JULY 12, 2015, Vol 65, No 14

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SUNDAY JULY 12, 2015

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VOL 65

NO. 14

INSIDE ASIA 7DLSHL ÀUH WUDJHG\ Catholics provide aid, prayers „ 3DJH

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was here before us and ‘The itearth has been given to us.’

– Pope Francis

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2 SG50

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

How has the Church grown in the last 50 years? And how can we improve? These were the questions the SG50 team posed to Catholics in this last instalment of the series on the Church’s role in nation building. Fr Michael Arro, 84, who has spent 58 years of pastoral work in Singapore: Catholics have grown well economically and socially in tandem with the nation’s progress, and so has been the numbers. The demand for faith formation, like Bible classes, talks on the sacraments and youth programmes, have increased by leaps and bounds as compared to the 1960s, and the laity is asking for more. As a result, there is more moral consciousness in how they live WKHLU OLYHV DQG LQÀXHQFH RWKHUV LQ society. However, I think more can be done in the areas of social justice, and for the poor, the sick and migrants. The challenge for the priests is to be in touch with the daily life of their people. Sr Wendy Ooi, Superior of the Daughters of St Paul: Obviously, there is growth in numbers. Today’s laity are also more knowledgeable about the Bible, Church and theology. Worship is more interactive with languages of Mass text and songs in the vernacular, with more laity involved in the celebration (eg communion ministers, wardens etc). Sermons/homilies are easily available on the web (unlike before where one would rely only on the homily by the priest). We have also grown in interfaith dialogue and interaction. Moving forward, I think the community can be more accommodating and welcoming to newcomers or those exploring the Catholic faith. We can make catechism more interactive, using the media language and tools of the youth for better communication (for example, applying the Good Shepherd/Montessori method of conducting catechism). We can also explore new avenues for evangelisation, like with social media and bolder personal testimonies, apart from the traditional methods. Dr John Hui, chairman, Archdiocesan Commission for the Family: The Church has certainly grown over the past 50 years. Not just in terms of numbers, but also by the fact that more laypeople are getting

involved in the missionary work of the Church, both within and without. This is encouraging. Yet so much more needs to be done, especially when we consider the massive challenges that face families, married couples, single parents, and both the elderly and youth today. We need to help families and individuals experience the joy of rediscovering and living out the plan that God has for each and HYHU\ RQH RI XV :H QHHG WR ÂżQG new and effective ways of reaching out to them, engaging, involving and empowering them, so that

‘

I think more can be done in the areas of social justice, and for the poor, the sick and migrants.

’

– Fr Michael Arro

Catholics attend the Lourdes Experience at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last December.

multi-cultural, multi-national, and the Church directory lists many communities. What I look forward to in the next 50 years? If I had to use one word to describe our Church, it would be “soft�. So I wish for the Church to be tougher – and to toughen us up. To whack me harder on the head and heart – maybe best said by our Pope: “I want the Church to go out into the streets, I want us to defend ourselves against all worldliness, opposition to progress, from that which is comfortable, from

‘

We can explore new avenues for evangelisation, like with social media and bolder personal testimonies.

’

– Sr Wendy Ooi, Daughters of St Paul

all can be renewed to participate in the life and mission of the Church, according to that plan. Ms Janet Lim, secular Franciscan: I do not see that the Church has grown a whole lot in the past 50 years. No highlight comes to mind – Catholic schools have kind of stopped short. We have a few new church buildings but is that indication of growth? Three things come to mind though: the dark period of the “Marxist conspiracyâ€?, RXU FKDQJLQJ SURÂżOH Âą ZH DUH QRZ

that which is clericalism, from all that which means being closed up in ourselves. Parishes, schools, institutions are made in order to come out ‌ if they do not do this, they become a non-governmental organisation, and the Church must not be an NGO.â€? We do need to consider re-establishing a justice and peace ofÂżFH WR FRQVROLGDWH DQG VWUHQJWKHQ our voice for the poor. We must not forget “oldâ€? evangelisation too and learn from the missionary zeal of our beloved MEP [Paris Foreign Missions] Fathers.

Mr Andrew Tann, 68, Church of St Francis Xavier: In the 1960s/1970s, the Church was rather inert, focusing on Sunday Masses and the sacraments, with the faithful passive and unquestioning. Church-inspired outreach was sporadic, localised and not on an archdiocesan scale; lay activism was haphazard, limited as there were few lay groups and initiatives, unlike the gamut more recently. Yes, the Church as an institution and as a community has JURZQ LQ G\QDPLVP DQG LQĂ€X-

needs to be done, ‘More especially when we consider the massive challenges that face families, married couples, single parents, the elderly and youth.

’

Mr Gabriel Liong, 25, Church of St Ignatius: In terms of moving forward, I think that the increased emphasis on the youth in recent years has been an amazing development in Singapore. I personally have benHÂżWWHG PXFK IURP P\ \HDUV LQ WKH NUS Catholic Community, and desire more young people to have similar experiences during their formative years. Mr Bryan Lauw, 23, Church of the Holy Spirit: I believe the Catholic Church has

I wish for the ‘Church to be tougher – and to toughen us up.

’

– Ms Janet Lim, secular Franciscan

– Dr John Hui, Archdiocesan Commission for the Family

ence, parallel to the vibrancy in secular society. But are Catholics a more compassionate people than our forebears? Catholics must consciously practise Gospel values at the workplace and among the strangers they meet – that will be a living witness of Christ, instead of glibly quoting scripture or trying to win over sceptics with theological stuff – do more, preach less. Is our faith deeper or we think we know more about God and His ways? Better to encounter God than to know about Him.

made progress in bringing more people to experience a true and deeper conversion in their lives. The re-evangelisation process has really led to more hearts to come to know Jesus and desire to become more authentic disciples of God. Moving forward, I think that the Church can do more for the intellectual and spiritual formation of Catholics. Especially in a world where the changing values of society are coming into direct FRQÀLFW ZLWK RXU &KULVWLDQ YDOXHV the need to be more informed in our faith has become greater. „

HOME 3

Sunday July 12, 2015 CatholicNews

Youths learn how to defend faith at church conference %\ $QGUHZ .LÀLH “I believe in God our Father! I believe in Christ His Son! I believe in the Holy Spirit!” These words echoed through the Church of St Anthony during its annual youth conference. Held from June 13-17, the conference, titled Catholic and Convinced, was attended by more than a hundred participants aged 13-22. Participants from the parish’s nine youth ministries, catechism FODVVHV DQG SRVW FRQ¿UPDQGV were called to strengthen their IDLWK DQG VWDQG ¿UP IRU ZKDW WKH\ believed in. Kicking off the conference was keynote speaker, Fr Terence Pereira, spiritual director of the Youth of St Anthony. He challenged the youths to “make noise for Jesus when the world asks of us to be silent”, reminding them that as long as they walk in the ways of God, they will never be the minority, as “God and I are always the majority”. 7KH WKHPH RI WKH ¿UVW GD\ RI the conference, Rock the Stone, called on youths to step out of their comfort zones and follow Christ. Through various activities, participants learnt more about their faith and how to defend it.

Participants answering questions related to their faith during the youth conference at the Church of St Anthony.

Fr Terence Pereira, spiritual director of the Youth of Saint Anthony, giving his keynote speech.

These included a series of workshops such as one conducted by seminarian Justin Yip. He spoke about the importance of sharing one’s faith with others and also taught them how to do so. Another workshop saw youths discussing controversial topics such as abortion and pre-marital sex, and trying to be convincing about their beliefs. Day three of the conference had the theme, Be The Voice. Participants created their own three-minXWH ¿OP WR VKRZ KRZ WKH\ FRXOG EH

Participant Alastar Joseph, 20, said the conference strengthened his faith. “I was actually convinced of my faith in God. I encountered God through the love shown in the youths as they themselves were convinced of their faith.” One of the organisers, Elton Tan, 18, commented: “We made sure that each step of the journey in the conference had a purpose, to allow [participants] to grow deeper in faith and to eventually be proud to be Catholic.”

the voice of God in their daily lives. The video clips ranged from dances and skits to a silent movie on conversion. The last day of the conference saw invited speaker Joseph Fernandez reminding participants that each of them had been chosen

Make noise for Jesus ‘when the world asks of us to be silent.’

– Fr Terence Pereira

by God for a purpose. He also told them to be proud of their faith. “Are you worth dying for? You would say ‘no’. But the answer of God is ‘yes’,” he said. The conference also saw participants going onstage in groups to defend their faith. Facing other participants who took on the role of non-believers, the groups had to answer questions related to the faith. The conference closed with participants’ parents joining in the last session.

4 HOME

Dear Muslim brothers and sisters,

, ZRXOG OLNH WR H[WHQG P\ ZDUPHVW wishes of our Catholic community to you all as your holy month of Ramadan draws to a close. The spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving which we share with you as Catholics, is a great delight for all of us. These spiritual exercises that

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

we practise certainly deepen our love for God and strengthen our prayer life. Most of all, it exSUHVVHV LWVHOI LQ ZRUNV RI FKDUity, especially towards our less fortunate brothers and sisters of *RG :H DUH DOZD\V HGLÂżHG E\ your hospitality towards your neighbours and love for the poor and forgiveness of your enemies, who are no less our fellowmen. This year, our Catholic Church PDUNV WKH WK DQQLYHUVDU\ RI WKH SURPXOJDWLRQ RI WKH ODQGPDUN Second Vatican Council document, Nostra Aetate on interreligious relations. We are reminded that we are really “oneâ€? in God; “One is the community of all peoples, one their origin, for God made the whole human race to live over the face of the earth. One also LV WKHLU ÂżQDO JRDO *RG ´ 1$

:H DUH HGLÂżHG E\ \RXU 0XVOLP OHDGHUV LQ DFWLYHO\ HQJDJLQJ &DWKROLFV DQG RWKHU UHOLJLRQV WR EXLOG JUHDWHU PXWXDO XQGHUVWDQGLQJ DQG UHVSHFW As Singapore commemorates WKH VLJQLÂżFDQW PLOHVWRQH RI \HDUV of nation building, let us renew our FRPPLWPHQW WR FRQWLQXDOO\ ZRUN towards becoming a greater “oneâ€?. Let us be united in our humanity and build even stronger bonds of peace and harmony amongst all the different races and religions of our beloved country. We have come thus far be-

cause of great respect and friendships among Christian and Muslim leaders. There are regular interactions and healthy dialogue amongst our leaders whenever issues of importance surface. :H DUH HGLÂżHG E\ \RXU 0XVlim leaders in actively engaging Catholics and other religions to build greater mutual understanding and respect through dialogue, formation and fellowship. We can foster even greater respect, love and concern for one another in our daily living as people of God and faith believers. Let us DOVR FRQWLQXH WR WDNH DFWLYH VWHSV LQ developing a deeper understand-

ing and appreciation of each of our faiths. This is so that any existing misconceptions and prejudices may be cleared to pave the way for more robust relations against a climate of distrust and religious hostility in the wider world. As love of God and neighbour are at the heart of both Christianity and Islam, I am con¿GHQW WKDW ZH FDQ ORRN IRUZDUG towards even greater solidarity among us in the years to come. On behalf of the Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore, I sincerely wish all of you and your families a very joyful and holy +DUL 5D\D $LGLO¿WUL „

Most Rev William Goh

Msgr Philip, S.J.

Archbishop of Singapore

Vicar-General (Interreligious Relations)

HOME 5

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

OBITUARY

Sr Genevieve called to the Lord Sr Genevieve Ng, from the Missionary Sisters of Service, was called to the Lord on June 19. She was 77. Inspired by her Zen-Buddhist father’s call to always seek the truth, she came upon the Novena Church at the age of 14. Under the guidance of Fr Thomas Creede, she embraced the Catholic faith at 18. She left Singapore at the age of 20 to join the Missionary Sisters of Service in Tasmania, Australia, and took her perpetual vows in 1967. In Australia, she worked tirelessly for over three decades in cities, towns, rural and outback communities, reaching out to people who were geographically or socially isolated. She focused particularly on those most vulnerable, especially refugees and children, where she brought her training as a teacher to bear in catechesis, Children’s Liturgy and youth leadership. She returned to Singapore in 1992 to continue her work, forming laypeople in the areas of Children’s Liturgy and catechesis. Those who attended her six-day courses remember her insistence on knowing and loving God: “You must interiorise before you can ex-

teriorise the Wordâ€?. “Go out into the deep. Boats are safe on the shore; but that’s not what they are for.â€? “Don’t WUXVW \RXU ÂżFNOH IHHOLQJV FOLQJ DQG trust Jesus who is ever faithful.â€? Catechists trained by Sr Ge-

CHN/CN/2015/007

CHANCERY NOTICE

APPOINTMENTS 1. Fr Anthony Maria Joseph has been appointed as Chaplain to the Gift of Love Home that is under the management of the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity for a term of two [2] years with effect from 21 May 2015. 2. Fr Eugene Vaz has been appointed as Confessor to the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity for a term of two [2] years with effect from 21 May 2015.

Sr Genevieve Ng passed away on June 19.

nevieve in Children’s Liturgy are indebted to her for bringing them closer to Jesus in the Eucharist. She believed that God had called and invited her to love him totally day by day, in radical faithfulness, forever and ever. „

5. The following have been reappointed as Catholic representatives on the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) for a term of two [2] years with effect from 1 June 2015: a. Sr Maria Lau IJ b. Sr Theresa Seow FDCC 6. Fr Kenson Koh has been appointed as Spiritual Director for the Mandarin East Curia Legion of Mary for a term of two years with effect from 25 May 2015.

June 29, 2015

OTHER MATTERS Sabbatical Fr Henry Siew has been given permission to take a sabbatical of two months on the occasion of his Silver Jubilee of Ordinations in 2016. ERRATUM In the previous Chancery Notice CHN/CN/2015/005, it was wrongly reported that Fr Edward Lim OCD was appointed as the Conventual Chaplain of the Order of Malta Singapore. The Conventual Chaplain Ad Honorem remains the Archbishop of Singapore, Most Reverend William Goh DD and Fr Edward Lim OCD was appointed as Magistral Chaplain.

3. Br Kelvin Tan fsc has been appointed as Spiritual Director for the Junior Curia of the Legion of Mary for a term of two [2] years with effect from 18 June 2015.

7. Fr Jacob Ong CSsR has been appointed as a Chaplain for the Filipino Ongoing Development Programme (FILODEP) for a term of two [2] years with effect from 1 July 2016.

