AUGUST 17, 2003, vol 53, no 17 by CatholicNews

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SUNDAYS AUGUST 17 AND AUGUST 24, 2003 SINGAPORE 50 CENTS / WEST MALAYSIA RM 1.20 M.I.T.A.(P) No.105/01/2003 PPS 201/4/2004 VOL 53 No.17

Photo, courtesy o fZ a o B a o

Pray for those who govern us By Cindy Wooden ROME — Catholics should recover the practice, which goes back to the Old Testament, of praying for those who govern them, an influential Jesuit magazine said. The magazine, La Civilta Cattolica, is published by the Jesuits in Rome; its contents are reviewed at the Vatican prior to publication. The early August 13-page article said practising Catholics regularly pray for their family and friends, for the sick, for the church and for peace in the world. But, the article said, “It would be hard to find someone who spontaneously prays for those who

-avers ic politicians found in I the New Tei Catholic 1 modem. ' 1, s The texts, it said, recc when rulers do not rule wel revolts, disorder and war l situation of chaos, the poor

In his homily, Archbishop Nicholas Chia paid compliments to the parish catechists who are not always appreciated for their services and dedication

Primary level Secondary level Family catechesis Total

weak suffer disproportionately, and the peace and calm that facilitate reflection, faith, prayer and the carrying out of religious duties are threatened. The traditional prayers recognize God as the undisputed ruler of all creation, but also acknowledge that he has given men and women a share in his power over earthly affairs. The prayers, the magazine said, do not seek the conversion of rulers to Christianity, but do ask God to fill them with the wisdom and virtues needed to fulfill their roles in a way that promotes peace, the common good and morality. “For Christians, the state is not an absolute value because above its laws — which, at times, enter into compromises — there is the law of God, the moral law, which cannot be compromised,” it said. When Christians pray for their rulers, the magazine said, “they do not unconditionally approve all i : authorities < 3ed 5y the moral

God bless Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and the Singapore Government.

CATECHISTS RECHARGED 1 By Don Gurugay

5,2 450 17,525

VOLUNTEER CATECHISTS Primarv level 761 Secondary level 266 Total 1027

FOUR HUNDRED catechists from the Singapore Archdiocese had their batteries recharged and their teaching skills sharpened Sunday July 10. These generous Catholics gave up their Sunday to attend the annual convention organised by the Religious Education Office at the Singapore Pastoral Institute in Highland Road for the benefit of our children. The three-workshops provided the opportunity for participants to listen to those practiced in catechesis, and to exchange views and experiences among themselves in small groups. Phillies Wiliams, a confirmation class catechist from the parish of St Vincent de Paul, said, “I found it enlightening and enriching” while Robert Lim from the Holy Family parish felt it showed participants how to use their talents to serve their students. During Mass at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the catechists were urged by Archbishop Nicholas Chia to show a caring attitude to their students. To motivate the participants, Archbishop Chia told the story of an impoverished, backward boy succeeding as a doctor because of the effort of a caring teacher. The Archbishop said that becoming a catechist was answering a call to serve and emphasised the need for prayer. The day closed with a dinner for parish co-ordinators. □

Sundays August 17 and August 24, 2003 □ CatholicNews

Kfews Inter-racial family day

St Anne’s celebrates 40 years SINGAPORE - Some 6,000 Catholics from Ponggol, Sengkang and other towns took part in the St Anne’s parish celebrations honouring the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from July 18 to 27. The church compound was packed with devotees during the procession, which has become an annual attraction since the church was established 40 years ago. The parish now is a far cry from what it was before Ponggol 21 was developed in the late 1990s. There was a time when there were less than 150 families in the parish. St Anne’s was established by the late Paris Missions Society Father Hippolyte Berthold in 1963. Ponggol was then known as a “fisherman’s village” since most of the people who lived there were fishermen and farmers. The church became the centre of the lives of many people who gave generously from the little they had. “I received free vegetables and eggs many times,” remembered Father John Yu, the church’s first parish priest, who was based there from 1963-68. The church was a lively community of some 2,000 then. It ran a kindergarten and a Chineselanguage school, Meng Teck School. The parish territory included Pulau Ubin and was larger than most parishes. “In those days, the

parishioners were very faithful. If you passed by their home in the evening, you could hear them reciting the rosary,” Father Yu, who is now parish priest in Johore, recalled wistfully. Big changes came in the 1980s when the government relocated many Ponggol residents to new housing board flats in nearby towns like Hougang and Ang Mo Kio. Church attendance dwindled and school enrollment suffered. Eventually Meng Teck School was closed down. The building was eventually used by the Missionaries of Charity Sisters to house the Gift of Love Home for elderly destitutes. To prepare for the influx of new families with the development of Ponggol and Sengkang towns, the church interior was renovated and a new parish centre was built. A columbarium was also constructed. By 2001 the changes had been completed to the tune of $8 million. Today the parish is a bustling community of 4,000. [

- ST IGNATIUS parish priest, Fr Leslie Raj, SJ visits a stall selling fried bihon (beehoon), lumpia (spring rolls) and puto (a sweet rice cake) run by the Filipina members of St Ignatius’ Legion of Mary. They had set up the stall in the Ulu Pandan Community Club as their contribution to the Ulu Pandan Community Centre’s Inter-racial Family Day on Sunday, August 3, 2003. The event was organised by the Ulu Pandan Inter-racial Confidence Circle (IRCC) which comprises members from the various racial and religious groups. The secretary of the Circle is St Ignatius’s parish priest, Fr Leslie Raj, SJ. Recent activities of the Circle included a visit of Ulu Pandan residents to a Buddhist temple and to St Ignatius Church. □ SING APO RE

Top right: The bustling parish community... a far cry from the 1980s when the church was almost empty during Mass. Right: Mother Teresa visited the church during her visit to Singapore in 1987 when she established the Gift of Love Home right next to the church.

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Sundays August 17 and August 24, 2003

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More Wonderful Tales... M egan M cKenna, popular story-teller and theologian is back to share with us on: 25 & 26 Aug (Mon & Hies) 7.45 pm Covenants, Family Ties & The Trinity Venue: Centre for Ignatian Spirituality (behind St Ignatius Church), Kingsmead Hall, 8 Victoria Park Rd 27 Aug (Wed) 7.45 pm Parables for Today’s Youth (touching on prayer, decision-making & leadership) Venue: Church of St Anthony, 25 Woodlands Ave 1 Which stories will Megan tell us this time? The woodcutter, a coyote, a Sufi mystic, two men walking to Emmaus? Come for a night of stories and insights into scripture. All are welcome. Brought to you by CHOICE Singapore -To Know, Love & Serve You. Next CHOICE Weekend Aug 22-24, 2003. details on www.choice.org.sg___________

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CATHOLIC BISH OPS’ CONFERENCE MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE, BRUNEI New Office Bearers for the period to December 31,2004 President Vice-President

: Archbishop Nicholas Chia (Singapore) : Archbishop Murphy Pakiam (Kuala Lumpur)

Episcopal Secretary: Bishop Antony Selvanayagam (Penang) Secretary : Bro. Augustine Julian FSC (Petaling Jaya) Treasurer

: Bishop Paul Tan SJ (Melaka-Johor)

Members

: Archbishop John Ha (Kuching) Bishop John Lee (Kota Kinabalu) Bishop Anthony Lee (Miri) Bishop Dominic Su (Sibu) Bishop Cornelius Piong (Keningau) Msgr Cornelius Sim (Brunei) Presidents of Regional Episcopal Commissions

,, , „ .. i/-. Malaysian Catechetical Commission

Archbishop Emeritus : <joter pcrn'mt|e/

Bishops from Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei met at Majodi Centre, Plentong, Johor from July 28 to 31 for their biannual Regional Bishops’ Conference. Among decisions made during the meeting was the election of office bearers for the period to December 31, 2004. The bishops also took time off from meetings and prayer for a group photo. Front row, from left: Archbishop Nicholas Chia, Bishop Anthony Selvanayagam, Archbishop John Ha, Bishop Anthony Lee, Bishop Cornelius Piong, Bishop Dominic Su. Back row, from left: Archbishop Murphy Pakiam, Bishop Paul Tan, Bishop Emeritus James Chan, Bishop John Lee, Rev Mgr Cornelius Sim (Brunei) and Bro Augustine Julian F.S.C. (Episcopal Secretary).

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MANILA, Philippines - Cardinal Jaime Sin of Manila warned that the recent mutiny in the Philippines could happen again if the government does not institute reforms. “If we never learn, our thanksgiving today adds to nothing. We might be nursing another mutiny,” Cardinal Sin said during a July 29 Mass in Quezon City, northeast of Manila. His remarks were reported by UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. The cardinal led the thanksgiving Mass for the peaceful resolution of the July 27 mutiny in which about 300 soldiers took control of an apartment building in Makati City, the financial hub southeast of Manila, and installed bombs in a commercial complex. Among those attending the Mass, concelebrated by 50 priests, were President Gloria MacapagalArroyo and former President Corazon Aquino, along with other high-ranking government, military and church officials. Cardinal Sin stressed that the government should implement “genuine” and “immediate reforms” based on “justice, goodness and peace.” He said the reform movement must “focus on issues, not on personalities,” and “set aside personal ambition and selfish interest for the sake of the common good.”

While acknowledging that an investigation into the mutiny is necessary, the cardinal said “it is more urgent to institute reforms right now and attend to the legitimate grievances expressed” by the rebels. “No one won” in the mutiny, but its conclusion was “a victory of peace,” the cardinal said. “Although their means were immoral and illegal, nevertheless, we thank the soldiers of the mutiny for calling the attention of the nation to the evils of corruption,” he said. Cardinal Sin, who turns 75 Aug. 31, spoke slowly in a faint voice during the thanksgiving Mass. Two priests held him by the arms as he walked to the altar. He spent a few minutes speaking with Arroyo after the Mass. Toward the end of the mutiny, the mutineers accused highranking military and defense officials of selling arms and ammunition to enemies and staging bombings in the southern Philippines to get more military aid from the United States. Navy Lt. Antonio Trillanes IV, spokesman for the mutineers, told a July 27 press conference at the besieged apartment building that his group’s action was meant to push reform and not to grab power. Bishop Francisco Claver of Bontoc-Lagawe, an author of the bishops’ recent pastoral statement

Religious leaders condemn bomb attack — Christian and Muslim leaders condemned the bomb attack that killed at least 10 people and injured about 150 others outside a Jakarta hotel. “The church strongly condemns the violent action,” said Carmelite Father Petrus Go Twan An, head of the Indonesian bishops’ Office of Documentation and Information. Muslim leaders also criticized the attack at the hotel. “The act is very uncivilized, and it can be done only by people who do not believe in God and who have no sense of humanity,” said Din Syamsudin, general secretary of the Indonesian Islamic scholars council, as quoted by the daily Republika. Din said the council is of the view that linking the bombing to Muslims is also uncivilized. He expressed hope that no one would use the incident to tarnish Islam. The daily also cited Azyumardi Azra, rector of government-run Islamic University of Syarif Hidayatullah in Jakarta, as calling the bombing a crime against humanity, religion and the nation. □ u c a n c n s

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on corruption, said people did not support the mutiny because they are “no longer bothered much” by charges of corruption. This is proof of institutionalized corruption, he told UCA News. He said another sign of institutionalized corruption is when people feel “so helpless” about corrupt practices they see all around them. Bishop Claver said Arroyo, who became president through “people power,” has become a prisoner of the military. Hours after the Mass, Arroyo announced the appointment of two retired justices and a University of the Philippines political science professor to an independent commission “to investigate the roots of the mutiny and the provocations that inspired it.” □ u c a n c n s

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Scouting promotes Christian concern for environment By Cindy Wooden - A Christian’s faith journey should include increasing one’s love and appreciation for nature and a commitment to safeguarding the environment, Pope John Paul II told Catholic Guides and Scouts. “This is a task which is urgent for everyone today, but which Scouts have always had, spurred not by some vague ‘ecologism,’ but by a sense of responsibility which comes from faith,” the pope said. Pope John Paul’s message to 20,000 Italian girls and boys participating July 28-Aug. 7 in four national camps sponsored by VATICAN CITY

the Italian Catholic Association of Guides and Scouts was released Aug. 4 at the Vatican. The pope had been invited to visit one of the camps, but he sent his regrets. He assured them, however, they were in his prayers as he thought of “thousands of you in the splendid scenery where you have pitched your tents.” “Where everything speaks of the Creator and his wisdom, from the majestic mountains to the enchanting flower-covered valleys, you learn to contemplate the beauty of God and your souls ‘breathe,’ so to speak, opening to praise, to silence and to the contemplation of the divine

mystery,” the pope wrote. Camping is an adventure, he said, but it also can become an encounter with God, with oneself and with others if one is willing to see God’s power and handiwork all around. Assisted by the beauty of the outdoors, Catholic Scouting offers young people important moments when they experience the beauty of God, the power of prayer and the importance of sharing with and relying on their peers. “All of this prepares you for life, for basing your most important plans on your faith and helping you overcome crises with the light and strength which comes from on high,” he said. □

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Vietnamese Catholics meet in Rome ROME - Pope John Paul I I encouraged Vietnamese Catholics living outside their homeland to preserve their culture, to strengthen their bonds with one another and to be living witnesses of the Gospel. More than 3,000 Vietnamese gathered in Rome at a July 24-27 conference on keeping the Catholic faith alive in their new communities around the world. The meeting was organized by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, which estimates more than 2 million Vietnamese live outside their homeland; about 500,000 of them are Catholic. Bishop Paul Nguyen Van Hoa of Nha Trang, president of the Vietnamese bishops’ conference, attended the meeting. The Rome meeting and its yearlong preparation in Vietnamese communities throughout the world focused on prayer, family gatherings and processions with a statue of Our Lady of La Vang blessed by Pope John Paul.

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A woman prays near a statue of Our Lady of La Vang in Rome at the conclusion of a four-day conference of Vietnamese Catholics living outside their homeland. America, Europe, Australia or other parts of Asia, almost all Vietnamese were refugees and that experience, combined with a common culture and language, brought instant unity to the conference. □ cn s

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Assumption Parish volunteers, from left, Annie Quolke, Carol Nypaver, Grettelyn Nypaver and Eileen Quolke attend to the Perry sextuplets for their 10 a.m. feeding at the babies’ home in Bellevue, Pa., in July. Six babies were born to Erin and Joe Perry in March 2003. With volunteer schedules posted in the home, and a close extended family, the Perrys are adjusting well to their new life. The family has been covered extensively in local media and they realize their once-private, quiet life is over. CNS Photo

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Church of St. Joseph P.M. (Victoria St)

19 8 0 -1 9 8 1

Church of the Holy Cross

1981 -1 9 9 8

Church o f Immaculate Heart of Mary

1998 - 2002

Church of St. Joseph (Upper Bukit Timah)

2002 - now

Church of St. Joseph (Victoria Street)

1978

O c t 2 0 0 3

(8 months) (11 months)

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T ickets a t $35 each. For tickets, please call John Ang a t 96748451.

