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October 5 to October 11, 2011
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Church slams ‘wretched’ politicians
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New missal materials now available STAFF RePoRTeR
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HE new altar missals have now been distributed to all dioceses in the region, the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) has said. “This means that all parishes will have two full months in which to familiarise themselves with the missal and to prepare for implementation” on November 27, the first Sunday of Advent, when the new translations of the collects, prefaces and Eucharistic prayers come into use. The third phase of the liturgical changes, with the new lectionary switching to the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, will be implemented in 2012 on Ash Wednesday, February 22. The corresponding Book of the Gospels will also be available at this time, the SACBC said. The SACBC said that “a special pre-publication price” has been set for the altar missals. They are now “significantly less expensive than those available through online or retail offerings”. An 80-page book containing the full Order of the Mass, but without the readings, is being distributed to dioceses this month. The recommended retail price of these is R15 each. At the same time, a 16-page booklet containing the updated congregational parts are also being distributed. The recommended
retail price of these is R2 per copy. A discount of 20% applies to orders from the SACBC’s Liturgy Office of 100 or more of both Order of the Mass book and the booklet. The Sunday and Daily Missals will be available before Lent 2012, the SACBC said, “which will enable its introduction at the same time as the new lectionary”. The SACBC did not have “a definite price” for the full missals, and the conference will not sell them. The missals will, however, be available from Catholic bookshops. The bishops’ conference also recommended the use of the interactive Becoming One Body, One Spirit in Christ DVD-Rom, which it described as “an excellent teaching resource”. The recommended retail price for the disc is R130. Meanwhile, Catholic media in Southern Africa have undertaken to publish articles on the liturgical changes. This week The Southern Cross begins a seven-part series of articles written by Chris Busschau, a member of the Liturgy Office’s implementation committee (see page 10). Also running over seven weeks will be a series of shorter articles in the Catholic Link, the parish newsletter published by the Redemptorist Mission Press. Radio Veritas has also begun to present one-hour programmes covering the changes.
Ten Commandments are Catholic president’s law By MWAnSA PinTu & STAFF RePoRTeR
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AMBIA’S first elected Catholic president told members of his parish he will base his rule on the Ten Commandments. President Michael Sata, 74, the founder and leader of the Patriotic Font who was elected on September 20 in a shock result, also commended the Catholic Church for the role it played in ensuring that the nation held peaceful elections. Mr Sata, nicknamed “King Cobra”, replaced Rupiah Banda, who took over leadership of the state after the sudden death of President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa in 2008 and who beat Mr Sata in the presidential election in October of that year. This year, Mr Banda conceded defeat, saying the people had spoken. His Movement for Multi-party Democracy had ruled Zambia since one-party rule ended in 1991. “Now is not the time for violence and retribution. Now is the time to unite and build tomorrow's Zambia together,” Mr Banda told a news conference. In the year leading up to the September election, Church leaders—including bishops—spoke out repeatedly against actions by Mr Banda’s government, which accused the Church of favouring opposition leaders. Mr Sata, a member of St Ignatius parish in central Lusaka, told his fellow parishioners that his government will embrace the fight against corruption because the Seventh Commandment states: “Thou shall not steal.” He said his government will prosecute anyone who steals, regardless of socio-economic status or party affiliation. The new president said he would ensure equal distribution of wealth among all Zambians, saying he would not want to see a situation where his children have three meals a
newly elected Zambian President Michael Sata holds a Bible as he is sworn in at the supreme court in Lusaka. He is Zambia’s first elected Catholic president. (Photo: Makson Wasamunu, Reuters/CnS) day while others had none. Mr Sata, who grew up in a Catholic family in Mpika diocese in northern Zambia, also emphasised the need for people across the country to love one another and embrace reconciliation. He commended Church officials for preaching about reconciliation and said his government would embrace Catholic ideas of discipline and serving the people. Earlier, Mr Sata and wife, Dr Christine Kaseba, who regularly attend the 06:00 Sunday Mass at St Ignatius, were blessed by the congregation. Parish priest Fr Charles Chilinda prayed that God would grant the president wisdom, knowledge and good judgment so he could effectively govern the people of Zambia. The priest said the president’s crusade against corruption would not be successful if people did not get rid of corrupt practices. “Corruption starts from within us,” the priest said. “You can cry about the lack of
The plane carrying Pope Benedict is seen over a crucifix as it arrives at erfurt airport in Germany. See page 9 for John Thavis’ round-up and analysis of the pope’s first official state visit to the country of his birth. (Photo: Frank Augstein via Reuters/CnS)
Pope: Germany trip was a ‘festival of faith’ By Cindy Wooden
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OPE Benedict has said he was happy to see that “the faith in my German homeland has a young face, is alive and has a future”. The pope told an estimated 10 000 pilgrims and visitors at his weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square that his trip was a true “festival of faith”, and his liturgies and Masses, meetings with public officials, other Christians and Jewish and Muslim representatives “helped us see once again how it’s God who gives the deepest meaning and true fullness to our lives; in fact, he alone gives us, gives everyone, a future”. Pope Benedict said it was “particularly moving” to meet briefly in Erfurt with the 98-year-old Mgr Hermann Scheipers, “the last surviving priest from the Dachau concentration camp”. The Nazi camp had a special section for imprisoned priests and ministers who had spoken out against the Nazis. Mgr Scheipers was arrested for ministering to forced labourers from Poland. More than 2 500 Catholic priests were imprisoned in Dachau, and more than 1 000 of them died there. The pope also spoke briefly about his meeting in Erfurt with five victims of clerical sexual abuse. He said: “I wanted to assure them of my sadness and my close-
medicines in hospitals, but if you steal medicines in hospitals, can the patients...access these medicines?” he asked. The president of the Zambian bishops’ conference, Bishop Ignatius Chama of Mpika, urged Mr Sata to embrace all Zambians, regardless of their political affiliation, just as Jesus and the Catholic Church did. The bishop said Zambian Catholics would pray for the president to lead people with humility, fairness and commitment.
ness to them in their suffering.” Pope Benedict said he was honoured to be the first pope to address the German parliament and he wanted to lead the legislators and all citizens in a reflection about the relationship between faith and freedom, and about the importance of moral values having an impact on the way people live together in society. The 84-year-old pope said that since he was a young man, “I had heard people talk about the region of Eichsfeld—a strip of land that always has remained Catholic despite various historical events—and about its inhabitants who courageously opposed the dictatorships of Nazism and communism.” Visiting the Marian shrine at Etzelsbach and celebrating vespers, the pope joined generations of people who “entrusted to Mary their requests, concerns and sufferings, receiving comfort, grace and blessings”. The trip, he said, “offered me the occasion to meet the faithful of my German homeland and to confirm them in faith, hope and love, and share with them the joy of being Catholic. But my message was addressed to the entire German people to invite them to look with hope toward the future.” n See page 9 for round-up and analysis.
Mr Sata, who in 2008 recovered from a heart attack in a Johannesburg hospital, has in the past defended Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe. In this year’s election, he campaigned on an anti-Chinese investment ticket. “Foreign investment is important to Zambia and we will continue to work with foreign investors who are welcome in the country, but they need to adhere to the labour laws,” Mr Sata said after being sworn in.
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The Southern Cross, october 5 to october 11, 2011
LOCAL
Catholic Nurses unite once again By CLAiRe MATHieSon
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FTER three years of inactivity, the Catholic Nurses’ Guild (CNG) of Southern Africa has found a new office in the archdiocese of Durban where a new drive to bring nurses together and provide a structure of support has been established. The guild, an international concept, is operated nationally with each province hosting the executive seat for three year terms. KwaZulu-Natal was selected to host the National Office following the national conference held in
Marianhill in July. According to national president of the CNG, Lindiwe Mhlongo, the issue of reviving the guild was discussed at length by all provinces and Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, who was one of the speakers at the conference. The cardinal highlighted “the need to revive the guild—including having a spiritual advisor at all levels”, Ms Mhlongo said, adding that the guild aims to become active at national, regional and hopefully at parish level too. The CNG provides not only a support network to Catholic nurs-
es working around the country, but also strives to help nurses “see Christ in every person”, as their motto states. “We want every nurse to join and to be active in their communities,” Ms Mhlongo said. The CNG’s constitution was also discussed at length with the view to amend it where necessary , but Ms Mhlongo said the guild’s priority is to have a bishop appointed. The CNG had previously been under the guidance of religious at the bishops’ conference, but during the years of inactivity, the con-
Cape Town stalwart dies at 104 By LoReTTA Cox
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FORMER stalwart of the Church in Cape Town died in Canada on September 24, a month short of her 105th birthday. Eugenia August (née Ewers), was born on October 25, 1906 in Cape Town. She was a founder parishioner of St Mary of the Angels church in Athlone and worked tirelessly to help raise funds for the building of the church. The third of five children, Eugenia and her two younger siblings were sent to the Holy Cross orphanage in Cape Town after her father died at the age of 38. She married Philip August on November 27, 1927 and went on to have nine children with him. Mr August died in 1967. Mrs August was instrumental in starting the Legion of Mary in
Cape Town and became president of the First Presidium. She was also a member of the Third Order of the Society of St Francis, visited the sick in her parish, and through her involvement with the St Vincent de Paul Society reached out to the poor. Mrs August enjoyed receiving visitors, and many priests and religious from all over the world were regular visitors to her home. She felt very honoured when her third-eldest daughter, Ruth, joined the Holy Cross Sisters. Five years after the death of her husband, Mrs August emigrated to Canada, where she remained active in her faith and daily devotion, receiving the Blessed Sacrament every day. Having been raised in an orphanage run by the Holy Cross Sisters, it was her wish to spend her latter years in the same environment. She spent her last nine
nection was lost. Ms Mhlongo said the executive committee was dedicated to correcting the errors of the previous administration through various events and regular meetings. “Our next commitment is the annual retreat at Assisi Mission, November 11-13, and a Mass in February 2012,” the national president said. But much more was expected to emerge from the new national office. From encouraging honesty to inspiring ethical nursing practices and highlighting the importance of Christ in a nurse’s life—the
CNG will promote Catholic philosophies in the health care industry as well as provide spiritual support. “We want to entice Catholic nurses to join and to be active,” Ms Mhlongo said, adding that uniting the country’s Catholic nurses would benefit both individuals and the public they serve. Currently, the guild unites daily in the Hail Mary, and plans are underway for further nationwide action. n For more information on CNG please contact Ms Lindiwe Mhlongo on 031 707 3031
Free offer for priests By CLAiRe MATHieSon
S eugenia August, former stalwart of the Church of Cape Town, has died at the age of 104. years at Mariann Home in Richmond Hill run by the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood. She is survived by her children, 36 grandchildren, 87 great-grandchildren and 30 great-great-grandchildren.