4. The following were reappointed to the Board of Family Life Society for another term of two [2] years with effect from 18 June 2015: a. Christopher Murugasu b. Robert Conceicao c. John Lim d. Lionel Tseng

Chancery of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore #07-01 Catholic Centre, 55 Waterloo Street, Singapore 187954 Email: chancery@catholic.org.sg

Fr John-Paul Tan, OFM, JCL, Chancellor,

6 ASIA

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Sr Nirmala Joshi, successor to Blessed Teresa, dies KOLKATA, INDIA – Sr Nirmala “I express my deep sorrow, Joshi, who succeeded Blessed heartfelt sympathy and sincere Teresa of Kolkata as superior gen- condolences to all the sisters of eral of the Missionaries of Charity Missionaries of Charity spread all and led the order for 12 years until over the world, and pray to God to retiring in 2009, died on June 23 give necessary strength and courin Kolkata at the age of 81. age to all of them to accept this A funeral Mass was held on irreparable loss, and to carry forJune 24 at the Missionaries of ward Sr Nirmala’s legacy of comCharity motherhouse in Kolkata. passion, gentleness and service to Church and pothe poorest of the &16 ÂżOH SKRWR litical leaders paid poor and holiness tribute to Sr Nirmaof life,â€? Archbishla for her devotion op Bernard Moras to serving poor, sick of Bangalore said and hungry people. in a statement. “She indeed Sr Nirmala was carried forward the the eldest of 10 legacy of Mother children in a NepaTeresa, a legacy of lese Hindu family love and service to that settled in Bihar the poorest of the state. Born on July poor through her 23, 1934, she was nuns all around the given the name Kuworld,â€? said Archsum, which means bishop Thomas Ă€RZHU 6KH JUDGXD’Souza of Kol- Sr Nirmala Joshi was elect- ated from Patna kata, where the or- ed the superior general of Women’s College, der’s global head- the Missionaries of Charity managed by Aposquarters is based. tolic Carmel nuns. and served two terms. Prime Minister She said in a Narendra Modi offered “deepest media interview that her call to condolences to the Missionaries Religious life originated in colof Charity family on the passing lege at age 16 when she saw a away of Sr Nirmalaâ€?. Hindu companion kneel to pray Ms Mamata Bannerjee, chief and make the sign of the cross. minister of West Bengal state, The daughter of a late army where Kolkata is located, said she RIÂżFHU VKH FRQWLQXHG WR VHDUFK was saddened by Sr Nirmala’s for her life’s calling for seven death. “The world will miss her,â€? years and became a Catholic in she said. 1958 at age 23. She joined the Missionaries of Charity a month later. „ CNS

ASIA 7

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Philippines unlikely to recognise same sex marriage MANILA – 7KH SUHGRPLQDQWO\

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Archbishop John Hung spoke with some of those injured.

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8 WORLD

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

US bishops’ head slams court ruling on marriage WASHINGTON – The president

of the US bishops’ conference has called the Supreme Court’s -XQH PDUULDJH UXOLQJ ÂłD WUDJic errorâ€? and urged Catholics to move forward with faith “in the unchanging truth about marriage being between one man and one womanâ€?. Âł5HJDUGOHVV RI ZKDW D QDUURZ majority of the Supreme Court may declare at this moment in history, the nature of the human person and marriage remains unchanged and unchangeable,â€? said Archbishop Joseph E Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky. “It is profoundly immoral and unjust for the government to declare that two people of the same sex can constitute a marriage,â€? he said. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme &RXUW RQ -XQH VDLG VDPH VH[ marriage is constitutional nationwide. “The unique meaning of marriage as the union of one man and one woman is inscribed in our bodies as male and female,â€? Archbishop Kurtz said in his statement. “The protection of this meaning is a critical dimension of the ‘integral ecology’ that Pope Francis has called us to promote. Âł0DQGDWLQJ PDUULDJH UHGHÂżQLtion across the country is a tragic error that harms the common good and most vulnerable among us,

It is profoundly ‘ immoral and unjust for the government to declare that two people of the same sex can constitute a marriage.

’

Supporters of traditional marriage rally in front of the US Supreme Court in Washington on June 26, shortly before the judges handed down their ruling. CNS photo

especially children. The law has a duty to support every child’s basic right to be raised, where possible, by his or her married mother and father in a stable home.� The archbishop said the US bishops will continue to teach as Jesus did. Christ taught “with great love� and “unambiguously

New department to streamline Vatican media VATICAN CITY – In an effort to

make the Vatican more effective in today’s digital world, Pope Francis established a new Secretariat for Communications, whose aim is to coordinate and streamline the Holy See’s multiple communications outlets. The development of digital media, with its converging technologies and interactive capabilities, “requires a rethinking of the information system of the Holy Seeâ€?, the pope wrote. This “reorganisationâ€?, he wrote, “must proceed decisively toward integration and D XQLÂżHG PDQDJHPHQW´ VR WKDW “the communication system of the Holy See will respond in an HYHU PRUH HIÂżFDFLRXV PDQQHU to the needs of the mission of the Church.â€? Pope Francis established the new secretariat with an apostolic letter given motu proprio (on his own initiative), dated June 27. Nine Vatican media op-

erations will be gradually integrated over the next four years while protecting people’s jobs, the Vatican has said. According to the motu proprio, WKH QLQH RIÂżFHV WR EH “incorporatedâ€? are the PonWLÂżFDO &RXQFLO IRU 6RFLDO &RPmunications; the Vatican press RIÂżFH WKH 9DWLFDQ ,QWHUQHW RIÂżFH 9DWLFDQ 5DGLR WKH 9DWLFDQ television production studio, CTV; the Vatican newspaper, /Âś2VVHUYDWRUH 5RPDQR WKH Vatican printing press; the Vatican photograph service, and the Vatican publishing house, Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 7KH GLIIHUHQW RIÂżFHV DUH to continue with their current mandates for the time being while adapting to the “indications given by the Secretariat for Communicationsâ€?, the letter said. The new department will take on the Vatican website, www.vatican.va, and the ofÂżFLDO 7ZLWWHU DFFRXQW RI WKH pope, @pontifex. „ CNS

that from the beginning, marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman�, he added. Archbishop Kurtz encouraged Catholics “to move forward with faith, hope, and love: faith in the unchanging truth about marriage, rooted in the immutable nature of the human person and con-

¿UPHG E\ GLYLQH UHYHODWLRQ KRSH that these truths will once again prevail in our society, not only by their logic, but by their great beauty and manifest service to the common good; and love for all our neighbours, even those who hate us or would punish us for our faith and moral convictions�.

– Archbishop Joseph E Kurtz, president of the US bishops’ conference

He urged all people of goodwill to join the Catholic Church “in proclaiming the goodness, truth, and beauty of marriage as rightly understood for millennia, and I ask all in positions of power and authority to respect the Godgiven freedom to seek, live by, and bear witness to the truth.� „ CNS

Analysing ruling’s implications ZLOO WDNH WLPH &KXUFK RIÀFLDOV WASHINGTON – Analysing the

UDPLÂżFDWLRQV RI WKH -XQH VDPH sex marriage ruling for the Catholic Church at the national, state and local levels will take time, said Archbishop William E Lori of Baltimore. It has implications for “hundreds, if not thousandsâ€? of laws at DOO OHYHOV DQG WKHUH LV ÂłD GLIÂżFXOW road ahead for people of faithâ€?, he said. Archbishop Lori, chairman of the US bishops’ Ad Hoc CommitWHH IRU 5HOLJLRXV /LEHUW\ PDGH the comments in a teleconference for news media held about three hours after the Supreme Court issued its 5-4 decision that states must license same-sex marriage. Joining him in the media briefing were two members of the bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, Archbishop Timothy P Broglio of the US Archdiocese for the Military, and Bishop Daniel E Flores of Brownsville, Texas; and Mr Anthony Picarello, associate general secretary and general counsel at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Archbishop Lori said he foresees many legal challenges and

Archbishop William E Lori: many legal challenges ahead.

controversies as the Church seeks to protect itself from the fallout of the marriage ruling by advocating at the federal, state and local levels for protections for its faithbased practices. Mr Picarello said that some areas where there will be legal disputes were outlined by Chief Justice John 5REHUWV RQH RI WKH IRXU GLVVHQWLQJ judges on the ruling. These disputes include tax exemptions, campus housing, academic accreditation, HPSOR\PHQW DQG HPSOR\HH EHQHÂżWV The US Catholic Church will

have to look at internal ways to protect itself against legal challenges, Mr Picarello said, and “advocate externally for legislation, regulation and, if necessary, litigation�. Free speech protections for opponents of same-sex marriage were already under attack, he said. Within a couple of hours of the decision being issued, he said, a newspaper in Pennsylvania announced it will no longer accept opinion pieces criticising same-sex marriage. “Some things will happen immediately� as seen by that newspaper’s announcement, he said, and some will take time to unfold, like challenges to churches receiving tax exemptions. Another area that will require study, Archbishop Broglio said, is the military chaplaincy, because the Catholic priest-chaplains whom his archdiocese oversees also come under civil authorities. While polls show a majority of Catholics say they approve of samesex marriage, Catholic teaching is “never determined by numbers but by the truth�, Archbishop Broglio said. “We have to be faithful to the teaching of the Gospel.� „ CNS

WORLD 9

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

A man pays his respects outside the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, USA on June 21. CNS photo

Church leaders express heartache, outrage as they mourn US shooting victims WASHINGTON – Church and religious groups are mourning the victims of a church shooting which took place on June 17 in Charleston, USA. The tragic taking of nine lives at a historically black church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, brought an outpouring of solidarity, compassion and sorrow from around the United States. Police on June 18 found 21-year-old suspect Dylann Storm Roof. Following his arrest in North Carolina, he was charged with the murders. Witnesses said that Roof had joined a prayer meeting on the evening of June 17 at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. They said that he sat with church members for about an hour then stood up, yelling UDFLVW UHPDUNV DQG RSHQHG ÂżUH Catholic Bishop Robert E Guglielmone of Charleston expressed a deep sadness over the tragedy. “The inside of any church is a sanctuary,â€? he said in a statement. “When a person enters, he or she has the right to worship, pray and learn in a safe and secure environment. For anyone to murder nine individuals is upsetting, but to kill them inside of a church during a Bible study class is devastating to any faith community.â€? Bishop Michael F Burbidge of

Raleigh in the neighbouring state of North Carolina, said: “In solidarity with my brother bishop... I ask all the Catholic faithful and people of goodwill in the Diocese of Raleigh to stop at some point today, and offer sincere and thoughtful prayer for the nine vicWLPV RI WKLV KRUULÂżF FULPH DQG IRU their families.â€? A Jewish group also issued strong statements on the crime that took place in Charleston.

anyone to murder nine ‘For individuals is upsetting, but to kill them inside of a church during a Bible study class is devastating to any faith community.

’

– Catholic Bishop Robert E Guglielmone of Charleston

“Hate crimes attack both individual victims and entire communities,� said the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. “They are meant to isolate and terrorise. We stand in direct contrast: for an inclusive and pluralistic community, one that cherishes life and recognises that every person is created in the divine image.� Catholic bishops across the country also issued statements, including Archbishop Joseph E

Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. He expressed “grief and deep sadness� over the murders on June 19, saying, “There have been far too many heartbreaking losses in the African-American community this year alone. Our prayers are with all those suffering from this heinous crime. We join our voices with civic and religious leaders in pledging to work for healing and reconciliation.� Archbishop Kurtz added, “We must continue to build bridges and we must confront racism and violence with a commitment to life, a vision of hope, and a call to action.� Boston Cardinal Sean P O’Malley in a June 18 statement said: “It is foundational to our country’s heritage that places of worship always be sanctuaries of prayer, safety and peace. We must reject these senseless acts of hatred and brutality in society.� „ CNS

10 WORLD

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Pray for justice, terrorists who kill in name of God, says cardinal VATICAN CITY – Christians and

Muslims should pray for those who have “deviated from the true path of lifeâ€? and kill in the name of religion, said Cardinal JeanLouis Tauran. “Our prayer is much needed: for justice, for peace and security in the world,â€? as well as for those who “commit violence in the name of religion, so as to return to God and change [their] life,â€? said the cardinal, president of the PonWLÂżFDO &RXQFLO IRU ,QWHUUHOLJLRXV Dialogue. Cardinal Tauran’s annual PHVVDJH WR 0XVOLPV IRU Âľ,G DO Fitr, the feast marking the end of the monthlong Ramadan fast, was published by the Vatican on June 19. Ramadan will end on or around July 17 this year. The message was titled Christians and Muslims: Together to Counter Violence Perpetrated in the Name of Religion, and it called for renewed efforts, especially in education and law enforcement, to foster respect for human life and protect people’s rights. Unfortunately, many eth-

nic and religious communities around the world, he said, have had to face killings, rapes, enslavement, forced emigration and WUDIÂżFNLQJ HYHQ RI KXPDQ RUJDQV and cadavers. “We are all aware of the gravity of these crimes in themselves,â€? he said. But what “makes them

is no life that ‘isThere more precious than another one because LW EHORQJV WR D VSHFLÂżF race or religion.

