NOVEMBER 24, 2002, vol 52, no 24

-v —

^ I h n l i p News M.I.T.A. (P) No. 032/01/2002 PPS201/4/2003

I n

s o t o

y o u

f a r a s o n e

o

y-------^

o

f t h e

f t h e s e

d id

it

y o u

to

d id

t h is

le a s t

b r o th e r s m

o

f m

in e ,

e .

T h e O ffic ia l N e w s p a p e r o f th e Rom an C a th o lic A rc h d io c e s e o f S in g a p o re

Fortnightly: SUNDAYS. Nov. 24 - DEC. 1, 2002

FOCUS

IN S ID E

The 17th International Conference under the auspices of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care was held at Vatican City from November 7-9. On the Eve of the Conference, the President of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragan, held a Press Conference during which he announced the Theme of the Conference: "The Identity of Catholic Institutions of Health".

_____ page 6 PRAYING

the Rosary I

Archbishop Barragan drew attention to the fact that each health institution was certainly conscious of its own identity. However, times had and are changing rapidly in the world as are circum­ stances of place. These brought to the fore, new problems which present themselves today. Thus it would be very useful to reflect on the question of identity in general, vis-a-vis Catholic health institutions in general.

The Council President then proceeded to outline the scope of work that the Conference would undertake.

In the First Part

------- page 8 FORMATION Bible

CARE

The 17th International Conference - Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care - "Identity of Catholic Institutions of Health"

REGIONAL

Faith in Life

Vol. 52 No. 24

H e a lth

Rosary Year

----- page 7

SINGAPORE 50c / W EST MALAYSIA RM1.20

1 The conference would reflect on the theme in the light of the Word of God. 2 It will then examine the actual situation of the The Catholic Hospitals in terms of economic, social, political, cultural and above all religious dimension, according to the various continents of the world.

3 Also for discussion would be the question of federations, associations and groups of Catholic Health Institutions and networking of this reality.

Mission of the Church and care of the sick

The Pope pointed out that the conference theme on the "Identity of Catholic Institutions of Health" has great relevance in terms of the Church's mission because assistance and care of the Sick has always been associated with the preaching of the Good News.

"Following in the footsteps of Christ, the Divine Healer, several of the Saints of charity and hospitality, such as St. Camillus de Lellis, St. John of God and St. Vincent de Paul, gave birth to hospices for recovery and care, anticipating those which were eventually to become the modern-day hospitals. The network of Catholic social health institutions has become the response of the Church to the command of the Lord to the Twelve to announce the Kingdom of God and heal the sick. (Cf. Luke 9:6)"

In the Second Part

Vatican II __ page 9

1 the reality of the Catholic Hospital would be examined in the light of faith, beginning with the historical aspect as a basis for theological, moral and pastoral reflection.

2 There would be inter-religious dialogue in the form of input from the Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists who also run Health Institutions.

In the Third Part

Children’s Comer ___ page 10

1 The conference would consider what can be done to bring into sharper focus the identity of the Catholic Hospital, to reinforce this identity by clarifying its mission.

2 Also under discussion would be initial and permanent formation, perfecting the economic, social and organizational aspects; the improve­ ment of the administrative aspects of Catholic health care associations, but especially how to improve the Catholic religious aspect as this is precisely the principal scope of the conference.

FATHER MIKE

speaks Shine Jesus Shine ____ page 15 Religious Freedom page 16

DISCOURSE OF THE HOLY FATHER In a special audience accorded to the participants of the Conference, the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II extended his greetings and appreciation to all and welcomed the initiative to hold such annual International Conferences , which he said, "constitutes an important opportunity to deepen and confront, as it were, in dialogue between the scope of the Church and that of civil initiatives to determine the priority in terms of health."

Dtalof 110,5 Catholic health institutions in the world

and above all, Christian significance.

Such an identity, must, in a special way, be clearly and effectively seen in institutions that are dependant on the religious, or, in some way linked to the Church. (Evangelium Vitae 88).

In our Apostolic Letter, "At the beginning of the New Millennium", I referred to the great needs which in our time, cry out to the Christian soul, and I recalled also how many lack even the most elementary medical care. (n.50). The Church looks at these brothers and sisters with particular solicitude, hoping to be inspired by a renewed wave of charity.

I hope that Catholic Health Institu­ tions and public Institutions can collaborate effectively, driven by a common desire to serve mankind, especially the weak and those who lack social assistance.

My dearest, with such thoughts I entrust all of you to the protection of the Blessed Virgin, the Help of the Sick, while wishing you all the best in your service to the Church and in your professional work. I impart to you, and to all your families and those who are dear to you, a special Apostolic Blessing.

"In this perspective," the Holy Father continued, "I am thankful for the efforts that have constituted a new thrust to the International Confederation of Catholic Hospitals, a useful organization to respond even better to the numer­ ous questions that are raised in the process of functioning in the world of health along various fronts. I encourage, therefore, the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care to sustain these efforts that have come about through the Confederation, so that the service of charity offered by Catholic hospitals will be constantly inspired by the Gospel".

Volunteer health care

The Identity of Catholic Health Institutions

To understand, in depth, the identity of such health institutions, one needs to go to the heart of what consti­ tutes the Church, where the supreme law is that of love.

Catholic Health Institutions become, as it were, privileged witnesses of the love of the Good Samaritan, because in the care of the sick, we fulfil the will of the Lord and contribute to the realization of the Kingdom of God. It is in this way that we can express the true ecclesial identity.

And indeed, it is necessary to reconsider from this point of view "the role of hospitals, clinics and houses of care": their true identity is not only a matter of structures where care is taken of the sick and dying, but above all a question of ambience where suffering, pain and death come to be recognized and interpreted in their human

ti

Y e a r of the R osary

f A rchdiocese of Singapore home page, Veritas: h ttp ://w w w .c ath o lic.o rg .sg .

%

Vatican Reports

2 00 2 O C T O B E R 2 0 0 3

I T * Internet edition of The Catholic News: h ttp ://w w w .cath o lic.o rg .sg /C N .

Fortn igh tly: Sun. Nov 24 and Sun. DEC 1, 2002

2 - T H E C A T H O L I C NEW S B e in fo rm ed a s C ath o lic s o f the C h urch 's stand . . .

V A T IC A N In

S u m m a ry

T h e P lig h t o f t h e D is p la c e d On November 8, the UN General Assembly's 3rd Committee discussed the subject of displaced persons, having been presented with the report of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

The Permanent Representative of the Holy See to the United Nations, H.E. Archbishop Renato Martino spoke at the session.

The UNHCR report had reported a slight decrease in the number of displaced persons - from 21.1 million in the year 2000 to 19.8 million at the end of 2001. Archbishop Martino remarked that even though small, any reduction in the light of world events, was a welcome sign of the unbreakable spirit which binds all people into one family. However, he said that his Delegation was distressed that the Report states that some people found borders that were closed to many or suffered violence, xenophobia and the denial of funda­ mental rights.

Archbishop Martino continued: "While the Holy See realizes that the world has gone through many changes in the past year, it is those very changes and the situations that have risen that should focus on the reasons for the existence of the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees.

As it has done for more than these fifty years, since before the formal establishment of the Office of the High Commissioner, the Holy See continues to lend its support and take its place, within the world community to provide care and protection to those who have been forced from their homes, no matter what the reason.

The Holy See assures that currently, the Catholic Church, through a variety of agencies, most particularly the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, The Pontifical Council Cor Unum, Caritas Intemationalis and its national offices, Catholic Relief Services, and the Jesuit Refugee Service, operates

centres throughout the world, serving the needs of many thousands of people.

During 2001, Church agencies in the United States alone aided 319,541 refugees and immigrants, who received help with settle­ ment, family reunification, education, legal and employment services, and language classes.

All these agencies and institutions continue to ‘put a human face’ on the refugee and migrant, not dealing with quotas or numbers but reaching out to help people in need.

A discussion on the protection of refugees cannot be complete without also adding a word of support for all those governments and states that continue to struggle to meet the needs of incoming refugees and migrants.

Satisfying the basic needs of life can not be seen as a burden but as a necessity even as those same governments find it difficult to provide for their own citizens. The family of nations should commend and continue to aid in those efforts."

Internally displaced persons (within a country's borders)

Archbishop Martino took the occasion to draw the attention of the Assembly to another group of persons who also need attention. "My Delegation realizes that the Report of the Secretary General deals with only those “persons of concern to the High Commissioner However, I wish to add a few words about the other group of people who need special attention.

According to the statistics compiled by the United Nations, there are as many as 50 million internally displaced persons throughout the world.

Just as it continues to support the efforts of countries receiving refugees and migrants, the Holy See calls upon governments to recognize their responsibilities toward providing security and access to basic social services to all those displaced persons within their borders.

The recently concluded World Summit on Sustainable Develop­ ment has taught a valuable lesson. The result of that meeting was more than the very important Political Declaration and outcome document. People came together and discussed problems and ways to find solutions. My Delegation hopes that the same spirit of changing words into actions will continue to help all people who have been separated from their homes or their land or their families to find a place to live that recognizes their human dignity and their right to security, peace and happiness.'

R e v. F r . C la u d e B a rre te a u , MEP R e v . F r . F e lix B ry g ie r, M E P R e v. F r . B a lth a z a r C h an g , C IC M in

th /fir tw ifia ftt

and in their afflic

R ev. F r . F ra n c o is D u fa y , M E P R e v. F r . E d m u n d D u n n e , CSsR R e v . F r . Jam es W a lla c e , C S s R R e v. B ro . C a s im ir, C S s R R e v. F r . G e r a r d K e a n e , SJ R e v. F r . A lfre d C h a n R e v. F r . F r a n k D e p o o rte r, C IC M

. . . on cu rren t in tern ation al issues.

S cien ce and C ulture On November 1, the Holy Father received the participants of the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The theme for this year ‘The Cultural Values of Science", the Pope said, allowed them to consider scientific developments in their relation to other general aspects of human experience. His discourse touched on the relation of science to the culture of man and the responsibil­ ity of scientists.

Science and Culture

Science itself represents a value for human knowledge and the human community. For it is thanks to science that we have a greater understanding today of man’s place in the universe, of the connections between human history and the history of the cosmos, N ew Vatican Perm . of the structural cohesion and symmetry of the elements of which matter is composed, of the remarkable complexity and at the same Rep. to the UN time the astonishing coordination of the life processes themselves.

It is thanks to science that we are able to appreciate ever more The Holy Father has appointed one member of this Academy has called “the wonder of being the Rev. Msgr. Celestino Migliore what human": this is the title that John Eccles, recipient of the 1963 the new Permanent Representative of the Holy See to Nobel Prize for Neurophysiology and member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, gave to his book on the human brain and the United Nations Organization mind (J. C. Eccles, D. N. Robinson, The Wonder of Being Human: in New York, to replace Our Brain and Our Mind; Free Press, New York, 1984).

Archbishop Renato Martino who This knowledge represents an extraordinary and profound value was appointed the new President for the entire human family, and it is also of immeasurable signifi­ of the Pontifical Council for cance for the disciplines of philosophy and theology as they Justice and Peace. Monsignor Migliore who is also raised to the continue along the path of intellectus quaerens fidem (the intellect rank of Archbishop, has until now seeking faith) and of fides quaerens intellectum (faith seeking understanding), as they seek an ever more complete understanding been the Under-Secretary for Relations with other States in the of the wealth of human knowledge and of Biblical revelation. If philosophy and theology today grasp better than in the past what it Vatican's Secretariat of State. means to be a human being in the world, they owe this in no small Msgr. Migliore, aged 50, has part to science, because it is science that has shown us how just celebrated his Silver Jubilee numerous and complex the works of creation are and how seem­ as priest. He holds a Doctorate ingly limitless the created cosmos is. The utter marvel that inspired in Canon Law and entered the the first philosophical reflections on nature does not diminish as new Vatican Diplomatic Service in scientific discoveries are made. Rather, it increases with each fresh 1980, serving in Angola, USA, insight that is gained. The species capable of “creaturely amaze­ Egypt and Poland and has also been the Permanent Observer at ment” is transformed as our grasp of truth and reality becomes more comprehensive, as we are led to search ever more deeply within the the Council of Europe in realm of human experience and existence.

Strasbourg.

Besides his native Italian, he The responsibility of scientists speaks French, English, Spanish and Portuguese.

But the cultural and human value of science is also seen in its moving from the level of research and reflection to actual practice.

In fad., the Lord Jesus warned his followers: "everyone to whom much is given, of him will much be required” (Lk 12:48). Scientists, therefore, precisely because they “know more”, are called to “serve more”. Since the freedom they enjoy in research gives them access to specialized knowledge, they have the responsibility of using it The Holy Father nominated His wisely for the benefit of the entire human family.

Eminence Cardinal Crescenzio i am thinking here not only of the dangers involved in a science Sepe, Prefect of the Congrega­ devoid of an ethic firmly grounded in the nature of the human tion for the Evangelization of person and in respect of the environment themes which I have Peoples, as his Special Legate dwelt on many times in the past (cf. Addresses to the Pontifical to the solemn celebration of the Academy of Sciences, 28 October 1994, 2 7 October 1998 and 12 1950th anniversary of the arrival March 1999; Address to the Pontifical Academy for Life, 24 February of St. Thomas, the Apostle in 1998).

India and the 450th anniversary I am also thinking of the enormous benefits that science can of the death of St. Francis bring to the peoples of the world through basic research and Xavier at a two-day event, 16 technological applications. By protecting its legitimate autonomy from and 17 November, in Ernakulam economic and political pressures, by not giving in to the forces of (in India). consensus or to the quest for profit by committing itself to selfless In his letter of appointment, research aimed at truth and the common good, the scientific com­ the Holy Father made mention munity can help the world’s peoples and serve them in ways no of the fact that St. Thomas, the other structures can.

Apostle was the evangelizer of At the beginning of this new century, scientists need to ask Asia, while St. Francis Xavier themselves if there is not more that they can do in this regard. In was largely instrumental also in an ever more globalized world, can they not do more to increase sowing the seeds of the faith in levels of instruction and improve health conditions, to study strate­ the Indian sub-Continent, from gies for a more equitable distribution of resources, to facilitate the which blossomed ecclesial free circulation of information and the access of all to that knowl­ communities which have borne edge that improves the quality of life and raises standards of living? abundant fruit. The celebrations, the Pope said, would not only Can they not make their voices heard more dearly and with serve to recall these events but greater authority in the cause of world peace? would serve to foster a greater I know that they can, and I know that you can, dear members sense of religious fervour and of me Pontifical Academy of Sciences! As you prepare to celebrate stronger faith in the people. the Academy’s Fourth Centenary next year, bring these common concerns and aspirations to the international agencies that make of your work, bring them to your colleagues, bring them to the places where you engage in research and where you teach.

In this way, science will help to unite minds and hearts, promot­ ing dialogue not only between individual researchers in different parts of the world but also between nations and cultures, making a priceless contribution to peace and harmony among peoples.

A new Document on "Conse­

Double Celebration

New School Document

crated persons and their Mission in Schools" was realeased by

the Congregation for Catholic Education on Tuesday, 17 November, by Card. Zenon Grocholewski, Prefect of the Congregation.

in renewing my warm wishes for the success of your work during these days, I raise my voice to the Lord of heaven and earth, praying that your activity will be more and more an instrument of truth and love in the world. Upon you, your families and your colleagues I cordially invoke an abundance of divine grace and blessings.

T H E C A T H O L I C N EW S - 3

Fortnightly: Sun. N ov 24 and Sun. DEC 1, 2002

T h e C a th o lic N e w s

LO CAL

S .ic b ^ c n i p t io .n .

Starting Date:

ST FRANCIS XAVIER MAJOR SEMINARY

DR. / MR. / MRS. / MS. ADDRESS: S tay in touch w ith the C h u rc h in S in g a p o r e an d the w o r ld

Courses - 1 S em ester 2 0 0 3 : 13 January - 3 0 M a y 2 0 0 3 E-MAIL:

TEL.