PIRITUAL retreats and time away from the challenges of life are for everyone—including priests and nuns. Following the Southern Cross’ retreat edition, one retreat centre in Plettenberg Bay is offering its premises to nuns and priests free of charge. Leela Verity said her interfaith retreat centre, Sat Chit Anand, has made one of their cottages available out of the holiday season to “visiting Catholic priests and nuns for up to a week’s stay at no charge”. The cottage is self-catering. It has two single rooms and is suitable for both religious and lay visitors, Ms Verity said. Ms Verity founded the retreat centre ten years ago as a Buddhist centre. At the time, she was a student of eastern religions but in the last two years, she has rediscov-
ered her Christian roots. She now describes herself as a devout Catholic. The centre shifted from being exclusively Buddhist to becoming an interfaith centre that welcomes all religions. “All religions have something to offer each other. From meditation practices to the very beauty within the religion that we could learn from,” Ms Verity said. The centre also has an interfaith meditation chapel and library with spiritual books, magazines, tapes and DVDs. Mass is offered daily (except Mondays) at St Christopher's Catholic Church by Fr Johan Strydom, who said the idea of offering the facilities to priests and religious for free was “good purpose”. n For further information, see www.satchitanand.co.za and for bookings, phone 044 533 0453 or email satchitanand@global.co.za
LOCAL
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Diakonia Council celebrates 35 years STAFF RePoRTeR
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HE Diakonia Council of Churches—the Durban-based ecumenical organisation cofounded by the late Archbishop Denis Hurley—will celebrate its 35 years of service with a series of events in Durban and Mariannhill throughout October. Based at the Diakonia Centre in Diakonia Avenue in Durban, the organisation consists of 16 member churches and two member organisations. “Since its inception 35 years ago, the Diakonia Council of Churches mobilises its member churches to play a prophetic role in pursuit of social justice, ecumenical cooperation and interfaith harmony,” a press release from the
council said. On October 17, Diakonia will take a “Trip Down Memory Lane” in an evening of memorabilia and anecdotes in the Denis Hurley Hall at the Diakonia Centre. On October 18, there will be a two-day conversation on “Prophetic Diakonia” at the Mariannhill Retreat House with Norwegian theology professor Kjell Nordstokke. On October 19, Prof Jonathan Jansen, rector of the Free State University, will deliver the annual Diakonia Lecture in the Denis Hurley Hall at the Diakonia Centre. During the evening, the annual Diakonia Award will be presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to advance and uphold human rights, promote social justice, has
made a difference in other people’s lives, and is a person of moral integrity. Finance minister Pravin Gordhan will be the keynote speaker at a fundraising gala dinner in the Denis Hurley Hall on October 21. The programme is directed by actress, playwright and producer Gcina Mhlophe. On October 22, there will be a youth event, and the following day an afternoon worship and celebration programme in the Denis Hurley Hall, with Prof Nordstokke as guest preacher. Diakonia held its inaugural meeting on March 25, 1976 to form an ecumenical agency that would help Christians and all those of good will to speak out and to act prophetically against
apartheid. “In 1994, as our country’s democratically-elected government started the massive task of making right the terrible wrongs of the past, Diakonia merged with its sister agency, the Durban and District Council of Churches, to form the Diakonia Council of Churches,” the press release said. “Since then the empowerment of ordinary people to take control of their own lives, to act against the injustice of violence and poverty, and to speak out prophetically when necessary, has continued.” n For the full programme line up visit www.diakonia.org.za and for more information about Diakonia and the anniversary celebrations contact 031 310 3513.
Key organisers of the diakonia 35 year anniversary: (from left) Sithembiso Hlophe, Kudzai Taruona, Martinus Potgieter, Busi Khambule, Simo dlamini, nomabelu Mvambo-dandala.
Cancer walker visits Catholic Home Catholic composer for By CLAiRe MATHieSon
Anglican cathedral
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T JOSEPH’S home for children with chronic and debilitating diseases in Montana, Cape Town, was visited by a man walking ten million steps for cancer. Joppie Fourie will walk 5 100km, visiting 113 towns over a year during which time he will make 10 million steps for cancer. The 50-year-old from Oudtshoorn embarked on the journey in honour of his daughter Marlene, who passed away in 2009 from an aggressive form of bone cancer. Mr Fourie decided to carry out the journey in order “to inspire cancer patients, create and promote awareness for the suffering brought about by cancer and to raise funds for various needs regarding cancer”. So far, Mr Fourie has walked from Oudtshoorn to Cape Town and is now headed up the West Coast of the Western Cape. Walking around the country, pushing a customised hospital bed, Mr Fourie hopes to be in Bloemfontein by January, Pretoria by February, Durban in March and home at the end of June 2012— taking about 325 days. The sisters and staff of St Joseph’s described the meeting with Mr Fourie as “humbling”. While the sisters are unable to join Mr Fourie on his journey, they said they would be with him and his “courageous journey in spirit”. Mr Fourie plans to visit many other cancer charities and hospi-
By CLAiRe MATHieSon
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Joppie Fourie visited children at St Joseph's home outside Cape Town on his 10 million step journey around the country in honour of his late daughter who died from cancer. Mr Fourie is raising funds and awareness for the fight against cancer. tals along the way. “By doing the ‘Ten Million Steps for Cancer’ I wish to share and demonstrate the tough road that those who are suffering from cancer are on daily. This project is my passion and lies very close to my heart. I know from experience what people and their families go through when a
person suffers from cancer and would love to make a difference to all of them.” He hopes homes like St Joseph’s will gain from his campaign which hopes to achieve “sustainable awareness, sensitivity and financial support trust for the fight against cancer”.
ATHOLIC conductor and composer Steven van der Merwe will be conducting the premiere performance of his composition, Eleven: A Requiem for a Parent on November 11 at St George’s Anglican cathedral in Cape Town. The composition honours his late father, who died on November 11, 2009, and marks the date of the 1918 armistice that ended World War I. Dr van der Merwe’s concert performance, which will occur on the anniversary of his father’s death, will have a Latin setting and is composed for soprano, tenor, choir and orchestra. It forms part of his portfolio towards his masters degree in music composition. While always passionate about music, Dr van der Merwe said the catalyst that moved him to start working on the Requiem was his father’s death. “The day after my father’s death someone sympathised with me and handed me a poppy with a poem about Armistice Day: the day the First World War ended— on November 11, 1918 at 11am.
The significance of this date and time became an inspirational aspect and theme of the Requiem.” The composition is described as a “compassionate reference to our mortality, especially that of a soldier in World War I where the death toll was mind-numbing,” Dr van der Merwe said. However, he added that the Requiem was not morbid but an attempt “to draw from the ashes of sorrow an uplifting experience imbued with hope”. Dr van der Merwe said Eleven is a modern work and will feature soprano Janelle Visagie and tenor Nick de Jager who will be accompanied by the Pro Musica Divina Orchestra, which is made up of 30 freelance local musicians. St George’s singers and the UCT Choir will also participate in the performance. In addition to the musical contribution, the evening will also showcase local artist Ryno Swart who created an artwork that depicts aspects of Dr van der Merwe’s composition on canvas. nTickets are on sale for R90 from www.webtickets.co.za. For more information contact docvan1@afri host.co.za
Send your local news to news@scross.co.za
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The Southern Cross, october 5 to october 11, 2011
INTERNATIONAL
Catholics and Lutherans: Unity in prayer, but not in thought By Cindy Wooden
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IVIDED Christians can celebrate their common faith in Christ with beautiful prayer services, but that does not mean they leave aside all their differences. After joining Pope Benedict for a long meeting and then for a prayer service in Erfurt—a German town closely tied to Martin Luther—the head of the Lutheran Church council in Germany and the pope’s chief ecumenical officer publicly demonstrated how much is left to discuss. At a press conference after the papal events, the Rev Nikolaus Schneider, chairman of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, reiterated the position of his church that when a Catholic and Lutheran are married they should be able to receive Communion at each other’s church services. The question affects tens of thousands of couples in a country where the Catholic and Lutheran churches each count about 30% of the population. Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, stated the Catholic position that shared
Communion as a regular practice is appropriate only once the Catholic and Lutheran churches come to a fuller agreement on serious theological questions, including the meaning of the Eucharist. Rev Schneider responded by saying that the concrete faith lives of married couples, and not just “theological theories”, should be given greater consideration by the Catholic Church. Lutherans have been raising the issue with the Vatican for a long time, even to the point of perhaps causing “irritation”, he said. The Lutheran leader was also asked about the hopes some Lutherans expressed that Pope Benedict would “rehabilitate” Martin Luther or symbolically withdraw his excommunication during the trip, or at least by 2017 when they mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. He said the pope’s speeches that morning were, in effect, a re-evaluation of the person of Martin Luther and his praiseworthy goal of exploring how sinful human beings can receive God’s grace. Rev Schneider said he hoped the official Catholic position on Luther would continue to develop and would
move towards a re-evaluation of Luther’s theology, not just his personal faith. Cardinal Koch, however, responded that reconciliation is “a two-way street”. Both Catholics and Lutherans have work to do in evaluating what happened during the Reformation and what has happened since, he said. The cardinal said Lutherans themselves must ask whether the church life and practice they embrace today is faithful to what Luther envisioned. Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi SJ was asked to respond to questions about German newspapers headlines describing the pope’s ecumenical meetings as “disappointing”. In a trip designed to help people see the enduring importance of faith in God, “it was important to focus on Luther’s deep faith. It wasn’t a secondary aspect” of his life, Fr Lombardi told reporters. “The pope knew people might expect too much,” he said, but focusing on Luther as a model of faith “was more important to the Holy Father than just the solution of one or another practical problem”.—CNS
Plans for pope’s 50-hour African trip By Cindy Wooden
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OPE Benedict will make his second trip as pope to Africa, visiting Benin from November 18-20 to sign and distribute a letter reflecting on the 2009 special Synod of Bishops for Africa. The synod focused on “the Church in Africa in service to reconciliation, justice and peace”. At the end of the synod, the bishops gave the pope 57 proposals for action on the part of Church leaders and the faithful,
including a call for a new spirituality to counter bad government, ethnic tensions, disease, exploitation by multinational companies and the cultural agenda of foreign aid organisations. Pope Benedict used the propositions as the basis for the postsynodal apostolic exhortation that he will sign on November 19 in the cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Ouidah, Benin, and will present formally to African bishops the next day dur-
ing a Mass in Cotonou. With six-hour flights to and from Benin, the pope is scheduled to spend less than 50 hours on the ground in Benin, but his schedule still includes separate meetings with government representatives, with African bishops and with children. He also is scheduled to pray at the tomb of the late Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, who died in 2008 and was the dean of the College of Cardinals until 2002.—CNS
NEW FOR 2012 HOLY FAMILY PILGRIMAGE 15 to 23 September
Visiting VATICAN CITY, ROME AND ASSISI Organised by Mrs Brenda Pierce Accompanied by a spiritual director Cost from R16 435
OctOber Festival of
Our lady OF Fatima will be organised by the
parishiOners OF stellenbOsch and celebrated under the trees at
st nichOlas’ church 6 Paul Kruger Street, Stellenbosch on
sunday 16 OctOber Holy Mass in honour of Our Lady of Fatima will be celebrated under the trees starting at 11 am. There will be a procession immediately after Holy Mass. Afterwards, a really tasty lunch consisting of a whole variety of foods, a bar and soda fountain will be available. There will also be music, and plenty of other things to enjoy.
