The Southern Cross - 100505 by The Southern Cross

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SA producer on filming priest’s life

Teaching men to be real men

Pope: We’ll be tough on abuses

Media nun on Hollywood

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May 5 to May 11, 2010 Reg No. 1920/002058/06

No 4674

R5,00 (incl VAT RSA)

SOUTHERN AFRICA’S NATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY SINCE 1920

Pope: Respect our freedom of expression

Don’t miss our special Catholic Education Issue! Out on May 12!

Inside Youth programme a winner

BY CAROL GLATZ

A youth programme in a Mthatha parish has been so effective that young people are bringing their parents back to church.—Page 2

Giving a soul to media Pope Benedict has called on Catholic communication workers to help infuse digital media outlets with “a soul”.—Page 5

A witchhunt on the pope A Canadian Catholic newspaper editor demands that the mainstream media restore Pope Benedict’s image.—Page 9

Rebuild with courage In a guest column, Fr Russell Pollitt SJ argues that the necessary rebuilding of the Church can’t be left to bishops and clergy alone.—Page 9

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY: Bernadette Kleissler and her daughters Margaret, 3, and Elizabeth, 6 months, enjoy a day at a park. All mothers are honoured in special ways on Mother’s Day on May 9. PHOTO: LISA A JOHNSTON/CNS

A secular misery In his monthly column Mphuthumi Ntabeni states his problems with secular fundamentalism.—Page 9

What do you think? In their Letters to the Editor this week, readers discuss Mass dress codes, a third Vatican Council, help for pregnant women, our enemies, Divine Mercy and a tourist to New Zealand.—Page 8

This week’s editorial: One year of Zuma

Agca to pope: Meet me in Fatima BY JOHN THAVIS

HE man who tried to kill Pope John Paul II in 1981, Mehmet Ali Agca, wants to meet with Pope Benedict at the Marian shrine of Fatima in May, according to news reports. The Italian news agency ANSA said Agca’s request was made by his lawyer through the Vatican press office. Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi SJ said: “Such an encounter is not on the schedule.” Agca had previously asked the Portuguese government for permission to attend annual ceremonies on May 13 in Fatima, which will be presided over by Pope Benedict who is going to Portugal from May 11-14 to mark the 10th anniversary of the beatification of Francisco and Jacinta Marto, two of the shepherd children who saw Our Lady of Fatima in 1917. Agca shot and seriously wounded Pope John Paul in St Peter’s Square on May 13, 1981, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Pope John Paul credited Mary with saving his life in the assassination attempt, and on the first anniversary of the shooting, he made a trip to Fatima to give thanks to Mary. He later placed a bullet fragment from the shooting into the crown of her statue at Fatima. In 2000, Pope John Paul revealed the “third secret” of Fatima, a prophetic vision of Church suffering that the pontiff said he believed referred to the attempt on his life. That prompted Agca to describe himself as a tool of divine providence.—CNS

HE Catholic Church respects everyone’s right to expression but it, too, has a right to make its message known to society, Pope Benedict has said. The Church respects people’s freedom to have opinions that are different from the Church’s, but the Church “would like that its right to expression also be respected”, he said in a speech welcoming Charles Ghislain, Belgium’s new ambassador to the Vatican. The Church carries a message that gives meaning to and can guide people’s personal, social and family lives, the pope said. As with all individuals and institutions, the Church has the right to express itself publicly on issues of social interest. “The Church, having the common good as its aim, asks nothing more than to have the freedom to be able to propose this message, without imposing it on anyone, in respect for the freedom of conscience.”—CNS

Church plans Vatican to set up new department World Cup P Masses BY JOHN THAVIS

STAFF REPORTER

HE bishops of Southern Africa want parishioners to dress in football jerseys on June 13, which they have declared World Cup Sunday. It will be the first Sunday after the football World Cup’s opening match between South Africa and Mexico on June 11. “The World Cup is about South Africa welcoming the world to our home. We are also welcoming the world to our church communities,” the bishops said in a letter to the region’s priests. “This welcome helps us realise that despite our nationalities and our teams, we’re all one people of God.” The organisers of the bishops’ pastoral programme for the World Cup, the “Church on the Ball” team, suggest that the June 13 liturgy may replace the responsorial psalm and second reading for the 11th Sunday of the year with Psalm 47 (“God reigns over the Nations”) and 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (“I’m not a man running aimlessly”). The bishops’ letter, signed by Salesian Father Francois Dufour, also suggests various themes for a homily. For example, “the theme of the proposed alternative second reading…is relevant to the 2010 competition. While the World Cup promotes temporary glory, believers need to remember there is more to life than earthly rewards. Parallels can be drawn between the rules of soccer and the rules of life”. The prayers of the faithful could ask for God’s blessings on the event, that South Africans may be good hosts, that sportsmanship and fairness prevail, that all may “contribute in our own positive ways to prevent, control and fight crime and corruption, hooliganism of any kind and exploitation

The bishops’ Church on the Ball website, from which a World Cup prayer booklet can be downloaded. and abuse, especially of those most vulnerable”, for road safety, among others. The bishops also encourage the singing of the South African national anthem, which they point out “is a prayer song”. The letter suggests that “socialising could open up a whole world for your community”, especially if visitors from other countries are present. “How do you make people from other cultures and communities welcome?” The “Church on the Ball” team has produced a World Cup prayer booklet which can be ordered from local chanceries or from the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference. The booklet is free, though for hardcopies, postage is payable. The booklet can also be downloaded from the “Church on the Ball” website (www. churchontheball.com) “The benefits of having it in electronic format is that extracts can easily be published in parish newsletters,” the letter said.

OPE Benedict is planning to create a Roman curia department charged with overseeing the “re-evangelisation” of traditionally Christian countries, an Italian newspaper has reported. The Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation will be announced in an apostolic letter being prepared by the pope and will be headed by Italian Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Il Giornale reported. The Vatican had no immediate comment on the report. The step would represent the first major curial innovation under Pope Benedict, who has frequently spoken about the need to renew the roots of the faith in European and other Western societies. It was Pope John Paul II who first used the term “new evangelisation”, and Il Giornale said a proposal to create a Vatican department to promote this type of activity was made in the 1980s by Fr Luigi Giussani, the founder of the Italian lay movement Communion and Liberation. More recently, the newspaper said, Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice re-proposed the idea to Pope Benedict, and the German pontiff decided to move ahead with the project. Archbishop Fisichella has headed the Pontifical Academy for Life since 2008. He came under fire recently from a small number of academy members, who said in a statement that he should be replaced because he “does not understand what absolute respect for innocent human lives entails”. The criticism of Archbishop Fisichella stemmed from an article he wrote in 2009, which said a Brazilian archbishop’s response to an abortion performed on a 9year-old girl had shown a lack of pastoral care and compassion. The Vatican later issued a clarification reiterating its teaching against abortion and saying the Brazilian archbishop had, in fact, acted with “pastoral delicacy” in the matter.—CNS

The Southern Cross, May 5 to May 11, 2010

LOCAL

Catholic starts organisation for the homeless BY MICHAIL RASSOOL

APE TOWN Catholic Denise Delcarme is putting the values she grew up with into practice by starting a non-profit organisation that enables homeless people to have a home of their own. Named the Dan-Ag Care Centre, the organisation aims to reduce homelessness “from the bottom up”, by building permanent accommodation for homeless individuals who have been living on Cape Town’s streets for longer than a year. Dan-Ag, was named after her parents Dan and Agnes, and has about 20 volunteers, is negotiating the purchase of land in Retreat from the Holy Cross Sisters, who were intending to move back into the area but are no longer. The idea is to build a centre with temporary accommodation. The centre will also be used for skills development, running counseling programmes, a soup kitchen and fundraising initiatives, said Mr Delcarme.

About 20 volunteers give of their time to feed the homelss as part of Dan-Ag Care Centre’s feeding initiative. Mrs Delcarme said Dan-Ag’s long-term goal is to buy a separate tract of land to build apartments for those with no family or friends to rely on. This, she said, will form part of a process of individual re-integration into society, and will also involve a form of “after-care” where people will be helped financially with meeting basic living expenses, assistance with employment and accessing social grants. Mrs Delcarme was drawn to helping the homeless through her own experience of dislocation as a

child by apartheid’s Group Areas Act. Moreover, she said, the idea of helping others in need was inspired by periodic stays in the US, Kenya and Australia. She said those stays forced her to confront the impact her apartheid past had on her sense of self and freedom. Mrs Delcarme said for years that the bug to help the homeless formed at the back of her mind, although she wondered if she would ever pull it off, given the constraints on her time and energies as a family and working woman. But despite small beginnings, Dan-Ag runs a soup kitchen in the Retreat and Bergvliet areas. She admitted that scoring funding has been problematic but she has been in discussion with the National Lottery Foundation and Western Cape Department of Social Development about forming partnerships.  For more information on Dan-Ag, contact Mrs Delcarme on 079 869 4319 or 021 705 6662.

