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Pope: abolish death penalty and life imprisonment VATICAN CITY – Pope

isolation”, which can Francis has called lead to “psychic and for abolition of the physical sufferings death penalty as well such as paranoia, as life imprisonment, anxiety, depression and denounced what and weight loss and he called a “penal significantly increase populism” that promthe chance of suiises to solve society’s cide”. problems by punishHe also rebuked ing crime instead of unspeci¿ed governpursuing social jusments involved in tice. kidnapping people for “It is impossible to “illegal transportation imagine that states toto detention centres in day cannot make use which torture is pracof another means than tised”. capital punishment to The pope said defend peoples’ lives criminal penalties from an unjust aggresshould not apply to sor,” the pope said on children, and should Oct 23, in a meeting be waived or limited with representatives for the elderly, who of the International “on the basis of their Association of Penal very errors can ofLaw. fer lessons to the rest A deacon distributes communion to a death-row inmate at Indiana State Prison in USA. “All Christians of society. We don’t Pope Francis is calling for the abolition of the death penalty. &16 ¿le photo and people of good learn only from the will are thus called tovirtues of saints but day to struggle not only for aboli- ety from dangerous criminals with offenders or presented as the also from the failings and errors tion of the death penalty, whether mean that “cases in which the undesired consequences of the of sinners.” it be legal or illegal and in all its execution of the offender is reasonable, necessary and proporPope Francis said contemforms, but also to improve prison an absolute necessity are very tionate use of force to apply the porary societies overuse crimiconditions, out of respect for the rare, if not practically nonexist- law”. nal punishment, partially out of human dignity of persons de- ent”.

The pope denounced the a primitive tendency to offer up prived of their liberty. And this, I The pope said that although detention of prisoners without “sacri¿cial victims, accused of connect with life imprisonment,” a number of countries have for- trial, who he said account for the disgraces that strike the comhe said. “Life imprisonment is a mally abolished capital punish- more than 50 percent of all in- munity”. hidden death penalty.”

The pope said some politiment, “the death penalty, ille- carcerated people in some counThe pope noted that the Vati- gally and to a varying extent, is tries. He said maximum security cians and members of the media can recently eliminated life im- applied all over the planet”, be- prisons can be a form of torture, promote “violence and revenge, prisonment from its own penal cause “extrajudicial executions” since their “principal character- public and private, not only code. are often disguised as “clashes istic is none other than external against those responsible for According to the Catechism crimes, but also against those of the Catholic Church, cited by under suspicion, justi¿ed or Pope Francis in his talk, “the tranot”.

It is impossible to imagine that states ditional teaching of the Church Pope Francis concluded his does not exclude recourse to the talk by denouncing human traftoday cannot make use of another means death penalty, if this is the only ¿cking and corruption, both possible way of effectively decrimes he said “could never be than capital punishment to defend peoples’ fending human lives against the committed without the compliclives from an unjust aggressor, unjust aggressor,” but modern ity, active or passive, of public advances in protecting sociauthorities”. CNS

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VOL 64

NO. 23

INSIDE HOME S'pore doctor heads international medical body Wants physicians to see their work as vocation Page 4

Moving NCCs forward Learning the importance of forgiveness Page 6

ASIA Filipino priest to remain in Sierra Leone Risks Ebola to serve faithful Page 8

WORLD Muslim leaders condemn ISIS ‘What you have done is unquestionably forbidden’ Page 10

POPE FRANCIS Pontiff on evolution, Big Bang: They don’t contradict God’s existence Page 15

FAITH ALIVE! When kids make a fuss in church Support these families, don’t give dirty looks Page 18

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Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

Conference discusses ways to sup

Strengthening marriages, and journeying with divorcees and LGBT pe Divorcees “need a lot of emotional” and “spiritual support”. The Catholic Church must “learn to accept those who are divorced”.

Archbishop William Goh made these comments during the ¿rst Archdiocesan Catholic Family Dialogue (ACFD) held on Oct 22 at Catholic Junior College.

Speaking to an interviewer in front of more than 700 participants, Archbishop Goh also reiterated the Catholic Church’s stand on LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people – that they “deserve respect” as “they are human beings”.

However, he expressed concern about movements such as Pink Dot, which he said “challenge the norms of society”.

“We have to be faithful to the teachings of Christ,” said Archbishop Goh, adding that the challenge lies in how the Church can present pastoral teachings to LGBT people.

The interview with Archbishop Goh was one of several segments of the day-long conference organised by the Archdiocesan Commission for the Family.

According to commission chairman, Dr John Hui, the event aimed to “obtain a better understanding of the very real issues that face our

Panellists share their views of the current situation of family life at the Archdiocesan Catholic Family Dialogue held on Oct 22.

families today, so as to help us formulate an appropriate response”.

In his homily during the Mass earlier, Archbishop Goh said that people are now living in a time of “counter culture” in which humanity no longer believes in God but in its own reasoning.

He suggested that parents convey the “Good News” of family to their children, so they will believe in the institution of marriage; and draw strength from the Lord through prayer, which would enable people to ¿nd the “capacity for love and forgiveness”.

Panel discussion Another highlight of the dialogue was the panel discussion. Eight panellists – St Joseph’s Institution (SJI) principal Koh Thiam Seng, musician couple Corrinne May and Kavin Hoo, undergraduate Jocelyn Loong, couple Daniel and Shelley Ee, De La Salle Br Collin Wee, and CEO of Montfort Care Samuel Ng – shared the challenges that families in Singapore face.

Ms Loong noted that in the university culture, cohabitation and “sleeping around” are not uncommon. In such a situation, standing up for her beliefs as a “Catholic girl” does pose a challenge.

She also recounted how a close female friend, who went to study abroad, con¿ded that she was “exploring her sexuality” and dating other women.

Ms Loong said she chose to put aside her own judgements to journey with her friend.

Singaporean singer-songwriter Corrinne May, who has a ¿ve-yearold daughter, shared that her faith, as well as bedtime prayers with her family “has helped anchor us”.

Mr and Mrs Ee, who have been married for 37 years and who are involved in Marriage Encounter, shared several pointers on how to keep marriages going.

“Communicate effectively”, and remember that there are always three people in a marriage: husband, wife and God, said Mr Ee. He added that in the early years of marriage, many couples hit a “plateau” in their relationship.

That is the time to “get help from

Archbishop William Goh delivers his homily. Photo: DOMINIC WONG

priests and nuns”, he advised.

The couple also advised couples to go for retreats and pray together.

Families must also learn and accept that the attitudes of youth have changed, said the couple.

Educator Koh Thiam Seng shared that as families are living in a world that functions 24/7, there is a greater need for Catholic school education to develop a “sense of identity and purpose”.

“It’s all about a person being grounded in proper values” and having a personal relationship in Christ, he said.

Mr Samuel Ng, CEO of Montfort Care – a network of initiatives and programmes aimed at improving the lives of individuals, families and the community – shared that there is a rise in the number of people seeking help on extramarital issues.

What matters is “how you journey with them through their dif¿cult times”, said Mr Ng.

Br Collin Wee, House Mentor of HopeHouse which serves boys at risk, agreed that it was important to “journey or accompany” people in dif¿culty. He added that he hopes more priests would be involved in future dialogues on the family.

Archbishop Goh then joined in for a question-and-answer session.

Parish breakout sessions Participants were later divided according to parishes to reÀect on a list of challenges that families face and how the parish and archdiocese can respond to these.

In one breakout group, a female participant suggested that there is a need to engage youths after Con¿rmation as there are hardly any programmes for them after they receive this sacrament.

A male participant suggested Continued on Page 3

The dialogue aims to ‘obtain a better understanding of the very real issues that face our families today, so as to help us formulate an appropriate response’.

– Dr John Hui, chairman of the Archdiocesan Commission for the Family

HOME 3

Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

pport families, journey with people

eople were some issues raised. Lorna O’Hara reports.

From Page 2

that priests should highlight Church doctrines and papal teachings in their homilies, especially where these touch on the family.

In another group, one participant suggested that just as in the Marriage Encounter programme, parishes could form “love circles” in which couples can support one another in their marital lives.

Another participant urged parents to have an open mind and speak to their children about controversial issues such as premarital sex and samesex relationships. She said that such an open attitude would encourage young people to be more forthcoming in talking about their own sexuality.

Comments Participants generally had positive comments about the dialogue.

Mr Dominic Lim, 55, from the Church of the Holy Spirit, noted that the panel discussion had good sharings from people from different walks of life. His wife Prisca Lim, 52, said she was impressed with Ms Jocelyn Loong’s sharing of how she put aside her own judgement when listening to a friend sharing about her sexuality.

Mrs Christine Lye, who has been married for 40 years, advised

Corrinne May shares about family life through song

The crowd at the conference held in Catholic Junior College.

reaching out to people whose marriages have broken down.

“I don’t encourage divorce but if the circumstances are beyond their capacity, then we should see how we can help them,” she said.

Ms Agnes de Souza noted the “reality check” on “prevailing sexuality issues and values” provided by young people at the event.

“It’s vital that this generation enter into marriage and family life in all its sanctity and sacredness without compromise,” she said.

“I hope to see our parishes be-

ing the safe helping avenue for its parishioners to turn to without fear of prejudice or shame.”

ACF chairman, Dr Hui, told CatholicNews that the commission will now gather the feedback it has received during the event and see what are the next steps to be taken.

Additional reporting by CHRISTOPHER KHOO and MEL DIAMSE-LEE

Page 14: Pope Francis’ comments on the family lorna.ohara@catholic.org.sg

Corrinne May performed several of her Christian-themed songs for the audience during the dialogue event, at one point breaking down in tears, apparently moved by the song.

She started off by giving her own rendition of the Hail Mary, while accompanying herself on the piano.

Before singing the next song, Beautiful Life, she shared that the most important thing for couples to do is to spend time with each other.

Some snifÀes were heard from the audience then.

After

singing another song called Crooked Lines, she shared about the occasional anxiety one experiences “when you stand up for your faith”.

Halfway through the next song, Five Loaves and Two Fishes, she broke down and was unable to continue singing.

The audience then offered their moral support, lending their voices as she played the piano while tears rolled down her cheeks.

She managed to play the entire song through and smiled as the crowd gave her a standing ovation.

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Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

S’pore doctor to head federation of Catholic medical associations

By Lorna O’Hara Dr John Lee is a father to eight children – six boys and two girls aged between 16 and 29, the chairman of mission group A Call to Share (ACTS), former master of the Catholic Medical Guild of Singapore, and is now the president of the World Federation of Catholic Medical Associations (FIAMC).

The federation, which has existed since 1924, helps coordinate efforts of Catholic medical associations and spread Christian principles throughout the world.

Dr Lee, who became the second Asian president of FIAMC during the 24th FIAMC World Congress in Manila from Oct 1-4, told CatholicNews that “it’s a great honour. At the same time, it was a little bit of a shock because I hadn’t expected it.

“I didn’t want to disappoint the Asian countries who elected me, who nominated me, so I accepted the nomination,” said the former FIAMC vice-president.

Candidates for the presidency had to be nominated six months beforehand and their names were passed to the Vatican before the ¿nal results were announced, said the doctor.

Now as president, Dr Lee will stay for a four-year term.

Many changes to his schedule would have to be made to make way for frequent travels to Rome for FIAMC meetings.

