MAY 4, 2014, Vol 64, No 09

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SUNDAY MAY 4, 2014

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Protect the vulnerable, says pope in Easter message VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis

urged Christians to remember KRZ WKH\ ÂżUVW HQFRXQWHUHG &KULVW and to share his love and mercy with others, especially through acts of caring and sharing. Proclaiming the good news of Jesus’ resurrection means giving concrete witness “to unconditional and faithful loveâ€?, he said on April 20 before solemnly giving his blessing urbi et orbi (to the city and the world). Celebrating the second Easter RI KLV SRQWLÂżFDWH WKH SRSH WROG at least 150,000 people gathered in St Peter’s Square and on adjacent streets that evangelisation “is about leaving ourselves behind and encountering others, being close to those crushed by life’s troubles, sharing with the needy, standing at the side of the sick, elderly and the outcastâ€?. Whatever is going on in one’s life, he said from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, Jesus’ victory over sin and death demonstrates that “love is more powerful, love gives life, love makes hope blossom in the wildernessâ€?. Overlooking the square where he had just celebrated Easter morning Mass surrounded by KXQGUHGV RI Ă€RZHULQJ WUHHV DQG bushes and thousands of daffodils, tulips and roses, Pope Francis said Christians proclaim to the world that “Jesus, love incarnate, died on the cross for our sins, but God the Father raised Him and made Him the Lord of life and deathâ€?. In his Easter message, the pope prayed that the risen Lord would “help us to overcome the scourge of hunger, aggravated E\ FRQĂ€LFWV DQG E\ WKH LPPHQVH wastefulness for which we are often responsibleâ€?. He also prayed that Christians would be given the strength “to protect the vulnerable, especially children, women and the elderly, who are at times exploited and abandonedâ€?.

Pope Francis greets the crowd after delivering his Easter blessing from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica. CNS photo

Evangelisation ‘is about being close to those crushed by life’s troubles, sharing with the needy, standing at the side of the sick, elderly and the outcast’. The pope offered special prayers for those facing serious GLIÂżFXOWLHV DQG WKUHDWV LQ YDULRXV parts of the world: for victims of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa; the victims of kidnapping; migrants and refugees; and for WKH YLFWLPV RI ZDU DQG FRQĂ€LFW LQ Syria, Iraq, Central African Republic, Nigeria, South Sudan and Venezuela.

Celebrating the fact that in 2014 Easter fell on the same day on the Gregorian calendar used in the West and on the Julian calendar used by many Orthodox and Eastern Catholics, the pope’s Easter morning Mass included a Byzantine choir singing stichi and stichira, hymns that in ancient times were sung in the presence of the bishop of Rome on Easter.

In his urbi et orbi message, the pope offered special prayers for peace in Ukraine, a country with various Orthodox, Eastern Catholic and Latin-rite Catholic communities. The pope prayed that all sides in the current political tensions would avoid violence and “in a spirit of unity and dialogue, chart a path for the country’s futureâ€?. The pope’s celebration of Easter got underway the night before in a packed St Peter’s Basilica. His Easter Vigil began with WKH OLJKWLQJ RI WKH ÂżUH DQG (DVWHU candle in the atrium of the basilica; walking behind the Easter candle and carrying a candle of his own, Pope Francis entered the darkened basilica. In his homily Pope Francis, who often tells people to look up the date of their baptism and commemorate it each year, urged those present to remember and UHĂ€HFW RQ WKH ÂżUVW PRPHQW WKH\ really recall having encountered Jesus. Referring to the Easter account from the Gospel of St Matthew, Pope Francis noted how the women who went to Jesus’ tomb ZHUH WROG ÂżUVW E\ WKH DQJHO DQG then by the risen Lord to await Him in Galilee and tell the disciples to go as well. “After the death of the Master, the disciples had scattered; their faith had been utterly shaken, everything seemed over,â€? the pope said. Yet they were told to go back WR *DOLOHH WKH SODFH WKH\ ÂżUVW PHW Jesus. Returning to Galilee, he said, means re-reading everything – “Jesus’ preaching, His miracles, the new community, the excitement and the defections, even the betrayal – to re-read everything starting from the end, which is a „ Continued on Page 17

VOL 64

NO. 9

INSIDE HOME

Archbishop celebrates Chrism Mass Offers words of encouragement to priests „ Page 5

MP joins Canossians for Easter celebration Madam Halimah Yacob lauds Sisters’ social service „ Page 8

ASIA

MH370 and Korean ferry tragedies Vatican, pope offer solidarity, prayers „ Page 11

WORLD

Crisis in Ukraine Church leader urges action against Russia „ Page 13

Canonisation of Popes John Paul, John XXIII A look at the milestones in their lives „ Pages 14-15

FOREIGN COMMUNITIES The French Catholic community in S’pore „ Page 23

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Praying while walking barefoot

Participants of Crucis Singapura walked barefoot from various parts of Singapore to Marymount Centre while contemplating the Way of the Cross.

They walked barefoot from the north, south, east and west corners of Singapore to reach Marymount Centre, thereby tracing a sign of the cross on the island. The April 12 event was organised by Jesus Youth Singapore, and had 123 participants walking a total of 1,132.2 km barefoot. Titled Crucis Singapura and in its fourth year now, the event had participants contemplating the Way of the Cross through the streets of Singapore, focusing on self-purification through suffering during the Lenten season.

Participants were divided into small groups based on the route distance that they were covering, with the longest route of 21.6 km starting from Joo Koon MRT, and the shortest route being 3.3 km starting from Newton MRT. 7KH ÂżUVW JURXS RI SHRSOH VWDUWed their journey at 7am from Joo Koon MRT, followed by 12 other groups from different places such as Pasir Ris, Punggol and Harbourfront. All groups eventually reached Marymount Centre around 4 pm and the event concluded with a praise and worship session, as

ZHOO DV D ÂżQDO EOHVVLQJ E\ 5Hdemptorist Fr George Puthenpura. 0U 0LFKDHO &KHQ D ÂżUVW time participant from Church of St Francis of Assisi said, “I didn’t think I could do it but with the Lord’s help, I managed to walk barefooted from Joo Koon to Marymount Centre. “We felt gravel and stones under our feet and they hurt us, but we remembered that this was nothing in comparison to what Jesus felt leading up to His death. Prayer can help us. During this walk, I learned that praying can KHOS LPPHQVHO\ LQ WLPHV RI GLIÂżculty.â€? „

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Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

Archbishop Goh speaks to priests at Chrism Mass, asks faithful to pray for them

The Chrism is consecrated by Archbishop Goh during the Mass.

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Archbishop William Goh with his priests at the Chrism Mass.

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New Catholics share Several people who were baptised at Easter tell Darren Boon Mother and two kids baptised at Easter

Ms Kelly Phung

‘God has become my best friend’ Her only reason for attending Mass in the past was to accompany her then boyfriend, recalled Ms Kelly Phung. Speaking to CatholicNews in an email interview, she said she was not interested in becoming a Catholic in 2009. However, after a while, “the words of the Lord got into me and touched my heart. I started to be attentive to the readings of the Mass and I felt closer to the Lord,â€? said Ms Phung, who is Vietnamese. She decided to join the RCIA journey, which she describes as a “fantasticâ€? experience in learning about the faith and the Church. Now she SXWV *RG ÂżUVW LQ KHU OLIH DQG feels He is always with her to guide her in her daily life, she shared. “God has become my best friend whom I always speak to in times of good and bad,â€? she said. “I’ve learnt to be more understanding, forgiving, patient, and non-judgmental towards others.â€? “I feel grateful and blessed to have found my God,â€? she added. “My faith in Him has got me through all obstacles that I’ve faced. Praise to the Lord!â€? Ms Phung shared that she now hopes to get involved in Church activities after her baptism, which took place at St Joseph Church, Bukit Timah. „

Ms Evelyn Wendy Ho was baptised as an Anglican, but her acquaintance with the Catholic Church over the years led her to embrace Catholicism. Her aunt, a Catholic, had taken her to Catholic churches when Ms Ho was young. When she came to Singapore from Malaysia to work, she visited St Joseph’s Church in Victoria St, and when she was looking for a preschool for her daughter, she enrolled her daughter at the school at the Church of the Holy Trinity. She then started attending Mass at the church on occasions such as Christmas and also to pray for the health and well-being of her two children. Ms Ho shared that she sensed God inviting her to be part of the Catholic Church and she made up her mind in 2013 to take her ÂżUVW VWHSV WR NQRZ PRUH DERXW WKH faith. Although she was baptised when young, she never had “an in-depth relationshipâ€? with God or “put in an effort to read the Bibleâ€? or ask her parents about the faith, she shared.

Now she says she is “curiousâ€? about the faith after her RCIA journey, which she found smooth sailing. Âł, ÂżQG HYHU\ WLPH ,ÂśYH FRPH there’s new information,â€? she said, adding that she was able to “learn from other people’s experienceâ€?. Ms Ho shared that she is now able to relate Bible passages to what she encounters in the course of the day. Sometimes VKH ÂżQGV WKDW WKH %LEOH SDVVDJHV are words of advice to her, she added. She is also now more aware of the needs of those around her and would make a conscious effort to accommodate them, Ms Ho said. Meanwhile, her children Bella, 10, and Ethan, six, were also baptised at Easter at the advice of the priest. Her husband has yet to embrace the faith. “There is a lot for me to discover, which I look forward to. I really pray that God will open my eyes and my heart to receive it openly and to be a better person,â€? she added. „

Ms Evelyn Wendy Ho seen here with her children, Bella and Ethan.

Question from priest set couple thinking A simple question from a priest left a deep impression on married couple Desmond Lim and Jenny Teo. Fr Andrew Wong, parish priest of Church of the Holy Spirit, had asked the couple why they decided to send their daughter, Chloe, to a Catholic school for her primary education when they themselves were not Catholics. “Why are we not Catholics? This question kept ringing in my husband’s head. It came as an awakening knock to him. He knew WKDW KH KDG WR ÂżQG WKH DQVZHU ´ 0V Teo shared. Her husband, Desmond, at that time, was also searching for answers in his life, she added. She initially participated in the RCIA journey to accompany him, Ms Teo recalled. However, as she journey progressed, she realised that God was also calling her to the faith. Although she was exposed to Catholicism as both her parents had embraced it, family and work demands had distanced her from the faith. Early this year, the couple’s daughter, Chloe, suffered two

come to learn ‘I have that God works in mysterious ways and always in our best interests.

’

– Ms Teo

Desmond Lim and Jenny Teo seen here with their children Reuben and Chloe.

seizures which alarmed them. At the hospital, they prayed and the prayers apparently calmed them down. Chloe was diagnosed as hav-

ing been infected with viral meningitis. The couple then asked the parish’s RCIA ministry to pray for Chloe. “Through the power of prayers,

we believe that God healed Chloe and removed the virus,â€? said Ms Teo. The incident was a learning experience for the couple. “I have come to learn that God works in mysterious ways and always in our best interests. My daughter’s seizure was really a wake-up call to us. Through faith and trust in God, He will answer our prayers,â€? said Ms Teo. “Our family has become closer than ever before. We believe that by lifting up all our emotional ZRUULHV DQG GLIÂżFXOWLHV WR *RG He will guide us to overcome them.â€? The couple now look forward to serving in the RCIA ministry, said Ms Teo. „

Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

e their faith journey

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n how they came to embrace the Catholic faith 0RYHG E\ VXSSRUW IURP Ă€DQFHH¡V PXP Felt tested during Lent It was the support and care that his future mother-in-law showed towards him that made Mr Zachary Seah want to know more about the Catholic faith. Mr Seah recollected that he acFRPSDQLHG KLV ÂżDQFpH WR FKXUFK occasionally, and in the last few years, he had encountered some pressure in his work and studies. +LV ÂżDQFpHÂśV PXP ZDV ÂłDOways supportive‌always praying for me‌asking how am I‌ always very caringâ€?, he recalled. It was her heartwarming gestures that made him want to know more about the faith, and he decided to attend Mass and Novena GHYRWLRQV ZLWK KLV ÂżDQFpH He decided to join the RCIA programme at the Church of the Holy Trinity despite having to make a weekly trek from his VFKRROÂśV KRVWHO LQ %RRQ /D\ WR Tampines. Although the journey was quite tiring, and with the QHHG WR ÂżQLVK DQ LPSRUWDQW )LQDO <HDU 3URMHFW ZLWK *RGÂśV JUDFH the RCIA journey was smooth, he shared.

It was her heartwarming gestures that made him want to know more about the faith.

