OCTOBER 04, 2015, Vol 65, No 20

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SUNDAY OCTOBER 4, 2015

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ARCHBISHOP’S PASTORAL LETTER

Closing of Year of Mary, Star of New Evangelisation Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we draw to a close the year consecrated to Mary, Star of the New Evangelisation, OHW XV UHÀHFW on where we are at in our efforts for the New Evangelisation and how we are to move ahead. There is no doubt that we are living in tumultuous times of extremes. The pendulum has swung from secularisation, individualism and atheism on the one hand, to religious fundamentalism fuelling war and refugee exodus on the other. Led by the Holy Spirit, our Mother Church has issued an urgent call to her members to be missionary disciples to stem these threats. This is only possible if we become the “salt and light of the world”, as the Lord has called us to be. This ultimately involves a renewal of faith among all Catholics – clergy and laity alike. We cannot be missionary unless we ourselves DUH ¿UVW ³FRQYHUWHG´ DQG WKHQ XQdertake the ongoing process of becoming missionary disciples so that we can evangelise the rest of humanity by being involved in the world, whether in culture, economics, politics, ecology, media, education, science and technology. For the Gospel of life must permeate every dimension of human life. The New Evangelisation is thus the thrust of the Universal Catholic Church and not just a personal vision. In proposing my 10-year plan for the archdiocese, I have met with some resistance and opposition; and to say the least, indifference and reluctance. Priests and laity are sceptical as to whether it could be possible to renew our Catholics and bring about a truly vibrant, evangelical and missionary Church. Some simply ignore the call, others go

about doing their own thing; and many are oblivious to what the Church (Universal and local) are asking of our Catholics. To cooperate in the work of the New Evangelisation demands that we acquire the same Spirit that empowered Jesus in His ministry. How is this Spirit given, if not through earnest prayer – individual, communal and intercessory – together with fasting and penance? We need therefore to pray as individuals, together with the Church, imploring for God’s JUDFH DQG WKH LQ¿OOLQJ RI +LV 6SLUit, to renew the face of the Earth. For if we believe in the primacy of Grace and not on our own ef-

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INSIDE ASIA

Annulments in Philippines Surge expected after release of pope’s documents Page 8

WORLD

Housing refugees Vatican’s parishes to show the way Page 9

POPE FRANCIS Priests must be merciful in confession

Otherwise get a desk job, says pope Page 11

It should be ingrained in our minds and hearts, that in whatever we do, we must turn to the Mother of the New Evangelisation. forts, then prayer is the sign that we know that only God can bring about success in our ministry. The world must see that what we do is not simply the work of a human institution, (powerful and global though it might be) but the marvellous work of God, in and through poor and inadequate instruments like us. Consequently, through the consecration of the New Evangelisation to Mary, every Catholic is called to imitate Mary by being docile to the Holy Spirit, by cooperating with the grace of God through prayer and fasting so that with the Lord with us (as He was with Mary), we will be fruitful.

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Young people leaving Church DIWHU FRQÀUPDWLRQ Church needs to ask itself tough questions Page 14

FOCUS

Questions on the faith OK to have tea ceremony at wedding? Page 17 ‘Mary, Star of Evangelisation’ icon courtesy of Br Claude Lane, OSB, Mount Angel Abbey, St Benedict, OR, USA.

CLOSING OF THE SPECIAL YEAR: A Mass will be held at the Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace on Oct 7 at 7.30 pm.

FEATURE

Serving the intellectually disabled A doctor shares her calling Page 19

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Sunday October 4, 2015 CatholicNews

Teacher’s Day Mass celebrated WR UHDIÀUP UROH RI Catholic educators By SJ Teo Close to 200 Catholic educators, school staff, family, and friends gathered to commemorate Teachers’ Day at a specially organised Mass held on Sept 12. Organised by the Archdiocesan Commission for Catholic Schools (ACCS), the Eucharistic celebration took place at Catholic High School, and was celebrated by Msgr Ambrose Vaz, Fr Edward Seah and Fr Adrian Danker. In his homily, Msgr Vaz reaf¿UPHG WKH LGHQWLW\ DQG PLVVLRQ of Catholic educators as he drew parallels to the gospel, in which Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do people say I am?” Msgr Vaz explained that there is often a popular opinion of the identity of the Messiah, who is VHHQ DV ³D SRZHUIXO ¿JXUH LQ terms of earthly, political, even military power”, as compared to the identity of the Messiah according to God. He elaborated, “The disciples

had got the terminology right, that Jesus is the Messiah. “But Jesus went on to teach them what this truly meant. The Messiah would be like the Son of Man, a title that would describe obedience to God, such obedience that would even require one to submit to suffering, and to ultimately be put to death.” There is also a similar popular opinion of the identity of teachers, “where the teacher is one that simply imparts knowledge and dispatches information”, as compared to the identity of teachers according to God, “as seen in Jesus, the teacher”, said Msgr Vaz. “A teacher does much more than impart knowledge, much more than dispatch information. The understanding of the identity of a teacher, as seen in Jesus, is to communicate, to pass on, an experience of God.” Msgr Vaz also highlighted that this seemingly tall order is in fact very possible if teachers choose to “walk in the presence of the Lord”. This was also the theme of this year’s Teacher’s Day Mass.

Teachers, family and friends gathered to celebrate Teachers’ Day Mass led by Msgr Ambrose Vaz on Sept 12.

“This is what the teacher is ultimately all about. The teacher shares from his or her ordinary experience, of what it is to walk in the presence of the Lord, and to remind others to experience the same joy,” explained Msgr Vaz. He expressed gratitude to Catholic educators for their service and ministry to God’s children. “On behalf of the Church, the archdiocese, we really thank all our teachers for being that ex-

ample of God’s love in the dedication of their lives, in the way that you not only instruct your students, but essentially... teach them the joy of being called by God to be His children,” he said. The Mass was followed by a reception. Teachers relished the opportuniity to get to know one another as there were educators who “don’t know many Catholic teachers, beacuse I don’t teach in a Catholic school,” shared Mr

of the identity of a teacher, ‘The understanding as seen in Jesus, is to communicate, to pass on, an experience of God.’

– Msgr Ambrose Vaz

Edward Toh, English and Art teacher at East Spring Primary School, “The homily really spoke WR PH WR UHFRJQLVH -HVXV DOVR DV D teacher for us.” Fr Edward Seah, Interim Executive Director of ACCS, expressed his happiness that the event helped encourage and edify Catholic educators in Singapore. Revealing the reason for choosing this year’s theme, Fr Seah said “We chose the one that we felt is the most edifying. The theme, ‘Walking in the Presence of the Lord’, helps to remind educators that they are not walking alone. God is always with them, especially so when they are doing His work.”

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Sunday October 4, 2015 CatholicNews

Moving forward after the 1987 ‘Marxist conspiracy’ Forgiveness is the only way, says archbishop at Fr Arotcarena’s memorial Mass During a memorial Mass for the motives of those people who serve, late French priest Fr Guillaume the motives of the authorities who Arotcarena, Archbishop William reacted to the situation perhaps Goh praised him for championing will never be truly known.” Noting that the trauma resulting the rights of migrant workers and his compassion towards the poor from the so-called “Marxist conspiracy” will “resurface from time and marginalised. “The Church is proud of all of to time”, he stressed that there is “no those people who have contributed other way forward” for the Church their time, their resources and their except “the way of forgiveness”. “Only God can judge the moenergy in the work of serving the poor,” Archbishop Goh told the tives of each individual,” he said. Archbishop Goh said he be400-strong crowd at the Church of the Holy Family on Sept 18. “By lieves the painful experience “is so doing they have done justice to not something negative in the Church. I see it as something posithe spreading of the Gospel.” Paris Foreign Missions priest Fr tive because this event helps the Arotcarena passed away in France &KXUFK WR EH SXUL¿HG ´ 7KHUH DUH on Sept 3 after a three-year battle lessons that the Church can draw from this incident “so that history with cancer. He was 71. He arrived in Singapore in will not repeat itself”, he said. 7KH ¿UVW OHVVRQ LV WKDW WKH 1972 and served here for 17 years. In 1980, he founded the Geylang Church’s social mission is principally a spiritual one. Catholic Centre to social misprovide support We can imagine sion“The of the Church and social services the pain, the is an expression of to foreign domestic the proclamation workers, prisoners disappointment of the Gospel,” he and drug addicts. and even anger, said. “The Church The centre closed in 1987 in especially against must never ever be reduced to a huthe wake of the soauthorities, manitarian organicalled “Marxist consation. We are not spiracy”, which saw whether of the another NGO.” 22 people, including state and even The Church does many with connecnot work “simply to tions to the Catholic of the Church, save the body,” he Church, accused of for apparently stressed. “We want plotting to overnot standing up to bring the love of throw the governGod” to people. ment under the for them. The second lescover of the Church. – Archbishop Goh on those son is that “truth They were arrested under the Internal who felt unjustly accused in and love must go the ‘Marxist conspiracy’ together”. Security Act. “All those of us In addition, Fr Arotcarena and three other priests who are serving God … we need were implicated in the so-called to search our motives, we need to purify our motives,” he said. “conspiracy”. Archbishop Goh also quoted Speaking of the pain the Church experienced during this from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI time, Archbishop Goh acknowl- in which he said that “it is not the edged that those who had served task of the Church to preserve social the marginalised, including those order and justice in the country. The who worked with Fr Arotcarena, pursuit of a just social order is the have “felt misunderstood … hurt, work of the state. … The task of the Church is to be a moral spokesman.” wounded and disappointed”. The last lesson Archbishop “We can imagine the pain, the disappointment and even an- shared is that the way forward “is ger, especially against authorities, always through dialogue”. “When there is disagreement, whether of the state and even of the Church, for apparently not standing the Church has always encourup for them,” said Archbishop Goh. aged us that the path of faith is diaHe noted that the immediate re- logue,” he said. “Demonstration, action of anyone who is misjudged pressurising people will not work.” During the Mass, Fr Patrick is to seek justice, “to uncover the Goh, Mr Lawrence Khoo and Mr facts” and “to be vindicated”. However, “there are many Vincent Cheng who had known sides to the same story,” he said. and worked with Fr Arotcarena, “People have different accounts shared their memories of him. Holy Family Church parishof the same event. Different peoioner Theresa Chan also rememple have different explanations.” And even if the facts can be bered how people fondly referred established, “can you establish to the French priest as “Fr Tom the motives of everyone who is Jones” as he looked like the involved?” he asked. “In truth, the American pop singer.

Photo: KEVIN HO

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Archbishop William Goh speaking at the memorial Mass for Fr Guillaume Arotcarena (inset) on Sept 18.

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Sunday October 4, 2015 CatholicNews

)U $UUR IHDWXUHV LQ WKLUG Coming together to YRFDWLRQ ERRNOHW UHÁHFW RQ RQH·V YRFDWLRQ

Fr Michael Arro is the third priest to be featured in a series of vocation booklets published and distributed by the CatholicNews. In his inimitable way, he responded candidly to a range of questions posed by the CatholicNews. Among other things, he spoke about his days as a professor at the Penang College General while Vatican Council II was taking place in Rome, his occupation had he not become a priest, and the qualities priests today must cultivate. Saying he felt “unjustly done E\´ WR EH FDOOHG WR WHDFK LQ /DWLQ when he had just finished learning Mandarin after two years, he nevertheless found his teaching years very fruitful, especially since the Vatican Council was taking place during that time. Fr Arro recalled, “We were a group of young professors – six of us in our early 30s – and we were really enthusiastic about the Council. It was a renewal for DOO RI XV ´ The Paris Foreign Missions Society (MEP) priest added that his years at the seminary in Penang, while Vatican II was going on, allowed him to be able to speak of the Council

By Dionne Teo

Paris Foreign Missions Society Fr Michael Arro is featured in the latest vocational booklet by the CatholicNews.

and be inspired by it up to the present. On the career he would have chosen had he not become a missionary priest, he said “I think I would have enjoyed being a farmer. I like animals very PXFK ´ How about the qualities priests should cultivate? Find out for yourself in the vocation booklet being sold with this issue of CatholicNews.

More than 200 Catholics gathered on Sept 5 at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Tampines to attend the Holy Hour, where WKH\ UHÀHFWHG RQ WKHLU VSLULWXDO journey. The Holy Hour was part of a vocational event, held in celebration of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The event was jointly organised by the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary and the Holy Trinity Youth Ministry. It aimed to guide Catholics in seeking better insights into their vocation, and to open their hearts and minds to God’s calling. Guests of honour included Msgr Ambrose Vaz and seminarians. The theme of the event was “Come and follow me, and I will PDNH \RX ¿VKHUV RI PHQ´ Starting with an opening prayer and hymn, the Holy Hour continued with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and a reading from Mark 1:16-20. The congregation then had moPHQWV RI UHÀHFWLYH VLOHQFH WR UH examine their vocational calling and their relationship with God. The event continued with the

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at the Church of the Holy Trinity.