PITTSBURGH — Parishioners at Assumption Church in Bellevue were already celebrating their 100th anniversary year when they added to their history - and their parish population - with the birth of the first set of sextuplets March 19. In just one day the parish, in the Pittsburgh Diocese, added six tiny new members when Joe and Erin Perry, both 33, of Ross Township became the parents of three boys and three girls. The newcomers joined big brother Parker, age 3 and 1/2. The infants were premature, bom in their 28th week. Their birth weights ranged from 1 pound, 9 ounces, up to 2 pounds, 9 ounces, and they measured between 12 and 15 inches long. They were baptized that same evening by Pittsburgh Auxiliary Bishop David A. Zubik, a family friend, using an eyedropper for the baptismal water. It wasn’t until the week of July 15 that the family was finally all together. Tiny Madison, weighing in at 5 pounds, 8 ounces, (up from her birth weight of 1 pound, 9 ounces) was released from the hospital almost four months to the day after she and her siblings were bom. She followed Joshua, who came home May 24. Because of an infection, Madison needed to have tubes placed into her kidneys. Before the arrivals, his wife was a director of social work. She began fertility treatments when she was unable to conceive a second time. The family is adapting space in its brick two-story, threebedroom house until they can find a bigger home. And finances are an issue. “It’s a very real worry,” Erin Perry told the Pittsburgh

Catholic, the diocesan newspaper. “We went from a three-person family with two incomes to a nine-person family with one income.” The six babies drink up to two gallons of formula each day. They go through 50 diapers. Eileen Quolke, pastoral associate at Assumption, spoke with Perry during her pregnancy and they determined volunteers would help the family with feedings. “I called people I thought might be willing to help, had availability and would be good at it,” Quolke said. Today, the family has a volunteer schedule posted inside the entrance to their home, where helpers can sign up for the feedings. The parish publishes updates on the family in the bulletin. “It’s so wonderful to be part of such a parish community,” Erin Perry said. “We’ve met so many wonderful people. The priests and people have been fabulous. People have been so, so kind to us.” Quolke has been steering people who want to help to a trust fund set up so the family can buy a van large enough to accommodate seven car seats. Family members and friends are planning some fund-raisers, including a buffet dinner and a golf outing. The parish’s Moms and Tots group also helps out, delivering diapers that had been dropped off at the rectory for the family. Area stores, family members and neighbors have contributed baby furniture, swings and other items. “We’ve been welcoming so many people,” Erin Perry said. “Without their help we couldn’t do it. I’m sure a lot of them will end up being long-time friends of the family.” □ c n s

CatholicNews □

Sundays August 17 and August 24, 2003

Phots ►News Lutheran minister to be priest - If all goes as planned, in a couple of years Rev. Leonard R. Klein, a former Lutheran pastor who is the married father of two and grandfather of one will be ordained a Catholic priest. Rev. Klein, pictured here with his wife, Christa, and daughter, Renate, at Christ Lutheran Church in York, Pa has been received into the Catholic Church, and will begin two years of seminary training. Rev. Klein, 57, who was ordained in the Lutheran Church 32 years ago, officially left the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America July 15. On July 19 he and his wife, Christa, and daughters Renate, 22, and Maria, 29, were received into the church. Daughter Maria, who lives in Baltimore, is married to a Catholic, and their

Nun turns 100

WILMINGTON, Del.

daughter was baptized a Catholic. In the United States over the past 20 years, as many as 70 married Protestant ministers have entered the Catholic Church and been ordained to the priesthood after they converted to Catholicism, according to church officials. Most have been Episcopalian or Lutheran. □ c n s

MANCHESTER, England - Abbess Bernadette Smeyers (left, file photo), believed to be the oldest Benedictine abbess in the world, celebrated her 100th birthday Aug. 5 with a Mass and a blessing from Pope John Paul II. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Belgian-born nun’s abbatial blessing and the 75th anniversary of her monastic profession. After the Mass, a presentation was made on behalf of the king and queen of Belgium. In 1953, she was named abbess of St. Cecilia’s and later authorized the first recordings of plain chant in the United Kingdom. The Benedictines thought they would have a hard time selling their initial 500 copies of the chant recordings, but sold 3,500 copies in seven months. From 1980 to 1992, the nuns produced nine recordings of their chant. Although Abbess Bernadette retired in 1987, she still is present at most communal recitations of the divine office and helps to sort altar breads. D ow

Parishioners form face of Christ This computer-generated image of Christ is actually a montage of parishioners’ faces at St. Mary’s Church in Auckland, New Zealand. The artwork was created by 19year-old parishioner Rory Leighton. “I hope that those who view the work now see past the faces they know and instead see Christ working in each of us and helping us grow together in his light,” said Leighton about his creation. The images was blessed by a parish priest at a recent Mass. □ c n s

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M ore th afi^m illio n people took p a rt in a weekend pilgrimage to the church to m ark a local feast.

A place of suffering A sick and malnourished child (right) lies in a Doctors Without Borders hospital in the Liberian capital of Monrovia July 30. Dozens of civilians have been killed and thousands are suffering bleak conditions as rebels continue to battle government troops in a move to unseat President Charles Taylor. The church has been pressing for international intervention to restore peace. Archbishop Michael Francis of Monrovia said violence has forced the church to cease operations in Monrovia, the nation’s capital, and the southeastern port city of Buchanan, where violence erupted July 28. Schools, parishes and most medical clinics have been forced to shut down, he said. The archbishop said he had no doubts that an international force of professional soldiers would quickly quell the violence gripping Liberia. He said most of the young soldiers that have joined the rebels would stop fighting. □ c n s

Sundays August 17 and August 24, 2003 □ CatholicNews

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Same-sex marriage laws gravely immoral: Vatican By John Norton — Amid increasing worldwide initiatives to grant legal recognition to same-sex unions, the Vatican called on lawmakers to offer “clear and emphatic opposition” to such measures, which it said were contrary to human nature and ultimately harmful to society. In a 12-page document released July 31, the Vatican expressed particular alarm at moves to allow gay couples to adopt children, which it said would be a form of “violence” against children and “gravely immoral.” The document rejected arguments that failing to give gay unions legal recognition would be unjust discrimination and underscored the unique social role of marriage between a man and a woman in continuing the human race and raising children. “The denial of the social and legal status of marriage to forms of cohabitation that are not and cannot be marital is not opposed to justice; on the contrary, justice requires it,” it said. “Legal recognition of homosexual unions or placing them on the same level as marriage would mean not only the approval of deviant behaviour, with the consequence of making it a model in presentday society, but would also obscure basic values which belong to the common inheritance of humanity,” it said. It instructed Catholic politicians that they were morally bound to oppose such “gravely unjust laws” and said all public servants had the right to conscientious objection if they were asked to apply them. A note at the end of the document said it had been approved by Pope John Paul II, who ordered its publication. Titled “Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons” and released in Italian, French, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Polish, the document coincided with a growing movement in Europe and North America toward granting gay couples some or all of the legal protections and benefits of marriage. In late July, Massachusetts’ highest court was widely expected to rule in favour of legalizing same-sex marriages; similar legislation was enacted in 2000 in Vermont. Also in July, Canada’s government proposed a draft bill to legalize same-sex marriage; Belgium and the

VATICAN CITY

Netherlands already have expanded equal marriage rights to homosexuals, and a number of other European countries offer gay couples civil-union rights. Opposition to gay marriage, including opposition among white U.S. Catholics, has dropped significantly in recent

society, especially if their impact on society were to increase,” it said. In a footnote, the document warned of the “danger” that granting legal status to gay unions “could actually encourage a person with a homosexual orientation to declare his

Canadians Tom Graff and Antony Percino walk out of a Vancouver courthouse after their early July marriage that followed a court ruling clearing the way for same-sex unions in British Columbia. (c n s Photo) years, according to a poll released in July by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. Just 41 percent of white Catholics today oppose legalized gay marriage, in contrast with 60 percent in 1996. Support for such measures among white Catholics has increased in the same period from 31 percent to 47 percent. A day before the Vatican released its document, U.S. President George W. Bush told reporters in Washington that White House lawyers were exploring ways to ensure that “marriage” remains legally defined as a union between a man and a woman. Some U.S. lawmakers have proposed a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages. The Vatican’s document went further than those proposals by rejecting any extension of special rights or legal status to homosexual couples. It said cohabiting homosexuals could use general provisions of the law to protect their rights as persons “like all citizens from the standpoint of their private autonomy.” “Not even in a remote analogous sense do homosexual unions fulfill the purpose for which marriage and family deserve specific categorical recognition,” the document said. “On the contrary, there are good reasons for holding that such unions are harmful to the proper development of human

homosexuality and even to seek a partner in order to exploit the provisions of the law.” Noting that civil laws play a “very important and sometimes decisive role in influencing

patterns of thought and behaviour,” the document said granting legal status to gay unions would expose young people, especially, to erroneous ideas about sexuality and marriage, and thus could “contribute to the spread of the phenomenon.” The document also condemned legislative moves to allow gay couples to adopt, saying that being deprived of having either a mother or a father has been shown to harm children’s normal development. “Allowing children to be adopted by persons living in such unions would actually mean doing violence to these children, in the sense that their condition of dependency would be used to place them in an environment that is not conducive to their full development,” it said. It said gay adoption is not only “gravely immoral,” but also openly contradicts the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, which says consideration of the best interests of the child must be paramount. While presented as an aid to local bishops and all those who are “committed to promoting and defending the common good of society,” the document offered special instruction to Catholic politicians, who it said were particularly obliged to fight efforts to legally recognize gay unions. When such legislation is first proposed, “the Catholic lawmaker has a moral duty to express his opposition clearly and

publicly and to vote against it. To vote in favour of a law so harmful to the common good is gravely immoral,” it said. In the face of already existing laws, the document said Catholic politicians must make their opposition known and work “in the ways that are possible” to repeal the law completely, or partially “when its total abrogation is not possible at the moment.” While the document called homosexuality a “troubling moral and social phenomenon,” it underscored church teaching that homosexuals “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity” and that they should not be unjustly discriminated against. But, it added, “the church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behaviour or to legal recognition of homosexual unions.” In Italy, the document drew immediate condemnation from gay rights groups. At St. Peter’s Square July 31, a handful of protesters from Italy’s Radical Party compared Catholic Church leaders to Afghanistan’s former Islamic fundamentalists, holding placards that read: “No Vatican! No Taliban!” □ [ The document can be found on the Vatican’s Web site at: http:// www.vatican.va/roman_curia/ congregations/cfaith/documents/ rc_con_cfaith_doc_20030731_ homosexual-unions_en.html. ]

Document date carefully chosen By John Norton VATICAN CITY — The

St. Charles Lwanga is depicted in a window at St. Jerome Church in Hyattsville, Md. He was among the Ugandan martyrs who withstood the sexual advances of a savage, young King Mwanga in the 1880s. (CNS Photo)

Vatican’s new document opposing legal recognition of same-sex unions bears the date June 3, the memorial of 19th-century Ugandan martyrs killed for refusing a king’s homosexual advances. A Vatican official told Catholic News Service that the dates on Vatican documents usually are carefully selected for their significance, but he declined to comment specifically on the new text. The 12-page document, prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and officially released July 31, called on lawmakers to resist a growing worldwide movement to grant legal recognition to gay unions, calling such measures contrary to human nature and ultimately harmful to society. The last page of the document

bears a signing date of June 3, “memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and his companions, martyrs.” St. Charles and 21 other martyrs, ranging in age from 14 to 30, were young officials and pages in the court of King Mwanga, who had a predilection for sex with young men. According to a brief biography on the Vatican’s Web site, the king killed them when “they refused, because of their faith in Christ, to yield to the king’s filthy desires.” Killed in 1885 and 1886, some of the martyrs were run through with spears; the others, including St. Charles, who was head of the pages and protected them from the king’s advances, were burned to death. St. Charles was named patron saint of young people. During a trip to Uganda in 1993, Pope John Paul II visited a shrine to the martyrs, who are considered the first from subSaharan Africa. □ c n s

CatholicNew s □

Sundays August 17 and August 24, 2003

Culture of dialogue: Homosexuality Sr. Theresa Seow, F.d.C.C raised some concern among a number of Catholics recently when she was quoted in The Straits Times as having said: “It is not very Christian to provoke people to go against a group of people who, I believe, would not want to be what they now are if they have a choice.” In a separate clarification in the Viewpoints section (page 17), Sr Theresa explains the context in which the statement was made. Here in this article she provides additional background information and goes on to give her thoughts on how Catholics in Singapore should treat homosexual persons.

approach this problem by agitating the ground to get personal views across to the public. I mentioned about the church’s belief in upholding the value of chastity for every person, single as well as married, heterosexuals as well as homosexuals. Unfortunately this too was not quoted.

Sexuality and sex

The government has always been consistent in its effort to promote family and the values it stands for. We see the ongoing activities organized to promote family values. There are different means adopted such as advertisements and public messages recognizing the family as one of the key institutions in nation building. The PM ’s revelation is a simple reminder to the public of the need to ‘respect the dignity of every human being’ including the right to a job. This is consistent with the very fundamental belief of the church on the dignity of every person.

