The Southern Cross - 110330

March 30 to April 5, 2011

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R5,50 (incl VAT RSA) Reg No. 1920/002058/06

Archbishop Tlhagale on mixed marriages

No 4720

Interview with SA’s deaf and blind priest

Medjugorje, 30 years after first ‘apparition’

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More delays for Radio Veritas in broadcast licence bid STAff RePoRTeR

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Bishop Abel Gabuza greets the faithful after his ordination as bishop of Kimberley. “I have never lived in the Kalahari; I am from the township. So I will have to adapt,” Bishop Gabuza told his new flock. “The most important thing, though, is that I have been sent here to serve you. Your hopes are my hopes. If we are going to make it, we will make it together. This is not my Church; it is our Church. We all belong to the Church.”

Archbishop James Patrick Green, the apostolic nuncio, welcomed the newly ordained bishop to “the Red Hat Gang”, saying the occasion was “a historic new chapter in your life”.

Addressing the crowd, Archbishop Green said: “Kimberley has sent diamonds to the world.

The Vatican has now sent a diamond to you.” (Photo: Mathibela Sebothoma)

FTER a high-powered Church delegation met with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) to discuss a medium wave broadcast licence for Radio Veritas, station director Fr Emil Blaser OP expressed frustration at the prospect of further delays.

The Church delegation included Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban, Archbishops Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg and William Slattery of Pretoria, the bishops’ communications officer Fr Chris Townsend and Fr Blaser. They met with Icasa chairman Stephen Ncube and some of his staff.

Fr Blaser described the meeting as “friendly but frustrating”.

“There are two licences under discussion,” Fr Blaser said. “One is a ‘class licence’, which when granted gives the green light to apply for a broadcast licence. We were told that our class licence application needed nothing more. It fulfilled all the requirements.”

However, the medium wave frequency which Radio Veritas want is categorised as commercial, and therefore not open to community radio. Icasa’s council has gazetted this matter only recently.

“The public is welcome to lodge any objections to the medium frequencies being declared open to community radio. Up to now, no commercial entity has shown any interest. We were told that no one else was interested in the frequency we wanted,” Fr Blaser said.

The recategorisation process is expected to conclude on July 13.

The priest expressed frustration at a processs that after years of application still remains unresolved.

“Two years ago a similar request was issued in the government gazette, but the gazetted information was in many respects

not accurate, to say the least. Some of the requested medium wave frequencies were not listed. Prior to the gazetted matter, Icasa had said publicly that the frequencies would be changed. This did not happen.”

Earlier this year, Radio Veritas was told that the process would be finalised by the end of February—but that deadline was also missed, and the Catholic radio station has been told that they will be informed in July whether their application will proceed.

“The goal posts have been shifted once more,” Fr Blaser said.

“Over the past 11 years we have done everything in our power to move forward but have met with stubborn bureaucracy.

For example, Icasa wants to process our class licence at the same time as our broadcast licence. However, one cannot apply for a broadcast licence without first receiving a class licence. We believe the class licence could have been granted without detriment to a possible spectrum licence. But this has become the stumbling block and we have to wait for bureaucratic processes to take place before anything can happen.”

Fr Blaser also regretted Icasa’s lack in communications. “Were it not for the fact that I enquired by telephone in January about the progress of our class licence, nothing would have happened; the high ranking delegation would not have taken place.”

For now, he said, “there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel and it appears that Icasa would like to help”.

Bureaucratic processes must now take their course, “and we wait in hope”, he said.

Fr Blaser encouraged Catholics to voice their concerns to Icasa by e-mail (chair man@ICASA.co.za; with a copy to eblaser@ radioveritas.co.za).

In the meantime, he said, “let us keep this matter in our prayers. We have faith that in the end we will achieve our objectives”.

Joy as Kimberley diocese gets a diamond

BY MATHIBelA SeBoTHoMA

‘E

k is hier om te bly” (I’m here to stay), said Bishop Abel Gabuza at his first Mass taking charge of the cathedra, or bishop’s chair, at St Mary’s cathedral in Kimberley.

He became the sixth bishop of Kimberley and the diocese’s first black bishop, succeeding Bishop Erwin Hecht OMI, who retired in December 2009.

Almost all the region’s bishops, more than 100 priests, scores of deacons, dozens of women religious and about 5 000 of laity, travelled from all over South Africa, saw Bishop Gabuza, 56, ordained and installed.

During his homily at the installation Mass at St Patrick’s cricket grounds, Archbishop George Daniel, retired of Pretoria, sketched a picture of God’s providence in the life of Bishop Gabuza, who was born in Alexandra township and raised in Tembisa.

He encouraged the new bishop to be a “father to all families and individuals” in his diocese.

The rejoicing wasn’t just limited to Kimberley, the whole country, including Lesotho, Botswana and Namibia, was represented.

“He really was very happy and thrilled about the support he got from the archdiocese of Pretoria,” said Ignitia Motiang from Mabopane.

“His race does not matter. Leave that to politicians. They have picked the right man for the job,” said Mpho Mashamaite, the former altar girl of the bishop. Khabo Mahlangu, a nurse, said the appointment of black bishops is long overdue “because there are few black bishops in South Africa”.

Sheila Masilo said the new bishop “can identify with our needs and culture as he is local, and local is lekker.”

“I hope he will resuscitate discussions on inculturation,” said Sr Letta Mosue. She said the Catholic Church is losing members to Charismatic groups and African Initiated Churches because of the Church’s preference for a Eurocentric style of worship. Gideon Huma, a former classmate, thought the appointment of a black bishop was significant as “it demonstrates the aspired transformation within the Catholic Church”.

“For too long diamonds has been exported in its raw and unprocessed form out of the Northern Cape and returned in a processed, more expensive product. This is indeed a moment of rarity where a diamond

has been given to the people of the Northern Cape, in refined form, moulded in the engine rooms of the Catholic doctrine,” Alvin Botes, MEC for social development in the Northern Cape, told The Southern Cross.

“Our wish is that Bishop Gabuza will translate his youthful activism into the terrain of leading the fight against poverty, with the many partners of the Church,” Mr Botes said.

Qopane, a seminarian, encouraged the people of Kimberley to “drink from their own wells”. He says, unlike Bishop Hecht, the new bishop does not have benefactors in Germany. “Together with the new bishop they need to learn to take care of their own diocese and sustain it themselves.”

Bishop Gabuza has profound pastoral experience. In Pretoria he held positions of seminary lecturer, dean, vicar-general and apostolic administrator. He is the first president of African Catholic Priests Solidarity Movement. Bishops Xolelo Kumalo of Eshowe and Sithembele Sipuka of Mthatha are former members of the movement.

Victor Sofala of the Marriage Preparation Team in Garankuwa said Bishop Gabuza will boost marriage and family life in Kimberley.

He attributes his 30 years of marriage to Vic-

toria to the support they received from the new bishop.

“He is very inspirational and a good preacher,” says Jury Tshoke of Christ the New Man parish. This was evident at the ordination as people laughed out loud and clapped hands at his humour and wisdom.

Pritchard Boyce from Tembisa was impressed by hundreds of people who came from the archdiocese of Pretoria to support their former priest.

Jackson Maphanga says “the son of the soil is multilingual”. He speaks English, Sepedi, Sesotho, Tsonga and isiZulu fluently. To everyone’s amazement, Bishop Gabuza spoke Setswana and Afrikaans at the ordination ceremony. Mr Maphanga predicted that the bishop will soon master all the languages spoken in his new diocese, including isiXhosa.

Dr Linda Zwane of Witbank advised his former seminary classmate “to form a strong pastoral team of priests around him as he is new to Kimberley and in a sense an outsider. This will do him good”.

“He is here to stay and he will be a good bishop even more than a diamond” concluded Fr Bernard Seane, a senior priest in Kimberley.

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The Southern Cross, March 30 to April 5, 2011

‘Canticle of the Universe’ embroidery to be exhibited

BY ClAIRe MATHIeSoN

BY ClAIRe MATHIeSoN

S

A

GROUP of veteran sewers and embroiderers from the Kopanang Community Trust will be showing off their wares at an exhibition at Iziko, the Natural History Museum in Cape Town from April 15.

Kopanang Project Manager Elinor Rothwell said the group will take the opportunity to “explain their wonderfully creative and original work” through 45 wall hangings focused on the theme The Canticle of The Universe, a “deeply religious and creative representation of Creation”.

The trust was formed on the East Rand of Johannesburg in 2001 driven by the call to help women desperately in need of community support from the impact of HIV/Aids, as well as to provide a sustainable financial income to feed their families and extended families, often pushed beyond capacity due to their siblings' children being orphaned.

“Women come to Kopanang to share their hopes for a different future by the way they embrace their present reality of struggle and sickness; learning skills that will lift them into a new awareness of the power of community, and enabling them to share their cultural and spiritual stories,” said the organisation’s director, Dominican Sister Sheila Flynn.

