MARCH 13, 2011, vol 61, no 05

www.catholicnews.sg SUNDAY MARCH 13, 2011

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Pope: Lent is a time to renounce seOÀshness VATICAN CITY – Lent is a time

for self-examination and to let go of all traces of selÂżshness which is the root of violence 3ope Benedict XVI said. “The greed of possession leads to violence exploitation and death´ which is why during Lent the Church encourages almsgiving “which is the capacity to share´ the pope said in his annual message for Lent.

The text of the pope’s message for Lent which begins on 0arch for Latin-rite Catholics was released at a Vatican news conference on Feb 22. *uinean Cardinal 5obert 6arah president of the 3ontiÂżcal Council Cor 8num which promotes Catholic charitable giving told reporters “Intense misery leads to economic and political instability creating a vacuum for conĂ€ict and unrest that produce a vicious circle of deepening hardship especially for the most vulnerable.â€?

The cardinal said the pope’s message underscores the fact that “the encounter with Christ in His word and the sacraments manifests itself in concrete works of mercy�.

The theme of the pope’s message was taken from the Letter to the Colossians: “You were buried with him in baptism in which you were also raised with him.�

3ope Benedict said Lent is a special time for people either to prepare for baptism or to strengthen their commitment to following Christ originally made at baptism. “The fact that in most cases baptism is received in infancy highlights how it is a gift of God: No one earns eternal life through their own efforts � the pope said.

In his message the pope took the year’s Lenten Sunday Gospels and used them to draw lessons he said would be helpful in making the Lenten journey towards Christian conversion.

The Gospel account of Jesus’

VOL 61

NO. 5

INSIDE HOME Archdiocesan communications oIÀce Oaunched Will be key point of contact for media „ Page 6

ASIA Indian bishops stage sit-in Anger over report on anti-Christian attacks „ Page 8

ASIA ‘Jasmine reYoOution’ in China?

Church activists give their views „ Page 9

Slum children in New Delhi struggle to keep warm by burning refuse. Pope Benedict XVI, in his Lenten message, says Lenten conversion helps people to reach out more readily to others. &16 ÂżOH SKRWR

victory over temptation in the desert “is an invitation to become aware of our own fragility in order to accept the grace that frees from sin and infuses new strength� he said.

The story of Jesus meeting the woman at the well is a reminder that all people like the woman desire the “water� of eternal life he said.

Only the water offered by Jesus “can irrigate the deserts of our restless and unsatisÂżed soul until it ¾¿nds rest in God’â€? as St Augustine said.

The Gospel account of Jesus healing the man born blind “is a sign that Christ wants not only to give us sight but also to open our interior vision so that our faith may become ever deeper and we may recognise Him as our only saviour� the pope said.

The story of the raising of La]arus read on the Âżfth Sunday of Lent reminds Christians that their destiny is eternal life with God who “created men and women for resurrection and lifeâ€? he said.

The Lenten process of

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conversion he added is designed “to free our hearts every day from the burden of material things from a self-centred relationship with the ‘world’ that impoverishes us and prevents us from being available and open to God and our neighbour� 3ope Benedict wrote.

Through fasting almsgiving and prayer he said “Lent teaches us how to live the love of Christ in an ever more radical way.�

Fasting helps people overcome sel¿shness and self-centredness almsgiving is a reminder of the sharing that should mark each day of a Christian’s life and time dedicated to prayer is a reminder that time belongs to God and His desire is for people to spend eternity with Him the pope said „ CNS „ Page 3: Archbishop Nicholas Chia’s Pastoral Letter for Lent

WHAT’S ON Ash Wednesday Mass scheduOe „ Page 21

FOCUS Archdiocese giYes guideOines for penance „ Page 24

A special prayer booklet will be distributed to parishes this Lent

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Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

S’pore helps Bangalore establish Retrouvaille

By Darren Boon Retrouvaille Singapore has played a key role in helping Bangalore, in India, establish the Retrouvaille programme for hurting marriages.

This included hosting a priest, Fr Arul Raj, and a couple, Joe and Regina Boniface, who are part of Bangalore’s Family Life apostolate, during Retrouvaille weekends in Singapore.

Retrouvaille Singapore (see other story) had also Àown a Singapore couple, Michael and Lucy Yeo, over to Bangalore to assist in the weekend programme there.

Singapore was chosen for its proximity to the Indian city.

Mr and Mrs Yeo were part of a team comprising a British-Irish couple, Clive and Kathy Jones, and a couple from Goa, Anna and Valentine Coelho, who presented the ¿rst Retrouvaille weekend in Bangalore from Jan 21-23.

Prior to the southern Indian city’s ¿rst weekend, Retrouvaille

Singapore had been in constant communication with the Bonifaces, and given them copies of the programme’s handouts.

The organisation also assisted in any queries regarding the programme such as how to answer questions when recruiting participants.

Retrouvaille Singapore helped to oversee the set up of the weekend and gave suggestions on how to make the experience more bene¿cial and comfortable for participants.

The Bonifaces said that their experience at Retrouvaille Singapore “was instrumental in motivating us to pursue the cause of setting up Retrouvaille India”.

They said they were “thankful to the Retrouvaille community in Singapore” for their “enthusiasm and willingness” to guide and support the endeavour to establish Retrouvaille India. darrenboon@catholic.org.sg

A couple from Bangalore’s Family Life apostolate said their experience at Retrouvaille Singapore ‘was instrumental in motivating’ them to set up Retrouvaille India.

The team that launched the Retrouvaille weekend in Bangalore. From left: Valentine and Anna Coelho, Clive and Kathy Jones, Fr Arul Raj, and Christina Tan, Lucy and Michael Yeo from Singapore.

A lifeline for troubled marriages They were only two and a half years into their marriage when Luc and Liz (not their real names) decided to attend Retrouvaille to give their marriage a second chance.

Luc and Liz told CatholicNews that the marriage programme helped salvage their relationship.

The expectations Liz had of a husband, as someone “totally supportive of me in all my choices and decisions, and someone similar to me in character and interests” were crushed when the couple had disagreements due to differences in thinking, she said.

Liz said she suffered from “feelings of repression and those arising from our character differences”. The couple also had ¿nancial problems, and all the “annoyances” built up to “wear down” their marriage, leading Liz to have an extra-marital affair.

However, Luc refused to give up and chanced upon

Retrouvaille after some research.

Retrouvaille aims to help couples who are unable to cope with issues such as in¿delity, abuse, addiction, low self-worth, ¿nancial matters and in-law problems.

The weekend awakened the love the couple had for each other, they said.

Liz said, “The weekend answered my question of ‘What is love?’ It struck me then, that I was still very much in love with the man God had given me to love and that I was actually not prepared to throw away my marriage.”

Luc said he bene¿tted from the personal sharings from the presenting couples and from using a communication technique that helped couples examine different areas in their relationship.

Fr Andrew Wong, the programme’s spiritual director, likens hurting marriages – characterised by quarrels and misgivings – to a car being stuck

in the ditch but with the wheels still spinning.

The weekend helps couples examine their relationship in a “non-threatening setting”, said Fr Andrew.

The programme comprises a live-in weekend and follow-up sessions over six weekends that help couples look at their lives together in a new and positive manner.

The high point would be the couple achieving a breakthrough in a God-given “grace moment”, added Fr Andrew.

“No marriage is doomed for failure … beyond redemption … there’s always a light at the end of the road … it’s a weekend of graces and blessing,” said Fr Andrew.

The next Retrouvaille weekend is March 25-27. Other weekends for the year are July 29-31 and Sep 23-25. For registration and more information, visit http:// www.helpourmarriage.sg

Correction ARCHBISHOP’S DIARY Mar 12 2.00pm Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary: Mass – Rite of Election Mar 13 2.00pm Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea: Mass – Rite of Election Mar 19 6.15pm Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary: Mass – Profession of Sr Danielle Pang, FMM

The edited story, Canossian School Holds 1st Mass At Temporary Site (CN, Feb 13), may have given the misleading impression that Ms Grace Tan was the principal of St Anthony’s Canossian Primary School. She is in fact principal of Canossa Convent Primary School.

We apologise for the error.

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Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Greetings to you in the season of Lent!

Once again the Universal Church prepares to contemplate the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I invite each and every one of you to join me during these forty days to meditate on how important the mysteries of the life of Jesus are for the Church in Singapore.

The human person has been described as ‘meaning-makers.’ We are beings in search of purpose. I believe this is so because God has put into our hearts the desire for truth and happiness that gives our lives meaning. Seeking meaning in turn makes us human – indeed we are on the path to holiness when we faithfully incorporate the meaningful teaching of Christ and his Church into our daily life.

But we live in a complicated world. We dwell in a ‘wilderness of meaning’ where many competing voices call for our attention and tell us what constitutes meaningful living. Without listening ¿rst for the wisdom of Jesus, it is possible to become confused about what really matters and then we mix up our priorities.

When this happens even though we work hard to make our lives meaningful sometimes the opposite happens. Our striving to earn what we think should pro¿t us instead causes the loss of what is close to our hearts. Some of us have made great sacri¿ces to get what we want, even at the cost of our own integrity, only to ¿nd emptiness in the place of satisfaction.

It is ironic that the search for meaning that was supposed to make us more human can in fact make us less human. With this realization I implore you, my fellow Christians, to let Christ be the author of your life’s purpose. The ¿rst step is to open your spiritual senses and allow old meanings to be converted to the new meaning that Christ offers: Open your lips to drink of Christ who is the Water of Life (John 4:552). He brings refreshment and healing to the isolation experienced by the Samaritan woman. Let Christ inspire reconciliation in us who are estranged and thirst for restored relationships with our dear ones.

Open your eyes to gaze upon Christ who is the Light of the World (John 9:1-41). He brings sight to the man born blind despite the refusal of those in authority to recognize the work of God. Let Christ inspire courage in us to witness to a society that maintains the absence of God. Open your hearts to hope in Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:1-5). He brings back Lazarus from physical death.

Let Christ inspire new life for us who are captured in all situations of despair or lifelessness.

Activity performed apart from the vision of Christ can easily become distorted in their purpose. Therefore it is my hope that all in the Church practise habits that discern the purpose of Christ before commencing activities, mundane or religious: For you at home; pause for silent prayer to ask God’s will before you make important family decisions.

For you in church organizations and small communities; share the Gospel with one another and ask for Christ’s guidance before determining group activity.

For you in Catholic schools; use meditation during assembly time to refocus on Christ’s vision to ensure that the education process serves to humanize all involved.

For you in charitable and social work; contemplate Christ’s love for the poor to purify your motives in serving the marginalized and disadvantaged.

For you in business; call to heart the beatitudes of Christ so that your dealings are just and fair in God’s eyes.

For you in community leadership; appeal to the social teachings of Christ before considering how to shape public policy and to develop society for the common good.

For you in the ministry of catechesis; spend time before the Blessed Sacrament so that the lessons you plan reÀect the mind of God. For you in pastoral councils and parish leadership; call yourselves into the presence of Christ before convening meetings to deliberate the welfare of the Àock.

Let all our doings, including the religious acts of fasting and almsgiving, be our response to the discernment of God’s will so that despite living in a “wilderness of meaning” our purpose is ¿xed on Christ. It is my prayer that each one of you, my dear brothers and sisters, ¿nd renewed meaning and holiness for your life this Lent as the Church moves in one heart and one mind towards the celebration of Easter.

Your servant in the Lord,

Archbishop Nicholas Chia

Page 24: The meaning and practice of penance

Top-scoring students credit school’s spiritual support

By Daniel Lim The spiritual support provided by SJI International was certainly a great help to three Catholic students who were among the top scorers of an international examination held in November.

The weekly Masses and the daily prayers in school were “very important in my life, especially when I was studying for my IGCSEs (Cambridge International General Certi¿cate of Secondary Education examinations”, said Celestine Cai. They “kept me focused, and gave me hope when I was down”, said Cai, 16, who scored 6 A*s and 2 As. Her schoolmate, Andre Wijaya, agrees. “Being educated in a Catholic school means that God is always present in every

From left: Celestine Cai, Andre Wijaya and Alessia Tassinari were among SJI International’s top IGCSE students.

aspect of my life,” said Wijaya, 16, who scored 5 A*s and 2 As .