We need to be clear that those with homosexual tendencies do not necessarily have to engage in the homosexual act. It is also important to know that not all homosexual acts are equated with homosexual tendencies/orientation. This is similar to the case ngi HEN I was asked for a response of heterosexual men and Different orientations and By Sr. Theresa L H. to PM Goh Chok Tong’s remark women who refrain from struggles Seow, F.d.C.C. on government’s openness to extramarital affairs even _________ _______ Men and women with employing gay people, I declined. though they may be attracted homosexual orientations have The quote in The Straits Times was to some other members of the opposite struggled in their search for identity. Do made in the context of my response towards gender precisely because they know it is we understand the pain that parents have to a group of Christians from different wrong to do it, despite the temptation suffer in silence and shame when they denominations that “met and agreed on a sometimes. In fact, the church does not learn of their children’s sexual orientation? plan of action for Christians to tackle ‘a condone sex between the heterosexual man As Catholics, do we recognize that it is not volatile situation’ that they said had arisen and woman outside of marriage. just their problems but also ours? We have out of the policy announcement.” Further, In today’s society, sexuality is often to come to terms that there are gay “the meeting ended with a ‘consensus to equated with sex. Sexuality is no longer Catholics who are honestly struggling to draft an immediate plan of action that every seen as a gift that defines the person’s lead a good Christian life. There is no way pastor and church can adopt in our battle identity as a man and as a woman. In the whereby we can judge their intentions. against homosexuality’.” My response was natural law, the true meaning of the sexual towards the way some Christians were act is achieved when the man and the The Church, Catholics and support reacting in their “battle against woman give themselves totally to each groups homosexuality” and the use of language other within the institution of marriage, and For over twenty centuries the church has such as “the battle lines are now drawn and that love-giving act directly gives rise to the been consistent in her stand on sensitive it is time in Singapore to rise up and make a possibility of new life. Unfortunately, issues and has never faltered even when stand.” society no longer upholds this fundamental faced with criticism. As church, we have I believe that we, as church, must be belief that the sanctity of the sexual act is always been in the forefront of providing firm and clear in our stand that homosexual strictly for couples within marriage. support to people who are marginalized. activities are unnatural and that we do not The local church must reflect together and condone the homosexual act. I explained at Government’s decision see how such a support group will benefit length during the interview but was, The ‘gay backlash’ results from the PM’s the people with homosexual tendencies. unfortunately, not quoted. I feel that taken recent revelation that the government is The present Christian gay support to the extreme, remarks and reactions from now employing openly homosexual people, groups comprise people with homosexual this group of Christians can provoke even in sensitive jobs. I guess some people orientations themselves. I was glad to read unwarranted emotional responses from felt that openness to employing gay people in the Catholic News that Family Life people with homosexual orientation. It will in sensitive jobs might gradually lead to Society is willing to provide support by be counter productive in what we are trying demand for the legalization of same-sex offering counselling. It is my view that to do, and that is to discourage homosexual marriages, adoption of children and such support groups must include activities. Likewise, such remarks will also allowing their partners to be recognized as counsellors, religious, married people, ex provoke strong emotional responses from next of kin on issues such as medical gays as well as homosexuals who have others who are intolerant of homosexuals. benefit and property. come to terms with their sexual orientation As a Christian and a religious, my However, I believe, the PM’s intention is but are no longer sexually active. concern will always be for those who are not to open avenues for the demand of other I was further quoted, “ .. .a group of unfairly treated. I believe Jesus will not rights related to the homosexual agenda. people who, I believe, would not want to be

IT’S A NEW DAY! Cleansing and healing of the church in America begins BOSTON — Archbishop Sean Patrick O ’Malley blesses the congregation(right) at his installation Mass July 30 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston. In his homily, Archbishop O ’Malley spoke of the need to rebuild the church in the wake of the clergy sex abuse scandal. He also thanked victims of clergy sex abuse for attending his installation and once again apologized for the harm done by priests and bishops. Victims have done a service to the church in exposing the clergy sex abuse problem, he said. Recalling the pope’s plea for forgiveness of the church’s historical sins, Archbishop O ’Malley said that “the church in the United States could

not have imagined just how important this gesture of asking forgiveness would be for us. ” “The whole Catholic community is ashamed and anguished because of the pain and damage inflicted on so many young people and because of our inability and unwillingness to deal with the crime of sexual abuse of minors,” he said. “How we ultimately deal with the present crisis in our church will do much to define us as Catholics of the future,” he stated. The archbishop reminded the assembly that “although we live in a sad chapter of the church’s history, we must remember it is a chapter not the entire book.” □ cns

what they now are if they have a choice.” Are we open to engage in dialogue with the gay people who have gone for help and have yet to come to terms with their sexual orientations? Can we offer them the support they need to be counselled and if they cannot be helped, what will be our attitude towards them? What other choices can we offer instead of condemning them? Those with homosexual tendencies are human beings and the church upholds that the dignity of every human being be respected. Heterosexuals have to love every man and woman as persons. Their love is not only for people of the opposite sex. Homosexuals have to love every man and woman because society is not only made up of people of their own sex. The commandment of Christ to ‘love one another as I have loved you’ is a commandment to love each person as a gift and a child of God, regardless of gender/ sexual orientation.

Dialogue with homosexuals...in truth and love Each of us wants to change the world. However, it is difficult to do so if we do not change our view of others. The homosexual men and women are asking for love, understanding, compassion and a listening ear. The ones I have met are asking to be listened to and to be respected as persons. They have no intention of changing the views of the straights. They do not expect that from us. Catholics, are we ready to be there for our brothers and sisters, straights as well as gays, and just be there to love rather than to condemn? While we must be firm in not condoning homosexual acts, can the parish community also be the safe haven for people who are different from us but nonetheless need to feel accepted, loved and respected? Yes, science and medical journals have shared experiences of people who have recovered. Can we be there to accompany them in their journey of recovery or at least, just accept where each person is and not condemn them? The only way to hold strong values is to reach out to homosexuals who are crying for help and at the same time, continue to promote strong family values. The government, church as well as families have to work hand in hand to foster strong marriages as well as family ties. Parents concerned about their child’s welfare have to accept responsibility for their child’s upbringing and not expect that church and state must do everything. □

Sundays August 17 and August 24, 2003 □ C atholicNews

Special lie

The beauty of marital love By Fr. William Saunders G IV EN our understanding o f marriage and marital love, w e can readily see that the m ost beautiful expression o f love in marriage is marital love, or physical love, or sexual intercourse, or conjugal love — whatever term one prefers. Granted, love in marriage encom passes much more than the act o f conjugal love. N evertheless, this action radiates a unique and special sym bolism o f the sacrament o f marriage — the covenant shared betw een the tw o w ho have becom e one flesh. Interestingly, in our sacramental theology, w e hold that a sacrament has tw o parts: the form, or prayer part o f the sacrament; and the matter, the physical and action part o f the sacrament. For instance, in performing a baptism, the matter o f the sacrament is the priest pouring water over the head o f the person or imm ersing the person in water three times; at the sam e tim e, the priest prays the form o f the sacrament, “I baptize you in the name o f the Father, and o f the Son, and o f the H oly Spirit.” In marriage, the couple are the ministers o f the sacrament; the priest is the official w itness o f the church w ho also imparts G od ’s blessing. The form o f the Sacrament o f Marriage is the exchange o f vows; the matter o f the sacrament is the consumm ation o f the marriage, when the two people enact those vow s in that physical expression o f love. Therefore the church teaches, “The acts o f marriage by which the intimate and chaste union o f the spouses takes place are noble and honorable; the truly human performance o f these acts fosters the self-giving they signify and enriches the spouses in joy and gratitude” (Gaudium et Spes, N o. 49). Pope Paul VI in his encyclical Humanae Vitae (No. 9) offered a beautiful reflection on this conjugal love o f marriage. The H oly Father said that marital love is a genuinely human love, because it embraces

the good o f the w hole person and is rooted in a free w ill, giving o f one spouse to the other. This love endures through joy and pain, success and failure, happiness and sorrow, uniting the couple in both body and soul. This love is also total — free o f restriction, hesitation, or condition. This love is faithful and exclusive to both partners. In all, this love must be a mutually respectful action, a genuine expression o f love. Unlike what is so often portrayed by the various m edia today, marital love is not som e erotic action, rooted in selfishness, fleeting pleasure, or dominance. N o, marital love is a sacred action which unites a couple with each other and God. The spirit o f this teaching reflects what Jesus said at the Last Supper, “There is no greater love than this: to lay down o n e’s life for o n e ’s friends” (John 15:13). Moreover, the act o f marital love also participates in G od’s creative love. The couple who has becom e a new creation by becom ing husband and w ife, one flesh, may also bring about the creation o f new life in accord with G od ’s w ill. Vatican II asserted, “By its very nature the institution o f marriage and married love is ordered to the procreation and education o f the offspring and it is in them that it finds its crowning glory” (Gaudium et Spes, N o. 48, cf. N o. 50). The Council acknow ledged that w hile not dim inishing the importance o f sacramental union sym bolized in marital love, “it must be said that true married love and the whole structure o f fam ily life which results from it is directed to disposing the spouses to cooperate valiantly with the love o f the Creator and Saviour, who through them w ill increase and enrich H is fam ily from day to day” (Gaudium et Spes, N o. 50). Our H oly Father, Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae, reflected that G od’s ow n im age and likeness is transmitted through the creation o f

an immortal soul directly by Him. Moreover, a child is really the personification o f the love o f husband and w ife in union with the Creator. Therefore, “it is precisely in their role as co-workers with God who transmits H is im age to the new creature that w e see the greatness o f couples w ho are ready ‘to cooperate with the love o f the Creator and the Savior, who through them w ill enlarge and enrich His ow n fam ily day by day’” (Evangelium Vitae, N o. 43, quoting also Gaudium et Spes, N o. 50). Throughout sacred Scripture, w e find the birth o f children as a blessing from God and a sign o f the living covenant between G od and husband and w ife. For exam ple, M oses delivered the law o f the covenant, declaring: “A s your reward for heeding these decrees and observing them carefully, the Lord, your God, w ill keep with you the merciful covenant which He promised on oath to your fathers. H e w ill love and bless and multiply you; He w ill bless the fruit o f your wom b and the produce o f your soil, your grain and w ine and oil, the issue o f your herds and young o f your flocks, in the land which He swore to your fathers He would give you. You w ill be blessed above all peoples; no man or wom an among you shall be childless nor shall your livestock be barren” (Deuteronomy 7:12-14). Clearly life, fruitfulness, and fertility were cherished as goods granted by God. B ecause o f this decree and the understanding that the procreative aspect o f marital love is a sacred gift, “barrenness” or infertility was a true cross to bear for a couple. For exam ple, in the Old Testament, in the story o f Hannah, w ife o f Elkanah, w e read o f how she grieved at not being able to have a child although she had a beautiful loving marriage. Sacred Scripture reads, “Hannah rose..., and presented herself before the Lord; at the time, Eli, the priest was sitting on a chair near the doorpost o f the Lord’s temple. In her bitterness, she

prayed to the Lord, weeping copiously, and she made a vow, prom ising, ‘Oh Lord o f hosts, if you look with pity on the misery o f your handmaid, if you remember m e and do not forget m e, if you give your handmaid a male child, I w ill give him to the Lord for as long as he lives; neither w ine nor liquor shall he drink, and no razor shall ever touch his head” (I Sam 1:9-11). The Lord heard the plea o f Hannah, and she conceived and bore a son, Samuel. In the N ew Testament, w e read the story o f Elizabeth and Zechariah, who were “just in the eyes o f G od” and “upheld the commandments o f the Lord.” However, in their old age, they remained childless. By G od’s w ill, they conceived a child, John the Baptist. Elizabeth said, “In these days the Lord is acting on m y behalf; H e has seen fit to remove m y reproach among m en.” (Cf. Luke 1:5-25.) Follow ing this line o f thought, Vatican II asserted, “Indeed children are the supreme gift of marriage and greatly contribute to the good o f the parents them selves” (Gaudium et Spes, N o. 50). Therefore, w e must not separate the unitive dim ension o f marital love from the procreative. Both dim ensions are intrinsically good. Both dim ensions are inherent in the act o f marriage. Even if a couple is infertile, the act o f marriage still retains the character o f being a com m union o f life and love. We must constantly keep in focus the covenant o f life and love a couple shares with each other in union with God. □ c n s

NFP’s the way to go By Fr. William Saunders WHILE condem ning the use o f contraception, the church also recognizes that som e couples face serious situations in their marriage and fam ily which m ove them to postpone a pregnancy, even indefinitely. To assist couples, the church implores couples to turn to a natural method o f regulating births, which God has designed as part o f the reproductive system. This method is simply called Natural Family Planning. Actually one o f the earliest forms o f natural fam ily planning is breast feeding. If a wom an breast feeds her baby consistently, she probably would not conceive for 18-24 months. Actually, many tribal people naturally regulate births this way. In the 1930s, Calendar Rhythm

was developed. This method was effective if the woman had regular cycles and if she was properly instructed. Actually, rhythm is about as effective as condom s or other barrier methods o f birth control. Nevertheless, Calendar Rhythm was unreliable for many couples. Perhaps this unreliability is why m any joked, “What do you call a couple w ho uses rhythm? Answer: Parents.” However, m odem Natural Family Planning is technically called the Sympto-Thermal Method. This method relies on three signs o f fertility in the woman: basal temperature pattern, cervical mucus pattern, and physical changes in the position o f the cervix. These three signs inform a couple when the w ife is in ovulation and possibly could conceive a child if the couple engages

in marital love. Ironically, w hile many doctors prescribe artificial means to prevent a pregnancy, they prescribe the techniques o f Natural Family Planning to help a couple who is having trouble conceiving a child identify the period o f ovulation and thereby know when the possibility o f conception is the greatest. Moreover, if one is worried about effectiveness, the Sympto-Thermal M ethod is proven to be as effective as the Pill and more effective than barrier methods if used properly. Immediately, some people may honestly ask, "What is the difference between Natural Family Planning and other forms o f contraception? Both seem to do the same thing.” W hile both means may have the same intent — postponing pregnancy — the difference lies in the means themselves. With

The Ooi family - John and Joann and the fruitsut!

What the cli Natural Family Planning, couples keep their covenant o f life and love intact. They use only the means given to them by God. In expressing their marital love, they are mindful that this action not only unites them as husband and w ife, but also may participate in G od’s creative love. Rather than suppress and ignore one dimension, they respect both dimensions. Therefore, if they decide for a serious reason to postpone a pregnancy, then both husband and w ife make the decision and both share in the sacrifice o f not expressing their marital love during the period o f ovulation. Natural Fam ily Planning is also safe, and the burden is shared by both husband and w ife. Moreover, the couple is open to the providence o f G od’s will: if a child should com e w ho “was not planned,” so be it — that is G od’s w ill and G od’s gift; whereas with contraceptives, where the couple has everything nicely planned and is in control, the surprise pregnancy oftentimes spells disaster.