Ms Rothwell said the trust is a legally constituted association of

Learning takes on new heights

Members of the Kopanang Community Trust prepare for the embroidery exhibition to be held at Iziko, Natural History Museum in Cape Town, from the middle of April.

41 women, all of whom support large families. “About half our membership has grandmother status with the other half being natural or adoptive mothers.” Ms Rothwell explained that putting children orphaned by HIV/Aids into care is not part of the local culture. Kopanang means gathering together in Sotho.

Kopanang also provides skills training, computer training and driving lessons, HIV and Aids education, child care, counselling and therapy. Today there are two outreach centres in KwaNdebele, and in Hlabisa, KwaZulu-Natal.

The women presenting their work in April are graduates of the

skills training courses. They are all unemployed and reside in an impoverished area where “transport is scarce and expensive and infrastructure has improved little in the last twenty years but crime, overcrowding, ill health and malnutrition are on the increase”, said Ms Rothwell.

Kopanang helps the women learn skills so that, if they are committed to the project, they can keep food on the table.

Ms Rothwell estimates that Kopanang’s support reaches 500 families in the area.

The exhibition runs from April 15 in Cape Town. For more information visit www.kopanang.org

“OPEN YOUR HEARTS TO GOD’S MERCY AND HE WILL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED” ( Gospa’s message Nov 25, 2010)

EVEN learners and their teacher from CBC St Patrick’s in Kimberley have embarked on an educational exchange programme with students from Ecuador.

The programme was started last year by Bruce Phillips, principal of St Patrick’s, and Paul Turner, principal of Collegio Terra Nova—an independent international school in the Ecuador’s capital, Quito. It is a programme open for any learner from Grade 10 who wishes to experience a different culture.

The learners spend eight weeks in Ecuador and shortly after their return to South Africa, ten Ecuadorian learners will arrive for their exchange opportunity with two of their teachers.

Currently accompanying the St Patrick’s learners is their teacher Peter Maynier. “The South African learners stay with parents in Ecuador for eight weeks, attend school, write exams as far as possible, attend basic French and Spanish classes and work in outreach programmes,” he said.

Mr Maynier said the students

have adapted well to Ecuadorian life—enjoying the food and learning the languages. He joked the South Africans quickly learnt why it was called a rainforest.

The South Africans have been working with children from disadvantaged backgrounds and have visited the aged in a local home run by the Missionary of Charity Sisters.

But, Mr Maynier added, it was not all hard work. “They go on a trip of five days to the Amazon, climb the world’s highest volcano, Mount Cotopaxi, and visit the famous indigenous market Otavalo and the lake of San Pablo.” Other highlights include visits to Mitad del Mundo (known as the “centre of the earth”), a trip to the renowned Quilotoa and an opportunity to spend the night in a traditional indigenous hut at 2 800m above sea level and time at a volcano that erupted last year.

The visiting Ecuadorian students will also experience local schools and traditions and will be treated to various South African tourism highlights on their visit to the country later this year.

CBC St Patrick’s learners stand with their families shortly before departing for the ecuadorian capital, Quito, on a Grade 10 exchange programme.

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Revision to immigration bill harms skill growth

BY ClAIRe MATHIeSoN

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NEW paper issued by the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office (CPLO) has found the revision process of government’s Immigration Act of 2002 to be fraught with problems ranging from communication to refugee issues.

However, while the finer details are still being argued, the biggest complaint is that government does not seem to know whether or not it wants immigrants in South Africa, even with the clear understanding that immigrants are needed. Despite this, members of Parliament passed the bill in March this year and the bill now awaits the National Council of Provinces for concurrence.

Written by CPLO researcher Dadisai Taderera, the paper said that it was a common understanding that if the economy is to grow there is need for more artisans, skilled workers and entrepreneurs.

However, “given the legacy of apartheid and the difficulties of

turning around the education system, South Africa has simply not been able to produce sufficient numbers of school-leavers and graduates with these much-needed skills. This situation has been exacerbated by the brain drain experienced since the early ’90s”.

Ms Taderera said in light of the lack of skills globally it was surely in the country’s best interests to attract immigrants, yet the Immigration Amendment Bill recently passed by parliament “is the antithesis of this”.

“Instead of attending to the inefficiency of the current system in order to make it work better, it seeks to restrict migration and to impose harsher sentences on those who are found in contravention of the law, many of whom are in that position as a result of the department’s failure to do its work.”

Ms Taderera added that it also shows a lack of understanding of the important contribution foreign nationals have made, and can continue to make, to South Africa. She said what was really needed was

Church needs a “change of heart” says professor

BY GeRAlD SHAW

P

ROFESSOR Brian Robertson, national coordinator of We are Church South Africa (WACSA), said at the movement’s inaugural meeting that he believed a change of heart was needed in the Church, as initiated at the Second Vatican Council.

A group of 23, including two priests and a nun, met in Cape Town at the inaugural meeting of the Western Cape branch of WACSA. Professor Robertson, a leading South African psychiatrist, said that the organisation’s name was not intended as an arrogant or exclusive manifesto. Rather, he said, it reflects the teaching of the Council which defined the Church inclusively as “the People of God” and not consisting only of hierarchy and clergy, or Catholic Christians only. This international movement, which is now established in 44 countries, is a movement of reform inside the Catholic

Church, seeking to bring about change on the basis of the decrees and theological spirit of the Council, Professor Robertson said.

The Church is this year celebrating the 50th anniversary of the summoning of the Council by Bl Pope John XXII, who said he wanted the Church to engage in the modern world and all the hopes, joys, fears and anxieties of all its peoples.

The meeting discussed a wide range of topics. There was consensus that many people were greatly troubled by what they see as a malaise in the Church and saw a need for urgent, far-reaching reform. Such people were potentially members or supporters of WACSA, the meeting agreed.

Professor Robertson said he feared many young people and others not so young were leaving the Church as debate was stifled.

Efforts were needed to attract the youth “to enjoy a life of liberating love and radical inclusivity in the Catholic Church”, he said.

“robust empirical research in order to uncover the real picture and to understand the reasons why people come to South Africa”.

The legislation currently makes it difficult for many to immigrate to South Africa, but has made it easier for students to obtain visas.

Ms Taderera said it seemed as if the Department of Home Affairs was simply trying to keep people out, adding that this fuels xenophobia.

“The discriminatory practices of the apartheid era appear to have been resurrected in the proposed amendments, as they will make immigration very difficult for poor people (who are, in this context, overwhelmingly from other African countries) while still leaving the way open for wealthier people (mostly from first world countries),” she wrote.

Currently being debated in parliament are the conditions under which immigration is permitted.

The department proposes to do away with the special skills permits, granted to applicants who excel in a particular field and could contribute similarly in South Africa. It has been proposed that this be replaced with a “critical skills permit”—a list of predetermined skills the country wants to attract.

However, “if past experience is anything to go by, these lists will

A Zimbabwean man waits outside a Department of Home Affairs refugee office in Cape Town, South Africa. The amnesty for visa-free crossing into South Africa granted to Zimbabweans expired at the end of last year, alarming immigrants who face mass deportations. (Photo: Mike Hutchings, Reuters, CNS) be problematic. The department has failed to update the critical skills list used to determine who qualifies for a quota permit since 2007,” Ms Taderera said.

Ms Taderera’s research showed that migration is a reality that governments cannot escape, especially in growing economies, however if managed properly it can yield significant benefits to the country.

She said it does not help to release press statements such as the recent one by Home Affairs Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-

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“Certainly, the current dichotomy between what the government says it wants to do, and what the legislative amendments will actually do, will neither combat xenophobia nor create a sense of certainty for foreign nationals in this country.”

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The Southern Cross, March 30 to April 5, 2011

INTERNATIONAL

Priest wants Church action on child porn A NEW report on paedophilia and child pornography reveals that 0,4% of internet servers discovered by a protection agency that manages the traffic of child pornography are found in Africa—all of them on servers in Libya.

The report by the Italy-based Meter Association agency, which battles paedophilia and child pornography, was presented at a press conference by its head, Fr

Fortunato di Noto.

Fr di Noto called for better ways of policing Internet sites, especially in certain countries, that perpetrate these crimes.

Meter has been working on several initiatives to fight these crimes and raise awareness among internet users. From April 25 to May 1, the association will sponsor a week for Children Victims of Violence, Abuse and Indifference.

“Meter is at the service of the Church, of the pope, of the bishops

and of the dioceses in what concerns the ministry for pre-adolescents, adolescents, young people in the educational realm and support in new forms of exploitation and abuse, in addition to itineraries of faith in the light of the hope that is revived,” Fr di Noto said.

He emphasised the need to establish an “episcopal vicar for children” in all dioceses.

This proposal, he said, does not seek the creation of more figures or offices, but it will give “a clear and

evident sign of how the Church loves children”.

“I often wonder why in parish pastoral councils or in the dioceses there is a youth ministry but not one for children,” the priest said.