1 Quarter: 13 Jan - 11 Mar 2003

2 Quarter: 17 Mar - 30 May 2003

G .i f t . S jj.b -A -c.tii p t l o n My name:

SUBSCRIPTION 12 MONTHS

$27 35

S ing ap ore S M alaysia S $ ; B runei S B Y A IR M A IL Asia S $ ; Ja p a n S Australia & N Z S E u ro p e & U S A S B Y S U R F A C E M A IL All Cou n trie s S

ADDRESS: IN IT IA T IO N

T H E O L O G Y C Y C L E

Y E A R

Mystery of Salvation - Fr Anthony Ho 2 Quarter: Tuesday & Friday 9.00am - 10.50am Vatican II: Priestly Life - Fr Anthony Ho 2 Quarter: Wednesday 9.00am - 10.50am Vatican II: Church - Fr Paul Kee CSsR 2 Quarter: Thursday 9.00am - 10.50am Personal Growth & Relationship - Sr Elizabeth Sim FDCC 2 Quarter: Wednesday 11.00am - 12.50pm Introduction to Liturgy - Fr Cyril Lee 2 Quarter: Tuesday 11.00am - 12.50pm Methodology - Sr Christina Yeo FDCC 2 Quarter: Friday 11.00am - 12.50pm P H IL O S O P H Y C Y C L E

Scripture: Introduction to Old Testament - Fr Lawrence Yeo 1Quarter: Wednesday 9.00am - 10.50am Friday 9.00am - 9.50am

63

E-MAIL:

TEL.

Scripture: Historical Books [Joshua] - Fr Ambrose Vaz IQuarter: Tuesday 9.00am - 10.50am Friday 9.00am - 9.50am

Starting Date:

P a ym en t: C a s h , B an k Draft o r C h e q u e in favour of: T h e C atholic N e w s No H ighland R d, # , S in g a p o re .

For DR. I MR. I MRS. / MS.

2

0103 549102 E nquiries: R ichard at 6858-3055

ADDRESS:

Scripture: Historical Books [Judges] - Fr Ambrose Vaz 2 Quarter: Tuesday 9.00am - 10.50am Friday 9.00am - 9.50am Fundamental Theology - Fr William Goh 1 & 2 QuarterTuesday 11.00am - 12.50pm Wednesday 9.00am - 10.50am Sacraments - Eucharist/Reconciliation - Fr Michael Arro MEP 1 & 2 Quarter: Tuesday 11.00am - 12.50pm Wednesday 11.00am - 12.50pm Fundamental Moral - Fr James Yeo 1 & 2 Quarter: Tuesday 11.00am - 12.50pm Wednesday 11.00am - 12.50pm

0C&H REALTYPTELTD for HDB I Private Sales & Rentals Please call: JEFFREY PINTO hp : 9630-5245 pg : 9207-9606 F o r m o r e p r o p e r t y in f o r m a tio n lo g o n t o h ttp : / / v v w w .J p in 2 .c o m E-M ail: j u t r e @ p o . p a c i f i c . n e t . s g

Non Christian Religions - Hinduism - Guest Lecturer 2 Quarter: Monday 9.00am - 10.50pm

Metaphysics - Fr Henry Siew 1Quarter: Tuesday 9.00am - 10.50am Friday 10.00am - 11.50am

Principles & Practices of Counseling - Fr Charles Sim SJ 1 & 2 Quarter: Monday 11.00am - 12.50pm

■ K Is

P e r s o n a l i s e d C h i l d r e n 's B o o k s

Church History - Reformation - Fr Tom Curran OCD 1 & 2 Quarter: Thursday 11.00am - 12.50pm

Scripture: Deuteronomy - Fr Lawrence Yeo 2 Quarter:Wednesday 9.00am - 10.50am Friday 9.00am - 9.50am

$3

$72 $72 $87 $40

Includes: ♦ ♦ * *

Your child's name His/her age Names of friends & relatives Dedication message

Order online at www.parenthings.com Tel: 6463-2153 Fax:6463-9256

Theodicy - Fr Henry Siew 2 Quarter:Tuesday 9.00am - 10.50am Friday 10.00am - 11.50am

parenthings^com

History of Philosophy (Ancient) - Fr Noel Chin 1 & 2 Quarter: Wednesday 11.00am - 12.50pm

9

Registration closes: 25 December 2002

History of Philosophy (Modem) - Fr Henry Siew 1 & 2 Quarter: Wednesday 11.00am - 12.50pm

For registration, please call: Rebecca Aw Tel: 6386 7140 Fax: 6386-1342 Email: sfxms(5)pacific.net.sg

Sacred Liturgy - Western Liturgy - Fr Tom O’Neill SJ 1 Quarter: Tuesday 11.00am - 11.50am

J e s u s

u n

i n

t e

r i o

Address: Bk 41, Holland Drive, #01-25 S'pore 270041 WORKMANSHIP: 12 m onths w arranty for every job taken G overnm ent and statutory board loans acceptable.

Manna®|#media Q e t YOUT Fa V O Ur it e

Fax:

c a le n d a

r :

M A X C r e a tio n

6778-6539

A lso a v a ila b le a t: B le ssed S a c ra m e n t C h u rc h • C h u rc h o f St M ichael • A p o sto late o f the M ed ia (S t Jo seph's P a rish H all, C h u rc h o f S t Jo se p h ) • N o v e n a C h u rc h • C h u rc h o f St A n th o n y • C h u rc h o f S t T e re s a • C h u rc h o f St S te p h e n • H o ly S p irit B o o k sh o p • C h u rc h o f O u r L a d y S ta r o f th e S e a • C h u rc h o f C h rist th e K in g B o o k sh o p • C h u rc h o f S t F ra n c is X a v ie r • C h u rc h o f th e N a tiv ity o f the B V M • S t A n n e ’s C h u rc h • C h u rc h o f St F ra n c is o f A ssisi • C h u rc h o f th e H o ly T rin ity . O t h e r B o o k s h o p : • S h a lo a m C e n t r e (O u r A g e n t) B lk 1 8 3 # 0 1 - 2 6 2 T o a P a y o h C e n tra l • C & S 6 1 S ta m fo rd R d # 0 1 0 1 S ta m fo rd C o u rt • M ic a D e sig n 2 9 8 T h e C o n co u rse # 0 1 - 1 7 • C e n t r a l C o m m o d ity S e rv ic e s P te L td ( 6 3 3 7 - 7 3 3 1 ) • C a th o lic N e w s B o o k & M e d ia ( .6 8 5 8 - 3 0 6 6 ) • L o u r d e s G ift & S o u v e n ir C e n t r e ( 6 2 9 8 - 0 5 6 8 ) .

Ringtone

Hymns

...fo r y o u r N O K IA h a n d p h o n e !

In tro d u cto ry offer: 2 for $2.90!

to

Visit our web-site http://www.mmcreation.com.sg or fax your orders to: M M C R E A T IO N Blk 3013 #03-2106 Bedok Industrial Park E Singapore (489977) Tel : (65) 6245-1071 Fax : (65) 6241-4076 Email: mmcreation@pacific.net.sg

r s

Business Hours : 9 am to 8 pm on normal working days, 11 am to 3pm on Sundays and Public Holidays

6779-5034/6779-6035

o n ly

Printed with Singapore Public Holidays, Feast Days, etc by special arrangement with the publisher. Other similar version of the Jesus Calendar with Philip­ pines or India holiday is not from us. We cannot or will not accept any return or exchange of these version that is not from us. Only our version has our company’s name, address and contact no printed on it. Check carefully before you buy!

S p e c ia lis t in a ll k in d s o f f u r n it u r e a n d in t e r io r d e c o r a tio n . W e s u p p ly m a d e - t o - o r d e r k it c h e n c a b in e t s , b e d r o o m s e ts , o f f ic e f u r n i t u r e , e tc .

Call

2 0 0 3

e x c lu s iv e

Sacred Liturgy - Liturgy of the Hours - Fr Tom O’Neill SJ 2 Quarter: Tuesday 11.00am - 11.50am

P

Better choicesfor your world

Organic Cotton & Hemp Clothing*-Natural SkincarevOrganic Cotton Toys Maternity &Nursing* Cloth Diapers* Cloth Pads ** Personalised Books

V is it w w w .C a th o lic R in g to n e s .c o m

Easy, h a ssle -fre e SMS dow nload. Paym ent through your m obile phone operator.

Most popular: *

You are Mine

* Ave Maria * Jesus Loves Me ... & a selection of X’mas hymns!

Fortnightly: Sun. N ov 24 and Sun. DEC 1, 2002

4 - T H E C A T H O L IC N E W S The

CatholicNews

VIEWPOINT

E D IT O R

The Cross in Health Care

Dr. (Rev.) Robert R Balhetchet M ANAGER

R ev. Fr. J o h n so n F e rn a n d e z STA FF C O R R E SPO N D E N T

M s. M el D ia m se -L ee

2 Highland Road #01-03 Singapore 549102 Tel: 6-858-3055 Fax: 6-858-2055 Email: cathnews@catholic.org.sg

For editorial matters articles, comments, letters e-mail: steeple@singnet.com.sg

Please include your full name, address, telephone no. and e-mail address.

The RED Cross with its equal axes conjures up, world­ medicine" and that they are *heralds o f the resurrection" wide, an association with ambulances, hospitals, with a mission "to radiate the mercy o f God to the sick and emergencies and health care in general. Worldwide, that suffering.''

More recently, at the beginning of this month, the 17th is, until Islamic countries felt the need, some decades ago, to change it, in their countries, to the Red Crescent. International Conference promoted by the Pontifical Coun­ We remember the brouhaha that that caused at the cil for Health Pastoral Care has just been concluded. With time. Yet, those who initiated the change were motivated its theme, T h e Identity o f Catholic Institutions o f H ealth”, by the awareness of what the symbol stood for, a the Congress hoped to bring into sharper focus the true symbolism which, unfortunately, was being missed by place of Catholic Health Care within the evangelizing the very countries where the association between the red mission of the Church.

The passage of time tends to obscure the lofty ideals cross and health services was initiated, in the first place - and by countries, we might add, which called them­ which initially inspired great endeavours, and in the case of Church Institutions it is a question of the lofty spiritual selves Christian!

The cross in its association ideals which motivated the pioneers of various endeavours with medical services obviously which tend to be obscured with time. fro m In our day, it is so easy for Catholic Institutions, be they denotes the Cross of Christ, T he Editor and indeed, in its rich symbol­ in the field of medical care, poverty alleviation, development ism which has been so or education to be carried away by secular considerations Dr (Rev) Robert P. Balhetchet eloquently associated by our and trends in the "industry”, so as to lose sight of the place Holy Father with the face of the Crucified Christ in agony of these endeavours in the whole mission of the Church.

But to lose sight of their ecclesial identity is to lose sight and at the same time the face ofthe Risen Christ already of their whole raison d'etre. The Church, in setting up these in glory, through the triumph of the Cross.

When this rich significance is borne in mind, the Cross social institutions, has never viewed itself in competition becomes a very apt symbol for Health Services giving with the obligations of civil societies to provide for their great depth to the whole motivation and involvement of peoples. Its purpose has always been to complement such efforts and to provide such services to the fullest level of the Church in this field of activity.

Unfortunately, as with so many things in life, things their realization as part of the redeeming work of Christ.

The fully religious-human dimension remains and al­ that we get used to tend to lose their significance. That, perhaps, is what has happened to the Cross in health ways must remain the motivating force of the Church's social involvement. It is not only a question being so, but care services even in the context of the Church.

Recently, however, in October, at the 17th World a question of being seen to be so. As our Holy Father says: Congress of the International Committee of the Catholic their identity, must, in a special way, be clearly and Nurses and Medical Social Assistance, Archbishop Javier effectively seen in institutions that are dependant on the Lozano Barragan, President of the Pontifical Council for religious, or, in some way linked to the Church. - To be Health Pastoral Care reminded participants that "a nurse otherwise, is to betray the mission entrusted to the Church is the immediate realization o f the humanization of

fro m

by Jesus himself.

Wmmm

THE PEWS ■ ■ Responses a re fr o m the E d ito r.

H a p p in e s s !

Greetings Fr Bob I am happy that I finally got all the answers for the quiz right.

Thank you for the encourage­ ment you gave me in your e-mail to one of my earlier attempts.

I received my First Holy Communion on 9 November.

I enjoy reading the kid’s corner and doing the puzzles.

Thank you.

Love T YS J Thank you very much, my little friend, for your e-mail. You are most welcome! I am very glad that your efforts and perseverance have given you success. It's a lesson that you need to remember all your life and in even bigger things.

Congratulations on receiving Jesus for the first time in Holy Communion. Treasure that day in your memory, and do be sure to welcome Him into your heart as often as you can.

God love you and all your family.

Clarification needed I thank you for the article on the Common priesthood and the Ministerial priesthood (CN Nov. 10-17 2002).

Reading past letters to CN, there are definitely some concerns by priests regarding the roles participated by the laity. While this article contains many words, I fail to fully understand more fully, the specific roles, responsibilities and function of Ministerial Priesthood other than “Acting in the person of Christ, the power to confect the Body and Blood of the Redeemer, the authority to proclaim the Gospel and the power to conquer the evil of sin” “through sacramental forgiveness”.

I will be grateful if the author of the article will continue in specific terms to describe: a) Duties, Responsibilities, and Functions of the Ministerial Priesthood. (b) Expectations of the Baptised (Common Priesthood of the Laity - other than to “Pray, Pay and Obey” which should be “taboo” in view of Vatican It’s teachings) (c) Functions which the Laity “Should Not Do” e.g. You should clarify, “Proclaim the Gospel” - what this means! At the Pulpit during Mass only? Personal testimony vis-a-vis the Gospel message allowed? Etc..

Thanks and God Bless.

R. E. Thank you, too, for the request for clarification. I find it very useful to have feedback from readers, because one gets to know whether things are clear or not, and what exactly is not clear, as you indicate very specifically the points you want clarified.

Well, to begin with, concerning the ’author" - You may have missed the red box at the top right hand corner which said: "Extracts

from the Instruction of the Congregation for the Clergy on Parish Priests as Pastors". But then, I suppose, that may not be very enlight­ ening. Let me explain a little.

The government of the Church is a bit like a country, where you have various "Ministries" to look after various areas of civic life. Well, in the Church they are called "Congregations" (nothing to do with the congregation of a church!). The Heads of these Congregations have the title of "Prefect" and they are always Cardinals. They would be the equivalent of "Ministers" in government. In addition to the Prefect, there are other officials as well, usually, Archbishops or Bishops and priests. Those Congregations that have to do with Laity would also

have lay people. Then there are always Consultors or experts in the relevant fields. These Congregations report directly to the Pope, in fact, on a regular basis.

Their work is to study various issues connected with their particular area of responsibility, and deal with queries, problems arising, etc.

From time to time, they also issue various documents on specific subjects or areas within the ambit of their Congregation. These docu­ ments must always be submitted to the Pope himself and require his specific authorization before they can be issued.

One ofthe Congregations is known as the Congregation for the Clergy. This is to do with priests and deacons. Bishops are under another Congregation - the Congregation for Bishops.

To come back now, to the article you refer to. These are verbatim excerpts from the document entitled "The Priest, Pastor and Guide of the Parish Community’’. This document is issued as an "Instruction" which is the fruit of a lengthy study of the Congregation for the Clergy and based on the documents of Vatican II, and subsequent relevant official documents. Furthermore, it has the specific approval of the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II and the actual document was the final statement of the Plenary Assembly of the Congegation for the Clergy.

The document is signed by the Prefect of the Congregation, Cardinal Dario Castrillon-Hoyos and the Secretary ofthe Congregation, Arch­ bishop Cesba Ternyak.

Incidentally, in the CN issue before the article you refer to, we had already given some highlights from this document on the occasion of its first publication.

Sorry if this is a very lengthy exposition, but it is necessary if one is to accept the authority ofthe document and its contents. It is NOT simply an article written by someone, but an official Instruction from the Congregation for the Clergy, sanctioned by the Supreme Pontiff and ordered by him to be published.

As for your other queries, I'm afraid we have to deal with them at another time. I know you would be anxious to have answers, but it would require far too much explanation at this point.

Actually we would eventually be dealing with those points when we come to the Chapter Three ofthe Vatican II Constitution ofthe Church, "Lumen Gentium" (Light of the Nations) in our ongoing series of instructions found on page 9 of every CN issue.

I hope you can bear with me and wait a while for the specific answers. What is also important to understand these issues, is to first appreciate what the Church is ahd what it stands for, then everything else falls into place. Otherwise it gets a bit piecemeal.

Fortnightly: Sun. Nov 24 and Sun. DEC 1, 2002

T H E C A TH O L IC NEWS - 5

JENNIFER WEE

LO CAL

member of

feA

9105-0312/9815-8955

M orality o f stem cell research

Buy/Sell or Rent Welcome Residential HDB / PTE Commercial,}J • Fast Service • 100% Reliable . .

TREE • 15 years track record. pFIRST ro pe rtie s

(W edding (E ssentials

By Angelica Tan

Custom Design

The “Seminar on Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Bioethics and Sanctity of Life” saw a crowd of about 220 participants. Members of the laity joined priests, religious and medical professionals at the four-hour seminar held at Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre (CAEC) on Deepavali, Nov 4.

