • Pray Over and C o unselling -call Br T irso Joven (6 4 74-074 1) from M onday-Friday from 10am-10pm and Saturday from 10am-5pm.

CHOICE A weekend programme that aims to give young adults (18-35 yrs) the confidence to build relationships and to believe in the p ow er o f c o m m unication, love and forgiveness. Date: every 4th Friday of the month from Feb-Nov at Choice Retreat House, 47 Jurong W est St 42. Enquiries: Terence (9695-6599), Jennifer (9671 0 7 6 7 ) w w w .c h o ic e .o rg .s g e m a il: choicewk@ singnet.com.sg LENTEN RENEW AL IN THE SPIRIT Venue: Church o f St Francis Xavier. Conducted by Alex Loo & team from Church of Holy Rosary, KL. Date: Fri. M ar 12 (7 pm-10 pm), Sat. M ar 13(1.30 pm-10), Sun. M ar 14(1 pm -5.30pm )and M on M ar 15 (8 pm-10 pm). Eucharistic C elebration by F r V incent Lee. No registration or fee. All are welcome. GROW ING IN THE SPIRIT Animated by Fr Vincent Lee at St Francis Xavier Retreat Centre. Dates: Sat, Jan31 3 pm - 9 pm. Sun, Feb 1,9 am - 5 pm and Mon, Feb 2, 9 am - 5 pm. A three-day r e tr e a t on s p ir itu a l fo rm a tio n , recom m ended for past participants o f the Sabah Retreat. All others are welcome. Registration fee: $30/person for retreat only. Accommodation: ladies: 4 beddedrm $30, men: Dormitory $20 per person. 36TH SABAH RETREAT Date: Sun Feb 15 - Sat Feb 21. Venue: B u n d u T u h a n R e tre a t C e n tre , M t Kinabalu. Cost: $800 per person O rganised by Fr Francis Tsen, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, conducted by Fr Vincent Lee and SFX Music Ministry. Closing Date of Registration: Wed, Feb 4. Briefing Date: Tue, Feb 10, 7:45 pm IN T E R C E S S O R Y PRAYER RETREAT By SFX Intercessory Team. Date: Sat Feb 28-Sun Feb 29. Venue: St Francis Xavier Retreat Centre, 8.30 am-6 pm daily. Praise & W orship, Talks, Prayer Sessions, Mass. Registration Fee: $20. Forms are available from the Admin Office, SFX Retreat Centre and at our website, w w w.catholic.org.sg/SFX. A R C H D IO C E S A N P E R P E T U A L ADORATION CHAPEL The Blessed Sacrament is exposed 24 hours a day 7 days a week DAILY INTERCESSION In ten tion s: F or the C hurch, W orld Evangelisation and Conversion. Mon to Sun: 10.30 'am - 12 nn (English), 8 pm9.30 pm (English), Sat: 2 pm -4 pm (Teochew). Note: no Intercession from Jan21 to Jan25 (Lunar New Year Season). INTERCESSION VIGIL Every Sat 12 mn to Sun 6 am to pray for the Church and the World.

Holy Spirit; you who m ake me see everything and show m e the way to Dearest St Jude, I was reach my ideal. You w ho give me the divine not doing well in my gift to forgive and forget studies. In the w rong that is done desperation, I turned to m e and who are in all to you for help and instances of my life with intercession. It was only with your prayers me. I, in this short dialogue, want to thank and intercession to God on my behalf that you for everything and confirm once more that I managed to pass my I n e v e r w an t to be exams. Thank you separated from you no very much. Please m atter who great the continue to pray for material desires may be. me and guide me I w ant to be with you through each day. Your Loving Daughter and my loved ones in your perpetual glory. J a c in ta Amen. C h arlie

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JO H N CHIN SIN CHOY Departed: Jan 23,1989 Fondly remembered by children, grandchildren and loved ones. Sixth Anniversary In loving m em ory of

REGINA MARY Departed: Jan 21, 2000 May she rest in peace. Sadly missed by your loving nephews and nieces. Fourth Anniversary In loving memory of

MR FRANCIS JOSEPH PETER Bom: Nov 27, 1899 Departed: Jan 20,1965

BABY TERESA PETER Bom: Jan 31,1935 Departed: Mar 15,1935

MDM ANTONIA)NIA PETER R Bom: July 18,191.' 1910 Departed: Feb 26, 196,1988

MR JO E ALOYSHJS PETER Bom: Sep 21, 1930 Departed: Feb 1,1972

We have loved them dearly duriuring life. Let us not abandon them until we have ee conducted them by our prayers into the house o f ti>f the Lord. Always fondly remembered by Martin, In, Edward, Charles and Raymond, their families, r e l a t i v e s and friends. M AY THEIR SOULS REST IN IN PEACE. Fifth Anniversary In ever loving memory of

JA M ES KENNETH PODISINGHO Departed: Jan 17,1998 There is a place in our hearts which is yours alone A place in our lives N o one else can ever own. We hold back tears when we speak your name. But the ache in our hearts Rem ain the same. A lways remembered by wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and loved ones.

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MARY SIM Passed away peacefully on Jan 19,2000 Peacefully sleeping, resting at last, The w orld’s weary troubles and trials are past. In silence she suffered, in patience she bore, Till God called her home to suffer no more. May she rest in peace, Amen Sadly missed by all loved ones. Tenth Anniversary In loving memory of

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LEE W AI SIM Departed: Jan 24,1992 God gave us the strength to bear it And courage to fig h t the blow W hat it has meant to lose you God alone will ever know.