’

– Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, SUHVLGHQW RI WKH 3RQWL¿FDO &RXQFLO for Interreligious Dialogue

even more heinous� is the attempt to justify such barbarity in WKH QDPH RI UHOLJLRQ ³,W LV D FOHDU manifestation of instrumentalising religion for gaining power and richness,� he said. Nations and communities have a duty to protect their resi-

dents and their property “from the blind violence of terroristsâ€?, he said. But leaders, schools, families and the media also have a responsibility in education, because ÂłYLROHQFH DQG WHUURULVP DUH ÂżUVW conceived in the mind of the deviated personsâ€?. “All those [who] are involved in the education of the youth and in the various educational spaces should teach the sacred character of life and the derived dignity of every person, regardless of his or her ethnicity, religion, culture, social position and political choice,â€? the cardinal wrote. “There is no life that is more precious than another one because LW EHORQJV WR D VSHFLÂżF UDFH RU UHligion,â€? he wrote. “Therefore, no one can kill. No one can kill in the name of God; this would be a double crime: against God and the very person.â€? „ The full message is at http://www. vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/interelg/documents/ rc_pc_interelg_doc_20150612_ramadan-2015_en.html

WORLD 11

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Document urges look at concrete family situations VATICAN CITY – The working docXPHQW IRU DQ XSFRPLQJ ELVKRSVÂś meeting on the family stresses how the Church seeks to address the concrete situation of today’s IDPLOLHV ZKR DUH ÂłDOO LQ QHHG RI PHUF\ EHJLQQLQJ ZLWK WKRVH ZKR are suffering the mostâ€?. The Vatican released the 77SDJH GRFXPHQW FDOOHG DQ instrumentum laboris RQ -XQH Pope Francis convoked the Synod of Bishops on the family IRU 2FW LW LV WR EH WKH FRQclusion of a process that included a discussion within the College of Cardinals and an extraordinary 6\QRG RI %LVKRSV ODVW 2FWREHU The synod’s working document LV D FRPSLODWLRQ RI WKH ÂżQDO UHSRUW WKDW KDG EHHQ DSSURYHG E\ WKH ELVKops during the extraordinary assemEO\ ODVW 2FWREHU DQG LQFOXGHV IXUWKHU UHVSRQVHV IURP ELVKRSVÂś FRQIHUHQFHV UHOLJLRXV FRQJUHJDWLRQV 9DWLFDQ RIÂżFHV DFDGHPLFLDQV OD\ RUJDQLVDWLRQV DQG RWKHU &KXUFK PHPEHUV The question of the Church’s approach to Catholics who are VHSDUDWHG GLYRUFHG GLYRUFHG DQG UHPDUULHG FRKDELWDWLQJ RU LQ FLYLO unions received detailed attention with a strong focus on the importance of helping them see the EHDXW\ DQG IXOOQHVV RI D VDFUDPHQWDO LQGLVVROXEOH PDUULDJH Coming to this understanding of the Church’s vision of marriage cannot come from a simple solution; it must come from a process RI ÂłPDWXUDWLRQ´ WKDW QHHGV WR EH OHG DQG FXOWLYDWHG E\ WKH &KXUFK DQG LWV PHPEHUV ZLWKRXW FRPSURPLVLQJ LWV *RVSHO LGHDOV WKH GRFXPHQW VD\V :KLOH UHFRJQLVLQJ WKH OLPLWHG fragile and sinning nature of hu-

A family poses in their small home in Antipolo, the Philippines. The Vatican has released a working document for the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the family. &16 ÂżOH SKRWR

PDQLW\ WKH GRFXPHQW VWUHVVHV WKDW the Church’s message remains rooted in the truth of Christ and His unique approach – that of healing all who suffer and welcoming all who sin with the command to “go and sin no moreâ€?. The document calls on Church PHPEHUV WR OLYH ZLWKRXW MXGJLQJ others and with an attitude of reVSHFW DQG PHUF\ UHIHUULQJ WR LW as an “artâ€? that requires wisdom and skill. There is a strong call for “promoting common pastoral guidelinesâ€? that can still address all the varied and disparate situations of families. Some additional LVVXHV WKDW KDYH EHHQ SURSRVHG IRU discussion include: „ Feminist views that see pregnancy as exploitation and DQ ÂłREVWDFOH´ WR VHOI IXOÂżOPHQW VWHULOLW\ DUWLÂżFLDO UHSURGXFWLRQ adoption; and foster care. „ Âł*HQGHU WKHRU\´ WKDW DUJXHV that male and female characterisWLFV DUH PDOOHDEOH VRFLDO FRQVWUXFWV „ The dignity of aging; and role

Vatican-Palestine agreement calls for two-state solution VATICAN CITY – The Holy See and Palestine have signed a historic agreement that supports a two-state solution to the ongoing FRQĂ€LFW LQ WKH +RO\ /DQG EDVHG RQ WKH ERUGHUV EHWZHHQ ,Vrael and Palestine. The two parties signed the Âł&RPSUHKHQVLYH $JUHHPHQW EHtween the Holy See and the State of Palestineâ€? at the Vatican on June 26. The accord focuses mostly on the status and activity of the &DWKROLF &KXUFK LQ 3DOHVWLQH ,W assures the Church “juridical recognitionâ€? and “guaranteesâ€? for its work and institutions in Palestine. The second chapter of the agreement focuses entirely on freedom of religion and conscience and includes the right to worship and SUDFWLVH RQHÂśV IDLWK DV ZHOO DV WKH rights of Christian parents to give

WKHLU FKLOGUHQ UHOLJLRXV HGXFDWLRQ of Christians to take holy days off ZRUN DQG RI PLOLWDU\ SHUVRQQHO WR have access to pastoral care. 7KH SUHDPEOH UHFRJQLVHV WKH right to self-determination of the Palestinian people; the importance of Jerusalem and its sacred FKDUDFWHU IRU -HZV &KULVWLDQV DQG 0XVOLPV DQG WKH REMHFWLYH RI D two-state solution. $W WKH VLJQLQJ FHUHPRQ\ $UFKELVKRS 3DXO 5 *DOODJKHU WKH Vatican’s secretary for relations ZLWK VWDWHV VDLG KH KRSHG WKH agreement would provide a “stimXOXV´ IRU D ÂłGHÂżQLWLYH HQG WR WKH ORQJ VWDQGLQJ ,VUDHOL 3DOHVWLQLDQ FRQĂ€LFW´ Âł, DOVR KRSH WKH PXFK GHVLUHG WZR VWDWH VROXWLRQ PD\ EHFRPH D UHDOLW\ DV VRRQ DV SRVVLEOH ´ KH said. „ CNS

of grandparents as “apostlesâ€? of the faith and hidden helpers of families. &DUGLQDO /RUHQ]R %DOGLVVHUL general secretary of the Synod of %LVKRSV WROG UHSRUWHUV WKDW HDFK week of the three-week synod will treat the three different sections of the working document respectively: listening to the challenges IDPLO\ÂśV IDFH GLVFHUQLQJ WKH YRFDWLRQ RI WKH IDPLO\ DQG WKH PLVVLRQ of the family today. „ CNS The working document is at http:// www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/ documents/rc_synod_doc_20140626_ instrumentum-laboris-familia_en.html

12 WORLD

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Bishops urge EU to welcome PLJUDQWV Ă HHLQJ war, poverty MANCHESTER,

ENGLAND

–

Bishops across the European Union are calling on member states to be generous towards tens of WKRXVDQGV RI PLJUDQWV Ă€RRGLQJ across the Mediterranean. French, German and Italian bishops have issued formal statements in response to a crisis that has seen more than 100,000 migrants, many of them refugees from wars in Syria and Eritrea, cross into Italy, Greece and Malta from North Africa and Turkey. The permanent council of the French bishops’ conference issued a declaration on June 17 to urge their countrymen to show more hospitality to migrants. “The dignity of human beings is at stake,â€? said the statement signed by Archbishop Georges Pontier of Marseille, conference president, Cardinal Andre VingtTrois of Paris and eight others. Catholics in France should change their attitudes to migrants and “overcome their prejudices and fears,â€? the bishops said. “For many reasons, often very dramatic – wars, poverty, climate disruption – many are forced to leave their country where they cannot live,â€? they said. “It is not possible to close in on ourselves and ignore the misery of so many men, women and children around the world who

seek only to live in dignity,� they added. “We urge our leaders to intensify international cooperation to meet the challenges. Europe must especially take responsibility and call the constituent countries to provide a real response.� The same day, the German bishops’ conference and the Protestant Evangelical Church in Germany issued a joint statement pleading for a “more generous reception of refugees from the Middle East in Germany�. The Churches also called on Germans to do more to assist those refugees remaining in camps across the Middle East. “The people of Syria and Iraq now need our help and our solidarity, said Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising, president of the German bishops’ conference. “Please support the work of aid agencies in the region.� On June 16, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco of Genoa, Italy, president of the Italian bishops’ confer-

Migrants are seen in a boat after being rescued in late April in the Mediterranean Sea. &16 ÂżOH SKRWR

ence, along with eight bishops of Liguria province along the French border, issued a statement in response to the growing number of migrants attempting to cross into France, where they had been refused entry. They asked Catholics to open their hearts “to these brothers and sisters in humanity, so sorely tried and in search of a better and safer life�. They also demanded that the EU act swiftly so Italy was not left

possible to close in on ourselves ‘Itandis not ignore the misery of so many men, women and children around the world who seek only to live in dignity.

’

– Statement by French bishops

and faith in the afterlife mean the sting of losing a loved one does not have to leave behind a poisonous venom in their lives, Pope Francis said. “Our loved ones have not disappeared into dark nothingness: Hope assures us that they are in God’s good and strong hands. Love is stronger than death,� he said at his general audience on June 17. As part of a series of talks about the family and problems they face, the pope looked at death, particularly the loss of a close family member. When a loved one dies, especially a child or a parent of young children, “death is never able to appear as something natural�, he said. It is “heart-rending� when a mother and father lose a child: “It’s as if time has stopped. An abyss opens that swallows up the past and the future,� he said. Losing a child seems to go against everything life is supposed to be about, he said. “It’s

a slap in the face to all the promLVHV JLIWV DQG VDFULÂżFHV RI ORYH joyously given to the life we have given birth to,â€? he said. Just as traumatic is when a child loses one or both parents, he said. They ask, “Where is daddy? Where is mommy?â€? or “When will mommy come back home?’

must never ‘You deny people the right to cry.’

– Pope Francis

Oh, what do you say? The child suffers� and he or she lacks the experience or understanding “to give a name to what has happened�. the pope said. Sometimes family members will blame God. “I understand. They get mad at God, they curse Him,� or begin to question or doubt His existence, the pope said. “This anger is a bit of what

comes from the heart of huge heartacheâ€? of losing a family member, he said. For the people of God, death never has the last word, the pope said. However, it still takes an enormous amount of love to face “the darkness of deathâ€?. He asked that today’s priests DQG DOO &KULVWLDQV ÂżQG ZD\V WR better express what the faith means when facing the death of a loved one. People need to mourn, “you must never deny people the right to cryâ€?, he said. Christians must become “accomplicesâ€? of love, armed with the faith and able to help families QDYLJDWH WKH ÂłYHU\ GLIÂżFXOW SDWK RI death as well as the sure path of WKH /RUG FUXFLÂżHG DQG ULVHQ ZLWK His irreversible promise of resurrection.â€? The Lord will reunite everyone once again, and it is this Christian hope and faith that will “protect us from a nihilistic view of death as well as false worldly consolation,â€? he said. „ CNS

Noting that since January, 1,800 migrants had died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean, he said that “search and rescue operations should continue and be further strengthened, as the need to protect the right to life of all, regardless of their status, must remain the priority.� He called for resettlement in Europe and other parts of the world to be “effectively carried out and more fairly distributed, with due attention for security and social needs, but without acquiescing to irrational populist pressures.� „ CNS

‘Trust, fraternity’ growing between Jews, Christians VATICAN CITY – Jews and Catho-

Pope on coping with loss of loved one VATICAN CITY – Christian hope

WR FRSH ZLWK WKH LQĂ€X[ RI PLJUDQWV alone, decrying the response of many EU states to the crisis as “hard-hearted and indifferentâ€?. The Vatican made its own intervention on June 15, the eve of the meeting of EU ministers to discuss mandatory quotas for the resettlement of 40,000 migrants across the EU. Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, who heads the Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the UN in Geneva, told the world body in Geneva the international community was ineffectively managing migration.

he said, has brought about “rich lics are “strangers no more, but fruitsâ€? of “friendship and mutual friends, and brothers and sistersâ€?, understandingâ€? in the past 50 years thanks to the “authentic fraternal and provides a “solid basisâ€? for diadialogueâ€? between the two reli- logue to be “developed yet furtherâ€?. gions since the Second Vatican “Our fragmented humanity, Council, said Pope Francis. mistrust and pride have been overThe pope had come thanks to the an audience at the Spirit of Almighty Vatican on June 30 God, in such a way with participants that trust and fraof an international ternity between us conference, held have continued to by the International grow,â€? the pope Council of Chrissaid. “And He, in tians and Jews. KLV LQÂżQLWH JRRGQHVV The June 28and wisdom, always July 1 conference blesses our commitin Rome was to ment to dialogue.â€? commemorate the The pope noted 50th anniversary of Pope Francis greets a mem- that all Christians Nostra Aetate, the ber of the International Coun- have Jewish roots, Vatican II declara- cil of Christians and Jews. and that all Christion that addressed WLDQV ÂżQG WKHLU XQLthe relations of the Catholic Church W\ LQ &KULVW MXVW DV DOO -HZV ÂżQG with other religions. The theme their unity in the Torah. of the event focused on the 50th He also said the Vatican’s anniversary and looked at “The Commission for Religious RelaPast, Present, and Future of the tions with the Jews, founded in Christian-Jewish Relationship.â€? 1947, follows the activities of the 5HĂ€HFWLQJ RQ 1RVWUD $HWDWH international council “with great Pope Francis said it “represents a interestâ€?, especially the annual GHÂżQLWLYH Âľ\HVÂś WR WKH -HZLVK URRWV RI international conferences, which &KULVWLDQLW\ DQG DQ LUUHYRFDEOH ÂľQRÂś “offer a notable contribution to to anti-Semitism.â€? The declaration, Jewish-Christian dialogue.â€? „ CNS

POPE IN TURIN 13

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Pope asks Waldensians to forgive wrongs of Catholic Church He also speaks to youths, workers, employers, jobless in Turin CNS photo

you for forgiveness ‘forI ask the un-Christian, even

TURIN, ITALY – Pope Francis

asked the Waldensians, whom the Catholic Church excommunicated and persecuted hundreds of years ago, for forgiveness. “I ask you for forgiveness for the un-Christian, even inhuman, attitude and behaviour that we had against you over history,â€? he told representatives and members of the Waldensian community on June 22 in Turin. “In the name of Jesus Christ, forgive us,â€? he said during a visit WR WKH WHPSOH PDNLQJ KLP WKH ÂżUVW pope in 800 years to visit a Waldensian place of worship. The historic gesture was part of Pope Francis’ two-day pastoral trip to the northern Italian city. The pope visited on June 21-22 to venerate the Shroud of Turin as well as commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of St John Bosco. During the trip, he spent private time with his Italian relatives who are from northern Italy; had lunch with juvenile detainees, immigrants and homeless people; visited with the sick; celebrated Mass in a major outdoor square; and met separately with workers, young people and members of the Salesians. The pope called for Christian unity by making sure people focus RQ *RG ÂżUVW DQG GLIIHUHQFHV ODWHU in his talk to the Waldensians and representatives of the Methodist, evangelical, Lutheran and other Christian communities. Being brothers and sisters in

inhuman, attitude and behaviour that we had against you over history.