Jointly organised by the Catholic Medical Guild (CMG), Family Life Society (FLS) and the Singapore Pastoral Institute (SPI) the seminar was an effort to raise awareness and educate the laity about the dangers as well as the controversies and issues surrounding embryonic stem cell research.

Dr Gabriel Oon, an oncologist and member of the Archdiocese Bioethics Council, opened the seminar with his talk on “Human Stem Cell Therapy - Human Salvation or Catastrophe?”

Embryonic stem cells can lead to the develop­ ment of new cells for the liver, cartilage, blood vessels, muscles and bone marrow. In fact, embryonic cells can develop to replace virtually any tissue in the body.

As such, embryonic stem cells may be used to cure a slew of diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s. However, he said such experi­ ments also mean instant death for the embryos as cells are extracted from their inner cell mass.

This is where the ethical objections come in.

Based on medical and religious grounds, human life begins from the time of conception, he said. “No matter whatever good is intended, this cannot be done at the expense of the life of a human being and the embryo is regarded as a human being, from the time of conception."

Besides the ethical objections, Dr Oon said that embryonic stem cell therapy could lead to problems and dangers. These problems include the development of malignancies and cancers, rejection of the transplanted stem cells or tissue by the recipient and infection and contamination

as these cells are “fastidious in their growth requirements”.

In light of these dangers, he said, “You’ve got a big problem trying to prevent cancer and nobody except a dubious regulatory authority would license a product which may produce cancer.” He underscored that crucial factors for embryologists and regulators would be to ensure safety and efficacy.

Fr James Yeo, a moral theologian and parish priest of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, in his talk, said: “You are not allowed to disagree. “You disagree with me means you disagree with the Pope. You disagree with the Pope means you are quarrelling with God.” He put forth the case against embryonic stem cell research with references to scripture and the papal Encyclical Evangelium Vitae and Donum Vitae. He also spoke of the possibility of using adult stem cells to attain the same results as embryonic stem cells as there are no ethical objections on the use of adult stem cells.

Dr Chan Yeow, an anaesthesiologist, shed light on the issue from the point of natural law and philosophy.

The seminar closed with a Eucharistic celebra­ tion by Dominican Father David Garcia.

.Invitation Cards. R SV P . Thank you Cards. . M ass/Service Booklets. R ing Pillows. . U nity Candles. Guest Book/ Scroll. .Favours. W ine Labels.

B U IL D IN G A N D T R A D IN G P T E L T D

Preparation for

• Singapore Government Schools (Maths, Science & Mandarin Optional) •.Singapore Cambridge ‘O’ Level Exams • Singapore Polytechnic/Universityor overseas studies (TOEFL, IELTS) • Secretarial, Computing and Busi­ ness Studies - Cambridge, UK Exams # SSTCEDUCATIONCENTRE Renistered with with the Ministry Ministry of of Education since 1 978 Registered 1978

We specialise in • All kinds of waterproofing/ roofing • Re-painting (interior/exterior) • Renovation work • Upgrading work

Call: John Stephen Lim

9637-1544

9 Penang Road, #09-03 Park Mall (opposite Dhoby Ghaut MRT) Tel: 6 2 3 5 -5 6 8 5 Fax: 6 7 3 4 -5 1 3 0 Email: ss tcl9 7 8 @sstc.com.sg Website: www.sstc.com.sg

Maude Rd #02-38 Singapore 200001

However, the seminar will not be the last of efforts to raise awareness for the cause.

Blk 1

Tel: 6 2 81 -796 6 Fax: 63 82 4 9 6 6

Dr John Hui, Master of the CMG announced that the guild will be organising a nine-dav novena to pray for an end to embryonic stem cell research.

The novena will start on Nov 29 at 8 pm at the basement chapel of the Immaculate Heart of Marv Church, and culminate with an “Hour of Grace” on the feast of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception (Dec 8) from 3- 4pm in the same church.

C & H P R O P E R T I E S P T E L T D LISTEDHOUSINGAGENCY

(enjoy the benifits of Resale Net and early appointment)

Thinking of selling, buying or renting your house?

Having problems looking for the right agent whom you can trust? L o o k n o f u r t h e r .

HDBResaleNet m

F o r honest, re lia b le a n d tru stw o rth y services.

C a llJ e ffre yG o hn o w @ 9 -4 5 1-5085 E -m a il: j r j .e a s t v a le @ p a c if ic .n e t .s g

sstc

M igrants as Evangelists

m

E d u c a tio n

SINGAPORE (UCAN) - A meeting of pastoral workers under the auspices of the Philippine Bishops' Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itenerant People was held in Singapore at the St Francis Xavier's Major Seminary. The theme: “The Pastoral Care of Migrants, A Way of Accomplishing the Mission of the Church Today.”

Some 63 pastoral workers, mainly Filipinos, from 18 countries, working in the Philippine Commission's global network, attended the meeting.

Singapore Archbishop Nicholas Chia, who opened the first session of the meeting, said that Catholic migrants in the country are well integrated into the faith community, with many able to attend Mass in their own language. There are also Church ministries reaching out to nonChristian migrants through skills-training programs.

Bishop Ramon Arguelles, Chairman of the

ENGLISH

Call Anne / Josephine T e l: (65) 6476 5945 M obile : (65) 9271 7855 E m a il: enquiries@simple-creations.com

Philippine bishops’ Episcopal Commission, said that migration must be used in the service of evangelization. “The simple and silent witnessing of many migrant workers in nonChristian homes plants the seed of faith there.

The Church should recognize the contribution Catholic migrant workers are making to evangelization, which needs to be freed from an institutional mindset,” he said.

It would be an injustice not to foster in migrants and other lay Catholics “the awareness that they are the bearers of the greatest treasure that the world can receive, Jesus Christ.”

The bishop pointed out that papal documents on migration say the receiving Church is sometimes afraid of an “incursion” of migrants.

The pope has asked “for kindness toward those migrants who do not share our faith."

He cautioned that Migrants’ mission is not “to build a Filipino Church in Singapore or in other nations but to build ‘the Church."

G C E ‘N ' & ‘O ’ L E V E L .

C e n tre

Established 1978

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! F u ll-tim e S tu d ie s start Jan ua ry 2003

W e o f f e r th e f o llo w in g s u b je c ts : * E n g lis h • H is t o r y ♦ E M a th s • P r in c ip le s o f A c c o u n ts • G e o g ra p h y • S c ie n c e ( P r a c t ic a l & T h e o r y ) #09-03 Park Mail (Dlioby Ghaut MRT) l ei: (65) 6235-5685 Fax: (65) 6734-5130 W e b s i te : w w w . s s t c .c o m .s g E m a il : s s t c 1 9 7 & K ) s s tc .c o m .s g

4 5 0 t h S t

A n n i v e r s a r y

F r a n c i s

O P E N

o f

X a v i e r

H O U S E

24th Nov, Sun 1 - 5p m

Keluarga Katolik Indonesia di Singapore (KKIS) Mass in Bahasa Indonesia is celebrated every 2nd and 4th Sunday o f the month.

Tim e & Location: 3.30 pm, at St Bernadette Church, 12 Zion Rd, Singapore.

For mass enquiry and intention, please contact Ibu Agnes Surya, ph: 6552-2049.

Other activities: Legion o f M a ry .

Praise & worship by P D G alilea & P D E fata . M u d ik a with its activities ranging from choirs, retreats, and sports (contact Hermawan, ph: 9361-8969) web pages: w w w .g e o c itie s .c o m / mudikakkis

R e q u ir e Your Church Wedding Specialist!

Packages at Attractive Rates v ^ , _______________ ....................

Leave everything to us: U n ity candles, Pew decorations, Mass booklets, Flow ergirls’ headpieces / hand bouquets / flo w er baskets, Ring cushions, F lo w er arrangement, Corsages, Tea / Lunch Reception C a ll us: Lynda 9 4 7 2 -9 6 4 2 Ir e n e 9 7 3 3 -8 1 8 8 S h a ro n 9 8 7 5 -2 1 8 8

p r in tin g

fo r

E v a n g e liz a tio n ?

In small and large quantities?

Collection within the day ‘ Conditions apply*

Prayer Books/Booklets/Cards Holy Picture Cards Hymn Books/Services Booklets Funeral Service Booklets and more...

Commerial Printing available

T R ia e is t 27th - 29th N ov W ed - Fri 8 .0 0 p m C e le b r a n t: Fr G ino H enriques

FEAST DAY MASS

30th Nov, S a t 6 .0 0 p m C e le b r a n t: A rchbishop N ic h o las C hia

For enquiries, Contact Tony

6476-0607 19690-2086 115 Commonwealth Drive #03-24 / #05-20

Church o f St F r a n c is X a v i e r 63A C h a r t w e l l D r i v e , S e r a n g o o n G a r d e n s

Fortnightly: Sun. N ov 24 and Sun. DEC 1, 2002

6 - T H E C A T H O L I C NEW S

R E G IO N A L

Human Rights Award KOREA, Seoul (UCAN) — Retired Archbishop of Seoul, Cardinal Stephen Kim Souhwan has received Chile’s highest award for foreigners, for promoting democracy and protecting human rights.

Chilean Foreign Affairs Minister Soledad Alvear presented the Grand Cross of the Order of Bernardo O’Higgins to Cardinal Kim. The order is the highest award bestowed on foreign­ ers for contributions in humanitarian social activities, education, arts and science. Cardinal Kim is the first Korean to receive the decoration.

“Cardinal Kim has played a role in protecting the suppressed and underprivileged during the military dictatorship in 1970s and 1980s in South Korea,” said the Chilean Minister, whose country was also under a military dictatorship during that time. He added that the Cardinal “supported the Chilean people's efforts to protect human rights and democracy when he visited Chile in 1982 and 1990.”

Cardinal Kim said in response, “I hardly deserve such a high award.” He suggested that the Chilean government bestowed the decoration on him because it recognized his role in cultivating Jesus’ teachings “in the minds of the many people who fought for human rights under dictatorial governments.”

Among those at the award ceremony were National Assembly Speaker Park Kwan-yong, Apostolic Nuncio to South Korea, Archbishop Giovanni Battista Morandini and U.S. Ambassador Thomas Hubbard.

In 2001, Cardinal Kim received Germany’s highest federal award. He was granted the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, also for his role in protecting human rights and promoting democracy under past military dictatorships in South Korea.

B a li v ic t im s b e in g h e lp e d INDONESIA, Jalarta (UCAN) — The Catholic Church has collected donations for victims of the Bali bomb attack, besides offering comfort and helping with the grisly job of identifying those killed in the bombing.

The Catholic Church and a Catholic-run volunteer team are part of efforts by many groups to help the victims in the aftermath of the attack in Denpasar, capital of the island province.

According to Bishop Benyamin Josef Bria of Denpasar, Catholics “collect funds, and pray for and directly participate in helping the victims.”

Catholic schools in the diocese have collected 30 million rupiah (about US$3,300), and there is another fund the Catholics have been collecting and the Church is still looking for appropriate institutions or groups through which to channel this aid to the victims.

Bishop Bria said he and other local religious leaders will join in condoling with the victims and telling local people that the tragedy “has nothing to do with religion.”

Jesuit Father Ignatius Sandyawan Sumardi told UCA News Nov. 7 that the 136-member Bali Humanitarian Volunteers team he coordinates comprises students from several universities in Bali as well as Indonesian volun­ teers of various religions and professions.

“I try to coordinate Indonesian and foreign volunteers in order to make our communications and cooperation go well,” he said, noting that the foreign volunteers have worked independently, neutrally and professionally.

Father Sumardi, who studied investigative methods in the United States, described joint efforts to collect data and determine the identity of victims.

His team continues to help local people that he says no one else is caring for. “We give counseling to the victims who are still in trauma, and donate some logistic assistance.”

Father Sumardi opened the Kuta Media Center 150 meters from the bomb site to facilitate the volunteer work. It is also functioning as a prayer center.

The aim, he said, is to funnel people’s thoughts and aspirations in light of the tragedy as a way to develop society. Supported by Balinese people, the center is also conducting a survey into local social-economic condi­ tions.

As many people are still hospitalized, and as recov­ ery will take time, the team plans to continue its work for one or two years, he said.

Nonetheless, the Jesuit priest regretted “the lateness of the Church’s response.” The Church lacks a sense of crisis in this very crucial moment, he noted.

He called on the local government to give priority to helping the victims. Tourist arrivals have dropped sharply in the wake of the bomb attack, he said, resulting in lower income and unemployment for local people.

G re e n e r P a s tu re s

In te r n e t H e lp

S ite

INDIA Jagdalpur, (UCAN) — The cattle have had their fill, and the child cowherds have helped put food on the family table. They have earned their parents’ consent to attend night school at a Catholic center.

This is worth far more than the less than three rupees (US$0.12) each of the 35 or so children aged 6-12 get paid for a day’s work. Besides learning language and elementary mathematics, they also eat, dance and play at the Jagdalpur diocese mission compound in Dugoli, central India.

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate priests manage the night school in the predominantly tribal diocese in Chhattisgarh state. “This is evangelization,” said Jagdalpur Vicar General Father Kurian Puthumana, also a member of the congregation. “Unfortunately, this is our only school for the cowherd children,” he added.

The Dugoli mission has a girls’ hostel, health center and nursery school. It also cares for some 120 Oraon tribal Catholic families from neighboring Raigarh dio­ cese. It is in Dantewada district, where the literacy rate is 16 percent compared to the national rate of 65 percent in the 2001 census.

The school was started four years ago to help tribal Muria children, who do not attend formal school. They graze cattle, cut grass, look after younger siblings and do domestic chores.

Wealthier people in the area employ the children to take care of their cows, says Kripa Ekka, a teacher at the mission school. She estimates that the children earn on average US$40 a year from such work.

The children attend classes from 7 to 9 p.m. at the mission school after grazing cattle the whole day. They also eat and play before returning home to sleep. At about 5 a.m. the next day, though, “off they go to tend the cattle,” says Father Thomas Vazhavananickal, the parish priest. The free meal is “an attraction" that draws children to the mission school, in addition to free books and a friendly ambience. Their families have no concept of schooling, so “these children would have never gotten a chance to get education otherwise,” the priest said.

Their parents are not enthusiastic about the oppor­ tunity, but at least they accept the school. Sacred Heart Sister Philsy attributes the lack of interest in children's education to rampant alcoholism among tribal adults. A little extra cash is all parents want, she said.

Despite the obstacles, however, the first batch of students from the school is expected to take the government’s fifth grade exam this year, Father Vazhavananickal said. He hoped that they could continue with formal schooling while younger siblings look after the cattle and attend night school at the mission.

Father Vazhavananickal noted that the children help the missioners gain contact with their families. His indigenous congregation plans more such schools in the region, he added, even though “some tribals and children fear that Catholics might convert them.” This fear is whetted, he said, by “the powerful, who do not, i want to miss the children’s services.” s

VIETNAM, Ho Chi Minh City (UCAN) — Catholic Internet surfers in Vietnam are responding to a “Let’s Help the Needy” campaign launched by a priest in an electronic news bulletin that he started last year.

Since the bulletin began, Catholic donors have given the campaign more than 300 million dong (US$19,554), as well as scholarships, free medical checkups, used clothing, instant noodles, milk and other items.

Redemptorist Father Joseph Le Quang Uy started the weekly “Gospelnet” in March 2001 in Ho Chi Minh City. He explained that it was the first time Catholics in Vietnam have used an Internet website to evangelize and to link poor people and donors.

Dominique Hoang Due Quyen, a medical doctor at the state-run medical center of Phu Nhuan district in the city, said, “Whenever we see a message to help a poor patient posted in the bulletin, we call Father Uy and let him know how we could coordinate to help the patient.”

Quyen also said that as part of his collaboration with the campaign, he gives poor patients free medical consulta­ tion and counseling, and helps counsel pregnant sex workers.

Tran Van Huan, a worker in a dairy joint venture, said that his company has donated 2,000 liters of milk through Gospelnet to poor children in Phuoc Hoa parish of Nha Trang diocese. “We did that not for marketing purposes, nor as mere charity handouts, but because our contribution really is meaningful.”

One youth, who works to process second-hand clothes for tribal people in the central highlands, said, “After reading Gospelnet, we came to realize the needs of the poor, and we want to share what we have with them.”

To ensure transparency, Father Uy explained, needy people introduced by readers are carefully verified with the help of campaign supporters, among whom are parish priests, nuns and Catholic teachers. Detailed information on benefactors and beneficiaries is also available in the bulletin, he said.

For the 43-year-old priest, the Internet is today’s fastest, cheapest and most efficient means to dissemi­ nate information, so it can help Catholics who can access it live their faith more concretely by helping the poor.

