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January 11 to January 17, 2011
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Big boost for Denis Hurley centre
What’s behind Nigeria’s bomb?
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No 4754
Pilgrim destination: Latin America
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Pope Benedict’s busy year ahead BY JOHN THAvIS
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TRIP to Latin America, a Synod of Bishops on new evangelisation, the start of the Year of Faith, creation of new cardinals and proclamations of new saints are all on Pope Benedict’s calendar for 2012. The pope will also continue his meetings with groups of US bishops making their ad limina visits to the Vatican during the first half of the year. His talks to the bishops are expected to focus on themes of education, religious freedom and the relationship between culture and religion. The 2012 highlights are only a small part of the pope’s day-to-day schedule, which includes hundreds of meetings, speeches, messages and liturgies. The German pope, who turns 85 in April, also pursues a “private” agenda of writing whenever he gets the chance, as he works to complete the latest in his “Jesus of Nazareth” series of books— this one on Jesus’ infancy and childhood. Pope Benedict is virtually certain to call a consistory to create new cardinals in 2012. He may do so as early as February, when there will be at least 13 “vacancies” in the roster of voting-age cardinals (those under the age of 80); or he may wait until October, when 10 more cardinals will have turned 80. Pope Benedict plans to travel to Mexico and Cuba in March, on a trip that will turn a spotlight once again on Latin America, home to nearly half the world’s Catholics. It will also move the pope onto the radar of US media, which have cut back on their coverage of the pope and the Vatican in recent years. The pope may also travel to Lebanon, probably in the second quarter of the year. An invitation from Lebanese leaders came a month ago, and Vatican officials have said the pope wants to deliver his follow-up document on the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East, held at the Vatican in 2010. Such a visit would give the pope a highvisibility platform to weigh in on religious freedom issues during a period of volatile
political change in the region. The later part of 2012 will bring several important events, including the world Synod of Bishops October 7-28. New evangelisation has become the leitmotif of almost everything Pope Benedict does these days, and the gathering of bishops will help translate the term into practical pastoral initiatives. The essential idea is to find ways to energise Catholics, reminding them of their duty to witness the faith publicly and proclaim it to others. The synod will follow the somewhat streamlined format introduced by Pope Benedict in 2005: a shorter assembly, shorter individual speeches and more free discussion in the synod hall. The Year of Faith was designed by the pope to help Catholics rediscover the basic content of their faith, and the Vatican’s preparation materials—due out very soon—will have a strong doctrinal element. The special year will begin October 11, 2012, which is the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, and some Vatican sources say the pope may publish a document that connects the two events. Sometime during 2012, the pope is expected to proclaim 7 new saints, including 2 American women: Blessed Marianne Cope of Molokai and Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, who will become the first Native American to be canonised. Also included are French Jacques Berthieu, a Jesuit priest shot to death in Madagascar in 1896 for defending Christianity and the Spanish nun Mary of Mount Carmel. In 1892 she founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. The teenager Pedro Calungsod will be the second saint in Philippine history. He was martyred in 1672 for defending missionaries. The last on the list is Germany’s Anna Schäfer, who always wanted to be a missionary. In 1901 she suffered burns on her legs, she was then bedridden for 24 years and offered her pain for the salvation of souls. The date for these two canonisations has not been set, but many think it may happen on October 21, World Mission Sunday.
The Association of Catholic Tertiary Students (ACTs) recently gathered at the Bertoni Conference Centre in the archdiocese of Pretoria for a national leadership conference which focused on the development of leadership skills among students from different universities and abroad. The group of young Catholics reviewed the year that was and discussed a way forward for Catholic students in 2012. The students are pictured with national youth chaplain, Fr Sammy Mabusela CSS (pictured wearing blue, centre, back.) (Photo submitted by Mulaudzi Gift Fhiwie)
Bishops accuse Nigeria of fraud
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GROUP of Nigerian bishops accused the government of selfishness, collusion and fraud and said removal of a fuel subsidy showed “insensitive timing”. “Must the poor suffer to make the rich smile? It may not be fair to blame the government alone for all the woes of Nigeria, but this government must take full responsibility for the insensitive timing and execution of this policy on fuel subsidy,” said the statement, signed by Archbishop Felix Alaba Job of Ibadan, president of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria. The bishops said the government made “the poor suffer in the selfish interest of a few who have fraudulently enriched themselves in collusion with those in the corridors of power” in setting public policy. The statement from the bishops of the Ibadan, Ilorin, Ondo, Osogbo, Oyo and Ekiti dioceses said the announcement by the government of President Goodluck Jonathan to end a widely supported fuel subsidy would mean additional hardship for poor people. After the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulation Agency announced the end of the subsidy, pump prices of for fuel rose
between 100% and 250% across the country, immediately leading to higher prices for goods and services, according to reports. Prices rose from about 41 cents per litre of fuel to between 89 cents and $1,57 per litre, surveys showed. Labor leaders quickly mobilised and began mass protests in opposition to the new policy. The government has had no further comment. The bishops called upon the government to investigate alleged corruption between the petroleum industry and government officials before removing the subsidy. They also said the government’s failure to provide a secure environment for people and property must be reversed in order to attract investors to the Nigerian economy. The bishops said that the government action serves to penalise ordinary Nigerians for fraudulent practices within the government. “We declare that it is immoral to impose removal of the petroleum subsidy on economically weakened Nigerians while political office holders continue to live in embarrassing opulence,” the statement added. —CNS
New Rector takes the reins of St John Vianney Seminary BY MATHIBELA SEBOTHOMA
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ATHER Molewe Simon Machingoane has been named as the next president and rector of the Saint John Vianney Seminary (SJV) in Waterkloof, Pretoria. Fr Machingoane's appointment was recommended by the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference Seminary Committee together with two other priest candidates. His name was approved and subsequently appointed by the Vatican based Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. The 42-year-old priest will be the amalgamated seminary’s third rector, succeeding Fr Enrico Parry
and Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, when SJV and St Peter’s Seminary merged in 2008. Fr Machingoane was born in a village called Tafelkop, in the Diocese of Witbank. As a young person he wanted to be a teacher but everything changed when he became actively involved in the activities of the Catholic Youth Club. It was his involvement in the Catholic Youth Club which prompted him to think about offering himself to God and to serve as a priest. He was accepted to study for the diocese of Witbank and trained at St Paul’s Seminary, St Peter’s Seminary and St John Vianney Semi-
nary from 1990 to 1996, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology. In January 2001, he was appointed the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Witbank. During his stay there he studied towards a masters degree in philosophy from St Augustine College. In 2005 he was granted a scholarship to study Canon Law in Rome where he completed the course in 2008 obtaining a Licentiate. After returning to South Africa he was appointed as a formator and lecturer at SJV. Before his appointment as rector, he was vice rector and dean of students at the Seminary. “For three years now I have had
the privilege of serving this singular seminary community in different capacities. And so—relying on the competence and goodwill of the faculty and staff, the dedication and commitment of our seminarians, the generous spirit of bishops, priests and lay Catholics, and the grace of almighty God—I look forward to assuming my new role here as rector," said Machingoane. The new rector said he felt privileged to be appointed. “I am honoured to have been asked to lead one of the most innovative institutions in Southern Africa’s philosophical and theological circles,” Fr Machingoane said.
