Catholic News issue 23, 2016

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 13, 2016

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Groundbreaking for new seminary, formation building Expected completion date in June 2018, located within St Joseph’s Church (Bukit Timah)

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INSIDE HOME

Mass for people with special needs Hundreds turn up in support n Page 10

By Jared Ng A new stage in the history of the Catholic Church in Singapore was marked at a groundbreaking service to kickstart construction works of the new Seminary and Formation Building.

The event was held within the compound of St Joseph’s Church (Bukit Timah), where the new building will stand.

Archbishop William Goh was joined by fellow priests including Fr James Yeo, rector of the Catholic Theological Institute Of Singapore (CTIS) and Msgr Ambrose Vaz, rector of the seminary, during the celebration held on Oct 26.

Others present included seminarians, staff and students from CTIS and members of the project building committee. “[Spiritual] formation is a very important aspect of the 10-year vision and mission of this diocese.

It is a key pillar in the framework of evangelisation,” said Archbishop Goh in his address.

Noting that it was “not possible to maintain the old seminary in Punggol as there were too few seminarians”, he said that the Church “needed to find a place that is conducive, realistic, costsaving and one that maximises resources, in terms of finance and land space.”

The new building would also boost the formation of laypeople at CTIS, said Archbishop Goh. “Besides just forming priests, we need more full-time workers to be well-formed in the Church.

They too need to work and collaborate with priests,” he said.

Elaborating on the decision to move the seminary from Punggol to this site, Archbishop Goh said that the land in St Joseph’s Church was freehold. “It was never in the plans to move [the seminary], but because of changing circum-

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ASIA

Concern over Duterte’s US remarks Bishop: Cutting ties will create ‘more problems’ n Page 11

WORLD

Clearing of migrants’ camp French bishop calls for ‘increased respect’ n Page 17

POPE IN SWEDEN Ecumenism the main aim of visit Archbishop William Goh being assisted in using an excavator to dig up a piece of earth during the groundbreaking ceremony on Oct 26.

Pope offers new list of beatitudes

stances and needs,” a new area was needed. He thanked Fr Edmund Chong, parish priest of St Joseph’s Church, for offering the piece of land.

Archbishop Goh said that the new building will be near Trinity Theological College, “which will provide opportunities for seminarians and laity to learn more about the other Christian traditions and strengthen ecumenical ties.”

He added that being located in the church compound would also allow seminarians to be “close” to laypeople and there may also be collaboration opportunities with the nearby Catholic schools such as Assumption English School and CHIJ Our Lady Queen Of Peace.

n Pages 18-19

n Continued on Page 2

FOCUS

Vatican’s instruction on burial, cremation Reaffirms opposition to scattering of ashes n Pages 6 & 23

OPINION

On the upcoming US election Catholic paper urges rosary prayers Archbishop Goh blessing the cornerstone of the building.

n Page 22

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Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

Building symbolises ‘start of a new chapter’

Fr James Yeo (left) and Msgr Ambrose Vaz each blessing one of the corners of the new Seminary and Formation Building. n From Page 1

After his address, Archbishop Goh was invited into an excavator to dig up a piece of earth for the groundbreaking. He then proceeded to bless the cornerstone of the new building.

Msgr Vaz and Fr Yeo then blessed two corners of the new building.

The two priests and seminarians shared with CatholicNews their thoughts after the event.

Br Simon Ho, 36, who is in his second year of philosophy, said he was looking forward “to be able to work near a parish, one as large as St Joseph’s Church.

“Previously at Punggol, we were isolated in a sense, away from the

archdiocese. As diocesan priests, we are formed for the sake of the people of God. This closer connection with the people would be an important part of our formation,” he said.

Br Andre Tan, 33, who is in his initiation year, agreed with the Br Simon. Sharing that he was a parishioner of St Joseph’s Church, he said “the opportunity to be close to the people, I think, would be a good part of my formation.” He added that he was also excited about the new building’s facilities. (See box) Fr Yeo shared that he hopes the move will bring in more laypeople to study at CTIS. According to him, there are about 280 laypeople currently studying in the theological institute at Water-

It is a start of a new chapter. ‘ A new building, a new location and a reminder of the new challenges of the Church.’

– Msgr Ambrose Vaz

An artist’s impression of the four-storey building.

loo St. “I hope people see what the new building has to offer instead of worrying about the possible extended travel distance.”

Msgr Vaz said that “it is a start of a new chapter. A new building, a new location and a reminder of the new challenges of the Church ... The physical newness can also inspire people to recognise the newness in their outlook of the priesthood.”

There are currently 11 seminarians in Singapore, 10 of whom are local and one from Malaysia.

They reside in the Church of St Teresa and have their classes there as well as at CTIS. Since the move away from the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary on Nov 30, 2015, seminarians have been attending classes alongside laypeople at CTIS. The seminary building in Punggol is currently being used as a retreat venue. jared.ng@catholic.org.sg

Artist’s impression of the chapel inside the building.

FACILITIES The building is expected to be ready for occupation by June 2018. It will comprise a basement and four storeys.

Some of the facilities include: n Nine classrooms n A cafeteria n A multi-purpose hall n A library

n A chapel n An inner courtyard and grotto n Ancillary offices n 28 bedrooms n Dining room and kitchen for seminarians n A gym n Lounges n A reading room

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Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

By Jared Ng “If God clapped his hands together, would it cause a big bang? Guess it’s just a theory.”

“You know, if I ever opened a Christian restaurant, I’d call it: The Lord Giveth ... and also does ‘take away’.”

These were some jokes by Keith Neubronner in his stand-up comedy show at Crossings Cafe at the Catholic Centre.

Believed to be the first of its kind, Neubronner, 27, shared with the audience at the start of the show that he felt “comedy and humour have a place in the Church. It can be a really powerful form of evangelisation.”

The show featured personal anecdotes, stories of saints and even a couple of songs.

“When a young priest asked Philip what prayer would be the most appropriate for a couple after a wedding Mass, the future saint [St Philip Neri] said: ‘A prayer for peace,’” said Neubronner to laughter and applause from about 70 people.

A segment on saints involved three volunteers who had to guess, from three options, what a saint said during a particular moment in his or her life.

“As Thomas [St Thomas More] was led to his execution, what did he say to the lieutenant of the tower? The answer: ‘Assist me up. Coming down I will look after myself’.”

During another segment, he had the audience on the edge of their seats with rapidfire jokes.

“Do Trappist monks have freedom?” he quipped.

Although some jokes did not quite work

out the way they were meant to, the overall mood was one of good cheer.

To close off the show, Neubronner and a friend performed a song titled Priesthood is the Way, sung to the tune of I Want It That Way by the Backstreet Boys.

Audience members shared their thoughts with CatholicNews after the event.

Ms Lynette Chan, 28, said that “it was a really good attempt despite certain awkward moments. Like what he shared, I too feel that humour can be an avenue for evangelisation, especially to the young people.”

Mr Jonathan Koh, 34, enjoyed laughing at some of the Church-related jokes.

“People are too serious when it comes to discussions about the Church. I think similar performances in the future can help change that attitude,” he said.

Neubronner is currently exploring different ways to use his gifts of communication and drama to present the Gospel message in fresh and creative ways.

He is considering the possibility of more Church-related comedy shows. n jared.ng@catholic.org.sg

Keith Neubronner, 27, speaking during his comedy act at Crossings Cafe. He said that Church-related humour could be a form of evangelisation.

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Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

Kids dress up as saints Photos: Linus Koh

All Saints’ Day came early this year for some 50 children as they celebrated a “Party with the Saints” dressed as their favourite saints and martyrs.

The celebration took place on Oct 29 at the Catholic Centre.

Thanks to local Catholic couple Thomas and Stefanie Tan, the giggling children – aged between two and 12 – had a whale of a time with games, story-telling, and magic.

They also sang hymns, recited a decade of the rosary, and prayed the Litany of the Saints.

Originally planned as a private home party with a few friends, Mr and Mrs Tan decided to expand the event to welcome other parents and children.

Elderly residents of St Vincent Home were also invited to join in the fun.

“Instead of the commercialisation of Halloween, we wanted to help our two children share the joy of All Saints’ Day and to foster a deeper relationship with their holy brothers and sisters in heaven,” said Ms Tan, 39.

“We were initially concerned

An All Saints’ Day celebration with kids dressed up as (from left) Our Lady of Fatima, St Gianna Beretta Molla, St Lucy, St Germaine Cousin, St Michael, St Francis, St Agnes and St Michael.

The nominees for the Cutest Saint award were dressed as St Michael, St Therese of Lisieux and St Teresa of Kolkata.

about the costs of holding a large gathering. But by God’s grace, generous sponsors provided for the entire event.”

Little saints spotted included St Michael the Archangel; the fourth-century empress St Helena; the medieval maidservant St Zita;

ing as St Lucy and Our Lady of Fatima that they wanted to wear their costumes to their school’s Halloween party. “My younger daughter, who is usually restless during prayer, actually prayed the Hail Mary when we were dressing her up as Mary,” he said.

and the modern-day St Teresa of Kolkata.

Ms Marian Ang, 38, said she enjoyed bonding with her daughter as they chose her saint and prepared her St Helena costume.

Mr Simon Sin, 40, said his daughters had so much fun dress-

Organiser Thomas Tan, 47, expressed his joy at the success of the party and said that he was open to throwing a similar celebration next year. “We hope parents and their children will recognise that no one is too young to be a saint!” n

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Serving married couples around the world S’porean couple Daniel and Shelley Ee, who are in the Marriage Encounter global leadership team, share their experiences since taking on the responsibility

W

E TOOK on the role of Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME) Global Leadership (we refer to it as International Ecclesial Team) in May 2014 and we are now about two-and-a-half years into our five-year term.

Together with Fr Nathaniel Gomez, a priest from the Philippines, we chair the WWME World Council which comprises leadership teams from six continents – North America, Latin America, Africa, Pacific, Europe and Asia.

We work closely with the World Council in making major policy and strategic decisions for the WWME movement.

In each country that we have been invited to, we have been met with warmth and friendliness as couples readily hosted us in their homes.

Meeting couples around the world It is confirmed over and over again when we meet married couples and hear from priests and Religious across the world: married couples cherish long-lasting marriages. They don’t get married just for the fun of it or to break up at some point in future.

When they get married, they are serious, they love each other. Yet often they are distracted by the world’s ways, they work unduly long hours, they face issues or demands in raising their children and some of these factors drive them slowly apart.

The feedback we get from the couples is that many realise that ultimately they are called to be Christ to their spouse, to be Christ to their children.

Some couples in Europe shared with us that their adult children find it difficult to get jobs due to the economic crisis, and so marriage and starting a home are far from their minds. Instead they live together.

We see how the parents continue to pray for their children and lead by example what it means to be spouses to each other. Last year, one parent shared with us their joy when their adult children came back to the Church and also asked to be married in Church.

Daniel and Shelley Ee, together with Philippine priest Fr Nathaniel Gomez, meet Pope Francis during a special audience for the Marriage Encounter movement on Sept 10.

is outreach within countries, ex- mote the Sacrament of Marriage. panding to new areas, as well as Many WWME couples conoutreach to new countries. In re- tinue to serve the needs of parishcent years, WWME has expanded es, e.g. marriage preparation, eveto China, Cuba, Haiti, Russia and nings for young married couples, even the UAE, serving the large enrichments for parents, Choice expatriate population. programmes etc.

We have seen It is confirmed Encouragement countries try out infrom pope novative ways to deover and over liver the weekend proagain when we Recently WWME gramme in different meet married Italy organised a spesocial situations so as cial pilgrimage for to respond to the needs couples and communities of the married couples hear from priests WWME worldwide – a special e.g. non-residential and Religious papal audience and a weekday and weekMass at the main altar end programmes in across the St Peter’s Basilica. addition to the normal world: married of We were overwhelmed residential WWME couples cherish by the turnout of more weekend programme. than 4,000 people We also continlong-lasting made up of couples, ue to make a strong marriages. priests and Religious stand for marriages that Saturday, Sept 10. e.g. celebrating World Pope Francis’ special message Marriage Day (second Sunday of February), organising the longest to all of us was most encouraging, married couple campaign, renew- “For all of you in Worldwide Maring milestone wedding anniversa- riage Encounter, I thank you for ries in dioceses and parishes, organ- all the good you do to help famiising Valentine’s Day events (gala lies! Go forward!”