In the upcoming Lenten season, he said, the bulletin plans to run a special campaign for Kon Turn diocese in the central highlands. It will feature “One Sponsor Family for One Catechist” and “One Bicycle for One Tribal Catechist.”

To date, the priest says he has had no difficulty with local authorities. “Maybe they see what I do as good for society,” he said. In any event, there are many needy people, he added, and he has confidence in God’s providence.

The bulletin also runs regular columns such as reflections on the Sunday Gospel,as well as short pieces about witnessing to the faith or on Christian values. It also carries official Church documents.

Father Uy said that besides regularly uploading the bulletin to the Internet at www.nauventruonato.org, he also sends it to more than 1,000 email addresses of Vietnamese Catholics, both inside and outside the country.

M ig r a n ts s e e k P R PHILIPPINES, Manila (UCAN) — Vietnamese who sought asylum in the Philippines are looking to Congress to give them permanent legal residency in the country.

Some Vietnamese who fled their country are working with the Catholic bishops’ Episcopal Commission for Migrants and Itinerant People and Puerto Princesa diocese for passage of two congressional bills that would grant them permanent residency.

Thousands of Vietnamese fled Vietnam after the 1975 communist takeover, making their way in boats to the Philippines and other places in East and Southeast Asia.

A 1996 agreement with the Philippine government allowed the Vietnamese in the country to stay here under the care of the episcopal commission and Puerto Princesa diocese. But they have limited rights and privileges.

Permanent residence status would allow them to travel outside the country and fulfill their wish “to see relatives again at least once more in their lifetime.

Vietnamese who have proven themselves “selfreliant, peace-loving, law-abiding and civic-oriented” have “no protection under our laws and are vulnerable,” wrote Representative Abraham Mitra of Palawan, who intro­ duced House Bill 5271.

Mitra says the 1996 Church-government agreement denies children of the Vietnamese access to education even if they were born in the Philippines.

S tu d e n ts d is c o v e r "richness" BANGLADESH, Dhaka (UCAN) — Students of a Catho­ lic school in Bangladesh are learning about their own cultural richness by sharing with pen pals in Australia.

Their discovery comes as part of a project designed to build bridges of understanding across cultures.

Through the Global Endeavour project launched by Australian educator and development worker Terence Quinn, 20 students of Tumilia Boys’ High School in Tumilia, near Dhaka, are corresponding with students of Marist College Eastwood in Sydney, Australia.

Babu Gonesh Chandra Das, headmaster of the Catholic school in Tumilia and a Hindu, said that his students write about daily life in their country, values, culture, joys and sorrows. Then, in the sharing, they not only learn about the lives of their pen pals, but also about themselves.

Shimul Sarker, 13, said, “Compared with my pen pal, my family is happy in everything but our financial situation.” He said his financially poor family is “rich in terms of relationships with family and neighbors. One benefit of the letter writing, says Headmaster Das, hasbeen an improvement in the English of his students.

Dickens Cornelious credits his increased interest in English to his pen pal’s “interesting writing style.”

Mollick said that though his teachers helped him at first, “now I can write my letter in English on my own.”

Fortn igh tly: Sun. N ov 24 and Sun. DEC 1, 2002 " R o s a r y o f t h e V ir g in

it

M a ry "

F O R M E . T O L IV E

The Rosary, a way of assimilating the mystery Meditation on the mysteries of Christ is pro­ posed in the Rosary by means of a method designed to assist in their assimilation.

It is a method based on repetition.

This applies above all to the Hail Mary, repeated ten times in each mystery. If this repetition is considered superficially, there could be a temptation to see the Rosary as a dry and boring exercise.

It is quite another thing, however, when the Rosary is thought of as an outpouring of that love which tirelessly returns to the person loved with expressions similar in their content but ever fresh in terms of the feeling pervading them.

A valid method...

T H E C A T H O L I C N EW S - 7

PRAYING the ROSARY IS

C H R IS T ”

- The HUMAN HEART of Christ to JESUS through MARY

In Christ, God has truly assumed a “heart of flesh”. Not only does God have a divine heart, rich in mercy and in forgiveness, but also a human heart, capable of all the stirrings of affection.

If we needed evidence for this from the Gospel, we could easily find it in the touching dialogue between Christ and Peter after the Resurrection: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Three times this question is put to Peter, and three times he gives the reply: “Lord, you know that I love you” (cf. Jn 21:15-17). Over and above the specific meaning of this passage, so important for Peter's mission, none can fail to recognize the beauty of this triple repetition, in which the insistent request and the correspond­ ing reply are expressed in terms familiar from the universal experience of human love.

We should not be surprised that our relation­ ship with Christ makes use of a method. God communicates himself to us respecting our human nature and its vital rhythms. Hence, while Christian spirituality is familiar with the most sublime forms of mystical silence in which images, words and gestures are all, so to speak, superseded by an intense and ineffable union with God, it normally engages the whole person in all his complex psychological, physi­ cal and relational reality.

This becomes apparent in the Liturgy.

Sacraments and sacramentals are structured as a series of rites which bring into play all the dimensions of the person. The same applies to non-liturgical prayer. This is confirmed by the fact that, in the East, the most characteristic prayer of Christological meditation, centred on the words “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”is traditionally linked to the rhythm of breathing; while this practice favours perseverance in the prayer, it also in some way embodies the desire for Christ to become the breath, the soul and the “all” of one’s life.

The Rosary helps us to be conformed ever more closely to Christ until we attain true holiness.

Announcing each mystery

This need for concreteness finds further expression in the announcement of the various mysteries of the Rosary. Obvi­ ously these mysteries neither replace the Gospel nor exhaust its content.

One thing is clear: although the repeated Hail Mary is addressed directly to Mary, it is to Jesus that the act of love is ulti­ mately directed, with her and through her.

The repetition is nourished by the desire to be conformed ever more completely to Christ, the true programme of the Chris­ tian life. Saint Paul expressed this project with words of fire: “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21).

And again: “It is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me’ (Gal 2:20).

... which can nevertheless be improved I mentioned in my Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte that the West is now experi­ encing a renewed demand for meditation,

which at times leads to a keen interest in aspects of other religions.35Some Christians, limited in their knowledge of the Christian contemplative tradition, are attracted by those forms of prayer. While the latter contain many elements which are positive and at times compatible with Christian experience, they are often based on ultimately unacceptable premises. Much in vogue among these ap­ proaches are methods aimed at attaining a high level of spiritual concentration by using techniques of a psychophysical, repetitive and symbolic nature. The Rosary is situated within this broad gamut of religious phenomena, but it is distinguished by characteristics of its own which correspond to specifically Christian requirements.

In effect, the Rosary is simply a method of contemplation. As a method, it serves as a means to an end and cannot become an end in itself. All the same, as the fruit of centuries of experience, this method should not be undervalued. In its favour one could cite the experience of countless Saints.

This is not to say, however, that the method cannot be improved.

Such is the intent of the addition of the new series of Mysteries of Light to the overall cycle of mysteries and of the few suggestions which I am proposing in this Letter regarding its manner of recitation. These suggestions, while respecting the well-established structure of this prayer, are intended to help the faithful to understand it in the richness of its symbolism and in harmony with the demands of daily life. Otherwise there is a risk that the Rosary would not only fail to produce the intended spiritual effects, but even that the beads, with which it is usually said, could come to be regarded as some kind of amulet or magic object, thereby radically distorting their meaning and function.

To understand the Rosary, one has to enter into the psychological dynamic proper to love.

Announcing each mystery, and perhaps even using a suitable icon to portray it, is as it were to open up a scenario on which to focus our attention. The words direct the imagination and the mind towards a particular episode or moment in the life of Christ. In the Church’s traditional spirituality, the veneration of icons and the many devotions appealing to the senses, as well as the method of prayer proposed by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in the Spiritual Exercises, make use of visual and imaginative elements (the compositio loci), judged to be of great help in concentrating the mind on the particular mystery. This is a method­ ology, moreover, which corresponds to the inner logic of the Incarnation: in Jesus, God wanted to take on human features. It is through his bodily reality that we are led into contact with the mystery of his divinity.

P o p e J o h n P a u l II

Listening to the word of God The Rosary, therefore, is no substitute for lectio divina: on the contrary, it presupposes and promotes it. Yet, even though the mysteries contemplated in the Rosary, even with the addition of the mysteria lucis, do no more than outline the fundamental elements of the life of Christ, they easily draw the mind to a more expansive reflection on the rest of the Gospel, especially when the Rosary is prayed in a setting of prolonged recollection.

In order to supply a Biblical foundation and greater depth to our meditation, it is helpful to follow the announcement of the mystery with the proclamation of a related Biblical passage, long or short, depending on the circumstances. No other words can ever match the efficacy of the inspired word. As we listen, we are certain that this is the word of God, spoken for today and spoken “for me”.

If received in this way, the word of God can become part of the Rosary’s methodology of repetition without giving rise to the ennui derived from the simple recollec­ tion of something already well known. It is not a matter of recalling information but of allowing God to speak. In certain solemn communal celebrations, this word can be appropriately illustrated by a brief commentary.

Silence Listening and meditation are nour­ ished by silence. After the

announcement of the mystery and the proclamation of the word, it is fitting to pause and focus one’s attention for a suitable period of time on the mystery concerned, before moving into vocal prayer. A discovery of the importance of silence is one of the secrets of practicing contempla­ tion and meditation. One drawback of a society dominated by technology and the mass media is the fact that silence becomes increasingly difficult to achieve. Just as moments of silence are recommended in the Liturgy, so too in the recitation of the Rosary it is fitting to pause briefly after listening to the word of God, while the mind focuses on the content of a particular mystery.

Fortn igh tly: Sun. N ov 24 and Sun. DEC 1, 2002

8 - T H E C A T H O L I C NEW S

F A IT H

IN

L IF E

Eternal Kingdom 24th November2002

C H R IS T

T H E

K IN G ■ ■ ■ ■

TEXTS FIRST READING Ezekiel 34:11-12. 15-17 RESPONSORIAL Ps. 22 SECOND READING 1 Cor. 15:20-26.28 GOSPEL Matt. 25:31-46

FEASTS OF THE WEEK Mon 25

Ordinary Tue 26

Ordinary

On this last Sunday of the Church’s year, our minds are turned to the eternal Kingdom of Christ our King.

First Reading: The kingship of Christ is painted in the imagery of a shepherd, not uncommon at the time. A king looked after his people: ’I am going to look after my flock myself.. I shall keep my sheep in view .. I shall rescue them ... I myself will pasture my sheep...I shall look for the lost one ...." He also passed judgement on them : "I will judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and he-goals."

Responsorial: The well known Psalm 22 : The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want, expresses our re­ sponse of trust in the message of the First Reading.

Second Reading: St Paul speaks of our faith in the resurrec­ tion. "Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ."

Wed 27

Ordinary Thu 28

Ordinary Fri 29

Ordinary

Sat 30 St. Andrew, Apostle (Gl.)

Liturgical Colour: Green Symbolizes ‘HOPE" Sunday Cycle 1-A Weekday Cycle: 2

Gospel: The imagery of the Gospel paints a picture of the final judgement when the “sheep' will be separated from the “goats” - the good from the wicked. This is the moment of truth, when the wicked "will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life".

The thought of the eternal kingdom where the good will be rewarded by God for their fidelity comes as a consolation to us, Christian life is a struggle, but one that is worthwhile because of what awaits us in eternity.

However, equally awesome is the thought of eternal punishment which will be meted out to those who do not make the grade. We have been warned for the past two Sundays to "stay awake and stand ready" - and so we shall have no excuse when the time comes.

What is particularly interesting in the Gospel passage is the criterion of judgement that is used - LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER. But this should come as no surprise. Not long ago, we heard that the commandment to love was fundamen­ tal in Christ's teaching.

A p p lic a t io n in L if e

Today the Church celebrates Christ under the title of "the King". The feast itself was instituted by Pope Pius XI. But why this date, the last Sunday of the Ordinary cycle and indeed the last Sunday of the whole Church Year? In fact, why the title at all, which seems so incongruous with the whole life of Christ, his work and his mission.

Ironically enough it was the Romans - the very ones who authorised the Crucifixion at the insistence of the Jews - who openly proclaimed his kingship. The Kingship of Christ was not at all recognized by the Jews, and in fact, they insisted that the inscription be removed, but the Roman governor, Pilate, stood by his decision and refused their request. The inscription on the Cross, on the orders of Pilate, proclaimed Jesus the King of the Jews. What is to be noted is that the Kingship and the Cross were linked in the case of Jesus. Of course, Pilate did not see the implications of his action, but it is significant for us that there is the inescapable connection between the suffering and death of Jesus and his Kingship or Lordship over all creation.

The past two Sundays spoke of the need to persevere despite the difficulties which are to be expected in living the Christian life. The reason for the perseverance is the hope that is held out to us by the promises of Christ. This Sunday we celebrate, as it were, that hope with the Feast of Christ the King.

In the liturgy today we acclaim him our Shepherd and Lord. It is this faith in the Eternal Kingdom which makes sense of the Christian struggle to remain faithful to Christ.

However, we cannot allow ourselves to forget that there will be a judgement. The First Reading spoke of a judgement between sheep and sheep and between rams and he-goats. And the Gospel had that dramatic picture of the final judgement. The criterion for judgement, however, is what should concern us most. It is quite clearly love for Christ manifested in love for the people we encounter. What is important for our own personal destiny is to ensure that we meet the criterion set out so clearly in the Gospel. In fact, it is not stringent at all, when one thinks about it. However, whether we actually meet such a criterion in the practice of daily living is another matter!

TEXTS: COPYRIGHT-DR. (REV) ROBERT P. BALHETCHET

Expectancy 01 DECEMBER 2002

1

A D V E N T A p p lic a t io n in L if e

TEXTS FIRST READING Isaiah 63:16-17; 64:1. 3-8 RESPONSORIAL Ps 79 SECOND READING 1 Cor. 1:3-9 GOSPEL Mark 13:33-37

FEASTS OF THE WEEK Mon 2 Advent Weekday.

Tue3 St Francis Xavier, Priest.

Principal Patron of the Missions (Gloria) Wed 4 Advent Weekday St John of Damascus, priest, Doctor

With the season of Advent comes the expect­ ancy of Christmas. For the Christian, this is more than just the expectation of shopping, decorating, festivities and the like. Christmas is the great event of God’s love for man - his coming into our world.

The season of Advent expresses the Christian’s longing for this event: First Reading. A cry of anguish, but at the same time a cry of hope in the goodness and love of God. “Return, for the sake of your servants ... Oh, that you would tear the heavens open and come down... No ear has heard, no eye has seen any God but you, act like this for those who trust him.

The reason for this anxiousness for the coming of Christ is the realization that we are in need of God’s saving presence among us. "... at your presence the mountains would melt”

Thu 5 Advent Weekday

Responsorial Psalm:“0 Lord, come to our help .. visit this vine and protect “

Fri 6 Advent Weekday St Nicholas, Bishop'

Alleluia: ‘‘Let us see, 0 Lord, your mercy and give us your saving help” The Christian, conscious of his sinfulness and

Fmstday of the Archbishop

Sat 7Advent Weekday

Liturgical Colour: Violet Symbolizes “penitence Change inthe sense of taking newdirections inthe footsteps of Christ. Violet isused during the preparatory seasons of Lent (for Easter) and Advent (for Christmas).

Sunday Cycle 2-B Weekday Cycle: 1

helplessness turns to God in expectant salvation.

While we are confident that God will hear us - that he will send His only begotten Son Jesus into the world as our Messiah, we need to do our part. We need to be vigilant - we need to “be on our guard and stay awake..." because when he comes, “..he must not find us asleep”

While we are busy with Christmas preparations or vacation arrangements, let us not omit the far more important spiritual preparation so that we can welcome Christ truly into our hearts when he comes at Christmas. It would only he too easy to overlook this preparation in the hustle and bustle of this season.

With the Feast of Christmas just around the corner and the preparation period, the Advent Season, beginning this Sunday, we should be giving a thought to how we are going to prepare for this feast. On the commercial side, planning and preparation has already been done quite a while ago. But on the spiritual side, what do we intend to do? The feast of Christmas celebrates the beginning of the plan of salvation - the Incarnation of God as Man in our world. It is a major event in the Church's calendar - an event which has had a tremendous impact on our individual lives.

One form that this preparation could take is personal reconciliation with God - after all, that is what salvation is all about. And if we are talking about personal reconciliation with God, we can hardly not think of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or Confession. It is quite a common practice for most people to make it a point to make a special "Christmas confession", though hopefully it is not the only time in the year!

