The Southern Cross - 110921

www.scross.co.za

September 21 to September 27, 2011

Bishop condemns corruption

How do we prove our faith isn’t idiotic?

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

No 4743

Singing it right at Mass Page 9

At long last!

Radio Veritas to go on air

BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

A St Dominic's Priory school in Port Elizabeth has caught rugby fever as the school gets behind the Springboks who are in New Zealand to defend their World Cup title. On a day dedicated to the Bokke, learners dressed in supporters’ gear, sang the national anthem (“loudly enough for our team to hear in New Zealand”, according to a staff member) and had boerewors rolls for lunch.

Appeal for help in priest’s cancer battle A

BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

PRIEST from Zimbabwe presently living in Johannesburg is appealing for assistance in receiving cancer treatment.

Fr Richard Musakwa of the diocese of Mutare is currently in South Africa to undergo four months of chemotherapy.

He is appealing to local Catholics to contribute to his life-saving treatment with financial support and prayers.

The 66-year-old priest was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a form of cancer which in his case affected his eye. He was soon referred to specialists in South Africa.

“The appropriate medical equipment and PET scan services are not available [in Zimbabwe]. These tests have become necessary to establish the extent of the cancer in the body,” Fr Musakwa said.

Fr Musakwa came to South Africa for his annual review in July. The scans confirmed that the cancer had spread further around the orbit of his eye as well as to his lungs.

“Though I had not expected such developments, there was no option but to give a go ahead for the above treatment immediately,” he said. “This is a life and death situation.”

Fr Musakwa said that agreeing to the

costly treatment was the only option, despite there being very little money available to him for it.

“The tumour is becoming more and more aggressive and life-threatening by the day, so the gravity and urgency cannot be underestimated,” Fr Musakwa said.

Doctors have ruled out radiotherapy and surgery, leaving chemotherapy the only remaining option.

The Society of Jesus in South Africa took on the Zimbabwean’s plight and has been assisting with fundraising and the management of Fr Musakwa’s accounts.

Although Fr Musakwa is not a Jesuit, the order in Zimbabwe knew about his problem and “asked us to accommodate him the first time he came to Johannesburg for treatment of cancer of the eye in 2008”, said Sheila Ayton, secretary to the regional superior.

Fr Musakwa was given a substantial donation from Austria at the time and the Jesuits assisted with his payments and accounts. “Almost all this money has now been utilised, and unfortunately the cancer has come back. He also wears a partial facial and eye prosthesis, which periodically has to be replaced at quite a cost,” Ms Ayton said. Accordingly Fr Musakwa is Continued on page 3

FTER 12 years of applications, submissions and presentations to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the country’s only Catholic radio station, Radio Veritas, has been granted a terrestial broadcasting licence. This means that it will be able to transmit its programmes on medium wave, possibly as soon as January 2012.

Up until now the radio station has been broadcasting online and through an audio channel on satellite broadcaster DStv (channel 170). Despite using two platforms, the reach of the transmission was limited to those with a DStv subscription or broadband Internet access.

With its broadcasts on medium wave, Radio Veritas will reach a much wider audience.

“Radio Veritas has been granted both a Class Licence and a Spectrum Licence granting it permission to broadcast on medium wave 576 in the greater metropolitan area of Johannesburg,” said station founder and director Fr Emil Blaser OP. Fr Blaser said the licence permits the station to broadcast off 10kW of power— instead of the 50kW it applied for—which should give the station broadcasting reach beyond the metropolitan area and reach most of Gauteng, and at night coverage could extend as far as Durban.

The station will continue to broadcast on DStv and stream its content live through the Internet, so the station will still have an international presence.

One of the most exciting changes will be people being able to listen to the station in their cars on the medium wave frequency formerly occupied by Metro FM. “Unfortunately listeners in other parts of the country will not be able to tune in to us during the day other than on DStv and the Internet,” he said.

Radio Veritas has made great progress, the Dominican priest said.

“We have brought Catholic media to the fore and have our own programming with people wanting more. We have put Catholic radio on the map in South Africa and established contacts with Catholic radio in other parts of the world. We are known personally in the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and have estab-

Fr Emil Blaser OP in the Radio Veritas studio. lished a network of friends around the country and world,” said Fr Blaser on the station’s achievements.

Radio Veritas is also known for its quality broadcasting in the secular world, he said.

“We have made our mark among other Christian radio stations and are unique in having established good relations with non-Christian radio in the country. In fact we have trained people from across the spectrum of faiths.”

Olinda Orlando, deputy director and creative director of programming, said the station will continue to broadcast for 24 hours a day, but the format will change and programmes will be much more interactive. She added that there will be new presenters with the new line-up.

However, Fr Blaser emphasised, the station’s vision will not change, but be “intensified in making Christ present and giving people hope in an age of despair”.

Radio Veritas expects that it will take four to six months to facilitate preparations for the medium wave occupation.

“We will need a new transmitter and there is much paper work that needs to be done,” Mrs Orlando said.

“The new transmitter comes to us thanks to the Italian bishops’ conference who have been incredibly supportive. We want to go on air with a fanfare and think that four to six months might be a reasonable time to get our act together,” she said.

Fr Blaser described the ICASA announcement as a great relief. “This has been a struggle for 12 years and it’s like a dream come true. Getting to this point has been a Continued on page 2

Islamic students invite pope to speak at conference

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EADERS of Indonesia’s largest Muslim student group came to the Vatican to extend an invitation to Pope Benedict to speak at a conference in Bali in 2012.

The leaders of the Indonesian Islamic Student Association, or Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam, met with Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, reported Fides, the Vatican’s missionary news agency.

The student association, which counts about 1 million members, is “the oldest, largest and most influential” student group in Indonesia, Fides said.

In addition to inviting the pope to address their conference on dialogue and peace, Fides said, the students spoke to Cardinal Tauran about ways to promote dialogue and religious pluralism and to begin forms of collaboration with Catholics.

Fides said the visit of the association’s president, Noer Fajrieansyah, and other members of its executive board demonstrated how the organisation has returned to being a force promoting dialogue and interreligious harmony and for combating extremism.

In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, Fides said, the organisation “vigorously protested the US bombing and military intervention in

Afghanistan” and rejected claims that radical Islamic groups in Indonesia had ties to alQaeda. The organisation’s president and another leader “were even arrested for burning the American flag”, Fides said.

The Jakarta Post reported that the organisation’s leaders also gave Cardinal Tauran information about how politicians in West Java have been manipulating religion for political gain.—CNS

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LOCAL

The Southern Cross, September 21 to September 27, 2011

Knights of da Gama embrace Hope&Joy T

BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria made his first visit to St Mary’s parish Mamelodi West to confirm 22 young Catholics. The day before the archbishop took the time to interview the candidates, share with them the Word of God, and to see whether they were worthy of receiving the sacrament and be initiated into the Christian Community. He is seen here with the newly confirmed as well as parish priest Fr Joseph Mang’ongo IMC (back row) and assistant priest Fr James Mwigani IMC (far right).

HE board of directors of the Knights of da Gama have called on all councils to register and participate in Hope&Joy projects, saying the benefits of doing so are clear.

Noting the excitement generated around Hope&Joy, they made the call after the Knights’ biennial Supreme Council Meeting in Bryanston, Johannesburg.

Presentations at the conference were made by Fr Peter Cullen, Supreme Knight Anthony Beale, Raymond Perrier of the Jesuit Institute, Rhema Pastor Errol Naidoo of the Family Policy Institute, and Mark Eames of Awestruck Studios.

The Welsh Male Voice Choir of South Africa performed at the conference.

Each of the presentations was aimed to help the order see how the Knights’ work could be enhanced.

“Pastor Errol has an office very close to parliament in Cape Town. He highlighted our constitutional right to be heard, and said that, unlike

other religions, Christians very rarely exercised that right,” said Claudio Freschi, Deputy Supreme Knight. He said that if the Christian majority in the country objected to what was wrong, then “South Africa would be a better place”. The Knights’ are committed to such a movement.

Awestruck Studios’ Mr Eames encouraged the order to embrace social media to reach the nearly 3,2 million Catholics who do not attend Mass regularly.

The order was also encouraged to continue supporting projects on care of the aged and the “Put Christ Back Into Christmas” campaign. Great emphasis was put on the small contributions the order makes in various communities around the country.

Mr Freschi said the benefits of Hope&Joy were now clearer and much excitement has been generated about it. He said the order has been encouraged to embrace the many opportunities to “evangelise by using the Hope&Joy cards we received.

All councils should register

individually as Hope&Joy projects.”

Mr Perrier, national convenor of Hope&Joy, reminded the order that the Vatican II constitution Gaudium et Spes means Joy and Hope.

“The second Vatican Council nearly 50 years ago focused on how the Church should be part of the modern world,” Mr Freschi said. The order plans to further embrace that. “Raymond led a session of discussions on topics related to Hope&Joy, which can be used for discussions at meetings as well as being shared with other parish groups,” he said.

The Knights’ national chaplain, Fr Peter Cullen, referred to the theme of the opening Mass: “we hear and we do”.

Maybe, he said, we hear but don’t listen, which is why we don’t do.

“Fifty years after Vatican II, the windows of the Church may have been opened, but are the doors still closed? Does this apply to our Order? We need to be a bold challenge to our society,” Fr Cullen told the conference.

‘Corruption harms the poor’

BY THANDI BOSMAN

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FRANCISCAN NARDINI SISTERS

ISHOP Sithembele Sipuka (insert) of Mthatha has said to stop corruption, people must start with themselves: “Fix the heart and you have the chance of effectively fixing the external disorder.”

The bishop spoke at a dialogue on corruption hosted by East London’s Daily Dispatch newspaper and the University of Fort Hare in the Guild Theatre, East London.