New rector, Fr Molewe Simon Machingoane.
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LOCAL
The Southern Cross, January 11 to January 17, 2012
New pilgrimages from Cape Town to Ngome Marian shrine BY THANdI BOSMAN
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GROUP called “Friends of Ngome Cape Town” now organises pilgrimages from Cape Town to Ngome Marian shrine in Eshowe diocese, KwaZulu-Natal, and prepares pilgrims for the journey. The Ngome shrine marks the Marian apparitions reported by the Benedictine nun Sr Reinolda May. It has become a place of pilgrimage for Catholics from throughout South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana and Namibia. The group “Friends of Ngome Cape Town” started after its members Pat Gonsalves, Helena Rossouw and Charles Rossouw went on pilgrimages to Ngome in 2005, 2006 and 2007. “We have a set way of preparing pilgrims for their Ngome pilgrimage,” said Mr Gonsalves. “We also have a set programme from the time we board the coach right up to the time we arrive back in Cape Town.” Pilgrims who have been to the shrine meet for an hour every month, reciting the Ngome prayer and the Ngome rosary, and pray the Ngome novena, Mr Gonsalves said. “A group of ex-pilgrims start on a nine-month novena starting in March and ending in November to coincide with the day of departure, normally the first Sunday of November.” Mr Gonsalves said that new pilgrims participate in a nine-month preparation course. The monthly 90-minute
meetings are intended to prepare the pilgrims spiritually as well as physically for the pilgrimage. “These meetings focus on what pilgrimage means—what the message of Ngome asks of each one—to become worthy Tabernacles of the Most High by reciting the rosary daily to develop a deep love for the Eucharist, and to spread the love of God and live in peace with one another. They are also given tiny glimpses into what can be seen and done at the various areas of prayer,” Mr Gonsalves explained. All the meetings consist of three Ps, Mr Gonsalves said: “Pray before, during and at the end of meetings, play (normally ice-breaker games), and pay whatever you can afford monthly.” Mr Gonsalves added that the monthly meetings are open to anybody who is interested in the pilgrimage, regardless of whether they are going to Ngome. “We have a final get-together on the last Sunday in November for thanksgiving—exchanging of experiences and photos, then it’s goodbye till we meet again.” Mr Gonsalves said that over the years the demand for Ngome pilgrimages has increased. In 2009, nine parishes were represented on the pilgrimage, by 2010 there were 13 parishes, and last year 17. n For more information, contact Pat Gonsalves on 082 619 0004 or e-mail pat@clearbars.co.za.
Giving thanks for wine STAFF REPORTER
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HE 18th annual Winemaker and Distillers Mass will be held on Wednesday, January 25 at St Nicholas Catholic church in Stellenbosch. The Mass will begin at 11:00 at the church in Paul Kruger Street, followed by a lunch at La Pineta restaurant, which will not charge corkage for wine brought in. “The collection at the Mass will go to the Stellenbosch hospice. Hopefully the congregation will be as generous as
in the past and set a record of more than R20 000,” said wine expert and co-organiser Dave Hughes. “Traditionally, most winemakers and distillers bring a bottle or two to the church to go into the offertory basket at the entrance. These donations will go up to the altar with the offertory procession. The bottles are shared with the clergy after the Mass,” Mr Hughes said. n To join the Mass and lunch contact Mr Hughes at 021 8652 175 or e-mail hughesd@iafrica.com
The Community of Sant’Egidio shared Christmas lunch at the St Martin de Porres parish hall in Sunnyside, Pretoria, which was attended by Archbishop William Slattery.
Christmas lunch feeds the poor STAFF REPORTER
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HE Community of Sant’Egidio in South Africa has declared its Christmas Day lunch with the poor in three centres around South Africa a success. The annual Christmas lunch with the poor has been running since 1982 when a small group of poor people were welcomed into Rome’s basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere. Today an estimated 150 000 meals are served in some 73 countries around the world, including South Africa. “For those who do not have anybody or anything, Christmas is especially difficult and very sad,” said Querisha Southon of Sant’Egidio in Pretoria. “For this reason the Community of Sant’Egidio has seen the importance of gathering with the poor on Christmas day. We are our family gathered by the Gospel, and together
with the poor, we celebrate the birth of our Lord, as he too entered the world as poor baby, for whom there was no room in an inn.” On December 25, Sant’Egidio prepared lunches in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Polokwane. The Christmas lunch in Pretoria’s Sunnyside parish consisted of over 155 participants—of whom 63 were homeless people, 51 children and 41 volunteers. Archbishop William Slattery was present at the lunch to offer apostolic blessings. In Johannesburg there were over 246 participants (180 homeless people, 35 children and 31 volunteers), and 57 participants (51 children and seven volunteers) in Polokwane. “The Community of Sant’Egidio’s friendship with the poor is not limited to only the Christmas lunch,” Ms Southon said. “The Community meets with our poor friends throughout the year, at our dif-
ferent acts of service all around the world.” For example, the Community of Sant’Egidio of Pretoria and Johannesburg meets ever week for the “School of Peace” at which it offers “a family-like environment to support children and adolescents in their scholastic efforts, free of charge,” Ms Southon said. “In addition to the School of Peace, the homeless friends of the Community of Sant’Egidio are provided with a meal on a weekly basis. Along with the meal, a close and friendly presence is offered which restores the dignity of each person with simple gestures of respect and friendship,” she said. She described the Christmas lunch as “somehow a miracle; the miracle of the smiling faces of the many exhausted people, the miracle of being helpful to people in need, and restoring the forgotten meaning to Christmas”.