There is no need, incidentally, to wait till just the last few days before Christmas to make one's "Christmas confession". There are only four Sundays of Advent, before Christmas and it would be a good idea to try to get one's confession in, on one of these Sundays. This way, one won't run the risk of meeting one big rush at the last minute and having to queue for a long time, or else, being disappointed and turned away.

But, then again, we need to ask ourselves whether it is all just a question of "popping into that box" for a few minutes! We are going to celebrate the Incarnation of God as man - he becomes one with us so that we may become one with HIM! That is the essential thing that has to take place - we must become one with God - and that involves more than just "making a confession" - it must involve a change in our lives so that, eventually, we may be able to say with St. Paul: I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me. It may sound like a tall order, but that is what it has to be. We are not going to achieve it overnight, it is a gradual process, but it is a process that must have been begun in us - a process that must be progressively resulting in a greater and greater identification of ourselves with Christ.

The Advent Season is a preparation period to celebrate not just the historical Incarnation of God as Man, in Jesus, but it must also be the celebration of the Incarnation of God as Jesus, in US. Each Christmas ought to be a celebration of our greater identification with Jesus - as Jesus is more and more incarnated in us.

T H E C A TH O L IC NEWS - 9

Fortn igh tly: Sun. N ov 24 and Sun. DEC 1, 2002

F O R M A T IO N «r* *

T E A C H E S

T H E B O O K O F G E N E S IS V/ . *

%

Chapter 1, verse 1 to Chapter 2, verse 4, (Continuation)

H H -l

PQ PQ

THE OLD TESTAMENT BIBUCAL PRIMEVAL • HISTORY In our last segment Gen 1 —11 recounts events that ranged from creation to around 1850 BC. * • This is not a detailed history.

• The inspired author does not pretend to give §n account of the history of mankind. . *■- . > •. His primary objective was jnCre theological than historical.

Gen 1:1 -2:4 (contd.)

Gen 1-11 isthe old Yahwist (or‘J’) material which the Priestly writer (or ‘P’) organises and introduces to an exilic audience, highlighting it to fit his theological perspective. Gen 1:1 - 2:4“ is the Priestly writer’s account of the Creation of the World and it contains a combination of eight creative acts and six divine commands. Gen 2:4acontains a formula “these are the generations o f ...” which ‘P’ uses to introduce Gen 2:4b-4:26. Thisformula seemsfo bea deliberate attempt toorganize older existing material. It isfound ten times in the book of Genesis - five times in Gen 1-11 (i.e., before the account of Abram) and five times after that.

This serves to show that Gen 1:1 - 2:3 serves as a grand preface to different segments of and indeed to the whole Pentateuch; it is introduced to the exilic and post-exilic people but has its relevance even today.

It introduces : a) Gen 2:4b - 11:26 : the origin of the nations and b) Gen 11:27-50:26:\he origin of Israel’sancestors.

As a preface, it highlights the two themes found throughout the Penteteuch : 1) the divinely intended increase of peoples 2) their possession of the land ... influenced by Near Easternthought on human essence. * ***

By Rev. Ambrose Vaz, SSL

Professor Of Sacred Scripture St Francis Xaviers Major Seminary

*..

*

Therepetition oftlivine command in the execution is characteristic of Near Eastern literature; ‘P’ uses it also in the account of the building of the tabernacle : pommands in Ex 25-31; executions in Ex 35-40.

InWestern Semiticenumerations, theseventh place is often climactic; God’s Sabbath, occurring on the seventh day, is therefore the climax 'of the story, which is primarily about God, and not humans.

Gen 1:1-3 [ “the first day"] indicates two chaotic elements which obstruct the emergence of the peopled cosmos: 1)the primordial night, and 2) the deep. Night is vanquished on the first day by the creation of light; the deep* is overcome on the second and third days by the separation of waters and the making of the sea. *

I

InGen 1:3-10 [“the second day’and “the third d3y’]; we see that the world of human beings emerges after three acts £f separation that make it possible' for creatures to live on the earth; from these, separations comes the fundamental order of time and space: ■« , ’ ~Vv 3-5 (alternation ofdayand night):establishes organisation of time ' ■* ^ Vv 6-8 (the creation of the firmanent): distinguishes ‘above’ and ‘below’ Vv 9-10 (the division of water and land) establishes ‘here’ and ‘there’ NOTE: These verses are not a description of the way Creation takes place bi^t an explanation to his hearers of theirpte^ent world: God’s creation is still in his hands. s*

^

' 0 W

~f

—

*

^

V »• * "s By associating acts of naming with these Ihree separations, ‘P’ establishes that the fundamental organisation of time and space is defined and established by God. Human beinas cannot change it.

TEXTS: Copyright - Rev. Ambrose Vaz and Dr. (Rev.) Robert P Balhetchet

Chapter 1 - The Mystery of the Church

T E A C H E S

T r in ita r ia n D im e n s io n s -

(A r tic le s 2 , 3 , 4 )

A r t ic le 4 - T h e R o le o f G o d t h e H o ly S p ir it

The

D o c u m e n ts

o f V a tic a n

II

Dogmatic Constitution on the Church "Lumen Gentium"

u

- Light of the Nations

Link with what has been covered: God the Father, the First Person in the Trinity, wanted fallen Man to be saved through h»s Son, Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity.

Our salvation having been achieved, the Holy Spirit, the Third Person in the Trinity is sent to sanctify the beleivers and lead them to fullness of life in God. It is this Role of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, which is dealt with in article 4 of the Constitution.

£

By Dr. (Rev) Robert P Balhetchet, Ph.D. (Theol.)

The Role of the Holy Spirit, Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, in respect of the Church, is described by the Council in Scriptural terms with a series of quotations: When the work the Father entrusted to the Son had been completed, the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost: - to continually sanctify the Church - to enable believers to have access to the Father through the Son. He is the Spirit of life, the fountain of water springing up i to eternal life, Father gives life through whom the Fat to sinners dead through _ sin, until they rise in Christ The Holy Spirit dwells in the Church and the hearts of the faithful.

• He prays in them • He gives witness to their adoptive sonship • He leads the Church to the truth • He unifies her in communion and the ministry • He bestows hierarchical and charismatic gifts • He adorns her with the fruits of the Spirit • He rejuvenates the Church • He continually renews her • He leads her to final union with her Spouse.

During his life on earth, Christ promised to send the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, third Person of the Blessed Trinity, to come among men and lead the Church, the gathering of all who believe in Christ, and bring them to final glory in heaven. This promise of the Spirit was fulfilled at Pentecost by the coming of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and disciples of Christ as narrated in the Scriptures.

Notice in this article which describes the role of the Holy Spirit, as with article 3 on the role of the Son, that the link with the Trinity remains. The Son came, sent by the Father, and when he had completed the work entrusted to him by the Father, the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and Son to give us the life of God and lead us to full union with the Father through the Son. Note also the use of the Present Tence in all the "action" verbs to empha­ size the continuing action of the Spirit of God. As always, however, we cannot and must not see "subordi­ nation" in the Trinity, as though the Father was the boss giving orders to the other two Persons. We have to bear in mind the distinction of Persons, but their absolute equality and unity in the One Divine Reality of God - an ineffable mystery, no doubt, in the common meaning of "mystery" as something totally BEYOND and ABOVE our understanding.

Thus we have in summary, these Trinitarian Dimensions, the roles of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the formation and growth of the Church.

An appreciation of this part should give even more meaning to the “Sign of the Cross’ which we make and say so often: “In the name of the Father" who loved us so much that he wanted to share his life with us; "... and of the Son’ who effected our reconciliation by his death on the Cross ” ... and of the Holy Spirit’ who guides the Church and all of us to full union with God, the Trinity. AMEN.

10 - T H E C A T H O L I C NEW S

Fortnightly: Sun. Nov 24 and Sun. DEC 1, 2002

CHILDREN’S CORNER C R O S S W O R D

No 14 - ABRAHAM

A C R O S S

C h ild r e n , y o u m u s t f o llo w t h e s e R U L E S

5.

One of the very great Bible people after the Flood was a man called______ .

7. One day, God promised him that he would be the father of a great______.

8.

They had no________ .

10. One day, God decided to test the_____of Abraham.

11. He took his son to the place where God had told him and was about to sacrifice him when God______ him.

13. God then repeated his promise to Abraham because he passed the test of________ .

They called their child_____ .

Abraham was very sad, Created by Catholic News withEclipseCrossword ©2000-2002 by Green Eclipse Software but he always trusted and_____ God. 3. God then told him that he would find a in the bushes and he should sacrifice it instead.

4. His wife was called 6. God asked Abraham to his son.

9. Abraham is a great of faith.

12. After a long time when they were old, the husband and wife finally got a _ 1.

2.

S p e c i< * ((y f o r y o u

This contest is open to children who are preparing to receive Holy Communion and are attending classes at their Parishes.

It has to be the children's own effort and parents are asked to use this opportunity to teach the children the value of honesty.

Prizes will be awarded to the first three correct entries to reach the Editor, AFTER midnight Wed/Thur 27/28 November 2002, by e-mail to steeple/Slsinanet.com.sa. The first three correct entries will be based on the date and time as recorded in the "Inbox". The Editor's decision is final.

Closing Date: midnight. Fri/Sat 29/30 November 2002.

All that is needed to send the answers, is to use the numbers of the clues as indicated and state the answer for each clue.

You must give your full name, address, and the Communion Class you are attending at your Parish.

Winners, the first three correct entries, (according to the "Inbox") will be announced in the following issue ofthe Catholic News, and will be informed of how they can collect their prizes.

4 5 6

H e re a re th e a n s w e rs fo r c

r

o

s

s

w

o

r

d

ic Q iN iT iE is T j

N O . 13 - T h e

F lo o d

Dear Children Greetings to all of you.

I hope you were all successful in your exams. Even if you did not do as well as you expected or would have wished, never mind - just try harder next year.

Remember, it's not a matter of how hard you study one or two months before the exam. It's a matter of regular work right from the beginning of the year.

It's also a matter of balance. Some of you try to work so hard, that your minds and bodies as well, get so tired before you are even half-way through the year, and as a result you can't really study well. You see it's not a matter of just how much time you spend with your books, but how you study. If you are just trying to learn everything "by heart", then you're going to be in big trouble, because it is so easy to forget, especially when you are nervous at exam time.

It is always much better to learn with understanding. If you don't understand something ask for help so that you do understand. Then you will "automati­ cally" remember what you have understood. Anyway, the thing to do now is to rest your minds a little, and enjoy yourself in a good way so that you will be fresh when you start school again in January.

You may notice that I have used a different way to give the answers to the crossword. I used to give you the answers according to the clues. But the trouble with that is that you don't get the actual story which is really the whole purpose of the crossword - to get you to know some of the important Bible stories. So I am giving the story in its correct order and NOT according to the clues, Across and Down. I shall also be giving you the past stories, in addition to the current one, until we cover the earlier ones.

God love you all and your families.

Fr. Bob

The S t o r y o f C r e a t i o n God the Father is called the CREATOR. In the Bible story we are told that God created the world in six days.

On the first day he created the day and the night.

On the second day he created land and the sea.

On the third day he created plants and the trees.

On the fourth day he created the sun and the moon.

On the fifth day he created the fishes and the birds.

1 Noah and his family and two of each kind of animal were saved from the FLOOD by being in the Ark. 2 Noah knew that the waters of the flood had not yet dried up because he sent out a DOVE and it came back.

3 Later, he sent the bird out again and it came back with an olive LEAF. 4 When Noah sent it out the third time, it did not RETURN so Noah knew that the waters had dried up.

5 Then God told Noah that he could leave the ark together with all the ANIMALS. 6 So Noah and his family and all the animals left the ark and THANKED God for saving them.

7 Then God made a PROMISE to Noah.

8 He would never DESTROY the whole earth again.

9 God gave them a sign in the sky of this promise. It was a RAINBOW. 10 Noah's family went on to start new FAMILIES to fill the earth again with people.

11 It was from these families that there came another great man called ABRAHAM.

THE W IN N E R S If

1 Alexander Tan Yong Meng - Holy Family 2

f

Sharmaine Cheng Jing Yi - O L P S

f

3 Shaun Soh Zheng Kai - Risen Christ

Consolation Prizes 4 Chan Yen Fern, Marianne - St Bernadette 5 Jonathan Chua Wei Jin - St Anne 6 Joseph Gwee Ming-Wei - Holy Family I Tan Yang Sheng Joseph - IHM 8 Desiree Low Yi Hui - Risen Christ 9 Elizabeth Yeung Kar Wing - Theresa 10 Tham Janelle Bernadette, Jia Li - St Francis Xavier II Anthony Ting - Queen of Peace Congratulations to ALL of you for your efforts!

COLLECTION O F PRIZES

On the sixth day he created a man and a woman, in this own image, and he called them Adam and Eve. The place where God made everything was called the Garden of Eden. It had all kinds of fruit trees to be the food for Adam and Eve, but there was one tree in the middle of the Garden, whose fruit God told them they must not eat. If they ate this fruit they would die. One day, the Serpent came along and said that they wouldn’t die if they ate the fruit that God told them not to eat.

So they ate it. Because they did not obey God, he drove them out of the Garden. This is known as the first sin. It is also called Original Sin.

Please contact Catholic News Office, 2 Highland Rd. #01-03, S 549102 (next to Immaculate Heart)

TEL: 6-858-3055, FAX: 6-858-2055 e-mail: cathnews<3>catholic.ora.sa.

Monday to Friday: 9.00am-6.00pm ( except lunch: 12.00-2.00pm ) and ask for Auntv Veronica

L e s s o n s fro m th e S to r y o f T H E F L O O D Perhaps all of you, children, have never seen a flood, because Singapore is a modern city and there are huge drains (which you don't really see!) to carry the rain water away to the sea when it rains very, very heavily.

For those of us who are quite old, we have seen floods whenever it rained very heavily, for a long time. But even then, in Singapore it was never really that bad! In some countries there are still terrible floods, and people and animals die.

In the Bible story, that's what happened, and everybody and all the animals died, except all who were in Noah's Ark. There are reports that the ark has been found and also that there was some kind of great flood, but that doesn't really matter. What is more important in

these books of the Old Testament or "Bible History" as it is sometimes called for children, are the lessons to be learnt.

The lesson we have to learn is not that we should all have boats, or at least life jackets, (ask Daddy and Mummy what these things are!) ready in our houses, so that if another great flood comes, we can be saved!

The lesson is that we have to try to always be obedient to God. We mentioned this last week already, but it is so important that we need to repeat it. Maybe you noticed that the two stories of Adam and Eve and the Flood are both about obedience and disobedience.

Both talk about God punishing disobedience. It simply shows us how important this is. That is what "sin" is all

about - disobedience to God. It is about not following his instructions.

We must not get the idea that God is always forbidding us to do things - (remember the "DON'T DO things"?) What is more important, is to remember what God wants us to DO (the "DO things"). If it sounds very difficult to remember all the things that we must do, wait a minute! What God wants, is simply that we LOVE Him and also, that we LOVE others. Remember it this way, and then it doesn't sound so difficult, does it? Is it so difficult to love Daddy and Mummy? Is it so difficult to love your brothers and sisters and all your friends in school? God loves all of us!

Remember this, children, and try to love everyone.

T H E C A T H O L I C NEW S - 11

Fortnightly: Sun. N ov 24 and Sun. DEC 1, 2002 E f t l A M A I IDf E w lUHAL

E s te e m in g

L o c a l V a lu e s

INDONESIA, Bogor (UCAN) — The first synod of a diocese near Jakarta has underlined the need for grassroots Catholics to embrace Sundanese culture and values to build relationships with local Muslims.

Participants at the diocesan synod discussed how Catholics can establish basic communities that are inclusive of other religions, a challenge set by the 2000 Grand Assembly of the Catholic Church in Indonesia.

The synod, organized in the four-decade-old diocese on the theme “Basic Ecclesial Communi­ ties Directed toward an Apostolate Church, ”

concluded that divergent cultural roots are a main reason why Catholics of Bogor have had little interaction with Muslims at the grassroots level.

Only some 50,000 of 11 million people in the diocese are Catholics, while ethnic Sundanese — almost all Muslims — form the large majority. The Catholics belong to other ethnic groups, and most have family origins in central or eastern Java, Sulawesi or Flores.

The 350 representatives at the Oct. 21-25 diocesan synod in Cipanas, Bogor, some 50 kilometres south of Jakarta, issued a resolution affirming that local Sundanese culture could unite people of different religions and backgrounds.

Bishop Michael Cosmas Angkur of Bogor stressed the importance of the Church taking root in local culture, “the common ground for all people,” especially as the Sundanese “tend to be very exclusive and distance themselves from nonMuslims.”

•

The Franciscan bishop said that though Catho­ lic missioners have been in the area 500 years, the Sundanese have not been open to any religion but Islam.

