Catholic News issue 10, 2017

Sunday May 14, 2017

SINGAPORE $0.70 cents / WEST MALAYSIA RM$2.10

MCI (P) 013/08/2016

PPS 201/04/2013 (022940)

Volunteers, beneficiaries bond at CWS walkathon

No. 10

Inside home

Reading New Testament in 23 hours Biblethon inspires participants

By Jared Ng About 700 people participated in a walkathon organised by Catholic Welfare Services (CWS) at Labrador Park on April 30.

Among them were about 80 residents from the three nursing homes under CWS – St Joseph’s Home, St Theresa’s Home and Villa Francis Home For The Aged – as well as St Vincent Home, a home set up by CWS for people needing public assistance.

The event aimed to raise awareness about CWS and its beneficiaries, who are of different races and religions, as well as provide an opportunity for corporate sponsors and volunteers to foster stronger relationships.

The 2-km walk saw ablebodied participants pushing the elderly residents in wheelchairs as they chatted and enjoyed the greenery and coastal view at the park.

Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources & Ministry of Health, was the guest-of-honour at the event. She was accompanied by CWS chairman Thomas Tan and other board members during the walk.

Mr Tan, in his welcome address, urged continued support for the programmes under CWS and especially “for the residents of our homes” and “facilities that cater to their needs.” He cited the newly redeveloped St Joseph’s Home, which moved back to its original location in Jurong in March this year, as an example of the support received by CWS. Mr Tan added that there are plans for the redevelopment of St Theresa’s Home at a new site.

It will be called St Theresa’s Village, and it will “be a place to celebrate life in old age,” he said.

After the walk, participants

Vol 67

n Page 4

How different faiths celebrate marriage Sharings from religious representatives n Page 8

WORLD

Climate change message US Catholics take part in march n Page 11 Participants of the Catholic Welfare Services walkathon in the 2-km walk at Labrador Park.

enjoyed an array of activities including miniature golf, a game based on tic-tac-toe and a snake charmer performance.

Participants shared with CatholicNews that they found the event interesting and enjoyable.

“I spoke to a few of the [elderly] residents during the walk and they were really happy to speak to me. I think they enjoyed the opportunity to be outdoors and I personally got to know a bit more about their lives,” said Mr Christopher Soh. Mr Randall Lim, who attended the event with his daughter, Michelle, said being able “to spend time with the residents was probably the most memorable takeaway.” He added, “Seeing Michelle help one beneficiary during the water gun game was also really touching for me and I’m sure for her as well.” n jared.ng@catholic.org.sg

Trump to visit pope?

Vatican welcomes such a visit n Page 13

POPE FRANCIS

Make real connections

Pope says in surprise video talk n Page 17

Residents from Catholic Welfare Services nursing homes taking part in games.

The 2-km walk saw able-bodied participants pushing elderly residents in wheelchairs as they chatted and enjoyed the greenery and coastal view at the park.

VOCATION SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT

Inspiring stories of priests and Religious n Pages 19-30

2 home

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

Dear Buddhist Friends, The sacred observance of Vesak Day is a great occasion for us to renew the warm relations we share between our faiths.

On behalf of the Catholic community here in Singapore, we wish you and your families, peace, unity and joy on your holy day.

As you share the teachings of Buddha at your temples with devotees the nation over, let us unite in our efforts to further promote peace and harmony among people of all religions and faith traditions.

Indeed, in these precarious times, understanding, respect, tolerance, accommodation of differences and appreciation of our unique faith traditions are

all the more important as we work to protect our peaceful co-existence on which our livelihood depends.

Whereas the world seeks peace by overcoming opposition, oftentimes by forceful means, both Buddhism and Christianity share a common preference for the way of compassion for all including our enemies, nonviolence to peace, beginning with the conquest of evil desires in our hearts.

Buddha taught that “though one may conquer a thousand times a thousand men in battle, yet he indeed is the noblest victor who conquers himself” (Dhammapada, no. VIII, 4).

As you share the teachings of Buddha at your temples with devotees the nation over, let us unite in our efforts to further promote peace and harmony among people of all religions and faith traditions.

In the same vein, Pope Francis also noted in his 2017 Message for the World Day of Peace, Non-Violence: A Style of Politics for Peace, no. 3, that “Jesus Himself lived in violent times. Yet, He taught that the true battlefield, where violence

and peace meet, is the human heart: for ‘ít is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come’ (Mk 7:21)” As leaders of our faiths, it is incumbent on us to form our people in conscience to adopt a way of life that seeks justice and truth over lawlessness and falsehood, compassion and forgiveness over hatred and revenge, respect over intolerance and division.

Following the footsteps of our forefathers who made it their life-long commitment to

build a harmonious multi-racial, multi-religious Singapore, let us join hands to continue the work that they have begun, and through the teachings of our faiths, conquer the evils in our hearts and in our society for a peaceful Singapore.

On behalf of the Catholic community in Singapore, I sincerely wish you a fruitful and spiritually refreshing Vesak Day. n

Most Rev William Goh Archbishop of Singapore

Msgr Philip Heng, SJ Vicar General (Interreligious Relations)

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

BUILDING THE CHURCH of Tomorrow 3

4 home

A mother and child writing prayer intentions on an Easter egg cut-out.

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

A St Anthony’s Canossian Primary School student with prayer intentions.

Fr Johnson Fernandez delivering his homily.

Mass highlights importance of Easter, family

By Chantel Beins and Perpetua Ho About 300 parents, students, Canossian Sisters and staff came together to celebrate Easter at a family Mass in St Anthony’s Canossian Primary School (SACPS) on April 21.

Before Mass, which was organised because the school believes that a Canossian family must come together to pray together, families wrote prayer intentions on Easter egg cut-outs and decorated them. These intentions were offered up during the Eucharistic celebration.

Fr Johnson Fernandez, in his homily, spoke about the importance of the Easter Triduum and highlighted the significance of baptism in water. He invited the children to renew their baptismal vows to emphasise to them the essence of the Catholic faith. He also encouraged par-

ents to relive the joy of their children’s baptism together as a family.

Parents shared that the Mass was a meaningful and prayerful one and that they look forward to attending more events together as a family at SACPS. n

‘Biblethon’ participants feel God’s love through reading, listening

A young participant reading during the Biblethon held from April 22-23.

The Verbum Dei Missionaries, together with the mothers’ group from the community, organised what is believed to be the first ever Biblethon from April 22-23.

About 250 people, including Catholics, Protestants and nonChristians, took part in the event which was held at the art therapy room in Agape Village.

Earlier, participants ranging from primary school children to seniors had registered for the event by choosing their respective Bible chapter and time slot. They were

then each given a Biblethon card to “It was an experience I have collect monetary support for their never had before. When I sat in reading which would go to the Ver- the room and listened to the words bum Dei fundraising efforts. being read out, there were mo“As we are still raising funds ments when I was reminded of for our mission house and chapel, God’s love for me,” said Ms Venewe wanted a fundraising event tia Lai, who read a chapter from which was meaningful to our Ver- the Gospel of Luke. bum Dei mission that centres on Ms Audrey Ruyters, who the Scriptures,” said Verbum Dei read a chapter from the Book of Sr Sandra Seow.

Revelation, said, “Thus, we “I was pleascame up with this antly surprised It was an idea of having the how God was experience I have at New Testament drawing me into uninterruptedly His presence as never had before. proclaimed in 24 I let my heart When I sat in the hours,” she said. do the listenroom and listened ing through the The event began at 6pm on to the words being readings.”

April 22 with the Mr Paul e n t h r o n e m e n t read out, there were Ow, who read a of the Bible and chapter from the moments when I with Fr Valerian Gospel of Luke, was reminded of Cheong reading commented, “The aloud from MatBiblethon was God’s love for me. thew 1. After a rather crea– Ms Venetia Lai, that, an unbroken tive and daring a participant chain of readers initiative to raise read chapter affunds as well ter chapter of the New Testament as a good way to show our love until the following day afternoon. for His Word. My son and I have The event also saw some partici- never listened to full chapters bepants reading in Spanish, Bahasa ing read out like this before and Indonesia, Tagalog and Mandarin. it gave us new perspectives on It took exactly 23 hours to God’s Word.” reach the last chapter of the Book For more information on the of Revelation.

Verbum Dei Missionaries and Fr Valerian then celebrated the their Project HoPe fundraising closing Mass to mark the end of efforts, visit http://verbumdeisinthe event. gapore.org/ n

‘

’

HOME 5

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

Catechists attend ‘Kerygma Retreat’ Participants of a recent “Kerygma Retreat” were encouraged to open themselves to daily conversion to Christ and to keep journeying with Him through their struggles and difficulties.

More than 160 children’s, youth and RCIA catechists and facilitators from 23 parishes gathered at the Catholic Spirituality Centre (CSC) from April 28-May 1 for the first of such retreats.

“Kerygma” is the Greek word for ‘to proclaim’, referring to the first and essential preaching of the Good News of Jesus.

According to catechetical director Fr Erbin Fernandez, the aim of these retreats is for catechists to experience the power of the Holy Spirit that can animate the work of catechesis for the New Evangelisation.

Organised by the Office for Catechesis in collaboration with CSC and led by Fr Erbin Fernandez, who is also CSC director, the retreat centred on the account of the disciples’ journey to Emmaus, in particular Luke 24:30-31: “Now while He was with them at table, He took the bread and said the blessing; then He broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised Him.” Participants had time for Eucharistic adoration and to celebrate the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.

Volunteers from CSC also assisted Fr Erbin in praying over participants for inner healing and a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

On the final day of the retreat, Fr Erbin challenged participants to live out the PASCHAL Disciplines (see below) in their own lives as well as in community.

These disciplines, Fr emphasised, would bring their catechetical service to life.

Participants brainstormed in small groups the ways they could bring these disciplines into their catechetical ministries. Ideas included meeting regularly for fellowship, checking in with each other, reflecting on the Word of

Above and below: 160 catechists and facilitators gathered for a four-day retreat to experience the power of the Holy Spirit that can animate the work of catechesis.

God, interceding for each other and finding a partner to hold themselves accountable to regularly.

Ms Amanda Tan, a children’s catechist, said she found the retreat very insightful as she realised that Christianity is about walking every day with Jesus and not about blindly going through rituals.

“If we don’t walk with God, we cannot catechise properly as we can’t give anything we don’t have,” she said. “It is also important to have a community with fellow catechists as faith is not a private affair.”