Join us and help make this a joyful celebration.
Tel: (031) 266 7702 Fax: (031) 266 8982 Email: judyeichhorst@telkomsa.net
An iraqi woman prays the rosary with a child on her lap in front of a statue of Mary at her house in irbil, iraq. While most of the sectarian fighting that followed the 2003 uS-led invasion has been between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, attacks on Christians have also increased in that time. (Photo: Azad Lashkari, Reuters/CnS)
Church opens fire on PM’s ‘wretched’ behaviour By JoHn THAViS
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HE head of the Italian bishops’ conference has condemned the “licentious behaviour and improper relations” of Italy’s political class, in what was seen as the strongest Church criticism to date of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The speech by Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco of Genoa did not specifically name Mr Berlusconi but appeared to respond to recent sex scandal revelations involving the 74-year-old prime minister. He is accused of paying for sex with a 17year-old dancer and is also facing trial for fraud. “It is sad to see the deterioration of public morals and language,” Cardinal Bagnasco said in an address to Italian bishops. “It is especially mortifying to witness behaviour that is not only contrary to public decorum but also intrinsically wretched and empty.” He said such behaviour was damaging to the entire country, and promoted a culture of easy pleasure instead of the spirit of sacrifice that is needed in tough economic times.
italy’s prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, now under Church fire. (Photo: CnS)
In mid-September, Italian newspapers reported excerpts from taped phone conversations, in which, among other things, Mr Berlusconi boasted about having sex with eight women in one night. Opposition leaders said the taped calls suggested Mr Berlusconi may have flown prostitutes to his villa on government planes. Mr Berlusconi has denied paying for sex but has frequently remarked on his attraction to young women. Cardinal Bagnasco’s remarks came four days after Pope Benedict, in a telegram to Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, called for an “ever more intense ethical renewal” in Italy. Although the pope named no names, his comment was also seen as a criticism of Berlusconi.— CNS
INTERNATIONAL
The Southern Cross, october 5 to october 11, 2011
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Vatican calls for courage on Palestine statehood By JoHn THAViS
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DDRESSING the United Nations, the Vatican’s foreign minister called for “courageous decisions” towards the two-state solution for the Holy Land after Palestinian leaders requested full UN membership for the Palestinian state. Archbishop Dominique Mamberti did not say whether the Vatican explicitly supported the Palestinians’ UN initiative. But he said the Vatican viewed the Palestinian bid “in the perspective of efforts to find a definitive solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian question— an issue addressed by a UN resolution of 1947 that foresaw the cre-
ation of two states. “One of them [Israel] has already been created, while the other has not yet been established, although nearly 64 years have passed. The Holy See is convinced that if we want peace, it is necessary to adopt courageous decisions,” Archbishop Mamberti said. He called on the UN to work with determination to achieve “the final objective, which is the realisation of the right of Palestinians to have their own independent and sovereign state and the right of Israelis to security, with both states provided with internationally recognised borders”. He said the response of the UN to the Palestinian proposal would
not resolve the long-standing conflict, which must be settled through good-faith negotiations. He urged the international community to adopt creative initiatives to promote a new round of peace talks. Archbishop Mamberti’s speech to the General Assembly was farranging, touching on a number of international issues: l He urged an increase in international humanitarian aid to the Horn of Africa, where drought and famine have provoked the exodus of millions of people. l He said the world community has a responsibility to intervene in places of humanitarian suffering when individual states are unable to manage the crisis or where there
Catholic Nobel laureate forested the world
J.M.J
ethics” in the modern economic system. The economy cannot function solely according to the laws of the market or the interests of the powerful, he said. He called for “a new global model of development” that is able to diminish poverty, relieve the suffering of the weakest and better protect the environment. l He said the arms industry continues to consume the resources of many countries, with a series of negative repercussions, including reduced human development, increased risk of conflict and instability, and promotion of a culture of violence that is often linked to criminal activities like the drug trade, human trafficking and piracy.—CNS
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ANGARI Maathai, the Catholic Nobel Peace laureate who died on September 25 at 71, was educated by the Loreto Sisters in Kenya and by Benedictine Sisters in the United States, and as a young woman belonged to the Legion of Mary. The environmentalist and political leader became the first black African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her efforts to empower women to work for environmental, economic and social justice. Dr Maathai was born in the village of Ihithe, near Nyeri in Kenya’s Central Highlands, on April 1, 1940. As a young girl she was taught by Catholic missionary nuns at the Mathari mission in Nyeri, and graduated from Loreto Girls’ High School in Limuru in 1959. In the 1970s, Dr Maathai became active in the National Council of Women of Kenya and began meeting with rural women, learning about the deteriorating environmental and social conditions affecting poor Kenyans. Their concerns focused on a lack of firewood for cooking and heating and the scarcity of clean water, leading to a shortage of nutritious food, according to the biography. Dr Maathai suggested the women plant trees because the effort could provide wood for cooking, fodder for livestock, material for fencing, protection for watersheds and stability for soil, thus improving agriculture, the biography said. The suggestion marked the beginning to the Green Belt Movement, which has led to the planting of more than 47 million trees in Kenya. The effort initially was met with resistance by the autocratic government of Daniel arap Moi, which labelled the movement “subversive”. During one protest against the government, police beat Dr Maathai unconscious. In 2002, five years after an unsuccessful run for the coun-
are serious human rights violations. But he said there was a risk that such situations might be used as a “convenient” pretext for military intervention. He did not mention specific countries. l The archbishop appealed for protection of religious minorities, stating that in today’s world “Christians are the religious group that suffers the greatest persecution because of their faith”. Even in countries that theoretically protect religious freedom, there is a tendency to marginalise religion and its contribution to social life, he said. l Echoing Pope Benedict, Archbishop Mamberti told the UN that the current global financial crisis stemmed in part from a “deficit of
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STOCKISTS OF: Paint, Hardware, Geysers, Rollup garage doors, Sink tops, Bosch Power Tools. Kenyan nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai shows her award to a crowd in nairobi in this 2004. A campaigner for political and women’s rights and for the environment, she died at 71 after a long battle with cancer. try’s presidency, Dr Maathai was elected a member of the Kenyan parliament. She subsequently was appointed assistant minister for environment, natural resources and wildlife. With Dr Maathai’s assistance, the United Nations Environment Programme adopted a worldwide tree planting campaign in 2006. More than a billion trees were planted within months, and the campaign has set a goal of planting 14 billion trees, the Green Belt Movement reported. As a gender activist, she often spoke on HIV/Aids. In 2004, she said: “I have warned people against false beliefs and misinformation such as attributing this disease to a curse from God or believing that sleeping with a virgin cures the infection. These prevalent beliefs in my region have led to an upsurge in rape and violence against children. It is within this context, also complicated by the cultural and religious perspective, that I often speak.” Having studied biology at
Mount St Scholastica College— now Benedictine College—in Atchison, Kansas, with a degree in biology, Dr Maathai (known there as Mary Josephine, the name she took upon her conversion to Catholicism) in a 2004 letter recalled the Benedictine Sisters at the college as “more than my teachers. They became my friends, mothers and sisters”. In 1971, Dr Maathai became the first woman in East Africa to receive a doctoral degree, graduating from the University of Nairobi. Maathai married in 1969 but was abandoned and divorced in 1979 by her husband, politician Mwangi Mathai, who accused her of being “too educated, too strong, too successful, too stubborn and too hard to control”. Shortly after the divorce, her former husband demanded that Dr Maathai drop his surname. In defiance, she added an extra “a” instead. Dr Maathai is survived by three children and a granddaughter.