’

– Pope Francis

Pope Francis greets a pastor at a Waldensian church during a two-day pastoral visit to Turin, Italy, on June 22.

the faith, like in a family, doesn’t mean being identical, it means “having in common the same origins�, he said. Waldensian Pastor Eugenio Bernardini told the pope that his visit represented climbing over a wall that had been erected “eight centuries ago when the Waldensian movement was accused of heresy and excommunicated from the Roman Church�. The pastor asked: “What was the sin of the Waldensians? Being a movement of evangelisation� by

laypeople on the move, sharing the Bible in people’s native languages, rather than in Latin. He gave the pope a reproducWLRQ RI WKH YHU\ ÂżUVW %LEOH SULQWHG in French, which the Waldensians had commissioned in 1532. The pope said that by cooperating and working together with H\HV Âż[HG RQ &KULVW ÂłWKH /RUG ZLOO help us live that communion that FDPH EHIRUH´ WKHUH ZDV FRQĂ€LFW The pope also told young people how to live out real love and hold onto hope in a world that dis-

respects, uses and deceives people. With so many wars being waged around the world, how can people trust today’s political candidates and global leaders to do something about it, especially if WKH\ KDYH ÂżQDQFLDO LQYHVWPHQWV LQ the arms industry, he asked. Being “two-faced is the currency of the dayâ€?, he said. Vested interests are what kept many past atrocities from being stopped, he said, including being the reason why, during World War II, the Allies did not bomb

rail lines being used to send Jews, Christians, Gypsies and homosexuals to concentration camps to be killed. “If you trust only in men, you have lost,â€? he told young people; instead, trust in Christ and go against the grain. When meeting with workers, employers and the unemployed, the pope emphasised the importance of saying “noâ€? to a throwaway economy, the idolatry of money, corruption, and unfairness, which generates violence. He said that all members of society have to collaborate to make sure work doesn’t harm people’s dignity, puts the common good ÂżUVW DQG VWURQJO\ SURWHFWV WKH rights of women, “who also carry the biggest burden in taking care of the home, children and older peopleâ€?. “Be courageous,â€? he said, and dare to move forward in hope, being creative and “artisans of the future.â€? During his brief time in Turin, the pope also visited the church where his paternal grandparents were married and where his father, Mario, was baptised. „ CNS

Pontiff calls shroud ‘icon of love’ VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis’ time of prayer and contemplation before the Shroud of Turin was marked with gestures of reverence and tenderness. Revered by many as the burial cloth of Jesus, the shroud was the second stop on the pope’s packed itinerary for his two-day visit to the northern Italian town of Turin. The pope did not give a speech on June 21 in the Cathedral of St John the Baptist, where the shroud is housed, but he described it later as an icon of Christ’s great love for humankind. “The shroud draws [us] to the face and martyred body of Jesus and, at the same time, impels us toward the face of every suffering and unjustly persecuted person. It impels us in the same direction as Jesus’ gift of love,â€? he said, making reference to the words of St Paul. $IWHU KLV ÂżUVW PHHWLQJ LQ 7Xrin, where he met people from the working world, Pope Francis

walked to the cathedral nearby. He entered the church and walked directly toward the shroud. The pope stood before it, crossed himself before settling into a wooden armchair, set several metres from the shroud. He sat in silence with his head bowed for several moments. He then approached the shroud, contemplating it, before walking right up to its case, touching it gently and crossing himself. He then prayed before a side altar in the cathedral, the location of the tomb of a native of Turin, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died at age 24 after a short life dedicated to helping the poor. The pope then celebrated an outdoor Mass in one of Turin’s central squares, Piazza Vittorio. 'XULQJ KLV KRPLO\ KH UHÀHFWed on three aspects of the love of God. God’s love is faithful, recreates all things anew, and is stable and sure, he said. 2Q WKH ¿UVW DVSHFW WKH SRSH

Pope Francis touches the case holding the Shroud of Turin after praying before the cloth in the Cathedral of St John the Baptist. CNS photo

said that God’s love does not disappoint and never fails and is incarnate in Jesus. “For love, He became man; for love, He died and resurrected; for love, He is always at our side, in beautiful moments and in dif-

ÂżFXOW RQHV -HVXV ORYHV XV DOZD\V until the end, without limits and without measure. And He loves all of us to the point that we each can say, ‘He gave His life for me.’ For me,â€? he said. A person experiences the

ability of God’s love to re-create when one realises his or her own mistakes, sins and weakness and opens up to the forgiveness and love of Jesus, the pope said. “The spirit of the world is always searching for newness, but only the faithfulness of Jesus is capable of true newness, of making us new people, of re-creating us,â€? he said. The pope then urged the faithIXO WR UHĂ€HFW RQ ZKHWKHU WKH\ DUH living on the “rockâ€? of God’s love. People, including even Christians, run the risk of forgetting God’s love and of feeling “paralysed by fears of the future and seeking security in passing things or in models of closed societies that tend to exclude more than to includeâ€?, he said. He prayed that the Holy Spirit would help make Christians aware of the constant and faithful love of God, “to face life with courage and to look at the future with hopeâ€?. „ CNS

14 POPE’S ENCYCLICAL

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Pope’s practical tips for helping the environment VATICAN CITY – Here are some of

the pope’s suggestions on how to care for the environment from his encyclical, Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home. „ Reduce, reuse, recycle. Preserve resources, use them more HIÂżFLHQWO\ PRGHUDWH FRQVXPSWLRQ and limit use of non-renewable resources. „ Slash pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. Transition to cleaner and renewable energies and replace fossil fuels “without delayâ€?. „ Promote green construction ZLWK HQHUJ\ HIÂżFLHQW KRPHV DQG buildings. „ Protect clean, safe drinking water and don’t privatise it with market-based fees for the poor. „ Keep oceans and waterways clean and safe from pollutants; use biodegradable detergents at home and business. „ Be aware that synthetic pesticides and herbicides will hurt birds and insects that are helpful for agriculture. „ Leave room for wandering and migrating species by creating “biological corridorsâ€?; don’t let dams, highways and construction lead to their extinction. „ Protect biodiversity, especially wild forests, wetlands, coastal areas, mangrove swamps. „ Promote smart growth. Create liveable communities with beautiful design and plentiful green spaces for everyone, especially the poor. Tackle noise and “visual pollutionâ€?, and save cities’ cultural treasures. Design spaces that help people connect and trust each other. „ End the tyranny of the screen, information overload and distractions. Watch out for mediainduced melancholy and isolation. Cultivate real relationships with others.

&16 ÂżOH SKRWR

„ Get down from the ivory

tower and stop the rhetoric. Get to know the poor and suffering; it will wake up a numbed conscience and inspire real action. „ Stop blaming problems on population growth. The real threat is excessive consumerism and waste. „ For genuine change, put the FRPPRQ JRRG ÂżUVW 6SHFLDO LQWHUests manipulate information, offer ÂłVXSHUÂżFLDO UKHWRULF VSRUDGLF DFWV of philanthropy and perfunctory expressions of concernâ€?. „ Sweat it out. Increasing use and power of air-conditioning seems “self-destructiveâ€?. „ (YHQ LI LW GRHVQÂśW Âż[ WKH ZRUOG EHDXWLÂżFDWLRQ DQG JRRGZLOO gestures inspire and remind people that “we were made for loveâ€?. „ Get back to nature – “the caress of Godâ€? – to recharge. Be more attentive to its beauty and wonder and revisit places that left you with happy memories. „ Be consistent. Pro-life, environmental and social justice movements are all connected. Protecting vulnerable species must include the unborn, endangered animals and the exploited. „ Use technology to solve real problems and serve people, helping them have more dignity, less suffering and healthier lives. „ Believe in a happy future, a better tomorrow. Slow down, recover values and the meaning of life. Putting the brakes on “unrestrained delusions of grandeurâ€? is not a call to go back to the Stone Age. „ “Business is a noble vocation.â€? Create jobs that allow for personal growth, stability, living out one’s values. „ Listen to, protect lands of and involve indigenous peoples. The disappearance of cultures is even

For genuine change, put the common good ÂżUVW VDLG WKH SRSH 6SHFLDO LQWHUHVWV manipulate information, RIIHU ÂľVXSHUÂżFLDO UKHWRULF VSRUDGLF DFWV of philanthropy and SHUIXQFWRU\ H[SUHVVLRQV RI FRQFHUQÂś

Pilgrims crowd Copacabana beach as Pope Francis celebrates the closing Mass of World Youth Day July 28, 2013 in Rio de Janeiro. He commissioned an estimated 3 million people to become missionaries without borders. In his encyclical, the pope called on people to stop blaming problems on population growth. Instead, he said that the real threat is excessive consumerism and waste.

more serious than losing a species. „ Create neighbourhood networks and improvement programs. Create welcoming spaces that help people connect and trust each other. Do something nice for your community. „ Make public transportation

a priority and a more pleasant experience. „ Provide essential services to rural areas. „ Accept and care for the body God gave you. Value sexual differences and your own gender. „ Join, implement and police

global agreements on sustainable development, caring for the ecosystem, limiting greenhouse gases, handling hazardous wastes, ozone protection. „ Politicians: don’t be afraid of long-term goals and upsetting people with measures that affect OHYHOV RI FRQVXPSWLRQ ÂżQDQFLDO risks. Citizens: put pressure on your representatives. „ Harness purchasing power. Examine what you buy and know that boycotts make a difference. „ Plant a tree. Take mass transit. Car pool. Turn off the lights when you leave the room. „ Moms and dads: teach kids to use things properly; to respect, take care of others; to ask permission politely; to say, “Thank you;â€? to control temper; to ask forgiveness; share. „ Find happiness in simple things: get-togethers, helping others, honing a talent, enjoying art and music, praying. „ Practice “the little wayâ€? of St Therese. „ Go to Sunday Mass; receive the sacraments; encounter God in everything; rest on Sundays. „ CNS „ 6HH UHĂ€HFWLRQ RQ 3DJH

POPE FRANCIS 15

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Sometimes spousal separation may be ‘morally necessary’

Pope, patriarch work towards unity, and À[HG GDWH IRU (DVWHU VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis and

This is to protect family members from violence and humiliation, says pope VATICAN CITY – The deep hurts WKDW VSRXVHV LQĂ€LFW RQ HDFK RWKHU cause great suffering to their children and, in some cases, lead to a separation that is “morally necessaryâ€? to protect spouses and children from more serious forms of violence, said Pope Francis. Continuing a series of talks on the family during a general audiHQFH WKH SRSH UHĂ€HFWHG RQ WKH hurts family members cause each other, calling this type of behaviour “the ugliest thingâ€?. Speaking in St Peter’s Square on June 24, the pope said every family has experienced moments when someone’s “words, acts and omissionsâ€? offend another and “rather than expressing love, diminish it or worse still, demean itâ€?. “When these hurts, which can still be put right, are neglected, they get worse,â€? he said. “They turn into arrogance, hostility, contempt. And at that point, they become deep lacerations that divide husband and wife, leading us to look elsewhere for understanding, support and consolation. But often these ‘supports’ do not think of the good of the family.â€? When marriages are emptied of conjugal love, resentment grows and the disintegration of the spousal relationship “caves inâ€? on the children, he said. Speaking of the interconnectedness in families, he said one person’s woundedness affects the entire family. “Husband and wife are one

$ QHZO\ PDUULHG FRXSOH KROG KDQGV DV WKH\ DUULYH IRU 3RSH )UDQFLVÂś JHQHUDO DXGLHQFH &16 ÂżOH SKRWR

Ă€HVK 7KHLU FKLOGUHQ DUH Ă€HVK RI WKHLU Ă€HVK ´ KH VDLG &RQVHTXHQWO\ DOO RI the spouses’ “hurts and abandonments ... are engraved into the living Ă€HVK RI WKHLU FKLOGUHQ ´ KH VDLG The pope noted that “there are cases in which separation is inevitableâ€?. “Sometimes it can become even morally necessaryâ€? when it comes to removing a spouse or children “from more serious injuries caused by insolence and violence, humiliation and exploitation, neglect and indifferenceâ€?, he said. However, he noted that some separated spouses remain true to their marriage bond and do not enter into other relationships. “There is no lack, thank God, of those who, although separated, sustained by faith and love for

their children, witness to their faithfulness to a bond in which they believed, insofar as it seems impossible to revive it,â€? he said. “Not all separated spouses, however, feel this vocation,â€? he said. “Not everyone recognises, in [their] solitude, a call of the Lord addressed to them.â€? The pope said that “around XV ZH ÂżQG YDULRXV IDPLOLHV LQ VR called irregular situationsâ€?, adding he does not like the term. These situations lead to “many questionsâ€?, such as how to help and accompany these people, he said. Without offering any answers, the pope said, “We ask the Lord for a great faith to see reality with the gaze of God, and great charity to draw close to people with His merciful heart.â€? „ CNS &16 SKRWR

the patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch have expressed their desire to work towards full communion of the two Churches. The pope met with Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II at the Vatican on June 19. This was the patriDUFKÂśV ÂżUVW RIÂżFLDO YLVLW ZLWK 3RSH Francis. The two Church leaders spoke privately, after which each gave a public discourse. “We express our desire and readiness to look for new ways that will bring our Churches even closer to each other, paving the way for Antioch and Rome, the only two apostolic sees where St Peter preached, to establish full communion,â€? Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem said. He also expressed his Church’s readiness to come to an agreement to celebrate Easter on a common date. He said the Holy Synod of Antioch, motivated by the Second

3DWULDUFK ,JQDWLXV $SKUHP ,, PDGH KLV ÂżUVW RIÂżFLDO YLVLW WR 3RSH )UDQFLV UHFHQWO\ CNS Photos

Educate girls for roles in Church, society: pope VATICAN CITY – Girls must be

SUPPORTING POPE FRANCIS’ ENCYCLICAL: (QYLURQPHQWDO DFWLYLVWV KROG EDQQHUV DIWHU DWWHQGLQJ WKH SRSHœV $QJHOXV SUD\HU LQ 6W 3HWHUœV 6TXDUH DW WKH 9DWLFDQ RQ -XQH 6RPH SHRSOH PDUFKHG WR WKH 9DWLFDQ LQ VXSSRUW RI WKH SRSHœV UHFHQW HQF\FOLFDO RQ WKH HQYLURQPHQW WLWOHG /DXGDWR 6Lœ RQ &DUH IRU 2XU &RPPRQ +RPH