On the other hand, he also observed that many Sundanese cultural values “suCh as brotherhood, unity, solidarity, peace and cooperation” are similar to Catholic values, so local Catholics would do well to live up to them.

Bishop Angkur added that Catholics of all 16 diocesan parishes could boost Catholic-Muslim relations by becoming directly involved in programs that help the needy. As an example, he cited the Muslim practice of “zakat,” an obligatory tax to help the poor.

The bishop insists dialogue of life is more important than just inter-faith discourse. He also says local Catholics can achieve solidarity and communion with their neighbours on the common ground of Sundanese cultural values.

Muslim Sundanese were invited to present songs and dances for the opening and closing programs of the synod. One of them, Idris, told UCA News his group willingly did so to contribute culturally to the Catholic Church.

People from many parts of Indonesia, including Catholics, have moved to the Bogor area since pre-independence times due to its fertile soil.

Ever since Indonesia became independent in 1945, urbanization has accelerated this trend.

Bogor’s expansion has made it almost a suburb of Jakarta, which itself has seen even more rapid growth.

VEHICLESWANTED

CARS W ANTED

P riv a te & C o m m e r c ia l. .

P a rt & N o n -P a rf.

Im m e d ia t e c o n fir m a tio n a n d cash p a y m e n t.

G u a ra n te e best offer for your car.

Im m e d ia te cash.

P aym en t a n d transfer all models. did: 6552-5550 H/P: 9456-7818 t

f

P le a s e c a ll H e n ry

Mr Koh 24 HRS t

i

9674-1842/9218-3289

t

T

)

r

e

*

t

D u rin g School H o lid a y s a t S pecialists’ S h op p in g C e n tre # 0 3 -4 5

M

M

9

BASIC IN POTTERY MAKING ($95) 4 lessons (twice a week); Starting from Dec 2. M ake & paint 3 pinched pots & a Christmas Beat, Snowman & Gingerbread man Age : 5-12 years old C a ll: 9 1 0 9 -2 7 0 1 / 6 7 3 8 - 7 5 2 2 / 9 3 8 9 - 2 9 4 2 Em ail: mag@claycove.com Website: www.claycove.com_____

A U S T R A L IA & N E W Z E A L A N D TH E

B E T T E R A L T E R N A T IV E S !

A recent survey states that "W orld-w ide,

N e w Zealand & Au stra lia n cities are still the cheapest, w ith the highest qu a lity of living".

Nevett Ford Lawyers, a 150-year old law firm in Australia, specialising in immigration law, can help you establish the various opportunities: INDEPENDENT SKILLED VISA; BUSINESS SKILLS VISA; or RETIREMENT VISA. For a pre-application eligibility assessment, kindly email your complete resume to < anz_facilitators@ yahoo.com .sg> David Stratton: Accredited Specialist in immigration Law. Migration Agent 58007

Top A chievers S e llin g , B u y in g o r C a r e e r in R e a l E s ta te

Clarification needed MYANMAR, Yangon (UCAN) — A Myanmar government-recognized Church body has asked the new apostolic administrator of Yangon arch­ diocese to help clarify its role and functions.

Ten of the 12 members of the Myanmar Catholic Church Board of Trustees met Nov. 4 in Yangon with Bishop Sotero Phamo Thein Myint of Loikaw, who has been administrator of Yangon archdiocese since September.

They said that since the board is officially recognized by and registered with the govern­ ment, it seems to have responsibilities extending to the whole Church in Myanmar.

They suggested that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar, which is also recognized by the government, should empower the board to

T h e

L a o

act officially on behalf of the Church in dealing with the government.

The board, which comprises mostly lay people, has effectively functioned as though it came under the Archbishop of Yangon.

According to its secretary, Thar Yin, for more than 30 years it has mediated land disputes between the archdiocese and the government as well as land and other disputes between the Church and lay people in Yangon.

It also attempted to work beyond the archdio­ cese, but without success.

Noting that other dioceses have their own diocesan boards, the members proposed that the board of trustees handle national-level matters that are beyond the capability of individual dioceses.

A LW A YS TH E R E FO R YO U Ic A

IVY LAU M M ANTO NAZARETH

9001 -1 743 9853-0698

Certified Professional in sales (™>(MIS) CEA Cert.-in-CEHA__________

J O , W

c ffia s fa r b a ilo r s Specialist in Gents’ and Ladies’ tailoring

We like to think our service is tailored to suit your needs. Should we alter anything?

•Appointment of a tailor to your hotel room available.

•For free transport & pick-up to our shop call 6734-7313 or 6735-7503 READY IN 24 HOURS. RELY ON PROFESSIONALS

C h u rc h

LAOS, Vientiane (UCAN) — In a recent interview with UCA News, Oblate Bishop John Khamse Vithavong, apostolic vicar of Vientiane, described the life of the local Church, its pastoral ministry and its way of being Church in the communist country.

Asked what the current situation of the Church in Laos was, Bishops Khamse replied: "There is nothing that makes news in the Church of Laos.

The pace of growth can hardly be felt at all.

Catholics continue to gather, pray and sing under the guidance of a “pinch" of ministers — three bishops, one apostolic administrator and 13 priests, and some more or less well-trained catechists.

The political situation remains quite the same since 1975 (when the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party came to power). Through births and deaths among the estimated 35,000 Catholics of Laos, changes take place in a rather natural way, yet almost imperceptible changes are happening through humble spiritual renewal among the youth, catechists and consecrated women.

The practice of faith is still stable as far as the ritual aspect is concerned, even if many communi­ ties seldom see a priest in their midst. Catholics continue to gather on Sundays and main feast days such as Christmas, Easter, the Assumption of the Blessed Mother and All Saints Day. Paucity, want, lack — these are the words that express the reality we have to face every day in

F o r fa s te r a n d b e tte r re s u lts , p le a s e c a ll

S P E C IA L P A C K A G E $ 9 6 8 N E T T -

being Church in Laos. Such reality makes us reflect on the Apostles who confined themselves in the Cenacle after the death of the Master. Without being preachy, I have to say that our only hope is in the Holy Spirit.

Nevertheless, despite all the imposed limita­ tions, the reaching out to people of other religions is still apparent. This is a little sign that the practice of faith is still alive.

We do not have “parishes" according to the model of well-established Churches. They are rather communities living in bigger or smaller localities. The most substantial ones number 16.

The vicariate has 15 consecrated women and about 100 lay catechists to help with the work of evangelization.

Humanly speaking, we have very little hope.

The scarcity of pastoral ministers and agents is strongly felt. Priests are aging. The formation of future priests is problematic due to the lack of qualified formators and spiritual accompaniment.

But the faith of Christians in Laos also brings hope, the kind of hope that makes them proactive enough to carry on living as Christians despite the twists and turns of life. The future lies there.

As an organized Church, even basic structures are missing. Only a renewed faith in the Risen and Living Christ can help the believers reorganize their Church in a more adapted and participatory way. Let us wait and see

1 suit, 1 Blazer, 1 trouser, 2 shirt, & 2 ties.

All cashmere wool & 100% cotten shirt.

Wide range of materials to choose from.

100% Cotton Fabric Shirt :fr S$45.00 - Order 6 Shirt :fr S$38.27 each Cashmere Wool Trousers :frS$91.50 - Order 2 Trousers :frS$183.50& receive 1 shirt FREE for every order All cashmere Wool Suit :fr S$250.00 ■Blouse: S$60 • Skirt: S$70 • Dress: S$185 X L P l u s R e a d y in 2 4 h o u r s

#5%

i

/* J f'

Mail orders and alterations available.

Far East Plaza, 14 Scotts Road, #03-142 (next to Hyatt Hotel) Singapore 228213. . , Tel: (65)6735-7503/(65)734-7313 r |f p Fax: (65) 6235-8075 * Email: alejo@singnet.com.sg ■ -f Opening Hours: Monday to Saturdays: 10 am to 9 pm.

Sundays 11 am to 7 pm.

WHERE CUSTOMERS SEND THEIR FRIENDS

I

Featured in The Singapore Visitor

^ f

Present thfc

introductory offer

Your guide to discovering Singapore magazine I to enJ°y 15% discount X ’ MAS -

S a le P lu s F r e e G ift

V

o fou ^ h o P!

Fortn igh tly: Sun. N ov 24 and Sun. DEC 1, 2002

12 - T H E C A T H O L I C N EW S

VEHICLES W ANTED

STUDENT ACCOMMODATION

Any model, any year commercial or used cars.

Scrap vehicles for export.

G oo d C atho lic H o m e and Q u a lity student guidance in H ougang fo r fo reig n students.

P rim a ry and Secondary level.

Call:

6 2 8 4 -3 0 6 4 M elvyn

C a ll D a v e C h a n 9 6 7 5 - 1 2 0 8

LIVE / RETIRE IN

A U S TR A LIA / NEW ZEALAN D Special PR schemes for skilled persons, investors and entrepreneurs

For full details, please contact

Come visit us at Wellsprings Catholic Books 2 0 1 G oldhill Centre, Thomson Road, Singapore 307637.

Tel: 6252-3390 email: wellsp@ singnet.com.sg web: www.wellsprings.com.sg

T E H Y IP W O N G & T A N

Tel: (65) 6438 6909 (Singapore) Email: christeh@tywtlaw.com

B o o k s , C D s , C a n d le s , In c e n s e , S ta tu e s ...

A n in v ita tio n to m eet R e v L e o C h a m b e rla in O SB M A , H e a d m a s te r

s le a d in g

in d e p e n d e n t C a th o lic

Villa Francis Home for the Aged, 6269-2877 Rax: 6368-4505

Bible Correspondence (Chinese) Fr John Baptist Tou 6337-2465

St Theresa’s Home For The Aged, 6256-2532 Fax: 6256-5610

Catholic Audio-Visual Centre, 6858-3077 Fax: 6858-2077

St Joseph’s Home, Sr Maria Sim 6268-0482 Fax: 6268-4787 nc0071b@cyberway. com. sg

China Catholic Communication (Zhonglian Centre), Patrick Lee Kim Hwee 9060-5080/6286-1826 mail@zl.per.sg web: www.zl.per.sg

Christian Family and Social Movement, Francis Tamel Mane 9586-9938,6792-6701 _____

Carlo Catholic Society, 6337-7489 Fax: 6334-4370 cark>@cams.org.sg Website: http://www.cams.org.sg

Family Life Society 6488-0278 website: www.familyiife.org.sg

The Catholic News, 6858-3055 Fax: 6858-2055 cathnews@veritas.org.sg

Morning Star Family Care Centre, 6285-1377 Fax: 6285-2715

Central Commodity Services (Pte) Ltd, 6337-4238 Fax: 6339-2583 ccs55@singnet. com. sg

CHILDREN Galilee Centre, 6454-0528 Fax: 6454-3167 Clementi Children’s Centre, Ms Maria Swee 6777-3893 ijhcc@singnet.com.sg Canossaville Children's Home, Sr Rose Low/Ms Anne Siew 6748-5777 canossa@pacific.net.sg

school

Hai Sing Pao, Ms Catherine Chia 6337-2465 cario@cams.org.sg Website: http://www.cams.org.sg Katong Catholic Book Centre Pte Ltd, 6345-1413 Fax: 6440-0272 katongcatholic@pacilic.net.sg Apostolate of the Media, 6892-1639 Fax: 6562-5857

Marian Centre (before and after school care), 6250-0877_____________

Catholic News Book & Media, 6858-3066 Fax: 6858-2055

Marymount Boarding, 6354-2245/ 6253-6816 Fax: 6353-4809____

MIGRANT COMMUNITY Filipino Catholic Community Nelly Faminialagao 9831-8044 / 6893-7609

Nazareth Special Learning Centre, Sr Anne May Chua, FMM 6276-3200

Ampleforth College U K

C A TH O LIC S ER VIC E D IR E C TO R

Good Shepherd Child Care Centre, Ms Helen Tan 6242-5695 Fax:6448-3454

French-speaking Catholics, Sabine et Jean-Baptiste Juery 68870564 jbsabine@singnet.com.sg

HANDICAPPED Catholic Office for the Hearing Impaired, Friar Rowland Yeo, OFM rowlandyeo@hotmail. com

Hong Kong Catholics, 6737-9285 Fax: 6737-8502

and other C h ristian fa m ilie s interested in A m p le fo rth education.

Canossian School For The HearingImpaired, 6749-8971 Fax: 6749-8976

Indonesian-speaking Catholics, Josephine Handojo 6235-2820

T h e school o ffers 6th fo rm places in p rep aratio n fo r B ritis h

Ang Mo Kio Home, Sr Jo 6459-4801

Japanese Catholics, Kiyoko James 62548710 james@pacific.net.sg

M ix e d

a t 6 th f o r m

a n d j u n i o r le v e l

F r C h a m b e rla in w il l be in S ingapore fro m 2 6 th to 2 8 th N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 2 and w o u ld lik e to m eet pairents and ch ild ren fro m C a th o lic

u n iv e rs ity en try and w elco m es applications fro m suitable ca n d i­ dates aged 8 - 18. G ir l boarders are w e lc o m e d in the 6 th fo rm and the ju n io r school.

A m p le fo rth C o lle g e attracts students fro m all ro u nd the w o rld to its b ea u tifu l and p eacefu l location in Y o rk s h ire . T h e school is d is tin ctive fo r •

U n ch a n g in g c o m m itm e n t to fu ll C h ristian education

•

A c a d e m ic rig ou r: consistently good A le v e l results,

in fa ith and personal resp o n sib ility w ith in a ric h ly rounded education •

Sp ortin g , cu ltural and ex tra -c u rric u la r ac tiv itie s that are am ong the best in the co u ntry

Catholic Kindergarten, Ms Edna Ng Poh Tiang 6283-3821 Fax: 6284-7783 cathkg@singnet. com. sg Nativity Church Centre, 6285-6198, Fax: 6285-9556 nativity@pacific.net.sg Magdalene’s Kindergarten, Mary Goh Boon How 6747-6554 Canossian Convent Kindergarten, Sr Jane Chong 6469-2201 Fax: 64661307 cankdg@singnet.com.sg Holy Family Kindergarten, Mrs Agnes Lee 6440-4344 Fax: 6478-0402 Maris Stella, Sr Marjorie Almodiel, FMM 6474-3590 Marymount Kindergarten, Petrina Siow 6251-5049 Fax: 6252-67904

T o m a ke an ap p oin tm en t to m eet F r L e o C h am b e rlain , please ca ll D o m in ic D a v ie s at

KINDERGARTEN

(65) 6538-8221

St Francis Xavier Play Centre, Mrs Emily Goh Tel: 6280-8929 YOUTH

w w w .am p lefo rth co lle g e .y o rk.sc h .u k

Bakhita Search-lnn, Christina/Sr Veronica (6367-6264 / 6467-4290) yscchris@yahoo.com/canosis@pacHic.net.sg Boys’ Town Fraternity, gaudette@boystown.org.sg Br Dominic Kiong 6769-1618 Fax: 67627846

G ifts f o r s o m e o n e yo u

c a re

Catholic Overseas Students Down Under Adrian (9836-5217) or Dennis (6274-2979) or cosdu@yahoo.com.au

a b o u t.

Choice, 9307-7752/9671-0767 choice@cheerful.com Harvesters Ann 6481-5912 Website: www.harvesterscommunity.org Hosannal Music Ministry www.hmmonline.org Tammy 9747-8570.

German-speaking Catholics, 6468-1534 Fax: 6468-2402

SI Gabriel 7%’ H H O L Y D E V O T IO N A L C E N T R E

188'8 Tanjong Katong Road, Singapore 436990 Tel: 6344 5042 Fax: 6344 5065 Email: lukyrise@singnet.com.sg Web: www.holydevo.com

HoivWaterFonts

Business Hours: Monday-Saturday 10am to 7pm

Closed on Sunday

Buses: 853, 646, 10, 31, 32, 40, 76, 135, 197.

Branch: H O L Y C A T H O L I C C E N T R E (Behind Church of Christ the King) Blk 330 #01-1831, Ang Mo Kio Ave 1, Singapore 560330 Tel: 6452 4587 Business Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 12 noon - 7.30pm Sunday: 9am - 2pm

Praise@Work Juliana 9799-9184 email: welcome@praiseatwork.org St Patrick House, (Boarding) Br Collin Wee 6345-5929 Fax: 6345-4635 Youth Life-Line, 6252-6300 Fax: 6285-5311 Youth Praise MinistryHelen Lee (9029-0118) email ypmsingapore@yahoo.com.