He also has been “busy ¿xing up committees” for FIAMC. One such committee he set up during the

While as president, Dr Lee hopes to change the mindsets of young Catholic doctors.

He wants them to see that being a doctor is a vocation.

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recent congress comprises “young doctors from every continent”. During the meeting in Manila, they gave ideas “on how to engage the younger doctors” in mission work.

He shared that he wanted the mindsets of young Catholics doctors to change. He hopes

that they would see that being a doctor is not solely a profession, “but a vocation”.

He also shared that he is “setting up a committee on human traf¿cking. This is an issue that Pope Francis is particularly concerned about.”

Apart from the new committees set up, Dr Lee is looking into how FIAMC can address pro-life issues, increase the federation’s membership and explore different ways to reach out to a wider audience.

“We used to have a literal [hardcopy] magazine but now I want the federation to go towards social media.”

He is also in the midst of ¿nding “suitable candidates to lead the ethics committees and mission committees”.

Dr Lee who founded ACTS, a mission group that he said is close to his heart, said that he will step down and other people will spearhead the group’s mission work.

In the spirit of mission work, Dr Lee quoted “Uncle Ben” from Marvel’s Spiderman. For Catholic medical doctors, “with great power comes great responsibility”, Dr Lee quoted. lorna.ohara@catholic.org.sg

Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

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Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

NCCs learn importance of forgiveness, doing mission work

By Stella Lee

Small group discussions among participants were held after every session during the weekend stay-in retreat in Johor.

During an Oct 17-19 stay-in retreat in Plentong, Johor, Neighbourhood Christian Communities (NCCs) from Blessed Sacrament Church learned the importance of forgiveness and ways for them to move towards mission work.

Upon arrival by coach, retreat master and guardian of St Pio’s Friary and spirituality centre in Ulu Tiram, Johor, Fr Valentine Gompok, greeted the retreatants and their spiritual director, Fr Thomas Sukotriraharjo.

As part of the Building an Evangelical and Missionary Neighbourhood Christian Community retreat at Majodi Centre, the 73 participants attended three sessions by Fr Valentine.

The ¿rst was about the importance of forgiveness as a foundation to build relationships in communities. Fr Valentine said that people are “hard-wired” to retaliate when they have been hurt by others as their pride and selfesteem have been injured.

But it is through forgiveness that enables one to let go of anger, sel¿shness, hatred, resentment and revenge against one’s offenders and maintain a vibrant and intimate relationship with God, he said.

The second and third sessions were on evangelisation and missionary work. Fr Valentine gave pointers on how NCCs can progress from evangelising in neighbourhoods to doing missionary work.

Fr Valentine said that there were four orders from Jesus: Go home to your friends and tell them what great things God has done (Mk 5:19); Go into the streets, highways and byways and bring them in (Mt 22:9);

Go into the village opposite to you (Lk 19:30); Go into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mk 16:15).

Out of the four, the priest said that three referred to neighbourhood evangelism – home, streets and villages.

Fr Valentine said that any Christian can be involved in neighbourhood evangelism.

To bring the Gospel to one’s communities, Fr Valentine said, it is important to know the neighbourhoods, its people, their cultures, stories, values and worldviews.

After each session, participants had small group discussions. Par-

Retreat master, Gompok.

Fr

Valentine

ticipant Julie Straaten, a ¿rst-timer at the retreat said, “I learnt how to apply the knowledge and evangelisation tools in my community, seeing Christ in every face I meet and sharing His love, joy and hope with the less fortunate among us.”

At a Mass celebrated by Fr Thomas and Fr Valentine on Oct 19, during his homily, Fr Valentine quoted Mother Teresa’s message as an inspiration for them: “We are called to be faithful not successful. Success is God’s responsibility.”

About Blessed Sacrament’s NCCs There are ten NCCs in Blessed Sacrament Church. Each group comprises between eight and 12 members who come together as a social network of faith.

They meet monthly and engage in Gospel sharing, personal UHÀHFWLRQV DQG UHSRUWLQJ RI WDVNV

Alongside meetings, their ongoing activities include home and hospital visits, prayers and wake support for bereaved families, house Masses, operating the church canteen, social functions and retreats.

ASIA 7

Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

Indonesian interfaith congress dedicated to ‘true brotherhood’ SEMARANG, INDONESIA – To dhism, Confucianism, Protesstrengthen ties between different tantism and Catholicism) and a religions, the ¿rst interreligious traditional religion. The Archcongress was held in Muntilan, bishop of Semarang, Johannes in Indonesia’s Central Java prov- Pujasumarta, greeted the assemince. bly on behalf of the Catholic Speaking to AsiaNews, Church. chairman of the Commission for At the end of the event, the Interreligious Dialogue of the congress issued a statement Archdiocese of Semarang and highlights the generosity of the part of the organinterreligious ising committee, meeting and Fr Aloysius Budi gratitude towards Those present Purnomo, said the the speakers who congress was to engthened at the congress sint r believers establish a relathe tionship of frienddream of “true included ship and sincere brotherhood”.

Muslims, dialogue between Participants followers of difwere then encourHindus, ferent religions. aged to work conBuddhists, The Oct 24tinuously for dia26 congress, logue and to put Confucianists, which was held into practice the Protestants in open places teaching of respect and public buildfor others, spreadand Catholics. ings such as the ing the “good square of Muntinews of fraternity” lan, “was attended in families, neighby not only the followers of the bourhoods, workplaces and religreat religions, but also follow- gious communities. ers of traditional beliefs and During the congress, the spiritual movements” said Fr 812 participants also enjoyed Purnomo. colourful intercultural perParticipants also listened to formances presented by 250 the messages of six of¿cially children, adolescents and recognised religions in Indo- young adults. AGENZIA FIDES, nesia (Islam, Hinduism, Bud- ASIANEWS

Vietnam Catholics follow pope’s call to evangelise HO CHI MINH CITY – Fol-

lowing Pope Francis’ call to bear witness to the Gospel on World Mission Day, Vietnamese Catholics focused on the role of the laity in the journey of evangelisation.

On Oct 19, various parishes in Ho Chi Minh City, in the south of the country, sponsored courses in catechesis for young couples and organised the baptism of catechumens.

Fr Joseph Pham Van Nhan, vicar of Nhan Hoa Parish, said that 30 new members joined his community. Two couples had their union “legalised” by receiving the Sacrament of Marriage according to Church tradition.

In Ho Chi Minh City, thousands of Catholics attended Mass and prayed in communion with the pontiff for the missions, with particular attention to the evangelisation of the family in accordance with the model proposed

by Cardinal François Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan.

In his book, Path of Hope,

the Vietnamese prelate repeatedly stressed that “the family is the centre of light” and that a “happy” family is itself a source of “light for others”.

To ignite the Àame of love, Fr Dominique 4uӕc Jang Hung, from Hung Loc Parish, celebrated a Mass with the theme Family United Forever.

During the service, he emphasised Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI’s last encyclical, which lays out a model for social ministry and families in the Church today.

Fr Joseph Pham Van Nhan, from Nhan Hoa Parish, urged all the faithful to pray for the missions.

In Hj Nӝi Parish (Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City), the activities of the Synod on the Family were examined and the parish vicar baptised 22 catechumens.

Altogether, some 35 baptisms were performed, including couples taking part in premarital courses organised by the parish. ASIANEWS

Celebrating 5th centenary of birth of St Teresa of Avila

By Damian Boon SINGAPORE – To commemorate

the 500th year of the birth of St Teresa of Avila, the Carmelite Friars and Sisters organised a series of Novena Masses at the Church of Sts Peter and Paul from Oct 5-13, to prepare for the of¿cial celebration vigil of the feast day of the saint on Oct 14.

The theme for the Masses was I Was Born For <ou. Carmelite Fr JunJun Agruda, a specialist on Teresian spirituality from the Philippines, was the main celebrant and homilist. During each Mass, participants prayed the daily Novena prayer and there was also veneration of St Teresa’s relics.

Fr JunJun shared that St Teresa, a Doctor of the Church, was a great spiritual guide to knowing God. Her writings, especially her books, The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection, the priest said, act as a map in one’s journey towards Christ. Fr JunJun also emphasised that for St Teresa, humility was the queen of all virtues.

The priest then urged the faithful to persevere in prayer, grow in holiness and love the Lord with a “determined determination”. He said that love does not reside in the mind or in emotions, and that one can truly love only through the exercise of one’s will.

He challenged participants to grow in their love by strengthening families and communities, treasuring friendships and above all, seeking Jesus in prayer, as He

Carmelite Fr JunJun Agruda speaking during his homily. On the right are a relic and statue of St Teresa of Avila. Photo: DANIEL THAM

is the source of love.

Some of the 600 attendees interviewed said they found the Novena uplifting and inspiring.

Ms Mandy Binney enjoyed the enlightening stories that was shared during the homilies, especially the one on forgiveness.

Ms Grace Chong shared that she found the teachings of St Teresa a valuable source of comfort, joy and wisdom. Ms Rozenie Villarder agreed and added that she felt really blessed to gain wisdom from St Teresa through Fr JunJun’s preaching.

The spiritual preparation reached its highest point on Oct

14 when Archbishop William Goh celebrated an evening Mass in the Carmelite monastery chapel to commemorate the Solemnity of St Teresa of Jesus.

During his homily, he encouraged all to follow the example of St Teresa which was to grow in holiness and to seek divine wisdom. He added that striving for a life of perfection and holiness is not only for a privileged few, but for everyone. He also thanked the Carmelite Friars and Sisters for their love, dedication and service to the Church, and for sharing their gift of prayer and the Carmelite Spirituality.

8 ASIA

Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews CNS ¿le photos

Cardinal highlights Philippines’ poverty in wake of synod meeting MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Cardi-

nal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila said the Synod of Bishops on the family was more than a series of discussions on divorce and gay unions and that the impact of poverty on families, especially in Asia, was a major concern of participants.

“Poverty is really affecting the Filipino family in a dramatic way,” Cardinal Tagle told reporters at an Oct 30 news conference.

The prelate explained that while he was in Italy he was part of a forum on families and afterward a number of contract workers from the Philippines approached him in tears. Cardinal Tagle said one worker told him, “If it weren’t for hardship

I would never have left my wife and children behind.”

The Philippines is among the world’s top countries that sends workers overseas. More than 9 million Filipinos, about 10 percent of the Philippines population, live overseas and about half of them migrated for work, the government has reported.

Cardinal Tagle said migration was a major concern in synod discussions.

“Couples separate not because they’re mad at each other,” the cardinal said. “They separate because they love their family and they bear the pain of separation just to ¿nd jobs elsewhere. So we ask, ‘What kind of pastoral care can we give for the [contract] workers to remain

Couples bear the pain of separation as they have to ¿nd jobs elsewhere, said Cardinal Tagle.

Above: A husband and wife, both unemployed, feed their six children with rations in a slum in Manila.

Left: Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila.

faithful to their families ... and what can we do for those left behind?’”

Cardinal Tagle pointed to ¿-

Filipino priest to remain in Sierra Leone and risk Ebola for faithful CNS ¿le photo

MAKENI, SIERRA LEONE – True

to his vocation, a Filipino missionary in Sierra Leone, one of the three African countries most affected by the Ebola virus, will continue to work there.

“I’ll stay in Sierra Leone. I am still convinced that this is not the time to leave the country,” said Fr Anthony Patrick S Santianez, in a post on the social networking site Facebook. The Xaverian priest, a native of Calbayog, Samar province, leaves no room for doubt or uncertainty.