During the event, the audience held red cards and signed a pledge against corruption, in support of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution’s (Casac) “Red Card Corruption” campaign.

Bishop Sipuka said he partly agreed with Deputy-President Kgalema Motlanthe’s call to include ethics in the school curriculum, but noted that he is not sure ethics can be taught at school.

Bishop Sipuka in his speech, which was reprinted in the Daily Dispatch, said that to minimise corruption we should

have the “governance structures right and policy implementation effected” to minimise the consequences of corruption.

“The problem of corruption is more anthropologically inherent than structurally inherent. We are, by nature, [more] inclined towards selfishness than magnanimity,” Bishop Sipuka said.

He noted that corruption “knows no colour”, and that as human beings anyone can fall into the trap of corruption.

Therefore one must always be on guard at all times.

“So in addition to fixing structures as a solution to cor-

ruption, we need to assist each other in unlearning the inner selfishness that leads to corruption,” Bishop Sipuka said.

He added that the Church’s view on corruption should be obvious because in the end it is the poor who are affected by corruption. Throughout the speech the bishop quoted from Scripture, pointing out that in the Bible God is for the poor.

“The character of a society is judged on the way it takes care of its vulnerable members. In [South African society] poor, ordinary people are at the receiving end of corruption. In my line of work as a bishop of a rural region, I live and work with the poor people whose dignity is trampled upon by lack of service—not due to a shortage of resources, but due to mismanagement.”

Results of a survey conducted by Casac indicated that corruption is as prevalent in the private sector as it is in the public sector. The survey showed that 62% of businesses in the private sector said that bribery was accepted as a business practice.

A breakthrough for Radio Veritas Continued from page 1 severe test in faith and perseverance and has meant placing my faith and trust in God and our blessed Mother.”

The priest said there would be no Catholic radio today had it not been for the approximately 2000 donors who have helped on a monthly basis.

Mrs Orlando also credited volunteers, clergy, and the station’s board of trustees. She sin-

Blessed Paul Joseph Nardini

For more information, contact the Vocation Team at P/Bag X9309 Vryheid 3100

PO Box 194 Wasbank 2920

PO Box 12 Nkandla 3855

Tel: 034 981 6158 Fax: 034 983 2012

034 651 1444 034 651 1096

035 833 0033 035 833 0317

E-mail franasi@bundunet.co.za

E-mail: nardini@trustnet.co.za

E-mail: nardinis@mweb.co.za

gled out former Radio Veritas presenter and SABC stalwart Pat Rogers “who taught us so much of we know about effective broadcasting”.

She said that “Radio Veritas would not exist” without Fr Blaser’s vision, faith and perseverance.

“He has worked tirelessly, always with great optimism, to keep the Radio Veritas dream alive. He has been a fund raiser

of note and where ICASA was concerned, definitely ‘The Hound of Heaven’,” Mrs Orlando said.

“The journey has been tough but well worth it,” said Fr Blaser. “I would do it all again knowing the impact that radio has on people and their deep appreciation of what we do for them through this powerful means of communications.”

LOCAL

The Southern Cross, September 21 to September 27, 2011

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Lectures spell out why we believe

BY SEAN WALES CSSR

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HE parish hall at Holy Redeemer church in Bergvliet, Cape Town, was filled for four consecutive evenings that explored the question, “Why believe?”

Redemptorist Father Gerard McCabe presented the series of lectures that addressed critical questions arising both from classical and new atheism.

Beginning with the invention of the printing press and the new freedoms associated with that, Fr McCabe looked at the series of massive revolutions—the Reformation, the scientific revolution, the Enlightenment, the French Revo-

lution—and their impact on the world of belief.

He then considered the “big five” of modern atheism: Feuerbach, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud and Darwin. Each of these thinkers made massive contributions to our knowledge, but while they had many challenging things to say about our ideas about God, none of them succeeded in disproving the existence of God. The first lecture concluded that the question of God’s existence remains open.

Having looked at some of the arguments against the existence of God, the second lecture looked at the possibility of arguing for the existence of God. Fr McCabe introduced the lis-

teners to some classical ways of speaking positively about the existence of God; especially the ways St Thomas Aquinas demonstrated the intellectual plausibility of belief in God. Aquinas brings us to the edge of mysticism, always alert to degrees of unknowing in so far as we can know that God exists but still remain in darkness about what God is.

We can only know something about the nature of God if God takes the initiative to reveal something of the mystery of all mysteries. This is where faith and reason come together, like two wings, to help us find meaning in our broken world.

In facing the question, “Why

Believe?”, we have to deal with the single most critical issue: the problem of evil.

This was the topic of the third lecture. Fr McCabe dealt with this universal stumbling block by looking at some of the classical ways from Irenaeus onwards of responding to the problem of suffering.

To have the sort of world we do have and to be the sort of free agents we are involves risk: the risk of living and indeed the risk of believing. Fr McCabe’s treatment of this complex issue underlined the care we must take in speaking about God and God’s will, especially in situations of great distress.

The series concluded with the introduction of the personal ele-

ment in dealing with questions of belief. Without this dimension, everything else can remain academic.

Fr McCabe shared something of his own journey of belief and his insights in how family faith can survive through difficulties.

It is in Jesus that we find faith and love united in a way that is compelling and attractive. Fr McCabe concluded “that in Jesus we find the most meaningful and truthful answer to our questions”.

Each lecture was followed by a question and answer session which allowed other faith issues to surface. n Texts of the lectures are available on www.holyredeemer.co.za

Archbishop encourages Alpha participation

BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

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Helping Hands Youth Outreach Group from Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Westville, Durban, raised R4 970 to buy 142 blankets for the ECR Winter Warmth Campaign. (From left) John Assounga, Emmanuel Sithole, Ryan Moore, Andrew O'Connnor, Aimee Smithers, Jessica Sinclair and Donald Symington.

Hope&Joy festival for Jo’burg STAFF REPORTER

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HOPE&JOY festival in Johannesburg will offer dozens of talks to choose from on the subject of the Second Vatican Council and being a Church in the modern world.

The October 8 event will include speakers from the Jesuit Institute, Catholic Bible College, St Augustine University, the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Jesuit Refugee Service,

Catholic Institute of Education, Radio Veritas, Catholic Parliamenary Liaison Office, Wits University and others.

The festival will conclude with a Mass celebrated by Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria, the bishop for evangelisation.

It will take place at Sacred Heart College in Observatory.

R50 tickets available at festival@hopeandjoy.org.za or by calling 011 482 4614, or on sale at the door at R100.

Send your local news to news@scross.co.za

OLLOWING a visit to the Alpha Course conference in London this year, Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg returned to South Africa with a greater enthusiasm for the faithbased, question-and-answer course.

According to Renato Acquisto of South African Alpha for Catholics, more than 1 500 delegates from around the world attended Alpha International’s big biennial conference and representing some of the 33 000 courses run internationally.

The archbishop reported back to the Catholic Alpha organisers that the delegation included Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Pentecostal and Anglican participants as well as a large number of bishops.

The Vatican was represented by Archbishop Octavio Ruiz, secretary-general of the recently created Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation.

Archbishop Tlhagale said Alpha is a “dynamic tool for evangelisation”.

He added that the course is very “tangible and that the experience very real. This was very evident with the interaction and impression [I] got from talking to various

Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg is pictured with Alpha for Catholic organisers Gerald Rodrigues (left) and Renato Acquisto. delegates and their open expression of love for the Lord,” the archbishop said.

In addition, Archbishop Tlhagale said he was most excited about the “opportunity that this course presented in getting the youth more involved in the Church and is in line with the Church’s call to a new evangelisation”.

Following the visit to the conference, the archbishop presented his new findings on Alpha to the

Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference and has said further presentations and discussions will take place in the New Year when the country’s bishops discuss New Evangelisation.

Mr Acquisto said it is important to see the Alpha course not as an ecclesial movement or sodality, but as “a tool of evangelisation at the service of the local Church”. n For further information visit: www.alphafriends.org/catholics or call 083 625 3818

Funds needed for priest in need Continued from page 1 urgently appealing for further donations.

“A generous response will relieve me of the physical and emotional pain aggravated by the unavoidable worry and anxiety associated with my financial plight,” the priest said. He

describes the treatment as “very tiring and indescribably heavy”.

Fr Musakwa wants to continue his work as a priest working in the “deplorable socio-economic situation back home”.

Any funds raised above the costs of Fr Musakwa’s medical expenses will be reserved for the

Mutare Diocesan Priests’ Association.

Banking details for donations must indicate “Fr Richard Musakwa” on deposit. Details: Society of Jesus in South Africa, Standard Chartered Bank, Bedford Gardens (018305), Account number 201874113.

Comboni missionaries Founded by Saint Daniel Comboni

We are committed as Priests or Brothers to EVANGELISATION and DEVELOPMENT in Africa, Europe, America and Asia

Join us in bringing the good news to the world Contact Father Vincent Mkhabela 076 975 6846 Or write to: Vocation Co-ordinator Comboni Study Centre, P.O. Box 73514 0040 Lynnwood Ridge, Pretoria

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The Southern Cross, September 21 to September 27, 2011

INTERNATIONAL

At Eucharistic Congress, pope speaks to couples A RELIGIOUS life centred on and nourished by the Eucharist should lead to a life marked by gratitude for Christ’s sacrifice, a commitment to self-giving and real unity within the Church and the community, Pope Benedict has said.

Travelling to Ancona, on Italy’s Adriatic coast, the pope presided over the closing Mass of the Italian National Eucharistic Congress and held meetings with priests and married couples in Ancona’s cathedral and with engaged couples in a town square.