The next Kerygma Retreat for catechists is scheduled for Oct

The PASCHAL Disciplines n Prayer. (Philippians 4:6, Colossians 4:2, Psalm 145:18, Ephesians 6:18, Romans 1:9-10) n Accountability. (Proverbs 27:717, James 1:19, James 5:16, Matthew 7:1-2, 1 Corinthians 12, Galatians 6:1-2, Hebrews 10:24).

Between prayer and sacraments is accountability. Prayer and sacraments without accountability become static. Bear one another’s burdens, hold one another accountable. n Sacraments. (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1479)

(Isaiah 55:7, Mark 1:15, Romans 12:2, Philippians 2:12-13). At the centre of it all is conversion. n Holistic spirituality. (1 Peter 1:13-16) n Awareness. (Psalm 51:3, Psalm 139:7-8, 1 Corinthians 6:19, Acts 17:28, Ephesians 6:12). Between holistic spirituality and love unto death is awareness – awareness of the Holy Spirit. Know the importance of yielding to the Spirit. n Love unto death. (Philippians 2:5-7, Galatians 2:20) n Conversion.

19-22. For more information, call 6858-3011 or email enquiry@catechesis.org.sg

Vincentians urged to bring Christ to their beneficiaries

Archbishop William Goh blesses a beneficiary of the Society of St Vincent de Paul during a special Mass on April 29. Photo: VITA Images

Bring Jesus to those you serve, “through your love for them, your good deeds”, and if there is an opportunity, through the Gospel.

Archbishop William Goh gave this advice to members of the Society of St Vincent de Paul during their annual Mass for their beneficiaries, called Friends-in-Need (FINs).

“Only those who cultivate a deep love for the Lord in the Eucharist will find the strength and capacity to see the face of Jesus in the poor,” said Archbishop Goh during the Mass held at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.

“We can serve the poor, but if we do not serve with joy, compassion and respect for them, we bring more harm than good.”

Close to 800 FINs and Vincentians attended the April 29 Mass, of whom more than 300 were nonCatholics.

Many of the FINS, especially the non-Catholics, were seen admiring the newly restored cathedral. A summary of the homily and the Prayer of the Faithful were also delivered in Mandarin for the non-English speaking FINs. During the Mass, Archbishop Goh gave individual blessings to FINs who were in wheelchairs.

An elderly FIN from the Society of St Vincent de Paul’s St Bernadette conference was apparently so moved after attending the celebration that she said she wanted to know more about the faith and how to be a Catholic. n

6 home

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

West District Catholics St Joseph’s Church to mark learn about dementia Fatima apparitions’ centennial More than 150 people from the five parishes in the West District learnt more about dementia during a talk at the Church of the Holy Cross on April 22.

The event was organised by the Society of St Vincent de Paul’s Particular Council West, which serves the district, and was open to society members, parishioners and non-Catholics from the area.

The speaker, Ms Karen Lim from the Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA), shared how to spot signs and symptoms of dementia, the risk factors and how to reduce them, and where to seek help.

According to ADA, 45,000 people in Singapore live with dementia and the number is rising with an aging population. This point was brought home when more than half of the audience indicated that they have personally known or lived with someone who has dementia.

Ms Lim clarified that dementia is not a normal part of aging nor a disease but a neurological disorder of the brain. She shared real-life stories of people with dementia and how caregivers can creatively overcome the many challenges.

She said that people with dementia should be treated like “VI-P-S”. “V” stands for “valuing” the person, “I” refers to treating the person as a unique “individual”, “P” stands for considering the

perspective of the person, and “S” refers to being “supportive”.

Mr Jason Foo, CEO of ADA, also expressed his hope that more such talks and collaborative programmes with parishes can be organised to support fellow parishioners who have dementia as well as their caregivers.

Those who attended the talk said they found it helpful.

Ms Karen Lim from the Alzheimer’s Disease Association speaking on April 22.

Holy Cross parishioner, Mr Nicholas Chia, said he felt it gave him a better understanding of what a person with dementia is going through. This would help him in journeying with a friend who has dementia, he said.

Ms Audrey Koh from the Church of St Mary of the Angels said she felt it was important to create awareness so that people can seek relevant help. n

St Joseph’s Church, Victoria St, will commemorate the 100th anniversary of Mary’s first appearance to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, on May 13.

Archbishop William Goh will celebrate a Mass at 5pm, which will be followed by a candelight procession. Highlights of the celebration include the crowning of the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and 24 “angels” – students from St Anthony’s Canossian Primary School who will accompany the procession.

The three shepherd children who saw Our Lady of Fatima – Lucia dos Santos and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto – will be represented by children from the Church of St Anthony.

The St. Ignatius Eucharistic Adoration Children will sing a hymn titled A Prayer of the Angel of Fatima. There will also be a blessing of an anniversary cake.

Mr Gerard Pereira, chairman of the organising committee of the Our Lady of Fatima Centennial Celebrations at St Joseph’s Church said, “The message of Our Lady of Fatima of prayer and penance and her exhortation to pray the rosary unceasingly is as relevant today as it was 100 years ago, particularly as we are facing challenging times with threats to world peace.

An Our Lady of Fatima procession at St Joseph’s Church, Victoria St, in 1973. The church will hold a series of celebrations starting from May 13.

“Our vision for the outcome of this celebration is to re-invigorate the rosary as a powerful instrument of prayer and meditation and the evangelisation of our faith.”

The church initiated a block rosary drive last October to mark the Fatima anniversary, in which families are encouraged to hold rosary sessions in their homes.

There are also talks planned in the upcoming months till Oct 13, the culmination of the celebrations.

These and other centennial initiatives will be publicised later.

The devotion to Our Lady of Fatima in St Joseph’s Church and its feast day commemoration on May 13 arise from the church’s roots as a Portuguese mission before it came under the Singapore archdiocese in 1981.

Fr Antonio da Silva Rego, Vicar of St Joseph’s Church from February 1929 to August 1938, introduced the devotion to the church in 1935, thus starting the church’s 13th-of-the-month devotions and procession. n n See related story on Page 31

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

advertisement

7

8 home

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

Learning about ‘marriage’ in various faith traditions

By Christopher Khoo

Catholics and people of other faiths learnt a little about the meaning and rituals behind various religions’ celebration of marriage on May 2.

About 40 people attended the second in a series of sharings by representatives of different religions at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.

The event, organised by the Archdiocesan Catholic Council for Interreligious Dialogue (ACCIRD), saw speakers from the Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim and Catholic communities giving 10-minute presentations.

Ms Vasandy S. N., a member of the teaching faculty of the Philosophy Department in the Hindu Hub, spoke about some of the common rituals in a Hindu marriage such as Grahayajna, the appointing of a priest; and Kanyadanam, the giving away of the bride by her father.

Buddhist monk, Venerable

Speakers at an interreligious dialogue session on marriage: (from left) Ms Vasandy S. N., Venerable Chuan Guan, Master Chung Kwang Tong, Ustaz Zulhilmi Mohamed and Msgr Philip Heng.

Chuan Guan, chairman of the Dharma Propagation Committee, Singapore Buddhist Federation, said that there are virtually no marriage rituals in Buddhism.

However, he shared some Buddhist teachings on the behaviour of husband and wife to each other, such as being “in tune” with each other in faith, exhibiting virtuous behaviour, generosity and wisdom.

Master Chung Kwang Tong, a 34th-generation Taoist priest of the lineage of the Quan Zhen Longmen (Dragon Gate) Tradition, shared some of the rituals of the Taoist wedding ceremony, such as the bride and groom honouring heaven and earth, honouring their elders, and bowing to one another to show mutual respect.

Ustaz Zulhilmi Mohamed,

mosque manager of An-Nahdhah Mosque in Bishan, gave an idea of some of the terms used in the Muslim solemnisation ceremony called Akad Nikah, such as Mahar (gift for the bride), Saksi (two witnesses) and Naib Kadi/Kadi (solemniser).

Msgr Philip Heng, rector of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd and archdiocesan Vicar General for Interreligious Relations, shared

that the most important element in a Catholic marriage is that God is at the centre of it, and that marriage is a lifetime commitment to God. The first in the series of such talks, organised by the ACCIRD, was on Aug 5 last year. It saw religious representatives sharing on the topic of birth in their traditions. n christopher.khoo@catholic.org.sg

Fr Luke Fong speaking at the Easter for Everyone event.

Easter event boosts knowledge of Catholicism A special event to help people learn more about the Catholic faith was organised recently by the Office for the New Evangelisation.

Almost 100 people comprising Catholics and their non-Catholic family members and friends, attended the Easter for Everyone event held at the Church of Sts Peter and Paul on April 29.

Fr Luke Fong gave a talk titled “Celebrating A New Life of Hope in the Midst of Uncertainties”.

Citing Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl’s observation on how people responded to harsh

adversity in a World War II concentration camp, Fr Luke spoke about why we need a “sure, living hope” in life and how we may attain and activate it.

Participants also viewed the archdiocesan SG50 video, “Our Catholic Light”, depicting the history of the Catholic Church in Singapore, its early struggles and contributions to Singapore society such as in education and healthcare.

The event ended with a guided walking tour of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.

Ms Koh Joo Khim, who is not

a Catholic and who was invited by her sister-in-law to the event, said she found Fr Luke’s talk insightful and inspiring. She added that it has motivated her to find out more about the Catholic faith.

During the event, participants were given goodie bags containing information about Easter, the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd and Church of Sts Peter and Paul.

Contact information for those who are not Catholics but wish to know more about the faith was also given (email: clement@catechesis.org.sg, phone: 6911-0408). n

ASIA 9

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

Korean bishops compare presidential election pledges SEOUL – The Catholic Bishops’

Conference of Korea has released a report on how the policies of potential presidents stack up against Church teachings.

To prepare the report, released on April 18, the bishops’ Committees for Justice and Peace, Bioethics, Ecology and Environment and the Reconciliation of the Korean People sent letters to five leading candidates asking for their position on various issues based on Catholic teachings.

Bishop Lazzaro You Heungsik of Daejeon, president of the bishops’ Committee for Justice and Peace, said, “As this election follows the impeachment of the former president, Catholics need to choose a suitable one based on their election pledges and pray for the new president to work according to his or her conviction.”

Only Mr Moon Jae-in of the Minjoo Party and Ms Sim Sangjung of the Justice Party, both Catholics, replied.

“The presidential election should be decided by the people based on policies. However, it’s a pity that three of the leading candidates did not reply to our enquiries,” said the bishop.

Except for the abortion issue, the election pledges of Mr Moon and Ms Sim were found to be faithful to Catholicism. Mr Moon, a liberal human rights lawyer, did not show a clear position on the legalisation of abortion saying, “It needs a wide-ranging social consultation” while Ms Sim argued for a watering down of abortion laws.

