DECEMBER 02 2012, Vol 62, No 24

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www.catholicnews.sg SUNDAY DECEMBER 2, 2012

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ARCHBISHOP’S ADVENT MESSAGE

‘Christ gives humanity its true destiny’

VOL 62

NO. 24

INSIDE HOME Local pilgrimages to historical churches CANA launches faith experience tours

Greetings in the Lord Jesus Christ, who humbled Himself to join us in our humanity!

„ Page 7

Throughout history, humankind has asked itself: What is a meaningful life? In Singapore, many people answer this question in terms of possessing biological health and material wealth. We pour our greatest energy into securing a sizeable income, and we seem to derive great satisfaction when we are engaged in the act of buying or selling something. We also invest a great deal into preserving our bodily wellness. There is practical wisdom in having these priorities, and making a living is one of the primary ways Catholics strive for holiness. However it would be short-sighted to build our lives only around these things. Our bodies are mortal, and our earthly wealth is but temporary. Moreover, the material world cannot and will not supply a vision beyond itself, a vision that we need in order to attain the full meaning of what it is to be a human being. Technological knowledge tells us how things work, but not why we are here. Science can unravel the mysteries of the physical realm, but does not know what to say about the spiritual dimension. So it is no wonder that there are those who have reached the highest levels of wealth, health, and learning, but look within themselves and see a vast emptiness inside. The Lord spoke of this truth when He asked, “What, then, will anyone gain by winning the whole world and forfeiting his life?� (Matthew 16:26) sent Jesus Christ into our midst (John 3:16) who made us realise that this emptiness can

selves through Him to the Father. It is Christ who gives humanity a new horizon – a new purpose to strive for – that is eternal life with the One who made us. Understanding this true destiny helps us to see why even our best efforts keep falling short; that despite our most diligent application of our intelligence to achieve a better life, we, our loved ones, and even our environment continues to suffer. During this Advent season, let us entrust ourselves to Christ, who, at the risk of rejec-

Priest encourages youth to evangelise ‘Know Jesus and make Him known’ „ Page 8

ASIA Marian image in Malaysia approval received „ Page 11

WORLD Bishop says Israel, Hamas must end violence Retaliation must stop „ Page 14 The season of Advent is a time of anticipation and hope before Christmas. Advent begins on Dec 2 this year.

During this Advent season, let us entrust ourselves to Christ, who, at the risk of rejection, put aside His divinity to entrust Himself to our humanity. tion, put aside His divinity to entrust Himself to our humanity. Learn what it means to be a human being from Christ, who is the fullness of humanity Himself, even if it means saying no to our own template the teachings of Christ, especially the

! "# $%& '*+ to live a “blessed� existence. The challenge of being faithful to Christ and cially in the places where we live and work. So let your lamps be lit, as the parable of the wise virgins advise (Matthew 25:1-13), that when the Master returns we will be found joyful and ready. May the grace of the child Jesus be with you and your loved ones this Advent and Christmastide.

Archbishop Nicholas Chia

Vatican’s message to Obama Ensure religious liberty „ Page 17

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From the classroom to the pulpit Newly ordained Carmelite Fr Jeffrey Tan, a former teacher, shares his faith journey By Darren Boon A stagnating prayer life and a shaky faith back then set him on a search for meaning in his life. And this ultimately led him to join the Carmelite order, newly ordained Carmelite priest Fr Jeffrey Tan told CatholicNews. Fr Tan, 42, was ordained by Archbishop Nicholas Chia at the Church of Sts Peter and Paul on Nov 13. The former teacher said he was born and baptised a Catholic, and attended Sunday Masses and catechism classes. He had a devotion to the Sacred Heart and Our Lady of Fatima, and also attended a Catholic school. However, he was not active in Church ministries although he was part of the Legion of Mary for some time. He later became a teacher. “The money was good� but the job was “stressful�, he recalled. The concern over school rankings, competitiveness among some colleagues and worries over yearly performance evaluations led him to some serious soul searching. It was then that he experienced a crisis of faith. His prayer life became “dry and routine� and he said he was unsure of why he was even praying. “I was asking myself, ‘What can I do with my life? I have a good salary but is that all there is?’� said Fr Tan. The idea of becoming a Religious then entered his mind.

Fr Tan said that he was not initially attracted to the Carmelites as he thought the order was made up only of cloistered nuns, and he was unaware of the existence of the friars. He also thought that the Carmelites “had the strictest the way of life�. Not only were they cloistered, they also had to undergo “great fasts�. Fr Tan had wanted to join the Secular Order of the Carmelites as he felt it was “less rigid�. He spoke to a Carmelite nun about it but the prioress advised him to talk to a priest instead. Fr Tan said he read up on the life St Therese of the Child Jesus, St Teresa of Avila, St John of the Cross and other Carmelite saints. He was also impressed with the joy shown by the cloistered Carmelite nuns as well as one conversation he had with the late Good Shepherd nun Sr Columba who “radiated the presence of God�. He became convinced that he could “be like one of them� – happy and holy, he said. Fr Tan recounted that he had asked for a sign on whether he should join the Carmelites. It came when Fr Thomas Lim, who was then vocation director, asked him when he was going to submit his application to join the order. He felt he was not ready then, but when the same invitation came a few months later, he responded positively. That was in 1999. However, he left the Car-

Carmelite Fr Jeffrey Tan (centre) at his ordination ceremony, assisted by Fr Christopher Lee (far right).

I was asking myself: What can I ‘ do with my life? I have a good salary but is that all there is?’

– Fr Jeffrey Tan

melites the following year but rejoined in 2005. Fr Tan said he left because he had an “idealistic idea� of what Religious life was. During the break, he worked as a private tutor and read up more on St Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross.

This period of time helped him deepen his prayer life and have a “mindset change�, to be more prepared for the reality of Religious life and to accept the imperfections in others and himself, he said. During his priestly formation, Fr Tan worked in the prison ministry and among people with AIDS. He said he saw the “beauty of being able to touch the lives of broken people�. Archbishop Luis Tagle of Manila, who was Fr Tan’s professor, also inspired him, he said. Archbishop Tagle is to be made a cardinal on Nov 24.

“Priesthood is a gift�, not something one earns, Fr Tan told CatholicNews. It is important to remain “humble� and “open to the Holy Spirit�, he added. Fr Tan, who prays for two hours daily, said he constantly reminds himself not to be proud or forget that it is “actually God who is doing the work� through him. He added that he sees a yearning among the faithful for a listening ear from priests, something he hopes to be able to provide. Fr Tan shared that he would be posted to Taiwan in December to serve for two years as novice master, something he sees as “a great challenge�. „ darren.boon@catholic.org.sg „ Page 13: Carmelite novitiate moves to Taiwan

ARCHBISHOP’S DIARY Nov 27 5.30pm Church of Sts Peter and Paul: Mass – NET Blessing Nov 28 8.00pm Church of the Holy Spirit: Mass – Scheut Missions - 150th anniversary Nov 30 6.30pm St Francis Xavier Major Seminary: Mass – Feastday & Installation Dec 01 5.30pm Church of St Francis Xavier: Mass – Feastday 4 9* '' &9 < % # = Dec 08 3.00pm Church of Sts Peter and Paul: Mass – Legion of Mary - 65th anniversary 6.15pm Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary: # =

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Church lauded for its service to society At OLPS celebration, minister notes how the parish reaches out to migrants, elderly and needy By Darren Boon # ƒ # ] € ^ ^ ] ^ `| important role in the building of ^ =

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Catechism class children performing a dance. Photo: MARTIN YONG

Book for Year of Faith released By Fr Ignatius Yeo A new book meant for catechetical Q practical liturgical theology for V Y Z # Z Z [ \ " + ! ] # ^ ! _ Q

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‚ { A New Missal, A New Craft, A New Evangelization and the interactive DVD Become one Body One Spirit In Christ are available at Katong Catholic Book Centre (6345-1413) at $6 each. „

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Photos from the Quill book: (from left) An Infant Jesus nun feeds young girls decades ago and young CHIJ students at play.

Remembering those CHIJ days By Martin See Black and white photos of young girls being fed and cared for by Infant Jesus nuns. Digital colour photos of present-day Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) girls at prayer, studies and games. These and more are part of a book titled Quill, launched to mark the 350th anniversary of the Infant Jesus (IJ) congregation at an art gallery in Keppel Road on Nov 9.