Alessia Tassinari, who scored 7 A*s, attributes a large part of her success to dedicated teachers who

helped her achieve her potential.

The IGCSE is a popular international curriculum for 14-16 year olds, which prepares them for the International Baccalaureate.

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Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

Binding up Christ’s wounds Treating the injured during the Arab-Israeli War was all part of her experience as an FMDM nun, recalls Sr Florence Wong, who marked her golden jubilee recently

By Darren Boon Sr Florence Wong, who is now in her 70s, says she is grateful to God for continuing to giving her the strength and health to do His work.

The Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM) nun, who celebrated her golden jubilee as a Religious on Feb 20, has had a remarkable career tending to the sick and injured in various parts of the world.

As a young 20-something nun, she pioneered a mission to Jordan, working in the Palestine Hospital after the Arab-Israeli War, serving both wealthy and poor.

She was put in charge of the Outpatient and Emergency Room, operating theatres and the midwifery section at the hospital.

There, she tended to those injured in the ¿ghting, cleaning and dressing wounds, removing bullets, assisting in limb amputations, and setting up intravenous drips and blood transfusions.

“They came. Some died, some lived and returned to their camps or families. It was all very fast … they had to go out to make room for others to come in,” Sr Florence recalled.

While witnessing deaths, she also assisted in the births of two

princesses to the Jordanian royal family.

In addition, she tended to the sick in refugee camps with a team of volunteers and a doctor in what was called a “travelling clinic”. She also helped set up an ante-natal clinic for pregnant women, ran feeding centres for children, and gave intravenous glucose and saline infusions to those who suffered from vomiting and diarrhoea.

The nun says she felt privileged to be able to “wash and bind up the wounds of the Body of Christ” in these experiences, adding that what sustained her through her years in Jordan were prayer, community life and a mission stemming from love.

These three things are still important to her today.

Prior to serving in Jordan, she was serving in Mount Alvernia Hospital in Guildford, Surrey, in the United Kingdom. She admitted to being comfortable working there and was surprised and excited to be chosen as a pioneer to the mission in Jordan.

“At that time I was young … ready for anything. It was like an adventure,” she said.

Being a missionary means having a willingness to be sent to any part of the world, she added.

The nun said she decided to join the FMDM Sisters after being moved by their dedication

Sr Florence Wong celebrates her jubilee as Archbishop Nicholas Chia looks on.

‘They came. Some died, some lived and returned to their camps or families. It was all very fast.’

– Sr Florence, recalling her experience working in a hospital in Jordan

in caring for tuberculosis patients at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Sr Florence’s own mother had suffered from the disease.

Apart from working in other countries, Sr Florence also served as the FMDM Regional Leader for Singapore and Malaysia

from 1990-1995 and was the Administrator of Mount Alvernia Hospital in Singapore from 19801983.

Those were extremely ful¿lling days for her, she said, recalling that if a poor patient came to the outpatient clinic

asking for a fee waiver, she would not charge the patient.

Nowadays, Sr Florence is busy providing one-to-one spiritual direction and giving retreats for Church programmes Landings and Rachel’s Vineyard.

She says she has moved on from being a “physical” midwife and caregiver to a “spiritual” one, adding that this is part of spiritual growth for herself.

In recent years, she has conducted the Midlife Directions and Growing Older, Living Deeper (GOLD) workshops. These help people to make the transition to their next stage of life when they experience signi¿cant physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual changes in themselves.

Those close to Sr Florence say she has a remarkable ability of communicating God’s love to others.

Fellow FMDM nun Sr Angeline Lim describes Sr Florence as a “committed, dedicated, organised and prayerful” Religious who is able to reach out to people of all ages.

Sr Florence’s niece, Irene Wong, said her aunt was by her side when the former was experiencing about 15 hours of labour pains, encouraging her, talking to her and asking her to trust in the Lord.

As for Sr Florence herself, she says she is full of gratitude for “God’s faithfulness” and for all “the wonders God has done in me, through me and for me”.

She adds that she hopes to continue to be a blessing to others, “and to always live in thanksgiving and gratitude, happy to be God’s servant”. darrenboon@catholic.org.sg

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Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

Seminary visit an eye-opener New citizens, for RCIA candidates, sponsors volunteers invited to take part in IRO Day

By Benedict Chng Jesus said, “Come and see.”

(John 1:39).

So on Feb 27, the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary opened its doors to more than 350 people from parishes all over Singapore, who were interested to see what life was like in the institution.

The seminary organises Open House events twice a year, mainly to create awareness of the need to pray and cultivate priestly vocations.

The recent Open House included a video and PowerPoint presentation introducing the diocesan priesthood as well as the activities of the seminary.

Participants were taken on a guided tour of the seminary premises, including the residential blocks, recreational facilities, garden, as well as the heart of the seminary, the chapel.

Among the participants were 24 members of the Indonesian community from the Church of St Bernadette.

They included RCIA candidates, facilitators and

By Darren Boon

Visitors at the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary chapel on Feb 27. Some 350 people visited the seminary during its open house.

godparents, who spent time meditating in front of the Stations of the Cross and contemplating a contemporary religious artwork by the late La Salle Br Joseph McNally.

Commenting on the event, Ms Caroline Goh, an RCIA sponsor, said: “It is an eye-opener to me even though I am a Catholic. It

is an awesome place where you can feel the presence of God. The chapel is so beautiful and serene! All Catholics should visit this place at least once in their lifetime.”

The next seminary Open House will be held on Oct 16.

The writer is a third-year theology student at the seminary.

Catholics learn about Jainism Non-violence, respect for different views and non-possessiveness.

These are the three pillars of Jainism, some 30 Catholics learnt when they visited the Singapore Jain Religious Society on Feb 27.

The visit was organised by the Archdiocesan Council for Inter-Religious and Ecumenical Dialogue (IRED) as part of its ongoing programme to help Catholics appreciate other faith communities better.

During the two-hour visit, Mr Dashim Shah, president of the Jain society, screened videos about the religion, which has about only ¿ve million members around the world.

The visitors learnt that Jains are vegetarians and their religion, which bears similarities to Buddhism, advocate attitudes and behaviour which would liberate one from the cycle of deaths and rebirths.

Jainism is a way of life, and there is no creator god in this

Boys’ Town is organising a charity ball to raise at least $500,000 for its new building project.

President S R Nathan will be the guest of honour at the event, to be held on April 2 at the Marriott Hotel Grand Ballroom.

The evening’s programme

“Come and join the interreligious communities.

Invite friends, colleagues and parishioners who are new citizens of Singapore,” said Sr Theresa.

“In this way, they too will come to appreciate the diversity while enjoying the harmony and peace among the people in Singapore.”

She added the Catholic Church is an active member of the IRO and the Church’s presence expresses “our untiring support for the interreligious movement”.

Transport will be provided from CANA at Waterloo St. Contact Janet (petra@singnet. com.sg or 6336 4815) or Ernest DW WKH ,52 RI¿FH LQ *H\ODQJ (iro_adm@yahoo.com.sg or 6744 8617) for more details.

Be advised that there will be parking constraints at Marina Barrage on that day. darrenboon@catholic.org.sg

Writing for Church publications in Mandarin

By Darren Boon Mr Dashim Shah speaking to his Catholic guests at the Singapore Jain Religious Society.

religion, the Catholic visitors learnt.

Jains came to Singapore at the start of the last century. There are at present about 2,000 Jains in the country.

A lively question-and-answer session followed the video presentation, which saw the visitors asking questions on the various practices and beliefs of Jains.

Ball to raise funds for Boys’ Town

By Darren Boon

The upcoming Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) Day is a good opportunity to help new citizens in Catholic parishes learn about the Church’s relations with other religions, says Canossian Sr Theresa Seow.

The special event would also help these people appreciate Singapore’s diversity, says Sr Therersa, who is the IRO honorary secretary.

The 62nd Inter-Religious Organisation Day Annual Observance will be held on March 20 from 8.00am-12.30pm at the Marina Barrage.

There will be an exhibition which will feature a panel on Christianity, and “nothing beats the presence of seeing Christians, especially Catholics, who are ready to stand side by side with people of other religions”, said Sr Theresa.

She also appealed for Church volunteers to come forward to work alongside those of other faiths to help manage the day’s activities. Volunteers can register with the IRO. This year’s annual observance coincides with World Water Day and the IRO will be working with the Public Utilities Board (PUB) on this event.

Faith and water are very much linked, says Sr Theresa. Water has a central place in the practices and beliefs of many religions as it cleanses both externally and spiritually, although its signi¿cance is different among the different faiths, she says.

Some of the day’s events include an exhibition on the various

religions, free goodie bags, taiji, kite Àying, and dragon-boat racing.

A large kite with the IRO logos will be Àown by religious leaders to represent the harmony among the various faith communities.

Brunch will also be served, but not in plastic or Styrofoam containers, so as to send out a message on the need to preserve the environment.

is planned by radio and TV personality Florence Lian and communications specialist and former TV host Angelina Fernandez. Celebrity emcees and performers are expected to be part of the programme.

A table for 10 is available for a $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000 donation.

The ball is part of the Boys’

Town Build a New Future campaign to raise funds for new dormitories and facilities for atrisk youths in Singapore.

For bookings and information, contact Lorraine Koenitz at 6769 1618 ext 41 or email lorraine@boystown.org. sg darrenboon@catholic.org.sg

Hai Sing Pao, the Chinese archdiocesan paper, will be holding a four-day three-night camp for those interested to learn how to write for Church publications in Mandarin.

The Sep 1-4 stay-in camp will be held at Crystal Crown Hotel in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

The camp aims to train people in different styles of writing including news reporting and faith testimonies/sharings, and to give participants an insight into the workings of a Church publication.

Topics covered include interview and photo-taking techniques, writing headlines, the use of new media and the mission of the lay faithful.

It is hoped that participants will start contributing to Church publications after the course.

The camp is open to residents of

Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.

Applicants should preferably have written for a Church publication before, otherwise they need to obtain a letter of recommendation from the editor of a Church publication.

The camp fee is S$90 or RM$200 and is subsidised by Carlo Catholic Society.

The fee includes twin-sharing accommodation and meals.

Participants, however, would need make their own transport arrangements to the hotel.

For more information and registration, applicants from Singapore may email haisingpao@carlo.org.sg or contact Jane Tan at 65-63372465. Applicants from Malaysia and Brunei may contact Huang Wen Cai at 02-012-754-4612.

Registration closes on May 15. darrenboon@catholic.org.sg

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Sunday March 13, 2011 „ CatholicNews

Archdiocese sets up communications ofÀce The Archdiocese of Singapore has opened a Communications Of¿ce.

Set up in January, the of¿ce is managed by Ms Joan O’Reilly Fix, the Director of Communications. It is supported by an advisory council, which comprises three priests and three professionals with backgrounds in the communications ¿eld.

Ms O’Reilly Fix brings a wealth of corporate experience to this new role, having worked in the investment banking industry for 13 years, as well as a solid background and understanding of the Catholic Church.

She presently serves her parish, Our Lady Queen of Peace, as a catechist, and also volunteers with the charity, aidha, where she teaches Âżnancial education to female migrant workers.

According to Archbishop Nicholas Chia, “Our goal in setting up this ofÂżce is to facilitate communication within the archdiocese and highlight the good work being done by parishes and Catholic groups within our community. “The ofÂżce will assist me in bringing a wider variety of messages to the Catholic community that will serve both to educate and reinforce the Church’s role in the context of local and world issues and events. In addition, the Communications OfÂżce will serve as a key point of contact for the media at the archdiocese level.â€?

St Ignatius Church marks 50th year with blessing, performance

Ms Joan O’Reilly Fix, Director of Communications.

Ms O’Reilly Fix says, “I am excited to work with the archdiocese in this capacity and hope to have a positive impact on the Catholic Church in Singapore through communications.�

The Communications Of¿ce is located on the third Àoor of the Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre (CAEC). The contact details are as follows: Archdiocese Communications Of¿ce 2 Highland Road, #03-17 Singapore 549102 Tel: (65) 6287-8684 Fax: (65) 6287-8784 Email: communications# catholic.org.sg Contact: Joan O’Reilly Fix, Director of Communications „

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By Darren Boon The Church of St Ignatius celebrated its golden jubilee on Feb 12 with the blessing of its St Ignatius Hall extension by Archbishop Nicholas Chia.