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CASKET COMPAl'PANY EMBALMING & FUNERAL SERVICES PTE LTD M RS ELIZABETH PESTANA Departed: Jan 21,1994 M A RK S. PEREIRA Departed: Jan 26,1992 God looked around His garden And found an empty place He then looked down upon this Earth And saw your tired face. He put his arms around you And lifted you to rest G od’s garden m ust be beautiful He alw ays takes the best. Dearly m issed by loving wife, children and grandchildren.

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VINCENT CHENG TSU PIN Bom: Feb 20, 1971 Departed: Jan 21,2000 Four years have passed but in our hearts you will always be with us. We know that you are safe in the arms of our Lord. May you rest in everlasting peace in heaven. Dearly missed and always loved by family and loved ones.

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Vatican highlights plight of world's children By John T havis

PITY THE CHILDREN

VATICAN CITY - Celebrating its

annual world missionary day for children, the Vatican highlighted forms of suffering that continue to plague young people in many countries — including hunger, disease and exploitation. About 200 million children go to bed hungry every night, 211 million under age 14 work instead of going to school, and an estimated 13 million under age 5 die each year from easily preventable diseases, according to a report published by the Vatican’s missionary news agency, Fides. The report coincided with the Jan. 6 celebration of the feast of the Epiphany, when the church gives special attention to the situation of children around the world. The Holy Childhood Association, one of four pontifical mission societies, finances and supports some 4,000 projects aiding the neediest children, including AIDS sufferers in Africa, street children in Latin America and Asia, and childsoldiers in several countries. The Vatican report, based primarily on U.N. statistics, said more attention should be given to the “countless small voices that are crying from every com er of the planet.” Some forms of children’s suffering are hidden, transpiring daily in a climate of secrecy, intimidation and exploitation, it said. But it said facts about child hunger and illness are welldocumented and often ignored: — In 25 of the poorest countries, more than 15 percent of babies die before reaching age 5. The main causes are diarrhea, measles, tetanus, whooping cough and pneumonia - diseases that, in most cases, are easily treatable or prevented by low-cost medicines. — More than half a million children died in 2002 from AIDS, and the number of AIDS orphans has reached 13 million. — In 23 countries, more than

B IS H O P Evariste N goyagoye o f B ujum bura, B urundi, blesses the body o f Irish Archbishop M ichael A. C ourtney at a funeral hom e in B ujum bura Dec. 31. T he Vatican am bassador to B urundi w as shot and later died from his w ounds after his car w as struck by gunfire outside the capital Dec. 29. C N S photo

Above: AFGHAN REFUGEE CHILDREN in a cart on a road near the Pakistani city of Peshawar receive money from passersby. c n s / u e p h o to Left: ARGENTINE BOY holds up his 6month-old sister who suffers from malnutrition, in the province of Tucuman in northern Argentina, c n s f i l e p h o to

30 percent of children suffer from chronic malnutrition. — An estimated 20 million babies die each year shortly after birth because of malnutrition of the mother during pregnancy. The report said war is increasingly hard on the world’s

children, and frequently engages them as direct combatants. Today, more than 300,000 youths under age 18 are fighting in guerrilla or regular conflicts. In the last decade, it said, more than 2 million children have been killed in war, more than 6 million

Extreme left: CHILD W ORKER ,Tanjila Khatoon, 8, breaks apart pieces of coal in Calcutta, India. She is paid up to 30 US cents a day by her employer. C N S f i l e p h o to

have been disabled or seriously injured, 1 million have lost their parents and about 20 million children have been made homeless. The report said every year about 9,000 children are killed or mutilated by anti-personnel mines. In Myanmar, it said, children have been sent to mn through minefields in “the most horrible system of ‘mine removal’ imaginable.” The growing problem of human trafficking has hit children especially hard, it said. Every year more than a million children are victims of trafficking, often exploited as low-cost labor. In some extreme cases, it said, they are killed so that their bodies can furnish organs for transplant. Trafficking in children is now thought to be a US$1.2 billion-ayear industry, it said. Children are routinely taken advantage of in the workplace, a phenomenon that is tolerated even in many European countries, it said. In Italy, for example, illegal child-workers are estimated to number somewhere between 145,000 and 435,000. In some countries, particularly in Asia, child exploitation in the sex industry remains rampant. Many of these children end up dying from AIDS or other diseases, it said. The Holy Childhood Association operates in 150 countries, and aims to promote among Catholic young people an awareness of the social needs of children around the world and a sense of cooperation in the church’s missionary activities. More than US$13 million was raised to fund projects in 2002. One example was a US$5,900 grant to dig a well to provide fresh water to some 700 Nigerian children who were drinking dirty water from the local river. Another project spent US$10,000 to refurnish seven nursery schools serving 1,000 students in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The schools had been heavily damaged in civil strife. □ c n s

29 church workers killed on mission in 2003 VATICAN CITY - Caught in

situations of civil conflict, surprised during robberies or specifically targeted for death because of their work, at least 29 Catholic Church workers were killed in mission territories in 2003, the Vatican said. Fides, the news agency of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, published its annual “martyrology” Dec. 30, listing Catholic clergy, religious and lay people who were killed as they

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tried to serve the church and their neighbours. The most recent victim listed was Irish Archbishop Michael A. Courtney, the Vatican ambassador to Burundi. Six of the 29 church workers who were killed died in Colombia. Fides also listed six victims among church workers in Uganda, including three boys who were among a group of 41 students from a minor seminary kidnapped by rebels in May. Some of the boys still are

believed to be in the hands of the rebels. Fides also listed five victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo, two in El Salvador and one each in Kenya, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Pakistan, Brazil, Somalia, India and Guatemala. Most of the church workers killed in mission territories were natives of the land where they died. According to Fides, 25 church workers were killed in 2002 and 33 in 2001. □ c n s

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