Novena, adoration and benediction. After the Holy Hour, Msgr Ambrose Vaz celebrated Mass. During the homily, Msgr Vaz spoke about having faith in God and the power of an individual’s belief. He shared how God does all things good, and thus the need to open one’s heart to the Lord. He added that Catholics must embrace the privilege

and joy of the Word of God. He also advised parents and guardians to help guide their children towards Christ, to say yes to Him. Overall, the event was wellreceived by many who attended. They agreed that they had gained a deeper understanding of their faith. The evening ended with a dinner attended by the seminarians and some of the youths.

Sunday October 4, 2015 CatholicNews

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Sunday October 4, 2015 CatholicNews

Sr Theresa Seow addressing participants during the event.

Lay Canossians and Canossian Sisters at the celebration at the Canossian Provincialate.

Lay Canossians celebrate 50th anniversary Ninety-nine members from the Association of Lay Canossians gathered together with the Canossian Sisters to celebrate the Feast Day of Our Lady of Sorrows on Sept 12. The celebration marked the 50th anniversary of the the association in Singapore. Several lay Canossians from Hong Kong and Malaysia were also present. The celebration, which took place at the Canossian Provincialate at Jalan Merbok, started with an address by Sr Theresa Seow, the provincial leader of the Canossian Sisters. She

congratulated the lay Canossians for their growth in Singapore, Myanmar and Fujian, China. “The number of lay Canossians in the world is even bigger than that of the Canossian Sisters; we should be proud and thank God for the gift of charism to make Jesus known so that He will be loved,” said Sr Theresa. She suggested that lay CanosVLDQV WDNH WLPH WR UHÀHFW RQ KRZ they wanted to move forward in sharing the Canossian charism with others. Sr Margaret Syn shared her experience in journeying with the

group upon her return from Rome in 1973. She reminded the lay Canossians that they were not to be tied to the Canossian Sisters but to instead work with them, especially in places where the Sisters could not reach. Sr Elizabeth Sim, Sister Animator for the association, thanked God for the 50 years of privileged fidelity to lay Canossians in Singapore and their passionate commitment to Him through involvement in their various ministries and missions.

She also invited lay Canossians to challenge their concepts and boundaries to live out the Canossian charism. Msgr Ambrose Vaz then celebrated Mass for those gathered. In his homily, he said participants should see how Mother Mary stood by her Son in His suffering, and how they too should be challenged to stand by the Lord. On the same day, four new members were enrolled into the Association of Lay Canossians and as members of the Sodality of Our Lady of Sorrows.

History of the Lay Canossians The Lay Canossians in Singapore started back in 1965 when Sr Natalia Tasca, an Italian nun, gathered a small group of six members to work with her. The Association of Lay Canossians comprise the following groups: Consecrated Lay Canossians Canossian Oblates Canossian Lay Missionaries Lay Canossians Singapore and Myanmar Sodality of Our Lady of Sorrows Canossian Co-workers Canossian Educators

ASIA

Sunday October 4, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Aung San Suu Kyi seeks support from Catholics MANDALAY, VIETNAM – Opposi-

tion leader Aung San Suu Kyi is seeking the support of Catholic groups in Myanmar’s Kayah state as her National League for Democracy party seeks to win over ethnic areas crucial to the makeup of the next parliament. Politicians realise that ChrisWLDQ OHDGHUV KDYH LQÀXHQFH RYHU followers in many remote areas of eastern Myanmar, which are shaping up as a key battleground for this year’s election. Ms Suu Kyi, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, visited the state capital Loikaw on Sept 11, meeting with Church personnel for 30 minutes. She spoke to the group for about 10 minutes on a variety of topics, ranging from federalism to ethnic rights to her party’s overall goal to capture parliament. She also visited several other townships during her Sept 10-12 visit to the state. Among those present for the Sept 11 meeting were Bishop Stephen Tjephe of Loikaw, retired Bishop Sotero Phamo of Loikaw and British Bishop John Arnold of

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Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with Church personnel to speak about topics such as ethnic rights and her party’s goal to capture parliament.

Salford, who was leading a retreat for priests of the diocese. Fr Celso Ba Shwe, the Loikaw diocese’s vicar general, said Ms Suu Kyi urged citizens to vote according to party lines, because “the party who wins will help the development of ethnic areas and protect their rights.� Fr Ba Shwe recalled that in the 2010 elections, Christian candidates from the ruling Union

Solidarity and Development Party failed to follow through on promises of development for ethnic areas due to the lack of support from party leaders. “I have a doubt on how the big parties would carry out the development of ethnic areas, ethnic rights and equality if they win,� he said. Many observers see the November election as a test of the quasi-civilian government’s commitment to political reforms. For ethnic minorities, the election could represent a major opportunity. Two-thirds of the 90 registered political parties represent minority groups from Myanmar’s seven ethnic-based states. “We expect to have real change but I don’t have high expectations from Ms Suu Kyi because I need to wait and see how she would carry out ... ethnic rights practically,� said Fr Francis Mireh, diocesan treasurer. “Personally, I want our ethnic parties to win in the November polls because they know the reality of ethnic areas,� Fr Mireh said. „ UCANEWS.COM

‘Continue with renewed passion’ „ From Page 1

We remember this in His words, ³, DP WKH YLQH \RX DUH WKH EUDQFKHV +H ZKR DELGHV LQ PH DQG , LQ KLP KH LW LV WKDW EHDUV PXFK IUXLW IRU DSDUW IURP PH \RX FDQ GR QRWKLQJ ´ -Q Yet, coming to the end of this year of dedication of the New Evangelisation to Mary does not mark the end. Rather, it should be ingrained in our minds and hearts, that in whatever we do, we must turn to the Mother of the New Evangelisation. For she remains for us a primary model, an inspiration, intercessor and, most of all, she is the Mother of the Good News herself. From her, we learn to be a true disciple of the Lord and a co-oper-

ator with His grace. We are called to imitate her in bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world in words and in deeds. Hence, it is important to remember why we have chosen to dedicate ourselves and our work to her. So, in the closing of this year, I would like to exhort you not to fall back into slumber but to continue with renewed passion and zeal in this work that we are called to. As St Paul says, ³$ZDNH 2 VOHHSHU ULVH XS IURP WKH GHDG DQG &KULVW ZLOO VKLQH RQ \RX´ (SKHVLDQV Let us arise and throw off our cloak of pride, indifference, doubt and despondency and let the light of Christ shine upon us and through us to remove the darkness that surrounds us. We

La Salle Brother honoured GEORGETOWN, MALAYSIA – Br

Anthony Rogers (left), director of the La Salle Brothers in Malaysia, was conferred the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri (DSPN), which carries the title “Dato�, in conjunction with the 77th birthday of the Yang Dipertua Negeri of Penang, Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas. The conferment was in recognition of the Lasallian contribution to education in Malaysia. The investiture ceremony was held on Saturday, Sept 5, in Penang. „ By ANDREW SCOTT

need to renew our faith and stand together as a people of communion in mission to proclaim like Mary, ³7KH $OPLJKW\ ZRUNV PDUYHOV IRU PH +RO\ LV +LV QDPH ´ With the light of Christ shining upon us, may we radiate His light to the world. We must keep contemplating on her face and that of our Lord so that we will not lose our zeal and passion for the spread of the gospel. Together with Christ and Mary in the work of New Evangelisation, I remain your servant of the gospel,

Archbishop William Goh

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Sunday October 4, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Myanmar cardinal slams ‘divisive’ laws Parliament was ‘ coerced by a fringe group of religious elite to enact four ‘black laws’, virtually fragmenting the dream of a united Myanmar.

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– Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon on new race and religion laws in Myanmar

MANDALAY – Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon has urged Myanmar’s president to review a set of controversial laws that could target religious minorities, saying the legislation will fragment “the dream of a united Myanmarâ€?. In a written appeal on Sept 10, the cardinal condemned a package of legislation known as the race and religion laws. Rights groups and faith leaders fear the laws will be used to persecute religious minorities in the Buddhist-majority country. “Parliament was coerced by a fringe group of religious elite to enact four ‘black laws’, virtually fragmenting the dream of a united Myanmar,â€? the outspoken cardinal said in a strongly worded statement. “That these four bills were conceived not by the elected representatives of the Myanmar people, but by an extra-constitutional fringe element ‌ is a dangerous portent IRU WKH Ă€HGJOLQJ GHPRFUDF\ ´ Myanmar President Thein Sein signed into law the last of the four divisive bills on Aug 31. The restrictive legislation had been championed by hard-line Buddhist monks from a group known as Ma Ba Tha, or the Committee for the Protection of Race and Religion.

The laws include a population control bill imposing mandatory “birth spacingâ€? between a woman’s pregnancies; a monogamy law setting punishments for people with more than one spouse; an interfaith marriage law requiring Buddhist women to register their marriages in advance if they want to wed a non-Buddhist man; and a law regulating religious conversions. Taken together, rights groups and faith leaders fear the laws are a barely concealed attempt to target Myanmar’s Muslim minority, particularly the often persecuted Muslim Rohingya. In his statement, Cardinal Bo said the restrictive laws represent a major step back for a country that has only recently begun to emerge from decades of isolation amid military rule. “We need peace. We need reconciliation. We need a shared and FRQÂżGHQW LGHQWLW\ DV FLWL]HQV RI D nation of hope,â€? Cardinal Bo said. “But these four laws seemed to have rung a death knell to that hope.â€? The cardinal’s appeal comes as political parties in Myanmar begin campaigning ahead of longawaited national elections on Nov 8. Many observers see the poll as a test of Myanmar’s democratic reforms. „ UCANEWS.COM

Philippine Church expects surge in annulment cases MANILA – More Filipino Catholics

lity declaration can be shortened,â€? are expected to seek marriage nul- $UFKELVKRS &UX] VDLG DGGLQJ WKDW lity after the Vatican announced the current practice is “quite comthat it has made the annulment plicated.â€? process simpler. Archbishop Socrates Villegas, “There will be more who will president of the conference, claritry to really seek a marriage nullity ÂżHG WKDW ZKLOH WKH SRSH KDV RSWHG especially if they are already sepa- to simplify the process for the UDWHG ´ VDLG $UFKELVKRS 2VFDU &UX] declaration of marriages to be null head of the National Appellate Mat- and void, “the doctrine about the rimonial Tribunal of the Philippine sacredness of marriage and family Catholic bishops’ conference. life is unchangedâ€?. The prelate The pope’s said the Philippine “new apostolic lettribunal receives an ter reaches out to average of 60 marthose Catholics riage annulment who suffer quietly cases every year. from the bond and This year, some 40 obligations of what cases have already they thought was a been lodged since marriage, when the January, said Archtruth is there was no ELVKRS &UX] marriage to speak With the new of from the very rules, which shorten start because the the process of an- Archbishop Villegas: pope requirements for nulment, Archbish- wants to reach out to those in the valid reception RS &UX] H[SHFWV WKH invalid marriages. &16 ÂżOH SKRWR of matrimony were number of cases to not present,â€? said increase in the coming months. Archbishop Villegas in a statement. The Vatican has announced He said the pope wants to that it has eliminated the require- reach out tenderly to those who ment that any marriage annulment suffer from invalid marriages. granted by a Church court must “The services of the Church be automatically reviewed by an- must be more accessible to the peoother set of judges. ple. The process to receive those The new rules also allow a blessings of new peace for those bishop to hear a case and grant an who have suffered long must be annulment. VLPSOLÂżHG ´ KH VDLG „ UCANEWS.COM “I agree with the Holy Father that the process for marriage nul- „ See also story on Page 15

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Sunday October 4, 2015 „ CatholicNews

9DWLFDQ ZHOFRPHV LWV ÀUVW IDPLO\ RI refugees following pope’s appeal VATICAN CITY – Embracing Pope Francis’ request to sponsor a refugee family, the Vatican’s St Anne parish has welcomed a family of four from Damascus, Syria. In an appeal on Sept 6, the pope called on every parish, Religious community, monastery and shrine in Europe to take in a family of refugees, given the ongoing crisis RI SHRSOH ÀHHLQJ IURP ZDU DQG SRYHUW\ He said being Christian means giving a concrete sign of hope and God’s mercy to those in need. 7KH SDSDO $OPRQHUœV 2I¿FH ZKLFK responds to individual requests for assistance and helps coordinate Pope Francis’ direct requests for assisting the homeless in Rome, announced on Sept 18 that a refugee family was being cared for by St Anne’s parish inside Vatican City. The family – a mother, father and two children – belong to the Melkite Catholic Church, one of the Byzantine-rite Churches in full union with Rome. The family arrived in Italy on Sept 6, the day the pope made his appeal, the Vatican said; they have been offered a Vatican apartment near St Peter’s Square, as requested by Pope Francis. 7KHLU UHTXHVW IRU DV\OXP KDG EHHQ ¿OHG with Italian authorities, the Vatican said, and in accordance with Italian law, family members are not allowed to seek employment for the next six months. St Anne’s parish would be providing all needed assistance and care in the meantime. The Vatican said St Peter’s Basilica was

