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December 21 to December 27, 2011

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The Christmas when war fell silent

“The Nativity” by French painter Noël Coypel (December, 25 1628 – December 24, 1707) (Courtesy of Art Resource)

Page 2

SPECIAL 32-PAGE EDITION

Christmas in the convent and children’s homes Pages 4 & 5

No 4755

CHRISTMAS

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

A time when all was quiet on the Western front SiSterS of Notre DamNe De Namur

The Sisters of Notre Dame in South Africa and Zimbabwe ask God’s Blessing at this special season for their colleagues, families and friends and present and former students

May the Hope and Joy of Christ be in our hearts now and in the coming New Year We thank you for your support in the past. Know that you are always welcome. The Dominican Sisters at St Dominic’s House of Prayer at the Bluff

MICASA TOURS To all our friends and guests, we at MICASA TOURS wish you all a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year. Thank you for your support in 2011 and we hope to see you all soon again. Please have a look at our new updated website www.micasatours.co.za Tel: 012 342 0179/ Fax 086 676 9715 Email: info@micasatours.co.za

This year the last surviving soldier of World War I died in Australia. GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER looks at the first Christmas of World War I, when soldiers on the front decided that, just once, peace and good will should rule on the battlefield.

NLY a few hours earlier they were trying to kill each other. Now they were exchanging biscuits, tobacco, whisky, souvenirs, stories and good will. The unofficial Christmas truce of 1914, just over four months after hostilities commenced in the First World War, was a spontaneous outbreak of peace, entirely uncoordinated, and spread quickly across large sections of the front lines of Belgium and parts of France. Nobody is quite sure where exactly it began, though Ypres in Belgium, where a cross commemorates the occasion, is often mentioned. Most commonly the initiative came from the German side of the trenches. Even in this brutal war, there often were short periods of secession of hostilities, normally at breakfast time. At other times, the warring sides would agree to stop shooting to allow soldiers to collect the rotting corpses and body parts of their comrades in No Man’s Land, the area of the front lines which separated the two hostile positions. In the course of that grisly job, soldiers would often interact. At Christmas, German front soldiers tended to put up in their trenches small tabletop Christmas trees, decorated with lit candles. It is the German custom to celebrate Christmas on the evening of December 24. That first Christmas of the Great War was no exception. German soldiers were singing Christmas carols, some of which, such as “Silent Night”, were familiar to their British counterparts. Taken aback by this curious and nonmartial behaviour, British officers ordered that no shots were to be fired, but that the situation be monitored. Next, British soldiers responded with carols of their own. This would be followed by exchanges of seasonal greetings across the trenches. In some positions, German soldiers (and even officers) invited their enemies to come over to their side for a visit. Having ascertained the sincerity of the Germans’ purpose, they would cautiously accept the invitation, and on occasion even reciprocate. Graham Williams of the Fifth London Rifle Brigade recalled: “First the Germans would sing one of their carols and then we would sing one of ours, until when we started up ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’, the Germans immediately joined in singing the same hymn to the Latin words ‘Adeste Fideles’. And I thought, well, this is really a most extraordinary thing—two nations both singing the same carol in the middle of a war.” In at least one position, English and German soldiers engaged in a game of football—though historians believe that this might have taken in place in 1915. Word is that the Germans beat the Bedfordshire regiment 3-2. It is uncertain whether it was this match or another which had to be abandoned when the ball struck a barbed wire and deflated.

The front page of The Daily Mirror of January 5, 1915 with a photo of British and German soldiers during the spontaneous, unofficial 1914 Christmas truce. Cynicism wasn’t absent entirely. British soldiers took advantage of visiting the German trenches to scrutinise them for weaknesses in the enemy’s defences, with a view to exploiting these when hostilities would resume (presumably the Germans did the same). Bruce Bairnsfather, a war cartoonist who observed the Christmas truce first hand, wrote soon after the event: “There was not an atom of hate that day, and yet, on our side, not for a moment was the will to war and the will to beat them relaxed. It was just like the interval between rounds in a friendly boxing match.” He was not impressed with the Germans he met, calling them “unimaginative products of perverted culture”. Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, took a more romantic view of the truce, calling it “one human episode amid all the atrocities which have stained the memory of the war”.

German soldier, in a letter home, summed up what likely was a widespread sentiment: “It was a day of peace in war. It is only a pity that it was not a decisive peace.” If it had been decisive, the youth of several countries might have been spared the horrors of the Somme, Verdun, Passchendaele or Arras. In some areas the truce lasted only until midnight on Christmas Day, in others up to New Year’s Eve. In some positions, zealous snipers or immoderately ambitious junior officers would periodically interrupt the ceasefire. These, however, were isolated incidents. One chronicle from the Messines Ridge, by British soldier Henry Williamson, records that a Saxon soldier warned him that the Germans would resume fire on New Years’ Eve. But even then, the German assured, they would “aim high, well above our heads. Would we, even so, please keep under cover, lest regrettable accidents occur.” Captain Charles Stockwell recalled the gentlemanly conclusion to the truce at his position on December 26: “At 8:30, I fired three shots into the air and put up a flag with "Merry Christmas" on it on the parapet. [The German] put up a sheet with ‘Thank You’ on it, and the German captain appeared on the parapet. We both bowed and saluted and got down into our

respective trenches, and he fired two shots into the air, and the war was on again.” The truce was not popular in France. In positions where Germans fought French troops, the likelihood of a ceasefire was remote. After all, the Germans were the invaders. Indeed, the French populace even resented the British soldiers for ceasing fire. Soldier Frank Richards recalled in his memoirs that French women spat at British troops when they heard “how we spent Christmas Day”. One Austrian soldier of the 16th Bavarian regiment expressed his disgust as well. “Such things should not happen in wartime,” exclaimed Corporal Adolf Hitler. “Have you Germans no sense of honour left at all?” Temporary ceasefires had not been uncommon in previous wars. The Boer War, just a decade and a half previously, had even presaged the famous World War I football match with an encounter of its own. The scale of the 1914 truce, however, far exceeded the localised respites of previous wars. Official reaction to the truce was mostly predictable. Especially the French and British governments and high commands were not amused. Sir John French, the British commander-in-chief, ordered that “any recurrence of such conduct” be prevented, and called “the local commanders to strict account, which resulted in a good deal of trouble”. News of the Christmas truce must have pleased Pope Benedict XV, who had called for a temporary ceasefire over Christmas— “that the guns may fall silent at least upon the night the angels sang”. While the German government was open to the idea, the Allies insisted that the war had to go on, Christmas or not. After the improbable outbreak of Christmas peace, the enemies soon resumed their senseless slaughter of one another. Subsequently enemy soldiers would sporadically meet under ceasefire conditions on the battlefield (usually to clear it of the dead), and even hold joint prayer services. Isolated incidents of later Christmas truces apart, the rest of the conflict would not see a repetition of “Tommy” and “Fritz” sharing the good will of Christmas amid the madness of war.

CHRISTMAS

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

Christmas in the two Bethlehems BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

LITTLE town of Bethlehem today is not so little—neither the Bethlehem in the Middle East nor the one in the middle of the Free State. But as far removed from the original Bethlehem as our local version may be, for many the iconic named town is just one of the special connections South African Christians have with birthplace of Jesus Christ. Founded in 1860, the Free State town was named Bethlehem— from the Hebrew “Beit Lachem”— after its Biblical counterpart, because wheat thrived in the region. Today, the region has a Catholic diocese and is home to more than 75 000 Catholics. Local priest Fr Dikotsi Mofokeng said the connection to the original Bethlehem was until recently not very well established. Many locals, he said, did not feel that much of a special relationship with the original Bethlehem. However, recently a Palestinian tour organisation travelled to the diocese and spoke to groups of interested people from different denominations about the situation of the Palestinian people—a number of them Catholics from the West Bank town of Bethlehem. “It became clear to us how they are denied their rights and how they are suffering and made to feel unwelcome in their own land. It sounded very similar to what the

new born Jesus and his mother Mary and foster-father Joseph experienced over 2 000 years ago,” said Fr Mofokeng. He said the story needs to be heard by more people in Bethlehem, and beyond. Many more Catholics from Bethlehem would be interested to hear what their namesake Catholics go through and Christmas might hold even more meaning if they understood the difficulties of the tense Middle East region, Fr Mofokeng said. Christmas in the town near Jerusalem where Jesus was born is a major event. The streets are decorated with Christmas lights, there is a festive market and nativity plays are performed. But the most important aspect of the Bethlehem Christmas is the religious part of the season, where age-old traditions of the Holy Land can be observed. Multiple processions and services from various denominations, including Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox, Ethiopian and Armenian, take place throughout the town. Christmas processions usually pass through Manger Square, the plaza outside the ancient basilica of the Nativity, which stands on the traditional site of Jesus' birth. The Catholic Christmas Mass, which is televised throughout the world, is celebrated in the adjacent St Catherine’s church and celebrations continue for a long time. While for many in South Africa Christmas peaks on December 25, a Christmas spirit is felt through to

January 6, the feast of the Epiphany, and then to January 18 when the Armenian Christmas is celebrated. Though the spirit is also felt in our local Bethlehem, Fr Mofokeng said it was usually on account of the municipality placing large decorations in the streets and hanging festive lights in the streets. Bethehemites shop with carols playing in all the shopping centres and decorations are constant—but unlike the original Bethlehem, these are not necessarily a direct reflection of the celebration of Christ, Fr Mofokeng said. He said Christ is the necessary centre in Bethlehem’s Christmas—something the local Bethlehem could learn from the original. While many leave the Free State town during the holidays, the Middle Eastern town sees around 15 000 tourists and pilgrims visit over the Christmas period—an impressive number considering the town’s population is just double that! Some of the visitors will include a couple hundred Christians over the age of 35 from the Gaza Strip who are given permission by the Israeli military to travel to Bethlehem and stay for 24 hours to celebrate Christmas. For Catholic Bethehemites in the Free State the celebration is shorter, less overwhelming but also special. Fr Mofokeng listed the ingredients for the local Church’s special Christmas: “Christmas carols, candles, beautiful liturgy,

The children of Leratong Pre-primary School in Bethlehem, Free State, performed the school’s annual Nativity Play at Khotsong church. Lerato Mokoena and Tshepiso Hlongoane played Mary and Joseph (left), while Themba Mphuthi was one of the shepherds. (Photos from Rosemary Orpen) exchange of gifts, a Christmas crib sometimes created by the children and youth, and Christmas plays.” While the Christmas liturgy and celebrations in Bethlehem have the unique depth of proximity to Jesus’ actual birthplace, the Free State diocese’s celebrations are also solemn and special. On Christmas Eve, in most parishes in Bethlehem, Christmas carols are sung by the children where all are welcome. A solemn Mass is always celebrated, said Fr Mofokeng. There are also a number of places where a Nativity play is performed by children, which he said is always very special to see. There are also hallmarks in the Free State diocese that remain as constant reminders about Bethlehem as the place of the birth of

Our Lord. “If you peep into the bishop’s chapel there are some wall carpets depicting the Christmas scene and a tabernacle in the form of a ‘Star of Bethlehem’. Come to the shrine of Our Lady of Bethlehem, where there is a huge magnificent mosaic on the Christmas scene. To seal all these characteristics, there is also one big church named after the event of the birth of Christ, the Nativity of the Lord, situated in the centre of the diocese,” said Fr Mofokeng. So the connection goes beyond the name. For Fr Mofokeng and Christians in Bethlehem the connection is that of the faith shared and he said that this faith is the most special part of the similarities.

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

CHRISTMAS

A child’s wish for Christmas The Christmas wish lists of children served by homes are much like those of other kids, but with some crucial differences, as CLAIRE MATHIESON discovered.

OR many, Christmas is time spent with family, better food than usual, decorations, bright lights and gifts. But for many more, this is not a reality. While times are difficult and situations even more challenging, there are some who make the festive season special for those at our Catholic children’s homes. “Christmas is a happy time at the children’s home,” said Louise Coxen, director of Polokong Children’s Village in Johannesburg. But, she said, it is also a difficult time as the children always have the need to be re-united with their families. Similarly, St Joseph’s Home for chronically ill children in Cape Town tries to make Christmas a happy time for their children. While the children wish for toys and gadgets, the most common wish is to be reunited with their family and to be in good health. 18-year-old Pulenyana has been at Polokong for seven years and believes her stay at Polokong changed her behaviour. “I am now a respectful child. I can even see the importance of schooling and education. Thanks to Polokong I’m now completing my grade 12.” Pulenyana’s Christmas wish is to be with her family. But if she can’t be there, a cellphone would be a good substitute whereby “I could connect in Facebook with my family, to hear from them during and after Christmas regarding how their lives are”. St Joseph’s Chantelle and Muhle also want cellphones for

Christmas, and also some new clothes. Sibongile Maseko visits Polokong for his daily meal, life skills group and study group. “My wish is to have a cellphone for Christmas, and my other wishes are that God may protect the children who eat at Polokong children`s village drop-in centre and people who work in this centre for the December holidays.” While cellphones are a popular choice this year, most children added that they are grateful for what they had already received this year. Chantelle from St Joseph’s added to her Christmas wish letter that she was thankful to St Joseph’s for “all that you have done for me this year!” And Wendy in Freesia ward didn’t even request anything. She just said thank you to the friends of St Joseph’s for “all your help”. Bongani, 15, also visits Polokong home for his daily meal. “My wishes for this Christmas are to get new clothes, toys and more food for me to take home.” And Naledi wants to visit her brother and to be close to her mother and family. She said she doesn’t really need anything else. “It is nice to stay at Polokong because you have all your needs as a child; I have a nice shelter to stay in. I have enough food, enough clothes and I have enough love,” the 14-year-old said. Chantel Cooper from the Cape Town home said the 54 nurses, four therapists, two social workers and 33 general staff have all done their best to make the children feel loved and happy over the festive period. So, while everybody has a Christmas wish and we could all do with some new gadgets and entertainment, let us think like these children and wish for time with family, good health and to be surrounded by love—and maybe just a couple of new gadgets.

Top: Christmas wishes from the children at St Joseph’s home in Cape Town. Above left: A Pallottine sister plays with a St Joseph’s patient during the festive season. Above right: Children at Polokong Children’s home in Johannesburg enjoy a Christmas party. Below left: Polokong’s residents and day visitors share a festive meal. Below right: A child from St Joseph’s shows his delight at their Christmas party.

BLIND READERS OF

We wish all our learners and parents as well as past pupils and past parents a blessed Christmas and wonderful 2012. Sinqwenelela bonke abafundi nabazali bangoku ngokukwanjalo abafundi nabazali bexesha elidlulileyo bethu ikrisimesi ezele iintsikelelo nonyaka ka2012 omnandi.

A group of readers is preparing audio tapes of excerpts from The Southern Cross, including editorials, selected articles and regular features such as Fr Nicholas King SJ and Chris Moerdyk. Anyone wanting to receive tapes as part of this service, available for an annual subscription fee of only R50, may contact Ms Veronica Vieyra at “Clareinch”, Union Ave., Pinelands, 7405 or phone 021-532 0661.

Desejamos a todos os alunos e encarregados de educação, assim como a todos aqueles que já frequentaram esta escola e respectivos encarregados de educação, um Feliz Natal e um Próspero 2012. St Joseph’s Marist College is a Catholic school for girls and boys from Playschool (2 years old) to Grade 12. For further information or to visit the school, please contact Lezel on (021) 685-6715 or admissions@maristsj.co.za, Belmont Road, Rondebosch Cape Town, Tel: (021) 685-6715, Fax: (021) 689-1205, www.maristsj.co.za

The Post Office will deliver and return tapes without charge. Should you know of any interested blind person, please inform them of this service.

CHRISTMAS

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

Christmas in the cloister Every community has a Christmas tradition. Communities of religious priests, nuns, brothers and sisters also have their special Christmas traditions, as CLAIRE MATHIESON found out.

HE Carmelite Sisters of Retreat, Cape Town describe the festive season as a burst of joy in the sombre regularity of monastic life, said Sr MarieThérèse Tibudan. She said the cloistered nuns are filled with joy at this time of year. Sr Tibudan said there is the bustle of preparation leading up to Christmas. “Our Christmas decorations are usually home-made, from odds and ends that come our way during the year, from candy wrappers, to gift wraps from last years’ that are turned into bells, wreaths and ribbons to hang on our Christmas tree,” she said. But Advent is also a time to recollect, and of expectation, the Carmelite nun said. “Jesus comes unexpectedly at any time, we are told, and thus we have to prepare our hearts as eagerly as children prepare for Christmas.” In most Carmels, the long silence of Advent anticipation is broken on Christmas Eve when the whole house is filled with singing. After Mass, the sisters move around the house singing in procession, carrying statues of Mary and Joseph, recalling the journey of the Holy Family looking for lodging before the birth of Jesus. “As the procession passes the cells, each sister opens the door to her cell, kneels down to kiss the statues of Mary and Joseph carried by the prioress, signifying her openness and welcome to the holy travellers and the coming Christ Child,” said Sr Tibudan. The singing and procession ends at the crib where Mary and Joseph are placed beside an empty crib to await the Christ Child’s birth at midnight. “After midnight Mass, we visit the crib once more and give homage to the Christ Child [who has now arrived]. Each sister is expected to compose a song to sing at the crib. Thus, we usually have Christmas songs that we don’t normally hear outside.” The sisters return to the refectory to a festive meal, music, lights and presents are shared. Sr Tibudan said traditions vary from country to country. Carmelite Sisters in Owerri, Nigeria

come out from their cells, straight from bed, with musical instruments to play and make a noise in celebration. In Jaro, Philippines, the sisters spend most of the morning in the parlour where people usually come to greet the community. In some South African communities sisters write down a list of things needed and Mother Prioress tries to provide and prepare the gifts. Sometimes “St Nicholas” fills the sisters’ stockings, at other times the prioress hides the stockings and the whole community enjoys a “treasure hunt”. “Now, here in Retreat Carmel, we do not have elaborate gift-giving. We simply enjoy together the gifts the community receives. We usually put all gifts under the Christmas tree and we open them together on Christmas day. We still get little tokens in our places at table on Christmas day.” Sr Tibudan said the whole octave of Christmas is fun and joyfilled. The day is very festive and very recreational—meaning the usual rules of silence in the house do not apply.

any of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Bloemfontein celebrate Christmas with their parishes or chaplaincies. For those that live in smaller communities far from other Oblates, midnight Mass and maybe a braai or meal with parishioners the next day would be the normal routine. December is filled with celebrations for the Oblates. The feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 is a primary feast day that many Oblates celebrate through good food, drink and good company, said Br Rex Harrison OMI. Zambian Oblates hold a Delegation Assembly from December 27, bringing members together and an exchange of gifts and celebratory atmosphere can be found. Namibian Oblates try to visit senior members of their community. In Canada where some provinces stretch 8 000km, many Oblate priests have pilot licences so they can fly themselves to the gatherings. And in Western Sahara, the Oblate community serves the Christian Church in the Islamic region. “For them Christmas is being there for each other and finding communion in a common Christmas feast,” Br Harrison said.

embers of the Dominican community are often out celebrating Mass on Christmas Day and being together is not possible. Fr Emil Blaser OP said the Dominican community in Johannesburg often comes together on

December 26 at the order’s house in Mondeor when a Christmas meal or braai is planned and the community enjoys a time of recreation. “Brothers are usually a bit tired and appreciate a bit of rest in the afternoon,” Fr Blaser said, adding that although they might be tired, there is still plenty of Christmas cheer. The Dominicans do not share gifts over Christmas but instead receive a small allowance with which each brother can do as he pleases. Some brothers, as Dominicans refer to themselves, will buy something for the community. “As religious, our focus is on the community and as on most Sundays, we will celebrate Mass together in our priories. Some might be parish priests, but most are not. Sometimes a brother prefers to concelebrate Mass in a local parish—as Dominicans we treasure our freedom [and are able to celebrate accordingly]. Often our sisters ask us to celebrate Mass for them in their convents. We are all one family and treasure this reality,” Fr Blaser said. Fr Blaser said while Christmas is a family day it is seldom something they can experience due to apostolic commitments. “I have personally longed to celebrate Christmas with my mother and family but this has never happened. I can’t remember ever experiencing Christmas with my family. I feel this particularly now that my mother is 107 and few things would give her greater joy than to have me home for Christmas. This would be a tremendous joy for me too but, alas, it is simply not possible. Our primary responsibility is to our community.” Often the Master of the Order will write a Christmas letter to Dominicans around the world. Christmas cards used to be sent out but these have decreased as email is more popular today. Even financial contributions have decreased in recent years. But the Dominican priest said one thing that remains the same is that “Christmas is usually a time to catch up on rest and doing things which have been overlooked, and simply reading and relaxing”.

he Society of Christ is a congregation of priests and brothers who serve the Polish migrants around the world. In South Africa there are two Polish centres; one in Pretoria and another in Johannesburg. Fr Bogdan Wilkaniec SCH said as priests from Poland they often find it difficult to celebrate together, but when an opportunity presents itself the community will celebrate accord-

From those that open gifts on Christmas morning to those that only do it 12 days later on the feast of the Epiphany, there’s something special about each of our celebrations. Communities of religious priests, nuns, brothers and sisters also have their special Christmas traditions. (Photo: Ammar Awad, Reuters) ing to Polish customs. “For Polish people, the time of Christmas is very special and all the traditions are immersed in the Biblical story of the Nativity scene. Christmas Eve is a special evening, when families are gathered together and reconcile any differences, remembering loved ones who have gone before them. This all happens during the Wigilia, which literally means vigil, or awaiting the birth of Baby Jesus.” Fr Wilkaniec said a meal is specially prepared and there is always a thin layer of hay under the white tablecloth in memory of the birth of Christ in the manger. A traditional custom then follows at the table. “The eldest of the family member takes the oplatek wafer, breaks it and shares it with the next eldest with wishes for good health and prosperity, and a kiss on each cheek. The oplatek is a thin, unleavened wafer similar to the altar bread. It is stamped with the figures of the Godchild, the blessed Mary, and the holy angels. Each person then exchanges oplatek with everyone else at the table,” Fr Wilkaniec explained, adding that it can be a very emotional time as grudges are forgotten and deceased family members are remembered, good wishes for health, wealth and happiness in the New Year are also exchanged in this celebration. The Polish people have a number of other traditions that they practise throughout the Christmas season. “Polish Christmas carols, or koledy, are numerous and beautiful, especially when sung in Polish parishes during the Christmas Eve Mass. This Mass is called the Pasterka, which means the Shepherds Watch, and there is popular belief in Poland that while the congregation is praying, peace descends on the snow-clad, sleeping earth and that during that Holy night, the humble companions of men assume voices. But

only the innocent of heart may hear them,” said Fr Wilkaniec. Fr Wilkaniec said not all the traditions can be celebrated in South Africa. The Polish priest said his order spends Christmas day in stillness, prayer and visits to family members.

he Poor Clare Capuchin sisters of Swellendam are unable to visit family over Christmas as they are an enclosed order, but it is still a special time as many relatives and friends will visit the sisters. Sr Maria Guadalupe said Christmas is special time for her order. “St Francis and St Clare had a very special devotion to Jesus Christ on the crib and on the cross. They loved to contemplate and imitate the poverty in which the Son of God chose to be born, lived and died,” she explained. The sisters share gifts on Christmas Day, having previously drawn the name of the person they will give a gift to. Sr Guadalupe said the sisters really enjoy the practice. “After midnight Mass we get together to wish each other a merry Christmas and have a special supper during which we share with one another with joy.” On Christmas day the Poor Clares are allowed to sleep a bit longer, and after morning prayers and Mass they have a special breakfast where they will receive Christmas gifts from the Mother Abbess. “The afternoon of Christmas day is when we discover our secret friends who gave us our gifts and we have a longer time for recreation. In fact, during the whole Christmas Octave we have recreation every day and there is no fasting,” said Sr Guadalupe. While the Christmas tradition is celebrated worldwide, the way in which it is celebrated is different from home to home. What we do know is that it is celebrated with joy, even by those who are often the celebrants.

