AUGUST 24, 2014, Vol 64, No 17

SUNDAY AUGUST 24, 2014

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Church workers fight fear, myths as Ebola worsens Church agencies battle the virus by handing out leaflets and hand sanitisers

VOL 64

NO. 17

INSIDE HOME

Serving dialectspeaking elderly Catechist helps them get baptised n Page 9

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – It

is hard for people in Sierra Leone not to lose hope as the death toll rises and worldwide fear grows over the worst Ebola outbreak on record, said the head of Caritas in the Archdiocese of Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Fear among local people that if they go to the hospital “they won’t come out again”. This is largely fuelled by the fact that the bodies of people who die of Ebola in hospitals “are put into bags and buried, and their loved ones don’t see them again; there is no burial ceremony”, said Fr Peter Konteh, executive director of Caritas.

Mr Michael Stulman, the regional information officer for the US bishops’ Catholic Relief Services (CRS), said that cultural traditions, including the washing of a body by family members before it is buried, are problematic in fighting the spread of Ebola, because the disease is at its most contagious in its advanced stages.

In a July 31 telephone interview from Freetown, Mr Stulman said dispelling myths that are worsening the crisis forms a large part of the work that Catholic Relief Services is doing in Sierra Leone.

CRS staffers are training elders and traditional leaders to enable them to spread information on how to avoid contracting the virus and “what to do if they feel sick”, said Mr Stulman, who visited Sierra Leone from July 24-Aug 1.

CRS, part of the Caritas network, has been working closely with Sierra Leone’s National Ebola Task Force on awarenessraising campaigns, using radio and other mediums to disseminate critical messages about prevention, transmission and treatment of the disease.

Fr Konteh represents the Cath-

FOREIGN COMMUNITIES

Japanese Catholic community in S’pore Small but going strong n Page 10

ASIA

Surge in rapes in India Archbishop blames media n Page 11

WORLD A street vendor uses hand sanitiser as a preventive measure from the Ebola virus in Monrovia, Liberia. CNS photo

olic Church on the task force. He said that at the Caritas office in Freetown, “we give people chlorine to wash their hands with” as well as information leaflets.

“It’s a case of simple hygiene,” he said, noting that an interreligious forum issued a statement to dispel myths “spread by religious fanatics saying it’s a plague and calling on people to come to prayer centres they’ve set up instead of health care facilities”.

CRS also had to clarify the nature of Ebola to people who believe that the hospital deaths are the result of a political plot by anti-government forces, Mr Stulman said.

Fr Konteh said government, religious leaders and civil society now recognise that Ebola is a “national catastrophe” and are working together to stop its spread.

Reacting to fear among doctors and nurses of contracting Ebola while at work, the health department has stepped up provision of protective gear for staff at hospitals, he said.

Patients diagnosed with Ebola who are removed from hospitals by their families before they have recovered are cause for great concern, Mr Stulman said.

Fr Konteh also noted that Freetown’s hospital does not have the

Dispelling myths that are worsening the crisis forms a large part of the work that Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is doing in Sierra Leone.

necessary equipment to treat Ebola.

“Our health system is not strong enough to cope with [the virus],” he said.

Sierra Leone’s health system has limited supplies and minimal human resources, Mr Stulman said.

He also said that while many international organisations are leaving Sierra Leone for fear of contracting Ebola and the US Peace Corps is evacuating hundreds of its volunteers in affected countries, CRS has no plans to leave.

“We’re sticking around,” Mr Stulman said, noting that CRS has been working “on the frontlines” in Sierra Leone for more than 50 years and has built strong partnerships with local organisations. n CNS n See related stories on Pages 13 and 17

Maintaining a healthy body image US teens take part in campaign n Page 18

ARCHBISHOP’S MESSAGE Prayers for victims of Middle East conflicts n Page 20

FEATURE

Want to read the Bible?

Start with the Gospels n Page 21

2 HOME CN2014/010

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

CHANCERY NOTICE

APPOINTMENTS 1. Rev Fr S Maria Anthonyraj has been engaged for ministry in Singapore for Tamil Speaking and is appointed as Parish Assistant at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes for two [2] years with effect from 1st June 2014.

2. The following have been appointed to the Board of ABLE (Abilities Beyond Limitations and Expectatoins) for a term of two [2] years with effect from 1st August 2014: a. Ms Trillion So b. Mr Simon Wong 3. Fr Christopher Soh SJ has been appointed to the Board of Caritas Singapore Community Council for a term of two (2) years beginning from 15 August 2014.

August 4, 2014

4. Fr Bruno Saint Giron MEP has been appointed as Spiritual Director and a member of the National Ecclesial Team of Wordwide Marriage Encounter (Singapore) for a term of two years from 1st January 2015 to 31st December 2017.

Students studying overseas find support at camp

OTHER MATTERS Following the Human Resource briefing on 21st July 2014, parish priests and heads of church entities are reminded to fulfil their legal obligations pertaining to regulatory guidelines in the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and other matters on employment matters. Clarification can be sought from the Chancery at chanceryhr@catholic.org.sg (Ms Sharon Lee).

Fr John-Paul Tan, OFM, JCL, Chancellor, Chancery of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore #07-01 Catholic Centre, 55 Waterloo Street, Singapore 187954 Email: chancery@catholic.org.sg

Some of the participants of the Lumen Fidei camp posing for a photo.

“It’s a great start for new friendships and to find ‘community’ overseas!”

This was the comment that Ms Kristin Hoo, a participant of a camp for Catholics studying overseas, made after attending the Aug 2 event.

She added that she was “very thankful and glad to have met fellow UK-bound Catholics”.

The 26-year-old, who is set to study law at the University of Bristol, was one of 28 students who attended the one-day camp organised by the Catholic Students’ Overseas Community (CSOC).

The event was held at the Church of St Ignatius.

CSOC, which started about a year ago, aims to provide a network of fellowship and spiritual support

for local students studying overseas.

The recent camp, titled Lumen Fidei (Light of Faith) after Pope Francis’ encyclical, saw participants learning how their faith can guide them as they embark on their university studies in countries such as the United Kingdom, United States and Japan.

Carmelite Fr Edward Lim spoke on the spirituality of the Eucharist and the role of the Virgin Mary. Mr Jeremy Chai, a final-year medical student, shared tips on how to conduct apologetics as students going overseas may be challenged on their Catholic beliefs.

Participants also shared ideas on what they could say to their friends when asked questions such as why Catholics attend Mass every Sunday.

Participants also built friendships as they competed in groups to construct the tallest structure out of newspaper, and played the word-guessing game of Taboo, using saints and biblical characters.

CSOC president Celeste Wee says the community hopes to expand further and provide more opportunities for its members to grow in faith.

This is the second event organised by CSOC. Last year, the society held a two-day, one-night camp, called Camp Fidelis.

According to CSOC, its Facebook group now has over 160 members.

For more information on CSOC, visit http://csocsingapore. wordpress.com/ n

HOME 3

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

Groundbreaking for new church in Punggol

By Lorna O’Hara It was a sunny and windy afternoon as about 50 people, including 10 priests, witnessed the groundbreaking and blessing ceremony of the new Church of the Transfiguration.

Archbishop William Goh presided at the event held at the building site at Punggol Central on Aug 6.

According to Fr Joachim Chang, who is in charge of the new church project, the hope is for the church to open on Aug 6, 2016, the Feast of the Transfiguration.

Archbishop Goh, in his homily, said that “adding one more church to the diocese means to say that the Church in Singapore is growing”.

“Coming together here to build this church is really ... to

Artist’s impression of the church, expected to be completed in 2016.

make Christ present in this part of Singapore,” he said.

In his speech, Fr Joachim thanked the archbishop for his trust in the project, and the building committee, who saw this as “their personal project”.

He noted that previously, they “have not raised any funds because we wanted to spend the first year to pray”.

However, they are beginning “to start working on the fundraising and we will see how it goes from here”.

Visit http://transfiguration.sg/ or the church’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/ C h u rc h - o f - t h e - Tr a n s f i g u r a tion/702091309803773 for more information on the new church. n lorna.ohara@catholic.org.sg

Archbishop William Goh at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Church of the Transfiguration. Photo: GERARD GOH

4 HOME

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

Archbishop William Goh and priests celebrating the closing Mass during the Diocesan Vocation Discernment Retreat.

Discerning their vocations Give them something to eat yourselves.

This was the theme of this year’s Diocesan Vocation Discernment Retreat, held at the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary from Aug 1-3.

The annual retreat is held to help young men discover their vocation in life and gain a better understanding of the diocesan priesthood.

This year’s retreat was based on Jesus’ feeding of 5,000 men by multiplying five loaves and two fish. (Mt 14:13-21) Sixty-seven men, aged 18-35, participated in the retreat, which emphasised to them that even though they may experience feelings of inadequacy, they need not be afraid to offer and surrender to God what little they have so as to allow Him to work miracles with their lives.

The nine diocesan priests who helped a small stirring within themselves towards out during the retreat as presenters, con- the priestly or Religious life to be courafessors and spiritual directors shared with geous and take concrete steps to discern if retreatants how they experiGod is indeed calling them enced God working with and to that way of life.

One participant through them when they anAny vocation, whether it said he would swered His call. is the priesthood, Religious recommend the In his homily during the life, marriage or singlehood, diocesan vocation ultimately requires a gift of retreat’s closing Mass, Archbishop William Goh noted oneself to another, a willingretreat to ‘any that young people today are to lay down one’s life single male Catholic ness living in challenging times as for others, he said. determined to live the line separating truth from Participants said the refalsehood is increasingly out his faith’. treat certainly helped them in blurred. There is thus a greattheir spiritual discernment. er need to be attuned to the voice of truth.

Mr Daniel Tham, 33, from Holy Family He encouraged participants to live life parish, felt that the retreat helped him to “be fully, and urged those experiencing even more sensitive to the Giver of Gifts and to

recognise and accept the gifts in the journey to holiness”.

Mr Ian Finian Heng, 26, from Nativity parish, said that he would recommend the retreat to “any single male Catholic determined to live out his faith”.

He added that he was “edified through frank sharings by the priests and had a better idea of the joys and struggles of the priesthood”.

Many lay volunteers from various parishes and ministries also supported the participants through prayers and Eucharistic adoration. n For more information on the seminary, check www.sfxms.org.sg. The next vocation recollection will be held from Oct 10-11.

Look out for details in CatholicNews.

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

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Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

Work as expression of a person’s dignity

By Reno Antony There needs to be a change in the way work is viewed. Work must be an avenue for self-realisation, a platform to make the world a better place.

Fr Terence Pereira made this point in his talk on work and the Church at the Church of the Holy Cross on Aug 2.

A constant obsession with cost effectiveness, customer satisfaction and improvement have now become the thought for the day, he told his 80-strong audience. The challenge of such a work situation often sees people neglecting other important aspects of life such as family, friends and church, to become part of the workaholic treadmill, he said.

Fr Terence was speaking in the last of a series of five talks called Bridging Your Life with Christ, organised by the parish.

Previous talks have seen other priests speaking on various aspects of work and life.

He stressed that work primarily involves participation in the divine work of salvation, an activity directed to service of mankind. Work is an expression of a

Small group sharings during a session presented by Fr Terence Pereira on work and the Church.

person’s dignity, and should allow people to realise their humanity.

The purpose of work is to make people better beings, he said.

It is important to appreciate one’s gifts and talents and use it for the good of the community, he added. This marks the conversion from activity to spirituality, in which people begin to serve as disciples of God fulfilling His plan for them, he said.

In his talk, Fr Terence noted

that a disciple is one who accepts another as a master.

To have Jesus as one’s master requires knowledge of Scripture.

As one does so and contemplates on His works, Jesus comes alive in one’s heart, he said.