Migrant children looking through a fence. The Vatican’s St Anne parish has taken in a family RI IRXU IURP 6\ULD DQG 6W 3HWHUœV %DVLOLFD LV DOVR LQ WKH SURFHVV RI ¿QDOLVLQJ GHWDLOV WR EULQJ LQ a refugee family. CNS photo

VWLOO LQ WKH SURFHVV ¿QDOLVLQJ GHWDLOV IRU WDNing in a refugee family. 7KH $OPRQHUœV 2I¿FH VDLG WKDW IRU \HDUV LW KDV PDGH ¿QDQFLDO FRQWULEXWLRQV WR -HVXLW Refugee Service’s Astalli Centre in Rome to help cover the costs of permits that allow refugees to stay in Italy. In addition, Pope Francis recently made available a mobile medical unit for refugees in Rome. The medical unit had been donated to

the pope a few years ago, the Almoner’s 2IÂżFH VDLG DQG KDG EHHQ XVHG RQO\ GXULQJ papal events. “For a few days now,â€? the unit has been brought out “a few times a week to assist refugeesâ€? in the outskirts of Rome. The mobile unit is staffed by volunteers, who are doctors, nurses, Swiss guards, Vatican City State employees, staff at a Rome university and members of an Italian associaWLRQ RI YROXQWHHU PHGLFV WKH RIÂżFH VDLG „ CNS

Pope slams ‘civilised’ cities’ forcing people onto streets VATICAN CITY – It’s a disgrace that children live on the streets and young girls and women are forced into prostitution, especially in societies that claim to be highly developed and cultured, Pope Francis said. “Every child abandoned or forced to live on the streets, at the mercy of criminal organisations, is a cry rising up to God,� he said. It is a cry of accusation “against a social system that we have criticised for decades but that we struggle to change,� he said in an audience on Sept 17 to participants of an international symposium on the pastoral care of people on the street. “It is troubling to see the increasing number of young girls and women forced to earn a living on the street by selling their own bodies, victims of exploitation by criminal organisations and at times by parents and family members,� he said. Such a situation “is a disgrace in our societies, which boast of being modern and having achieved high levels of culture and development,� he added. The pope said Christians must be involved in helping innocent people forced onto the streets by safeguarding their dignity and bringing “the goodness and the tenderness of God� to them. „ CNS

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Sunday October 4, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Help families, recognise goodness, don’t just criticise, says cardinal Austrian cardinal shares how Church should view those in ‘irregular’ situations VATICAN CITY – A three-week

meeting of bishops to talk in the abstract about Catholic teaching on the family makes no sense to Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schonborn of Vienna. “We are all called to observe the situation, not gazing from above and beginning with abstract ideas, but with the gaze of pastors who scrutinise today’s reality in an evangelical spirit,â€? the cardinal said in an interview with Jesuit Fr Antonio Spadaro, HGLWRU RI WKH LQĂ€XHQWLDO ,WDOLDQ Jesuit magazine, La Civilta Cattolica. The magazine is reviewed by the Vatican before publication. ,Q WKH HDUO\ 6HSWHPEHU LQWHUview, the cardinal spoke about his experience at the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family last year, his own parents’ divorce, the relationships of his friends and his hopes for the world Synod of Bishops on the family to be held from Oct 4-25. The approach the bishops

The approach the Synod of Bishops LV FDOOHG WR WDNH ¾LV QRW ¿UVW RI DOO a critical gaze that highlights every failure, but a benevolent gaze that sees how much good will and how much effort there is even in the midst of much suffering’. – Cardinal Christoph Schonborn of Vienna

are called to take, he said, “is not first of all a critical gaze that highlights every failure, but a benevolent gaze that sees how much good will and how much effort there is even in the midst of much sufferingâ€?. The next step, he said, is not to pretend that everything in all WKRVH VLWXDWLRQV LV ÂżQH EXW WR help Catholics build on what is good, growing in holiness and

faithfulness to God and to each other. The Church’s ministers, he said, should recognise what is good where it is found. For example, he said, a civil marriage is better than simply living together because it signifies that a couple has made a formal, public commitment to one another. ³,QVWHDG RI WDONLQJ DERXW HYHrything that is missing, we can draw close to this reality, noting

what is positive in this love that is establishing itself.â€? He also spoke about a gay friend who, after many temporary relationships, is now in a stable relationship. This friend and his partner share “a life, they share their joys and sufferings, they help one anotherâ€?, said the cardinal. Âł,W PXVW EH UHFRJQLVHG WKDW this person took an important step for his own good and the good of others, even though it certainly is not a situation the Church can consider ‘regular.’â€? The Church’s negative “judgment about homosexual acts is necessaryâ€?, he said, “but the Church should not look in the EHGURRP ÂżUVW EXW LQ WKH GLQLQJ URRP ,W PXVW DFFRPSDQ\ SHRple.â€? Pastoral accompaniment “cannot transform an irregular situation into a regular oneâ€?, he said, “but there do exist paths for healing, for learning,â€? for moving gradually closer to a situation in compliance with Church teaching.

“We are not at risk of diluting the clarity [of Church teaching] while walking with people because we are called to walk in the faith,â€? he said. He also noted that at the 2014 extraordinary synod, it seemed that many participants had ignored that “for centuries, perhaps millenniaâ€?, marriage was a sacrament reserved to the upper classes who could afford a dowry and a ceremony. Âł,Q WKH 9LHQQD EDSWLVPDO UHcords of the 1800s, about half of the babies were illegitimate, children of all those servants in the upper-class homes who could not marry because they did not have the means,â€? he said. More and more young people today are living together instead of marrying, many of them beFDXVH RI D ODFN RI ÂżQDQFLDO VHFXrity, he said. The bishops need to ask themselves, “Are we here to deplore this phenomenon instead of asking ourselves what has changed?â€? “There is a risk of easLO\ SRLQWLQJ D ÂżQJHU DW KHdonism and individualism,â€? he said, when “it takes much more effort to observe the realities carefullyâ€? and respond helpfully. Cardinal Schonborn said that being a child of divorced parents – and of a father who remarried – he knows what it is to grow up in a “patchwork familyâ€?. And despite it not conforming fully WR WKH &KXUFKÂśV LGHDO Âł, DOVR experienced the radical goodness of the familyâ€? with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who helped out, he said. „ CNS

POPE FRANCIS 11

Sunday October 4, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Pontiff talks friendship, pardon and interaction in radio interviews VATICAN CITY – A pope needs friends, needs mercy and needs to reach out to all people, Pope Francis said in two radio interviews released in mid-September. Pope Francis told Portugal’s Catholic Radio Renascenca that he goes to confession “every 15 days, 20 days. I confess to a Franciscan priest, Fr Blanco, who is kind enough to come here and confess me.� Laughing, the pope said, “I’ve never had to call an ambulance� to carry him away “in shock over my sins!� In a separate interview with Argentina’s Radio Milenium, Pope Francis was asked how he feels when he hears people refer to him as a global moral leader and a point of reference for all humanity. “I know that I am a sinner,� the pope responded, and “so I speak with Jesus and tell Him, ‘People

are so good to think this of me.’ But the good that is in me, I owe to Him. It is a gift from God.� Pope Francis told Marcelo Figueroa, the interviewer from Radio Milenium, “I’ve never had as many ‘friends’ – in quotation marks – as I have now. Everyone is a friend of the pope!� However, he said, friendship is something “very sacred.� It involves walking alongside another person. Friendship takes time. And it is not about “using� the other, which Pope Francis said has happened to him, just as it happens to everyone. The world, he said, seems to be cultivating a “culture of enmity� rather than friendship and brotherhood. Fundamentalists in every religion, he said, judge others and “seek to destroy because they are faithful to an idea, but not to a reality.� In Judaism, Christianity and

Priests lacking mercy shouldn’t hear confession; get desk job, pope says VATICAN CITY – To be a true

ther and ask the Lord to “forgive us Christian means being forgiving, our trespasses, as we forgive those kind, humble, gentle, generous, who trespass against us,â€? it should merciful and very patient with not be a string of empty words tryone another, Pope Francis said in ing to convince God how good a morning homily. we are to gain His favour. Rather, Priests must be especially it goes the other way around, the merciful, he added, saying that pope said: “The Lord has forgiven if they weren’t, then they should you, so you must also do.â€? ask their bishop for a desk job and God is always merciful, he “never walk into a confessional, I said, “He always forgives us, He beg you.â€? always wants peace “A priest who isn’t A priest who with us.â€? If people are merciful does much not merciful, too, “you isn’t merciful run the risk that the damage in the confessional. He berates peoLord will not be merdoes much ple,â€? the pope said on with you because damage in the ciful Sept 10 during Mass we will be judged with confessional. the same measure with in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marwhich we judge othHe berates thae, his residence. ers.â€? people. However, if snapIt is important to – Pope Francis ping at people is “understand others, caused not by a lack not condemn them,â€? of compassion, but by being he said. high-strung, then “go to a doctor The pope praised those “herowho will give you a pill for your icâ€? men and women who display nerves. Just be merciful,â€? he said. such needed “Christian patienceâ€? The pope said, “If you do not and courage: women who endure know how to forgive, you are not “so much brutality, so many ina Christian. You may be a good justicesâ€? in order to help their man, a good woman,â€? but a Chris- children and family, and men tian has to go further than that and ZKR HQGXUH GLIÂżFXOW HYHQ XQMXVW do what Christ did, which included working conditions in order to forgiving those who wronged Him. support their family. “These are When people pray the Our Fa- the just,â€? the pope said. „ CNS

‘

’

Islam, he said, there are people who “transform God into an ideology and also in the name of God kill, attack, destroy and slander.â€? In both radio interviews, Pope Francis spoke about his need to be with people, even though it is difÂżFXOW QRZ WKDW KH LV SRSH “A priest must be a bridge – that’s why they call a pope pontiff – that is, he must build bridges and not isolate himself,â€? the pope told Figueroa. “When I say priest, I mean bishops and the pope as well.â€? He told Radio Renascenca’s Aura Miguel that he really needs to get out of the Vatican more, which is something he is working

A priest must be a ‘bridge – that’s why they call a pope pontiff – that is, he must build bridges and not isolate himself.

’

– Pope Francis

on. “But I have contact with people on Wednesdays� at his general audience “and this helps a lot. The only thing I really miss from Buenos Aires is going out, walking along the streets.� Pope Francis also told Miguel he hopes to go to Portugal in 2017 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima. In anticipation of the anniversary, Pope Francis said people should do what Mary wants: “The Virgin Mary always asks us to pray, to look after the family and follow the commandments. She asks us to pray for those who have lost their

way, for those who say they are sinQHUV Âą DUHQÂśW ZH DOO" , DP WKH ÂżUVW ´ Pope Francis also spoke about the huge wave of refugees, particularly from Syria, who were seeking safety and a new life in Europe in August and September. The summer’s movement of people “is the tip of an iceberg,â€? he VDLG Âł7KHVH SRRU SHRSOH DUH Ă€HHLQJ war, hunger, but that is the tip of the iceberg. Because underneath that is the cause; and the cause is a bad and unjust socio-economic system.â€? Miguel also asked the pope what keeps him awake at night. “Can I tell you truth,â€? Pope Francis responded. “I sleep like a log.â€? „ CNS

Pope admits he is ‘a bit feminist’ VATICAN CITY – Calling himself “a bit feminist,â€? Pope Francis praised women Religious for always heading to the “front linesâ€? to bring the Church’s tenderness and motherly love to those most in need. “The Church thanks you for this, it is a beautiful witness. This is being close. Close to people’s problems, real problems,â€? he said during an audience on Sept 17 with young consecrated women and men from around the world, including Iraq and Syria. About 5,000 people gathered in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall for the hour-long papal audience; they were taking part in the World Meeting for Young Consecrated Men and Women from Sept 15-19. When talking about how successful evangelisers have a heart ÂżOOHG ZLWK ÂżUH DQG DUH GULYHQ WR warm other people’s lives with Christ, the pope said he wanted to add something to that. “Here I would like to – forgive me if I’m a bit feminist – give thanks to the witness of consecrated women,â€? he said. Women Religious “have this desire to always go to the front lines. Why? Because you’re mothers, you have the maternal instinct of the Church, which makes you be nearâ€? people in need, he said. He told a story of three South

Pope Francis voiced his admiration for women Religious, saying they have this desire to always go to the front lines and be near people. CNS photo