In between the appointments, he had lunch at the archdiocesan pastoral centre with 20 people representing the unemployed, the poor and those able to find only temporary work.

With the Adriatic glistening behind the altar platform, Pope Benedict’s homily at the Mass focused on the marks of a “eucharistic spirituality”.

Eucharistic communion “draws us out of our individualism, communicates to us the spirit of Christ, who died and is risen, and conforms us to him: It unites us intimately to our brothers and sis-

ters in the mystery of communion, which is the Church”, he said A eucharistic spirituality is one marked by taking responsibility for one’s role in the Church community and society at large, paying special attention to those who are poor, sick or disadvantaged, he said.

“A eucharistic spirituality, then, is a real antidote to the individualism and selfishness that often characterises daily life,” he said. It should lead people to work to overcome divisions within the Church and societies.

Meeting with married couples and priests in the afternoon, Pope Benedict said the two categories of Church members must put more energy into recognising how both have a vocation that flows from the Eucharist, which is a clear sign that God’s love for humanity is so great that he allowed his son to sacrifice his life for the salvation of the world.

Priests and married couples must support each other in living out their vows, he said. Priests must be patient with couples experiencing difficulty, and couples must never stop asking their priests to be

“exemplary ministers who speak of God and lead you to him”.

Addressing about 500 engaged couples in the early evening, Pope Benedict encouraged them to use their engagement and marriage preparation as a time of spiritual growth and maturity.

“In some way, ours isn’t an easy time, especially for you young people. The table is set with many delicious things but, like in the Gospel story of the wedding at Cana, it seems like the wine has run out,” he said.

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he difficulty young people in Italy and much of Europe have in finding a job casts a huge shadow over engagement years of many of them, he said.

And then there is the wider culture that tends not to offer people any firm moral values and, so, leaves the young adrift, he said.

Sharing the same “feelings, state of mind and emotions seems more important than sharing a project for their lives.”

Pope Benedict told the young couples their engagement is a time “to discover the beauty of existing for and being precious to some-

Pope Benedict arrives to celebrate an outdoor Mass to conclude the Italian Eucharistic Congress in Ancona, Italy. In Ancona, the pope addressed married and engaged coupes, and had lunch with unemployed and poor people.

(Photo: Paul Haring, CNS) one, being able to say to each other: ‘You are important to me.’”

He told couples the journey of getting to know each other was a gradual process that should be lived with intensity and truth.

“Love requires a process of maturation starting from initial attraction and feeling good with the other” to learning to give of oneself, sacrifice for and respect the other, the pope said.

“Every human love is a sign of the eternal love that created us and whose grace sanctifies the

choice of a man and a woman to give themselves to each other for life in marriage,” he said.

Pope Benedict told the couples to resist the idea that living together before marriage can be “a guarantee for the future.”

Rushing into setting up house together can ruin the chances for true and lasting love, which needs time to grow solid, he said. Time and space before marriage must be given to Christ, “who is able to make human love faithful, happy and indissoluble”.—CNS

South Sudan’s bishops: Let’s build a nation

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ECOGNISING the difficulties facing the people of South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, the Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference called upon citizens to join with government leaders to build a country through reconciliation and non-violence.

The bishops, concluding a three-day meeting, said in a statement that by working together, the people of South Sudan must be “one nation from every tribe, tongue and people”.

South Sudan became independent on July 9, six months after citizens voted overwhelmingly to secede from Sudan following

decades of war.

“We encourage all citizens of South Sudan, with their faith communities, civil society and political parties, to participate in building a new, prosperous and peaceful nation,” the bishops said. “We encourage a culture of hard work rather than entitlement or dependency.”

The bishops committed the Church to continue playing a “proactive and prophetic role” in public life by insisting on human rights and responsibility, the dignity of the individual and the Gospel values expressed in Catholic social teaching.

Lamenting the outbreak of

internal conflicts in Jonglei state and the disruptions caused by the nomadic Lord’s Resistance Army in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr al Ghazal states, the bishops called for the settlement of disagreements through non-violent means.

The bishops also called upon government officials and citizens to eliminate corruption so that all people may realise the benefits promised by independence.

“We recognised that ‘Rome was not built in a day’ and that the development of a new nation is a process which will take time.

While constantly holding the government to account and always

expecting progress, we nevertheless caution citizens to manage their expectations, to be patient in their demands, to be fair to the government and to allow them time to move forward carefully and in good order,” the statement said.

The bishops commended the South Sudanese leaders for appointing both men and women from broad geographic regions to government posts, but also urged officials to move more quickly to address the delivery of basic services, the building of infrastructure, increasing crime and insecurity and the rising price of essential commodities.—CNS

Courts ‘violate UK Christians’ rights’

BY SIMON CALDWELL

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CATHOLIC archbishop has said the British courts are wrongfully penalising Christians through an “incorrect interpretation” of human rights laws.

Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark said judges were guilty of “woolly thinking” and a bias against Christians who either wore religious jewellery or who had taken a moral stand against acts they held in conscience to be sinful.

The archbishop’s comments were directed primarily at courts which, he explained, wrongly upheld the legitimacy of disciplinary measures taken against four Christians who have since decided to challenge the workings of the law at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, on the grounds

the British judges were failing to protect their rights.

“The courts are misinterpreting the law,” said Archbishop Smith, vice-president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales .

Archbishop Smith said that although Sikhs and Muslims had successfully used the law to uphold a right to manifest their beliefs in such areas as religious attire and jewellery, Christians were denied the same right because the courts had decided that it was not essential to the practice of their faith.

“Why can’t Christians wear the symbol of the cross? It is absolutely part of the Gospel.

Without the cross there is no salvation. It is at the heart of our faith because it is the symbol and sign of God’s unconditional love,” he said Archbishop Smith also insist-

ed that Christians must be allowed “by any reckoning” to act according to their consciences and “not be obliged to do something they know or believe in their consciences to be wrong”.

“There seems to be a prejudice against Christians or against the manifestation of the Christian faith which totally puzzles me,” he added. “I think it is woolly thinking, to be honest.”

Whenever there was a conflict of rights between Christians and homosexuals, for instance, the courts were consistently “coming down heavily on one side and totally ignoring the other”, he said.

“The law properly applied wouldn’t disadvantage anybody but would ensure that we all could exercise our rights fairly,” Archbishop Smith said.—CNS

Theme for Sep 25: Jesus

INTERNATIONAL

The Southern Cross, September 21 to September 27, 2011

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‘Spirit of Assisi’ to be revived with pope S

AINT Francis of Assisi appeals to believers and nonbelievers alike because they long for a world where people see each other as brothers and sisters and where they recognise and respect creation as a gift to all, according to the superior of the Franciscan convent in Assisi, Italy.

Conventual Franciscan Father Giuseppe Piemontese, custodian of the Sacred Convent of St Francis, was one of eight religious leaders who spoke about “The Spirit of Assisi” during an interreligious meeting in Munich, sponsored by the Community of Sant’Egidio, a Romebased lay movement.

To mark the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s gathering with religious leaders in Assisi, Pope Benedict has convoked a new gathering in the Italian town on October 27.

Fr Piemontese said the encounter will underline how important Bl John Paul’s gather-

ing was for promoting dialogue and collaboration among religions, but it also will be a “reminder of what still remains to be done” to ensure true collaboration, respect and mutual support among peoples.

Holding the gathering in Assisi makes sense to people because St Francis “incarnated those high aspects of humanity, simplicity, humility” that enable people to recognise each other as brothers and sisters and to see all of creation as the work of the same hands that made them, he said.

Syrian Orthodox Metropolitan Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim of Aleppo, Syria, said marking the anniversary of the 1986 Assisi meeting “challenges us to reflect on these last 25 years.

They were brimming with fruitful experiences” and helped religious leaders “strengthen their faith and enrich their enthusiasm and enhance their collective vision”.

The Assisi gatherings, he

Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez catches a rosary thrown by one of his fans on top of a bus in Mexico City. He will fight Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines on November 12 for Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title.

(Photo: Carlos Jasso, Reuters/CNS)

said, are a reminder that “supplication to the creator” is something that unites all faiths.

Oded Wiener, director general of the chief rabbinate of Israel, told those gathered in Munich: “Religious leaders and their views are of unique importance and strongly influence the interreligious mosaic,” he said. “At many events, we have found that where politicians and statesmen have failed, religious leaders have succeeded in inflaming or calming down various groups.”

Gijun Sugitani, a leader of Japan’s Tendai Buddhist movement, said that after the Berlin Wall fell and the Cold War ended—events that occurred after the first Assisi meeting— “people expected the swift arrival of world peace”. Instead there have been new conflicts based on ethnicity, ideology and rage.

Mohammed Amine Smaili, a Moroccan professor of Muslim dogma and comparative religion, told the gathering that the 1986 Assisi meeting “marked a decisive and memorable aboutface in our history” because the world’s religions established a consensus that dialogue is the only way that humanity can understand itself.

He said the democratic reform movements sweeping across North Africa and the Middle East also have reflected the spirit of Assisi as they bring people of different religions together to promote greater freedoms and human rights.

Religious leaders, he said, “must speak of the holiness of peace and the curse of disrespect and hatred”.—CNS

Nigerian bishops demand action against extremist Islamic sect

BY PETER AJAYI DADA

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OR the second time in as many weeks, a prominent member of the Nigerian bishops’ conference has pushed the government to get a handle on violence perpetrated by the Boko Haram sect.

Archbishop Felix Alaba Job of Ibadan, president of the Nigerian bishops’ conference, said that, within the past five years, security agencies had furnished governments at all levels with information on activities of the extremist Islamic sect, but nothing significant had been done to curtail their activities.