Commenting on the talk, Ms Daria Wong, a member of the audience, noted that bringing one’s spirituality into work is still a challenge as people here are living in a secular society. n

HOME 7

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

By Clara Lai The performers sang different songs but wore the same uniform: a blue pinafore and white blouse.

All 11 Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) school choirs recently came together to hold a concert as part of their ongoing 160th anniversary celebrations.

Titled Te Deum, the concert was held at the Catholic Junior College Performing Arts Centre on Aug 2, with a matinee at 3pm and the gala show at 7.30pm.

Te Deum (You, O God) is a traditional Latin Catholic hymn of joy and thanksgiving which was sung by the IJ Sisters at Mass upon arriving in Singapore in 1854.

Supervisor of the CHIJ Schools Sr Deirdre O’Loan who was at the matinee show, gave the opening address.

She said that it was “wonderful to see so many faces gathered in friendship with CHIJ”, and that “our schools have grouped together in song”.

“Te Deum links us with our history and links us with the gratitude in our hearts for 160 years of blessings,” she added.

Sr Deirdre also said that it is a “distinctive mark of our schools” to have “the gift of song as a special way of rejoicing”.

Choirs from all the 11 CHIJ schools joined in: CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh), CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School, CHIJ Our Lady of the Nativity, CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace, CHIJ St Joseph’s Convent, CHIJ Katong Convent, CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent, CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel, CHIJ Kellock Primary, CHIJ Katong Primary, and CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh).

Each choir performed one or

two items, ranging from medleys, songs in languages such as Mandarin, Japanese and Latin, to songs of praise.

Two CHIJ alumni also sang solo pieces during the concert: Ms Faridah Ali from the former Town Convent (current CHIJ Secondary Toa Payoh) and class of 1977, and Ms Lim Huimin, from CHIJ Secondary Toa Payoh and class of 2002.

Towards the end of the concert, after the CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh) choir had performed, CHIJ Katong Primary joined them on stage to perform together.

About 100 girls (aged below 12) sang in unison.

The other CHIJ schools then joined in for the finale.

Together, they performed Festival Te Deum, as well as a song well-known among many CHIJ students, Hold On to Our Dream. Members of the audience in the matinee show stood up and join the choirs in singing.

The concert is one of several events to celebrate 160 years of CHIJ. Other events set to take place include a bazaar and a gala dinner in November, planned by the CHIJ Alumni. n clara.lai@catholic.org.sg CHIJ alumna, Ms Faridah Ali, singing onstage

The combined CHIJ school choirs performing in the concert finale at Catholic Junior College.

8 HOME

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

Reflecting on Prodigal Son parable through music

Honouring a remarkable teacher

A prayer concert helped people understand this popular parable so much better, says Lorna O’Hara The Meditation & Music prayer concert held at the Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace on Aug 8 and 9 struck the right notes.

The concert aimed to help the audience reflect more deeply on the Parable of the Prodigal Son. It was performed by Filipino liturgical composer Fr Manoling Francisco, together with a choir from the host parish and the St Francis Xavier Choir from the Church of St Ignatius.

Using visuals and songs, most of which were either arranged or composed by the Jesuit priest, Fr Manoling explained the parable through narrative and music.

In most of the song segments, he accompanied the singers on the piano.

During the Aug 8 concert, he urged the audience to “reflect on our yearning for God and His longing for us”. Dressed in brightly coloured tops and black pants, the St Francis Xavier Choir sang a Filipino song, Tanging Yaman (Dearest Treasure), which Fr Manoling said “expresses our aching desire to see God”.

Another piece, To See the Face of God, which was a chant, was more interactive. Fr Manoling split the audience into two groups with each group singing either the chant or the harmony.

Fr Manoling then gave reflections on the Parable of the Prodi-

Photo: NICHOLAS KOH

Mr Quah Siew Kow was instrumental in giving SACSS significant breakthroughs in sports.

By Veronica Tan

Jesuit Fr Manoling Francisco performing with the St Francis Xavier Choir at Queen of Peace Church.

gal Son, highlighting the different views of the three protagonists.

In his reflection on the younger son, he concluded that the son showed “no indication of remorse, and was only preoccupied with his empty stomach that he decided to go home”.

He explained that the younger son returned to his father because

of his personal need. The priest noted that some parents might even “go to the extent of disowning” their child if he acted like the younger son.

The St Francis Xavier Choir, together with a tenor soloist, then sang Empty Space, on how the younger son felt as he made his way back to his father.

Several other songs followed.

Reflecting on the older son’s response, Fr Manoling asked the audience, “Was the elder son’s anger towards his father and younger brother justified?”

Fr Manoling went on to explain that the elder son felt he was being treated unfairly, and that parents can feel this way sometimes when they think their children are being ungrateful. However, such an attitude is opposite to that of the merciful father, he said.

In the final reflection, Fr Man-

oling noted the selflessness and benevolence of the father who went to the extent of rewarding his younger son with a fattened calf.

The priest said all should strive to be like the father as he possesses qualities similar to Jesus.

The closing prayer-song saw the audience clapping and singing to We Sing of Love, Alleluia together with Fr Manoling and the choirs.

Overall, the concert deserves a two thumbs up as much thought went into it. I certainly gained a wealth of knowledge about the Prodigal Son parable as Fr Manoling helped me to see things through the eyes of the two sons and their father. n lorna.ohara@catholic.org.sg n See Fr Rolheiser’s column on Page 20

Fr Manoling gave reflections on the parable, highlighting the different views of the three protagonists.

Ten years after his death, the late Mr Quah Siew Kow’s former students still remember him with great fondness.

At a special Mass on Aug 2, more than 100 ex-students of St Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School (SACSS), colleagues, friends and family members paid tribute to the school’s very first male teacher, who many said practised “tough love” in his work.

At the end of the Mass, celebrated by Msgr Ambrose Vaz, a video montage of old photos and verses paying tribute to Mr Quah was screened. Sniffles were heard from the audience.

Mr Quah had served the school for almost three decades since 1976. He was instrumental in giving SACSS significant breakthroughs in sports. He was a major influence in tennis, track and field, swimming, gymnastics and basketball, and got the teams to compete at national level.

Students say he was not one to fool around with when it came to discipline and respect. Enforcing strict codes of conduct and advocating excellence, he got the girls to do their best.

Many later became educators taking PE as a major teaching subject. Others have achieved distinctions and post graduate certifications in Sports, Fitness or Outdoor Education In an email tribute, triathlete Kirsten Koh, who made headlines participating in the Sundown Marathon 2012, a year after a devastating cycling accident, said, “Mr Quah practised tough love … He taught us how to be strong, invincible women – a trait I hold very close to my heart… I only wish he were here to see me.” n

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Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

A catechist’s special ministry to the dialect-speaking elderly

By Lorna O’Hara “I am so happy!” exclaimed 73-year-old Maria Chan after she received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist at the Church of the Holy Family.

Ms Chan was one of 11 people, mostly above 40 years old, who received the sacraments on Aug 10, thanks to veteran catechist Andrew Goh. Two young boys received the Sacrament of Baptism while two teenagers received the Sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist.

Fr Damian De Wind presided over the ceremony, attended by about 60 family members and friends of those to be baptised.

Ms Chan’s brother, Joseph, told CatholicNews, said he was grateful to Mr Goh for helping his sister become a Catholic.

“Thanks to Andrew, she’s finally gotten baptised,” he said, speaking through his tears.

Another new Catholic, Mr Derrick Wong, 65, also commended Mr Goh for his work, adding that Mr Goh had given him scripture verses to learn, which he pasted “on the fridge”.

Mr Goh’s personal ministry is unique. The 77-year-old has been conducting catechism lessons in dialect for the elderly since 1993.

According to him, he has taught a total of more than 1,200 elderly people and prepared them for baptism.

Scooting around on his motorcycle, he gives one-on-one lessons in homes, coffee shops and void decks, and also weekly classes at Novena Church and Holy Family parish.

The lessons in the two churches are conducted in English and dialect. With about at least 40 people attending each session,

have anyone to take over me.

‘I don’t You must have the calling, if not then no point.’

Ms Maria Chan, 73, after her baptism at Holy Family Church, seen here with Fr Damian de Wind, her brother Joseph, and godmother Florence Koh.

the numbers continue to grow, he said. This year alone, he has helped 60 elderly people get baptised, he said.

People usually learn about Mr Goh’s classes through word of mouth.

“Even those who have gotten baptised still come back for

my lessons” said Mr Goh. Does he find his personal ministry a big challenge?

“Not really”, was his reply. “I love the Lord so much so he helps me.”

Mr Goh uses various visual aids to share the Good News with the elderly.

– Mr Andrew Goh, 77, who zips around on his motorcycle to give catechism lessons to elderly people

These include coloured pictures, mustard seeds, salt, bread, grapes, a rope and a crucifix.

Does Mr Goh have anyone to take over this special ministry from him after he “retires”?

“I don’t have anyone to take over me,” he acknowledged.

“You must have the calling, if

not then no point. I hope people who want to be catechists can come [to learn]. I can also teach them dialects. It’s so simple.”

For more information on Mr Goh’s ministry, contact him at 9115-5673. n lorna.ohara@catholic.org.sg

Tamil-speaking Catholics attend family retreat About 450 Catholics took part in a family retreat in Tamil over the National Day weekend.

The Commission for the Apostolate of the Tamil Speaking (CATS) organised the retreat, which drew participants from eight parishes where Tamil Masses are available.

The retreat, held at St Joseph Church (Bukit Timah) had the theme, Spirit Filled Family Life, and aimed to help participants establish a closer relationship with God. It was conducted by Fr Raphael Koothur, director of the Popular Mission Retreat, Potta Ministries, in Tamil Nadu, India.

The retreat started off with the congregation, led by the priest, praying the rosary and calling on

the Holy Spirit to guide everyone.

Following that, all were invited to participate in praise and worship, and a Bible sharing session.

A slide show was presented and Fr Koothur invited participants to recite Bible verses and take notes.

Children were also invited to sit in front for more participation.

A counselling-like session was held where families were invited to reflect on various family issues.

These included issues related to marriage, children and in-laws, as well as with addictions.

Candles were also lit by the participants as a sign of forgiveness and peace among each other.

On the last day of the retreat, young people were invited to approach the altar for a special blessing. n

Fr Raphael Koothur from India leading a praise and worship session at the retreat.

10 FOREIGN COMMUNITIES

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

Japanese community: small in number but going strong

By Clara Lai

During weekly prayer meetings, even with only one or two turning up, the prayers continue.

In 1990, the Archbishop of Okinawa Japan was in Singapore and called for Japanese Catholics to come together.

Today, the Japanese Catholic community has about 25 members officially registered.

Despite being a relatively small group compared to other foreign Catholic communities in Singapore, they still hold weekly meetings and other activities.

CatholicNews recently spoke to Mrs Akiko Holmes, 46, the main coordinator of the community here, to find out more about them.

The community’s activities Currently, the community does not have regular Sunday Masses in Japanese but they have Bible sharings at the Church of St Ignatius every Wednesday at 10am.

“People come and go, [so keeping] the community is a challenge,” said Mrs Holmes.

Mrs Rumi Christian, 41, a member who attends the weekly prayer meetings, shared that she had “stopped going [for the meetings] for a few years, but because they kept this prayer group continuing even with one or two people, that’s why I came back”.

The two main sacraments that the community sometimes celebrates in Japanese are baptism and First Holy Communion.

However, as catechism classes are not held regularly to prepare people to receive these sacraments, members may need to join local parishes, despite language barriers.

Challenges faced The community does not have an official chaplain or a spiritual director.