Korean sisters who went to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to help staff a Catholic hospital in the archdiocese he once led, but “they knew as much Spanish as I know Chinese – nothing!â€? Nonetheless, the three Sisters immediately went to the wards, helping patients, holding them, giving them a smile, and the patients kept praising how wonderful the Sisters were even though they never said a word. “It was the witness of a heart RQ ÂżUH ,W LV WKH PRWKHUKRRG RI nuns,â€? he said. “You truly have this function in the Church, to be the icon of

the Church, the icon of Mary, icon of the Church’s tenderness, the Church’s love, the motherhood of Church and the motherhood of Our Lady. Do not forget this. Always on the front lines, but like this.â€? Evangelising, in fact, is all DERXW VKRZLQJ ÂłZLWK \RXU Ă€HVK with your lifeâ€? that Jesus Christ is alive, Pope Francis said. Religious men and women can take courses on evangelisation and deepen their studies, which “is good, but the ability to warm hearts doesn’t come from books, it comes from your heart!â€? „ CNS

12 POPE IN CUBA

Sunday October 4, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Pope calls for greater f

Preaches love and service for vulnerable, encourages young people to ‘ Serve people, not ideology, pope tells Cubans at Mass HAVANA – $V &XEDQV ¿QDOO\ IDFH

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Pope Francis gives Communion to a girl during Mass in Havana. He told Cubans that service to people, especially the vulnerable, shows the greatness of a nation and her people. CNS photo

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Pope Francis shakes hands with former Cuban President Fidel Castro. The two met for about 30 minutes and exchanged gifts. CNS photo

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POPE IN CUBA 13

Sunday October 4, 2015 „ CatholicNews

freedom for Church

o ‘walk together’ and acknowledges suffering of Cubans

Jesus’ love enables people to love others, pope says

Pope Francis meeting with young people. He invited them to ‘walk together’ and engage in dialogue. CNS photo

Pope urges young people to ‘dream’ big and to ‘walk together’ HAVANA – In a hot and steamy ca-

thedral, Pope Francis set aside his prepared homily and spoke about serving those the world considers “useless.� “Serving ‘the useless’ makes Jesus shine,� the pope said at an evening prayer service on Sept 20 with Religious, priests and seminarians gathered in Havana’s cathedral. Pope Francis thanked women Religious around the world who dedicate themselves with love to caring for people the world ignores or would like to forget. “Thank you for what you do and through you, thank you to all of these women, so many consecrated women, for their service to the ‘useless,’� he said. Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino of Havana introduced the congregation to the pope, telling him, “the Church in Cuba is a poor Church,� and the way that Cuban priests and Religious and foreign missionaries embrace that poverty “is admirable.� Pope Francis said the cardinal “used an uncomfortable word: poverty. The spirit of the world does not know that word, doesn’t seek it, hides it.� Poverty, he said, can be a per-

son’s greatest wealth, but the search for wealth can destroy a person’s life. Leaving the cathedral, the pope went outside to meet young people – Catholics, followers of other faiths and non-believers – at the Fr Felix Varela cultural centre. Dreaming, hope and friendship were the key topics of his talk, which like his talk inside the cathedral, was ad-libbed.

Dream that you can ‘ make the world different. Dream that you can make it better. Don’t forget to dream.

’

– Pope Francis

He began by telling the youths of a saying he likes: “People KDYH WZR H\HV RQH RI Ă€HVK DQG the other of glass. With the eye RI Ă€HVK ZH VHH ZKDW ZH ORRN DW With the glass eye we see what we dream.â€? “Dream that you can make the world different. Dream that you can make it better,â€? he told them. “Don’t forget to dream.â€? Societies and nations that do

not invest in their young people, he said, are stripping themselves of hope. Hope, he said, is not just easy optimism. It takes effort and a willLQJQHVV WR VDFULÂżFH DQG HYHQ VXIIHU for a goal. “It’s not easy. You cannot take it alone,â€? he said. “There is an African proverb that says ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to walk far, go with someone. I want you to walk with each other.’ “Even though you may think differently, that you have different points of view, I want you to walk together,â€? he said. “It is the sweet hope of homeland for which we must come together.â€? “I urge you to try to talk about what we have in common and then we can talk about our differences. This is only possible when we have the ability to dialogue.â€? Before leaving, Pope Francis asked the young people if they wanted him to pray with them. “I ask that you pray for me,â€? he said. And acknowledging that not all of those present believe in God, he added, “if one of you is not able to pray for me, I ask that you wish good things for me.â€? „ CNS

Reports on the pope’s US visit in the next issue

HOLGUIN, CUBA – Celebrating the feast of St Matthew, a day he considers a turning point in his own journey of faith, Pope Francis told thousands of Cubans that Jesus knows who they really are and calls them to walk with Him. Arriving in the eastern city of Holguin from Havana on Sept 21, the pope went directly to the city’s Revolution Square for the feast day Mass. The pope explained to the people in the square that Matthew was a tax collector for the Roman occupiers, which meant that he was seen as a traitor to be shunned. But Jesus “looked at him with the eyes of mercy; He looked at him as no one had ever looked at him before.� “And this look unlocked Matthew’s heart,� the pope said. “It set him free, it healed him, it gave him hope, a new life,� just as Jesus’ merciful gaze gives new life to men and women today. Preaching under bright, sunny skies in Holguin, Pope Francis told the people, “Jesus’ love goes before us, His look anticipates our

needs. He can see beyond appearances, beyond sin, beyond failures and unworthiness.â€? Jesus, he said, sees “our dignity as sons and daughters, a dignity all of us have, a dignity sometimes sullied by sin, but one which endures in the depth of our soul.â€? Pope Francis asked people in WKH FURZG WR ÂżQG D TXLHW WLPH DW home or in a church to remember in silence and with gratitude an occasion when they felt that merciful gaze of Christ. Jesus’ love, His mercy and His call to follow are also calls to love others, respect their dignity and show them mercy, the pope said. “Jesus’ love heals our short-sightedness and pushes us to look beyond, QRW WR EH VDWLVÂżHG ZLWK DSSHDUDQFHV or with what is politically correct.â€? Pope Francis asked the crowd to practise gazing upon Jesus in the Eucharist, in confession and “in our brothers and sisters, especially those who feel excluded or abandoned. May we learn to see them as Jesus sees us.â€? „ CNS

14 POPE FRANCIS

Sunday October 4, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Youths leaving Church a worry; personal encounter with Jesus needed, pope says VATICAN CITY – Why do so many young people leave the Church DIWHU FRQÂżUPDWLRQ 3RSH )UDQFLV asked bishops from Portugal. “There is no doubt that Jesus exists; but where are we hiding Him?â€? the pope said. What is required is “a personal and pastoral conversion of pastors and faithful so that everyone can say truthfully and joyfully: ‘The Church is our home,’â€? he said in a written speech handed to the bishops during their meeting with the pope on Sept 7. The bishops were PDNLQJ WKHLU ÂłDG OLPLQD´ RU ÂżYH yearly visits to Rome to report on the state of their dioceses. Pope Francis asked the bishops not to lose courage before the many challenges facing them and their parishes. One of the challenges the pope highlighted was “the large number of adolescents and young people who abandon practising the Christian faith after the Sacrament RI &RQÂżUPDWLRQ ´ +H DOVR QRWHG WKH ODFN RI VSHFLÂżF SURJUDPPHV WR help young people continue their formation, which could help prevent them from entering into “irregularâ€? relationships later. “All of us cannot help but be worried about this ‘escape’ by youth that happens precisely at the age when they are taking over the reinsâ€? and gaining greater independence in life, he said. “Let’s ask ourselves: Young

One of the challenges the pope highlighted was the ‘large number of adolescents and young people who abandon practising the Christian faith after the Sacrament RI &RQÂżUPDWLRQÂś

Pope Francis holding hands with youths. He has asked for a ‘catechumenal’ approach that focuses on a personal encounter with Jesus instead of a ‘scholastic model’ of teaching. CNS photo

people are leaving – why are they making this decision? Is it because they are not interested in the gift they have received? Are they not interested in what they were offered because it does not respond to the problems and questions that worry them today?� he asked. 8VLQJ WKH JDUPHQW ZRUQ DW ¿UVW Communion as a symbol of the faith young people receive, the pope asked whether kids today no longer

have any use for such attire, have replaced it with something else or if the Christian community is possibly trying to force them to wear it? Jesus’ promise of eternal life has convinced so many, but today, “our proposal of Jesus is not convincing,� he said. Perhaps the Church’s catechetical materials have done a good job presenting the life and teachings of Jesus, but what is probably

harder is getting people to actually encounter Him through the life and witness of catechists and the Church community, he said. The pope asked that the “scholastic modelâ€? of teaching about Jesus be replaced with a “catechumenalâ€? approach that does not just impart “cerebral knowledge, but also a personal encounter with Jesus Christâ€? that focuses on lisWHQLQJ IRU WKH VSHFLÂżF YRFDWLRQ

God is calling each person to live. Jesus is walking with today’s young people, the pope said. The problem is the prevailing assumption today that everyone is an “apprentice-creator of oneself and completely intoxicated on IUHHGRP ´ 7KDW PDNHV LW GLIÂżFXOW for people to understand the idea of being called to a vocation, the pope said. The good news is while God gave people free will, He also gave everyone the ability to carry out His plan and “a concrete mission to serve the humanity He loves.â€? “He loves us too much to abandon us to chanceâ€? and devoid of gifts and goodness, he said. Even though the world tries to deceive people into believing otherwise, “our happiness fully depends on our knowing how to ÂżJXUH RXW DQG IROORZ WKH FDOO WR that missionâ€? God has in mind for everyone, he said.„ CNS

Pontiff invites parishes to be like a Church called to be ‘mother’ to all, pope says welcoming family, not exclusive sect VATICAN CITY – If the Church at terrible moments,â€? the pope said. loses touch with its maternal side, The Church, too, is called to be the only thing that remains is “ri- a mother to all Jesus’ followers, he gidity and discipline,â€? Pope Fran- said. “Our ‘holy mother Church’â€? cis said at an early morning Mass is what Christians are born into at with members of the international baptism and is the community that Council of Cardinals advising him helps them grow. on the reform of the Roman Cu“Mother Mary and mother ria, the administrative apparatus Church know how to caress their of the Holy See. children and give Celebrating the tenderness,â€? Mother Mary them feast of Our Lady of Pope Francis said. and mother Sorrows on Sept 15 Referring several with the nine carditimes the writings Church know of the to nals and other guests, Abbot Isaac of how to caress Stella, France, who Pope Francis focused on Jesus’ words from their children was a monk, theolothe cross entrusting gian and philosopher, and give them the pope said that Mary to His beloved disciple as mother. while it could shock tenderness. As Jesus was dypeople, he believes – Pope Francis ing, the pope said, the abbot was correct Mary “becomes a in teaching that “our mother another time,â€? and her ma- soul is mother as well,â€? and that ternity expands to embrace the dis- is seen in both men and women ciple and all those who will come when they demonstrate “humility, to follow Jesus throughout history. welcome, understanding, goodJesus had told His disciples, “I ness, forgiveness and tenderness.â€? will not leave you orphans,â€? the Where there is a sense of the pope said, and He kept His promise maternal, he said, “there is life, by giving Mary to be their mother. there is joy, there is peace,â€? but “We have a mother who is with when that maternal instinct is us, protects us, accompanies us and missing, there is just “rigidity and KHOSV XV HYHQ LQ GLIÂżFXOW WLPHV DQG discipline.â€? „ CNS

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VATICAN CITY – A Church that

lives according to the Gospel must always have its doors open and be a welcoming community, not “an exclusive, closed sect,� Pope Francis said. “Churches, parishes, institutions with closed doors must not call themselves a church; they must call themselves museums,� he said to applause during his general audience in St Peter’s Square on Sept 9. As part of a series of talks about the family, the pope focused on the close bond that should exist between the family and the Christian community. The son of God chose to be born and immersed in the everyday life and routine of a simple family in a poor village, the pope said. In fact, the family is where the “irreplaceable, indelible� start of one’s life story begins, which is “why the family is so important.� When Jesus began His public ministry, He formed around Him a community with a shared vocation, “that is, a con-vocation of people. This is the meaning of the word, ‘Church,’� the pope said. The group Jesus gathers around Him has the features of “a