When we started on this global balls, flash mobs) to constantly pro-

WWME plans for the future Our plans are in three areas – expansion, making a strong stand for lifelong marriages and strengthening our movement.

In expansion, we are focused on reaching out to even more couples around the world. There

Marriage Encounter’s World Council Leaders’ Meeting held in Singapore in January.

A Fiji couple and their child. The couple attended Marriage Encounter and later became a ‘team couple’ for the programme.

leadership journey, we did wonder whether a couple from tiny Singapore and a priest from the Philippines would be able to fill the role properly.

Looking back over the years of leadership in WWME, we can truly testify to the statement,

“God does not call the qualified; He qualifies those He calls.” We thank the Lord for guiding us and surrounding us with couples and priests who truly believe in the mission and vision of WWME. n The WWME Singapore website is: wwmesg.org

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Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

On the Vatican’s instruction on burial and cremation On Oct 25, the Holy See Press Office presented the Instruction from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith entitled Ad resurgendum cum Christo (ARC), regarding the burial of the deceased and the conservation of the ashes in the case of cremation.

The Press Office highlighted that with regard to the practice of conserving ashes, no specific canon law exists. For this reason, some episcopal conferences have addressed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, raising troubling questions regarding the practices of conserving a funerary urn in the home or in places other than the cemetery (columbarium in the Singapore context), and especially that of dispersing ashes in nature.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published this new Instruction with a dual aim: to reiterate the doctrinal and pastoral reasons for the preference for the burial of the dead, and secondly, to issue rules for guidance on the conservation of ashes in the case of cremation.

This recent Instruction regarding the burial of the deceased and the conservation of the ashes in the case of cremation issued by Rome have brought to the forefront questions regarding the practice of the cremation of a body and burial at sea. Thus, this is an opportune time to renew catechesis on these questions. a. Why is it necessary for us to care for the remains of our departed loved ones?

The Order of Christian Funerals (OCF) provides us with an excellent summary: “The Church’s belief in the sacredness of the human body and the resurrection of the dead has traditionally found expression in the care taken to prepare the bodies of the deceased for burial.” (OCF 411) “This is the body once washed in baptism, anointed with the oil of salvation, and fed with the bread of life. This is the body whose hands clothed the poor and embraced the sorrowing. Indeed, the human body is so inextricably associated with the human person that it is hard to think of a human person apart from his or her body. Thus, the Church’s reverence and care

A columbarian in Singapore. According to the instruction from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, ashes of the departed may not be placed in a domestic residence and the ashes may not be divided among family members.

for the body grows out of a reverence and concern for the person whom the Church now commends to the care of God.” (OCF 412) As Christians, our faith reminds us that life extends beyond this temporal life. Through our baptism, we are united with Christ, sharing in His life, death, resurrection and glory. Death does not have the last word: “At the death of a Christian, whose life began in the waters of baptism and strengthened at the Eucharistic table, the Church interceded on behalf of the deceased because of its confident belief that death is not the end, nor does it break the bonds forged in life.”

(OCF 4) In our belief in the resurrection of the body, the mortal remains of a person is incensed at the funeral Mass with due reverence and care shown for those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith.

“Since in baptism the body was marked with the seal of the Trinity and became the temple of the Holy

Spirit, Christians respect and honour the bodies of the dead and the places where they rest.” (OCF 19) b. Why did the Church not allow cremation in the early days?

Previously only burial was allowed in the early Church as those against the Church had a practice of imposing cremation of the bodies of the faithful and the scatter-

Burial at sea of cremated remains differs from scattering of the ashes.

Care should be taken that the cremated remains of a body be treated with the same respect given to the human body from which they come. ing of their ashes. This was done to mock the Church’s belief in the resurrection of the body.

By burying the bodies or cremated remains of the faithful, the Church confirms her faith in the resurrection of the body, and intends to show the great dignity of the human body as an integral part of the human person whose body forms part of their identity.

She cannot, therefore, condone at-

titudes or permit rites that involve erroneous ideas about death, such as considering death as the definitive annihilation of the person, or the moment of fusion with Mother Nature or the universe, or as a stage in the cycle of regeneration, or as the definitive liberation from the “prison” of the body. (ARC 3) c. Can we still place cremated remains in the sea?

Burial at sea of cremated remains differs from scattering of the ashes. Care should be taken that the cremated remains of a body should be treated with the same respect given to the human body from which they come. This includes the use of an appropriate and worthy vessel to contain the ashes heavy enough to be set into its final resting place, the manner in which they are carried, and the care and attention to appropriate placement and transport, and the final disposition. (OCF 417) d. What prayers should we use?

The Rites for “Burial of the cremated remains of a body” may be found in the appendix to the Order of Christian Funerals. This appendix recommends that when cremation is chosen, the body be cremated after the Funeral, thus allowing for the presence of the body at the Funeral Mass.

These ashes are mortal remains. They should be reverently

interred as soon as possible as a sign of our continued care and reverence, and our trust and expectation that God in His mercy will raise the dead to new life. Pastors should take note that catechesis on the subject of cremation should emphasise that “the cremated remains of a body should be treated with the same respect given to the corporeal remains of a human body. This includes the use of a worthy vessel to contain the ashes, the manner in which they are carried, the care and attention to appropriate placement and transport, and the final disposition.”

(OCF 416) Thus the cremated remains of the body may be properly buried at sea in an urn, the coffin or other container in which they have been carried to the place of committal.

When a body, or the cremated remains of a body are buried at sea, the Committal prayer found at number 406 § 4 is used: Lord God, by the power of your Word you stilled the chaos of the primeval seas, you made the raging waters of the Flood subside, and calmed the storm on the sea of Galilee. As we commit the body (earthly remains) of our brother (sister) N. to the deep, grant him/her peace and tranquillity until that day when he/she and all who believe in you will be raised to the glory of new life promised in the waters of baptism.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. e. Can we keep the cremated remains of our loved ones in our home? Can we distribute the cremated remains amongst relatives as a memento? Can we convert the cremated remains of our loved ones into jewellery or gems?

The conservation of the ashes of the departed in a domestic residence is not permitted and the ashes may not be divided among various family members.

ARC also clarifies that ashes of the deceased may not be preserved as mementos, as pieces of jewellery or other objects. “These courses of action cannot be legitimised by an appeal to the sanitary, social, or economic motives that may have occasioned the choice of cremation”. (ARC 7) The Order of Christian Funerals also offers us a clear response; that the keeping cremated remains in the home of a relative or friend of the deceased are not the reverent disposition that the Church requires. (OCF 417). n From the Archdiocesan Liturgy Commission

n See related story on Page 23

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Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

OBITUARY

Sr Vittorina called to the Lord Sr Vittorina Lamperti, FDCC, of territory of Malaya and worked the Canossian Daughters of Char- both in Kluang and Singapore. ity in Singapore passed away She taught in Canossa Convent on Oct 27. She had celebrated Primary School and took care of her 100th birthday exactly five the boys’ section in the home run months earlier. by the Sisters.

Sr Vittorina When she rewas born in Paratired from teachbiago, Italy, on ing, she helped to May 27, 1916, set up a kindergaras the youngest ten in Taman Juof eight children. rong, Singapore.

She joined her loShe also taught cal Association of in the parish kinCatholic Action at dergarten of the six years old.

Church of St FranAt her first cis of Assisi.

Holy Communion, Sr Vittorina’s Sr Vittorina told wake was held in Jesus how much Sr Vittorina Lamperti passed St Joseph’s Home she loved Him. away on Oct 27. at 9 Mandai Estate, She wished to give Singapore 729906. herself totally to God and even go Details of funeral: to the ends of the earth to serve Date: Oct 31 (Mon) Him. She was 15 when she first Time: 1 pm felt the call to Religious life.

Venue: Church of St Francis of At 18, Sr Vittorina joined the Assisi, 200 Boon Lay Ave, SingaCanossian novitiate at Vimercate, pore 649964. Cremation followed Italy, with the intention of becom- at Mandai Crematorium Hall 3 at ing a missionary. She made her 3 pm. first profession on Aug 9, 1938, in We invite you to pray for her Welwyn Garden City, England. in your Masses and prayers. n SubAfter World War II, Sr Vit- mitted by the CHANCERY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC torina was posted to the mission ARCHDIOCESE OF SINGAPORE

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Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

Special celebration for Fr Loiseau The French priest has presented more than 65 Marriage Encounter weekends, in addition to Engaged Encounter, Choice and Retrouvaille weekends.

Singapore Marriage Encounter leaders Alphonsus and Cyrine Gregory presenting Fr Louis Loiseau with photo albums and holding placards expressing appreciation for his work.

More than 120 people crowded into the chapel at Mount Alvernia Hospital on Oct 26 to pay tribute to and celebrate Mass with Fr Louis Loiseau.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter Singapore organised the celebration to express appreciation to the French priest for his dedication to the Marriage Encounter (ME) community, as well as the Engaged Encounter (EE), Choice and Retrouvaille movements in Singapore.

Since 1981, the Paris Foreign Missions priest has presented more than 65 ME weekends to more than 2,000 couples; and 65 EE, 35 Choice

and 19 Retrouvaille weekends.

During the celebration held at the hospital, where the 90-yearold priest had been warded, participants held up placards with the words, “We love you Fr Loiseau”, and presented two photo albums of fond memories of him.

“Carry on loving,” Fr Loiseau said during the Mass. “I promise to smile to you in my heart till the end of my life, which seems to be not very far, but I smile. Thank you very much.”

Fr Loiseau has been in and out of hospital since last year. He is currently transferred to Assisi Hospice near the hospital. n

Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

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Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

Hundreds take part in Mass for people with special needs God specifically put people with special needs in our midst “because we can complete each other”, said Msgr Ambrose Vaz. “Not compete, not challenge, but to complete each other.”

Speaking at the Mass for People with Special Needs on Oct 30, Msgr Vaz continued, “We need people with special needs to remind us how God looks at each one of us in our needs. No one of us is complete if not for God looking at us with mercy, with kindness.”

About 300 people comprising 50 people with special needs, their families and supporters, attended the special Mass at Agape Village celebrated by Msgr Vaz and Fr Edward Seah.

The Mass, organised by the Office for Catechesis (OFC), saw those with special needs participating in the offertory procession and as altar servers, such as Jeremiah Liauw from the Church of Divine Mercy, who suffers from a spinal condition.

Volunteers from many parishes also helped out with the logistics and planning of the event, held for the fourth year running.

This year, several vendors and organisations supporting specialneeds people set up booths to provide additional information for families of these people.

Mr Michael Ng, from the Church of St Francis Xavier, who was attending the Mass

Jeremiah Liauw, who has a spinal condition, is seen here with his sister pushing his wheelchair.

He was one of the altar servers.

Special needs children take part in the offertory procession with their parents and caregivers.

where no one is judged, scorned, looked ‘atA day with critical eyes but all come as a family.’

– A catechist who attended the Mass

for the second time, said he was “touched” by the “effort and sacrifices of the organising team in

putting everything together”.

He added that he left Agape Village “feeling happy to spend

the afternoon with our brothers and sisters with special needs ... and their parents, who know that they will have our support always”.

One catechist noted that it was “a day where no one is judged, scorned, looked at with critical eyes but all come as a family”.

The Mass for People with Special Needs was previously named the Purple Parade Mass, after the

national movement that celebrates the abilities of people with special needs and supports their inclusion in society.