Young Christian Students’ Movement (Mandarin-speaking), Mr Stephen Chia

CHRISTIAN MEDITATION SEMINAR Led by Fr Laurence Freeman OSB. Date: Nov 30, 3 pm-9.30 pm & Dec 1, 9.30 am4.30pm. Venue: Trinity Theological College. Enquiries: Daulet (6737-6279) daulet@pacific.net.sg EVANGELIZATION RALLY 2002 Theme: The Joy of Living. Date: Nov 30, 7.15 pm-10.00 pm. Venue: The Rock Auditorium. Organised by Commission for Apostolate of Mandarin-speaking.

Enquiries: Joseph Ho (6282-8428).

CATHOLIC LAWYERS GUILD INAUGURAL MASS Venue: Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Bras Basah Rd. Celebrant: Archbishop Nicholas Chia. Date: Dec 5,6 pm followed by dinner at the Singapore Swimming Club. The Red Mass for the dedication of the New Legal Year will be held at the Cathedral of The Good Shepherd on Jan 4 at 8.30 am. All in the legal profession, including students are invited. Enquiries: Petula Wong (e-mail petula@hoh.com.sg) or Cosmas Gomez (e-mail. cosmas@hoh.com.sg) or call 6334-3833.

FEAST OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Date: Dec 9, 2002 Venue: Church of St Peter and Paul Time: 11.45 am Prayers and Rosary, 1.00 pm Holy Mass celebrated by Carmelite priest.

MASS FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS Family Life Society’s Pregnancy Crisis Service is organising a Mass for expectant mothers on Dec 12 at 6.30 pm at Novena Church. For information: (6488-0278).

DINNER & DANCE - SHANGHAI NIGHT Organised by: Catholic Singles Encounter.

For unattached singles age 25 - 45 yrs.

Date: Sat. Feb 8,2003 Price: $65 per pax.

Enquiries: Paul Lee (9450-5617), Caroline (9841-7592) and Debbie (6475-4394) CONSECRATION TO GOD THE FATHER - THE FATHER OF ALL MANKIND You are welcome to join in the monthly devotion on 7th of every month at 7.30 pm at the Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace, Rm 3.3 House of David.

Korean Catholics.

Esther You 6242-5607 Comm, for Migrants & Itinerant People 6280-5424 migrants@singnet.com.sg Jesuit Refugee Service, jrs@jesrefsg.org Fr Colin Tan 6463-6022 cxtsj@singnet.com.sg China Catholic Communication, Patrick Lee Kim Hwee 9060-5080 mail@zl.per.sg SPIRITU ALITY Cenacle, 6565-2895 Fax: 6565-3875 cenacle@mbox4.singnet.com.sg

IAYTHEY REST NPEACE

Seventh A nniversary In loving m em ory of

In loving m em ory of ANNIE LIM GUEK KHIM Departed:Dec 1, 1995 Always remembered by loved ones at home.

Ignatian Spirituality and Counselling Br Gerard Choo, SJ 6467-6072 Franciscan Retreat Centre, 6567-9771 Fax: 6567-9786 FMM House of Prayer and Formation, Sr Mary Chua 6474-2526

In loving m em ory of

Infant Jesus Retreat &Youth Centre, Sr Gerard Lee 6760-2461 Fax: 6769-9369 Life Direction Team, Sr Theresa Koh, FMM 6474-2422 Fax: 6472-5895 Sr Florence Wong, FMDM 6753-9602/ 9264-6733 LifeSprings Canossian Spirituality Centre, Sr Lily Tan 6466-2178 Fax: 6466-1307 lifspmg@singnet.com.sg SFX Retreat Centre, 6288-7901 Fax: 6858-2716 sfxrc@singnet.com.sg Website: http//www. catholic. org.sg/SFX The Sojourners’ Companions, 9268-6723 sojoumers_companions@yahoo. com

DAISY PA N G <a>SIU T JIN LIEM Departed: Nov 2 4 ,1 9 9 1 W e often think o f bygone days W hen we were together; T he fam ily chain is broken B ut m em ories live for ever.

Rem embered always by husband, relatives and friends.

PROFESSIONAL Catholic Nurses Guild of Singapore, Miss Janet Chan Poh Goon 6442-8546

Catholic Students' Society - NUS Mr Irving Teo 6296-0897 Catholic Teachers' Movement, irvingteo@catholic. org Mrs Gail Siow (R) 6454-4094 N T U Catholic Students' Apostolate, Catholic Medical Guild Mr Budi Susanto 9478-7827.

N I E Catholic Students’ Apostolate (NIECSA), Dr John Hui Keem Peng johnhui@cyberway.com.sg Ang Mei Ling 96663234 SPECIAL SERVICES Infant Jesus Retreat and Youth Centre, Sr Gerard Lee 6760-2461/92947521 Catholic AIDS Response Effort (CARE), Fax: 7699369 srtlee@yahoo.com Peter Lau 6353-4976, 9745-8991 Poverello Teen Centre, Sr Maria Sylvia Ng, FMM 6544-2603 jub2000@singnet.com.sg

COMING UP

Good Shepherd Centre, 6755-6496 Fax: 6752-0670 R. C. Prison Ministry, Sr Gerard Fernandez, RGS 6250-9151 Fax: 6250-1804

Sincere and heartfelt gratitude to Lord Jesus C hrist, M other M ary, St Jude, St Anthony and all saints in heaven for your kind intercession and prayers answ ered.

Please continue to intercede and pray for us. Rosa D ear St Jude, T hank you for your intercessation and helping us to overcome o ur obstacles. Yours hum ble, Sam , Eugenia, N atasha and Bianca T hank you Holy Trinity, Sts Jude, A nthony, Joseph, Mary for prayers answ ered.

Guide and bless us.

Show er us w ith good health. Aloysious Chee and fam ily

TH O M A S TAN HOCK KIM Called Home to be with the Lord on Nov 26,1 9 8 2 Jesus said “ I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believes in m e though he were dead, yet shall he live.”

D early m issed by w ife and loved ones.

First Anniversary In loving m em ory of

C A EC ILIA THIO NEE L A UW PIT NIO Departed: Nov 2 8 ,2 0 0 1 As tim e goes by, w e m iss you more.

Y our loving smile and gentle face.

A lw ays m issed by husband, children, grand-children and loved ones.

T H E C A T H O L I C N E W S - 13

Fortnightly: Sun. N ov 24 and Sun. DEC 1, 2002

"I am the resurrection and the life He who believes In me shall never die.”

Seventh A nniversary j Fifth Anniversary In loving m em ory o f ; In loving m em ory o f

IN MEMORIAM T w enty-eighth Anniversary In loving memory o f

Eighteenth A n n iv e r s a r y In loving m em ory of

For all those who have no one to pray for them —we pray to the Lord.

Trinity Casket Pte Ltd Your Right Choice....

Fifth Anniversary In loving m em ory of

SecondAnniversary

For:

In loving memory of

• C om plete & dignified funeral arrangements by professional and caring staff.

• Catholic male & female specialist embalmers.

Note: Female embalmer will attend to all female deceased.

• A ffo rda ble air-co n d itio n e d m em orial chapels w ith m icrophone, electronic organ & appropriate furnishing & lighting.

D O M IN IC TEO BOON M ENG Departed: Nov 2 6 , 19 9 5 Seven years have passed and loving m em ories o f you continue to linger in our m inds and in our hearts.

Fondly rem em bered by children, grand-children and loved ones.

Seventh Anniversary In loving m em ory of

JA N E D/O SU SEN A TH EN Departed: Nov 2 8 ,1 9 9 7 Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her.

M ay she rest in peace.

Fondly rem em bered by father Susenathen, m other A m alorpara M ary, brothers Edwin and Edw ard.

Third A nniversary In loving m em ory o f

G. PAUL Departed: Nov 2 8 ,1 9 7 4 “I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believes in me though he were dead, yet shall he live.”

A M ass will be celebrated at Im m aculate H eart of M ary Church, Highland Road on Thursday, N ovem ber 2 8 , 2 0 0 2 at 6 .1 5 pm.

A lw ays remembered by wife and daughters.

AUSTIN ZEH NDER Called to be with the Lord on Nov 2 9 , 1984 Eternal rest grant unto him , O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him.

M ay he rest in peace.

Lovingly rem em bered by daughter V alerie, sons Patrick, D esm ond, Barry, grand-children, great-grandchildren and loved ones.

Second Anniversary In loving memory of

IRIS TERESA GOM ES Departed: Dec 4 , 1997 Take her in T hy arms, dear Lord, And ever let her be A m essenger o f love Betw een our hearts and Thee.

Loved and rem em bered by husband, Law rence, children: Sheila and Harold, Pam ela and Jeffrey, Terence and Lucia and grandchildren, Tracey and Fabian, Lorraine, Jerem y, Jam ie, G areth, Kevin, M elissa, C hristopher and N a ta lia and all loved ones.

GNANASOUNDARI (wife of I Susai Manickam) Departed: 30 November 2000 In our home she is fondly remembered, Sweet memories cling to her name; Those who loved her in life sincerely, Still love her in death just the same.

Deeply missed and always remembered by: husband, sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, mother, sister, relatives and all loved ones.

Mass will be celebrated at St Joseph’s Church, 143 Victoria Street, Singapore 188020 on Saturday, 30 November 2002 at 6 pm.

Fifth Anniversary In loving m em ory of

Seventh A nniversary In loving m em ory o f

• Catholic guidance counsellor Ms O livia Stravens Pg: 9524-9940

O p e n 2 4 H o u rs Blk38, #01-527/531, SinMingDrive, Singapore575712 Tel: 6451-4496

Complete one-stop funeral arrangements Affordable air-con funeral parlours with facilities All funeral-related services including columbarium works, exhumation, international repatriation of human remains etc Quality service affirmed by families which we had the honour to serve Transparent & reasonable pricing with genuine discounts No overtime charges, no hidden cost Check out our prices at our website www.casketfairprice.com Member of the Association of Funeral Directors (Singapore)

PAULOSE A. SEBASTIAN Departed: Dec 4, 2000 They who think that you are gone, Because no more your face they see, Are wrong - for in our hearts you live; And always will, in memory.

Fondly cherished and always remembered by wife Presila, children and loved ones.

Fourth Anniversary M IS S E L I Z A B E T H P E T E R

In, loving memory of

• Special discount for Catholics.

Tel: 6455-9909

CO N N IE M OK L YE KUM Departed:Nov 2 8 ,1 9 9 9 Just as a thought o f sweet rem em brance, Just a m em ory sad and true, Just the love and sweet devotion, O f one who thinks o f you.

Always remembered

by A nthony, Jenny, Jessie and all loved ones.

• No overtim e charges.

C A S K E T FA IR P R IC E T H IR D A N N IV E R S A R Y

G EO R G E G OSTELO W Departed: Nov 2 1,1 9 9 5 W e often think o f bygone days, W hen w e were together; The family chain is broken But m em ories live forever, Always remembered by your loving wife, children and grand-children.

• All other funeral-related services including im port & repatriation o f human remains.

(D a u g h te r o f th e la te M r F ra n c is Joseph P e te r an d M r s A n to n ia P ete r, o f 3 0 A M a d ra s S t, S in g a p o re ) B o m : S ep t 2 8 , 1 9 3 8

VISA

D e p a rte d : D e c 3 , 1 9 9 9 JA C O B LIM SIN HEE Departed: Nov 2 2 ,1 9 9 7 H is life w as earnest, his actions kind, A generous hand and an active mind, A nxious to please, loath to offend, A loving brother and faithful friend.

D early m issed by m other, sisters, brothers and friends.

In sweet remembrance of our dad

T h e re w e re n o las t w o rd s o f fa r e w e ll.

JO N A T H A N LOCK W A I M UN Departed: Nov 2 4 ,1 9 9 5 His life was earnest, his actions kind, A generous hand and an active mind, A nxious to please, loath to offend, A loving brother and faithful friend.

Always remembered by parents, godparents, brothers and friends.

M ass will be at C hurch o f the Risen C hrist on Sunday, Nov 2 4 , 2 0 0 2 at 6 pm.

TERESA TAN LIAN NEO

I t ’ s b een th ree p a in fu l ye ars since y o u le ft us.

Blk 37 Sin Ming Drive #01-569/571 Singapore 575711

Departed: Dec 4, 1998

N o t a m o m e n t passed w ith o u t thoughts o f you.

W e b s ite w w w . c a s k e t f a i r p r i c e . c o m

Peaceful be your rest, dear mother, It is sweet to breath your name; As in life we loved you dearly, So in death we do the same.

G ra n t h er, d earest L o r d Jesus, h e a v e n ly rest.

Lovingly remembered by daughters, son-in-law, brothers, sisters and all loved ones.

M a r t in , E d w a rd , C h a rle s , R a y m o n d

So s u d d e n ly u p o n us th e s o rro w fe ll.

D e a re s t sister E liz a b e th , y o u r b ro thers an d th e ir fa m ilie s m iss yo u .

W e w i l l a lw a y s re m e m b e r an d lo v e yo u .

Mass w ill be celebrated at 5.30 pm on Saturday, November 30, 2002 at Church of St Michael.

M A Y H E R S O U L R E S T IN P E A C E .

^

F ir s t A n n iv e rs a ry Ninth A nniversary In loving m em ory o f

In loving memory of

ASIA CASKET Tel: 6 4 5 5 -5 2 8 8 ,6 4 5 6 -5 2 8 8 ,9 6 9 1 -3 2 2 9 2 4 ^

D earest father, You toiled all those years for us, And then you had to go To eternal peaceful rest Prom ised to the just and honest.

Lovingly remembered

by Donna, M ay, G eorge, Laurie, Gerard and Walter.

Please turn to page 12 for more “In Memoriam” announcements and classified advertisements.

Sin Ming Drive, #01-523 Singapore 575712 (COMPLETE FUNERAL SERVICES) BRO ANDREW T O K , SJ Departed:Nov 2 3 ,1 9 9 3 His life w as earnest, his actions kind, A generous hand and an active mind, A nxious to please, loath to offend, A loving brother and faithful friend.

Fondly remembered by sisters, brother, sister-in-law , brotherin-law, nephew s, nieces, grandnephew s,grand-nieces and all loved ones.

SINGAPORE CASKET Tel: 6293-4388 2 4 H o u rs

®

* Professional services for Christians * Qualified professional embalmers * Quality local and imported caskets * Special package and discount price for Catholics |* Professional handling of repatriations and import

D O N A LD H EN D RIK S Departed: Nov 2 9 ,1 9 8 6

In your moments o f need

Dedicated Funeral Directors since 1920 Complete services for Christians and non-Christians.

Air-con. parlours, open 24 hours.

Qualified professional embalmers.

3 Imported US and quality finished caskets.

Photo enlargement.

P A T R I C K O V IN IS

Departed: Nov 24, 2001 Though gone from our lives one so dear, but in our hearts forever near.

Patrick L o v e is P a tie n t L o v e is K in d L o v e n e v e r D ie s

Deeply missed and always remembered by loving wife, children and loved ones.

CASKET COMPANY EMBALMING & FUNERAL SERVICES PTE LTD • • • • •

24-HOURS COMPLETE SERVICES Christian and non-Christian funerals - local / export.

Qualified Em balm ers.

Colum barium work, exhum ation, photo enlargem ent etc.

Air-con, non air-con Parlours, ten ta g e etc.

G ood Discount on C a sk e t price!!

Directors: Philip Tan

m b ie ,

Charles Wan

m b ie

Blk 37, Sin Ming Drive, #01-575 Singapore 575711

T e l: 6 4 5 4 -8 1 6 7 , 6 4 5 6 -7 4 2 3 Fax: 6 4 5 8 -2 1 5 1

Florist service.

Funeral supplies all under one roof.

Professional handling of repatriations and import cases.

■Columbarium & Tombstone services.

All Church Members Are Entitled To Discount

*Cater within your means* 131 Lavender Street, Singapore338737.

Internationally linked worldwide with established Funeral Directors

Fortn igh tly: Sun. N ov 24 and Sun. DEC 1, 2002

1 4 • T H E C A T H O L I C N EW S

F A M IL Y E a s t A s ia n

M e e tin g

o n

F a m ily - F A B C

(Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences)

TAIWAN, Taipei (UCAN) — Some 60 bishops, priests, nuns and lay couples from six East Asian nations and territories met in Taipei Oct. 20-24 to discuss today’s pastoral challenges in ministering to Christian families. The Meeting was held in preparation for the Fourth World Meeting of Families, to convene next January in Manila, as well as for the eighth FABC plenary assembly, to be held in 2004 with a focus on the family. The Bishops' Final Statement is as follows:

I. Introduction

III. W e a re c h a lle n g ed

Realizing the urgency of the issues affecting the family, the Presidents of the Bishops Conferences of the East Asian region of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) deemed it necessary to convoke a meeting that would deal with the concerns regarding family ministry.