In addition to a special cake-cutting ceremony and a presentation of a plaque to the archbishop for his support of the parish, Filipino parishioners also put on a cultural performance.

The parish has come a long way since its genesis in 1957, when then Archbishop Michael Olcomendy invited the Jesuits to construct a church and run a parish in the archdiocese’s West district.

The church building, completed in February 1961 with a seating capacity of about 400, gave way to a new one in 2004 with a seating capacity of 900. The number of weekend Masses has also increased to seven to serve the estimated 4,200 parishioners.

Parishioners say their parish has grown in vibrancy under the leadership of the priests who encouraged lay participation.

When Jesuit Fr Philip Heng took over as parish priest in 2009, a new parish goal, with its constituent spiritual, communitarian and social mission dimensions, have guided people towards â€œÂżnding God in myself, others and all situations for God’s greater gloryâ€?.

Fr Heng told CatholicNews the parish community strives to live the Ignatian Spirituality of experiencing God through spiritual programmes, such as praying with sacred Scripture, especially during important

7KH DUFKELVKRS SULHVWV RI WKH SDULVK DQG RWKHU -HVXLW SULHVWV FXW WKH jubilee cake.

liturgical seasons and feast days.

The parish also participates actively in ecumenical services and interreligious activities, such as joining Muslims in their breaking of fast during Ramadan, says Fr Heng.

In addition, the parish aims to promote a climate of inclusiveness, whereby all are part of the community regardless of backgrounds, as well as a greater consciousness of the needy both in Singapore and overseas.

The church runs a daily soup kitchen for migrant workers and also provides ¿nancial grants to needy Muslims in Pertapis children’s homes.

A large number of Filipina domestic workers are active in the parish, which hosts the annual Simbang Gabi Masses for the Filipino community, says Mr Philip Tong, a parishioner of 20 years.

On the church being labelled a “rich church,� Mr Malcolm Murfett, a parishioner of 30 years, does not deny that there are successful parishioners among the congregation. However, the community welcomes everyone regardless of the person’s status, he added. The expatriate community has also been given the opportunity to be involved in ministry work, he said.

There is a heightened awareness of living the parish goal these days, said Mr Murfett.

Mr Tong said that a number of parishioners not attached to any parish ministry has also come forward to participate in the parish’s social mission activities, such as fund-raising and assisting in the soup kitchen. „ darrenboon@catholic.org.sg

ASIA 7

Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

HK Catholics ‘can help mend rift between Rome and Beijing’ HONG KONG – Salesian Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-fai has called on Hong Kong’s Catholics to help improve China-Vatican relations.

China and the Vatican have a similar pyramid-like political system, but have different cultural and religious backgrounds, the archbishop said. The faithful serve as “a bridge to foster dialogue, mutual understanding and even agreement between them”, he said.

The new secretary of the Holy See’s Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples made these comments during a recent week-long visit to his birth place in Hong Kong.

He held a discussion with about 100 local Catholics on Feb 20 before attending a welcoming Mass at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, hosted by Hong Kong diocese.

Responding to a layman who asked, “What can Hong Kong Catholics do for China?” the archbishop cited the words of Pope John Paul II suggesting dialogue and the sharing of resources with mainland Catholics and encouraging forgiveness among them.

He said the Hong Kong faithful could contact both the government-approved and underground Church communities and help reconciliation.

Hong Kong Catholics can play such a role as they are not involved in the conÀicts arising from being forced to obey an independent Church and do not feel a sense of betrayal resulting from political turmoil since the 1950s, he said.

Some concrete steps have been taken recently, he said such as Taiwan’s Fujen Catholic University enrolling priests and laypeople from the mainland.

Sri Lankan soldiers stand guard near internally displaced ethnic Tamils at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Vavuniya in 2009. &16 ¿OH SKRWR MANNAR – Catholic Tamil

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-fai after his episcopal ordination in St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Feb 5. &16 SKRWR

“If in my post I could serve as a bridge, I would be happy to do so,” he declared.

One middle-aged mainland laywoman congratulated the archbishop on his appointment to the Vatican congregation and expressed her wish to see the normalisation of China-Vatican ties.

Archbishop Hon responded by saying that the Vatican should be cautious when negotiating with China.

“If the Vatican makes too many concessions just for normalisation or if opportunists hold sway in the

talks, the very nature of the China Church could be distorted,” he said.

Bishop John Tong Hon of Hong Kong welcomed the archbishop at the beginning of the evening Mass, concelebrated by nearly 70 priests.

More than 1,000 laypeople, including some from the mainland, attended the event.

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-fai was appointed secretary of the Holy See’s Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples on Dec 23, while still a priest.

He was episcopally ordained at the Vatican on Feb 5. UCANEWS.COM

Timor Leste Catholics welcome saint’s relics DILI – Thousands of Catholic youths, priests, Religious and laypeople have united to welcome relics of St John Bosco.

Singing “Viva Don Bosco” and performing local dances, they crowded the street from Kommoro Airport to the Salesian community in Dili.

Bishop Alberto Ricardo da Silva of Dili, Prime Minister of Timor Leste Xanana Gusmao and state of¿cials were among those who welcomed the relics on Feb 18.

“The presence of Sao Joao Dom Bosco here can bring peace and unite all people of Timor Leste,” Mr Gusmao told reporters.

He also thanked Salesian missionaries for their contribution in developing the faith of local people.

Tamil refugees in camps want daily Masses

The relics were exhibited at the Immaculate Conception cathedral in Dili, where students of Salesianrun schools performed local dances.

“St John Bosco came to Timor Leste to unite and give peace of heart to the people here. He came here to tell us not kill each other, no hatred, but love for one another,” Bishop da Silva said in his homily.

The president of Timor Leste, Mr Jose Ramos Horta, also attended the Mass.

“For me St John Bosco is one of many saints that live in the hearts of Timor Leste people. His spirit guides us through the works of Salesian missionaries here, which have bene¿ted locals,” said highschool student Carla Antonia.

“Don Bosco has also inspired many young people how to love Jesus and Mary in daily life. I

promise to follow his examples by studying harder,” she added.

The saint’s relics are presently on a tour around the world.

On Feb 2, they arrived in Japan and travelled to churches and schools in eight prefectures.

In recognition of the saint’s concern for the young, an education symposium was held at the Salesian Sisters’ Meguro Seibi Gakuen elementary school in Tokyo, with Salesian bishop Osamu Mizobe of Takamatsu diocese in attendance.

A welcoming ceremony for the relics was held at Himon’ya Church, also in Tokyo. The church also held a gathering for young people with “vocation” as the theme.

The relics are scheduled to Ày to Indonesia on March and stay there until March 12. UCANEWS.COM

refugees languishing in Sri Lankan displacement camps say their calls to military authorities to allow priests in to conduct daily Masses and other services are still going unanswered.

They say many applications for priests made over the last 18 months have been systematically ignored by military and government of¿cers.

Many are claiming discrimination, questioning why pastors from other denominations and Hindu priests are allowed to stay in camps, while they have to make do with lay leaders conducting evening prayers and catechism in temporary huts.

Priests are needed to nourish their spiritual lives and offer some comfort in what is a very

dif¿cult situation they say.

Around 27,000 people remain in displacement camps awaiting resettlement following the end of Sri Lanka’s long civil war against Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009.

All the Catholic priests in the camps left when some 280,000 people were resettled a few months after the end of the war.

Since then priests visit every Sunday to celebrate weekly Masses and provide spiritual services.

“Our lives would be much more bearable if we had a priest with us on a regular basis,” said Mr Jacob Sinnappu, a 62-year-old refugee at Ananda Kumarasamy transit camp in Menik.

The priests will help give us strength in dif¿cult times, he said. UCANEWS.COM

8 ASIA

Sunday March 13, 2011 „ CatholicNews

Church rues ‘needless deaths’ on Thai-Cambodian border PHNOM PENH – The Catholic Church in Cambodia says it deeply regrets the “needless loss of human life� during border clashes with Thailand and appealed for a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

The Âżghting has also caused “serious injuries, the destruction of sacred places and irreparable damage to a world heritage siteâ€?, a Feb 14 statement said. “The Catholic Church of Cambodia calls on all communities, national and international organisations to urgently cooperate at all levels to help stop conĂ€ict around the Preah Vihear Temple,â€? said the statement signed by Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, apostolic vicar of Phnom Penh. “We pray to almighty God that the Good Lord will bless the two sides with peace and guide the leaders of both countries to resolve this conĂ€ict by peaceful

means and to avoid further shedding of blood,� the statement continued.

Mr Long Sophal, a Church worker with the Jesuit Service in Cambodia, said he hopes Thailand and Cambodia heed Bishop Schmitthaeusler’s words. “We are always against war because everyone suffers, so we must support a call for peaceful solutions,� he said.

Other organisations also voiced their support for the Church’s appeal.

Mr Duong Savong, director of the Catholic Catechesis Centre, said the statement, “Made us reĂ€ect that the Âżghting not only brought suffering to Cambodians, but to all from both sides.â€?

The Feb 4-7 border clashes reportedly killed at least eight people – three in Thailand and ¿ve in Cambodia – and injured many more, as well as displacing thousands. „ UCANEWS.COM

Indian bishops hold sit-in to protest report’s Àndings on church attacks

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and Protestant bishops have staged a sit-in to protest a report that cleared Hindu fundamentalists of attacks on Christian targets in India’s Karnataka state in 2008.

The clerics, including 13 Catholic bishops, were joined by nearly 500 other Christian leaders in the southern city of Bangalore on Feb 18. They criticised the Âżndings of a commission chaired

by Judge B K Somashekhara for not identifying the attackers in 57 incidents involving Christian churches and other sites.

The demonstrators gathered in central Bangalore, with the bishops sitting on chairs in their clerical garb under a midday sun.

Organised by the Karnataka United Christian Forum for Human Rights and the Karnataka Region Catholic Bishops’ Council, the Church leaders said

the report was biased and that it “whitewashed� the incidents.

The crowd renewed a call for a new inquiry headed by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation.

They also demanded the withdrawal of more than 150 cases lodged against Christians who were injured in the attacks.

In its report released on Jan 28, the commission absolved police, Hindu fundamentalist groups and the state government, led by members of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, of the attacks despite testimony by dozens of Christians.

Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore repeated earlier claims that the report was politically motivated. It is “completely one-sided, biased, propagandist�, he told demonstrators, adding that it was “totally unfair to all Christians�.

“The Christians who were the target of attacks and the victims of the organised mayhem and vandalism have been converted into the perpetrators, while the real attackers and all forces and elements that had directly or indirectly supported have been given a clean chit,� Archbishop Moras said.

Another demonstration was held in Bangalore on Feb 21 which saw 50,000 Christians braving heavy rain.

Archbishop Moras told Catholic News Service that the protest was organised to express the “anguish� Christians felt.

He also criticised the report’s “shocking recommendations� that called for establishing a registrar to manage Church properties and monitor the working of churches, pastors and their sources of income. „ CNS, UCANEWS.COM

Religious leaders want rebuke for Yudhoyono JAKARTA – Dozens of religious

leaders and rights activists have urged Indonesia’s People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) to reprimand President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (right) following recent attacks on members of an Islamic sect and on churches in Java.

A warning is needed so the government can re-focus on national principles, Fr Antonius Benny Susetyo, executive secretary of the bishops’ Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, told MPR Chairman Tau¿q Kiemas at a Feb 14 open meeting.

The assembly is Indonesia’s judicial branch of government.

The priest said the recent

attacks highlighted the need for the MPR to remind the government that it needs to take “concrete action�.

Three Ahmadiyah sect members were brutally killed during an attack by over 1,000

orthodox Muslims on worshippers at a house in Banten on Feb 6.

Two days later, in Temanggung, mobs ransacked three churches after a court jailed a Christian for Âżve years for insulting Islam. The mobs had demanded the death penalty. “We hope the MPR is brave enough to warn the president about his failure in enforcing the law and protecting citizens,â€? Fr Susetyo said.