More Christmas articles at www.scross.co.za/ category/christmas

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

CHRISTMAS

When Christmas goes pop From August to December, GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER presented the Rhythm & Truths music show on Radio Veritas. Here he discusses some of the songs he played on the two Christmas specials on December 4 and 11.

FINALLY achieved a long-standing ambition in August this year: to present a music programme on radio, to share with others my love for all kinds of popular music, from almost all genres and all eras. With Radio Veritas, my brief for the Rhythm & Truths show was to put together music according to a weekly Christian theme (such as prayer, Jesus, Justice and Peace, praises and so on). It was rather good fun, though labour intensive, to search my eclectic music collection for theme-appropriate songs, and to research the background of some of them, working on the assumption that behind every song, there is a story. The oldest song I have played in the first 16-episode season of Rhythm & Truths dates back to 1906, a recording of the hymn “Nearer My God To Thee” by a fellow named Richard Jose, who in his younger days sang in the saloons of the real Wild West. On the other end of the spectrum, several other songs I played were released just this year—proof that in popular music, the message of faith still gets heard. The first season closed with two shows of Christmas music. That excluded chestnuts roasting over open fires, jingling bells, mommas kissing Santa Claus, heartbreaks from last Christmas, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, or idle speculation about snow falling in Africa this Christmastime. The focus was on the feast of the Nativity, its meaning and celebration. Some were pop interpretations of famous hymns. “Silent Night” featured twice in very different versions. The Temptations sang it straight; in the other version, Simon & Garfunkel’s quiet harmonies echo the peace of the song while over them a broadcast of the

Günther Simmermacher in the Radio Veritas studio. (Photo: Khanya Litabe) 7 O’clock news is played that speaks of little by way of peace. It is perhaps the most poignant of all version of “Silent Night”.

very year we hear the slogan “Put Christ Back Into Christmas”. And it is right to commend the Knights of da Gama for their effort to place the focus on the reign of the new-born king, not on the supremacy of mammon. But when last was Christ actually in the temporal celebration of Christmas? The country singer Fred Foley made the same command, “Put Christ Back Into Christmas”, in 1953, which suggests that the Saviour was absent then already. Indeed, in the 17th century, the puritan tyrant Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas in England because the feast was an excuse for debauched behaviour by the rabble, who at that time were allowed to play tricks on their supposed betters. Even then, the focus was not on Christ. Still, Red Foley was going to stick to his guns, and in his song insisted that you don’t wish him “Happy XMas” or “Happy Holidays”. There actually is nothing wrong in itself with the usage of X-Mas. The first letter in the Greek version of the name Christ is the Chi, which the Romans tendered as an X. So X came to be an abbreviation of Christ which was used even in many New Testament manuscripts).

The great gospel/soul group The Staple Singers also lamented the commercialisation of Christmas in their 1970 song “Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas”. They might have agreed with Cromwell that Christmas is pointless if it lacks sense of the holy. The Staple Singers decried both war and commercialism. There’s a great line early about humans trying to make it to Mars: “Searching for light but can’t seem to find the right star”. The right star, of course, is born in Bethlehem. And there’s another complaint about how Christmas is treated, and Catholics will agree with it, as the Staples Singers scoff at the secular distortion: “Making believe he was just another baby boy.”

ne of the stranger contemporary singers is Sufjan Stevens, a practising Christian (of High Anglican background, I’ve been told) who is probably most popular among non-believers. Some years ago the Detroit-born singer-songwriter started a custom of recording acoustic Christmas albums for his family and friends. He burnt the recordings on to CD and sent those out instead of Christmas cards. Of course, his fans wanted to get their hand on those as well, so a few years ago he released a 4-CD of these private recordings. The song which we heard on

Rhythm & Truths was “Lo How A Rose E’er Blooming”, the English version of the German hymn “Es ist ein Ros entsprungen”, which goes back at least to 1599. In Germany, Catholics sing a version dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, while Protestants dedicate it to Jesus. A Christmas standard which is younger than many people think is “Mary’s Boy Child”, a song which in SA is now most commonly associated with Boney M through their Christmas album, which is as ubiquitous as it is ghastly. The song is just over 50 years old. It was first recorded by Harry Belafonte (who was raised a Catholic) in 1956, and was written by Jester Hairston, who died in 2000 at the age of 98. Hairston also wrote the “Amen” song which Belafonte’s friend Sydney Poitier sings with the East German nuns in the film Lilies Of The Field (so that isn’t an old spiritual either). In 1960, the folk singer Odetta posed a rather good question with her song, “What Month Was Jesus Born In?”. We celebrate Jesus’ birthday on December 25, but we don’t really know when he was born. The gospels don’t tell us, and all sorts of theories have been advanced for the date of the most famous birth in history. Our atheist friends tend to claim that Christians appropriated for Christmas the Roman pagan feast of Saturnalia, a rather nasty weeklong affair of lawlessness that culminated in the human sacrifice of a citizen. The trouble with that idea is that Saturnalia ran from December 17-23. Nor is there persuasive evidence that Christians usurped the pagan festival of Sol Invictus, or Mithra’s birthday. Unimportant though the exact date of Christ’s birth is, Odetta unsurprisingly takes it that Jesus’ was born in the last month of the year. So we may as well stick with that. Rhythm & Truths is off the air now, though I believe that repeats will be broadcast periodically until the show returns next year. In the meantime, the playlists for every show and videos and introductions to most of the songs that have been played are available on the Rhythm & Truths website: rhythmandtruths.wordpress.com Thank you for reading. Goodbye and be saved.

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(From top) Odetta, Jester Hairston, Simon & Garffunkel, (below) The Staple Singers, Sufjan Stevens and Red Foley.

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SACBC appoints new secretary-general BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

St Anne’s Council Number one of the Knights of da Gama in Durban entertained the girls from St Anne’s orphanage in Umzinto at their annual Christmas Tree Party in Mitchell Park, Durban. (Photo from Anne-Mieke Vera)

Confirmed: Pope to Cuba

HE Cuban bishops have announced that 2012 would be a Marian jubilee year and that Pope Benedict would come to Cuba as a “pilgrim of La Caridad”, the popular name for the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, the country’s patroness. In a pastoral letter, they declared a jubilee year from January 7, 2012, through January 6, 2013, and said Cubans need the joy of faith, the strength of Christian love, and the light of hope that can come from “a reunion with our Christian roots” and with the “enthusiastic reception of the teachings of Jesus Christ”. The bishops did not announce dates of the papal visit but said it would be part of national observances of the 400th anniversary of the discovery of Virgin of Charity of El Cobre (pictured), the small statue of Mary found floating in the Bay of Nipe, which came to be the country’s most revered icon. The Vatican earlier confirmed that a papal trip to Mexico and Cuba for spring 2012 was in the final planning stages. Since August 2010, a replica of the statue of the Virgin of Charity has been travelling around the country for a series of proces-

sions, prayer services and Masses. Record crowds have turned out for the religious events in every part of Cuba, exceeding the expectations of organisers, and meeting with no apparent resistance from the country’s communist government. The tour of the replica, known as La Mambisa, has led to a new springtime of faith in the hearts of the Cuban people, the bishops said. People have been spontaneously attracted to the Virgin “and undergo a peculiar inner harmony with her”, they said, much as children bond with their mothers before words are spoken, through silences, songs, gestures and offerings. They encouraged “all who can” to make a pilgrimage during the jubilee year to the shrine of El Cobre in the archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba. Pope John Paul II visited Cuba in January 1998, the first trip of a pope to the nation. The visit was considered significant for the opening it signified in the strained relationship of the Church and the communist government, which has at times been brutal in its treatment of religious practice.—CNS

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Special Interest Tours To our Archbishops, Bishops, Monsignore, Priests and Pilgrims

HE bishops have appointed Precious Blood Sister Hermenegild Makoro CPS as the incoming secretary-general of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC). The SACBC secretary-general is responsible for the daily running of the conference at their Pretoria headquarters, Khanya House. Sr Makoro has served for six years as associate secretary-general. She will succeed Fr Vincent Brennan SMA who retires on March 1, 2012 Sr Makoro described her appointment as “a recognition by the bishops of the great work being done and has been done by women in the Church in different ministries of our society”. Sr Makoro was born on December 7, 1951 in the rural location of Koeqana in the Mt Fletcher District of the Eastern Cape. She is the second of four children and grew up in a very strong Catholic family, attending Mass and catechism classes at Mariazell parish in Mthatha diocese. She joined the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood in the early 1970s, making her first profession in 1976. Sr Makoro holds a higher diploma in education from the University of Transkei and a bachelor of theology degree from the University of Natal–Pietermaritzburg. After teaching at Mariazell High School, Sr Makoro was the coordinator of the Mthatha diocesan catechetical team under the late Bishop Andrew Zolile Brook as well as the coordinator of the diocesan animation team which handled leadership training under Bishop Brook’s successor, the late Bishop Oswald Hirmer. She has also served a term as provincial superior of the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood. In announcing the appointment, SACBC president Archbishop Buti Tlhagale highlighted concern on the involvement of the laity. Sr Makoro said adhering to this will be on her agenda. “The bishops have been discussing the issue and trying methods like pastoral forums and at the moment the Diocesan Consultation. Up to now these means have not managed to hear the voice of the laity. I hope that a way will be found where this can be realised,” Sr Makoro said. She hoped the bishops will be looking seriously at Pope Benedict’s apostolic exhortation on the Second African Synod, Africae Munus, and how this will be brought down to the grassroots level. “My hope is that plenary sessions will be used to discuss this document to carry out the commitment of the Church to reconciliation and justice and to find practical ways for the region.”

Sr Makoro also said it is important the conference continues with the SACBC Foundation “as part of our self-reliance as religious and lay people empower themselves for future needs of the Church so to be able to serve the needs of the society”. Sr Makoro said she accepts the appointment with h u m i l i t y , Sr Hermenegild Makoro adding: “I pay CPS will succeed Fr Vinmy respect to cent Brennan SMA as the late Sr Brid- SACBC secretary-general get Flanagan, a as of March 1. Holy Family Sister who was the associate secretary-general and was also acting secretary-general of the SACBC at one point. I am sure she will pray for me to continue from where she left when she worked here at Khanya House.” Fr Brennan said Sr Makoro’s practical pastoral experience and conviction of the primary importance of evangelisation will “colour everything she will do as secretary general”. He described Sr Makoro as a good administrator with lots of experience. “She is very committed to the Church in Southern Africa and to the bishops’ conference. I believe she is very suited to the work the bishops have asked her to do.” Sr Makoro said the appointment is a big responsibility, but it will be a great challenge—especially since the position has traditionally been held by men. “Sister was chosen as the next secretarygeneral simply because she was considered to be the best person available for the job. That was the opinion of the bishops, and that is my opinion,” said Fr Brennan. For her part, Sr Makoro praised Fr Brennan, saying “it is a challenge on its own to go into the shoes of a man of great talents, a great thinker and greatly committed to the work of the Church. I am grateful that I had an opportunity to work him.” The outgoing secretary-general, who served the maximum two terms in the position, said he will be able to spend more time with his parish in Mogwase, Rustenburg. “My parishioners have been very patient with me,” he said, adding that he was looking forward to making up for lost time.

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The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

Godspell brings community closer

Polokwane T bishop retires

STAFF REPORTER

HE parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Durbanville, Cape Town, has staged the musical Godspell. The well known musical is based on Matthew’s gospel, and brings the story of the gospels, particularly the parables, to life in a fun and energetic way, said Delia Saunderson, the production’s director. “The production was the first ever undertaking of this kind in the parish, and was supported with great enthusiasm by the whole community,” the director said. The cast of 17, led by Grant Sobotker who played the Christ character, ranged in age from 9 to 29 and are all active members of the parish. “In fact, everyone involved in the production, from directors to lighting technicians, is a member of the Durbanville

BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

ISHOP Mogale Paul Nkhumishe of Polokwane has retired as bishop of Polokwane (formerly Pietersburg) diocese due to ill health. In the interim, Fr Jeremiah Madimetja Masela has been appointed apostolic administrator until a new bishop is appointed. The retired bishop was born in 1938 in Warmbaths and was ordained a priest in 1967. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Lydenburg-Witbank in 1981 until being installed as bishop of Witbank in 1984. Bishop Nkhumishe was then transferred to Pietersburg in 2000 where he served until Pope Benedict accepted his resignation for reasons of health this month. At the time of his resignation, he was the Southern African region’s second-longest serving active bishop. New apostolic administrator Fr Masela had served the diocese as vicargeneral. Fr Masela, who was born and raised in Polokwane, said it is going to be “great to continue serving my diocese in the new capacity”. Fr Masela said he was eagerly waiting for full instructions from the Vatican so that he can serve the Church in his diocese appropriately.

parish community,” said Ms Saunderson. The director added that the play was made particularly special by the fact that it was performed in the church, “reminding all who attended what the story is really about”. Ms Saunderson said the cast and band rehearsed hard for six weeks; practising songs, choreographing dances and—after a bit of difficulty—eventually learning their words. “All those involved really bonded as a group, and on the night astonished everyone with their brilliant performances.” The Godspell production was seen by around 500 people over four shows, and had an “amazing effect on the community.” Ms Saunderson said one of the highlights was parish priest Mgr Andrew Borello “leaping down the church aisle with enthusiasm, to the parishioner who remarked ‘I had no idea

we had so much talent in our parish!’” The director said the cast and crew were also deeply affected in many ways by their involvement in Godspell. More than one cast member commented with surprise at their new-found acting abilities. But the best outcome of the production has been the unity in the parish. “The most wonderful consequence has been to see the cast members smiling at each other in Mass whenever the Gospel reading is a scene depicted in the play—this experience has really brought the gospel to life for all those involved.” Ms Saunderson said the parish pulled together to put the production together both onstage and backstage. “This was truly a community event, and hopefully the first of many like it.”

Bishop Mogale Nkhumishe has retired after 30 years as a bishop. Polokwane has a Catholic population of 93 000 and 28 priests. Fr Masela wished Bishop Nkhumishe well and thanked the retired bishop for his service to Polokwane.

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The cast of Godspell said the production was a success both on and off stage as it has brought the community and the Cape Town parish closer.

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Durban to ring in 2012 with the Lord BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

URBAN Catholics can ring in 2012 with praise, worship, Mass and sharing testimonies at Emmanuel cathedral on December 31. “People can expect to be revived, to praise and worship and to feel the presence of the Lord on this day,” said parishioner Gugu Gumede. Ms Gumede heads the Revival programme in the Cathedral parish and said this year will be the second such event. “The

response [last year] was very good and the church was three quarters full with other parishes coming to worship with us,” she said. This year she hopes the cathedral will be full. Both parish groups and individuals are welcome. “On this day we also perform different activities and we testify on what the Lord has done for us. We do this as groups or individuals,” Ms Gumede said. So far, four priests from around the Durban archdiocese have

agreed to participate and more priests are expected. Ms Gumede said many people want to spend New Year’s Eve with the Lord. “This would interest the youth, young adults and the elderly people. Both English and Zulu languages are used because this is a diverse congregation.” The group will spend the whole night in praise and worship. Singing and praise can be expected as well as listening to the Word. Mass will be celebrated by all the priests present at 4am, said Ms

Gumede. The celebration will form a part of the Revival programme. “As Emmanuel cathedral parish we have been doing this every month for the past three years with different priests from other parishes visiting us to preach, and it has succeeded!” Ms Gumede said the revival group hopes other parishes will be inspired to do similar activities. “We would like them to come and see what we do and how we do it in our parish,” she said.

A revival choir has also been established and will sing praise and worship songs on the day—it is hoped many people will join in on the singing. Ms Gumede said she hopes many would end and start the new year with the Lord. The evening will begin at 9pm on December 31 at Emmanuel cathedral parish and will run through to 6am on January 1, 2012. n For more information contact Gugu Gumede on 082 483 0821 or Fr Stephen Tully on 031 306 3595.

School principal retires after 42 years BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

Members of the Catholic Women’s League of Ss Peter and Paul parish in George recently visited postulants from Step-A-Side. Chair Sandy Page said the group often visits the students as “they feel like we are their mothers as they are so far away from home.” The postulants are from all over the continent.

FTER 42 years of service to the school, Yvonne Staniforth retires as principal of Star of the Sea Convent Primary School in St James, Cape Town. Mrs Staniforth joined the school in 1969. She taught there for 12 years before being installed as principal. A special Mass was held at St James church to honour Mrs Staniforth’s achievements over the years. Archbishop Stephen Brislin concelebrated the Mass along with Frs Mark Pothier, Bernard van der Hulst and Hugh O’Connor. In attendance were Western Cape Education Department officials, family, friends, Sisters of the

Dominican order, members of the governing body, PTA representatives and staff. Mrs Staniforth called the occasion incredibly memorable. “I’m sad to leave the children and this wonderful school but I’m happy to start a new adventure in life.” The 103-year-old school was founded by the Cabra Dominican Sisters and today serves 300 learners. Alfonso Pereira will take over from Mrs Staniforth in the new year. Mrs Staniforth said she hopes the school will continue to grow and prosper. She added an important aspect of her tenure was ensuring a strong Catholic ethos was maintained through all areas of education. “I hope the school

Yvonne Staniforth retires from Star of the Sea Convent after 42 years of service to the school. will remain a shining light for Catholic educators.” The school’s Deborah Harpur said the farewell was very special and Mrs Staniforth will be greatly missed.