But Mrs Holmes said that St Ignatius’ parish priest, Msgr Philip Heng, has been

Some of the Japanese Catholic community members, including main coordinator Mrs Akiko Holmes (far left).

looking after the group.

Msgr Heng has also baptised a few Japanese people through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).

Mrs Holmes added that Franciscan Friar Derrick Yap from the Church of St Mary of the Angels also celebrates Japanese Mass for them a few times every year, as he can speak the language.

In an email interview, Friar Derrick shared that he felt his “main role at the moment is to celebrate Mass in Japanese for the community”, even though he can only preach in English.

When a Japanese priest visits Singapore, sometimes “they can ask him to celebrate [a

Japanese] Mass,” Mrs Holmes said. However, she added that in the past three years, no Japanese priest has come to Singapore.

“We can’t raise the money to call [a Japanese] Father, and even if we had the money, the attendance is not good,” Mrs Holmes said.

Opportunities Friar Derrick said, “Perhaps the [local] parishes can help create awareness that there is a Japanese Catholic community meeting regularly. This would facilitate Japanese Catholics living here to become part of a faith community, especially those who are

not fluent in English.”

He also suggested other activities that the community could consider.

“Besides Masses and Gospel sharing, they can perhaps conduct some adult faith formation courses in Japanese. Those who are fluent in English can easily access the courses in the parishes, but those who are not can then make use of the programmes organised by the community,” Friar Derrick said.

He added that they could also “involve the youths and young adults more. If they are not a part of any communities in the parishes, they may be able to form one within the Japanese community”.

Annually, the community tries to “raise funds as a Japanese community”and for the Jesuit Refugee Services.

Mrs Holmes said that they sell handmade candles, Christmas decorations and Japanese souvenirs at the Church of St Ignatius in November, before the Christmas season.

With regard to the Singapore archdiocese, Mrs Holmes said, “We feel gratitude and we feel supported. The Church gives us a place to meet and share, and we just want to give back to the Church.”

She told CatholicNews, “If you have any Japanese friends, let them know about our group so that they can join us!”

For more information on the Japanese Catholic community, contact Mrs Holmes at akikoholmes@gmail.com or visit http:// blogs.yahoo.co.jp/sg_catholic_jp. n clara.lai@catholic.org.sg

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Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

Archbishop blames media for rise in rapes CNS photo

NEW DELHI – The decline of mor-

al and spiritual values in Indian society is largely to blame for the surge in rape and sexual violence, said the secretary-general of the Indian bishops’ conference.

“The core values of society are getting degenerated. Indiscriminate gratification of desires, induced by the media, lies at the root of the increasing number of rapes,” Archbishop Albert D’Souza of Agra told Catholic News Service (CNS).

“Young girls ... have become vulnerable to sexual predators,” he said, as Indian media buzzed about the latest reports on the rapid increase in the number of rapes in the country.

A study by the New Delhibased Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative discovered that two rapes have been reported every hour for the last 13 years, according to crime data collected by India’s National Crime Records Bureau.

The number of rapes registered by police had doubled from 16,075 cases in 2001 to 33,707 in 2013, the bureau reported.

Social activists say many more cases go unreported because of stigmatisation and intimidation by culprits.

“The easy access to pornography through [the] Internet and the media plays a big a role in the increase in the number of rapes,” Archbishop D’Souza said.

Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore said on July 18, “We are deeply disturbed to see that the incidents of rape and assault on women are continually on the increase with no sign of abatement despite a wave of public outcry, condemnation and demonstrations.”

Archbishop D’Souza, told CNS that the “duty and mandate” of Church workers is to become advocates for an end to sexual crimes.

A demonstrator shouts slogans during a rape protest in Bangalore, India.

easy access ‘toThepornography

throught [the] Internet and the media plays a big role in the number of rapes.

’

– Archbishop D’Souza of Agra

“When the legal system also fails to improve the situation, the moral conscience has to be awakened,” he said.

Holy Spirit Missionary Sr Helen Saldanha, secretary of the women’s office of Indian bishops’ conference said that, “Gender awareness-building and sensitisation based on the dignity of the human person should be part of all our apostolate.”

Meanwhile, Church officials have expressed embarrassment that a nationally publicised gang rape of a novice affiliate in southern Bangalore turned out to be hoax.

Police have detained the girl and sent her to juvenile custody.

“We are embarrassed. I have no comments on this,” Archbishop Moras told CNS on Aug 6 after news spread in the media that the 16-year-old had not been raped at all.

The girl, who joined the “come and see” programme of Holy Nativity Convent in a suburb of Bangalore in June, claimed that two strangers who pressed the convent’s bell had drugged and raped her when she opened the door on July 15.

Holy Spirit Sr Mary Margaret, secretary of the Bangalore unit of the Conference of Religious India, told CNS that the girl had been sexually abused by her friend at a school festival in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh state, and out of fear of pregnancy, she “enacted the drama”. n CNS

12 ASIA

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews CNS photo

Catholics urged to ‘hold firm’ as religious symbols removed HONG KONG – Bishop Vincent Zhu Weifang of Wenzhou has written an open letter to Catholics in the diocese, asking them to defend their “rights and dignity” during a campaign by the local government to demolish religious symbols.

The bishop apologised for his “belated letter”, published on July 30, about five months after the demolition of the Protestant Sanjiang Church drew international concern.

Since then, the government has cracked down on Christianity in this city of more than 3 million people although the reason remains unknown, reported the Asian Catholic news portal, ucanews.com.

In April, state officials beat and injured four Catholics as an argument broke out during the forced demolition of a four-storey building owned by a lay Catholic in Wenzhou.

Authorities claimed the site was an underground religious meeting point and that the top two storeys were illegal, according to city regulations. Catholics familiar with the case complained that authorities had no legal right to demolish the entire structure in response.

Bishop Zhu, who has been approved by the Vatican and heads the government-approved Church community, said he was “shocked, perplexed and could not understand” the current cam-

paign to demolish religious symbols, despite living through earlier “storms that were more severe and more fierce”.

The 88-year-old bishop noted that the initiative began with the demolition of illegal structures but spiralled out of control, leading to legal churches being demolished.

He said Christians should “defend our rights and dignity through our conscience, holding firm to our belief”.

In response to the demolition campaign, he urged Catholics to pray the rosary daily, walk the Way of the Cross every Friday, and asked local priests to organise prayer services. The bishop said he believed that frontline parish priests will have “wisdom from God to know how to handle the difficult situation”.

The day after the bishop’s letter was released, a statement was posted on the diocesan website that demanded respect for the Christian faith and its images. The site was closed down the next day, reported ucanews.com.

On Aug 3, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported local pastors saying that in the last seven months, at least three churches have been demolished and more than 160 crosses, including some at Catholic churches, were taken down because they exceeded the size allowed by the local government. n CNS

An earthquake survivor carries his belongings in China’s Yunnan province.

Church struggles to aid Yunnan quake victims BEIJING – Catholics across China

are at the forefront in helping survivors of the devastating earthquake that rocked the province of Yunnan on Aug 3 with prayers and material aid.

The quake occurred 10 km underground in the Zhaotong area. It killed more than 380 people and injured thousands.

Over 12,000 houses have collapsed, and 30,000 more have severe structural damage. Evacuees

number about 60,000.

The Hebei Jinde Charity, a Catholic volunteer organisation, has sent some of its representatives to the affected area.

According to initial reports, the situation is dire. The population is living under torrential rains that have blocked streets, there is no power and shelter, and medicines are lacking.

Constant landslides are making aid work difficult.

Several dioceses in the country have launched a chain of prayers for the victims and survivors, along with a collection of basic materials to be sent to those who need them most.

The Hebei Jinde Charity has asked Catholics to “pray for these our suffering brothers and sisters by offering love to the survivors and paying attention to the news”. n ASIANEWS

N Korea won’t send Catholics to papal Mass SEOUL – North Korea has refused an invitation from the South Korean Church to send Catholics to participate in a papal Mass in Seoul’s Myeongdong Cathedral.

Seoul archdiocese extended the invitation to Pyongyang on May 26 and repeated it in the following days.

The hope was to have a del-

egation from the North at the Aug 18 Mass for peace and reconciliation that Pope Francis will celebrate on the last day of his visit to South Korea, The North’s rejection of the invitation came in a letter sent by the Association of North Korean Catholics, a body created by the government in 1988.

The letter accuses the South of “not having cancelled the upcoming joint exercises with the United States, a gesture that makes any visit impossible”.

According to an official of the South Korean Bishops’ Conference, “this letter means that the North finds it difficult to accept the invitation and handle the matter”. n ASIANEWS

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Nepali Muslims join pope in peace prayers for Iraq, Gaza

Two Nigerian archdioceses suspend sign of peace to help prevent Ebola LAGOS, NIGERIA – In an effort to curtail the spread of Ebola, the archdioceses of Lagos and Abuja instructed their priests to suspend all forms of physical contact during Mass, including the traditional sign of peace.

“Taking into consideration the fact that this rite is optional, we shall henceforth omit it, i.e., not invite people to offer the sign of peace. When you get to this rite, skip it,” Lagos Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins said in a statement on Aug 10.

He said while holy water could be used in homes and offices, the fonts at church entrances should be emptied. He also encouraged the use of gloves when counting money from Mass collections.

He advised priests to use extra care when visiting the sick, especially when administering the sac-

rament of anointing of the sick.

The archbishop also advised them “to avoid physical contact when giving out holy Communion.”

Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan told journalists on Aug 10 that the Church was taking necessary precautionary steps to avoid the spread of the disease.

“We did not ban handshaking during Mass. We are only discouraging it, and it is going to be temporary until it is clear that Nigeria is no longer under Ebola threat,” he said.

Ghana’s bishops have urged their government to be extra vigilant in screening people who enter the country by sea, including fishermen who return to their families. n CNS n See also story on Page 17.

A displaced woman and child who fled violence in northern Iraq. Muslims in Kathmandu joined Pope Francis in praying for peace in Iraq and Gaza. CNS file photo KATHMANDU, NEPAL – Dozens of young Muslims in Nepal gathered on Aug 11 at a mosque in Kathmandu to join Pope Francis and his prayers against violence in Iraq and Gaza.

During the Angelus on Aug 10, the pope slammed “all kinds of violence” that are taking place in the Middle East that “gravely offend God and humanity”. Many young Muslims in Nepal have re-

sponded by expressing their solidarity with the pope.

“As a Muslim, I am grateful to Pope Francis for his prayers,” Mr Yakir Khan, 30, told AsiaNews.

“All of us are with him; he does a great job. He is Catholic but does not hesitate to go beyond [his] faith to pray for peace, even in the Islamic world.”

“Islam has many religious leaders, but they are now divided,” said

Mr Abdul Falahi, who attended the gathering. “However, they have not been able to issue a strong appeal for peace. The pope instead defends peace and solidarity. We are happy to pray together with him.”

“We encourage Islamic leaders in Nepal to make their voices heard and join the pope’s appeal,” added another young man, Mr Alsaf Khan. “We pray for the Holy Father during his trip to Korea.” n ASIANEWS

Philippine papal visit website up

A screengrab of the Philippine papal visit website.

PHILIPPINES – The Philippine Catholic bishops’ conference has launched a website dedicated to the visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines in January.

The website, papalvisit.ph, went live recently, days after Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila formally announced the dates of the papal visit from Jan 15-19 next year.

The website carries news, features, and statements related to the pope’s visit.

A video titled We are all God’s Children, the official theme song of the 2015 Apostolic Visit, and the “National Prayer for the Papal Visit” are also available on the site.

A digital clock serves as a counter to keep track of the number of weeks, days, hours, and seconds left before the arrival of Pope Francis.

The Philippine bishops’ conference, in a pastoral statement issued on July 7, said the underlying spirit of the papal visit to the coun-

try is “mercy and compassion”.