OFC has a special desk which offers formation for catechists to enable them to hand on the faith to catechumens with special needs. n The Office for Catechesis website is www.catechesis.org.sg

Japanese bishops urge end to nuclear power plants

CNS file photo

TOKYO – The Japanese bishops

have published a 290-page book calling for the abolition of nuclear power generation.

“Abolition of Nuclear Power: An Appeal from the Catholic Church in Japan” was prepared by an editorial committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (CBCJ), headed by Jesuit Fr Ichiro Mitsunobu.

The book expands upon “Abolish Nuclear Plants Immediately: Facing the Tragedy of the Fukushima Dai’ichi Nuclear Plant Disaster,” a Nov 8, 2011, statement by the CBCJ six months after a nuclear power plant disaster in Fukushima.

The new commentary draws upon a further five years of reflection as well as Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’.

The book is in three sections.

The first part presents a nuclear history of Japan, including the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as the exposure of Japanese fishermen to ra-

Evacuees from the vicinity of the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

dioactive fallout following atomic testing in Bikini Atoll.

The second section explains scientific and technical problems connected with nuclear power plants.

The main part is the third, which looks at the problem of atomic power generation from the point of view of Catholic ethical teaching.

The book calls for solidarity among the Churches and religions of the region in abolishing atomic power plants.

An English-language translation is in preparation. n UCANEWS.COM

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Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

Bishop sees problems with Philippines cutting ties with US MANILA – A Catholic bishop in

the Philippines has warned that the country will be saddled with problems as a consequence of President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to cut ties with the US. “As the world is more uncertain in terms of security, America is our trusted and dependable ally,” said Bishop Ruperto Santos, head of the Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People.

The prelate said he is particularly worried over the fate of Filipino migrant workers in the US. “Cutting ties with America will give us more problems than solutions,” said Bishop Santos of Balanga in the northern Philippines.

Mr Duterte declared the Philippines’ “separation” from the United States, a long-standing ally, during a visit to China on Oct 20.

“I announce my separation from the United States, both in military but economics also,” said the Philippine leader at a meeting of Filipino and Chinese businessmen in Beijing. “America has lost it,” he said, adding that he already “realigned” himself with China’s “ideological flow”.

“I will also go to Russia to talk to [President Vladimir] Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world: China, Philippines and Russia,” added the Philippine president.

Bishop Santos said that while the Philippine government breaks political and economic ties with the United States, the “bond of friendship” between Filipinos and Americans would remain strong.

“These have been cultivated and nurtured through the decades over shared experiences and common values and aspirations,” he said.

He expressed hope that Mr Duterte’s announcement of an

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte reviews honour guards at the Villamor air base in Manila. His talk of cutting ties with the US has sparked controversy and concern. CNS file photo

“independent foreign policy” will “not break down bridges of peace and understanding”.

“Let us not cut ties but promote inclusive ties so that peoples of different races and faith can live in freedom and peace,” said Bishop Santos.

He also voiced concern over the plight of Filipino migrant workers in the US who send billions of dollars of remittances back home. “Let us not expose them to isolationism and suspicion,” he said.

not cut ties ‘Letbutuspromote inclusive ties.’

– Bishop Ruperto Santos, head of the Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People.

Data from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas show that there are about 3.5 million Filipinos in the US, including 3.1 million permanent residents.

The Philippines is a former US colony. n UCANEWS.COM

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Manila archdiocese launches drug rehab programme MANILA – The Archdiocese of Ma-

Duterte campaigned on a platform nila officially launched a drug re- of eliminating crime and corruphabilitation programme on Oct 23, tion. He emphasised that he would with a heavy emphasis on spiritual kill criminals. He also encouraged formation in the wake of the Phil- private citizens to do the same. ippine government’s war on drugs.

Fr De La Cruz said as the numAt the Minor Basilica of the bers surged, Cardinal Tagle asked Immaculate Conception in Manila, his office to look into programmes Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle cele- that would help the addicted, most brated Mass for addicts who sur- of whom come from some of the rendered as part of poorest neighbour“Sanlakbay Para Sa The programme hoods in the archdioPagbabagong BuThe priest said is for addicts who cese. hay” (A Journey to his office, working surrender and for with law enforceStarting Life Anew).

“We seek healing their families to ment officials, came justice, not revenge, with a proposal receive ‘healing, up because only justice that approached adrehabilitation heals,” the Philippine diction as not just Daily Inquirer quotand restoration’ a medical problem, ed the cardinal saybut also a spiritual through ing during his homione that affects the Church. ly. “Revenge wounds society in general. all the more.”

Sanlakbay in– Statement from the An archdiocesan corporates spiritual Archdiocese of Manila statement said the formation, counselprogramme is for those who sur- ling, work skills training, arts and render and for their families to re- cultural outlets and sports activiceive “healing, rehabilitation and ties into a parish-based rehabilitarestoration” through the Church. tion programme. Fr De La Cruz Fr Roberto De La Cruz, head of said this should take place over a the restorative justice programme at six-month period, after which the Caritas Manila, told Catholic News former addicts would be expected Service Church officials became to “integrate into Church life.” most aware of the magnitude of the Fr De La Cruz said the prodrug problem in the Philippines cap- gramme is designed specifically ital region after President Rodrigo for those who surrender, whether Duterte was newly elected in May. to the Church or to law enforceWhile running for office, Mr ment agencies. n CNS

Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

Vietnam, Vatican continue bilateral discussions CITY – Delegations from the Vatican and from Vietnam reported continued progress in discussions between their two countries, a Vatican press statement said.

“The two sides agreed to maintain constructive dialogue, in a spirit of goodwill with a view to increasing mutual understanding and further promoting relations between the two sides,” said the statement, released on Oct 26.

The two official delegations met at the Vatican from Oct 2426 for the sixth meeting of the Vietnam-Holy See joint working group. The last working group meeting was in Hanoi in 2014.

Marked by “an atmosphere of cordiality, frankness and mutual respect,” the meeting saw both sides acknowledge “the progress in Vietnam-Holy See relations, including regular contacts and consultations, the exchange of highlevel delegations and frequent pastoral visits to Vietnam by the papal representative and non-resident special envoy, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli.”

While the two countries do not have full diplomatic relations, Vietnam’s agreement to let the Vatican name a non-resident papal representative to the country

VATICAN

Catholics at a church in Vietnam. Relations between the Vatican and Vietnam have reportedly strengthened as the two official delegations met for the sixth meeting of the Vietnam-Holy See joint working group.

in 2011 was seen as a major step in an ongoing process to normalise relations.

The appointment came after landmark high-level meetings such as Pope Benedict XVI’s meeting with Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet in 2009 and his 2007 meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

At the end of the 2016 working group meeting, the Vatican statement said that “the Holy See reaffirms that Pope Francis has a keen interest in the development of Vietnam-Holy See relations

and it looks forward to the continued and invaluable contribution offered by the Catholic community, in cooperation with other actors in Vietnamese society.”

The Vietnamese delegation, it said, reiterated Vietnam’s “consistent and practical improvement of the legal framework and policies on the promotion and protection of people’s freedom of belief and religion” as well as the country’s “encouragement and continued facilitation of the active engagement of the Catholic Church in Vietnam”. n CNS

ASIA 13

Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

Choice Asia expands to Sri Lanka and China SINGAPORE – Love sets one free.

This was the theme of the 15th Choice Asian Conference (CAC) where 123 delegates gathered at the Breakthrough Village, Hong Kong, from Oct 12-16.

The conference was an opportunity for its members, namely from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Hong Kong, to have fellowship, brainstorm ideas, and set their growth plan for the next three years until the next conference.

In addition, there were also participants from Sri Lanka, China, Macau, and Trinidad & Tobago. In Sri Lanka, Choice has only been running for three years, and China just had its very first Choice weekend in July this year.

At the conference, all the countries presented their country reports, highlighting the history of Choice in their respective country, what they had learnt over the last three years, as well as the challenges they face.

While countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore face the problem of declining number of participants in recent years, in countries such as Sri Lanka and China, there seems to be a thirst for programmes like the Choice weekend.

From the discussions, all the countries agreed that there has to be a continuous development of the programme to include more spiritual input for participants and the community, as well as better formation of presenters, equipping them with better knowledge and facilitating skills.

While countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore face the problem of declining number of participants in recent years, in countries such as Sri Lanka and China, there seems to be a thirst for programmes like the Choice weekend.

Members of Choice Singapore presenting their country report at the 15th Choice Asian Conference in Hong Kong.

“The Choice weekend is definitely still relevant in today’s world,” noted Singapore participant Celeste Ong. “As people in Asia are moving towards technology-centred and ever-soefficient society, all the more we need to remind people about the importance of relationship and communication, with the significant people in our lives, and with God.” A highlight of the conference was the acceptance of Choice Sri Lanka as the newest member country. Sri Lanka has successfully conducted seven Choice weekends and the most recent one

Duterte heard ‘voice of conscience’, not God MANILA – A Catholic bishop said sogon, however, said it was not it was not the Almighty who told God who spoke to the Philippine Philippine President Rodrigo Du- leader. “It was the voice of his terte to stop cussing but his con- conscience. His conscience was science. bothering him,” he remarked.

The president, who is known Fr Jerome Secillano, head of for spicing his the public affairs ofspeeches with epifice of the bishops’ President thets and who once conference, said he Duterte said called the pope a “son hopes the president of a bitch”, claimed he heard God will fulfil his promise recently that God had to stop using expletelling him to tives. spoken to him.

Mr Duterte said “I think what stop cussing. while he was on the should be laudable is flight home from not the promise but a visit to Japan, he heard God’s the fulfilment of such a promise. voice telling him to stop cussing It is good though that he realises or else the plane would crash. the need to change for the better,” “So, I promise God not to ex- said the priest. press slang, cuss words, and eve“At the end of the day, as a rything,” said the president. leader he should walk the talk,” Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sor- added Fr Secillano. n UCANEWS.COM

on July 30-31 saw 77 participants attending.

At the event, the National Coordinating Teams also discussed the outreach efforts to bring the Choice programme to new cities in Asia. One recent outcome was the first Choice weekend in Hebei province, China, in July.

This was the result of efforts from Choice Taiwan with help from Choice Hong Kong. Seventy participants attended the weekend, which was conducted by a presenting team from both Choice Taiwan and Hebei.

The recent Choice Asia Conference was also the first with

participants from Trinidad and Tobago. The participants were thrilled to find out that far away in the Caribbean, the Choice movement has been running since 1984.

Sr Lystra Long from Trinidad said at the end of the conference, “We have learned so much and we can’t wait to start sharing with our team to assist in improving the Choice experience here in Trinidad and Tobago, and maybe even other Caribbean islands!”

Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen celebrated the closing Mass on the last day, and encouraged the

community to continue spreading the message of love to the world.

The re-election of Indonesia as the Choice Asia coordinator team for the next three years was also announced.

Taiwan will host the next Choice Asian Conference in 2019 in Taichung.

Choice in Asia is currently running in 42 cities across seven countries. Since the early 1980s, Choice has been helping single young adults aged 18 to 40 review what is important in life and reflect on their relationships with the significant people in their lives.

The presenting team comprises a priest, Religious, lay couples and singles. n For more information about Choice weekends in Singapore, visit www. choice.org.sg.

Vietnamese bishops aid flood victims HO CHI MINH CITY – A delegation

of Vietnamese bishops have given comfort and relief aid supplies to people affected by floods in central Vietnam.

The delegation from the Vietnamese Catholic bishops’ conference led by Bishop Joseph Nguyen Chi Linh visited flood survivors in Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces on Oct 26.

The delegation donated basic supplies and cash totalling 3 billion dong (S$186,000) to Caritas in Vinh diocese.

The bishops also visited Catholics in Minh Cam parish and Dong Luu subparish, which were among the worst hit areas.

Bishop Linh, who was elected as president of the Vietnamese bishops’ conference at their Oct 3-7 meeting, expressed his communion, solidarity and love for the people and encouraged

them to try to overcome their current difficulties and return to normal life.