In reply, Mr Kiemas promised he would meet the president to discuss the attacks. “Violent acts must be stopped,â€? he said, “and the government must play a signiÂżcant role in preventing these acts from happening.â€? „ UCANEWS.COM

ASIA 9

Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

‘Jasmine revolution’ a call for govt to heed people: Church activists HONG KONG – Catholic human

rights activists in Hong Kong think a “jasmine revolution” in China is immature but warn that the authorities should take heed of people’s demands.

The Chinese government took strict precautions against pro-democracy rallies after an anonymous appeal for a day of demonstrations in Beijing, Shanghai and 11 other major cities circulated on the Internet.

Police dispersed crowds at busy shopping areas and public squares, and detained some protestors.

Dozens of rights activists and lawyers were put under house arrest or forcibly taken from their homes by police across the country, according to various rights organisations outside China.

Ms Jackie Hung Lingyu, of¿cer of the Hong Kong diocese’s Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) says she sees the “Jasmine Revolution of China”, inspired by the Tunisian protest movement, as a spontaneous response of mainland people to the international issue.

The mainland protestors have no intention to overthrow the regime but want to express their demand and hope to see changes in the country, she said.

Even though news about revolts across the Middle East was blacked out, people can still obtain information from various channels.

“The government should allow free access to information and freedom of expression rather than use high pressure tactics to deal with problems,” said Ms Hung.

The stronger the suppression, the more counteraction from the people, she warned.

Another Catholic human rights activist, Mr Patrick Poon Kar-wai, said the rally call was “spontaneous” and unlikely to pose much of a threat to the government.

The so-called “revolution” was very mild in nature; many apparent onlookers claiming they were just “out for a walk” were taking part in their own loose form of protest, he said.

Mr Poon praised the bravery of those who took a stand for their rights and said the government’s response betrayed its nervousness.

The mainlanders may want to model their activities on what is occurring in the Middle East but this would not be easy as the situation in China is different, he noted.

A mainland priest, who asked not to be named, said it is painful for him to see social tensions arise from indifference and even abuse of power by government of¿cials.

On the Internet, people are always waiting to see when the next abuse case will happen as a chance for them to express their discontent, he observed.

UCANEWS.COM

Protestors clashing with soldiers in Tunisia in January. There have been FDOOV IRU SHRSOH WR GHPRQVWUDWH LQ PDMRU &KLQHVH FLWLHV WR ¿JKW IRU WKHLU rights. CNS photo

Gays appeal for acceptance HO CHI MINH CITY – Lesbian and gay people from Ho Chi Minh City have told participants at a Church-run workshop that they want to be accepted by society and treated with respect.

My Hang, a 25-year-old transvestite, said many gay people in Vietnam are looked down upon.

He was among 500 people attending a Feb 19 workshop titled Homosexuality – Love, Marriage and Concerns at the

Pastoral Centre in Ho Chi Minh City.

It was the ¿rst such workshop to be held by the archdiocese’s Family Committee.

Committee head Father Anthony Nguyen Anh Tuan said the workshop was an opportunity for people to listen to homosexuals’ grievances and show sympathy.

However, he said the Church regards same-sex marriages as immoral and that gay people should live a life of prayer. UCANEWS.COM

10 WORLD

Sunday March 13, 2011 „ CatholicNews

Libya’s Christians face uncertainty BEIRUT/VATICAN CITY –

Christians in Libya are afraid that a takeover of the country by Islamic fundamentalists, should leader Muammar GaddaÂż fall, would threaten their safety, said a Franciscan priest who has served in the North African nation for seven years. “Under GaddaÂż, we’ve been protected,â€? the priest told Catholic News Service from Rome on Feb 24, eight days after leaving the country on a preplanned trip. He asked not to be identiÂżed so as not to jeopardise his return to Libya.

The priest said he left Libya the day before a revolt against Mr GaddaÂż started in the eastern city of Benghazi. “I didn’t expect so much to happen,â€? he said, referring to the rapid escalation of violence.

Filipinos trapped in the violent upheaval took refuge inside the cathedral of the apostolic vicariate of Tripoli as they awaited word that safe passage out of the country was secured, a missionary priest said.

The Filipinos had camped out in St Francis Church in Tripoli since Feb 21 as ÂżreÂżghts raged around the Libyan capital, said Franciscan Fr Hermilo Vilason.

The priest, who serves as chaplain to Filipino migrants

in Libya, told the Philippine bishops’ Episcopal Commission for Pastoral Care for Migrants and Itinerant People that people have awakened daily to the sound of gun¿re, reported the Asian Church news agency UCA News.

With pro-democracy movements moving across North Africa and the Middle East, the situation in Libya is also worrying the Vatican because of the loss of human lives, “the targeting of civilians and of peaceful protesters, and the indiscriminate use of force�, a Vatican representative told the UN Human Rights Council.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Vatican representative to UN agencies in Geneva, told the council on Feb 25 that the Vatican supports all efforts to encourage a dialogue between pro-democracy demonstrators and Mr Gadda¿’s government.

Since late January, demonstrators across the region have taken to the streets calling for democratic reforms; the protests led to leadership changes in Egypt and Tunisia, but saw a violent crackdown in Libya where many have been killed.

Foreign workers are being evacuated and about 100,000 people were said to have Àed to Egypt and Tunisia.

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Bishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, apostolic vicar of Tripoli, Libya, said 2,000 Eritreans showed up at a church and church-run facilities on Feb 27 asking for help. “My heart is breaking because we can’t do anything for them. My thoughts go out especially to the women and children, who truly are the ‘least’ the Gospel talks about,� Bishop Martinelli told Fides, the news agency of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.

The bishop said the church was able to secure seats on a Ă€ight to Italy for 54 of the Eritreans who have documents from the UN High Commission for Refugees. The others all were hoping to stay inside church properties “but it’s impossibleâ€?,

the bishop said. “We are trying to help them anyway we can, helping them pay rent.�

Vatican spokesman Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi said on Feb 25 that the Vatican obviously was saddened by instances of violence connected to the pro-democracy demonstrations across the region and especially by the extent of the violence in Libya.

8QGHU *DGGD¿ we’ve been protected.’ – A Franciscan priest who has worked in Libya for seven years

In an editorial for the Vatican Television Centre, Fr Lombardi noted that many observers watching what is happening in North Africa and the Middle East see it “as a possible ‘springtime of the Arab world’� as far as democracy goes.

While the encouragement of outsiders is needed, he said, “the Arab peoples’ true growth in freedom and democracy must be born from within, without counterproductive external interference�.

The world’s democracies must offer the region’s peoples “friendship and dialogue�, he said. „ CNS Page 24: Muslims, Christians stand shoulder to shoulder in Egypt

Murdered US couple engaged in Bible ministry WASHINGTON – The parish priest of Jean and Scott Adam, a California couple killed along with two other Americans by their Somali captors, said they died sharing the Bible. “They were extraordinary people who wanted to make a difference in the world,� said Msgr Lloyd Torgerson of St Monica Church in Santa Monica.

He told the Los Angeles Times and Catholic News Service that the Adams (right), who were active members of the parish, “died doing what they wanted to do�.

The four Americans died on the high seas off the coast of East Africa.

When news of their capture reached the priest on Feb 18, the church offered all its weekend Masses and a candlelit service

Photo taken off St Monica Church’s website

for the couple. “We were praying for their safe return,� Msgr Torgerson told CNS. After the four Americans were reported dead on Feb 22, they were remembered at three Masses at St Monica Church.

News reports say the couple had gone on many sailing adventures over the

years and carried Bibles with them to distribute to people in the communities they visited, including poor villages and hospitals. “After they retired, they sold their house and bought a boat,� said Msgr Torgerson. “They decided to bring Bibles to the remote corners of the world.�

On this trip they were accompanied on their yacht, Quest, by Phyllis Macay and Robert Riggle of Seattle.

News that the Quest had been kidnapped by Somali pirates came to light on Feb 19 and a Navy warship began following them. The scene turned deadly on Feb 22 when the Americans were killed in a storm of grenades, gun¿re and hand-to-hand combat. „ CNS

WORLD 11

Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

Number of Catholics increased worldwide, says Vatican yearbook VATICAN CITY – The number of

Catholics in the world increased in 2009, while the number of women in religious orders continued to decline, according to Vatican statistics.

At the end of 2009, the worldwide Catholic population increased by 15 million or 1.3 percent, slightly outpacing the global population growth rate, which was estimated at 1.1 percent, said a statement published on Feb 19 by the Vatican press of¿ce.

The statement reported a handful of the statistics contained in the 2011 Annuario Ponti¿cio, a yearbook containing information about every Vatican of¿ce, cardinal and bishop, diocese and religious order in the world.

Of¿cials of the Vatican Secretariat of State and its Central Of¿ce of Church Statistics presented the ¿rst copy of the 2011 yearbook to Pope Benedict XVI during an audience on Feb 19.

The Vatican statement said that in the calendar year 2010, Pope Benedict established 10

new dioceses, bringing to 2,956 the number of dioceses and Church jurisdictions in the world.

The number of Catholics reported was about 1.18 billion, the Vatican said, which was up 15 million from the 1.16 billion reported a year earlier.

While only 13.6 percent of the world’s people live in the Americas, 49.4 percent of all Catholics live there, the Vatican said.

The Vatican said the number of bishops in the world increased to 5,065 from 5,002; the number of priests went from 405,178 to 410,593, increasing everywhere except Europe.

The number of permanent deacons reported – 38,155 – was an increase of more than 1,000 over the previous year; 98 percent of the world’s permanent deacons live in the Americas or in Europe, it said.

The number of women in religious orders fell by almost 10,000 in 2009, despite increases in their numbers in Asia and Africa. At the end of that year, Catholic women’s orders had 729,371 members. CNS

Vatican budget hit by ‘rising costs’ VATICAN CITY – Despite signs of an economic recovery, the Vatican’s budget projections are still negatively affected by shaky global ¿nancial markets and rising operating costs.

In a Feb 17 statement, the Vatican expressed its gratitude for the donations that help fund its work and called on donors and the faithful to continue their support.

The statement was released after a council of cardinals, charged with reviewing Vatican ¿nances, met from Feb 15-16 to go over the projected budgets of 2011.

They were given two separate budget reports: the budget of the Holy See, including the Roman Curia, Vatican diplomatic missions around the world, Vatican media outlets and Vatican investments; and the budget of Vatican City State, including the post of¿ce and Vatican Museums.

The Vatican statement gave no ¿gures for projected income and expenses but offered a general description of the budget plans.

Even though there are “clear signs of recovery”, the overall budget forecast “is still feeling the uncertainties of the global economic system” and also “rising operational costs”, especially for the Holy See’s budget, it said.

St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican seen at dusk. CNS photo

An “irreplaceable source of funding” for the Holy See is what Catholics themselves offer, it said.

“The members of the council expressed their deep gratitude for the support they give, often anonymously, to the universal ministry of the Holy Father, urging them to persevere in these good works,” the statement said.

The Vatican has two special sources of income to which Catholics contribute: the Peter’s Pence collection, which is used by the pope for charity and emergency assistance; and the contributions that dioceses around the world make to support the work of the Vatican. CNS

12 WORLD

Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

A rescue worker looks through the rubble of the severely damaged Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch. CNS photos

Church buildings closed for safety checks in wake of NZ quake CHRISTCHURCH – No Catholic church or school in Christchurch will be used until engineers have declared it safe.

Christchurch Bishop Barry P Jones announced the measure on Feb 25, three days after a magnitude 6.3 earthquake rocked New Zealand’s secondlargest city, causing deaths and widespread damage.

The NZ Catholic newspaper reported that some churches in the quake zone were severely damaged while others escaped relatively unscathed.

Bishop-designate Charles Drennan, administrator of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, said safety is the primary concern.

The cathedral sustained severe damage and may not be usable again, said engineers who inspected the building.

Bishop-designate Drennan, named to head the Palmerston North Diocese the day of the earthquake, and other priests were asked to leave the cathedral rectory by safety of¿cials for security reasons as authorities cleared much of the central city.