“We have spoken at length on it,” he said at the opening Mass of the Nigerian bishops’ week-long plenary in Abakaliki.

“The blame as I know it is with the government,” he added.

“If you go to Maiduguri, you discover that their headquarters is at Central Railway quarters.

What has the government done? At the first outbreak, I was there. I have been talking since then,” he said.

Violence—especially in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital— has claimed hundreds of lives and resulted in the loss of property.

Boko Haram has a somewhat undefined leadership and structure. The group says it is fighting against Western culture and education.

Archbishop Job said the sect was not faithful to the norms and principles of Islam, which they claim is the basis for their activities.

Also this month, Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie of Lagos said the continuous spate of mayhem the sect was unleashing on the nation was becoming a matter of national embarrassment capable of disintegrating the nation.—CNS

Bishop decries Libya attacks on migrants

T

HE apostolic vicar of Tripoli, Libya, has expressed his concern over the growing number of attacks on African migrant workers stranded in Libya.

Human Rights Watch has reported several episode of violence against the migrants.

“This is a problem that sad-

dens me because these poor African immigrants are increasingly vulnerable,” Bishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, said.

The migrants “provide an important service to the country, because they do everything.

It is true that they have also been exploited as mercenaries,

but most of them are employed in civilian jobs, which are indispensable in the new Libya", the bishop said.

“What is certain is that these episodes demonstrate that there is no full security in the country. The authorities of transition have however said that security is their priority.”—CISA

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6

LEADER PAGE

The Southern Cross, September 21 to September 27, 2011

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Church unity between East and west?

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

At last, Radio Veritas

I

T has been a long, arduous road which Radio Veritas had to travel to receive the right to broadcast on the airwaves, as a radio station should.

The decision by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) to award Radio Veritas with a terrestial licence on medium wave is indeed, to borrow the station’s tagline, good news for a change.

After more than a decade of dealing with arcane legislation and regulation and protracted bureaucracy, Radio Veritas has been granted the all-important spectrum licence. The hard work of the Radio Veritas team, led by Fr Emil Blaser OP and supported by the Catholic community’s prayers, has finally paid off.

The bishops of Southern Africa also merit praise for their engagement on high levels, as do those parishes, institutions and individuals who canvassed signatures in support of Radio Veritas’ various licence applications. Even when these campaigns were unsuccessful, they doubtless encouraged and validated Fr Blaser and his team in dark times when hope seemed to be diminishing.

For those who over the past decade or so have given Radio Veritas their support, financial or otherwise, and for those who stuck by Radio Veritas through tough times, the fulfillment of the dream of more widely accessible Catholic radio is a rich reward.

Radio Veritas will now play a central role in the mission of the Church, a mission that hitherto has been impeded by its limited reach.

It is true, of course, that some areas of South Africa will still be unable to receive the station’s broadcasts (though the transmissions could reach Durban in the evenings). Modern technology might help relieve that limitation for some. For those with access to the Internet or Blackberrys or iPhones, Radio Veritas’ content can be streamed (this means that, with the right accessories, one can listen to Radio Veritas via the Internet even while driving).

For the staff and volunteers of Radio Veritas, this is an immensely exciting time. Ironically, being deprived of a permanent broadcast licence for so

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.

long has given Radio Veritas the time to sharpen its skills and gather the experience to attain new levels of competence.

With a broader audience will come a greater responsibility to create entertaining, edifying, professional and representative programming which should appeal to a cross-section of Catholics.

The station’s brief will be to enlighten the Catholic community by providing spiritual nourishment, to inform the public about activities and debates within the Catholic Church and to promote objectives for the greater social good. And all this must be accomplished through the medium of attractive programmes.

This is an enormous challenge which gives rise to difficult questions. For example, will programming in languages other than English, as mandated

by Icasa, win or lose the station listeners? Will listeners retune into Radio Veritas when they have switched off on hearing a language they don’t understand, or music that alienates them?

Radio Veritas has no funds to spend on reliable market research. Many of the programming decisions will need to be based on intuition, experience and anecdotal feedback.

The station will need more than the public’s good will.

Broadcasting is expensive business. The costs of transmission alone are steep. To that one must add the normal institutional overheads which even the most prudent accounting and extensive use of pro bono presenters cannot eliminate.

This means that Catholics must be generous in giving financial support to Radio Veritas in greater numbers than they already are.

As a radio station on the airways, Radio Veritas will be a flagship of the local Church. It would not serve the Church should its flagship flounder on the rocks of finances.

Radio Veritas will need to gather new listeners when it starts transmitting on medium wave in early 2012. At that point, Catholics must be strongly encouraged to make Radio Veritas a part of their lives, and to spread the word about it to others.

ILL the differences between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches ever be resolved to enable our two “sister Churches”, as Bl Pope John Paul II so ardently hoped in Lumen Orientalis, “to operate on two lungs again?”

In reference to Our Lady, the Orthodox do not accept her Immaculate Conception, but call her “the All-Holy One” (panaghia, in Greek), many also maintaining that she was immaculate only from the time of the Annunciation.

On the other hand, in regard to her Assumption, which they accept, there are probably as many Orthodox churches dedicated to Mary, “Assumed into Heaven”, as Catholic churches.

Today the Orthodox accept only that the pope is “first among equals”, a title of honour, but not of jurisdiction. Yet the authority and jurisdiction given the pope by the Orthodox at the first seven ecu-

menical councils, held before the schism of 1054, contradicts the belief they hold today.

The “Filioque clause” in the Creed (that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son), recited or sung each Sunday by Catholics at Mass, is another point of contention.

The original Greek wording of the Nicene Creed proclaims that the Holy Spirit proceeds from “the Father” (alone, and not also “from the Son” (filioque in Latin). However from about the time of Charlemagne, Catholics have added “and from the Son”.

It seems possible that the largely illiterate congregations of the time confused it with the next sentence: “...Who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified”.

The Orthodox dispute the Catholic view, citing Acts 1:4, as “the promise [only] of the Father”.

Catholic theologians do not consider this a problem. The Orthodox

Lukewarm faith?

Facebook a boon

T

A

W

HREE cheers for the editor’s masterly editorial “Catholic illiteracy harms Church’s mission”, (September 7), confirming Pope Benedict’s words, showing that the Holy Father is radically aware of the greatest need of the Church—evangelisation of our largely sacramentalised masses.

In regard to the depth and sincerity of our faith, Jesus’ words cut straight to the quick: he would rather that our faith were hot or cold. Jesus is about to spit our lukewarm faith out of his mouth (Rev 3:16). Put plainly, it makes Jesus sick.

There are several reasons why we cradle Catholics fail to evangelise.

Incomplete information is indeed a critical reason, as our editor points out. Another is the fact that many have not grasped the official Catholic understanding of the basic message, the kerygma, that we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ and by his grace.

We are not saved by “works” alone, as some seem to understand it, but by faith issuing forth in love.

Our graced good works are signs that salvation is taking place in us.

Mission is generally seen as defending the authenticity of the Church founded by Jesus Christ (ecclesiocentricity) a “laager” mentality of defence left over from the reformation. The centrality of a dynamic relationship with the Lord, empowered by the spirit, is again, thankfully, taking centre stage.

Mr Simmermacher’s editorial should be required reading by all Catholics.

John Lee, Johannesburg

Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in Letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the Catholic hierarchy. The letters page in particular is a forum in which readers may exchange opinions on matters of debate.

Letters must not be understood to necessarily reflect the teachings, disciplines or policies of the Church accurately.

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FTER reading an article on the effects of the social media in the Sunday Independent by Sarah Harris, I found Martin Luther King’s words inspiring the thoughts that follow.

In the article a top scientist is recorded as saying that “Facebook and Twitter have created a generation too concerned with themselves, who have short attention spans and a childlike desire for constant feedback on their lives”.

Another comment was that young people, in particular, develop “poor non-verbal skills, such as the inability to make eye contact during conversations”.

Owing to the pace of life today, coupled with extraordinary advances in technology, people need and expect instant gratification on all levels. Thus social media and cell phones, particularly SMSs, have come to replace genuine faceto-face contact and communication.

There is really no point in bemoaning this fact, as social media is firmly established as a major communication tool in our society as we know it. This is borne out strongly by the statistics—more than 750 million people across the globe use Facebook on a regular basis.

OR

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use leavened bread in the Eucharist, the Catholic Church, unleavened azymes. It would be interesting to know whether this has always been the practice down the centuries.

Also, the Orthodox do not seem to have a cult of adoration of the Eucharist outside the Mass, reserving the Eucharist only for the sick.

With the development of St Thomas Aquinas’ definition of transubstantiation in the 13th century (after the great schism of 1054 with the Greek Church), adoration of the reserved species outside the context of the Mass took on greater impetus in the west.

This is not the case among the Orthodox, possibly, because the leavened bread they use deteriorates so quickly. At the Council of Florence the Orthodox affirmed their belief in a state of purgation after death and that the process of purification can be hastened by the prayers and suffrages of the faithful on earth. We should pray ardently for the re-establishment of full unity between East and West.

Martin Schreiner, Pretoria I am an unashamed user of Facebook. Through this medium I have reconnected with many people whom I have not seen or heard of in years. I can now have contact with them on a regular basis even though they live on different continents.

On the downside, I do find much of what people “share” trivial and banal. I am certainly not interested in reading about someone’s gastronomic habits. I also do not go on to Facebook for a report on whether it is hot, cold or windy today—I can glance out of the window for that.

Furthermore, I do not wish to be privy to what goes on in other people’s relationships and who has cheated on whom!

The Catholic Church has been very clever in harnessing this tool and using it to communicate with its followers. As a Facebook user, I am able to see regular updates on activities in my parish and enjoy inspirational texts posted by our parish priest.