Remem ber that one o f the arguments f i for legalized abortion is to correct . > “unplanned pregnancies.” 11 Pope John Paul II addressed the * r anthropological and moral differences j between contraception and Natural f Family Planning in Familiaris [ Consortio: “The choice o f the natural , c rhythms involves accepting the cycle j c o f the person, that is the woman, and I c thereby accepting dialogue, reciprocal r respect, shared responsibility and self- I c control. To accept the cycle and to li c enter into dialogue means to recognize ’ ii both the spiritual and corporal F character o f conjugal communion, and F to live personal love with its ( requirement o f fidelity. In this context s the couple com es to experience how 1 conjugal communion is enriched with p those values o f tenderness and affection which constitute the inner > soul o f human sexuality, in its physical ii dimension also. In this way sexuality is F respected and promoted in its truly and e fully human dimension, and is never (I ‘used’ as an ‘object’ that, by breaking E

Contraceptives diminish marital love By Fr. William Saunders

uitsctheir marital love, Michelle, Christine, Andrew, Peter, Kathleen and Rachel. File photo

BOTH the unitive and procreative dim ensions are intrinsically good and inherent to the act o f marriage. F or th is reason , therefore, Pope Paul VI in his encyclical Humanae Vitae stated, “Each and every marriage act must remain open to the transmission o f life (No. 11). The H oly Father continued, “This particular doctrine, expounded on numerous occasions by the Magisterium, is based on the inseparable connection, established by God, which man on his own initiative may not break, between the unitive significance and the procreative significance which are both inherent to the marriage pact” (Humanae Vitae, No. 12). With the introduction o f a contraceptive means (artificial or not) to the marital act, the procreative dim ension is purposefully suppressed and ignored. The unitive dimension, therefore, is separated from the procreative. Just as a forced act o f physical love by one spouse upon the other violates the unitive dim ension o f marital love, the impairment o f the capacity to transmit human life violates the procreative dimension. Here note that contraception involves an impairment or a suppression o f one inherent dim ension o f an action as God has designed it. Essentially, God has designed marital love to be both unitive and procreative; to suppress or to violate either one contradicts the design o f God.

clurch teaches, and why

its

the personal unity o f soul and body, strikes at G od’s creation itself at the level o f the deepest interaction o f nature and person” (#32). W hile this colum n cannot give a full explanation o f Natural Fam ily Planning, any couple who is interested or has questions concerning the church’s teaching ought to take the course. Couples preparing for marriage are especially encouraged to do so. Rather than just brush aside the church’s teaching, investigate the leaching and inquire about Natural Family Planning. Courses for Natural Family Planning using the B illings Ovulation M ethod are offered at several parish centres in Singapore. Those interested may call their respective parish. Oftentimes, people think that Natural Fam ily Planning is ineffective. If used properly, Natural Family Planning is almost 100 percent effective with a .004 pregnancy rate (U.S. Department o f Health, Education and Welfare (1978)) versus

“the p ill,” which is 97 percent effective, or the condom , which is 7988 percent effective (Contraceptive Technology). NFP is now used by more than 2,686,400 couples in China with a success rate o f over 99% for avoiding pregnancy. Nevertheless, this w hole issue concerns that covenant love between husband and w ife, and God. It deals with the creation o f life in union with God. W hile som e individuals like to cite statistics for effectiveness, no method is 100 percent effective; however, with Natural Family Planning the couple has a trust in G od’s w ill and providence that is absent from other m eans. Couples who use Natural Family Planning do not speak o f “unplanned pregnancies,” because they know that the act o f conjugal love may bring about life. A lso, w hile the divorce rate in the United States hovers around 50 percent during the first five years o f marriage, those who use Natural Fam ily Planning have a divorce rate o f

about 0.6 percent according to the Couple to Couple League, and 2-5 percent according to research conducted by California State University, attesting to the strong covenant love shared by these couples. Therefore, concerning the regulation o f births, Vatican II stated, “It is the married couple them selves who must in the last analysis arrive at these judgments before G od” (Gaudium et Spes, #50). H owever, any faithful Catholic must first take into account the teaching o f the Magisterium. A s has been em phasized, marriage is serious, marital love is serious, the creation o f life is serious. The means o f contraception are intrinsically evil (Catechism, #2370). Thereby the violation o f marital love through the use o f contraceptive practices is objectively a serious, mortal sin. Granted, grave circumstances may exist which in turn may reduce the culpability o f a couple in this matter. If a couple is struggling with this

Nevertheless, we have witnessed the proliferation o f the use o f artificial birth control in particular. A s Pope John Paul II, as w ell as Pope Paul VI, have repeatedly warned, what has consequently evolved in society is a contraceptive mentality, the removal o f conjugal love from the Sacrament o f Marriage, and in many cases especially outside the context o f marriage - the reduction o f conjugal love to simply a sex act without genuine love. In Evangelium Vitae, Pope John Paul II lamented about the effects o f contraception: “Sexuality too is depersonalized and exploited: from being the sign, place, and language o f love, that is, o f the gift o f self and acceptance o f another, in all the other’s richness as a person, it increasingly becom es the occasion and instrument for self-assertion and the selfish satisfaction o f personal desires and instincts. Thus, the original import o f human sexuality is distorted and falsified, and the two meanings, unitive and procreative, inherent in the very nature o f the conjugal act, are artificially separated: in this way, the marriage union is betrayed and its fruitfulness is subjected to the caprice o f the couple. Procreation then becom es the ‘enem y' to be avoided in sexual activity: if it is w elcom ed this is only because it expresses a desire, or indeed the intention, to have a child ‘at all costs,’ and not because it signifies the complete acceptance o f the other and therefore an openness to the richness o f life which the child represents” (No.23). Here we must pause to examine another dim ension o f the problem with som e forms o f artificial birth control. M ost artificial birth control pills today are such that they have a “double-barrel” effect. On one hand, they serve as a contraceptive in suppressing ovulation; on the other hand, i f ovulation occurs and conception takes place “by accident,” they also make the lining o f the uterus hostile to implantation, thereby expelling the conceived life.

issue, I advise them to see a priest or talk with one o f the couples who teaches Natural Fam ily Planning. One cannot cavalierly dism iss the consistent teaching o f the church on this issue. We cannot sim ply consider good intentions or m otives. Moreover, w e cannot just go to the “Y ellow Pages” to find the priest or theologian who w ill give us the answer w e want to hear. We have to be honest and wrestle with the truth and by the grace o f God conform to it. A s Pope John Paul II asserted, “A s Teacher, [the church] never tires o f proclaiming the moral norm that must guide the responsible transmission o f life. The church is in no way the author or the arbiter o f this norm. In obedience to the truth which is Christ, w hose image is reflected in the nature and dignity o f the human person, the church interprets the moral norm and proposes it to all people o f good w ill, without concealing its demands o f radicalness and perfection” (Familiaris Consortio, #33). □

Rem ember that once conception occurs, a unique, precious individual has been created who has the right to life. Consequently, these pills are really abortifacients, having the same effect as the IU D (intrauterine device). Actually, this “double barrel” effect is the sad selling point for the drug R U 486, com m only called "the morning after p ill.” Moreover, w e must also consider the possible side effects o f these pills to the health o f the woman. In examining the Physician’s Desk Reference for various oral contraceptives available, the small-print list o f possible health complications includes, to name a few, myocardial infarction, thrombosis, cerebrovascular disorders, birth defects, and various forms o f cancer (breast, cervical, ovarian, and uterine). Tragically, many doctors do not inform the woman o f these health risks when prescribing these drugs. Since each individual has an obligation for maintaining his health, any drug which consistently changes the normal functioning o f the body and which carries these risks would be morally objectionable. So what is a couple who has serious issues facing their marriage, such as a medical problem or economic constrictions, to do? The church has always taught that a couple must act as responsible parents: “The couple must fulfill their role as cooperators o f G od’s creative love with responsibility: they must respect the divine providence of God, consider their own good and the good o f their children, bom and yet to be bom, weigh their own situation and needs on the spiritual and material levels, and look to the good o f family, society, and church” (Gaudium et Spes, No.50). A husband and wife, with a vision o f being responsible parents, must decide if now is the time to have a child. There may be serious reasons for postponing a pregnancy - even indefinitely - because o f health, financial burdens, or other serious reason. However, one must be careful not to distort what is a “serious” reason. Pope John Paul II stated, “The decision about the number o f children and the sacrifices to be made for them must not be taken only with a view to adding comfort and preserving a peaceful existence. Reflecting upon this matter before God, with the graces drawn from the Sacrament, and guided by the teaching o f the Church, parents will remind themselves that it is certainly less serious to deny their children certain comforts or material advantages than to deprive them o f the presence of brothers and sisters who could help them to grow in humanity and to realize the beauty o f life at all ages and in all its variety” (1979). If a couple thinks serious reasons do indeed exist for postponing a pregnancy, the church teaches that a couple m ay take advantage o f “the natural cycles o f the reproductive system ” (Humanae Vitae, N o. 16). This method o f regulating birth is called Natural Family Planning. □

[Father William Saunders is dean of the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College and pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Sterling, Virginia.]

Sundays A ugust 17 and August 24, 2003 □ CatholicNews

Faith&Life

(Catholic homosexuals The past month has seen the homosexual debate raging across Singapore. Can a homosexual be a good Catholic too? The CatholicNews meets two Catholic men who live out the paradox in their lives every day.

questioning his lifestyle. He said: “I felt guilty. It felt like I was doing something very wrong.” The Church taught that homosexuality was wrong and Sam found it impossible to reconcile his sexuality with his faith. At first, he simply hoped that, in time, things would get better. They didn’t. That was when he made a decision that would set the course of the rest of his life - he would stay away from nonplatonic relationships altogether. LOVE, companionship, and Said Sam: “I realized that it’s physical and emotional intimacy. not just about sitting around and These are simple things central wishing for it to go away, but to most of our lives. that I must make a But 35-year-old “ I f e l t g u i l t y . concerted effort to stay Sam (not his real away from the I t fe lt lik e name) will not temptation.” experience any of Now, loneliness has I w a s d o in g these - not even if become a familiar s o m e th in g true love came friend. knocking on his door. “I do not resent v e ry w ro n g . He has made a what the Church -S a m conscious choice to teaches. I embrace it,” give them up. said Sam. The reason? Sam is gay. “On an intellectual level, I But he is also Catholic. understand and accept the Baptised when he was 14 years teachings but, emotionally, I old, Sam didn’t find anything have moments of loneliness. I wrong with his sexuality at first. wish that they would be filled He first discovered he had and I know that they can’t.” homosexual feelings when he was Nevertheless, Sam cannot 13. He declined to have his real imagine a heterosexual life with name published as he did not want a wife and children. to upset his family. “I think a homosexual can be It was only in his late teens when close to the Lord by living within he started having sexual the safe perimeters of the church encounters that Sam started that God, whom I love, put me in

Sam

and wishes me to live in,” he said. He likened it to a marriage, where love for one’s spouse could outshine the little flaws in the relationship. He said: “It means making sacrifices, and that pales next to the big thing - and my big thing is that the Lord put me in the Catholic Church. The so-called sacrifice is just another. It’s really not that big a deal. I don’t see how my living a Christian life is any different from any other chaste heterosexual.” Sam sees a life of celibacy simply as his own cross to bear.

Aidan ONLY weeks ago, Aidan stood with his non-Catholic partner in Novena Church. The 30-year-old trader finds nothing wrong with being homosexual and Catholic. Ever since he started attending the Mass when he was 14, Aidan had always felt at home in the church. For him, it had offered him nothing but love from the start. Bom a non-Catholic, Aidan first ventured into the Church of the Holy Family when he was a teenager. He had heard stories of how his Buddhist mother had gone to Novena Church to pray for a son before he was bom, and felt an affinity to the Catholic Church since he was a little boy.

Singaporean viewpoint for Franciscan International By Mel Diamse-Lee SINGAPORE - WHEN Colin Tan joins Franciscan International (FI) in Geneva this September, he will bring fresh perspectives as the first Asian to intern for the organisation. FI is a Franciscan non governmental organisation with general consultative status at the United Nations. So far only North Americans and Europeans have been involved in the 19-year-old organisation’s internship programme. The internship at FI will mean a year-long stint assisting in advocacy work on human rights, poverty, environment and development issues. Colin, 26, says, “I have a great conviction for human rights issues. That is central to our Catholic faith, promoting the dignity and rights of our fellow human beings.” The English literature honours graduate from the National

Colin will be marrying the demands of the Gospel to a reality that has global consequences. University of Singapore will be based at the Geneva office of FI. Among his duties will be writing and compiling reports from Franciscans all over the world about situations they would like to see corrected in their areas. The reports in turn will often be brought to the attention of the United Nations. Franciscan Friar John Paul Tan,

who helped introduce Colin to FI, said “the internship for Colin will broaden his experience of Church and how his Catholic faith can be put into very real and practical results in the global scenario. The experience of more Singaporeans putting their faith into practise in this global scenario will enrich the local church to see itself as missionary in another sense.” “In this work at the United Nations in Geneva, they will learn to see how religion and global politics come together to serve the human family.” Colin’s preparation for the mission consists of two aspects: spiritual and material. “My spiritual preparation includes more prayer, reading the Bible, getting my theology right and reading about the life and spirituality of St Francis,” he said. However, he is worried about the material aspect. He will need some S$ 10,000 to pay for his lodging and food during the year

He joined the RCIA. And “The breakdown of the when he revealed to members teachings of the church is Love,” there that he was gay, said Aidan. “As long none judged him or u | as you love, it cannot rejected him. Instead, ucgo** be wrong. If it is just they prayed for him and t o t h i n k t h a t lust, then that would listened to him. be a bad thing, but C h r is t w ill He was baptized love in itself can’t be five years later. wrong.” lo v e m e th e It was at around the 99 w ay I am . same time that he would have his first homosexual experience. He said: “I was quite sure that To Sam, a private school the church frowns upon teacher who has renounced his homosexual sex, but I was homosexuality in favour of attracted by the love Christ had for religion, Aidan is like the sinners, such as Mary Magdalene. prodigal son. “I began to think that Christ “A rotten child is still a part will love me the way I am.” of the family. A mother may In Church, Aidan had the have set down rules, and the support of the people around child may be insistent on him. Among them, were a nun breaking them, but she will love and two priests. and consider this child as part of “I really felt the touch of the family still,” he said. Christ then,” said Aidan, who “As they say, hate the sin, now attends Mass at St Mary of love the sinner.” the Angels in Bukit Batok. Continuing his analogy, Sam He was active in the church, added: “For me, I just don’t want joining the Legion of Mary and to hurt the mother because even attending a vocation camp hurting the mother would hurt - and when he shared that he me. I am perhaps the prodigal son was a homosexual at these who has come to his senses.” □ functions, he was, again, not spumed. [E ditor’s note: A idan’s “There were times when I b elief that his active thought I should just find a hom osexual relationship is girlfriend, but each time I tried, I not w rong because it is would give up halfway,” he said. “Each time I confided in other based on love does not Catholics, I got more love.” conform to church teaching. Aidan started a serious W e advise Aidan to seek relationship three years ago - and counselling at the Fam ily the belief that God would love L ife Society.] him despite his flaws stuck firm.