“Our compassionate shepherd comes to show his deep concern for our people who have gone through devastating calamities,” the bishops’ statement said.

The bishops encouraged the faithful to prepare for the pope’s visit by spending more time in prayer.

Pope Francis will be the third pontiff to visit the country after Pope John Paul II in 1995 and Pope Paul VI in 1970. n UCANEWS.COM

Children sanitising their hands in Liberia. The sign of peace has been suspended in two Nigerian archdioceses. CNS file photo

Indonesian Catholics celebrate Diocesan Youth Day JAKARTA – A celebration of “faith and brotherhood” brought together at least 2,000 young Indonesian Catholics to pray, meet and share their common experience.

This took place in the Diocesan Youth Day 2014 organised by the Archdiocese of Medan, in the province of North Sumatra from July 26-29.

At least 2,000 faithful from the Catholic communities in the area took part in the opening ceremony.

The parish of St Michael in Panguruan, which has hosted other major religious functions, was the heart of the event.

Archbishop Anicetus B Sinaga of Medan was the main organiser of this first local youth day. Local authorities and leaders also took part including the mayor of Samosir Ir Mangondar Simbolon and Fr Johannes Dwi Harsanto, executive secretary of the Youth Commission of the Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia.

Reflecting on the theme

“Communion between Indonesian Catholics, in a context of faith and cultural pluralism”, the festival attracted young people from 49 parishes in the archdiocese.

Fr Salestinus Manalu, chairman of the Youth Committee of the Archdiocese said the goal was to “reinforce” the sense of union and communion between young boys and girls.

During Mass, the archbishop urged young believers to go deeper and find out the reasons for their faith, with the goal of becoming “100 percent Catholic and 100 percent Indonesian”.

There were many activities in the three-day programme, including seminars on interfaith dialogue, politics and pluralism, along with moments of prayer following the Taizé model.

Young people also became involved in environmental protection, such as introducing certain native species of fish in Lake Toba and planting certain types of plants. n ASIANEWS

14 MIDDLE EAST CRISIS

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

Appeals for peace as violen

Pope and other Church leaders denounce persecution of m

Pope Francis: ‘The news ... leaves us incredulous and appalled.’

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis condemned the actions of Islamic State militants in Iraq, saying that persecuting Christians and other minorities “seriously offends God and seriously offends humanity”.

“One cannot generate hatred in God’s name,” he said on Aug 10.

“One cannot make war in God’s name!”

After reciting the Angelus, Pope Francis asked tens of thousands of people gathered in St Peter’s Square to join him for a moment of silent prayer for peace in Iraq and for the tens of thousands of people forced from their homes in northeastern Iraq as fighters from the Islamic State tried to increase the territory under their control.

“The news from Iraq leaves us incredulous and appalled,” Pope Francis said. “Thousands of people, including many Christians, have been chased from their homes in a brutal way; children

Children flee violence from forces loyal to the Islamic State in Sinjar, Iraq.

die of thirst and hunger during the flight; women are kidnapped; people are massacred; violence of every kind; destruction everywhere.”

The pope also used Twitter to appeal for peace and for the protection of innocent civilians.

Instead of one daily general message about faith on his @Pontifex account, Pope Francis sent three tweets each day from Aug 8-10, urging people to join him in prayer.

At the Angelus, he also called on the international community and Iraq’s beleaguered government to “stop these crimes” and re-establish law and order.

Pope Francis thanked “those

who, with courage, are bringing aid to these brothers and sisters of ours” and told people he was sending Cardinal Fernando Filoni as his personal envoy to Iraq.

Cardinal Filoni, a former nuncio to Iraq and current prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, met the pope privately on the evening of Aug 10 to receive instructions for the mission and a financial contribution “for the urgent needs” of the

A woman and several children who fled fr

victims, according to Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman.

The cardinal told CTV, the Vatican television centre, that he had the impression Pope Francis “would like to go himself to be with these poor people. He entrusted this mission to me precisely so that I would make his affection, his profound love” clear to the people.

The Vatican said on Aug 11 that

‘One cannot generate hatred in God’s name!’

– Pope Francis

the cardinal was expected to leave Rome on Aug 12 and visit Baghdad as well as Iraqi Kurdistan, where many of those displaced by the Islamic State are seeking shelter.

Along with perhaps hundreds of thousands of Christians and tens of thousands of members of the Yezidi religious minority, the cardinal said, there probably are “a million displaced people looking for a safe place” to live free from the threat of the forces of the Islamic State, which the US government defines as a terrorist organisation.

The US military began airstrikes against the Islamic state on Aug 8 as well as airdrops of food

a t

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b S a w t t u A S w

s a

Vatican calls on Muslim leaders to condemn Islamic S VATICAN CITY – The Vatican called on Mus-

lim leaders to condemn the “barbarity” and “unspeakable criminal acts” of Islamic State militants in Iraq, saying a failure to do so would jeopardise the future of interreligious dialogue.

“The plight of Christians, Yezidis and other religious and ethnic communities that are numeric minorities in Iraq demands a clear and courageous stance on the part of religious leaders, especially Muslims, those engaged in interfaith dialogue and everyone of goodwill,” said a statement from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue released by the Vatican on Aug 12.

“All must be unanimous in condemning unequivocally these crimes and must denounce the invocation of religion to

justify them,” the statement said. “Otherwise, what credibility will religions, their followers and their leaders have? What credibility would remain to the interreligious dialogue patiently pursued in recent years?”

The document noted that the “majority of Muslim religious and political institutions” have opposed the Islamic State’s avowed mission of restoring a caliphate, a sovereign Muslim state under Islamic law, to succeed the Ottoman Caliphate abolished after the founding of modern Turkey in 1923.

The Vatican listed some of the “shameful practices” recently committed by the “jihadists” of the Islamic State, such as : n Beheading, crucifixion and hanging of corpses in public places.

n The choice imposed on Christians and Yezidis between conversion to Islam, payment of tribute or exodus. n The abduction of girls and women belonging to the Yezidi and Christian communities as war booty. n “The imposition of the barbaric practice of infibulation” or female genital mutilation.

“No cause can justify such barbarity and certainly not a religion,” the document said.

“Religious leaders also are called on to exercise their influence with the rulers for the cessation of these crimes, the punishment of those who commit them and the restoration of the rule of law throughout the country, ensuring the return home of the deported,” the Vatican said. “These same leaders should not fail to emphasise that the

s m A man and children flee violence from the Islamic State in Sinjar, Iraq.

a t

MIDDLE EAST CRISIS 15

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

ence threatens Middle East

f minorities. Muslims protest in solidarity with Christians.

Iraqi Christians, Muslims pray for peace, religious freedom CNS photos

Demonstrators from various religions gather during a July 24 protest in Irbil, Iraq, against militants of the Islamic State. On Aug 5, Christians and Muslims gathered in a Baghdad church to pray.

fled from Nineveh province in Iraq, arrive in a truck at Sulaimaniya province.

e , y -

s d f e a g m -

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and water for Iraqis forced to flee their homes.

Vatican Radio asked Archbishop Giorgio Lingua, the Vatican nuncio to Iraq, about the US airstrikes.

“This is something that had to be done, otherwise [the Islamic State] could not be stopped,” the archbishop said. “But, we should wonder why we have arrived at this point: Was it not a lack of intelligence? Were we not able to understand what was going on?

And then: who gave these [Islamic State fighters] such sophisticated weapons?”

Earlier on Aug 7, the Vatican said the pope made a “pressing appeal to the international com-

munity to take initiatives to put an end to the humanitarian drama underway, to take steps to protect those involved and threatened by violence and to ensure the necessary aid for so many displaced people whose fate depends on the solidarity of others”.

Fr Lombardi told reporters the pope was appealing “to the conscience of all people and every believer”, repeating what he had said on July 20 after a forced exodus of Christians from Mosul: “May the God of peace create in all an authentic desire for dialogue and reconciliation. Violence is not conquered with violence. Violence is conquered with peace. Let us pray in silence, asking for peace.” n CNS

BAGHDAD – Christians and Muslims in Baghdad came together to pray for peace at St George Parish Church on Aug 5.

With the slogan, “There is no Iraq without Christians”, Muslim civil society leaders, officials from Baghdad and neighbouring cities, Christian leaders and other believers gathered in the church to pray and revive the desire for “unity and solidarity” in the country.

A special prayer was also prayed for the Christians of Mosul, the first victims of the advancing militia of the Islamic State.

Participants waved Iraqi flags, lit candles and sang hymns of peace.

Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Sako, who took part in the joint prayer, stressed his profound

“shock about what is happening in the country”.

He noted that in Mosul, people “have been uprooted” from their ancestral land, “robbed and humiliated because of their Christian faith”.

He also referred to the Sinjar massacre in which 70 Yazidi men were killed and a number of women were captured.

For the patriarch of Baghdad, acts such as these “could happen 2,000 years ago, but not today” because they “do not belong to our ethics and our traditions”.

He invited those present, regardless of religion, to “stand as one” to “save the country and protect the lives of innocent people”.

He noted that Iraq is going through a crucial phase in its life and history, that “solidarity at the

national, regional and international levels” is increasingly necessary to stop the conflict, the killing, and the flight of innocent civilians.

He also called for a stronger “logic of dialogue”, the only way for a true resolution of the crisis in a logic of “solidarity, trust and hope”.

“We need actions and clear and strong fatwas [legal edicts] condemning what is happening,” he said as he addressed Muslim leaders directly.

At the end of the service, those present gathered in the church square. Waving Iraqi flags, they denounced divisions based on race, ethnicity or religious belief.

“We are all for Iraq our homeland and Iraq is for all,” Muslims and Christians said in unison. n ASIANEWS

c State, Christian leaders slam ‘international silence’

-

All must be unanimous in ‘condemning unequivocally these crimes ...

Otherwise, what credibility will religions, their followers and their leaders have?

’

– Vatican statement

support, financing and arming of terrorism is morally reprehensible.”

Mideast Catholic and Orthodox patriarchs have also denounced the “total international silence” on the persecution of

Christians in the Middle East and called for Muslim religious authorities to issue fatwas, or legal edicts, banning attacks against Christians and “other innocents”.

The prelates met on Aug 7 at the summer seat of the Maronite Catholic Church in Diman to address the crisis facing Christians in Iraq and Syria. Their statement was issued before the US authorised airstrikes against Islamist insurgents.

The patriarchs said they were “appalled by ... the growing of religious extremism” in the region. They called on countries that “support, organise and arm terrorist organisations to stop their activities,” warning that religious extremism “will have negative consequences on those who did not resist it”.

The patriarchs criticised the “weak,

timid and inadequate” response of Islamic, Arab and international circles, a stance they said “does not reflect the seriousness of this phenomenon and its repercussions on the historical demographic diversity of the peoples of the region”.

“We call upon the Arab League, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the UN Security Council and the International Criminal Court to take swift, effective and immediate salvaging action,” the statement said.

“We appeal to the Islamic authorities – Sunni and Shiite – to issue fatwas banning attacks on Christians and other innocent people and their property,” the patriarchs said.

“We also call upon all parliaments in the Arab and Islamic countries to issue laws”

against religious discrimination against minorities by which violators would be held accountable to the law for misconduct.

Regarding the war in Syria, the patriarchs called upon stakeholders and countries that provide money and weapons to fuel the conflict “to stop this war, and to find political solutions to bring about a just, comprehensive and lasting peace, and the possibility of the return of displaced Syrians to their homes and lands”.

They called the Israeli shelling of the Gaza Strip “inhumane” and demanded “the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the lifting of the siege on its sector, its people and the release of prisoners and an end to the fighting”.