From October 20 to 24, 2002, we, the 59 participants in the East Asian Meeting on FAMILY: bishops, priests, religious and couples involved in family ministry from the Church communities in Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Macao, Mongolia and Taiwan gathered in Taipei.

3.1 Our global world and technological culture, especially mass media and modem means of communication, have created a new set of beliefs and values, and new forms of relating.

3.2 The fast and free flow of information have influenced even the innermost sanctuary of the family.

3.3 Our younger generation is facing a crisis of values: Money, power and face are regarded with prime importance in life.

They receive no-adequate guidance in decision making and feel a lack of understanding from the older generation.

3.4 Husband and wife relationship in a competitive society: The 'we-ness' in marriage relationship is weak — marriage is seen more as a contract than a covenant.

Common interests between husband and wife are few.

Time to share in partnership is very limited.

Experiences in life are no longer viewed as of value.

There is not enough appreciation of each other among the members of family.

Couples are not critical enough about the impact of the culture of death in its various manifestations that affect family life.

3.5 The present reality with different family set ups like: Nuclear families (dual income, commuter, single parent, migrant, separate, divorced, remarried); Extended families (various generations, families with domestic workers); Community families (individuals and families); Families of various cultures and religions.

With our main theme: “The Family in East Asia: Pastoral Challenges for the 3rd Millennium” we aimed for the following objectives: — To identify common crucial issues affecting the family in East Asia.

— To examine some pastoral responses that implement the Church teachings on Family.

We also considered this meeting as part of our preparation for the World Congress on Family to be held in January 2003, and the 8th FABC Plenary Assembly in 2004, also on the Family.

We believe that in family ministry, the concrete experiences of Christian couples who speak from their own lives are most important. For this reason, the main source of insights and discussions for our meeting were the realities that the participants brought from the surveys made and from their own experiences and reflections on family. There was ample space for sharing on each topic from the different countries and the resource persons gave back to us a synthesis with some more complementing insights.

As we listened to one another, our eyes were further opened to existing realities of family situations and to the diverse responses already given by the Church. At the same time there is still a great need to find new and better ways of ministering to family in the present times.

This meeting has also given us an occasion to visit some parishes in the Taipei Archdiocese and a Buddhist Centre that attends to people in need. They were also source(s) of learning.

The interactions in between the formal session times were equally informative and enriching. These too, have led to greater understanding of the situations and the demands on family ministry.

2.1 The family is the domestic church. It constitutes: — A specific revelation and realization of ecclesial communion.

— A living experience of Christian faith, hope and love.

— All we do at home, at work, in the family, no matter how plain or common, is part of God’s work of redemption.

4.1

4.2 4.3 4.4

4.6 4.7

4.8

Establishing support groups which are necessary to help the family in all set ups, to discover its role as domestic church and to grow in its capacity to reach out to others.

Family ministry be given priority among the multiple concerns of the whole church.

Evangelization within the family is to start from where people are at.

Greater compassion to reach out to family members in crisis, and other family members who hold different beliefs.

To promote equal dignity of every man and woman and to pay more attention to the uplifting of women’s status.

To strengthen and empower parents to fulfill their calling as primary caregivers and educators of their children.

To promote active cooperation within the Church and with all peoples of goodwill who are involved in common concerns for the family and its task to transform society.

To encourage regional exchange and contact through the use of internet and open up our local training workshops on Family for other countries to participate.

2.2 The main features of the family as the domestic church are: Worship: Relating as a family to God. Bible reading and sharing in the family.

Praying together as a family.

Enthroning Jesus in the family.

Discerning God’s will for different forms of vocation.

Communion: The family reflects the Trinitarian love and communion of persons, in coming together and sharing their joy and pain.

Service: The care and concern for one another and giving visible signs of affection.

Witnessing: Passing on the Gospel value by word and example.

2.3 Spirituality in the family The family is the first school and offers the root experience for all virtues and values. Spirituality is in everyday life and can be lived out in all the new family set ups.

to o u r B ishops

In this context, it is useful to recall the words of Our Holy Father when he met with our local Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei in October 2001 on the occasion of the Bishops' "Ad Limina" visit (Literally "at the Portals" of the seat of Peter in Rome) - This is a quintennial meeting that all Bishops of the world have to have with the Supreme Pontiff.

In your lands as elsewhere, THE FAMILY is under pressure. Divorce has become more common, and its prevalence can lead to a diminished sense of the special grace and commitment involved in Christian marriage. Among couples of different religious alle­ giance, the problem is especially felt, since the shared bond of faith is lacking. Family life is also made more difficult where the mass media present values contrary to the Gospel and become instruments of a vision of life reduced to the ephemeral and unsubstantial. In such a situation, “the Church perceives in a more urgent and compelling way her mission of proclaiming to all people the plan of God for marriage and the family” (Familiaris Consortio, 3). Indeed, you will be doing an excellent service to the whole of society when you proclaim that the marriage of man and woman was “willed by God in the very act of creation” (ibid.) and that it is a primary locus of the ceaseless creativity of God, with whom couples cooperate through their service of life and love.

This means that marriage and the family are not institutions which can change with passing trends or as majority opinion might decide. Every effort should be made to ensure that the family will be recognized as the primor­ dial building block of a truly healthy and spiritually vigorous nation (cf. Letter to Families, 2 February 1994, 17).

IV . W e re co m m e n d

4.5 II. W e affirm

T h e w o rd s o f th e H o ly F a th e r

V . C onclu sio n

We thank God for our families and for the concern our church leaders have in promoting healthy Christian families.

We are grateful to our organizers and Taiwan hosts for these grace-filled days that have given us inspiration to carry out our role in family ministry as couples, as bishops, priests and religious.

We recall that Mainland China and North Korea are part of this region and we pray that one day they too can join us.

As we return to our respective countries, we take along memories of an experience of our communion here, and the challenge to share this communion to our families and communities.

Through the intercession of the Holy Family, may the Holy Spirit give us the courage to carry out the recommendations related to family ministry.

In the bond of Christian marriage, Christ himself dwells sacramentally, drawing spouses and children ever more deeply into his inexhaustible love, showing forth the glory of his own self-giving, and revealing to the world the truth that man is created both through love and for love (cf. ibid., 11). I would recall the words of Tertullian: “How wonderful the bond between two believers, with a single hope, a single desire, a single observance, a single service! They are both brethren and both fellow-servants; there is no separation between them in spirit or flesh; in fact they are truly two in one flesh, and where the flesh is one, one is the spirit” (To His Wife, II, VIII, 7-8). Because of this very special vocation, it is essential that there should be not only thorough preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage, but also unfailing support and continuing formation of Christian spouses, so that they can understand the dignity and duties of their state.

In the lifelong process of formation, CATHOLIC SCHOOLS are closely associated with parents in teaching children to know and love both God and man.

In your particular Churches in general, magnificent work has been done in the field of Catholic education, especially by men and women Religious, and you have been unstinting in offering support and encouragement.

The presence of Religious in the schools is less assured now than it was, and dedicated lav teachers are assum­ ing wider responsibility. This means that special attention has to be given to their training, in order to ensure that they see their professional work as a genuine vocation, and likewise to ensure that what is most distinctive about Catholic schools is not compromised.

Cultural, political and financial pressures sometimes make it difficult to maintain the independence required

by Catholic schools. In a situation such as yours, Church schools are open to students of all backgrounds.

Yet it is essential to preserve and nurture that sense of the providence of the Creator, of the inviolability of human dianitv. of the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, and of the Church as a communion of holiness and mission, which enables Catholic schools to make their special contribution not only to the children whom they teach but also to the society which they serve.

Vatican Report Editor

T H E C A T H O L I C N E W S - 15

Fortn igh tly: Sun. N ov 24 and Sun. DEC 1, 2002

Y O U N G

C A T H O L IC S

FATHER MIKE

y

o

«

s p e u k s

a r e

u

i i

s p e c i a l l y

*

t n V

-

i

i t e d

By FATHER MICHAEL

SITARAM Youth Chaplain of the Singapore Archdiocese.

To contact him email: cathvctrtd)Dacific.net.sa.

B lo c k o u t th e d a te n o w on y o u r c a le n d a r so th a t y o u d o n ’t m is s o u t th is im p o r ta n t d a te w i t h a ll t h e o t h e r C a t h o lic y o u th , t h e i r fr ie n d s a n d f a m ilie s .

G o d b le s s !

Did the words above catch your eye? Did it make you wonder what it was all about or did you already guess without even batting an eyelid.

Well, I must say that I would not be surprised if most of you guessed it right the first time round. Yes, once again I am personally inviting each one of you who is reading this column for our annual Shine Jesus Shine rally.

As usual, I’ll give you a sneak preview but just a teeny weeny bit to whet your appetites and make you want to come for the actual event. Believe me, the organizing committee has worked very hard and we have lined up a whole range of goodies for the whole family. This year we have managed to get the Indoor Stadium again as the venue for the Shine Jesus Shine rally, so there will be lots of room for your entire family and all your friends.

The organizers of the Shine Jesus Shine rally have chosen the theme of “CHANGE” for this year's rally. Why ‘Change’, you may ask?

It is to focus on our need for ‘Change’ in our lives for the better.

There is a need to raise our awareness that among other things we are slaves to the world, society, our jobs, studies, money, world and trends. This year’s Shine Jesus Shine calls us to reflect on our lives, through the good times and the bad times, through the various trials that we have been put through. Were we afraid of changes that came our way? Did we just brush them away or worse, simply gave up, gave up on God? In order to lead better Christian lives, we need to make a few changes. God does not make us change without a reason - in the long run, God will reveal the truth to us.

Even God changed - He created the world but then destroyed and cleansed the world for better. The rally will help us to see that there

can be changes made to our relationship with God, and that we should also remember the less fortunate - the poor, hungry and homeless -and make a change in their lives too. Here I would like you to reflect on the words of Jesus when he was asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus said “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest command­ ment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. Matthew 22:37-39 Among the highlights we will have video segments, skits, personal testimonies by guest artistes. This year we will be having Fr Simon Pereira joining us and in one of his contributions, he will be leading us in a special reflection. As usual the climax of the rally will be the Eucharistic Adoration and of course the celebration of the highest form of prayer - the Mass and our Archbishop Nicholas Chia has gladly consented to celebrate this time round with us.

You can be sure that you will be able to feast your eyes and ears to rich music and songs played by talented musicians and soloists and combined choirs who have put in a lot of time and effort in training for the occasion.. Shine Jesus Shine has always been an effort where youth organize the prayer and worship experience for other youths to provide them with a rich prayerful environment where they will be able to experience the love of God. So don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to come together with other youths and their families and friends to celebrate our relationship with our loving God. So if you are not there with us on this special day, I can assure you that you will be missing out a lot!

T h e S H IN E J E S U S S H IN E R A L L Y I have added below, an extract from the Book 'Challenge' by Mark Link, S.J. - A mediatation program based on The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius (pubished by Tabor publishing, Valencia, California).

This poem expresses the theme of this year’s Shine Jesus Shine - “C H A N G E ”.

Enjoy reading this meaningful and beautiful poem If you g e t w h a t you w a n t in y o u r stru g g le fo r self, A n d th e w o rld m a k e s you king fo r a d ay, Just go to th e m irror a n d look a t yourself:

RED LETTER DAY

A n d s e e w h a t th a t m a n h a s to s ay .

F o r it isn’t y o u r fath er, o r m o ther, o r brother,

The Date -

15th DECEMBER 2002

W h o upon you th e ir ju d g m e n t will p ass.

T h e fe llo w w h o s e v erd ic t counts m o st in y o u r life Is th e o n e staring b a c k from th e g la s s .......

H e ’s th e fe llo w to p le a s e -

The Venue -

SINGAPORE INDOOR STADIUM

n e v e r m ind all th e rest!

F o r h e ’s w ith you right up to th e e n d .

A n d y o u ’v e p as s e d y o u r m o st difficult d a n g e ro u s test, If th e m a n in th e g lass is y o u r friend.

The Time -

4.00 pm to 10.00 pm

Y o u m a y fool th e w orld d o w n th e p a th w a y o f y ea rs, A n d g e t p ats on th e b ack, a s you pass, B ut y o u r final re w a rd will b e h e a d a c h e o r tea rs, If y o u ’v e c h e a te d th e m a n in th e glass. ‘

- Author unknown

Fortnightly: Sun. N ov 24 and Sun. D EC 1, 2002

16 - T H E C A T H O L I C NEW S

V A T IC A N

R e ligio u s Fre e d o m On 8 November, the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly debated the subject of religious freedom. The Vatican's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Archbishop Renato Martino, made the following intervention after welcoming and congratulating Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello of East Timor, upon his election as High Commissioner for Human Rights.

"Mr. Chairman, The Holy See welcomes the Interim Report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the elimination of all forms of religious intolerance.

In an annual address to the Diplomatic Corps, His Holiness Pope John Paul II affirmed, “Among the fundamental freedoms which the Church must defend, first place naturally goes to religious freedom.

The right to freedom of religion is so closely linked to other fundamental rights that it can rightly be argued that respect for religious freedom is, as it were a touchstone for the observance of other ~ fundamental rights.” (Pope John Paul II, Address to

the Diplomatic Corps, February 1989) The Holy See is especially concerned that in many parts of the world, discriminatory or intolerant policies continue, with regard to minorities in States having an official religion. Additional matters of concern are the combining of ethnic and religious persecution in many parts of the world and the blatant disregard and disrespect for churches, religious shrines or sites.

The mystery of and the belief in God is at the heart of every culture and the greatest of all mysteries. Religion expresses the deepest dreams, hopes and desires of the human person. Religious faith helps to shape people’s vision of the world and affects their relationships with others. Indeed, different peoples and cultures throughout history and throughout the world testify to the many and varied ways in which humankind addresses the meaning of creation, history and personal existence.

The right to life, the right to freedom of religion or belief and respect for religious and cultural heritage are the basic premises for human existence.

The fact that there are still many places today where the right to gather forworship iseither not recognized or is limited to the members of one religion alone or where religious belief is pushed aside inthe name of development or ‘modem thought’ is a sad commentary on any claim to a more just peaceful world where fundamental rights and freedoms are more widely promoted and respected.

Recourse to violence, in the name of religious belief, is a perversion of the very teachings of the major religions. The Holy See reaffirms here today what many religious leaders have repeated so often: T h e use of violence can never claim a religious justification, nor can it foster the growth of true religious feeling.’

Differences between religious traditions, must be accepted, respected, and tolerated. The practice of any faith must be conducted with respect for other religious traditions. Religious tolerance must be based on the conviction that God wishes to be adored by people who are free. This is a conviction which requires us to respect and honour personal conscience, wherein each person meets God. When such respect and understanding is not realized, and when the differences in religious belief or conviction leads to civil strife and war, there is a need for mutual forgiveness. The commitment to religious tolerance and collaboration must be based upon the conversion of hearts and upon prayer, which will also lead to the necessary purification of past memories.

Mr. Chairman, the people of the world continue to be scandalized bythe sharp divisionsthat manifest themselves in the destruction of human life in the name of religion. The Holy See renews its call to all women and men of faith everywhere, to commit themselves courageously to the path that leads to peace, tolerance and understanding. This call is not impossible to hear nor is an invitation impossible to accept. It is, however an essential element to building a world inwhich all people can live in peace and harmony with one another. Thank you, Mr. Chairman."

To order, call S w e n s e n ' s Customer

Hotline

c/,

e/Vo

at

A* or visit any Swensen's outlet.

Email:swensens@abr.com.sg Homepage: www.swensens.com.sg

with our daily flights to IVlcHllIcl and on to 12 other Philippine cities A warm, caring inflight service and frequent flights to key Philippine destinations. These are just some of the reasons that have made us a household name in the Philippines. Come fly with us and we promise to win your heart. Because we are the airline that values vou above all.

-

B For reservations, please call your travel agent or

cebu !ACIFIC

Cebu Pacific at 6223 9989. Visit www.cebupacificair.com

FROM - TO

FREQ.

ACFT

A VIATIO N SER VIC ES (G SA) PTE LTD

S in g a p o r e - M an ila

DAILY

B 757

1 6 5 T a n jo n g P a g a r R o a d # 0 3 - 1 2 A T h e A m a r a S in g a p o r e 0 8 8 5 3 9

M a n ila - S in g a p o r e

DAILY

B 757

Tel: 6223 9989 Fax: 6220 3173

PUBLISHED BY ARCHBISHOP NICHOLAS CHIA, 2 HIGHLAND ROAD #01-03, SINGAPORE 549102. PRINTED BY KHL PRINTING CO PTE LTD, 57 LOYANG DRIVE, SINGAPORE 508968.