“I would like to call on benefactors, priests and all God’s people at home and abroad to offer help to flood victims so that they can overcome their current

Many in central Vietnam lost their crops overnight and lack basic food, clothes and medicine. situation,” he said in a recent appeal.

Flooding from very heavy rainfall brought on by a tropical low pressure system from Oct 13-16 claimed 29 lives and injured 30 in Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Quang Binh and Quang Tri

provinces, according to reports issued by the Department of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.

Floods damaged over 121,000 houses and destroyed 15,000 ha of crops. Many hospitals, schools, roads and bridges were also damaged.

Bishop Linh said many local people lost all their crops overnight and lack basic food, clothes and medicine.

“This is a good opportunity for us to discover Jesus’ countenance among other people in the Year of Mercy,” he said. “Jesus is among our brothers and sisters who are destitute and waiting for us to save them.”

He also urged Catholics to “pray for those killed by the floods to be in God’s peace, and for their relatives to return to normal life soon”. n UCANEWS.COM

14 BUILDING THE CHURCH OF TOMORROW

Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

BUILDING THE CHURCH OF TOMORROW 15

16 WORLD

Vatican raffle to benefit quake victims in Italy VATICAN CITY – Along with the an Alassio wristwatch by Italian Christmas-tree lighting ceremony watchmaker Auxilia, a handmade and the unveiling of the Nativity hammock and a top-of-the line creche, Pope Francis’ raffle to bene- coffee machine by La San Marco. fit those in need is becoming an anIn addition, the Vatican annual holiday tradition at the Vatican. nouncement said there will be “more For 10 euros (S$15), one lucky than 30 minor prizes” up for grabs. winner will win the first prize: a red Tickets are available for purOpel Karl, a German-made, fivedoor hatchback car.

Announcing the raffle on Oct 20, the Vatican said that for the first time, tickets also will be available for purchase online.

Previously, people hoping to nab a prize could purchase tickets only at the Vatican post of- A rescuer stands in front of a collapsed building folfice or pharmacy. lowing an earthquake in central Italy on Aug 24. A The proceeds raffle will be held to aid victims of the disaster. CNS photo of the raffles go directly to charitable causes chosen chase on the governor’s office by the pope; this year’s raffle will website: www.vaticanstate.va. benefit victims of the devastating The winning tickets will be drawn earthquake that struck central Italy on Feb 2, 2017, and published on on Aug 24 and to the homeless. the website as well.

“To this end, he personally doThis year’s lottery, the governated some of the prizes,” said a nor’s office said, “coincides with statement from the Vatican City the conclusion of the Jubilee Year of State governor’s office.

Mercy and with this year’s ChristOther prizes include a Col- mas festivities, a time for gestures nago professional racing bike, of solidarity and sharing.” n CNS

Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

Christians, Hindus can support families of hope, Vatican says Christians and Hindus ‘together can promote

VATICAN CITY – The notion of

family is being undermined, and family life is often harmed by conflict and poverty, said the leaders of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

That is why Christians and Hindus must work together to help families be “a workshop of hope,” where children can learn essential values and grow with a sense of hope, they said in a written message.

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and Bishop Miguel Ayuso Guixot, respectively the president and secretary of the council, extended their best wishes to the world’s 1.1 billion Hindus for the feast of Deepavali, celebrated on Oct 29 in Singapore. The festival focuses on the victory of light over darkness, life over death and good over evil.

The message to Hindus was released on Oct 25 by the Vatican.

“The health of society depends on our familial bonds, and yet we know that today the very notion of family is being undermined by a climate that relativises its essential significance and value,” it said.

“Family life is often disrupted

hope in families, thus making our society ever more humane.

’

– Vatican message for Deepavali

Women pray inside a Hindu temple.

In its message for Deepavali, the Vatican urged Christians and Hindus to work together to help families be ‘a workshop of hope’. CNS file photo

by harsh realities such as conflicts, poverty and migration, which have become all too commonplace throughout the world,” it said.

However, there are many who persevere with hope and support the importance of marriage and family for the well-being of individuals and all of society, the message said.

“Christians and Hindus to-

gether can promote hope in families, thus making our society ever more humane,” it said.

Parents, together with the wider community, need to “instil in their children a sense of hope by guiding them toward a better future and the pursuit of the good, even in the face of adversity,” it said.

Formation and education are key to helping young people feel a sense of purpose, and when taught the value of hope, children are encouraged to “reach out, in charity and service, to others in need, and so become a light for those in darkness.”

“If humanity is to prosper and live in peace, then families must embrace this work of nurturing hope and encouraging their children to be heralds of hope to the world,” it said. n CNS

WORLD 17

Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

Bishop urges change of heart towards migrants OXFORD, EnglanD – A French

bishop defended the demolition of a migrant camp in northern France while urging greater help for displaced refugees and a “change of mentality” towards asylum-seekers.

Bishop Jean-Paul Jaeger of Arras said the transfer of people from the camp in Calais, known as the Jungle because of squalour and overcrowding, was necessary because of “its unhealthiness and the precarious subsistence conditions” that exist there.

“These people have often been jeered at by the very networks which led them towards an imagined promised land. Their departure from our seaboard can and must be accompanied by increased respect, especially towards minors, single women and people in poor health,” said Bishop Jaeger, whose diocese encompasses Calais.

The bishop issued the statement as police bulldozers began levelling makeshift shelters on Oct 24 that housed about 8,000 migrants from Asia, Africa and the Middle East who were hoping to cross the English Channel to Great Britain.

As demolition work began, French officials moved residents to temporary locations across the country.

The archbishop said the highprofile action risked “releasing fears and defensive reflexes” among French citizens, but should also encourage reflection on “the fate of humanity.”

“A long work of reflecting, sharing, listening, understanding and welcoming is now indispensable.”

The camp was expected to be cleared by Oct 31.

France’s Catholic La Croix daily paper said aid groups were providing food and blankets to those who remained at the site on Oct 28, including hundreds of unaccompanied minors housed in shipping containers.

At his general audience on Oct 26, Pope Francis said helping immigrants and refugees should be a task “that involves everyone, without exception.”

In his statement, Bishop Jaeger said mass displacements could not be handled by “a single country or single town.”

He stressed, however, that welcoming outsiders was among the divinely ordained “works of mercy” recalled by the Church in its Year of Mercy, and said a “change of mentality” was needed to recognise that each migrant brought “their own originality and experience.” n CNS

Masses to be held outdoors after Italy quake

The severely damaged Basilica of St Benedict in the ancient city of Norcia is seen on Oct 31 following an earthquake in central Italy. CNS photo ROME – Priests in central Italy were instructed to celebrate Mass outdoors following another devastating earthquake that rocked the region and brought one of its most spiritually and historically significant churches tumbling down.

Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti of Perugia-Citta della Pieve advised priests to not celebrate Mass indoors over the next several days, including Nov 1, the Solemnity of All Saints.

The 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck Norcia in the early morning on Oct 30 and reduced the Basilica of St Benedict to rubble.

The Benedictine monks of Norcia assisted in relief efforts as well as helping to guide anxious residents to the town’s main square and lead them in prayer.

“After offering spiritual sup-

port to the people in town following this morning’s intense earthquake, the entire monastic community is together again at our mountain monastery which overlooks a now fractured Norcia,” the monks said in a message posted on their blog.

Following the destruction of the basilica built atop the birthplace of their founder, the Benedictine monks said they hoped the image of the destroyed church may “serve to illustrate the power of this earthquake and the urgency we monks feel to seek out those who need the sacraments on this difficult day for Italy.”

While there were no deaths, it was the strongest quake in Italy since 1980 when a 6.9 magnitude quake struck the southern region of Campania. n CNS

Migrants line up at the makeshift migrant camp in Calais, France, on Oct 24. Bishop Jean-Paul Jaeger of Arras said the transfer of people from the camp because of squalour and overcrowding, was necessary because of ‘its unhealthiness and the precarious subsistence conditions’. CNS photo

18 POPE IN SWEDEN

Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

Ecumenism, uniting to aid poo

Pope Francis and Lutheran leaders also launched the 500th anniversary yea LUND, SWEDEN – Urging Catholics and Lutherans to take decisive steps towards unity, Pope Francis nevertheless offered no new openings to the idea of sharing Communion before full unity is achieved during his Oct 31-Nov 1 trip to Sweden.

“We Christians will be credible witnesses of mercy to the extent that forgiveness, renewal and reconciliation are daily experienced in our midst,” the pope said on Oct 31 during an ecumenical prayer service in the Lutherans’ Lund cathedral, which was built as a Catholic cathedral in the 11th century.

With the prayer service, Pope Francis and leaders of the Lutheran World Federation launched a year of activities to mark the 500th anniversary in 2017 of Martin Luther’s efforts to reform the Church.

For Pope Francis and the Vatican, Catholics are called to commemorate the event by focusing on concrete ways to express and strengthen the doctrinal agreements reached by Catholic and Lutheran theologians over the past 50 years.

The most appropriate way to mark the anniversary, they said, was with common prayer and renewed commitments to working together to help the poor and promote justice.

The Lutherans agree, but many also saw the joint commemoration as a moment to recognise that the joint agreements on issues of faith over the past 50 years mean it is appropriate now to expand occasions when eucharistic sharing is possible.

Pope Francis seen with (from left) Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity; Bishop Munib Younan, president of the Lutheran World Federation; the Rev Martin Junge, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation and Archbishop Antje Jackelen, primate of the Lutheran Church in Sweden. CNS photo

The Catholic Church has insisted that regular sharing of the Eucharist will be possible only when divided Christians have attained full unity.

In his homily at the Lund cathedral, the Rev Martin Junge, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, expressed his hope

for shared communion sooner.

“Jesus Christ calls us to be ambassadors of reconciliation,” he said, using stones for “building bridges so that we can draw closer to each other, houses where we can meet together and tables – yes, tables – where we can share the bread and the wine, the presence of Jesus

In his homily, Pope Francis insisted that Catholics and Lutherans must ‘look with love and honesty at our past, recognising error and seeking forgiveness.’

Christ who has never left us and who calls us to abide in Him so the world may believe.”

A joint statement signed in Lund by Pope Francis and Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan, president of the Lutheran World Federation, said, “Many members of our communities yearn to receive the Eucharist at one table as the concrete expression of full unity.”

Particularly referring to Catholic-Lutheran married couples, the two leaders’ statement said, “We experience the pain of those who share their whole lives, but cannot share God’s redeeming presence at

the eucharistic table. We acknowledge our joint pastoral responsibility to respond to the spiritual thirst and hunger of our people to be one in Christ.”

However, they did not authorise further opportunities for shared Communion, but expressed longing “for this wound in the body of Christ to be healed. This is the goal of our ecumenical endeavours, which we wish to advance, also by renewing our commitment to theological dialogue.”

Pope Francis began the service praying that the Holy Spirit would “help us to rejoice in the gifts that have come to the Church through the Reformation.”

The service was punctuated with music from around the world, including a Kyrie or “Lord Have Mercy” in Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke. Catholic and Lutheran leaders took turns asking God’s forgiveness for maintaining divisions, “bearing false witness” against each other and allowing political and economic interests to exacerbate the wounds in the body of Christ.

In his homily, Pope Francis insisted that Catholics and Lutherans must “look with love and honesty at our past, recognising error and seeking forgiveness.”

The division among Christians, he said, goes against Christ’s will for His disciples, weakens their ability to serve the world and often makes it difficult for others to believe Christianity is a religion of peace and fraternity. n CNS

Working together for peace for refugees MALMO, SWEDEN – Catholics and Lutherans filled the stands of Malmo Arena on Oct 31 and promised to work together for peace – particularly in Syria – and for justice – especially for refugees.

Pope Francis and leaders of the Lutheran World Federation continued their ecumenical commemoration of Reformation Day in an arena that usually hosts hockey games.

But kicking off a year of events to culminate in the 2017 commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, the arena was transformed into a venue for song and witness.