Mthatha youth brings more people to church BY MICHAIL RASSOOL

OUTH for Christ at the church of the Ascension, Southridge Park, Mthatha diocese, has the potential to address the lack of foundation for youth of the diocese. This was the message from Youth for Christ co-coordinator Nolan Thurston, who was partly responsible for starting the initiative at the parish. Mr Thurston said that by starting Youth For Christ, the parish decided to do something never attempted before by the diocese. He said the group encourages young people to play a pro-active role in the Church, filling diverse functions in their parishes and invoking God’s guidance in the process. Many parents have been surprised by the positive effects on their children who are members of the group, Mr Thurston said. “Very often young people are not able to relate to their elders,

but [they do] to their friends and contemporaries, and here there is much sharing with people their own age, learning values of trust and confidence as part of their leadership development. Before leaders are appointed, talks are given on qualities of leadership,” he said. Learning training is provided for youth and since the group started, said Mr Thurston, more young people have been attending Mass. He said youth numbers surpassed the number of adults attending Mass. Because of the formation of the group, many of its members are succeeding in bringing their parents back to church. Youth for Christ has seven identities: the missionary, being an instrument of unity within his or her family (their own family and parish family), a model of excellence, to be pure, patriotic, singleminded for God and a champion of the poor. Members are also responsible

for holding certain portfolios and running projects including evangelisation, pastoral formation, special awareness raising projects and charitable initiatives. Members meet Friday evenings for praise and worship, reflections on passages from the Bible and talk about topics interesting to young people. Mr Thurston hopes other communities would join in the initiative adding that the diocese is small, “so such interaction among parishes is more possible than elsewhere”. He added that Youth for Christ is a worldwide Catholic movement, a subordinate body of Couples for Christ, a Church-based body, which promotes a Christcentred life within families, along with other groups such as Singles for Christ and Handmaidens for Christ.  For more information on Youth for Christ, contact Mr Thurston at 082 651 4600.

Lay Scalabrinians learn to love the ‘stranger’ BY MICHAIL RASSOOL

AY Scalabrinians commit themselves to being the voice of migrants, refugees and seamen and the stranger. This is according to the order's charisma. And Cape Town schoolteacher, Veronica Philander has done just that. Mrs Philander is the coordinator of the local branch of a movement, which was founded in the late 19th century. She said the movement teaches people to see Christ in those in need, and especially those who have been uprooted from their countries and communities because of conflict. The local branch of the movement began around 2003. Mrs Delcarme and three others travelled to Como, Italy, to attend a Lay Scalabrinian Movement conference with members from Europe and Africa, and Scalabrinien Afro/European (SAEL). Guidelines for the movement states that its activities are informed by Christian and human values, which should be in line with the vision of the order's founder, Blessed Giovanni Scalabrini, the social teachings of the Church and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In his speech Italian Fr Rui de Silva Pedro CS, of the Scalabrinian Missionarie’' general secretariat, said that “good formation and spirituality are important requirements within the movement to preserve unity and ward off diversity of vision, method and action in the field of the mission towards migrants, refugees and seafarers.” He said in living their unique role in the field of the Catholic lay apostolate, the lay Scalabrinian lives in communion with the congregation, pursuing the same goals. Fr De Silva Pedro said the

movement was now in its fourth stage of existence, “where they are free from restraints and have the freedom to write their own regulations”. Meanwhile, Mrs Philander, a parishioner of Immaculate Conception in Parow has a long history of Church involvement. She is a member of the Catholic Women’s League, catechist, organist, and is involved in Church-based charitable initiatives. Yet, she said, there was still something missing. She also admitted that she was “still reeling in South Africa’s divided past”. This changed when she got to know the Scalabrinian Fathers, whose ministry to French, Italian and Portuguese speakers squired her away from her anger and suspicions of others. They inspired her with their love for the “stranger”. It made her recall her own sense of displacement when her family was uprooted by the apartheid Group Areas Act. “This movement broke me, untapped my capacity to respond to others as my faith teaches, gave me an even more life-affirming sense of commitment, and enabled me to confront the issues I had long suppressed,” Mrs Philander said. Essentially still small, the branch has given rise to prayer groups, English classes and Romance-language Masses at parish level. The group has also been involved in several initiatives. They have done work with Lawrence House, an orphanage n Woodstock, Cape Town, the Scalabrini Refugee Centre and humanitarian work at an English school.  For more information on the Scalabrinian Lay Movement, contact Mrs Philander on 079 352 1449 or 021 939 2595.

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LOCAL Teaching males how to be real men BY MICHAIL RASSOOL

EN from communities in Malmesbury in the Western Cape are on a journey to wholeness thanks to an ecumenically sanctioned programme run by The Swartland Development Foundation (TSDF). TSDF project coordinator Kevin Johansson, who has been involved in empowerment and development programmes for several years, said the programme, Authentic Men, helps men understand their masculine identity and what it means to be a man in society today. He said it also provides interpersonal training in interpersonal and relational skills equipping them to live more effectively within their homes, at work and society. The 24-session programme takes them through the different “seasons” of a man’s life, uncovers the wounds they suffer, attempts to deepen their marriage relationships, deals with raising children, and helps them develop a “man-

hood plan”, Mr Johansson said. “In our world today men are often isolated and dysfunctional, facing new and confusing challenges regarding their role in their families and in society and the often ambiguous expectations placed on them,” he said. He said these were exacerbated by social problems that communities in Malmesbury and the Swartland face daily. TSDF is a multi-service centre and was established in October 2007 as a partnership between key development stakeholders and role-players in Malmesbury and the Swartland municipality. It provides communities with several socio-economic development programmes and services that contribute to alleviating poverty. Mr Johansson said people are taught skills in bricklaying, carpentry and other employment skills. The organisation also runs a youth development programme and a small, medium and micro-enterprise programme. It has also started a

local radio station. Mr Johansson said programmes and services offered— especially life skills and relationship building— are used by organisations from other areas. Oganisations making use of the programmes include the Church-based Retrouvaille and Pollsmoor Prison, both in Cape Town and Malmesbury Prison in Malmesbury. Mr Johansson said men are taught to assert themselves in a way that does not degrade the people around them, take responsibility for themselves, act courageously, not to denounce or undermine the equal status of women in society and to instil these values especially in their adolescent sons. “Men today need to get their voices back, and need to take their rightful place alongside women, and become relevant in their children’s lives,” he said.  For more information on Authentic Men or TSDF, contact Mr Johansson at 022 482 4771 or 082 371 1370.

Couples gear up for busy 2010 BY SHARON ABRAHAMS

OUPLES for Christ (CFC) South Africa kicked off its 10th anniversary celebrations with a planning conference comprising almost 100 household heads, leaders and different governance teams of the different provinces of South Africa and Lesotho. Celebrations took place in Sydenham, Durban. The gathering, “The Banquet of Champions”, was addressed via video messages by CFC International Mission’s director Br Rouquel Ponte and chairman Br Jose Tale. CFC SA’s country coordinator Br Michael Ariola opened the banquet by reflecting on the global theme of CFC, “Fullness of Life in Christ”, as inspired by Col 2:6 -7. He reiterated that members are called to live the life of a true couple for Christ. Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban in his address affirmed that he and his brother bishops and priests support CFC’s vision and mission. The following day a Mass was celebrated by Fr Michael

Folley OMI of Sydenham and CFC national spiritual director Fr Wayne Weldschidt OMI, the newly installed rector of the Marian shrine of Ngome in the diocese of Eshowe. In his homily Fr Folley said that CFC members are people of resurrection who turns things upside down and effect changes. Change in ones marriage life, family life and Church life, similar to the life of the early Christian who after the resurrection lived a life that was bold and courageous for the sake of Christ. He said that Christ’s presence is reflected in how we meet, greet and treat people. In his message Fr Weldschidt challenged congregants to test whether they are living the “fullness of life in Christ” by the challenges that they face. He said to live the fullness of life in Christ means being challenged to change for the better every day. At a planning meeting, Br Joe Raman of the CFC SA national council noted an increase in the number of Christian Life Programmes con-

ducted during 2009. He also welcomed 20 new leaders formed during the year adding that CFC South Africa opened four new areas during the year. Br Keith Collings, CFC SA’s national director, gave the directions for the year 2010. He challenged the leaders to increase their efforts in presenting Christ to every family. Part of the direction for 2010 is to help those in need, in prisons, hungry, differently able and homeless. To highlight the important role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the mission of CFC, a series of Rosary Rallies will be conducted in different areas on the same day before a Marian Congress in October. A prayer session was preceded by the national council carrying a cross through the streets of Sydenham. Closing the planning conference on day three, Br Michael Ariola honoured leaders for their faithfulness throughout the years. Leaders from Dundee who have been with CFC for close Åto ten years were given special honours.  See pictures page 6

FOR THE RECORD: In our report “Thérèse relic dates issued” (April 21-27), the convent of the Capuchin Poor Clare Sisters was identified as being located in Mariannhill. While the convent is in the diocese of Mariannhill, it is situated in Melville, near Port Shepstone.