At least 20 people were believed to have been killed when the spire of the Anglican ChristChurch Cathedral collapsed.

Bishop Jones celebrated Mass at Our Lady of Victories Parish, Sockburn, in suburban Christchurch on Feb 23 for the people of the region recovering from the disaster.

He prayed that they might know the love and peace of God in the midst of suffering.

In his homily, Bishop Jones reÀected on the nature of evil,

A policeman talks to a woman trapped in the Anglican ChristChurch Cathedral.

but said that an earthquake is in no sense a consequence of, or a punishment for, human behaviour.

Fr Brian Cummings, provincial superior of the New Zealand province of the Society of Mary, said the presbytery of St Mary Parish in the northern part of Christchurch was destroyed.

No one had lived in the building since it was damaged in September’s magnitude 7.1 earthquake, he said.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand pledged US$18,800 (S$24,000) towards relief and recovery. The funds will support the St Vincent de Paul Society, Catholic Social Services and other agencies.

Director Michael Smith said the organisation does not normally respond directly to emergencies within New Zealand, but that the scale of the disaster required a response.

Pope Benedict XVI prayed on Feb 23 for the quake victims and encouraged those involved in rescue efforts.

“My thoughts turn especially to the people there who are being severely tested by the tragedy,” he said during his weekly general audience.

He expressed concern for the “considerable loss of life and the disappearance of many people, to say nothing of the damage to buildings”.

“Let us ask God to relieve their suffering and to support all who are involved in the rescue operations,” he said, asking people to join him in praying for the people who lost their lives.

The pope also sent a telegram to Bishop Jones in which he expressed his condolences to the families that lost loved ones.

In the message, he assured “the people of the city and the nation of his prayers for all those who are working urgently to rescue and assist the trapped and injured, as well as for those labouring to restore essential services”.

He also called on God to offer courage and strength to all the people of New Zealand.

The Christchurch earthquake is shaping up as New Zealand’s worst natural disaster. In 1931, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Hawke’s Bay on the country’s North Island killed 256 people.

CNS

WORLD 13

Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

Irish archbishop repents for clergy sex abuse DUBLIN – Repenting for the

crimes of priestly sex abuse does not mean that the Irish Catholic Church can return to business as usual, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin told abuse victims during a Feb 20 prayer service joined by an American cardinal.

However, seeking forgiveness can be an important step towards healing, he said.

Archbishop Martin and Cardinal Sean P O’Malley of Boston apologised for the Church’s failure to respond to reports of abuse during the “Liturgy of Lament and Repentance” held at Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral. Some 1,000 abuse victims and their families and supporters attended.

Many in attendance were visibly moved when both Church leaders washed the feet of eight survivors as a sign of humility.

“The Archdiocese of Dublin will never be the same again,” Archbishop Martin said. “It will always bear this wound within it. The archdiocese ... can never rest until the day in which the last victim has found his or her peace and he or she can rejoice in being fully the person that God in His plan wants them to be.”

Cardinal O’Malley was in Dublin conducting an apostolic visitation of the archdiocese. This was in the wake of a scandal that found Church leaders doing little to investigate abuse claims and keeping abuse reports under wraps to protect the clergy involved and the Church’s reputation.

“On behalf of the Holy Father, I ask forgiveness for the sexual abuse of children perpetrated by priests and past failures of the Church’s hierarchy, here and

in Rome, the failure to respond appropriately to the problem of sexual abuse,” Cardinal O’Malley told the congregation.

The service began with the two prelates lying prostrate in repentance before a silent congregation. A handful of protesters gathered outside insisting they could “neither forgive nor forget” the abuse.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin looks on as Boston Cardinal Sean P O’Malley washes the feet of a sex abuse victim. CNS photo

Archbishop Martin paid tribute to the survivors who had the courage to raise their voices and not be silenced by the Church.

“Some of you in your hurt and your disgust will have rejected the Church that you had once loved, but paradoxically your rejection may have helped purify the Church through challenging it to face the truth,” he said. CNS

Lefebvre bishop: Little headway in Vatican talks VATICAN CITY – The head of a group of traditionalist Catholics said reconciliation talks with the Vatican would soon come to an end with little progress made.

Bishop Bernard Fellay, superior general of the Society of St Pius X, made these remarks in an interview published on his society’s website.

Pope Benedict XVI launched the talks in late 2009 to repair the Catholic Church’s 21-year break with the society. The group, among other things, rejects the decisions made at the Second Vatican Council.

“Is Vatican II really a stumbling block? For us, no doubt whatsoever, yes!” said Bishop Fellay.

Asked whether the Vatican participants have changed their thinking in light of the talks, he answered: “I don’t think that

you can say that.” He added that recent events at the Vatican have, in fact, dispelled any “illusions” of progress.

The scheduled beati¿cation of Pope John Paul II on May 1 poses “a serious problem, the problem of a ponti¿cate that caused things to proceed by leaps and bounds in the wrong direction”, he said.

He added it was a “mystery” how Pope Benedict could hold another interreligious gathering in October in Assisi. The society was highly critical of the ¿rst such event initiated by Pope John Paul II 25 years ago.

Pope Benedict cleared the way for reconciliation talks with the society in early 2009. Then, he had lifted the excommunications of four society bishops ordained against papal orders in 1988 by the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. CNS

14 LETTERS/OPINION

ROLHEISER

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Forging ties with the wider community I’m certain most Catholics in Singapore are like me: we go to church on Sundays and if it’s convenient, we also go for Novena on Saturday. And then there’s the occasional CatholicNews that we buy and read when we really have nothing better to do.

Yes, I am that kind of Catholic. But recently, I’ve started taking interest in a topic at the bottom of my to-do list: community service.

Why the sudden interest?

It dawned on me that giving back to society may be the best way to ¿nd meaning in life. Thus, I started looking around church and elsewhere where I could be most useful.

That’s when I realised some odd features of our church’s community activities: 1) The volunteers at some fundraisers hardly know what they are raising funds for. For instance, I asked one volunteer selling me foodstuff, “What activities are you raising funds for?” She could not answer.

Our country has gone through some high-level scandals involving various

It dawned on me that giving back to society may be WKH EHVW ZD\ WR ¿QG meaning in life charity organisations.

Considering this, I do believe that it is in the best interest of the Church to prepare volunteers, especially those asking for funds, well in advance to justify their activities to donors.

2) If you look through the weekly leaÀets in church, you would realise the amount of church activities available: praise and worship, retreats, Masses, Bible study etc.

It was only when I started my little research on community service that I realised the many organisations working behind the scenes, aiding the sick and lonely.

I remember once going round with the care-givers of Willing Hearts, an organisation that creates avenues where food

can be distributed to those who require it most. But how many of us are aware of such initiatives apart from those willing to look for them.

Considering this, it may be practical to promote these organisations and put effort into activities surrounding initiatives that can promote community ties with churchgoers.

I am not certain if the Church is already doing this but what I am certain is that I am not aware of it.

I love Catholicism dearly.

The stories of the Bible and the history surrounding the Catholic faith are very sacred and beautiful. But I have come to realise that a dynamic faith community is dif¿cult to form without the dissemination of information and promotion of ties to the wider community.

I do hope Church leaders try some of these ideas because it is only through trying that we will know whether these work.

The rest is up to us weekend Catholics.

Angela Anthony Singapore 530720

Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

Building an ark in the 21st century If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you.

You will recognise these words as the opening lines of Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem, If, and they, as much as any scriptural commentary, provide the key to understanding the story of Noah and the Ark. What is the meaning of this story? Are we really to believe that at a certain time in history the whole earth was Àooded and that one man, Noah, had the foresight to build a boat on which he had placed a male and female of every living species on earth so as to save them from extinction?

Clearly the story is not to be taken literally as a concrete event in the history of this planet. Like a number of other biblical stories of the origins of history, it is not a historical video-tape of what happened but is rather a story of the human heart, a story which is truer than true in that it happens again and again inside of our lives. And how does it happen? What is the meaning of the story of Noah and the Ark? The story might be recast this way: Every so often, there comes a time in history when there is so little vision, faith, idealism, decency and charity left on this planet that there is a real danger that the world itself will sink, will drown, and revert to a chaos that will kill everything that’s precious.

But one person, despite all that is going on around him or her, will keep his or her eyes on what’s higher, keep faith intact, protect life and refuse to compromise charity and decency. Eventually the earth will drown in chaos, but because of this one person’s vision, idealism, faith, decency, and charity, a pocket of life that still contains all that is precious will be preserved and given a new chance to grow.

Noah’s Ark is a boat of faith, vision, idealism, decency and charity.

These virtues give us the capacity to Àoat above the chaos that drowns things. Moreover, our decency, charity, faith, and vision contain within themselves all that’s precious and that needs to be protected and given a continued chance for life.

And there are different ways to build this ark. Here’s one: American Jesuit Fr Daniel Berrigan is fond of issuing this warning: Beware, beware or the culture will swallow you whole! It’s easy to be swallowed whole and drowned by our culture. It is that kind of a narcotic.

Recognising this, at a point in his life, Berrigan chose to work full-time in a hospice for the dying. His motives were mixed: On the one hand, he sincerely wanted to help dying patients in any way he could, physically and spiritually. On the other hand, he wanted to work with the dying because he recognised that they, the dying, precisely because they no longer have a meaningful place inside the culture and the future, could give him a privileged perspective on our culture and on our world.

Simply put: When you see your culture and your world through the eyes of someone who is dying, things take on a very different perspective and a lot of what ¿res ordinary life (tiring our bodies, minds, and heart in its pursuit) is now exposed as secondary and as not worthy of all the attention and energy it is given.

For Berrigan, building an ark meant attending to the dying so as to be given the faith and perspective to not drown in our culture.

And so we might paraphrase Rudyard Kipling this way: If you can keep your faith when all about you they are losing theirs, but are comfortable in the feeling that there is strength in numbers, that everyone else is following suit, that so many million people can’t be wrong; If you can keep giving others respect when all about you this is seen as weakness, and disrespect is held as strength and passion for truth; If you can remain courteous and retain your manners when all about you courtesy is seen as quaint, and crassness and crudity are paraded as sophistication; If you can live in tension when all about you there is compromise because it is judged that it is better to let the devil take tomorrow than to live in tension today; If you can refuse to settle for second-best when all about you it is accepted that this is all that life will offer; If you can combine chastity and passion when all about you this is judged as naive and impossible; If you can make room for Sabbath amidst the pressures of life when all about you those pressures have begun to dictate all of life; And, if you can bear down even more in charity and forgiveness, loving and forgiving those who hate you, when all about you they are advocating hate for hate; Then, just as surely as Noah, you will have built an Ark!

LETTERS 15

Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

Lay leaders are reaching out to Mandarinspeaking Catholics Ms Mel Phua-Carroll has raised concerns and painted a negative scenario about the shortage of priests for the Mandarin-speaking community in our parishes (CN, Feb 27).

I, on the other hand, would like to offer a different perspective.

It is a fact that our priests are ageing and vocations in Singapore are dwindling. As such the archdiocese has empowered the laity to play an active role in serving the faithful.

While priests minister to the sacramental and spiritual needs of the people, lay leaders are commissioned to play an active role in all the ministries and groups.

In this respect, all the parishes have done very well for their Mandarin- and English-speaking communities.

Ms Phua-Carroll pointed out that in some parishes there are “relatively large, vibrant and active Chinese groups”.

She has rightly implied that these parishes do have an active Mandarin lay apostolate catering to the needs of the Chinesespeaking community.

Therefore these “vibrant and active” Chinese communities

CN, Feb 27

should not feel “disappointed” because of the recent transfers of Mandarin-speaking priests.

She can be assured that these lay leaders are playing an active role in reaching out to the needs of Catholics from China, who she alleged are “going over to other Christian churches due to the lack of Chinese Masses and activities for them”.

Jesus said, “Fear not,

do not be afraid.”

He has commissioned and empowered all of us, Mandarinand English-speaking laity to spread the Good News to all our fellowmen including our foreign brothers and sisters.

Also, pray, pray for more vocations!