Quotes, anecdotes, poems and essays from nuns, students, staff and alumnae from the CHIJ com

} About 200 CHIJ students, teachers, and alumnae were present at the launch, which also featured a photo exhibition. The Quill project is to help raise funds for the IJ Homes and Children’s Centres, which run residential homes and daycare centres for children from

disadvantaged backgrounds. About $40,000 has been raised so far and the goal is to exceed $100,000. Ten former CHIJ students helped put together the photo book. “The rich history of IJ gave me a thread that connected me to a sense of something bigger than myself which was the diversity of the IJ community,� said former Town Convent student Leonora Liow, who was part of the team.

Ms Angela Schooling, whose photos were published in the book, noted how the lives of children “were touched by the IJ community�. St Theresa’s Convent student, Gemma Rose Foo, who represented Singapore at the recent Paralympics, was among those present at the event. The book gave her a sense of the “IJ spirit of compassion�, she told CatholicNews.

Quill will be available at Kids21 stores at Paragon (tel: 6304-1342) and Forum Shopping Mall (tel: 6304-1453) till Dec 31. It can also be purchased at the IJ Homes and Children’s Centres at Blk 641 Ang Mo Kio Ave 4, #01-800 (tel: 6459-4801). For more information, email chij.photobook@gmail.com „ martin.see@catholic.org.sg

German community marks feast day with food, lanterns

Making lanterns for the St Martin’s procession.

The German-speaking Catholic community celebrated its annual community festival with popular German food and fun activities for children. Germans and locals alike enjoyed themselves feasting not only on beer, sausages and Swiss Raclette cheese, but also on Indian vegetarian food and chicken satay. The event, titled East Meets West, was held on the grounds of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary’s (FMM) House of Prayer and Formation on Holland Road on Nov 10. The children’s programme was abuzz with activity as they crafted paper lanterns for their St Martin’s procession that evening. St Martin has been revered in Germany through the centuries and his feast day, which falls on Nov 11, often features music, song and lantern processions. The German-speaking Catholic community, which has grown to about 300 families in Singapore, was also scheduled to celebrate the feast of Elisabeth of

The procession on the evening of Nov 10.

Thuringia, its patron saint, with a Mass on Nov 18. The community was established in the archdiocese in 1981, and counted only a handful of members from Germany, Austria and Switzerland then. Together with their chaplain, Fr Hans-Joachim Fogl, the community celebrates Mass every Sunday at 10.30 am in the FMM Sisters’ chapel.

Fr Hans’ house, a stone’s throw from the Church of St Ignatius on King’s Road, also doubles as a community centre for the various groups within the community. However, when certain gatherings require more space, they also the facilities at the church. For more information on the German-speaking Catholic community, visit http://www.dt-katholiken.sg „

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Pilgrimages in my backyard Special tours to historic local Church sites launched to mark Year of Faith By Darren Boon CANA The Catholic Centre has launched a series of local pilgrimages to churches and Church-related historical sites to help Catholics rediscover and treasure their faith. Named PIMBY (Pilgrimage in my Backyard), the initiative is CANA’s response to the Year of Faith, called for by Pope Benedict XVI who has urged Catholics to recall “the precious gift of faith�. Archbishop Nicholas Chia launched the pilgrimage series on Nov 15 at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. CANA volunteer guides then took the 60 people present on a taster pilgrimage of the cathedral by explaining some of the impor These include Fr Jean-Marie Beurel, a Paris Foreign Missions priest, regarded as the father of the Catholic faith in Singapore; Bishop Edouard Gasnier, then Bishop of Malacca, who was the thedral; and the late Archbishop Gregory Yong. Mr Djoni Sutanto, a CANA volunteer leading this project, told CatholicNews, “CANA hopes to ‘localise’ the spirit of the Year of Faith ... by inviting Catholics to embark on a spiritual journey to ‘meet the pioneers’. We believe

Singapore to treasure more the gift of faith that we have received.� CANA’s volunteers had discussed the reasons for the lukewarm attitude some Catholics have towards the faith. One conclusion drawn is that some take their faith for granted, having forgotten the work the pioneer missionaries did in Singapore. Learning about these pioneers’ stories moved the volunteers, who were then eager to share these stories with the rest of the Catholic community, Mr Sutanto said. He added that CANA aims to reach out to all Catholics, especially those in the RCIA programme, catechism classes or other faith-based groups. According to CANA, the pilgrimages are not heritage tours. Their emphasis is on faith experience. Non-Catholics can participate

“as long as they do not mind going through the prayerful and reQ } { # Sutanto. Participants at the pilgrimage launch told CatholicNews that they found the experience enriching. Mr Clement Ang from the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour said the history of the Church is “rich and interesting�. He said it would be good to gather fellow parishioners to learn more about their faith and the history of the local Church through these pilgrimages. Ms Norma Norfor, from the Church of the Holy Trinity, said she would recommend the pilgrimages to other Catholics. The recent launch helped her to “appreciate what has happened before to reach what we’ve got now�.

‘CANA hopes to localise ... the Year of Faith by inviting Catholics to embark on a spiritual journey to meet pioneers’ of the faith. – CANA volunteer Djoni Sutanto

“I think we take a lot of things for granted,� she added. CANA is offering pilgrimages to Singapore’s Central, Upper Serangoon, Upper Bukit Timah and Kampong Bahru areas. Each pilgrimage lasts about one and a half hours. Volunteer guides will take participants to visit historical sites Q their own faith experience in relation to the site or person the pilgrimage covers. For example, the Central District pilgrimage begins at the Cathedral, followed by CHIJMES, Singapore Art Museum (the former St Joseph’s Institution) and Church of Sts Peter and Paul. Here, pilgrims would also have Q sonalities such as Fr Beurel’s. „ darren.boon@catholic.org.sg

UPCOMING PILGRIMAGES Central District Dates: Nov 28, Dec 1. Time: 10.30am-12pm; 2.15pm-3.45pm. Meeting point: Cathedral main entrance Cost: $5 per person Registration: CANA The Catholic Centre (6336-4815/ 6336-4467), email: cana@catholiccentre.com.sg

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Groups of more than 10 may call to arrange for a suitable date/time. Planned pilgrimage dates for 2013 Mar/Apr 2013: Central and Upper Serangoon May/Jun 2013: Central and Upper Bukit Timah Oct/Nov 2013: All areas

“ “ “

Paris Foreign Missions priest Fr Rene Nicolas (with stick) tells pilgrimage participants, gathered around the tombstone of Bishop Edouard Gasnier, about the life of the Singapore Church pioneer.

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ARCHDIOCESAN YOUTH DAY

Priest encourages youth to evangelise at youth rally By Martin See An overseas Redemptorist priest recently encouraged local Catholic youths to “know Jesus in discipleship and make Him known through evangelisation�. Fr Joseph Royan spoke to a total of 1,500 youths at the Archdiocesan Youth Day held on Nov 16 and 17. The rally was a half day event for the youth of parishes in the east and north districts on Nov 16 and Serangoon, city and west districts on Nov 17. The Catholic Youth Of Z Youth Day to give soon to be Church and motivate them to be involved in parish life. This year’s theme was Prayer and Evangelisation and held at Catholic Junior College. In his address to the youths, Fr Royan shared a story about how a salesman helped a blind vendor pick up apples when he and his colleagues accidentally toppled the vendor’s table in their rush,

Redemptorist Fr Joseph Royan addressing the crowd at the Archdiocesan Youth Rally.

causing the goods to be scattered on the ground. His other colleagues ignored the vendor but he gave the vendor 40 dollars and apologised for their behaviour. The vendor then asked

him as he was walking away whether he was Jesus. Drawing on the story, Fr Royan then asked the crowd, “How can we be Jesus in this world?� The priest spoke against the

“culture of death� in the world today, which he described as acts of “homosexuality, abortion and premarital sex�, and urged the youths to be “agents of life� promoting Christ through their daily lives.