Mr Zachary Seah

Mr Seah, who enjoys cooking, volunteered to cook for the Sunday church canteen when it was the RCIA turn to do so that weekend. He said he enjoyed the experience and meeting other parishioners, especially the seniors. With prayer, he also managed to do well in his project, he added.

Now able to care for people’s feelings Although she had agreed to attend the RCIA programme at the Church of St Stephen, Ms Seraphina Peh said only joined to learn more about the faith and was not looking to be baptised. She attributed this to her stubbornness and her need to be convinced. However, her attitude changed after her parents fell ill in late 2013. That was when she turned to God for strength and prayed “really hardâ€?, she recalled. When her parents eventually recovered, Ms Peh decided that she ZDQWHG ÂłWR EH ZLWK WKH /RUG´ 'XULQJ WKH 1HZ <HDUÂśV (YH Mass which she attended with her &DWKROLF ÂżDQFp DQG KLV IDWKHU VKH saw how the two were able to able to receive Holy Communion while she was unable to. That was when she set her heart on baptism, she said. *HWWLQJ WR NQRZ WKH /RUG KDV changed her for the better, she said. Âł0\ ÂżDQFp VHHV D ELJ D FKDQJH LQ me,â€? she said, a “change in temperamentâ€? and “the way I handle relationships and situationsâ€?. She is now DEOH WR FDUH IRU SHRSOHÂśV IHHOLQJV DQG respect their opinions instead of being blunt and direct, she said. Another change was allowing God to take control of her life. She confessed to thinking that she was in full control of her life up to the

After attending RCIA, Mr Seah said he is more grateful to God. Previously, he would always attribute whatever good or bad things he encountered to fate, and “if it is good thingsâ€?, it was due to “my effortâ€?. After getting to know God betWHU KH QRZ UHDOLVHV WKDW ÂłLWÂśV ZLWK His grace and through His help that we can pull through in tough timesâ€?. Meanwhile he is happy to be able to receive the Eucharist after two years of attending Mass. As a Catholic, he hopes to be able emulate his future mother-inODZÂśV ORYH DQG FRQFHUQ IRU RWKHUV “so that people can be touched like how I was touchedâ€?, he said. Mr Seah, who is a music lover, said he might consider being part of a church music ministry. „

Although English was not her mother tongue, this did not deter Ms Aya Takeda, a Japanese, from learning more about the Catholic faith. Ms Takeda said she knew little of Christianity till she married into a Catholic family. It was through ceremonies such as weddings and funerals she attended that she slowly learnt about the faith, she said. Wanting to know more, she FDOOHG XS WKH &KXUFK RI 6W %HUQDGHWWH WR ÂżQG RXW DERXW FRXUVHV RQ the Catholic faith, and was directed to the Alpha course. The course helped her to understand the basics of Christianity, she said. 6KH ODWHU MRLQHG WKH SDULVKÂśV 5&,$ SURJUDPPH +HU ÂżUVW VL[ months was more about gaining knowledge about the faith but later, she started to feel closer to God spiritually and “had no doubt that my choice to be Catholic is rightâ€?. Since embarking on the RCIA programme, she has learnt to be more appreciative of people and things that she used to take for granted. “I feel very grateful and thank God every day,â€? she said. “I also learnt to forgive and let go of minute problems in life.â€? Ms Takeda said she is grateful to the support and prayers from

Ms Aya Takeda

the RCIA community especially in the lead up to her baptism. “DurLQJ /HQW , IHOW OLNH , ZDV WHVWHG RQ many occasions. There were suddenly so many things that made me upset,â€? she recalled. Ms Takeda said she now hopes WR ÂżQG WKH FRXUDJH WR VKDUH KHU Catholic faith with her friends. “Many of my Japanese friends are curious about Christianity but it is often a taboo topic to talk about religion among the Japanese. It could be an opportunity for them to learn about the religion when I openly speak about my RCIA experience to them,â€? she said. „

Christ’s teachings hit her ‘in the gut’

Ms Seraphina Peh seen here with her godmother.

time when she joined the RCIA. It was when her parents fell ill that she realised that this was not the case, Ms Peh added. %HOLHYLQJ LQ *RG DOVR KHOSV KHU in her work with students with special needs, she said. She added that her positive attitude also come from praying every morning and reading the Word of God. Ms Peh, who is getting married next year, said she hopes to build a “God-centred relationshipâ€? with KHU ÂżDQFp DQG VWDUW D &KULVWLDQ IDPLO\ Âł7KDWÂśV YHU\ LPSRUWDQW WR us,â€? she shared. „

The sufferings, illnesses and deaths of people close to her led Ms Chew Shiuan Han on a spiritual search. )DFH ZLWK WKH SDVVLQJ RI KHU mother-in-law, her sister from illness and a godson in an accident, Ms Chew decided that she needed a new vision on life. A friend brought her to the adoration room at the Church of St %HUQDGHWWH DW D WLPH ZKHQ VKH IHOW mentally exhausted and angry. It was there that she found renewed VWUHQJWK WR FRSH ZLWK OLIHÂśV FKDOlenges, she shared. She then decided to embrace Catholicism as she felt “comfortable with a belief that God existedâ€?. )XUWKHUPRUH VKH DGPLUHG 0RWKHU Teresa and Pope John Paul II, she added. However, after joining the RCIA programme at the Church of 6W %HUQDGHWWH 0V &KHZ VDLG VKH encountered a “personal problemâ€? and her options were to drop out or take the more challenging route of continuing with the journey. She chose the latter. However, for six months, she wrestled inwardly as what she learnt about Christ and His teach-

I accept that ‘ suffering is essential in awakening our souls to seek the purity of His goodness.

’

Ms Chew Shiuan Han

ings hit her “in the gut�, as she put it. Then she fractured her shoulder and had to stay at home. “I learnt to depend on others, had time to pray and think of God,� she recalled. At the end of one month, “I decided to take the leap of faith,� she said. She is grateful for the support of the RCIA team who reached out to her even though they were facing their own challenges. Such gestures moved her deeply, she said.

“I accept that suffering is essential in polishing and awakening our souls to seek the purity of His goodness and His love,â€? she said. Âł:LWKRXW LW , GRQÂśW WKLQN , FRXOG be humble and also let go of my independence of will.â€? She added that she is now “less judgementalâ€? and understands why forgiveness is important. She has also learnt to trust in God and her baptism has given her “a strong sense of coming homeâ€?. She said she will now put God ÂżUVW DQG WKURXJK +LP WR ÂłPDNH family ties, friendship bonds even strongerâ€? as well to continue to be supportive of friends who are ill. „ darren.boon@catholic.org.sg

8 HOME

Sunday May 4, 2014 CatholicNews

Canossian Sisters share Easter joy with MP By Sr Marilyn Lim Easter this year was very special for the Canossian Sisters as Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob was the special guest during the Sisters’ Easter get-together at St Joseph’s Home (SJH) on April 20. She had always expressed her desire to meet the Canossian Sisters ever since she met Sr Theresa Seow, the Provincial Leader at various functions in the social service sector. In her welcome address, Sr Theresa said, “The Canossian Sisters are meeting and welcoming a sister from the Abrahamic faith into our community.” Madam Halimah is also MP of the Bukit Batok East Division to which the Sisters located at Canossian Convent in Jalan Merbok belong. Sr Theresa commented that Madam Halimah is one MP who does a lot of visiting of families. After a short tour of St Joseph’s Home, the Sisters gathered in the convent chapel where Sr Theresa gave a brief summary of the 120 years of Canossian presence in Singapore. Four novices from Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand were also present. The Sisters gathered for solemn Vespers animated by a group of friends and presided over by Carmelite Fr Edward Lim. In her address, Madam Halimah thanked the Sisters for the

We all share ‘ common values: deep respect and love for humanity.’

– Madam Halimah Yacob

St Joseph’s Home to move to Mandai

The Canossian Sisters with Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob (front row, centre) at their Easter get-together on April 20.

privilege of sharing this sacred moment. In appreciating the work at St Joseph’s Home, she remarked, “It is not easy to look after the aged... Our society needs compassion and empathy, especially persons in the last moments of their life.”

Madam Halimah also commented on the passion of the Sisters, saying, “It is something that comes from deep within.” She added that she admires the Christian missionaries, who are one of the biggest pillars of society. She said the government can do a lot but cannot take care of

everything and that it is important for civic communities to do their part. She added that she has seen how the children are taken care of in the Canossaville Children’s Home. In her concluding remarks, she said, “We all share common values: deep respect and love for humanity.... May you continue to work for humanity and share your love with the needy as you have done.”

Besides celebrating the joy of the Risen Lord, the Sisters also took the opportunity to enjoy the spacious St Joseph’s Home which had been home to more than 2,000 elderly persons over the last 30 years. It has also been the sanctuary for more than 576 terminally-ill patients who were given the tender loving care in the hospice section as they spent the last lap of their life with dignity and purpose. The St Joseph’s Home will move out in the last quarter of this year as it prepares for major upgrading to meet the increased demand for aged care in Singapore. “The home will be redeveloped to provide professional and enabling care to dementia residents, as well as to explore new possible services to support the elderly and their family,” said Sr Geraldine Tan, the administrator. The project will take about two years and the new home will house 350 beds with a 20-bed hospice, a dementia care unit and a pilot project for assisted living, and will cost an estimated $75 million. The home is expected to remain in Mandai from the last quarter of 2014 till end of 2016.

ASIA 9

Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

Proposed laws would curb religious freedom, Myanmar archbishop warns YANGON – Proposed laws on “the

protection of race and religion� in Myanmar are unnecessary, said Archbishop Charles Bo of Yangon, as he warned against the state interfering in an individual’s right to choose their religion. Such laws risked reducing religious freedom in Myanmar at a time when citizens are gaining freedoms in most other areas, Archbishop Bo told the Asian Church news portal ucanews.com. A nationalist movement led by Buddhist monks last year had lawyers draft a package of legislation to regulate interfaith marriage, religious conversion and population growth, backed by a petition with more than 1.3 million signatures. The government of the country’s reformist president, Mr Thein Sein, is drafting laws based on the proposal, which is targeting the Buddhist-majority country’s Muslim minority. At the heart of the movement is an apparent fear that Buddhist women are being forcibly converted to Islam, and that Muslims DUH JURZLQJ LQ QXPEHU DQG LQÀXence. Inter-communal violence has displaced tens of thousands of people in Rakhine state, where the ethnic Rohingya Muslim minority lives, and elsewhere since mid2012. The vast majority of those displaced are Muslims. The most controversial law being proposed would require a Buddhist woman to have her marriage sanctioned by local authorities, her parents and in-laws before marrying a non-Buddhist. Her husband also would be required to convert to Buddhism. Speaking at his Yangon residence, adjacent to St Mary’s Cathedral, Archbishop Bo said such matters should not be legally restricted.

Conversion is an ‘individual freedom. They cannot force anybody to become one religion or the other.