Irene Ng Singapore 560617

Teenagers can learn from scholar’s decision to study in Catholic school It was with great joy and pride as a Catholic that I read the interview with Joshua Goh (CN, Jan 30), one of the winners of the prestigious 2010 President’s Scholarship.

From the interview, what stood out among the many things he said was his main reason for choosing CJC to further his education – “because I’m Catholic”.

For me, that statement was his most outstanding remark. With an L1R5 score of six points, he could easily have entered any of the top ¿ve JCs but he chose CJC, whose ranking would probably be much lower.

How many Catholic teenagers with that kind of score would choose to continue their A Level studies in CJC? Many Catholic parents would possibly have discouraged them from doing so because CJC is nowhere near the top. But Goh’s parents encouraged him and his twin sister instead.

It has been a long while since CJC produced a President’s Scholar. Well wishes must also go to the principal and staff for

I hope his achievement will be an eye opener for Catholic teenagers who have done well in their O Levels in their Catholic secondary schools to continue their A Level studies in CJC, which provides “a warm culture and great learning atmosphere”.

Francis Ang Singapore 510547

CN, Jan 30

a holistic curriculum and raising the college’s standard to a whole new level.

I am sure Goh’s achievement, and his cohort as well, will continue to spur the school to produce more scholars. As Goh himself said, “Not so much for myself, not even my family, but if it is God’s will for me, I will just go all out all the way.”

16 FAITH ALIVE!

Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

Repentance is a lifelong project, not just for Lent

By Mitch Finley ASH WEDNESDAY says one thing to most Catholics: ashes.

Something about having the sign of the cross traced on your forehead with ashes is so powerful that even some whose participation in regular Sunday Masses is irregular, at best, go out of their way to be in church on Ash Wednesday.

Recent years have seen some Protestant churches adopt a similar practice as part of Ash Wednesday services. The Lectionary readings for the Ash Wednesday liturgy make it crystal clear, however, that, as meaningful as the ashes are, ashes are meant to be only a visible reminder of something much deeper.

If the celebration ends with only ashes on the forehead, we’ve missed the whole point of Ash Wednesday and of the whole six weeks of Lent.

The ¿rst reading, Joel 2:1218, is loaded. So many times have we heard this reading,

however, that we sometimes overlook its message.

So here’s your ¿rst Lenten discipline: Pay attention! Don’t just hear; listen! Don’t just listen with your ears, listen with your heart. What you hear may knock not only your socks off but your shoes as well.

In a nutshell, here’s what the Lord says through Joel, that wild and crazy prophet: Turn loose of everything that distracts you from me! Let go of it all! I want you for my own, and there is no reason to be cautious, let alone afraid, for heaven’s sake. Here’s what I am, through and through: gracious and merciful and kind. Case closed.

Don’t fast because the pleasures of eating are bad, the Lord says through Joel; rather, fast a little because the love of eating can get out of hand. Ways you spend your time may include activities that distract you from God and from those who need your attention. Ways you spend your money, however limited it may be, may need to be examined; others may have need of some of

The Ash Wednesday readings make it clear that the ashes are a visible reminder of the need for ongoing conversion the dollars that you often spend on unimportant things.

Joel declares point blank that if our repentance isn’t real, other people may justi¿ably conclude that our faith in God is a delusion, a silly mind game.

If Ash Wednesday doesn’t remind us that repentance should be not just a Lenten but a

lifelong project, then it becomes insigni¿cant.

The Lectionary’s Gospel reading for Ash Wednesday is Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18. Here Jesus gets down to brass tacks, insisting that disciplines embraced for the sake of ongoing repentance and conversion are worthless if they garner the admiration of others.

Hypocrisy, for Jesus, is a major offence, much worse than some of the other sins that we tend to think of as “bigtime”.

Even personal prayer, Jesus says, needs to be kept quiet and private. CNS Finley is the author of numerous books on Catholic topics.

Making our Lenten journey a time of spiritual renweal

By Daniel S. Mulhall IN MATTHEW 12:43-45, Jesus tells the story of a person who is freed from a demon. The demon goes searching for a new home but doesn’t ¿nd one, so the demon decides to return to the original home. Finding the home neat and tidy but empty, the demon enlists a “wild bunch” of other demons, and they all settle into the vacant home.

Jesus had remarkable insight into human character. Whether He is talking here in this parable about real demons or is simply exploring the realities of human vices, one thing is perfectly clear: He knows what often happens to people who are in dif¿cult life transitions.

We constantly hear about celebrities who have made the headlines for public displays of unhealthy behaviour. Each one had gone to rehab, had been “cured”, but fell again into the harmful behaviour.

Anyone who has ever struggled to overcome a bad habit or addiction understands that it isn’t enough to simply renounce

The Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, almsgiving, abstinence help strengthen one’s resolve to turn to God a habit; one must also change the attitude or behaviour that caused the addiction or habit.

Otherwise, it is easy to suffer a relapse in such a way that the new behaviour is far worse than it

was the ¿rst time around.

People who wish to stop smoking, for example, may take up new hobbies to keep their hands busy.

The 12-step movements (Alcoholics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous) recognise that it is nearly impossible for people to ¿ght their demons alone. The programmes, which call for one to admit that there is a problem beyond one’s control, call on a “higher power” and require a change of attitude and behaviour. They also link the newcomer with a sponsor who is experienced in the struggle.

These programmes can offer us a starting point for how we can make our Lenten journey a time of renewal.

First, spend time seeking to identify the bad habits, behaviours and attitudes that keep you from knowing God more intimately.

Second, admit that you are powerless over these problems on your own. The ancient Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, almsgiving, abstinence and other penitential practices will strengthen your resolve.

Also, the act of confessing your powerlessness – whether to a friend or a priest in the Sacrament of Reconciliation – will lead you to ask for the ultimate help that can only come from God. Our family members, friends and faith community can nudge us in the right direction, but ultimately we need the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

This truth is demonstrated in the story of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, when he was confronted by powerful enemies. The spirit of the Lord came upon a young man, who prophesied: “Listen, all of Judah ... and King Jehoshaphat!

The Lord says to you: ‘Do not fear or lose heart at the sight of this vast multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s” (2 Chr 20:15).

So take heart. We are to become new creations in Christ, transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Once the Spirit takes up residence in our hearts, no one and no thing can occupy that same space. CNS Mulhall is the former assistant secretary for catechesis and inculturation for the US bishops

FAITH ALIVE! 17

Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

Bless me Father for... Making resolutions that last – get your Oops! My iPhone family in on them battery just died We do not need a new app to tell us if we are living the life of a Christian, says Fr William Grimm I AM of the generation whose motto was, “Don’t trust anyone over 30.” Now that we are well over 30, I must confess that we were probably right.

I considered old people to be out-of-date relics. So, when an old priest asked me and a seminary classmate for some help in his parish, I expected that we would have nothing to learn from him. I was wrong.

“I want you to prepare a few adults for their ¿rst confessions,” he said. “Do what you want with them, but I recommend that you concentrate on the Beatitudes rather than the Commandments.

The Commandments tell how all people should live. The Beatitudes tell how Christians should live.”

I was reminded of that priest when I saw reports of Confession: A Roman Catholic App, a new tool for use on iPhone and other iThings.

Reportedly, the application provides guidelines on preparations for celebrating the sacrament, including an examination of conscience tailored to one’s age and state in life.

I have not yet experienced someone coming to confession with an electronic device, but I suppose it is simply a matter of time before that happens. I doubt I will use one myself, though it might be an interesting way to ¿nd out some age- and vocation“appropriate” sins I have not yet tried.

Over the years, people have come to confession with scribbled lists, doodles, typewritten scripts and devotional pamphlets as aids in confessing. Others have a memorised confession that they have been using since childhood with little or no revision. Sometimes these aids are helpful. Often they are not and I recommend putting them aside.

I expect the new app will be the same, except for the added danger of batteries draining midway through the sacrament.

There is, however, an aspect of iConfession that disappoints me. It is the same thing that bothered that priest so long ago: iConfession, according to the reports, is based upon the Ten Commandments.

I am not in favour of repealing the Commandments. I like the idea that there is a divine mandate that no one kill me or steal from me, but I think that

Family discussions on resolutions often help make those resolutions more concrete.

By Bill and Monica Dodds

An iPhone screen displays the confession application which reportedly is based on the Ten Commandments. CNS photo

Matthew intended Christians to see the Beatitudes as a new law by which to live. That is why he presents Jesus as teaching them on a mountain, like Moses who received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.

To merely settle for the Ten is to miss something important about Christian living. By and large, the Commandments tell us what we must not do, or, rather, what we should stop doing that hinders or damages the coming Reign of God. But, if by some miracle the whole world were to obey those commandments, we still would not see the Kingdom come.

There are two reasons for that.

The ¿rst is that the Kingdom is a gift of God, and the ful¿lment of its promise depends upon God, not us. The second reason is that we are called to be heralds of that Kingdom, showing by our actions and words hints of

what the Kingdom will be. That is a vocation to positive action, not merely passive avoidance of evildoing.

So, my examination of conscience must go beyond the Commandments to see if I have lived the works of mercy. The spiritual: instruct the uninformed, counsel the doubtful, admonish sinners, bear wrongs patiently, forgive offences willingly, comfort the afÀicted, pray for the living and the dead. The corporal: to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to visit and ransom prisoners, to shelter the homeless, to visit the sick, to bury the dead.

Confession can help us move toward that kind of life. We do not need a new app for that.

Fr Grimm is the publisher of UCA News and former editor-in-chief of Katorikku Shimbun, Japan’s Catholic weekly

BY NOW you may have forgotten all about those New Year’s resolutions you made. We know you have, if you’re like us.

After many years of making resolutions at the beginning of the year, we’ve discovered the easiest way to deal with a resolution is: 1. Don’t tell anyone else what you plan to do.

2. Don’t make the resolution too speci¿c.

3. Don’t make the resolution measurable.

4. Quickly forget about the whole thing.

Let’s say, for example, you really wanted to drink less coffee and avoid those caffeine jitters.

You would mention this to no one; decide something vague, such as, “I’m going to cut back on the coffee.” Next, happily determine that “cut back” could in fact mean not increase the amount you drink each day at the rate at which you had been increasing it.

But, let your family get involved, as is so often the case, and things get complicated.

Let’s say you want to make a family resolution, one that will last. Let’s say you want to have dinner as a family more often.

You really are going to

have to tell your fellow family members about it because they’re going to have to get on board with it, too – perhaps not happily on board, but on board.

They’ll want to know “exactly” what you mean by “have dinner as a family”, and so, ironically, they will force you to make that resolution speci¿c.

And so you tell them you mean all family members eating food at the table at the same time with no TV or electronic devices on for a period of not less than 15 minutes. Searching for a loophole, they demand to know “exactly” how much is “more often”, and in doing so, they unwittingly make the resolution measurable.

Once a week, you declare, and if many people agree to this, there’ll be no forgetting.

Some points to remember: It’s best to be set achievable goals. (Dinner once a week, yes.

But ¿ve nights a week? Pretty tough.)

An occasional slip doesn’t mean abandoning the whole endeavour.

It takes practice to make a new activity a habit.

There’s a certain justi¿able pride that comes with keeping a family resolution. There’s a feeling that, together, “We did this!” CNS

18 FOCUS

Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

John Paul II’s beatiÀcation schedule announced People will be able to pray before his remains in St Peter’s Basilica VATICAN CITY – The Vatican has released a three-day schedule of events for the beati¿cation of Pope John Paul II, and warned against people selling counterfeit tickets to the beati¿cation liturgy, which is free and open to all.

Pope Benedict XVI will preside over the beati¿cation Mass at 10 am on May 1 in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican said.

Immediately after Mass, the faithful can pray before the late pope’s mortal remains, which will be set in front of the main altar in St Peter’s Basilica.

The veneration “will continue until the Àow of faithful ends”, the Vatican said.

Distributing the programme on Feb 18, Vatican spokesman Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi said the deceased pope’s remains will be in the casket in which he originally was buried in 2005 and will not be visible.

The casket will be reinterred

in the Chapel of St Sebastian on the main level of St Peter’s Basilica in a “private” ceremony, which will occur only after the large crowds have stopped coming to pay their respects, Father Lombardi said.