The Good Shepherd, said the Filipino priest, “lays down His life for His sheep, if necessary”; this is why he does not intend to respond to the appeal launched by the government in Manila, asking all fellow citizens in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea to leave the area and return to the Philippines. “My response ... is and will always be no,” he said.

Fr Anthony does fear for his health and life, but does not intend to abandon his parishioners especially at this time of great need.

Speaking to CbcpNews, he admitted that for a moment, he had thought to return, but a “touching petition” from one of his “sheep” prompted him to change his mind.

According to the priest, who ¿rst arrived in the African country on June 24, 2008, having completed

A health worker is sprayed with disinfectant in northern Sierra Leone.

his theological studies at the University of Manila, the Ebola outbreak is a good opportunity to bear witness and show solidarity with the local population. “I was also surprised by my mother’s phone call,” said Fr Anthony, “who asked me to stay here. I knew it was the voice of God speaking through my mother.”

The priest, who is vice-rector of the Church of St Guido Maria Conforti in Makine, administers the sacraments, teaches catechism and visits individuals and families throughout the diocese. And from Sierra Leone, he asks his fellow citizens in the Philippines’ only for prayer, “the real source of

comfort and concrete means to address and overcome dif¿culties”.

Ebola is a virus that causes very aggressive haemorrhagic fevers and has a very high mortality rate; the current strain has an incidence of around 70 percent, but can reach up to 90 percent. So far it has killed 4,922 people, but the real ¿gure could be even higher.

The ¿rst case of infection occurred last February in Guinea, and then spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia.

There is no effective treatment and the epidemic of recent months has prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare it an international emergency. ASIANEWS

nancial insecurity as a hindrance to marriage and a burden on family life.

Young people are delaying marriage because of a lack of jobs in the Philippines and elsewhere and thoughts that they could not support a family, he said, adding that for those who have work, the breadwinner is focused on hanging on to the job and “putting the family second.”

The bishops also credited grandparents and extended fam-

ily members for their roles in raising children because of the economic stresses placed on nuclear families.

Cardinal Tagle also reported on preparations for Pope Francis’ planned January visit to the Philippines. He said of¿cials from the Vatican planned to visit in November to check on arrangements and that speci¿c details of the trip would be released at the end of November or early December. CNS

In Indonesia, hope for minister’s religious freedom legislation JAKARTA, INDONESIA – Mem-

fers protection to minority combers of several religious minority munities, but its implementation groups in Indonesia say they are by local governments has been cautiously optimistic about plans far from consistent. to draft a new bill to protect perMr Hidayat said he hoped secuted minorities in the predom- the minister will have the powinantly Muslim country. er to enact his new legislation Minister of Religious Af- – and that local governments fairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin would be compelled to abide by told local media recently that his it. ministry plans to draft new legThe “political situation often islation aimed at protecting reli- prevents policies taken by the gious freedom in a country where national government from being rights groups say there has been implemented by the local governan alarming surge in ments”, he said. intolerance in recent Other religious years. leaders also reacted The new “This is a new positively to Mr Lukbill aims breakthrough for the man’s plans. to protect current government,” “We give a Mr Ahmad Hidayat, thumbs-up to the persecuted secretary general of minister for planminorities. the Indonesian Ahlning the bill,” said ulbait, an umbrella Mr Deden Sujana, group for Shia folleader of a commulowers, told ucanews.com on Oct nity of Ahmadiyya followers in 30.

West Java. “We hope the regu“Seeing the minister’s spirit, lation will let us pray solemnly I feel optimistic. I’m really sure without any disturbance in the that the regulation will protect re- future.” ligious groups,” he said.

The majority of Indonesians Mr Lukman told reporters are adherents of the Sunni Musthat the bill would speci¿cally lim tradition. Minority Muslim address the issues of the closure groups such as Ahmadis and of churches as well as attacks on Shias – as well as Christians mosques belonging to Shia and have faced ongoing persecution Ahmadiyya followers. from hardline Islamic groups.

In Indonesia, national law of- UCANEWS

WORLD 9

Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

Nurse thanks God for recovery from Ebola BETHESDA, MARYLAND, USA – Ms Nina Pham, a Dallas nurse who was the ¿rst person known to have contracted the Ebola virus in the United States, thanked God, her family and her medical team for her recovery.

Ms Pham held a news conference on Oct 24 in Bethesda after she was declared virus-free and released from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center.

“I feel fortunate and blessed to be standing here today. I would ¿rst and foremost like to thank God, my family and friends,” she said. “Throughout this ordeal I have put my trust in God and my medical team.

“I am on my way back to recovery even as I reÀect on how many others have not been so fortunate,” added Ms Pham, 26, who grew up in Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Fort Worth, Texas, and where she and her family have been longtime members.

She said she was “thankful for everyone involved” in her care “from the moment I became ill and was admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian Health Dallas up to today”, when she was being discharged from NIH. After her discharge from the hospital, she paid a visit to President Barack Obama at the White House.

Ms Pham was involved in the care of Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan prior to his death on Oct 8. Duncan contracted Ebola in his home country of Liberia and had travelled to the Dallas hospital

US President Barack Obama talks with Catholic nurse Nina Pham at the 2YDO 2I¿FH LQ :DVKLQJWRQ CNS photo

fortunate and blessed to be ‘I feelstanding here today.’

– Ms Nina Pham

where he was being treated.

Ms Pham is a 2006 graduate of Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth. When the school community found out she contracted Ebola, it organised a rosary service at the school chapel.

The pastor of Our Lady of Fatima, Fr Jim Khoi, also asked for prayers for her.

In Arizona, the Crosier Fathers and Brothers announced on Oct 24 that the community would offer a

novena of intercession for protection from Ebola in conjunction with St Theresa Catholic Church in Phoenix.

The novena was to begin on Oct 28 and continue for nine consecutive Tuesdays. Each evening service, lasting 30 to 40 minutes, was to have “a different theme of deliverance”, a news release said. CNS

Susan Boyle talks about her Catholic faith ORANGE, CALIFORNA, USA –

“Without God, you can do nothing. The kind of gift he’s given me, I have to use for the bene¿t of others.”

Scottish singer Susan Boyle, who shot to fame after appearing in Britain’s Got Talent made this remark recently during an interview in the USA, where was was on a concert tour.

The youngest of nine children raised in a devout Catholic home, Boyle says she never lost hope that she would be able to realise her dream of a singing career. “I felt that one day, it was going to happen for me,” she told OCCatholicNews.com, the online publication of Orange diocese in California.

But it was a long road. She sang with the choir at Our Lady of Lourdes, the parish she belongs to at home in Blackburn, Scotland, went on auditions and even saved up money to record a three-track demo.

She continues to dream – of a long career doing what she loves, and inspiring other people to persist in pursuing their dreams. “If I can do it, so can they do it,” she explained.

The things she has done, especially in these past ¿ve years, are mind-boggling. She sang at the 2010 papal Mass in Glasgow, Scotland, and at 4ueen Elizabeth’s diamond jubilee celebration in 2012. “To sing in front of people like that is very nervewracking,” she said, though she admitted that she often feels nervous before a performance.

“I love being on stage; on stage is where my home is,” she said, but “I’d be telling lies if I said I didn’t get nervous.”

St Cecilia, patron saint of music, is her patroness, though she also has a great fondness for St Andrew, patron of Scotland, and Mary. She accompanied her mother on pilgrimages to Our Lady of Knock in Ireland, and turns to Mary at times of dif¿culty.

“At times of great stress – when my mother died – I turn to Mary for support,” said Boyle. “I do have a special relationship with Mary, Mother of God, because she’s our spiritual mother.” CNS Susan Boyle says she turns to Mary for support at WLPHV RI JUHDW VWUHVV CNS photo

10 WORLD

Sunday November 16, 2014 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

Muslim leaders worldwide sign letter condemning ISIS WASHINGTON â&#x20AC;&#x201C; More than 100 Muslim leaders â&#x20AC;&#x201C; clerics and laypeople alike â&#x20AC;&#x201C; have signed on to a letter criticising the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

In the 17-page letter, the leaders quoted extensively from the Qurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;an to rebuke ISISâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tactics and actions.

More than 125 Muslim leaders worldwide have signed the letter since it was issued on Sept 19.

More signatories hailed from Egypt than anywhere else, although signers also came from Jerusalem and Palestine, as well as nations where Muslims constitute vast majorities or tiny minorities of the population: Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan, Argentina, Belgium, BosniaHerzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chad, France, Gambia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Portugal, Sudan, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan and Yemen, as well as the regions of Kosovo and Kurdistan.

Among the letterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s condemnations of ISIS is its treatment of Christians. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Regarding Arab Christians, you gave them three choices: jizya â&#x20AC;&#x201C; poll tax â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the sword or conversion to Islam. You painted their homes red, destroyed their churches, and in some cases looted their homes and property. You killed some of them and caused many others to Ă&#x20AC;ee their homes with nothing but their lives and the clothes on their backs,â&#x20AC;? the letter said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These Christians are not combatants against Islam or transgressors against it, indeed they are friends, neighbours and co-citizens. From the legal perspective of Sharia [Islamic law] they all fall under ancient agreements that are around 1,400 years old, and the rulings of jihad do not apply to them.â&#x20AC;?

The letter also highlighted ISISâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; treatment of journalists and aid workers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have killed many innocents who were neither combatants nor armed, just because they disagree with your opinions,â&#x20AC;? it said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Emissaries have a special inviolability,â&#x20AC;? the letter noted, adding that journalists are â&#x20AC;&#x153;emissaries of truth, because their job is to expose the truth to people in general.

You have mercilessly killed the journalists James Foley [a Catholic] and Steven Sotloff [who was Jewish], even after Sotloffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother pleaded with you and begged for mercy. Aid workers are also emissaries of mercy and kindness, yet you killed the aid worker David Haines. What you have done is unquestionably forbidden.â&#x20AC;?

,6,6 ÂżJKWHUV VWDQG JXDUG DW D FKHFNSRLQW LQ WKH QRUWKHUQ ,UDTL FLW\ RI 0RVXO LQ WKLV -XQH ÂżOH SKRWR 0XVOLP OHDGHUV KDYH FRQGHPQHG WKH JURXSÂśV treatment of Christians, among its other atrocities. CNS photo

The letter said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;As for killing prisoners, it is forbidden in Islamic law. Yet you have killed many prisoners ... and many untold others whom God knows.â&#x20AC;?

By the same token, the letter noted, Prophet Mohammad, Islamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s founder, â&#x20AC;&#x153;over a span of 10 years and 29 battles ... did not execute a single regular soldier; rather, he entrusted that they be treated with kindnessâ&#x20AC;?.

What you â&#x20AC;&#x2DC; have done is unquestionably forbidden.

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Statement from letter signed by more than 125 Muslim leaders

On the Yazidi, a religious PLQRULW\ LQ ,UDT the letter said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You killed hundreds of them and buried them in mass graves. You caused the death and suffering of hundreds of others. Had it not been for American and Kurdish intervention, tens of thousands of their men, women, children and elderly would have been killed.

These are all abominable crimes.â&#x20AC;?