“We should reinvent our way of carrying out pastoral work.”

The real challenge, he said, is to enable “the victims who have lost hope to come out of the tunnel of silence and find their dignity again, a dignity that has been darkened precisely by those that more than

anyone should protect and love them: fathers and teachers”.

“No one should remain silent here,” Fr Di Noto said. “All should go out to make a cultural revolution.”

Meter agency runs a national hotline for aiding victims and giving telephone consultations and provides a forum for Internet users to report suspicious activity, and partners with the Italian authorities in charge of policing the Internet to bring criminals to justice.—CISA

Vatican: Some sex acts must be outlawed

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TATES have the right and duty to regulate people’s behaviour, including some sexual behaviours, a Vatican official told the United Nations Human Rights Council.

“A state should never punish a person or deprive a person of the enjoyment of any human right based just on the person’s feelings and thoughts, including sexual thoughts and feelings. But states can and must regulate behaviours, including various sexual behaviours,” said Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Vatican’s representative to UN agencies in Geneva.

The archbishop said that there is consensus among societies that “certain kinds of sexual behaviours must be forbidden by law. Pae-

dophilia and incest are two examples.”

The Vatican affirms “the inherent dignity and worth of all human beings” and condemns “all violence that is targeted against people because of their sexual feelings and thoughts or sexual behaviours”, Archbishop Tomasi said.

However, there is “some unnecessary confusion” as to what is protected when talking about sexual orientation, he said. Sexual orientation “refers to feelings and thoughts, not behaviour”.

In 2008, a proposed declaration presented to the UN General Assembly sought to condemn violence, harassment, discrimination and exclusion based on sexual orientation and gender identity and to

endorse the universal decriminalisation of homosexuality.

In more than 70 countries, homosexual activity is a crime which in some cases is punishable with imprisonment, torture or the death penalty.

The Vatican is against considering homosexuality a crime and supports ending violence against homosexuals, but does not support granting new rights.

The Vatican’s opposition to the declaration stems from a concern that such a declaration might be used to put pressure on or discriminate against countries that do not recognise same-sex marriage, said Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican’s apostolic nuncio to the United Nations.—CNS

African bishops’ conference called to work together

T

HE president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (Secam), Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, has appealed to all bishops’ conferences on the continent to demonstrate beyond words their commitment to Secam.

The Tanzanian cardinal said this in a message read on his behalf by Secam’s secretary-general, Fr François-Xavier Damiba, dur-

ing the opening ceremony of a five-day meeting of the secretariesgenerals in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Cardinal Pengo encouraged the officials to work together and share experiences with the view to finding lasting solutions to the challenges facing them on national, regional and continental levels, with specific reference to justice, peace and reconciliation matters.

The secretary-general of the

International Catholic Migration Commission, Johan Ketelers, stressed the need for the Church in Africa to seriously consider the challenges facing Africans who migrate to Western Countries.

He appealed to the Church to encourage their governments to create an enabling environment for people, particularly the youth, to stay in their countries instead of migrating to other countries in search of non-existent jobs.—CISA

A crucifix hangs in a school classroom in Rome. A european human rights court ruled this month that crucifixes are acceptable in public schools. The decision effects the 27 countries of the european Union.

(Photo: Reuters/CNS)

Priests ‘should study Islam’

I

NCLUSION of Islamic studies in African seminaries is a right move towards preparing future priests for the challenging pastoral service ahead of them, according to Fr Frédéric Mvumbi OP, a lecturer of Islamic Studies at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya.

Priests’ knowledge of people of other faiths, such as Islam, will

make them more effective servants of God, he said in a public lecture.

Fr Mvumbi said it was encouraging to see that some of the seminaries have already included Islamic studies in their curriculum.

One of the major challenges faced by Christians is to embrace love for fellow Christians and those of others faiths, the dean of the university’s Arts and Sciences faculty said.—CISA

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The Southern Cross, March 30 to April 5, 2011

5

Irish Church ‘still vibrant’

BY MICHAel KellY

W

HILE the Irish Catholic Church might not be as numerically strong as it was in the past, there is still a great vibrancy in Irish Catholicism, said Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin.

“The Church is not on the way to extinction. It is carrying out a vital role in society,” he said at a seminar on Church-state relations.

“It is easy to point to areas where the Church failed its people, failed society, failed its mission and, sadly, failed its most vulnerable...but the balance of the activity of the Church in Irish society is one where the message of Jesus produced goodness and care and deep reflection on the meaning of life and of society,” he said.

“Alongside its failures, the Church over the years has never been absent from the most alienated sectors of society,” he added.

In the political sphere the Church does not have all the answers, but Catholics “cannot simply adopt politically correct positions”, he said. “The Church must always have the internal freedom to take positions that are culturally unpopular,” While not referring directly to the new Irish government’s plan to hold a constitutional convention to bring forward legislation on same-sex marriage, Archbishop Martin said that marriage between a man and a woman is “a fundamental good in society” and deserves protection.

Underlining the need for renewal in his Dublin archdio-

Jailed Pakistani Catholic ‘was murdered’ in hate campaign

P

AKISTANI Christians have charged that Catholic businessman Qamar David, imprisoned for life for blasphemy, was tortured and murdered and did not die of a heart attack as stated in a medical report.

Mr David, 55, was found dead in his prison cell in Karachi on March 15.

“Qamar David might have fallen prey to an active hate campaign going on in the country on this issue by extremist groups,” the Catholic bishops’ national commission for Justice and Peace said in an e-mail.

The Asian Church news agency UCA News reported that Auxiliary Bishop Sebastian Shah of Lahore celebrated Mr David’s funeral at St Joseph Church in Lahore.

Women wailed as the coffin was placed in front of the altar.

Fr Andrew Nisari asked the congregation of more than 200 to be undeterred in their faith.

“Another historic chapter has been added in our struggle against the fatal logic,” said the priest, referring to the blasphemy laws. “The persecution and discrimination, especially in finding jobs”, has frustrated young people, he added.

Mr David, a wealthy businessman, was arrested in 2006 for being in possession of a SIM phone used for sending derogatory messages insulting the Prophet Mohammed. Though a Muslim also accused was acquitted for lack of evidence, in 2010 the Catholic was given life imprisonment and fined 101 000 rupees (about R8 500) under the

Muslim leaders in lahore protest against Pope Benedict’s call for the abolition of Pakistan's blasphemy law on January 12. (Photo: Mohsin Raza, Reuters/CNS) blasphemy laws.

Clergy, Church activists and the family of the victim have slammed the initial findings of the doctors.

Mr David’s lawyer, Pervez Chaudhry, maintained that the allegations were spurious, triggered by a business rivalry, and that the conviction was the result of pressure from local religious clerics and their supporters.

The incident is the latest in a series of blasphemy-related killings. Prayers are still being held around the country for Shahbaz Bhatti, the federal Cabinet minister assassinated earlier this month for trying to amend the blasphemy laws.

The blasphemy laws give life imprisonment and the death penalty to those convicted of insulting the Quran and Prophet Mohammed, respectively.

Church groups, who condemned these laws for decades, have adopted a low profile in the wake of recent killings.—CNS

cese—Ireland’s largest with about 1,1 million Catholics and almost 1,500 priests—he said “a renewal of structures alone would be sterile”.

“The great reformers of the Church in history were never primarily strategic analysts, but saints,” the archbishop said.

He said in the midst of shock and shame about the clerical abuse scandals “the Church is robust”.

“Parish communities are renewing themselves. Priests are carrying out their ministry with enthusiasm in difficult times. Laypeople are taking their part in the structures of the Church.

“We have parishes which were never so vibrant at any other time in their history. All of this should not be forgotten,” he said.—CNS

Pope on the role of parishes

BY CINDY WooDeN

A

PARISH church is a place for people to get to know God better, to worship him together and to learn how to take the message of his love to the neighbourhood and the world, Pope Benedict said at the dedication of a new church in Rome.

“Grow in the knowledge and love of Christ as individuals and as a parish community and encounter him in the Eucharist, in listening to his word, in prayer and in charity,” the pope told parishioners at the new St Corbinian church.

The parish on the southern edge of Rome was financed with

BY CARol GlATZ

H

ELPING Christians in the Holy Land with concrete material and spiritual support is a fundamental part of bringing peace to the region, said Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches.

Unfortunately there is a “sorrowful tendency of Christian emigration which impoverishes the entire area, draining it of the most vital forces constituted by the young generations,” he said in a written appeal to bishops around the world.

The letter is sent every year to bishops to encourage parishes in their dioceses to support the Holy Land collection, which traditionally is taken up during Good Friday services.

Cardinal Sandri, who coordi-

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help from the archdiocese of Munich and Freising, Germany, where Pope Benedict served as archbishop in the late 1970s and early 1980s before being named prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

And, he told parishioners, his papal coat of arms features the symbol most closely associated with St Corbinian: a brown bear loaded with a pack on his back.