Theme for October 9: Hymns
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The Southern Cross, october 5 to october 11, 2011
LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Editor: Günther Simmermacher
Even evil life is sacred
T
HE Catholic Church professes an immutable belief in the sanctity of life. The teachings of the Church do not permit a distinction between a life that is yet to be born, one that is in full bloom or wilting, or one that is of no value to society. We are not mandated to deliberately end a person’s life, except in some instances of self-defence. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: “Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being” (#2258). This teaching of the Church came into sharp focus in September with the execution of two men on the same night in the United States. In Atlanta, Georgia, 42-yearold Troy Davies was put to death even as witnesses who helped convict him recanted their testimony and he himself maintained his innocence. At the same time, the state of Texas executed Lawrence Brewer, a 44-year-old white supremacist convicted for his part in tying a black man, James Byrd Jr, to the back of a pick-up truck and dragging him to his death. Brewer remained unrepentant and indeed proud of his evil crime. Remarkably, James Byrd’s son pleaded that his father’s murderer not be executed. “You can’t fight murder with murder,” Ross Byrd told journalists, describing Brewer’s execution as just another expression of the hate shown towards his father. Reaction to the executions was not invariably imbued with such essentially Christian sentiment. Conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who describes herself as a Christian, tweeted the heartless line: “One Troy Davis flame-broiled, please.” In the Church’s view, statesanctioned killing can never be punitive, much less give rise to gleeful vengeance. Simply put,
one cannot be pro-life and support the death penalty at the same time. The Catechism makes it clear: “As a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offence incapable of doing harm—without definitely taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself— the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity ‘are very rare, if not practically nonexistent’”, the Catechism says, quoting Pope John Paul II’s 1995 encyclical Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life). The local Church, therefore, must oppose the steady clamour in South Africa for the return of capital punishment. Attractive as the death penalty may appear—it is not the easy option to plead for the life of a racist like Lawrence Brewer or to show mercy for pitiless murderers and rapists—it is morally illicit in Catholic thought. On a practical level, it also serves no demonstrable deterrent value. It cannot be acceptable to the local Church that capital punishment remains legal in Botswana (last execution in 2010) and Swaziland (last execution in 1983), both part of the Southern African conference region. Likewise, it should be a badge of shame for the United States to share a top 5 ranking in terms of executions performed with such tyrannical regimes as China, Iran, North Korea and Yemen. Capital punishment is incompatible with the Catholic faith because it impedes God’s mercy on those who arguably need redemption most—people who shed their humanity to commit acts of wickedness or depravity. The impulse to seek the death of a callous criminal is not unreasonable. However, much as support for the death penalty is understandable, it does not accord with the teaching of the Church that all human life is sacred, and that its deliberate termination is always an act against God.
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.
Forget the superficial
W
E read in the gospels of the time when Jesus cured the man with a withered hand, and he did so on the Sabbath. To the scribes and Pharisees, the cure was irrelevant. They persecuted Jesus for the fact that he cured on the Sabbath. He had disobeyed the law! There is something wrong when the rule of the law supersedes the spirit of the law. I read week after week how incorrectly we dress for Mass, conduct ourselves at Mass, the inconsistencies in the format of Mass and so
Guide to the prophet?
B
ERNARD Straughan calls Fr Christopher Clohessy’s article about Muhammad one of the most valuable contributions he had ever read in The Southern Cross (August 31). I beg to differ. The article reads like a politically correct guide to the “prophet” of Islam. A narration of Muhammad’s real uncensored life story would have buried Fr Clohessy under blasphemy accusations, death threats and house bombings. Contrary to Salman Rushdie and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Fr Clohessy is so clever to prevent a fatwa. One example: Fr Clohessy writes referring to Mecca’s conquest by Muhammad: “...the citizens were invited to pay homage to Muhammad, acknowledging him as a Messenger of God. Nobody appears to have been compelled to convert to Islam.” Ibn Hisham (died 833) writes the following in his biography of the Prophet: “Muhammad then said to him: ‘Woe to you, Abu Sufyan. Is it not time for you to know that I am the apostle of God?’ Abu Sufyan answered: ‘By God, O Muhammad, of this there is doubt in my soul.’ The Abbas who was present with Muhammad told Abu Sufyan: ‘Woe to you! Accept Islam and testify that Muhammad is the apostle of God before your neck is cut off by the sword.’ Thus he professed the faith of Islam and became a Muslim.” JH Goossens, Dundee
Facebook revisited
L
IKE Theresa Anne Waldek (September 21), I have a Facebook account, but I use it totally differently to the way she describes. I have made friends over the years and am really close to them. I quickly discovered that there are so many lonely people out there, and what she calls trivial and banal, I thrive on. I do receive a few notifications
on. Where are we going with this? Pope John Paul II said that we must open the windows of our Church so that we can see what is happening outside and others can see what we are doing inside. I have learnt such an important tenet: that of sacred space; a space where people feel safe enough to enter and share their gifts with us and in turn are able to receive ours. Let’s be aware of whether we are creating sacred spaces in our churches or not. Are we just insisting on obedience to the law, forgetting the greatest command to love our God with all our might and to from the Catholic Church, and these are listed with all others and all sorts of contributors, groups and web surfers all over the world. In my experience, no one has ever commented or added or detracted from these offerings from the Church. We all express and share or love of God differently, and mine is to join sites like Heal Thyself Q&A where each member gives (or takes) advice on health matters. I also belong to two recipe groups and the same applies: my home cooking has improved. I also use Facebook for commercial purposes, so there are many uses for this wonderful tool, and I continue to experience great joy from hours spent constructively. Angela Taylor, Fish Hoek
Where’s our community?
R
ECENTLY I was invited to a non-Catholic church service and must confess that I was simply overwhelmed by the love, warmth and friendship, shown me. Words attributed to Tertullian in his Apology come to mind: “See how these Christians love one another.” The average Catholic parish today is far from being a vital, loving Christian community. Relationships, even among the most active parishioners are frequently cold, indifferent, superficial and minimally, if at all, committed. After Sunday Mass, most parishioners make a hurried exit from the church for home. Conversation of a spiritual nature after Mass, with fellow worshippers is as scarce as hens’ teeth. We have paid our “religious insuropinions 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.
love our neighbour as ourselves? We have such a beautiful richness within our Catholic Church— our sacraments, the depth of wisdoms and collective life stories of the saints, our beautiful churches. It is so wonderful to travel outside my neighbourhood, yet to be able walk into a church and be at home—to receive Communion is such a grace. Whether in silence, or with loud applause, whether in our Sunday best or our clothes of comfort, whether with guitar or with organ, let us serve and praise our Lord and Saviour in community. Reverence, obedience, respect, understanding and service—all of these will follow. Sergio Acquisto, Johannesburg ance premium” for the week, and that’s it! I have sometimes played a little game and approached individuals after Mass and asked them how they intend getting to heaven. The revealing answers range from anything such as “being good”, “trying harder” to “doing as many good deeds as possible”. I have sometimes even been asked: “Are you a Protestant?” But Jesus Christ is never mentioned, though the official Catholic teaching is that we are justified and achieve salvation through faith in him and by his grace. The root cause is something which those in Church leadership positions are increasingly beginning to acknowledge and admit. There is a widespread lack of evangelisation, being brought into an effective relationship with Jesus Christ as centre of our lives (Lord and Saviour), empowered by his spirit, in a Church where we have been sacramentalised, rather than evangelised. Authentic Christian community, one of the essential fruits of conversion, along with the Eucharist, the apostles’ teaching, prayer, spiritual power, fraternal love and growth of the community, are essential for assisting us in our pilgrim walk (see Acts 2:42-47). It is not simply bringing together those who are attractive to us or those of similar interests, but people who spontaneously and lovingly thirst to come together around Jesus Christ to share the good news of salvation where they’ve discovered that it’s true: he is risen. John Lee, Johannesburg
Fake letters The Southern Cross has lately received several letters signed under false names and addresses. None of these have been published. To ensure that no fake letters slip through, we must insist that all letters—including those that are emailed—be signed with the sender’s full name and physical address before they can be considered for publication.—Editor.
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Being channels of peace
L
IKE any of those fortunate enough to own a swimming pool that needs to be put into order at the beginning of summer, I have been working on my pool. My trees drop their leaves not in autumn but in spring and in addition produce all kinds of catkins in amazing profusion. So I stood for some minutes watching the debris that the wind had tumbled into the pool being channelled along through the filtering process and disappearing down the leaftrap. As I stood in contemplation I was reminded of the times when over the years my husband and kids would play at making tiny boats of sticks or leaves to be carried down any stream of running water. Most people can relate in some way to watching flowing water carrying whatever it comes across in its path. There are times when this causes enormous destruction, but also fun times of river rafting or times of being gently channelled along. So as I reflected on our October theme, “Instruments of Peace”—or channels of peace as we sing in the hymn—I wondered whatever happened to the Peace Prayer for South Africa that we used to say. We have just celebrated the feast of St Francis and I used the prayer as the basis for the family theme, Instruments of Peace, for October, which is also Mission month. “What a mission!” You might hear
young people say when asked to do anything, including living in peace at home. “But he started it.” “He always starts.” “No, I didn’t.” “Yes you did.” In couple relationships too, isn’t there usually one who generally makes peace first? Being a peace maker is more than being a peace-keeper. It’s more active, takes a decision to love, to be willing to forgive or ask forgiveness. But underneath it all there is a movement, call it a channelling movement. It is not just our own mission, our own families, or our own world that is seeking peaceful solutions to the enormous crises facing us. It is God’s world, God’s family that is being evangelised by missionaries of all kinds, including us, ourselves. It is the Good News of God’s love that is being passed on and could we not say that the love is the channel. When we pray the “Prayer of St Francis”, as all families are being invited to do during the month of October, could we not think a deeper meaning into the words, a meaning no doubt that Francis himself would apply. “Where there is hatred let me sow love, injury pardon, despair hope and darkness light.” A tall order, as is this: “Grant that I may not so much seek to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love, to receive sympathy as to give it.” Most difficult and complicated for me
Finding Catholic heroes
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HE group was glued to the screen. Laughing, intently sitting in silence, thinking… I was impressed. This was no mainstream Hollywood movie, but it was touching hearts. This is the scene that I’ve experienced a number of times while I was doing mission work in the United States at the screening of a reality film called Mystery Trip. It’s a film about a group of young Catholics that goes on a bus trip without knowing the destination or the purpose. This is a story of real people growing in faith, which Dumb Ox Productions, who I was training with, has been sharing around the world. It is an expression of what is known as the New Evangelisation—a call to spread the good news of our faith in new and meaningful ways that will catch, impact and change lives. A lot of young Catholics today are missing the Good News of Christ’s love and our fulfilment in him. Music, TV, and movies paint a picture of materialism and utilitarianism— “using” people and things in attempt to bring us happiness. Many young people find this flood of media so overpowering that they believe it to be the only truth. Have you seen young people who are speaking, dressing and trying to live like those they see on TV?