The letter added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have coerced people to convert to Islam just as you have coerced Muslims to accept your views. You also co-

erce everyone living under your control in every matter, great or small, even in matters which are between the individual and God.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;In simple terms, you treat women like detainees and prisoners; they dress according to your whims; they are not allowed to leave their homes and they are not allowed to go to school,â&#x20AC;? it added.

The letter also condemned ISIS for making children â&#x20AC;&#x153;engage in war and killingâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In your schools some children are tortured and coerced into doing your bidding and others are being executed. These are crimes against innocents who are so young they are not even morally accountable.â&#x20AC;?

The letter said the militants â&#x20AC;&#x153;have provided ample ammunition for all those who want to call Islam barbaricâ&#x20AC;? by broadcasting the militantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;barbaric acts, which you pretend are for the sake of Islamâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have given the world a stick with which to beat Islam, whereas in reality Islam is completely innocent of these acts and prohibits them.â&#x20AC;?

The letter also accused ISIS of picking and choosing their beliefs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is not permissible to constantly speak of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;simplifying mattersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or to cherry-pick an extract from the Qurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;an, without understanding it within its full context,â&#x20AC;? it said. Â&#x201E; CNS

WORLD 11

Sunday November 16, 2014 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

6LVWLQH &KDSHO JHWV QHZ OLJKWV FRROHU DLU VATICAN CITY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Vatican is not promising visitors to the Sistine Chapel more elbow room, but it is guaranteeing a cooler experience.

Marking the year of the 450th anniversary of Michelangeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death, the Vatican Museums hope the brand new air conditioning system and the 7,000 new LED lights will preserve the Renaissance artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s masterpiece for generations to come.

Television cameras, news photographers and journalists were invited to the chapel on Oct 29 for a â&#x20AC;&#x153;before and afterâ&#x20AC;? experience. Initially, they viewed the chapel with the lighting installed 20 years ago after the cleaning and restoration of Michelangeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ceiling frescoes and his massive wall mural, The Last Judgment. Then the bright-

er, cooler LED lights were turned on.

Even with a crowd in the chapel, the room is designed to stay cooler than ever â&#x20AC;&#x201C; never going above 25 deg Celsius â&#x20AC;&#x201C; thanks to a new system installed by the USbased Carrier company and adjusted over the past three years with input from the Vatican Museumsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; conservation team and its diagnostic and scientiÂżc research laboratory.

Mr Antonio Paolucci, museums director, said his team believed the best way to honour Michelangelo was to highlight and preserve the culmination of his lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work, something which was threatened by the workâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popularity.

The chapel hosts almost 6 million visitors a year. Â&#x201E; CNS

The Sistine Chapel is illuminated with new LED lighting at the Vatican on Oct 29. The chapel also comes with a new air conditioning system. CNS photo

Church to continue ,QWHUIDLWK GLDORJXH ÂśQR Libya 0DVV SUD\HUV DPLGVW Ă&#x20AC;JKWLQJ substitute for missionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; VATICAN CITY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Retired Pope

Benedict XVI said dialogue with other religions is no substitute for spreading the Gospel to nonChristian cultures.

He also said the true motivation for missionary work is not to increase the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s size but to share the joy of knowing Christ.

The retired popeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s words appeared in written remarks to faculty members and students at Romeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PontiÂżcal Urbanian University, which belongs to the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.

Archbishop Georg Ganswein, prefect of the papal household and personal secretary to retired Pope Benedict, read the 1,800-word message on Oct 21, at a ceremony dedicating the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s renovated main lecture hall to the retired pope. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The risen Lord instructed His apostles, and through them His disciples in all ages, to take His word to the ends of the earth and to make

CNS photo

Retired Pope Benedict XVI said that even with interreligious dialogue, it is still important to evangelise.

disciples of all people,â&#x20AC;? retired Pope Benedict wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;But does that still apply?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; many inside and outside the Church ask themselves today. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Is mission still something for today?

The counter-question is: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Can dialogue substitute for mission?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;In fact, many today think religions should respect each other and, in their dialogue, become a

common force for peace. â&#x20AC;&#x153;According to this way of thinking, it is usually taken for granted that different religions are variants of one and the same reality,â&#x20AC;? the retired pope wrote.

But he said that this way of thinking was â&#x20AC;&#x153;lethal to faith. In fact, faith loses its binding character and its seriousness, everything is reduced to interchangeable symbols, capable of referring only distantly to the inaccessible mystery of the divine.â&#x20AC;?

Pope Benedict said that some religions, particularly â&#x20AC;&#x153;tribal religions,â&#x20AC;? are â&#x20AC;&#x153;waiting for the encounter with Jesus Christ,â&#x20AC;? but that this â&#x20AC;&#x153;encounter is always reciprocal. Christ is waiting for their history, their wisdom, their vision of the things.â&#x20AC;?

This encounter can also give new life to Christianity, which has grown tired in its historical heartlands, he wrote. Â&#x201E; CNS

0H[LFDQ &KXUFK UHVSRQGV LQ FDVH RI PLVVLQJ VWXGHQWV MEXICO CITY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Archdiocese of Mexico City called for a â&#x20AC;&#x153;reconstruction of the countryâ&#x20AC;? in response to the disappearance of 43 teacher trainees in an act that authorities allege was authored by a mayor and his wife and carried out by police working alongside an organised crime network. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The evil that Mexico suffers is a true decomposition of the social fabric, an evil from which no sector of the country escapes,â&#x20AC;? read an Oct 27 editorial in the archdioc-

esan publication Desde la Fe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The seriousness of the crisis demands a deep replanting of our morals, our laws and the social and political organisation of our homeland.â&#x20AC;?

The teacher trainees went missing on Sept 26 in Iguala, 193 km south of Mexico City. Classmates and authorities said the students went to collect money for a trip to the capital, but were pulled over, shot at by police, detained and turned over to a criminal

group known as Guerrero Unidos.

Pope Francis said his prayers were with the Mexican people at the end of his general audience in St Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Square on Oct 29.

He said he wanted to offer his prayers and express his closeness â&#x20AC;&#x153;to the Mexican people, who are suffering over the disappearance of the students and so many other similar problems. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As brothers and sisters may our hearts be close to them, praying at this time.â&#x20AC;? Â&#x201E; CNS

OXFORD, ENGLAND â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Catholic clergy in eastern Libya vowed to continue ministering to local Church members despite an upsurge in Âżghting around the provincial capital of Benghazi. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although things are quieter this week, the Âżghting hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stopped. But most Catholics are relatively safe in their local workplaces,â&#x20AC;? Bishop Sylvester Magro, leader of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Catholic community, told Catholic News Service (CNS) on Oct 22. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Like other local citizens, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not receiving help or protection from the authorities and the situation is too unclear to permit any normal life. But weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re continuing our prayers and Masses even though attendance has fallen and many people are now afraid to come to church,â&#x20AC;? he said as militia commanded by a retired general attacked Islamist positions around the city.

Bishop Magro said Benghaziâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shops and markets remained well stocked with food and clothing, while there had been â&#x20AC;&#x153;no open hostilitiesâ&#x20AC;? towards local Catholics.

However, a priest in al-Bayda said Catholic fears had been heightened by recent incidents, including a break-in at a Catholic chapel in Tobruk.

Spent cartridges lie on the ground in Benghazi, Libya, on Oct 18, in the aftermath of clashes between pro-government forces and the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council. CNS photo

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been no frontal hostility or open bad will toward us, but some groups appear to want to intimidate us by stirring interreligious resentments,â&#x20AC;? Franciscan Fr Piotr Borkowski said.

The Polish priest said that it is difÂżcult to determine what ordinary Muslims â&#x20AC;&#x153;really think and feel aboutâ&#x20AC;? Catholics. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But most people just want to live peacefully and safely here, and there are still hopes the situation will calm down,â&#x20AC;? he said. Â&#x201E; CNS

12 WORLD

Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

Burkina Faso Church calls for calm after president ousted OXFORD, ENGLAND – The Catho-

lic Church in Burkina Faso urged calm following the ouster of President Blaise Compaore and called on the country’s new military rulers to honour pledges of democracy.

“All the signs are positive, the shops, of¿ce and schools are open, and life seems to be returning to normal,” said Msgr Joseph Kinda, spokesman for Burkina Faso’s bishops’ conference.

Cardinal Philippe Ouedraogo of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, announced a week of prayers for “reconciliation, justice and peace” in the landlocked West African state after the deputy head of the presidential guard, Lietenant Colonel Isaac Yacouba =ida, declared himself interim head of state on Nov 1.

Msgr Kinda told Catholic News Service on Nov 3, that he had not heard of injuries to Catholics or damage to parish buildings during recent rioting in Ouagadougou, the capital.

He added that Lieutenant =ida had held “consultative talks” that day with Catholic, Muslim and other religious leaders, who had offered help in forming an interim administration.

“The outgoing president caused these disturbances by taking a position against society and failing to speak in the same language,” the spokesman said.

“Bishops have called repeatedly for national agreement. They now count on the new authorities to ¿nd someone in civil society who can govern and guide our country through the coming transition.”

President Compaore Àed on Oct 31 to Ivory Coast after 27 years in power, following mass protests against plans to amend

the constitution to allow him to continue in of¿ce for another term beginning in 2015.

Forces loyal to Lieutenant =ida said they would appoint a civilian-led administration as soon as possible to supervise fresh elections.

However, news agencies reported that shots had been ¿red on Nov 2 during demonstrations against the takeover.

In his prayer appeal, Cardinal Ouedraogo said Burkina Faso was experiencing “delicate moments in its history”, and deCNS ¿le photo

Praying for dead, pope asks special prayers for war victims Cardinal Philippe Ouedraogo of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

pended on “institutions to guarantee its wellbeing, freedom and peace”.

Msgr Isidore Ouedraogo, director of the Church’s Caritas aid organisation, said the bishops had previously warned of “social division and the rise of violence”, and had welcomed Mr Compaore’s departure “with joy”.

“The bishops have tried to articulate the aspirations of the people for a better life,” Msgr Ouedraogo told Vatican Radio’s French-language service on Oct 31. CNS

Holy See gives stamp of approval to SIGNIS ROME – The Holy See has of¿cially recognised SIGNIS (the World Catholic Association for Communication) as an International Association of the Faithful through its approval of the Canonical Statutes of SIGNIS. At a ceremony at the headquarters of the Ponti¿cal Council for the Laity on Oct 24, the Decree of Ponti¿cal Recognition was solemnly consigned to the president of SIGNIS, Mr Gustavo And~jar, accompanied by SIGNIS vice-presidents, Mr Frank Frost and Mr Lawrence John Sinniah,

by Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, President of the Ponti¿cal Council for the Laity.

Receiving the decree, Mr Andújar commented: “The in-

Pope Francis blesses graves at the conclusion of Mass at the Verano cemetery in Rome on Nov 1, the Feast of All Saints. CNS photo

ternational Catholic organisations for the media were created in the 1920s through initiatives of lay people, and although the mother organisations of SIGNIS, and SIGNIS itself, have always counted on the enthusiastic participation and support of numerous priests, our organisations have remained mainly an endeavor of lay people, with a growingly clear conscience of the need for an active presence in, and vibrant dialogue with, the professional world of the media.”

SIGNIS is now the only international Catholic association for media professionals, of¿cially recognised by the Holy See. The SIGNIS website is http:// www.signis.net SIGNIS

VATICAN CITY – The early November feasts of All Saints and All Souls call Catholics to contemplate their ultimate destiny, hope in the eternal happiness of their beloved dead and remember the thousands of innocent people dying each day because of human evil and sel¿shness.