South Koreans celebrating after a court upheld the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. Two Korean presidential candidates have given their positions to bishops on issues based on Church teaching. CNS file photo

The two also wanted to abolish the death penalty, reinstall the Sewol ferry disaster investigation committee and withdraw the US THAAD anti-ballistic missile defence system. among others.

The elections will be held on May 9 where it is likely that Mr Moon, 64, will be elected to succeed ousted president Park Geunhye.

Ms Park was removed from office as part of the fallout from an influence-peddling scandal, which saw thousands take to the streets in protests, supported by churchmen and many Catholics, to demand her removal.

Almost 11 percent of South Korea’s population of 50 million is Catholic. n UCANEWS.COM

Govt plan for Filipino migrants wins support MANILA – A plan by Philippine

President Rodrigo Duterte to create a government department for Filipino migrant workers has got the support of a leading Catholic bishop.

Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga said the creation of a department for migrant workers is “necessary” to address their needs.

“It is high time to give more importance and protection to our [overseas Filipino workers],” said Bishop Santos, head of the Episcopal Commission on the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.

He said the creation of the department would address the basic interests of overseas workers and “safeguard their rights and privileges”.

Bishop Santos said the existing offices for overseas employment and migrant workers’ welfare can be placed under the department.

Migrant workers at Orchard Road.

Mr Duterte has announced a plan for a department to address overseas Filipino workers’ needs.

“Common and united efforts for the welfare and well-being of our [overseas workers] should be rightly and justly addressed,” he said.

Mr Duterte announced his plan to establish a department that will address the needs of overseas Filipino workers on April 14. n UCANEWS.COM

10 ASIA

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

Indonesian Church, govt take action on kids viewing pornography JAKARTA – Indonesian Church officials and activists are stepping up cooperation to protect children from exposure to pornography.

According to government figures, about 25,000 children access online pornography every day in the country.

Holy Family Fr Hibertus Hartana, executive secretary of the Indonesian bishops’ family commission said online pornography could rob children of important values such as respect for life and the dignity of others.

“Rape is an example that can be traced back to pornography,” Fr Hartana said, referring to one incident in Bogor, West Java, when a teenager raped a 36-year-old woman.

According to the priest, it is the task of families and schools to prevent children from accessing pornography. Parents should have an open dialogue with them and educate them in faith and morality, he stressed.

“The problem is that many children do not communicate with their parents” and the kids

end up searching for sex-related matters on Google, he said.

He said the Indonesian bishops’ conference is collaborating with the Ministry of Religious Affairs on how to provide guidance and sex education for children.

Ms Yohana Yembise, Minister of Women Empowerment

Many children do not communicate with their parents and the kids end up searching for sexrelated matters on Google, said a priest. and Child Protection, said the high number of Indonesian children accessing online pornography has drawn the government’s attention.

“I am shocked that from 50,000 activities related to pornography in Indonesia every day, 25,000 involve children accessing it,” she said in a statement.

Ms Maria Advianti, commissioner of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission, said they were also concerned.

“Parents must know what children are doing when they are online,” she said.

Ms Angeline Setiani, a parent, agreed that parents play an important role and always checks her children’s cell phones when they return from school.

“If I see something strange on their mobiles I delete it,” the mother of two said.

She admitted that children can easily access pornography through the Internet, DVDs, phones or magazines.

One school student admitted to viewing pornographic videos and photos almost every day sent by friends via his cell phone.

He said he knew watching them was wrong but his friends always send them to him.

“We share photos every day.

I look at them secretly because I am afraid about my parents and teachers finding out,” he said. n UCANEWS.COM

world 11

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

Catholics bring Pope Francis’ call to protect creation to climate march WASHINGTON – Carrying banners

and signs with quotes from Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, hundreds of Catholics joined the People’s Climate March to call for moral and prayerful action to protect creation.

On a sweltering April 29 that reinforced the message about the need to respond to climate change, many in the Catholic contingent said they felt they had a moral obligation to witness in the streets.

“We march for our grandchildren. Stop global warming,” read one sign propped up in the back of St Dominic Church in Washington, where about 300 people gathered before the march for Mass celebrated by Dominican Fr Hyacinth Marie Cordell, the parish’s parochial vicar.

“The Vatican is solar. What about US?” read another. “We resist, we build, we rise,” read a sign from St Francis and Therese Catholic Worker Community in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Underlying the messages on the signs and banners were people who shared a heartfelt concern to carry out Pope Francis’ call in his 2015 encyclical to live responsibly with the planet, remember the needs of others around the world and to reduce consumption and energy usage for the sake of God’s creation.

Catholics hold signs during the People’s Climate March in Washington on April 29. CNS photo

They also wanted to send a message to President Donald Trump that his policies on the environment and energy development do not follow the pontiff’s call to protect Earth.

The 300 people at the Mass heard Fr Cordell call for an “eco-

logical conversion” during his homily. He said each person must act in any way possible to protect God’s creation: reducing energy usage; limiting waste; choosing carpooling or biking and walking more; and buying less.

“This ecological conversion

Pope’s Pentecost celebrations, donation to beach for disabled VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis

has invited thousands of Catholic Charismatics and members of Pentecostal and Evangelical Churches to Rome to celebrate Pentecost and mark the 50th anniversary of what became the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

The pope will lead a prayer vigil on June 3, the eve of Pentecost, at Rome’s Circus Maximus, an open field that was the site of an ancient Roman stadium used for chariot races. Participants will join the pope the next morning for Pentecost Mass in St Peter’s Square.

In 2014, Pope Francis had invited Charismatics and Pentecostals to Rome in 2017 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Catholic Charismatic movement. The anniversary event is being organised by the Vatican-based International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services.

The jubilee celebrations will begin in Rome on May 31 with prayer meetings, a youth festival, meetings for theologians and workshops.

“Pope Francis asked us to plan a jubilee that is as inclusive as possible,” particularly by including other Christians who also emphasise the importance of baptism in the Holy Spirit, said Ms Michelle Moran,

The logo of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. CNS photo

president of International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services.

According to Ms Moran’s office, the Catholic Charismatic renewal is present in more than 200 countries and has reached an estimated 120 million Catholics.

In a separate development, the pontiff made an unexpected donation to an Italian association that runs and maintains a Roman beach for disabled people.

In an April 25 statement, the

Work of Love, a charitable association dedicated to St Aloysius Gonzaga, expressed their “enthusiasm and astonishment” upon receiving a contribution made in the pope’s name by Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner.

The association runs “La Madonnina” beach near Fiumicino, located 27 km southwest of Rome, that is specially designed for disabled people and equipped with walkways for easy access in and around the area.

According to the association’s website, volunteers and medical personnel from the Italian Paralympic Swimming Federation are on hand to ensure a “safe and enjoyable” experience for visitors.

The Work of Love association said the donation was accompanied by a message from the pope who “imparted his blessing to the volunteers and in a special way to the disabled people and their families” who visit the beach.

“The idea behind [this project] is not of creating a ‘ghetto’ settlement, but rather a beach without architectural and mental barriers, where everyone can enjoy the sea together with its many benefits,” the association said. n CNS

calls us to self-examination, to make an inventory of our lives and habits so that we can learn to be better stewards of our common home and its resources, which are meant for the good of all,” Fr Cordell said.

He said such steps require a

revolution of the heart, as Pope Francis has called each person to undertake. He described it as a “change toward responsibility and virtue, a transition to thinking about the common good, future generations, the poor, other living beings, God’s glory and the environment in all of our decisions.”

A large banner mounted on a 3-m bamboo pole carried by Mr Malcolm Byrnes, 57, a member of St Camillus Parish in Silver Spring, Maryland, was one of several that quoted the pope’s encyclical. It read: “We need to reject a magical conception of the market.”

Said Mr Byrnes, “We have to bring things back into focus and see climate change as a human issue involving all of humanity, especially the poor.” He was waiting for the Massgoers to begin walking to the assembly point for faith communities near the US Capitol.

Mr Byrnes explained that Pope Francis’ words had inspired him to consider his own actions in response to the divisive language the president and members of his administration have used during the first 100 days in office.

“We have to continue to put the pressure on and to be active.

Doing it as a Catholic is ever more poignant for me,” he said. n CNS

Israel urged to meet Palestinian hunger strikers’ demands JERUSALEM – Catholic leaders in the Holy Land urged Israel to concede to demands of Palestinian political prisoners on a hunger strike since April 17.

The prisoners are seeking an improvement in their prison conditions and an end to administrative detention, which allows Israel to hold prisoners almost indefinitely without having to charge them with a crime.

The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land said the prisoners are asking that their human rights and dignity be respected according to international law and the Geneva Convention.

“We urge the Israeli authorities to hear the cry of the prisoners, to respect their human dignity, and to open a new door toward the making of peace,” the bishops said in a statement released on April 29. “The aim of this desperate act is to shed light, both local-

ly and internationally, on the inhuman conditions in which they are detained by the Israeli authorities.”

The bishops affirmed the need to apply international law to the conditions of incarceration of political prisoners and condemned “the use of detention without trial, all forms of collective punishment, as well as the use of duress and torture for whatever reason.”

“Furthermore, we can never forget that every prisoner is a human being and his Godgiven dignity must be respected,” said the bishops.

Freeing prisoners will be a “sign of a new vision” which could mark a new beginning for Israelis and Palestinians, they said.

According to reports in the Israeli press, Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said 300 of the hunger strikers have agreed to start taking food, although none of their demands have been met. n CNS

12 world

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

‘Pedalling priests’ complete 550-km bicycle trek for vocation prayers PEORIA, Illinois, USa – Af-

ter riding bicycles a little more than 550 km over five days, three young priests of the Diocese of Peoria sailed across the Indiana state line on April 28, bringing Priests Pedalling for Prayers to a close.

“It does seem a little surreal,” Fr Tom Otto said at the journey’s end. “Things like this seem insurmountable when you begin, but maybe like life, you focus on the short-term goals. ... That makes it doable. Take one little bit at a time and before you know it, you’ve done something pretty incredible.”

The effort to raise prayers for vocations began on April 24 when Fr Otto, Fr Michael Pica and Fr Adam Cesarek dipped their rear tires in the Mississippi River, which marks the border between Iowa and Illinois. They were sent forth with the blessing of students at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy in East Moline, who lined both sides of the street outside the school to cheer them on.

Along the way, they stopped to talk with students and parishioners at 15 schools and churches about the need for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, as well as good, holy marriages “from which all vocations come.”