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The Southern Cross, May 4 to May 11, 2010

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Abuse survivors want ‘Reformation Day’ BY DENNIS SADOWSKI

WO US survivors of clergy sexual abuse who met with Pope Benedict during his 2008 visit to Washington are planning to take their pleas for greater recognition of the spiritual, pastoral and mental health needs of abuse victims to the doorstep of the Vatican on October 31. Olan Horne and Bernie

McDaid told Catholic News Service that they are planning a gathering that they hope will bring thousands of abuse victims to St Peter’s Square for a “Reformation Day”. Both men said the effort stems from a growing frustration in dealing with Church officials on the needs of abuse victims. The date is significant because, they said, the day is observed as a day of

reformation in some cultures. “The victims of these crimes have never really been heard correctly or had their day or voice,” Mr McDaid said. “It’s always been overdubbed or behind the Church, the lawsuits, the lawyers, talk of Catholic reform, etc, etc… “Not that any of these issues are not important, it’s just that the victims have been on the side and

Abuse survivor Bernie McDaid is reflected in a photo of his 2008 meeting with Pope Benedict. He is helping organise a “Reformation Day” on October 31 in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

hurt by the politics,” he said. The men also are contacting priestly abuse victims worldwide to encourage them to travel to the Vatican. They are hoping to gather 50 000 people. “If you have the square filled with survivors, mostly men, united in this one place in that one moment, standing up for themselves, this is a healing moment,” said Mr McDaid.—CNS

PHOTO: JODI HILTON,CNS

Pope: we will act on sex abuse

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ECALLING a recent meeting with victims of sex abuse by clergy, Pope Benedict has reiterated his promise that the Church was doing everything it could to end abuse. During his April 17-18 trip to Malta, the pope met privately with eight men who had been abused as minors by priests. “I shared in their suffering and, with emotion, I prayed with them, assuring action on behalf of the Church,” the pope told a general audience in St Peter’s Square. According to a Vatican statement released immediately after the pope’s 20-minute meeting with victims at the apostolic nunciature in Rabat, Malta, the pope was “deeply moved by their stories and expressed his shame and sorrow over what victims and their families have suffered”. “He prayed with them and assured them that the Church is doing, and will continue to do, all in its power to investigate allegations, to bring to justice those responsible for abuse and to implement effective measures designed to safeguard young people in the future,” the statement said. Meanwhile, three bishops in three countries have resigned for different reasons related to abuses. Bishop Roger Vangheluwe of Brugge, Belgium, resigned after admitting to having sexually abused a young man “when I was still a simple priest and for a certain time at the beginning of my episcopacy”. Pope Benedict has accepted the 73-year-old bishop’s resignation. Bishop Vangheluwe had led the diocese of Brugge for more than 25 years. In his statement, the Belgian bishop said: “Over the course of the last decades, I repeatedly recognised how I sinned against him and his family and I asked

Pope Benedict, who has recommitted the Church to acting against child abuse. CNS PHOTO: ALESSIA PIERDOMENICO

forgiveness. But this did not appease him. Nor me. “The media storm in the last few weeks has reinforced the trauma,” the bishop said. “It is no longer possible to continue in this situation.” Bishop Vangheluwe said: “I am deeply sorry for what I did and I offer my sincerest apologies to the victim, to his family, to the whole Catholic community and society in general.“

ope Benedict also accepted the resignation of Bishop James Moriarty of Kildare and Leighlin, Ireland, who said he should have challenged the culture of silence in the Irish Church when priests were accused of sexually abusing minors. In a statement, Bishop Moriarty, 73, again apologised to victims of clerical sex abuse and said it was blatantly un-Christian of bishops to argue about their degree of responsibility for the scandal when the victims were in such pain. He said that while he was not directly criticised in a report of an independent commission investigating how the Church handled abuse allegations, as an auxiliary bishop in Dublin from

Czech Jesuit cardinal dies at 90 BY CINDY WOODEN

ZECH Cardinal Tomas Spidlik, a Jesuit expert in Eastern Christian spirituality and a famous preacher, died on April 16 at the age of 90 in Rome. Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over his funeral Mass on April 20 in St Peter's basilica and Pope Benedict officiated at the rites of final commendation. Pope Benedict told mourners that Cardinal Spidlik had lived

through difficult times, growing up “without losing his faith and always preserving a lively sense of humour”. From 1951 until his death, the cardinal worked with Vatican Radio’s Czech programme to offer a weekly reflection on the Sunday Bible readings; when the former Czechoslovakia was under communist rule, his weekly sermons were broadcast into his homeland. Born in 1919, in Boskovice, he was ordained to the priesthood in

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1991 to 2002, “I should have challenged the prevailing culture”. Bishop Moriarty said he hoped his resignation would honour “the truth that the survivors have so bravely uncovered” and that it would open the way “to a better future for all concerned”. Bishop Walter Mixa of Augsburg, Germany, resigned after he was accused of hitting children while he was the chaplain of a children’s home. The resignation offer came after Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Freiburg, president of the German bishops’ conference, and Archbishop Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising, chairman of the Bavarian bishops’ conference, recommended that Bishop Mixa “take some time out for spiritual contemplation and physical distance to enable an atmosphere of greater objectivity” so that the accusations against him could be clarified. Archbishop Zollitsch emphasised that Bishop Mixa’s offer was not an admission of guilt. He praised Bishop Mixa’s decision, which, he said, would “allow a new start for the Church in Augsburg”. Former residents of the children’s home in Schrobenhausen, near Augsburg, accused Bishop Mixa of hitting them with his fists, with sticks, wooden spoons and carpet beaters while he was the parish priest in the town and chaplain of the home during the 1970s and 1980s. Bishop Mixa is also accused of having used funds from the children’s home with which to buy antiques and art works at drastically inflated prices for his private use. His spokesman said he admitted that there had been some “technical financial lack of clarity”. The children’s home has appointed a lawyer to investigate the accusations.—CNS

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1949. Two years later, he was sent to Rome and began working at Vatican Radio. Pope John Paul II named him a cardinal in 2003 and after the pope’s death, the College of Cardinals asked him to give one of the two spiritual talks that would prepare them to enter the conclave and elect the next pope. Cardinal Spidlik’s death leaves the College of Cardinals with 181 members, 108 of whom are under age 80 and therefore eligible to vote in a conclave.—CNS

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The Southern Cross, May 5 to May 11, 2010

Christian media can infuse soul into digital world P VISIT US ON THE WEB BY CAROL GLATZ

OPE Benedict has called on Catholic communication workers to give witness to their beliefs and to help infuse new media outlets with “a soul”. “More than through technical resources, although necessary, we want to confirm ourselves living in this [digital] universe, too, with a believing heart so that it may contribute to giving a soul to the Internet’s endless flow of communication,” he said. The pope made his comments during an audience with participants of a national congress on digital media organised by the Italian bishops’ conference. The congress was titled, “Digital Witnesses. Faces and Languages in the Cross-media Era”. During the congress, Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi SJ told participants that truth,

transparency and credibility were paramount in communications. “Secrecy and confidentiality, even given their positive aspects, are not values that are cultivated by today’s culture. It is necessary to be able to have nothing to hide.” Today is “above all a time of truth, transparency and credibility,” he said. The times “that we are experiencing, the price we are paying, all indicate that our witness must be decisively in line with rigour, consistency with what we say and what we are, and the refusal of every hypocrisy and duplicity”. Fr Lombardi urged Catholic communications workers to “bring the joy of truth and loyalty” to the world, and to be “credible witnesses of what we say and do”. In his audience address to participants later the same day, Pope Benedict spoke of the

importance of new media reflecting the full human person. When too much focus is on the superficial, people can seem like “soulless bodies— objects of exchange and consumption”. The digital divide, which further separates the haves and the have-nots, still needs to be bridged, he said. Some of the risks the Internet still present are the problems of “conformity and control, and intellectual and moral relativism—already quite evident in a waning critical spirit, in the truth being reduced to a play of opinions, and in the many forms of degradation and humiliation of a person’s innermost being,” he said. Communicators can help humanise the mass media by upholding those universal values that promote the common good and the dignity of the human person, he said.—CNS

Priest was a terrorist

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MISSIONARY SISTERS OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD

BY MIKE CEASER

C GOING LATIN: Bishop Edward Slattery of Tulsa, Oklahoma, arrives to the sanctuary for a pontifical solemn high Mass at the basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. Celebrated in the Tridentine rite, the Mass honoured Pope Benedict’s fifth anniversary of his election. It was the first time in 50 years that Mass in the extraordinary form had been celebrated in the shrine’s upper church. Bishop Slattery was a late replacement for Cardinal Dario Castrillion Hoyos, who has come under fire for his handling of sexual abuse cases when he was the prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy. PHOTO: NANCY WIECHEC, CNS

OLOMBIAN governmental authorities have said a Catholic priest from a town outside Medellin led right-wing paramilitary groups that committed rapes and massacres and persecuted evangelical ministers and believers. Fr Oscar Ortiz Henao was arrested in mid-April. Medellin chief prosecutor Martha Penagos said authorities had “a great deal of evidence” against the priest, including testimony and telephone recordings, from an investigation that lasted for more than a year. The paramilitaries are considered terrorists by the Colombian and US governments and the European Union.—CNS

Cardinal slams Cuban regime, Obama

CONOMIC woes and accusations of human rights abuses have thrust Cuba into “a difficult situation, the most difficult we have experienced in the 21st century”, said Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino of Havana . In an interview with the archdiocese of Havana’s magazine, Palabra Nueva (New Word), Cardinal Ortega also criticised US President Barack Obama for continuing the trade embargo on Cuba. While many people have proposed solutions for the island nation’s social and economic problems, “a key common denominator is that Cuba must quickly make the changes needed to improve the situation”, Cardinal Ortega said. “I think there is national consensus on that, and delaying it creates impatience and ill will among people.” The cardinal said the interna-

tional economic crisis, US trade embargo and effects of three hurricanes “come on top of Cuba’s perennial economic difficulties, which stem from the constraints of the type of socialism practised here and result in an often gloomy outlook”. He had sharp words for the Obama administration’s relations with the government of Cuban President Raul Castro, who took over as president in 2006, when his brother, Fidel Castro, stepped aside because of illness. Raul Castro was officially elected president in 2008. “A Cuba-US dialogue would be a necessary first step towards breaking the vicious circle in which we find ourselves,” Cardinal Ortega said. When Raul Castro took office, he proposed unconditional dialogue with the US with no topics off limits, the cardinal said. During his presidential campaign, Mr Obama

also “indicated he would change the style [of relations with Cuba] and would seek to talk directly with Cuba”, the cardinal said. “After taking office, however, the new US president has repeated the old model of previous governments.” Human rights in Cuba made headlines around the world with the death of dissident prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo in February, after a nearly threemonth hunger strike. Another dissident hunger striker, Guillermo Farinas Hernandez, was hospitalised in March. “The tragic death of a prisoner because of a hunger strike has led to a verbal war in the media in the United States, Spain and other countries,” Cardinal Ortega said. “This media campaign further exacerbates the crisis. It is a form of media violence to which the Cuban government responds in its own way.”—CNS