Pope Francis has called for a Church that welcomes people, not one that closes its doors. CNS photo

hospitable family, not an exclusive, closed sect,â€? he said. Âł:H ÂżQG 3HWHU DQG -RKQ EXW also the hungry, the thirsty, the foreigner, the persecuted, the sinner, the tax collector, the Pharisees and the multitudes. And Jesus never stops welcoming and speaking with everyone, even with those who no longer expect to encounter God in their life.â€? Jesus’ example is a valuable lesson for the Church today, the pope said, as is recognising that Jesus chose His disciples to take care of these people, “this family of God’s guests.â€? Pope Francis said it was “indispensable and urgentâ€? for the

bond between the family and the Christian community to be renewed and strengthened. “The family and the parish are the two places in which this communion of love, whose ultimate source is God Himself, is realised.� The pope asked Christian communities and parishes to do their part, avoid acting too much like impersonal functionaries or managers and engage more in face-to-face dialogue to build mutual understanding and respect. The Christian community, he said, “is the home of those who believe in Jesus Christ as the source of the unity of the entire human family.� „ CNS

POPE FRANCIS 15

Sunday October 4, 2015 „ CatholicNews

A bride and groom hold hands on their wedding day. Couples who wish to have their marriages annulled can now do so quicker and cheaper, starting from Dec 8, the opening day of the Year of Mercy. CNS photo

Pope amends annulment process, asks that it be free and quicker VATICAN CITY – While a juridical

process is necessary for making accurate judgments, the Catholic Church’s marriage annulment process must be quicker, free of charge and much more of a pastoral ministry, Pope Francis said. Rewriting a section of the Latin-rite Code of Canon Law and of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, Pope Francis said he was not “promoting the nullity of marriages, but the quickness of the processes, as well as a correct simplicity� of the procedures so that Catholic couples are not “oppressed by the shadow of doubt� for prolonged periods. The Vatican released on Sept 8 the texts of two papal documents, “Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus� (“The Lord Jesus, the Gentle Judge�) for the Latin-rite Church and “Mitis et misericors Iesus,� (“The Meek and Merciful Jesus�) for the Eastern Catholic Churches. The changes, including the option of a brief process without the obligatory automatic appeal, go into effect on Dec 8, the opening day of the Year of Mercy. The rules for the Latin and Eastern Churches are substantially the same since the differences in texts refer mainly to the different structures of the hierarchy with Latin Churches having bishops and Eastern Churches having eparchs and patriarchs. Pope Francis said the changes in the annulment process were motivated by “concern for the salvation of souls,� and particularly “charity and mercy� toward those who feel alienated from the Church because of their marriage situations and the perceived complexity of the Church’s annulment process.

The new rules replace canons 1671-1691 of the Code of Canon Law and canons 1357-1377 of the Eastern code. Pope Francis also provided a set of “procedural regulationsâ€? outlining how his reforms are to take place, encouraging bishops in small dioceses to train personnel who can handle marriage cases and spelling out VSHFLÂżF FRQGLWLRQV ZKHQ D ELVKRS can issue a declaration of nullity after an abbreviated process. Those conditions include: when it is clear one or both parties lacked the faith to give full

The changes were motivated by ‘concern for the salvation of souls,’ and particularly ‘charity and mercy’ toward those who feel alienated from the Church because of their marriage situations. consent to a Catholic marriage; when the woman had an abortion to prevent procreation; remaining in an extramarital relationship at the time of the wedding or immediately afterward; one partner hiding knowledge of infertility, a serious contagious disease, children from a previous union or a history of incarceration; and when physical violence was used to extort consent for the marriage. The reformed processes were drafted by a special committee Pope Francis established a year earlier. Among the criteria he said

JXLGHG WKHLU ZRUN WKH ÂżUVW KH OLVWed was the possibility of there being “only one executive sentence in favour of nullityâ€? when the local bishop or judge delegated by him had the “moral certaintyâ€? that the marriage was not valid. Previously an appeal was automatic and a declaration of nullity had to come from two tribunals. Msgr Pio Vito Pinto, dean of the Roman Rota, a Vatican court, and president of the commission that drafted the new rules, said that Pope Francis asked for updates throughout the year, sought a review by four “great canonistsâ€? not involved in the drafting and in the end adopted the changes with “great seriousness, but also great serenity.â€? The changes made by Pope Francis, particularly the responsibility and trust placed in local bishops, are the most substantial changes in the Church’s marriage ODZ VLQFH WKH SRQWLÂżFDWH RI 3RSH Benedict XIV in the mid-1700s, Msgr Pinto said. Even with the 1917 and 1983 new Codes of Canon Law, the process for recognising the nullity of a marriage remained “substantially unchanged,â€? he said. “Putting the poor at the centre is what distinguishes the reform of Pope Francis from those made by Pope Pius X and Pope Benedict XIV,â€? Msgr Pinto said. In fact, Pope Francis ordered that the “gratuity of the procedure be assured so that, in a matter so closely tied to the salvation of souls, the Church – by demonstrating to the faithful that she is a generous mother – may demonstrate the gratuitous love of Christ, which saves us all.â€? „ CNS

16 OPINION

Sunday October 4, 2015 „ CatholicNews

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POPE’S MESSAGE FOR MIGRANT SUNDAY

Pope calls for ‘globalisation of charity’ to protect migrants

A female volunteer serving Bangladeshi migrants food. Pope Francis has called for charity and cooperation to ensure the rights of migrants and refugees. CNS photo VATICAN CITY – 3RSH )UDQFLV

called for the “globalisation of charityâ€? through an international QHWZRUN WR ÂżJKW KXPDQ WUDIÂżFNLQJ and ensure the rights of migrants and refugees. 7KH SRSHÂśV ZRUGV DSSHDUHG LQ his annual message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, ZKLFK LV REVHUYHG E\ WKH &DWKROLF &KXUFK LQ 6LQJDSRUH RQ 6HSW 7KH SRSHÂśV PHVVDJH LV WLWOHG Âł&KXUFK :LWKRXW )URQWLHUV Mother to All,â€? and was released in September 2014. “Large numbers of people are leaving their homelands, with a suitcase full of fears and desires, to undertake a hopeful and dangerous trip in search of more humane living conditions,â€? the pope wrote. “Such migration gives rise to suspicion and hostility, even in ecclesial communities, prior to any knowledge of the migrants’ lives or their stories of persecution and destitution.â€? 3RSH )UDQFLV FDOOHG RQ DOO WR honour the “biblical commandment of welcoming with respect and solidarity the stranger in need.â€?

Âł-HVXV &KULVW LV DOZD\V ZDLWLQJ to be recognised in migrants and refugees, in displaced persons and in exiles, and through them He calls us to share our resources, and occasionally to give up something of our acquired riches,â€? he wrote. “Migration movements, however, are on such a scale that only a systematic and active coopera-

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It is necessary to respond to the globalisation of migration with the globalisation of charity and cooperation.

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– Pope Francis

tion between states and international organisations can be capable of regulating and managing such movements effectively,� the message stated. “A more decisive and constructive action is required, one which relies on a universal network of cooperation, based on safeguarding the dignity and centrality of every

KXPDQ SHUVRQ ´ 3RSH )UDQFLV ZURWH Âł7KLV ZLOO OHDG WR JUHDWHU HIIHFWLYHQHVV LQ WKH ÂżJKW DJDLQVW WKH VKDPHIXO DQG FULPLQDO WUDIÂżFNLQJ RI KXPDQ beings, the violation of fundamental rights, and all forms of violence, oppression and enslavement.â€? “It is necessary to respond to the globalisation of migration with the globalisation of charity and cooperation,â€? he added. 3RSH )UDQFLV KDV PDGH PLJUDWLRQ D VLJQDWXUH LVVXH RI KLV SRQWLÂżcate. On July 2013, less than four months after his election as pope, he travelled to the southern Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, a major entry point for undocumented immigrants to Europe, to commemorate those who died attempting to cross the sea from North Africa. He has also frequently deQRXQFHG KXPDQ WUDIÂżFNLQJ FDOOLQJ it a “crime against humanity.â€? „ CNS For the full message of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, visit http:// w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/ en/messages/migration/documents/ papa-francesco_20140903_worldmigrants-day-2015.html

God’s ineffability GOD, as I understand him, is not very well understood. A colleague of mine, now deceased, was fond of saying that. It’s a wise comment. Anyone who claims to understand God is deFHLYHG EHFDXVH WKH YHU\ ÂżUVW GRJPD ZH KDYH DERXW *RG DIÂżUPV WKDW *RG LV LQHIIDEOH 7KDW PHDQV WKDW we can know God, but never adequately capture Him in a concept. God is unimaginable. God cannot be circumscribed and put into a mental picture of DQ\ NLQG 7KDQN JRRGQHVV WRR ,I *RG FRXOG EH XQGHUVWRRG WKHQ +H would be as limited as we are. %XW *RG LV LQÂżQLWH ,QÂżQLW\ SUHFLVHO\ EHFDXVH LWÂśV XQOLPLWHG FDQnot be circumscribed. Hence it cannot be captured in a mental picture. Indeed, we don’t even have a way of picturing God’s gender. God is not a man, not a woman, and not some hybrid, half-man and half-woman. God’s gender, like God’s nature, is intellectually inconceivable. We can’t grasp it and have no language or pronoun for it. God, in a modality beyond the categories of human thought, is somehow perfect masculinity and perfect femininity all at the same time. It’s a mystery beyond us. But while that mystery cannot be grasped with any rational adequacy, we can know it intimately, and indeed know it so deeply that it’s meant to be the most intimate of all knowledge in our lives. It’s no accident that the Bible uses the verb “to knowâ€? to connote sexual intimacy. 7KHUH DUH GLIIHUHQW ZD\V RI NQRZLQJ VRPH PRUH LQFKRDWH LQWXLtive, and intimate than others. We can know God in a radical intimacy, even as we cannot conceptualise God with any adequacy. And that’s also true of all the deep realities in life, we can know them and relate to them intimately, but we can never fully understand them. So where does that leave us with God? In the best of places! We are not on a blind date, struggling to develop intimacy with a complete stranger, with an unknown person who could be benign or malignant. God may be ineffable, but God’s nature is known. Divine revelation, as seen through nature, as seen through other religions, and especially as seen through Jesus, spells out what’s inside God’s ineffable reality. And what’s revealed there is both comforting beyond all comfort and challenging beyond all challenge. Nature, religion, and Jesus conspire together to reveal an ultimate reality, a ground of being, a creator and sustainer of the universe, a God, who is wise, intelligent, prodigal, compassionate, loving, forgiving, patient, good, trustworthy, and beautiful beyond imagination. 3LHUUH 7HLOKDUG GH &KDUGLQ D )UHQFK SKLORVRSKHU DQG -HVXLW SULHVW who trained as a palaeontologist and geologist, once, in a mystical vision, saw all of this hidden inside the eyes of Jesus. Staring at a painting of Jesus on a church wall one day, Jesus’ H\HV VXGGHQO\ EHFDPH WUDQVÂżJXUHG DQG WKLV LV ZKDW 7HLOKDUG VDZ Âł7KHVH H\HV ZKLFK DW ÂżUVW ZHUH VR JHQWOH DQG ÂżOOHG ZLWK SLW\ WKDW I thought my mother stood before me, became an instant later, like WKRVH RI D ZRPDQ SDVVLRQDWH DQG ÂżOOHG ZLWK WKH SRZHU WR VXEGXH \HW at the same time so imperiously pure that under their domination it would have been physically impossible for the emotions to go astray. Âł$QG WKHQ WKH\ FKDQJHG DJDLQ DQG EHFDPH ÂżOOHG ZLWK D QREOH virile majesty, similar to that which one sees in the eyes of men of JUHDW FRXUDJH RU UHÂżQHPHQW RU VWUHQJWK EXW LQFRPSDUDEO\ PRUH ORIW\ to behold and more delightful to submit to. Âł7KLV VFLQWLOODWLRQ RI GLYHUVH EHDXWLHV ZDV VR FRPSOHWH VR FDStivating, and also so swift that I felt it touch and penetrate all my powers simultaneously, so that the very core of my being vibrated in response to it, sounding a unique note of expansion and happiness. Âł1RZ ZKLOH , ZDV DUGHQWO\ JD]LQJ GHHS LQWR WKH SXSLOV RI &KULVWÂśV H\HV ZKLFK KDG EHFRPH DQ DE\VV RI ÂżHU\ IDVFLQDWLQJ OLIH VXGGHQO\ I beheld rising up from the depths of those same eyes what seemed like a cloud , blurring and blending all that variety I have been describing to you. “Little by little an extraordinary expression of great intensity, spread over the diverse shades of meaning which the divine eyes UHYHDOHG ÂżUVW RI DOO SHQHWUDWLQJ WKHP DQG WKHQ ÂżQDOO\ DEVRUELQJ WKHP DOO ÂŤ $QG , VWRRG GXPEIRXQGHG )RU WKLV ÂżQDO H[SUHVVLRQ ZKLFK had dominated and gathered up into itself all the others, was indecipherable. I simply could not tell whether it denoted an indescribable agony or a superabundance of triumphant joy.â€? God cannot be deciphered, circumscribed, or captured in human thought; but, from what can be deciphered, we’re in good, safe hands. We can sleep well at night for He has our back. In the end, both for humanity as a whole and for our own individual lives, all will be well, and every manner of being will be well. God is good. „

FOCUS 17

Sunday October 4, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Praying to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Q:

When do we address our prayers to God, to Jesus and to the Holy Spirit?