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LOCAL
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Hurley Centre starts year on a high note STAFF REPORTER
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HE festive season was indeed festive for Emmanuel Cathedral in Durban when the German Catholic development aid organisation Misereor announced it would donate R4,5 million towards the construction of the Denis Hurley Centre which will be built alongside the archdiocese’s cathedral. “This first major grant received by the Hurley Centre is specifically intended for the construction of the ground floor where social outreach projects will be based,” said Paddy Kearney, the centre’s coordinator. According to Mr Kearney, the centre’s ground floor will include a Refugee Pastoral Care office, the Usizo Lwethu Clinic, the Nkosinathi Feeding Project and Job Link which will provide job readiness and skills-related training. It is thought that the Misereor gift has been motivated by two considerations, said Mr Kearney. “Firstly, the energetic fundraising campaign mounted by the cathedral parish, which has already raised over R500 000 of its target of R1 million, has given a clear sign of local commitment and ownership of the project. Secondly, Misereor was attracted by the close
relationship they had with Archbishop Denis Hurley from 196195.” Mr Kearney, a biographer of the late archbishop, said the relationship was founded during the Second Vatican Council when Achbishop Hurley forged close links with German Cardinals Josef Frings and Julius Dopfner. Mr Kearney said the former head of Misereor’s Africa desk, Dr Ulrich Koch, said the funding agency frequently consulted Archbishop Hurley about their overall policy. “He had an excellent analytical mind and defended Misereor policy to other bishops,” Dr Koch told Mr Kearney. “He was a strong and charismatic person, so we kept him in the picture at all times, even by frequent phone calls. His good humour, intelligence and charm won him many friends.” And because of the strong bond between Archbishop Hurley and the German organisation, the relationship continues today. Mr Kearney said the Misereor grant is a major boost to fundraising for the Denis Hurley Centre. “A total budget of R25 million has been set by the archdiocese of Durban for a modern structure to replace the inadequate parish centre which was originally built as a
during the opening of Misereor’s Lenten Campaign of 1983, which focused on South Africa, Archbishop denis Hurley danced with “The Sounds of Soweto”. The banner reads “Ich will ein Mensch sein” (I want to be a human being), the theme of the campaign. (Photo: KNA-Bild, Bonn)
school. The new centre, though thoroughly modern in design and materials, will harmonise with the architecture of the cathedral—one
of the gems of church architecture in Durban.” Mr Kearney said it was hoped construction can start in the sec-
ond half of 2012 if overall funding is in place. “The plans have been approved by the archdiocese of Durban and by the AMAFA Heritage Council for KwaZulu-Natal. The next step in the process is to secure approval from the eThekwini Municipality.” Mr Kearney added that the new centre is probably the most ambitious project ever undertaken by Emmanuel cathedral in its 106year history. Mr Kearney said 2012 was to be a big year for the cathedral and celebrations will begin during the annual “Hurley Weekend”. The weekend is celebrated by Emmanuel cathedral on the weekend closest to the anniversary of the archbishop’s death on February 13, 2004. This year it will be held on February 11 and 12. Mr Kearney said the event will commence with a candlelight procession to the Archbishop’s tomb in the cathedral’s Lady Chapel after the 17:30 Mass on Saturday, February 11. All the Masses for over the weekend will be celebrated by Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town and on Sunday, February 12 at 15:30, Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban will preside over a report back on progress made during the past year, as well as plans for 2012.
Retreat centre blown away by Youth Wind Orchestra STAFF REPORTER
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SUALLY a place of silence, solitude and reflection, St Luke’s Retreat Centre in Port Elizabeth was recently host to the South African National Youth Wind Orchestra (SANYO). The purpose of the 11-day summer school retreat was to inspire the young South African musicians, teach orchestral skills, broaden horizons, and share a love of music and community with their audience. The orchestra’s CEO Sophia Welz said SANYO provides a platform for “exceptionally talented young musicians to hone their skills—from musicians who are still at school, to those at the beginning of their professional career”. Neill Deane, manager of St Luke’s Retreat Centre, said hosting the orchestra was a wonderful experience. “For the first five days, the centre was divided in seven separate areas where the youth were split into groups according to instrument
type. Each group was tutored by world renowned musicians from as far afield as England, the United States, and Germany and of course some of our own South African tutors from Rhodes University and Johannesburg.” Mr Deane added that the home side was also represented in the form of percussion tutor Dario Broccardo from St Bernadette’s parish in Walmer, Port Elizabeth. “You can just imagine the noise levels as the musicians practised over and over again. We even supplied the [nearby] chancery staff with ear plugs,” he joked. “On the sixth day, the world-renowned young conductor Bjørn Breistein from Norway arrived. For the next five days, we watched with utter amazement and admiration how Bjørn pulled all the components, music, musicians and instruments together, to form the 50 piece orchestra as a whole. This he did with unbelievable patience, kindness, skill, devotion and professionalism. We know from com-
ments made to us, these young musicians fell in love with their conductor,” said Mr Deane. Babalwa Tshula, a clarinetist also from the windy city, described being part of the orchestra as being a part of a new family. “It not only gives you the sense of belonging you need, but the discipline to shape you into something beautiful. I am grateful to our sponsors for making our dreams become a reality.” The 11 days of hard work culminated in a well received concert at the Feather Market Hall. Mr Deane said the 60 young visitors made a big impression on the retreat centre. “We at St Luke’s found great comfort seeing these unbelievably polite and well-mannered young people from such diverse backgrounds come together. They shared experiences, made new friends, learnt much about their love of and for music, shed a few tears, lived for 11 days in harmony and peace and in the end, made wonderful music for many to enjoy.”