Legend holds that St Corbinian, a Frenchman who became the first bishop of Freising in the early 700s, was on his way to Rome when a bear attacked and killed his horse. St Corbinian punished the bear by making him carry the saint’s belongings the

rest of the way to Rome.

Pope Benedict said church buildings and parish communities are essential for Christian life and worship.

“In every neighbourhood where people live and work, the Church wants to be present with the evangelical witness of coherent and faithful Christians, but also with buildings where they can gather for prayer and the sacraments, for Christian formation and to establish relationships of friendship and brotherhood and where children, youths, families and the aged can grow in that spirit of community that Christ taught us and that the world needs so badly,” he said.—CNS

Call to give for Holy Land Christians

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nates the Holy Land collection, said there has been an increasing number of pilgrims to the Holy Land thanks in part to Pope Benedict’s visit there in 2009 and the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East in 2010.

However, despite the “few positive signs” in the region, escalating violence continues against Christians, who are experiencing real martyrdom and “suffering because of instability or the absence of peace”, the letter said.

Along with Cardinal Sandri’s appeal, the Vatican published a report on the projects funded in 2009-2010 in Israel, the West Bank and Jordan.

Many of the projects combine archaeological studies and restoration of Christian shrines with the improvement of pilgrim facilities and convents at the same site.

Funds collected around the world help support university scholarships for Christian students in the region, craft-making businesses, social and medical services for the poor, financial assistance to struggling parishes and schools and a project to build apartments for poor families and young couples.

In addition, the collection helps support the faculty of biblical sciences and archaeology at a Franciscan-run institute in Jerusalem, the Franciscan Media Centre and the Magnificat Institute, a music school for students from different cultures.

Last year, the Holy Land collections in the Southern African region for the first time topped R1 million, according to Fr Hyacinth Ennis OFM, the region's representative to the Commissariat of the Holy Land.—CNS

6

The Southern Cross, March 30 to April 5, 2011

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

A time for Catholic radio

C

ATHOLICS in many countries across Africa take it for granted that they have access to a radio station that communicates their faith.

Indeed, some African countries have more than one Catholic radio station.

Such Catholics would doubtless be bemused to learn that there is no Catholic voice on the airwaves in the continent’s most prosperous country.

This is not for lack of trying by the Catholic Church. Since its inception in the 1990s, Radio Veritas has persistently applied for a licence to broadcast on a public frequency. For 11 years, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has refused Catholic radio a presence on the airwaves by referring to statutes and bureaucracy.

At times, the bureaucratic experience has been frustrating and surreal. At first, Icasa denied Radio Veritas the status of a community station because its listenership was not concentrated in a geographic area. But once Icasa consented to the notion of the Catholic Church as a community of interest, it denied Radio Veritas’ application for a broadcast licence because it was not a commercial station.

In the interim, the legal processes that might have resolved the dilemma—by recategorising frequencies to be open to community stations—were left unresolved, without explanation. All the while, the medium wave frequency which Radio Veritas wishes to occupy and nobody else seems to want has remained dormant.

We welcome the news that, according to Radio Veritas station director Fr Emil Blaser, “it appears that Icasa would like to help” Radio Veritas, and now invest our hopes in the re-opening of the process, which is scheduled to conclude on July 13. We trust that Icasa will have no more reason to deny Radio Veritas a medium wave frequency.

Until then, however, Catholics must not be idle. Until July 13, Catholics must demonstrate to Icasa not only that they want access to Radio Veritas’ programmes on the air, but also

that further delays in completing a torturous cycle of applications to accomplish this will not be tolerable to the Church. Fr Blaser suggests that Catholics might engage with the chairman of Icasa via e-mails on this matter.

This does not mean, of course, that Catholics must resort to invective or threats, nor should we presume that Icasa’s insistence on bureaucratic necessity and, at times, inept procrastination is an indication of antiCatholicism (indeed, some of its functionaries have been Catholics sympathetic to Radio Veritas’ plight).

At the same time, there seems to persist a perception among South African officials that it is easier to disappoint Catholics than other, less timid social groups. Catholics are well advised to disabuse officialdom of such notions.

Catholics are within their rights to appeal broadly for Radio Veritas to be granted a home on the airways. Certainly, our members of parliament are entitled to know of their Catholic constituents’ concerns, and be motivated to take a keen interest in them.

A Catholic broadcaster is vital to the Church in South Africa, and beneficial to society in general. It is important that Radio Veritas should reach a wider audience than is possible under the imperfect present arrangement—the radio broadcasts on DStv and streams its programmes on the Internet— which by force excludes the poor.

The station’s role is not only to inform the public about activities and debates within the Catholic Church, but also to promote aims for the greater social good.

Catholic radio is particularly valued in troubled countries for articulating the aspirations of people weary of conflict, corruption, poverty and moral degeneration. In South Africa, it would contribute to a moral regeneration of society.

Radio Veritas’ presence on the airwaves is overdue. May Icasa finally, after 11 years of sidelining the Catholic voice, correct a broadcasting injustice.

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.

A passion for the Lord’s prayer

M

ICHAEL Shackleton’s Open Door article, “Clarifying doxology” (February 16) responds to the question “Why do we say the doxology of the Lord’s Prayer during Holy Mass only, and not on a daily basis?”.

His reply expands on what is meant by the doxology: “For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever.”

My understanding of the word “doxology”, is as it is defined in various dictionaries: “Ascription of praise to the Deity”; “giving praise to God”. By these definitions, surely the Lord’s Prayer, in its entirety, is defined as doxology?

The Lord’s Prayer has been a particular passion of mine over the last few years, especially the unfortunate general habit of reciting by rote, at speed, without giving prop-

Agree to differ

I

COMPLIMENT you on your ability to identify interesting contributors to The Southern Cross—they all help to make it a most interesting weekly Catholic newspaper and contribute to strengthening our faith. I do however have a problem with certain comments made by both Emmanuel Ngara and Alistair T Gogodo CMM (March 2).

In his most interesting article “You’re unique for a reason”, Mr Ngara writes: “Without a doubt salvation can only come through Jesus Christ.” I have known some exceptional people who were hard-working, honest and with love for others. However they are Buddhist, Hindus, and Muslims. I cannot accept that our creator and loving God would condemn them because they were not fortunate enough to be brought up as Christians.

I agree with Fr Gogodo in “Lent: A time to love”, that as Christians we must do all we can to help and give to those who are in genuine need: the sick, the blind, the maimed and the elderly and all women and children in need.

But I do not agree we should encourage begging. We should do all we possibly can to help those who are willing to work to help themselves and others, but never destroy the dignity of God’s creation by encouraging the healthy and able-bodied to beg.

Roy Glover, Tzaneen

The Quran sadly misquoted

P

ETER Onesta, “No Reciprocity” (January 12), quotes from a book entitled Facts on Islam.

This book was written by John

er thought or reverence to what precisely is being said.

The original reverential intent of the prayer seems to have disappeared from general use. I had a very interesting experience in this regard when I attended the very last Mighty Men conference in KwaZulu -Natal, with a number of Christian friends of other religious persuasions.

Just before breaking camp and going our separate ways, our group of about 20 had a closing discussion as to what, if anything, we got from the gathering. I stated to the group that I had not once, throughout the weekend, heard the Lord’s Prayer recited in praise, and requested that all join me in the prayer in closing.

As we were leaving, I asked one particularly committed Christian friend why he and many of the Ankerberg and John Weldon, both of whom hail from a fundamentalist Protestant background, and who are as anti-Catholic as they are antiMuslim. In fact, they have written numerous books attacking almost every faith tradition but their own.

Are they qualified to speak on Islam? Hardly.

Mr Onesta fails to give us the chapter and verse of his first quote from the Quran. In fact, it is 4:101 and he has horribly (or mischievously) misquoted it. This verse has an obvious context: attacks made on Muslims travelling in foreign territories. It has nothing to do with Muslims’ attitudes towards nonMuslims. The words—seek out your enemies relentlessly—are then tacked on. However, these do not form part of verse 101, but of verse 104, and they have a completely different context. Even if this verse had been correctly quoted, it would still have little relevance. In the Quran, the word “disbelievers” does not always and necessarily refer to Christians and Jews—there are other verses which draw a clear distinction between Jews and Christians (“the people of the book”) and “disbelievers”.

What do other verses of the Quran, ignored or unknown by Mr Onesta, have to say about non-Muslims? Here are a few: “And argue not with the People of the Scripture (Christians and Jews) unless it be in (a way) that is better, save as such of them as do wrong; and say: “We 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.

other so-called apostolic break-away Christian groups did not use the Lord’s Prayer in their group or personal prayers. His simple answer was both illuminating and supportive of my personal experience and belief: “As with many formal prayers within the Catholic, Anglican and larger Protestant denominations, most are recited by rote, with apparently very little personal, reverential and heartfelt personal communion with our Father, maker and Lord God.” There are many fine Catholic publications on prayer available, but I feel that the simple action of slowing down the tempo within the Mass, short breaks at the end of each statement or paragraph to give emphasis and time for reflection on each intent, will eventually bring us all back to proper worship and understanding of our Catholic faith.