They also celebrated Mass,

took part in Holy Hours for vocations, stopped to pray at the Bishops’ Mausoleum in St Mary’s Cemetery in West Peoria, and visited with people at potluck gatherings, dinners and receptions arranged by the vocation apostolates or Knights of Columbus councils in each area.

At most stops, they received pledge cards from children and adults with promises of prayer, sacrifice and good deeds to support them on the ride and ask God for an increase in vocations.

“What’s been really neat to see is the goodness of the people of our diocese. That’s been, for me, absolutely the most powerful part,” said Fr Cesarek, who is parochial vicar at four faith communities in central Illinois.

“The overwhelming support we had from each and every place we went, the joy that each place had and the excitement that they maintained ... really invigorated me and gave me an incredible hope for our diocese,” he said.

He said the trio were inspired by the good, holy people they en-

After riding a little more than 550 km over five days, Frs Michael Pica, Adam Cesarek and Tom Otto stand just inside Indiana on April 28, bringing ‘Priests Pedalling for Prayers’ to a close. Behind them is one of the support vehicles that accompanied them on the journey to raise prayers for and awareness of vocations. CNS photo

countered, including the priests of the Diocese of Peoria, many of whom were on hand for their visits and offered them hospitality for the night.

“There were things that surprised us along the way,” said Fr Otto, parochial vicar at two parishes and a chaplain for students at Monmouth College. “The fact that every school and every parish did something different for us was a nice surprise.”

Fr Pica, parochial vicar at three parishes in McLean and DeWitt

one little bit at a time and before you know ‘Take it, you’ve done something pretty incredible.’

– Fr Tom Otto, one of the three priests who completed the bicycle trek

counties, credits the welcome at the schools with “pumping us up and getting us ready to go, giving us momentum to do the ride.”

That was especially important on April 26, when the priests did their “century” ride – 160 km in one day. In all, they were on the road for 20 hours and 45 minutes, averaging about 27 km an hour.

Each priest had a tough day, but it wasn’t the same for all so they were able to support and encourage whoever was struggling.

They prayed the rosary and Divine Mercy chaplet and caught up with each other when the wind was at their backs and they were able to ride side by side.

“There’s moments of quiet, which is all right, too,” Fr Cesarek said. “There are moments

of suffering out there. I was kind of keeping in mind particular people, some of the kids in our school who are suffering with cancer, offering that suffering for them.”

They emphasised that they aren’t the only priests willing to suffer and go the extra mile for their people.

“There are so many priests out there who will do anything and everything and they don’t get recognition for it,” Fr Pica said. In fact, these men prefer to remain behind the scenes.

Would they do it again?

“Ask us in a couple months,” Fr Otto said, laughing.

“Without question,” Fr Cesarek said, “we would all be open to it again, if the Lord wills it.” n CNS

Catholic scientists connect with one another at conference CHICAGO, USA – “Origins,” the first conference of the Society of Catholic Scientists in the US, gave more than 100 participants the opportunity to learn about everything from the birth of stars to the beginnings of human language and to reflect on how their faith and work inform each other.

But perhaps the most important benefit of the conference and the fledgling society that sponsored it was the chance for Catholic scientists to connect with one another as they met from April 21-23.

Ms Darlene Douglas, a teacher at Willows Academy in Des Plaines, Illinois, who has a doctorate in genetics from the University of Chicago, said she left science as a career after it became too difficult to find labs in which she could work without violating Catholic ethics about working with human embryonic stem cells or cell lines derived from aborted foetuses.

“During my studies, I met with a lot of pushback to my faith,” Ms Douglas said, adding that one of her ethics professors told students that it was impossible to believe in

‘

Many Catholics in science – especially students and young scientists – feel isolated because they do not realise how many other scientists share their faith.

’

– Mr Stephen Barr, president of the Society of Catholic Scientists A giant spiral disk of stars, dust and gas captured by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The first conference of the Society of Catholic Scientists spoke about how many planets outside the solar system might be habitable for life and what it means spiritually.

both God and evolution.

That is not the position of the Catholic Church, but many scientists who are not Catholic do not know that.

Part of the problem, said Mr Stephen Barr, society president, is that Catholic scientists often are not aware of how many of their peers share their faith.

Mr Barr, director of the Bartol

Research Institute at the University of Delaware, founded the society with Mr Jonathan Lunine, director of the Cornell University Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, after both concluded that it would be a good thing for the science community and for the Church.

“Many Catholics in science – especially students and young scientists – feel isolated because they

do not realise how many other scientists share their faith. That is because most religious scientists are quiet about their faith. This sense of isolation can be demoralising,” Mr Barr said.

Mr Thomas Levergood, institute executive director, said he learned about plans for the society when Mr Barr spoke at a Lumen Christi event in 2015, and the institute offered its support.

“It helps make Catholic scientists visible,” Mr Levergood said.

“Intellectually, there’s no conflict

between Catholicism and science.

There’s actually a lot of synergy between them.”

Catholics have made huge contributions in the sciences, from Fr Gregor Mendel, an Augustinian who founded the modern science of genetics, to Belgian Msgr George Lemaitre, who first proposed the theory of an expanding universe and the Big Bang.

Ms Karin Oberg, an astrochemist and associate professor of astronomy at Harvard University, spoke at the conference on how planets are formed, how many planets outside the solar system might be habitable for life and how people might go about finding them.

But she also reflected on what that means spiritually.

“If God describes Himself through His creation, what does it mean if God’s creation is full of habitable worlds?” she said.

The thought that the stars people see could each centre a solar system with its own habitable worlds makes the night sky seem less cold, she said, and “something that’s a bit more cosy.” n CNS

world 13

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

Buddhists, Christians must promote nonviolence, says Vatican’s Vesak Day message VATICAN CITY – Catholics and Buddhists must strengthen efforts to reject violence in all of its forms as well as urge and educate people in a life of nonviolence, said Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

“Jesus Christ and the Buddha were promoters of nonviolence as well as peacemakers,” he said in a message marking Vesak Day, which falls on May 10 in Singapore.

“May we actively dedicate ourselves to promoting within our families and social, political, civil and religious institutions a new

world hunger, yet the deplorable arms race continues,” he said.

For these reasons, the pontifical council chose to dedicate its message to promoting a culture of peace, active nonviolence and a rejection of violence in all its forms, the cardinal said.

Despite the lived example and important teachings of Jesus Christ and Buddha, many communities still must face much conflict and violence, which, in turn, “begets other social evils”, he said.

“Though we recognise the uniqueness of our two religions, to which we remain committed,

Sri Lankan Buddhist monks at a meeting. The Vatican’s Vesak Day message urges Buddhists and Christians to prevent conflicts and rebuild broken societies. CNS file photo

style of living where violence is rejected and the human person is respected,” he said.

Each year, the pontifical council sends its best wishes to Buddhists around the world for Vesak Day, a feast commemorating key events in the life of the Buddha.

“While many religious believers are committed to promoting peace, there are those who exploit religion to justify their acts of violence and hatred,” Cardinal Tauran said.

There is “global religious cooperation, but also politicisation of religion; and there is an awareness of endemic poverty and

we agree that violence comes forth from the human heart and that personal evils lead to structural evils,” Cardinal Tauran said.

The council, therefore, invites both Catholics and Buddhists to “work together in preventing conflicts and rebuilding broken societies; to urge the media to avoid and counter hate speech and biased and provocative reporting; to encourage educational reforms to prevent the distortion and misinterpretation of history and of scriptural texts; and to pray for world peace while walking together on the path of nonviolence”. n CNS

Vatican would welcome Trump visit VATICAN CITY – If US President

Donald Trump requests a meeting with Pope Francis in May, the Vatican will try to make it work, a top Vatican official said.

“Pope Francis is always willing to welcome heads of state who ask,” Archbishop Angelo Becciu, Vatican substitute secretary of state, told the Italian news agency ANSA on April 19.

Mr Trump is scheduled to be in Taormina, in southern Italy, from May 26-27 for a summit of G-7 leaders and representatives of the European Union.

Mr Sean Spicer, White House spokesman, told reporters on April 19, “We will be reaching

Mr Trump will be in southern Italy in late May.

out to the Vatican to see if a meeting, an audience with the pope can be accommodated. We’ll have

further details on that. Obviously, we would be honoured to have an audience with his holiness.”

Every US president since Dwight D. Eisenhower, who met St John XXIII in 1959, has visited the Vatican to meet the pope.

The visits are a mix of policy discussions and protocol, and can be very civil and even warm affairs. However, serious policy differences are raised during these meetings. Depending on the president, his party and policies, the divergences run from issues related to the sacredness of the unborn to the obligation to care for creation and to welcome refugees. n CNS

14 Pope in egypt

A journey of ‘unit Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

Pontiff urges peace among religions, signs historic agreem

Unmask violence posing as holy, pope tells religious leaders CAIRO – Calling his visit to Egypt

a journey of “unity and fraternity,” Pope Francis launched a powerful call to the nation’s religious leaders to expose violence masquerading as holy and condemn religiously inspired hatred as an idolatrous caricature of God. “Peace alone, therefore, is holy, and no act of violence can be perpetrated in the name of God, for it would profane His name,” the pope told Muslim and Christian leaders at an international peace conference on April 28. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople was in attendance.

Pope Francis also warned of attempts to fight violence with violence, saying “every unilateral action that does not promote constructive and shared processes is, in reality, a gift to the proponents of radicalism and violence.”

The pope began a two-day visit to Cairo by speaking at a gathering organised by Egypt’s al-Azhar University, Sunni Islam’s highest institute of learning.

He told reporters on the papal flight from Rome that the trip was significant for the fact that he was invited by the grand imam of al-Azhar, Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb; Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi; Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II; and Coptic Catholic Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sedrak of Alexandria.

Having these four leaders invite him for the trip shows it is “a trip of unity and fraternity” that will be “quite, quite intense” over the next two days, he said.

Greeted with a standing ovation and a few scattered shouts of “viva il papa” (long live the pope), the pope gave a talk highlighting Egypt’s great and “glorious history” as a land of civilisation, wisdom and faith in God. Religious leaders have a duty to respect everyone’s religious identity and have “the courage to accept differences,” he said in the talk that was interrupted by applause several times.

Those who belong to a different culture or religion “should not be seen or treated as enemies, but rather welcomed as fellow-travellers,” he said.

Religion needs to take its sacred and essential place in the world as a reminder of the “great questions about the meaning of life” and humanity’s ultimate calling.

He emphasised that religion “is

not a problem, but a part of the solution” because it helps people lift their hearts toward God “in order to learn how to build the city of man.”

Christians, too, must treat everyone as brother and sister if they are to truly pray to God, the Father of all humanity, the pope said.

“It is of little or no use to raise our voices and run about to find weapons for our protection,” he said.