St Luke’s Retreat Centre in Port Elizabeth recently played host to the South African National Wind Youth Orchestra.
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The Southern Cross, January 11 to January 17, 2012
INTERNATIONAL
26 missionaries killed in 2011 BY CAROL GLATz
A dennis Gini, 5, chases a pigeon in St Peter’s Square after attending Pope Benedict’s recitation of the Angelus at the vatican. An estimated 2,5 million people saw the pope at the vatican in 2011. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS.
T least 26 Catholic pastoral workers were killed in mission lands or among society's most disadvantaged communities, although they were more often the victims of violent crimes than persecution for their faith, said a Vatican news agency. Each year, Fides, the news agency of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, publishes a list of pastoral workers who died violently. The agency said that over the course of the year, it registered the deaths of 18 priests, four religious women and four laypeople. Twentyfive church workers were killed in 2010—a figure down from an unusually high number of 37 workers murdered in 2009. For the third consecutive year, the Americas, particularly Latin America, registered the most murders with the death of 13 priests and two laypeople: seven in Colombia, five in Mexico and one each in Brazil, Paraguay and Nicaragua. Six pastoral workers were killed in
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Africa, four in Asia and one priest was killed in Europe. In their commitment to serving the needs of others, the men and women made their own safety their last priority, Fides said. Like other years, "many were killed in an attempted robbery or kidnapping that ended badly, caught in their homes by bandits in search of imaginary riches. Others were killed in the name of Christ by those opposing love with hatred, hope with despair, dialogue with violent opposition, the right to perpetrate abuse," it said. The list of those killed included: —A nun identified only as Sr Angelina, who was killed by militants of the Ugandan guerilla movement, the Lord's Resistance Army, while she was taking medical assistance to refugees in South Sudan. —Maria Elizabeth Macias Castro, a member of the Scalabrinian Lay Movement in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, who assisted migrants and was kidnapped and murdered by drug dealers. —Sr Valsha John of the Sisters of
(CNS graphic/Emily Thompson) Charity of Jesus and Mary was killed in her home in northern India. She helped protect indigenous communities from being driven from their lands by coal mining companies. She had been repeatedly threatened by criminals who had warned her not to interfere, but government authorities reportedly ignored her requests for help and left her without protection, said Fides. Fides said its provisional list only includes pastoral care workers, not the many other Catholics who died for their faith this year such as the late Pakistan minister of minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti, and those killed in the bombings of Christian churches in Nigeria on Christmas.—CNS
Catholics help flood victims in Philippines C
ATHOLIC agencies and officials in the Philippines are working to provide housing for victims of recent flooding that left more than 1 200 people dead and hundreds of thousands more displaced. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said it would seek funding for the construction of 1 000 houses and 400 permanent homes in Cagayan de Oro, another 400 transitional homes in Iligan, and 200 other temporary shelters in Dumaguete. A spokeswoman for the US bishops’ Catholic Relief Services said that the agency hoped to begin building more than 800 transitional shelters. She said CRS also hoped to implement a six-month cashfor-work program with a grant from the US Agency for International Development. Fr Edwin Gariguez, executive secretary of the Philippine bishops’ Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace, said it was asking Caritas Internationalis for $1.6 million (R13 million). “They will start releasing their pledges once we finish the revision of the proposal,”he told the Asian church news agency UCA News. He said he expected construction to begin by mid-February,
Residents retrieve belongings from a house after it was swept away by flash floods caused by Typhoon Washi in a subdivision in Iligan, Philippines. (Photo: Erik de Castro, Reuters/CNS) once Caritas gives its approval. “Those in Iligan and Dumaguete will be constructed on site, while those in Cagayan de Oro will be relocated. We have to find a suitable place for the 400 families there,” he said. Fr Gariguez said relief supplies have been arriving steadily, but that shelter is the principal need. “There are tent cities but these are only temporary. We want to address the long-term need of the community—relocation and shelter assistance. Otherwise, (residents) will just
return to the hazardous areas,” he said. Government and other groups have also announced plans to address housing needs in the wake of flooding. Welfare secretary Corazon Soliman said the government would prepare an unspecified number of permanent homes for flood victims now being moved to tents and temporary shelters from schools and churches. Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University also introduced a plan to build 200 new residences in two flood-affected cities.—CNS
2.5 million saw pope at Vatican in 2011 BY CINdY WOOdEN
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HE Prefecture of the Papal Household, the office responsible for handing out free tickets to papal events, estimated more than 2.5 million people saw Pope Benedict at the Vatican in 2011. The prefecture—headed by US Archbishop James Harvey— estimated 500 000 people attended a liturgy celebrated by Pope Benedict in the month of May. Pope Benedict beatified Pope John Paul II May 1. While there may have been only 500 000 people with tickets in St Peter’s Square and on Vatican territory, Italian police had
said more than 1 million people were gathered in and around the Vatican and in front of large video screens in several parts of Rome for the Mass. Almost half of the visitors and pilgrims at papal events in 2011 were members of the crowds gathered on Sundays for the pope's recitation of the Angelus. The Vatican said more than 1,2 million people joined the pope for the noon prayer at the Vatican or in Castel Gandolfo, his summer residence. The pope held 45 weekly general audiences on Wednesdays in 2011, speaking to a combined total of about 400 000 people.