Loz Hayden, Broederstroom, Gauteng believe in that which hath been revealed to us and revealed unto you: our God and your God is One, and unto Him we surrender” (29: 46).

“Lo! those who believe (in that which is revealed unto thee, Muhammad), and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabaeans—whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right—surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them, neither shall they grieve” (2:62, repeated in 5:69).

Doctrinally, Islam (like Judaism) does not accept the Incarnation or the Trinity. But nowhere does it suggest that Christians will go to hell for believing these doctrines.

The so-called “verse of the sword” (9:29), mentioned by Mr Onesta, is without doubt problematic (although, in the larger scheme of things, no less problematic than a number of Old Testament verses which call for wholesale slaughter).

Mr Onesta bemoans a lack of reciprocity: but Christianity never was a religion demanding reciprocity.

We don’t only love people who love us, nor are we kind only to those who are kind to us. But most of all, Mr Onesta has forgotten the basic principle in dealing with religions and religious people: that principles should not be judged by practice— religion is one thing and human behaviour, good or bad, is quite another.

The truths inherent in a particular faith are never eradicated by the misbehaviour of its adherents. I should hate to see the truth of Catholicism judged according to the way it is lived by some people.

Islam is, I believe, entitled to the same courtesy.

Fr Christopher Clohessy, Cape Town

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for more details contact Elna ferreira Tel: 082 975 0034

PERSPECTIVES

Stir the melting pot

M

ARRIAGES across racial or ethnic lines are a fruit of love like any other marriage. Yet, in the present South Africa, such marriages still raise eyebrows.

If the truth be told, some South Africans from different racial and ethnic backgrounds appear to harbour racial and cultural prejudices which should have been done away with when the new democratic order was ushered in in 1994.

But then, both moral conversion and the change of a mindset ordinarily do not take place overnight. Clearly this is one of the major challenges facing South Africa as it aspires to promote loyalty to a single flag, a single nation.

Marriages across the racial line are perhaps more than your run-of-the-mill marriages. Given the past history of statesponsored, deeply ingrained racial divisions, these marriages are an example of true grit, of genuine strength of character.

Spouses in mixed marriages know that they are members of a particular racial, cultural or ethnic group. But they primarily see themselves as individuals. They jealously guard their private space and resent invasion from family or society.

They determine their own destiny and do not allow the collective to impose their tastes or preferences.

The couples consider themselves unshackled from the tyranny of the collective. That is why they put themselves forward as a formidable challenge to South Africans to make a clean break with racial prejudice especially by those who consider themselves to have been victims of racial segregation in the past.

Marriages across colour lines underscore some of the values that are foundational to the new democratic order in South Africa. Such marriages are a hard evidence of people who refuse to be bullied by the prejudices of both family and society.

Couples in such marriages have buried the artificial divisions of the past. They

courageously subscribe whole-heartedly to the value of freedom to choose one’s partner, irrespective of tradition and custom.

Communities are often out of kilter with the new values embodied in the Constitution of the country; values such as freedom of choice, freedom of association, equality, participation, mutual acceptance and mutual respect. These values are embraced at a deeper, personal level by racially mixed couples.

Racially mixed marriages are part and parcel of the new moral order in the South African society where people are no longer—or ought no longer—to be judged by the colour of their skin. During the reign of H F Verwoerd and his successors, mixed couples were vilified, harassed, and made to feel unclean and unwanted in accordance with the moral code forged in the belly of the apartheid beast. Many were ultimately driven into self-imposed exile.

Today’s mixed couples defy conformity to the discredited political ethic of the previous government. They consciously follow their heart’s desire and their own mind. They fully embrace the dictates of their own consciences. By making their own free choice, they promote the dignity of persons and transcend the biologically determined categories and labels.

M

ixed couples are at the heart of building a new South African society where people are judged not by the colour of their skin or by the group to which they belong, but by who they are: self-respecting, conscious, disciplined and committed citizens of South Africa.

Some parents are horrified when their son or daughter marries across the racial line. Worse still if they marry across the colour line, abandon their own faith and adopt the religion of the spouse.

Some parents feel betrayed. They think that what they stand for has been completely undermined; that what they thought they had taught, has been simply rejected.

How is God calling you?

I

N last month’s column we saw that there is no one like you in the whole wide world—you are in fact number one!

The amazing thing to ponder is that our God is so great, and yet he places such importance on each of us as if we are the only human being he ever created! It is this amazing generosity of our God that led David the psalmist to cry out: “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings, and crowned him with glory and honour” (Ps 8).

Yes, you are so insignificant and yet so great in the eyes of God that he has given you a special mission in the history of salvation! But how can you be certain that God is calling you to a particular mission?

Let us begin by looking at examples from the Bible: Moses saw a burning bush and went to investigate. When he got close to the bush God called him by name, told him to remove his sandals and then identified himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob before he told Moses of the mission of delivering the children of Israel from Egyptian slavery.

The boy Samuel heard his name being called and thought it was Eli the priest

who was calling him.

Mary was visited by the Angel Gabriel.

Saul saw a bright light, fell from his horse and was blind for three days.

These days it is not usual to see burning bushes, be visited by angels or undergo a dramatic Damascus experience like that of Saul who became Paul. Many messengers of God in our time do not exactly fall from galloping horses, but there are some for whom the impact of the call can be so great that its effects are equivalent to Paul’s Damascus experience.

For the vast majority of people, the call can come like a gentle breeze that turns your head in a certain direction and pulls you gently in that direction.

I

n our time, God has chosen to use the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to call his servants. It is the Spirit within us that directs us, and what we need to do is to read the signs and recognise the voice of the Spirit prompting us.

The Spirit speaks to us in different ways, but the following are some of the indicators: First, when God calls us, he gives us gifts—talents that will assist us in carrying out our mission. He will not call us to something that is completely beyond our abilities because he wants us to find fulfilment in the performance of our task.

The American evangelical minister Rick Warren has correctly said: “The abilities you do have are a strong indication

Archbishop Buti Tlhagale OMI

The Southern Cross, March 30 to April 5, 2011

Michael Shackleton open Door

Point of Debate This, of course, is not how racially mixed couples see it. For them their love brings other new challenges apart from racial hang-ups. The adapted words of the biblical Ruth can be used to describe the feelings of mixed couples: “Where ever you live, I will live. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God” (Ruth 1:16).

Couples willingly expose themselves to each other’s cultural and spiritual treasures. They are interested in each other’s ways of knowing, doing and being. This hopefully enriches their way of being present to each other and strengthens mutual understanding. Such an exposure facilitates communication across cultural and religious divides.

The children of such couples are often exposed to two or three languages within their own homes. Already at an early age, they are tentatively exposed to the reality of difference and diversity.

The offspring of mixed marriages are the torch-bearers of the new society, not by appearances, but by what they symbolically stand for. They are the incarnation of the love of their parents. They bear within their inner depths inherited spiritual qualities or virtues of respect for persons, mutual acceptance and courage.

They are an expression of hope for an inclusive society, freed from the trammels of racial prejudice.

To seek to apply racial epithets to them would be tantamount to embracing decline instead of moral progress. It would indeed be a betrayal of the aspirations of a new nation.

South Africans need to redouble their efforts to transcend the hurtful racial and ethnic divisions of the past. The debates in the public square on these matters also need to show a measure of self-restraint.

The fundamental challenge to all of us, is simply to strive to be more human. n Archbishop Buti Tlhagale heads the archdiocese of Johannesburg.

Emmanuel Ngara Christian leadership

of what God wants you to do with your life.” When you feel you are called to a certain vocation or mission, ask yourself whether you have the skills or talents that will enable you to perform your duties.

The second indicator of a genuine call is what your heart tells you. You may find that at a certain point in your life you constantly think about a particular profession or way of life. So, pay attention to your intuition and listen to your heart. See that vocation, that profession, that ministry or way of life that draws you towards it and really excites you.

Third, pray to the Holy Spirit and follow his promptings. As you pray, seek confirmation of your calling by asking for advice from senior and trusted members of the profession. The prophet Isaiah says a time will come when: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying: ‘This is the way; walk in it!’” (Is 30:21).

You might retort by saying: “Yes, there was a time when I followed these guidelines, only to find out that what I thought was my calling led me to a blind alley. What then?” We will explore this dilemma in the next column. n Catch up with Emmanuel Ngara’s columns at www.scross.co.za/category/ ngara/

7

Tridentine Mass every Sunday?

The local parish has the Tridentine Mass on three mornings per week in place of the normal Ordo, “forcing” daily Mass-goers to endure it. It is also celebrated on two Sundays a month in place of the normal Mass. Is this what the Holy Father intended in permitting the old rite?