Vatican Council, adopted a resolution in 1981, expressing “the eagerness of our Churchâ€? to celHEUDWH (DVWHU ÂłRQ D Âż[HG 6XQGD\ in Aprilâ€? in common with other Christian Churches. The celebration of Easter “on two different dates is a source of great discomfort and weakens the common witness of the Church in the worldâ€?, he said, thanking Francis for recently “considering to take the initiative to lead the efforts on this matterâ€?. Meeting a group of priests in Rome on June 12, Pope Francis said the Catholic Church “is willLQJ WR HVWDEOLVK D Âż[HG GDWH IRU Easter so that it can be celebrated on the same day by all Christians, whether Catholic, Protestant or Orthodoxâ€?. In the current situation, he said ironically, “A Catholic and an Orthodox meet. One says, ‘Your Christ has risen? Mine rises next Sunday.’â€? „ CNS

educated in preparation for great responsibilities in the Church and the world, said Pope Francis. “Today, it is very important WKDW ZRPHQ DUH VXIÂżFLHQWO\ YDOued and can take their rightful place in the Church and in society,â€? he said on June 26, during an audience with a delegation of the International Catholic Conference of Guiding. While faith has been a part of Girl Guiding, called Girl Scouting in the United States, since its inception more than 100 years ago, the international Catholic conference was only formed in 1965. It marked its 50th anniversary in Rome, with an international conference from June 25-30, under the theme, Live as a Guide the Joy of the Gospel. More than 200 women attended. In a world where ideologies contrary to God’s design for mar-

riage and family are spreading, the pope said, “it is not only about educating young girls in the beauty and greatness of their vocation as womenâ€? in a right relationship with men and respecting the differences between men and women. But it is also to educate them “to take on important responsibilities in the Church and in societyâ€?, he said. The pope said Guiding has a “notable roleâ€? to play in the promotion and education of women in countries where women “are still in a position of inferiority, even exploited and treated badlyâ€?. He also urged the leaders to consider meetings with the wider international Guiding movement, comprised of women of different faiths and cultures, as valuable opportunities for “sincere and true dialogue, with respect for each other’s convictionsâ€? and “in the VHUHQH DIÂżUPDWLRQ´ RI WKHLU &DWKolic faith and identity. „ CNS

16 OPINION

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ 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

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Please include your full name, address and phone no. for all DESIGN / LAYOUT: letters to the editor. All decisions on submissions rest with Christopher Wong: design@catholic.org.sg the CatholicNews. Published submissions will be edited. 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

The Church needs WR EH ÀQDQFLDOO\ accountable Pope Francis has been instituting ¿QDQFLDO UHIRUPV LQ WKH 9DWLFDQ There is no denying that even XQWLO UHFHQWO\ WKH 9DWLFDQ ZDV WKH VHWWLQJ IRU FDVHV RI ¿VFDO LUUHVSRQVLELOLW\ 2YHU WKH \HDUV 9DWLFDQ RI¿FLDOV QHJOHFWHG WR WDNH VWURQJ action against this. 7KHUH ZHUH WKRVH LQ WKH 9DWLFDQ ZKR VDZ ¿QDQFLDO VKHQDQLgans and were dismayed by them. 7KH VR FDOOHG 9DWL/HDNV DQG the concerns these raised motivated the cardinals in the conclave of 2013 to mandate the new pope to institute reforms of the Curia, including and especially in the area RI ¿QDQFH Pope Francis has acted decisively in meeting that mandate in WKH ¿QDQFLDO UHIRUPV KH KDV EHHQ LQVWLWXWLQJ LQ WKH &XULD DQG 9DWLcan Bank. +LV DFWLRQV VKRXOG DOVR ¿QG DQ echo in dioceses and parishes that DUH IDOOLQJ VKRUW LQ WKHLU ¿VFDO UHsponsibilities. Since the funds of dioceses and parishes are dependent on the money the faithful give the Church through planned giving, collections at Mass and other forms of donation, they have the right to be fully accounted for. At the same time, Pope Francis’ call for a poor Church must be heeded. By this the pope does not mean that the Church must divest itself of all material possessions. What the pope wants is a Church that is rooted in humility, in total submission to Christ. The call for a poor Church does not require the parish priest to trade his car for a donkey-cart, for he needs reliable transport to perform his ministry. But to do so he does not need a luxury sedan. Likewise, the celebration of the Eucharist does not require os-

A church’s collection baskets ... The Church which Pope Francis seeks must EH ¿QDQFLDOO\ UHSURDFKOHVV DQG SUHVHQW LWVHOI WR WKH ZRUOG ZLWK PDWHULDO simplicity, says this commentary. &16 ¿OH SKRWR

Since the funds of dioceses and parishes are dependent on the money the faithful give, they have the right to be fully accounted for. tentatious vestments. Humility is not expressed in opulent chasubles, never mind the cappa magna, or great cape with a long train sometimes worn in processions. The Church which Pope Francis seeks therefore does not need to wear ashes and sackcloth, but

LW PXVW EH ¿QDQFLDOO\ UHSURDFKless and present itself to the world with material simplicity. „ CNS This is a condensed version of a commentary, A Church That Is Poor, ZKLFK ¿UVW DSSHDUHG LQ 7KH 6RXWKHUQ Cross, South Africa’s Catholic weekly.

A primal understanding of the Eucharist CHRISTIAN DE CHERGE, the Trappist Abbott who was martyred in Algeria in 1996, told a story of his First Holy Communion. He grew up in a Roman Catholic family in France and on the day of his First Holy Communion, he said to his mother: “I don’t understand what I’m doing.â€? She answered simply: “It’s okay, you don’t have to understand it now, later you will understand.â€? Jesus, no doubt, must have given His disciples the exact same advice at the Last Supper, at their First Holy Communion. When He offered them bread and said, “This is my body,â€? and then offered them wine and said, “This is my blood,â€? they would not have understood. There would have been considerable confusion and bewilderment: How are we supposed to understand this? What does it mean to eat someone’s body and drink someone’s blood? I suspect that in the face of them not understanding, like Christian de Cherge’s mother, Jesus would have also said: You don’t have to understand it now, later you will understand. Indeed in instituting the Eucharist at Last Supper, Jesus didn’t ask His disciples to understand what they were doing, He only asked them to faithfully celebrate it until He returned. Their understanding of what they were doing in celebrating the Eucharist only developed as they grew in their faith. But initially, Jesus didn’t ask for much of an understanding, nor did He give them much of an explanation for what He was celebrating with them. He simply asked them to eat His body and drink His blood. Jesus didn’t give a theological discourse on the Eucharist at the Last Supper. He simply gave us a ritual and asked us to celebrate it regularly, irrespective of our intellectual understanding of it. One of His more explicit explanations of the meaning of the Eucharist was His symbolic action of washing His disciples’ feet. Little has changed. We too aren’t asked to fully or even adequately understand the Eucharist. Our faith only asks that we are faithful in participating in it. In fact, as is the case for all deep mysteries, there is no satisfactory, rational explanation of the Eucharist. Nobody, not a single theologian in the world, can to anyone’s intellectual satisfaction, adequately lay out the phenomenology, psychology, or even spirituality of eating someone else’s body and drinking his blood. How is this to be understood? The mind comes up short. We need instead to rely upon metaphors and icons and an inchoate, intuitive understanding. We can truly know this mystery, even as we can’t fully understand it. During my seminary and academic training, I took three major courses on the Eucharist. After all those lectures and books on the Eucharist, I concluded that I didn’t understand the Eucharist and that I was happy enough with that because what those courses did teach me was how important it is that I celebrate and participate in the Eucharist. For all the intellectuality in those courses, their true value was that they ultimately said to me what Christian de Cherge’s mother said to him on the day of his First Holy Communion: You don’t have to understand now, later you will understand. Contained in that, of course, is the fact that there is something profound here that is worth understanding, but that it’s too deep to be fully grasped right now. Perhaps this can be helpful in our search for what to say to some of our own children and young people who no longer go to church DQG ZKR WHOO XV WKDW WKH UHDVRQ WKH\ GRQÂśW JR LV WKDW WKH\ GRQÂśW ÂżQG WKH Eucharist meaningful. We hear that lament all the time today: Why should I go to church, it doesn’t mean anything to me.â€? That objection is simply another way of saying what young Christian de Cherge said to his mother at his First Holy Communion: I don’t understand this. Perhaps our answer then could be along the lines of the response of his mother: You don’t have to understand now, later you will understand. The British theologian Ronald Knox, spoke about the Eucharist and said this: We have never, he claims, as Christians, been truly faithful to Jesus, no matter our denomination. In the end, none of us have truly followed those teachings in which most characterise Jesus: We haven’t turned the other cheek. We haven’t forgiven our enemies. We KDYHQÂśW SXULÂżHG RXU WKRXJKWV :H KDYHQÂśW VHHQ *RG LQ WKH SRRU :H haven’t kept our hearts pure and free from the things of this world. But we have, he submits, been faithful in one very important way; we have kept the Eucharist going. The last thing Jesus asked us to do before He died was to keep celebrating the Eucharist. And that we’ve done, despite the fact that we have never really grasped rationally what in fact we are doing. But we’ve been faithful in doing it because we grasped the wisdom in what Christian de Cherge’s mother to her son: You don’t have to understand this; you just have to do it. „

FEATURE 17

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Laudato Si’ – A Franciscan perspective By Friar John Wong, OFM By addressing Laudato Si’ to a universal audience, Pope Francis continues the tradition of Pacem in Terris (1963), which was the ÂżUVW SDSDO HQF\FOLFDO DGGUHVVHG not only to Catholics, but to “all people of goodwillâ€?, and which was applauded as a universal voice of conscience. In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis addresses many elements of our modern reality, which are often considered to be disparate. He masterfully weaves together these varied components and shows how all are in fact indivisible parts of an interconnected union. He reminds us that as stewards of Creation, we are called to have dominion over the earth, as opposed to misguidedly seeking absolute domination over all creatures. Some of the unexpected areas that this document brings together into a broad-ranging yet extraordinarily coherent discussion on our environment, include modern political realities and business practices, the rights of the poor, social media and travel, consumerism and technology, genetic PRGLÂżFDWLRQ DQG WUDIÂżFNLQJ RI human and endangered species. The encyclical views these areas and more, through the lenses of philosophy, theology, spirituality and moral reason. One message of Laudato Si’ that our world needs to be reminded of is that, “because all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one anotherâ€? (LS #42). This message has a relevance greater than just the loss of plant and animal biodiversity in our primary rainforests and in our oceans.

One message of Laudato Si’ that our world needs to be reminded of is that, ‘because all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one another’. A deforested rainforest in Ecuador, South America. The pope’s encyclical has relevance greater than just the loss of plant and animal diversity, says Friar John Wong.

It is a reminder that as human beings, we are more interdependent on each other than we may care to admit. Pope Francis writes, “A sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot be real if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow human beingsâ€? (LS #91). This profoundly resonates with the core Franciscan value of universal fraternity. St Francis of Assisi recognised that if there is only one God, who is Creator and Father of us all, then every human being and every creature is in fact brother and sister. We are inter-related, and we are called to lives of deeper communion and of fuller harmony. Yet, Laudato Si’ cautions its UHDGHUV WKHUH DUH VR PDQ\ LQĂ€Xences that “can stop people from learning how to live wisely, to think deeply and to love generously‌. Real relationships with

others, with all the challenges they entail, now tend to be replaced by a type of Internet communication which enables us to choose or eliminate relationships at whim... For this reason, we should be concerned that, alongside the exciting possibilities offered by these media, a deep and melancholic dissatisfaction with interpersonal relations, or a harmful sense of isolation, can also arise� (LG #47). Another Franciscan core value is the recognition that goodness and beauty are an integral part of our created universe and all that is in it. We live in a world where everyone and everything bears the imprint of the Divine Word, through whom everything that exists was called into being. Following from this theme, Pope Francis writes, “Our insistence that each human being is an image of God should not make us

When was the last time you had fun?

a Religious/consecrated person?

When I had to don the garb and act the role of an old, “drunken� woman for a community play. On certain occasions, such as our Prioress’ feast day on our jubilees, we amuse ourselves with homely fun.

Pope Francis once said, “Prayer is never in vain.� Daily, people come to request prayers for their needs. Either marvelling at their faith or rejoicing with them for prayers answered, I thank God for my vocation.

a community. Prayer is to grow in friendship with a Friend who loves us. We also pray the Hours of the 'LYLQH 2IÂżFH ZKHUHE\ DOO QHHGV DUH embraced. Being part of the Church as family gives me great joy.

Name an occasion you felt embarrassed.

I was in a Carmelite community in Uganda from 1986-2006. Once, out for a dental appointment, I struck up a friendship with a Ugandan mother carrying her toddler. Children there have close cropped hair. When I asked, “Mama, what’s the name of your son?� The amused answer shot back, “She is my daughter�. What do you like best about being

What has sustained your life as a Religious, especially in the face of challenges/changes?

Being part of a community that prays, in all weakness and vulnerability. Prayer is fragile strength, awaiting the Spirit who helps us in our weakness. What aspect of Religious life has brought you most joy?

The daily privilege of having Mass and two hours of personal prayer as

What are your usual distractions during prayer time? What do you do about them?