Special papal audiences for groups drew about 102 000 people to the Vatican and papal liturgies were attended by about 846 000 people, the papal household said. The 2,5 million figure for 2011 marked an increase in participation compared to 2010, when the office estimated the crowds at a total of just under 2,3 million people. The Vatican estimated that just more than 18 million people joined Pope Benedict for an audience, Angelus or Mass from his election in April 2005 through to his weekly general audience on December 28, 2011.—CNS
INTERNATIONAL
The Southern Cross, January 11 to January 17, 2012
Pope tried to end Irish inmates’ 1981 hunger strike BY MICHAEL KELLY
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ECLASSIFIED British documents reveal the extent to which Pope John Paul II tried unsuccessfully to intervene to end a 1981 hunger strike by Catholic prisoners in a British jail in Northern Ireland. The documents claim that, after the pope sent a special envoy, the leader of the Provisional Irish Republican Army prisoners, Bobby Sands, was willing to suspend the fast just days before he died. The offer was conveyed to the British authorities by the pope's secretary, Irish Mgr John Magee, whom Pope John Paul dispatched to persuade the prisoners to call off the hunger strike. The state papers, declassified under the 30-year-rule, claim that Sands told Mgr Magee, who later became the bishop of Cloyne, that he would suspend his strike in return for discussions with a British government official, two priests and three other prisoners as witnesses. However, the British rejected the offer, claiming it was an attempt to open negotiations. The prisoners, incarcerated for paramilitary activity against British rule in Northern
Ten Catholic IRA and INLA prisoners starved to death in Long Kesh prison, Northern Ireland in protest against their treatment by the British Government in 1981. From left to right, clockwise: Bobby Sands, Francis Hughes, Ray McCreesh, Patsy O'Hara, Joe Mcdonnell, Martin Hurson, Kevin Lynch, Kieran doherty, Thomas McElwee, Michael devine. Ireland, had begun their hunger strike in a bid to be reclassified as political prisoners, a move Britain vehemently rejected. Sands died May 5, 1981, after 66 days on hunger strike; he was buried with a crucifix that Mgr Magee had given him as a gift from Pope John Paul. Ten prisoners starved to death before a compro-
mise was reached that October. The hunger strike significantly polarised tensions between the majorityProtestant and minority-Catholic communities in Northern Ireland. More than 100 000 Catholics attended Sands' funeral, and Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, began contesting elections for the first time.—CNS
Italian research experts test the Shroud of Turin
Pope Benedict prays in front of the Shroud of Turin in the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Turin, Italy. (Photo: Alessandro Garofalo, Reuters, CNS)
BY CAROL GLATz
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SING high-tech lasers shooting pulses of ultraviolet light, Italy’s national research agency succeeded in reproducing on linen cloth colourations similar to those seen on the Shroud of Turin. The enormous technical difficulty in achieving the positive results also makes it highly unlikely that the shroud is a fake from medieval times, the agency said. The Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, or ENEA, spent five years looking for ways to recreate the micro-thin, yellow-sepia toned colourations that form the image of a man on the Turin shroud, said the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano. According to tradition, the 4,2m by 1,2m Shroud of Turin is the linen burial shroud of Jesus. The shroud has a full-length photonegative image of a man, front and back, bearing signs of wounds that correspond to the Gospel accounts of the torture Jesus endured in his passion and death. The Church has never officially ruled on the shroud’s authenticity, saying judgments about its age and origin belonged to scientific investigation. Scientists who conducted on-site tests of the shroud in 1978 discovered that the image was not painted, drawn, printed or transferred by heat and that the depth of colourations of the linen fibres is extremely thin—equivalent to the top cellular layer of each linen fibre, according to ENEA’s scientific report released in December. The experiments also achieved the same peculiar trait observed on the shroud with the irradiated cloth no longer being phosphorescent under ultraviolet light, it said. Another interesting find, the report said, was what happened when a hot iron was passed over pieces of cloth that had undergone just a small
number of ultraviolet pulses and revealed no colouration: The dehydrating or artificial aging effect of the ironing ended up producing the same desired colouration seen on the shroud. Similar pieces of cloth that showed no colouration because they, too, were not exposed to enough total intensity of UV radiation also developed the same colouration after they had been stored in a dark drawer for a year, it said. This last result is particularly important, it said, because it introduces the possibility that the image created on the shroud could have become visible over time. “We succeeded in getting a colouration of the linen that has both the tonality of colour and the thickness of colouration that approaches (the properties seen) in the image formed on the Shroud of Turin,” the report said. The colouration was also achieved without heat, which is compatible to findings discovered from the shroud, it added. As a result, the researchers said, they have uncovered what could be the “distinct physical and photo-chemical processes that account for both colouration and latent colouration” due to dehydration from time or heat. However, the ENEA experiments could only produce small dots of colouration on small swaths of cloth, it said. No machine or energy source is currently capable of providing the total amount of power that would be needed to instantaneously colour the entire image of an adult on a 4,2 by 1,2m piece of cloth, it said. Also, they were unable to create the kind of colour gradations that the shroud possesses, it said. Given the “great technological and scientific difficulties” in producing similar colourations, the hypothesis that the shroud is a medieval fake “does not seem reasonable,” said the report.—CNS
A Catholic priest walks inside a church made of snow in the Bavarian village of Mitterfirmiansreut, near the German-Czech border. The snow church is likely to become a tourist attraction until the beginning of spring. (Photo: Petr Josek, Reuters/CNS)
Pray that AFRICA may draw closer to the HEART OF CHRIST 2 Chron 7:14 Matthew 7:7-12
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LEADER PAGE
The Southern Cross, January 11 to January 17, 2012
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Editor: Günther Simmermacher Guest Editorial: Michael Shackleton
The mystery of the Church
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IKE any other newspaper, The Southern Cross gives its readers information and comment about what's going on in today's world. Specifically, it seeks to keep Catholics up to date in respect of how their Church is working at its sublime goal of unifying people in Christ into a bond of divine love. The kingdom of God on earth is the people of God. But within that people there are good and bad souls. The parable of the good seed and the weeds that are sown within it, is clear about that (Mt 13:24-30). When the harvest is gathered, the weeds will be burnt and the wheat gathered safely into a barn. The mainstream media will report on the weeds in the Church with undertones of glee. We see this when prominence is given to deviant clergy who are found guilty of child abuse or neglect of those who have been abused, in the interests of preserving the good face of the Church. We also see it in the media's indifference to religious matters. The Southern Cross, yes, is very much like any other newspaper. However, in giving the facts that other news media may give, it always contains the underlying understanding that the Church is more than just a temporal organisation known as the People of God. It is more than a community of like-minded co-religionists. It is something bigger than what the secular news media imagine it to be. When the present pope, Benedict XVI, was prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he noted in July 1999 that the Vatican Council's concept of the People of God could be reduced to a purely sociological view. He asserted that there was the danger that the Church could be perceived as a
human invention, an institution created by the Christian community, which could easily be reorganised according to the needs of the historical and cultural variables of the time. This seems to be the way the contemporary world sees it and, alas, perhaps many Catholics too, who should know better. The then Cardinal Ratzinger said we can never forget that the Church is the place of the presence of the mystery of God and the Lord resurrected in the world. Here he was echoing the teaching of the great medieval theologian St Thomas Aquinas, who held that the Church is the Holy Spirit in human hearts, and all the rest, such as the hierarchy and sacraments, are at the service of the Spirit's work at transforming us into Christ. The Church and even the parish church as a living expression of the Spirit's presence, draws its life and its strength from the Son of God made man. When parishioners bow in adoration at the moment of consecration of bread and wine during the sacred liturgy, they are acknowledging the presence of the Holy Spirit. When they have sins forgiven in the sacrament of reconciliation, they are in an intimate union with the only one who can forgive sin, God himself. When they do good works in the parish or elsewhere, they are influenced, encouraged and led forward by Christ himself. This aspect of the Church needs to be emphasised a lot more. We are not a mere community of believers with an outwardly recognised structure. Hidden and unseen by others, we live and move in Christ, the same Christ who at the end of time will burn the weeds hindering his followers and put the wheat into his everlasting barn.