Vatican not bothered by anti-pope joke memo BY SIMON CALDWELL

HE Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi SJ has dismissed as “baseless” claims of a fall-out after an official British foreign office memo proposed the launch of “Benedict condoms” and the opening of an abortion clinic as part of Pope Benedict’s September visit to Britain. The British government has apologised to the Vatican for the official memo. The memo was one of three

official background documents attached to a document inviting government officials for a meeting about the visit. Although the pope’s itinerary had already been agreed upon, the ideas were proposed as part of a brainstorming session on how his visit could be improved. The memo was circulated to government departments, including the prime minister’s office and the Department for International Development. But when the memo was leaked to

two national newspapers in mid-April, the Foreign Office publicly distanced itself from its contents. Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy, the minister in charge of the papal visit and a Catholic who matriculated in South Afrca, denounced the memo. “It’s absolutely despicable, these [proposals] are vile, they’re insulting, they are an embarrassment, and on behalf of I think the whole of the United Kingdom we’d want to apologise to His Holiness the pope.”

Our name identifies us and gives us our mission work in response to Jesus who shed His Blood out of love for all people. Why don’t you come to share with us in this redeeming love of Christ. Please Contact: Provincialate Eastern Cape P.O. Box 261 MTHATHA 5099 E.C. Tel: 047 535 0701

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The Southern Cross, May 5 to May 11, 2010

COMMUNITY Members of Couples for Christ South Africa travelled to Durban, KwaZulu-Natal for the beginning of the group's 10th anniversary celebration. About 100 members from over South Africa and Lesotho travelled to Durban for fellowship and to celebrate. (see report on page page 3)

Members of Couples for Christ South Africa during a workshop at the group’s 10th anniversary celebration in Durban in KwaZuluNatal.

Sr Susan Rakoczy IHM (left) and Fr Paul Decock OMI (right) congratulate recent graduates of the School of Religion and Theology of the University of Natal. (From left) Sr Rakoczy, Nobuhle Mkhandlwana FCSCJ (BTh Honours), Ambroise Bayiha SAC (BTh Honours), Karen Buckenham (PhD), Raymond Mwangala OMI (MTh with distinction), Anne Mkwanasi CPS (BTh Honours) and Fr Decock. PHOTO: JAN JANS

Fr Jack Viscardi (centre) celebrated his 50th anniversary of priestly ordination at Queen of the Most Holy Rosary parish in Waverley, Pretoria, where he worked for eight of the 30 years he spent in South Africa.

Edited by Nadine Christians IN FOCUS Send photographs, with sender’s name and address on the back, and a SASE to: The Southern Cross, Community Pics, Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000 or email them to: pics@scross.co.za

Eight people were confirmed at Mater Dei parish, Port Elizabeth, during the Easter Vigil were (front from left) Annelie Eksteen, Dawn Will, Chantelle Bothma, (back) Ryan O' Conner, Tamzin Nicholas, Fr Jerry Browne, Des Will and Joanna Dodd.

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The Southern Cross, May 5 to May 11, 2010

Documentary trails the life of a miracle worker A documentary by South African filmmaker Norman Servais traces the life of Fr Aloysius Ellacuria. KATJA HAMILTON attended a special screening and spoke to the filmmaker about his journey during the filming of the documentary.

he Catholic Church is currently undergoing serious public scrutiny in the wake of the sexual abuse scandal. But out of the debris comes a timely message of hope from Fr Aloysius Ellacuria who remains a role model to many priests. Fr Aloysius was a Basque Claretian, who gained a reputation as a miracle worker in the United States, especially in the Los Angeles area from the 1950s to 70s. People would seek him out for advice, or in some cases, receive through his intercession miraculous cures. He reportedly had the charism of reading souls, prophecy and even levitation during the celebration of the Eucharist. Fr Aloysius was very active in his ministry and though he died almost 30 years ago, the example of his life remains relevant. And thanks to local filmmaker and producer Norman Servais we now have access to this message. He recently completed work on his documentary on Fr Aloysius titled, The Angel of Biscay. Nine months of travelling through Mexico, Spain, Portugal and the United States saw the Cape Town based Mr Servais following in the footsteps of Fr Aloysius from his birth town in Igorre (formerly known as Yurre) in Spain to the San Gabriel mission in California. During his travels, Mr Servais interviewed priests who had trained under Fr Aloysius, his nephew Ramon Ellacuria who inherited the family estate, and people who had known him. The result is 75 minutes of eyewitness accounts of Fr Aloysius’ character and a testimonial to his

life’s work set against the backdrop of beautiful landscapes, ornate churches and reverent Catholic festivals—among them Our Lady of Fatima’s anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun in Portugal. “I think that so many people were privileged to have experienced a priest like Fr Aloysius and to know his name,” said Mr Servais. “Almost everyone that I spoke to commented on Fr Aloysius’ approachability. He didn’t come across as ‘holier than thou’. He touched those he came into contact with so deeply that when they met him they felt that they knew him, that they could relate to him, that they could speak to him, and they felt like they wanted to emulate him. I think that's very much what Jesus wants to do in us—he wants us to become like him. So I think that’s what holiness is really—it draws you in, it’s attractive, it’s genuine and authentic.” The film touches briefly on Fr Aloysius’ healing but steers away from embellishing them by focusing on his person. This is a refreshing take on the medium of film in an age of media sensationalism. In so doing Mr Servais stays true to who Fr Aloysius was. It may even inspire a deepening spiritual practice. “The life of Fr Aloyisus is so relevant and so inspiring. He certainly was someone exceptional and I think perhaps some priests don’t live up to that potential. You see that today in all of the issues the Church is facing. “It’s in your face all of the time. The media is presenting us with models of priests who are not what they should be and it's an unfortunate time in the history of the Church,” said Mr Servais. “People who are not part of the Church tend to get a perception of the Church that it’s this institution that is corrupt when in fact it’s a small percentage of priests who commit abuse. There are the vast majority of priests trying to do God’s work who are then stereotyped as paedophiles by so many people because they are priests.” In light of this and in pursuit of

answers to what the role of Catholic priests are today, Mr Servais’ challenge was to tell Fr Aloysius’ story accurately. “I wanted to try and remain true to his spirit and his story,” he says. And his approach to research and editing went a long way to achieving just that. “I didn’t script anything before I went on assignment. I entered into it very much with an open mind, captured everything that I could and decided to form the story later. So I use a non-conventional approach to filmmaking I suppose; I don’t prepare everything beforehand; it is a more spontaneous approach,” Mr Servais said. “[In the case of The Angel of Biscay] I had tons of footage that had to be cut down but I tried to prayerfully and creatively narrow that down, and create a storyboard from all that I’d gathered. It’s an interesting process, much like painting a picture, I suppose. “You have this canvas and you’ve got different colours and you’ve got to try and discern what really needs to come out. I don’t want to mix too much of myself in there, but I’ve got my own style that needs to come through. And although it’s a difficult balance to achieve sometimes, it’s a beautiful creative process that I enjoy.” When asked whether the filming process and the journey to Fr Aloyisus’ birthplace affected his worldview, Mr Servais said it confirmed his conviction of what a priest really is. “It challenged my perspective of the nature and identity of priesthood. I felt that Fr Aloysius was answering those questions for me and reaffirming my conviction that a priest is meant to be Alter Christus—another Christ; that he should be true to his commitments and to the vows he made of poverty, chastity and obedience— and those are the vows that are being challenged and questioned. “For me Fr Aloysius was a person who lived those vows to such an extreme, but so naturally at the same time that I was brought to a realisation that that was what a priest is.”

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Fr Aloysius in his later years. The priest is the subject of the film The Angel of Biscay.

While shooting the documentary, Mr Servais experienced many emotional moments. He said speaking to Fr Charles Carpenter, the superior of Sonora missionaries of Fatima in Alamost, Mexico, was particularly emotional. Fr Carpenter was a former protégé of Fr Aloysius. “I found all of his comments very inspiring—I could relate very deeply to everything he was saying. I was fascinated by the depth of spirituality that he exhibited and I found it fascinating because he is a very intelligent academic who has a doctorate in theology, but is living a fairly obscure life running a very small religious community. “I was inspired by that experience of actually interviewing him because there was so much wisdom in what he had to say. Also, just being in the places where Fr Aloysius lived especially his birthplace—I found that quite dramatic—it hadn’t deteriorated much and his nephew was still living on the property next door. For me it was quite inspiring,” he said.  For more information or to purchase a copy, contact 082 437 7714

Filmmaker Norman Servais shooting in California.