My non-Catholic “Facebook friends” also see these—and who knows—a seed might be planted.

We as Catholics should follow the example of the Church and use this amazing and easily-accessible tool to express and share our love for God and the Church.

Imagine all Catholic Facebook users uniting and flooding the social media with messages about peace, justice, compassion, reconciliation and love! Imagine millions of people praying together!

It is things like this that can change the world! This is my dream!

Theresa Anne Waldek, Port Elizabeth

PERSPECTIVES

The Southern Cross, September 21 to September 27, 2011

How do we prove that faith is not idiotic?

T

HE first ecclesiastical territory to be established in Southern Africa in 1818, was what is now the archdiocese of Cape Town. In fact, it is still known as the mother church not only of Southern Africa, but also of Australia and New Zealand.

Now the archdiocese has undertaken, under the eminent direction of Archbishop Stephen Brislin, to encourage the formation of Small Faith-Sharing Groups, under the Ecclesia programme.

Ecclesia is intended to be a means of reflecting on and rediscovering our faith and the relationship we have with Jesus the Christ who is God’s grace made manifest in the world.

These groups are recommended to comprise between six and 12 people who meet to read Scriptures, to reflect on them, and to pray together.

I’m discovering that faith-sharing groups are a great way to meet and get to know others in my parish.

Obviously the group works well when there’s an understanding of discretion in what the members share among each other. Beyond the initial shocks of recognition (as the result of a wonderful mixture of people of different background), it is amazing how an unpretentious frankness of faith-sharing opens up bonds of trust.

The first reason people provide for joining a faith-sharing group is to deepen their faith—some feel complacent in their faith and would like to be more committed. Group members help each other answer questions about our faith which we are faced with daily in a world that is predominantly secular in its values.

It is not common these days to meet up with intelligent people with practised arguments against the existence of God. They usually take us by surprised since

we move from an assumed premise that the existence of God is obvious. Yet, we often find that we have no intellectual muscle to argue that premise, and often look foolish and feel belittled by their well-constructed support of atheism.

Even friends, colleagues or families, even if they are prepared to indulge our beliefs, don’t see why we should go for what they call the “naivety of religion”.

They say we are afraid to deal with things in a rational manner.

Then there are questions from the believing side, especially from the “born again” establishments: “Are you born again? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal saviour?”

T

he question that gets me most— because I feel there’s a modicum of truth in it—is that some of us Catholics, in attempting not to fall into the trap of fundamentalism, tend to be mushy and dilute our faith.

For instance, most Catholics would correctly say they do not take everything written in the Bible literally, especially the first books of the Old Testament. But the concern is that once you start on that path, you might find yourself thinking that perhaps you should not take virgin birth or

Catholics study Scripture and share the faith.

Solving the gang problem

W

HEN we don’t take care of the youth, not only do we deprive the world of future leaders, but we also create a breeding ground for crime. What’s happening in Kinshasa is just one example of the situation in many African cities.

Let me introduce you to the kuluna phenomenon.

You won’t find the word kuluna in the Lingala vocabulary as such, at least not in the dictionary. When I ask some people where it comes from, they scratch their head and it ends there. No answer. Others think it was imported from Angola, explaining that the word kuluna comes from the Portuguese coluna, the word for an infantry column on foot patrol.

Who are the kulunas? Here in Kinshasa, the kulunas are gangs of youngsters who patrol the streets, mostly at night, in order to seize from passers-by any valuable they can find on them: money, watches, cellphones, shoes, jewellery.

Armed with clubs and machetes, kulunas hack at victims who resist them, often tearing their arms or feet.

One might expect such acts to be perpetrated by the most horrific looking individuals imaginable, hulks with bloodshot eyes and unkempt hair living in some hideous corners. Some kulunas may well fit in this description, but many of them are far removed from the labels of our imagination.

Look at them on TV, when it shows

the police rounding up gangs. Some kuluna are rather young, not robustly built.

There seems hardly anything scary in their appearance. In daylight, they are the people you would readily say hello to when you meet them in the street; you would sit next to them in the stadium or share a bench with them in church. They are normal people, but something very abnormal is going on in their lives. What is it?

Some discontinue their education when their parents just can’t afford paying school fees for them. Others have studied, even up to the university level, but they can’t find a job. Others yet have just given up on school in the belief that education will get them nowhere.

Largely, they are demoralised youths whose dreams have been flattened. They end up doing anything to survive— including, unfortunately, kuluna acts. It is in this way that the peaceful looking youngster of the day turns into ferocious predator at night. They brace themselves with machetes, which hang on strings around their necks, as they comb the streets.

The kuluna have colonised certain streets and parts of Kinshasa which assure them a good catch. After dark, such places become no-go areas. Yet people have to go there; they have to pass through these streets to return home from work.

It is a security problem. Deploying the police would be the immediate action to take. However, the solution to the real

Chris Chatteris SJ Pray with the Pope

Mphuthumi Ntabeni Pushing Boundaries even the resurrection too literally either.

Prayer, because it is a proposition, is a privilege enjoyed by people with real faith. It is the practice of a propositional belief that advocates not only that God exists, but that he is also concerned for the world and for individuals (to an extent of entering history by suspending physical laws to achieve the purpose of salvation for us Christians).

For us Catholics in particular, faith requires that we assent to the activities of God based on belief and history.

The challenge then is to face those who think religious faith is a blind leap that hurls the believer into infinite idiocy. How do you prove your faith is not idiotic when you can’t even prove the existence of God? We must first start by shedding the need to prove God’s existence. God has spoken on this matter once and for all to Moses. God refuses to be reduced into metaphor: I am who I am.

According to Pope Benedict, God does not need qualification. For people of goodwill and humility, this is enough.

Hence the archangel Gabriel says the birth of Christ brings peace to them.

Of course the acceptance of an unqualified God does not mean our faithful do not struggle with the hidden God. Like Moses we sometimes lose patience and strike the rock twice.

This is why we need the community of believers to encourage each other. And that the Catholic community can do so well through faith-sharing groups.

Fr Evans Chama Letter from Congo

7

Dignity in dying General Intention: That the terminally ill may be supported by their faith in God and the love of their brothers and sisters.

S a young Jesuit student I was once working at St Christopher’s, a hospice for the terminally ill in London. One day I felt somewhat down and self-preoccupied. It clearly showed.

A staff nurse, Sister Smith, looked me in the eye and said: “Whatever it is, perhaps it won’t happen, and if it does happen, perhaps it won’t be quite as bad as you expect!”

I was stung, but she was quite right, of course.

Here was I, young and healthy, among people who were experiencing the pain, diminishment and distress of terminal illness, and I was the one feeling sorry for myself! The well-aimed and timed admonition enabled me to put aside my mild and passing depression and focus on the work of ministering to the patients.

My general experience at St Christopher’s was that the ministry to one’s brothers and sisters experiencing terminal illness was a two-way street. The patients often boosted my faith more than I did theirs.

On some occasions I witnessed distressed family members who really did not know what to do or say, being helped by their dying relatives. It was incredible to see the faith and courage of people facing death who could still somehow reassure and comfort their families who were facing bereavement. The dignity of heartfelt goodbyes, final reconciliations and assurances of seeing each other once again, were powerful testaments to faith, hope and love.

There was a medical side to all this. Dr Cecily Saunders, who was a pioneer in the hospice movement, understood the importance of a person’s last days. Hence she believed that, with appropriate pain-control, it was possible to help a very ill person to be comfortable and conscious enough to use this precious time well.

The hospice movement is a concrete answer to this papal intention and we can respond very practically to it by supporting hospice and praying for its devoted staff.

A

What’s our mission? problem is beyond the competence of police.

The youth are robbed of their future, robbed of their dreams. This is not unique to Kinshasa. It’s the malaise of the youth in many cities of Africa (and, for that matter, Latin America). It manifests itself in a variety of similar ways, such as the kuluna phenomenon.

To be sure, the insecurity that the kuluna are causing in Kinshasa is appalling and obviously must be condemned. At the same time, we just cannot fail to appreciate the hopelessness such young people suffer.

As much as we are troubled by the insecurity and iniquity the kuluna create, we must also go beyond the rhetoric of cliché. “The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow”—as if it was all about the future. If we believe in what we say, then now is a good time to start moulding the youth into responsible citizens and leaders.

We might mobilise the police to clear the kuluna machetes and clubs off the streets, but that is an inadequate response.

What alternatives can we offer to dissuade the youth from picking up the machete? n Fr Evans Chama is a Missionary of Africa priest currently based in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Missionary Intention: That the celebration of World Mission Day may foster in the People of God a passion for evangelisation with the willingness to support the missions with prayer and economic aid for the poorest Churches.

S the Father has sent me, even so I send you” (Jn 20:21) is the text which gives the theme to the pope’s annual message on World Mission Sunday which we celebrate this year on October 23.

Pope Benedict reminds us that it is in the liturgy that we are all called to go out and proclaim the word because “the Church is by her very nature missionary”.

He also reminds us that “the Gospel is not an exclusive possession of whoever has received it but a gift to share, good news to communicate. And this gift-commitment is not only entrusted to a few but on the contrary to all the baptised, who are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people’ (1 Pt 2:9)”.

He quotes Pope Paul VI who wrote that “in evangelisation it is unacceptable to disregard areas that concern human advancement, justice and liberation from every kind of oppression”. The call for justice and freedom is a reminder that the missionary Church requires considerable material resources to do its work of preaching, teaching, healing and development and depends on the better resourced sectors of the Church for such vital support.

To this effect the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith has established a solidarity fund to support the missionary areas in the world. These areas, like Southern Africa, also provide money and resources for their own missions through works such as the Lenten Appeal.