Concluding his talk, Fr Royan quoted St Theresa of Avila: “Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which to look out Christ’s compassion to the world. Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good, yours are the hands with which He is to bless men now.� Apart from the talk, the rally also saw mime presentations, testimonies, a live band that led in praise and worship, adoration before the Eucharist, praying over and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Archbishop Nicholas Chia was the guest-of-honour at the rally. An attendee who is preparing — lotte Srutanjali, 14, told CatholicNews, “I felt [the rally] was an awesome experience because it was not only about praying but it focused on life as a teenager growing up today and I learned how to deal with life as a Catholic.� „ martin.see@catholic.org.sg

Altar servers told to serve beyond the altar By Darren Boon A visiting priest recently reminded altar servers from across Singapore about their call to be witnesses of Christ and offered them advice to grow in holiness in the journey of faith. Redemptorist Fr Joseph Royan from Bangalore, India, who was in Singapore to conduct the Archdiocesan Youth Rally, spoke to about 160 altar servers between 13 to 18 years old at an altar servers’ recollection at Church of the Risen Christ on Nov 15. Serra Club of Singapore together with the Catholic Archdiocesan Youth Centre organised the half day affair with the theme Prayer and Evangelisation – Serving Beyond the Altar to encourage Q calling, serving at and beyond the altar so as grow in love of God, in holiness through prayer and service, bring Christ to others through evangelisation and to be open to the call of the priestly vocation, the organisers said. Calling the altar servers “blessed� and “chosen� to serve at God’s altar, Fr Royan reminded them that

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to be witnesses of Christ� who can touch the lives of others. Their service at the altar is visible to and respected by the congregation, he said. He urged them “to be careful� in how they live their lives, and also encouraged the altar servers to make a difference in the world out there – in their families, schools, and shopping malls. “It is not enough just to serve the Lord at the altar. You need to take the Lord back to wherever you’re going,� he said, as they have “experienced the Lord at the altar�. For example, they could tell their hurting parents or friends that Jesus loves them. He also praised them for the time and dedication in serving the Lord. Fr Royan also offered the altar servers some insight on how to grow in holiness. He told the altar server to spend some time daily in personal prayer with God to build up a relationship with Him; to read the bible daily or the daily Gospel reading; to participate in the sac-

Altar servers in adoration of the Eucharist. Photo: REMI D’SOUZA

raments frequently especially that of the Sacrament of Reconciliation; to keep a spiritual journal and to have a spiritual director – either a priest or a lay person close to God. He also encouraged the altar servers to have a devotion to Mary by praying the rosary daily. The priest also encouraged the altar servers to respond to the vocation of the priesthood or as lay people. He said that “God does not call the worthy, He makes worthy the call�. “He does not call the equipped but He equips the call. He does not

– ˆ – the call. He does not call us because we are good, but of what He

calls us is good,� Fr Royan said. In addition, Fr Royan said that in deciding on one’s vocation in the priesthood, one should examine their gifts and talents to decide on the diocesan priesthood or the Religious order to enter. The programme continued with small group sharing amongst the altar servers, followed by Fr Samuel Lim sharing his vocation story. The recollection ended with Eucharistic adoration, benediction and blessing of the altar servers. Lorenzo Mailum, 13, Blessed Sacrament Church, said he attended the recollection out of interest as he wanted to do something useful during the school holidays. He added that he found Fr

Royan’s talk inspiring and that he intends to start a spiritual journal to improve his spiritual life. Majellan Emmanuel, 16, Church of St Francis of Assisi, told CatholicNews that he intends to start a spiritual journal to keep track of his journey with the Lord and his encounters with Him. As one of the senior members among the altar boys, he said he hopes to instil a habit of spiritual preparation amongst the altar Q ] Gospel and praying the rosary before Mass as well as to inculcate a deep desire to serve at Mass out of one’s accord. „ darren.boon@catholic.org.sg

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School gives concert to raise funds for hospice

World renowned evangelist urges Catholics to have child-like faith By Martin See

Mr Murray Winton conducting an arragement of The Lord of the Rings.

The Australian International School "Z_^+ Nov 17 at the Church of the Risen Christ in aid of the Assisi Hospice. A total of $5,330 was raised over two weekends. The school’s students and teachers played an eclectic array of music consisting Christmas and inspirational music for children’s choir, recorder ensemble, chamber choir, solo violin, solo vocal,

string ensemble and orchestra. This is the second year that the school has hosted this concert in the same venue and it intends to continue championing the hospice as it is in line with the school’s ethos of promoting civic mindedness and caring for the less fortunate. The entire music department was represented; every music teacher was present who either performed with the students or helped with the logistical planning of the event. The concert was organised by Dr Aloysius Leong, head of string music at AIS and aided by Mr Simon Hughes, head of the music department along with Ms Annette Mckerrow, director of instrumental music. „

A world renowned evangelist recently told Catholics that they should have child-like faith. UK Evangelist Charles Whitehead was speaking to the 300 people and Archbishop Nicholas Chia who were present at Church of St Bernadette on Nov 16 on the theme – Year of Faith. In his talk, Mr Whitehead shared that a seven-year boy named Ben had approached him to be prayed over and “cured of naughtiness�. In the simplicity of a child, Ben said that he believes Jesus is truly the Son of God who has the power to “cure� him and he has faith that Jesus’ love for him would make him good. Mr Whitehead then urged the crowd to draw inspiration from the faith of a child like Ben. Mr Whitehead also spoke about Pope Benedict’s apostolic letter Porta Fidei (The Door of Faith) and shared his personal experiences on faith. “The important message in my talk that I want to convey is Pope Benedict’s Porta Fidei, which I believe is growing in a personal relationship with Jesus and the new evangelisation.� The new evangelisation is “the need for people to step up in faith and courage and spread the Good

UK evangelist Charles Whitehead addressing the crowd in his talk on the Year of Faith.

News through the rediscovery of faith in their daily lives�, he added. The Year of Faith runs from Oct 11, 2012 to Nov 24, 2013 whereby Catholics are asked to Q of Vatican II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church so that they may deepen their knowledge of the faith. Mr Whitehead’s wife Sue also addressed the crowd. She shared about their son Luke who had been hard of hearing as a child. She told the crowd that after a prayer session Luke was healed

of his deafness and this experience deepened her faith. Mr Whitehead later told CatholicNews that “through personal stories I hope people will remember the points I want to make about faith, otherwise talking about faith alone may be a little abstract�. One of the attendees, Ms Pauline Zhu a parishioner from Blessed Sacrament Church said, “I like the way Charles spoke about the aspects of faith... I could also relate with Sue’s sharing that the light of Christ should shine through us and our being should be the message to others.� The Archdiocesan CaFE Promotion Team (ACPT) organised the talk. It has conducted Catholic Faith Exploration (CaFE) programme in various parish communities to help Catholics renew and rediscover their faith. Catholic Faith Exploration (CaFE) is organising a talk on Dec 2 in lieu of the Advent season with the theme Where on earth is God? at Church of St Bernadette from 2.30-5pm. For details and registration T: 9385 9581 (Ginnie), 9635 5258 (Phillip); E: ginnie_uyang@hotmail.com, laspl@singnet.com.sg „ martin.see@catholic.org.sg

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Sunday December 2, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Alleged apparition of Our Lady on a glass panel that has yet to receive of

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12 ASIA Sr Leo Therese, a member of the Missionaries of Charity, greets Ms Majoni Bibi, holding her child at a refugee camp in early October in Basagaon, India. Ms Bibi, a Muslim refugee praised Catholic relief workers for the donations as her family continues to live in a camp. CNS photo

Sunday December 2, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Catholic relief workers praised by Muslim refugees KOKRAJHAR, INDIA

– Besides her family, the most valuable things Ms Majoni Bibi has these days are a few clothes, medicated mosquito nets, cooking utensils, water storage buckets and sleeping mats. Ms Bibi, a Muslim refugee forced with her family from their

Š between tribal Bodos and Muslim settlers in Assam state, praised Catholic relief workers for the donations as her family continues to live in a camp for internally displaced people. “We are very happy the Christians have helped in a big way. Without them, our life would have been miserable,� said Ms Bibi as she held her infant, who was born in the camp at Basagaon. Ms Bibi is among hundreds of thousands of people displaced by months of ethnic clashes. She told Catholic News Service that had it not been for Catholic-run charities and the efforts of the Missionaries of Charity sisters, she and her family would have little. “These sisters cared for us and (Church workers) gave valuable and useful things,� said Ms Bibi, ^ Š the Missionaries of Charity convent in nearby Bongaigaon. Church workers have visited the camp and several others in the region, providing food and a variety of services and supplies. | than 90 people dead and about 500,000 homeless in Kokrajhar region. More than 200,000 refugees – the majority of them

Muslims – languish in 130 relief camps scattered across four districts. Several Muslim refugees shared their appreciation for the workers’ dedicated service in the camps in the Bodo heartland. “The only people who came out to help us were the Chris { # Š ! living in a riverbed camp in Basagaon. Ms Begum told the Church workers that she had lost thousands of pounds of raw rice she had stocked in her home for sale Q 4

} Š *& “The Church workers have shown real love for us and visited the camps regularly and attended to our people,� Ms Begum said. Y 4 ! 4 ] cial service programme, said he has coordinated his work with Catholic Relief Services and Caritas India. More than two dozen emergency workers, including medical teams from St Augustine Hospital in Bongaigaon joined the Missionaries of Charity sisters in visiting the camps. “But it has not been easy. Nearly 15,000 Christians among the Bodos have also become homeless and some of our people have been strongly objecting to reaching out to the Muslim refugees,� he said. “But we told them that this was a humanitarian crisis and as true Christians, we have the duty to help all those in need,� he added. „ CNS

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Sunday December 2, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Carmelite novitiate to move from S’pore to Taiwan

CHURCH IN PAKISTAN

Lenten fund helps Caritas at Christmas LAHORE, PAKISTAN – Lenten collections received this year have provided Caritas Pakistan Lahore " ƒ€+ help the needy as Christmas ap group has said. Fr Joseph Louis, executive secretary of CPL, said a Lenten fundraising campaign collected about 5.4 million rupees (S$ 6,874), which the group will use to provide groceries and other resources to families in need. “We wanted to spread Christmas joy among those who deserve it the most,� Fr Louis said.