’

– Archbishop Charles Bo of Yangon on proposed laws regulating interfaith marriage, religious conversion and population growth

“Suppose if somebody wants to marry a Muslim, he would have to become a Muslim according to the [religious] laws. If he marries a Catholic girl, he must become a Catholic. But it’s different. This is the law of the religion. But they want to enforce it in the state law,� he said. New York-based Human Rights Watch last month called for Mr Thein Sein and lower house Speaker Thura Shwe Mann to reject the proposal, saying it contained measures “seriously

jeopardising women’s autonomous decision making and their freedom to start a family of their choiceâ€?. “It is shocking that Burma is considering enshrining blatant discrimination at the heart of Burmese family law,â€? Mr Brad Adams, Human Rights Watch’s Asia director, said in a statement. “This law would strip away from women their right to freely decide whom to marry, and would mark a major reversal for religious freedom and women’s rights in Burma.â€? Myanmar’s attorney general’s RIÂżFH DQG JRYHUQPHQW PLQLVWULHV DUH H[SHFWHG WR GHYHORS ÂżQDO drafts of the package of laws in May. Also proposed is a measure to legally regulate conversion from Buddhism to another religion. “Conversion is an individual freedom,â€? Archbishop Bo said. “They cannot force anybody to become one religion or the other. Even the pope said we have to respect even the atheist who doesn’t profess any religion. I think we have to respect the conscience of each one. We cannot force them to join one religion or the other; not the parents, not the state, not the monks.â€? The proposed laws also would attempt to restrict population growth. The Myanmar government has already enacted policies aimed at limiting Rohingya families to two children. “All these areas I don’t think anyone can impose on anyone,â€? said Archbishop Bo, adding that such laws could jeopardise new freedoms, mainly the newfound ability of Myanmar citizens, with some restrictions, to hold public demonstrations. “If we restrict these, it’s not democracy,â€? he said. „ CNS

The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Manila reopened on April 9 with a Mass. President Benigno Aquino attended the celebration. CNS photo

Manila cathedral reopens after 2-year renovation MANILA – After being shuttered for two years for a US$1 millionplus (S$1.25 million) makeover, the Manila archdiocese’s cathedral reopened its doors to the public with a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Luis Tagle. “We are celebrating the reconVWUXFWLRQ WKH UHWURÂżWWLQJ RI 0Dnila cathedral, which is not just a building,â€? the cardinal said in his homily during ceremonies on April 9. “But [it’s] a living symbol of a community of faith that has journeyed through centuries.â€? Several bishops joined Cardinal Tagle in concelebrating the liturgy at the black-and-white Italian marble altar with brass ornamental angels in the cathedral, called the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. The congregation included Philippine President Benigno

Aquino, and former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada. Cardinal Tagle thanked the many backers of the renovation. “Generosity with resources, expertise, dedication, they all need to be fuelled, fuelled by faith, love of God, love of the Church, devotion to Our Lady. And I saw that,â€? he said. Without these four things, the cardinal said, the remodelling would not have been possible. Built in 1571 by Spanish conquistadors, the cathedral is located in Manila’s historic walled city known as the Intramuros. It was bounded by government buildings on either side and sat in front of a town square. The structure has been rebuilt eight times after VXFFXPELQJ WR ÂżUHV HDUWKTXDNHV damaging typhoons and the ravages of World War II. „ CNS

10 ASIA

Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

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ASIA 11

Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

Vatican offers solidarity RYHU à LJKW 0+ .RUHDQ IHUU\ WUDJHGLHV VATICAN CITY – The Vatican has

expressed sorrow over Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 which went missing with 239 passenJHUV DQG Ă€LJKW FUHZ RQ ERDUG and the recent Korean ferry tragedy. Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, president of the PonWLÂżFDO &RXQFLO IRU WKH 3DVWRUDO Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, in a letter to Fr Eugene Benedict, airport chaplain of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, said: “I am deeply saddened by this tragedy and in the name of the enWLUH VWDII RI WKH 3RQWLÂżFDO &RXQFLO for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, I wish to express our closeness in prayer and in the spirit of Christian solidarity. In a particular way, I think of the family and friends of WKRVH SDVVHQJHUV DQG Ă€LJKW FUHZ lost.â€? As he waits more reliable information on the incident, “I place the entire situation into the hands of God, the Father of Mercy, for whom nothing is lost. May He be the guide and comfort for all in these hours of loss and grief,â€? he added.

Cardinal Veglio also asked Fr Eugene to transmit these sentiments to the archbishop and the Christian community in the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, to the airport authorities, and to all those suffering the loss of their loved ones. On Holy Saturday, Pope Francis asked people worldwide to join him in prayer for the victims of the April 16 ferry disaster in South Korea. Using the global Twitter network, the Holy Father tweeted: “Please join me in praying for the victims of the ferry

cians “should all learn from Jesus’ VHOI VDFULÂżFH LQ WKH QDPH RI WKH interests of the people and the nation. To speak about good things during the election campaign and fail to turn them into reality means mocking people,â€? said Msgr Anthony Sharma, apostolic vicar of Nepal. In his homily during Palm Sunday Mass, the prelate did not mince his words. For him, the country’s leaders “have failed. They were supposed to write a secular constitution, and they did not. They made many promises and did not keep them.â€? Hundreds of people, includ-

HERALD, ZENIT

A priest prays for family members of missing passengers from the South Korean ferry Sewol during a special Easter service at a gymnasium in Jindo, South Korea. CNS photos

‘Please join me

in praying for the victims of the ferry disaster in Korea and their families.

’

– Tweet from Pope Francis (right)

Nepal Church leader slams politicians KATHMANDU – Nepal’s politi-

disaster in Korea and their families.� The shuttle ferry, the Sewol, sank carrying 476 passengers on board. Many of them were high school students on a school trip to the holiday island of Jeju. Pope Francis is due to visit South Korea for Asian Youth Day IURP $XJ DQG WKH EHDWL¿cation of 124 Korean martyrs. „

ing many non-Catholics, attended the service. Msgr Sharma asked them to “accept Jesus just as the people of Jerusalem did�. “We must always be ready to spread the message of God in our nation and the world,� he explained. “We cannot call ourselves Catholics if we are not Catholic in the heart, ready to serve those in need.� Sirjana Khadka, a university student who was to be baptised at Easter, said, “God chose me to spread His word. I am proud to call myself a Catholic, proud to pass on my faith to friends and neighbours.� „ ASIANEWS

People hold candles during a candlelight vigil for passengers on board the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, in Kuala Lumpur.

12 WORLD $ SROLFH RIÂżFHU JXDUGV WKH HQWUDQFH WR WKH VFHQH RI D VKRRWLQJ DW WKH -HZLVK &RPPXQLW\ &HQWUH RI *UHDWHU .DQVDV &LW\ LQ 2YHUODQG 3DUN .DQVDV RQ $SULO 13. A gunman RSHQHG ÂżUH DW WZR -HZLVK IDFLOLWLHV QHDU .DQVDV &LW\ WKDW GD\ NLOOLQJ WKUHH SHRSOH SROLFH VDLG CNS photo

Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

Jewish centre deaths mourned, Catholic among the victims OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS –

Outpourings of grief and support came in response to the murder of three people at two Jewish-run facilities in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park on April 13, the day before the Jewish feast of Passover was to begin. Although none of the three dead were Jewish, local police and the FBI labelled the killings a hate crime the day after the shootings. A former Ku Klux Klan leader with a history of anti-Semitism was charged in connection with the killings. One of the dead was a Catholic woman, Terri LaManno of Kansas City. She was at Village Shalom, where Frazier Glenn Cross, according to police, headed after allegedly shooting a doctor and his teenage grandson at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Kansas City a mile away. LaManno was a member of St Peter Parish in Kansas City. Her identity was released midmorning on April 14. Her mother lives at Village Shalom, an assisted living residence near the community centre. The married mother of two college-age children, LaManno, 53, worked as an occupational therapist at the Children’s Centre for the Visually Impaired, according to the Kansas City Star. The newspaper reported that a rosary was said for La-

Manno after Mass on April 14. “I express my deepest condolences to the Jewish community for the unspeakable act of violence that occurred on their campus on Sunday,� said Archbishop Joseph F Naumann of Kansas City in an April 13 statement. The American Jewish Committee (AJC) lamented the killings in an April 13 statement.

express my deepest ‘Icondolences to the Jewish community for the unspeakable act of violence that occurred on their campus on Sunday.

’

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“Our hearts go out to the victims of this heartbreaking tragedy,� said AJC executive director David Harris. Cross, 73, who has also used the name Frazier Glenn Miller, or simply Glenn Miller, was caught by a television camera shouting “Heil Hitler!� inside a police car after his arrest. „ CNS „ 6HH DOVR VWRU\ RQ 3DJH

WORLD 13

Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

Ukrainian Church leader urges West to take action against Russia OXFORD, ENGLAND – A Ukrain-

ian Catholic leader urged the US DQG (XURSHDQ 8QLRQ WR WDNH ÂżUPer action to stop the Russians from backing armed Ukrainian separatists. “We desperately hope the international community will consolidate its voice, and Western governments act more coherently and consistently,â€? said Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh, secretarygeneral of the Ukrainian Catholic Synod of Bishops. Âł2QO\ ÂżUP MRLQW DFWLRQ ZLOO stop the provocative, diversionary operations being conducted by Russian intelligence on Ukrainian territory, of which we now have proof, and force Russia to take its threatening army away from our ERUGHU ´ KH WROG &DWKROLF 1HZV Service by telephone on April 17. As he spoke, diplomats from Ukraine, Russia, the US and European Union held talks in Geneva to calm an escalating situation in Ukraine. In March, Ukrainians in Crimea voted to break away from Ukraine and join Russia. In April, pro-Russian protesters stormed government buildings in Donetsk, Kharkiv and other eastern Ukrainian cities, raising fears of a new Russian intervention after the March annexation of Crimea. Bishop Dzyurakh said Ukrainian Catholic clergy had not been “directly threatenedâ€? in the protest areas, but cautioned that

escalating tension could give the FRQĂ€LFW D UHOLJLRXV GLPHQVLRQ “The US and European governments guaranteed Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity – we hope they’ll take responsibility by matching their verbal declarations with concrete actions,â€? Bishop Dzyurakh said. “The sanctions announced so far are really LQVXIÂżFLHQW 8QOHVV WKH\ KRQRXU and uphold their pledges, how can we trust them again in future?â€?

This is now a key ‘moment for Europe, when it will either unite its efforts and stop the threat of war, or risk unforeseen tragic consequences.

’

– Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh

Bishop Dzyurakh said governments should realise that “responsibility for war lies not only with those directly causing it, but also with those who fail to do everything to prevent itâ€?. “This is now a key moment for Europe, when it will either unite its efforts and stop the threat of war, or risk unforeseen tragic consequences,â€? he said. “Surely we haven’t lived through 70 years of peace WR DOORZ D QHZ FRQĂ€LFW WR LPSRVH terrible sufferings on the European

A man passes a mural showing a map of Crimea in the Russian national colours on a street in Moscow. CNS photo

continent with such ease?â€? In Donetsk on April 17, the Council of Churches, which includes Catholic, Orthodox and other denominations, urged local RIÂżFLDOV WR ÂłWDNH DOO QHFHVVDU\ measuresâ€? to stop “rabid antiSemitism and xenophobiaâ€? by VHSDUDWLVW IRUFHV DIWHU LQĂ€DPPDWRU\ OHDĂ€HWV ZHUH GLVWULEXWHG DW WKH city’s synagogue during Passover. Meanwhile, Donetsk police

Mideast patriarchs call for peace at Easter

asked residents to stay away from churches in troubled districts over Easter until the situation stabilised. The Russian Orthodox Church has been widely criticised for failing to question Moscow’s actions during the crisis and for apparently endorsing claims that ethnic Russians are under attack and Orthodox churches are facing violent seizure in Ukraine. “By remaining silent and failing to condemn this aggression against our state, the Russian Orthodox Church is failing in its duty to touch the consciences of

Russia’s citizens and politicians,� Bishop Dzyurakh said. “At this time of Easter, we should be spreading the good news of truth, peace and love. If Churches won’t do this, who will?� In an Easter message to Ukrainian Catholics, published on April 16, Ukrainian Catholic Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kiev-Halych said his Church had been “reborn to a new life� after Soviet-era persecution, but now Ukrainians were again “threatened with weapons and intimidated�. „ CNS

BEIRUT – Catholic patriarchs in

the Middle East, in their Easter messages, appealed for peace in Syria and expressed hope that the region would experience a resurrection. Melkite Catholic Patriarch Gregoire III Laham, who was born in Syria, said his country has “entered upon the fourth year of its way of the crossâ€? but “will one day soon, we hope, reach resurrection joyâ€?. “I want Damascus and the whole of Syria to live again the joy of [St] Paul when he met Christ, risen from the dead, at the gate of Damascus,â€? the patriarch said in his Easter message, issued ahead of the April 20 feast. On Easter, he visited the ancient city of Maaloula, Syria, with Orthodox Patriarch John X of Antioch and all the East. “In the face of this dark and bloody image of our beloved country, Syria, I turn to the nations of the whole world and beseech them: Have pity on Syria! Leave Syria to Syrians! That’s enough of \RXU ZHDSRQV \RXU ÂżJKWHUV \RXU mercenaries, your armed adventurers, your jihadis ...â€? Syriac Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan, who also was born in

Sydney archdiocese gives free schooling for refugees SYDNEY – A plan offering free

Melkite Catholic Patriarch Gregoire III Laham of Damascus, Syria (left), and Orthodox Patriarch John X of Antioch and all the East visit the ancient Christian town of Maaloula, Syria. CNS photo

Syria, said, “Christian communities in the Middle East are facing today the most fearful challenge, which threatens their very survival in their own land.� “Innocent people, particularly vulnerable and targeted Christians, continue to suffer in the Middle East and most particularly in Syria and Iraq. They are suffering because of violent hatred exercised by many militant religious groups that are often tacitly, even openly, supported by Western politicians,� Patriarch

Younan said in his Easter message. The patriarchs and heads of Christian churches in Jerusalem said they were “acutely conscious of the ravages of violence in places such as Syria, Lebanon and elsewhere, as well as of the struggles of countless thousands of refugees�. They said Christ’s resurrection “was the ultimate assurance that transformation by the grace of God is always possible, even in the apparently most intractable of human situations�. „ CNS

Catholic schooling for refugee children in Sydney archdiocese ZRXOG HDVH WKH ÂżQDQFLDO VWUDLQ RQ refugee families and provide community support, supporters said. Mr Dan White, executive director of archdiocesan Catholic schools, announced in early April WKDW WKH &DWKROLF (GXFDWLRQ 2IÂżFH would create a special fund for the education of refugees. Under the plan, eligible students would receive up to US$4,000 (S$5,000) per year for school fees, books and equipment. “I believe that we all should share the responsibility for supporting those most in need. Anything less than that diminishes us as a nation,â€? Mr White said. The programme would cover as many children as there are vacancies in archdiocesan schools. In announcing the programme, Mr White called for the immediate release of all children being held in immigration detention.