Because human beings believe they are gods and the lords of creation, they discard the poor, the old and the young, they wage wars and persecute those who do not believe the way they do, Pope Francis said on Nov 1, as he celebrated an evening Mass at Rome’s Verano cemetery.

The pope told thousands of people gathered amid the tombs that before Mass he noticed a plaque commemorating the 1943 Allied bombing of the cemetery and thought, “that’s nothing compared to what is happening today.”

“Man has made himself lord of all, he thinks he’s god, he thinks he’s king,” the pope said. There is a whole “industry of destruction” with wars, pollution, “throwing away babies, throwing away the aged”.

As winter begins in the Northern Hemisphere, he said he was thinking of those forced to leave their homes and Àee to the desert, living “in tents, feeling the cold, without medicine, hungry” because of those who believe they

us remember ‘theLetvictims of wars and violence, the many little ones of the world who have been crushed by hunger and poverty.

’

– Pope Francis

are god. The pope presumably was talking about the situation in Syria and Iraq where Islamic State ¿ghters continue to drive people from their homes.

God has given his children a blessing, the pope said: “hope.

The hope that he will have pity

on his people, that he would have pity on those who are in the midst of the ‘great tribulation’”.

Earlier that day, reciting the Angelus with visitors in St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis said the November feasts are reminders that all the baptised – those living and those dead – are united in Christ forever.

During the recitation of the Angelus on Nov 2, Pope Francis spoke about All Souls’ Day and the importance of praying for all the dead.

“Today we are called to remember all of them ... Let us remember the victims of wars and violence, the many little ones of the world who have been crushed by hunger and poverty.”

Offering a Mass for the deceased, the pope said, “is the best spiritual help we can give to their souls”.

After praying privately at the tombs of previous popes in the Vatican grottos the evening of Nov 2, he celebrated Mass in St Peter’s Basilica on Nov 3 for the 10 cardinals and 111 bishops who died last year. CNS

9DWLFDQ RIÀFLDO YLVLWV 6\ULD VATICAN CITY – A Vatican of¿cial has af¿rmed the commitment of Pope Francis and the Holy See to the suffering peoples of Syria.

The Vatican announced on Oct 31, that the secretary of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, Msgr Giampietro Dal Toso, made an Oct 28-31 trip to Damascus in order to attend the meeting of the assembly of Catholic bishops in Syria.

Msgr Dal Toso also met with

various institutions, especially Catholic ones, that are currently involved in humanitarian aid activities in the country.

In these meetings, special appreciation was expressed for the commitment of the Holy Father and the Holy See to supporting the Christian communities and the population as a whole, who suffer as a result of the conÀict, and for encouraging dialogue and recon-

ciliation among the various parties.

Emphasis was also placed on the important role of Catholic aid organisations, who bene¿t all of the Syrian population. Through the generous contribution of the international community, in the face of growing need, this assistance will have to be intensi¿ed in the future, the Vatican statement noted. ZENIT

POPE FRANCIS 13

Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

Praise God, pray for the persecuted, pope says to Charismatics VATICAN CITY – Prayer and mission are the very breath of the Christian life, Pope Francis said.

“When we inhale, by prayer, we receive the fresh air of the Holy Spirit. When exhaling this air, we announce Jesus Christ risen by the same spirit,” Pope Francis told members of the Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowships.

The pope met on Oct 31 with about 1,000 Charismatic Catholics and their Protestant guests who were participating in a conference about the Charismatic movement and new evangelisation.

Although most of his speech focused on the Charismatic practice of prayers of praise, Pope Francis also encouraged prayers of intercession, “a cry to the Father, for our Christian brothers and sisters who are persecuted and murdered, and for the cause of peace in our turbulent world”.

The Charismatic movement, which focuses on the gifts of the

Pope Francis told them that as people who value the rich variety of gifts of the Holy Spirit, they should not fear diversity.

Pope Francis waves during a special audience with members of the Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowships at the Vatican on Oct 31. CNS photo

Holy Spirit, is by its nature an ecumenical movement, the pope said. Christian unity is “the test of the credibility of Christians and of Christ Himself”, and Christian di-

visions make evangelisation more dif¿cult.

While theological dialogue is important in bringing about the formal unity of divided Christians,

he said, “spiritual ecumenism” – “praying and proclaiming together that Jesus is Lord and coming together to help the poor” – is something to which all Christians are called. “This must be done.”

Despite their differences, the pope said, too many Christians already are united in one kind of ecumenism, the “ecumenism of blood”.

“For our persecutors, we are not divided – we are not Lutherans, Orthodox, Evangelicals, Catholics. For persecutors we are Christians; they are not interested in anything else,” the pope said.

“This is the ecumenism of blood being lived today.”

Pope Francis also told the Charismatics that as people who value the rich variety of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, they should not fear diversity. “Uniformity is not Christian,” he said.

Being united in Christ and in the Church “does not necessarily mean doing everything together or thinking in the same way”, he said. “Unity in diversity is actually the opposite: it involves the joyful recognition and acceptance of the various gifts which the Holy Spirit gives to each one and the placing of the gifts at the service of all members of the Church.”

Accepting the Holy Spirit’s diversity while allowing the Spirit to forge unity “means knowing how to listen, to accept differences and having the freedom to think differently and express oneself with complete respect toward the other, who is my brother or sister”, he said. CNS

Pope urges prayer, Pontiff to visit Turkey’s Blue Mosque international action WR ÀJKW (EROD YLUXV VATICAN CITY – Although prayers

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis especially in West Africa. pleaded for the international com“At this point, it’s not only munity to take stronger, coordi- about preventing Ebola. We’re nated steps to “annihilate” the also called to care for the thouEbola virus and help the millions sands of healthy people who were of people impacted by the disease. already poor, who have no access “As the Ebola virus epidemic to healthcare for other illnesses worsens, I want to express my and whose lives have been turned deep concern for this relentless upside down by this crisis,” said illness that is spreading particu- US Msgr Robert J Vitillo, the Carlarly on the African continent and itas health adviser. especially among populations that “This is a shattering emerare already disgency. We need to advantaged,” the strengthen the reThe pope offered pope said on Oct sponse of Caritas 29 at the end of and our collabohis prayers for his weekly genration with other the sick and for eral audience.

Catholic Church doctors, nurses, Pope Francis organisations as offered his prayers quickly as possivolunteers, and solidarity with ble. Our brothers Religious orders the sick, as well as and sisters cannot with the doctors, and humanitarian wait,” Msgr Vitnurses, volunteers, illo said. agencies.

Religious orders The priest and humanitarian also said the oragencies working “heroically to ganisations would discuss ways help our sick brothers and sisters”. to “respond to the global reactions “I ask you to pray for them and of panic and of stigmatising that for all who have lost their lives,” are directed at West Africans, mithe pope said. grants from the region, and even at The day before the pope’s ap- returning health care volunteers”. peal, Caritas Internationalis – the Catholic Relief Services, the umbrella organisation for Catho- US bishops’ overseas aid agency lic charities around the world – and a member of Caritas Internaannounced it would hold a spe- tionalis, announced in late Sepcial meeting in Rome on Nov 4 to tember that it has committed more coordinate ways to increase the than US$1.5 million (SG$ 1.9 work Catholic charities are do- million) to anti-Ebola efforts in ing in response to the epidemic, West Africa. CNS

and meetings with Orthodox leaders dominate the schedule of Pope Francis’ Nov 28-30 trip to Turkey, he also will meet government leaders and visit Istanbul’s Blue Mosque.

His visit to this secular but Muslim country of nearly 77 million people also offers the opportunity for Pope Francis to join Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople for celebrations in Istanbul of the feast of St Andrew.

The pope and the patriarch send delegations to each other’s Churches each year for the celebrations of their patron saints’ feast days: the Vatican’s June 29 feast of Sts Peter and Paul and the Orthodox Churches’ Nov 30 feast of St Andrew.

While the pope will pray with and meet privately with Patriarch Bartholomew on Nov 29 and attend his celebration of the Nov 30 feast day liturgy in Istanbul,

Pope Francis will visit the Blue Mosque during a trip to Turkey on Nov 28-30.

CNS photo

Pope Francis also will visit the city’s Hagia Sophia Museum, an architectural masterpiece once regarded as the ¿nest church of the Christian Byzantine Empire. It was later converted into a mosque in the 15th century and then turned into a museum in 1935 after Turkey became a secular state.

Pope Francis will also visit the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, or the Blue Mosque, as it is often called

because of the turquoise ceramic tiles that adorn the 400-year-old structure’s interior.

The ¿rst day of his trip, which will be spent in Ankara, the capital, will be dedicated to relations with the Turkish government, its of¿ce overseeing religious affairs and ambassadors serving in the country. The head of the department of religious affairs is Turkey’s highest Muslim authority. CNS

Exorcists ‘show Church’s love for the suffering’ VATICAN CITY – Exorcists, as-

signed to that ministry by their bishops, demonstrate the love and care of the Church for “those who suffer because of the work of the devil”, Pope Francis said in a message to the International Association of Exorcists.

The organisation, which was recognised by the Congregation for Clergy in June, brought some 300 exorcists to Rome in late October for a convention focused particularly on the impact of the occult and Satanism on modern men and women.

In an Oct 27 interview with Vatican Radio, Dr Valter Cascioli, a psychiatrist and spokesman for the group, said the number of people who turn to the occult or are fascinated by Satanic cults and rituals “is constantly increasing and this worries us” because it appears to coincide with “an extraordinary increase in demonic activity”.

Dr Cascioli said too many people today undervalue temptation, “ordinary demonic activity”, which leaves them unprepared to ¿ght off greater attacks by the devil.

In societies marked by “rushing, super¿ciality, exaggerated individualism and secularisation”, he said, “the battle against evil and the devil increasingly is becoming an emergency”.

Where faith is weak, he said, “the enemy of God” ¿nds easy prey.

The exorcists’ association, Dr Cascioli said, sees the impact of the devil’s wiles on families as well as individuals. “The devil – not only separates us from God, but separates persons and families,” he said. CNS

14 POPE FRANCIS

Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

Family needs Church’s help, pope says VATICAN CITY – The family is

under attack now more than ever because of today’s culture of division that wants to break from and be free of all everlasting bonds and forms of solidarity, Pope Francis said.

“Talking about problems of the family, for example, bonds are being destroyed, instead of created. Why? Because we are living in a culture of the provisional, of conÀict, of the inability to make alliances,” he said.

What is needed is a Church and Christians who are willing to “waste time” on people, not just principles, and accompany face-to-face those needing to discover the truth in Jesus Christ, he said.

The pope’s comments came during a 90-minute meeting with about 8,000 lay members of the international Schonstatt movement on Oct 25 in the Vatican audience hall. The movement, founded by the late German Fr Joseph Kentenich, was celebrating its 100th anniversary.

Representatives asked the pope ¿ve questions, ranging from how to help strengthen families to his secret for maintaining a sense of hope and happiness in such a trouble-plagued world.

“I haven’t got the faintest idea,” he said with a smile, in reply to the latter question.

Part of it comes from his personality and being a bit “impulsive”, which makes him a bit of a daredevil, he said. But that courage is also rooted in prayer and abandoning himself to God’s goodness, he added.