Don’t get me wrong, the media isn’t all bad; far from it. We need good and honest information. But I know many young Catholics who can tell you that it’s hard to live out their faith when they hear and see what’s on MTV and in some movies. There are some young Catholics who are seeing this reality and choosing to share their faith in new ways and make a difference. Throughout his pontificate, Bl John Paul II called this the “new evangelisation”, bringing the Gospel to the modern world, meeting the unique needs of each culture, in ways that are new in ardour, methods and expression. Earlier this year, Pope Benedict presented a document talking about the next synod’s focus on this “new evangelisation”. If we are to reach out to those young people around us who haven’t heard the fullness of our faith, or maybe aren’t a part of the Church, then new methods are needed. These methods must authentically and genuinely share our faith while keeping Christ as the focus. We need Catholic heroes, modern day saints, who will stand up and use their gifts and talents to share Christ—courageous and honest beacons of light who will be a part of parish ministries, youth groups and diocesan initiatives.
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Toni Rowland Family Friendly
in the adapted version used for the Prayer for South Africa are the final words: “In forgetting ourselves we shall find unending peace with others.” Easier said than done! Admittedly unconditional love as shown to us by Jesus is self-emptying and does go beyond seeking fulfilment of one’s own needs, but modern psychology tells us we need to have our needs met to become well-functioning people. Family life is a school for life. It is where we should learn to understand ourselves and the needs we experience, to share them in open personal communication, to be listened to and heard and accepted. At the same time, we do learn that as we grow up no one except ourselves is ultimately responsible for meeting our needs. Add to that how well we know how much hurt and trauma is experienced constantly in the intimate relationships that should be the epitome of peace. A beautiful definition is “Peace is the tranquillity of order.” We, as a society and as Church and families who are called to be models for society, have a very long way to go, ideally beginning at home, to be active participants in God’s mission, to be instruments and channels of his peace.
Steven Edwards youth and Mission This isn’t an unrealistic idea. I know of priests and laypeople in Durban and Cape Town who are using film and media to share inspiring messages of our Catholic faith. I know of youth groups who are running “out-the-box”, creative and vibrant camps and retreats which challenge teens to go deeper. I’ve met young adults in the US who are organising pro-life events and societies at their universities, teenagers who are openly discerning the call to priesthood and religious life, as well as people like Tom Peterson from CatholicsComeHome.org who are helping to build our Church using TV and the Internet. And that’s not to mention our Catholic heroes who are already in the field doing valuable work, such as our priests, seminarians, youth leaders, parents. We need to support and love them all as they strive to be faithful examples of Christ. How are young people living out their faith? Have they grown in their faith or fallen away from it by using modern means of communication like Facebook, film, media? What gifts do you have that you can use to support our young people in the faith?
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The Southern Cross, october 5 to october 11, 2011
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Prelates stand outside St Peter’s basilica following the conclusion of the 1962 general session of the Second Vatican Council.
Anthony Egan SJ A Church of Hope and Joy
Vatican II: Surprised by the Spirit
W
HEN we think of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), it may seem strange to claim that it almost never happened. More accurately, that it may have been a very different council to what it turned out to be. After all, we know that in 1959, a few months after his election as pope, Blessed John XXIII called an ecumenical council. It was admittedly a dramatic move by an elderly pope, elected as a “caretaker” after the long reign of Pius XII. As they prepared to go to Vatican II, what did the world’s bishops imagine would happen? The formal closure of Vatican I—which had never formally ended, as the forces of Italian unification entered Rome in 1870, forcing the bishops to return home, their task incomplete—was obvious. But what else? Some bishops were sure that nothing much would happen. The more perceptive bishops may have noted a hint of change in the air; change expressed by the character of Pope John. John XXIII was different: he was warm and jovial, and he had the common touch which the holy austerity of his aptly named predecessor lacked. Those prescient bishops were perhaps less surprised than others when at its inauguration, John insisted that the new council would be “pastoral” and “ecumenical”, speaking the language of love and mercy, not of law and condemnation. The Roman curia had meanwhile prepared a number of documents for the bishops to consider and, it was assumed, approve. Strengthened by the centralisation of Church authority after Vatican I, the preparatory committee under Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani (a conservative whose episcopal motto was Semper Idem, meaning “Always the Same”) expected the bishops to read, approve and endorse the statements, socialise a bit, pray together and then go home. Many of the bishops attending Vatican II had more or less the same expectation. Then suddenly, unexpectedly, a revolution occurred—by curial standards at least. While reading the prepared document on Divine Revelation a number of bishops expressed their dissatisfaction at its repetition of Vatican I’s notion that God could be deduced by reason alone and its deep suspicion of modern historical approaches to biblical studies. They declared that they regarded it as inadequate and requested that it—and other prepared documents—be redrafted and brought before the assembly for further discussion. Led by an unlikely coalition of Central European bishops (Belgium, Netherlands and Germany) and by Eastern Rite Catholic patriarchs like Maximos IV Saigh (the Melkite patriarch of Antioch), the document was rejected by more than 60% of bishops present. John XXIII called for the redrafting of the text by an enlarged committee of curial staff, bishops and their advisors. The result: the short Council would last four sessions over as many years. In the process it would change the face of the Catholic Church. Why did such an odd coalition “rebel”? For the Belgian Cardinal Leo Suenens of Malines-Brussels and many of the central Europeans, the document was simply out of touch with the lived reality of Catholics in their countries. For Patriarch Maximos Saigh, it was more clearly a demand that the true collegiality of bishops in defining doctrine and pastoral matters—par for the course within the Eastern Rite Catholic churches that drew heavily on their Orthodox roots—be respected. For Pope John, who was initially surprised by the strength of the reaction, it was a sign of a “new Pentecost”, a renewal of the Catholic Church. Among the advisors to the assembled bishops— the periti—there was delight. A young theologian of 35, dismissed as a “teenage theologian” together with his colleague Fr Hans Küng by an elderly professor in Rome, called the response of the bishops “the great, astonishing and genuinely positive result” of the session, “the truly epoch-making character of the Council’s First Session”. The theologian’s name was Joseph Ratzinger. A point to ponder: Had I been there, what would I have thought? Would I have welcomed the call to renewal or feared it? Why?
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The Southern Cross, october 5 to october 11, 2011
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POPE IN GERMANY
The Southern Cross, october 5 to october 11, 2011
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Pope Benedict comes home Travelling to his native Germany, Pope Benedict said that godlessness poses new risks for society, but warned that some agnostics may be closer to the Kingdom than “routine Catholics”. JoHn THAViS reviews the papal visit.