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.
Blame dull catechism classes N the cover article “Priest calls SA nion or confirmation, these kids ISammy youth to action” (December 7), Fr usually make up only about half of Mabusela is quoted as say- those attending. The other half are ing the religious are partly to blame for the lack of contribution from the youth. As a youth, I disagree. There is only so much priests and nuns can do. The problem lies (a) with the parents, and (b) with the system of catechism. The reason for the lack of action and contribution from the youth is because they do not feel passionate about Jesus and the work of the Church. They have not had a personal encounter with the Lord; he remains an abstract concept to them. Parents are primarily to blame for this, because most parents have apathy towards the Church themselves. I have seen it in my years of catechism: the kids whose parents bring them to Mass every Sunday without fail are the kids who end up loving the Church, and some of them will thus get involved in reading, altar serving or the choir. But if you look at the spectrum of those attending catechism classes for the sacraments of Holy Commu-
Christmas-and-Easter Catholics who don’t have faithful parents, and therefore never had their own faith grown. Faith really does begin at home; it’s not just a cliché. I wonder how many of those in the religious life had faithful Catholic parents. I would guess about 90%. The second problem lies in the system of catechism classes. I am a teenager who has just finished her first year of confirmation classes. I love God with a passion, but this passion was not fostered by catechism at all! In fact, I have a strong dislike for the classes. They are boring and dry, taught by old (but well meaning) teachers who we find hard to relate to. It often feels we are being force-fed a set of facts. Everyone watches the time, eager to get home. Relationships and openness are not fostered between us students because of the sit-down-andbe-quiet classroom environment. My analogy for catechism is that instead of nurturing those with weak faith, which I believe it should be doing, it is like passing through a fire. Those who last after 18 months
Theology for prisoners
Catholics in England. They did, however, take the text in the original biblical languages into account when translating the Latin text, recently approved by the Council of Trent as the authoritative text of the Scriptures. The New Testament was published in 1582, almost 30 years ahead of the King James version. The Old Testament was ready at the same time, but was published only in 1609 due to lack of funds, that is, only a couple of years ahead of the “authorised version”. This Douai New Testament was widely used in by the translators of the “authorised version”, and so played a role in what became the standard Protestant version of the Bible in English. So, although the King James version of the Bible in English was not an “ecumenical” translation, it was not without a Catholic contribution. Bonaventure Hinwood OFM, Pretoria
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WOULD like to pass my greetings to you in the name of our Lord jesus Christ. My name is Linus Moahloli. I really enjoy reading The Southern Cross as a Catholic and the information it provides I cannot get from just any newspaper. My concern is there are no theological courses especially for us Catholic prisoners. At the moment we are turning to other religions for such courses and end up learning the doctrine of other churches instead of Catholicism. Linus Moahloli, Mangaung correctional centre, Bloemfontein
Catholic contribution to the King James Bible faith into action
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ITH reference to Fr Michael Austin’s article “The Bible that helped form the English language” (December 28), I was disappointed that he did not mention the indirect Catholic contribution to the translated text of the “authorised version”, or the King James Bible. The Catholic translation of the Latin Vulgate text of the Bible was undertaken by a group of English scholars in exile at Douai in France, because of the persecution of
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AGREE with Frank Bompas’ “Evangelisation is paramount”, (December 21), that the Catholic Church does not evangelise suffiOpinions 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.
of boring classes and continue coming back to Mass in adulthood really want to be Catholics. The rest will be burnt up and become Christmasand-Easter Catholics too. I don’t know what my faith would be like if I only had catechism to nurture it. My faith was strengthened by the vibrancy and passion of the faiths of Protestant and evangelical youth in the Students’ Christian Association (SCA) at my school. I fellowship, pray and worship with them and that has made me who I am today. The SCA is student-led. We get outside speakers in, and things are facilitated by a teacher, but ultimately we learn and grow because of each other. We need to look at how to change our system of catechism to make it more current. I don’t mean debasing it with cheap tricks. We just need to change our approach to be more nurturing, instead of passing through fire. Focusing on Catholic parenting and catechism will ultimately be the most effective means of improving vocations and general involvement of the youth. Name withheld, Durban ciently. However, one cannot ignore the immoral evils taking place and evolving in the secular society today where God has either been outlawed or is ignored. Faith and good works are part and parcel of being a Christian, and being active in pro-life works is a part of that. We, as evangelised Christians, should carry our faith into action with the Holy Spirit (James 2:17). Mr Bompas’ reference to the “overzealous pro-life lobby” is quite ridiculous. Are we not obliged with the love and compassion of Jesus Christ to go to the aid of our neighbour if he/she is being murdered? We are not here to play God, we need to address the immoral actions that cause us to sinfully kill God’s gift of life. The Church on earth is not Christ’s true Church unless it is a “suffering Church”. James 1:27 tells us Catholics to keep ourselves unstained from the world. I suggest that people go to www.abort73.com/end_abortion and look up the “Biblical mandate to do something about abortion”. This will help to be focused on the God who created us and not on the God we think created us. The status quo in the world today between people of faith and the scientific, secular world doctrine is a direct result of apathy and appeasement from the body of Christ. Shame on us for our silence (John 15:20). T Throp, Cape Town
PERSPECTIVES
What lies behind Nigeria’s church bomb?