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INTERNATIONAL

Nuns told to take the Pill BY SIMON CALDWELL

ATHOLIC nuns should take contraceptives to protect themselves against cancers linked to childlessness, two Australian researchers said in a British medical journal. Writing in The Lancet, Dr Kara Britt and Professor Roger Short say that oral contraceptives help prevent the onset of cancer of the breast, ovaries and uterus in women who have never had children. “Catholic nuns are committed to leading a celibate, spiritual life in a monastery or convent,” they said in the article, titled “The Plight of Nuns: Hazards of Nulliparity”. “Today, the world’s 94 790 nuns still pay a terrible price for their chastity because they have a greatly increased risk of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers: the hazards of their nulliparity.” They point out in the article that although Pope Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae prohibited couples from using contraception to regulate their fertility, it was silent on the use

of the pill for health benefits. “Although Humanae Vitae never mentions nuns, they should be free to use the contraceptive pill to protect against the hazards of nulliparity since the document states that ‘the Church in no way regards as unlawful therapeutic means considered necessary to cure organic diseases, even though they also have a contraceptive effect’,” say the researchers from Australia’s Monash and Melbourne universities. Dr Britt and Prof Short base their argument on research suggesting that women who have children at a young age and who also breastfeed them are less likely to develop the three cancers in later life. The increased number of menstrual cycles in childless women is linked to an increased risk in developing cancer, they said. Their arguments were met with mild scepticism, however, by David Jones, director of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre, a Catholic institute serving the

Church in Britain and Ireland. “The claim that unmarried women without children, including nuns, ‘should go on the pill’ is one that should be viewed with caution,” he said. “Nevertheless, if the pill would be beneficial for a particular woman’s health, then it could be moral to use it. The contraceptive effect would be a side effect. If it was not being used as a means of contraception, then it would not be wrong for that reason.” Sr Janet Fearns, a Londonbased Franciscan Missionary of the Divine Motherhood, who has served as a midwife in Zambia, said that the claims were also being taken with a “pinch of salt” by members of her community. She said that nuns in her convent discussed the report over the weekend “with a great degree of cynicism”. “The contraceptive industry is going to say ‘of course it [contraception] is all right—the nuns are using it’, but we think it is completely wrong.”—CNS

Media cardinal dies at 76 C ARDINAL John Patrick Foley, who spent more than two decades leading the Church’s social communications council and later worked for the Church in the Middle East, died on December 11 in Philadelphia after a battle with leukemia. He was 76. Cardinal Foley’s media-friendly style and quick sense of humour shone in person and throughout the numerous speeches and homilies he delivered around the world. He often spoke of the joys of working for the Church, telling his audiences that while the pay often is not great “the benefits are out of this world”. To many, the cardinal was the voice they heard giving commentary during the pope’s Christmas midnight Mass. For 25 years, beginning in 1984, his voice was heard throughout the world. As head of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications from 1984 to 2007, the long-time journalist took the lead in articulating Catholic policy with regard to the media. Under his leadership, the council issued separate documents on ethical standards in advertising, communications and the Internet. His time at the council coincided with the unfolding of the clergy sex abuse scandal. The cardinal said Church officials must be honest about the situation. In dealing with the sex abuse scandal, he said, the Church’s reaction must be “to exercise virtue and, in the absence of virtue, exercise candour, which is a virtue itself. We have to be honest. We cannot deny what happened.” Born in Philadelphia on

Cardinal John Foley sits among other cardinals after receiving his red biretta from Pope Benedict in 2007. (Photo: Paul Haring, CNS) November 11, 1935, he was ordained a priest in Philadelphia when he was 26. A graduate of the School of Journalism at Columbia University in New York, he completed his graduate studies in philosophy in Rome, where he also worked as a news reporter. His beat included covering the Second Vatican Council from 1963 to 1965. In 1970, he was appointed editor of Philadelphia’s archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Standard & Times, a position he held until Pope John Paul II named him an archbishop and appointed him head of the social communications council in 1984. Pope Benedict made him a cardinal in 2007. After retiring from the social communications council, Cardinal Foley served as grand master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, a chivalric

organisation dedicated to supporting the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and to responding to the needs of Catholics in the Holy Land. He retired from that post in February. Archbishop Claudio Celli, who succeeded the cardinal as president of the communications council, said Cardinal Foley combined his journalistic training, professionalism, a friendly and approachable manner with his wisdom, humour and “passion to share the good news of God’s infinite love for every person”. In a message of condolences, Pope Benedict said he hoped the legacy of Cardinal Foley would inspire others to make the Gospel known through mass media. The College of Cardinals now has 192 members, 109 of whom are under age 80 and eligible to vote. —CNS

Call for world day for persecution victims BY KRISTIN GOBBERG

LEADING Vatican official has called for the establishment of a world day dedicated to raising awareness of religious injustices suffered by Christians. Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Vatican’s top foreign affairs official, addressed members at the 18th meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vilnius, Lithuania. “There may be more than 200 million Christians, of differ-

ent confessions, who are in difficulty because of legal and cultural structures that lead to their discrimination,” the archbishop said. “The celebration of an international day against persecution and discrimination of Christians might prove to be an important sign that governments are willing to deal with this serious issue.” The Lithuanian OSCE chairmanship had organised a conference held in Rome in September themed, “Preventing and Responding to Hate Inci-

dents and Crimes against Christians”. In his December speech to the OSCE, the archbishop called that event “successful and hopeful” because it recognised the need for dialogue between Christians, other religious groups and non-believers. The archbishop praised the Lithuanian OSCE chairmanship for its efforts “to combat intolerance against Christians” by holding the September conference and said another similar gathering is needed in the future.—CNS

INTERNATIONAL

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

Abuse scandal also an injustice to priests BY SARAH MACDONALD

ATHER Damien McGroarty, 29, is one of the youngest diocesan priests in Ireland. Ordained just over a year ago, he should still be at the honeymoon stage of his vocation. Instead, an independent audit of clerical sexual abuse in his Raphoe diocese has left him soulsearching about the public’s perception of priesthood. In a homily this month, he acknowledged to Massgoers at St Eunan’s cathedral in Letterkenny, County Donegal, that the ongoing abuse crisis made him question whether people ridicule him for being a priest. “Will I be branded a paedophile priest?” he asked. Raphoe, in north-western Ireland, is still gripped by revelations concerning its abusive priests, including the notorious Fr Eugene Greene, who was jailed for 12 years in 2000 for his crimes against 26 victims between 1962 and 1985. Ireland’s Catholic Church has been rocked by several judicial reports that found that bishops and religious superiors put the avoidance of scandal ahead of the welfare of children. The Irish prime minister criticised the Vatican in a speech to parliament, and the Vatican reassigned its Irish ambassador. Most Irish priests feel tarred by the sins of a minority, and they realise that the Irish public’s perception of them is at an all-time low. A recent poll showed that the public vastly overestimates the numbers of priests guilty of abuse. Inaccurate information is con-

tributing to an anti-clerical climate, according to the Association of Catholic Priests. The group, which represents more than 600 priests, blames the pervasive negativity surrounding the priesthood for the defamation of Mill Hill Father Kevin Reynolds by RTE Television last May. In late November, as the Irish courts made a massive award to Fr Reynolds over the RTE libel, the Public Prosecution Service of Northern Ireland cleared Fr Oliver Brennan of the Armagh archdiocese of a false allegation against him, and a priest from the diocese of Cloyne was also cleared by the courts. These cases have thrown the spotlight on a plethora of issues, not least the Church’s protocols on naming and removing priests from ministry when an abuse accusation is made. For priests who are falsely accused, the current procedures leave them under a cloud while an investigation is ongoing and, even after they are cleared, many feel their name always remains tarnished.

everal priests who had been falsely accused were approached for this report, but they were unwilling to discuss the issue. They remain “traumatised”, said Fr Tony Flannery, spokesman for the Association of Catholic Priests. One priest from the west of Ireland, who was the subject of a false allegation and was cleared after an investigation, spoke on the condition that his real name was not used. The priest said he thought falsely accused priests are being “disenfranchised by the Church

Brendan Hoban, who said that the association was aware through feedback from its members and non-members that there are Irish bishops who, “by their attitude, are compounding the demonisation of their own priests”. “We see this in the manner in which priests are sometimes asked to step aside; in the neglect of their basic rights to accommodation, an income and legal advice; in the avoidance of a responsibility of care, not least of the priest’s family—all of which leads to an acceptance of the societal prejudice that a priest is guilty until he can prove his innocence,” he said.

S The shadow of a woman holding a rosary is seen during a Mass in Armagh, Northern Ireland. Irish priests falsely accused of sexual abuse believe the Church is letting them down. (Photo: Cathal McNaughton, Reuters/CNS) authorities in the methodology used to respond to accusations”, The priest, identified for this story as “Fr Aodh”, said he believed this is part of a “swinging of the pendulum” and “overzealousness to make up ground” in response to past mistakes. But it is doing great injury to priests who are unjustly accused and to the relationship of bishop and priest. “Priests generally are a very vulnerable sector of society now,” he said. His view is confirmed by another priests association spokesman, Fr

enator Ronan Mullen is a parishioner at the libelled Fr Reynolds’ St Cuan’s church in Ahascragh, County Galway. He is highly critical of the Church authorities’ lack of communication in the early stages of the priest’s case. No statement was forthcoming for almost ten days, by which time the media had been saturated with coverage of the false allegation against Fr Reynolds. “The way that the stepping aside is being managed is the real problem. There isn’t even a basic communication from the accused priest, and he is spirited away. People are left to draw the worst of conclusions,” Mr Mullen said. He said he feels there is a certain timidity in the Church’s response. Church officials must allow “the basic standard of the presumption of innocence until proven guilty”, he said. He added that it should be possible to allow the priest to put out a statement in his own name rebut-

ting the allegation. “Even if he turns out to be guilty, I don’t think that that can hurt the Church.” Fr Aodh said false accusations are doing “a tremendous disservice” to the real victims of abuse while also creating a “rupture” between priests and their bishops, which he describes as “tragic”. He also said accused priests are treated differently from other accused professionals, who “are not publicly vilified”. Marie Collins, who was abused as a child by a Dublin priest, said that anyone—priest or layperson— is entitled to be considered innocent until there is some proof. She said false accusations do “enormous harm to genuine victims”. “We [victims] have spent many years gaining credibility, and it can be very quickly destroyed in one stroke by something like the Fr Kevin Reynolds case.” Ms Collins helped formulate the Irish Church’s 2003 “Our Children, Our Church” guidelines. She said the emphasis today is on the principle of “the safety of the child being paramount. It is more important than any other consideration, including the good name of any other individual,” she said. But Fr Aodh said he thinks there must be justice for all. Of his own personal experience of being subject to a false accusation, he recalls: “There are no words to describe it—it is harrowing beyond words. The very definition of your life is gone because the priesthood isn’t just a job, it’s a vocation. I didn’t feel abandoned by God, but I didn’t understand how God had allowed this happen in my life.”—CNS

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LETTERS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher Christmas Guest Editorial by Frances Correia

Christmas through new eyes

S a mother of three very small children my perspective on Christmas has changed fundamentally. Before I had babies I was annoyed by the early appearance of Christmas trees and decorations, the playing of hymns and the general hype in any shopping experience. Now, however, I see it all anew through my one and three year olds’ eyes. My youngest daughter and my son love going into shopping centres. My one-year-old daughter’s whole body shakes with the intense excitement of Christmas decorations. My son will happily spend ages staring in wonder at lit-up trees and the shinny balls hidden in wreaths. Their delight and wonder fill me with a new sense of finding God present in the busy malls. My eldest daughter is five years old, and she is beginning to get her head around some of the theological concepts associated with Christmas. She knows that it is Jesus’ birthday; that Jesus is God; and that he came to make things “good” in the world. As we were driving recently, we came across a beggar who asked us for food or clothing. She asked where he lived and discovered that he didn’t have a home. As we drove on she wanted to know what we were going to do to help him. A few days later I was asked: “That man, the man who needs a home, will Father Christmas give him a home for Christmas?” When I replied that it was unlikely, she asked if we would. These two moments seem to say much to my faith; my younger children’s awe and delight, their recognition of the transcendent breaking through in our ordinary lives, symbolised by the glittering trees and decorations. And my elder daughter’s awareness of someone else’s need and her heartfelt sense that we needed to do something about it, speaks to me of our response to God’s love. God initiates and we

respond. God loves us so much that Jesus chooses to become one of us. Our lives are transformed and redeemed by his love. Our response: to become more like the God we love, more generous, more concerned, more involved; seeing in others, most especially in the poor and afflicted, the face of Christ. Motivated to love others because he has loved us. My children’s fresh and intense response to what they find in the world is a real challenge to me. It is so easy to live behind the adult rationalisations that I can’t do anything for beggars on the street corners, and so I don’t try. I cynically see the Christmas decorations as yet another inducement to spend. In my children’s response to the world there is a clarity that reminds me of Jesus’ invitation to become like little children. To see the world with their openness and innocence. My daughter cannot understand or do anything about the economic forces that have led to this man being on the street begging. But she can imagine things she (and her mother) could concretely do to help him. That may not change the country’s unemployment situation, but it would affect this one person. If we look at the birth of Jesus, he did not come as the expected new King David to overthrow the Roman occupation or reform the Sanhedrin; nor did he heal every sick person in Israel. But he did heal and touch the lives of the individuals he met in his wandering. As Christians, we are called to be like Jesus: to reach out and touch the lives of the people we come across each day. If we live with a sense of the wonder of the incarnation, the awe inspiring reality that God who loves us passionately, is with us, then it follows that we will be inspired to love others as Jesus did. n Frances Correia is a spiritual director and trainer in Ignatian Spirituality at the Jesuit Institute in Johannesburg.

Mgr Andrew Borello, Joan Armstrong and the Staff of the Centre for Pastoral Development wish the priests, deacons, consecrated persons and all the lay faithful in the Archdiocese of Cape Town the peace, joy and love of Jesus as they celebrate Christmas.

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.

Evangelisation is paramount AMIAN Mcleish has written let- needs to be highlighted. We live in D ters to The Southern Cross recent- a society that is in large manner no ly complaining about the “seamless longer Christian and expecting peogarment” position taken by US bishops on Catholic moral teaching since it appears to him to downplay the stand of the Church on abortion. I think that what the US bishops are concerned about is an over-zealous pro-life lobby that virtually ignores the other serious moral problems in society and focuses upon abortion, euthanasia and similar evils. Of course the pro-life lobby is not the only movement that can cause distortions in the life of the Church: focusing in an unequal manner on extraordinary spiritual gifts such as healing and the righting of social evils such as poverty can also result in unbalanced theology and spirituality that are the starting points for heresy and schism. But there is a further issue that

ple who have not made a commitment to Christ to accept Christian moral principles is not going to work. For the last 20 years the Church has been more and more aware of the need to evangelise the large numbers of nominal and Sunday Catholics who have not made Christ centre of their constant call by the Holy Father to implement a new evangelisation. The result of the neglect by the Church over many years to bring people to a strong relationship with Christ has been increasing de-Christianisation. At least some of the considerable resources ploughed into the pro-life movement would have been better allocated to building up the faith and commitment of Catholics to Jesus Christ. People who are strong and sincere in their faith need no convinc-

Whose Christmas?

what different. The Church (not the Mass) didn’t help with my depression. In fact, it made me feel more isolated and alienated, instead of comforted and among friends. I did not feel the compassion and love of Jesus but instead the Pharisee’s laws and regulations. Hence I stopped going to Church. Church ruined the Mass for me. I long to return to the Mass, but not the Church. Name withheld

HE Christmas season with all the shops offering “specials” on gifts has reminded me that the emphasis is totally off the main reason for Christmas. It has become a time for giving and receiving gifts with so little thought as to the origin. People of other religions, nonbelievers and abstainers from church attendance all “celebrate” at this time of the year but we do not become involved with Muslim or Jewish feast-days. Why has this, one of the most important of our Christian celebrations, degenerated to this type of day? There has long been talk to “put Christ back into Christmas”, but Santa Claus has become the main person. The new lifestyle, worldwide, has conveyed this to our children and so the Christmas celebration has evolved into a “giving’ and “receiving” party where the presents become more expensive, the food is plentiful and, most of all, the liquor abounds in what is now referred to as the “Festive Season”. Brian Gouveia, Bloemfontein

Church no comfort

T was with interest that I read the results of the study which suggests that going to Church wards off depression (November 23). Being nearly menopausal, I found the report and the percentages confusing and, I think, misleading. The United States and the demographics of the studies and other variables will have a huge impact on the outcomes. These are not mentioned. My experiences have been some-

Is God calling you to the Religious Life in the Franciscan Family?

Don’t hide!

OUR recent notice on the letters page regarding fake letters rather intrigued me. Who on earth would want to write letters to a Catholic paper under a false name and giving a false address? Have you got a detective agency to check on the information given? I am of an age and come from a place where it was considered bad manners to use a person’s Christian name unless one was at least fairly well known to that person. What I have found in this country is that mock familiarity is used for commercial purposes or when something is wanted—rather hypocritical! Some of the vitriolic letters printed in your paper have left me wondering just how lovable is the writer who signed the letter with a nice, Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in Letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the Catholic hierarchy. The letters page in particular is a forum in which readers may exchange opinions on matters of debate. Letters must not be understood to necessarily reflect the teachings, disciplines or policies of the Church accurately.

ing and understand the evils of abortion. And spending vast amounts of time and energy lobbying politicians to oppose abortion when a large proportion of their electorate is only Christian in name is wasteful. Jesus and the apostles did not spend much time talking about the injustices and serious moral evils within the Roman Empire. Instead they focused on preaching the Gospel in order to win souls and bring about moral and spiritual renewal in the lives of their followers. While I do believe that a vital part of the Church’s mission is to propagate moral values in a society that has lost sight of these, this mission must not obscure the principal role of the Church of creating and sustaining a community of people whose lives are centred on Christ. In particular the Church cannot afford to devote too much of its resources upon a single moral issue, however serious it is. Frank Bompas, Johannesburg friendly Christian name, and sometimes whether or not the writer was Catholic. If a letter is worth publishing what does it matter if a writer lives here or there. Perhaps if we all concentrated on being more lovable Christians rather than only righteous Catholics we would not require warning against fake letters. R Auret, Thornville, KZN

Rekindle the fire

HE article “Alpha, a tool of Evangelisation” (November 30) refers. Pope Benedict has taken up that call with great enthusiasm. But what are we Catholics doing about it? The anti-Catholic fundamentalists concentrate on exposing the pastoral weak points of the Church and are very aware of the many Catholics who are luke-warm and indifferent. They also take advantage of widespread Catholic confusion regarding the basic Gospel message—that we justified into salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and by his grace. In the past a personal relationship with Jesus Christ was seldom mentioned by us. Mission was seen as proving to our seperated brethren and others that the Catholic Church was that infallible institution founded by Jesus Christ. True evangelisation was regarded as something “protestant”. Perhaps we could learn from the fundamentalists by asking them in humilty how the fire of the Gospel could be rekindled in us with the same infectious dynamism and remarkable commitment so many of them so obviously have. John Lee, Johannesburg

Ursuline Sisters of the Roman Union wish all their families, friends and benefactors God’s richest blessings during this Christmas season St Francis

We Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception strengthen our relationship with God by prayer in order to serve Him and His people. We work with all age-groups and where the Church needs us. If you wish to know more about us, contact:

The Vocations Directress at PO Box 2912, Middelburg, 1050. Tel (013) 243 3410, 072 213 4671

PERSPECTIVES

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

Christmas is a time to keep traditions

HRISTMAS time is family time. I think a lot of people will agree with this. Around this time you will always hear people say something like: “I don’t like going away for Christmas, it’s a time to be with my family. I always stay home for Christmas.” This is what we call tradition. A tradition is a repeating pattern of family experiences. Family traditions include rituals and events and meaningful celebrations that you do in your family. Like the celebration of Christmas. Family traditions are important. They help you understand who you are: that

you are part of a family unit, that you love one another, that you respect and honour one another, that you celebrate one another and make positive memories for everybody. And this is what happens at Christmas time. Far from just wishing each other a happy Christmas and enjoying a lovely meal together, the tradition of celebrating Christmas reinforces the connection of family. You give a feeling of belonging, of being supported of being understood. You are part of something that is greater than yourself. It is also at this time that we open our families to receive extended family

A family decorates their Christmas tree. Christmas is a time when family traditions are made and then observed every year, often across generations.

members. And aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins and other extended family members can have a tremendous positive influence on the family. I remember Christmas time as a child, when my aunts and uncles came to visit, there was a feeling of great celebration in the house. It was also a time when the normal rules of the house were relaxed a bit and we could play longer and walk further down the streets with our cousins and come back a bit later. In our family we have found great strength in praying and worshipping together as a family. And I remember fondly the Christmas midnight Mass which we attended with great excitement. Going to bed early evening to wake up again at nine O’clock and getting dressed in our new clothes for the midnight Mass. On our way back from Mass we would continue singing Christmas carols until the early hours of the morning. We would be in the lounge, while my mom was cooking the meat for the Christmas lunch and my dad going in and out of the kitchen tasting pieces of the meat. Family traditions are important for strengthening family bonds, but somehow, these days, we are putting less emphasis on family traditions. Let us continue with these traditions in one way or another and create the same feeling of family and belonging for our children and our grandchildren.

The change that changes everything

‘I

TAKE you, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, until death do us part…” This may sound familiar to you, or maybe not. I can’t know when you were last blessed to attend a wedding ceremony. I had the opportunity recently when a friend of mine got married and I was invited to be a part of their special day. It got me thinking though. They were willingly and joyfully uniting themselves to each other for life in the amazing union of marriage, yes. They were witnessing their love, in front of the community of their family and friends, in this special and beautiful ceremony. But thinking back, they were also committing to whatever changes their future marriage would bring into their lives. For all of us, life never stays the same for very long. Things change from year to year, one day to the next, or even in a second. We’re all heading into a time of change right now. Maybe you’re moving to a new place,

or just finished school and looking forward to beginning varsity and a new chapter, maybe it’s a new job you’re starting in January, you’re hoping for a change in perspective, or some other adventure that’s around the corner that you don’t know about. This is the time of year when we maybe begin thinking of New Year’s resolutions, and changes we want to make in our lives for 2012. Whatever it may be, Christmas Day marked one of the biggest changes to our world in the whole of human history. The day when God became man in order to enter our world and redeem us, so we could be with him for all eternity! Our lives may be changing, but what happened on Christmas morning changed everything…forever. Jesus entered our world so that we would never be alone. Not in one single second of change in our lives are we left to fend for ourselves. As God said to Joshua, so he says to us: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5).

REMEMBERING OUR DEAD

“It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins” (II Macc XII,46) Holy Mass will be celebrated on JANUARY 8 in the All Souls’ chapel, Maitland, Cape Town at 2:30pm for all souls in purgatory and for all those buried in the Woltemade cemetery.