“The increasing cost of living in the country is posing greater challenges for rehabilitation centres.� One such organisation is the Home of Love, which is run by the Missionaries of Charity and assists mentally and physically challenged people in Lahore. “We have a mixed gathering of Christians and Muslims, and celebrating holy feasts like Christmas and Eid is a special part of our therapy,� said a Home of Love staff member who asked not to be named. „ UCANEWS.COM

Call to accept Christian polygamists The Carmelite novitiate in Hsinchu City, Taiwan.

By Darren Boon The Carmelite novitiate will relocate from Singapore to Hsinchu City, Taiwan in January next year. Carmelite Fr Thomas Lim, General Delegate for the TaiwanSingapore General Delegation, told CatholicNews that “a novitiate house was built and given to us by a benefactor in Taiwan�. According to Fr Lim, the move to Taiwan is to provide novices and postulants “an environment to discern their calling, especially in novitiate, where they need to have a very strong grounding in Carmelite life�. With about 28 friars in the community in the Taiwan-Singapore delegation, Fr Lim added that it would not be “conducive to house all friars under one roof� as it is more ideal for each Religious at a particular stage to live together according that stage. The order also hopes for the friars to learn the Chinese language “from a different environment� as Singapore’s main working language is English. A community of nine friars is expected to be based in Taiwan including two novices, Fr Lim said. Fr Lim told CatholicNews that a small community of friars in Taiwan had started in 1983 with the novitiate located in the parish centre of Our Lady of Mt Carmel in Hsinchu City. Friars would complete their academic studies in Fu Jen Catholic University after the novitiate. There were eight vocations from Singapore and Malaysia one vocation from Taiwan between 1983 to 1996, Fr Lim recollected. As the academic studies were conducted in the Chinese language, the order could only accept those who had a command of the language.

The move to Taiwan is to provide novices and postulants ‘an environment to discern their calling, especially in novitiate, where they need to have a very strong grounding in Carmelite life’. Carmelite Fr Thomas Lim, General Delegate for the Taiwan-Singapore General Delegation

When the Carmelites established themselves in Singapore in 1996, the novitiate was moved to Singapore “in order to cater to different races�, though the novitiate was moved to Davao, Philippines for two years from 2007 to 2008, Fr Lim said. The formation house in Punggol, Singapore served novices, postulants and students who were studying philosophy and theology. Some of the friars were also sent to Rome and Philippines for

– Carmelite Fr Thomas Lim, General Delegate for the Taiwan-Singapore General Delegation

studies in philosopy and theology. Although the novitiate would return to Taiwan, Fr Lim said that the house in Punggol will be a student house for friars who are studying in the local seminary and those who are beginning to do pastoral work. He said that there have been 18 candidates since 1996, comprising Singaporeans, Malaysians and Thais, since the establishment of the novitiate in Singapore. „ darren.boon@catholic.org.sg

LAHORE, PAKISTAN – Several Protestant clergy and Catholic priests have called on their leaders to consider taking the extraordinary step of relaxing attitudes towards Christian polygamists, or risk a drop in Church membership. The call comes just two years after Church leaders called for leading Christian polygamists to be prosecuted. Although Christianity promotes marriage to only one spouse at any one time, the heavy impact of Islamic society is taking its toll on religious minority families, Church leaders now say. Muslims in Pakistan are allowed up to four wives. They were voicing their concerns at a recent seminar titled Christian Families, jointly organised by the Theological Institute for the Laity and the Presbyterian Church. | illustrating how many Christians – Protestant and Catholic – have more than one wife. Sources with-

in the Catholic Church say there are more than 50 such cases in Lahore’s 12 parishes. “Some marry twice for progeny; those who are poor keep assistance. However most of the rich polygamists simply do it for pleasure,� said Fr Emmanuel Yousaf Mani, director of Catholic Bishop’s National Commission for Justice and Peace. “We baptise their children but prohibit sacraments especially Holy Communion to such couples.� But Pastor Liaqat Qaiser, principal of the Full Gospel Assembly Bible College in Lahore, said: “They are merely victims. Though they may not become Church leaders, we have to encourage them to continue attending services. Excommunication is not the solution.� Fr Morris Jalal, who has been organising family fellowship programmes for decades in Lahore archdiocese, also called for a softer approach. „ UCANEWS.COM

14 WORLD

Sunday December 2, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Bishop says Israel, Hamas must end violence CNS photo

JERUSALEM – The Israeli gov-

ernment and leaders of Hamas must make courageous decisions to end the violence that has once again forced residents of Southern Israel into their bomb shelters and residents of the Gaza Strip into their homes, said Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali of Jerusalem. “We are sad for this escalation. It does not lead to peace but only leads to more violence,� Bishop Shomali told Catholic News Service on Nov 16. “This is a vicious circle of violence and [retaliation] is really not the solution. Courageous decisions need to be taken from the part of Israel and also on the part of Hamas not to remain in the circle of retaliation.� He said simultaneous international intervention from Egypt and the United States is needed if the violence is to stop. “Left alone, Israel and Hamas will remain in a circle of retaliation,� he said. “The most important thing is to the whole Palestinian-Israeli Q ‰

with the same retaliations and the same problems,� he said.

Palestinians carry the body of a child from the al-Dalo family during a mass funeral in Gaza City on Nov 19. Nine members of the al-Dalo family, including four children, were killed in an Israeli strike on their house the previous day.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said some 120 rockets were _ munities from Nov 10 to Nov 14,

when Israel launched air strikes that targeted and killed Hamas military leader Mr Ahmed Jabari. More than 20 Palestinians and at least three Israelis have died in the violence. In a Nov 15 statement, Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal expressed his “deep concern� at the escalation, reiterating that violence will not solve the crisis.

Q “In this particular tense context the patriarch is in solidarity with all victims who are at the centre of his thoughts and prayers,� the statement said. “He also prays that all those in position of responsibility in this

situation do not give in to hate.� Mr Sami El-Yousef, regional director for the Catholic Near East Welfare Association’s (CNEWA) ƒ # Š salem, said he has been in touch with the organisation’s partners in the Gaza Strip and it appears that _

Hamas leadership, as opposed to the 2008 incursion that involved large-scale destruction of civilian residential areas. “So far in this early stage we are not seeing the large-scale destruction [we saw in 2008]. It remains to be seen if ... it will escalate to much greater damage,� Mr El-Yousef said on Nov 16. As many as 1,400 Palestinians died in the 2008 incursion. Mr El-Yousef said civilians in Gaza rushed to bakeries to buy bread following the assassination of the Hamas leader, and many food stores have run out of supplies. People are under curfew and are very concerned about any possible ground operation escalating the violence. CNEWA was hopeful that staffers would be able to look at sustainable issues where people could take over their lives and move out of the humanitarian needs, he said. The situation will continue like this, he said, “unless both

} decisions�. „ CNS

Missionary spirit of India’s Syro-Malabar Church hailed on jubilee NEW DELHI, INDIA –

The missionary zest and vibrancy of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church was lauded at a celebration of the ] “The Syro-Malabar Church has contributed to not only the evangelisation of India but outside,� said Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, apostolic nuncio to India and Nepal, at a public meeting on Nov 18 following a solemn Mass marking the 50th anniversary of the Church’s missionary efforts. The Syro-Malabar Church is one of two Eastern Churches that, along with the Latin Church, make up the Catholic Church in India. The other Eastern church is Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. “Thousands of your missionaries are in the service of the needy ... sharing the wonderful legacy that started from St Thomas,� Archbishop Pennacchio told more than 6,000 Syro-Malabar Catholics representing 30 dioceses from _ Q } Delhi. “May the intercession of St Thomas help you in your journey of faith here and abroad.�

Clergy of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church at the start of Mass in a suburb of New Delhi on Nov 18 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Church’s CNS photo