Knowing that God is always there, even “in moments of major sin”, gives him great con¿dence and faith, he said, in remarks that were entirely unscripted.

Pope Francis greets a child as he arrives to lead a special audience for members of the Schoenstatt religious movement at the Vatican on Oct 25. CNS photo

Something else that helps, he said, is perspective. Jesus Christ is and must always be at the centre of everything, which means that oneself, one’s parish, the associations one belongs to, even the Roman Curia, cannot become the centre of one’s life, he said.

“The truth is grasped better from the periphery,” from the outside looking in, he said. One striking example came to light in a recent conversation with a criminal defence lawyer who told him he often cries with the prisoners he visits in jail.

family, marriage ‘Thehave never been attacked as much as they are right now.

’

– Pope Francis

“He sees the world of law, of what he has to judge as a criminal lawyer, but also from the wounds that he ¿nds there,” which allows him to see the actual situation better, the pope said.

“Therefore, I would say a healthy recklessness – that is, let-

ting God do things; praying and abandoning oneself; courage and patience; and going to the peripheries. I don’t know if this is my secret, but it is what comes to mind,” he said.

In response to a question about how to help families, Pope Francis said he believed “the Christian family, the family, marriage have never been attacked as much as they are right now.”

The family is “beaten and the family is bastardised” and debased, since almost anything is being called a family, he said.

The family faces a crisis “because it is being bludgeoned by all sides, leaving it very wounded”, he said. There is no other choice than to go to the family’s aid and give them personal help, he said.

“We can give a nice speech, declare principles. Of course we need to do this, with clear ideas” and statements saying that unions that do not reÀect God’s plan of a permanent union between a man and a woman are forms of “an association, not a marriage”.

However, people must also be accompanied “and this also means wasting time. The greatest master of wasting time is Jesus.

He wasted time accompanying, to help consciences mature, to heal the wounds, to teach,” the pope said.

He said the Sacrament of Matrimony is becoming just a ceremony or social event for some people, who do not see its sacramental nature as a union with God. Part of the problem is a lack of formation for engaged couples and “this is a sin of omission on our part”, he said.

But there also is the problem of a culture that is shortsighted, where everything is temporary or “provisional”, he said, and “forever has been forgotten”.

He said he sees the same thing even in his own family with couples living together “part time: Monday through Friday with my girlfriend and Friday to Sunday with my family. They are new forms, totally destructive and limiting of the greatness of the love of marriage.”

When asked about the best way to share the faith with others, the pope said going out into the world and living as true witnesses of Christ and His message is the only way. CNS

POPE FRANCIS 15

Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

Pope: Evolution, Big Bang do not push aside God CNS ¿le photo

VATICAN CITY – The Big Bang

theory and evolution do not eliminate the existence of God, who remains the one who set all of creation into motion, Pope Francis told his own science academy.

And God’s existence does not contradict the discoveries of science, he told members of the Ponti¿cal Academy of Sciences on Oct 27.

“When we read the account of creation in Genesis, we risk thinking that God was a magician, complete with a magic wand, able to do everything. But it is not like that,” he said. “He created living beings and He let them develop according to the internal laws that He gave each one, so that they would develop and reach their full potential.”

God gave creation full autonomy while also guaranteeing His constant presence in nature and people’s lives, he said.

The beginning of the world is not a result of “chaos”, he said, but comes directly from “a supreme principle that creates out of love”.

“The Big Bang, which today is held as the beginning of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator, but requires it,” he said. “Evolution in nature is not at odds with the notion of creation because evolution presupposes the creation of beings that evolve.”

Members of the academy, many of them renowned scientists and philosophers, met at the Vatican from Oct 24-28 to discuss the Evolving Concepts of Nature.

Science, philosophy and religion have all contributed to how people see the world, how it began and what it all means. However, despite many scienti¿c advances, many mysteries remain, said Rafael Vicuna, professor of molecular genetics and molecular

An image of massive stars from the Hubble Space Telescope. Pope Francis said that the Big Bang theory does not eliminate the existence of God.

biology at the Ponti¿cal Catholic University of Chile.

How is it that inert, inanimate matter turned into something living, and how is it that the ¿rst liv-

The Big Bang ... ‘does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator, but requires it.

’

– Pope Francis

ing single-celled organisms were still so amazingly complex, he asked in his talk on Oct 27.

Another mystery is how everything in the universe is spinning and orbiting, another

academy member said.

Mr Rudolf Muradyan, a quantum and mathematical physicist who also works in cosmology, said in his talk that the problem with the Big Bang theory is it explains linear motion, with everything moving outward and expanding from one common point as a result of the “bang”, but it does not account for the rotation of celestial objects, and theories that the universe was “born spinning”.

Mr Pierre Lena, a French Catholic astrophysicist, told the assembly that there are laws at work in the entire universe “but these laws have a mystery. Why are they there?

We can’t touch them, but they act.

They are not God,” he said, but they are a sign of the “supranatural existence of something”. CNS

Pope Benedict was a ‘great pope’ VATICAN CITY – On the same day that Pope Francis spoke to members of the Ponti¿cal Academy of Sciences, he said that retired Pope Benedict XVI is a perfect example of how intellectual knowledge and scienti¿c curiosity do not lead one further from God, but can strengthen one’s love for God and for His human creatures.

“Benedict XVI was a great pope,” he said: “Great for the power and penetration of his intellect, great for his considerable contribution to theology, great for his love for the Church and for human beings, great for his virtues and his religiosity.”

The academicians invited Pope Francis to unveil a bronze bust of Pope Benedict at the academy’s headquarters in the Vatican Gardens.

The pope said he was pleased that the statue’s face and particularly its eyes captured the spirit,

Pope Francis attends the unveiling of a bronze bust representing retired Pope Benedict XVI. CNS photo

intelligence and love of Pope Benedict.

With his intellectual curiosity and his love for science, Pope

Benedict especially enjoyed conversing with scientists at the Ponti¿cal Academy, Pope Francis said. CNS

16 OPINION

Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

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COMMENTARY

When a faraway crisis echoes close to home

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%\ (I¿H &DOGDUROD I work for an advocacy group, and we’re labouring to abolish the death penalty in Nebraska state, USA. That means I frequently drive down to our capital city, Lincoln, where our main of¿ces are located.

It’s a pleasant drive. I bask in the changing seasons and the occasional hawk Àying overhead looking for prey.

Sometimes, I say the rosary on my journey, but often I listen to National Public Radio (NPR).

As we all know, 2014 has been a bad news year. So many terrible events have happened that each eclipses the last. It didn’t seem like a long time ago when Americans saw thousands of poor kids Àocking to the US border from Central America.

Even though the news cycle has moved on, many still languish in detention centres, and although the tide has slowed, thousands still yearn for freedom in Honduras and Guatemala.

From that crisis, we were suddenly alerted to something called ISIS. The Islamic State was mediasavvy enough to start beheading people and that made Americans pay attention, whereas mere tor-

ture and execution by other means might not keep us glued to CNN. The horrors of the Ebola crisis in Africa took a while to capture our attention, but a handful of cases in Texas made Americans Àock to the TV. Somehow, the misery and intense suffering of people on the other side of the globe doesn’t always rivet us.

That’s why, one day on my pleasant drive, I was struck to

When I heard the articulate young Yazidi woman being interviewed on radio, I realised she could be my next-door neighbour. hear a Yazidi being interviewed right down the road in Lincoln.

Remember the Yazidis?

They are followers of a small religion with roots in Zoroastrianism and Su¿ Islam. That mixture makes them anathema – devil worshippers – to the extreme Islamic jihadists. The Yazidis have been persecuted, their women forced into sexual slavery, their men killed.

For one brief moment, Yazidis captured the media spotlight as

thousands of them Àed to a mountaintop to stave off death and capture. It’s why the US got involved trying to deliver humanitarian goods and deliverance to them.

Lincoln has over 100 Yazidi immigrant families. When I heard the articulate young Yazidi woman in Lincoln being interviewed on NPR, I realised she could be my next-door neighbour. In many ways, she is my neighbour.

Why did that make the Yazidi plight so much more personal to me?

Recently, a Jesuit with years of experience in refugee camps offered three pieces of advice for people concerned with this world’s suffering.

Pray intensely for the world, he said. Secondly, pay attention.

Don’t just get wrapped up in the crisis of the day. And ¿nally, commit yourself to spend time with the poor, hours a week, or a weekend a month.

The poor suffer throughout the world, but the suffering of those close to us, like the Yazidi woman who suddenly entered my peaceful drive, helps us connect with all suffering.

Finding God in all things means ¿nding God in the poor. CNS

Five people who gave me some self-understanding ALTHOUGH I grew up in a loving, safe, and nurturing family and community, one of the dominant memories of my childhood and teenage years is that of being restless and somehow discontent. My life always seemed too small, too con¿ned, a life away from what was important in the world. I was forever longing to be more connected to life and I feared that other people didn’t feel that way and that I was somehow singular and unhealthy in my restlessness.

I entered the Oblate seminary immediately after high school and carried that restlessness with me, except that now, entering Religious life, I felt even more worry and shame in carrying this disquiet. However, midway through that ¿rst year of training, a year which Religious congregations call novitiate, we received a visit from an extraordinary Oblate missionary named Noah Warnke, a man who had received numerous civic and Church awards for his achievements and who was widely respected.

He began his address to us, the novices, by asking us these questions: “Are you restless? Feeling isolated in this Religious house?

Feeling lonely and cut off from the world?” We all nodded, yes, he’d clearly struck a live-chord. “Good,” he replied, “you should be feeling restless. My God, you should be jumping out of your skins, you’ve all that red-blood, and ¿re, and energy and you’re holed-up here away from everything! But that’s good, that restlessness is a good feeling, you’re healthy! Tough it out with the restlessness, it’ll be worth it in the long run!” It was the ¿rst time in my life that someone had legitimatised how I was feeling. I felt like I had just been introduced to myself: “Are you jumping out of your skin? Good, you’re healthy!”

Immediately after that novitiate year, I began my theological training and one of the persons we studied in depth was Thomas Aquinas.

He was the second person who helped introduce me to myself. I was nineteen years old when I ¿rst met his thought and, although some of his insights were a bit beyond my young mind, I understood enough to ¿nd in him not just some legitimisation for how I was feeling but also, more importantly, a meta-narrative within which to understand why I was feeling the way I did.

Thomas Aquinas asks: “What is the adequate object of the human mind and heart?” In other words, what would we have to experience in order to be fully satis¿ed? His answer: All being, everything! What would we have to experience to be fully satis¿ed is everything.

We would have to know everything and be known by everybody, a human impossibility in this life, and so it shouldn’t be a mystery as to why we live in perpetual disquiet and why, as French philosopher, Blaise Pascal says, all the miseries of the human being come from the fact that we can’t sit still in a room for one hour.

The third person that helped introduce me to myself was psychologist, Sidney Callahan. Reading her book on sexuality as a young seminarian, I was struck by how she linked sex to soul, and how desire, not least sexual desire, has deep roots in the soul. At one point she makes this simple statement. I don’t have the exact quote, but it is words to this effect: If you look at yourself and your insatiability and worry that you are too-restless, over-sexed, and somehow pathological in your dissatisfactions, it doesn’t mean that you are sick, it just means that you are healthy and not in need of any hormone shots! These were liberating words for a restless, over-sensitive twenty-year-old.