The night before the beati¿cation, a prayer vigil will be held in the grassy open space that was the ancient Circus Maximus in Rome, according to the Vatican.

“It will be organised by the Diocese of Rome, which had the venerable servant of God as its bishop,” the Vatican note said.

Cardinal Agostino Vallini, papal vicar for Rome, will lead the celebration and Pope Benedict is expected to watch through a video hookup.

The morning after the beati¿cation, Vatican secretary of state Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving in St Peter’s Square.

US Archbishop James M

Harvey, prefect of the papal household, which organises the non-liturgical side of papal events, also issued a statement on Feb 18 emphasising the fact that tickets will not be required to attend the beati¿cation.

The archbishop’s statement, distributed in six languages, said he had been “informed of the existence of unauthorised offers by some tour operators, especially on the Internet”, claiming that for a fee they could help people get tickets to papal events, particularly the beati¿cation Mass.

“For the beati¿cation Mass of Pope John Paul II, as made clear from the outset, no tickets are required,” the statement said.

And for events that require tickets, such as the pope’s weekly general audience, the tickets “are always issued free of charge and no person or organisation can request any kind of payment”, it said. CNS

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Sunday March 13, 2011 „ CatholicNews

19

20

Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

CHILDREN’S STORY:

By Joe Sarnicola

GOD created the heavens and the earth. He created creatures to live on the land, Ày in the sky and swim in the sea. As God examined what He had made, He decided to create someone to live in His world. Using the clay of the ground, He formed a man. Then He blew into the ¿gure and it came alive.

God created a garden in a place called Eden to be the home of the man that He had made. In the garden were Àowers and trees that were fragrant and beautiful to look at. In the middle He planted a tree of life and a tree of the knowledge of good and bad.

The Lord gave the man a simple guideline to live by. “You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and bad.

From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die.”

After watching the man tend

the garden, the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.

I will make a suitable partner for him.”

So the Lord God created birds and animals, and He told the man to give each of the creatures a name. This the man did, but none of the animals proved to be a good partner for the man.

So the Lord God put the man into a deep sleep and removed one of his ribs. From this rib He formed a partner for the man. When the man woke up, he declared: “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and Àesh of my Àesh; This one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.”

But there was another creature in the garden, a serpent that was very cunning. When he saw the woman alone, the serpent said to her,

“Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?”

The woman told the serpent about the only tree that God said that they could not eat from and why.

The serpent told the woman she would not die but would gain knowledge that would make them as gods.

So the woman ate the beautiful fruit and shared it with her husband.

They knew they had disobeyed God, and they hid when they heard God walking in the garden. CNS Read more about it: Genesis 2 & 3 Q&A 1. Where did God want the man to live?

2. Who tricked the woman into eating the fruit of the tree?

SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS:

St Lubin

LUBIN (d. 558) was the son of French peasants, and from the time he was able, he had to work long days in the ¿elds. He possessed a strong desire to learn, so he went to a nearby monastery. There, he was able to learn from the priests in exchange for performing tasks in the monastery. Because of his humility and devotion and the religious knowledge he acquired, he impressed the monks and gained their respect.

He ended up in another monastery that was caught up in a war. Most of the monks Àed, but Lubin and an old man stayed in the monastery. Raiders seeking treasure that they thought may have been hidden in the monastery tortured Lubin and left him to die. He recovered from his injuries and found shelter in a new monastery. He rose to become a priest and a bishop, and a number of miracles are attributed to him. We honour him on March 14.

BIBLE ACCENT: AFTER God created the earth, He wanted people to live in it and enjoy it, so He formed Adam and Eve. The name Adam comes from two Hebrew words, one meaning “man” and the other “the ground.” Eve’s name means “alive” or “living.” The name of the garden, Eden, comes from another Hebrew word that means “delight,” so Eden could be considered the delightful garden.

More important than the meanings of some of the names of the people and places in the story of creation is the story itself. We know that God created the heavens and the earth and how the ¿rst people disobeyed Him. Throughout both the Old and the New Testaments are stories of how God’s people disobeyed Him and how time and time again, God showed His great love and was always willing to forgive those who confessed their sins. Why? Because He loves us.

KIDS’ CLUB: Share your thoughts on this week’s Bible story with family and friends by writing an essay in response to this question: What do you think the earth was like before Adam and Eve disobeyed God?

PUZZLE Rearrange the following Old Testament books so that they appear in the same order as they do in the Bible: Psalms Daniel Jonah Malachi Joshua Genesis Ezra

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Answer to Puzzle:

1. Genesis 2. Joshua 3. Ezra 4. Psalms 5. Daniel 6. Jonah 7. Malachi

WHAT’S ON 21

Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

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

Please send your submission at least one month before the event.

Online submissions can be made at www.catholic.sg/webevent_form.php CARLO CATHOLIC SOCIETY BURSARY SCHEME Application is now open for JC/CI/ITE/ Polytechnic students. Applicant must be a Catholic – Singaporean or foreigner – and must be a full-time student.

The applicant’s gross monthly household income divided by the total number of household members must not exceed $450, or the gross monthly household income must not exceed $2000.

The applicant must possess good conduct, have regular school attendance and satisfactory academic results, and must not be receiving any other scholarship or bursary (excluding Edusave Scholarship and Merit Bursary). Closing date: April 15. Application form available at Carlo Catholic Society (225B Queen St entrance of St Peter and Paul Church), or E: bursary@carlo.org.sg.

Every Friday MY FAITH 7.30-8.30pm: Do you want to fall in love with God, Mary and the Catholic Church?

Weekly sessions with Victor and Vivienne Wee. At Church of the Holy Spirit (Room #03-02).

Tuesdays March 8 to April 12 THE PERSONAL COMPASS MODULE ONE: THE HUMAN VIRTUES 7.30-9.30pm: By Wonderfully Made! and SPI. At CWS Auditorium (Level 8) (55 Waterloo St). T: 6858 7012 (Janice); E: Janice@catholicspi.org; W: http:// www.wonderfully-made.org/PCE1.pdf Fridays March 11 to March 25 FISHERS OF MEN NOVENA MINISTRY 7-9.45pm: Divine Mercy devotion followed by stories of the saints.

At Novena Church (Peter Donders Room, above the bookshop). T: 9185 9675 (John Paul) March 13 CONVERSION OF HEART: SUNDAY LENTEN RETREAT 9.30am-4pm: A day of prayer and recollection for those who want to deepen their relationship with God during Lent.

Retreat director: Fr Ponnudurai, SJ. Cost: $30 with lunch. By Centre for Ignatian Spirituality and Counselling.

At Kingsmead Hall (8 Victoria Park Rd).

T: 6467 6072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com Wednesday March 16 to Sunday March 20 CONVERSION EXPERIENCE RETREAT Wed 8.30am-Sun 6.30pm: A 5D4N stay-in programme designed to help individuals revive their faith through a deep personal encounter with God. At Catholic Spirituality Centre (1261 Upp Serangoon Rd). T: 6288 7901; E: admin@csctr.org; W: http://www.csctr.org/about_cer.htm Wednesdays March 16 to April 20 BOOK OF ISAIAH 9.30-11.30am: No prophet says so much about the coming of the Messiah as Isaiah.

By Bible Apostolate Team. At Church of the Holy Spirit (Rm A2-01). T: 9815 4098 (Genevieve), 8228 8220 (Clare), 9320 0640 (Teresa); E: HSBibleApostolate@ gmail.com Friday March 18 to Sunday March 20 WEEKEND FOR YOUNG ADULTS His Vineyard, a young adult community, invites adults aged 21-39 to come for a weekend of self-discovery and discover what Jesus has in store for you At Blessed Sacrament Church. Cost: $35. T: 9730 7795 (Damian), 9827 4305 (Stella); E: hisvineyard@gmail.com Friday March 18 to Sunday March 20 FORGIVING LOVE OF GOD: A DIRECTED RETREAT Fri 8pm-Sun 6pm: A stay-in silent retreat for those who want to communicate with God through mental prayer and the Bible.

Conducted by CISC spiritual directors.

Cost: $70 (non-aircon room), $120 (aircon room). By Centre for Ignatian Spirituality and Counselling. At Kingsmead Hall (8 Victoria Park Rd).

T: 6467 6072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com

RCIY / RCIA Fridays from February 18 RCIY AT DIVINE MERCY CHURCH 8-9.30pm: Inviting youth who would like to learn more about the Catholic faith on this journey. At Church of Divine Mercy (Level 3).

E: catechism@divinemercy.sg Wednesdays from February 23 RCIA AT CHURCH OF CHRIST THE KING 8-10pm: Inviting Catholics to accompany non-Catholic friends. At RCIA Room 105. T: 9671 4907 (Paul), E: query.rcia@gmail.com.

Thursdays from February 24 RCIA AT CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL SUCCOUR 7.30-9pm: New RCIA with Welcome Night at Verbist Hall (Level 4). Inviting Catholics to accompany non-Catholic friends. T: 9846 3601/6242 6074 (Rosalind), 9671 8216 (Christine), 9829 9354 (Winnie). E: benjilee@ singnet.com.sg. Registration forms available from Church secretariat.

March 19 CATHOLIC SINGLES MEET UP 5-9pm: Calling all single Catholics for a get-together at Hans for fellowship and friendship. Interactive games after dinner.

Volunteers also needed for group. At Hans Cafe (Pickering St). T: 9372 2325; E: CatholicSingle@gmail.com; FB: http:// www.facebook.com/CatholicSingle March 20 LENTEN REFLECTION & ADORATION IN TAMIL 2-6pm: With Mass at 7pm in church. By Fr Julian. At Blessed Sacrament Church (Damien Centre, St James Room, 3rd Floor). T: 6474 5249 (Margaret) Friday March 25 to Sunday March 27 RETROUVAILLE – WEEKEND FOR HURTING MARRIAGES Fri 7.30pm-Sun 4.30pm: A programme to help couples heal and renew their marriages. By Retrouvaille. At Marriage Encounter House (201-B Punggol 17th Avenue). T: 6749 8861 (Michael/Lucy); E: info@helpourmarriage.sg Friday March 25 to Sunday March 27 CHOICE WEEKEND Fri 7.30pm-Sun 4.30pm: Mother Teresa said, “It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start.” Inviting young adults 18-40 years for a CHOICE weekend.

At Choice Retreat House (47 Jurong West St 42). T: 9046 2297 (Albert), 9685 9416 (Madelene); E: choicewk@singnet.com.sg; W: http://www.choice.org.sg March 26 to April 30 WALK ON WATER PRODUCTIONS DRAMA TOUR IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS Walk on Water Productions, the drama ministry, is holding a drama tour on the Easter Story in Catholic schools.

T: 9099 9536 (Geraldine); E: wow@calmtheseas.com March 26 I AM SPECIAL I AM ME 9.30am-5pm: For Pri 1-3 children and their parents. Learn to cultivate a healthy self-image for the child, to help him or her get along with friends and recover from disappointments. Morning session for children, afternoon session for both parents and children. Cost: $35 (per child), $20 (per parent). At Morning Star Community Services Hougang Centre (4 Lor Low Koon). T: 6315 8812; E: programs@morningstar.org.sg March 26 GAMES NIGHT OUT 6.30-9.30pm: Inviting families for an evening of games, family bonding, fun and chances to win prizes. Potluck. Event is free. At Morning Star Community Services Hougang Centre (4 Lor Low Koon). E: programs@morningstar.org.sg March 27 IHM LENTEN BLOODMOBILE OUTREACH 10.30am-3.30pm: Glory to God, service to society. Give blood and save up to 3 lives. For those between 16 and 60 years

Saturdays from April 2 RCIY AT ST MARY’S 3.30pm: A call to all youths (13-20 years old) who are keen to ¿nd out more about God. Join in the RCIY and discover this wonderful journey.

Registration E: andNdrew@hotmail.com; T: 9100 4382 (Andrew), 6567 3866 (Charlene) Thursdays from May 15 RCIA AT BLESSED SACRAMENT CHURCH 7.30-9pm: Sessions every Thursday evening. At Blessed Sacrament Church (1 Commonwealth Dr). T: 9147 8890 (Dominic), E: rcia@bsc.org.sg Tuesdays from May 24 RCIA AT CHURCH OF ST BERNADETTE 8-9.30pm: A journey in faith for those seeking to know more about the Catholic faith. Baptised Catholics are also invited to journey as sponsors.