LEADER PAGE

The Southern Cross, May 5 to May 11, 2010

The Editor reserves the right to shorten or edit published letters. Letters below 300 words receive preference. Pseudonyms are acceptable only under special circumstances and at the Editor’s discretion. Name and address of the writer must be supplied. No anonymous letter will be considered.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Focus on Christ, not Mass fashion

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

One year of Zuma

S South Africans survey the first year of Jacob Zuma’s presidency, they must be mindful that only a fifth of his incumbency has passed. There is still time for President Zuma to correct errors, to meet election promises that seem to be going unfulfilled, to build on the few successes of his first year, and to arrest developments that may be harmful to South Africa’s future. In last week’s edition, Fr Anthony Egan SJ pointed out that few policies had changed from the Mbeki era. There is one crucial exception: the Zuma government’s HIV/Aids policy has brought the state in line with a broad consensus on addressing the crisis. Mr Zuma and his appointees to the police portfolio—minister Nathi Mthethwa and police chief Bheki Cele—merit recognition for the manner in which they helped defuse a potentially explosive situation after last month’s violent death of the white surpremacist Eugene Terre’Blanche. While fears of a supposed “race war” always were exaggerated, the relative calm in the killing’s aftermath can in large part be credited to the intervention of government and state. Many of Mr Zuma’s ministerial appointments also deserve praise, even if we are yet to see the concrete results from their collective expertise. Alas, some ministers have made headlines not for their performance, but for squandering the taxpayers’ money on luxury cars and extravagant hotel accommodation. It seems that the pattern of corruption with impunity has made the transition from the Mbeki era to that of Zuma. There has been no sustained evidence of the promised anticorruption drive. Indeed, Mr Zuma’s laissez-faire approach to ethical conduct in public affairs has found expression in his censure by public protector Thulisile Madonsela for not complying with the Executive Ethics Code. It seems evident that many

within the African National Congress-led alliance that helped Mr Zuma into the presidency now expect to benefit from the president’s position. It is not at all clear that the momentum that brought Mr Zuma victory at the ANC’s December 2007 national conference in Polokwane was predicated on only pure intentions. Some ANC leaders make no secret of their expectation to be rewarded for their support. For example, there is a view that Mr Zuma should not chastise ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema because of the youth league’s support for the president, an expectation of reciprocal loyalty regardless of the greater good. Mr Zuma is known as a conciliator who aims to bring together disparate factions. But the ANC membership and the general electorate mandated Mr Zuma to lead, not to moderate. When voices in the ANC criticised Mr Zuma for his public and much overdue admonition of Mr Malema, the party’s president should have been heard to put down his foot. When government ministers mock the country’s poor by spending extravagant amounts of tax money on luxury cars, entertainment and hotel suites, the nation should see their president putting an end to this. That would be true leadership. By virtue of its majority in parliament, the ANC’s affairs are the nation’s business. Mr Zuma’s ANC presidency is marked by fierce internal campaigning which tends to marginalise those who portray, at least publicly, the greatest sense of ethical leadership. The party of Albert Luthuli, Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu is at risk of being taken over by populist national-socialists in designer suits and flashy cars. It will take true leadership to return the ANC to the values which made Luthuli, Mandela, Tambo and Sisulu such towering icons in South Africa’s history. Mr Zuma must now provide such leadership.

EGARDING the numerous letters on dress code at Mass, I wonder why people are so interested in what their neighbours are wearing. Surely the point of celebrating Mass is to focus our attention on what we are there for, to be in the presence of our Lord and to pay

all of our attention to just that. I am not saying that people should come to church in running shorts or revealing outfits, but a neat, clean pair of shorts and casual shirt for men should suffice. Nowhere do the gospels mention dress code. Our Lord went

Vatican III needed Divine Mercy the abuse scandal and the way THE it was handled has led to a fruit of love huge breach of trust between the faithful and Church leadership. Trust, once broken, is always very difficult to restore. I sincerely believe that the only way forward is for the Church to convene a Third Vatican Council, so that all the bishops, together with the Holy Father, can sort out this mess once and for all. Together, they need to show the world that they are sincere in their mission. Justice must be seen to be done. If the Church is not clearly seen to be undergoing a complete overhaul and redefining its mission, and returning to the Jesus of the gospels, the denials and lack of trust will simmer on and the Church will become increasingly irrelevant. A Third Vatican Council is the only way. Knowing that the hierarchical bureaucracy in Rome will not be at all sympathetic with such a move, the “demand” must come from below, from grassroot Catholics everywhere. Brian Jacoby, Cape Town

Pregnancy help

N response to Henry Makori's column “Abortion: We need more than slogans” (March 1723), there is Birthight (www.birthright.co.za), a free, confidential and interdenominational organisation with offices in Johannesburg and Durban. We offer help to the expectant mother in looking at all the alternative options she has to abortion; for her and for her baby. Birthright’s mission statement is: “It is the right of every woman to give birth and the right of every child to be born.” Our phone numbers are 011 4031718 and 031 2015471. Durban e-mail: brightdbn@gmail. com. Rae Kearney, Director: Birthright, Durban

ATHER Allan Moss’ Point of Debate (March 24-30) refers. While reading this article the words of Jesus, when he praised his Father “for hiding these things from the learned and clever and revealing them to mere children”, kept coming to my mind. Divine Mercy in no way “supersedes the feast of Easter”; it is an integral part of our Easter celebration. How else does the Risen Lord “save” his people if not because of and through his tremendous mercy. Mercy is surely the fruit of “love, sacrifice, power and glory”! Mercy is one of God’s greatest attributes. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Is this not Divine Mercy? And “This very day you will be with me in paradise”. Again divine mercy! Throughout Lent we are imploring the mercy of God and addressing him as “God of Mercy”. On Ash Wednesday we are told to Repent and believe the Good News. So how can we not celebrate God’s Mercy within the Easter Octave? Maybe Fr Moss should not worry so much about St Faustina as a person, as God chooses whom he will to do his work. I don’t think we should worry too much, either, about Jesus’ skin colour in the picture of the Divine Mercy. We should rather treat it as an icon and see what Jesus is telling us through the picture, namely “Jesus, I trust in Your Mercy for me a sinner.” And Alleluia indeed to this! Moira Gillmore, Durban Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in Letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the Catholic hierarchy. The letters page in particular is a forum in which readers may exchange opinions on matters of debate. Letters must not be understood to necessarily reflect the teachings, disciplines or policies of the Church accurately.

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around in his normal garments and sandals even though he was a king. It was only the likes of the Pharisees, teachers of the law and members of the council who liked to dress up—and what did Jesus label them? Let us celebrate Mass for what it is: a gathering of brothers and sisters joined together to be with our Lord. Patrick Finaughty, Johannesburg

The good our enemies do us

OW do we love our enemies? I have learnt to see them in the acceptance of Jesus’ passion. Our enemies enable us to acknowledge our weaknesses and to repent of them. They enable us to grow in God’s unconditional love, as we seek more of God’s love to love them with. They inspire us to fight for justice and help us to grow in boldness, as we strive to protect and speak up for the weak. They show us that they are in need of prayer, just like the rest of us Christians, and they bless us continually through the Blessings of the Beatitudes. They help us grow in a more positive attitude towards the beatitudes in the grace, joy and peace that God gives us. Praise and glory be to God for enabling us to love our enemies, for they are all part and parcel of God’s plan for our salvation in Christ. Catherine De Valence, Cape Town

Calling Maxine

N January my wife and I were introduced at the church of St Vincent de Paul in Milford, Auckland, New Zealand to a South African visitor whose first name I recall as Maxine (her surname started with an S) and that she lives in Mitchell‘s Plain, Cape Town. She told us that she was returning to South Africa in March, and asked me to take a couple of photos that she could take with her, showing our church and resident priest. I took the pictures to daily Mass at our church, but regrettably never saw Maxine again. I would appreciate if these photos could get to Maxine through your office. B A Brewer, Auckland, New Zealand  The photos and Mr Brewer’s address are with the editor, awaiting collection.—Editor

PERSPECTIVES Mphuthumi Ntabeni

Pushing the Boundaries

The misery of secular fundamentalism

INCE the campaign to discredit Pope Benedict started, I’ve had messages, veiled and otherwise, asking whether I was still a Catholic. It amuses me that these people think my belonging to the Church is dependent on the few miscreants among our clergy, or the bona fides of the pope in the abuse scandal. (Mind you, I’ve not found a shred of evidence to make me believe that Pope Benedict purposely hid the abuse of children by priests, or protected any clergy from being prosecuted. But factual evidence is not something held into highest regard by the sensationalists in our media.) I am not a Catholic because I think the Roman clergy are the best-behaved institutional officials in the world. After being convinced by Christianity, I chose Catholicism because of its universal nature, its timelessness (because it is, to me, the best still existing link to the established movement of faith that goes as far as the Last Supper). I’m convinced about its theology and love the open nature of its enquiring philosophy of life that goes as far as St Augustine, a man after my own heart if there was one among the Church fathers. There’s a lot I love about the Roman Church, but, truth be told, there are aspects of it which I dislike, especially patriarchal and parochial institutional aspects. But like the former master of the Dominicans, Timothy Radcliffe, wrote in The Tablet last month: “I am not a Catholic because of a consumer option for an ecclesiastical Waitrose rather than Tesco, but because I believe that it embodies something which is essential to the Christian witness to the Resurrection, visible unity.” Waitrose is a posh supermarket, Tesco less so. I’ve been disappointed for a while in the attitude of life mostly referred to as liberalism. In its incarnation of secular fundamentalism it makes itself loathsome in my eyes. I despise the manner by which it attempts to construct a collective identity based on hatred for institutionalised religion. I have no problems with people who divorce their moral choices from religion, or any other form of collective institution; after all this is what liberalism is all about: the belief that individuals ought to be able to determine how best to live their own lives. I agree that morality is not something to be forced on individuals from without, but to be arrived at through one’s own reason. The choices we make are, in short, a matter for our conscience. I do not see why this should not apply in liberalism if it must in religion. The problem with secular fundamentalism is that it refuses to see that the choices we make sometimes are pro religion, or pro the collective of institutionalism. To them this is nothing but brainwash, or worse stupidity. It is most striking how narrow, biased and even illiberal liberalism can be when under the clutches of this form of secular fundamentalism. Someone termed it a “feeling of restless anger, which seemed to be in search of a cause”. Hence the present call for the pope to be prosecuted for “crimes against humanity” on grounds of his purported role in protecting guilty clergy from prosecution. The sad part is that this call does not come from malcontents, but from respected members of secular communities and institutions who want to make hatred for institutionalised religion a mainstream cause for populist mobilisation. It would be a sad day if these frustrated activists were to gain a shred of the popularity they seek, which is obviously seamlessly bound with their individual hatred for religion, and inability to create room for faith in their thinking. Prejudice against religion, rather than sober reasoning, influences much of secular thinking in our times, laced with the rallying words “freedom” and “individual choice”—as if choosing religious faith was something against individual choice or freedom. Poke a stick into their prejudices, and you will get a gushing fount of personal miseries posturing as concern for freedom and the rest. Many people, instead of taking responsibility for the choices they’ve made in life, find it easier to blame it on some sinister institution today. And what is more exposed to that than a timeless Church with some sinful clerics?