Chaldean Bishop Antoine Audo of Aleppo, Syria, called on all Christians to join their voices in prayer and in pressuring their governments to stop the bloodshed and destruction in his homeland.

The bishop, who is president of Caritas Syria, announced that Christian humanitarian work in his country would follow the motto: “Become Christians Together,” focusing on how serving Christ must include serving others, especially the poorest and most needy.

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Catholics and Lutherans attend an ecumenical event at the Malmo Arena in Malmo, Sweden, on Oct 31. CNS photos

A centrepiece of the Malmo event was the signing of a “declaration of intent” by the heads of Caritas Internationalis, the Vaticanbased confederation of Catholic charities, and the Lutheran World Federation’s World Service. The two organisations promised to “witness and act together,” supporting one another, including serving the

victims of war in Syria and Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries.

The stories told in Malmo include those of a young Indian woman working to educate people about climate change, the Sudanese refugee runner who carried the flag for the Olympic Refugee Team, the head of Caritas Colombia working for peace and a woman from Bu-

Pope Francis and Rev Martin Junge at the ecumenical event at the Malmo Arena.

rundi who adopted and sheltered seven children during her country’s genocidal rampage in the 1990s.

Pope Francis told the crowd in the arena that the ecumenical agreement is a fruit of 50 years of Catholic-Lutheran dialogue and its affirmations of a common faith and a common baptism in Jesus.

Aleppo, he said, has been

“brought to its knees by war” and is a place where “even the most fundamental rights are treated with contempt and trampled underfoot.”

Every person in Syria “is in our hearts and prayers,” the pope added. “Let us implore the grace of heartfelt conversion for those responsible for the fate of that region.” n CNS

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Pope offers new beatitudes for saints of a new era MALMO, SWEDEN – The saints are

blessed because they were faithful and meek and cared for others, Pope Francis said.

At the end of an ecumenical trip to Sweden, Pope Francis celebrated the feast of All Saints on Nov 1 with a Catholic Mass in a Malmo stadium. He highlighted the lives of the Swedish saints, Elizabeth Hesselblad and Bridget of Vadstena, who “prayed and worked to create bonds of unity and fellowship between Christians.”

The best description of the saints – in fact, their “identity card” – the pope said, is found in the beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which begins, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

And, he said, as Christian saints have done throughout the ages, Christ’s followers today are called “to confront the troubles and anxieties of our age with the spirit and love of Jesus.”

New situations require new energy and a new commitment, he said, and then he offered a new list of beatitudes for modern Christians: n “Blessed are those who remain faithful while enduring evils inflicted on them by others and forgive them from their heart. n “Blessed are those who look into the eyes of the abandoned and marginalised and show them their closeness.

Pope Francis greets a woman before celebrating Mass at the Swedbank Stadium in Malmo, Sweden, on Nov 1. He offered a new list of beatitudes for modern Christians. CNS photo

n “Blessed are those who see God in every person and strive to make others also discover him. n “Blessed are those who protect and care for our common home. n “Blessed are those who renounce their own comfort in order to help others. n “Blessed are those who pray and work for full communion between Christians.”

“All these are messengers of

God’s mercy and tenderness,” Pope Francis said. “Surely they will receive from Him their merited reward.”

Registered Catholics in Sweden number about 115,000 – just over one percent of the population. But with recent waves of immigration, especially from Chaldean Catholic communities in Iraq, local Church officials believe the number of Catholics is double the reported figure. n CNS

Cardinal explains limits of eucharistic sharing MALMO, SWEDEN – The Catholic Church continues to insist that sharing the Sacrament of Communion will be a sign that Christian Churches have reconciled fully with one another, said Cardinal Kurt Koch.

During Pope Francis’ trip to Sweden from Oct 31-Nov 1, the Swiss cardinal, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, was asked about the possibility of Catholics and Lutherans receiving communion together.

The Catholic Church, he told reporters, makes a distinction between “eucharistic hospitality for individual people and eucharistic communion.”

The term hospitality is used to refer to welcoming guests to the Eucharist on special occasions or under special circumstances as long as they recognise the sacrament as the real presence of Christ. Eucharist communion, on the other hand, refers to a more regular situation of the reception of communion by people recognised as belonging to the same family.

“Eucharistic communion, for us Catholics, is the goal” of ecumenical dialogue and will be “a visible sign of ecclesial communion” or full union, Cardinal Koch said at a news

conference. “The other question – hospitality in the case of a mixed marriage – is a pastoral question,” which will require discussion, particularly on the level of dioceses.

“It is very difficult to give a universal declaration because the pastoral situations are very different” from country to country, the cardinal said.

Earlier on Oct 31, Pope Francis and Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan, president of the Lutheran World Federation signed a joint declaration, which included recognition that “many members of our communities yearn to receive the Eucharist at one table as the concrete expression of full unity.”

The two leaders did not authorise further opportunities for shared communion, but expressed longing “for this wound in the body of Christ to be healed” with the help of increased theological dialogue.

Speaking at the news conference with Cardinal Koch, the Rev Martin Junge, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, told reporters, “At this point in time we don’t have a concrete model of how we would go about” making pastoral provisions for couples in mixed marriages. n CNS

Catholic Church not likely to ordain women, pope says ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM SWEDEN – The Catholic

Church insistence that it cannot ordain women to the priesthood and episcopacy is a teaching likely to last forever, Pope Francis said.

After being hosted by the Lutheran Church of Sweden, which is led by Archbishop Antje Jackelen of Uppsala, the nation’s first woman primate, Pope Francis was asked on Nov 1 if the Catholic Church might one day have women priests and bishops.

As he has done in the past, the pope responded that the question was settled in 1994 by St John Paul II, who taught that because Jesus chose only men as His apostles, the ordination of women in the Catholic Church is not possible.

He was asked, “Really? Never?” And he responded, “If one

carefully reads the declaration of St John Paul, it goes in that direction, yes.”

In one of his briefest airborne news conferences, Pope Francis spent just over 40 minutes with reporters and answered six questions ranging from Sweden’s newly restrictive immigration policy to the role of women in the Church. He also was asked about his experience with Charismatics and Pentecostals, the roots of his concern about human trafficking, secularisation in Europe and his meeting in late October with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

As he has in the past, Pope Francis insisted nations live up to international agreements offering special welcome and protection to refugees fleeing war and persecution. While Catholic social teach-

Pope Francis, referring to St John Paul II’s 1994 apostolic letter, said because Jesus chose only men as His apostles, the ordination of women in the Catholic Church is not possible.

Pope Francis answers questions from journalists aboard his flight from Malmo, Sweden, to Rome on Nov 1. CNS photo

ing holds that every person has a right to migrate in search of a better

life, accepting newcomers is a serious obligation when the person’s life is at risk.

Responding to the question about President Maduro, Pope Francis said he met with him at the

president’s request. “I listened to him for half an hour,” he said. “I asked a few questions. I heard his opinions. It’s always good to listen to both sides.”

Like in any conflict, he said, “either you dialogue or you scream.”

The Vatican, he added, is supporting dialogue in Venezuela and, at the invitation of both the government and the opposition, has sent Archbishop Emil Paul Tscherrig, the nuncio to Argentina, as an observer.

The secularisation of Europe, or of any society, the pope said, is usually the result of one of two factors: “a weak evangelisation” caused by “lukewarm Christians” or a cultural process in which a growing number of people start thinking they are the lords of history. n CNS

20 POPE FRANCIS

VATICAN CITY – To truly know Jesus, reading the Bible and studying the catechism are not enough, Pope Francis said in a morning homily.

Prayer, silent adoration and recognising one’s sinfulness also are needed to grasp the mystery of Christ and the immensity of His love, the pope said in his homily during Mass at his residence on Oct 20.

How is it possible to comprehend the breadth and depth of Christ’s love, which surpasses all knowledge? the pope asked.

“Christ is present in the Gospel, [so] by reading the Gospel we know Christ,” he said, and people learn more about who Christ is by attending religious education classes.

“But this isn’t enough,” he

said. It’s also necessary to immerse oneself in prayer, on one’s knees, invoking the Holy Spirit for Christ to dwell in one’s heart.

Adoration is also necessary, he said, adding that this practice of silently sitting before the Lord, in adoration of His lordship and mystery, is perhaps not very well known or followed by many people.

Lastly, the pope said, “to know Christ, it is necessary to have selfawareness, that is, to be in the habit of accusing oneself” of being a sinner.

“You cannot adore [Christ] without accusing yourself, “ he said. All these things are needed, he said, in order to enter into the bottomless ocean of God’s mystery. n CNS

True charity is more than just donating It means encountering the poor directly, says Pope Francis VATICAN CITY – While dona-

tions and charitable contributions for the needy are important, true Christian charity involves a more personal touch, Pope Francis said.

Coming face to face with the poor may tempt people to turn the other way and give in to “the habit of fleeing” from them, or “disguise” the reality of the needy,” the pope said on Oct 19 during his general audience in St Peter’s Square.

“Poverty in the abstract does not challenge us. It may make us think, it may make us complain, but when you see poverty in the flesh of a man, a woman or a child; this [certainly] challenges us!” he said to thousands of people who had packed the square.

In a new series of talks on works of mercy, the pope reflected on the first corporal work of mercy – feeding the hungry – which he said was important in confronting real “situations of urgent need”.

OUR LADY OF LA VANG

ta 02720

Catechism not enough to know Christ, prayer needed

Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

children from a slum area in Manila receive a free meal from a charitable organisation. ‘When you see poverty in the flesh of a man, a woman or a child; this [certainly] challenges us,’ said the pope. CNS file photo

Although images of extreme poverty can move people to initiate important works of charity and generous donations, it “does not directly involve us”.

When a poor person “knocks on the door of our house, it is very different because we are no longer facing an image but are personally involved”, he explained.

“In these instances, what is my reaction? Do I turn away? Do I move on? Or do I stop to talk and take an interest? If you do this, there will always be someone who says, ‘This one is crazy, talking to a poor person,’” the pope said.

Recalling St James’ affirmation that “faith without works is dead”, Pope Francis said that Christians cannot “delegate” feeding the hungry to others.

Jesus’ command to His disci-

ples to feed the crowd prior to the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, he added, is also “an important lesson for us”.

“It tells us that the little that we have, if we entrust it to Jesus’ hands and share it with faith, can turn into an over-abundant wealth,” the pope said.

Citing Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), the pope said that feeding the hungry is “an ethical imperative for the universal Church” and a calling for all Christians to defend the universal right to food and water, especially for the poor and the needy.

“Our relationship with God – a God who, through Jesus, has revealed His merciful face – involves our giving food to the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty,” Pope Francis said. n CNS

POPE FRANCIS 21

Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

For vocations, one must go out, listen, call, pope says VATICAN CITY – In its ministry to young people, and especially in vocations promotion work, Church workers must step out of the sacristy and take seriously the questions and concerns of the young, Pope Francis said.

Young people are searching for meaning, and the best response is to go out to where they are, stop and listen to them and then call them to follow Jesus, the pope said on Oct 21.

Meeting participants at a vocations promotion conference sponsored by the Congregation for Clergy, Pope Francis emphasised the need for Church workers to be on the move and to echo the vocations call Jesus used with the disciples, “Follow me.”

“Jesus’ desire is to set people out on a journey, moving them from a lethal sedentary lifestyle and breaking through the illusion that they can live happily while remaining comfortably seated amid their certainties,” Pope Francis said.

Vocations promotion, which is the responsibility of every Catholic, the pope said, must follow the same steps Jesus used when interacting with people.

“Jesus stopped and met the gaze of the other, without rushing,” he said. “This is what makes His call attractive and fascinating.”

Jesus did not stay in “the secure fortress of the rectory,” the pope said, but set out into the cit-

young people at World youth day in poland. pope Francis encouraged church workers to go out and meet young people where they are. CNS photo

ies and villages, pausing to listen to the people He came across, “taking in the desire of those who sought Him out, the delusion of a failed night of fishing, the burning thirst of a woman who went to the well to get water or the strong need to change one’s life.”