Sam’s thoughts

long internship. To help Colin’s mission at FI or to get more information contact Fr John-Paul Tan, ofm (6563-1358). Franciscans International (FI): 1. Is the voice of the Franciscan family for justice, peace and integrity of creation at the United Nations (UN); 2. Enables Franciscan men and women working at the grassroots in all continents to come to Geneva to give testimony of their work for and with the poor to decision makers, such as diplomats, UN officials (D isney) and international NGOs; Breezy fantasy comedy about a 3. Provides ongoing formation to Franciscan men and j straight-laced, widowed psychiatrist and her rebellious women; | teen-age daughter who both wake 4. Works on many different up days before the mother is to be projects which help: children i remarried only to find out that orphaned by AIDS in Africa; they have mysteriously swapped religious intolerance in South Asia; the poor and dispossessed in Brazil; bodies thanks to magical fortune cookies. This third retelling of victims of human trafficking in Mary Rodgers’ popular children’s Italy; and many others; book navigates a minefield of 5. Supports the work of cliches, while imparting a positive Caritas Intemationalis and message about family values and Dominicans for Justice and generational respect. The USCCB Peace, in partnership. Office for Film & Broadcasting To find out more about classification is A-II — adults and Franciscans International visit www.franciscansintemational.org. adolescents. □

“Freaky Friday”

C a th o lic N e w s

□

S u n d a y s A u g u s t 17 a n d A u g u s t 2 4 , 2 0 0 3

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Faith&Life

L av ish a c tlo u ttliu w ith w e ak slu ry llu e sav ed by a s tru n g m essag e th a t v irtu e s such a s c o u ra g e a n d emiijjasKtuu a r e still V V l-H IU )u s

By David DiCerto AN ELITE team of Victorian-era superheroes is enlisted to prevent a madman from triggering a world war in the lavish - but disappointing - action film “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” (Fox). Despite an intriguing premise and imaginative effects, Stephen Norrington’s comic book-inspired film is the most recent example of Hollywood genuflecting at the altar of excess - justifying megabudgets with tedious, over-the-top action sequences at the expense of a wellcrafted story and three-dimensional characters. The result is a sensory-overload thrill ride that could do with a little more plot and less pyrotechnics. “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” opens in the fog-shrouded London of 1899. The Fantom, an anarchist with Masonic connections, has set in motion sinister machinations, sowing the seed of international discord and providing the spark needed to ignite the tinderbox of tum-of-the-century Europe. In an effort to avert global bloodshed, a clandestine organization, headed by an enigmatic chap known only as “M” (Richard Roxbury), recruits a veritable who’s who of Victorian literature, each with singular skills and checkered pasts - sort of the X-Men of Eton - to hunt down and stop the Fantom before his plot to sabotage a conference of European leaders meeting in Venice plunges

THE LEAGUE OF

E X TR A O R D IN A R Y G EN TLEM EN the world into a catastrophic war. Serving as ringleader is legendary adventurer Allan Quatermain (Sean Connery), a shadowy expatriate still haunted by the death of his son, summoned out of retirement in the African veldt. Joining him are the famed underwaterexplorer Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah), captain of the legendary Nautilus submarine; the dapper immortal Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend); vampiress Mina Harker (Peta Wilson); everyone’s favorite schizophrenic, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Jason Flemyng); and the invisible man (Tony Curran). Rounding out the Brit brigade is the quintessential American, Tom Sawyer (Shane West), only here he’s traded in his

paint brush for a Winchester and works for the U.S. Secret Service. Even Jack the Ripper and Conan-Doyle’s Moriarty get a plug. That’s the setup; any more information would be giving far too much importance to the threadbare plot which serves as merely a perfunctory measure on which to drape the numerous special-effects-laden screech-andbang sequences, usually containing a heavy dose of consequence-free violence. Before all is said and done, Quatermain and Sawyer schmaltz their way through a hokey father-son-bonding subplot, Mina goes a little batty, and a witch doctor leaves the door open for a sequel. Oh, by the way, the world is saved. Connery brings his signature blend of

Our telemarketing, e-mailing environment By Therese Borchard IT USED to be reams of junk mail I’d pile up for recyclable trash collection on Tuesdays. Now it’s a dozen “courtesy calls” around dinnertime every evening as our small family sits down for dinner, 50 e-mails with tricky subject lines like “re: our meeting” that you can’t automatically delete and aggressive visitors at the door selling everything from candy bars that will get them to college to magazine subscriptions at three times the cover price to a new religion that guarantees a pass into heaven. Savvy marketing and advertising tools are doing a good job of stealing my time, attention and peace of mind. And I’m fighting back. I was just one of the million disgruntled consumers registering my phone numbers on a new national do-not-call list maintained by the Federal Trade Commission. Apparently a few other soldiers signed up for the mission, with at one point as many as 108 people per second

signing up their home, fax and cell phone numbers the first day that the FTC offered the service. The next day, the Web site www.donotcall.gov was so loaded with requests that many people couldn’t connect. I remember the day when only doctors carried pagers. I felt sorry for them as the annoying beeps went off in the middle of a dance recital or during the priest’s homily at Mass. They’d rush to the nearest phone like Neo in the movie “Matrix.” Poor things, By Therese I thought to myself. Now everyone is on call. Between all the pagers, cell phones and lap-top computers, every place on earth is a virtual office. A person can barely go to the bathroom without being interrupted. On a daily basis, I remind myself that I, not some telemarketing company, determine whom I speak to. - On good days, when I feel

I’m winning the battle, I’ll hand the telemarketer to my 2-year-old son, who thoroughly enjoys the conversation. On bad days, when I’m ready to scream “uncle,” I turn all the ringers off on all the phones I can find (some are hidden in places my husband and I have yet to discover) and pretend I am on some deserted island for a day and a half. I don’t log onto my e-mail, I set aside my mail, I don’t answer the door for anyone but the pizza delivery boy. My absolute Borchard favorite verse in the Bible has always been from Psalm 46, “Be still and know that I am God.” What I once considered a nice, consoling thought is now a difficult exercise in censorship and boundaries. How can I be still when I am dodging pestering calls, visits, emails and flyers every day? That’s the challenge of our age: to stay in control —moreover, to let God stay in control. □ cn s

grizzled machismo and Britannia Club savoir faire to the long-in-the-tooth daredevil. Flemyng mines his character for all its worth, though his Hyde resembles more of cross between the Hulk and Popeye, than the homicidal id created by Robert Louis Stevenson. Played with restrained sensuality, Wilson is alluring as the undead diva, but has little to sink her teeth into. Townsend infuses his natty narcissist with flair and wit. The rest of the cast inhabit their roles comfortably. Lost in the shuffle is the inherent pathos of these characters. The League is sadly watching the parade of time pass them by. They realize the sun is setting not only on the British Empire but also on them. Quatermain, like his safari rifle - both the product of a more civilized age - have been made obsolete by the rise of automatic weapons. It’s a shame that this sense of being an anachronism wasn’t more effectively integrated into the narrative beyond a smattering of throwaway lines. Another theme touched upon is the fear of unchecked science and technology - a concern shared by both Victorians and modems alike - especially with its clever allusions to stockpiles of weapons of mass destmction. On a positive note, the film imparts a strong message that, despite the League’s exceptional powers, virtues such as courage and compassion are still the greatest weapons in fighting evil. Unfortunately, this League falls short of being extraordinary. Due to much action/adventure violence, some frightening supernatural effects with gore and a few instances of crude language with sexual innuendo, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III - adults. The Singapore rating is PG - Parental Guidance. □

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION STEPHEN LAPOINTE is a minister who loves Jesus, loves to preach, and considers the Bible as the one sufficient firm foundation for his life. He left a career to attend seminary because he wanted to devote his life to helping others experience a true conversion of heart. He knows that one day he will stand before God accountable for what he preaches, and it is in this conviction that his crisis begins, for how can he know for certain that what he preaches is eternally true? This crisis threatens his calling as a minister, his marriage, and even his life.

“How Firm a Foundation presents in fiction what I so often have seen in real life: conscientious people struggling to understand which path God wants them to take. Once chosen, that path is found to be strewn with confusion and indecision and, invariably, with suffering. It is found to be not a straight road but a crossroad, for it leads through Calvary. Marcus Grodi’s characters illustrate what is played out daily all around us - and in us. Anyone who takes the Christian faith at all seriously will see himself in these characters because he knows that he too is on the path.” - Karl Keating, author of Nothing But the Truth How Firm A Foundation is available at Catholic Book & Media Centre, 2 Highland Road, Singapore 549102. Price: $22 a copy. □

Sundays August 17 and August 24, 2003 □ CatholicNews

B u lle tin o f th e F a m ily L ife S o c ie ty , A rc h d io c e s e o f S in g a p o re

^ la m /tA e s c& §>) Dear Friends of Family Life, Some important information for you this month! By the time this issue goes to print, we should have launched our revamped Family Life Society website at www.familylife.org.sg. We’re excited about the new user-friendly look, with its attractive colors and informative links, and would like to thank Eunice Chan, Dawn Ng and Lynn Wong who volunteered and worked so hard to set this up. There's information on the Society, news on upcoming events, material on pro-life and family matters, testimonies and lots more. So you're warmly invited to visit this site! We also thank Mr. Anthony Khoo, VP with DDB Worldwide, and his organisation, for the complimentary Pregnancy Crisis Service minimalist advertisement that he did, which appears on this page, and which we have sent to all Churches and selected organisations. Please help us reach out to support mothers facing crisis pregnancies, and save babies from abortion, by telling others about our work. On Sat 30 Aug 03, from 2-5 pm at CAEC (2nd floor) 2 Highland Road, we have jointly organised, with the Catholic Medical Guild and the Catholic Lawyers Guild, a seminar and public forum on “ Homosexuality - Views & Issues” . This is a must for educators, parents, single adults, youth, social and healthcare workers, and everyone else who would like to know the Catholic Church's stand, as well as other legal, medical, pastoral and psychological perspectives on the matter. Admission is free but advance registration is required. Simply email dianal@veritas.org.sg or call 6488 0278 to register. Seats are limited so please book early. Last but not least is a mega event from 6-9 Nov 03 at the RELC Int’l Hotel: the Human Life International Asia-Pacific Congress on Love, Life & the Family. Organised by Family Life Society, with the approval of the Archdiocese of Singapore, the Congress will feature distinguished speakers from the USA, Australia, Philippines and Singapore who will present papers on a range of family and human life issues. Look out for more details in our next Family LifeLine next month! Thank you for your support and God bless!

On Hom osexuality The current debate on homosexuality exhibits confusion on the follow ing issues, w hich are inter-related and yet distinct: • A debate o f natural law m orality w ith its absolute norm s (objective, unchangeable and universal) vs. ethical relativism (that all moral norm s are relative); • The right or duty o f the governm ent to legislate on private m orality o r is an individual's m orality (provided there was mutual consent in the acts), beyond the scope of legislation? • How is the hom osexual behaviour o f engaging in m asturbatory sex harm ful to the individual or to society, given that many in society have adopted a contraceptive m entality (that sex is not intrinsically procreative)? • Do w e see the difference between accepting hom osexuals (as fellow human beings and as equal citizens before the law) and hom osexuality (as pertaining to its lifestyle and behaviour)? • Can w e distinguish a policy difference

between merely tolerating hom osexuality and approving and prom oting hom osexuality as a lifestyle? In the Holy See’s latest docum ent issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine o f the Faith pertaining to legal recognition o f unions between hom osexual persons, the Church outlined some of these arguments. Reiterating her basic teachings on sex, marriage and the family, she went on to show how one, with the use of reason, can show from the perspectives of the com m on good, the biological and anthropological order, and the legal order, the correctness o f her teaching on the issue. The Catholic teaching on hom osexuality is also clearly spelt out in the Catechism o f the Catholic Church (Paragraphs 2357 - 2359) w hich describes all hom osexual acts as intrinsically disordered and contrary to the natural law and hence immoral. However for those afflicted with it, the homosexual condition is not som ething they had freely chosen but

Need advice on personal or family matters? Have questions on family and pro-life issues? Just drop us a line. E-mail us at fls@veritas.org.sg or write

Teenagers at this age need their space and privacy, which may explain his lack of response. But do not give up. Communication does not stop just because he stops talking. Continue to talk to him and tell him how you feel. Although he is not responding, he can still absorb and understand what you’re trying to tell him. A good way of communication is letter writing. Write letters to him telling him how you feel. It is not only a tool of communication to express your feelings but also allows you to release your frustration. You could pen your observations of his behaviour and how it is affecting you. Some sentiments you might like to convey are: • “ I see that your are very withdrawn and it hurts me.” • “ I love and care for you very much and I’m always here for you if you need me.” • “ Is there anything I can do to help you?” You may like to leave him letters as well as little notes with well-wishes. Whether you talk to him or write letters, always use a patient and gentle tone. Show warmth and affirm him with your love and concern. Most importantly, always keep your channel of communication open. Don't know howto communicate with your child? Write him a letter Karen Sciberras-Lim

James Wong Executive Director

Counsellor with Family Life Society

Pregnancy Crisis Service phone lines are always open at 6339 9770. yy A program of The Family Life Society. U H

/ .........