“Regardless of the circumstances in which they arrived in Australia, we must never subject children to this kind of experience,â€? he said. The Australian Human Rights Commission recently reported several concerns for the mental health of 315 children held in the immigration detention centre on Christmas Island, an Australian territory more than 2,600 km northwest of Perth. Another 177 children were being held in the detention centre on WKH 6RXWK 3DFLÂżF LVODQG RI 1DXUX an offshore processing facility for those seeking asylum in Australia. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection in February said that 40 of those children were detained without an adult relative. “As a nation, we have to do better than this,â€? Mr White said. “I know it has been said by others, but surely the measure of a civilised society is how we treat the most vulnerable.â€? „ CNS

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Sunday May 4, 2014 CatholicNews

@2011 CNS

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Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

WORLD 15

16 POPE FRANCIS

Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

Pope stresses love, comp Pontiff gives clergy tips on retaining ‘priestly joy’ at Chrism Mass VATICAN CITY – A priest is called

WR EH LQ WKH PLGVW RI KLV ÀRFN protecting his people, searching for those who are lost and always serving those in need, Pope Francis told the world’s priests. If a priest wants to overcome those inevitable moments of sadness, exhaustion and boredom as well as discover his true identity, he must go outside himself to be with God and His people, he said during the April 17 Chrism Mass in St Peter’s Basilica. He must also be a dutiful servant who listens to people’s need and builds a church whose doors are wide open, offering refuge for sinners, a home for the homeless, comfort for the sick and God’s word and joy for the young, he said. 3UHVLGLQJ RYHU WKH ¿UVW RI WZR Holy Thursday liturgies, Pope Francis blessed the oils that will be used in the sacraments of baptism, FRQ¿UPDWLRQ RUGLQDWLRQ DQG WKH anointing of the sick. Joined by more than 1,500 priests, bishops and cardinals, Pope Francis led them in a renewal RI WKHLU SULHVWO\ YRZV DQG D UHÀHFtion on what it means to be a priest. He focused on the meaning of

being anointed through ordination, emphasising that Holy Thursday was the day Jesus shared His priesthood with the apostles by anointing them with “the oil of gladness.â€? “Priestly joy is a priceless treasure, not only for the priest himself but for the entire faithful people of God,â€? the pope said. He said it’s not an exaggeration, given the “grandeur of the gift granted usâ€? to minister and serve, to say the priest is a very small person. While “in that littleness we ÂżQG RXU MR\´ KH VDLG EHLQJ ÂłOLWWOH´ without God spells danger. “No one is more ‘little’ than a priest left to his own devices.â€? Priestly joy must be sought and URRWHG LQ *RGÂśV ORYH DQG LW FDQ ÂżQG protection from evil in prayer to Mary, he said. Self-denial, forsaking earthly happiness and giving oneself to others mean the priest “has to seek his joy from the Lord and from God’s faithful people. He doesn’t need to try to create it for himself.â€? Nor should the priest be trying to carve out his own identity because “there is no identity – and consequently joy of life – without an active and unwavering sense of

Pope Francis breathes over chrism oil, a gesture symbolising the infusion of the Holy Spirit, during the Holy Thursday Chrism Mass in St Peter’s Basilica. CNS photo

If a priest wants to overcome those inevitable moments of sadness and exhaustion and discover his true identity, he must go outside himself to be with God and His people, said the pope. belonging to God’s faithful people�, he said. ³7KH SULHVW ZKR WULHV WR ¿QG KLV priestly identity by soul-searching and introspection may well en-

counter nothing more than ‘exit’ signs, signs that say: Exit from yourself, exit to seek God in adoration, go out and give your people what was entrusted to you.�

The people of God “will make you feel and taste who you areâ€?, he said. They will also be able “to protect you, to embrace you and to KHOS \RX RSHQ \RXU KHDUW WR ÂżQG UHnewed joyâ€? during those moments D SULHVW ÂżQGV KLPVHOI IHHOLQJ LVRlated, gloomy, listless and bored, “which at times overcome us in our priestly life and which I too have experiencedâ€?, the pope said. „ CNS

Pope washes the feet of people living with disabilities VATICAN CITY – In the humble act

of washing His disciples’ feet, Jesus is showing all Christians how He wants them to serve others with love, Pope Francis said. “This is the legacy that Jesus leaves us,� he said. During the evening Mass at a rehabilitation facility on the outskirts of Rome on April 17, Pope Francis washed the feet of four women and eight men who are living with disabilities. Ranging in age from 16 to 86, nine of the 12 patients were Italian, one was a Muslim from Libya, one was a woman from Ethiopia and one young man was from Cape Verde. Two women Religious helped patients, all of them with limited mobility, remove their shoes and socks. The pope then knelt on both knees on a small cushion before each person. He poured water from a small silver pitcher over each person’s foot; some feet were greatly swollen due to the individual’s medical condition.

With a white towel, he dried each foot and kissed it, often havLQJ WR EHQG RQWR WKH Ă€RRU WR UHDFK the feet of those who were completely paralysed. Two aides assisted the 77-yearold pope in kneeling and standing back up, which proved increasingO\ GLIÂżFXOW <HW EHIRUH ULVLQJ KH gave each patient a long and loving gaze and broad smile. Jesus’ gesture was like a parting gift and “an inheritanceâ€?, the pope said during the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper held at the Father Carlo Gnocchi Foundation’s Our Lady of Providence Centre on April 17. Âł<RX WRR PXVW ORYH HDFK RWKer, be servants in love,â€? he said in a brief homily, which he delivered off the cuff. He asked people to think of ways “how we can serve others betterâ€?. The 75-year-old Muslim from /LE\D LGHQWLÂżHG RQO\ DV +DPHG lives with severe neurological damage from a car accident. He told the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore

Pope Francis kisses the foot of a disabled person at Our Lady of Providence Centre in Rome during Holy Thursday Mass. CNS photo

Romano, that he was surprised he got an invitation. “I agreed to participate because I have great respect for Catholicism and respect for this pope, his intelligence, the way he speaks and

acts. I’m a believer and I can’t create differences,� he said. The youngest patient, 16-yearold Osvaldinho from Cape Verde, said he was greatly moved by the way the pope looked at him, he told

the newspaper. “There was something – it made me want to cry,â€? he said. The teenager, who is paralysed from the neck down from a diving accident last year, said, “I was speechless ... I wanted to tell him something but I was mute. I was too stunned. I will always treasure this encounter,â€? he said. A large number of patients, their relatives as well as the facility’s Religious and lay staff, directors and volunteers attended the evening Mass. Msgr Angelo Bazzarri, president of the Father Gnocchi Foundation, told Vatican Radio that the pope’s decision to wash the feet of patients with different abilities, ages and religious convictions was PHDQW WR UHĂ€HFW WKH ÂłXQLYHUVDO JHVture of a God who became man, who serves all of humanityâ€?. By choosing to visit the rehabilitation centre, the pope was showing the kind of “evangelical mercy that he wants to embrace the entire world of sufferingâ€?, he said. „ CNS

POPE FRANCIS 17

Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

passion during Holy Week CNS photo

Thousands gather outside the Colosseum in Rome for the night-time Way of the Cross. CNS photo

Way of Cross focuses on social, spiritual woes ROME – Standing in the midst of a giant cross outlined with small torches, Pope Francis said the cross is a reminder of how much evil people are capable of and how much love Jesus had for a sinful humanity. “It was a heavy cross like the night for those who are abandoned, heavy like the death of a loved one and heavy� because it took on all the pain of evil, he said, presiding over the night-time Way of the Cross on April 18. Standing atop a hillside overlooking Rome’s Colosseum, the pope told the thousands of people who gathered with him in prayer that Jesus shows “that evil will not have the last word�, and love, mercy and forgiveness will be victorious. “From the cross we see the monstrosity of mankind when it lets itself be guided by evil. But

we also see the immensity of the mercy of God, who doesn’t treat us according to our sins, but according to His mercy.� Do not forget those who are sick and abandoned with their own FURVV EXW SUD\ WKH\ ¿QG ³VWUHQJWK ... in the trials of the cross, the hope of God’s resurrection and love�, he said before imparting his blessing. This year’s Good Friday meditations focused on how the wounds and suffering of Christ are found in the wounds and suffering of one’s neighbours, family, children and the world. By passing a bare wooden cross from one group of people to the next in succession, those chosen to lead the Way of the Cross acted as visible representatives of the oftenhidden injustices still wounding the world. Although most stations had multiple representatives, only one

at each station physically carried the cross. The smallest of three children KHOG WKH FURVV DV D UHÀHFWLRQ ZDV read about the plight of sexually abused minors, and two inmates carried and accompanied the cross GXULQJ D UHÀHFWLRQ RQ WKH DQJXLVK of imprisonment and torture. As he did last year, Pope Francis remained on the hillside terrace LQ VLOHQW UHÀHFWLRQ DQG SUD\HU DV thousands of people, many holding candles, attended the ceremony, which was broadcast by more than 50 television networks around the world. The meditations were written by Italian Archbishop Giancarlo Maria Bregantini of CampobassoBoiano, a former factory worker, longtime prison chaplain, champiRQ RI WKH XQHPSOR\HG DQG ¿HUFHO\ outspoken critic of the Italian ma¿D „ CNS

Pope Francis presides over the Way of the Cross outside the Colosseum in Rome.

Judas and human history VATICAN CITY – Everyone is capable of betraying Jesus as Judas did, but no one should make the mistake of doubting God’s mercy and willingness to forgive, the papal preacher said. Though Jesus knows well what is “unfolding in His disciple’s heart, He doesn’t expose it, He wants to give him the possibility, until the very end, of backing outâ€? and repenting, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa said during the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion. Pope Francis presided at the April 18 service in St Peter’s Basilica commemorating Christ’s death on the cross. The pope began the rite after a silent procession down the central nave. Then he lay prostrate on the Ă€RRU EHIRUH WKH PDLQ DOWDU LQ VLOHQW

prayer, a sign of adoration and penance. Following tradition, the homily was delivered by Father Cantalamessa, preacher of the papal household. Focusing on the role of Judas, the Capuchin priest said the narrative of a person doing evil for “30 pieces of silverâ€? keeps repeating itself throughout history. He said money is involved in all of today’s social ills, including the illicit drug trade, women pushed into prostitution, children snatched IRU WKHLU RUJDQV WKH PDÂżD SROLWLFDO corruption, the sale of weapons and WKH RQJRLQJ ÂżQDQFLDO FULVLV “Whoever betrays his wife or her husband betrays Jesus,â€? he said, and the same goes for government leaders who betray the public or anyone who betrays his or her conscience. „ CNS

‘Return to Galilee’, pope urges „ From Page 1

Pope Francis celebrates Easter Vigil in St Peter’s Basilica. CNS photo

new beginning,� one that begins with Jesus’ “supreme act of love� in dying for humanity’s sin. Departing repeatedly from his prepared text, Pope Francis kept telling people: “Have no fear. Do not be afraid. Have the courage to open your hearts� to the Lord’s love. Returning to Galilee, he said,

“means treasuring in my heart the living memory� of “the moment when His eyes met mine�. “Where is my Galilee,� the pope urged people to ask themselves. “Have I forgotten it? Have I gone off on roads and paths which made me forget it?� Pope Francis encouraged people to ask the Lord’s help in remembering and in telling the Lord,

“I want to return there to encounter you and to let myself be embraced by your mercy.� The pope baptised 10 people at the Easter Vigil; they ranged from a seven-year-old Italian boy to a 58-year-old Vietnamese woman. Four other Italians and one person each from Senegal, Lebanon, France and Belarus also were baptised. „ CNS