A: On the matter of prayer, St

John Damascene said that “prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from Godâ€?. Drawing from the words of Christ, the writings of Scripture and the saints, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are gifted with prayers grounded in Christian tradition. Through prayer, God invites His chosen ones into a relationship with Him that is both personal and communal. He speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Word-madeĂ€HVK DQG +H LQVSLUHV XV through the Holy Spirit. Thus prayer is our response to God who is already speaking or, better yet, revealing Himself to us. Therefore, prayer is not merely an exchange of words, but it engages the whole person in a relationship with God the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit. It is this realisation that God Himself is worthy of prayer and God is a Trinity of persons. Therefore, it would seem fair to say that we can pray to each member of the Godhead. The Bible teaches that we can pray to one or all three, because all

three are one. To the Father we pray with the psalmist, “Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I prayâ€? (Psalm 5: 2). Christ, when asked by the disciples about how to pray, starts his prayer with Âł2XU )DWKHU´ 0DWWKHZ To the Lord Jesus, we pray as to the Father because they are equal. Prayer to one member of the Trinity is prayer to all. Stephen, as he was being mar-

tyred, prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit� (Acts 7:59). We are also to pray in the name of Christ. Paul exhorted the Ephesian believers to always give “thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ� (Ephesians 5: 20). Jesus assured His disciples that whatever they asked in His name – meaning in His will – would be JUDQWHG -RKQ We are told to pray in the Spirit and in His power. The Spirit helps us to pray even when we do not know how or what to ask IRU 5RPDQV -XGH 7KH

This question sounds as if “having fun� is something of a special achievement, like a football player scoring a hat-trick. If it refers to enjoying myself, I can say that I truly enjoy most of what I do, by choice or by assignment.

When I was desperately looking for a toilet in a Toa Payoh mall, I ended up with smelly pants and in need of a thorough clean-up. Diminished control: side-effect of my recent radiation therapy for prostate cancer. I now travel around with “spare underwear�.

Name an occasion you felt embarrassed/humiliated.

Name an occasion/incident when you felt God was far away.

When was the last time you had fun?

It’s not so much a question of feeling God far away but, rather, WKDW DW WLPHV , ¿QG P\VHOI QRW OLYing in a close relationship with the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Spirit. This happens when I’m concerned mainly about my own preferences or likes and dislikes.

Holy Spirit does not bear witness of Himself. He bears witness of WKH 6RQ -RKQ Still, we can pray to the Spirit because we are also called into fellowship with the Spirit, i.e. 2 &RU VD\V ³7KH JUDFH RI WKH Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.� The Holy Spirit is the interior Master of Christian prayer. He is the artisan of the living tradition of prayer. To be sure, there are as many paths of prayer as there are persons who pray, but it is the same Spirit acting in all and with all. It is in the communion of the Holy Spirit that Christian prayer is prayer in the Church. Perhaps the best way to understand the role of the Trinity in prayer is that we pray to the Father, through (or in the name of) the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. All three are active participants in the believer’s prayer. As such, you may address your prayer to the Son, the Father or the Holy 6SLULW ZLWK FRQ¿GHQFH GHSHQGLQJ on how you feel led at that moment. Ultimately, however, when we consider whom we pray to, the answer is God. Praying to God, and God alone is far more important than to which Person of the Trinity we address our prayers. Fr Ignatius Yeo

Religious, especially in the face of challenges/changes?

Closeness to the people I’m called to serve. As religious missionaries, we CICM often end up not living in a community of confreres, not even in a community at all. Nevertheless closeness to people is our crucial support. What was one of the biggest challenges you have faced as a Religious and how did you deal with it?

In 1977, after years of teaching moral theology in the PhilipSLQHV , FRXOG ÂżQDOO\ JR DQG VWXG\ Tagalog and get involved in parish ministry. Then, unexpectedly, I was asked to serve in the US in charge of direct mail fund raising. I went and enjoyed it.

What has sustained your life as a Belgian Fr Paul Staes Scheut Missions

What aspect of Religious life has brought you most joy?

Being with confreres, sharing the

Having a tea ceremony at Catholic wedding Q: Is it proper to have a tea cer-

emony at or after a Catholic church wedding?

A

: Weddings are joyful times when families come together to celebrate a special moment in the lives of their children. The Church recognises this special moment and sees it as a blessLQJ DQG WKH IXOÂżOPHQW RI WKH God-given vocation to life and to love. The Church has always supported the inculturation of the Christian faith to local cultures. Even in marriage, the Church recognises that local cultures are expressions of this joyful occasion and encourages a tasteful inculturation of the celebrations. Therefore, it is permissible, for example, for an Indian couple to include in the exchange of rings a further expression of this commitment by the tying of the thali. This is the gold thread which the groom ties to the neck of the bride. Similarly, in Chinese culture, the tea ceremony is one beautiful element that couples, while celebrating the gift of marriage

in a Catholic ceremony, may also express it towards their elders as D VLJQ RI ¿OLDO SLHW\ DQG ORYH 7KH commandment to honour parents is in turn a call for blessing upon the children in their marriage, and on their future children that God may bless them with. This familial setting of marriage expresses in the Chinese tradition that marriage, while it is essentially between two persons, also involves the joy of the extended families. Asian cultures and traditions tend to express more of a communal celebration in these moments like marriage, birth of a child, the one month celebrations, birthdays, etc. So, we would say that there is nothing in the tea ceremony that goes against the teachings of the Church nor the theology of marriage. While the Church ceremoQ\ LQ LWVHOI LV VXI¿FLHQW IRU D YDOLG canonical marriage, the tea ceremony adds a cultural and familial aspect to this happy occasion. „ Fr John-Paul Tan, OFM

Do you have a burning question on the faith? Questions on the Faith is a new column for you to have your questions answered by authorities on various topics. Just email your question to cnedit@catholic.org.sg,

and include your full name, address and contact number. All decisions on submissions rest with those answering the questions. Published submissions will be edited.

same inspiration and the same vision, exchanging our “life stories� and recalling the people who were our companions on the journey.

What do you like doing most when with your biological family?

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

Favourite food?

I easily doze off, even between two verses of a psalm when alternating with one confrere. When alone, like during meditation, this sometimes turns into a time of peaceful sleep. I thank the Lord for it and enjoy it. What is the Lord calling you to do/ be in this period of your life as a Religious, if any?

At 78+, I am challenged to graciously let go of former responsibilities and attachments while still putting in “my best�. Trying to become milder in my judgments and gentler in contacts.

Playing cards with family and visiting old friends. Having lived in many countries, I have developed an “open tasteâ€? for whatever is new, as long as I don’t have to eat it every day. Now I love kuay pie tee, jiaozi, spring rolls, wonton noodles, durians. Also mussels with fries, FDQQHOORQL ÂżOHW PLJQRQ VWHDNÂŤ you name it. Also rice pudding, my signature dessert. What do you usually do to relax?

It depends on what’s possible: reading historical novels, listening to music, watching a show (anywhere), playing cards (at home), mahjong (in PhilLSSLQHV DQG KHUH ¿VKLQJ LQ US).

18 FAITH ALIVE!

Sunday October 4, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Working on relationship between parent and teen By Charlie Martin As teens move into adulthood, how should their parents, and the teens, navigate this transition? I considered this question as I listened to Imagine Dragons’ latest release “I Bet My Life.â€? Lead singer Dan Reynolds, in an interview, spoke of this transition in his life and how his relationship with his parents went through a tough period. He said that even though the relationship had been strained DQG GLIÂżFXOW WKHUH ZDV VWLOO D ERQG This seems to be the case for the song’s protagonist. He describes how “I know I took the path you would never want for meâ€? and says “I let you down, didn’t I?â€? For this individual, the relationship between him and his parents became so painful that he “told you that’s the last you’ll see of meâ€? and “broke you down to tears.â€? Yet something happened that brought healing into a painful situation. Now he says to his parents, “Please forgive me for all I’ve done.â€? 0RVW IDPLOLHV IDFH GLIÂżFXOWLHV as teens discover their individuality and move toward adulthood. As a pastoral counsellor and family therapist, I have sat with many families as they attempt to move through this time only to discover more pain than success in this transition. But there are ways to make the transition smoother. First, it helps to remember that

Communication based on genuine listening is the foundation for success.

A mother comforting her daughter. Patience, humility and perseverance by both teens and their parents towards HDFK RWKHU FDQ KHOS VWUHQJWKHQ IDPLO\ ERQGV GXULQJ GLIÂżFXOW SHULRGV CNS photo

teens and parents are facing this transition but from different perspectives. Communication based on genuine listening is the foundation for success. This takes patience, humility and perseverance by teens and their parents. When listening to one another VHHPV WRR GLIÂżFXOW WR DWWHPSW JR to a guide, or counsellor, who can help.

Parents need to tell their children often that they love and accept them. This does not mean that they approve of all of their decisions and choices. However, always communicate that love is given freely. Parents are also called to protect the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of their child. At times, this means they must enforce limits. For example, all teens

should have reasonable curfews on how long they can stay out at night. But the later the curfew, the more potential for trouble. Parents can talk with their children about safety and together plan a reasonable curfew. Teens need to see these limits as an act of caring, but both should negotiate the curfew times when there is a special occasion

and when safety seems reasonably present. When genuine listening has been established by everyone in the family, teens need to share their questions, dreams, challenges with their parents. This dialogue can happen more easily LI SDUHQWV DI¿UP WKHVH DVSHFWV RI their lives, give advice only when directly asked, but reassert that their love is always there for their children. Mistakes will happen. It may be necessary to talk about the pain that a mistake can cause, but such hurt should be expressed as one’s personal experience, not as blame or fault. If a family has a strong faith life, this will be an asset for dealing with this transition. Prayer for each other is always an act of love. I ask families to go to Sunday Mass together. Remember, in all aspects of life, and especially in life’s transitions, we learn as we go. Control, perfection and everyone being happy all the time are illusions. Give up these illusions and focus on improving your relationships with love, patience, understanding and forgiveness. „ CNS

Finding a path with the talents God gave us By Charlie Martin It is important to know that no soul comes to this earth without divine purpose. This purpose is a template for how God invites you to live, believing in your talents and gifts, and using them for healing and making life better for all of God’s family. How can one discover such a passion? And how can you know whether you are following God’s calling? These are large but important questions for each of us. Due to the brevity of this column, I can offer only a few suggestions DERXW ¿QGLQJ DQG IROORZLQJ \RXU passions. Finding one’s passion starts with truly valuing yourself as the image and likeness of God. Do you hold a healthy sense of who you are as a person? This is not a matter of expanding one’s ego or feeling self-important. Rather, it is to acknowledge that God lives within you and you can manifest the creative intelligence and power for good that He always supplies. Believe that this

A teacher reviewing a lesson with her student. Pursuing a passion should include trusting that God will provide and light the way. CNS photo

HQHUJ\ RI WKH GLYLQH ÀRZV WKURXJK you in a way that is unique to who you are and how you can help in this world. Are you really noticing what moves you deeply? Let’s say that you love solving math problems. Loving advanced math can be a path you can take to study many forms of science and technology that can help others live better.