For further information, please contact St Jude Society, Box 22230, Fish Hoek, 7975 Telephone (021) 552-3850

Len Pothier Point of Mission

Judith Turner On Faith and Life

Steven Edwards Youth and Mission Our God is one constant which we have in our lives, no matter what is going on. Our faith is one rock on which we can stand when everything around is shifting and moving. “Godwith-us” is here and he wants to walk with us through everything—from school, to studies, to work, to marriage, to retirement, to death. So, may you be encouraged and comforted if you’re a bit nervous about what path lies in front of you as you head into the New Year. May you be open to the change that God wishes you to grow through, whatever it may be. If things need to change, I pray that you depend on the rock that is our God and offer up the discomfort. Sometimes we need to learn to become comfortable with being uncomfortable for a while, in order to discover the lessons that God has planned for us. I hope you have a Christmas in awe of God’s presence in those around you and a 2012 full of lessons of faith!

Combining love of God and neighbour

HINK about this: our Lord condensed Christian living down to just two actions: love of God and love of neighbour, with the one flowing out of the other. In addition, when asked how we will be judged on the last day, he did not paint a picture of how our litany of sins will be trotted out, or even whether we did more than just attend Mass regularly. Rather, the measure is to be how we fed the hungry and clothed the naked. Think about how that measure applies in your life. The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) exists as a means whereby its members can take practical steps towards carrying out Christ’s requirement that we love our neighbours, and offers a wonderful opportunity for living the Gospel values. They do this despite the image of being a collection of worthy old gentlemen (and ladies!), who act as ushers, sell The Southern Cross after Mass, hold boring meetings, and somehow have a “holier than thou” exclusivity. So, who are these Vincentians? They are just lay people, men and women. They might sit next to you in church. They humbly and quietly strive, within their human limitations, to try to get closer to living the Gospel values that are so clearly stated in Scripture. In practical terms, they visit the poor, the sick, and the lonely in their homes, so as to give of themselves. Help of whatever nature is given to all races and creeds without distinction, usually to families who have lost breadwinners, or whose incomes have dried up through misfortune, Aids, and unemployment. Abandoned children are supported, maintenance and disability grants are found, school fees paid, clothing distributed, and food parcels left where they will do good. Importantly this is done with empathy, care, warmth and compassion. Typically, once a fortnight (in some parishes weekly) the members come together to compare notes on the families that are being helped, and to decide, with the advice of the spiritual director (usually the parish priest), how best to assist in the circumstances of each case. Families are always visited in pairs, and after a period of time, a close relationship with these families is often built up. In the normal course of our busy active lives, with our challenges, problems and anxieties it is difficult to give thought to the needs of the desperately poor and needy. And indeed what opportunities exist for actually doing so on a daily or weekly basis? When last did you do any of these things? Belief requires action. If you believe you are about to be run over by a bus, you must jump out of the way. If you believe in God, and the fact that God is love, then you must do something about it. Visiting hovels and becoming involved in the miseries of others may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but one can help the SVP in many other ways. Give some of your food: give some of your clothing; give some of your savings; and, if possible, join the SVP and give some of your precious time. Also, remember the SVP in your will. Let us ignore the ultimate reward—your immediate reward is to be found in the eyes of those whom you help. To contact the society, enquire at your local parish which may well have a SVP group, and if not the parish will assist you to make contact with the nearest group. n Len Pothier is a member of the SVP. For more information visit www.stvincentdepaul.co.za

HOPE&JOY

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

The need for a green Church W

HETHER you’re fearful of it, unsure of it or even bored with it—addressing climate change means that we have to change practically everything. From the way we live to the way we organise the economy to the way we perceive and think about the world—one way or another, climate change is going to change us. The big question is whether we can adjust our lifestyles to avoid the climate changing further. For many, the prospect is simply overwhelming and many of us are waiting for governments to make the decisions for us. But while governments and big business will have to act, there should be no delay in the average person doing the same. Fr Chris Chatteris SJ, who teaches at St Francis Xavier’s seminary in Cape Town, says the environmental crisis can be seen in many areas, and not just in those associated with the weather. For example, the current economic crisis possibly is a signal of the environmental crisis, and it shows the lack of justice in the world through the absence of sharing, Fr Chatteris says. “If the environment is telling us that resources are limited, then we cannot escape into fantasies of eternal growth and say that one day everyone will be looked after. We have to ask the hard questions about how we share out the generous but limited resources of the earth, not just with the people of today, but also with those of tomorrow.” He adds: “I do wonder sometimes; here we are, spending a lot of time and energy on producing new liturgical texts while a billion people are going hungry and the global economy is melting down and forcing ever more people into desperate poverty. I suppose we are like everyone else; we just hope that climate

Claire Mathieson A Church of Hope and Joy change won’t happen, or if it does, we will somehow be able to ride it out reasonably unscathed. One of the things going on here is that to be prophets of doom all the time gives the impression that we don’t believe in the God’s providence.” The Jesuit says the Second Vatican Council presented the Church with an openness to the signs of the times. “Vatican II sets the scene and provides the attitude for a change, rather than signalling a big change itself.” Palesa Siphuma, a researcher at the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office (CPLO), sees a positive momentum with regards to improving the situation, in South Africa and the world in general, when it comes to green matters, global warming and carbon emissions. Aline Johnson, director of the eco-active organisation Blue Blue Earth, believes there is far more awareness, a positive attitude towards green issues and a desire to want to improve the situation—but a lot more needs to be done. And it’s certainly not easy to change. Fr Chris Schonenberg from the Empophomeni Youth Centre in Meerhof, Pretoria, started greening the retreat centre 13 years ago. Inspired by the Taizé movement to lead people into the awareness of the divine, Fr Schonenberg says he wanted to do so in a way that preserves the planet. “Personally, I found it a big challenge to look at how we live with the rest of the world,” the retreat priest says. The centre was, at first, planted

with alien vegetation but today is home to only indigenous plants. Eco-friendly thatch is being used, and when a geyser bursts it is replaced with solar panels. “We’re not independent yet, but we’re moving in that direction,” Fr Schonenberg says. “Ideally we want to be self-sufficient but we have to move step by step.” The retreats are used not only for spiritual formation but also to encourage eco-action and to make people aware of what the cost of a certain lifestyle is. The centre serves mostly vegetarian foods. When meat is served, it’s free range. nd all this starts with education. The CPLO’s Ms Siphuma says far more must be done to educate greater numbers of people about these issues. “For instance, in townships the environmental impact that illegal dumping sites [where garbage is ultimately burnt] could be emphasised so as to reduce the prevalence of said dumping sites and reduce carbon emissions.” Blue Blue Earth Ms Johnson said education is the big issue as it is currently not accessible to everyone. “As a part of Justice and Peace, it’s clear to see the Church is increasing awareness. But there is a lack of coordination and finances to make action really happen.” One of the problems is the large inventory of issues which Justice and Peace deals with, she says, suggesting that a dedicated eco-office would be necessary to respond more effectively to green issues. Blue Blue Earth works with schools by planting trees on school premises, educating children and helping communities realise the benefits of indigenous fruit growing trees. Ms Siphuma said there are some Church communities that are playing their part by encouraging their congregations to have vegetable gar-

Solar panels are seen from the roof of the Paul VI audience hall at the Vatican. The Vatican has installed its first solar-generated electrical system and committed itself to renewable energy for 20 % of its needs by 2020. (Photo: Tony Gentile, Reuters/CNS). dens and plant trees. “Priests can however delve further by incorporating green living into their sermons and having Green Sundays where congregants are encouraged to walk or cycle to church among other things,” the CPLO researcher suggests. “It can be said that both big business and institutions on the ground need to put more effort into creating awareness. Big business can use the vast resources at its disposal to promote green living and incorporate it into the products/services offered, and institutions on the ground can teach the various communities how, for instance, global warming directly impacts their lives as farming, fishing, or other types of communities,” says Ms Siphuma. Another Catholic eco-advocate, Elizabeth Mokotong, says civil society must work hand-in-hand with government to find solutions to eco-issues. “We can do an audit of all our institutions to determine our carbon foot-print, and thereafter put a management system in place. We can promote recycling, tree planting around our churches, schools and hospitals,” she suggests. Fr Chatteris sees the ecological crisis as a great moral and spiritual opportunity: “It’s one massive sign of the times calling the world to a simpler and more human way of life, and we Christians have the value system which can help people do this.” Even the technical solutions involve moral and spiritual issues. “When you start to consider the differences between public and private transport, or between renewable energy or energy produced by SASOL or the Canadian tar sands— which make huge, quick profits but destroy the environment for our children—one begins to see how much the moral and the spiritual come into the question of the

choice of technologies,” Fr Chatteris explains. The country’s bishops are making an effort to encourage parishes around the country to get involved. A pastoral letter was issued in the run up to the United Nations’ COP17 in Durban and encouraged individuals to plant trees and vegetables and parishes to take climate change seriously. Fr Schonenberg says pastoral letters are good, but much more action is needed. “Slowly, awareness is rising, but the Church is not yet meeting the needs of the issue.” Fr Schonenberg believes more young people are needed, and the best place for it to start is in the Church. “It would be wonderful if eco-groups were started in parishes!”. Ms Mokotong says Catholics and other Christians can do “so much in creating programmes that can effectively put God at the centre of creation and educate the faithful about imminent disasters facing humanity if our behaviour does not change”. She adds that we have Catholic role models already doing their part in government—the minister of Water and Environment, Edna Molewa, and minister for International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane— and the Church can do the same. Ms Johnson says there is a desire to get this right, but finances and positives attitudes are needed to get things right now for the long term. The knowledge and resources are available, she says, but we need to be clever about it. Not only should the Church become pre-emptive, but it is entirely necessary, for if we don’t, Ms Mokotong says, the impact of climate change will leave the Church “cleaning up; hunger, disease, homeless people and fires—the Church will end up working to relieve the issue”.

LOVED AND TRUSTED BY ALL SOUTH www.stvincentdepaul.co.za

AFRICANS

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Society of St Vincent de Paul wishes Archbishop Stephen Brislin, Archbishop Emeritus Lawrence Henry, Bishop Francisco de Gouveia and all other bishops, priests, deacons, religious brothers and sisters, all our donors and all members and their families.

a joyful and blessed Christmas

HOPE&JOY

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

Hope&Joy: Our message after eight months The Hope&Joy network was launched in May this year. Its national convenor, RAYMOND PERRIER, reviews how far Hope&Joy has come since then.

N October, Pope Benedict reminded the Catholic world that we were only one year away from the 50th anniversary of the start of the Second Vatican Council. He called on Catholics to start to prepare for the anniversary which would be marked, from October 2012, with an international “Year of Faith”. But readers in South Africa will know that our preparation here is well underway—in fact we started back in May this year. The South African Catholic community is preparing for the anniversary of the Council under the banner of Hope&Joy, drawing on the name of Gaudium et Spes, the Vatican II document about being a “Church in the Modern World”. By bringing together the resources of the fullest ever range of local Catholic agencies and organisations, the Hope&Joy network aims to provide accessible adult education for Catholics up and down the country. Readers may have seen different examples of what has happened since the launch in May; but there may also be activities that they have not yet noticed. At the end of the year, and eight months after we started, here are some highlights: • In September The Southern Cross launched the weekly series of articles under the Hope&Joy banner by Claire Mathieson and Fr Anthony Egan SJ on various aspects of being a Church in the Modern world and, importantly, celebrating what we are already doing as a Church to bring hope and joy to South Africa. The series will continue until next October. • The Redemptorists, who produce 60 000 of the Catholic Link bulletin every Sunday, carried articles for 21 weeks that explored different themes of the Second Vatican Council in easy-to-read 500 word summaries (all still available to read on www.hopeandjoy.org.za). • Radio Veritas has produced programmes highlighting aspects of Vatican II. • Groups of priests in rural dioceses have had one- or two-day study sessions on Vatican II and its impact on the Church, and other dioceses will hold such sessions in 2012. • Diocesan liturgical celebrations have used Hope&Joy as a way of connecting their events to the wider national church, such as

Cardinal Wilfrid Napier’s birthday Mass in Durban, the Empangeni pilgrimage in Eshowe and the allnight vigil in Kroonstad. • Individual parishes across the country have organised Hope&Joy walks, services, study mornings and celebrations. • Learning days for catechists and lay leaders in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg organised by the respective archdiocesan departments have taken the title of Hope&Joy Festivals. Between them they have drawn in almost 2 000 people. • The Jesuit Institute’s Winter Living Theology programme saw an Irish Jesuit deliver a three-day course on the history and theology of the Council to 250 people in five cities, and also evening workshops to about 700 people in 14 parishes. • The conference of leaders of religious congregations (LCCL) dedicated their annual meeting to looking back to Vatican II and drawing lessons for the future. • The Paulines bookshops in Johannesburg and Durban and the Catholic Bookshops in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth have highlighted books that can help people to understand better the Second Vatican Council, and they have also produced a Hope&Joy calendar and a book of Advent reflections. • Mariannhill Press with the Jesuit Institute produced sets of Inspiration cards to help small groups reflect on the themes of Vatican II and these are now being used by groups from the Catholic Women’s League, the Knights of Da Gama, Society of St Vincent de Paul and other sodalities. A set of 12 full colour cards costs R50. • The Jesuit Institute has also been delivering daily SMS messages to cellphones with extracts from Vatican II documents and the teachings of recent popes: more than 4 000 people have signed up since the service began for just R3,50 per week.

ope&Joy has been received with enthusiasm by many Catholics. Joan Armstrong, head of Cape Town’s archdiocesan pastoral development office, said: “Hope&Joy has made people think about the fact that the Church is more than just ‘my parish’ or ‘my movement’. It has provided a link to all of us as Catholics.” Fr Gerald Gostling of Evander/ Secunda parish in Mpumalanga said: “Our groups have agreed that this is one of the most beautiful themes ever, and it crosses all barriers—even if they do not understand Vatican II, it is indeed that document (Gaudium et Spes) in action.” For Fr Francois Dufour, provincial of the Salesians, Hope&Joy is a “morale booster”. “Hope&Joy has given the Church a united focus. It feels as if

there is a buzz around,” said Bernadette Chellew, rector of the Catholic Bible College. Positive feedback was even international. Pauline Sister Rose Pacatte, an American media expert who visited South Africa in October, found that Hope&Joy “is providing a vibrant context for new initiatives, especially through media, and for people working together for the good of society and the Church.” Finally, national youth chaplain Fr Sammy Mabusela, said: “My hope is that young people who have benefited from Catholic schools will see the need that the Church has of them to continue bringing hope and joy to our world.” Of course not everything has been plain sailing. Some organisations have joined enthusiastically as members but are waiting for things to be done for them. Or they have promoted Hope&Joy through their work and events, but did not let the webmaster know— which means that other members of the network cannot benefit from their experience. Or they have missed opportunities to put the Hope&Joy logo on publicity for events or on publications so that ordinary Catholics could better see the links between the different organisations in the Church— many ministries, one mission. Sadly, offers to produce materials in languages other than English have been slow. And while the SMS service has been a great success, and the website is getting about 1500 hits per day, other electronic media have not yet taken off, such as Facebook pages. 2012 will see the Hope&Joy programme developing further. Network members will continue with many of the activities that started in 2011—and we hope develop more. Dioceses are looking at how they use Hope&Joy to support diocesan formation programmes (Ecclesia, Renew) or how to use Hope&Joy in the absence of a particular programme. There will be new materials particularly designed to help bust parish priests and also to draw in teachers and learners in Catholic schools. And there will be new suggestions for “praying with Hope&Joy” for Lent. Readers can find out more about Hope&Joy, re-read copies of some of the articles mentioned, sign up to the SMS service, promote Hope&Joy events happening in your area, or contact the co-ordinator to see how you can bring hope and joy to your area, by logging on to www.hopeand joy.org.za or e-mailing info@hopeandjoy.org.za or phoning 078 590 0781.

The Sisters, Management, Staff and Residents of Nazareth House wish all our benefactors and friends a very blessed Christmas and happy New Year.

A Hope&Joy display in the Catholic Bookshop in Cape Town has highlighted books that can help people to understand better the Second Vatican Council. The same is being done in the Paulines bookshops in Johannesburg and Durban and the Catholic Bookshop in Port Elizabeth.

Raymond Perrier shows a group of children at Mass in Cape Town that you need two hands to make a joyful sound.

The youth group at Christ the King parish in the Dundee diocese bring Hope&Joy by making clothes for the less fortunate.

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

YEAR-END REVIEW

This was 2011 It was the year in which Pope Benedict presided over World Youth Day in Madrid, the beatification of Bl John Paul II, and the launch of the apostolic exhortation Africae munus. English-speaking churches implemented the new missal, and South Africans mourned the murder of another priest. GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER looks back at the year 2011. DECEMBER 2010 Promotion of condoms and calls for abstinence have both failed as prevention strategies in the fight against HIV/Aids, Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town tells a World Aids Day Mass in Lansdowne, Cape Town. He calls instead for behaviour change. Reviewing the year 2010, Pope Benedict says that in response to the “unimaginable” scandal of clerical abuse against minors, the Church must reflect, repent and do everything possible to rectify the injustices suffered by victims and to prevent such abuse from ever happening again. Pope Benedict appoints Bishop William Slattery of Kokstad as new archbishop of Pretoria, and Mgr Abel Gabuza of Pretoria bishop of Kimberley. Archbishop Slattery is installed in January; Bishop Gabuza in March. The Legionaries of Christ forbid the public display of their disgraced founder, Fr Marcial Maciel, in their centres. Pope Benedict condemns attacks on churches and other targets in Nigeria, Pakistan and the Philippines. Secret diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks show that the United States regards the Vatican as a serious global player. A South African chapter of the We Are Church movement launches in South Africa.

JANUARY 2011 Church officials warn of longterm effects after heavy summer rains in South Africa, which killed 1 000 and displaced 6 000 people, destroyed livestock and crops. The Shrine of Our Lady in Lourdes, France, is partially closed until February to prevent a major landslide. Cardinal Wilfrid Napier acts as a monitor in South Sudan’s independence referendum, which votes to secede from Khartoum. Pope Benedict institutes the Financial Information Authority to monitor the Vatican’s financial operations.

Brazilian Archbishop João Braz de Aviz of Brasilia becomes the head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life, succeeding Cardinal Franc Rodé. Former English Anglican bishops Andrew Burnham of Ebbsfleet, John Broadhurst of Fulham and Keith Newton of Richborough are received into the Catholic Church and on January 15 ordained priests in Westminster cathedral. Domitilla Hyams, founder of the Little Eden Society for people with intellectual disabilities in Johannesburg, dies on January 18 at the age of 92. The Al-Azhar’s Centre of Dialogue of the University of Cairo, established in July 2010 to represent Muslims in dialogue with the Vatican, suspends its participation in protest against Pope Benedict’s condemnation of a suicide bomb attack on a Coptic Church at Christmas that killed 21 Christians. Addressing the plenary session of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) in Pretoria, its president Archbishop Buti Tlhagale calls on the Catholic Church to play a greater role in society.

FEBRUARY Marking the 14th anniversary of the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act taking effect, Fr Peter-John Pearson, director of the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office (CPLO), calls on Catholics to continue opposing abortion and pledged that the CPLO would work to limit the effects of the abortion law. France’s senate rejects legislation that would have permitted euthanasia. The South African Council of Churches condemns as blasphemous President Jacob Zuma’s comment that “when you vote for the ANC, you are also choosing to go to heaven”, whereas not voting for the ANC is choosing the devil. The former chairman of the music committee of the Interna-

tional Commission on English in the Liturgy, Fr Anthony Ruff OSB, withdraws his support for the new translation of the missal, calling the translation process marked by “deception and mischief”. After sustaining serious injuries in a crash at a rally, Polish Formula One driver and devout Catholic Robert Kubica is given relics of Pope John Paul II to hasten his recovery. The Inter-Regional Meeting Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa call on Zimbabwe to cancel plans for an election in 2011. Holy Cross Sister Anne Catherine Güntensperger of Aliwal turns 100 on February 23. She dies on June 16. The results of Phase I of the Interdiocesan Consultation, which began in July, is presented to the bishops.

MARCH Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan’s Catholic minorities minister, is assassinated on March 2. The bishops of Southern Africa issue a pastoral letter for the local elections in May, stressing the duty of every eligible South African to vote, and to do so responsibly. Bishop Oswald Hirmer, retired of Mthatha and author of the bestseller The Joy of Being Catholic, dies on March 5 at the age of 81. Fr Yves Lafontaine CMM is appointed postulator of the cause of Abbot Francis Pfanner, succeeding the late Fr Georg Lautenschlager. Following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11, the Vatican’s aid office Cor Unum pledges that the Church will still be there after “many of the secular agencies have gone”. The SACBC launches a DVD containing the catechetical programme for the implementation of the new English translations of the Roman missal as of November 27. Congress of South African Trade Unions secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi tells the SACBC’s Justice & Peace Department’s annual general meeting

The Catholic Order of the Knights of da Gama The Supreme Knight and Board of Directors of The Catholic Order of the Knights of da Gama wish our Clergy, our Brothers, members of all lay organisations and fellow Catholics a blessed, peaceful Christmas and a prosperous, productive New Year Cell: 083 308 4014 or Fax: 021 380 8362 Email: vic.barra@debeersgroup.com Website: www.kdg.co.za

Pope Benedict and astronauts at the International Space Station are seen on separate monitors at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The pope at the Vatican spoke with the astronauts via a video link. (Photo courtesy of NASA) that the union and the Catholic Church are “lifetime allies” in the fight for the poor. Bishop John Magee of Cloyne, Ireland, resigns over reports of mishandling of clergy abuse cases. Bishop Bechara Rai of Jbeil, Lebanon, is elected the 77th patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, succeeding retired Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir. The bishops of Southern Africa declare May “Family Month”. Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, 40, is installed as the new head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, succeeding Cardinal Lubomyr Husar.