18 POPE FRANCIS

Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

Pope Francis blesses a child through a fence outside the Church of St Gregory the Great in Rome. The pontiff recently apologised for clerical sex abuse. CNS photo

Pope: ‘You don’t play with children’s lives!’ VATICAN CITY – “I feel called to

take responsibility for all the evil some priests – large in number, but not in proportion to the total – have committed and to ask forgiveness for the damage they’ve GRQH ZLWK WKH VH[XDO DEXVH RI children,� Pope Francis said. ³7KH &KXUFK LV DZDUH RI WKLV damage� and is committed to strengthening child protection programmes and punishing offenders, he told members of the International Catholic Child Bureau during a meeting on April 11 at the Vatican. The remarks appeared to be WKH SRSHœV ¿UVW DSRORJ\ IRU WKH VH[ DEXVH VFDQGDO IROORZLQJ HDUOLHU VWDWHPHQWV DI¿UPLQJ WKH 9DWLFDQœV ZRUN LQYHVWLJDWLQJ DQG SXQLVKing perpetrators, and encouraging bishops to support abuse victims. The pope has also said the Church deserves to be forced to make monetary settlements to vic-

tims. In December, Pope Francis established a Vatican commission to promote improved child protections policies throughout the Church. 6SHDNLQJ ZLWK WKH OHDGHUV RI the International Catholic Child Bureau, an organisation based in France and dedicated to defending children’s rights, Pope Francis VDLG LW ZDV KDUG WR EHOLHYH ÂłPHQ RI WKH &KXUFK´ ZRXOG FRPPLW VXFK horrors. Âł:H GRQÂśW ZDQW WR WDNH D VWHS EDFNZDUG LQ GHDOLQJ ZLWK WKLV SUREOHP DQG ZLWK WKH VDQFWLRQV that must be imposed,â€? the pope said. “On the contrary, I believe ZH PXVW EH YHU\ VWURQJ <RX GRQÂśW SOD\ ZLWK FKLOGUHQÂśV OLYHV ´ Pope Francis also spoke about the importance of defending chilGUHQÂśV ULJKW ÂłWR JURZ LQ D IDPLO\ ZLWK D PRWKHU DQG IDWKHU DEOH WR create a healthy environment for WKHLU JURZWK DQG DIIHFWLYH PDWXULW\´

ZKLFK LQFOXGHV ÂłPDWXULQJ LQ UHODtionship to the masculinity and femininity of a father and a motherâ€?. Parents have a right to determine the appropriate “moral and religious educationâ€? of their children, he said, and should not be subject to school curriculums that are thinly veiled courses of indocWULQDWLRQ LQWR ZKDWHYHU LGHRORJ\ LV strongest at the moment. 7KH SRSH VDLG KH ZRQGHUV VRPHWLPHV ZKHWKHU SDUHQWV DUH “sending a child to school or to a re-education campâ€? like those run by dictatorial governments. Obviously, he said, children need help in responding to the problems and challenges contemporary FXOWXUH DQG WKH PHGLD UDLVH <RXQJ people can’t be kept in “glass jarsâ€? but must be given the values that ZLOO KHOS WKHP HYDOXDWH ZKDW FXOtural trends respect their dignity and freedom and the dignity and freedom of others, he said. „ CNS

Holy Father honours slained Jesuit VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis

said the assassination of “my confrereâ€?, a 75-year-old Dutch Jesuit LQ 6\ULD ³¿OOHG PH ZLWK GHHS VDGness and made me think again of DOO WKH SHRSOH ZKR VXIIHU DQG DUH dying in that martyred countryâ€?. Jesuit Fr Frans van der Lugt “arrived in Syria about 50 years agoâ€? DQG ÂłDOZD\V GLG KLV EHVW IRU HYHU\RQH ZLWK JUDFLRXVQHVV DQG ORYH DQG VR ZDV ORYHG DQG KHOG LQ HVteem by Christians and Muslimsâ€?, the pope said on April 9 at the end RI KLV ZHHNO\ JHQHUDO DXGLHQFH Fr Van der Lugt had refused WR OHDYH ZDU WRUQ 6\ULD LQVWHDG staying in Homs to help the poor DQG KRPHOHVV +H ZDV EHDWHQ E\ XQLGHQWLÂżHG DUPHG PHQ DQG NLOOHG RQ $SULO ZLWK WZR EXOlets to the head, according to

Fr Frans van der Lugt was killed in Syria. CNS photo

the Jesuits’ Middle East province. “From my heart, I ask you all to join my prayer for peace in Syria and in the region,� Pope Francis

said, “and I launch a heartfelt appeal to Syrian leaders and to the international community: Silence WKH ZHDSRQV 3XW DQ HQG WR WKH YLROHQFH 1R PRUH ZDU 1R PRUH GHVWUXFWLRQ ´ Fr Van der Lugt, a psychotherDSLVW KDG ZRUNHG LQ 6\ULD VLQFH 1966 and had been offering shelter in his monastery to Muslims and Christians left homeless by the ZDU ZKLFK EHJDQ LQ 0DUFK In a statement, Fr Adolfo 1LFRODV VXSHULRU JHQHUDO RI WKH Jesuits, and the staff of the Jesuits’ headquarters expressed their sorURZ ÂłIRU WKH EUXWDO DVVDVVLQDWLRQ RI D PDQ ZKR GHGLFDWHG KLV OLIH WR the poorest and neediest, especialO\ LQ +RPV DQG ZKR GLG QRW ZDQW to abandon them even at times of great dangerâ€?. „ CNS

POPE FRANCIS 19

Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

Seminary study requires commitment to constant conversion, pontiff says VATICAN CITY – Meeting a group

of seminarians who had walked more than 65 kilometres to see him at the Vatican, Pope Francis told them to give their all to prayer, study and pastoral preparation, or else have the “courage to seek another pathâ€?. “Let’s be truthful here,â€? he said on April 14, “the seminary is not a refuge for the many limitations we might have, a refuge from psychological weaknesses RU D UHIXJH EHFDXVH , GRQÂśW KDYH the courage to move on with my OLIH DQG ,ÂśP VHHNLQJ D SODFH WKDW will defend me.â€? Âł,I \RXU VHPLQDU\ ZHUH WKDW the Church would be mortgaging its future,â€? he told students and VWDII PHPEHUV RI WKH 3RQWLÂżFDO Leonian College in Anagni, south of Rome. A Catholic can serve God and the Church in many ways, Pope Francis said. The ministeULDO SULHVWKRRG LV D VSHFLÂżF YRFDtion, a call to be like Jesus, the good shepherd, in the midst of His sheep. “You are not preparing for a career or to become functionaries in a company or bureaucratic

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– Pope Francis to seminarians

organisation,� he said. Too many priests have travelled only “halfway� on their vocational path and are little more than bureaucrats, which “is not good for the Church�. Pope Francis told seminarians that he was not saying they had to be perfect to be worthy seminarians – “just think of the apostles� and how much they had to learn from Jesus. Putting a modern spin on the apostles’ requests for places of honour beside Jesus, the pope told

the seminarians to “think of James and John; one of them wanted to be prime minister and the other the minister of the economy because those were the most importantâ€? positions. Despite the disciples’ misunderstanding about what discipleship meant, Jesus was patient with them and taught them along the way, the pope said. A serious commitment to preparing for the priesthood shows in a willingness to be converted a little more each day, he said. That means meditating on the Scriptures, “experiencing the mercy of God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation in order to become generous and merciful ministersâ€?, going to Mass, receiving the Eucharist and being men of prayer. %HIRUH WKH FDOO WR EHFRPH shepherds after Christ’s heart, he said, “we might respond like the 9LUJLQ 0DU\ GLG WR WKH DQJHO Âľ%XW KRZ LV WKLV SRVVLEOH"Âś %HFRPLQJ good shepherds in the image of Jesus is something so big and we are so small. Yes, it’s true, it is too big; but it’s not something we do. ,WÂśV WKH ZRUN RI WKH +RO\ 6SLULW with our cooperation.â€? „ CNS

Pope: Prayer, openness essential for theologians, philosophers VATICAN CITY – A good theologian or philosopher knows that his or her learning and thinking are always incomplete and that prayer and encounters with other people and cultures will bring deeper understanding, Pope Francis said. Âł7KH WKHRORJLDQ VDWLVÂżHG WKDW his thought is complete and conclusive is mediocre,â€? he said. “The theologian who does not pray and does not adore God ends up drowning in the most disgusting narcissism.â€? “This is an ecclesiastical sickness,â€? he said. “The narcissism of theologians and thinkers does such harm; it’s disgusting.â€? Meeting on April 10 with 5,000 students, professors and staff members of the Jesuit-run 3RQWLÂżFDO *UHJRULDQ 8QLYHUVLW\ 3RQWLÂżFDO %LEOLFDO ,QVWLWXWH DQG 3RQWLÂżFDO 2ULHQWDO ,QVWLWXWH 3RSH Francis said theologians must have “an open mindâ€? and a deep life of prayer. “This isn’t something oldfashioned,â€? the pope said. Study “will be more fruitful and effective to the extent that it is animated by love for Christ and His Churchâ€?. The Church does not need professors who hand out an accumulation of facts, he said, but professors who can help their students understand how their learning is

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– Pope Francis to theologians and philosophers

Pope Francis leads an audience with members of Jesuit higher education institutions in Rome, at the Vatican on April 10. CNS photo

connected to living the Gospel today and can help them respond with the Gospel to the needs and problems of others. Tradition and history must be safeguarded, the pope said, while at the same time acknowledging the present and “looking toward the future with creativity and im-

agination, trying to have a global vision of the current situation and challenges, and a shared way of facing them by following new paths without fear�. Pope Francis also told the professors, students and staff, “Your institutions are not machines for producing theologians and philosophers. They are communities in which one grows, and growth happens in a family.� While some have the task of leading, others have the task of service, the pope said, and the service of the support staff is “indispensable for creating an attitude of humanity and concrete wisdom� that will help the students realise that “without the goodness and beauty of belonging to a work family, one ends up being an intellectual without talent, an ethicist without goodness [and] a thinker lacking the splendour of beauty�. „ CNS

20 OPINION

Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

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COMMENTARY

Who, then, is my neighbour? By David Gibson Many people are of two minds when it comes to grappling with the term “neighboursâ€?, as used in the larger sense found in the Gospels. People the world over welcome Pope Francis’ call for a more loving world where neighbours are never left alone to suffer life’s wounds. Neighbours of all kinds deserve love, respect and care, the SRSH DIÂżUPV +H UHSHDWHGO\ HPphasises the dignity of the poor. The positive reception accorded this message astonishes many commentators. For, even though few people want a neighbour-free existence, many nowadays do not even know their next-door neighbours’ names and do not consider that an issue. Pope Francis laments the fact that in today’s urban centres, “houses and neighbourhoods are more often built to isolate and protect than to connect and integrateâ€?, as he said in a major document titled The Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium). Some people shy away from neighbours out of fear of being imposed upon. Neighbours are human beings after all, who might one day request something of us that we either do not want or do not feel able to provide, such as a listening ear, a chunk of our time or assistance during an emergency. Some undoubtedly fear they are not competent to respond to others in the manner of Pope Francis. Responding to others’ needs is best done by more experienced people, they decide. People wonder, too, if following the pope’s lead will collapse the walls protecting their personal time. Some think, “I cannot take on anything more at this point.â€? Christians are called to stretch their imaginations when it comes to recognising who holds a place among their neighbours. An addi-

Canossian nuns give a hamper to a Bedok resident. The Canossians run schools in the neighbourhood.

tional challenge is to discern how best to respond to others in reallife situations. In the Gospels these concerns are central. When Jesus is asked what commandment ranks highest, he replies: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the ÂżUVW FRPPDQGPHQW 7KH VHFRQG LV like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourselfâ€? (Mt 22:37-39). Whatever it means to love a neighbour as oneself, it has to mean loving them well. Christians are encouraged to bring the best of themselves to situations of all kinds involving neighbours, who

In today’s urban centres, ‘houses and neighbourhoods are more often built to isolate and protect than to connect and integrate’, said the pope.

may live next door or far away. The word “neighbours� in its larger sense can refer to people we know well or not at all. An old friend debilitated by Alzheimer’s disease who no longer remembers my name is a neighbour. Perhaps he cannot feed himself, which helps clarify what it could mean for me to be his neighbour. Some people feel ambivalent about the Church’s expansive use of the term “neighbour,� suspecting it could lead to acting naively towards strangers and even some friends. But isn’t it good judgement to conclude that people do indeed grow through human relationships and in community? People need each other. Figuring out what this means for oneself is a lifetime’s task. “To love God and neighbour is not something abstract but profoundly concrete,� Pope Francis said during a May 2013 visit to a church-run soup kitchen in Rome. “It means seeing in every person the face of the Lord to be served, to serve him concretely.� „ CNS Gibson formerly served at Catholic News Service in Washington.