About what I have to do after prayer. However, undaunted, I simply return to the gaze of Jesus. St Teresa of Avila, our foundress says, “Fix your eyes on your Spouse. He never takes his eyes off you.� Pope Francis calls for a Church for the poor, by the poor. How do you live that in your vocation?

overlook the fact that each creature has its own purpose. None is VXSHUĂ€XRXV 7KH HQWLUH PDWHULDO universe speaks of God’s love, his boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains: everything is, as it were, a caress of Godâ€? (LS #84). Certainly, this prompts us to UHĂ€HFW RQ KRZ PXFK ZH YDOXH each person around us as a gift from God, and whether perhaps even the most challenging people in our lives may in fact be expressions of God’s tender mercy towards us, meant to help us to love more perfectly! So much of what Laudato Si’ teaches about the care for our common home can also be applied to how each of us lives and to the daily choices we make, including the ways in which we relate to each other within the family of God. In stating that “God has written a precious book, ‘whose letters are the multitude of created things present in the universe’â€? (LS#85), Pope Francis quotes St John Paul II’s Catechesis (2002), and makes references to St Bon-

ing it from a poor man’s table.� So, I try not to have a “throw-away� attitude by not being too choosy about whatever is served for meals.

aventure, a Franciscan theologian. The Holy Father writes, “St Bonaventure went so far as to say that human beings, before sin, were able to see how each creaWXUH ÂľWHVWLÂżHV WKDW *RG LV WKUHHÂś 7KH UHĂ€HFWLRQ RI WKH 7ULQLW\ ZDV there to be recognised in nature ‘when that book was open to man and our eyes had not yet become darkened’. The Franciscan saint teaches us that each creature bears LQ LWVHOI D VSHFLÂżFDOO\ 7ULQLWDULDQ structure, so real that it could be readily contemplated if only the human gaze were not so partial, dark and fragileâ€? (LS #239). According to the creation theology of St Bonaventure, through the act of Creation, the universe which arises from Divine love, is like a book through which we can encounter God and His love in the mystery of the Incarnation, the :RUG EHFRPHV Ă€HVK DQG *RG LV united with humanity and with the created universe; and following from the event of the Resurrection, the entire cosmos is restored, VDQFWLÂżHG DQG FDOOHG WR D FRPPXnity with the Holy Trinity. Laudato Si’ is ultimately about the things that last: faith, hope and love. Pope Francis writes, “We are always capable of going out of ourselves towards the other. Unless we do this, other creatures will not be recognised for their true worth‌. If we can overcome individualism, we will truly be able to develop a different lifeVW\OH DQG EULQJ DERXW VLJQLÂżFDQW changes in societyâ€? (LS #208). „ Franciscan Friar John Wong is custos of the Franciscan custody of St Anthony that covers Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. He is based in Johor Bahru. This article is condensed from the original.

Your favourite food? Noodles here. Fried grasshoppers in Uganda. What do you usually do to relax?

What do you like doing most with your biological family?

At Christmas/Easter, for example, my entire family visits me at our parlour. In spite of the grille between us, we enjoy just being together, with a lot of banter and laughter. When someone brings along an instrument, we croak a few songs from memory. At other times, when one or another family member visits, we enjoy a bonding experience.

Admire the beauty of nature which is, to quote St Augustine, “ever ancient, ever new�. When I hear my favourite bird calling, I thank God for telling me, “I love you�. „

Singaporean Sr Marie Of the Lamb,

Discalced Nuns of the Order of the By trying to live a simple life. Pope Francis said, “Wasting food is tak- Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt Carmel (OCD)

18 FEATURE

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Scaling the ALPS

An overview of the role of the Archdiocesan Land & Properties Singapore When efforts to renew the lease of 55 Waterloo Street (the current Catholic Centre) were being undertaken, the team managing the lease renewal confronted a range of real estate issues. It dawned RQ WKHP WKDW LW ZRXOG EHQHÂżW WKH archdiocese if it had a deeper real estate knowledge and expertise at hand to tap on. A recommendation was made to Archbishop Nicholas Chia then to establish an organisation for land and properties. The Archdiocesan Land & Properties Singapore (ALPS) was subsequently formed in December 2009. The role of ALPS in its early years was largely advisory. It mainly provided advice and support to the archbishop on land and property matters. 7KH ÂżUVW WKLQJ WKDW ZDV GRQH was the compilation and consolidation of an inventory of property assets. This was essential to provide an overview of the land and properties of the archdiocese. It allowed ALPS to look into the best use of and enhancement of the potential of these assets. The ALPS secretariat today continues to study archives on property assets to help it understand historical contexts and current options. Such understanding allows ALPS to be effective in its advisory role as well as in its consultations with other parties. As land is a valuable resource, it is helpful that groups, ministries and archdiocesan organisations utilise this limited resource in an HIÂżFLHQW PDQQHU +LVWRULFDOO\ WKH archdiocese has been very supportive of Catholic organisations by making land and space freely available for their use. “The archdiocese has made available space to many Catholic organisations to use at nominal or no charge for many decades. However, the costs of upkeep, maintenance and lease renewal far exceed the collections received and this is not sustainable over the long term,â€? said Mr Augustine Tan, chairman of ALPS. “Going forward, we seek to [make] Catholic organisations aware of the operational and opportunity costs associated with the use of space and be mindful of space needs for their organisations.â€? The discipline of organisations making a consistent conWULEXWLRQ IRU WKHLU VSDFH ZDV ÂżUVW implemented at the refurbished Catholic Centre. A standard rate was applied to the organisations at this premise. 7R SURPRWH HIÂżFLHQF\ DQG FRVW effectiveness, the Catholic Centre implemented shared services for RFFXSDQWVÂś RIÂżFH LQIUDVWUXFWXUH support, such as broadband connections, security and maintenance. All visitors to the Catholic Centre get free wireless access.

$/36 &RXQFLO DQG VWDII OHIW WR ULJKW 0U (OLMDK 7DQ 0U :LQVWRQ +DXZ 0U *HUDUG 7DQ 0V 3DXOLQH *RK 'HDFRQ &OHPHQW &KHQ 0V +HOHQ 6HDK $UFKELVKRS :LOOLDP *RK 0V 0DUWKD 6RK 0VJU 3KLOLS +HQJ 0U :LOOLH &KHQJ 0U $XJXVWLQH 7DQ DQG 0U 0DUWLQ 7D\ 1RW LQ SKRWR 0V *HUWUXGH &KDQ DQG 0V -R\FH .RK

To promote the optimal use of space, the Catholic Centre also implemented shared premises. Being in the city, its location was considered very accessible and it was expected to be a preferred venue for events and functions. “We felt that common facilities such as meeting rooms, function rooms, even rooftop terrace, which are not frequently used by individual organisations, should be on a shared basis,� explained Mr Elijah Tan, manager of ALPS. “Not only were these facilities opened to occupants but also to the general Catholic community. This meant that the facilities could be more optimally used, and space, which would otherwise be used as dedicated meeting or function rooms, could be freed up for other essential uses.� ALPS is also consulted by archdiocesan organisations and parishes on real estate related matters. For example, the Archdiocesan Finance Commission (AFC) regularly invites ALPS to provide feedback on proposals for redevelopment or refurbishment works by parishes. ALPS also assisted AFC on the development of the “Instructions to Parishes on Building Projects� document to provide guidance to the parishes on the process for embarking on building projects. In 2012 and at the direction of Archbishop William Goh, the role of ALPS was expanded to include

The Archdiocesan Land & Properties Singapore (ALPS) Council Archbishop : Archbishop William Goh Vicar General (Admin) : Msgr Philip Heng Financial Administrator : Deacon Clement Chen Chairperson : Mr Augustine Tan Vice-Chairperson : Ms Pauline Goh Treasurer : Mr Willie Cheng Members : Ms Gertrude Chan

Mr Winston Hauw Ms Joyce Koh

managing certain archdiocesan properties. Estate management covers a wide area and could inFOXGH XSKROGLQJ ÂżUH VDIHW\ VWDQGards, maintaining services such as

The archdiocese has ‘made available space to many Catholic organisations to use at nominal or no charge for many decades. However, the costs of upkeep, maintenance and lease renewal far exceed the collections received and this is not sustainable over the long term.

’

Âą 0U $XJXVWLQH 7DQ FKDLUPDQ

Members

: Ms Martha Soh

Mr Gerard Tan

STAFF Manager : Mr Elijah Tan Executive : Ms Helen Seah Property Executive : Mr Martin Tay Facilities Manager : Mr Lawrence Neo 0DLQWHQDQFH 2IÂżFHU &$(& Mr Elias Liyanto

OLIWV ZDWHU WDQN ¿UH VDIHW\ HTXLSment, keeping premises clean and secure, and other works. Besides managing the Catholic Centre, ALPS currently also oversees the upkeep and maintenance of the Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre. When Archbishop William Goh launched his 10-year pastoral plan to the Catholic community, ALPS made adjustments to the plans for property. These adjustments, to align with the archbishop’s priorities for evangelisation, clergy, family, young people and migrants, are ongoing. The ALPS Council is made up of lay volunteers and clergy. The volunteers are drawn from a mix of professionals mainly from the real estate industry. The council meets on a regular basis on key and operational matters. Its meetings are attended by the archbishop. ALPS Council members chair steering and working commit-

WHHV ZKLFK DUH IRUPHG IRU VSHFL¿F archdiocesan property projects. The ALPS Council is supported by a secretariat team comprising ¿YH IXOO WLPH VWDII ALPS welcomes property-related professionals (architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, estate managers, valuation specialists and lawyers) who wish to contribute their expertise to the archdiocese on a pro bono basis. ALPS is also compiling a list of Catholic professionals and companies who wish to offer their services on a favourable basis to the archdiocese. These include areas such as construction, electrical, air-conditioning, security, DXGLR YLVXDO ,7 ¿UH SURWHFWLRQ pest control, cleaning services, architectural, engineering, and interior design. Those interested may contact the ALPS secretariat at 63380230 or email info@alps-sg.org. „

BIBLE SUNDAY 19

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

The following article is based on the section entitled The Interpretation of Sacred Scripture in the &KXUFK IURP 9HUEXP 'RPLQL the Post-Synodal Apostolic ExKRUWDWLRQ RI 3RSH %HQHGLFW ;9, on The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church and is RIIHUHG IRU \RXU UHĂ€HFWLRQ SUD\HU and action for Bible Sunday 2015 (July 12) by the Regional Biblical &RPPLVVLRQ RI WKH %LVKRSVÂś &RQference of Malaysia-SingaporeBrunei. As we seek to read and unGHUVWDQG WKH %LEOH ZH PD\ DVN LI there is a distinctive Catholic way of doing so. How should we apSURDFK *RGÂśV :RUG DV ZH WU\ WR understand and live it out in our daily lives?

ÂľKLVWRULFR FULWLFDOÂś PHWKRG DV ZHOO DV RWKHU UHFHQWO\ GHYHORSHG PHWKods of textual analysis which have EURXJKW DERXW PXFK EHQHÂżW 7KH KLVWRULFR FULWLFDO PHWKRG FRQVLGHUV the different types and styles (genUHV RI ZULWLQJ DQG DOVR DWWHPSWV WR look at the context of the event at WKDW WLPH LWVHOI EHIRUH DWWHPSWLQJ WR VHH LWV PHVVDJH IRU RXU RZQ WLPH ,QGHHG VHULRXV PHWKRGV RI KLVWRULcal research are essential to a proper understanding of any text. Criteria

7KH 'RJPDWLF &RQVWLWXWLRQ IURP WKH 6HFRQG 9DWLFDQ &RXQFLO 'HL 9HUEXP LQGLFDWHV WKUHH IXQGDPHQtal criteria for an appreciation of WKH GLYLQH GLPHQVLRQ RI WKH %LEOH

Biblical Exegesis and Theology

History is the arena in which God ZRUNV 7KHUHIRUH LW PXVW EH LQWHUpreted in the light of faith and reason. Biblical Exegesis or Interpretation needs to go hand-in-hand with Theology. In this way, we are DEOH WR DYRLG H[WUHPH VXEMHFWLYH and arbitrary positions such as IXQGDPHQWDOLVW SRVLWLRQV ZKHUHLQ reason is ignored or the tendency can be to spiritualise everything. While we always start lookLQJ DW D WH[W IURP WKH OLWHUDO VHQVH ZH PXVW EH RSHQ WR WKH PHVVDJH beyond it allowing the spiritual VHQVH WR DOVR HPHUJH DQG QRW DOORZ RXUVHOYHV WR EH PDQLSXODWHG RU OHG into error. The spiritual sense is

The Bible – the book of the living community of the Church

:KHQ DWWHPSWLQJ WR XQGHUVWDQG WKH Bible and interpreting it, we need to UHPHPEHU WKDW “The Bible was written by the People of God for the People of God, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.â€? )URP WKLV ZH PXVW UHPHPEHU WKDW RQO\ LQ FRPPXQLRQ with the People of God can we truly enter into the heart of the truth that *RG KLPVHOI ZLVKHV WR FRQYH\ WR XV <HV ZH PLJKW UHDG WKH %LEOH individually for our own personal JURZWK EXW ZH PXVW DOZD\V UHPHPEHU WKDW WKH %LEOH JUHZ RXW RI the lived experience of the People RI *RG DQG ZH PXVW WKXV VHH LWV PHVVDJH WKURXJK WKH H\HV RI WKH FRPPXQLW\ JXLGHG E\ WKH 6SLULW WKDW gave rise to it and which continues WR VHH LW DV *RGÂśV :RUG WR KXPDQLW\ The Church interpreted the Jewish Scriptures that we know WRGD\ DV WKH 2OG 7HVWDPHQW LQ WKH light of the Incarnation, Life and Ministry (particularly, the PasVLRQ 'HDWK DQG 5HVXUUHFWLRQ RI the Lord Jesus Christ. /LNHZLVH WKH &KXUFKÂśV H[SHULence of Jesus in his earthly lifeWLPH DQG ODWHU DIWHU WKH $VFHQVLRQ DV LW JUHZ IURP LWV EHJLQQLQJV DW Pentecost gave rise to the books of WKH 1HZ 7HVWDPHQW ,I WKH %LEOH LV XQGHUVWRRG DV KDYLQJ FRPH IURP the Church, then surely, it is with WKH &KXUFK DQG LQ KDUPRQ\ ZLWK its teachings and under the guidDQFH RI WKH 0DJLVWHULXP WHDFKLQJ RIÂżFH WKDW ZH PXVW LQWHUSUHW LWV FRQWHQWV DQG PHVVDJH ZKLFK *RG KDV FKRVHQ WR FRPPXQLFDWH Interpretation methods

9DULRXV PHWKRGV KDYH EHHQ HPployed in order to obtain a richer understanding of biblical texts. Recent work in interpreting the Bible KDV UHOLHG PXFK RQ WKH LQGLVSHQVLEOH

PXVW SDVV IURP OHWWHU WR VSLULW 7KH :RUG RI *RG FDQ QHYHU VLPSO\ EH equated with the letter of the text. An authentic process of interpretation is never purely an intellectual process but also a lived one, reTXLULQJ IXOO LQYROYHPHQW LQ WKH OLIH of the Church, which is life “acFRUGLQJ WR WKH 6SLULW´ *DO Dangers One danger is that the Bible is seen only as a historical book, dealing with the past without recognising WKDW LW LV MXVW DV YDOLG WRGD\ ,W KDV D PHVVDJH IRU RXU RZQ WLPH Another danger is looking at it ZLWK D VHFXODULVHG PHQWDOLW\ ZLWKRXW WKH H\HV RI IDLWK )RU H[DPSOH ZKHQ D GLYLQH HOHPHQW LV SUHVHQW it is explained away and reduced to WKH KXPDQ HOHPHQW ,Q WKLV ZD\ LW denies the historicity of the divine HOHPHQW 7KLV FDQ EH KDUPIXO WR WKH life of the Church because it casts GRXEW RYHU IXQGDPHQWDO P\VWHULHV of Christianity and their historicity. +RZHYHU LW LV LPSRUWDQW WKDW ZH UHPHPEHU WKDW ELEOLFDO LQWHUSUHWDtion or exegesis “is truly faithful to the proper intention of biblical texts when it goes not only to the KHDUW RI WKHLU IRUPXODWLRQ WR ÂżQG the reality of faith there expressed, but also seeks to link this reality to the experience of faith in our present worldâ€? (Verbum Domini 37). The Word of God is active and alive. It is addressed to each of us in the here and now of our lives. The relationship between the Old and the New Testaments

1) The text must be interpreted with attention to the unity of the whole of Scripture – Thus we VKRXOG QRW DWWHPSW WR ORRN DW D SDVVDJH LQ LVRODWLRQ IURP ZKDW the rest of Scripture is saying. 2) Account is to be taken of the living Tradition of the whole Church – Again we look at the passage not in isolation in WHUPV RI WLPH EXW KRZ LW KDV been seen through the ages IURP WKH HDUO\ FKXUFK RQZDUGV 3) Respect must be shown for the analogy of faith – A passage cannot be seen in opposition to the faith and teaching of the Church.