APRIL Pope Benedict appoints Fr Peter Holiday of Maryvale, Johannesburg, as bishop of Kroonstad. He is ordained in June. Durban’s Passion Play is performed at the Playhouse Drama Theatre from April 2-24. The nuncio to the Ivory Coast, Archbishop Ambrose Madtha, says that priests are being targeted in political conflicts in the country. The new library at St John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria is formally opened. In a thinly-veiled reference to the National Interfaith Leaders Council, spearheaded in 2009 by Rhema’s Rev Ray McCauley, Archbishop Tlhagale calls on Christian churches to withstand politicians’ attempt to divide them. In a first, Pope Benedict appears on Italian television to answer four questions posed by the public. The Vatican withdraws canonical recognition of the International Union of the Catholic Press (UCIP) because of operational irregularities. Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe calls his country’s Catholic bishops “mere puppets of Western countries” and “socalled men of God who lie”.

MAY Pope Benedict beatifies his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, in a ceremony in St Peter’s Square. Responding to widespread outrage to Mr Mugabe’s presence at Bl John Paul II’s beatification and reception of Communion during the Mass, Cardinal Wilfrid Napier said that as a Catholic Mr Mugabe was free to receive Communion, and that the Vatican had not issued invitations to the heads of states. Parishes in Pakistan and other predominantly Muslim areas scale back activities as a precaution after the killing by US marines of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden on May 2. The Hope&Joy network officially launches on May 8. The Southern Cross is named one of the country’s seven top performers among weekly newspapers for 2010 by Marketing Mix magazine. Pope Benedict appoints Pretoria’s vicar-general Fr Dabula Mpako as new bishop of Queenstown. He is installed in August. In a meeting organised by the Pontifical Councils of Culture and Social Communication, Catholic bloggers are called to exercise the virtue of charity in their writing.

The Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office declares the local elections on May 18 “free, fair, robust and mature”. Commenting on attacks on Christians in Egypt, the nuncio in Cairo, Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, says that the country’s Christian minority is hoping for greater freedoms for all in the postMubarak era, but fears that Islamic fundamentalists will hijack the revolution. Italian Archbishop Fernando Filoni is appointed prefect of the Congregation for Evangelisation, the curial office overseeing missionary territories (which includes Southern Africa). Fr Sammy Mabusela of Pretoria is appointed national youth chaplain, succeeding the long-serving Fr Michael Hagan. The Vatican issues guidelines on handling accusations of clerical sex abuse to all bishops’ conferences. Pope Benedict celebrates a Mass for 300 000 people in Venice. Sr Dulce, Brazil’s “Mother Teresa”, is beatified in Salvador. The bishops of England and Wales reinstitute the Friday abstinence from meat in their region. Long-serving Southern Cross director and influential Catholic layman Bernard Pothier dies on May 24 at 81.

JUNE Pope Benedict visits Zagreb in Croatia. A high-powered delegation from the SACBC returns from Swaziland, describing the country as being “in turmoil”, and criticises King Mswati III and his regime for brutality. In separate ceremonies, priests killed by the Nazis are beatified: Fr Alois Andritzki in Dresden, and three Catholic priests who were executed along with their Lutheran pastor friend in Lübeck. Phase II of the Interdiocesan Consultation is launched on Pentecost Sunday. Pope Benedict meets with 2 000 travellers (or gypsies) and prays for an end to their oppression and rejection. Among the institutions visited by US First Lady Michelle Obama on her visit to South Africa is Regina Mundi church in Moroka, Soweto, where she addresses an audience of 2 000 for 45 minutes. US Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh says that despite all types of social media, Catholic newspapers are still the best way to evangelise. Pope Benedict presses a button and thereby delivers the first ever papal post, or tweet, on the social networking site Twitter.

JULY Fr Carlo Adams OSFS, formerly of Kakamas in the Northern Cape, concelebrates in the nuptial Mass of Monaco’s Prince Albert Grimaldi and former South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock, whom Fr Adams prepared for her conversion to Catholicism. Vatican relations with China deteriorate over two unauthorised ordinations of bishops in the government-sponsored Catholic Church in June and July.

YEAR-END REVIEW

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

In Memoriam

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, his wife Grace and entourage leave St Peter’s basilica after paying their respects at the casket of Bl Pope John Paul II at the Vatican on May 1. Many Catholics were angered by Mr Mugabe’s warm reception at the Vatican. (Photo: CNS) l Archbishop William Slattery receives the pallium, a symbol of his authority as an archbishop, from Pope Benedict in St Peter’s basilica in June. l Dancers perform as they await the arrival of Pope Benedict at Cardinal Bernardin Gantin International Airport in Cotonou, Benin on November 18. (Photo: Paul Haring, CNS) l Mourners stand at the coffin of Fr Senzo Mobaki of Eshowe diocese, who was found murdered on November 20. (Photo: Sydney Duval) The new state of South Sudan comes into being on July 9 as violence continues in disputed provinces to the country’s north. A 400-page judicial report outlines cases of clerical sexual abuse and the mishandling of allegations in the Irish diocese of Cloyne. Cardinal Napier celebrates his 70th birthday, 50th anniversary as a Franciscan, 30th as a bishop and tenth as a cardinal with Mass at Kingsmead cricket stadium. Bishop Barry Wood steps down as chairman of the Diakonia Council of Churches after serving the maximum of two terms. The St Vincent de Paul Society in South Africa launches a national development programme, which includes an advertising campaign. The Church in Australia apologises for its role in forced adoptions over past decades. Irish Jesuit Father Jim McCorkery, an expert on Vatican II and the theology of Pope Benedict, begins his South African tour of lectures for the Jesuit Institute’s Winter Theology series.

AUGUST World Youth Day 2011 is hosted by Madrid, Spain. Some 1,4 million people attend the vigil and closing Mass with Pope Benedict, as hundreds of thousands ticketholders are denied entry. Pope Benedict announces in Madrid that the theme for WYD 2013 in Rio de Janeiro will be “Go and Make Disciples of All Nations”. In Madrid, Pope Benedict announces his intention to proclaim St John of Avila the 34th Doctor of the Church. Pope Benedict accepts the resignation of Bishop Michael Coleman of Port Elizabeth for health reasons. A delegation of bishops from Sri Lanka visits South Africa to learn about the experience of the peaceful transition from apartheid and reconciliation. Nine former soldiers in El Salvador’s army surrender after their indictment in a Spanish court for the 1989 killings of six Jesuit priests and two lay people during El Salvador’s civil war. Bishop José Luis Ponce de Léon of Ingwavuma, KwaZuluNatal, and a visiting priest from Argentina are attacked and robbed at the bishop’s residence in Hlabisa. Two young Durban Catholics are part of the quartet from Durban’s Manor Garden’s Primary School to win the International Kids Literary Competition in New Zealand. Some 3 000 people take part in the annual Eshowe diocesan pilgrimage to the Marian shrine at Ngome, held this year under the Hope&Joy banner. The SACBC launches a fundraising appeal in response to the famine in Somalia.

SEPTEMBER Bishop Andrew Zolile Brook, retired of Mthatha, dies on September 5 at the age of 81. The SACBC relaunches its website at www.sacbc.org.za In its response to the Cloyne Report, the Vatican rejects the suggestion that it tried to interfere in Irish government investigations regarding the Church’s handling of sex abuse cases. After a decade of struggling, Radio Veritas finally receives a

medium-wave licence. Broadcasts on 576AM are scheduled to commence in early 2012. Pope Benedict makes a fourday state visit to his native Germany, visiting Berlin, Erfurt and Freiburg. Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Mthatha says in a dialogue on corruption in East London that to stop corruption, people must start with themselves. Nigerian bishops call on their government to crack down on the Boko Haram fundamentalist Islamic sect which they say foments violence in the country. Zambia elects a Catholic, Michael Sata, as president. As Palestine prepares to apply for statehood recognition at the UN, the Vatican’s de facto foreign minister, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, calls for “courageous decisions” towards the two-state solution in the Holy Land. Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan Catholic social and environmental activist who won the 2004 Nobel Peace, dies on September 25 at 71. US apologist and author Jason Evert delivers a series of lectures in South Africa.

OCTOBER Government minister Trevor Manuel briefs Catholic bishops and leaders on the National Planning Commission. Cape Town-born head of Vatican Radio’s English and Italian services, Seàn Lovett, receives the papal knighthood in the Equestrian Order of St Gregory the Great. US media expert Sr Rose Pacatte FSP presents a series of lectures in Johannesburg, and leading British lay Catholic visits to lecture on Archbishop Oscar Romero in several South African centres. Johannesburg hosts its first Hope&Joy festival. The founder and editor of the Catholic news agency Zenit resigns, citing issues of transparency and trust with the agency’s funders, the Legionaries of Christ. After nine years of writing for The Southern Cross, four of them weekly, Chris Moerdyk retires as columnist. Syrian Church leaders express fear of chaos and anti-Christian measures if the Assad regime falls. An Oblate house in Kilburn, London, is named “Denis Hurley House”, after the late archbishop of Durban. Pope Benedict announces a special “Year of Faith”, from October 11, 2012 to November 24, 2013. It is announced that the apostolic nuncio to Southern Africa, Archbishop James P Green, will be transferred to Peru in December. In his five years in Pretoria, he helped appoint 17 bishops in the SACBC region. Pope Benedict canonises Ss Guido Maria Conforti, Louis Guanella and Bonifacia Rodriguez Castro. The Vatican’s Justice and Peace council issues a 41-page document proposing economic reforms for greater justice. Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace says that the Occupy Wall Street movement is in line with Catholic social teaching. Pope Benedict hosts the third interreligious Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi, 25 years after Pope John Paul II convened the first such event. This time, Pope Benedict included atheists who addressed the gathering.

Holy Family Sister Marie Bergin, a noted anti-apartheid activist in Johannesburg, dies on October 22 at 96.

NOVEMBER Visiting Benin, Pope Benedict issues the apostolic exhortation Africae munus, based on the second Synod for Africa in 2009. The Irish government announces that it will close its embassy at the Vatican, saying this is as a cost-cutting measure. Commonwealth leaders agree to repeal a law that precluded the heir to the British throne from marrying a Catholic. The SACBC’s Justice and Peace Commission prepares for the COP17 conference in Durban with a series of workshops, road shows and a “bicycle pilgrimage”. Addressing Angolan bishops, Pope Benedict condemns the killing of suspected witches, tribalism and cohabitation. A survey shows that almost half of Irish people have an unfavourable view of the Catholic Church. A new Catholic social media website, www.awestruck.co.za, is launched. The bishops of Sudan warn of a return to full-scale civil war in eastern and central Sudan, and conflict with South Sudan, if the international community fails to curb Khartoum’s aggression. In a pastoral letter on the environment signed by Archbishop Buti Tlhagale, the bishops call on people to change their “lifestyle to reduce our dependence on fossil-fuel energy like coal and oil”.

Sr Valsa John, a 53-year-old Indian activist against mining companies that exploit tribal people, is hacked to death in Jharkand state on November 15. The Vatican condemns an advertisement for Benetton that depicts Pope Benedict kissing a Muslim sheikh. Benetton withdraw the ad. Fr Senzo Mbokazi, 35, of Melmoth, Eshowe diocese is found bound and stabbed to death in his presbytery on November 20, two days after he was last seen alive. The Franciscan custodians of the Holy Land’s shrines object to Bethlehem’s church of the Nativity being declared an UNESCO world heritage site. The Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano writes that there is “little doubt” that William Shakespeare was a Catholic. Croatian nun Mother Lukrecija Mamica and Italian medical volunteer Francesco Bazzani are murdered in a brutal robbery in Kiremba, Burundi. German diocese’s divest themselves of ownership in the country’s largest publishing house, Weltbild, over its distribution of erotic materials. Pope Benedict calls on world leaders to reach a credible agreement on climate change at COP 17. The new translations of the Roman missal are implemented throughout the English-speaking Church on the first Sunday of Advent. n For previous round-ups, going back to 1996, please visit www.scross. co.za/category/year-end-review/

The Cabra Dominican Sisters send their prayers and greetings to all their friends and colleagues. May the Peace and Joy brought by the Christ Child be with you this Christmas, and always

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Fr Paul Winters OMI, 77, of Johannesburg, on January 4. Fr Gerry Lorriman SJ, 95, of Cape Town, on February 21 Bishop Oswald Hirmer, 81, retired of Mthatha, on March 3 Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, 83, head of India’s Syro-Malabar Church, on April 1. Cardinal Giovanni Saldarini, 86, former archbishop of Turin, on April 18. Fr Mthokozi Peter Maseko OSM, 54, of Pietermaritzburg, on May 4 Fr Willie Koma, of Polokwane, on May 13 Fr Heribert Ruf OSB, 98, formerly of Vryheid, in Germany on May 18 Fr Peter Hortop, 82, former prison chaplain, on May 22 Fr Jerry Lodi OMI, 73, of Johannesburg, on May 30 Fr Ruprecht Wolf OSB, 74, of Eshowe, on June 27 Cardinal Georg Sterzinsky, 75, former archbishop of Berlin, on June 30. Fr Donal Cashman, 79, of Port Elizabeth, in England on July 8 Fr Kevin McElhatton, 77, formerly of Johannesburg, Durban and Port Elizabeth, in England on July 8 Cardinal Kazimierz Swiatek, 96, former archbishop of Minsk-Mohilev, Belartus, on July 21. Fr Louis Vandenbroeck OMI, 68, of Klerksdorp, in Belgium on July 23 Cardinal Virgillo Noè, 89, former master of papal ceremonies, on July 24. Fr John Kaliba, 56, of Witbank, on July 26 Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic, 81, former archbishop of Toronto, on August 26 Cardinal Andrzej Deskur, 86, former president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, on September 3 Bishop Andrew Zolile Brook, 81, retired of Mthatha, on September 5 Fr Victor Carter, 73, of Johannesburg, on September 21 Fr Russell Campbell, 73, of Pretoria, on September 25 Fr John Driessen CMM, 79, of Mariannhill, on September 30 Fr Hank Kenney SJ , formerly of Cape Town, in the USA on October 3 Fr John Hubbart OMI, of Kimberley, on October 4 Fr Garth Michelson OMI, 78, of Durban, on November 17 Fr Senzo Mbokazi, 35, of Eshowe, murdered on November 18 Cardinal John Foley, 76, former president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, on December 11 This list includes only names of priests whose deaths were reported to The Southern Cross.

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AFRICA

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

Fainting from hunger: Nairobi has food, but people lack money to buy it For many people in Nairobi’s Kariobangi township, the Catholic parish is the only source for survival, as PATRICIA ZAPOR learnt on a visit to Kenya.

ORMALLY, Sunday Mass at Holy Trinity parish in the Kariobangi township of Nairobi is an energetic celebration that runs for several hours. But when the pastor, Comboni Father Paulino Mondo, noticed that parishioners were starting to faint before Mass ended, he realised it wasn’t exuberance that was making them weak. It was hunger. Now, Sunday Masses last no longer than an hour and 15 minutes, Fr Mondo said. And the usual

socialising after Mass in the shaded churchyard has all but evaporated, as people quickly head home to conserve their energy. “Within Kariobangi, dozens of people are dying every day” of hunger, said Fr Mondo. The priest said the situation is not only little known outside Kenya, but is a hidden problem right in Nairobi, where food is available, but tens of thousands of people lack money to pay for it. “People have lost their state jobs because they talked about it,” he said. One recent Sunday, somebody abandoned two toddlers at the church, presumably because they were unable to feed them, said Fr Mondo. They were being cared for by a parish health worker while inquiries were made about the parents. Spiraling food prices, low wages and high unemployment have put basic commodities out of reach of many, many people. Since March, the price of sugar

Comboni Father Paulino Mondo is pictured in his office at Holy Trinity church in Kariobangi.

has jumped from about R50 a kilo to R100, Fr Mondo said. And though prices are lower in supermarkets in Nairobi, there are only small spaza shops in Kariobangi. Cooking oil that sells for R57 a can in a supermarket costs R100 in the township. Fr Mondo said he believes part of the problem is that the revolution in Libya to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi meant Kenya’s main supplier of subsidised petrol was cut off. Alternate sources were available, but at much higher prices. A litre of petrol that cost R7,05 in March now costs R9,85, driving up the cost of goods.

arlier this year, worldwide attention focused on the famine and drought affecting much of the Horn of Africa, including most of Kenya’s rural areas. International aid groups are helping to feed and support Africans displaced by that food emergency, including the 460 000 people at the Dadaab refugee camp in north-eastern Kenya. But, in the capital, Fr Mondo and his staff struggle without much outside help to feed people. “The drought brought attention to Dadaab and Somalia, but not to the slums, where millions of people live,” the priest said. “The governments of Africa take from the people, they don’t give,” he said. “So here, the government is ourselves.” He uses income from his daily 4 am programme on the Catholic radio station and from writing articles for religious publications to supplement whatever bits of revenue the parish can pull together. The Catholic population in Kariobangi is about 69 000, and about 20 000 attend Mass each week. But assistance from Holy Trinity is provided to anyone who needs it in the densely packed slum, where hunger is pervasive. Mosques and many evangelical Christian churches scattered around the township of 500 000

Dirt roads, piles of garbage and open sewers are among the fixtures of everyday life in Kariobangi, a Nairobi township that is home to half a million people. Food prices have recently shot up, leading to high rates of death from starvation and malnutrition. (Photos: Patricia Zapor, CNS) people do not have the capacity to offer food and the social services available at Holy Trinity, Fr Mondo explained. “The other churches only meet on Sunday, and some of them have no fixed address,” he said. Fr Mondo and the three other Comboni priests assigned to Holy Trinity staff several satellite churches in Kariobangi. They handle all the typical parish activities—including a class of 2 000 catechumens—and provide food for more than 20 000 students at the church-sponsored schools. Their clinic sees 700 people a day and provides food to 100 hungry families a day. “It’s very humiliating for people to come to us,” he explained, so people must feel terribly desperate to ask for help. Many people pick through the block-long pile of garbage along the main road, looking for anything that might be edible. And lately, Fr Mondo has been getting reports of children who leave school and head into the

city’s wealthier areas to poke for food or beg around hotels. “If they get caught, they disappear,” he said. Hunger and poverty in Kariobangi also lead to intertribal tensions and increased crime, the priest said: “When there is famine people become rude, they may take food by force.” Michael Nzuli, 33, is one of the beneficiaries of some of Holy Trinity’s services. The father of two said he has trouble getting more than a single day’s work—usually as a truck driver—each week, because the companies that employ drivers are controlled by people of a different tribe from his. Since a wave of violence broke out in Kenya following a controversial 2007 presidential election, tribal-based violence has been more pervasive, he said. “I’m qualified. I’m experienced, but like many people we are affected because of our names,” Mr Nzuli said. “It’s always been that way, but before it was more hidden.”—CNS

END HOUSE The Management of End House, Gordon’s Bay, Cape (Guest House for priests, brothers and religious) wishes everyone a Joyous Christmas and a Blessed New Year. Thank you for your support

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CLIMATE CHANGE

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

We had faith. We still need hope for change The world met in Durban this month to discuss climate change. JOHN CLARKE was there and shares his experience.