A couple of years later, I was introduced to the writings of Dutchborn Catholic priest and writer, Henri Nouwen and he, perhaps more than anyone else, gave me permission to feel what I feel. Fr Nouwen, was such a powerful writer because he was so honest in sharing his own neediness, restlessness, and disquiet. He had a singular talent for tracing out the restless movements within our souls. For instance, in describing his own struggles, he writes: “I want to be a saint, but I also want to experience all the sensations that sinners experience. Small wonder, that life is a struggle.”

Finally, of course, there’s St Augustine and his famed opening to the Confessions wherein he summarises his life-long struggle in the words: “You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” We carry in¿nity inside us and thus should not be surprised that we will never ¿nd full consummation and peace within the ¿nite. St Augustine also gave us that wonderful rationalisation that we all use to put off into the inde¿nite future some of the things that we need to do now: Lord, make me a chaste Christian, but not yet!

Some people talk about the ¿ve people they would like to meet in heaven. These are the ¿ve people who have helped me understand what it means to walk on this earth.

FOCUS 17

Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

Priests and laypeople talk about the distractions of ringing phones and people who text at Mass

By Angela Cave ALBANY, NEW YORK, USA – Entire families navigate their smartphones while sharing meals at restaurants.

Students text in class. Parents take phone calls at their children’s sporting events and plays.

It’s no surprise that cellphones affect even the church.

It has become common for parishes to place blurbs in their bulletins about silencing cellphones and for lectors to make announcements about it before liturgies, reminding parishioners they’re in a place of worship.

In some places, Massgoers heed the notices – with a few exceptions for people who work in emergency ¿elds or don’t understand how to silence their phones.

At other parishes, ringtones, texting or even taking calls during liturgies can distract the presider and the people in the pews.

A few people, including priests who were in charge of parishes in New York, were interviewed about this issue.

Ms Dorothy Sokol, parish life director at Our Lady of Grace Parish in Ballston Lake, notices phones ringing and worshippers texting at Mass, despite signs in two different places and announcements cautioning against it. She said some people don’t

OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN, USA –

As the Catholic Campus Ministry director at the Newman Center on the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh campus, Fr Jason Blahnik is always looking for new ways to engage young people and attract them to his Catholic ministry.

This summer, he discovered a new one.

While walking alongside the Fox River on a hot day, he was struck by the humour of a sign warning, “Danger, thin ice.” He thought, “I bet people would get a good laugh out of this.” He took a “sel¿e” – a photo of himself – with the sign and posted it on his Facebook page.

The sel¿e prompted the amused response he had hoped for from students who were not on campus for the summer. He then started posting sel¿es of himself standing near university landmarks that the absent students would recognise.

“With the students gone, this was a way to connect them with UW-Oshkosh and the Catholic ministry even if they weren’t there,” Fr Blahnik told The Com-

‘

People should have a little more sense when it comes to their cell phones.

They forget why they’re [at church]. It’s only an hour of their life.

’

– Fr Thomas Holmes, pastor RI WZR 1HZ <RUN SDULVKHV

Using cellphones during Mass can distract other parishioners. Posed photo

know they’re offending people, but she’s distracted by it, especially when parents let toddlers play electronic games on their phones.

Some parishioners use a tablet or smartphone to follow along with the readings for Mass, and

“there’s a place” for that, she said.

As for texting, “people have to be conscious that they’re in church to pray with a community and to try, if possible, to put the distractions away,” Ms Sokol told The Evangelist, Albany’s dioc-

pass, newspaper of the Green Bay Diocese. “Kids do a lot of sel¿es and snapshots. It’s me putting a foot into their world. It endears them a little bit more to the ministry.”

Fr Blahnik said he wants to reach out to young people on a personal level and to have fun.

He is offering such activities as carving pumpkins, doing arts and crafts, playing Catholic charades,

knitting baby caps for charities or just dancing around to music.

He said his foray into sel¿es is a way to show that he is willing to go to the young people’s level in a good way.

“There’s some authenticity there,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to connect with the culture of young people now, and they appreciate that. It shows that Christ can enter even into something like this.

Fr Jason Blahnik, director of the Catholic Campus Ministry at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, WDNHV D VHO¿H ZLWK students at the 1HZPDQ &HQWHU on campus.

CNS photo

esan newspaper.

She’s not sure how to handle teenagers she’s seen texting repeatedly.

“What do you say?” she wondered. “Do you give the teenager grief when the parents are sitting right next to them and not saying anything? The last thing I want is for them to stop coming. You have to ¿gure out what’s best.”

Fr Richard Carlino, pastor of St John the Evangelist and St Anthony parishes in Schenectady, calls himself a “strong endorser of silencing the cellphones”.

In recent months, he’s also had to talk to parishioners about texting – which he considers less distracting than a ringing phone, but “still a distraction from what they’re supposed to be doing in church. Their mind is not on the

“Some people think that if we’re having fun, we’re sinning.

That’s not the case. It’s fun to be Catholic,” he explained. “There’s a joy to it, living and loving people.

It’s a great life. There are so many ways of following Jesus in a good way. I want them to have fun.”

He said that now that school is back in session, students are taking sel¿es of themselves at the Newman Center and are posting them as well.

“It’s a chance to communicate with them in a little bit different way than normal,” said Fr Blahnik, who was ordained in 2009. His “sel¿es” posted on Facebook can be viewed via the link bit.ly/jasonBsel¿es.

And how is it going over with the students? Fr Blahnik obligingly asked for a nearby student’s opinion and got an enthusiastic response. “They think I’m the best, apparently,” he reported wryly.

In the back of his mind, Fr Blahnik’s current approach was inÀuenced by the popular sel¿es taken with Pope Francis. “If the boss is doing it, I guess it’s OK,” Fr Blahnik said.

Lord. There are exceptions, but the exceptions should be few.”

On the other hand, “I’m happy they’re there, even if they’re doing stuff they shouldn’t be.”

Fr Thomas Holmes, pastor of two parishes – St Henry Parish and St Mary Parish, gets so frustrated by poor technology etiquette at Mass that he joked about installing an electric dog fence around the churches – or at least a signal scrambler.

“Almost every weekend, somebody’s cellphone goes off during Mass, oftentimes during the consecration,” he said. “I often laugh, and it’s a sarcastic laugh. I’ve said a couple of times, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ I think they should be embarrassed.”

Despite spotting teenagers and young adults texting at Mass, he hasn’t confronted anyone.

“Overall, I think people should have a little more sense when it comes to their cell phones. They forget why they’re [at church]. It’s only an hour of their life,” he said.

Of¿ce manager Andrea Freeman, at St Matthew’s in Voorheesville, saw someone texting at a wake, but said otherwise it doesn’t happen there often. CNS Cave is a staff writer at The Evangelist, newspaper of the Diocese of Albany, USA.

In the university student union, campus organisations can set up information tables, and Fr Blahnik plans to sponsor a table once a month with a cardboard cutout of Pope Francis that students can pose beside for sel¿es.

“We may need to create an album on Facebook just for those photos,” Fr Blahnik said. “The aim of the tables is to be a voice if somebody has questions about the Catholic faith. It gives the students a chance to see the church is present on campus. Sometimes we need those reminders. It encourages them to think about religion.

Sometimes we put that on the back burner when we’re busy.”

He said a hospitality committee of students will be present at the tables as well as at offerings at the Newman Center. “Regardless of who the person is, they will be feeling welcome, worshipping Christ, loving Christ and being loved by Christ,” he said. CNS Alderson writes from The Compass, newspaper of the Diocese of Green Bay, USA.

18 FAITH ALIVE!

Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

When kids make a fuss during Mass Parishioners should welcome them instead of expressing irritation, says Marge Fenelon

C

OUNTLESS times, I’ve seen young parents struggle with keeping their little ones quiet and interested during Mass.

Having been in their place before, I know how dif¿cult that can be, especially when a baby is fussy or a child is misbehaving. It can feel as though you’re the centre of unwanted attention and as if others are barely holding in their contempt.

Those of us who’ve had babies perfectly understand the challenge of keeping kids quiet. Even when they’re toddlers, it’s hard to keep them engaged in the Mass. With a range of reactions from other Massgoers, it is hard sometimes to feel welcome or as if you even belong there at all.

Some parishes get creative, but it depends on the culture. I remember the story some friends of ours told us about the time they belonged to a small, close-knit parish.

When a baby got fussy during Mass, the couple next to the parents would simply reach over, take the baby and lend a hand for a few minutes. When that wore off – for either the baby or the helpers – the people next to them took a turn, and down the line the baby went.

This “pass the baby” routine was effective, not only in helping parents meet the challenges of having small children in church, but in fostering a community atmosphere.

Those of us who’ve had babies perfectly understand the challenge of keeping kids quiet.

With a range of reactions from other Massgoers, it is hard sometimes to feel welcome.

A mother holds her baby during Mass. Parishioners need to help and support young families, says Marge Fenelon. CNS ¿le photo

But not every parish behaves this way. And families may wonder what their role might be or if

there’s a role for them at all, especially when they have their hands full – literally.

The way to meet that challenge is by getting creative, not only on the parents’ part, but also on the part of the entire parish. We can remind our fellow parishioners that we need to help and support these young families by offering our encouragement.

Young families face challenges, similar to what they experience in Mass, when participating in parish activities. Meetings and prayer groups can sometimes feel like unfriendly places for someone carrying a tot. Some parents decline involvement because they don’t know what to do with their children.

While it’s possible to attend parish activities separately – one parent going and the other staying at home with the kids – it’s not always optimal for a family. An option might be, when applicable,

to hold meetings or activities in a parishioner’s home rather than the parish.

When our kids were small, my husband and I participated in a small prayer group that met that way, and it was a wonderful experience that allowed us a comfortable space to run in and out, and still be able to participate in activities. Another option would be to form a baby-sitting group in which a set of parents care for each other’s children or older parishioners are enlisted to help the younger ones.

We need to get better at spotting the families that feel as if they don’t ¿t in a parish. It’s tragic when one considers that we all have a talent, that we all have something to contribute, but that a valuable resource to the parish and to our life of faith as a community might be going missing.

Parents might have their hands full, particularly in the ¿rst stages of a newborn’s life, but they won’t always be unavailable, and we need to make them feel like a needed resource. Eventually their children will grow, and there will be a time for these parents to be more involved.

Their children are the parishioners of tomorrow, and if they don’t feel welcome now, they won’t feel welcome later. CNS Fenelon is a freelance writer from Milwaukee, USA.

Sunday November 16, 2014 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

19

20

Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

the water turned into a river and Ezekiel had to start swimming.

“Do you see this, son of man?” the man with the measuring rod asked as he brought Ezekiel to the river’s bank.

“Wherever it Àows, the river teems with every kind of living creature; ¿sh will abound. Where these waters Àow they refresh; everything lives where the river goes. ... Along each bank of the river every kind of fruit tree will grow; their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fresh fruit because the waters of the river Àow

Throughout the Old Testament, God chose prophets to be his spokespeople on earth. The prophets taught the Israelites about God’s laws and how to obey them, pointed out people’s bad behaviour and warned them to change their ways, and predicted the future and talked about the coming of the Messiah.

The people God called His prophets were not perfect. Many were scared to do what they were being asked. Moses was afraid because he was not a good speaker. Elijah was afraid of being killed and asked God for death. All of the prophets eventually listened to God’s call, and the Lord gave them the help and strength they needed to do work.