“This is a crime against humanity,” they said. n CNS

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Refugee World Cup allows time to forget troubles SAO PAULO – They came from

the most violent parts of the world. Sixteen teams made up of refugees from countries such as Angola, Syria and Mali spent two days trying to forget the troubles back home and focus on one thing: soccer.

The Refugee World Cup in Sao Paulo in early August was an initiative of Caritas in the Archdiocese of Sao Paulo, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Red Cross, other UN agencies and private entities.

The tournament was designed to bring together people from different backgrounds and cultures who faced similar difficulties and are trying to adapt to a new life in Brazil.

Fr Marcelo Monge, director of Caritas in Sao Paulo archdiocese, said this type of event helps refugees’ self-esteem.

“They conquer back some of the dignity they lost when they left everything behind in their troubled countries and started over in Brazil,” said the priest.

Mr Jose Pele Messa was one of the organisers of the Refugee World Cup. He came from Cabinda, a territory annexed by Angola but separated by a thin strip belonging to Congo.

“Cabinda does not even have

Players from Cameroon and Mali battle for the ball during the Refugee World Cup in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Aug 3.

a border with Angola, and yet it [Angola] says we are part of its territory,” he said.

Mr Messa has been in Sao Paulo for the past year and has just started working at St Jude Thaddeus Parish. He said he fled Angola after years of looking for decent work.

“In Angola those from Cabinda are fiercely discriminated. It

has a way ‘ofSoccer bringing peace and union.’

– Organiser, Mr Jose Pele Messa

became too dangerous for me to stay,” he said, almost in a whisper. He left behind a wife and four

children, who he hopes can one day join him in Brazil.

He said that he saw the Refugee World Cup as a way to bring people together.

“Soccer has a way of bringing peace and union,” he said. He recalled that in 1967, factions fighting the Nigerian civil war agreed to a 48-hour cease-fire so that they could watch soccer giant Pele and

the Brazilian team play a game in Nigeria’s capital, Lagos.

Mr Luiz Fernando Godinho, spokesman for UNHCR, said Brazil has 6,800 recognised refugees from 80 different countries.

As he screams out the game’s play-by-play on an improvised audio system, Mr Romeo Fomo, 30, encourages those on and off the field. Werewolf, as he is known artistically, is from Cameroon and was a rapper in Angola. He has been living in Sao Paulo for two years.

“My songs are not only against Angola or Cameroon’s governments. They are against all governments,” he said. He still writes his anti-government songs, but he said that in Brazil he will not be imprisoned, or worse, for his lyrics.

Overall, Fr Monge said that the success of the event came from the organisers – the refugees.

“The success of this cup is theirs. They did everything, from finding a place to hold the games, to inviting the teams, to setting up the rules for the championship ... everything,” he said.

The teams followed the official FIFA World Cup rules, and the final, after ending in a tie, went to a shootout, with Nigeria beating Cameroon 3-1. n CNS

Pope: use freedom for good VATICAN CITY – Meeting 50,000

altar servers, Pope Francis urged young Catholics to make careful use of their freedom, treasure their dignity as sons and daughters of God and make time to pray each day.

“If you follow Jesus and his Gospel, your freedom will blossom like a plant in bloom and will bring good and abundant fruit,” the pope said on Aug 5.

The pilgrimage to Rome, sponsored by the German bishops’ conference, included tens of thousands of Germans ages 13 to 27, but also altar servers from Austria, Switzerland, Lithuania and northern Italy.

The five-day pilgrimage included Masses and talks focusing on the freedom God gives to people, and the challenge of using it well.

For the first time in his pontificate, the pope gave a short public homily in German – a language he learned in the late 1980s when he worked on his doctorate in Germany.

During evening prayer with the young people, the pope said, “we can understand what God really wants. He wants human beings who are free because they always know they are protected

like the children of a good father.”

Later, responding in Italian to questions three young people posed in German, Pope Francis asked the young people to be very attentive when serving Mass.

“I’ll give you some advice: the Gospel that you listen to during the liturgy, read it again personally, in silence, and apply it to your life,” he said.

The young people asked the pope what their role in the Church should be, how they could reconcile

Church activities with other activities and responsibilities and how they could experience the freedom he is talking about when their lives are governed by family and school rules.

He said that the world needs “people who witness to others that God loves them, that he is our Father”, and that they are the ones who need to share that Good News with their peers.

Pope Francis also told them that “time is a gift from God” but, like other gifts, it must be used well.

Pope Francis holds hands with young people during a meeting with altar servers on Aug 5.

“Perhaps many young people waste too much time in useless things: chatting on the Internet or with your mobile phone ... the products of technology that should simplify and improve the quality of life, but sometimes take attention away from what is really important.”

As for time management, Pope Francis told the young people, “but you’re German and you do this well”.

No matter what people do each day, he said, “one priority must be that of remembering that Creator, who allows us to live,

who loves us and accompanies us on our journeys.”

Responding to the question about freedom, Pope Francis said that if people do not use it well, it leads them far from God and “can make us lose the dignity with which he has clothed us”, which is why the Church, one’s parents and schools make rules and give young people guidance.

“Dear young people, do not use your freedom unwisely. Don’t squander the great dignity of being children of God that has been given to you,” he said. n CNS

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Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

Ghana’s bishops: avoid Ebola by being vigilant ACCRA, GHANA – As the World

Health Organisation declared an international public health emergency in West Africa, Ghana’s bishops urged their government to be extra vigilant in screening people who enter the country by sea.

To avoid Ebola spreading from other West African countries to Ghana, officials at all entry points “should be alert and well-equipped to screen people” so they can “isolate and deal with possible cases”, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference said in an Aug 7 statement signed by its president, Bishop Joseph OseiBonsu of Konongo-Mampong.

Ghana’s bishops said they were particularly concerned about fishermen who have been to affected countries, return to Ghana through its harbours and go “straight to their families and communities without any proper screening”.

A woman who fled fighting in Sloviansk, Ukraine, cries while holding a child at a shelter in the town of Makiyivka in eastern Ukraine. CNS file photo.

Humanitarian crisis grows in eastern Ukraine WARSAW, POLAND – The head

of Caritas in Ukraine warned of a growing humanitarian crisis in the country’s east, as the Vatican’s nuncio also highlighted the worsening plight of Catholics in the country’s conflict.

Mr Andrij Waskowycz, Caritas Ukraine president, called the destruction in eastern Ukraine “enormous” and said help was needed from the international community.

“It’s hard to make any clear prognosis about humanitarian needs, since we don’t know whether Russia plans a direct invasion or is merely intent on destabilising eastern Ukraine,” said Mr Waskowycz, who is also the vice president of Caritas-Europe, told Catholic News Service (CNS) on Aug 7.

He said that his charity was grateful for expertise and material help from partner organisations, including the US bishops’ Catholic Relief Services, but said contingency plans were now urgently needed for coping during the coming winter.

“Even now, I still don’t see a real readiness by the international community to support the humanitarian organisations here in addressing this crisis.

Attitudes have to change,” he added.

He said that Caritas had helped reconnect water and power supplies in towns under gov-

ernment control, but was unable to provide assistance in separatist-occupied areas.

“Thousands have already been killed and injured, and there’s deep insecurity – so people also need psychological help to overcome the trauma and regain hope,” Mr Waskowycz told CNS. In website reports, CaritasUkraine said it had appealed for food, water containers, hygiene supplies, cooking equipment, blankets and warm clothing for refugees from the fighting, as well as for help with psychological and legal counselling.

Meanwhile, the Vatican’s Kiev-based nuncio, Archbishop Thomas Gullickson, said the conflict had drawn some people “to a more consistent Christian way of living”, but had also been “terribly destabilising”.

“If the country remains destabilised, we may see the Roman Catholic presence in Ukraine practically disappear – as it is, it’s small and in danger” Archbishop Gullickson told Vatican Radio on Aug 6.

“The Greek [Byzantine] Catholic Church is even more at risk, but for different reasons – in terms of persecution from the side of Russia and others who’ve never really accepted the reality of this beautiful Church,” he said. n CNS

This “poses a real danger not only to the families of such people but to the entire nation, and we call on [the] government to help address this situation”, the bishops said.

They urged the government to set up centres in hospitals and clinics around the country that are equipped to manage cases of Ebola, and to provide protective gear to staff in these centres.

“Additionally, we think that some compensatory package should be instituted for those who attend to Ebola patients to encourage and motivate them to offer the best possible care to such patients,” they said.

The bishops also appealed to all priests, Religious and other Church leaders to distribute information on prevention, transmission and treatment of the disease. n CNS

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American teens turn models for healthy body image campaign MIAMI – In a society saturated with

photo-edited images of models on magazine covers, not to mention billboards promoting plastic surgery, three young Catholic women from Miami, USA, are facing down the beauty industry – and not just figuratively.

During a recent visit to Grand Rapids, Michigan, Alanna Cuadra, Katherina and Christina Parrilla participated in a new campaign to promote positive body image.

The initiative, Go Boldly, was started earlier this year by a Grand Rapids photographer, Bri Luginbill, to counteract negative body image messages from the media.

Driving on the highway, Ms Luginbill spotted advertisements she found to be contradictory: billboards promoting Botox and plastic surgery that urged women to “go confidently” by changing their appearance. Luginbill’s images are not Photoshopped and feature women of different ages and body types, including those with disabilities. The goal is to promote the natural beauty that is found in all women, as well as men, who also can suffer from body image issues.

Luginbill’s portraits of Cuadra and the Parrilla sisters are now being sent to women’s magazines, and plans are in the works to fea-

ture them on billboards. The goal is to offset the discouraging messages that abound.

Cuadra, 18, who is a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, noted the media’s negative influence on her peers. “[The media] says that the only way to look beautiful or love yourself is to become, or look like, something you’re not,” she told The Florida Catholic newspa-

I know I should be ‘thankful for what I

have and that God made all of us in his image and likeness.

’

– Alanna Cuadra, 18

per of the Miami archdiocese.

“I know I should be thankful for what I have and that God made all of us in His image and likeness,” she added.

At the Go Boldly photo shoot, Christina Parrila was affirmed and encouraged to embrace who she is.

“I am not a model, and a lot of times I feel weird just standing there and having someone take a bunch of pictures. What I loved most about

being photographed by Bri is how comfortable she made me feel,” said Parrilla. She and her 16-yearold sister, Katherina, are from St John Neumann Parish in Miami.

“We were reminded how we are all special and that we should love ourselves the way we are,” added Cuadra.

Christina Parrilla said she was able to see the impact of her nonPhotoshopped portrait when it was enlarged for a rally organised

by Go Boldly supporters. Rally participants displayed the campaign’s photographs near a Grand Rapids highway where cosmetic surgery billboards were located.

“I am so grateful to be a part of such a beautiful movement,” she said.

The young women say they now feel compelled to communicate the importance of positive body image with others, especially in a bodyconscious city such as Miami.

“I think women should love their bodies because it’s the only one they are going to get. Your eyes, nose, curves – those are all things that make you, you,” said Parrilla. n CNS

Bishops support reduction in carbon pollution WASHINGTON – The chairmen of two US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ committees offered their support for national standards to reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants in an effort to limit climate change.

Archbishop Thomas G Wenski of Miami, chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, and Bishop Richard E Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, chairman of Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, voiced their support in a letter read during a US Environmental Protection Agency hearing in Washington on July 30.

“We support a national standard to reduce carbon pollution and recognise the important flexibility given to states in determining how best to meet these goals,” said the letter, addressed to the US EPA Administrator, Gina McCarthy.

Standards to reduce power plant pollution should protect the health and welfare of people, especially children, the elderly, the poor and the vulnerable, the prelates said.