“In the same way, instead of reducing faith to a book of recipes or a collection of norms to observe, we can help young people ask the right questions, set out on their journey and discover the joy of the Gospel,” he said.

Every pastor and, particularly, everyone involved with helping young Catholics discern their vocations, he said, must have a

pastoral style that is “attentive, not rushed, able to stop and decipher in depth, to enter into the life of the other without making him or her ever feel threatened or judged.”

While looking at the young with mercy, vocations directors and bishops also must evaluate candidates for the priesthood with “caution [and] without lightness or superficiality,” he said. “Especially to my brother bishops, I say: Vigilance and prudence. The Church and the world need mature and balanced priests, pastors who are intrepid and generous, capable of closeness, listening and mercy.” n CNS

Don’t be rigidly bound to the law: pontiff VATICAN CITY – People rigidly

bound to the law suffer pain, pride and often live a double life, Pope Francis said in a morning homily.

God’s law was made not “to make us slaves but to make us free, to make us children” of God, he said in his homily during Mass at his residence on Oct 24.

The pope looked at the day’s Gospel reading from St Luke (13:10-17) in which the leader of a synagogue is furious that Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath. Jesus calls the religious leader a hypocrite because there is no problem releasing livestock for water on holy days, but it is considered wrong to release a woman from the chains of Satan.

The pope said that in the Gospel, Jesus often accuses those who rigidly adhere to the law as being hypocrites; they are not free children of God, but “are slaves of the law.”

Behind this inflexibility, he said, “there is always something else. And that is why Jesus says, ‘Hypocrites!’”

There is something “hidden” in that person’s life, “in many cases a double life, but there is also

Inflexibility is not a gift of God. ‘Meekness, yes, benevolence, yes, forgiveness, yes, But rigidity, no.’

– pope Francis

some kind of illness,” he said.

Inflexibility is not a gift of God, he said. “Meekness, yes, benevolence, yes, forgiveness, yes, But rigidity, no.”

Those who are rigid suffer when they realise they are not free, he said. “They do not know

how to walk within the law of the Lord and they are not blessed.”

“They seem good because they follow the law, but there is something underneath that doesn’t make them good – either they are hypocrites or they are sick.”

Lurking just beneath the surface, he said, there is often pride – the pride of believing oneself to be righteous.

“It’s not easy to walk within the law of the Lord without succumbing to rigidity,” he said.

God’s grace is needed, he stressed.

Pope Francis ended his homily asking for prayers “for our brothers and sisters who believe that walking in the Lord’s law [entails] becoming rigid.”

God prefers “mercy, tenderness, goodness, meekness and humility,” the pope said. May “He teach all of us to walk within the Lord’s law with these ways.” n CNS

22 OPINION

Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

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COMMENTARY

Catholics face tough choice in US election There are no ideal options, says US Catholic paper The end to this year’s tumultuous presidential election season, which for so long seemed like a remote intangible, suddenly is within our sights. Soon, Americans will cast ballots for their preferred candidate. Unfortunately, for many American Catholics weighing their options – and their consciences – the choice is a difficult one with no ideal options.

This dilemma surfaced at an inflight press conference with Pope Francis on Oct 2 as he returned to Rome from a visit to Georgia and Azerbaijan. When a journalist asked what advice he would give to American voters, the Holy Father responded: “I would say only: Study the proposals well, pray and choose with your conscience.”

Such advice pairs well with the US bishops’ document on political responsibility, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, which also advocates studying the issues, the Church’s teachings and taking the choices to prayer.

Such a task is sometimes more easily said than done, however, and some leaders have offered a third option.

Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln, nebraska, recently published a column saying that in “extraordinary circumstances”, some Catholics – in following their consciences, and unable to find a candidate who, “with some degree of probability, would be most likely to do some good, and the least amount of harm, on the foundational issues” of life, family, conscience rights and religious liberty – “might choose not to vote for any candidate at all in a particular office”.

Boredom – a fault within ourselves

new york Cardinal timothy M. dolan shares a light moment with presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and donald trump during the annual alfred e. Smith Memorial Foundation dinner on oct 20. CNS photo

Bishop Conley emphasised that what is needed more, however, is “a broader vision of public life, which values and proclaims the dignity of every human life, and which aims for the flourishing of individuals, families and communities. This broader vision won’t come through an election. It will come through life in Jesus Christ. The most important part of being good citizens

As American Catholics look to an uncertain future, we can find solace and hope in our Blessed Mother, trusting in her protection and care.

is living as faithful and active missionary disciples of Jesus Christ.”

This point is critical. In an election cycle that has been a source of great uncertainty, frustration and disunity, it is natural to feel despondent and disengaged.

Our challenge, as Bishop Conley reminds us, is to remember the big picture: to strive to live as missionary disciples, bringing Christ to the world through one act of love and charity at a time.

As American Catholics look to an uncertain future, we can find solace and hope in our Blessed Mother, trusting in her protection and care.

Perhaps if every American Catholic family committed to praying the rosary each day, we may begin to see Christian values once again taking root in our nation and our world. At the very least, it would help form and fortify us as we head into the voting booth. n CNS This commentary first appeared in Our Sunday Visitor, a US Catholic weekly based in Huntington, Indiana.

It was written by the newspaper’s editorial board.

In 2011, a book by a young writer, Bieke Vandekerckhove, won the award as The Spiritual Book of the Year in her native Belgium. Entitled, The Taste of Silence, the book chronicles her own struggles after being diagnosed at age nineteen with ALS, commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease, a degenerative neurological condition that always results in a massive debilitation of one’s body and almost always results in death not long afterwards. not an easy diagnosis for a vibrant young woman to accept.

But, after a deep, initial depression, she found meaning in her life through meditation, silence, literature, art, poetry, and, not least, through a relationship that eventually led to marriage. Unexpectedly too her disease went into remission and she lived for another twenty years. Among the many rich insights she shares with us, she offers an interesting reflection on boredom.

Discussing the prevalence of boredom today, she highlights an irony, namely, that boredom is increasing among us even as we are daily producing every kind of gadget to help us avoid it. Given that today we carry in our hands technological devices that link us to everything from the world news of the day to photos of our loved ones playing with their children, shouldn’t we be insulated against boredom? Ironically, the opposite seems true. All those technological gadgets are not alleviating our boredom. Why not? We still wrestle with boredom because all the stimulation in the world doesn’t necessarily make for meaning. Meaning and happiness, she suggests, do not consist so much in meeting interesting people and being exposed to interesting things; rather they consist in taking a deeper interest in people and things.

The word interest is derived from two Latin words: inter (inside) and esse (being) which, when combined, connote being inside of something. Things are interesting to us when we are interested enough in them to really get inside of them. And our interest isn’t necessarily predicated on how naturally stimulating something is in itself, though admittedly certain events and experiences can be so powerful as to literally conscript our interest. That’s what explains our strong interest in major world events, championship sports matches, Academy Award celebrations, as well as our less-than-healthy obsession with the private lives of our celebrities. Certain persons, things, and events naturally interest us and we want to be on the “inside” of those lives and events.

But major world news stories, championship sporting events, the Academy Awards, and the private lives of our celebrities are not our ordinary fare, our family dinner table, our workplace, our commute to work, our Church service, our neighbourhood bake-sale, our daily routine, our daily bread. And it’s here where we tend to suffer boredom because it’s here that we tend to not be deeply inside the reality of the people and events with whom and with which we are interacting. It’s here that we often feel life as flat, dull, and routine. But, at the end of the day, we wrestle with boredom not because our families, workplaces, colleagues, neighbours, churches, and friends aren’t interesting. We’re bored because we’re too internally impoverished, distracted, or selfcentred to take a genuine interest in them. Experience is not what happens to us, it’s what we do with that happens to us. So says Einstein.

Vandekerckhove highlights yet another irony: It’s ironic that we tend to wrestle with boredom and dullness when we are in the full bloom of our lives, healthy and working; whereas people like her, who have lost their health and are staring death in the face, often find the most ordinary experiences in life exhilarating.

Her insights bear a lot of resemblance to those of Rainer Maria Rilke, a poet and novelist, in his, Letters to a Young Poet. Like Vandekerckhove, he too suggests that boredom is a fault on our side, a disinterested eye. In his correspondence with an aspiring young poet, he takes up the young man’s complaint that he, the young man, wasn’t enough exposed to the kind of experiences that spawn poetry because he lived in a small town where nothing exciting ever seemed to happen. He went on to confess that he envied Rilke who travelled extensively throughout Europe and met all kinds of interesting people. For him, Rilke’s poetic insights were very much predicated on the fact that he hung out in big cities, met interesting people, and was stimulated in ways that a young man in a small town could never hope to approximate.

Rilke’s reply to this young man has become a classic answer to the question of boredom: “If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself, tell yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches; for to the creator there is no poverty and no poor indifferent place.”

Finding life interesting isn’t dependent upon where you are and who you meet but rather on your own capacity to see deeply into things. Life everywhere is rich enough to be interesting; but we, on our part, have to be interested. n

FOCUS 23

Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

Vatican releases instruction on burial, cremation

P

ROFESSING belief in the resurrection of the dead and affirming that the human body is an essential part of a person’s identity, the Catholic Church insists that the bodies of the deceased be treated with respect and laid to rest in a consecrated place.

While the Catholic Church continues to prefer burial in the ground, it accepts cremation as an option, but forbids the scattering of ashes and the growing practice of keeping cremated remains at home, said Cardinal Gerhard Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

“Caring for the bodies of the deceased, the Church confirms its faith in the resurrection and separates itself from attitudes and rites that see in death the definitive obliteration of the person, a stage in the process of reincarnation or the fusion of one’s soul with the universe,” the cardinal told reporters on Oct 25.

In 1963, the congregation issued an instruction permitting cremation as long as it was not done as a sign of denial of the basic Christian belief in the resurrection of the dead. The permission was incorporated into the Code of Canon Law in 1983.

However, Cardinal Muller said, Church law had not specified exactly what should be done with “cremains”, and several bishops’ conferences had asked the congregation to provide guidance.

The result, approved by Pope Francis after consulting other Vatican offices, bishops’ conferences and the Eastern Churches’ synods of bishops, is “Ad resurgendum cum Christo” (“To Rise with Christ”), an instruction “regarding the burial of the deceased and the conservation of the ashes in the case of cremation”.

Presenting the instruction, Cardinal Muller said, “shortly, in many countries, cremation will be considered the ordinary way”.

Cremation, in and of itself, does not constitute a denial of belief in the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the body, the instruction says. Nor does it “prevent God, in His omnipotence, from raising up the deceased body to new life”.

However, the Catholic Church wholeheartedly recommends continuing the “pious practice of burying the dead”, Cardinal Muller said. It is considered one of the corporal works of mercy and, mirroring the burial of Christ, it more clearly expresses hope in the resurrection when the person’s body and soul will be reunited.

In addition, he said, when a person is buried in the ground, and, at least to some extent, when the urn of the person’s ashes is placed in a columbarium or tomb, the final resting place is marked with the person’s name, the same

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has permitted the practice of cremation for Catholics, but still recommends continuing the ‘pious practice of burying the dead’. CNS file photo

name with which the person was baptised and by which the person is called by God. “Belief in the resurrection of the flesh is fundamental,” he said.

“A human cadaver is not trash” and an anonymous burial or scattering of ashes “is not compatible with the Christian faith. The name, the person, the concrete identity of the person” is important because God created each individual and calls each individual to Himself.

When asked if there was any way to rectify a situation when a

While the Catholic Church continues to prefer burial in the ground, it accepts cremation as an option, but forbids the scattering of ashes and the growing practice of keeping cremated remains at home. person’s ashes already had been scattered, Cardinal Muller suggested making a memorial in a church or other appropriate place and including the name of the deceased. What is more, he said, labelling an urn or tomb in a public place is an expression of belief in the “communion of saints”, the unending unity in Christ of all the baptised, living and dead.