Germany: A test case for new evangelisation
O
N his four-day visit to Germany, Pope Benedict warned that godlessness and religious indifference were undermining the moral foundations of society and leaving its weakest members exposed to new risks. He repeatedly mentioned the duty to protect the unborn, and proposed this as an area where Catholics and non-Catholics can witness together and help resist ethical erosion. The pope, making his first official state visit to his homeland, said after arriving that he had come “to meet people and to speak about God”. He took that message to the country’s political leaders, to the Church’s ecumenical partners, to the Catholic faithful and, through the mass media, to the German people. The 84-year-old pope at times looked tired during the heavy programme of events, but generally held up well. He beamed when enthusiastic Catholics in central and southern Germany chanted his name and waved banners with the trip’s slogan, “Where there is God, there is a future”. When the pope stepped off his plane in Berlin, the German capital, he was greeted by President Christian Wulff and Chancellor Angela Merkel. At a welcoming ceremony at the presidential Bellevue Palace in Berlin, the pope strongly defended the Church’s voice in public affairs and said that to dismiss religious values as irrelevant would “dismember our culture”. Mr Wulff, in his own speech to the pope, agreed that the Church’s message is needed in modern society. But the president, a 52-year-old Catholic who is divorced and civilly remarried, added that the Church too is challenged by important questions today: “How compassionately will it treat points of rupture in the lives of individuals? How will it approach points of rupture in its own history or the wrong-doing of members of its clergy?” The pope’s main event in Berlin was his speech to the German parliament, the first time he has addressed a legislative body. Although dozens of parliamentari-
Left: Pope Benedict waves as he arrives to lead a prayer vigil with young people in Freiburg in Breisgau. Right: The pope is helped down steps after celebrating Mass in Freiburg in Breisgau. (Photos: Arnd Wiegmann, Reuters/CnS) ans boycotted the event, he received a standing ovation from the assembly. The pope’s speech, philosophical in tone, argued that belief in God was the foundation for Western progress in law, social justice and human rights through the centuries. Germany’s Nazi past, he said, illustrates that without justice, the state becomes “a highly organised band of robbers, capable of threatening the whole world and driving it to the edge of the abyss”. Today, he said, with unprecedented opportunities to manipulate human beings, the threat is even more dramatic. He pointed to Germany’s ecology movement as a step in the right direction, but said an “ecology of man” was needed to protect human dignity. The pope later met with Jewish representatives and recalled the Nazi “reign of terror” in his homeland, saying it showed what people are capable of when they deny God. “The supposedly ‘almighty’ Adolf Hitler was a pagan idol who wanted to take the place of the biblical God, the creator and father of all mankind,” he said. Celebrating Mass in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium for 70 000 people, the pope appealed for a better understanding of the Church, one that goes beyond current controversies and the failings of its members. On the plane carrying him from Rome, the pope told reporters he understood the feelings of German Catholics who have left the Church because of revelations about clerical sex abuse, but he urged them to work against such crimes “on the inside”. The pope later met with five sex abuse victims in Erfurt, an encounter that the Vatican said left
the pontiff “moved and deeply shaken”. The pope presided over major ecumenical events in Erfurt, the town where Martin Luther was ordained and site of an Augustinian monastery where he lived for several years. Meeting with Lutheran leaders, the pope prayed for Christian unity and said ecumenism today faces threats from both secularisation and Christian fundamentalism. The pope also cautioned against viewing ecumenism as a type of negotiation. The best path to Christian unity, he said, is witnessing the Gospel courageously in a society that is often antagonistic towards the faith. Meeting with Orthodox representatives, the pope urged Christian churches in Germany to speak up jointly in defence of human life “from conception to natural death” and defend “marriage between one man and one woman from any kind of misinterpretation”. In encounters with the faithful in Erfurt and Freiburg, the pope did not enter into details of the contentious issues that have divided German Catholics, such as priestly celibacy, women’s ordination and Church teaching on homosexuality. Instead, the pope preached the importance of living the Gospel and held out German saints as models of the “radical” embrace of Christ. In Erfurt, a city in former East Germany, the pope said at a Mass that Nazism and communism had been like “acid rain” for Christianity. But he said the oppression and difficulties in those dark years actually left many Catholics with a stronger faith—stronger, perhaps, than under current freedoms.—CNS
AnALySiS By JoHn THAViS
P
OPE Benedict’s four-day visit to Germany highlighted two closely connected challenges for the Church: how to re-evangelise traditionally Christian countries in the West, and how to regain a credible voice in modern society. In a sense, the pope’s German homeland was a test case for the “new evangelisation” project that has taken centre stage in his pontificate. As the pope pointed out repeatedly during the visit, modern Germany is a highly secularised country where atheism or religious indifference is widespread, where traditional moral values are eroding and where the Church’s message seems to have less and less impact. And yet Germany has a native son as pope—still a point of pride for many Germans—and a tradition of intellectual debate. At the very least, the pope hoped for a fair hearing, and at some levels, he got one. His address to the German parliament, in which he argued that social justice must be grounded in morality, prompted reflection and discussion in German media. The normally critical weekly Der Spiegel called the speech thought-provoking and “courageous”. It was a classic Pope Benedict speech, a philosophical exposition that ranged from the biblical account of King Solomon to the positivist world view of modernity. He showed that he can connect with the intelligentsia, and at this rarified level he gets respect. The pope also clearly connected with the Catholic faithful who turned out by the tens of thousands for his Masses and prayer services. Praying before a statue of Mary at a shrine in Etzelsbach or kneeling in eucharistic adoration at the Freiburg cathedral, the pope heard behind him the sound of silence—music to his ears, because it was a sign of intense participation. His appeal to return to the Christian roots of Germany met with enthusiastic approval from what one woman called his “base”—the Catholic families who have tried to maintain their religious traditions in the face of decades of communism and more recent years of social fragmentation. Other audiences appeared less in sync with the pope’s message and his single-minded focus on the “return to God” theme. To Germans who have left the Church or those who have pushed for a “dialogue” within the Church on issues like priestly celibacy and
the role of women and lay people, the pope had some pointed words. First, he said the root problem was a misunderstanding of the nature of the Church: It’s not just a social organisation that people opt in or out of, but a community of believers that belongs to Jesus Christ. He blamed internal dissatisfaction on Catholics’ superficial notions of a “dream church” that has failed to materialise. In a meeting in Freiburg with officials of Germany’s central lay Catholic committee, the pope bluntly described the German Church as “superbly organised” but lacking in spirit. Rather than relying on big Church structures and programmes, he said, “new evangelisation” will depend more on small Catholic communities and individuals able to share their faith experiences with co-workers, family and friends. The pope’s visit was also designed to reach a wider audience, the millions of Germans who have drifted away from the Church or religion. At the trip’s first event at Berlin’s presidential palace, Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich told Catholic News Service that he was convinced these Germans would be listening to the pope—even the sceptics. The sceptics were not at the papal venues, however. They followed the visit through the media, if at all. And their reactions were mixed. Petra Kollmar, a 57-year-old Catholic from Freiburg, said the problem with the pope’s visit was “what he did not talk about—the ‘no’ to women priests, the Church’s attitude toward homosexuals and divorced people in the Church, the abuse of children that has occurred”. For Andres Capriles, a young Bolivian immigrant to Germany, the pope’s words were important but did not address what’s on many Catholics’ minds. “People are not just disillusioned about God and religion, they are disillusioned about the Church and the direction the Church is moving, which seems to be away from the Second Vatican Council,” he said. Many of those interviewed said these are issues that have left the Church with less influence and credibility among Germans. Such attitudes are not uncommon throughout Europe, and they complicate the “new evangelisation” plan, making it much harder for the pope to reach his target audience of the indifferent and disaffected.—CNS
People watch the arrival of Pope Benedict at Berlin’s olympic Stadium. (Photo: Kai Pfaffenbach, Reuters/CnS)
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The Southern Cross, october 5 to october 11, 2011
LITURGY
Getting ready for new words at Mass E NGLISH-SPEAKING Catholics were surprised three years ago to learn that the English translation of the Roman Missal, in use since 1973, was to be replaced by a new English translation. Surprised, because most people did not see anything wrong with the 1973 translation. After the new text had been distributed in 2008 some people certainly recognised the merit of the changes and welcomed them. However, many people only accepted them somewhat grudgingly, doing so out of a sense of obedience and discipline. In addition there were other people who were genuinely upset when they found that some aspects had been translated into a style of English that they did not like and in particular that some words used in the new translation seemed to be strange or even oldfashioned. I personally started off with a negative attitude, then moved to the “obediently accepting” group. But after careful thought and exposure to both formation and information, have found immense depth and wonderful spiritual dimensions in the new translation. The leader page of The Southern Cross was filled by increasing numbers of Letters to the Editor commenting on the new translation to the extent that these often had to spill over on to other pages. Phase one of the implementation of the new translation (which was those parts that involved the congregation) came into effect in Advent 2008. Many parishes delayed implementation for a variety of reasons—lack of preparation, lack of
Chris Busschau
new Missal decoded
catechesis, awareness that other countries that use the English language would not be implementing the translation until 2011, awareness that further changes would be following in due course. However, in most instances the delays really boiled down to simple unhappiness. Phase one has been implemented and generally accepted in South Africa over the last three years, even though many people still don’t understand why it was necessary. This will be one of the elements we’ll examine during this series of seven weekly articles. Now we are preparing for the implementation of the second phase on the first Sunday of Advent, November 27, followed by phase three in February 2012. Are we ready for phases two and three? Do we still have questions (and issues) with phase one? Well, to start with, let’s look at the three phases: l Phase one comprises the parts of the Mass where the congregation either responds or prays together with the celebrant. l Phase two covers changes in the priest’s parts of the Mass, and in particular to the Eucharistic Prayers. l Phase three will introduce a new lectionary, using a different translation of the Bible for all readings and other scripture texts.
“And with your spirit.” Parishioners return the priest’s peace greeting during Mass at St Mary’s cathedral in Cape Town. The First Phase of the new Roman Missal was introduced in Southern Africa three years ago; the next phase, covering what the celebrant says, will come into effect on the first Sunday of Advent. (Photo: Sydney duval)
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n this series we’ll look at those questions and at those that continue to be asked by many priests, parish pastoral councils, liturgy committees, the Catholic media and parishioners in general, as well as the actual changes. Some of the most frequently asked questions and comments have been: “Was there something wrong with the existing translation?” “Why did this uncomfortable change come into our lives?” “Was it necessary?” “Why were we not consulted before making the changes?” “But I like the existing translation!” “Why are some strange words used in the new translation? Where did they come from?”
Holy Family College, Durban Pre-Primary, Primary and High School
PRINCIPAL Holy Family College, durban is an independent Catholic School founded by the Holy Family Sisters in 1875. This happy, caring and vibrant school is known for its Catholic ethos, high academic standard and holistic development of each learner. due to the resignation of the current Principal, the Board of Governors needs to appoint asuitable successor, commencing in the first term of 2012 or as soon thereafter as possible. The ideal candidate should preferably but not essentially be a practising Catholic with both the willingness and the capacity to sustain and develop the Catholic ethos, have a warm, outgoing personality, sound leadership skills with the ability to motivate staff and pupils and have a genuine passion for education. The candidate should have – ○ a recognised four-year teaching qualification which includes an academic degree ○ excellent interpersonal relationship skills ○ experience of working in an independent school ○ at least 7 years teaching experience ○ held a managerial position in a school ○ progressive educational insights, reflecting a broad knowledge of modern and international trends in education ○ an ability to deal effectively with the challenges and changes facing independent schools and education in this country ○ registration with S.A.C.e. Applications, with a detailed CV and three references which are not more than two years old, should be sent to: The Chairman of the Board of Governors Holy Family College P o Box 17075 ConGeLLA 4013 or can be emailed to: ggarryrose@gmail.com Closing date: 16th October 2011 Holy Family College, durban reserves the right not to proceed with the filling of the post. Submission of an application will not in itself entitle the applicant to an interview or appointment. Failure to meet the minimum requirements of the post will result in applicants automatically disqualifying themselves from consideration.