Family Life Society Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre 2 Highland Road, #LG-01, Singapore 549102 Tel: 6488 0278 www.familylife.org.sg

Our Programs and Affiliates: 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;

FLS & AFFILIATE ACTIVITIES Homosexuality: Views and Issues • Saturday, 30 A u g u s t 2003, 2-5pm Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre, St Peter Auditorium. A public seminar with presentations from the medical, legal, psychological, religious and pastoral perspectives. Admission is free but registration is required. To register, call Family Life Society or e-mail: dianal@veritas.org.sg. Choice Weekend • 22-24 A u g u s t 2003 A weekend program for single adults to discover self and the importance of family relationships. Tel: 9307 7752/9671 0767. Marriage Encounter Weekend • 5 -7 S eptem ber 2003 A weekend marriage enrichment program for couples to deepen their relationship. Tel: 6289 5349. Retrouvaille Weekend • 17-19 O cto b er 2003 A weekend program for couples facing difficulties in their marriage. Tel: 6749 8861. Joyful Parenting - Catholic Mothers Support Group Meetings Sunday, 31 August 2 0 0 3 ,11.45am-12.45pm Church of the Holy Cross, St M atthew ’s Room Sunday, 7 September 2003, 4.30-5.30pm Church of Christ The King, Room 109 The monthly meetings with prayer, intercession and sharings are open to all Catholic mothers. For enquiries, call Joyful Parenting at 6488 0286.

For this reason, as persons, they m ust be accepted w ith respect, com passion and sensitivity. And everyone - hom osexuals or heterosexuals, are called to chastity. The Family Life Society, together with the C atholic M edical Guild and the Catholic Lawyers Guild realizes that the current hom osexual debate deserves a multi disciplinary approach as we have seen above. We have jo intly organized the public sem inar - “ Hom osexuality: Views & Issues” . Knowledgeable speakers will be making presentations on the various perspectives of the issue - psychological, m edical, moral, religious, pastoral and legal. We hope that by raising the awareness in the Church on these issues, we can be better w itnesses to our C atholic Faith and collectively act more effectively as the conscience o f society.

HOMOSEXUALITY V I E W S

Q: / have problem s com m unicating w ith m y 16-year-old son. When I talk to him, he ju s t walks away. Sometimes, he snaps a t me very rudely o r gives m onosyllabic answers. In fa c t he doesn’t ta lk m uch to anyone in the house b u t stays cooped up in his room when he is home. He w asn’t like this u n til a b o u t tw o years ago. I’m n o t sure w hy h e ’s like th a t no w and I d o n ’t know h o w to com m unicate w ith him. Do you have suggestions?

represents a trial fo r them . So they are not culpable for the condition but they are morally responsible fo r their actions.

A N D

I S S U E S

A seminar and public forum with presentations from the medical, legal, psychological, religious, moral and pastoral perspectives. What is the Catholic Church’s stand on homosexuality? What does Scripture have to say about this? How are nations responding to this in terms of legislation? Are there moral, medical, biological, psychological, pastoral implications? How are values influenced and shaped? How should we see this in the context of human sexuality, marriage and family life?

DATE

Saturday, 30 August 2003 TIME

2 -5 pm VENUE Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre 2 Highland Road, St Peter Auditorium (2nd Floor)

ADMISSION

IS FREE

Registration is required. To register, call Family Life Society at 6488 0278 or email dianal@veritas.org.sg by 5pm on Friday, 29 August. All are welcome. Especially for parents, teachers, young adults, catechists, educators, social and health workers, therapists and clergy.

Jointly organised by Family Life Society, Catholic Medical Guild and Catholic Lawyers Guild.

CatholicN ews □

Sundays August 17 and August 24, 2003

This statement by Jesus caused much whispering among the crowd. “Give us this bread that gives life,” one of them said.

D o y o u lik e b re a d ? T o a s te d b r e a d is

“Just as manna came down from heaven and fed the people, I am the living bread, the bread of life. I, too, have come from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will have eternal life, and this bread is my flesh. I give it freely so that the world may live.”

y u m m y fo r b re a k fa s t. S a n d w ic h e s fo r lu n c h a re m a d e fro m b re a d . J e s u s te lls u s a b o u t a s p e c ia l b re a d . T h is

Now the people, especially the Jewish leaders, began to argue about what Jesus was saying. “How can we eat a m an’s flesh and live forever?”

s p e c ia l b r e a d is a g if t f r o m J e s u s to a ll w h o b e lie v e in R e a d th e s to ry b e lo w fro m

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earth?” And another asked: “What sign do we have so that we can believe what you say? Moses gave our ancestors manna when they walked through the desert.”

C H IL D R E N ’ S S T O R Y :

A large crowd of people had gathered to hear Jesus speak. Someone asked, “Teacher, how can we do God’s work on

The people were quiet while they waited for Jesus to answer the questions. Jesus looked around at the people before he spoke. “You only need to do one thing and you will be doing God’s work. That is, to believe in the person God has sent to you. Manna fed our fa thers and mothers who spent 40 years in the desert. But the manna did not come from Moses, it came from God. And now God has sent bread which gives life to those who eat it.”

C F ill in th e b la n k s to d is c o v e r s o m e o f th e m ira c le s J e s u s p e rfo rm e d in th e G o s p e l o f J o h n . C h a p te r n u m b e rs a re g iv e n to h e lp y o u fin d th e a n s w e rs . 1. J e s u s c h a n g e d w a te r i n t o _____ .(Ch. 2) 2. J e s u s _____ th e o ffic ia l’s s o n . (Ch. 4) 3. “T a k e u p y o u r m a t a n d _____ (Ch. 5) 4. J e s u s ______ 5 ,0 0 0 p e o p le . (Ch. 6) 5. J e s u s w a lk e d o n _ 6. J e s u s b ro u g h t ___ (Ch. 11) 7. P e te r ’s n e t w a s fu ll o f .‘pa/ p

_• (Ch. 6) b a c k to life .

_• (Ch. 21)

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Starting at the arrow, read every other letter to nam e the special gift w e receive at Holy Communion

Jesus continued. “Unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you do not have his life inside of you. Those who do this will be raised when I call them on the final day.” “Many of the disciples of Jesus were there, and they also wondered what Jesus was talking about. So they asked him privately. “We don’t understand. How can we do what you ask?” “Why are you surprised?” Jesus asked. “What if I were to go back to heaven in front of you? It is the spirit that gives life. The flesh is useless. The words I speak are spirit, and they give life. But there are those among you who doubt. No one may come to me unless my Father allows him to.” After Jesus said this, some of the disciples no longer followed him. But when Jesus asked his 12 closest disciples if they believed, Peter said, “Lord, we know you are God’s holy one.” □

f r o

Sundays August 17 and August 24, 2003 □ C atholicNews

The V'/onlo! God THE LAST W O RD

The mission territory of our own homes IT IS NO SECRET that w e ’re having trouble passing the faith on to our ow n children. Our churches are greying and emptying and our own children are no longer walking the path o f faith, at least not public and ecclesial faith, with us. The m ost difficult m ission field in the world today is Western culture, secularity, the boardrooms, living rooms, and bedrooms within which w e and our children live, work, and play. With this in mind, the religious congregation I belong to, the Oblates o f Mary Immaculate, held a sym posium recently in San Antonio, Texas, which had as its theme: “M issionaries to Secularity”; perhaps more aptly subtitled: being m issionaries to our ow n children. John Shea , John O ’Donohue, Robert Schreiter, Robert Barron, and Mary Jo Leddy were invited as special resource persons. Here are 10 principles w e enunciated there: 1) Secularity is both a restriction o f consciousness and a widening and freeing o f it. It is spiritually interested, but largely spiritually illiterate, not so much bad as asleep. Evangelisation is very much about waking som eone to another reality. Liberals and conservatives are asleep in different ways, liberal ideology is too privatised and conservative ideology too reentrenched in authority and rules, even as our culture had replaced the ideal o f a good life by the vision o f having more. 2) H ow does one becom e spiritual without leaving behind the physical, the em otional, the sexual, the bodily? To m ove beyond churches that are weary, grey, and tired, w e must m ove b e y o n d c le r ic a lis m , fear o f the feminine, excessive disease with eros, fa ls e r e lia n c e on au th ority, and r e c la im our m y s tic a l and our intellectual traditions. 3) Jesus offers a model: he tries to wake us from both our distractions and from the w ays w e habitually fall asleep “out o f sorrow”. We need to begin our proclamation with what lies at the centre o f our faith: Christ has died and has risen. We kill God, but God returns in a forgiving love and _„, this is what opens up a new world. By F r Ronald Rolheiser W hat’s unique to Christianity is that God gives h im self as friendship, love, forgiveness, nonviolence, empathy, com passion. 4) We must listen to our contemplatives: our poets, artists, m ystics, and returning m issionaries. They w ill tell us what’s best and worst in secularity and help us form an alternative imagination, an alternative to the “m yth-of-progress”. 5) There are three levels to evangelisation: i) The renewal o f the evangelisers them selves; ii) a calling back o f those w ho have heard the gospel, but it has not taken hold or been lost in som e way; and iii) a calling o f those w ho have not yet heard the gospel. Our own children m ostly fall into the second category. 6) Today’s secularity has a particular set o f characteristics: i) It is an uneven terrain; ii) you cannot measure it sim ply by declining church attendance because there is still, in secularity, a strong, diffusive b elief in the supernatural, a b e lie v in g w ithout belonging; and iii) there is a resurgence o f religious sensibility, carried by, among other things, our immigrant com munities and the rise o f religious m ovem ents. 7) R eligious decline in secularity may be the exception rather than the w ay the future is going. There are three different images o f secularity that suggest this: i) Secularity as receding and eroding; ii) as a veneer, you poke deeply into it and see a teem ing religiosity underneath, and iii) as an island within a sea o f religiosity (in a world perspective). Inside o f our churches w e, too, are not hom ogeneous. We are not one generation but are two-and-half generations within a single generation. A s w ell, w e should observe how various countercultural groups are engaging secularity: fundamentalists, enthusiasm m ovem ents, social justice groups, the new conservatives. A ll these groups, both the right and the left, have three things in common: i) They foster and feed o ff a sense o f community; ii) they try to give clear form to life; and iii) they call for a clear set o f actions. 8) We may not continue to keep our faith private. Evangelisation must show itself publicly, like the m edieval pilgrim ages and processions and today’s papal youth days. Faith must be expressed publicly, in colourful, romantic ways. We must stop building “beige churches” and build churches that express public faith. We are drowning in individuality. 9) U nless w e can regain our ow n inner vision and define ourselves more by what w e are for than what w e are against w e w ill continue to divide from each other. The Christian tradition offers that inner vision and throws light on a history and upon realities beyond the here and now and, m ost importantly, calls us to world citizenship, beyond our own backgrounds. 10) Finally, a few sound-bites: * “W hen the sun shines right even the m eanest trees sparkle.” Flannery O ’Connor. *“The cock w ill crow at the breaking o f your ow n ego. There are lots o f w ays to wake up!” John Shea. * “We are better than w e know and w orse than w e think.” Mary Jo Leddy * “We must gam ble everything for love.” Rumi. □

Sunday, August 17 □ Proverbs 9:1-6; Psalm 34: 2-3,10-15; Ephesians 5: 15-20; John: 6:51-58

Better than our wildest dreams IMAGINE entering a restaurant where the owner youthful, but this promise far surpasses our wildest promises, “Our food will give you so much vitality dreams. Imagine, we will have a glorified body that that you’ll never go hungry again. Not only that, will radiate the very holiness and power of our God! you’ll never weaken, or get sick, or even die!” This promise of the Second Coming is so closely Wouldn’t you think that the owner was either a con linked to the E ucharist that it pervades the artist or deranged? Yet, in a spiritual sense, this is celebration of the Mass as well. The Nicene Creed, the claim that Jesus made when he said that he was for instance, states that Jesus will “come again in “the bread that came down from heaven.... The one glory.” In the Sanctus, we proclaim, “Blessed is he who eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:58). who comes in the name of the Lord.” Even the “This bread” that Jesus is talking about is his Memorial Acclamation is emphatic: “Christ has very life, the life that he makes available to us every died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” This time we celebrate the Eucharist. He is the food that short prayer, in fact, sums up the entire gospel makes us im mortal, the drink that quenches message and one-third of that message is the Second our thirst forever. Sound impossible? Not for Coming. At every Mass, we are reminded that Jesus anyone who believes will return, whether “ T h e o n e w h o e a ts th is b re a d Scripture’s statement it be today or a that “for God all million years from w ill liv e fo re v e r* ” things are possible” now. The exact hour (Mark 10:27)! is hidden in God’s W hen we hear design, yet we can these words, we tend be certain that he to focus our attention will come again as on the teaching that the King of Love. the Eucharist is the For this, we should true presence of always give praise! C hrist. But Jesus placed just as much “L o r d J e s u s , w e em phasis on the a w ait yo u r com ing. prom ise that those You w ill c o m e in who ate of him in faith pow er, yet in will live forever: “I tenderness. M ay will raise them up w e p re p a re f o r on the last day” yo u r com ing by (John 6:54). Everyone our fa ith , hope, wants to be eternally a n d love.” □

JOSHUA, the Old Testament leader commissioned by God to bring his people into the Promised Land, has some things in common with Peter, the fisherman chosen by Jesus to lead his church. Both men knew what it meant to follow God when the going got rough. Joshua heard the people murmur and grumble against God during their desert wanderings. Peter heard other disciples complain that Jesus’ “bread of life” statements were too difficult to accept (John 6:60). Yet both men realized that God was at work in the powerful things they had witnessed: Joshua had seen the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt; Peter, the healings and miracles worked by Jesus. Each leader expressed this conviction in a ringing declaration of faith (Joshua 24:15; John 6:68-69). “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life” John 6:68). Perhaps this first part of Peter’s statement recalls the time before he met Jesus -a period of emptiness and helplessness, with little sense of God’s presence and power. Through Jesus, Peter had come to know God’s love, faithfulness, and mercy. He also came to realize that Jesus spoke with God’s own authority and power, moving receptive hearts from unbelief to belief through his miraculous healings, calming of storms, and raising of the dead. As a conscientious witness to these wonders, Peter could only declare: “We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:69)! Just as he did for Joshua and Peter, God wants to show himself to us. He wants to convince us that he has a loving plan for our lives. What’s really exciting is that when God does pour out his grace upon us and reveal his love to us, it changes our hearts forever. His revelation becomes so deeply embedded in our hearts that we begin to look upon it as a great treasure, something we will want to hold dear and never compromise - just as Peter and Joshua did when the going got rough. “Lord, you are the Holy One who loves, hears, and rescues me. I believe your words. I willfollow you always, fo r you give me abundant life that overflows to eternity. ”

CatholicN ews □

Sundays August 17 and August 24, 2003

Viewpoints CatholicNews Fortnightly newspaper o f the Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore M a n a g in g E d i to r

Fr Johnson Fernandez S ta f f c o r r e s p o n d e n t

Ms. Mel Diamse-Lee C o n s u lt a n t

Francis Yeo TO CONTACT US E d i to r ia l

Email: cnedit@catholic.org.sg P lease include your full name, address and telephone number. A d v e r tis e m e n ts

Ms Elaine Ong Email: elong@catholic.org.sg I n M e m o r ia m

Ms Susan Lim Email: suslim@catholic.org.sg S u b s c r ip tio n s

Richard Paul Email: rpaul@catholic.org.sg A d d re s s

The Catholic N ew s O ffice 2 Highland Road # 0 1 -0 2 Singapore 549102. T e le p h o n e :

6858-3055

The Novena has pulling power HAVE YOU noticed that the Novena Church at Thomson Road is a famous landmark, known to most people in Singapore? Say “Novena” to a taxi-driver and he will take you there. The name is so catchy that many organizations are using it for their buildings: Novenaville, Novena MRT station, Novena Square and Novena Suites. Recently a furniture and cosmetics company, Novena Holdings, was declared one of the winners (corporate category) in the Singapore Promising Brand Award 2003. Catholics know that “Novena” is more than a commercial brand name. We know who Our Lady of Perpetual Help is. She is our heavenly mother, a precious gift from Jesus, and we love her. We kneel before her shrine each Saturday to honour her, pray to her, ask for her protection and intercession.