“Other believers have a right to pray at the tomb” and to remember deceased members of the Catholic Church on the feast of All Saints and All Souls.

Keeping ashes at home on the mantel, he said, is a sign not only

of love and grief, but also of not understanding how the loved one belonged to the entire community of faith and not just to his or her closest relatives.

“Only in grave and exceptional cases,” the instruction says, local bishops may give permission for ashes to be kept in a private home.

Cardinal Muller said it was not up

to him, but to local and national bishops’ conferences to determine what those “grave and exceptional” circumstances might be. Placing the ashes in a sacred place also “prevents the faithful departed from being forgotten or their remains from being shown a lack of respect”, which is more likely to happen as time goes on and the

Crossword Puzzle 1171 1

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ACROSS 1 ___ box 5 An enthusiast 9 Midwest hub 14 Tasmanian peak 15 Mountain range 16 Went white 17 Cut of meat 18 Architect’s abbreviation 19 Literary device 20 Time of choosing representation

22 One of the 12 tribes of Israel 23 Story in installments 24 Lout 26 “…he suffered, ___ and was buried.”

28 Link 32 Tunic-like vestment 35 Moses, for one 37 OT historical book

38 “The intention of the human heart is ___ water (Prv 20:5) 40 Ursuline order letters 41 202, in ancient Rome 42 Purim month 43 Spanish fleet 46 Name of the Rose author 47 Renaissance

Marian art title 49 “…the greatest of these is ___” (I Cor 13:13) 51 Rubes 53 Serfs 57 First step in religious orders 60 Certain angels 62 Sun-dried brick 63 ___ of the Lord 64 Bank contents

people closest to the deceased also pass way, the instruction said.

Asked about the growing trend in his native Germany of “forest burials”, where people pay to have their ashes in urns interred at the base of a tree in a designated forest burial ground, Cardinal Muller said the German bishops were not thrilled with the idea, but accepted it with the provision that the tree be marked with the name of the person buried at its base.

In the US and other countries, a growing number of Catholic cemeteries set aside sections for “green burials” for bodies that have not been embalmed and are placed in simple wooden caskets that eventually will biodegrade along with the body.

“We believe in the resurrection of the body and this must be the principle of our understanding and practice,” Cardinal Muller told Catholic News Service, noting that there is a difference between allowing for the natural decay of the body while protecting the environment, and seeing the body of the deceased primarily as nourishment for plants and trees. n

The Vatican’s document is at http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/ congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ con_cfaith_doc_20160815_ad-resurgendum-cum-christo_en.html

of the “New World Symphony” 29 “___ homo” 30 Stylish 31 Musical group 32 He was an original 33 Castor’s mother 34 Prayer counter 36 Catholic ending 39 Forbid 43 An end to repent?

44 Catholic convert and author of Poustinia 45 Affirm with confidence 48 ___ Creed 50 Dodged 52 View 54 2009 Nobel winner 55 Along with Timothy, he was a disciple of Paul 56 Shatter 57 Apollo creator 58 River in central Europe 59 20A action 61 “___ Mary” 63 PETA target

65 Start to have an effect 66 Single entity 67 Large flightless birds 68 Mountain ridge 69 Depend 70 Morse element DOWN 1 Countrymen of John Paul II 2 “___ Mio” 3 Willow 4 Offensive 5 ___ Year 6 Book containing calendar of Masses 7 Ride runner 8 Dutch airline 9 ___ for the poor 10 Concordant 11 ___ vera 12 Bank takeback 13 First place 21 Hindmost part of an animal 22 The old lady lived in one 25 Type of sin 27 Catholic composer

Solution to Crossword Puzzle No. 1170 E B B S

G A E A

Y U A N

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I D L E

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www.wordgamesforcatholics.com

24

Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

By Jennifer Ficcaglia One day, Jesus and His apostles were travelling toward the city of Jericho.

Along the way, a huge crowd of people started to follow them. The crowd was so loud that a blind beggar on the side of the road wanted to know what was going on.

“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” someone told him.

So the man called out and asked Jesus to heal him. Jesus stopped and returned the man’s sight.

As Jesus and His friends came into Jericho, the noisy crowd caught the attention of a wealthy chief tax collector named Zacchaeus.

In those days, tax collectors were hated because they worked for the Roman Empire, which occupied Israel. They also charged more taxes than what the people owed and kept the extra money for themselves.

Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus and wanted to see Him. But he was not a very tall man, so he could not see over the heads of the people in the crowd.

He was determined to find a way to see over the crowd. He looked around for something to stand on, then finally climbed a sycamore tree and waited for Jesus to pass by.

As Jesus walked past the sycamore tree, he stopped and looked up.

“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,” Jesus said, “for today I must stay at your house.”

Zacchaeus scurried down from the sycamore tree. He was used to being shunned by the people of Jericho, who wanted nothing to do with him.

He was very excited and happy that someone as good and kind as Jesus thought he was worthy enough to visit.

The people in the crowd were shocked.

SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS:

“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner,” they grumbled to one another.

Zacchaeus gave Jesus a grateful look. Jesus’ kindness made him want to change his sinful ways.

“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over,” Zacchaeus said.

Jesus was very happy.

“Today, salvation has come to

this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham,” Jesus said.

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” n Read more about it: Luke 19

Q&A 1. What city was Jesus travelling through?

2. What did Zacchaeus do so he could see Jesus?

Wordsearch:

St Nerses I

n SAVE

n SIGHT

St Nerses I was an Armenian who lived in the fourth century. After his wife died, he worked in the court of the Armenian king and received holy orders. He eventually became bishop of Armenia.

Nerses told the king he was wrong for murdering his wife, so the king banished him. After the king was killed in battle, Nerses returned.

The new king, however, was such a bad man that Nerses did not allow him to enter the church. The new king did not like this, so he invited Nerses to dinner and poisoned him.

We honour him on Nov 19. n

n SEEK

n MONEY n HUGE

n BEGGAR n BLIND

n HOUSE n TAXES

n FOLLOW n STAY n CROWD

ESSAY: When have you been kind to someone who really appreciated it?

Bible Accent:

Answer to puzzle: 1. Samuel; 2. Peter; 3. Barabbas; 4.

Acts

PUZZLE: Using the hints provided, cross out the word in each group that does not belong.

1. David Samuel Solomon (kings) 2. Peter Elijah Moses (prophets) 3. Paul Barabbas Matthew (apostles) 4. Luke John Acts (Gospels)

Answer to Wordsearch

In the Gospel of Luke, we read about two wealthy men and their encounters with Jesus.

In Luke 19, Jesus’ actions transformed the life of Zacchaeus. After meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus vowed to give up his sinful ways, give half of his wealth to the poor and return four times the amount of money to those whom he had cheated.

In Luke 18, we read about a wealthy official who wanted eternal life in heaven and asked Jesus how to inherit it.

Jesus told him to follow the law, which the man said he had done since his youth. Jesus then said there was one thing left for the man to do: “Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven.

Then come, follow me.”

The man went away sad, because he had many possessions that he was not willing to part with.

“How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” Jesus said. “For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” In the end, it was the sinner Zacchaeus who realised that following Jesus was more important than having earthly possessions. n

WHAT’S ON 25

Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

EVENT SUBMISSIONS WHAT’S ON submissions now require the completion of a form from the Archdiocese before the event can be publicised. For events with foreign speakers, please submit the necessary documentation for approval to the Chancery. For more information and to download the form, visit http://www.catholic.org.sg/chancery/ announcement-advertisement-request/.

Once forms have been submitted online, kindly send us details of your event for publication at www. catholicnews.sg/whatson/ at least one month ahead of the publication date.

OCT 1 TO JUNE 1, 2017 VOlUNTEErS NEEdEd FOr NIgHT CArE OF dISAdVANTAgEd KIdS CareNights @ Morning Star in Singapore provides food and a structured programme at night for disadvantaged and at-risk children aged 6-14, while their parents are working late. We need volunteers willing to put in time, energy and skills towards supporting the children while they are in our centre in Bedok North Ave 4.

For information: T: 62851377 (Jaanani); E: CareNights@morningstar.org.sg NOV 12 MASS WITH ANOINTINg OF THE SICK Time: 10am. Venue: Church of Saints Peter & Paul. Interested parties are to register with the parish secretariat (Office: 63372585). Celebrant: Fr John Chua.

For more information, please refer to the parish website at www.sppchurch.org.sg NOV 27 ANd dEC 18 CHUrCH OF THE TrANSFIgUrATION (COTT) MONTHly MASS Time: noon. Venue: Holy Innocents’ High

School at 1191 Upper Serangoon Road S534786. Masses will be in the school hall. All Punggol parishioners and COTT supporters are welcome to come celebrate Mass as a community!

Come and join our ministries – choir, altar boys, Society of St Vincent De Paul. Detailed information at www.transfiguration.sg NOV 18 TO NOV 22 gAZINg BACK ...

IMAgININg FOrWArd Two nights: Nov 18 (7.30pm) to Nov 20 (5pm) or four nights: Nov 18 (7.30pm)Nov 22 (noon). A retreat to mark the end of the liturgical year with restfulness.

Cost: Two nights - $180 (non-aircon), $220 (aircon); Four nights - $360 (non- aircon), $440 (aircon).

Organised by Kingsmead Centre, 8 Victoria Park Rd. To register: W: http://tinyurl.com/ kingsmeadregistration; T: 64676072

RCIA/RCIY A journey for those seeking to know more about the Catholic faith. Baptised Catholics are also invited to journey as sponsors.

JUNE 5, 2016 TO JUNE 4, 2017 MANdArIN rCIA @ CHUrCH OF OUr lAdy OF PErPETUAl SUCCOUr Every Sunday from 9am-10:30am.

For enquiries: T: 97564783 (Theresa); T: 96612262 (Darryl); T: 97761181 (Peter) JUNE 7, 2016 TO MAy 30, 2017 rCIA @ CHUrCH OF ST FrANCIS XAVIEr Sessions will be conducted every Tuesday from 8pm-10pm. Registration forms are available at the parish office.

For more details, E: rcia@sfxchurch.sg.

JUNE 14, 2016 TO MAy 9, 2017 rCIA @ HOly TrINITy Who is Jesus? Want to know more? Time: 7.45pm to 9.45pm. Please register with the

NOV 19 OlPS FAMIly dAy Time: 9am-9.45pm. Enjoy a day of fun and bonding with your family! Includes children and adults workshop, games, movie and other activities. There will also be a family Mass. Venue: Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Verbist hall. Cost: $20/ adult, $10/child or $60 for entire family.

Snacks, lunch, dinner and transportation to East Coast Park provided. To register: W: www.olps.sg/events; T: 98802203 (James).

NOV 23 STOry OF THE NATIVITy...

TrUTH OF CHrISTMAS A DVD film. Time: 7.30pm-9.30pm.

Join top scholars, inspirational speakers and popular authors as they explain the story behind the story of the birth of Jesus. Organised by Bible Apostolate(pm). At Church of the Holy Spirit, attic (4th floor).

Register: T: 97848090 (Louisa) Love offerings welcomed.

NOV 19 AgAPE VIllAgE FIrST ANNIVErSAry CElEBrATION Time: 11.30am-4pm. Calling all to come for a day of fun-filled activities with food and drinks! Explore the four-storey building and 12 gardens. Enjoy music, dance performances, games, talks, workshops and an art exhibition. Learn more about what Agape Village has to offer!

Venue: 7A Lor 8 Toa Payoh. T: 68017400

NOV 25 TO NOV 27 NOV CHOICE WEEKENd Time: 6pm (Nov 25) - 6pm (Nov 27).

It takes that one weekend that will inspire you for the rest of your life. Come away for a Choice Weekend – it is by the choices we make that we define what our life is all about. T: 97900537 (Hillary); T: 97109680 (Francesca); E: registration@ choice.org.sg; W: www.choice.org.sg/ registration.htm

parish office of Holy Trinity. E: rciaht@ gmail.com; T: 97378194 (Emily Tan).