The pope again appealed for people to address the root causes of terrorism, like poverty and exploitation, and stopping the flow of weapons and money to those who provoke violence.

He called on all of Egypt to continue its legacy of being a land of civilisation and covenant so it can contribute to peace for its own people and the whole Middle East.

The pope and Sheik el-Tayeb embraced after the sheik gave his introductory

address, which emphasised that only false notions of religion, including Islam, lead to violence.

The sheik began his speech by requesting the audience stand for a minute’s silence to commemorate the victims of terrorism in Egypt and globally, regardless of their religions.

“We should not hold religion accountable for the crimes of any small group of followers,” he said.

“For example, Islam is not a religion of terrorism” just because a small group of fanatics “ignorantly” misinterpret texts of the Quran to support their hatred.

Pope Francis was greeted by Egypt Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and other Egyptian officials upon his arrival.

They walked together, chatting animatedly, to the VIP hall of Cairo International Airport, then the pontiff was whisked off to the presidential palace to meet President el-Sissi at the start of his brief 27-hour visit.

Pope Francis repeated his calls for strengthening peace in his speech to hundreds of officials representing government, the diplomatic corps, civil society and culture.

“No civilised society can be built without repudiating every ideology of evil, violence and extremism that presumes to suppress others and to annihilate diversity by manipulating and profaning the sacred name of God,” he said. n CNS

Pope Francis attends an ecumenic (second from right), spiritual head

Honouring CAIRO – Placing flowers, light-

ing a candle and praying at the site where dozens of Coptic Orthodox Christians were killed by an Islamic State militant on Dec 11, Pope Francis and Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II paid homage to those who were killed for their faith.

Inside the Church of St Peter, the leaders of several other Christian communities in Egypt as well as Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople sat before the congregation, which included family members of the victims.

Led by Pope Francis, the eight leaders went to the back of the church, where each lit a small candle and placed white flowers

Love without c CAIRO – The only kind of fanati-

Peace alone ... ‘ is holy, and no act of violence can be perpetrated in the name of God, for it would profane His name.

’

– Pope Francis Pope Francis embraces Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar University, at a conference on international peace in Cairo on April 28. CNS photo

cism that is acceptable to God is being fanatical about loving and helping others, Pope Francis said on his final day in Egypt.

“True faith,” he told Catholics, “makes us more charitable, more merciful, more honest and more humane. It moves our hearts to love everyone without counting the cost.”

The pope celebrated an openair Mass on April 29 in Cairo’s Air Defence Stadium. The pope concelebrated with Coptic Catholic Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sedrak of Alexandria and leaders of the other Catholic rites in Egypt.

Surrounded by security, the pope managed to personally greet only one small group of children who were dressed as pharaohs and other traditional figures.

In his homily, he used the day’s Gospel reading of the two disciples’ journey to Emmaus to highlight how easy it is to feel disappointment, despair and defeat when one is trapped

pope in egypt 15

ty and fraternity’ Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

ment with Coptic Church during his April 28-29 visit to Egypt

Catholic leaders: Papal trip was blessing for Christian, Muslim Egyptians

cal prayer service with Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II (third from right), Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew d of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, and other religious leaders at St Peter’s Church in Cairo on April 28. CNS photo

martyrs, urging unity for peace beneath the photos of the martyrs.

Earlier, in a historic and significant move towards greater Christian unity, Pope Tawadros and Pope Francis signed an agreement to end a longtime disagreement between the two Churches over the Sacrament of Baptism.

The Coptic Orthodox Church had required new members joining from most non-Coptic Churches – including those who had previously been baptised as Catholic – to be baptised again.

The Catholic Church recognises all Christian baptisms performed with water and in “the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” Orthodox Christians who enter the Catholic Church are received as full members, but not baptised again.

In the joint declaration, the two leaders “mutually declare that we, with one mind and heart, will seek sincerely not to repeat the baptism that has been administered in either of our Churches for any person who wishes to join the other.”

In his speech to Pope Tawadros and other Coptic Orthodox leaders, Pope Francis said, “The innocent blood of defenceless Christians was cruelly shed.”

He told them it was that innocent blood “that united us.”

He encouraged Catholic and Orthodox to work hard to “oppose violence by preaching and sowing goodness, fostering concord and preserving unity, praying that all these sacrifices may open the way to a future of full communion

between us and peace for all.”

Pope Tawadros, in his speech, said Pope Francis was following in the footsteps of his namesake, St Francis of Assisi, who came to Egypt nearly 1,000 years ago to meet Sultan al-Kamel and engage in “one of the most important experiences of intercultural dialogue in history – a dialogue that is renewed today with your visit.”

The Orthodox leader underlined that the world was thirsting for sincere efforts of spreading peace and love, and stopping violence and extremism.

“The criminal minds” behind all the violence and threats hurting Egypt will never be able to break or weaken the hearts of its citizens who are united and showing an example for future generations, he said. n CNS

counting cost, pope tells Egypt’s Catholics by a false notion of who God really is.

The disciples could not believe that the one who could raise others from the dead and heal the sick could “end up hanging on the cross of shame,” the pope said.

“How often do we paralyse ourselves by refusing to transcend our own ideas about God, a god created in the image and likeness of man,” he said.

Like the disciples, the pope said, Christians will never recognise the true face of God until they let their mistaken ideas die on the cross, rise up from the tomb of their limited understanding and shatter their hardened hearts like the “breaking of the bread” in the Eucharist.

At the end of the Mass, Patriarch Sedrak thanked the pope for his visit, which, though it was brief, “has overflowed our hearts with joy and our lives with blessing.”

Later in the day, before his departure for Rome, the pope met with about 1,500 priests, seminarians and

Pope Francis greets children dressed as pharaohs as he arrives to celebrate Mass at the Air Defence Stadium on April 29.

Religious men and women for a prayer service on the sports field of a Coptic Catholic seminary in Cairo.

He thanked them for their witness and for the good they do in the midst of “many challenges and often few consolations.”

“Although there are many reasons to be discouraged, amid many prophets of destruction and condemnation, and so many negative and despairing voices, may you be a positive force, salt and light for this society,” he told them. n CNS

AMMAN, Jordan – Pope Francis’ historic visit to Cairo has left a profound mark on Egyptians, Catholic leaders said, as they anticipate increased ties with fellow Orthodox Christians and Muslims.

“The pope’s visit was a big blessing to the Egyptians, both Muslims and Christians. It boosted the morale of the Egyptian people, especially after the Palm Sunday blasts,” Fr Rafic Greiche, spokesman for the Egyptian bishops, told Catholic News Service (CNS) by phone.

Fr Greiche referred to a pair of terrorist attacks on April 9 at two Egyptian churches. The Islamic State group claimed credit for the attacks, which killed at least 45 people and shook the Middle East’s largest Christian community to the core.

“The pope’s visit for Catholics in Egypt was a great happening, very positive,” Jesuit Fr Samir Khalil Samir told CNS. Even more important, he said, was the historic improvement in ecumenical ties between the Catholic and the Coptic Orthodox

churches. Pope Francis and Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II signed a declaration on common baptism.

“In Egypt, there are a lot of mixed marriages between Catholics and Orthodox,” Fr Samir explained, citing the previous Coptic Orthodox requirement that new members joining the Church – including those who had previously been baptised as Catholic – had to be baptised again.

He also said Pope Francis and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi reached a better understanding. “By meeting [Mr el-Sissi] and having a normal, positive relationship, the pope is supporting the only one who can help the Christians,” the theologian said.

Pope Francis’ relationship with Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb, who heads al-Azhar University in Cairo, is also creating an impact.

Although “ISIS will not listen to whatever the pope says,” Pope Francis has now put the Vatican’s relationship with al-Azhar on a stronger footing, said Fr Samir. n CNS

Pope urges US, N Korea to seek out diplomatic solution ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM CAIRO – A diplomatic solu-

tion must be found to the escalating tension between North Korea and the United States, Pope Francis told journalists.

“The path [to take] is the path of negotiation, the path of a diplomatic solution,” he said when asked about US President Donald Trump’s decision to send Navy warships to the region in response to North Korea’s continued missile tests and threats to launch nuclear strikes against South Korea, Japan and the United States.

“What do you say to these leaders who hold responsibility for the future of humanity,” the pope was asked, during a question-and-answer session with journalists on the flight to Rome on April 29 after his visit Cairo.

“I will call on them. I’m going to call on them like I have called on the leaders of different places,” he said.

The situation in North Korea, he added, has been heated for a long time, “but now it seems it has heated up too much, no?”

When asked if he would want to meet with President Trump when the US leader is in Italy in late May, the

pope said, “I have not been informed yet by the [Vatican] secretary of state about a request being made.”

But he added, “I receive every head of state who asks for an audience.”

A journalist with German media asked the pope about the controversy he sparked on April 22 for saying some refugee camps are like concentration camps.

“No, it was not a slip of the tongue,” Pope Francis said, adding that there are some refugee camps in the world – but definitely not in Germany – that “are real concentration camps.”

When centres are built to lock people up, where there is nothing to do and they can’t leave, that “is a lager,” he said, referring to the German term for a concentration camp.

Another reporter asked how people should interpret his speeches to government officials when he calls on them to support peace, harmony and equality for all citizens.

“I talk about values,” the pope said, and then it is up to each individual to look and judge whether this particular government or nation or person is “delivering these values.” n CNS

16 pope in egypt

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

PHOTOS OF POPE’S EGYPT TRIP

Pope Francis listens as Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar University, speaks at a conference on international peace in Cairo on April 28. CNS photos

Pope Francis, accompanied by Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II, and other Orthodox representatives, lights a candle outside the Church of St Peter in Cairo on April 28. The pope lit the candle in remembrance of victims of a December 2016 bombing inside the church.

The Holy Father looks out on the Nile River from the Apostolic Nunciature in Cairo on April 29.

Priests react as the pope arrives to celebrate Mass.

The crowd reacts as the pontiff arrives to celebrate Mass at the Air Defence Stadium in Cairo on April 29.

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

In TED talk, pope urges people to make real connections VATICAN CITY – While search-

ing for a connection today often means looking for Wi-Fi, Pope Francis said real connections between people are the only hope for the future.

“How wonderful would it be if the growth of scientific and technological innovation would come along with more equality and social inclusion,” he said in a video talk played on April 25 for 1,800 people attending TED 2017 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and posted online with subtitles in 20 languages.

TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a US-based media organisation that posts talks online for free distribution, under the slogan “ideas worth spreading”.

TED was founded in 1984 as a conference, which has been held annually since 1990.