We’re told the local priest would eventually like the Tridentine Mass every Sunday at the normal times. Your comments, please.

Rosemary Beukes N July, 2007 Pope Benedict published his motu propriu Summorum pontificum. Put broadly, his purpose was to bring back to the Church individuals and groups who had felt alienated by the newer liturgy and “to place at the Church’s disposal all the treasures of the Latin liturgy that for centuries had nourished the spiritual life of so many”.

Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, then head of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, which handles the care of traditionalist Catholics, explained that permitting the older usage “is not a matter of going backwards, of returning to the times before the 1970 reform”.

The pope had no intention of reinstating the ancient rite. So he distinguished between the two liturgical usages of the same Roman Rite, namely the extraordinary and the ordinary.

The extraordinary is the traditional so-called Tridentine Mass as promulgated by John XXIII (1962). The ordinary is the modern liturgy approved by Paul VI (1970), presented in the spoken language of the faithful, which remains the norm wherever the Roman Rite is used.

Pope Benedict instructed that in Masses celebrated without the people, any priest can use the Tridentine Mass on any day except some days of Holy Week. Faithful who ask to be admitted to such celebrations may attend.

In parishes where a stable group of faithful who adhere to the traditional Mass ask for it to be celebrated, the parish priest should willingly accommodate them. This would include other sacraments, such as baptism and marriage.

In January 2010 the same Commission added that a parish priest may at any time use the ancient rite publicly “so that the faithful, young and old, can become familiar with the old rites and benefit from their evident beauty and transcendence”.

This means, when the need arises, the parish priest may decide to celebrate public Masses in the extraordinary form even at scheduled Sunday times. He may not habitually replace the ordinary liturgy (1970) with the extraordinary liturgy (1962), because Pope Benedict has made it clear that the extraordinary liturgy is the exception, not the norm.

I

n Send your queries to Open Door, Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000; or e-mail: opendoor@scross.co.za; or fax (021) 465 3850. Anonymity can be preserved by arrangement, but questions must be signed, and may be edited for clarity.

Only published questions will be answered.

Pilgrimage to Italy & France, led by Archbishop William Slattery

The Archdiocese of Pretoria and Micasa Tours invite you to join a spiritual Pilgrimage to accompany our new Archbishop, William Slattery, to Rome in June as he receives his Pallium.

We will be visiting Rome, Assisi, Milan in Italy and Paray Le Monial and Lourdes in France.

23 June - 7 July 2011

Includes Pallium Mass with the Pope and our Archbishop, William Slattery l l

l l l l

Tour of St Peter’s Basilica. Mass at St Peter’s, Angelus, Vatican Museums.

2 nights at Paray Le Monial in Paris to visit the Shrine of St Margaret Mary Alacoque, to honour the Sacred Heart – Patron of our Archdiocese.

Supper with Archbishop William Slattery.

Tour of Rome 2 Nights in Lourdes.

Lunch at the Franciscan House.

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8

The Southern Cross, March 30 to April 5, 2011

COMMUNITY (left) Nine communicants with their parish priest, fr Pieter Peeraer oMI, at lichtenburg-Blydeville, Klerksdorp diocese.

fr Reginald Tarimo of St Gertrude’s parish in Kimberley and the women of St Anne’s Sodality at their retreat where fr Tarimo spoke about the use of HIV and TB treatments. fr Robert Bissell of Kraaifontein, Cape Town, baptised 28 children at St elizabeth church. (Submitted by Sr Anna-Cecilia Kholoane)

IN FOCUS

Edited by: Lara Moses 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

Have you seen The Holy Land video?

WWW.COMEPRAYTHEROSARY.ORG

Deacon Anthony Venter of St Michael’s Parish in fort Beaufort, eastern Cape, with women of St Anne’s Sodality in Alice.

Nine parishes from the archdiocese of Cape Town formed part of an annual pilgrimage to Ngome Marian shrine in KwaZulu-Natal. The group also included a parishioner from the Anglican Church in Grassy Park.

(Submitted by Patrick Gonsalves)

HOLY SITES TRAVEL HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE organised by Kreste Modisa Parish OCTOBER 2011 Contact: Elna Ferreira on 082 975 0034, E-Mail: elna@holysites.co.za, Website: www.holysites.co.za

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PERSONALITY

The Southern Cross, March 30 to April 5, 2011

9

Deaf-blind priest: I’m a tower of Babel Fr Cyril Axelrod was born deaf and some two decades ago lost his sight. He tells ClAIRe MATHIeSoN about his ministries that take him to countries all around the world.

R

EDEMPTORIST Father Cyril Axelrod cannot see you and he cannot hear you—but he can communicate with you in seven languages.

Apart from English and Afrikaans, Fr Axelrod is entirely literate in Cantonese, and can converse in some unexpected languages, such as Slovakian.

He signs in eight languages and he “hears” others through a simplified sign language which involves touching Fr Axelrod’s fingers and palm, each action representing a letter.

Fr Axelrod describes himself as an “internal tower of Babel”.

The world’s only blind-deaf priest celebrates Mass and hears confession. He is very popular at retreats and parish missions, said his long-time friend and confrere Fr Larry Kaufmann, who accompanied Fr Axelrod on a South African tour of missions in March.

At confession, penitents write their sins on the palm of Fr Axel-

rod’s hand, one capital letter at a time, using simple words. He says that he doesn’t hear but “feels” people’s sins.

Fr Axelrod is in constant contact with the world through the modern means of communication. Through a trio of bluetoothenabled devices, he can receive and send e-mails. His braille keyboard enables him to write.

Today he is primarily based in London. Living in an apartment appointed for priests with disabilities, he is capable of living a reasonably independent life. He walks with a red and white walking cane—white denotes blindness and red hearing impediment. With a few helpful gadgets, Fr Axelrod can tell time and even travel with relative ease.

His life remains active. The published author, honorary doctor of various disciplines and recipient of international human rights awards has established schools around South Africa and other parts of the world. Apart from his preaching ministry—to those with disabilities and none—he is also engaged in advocacy on behalf of the deaf, trying to help others become aware of the importance of deaf culture and language.

That advocacy has taken him to the Vatican, where in 2008 he met Pope Benedict.

Fr Axelrod believes pastoral

fr Cyril Axelrod CSsR, the world’s only deaf-blind priest. training for the disabled in the Church is deficient. He has told the Vatican to adopt more nuanced positions on disability.

“There is a difference between the disabled and the deaf. The Vatican tends to lump them together,” he said, pointing out that the Vatican needs to treat these groups differently and appropriately.

At age 69, Fr Axelrod describes himself as “still a fighter” as he is concerned with the human rights of the deaf in all areas.

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fr larry Kaufmann (left) interprets a question for fr Axelrod by means of finger-signing. fr Axelrod was born deaf and lost his sight completely in 2001. (Photos: Claire Mathieson)

orn deaf in Johannesburg to Orthodox Jewish parents, Lithuanians who found refuge in South Africa, Fr Axelrod said his inspiration to continue working beyond his physical challenges come from his parents and God. It was his father who introduced the young Cyril to deaf-blind people, not knowing that Usher’s disease would later rob the future priest of his sight.

Fr Kaufmann has known Fr Axelrod, who converted to Catholicism as a young man and was ordained in 1970, for more than 37 years. They first met on a mission at Christian Brothers College in Green Point, Cape Town.

“Since that time Fr Cyril has been on many missions and

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retreats all around the world— including 15 years in China where he mastered Cantonese and became a Portuguese citizen after living on the island of Macau,” Fr Kaufmann said.

During this time in the Far East, Fr Axelrod set up the Hong Kong Association for the Deaf as well as increasing the need for more social services for the deaf around the world.

In South Africa, Fr Axelrod was responsible for the establishment of three institutions for the deaf: the first day school for the deaf in Soweto (to avoid children having to leave their families in exchange for an education); a hostel in Hammanskraal, Pretoria, which encouraged parents to communicate more with their children; and in Cape Town the first non-racial institution in the country, set up in defiance of the apartheid laws.

Fr Axelrod has won multiple awards for his human rights work for the deaf. The most crucial of these was his honorary doctorate from Gallaudet University in Washington, DC, the world’s only university for deaf people.

This was a pivotal point in Fr Axelrod’s life. He had been diagnosed with Usher’s disease 1988.

By 2001 he had lost his sight completely. He describes that time as the low point in his life.

The recognition from the US university changed that. “In a moment of despair it seemed as if the future had opened up for me.

The award made a powerful impact on me, and that’s why I pursue work to promote human rights by preaching missions all over the world,” Fr Axelrod said.

F

ather Axelrod wants to help people to see his disability as a gift from God and to encourage them to be open to disability.

“At times, people are frightened. I want to encourage them to learn the wisdom of disability,” he said.