The intention asks us to be generous towards the missions at this time in both prayer and gift.

‘A

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8

The Southern Cross, September 21 to September 27, 2011

COMMUNITY

Carla Phillips teaches one of the confirmation classes, of Brooklyn’s Our Lady of the Assumption church in Cape Town. Nicknamed the “Brooklyn Brats”, they prayed the Lectio Divina under the guidance of parish priest Fr Stan Botha. The catechetical training includes formation-information-recreation, and they are all involved in the parish’s Catholicare outreaches.

As is tradition, Grade 1 and 2 pupils surprised the Sisters at St Dominic's Priory in Port Elizabeth with flowers for Spring Day. They then serenaded them with Spring songs that they learnt in music class.

Andrew Jackson, a ten-year-old altar server at St Mary’s cathedral in Cape Town, started collecting bread tags to fund a wheelchair for someone in need as part of his cubs project.

He placed a box at his school, Sea Point Primary and in August was recognised as a young achiever by the Rotary Club Waterfront. At the awards ceremony, the Rotary Club donated a wheelchair to a recipient of Andrew’s choice. He decided to give it to Nazareth House. The recipient, Monica, was thrilled to receive the wheelchair, saying it was a wish fulfilled. Andrew and Monica are pictured with Nazareth Sister Margaret Craig (right) and carer Felicia Bomvana.

IN FO CUS 19 members of the Class of 1961 of Christian Brothers College in Boksburg met for a reunion at a Boksburg restaurant. Each attendee had an opportunity to speak about the past 50 years. Pictured (clockwise from bottom left): John Lees, Alfie Liddle, Anton Bischoff, Peter Wyness, Phillipe Cantin, Denis Quinlan, Frank Seewald, Dr Dave Whitlaw and and John Russell. (Submitted

by Gerard Lee)

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

Geraldine Forshaw with her granddaughter Georgina Warner, a learner at Springfield Convent in Cape Town at her confirmation with Archbishop Emeritus Lawrence Henry.

Divine Mercy Parish Walkerville Bids farewell to their tent The Divine Mercy Parish in Walkerville, Johannesburg, bids farewell to a large marquee measuring 15m x 33m which served as the church from November 2008 to January 2011.

During January 2011, the existing Daily Chapel was extended and the tent was no longer used for the Mass. However, the extended Chapel soon became inadequate as it did not have the capacity to accommodate the number of parishioners. It became necessary to further extend the Chapel.

A very generous parishioner, a building contractor, offered to extend the Chapel. The new extension was completed in 5 working days at a cost of “no charge”.

We are now able to accommodate the parishioners comfortably until the building of the church is complete.

Fr Stan and his Executive Council extend their appreciation to the parishioners who have had to endure the discomfort over the past three years.

We can all now look forward to a bit of comfort as well as welcoming new parishioners whilst the building of the church continues.

All glory be to God for His Divine Mercy in whom we trust!

Article written by Rona Fabian

LITURGY

The Southern Cross, September 21 to September 27, 2011

9

Hymns must be chosen for the right part of the Mass As the new translation of the missal is about to take effect in late November, a new emphasis is placed on the music of the liturgy. In the second of two articles, FR MALCOLM McLAREN explains how.

H

AVING looked last week at how music can enhance the shape of the liturgy, some comments can now be made about the role and place of hymns in the Mass.

It is unfortunate that hymns receive so much priority because they undermine an understanding of participation during Mass. It is also witness to a foreign tradition of worship that has entered into the Mass. Here I speak of those hymns sung as the entrance, offertory, Communion and recessional hymns.

Apart from the Sanctus, the Gloria is the only other part of the Mass referred to as a hymn. As a hymn of praise, the Church documents stress the importance of the Gloria being sung (although it is recognised that this is not always possible).

The difficulty in composing music for the Gloria, and also the shortage of suitable and even durable settings, has seen many choirs sing versions which have altered the parts of the original English text. It is also a reflection, in part, of the desire to increase community singing by making the Gloria more accessible.

However there has also, regrettably, been much abuse at this point of the Mass. In an attempt to ensure that something is sung at this point rather than recite the Gloria, random hymns have been sung simply because they contain

the word “glory”, or even “praise”.

The new English translation provides an opportunity to improve our practice. There are already a number of musical settings of the Gloria using the new English translation, and I hope that with patience and perseverance they can be introduced successfully.

Considering now, in turn, the four “traditional” hymns, it may surprise some people that the recessional hymn is not part of the Mass! Liturgically, the Mass ends immediately after the deacon (or priest) has given the dismissal and the assembly has responded with “Thanks be to God”. It seems strange, therefore, that it should receive so much focus, since its function is simply to accompany the priest and ministers out of the sanctuary.

The purpose of the entrance, offertory and Communion hymns should primarily be seen as accompanying a ritual action. (Here the entrance hymn differs from the recessional hymn, because the Mass does not begin with the Sign of the Cross but with the entrance hymn/antiphon).

The entrance hymn accompanies the procession of the priest and ministers to the sanctuary, the offertory hymn the presentation and preparation of the gifts, and the Communion hymn the procession of the assembly to receive Holy Communion.

However, there are also secondary roles. For example, the entrance hymn also draws the attention of the assembly to the altar as the central focus point of the Mass. The entrance and offertory hymns may also accompany the action of incensing the altar and the gifts.

The point here is that when either of these hymns is too long or too short to accompany the ritual action, then the hymn has

A choir in full song. In the second of his two articles on music in the liturgy, Fr Malcolm McLaren says that hymns must be chosen to reflect the correct part of the Mass. failed in its primary purpose. Occasionally, the use of musical improvisation can assist where hymns might be too short, however care must be taken in singing hymns which are either too long or which, when cut short, somehow seem to be incomplete.

I

t is no harm to recall that the tradition at these three points of the Mass was to sing an antiphon or refrain (still provided in the missal), accompanied by a suitable number of verses from a psalm for the duration of the ritual action.

This was concluded by repeating the antiphon.

Many standard collections of liturgical music include well written antiphonal type “hymns”, both in English and in a musical form that allows for community participation. Their value should not be ignored, especially since a short refrain can easily be learned before Mass, and a choir or cantor

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can sing the verses.

It is also disappointing to see how the vast array of hymns has almost displaced the tradition of using the psalms in the Mass, with the exception of the responsorial psalm.

However, even here, the bad practice of singing hymns in place of the responsorial psalm must be noted. Space prevents further discussion in this area, however it should be said that when it is sung (even if only the refrain), the responsorial psalm gives the assembly an opportunity to meditate and reflect on the Word of God, in a way similar to that of Taizé chant.

Finally, there is no requirement that offertory hymns refer to the gifts of bread and wine, or that Communion hymns refer to Holy Communion. Indeed, at neither of these times must the entire assembly join in the singing.

Therefore, in place of an offer-

tory hymn, the choir might sing a religious song related to the theme of the Mass or liturgical season, or alternatively the action may be accompanied simply with instrumental music.

Despite themes relating to the Eucharist being appropriate for Communion time, it is possible to increase the range of music used for Communion by looking to the Communion antiphon as a guide.

During the Sundays in Eastertide, for example, only one of the Communion antiphons given in the Missal makes reference to the Eucharist. Although the priority of a post-Communion hymn in the context of liturgical music is relatively low, pastorally it may have a place such as during the taking of a collection.

These two articles are intended to be an introduction, covering broadly the areas of greater significance in liturgical music. Much more can—and should—be discussed, perhaps in parish liturgy groups or diocesan music workshops. And yet this article might already seem overwhelming or reflect very differently from the current practice in your parish.

I also appreciate that some of the suggestions I have outlined are not achieved overnight. They require thought, prayer, education, and commitment, not only from those in music ministry but from the priest, deacon and entire assembly.

However, if truly liturgical music not only adds to the beauty of the Mass, but allows the prayers of the Mass, and the Mass itself to speak more fully, then this should be enough to inspire us to make the effort. n Fr Malcolm McLaren is a priest of the archdiocese of Johannesburg. This two-part series is based on a talk that was given to those involved in music ministry at St Patrick’s church in La Rochelle.

10

The Southern Cross, September 21 to September 27, 2011

CHURCH

OUR LADY OF LORETO, KEMPTON PARK, JOHANNESBURG

A diverse parish keeps growing

BY THANDI BOSMAN

I

N the heart of Kempton Park, in the archdiocese of Johannesburg and a short leap from OR Tambo International Airport, lies the parish of Our Lady of Loreto, aptly dedicated to the patroness of aviation.

The parish was founded in 1967 under the guidance and supervision of Fr Victor Kotze, now of Martindale parish.

One of the parish’s founder members, Ruth du Plooy, still serves the church as its organist. In 2008 another founder member, Keith McKenzie, was ordained a deacon. His role is to look after many aspects of the sacraments.

He was one of the altar servers at the official opening Mass of the church in 1968, said Berniece Eales who coordinates the distribution of The Southern Cross in the parish.

The parish has grown substantially in the intervening four decades, Mrs Eales said. Today the parish has about 1 000 families.

“We are very blessed in that our community is very diverse and is made up of many different groups—including Portuguese, Italian, Zimbabwean, Nigerian, and many other groups—making our congregation a true representation of our Rainbow Nation,” she said.

She noted that the integration of the diverse community poses

something of a challenge for the parish, but a lot of effort is made to ensure that Our Lady of Loreto church is a spiritual home for all its parishioners, Mrs Eales added.

“Right now the biggest challenge is to meet the archdiocesan ‘Share the Load, Buy a Brick’, project”, which raises funds for the construction of a new chancery in Johannesburg.

The parish is finding it difficult to get the youth ministry “off the ground”, Mrs Eales said. The youth group, called United Youth of Loreto, has several committed members but still the youth is struggling to come together in greater numbers.