Don’t discount your passion for math, but instead, see where it can lead you. Once you know what you have passion for, are you willing to take risks in order to develop a life focused on that passion or interest? Let’s say that you love children and education. You know that becoming a teacher is what you want to do, but when you look

at teacher salaries and how society tends to undervalue such work, are you still willing to move ahead on that path? Are you willing to follow your love for the profession even though it might not pay off in the material world? Do you have a deep trust in God that if you follow your passion, God will take care of you? When you follow your passion, the right circumstances may light your path. Your task is to trust your passion. Always trust that God will show you the way, and trust that God will take care of you. You also must be open to others who can help you or whom you can help on this journey. You can become a source of encouragement for others along the way. Doubts may arise as you face obstacles or encounter unsolved problems that seem to block your path. This is normal and understandable. But be willing to be ÀH[LEOH DQG DVN *RG WR JLYH \RX the courage and the unwavering desire to be the person He wants you to be. „ CNS

FEATURE 19

Sunday October 4, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Serving the intellectually disabled Led by God, Dr Chen Shiling felt a calling to minister to the community By Mel Diamse-Lee 2Q KHU ÂżUVW GD\ DV D YROXQWHHU with a group of intellectually disabled (ID) children and adults, 17-year-old Chen Shiling was so frightened that she decided she was never coming back. Yet she found herself inexplicably drawn to them before the day ended. So for the next six years, she returned every Sunday to interact and help out at MINDS (Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore) Youth Group. She took a break from volunteering after graduating from the National University of Singapore at age 23 but connected with MINDS DJDLQ ÂżYH \HDUV DJR %\ WKHQ VKH had become a medical doctor. Dr Chen told CatholicNews, “That year I felt very strongly that there was something out there in the community for me. So I went back to MINDS and said to them, “I’m a doctor now. What can I do for you?â€? Now, with help from her physician husband Liam, Dr Chen serves people with intellectual disability (PWID) and credits God with leading her towards her ministry to this group. She started organising medical health screenings after the meeting with MINDS. The team, which includes doctor and nurse friends, as well as medical stu-

People with ‘intellectual

Dr Chen Shiling with husband Liam at the health screening of clients from the Association for Persons with Special Needs Centre for Adults.

dents, offers general consultation and specialist support, such as dermatologists for skin problems. Dr Chen has also started making home visits as part of her medical service to individuals with ID. More recently, she also started conducting health screenings to clients of other voluntary welfare organisations like the Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN) and Down Syndrome Association (DSA). Said Dr Chen, “The more health screenings I did, the more I realised that it is not enough. The healthcare needs of PWIDs are

‘Brother teaches me unconditional love’ John (not his real name) can sit due to a rare condition that attacks still for hours listening and hum- his immune system. During one of ming to children’s worship songs her visits, Jenny sang to him a line or watch Hi-5, an Australian tel- from a children’s worship song. evision show popular with young Usually unable to hum beyond six children. notes, he managed to complete a Except that John is no longer a whole line of the song. “He found child. At 33, he has the intellectual comfort in it,â€? said the Catholic capacity of a two-year-old. parishioner in the Serangoon area. John belongs to a group of John was in the Intensive individuals in Singapore who are Care Unit of the hospital for two seldom seen in months. “We nearpublic due to their ly lost him twice,â€? He teaches me Intellectual DisJenny stated. what is meant by abilities (ID). Those episodes Said his elder unconditional love. taught her that “our sister, Jenny: “The life is in God’s He teaches me neighbours have hands,â€? said Jenny, that Jesus loves us adding how havcalled the police many times and whether we take the ing John has been a even spoken to the of grace. “He right way or wrong source Member of Parliateaches me what is way in life. ment for our ward meant by uncondidue to his shouting tional love.â€? – Jenny, sister of ‘John’ and tantrum throwWhile John’s ing at night. family has stopped taking him to “This has caused added stress, Church since he was six, Jenny ÂżJKWV DQG XQKDSSLQHVV LQ WKH IDP- suggests that the Church can welily.â€? come children with ID by conBut on a good day, he and ducting awareness programmes Jenny would sit together watch- to educate parishoners, organise ing television or singing his fa- catecism classes that are catered vourite children’s worship songs, to children with ID, and give ID “which are his way of connecting children a special corner so they to God,â€? said Jenny. can attend church without disRecently John was hospitalised tracting others. „

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just not met or they are very poorly met once they reach adulthood.� She explained that children with ID have paediatricians to take care of them until they reach 18. But once they grow up, paediatricians will have to discharge them. This leaves them to navigate the system on their own. The Adult Neurodevelopmental Service from the Institute of Mental Health provides excellent care for PWIDs with mental health needs, said Dr Chen. However, there are no doctors in Singapore dedicated to caring for the complex physical health of these people.

disability are gifts to the world and have been specially chosen by God to play important roles in our lives.

’

– Dr Chen Shiling

The health screenings and home visits for individuals with ID are only starting points. Dr Chen is looking towards setting up a centre offering comprehensive medical services for PWID. Helping parents plan for the future medical care of their ID children will also be an important service of that centre. Looking back to the day she ÂżUVW FDPH IDFH WR IDFH ZLWK FKLOdren and adults with ID, Dr Chen is convinced it was God who softened her heart towards them. Recently, she registered Happee Hearts Movement as a nonSURÂżW HQWLW\ ZKLFK FUHDWHV DZDUH-

ness of and advocates for PWID. The parishioner of the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary said, “God’s presence has been very clear. And He is very clearly directing me to do this work. He is right there, in the centre of it, leading the entire thing.� And how does she feel about all the people she has been serving? “Throughout the years, every single time I encounter them, they keep giving me something very precious. They teach me about life, about love, about what it means to give. Essentially they teach what it means to be human. I encounter this every single time.� On how the Catholic Church in Singapore could support her work, Dr Chen responded: “I would love to see the Catholic community start understanding that people with intellectual disability are gifts to the world and have been specially chosen by God to play important roles in our lives. We must spread the awareness that they are not ‘mistakes of creation’ or ‘burdens’ placed on our society. To understand this, all we need to do is to open our hearts and encounter these gentle souls.� „ For more on the Happee Hearts Movement visit their Facebook page, or email happee.hearts@ gmail.com.

A future for their special daughter Before having their daughter Shui Shann, Mr William Teo and his wife, Mrs Emily Teo, were preoccupied with chasing the 5Cs. Now they are busy trying to make life easier for her future. “She brought us down to realise that life is not all about that [5Cs],� Mr Teo said. Shui Shann was diagnosed with Global Developmental Delay when she was 18 months. In 2003, she enrolled in Yio Chu Kang Garden School, which is run by Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS). At the end of that year, Mr Teo and other parents in the school initiated a caregivers group. It was a platform for mutual support and parents raised concerns about their children’s lives after they leave the school. These concerns later evolved into worries about how the children would cope when their parents were no longer able to care for them. Said Mr Teo, “Having a good quality of life is about the ability to make choices, say, a choice of employment, social and recreational activities, accommodation, and so on. To have the ability to choose, there must be a range of options available.� Mr and Mrs Teo are encouraging fellow parents to consider Per-

Mr William Teo and his wife, Emily with their daughter, Shui Shann.

manency Planning. The term refers to the process of transitioning children in foster care to a more permanent care arrangement. In recent times, it has also been used to refer to arrangements for people with intellectual disability when their parents are no longer able to look after them. “The caregiving ‘hat’ parents wear can be overwhelming,� said Mr Teo. “As parents reach the age where they start worrying about their ability to take care of them-

VHOYHV WKH\ ÂżQG LW GLIÂżFXOW WR SDVV this ‘hat’ along. However, if the ‘hat’ can be sliced into smaller pieces, different people or organisations can be found to take on the different responsibilities.â€? Mr Teo feels that people with disability just need a little accommodation, not pity. He and Mrs Teo noticed that some parishioners seem to frown at people with intellectual disability in church. “If we go to church we must go with a more open heart, be more accepting of others.â€? Mrs Teo said. „

20

Sunday October 4, 2015 „ CatholicNews

By Jennifer Ficcaglia Moses was feeling very overwhelmed. God had put him in charge of leading the Israelites through the desert to the Promised Land. It was a really big job, and all the people did was complain. The Israelites were never happy with the food God gave them to eat, and they kept wishing they were back in captivity in Egypt, where they at OHDVW FRXOG HDW PHDW ÂżVK FXFXPEHUV melons, leeks and garlic. God heard their complaints, which made Him very angry. Once, God beFDPH VR DQJU\ WKDW +LV ÂżUH FDXVHG WKH outer edges of the Israelites’ camp to burn. The people cried out to Moses, ZKR SUD\HG WR *RG WR SXW RXW WKH ÂżUH Moses was at his wits’ end. “Why are you so displeased with me that you burden me with all this people?â€? Moses asked God. “I can-

not carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me.� So God told Moses to gather the 70 elders of Israel at the tent of meeting. This was where Moses and other people would go to talk to God. “I will come down and speak with you there,� God told Moses. “I will also take some of the spirit that is on you and will confer it on them, that they may share the burden of the people with you.� God also gave Moses a message for the people: He had heard their complaints, and He was going to give them meat to eat. But, He told Moses, since the people had rejected Him by their complaining, He was going to give them so much meat that they would get sick of eating it. So Moses gathered the elders at the tent of meeting, where God took some of His spirit from Moses and bestowed

SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS:

it on the men, who then began prophesying. There were two elders who had remained in the camp instead of going to the tent of meeting, but they, too, received the spirit and began prophesying. Joshua, Moses’ aide, heard the two elders. He ran to Moses and told him they should be stopped. “Are you jealous for my sake?� Moses asked Joshua. “If only all the people of the Lord were prophets! If

only the Lord would bestow His spirit on them!� Then Moses and the elders went back to camp. „ Read more about it: Numbers 11

Q&A 1. Why was Moses feeling overwhelmed? 2. How was God going to help Moses?

Wordsearch:

St Flora of Beaulieu

„ FIRE

„ TENT

„ FISH

„ CAMP

St Flora was born in France. Even though her parents wanted her to get married, she wanted to be a nun. She entered the priory of Beaulieu of the Hospitaller nuns of St John of Jerusalem around the year 1324. While at the priory, she became very depressed, but she also found favour with God, who gave her many mystical favours. She was well-known for having unexplained or prophetic knowledge about things that could only be because God had given her that knowledge. Once, it was even said that an angel brought her the Blessed Sacrament from a church nearby. St Flora died in 1347 at age 38, and many miracles were reported at her tomb. We honour her on Oct 5. „

„ LEEKS

„ SPIRIT

„ MEAT

„ DESERT

„ ANGRY

„ MELONS „ ELDERS

„ GARLIC

BIBLE TRIVIA: What was the meat that God gave the Israelites to eat? (Hint: Numbers 11:31)

Bible Accent:

Answer to puzzle: 2., 4., 5. Answer to Bible Trivia: Quail

PUZZLE: Place an X next to the sentences that describe some of the things the Israelites complained about. For hints, see Numbers 11 and 21, and Exodus 14. ______

1. The sun in the desert was too hot.

______

2. The people were going to starve in the wilderness.

______

3. Sand was blowing into the tents and making a mess.

______

4. Everyone was sick of eating manna.

______

5. The Promised Land’s inhabitants were too strong to conquer.

Answer to Wordsearch

On their way to the land God had promised them, the Israelites did a lot of complaining. Sometimes they grumbled about not having meat to eat. Other times, they complained about the food God did provide them – manna, which was a seed they ground and made into bread. Other times they complained about being thirsty or about having to wander around and possibly die in the desert. Sometimes they complained about Moses, and sometimes they complained about God. God heard everything that was said, and all the complaining made Him angry. He saw it as the Israelites rejecting Him and sinning against Him. Sometimes, after Moses prayed, God would give the Israelites what they needed. But God always gave them consequences for their bad actions, as well. For example, in Numbers 21:4-9, when the people complained that God and Moses had brought them to the wilderness only to die, God sent serpents to bite the people, and many of them were killed. The biggest consequence for their bad actions was having to wander the desert for 40 years before being allowed to enter the Promised Land. „

WHAT’S ON 21

Sunday October 4, 2015 „ CatholicNews

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

RCIA/RCIY A journey for those seeking to know more about the Catholic faith. Baptised Catholics are also invited to journey as sponsors. NOVEMBER 1 TO DECEMBER 25 2016 CALLING YOUTHS TO JOIN OUR CATHOLIC FAMILY! The RCIY team is welcoming nonCatholics, aged between 14 and 24 years old, to join us on a journey to know about the Catholic faith from November 1. Venue: Church of Christ the King. Sessions will take place on Sundays at 3pm. Register. T: 96718555 (Randy), T: 81880239 (Bernadette)

SEPTEMBER 30 TO DECEMBER 30 ART THERAPY OPEN STUDIO @ AGAPE VILLAGE Feeling down, lost and confused? Let your creative energy guide you to tap into your wisdom and expand insignts to your life. Come join us and let the healing qualities of art awaken you. No art experience required - just an open mind, open heart and creative spirit. Every Wednesday from 9.30am - 12pm. Organised by Clarity Singapore, Agape Village 7A Lor 8 Toa Payoh, #02-08. Fee: $10 per session. Pre-registration is required. T: 6801 7467; E: registration@clarity-singapore.org

OCTOBER 3 PAULINE TREASURES Discover the roots of the Pauline family and unravel the treasures of the Pauline spirituality. Be inspired by Jesus the divine master, way, truth and life; St Paul; and Mary Queen of the Apostles. Church of Sts Peter & Paul (Chapel, level 3). Free admission. Register. E: paulinesg100years@ gmail.com T: 6560 8003, T: 63565958. W: www.paulines.org.sg

OCTOBER 1 TO DECEMBER 31 ANGELICO ART AWARD 2016 WHO DO YOU SAY I AM? The Angelico Art Award 2016 seeks to promote creative endeavours through the integration of art and faith. This inaugural competition, invites artists to interpret the theme “Who do you say I am?â€? in HLWKHU WKH ÂżJXUDWLYH RU DEVWUDFW IRUPV 7KH competition is opened to all artists above 13 years of age. Shortlisted artworks will be showcased at the exhibition. Submissions open from October 1 to December 31. W: http://www.angelicoart.com/aaa/

OCTOBER 3 LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE RUN 2015 Assisi Hospice and Save Our Street Dogs are holding a charity run to raise funds for their operating expenses. The fund will also go into raising awareness of animalassisted activities in Singapore. Organised by Assisi Hospice. At East Coast Park, East Coast Park Service Road. Register. W: http://www.lightupyourliferun.com/.