At Church of St Bernadette, 12 Zion Rd (Mt Tabor Room). T: 9060 0789 (Janice), E: st.bern_rcia@yahoo.com. sg; Registration forms at parish of¿ce or W: http://www.stbernadette.org.sg old and over 45 kg in weight. Bring NRIC or passport. At Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Multi-purpose Hall) (24 Highland Rd), W: http://www.ihm.sg/ bloodmobile Sundays March 27 to April 16 RETREAT IN DAILY LIFE 2.30pm: An opportunity to explore one’s faith journey and relationship with God through a 3-week non-residential retreat.

Participants are required to pray at home and then meet their spiritual director twice a week on a one-to-one basis. Conducted

by CISC lay spiritual directors. Cost: $90.

By Centre for Ignatian Spirituality and Counselling. At Kingsmead Hall (8 Victoria Park Rd). T: 6467 6072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com Friday April 1 to Sunday April 3 WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKEND Fri 8pm-Sun 6pm: Marriage is a journey, not a destination. Rekindle your love by attending a Marriage Encounter Weekend.

At The Marriage Encounter House (201-B Punggol 17th Avenue). T: 9670 5390 (Kenneth/Suelynn) E: register@marriageencounter-sg.org Thursday April 21 to Sunday April 24 EASTER TRIDUUM SEMIDIRECTED RETREAT: PASSION AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST Thu 4pm-Sun 5pm: A residential semidirected silent retreat by CISC spiritual directors for those who want to experience the Paschal Mystery of Christ through mental prayer and liturgy, beginning on the evening of Holy Thursday, through Good Friday and ending on the afternoon of Easter Sunday. Cost: $105 (nonaircon), $180 (aircon). By Centre for Ignatian Spirituality and Counselling.

At Kingsmead Hall (8 Victoria Park Rd).

T: 6467 6072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com Wednesdays April 27 to May 25 INTRODUCTION TO THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES 8-9.30pm: A series of 5 seminars for those who want to learn Ignatian Spirituality through the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius, and later to make retreats according to the Exercises. Presented by Fr Ponnudurai, SJ. Cost: $50. By Centre for Ignatian Spirituality and Counselling.

At Kingsmead Hall (8 Victoria Park Rd).

T: 6467 6072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com Wednesdays April 27 to November 2 THE GREAT ADVENTURE – BIBLE TIMELINE 9.30-11.30am: This Bible study covers 14 books of the Bible from Genesis to Acts of the Apostles. It looks at the major events in salvation history and traces the themes in the Bible. It is a foundational bible course. By Bible Apostolate Team.

At Church of the Holy Spirit (Rm A2-01).

T: 9815 4098 (Genevieve), 8228 8220 (Clare), 9320 0640 (Teresa); E: HSBibleApostolate@gmail.com Thursday April 28 CBN CHARITY DINNER 6-11pm: Join Catholic Business Network for a fun and eventful Thanksgiving cum Fund-raising for St Theresa’s Home and Infant Jesus Homes & Children’s Centres (IJHCC). At Orchid Country Club. T: 6337 2711 (Vincent); E: cbn.vincent@gmail.com

Ash Wednesday Masses ASH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2011 CITY DISTRICT

Cathedral of the Good Shepherd 7.00am, 1.15pm, 6.30pm St Joseph’s Church 6.30pm, 7.45pm Church of Sts Peter & Paul 7.20am, 6.00pm (M*), 8.00pm Church of Our Lady of Lourdes 12.30pm; 6.30pm, 7.30pm (T*) Church of the Sacred Heart 7.00am, 5.30pm Church of St Teresa 6.30am, 7.00pm Church of St Alphonsus (Novena Church) 6.30am, 12.15pm, 7.00pm Church of St Bernadette 6.30am, 7.00pm Church of St Michael 6.30am, 8.00pm WEST DISTRICT

Church of St Ignatius 7.00am, 6.00pm, 7.30pm Blessed Sacrament Church 7.00am, 8.30am, 6.00pm, 7.30pm Church of St Mary of the Angels 6.55am, 1.15pm, 6.30pm, 8.15pm Church of St Francis of Assisi 6.30am, 7.00pm (M*), 8.30pm Church of the Holy Cross 6.30am, 6.00pm, 7.30pm 7.30pm (M*) at St Michael’s Room (Basement)

Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace 6.30am, 6.30pm, 8.15pm (M*) Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour 6.30am, 6.00pm, 8.00pm Church of St Stephen 6.30am, 8.00pm Church of the Holy Trinity 6.30am, 1.00pm, 8.00pm Church of the Divine Mercy 6.30am, 1.00pm, 6.15pm, 8.00pm NORTH DISTRICT

Church of St Joseph 6.30am, 6.30pm, 8.00pm Church of St Anthony 6.30am, 8.00pm Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea 6.45am, 6.30pm, 8.00pm Church of the Holy Spirit 6.30am, 6.00pm, 8.00pm Church of the Risen Christ 6.30am, 6.00pm, 8.00pm Church of Christ the King 6.30am, 1.00pm, 6.15pm, 8.00pm SERANGOON DISTRICT

EAST DISTRICT

Church of the Nativity of the BVM 6.30am, 6.30pm, 8.00pm Immaculate Heart of Mary Church 6.15am, 6.15pm, 8.00pm Church of St Francis Xavier 6.30am, 6.30pm, 8.00pm St Anne’s Church 6.30am, 6.15pm, 8.00pm Church of St Vincent De Paul 7.00am, 6.00pm, 8.00pm

Church of the Holy Family 6.15am, 7.00pm

Note: (M*): Mandarin (T*): Tamil

24 FOCUS

Sunday March 13, 2011 CatholicNews

BEING a disciple of Christ means that we are called to follow Him in His passion, death and resurrection. Penance offers us a unique opportunity to grow in our Christian life by taking up our cross and “dying to sin”.

Penance is not a method or means towards self-perfection, but rather a joyful response to the gift of God’s life.

The life of grace is a free gift, but it did not come cheap. Christ died for our sins! Therefore, the spirit and practice of penance play a crucial role in our daily life; penance is indispensable, not optional.

Following Christ and living His life, we are never isolated individuals. We belong to each other as members of the Church, the Body of Christ. What we do and how we live our life in Christ impacts others, who are members of the same Body.

It is in this context, then, that we must understand the penitential practices imposed by the Universal Catholic Church, as further detailed by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. The general practice for penance in Singapore is as follows:

Friday, every Friday of the year is to be seen and lived as an occasion for special penance in union with Christ (unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday). The obligation to do penance every Friday remains an essential part of our Christian life. The season of Lent is viewed as a particularly special time to focus on penance.

When to do penance

Negative forms of penance: Abstaining from another enjoyable food (besides meat)

In memory of Christ who died on a

How to do penance

Abstaining from alcohol Abstaining from smoking Giving up a favourite television show or video game

Positive forms of penance:

Giving alms (i.e. donations to the poor) Spending time with someone who is sick or lonely

Spending time with someone who is poor or disadvantaged

In order to express penance in a common way by all members of the Church community, the Church asks Catholics age 14 to the beginning of age 60 to abstain from meat on Fridays. In this common practice, we can support one another to live a life of penance.

The Church declares that it is not a sin to eat meat on Friday. Thus, if one is unable to abstain from eating meat on a given Friday (at one’s own judgement), one should then choose another form of penance. This penance can be either “negative penance” (i.e. giving up something else) or “positive penance” (i.e. performing an act of mercy or kindness). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

Visiting the Blessed Sacrament Praying the rosary Praying with family Acts of kindness towards family, friends, strangers

Reading an article or book to educate oneself in the Catholic religion.

Ultimately, penance will vary from person to person and from one Friday to another. Whether one performs penance by giving up something enjoyable or by doing an act of mercy, the ¿nal aim is to grow in the life of Christ.

Penance during Lent Lent remains the pre-eminent Penitential Season and is a special time to focus on our personal growth towards Christ by taking up our cross and dying to sin.

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are distinct moments in the life of a Christian

to join in Christ’s suffering and death.

On these two days, both fasting and abstinence must be observed, except for health reasons.

Fasting means eating considerably less than the normal amount. In practice, this could mean eating three small meals with no food in between during the course of the day or one regular meal and a small meal (no food in between) during the day. Fasting should be practised by all Catholics age 18 until the beginning of age 60 on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, except for health reasons.

Abstinence should continue on all Fridays during Lent, as well as Ash Wednesday. However, during the Season of Lent, Catholics are called to go “above and beyond” in terms of acknowledging, through penance, Christ’s suffering and death for our sins.

During Lent, our participation in the Stations of the Cross takes on a particular meaning. Almsgiving is also an important sacri¿ce during the Lenten season and should be practised by all Catholics (e.g. through the Archbishop’s annual fundraising appeal).

May the Lenten Season be a special time of grace for all of us. May we learn to die to ourselves so that we will rise with Christ at Easter!

Archbishop Nicholas Chia

‘Christians, Muslims stood shoulder to shoulder’ ROME – The political changes

spreading across North Africa and the Middle East show the people’s desire for democracy and equality, said Christian and Muslim leaders, including several from Egypt where popular demonstrations toppled the government of President Hosni Mubarak.

Speaking on Feb 23 at the Rome-based Community of Sant’Egidio, Catholic bishops and Muslim leaders from around the region admitted they did not know exactly what the future would hold, but the grassroots democracy movements seemed to indicate a growing recognition that when one religious or ethnic group suffers systematic discrimination, true democracy does not exist for anyone in the country.

The Egyptian protests, which saw Muslims and Christians standing side by side calling for democracy and constitutional reforms, demonstrated that “the more democracy and freedom there is, the more the freedom of each individual is respected and guaranteed”, said Mr Franco Frattini, Italy’s foreign minister.

Mr Mohammed Esslimani, a Muslim theologian, was in Cairo during the protests and read from the diary he kept at the end of January and beginning of February. The diary was ¿lled with stories of Christians and Muslims standing together in Tahrir Square and helping one another.

‘I was able to live the most beautiful days of my life.’

– Muslim theologian Mohammed Esslimani, who noted how Christians and Muslims stood together in Tahrir Square and helped one another

A Muslim man holding the Qur’an and a Coptic Christian man holding a cross are carried through demonstrators in Tahrir Square in Cairo during demonstrations last month.

“I was able to live the most beautiful days of my life,” he said.

Mr Muhammad Rifaa alTahtawi, who was the spokesman for Cairo’s al-Azhar University until he quit in early February to join the demonstrators, told the conference that many of the Christian-Muslim tensions and violence in Egypt were the fault

of Mr Mubarak’s government.

“A despotic regime tried to convince the Christians that they needed its protection and convince the Muslims that Christians were the agents of the West,” he said.

But when the demonstrators, mostly young Egyptians, took to the streets calling for democracy, “they forgot their rifts”, he said.

Cardinal Antonios Naguib, the Coptic Catholic patriarch of Alexandria, told reporters that the government change in Egypt was driven by the dreams of the country’s young people expressing “their desire for values like justice, freedom, peace and equality”.

A danger exists that power

could fall into the hands of those who want to impose their interpretation of Islam on the whole country, he said, but those who rallied for change will not accept that easily.

In his address to the conference, he said Christians and Muslims, recognising they share belief in one God and the importance of putting the precepts of their faith into practice, need to invest more time and money in projects that promote mutual understanding.

Mr Muhammad al-Sammak, advisor to the chief mufti of Lebanon, told the conference that pro-democracy demonstrators in Egypt were very careful to focus on the fact of citizenship and on bringing Muslims and Christians together, he said, “but this does not mean that the [extreme] Islamists won’t try to hijack the process.” CNS

PUBLISHED BY ARCHBISHOP NICHOLAS CHIA, 2 HIGHLAND ROAD #01-03, SINGAPORE 549102. PRINTED BY TIMESPRINTERS, 16 TUAS AVE 5, SINGAPORE 639340.