“How wonderful would it be, while we discover faraway planets, to rediscover the needs of the brothers and sisters orbiting around us,” the pope said in the talk that TED organisers had been advertising as that of a “surprise guest”.

Pope Francis spoke to the international conference about combating the current “culture of waste” and “techno-economic systems” that prioritise products, money and things over people.

Many people in the world move along paths “riddled with suffering” with no one to care for them, the pope said. Far too many people who consider themselves “respectable” simply pass by, leaving thousands on “the side of the road”.

“The more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people,” he said, and the greater the responsibility one has to act and to do so with humility.

“If you don’t, your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other.”

wonderful ‘How would it be, while we discover faraway planets, to rediscover the needs of the brothers and sisters orbiting around us.

’

– Pope Francis in a video talk

pope Franicis 17

Fatima visionaries to be canonised on May 13 VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis will declare the sainthood of Blessed Jacinta Marto and Blessed Francisco Marto, two of the shepherd children who saw Mary in Fatima, Portugal, on May 13.

The date was announced on April 20 during an “ordinary public consistory”, a meeting of the pope, cardinals and promoters of sainthood causes that formally ends the sainthood process.

Pope Francis will preside over the canonisation ceremony during his visit to Fatima May 12-13.

The canonisation marks the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparitions, which began on May 13, 1917, when nine-yearold Francisco and seven-year-old

Jacinta, along with their cousin Lucia dos Santos, reported seeing the Virgin Mary.

The apparitions continued once a month until Oct 13, 1917, and later were declared worthy of belief by the Catholic Church.

A year after the apparitions, both of the Marto children became ill during an influenza epidemic that plagued Europe. Francisco died on April 4, 1919, at the age of 10, while Jacinta succumbed to her illness on Feb 20, 1920, at the age of nine.

The children’s cousin entered the Carmelites. Sr Lucia died in 2005 at the age of 97. The diocesan phase of her sainthood cause concluded in February and is now under study at the Vatican. n CNS

The pope was a surprise presenter in a video talk played for 1,800 people attending TED 2017 in Vancouver, Canada. Screen grab from www.ted.com.

“The future of humankind isn’t exclusively in the hands of politicians, of great leaders, of big companies,” he said, even though they all have power and responsibility. “The future is, most of all, in the hands of those people who recognise the other as a ‘you’ and themselves as part of an ‘us.’”

Telling the tech-savvy crowd that he wanted to talk about “revolution,” the pope asked people to join a very connected and interconnected “revolution of tenderness”.

Tenderness, he said, is “love that comes close and becomes real”, something that begins in the heart but translates into listening and action, comforting those in

pain and caring for others and for “our sick and polluted earth”.

“Tenderness is the path of choice for the strongest, most courageous men and women,” he insisted. “Tenderness is not weakness; it is fortitude. It is the path of solidarity, the path of humility.” n CNS The pope’s TED talk is at https:// www.ted.com/talks/pope_francis_ why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone

Portuguese shepherd children Lucia dos Santos (centre) and her cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto, in a photo taken around the time of the 1917 apparitions. The Martos will be canonised soon. CNS photo

18 opinion

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

Fortnightly newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore

2 Highland Road, #01-03 Singapore 549102.

Telephone: 6858 3055. Fax: 6858 2055.

Website: www.catholicnews.sg Facebook: www.facebook.com/catholicnews Managing Editor: Father Richards Ambrose: ra@catholic.org.sg

Editorial matters and queries: cnedit@catholic.org.sg

Assistant Editor: Christopher Khoo: christopher.khoo@catholic.org.sg

Subscriptions: Richard Paul: subscriptions@catholic.org.sg

In Memoriam: Racquel Castanares: memoriam@catholic.org.sg

STAFF CORRESPONDENT: Jared Ng: jared.ng@catholic.org.sg

Advertisements: Elaine Ong: advertisements@catholic.org.sg

Please include your full name, address and phone no. for all letters to the editor. All decisions on submissions rest with the CatholicNews. Published submissions will be edited.

Design / Layout: Christopher Wong: design@catholic.org.sg Elaine Ong: elaine.ong@catholic.org.sg

The views or positions presented in articles in CatholicNews do not necessarily represent the views of the Church.

Advertisements that appear in CatholicNews are not necessarily endorsed by the Church.

COMMENTARY

Reaching out to the social media generation The Church has to accept the challenge, says Matt Palmer

T

he older generation had radio and television stars.

Baby boomers and Generation X had movie and rock legends. For millennials and their younger brothers and sisters, celebrities come from places like YouTube, Facebook, Netflix, Instagram and Twitter.

The Internet has opened up a world where people consume what they want, when they want.

In the case of some young people, if they don’t see or hear it, they go make it themselves with relatively inexpensive cameras, microphones and software.

This is the landscape that the Catholic Church finds itself in right now.

Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have all emphasised videos in recent years to big results and they all feature autoplay.

Many people stopped scrolling in their social media feeds when they saw Pope Francis participate in a TED Talk on April 25.

Parishes could follow that lead and broadcast homilies on Facebook live. Nothing is more inspirational or motivational than insights into the Gospel. It’s an easy, tangible way to evangelise.

Parishioners can share the parish broadcasts on their own social media. They become missionaries of evangelisation in the process.

You’ll be surprised by the thousands you reach and engage with by simply going live.

YouTube Christian “vloggers” (video bloggers) have gained millions of followers by sharing their lives with seven- to 10-minute daily entries. The videos frequently share the vlogger’s personal and family adventures, but also feature insights to prayer life or

The call to evangelise is daunting, but our faith has endured for 2,000 years for a reason: Our ancestors evangelised by adapting to the times. scenes of trips to church.

Imagine if a young Catholic family shared a window into their lives and casually articulated the Catholic faith by doing a vlog.

Millions of previously unchurched people might want to learn more.

Pope Francis’ Twitter proves daily that the Gospel’s message can be shared in less than 140 characters. Simple, inspired and creative messaging – through text, video, images and memes – changes hearts in secular culture all the time.

The same holds true in the Catholic world. It’s amazing how

a meme featuring a quote from the pope or a bishop can reach and engage millions.

That’s the lesson learned. If we want to change the culture, we should let it change us as well. The call to evangelise is daunting, but our faith has endured for 2,000 years for a reason: Our ancestors evangelised by adapting to the times.

Now is our time to accept that challenge. Our faith depends on it. n CNS Palmer is social media strategist for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

500 years of misunderstanding THE heart has its reasons, said 17th-century philosopher Blaise Pascal, and sometimes those reasons have a long history.

Recently I signed a card for a friend, a devout Baptist, who was raised to have a suspicion of Roman Catholics. It’s something he still struggles with; but, don’t we all?

History eventually infects our DNA. Who of us is entirely free from suspicion of what’s religiously different from us? And what’s the cure? Personal contact, friendship and theological dialogue with those of other denominations and other faiths does help open our minds and hearts, but the fruit of centuries of bitter misunderstanding doesn’t disappear so easily, especially when it’s institutionally entrenched and nurtured as a prophetic protection of God and truth.

And so with regard to Christians of other denominations, there remains in most of us an emotional dis-ease, an inability to see the other fully as one of our own.

And so in signing this card for my separated Christian friend, I wrote: “To a fellow Christian, a brother in the Body of Christ, a good friend, from whom I’m separated by 500 years of misunderstanding.”

Five hundred years of misunderstanding, of separation, of suspicion, of defensiveness – that’s not something that’s easily overcome, especially when at its core there sit issues about God, truth, and religion. Granted, there has been much positive progress made in the past 50 years and many of the original, more blatant misunderstandings have been overcome.

But the effects of the historical break within Christianity and the reaction to it are present today and are still seen everywhere, from High Church offices, to debates within the academy of theology, to suspicions inside the popular mind.

It’s sad how we’ve focused so much on our differences, when at the centre, at the heart, we share the same essential faith, the same essential beliefs, the same basic moral codes, the same Scriptures, the same belief in afterlife, and the same fundamental tenet that intimacy with Jesus Christ is the aim of our faith.

As well, not insignificantly, today we also share the same prejudices and biases against us, whether these come from fundamentalists within other religions or whether these come from over-zealous, over-secularised, post-Christians within our own society. To someone looking at us from the outside, all the different Christian denominations look like a monolith – one faith, one Church, a single religion, our differences far overshadowed by our commonality.

Sadly, we tend not to see ourselves like this from within, where our differences, more often than not based upon a misunderstanding, are seen to dwarf our common discipleship.

Yet, the Epistle to the Ephesians tells us that, as Christians, we share one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all of us.

At its most essential level, that’s true of all of us Christians despite our denominational differences. We are one at our core.

Granted, there are some real differences among us, mostly in terms of how we understand certain aspects of the Church and certain issues within morality, rather than on how we understand the deeper truths about the nature of God, the divinity of Christ, the gift of God’s Word, the gift of the Eucharist, and the inalienable dignity and destiny of all human beings.

Within the hierarchy of truths, this essential core is what’s most important, and on this essential core we essentially agree. That’s the real basis of our common discipleship.

Ecclesially, the issues that divide us focus mostly on Church authority, on ordination to ministry, on whether to emphasise word or sacrament, on how to understand the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, on the number of sacraments, on the place of sacramentals and devotions within discipleship, and on how scripture and tradition interplay with each other.

In terms of moral issues, the issues that divide us are also the “red button” issues within our society as a whole: abortion, gay marriage, birth control, and the place of social justice within discipleship. But, even on these, there’s more commonality than difference among the Churches.

Moreover, today, the differences on how we understand many of the ecclesial and moral issues that divide us are more temperamental than denominational, that is, they tend to be more a question of one’s theology than of one’s denominational affiliation.

Granted, classical denominational theology still plays in, but the divisions today regarding how we see certain ecclesial and moral issues – be that ordination, gay marriage, abortion or social justice – are less a tension between Roman Catholics and Protestants (and Evangelicals) than they are between those who lean temperamentally and theologically in one direction rather than the other.

It’s perhaps too simplistic to draw this up in terms of liberal versus conservative, but this much at least is true – the fault line on these issues today is becoming less and less denominational.

The earliest Christian Creed had but a single line: Jesus is Lord! All Christians still agree on that and so we remain brothers and sisters – separated only by 500 years of misunderstanding. n

vocations 19

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

Pope Francis’s message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, May 7 Dear Brothers and Sisters,

and He opens their eyes by proclaiming the word and breaking the bread. In the same way, a Christian does not bear the burden of mission alone, but realises, even amid weariness and misunderstanding, that “Jesus walks with him, speaks to him, breathes with him, works with him. He senses Jesus alive with him in the midst of the missionary enterprise” (Evangelii Gaudium, 266).