ITTINGLY my participation in COP17 commenced with a torrential “baptism” that cleansed my perceptual lenses. Staying with my sister and her family on the Durban Berea, a cloudburst in the early hours of the first day of the event overwhelmed their roof guttering, causing flooding in the house. Then other laws of nature kicked in, dictating that electrical wiring was dispensable. Sparks flew as the wiring was cooked, rendering the family without power for two days Much to the amusement of my city slicker relatives, I seized the opportunity presented by this “extreme climatic event” to explain the difference between “mitigation” and “adaptation”. A few weeks prior to the 17th Conference of the Parties on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the famous Anglican “Green Bishop” Geoff Davies enlisted me into a group of SAFCEI founder members to meet with Alf Wills, the chief negotiator for South Africa on Climate Change. We were lobbying Mr Wills to ensure the South African government understood the grave moral imperatives at stake and to set the collective sights of the nation states much higher than the pathetically

low targets for emissions reduction. As we tried to up the ante, Mr Wills tried to dampen expectations. “But if the UN cannot unite the nations to produce enforceable global laws that protect the planet from dire threats caused by the extractive industries, why bother?” was my challenge. Mr Wills reassured us that at least we could look forward to the establishment of the Global Climate Fund at the COP17 talks “which will be significant, larger than even the World Bank”. Mr Wills after the talks told me that his expectations had been exceeded by the final outcome. The celebrated event is now over, but the unpredictable weather patterns continue. Durban’s hospitality industry consider it a huge success—a welcome pre-Christmas bonanza. But for sceptics it will be money in the bank of the Global Climate Fund that ultimately counts as success. Even if the target of US$100 billion is reached, Bishop Davies, who led the “We Have Faith” campaign that united all faith communities in a common drive to convince the parties to set more ambitious targets for emission reductions, observed that compared to the annual US defence budget for 2010 of $687 billion or the $1 trillion bail out of banks, it is hardly significant. “The US government finds the money to bail out banks that produced a crises because of greed, and continues to fund an arms industry to defend their interests against terrorism, but when it comes to defending the planet from our destructive fossil-based energy regime, the biggest polluters won’t even sign up to modest commit-

ment to reduce their emissions targets,” Bishop Davies said. idway through the COP17 I heard the Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga deliver an inspiring sermon at Emmanuel cathedral. Reflecting on the Gospel account of John the Baptist’s voice crying in the wilderness, he remarked that only John’s disposition would enable us to face and transcend the challenges caused by global climate change. “While society pursues a senseless development path that destroys the environment, John seems to be a man who isn’t integrated within normal society and is far removed from social conventions. He calls us to open a way for the transforming power of God’s love to enter our lives, and thus empower us to work to change the path of development toward harmony between people and the earth”. At a lunch party, I told Cardinal Maradiaga of my work as a social worker with mining-affected rural communities. He confirmed the same grossly unjust pattern of exploitation, one he had witnessed in his native Honduras. “Only a fraction of the wealth extracted by foreign mining companies remained in Honduras for the benefit of the country. My message to the mining companies is this: If your wealth has been acquired without justice to people and the earth your money will simply dissolve in the banks”. According to the internationally renowned environmental lawyer Cormac Cullinan, “nature doesn’t negotiate. We don’t set the limits on what is acceptable to sustaining

Zulu women participate in a procession through the streets of Durban during COP17. (Photo: Rogan Ward, Reuters/CNS) life and hope for a better future. Nature sets the limits”. Mr Cullinan’s ground-breaking book Wild Law, published ten years ago (and now republished in a revised edition on www.siberink.co.za/wild-law-2nd-ed) has catalysed a movement that in the midst of the despair of the formal process, gave me cause for hope. I spent most of my time at COP17 with Cormac and “The Rights of Nature” team that had assembled from far and wide from around our beloved planet: Ecuador, Bolivia, Australia, Canada as well as a sizeable contingent from the USA, ironically since the world’s biggest polluter remains the world’s biggest obstacle to any meaningful progress in limiting CO2 emissions. The spiritual inspiration for Cormac’s work stems from the late Fr Thomas Berry, a Catholic monk from North Carolina. Another welcome Catholic voice in the mix was that of Dominican Sister Patricia Siemens, director the Centre for Earth Jurisprudence at Barry University in Orlando, Florida. For both Cormac and myself the highlight was at the Peoples Space event, which celebrated the life of

another lay Catholic, Professor Wangari Maathai, founder of The Greenbelt Movement. While government delegates generated hot air in injury time negotiations, we were bearing witness to the life an extraordinary woman whose pioneering efforts led to the planting of an estimated 12 billion trees which are quietly sequestering carbon emissions discharged by the industrial economies of the world. Optimists regard the “Durban Roadmap” as the third outcome of COP17, which has positive significance. It charts a way forward that aims to obtain a legally binding treaty that will ensure all big polluting nations are ultimately brought on board in the future. The prominently displayed Greenpeace placard “There is no Planet B” made sure climate negotiators closeted in boardrooms until the early hours of the morning couldn’t escape the seriousness of the issues at stake. Despite scepticism of my more radical friends, we did have faith and I have hope, understood as “believing in spite of the evidence, and then watching the evidence change”. n John Clarke is a social worker, writer and lay theologian. See his YouTube channel “Icosindaba”, which includes excerpts from his interview with Cardinal Maradiaga.

Wishing all our pilgrims, both past and present and future, PEACE, JOY, GOOD HEALTH AND HAPPINESS AT CHRISTMAS AND IN THE NEW YEAR Tel: (031) 266 7702

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The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

PERSONALITY

Film tells the story of a priest born a Jew during Holocaust

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CATHOLIC HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION We wish all CATHCA member organisations and friends God’s blessings, peace and joy for the celebration of Christ’s birth this Christmas. May the year ahead be health-filled and be a time of Hope and Joy. Thank you for partnering with us as we strive to bring quality healthcare to all especially the poor and marginalised people in our communities.

A new documentary tells the story of a Polish priest whose Jewish parents gave him up for adoption before they perished in the Holocaust. MARK PATTISON spoke to the film’s producer.

F someone were to make a movie about a Polish priest who was born a Jew during the Holocaust, adopted by Polish parents who didn’t tell him until he was in his 30s of his parentage, his pilgrimage to Israel to reclaim his Jewish heritage, and his stubborn insistence to Israeli authorities that he be considered simultaneously both a Jew and a Catholic, Torn would be the perfect title. Ronit Kertsner is on the film festival circuit with her documentary, which examines the life of Fr Romauld Jakub Weksler-Waszkinel. The Weksler surname comes from his Jewish parents, who gave him up for adoption March 25, 1943. “I must have been eight days old, I’m not sure,” he said in a 1993 interview. The Waszkinel surname comes from the Polish couple who adopted him before the rest of the Weksler family perished at the hands of the Nazis.

Ms Kertsner said she first ran across Fr Weksler-Waszkinel in the late 1990s when she was making a documentary called The Secrets, about Catholics in Poland who found out they had been born Jewish. “When I started making Torn, I was finding out what had happened to these people” ten years after The Secrets had been released, Ms Kertsner said. “When I got to Warsaw, I got a message: ‘The good news is you don’t have to go to Lublin’” to film the priest, she recalled, since he was bound for Israel the next day to line up living arrangements for a possible move. Instead, Ms Kertsner’s reaction was “we have to get a car and go immediately” to Lublin to film him before he left the country, she said. In Lublin, Fr Weksler-Waszkinel served as the priest for a convent of Ursuline nuns.“The priest had the strongest story” in The Secrets, Ms Kertsner said. “I mean, being a priest, his religion was his whole life. That’s what he was. What he believed in, who his parents were, this was everything [to him]. So this is very, very strong.” “He felt it was something bigger than him.” Ms Kertsner herself was born to Polish Jews, and adopted by French Jews who settled in Israel after World War II but who never told her about her adoption until she stumbled upon the fact as an adult.

She filmed Fr WekslerWaszkinel’s journey at the age of 67 to Israel, where he lived on a kibbutz. Ms Kertsner claimed no Catholic monastery in Israel would accept him, and no kibbutz would allow him to leave for a couple of hours on Sundays to celebrate Mass. The filmmaker said Fr Weksler-Waszkinel now works at a Holocaust museum researching documents in his native Polish. His quest for Israeli citizenship has been stymied by Israel’s “right of return” law which states that someone who was born Jewish but practises another religion cannot be granted citizenship. He has, though, been granted permanent residency. “He believes he has the right [to citizenship]. I believe the same,” Ms Kertsner said. “Who are we to judge him? He’s a victim of the Holocaust. He got into this situation not by choice, but by the circumstances of the Holocaust. He is so unique. It’s not like there is going to be thousands of people [under similar circumstances] coming over to Israel. He’s a very unique case, and we should accept him as he is.” She added: “When I gave him the name of the film, he was completely against it: ‘I don’t feel torn. I feel whole.’ ‘You may feel whole, but everyone else looks at you like you’re torn.’ Then he called me some time later, and he says to me: ‘Maybe I am a bit torn.’”—CNS

The Board of Management and Staff of CATHCA

Wishing you peace, joy and happiness this Christmas and throughout the coming year

From the Head of College, Principals and Staff of Sacred Heart College, Johannesburg

Fr Romauld Jakub Weksler-Waszkinel, seen here at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, is the focus of the documentary Torn. The films tells the story of the Polish priest, who was born a Jew during the Holocaust, adopted by Polish parents who did not tell him until he was in his 30s of his parentage, and his pilgrimage to Israel to reclaim his Jewish heritage. (Photo: Sovereign Throne)

CHURCH

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

When nature struck, the Church came to aid The planet was hit by natural disasters in 2011, but in the devastation, the Church provided a light of hope, as CAROL ZIMMERMANN reports.

ATURAL disasters around the world this year prompted prayers, charitable giving and outreach amid unthinkable destruction. The devastation across the globe included an earthquake and tsunami in Japan, a drought in Africa, and flooding in Australia. The United States was also particularly hard hit with a string of natural disasters: unprecedented summer heat and drought in the SouthWest, deadly tornadoes, a massive blizzard in the north-east, major river floods in the Midwest, an earthquake on the East Coast followed by a hurricane that caused massive flooding. In January, a flood in Queensland, Australia, killed 13 people and devastated much of Australia’s coal, beef and agricultural industries. The Queensland chapter of the Society of St Vincent de Paul set up a flood relief committee in response to the plight of more than 200 000 people affected in at least two dozen towns. In early March, a tsunami and magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck Japan, devastating parts of its coast and leaving nearly 20 000 people dead and hundreds of thousands

homeless. It also triggered a meltdown at a nuclear power plant, releasing radiation and forcing tens of thousands of Japanese to evacuate their homes. Maryknoll Father Jim Mylet, who lives in Japan, noted that in the midst of the devastation, Catholics and others there were buoyed by the support they had received. “The prayers and support from around the world are a great source of strength and reinforce the image of us all sharing a common humanity under God our Father.” Initially, Church relief activities coordinated by Caritas Japan largely focused on clean-up and delivery of aid to survivors in the disaster zone. Months later, volunteers were still helping those who took temporary shelter in local schools, gymnasiums and town halls. Meanwhile in Africa, the ongoing drought and famine afflicting Somalia and other East African nations, including Kenya and Ethiopia, this year was a humanitarian crisis that left more than 12 million people in urgent need of aid. The drought caused failed crops, deaths of livestock and critical shortages of food and water. Through its appeal campaign, Caritas Internationalis, the worldwide network of Catholic relief agencies, had raised about R334 million by early October and expected to raise another R320 million to provide emergency food aid, clean water, sanitation, droughtresistant seeds, and develop water conservation systems.

The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference launched an appeal in September which quickly raised hundreds of thousands of rands. In the United States, over the course of several weeks, tornadoes caused death and destruction in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. Tornadoes levelled parts of Joplin, Missouri, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The tornado that ripped through Joplin on May 22 claimed at least 125 lives and flattened every building in its path, including St Mary’s church. Parishioners retrieved the Blessed Sacrament from the church’s shattered tabernacle. Only the large steel cross at what had been the church’s entrance remained, towering over the wreckage. Fr Justin Monaghan of St Mary’s said he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support after the tornado. “My faith has been strengthened by the amazing response of people in our parish and in the community. And to see the cross still standing reminds us what our mission is all about.” The storms that tore through Alabama killed more than 350 people. Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Charities agencies provided immediate relief to disaster survivors.—CNS

Buildings lie flattened while others burn in Iwaki, Japan, following the powerful earthquake in March. A magnitude 8.9 earthquake, the strongest to hit Japan in 140 years, struck the north-east coast (Photo: Reuters/Kyodo/CNS)

Internally displaced Somalis stand in a line waiting for relief food in Mogadishu. (Photo: Feisal Omar, Reuters/CNS)

A wooden altar, a cross, some metal beams and pieces of a few cinderblock walls of St Mary's church in Joplin, Missouri, are all that are left standing. The church, rectory, school and parish hall were destroyed by a massive tornado in May. (Photo: Dave Crenshaw, Eastern Oklahoma Catholic/CNS)

St Josephs Home for Chronically Ill Children NPO:002/908

The Board, Management, Pallottine Sisters, Staff and the children would like to extend their gratitude to all who have donated to the Home throughout the year. Without your generous donations and support, St Joseph’s Home would not be able to deliver much needed services to chronically ill children from impoverished communities. Wishing the Catholic Community a blessed Christmas and a Healthy New Year.

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The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

COMMUNITY Grade R learners from St Dominic’s Priory in Port Elizabeth prepared for Christmas by dressing up in festive outfits. (From left): Kayden Hobday, Amy Fourie, Brock Jacobs, Hlombe Madabane, Emma Lacey and Charlie Lawrence. (Submitted by Laura Gillies)

Several young women made their first vows in the Congregation of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The celebrations were held in Cameroon, although the young women came from many African countries including Senegal, Bukina Faso, Cameroon, Congo and South Africa. Sr Merrilyn Lee (centre back), regional leader of the congregation in South Africa, and Sr Charlotte Nyakala (right of Sr Lee) who made her first profession and returned from formation in Congo and Cameroon to Lenyenye, Limpopo, are photographed with novices. (Submitted by Sr Christine Martin)

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

Members of Durban’s archdiocesan pastoral council met at Mariannhill Retreat House. (Submitted by Bishop Barry Wood)

The Holy Cross Sisters' School in Bellville, Cape Town celebrated their feast day with a Mass concelebrated by Archbishop Stephen Brislin and Fr Bogdan Buksa assisted by Mervyn McLoughlin and 22 altar servers. (Submitted by Alfreda Bekkers)

PERSONALITY

Catholic actor on playing lawyers in hit TV shows BY MARK PATTISON

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OU’RE forgiven if you think you’ve seen Catholic actor Christopher McDonald in a court of law before. A dozen years ago, he played smarmy lawyer Rex Weller on the legal drama Family Law. This year, McDonald has bellied up to the bar—the barrister’s bar—to play Ican’t-get-no-respect lawyer Tommy Jefferson on the hit series Harry’s Law. McDonald, 56, has been busy. He played Tappy Tibbons in the wellregarded independent movie Requiem for a Dream. He was the voice of Clark Kent (and Superman) in the animated series Batman Beyond. McDonald played baseball announcer Mel Allen in the cable movie 61*,and had a recurring role in the series Boardwalk Empire, as Harry Daugherty, President Warren Harding’s campaign manager who becomes attorney-general. He even played a priest named Father Christopher in the upcoming dark comedy series Serial Buddies. Depending where he’s at, McDonald said he’ll get recognised on the street for Boardwalk Empire and Requiem for a Dream, and even early roles like Darryl from 1991’s Thelma & Louise (he was Thelma’s husband) and golf pro Shooter McGavin from 1996’s Adam Sandler comedy Happy Gilmore. Now, though, “nine times out of ten, it’s Tommy Jefferson”, he added. “I do like variety,” McDonald said, but in the absence of a regular TV job, “you better fill up your down time with some interesting work”. “I had no intention of being on a series, but [Harry’s Law’s creator] David Kelley wrote this, and I adore his writing. He mixes the drama with the comedy. It’s a perfect pitch. I love saying his words.” McDonald, who got his first professional acting job in 1978, said that 30 years ago, “I don’t think any actor worth his salt would want to do television except to pay the rent. Now the writing on television has been exponentially better... When Aaron Sorkin comes to television, I sort of have to eat my words.” Sorkin, who won an Oscar for best original screenplay this year with The Social Network, wrote the first four seasons of The West Wing. Over the years, he has also had cameo roles on shows such as Cheers, Riptide, Knight Rider, The Sopranos, Home Improvement, Stargate Universe and Star Trek: The Next Generation and various shows in the Law and Order franchise The attention to detail so necessary in the acting profession also pays off for McDonald when it comes to raising his four children— Jackson Riley (20), and daughters, Hannah Elizabeth (18), Rosie (5), and Ava Catherine (10)—in the Catholic faith. “Those attributes of the Catholic faith—saying grace at meals, when

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

HOLY SPIRIT CENTRE

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Catholic actor Christopher McDonald in Harry’s Law. He has also appeared in TV shows such as Boardwalk Empire and Family Law, and films including Requiem For A Dream, The Bang Bang Club,Thelma & Louise and Happy Gilmore. we have guests over we say grace— we do,” he said. “Before bedtime they say a couple of things they’re grateful for.” Even though the New York native has to commute between the Big Apple and Hollywood for filming, he doesn’t shirk his parental responsibilities. “You want to raise your kids in the right way. She [his wife, Lupe Gidley] has a very strong presence in their lives. But when I come home, I want to make sure they’ve all that got part of their spiritual life. When I’m home I’m the one who makes sure they go to church.” McDonald enrolls their kids in Catholic summer camps to solidify their faith. McDonald even has a Bill Clinton-esque story about meeting the president at the White House while an adolescent. But while Clinton met John F Kennedy, McDonald met Lyndon Johnson. “I was a very good trumpet player. I would lead the [school] musicals and stuff. I was playing for the president, playing for Mr Johnson, on the steps of the White House when I was in high school,” McDonald recalled. “I almost got lured into playing for the Marine Corps Band. I could have been one of the few, the proud—in the band. But I would have been stuck playing ‘Taps’, I’m afraid.” But while Clinton actually served two terms in the Oval Office, McDonald could only portray a president, in the 2002 movie Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams.

We wish the Catholic Renewal and all our patrons a blessed Christmas and abundant blessing in 2012. From management and staff P.O. BOX 925 MAITLAND 7404 161A CORONATION RD. MAITLAND Tel: 27 21 021-510 2988 Fax: 27 21 021-510 7699 E-mail: hscentre@telkomsa.net (SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR: Reverend Father Emmanuel Siljeur)

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We wish all our guests and benefactors a grace-filled and joyful Christmas, and a New Year overflowing with happiness, peace and success

Lesson from altar mishap There was a time, not so long ago, when most Catholics saw their priests as something more than human, as BRIAN McGRADY recalls in his anecdote from the time he was an altar server in his native Ireland.

I Summerbreezz Superspar wishes all our customers a joyous Festive season and prosperous New Year Summerbreezz Superspar, Cnr Strandfontein Rd and Admiralty Way, Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth, 6001. Tel (041)5835008, Fax (041)5835118, dennis@summerbreezz.co.za, glenn@summerbreezz.co.za

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The Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary wish you and your loved ones a richly blessed Christmas and a grace-filled New Year! Schoenstatt Sisters, Constantia Road, Constantia, 7806

THE PRINCIPAL, STAFF AND LEARNERS OF LORETO CONVENT SCHOOL, Skinner Street, Pretoria, wish all parents, friends and colleagues a very blessed, happy and holy Christmas and a peaceful, joyous New Year. Our prayer is that everyone will experience the happiness and joy the coming of the Christchild brings to the world and that all lives will be filled with gladness.

T was an early morning weekday Mass in Ireland in the 1930s. My Grade 5 altar server partner John, his face scrubbed with Lifebuoy soap and his hair plastered down with Brylcreem, looked smart in his crisp, white surplice and long black soutane. John was the living image of a Christmas-card choir-boy. The elderly ladies kneeling in the front pews of the church nodded sagely and said that he would make a “lovely wee priest” some day. But just like me, John had no immediate aspirations towards the priesthood, or sainthood, for that matter. On this day John and I were assisting at a Mass where the celebrant was our parish priest, known as the Canon. In his youth he had excelled at soccer which he always referred to as Association Football. He loved to talk about the game and the skills and fitness levels involved. To him, sport was a metaphor for life. One must play the game with honesty, integrity, team-spirit, humility and compassion for others, especially the losers. His favourite Latin tag was Mens sano in corpore sano—“A sound mind in a sound body”. In our formal robes John and I were trying very hard to impress. We delivered the Latin responses with conceited bravura. Our piping trebles would have impressed the pope himself. In those days the priest celebrated Mass with his back to the congregation. Our verbal pingpong was therefore directed towards the back of his head. The priest read from an ancient missal which rested on a wooden stand on the right-hand side of the altar. The missal contained the epistles, gospels and other scriptural writings, all in Latin. During Mass, selected passages were read for each day of the week. After the reading of the epistle it was one of the altar servers’ duties to carry the missal on its wooden stand to the left side of the altar for the reading of the Gospel. That day it was John’s turn to effect the transfer of the great book. In his black canvas slippers John padded up the three marble steps to the epistle side of the altar. Like a diminutive weightlifter he grasped the wooden stand and executed a satisfactory cleanand-jerk lift as performed by professional weight-lifters. Staggering under the book’s weight John moved tentatively to centre stage. The normal routine involved descending the three steps to the

Brian McGrady today sanctuary floor, genuflecting and then ascending to the left-hand side of the altar. Unfortunately for John, his toe caught the edge of the altar carpet. From my kneeling position at ground level I gasped in horror as John became airborne. In what seemed like a slow-motion film, John and the missal and its wooden stand all parted company. John uttered a few incomprehensible words as he landed at the bottom of the steps. Ancient pages of Latin text flew through the air. Splinters of wood from the reading-stand shot across the floor. Those worshippers who had fallen into a semi-comatose state were rudely awakened by the unexpected crash. Elderly ladies in the front pew recoiled as John tried to stem the flow of blood gushing from his nose on to his freshly starched surplice. The Canon stared in stunned amazement emitting a series of disjointed clucking sounds. Not quite sure of what the rubrics had to say about such eventualities, I embarked on a demented paper-chase around the sanctuary picking up loose pages. I was assisted by Robbie, the church sexton, who seemed to find the whole business intensely amusing. While we picked up the debris, a nun from the adjoining convent took John away for running repairs. After Mass, as we were changing back into civvies in the vestry, Robbie came along chuckling: “It’s great to see the new method that youse wee fellas have invented for spreadin’ the Gospel. Har! Har! Har!” Young John was not amused. He was on the verge of assaulting Robbie when our priest walked in. “Don’t take it to heart John,”’ comforted our erstwhile sportsman parish priest. “Accidents do happen. I remember in my footballing days missing an open goal in our local cup final match. And John, there were thousands of people watching me, not just a couple of dozen like we had here today!” Our dear old parish priest had revealed that not only was he understanding and compassionate, but that he was also human—just like the rest of us. n Brian McGrady is a parishioner in Johannesburg.