The priest often refers back to a poster he had when younger: “Kindness is a language the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”

He sees his deaf-blindness as a blessing and a powerful teaching tool to help others.

At one point, Fr Axelrod led retreats and missions only for the deaf, but, according to Fr Kaufmann, his general missions are most popular.

“I encouraged him to give missions to ordinary hearing people to help them overcome their fears with disability and to increase their confidence,” Fr Kaufmann said. This year Fr Axelrod will lead missions in Malta, Hong Kong, Australia, Slovakia and Ethiopia.

At first, many people are not quite sure about how to approach Fr Axelrod, or anyone with disability, Fr Kaufmann said. “If you don’t know what to do, just ask,” he said, adding that Fr Axelrod has taught and helped him a lot.

On the South African missions, Fr Kaufmann has acted as his confrere’s interpreter, when necessary.

Their rapport is easy and suggests a deep mutual understanding: their shared conversations are literally felt.

Fr Axelrod is not universally welcomed, however. Despite his ability to communicate across multiple mediums and languages, some have refused to let Fr Axelrod preach missions or celebrate Mass in their parishes.

“Some priests have said his Mass is not valid because he can’t hear what he is saying,” said Fr Kaufmann. “Fr Cyril is an ordained and practising priest. He should be allowed to preach.”

Having been brought up in the Jewish faith, Fr Axelrod is still connected with the Jewish traditions of his youth. At his mission at St Pius X parish in Plumstead, Cape Town, in March, Fr Axelrod spoke about Esther, an important figure in Jewish tradition and to the priest a personal inspiration.

“Esther is a model of prayer.

She put all her difficulties in God and we must do the same: put all out difficulties and problems in the hands of God,” Fr Axelrod said in his homily.

He has been encouraged by those around him—the people and stories in his life have driven him to be the man he is today.

Fr Axelrod has become an inspiration to others through his preaching, his courage, his human rights work, his compassion for the deaf, his desire to communicate, his 2005 autobiography And the Journey Begins, and through his example.

Far from allowing his disability to exclude him from the world, Fr Axelrod regards the whole world as his parish.

10

FOCUS

The Southern Cross, March 30 to April 5, 2011

Thirty years on, pilgrims still flock to controversial Medjugorje In June it will be 30 years since the first Marian apparitions in Medjugorje were reported.

CINDY WooDeN visited the Bosnian town.

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VATICAN-APPOINTED commission is studying the alleged Marian apparitions at Medjugorje, but pilgrims keep arriving in the small town.

As the 30th anniversary of the alleged apparitions approaches, the town is experiencing a building boom with new hostels, restaurants and shops that cater to pilgrims.

The 11 Franciscan friars assigned to the town’s convent and its sole parish, St James, are assisted by visiting priests in ministering to the pilgrims and the town’s 3 500 residents, who pack

the church even in the winter when pilgrim buses are few and far between. A few hotels and dozens and dozens of family-run hostels offer more than 10 000 beds for pilgrims.

Individuals and members of organised groups climb the craggy Apparition Hill where six village children said they first saw Mary in June 1981. The pilgrims pray the rosary as they trudge up the hill, careful not to twist their ankles on the slices of rock jutting out of the hillside.

Most of the Medjugorje “seers” have said the apparitions have continued every day for years.

Three say they still have visions each day, while the other three see Mary only once a year now. All six are now married and have children.

Ivanka Ivankovic-Elez, Mirjana Dragicèvic-Soldo and Jakov Colo still live year round in Medjugorje or a nearby village; each of them declined to be interviewed for this article.

On the second of each month, Mrs Dragicèvic-Soldo says Mary shares with her a prayer for unbelievers and on the 25th of each month, Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti , who now lives with her husband and children in northern Italy, says she receives a public message from Mary.

For years the local bishop, Bishop Ratko Peric of Mostar-Duvno, has said he believes nothing supernatural is happening in Medjugorje. In an e-mail to Catholic News Service, he said he would no longer comment about what is happening in Medjugorje out of respect for the Vatican commission.

While the Vatican has said dioceses should not organise official pilgrimages to Medjugorje, it has said Catholics are free to visit the town and pray there, and that the diocese of Mostar-Duvno and the Franciscans should organise pastoral care for them.

Franciscan Father Svetozar Kraljevic, who runs pilgrim-funded social projects on the edge of town, said: “We are all a commission”—the local Franciscans, the townspeople and the pilgrims, who by their presence continue to study the claims about Mary’s appearance in Medjugorje and to judge the authenticity of the messages the young people say she gives them. t least 1,5 million pilgrims came in the past year and their judgment is clear, he said, although the formal commission members “have been given a special responsibility” for discernment.

Offering an introductory session for a pilgrim group from St Louis in the United States, Franciscan Father Danko Perutina told them: “Everything Our Lady has been talking about here is already in our tradition—it’s nothing new—pray, read the Bible, recite the rosary, go to Holy Mass, go to confession.”

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The sun sets behind a statue of Mary on Apparition Hill. The site is where six village children first claimed to see Mary in June 1981.

J.M.J

A pilgrim holds a rosary as she prays on Apparition Hill in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina. A Vatican-appointed commission is studying the alleged Marian apparitions at Medjugorje, which began nearly 30 years ago.

(Photos: Paul Haring, CNS) Fr Perutina told the group that official Church bodies, particularly bishops’ conferences, have been investigating the Medjugorje visionaries’ claims for years and whatever the Vatican commission decides, “we must accept”.

“There weren’t as many investigations of Lourdes and Fatima,” the Marian apparitions in France and Portugal respectively, “but everything must be tried by fire.

Only the good things will remain,” he said.

Fr Perutina told the pilgrims: “Apparitions are one expression of God’s acting in the world and they are helping people.”

The Franciscan friar is collecting stories of priests and nuns from around the world who say their vocations are connected to Medjugorje and he said he already has more than 500 such testimonies; Fr Rodger Fleming, one of the priests leading the St Louis group, said his is one of them.

He was making his 20th visit to

Medjugorje, which he first visited with his parents and siblings.

His group was the only organised English-speaking pilgrimage in Medjugorje; there were several Italian groups, but things were pretty quiet in the little town.

Wandering around the church grounds were four men in their 30s carrying plastic souvenir bags.

The four friends work in Switzerland, but two are Armenian Orthodox from Turkey, one is Italian and one is Croatian.

Jakob, a 37-year-old Armenian, said: “Whether the Vatican says it’s true or not really doesn’t matter. What counts is what you believe inside, and I believe people need this.”

The Italian, who said he has changed his name to Omar, said he agreed to join his friends on the roadtrip to Medjugorje “because I believe. It attracts me. You don’t have to have more of a reason than that”.—CNS

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The Southern Cross, March 30 to April 05, 2011

Southern CrossWord solutions

Community Calendar

SOLUTIONS TO #438. ACROSS: 4 Abigail, 8 Enamel, 9 Othniel, 10 Future, 11 Roused, 12 Monotone, 18 Tasmania, 20 Preach, 21 Orator, 22 Addenda, 23 Throne, 24 By proxy, DOWN: 1 Perfume, 2 Fasting, 3 Secret, 5 Buttress, 6 Genius, 7 Icemen, 13 Orthodox, 14 Unction, 15 Gabriel, 16 Friday, 17 Career, 19 Martha.

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Word of the Week EPISCOPAL: 1. of or relating to bishops; involving church government by bishops.

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Family Reflections 2011 FAMILY THEME: PEACE ON EARTH BEGINS AT HOME” APRIL—“I GIVE YOU A PEACE THE WORLD CANNOT GIVE.” –Jesus Christ.

Celebrating the Paschal Mystery in the Church-asfamily and in our own families presents us with a complete picture of the self-giving, the suffering and joy of the Resurrection of Jesus. The Easter holidays are times for renewal and enjoyment but often enough there is conflict and a need for reconciliation and spirit of peace.

God is present in our families at all times, in times of trouble we turn to him and in times of happiness and joy we thank and praise him. At all times we can become more conscious of the peace Jesus brings into our family lives. “I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world.” –Sadako Sasaki (1945 atomic bomb child survivor and her mission of folded paper peace cranes)

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11

CLASSIfIEDS Births • first Communion • Confirmation • engagement/Marriage • Wedding anniversary • ordination jubilee • Congratulations • Deaths • In memoriam • Thanks • Prayers • Accommodation • Holiday Accommodation • Personal • Services • employment • Property • others Please include payment (R1,15c a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication.

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PRAYERS HOLY St Jude, apostle and martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke you, special patron in time of need. To you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg you to come to my assistance. Help me now in my urgent need and grant my petitions. In return I promise to make your name known and publish this prayer. Amen.

RCP HOLY St Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus. The church honours and invokes you universally as the patron of hopeless cases, or those most despaired of. Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone. Make use, I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you to bring visible and speedy help when help is almost despaired of. Come to my help of this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, sufferings, particularly (make your request) that I may praise God with you and all the elect forever. eH. O MOST beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendour of Heaven, blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. o Star of the Sea, help me and show me where you are, Mother of God. Queen of heaven and earth I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succour me in my necessity. There is none who can withstand your power, o Mary conceived without sin, pay for

us who have recourse to thee. Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands.