Mrs Eales has suggested that The Southern Cross writes articles that will attract young readers and in the process will help youth get involved in their parishes. “Perhaps there could be articles in The Southern Cross helping [youth] groups to get going.”

Kempton Park’s pastor is Carmelite Father Mari Joseph who, according to Mrs Eales, has been “pivotal for the development and overall growth” in the parish.

“We are currently looked after by the Carmelite Fathers who are located very close by in Benoni, and we have truly been blessed with a spiritual guidance, which is equal to none,” Mrs Eales added.

Carmelites have a strong Marian devotion and were founded

more than 800 years ago.

The Discalced Carmelite Order of Darlington, England founded the first Carmelite monastery in South Africa in 1931, in Rivonia outside Johannesburg. In 1952 the Carmelites in Rivonia founded the Carmelite monastery in Wynberg, Cape Town.

The Darlington community of England founded another Carmelite community in 1992, in the place of Stones, Mafikeng, in the North West Province. In the early 1990s the Rivonia Carmel monastery sold their land and moved to Benoni where a new Carmel was built.

The Carmelite monastery in Wynberg moved to Retreat in 2 000 and is now referred to as Retreat Carmel.

The Carmelite monastery in Mafikeng was dispersed and given to nuns who were evicted from Pakistan.

The Carmel monastery changed its name to Thapelong which is the Setswana word for “place of prayer”.

O

ur Lady of Loreto has a monthly healing Mass celebrated on the first Friday of every month. Mrs Eales said that this Mass is a growing one and is attributed to Fr Joseph’s spiritual input into the church.

The parish hosts an annual Christmas party for its community

Fr Mari Jo and Deacon Keith McKenzie entertain Archbishop Buti Thlagale at Our Lady of Loreto in Kempton Park, Johannesburg. (Inset) Berniece Eales is The Southern Cross distribution coordinator at this parish. and surrounding parishes.

After the 8:30am Sunday Mass, the parish runs a kiosk which sells tea, coffee, hot chocolate and a variety of things to eat. Mrs Eales said that this contributes to the “fostering of a healthy community spirit”.

Our Lady of Loreto is proud of having produced a priest. Jesuit Father Russell Pollitt is currently serving Holy Trinity parish in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

“Fr Russell grew up in Kempton Park and never had any other desire than to become a priest,” Mrs Eales recalled.

Last year the parish completed the renovation of the church, just in time for its confirmations in November.

“Archbishop Buti Tlhagale blessed the sanctuary, the baptismal font, the church, and the new lecterns before he celebrated the Confirmation Mass,” Mrs Eales said, adding that it was a great celebration in their parish.

Our Lady of Loreto receives many visiting priests because Fr

Joseph is also the chaplain to OR Tambo International Airport.

The parish also celebrates Carmelite feast days. Mrs Eales said that this is a blessing because the parish would not have otherwise known about these feasts.

Mrs Eales serves on ministries wherever she can and whenever she is needed. One of these is the social communications apostolate of promoting and selling The Southern Cross in her parish.

The church repository is open on Sundays from 8:30 to 12:30, and is managed by a team under the leadership of parishioner Linda Glennie. During the renovations of the church, a veranda was built and this has allowed the repository to expand their team, Mrs Eales said.

“Now [we] simply wheel out the stock on to the veranda where the community are able to view all the wares,” Mrs Eales added.

“Fr Joseph says that the repository is ‘putting God into people’s hands’ as many Bibles, prayer books and rosaries are sold.”

The Southern Cross, September 21 to September 27, 2011

Building the Dennis Hurley Centre

BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

T

HE effort to raise funds for the Denis Hurley Centre (DHC) is gaining ground following a special archdiocese-wide collection at Masses in Durban.

Centre manager Paddy Kearney said the special collection was requested by Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban. In a special letter to all parish priests of the archdiocese, the cardinal said the centre will be “a valuable resource for the cathedral and the whole archdiocese, helping us to care for many thousands of people who turn to us for assistance; providing a venue for religious education and job-related training, as well as for building community in a diverse and challenging neighbourhood”.

Resources were also made available for motivating congregations

to give generously. These included a professional DVD, homily notes and an illustrated leaflet. All of these are available from the centre for further promotion.

Mr Kearnery said while not all the money has been collected and counted, “we have heard reports of excellent sermons being preached in a number of parishes”. The centre also received reports that Fr Justin Storton preached what was called “his best

Family Reflections

Community Calendar To place your event, call Claire Allen at 021 465 5007 or e-mail c.allen@scross.co.za, (publication subject to space) BETHLEHEM: Shrine of Our Lady of Bethlehem at Tsheseng, Maluti mountains; Thursdays 09:30, Mass, then exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. 058 721 0532.

CAPE TOWN: Good Shepherd, Bothasig. Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in the chapel. All hours. All welcome.

Day of Prayer held at Springfield Convent starting at 10:00 ending 15:30 last Saturday of every month—all welcome. For more information contact Jane Hulley 021 790 1668 or 082 783 0331.

Fundraiser Car Boot Sale and morning market at St Brendan’s church, Cnr Longboat Rd (off Ou Kaapseweg) and Corvette Street, Sunvalley, Fish Hoek, Last Saturday every month. All welcome.

Info and stall reservations: Maggi-Mae 021 782 9263 or 082 892 4502 mvidas @mweb.co.za

J.M.J

DURBAN: St Anthony’s, Durban Central: Tuesday 09:00 Mass with novena to St Anthony. First Friday 17:30 Mass—Divine Mercy novena prayers.

Tel: 031 309 3496.

JOHANNESBURG: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: first Friday of the month at 09:20 followed by Holy Mass at 10:30. Holy Hour: first Saturday of each month at 15:00. At Our Lady of the Angels, Little Eden, Edenvale. Tel: 011 609 7246.

KIMBERLEY: The St Boniface Past Students are holding their 60th anniversary on September 24. Past students are requested to contact Union’s PRO & Chairman of the Board, Mosalashuping Morudi 073 768 3653, or sbonifa@iafrica.com PRETORIA: First Saturday: Devotion to Divine Mercy. St Martin de Porres, Sunnyside, 16:30. Tel Shirley-Anne 012 361 4545.

sermon ever” at Immaculate Conception, Pinetown, while Fr Mike Foley OMI gave an outstanding sermon at St Anne’s in Sydenham.

It is hoped construction on the centre will start later this year.

While contributions from parishes, churches overseas, government, individuals and orders close to the late archbishop and the corporate sector have been received, Mr Kearney said there was still a “mountain to climb” before the centre becomes a reality.

Cardinal Napier called for prayers to Archbishop Hurley, his predecessor as archbishop of Durban who died in February 2004, to work some miracles on the centre’s behalf.

For more information on how to contribute contact the centre on 031 301 2240.

September 24 Heritage Day. What legacy are we, the citizens and parishioners of 2011, leaving to our children? Have we taught them enough by word and example? What traditions and rituals are special to us? As a fun activity together list family qualities and make a family shield or crest.

September 25 26th Sunday. Christ obedient unto death. St Paul calls us to be like Jesus, who was divine, and was God, but humbled himself completely. Paul gives us a perfect recipe for tolerance and acceptance when he writes: “There must be no competition among you, no conceit, but everybody is to be self-effacing. Always consider the other person to be better than you so that nobody thinks of his own interests first.” One can debate whether this is just but it is certainly loving.

Liturgical Calendar Year A Sunday, September 25, 26th Sunday Ezekiel 18:25-28, Psalm 25:4-9, Philippians 2:1-11 or Philippians 2:1-5, Matthew 21:28-32 Monday, September 26, Ss Cosmas and Damian Zechariah 8:1-8, Psalm 102:16-21, 29, 22-23, Luke 9:46-50 Tuesday, September 27, St Vincent de Paul Zechariah 8:20-23,Psalm 87:1-7, Luke 9:51-56 Wednesday, September 28, Ss Wenceslaus, Laurence Ruiz & comps Nehemiah 2:1-8, Psalm 137:1-6, Luke 9:57-62 Thursday, September 29, Ss Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 or Revelation 12:7-12, Psalm 138:1-5, John 1:47-51 Friday, September 30, St Jerome Baruch 1:15-22, Psalm 79:1-5, 8-9, Luke 10:13-16 Saturday October 1, St Thérèse of the Child Jesus Isaiah 66:10-14, Psalm 131, Matthew 18:1-5 Sunday October 2, 27th Sunday Isaiah 5:1-7, Psalm 80, 9:12-16, 19-20, Philistines 4:6-9, Matthew 21:33-43

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Fr Ralph de Hahn and retired priests wish to thank the mysterious donor for the Table Tennis set.

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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 (R1,15 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication.

IN MEMORIAM BLAND—Anne. In loving memory of my dear wife, our mother and grandmother who Our Lord called home seven years ago on September 26, 2004. Time passes but the ache never goes away. Love and miss you and Tracy everyday and always in our hearts and thoughts. Rest in peace and may Our Lord and His Mother Mary hold you always close. Love Ken, Carol, Jennifer, Mathew, Paul, grandchildren, family and friends.

LETORD—In loving memory of Edna Madeline who passed away nine years ago on September 19, 2002. Will always be remembered and loved by her family Helen, Stephen, Matthew, Thérèse and Kieran, Janet, Dean, Michael and Kyle, Anne, Basil, Sarah and Warren and her sister Joan Swanson. May her soul rest in peace.

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PRAYERS 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,

pray for us who have recourse to thee. Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands. “Say this prayer for 3 consecutive days and then publish. FG. 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, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands. “Say this prayer for 3 consecutive days and then publish. LG. O BLESSED Trinity, we thank you for having graced the Church with Pope John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your fatherly care, the glory of the cross of Christ, and the splendor of the Holy Spirit, to shine through him. Trusting fully in your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd and has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you.