Wishing all our Benefactors, friends, staff and the editor of The Southern Cross a very happy Christmas. “In gentleness and peace he comes, may he fill your hearts with joy in this holy season”

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The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

Liturgical Calendar Year B Sunday, December 18, 4th Sunday of Advent 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16, Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29, Romans 16:25-27, Luke 1:26-38 Monday, December 19, 2011 Judges 13:2-7, 24-25, Psalm 71:3-6, 16-17, Luke 1:5-25 Tuesday, December 20, Bl Scubilion Isaiah 7:10-14, Psalm 24:1-6, Luke 1:26-38 Wednesday, December 21, St Peter Canisius Song of Solomon 2:8-14 or Zephaniah 3:14-18, Psalm 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21, Luke 1:39-45 Thursday, December 22, feria 1 Samuel 1:24-28, 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8, Luke 1:46-56 Friday, December 23, St John of Kanty Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24, Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10, 14, Luke 1:5766 Saturday, December 24, 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16, Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29, Luke 1:67-79 Sunday, December 25, The Nativity of the Lord Midnight Isaiah 9:1-6, Psalm 96:1-3, 11-13, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:114 Dawn Isaiah 62:11-12, Psalm 97:1, 6, 11-12, Titus 3:4-7, Luke 2:15-20 During the Day Isaiah 52:7-10, Psalm 98:1-6, Hebrews 1:1-6, John 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14

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Word of the Week Synoptic: Seeing with one lens. Application: Matthew, Mark and Luke all give a common view of Jesus and they are called the Synoptic Gospels. Theophany: A revelation or visible appearance of God. Application: In the Old Testament, Moses experienced a theophany at Mount Sinai when he was given the Ten Commandments

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CHRISTMAS GREETINGS LAWRENCE—ELAINE, GARY AND ELLI, DEREK AND JANICE, WENDY AND WOLLY, VIVIAN AND ANDREW, LESLIE AND JOHAN AND THE GRANDCHILDREN, WISH ALL RELATIVES AND FRIENDS A HOLY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR. GOD BLESS. LENDERS—Brian, Jean and Laura wish all relatives, friends, priests, and religious and Mary Immaculate Queen Enthronees all the joy and love of this Blessed Christmastide. May the Christ Child and the Holy Family surround you and your loved ones with serene peace and happiness. RENE AND ELAYNE wish all their family, friends and Mary Immaculate Queen family a Blessed Christmas and a peaceful and loving 2012. WISHING my families, my in-laws, the Prayer Group, the Block Rosary Group, my friends all over, parishioners of Holy Family and Our Lady of Fatima, Bellville. Not forgetting the staff of The Southern Cross and the Legion of Mary. Enjoy your Christmas and best wishes for 2012. Love Mary Da Silva, Bellville.

DEATHS HARINGTON—CATHERINE. Catherine (Cathleen) passed away peacefully in Perth, Australia on 26/11/2011. Loved sister of Jeanette and John West, Aunt of Michael and Louise West, Jeanette and John Morley and great aunt of Daniel, Lucas, Timothy, Savannah. Previously an Associate of Mathematics at University of the Witwatersrand. Contact address: nettewest@hotmail.com

years, they had a million memories and so many silent tears. Much love always. Wife Yvonne. DE PALO—Cedric.

14/08/1989. We miss you. With God as our comforter and strength we are trying to go on without you. We have our moments but we also have our special memories. Always in our hearts. We love and miss you. Mum, Dad, Marcia and Peyton. MARQUES—Elisa. Born 7/10/45, she passed away 15/12/2000. In loving memory of our dear wife, mother and grandmother. Eleven years have passed but we shall always cherish your cheerful smile, your heart of gold and the great example you set. RIP. Forever deeply missed by your husband, children and grandchildren. MIDDLETON—Cheryl (née Cullen). You left us on Christmas Day 2004, seven years ago. You are ever in our memories, in our lives still—we miss you. We know you are with Our Lord, and that we shall join you one joyous day. In the meanwhile, our darling daughter, we ask that you pray for us. Love, Mom and Dad. PRETORIUS—DEWET (DIXIE) MY BELOVED FATHER AND GRANDFATHER ENJOYS ETERNAL REST. HAVING LEFT US IN BODY BUT NEVER IN SOUL AND SPIRIT, ON DECEMBER 24, 1958 (53 YEARS). ALWAYS REMEMBERED BY ELAINE AND FAMILY. YORK EALES—Aidan. In

IN MEMORIAM ACCOM—Linnet Mavis. In loving memory of our sister who passed away on December 24, 2007. Rest in peace, Brian Jean and Laura. ACCOM—Ruby Mavis. In loving memory of our beloved mother on this tenth anniversary of her passing on Christmas Day, 2001. May you join the heavenly choirs of angels and share in the rich inheritance promised by our glorious Lord. May Our Blessed Lady shield you under her mantle and may the Holy Family surround you with eternal joy and peace. Brian, Jean and Laura. BENTO—Mario. 24/12/ 2000. As time goes by without you and days turn into

loving memory of Aidan, husband, father, grampa, brother and friend who went home on December 23, 2009.

PERSONAL ABORTION WARNING: ‘The Pill’ can abort, undetected, soon after conception (a medical fact). See website: www.humanlife. org/abortion_does_the_pill. php CAN YOU be silent on abortion and walk with God? Matthew 7:21 See www.180movie.com

ACCOMMODATION OFFERED CAPE TOWN, Cape Peninsula: AIDA Cape Lifestyle Homes. Beautiful homes to buy or rent. Maggi-Mae 021 782 9263, 082 892 4502. maggimae@aida capelifestyle.co.za

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION 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 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 KNYSNA: Self-catering accommodation for 2 in Old Belvidere with wonderful Lagoon views. 044 387 1052. 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 mjsal ida@mweb.co.za 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

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Family Reflections December theme: Peace on Earth Begins at Home December 24 Christmas eve. This day is usually very hectic in most families, with last minute shopping for gifts or food and drink and it is often anything but peaceful. Be very conscious that Jesus is the reason for the season and that he is the Prince of Peace, peace being the tranquillity of right relationships and of order. Do your best to prepare this. December 25 Christmas Day. Whether a family goes to midnight Mass to welcome the new-born Saviour or goes to a church service later in the day let Jesus be present and welcome in your home. Whether everyone is a Catholic, a Christian or a member of a another faith family witness to your faith and God’s love and care for us by the way we love and care for one another.

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Solemnity of the BVM, Mother of God: Jan 1 Readings: Numbers 6:22-27, Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:16-21

OW do you celebrate the start of a new calendar year (for that is what is happening to us next Sunday)? You contemplate what it means to call Mary the “Mother of God”. In the first reading we hear a prayer that Mary will have known well, as Moses is instructed to tell Aaron how he is to bless the children of Israel: “May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make his face shine upon you and give you grace; may the Lord lift up his face upon you and bring you peace.” It is a beautiful prayer; we can imagine Mary’s parents praying it over her, and Mary herself uttering the words over her son. We might pray this week to follow in her footsteps, which we can only do with God’s blessing. The psalm picks up some of the themes of this blessing: “May God be gracious to us and bless us, may he make his face shine upon us, that your way may be known in the land, and all nations know your salvation.” This is followed by the lovely prayer that “the nations may rejoice and exult, for you rule the peoples with justice”, and that “God may bless us, and all the ends of the earth fear him”. We shall not understand what it means to call Mary “Mother of God” unless we reflect

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Mary, Theotokos—mother of God Nicholas King SJ Sunday Reflections on the Jewish heritage that she passed on to her son, and the Jewish piety that made her who she is. In the sec o nd reading , Paul is in the throes of his most ill-tempered letter, and trying to argue for the freedom that Jesus has brought us; as a part of this argument, he mentions the Mother of Jesus, an essential part of God’s plan for bringing freedom to us; his Son was “born of a woman, born under the Law”. And why does he mention this? It is essential for the plan that Jesus should be properly born, which means having a proper mother. And God’s plan was nothing less than to “buy back those under the Law, in order that we might receive adoption (as sons and daughters)”. So Mary represents God’s passionate involvement with the human race, and also with Judaism, the People of God. Paul

describes the result in these startling terms: “Because you are sons (and daughters), God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out ‘Abba, Father!’” That phrase, of course, was the heart of Jesus’ trusting and painful prayer in Gethsemane; it is not silly to think of him as having learnt that prayer, and certainly that attitude, from his mother. The upshot of trusting in God like that is plain to see, according to Paul: “The result is that you are no longer a slave, but a son (or daughter). And if you are a son (or daughter), then, through God, you are an heir.” The result of Mary’s prayerful piety, and of her acceptance of God’s will, is that we are brought into God’s astonishing plan for reclaiming the entire human race from the mess that we have brought upon ourselves. That plan includes the incarnation; and Christians realised very soon indeed that they would not be taking the incarnation seriously unless they recognised that Mary was indeed “Theotokos”, the Mother of God. The g ospel for this great solemnity was also read at the Dawn Mass on Christmas Day; it is the story of the shepherds, with an addition linking it to what happened a week after Jesus’ birth.

Christmas sharpens our eyesight “And shepherds were keeping watch in the night!” HEN the gospel of Luke recounts the Christmas story, it tells us that, when Jesus was born, shepherds were keeping watch in the night. What were they watching for in the dark? For more than for what might threaten their flocks. They were looking for light, for something to brighten their darkness. John’s Gospel makes this point. It doesn’t give us a description of Mary and Joseph in a stable at Bethlehem. Instead it describes the coming of Jesus at Christmas in an image, a light shone in the darkness. Notice that John doesn’t say that a light shone into the darkness, but that it shone in the darkness. That’s an important distinction. Christmas, Christ being born in our world, is very much about finding God inside of what’s commonplace and inside even the darkness of sin, violence, war, greed, and the indifference that sometimes seem everywhere. Christmas is about light being seen inside of darkness. And so one of the things that Christmas asks us to do is to imitate the shepherds in the Christmas story and keep watch, hoping to see “light inside of darkness”. How do we do that? Our Christian tradition has different ways of expressing it, but it’s what Jesus meant when he told us to “read the signs of the times” and what John of the Cross

Conrad

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI Final Reflection meant when he said that “the language of God is the experience that God writes into our lives.” God is inside ordinary life and our job is to see God there. Classically, this was expressed in the concept of “divine providence”, namely, the notion that inside the conspiracy of accidents that shape our lives we can see the finger of God writing history from another point of view. God shines forth, in some way, in everything that happens. We need therefore to be meteorologists of the spirit, reading inner weather so as to see the deeper movements of God inside the outer events of history. We watch like the shepherds when we look at our world, with all that’s in it, both good and bad, and see light there, namely, God’s presence, grace, graciousness, forgiveness, love, unselfishness, innocence. But that’s not easy to do. The darkness around us is deep. We live in a world where what we see is often simply bitterness, wound, non-forgiveness, anger, greed, false pride, lust, injustice, and sin. Where do we see light inside of that? Do you see light in the 7:00 news each night? Christmas tells us that the problem

isn’t just with the news, but with how we see the news. What we see is very much coloured by what we feel and think at any given moment. Philosophers used to express this in the axiom: “Whatever is received is received according to the mode of the receiver.” Sound wisdom. The Buddhists put it more simply. They have an axiom which says that we don’t see what’s outside of us but we see what’s inside of us and project it outside. To illustrate this they offer a colourful little anecdote. A fat, overweight Buddha was sitting under a tree one day. An arrogant, young soldier walked by, saw him, and said: “You look like a pig!” The Buddha looked up at the soldier and said: “And you look like God!” Surprised, the soldier asked him: “Why do you say that I look like God?” The Buddha replied: “You see, we don’t see what’s outside us, we see what’s inside and project it outwards. I sit here all day and think about God and when I look out, that’s what I see. You, on the other hand, must be thinking about something else!” The point, I think, is clear. Our eyesight, even our physical eyesight, is linked to our attitudes, our thoughts, our feelings, our wounds, and our virtues. They form the prism through which we see. The task therefore, to keep watch in the night, is to link our eyesight to the virtues of Christmas. What are these? Christmas speaks of childlikeness, wonder, innocence, joy, love, forgiveness, family, community, and giving. When we are in touch with these we more easily see what’s special inside of ordinary life. These make light shine in the darkness. Sometimes, just as at the first Christmas, we see light in darkness most clearly in the face of a newborn, a baby, where innocence can still stun us into wonder and soften, for a while, the edges of our cynicism and hardness. That, in fact, is one of the main challenges of Christmas. Like the shepherds we’re asked to watch in the night and we’re watching when, in our hearts, there is more wonder than familiarity, more childlike trust than cynicism, more love than indifference, more forgiveness than bitterness, more joy in our innocence than in our sophistication, and more focus on others than on ourselves. Christmas is meant to soften the heart and it’s that which sharpens the eyesight.

The shepherds come rushing to find “Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the feedingtrough,” showing the eagerness that is required if we are to follow Mary in bringing Jesus into the world. Then they do, what we also must do, namely “reveal the word that has been spoken”, causing general astonishment. The next stage is of immense importance, and Luke is clearly inviting us to imitate Mary who “kept all these words, comparing them in her heart”. We are not allowed, however, merely to stay with the Christmas mystery, for there is a world out there, and so we have to imitate those shepherds in “glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen”. Finally, we are reminded that Mary was a good Jewish mother, and that Jesus had to be circumcised, in accordance with the Law, “when eight days were fulfilled”, and he was given the name that he “had been called by the angel”, God’s messenger, “before he was conceived in the womb”. God’s plan goes ahead; but Mary’s co-operation, which made her Mother of God, was indispensible. The same invitation is offered to us; will you accept your invitation, in this New Year?

Southern Crossword #476

ACROSS 4. Places of refuge (7) 8. From the pulpit I’m holy (6) 9. Mental power of the teaching staff? (7) 10. Claim with no proof (6) 11. Not very saintly (6) 12. Divine name of Durban’s cathedral (8) 18. He was released (Mt 27) (8) 20. Rejoin the couple (6) 21. Proconsul of Achaia (Acts 18) (6) 22. Powdered spice where I park Pa (7) 23. He sits around the proposition (6) 24. The answer is ... in the wind (song) (7)

DOWN 1. Shred Pa found and worded it nicely (7) 2. Distinctive badges (7) 3. It may hold the Mass wine (6) 5. Shoulder vestment (8) 6. Irish lochs (6) 7. Steely-sounding ability to cope (6) 13. Intact (8) 14. Put an end to it! (7) 15. See soup, adopt and prepare for marriage (7) 16. Dilate, go into it and give the full story 17. Enter by this gate (Mt 7) (6) 19. A hag at Sicilian martyr (6) Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE The Three Stages Of Life: Stage One: You believe in Father Christmas. Stage Two: You don’t believe in Father Christmas. Stage Three: You are Father Christmas. Send us your favourite Catholic joke, preferably clean and brief, to The Southern Cross, Church Chuckle, PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000.

CHRISTMAS

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

The history of Christmas From Christmas shopping to Christmas Mass all the way through to Nativity plays: around the world people celebrate the birth of Christ. THANDI BOSMAN looks at the history of Christmas.

HRISTMAS means “Christ’s Mass” and originated from the Greek word “Christos” which is Christ and the Latin word Missa which is Mass and was known as “Cristes Mæsse”.

BEFORE CHRISTMAS Before Christ was born the early Europeans celebrated light and birth during the darkest days of winter. In the Norse country a feast called Yule was celebrated during the winter solstice. Fathers and sons would search for the biggest log and drag it to their homes. This would serve as a foundation for holiday fires. The fire represented light and birth during the dark winter. The evergreen tree was a sign of long life and represented proof that life persisted in the darkest of winters. It is the only tree that could survive a Norse winter. Meanwhile in Rome, the month of December was raging with festivals. The Romans celebrated the festival Saturnalia with a month of drinking, eating and dancing—culminating in a human sacrifice. The Roman god Saturn means

“plentiful” and during this time roles were reversed: the master became the slave and the slave became the master. Early festivals in Rome were more about fertility than about the children. The upper classes in Rome were more sober during festival time and honoured Mithra, the god of the unconquered sun. Mithra’s day of birth was one of the most holy days of the year and was set on December 25, during the winter solstice.

CHRISTIANITY For the first three centuries, Christians were persecuted by the Romans; but once Christianity was established as the state religion in the fourth century, it spread throughout the empire. The main feast for Christians was and still is Easter. But by the fourth century the holy birth became impossible to ignore. Questions started to arise about the Christ’s birth. The fact that Jesus was born was unquestionable, but the mystery is when he was born. The Bible does not give us a specific date and certain facts say that Jesus could not have been born during December. For example, one argument is that shepherds would not be outdoors watching their flock in winter. Many historians believe that Jesus was born during spring time. Pope Julius I (337-352) officially set December 25 as the feast of the Nativity. Whether or not this was to usurp the festival of Mithra is unclear. The earliest record of the feast of Mithra, the Sol Invictus, being a

festival actually post-dates the pope’s setting of December 25 as the day of Christ’s birth. The Church Father Origen found that it sinful for Christ’s birthday to be “equal” to pagan festivals. Gregory, bishop of Nazianzus, felt the same way and criticised the combining of pagan and Christian elements, saying that Christmas should be celebrated without the excessive indulgence of feasting, dancing and dressing in a grotesque manner. Despite repeated bans, the Church soon found it difficult to abolish all pagan customs and decided to “Christianise” some of the customs, strip them of their worst features and incorporate them into the Christian observance of Christmas. Customs such as the evergreens and holly were adopted. The evergreen trees were brought inside homes and decorated with apples. The apples symbolised the Garden of Eden and later became Christmas ornaments. Holly put up in homes represented the crown of thorns and the berries represented the blood which Christ shed for us.

MIDDLE AGES In the Middle Ages Christian traditions began to replace pagan ones. During this time the faithful went to Mass to celebrate the birth of Christ, but on the streets Christmas was more raucous than religious. After Mass homes and parties were full of drunk people engaging in libertine behaviour. Christmas was very much like a party during the Middle Ages. In one tradition, a beggar would

A Christmas tree is placed in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican. This year’s tree is a 30 metre-tall spruce from Ukraine. The Christmas tree was introduced from Germany through Queen Victoria’s German husband Prince Albert. (Photo: Paul Haring, CNS)

be put in charge and crowned the “Lord of Misrule”. For this time peasants received power over the rich and ruling. In Italy, St Francis of Assisi was concerned about the secular nature of Christmas. To emphasise worship of Jesus at Christmas, he invented the Nativity crib in 1223. This innovation proved popular and soon spread throughout Europe.

BANNING CHRISTMAS The tension between piety and revelry at Christmas reached a high in England when the Puritans under Oliver Cromwell came to power in 1645. In 1652 the English parliament enforced a law to ban Christmas. The Puritans regarded Christmas as a wasteful festival and threatening the core of Christian beliefs. Shops and schools were kept open and churches were forced to be closed. The Puritans feared that if Christmas was legalised they themselves would enjoy Christmas and their souls would be lost. Even though Christmas was banned, people never stopped celebrating. Christmas went underground and people changed the names of things to keep Christmas alive. So the Christmas pie, for example, became a mince pie. In 1656, the monarchy returned under Charles II, and with that Christmas was restored and old yuletide customs slowly reappeared, with religious and secular festivals being celebrated in England once again.

AMERICAN CHRISTMAS In 1620 a small group of Puritans set off for to Massachusetts and had high hopes for the new colonies. America was more orthodox than the English, and the new settlers rid themselves of what they saw as the Christmas scourge, an opportunity to get drunk. In 1659 the Puritans in Boston outlawed Christmas and anyone caught celebrating was fined five shillings. Christmas was banned in only some parts of America. In Virginia, Captain John Smith, leader of the Jamestown Settlement, wrote that he celebrated his first New World Christmas with oysters, wild fowl and good bread. In the 19th century Christmas became commonly celebrated in the USA. The American Christmas would not be the same as the English Christmas—and America would reinvent Christmas and change it for the world. Literature played a role in painting a picture of Christmas to the world. Books by American author Washington Irving, who wrote Bracebridge Hall in 1819, and English author Charles Dickens, who wrote The Christmas Carol in 1843,

shaped a new meaning and understanding of what Christmas was. Before the 19th century American families were seen as work engines and children were trained to work. But in the first half of the 19th century, the family increasingly became a place where children could express their emotions. Parents could celebrate their joy of Christmas by watching their children’s delight as they opened their presents. In Victorian Britain, old pagan traditions were inappropriate and ancient traditions were brought into English homes. Still, an ancient pagan symbol, the Christmas tree, was introduced from Germany (through Queen Victoria’s German husband Prince Albert) and decorating evergreens became part of the seasonal celebrations. In 1843, the first Christmas card was printed in England. The Illustrated London News published a picture of the royal family around a Christmas tree in 1848. The tradition of the Christmas tree and cards soon spread throughout the Anglophone world. Through the development and change of Christmas customs in America, a new face was brought into the Christmas spirit: Santa Claus. America developed the concept of Santa Claus, but he was based on St Nicholas of Myra (270-343). St Nicholas’ feast is on December 6 and an old tradition had it that he would give gifts to the good children and nothing to naughty children. The feast was celebrated throughout Europe, with children receiving small gifts on the day. In the Netherlands, December 6 is the big day of gift-giving. When the Dutch arrived in America they brought with them the traditions of the feast of “Sinterklaas”, who usually was pictured with a long white beard, and through this image Santa Claus was born. These traditions caught the imagination of Clement Clarke Moore, an Episcopal minister in New York, who in 1822 wrote the poem Twas the Night Before Christmas for his children, about a good saint who comes down the chimney on Christmas Eve. Initial images of Santa Claus came in all shapes and sizes, some outlandish: a pagan sorcerer, a frightening gnome, and a drunk on a turkey-driven sleigh. It was not until 1863 when Thomas Nast, a cartoonist for the Harper’s Weekly, a political magazine, created his version of Santa Claus which became known to the world: a round, jolly, white-bearded man dressed in a red suit and who gave presents to children, officially known as Santa Claus.