The jubilee marked the establishment in 1962 of the Chanda Diocese, then a mission diocese under the self-governing SyroMalabar Church. The Church traces its history to St Thomas the Apostle, who arrived on the shores of southern Kerala state in AD 52. Msgr John E Kozar, president

of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, also addressed the gathering after Mass. “I am a priest of the Latin rite. But today I am a Syro-Malabar Church priest,� he said. The Syro-Malabar Church has more than 70,000 nuns and priests among its 4.2 million members across India. „ CNS

Sunday December 2, 2012 CatholicNews

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16 WORLD

Sunday December 2, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Maryknoller dismissed from Pope tells young to welcome priesthood for supporting Christ’s embrace women’s ordination CNS photo

WASHINGTON – The Vati-

women, our Church and can Congregation for the our loving God, who calls Doctrine of the Faith has disboth men and women to be missed Mr Roy Bourgeois priests�. from the priesthood because Catholics “profess that of his participation in the inGod created men and womvalid ordination of a woman en of equal worth and digand “a simulated Mass�, the nity�, he said. “As priests, Maryknoll Fathers and Brothwe profess that the call to ers announced on Nov 19. the priesthood comes from The order said in a stateGod, only God. Who are we, ment the canonical dismissal as men, to say that our call came on Oct 4. from God is authentic, but Citing Mr Bourgeois’ God’s call to women is not?� participation in the invalid Mr Bourgeois, whose ordination in Lexington, statement was released via Kentucky on Aug 9, 2008, email by the Women’s Orthe Maryknoll statement dination Conference, said said, “With patience, the his conscience “compelled Holy See and the Maryknoll me to break my silence and Society have encouraged his address� what he called reconciliation with the Cath“the sin of sexism in my olic Church.� Church�. Mr Bourgeois, 74, called The Maryknoll statement his expulsion from the priestsaid, “Mr Bourgeois freely hood and the Maryknoll orchose his views and actions, ` and all the members of the Former Maryknoll priest Roy Bourgeois is picful� in a Nov 20 statement. Maryknoll Society are sadtured in Rome during a media conference on “The Vatican and Marykdened at the failure of reconOct 17, 2011. noll can dismiss me, but they ciliation. With this parting, cannot dismiss the issue of the Maryknoll Society warmgender inequality in the Catholic year at his Holy Thursday Chrism ly thanks Roy Bourgeois for his Church,� the statement said. “The Mass at the Vatican, Pope Ben- service to mission and all members demand for gender equality is › _ ] wish him well in his personal life. rooted in justice and dignity and ban on women priests. “In the spirit of equity and Mr Bourgeois said “the exclu- charity, Maryknoll will assist Mr will not go away.� The Church holds that it has no sion of women form the priest- Bourgeois with this transition,� authority to ordain women. This hood is a grave injustice against the statement concluded. „ CNS

Protect the environment: pope WASHINGTON – Care for creation

has been a hallmark of Pope Benedict XVI’s papacy. From his 2009 encyclical Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth) to his leadership in guiding the Vatican to reduce its carbon footprint, Pope Benedict continues an 800-year Catholic tradition of holding up the environment as a gift from God that must be protected and sustained. His writings on the environment are so extensive that some Catholics call him the “green� pope. Taken collectively, Pope Benedict’s unwavering writings on the importance of protecting God’s creation and the need to address climate change offer a starting point for Catholics to respond to the ecological dangers facing the world. In an effort to consider the fullness of those teachings, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change and The Catholic University of America’s Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies hosted a symposium on Nov 8-10 in Washington to examine the US Catholic response to environmental concerns might entail. Mr Dan Misleh, executive director of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change, told Catholic News

VATICAN CITY – When young

Catholics from around the world gather in Rio de Janeiro in July next year, they will be under the gaze of the city’s famous statue of Christ with outstretched arms, a reminder of His desire to embrace all people, Pope Benedict XVI said. In his message for World Youth Day 2013, the pope asked young people to welcome Christ’s embrace and share with others the joy of being loved by Him. In preparation for the international youth gathering on July 2328, Pope Benedict asked young Catholics to “reread your personal history�, looking at how the faith was passed down to them from previous generations. The pope also asked them not to wait to begin the task of sharing their Christian faith with others. “We are links in a great chain of men and women who have transmitted the truth of the faith and who depend on us to pass it on to others,� he said in the message released on Nov 16 by the Vatican. The theme of World Youth Day 2013 is Go and Make Disciples of All Nations. “This mandate should resound powerfully in your hearts,� the pope told young people. In fact, he said, the heart has a major role to play in bringing them closer to Christ, motivating them to share His Gospel and determining the words and actions they should use in approaching others. “Many young people today seriously question whether life is something good and have a hard { said. Faith helps people see that “every human life is priceless, because each of us is the fruit of

A banner ad for World Youth Day to be held in Rio de Janeiro on July 23-28, 2013. Pope Benedict said the city’s famous statue of Christ with outstretched arms is a reminder of Christ’s desire to embrace all people.

God’s love�, he said. “God loves everyone, even those who have fallen away from Him or disregard Him.� Pope Benedict asked young Catholics to reach out with love to their questioning or doubting and meaning faith brings. As the Catholics most impacted by globalisation and new technology, Pope Benedict said, young people need a special awareness and have special responsibilities in those areas. „ CNS

Growing ethnic violence in Congo Climate change is causing the world’s glaciers to melt at an unprecedented rate. Catholic leaders gathered at The Catholic University of America in Washington on Nov 8-10 discussed Pope Benedict XVI’s teachings on the environment and climate change. CNS photo

Service that the time was right for Catholics to share the rich tradition of Catholic teaching on the environment in an effort to shape how the world addresses climate change and other environmental concerns. “We do not have time,� he said. “We have to begin to do this.� “If we don’t do it right, if we’re not faithful to who we are as Catholics, then we cede the issue to the environmental groups. The solutions [they offer] won’t be as attentive to the needs of people,

particularly poor people,� he said. Overall, about 60 people attended the event to hear a dozen presenters on a wide range of topics. The celebration of the Eucharist at Mass can inspire Catholic values on creation as well when worshippers understand the meanings of prayers and see the gifts of bread and wine as gifts of the earth, explained Msgr Kevin W Irwin, professor of liturgical studies at The Catholic University of America. „ CNS

ROME – Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) has launched an alarm about brutal killings and village burnings by Congolese rebels from different ethnic groups, saying the violence has gone unchecked while peacekeeping forces and the army try to put down a rebellion. Recently, in the Masisi territory of eastern Congo, civilians “have been displaced on a daily basis and at least 18 have been murdered, caught between titfor-tat attacks by opposing rebel groups� from the ethnic Hunde and Hutu communities, said a Nov 14 statement from JRS. The organisation called on UN peacekeeping forces and the Congolese army to intervene to protect the civilian population. The UN peacekeepers have been in Congo since June helping

the army respond to a rebellion by a group known as M23, which defected from the Congolese military. JRS said more than 320,000 people have been forcibly displaced in the North Kivu region; Q between the government and M23 forces, an increasing number are Q Hunde and Hutu rebels in Masisi. “A climate of fear currently reigns in the Hutu and Hunde communities in Masisi,� the statement said. JRS reported that, in late September, Hunde villages were burned by members of the Nyatura militia, a Hutu group. The next day, Hunde rebels burned down huts in a camp for displaced persons, forcing the people – mostly ˆ = Q „ CNS

WORLD 17

Sunday December 2, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Vatican stresses religious liberty in message to Obama VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict

XVI congratulated US President Barack Obama on his re-election, saying that he prayed the ideals of freedom and justice that guided America’s founders might con Q The Vatican did not make public the full text of the pope’s telegram to Mr Obama, which was sent via Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the apostolic nuncio to œ ^ � The pope told the president he was praying that “the ideals of liberty and justice that guided the founders of the United States of America might continue to shine� as the nation goes forward, the In remarks to reporters, Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, voiced hopes that Mr Obama would also promote “a cul { US Catholic bishops have been at odds with Mr Obama over his support for legalised abortion and his administration’s plan for the

private health insurance of most Catholic institutions to cover steri The role of president of the United States is “an immense responsibility not just for the great

If Obama truly ‘wants to be the president of all Americans, he should acknowledge the demands forcefully arising from religious communities.