This series of articles will try to answer these concerns about the overall changes and also to position the second and third phases of these changes before they are put in place. The next six articles will cover the following subjects: l The context of the translation we have been using for the last 40 years and the decision to embark on a new English translation l The use of “Dynamic Equivalence” as against “Formal (or Literal) Equivalence” in translating the liturgy. l The actual phase one changes that have been in place in South Africa for the last three years, and explanations for those changes l The phase two changes that will come into operation from the first Sunday of Advent this year. l The phase three changes that will take effect from Lent next year. l The implementation of the changes. l Liturgy
W
hat do we mean when we speak of “liturgy”? Well, we can do no better than to quote from Sacrosanctum Concilium (The Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy) which was the document on the subject of Liturgy that emerged from the Second Vatican Council and was signed by Pope Paul VI in 1963. Paragraph 26 of this far-reaching and visionary document says: “Liturgical services are not private functions, but are celebrations of the Church, which is the ‘Sacrament of Unity’, namely the holy people united and ordered under their bishops.” So, the liturgy is the public worship of the Church and should be an expression of unity. Unity in public worship of course relates to the first mark of the Church, that the Church is one. As a general rule, when we
speak of liturgy we are referring to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, although the term certainly includes other public worship, for example the ceremonies of baptism, ordination, marriage and confirmation. Liturgy does not refer to private or special devotions, such as the rosary, benediction, times of prayer in prayer groups, paraliturgical services or personal meditation. A key element of the concept of unity is that we, the People of God, should always strive to ensure that we worship as an international (that is, Catholic) community, not a loose confederation of people who worship differently. Inculturation is a wonderful, powerful way for us to bring the liturgy alive in our own cultural communities, but should never subvert the commonality of the united worldwide community of holy people. In fact, Sacrosanctum Concilium specifically urges that care be taken by dioceses and parishes to ensure that their liturgies do not differ materially and through this sow confusion. Please think about the following questions during the coming week: 1. “Do I want to be able to deepen my joy and gratitude for the gift of the Mass?” 2. “Do I want to experience and celebrate more fully the rich and timeless mystery of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection?” 3. “Do I want to learn more about the Mass as the celebration of the community of the people of God?” 4. “Do I want to experience the universality of the Church?” n Chris Busschau is a member of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference Committee for Liturgy and the English Missal Implementation Committee.
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The Southern Cross, october 5 to october 11, 2011
Br Richard Martin Duncan CFC
C
HRISTIAN Brother Martin Duncan died on August 10 in Johannesburg at the age
of 74. Born in Johannesburg in 1937, the fourth of ten siblings, he went to St Paul’s Primary School in Maryvale and Christian Brothers’ College in Boksburg. Having completed school, he worked for three or four years, and then joined the Christian Brothers in 1956. He taught in various schools in, among others, Welkom, Mariasdal, Kimberley, Springs and Embakwe in Zimbabwe. The last community he lived in was in Bulawayo.
Paddy O’Brien, a former Christian Brother from Cape Town, recalled: “Of all the Christian Brothers I ever knew I held Martin in absolute awe as someone 200% dedicated, committed, driven, inspired, passionate even ‘dogged’—yet in such a simple, trusting, uncomplicated way.” Gerald Mgalula from East Africa, who spent three years working in the Aids ministry at Orange Farm, remembered: “His sense of humour lifted my heart to dance each moment I bumped into him”. He had a dry, earthy sense of humour that simply bubbled out of the cracks that make up every-
Liturgical Calendar Year A October 9, 28th Sunday Isaiah 25:6-10, Psalm 23, Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20, Matthew 22:1-14 Monday, October 10, St Daniel Comboni Romans 1:1-7, Psalm 98:1-4, Luke 11:29-32 Tuesday, October 11, feria Romans 1:16-25, Psalm 19:2-5, Luke 11:37-41 Wednesday, October 12, St Seraphin of Montegranaro Romans 2:1-11, Psalm 62:2-3, 6-7, 9, Luke 11:42-46 Thursday, October 13, feria Romans 3:21-30, Psalm 130:1-6, Luke 11:47-54 Friday, October 14, St Callistus Romans 4:1-8, Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 11, Luke 12:1-7 Saturday, October 15, St Teresa of Avila Romans 4:13, 16-18, Psalm 105:6-9, 42-43, Luke 12:8-12 Sunday, October 16, 29th Sunday Isaiah 45:1, 4-6, Psalm 96:1, 3-5, 7-10, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5,
Family Reflections October 7: Our Lady of the Rosary. The Rosary is itself a prayer for peace. At a time of the battle of Lepanto the people were asked to pray the rosary to be saved from capture. Their prayer was answered. In many of the appearances of Our Lady, she asks the visionaries to pray the rosary for peace, peace in the world, the Church and in our own homes where we can be instruments of peace. October 9: 28th Sunday. The Lord’s Wedding Feast. The image of a wedding feast is an image of a special kind of celebration of a unique kind of love, a total, unconditional love. Can there be love without conflict? It is said that conflict is a face of intimacy as it shows there is care and because there is love and care, there is also hurt. Weddings in themselves can be full of conflict and it is necessary for all the parties to be willing to make peace. Pray for couples preparing for marriage and their families.
Southern CrossWord SOLUTIONS TO #465. ACROSS: 5 Abba, 7 Catechumen, 8 Brat, 10 Entrance, 11 Called, 12 Scruff, 14 Hobson, 16 Belloc, 17 Falsetto, 19 Goth, 21 Blood donor, 22 Pews. DOWN: 1 Scab, 2 Gentiles, 3 Shield, 4 Smiths, 5 Anna, 6 Black frost, 9 Reasonable, 13 Religion, 15 Notion, 16 Broods, 18 Sobs, 20 Harp.
day life. He was part of the founding communities in Mariasdal, Springs, and Embakwe. Embakwe, close to the Botswana border, was a school run by the Notre Dame Sisters, but had to be closed during the bush war. When Zimbabwe became independent, the Christian Brothers were requested to reopen the school or it would be taken over by the government. Br Duncan and Danny Horan set it on its way as a flourishing boarding school. Br Duncan was diagnosed with cancer in May, and died peacefully in the Johannesburg
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 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. The Welsh Male Voice Choir of South Africa will be performing at our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Roodepoort, Johannesburg on october 23 at 15:00. The concert is a fund raiser for the Culture of Life Apostolate Shelter of divine Mercy. For tickets or more information contact Br George Whyte at 082 360 4815. PRETORIA: First Saturday: devotion to divine Mercy. St Martin de Porres, Sunnyside, 16:30. Tel Shirley-Anne 012 361 4545.
Word of the Week Mendicant: The mendicant orders are religious orders which depend directly on the charity of the people for their livelihood. In principle, they do not own property, either individually or collectively, believing that this is the most pure way of life— one followed by Jesus Christ—in order that all their time and energy can be expended on religious work. Application: The Servite Order is one of the five
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Pray that AFRICA may draw closer to the HEART OF CHRIST 2 Chron 7:14 Matthew 7:7-12
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AUGUST (née ewers) eugenia (Ginny) Winifred. dearest Mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, aunt and friend (formerly of Gleemoor, Athlone). Born october 25 1906. Passed away peacefully in Canada on September 24, 2011 in her 105th year. Predeceased by her husband, Phillip and her eldest daughter, Gertie. Sadly missed and lovingly remember by her children and their spouses Joan and david, Ruth (Sr Pascaline), Vincent and Cora, Philip and Joy, Paul and daphne, Mary and Hugh, Theresa, Bridget and donald, 36 grandchildren, 87 great-grandchildren and 30 great-great-grandchildren.
IN MEMORIAM ANTONIE—Maroonie. Passed away September, 1997. in loving memory of my beloved husband, our father and grandpa. you are always in our thoughts and prayers. We love you and still miss you. Rest in peace. olive, Adie, Helen, Michael, Victor, Cecile and all your grandchildren. COTTLE—in loving memory of edna who passed away october 5, 1990. May she rest in peace. Lovingly remembered by her sister Anne, ivan and family. EDWARDS—erica. in loving memory of erica (Cherie) who died october 1, 2006 in empangeni. Memories of her friendship and devotion to the rosary remain undimmed. Rest in peace dear erica. The Sacco family, Johannesburg. VAN SCHOOR—Louis. Passed away october 6, 1998. We hold you close within our hearts and there you will remain, to walk with us throughout our lives until we meet again. From your loving wife Lorraine, children Kaylene, Ann, Laurence, Louis and Anthea and grandchildren. Rest in peace.
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HOLY SPIRIT beloved of my soul. you who solve all problems and light all roads so that i can attain my goals. you who gave me the divine gift to forgive and forget all evil against me and in all instances in my life you are with me. i want in this short prayer to thank you for all things as i confirm once again that i never want to be separated from you, in spite of all material illusions. i wish to be with you in eternal glory. Thank you for your mercy towards me and mine. Amen. 3 our Fathers, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be. Publish when prayer is granted. Manuela. SANTA CLARA, you followed Jesus in his life of poverty and prayer. Grant that confidently giving ourselves up to the providence of our celestial Father, we may serenely accept his divine wish. Say this prayer followed by nine Hail Mary’s for nine days. on the ninth day light a candle. CJ.