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EXT week, we come into that deeper part of Lent, when our attention should be no longer on ourselves and our sinfulness, and focused instead on the Jesus whose death is now less than two weeks away.

The first reading is from Ezekiel’s wonderful image of the Valley of the Dry Bones, which is intended to give hope to the Israelites exiled to Babylon, to reassure them that God is still at work. That is something that we have to grasp, as Lent reaches its sombre climax. Ezekiel is told to prophesy to Israel that: “the Lord is going to open your graves and bring you up from your graves, my people, and bring you into the soil of Israel”.

What Israel has to do and what we in our turn have to do, is to recognise God at work, even in our deadness, as God proclaims: “I shall put my spirit in you, and you shall live”.

Confidence in God needs to be our watchword.

The psalm for next Sunday is certainly not lacking in confidence; it is the De Profundis, one of those songs that Israel traditionally sang when going on pilgrimage up to Jerusalem, a song of absolute confidence in God, even “from the depths”. It contains that very telling image of the night-watchman looking for day-break; and urges that, if nightworkers can be confident that morning will

Nicholas King SJ Sunday Reflections eventually come, Israel can be even more confident that God is about to act.

In the second reading Paul is offering reasons for us to have confidence in God; he tells the Romans that “you are ...in the Spirit, since the Spirit is living in you”. And he defines the Spirit a bit further, looking ahead to Easter, which should now be looming large in our thoughts: it is the “Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead”.

That does not mean, however, that there is no death; we all have to face death, and Jesus has been there before us. The gospel for next Sunday is a climactic moment in the fourth gospel’s journey into the mystery of Jesus, and it is a wonderful story, which you will do well to read carefully before you attend next Sunday’s Eucharist (it is also rather long, of course).

It starts with the sickness of Lazarus, who, surprisingly enough is apparently only significant because he is the brother of Mary and

Martha. These women have sent a message to Jesus: “Lord, look! The one whom you love is sick.” Jesus reinterprets this sickness as “not leading to death, but it is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it”. And we have already learned to interpret Jesus’ own death as a “glorification”, so we are aware that this is something of a Good Friday moment. Then, bafflingly, Jesus stays where he is for two further days, before announcing that he and the disciples are to go to Judea.

The disciples point out that the Judeans were looking to stone him, but he is not deterred, and responds in terms of having the light. Once more the disciples fail to understand as Jesus tells them that Lazarus is “fast asleep”, to which their response is: “Well, that’s all right, then.” More puzzling yet, he makes it clear, a) that Lazarus is in fact dead, and b) that Jesus is glad about it, because it will bring them to faith. Thomas, ever the cheerful soul, says: “Let’s go and die with him.” And off they go.

When they get there, the place is thronging with Judeans; and the two sisters, one by one, reproach Jesus for not having been there.

First Martha and then Mary says: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” With Martha, this leads to a dialogue about Lazarus’ resurrection, of which the culmination is the remarkable statement,

Technology to the rescue T HERE is no question that modern technology saved hundreds of thousands of lives during Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami.

First there were the early warning systems triggered by seismic activity that resulted in thousands of people being able to flee to higher ground minutes before the big waves struck with such awesome power. Then there was the technology built into skyscrapers that rocked and rolled and swayed and swung but stayed put.

But most of all, it was modern communications technology that not only warned citizens of impending disaster but also let family members know pretty much instantly who was safe and who wasn’t—communications technology that found loved ones, that let people know where shelters were, and where food and water could be obtained.

Interestingly, when the quake struck, CCTV cameras, amateur photographers and webcams showed people hanging on for dear life as their homes and offices looked like aircraft flying through severe turbulence, but at the same time many were on their cell phones texting and tweeting.

And once again, the vast majority of live television and radio coverage of the disaster came from citizen journalists; ordinary people texting their experiences, their emotions and their fears.

Before the earth even stopped shak-

Conrad

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Confidence in the Lord’s might

5th Sunday in Lent – April 10 Readings: Ezekiel 37:12-14, Psalm 130:1-8 Romans 8:8-11, John 11:1-45

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Chris Moerdyk

The last Word ing in Japan, plenty of people had the presence of mind to pull out video cameras and share the scenes around them with the world. Within hours of the disaster, more than 9 000 earthquake-related videos and 7 000 tsunami-related videos had been uploaded to YouTube, the video sharing site told ABC News.

My niece, who lives and works in Osaka, said that social media such as Facebook and Twitter were used by her organisation—an English-education network spread throughout Japan—to advise citizens where food and water was available and where accommodation could be provided. This was just one of many networks using social media to advise, direct, support, commiserate and to a large degree, pray, for the victims of the devastating tsunami.

More and more technology is coming to the aid of global citizens in terms of instant warnings of impending disaster.

For example, one of the best iPad applications is Disaster Radar from RSOE Emergency & Disaster Information Service in Budapest, Hungary.

This remarkable service is available online and also on Facebook and via

Twitter feeds. On a map of the world it shows all earthquake activity, volcano dangers, epidemics, bio-hazards, nuclear events and even major road accidents. It is a quite remarkable feat of early warning communications technology written in plain language and going into quite remarkable detail with events analysed by experts.

Zooming in on the Japanese coast at the time, it showed literally dozens and dozens of earthquakes and aftershocks as well as tsunami warnings and nuclear events.

There is no question that modern scientific technology is becoming increasingly accessible to ordinary people and that ordinary people are now very much the front line in terms of disaster management activation, early warnings and most of all, mass communication.

While TV networks have been extremely quick and quite outstanding in covering events such as the Egyptian revolution, the Libyan crisis and now the Japanese earthquake and tsunami disaster, they owe much of their initial coverage to ordinary people who, in spite of danger to themselves, feel obligated to tell the world what they are seeing and experiencing.

This worldwide phenomenon first took root in a major way when terrorists blew up buses and underground trains in London in 2005. Instead of the world having to wait for TV news crews to get on site and then only be able to report what had happened by interviewing eye-witnesses, ordinary people at the scenes of these disasters were within minutes able to use their cell phones to take photographs and videos and send them through to news websites and TV news channels.

From that day on the world changed.

Instead of just being onlookers, all of us, no matter how far away we were, became part of the story.

All of this phenomenal technology has also helped in terms of galvanising governments into action a lot faster and also speeding up fund-raising for relief efforts.

Technology saved innumerable lives in Japan, of that there is no doubt. Now all that the scientists have to come up with is a way of stopping nuclear power plants from blowing up.

stronger than anything that we have heard in the gospel so far:, “I am the Resurrection and the Life; anyone who believes in me will live, even if they die.” In response, Martha makes the powerful claim: “Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Mary, with a crowd of mourners round her, falls at his feet, weeping; and Jesus is, we learn, disturbed, and he too weeps, which leads some of the mourners to complain that Jesus had failed to save Lazarus. We watch, spell-bound, as the story continues. Jesus orders the stone to be rolled away, despite the practical Martha’s warning about the smell, and, after a prayer to his Father, summons Lazarus forth; he comes out, still in his graveclothes, and that is that.

Or rather not quite; we learn that “many of the Judeans came to have faith in him”.

This provokes a crisis in the Judean religious establishment, as a result of which they settle upon Jesus’ execution.

So we have it before us: Jesus is the presence of God on earth, is the Resurrection and the Life, with power over death, and yet, and precisely because of this, is shortly going to die at the hands of his own religious establishment. Is there any hope at all for a happy ending to the story? You must decide, this week.

Southern Crossword #438

ACROSS

4. Nabal’s wife (1 Sam 25) (7) 8. Protective coating for your tooth (6) 9. Then oil for one of the Judges (7) 10. Tense for next week? (6) 11. Soured by being woken up? (6) 12. Sound that does not change pitch (8) 18. Satan, am I in Australia?

(8) 20. Deliver the Word of God (6) 21. You can hear him speaking publicly (6) 22. Dead and put at end of book (7) 23. Seat for presiding bishop (6) 24. A way to vote through your agent (2,5)

DOWN 1. Scent that filled the house (Jn 12) (7) 2. It can go with Lenten abstinence (7) 3. Don’t tell it! (6) 5. You may see it flying at the wall of a gothic cathedral (8) 6. Highly intelligent person (6) 7. They deliver what’s frozen (6) 13. Conventional Russian church? (8) 14. Extreme sacrament? (7) 15. The angel of the announcement (7) 16. Good holy day (6) 17. Principal occupation (6) 19. The busy housewife (Lk 10) (6) Answers on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

A

CATHOLIC boy and a Jewish boy were talking and the Catholic boy said: “My priest knows more than your rabbi.” The Jewish boy said: “Of course he does, you tell him everything.”

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