Jesus makes the seed grow. Finally, it is important to let the Gospel teach us the way of proclamation. At times, even with the best intentions, we can indulge in a certain hunger for power, proselytism or intolerant fanaticism. Yet the Gospel tells us to reject the idolatry of power and success, undue concern for structures, and a kind of anxiety that has more to do with the spirit of conquest than that of service. The seed of the Kingdom, however tiny, unseen and at times insignificant, silently continues to grow, thanks to God’s tireless activity. “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep or rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how” (Mk 4:26-27). This is our first reason for confidence: God surpasses all our expectations and constantly surprises us by His generosity. He makes our efforts bear fruit beyond all human calculation.

In the last few years, we have considered two aspects of the Christian vocation: the summons to “go out from ourselves” to hear the Lord’s voice, and the importance of the ecclesial community as the privileged place where God’s call is born, nourished and expressed.

Now, on this 54th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, I would like to reflect on the missionary dimension of our Christian calling. Those who are drawn by God’s voice and determined to follow Jesus soon discover within themselves an irrepressible desire to bring the Good News to their brothers and sisters through proclamation and the service of charity.

Missionary disciples All Christians are called to be missionaries of the Gospel! As disciples, we do not receive the gift of God’s love for our personal consolation, nor are we called to promote ourselves, or a business concern. We are simply men and women touched and transformed by the joy of God’s love, who cannot keep this experience just to ourselves.

For “the Gospel joy which enlivens the community of disciples is a missionary joy (Evangelii Gaudium, 21).

Commitment to mission is not something added on to the Christian life as a kind of decoration, but is instead an essential element of faith itself. A relationship with the Lord entails being sent out into the world as prophets of His word and witnesses of His love.

Even if at times we are conscious of our weaknesses and tempted to discouragement, we need to turn to God with confidence. We must overcome a sense of our own inadequacy and not yield to pessimism, which merely turns us into passive spectators of a dreary and monotonous life.

There is no room for fear! God Himself comes to cleanse our “unclean lips” and equip us for the mission: “Your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I, send me’” (Is 6:6-8).

In the depths of their heart , all missionary disciples hear this divine voice bidding them to “go about”, as Jesus did, “doing good and healing all” (cf. Acts 10:38). I have mentioned that, by virtue of baptism, every Christian is a “Christopher”, a bearer of Christ, to his brothers and sisters (cf. Catechesis, 30 January 2016). This is particularly the case with those called to a life of special consecration and with priests, who have generously responded, “Here I am, Lord, send me!” With renewed missionary enthusiasm, priests are called to go forth from the sacred precincts of the temple and to let God’s tender love overflow for the sake of humanity (cf. Homily at the Chrism Mass, 24 March 2016). The Church needs such priests: serenely confident because they have discovered the true treasure, anxious to go out and joyfully to make it known to all (cf. Mt 13:44).

Scenes from the Gospels Certainly many questions arise when we speak of the Christian mission. What does it mean to be a missionary of the Gospel?

Constant prayer

Who gives us the strength and courage to preach? What is the evangelical basis and inspiration of mission? We can respond to these questions by meditating on three scenes from the Gospels: the inauguration of Jesus’ mission in the synagogue at Nazareth (cf. Lk 4:16-30); the journey that, after His resurrection, He makes in the company of the disciples of Emmaus (cf. Lk 24:1335) and, finally, the parable of the sower and the seed (cf. Mt 4:26-27).

and to be for them a means of salvation.

Jesus is at our side every step of the way. The questions lurking in human hearts

and the real challenges of life can make us feel bewildered, inadequate and hopeless.

The Christian mission might appear to be mere utopian illusion or at least something beyond our reach. Yet if we contemplate the risen Jesus walking alongside the disciples of Emmaus (cf. Lk 24:13-15), we can be filled with new confidence. In that Gospel

With renewed missionary enthusiasm, priests are called to go forth from the sacred precincts of the temple and to let God’s tender love overflow for the sake of humanity.

Jesus is anointed by the Spirit and sent.

To be a missionary disciple means to share actively in the mission of Christ. Jesus Himself described that mission in the synagogue of Nazareth in these words: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour” (Lk 4:1819). This is also our mission: to be anointed by the Spirit, and to go out to our brothers and sisters in order to proclaim the word

scene, we have a true “liturgy of the street”, preceding that of the word and the breaking of the bread.

We see that, at every step of the way, Jesus is at our side! The two disciples, overwhelmed by the scandal of the cross, return home on the path of defeat. Their hearts are broken, their hopes dashed and their dreams shattered. The joy of the Gospel has yielded to sadness. What does Jesus do? He does not judge them, but walks with them. Instead of raising a wall, He opens a breach. Gradually He transforms their discouragement.

He makes their hearts burn within them,

With this confidence born of the Gospel, we become open to the silent working of the Spirit, which is the basis of mission. There can be no promotion of vocations or Christian mission apart from constant contemplative prayer. The Christian life needs to be nourished by attentive listening to God’s word and, above all, by the cultivation of a personal relationship with the Lord in Eucharistic adoration, the privileged “place” for our encounter with God. I wish heartily to encourage this kind of profound friendship with the Lord, above all for the sake of imploring from on high new vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life. The People of God need to be guided by pastors whose lives are spent in service to the Gospel. I ask parish communities, associations and the many prayer groups present in the Church not to yield to discouragement but to continue praying that the Lord will send workers to His harvest. May He give us priests enamoured of the Gospel, close to all their brothers and sisters, living signs of God’s merciful love.

Dear brothers and sisters, today too, we can regain fervour in preaching the Gospel and we can encourage young people in particular to take up the path of Christian discipleship. Despite a widespread sense that the faith is listless or reduced to mere “duties to discharge”, our young people desire to discover the perennial attraction of Jesus, to be challenged by His words and actions, and to cherish the ideal that He holds out of a life that is fully human, happy to spend itself in love.

Mary Most Holy, the Mother of our Saviour, had the courage to embrace this ideal, placing her youth and her enthusiasm in God’s hands. Through her intercession, may we be granted that same openness of heart, that same readiness to respond, “Here I am”, to the Lord’s call, and that same joy in setting out (cf. Lk 1:39), like her, to proclaim him to the whole world. n

20

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

vocations 21

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

I think I am being called to the priesthood. What should I do?

Archdiocesan vocation director Fr Valerian Cheong answers questions about discernment, seminary requirements and other matters.

By Jared Ng

Q: How do I discern if I am being called to be a priest?

A: Usually it comes from an inner stirring, a little voice within an aspirant [a person hoping to join the seminary] that tells him maybe this is it. And this is where the seminary helps by asking, “Is this your imagination? Your ideal? Or something that you are serious about.” It really is a discerning process where we try to help the person hear what he thinks God is calling him to do.

Q: What’s

the difference between an aspirant, candidate and seminarian?

Seminarians enjoying community games in the compound of the Church of St Teresa where they are currently housed.

A: Aspirants are still in the process of discerning whether they want to enter the seminary. Candidates are those waiting to enter the seminary during the annual January intake every year. Seminarians have already joined and started their priestly studies.

Q: Who

should I consult if I wish to join the seminary?

A: Going to your parish priest would be a good starting point.

Speak to him and share why you feel you are being called to the priesthood. He will then be able to help you discern and link you with the seminary should you still wish to find out more.

Left and above: Seminarians having prayer time in the chapel.

Q: What are the guidelines and

Other procedures that an aspirant would have to go through include a psychological test and medical check-up. He also requires a referral from his parish priest.

procedures if I want to apply to join the seminary?

Q: I’m the only child in my family.

A: There are two main stages to go through before an individual is accepted into the seminary.

The first stage sees the seminary recommend a list of about 10 priests to journey with the aspirant and act as his spiritual director for the next year or so. During this period, the priest will meet the aspirant about once a month and guide him in the discernment process.

After both the spiritual director and aspirant have mutually agreed that he is ready to take the next step, the priest will recommend him for the second stage in which the individual will meet and discern further with the priests overseeing the seminary.

This is where we get to know the aspirant on a deeper level. The second stage could take up to another year or so.

The process is stringent to a certain extent. In total, it could take an aspirant two to three years before he actually enters the seminary.

Q: What if my parents are against my decision to join the seminary?

A: If you’re below the age of 21, listen to your parents. However if an aspirant is in his mid to late 20s or even early 30s, he should be mature enough to make his own decisions provided they are honest and true. Also, pray for your parents to be supportive and open to your vocation.

If I’m accepted into the seminary, what sort of support will I receive should my parents fall sick or grow too old to look after themselves?

A: There are safety networks but we consider this matter on a case by case basis. For example, we have had cases before where seminarians take a semester break to spend time with their parents who are not in the best of health.

However, it is best to have such issues sorted out before approaching the seminary.

Q: Is there an age requirement to enter the seminary? What sort of qualifications do I need to be accepted?

A: Preferably

below the age of 35. But again, we will look at it from case to case. Regarding a minimum age, an individual would have to complete his National Service first.

For qualifications, either an A

Fr Valerian Cheong said seminarians are expected to be open and transparent and ‘have a desire to be formed.’

level certificate or diploma. The primary reason for these qualification requirements is so the individual can cope with the assigments and exams in the seminary.

Q: What should I do if I have a girlfriend but feel called to enter the seminary?

A: It would be good for you to decide on this for yourself. Here in the seminary, we do not make decisions for the aspirants, we just guide them along the way.

open and transparent to the priests in the seminary, to have a desire to be formed and to have humility and the ability to take instructions.

Q: What are the topics covered in the eight years of seminary studies?

Q: Can I leave the seminary if I

A: 1st year – Initiation Year.

2nd year – Philosophy Studies.

3rd year – Philosophy Studies.

4th year – Regency year (usually in the parish, but not necessarily).

5th-8th years – Theology Studies.

feel, after a period of time, that it is not my calling?

Q: What would you say to those

A: Yes, certainly. No one is tied down or bonded to the seminary.

Q: What is the life of a seminarian like? What is expected of him?

A: The day starts at 7am with morning prayer. If there are scheduled classes, they usually begin at 9am. There are structured times for daily meditations and Mass.

A typical day also includes time to work on assignments, study for exams, and community time with fellow seminarians through meals and games. There are also days of silence and monthly recollections.

Seminarians are expected to be

who find the priestly life uninspiring?

A: If a person chooses to focus on his career, then it is ok because he is not being called to the priesthood. The person who finds fulfilment in his priestly call will really know that the priesthood is for him.

At the end of the day, what we want a priest to be is someone who can make a difference in someone else’s life in a spiritual context.