Grant us, by his intercession, and according to your will, the graces we implore, hoping that he will soon be numbered among your saints. Amen

THANKS ETERNAL thanks to Our Lady and to St. Jude for prayers answered. VAY.

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Word of the Week Parousia: The second coming of Christ as judge of the living and the dead, at the end of time.

Application: The gospel of Matthew 24:27 describes the parousia: “For just as lightning comes from the east and is seen as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

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27th Sunday: October 2 Readings: Isaiah 5:1-7, Psalm 80:9, 12-16, 19-20, Philippians 4:6-9, Matthew 21:33-43

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Nicholas King SJ Sunday Reflections The reader should be thoroughly uncomfortable at this point, and it is no surprise when the prophet gives us the clue to the mystery: “For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the House of Israel, and the men of Judah are his cherished plant.” And the poem ends with a series of untranslatable Hebrew puns explaining how badly Israel has gone wrong; and yet it is still a lovesong.

The psalm, at least in the way it is cut for our lectionary, is also about the “vine”, now clearly understood as referring to Israel, “which you brought out of Egypt: you drove out the nations and planted it”. The poet celebrates its fertility, but then comes an accusation, this time from Israel to its God: “Why did you break down its walls, and all who pass on the road pluck its fruit.” Even the wild animals attack it; and then comes the petition: “God of hosts, please come back, look down from Heaven and see the vine, the stock that your right hand has planted.”

Then there is the promise that Israel (us, that is) will repent, “Lord God of hosts, turn

back, and let your face shine, and we shall be saved.” There is a falling-out here between God and the People of God; but we notice their confidence that if only the people will return, then all shall be well, for God does not abandon his chosen ones.

The se c o nd re ading , continuing our journey through Philippians, does not make use of the metaphor, but as Paul moves towards the end of the letter, he wants this favourite church of his to get the relationship right, a love-song, not a law-suit: “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, in praying and in imploring, present your requests to God, and the peace of God that surpasses all [human] intellect will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

And he knows well that they need to create a mood; the Philippians are to “think of whatever is true, whatever is holy, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, anything virtuous and anything praiseworthy...and the God of peace will be with you”.

This beautiful vision of a right relationship with God continues in the g o sp el, where Jesus is still inveighing against the religious authorities of his day; indeed he is actually addressing them, as the gospel rushes towards its horrible ending.

They will not have missed the point that he is making when he talked about a “householder who planted a vineyard, and

Antiseptically yours, Chris L

Conrad

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Help us become worthy fruit of the vine

HE vine and the vineyard is a metaphor that speaks readily to the agricultural climate of the Ancient Near East, a symbol of fertility, but also, potentially, with just a hint of controversy about it, as we see in the readings for next Sunday.

The first reading is Isaiah’s well-known poem; it is set in the metre normally given to a love-song, and indeed it starts off: “Now let me sing for my beloved, about his vineyard; my beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.” The audience at this point sits back and relaxes, for we know where we are going, and we listen without surprise to the description of what the beloved does to the vineyard: “He dug it, and cleared it of stones and planted it with choice vines, and he built a watch-tower, and hewed out a wine-press, and waited for it to produce grapes.”

We are in for a shock, however, for “it yielded wild grapes”. Then, from a lovesong, the tone of the poem turns abruptly into a prosecution, as the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem are invited to “judge between me and my vineyard”, and the prosecuting counsel demands: “What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done?”. Then comes the devastating verdict: “I shall remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I shall break down its wall—let it be trampled.”

AST month a letter to the editor by Albert Vianello raised the question of germs, and a fellow Catholic, Dr Michael Pravetz, responded by pointing out that if one had a fear of germs then one should pretty much avoid all forms of contact with absolutely anything and anyone.

This reminded me of something I wrote on the subject, in this column about two years ago, which took the form of a letter I penned to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Dear WHO, It is my pleasant duty to inform the WHO Committee for Global Hygiene and Killing All Known Germs Dead, that South Africa is now on the verge of being the first completely sterile nation on earth. Yes, I know HIV/Aids is out of control, but by heavens, our kitchens are spotless.

A bit of advice on this outstanding breakthrough, however. If you’re thinking of conferring some sort of honour on the country’s medical researchers, don’t even think about it. It is South Africa’s marketers and television channels who are responsible for this quite remarkable breakthrough.

It all started about ten years ago when a diabolically clever aerosol salesman saw the writing on the wall vis-avis the ozone layer being seriously

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Chris Moerdyk The Last Word depleted by his product. So he decided to diversify into something that local consumers would simply be forced to buy out of sheer terror.

The idea came to him late one night after a huge party to celebrate his fifth consecutive “Most Persistent Salesperson of the Year” award when he had his head halfway down the U-bend of a Stasie Hotel lavatory in an effort to bring up 16 draft beers, a bottle and a half of Chateau Brakpan Cabernet and a quart of crème de menthe. “Lavatories,” he thought. “That’s where my future lies—lavatories” So he developed all sorts of products to toss into lavatory cisterns, hook on to the edge of lavatory pans and that could reach into every possible nook and cranny to obliterate germs with every flush.

At the same time he harnessed the power of television to point out to South Africans the frightening array of deadly bacterial livestock that had taken up residence in their loos.

The nation heeded his warning with such gusto that in KwaZulu Natal, for example, 200km2 of Indian O cean adj acen t th e main Durban sewage outfall pipe turned bright blue and thousands of citizens who were previously allergic to shellfish were able to climb into plates of paella with absolute impunity.

Our salesman, now elevated by his peers to the level of marketing guru, was on a roll. He moved from lavatory pans to

drains, and once again harnessed the nation’s television channels to show us all the indescribable dangers lurking in our drains. We responded immediately and, as the commercial put it, killed them dead.

Since then he has been unstoppable.

We are now told that those little sponge things with the abrasive green stuff on one side and which we have used for years to clean pots, pans and kitchen surfaces, are so deadly they relegate Legionnaire’s disease to the danger level of a blind pimple.

He has given us a bath soap that envelope us in an invisible shroud of sanitation to ward off all those bacterial baddies that make us sick or cause our armpits to smell.

But, that’s not all. We now have television commercials telling us about household cleaning products that can obliterate viruses.

Oho, I thought that would get your attention! How about that? All the medical brains in the world haven’t been able to find a cure for the common cold but, hey presto, a simple South African salesman has not only managed to find a way of nailing all manner of virus to the wall but can at the same time leave your entire home smelling like roses or anything from pine forests to freshly baked bread.

But even that is not all. You can invite your dinner guests to partake of their soup out of your lavatory pan and risk exposing them to no greater danger than the seat perhaps falling on their heads as they strain to lick up the last morsel.

So, that’s the good news. The bad news, I fear, is that any day now some poor child is going to venture out of the sterile environment that is her home and inadvertently touch something in the garden. What worries me is that the poor child’s immune system won’t know what has hit it and the kid could contract some ghastly disease.

And I ask you, how can we be sure our doctors are anywhere near as clever as our marketers?

Antiseptically yours, Chris PS: Please wash your hands before replying to this letter.

put a hedge round it, and dug a winepress in it and built a tower”: this is an echo of the first reading, and it is the vineyard Israel, the one that had in Isaiah’s day produced only wild grapes. Only here it is a bit worse: for “he gave it to viticulturists and went off abroad”.

In other words, the religious establishment are only very provisional, and God’s real emissaries are those who, like Jesus, turn up unexpectedly and are rejected. So the story goes, like all the best stories, through its three stages: first the slaves, simply to collect the fruit that is God’s by right; then, when they are flogged and killed and stoned, another group, “more than the previous ones”, get the same treatment.

Finally comes Stage Three: his son, and we overhear God saying “They will have respect for my son”, and then we see the treatment that the son (or Son) in fact receives: “‘Let’s kill him, and we can have his inheritance’. So they took him and expelled him from the vineyard and killed him.”

It is a terrible story, and the meaning is unmistakable: for it is you and I who are so horribly capable of rejecting the stone that turns out to be the cornerstone in God’s project, and it could be to us that the chilling words are addressed: “Therefore I’m telling you that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and will be given to a nation that produces its fruits.”

Southern Crossword #463

ACROSS 1. Lower the value (6) 4. Residential area of city diocese (6) 9. Occasion for the pope to join the young (5,5,3) 10. Real end for Hero’s lover (7) 11. Gone up (5) 12. One who could be secret spy (5) 14. Worship God (5) 18. Rose has it somewhat north (5) 19. Look for it when church lights go out (4,3) 21. Said Mass together (13) 22. Is in or out of noble Roman family (6) 23. They dig in the pack (6)

DOWN 1. Waddle, then move slowly (6) 2. Where you will find grave sites (6,7) 3. Took the part of (5) 5. True, Ted said something (7) 6. Left-over communion hosts are (13) 7. Spending money at church bazaar (6) 8. Feel troubled (5) 13. Cotton cloth for vestment from China? (7) 15. Scout C will decorate the church (6) 16. Lord, accept the gifts we ... (hymn) (5) 17. Early book of the Bible (6) 20. Return parts to strip of leather (5)

Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

T

HE pope took a philosophy professor (an atheist at that) out fishing on a large lake. As they drifted on the still lake, the philosopher accidentally dropped an oar and watched it float away.

The pontiff stepped out of the boat, walked across the water to the oar, grabbed it and walked back to the boat.

The next day at the university, a colleague asked the philosopher if he had enjoyed fishing with the pope. The professor replied: “It was okay, but would you believe that guy can’t swim?”