Saying they were addressing the issue from their position as pastors rather than experts on climate change, the bishops cited the words of Pope Francis, who has described creation as a gift from God that humans must protect and use for the benefit of all people. n CNS

POPE FRANCIS 19

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

Attending Mass without compassion is ‘not right’ VATICAN CITY – Going forward

for Communion at Mass, Catholics must do so with a desire to imitate Jesus’ compassion for others and with a commitment to sharing what they have, Pope Francis said on Aug 3 to visitors gathered in St Peter’s Square.

“One who goes to the Eucharist without having compassion for the needy and without sharing is not right with Jesus,” he said.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in the square to pray with the pope and listen to his reflection on the day’s Gospel, about the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish.

Jesus took five loaves of bread and two fish, blessed them and the disciples distributed them.

The miracle, the pope said, prefigures the Eucharist. “You see this in the gesture of Jesus who ‘recites the blessing’ before breaking the bread and distributing it to the people. It is the same thing Jesus will do at the Last Supper when He institutes the perpetual memorial of His redeeming sacrifice.”

“Compassion, sharing, Eucharist: This is the path Jesus indicates for us in this Gospel,” the pope said. “It is a path that leads us to face the needs of this world with brotherhood, but one that leads us beyond this world because it starts with God the father and returns to him.”

Pope Francis said the Gospel account, which begins with Jesus

Pope Francis raises the Eucharist as he celebrates Mass. CNS file photo

going off by himself but being followed by the crowd, is a lesson in compassion. “Jesus does not react with irritation, he doesn’t say, ‘these people bother me,’”

needs, while ‘Our legitimate, will

never be as urgent as those of the poor.

’

– Pope Francis

because he knows they seek Him because they are in need.

“Jesus teaches us to put the needs of the poor before our own,” he said.

“Our needs, while legitimate, will never be as urgent as those of the poor who do not have what they need to live.”

The Gospel also is a lesson in sharing, the pope said. The miracle Jesus performs “is not magic, it is a sign, a sign that invites people to have faith in God, the provident father, who will not fail to give us our daily bread if we know how to share it as brothers and sisters”.

Pope Francis asked the crowd to recognise “how often we turn away so we do not have to look at our needy brothers and sisters.” In effect, he said, it amounts to telling the poor to find a way to help themselves. “But this is not Jesus’ way, this is selfishness.” n CNS

‘Family love gives security, ability to hope for better world’ VATICAN CITY – A healthy society relies on citizens who learn love, responsibility, loyalty, acceptance of others and solidarity from their family relationships, Pope Francis said.

“The family is a ‘centre of love’ where the laws of respect and communion reign, giving people the ability to resist the forces of manipulation and domination by worldly ‘centres of power,’” the pope said in a message to the Latin American bishops’ congress on pastoral work with families.

The congress, held from Aug 4-9 in Panama City, focused on the Church’s support of families and the role of families in “social development for a full life”.

Within the family, Pope Francis said, “one learns and lives relationships based on faithful love until death” which describes not only the relationship of husband and wife, but also between parents and children and among siblings.

“When these basic relation-

ships are broken,” the pope said, it is difficult for people to feel secure enough to open themselves to others. “It is important to encourage families to cultivate healthy relationships and to know how to say to one another, ‘sorry,’ ‘thank you’ and ‘please,’ and to turn to God using the beautiful name, ‘Father’.”

“Family love is fruitful, and not only because it generates new life,” he said, “but because it broadens the horizon of one’s existence” and gives people a basis for hoping in a better world. The experience of healthy family life “makes us believe, despite any discouragement and defeatism, that peaceful coexistence based on respect and trust is possible”.

Within the Christian community, the pope said, families are the key to helping people grow in openness to God and to recognising Him as a loving father. “In the family, faith is absorbed together with a mother’s milk,” he said. n CNS

Pontiff to visit Albania VATICAN CITY – After a quick flight over Italy and the Adriatic Sea, Pope Francis will make an 11-hour visit to Albania on Sept 21, making time to meet with the nation’s leaders and bishops, but also spending time with disadvantaged children and other people assisted by Catholic charitable organisations.

According to the schedule released by the Vatican on July 31, Pope Francis also will hold a lateafternoon meeting with the leaders of other religions and other Christian communities.

Albania has a population of

about 3.2 million, more than half of whom are Muslims.

According to Vatican statistics, about 16 percent of the population is Roman Catholic. About 7 percent of the citizens belong to the Orthodox Church.

The pope will spend a day in Tirana, Albania’s capital. His flight to Albania will land in and take off from Mother Teresa International Airport and his Mass with Albania’s Catholics will be celebrated in Mother Teresa Square – both honour the famous ethnic Albanian, Blessed Teresa of Kolkata. n CNS

Pope: seeing Jesus in the marginalised Public welcomed at is fundamental to Christian life papal summer gardens

VATICAN CITY – Christians should memorise not only the Ten Commandments but also the Beatitudes, which Jesus taught as the path to true happiness, Pope Francis said.

“At the end of the world, we will be judged,” the pope said at his weekly general audience on Aug 6. “And what will the questions be that the judge will ask?”

These are listed in Matthew 25: 35-36, he said: Did you feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit the prisoner?

“Today, your task is to read the fifth chapter of Matthew where the Beatitudes are, and also to read the 25th chapter where the questions are that we will be asked on judgment day,” he said.

“The Lord will recognise us if we have recognised His face in the face of the hungry, the poor, the marginalised, the sick and the lonely. These are fundamental criteria for verifying our Christian life.”

“I read the Beatitudes and think about how my life as a

CASTEL GANDOLFO, ITALY – The aisle is paved with

The pope blesses a girl as he arrives for his weekly audience. CNS photo

Christian should be,” the pope said, “and then, I make an examination of conscience with this 25th chapter from Matthew. Every day I ask, ‘Did I do this? Did I do that? That?”

The pope also offered prayers for the Aug 3 earthquake in China.

“I express my closeness to the people of China’s Yunnan

province, struck on Sunday by an earthquake that caused numerous victims and enormous damage,” he said.

“I pray for the deceased and for their families, for the injured and for the many who have lost their homes. May the Lord give them comfort, hope and solidarity amid trial.” n CNS

stone from an ancient Roman road; the apse is made of carefully trimmed evergreen bushes; the columns are tall, thin cypress trees; and the nave is a lily pond, complete with gold fish.

Mr Osvaldo Gianoli, who welcomes visitors to “our outdoor church” in Castel Gandolfo (right), near Rome, explains that “it has always been a place of prayer for the popes”.

Thanks to a very rainy July, damp and dark woods separate the area – formally known as the Garden of the Little Madonna – from the expertly groomed Boulevard of the Oaks in the gardens of the papal villas at Castel Gandolfo.

So far, Pope Francis has resisted joining the list of popes who have taken up temporary residence in Castel Gandolfo, praying and reciting the rosary in the garden south of Rome.

In the meantime, Mr Gianoli said, the pope “strongly desired

that [the villas] be opened as a sign of sharing something unique, a common good, and so wanted this opening to share the gardens with the public”.

Mr Gianoli, who was named director of the papal villas at Castel Gandolfo in December, has the challenge of fulfilling Pope Francis’ mandate to welcome the public while at the same time preserving the historic gardens.

While Pope Francis spent part of three different days at the villa in 2013, he is not scheduled to visit in 2014. But if he changes his mind, “we’re ready,” Mr Gianoli said. n CNS

20 OPINION

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

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Archbishop’s message on Middle East conflicts Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

You would have read of the ongoing tragedies in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza and Iraq.

The small territory of Gaza has been devastated by weeks of war between Israel and Hamas.

Even UN shelters for civilians have been shelled and are in ruins.

In Iraq, extremists calling themselves the Islamic State have taken over Mosul and parts of Northern Iraq and are committing atrocities against Christians, Yazidis and other religious and ethnic minorities.

These crises should concern us as people and as Church.

Through organisations such as Caritas Iraq, Caritas Jerusalem, and Caritas Lebanon, the Church has people on the ground helping out with refugees and other victims of the conflicts.

Our Holy Father has called for prayers for peace and for those affected. The Vatican has called on Muslim leaders to denounce unambiguously the persecution of Christians and minorities in Iraq.

I therefore ask for your prayers in solidarity with those who are affected by the wars. Let

Let us pray especially for our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted. us pray especially for our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted in the lands they have been living in. God be with them in this time of great need. n

Yours devotedly in Christ.

Archbishop William Goh

Suggested text for Prayer of the Faithful We pray for those who have lost their homes and their loved ones in the Middle East conflicts in Gaza and Iraq. We pray that their hearts be consoled by our Lord and that they find the strength to rebuild their lives.

We pray fervently for our

brothers and sisters who are persecuted by religious extremists in Iraq. May they find safety and the strength to move on and continue to remain true to our faithful God. We pray for the safety, guidance and strength of the Catholic relief organisations and their per-

The archdiocese is not conducting a fundraising appeal for this at this time. However, those who wish to donate can do so through CHARIS, which will channel the funds to the local Catholic organisations helping out on the ground in the Middle East.

You can send a crossed cheque payable to “Hu-

sonnel as they bring God’s hope to those broken families and the many others who have fled their homes.

We pray for an end to the conflicts in the Middle East and that peace would be restored to the area. n

manitarian Aid Fund” with your name and contact information to CHARIS at 55 Waterloo Street, #0702, Catholic Centre, Singapore 187954.

You may indicate “Middle East” or other purpose on the back of the cheque. Please contact Albert Lim at 6337-4119 or info@charis-singapore. org for further information. n

Searching for the right fuel SOMETIMES everything can seem right on the surface while, deep down, nothing is right at all. We see this, for example, in the famous parable in the gospels about the Prodigal Son and his Older Brother.

By every outward appearance, the Older Brother is doing everything right: He’s perfectly obedient to his father, is at home, and is doing everything his father asks of him. And, unlike his younger brother, he’s not wasting his father’s property on prostitutes and partying. He seems a model of generosity and morality.

However, as soon becomes obvious in the story, things are far from right. While his life looks so good on the outside, he is full of resentment and bitter moralising inside and is, in fact, envious of his brother’s amorality. What’s happening? In essence, his actions are right, but his energy is wrong.

But, lest we judge him too harshly, we need to have the honesty to acknowledge that we all struggle in this way, at least if we are moral and generous.

What is played out in the bitterness of the Older Brother is, in the astute words of Swiss psychologist Alice Miller, “the drama of the gifted child”, namely, the resentment, self-pity, and propensity for bitter moralising that inevitably besets those of us who don’t stray from our duties, who do stay home, and who carry the brunt of the load for our families, churches and communities.

Sadly, often, the feeling we are left with when we give our lives over in sacrifice is not joy and gratitude for having been given the grace, opportunity, and good sense to stay home and serve but rather resentment that the load fell on our shoulders, that so many others dodged it, and that so many in the world are having a fling while we are on the straight and narrow.

Too often, among us, good and honest people who are fighting for truth and God’s cause, we find a spirit of bitter moralising that colours and compromises both our generosity and our sacrifice. But I say this with sympathy: It’s not easy to give oneself over, to forgo one’s dreams, ambitions, comfort, and pleasure for the sake of God, truth, duty, family, and community.

How might we do it? How might we imitate the fidelity of the Older Brother without falling into his envy, self-pity, and bitterness? Where can we access the right fuel to live out the Gospel?

As Christians, of course, we need to look at Jesus. He lived a life of radical generosity and self-surrender and yet never fell into the kind of self-pity that emanates from the sense of having missed out on something. He was never disappointed or bitter that He had given his life over.

Nor indeed did He, like Hamlet, turn his renunciation into an existential tragedy, that of the lonely, alienated hero who is outwardly intriguing but not generative.

Jesus remained always free, warm, forgiving, non-judgmental, and generative. Moreover, throughout this entire life of self-sacrifice, He always radiated a joy that shocked his contemporaries. What was his secret?