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Now we need courage

N his Chrism Mass homily this year, Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg spoke out strongly against the ongoing sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic Church. The archbishop, using strong imagery, suggests that clergy under such circumstances might feel more like Judas Iscariot who betrays the Lord for thirty silver pieces or Peter who lives deeply buried in denial. He said: “This is a time of crisis. But it is also a time of opportunity.” I was left wondering whether or not we, the Church, have the willingness and openness to grasp the opportunity he speaks of. The painful revelations of abuse suggest that the Catholic Church is in crisis, a crisis that goes well beyond the borders of the affected countries. As Archbishop Tlhagale pointed out, it affects us all. How long before the American or German story becomes our story? It is also a crisis that goes well beyond sexual abuse, to a system of secrecy and denial. That must be confronted; we cannot deny this any longer. More and more stories, such as the sordid life of Fr Marcial Marciel, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, expose the cancer of secrecy and denial. The revelations of clergy sexual abuse are a manifestation of a plethora of problems that lurk beneath the surface. In a time like this, courage and vision are needed to help us face the problems and seize the opportunity that lies within our grasp. It troubles me that we, the Church, might be tempted to think we can “weather the storm”. Perhaps we will, but what would the long-term cost of that be? We cannot rebuild from wreckage. What do we have to do if we are going to lift our heads from deep denial? It seems to me that we are going to have to courageously face a number of issues: the balance of power in the Church, lay participation in decision-making structures, the role of women and, especially, our attitudes towards human sexuality. These issues, though difficult, demand open and frank discussion. The modus operandi of our Church is still autocratic; power is vested in a few and there is no real consultation with the wider Church community. The vision of Vatican II was a much more active and participative Church. The experience of recent years suggests the opposite in areas such as collegiality, liturgy and inter-religious dialogue. A number of theologians have lost their ardour for theology because of the unwelcome climate in the Church. They do not feel that they can grapple with the issues that contemporary men and women face and in so doing contribute to the development of theology. Theology is dynamic, not static, and it needs to grow and expand in depth of understanding. Moral theologians struggle the most. Good theologians seeking to grapple with issues that have been raised in other academic disciplines, such as psychology and sociology, face resistance. Some of these theologians have not been given a voice or, at worst, have been silenced. There seems to be a reluctance to engage with them. Where there is no engagement, there cannot be any growth in depth of understanding.

he majority of the faithful, especially women, are still kept out of the decision-making processes of the Church, and yet most decisions influence the lives of many women religious and lay faithful. It is interesting to note that many male religious orders have had cases brought against them for abuse; fewer women religious. Despite this, it is the women religious in the United States who are being “investigated” by a Vatican-ordered visitation. And the women religious who are being visited against their wishes reportedly have been asked to consider paying the travel expenses of their visitors. Surely we cannot bat away a serious discussion about the role of women in the Church for much longer. Every year the Easter Octave presents us with countless accounts of women who

Russell Pollitt SJ

Point of Debate proclaim the risen Christ after encountering him. Just recently I was saddened to hear the story of a blind-deaf priest, Fr Cyril Axelrod CSsR, who was not allowed on to the sanctuary at a Chrism Mass (a Mass celebrating the priesthood) because a woman accompanied him as his guide/interpreter. Fully vested he was led (with his guide) into the body of the Church. The reason? A woman could not be on the sanctuary. Stories like this are not good news to men or women. They demand that we examine the way power is used, and that we look sincerely at the deepseated unhealthy attitude we have towards women. There are other developments which are also of concern and point to a deeper crisis. Some in the Church seem to be determined to force our liturgy back into a bygone era. The reinstatement of the Tridentine rite (and its accompanying lace) signal that we are entering a time of “restoration”, and not a time of depth in understanding and growth. The Tridentine rite is symbolic of an inactive and non-participative Church; the clergy are at the centre of everything—it’s a model that will no longer work, a model that has failed and cost us dearly. If in no other area, the current crisis should force us to explore at least our attitude towards human sexuality. Our moral authority has been eroded in the area of sexuality and we can only restore this when we have confronted the damaging attitudes we hold on to that have perpetuated the crisis. Archbishop Tlhagale admits our position has been compromised: “The upshot of this sorry state of affairs is that we weaken the authoritative voice of the Church… We become incapable of criticising the corrupt and immoral behaviour of the members of our respective communities.” To restore our moral authority we have no choice but to face the difficult issues; sexuality is probably the most difficult of them all.

n the February 13, 2010 edition of the British Catholic journal The Tablet, Gerry O’Hanlon wrote: “What has happened in our Church as a result of this problematic relationship between sex and power is that there has developed a culture of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’.” We cannot deny that there is a problematic relationship between sex and power in the Church. The recent scandals sound the horn loudly and we dare not pretend we are deaf anymore. With courage we need to engage ever more stringently and with intellectual rigour, fearlessly facing the most neuralgic attitudes and positions we hold on to about human sexuality. Many of the issues pertaining to our understanding of sexuality are complex, but we can no longer afford the cost of not facing up to them. They are not going to go away, and to think that they are is certainly being Peter deep in denial. Archbishop Tlhagale calls on priests to rebuild the battered image of the Church. Rebuilding means that we must first clear the ruins and inspect our foundations. The whole people of God should be involved in this building programme, priests and bishops alone cannot do it. Such a programme of reform will take considerable courage and a real openness to developmental change, and not simply restoration. The past can no longer redeem the present, new wine skins are needed for new wine. Our regret and sorrow for what has happened will be measured by our willingness to act courageously and bring about much needed institutional change. Peter was buried in denial, but we can take courage because that was not the end of the story for him, it need not be for us either.  Fr Russell Pollitt is a Jesuit based at Braamfontein parish, Johannesburg.

The Southern Cross, May 5 to May 11, 2010

Glen Argan

Point of Debate

Media must restore pope’s image

T is not necessarily a bad thing that major media are asking questions about what Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger knew and didn’t know and how he acted and did not act in sexual abuse cases under his purview before he became pope. Once there was even one mishandled case of clergy sexual abuse discovered during his stint as archbishop of Munich, Germany, it was inevitable that questions would be asked. That such questions are asked while Pope Benedict is alive is better than if they arose only decades after his death. The pope and other people familiar with the situation can respond and set the record straight. We need only recall the difficulty in responding to accusations that Pope Pius XII was soft on the Holocaust, which only began after Pope Pius’ death, to see how much easier it is to deal with accusations about events that are within living memory. The Church’s first task must be to achieve complete transparency. Unfortunately, a legacy of cover-up of sexual abuse cases makes it difficult to establish that the apparent transparency in the current situation is credible. That having been said, media coverage of Cardinal Ratzinger’s alleged involvement in abuse cases in Munich and Milwaukee has more than a whiff of a witch hunt. The New York Times, for example, has accused Cardinal Ratzinger, during his time as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, of intervening to prevent an abusing priest in Milwaukee, Fr Lawrence Murphy, from facing penalties for abusing minors. Based on evidence provided by the New York Times, the story’s conclusion is flat-out false. In the Munich case, there is no evidence that the future pope had anything to do with reassigning an abusing priest to pastoral ministry. The decision, made in a massive diocese, was the responsibility of another diocesan official. The media questioning—at least in the Munich case—is reasonable, given the pope’s high public standing. But the reporting needs to reflect the evidence uncovered and not cast unjustified innuendos. Such innuendos are casting a pall over the current pontiff, a man who has done more than anyone at the Vatican to bring transparency, firmness and accountability to the Church’s handling of the ongoing abuse crisis. The problem with such media investigation is that when mud is thrown, some invariably sticks in the public mind to the subject of the investigation. The media is not a court and it does not declare anyone innocent. It pursues its investigation until it can pursue it no further and then walks away. The consequences of tarnishing the reputation of the pope are profound, not merely for the pope or “the institution”, but for humanity as a whole. When the questions end and the pope’s integrity remains untouched, major media must find a way to say: “We find no guilt in this man.”  Glen Argan is the editor of the Western Catholic Reporter, newspaper of the archdiocese of Edmonton, Canada, where this article orginally appeared.