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

CHRISTMAS

Special star? Comet? Planet? What led the magi to Bethlehem? What exactly was the celestial event that guided the Magi to Bethlehem? JOE TOWALSKI consulted an astronomer for answers.

F it weren’t for the gospel of Matthew’s brief reference to a star guiding Magi from the East to the newborn Messiah, “we wouldn’t know anything about the star of Bethlehem”, according to Terrence Flower, a professor of physics at St Catherine University in St Paul, Minnesota. The gospel account is the only historical reference from that time correlating a celestial event with Jesus’ birth, said Prof Flower, who has delivered an annual public lecture about the star in the lead up to Christmas for more than 30 years. “I think one thing you have to recognise is that the event [from an astronomical point of view] maybe wasn’t one that was earthshaking and likely may not have even been one that was recorded with significant detail by others,” he said. Still, even though the star of Bethlehem is only mentioned in a few verses of the Bible, it has become an integral part of our Christmas traditions—from the customary decoration we place atop our Christmas trees to its mention in popular carols such as “We Three Kings” and “The First Noël”. What exactly did the Magi see that prompted them to make the long trek across the Middle Eastern desert to bring special gifts to the Christ Child?

It shouldn’t be surprising that a star was associated with the birth of the Messiah; a footnote in the New American Bible explains it was a common ancient belief that a new star appeared at the time of a ruler’s birth. People of faith, of course, can’t rule out the possibility that God temporarily placed a special star in the sky to signal Jesus’ birth, Prof Flower said. But science would have a difficult time proving such an extraordinary event. Could the guiding light have been a phenomenon more familiar to sky-watchers both then and now? One idea is that the star of Bethlehem was a meteor—commonly known as a “shooting star”. But because of a shooting star’s ephemeral nature—even a spectacular one lasts for only a second or two—it wouldn’t have garnered much notice, Prof Flower said. Another possibility is that the star of Bethlehem was a nova—a sudden brightening of a star that already exists—or a supernova, an extremely bright, exploding star. A supernova is a fairly rare occurrence and probably would have been easily visible to the naked eye. Records indicate that a supernova was seen in about 126 BC and then not again until about 134 AD, Prof Flower said. If one occurred near the time of Jesus’ birth, it likely would have been recorded elsewhere in addition to the gospel of Matthew. A comet is another possibility, Prof Flower said. Halley’s comet, perhaps the best-known short-period comet, which is visible from earth every 75 to 76 years, made an appearance in 12 BC. That was too early, however, to coincide

with Jesus’ birth, which, based on the known date of King Herod’s death in 4 BC and accounting for a mistake made when the Roman calendar was re-dated in the 6th century, likely occurred sometime between 7 BC and 4 BC

better candidate, Prof Flower said, is a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn that occurred three times in 7 BC. “Conjunction” is a term describing when two planets are closest together in the sky, as seen from Earth. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Jupiter and Saturn were among the five planets known to astrologers and sky-watchers. The word “planet” means “wandering star”; planets are so named because they appear to move in relation to the set background of stars. The triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurred in May, October and December of 7 BC, Flower said. The Magi—believed to be Wise Men or astrologers from the East— would have viewed this as a significant event for several reasons. In ancient times, Jupiter was considered the star of kings, Saturn was the protector of Israel, and the constellation Pisces—where all three conjunctions occurred—was associated with the land of the Jews. So when the Magi saw this “star at its rising”—meaning they saw it rise in the morning sky—they might have considered a trip towards Jerusalem, where they might have thought that a significant event was about to take place. Bethlehem is only about 10km from there. Reflecting on what the star of

The visit of the Magi is portrayed in a stained-glass window at St Michael’s cathedral in Toronto, Canada. Astronomers have long tried to identify what celestial event led the wise men from the East to Bethlerhem. One believes a triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BC is a good bet. (Photo: Nancy Wiechec, CNS) Bethlehem might have been offers insights into part of the Christmas story, Flower said. But it shouldn’t overshadow the real meaning of the feast. “A star is not what Christmas is about. The star, on one hand, is a

guide to the Wise Men and, on the other hand, is an announcement of something important,” he said. Ultimately, though, it only serves to shed more light on what the main focus of Christmas is—the birth of Christ.—CNS

BLESSED CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR We would like to wish all our parishioners at the Most Holy Redeemer and Sacred Heart parish in Rustenburg a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

The Irish South African Association Comhluadar Eireannach An Afraic Theas

The Committee of the ISSA wishes all our members and friends a very happy and peaceful Christmas & New Year We thank you for supporting our many events during 2011 & we look forward to meeting again at 2012 events.

CHRISTMAS

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

At Christmas time: A pharmacist’s lament For some people, the jingling of bells that announces the Christmas season does not signal a time to be jolly. Cape Town pharmacist GARY BLACK tells God, and us, of his professional yuletide frustrations.

EAR Lord, in the Good Book we are told that in heralding the birth of Christ the angel announced “good tidings of great joy” and “peace and good will to all mankind”. Now Lord, I am just a simple pharmacist having some difficulty in understanding all this, so please listen to my side of the story. It seems to me that, particularly during the season of Advent, many people find “great joy” in the bottom of a bottle. For them the numerous adverts of “Xmas Specials” promoting a variety of alcoholic beverages constitute “good tidings”! A fellow I know falls prey to these “good tidings” easily and now finds “joy” in sharing a papsak of cheap wine with his mates

in the evenings. Consequently, he reports for work the next day smelling like the rotting sediment at the bottom of a discarded old wine barrel, his yellowed, glassy eyes a reflection of his pickled liver and numbed brain. Although he insists that he’s all right, I have my doubts about his ability to perform his work, let alone act as a good ambassador for his company. Is this really how the “good tidings of joy” should be shared? I am sad to say, dear Lord, that in our pharmacy we experience very little of the peace promised by your Angel. Down here in our little coastal town, we are invaded by tourists who have rushed down to the sea in their fancy cars like a herd of migrating blou wildebeest. Of course, we welcome our visitors from up-country. But by the time they have endured the long road trip, many of them tend to behave just like wildebeest. They are demanding, impatient and show little tolerance of our more relaxed Cape way of life. One would think that it was my fault that they left their medicines at home, that the wife forgot to pack the sunscreen or that their darling little four-year-old was car sick and

deposited her partially-digested roadside snacks all over the expensive leather interior of the new luxury German car! For all this and more, I must provide an instant cure and restore the peace? The rushed, busy lifestyle at this time of the year transforms even some of our most placid, cooperative clients into unreasonable, aggressive shoppers. They first spend hours dragging bored, whining kids around the supermarkets and bottle stores, taking advantage of the “good tidings” of “Xmas Specials”. To do this they drive miles to the mall, fight for parking space, push heavy trolleys around searching for the “good news” specials and stand in long queues to pay while being blasted overhead by carols sung to a “boom-boom” beat by Boney M and contending with the demanding kids underfoot. Invariably this entourage of tired, frustrated children and a flustered mother invades the pharmacy just ten minutes before closing time. Here their purchases include their regular prescription medicine and last-minute small gifts of soaps and perfumes for

numerous, near-forgotten relatives down on holiday from the hinterland. When it comes to payment, the empathetic pharmacist is usually asked to postpone the medical aid claim until the New Year because their current benefits are “all used up”. Gifts are conveniently purchased on credit, after the pharmacy’s financial month-end, just in time for the new January accounts. To top it all, the client might offer to pay her account, but “only half, because we are going on holiday in the New Year!” Meanwhile, her two little ”darlings” are either moaning like sick puppies or chasing each other around the pharmacy like terriers, shattering the peace and testing our patience to the limit. But, this is the season of goodwill so we must grin and bear it? Please explain dear Lord, why in the life of a community pharmacist, “goodwill” seems to be a one-way street? Every club, school, and charity in town wants contributions to their Christmas fundraising activity though few of them support the pharmacy. I am confronted by many sweepers, cleaners, and delivery men asking for a

FATHER RALPH DE HAHN PRAYERFULLY WISHES ALL CLERGY, RELIGIOUS AND FRIENDS A HOLY & BEAUTIFUL FEAST

“Xmas box”. At Yuletide, most medical aids announce that they will be paying less for medicines in the New Year despite increases in member contributions. The government-controlled price of medicines increases minimally while all other operating costs of salaries, rents, rates and electricity escalate by double digit percentage figures. The bank’s goodwill does not extend to increasing my overdraft while I am expected to constantly extend more credit, pay higher wages and charge less for my services? Ah well! One consolation I can look forward to is our loyal client “Antie” van der Merwe bringing us her customary Christmas gift of a melktert. Dear Lord, after weeks of witnessing such “joy”, experiencing such “peace” and dispensing so much “goodwill”, could you, please, allow me, your humble apothecary, the joy of unwrapping a gift with my grandchildren under the Christmas tree, sharing the goodwill of my family over a meal on Christmas Eve and the quiet peace of singing “Silent Night, Holy Night” with my fellow parishioners? Ek vra maar net?

PIONEER TOTAL ABSTINANCE ASSOCIATION

We would like to wish all families, Bishops, Priests, religious, and especially all of you who have experienced a Marriage Encounter weekend the peace and joy of the Christ Child now and throughout 2012. Joe and Neela Kay with Fr Paul Taylor Marriage Encounter National Secretariat. See our website

www.marriageencounter.co.org for contact details.

May this awesome Incarnation fill your heart with fascination; kneel before the Lord who came to heal the broken, blind and lame. May the wonder of His birth start love-fires thro' the earth that your Christmas day may be an everlasting memory. A BLESSED CHRISTMAS. GOD LOVE YOU ALL

To all pioneer brothers and sisters. May love, peace and happiness be in all your hearts and homes during the festive season and always. May the Sacred Heart of Jesus Bless you all. From PTAA National Council, Western Cape

CATHEDRAL BOOKSHOP The Christmas Star that shines So bright and led the wise men To the light, can still be seen To tell the story of the wonders of God’s glory

Wishing you a blessed Christmas And a happy new year Norah and Denise, CATHEDRAL BOOKSHOP, 10 PARK LANE, PORT ELIZABETH

The Sisters of Mercy wish you a Happy and Peaceful Christmas and a Blessed New Year

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

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Don’t be macaroni without the cheese Our faith demands action, and Christmas is a good time to be reminded of that, as DAVID MYERS discovered.

S the birth of Christ was approaching, I found myself thinking a lot about how what I say and what I do affects other people. Last year, I was driving when I saw dozens and dozens of pheasant hunters all gathered in a line, marching in step through a field like the 101st Infantry Division. Had a pheasant flown into the air at that point, there would have been a barrage of gunfire, effectively disintegrating the bird. It wasn’t the mass of hunters that bothered me so much—I’m not a hunter, but I do love a good cheeseburger—or the fact that their guns were pointing in the general direction of my living room. What bothered me was the station wagon of orange-clad guys driving in front of me who decided to park on the southbound lane of a 80km/h highway because the shoulders were filled with cars. The driver’s door opened into the oncoming lane, and out climbed a tall hunter with a big yawn. Now, generally I’m a pretty even-tempered guy. I don’t get upset when someone steps in front of me in line at the bank. It doesn’t bother me too much after I’ve waited for 90 minutes to see the doctor only to have him zip

in and out of the examination room as if he’s trying to break the sound barrier. I don’t even mind paying a small mint for the service. I’m not bothered when my dog goes on the rug, if I find a gnat in my milk, or if someone mistakes me for someone named “Linda”. But when this guy parked in front of me on a 80km/h highway? Man, I was mad. Suddenly he wasn’t just a hunter, he was a combination of Elmer Fudd and Frankenstein—silly and stupid and, by virtue of his weapon, dangerous. Speaking of stupid...um...well, that’s when I accelerated. It was almost imperceptible—just a few foot-pounds of power applied to the pedal (as if I know what a foot-pound is). As I zoomed by him, my side-view mirror just missing his midsections, I heard a string of highly audible curse words slung in my direction like a lasso. I peered back and could see him staring at me. That’s when my temper boiled over and I let him know my feelings about the situation. I was on a long trip that day, so I had plenty of time to reflect on how the hunter felt about what had happened. How he had gone home with his tiny bird parts from the day’s kills wondering how on earth someone could be so insane as to almost run him down. Every mile that I travelled I lectured myself on the stupidity of my actions. Nothing like a two-and-a-half hour guilt trip. I had let my temper cause me to cross that line between healthy

anger and psycho rage. A few weeks later, I was visiting a home in Dodge City, which provides food and clothing to anyone in need. I noticed that they were short on winter coats, and I vowed to go through my closets.

nd therein lies the problem. I can think of a thousand reasons why I should not give away an ugly, unfitting coat I haven’t worn in 20 years. Perhaps it’s sentimental value. My late Aunt Bertha gave me that coat. Or perhaps there was a hole that a favorite dog of mine (RIP, Smoky) chewed in the cuff. Or maybe I decide that it’s a good coat to

wear while working on my truck. Yes, it’s a “truck” coat. After all, there could come the day when I actually work on my truck. Or perhaps it’s a “clean the backyard” coat. I can’t give away a perfectly good “clean the backyard” coat! Besides, there may come a day when I actually clean the backyard. Or a “work in my shed on a cold winter day” coat. Or a “step outside to see how cold it is” coat. And it’s not just old coats. It’s shirts I haven’t worn since the Carter administration. Pants that I could easily fit into if I cut myself in half down the middle. Shoes that look silly, that have no traction, that tie my feet into

square knots—but shoes that I’m certain I would be in need of the moment I gave them away. Would my weird possessiveness mean someone would suffer the cold of winter? These aren’t the actions of the one whose birth we celebrate on December 25. I thought about these things after recently discovering a small booklet called Listen Christian. I opened the booklet and the first thing I read was: “You seem so holy; so close to God. But I’m still very hungry, and lonely, and cold.” Wow. I’m one of those people who holds my head up high, content in the knowledge that I thank God each day for my multitude of blessings. But what does that do to help the one who’s freezing in the winter chill? What does that mean when I allow my anger to nearly bring harm to another person? I realised that I’m sort of like macaroni without cheese. I love pasta. I love sneaking it out of the pan before it’s completely boiled. Sure, it’s bland, and granted, after the first dozen it gets a bit old. But add some cheese— nice creamy, goopy cheese—and I can eat that stuff until it’s coming out my ears. Don’t be a macaroni without cheese; don’t be faith without action. Words of appreciation— words of prayer—they’re wellmeaning, they’re heartfelt, but without action, they’re just cold pasta. n David Myers is the editor of The Southwest Kansas Register, diocesan newspaper in Dodge City, in which this article first appeared.

CHRISTMAS Every good wish and blessing to our parishioners during the Christmas season and throughout 2012. St Josephs parish, Goodwood, Cape Town

The Missionary Sisters of the Assumption wish all their coworkers, friends and benefactors peace and joy at Christmas and blessings in the new Year The Holy Cross Sisters wish the editor and staff of The Southern Cross and all readers a Blessed Christmas and New Year Holy Cross Provincialate Belgravia/Johannesburg

Tony WyLLie Funeral Home & Staff

wish everyone a Blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year Maitland & Muizenberg, Cape Town

We thank our friends for encouragement and support during the year. We wish all Southern Cross readers Christmas blessings and a New Year filled with peace and joy.

May the God of hope fill you all with joy and peace.Romans 15:13a Street Address: The Grimley, 14 Tuin Plein (off Hope Street)

Wishing all our Members A Blessed Christmas And a Prosperous New Year From The National Management Team

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

The shepherd and the Passover lamb A SHORT STORY BY FR RALPH DE HAHN

Y name is Eli and for these many years I have lived as a shepherd on the hills outside Bethlehem. My friends Moshe, Shlomo, Yitzchak and I care for hundreds of sheep night after night; but we have a special watch over the lambs, for especially at nightfall we need sharp eyes to scan the hills for wolves and even thieves. It is often very lonely; the air is silent, the stars peep down, but we hear not a word, except the occasional bleat. We shepherds are a class of our own. We have little to boast about, no real home, no possessions, just the open fields and the animals we care for. However, I treasure the nights and lonely hours that I live on these precious hills just outside Beit-lehem, once known as Ephratah, and identified as the city of our illustrious king David. It was here, one thousand years ago, that the shepherd boy David was called and anointed by Samuel as the second king of our people. This is his birthplace. And this David was the great-grandson of Ruth who also came to live here. Not far from here is the tomb of Rachel, wife to Jacob, revered by thousands. There are times when this town is named Beit-lahm “the house of flesh”, recalling Herod’s slaughter of the Innocents. Indeed this is a special site; I am told we are 758m above sea level and lie about 8km south-west of the great city Jerusalem, where in the spring the great feast of the Passover is celebrated with great solemnity. It is our joyful privilege here on the Bethlehem hills to supply the temple with the pure lambs for sacrifice during Passover. At this time of Passover we chat among ourselves more than other times as we recall the First Passover in the time of Moses and how the blood of the unblemished lamb saved the Israelites from the avenging angel of death. These precious little lambs were under our care, and we were extremely careful to present a worthy sacrifice to the Lord. Sadly, I have heard it mentioned that at least 250 000 innocent lambs are slain for this festival event. When Cestius was governor of Palestine he had informed Nero that the pilgrims visiting Jerusalem numbered well over two million. Of course the Romans ruling from Caesarea sent a strong detachment of troops to keep order in and around the city. What happened one extraordinary night will remain with me forever. Darkness had fallen, the air was icy, and yet there was a strange warmness all about us. No, it was not the blazing fire; it was more of a warming presence. Somebody, something awesome was all about us. There was a hum in the air; I felt it. Then suddenly a flash of pure white, and there stood a heavenly visitor with a very clear message: “This night is born to you a Saviour. He is Christ the Lord...” Unbelievable! Why to us shepherds? And then a tremendous glow filled the heavens, even the stars were twinkling, and a vast regiment of angelic creatures floated all about and the chorus of voices never heard on earth before echoed over the hills, and the sheep joined the chorus with their joyful bleating, and the angelic choirs sang their triumphant hymn of praise “Glory to God in the highest…” For me, it was all so terrifying, yet incredibly joyful, with sounds unimaginable; sounds beyond what is humanly beautiful.

Moshe and Shlomo lay prostrate on the ground as the angel spoke. The instruction was to go into Bethlehem and seek a babe in a manger. Then suddenly the vision was gone, the angelic voices faded into the now dark night— but that warmth and joy remained, something I am unable to describe or explain. My friends and I remained motionless and speechless for a time. Had all this really happened here on the far-off hills of Bethlehem? Utterly stunned were we! For imagine, first the rich glory of the heavens, a message of a Saviour, and then a journey to a stable to seek a babe wrapped in utter poverty. It all seemed so unbelievable! Leaving Yitzchak behind to watch the sheep and lambs, my two friends and I journeyed to the City of David to seek this child. And indeed we found him wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger in a cattle shed. The mother was a very young and beautiful Jewish maid, who had travelled all the way from Nazareth with her husband Joseph who was apparently of the house of David; for they told me it was here that he was born before plying his trade in Nazareth and it was also highly probable that he had a large family still living here, possibly over 30 generations, who were descended from King David. This little babe, a Saviour! The Messiah? But the angel of God had spoken, of that we were sure. It was no dream! I remember how the lamb I carried in my arms leapt for joy it seemed, and so, not knowing why, I gently laid the lamb at the feet of the tiny babe. While reposing around the blazing fire we discussed again the innocent lambs who were to be prepared for the Passover sacrifice, innocent indeed, so meek, so soft and tender—God’s beautiful gift to us! Thirty years later, when news spread all over the land that a certain prophet named John was calling all Israel to repentance by baptising people in the river Jordan, I made my way from the hills, travelled northwards, to the spot where John was performing this rite of pouring water over the heads of those who were willing to repent. It was around Aenon in the Judaean desert. I stood there with the excited crowd curiously watching, waiting. Then I saw and heard something I can never forget. A young bearded man stepped into view, and John stopped, stared and then cried out: “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who will take away the sins of the world.” A lamb! To be sent from God! To be sacrificed for the sins of the world! To be sacrificed…to be slaughtered? Not one of my lambs surely? No. I stared at him; my mouth was parched; a warm sensation gripped my entire being; and then this stranger threw a glance at me. Yes, he recognised me. I know he did. Oh God, if I had only known at the time who it was lying in a manger.

The Southern Cross, December 21 to December 27, 2011

Cardinal Gabriel Zubeir Wako of Khartoum, Sudan, celebrates Christmas Mass at St Matthew’s cathedral in Khartoum last year. (Photo: Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah, Reuters/CNS)

CHRISTMAS

Fireworks light up the night sky near a giant Christmas tree along a bay walk in Palawan, Philippines. The Philippines, a mainly Catholic country, is known for its rich pageantry around Advent and Christmas. (Photo: Romeo Ranoco, Reuters/CNS)

Pope Benedict accepts offertory gifts from children dressed as the Three Kings during Mass on the feast of Mary Mother of God in St Peter’s basilica. (Photo: Paul Haring)

Worshippers place candles as they pray during Christmas Mass at a Catholic church in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (Photo: Dinuka Liyanawatte, Reuters/CNS)

People pray during a Christmas Mass for the homeless in a bus in Nice, France, last year. (CNS photo/Eric Gaillard, Reuters)

A Nativity scene, set up by a Catholic organisation, is displayed at an entrance to Central Park in New York. (Photo: Gregory A Shemitz)

People stand in the rain as they look at last year’s Vatican Christmas tree in St Peter’s Square. (Photo: Paul Haring, CNS) A living Nativity in Matera, Italy. (Photo: Catholic Press Photo)