ÂłWKH PHDQLQJ H[SUHVVHG E\ WKH biblical texts when read, under the LQĂ€XHQFH RI WKH +RO\ 6SLULW LQ WKH FRQWH[W RI WKH SDVFKDO P\VWHU\ RI Christ and of the new life which Ă€RZV IURP LW ´ Hence, interpretation of Sacred 6FULSWXUH PXVW LQYROYH RXU SHUVRQal and living faith. Interpretation seeks saving truth for the life of the individual Christian and for the Church. It recognises the historical value of the biblical tradition and seeks to discover the living PHDQLQJ RI WKH 6DFUHG 6FULSWXUHV for the lives of believers today. To this end, our interpretation

We should also consider the relationship between the Old and the 1HZ 7HVWDPHQWV 7KH 1HZ 7HVWDPHQW LWVHOI DFNQRZOHGJHV WKH 2OG 7HVWDPHQW DV WKH :RUG RI *RG and thus accepts the authority of the Sacred Scriptures of the JewLVK SHRSOH 7KH 1HZ 7HVWDPHQW RIWHQ XVHV WKH VDPH ODQJXDJH DQG IUHTXHQWO\ UHIHUV WR SDVVDJHV IURP the Old. It explicitly acknowledgHV WKHP E\ FLWLQJ PDQ\ SDUWV RI WKHP DV D EDVLV IRU DUJXPHQW 7KH 1HZ 7HVWDPHQW LV VHHQ DV IXO¿OOLQJ WKH 2OG 7HVWDPHQW EXW WKLV PXVW EH VHHQ LQ WKH IROORZLQJ WHUPV „ a basic aspect of continuity, as VHHQ LQ WKH 1HZ 7HVWDPHQW XVH RI W\SRORJ\ +HEUHZV 19 which concerns the sacri¿FH RI ,VDDF OHDGLQJ WR *RG UH-

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: 1. How does being a Catholic affect the way I interpret the Bible? 2. Look at the readings this Sunday. What is the connection between the First Reading and the

Gospel? Can you see a) continuity, b) disconWLQXLW\ F IXOÂżOPHQW " +RZ GR , DSSURDFK GLIÂżFXOW SDVVDJHV LQ WKH Bible?

FHLYLQJ KLP EDFN ,Q WKH OLJKW RI Y Âł*RG ZDV DEOH WR UDLVH PHQ IURP WKH GHDG´ *RG raising Isaac to life is a typolRJ\ RI -HVXVÂś VDFULÂżFH DQG UHVXUUHFWLRQ IURP WKH GHDG „ an aspect of discontinuity, with regard to the institutions of the 2OG 7HVWDPHQW )RU LQVWDQFH WKH High Priesthood of Christ in the Letter to the Hebrews is seen as EHLQJ UDGLFDOO\ GLIIHUHQW IURP WKH 2OG 7HVWDPHQW SULHVWKRRG „ an aspect of IXOÂżOPHQW DQG WUDQscendence. We see this in Jesus quoting Isaiah as he sets out his PLVVLRQ LQ /XNH Difficult passages

7KHUH DUH ³GDUN´ RU GLI¿FXOW SDVsages of the Bible that we have WR FRQWHQG ZLWK ¹ VRPH RI WKHVH FRQWDLQ YLROHQFH DQG LPPRUDOLW\ :KDW ZH KDYH WR UHPHPEHU KHUH LV that biblical revelation is progresVLYH *RGœV SODQ LV PDQLIHVWHG progressively DQG LW LV DFFRPSOLVKHG slowly, in successive stages 'Hspite their weaknesses, God chose the people of Israel and patiently ZRUNHG WR JXLGH DQG HGXFDWH WKHP :H PXVW XQGHUVWDQG WKH FXOWXUDO DQG PRUDO OHYHO RI D YHU\ GLIIHUHQW SHULRG IURP RXU RZQ ZKHUH LQVWDQFHV RI YLROHQFH DQG PDVVDcre were not denounced. Here we QHHG WR DOORZ TXDOL¿HG H[SHUWV WR help us understand the different contexts and look beyond to see WKH XQGHUO\LQJ PHVVDJH RI *RG Ecumenism

Interpreting the Bible also involves our relations with other Christians. 7KH XQLW\ RI *RGÂśV SHRSOH ZKLFK WKH HFXPHQLFDO PRYHPHQW VHHNV to restore, is profoundly based in Scripture. By listening, sharLQJ DQG PHGLWDWLQJ WRJHWKHU RQ the Scriptures, we experience a UHDO DOEHLW LQFRPSOHWH FRPPXQion. This spurs us on towards the dialogue of charity and enables growth in the dialogue of truth. Conclusion

In conclusion, the saints stand out DV WKH EHVW H[DPSOHV WR XV WRGD\ DV persons who have truly lived the ZRUG RI *RG 7KH\ OHW WKHPVHOYHV be shaped by the Word of God through listening, reading and PHGLWDWLRQ DOORZLQJ WKHPVHOYHV WR EH ÂłJRRG VRLO´ LQ ZKLFK WKH GLvine sower planted the Word. May the Word bear within us fruits of holiness, “thirtyfold, sixtyIROG D KXQGUHGIROG´ 0N „ The full text of Verbum Domini may be seen at http://w2.vatican.va/ content/benedict-xvi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_ben-xvi_ exh_20100930_verbum-domini.html

20

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

By Jennifer Ficcaglia The descendants of Jacob and his 12 sons were living in Egypt. As the years went by, the Israelites multiplied and there were more of them in Egypt than the Egyptians themselves. The pharaoh did not like this, so he made the Israelites slaves. He also wanted to cut down on the number of Israelites in Egypt, so he ordered his men to kill the Israelites’ newborn male babies. During this time, there was a Levite woman who gave birth to a son. She hid him until he was three months old, then she knew that he would be in danger of being found and killed. Afraid for her baby’s life, she decided to take extreme action. She took a basket made of papyrus – a tall plant that is like grass – and covered

it with a material called pitch to make it waterproof. She placed the baby in the basket, and then put the basket in the Nile River among the reeds. The woman’s daughter watched the basket from a distance to see what would happen to her baby brother. The pharaoh’s daughter came to bathe in the river. When she was in the water, she noticed something in the reeds and sent one of her servants to get it for her. When she opened WKH EDVNHW VKH ZDV VXUSULVHG WR ÂżQG D crying baby inside. “It is one of the Hebrews’ children,â€? she said, looking at the baby with pity. Just then, the baby’s sister came up to the pharaoh’s daughter. “Shall I go and summon a Hebrew woman to nurse the child for you?â€? The pharaoh’s daughter thought this was a good idea. The girl went to

SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS:

St James the Greater St James the Greater was from Galilee. He and his brother, -RKQ ZHUH ¿VKHUPHQ MXVW OLNH their father, Zebedee. One day, the men were in their boat mending their nets at the Sea of Galilee when Jesus walked by. He asked James and John to be two of His apostles. The brothers left their father to follow the Lord. James was chosen to be with Jesus during some special times. He witnessed Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law and raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead. James also was chosen WR EH ZLWK -HVXV GXULQJ -HVXVœ WUDQV¿JXUDWLRQ DQG +LV DJRQ\ LQ the Garden of Gethsemane before His death. Not much is known about where James spread the Gospel DIWHU -HVXVœ GHDWK EXW ZH GR NQRZ WKDW KH ZDV WKH ¿UVW RI WKH RULJLnal Twelve Apostles to be martyred. We honour him on July 25. „

decided to name the child Moses, she said, because she drew him out of the water. „

get her mother and brought her back to the pharaoh’s daughter. “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages,� the pharaoh’s daughter told the woman, having no idea that the woman was the baby’s own mother. When the child was older and didn’t need to be nursed anymore, the woman brought him back to the pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him. She

Read more about it: Exodus 1& 2

Q&A 1. Why didn’t the pharaoh like the Israelites? 2. Who was the baby placed in the basket?

Wordsearch: „ SALVES

„ PITY

„ WATER

„ BASKET

„ RIVER

„ NURSE

„ WAGES

„ IDEA

„ BABIES

„ REEDS

„ MALE

„ CRYING

KIDS CLUD: Essay: How can we show that we trust God to help and protect us?

Bible Accent: Answer to puzzle: 3, 2, 5, 4, 1

PUZZLE: The following sentences describe some important events in the life of Moses. Put them in the order in which they happened. For hints, see Exodus 3, 14, 17 and 34, and Deuteronomy 34. 1. Moses makes Joshua leader of the Israelites.

(

)

2. Moses parts the Red Sea.

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3. God appears to Moses in a burning bush.

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5. Moses hits his staff on a rock and water comes out.

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Answer to Wordsearch

Moses became the most important prophet in the Old Testament. He seems to have a lot in common with the most important person in the New Testament: Jesus. Both were born during times when young male Israelite children were being killed, and both found safety from harm in Egypt. They both performed miracles, talked directly to God and were sent by God to save people. They each spent 40 days without eating and drinking. Moses spent this time on Mt Sinai writing down God’s laws to share with the Israelites. Jesus’ 40 days were spent in the desert being tempted by Satan before the start of His public ministry, during which He upheld the laws God gave to Moses. And at the end of their lives, they each chose the people who would carry on their work after their deaths. Moses chose Joshua to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, and Jesus chose His apostles to spread God’s word and build His Church. „

WHAT’S ON 21

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

learn more about our school. Our niche is an emphasis on Value Education and Love for others. This will include daily meditation and prayer in the morning. Organised by Magdalene’s Kindergarten. At Magdalene’s Kindergarten, 1 Sallim 5RDG (QTXLULHV 7 9012 4778 (Sr Margaret Goh, supervisor); E:magkg@singnet.com.sg; W:www.magdalene.canossian.org.sg.

EVENT SUBMISSIONS We welcome information of events happening in our local Church. Please send your submission at least one month before the event. Online submissions can be made at www.catholicnews.sg/whatson CATECHISM FOR THE ELDERLY Catechism classes for the elderly are held in English, Mandarin, Peranakan, Hokkien, Teochew and Cantonese on Thursdays from 1pm-2.45pm at Church of the Holy Family and on Saturdays at St Joseph’s Church (Victoria Street), parish hall from 9.30am11.30am. Register T: 9115 5673 (Andrew). CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART COLUMBARIUM – UPDATING OF NICHE APPLICATION RECORDS The Church of the Sacred Heart is currently carrying out an exercise to update the records of all niche applications. If you have purchased a niche for yourself or for a loved one, we would be grateful if you could obtain a copy of the ‘Niche Update Form’ at the bulletin stand or from our 3DULVK 2IÂżFH .LQGO\ UHWXUQ WKH IRUP WR WKH 3DULVK 2IÂżFH EHIRUH $XJ )RU TXHULHV E: columbarium@sacredheartchurch.sg. REGISTRATION FOR CANOSSIAN CONVENT KINDERGARTEN – A SANCTUARY ON THE HILL TOP Registration for 2016 classes (N1 to K2) is open. For children born between 2010 and 2013. Come, explore and discover! We will be running a comprehensive ÂżYH DQG D KDOI KRXU SURJUDPPH ZLWK daily meditation and prayers led by the Canossian Sisters. Organised by Canossian Convent Kindergarten. At 100 Jalan 0HUERN RII -DODQ -XURQJ .HFLO (QTXLULHV 7 ( FFNJJHQHUDORIÂżFH# gmail.com: W: www.canossian.org.sg.

MONDAYS FROM JULY 6 TO AUGUST 24 LIFE IN THE SPIRIT SEMINARS 7.30pm-9.45pm: This series of seminars is for all who desire to live a renewed Christian life in the power of the Holy 6SLULW 2UJDQLVHG E\ $ÀDPH &KDULVPDWLF Prayer Community. At Church of the Risen Christ, 91 Toa Payoh Central. Register W: www.risenchristcpg.org. (QTXLULHV 7 -HVV (Maria); E: jess.francisco.63@gmail.com / m4trinity@gmail.com. JULY 11 MEDITATIVE PRAYER WITH THE SONGS OF TAIZE 8pm-9.30pm: Come and pray with fellow Christians and all who want to create greater trust and openness through prayer. Organised by the Singapore Taize core group. At The Armenian Church of St Gregory the Illuminator, 60 Hill Street. (QTXLULHV ( EHQQ\FDK#JPDLO FRP W: http://www.taize.fr/en. JULY 14 QUIETING THE SOUL – IN SINGAPORE &RPH MRLQ XV IRU D ¿YH GD\ YDFDWLRQ with the Lord in Singapore. Spend time to rest, recollect and pray. Organised by Cenacle Sisters. At Lifesprings Canossian Spirituality Centre, 100 Jalan Merbok. Register E: cenaclesing@gmail.com.