“Let the children come...' BEFORE the Sars crisis, children too young to receive the Eucharist would line up with their parents during holy Communion to be blessed by the priest or Communion minister. But during the Sars crisis, for hygienic reasons, this practice was stopped. At my parish, the priest invited the children to come to the altar steps after Communion to bless them with holy water after a short invocation. I noticed that when this practice was first introduced, the children were unsure or reluctant to come forward for the blessing and had to be coaxed by their parents. However, as the priest warmed and won the hearts of the little ones with his mirth, the children were gleefully coming out of their shells to receive the sprinkling of holy water on succeeding Sundays. The mood was reverential but also noisy as the kids were excited about the event. They obviously loved this part of the Mass which I felt has been etched in their memory as “meaningful”. I say this because on one occasion when the priest was about to give his final blessing to the congregation without first inviting the children for their special post Communion blessing, the little ones were quick to yell out a reminder. Their action was earnestly spontaneous. They looked forward to it. If there’s anything else that can help to engrave in their little minds about how they too had participated at Mass, it would be the memory of the showers of blessing sprinkled on them. Although this practice was stopped more than a fortnight ago as the Sars crisis had receded, I feel that parish priests should be

given the option of conducting this ceremony for the kids for the simple reason that they enjoy it and look forward to it. They wait an hour for others. Let’s reward them a happy three-minute memory of being blessed by the officiating priest. They are a joy for the congregation to behold as they go forth merrily to receive their blessing. Jesus’ words, “Let the children come to me...,” will come alive each Sunday. Sebastian Teo Singapore 577928

Music so beautiful... MY FAMILY attended the St Anne’s Feast Day celebrations on July 27 in Sengkang. We were amazed by the beauty and simplicity of the church and of course, the large turn-out. We attended the 10.30 am Mass celebrated by the archbishop and witnessed something special. The choir was led by a small boy. The music played by him was so natural and beautiful; hymns had never sounded so nice. My children asked me how this boy can play so well. I told them it must be God’s gift to him and the music came not from a recording but from his heart. Now, my children want to take up music lessons ! This young boy who shared his talent with us will be an inspiration to all youngsters in the service of the Lord. Lim Family

N oven a

Church is a lan d m ark and a popular shrine.

Non-Catholics come to the Saturday devotion to ask Mary for favours too. They have come to the right place, for their thanksgiving letters, read aloud by the priest at each session, show their prayers are answered too. This has led to many conversions to the faith. The “Novena” is one of God’s wonderful ways of reaching out to non-Catholics (and wayward Catholics) and bringing them to the loving fold of the Good Shepherd. The Novena Church - the

actual name is Church of St Alphonsus, Alphonsus being the founder of the Redemptorist Congregation - is like a bright welcoming beacon calling and guiding to safety all those who are lost or burdened with problems. Novena has big pulling power. Attendance continues to grow. I believe over 20,000 devotees now make their pilgrimage to the shrine each Saturday. I am heartened by the rising number of people turning to the Mother of God.

Anthony Oei

Homosexuality articles timely

The key question I read with much interest the debate on the employment of gays in government and whether society should be more tolerant of homosexuals. To me, the key question is: What is our expectation of government ministers and senior officials? Do we expect them to be providers of a service only (for which they are paid) or do we expect them to be role models too? Dr Gabriel Oon

When the “Novena” began in Singapore about 50 years ago, there was only one session each Saturday. As its reputation as a refuge for sinners and the afflicted spread, the number of devotees swelled. More sessions were added and now there are ten sessions every Saturday including a Mandarin session at 3 pm! I am proud of the Novena Church of which I have many happy memories. I was an altar boy there with my five brothers when we were students. We even sang in the St Alphonsus Choir. I still keep my Saturday date with Our Lady. I pray not only for myself but also for my family, relatives and friends who have problems. I find it a solace knowing that our loving mother is always there watching over us, always welcoming us, and always answering our prayers.

I WOULD like to commend CN and also the Catholic Medical Guild for the timely articles on homosexuality. I have observed that some Singaporean Catholics are confused and may disagree or even be angry with the Church on this issue. There is great pressure to compromise and take on a misguided tolerance. The Church has a great responsibility to proclaim Christ’s teaching on this issue clearly. As the Lord says, we should let our “yes” mean yes and our “no” mean no. Anything else comes from the evil one. (Matt 5:37) Today, like so often in the past, we need to be brave and steadfast. The Church is not in a popularity contest, but will be judged on its fidelity to the unchanging Word of God. It angers me that Singapore seems to be becoming increasingly liberal. Catholics should brace themselves for further calls to allow practices that will erode family life. I suggest that CN feature more articles and stories on Christian families, healthy sexuality and openness to life as a counter to these trends. Society’s problems often originate in the family and perhaps we have lost our vision of what a happy, beautiful Catholic family is. Augustine Chen

Putting a quote in context... Some Catholics have expressed concern over my remarks on homosexuals printed in the July 23 issue of The Straits Times. Let me put that statement in context. The quote “It is not very Christian to provoke people to go against a group of people who, I believe, would not want to be what they now are if they have a choice” was not made in reaction to Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong’s remark on the government’s willingness to employ people with homosexual orientation. That quotation was part of my response to what I considered the unchristian attitude (toward

those with homosexual orientation) and unsuitable language of a group of nonCatholic Christians who object to the government’s new policy. I also explained at length to the journalist interviewing me that the church does not condone homosexual acts and that she upholds the value of chastity for every person, single and married, heterosexual and homosexual. This, however, was not quoted. As a Christian and a religious, I am concerned for the welfare of those who are unfairly treated. In this case, the homosexuals, even as I follow the moral teachings of the church.

I hope this helps to clarify my position. As the Holy Father promotes a culture of dialogue within the church with the poor (including the marginalized), cultures and religions, I have penned another article on “Culture of Dialogue: Homosexuality, in page 9 of CN. This is my reflection on what is happening after PM Goh’s remark on the government’s openness to employing homosexuals as well as my personal encounters with Christian brothers and sisters with homosexual orientation. Sr. Theresa L. H. Seow, F.d.C.C.

Sundays A ugust 3 and A ugust 10, 2003 □ CatholicNews

InLo'/in1'!’

le v /p o in ts

Strict procedures needed to collect Communion for sick I REFER to the letter by reader Ms Maggie Poey (Viewpoints CN July 6 and 13) who said that she tried to collect the Host from another parish but was refused, even though she produced an “authorisation card” showing that she was a communion minister. I would like to say that she cannot simply go without prior arrangement to another parish and expect her request of releasing the Sacred Host to be entertained, with or without an authorisation letter. Ms Poey, your own parish knows you, seen you at Mass, interacted with you as a member of your parish group. Another parish has no means of doing that. All kinds of identity fraud occur daily: passports, cheques, credit cards, even with photo IDs being produced. This can easily occur with the Host if the practice you are advocating is made commonplace. The theft or desecration of the sacred Host is the ultimate sacrilege. The Body of Christ is sought after by disciples of the devil for their own ceremonies. No efforts at checks and security must therefore be spared. Wherever work or travel takes me, I notice the reverence and strict care with which Catholic communities all over the world handle the Eucharist, so the conduct of Holy Family Church is really a global norm. If, as a result of Ms Poey’s request for clarification on the

above matter, the Archdiocese wishes to draw up standard guidelines for the collection of the sacred Host by lay ministers, may I suggest: 1. Collecting from another parish on an ad-hoc basis for convenience should be disallowed as a general rule. Certain exceptions may be made, for example, volunteering to distribute Communion in a hospital within another parish boundary; .or moving to a distant housing estate temporarily to take care of a sick parent. 2. When these special circumstances exist, there must be prior written arrangement, photo ID included, between both parishes, endorsed by thenrespective priests, who in doing so, vouch for their Communion minister’s identity and authenticity. There must be a pre introduction and verification, at least by phone call, by the proposed visiting minister to a designated officer of the external parish. 3. Permission granted should not be indefinite but should be renewed if necessary, after the fixed period during which the special situation exists. 4. The external parish should reserve the right, without prejudice, to withhold he privilege of releasing the sacred Host if in doubt. Colleen Kim Thomas Singapore 271009

Questions about funeral Masses I AM WRITING on behalf of a Protestant friend whose father, a Catholic, passed away recently. It seems that her father could not have a funeral Mass at his parish because there was no suitable time slot. She then sought the help of a nearby parish and was told that the matter had to be dealt with by her father’s parish. However, out of compassion, I guess, a lay man was sent to help in the prayer sessions. I asked my friend to offer Masses for her father after the funeraland to join her mother (who is Catholic) in praying for the dead. She consented and made the arrangments. But to her disappointment, the priest did not mention her father’s name during the Masses. She was told that his name would be on the notice board instead. My questions are: 1. What priority does a funeral Mass have versus other activties in the parish? 2. If the parish is unable to say the Mass, can we approach other parishes? Is there a ’territorial’ problem?

3. Is it a practice now not to mention names during Mass ? Sebastian Liew Singapore 151002

I do not miss editorials I DISAGREE with Joseph Lee of S462509 when he said that most readers would prefer reading an editorial in the Catholic News (CN: July 20-27). On the contrary, I believe the majority of readers would prefer to know everything about the Church in Singapore, in particular, news of the various societies, organisations, events like the charismatic sessions and the whereabouts of each and every priest, nun and religious brother. In all probability, only a very small number would be interested in editorials. Joseph Lucas Lee Singapore 650213

M IG R A N T S

R E T R E A T S / S E M IN A R S

In loving memory of ELIZABETH YEO FRANCIS CHIA CHWEE NEO TECK YEW

MIGRANTS COMMISSION

CMG RETREAT

M ad o n n a B az a a r B ig Sale. N ew and used h o u seh o ld item s, b a b y p ro d u c ts, toys, c lo th e s, b o o k s, shoes an d b a g s fo r c h ild re n and adults. Date: A u g 3, 8 .3 0 am - 2 pm . P lace: 11 H illsid e D riv e (fo rm e r S t J o se p h ’s C onvent). Enquiries: 6 2848797 / 6 280-5 4 2 4 . T o g et there: B us 136 fro m A n g M o K io to w a rd s Y io C h u K ang R oad; B us 85/111 fro m O rc h a rd R oad.

A ll healthcare w orkers (doctors, n urses etc) are in v ited to co m e aw ay... to rest... to recharge... a t a h a lf-d a y re tre a t o rganized by the C atholic M edical G uild o f Singapore. Date: Sunday, A u g 17, 2 - 5.30pm . Place: K ingsm ead H all, behind St Ignatius C hurch. Theme: T h e H e alin g P o w e r o f Jesus th ro u g h M ary. R etre at Director: F r G ino H enriques. K in d ly indicate y o u r interest via e m a il to C M G sin g a p o re @ y a h o o .c o m .sg o r jo h n h u i@ c y b erw ay .co m .sg fo r catering p u rp o ses. You m a y a lso re g iste r by c allin g Jo h n a t 6 4 5 8 -8 5 9 6 o r S ally a t 9748-0240.

I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, even if he dies, shall live; and whoever lives and believes in me, shall never die. (John 11:25-26) Dearly missed and fondly remembered by all loved ones.

M ASSES

In loving memory of

Volunteers Wanted N u rsin g A id e te a ch e rs are u rg e n tly n e ed e d to te a ch w o m e n m ig ra n t w orkers w ho w an t to upgrade th e m selv e s a t the M ad o n n a S kills C en tre o n 11 H illsid e D rive. Enquiries: 6 7 3 3 -1 6 7 9 /9 6 6 8 -6 8 3 0 o r C M I 6280-5 4 2 4 .

Help Desk Volunteers Needed H o p e H av en , a c o u n se llin g serv ice fo r m ig ran ts, is a p ro je c t o f C M I. P rac tic in g c o u n se llo rs, p a ra -c o u n se llo rs to m a n help d e sk s in L u c k y P la z a an d L ittle In d ia are u rg e n tly need ed . T rain in g / b rie fin g w ill b e given. D uty ta k e s p la c e o nce a m o n th fo r 3 hours. Enquiries: 6 280-5 4 2 4 .

ACM A

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Third Anniversary

sp ecial ble ssin g b y A rc h b ish o p N icholas C hia. Venue: C h u rch o f Im m ac u la te H eart o f M ary, H ig h la n d R d. A ll nu rses are re q u e ste d to c o m e h a lf an h o u r e arlie r fo r reg istratio n . T h e celeb ratio n is o p en to a ll n u rse s, d o c to rs and h ealth -care w o rk ers. A fte r m ass, th e re w ill b e a buffet dinner. Cost: $8/-. F o r bu ffet d in n e r in fo rm a tio n c all Jan e t (6 4 4 2 -8 5 4 6 ) or y o u r h o sp ita l bran ch represen tativ e.

a n d 1.20 p m (2 n d and 4 th F rid ay s - ta lk at 12.40 p m fo llo w e d by m a ss a t 1.20 pm ) Suntec Tower Three - The Rock (T uesday 12 .1 5 a n d 1.15 p m ) Victoria Theatre (W ed nesday 11.30 am , 12.15 a n d 1.15 pm ) SGH Alumni Building, L e v e l 2 H all W ed n esd ay 12.15 and 1.15 p m Grand Hyatt Hotel (F riday 12.40 and 1.20 pm )

MONICA KOH KIM HUAH

MISSION ORIENTATION PROGRAMME 2003 O rg a n ised b y A C M A . A w eek -lo n g liv e -in p ro g ram m e in T h a ila n d to d isco v e r w h at m issio n is a n d w h at the C h u rc h is a sk in g o f e ac h C atholic to be m issionary. Date:Aug 3 0 -S ep 6 . Place: P attay a, T h a ila n d . Cost: S $ 5 0 0 (in cl a irfa re , food a n d lo d g in g ). Briefing: A u g 23, 2 pm . A p p lic a tio n c lo se s o n A u g 9. Enquiries: stall@ sin g n e t.c o m .sg o r c all G eorge 9739-9 2 1 6 .