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The Southern Cross, May 5 to May 11, 2010

Hollywood expert nun on movies and faith Sr Rose Pacatte is one of the Church’s foremost experts on modern media. She spoke to MARK PATTISON about how Catholics can relate to movies and whether there is antiCatholicism in Hollywood.

ISTER Rose Pacatte, a Daughter of St Paul, has a CV 13 pages long—in 11-point type. Listing the personal credits of this writer, reviewer, blogger, author and promoter of film would last nearly as long as the closing credits of today’s theatrical features. Her latest honour is the US Board of Directors Award from Catholics in Media Associates presented in February for her 15 years of casting a critical but caring look at Hollywood. But as much as she loves the visual arts, Sr Pacatte, director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Culver City, California, loves reading every bit as much. Her favourite is 20th-century Southern Catholic novelist Flannery O’Connor, and she quotes her frequently. One of her favourite O’Connor quotes: “The two worst sins in fiction are pornography and sentimentality. One is too much sex and the other too much sentiment. You have to have enough of either to prove your point but no more.” Mark Pattison: Can you give me some examples of movies that would have been worth seeing for their message, but severity

and/or quantity of objectionable material got in the way? Sr Rose Pacatte: I think it is futile to approach films by content only, unless parents are checking for what may be appropriate or not for children of different ages. When we are adults, as Flannery O’Connor said so often in her letters and lectures, we do not need to be treated like 15-year-old girls. The problem, Flannery would say, is that in many 75year-olds there lingers the mind of a 15-year-old girl. The Hurt Locker, Avatar, Up, Up in the Air, Precious, The Cove, Food Inc., District 9, The Blind Side, Crazy Heart all have depth and provide an ample “space” for reflection and conversation from the perspective of human and Gospel values, and in particular Catholic social teaching beginning with human dignity… We experience films through the filters of our life experience, education, faith and family formation—and no one sees the same thing in the same way. How many movies do you see a year? I see at least six, seven films a month for my reviews for St Anthony Messenger and article for the National Catholic Reporter. I see an additional 10-12 at the end of the year when so many films are released in view of the Academy Awards. In 2009 I saw more than 100 films because so many were released in December. If I take part in a festival, add in another 20-25. How many movies a year did you see before you entered religious life? In the theatre I probably saw from

Sr Rose Pacatte: The cinema “is a place where we can encounter God in the dark, where we can exercise our Catholic imaginations”. PHOTO: OWEN SWEENEY III, CATHOL IC REVIEW/CNS

six to eight once I got into junior high because I had to depend on my parents to take us to a drivein. During the year before I entered [religious life] I saw more films because I could go on my own on the bus with friends. I went whenever I could—and had the money to do so. The last film I saw before entering was The Dirty Dozen. I begged my mom to take me because I thought it would be the last time I would get to see a film… I also

chewed 50 sticks of gum—at the same time!—the day before I entered the convent because I thought that would be the last time. When and how did you first catch the cinema bug? I think I always had it; I don’t recall ever not liking movies! What a treat when we were young. I saw my first film in a theatre when I was 7, on Christmas Day. While the Daughters of St Paul congregation has a communications charism, did you have any idea that film would be your contribution to this charism going in? I did not really understand the charism and mission for a while. I wanted to follow Christ. The opportunity to become more involved in cinema came about after I earned a degree in education media studies in 1995 and had become more involved in international Catholic communications events. What don’t people know about Hollywood that, if they did, would give them a better understanding of how Hollywood works? Real people work in Hollywood, people of faith and good will. Real people with families who go home at night. What people don’t recall is that Hollywood is an industry, a business for profit. There is no anti-Catholic bias in the entertainment industry that I have detected in almost eight years living and working and interacting with people in the industry. Balancing the freedom

of artistic expression with the responsibility of human dignity that profit often ignores is the challenge. There are so many groups—Catholic, Protestant and others—working in Hollywood to support actors, writers, television and film producers, all along the production line, to inspire, to offer opportunities to pray and understand the faith and art. Why is it important that the Catholic Church even be engaged with the film industry, the role of filmmakers and the place films have in society and popular culture? Because cinema, indeed all media, tell us who we are and who we ought to be. Media-makers tell the stories, and therefore, they own the culture. The culture is this overarching bundle of ideas and ideals that guide our lives. Without mindful people of faith engaging in media culture critically (not negatively) then we remain unaware of the very water we are swimming in, the air we are breathing. The media makers of tomorrow are in our living rooms, classrooms and pews today. How are we forming and educating them to be people of character first of all? The Catholic Church is engaged in the media. We have a wonderful tradition of involvement in contemporary media from 1936 on. Is it possible for Catholics to enjoy the current crop of film features? What should they know before they go? “Do not be afraid,” Jesus told the disciples. Pope John Paul II told the whole world this in [his 2000 encyclical] Novo Millennio Ineunte (“At the Beginning of the New Millennium”): We have to risk putting our boats into the depth of the culture—as Jesus did. Those of us who are leaders in faith formation, who are catechists, pastoral ministers, and clergy, can engage in a media mindfulness approach to the culture if our point of departure is that God is good, creation is good and that people are essentially good. The [cinema] is a place where we can encounter God in the dark, where we can exercise our Catholic imaginations. And how we need our imaginations to be nourished and exercised! What signs within the film industry give you encouragement? Jesus was a storyteller and to the extent that any film tells a story that reveals the face of God in humanity, that is a worthy film that encourages me. How well these stories are told depends on the writers and the visionaries who make the films. When I meet people who are passionate about telling stories that transcend our daily lives and make us want to be better people, I am encouraged.—CNS

The Southern Cross, May 5 to May 11, 2010

Thoughts for the Week on the Family

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FAMILY CALENDAR: 2010 FAMILY THEME: “Families Play the Game.” May THEME: The Parenting Game INTRODUCTION Becoming parents is a joy but also no joke. The years of being a young parent are probably the years when most games are played in the home, from peek-a-boo with a baby, to cricket and on the lawn, board games on cold nights, and TV games too. We know the saying: “The family that prays together, stays together”, but it is vital that parents and children throughout their lifespans should play together too, should have fun and enjoy their unique relationship. They are God’s gifts to one another. Difficulties can be addressed or put aside with the good will that comes from constructive play. Discuss how you understand the Parenting Game. How good is your family at playing games? Can you do more? May 9 6th Sunday of Easter. Mother’s Day John’s gospel continues to speak of God’s love and we recognise the Spirit of God’s love as the Holy Spirit who communicates that love to everyone and invites us to do the same. The gospel message to mothers could be “peace I give to you, a peace the world cannot give” even though a mother’s life is often not very peaceful especially while children are young. But mothers need to be a sign of the peace that Jesus brings to all their children, young and grown-up. Pray especially that mothers will have this gift to share.

BETHLEHEM:  Shrine of Our Lady of Bethlehem at Tsheseng, Maluti mountains; Thursdays 09:30, Mass, then exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.  058 721 0532 JOHANNESBURG:  First Saturday of each month rosary prayed 10:30-12:00 outside Marie Stopes abortion clinic, Peter Place, Bryanston.  Joan Beyrooti, 782 4331 PRETORIA:  First Saturday: Devotion to Divine Mercy. St Martin de Porres, Sunnyside, 16:30.  Shirley-Anne 361 4545. CAPE TOWN:  Adoration Chapel, Corpus Christi church, Wynberg: Mon-Thur 6am to 12pm; Fri-Sun 6am to 8pm. Adorers welcome.  021-761 3337  Holy Hour to pray for priests of the diocese, 2nd Saturday monthly at Villa Maria shrine Kloof Nek Rd 16:0017:00.  Blessed Sacrament exposed daily Monday to Friday 09:00–22:00 in Holy Redeemer church, Bergvliet Rd, Bergvliet. Visitors welcome. Entries in the community calendar, which is published as space allows, are free of charge. To place your event, call Gene Donnelly, 021 465 5007, or email gened@scross.co.za

Mass readings for the week Sundays year C, weekdays cycle 2 Sun May 9, 6th Sunday of Easter: Acts 15:1-2.22-29; Ps 67:2-3.5-6.8; Rv 21:10-14.22-23; Jn 14:23-29 Mon May 10, feria: Acts 16: 11-15; Ps 149: 1-6.9; Jn 15: 26-16, 4 Tue May 11, feria: Acts 16: 22-34; Ps 138: 1-3.7-8; Jn 16: 5-11 Wed May 12, Ss Nereus & Achilleus M, St Pancras M:

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Acts 17: 15-22-18, 1; Ps 148: 1-2.11-14; Jn 16: 12-15 Thur May 13, Ascension of Our Lord: Acts 1: 1-11; Ps 47: 2-3.6-9; Heb 9: 24-28, 10: 19-23; Lk 24: 46-53

DEATH ABRAHAMS—Cecilia. Passed away peacefully on April 25, 2010 after a long illness bravely fought. Sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her brother Jeffrey, sisterin-law Avril, Monique, Wayne, Carmen, Gavin and Claire. NAIDOO—Ronald Vernon. Our father, grandfather and loving husband to May our mother, passed away on April 15, 2010, after a short illness. Deeply mourned by his children Tony, Avril, Gail, Nicola, Christopher, Mary, Lucielle and Verona, sons-in-law, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Gratitude to Divine Mercy of Jesus and the Mother and Queen of Schoenstatt. United in the covenant we graciously give praise and thanks to the Divine Mercy. Yes, I will arise and return to my father. May he rest in peace.