Sharing our riches with the poor WE need to give away some of our own possessions in order to be healthy. Wealth that is hoarded always corrupts those who possess it. Any gift that is not shared turns sour. If we are not generous with our gifts we will be bitterly envied and will eventually turn bitter and envious ourselves. These are all axioms with the same warning, we can only be healthy if we are giving away some of our riches to others. Among other things, this should remind us that we need to give to the poor, not simply because they need it, though they do, but because unless we give to the poor we cannot be healthy ourselves. When we give to the poor both charity and justice are served, but some healthy self-interest is served as well, namely, we cannot be healthy or happy unless we share our riches, of every kind, with the poor. That truth is written inside human experience and inside every authentic ethical and faith tradition. For example: We know from experience that when we give of ourselves to others we experience a certain joy in our lives, just as ZKHQ ZH VHO¿VKO\ KRDUG RU SURWHFW ZKDW LV RXUV ZH JURZ DQ[LRXV DQG paranoid. Native American cultures have forever enshrined this in their concept of Potlatch, namely, their belief that, while everyone has a right to private property, there are real limits to how much someone may own. Once our wealth reaches a certain point we need to begin to give some of it away – not because others need it but because our own health and happiness will begin to deteriorate if we hoard all of those possessions for ourselves. Jewish spirituality shares the same idea: Again and again in the Jewish scriptures, we see that when a Religious leader or prophet tells the Jewish community that they are the chosen people, a nation speFLDOO\ EOHVVHG WKDW DI¿UPDWLRQ FRPHV ZLWK WKH DGPRQLWLRQ WKDW WKLV blessing is not for them alone, but that, through them, all the nations of the earth might be blessed. ,Q -HZLVK VSLULWXDOLW\ EOHVVLQJ LV DOZD\V LQWHQGHG WR ÀRZ WKURXJK the person receiving it so as to enrich others. Hindu, Buddhist, and ,VODPLF VSLULWXDOLWLHV HDFK LQ WKHLU RZQ ZD\ DOVR DI¿UPV WKLV QDPHO\ that it is only in giving away some of our gifts that we ourselves can remain healthy. Jesus and the Gospels, of course, teach this repeatedly and without compromise: For instance, the Gospel of Luke, a Gospel within which Jesus warns us that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, nevertheless praises the rich who are generous, condemning only the rich who are stingy. For Luke, generosity is the key to health and heaven. In the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus reveals what will be great WHVW IRU WKH ¿QDO MXGJHPHQW KLV VLQJOH VHW RI FULWHULD KDYH HQWLUHO\ WR do with how we gave to the poor: Did you feed the hungry? Give drink to the thirsty? Clothe the naked? Finally, even more strongly, in the story of the widow who gives her last two pennies away, Jesus challenges us to not only give of our surplus to the poor, but to also give away some of what we need to live on. The Gospels, and the rest of the Christian scriptures, strongly challenge us to give to the poor – not because they need our charity, though they do, but because our giving to them is the only way we can stay healthy. We see the same message, consistent and repeated, in the social doctrine of the Catholic Church. From Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum in 1891 to Pope Francis’ recent, Evangelii Gaudium, we hear the same refrain: While we have a moral right to own private property, that right is not absolute and is mitigated by a number of things, namely, we only have a right to surplus when everyone else has the necessities for life. Hence, we must always be looking towards the poor in terms of dealing with our surplus. Moreover, Catholic social doctrine tells us too that the earth was given by God for everyone and that truth too OLPLWV KRZ ZH GH¿QH ZKDW LV UHDOO\ RXUV DV D SRVVHVVLRQ 3URSHUO\ speaking, we are stewards of our possessions rather than owners of them. Implicit in all of this, of course, is the implication that we can be moral and healthy only when we view private ownership in a larger picture that includes the poor. We need, always, to be giving some of our possessions away in order to be healthy. The poor do need us, but we also need them. They are, as Jesus puts it so clearly when He tells us we will be judged by how we gave to the poor, our passports to heaven. And they are also our passports to health. Our health depends upon sharing our riches. „

FOCUS 21

Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

Obama honours pope at prayer meet Highlights Pope Francis’ emphasis on the dignity of the individual WASHINGTON – US President Barack Oba-

ma, during a prayer breakfast at the White House, paid tribute to Pope Francis and expressed sorrow over recent shootings at Jewish facilities. “Those of us of the Christian faith, regardless of our denomination, have been touched and moved by Pope Francis,� Mr Obama told Christian religious leaders from across the country on April 14. “Some of it is his words – his message of justice and inclusion, especially for the poor and the outcast. He implores us to see the inherent dignity in each human being,� said Mr Obama at the breakfast, a tradition held around Easter each year and which he started. The US president, who visited the pope at the Vatican on March 27, also highlighted the pope’s “simple yet profound� deeds, such as “hugging the homeless man, and washing the feet of somebody who normally ordinary folks would just pass by on the street�. “He reminds us that all of us, no matter what our station, have an obligation to live righteously, and that we all have an obligation to live humbly. Because that’s, in fact, the example that we profess to follow.� Mr Obama also cited a passage of Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), published last November. The pope gave the president a copy. “‘Christ’s resurrection,’� he writes, “’is not an event of the past; it contains a vital power which has permeated this world.’ And he adds, ‘Jesus did not rise in vain. May we never remain on the sidelines of this march of living hope!’� Participants at the breakfast included Washington Cardinal Donald W Wuerl,

US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis during a private audience at the Vatican in March. CNS photo

bishops of several other denominations, as well as other ministers and faith-based activLVWV 2QH WDEOH ZDV ÂżOOHG ZLWK WHHQV ZKR DUH part of Esperanza Academy, a faith-based mentoring programme in Philadelphia. During the breakfast, Mr Obama also acknowledged the deaths the day before of three people who were killed by a gunman at two Jewish facilities in Overland Park,

Kansas. None of those killed were Jewish. William Lewis Corporon and his \HDU ROG JUDQGVRQ 5HDW *ULI¿Q 8QGHUwood, both Methodists, were shot to death in their car when they went to attend auditions for a musical at a Jewish community centre. The third person who died was a Catholic – Terri LaManno, 53, of Kansas City, who was making her weekly visit to her mother, a

He reminds us that all of us ... ‘ have an obligation to live humbly.’

– Mr Obama at White House prayer breakfast

resident at a Jewish-run assisted living home near the community centre. Police have arrested Frazier Glenn Cross who was reported to have a long history of anti-Semitism and leadership in the Ku Klux Klan. “That this occurred now – as Jews were preparing to celebrate Passover, as Christians were observing Palm Sunday,â€? said Mr Obama, “makes this tragedy all the more painful.â€? He observed that as Passover began that day, synagogues and Jewish community centres were taking extra security precautions. “Nobody should have to worry about their security when gathering with their fellow believers,â€? he said. “No one should ever have to fear for their safety when they go to pray.â€? He said people of faith need to keep coming together “to combat the ignorance and intolerance, including anti-Semitism that can lead to hatred and to violence, because we’re all children of God. We’re all made in His image, all worthy of His love and dignity. We see what happens around the world when this kind of religious-based or tinged violence can rear its ugly head. It’s got no place in our society.â€? Obama tied those events to the observance of Easter, as a time to recognise that although the world has a lot of pain, sin and tragedy, “we’re also overwhelmed by the grace of an awesome God. We’re reminded how He loves us, so deeply, that He gave His only begotten son so that we might live through Him.â€? He said that “in these holy days, we recall all that Jesus endured for us – the scorn RI WKH FURZGV DQG WKH SDLQ RI WKH FUXFLÂż[LRQ ´ and that Christians “celebrate the glory of the Resurrection – all so that we might be forgiven our sins and granted everlasting lifeâ€?. „ CNS

22 FAITH ALIVE!

Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

A holy communion of saints Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II will be two new additions to all the men and women who have already been declared saints, when they are canonised on April 27. By Daniel S Mulhall In the canonisation of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II on April 27, the Catholic Church celebrates the naming of two more people to the communion of saints. Canonisation provides recognition by the Church that a person lived a life of faith that was heroically virtuous, meaning that he or she lived according to the theological virtues (faith, hope, love) and cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, temperance, fortitude) in a way that people saw God actively in the person’s life. When a person is declared a saint by the Church, the Church DI¿UPV ¹ WKURXJK PLUDFOHV ZRUNHG through the intercession of the VDLQW ¹ WKDW WKH SHUVRQ LV LQ KHDYHQ with God. The canonised person then is given a feast day (frequently the day of the person’s death) within the Church’s liturgical year, and is remembered in the liturgy. The concept of the communion of saints has its origins in the Church’s early days, and is one of the primary beliefs of the Church. We proclaim our belief in the communion of saints in the Apostles’ Creed. In 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, St Paul develops the theological teaching that all Christians togethHU PDNH XS WKH ERG\ RI &KULVW DQG that each of us have an important role to play in the life of the Church ¹ ZKLOH OLYLQJ DQG DIWHU GHDWK

In the canonisation of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II on April 27, the Catholic Church celebrates the naming of two more people to the communion of saints. CNS photo

As Paul wrote and we read in 1 Corinthians 12:24-26, “God has so constructed the body as to give greater honour to a part that is without it, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If [one] part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honoured, all the parts share its joy.� From this teaching the Church understands the communion of saints to be a spiritual union of

all the members of the Church, living or dead, in purgatory, or in heaven, and who are in a state of holiness. Those living who are baptised are considered members of the mystical body of Christ and the communion of saints as long as that person is not living in mortal VLQ 7KRVH ZKR KDYH GLHG Âą ZKHWKer preparing for heaven or already

OLYLQJ LQ WKH SUHVHQFH RI *RG ¹ UHmain a part of Christ’s body and the communion of saints as long as he or she didn’t die separated from God. While the Church pays special homage to men and women who have been declared saints, we do not pray to saints. That would be idolatry. All Catholic prayers are addressed to God.

However, Catholics have for centuries offered honour and devotion to the holy men and women ZKR KDYH JRQH EHIRUH XV DVNLQJ that they intercede on our behalf. The idea is a simple one: Just as I can turn to a family member for help when I have a special need, I can turn to a saint for help. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says it this way in No. 957: “Exactly as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace, and the life of the people of God itself.â€? The catechism goes on to say in No. 1475 that a “perennial OLQN RI FKDULW\´ H[LVWV EHWZHHQ the faithful in heaven and those on earth, and that we should call XSRQ WKH VDLQWV DQG DVN IRU WKHLU assistance. While the process of canonisation developed over the centuries, the veneration of the saints (not adoration, only God is adored) has its foundation in the earliest days of the Church. The martyrdom of 6W 6WHSKHQ Âą WKH ÂżUVW IROORZHU RI -HVXV WR GLH IRU KLV IDLWK Âą LV UHWROG with reverence in Chapter 7 of the Acts of the Apostles. „ CNS Mulhall is a catechist and writer. He lives and works in Laurel, Maryland, USA.

To be human and a saint CNS photo

By David Gibson

To be human and a saint: These are not polar oppoThere were no rapid-transit sites. Sainthood is for human buses for St Paul to hitch rides beings. on as he travelled from place Yet, if Paul wondered to place founding the early GXULQJ GLIÂżFXOW PRPHQWV Christian communities named whether he was “on the in his New Testament letters. ZURQJ WUDFN´ KH KDG VRPHPaul lived in ancient times. thing to hold onto. “Paul If he lost sight of a travelling held tightly to his hope,â€? Fr companion, he could not loSenior said. cate him via text message. %XW LI LW ZDV SRVVLEOH Travelling was burdensome. even for the saints of biblical Moreover, the great times to wonder sometimes apostle to the Gentiles did if they were on the wrong not enjoy the best physical WUDFN GLG WKH\ KDYH D ÂłPDS´ health. “You did not show A window at St Peter’s Church in Soest, for locating the right path disdain or contempt because Germany, depicts the conversion of St Paul. ahead? We have one, Pope of the trial caused you by my John Paul II told the 2002 Paul “lived at a time when World Youth Day in Toronto. physical condition, but rather you received me as an angel of God,â€? his vision of the Church was The beatitudes “are the road very much in doubtâ€?, Fr Senior signs that show the wayâ€? to genuhe wrote to the Galatians (4:14). 3DXOÂśV JUHDW OHJDF\ PDNHV LW explained in a 2010 speech. He ine happiness, Pope John Paul GLIÂżFXOW WR LPDJLQH KH ZDV DQ\- thought “there must have been said to the youth gathering, addWKLQJ OLNH XV %XW Âł3DXO ZDV QR QLJKWV LQ &RULQWK RU 7KHVVDORQLNL ing: plaster-of-Paris saint, no abstract RU (SKHVXV Âą VXUHO\ LQ -HUXVDOHP Âł%OHVVHG DUH \RX LI OLNH -HVXV role modelâ€?, according to Pas- or during house arrestâ€? when Paul you are poor in spirit, good and sionist Fr Donald Senior, a noted “wondered if he was on the wrong PHUFLIXO LI \RX UHDOO\ VHHN ZKDW WUDFN DIWHU DOO´ US Scripture scholar. is just and right; if you are pure of KHDUW SHDFHPDNHUV ORYHUV RI WKH poor and their servants.â€? „ CNS

Being human and being a saint are not polar opposites. Sainthood is for human beings.

