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Father of eight on becoming a Catholic priest
Mediatrix: Mary’s role in our salvation
Special focus on launch of HOPE& JOY Pages 6-8
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No 4724
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Tlhagale: Don’t let politicians divide and rule religion STAFF REPORTER
S Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban presents a portrait of his predecessor, Archbishop Denis Hurley, to the consul-general of India in Durban, Anil Sharan, and his wife Simita. The plaque on the portrait indicates that the consular residence at 408 Innes Road in Durban was formerly Archbishop's House where Archbishop Hurley lived and worked from 1962-84. The presentation took place before a dinner in honour of Cardinal Napier who this year celebrates his 70th birthday, the 50th anniversary of receiving the Franciscan habit, the 40th anniversary of his priestly ordination, the 30th of his episcopal ordination, and the tenth of his appointment as a cardinal. (Photo courtesy of Independent Newspapers)
Row over Polish basilica named after Blessed John Paul II BY JONATHAN LuxMOORE
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ESIDENTS of Poland’s northern port city of Gdansk have staged protests against a new “basilica of Blessed John Paul II” on a site newly dedicated by the local archbishop. “There are already six churches in this district,” the group from Gdansk told Poland’s Gazeta Wyborcza daily. “When we bought our apartments here, we checked the development plans and found there were to be much-needed social services here. We don’t understand how a decision was taken without our knowledge to hand this city land over to religious uses.” The new basilica is to be modelled on St Peter’s basilica in Rome. However, the complaints were dismissed by Archbishop Slawoj Glodz of Gdansk, who blessed a cross on the land to mark the start of construction.
“They should be ashamed—this is a vote of thanksgiving to the pope,” Archbishop Glodz told Radio Gdansk. “The city and its suburbs are expanding and public utility objects are being built, including churches. We live in a Catholic country, and I’ve received many positive opinions about this church.” Plans for the 186m² Gdansk basilica, with an adjoining 140m² rectory, were announced in 2010. It is to be built on land sold to the Church at a concessionary rate by the city authorities. However, Gdansk mayor Pawel Adamowicz said he was ready to meet protesters after receiving letters of complaint from “upset residents”. The residents say the land is worth about R7 million, but it was sold to the Church for a “symbolic zloty” (R2,50)— CNS
Catholic charity’s work shown on TV BY CLAIRE MATHIESON
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ITTLE EDEN, the Johannesburg based home for the intellectually disabled, has been featured on a new television programme called Random Acts of Kindness. Little Eden has been a beneficiary of the Dis-Chem foundation’s social awareness campaign for two years running, with the foundation sponsoring a Christmas party for Little Eden residents as well as making a donation towards to the operational expenses of the home. According to publicist Hanneli Esterhuysen the initiative, in partnership with media company Primedia Broadcasting, has identi-
fied organisations which are serving their communities well but need a helping hand. Lynette Saltzman, founder of the DisChem Foundation said there were many “remarkable South Africans, who are commited to improving the lives of others”. She said the company was dedicated to putting funds towards some of “these amazing projects”. To date, over R6,5 million has been donated to schools, community organisations, foundations and projects in aid of the work done in the community. Little Eden currently cares for 300 children and adults with intellectual disabilities Continued on page 2
OUTH AFRICA’S inter-faith movement is “at a critical stage of its development” because politicians are making a “concerted effort to divide and rule and to co-opt religious leaders for whatever nefarious purposes”, according to Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg. In a hard-hitting statement, the president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference said that “this blatant manipulation calls for a confrontation”. “There is a pressing and urgent need to stand firm, side by side, face to face, as we jointly seek to promote unity among the diverse religious leaders and by the same token, to resist division,” Archbishop Tlhagale said. He said that some “instead of speaking to power would rather be on the side of power”. This, he said, must be resisted. Moreover, the religious community must not be silent “in the face of such blatant interference”. In the strongest passage of his statement, the archbishop said: “We need a gloves-off conversation not only with political leaders but also within our own ranks about our identity, our collective voice and our role in a changing and developing society.” Archbishop Tlhagale did not name any political or religious leaders. Over the past few years President Jacob Zuma and other African National Congress leaders have openly courted some religious groups, including the charismatic Rhema Family Church, a 50 000 member strong church based in Randburg and led by the Rev Ray McCauley. In 2009 Rev McCauley spearheaded the founding of the National Interfaith Leaders Council (NILC), which the Zuma government has acknowledged as an advisory body, in competition with the long-established National Religious Leadership Forum. Neither the South African Council of Churches nor the Catholic Church were consulted in the formation of the NILC, or invited to join the body.
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n his statement, Archbishop Tlhagale described religious leaders as “spiritual men and women [who] draw inspiration and direction from the transcendent [and] who firmly believe that the spiritual dimension of our lives is the cornerstone of our identity as human beings”. “These men and women also appreciate that we live in an environment of a political leadership which, while it is not openly hostile toward religion, certainly does not put a high premium on the role of faith in human affairs.” The archbishop stressed that “religion cannot, and should not, be reduced to the private sphere as many of our detractors would rather have”. He noted that “religion has a definite role to play in the building of the nation. It always has.” Religious leaders are impelled by their faith to “safeguard the unique dignity of every human person, to promote the immeasurable value of life of every human
being, and to foster the common good”, Archbishop Tlhagale said. “In so doing, we will be highlighting the role of religion in the public space.” Religious insights “are absolutely crucial in our attempt to promote the dignity of each person and to enhance the common Archbishop Tlhagale good”, he said. “While it is laudable to discuss the material needs of the majority of the citizens of the country, the abuse of power and state resources, the cancerous greed of the elite, the lack of service delivery, it is equally desirable that, as religious leaders, we should share the spiritual treasures of each tradition,” he said, adding that religious leaders had not yet accomplished that aim. “If we are to serve our communities and nation well, it is essential that ethical-moral questions be continually raised in order to foster the common good,” Archbishop Tlhagale said.
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e warned that those who aim to marginalise religion from public discourse “seek to promote a secular morality”. However, he added, even that must be defined. “We live in a culture where some are sceptical of a transcendent foundation of morality. Human rights enshrined in the Constitution of the country do not offer a solid and unassailable foundation for morality. He referred to Pope Benedict’s suggestion that the secular and religious worldviews enter into a dialogue “for the sake of the well-being and progress of the people”. “Religion in this context,” Archbishop Tlhagale said, “has a critical, corrective role to play rather than to offer norms or practical political solutions.” He said that “truly moral leaders avoid personal self-enrichment and greed”. Moral leaders should “campaign publicly for the virtues of prudence, courage, justice and moderation”. “If the well-being of ordinary citizens come first, then it is not unreasonable to openly ask the government to trim its bloated lifestyle,” Archbishop Tlhagale said. “Exorbitant salaries can be drastically reduced; trappings of status symbols such as luxury cars, luxury homes, first-class and business-class travel for senior civil servants can be reasonably curtailed.” He noted the expenditure in social and political events paid for by the government. “If the government is genuinely committed to the upliftment and well-being of its citizens, then it must lead by example. Political leaders ought to tighten their belts for the sake of the people they lead—otherwise, ‘people first’ is an empty slogan, a misleading lie,” Archbishop Tlhagale said. “Political leaders need to mean what they say.”