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T is highly disturbing that as a family you can go to attend, say, a midnight Christmas Mass only to be met with a reaper’s sickle, as happened with the bomb attack on St Theresa Catholic church in Madalla, Nigeria, now referred to as the Christmas Massacre. Yet again, I looked at from a faith perspective, it is a holy way to die. Faith is dangerous because it is directed to the eternal. To paraphrase Dostoevsky’s Mitya Karamazov, faith is the battlefield where God and the devil war for the soul of man. And the battle runs deep on the faithful sons of Abraham. Pope Benedict called the Madalla bombing “senseless violence”. This is a good way to respond from the leader of the Catholic Church and the vicar of Christ. Yet, to most people it might feel like it downplays the situation—as if we don’t want to face up to the reality of what is happening in Nigeria, and, in fact, thoughout central and west Africa. Personally I’m glad that the pope’s remarks bore none of the hallmarks of arrogance from the times of the Crusades when an eye for an eye was demanded, and you would get plenary indulgences for killing a Muslim and so on. We’ve now adopted the authentic way of our faith, which St Francis of Assisi tried to
teach to the Crusaders when he held peace talks with the Muslims’ leader, against the wishes of leaders of the Crusades. Just to be clear, atrocities in Nigeria are perpetrated by both Christians and Muslims. Its roots are mostly historic: tensions over land rights and ethnic backgrounds that go back to ancient times. These are compounded by religious differences, which provides the press with a simplistic reading as just a Judeo-Christian vs Islam conflict.
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rganisations such as Boko Haram— an Islamist sect that wants to impose Islamic law throughout the Nigerian Federation—takes advantage of these tensions for its own vested interests. In fact, Boko Haram is the nickname for a group which is actually called Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, which means People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad. In the Hausa language of northern Nigeria, Boko Haram means “Western education is sacrilege”. They despise all and every Occidental influence. Such groups play on the emotional scars of the people, especially those with a history of experiencing oppression, like the once colonised who have a resultant
A car burns at the scene of a bomb explosion outside St Theresa Catholic church in Madalla, just outside Nigeria’s capital Abuja. Five bombs exploded on Christmas day at churches in Nigeria. The explosion at St Theresa’s killed at least 39 people. Militants of the Boko Haram sect said they had set off the bombs, raising fears that they are trying to ignite sectarian civil war. (Photo: Reuters/CNS)
The joy of youth ministry
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HE room is finally empty. You breathe out as you hear the last parent driving out the gate as the lights are switched off and the alarm is set. There are many around South Africa who have been sent out to share Christ’s love with young people in our parishes, schools and youth groups: a mission we feel called to because God has changed our lives, or maybe because a youth leader impacted our lives when we were younger and we want to do the same, or maybe because we were asked to get involved. There are numerous reasons why we give of our time to listen, care for, mentor and teach the faith. The countless hours preparing, setting up halls and youth rooms, making popcorn or pizza, giving lifts to deanery or parish events, working with young people in “youth ministry” or teaching, can be hard work. But nothing beats the moment when you witness the light bulb come on as a teenager first “gets it”. That Jesus really loves them and forgives them. Or seeing a group who are on fire after their Confirmation—joyful and excited about their faith. To know God and teach in his name is such a privilege and can be such a joy. Sure, working in youth groups and Catholic schools is hard work and does come with some inconvenient hours, but it’s also amazing and inspiring. Teachers
and volunteers around the country can share stories of hope from the young members in our Church. Jesus knew that ministering in his name would bring joy. He also knew that it would be tough and would require preparation. That’s why he spent time with those closest to him, in prayer and community, before they were sent out into the world. Pope Paul VI said that “modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses”. Jesus knew that his disciples needed to be authentic witnesses to be effective. The same holds true for us. We’re the most fruitful in sharing God’s love with anyone when we know Christ’s love ourselves and it’s him doing the work through us. The best thing youth leaders can do is to make sure they spend time in prayer with our God and growing in relationship with him before we do anything. Then we “need to be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks [us] for a reason for [our] hope” (1 Peter 3:15) In February Catholic youth leaders from around South Africa will have the opportunity to spend time together growing in what it means to be authentic witnesses of Christ to young people. The first Catholic Youth Leaders Training Conference will be held in Durban from February 10-12 for all those involved in high
The Southern Cross, January 11 to January 17, 2012
Siphiwe Mbili
Mphuthumi Ntabeni Pushing Boundaries anti-imperialist sentiment. They advocating Shariah law in attempt to rid governments of corruption, greed, and so on. The group came to prominence in 2009, when its members rioted and burned police stations near its base of Maiduguri, a north-eastern city near Bauchi. In 2011 alone, Boko Haram claimed responsibility for attacking the UN headquarters in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, destroying a police station at Damaturu in the north-eastern state of Yobe, and assassinating several prominent individuals. And, of course, the recent Christmas Day bombings, targeted at the Catholic Church as the ideological centre of Christianity. Boko Haram’s motivation is purely ideological and directed as much at Muslims who do not share their extreme views as it is at Christians. They see Western influence as sin. It is clear that they have identified central and western Africa, and Nigeria in particular, as a key arena of sectarian warfare. The 2011 Christmas Day attacks have been condemned by both Pope Benedict and Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general. But if these leaders’ words are not supported by a clear strategy of combating the rising sectarian warfare, their condemnations will mean very little. Decisive political leadership, with all arms of the state resolute in tackling this problem, will be needed to prevent further horror. Words of peace must prevail over and above those of revenge and warfare. As the purifying fire reaches let it turn us into true instruments of God’s peace. We must be careful when in reacting to these atrocities not to place blame on the religion of Islam. Like Christianity and other religions, Islam is practised in many cultures and societies, sectarian, stratified, schismatic and pluralistic. To the degree Islam followers become fundamentalist, in particular what I understand to be the misinterpretation of Jihad, it is mistaken reaction against the secular age that puts beliefs under siege. The common enemy is fundamentalism—religious or secular. In other words, fundamentalism, which is religion under siege, responds to exogenous forces that it perceives as weakening its mores, endangering its values, seducing its children, and destroying its communities. In fact, all the very qualities displayed by organisations like Boko Haram.