Gibson served on Catholic News Service’s editorial staff for 37 years.

23

Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

Getting to know the French Catholic community in Singapore By Clara Lai The French Catholic community in Singapore started about 20 years ago with only 50 people. Today, it has grown to about 500 families. The current chaplain of the community is Fr Ivan Ponsonnet, 52, a Paris Foreign Missions (MEP) priest. There are currently 11 MEP priests in Singapore. Fr Ivan, who has been in Singapore since September 2012, said he sees his role as helping the community members to “learn how to work together [and] keep them in harmonyâ€?, as the people “come from different originsâ€? and there is a “mix of different Church stylesâ€?. In an interview with Fr Ivan, together with one of the coordinators Mr Quentin Dekyvère, 33, they told CatholicNews that most of the people in their community are from France, but there are also people from Belgium, Switzerland and Canada, as well as some French-speaking Singaporeans. They were previously hosted by the Good Shepherd Sisters at the Marymount Convent, but as the Sisters will be moving to Toa Payoh, the community has since shifted to St Joseph’s Church (Victoria Street). The First Holy Communion is

FHOHEUDWHG LQ 0D\ ZKLOH &RQÂżUmation is usually held on Pentecost Sunday in June. These are celebrated by Fr Ivan himself, or another MEP priest. About the community The community has various small groups, which are categorised into Liturgy and Sacraments, Young People and Adults. “It’s like a parish,â€? Fr Ivan said. “Each ministry has a personin-charge.â€? Of special mention was the ALPHA programme that they started four years ago. Mr Dekyvère said that this programme targets “especially the newcomers who just came to Singapore, [as] it helps them integrate in Singapore and in the communityâ€?. In September, the community holds a big gathering as that is when most of members return from France after the summer holidays. To them, this marks a new year and they also welcome newcomers during this informal session, when there will be a barbecue, and families can also sell furniture and books at the same time. There is also a scouts group RI DERXW FKLOGUHQ DIÂżOLDWHG WR the Singapore Scouts Association. According to Fr Ivan, they have

monthly activities which include games and Bible teachings. On Sundays, they will go for Mass together before their activities, and Fr Ivan will also go and celebrate Mass with them when they have camps. The community also takes part in charity activities, Mr Dekyvère said. A lot of French people will try to help countries like Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, either by sending money or providing medical help. There are also teenagers who contribute by going on mission trips. Challenges faced Mr Dekyvère said they are “happy to be in St Joseph’s since Januaryâ€?. However, they also told CatholicNews that they have to rent rooms in Church of Risen Christ in Toa Payoh to have children’s catechism every Monday afternoon as they are not able to use the rooms at St Joseph’s Church on weekdays. Many of their activities are also held in members’ homes. Sometimes, they even have to rent a place in SJI International to have their activities, Mr Dekyvère said. Another challenge is that members tend to stay in Singapore for just a few years before heading to another country and as a result, the turnover for children’s catechists is about 50 percent every year. Furthermore, it takes a long time for members to integrate in the local community and in a country, he added. Community and local Church

Fr Ivan Ponsonnet (left), the chaplain of the French Catholic community in Singapore with one of the coordinators, Mr Quentin Dekyvère.

Fr Ivan said that he was ‘really impressed by the energy that the communities in local churches in Singapore are showing’.

Both Fr Ivan and Mr Dekyvère agree that there is a difference in culture between the French and Singaporeans. Mr Dekyvère said that for the French, it “usually takes time when you want to work with someone but for Singaporeans, they will do it quite quicklyâ€?. He added, “I think French people are impressed with how well the Masses are prepared.â€? For example, he mentioned that

the choirs work hard and have practices to prepare the songs for Mass. In this respect, his community is learning from the Singapore Church, he said. Fr Ivan said that he is “really impressed by the energy that the communities in local churches in Singapore are showingâ€?. +H UHFRXQWV WKDW ZKHQ KH ÂżUVW celebrated Mass at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, there were more than 1,000 parishioners, he said. “In France, I think I would be the bishop,â€? he added with a chuckle. Current focus, future plans Fr Ivan said that his concern right now is to “make sure kids get catechism rightâ€?. Also, his current focus is to train adults in “Catholic social doctrine and teachings of the Churchâ€?, and he is also thinking

There are about 40 children in the community’s scouts group. Aside from their usual outdoor activities, they have Bible teachings and also attend Mass at St Joseph’s Church, Victoria St.

of starting an ALPHA programme for couples next year. This is because he wants to “strengthen familiesâ€?, as he noticed that “when they move from country to country, it shakes the family a bitâ€?. Mr Dekyvère said, “As coordinators, I think we want to reinforce the links with the local Church but I don’t exactly know how to do it.â€? But he mentioned that during last year’s farewell Mass for the Good Shepherd Sisters’ Marymount Convent on Nov 22, the choir was made up of French community members. Currently, as they are new in St Joseph’s Church, he said that WKH\ ZLOO KDYH WR ³¿QG RXU SODFH mingle with the St Joseph’s community at the local level, integrate there and make sure we can work well togetherâ€?. “If the bishop wants to come and celebrate Mass for us once a year, we’ll be more than happy to invite him,â€? Mr Dekyvère said. „

The community in numbers To give a clearer picture, here are some numbers on the French Catholic community in Singapore provided by Fr Ivan:

50 years old and above in terms of age is rare, as most people are young adults.

infants baptised this year, 3 kids in a family on average, 60 and another 19 children aged six and the number of kids in each family can range from 0 to 7.

to 12.

children had their First Holy 3 times a month, they will have 60 Communion this year. French Mass on Sundays at Church of St Joseph (Victoria 80 teenagers who are attendStreet) at 11.30am.

20

years ago, the French community in Singapore started.

24

couples are preparing for marriage in Singapore and will eventually tie the knot in France.

40

teenagers and adults reFHLYHG WKH 6DFUDPHQW RI &RQÂżUmation this year.

40

catechists for children’s catechism classes.

50

SHRSOH ZKHQ WKH\ ÂżUVW VHW up this French Catholic community in Singapore.

ing catechism that will lead up to &RQÂżUPDWLRQ

300

catechism children aged six to 13.

500

families make up the French Catholic community in Singapore today.

15,000

French people in Singapore, and approximately 2,000 of whom are Catholics. For more information on the community, visit www.paroissesingapour.com. clara.lai@catholic.org.sg

24

Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS:

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³:RPDQ ZK\ DUH \RX ZHHSLQJ"´ WKH\ DVNHG KHU ³7KH\ KDYH WDNHQ P\ /RUG DQG , GRQœW NQRZ ZKHUH WKH\ ODLG +LP ´ she replied. 7KHQ 0DU\ KHDUG WKH YRLFH RI D PDQ EHKLQG KHU DVN ³:RPDQ ZK\ are you weeping? Whom are you ORRNLQJ IRU"´ Mary thought the man was a gardener, but it was Jesus, and she GLG QRW UHFRJQLVH +LP 7KHQ WKH PDQ VDLG ³0DU\ ´ DQG WKHQ 0DU\ NQHZ LW ZDV -HVXV 6KH UDQ WR WHOO WKH DSRVWOHV ³, KDYH VHHQ WKH /RUG ´ :KHQ WKH GDUNQHVV RI QLJKW KDG IDOOHQ WKH DSRVWOHV ZHUH LQ D ORFNHG room, fearful of the Jews. Jesus appeared in the room in front of them DQG VDLG ³3HDFH EH ZLWK \RX ´ DQG +H VKRZHG WKHP +LV ZRXQGHG KDQGV DQG VLGH 7KH PHQ UHMRLFHG ZKHQ WKH\ NQHZ -HVXV ZDV ZLWK WKHP 7KRPDV ZDV QRW ZLWK WKH RWKHU

Answer to Puzzle: Peter, Andrew, Thomas, Matthew, Philip and Simon.

By Joe Sarnicola

WHAT’S ON 25

Sunday May 4, 2014 „ CatholicNews

EVENT SUBMISSIONS We welcome information of events happening in our local Church. Please send your submission at least one month before the event. Online submissions can be made at www. catholic.org.sg/webevent_form.php

RCIA/RCIY A journey for those seeking to know more about the Catholic faith. Baptised Catholics are also invited to journey as sponsors. ONGOING RCIA @ CHURCH OF OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA At 10 Yishun St 22. E: rcia.olss@gmail.com

SUNDAYS APRIL 27 TO AUGUST 17 OR TUESDAYS APRIL 29 TO AUGUST 19 ADVENTURES IN REVELATION – THE KINGDOM YET TO COME 9.45-10.45am (Sun) / 8-9.30pm (Tues): A Catholic spiritual DVD study (with study guide sharing on Tuesdays). At Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre St John’s Room (Sundays) and IHM Parish Centre Level 2 St Philip room (Tuesdays). Register T: 9099 9493 (Laura); E: bat@ ihm.sg (Christina)

THURSDAYS MAY 8 RCIA @ CHURCH OF ST STEPHEN 8-9.30pm: At 30 Sallim Road. Register T: 9107 6862 (Peter Thien); E: peter3562@yahoo.com.sg FRIDAYS MAY 16 RCIA @ CHURCH OF ST TERESA 7.45-9.30pm: At 510 Kampong Bahru Rd. Register T: 6271 1184; E: stteresa@gmail.com

TUESDAYS APRIL 29 TO JUNE 10 CHRISTIAN MEDITATION FOR CAREGIVERS 9.30-10.30am: A six-session introduction to Christian meditation. By Clarity Singapore and WCCM Singapore. At Block 854 #01-3511, Yishun Ring Road. Register T: 6757 7990; E: lyn.pereira@ clarity-singapore.org

TUESDAYS JUNE 3 RCIA @ CHURCH OF ST IGNATIUS 8-10pm: At 120 King’s Rd. Register T: 6466 0625 (Angela); 9630 8346 (Terese)

WEDNESDAYS APRIL 30 TO JUNE 18 A BIBLICAL WALK THROUGH THE MASS 7.45-10pm: Discover the rich meanings behind what we say and do during Mass. At Church of The Holy Spirit Rm A2-01. Cost $26. Register T: 94793120 (Alexander); E: hsbibleapostolate.pm@gmail.com APRIL 30 SHARING OUR FAITH OVER A CUP OF TEA 8pm: What does it mean to live as Easter People in our day and age. Share ways to live out one’s faith especially in the upcoming Easter season. A simple dinner will be provided. By Living Stones Community. At Church of St Bernadette. Register T: 8189 4056 (Dian) / 9877 1999 (Jessica)

FRIDAYS JUNE 6 RCIY @ CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI 8-9pm: At 200 Boon Lay Avenue. Register T: 6264 0078; E:secretariat@sfa-parish.org.sg TUESDAYS JUNE 17 RCIA @ CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY OF THE BVM 8-10pm: In Mandarin. At 1259 Upper Serangoon Rd. Register E: augustine_chua@yahoo.com.sg WEDNESDAYS JUNE 18 RCIA @ CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY 7.45-9.45pm: At 24 Highland Rd. Register T: 9627 3835 (Nancy) / 9616 2001 (Agnes); E: rcia@ihm.sg TUESDAYS JUNE 24 RCIA @ CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY 7.45pm: At 20 Tampines Street 11. Register T: 8444 5505 (Greg); E: rciaht@ gmail.com or at church secretariat.