OCTOBER 2 TO OCTOBER 4 WORKING WITH OUR DREAMS This programme will help us work ZLWK RXU VLJQLÂżFDQW GUHDPV WR KHOS XV understand their symbolic language, to listen to them, and experience them as a way in which the divine can speak to us. Those interested in this programme are DVNHG WR EULQJ D VLJQLÂżFDQW GUHDP WR ZRUN on during the weekend. Friday 8pm to Sunday 1pm. Contribution: $200 (stay in). E: cenaclesing@gmail.com W: www.catholic.org.sg/cenacle

OCTOBER 7 PRAYING THE MYSTERIES OF LIGHT Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary 8pm 10pm. Facilitated by Fr Leslie Raj, SJ. Fr Leslie will share on the Mysteries of Light and celebrate Mass. Venue: Kingsmead Centre. Love offerings welcomed. Register. T: 64676072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com

OCTOBER 2 TO DECEMBER 11 ALPHA AT CHURCH OF ST BERNADETTE Alpha Course - ask anything! 7.45pm9.45pm, Fridays. The Alpha Course is an evangelistic course which seeks to introduce the basics of the Christian faith through a series of talks and discussions. Take this as an opportunity to relax, eat, ask, explore, discover what Christianity is about and explore the meaning of life. You’ll be surprised by what you’ll discover. Register. T: 9798 7788, T: 8322 5356. E: andy_lee_4health@yahoo.com

OCTOBER 7 TO NOVEMBER 25 THE BEATITUDES: KEYS TO A HAPPY & FREE CHRISTIAN Wednesday nights, 8pm - 10pm. Do you want to be free? Do you want to be joyful DQG IXO¿OOHG" 'R \RX ZDQW WR ÀRXULVK DV a Christian? What is true freedom? Is it the same as secular freedom? What is the connection between truth and freedom? How do I experience and live out the Beatitudes? Venue: Church of St Bernadette canteen. Register: E: StBernBAT@gmail.com

OCTOBER 2 THE REAL PRESENCE The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. Jesus says Âł(DW P\ Ă€HVK DQG GULQN P\ EORRG´ 'LG +H PHDQ LW OLWHUDOO\ RU ÂżJXUDWLYHO\" Venue: St Joseph’s Church, Victoria Street (Conference Room). FOC. Time: 7pm9pm. Speaker: David Teo. Register. W: http://tinyurl.com/ACT-Talk-Signup

OCTOBER 9 THE SANCTIFICATION OF WORK Discover God’s intention for work and why we should be sincerely happy because of our work. Venue: St Joseph’s Church, Victoria Street (Conference Room). Time: 7pm-9pm. Speaker: David Teo. W: www.catholic.sg/act. FOC. T: 96493893. W: http://tinyurl.com/ACT-Talk-Signup

OCTOBER 10 TEOCHEW RETREAT - NEW EVANGELISATION Time: 9am-3pm. Venue: Nativity Church B2-2. Speaker: Fr Henry Siew. All are welcome. Registration is not required. OCTOBER 10 TO 11 OCTOBER 17 TO 18 HEARTS ON FIRE FOR JESUS Retreat master: Fr Manoling Francisco, a Jesuit priest renowned for his accomplished music, as well as a gifted preacher from the Philippines. Time: Saturday 8.30 am to 9.00 pm and Sunday 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. Venue: Queen of Peace Church, House of David, Auditorium Room 4.1. Fee: $30. Register for either weekend as they are the same. Registration forms can be obtained from the registration booth outside the canteen at all the weekend Masses and at the Church Secretariat during the weekdays. Closing date: September 28. OCTOBER 14 TO DECEMBER 2 EVERY WEDNESDAY LIFE IN THE SPIRIT SEMINAR 2015 Charismatic Prayer Group, Church of St Mary of the Angels. 7.45pm at St Clare Hall. Register. T: 98523804 (Patricia) E: patcheah@gmail.com T: 85256503 (Joy) E: joy_choong@yahoo.com.sg. T: 81618492 (Grace) E: chrislee288@gmail. com. W: http://www.stmary.sg/latest-events OCTOBER 16 TO OCTOBER 18 TRUE DEVOTION TO MARY MONTFORTIAN EXPERIENCE RETREAT (MX-2) A weekend live-in retreat based on the spirituality of St Louis Marie de Montfort. To him, Mary is “the surest, easiest, shortest, and most perfect means by which to go to Jesus Christ.� Discover for yourself the means given by God Himself to bring us salvation, the way of Mary. Venue: Montfort Centre. Retreat directors: Br Dominic Yeo Koh, Br John Albert. Register: T: 67695711. E: enquiries@montfortcentre.org OCTOBER 16 SEVEN DAILY HABITS OF HOLY APOSTOLIC PEOPLE What is the plan of life? Why is it so important for our spiritual well-being and happiness? Time: 7pm-9pm. Venue: St Joseph’s Church, Victoria Street (Conference Room). Speaker: Margaret Teo. W: www.catholic.sg/act T: 96493893 (Andrew). FOC. Register. W: http://tinyurl.com/ACT-Talk-Signup OCTOBER 17 (10AM) TO OCTOBER 18 (5PM) AUTHENTIC CONVERSATIONS II: DISCERNING MOMENTS A weekend retreat that will help participants nurture authentic conversations on the level of the soul. Uncover and experience discerning moments when conversing at the level of the interior self. Note: Only for participants who have attended “Introduction to Authentic Converations� and/or recipients of spiritual direction or individually guided retreats (IGR). Facilitators: Lance Ng and Celina Lin. At Kingsmead Centre. Register. T: 6467607; E: cisc2664@gmail.com

Crossword Puzzle 1145 1

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www.wordgamesforcatholics.com

ACROSS 1 “Blessed are you who are _____� (Lk 6:20)

5 Weaned pig 15 Vows 5HĂ€HFWHG VRXQG 16 Bovine sounds 14 Fix and laugh ender 17 Covers

39 40 41 42 43

18 “If anyone wants to go to law with you over your

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tunic, hand him your ___ as wellâ€? (Mt 5:40) Ponder Shelter Entr’___ Tic-tac-toe alternatives Legend says Patrick drove these out of Ireland Third century pope Sea, to Sartre â€œâ€Śon those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has ___â€? (Mt 4:16) Greek goddesses of the seasons Commandment place Pull laboriously Rosary beads His name was changed to Israel Texas state star Sweet potato “_____ Tag!â€? Sham _____ of the Sacred Heart â€œâ€Śthe tree of the knowledge of good and ___â€? (Gen 2:9) Cavalry sword Hydra and sea anemone Stingers Apostle to the Gentiles

$ ÂżQLVK IRU &DQDDQ 55 Canal or lake 56 Jeremiah’s description of himself 58 Small blemish 59 A queen of Jordan 60 Isaiah spoke of a new one (Isa 66:22) &RQÂżQHG 62 Spanish titles 63 Squeeze 64 Way to travel DOWN 1 Chalice covering 2 Tony’s’ “cousinsâ€? 3 Ancient 4 Matter of law 5 Sport of Sneijder, Dutch athlete who converted to Catholicism during the World Cup games 6 Stops 7 Native American 8 “I’ve got it now!â€? 9 Tongue-clucking sound 10 Village to which Jesus traveled 11 Title for the Holy Spirit 12 Aircraft cargo compartment 13 Capital of Norway 21 Tropical tree 22 Number for the last Leo

OCTOBER 23 EVANGELISING THROUGH THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA You will have a greater understanding of how evangelisation can work in a Catholic setting and how to use social media to reach out to the community and joyfully share the Gospel. A must-have skill in this digital age. Speaker: Benedict Tang. Venue: St Joseph’s Church, Victoria Street (Conference Room). FOC. Register. W: http://tinyurl.com/ACT-Talk-Signup. Organised by Apostolate for Catholic Truth OCTOBER 24 GOD’S GIFT OF YEARS What gifts do you bring as you transition towards the next chapter of your life? This workshop, for women and men over 50 years old, will help you to discover DJHLQJ DV *RGÂśV GHVLUH IRU IXOÂżOPHQW LQ your life and your spiritual development. The workshop will consist of short inputs, group sharing and some quiet time. 10am - 4pm. Facilitated by Diana Tan and Diana Koh. At Kingsmead Centre. Contribution: $50 (including lunch). Register. T: 64676072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com OCTOBER 24 (7PM-10PM) AND OCTOBER 25 (9AM-5PM) THEOLOGY OF THE BODY COURSE What is the Theology of the Body? How does it concern the whole scripture, the whole Gospel, the whole teaching and the whole mission of Christ? A course on spirituality and sexuality. For those in families, youth ministries & catechesis. Venue: The Training Centre @IP, 10 Anson Road, 29=03A, International Plaza. Trainer: Andrew Kong. Love offerings welcomed. Register. W : http://tinyurl. com/ACT-Talk-Signup OCTOBER 24 (2PM-9PM) AND OCTOBER 25 (9AM-7PM) WORKSHOP AND RETREAT ON INNER HEALING By Fr James Yeo at CAEC, Highland Road. St Peter’s Auditorium. Tea, lunch and dinner provided. Fee: $40 for two days. Payment at main door entrance. Topic: What is inner healing, spiritual warfare, reconciliation, discernment of spirits, blessing and curses, usage of prayers. Registration open to all parish ministries especially those who are interested to learn about inner healing. E: tomson.scaria@ gmail.com. E: josephtoh46@gmail.com. Please register early. OCTOBER 30 SAME-SEX MARRIAGE & MARRIAGE What is the Catholic teaching on this and why is it a disorder? What causes SSA and what can one do about this orientation? Time: 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Venue: The conference room, St Joseph’s Church, Victoria Street. Speaker: Andrew Kong, (Licentiate in Canon Law). FOC. Register. W: http://tinyurl.com/ACT-Talk-Signup OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 1 INTERCESSION RETREAT “I urge that prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all

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men ‌ â€? (1 Tim 2:1). Come and increase your understanding of intercession. Learn how to be an effective intercessor. Retreat director: Fr Erbin Fernandez. Venue: Catholic Spirituality Centre. Register. W: www.csctr.net T: 62887901/ T: 68582716 NOVEMBER 7 THE GRASS IS GREENER.. WHERE? A day of recollection for young adults based on the Word of God. Come and join us for prayer, fellowship and fun. 9am-5pm. Organised by Verbum Dei Community. At FMM retreat house, 49D Holland Road. Register. T: 62740251 (Verbum Dei Missionaries)/ T: 97205922 (Jocelyn) E: vdeisgevents@gmail.com W:http:// www.verbumdeisingapore.org/ Cost: $50 NOVEMBER 13, (8PM, CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL SUCCOUR) NOVEMBER 14, (8PM, CHURCH OF THE RISEN CHRIST) HEAVENLY VOICES CONCERT Join the Daughters of St Paul from around the world as they celebrate their centennial with two nights of inspiring concerts. They are joined by special guests, Fr Edward, OCS; Fr KK, CICM; Fr Valerian and Fr Terence, CSsR. Tickets at $25 available at DSP bookshop, Church of the Risen Christ; CANA. E: paulinesg100years@gmail.com T: 63565958; T: 65608003. W: www.paulines.org.sg NOVEMBER 27 TO NOVEMBER 30 FAMILY LIFE CAMP Church of Christ the King Family Life Camp. Calling all families in Singapore to join us for a special holiday like no other. ([FLWLQJ DQG IXOÂżOOLQJ IDPLO\ ERQGLQJ programmes, telematches, spiritual sharings, Mass and a gala dinner. Theme: “If Life’s a Journey, Travel Light!â€? Venue: Felda Residence, Mersing, JB, Malaysia. Register. E: CTKfamlife@ ymail.com T: 9650-1338 (Mathilda) or T: 9754-2207 (Agnes). Spiritual director: Fr Paul Goh. Key speaker: Andrew James 2QJ /LPLWHG WR WKH ÂżUVW IDPLOLHV Closing date: October 15

MAY THEY REST IN PEACE

24 WORLD

Sunday October 4, 2015 „ CatholicNews

Left: View of the gardens at Castel Gandolfo. The Vatican Museums and the Italian railway have partnered to offer train tours from the Vatican to the pope’s summer residence. Above: A special train tour was conducted for journalists. CNS photos

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FROM ROME TO THE UNITED STATES: Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the US from Sept 22-27. CNS cartoon

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

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