’

– L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper

nation, but for the whole world, given the United States’ role on the { Y € He expressed hopes that Mr ` best ways to promote the material and spiritual well-being of all

and effectively promote integral human development, justice and { Meanwhile, the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, struck a forceful note in its Nov 7 “If Obama truly wants to be the president of all Americans, he

} demands forcefully arising from religious communities – above all the Catholic Church – in favour of

{ The newspaper’s tone was markedly different from what it published the day after Mr Obama *99ž The paper then had hailed his election as a “choice that unites� exemplifying America’s ability to “overcome fractures and divisions that until only recently could seem { The pope had also sent him a congratulatory telegram the same day, noting the “historic occasion� „ CNS

US President Barack Obama celebrating his election on victory on Nov 7. CNS photo

18 OPINION

Sunday December 2, 2012 „ CatholicNews

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Forget our internal battles, just evangelise By Stratford Caldecott In his homily opening the Year of Faith, Pope Benedict spoke of ` { | “void has spreadâ€?, he said, and it is now possible “to know what a life or a world without Godâ€? looks like. Yet it is in the desert that “we rediscover what is essential for livingâ€? . The pope was, probably unconsciously, echoing G K | Â&#x;

Shallows on this new pagan civilisation, this culture of death. % `Â&#x; grateful for this public experiment and demonstration; it has taught Â&#x; rationalists were so utterly mad until they made it quite clear to us. Â&#x; } the mere denial of our dogmas could end in such dehumanised and demented anarchy.â€? in the same book: “There is nothing in Paganism to check its own

exaggerations; and for that rea

again, as it found before, the necessity of a universal moral philosophy supported by an author { | ed that moral and social chaos

Q of traditional teachings on natural justice and virtue. That chaos is now unfolding for all to see. More than a quarter of all deaths in Britain are due to abortion. At the other end of life, pressure is mounting to allow the killing of the elderly or incapacitated to relieve an economic crisis partly caused by the, dearth of a younger generation of workers. ` { a reduction to absurdity, an experiment to see how far the world could survive on a diet of politics alone, an experiment that has demonstrated, or is in the process of demonstrating, to the new gen-

eration and those that come after, that only a return to religion will restore the basis of human civilisation. Â&#x; not see was the degree to which the, return to religion will need to be no mere resuscitation but a new and creative leap forward. categorise as conservative or progressive, and that, speaks well of

} This will be even truer of the religious revival to come. Perhaps it is time to get off the seesaw and grow up. Â&#x; words “conservativeâ€? and “progressiveâ€? right now, stop reducing our faith to a political battle } exactly needs conserving, and what we need to progress towards. „ THE CATHOLIC HERALD Stratford Caldecott is an author and the editor of the Second Spring journal (Secondspring.co.uk)

Bishop: Halloween is not for Catholics By Ed West An archbishop in Poland has ] Halloween, condemning the holi ` { ` gan� and arguing that it promotes a “culture of death� . Archbishop Andrzej Dziyga of Szczecin-Kamien in northwest ƒ Q } warning them that Halloween introduces a “world of darkness, including devils, vampires and demons� disguised as “fun� to school children. “It is with growing sadness that we see in the last few years a trend of so-called Halloween celebrations growing in Poland,� the archbishop wrote. “This kind of fun, tempting children like candy, also poses the real possibility of great spiritual damage, even destroying spiritual life.�

Four-year-old Quillan Yates gets a helping hand with his pirate costume from his teacher Ms Barbara Thomas during a Halloween party at St Mary School in New York. CNS photo

The origins of Halloween lie Samhain, which was brought to the United States by Irish immi-

grants but which has become increasingly popular across Europe and now in Singapore. „ THE CATHOLIC HERALD

Light-hearted thoughts on a heavy subject SOME years ago, a friend of mine was facing the Â&#x; soon to be a mother, she openly confessed her fears about the actual birth-process, the pain, the dangers, the unknown. But she consoled herself with this thought: Hundreds of millions of women have done this and have somehow managed it. Surely, if so many women have done, and are doing, this - I too can manage it somehow. I sometimes take those words and apply them to the prospect of dying. Death is the most daunting, unsettling, and heavy topic there is, for all of us, our occasional false bravado notwithstanding. Â&#x; ] in dark and, even there, the tune comes out easier when our own

# tling in the dark. But why not? Surely even whistling in the dark is better than denial. ^ _ } ] face of having to face pain and the unknown: Hundreds of millions of women have managed this, so I should be able to manage it too! And in the case of dying, the numbers are even more consoling, billions and billions of people have managed it, and everyone, including myself, is going to have to manage it. A hundred years from now, every one of us reading these words will have had to manage his or her death. And so I sometimes look at death this way: Billions and billions of people have managed this, men, women, children, even babies. Some were old, some were young; some were prepared, some were not; some welcomed it, some met it with bitter resistance; some died from natural causes, some died through violence; some died surrounded by love and loved ones, some died alone without any human love whatsoever surrounding them; some died peacefully, some died crying out in fear; some died at a ripe old age, some died in the prime of their youth or even before that; some suffered for years from seemingly meaningless dementia with those around them wondering why God and nature seemed to cruelly keep them alive; others in robust physical health with seemingly everything to live for took their own lives; some died full of faith and hope, and some died feeling only darkness and despair; some died breathing out gratitude, and some died breathing out resentment; some died in the embrace of religion and their churches, some died completely outside of that embrace; and some died as Mother Teresa, while others died as Hitler. But every one of them somehow managed it, the great unknown, the greatest of all unknowns. It seems it can be managed. And nobody has come back from the other world with horror stories about dying (given that all our horror movies about ghosts and haunted

+ Most people, I suspect, have the same experience that I do when I think about the dead, particularly about persons I have known who died. The initial grief and sadness of their loss eventually wears off ] alright, and that death has in some strange way washed things clean. In the end, we have a pretty good feeling about our dead loved ones and about the dead in general, even if their departure from this earth was far from ideal, as for instance if they died angry, or through immaturity, or because they committed a crime, or by suicide. Somehow it eventually all washes clean and what remains is the inchoate sense, a solid intuition, that wherever they are they are now in better and safer hands than our own. Â&#x; _ ] treatise on aging and dying from Latin into English. I was eighteen } ] ] ˆ } } ] % Given how universal it is, we should be able to manage it! _] _

} _ ˆ ] } that treatise: “Death should be held of no account! For clearly the impact of death is negligible if it utterly annihilates the soul, or even desirable, if it conducts the soul to some place where it is to live for Â&#x;

_ _ not unhappy or happy?� Our faith tells us that, given the benevolence of the God we believe in, only the second option, happiness, awaits us. And we already intuit that. „

OPINION 19

Sunday December 2, 2012 „ CatholicNews

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20 YEAR OF FAITH

Sunday December 2, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Vatican II’s word on the Word of God A look at the Vatican Council document, Dei Verbum, in this Year of Faith By Bishop Anthony Taylor All documents are not created equal. Of the 16 produced by the Second Vatican Council, only two got top-tier religious ranking: Dogmatic Constitution. Those two are Lumen Gentium (On the Church) and Dei Verbum (On the Word of God). In Dei Verbum (DV), the council fathers responded to common misunderstandings about the Church ! |

highlights show how they answered these challenges from the world. Tradition: People often ask why the Church puts faith in Tradition, especially if it’s not found in the Bible. Dei Verbum teaches that before the Word was written (Scripture), it was preached and lived. It is the preaching and deeds of the Apostles, which the Church calls Tradition. Scripture and Tradition cannot be separated. They are living and interconnected – both expressions of Christ (cf DV 7-10). Yet they cannot interpret themselves, so Tradition and Scripture have the successors of the Apostles, the bishops, to interpret them. Dei Verbum gives us a tripod of Tradition, Scripture and teaching authority “so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the others� (DV 10).

Dei Verbum the Bible must be read with faith as well as reason.

Together, they lead securely to salvation with God. ]= [ spired and therefore without error. Some biblical scholars have

tried to understand our world using only the power of human reason, leaving out faith or the supernatural – effectively sidelining God to the act of creation and then to heaven.