WEDNESDAYS JUNE 4 RCIA @ CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI 8-9pm: At 200 Boon Lay Avenue. Register T: 6264 0078; E:secretariat@sfa-parish.org.sg

MONDAYS JULY 7 LUNCHTIME RCIA 12.30-1.30pm: For those who are unable to attend the RCIA at parishes. By Catholic Prayer Society. At The Third Space, B1, China Square Central. Register W: www.cps.org.sg.

MONDAYS MAY 5 TO JULY 14 ALPHA PARENTING OF TEENAGERS 12.30pm: A course for parents of teenagers. By Catholic Prayer Society. At 206B/208B Telok Ayer Street. Register E: alphacac@catholic.org

MAY 10 MEDITATIVE PRAYER USING THE SONGS OF TAIZE 8-9.30pm: At The Armenian Church of St Gregory the Illuminator (60 Hill Street). All are welcome, no registration required.

WEDNESDAYS MAY 7 TO JULY 31 CPS LUNCHTIME MASS AT CHANGI 12.15pm: By Catholic Prayer Society. At UE Convention Centre, 4 Changi Business Park Ave 1, Meeting Room 2, Level 1. Register T: 9649 6517/9690 2712; E: irenetuazon@gmail.com

MAY 10 INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE LEARNING TRIPS 11am-1.30pm: Come join an invaluable interreligious dialogue visit to Ba’alwie Mosque (2 Lewis Rd). To prepare, a two-hour compulsory orientation and formation session will be held within May 2-9. After the visit, there will be a debrief to help process one’s experience. Register by 27 Apr, E: gerald@accird.org.sg. Include your name, parish, and handphone number.

FRIDAY MAY 2 TO SUNDAY MAY 4 MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKEND 6pm (Fri)-6pm (Sun): A live-in marriage enrichment programme for happily married couples. A once in a lifetime experience. By Worldwide Marriage Encounter. At 201-B Punggol 17th Avenue. Register T: 9670 5390 (Vincent/Julyn); E: register@marriage-encounter-sg.org

WEDNESDAYS MAY 7 TO JUNE 4 TOB 101 BY FR DAVID GARCIA: APPLYING THEOLOGY OF THE BODY IN TODAY’S SOCIETY 8-10pm: Fr David Garcia will unpack Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, a thought-provoking distillation of Catholic teachings. At Church of St Ignatius, Annexe Hall. By Young Adults Ministry of St Ignatius. Register T: 9856 9919 (Tom & Karan); E: yam.stignatius@ gmail.com

MAY 4 GOODBYE FRUSTRATIONS – CELEBRATE INNER FREEDOM 9am-4pm: Explore inner landscapes, identifying frustrations and goals in life. /HDUQ VSHFL¿F VNLOOV IRU UHÀHFWLRQ 7KLV programme is suitable for anyone who values personal growth and relationships. At LifeSprings Spirituality Centre, 100 Jalan Merbok. Cost: $70 (with lunch). Register T: 6466 2178 (Brenda); E: lifesprings@singnet.com.sg

THURSDAYS MAY 8 TO JUNE 12 COMMON SENSE PARENTING 7-9pm: These sessions give parents and caregivers a set of skills to manage children’s and teens’ behaviours without affecting their self-esteem. Over the course of a few weeks, parents and caregivers will learn a new skill each week and have the opportunity to practise them with a skilled and professionally-trained facilitator. Register T: 6285 1377; E: programs@morningstar. org.sg; W: http://www.morningstar.org.sg

SATURDAYS MAY 10 TO MAY 31 INTRODUCTION TO THEOLOGY OF THE BODY – THE GIFT 9am-1pm: A four-part DVD series study based on Pope John Paul’s Theology of the body. Discover the meaning of your life, how to answer your unique call to JUHDWQHVV DQG ¿QG \RXU SDWK WR KDSSLQHVV At IHM Parish Centre Level 2 St Philip’s room. Register T: 9099 9493 (Laura Lim); E: bat@ihm.sg SUNDAY MAY 11 TO SATURDAY MAY 17 OYP SCHOOL OF CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP SP 6XQ SP 6DW 7KH ¿UVW Christian leadership school organised for potential leaders in the six universities

(NUS, NTU, SMU, JCU, SUTD, SIM). Eucharist, games and conclude with the combined freshmen gathering on May 17. %\ 2IÂżFH IRU <RXQJ 3HRSOH $W &DWKROLF Archdiocesan Youth Centre (2 Lorong Low Koon). Cost: $80. Register W: www.oyp.com.sg

MAY 18 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF ST JOSEPH PRAYERS IN TAMIL 6.30-9pm: At Blessed Sacrament Church. T: 64745249 / 9678 3855 (Margaret Samuel); E: jackies@mediacorp.com.sg FRIDAY MAY 23 TO MONDAY MAY 26 THE DOLLS SPEAK 10am-8 pm: Exhibition of handmade dolls that tell Scripture stories and speak of social issues. At 55 Waterloo Street, 2nd Floor. T: 6338 4080; E: canawherethedollsspeak@gmail.com

MONDAYS MAY 12 TO MAY 26 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH IN CORINTH 10am-12pm: Discover how St Paul challenges the Early Church in Corinth in WKHLU VSLULWXDO ZDON LQ WKHLU VDQFWL¿FDWLRQ as they were abusing their liberty in Christ. This talk is about the progressive walk of the believers. Speaker: Mr Philip Kok. Cost: $10. By Novena Bible Apostolate. At Novena Church (Peter Donders Room – Level 2). T: 9626 3824/6743 8831 (Bob); E: bible.novena@gmail.com

MAY 24 FINDING GOD IN YOUR WRITING 9.30am-5pm: Learn to write your sacred story through writing exercises and other activities where you will explore and express your inmost thoughts and feelings and gain a deeper understanding of self and your relationship with others and with God. No prior writing experience is required. Facilitated by: Roselie Chia (trained writing group leader). Cost: $100 (with lunch and refreshments). By CISC. At Kingsmead Centre (8 Victoria Park Rd). Register by May 14. T: 6467 6072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com; W: www.catholic.org.sg/cisc

MAY 16 NOX GAUDII (NIGHT OF JOY) 8-10pm: A new monthly worship event organised to stir faith in the young people and foster among them the sense of being part of the local Church as they come together to worship God. With Eucharistic adoration, praise and worship, preaching and prayer ministry and a time of fellowship. Theme: Rise Up! Light snacks will be provided. Preacher: )U -XGH 'DYLG %\ 2IÂżFH IRU <RXQJ People. At Catholic Archdiocesan Youth Centre Hall (2 Lorong Low Koon). E: juliana68@gmail.com (Juliana); W: www.oyp.com.sg

MAY 30 CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT AND DINNER 1-10pm: The Charity Golf Tournament And Dinner is in aid of Montfort Junior School’s upgrading project. All proceeds will go towards the School Building Fund for new facilities. At Orchid Country Club. Register T: 6510 1588 (Mrs Brenda Ng); E: brenda_koh@moe.gov.sg

MAY 17 COMBINED FRESHMEN GATHERING 3-10pm: For Catholic freshmen entering JCU, NTU, NUS, SIM, SMU, SUTD. Meet the Catholic students of these six universities and experience the joy, fellowship and fun of being in a campus community. With games, introductions to each university, dinner, live music by the university students and the celebration of the Eucharist. At Catholic Archdiocesan Youth Centre (2 Lorong Low Koon). Register W: www.oyp.com.sg

MAY 31 DANZA QUEENS – CANOSSIANS CONNECT 2014 6.30-10.30pm: Calling all Canossian ex-pupil for the alumni dinner. DANCE! 2014 celebrates the 120th year of Canossian Sisters in Singapore. The eight-course dinner is also dedicated to the PRIME fundraising project for Canossa Convent Primary School. Tickets are at $88 per person; $880 per table. $1200 for a donation table. At Copthorne King’s Hotel (Havelock Road). Register T: 9039 2130 (Catherine); E: info@canossianalumni.com

MAY 17 ESSENTIALS OF CHRISTIAN LIVING 9am-4pm: For single women aged 18-40, come for a personal and experiential discovery of what, where, how God is calling for you to be for Him. At FMM House of Prayer and Formation (49 Holland Road). Facilitated by a team of FMM Sisters. Cost: Love offering. Register by May 5. T: 9355 0904; E: fmm.vocations@gmail.com

FRIDAY JUNE 13 TO SUNDAY JUNE 15 BELONGING: CREATING BONDS OF HEALING AND RECOVERY 7pm (Fri)-5pm (Sun): Millions worldwide are plagued with addictions ranging from persistent drug, alcohol or gambling addiction to the most common problems where we run from our shame and pain by too much overeating, shopping, television, or working. Retreat Master: Fr Matthew Linn, SJ. At Kingsmead Centre (8 Victoria Park Rd). Contribution $280/$340. Register by June 3, T: 64676072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com

MAY 17 THINKING MATTERS: TRAIN YOUR BRAIN, MANAGE YOUR MIND 1-3pm: Learn how to prevent chronic diseases and poor mental health. Cost: $20 (Payment collected at the door). With door gift and refreshments. At Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Main Auditorium, Tower B. Register T: 6757 7990; E: registration@clarity-singapore.org

Crossword Puzzle 1109 1

2

3

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5

6

7

8

9

10

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

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33

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39

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42 45

44 46 52

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51

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40

13

26

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37

12

22

27 32

11

47 54

53 58

48

49

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56

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64

65 www.wordgamesforcatholics.com

ACROSS 1 Ezekiel scattered this to the wind (Ezek 5:1–2) 5 Thick slices 10 The Wise Men came from here 14 Ye _____ Shoppe 15 Catholic director of “It’s a Wonderful Life� 16 Ostrich’s cousin 17 Peter Fonda “golden� role 18 Impudent girl 19 Worn by women in India 20 Broken-down car site 22 Genesis tower 23 Holy ones (abbr.) 24 Balaam spoke to one (Num 22:28) 25 Warmth 27 Popular street name 28 Impress forcefully 32 Common biblical harvest 35 Stories 36 Potent ending 37 Direction from the Jordan to Bethlehem 38 “He is _____!� 39 Novelist Morrison

40 NT epistle 41 Send out for pizza 42 Popular animal, in a zoo 43 Terrible 45 Edge 46 Fragments 47 Not sweet 48 “The Jungle Book� python 51 Commandment word 54 Guard 56 Home of St Rose 57 Blessed are those who do this, in Matthew 5 59 St Philip’s surname 60 “Just for the fun ____� 61 Acapulco year opener 62 Restraint 63 Describes the gate that leads to destruction (Mt 7:13) 64 19th century Australian cardinal and advocate for justice 65 Fortuneteller’s phrase DOWN 1 Forty _____ 2 Set apart 3 Thoughts

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 21 22 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

Grass Split in the Church Prayer time Church section Some Carmelites (abbr.) Speak Synthetic Husband of Queen Jezebel Withered Hindmost part of an animal Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of this Ovine cries Sr. Prejean Biblical garden “Take, _____; this is my body.� (Mt 26:26) A Doctor of the Church Israel Holy ______ Lamb’s penname Letters some people sport on jewelry Listen to Latin 101 verb Along with Timothy, he was a disciple of Paul

38 Floating platform 39 Theology on ______ programme 41 Prepare for publication 42 One of St Columba’s converts 44 Vaporize 45 Catholic singing group, The _____ Sisters 47 Fr. Junipero _____ 48 Prayer spot? 49 Lofty nest

50 Type of dress 51 â€œâ€Ś_____ to anger and abounding in steadfast love.â€? (Ps 103:8) 52 60s record player 53 In the thick of it 54 Litigious type 55 Pilate ordered this above the cross (abbr.) 57 13th letter of the Hebrew alphabet 58 Notable 1969 bride

Solution to Crossword Puzzle No. 1108 W O M A N

I D A H O

L E A S T

L E V I

O D I N

G E M S

A B C D

L A C E

O I L S

L A M

A N S B E A B L E L M O S C N H O P I R A N D U D S L H V Y I

R A I S E T A N E Y T A U

A B S P E S E G E S F D A U G A L L R I A L E L I E Y C S E D H O L W E L L O L E U L M K O N

G A Z E B O

O N E A

O N U S

D I S T

P A B L A M A L A B A B R E P Y

E S A U

D I B S

N A B A L

D R A P E

www.wordgamesforcatholics.com

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Sunday May 4, 2014 CatholicNews

PUBLISHED BY THE CATHOLIC NEWS, 2 HIGHLAND ROAD #01-03, SINGAPORE 549102. PRINTED BY TIMES PRINTERS PRIVATE LIMITED, 16 TUAS AVENUE 5, SINGAPORE 639340.

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