The answer, the gospels tell us, lies in the parable of the man who is ploughing a field and finds a buried treasure and in the parable of the merchant who after years of searching finds the pearl of great price.

In each case, the man gives away everything he owns so that he can buy the treasure or the pearl. And what must be highlighted in each of these parables is that neither man regrets for a second what he had to give up but instead each acts out of the unspeakable joy of what he has discovered and what riches this is now going to bring into his life.

Each man is so fuelled by the joy of what he has discovered that he is not focused on what he has given up.

Only in this kind of context can self-sacrifice make sense and be truly generative.

If the pain of what is sacrificed overshadows the joy of what is discovered, that is, if the focus is more on what we have lost and given up rather than on what we have found, we will end up doing the right actions but with the wrong energy, carrying other people’s crosses and sending them the bill. And we will be unable to stop ourselves from being judgmental, bitter, and secretly envious of the amoral.

To the very extent that we die to ourselves in order to live for others, we run the perennial risk of falling into the kind of bitterness that besets us whenever we feel we have missed out on something.

That’s an occupational hazard, a very serious one, inside Christian discipleship and the spiritual life in general.

And so, our focus must always be on the treasure, the pearl of great price, the rich meaning, the self-authenticating joy that is the natural fruit of any real self-sacrifice. And that joyful energy will take us beyond self-pity and envy of the amoral. n

FEATURE 21

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

Bible Reading: Why begin with the Gospels?

Fr Henry Siew shares why when reading the Bible, the Gospels should be read first The first book of the Bible is the Book of Genesis. There is a tendency for someone who wants to read the Bible to begin with it.

Such an approach is inadvisable.

One should never begin with the Old Testament writings, for these writings were originally intended for ancient Israelites and their contents are culturally and historically conditioned.

Their thoughts and practices were in many ways incompatible with the teachings of Jesus.

So for beginners who want to read the Bible, it is imperative to begin with the Four Books of the Gospels, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Why we should not begin with Old Testament writings In general, Old Testament books express the ancients’ understanding of God and faith, and their thoughts were often narrow minded and their actions immature.

For example, ancient Israelites as seen in the Old Testament were racist and nationalistic. In order to safeguard their survival and development, they discriminated against the “Gentiles”.

If we were to follow the ancient way, we would be as rigidly nationalistic, and that is a deviation from the outlook of Christ.

The Gospel clearly shows Jesus transcending the preoccupation with race, gender, nationality and social status. Jesus explicitly teaches that everyone has the dignity of a child of God, for “He makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil.” (Mt 5:45) And he by example, associated himself

In order to know Christ, we need to be familiar with the Gospels.

A girl uses her study Bible during a religion class. CNS file photo.

with the Gentiles, including the Romans and the Samaritans.

It is mentioned in the Old Testament that revenge is necessary when someone is offended or hurt. Their position was “love your friends, and hate your enemies!” They believed that not seeking revenge is a sign of weakness, and only retaliation can fulfil justice.

Subsequently, Old Testament writings show that they were slightly more restrained in their attitude towards seeking revenge, thus advocating “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” instead of relentless revenge.

(Deut 19:21) Jesus invites us to surpass the impulsiveness for revenge. He says, “Do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too.”

Also “if anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him.” (Mt 5:39-41) He also teaches, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the sons of your Fa-

ther in heaven.” (Mt 5:44-45) Jesus introduces forgiveness as the basic attitude for resolving grudges in interpersonal relationships.

The judgment on the truth-value of Old Testament writings is to be made using the standard of Jesus. For example, to correct the theological errors of the former, we must refer to the teaching of Jesus.

Jesus rectifies the Old Testament misconception of God as a militant warrior, a stringent law enforcer, and a nationalistic God. He clearly teaches that God is the heavenly Father of all man.

When we pray, He taught us to say, “Our Father in heaven.” (Mt 6:9) Our heavenly Father is close to us, loving and protecting.

This understanding is made possible only with the revelation of Jesus our Lord!

Jesus, the fullness of God’s self-revelation In the Letter to the Hebrews, it is said that “In the past, God spoke to our ancestors many times and in many ways through the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son.” (Heb 1:1) Jesus is the Son of God, he is one with the Father, and through him we have the fullest of God’s self-revelation. The apostles had seen “his glory, the glory which he received as the Father’s only Son.” (Jn 1:14).

The Catholic Church invites us to know,

believe, love and follow Jesus and to be His disciples. When we know Him, we also know the Father. (Jn 14:7) Being a disciple means to be with Jesus, the Master, to learn from Him, and to put into practice what we have learnt. Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent and believe the Good News!” (Mk 1:15) In this proclamation, Jesus gives two basic commands: to repent and to believe in the Good News.

The Gospel refers first and foremost to Jesus Himself, and also to His preaching.

The four Books of the Gospel are accounts of the personality and life of Jesus. They constitute the centrality of the whole Bible.

In order to know Christ, we need to be familiar with the Gospels, and meditate on the readings. To be ignorant of the Gospels is to be ignorant of Christ. If we read the Gospels and pray often, we will be able to establish a close relationship with Jesus.

Conversely, when we have established this close relationship, we will pray even more fervently, and sincerely accept his teachings in the Gospels, putting them into practice, and become Christ-like.

This is our Christian ideal, just as St Paul says, “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20) For Christians, the best way to begin reading the Bible is to start with the Books of the Gospel. After which, we should read the other writings of the New Testament.

Only then should we begin reading the Old Testament Books.

And in order not be misguided, it is advisable to take up a course which introduces us to the interpretation of the Bible, and another course on “Introduction to the Old Testament”. n

22 FAITH ALIVE!

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

Age isn’t a barrier to making a contribution

Elderly volunteers serve people during a free charitable dinner.

CNS photo

Parishes and schools can’t operate very well without their older volunteers, says Liz Quirin

R

ecently, I went to bed with a bit of what I thought was chest pain.

Could this be a heart attack? Is my number up? What should I do? I decided to say a prayer, go to sleep, and if I woke up, it obviously wasn’t a heart attack.

Since I’m sitting here typing away, you know the answers to those questions, too. However, I know I’m closer to my “check out” time than I used to be.

Looking back has much more value than it did years ago. In fact, when I heard an 11-year-old say something about a time when he was young, it sounded pretty silly to me, someone much older.

Older folks aren’t sitting around waiting for their expiration date to come up. In fact, they’re working hard at various jobs, and if they’ve retired from a workforce where they were paid, they become the most sought after persons in a parish: the volunteer.

Parishes and Catholic schools couldn’t operate very well without their older volunteers. In school, they read stories to children in primary grades, freeing up the teacher to do something else for a few minutes.

Maybe they work with a student who needs a bit more attention in class or answer the phone in the office when no one else is available.

I’m sure any principal could find a few jobs for a grandparent or senior parishioner ready to volunteer.

We also see more and more older people who have taken up the banner of social justice in the church, building houses for parish or diocesan outreach, tutoring young people in after-school programs, manning food pantries, fixing meals for the poor and homeless.

They’re not only an integral part of social programmes, but they’re also the reason some of

Older folks have become the most sought after persons in a parish. those programmes operate at all.

In my parish, many of the older folks belong to a group called Yesterday’s Kids. While they have a number of outings just for fun, they also take on roles with younger parishioners as well. They might mentor engaged couples as they prepare for marriage or work with young parents as they prepare for their child’s baptism.

Who would know better about what kinds of ups and downs a family will face than people who have already ridden that roller coaster?

They also console the grieving by fixing and serving meals after

funerals, times when others can’t take off from work to help.

Ageing may be no fun, as my mother told me, but it can be meaningful and fulfilling, not a time to sit down and decide life’s over, waiting for the next long step into eternity.

Physical aches and pains that were ignored over the years can become more than a nuisance, and once-healthy adults might have to take a few medicines to keep various body parts functioning properly.

The emotional highs and lows we’ve experienced over the years have made lasting impressions on us and often have made monumental changes in the way we look at life, love and our God. Maybe we’ve called or cried out to God in times of desperation, and hopefully we have celebrated and thanked God during uplifting times as well.

All of our happiness, our triumphs, our sadness and our tragedies make us who we are: still and forever children of God. As God’s children we have responsibilities to our brothers and sisters who are less fortunate than we are.

Sometimes we have to stand up for others when we’d really rather keep quiet, keep our heads down and just take care of ourselves.

Unfortunately, if we all do this, people who need us will be left without care.

Age isn’t a barrier to making a contribution to our parishes, our communities and our world. We just have to believe it and then get moving. n CNS Liz Quirin is an editor of The Messenger, a newspaper of the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois, USA.

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

23

24

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

By Jennifer Ficcaglia and Joe Sarnicola

Jesus travelled many places with His apostles. Wherever they went, crowds of people would gather around Jesus to listen to His parables or to have Him heal their sick friends and family members.

Jesus would perform many other miracles as well, such as walking on water during a storm and feeding thousands of people with just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish.

Sometimes the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jerusalem would come to see Jesus, too. They did not like Jesus and instead would ask Him tricky questions, hoping to make Him say something wrong so they could tell the people to stop listening to Him and not to follow Him. But of course, Jesus never fell for their tricks!

After one such visit from the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus and His apostles travelled across the sea

in their boat. When they made it to the other side, the apostles realised they had forgotten to bring bread to eat.

“Look out, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” Jesus warned His friends.

The apostles misunderstood what Jesus was saying. They thought he was talking about forgetting the bread, since leaven is used in bread dough to make it rise. Jesus had to explain to them that He was comparing leaven to the bad teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees. He did not want His friends to follow those bad teachings.

Jesus and the apostles then moved on to the region of Caesarea Philippi.

That’s when the Lord asked His friends a question: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

“Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets,” they told Jesus.

But Jesus did not want to hear

SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS: St

Aidan

St Aidan (d. 651) is believed to have been a disciple of St Senan on Scattery Island in Ireland, and he later became a monk.

He made a good impression on King Oswald, who rewarded him with an episcopal seat on the small island of Lindisfarne.

Even though Aidan was given valuable gifts by the king and other rich patrons of his religious work, he did not want them for himself. Instead he gave them to the poor.

When he was invited to dinner with the king, he brought other monks with him and left as soon as he could without seeming rude, in order to return to his vocational work. Aidan worked very hard to care for slaves and poor children throughout his lifetime.

He died in an old castle he used as a mission centre. We honour him on Aug 31. n

other people’s opinions – He wanted to know only what His friends thought.

Simon Peter looked at Jesus. “You are the Messiah, the son of the living God,” he said.

Jesus looked at him.

“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah,” the Lord responded. “For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church. ... I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

After that, Jesus told his apostles not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. n Read more about it: Matthew 14-16

Q&A 1. Why did the Pharisees and Sadducees try to trick Jesus?

2. How was Simon Peter able to recognise Jesus as the Messiah?

Wordsearch: n ROCK n FLESH n SICK

n MIRACLES n DOUGH n CROWDS n BLOOD n SEA n MESSIAH n STORM n HEAL n EARTH

BIBLE TRIVIA: What does the word “Messiah” mean?

Bible Accent:

Answer to puzzle: 1. c , 2. f, 3. d, 4. b, 5. g, 6. e, 7. a Answer to Bible Trivia: “Anointed one.”

PUZZLE: Using the words from the list, write the letter that describes the relationship of the people in the questions. Hints on where to find the answers have been provided. a. sisters 1. Adam and Eve (Genesis 3) b. enemies 2. Cain and Abel (Genesis 4) c. husband and wife 3. Nun and Joshua (Joshua 6) d. father and son 4. David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) e. missionaries 5. Peter and Judas (Matthew 10) f. brothers 6. Saul (Paul) and Barnabas (Acts 12) g. apostles 7. Mary and Martha (Luke 10)

Answer to Wordsearch

Peter was a very special apostle even before Jesus called him “the rock” upon which He would build His Church.