They search for “natural� explanations for any mention of “supernatural� happenings in the Bible. DV states that the whole Bible, Old and New Testament, was “written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit�. Therefore, they have “God as their author� (DV 11) who can act supernaturally. 4 ! be read with faith as well as reason. It states that the Bible teaches “faithfully and without error� and is given to us “for the sake of salvation� (DV 11). ]=\ [

in Scripture: Just as God humbled Himself to become human in every way except sin, so the Word humbled itself to be written in human language in every way except error (DV 13). The humble appearance of God in Jesus is compared to the humble appearance of God in the written word. Both require faith to

see the divine in the human. This means that just as people without faith failed to see Jesus as the Son of God, today people without faith will fail to see the Bible (because of its humble nature) as inspired and without error. Literary form: Perhaps, the biggest development in DV states that the Bible’s truth is expressed according to the “literary form� of each book or part. Historical truth will be expressed differently from prophetic or poetic truth; and these “forms� follow the “time and culture� when they were written (DV 12). DV also says that every line of Scripture has to be understood in relation to the Bible as a whole, as well as in relation to the whole Tradition of the Church. The Bible is a unity. Dialogue: Lastly, DV shows a desire for dialogue and evangelisation when it encourages translations of the Bible for non-Catholics and even non-Christians. Such translations, it counsels, should include footnotes to explain the biblical verses in accordance with the religious background of those reading it (DV 25). „ USCCB Bishop Taylor of Little Rock, Arkansas, is with the Subcommittee on Scripture Translations of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

How Bible study and sharing draw people closer to God By Mary Jo Pedersen Fifty years after the Second Vatican Council, the hopes the council fathers expressed in “Dei Verbum,� that the Bible become “food for the soul� is being realised. Today thousands of Catholics meet regularly for prayer and instruction on the Bible in parishes and diocesan centres. Most groups meet for weeks to

discuss a particular book or author of the Bible. Homework, discussions and sharing of materials are part of what goes on during these meetings. In Bible study classes at St Robert Bellarmine Parish in Omaha, Nebraska, in the US, the church is doing what was set forth in Dei Verbum by “providing the nourishment of the Scriptures for the people of God, to enlighten their minds,

strengthen their wills and set men’s

{ “I have what I call ‘aha’ moments during my weekly preparation for our meetings,� said one participant. “Bible study provides a structure for me and a sense of commitment to reading and praying the Scriptures.� Many participants in Bible groups say their study of Scripture has brought them closer to Jesus and helped them to have greater awareness of God’s presence in history and in daily life. `_ closely to the readings at Mass and better understanding the meaning of the readings,� one participant said. In most parishes, leaders who facilitate Bible study courses are through media presentations provided by publishers of Bible study materials. One facilitator said that the work of the Holy Spirit in her parish group is evident and seen in greater participation in Mass, in returning

Many Catholics say coming together to study Scripture has given them greater awareness of God’s presence in their lives.

to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, in faith-sharing at meetings and in a deeper sense of community. A young man who thought Bible study would be boring discovered his parish’s group by talking to a friend. “I’ve found that the Scriptures

are like a cushion to fall on when things don’t go my way. Knowing more about the Bible has helped me feel closer to God and to the people I study with,� he said. „ Pedersen is a coordinator of marriage and family spirituality programmes in the US.

FAITH ALIVE! 21

Sunday December 2, 2012 „ CatholicNews

What does love look like?

A family praying together at Mass. Advent is a commitment to love in the daily encounters with Christ present in family and friends, in strangers and in enemies. CNS photo

A mother and son make an Advent wreath at St Joseph Parish in Libertyville, Illinois. Advent is a time for taking stock, for looking to the coming year with hope.

By Dan Luby

CNS photo

By Daniel S Mulhall My daughter learned this little song when she was in kindergarten: “Advent is a time to wait, not quite time to celebrate. Light the candles one by one, ‘til this Advent time is done. Christmas day will soon be here, time for joy and time for cheer.� The song provides an apt description of Advent, the season that marks the beginning of the Church’s liturgical year. It is a time to begin anew. Not a penitential season like Lent, Advent is, instead, a time for taking stock, for looking to the coming year with hope, for establishing resolutions of how we can grow in our faith over the next 12 months. Advent also is a time when we should take time to consider what we truly value. During this time of waiting, we are encouraged to be in touch with what we hold most dear. We don’t simply use the time to catch our breath before the Christmas rush. Rather, we slow down to recognise how God touches our lives in so many ways. To do what busy people are often counselled to do: Stop and smell the roses. It is worth thinking about, reQ } what’s important in our world during this season of Advent. Begin by remembering people who are dear to you. Create a list of every person who has ever been a blessing in your life. How many can you identify? Then, during these weeks of Advent, take a moment each day to say a special prayer for some of these people until you have prayed for each person on the list. As you are creating the list or praying for the people on it, be mindful of what each person means to you and what a difference he or she has made in your life. If you do this activity before

During the Advent time of waiting, we are encouraged to be in touch with what we hold most dear. We don’t simply use the time to catch our breath before the Christmas rush. you send out Christmas cards, you might want to add some of these people to that list as well. Also, if you’re one of these ] beauty anywhere during winter, make an effort to look for it. Take the time to look for beauty every Â&#x; ‚ €

spirits. Be sure to let people know that their efforts to create beauty are appreciated. Another worthy endeavour is making an effort to make new friends. Try to make at least one new friend during Advent. Who among your neighbours, fellow

church members or co-workers would you like to know better? Do something special to invite that person into your life. Although everyone seems to be busy, slow down and be attentive to someone who might need you. It is so easy to get caught up in our own thoughts and problems. One way to break out of that is to start paying closer attention to others. Try to be aware of all the ways God speaks to you every day and ways that you might be able to help others. What have you been missing? Advent is a great time to start to change your spiritual life. Just as when you diet you learn to eat and drink more responsibly, so, too, during Advent we can take responsibility for praying more intently. God is revealed to us in the beauty and grandeur of so many people and so many things throughout the year. Take the time during Advent to slow down so as to appreciate this beauty as much as possible. „ CNS Mulhall is a catechist and writer living and working in Laurel, Maryland, US.

A successful Advent means waiting in joyful hope for the continuing arrival of the Lord, not only in additional religious practices, but more fundamentally, seeking God’s power to love one another more generously. What does it look like when the Lord makes us “abound in love for one another and for all�, as St Paul says. It looks like the tenderhearted mother who helps an anxious child take risks and face disappointments shield the child would satisfy the parent’s need more than the child’s. It looks like the hostess who risks the annoyance of friends and family to include a needy acquaintance without social skills or charm in an intimate celebration because where else can such a person go and because it seems like

the kind of thing Jesus would do. It looks like the older sibling who lets the younger tell the story of their shared adventure even though she mangles it with interruptions and red herrings and excruciating detail because it gives the kid so much joy. It looks like the grandchild with outstanding metabolism who foregoes her favourite culinary delights when eating supper with a diabetic grandparent because it’s important to express our solidarity with one another in trials as well as triumphs. It looks like a commitment to love that waits joyfully and with Christ, not only in sacrament and prayer, but in the daily encounters with Christ present in those around us, in family and friends, in strangers and in enemies. „ CNS Luby is with he School of Ministry, University of Dallas, Irving, Texas, US.

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Sunday December 2, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Sunday December 2, 2012 „ CatholicNews

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Sunday December 2, 2012 „ CatholicNews

CHILDREN’S STORY:

By Joe Sarnicola When Daniel was sleeping one night, he was troubled by nightmares. He could see the ocean blown violently by winds from the east, west, north and south. Out of this stormy sea rose four beasts. | } } with wings that stood on two feet. The second resembled a bear, but }

| } } wings and four heads. The fourth beast was the most frightening of all. It was muscular with teeth of iron and a head covered with horns. And it was very arrogant. | 4

the Ancient of Days who was dressed in white. This person sat on a throne

Q Z tudes who stood around him. | ‚ in a court. The four beasts were on trial. The most fearsome beast was | allowed to be free for a short time. Out of dense cover of clouds } man, and he presented himself to the Ancient of Days. The Ancient One gave this man eternal dominion and } ^ 4 } ple present what was happening. The answer was, “These four great beasts }

on the earth. But the holy ones of the # ˆ

} -

SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS:

St Francis Antony Francis Antony (1681-1742) was born into a poor Italian } ˆ Y ! '$ } wanted to be a member of the Order, so he went to Monte Gargano for his novitiate. In 1705, he was ordained as a priest. He continued his < _ tion, he was the guardian of the convent and master of the novices. Although he had a high degree of education, he always } and undereducated people who lived in the area. He tried to care for the poor and also for people in prison. He encouraged everyone in his congregation to maintain a devotion to Mary. We honour him Nov 27. „

ship, to possess it forever and ever.� | 4 } fourth beast. “The fourth beast

} different from all the others. The whole earth it shall devour, trample down and crush ... but when the court is convened, and his domin } and completely destroyed, then the } ‚

} ens shall be given to the people of

the holy ones of the Most High.� € 4 } his visions had stopped, he was still } He wrote down what he had seen, but he did not tell anyone about it. „ Read more about it: Daniel 7

Q&A 1. What did Daniel see coming out of the ocean? 2. What would happen to people of the holy ones of the Most High?

PUZZLE: Using the reverse alphabet code posted below (a=z, b=y, c=x. etc.), decipher the following line from the prayer of Azariah in Daniel 3. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Z Y X W V U T S R Q P O N M L K J I H G F E D C B A Phrase: WVOREVI FH RM ZXXLIW DRGS BLFI DLMWVIH

WORDSEARCH: „ DANIEL „ NIGHTMARES „ EAST „ SOUTH „ WINGS „ ANCIENT

„ SLEEPING „ OCEAN „ WEST „ BEASTS „ BEAR

„ TROUBLED „ WINDS „ NORTH „ LION „ LEOPARD

BIBLE TRIVIA: Who was king when Daniel was thrown into the furnace?