EVERY FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH PIECES OF APRIL 9am-6pm: Pieces of April is a Canossian green initiative to save the earth and give new OLIH WR XVHG LWHPV UHFHLYHG WR EHQHÂżW WKH SRRU 2XU WKULIW VKRS RSHQV HYHU\ ÂżUVW 6XQGD\ of the month. Do drop by to show your support! Organised by Canossian Sisters. At Canossa Convent, 1 Sallim Road, Gate (QTXLULHV (PDLO SFVRIDSULO#JPDLO FRP

WEDNESDAYS FROM JULY 15-AUGUST 26 INTERPRETING AND UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE 8pm-10pm: The lectures will cover a broad range of topics that are essential for a proper understanding of the Bible. At Church of St Bernadette. St Bern AV room, Level 2. Register E: StBernadetteBAT@ gmail.com T: 9877 1999

JULY 5 PRISONS WEEK 2015 MASS 11am: We will be gathering to pray for and raise awareness of the needs of prisoners, their families, victims of crime, prisons staff and volunteers, and all those who care for this cause. There will be a Mass to mark the start of Prisons Week in Singapore. All are welcome. Organised by RCPM. At Church of St Mary of the Angels, 5 Bukit Batok East Avenue 2.

THURSDAYS FROM JULY 16 TO NOVEMBER 26 GUIDED TOUR OF THE BIBLE 8-10pm: Join us for an easy to follow programme of 15 lectures starting from Genesis to Revelation. It will be free of charge. Presented by Sundaresh Menon. No registration needed. Come and enjoy the living word of God! Organised by Bible Apostolate Team. At Church of St Ignatius, 120 King’s Road, Annexe Hall Level 2. (QTXLULHV ( KHQU\ZX#OXFDV FRP VJ

MAGDALENE’S KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION FOR 2015/2016 Magdalene’s Kindergarten registration is now open for those born in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013! For parents whose children are aged between three and six (those who are entering nursery one and two and kindergarten one and two),

JULY 16 FEAST OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL Join us to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. There will be Mass at 6.30am, 2.30pm in Mandarin, 4.30pm and 6.30pm. Organised by Carmelite Monastery. At Carmelite Monastery, 98 Bukit Teresa Road.

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JULY 24 MEDITATIVE PRAYER WITH THE SONGS OF TAIZE 8pm-9pm: Come join us in this ecumenical meditative prayer with the songs of Taize, every third Friday of the month. All are welcome. No registration needed. Organised by Taize Group at Good Shepherd Place. At Good Shepherd Place &KDSHO /RU 7RD 3D\RK (QTXLULHV 7 0V $GHOLQH 7D\ ( D TXLHW time@gmail.com. W: www.taize.fr/en. JULY 24 TO JULY 26 JULY 2015 CHOICE WEEKEND It takes that one weekend that will inspire you for the rest of your life. Come away for a Choice Weekend. It is by the choices ZH PDNH WKDW ZLOO GH¿QH ZKDW RXU OLIH LV all about. Register T: 9790 0537 (Hillary) -DFTXHOLQH E: registration@choice.org.sg; W: http://www.choice.org.sg/registration.htm. FRIDAYS FROM JULY 24 TO SEPTEMBER 4 CaFE SAINTS – HELPING US TODAY 8pm-9.30pm: Join us every Friday to listen to CaFE speaker David Payne as he goes on location to the places changed by the lives of St Patrick, St Benedict, St Francis of Assisi, St Catherine of Siena, St Ignatius of Loyola and St Therese of Lisieux. Don’t miss this endearing and inspiring six-session programme on the lives of these saints. Do take note that there will be no screening on Aug 7. It’s free! Organised by CaFe. At the Church of St Francis Xavier, 63A Chartwell Drive. Register T: 9664 2127 (Ignatius) / 9688 5867 (Vincent) E: cafe.sfx@gmail.com. SATURDAYS FROM JULY 25 TO AUGUST 22 SELF-WORTH WORKSHOPS 11am-1pm: Join us for a four-session workshop and understand self-worth and its importance and impact in your life. Through activities and exercises, practise ways to recognise and replace selfdefeating thoughts. Learn how to love, approve and accept yourself in spite of your imperfections to improve and add meaning to your life. Because you deserve it! Organised by Clarity. At Clarity Singapore, 854 Yishun Ring Road #01-3511. Fee: $10. Register T: 6757 7990 / 9710 3733; E: registration@clarity-Singapore. WEDNESDAYS FROM JULY 25 TO AUGUST 1 CHARIS-BARRÉ MISSION LEADERSHIP TRAINING %DUUp DQ DI¿OLDWH RI &+$5,6 LV D PLVVLRQ group that works with ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands of Vietnam where many are deprived of education and opportunities. They run a 10-year education programme in various villages. BarrÊ organises four mission trips a year to run interactive English lessons and are seeking mission leaders to lead week-long trips in future. A CHARIS-BarrÊ mission team will be deployed to receive training as potential mission leaders. Come join the big family of BarrÊ and the wonderful people of the Central Highlands! Register E: lilynne@charis-singapore.org.

ACROSS 1 OT book that precedes Ruth 5 Landed 10 The Chosen People 14 Former overseer of the VOA 15 Cite Scripture 16 Vinegar (comb.) 17 Semi-monthly tide 18 Pope (II) who called for the Crusades 19 Relocate 20 Sideways 22 Spiritual programme 23 Slave of Philemon (Philem 15–16) 26 Cargo 30 Popular Catholic TV sitcom actor Newhart 31 Lab animal 34 Evades 35 Jonah was thrown into this 36 Architect Saarinen 37 Personal interests 38 Tree under which Jesus saw Nathanael (Jn 1:47–48) (TXLS 40 Gifts for dad

JULY 25 SYMPOSIUM ON DIVORCE, SEPARATION AND ANNULMENT 9am-5pm: The theme for this symposium is, What does the Catholic Church actually teach about Divorce, Separation & Annulment? Keynote speakers include Fr Terence Pereira, Catholic lawyer Peggy Lee and principal therapist Kelvyanne Teoh. Registration starts at 8.30am. Fee: $25. Organised by ACF. At Catholic Junior College, 129 Whitley Road. Register W: http://catholicfamily.org.sg.

RCIA/RCIY A journey for those seeking to know more about the Catholic faith. Baptised Catholics are also invited to journey as sponsors. FRIDAYS FROM JULY 3 RCIA @ CHURCH OF CHRIST THE KING 8pm-10pm: 2221 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8. Register T: 9889 0027 (Joey); E: rcia@ gmail.com; W: www.christtheking.com.sg.

JULY 26 MAY AWA ANG DIYOS 10.30am-4pm: A Day of Recollection for Filipino friends to come together for SUD\HU TXLHW DQG UHĂ€HFWLRQ 7KHUH ZLOO EH presentations, personal prayer and group sharings. Fr Lester Maramara, SJ, will lead participants in discovering their call to love and mercy in their daily lives. At Kingsmead Centre, 8 Victoria Park Road, Singapore 266492. Fee (inclusive of lunch): $10. Register T: 6467 6072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com.

TUESDAYS FROM JULY 7 RCIA @ SJI JUNIOR WHILE CHURCH OF ALPHONSUS (NOVENA CHURCH) IS UNDER RENOVATION 7.30pm-10pm: St Joseph’s Institution Junior, 3 Essex Road. Register T: 6255 2133; E: rcianovena@gmail.com; W: http://www. novenachurch.com/rcia-form-01.html FRIDAYS FROM JULY 24 RCIA @ CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART 7.30pm-9.15pm: 111 Tank Road. Register T: 6737 9285; E: sacredheartchurch@catholic.org.sg.

SATURDAYS FROM JULY 25 TO AUGUST 22 SELF-WORTH WORKSHOPS 11am-1pm: Join us for a four-session workshop to understand self-worth, its importance and impact in your life. Learn how to love, approve and accept yourself in spite of your imperfections to improve and add meaning to your life. Organised by Clarity. At Clarity Singapore, 854 Yishun Ring Road #01-3511. Fee: $10. Register T: 6757 7990 / 9710 3733; E: registration@clarity-Singapore.

public form to understand how you can nurture your child from birth from our team of doctors and family educators. Organised by Family Life Society. At KKH, 100 Bukit Timah Road, Auditorium, Level 1, Women’s Tower. Register T: 6488 0278; W: http://bitly.com/mom_n_breastfeeding. AUGUST 4 TO NOVEMBER 3 (FOR 14 TUESDAYS) FOUR HISTORICAL BOOKS BY MSGR AMBROSE VAZ Two sessions per day: 9.30am-11.30am or 7.45pm-9.45pm. Join us on 14 Tuesdays for a Bible course on the books of Judith, Ruth, Tobit and Jonah. Organised by: Archdiocesan Biblical Apostolate. Fee (inclusive of materials and refreshments): $100. At CAEC 2 Highland Road. Register E: biblicalapostolate.wordpress. FRP (QTXLULHV 7 RI¿FH hours) / E: bibleapostolic@catholic.org.sg.

WEDNESDAYS FROM JULY 29 TO SPETEMBER 23 A BIBLICAL WALK WITH THE BLESSED MOTHER 8pm-10pm: A DVD-based programme presented by Edward Sri. This is a Catholic Bible study that will bring you on an extraordinary pilgrimage, revealing 0DU\ÂśV XQLTXH UROH LQ *RGÂśV .LQJGRP DQG our lives. Organised by Bible Apostolate from Church of the Holy Spirit. At Church of the Holy Spirit, 248 Upper Thomson Road #03-02. Fee: $32 for study set. Register T: 9479 3120 (Alexander); E: hsbibleapostolate.pm@gmail.com.

AUGUST 6 TO AUGUST 8 QUENCH – YOUTH RETREAT 8pm (Thursday)-9pm (Saturday): Calling all youths! Join us for a 3D2N Youth Retreat. Organised by Jesus Youth DI¿OLDWHG WR 6$&&5( $W &KRLFH Retreat House, 47 Jurong West Street 42. Register W: singapore.jesusyouth.org. (QTXLULHV 7 )LRQQH 9688 0412 (Natalie).

JULY 31 TO AUGUST 2 FILIPINO WEEKEND RETREAT July 31 (Friday)- August 2 (Sunday): Theme: Mercy – The Invitation to Love. This silent stay-in retreat will allow SDUWLFLSDQWV WR VSHQG WLPH LQ TXLHW UHÀHFWLRQ and contemplation based on presentations in choosing mercy, sharing love, and living life. Facilitated by Fr Lester Maramara, SJ. Fee: $180 (non-aircon); $220 (aircon) including SD stipend. Organised by Kingsmead Centre, At Kingsmead Centre, 8 Victoria Park Road. Register T: 6467 6072; E:cisc2664@gmail.com.

AUGUST 15 FINDING GOD IN MOVIES 2-5pm: Come and watch the movie, My Old Lady (Kelvin Kline with Maggie Smith). It includes a narrative of discovery, joy and sadness; of love, life and brokenness, and engage in conversation thereafter. Water and light refreshments will be provided. Facilitators: Diana Koh and Diana Tan. Fee: $10. Organised by Kingsmead Centre. At Kingsmead Centre, at 8 Victoria Park Road. Register T: 64676072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com.

AUGUST 1 JOYFUL PARENTING PUBLIC FORUM 1-5.30pm: Our Joyful Parenting Public Forum is in conjunction with World Breastfeeding Week 2015. Join us at this

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www.wordgamesforcatholics.com

24 POPE’S ENCYCLICAL

Sunday July 12, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Practise simplicity, pope urges „ From Page 1

The canticle is most famous for its references to “Brother Sun�, “Sister Moon� and “our sister, Mother Earth�. The pope says, “sister earth� is crying out, “pleading that we take another course� marked by healing and protecting the earth and all its inhabitants. While Christians cannot “put all living beings on the same level nor ... deprive human beings of their unique worth and the tremendous responsibility it entails�, St Francis’ hymn expresses the truth that God is creator of all things, that every part of creation speaks of God’s love and power and that every created being is part of an interdependent whole, the pope writes. “We human beings are united as brothers and sisters on a wonderful pilgrimage, woven together by the love God has for each of His creatures and which also unites us in fond affection with brother sun, sister moon, brother river and mother earth,� the pope writes. He calls on national governments and the leaders of international institutions to be serious and courageous in adopting strict measures to slow and reverse global warming, protect the rain-

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forests and ensure the availability of clean water for all. Courage will be needed, he says, to adopt policies that initially may slow the pace of economic growth, but which will be farsighted in ensuring a future for their voters, their voters’ grandchildren and all humanity. “We know that technology based on the use of highly pollut-

ing fossil fuels – especially coal, but also oil and, to a lesser degree, gas – needs to be progressively replaced without delay,� he says. But he also calls on every Catholic and all people of good will to do their part by, for example, using only non-polluting detergents, recycling paper, using public transportation and putting on a sweater instead of turning up the heat in winter.

And he urges Catholics to return to the practice of saying grace before meals, a habit that reminds them regularly that the food they are about to eat is a gift that comes from the earth and from God. The pope also urges Catholics to cultivate simplicity; it is good for the soul and for the planet, he VD\V ³$ FRQVWDQW ÀRRG RI QHZ FRQVXPHU JRRGV FDQ EDIÀH WKH

heart and prevent us from cherishing each thing and each momentâ€?. The encyclical presents the vision of an “integral ecologyâ€? that highlights not only the interconnectedness of all created life, but recognises how political, economic, social and religious values and decisions are interrelated and impact the way people live with one another on the planet and use its resources. “A sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot be real if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow human beings,â€? Pope Francis insists. For example, he says, “it is clearly inconsistent to combat WUDIÂżFNLQJ LQ HQGDQJHUHG VSHcies while remaining completely LQGLIIHUHQW WR KXPDQ WUDIÂżFNLQJ unconcerned about the poor, or undertaking to destroy another human being deemed unwantedâ€?. “Concern for the environment thus needs to be joined to a sincere love for our fellow human beings and an unwavering commitment to resolving the problems of society,â€? says the pope. „ CNS 7KH IXOO HQF\FOLFDO FDQ EH DFFHVVHG DW KWWS Z YDWLFDQ YD FRQWHQW IUDQFHVFR HQ HQF\FOLFDOV GRFXPHQWV SDSD IUDQFHVFRB BHQFLFOLFD ODXGDWR VL KWPO

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

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