IN MEMORIAM ABRAHAMS—Christian. Died May 2, 2003. Deeply missed by Serena and Lilian family. Gonsalves—Barbara. Died April 23, 2008. Two years have passed but your memory is still fresh in our minds. Will always love you and treasure our time together. Sleep in God’s peace. Stanley, Serena family.

Fri May 14, St Matthias A: Acts 1: 15-17.20-26; Ps 113: 1-8; Jn 15: 9-17 Sat May 15, feria: Acts 18: 23-28; Ps 47: 2-3.8-10; Jn 16: 23-28 Sun May 16, 7th Sunday of Easter: Acts 7: 55-60; Ps 97: 1-2.6-7.9; Rv 22: 12-14.16-17.20; Jn 17: 20-26

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“HOLY SPIRIT, you make me see everything and show me the way to reach my ideals.You give me the divine gift to forgive and forget. In all instances of my life you are with me, protecting me and opening for me a way where there is no way. I thank you for everything, and confirm once more that I never want to be separated from you, no matter how great the material desires. I want to be with you and my loved ones in your perpetual glory. Amen.” Say this prayer for

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THANKS GRATEFUL thanks to St Jude and St Francis of Assisi for prayers answered. ATC.

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7th Sunday - Year C (May 16th) Readings: Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 97: 12, 6-7, 9; Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20; John 17:20-26 E are rushing towards the end of the Easter season now; Pentecost is just a week away, and already the readings look forward to what life is going to be like once we lapse back into “Ordinary Time”. The first reading contains the stark warning that following Jesus out of Easter and into ordinary time is liable to mean death, as we read of what happened to Stephen. However, it is also the case that death is not the end of the story: for Luke shares with us that Stephen saw “the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God”. This means that all is going to be well, even if Stephen’s utterance brings about his death. And there is a further point, for we also learn about one of the accomplices in the killing of Stephen, “a young man called Saul”. As Stephen dies, crying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” and “do not set this sin against them”, we already know that something else is going on, for young Saul is going to turn into Paul, one of the most

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Hear Jesus’ prayer, that we be one Fr Nicholas King SJ

Scriptural Reflections daring and energetic preachers about Jesus in the whole of the first century. How can that be? Well, according to the psalm for next Sunday, God is in charge. “The Lord is King”, it sings, “let the earth rejoice”; and in case we thought that we might be living in an unjust world in this ordinary time, it adds: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne, the heavens proclaim his justice.” And we are offered a reminder that God is the God of everybody, not just of us: “All the peoples shall see his glory”; and, very strikingly, “all the gods shall bow down before him…you are greatly exalted over all the gods”!

The second reading is the end of the Book of Revelation, which we have been following since Easter this year. It carries a reminder that the Lord is to come again, and so we must spend our ordinary time waiting for him, and remembering that, as he says: “My reward is with me, to give each one what their deeds deserve.” Much more important, however, is the absolute centrality of Jesus: “I am the Alpha and the Omega (we might say “the A and the Z”), the Beginning and the End.” Then more words to us who struggle with ordinary life: “Congratulations to those who have washed their robes;” and this, we have learnt earlier, has nothing to do with being diligent about doing the laundry; it means sharing in the death of the Lamb. Then Jesus talks directly to each of us: “I have sent my messenger to give you testimony of these things…I am the root and stock of David, the bright Morning Star.” Then we hear the invitation uttered to him in our name, “The Spirit and the

Intolerable intolerance W

ATCHING world news on television, I often wonder just what is missing from the present state of affairs where protagonists in politics, business, media, the arts, entertainment, sport and even religion rely on a vindictive intolerance of another’s opinion to bolster their ambitions. Somehow, I get the feeling that far too many people view intolerance as a strength and not the weakness that it surely is. The nastier, the better. Ironic, isn’t it, that in a world where religion is banned from so many schools, intolerance is not? In a world that puts so much store in legislating against hate speech and racism, little is said about the destructive power of intolerance. And where students are taught everything from mathematics to semantics and needlepoint, very few schools offer a subject called tolerance. Perhaps they should, because tolerance is one of the most important of all life skills. Some well-known people and some not-so-well-known people have had fascinating and inspiring things to say about tolerance. A fellow called Sidney J Harris put it in perfect perspective for me: “Intolerance,” he said, “is the most socially acceptable form of egotism, for it permits us to assume superiority without personal boasting.” And here is someone else who

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Chris Moerdyk

The Last Word believes that learning about intolerance is important: “The human family is very diverse, with many different beliefs and cultures and ways of life. Many conflicts in our world are caused when people are intolerant of the ways that others see the world. Learning tolerance is an important cornerstone to creating a better world.”—Robert Alan And some more wise words: “We must not only control the weapons that can kill us, we must bridge the great disparities of wealth and opportunity among the peoples of the world, the vast majority of whom live in poverty without hope, opportunity or choices in life. These conditions are a breeding ground for division that can cause a desperate people to resort to nuclear weapons as a last resort. Our only hope lies in the power of our love, generosity, tolerance and understanding and our commitment to making the world a better place for all.”— Muhammad Ali “We need to promote greater tolerance and understanding among the

CLASSIC CONRAD

Fishermen boast of big catches; altar servers about long Masses.

peoples of the world. Nothing can be more dangerous to our efforts to build peace and development than a world divided along religious, ethnic or cultural lines. In each nation, and among all nations, we must work to promote unity based on our shared humanity.”—Kofi Annan “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because some day in life you will have been all of these.”—George Washington Carver “In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.”—14th Dalai Lama “The focus of tolerance education is to deal with the concept of equality and fairness. We need to establish confidence with children that there is more goodness than horror in this world.”—Morris Dees “Laws alone can not secure freedom of expression; in order that every man present his views without penalty there must be a spirit of tolerance in the entire population.”—Albert Einstein “Nuremberg taught me that creating a world of tolerance and compassion would be a long and arduous task. And I also learned that if we did not devote ourselves to developing effective world law, the same cruel mentality that made the Holocaust possible might one day destroy the entire human race.”— Benjamin Ferencz, Nuremberg prosecutor “The only hope of preserving what is best lies in the practice of an immense charity, a wide tolerance, a sincere respect for opinions that are not ours.”—Philip Gilbert Hamerton “The problem to be faced is: how to combine loyalty to one’s own tradition with reverence for different traditions.” -—Abraham Joshua Heschel Selma G Hirsch believes that respect is more important. “Respect, not tolerance, must be our goal if we would diminish prejudice in our time.” Maybe, that should be “respect and tolerance”? “It is essential to employ trust and reward those whose perspective, ability, and judgment are radically different from yours. It is also rare, for it requires uncommon humility, tolerance and wisdom.”—Dee Hock All of that having been said, I am now determined in my own life to be extremely intolerant of intolerance.

Bride say, ‘Come’” and we join in, “The one who hears, let them say ‘Come’”; and Jesus’ response to those struggling with living their discipleship is “Yes—I am coming soon”, met with the reply on behalf of each of us, “Amen: come, Lord Jesus”. In the gospel reading for next Sunday, we are invited to eavesdrop on the last words of the prayer offered on our behalf by Jesus at the Last Supper to the Father. It goes beyond those frightened disciples, huddled together against the gathering darkness, and comes to us: “I am not asking for these ones alone, but also for those who come to faith in me through what they say.” And the prayer is that disciples will be united: “One, just as you are in me, Father, and I am in you, that they may be one in us, that the world may believe.” And the name of the way we must live our Ordinary Time is love. Count the number of times that it appears in this reading. And then try to live it out this week.

Southern Crossword #389

ACROSS 2. One way to receive Communion (2,3,4) 6. Beast slain by Samson (Jg 14) (4) 8. State of anarchy (11) 10. Give orders but not to the cleric (7) 11. It may be lucky for a spell (5) 13. Cannot change to conceal nick (5) 14. It's not as strange as the truth (7) 16. Grand demon I see around street repairs (4-7) 18. Impulse to advise strongly (4) 19. Deuce goal for Ten Commandments (9)

DOWN 1. He gives what's thicker than water (5,5) 2. Crime committed by King Herod (Mt 2) (11) 3. Battles about what Moses took up mountain (Ex 34) (7) 4. A seer is around to rub it out (5) 5. Said to be a podium (4) 7. Another way to receive Communion (2,3,6) 9. He denied knowing Christ (5,5) 12. What they're doing at the auction (7) 15. It's found on bicycle and piano (5) 17. Son of Ruth (Rt 4) (4)

SOLUTIONS TO #388. ACROSS: 3 Dogmatist, 8 Edom, 9 Star-gazer, 10 Trysts, 11 Chair, 14 Realm, 15 Copy, 16 Plumb, 18 Oxen, 20 Exact, 21 Raise, 24 Dowser, 25 Sacred cow, 26 Fate, 27 Flowering. DOWN: 1 Centurion, 2 Holy water, 4 Oats, 5 March, 6 Tragic, 7 Shem, 9 Stamp, 11 Cause, 12 Royal seal, 13 Mysteries, 17 Below, 19 Narrow, 22 Seder, 23 Wail, 24 Down.

CHURCH CHUCKLE HE little boy is listening to Father’s overly T long and exceedingly dull sermon during the Mass. Suddenly he notices the red sanctuary lamp. Slowly he tugs on his dad’s sleeve, and asks: “Daddy, when the light turns green, can we go?” * * * RABBI, a Catholic priest and a Protestant minister walk into a bar. The barman looks up and asks: “What’s this, a joke?”

Send us your favourite Catholic joke, preferably clean and brief, to The Southern Cross, Church Chuckle, PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000.