Bible Accent:

Answers to Crossword Puzzle Answers to Bible Trivia: Nebuchadnezzar Answers to Puzzle: Deliver us in accord with your wonders. (Daniel 3:43)

4

tional character, but that does not lessen the importance of the ! } 4 ^ Š }

ries that are meant to encourage the people of Israel or to teach a lesson of faith and courage during times of hardship or temptation. | } ! } < in the sense that it tells of things that will happen in the future, but often uses symbols such as dragons or beasts to represent other things. ƒ

} ! } 4 } 4 but he and the other men were saved when an angel ap „

WHAT’S ON 25

Sunday December 2, 2012 „ CatholicNews

EVENT SUBMISSIONS We welcome information of events happening in our local Church. Please send your submission at least one month before the event. Online submissions can be made at www. catholic.sg/webevent_form.php Nov 29 MASS FOR VOCATIONS 8pm: Mass by Fr Samuel Lim. Topic: My Vocation Story. At Church of the Holy Family (Function Room Level 4) Nov 30 EUCHARISTIC ADORATION FOR YOUNG ADULTS 8pm: With rosary, followed by scriptural Q At Church of St Ignatius St Francis Xavier Chapel (Kingsmead Hall). E: gen.christ.ministry@gmail.com Nov 30 CHILDREN’S EUCHARISTIC ADORATION 7.45-9pm: An invitation to families to pray with your children and help them grow in faith with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Church of the Holy Spirit. T: 9362 5408; E: childreneucharisticadora@gmail.com

Dec 8 FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BVM (CHURCH OF STS PETER AND PAUL) 11.30am: Prayers and rosary. 1.00pm: Mass by Carmelite priest. Confessions available. Please bring along last year’s prayer book Dec 8 FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BVM (BLESSED SACRAMENT CHURCH) 11.45am-3pm: Prayers in Tamil followed by English Mass at 12.30pm with rosary, and then procession and benediction. By St Joseph Tamil Prayer Group Dec 8 CHRISTMAS UNDER THE STARS „ &9 ‡ &9 % Z

loving activities during this season of joy. By Morning Star Community Services. At Blk 261B Sengkang East Way #01400. Register T: 6315 8812 (Shuba); E: programs@morningstar.org.sg Thursday Dec 13 to Sunday Dec 16 X4 YOUTH CAMP X4 Youth Camp (á—šăş‚ä&#x;ˆâ€Ť )ؗ‏is for young people aged 12-21. By Commission for Apostolate of Mandarin-Speaking in Singapore. T: 9113 6598 (Nicholas); FB: http://www.facebook.com/x4camp

Saturday Dec 1 to Sunday Dec 2 THEOLOGY OF THE BODY CRASH COURSE 9am-5pm: 14 hours intensive training based on Christopher’s West DVD series facilitated by Andrew Kong & Team Training Centre. Cost: $17 (workbook). By Apostolate for Catholic Truth. At 10 Anson Rd #29-03. Register E: joanp@singnet.com.sg

Friday Dec 14 to Tuesday Dec 18 LEGION OF MARY CAMP Fri (1pm)-Tue (1pm) 5D4N of camping fun and spiritual experience the Legion way. For youths 13-18 years old. By Mandarin-speaking Youth Legion of Mary. At Maris Stella High School. Register T: 9154 6584 (Simon).

Dec 1 ADVENT EVENING RECOLLECTION 5-9pm: An evening of prayer and Q birth of Christ. For young adults 20 to 40 years old. Cost: $15. At Botanic Gardens (Meeting at Botanic Gardens MRT Level 1). By Verbum Dei Missionaries. Register T: 6274 0251/9793 2605 (Sr Sandra); E: verbumdeispore@yahoo.com.sg

Dec 14 ENTERING 2013 WITH JESUS – YEAR END REFLECTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS ž % Z Q *9'* and what it means to enter 2013 with Jesus. With rosary, followed by scriptural Q At Church of St Ignatius St Francis Xavier Chapel (Kingsmead Hall). E: gen.christ.ministry@gmail.com

IN MEMORIAM

Dec 14 ADVENT CONCERT: A BLESSED REUNION 8pm: Third instalment of an evening of sacred arias and warm Christmas tunes with tenor Matthew Chua and soprano Teng Xiang Ting accompanied by Dorothy Chia. At Church of St Mary of the Angels. Free. E: matthewchua@nus.edu.sg Dec 15 ADVENT TAIZE: EVENING CANDLELIGHT SERVICE 8pm: An evening of prayer in song and meditation with candlelight service that include Taize chants, listening to the word of God, intercessory prayer with ample time for quiet prayer in an atmosphere of silence and peace. At Blessed Sacrament Church (1 Commonwealth Dr). T: 9105 7446; E: secretariat@bsc.org.sg Dec 16 CATHOLIC SINGLES POTLUCK 11.30am: For fellowship and friendship. Join in for a potluck lunch after the 10:30am Mass at the church canteen. Please bring some food to share with others. By Catholic Singles. At Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. Register E: CatholicSingle@gmail.com Dec 27 CATHOLIC BUSINESS NETWORK CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION 7-11pm: Celebrate Christmas with fellow Catholic business people and professionals. By Catholic Business Network. At Furama Waterfront. Register T: 9686 2107 (Terry); E: ed@cbn-singapore.com; W: http://cbn-singapore.com Mondays Jan 7 2013 to Apr 1 2013 NO GREATER LOVE 8-10pm: Enter into a deeper relationship with the Lord. Reference book: Jesus of Nazareth Vol 2. Facilitated by Fr Christopher Soh, SJ. Cost: $100 (register by Dec 2)/$120. By Centre for Ignatian Spirituality & Counselling. At 8 Victoria Park Rd. Register by Dec 17. T: 6467 6072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com

Crossword Puzzle 1072 1

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ACROSS 1 Epistle of the New Testament that contains only 25 verses 5 Stagnant 10 Prod 14 Southwestern Indians 15 Vacation spot 16 Raison d’___ 'Â? ƒ 18 Apple variety 19 Pleasing 20 Boxing champ Muhammad 21 Cut 22 _____ of Christ 23 Shrew 25 Greek goddess of the earth 27 Crew tool 28 Boxing 32 His name was changed to Israel 35 Catholic Canadian Prime Minister Mulroney 36 â€œâ€Ś____ thousand times‌â€? 37 Apple-eater? &ž 4 39 Number of the commandment that instructs us to honor our parents 40 “When we eat this bread and drink this _____‌â€? 41 Lyric poem 42 Bad-tempered 43 Remembrance

45 46 47 51

54 55 56 57 59 60 61 62 63 64 65

Eve beginner Employs Plague insects Vestment made of a narrow strip of cloth Peter (with “The�) Altar in the sky Where to get off Rough cabin Type of gun Novelist Morrison Muscular type Northern European Tiff Plentiful Opener (abbr.)

DOWN 1 Tribe of Israel * !

3 See 48D 4 Wind direction 5 Land in which the tower of Babel was built 6 Husband of Anna 7 Over ž ƒ century 9 North American deer 10 Cordial 11 Auricular 12 Medieval Spanish chest 13 Bambi 21 Strikebreaker 22 Blood vessel

24 Apparatus for weaving 25 Jesus said there was none of this in Nathanael (Jn 1:47) 26 Muslim titles of honor 28 One of the seven deadly sins 29 “Are you _____ out?� 30 It is immortal 31 Blessed Mother 32 Mr. Lemmon 33 Together, musically 34 Outerwear 35 What the Bible is made up of 38 Foretell 39 Clothing company 41 Being (Lt.)

42 The Works of Mercy require us to visit them 44 The Gospel is read from here 45 Catholic football great, Knute ___ 47 Pertaining to a particular place 48 See 3D 49 Sixteenth century Council 50 More rational 51 Former JFK arrivals 52 Car with removable panels 53 O’Neill’s daughter 54 Incline 57 _____ Na Na 58 Sew 59 Reagan security programme

Solution to Crossword Puzzle No. 1071 C A P P A

O R I O N

A C C R A

A C E T

G A T E

N I C E

C C I I

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T S A R I S B I E S N B N A O R R A W A Y

M E N D E L P A G E

A D A G E L I B E L

S H A I S E

R I S I T H S T Y A E E A R P A Y M O S E S K E R E L R M O R K A A M O R D O A T O L I D A N

S T E E L E

L I R A

A L O E

M E S A

N O M A A H N S E C R A S M E P

T I N A

S L A B

P A S E O

Y I P E S

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