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HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION BALLITO: up-market penthouse on beach, selfcatering. 084 790 6562. BETTY'S BAY: (Western Cape) Holiday home sleeps six, three bathrooms, close to beach, R600/night (winter) R800/night (summer). 021 794 4293 marialouise@ mweb.co.za CAPE TOWN: Vi Holiday Villa. Fully equipped selfcatering, two bedroom family apartment (sleeps 4) in Strandfontein, with parking, R400 per night. Tel/Fax Paul 021 393 2503, 083 553 9856, vivil la@telkomsa.net FISH HOEK: Self-catering accommodation, sleeps 4. Secure parking. Tel: 021 785 1247. GORDON’S BAY: Beautiful en-suite rooms available at reasonable rates. Magnificent views, breakfast on request. Tel: 082 774 7140. bzhive@ telkomsa.net JEFFREY’S BAY: Fully equipped self-catering flat, two bedrooms, sleeps six, 50 metres from the beach. 072 462 3993. KNYSNA: Self-catering accommodation for 2 in old Belvidere with wonderful Lagoon views. 044 387 1052. KOLBE HOUSE: is the Catholic Centre and residence for the university of Cape Town. Beautiful estate in Rondebosch near the university. From mid november, december and January, the students’ rooms are available for
holiday guests. We offer self-catering accommodation, parking in secure premises. Short walks to shops, transport etc. Contact Jock 021 685 7370, fax 021 686 2342 or 082 308 0080 or kolbe.house @telkomsa.net LONDON, Protea House: underground 3min, Piccadilly 20min. Close to River Thames. Self-catering. Single per night R250, twin R400. Phone Peter 021 851 5200. MARIANELLA Guest House, Simon’s Town: “Come experience the peace and beauty of God with us.” Fully equipped with amazing sea views. Secure parking, ideal for rest and relaxation. Special rates for pensioners and clergy. Tel: Malcolm Salida 082 784 5675 or mjsalida@mweb.co.za PENNINGTON, Two bedroom, two bathroom, six sleeper maisonnette available before 15th and after 30th december. Contact Barney on 039 975 3842 or 082 266 3614. SOUTH COAST, uvongo: Fully furnished three bedroom house, Tel: donald 031 465 5651, 073 989 1074. SOUTH COAST, uvongo: Secure holiday unit, with lock-up garage. Sleeps 6. in complex. 078 935 9128. STRAND: Beachfront flat to let. Stunning views, fully equipped. Garage, one bedroom, sleeps 3. R450 p/night for 2 people—low season. Phone Brenda 082 822 0607 UMHLANGA ROCKS: Fully equipped self-catering 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house, sleeps 6, sea view, 200 metres from beach, dSTV. Tel: Holiday division, 031 561 5838, holidays@lighthouse.co.za
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29th Sunday: October 16 Readings: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6, Psalm 96: 1, 3, 45, 7, 10, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, Matthew 22:14-21
T
HE secret of sanity is to recognise that God is in charge; and that means, of course, that we are not. It also means that all those other attractive, but ultimately enslaving, idols that we put in the place of God, like money or power or fame (you can make your own list), lead, not to the bliss that we fondly imagine, but to insanity and the loss of our freedom. It also means that from time to time we are going to be quite startled. Consider the first reading for next Sunday. It starts with a familiar prophetic formula, “Thus says the Lord”, and you can imagine the prophet’s hearers settling comfortably back for a bit of “same old same old”, and then leaping up from their armchairs when they hear “to his Messiah, to Cyrus”! For Cyrus was the new kid on the block in Ancient Near Eastern politics, and was shortly going to upset Babylon’s power and put them, and those exiled Israelites under the rule of the Persians and Medes. What is more, as the prophet cheerfully admits, Cyrus “did not know Me”. Nevertheless, it is Cyrus whom God has “grasped by his right hand, subduing nations before him, and making kings run in his service”. This is a serious shock, but it is not because Cyrus has anything special about
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Idolatry at the cost of our freedom Nicholas King SJ Sunday Reflections him, but “for the sake of Jacob my servant, and Israel my Chosen One”; nevertheless, God is going to “call [Cyrus] by your name, and give you a title”. Then the important truth is proclaimed: “I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God other than me.” And what is the point of all this? “So that they may know, from the rising of the sun to its setting, that...I am the Lord, and there is no other.” The psalm celebrates this with some gusto, invites “all the earth” to “sing a new song to the Lord, proclaim his glory among the peoples”. Both in the first reading and in this psalm, we are present at a very important moment in Israel’s growth in religious understanding, the dawning realisation that God is God of absolutely everybody, “for God is great, and worthy of much praise, more to be feared than all the other gods”.
For the other gods are not the real thing, but “idols”, so, once more, “all the families of peoples” are exhorted to praise God, “give the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy attire, sing praise before his name, all the earth”. This is a powerful proclamation. The second reading starts us off on a brief gallop through 1 Thessalonians, probably the first of our New Testament documents. It starts with a very solemn opening: “Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians, in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, grace to you, and peace,” and we are to observe, as in our first reading, the absolute centrality of God. Paul starts off with thanking God for them, and locates all the good things that the Thessalonians have been getting up to, precisely in the context of God and of Jesus “...of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the presence of God our Father”. He reminds them that they are “beloved by God”, and that Paul’s gospel came to them as “power, and the Holy Spirit, and in much fulfilment”, all of which is Paul’s code for God’s rule among them. The gospel reading loudly asserts that rule of God. It comes in a context in Matthew’s gospel where things are going from bad to
The terrible realities of poverty F OR many months now the media spotlight has every now and then paused on the drought disaster on the Horn of Africa, where hundreds of thousands of Somalis (among other nationalities) are battling to survive a severe food shortage. But they are not the only people starving and I thought it appropriate for us to consider some startling facts that I have mentioned before in this column and which I feel are worth repeating over and over again in these very trying times. In the time it has taken you to read this sentence so far, one child somewhere in the world has died from hunger. As you ponder the injustice and inhumanity of this tragedy another two children have died agonisingly from empty stomachs. In the time it takes to do the weekly shopping and wonder whether to spend R100 plus on a leg of lamb for the family or just choose a cheaper chicken, some 1200 children will have died without ever having known what lamb or chicken tastes like. And in the time it takes to finish a lavish meal in a restaurant, even if you pass on the dessert, another 2 000 children will have died not knowing a thing about pudding other than that those a little older than themselves would literally kill for it. Every six seconds of every day, a
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The Last Word child dies of hunger. In the time it takes to eat a chocolate bar, to argue over petty problems with those we love, to decide on whether to sell shares or buy a new motor car, children, no different from our own except for being much, much thinner, are dying horrible, painful deaths. According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation, half the world’s population is obese. This does not for a minute suggest that half the world’s population has too much to eat. Obesity, according to the UN, is more often than not a consequence of malnutrition. So why do we keep hearing about food surpluses and gluts? Sure, we also hear about food shortages. The problem, according to the UN, is that the bulk of the world’s resources are continually being funnelled to a tiny minority of its inhabitants. It is something that has been happening for eons but which has now grown to cataclysmic proportions. Equally, the gap between rich and poor has been widening alarmingly. The difference in earnings between the average company chief executive and one of its workers has risen from six times to somewhere in the region of 150 times within a decade. In an effort to assuage the demands of shareholders in free market economies the world over, boards of directors are having to pay more and more for executive skills with some CEOs earning more money a minute than most workers earn in a life-
time. A former CEO of the New York Stock Exchange earned more than R1 billion a year in salary and bonuses—surely an act of remuneration madness? What’s to be done? Well the only answer, I believe, came from Pope Benedict. He suggested quite simply and emphatically that wealth needed to be shared. Not as an act of charity but as an act of responsibility. The trouble is that those top 4% of the world’s population who own 96% of the world’s resources are basically motivated and somewhat obsessed by the accumulation of material wealth, so there is very little chance that anyone, including the pope, will have much success in persuading them to part with what they see as their hard-earned income. Human nature is such that even if one takes into account that there are many millions of wealthy people around today who actively support charities, there is also an atmosphere of insecurity—so much so that a lot of wealthy people who have far too much money, are very reluctant to give away any surpluses simply because in the rather brutal ebb and flow of modern economies, jobs, positions and status hangs on a thread. Riches gained over a lifetime can disappear in an instant. From a practical point of view it is far too optimistic to expect individuals to solve the problem of poverty and the death of so many children. Another 3 000 of whom have died, incidentally, since you started reading this column. Perhaps the most practical way of solving this problem is to appeal not to corporate conscience but rather to corporate strategy. Corporations the world over need to be reminded that with the way things are going now, the more the gap between rich and poor increases, the more likely it is that there will be fewer and fewer people who can actually afford to buy the zillions of consumer products being manufactured. And that the only way global market economies can be sustained would be by increasing the active consumer pool through eliminating poverty.
worse; and this is one of several lethal controversies with Jesus’ opponents in the religious establishment. In this case, it is the Pharisees who are trying to trap him; very oddly, “they send their disciples along to him with the Herodians”. Now these two groups are not normally to be found in bed together, since they have very different agendas; it is an altogether sinister move. So we are not impressed with the sycophancy of their opening address: “You are a person of integrity, and you truly teach the Way of God.” Now comes their question, “Is it permissible to pay tax to Caesar, or not?” It is a dangerous one; if Jesus says “No”, then he can be taken to Pilate as a revolutionary; if he says “Yes”, then he has lost all possibility of speaking for Israel. Tellingly, he does not have the coin on him (it is ritually impure); but they do, so he can ask them whose image and inscription it bears. They fall into the trap, and he can simply shrug his shoulders and say “All right— give back to Caesar what belongs to him...and to God what belongs to God.” And what belongs to God? Why, absolutely everything in creation. We have much to reflect upon, this week.
Southern Crossword #465
ACROSS
5. Pop group from Mk 14 (4) 7. One on path to baptism (10) 8. Nasty child (4) 10. Cast a spell on way in (8) 11. Many are ... (Mt 22) (6) 12. Back of the neck (6) 14. His choice was all or nothing (6) 16. Author of Path to Rome (6) 17. Flat toes make the voice abnormal (8) 19. Early invader from Golgotha (4) 21. Transfusion initiator (5,5) 22. Mass seating (4)
DOWN
1. Having dried wound, he refuses to strike (4) 2. Gets line on non-Jews (8) 3. Your favour is like a ... (Ps 5) (5) 4. Metal workers who could be black (6) 5. Prophetess hides in Roman nave (4) 6. Dark ice on Highveld morning (5,5) 9. A bone laser turns out to be fair (10) 13. Belief system (8) 15. Into no idea (6) 16. Ponders gloomily of young animals (6) 18. Boss comes around and weeps (4) 20. Heavenly instrument with strings attached (4) Solutions on page 11
CHURCH CHUCKLE
S
ISTER Mary was teaching her religious instruction class when she offered a reward: “Whoever answers the next question correctly may go home.” Suddenly a boy threw his school bag across the room, narrowly missing Sister’s head. Sr Mary asked angrily: “Who threw the bag?” The boy answered: “Me! I'm going!” Send us your favourite Catholic joke, preferably clean and brief, to The Southern Cross, Church Chuckle, Po Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000.