For more information about the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary, email diocesanvocations@ catholic.org.sg n jared.ng@catholic.org.sg

22

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

vocations 23

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

Transforming lives and deepening the faith through retreats The Cenacle Sisters share about their ministry, mission in Singapore over the past 20 years

By Jared Ng

During the retreat, usually held for five or eight days, a spirO work for the transfor- itual director will journey with mation of lives through participants to help guide them in an awakening and their prayer life. deepening of the faith, According to the Sisters, this that is really what the Cenacle retreat first started in 2005 and mission is about, says Cenacle Sr is held about a twice a year at Francisca Tan. Chiang Mai, Thailand, and other “What we hope to achieve is countries in the region. “We have to really help people grow in their it overseas because sometimes relationship with God,” she said. people just want some quiet time Sr Francisca, together with and peace to get away from their fellow Cenacle Srs Linda Lizada, realities,” said Sr Linda.

Mel Benedictos and Christine The Sisters also cited the At Lam spoke to CatholicNews about Home retreat as a popular prothe work of the Cenacle ministry gramme. Using the spiritual exerin Singapore as they look forward cises of St Ignatius of Loyola as to their 20th anniversary in July. a guide, the programme is held The “Cenacle” over 10 weeks and A big part of the includes a weekly refers to the Upper Room where a few Cenacle Sisters’ meeting of faith historic events took and daily ministry involves sharing place in the Gosprayer using Scrippel: These were organising various ture. the Last Supper, Most retreats retreats with the place where the organised by the programmes that Cenacle Sisters are disciples returned after Jesus’ Ascenusually attended cater to people sion, and where by participants in from different the Holy Spirit aptheir mid 40s to peared to them on early 60s. With this walks of life.

Pentecost. It was in mind, Sr Chrisfrom there that the apostles went tine decided to organise retreats forth with boldness proclaiming for young adults as she felt that the Gospel. “there was perhaps a gap in our “That was perhaps the first outreach.” ‘prototype’ of a retreat,” said Sr Those between the ages of 21 Mel. “The disciples were looking and 40 are invited to attend these for direction in their ministry and retreats which includes morning found it through prayer and the and evening prayer sessions, faith Holy spirit.” sharing and spiritual direction.

A big part of the Cenacle minThrough fun and leisure activistry involves organising retreats ities, the retreats, held at a beach for people from different walks of resort, aim to allow participants to life. find God in all things.

Some programmes integrate Mr Rodger Mok, 70, who has the sacred and secular, the psycho- attended the Quieting the Soul relogical and spiritual, while others treat every year since 2007, said, provide a more quiet setting, “one “What brings me to their retreats with a contemplative atmostphere is the attentiveness of the spiritual for people to pray and reflect on directors and their practical aptheir lives”, said Sr Christine. proach. Also, the tranquility of the One of the more popular ones retreat centre ensures an ambience is the Quieting the Soul retreat – a for deep prayer and reflection.” silent retreat that “allows particiMs Marilyn Uy recalled her pants to spend time with God and experience after attending a retreat listen to His voice,” said Sr Mel. titled Praying Our Crossroads.

T

A room in the Cenacle House for individuals seeking spiritual direction.

The Cenacle Sisters are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their mission in Singapore in July this year. From left: Srs Mel Benedictos, Francisca Tan, Linda Lizada and Christine Lam.

Sr Mel speaking to an individual during a spiritual direction session.

Sr Francisca speaking to participants of the At Home retreat.

“It was a grace-filled weekend that allowed me to appreciate God’s abiding love and wisdom.

It allowed me to take time and reflect on how much God has blessed me,” she said. “The retreat also made me realise that even during the most difficult moments of my life, God was there and He carried me through.”

B

esides holding retreats, “we also have individuals coming to us for spiritual direction, guidance and spiritual healing,” said Sr Francisca.

She shared that these people are usually “going through a difficult time in their life and need guidance to help them take stock of everything.”

“What we do first is we chitchat with them to understand their issues” and if they wish, they are invited to spend a few days in the Cenacle house “to receive spiritual direction and guidance,” said Sr Christine, adding that both men and women are welcome.

The work of the Cenacle Sisters over the past 20 years has also seen them ministering in parishes as well as to Catholic institutions.

The prayer room in the Cenacle House.

According to the Sisters, they are often invited to conduct sessions for the RCIA in parishes as well as retreats for different church ministries. They work with institutions such as Clarity Singapore, the Catholic Centre, migrant communities and also give talks to seminarians.

“At the end of the day, our hope is to support others who are in search of a greater and deeper meaning in their lives,” said Sr Linda.

The Sisters are currently in the midst of fundraising for a new home

and have already organised a few events including a funfair held last year at the Church of St Ignatius.

The current Cenacle House, located in Jurong, has been the home of the Sisters since the community was set up in Singapore on July 7, 1997.

According to their website, the Cenacle Sisters were founded in La Louvesc, France, in 1826 by St Thérèse Couderc and Fr Stephen Terme.

For more information about the Cenacle Sisters, visit http:// www.cenaclemission.com/ n jared.ng@catholic.org.sg

24 vocations

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

Getting to know popular Philippine Cardinal Tagle During the 2013 papal conclave, there was talk about Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle possibly becoming the next pope. However speaking to CatholicNews at the 2016 Social Mission Conference in Singapore, he laughed it off saying he “has much to learn and much to grow”.

Cardinal Tagle said it is mostly the secular media who like to create such stories.

“I don’t give it much thought,” he said.

Cardinal Tagle or “Chito”, as he is commonly referred to, has been dubbed the Asian Francis because he shares many traits in common with the current pontiff. One of these is their pastoral approach.

Others include their affinity with the poor and even their Jesuit training. Cardinal Tagle studied in the Jesuit-run Ateneo De Manila University’s San Jose Major Seminary in the Philippines, while Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pontiff.

In May 2015, he was elected president of Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of 165 Catholic relief, development and social service organisations operating in over 200 countries and territories

worldwide. The appointment saw him become the first person from Asia to hold the post.

In a 2016 interview, Cardinal Tagle said that he grew up wanting to be a doctor but eventually got involved with the parish and youth programmes.

His parish priest then encouraged him to take an exam for a scholarship to a Jesuit-run university.

Cardinal Tagle said he entered the seminary after doing some “soul searching”.

During his seminary years, the Philippines was under martial law, and the seminary classes emphasised “the call for the Church to be on the side of the poor, to be the voice of the voiceless.”

Cardinal Tagle was later sent to study theology at The Catholic University of America, Washington.

During his time there, he learned many things but especially humility. He also said he learned to listen to the different approaches to the truth.

He was ordained a priest in 1982 and appointed bishop of n Continued on Page 25

vocations 25

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

‘“I cry easily, even

if I don’t want to.

I don’t know if it’s weakness or strength but [tears] come easily for me.

I don’t hide my emotions.’

– Cardinal Tagle

Philippine Cardinal Luis Tagle is currently the Archbishop of Manila and president of Caritas Internationalis. CNS file photo n From Page 24

Imus in 2001. In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Archbishop of Manila.

When Cardinal Tagle found out that he was being elevated to a cardinal in October 2012, he fought back tears.

“I cry easily, even if I don’t want to. I don’t know if it’s weakness or strength but [tears] come easily for me. I don’t hide my emotions,” said Cardinal Tagle, who became the second youngest member of the College of Cardinals at the age of 55 at the Consistory.

He added, “They were the tears of a man who knows himself and his limits, but has received a call to which he cannot say no.”

In a 2013 interview, Cardinal Tagle spoke of the relationship between pastoral work and theology, describing pastoral work as “guiding people to the faith. And that’s what theology is all about.”

“Theology is at the service of the faith of the people,” he said, adding that “good theology should be understandable to people, and it even should help them deepen their encounter with the Lord.”

Mr Ricardo Jalbuena, who attended Jesuit-run Ateneo De Manila University’s San Jose Major Seminary with Cardinal Tagle describes him as a gifted speaker who does not shy away from modern media. “He’s familiar with [it] such that God’s word could be readily communicated and understood by all.” n

26 vocations

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

Nuns form band to evangelise through pop music LIMA, Peru – When people wave

at members of the pop band Siervas as they drive through the city, the nuns in the musical group know they’ve arrived on the world stage.

The 12 women Religious in the Peruian group Siervas – translated as “The Servants” in English – have taken their inspirational music to other countries and created hits that their fans sing and carry in their hearts.

But although music is a big part of their lives, the Sisters, members of the Servants of the Plan of God, are also focused on serving others. Since mid-January this year, their main concern has been tending to the people recovering from mudslides and floods that affected the area where their convent is located in Lima.

“I have been living here for the last 18 years and, until this year, we had only ever had one mudslide,” Sr Monica, a Peruvian, told Catholic News Service in late January. “Now we have had four in the last month.”

The Sisters helped 30 local families get back on their feet after their homes were seriously

damaged by rushing water.

It’s a delicate balance for the Sisters to juggle their social ministry and their musical passion.

“Monday and Friday afternoons are for group rehearsals and most of the nuns practise every day as well. But we also visit three different jails one morning a week, work in schools, with the homeless and people with physical handicaps, as well as with a children’s home for young people who have parents in prison or who can’t look after them,” Sr Monica said.

The group’s hit single Confia en Dios (Trust in God) introduced Siervas to an international audience and led to an invitation to sing before a February 2016 Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in front of an audience of 250,000.

Members come from several countries, including Japan, Philippines and, of course, Peru, and a

Members of the pop band Siervas are seen performing during an undated concert in Peru. The 12 Sisters, who are members of the Servants of the Plan of God, have taken their inspirational music to other countries. CNS photo

variety of musical backgrounds.

The group recently released its second CD, Hoy Despierto (Wake up Today).

Many people are drawn to the Sisters because of their music. A

were brought up in the 21st century..., ‘Welistening to different types of music and using Facebook and YouTube.’

– Servants of the Plan of God Sr Monica

donation from an anonymous donor funded a music video and the second CD. Sr Monica laughed at the suggestion that the group had gone “rock ‘n’ roll” because of the video, which was filmed atop a helipad overlooking Lima. All of the Sisters were dressed in Religious habits, which they wear every day and see as an important symbol of their faith.

“We weren’t always nuns,”

she said. “We were brought up in the 21st century as well, listening to different types of music and using Facebook and YouTube. Why shouldn’t music come from God in a pop format?”

As for their musical career, the Sisters said it is God who guides the group’s direction, as long as they continue to have the time to carry out their much-needed ministry of service to the people in the communities around them. n CNS

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews

27

28 vocations

Sunday May 14, 2017 n CatholicNews