JUly 8, 2016 TO MAy 17, 2017 rCIA @ CHUrCH OF CHrIST THE KINg Every Friday from 8pm-10pm. Venue: Church of Christ The King, 2221 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8, RCIA room 105. Register: T: 98217795 (Devin); E: query.rcia@gmail.com

JUNE 16, 2016 TO JUNE 17, 2017 NEW rCIA JOUrNEy @ CHUrCH OF THE HOly SPIrIT Every Thursday from 8pm-10pm.

Register: W: https://goo.gl/Mvm9EX; E: holyspiritrcia.coordinator@gmail.com.

JUNE 30, 2016 TO APrIl 15, 2017 rCIA @ CHUrCH OF THE NATIVITy OF THE BlESSEd VIrgIN MAry Every Thursday from 7.30pm-10pm.

Every Sunday from 10.30am-12.30pm.

E: nativitysg@yahoo.com.sg; T: 62800980

JUly 18, 2016 TO MAy 15, 2017 rCIA @ CHUrCH OF THE SACrEd HEArT Time: 7.30pm-9.30pm. Address: 111 Tank Rd, S238069. E: rcia@ churchofthesacredheart.sg; T: 67379285; W: http://www.churchofthesacredheart.sg/

JUly 5, 2016 TO JUNE 4, 2017 rCIA @ CHUrCH OF STS PETEr ANd PAUl Every Tuesday from 7.30pm-9.30pm.

Sessions will be held in the chapel.

Registration forms are available at the parish office. T: 96857290 (Jonathan); E: 2kumleong@gmail.com

JUly 26, 2016 TO APrIl 16, 2017 rCIA @ CHUrCH OF ST IgNATIUS Every Tuesday evening 8pm-10pm at St Ignatius hall. Registration forms are available at: http://www.stignatius.org.sg/ Ministries/Faith-Formation/RCIA- Ministry/ For registration enquiries; T: 64660625 (Parish office); 96286472 (Sandra)

IN MEMORIAM MAY THEY REST IN PEACE Ninth Anniversary In loving memory of

ClAUdIUS BErNArd FErNANdEZ Departed: Nov 12, 2007

Your heart of gold stopped beating Two smiling eyes at rest God broke our hearts to prove He only takes the best The tears in our eyes will wipe away But the love in our hearts Will forever stay.

Always remembered by wife Jennifer, children Claudine, Leon, Tricia and all loved ones.

OBITUARY

Twenty-second Anniversary In loving memory of

Eighth Anniversary In loving memory of

PAtrick chuA Dec 17, 1947 to Nov 13, 2008 The years are quickly passing Though still we can’t forget For in the hearts that love him His memory lingers yet

ElIZABETH lAMBErT Departed: Nov 20, 1994 Peacefully sleeping, resting at last Dear Mama we miss you so much In silence you suffered, in patience you bore Till God called you home to suffer no more.

Eight years gone May you rest in peace. but still dearly missed Dearly loved and

by Rufina, Sephora, deeply missed Zacchaeus & Asher by all loved ones.

Third Anniversary In loving memory of

Please turn to pages 26 and 27 for more in memoriam advertisements.

dOrEEN HO WONg HOE Departed: Oct 31, 2013 Remembering you is easy We do it everyday Missing you is the hardest part As it never goes away Your voice and your smiles Though you have gone far away In our hearts you will closely stay Our love for you will forever last.

Fondly remembered by Michael, Sophie and Gabriel, husband, daughter and son.

In loving memory of Father Son

AlBErT OEN AlEX OEN BOEN KWEE KIM HAW (Twenty-sixth (Nineteenth Anniversary) Anniversary) Departed: Dec 6, 1990 Departed: Nov 10, 1997

In our hearts you will always live Your love, your voice and your smile Are forever imprinted in our minds.

Always remembered by daughter / sister granddaughter / niece and all loved ones.

NOV 29 CBN JOB FAIr - COMMUNITy EMPlOyABIlITy dAy @ AgAPE VIllAgE Time: 10am-4pm. The Catholic Business Network is partnering with e2i to organise a job fair. We have catholic employers from F&B, retail, healthcare participating.

Activities: On-site career coaching, skills future credit connect workshop and an interview workshop. Venue: Agape Village, 7A Lor 8 Toa Payoh, S319264. To register: 92284463 (Raymond); E: admin@cbn.sg dEC 8 FEAST OF THE IMMACUlATE CONCEPTION Venue: Church of Sts Peter and Paul, 225A Queen St. Prayers and the rosary will begin at 11.30am. Confessions from noon. Mass will be celebrated at 1pm. For sale during that day: New book of prayers (1) and (2). dEC 9 TO dEC 11 lIVINg UNTIl WE dIE: SPIrITUAl JOUrNEy OF THE lAST ACT OF THE 2Nd HAlF OF lIFE Friday 8pm to Sunday 1pm. A Cenacle programme by Sr Linda Lizada. It will focus on the invitations for life’s final stage and attempts to respond to questions such as: What is retirement for? What is the meaning of my life at this time? How do I open myself to the joy that this stage of life is offering me? Venue: Montfort Centre.

To register: T: 65652895; T: 97223148 dEC 12 FEAST OF OUr lAdy OF gUAdAlUPE Come pray for the protection of unborn babies and their mothers. Venue: Church of St Ignatius.The rosary will be recited at 7.30pm followed by Mass at 8pm. There will also be a special blessing for pregnant mothers and their families. Organised

by Pregnancy Crisis Service, a service support of Family Life Society. All are welcomed. For enquiries, T: 64880278.

26 IN MEMORIAM

Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

MAY THEY REST IN PEACE In loving memory of

Fourth Anniversary In loving memory of

In our hearts you will always live Your love, your voice and your smile Are forever imprinted in our minds.

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord And let perpetual light shine upon him.

May he rest in peace.

Dearly missed and fondly remembered by EDWARD PETER loved ones and friends.

Born: Jun 18, 1936 May his soul Departed: Nov 12, 2012 rest in peace.

Sixteenth Anniversary In loving memory of

LAWRENCE TAN SOON TECK Departed: Nov 20, 2009 Time changes many things but not the Memory this day brings Till now you are still in our minds and hearts.

Dearly missed by children, grandson and loved ones.

V. P. JOSEPh DAS Departed: Nov 11, 2000

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

In loving memory of

There is a place in our hearts which is yours alone A place in our lives No one else can ever own We hold back tears when we speak your name But the ache in our hearts Remains the same.

Forever cherished by family and loved ones.

CAROL CAThERINE PEREIRA On her Third Anniversary Called Home to the Lord on November 17, 2013 Always in the hearts of Dennis, Denise, Carl, Nicole, Martha, Alexandra (Rafa), Gabriel, Martin, Jasmine, Bryan, Dalva, and all family and friends.

Think how she must be wishing That we could all know today How nothing but our sadness Can truly pass away And think of her as living In the hearts of those she touched For nothing loved is ever lost And she was loved so much

In loving memory of our parents

Fourth Anniversary

Twenty-first Anniversary

PATRICK PhuA

ANNIE LIm guEK KhIm Departed Nov 11, 2012 Dec 1, 1995

In loving memory of

Always remembered by loved ones at home.

Twenty-third Anniversary In loving memory of

Thirty-seventh Anniversary In loving memory of

“Daddy - God’s greatest gift to us”

Eleventh Anniversary In loving memory of

Second Anniversary In loving memory of

ANThONY YIm CLARA WONg SOON ChONg muI SIN Departed: Sep 10, 1969 Departed: Nov 23, 2006

Thank you for all the fond memories.

We will forever cherish the times we shared together.

Fondly missed and remembered by all your loved ones.

CECILIA LIm guEK hIANg Departed: Nov 20, 1979 Always remembered by loved ones at home.

First Anniversary In loving memory of

CYRIL ChELLIAh 6 July 1930 to 13 Nov 2014 Together with his beloved Lovie “In life we loved you dearly; In death we do the same.

ANNE ChuANg Departed: Nov 2, 2015 Love still bridges the chasm of the worlds we live apart Memories still draw us together on the different journeys we embark Forever and ever you will always live in our hearts.

Always remembered by loved ones.

Please turn to pages 25 and 27 for more in memoriam advertisements.

They say there is a reason They say time will heal But neither reason nor time Will change the way we feel.

There is an empty place that no one can fill.

We miss you as much today as the day you left us.

You were our world, Daddy.

In our hearts you live forever.”

Dearly missed by his children Rene & Denise, Michael & Lorna, Alison & Zachary, and Michelle; grandchildren, Emma, Lara, Claudia, Charlene, Cassandra and Benjamin; and loved ones.

CAROLINE TAN KIA TECK Departed: Nov 7, 2005 Though time has passed since you have been taken to eternity our memories of you continues to be treasured very much in our hearts and minds.

As we remember you, we cherish the many happy times enjoyed together.

Your cheerful smile and your gentle voice brought comfort, peace, joy, happiness and laughter to us.

Even though we have been apart, we missed your presence dearly.

Our love for you continues on forever.

We thank God for providing us many treasured moments with you.

Deeply missed and remembered by husband Francis Claudius, daughter Geraldine, family members, relatives and friends.

In ever loving memory

ANThONY WONg PINg mOON Born: Sep 20, 1912 Nov 15, 1992

ANNA hO LILY ANgELINA ChuN hEE WONg Born: Feb 21, 1914 Born: Mar 25, 1951 Called to eternal rest: Oct 29, 2012 July 2, 2010

Yahweh is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

In meadows of green grass he lets me lie.

To the waters of repose he leads me; there he revives my soul.

Psalm 23

JOAChIm mARIE Departed: Nov 11, 1993 Gone is the face we loved so dear Silent is the voice we loved to hear Too far away for sight or speech But not far away for thought to reach.

Lovingly remembered by wife, children and granddaughters.

IN MEMORIAM 27

Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

Nineteenth Anniversary In loving memory of

KENNETH GEORGE bHEEM 23.4.32 – 13.11.97 Memory of you, dear, still casts a gentle glow It braces our days and lights our paths wherever we may go.

Lovingly remembered by wife Praxedes, children, Vincent and Cassandra, Michael and grandchildren, Bradley, Gerard, Russell, Catherine, Melissa, Michelle, Matthew and loved ones.

In loving memory of

In loving memory of Fifteenth Anniversary Fourth Anniversary

PETER JEREMY HOGAN

GLORIA JEAN HOGAN NEE ARMSTRONG Departed: Nov 18, 1991 Aug 24, 2014 LOPEZ VARGHESE

KUCHU TERASIAL LOPEZ Departed Nov 8, 2001 Nov 30, 2012

Our Lord Jesus knew what was best He took you home for eternal rest We wiped our tears and tried not to be sad And remember the precious times we had.

Dearly missed and fondly remembered by loved ones.

Third Anniversary In ever loving memory of

JULIE SANTHOU Departed: Nov 18, 2013 Dearest Julie.

We miss you, Precious moments you spent with us will always remain in our heart.

Julie, pray for us, intercede for us Till we meet in God’s Kingdom.

Lovingly your family and loved ones.

Twenty-ninth Anniversary In loving memory of

MARC DINESH MAHESAN Born: Nov 27, 1980 Departed: Nov 19, 1987 OUR bELOVED EVER IN OUR HEARTS. Lovingly cherished

by Mama, Noel, Belinda, Marcelle, Tyler and all who love you.

Mass will be offered at Church of St Michael on Saturday Nov 19, 2016 at 6pm.

Please turn to pages 25 and 26 for more in memoriam advertisements.

We miss you in so many ways We miss things you used to say And when old times we do recall It’s then we miss you most of all.

We remember and cherish the happy times together Remembering them today and forever.

Dearly missed and remembered by loved ones.

28

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Sunday November 13, 2016 n CatholicNews

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