Details on the lives and work of many of the prophets are sprinkled throughout the books in the ¿rst half of the Old Testament. The last part of the Old Testament contains books on individual prophets.

These prophets are split into two groups: major prophets and minor prophets. The four major prophets are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.

Among the 12 minor prophets are Jonah, Amos and Micah.

Even though these messages from God were given to people who lived many centuries ago, they are still important today.

PUZZLE: Circle the names of people on the list below whose names appear in the titles of books of the Old Testament.

Hint: there are three.

David Ham

Enoch Jonah Ishmael Obadiah

Read more about it: Ezekiel 47

Q&A 1. Why was Ezekiel living in Babylon?

2. What things did the man with the measuring rod show Ezekiel?

Wordsearch:

Bible Accent:

Samuel Saul

out from the sanctuary. Their fruit is used for food, and their leaves for healing.”

The man then showed Ezekiel the boundaries of the new Israel. And so Ezekiel’s vision offered the Israelites hope for the future, because it showed how God would bless and be with them.

Elisha Nimrod

PROPHETS

BLESS

ANGRY

VISIONS

TEMPLE

RULES

ROD

GATE

RIVER

BANK

WATERS

FRUITS

SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS:

St Margaret of Scotland St Margaret (d. 1093) was an English princess who escaped to Scotland after William the Conqueror invaded her homeland. The Scottish King Malcolm fell in love with her goodness and beauty, and they were married in 1070.

She was a very good inÀuence on her husband, whom she taught to have manners and to have less of a temper. She promoted religion and education in Scotland, and always tried to ¿nd good priests and teachers for the people. With her husband’s help she founded several churches, and she even helped to make vestments for the priests.

She was very prayerful, and she instructed her six children in the faith. One of her children, David, who was a king of Scotland, also is a saint.

St Margaret was on her deathbed in 1093 when she learned that her husband and one of her sons had been killed in battle. She died four days later and was buried in the abbey of Dunfermline, which she and her husband founded. We honour her on Nov 16.

KIDS’ CLUB:

Who is your favorite prophet in the Bible and why?

Answer to puzzle: Samuel, Jonah, Obadiah

In 601 B.C., the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar attacked the city of Jerusalem and defeated King Jehoiachin. The king and others – including the priest Ezekiel – were then forced to live in Babylon. It was during this time in Babylon that God called Ezekiel to be one of his prophets.

God gave Ezekiel many visions.

God was angry at the Israelites for their evil ways, so many of the visions were warnings for the people to change.

Then one day Ezekiel was given a vision that was meant to ¿ll the people of Israel with the hope of mending their relationship with God. In this vision, Ezekiel saw a new temple. A man with a measuring rod took him to measure all of the areas inside and outside of the building.

After the measuring was done, God told Ezekiel that he was going to dwell once again in the temple, in the

midst of the people of Israel. He also told the prophet about the new rules for worshipping in the temple.

Then the man with the measuring rod brought Ezekiel back to the temple’s entrance.

“And there!” Ezekiel said. “I saw water Àowing out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east.

The water Àowed out toward the right side of the temple to the south of the altar. He brought me by way of the north gate and around the outside to the outer gate facing east; there I saw water trickling from the southern side.”

The man with the measuring rod measured 1,000 cubits (the length of almost six football ¿elds) from the temple entrance and had Ezekiel wade through the water, which was up to the prophet’s ankles. In another 1,000 cubits, the water Ezekiel waded through was up to his knees; in another 1,000 cubits, it was up to his waist. In another 1,000 cubits,

Answer to Wordsearch

By Jennifer Ficcaglia

WHAT’S ON

Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

EVENT SUBMISSIONS We welcome information of events happening in our local Church.

Please send your submission at least one month before the event. Online submissions can be made at www. catholic.org.sg/webevent_form.php NOVEMBER 8 TO DECEMBER 31 CATECHISM FOR THE ELDERLY Catechism classes for the elderly are held in English, Mandarin, Peranakan, Hokkien, Teochew and Cantonese on Thursdays from 1pm-2.45pm at Holy Family Church and on Saturdays at St Joseph’s Church (Victoria Street, parish hall) from 9.30am-11.30am.

Register T: 9115 5673 (Andrew).

NOVEMBER 14 TO NOVEMBER 16 COME BE LOVED DAUGHTERS OF GOD 9am-5pm: Join us for an annual stay-in retreat for women, focusing on women’s identity in God’s Kingdom. Look at a woman’s role in day-to-day activities and explore the call of discipleship and companionship. Fee: $270 (non-aircon); $330 (aircon). Organised by Kingsmead Centre’s women spiritual directors.

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

NOVEMBER 15 EFFECTIVE PARENTING IN THE PRIMARY YEARS 9am-1pm: Come join us at a forum for parents of pre-primary and primary children on Effective Parenting in the Primary Years. Along with our key speakers, learn how your home can help your child Àourish, the role of mom dad in nurturing kids in their primary school years and most importantly, helping your child succeed in primary school. Organised by Family Life Society.

At IRAS Auditorium, Level 5, 55 Newton Road Revenue House. Register W: http://bit.ly/effectiveparenting.

NOVEMBER 15 FINDING GOD IN POPULAR MUSIC 9am-6pm: Inspired by the spiritual exercises of St Ignatius, this workshop uses popular music to help unlock the graces leading to freedom. Organised

by CANA. At 55 Waterloo Street.

Register T: 6338 4080; E: canatheplacetobe2013@gmail.com / seek.anthony@gmail.com.

NOVEMBER 15 DOWN MEMORY LANE 7pm-11pm: Join us for a gathering of old friends and teachers for a nostalgic evening to help raise funds for our Marymount Convent School upgrading. RafÀe Draw: Attractive prizes to be won. Fee: $100. Make cheque to Marymount Convent School (Mark “Down Memory Lane” on reverse side.

Mail to school). Organised by Marymount Convent School Alumnae.

At 20 Marymount Road. Enquiries T: 6352 0181 (Sr Delphine Kang); E: mdelkang@gmail.com.

NOVEMBER 30 BATTERY RELOADED – POWER RECHARGED 2pm-5pm: Are you feeling tired, burned out or frustrated? Do you need a change or are you entering a new phase in life?

This session will help you to identify your needs and explore your wants. Discover new and creative ways to live a more ful¿lling life. Fee: $40. Organised by Lifesprings Canossian Spirituality Centre.

At Lifesprings Canossian Spirituality Centre, 100 Jalan Merbok.

Register T: 6466 2178 (Brenda); E: lifesprings@singnet.com.sg.

NOVEMBER 16 CELEBRATING INNER FREEDOM – REDUCING HUMAN TOLL IN RELATIONSHIPS 9am-4pm: Join us for an experiential workshop and explore our inner landscape – needs and frustrations, learn a tool for reÀection, discover connecting habits and language that build happy relationships and enhance personal effectiveness.

Fee: $80. Organised by Lifesprings Canossian Spirituality Centre.

At Lifesprings Canossian Spirituality Centre, 100 Jalan Merbok.

Register T: 6466 2178 (Brenda); E: lifesprings@singnet.com.sg.

MONDAYS FROM DECEMBER 1 TO JANUARY 12 READING WITH THE PILGRIM: CONCEIVING JOY 8pm-10pm: Join us for a series of seven Monday evening gatherings for reading, praying, and sharing questions and insights on Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel.

Facilitated by Fr Christopher Soh, SJ.Fee: $70. Organised by Kingsmead Centre.

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

NOVEMBER 24 SJI INFORMATION DAY – 2015 SECONDARY ONE ADMISSION 1.30-4.30pm: Open House for Primary 6 students who are seeking admission into Secondary 1 after the release of their PSLE results. Organised by SJI. At 21 Bishan Street 14, Register W: www.sji. edu.sg.

DECEMBER 6 IGNATIAN PRAYER DAY 10am-4pm: Come and explore what Ignatian prayer feels like. It is a chance to meet Jesus in the Gospel but also in other people. Discover who you are and what you were made to be, and where you are in God’s world. Facilitated by Joy Toh and Diana Koh. Fee inclusive of lunch: $30. Organised by Kingsmead Centre.

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

NOVEMBER 29 TO NOVEMBER 30 THE EIGHT BIG PROBLEMS OF LIFE 9am-5pm (on both days): Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Acedia, Lust, Sadness, Vanity, Pride.How can we manage these human problems, transcend them and free ourselves to live more fully and joyfully? Join us for a weekend retreat led by Fr Laurence Freeman, OSB, Benedictine monk and director of the World Community for Christian Meditation. Organised by WCCM Singapore. At Catholic Junior College, 129 Whitley Road. Register T: 9661 0362 (Cecilie) / 9720 5802 (Emily); E: cecilie.dee@gmail.com / christianmemily@yahoo.com.

DECEMBER 19 TO DECEMBER 22 COMBINED UNIVERSITY RETREAT 10am (Fri) - 4pm (Mon): A retreat for students from all local universities. Come away at the close of the year to take stock of your life with Jesus so as to move forward into the future with renewed grace and power. The closing Mass of the retreat will be celebrated by Archbishop William Goh. Know any student who would bene¿t from such a retreat? Don’t hesitate to encourage them to sign up for it! Organised by Of¿ce for Young People.

At 2 Lorong Low Koon. Registration and Enquiries W: www.oyp.com.sg / http://bit.ly/combined_uni_retreat; E: christinachua@gmail.com (Christina).

Crossword Puzzle 1123 1

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ACROSS 1 Holy ___ 5 Patron saint of Norway 9 Holy object 14 Hello, from Jacques 15 Sell 16 Friendship 17 Wealthy to Juan 18 Mary, ___-Virgin 19 Ivy and wisteria 20 First Catholic university to be

22 23 24 26 28 32 35 37 38

built in the United States in about 40 years Where Jesus went for 40 days Sea god Holds back ___ Scott decision Wounds Son of Noah Mythical ruler of the winds Skip Grandson of Leah

40 Massachusetts cape 41 3 PM prayer 42 Juan’s “other” 43 Be present at Mass 46 Alley of Moo 47 Catholic cubist 49 The Dead and the Red 51 Some people split them 53 Catholic actor of “Cocoon” fame, Don ___

57 St Therese of Lisieux is a patron of this country 60 Arianism and Gnosticism 62 Body of salt water 63 Word on a biblical wall 64 Entrance 65 On one’s toes 66 The Alphabet 67 TriÀing 68 One, holy, catholic, apostolic

69 Cease moving 70 Scottish Gaelic

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DOWN 1 City that was the home of Abram 2 Biblical tree 3 Sore 4 Stayed with 5 Supervise 6 Son of Jacob 7 Lend ___ 8 WWII president 9 They fed Elijah (1 Kings 17:2–4) 10 Act of sending out 11 Geometry basic 12 Road to the Colosseum 13 Vesicle 21 Certain something 22 “What you sow does not come to life unless it ___.”

(1 Cor 15:16) 25 Dodges 27 ___ of the Church 29 Melville work 30 Weather phenomenon (with

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“el”) Samba move Circular band Against Artist Chagall Nephew of Abraham Two-by-two vessel John Paul II’s “Ecclesia in ___” Proximate “Cheer, cheer for ole Notre ___…”

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Solution to Crossword Puzzle No. 1122 U R I S

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O O N A

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www.wordgamesforcatholics.com

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Sunday November 16, 2014 CatholicNews

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