LEARN HOW TO EVANGELIZE T h e N E T S ch o o l o f E v a n g e liz atio n in vites y o u to th e ir O p e n H o u se a t St B e rn a d e tte ’s C h u rc h o n A u g 30. C all 9324-0471 o r e m ail n e te am @ p a cific .n e t.sg fo r details.

PASTO RAL COURSES CHRIST AND THE MORAL LIFE 10 sessio n s w ith F r D a v id G a rc ia, op. V e ry o fte n in o u r liv e s, w e a re fa c ed w ith c o n flic ts o f du ty and re sp o n sib ility . H ow d o w e m ak e the rig h t m o ra l c h o ic es as a m e m b e r o f a b e lie v in g co m m u n ity ? H o w d o e s the C ath o lic m o ra l tra d itio n g u id e us to m a k e the rig h t d e cisio n s w ith fid e lity to the w ill o f G od and c o m m itm e n t to the g o sp el? W h at k in d o f im p a c t d o e s faith in J esu s h ave o n us w h en w e m a k e p e rso n al m o ra l c h o ic es? Day/Time: T hu rsd ay s, 7 .4 5 p m -9 .4 5 p m . Date: A u g 7, 14, 21, 28, S ep 4, 11, 18, 25, O c t 2, 9. Venue: S in g a p o re P a sto ra l In stitu te. Course Contribution: $30. O rg a n ised by S in g a p o re P a sto ra l In stitu te , 2 H ig h la n d R oad. Enquiries: 6858-3011 Fax: 6858-2011 E m ail: sp i@ c a th o lic .o rg .sg . T o d o w n lo a d an a p p lic atio n fo rm , v is it o u r w eb site w w w .c a th o lic .o rg .sg /S P I/

R C IA C A TE C H IS M CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER Date: W ednesday S e p t 17 a t 7.45 pm . N o n -c a th o lic s w ho w ish to k n o w the C atholic F a ith a n d C ath o lics w h o w ish to d e ep e n th e ir u n d e rstan d in g o f the fa ith or to jo u rn e y as sp o n so rs w ith the c atec h u m e n s are w elco m e. R eg istratio n fo rm s are a v ailab le at the R ecep tio n O ffice. Enquiries: M r A n th o n y G oh (6 2 8 4 -3 7 1 8 , 9 7 8 8 -6 4 0 1 ) o r M rs M o n ica K w o k (6 2 8 8 -9 7 1 2 o r 9682-7 8 0 8 ).

Fourth Anniversary

On this day in August a year apart You left us for your heavenly reward We miss you deep in our hearts United in heavenly joy you watch Your children here on earth Remembering you with so much love Your loving children and grandchildren. Sixteenth Anniversary In loving m em ory of

O THERS BOOK OF EXODUS Date: S e p t 3 to 5 N ov 5 b y F r A m b ro se V az (D irec to r, B ib lic a l A p o sto la te ). Venus: C h u rc h o f C h ris t the K in g fro m 8 .0 0 pm to 10.00 p m (1 0 W ed n e sd ay s). C o u rs e o rg a n iz e d b y C h u rc h o f C h rist the K in g . A d m is sio n is free.

STEPHEN YEO KAM KOK

Left us for the heavenly Lord on A ugust 10 2000 1999

iitur ...

Departed:Oct 5, 1960

CATHOLIC NURSES GUILD ANNUAL MASS AND CELEBRATION Date: S unday A u g 17, 6.15 pm : M ass and

CATHOLIC PRAYER SOCIETY LUNCH TIME MASS SCHEDULE Singapore Conference Hall, F rid ay 12.40

Oi'.c: f .it|i Auy- ( <t>f StfrfM i JpJ l*f-mjpfogwrni Ploie Ilatl*r.il ’ "* i Cost SSiOC(inclusiveof returnairfare' foodandlodgiogj i.; P^Pu-OclMituic Butting: (S..II i'l Au-J?M ' Time: ?p.n

Departed:Aug 8 ,1993

K. PITCHAI Departed: Aug 3,1987 In loving m em ory o f

ROSARY DEVOTION GROUP 28TH ANNIVERSARY Venue: C h u rc h o f S tephen, 3 0 S allim Rd. Date: A u g 20 to 22, 7 .3 0 p m R osary. 8

R est in peace, dear loving husband and father, Sixteen years have passed. But you are still in the hearts o f your loved ones. Alw ays rem em bered by wife, sons, daughters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law and grandchildren. M ass w ill be held on A ug 3 at Sacred H eart C athedral, Johor Bahru at 6 pm.

Seventeenth Anniversary 2003

p m M ass. A ll are w elcom e.

PARISH FEAST NOVENA Theme: U n v e ilin g the m y ste rie s - T he R o sary A s A M o d el O f Prayer. Venue: C h u rc h o f O u r L ady Q u e en o f Peace. Date: A u g 14 at 7.15 p m n ightly (R o sary ) and 8 p m (M ass).

SHARING THE GIFT OF CHRISTIAN MEDITATION A 5 -s e ss io n p ro g ra m m e p re s e n tin g an u n d e rsta n d in g o f the e sse n ce an d the p u rp o s e o f th is w a y o f c o n te m p la tiv e p ra y e r k n o w n a lso as ‘p u re p ra y e r’. Who For: N e w c o m e rs an d m e d ita to rs. A ll w h o see k to d e e p e n th e ir p ra y e r life. Dates/Time: A u g 12, 19, 26 , S ep 2, 9 (5 T u e sd ay s). 8 .0 0 - 9.15 pm . Place: C h u rc h o f S t M ic h a e l (In the ch u rc h ). Registration: $ 10, b y A u g 8 . Inquiries: P e trin a 6 2 9 1 -9 2 7 2 (9 a m -2 p m ). s tm ik e @ s in g n e t.c o m .sg O rg a n ise d by: C h ris tia n M e d ita tio n C o m m u n ity .

NOEL DAVID Departed: Aug 9,1989 O nly the memory o f bygone days And a sigh for a face unseen; A constant feeling that God alone K nows best what should have been. A lw ays rem em bered by your loving wife, C hris Noel (son) and D iana and D errick (grandchildren).

Ninth Anniversary

LOUIS TAY BENG CHOO Bom: Dec 13, 1928 Departed: Aug 10,1986 W e rem em ber and cherish the happy tim es together, Rem em bering them today and forever. A lw ays rem em bered by wife Lucy, children V eronica, Vincent and Gregory and their families.

In loving m em ory of

Nineteenth Anniversarty In m em ory o f our beloved father

THANKSGIVING Holy Spirit; you who m ake me see everything and show me the way to reach m y ideal. You who give me the divine gift to forgive and forget the w rong that is done to me and who are in all instances of my life w ith me. I, in this short dialogue, want to thank you for everything and confirm once more that I never w ant to be separated from you no m atter how great the m aterial desires may be. I w ant to be w ith you and my loved ones in your perpetual glory. Please continue to intercede for me. Amen. Christabell

St Jude, thank you for your help and intercession. My m other’s surgery in D ecem ber 2002 was sucessful and outcome favourable. Thank You! M. Yong Special thanks to holy apostle, St Jude for prayers answered. Also grateful thanks to our Father, Sacred Heart o f Jesus, M other M ary, O ur Lady of Perpetual Succour for the countless intercessions, miracles and prayers answered during m ost difficult and troubled times. Please continue to bless us and intercede for us. Jordana and

Winy.

M A R Y LA Z A R U S Departed: Aug 8,1994 In our prayers she is fondly rem em bered, Sweet m em ories cling to her name; Those w ho loved her in life sincerely, Still love her in death just the same. Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. M ay she rest in peace. Amen. D early m issed by children, grandchildren and loved ones.

A .P. JO H N Departed: Aug 16,1984 Mass will be offered in memory o f our beloved father A.P. John at St Joseph’s Church, V ictoria Street on Saturday, A ugust 16, 2003 at 6 pm. Love from your children Kerwin (Johnny), Nancy, Ranny, M orris, M ary, in-law s and grandchildren.

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In L d S ixteen th A n n iv e rsary In loving m em ory o f our dearest Dad

Sundays August 17 and August 24, 2003

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R est in peace, d ear loving Daddy, Sixteen years have passed away; You are gone, but still are living In the hearts o f those who stay.

F irst A n n iv e rsary In loving m em ory o f

Trinity Casket Pte Ltd T e n th A n n iv e rsary In loving m em ory of

T w elfth A n n iv e rsary In loving memory of

Eleventh Anniversary In loving memory of

D A V ID TAY H O O N L IM Departed: Aug 23,1987 F ifth A n n iv e rsary In loving m em ory o f

F ifth a n n iv e rsa ry In loving m em ory o f

• Catholic male & female specialist embalmers. Note: Female embalmer will attend to all female deceased.

• Affordable air-conditioned memorial chapels with microphone, electronic organ & appropriate furnishing & lighting. A L O Y SIU S C L A U D E N O N IS Departed: Aug 26, 2002 Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord and let your perpetual light shine upon him. M ay he rest in peace. Amen Rem em bered by all loved ones. M ass will be celebrated at the Church o f the Im m aculate Heart o f M ary on A ug 26 at 6.15 pm.

C A R O L IN E PA U L Departed: Aug 20, 1998

C A R O L IN E PA U L Departed: Aug 20,1998

O ur thoughts are alw ays with you, O ur hearts are sore with pain; T his w orld w ould be like heaven If you were here again.

In thy L o rd ’s hand You will alw ays be.

ANDREW B E N JA M IN Departed: Aug 17,1993 Ten years have passed since you left us, But the m em ory of you lingers on. In our hearts you live forever. G rant him , Jesus, heavenly rest. Lovingly rem em bered by wife and family. M ass will be celebrated at C hurch o f St V incent de Paul, Singapore on Sunday, Aug 17, 2003 at 9 am.

Peaceful be your rest, dear m other Ten long years have passed away. In our hearts your m em ory lingers Sweetly tender, fond and true. A lw ays rem em bered by daughter Theresa and loved ones. T w e n ty -first A n n iv e rsary In loving m em ory o f

DAISY CHAN CHYE NEO Returned to the Lord: Aug 18, 1997 Sleep on, our beloved, while years come and go; Each day brings us but closer to you; And the day we shall meet in The bright afterglow When our life’s lonely journey is through. Lovingly remembered by husband Rodney Mark, children, grandchildren and loved ones. Mass will be celebrated on Monday, August 18, 2003 at Blessed Sacrament Church at 8.30 am and at St Teresa Church at 6 pm T w en ty sev en th A n n iv e rsary In loving m em ory o f

Sixth A n n iv e rsary In loving m em ory of

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E R IC A N T H O N Y P E R E IR A Departed:Aug 23, 1973 The years m ay wipe out many things. But this they’ll wipe out never, The m em ory o f those happy days which we had spent together. Sadly missed, alw ays rem em bered by loving wife, children, daughtersin-law, sons-in-law, grandchildren and loved ones.

M A R IA PA N G P E T E R C H IA K IM N E O L IA N G G IN wife of late Mr Departed: Jun 19, 1976 Peter Chia Liang Gin Departed: Aug 24,1975

Our thoughts are always with you, Our hearts are sore with pain; This world would be like heaven If you were here again. Always loved and remembered by children/spouses Mary & Hock Lye, Michael & Annie, Willie & Dolores and Francis & Anne, 12 grand children and 9 great grandchildren.

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Lovingly rem em bered by wife and family.

A lw ays rem em bered by mum , daughter, brothers, sisters,in laws and loved ones.

T hirtieth A n n iv ersary In loving m em ory of

ESTHER HO GOON MUI Departed: Aug 26, 1992

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M DM C ECILIA CH ONG AH CHEAK Departed: Aug 28,1993

H is smiling w ay and pleasant face Are a pleasure to recall; He had a kind word for each A nd died beloved by all. Some day we hope to m eet him, Som e day, we know not when, T o clasp his hand in the better land, N ever to part again.

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Rem em bered always by John and family.

T h irte e n th A n n iv e rsary In everloving m em ory o f

PA U L TAN SU N N SUNN Departed:Aug 24,1992

A U G U STA B H E E M (A U N TY G IR L IE ) Departed: Aug 19,1991 W e rem em ber fondly today and every day O ur special grand-aunt who loved us all.

Sixth Anniversary In loving memory of

Alw ays rem em bered by mum and sister.

L O U R D E S X A V IE R K O L A N D A ISA M Y Departed: Aug 25, 1990 W e often think o f bygone days W hen w e were together; The fam ily chain is broken But memories live for ever.

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Sadly m issed by children, in-laws, grand children, great grand children and loved ones. M ass will be celebrated at Church o f C hrist the King, A ng M o Kio on Saturday, A ugust 23

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JA N E T D I-D IE R ANTHONY Bom: Dec 26,1958 D I-D IE R Departed: June 28,1976 Bom: July 31, 1924 Departed: Aug 18, 1982 I dream o f you, d ear loved one, He had a smile, a pleasant way, And see your A helping hand sm iling face, to all he knew, And know that He was kind, you are happy generous and true, In your F ather’s O n earth chosen place. he nobly did his best; j D eeply m issed G rant him, Jesus, and always heavenly rest. rem em bered by D eeply m issed and m other Theresa, alw ays rem em bered sisters, brothers, by w ife Theresa Mary nieces, nephew s Di-Dier, sons and and daughters and all loved ones. loved ones.

C H E ’R IE M A E M A R IA N A D I-D IE R Bom: May 23, 1975 Departed: July 29,1997 Peacefully sleeping, rest at last, The w orld’s weary troubles and trials are past. In silence she suffered, in patience she bore, Till God called her hom e to suffer no more. D eeply m issed and alw ays rem em bered by m other Theresa, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephew s and loved ones.

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