Peter was a very close friend of Jesus and is talked about in the New Testament more than any other of the Twelve Apostles. Peter was one of three apostles whom Jesus asked to be with Him during the transfiguration and to pray with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane before He was arrested and crucified. Peter is also remembered for the three times he denied knowing Jesus during the Lord’s passion.

After the resurrection, when Mary Magdalene and the other women told the apostles that Jesus’ tomb was empty, it was Peter who believed them and rushed to see. Jesus appeared to a small group of His friends, a group that included Peter. It was at this meeting that the Lord told Peter to feed His lambs and tend His sheep.

After the apostles received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, it was Peter who gave a speech to the crowd, telling them that Jesus was the Messiah and that they should repent and be baptised. He later began to perform miracles in Jesus’ name.

After the Ascension, Peter became the leader of the apostles and their ministry. That is why the Catholic Church recognises Peter as the first pope. n

WHAT’S ON 25

Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

AUGUST 28 CBN MEDITATION TALK – BE THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST 7pm-9pm: We invite you for an evening of fellowship, networking and to listen to a meditation talk by Peter Ng Kok Song, trustee of the World Community for Christian Meditation. He will share his experience on how he used prayer as the core activity of his Christian life, what it will take to develop the discipline of prayer, and grow one’s intimate relationship with God. Fee inclusive of dinner: $20 (nonmembers). Free for members. Organised

by Catholic Business Network. At Catholic Centre, 55 Waterloo Street, St Flora Room, Level 2. Registration T: 9228 4463 (Raymond); E: raymond@cbn.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. catholic.org.sg/webevent_form.php AUGUST 20 TALK OF THE TOWN 7pm: Come join us for a conversation with award-winning poet, Dr Anne Lee Tzu Pheng. Fee inclusive of dinner: $25.

Organised by CANA. At 55 Waterloo Street. Register T: 6338 4080; E: canatheplacetobe2013@gmail.com.

crises and our Christian response.

Organised by Care Creation Ministry.

At Church of St Ignatius, Room 01-04 (new annex building). Register E: lessgd@yahoo.com.sg. (Lesley Goonting) AUGUST 30 TO AUGUST 31 CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER RETREAT 9am-6pm (Sat), 9am-5pm (Sun): Join us for a silent 2-day, contemplative prayer retreat. There would be no stay-in. This is especially for Catholics who wish to deepen their prayer life by connecting heart-to-heart with God. There will be Mass on both days. Please bring along your Bible. Retreat Facilitator: Cenacle Sr Francisca Tan. Organised by the Cenacle Sisters. At Catholic Spirituality Centre, 1261 Upper Serangoon Road.

Enquiries T: 6288 7901 / 68582716.

AUGUST 29 TO AUGUST 31 AUGUST CHOICE WEEKEND 6.45pm (Fri)-6pm (Sun): For one weekend, come away for a Choice Weekend – it is by the choices we make that we define what our life is all about. Organised by Choice Singapore. At 47 Jurong West St 42.

Register T: 9790 0537 (Hillary) / 9046 2297 (Albert); E: registration@choice.org.sg.

AUGUST 23 AND AUGUST 30 PARENTS AS LEARNING COACHES 9am-1pm: For two sessions, parents will be able to identify the strengths of their children, types of intelligence and learning styles to maximise their learning potential. Organised by Morning Star, Community Services. At Blk 261B #01-400 Sengkang East Way. Register T: 6285 1377 (Gabriella Hung); E: programs@morningstar.org.sg.

SEPTEMBER 5 PANDAN ROSETTE WITH TEA 10am-11.30am: Come join Clarity to learn how to make beautiful rosettes out of pandan leaves. All materials needed for the workshop will be provided. Fee: $2.

Organised by Clarity Singapore.

At Nee Soon South, Blk 839, #01-290, Yishun Street 81. Register T: 6757 7990; E: registration@clarity-singapore.org.

AUGUST 29 TO OCTOBER 24 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES BY FR EUGENE VAZ 8pm-10pm: Every Friday, come join us for a Bible course with Fr Eugene Vaz, as we study the Acts of the Apostles and discover the birth, growth and development of the early Church. Fee: $20. Organised by the OLPS Biblical Apostolate Team. At Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, 31, Siglap Hill, 4th Floor Verbist Hall. Register E: maurice3428@gmail.com.

AUGUST 24 CELEBRATING INNER FREEDOM – REDUCING HUMAN TOLL IN RELATIONSHIPS 9am-4pm: A one-day workshop/retreat especially for parents which will allow them to explore their inner landscape – needs and behaviour, frustrations and unhappiness. Learn a tool for reflection, discover connecting habits and language that build happy relationships and enhance personal effectiveness. Organised

by Lifesprings Canossian Spirituality Centre. At Lifesprings Spirituality Centre, 100 Jalan Merbok. Fee inclusive of lunch & tea: $80. Register T: 6466 2178 (Brenda); E: lifesprings@singnet.com.sg.

SEPTEMBER 13 THE TREE – A SYMBOL OF COMMUNION 2-5pm: This seminar will trace the inner journey from head to heart, focusing on the tree as a symbol of communion experienced at the heart level. John’s Gospel will be used to trace Jesus’ own inner journey to the heart, to embrace unity with the Father. By Br Collin Wee, FSC. Closing date to register: Sept 6.

Fee: $30. Organised by Kingsmead Centre for Ignatian Spirituality and Counselling.

At 8 Victoria Park Road. Register T: 6467 6072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com.

AUGUST 30 THE HAZE AND THE CHRISTIAN CONNECTION 7.15pm-9.30pm: Come join us for an ECO awareness evening to share and understand the impact of ecological

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13 Air (prefix) 22 Near ____ of sin 23 Elvis Presley costar who became a nun 25 Influential Catholic Hollywood costume designer 26 US state in which the Diocese of Nashville is found 27 Convenience 29 Judas’ blood money bought it (Mt 27:6–8) 30 “…_____ lema sabachthani?”

(Mk 15:34) 31 Harmony 32 Game company 33 Exodus river 34 Religious image 35 Business VIPs 40 Hint 41 _____ B’rith 43 Mr. Kringle 45 Kind of illusion 47 Catholic female lead of “Everybody Loves Raymond” 50 Sponsorship 51 Alpha and _____ 52 Make watertight 53 Takes on 54 Bye bye 55 Black 56 Dry (comb.)

57 Yellow of an egg 60 US Lawyers’ org.

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ACROSS 1 Catholic actor of “The West Wing” fame 6 Alphabet string 10 Pedro’s home 14 Island inhabited

by Circe 15 Pertaining to the non-ordained members of the Church 16 Tennis great 17 Intense light beam 18 TV award 19 Paul says this is “the pride of a woman” (1 Cor 11:15) 20 Wife of Adam 21 Saint of Lima 23 Augustine was bishop here 24 Companion of Daniel 26 Small dabbling duck 28 List-ending

abbreviation 29 Intrepid 33 Council of 325 AD 36 Learning ctr.

37 Alkali 38 Chilled 39 View 41 Dull resonant sound 42 Forfeit or sum paid into the pool 43 ____ the fatted calf 44 Mother of Augustine 46 Conceal 48 US government agency 49 “_____ Kleine Nacht Musik” 50 “Christian” first used here (Acts 11:26) 54 State in which the Diocese of Dallas is found 57 Abominable snowman

58 Avril follower 59 Encourage in wrongdoing 60 Highly excited 62 Second word in the name of a Parisian basilica 64 Bull 65 Indonesian resort island 66 Fish 67 Soon 68 Commandment carrier, and others 69 Seeps DOWN 1 Melchizedek’s domain (Gen 14:18) 2 Hoist 3 Relaxes 4 Wide shoe width 5 Give an account 6 “…bone of my bones and ___…”

(Gen 2:23)

SEPTEMBER 20 PRAYER OF THE HEART 2-6pm: For single women aged 18-40, join us for a session to learn to be one with God. Enjoy the delight in this sacred moment of journeying with the Lord at the centre of our being. Organised by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. At FMM House of Prayer and Formation, 49 Holland Road. Closing date to register: Sept 17. Register T: 9355 0904 (Sr Sylvia); E: fmm.vocations@gmail.com.

SEPTEMBER 26 CHILDREN’S EUCHARISTIC ADORATION 7.45pm-9pm: Come and bring the little children to Jesus, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. Organised by Children Eucharistic Adoration. At the Church of the Holy Spirit, Main Hall, 248 Upper Thomson Road.

SEPTEMBER 28 MIGRANT SUNDAY 11am: Join us for a Mass celebrated

by Archbishop William Goh followed by fellowship. Organised by ACMI. At St Joseph Church, 620 Upper Bukit Timah Road. Enquiries T: 6280 5424; E: general@acmi.org.sg.

OCTOBER 3 TO OCTOBER 6 QUENCH 2014 Join us for a 4D/3N retreat to experience a faith encounter. The retreat is for young

people aged 18-35. Organised by Jesus Youth. At Choice Retreat House, 47 Jurong West Street 42. Enquiries T: 9006 1884 (Fionne); Register W: http://singapore.jesusyouth.org.

OCTOBER 11 AND AUGUST 12 INNER HEALING RETREAT / WORKSHOP 2pm-9.30pm (Sat), 10am-6pm (Sun): Come to know about inner healing.

Some topics include the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the power of forgiveness. Fee: $25. Limited to 130 pax. Closing date to register: Oct 1.

Open to all parish ministries members.

Organised by Singapore Archdiocesan Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

At CAEC, 2 Highland Road.

Register E :josephtoh46@gmail.com WEDNESDAYS UNTIL DECEMBER 3 INTO THE HEART: JOURNEY INTO THE THEOLOGY OF THE BODY 8pm-10pm: Join us every week for a 16-part DVD series based on St John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.

Learn what saints and mystics have always known: a deep union with God. Organised by Church of St Ignatius’ Young Adults Ministry. At Church of St Ignatius (Annexe Hall). Register T: 9856 9919 (Tom & Karan); E: yam.stignatius@gmail.com.

NOVEMBER 28 TO DECEMBER 7 OR DECEMBER 1 TO DECEMBER 7 QUIETING THE SOUL 2014 Join us for a silent retreat set in the beautiful Seven Fountains centre in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The dates include travel time. Organised by the Cenacle Sisters. Closing date to register: Aug 31. Register T: 6565 2895 / 9722 3148; E: cenaclesing@gmail.com.

For more info, please visit www.catholic.org.sg/cenacle.

IN MEMORIAM

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SEPTEMBER 14 IHM BLOODMOBILE MERCY OUTREACH 10.30am-3.30pm: If you’re between 16 and 60 years and weigh above 45kg, you can donate blood & save up to three lives.

Bring your NRIC or passport. Organised

by Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. At 24 Highland Road, IHM Church Hall. Register E: hopeajoysia@yahoo. com.sg.

7 Favorite food of Isaac (Gen 25:28) 8 Masc. pronoun 9 Very cold 10 Catholic author of How the Irish Saved Civilization 11 PDQ 12 Vessel

Solution to Crossword Puzzle No. 1116 A N G E L V E I L L A N D

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CLASSIFIED THANKSGIVING

O Holy St Jude, apostle and martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke your speical patronage in times of need. To you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg you, to whom God has given such great power, to come to my assistance. Help me in my present urgent petition. In return I promise to make your name known and cause you to be invoked. St Jude pray for me and all who invoke your aid. Humbly in need of your intercession.

Amen. Thank you for answering my prayers.

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Sunday August 24, 2014 n CatholicNews

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