Steven Edwards Youth and Mission school youth work—all priests, religious, youth ministers, leaders, volunteers, teachers, catechists and musicians are invited. Organised by local youth leaders this event will see Catholic speakers from the Life Teen movement in the United States, including Randy Raus, president of Life Teen International, sharing how we can serve our young communities better. A talented musician from the US will also be present on the weekend, to run a “musicians track” for band members. A number of priests have committed their support to the weekend’s focus of building up and inspiring youth leaders from all communities. The weekend events will begin on Friday, February 10 with an evening of praise, worship, an inspiring talk, confession and adoration. All teenagers and interested adults are invited to attend. The leaders training conference will run on the Saturday and Sunday at Pinetown parish (visit www.sacyltc.co.za for information). As we begin 2012, let’s pray for all hopeful witnesses beginning a new year of youth ministry and teaching this month in our parishes and communities. God is doing great things in our Church through so many people!
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Point of Reflection
Lessons from the Holocaust
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OT to act is to act, not to speak is to speak,” wrote Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Protestant theologian who was murdered by the Nazis at a concentration camp established to wipe out Europe’s Jewish people. The genocide of 6 million Jews—the Holocaust or, as Jews call it, the Shoah—remains one of the most terrible experiences in history. As I look around the Holocaust museum in Cape Town, I see pictures of a huge pit filled of naked, dead bodies. In other photos, people are waiting for trains to take them to their doom. Innocent children, their hair shorn, are locked up, denied education and destined for probable death. I’m unable to tell whether they’re boys or girls. Adolf Hitler inspired and masterminded this whole operation. Concentration camps were built across Europe, where Jews were imprisoned and used as slaves or killed. What could have caused such cruelty and brutality? Was it just that Hitler believed that Jews were sub-human? Was it because a Jew was on the board that denied him access to the art school? Or maybe he resented them because a Jew actually helped him when he was freezing in the cold and he felt humiliated at being helped by a representative of a people who were already agitated against in some Germanspeaking quarters? Maybe they were Hitler’s scapegoats for all his problems. Hendrik Verwoerd learnt about setting people or races apart in Nazi Germany. The birth of apartheid in South Africa was influenced by the Nazi regime. The Nazi regime saw itself as superior to the Jews and sought to clear their cities of them (at one point considering the mass deportation of Jews to Madagascar!). Similarly in South Africa, whites dominated blacks and kept them segregated. “I do not see very far ahead, but when I have arrived where the horizon now closes down, a new prospect will open before me, and I shall meet it with peace,” St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross—Edith Stein, the Jewish convert to Catholicism and the religious life—prayed as she stared at death, waiting at the concentration camp. Among other Catholic saints who shared in the suffering and death of the Holocaust is St Maximillian Kolbe who sacrificed his life to save a man from a random execution, because that man had a family. The cruel lessons from the Holocaust and apartheid remind us that we are all made in the image and likeness of God. We are all part of the human race and we should be treating each other as brother and sister. Former president Nelson Mandela said in his speech from the dock: “If need be, I’m prepared to die” for the equality of people in South Africa. Why can’t we stand up for peace and justice? Must there always be bloodshed before people act and offer a helping hand? n Siphiwe Mbili is a seminarian. He visited the Holocaust Museum, in Cape Town as part of a group from at St Francis Xavier Orientation Seminary.
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THEOLOGY OF THE BODY An Introduction by C.West – Discovering the Master Plan for your Life Teens by Jason & Crystalina Evert – Discovering God’s Plan for Love and Life God’s plan for a Joy Filled Marriage by C.West …and more! 1st Retreat for 2012: “T.O.B for Teens” 3-5 February Contact:Marie-Anne 0834491129 / ffpandf@gmail.com
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The Southern Cross, January 11 to January 17, 2012
COMMUNITY
volunteer catechists from most of the parishes of the diocese of Witbank came together for one Saturday at the diocesan Pastoral Centre of Maria Trost in Lydenburg-Mashishing. They discussed their work among Archbishop Stephen Brislin with members of the Catholic Women’s League of St themselves, with the diocesan team responsible for catechetics and with Bishop Giuseppe (Joe) Sandri, who Stephen the Martyr parish in Macassar, Cape Town, after celebrating Mass and the celebrated a Mass to thank them for their commitment in transmitting the Catholic faith to children, young sixth anniversary of the dedication of the church. (Submitted by deacon Allan Petersen) people and adults.
IN FOCUS 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
St Anthony’s parish choir in Langa, Cape Town, won a competition organised by St Anne’s Sodality. The competition was part of fundraising in preparation for St Anne’s 10th national convention. (Submitted by Fr Gilbert Bafana Hlatshwayo CSsR)
The community of St Henry’s Marist College in durban were joined by alumni and friends to celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving for the 41 years of faithful service given to the school by its principal of 28 years and present college rector, dr Tony Akal. The main celebrant was Cardinal Wilfrid Napier who was assisted by Mgr Paul Nadal and Fr desmond Royappen, Fr desmond Nair and Fr Sean Mullins CSSp. The 40 confirmation candidates of St Matthew’s parish in Bonteheuwel, Cape Town, with (from left) Martha Lambert, deacon Andrew Siljeur, Archbishop Stephen Brislin, Fr Gavin Butler and Mark Seale. (Submitted by Michael Brown)
Confirmation candidates of All Saints parish in Ennerdale, Johannesburg, with Archbishop Buti Tlhagale, parish priest Fr Sean Murphy SdB and Fr Mbongiseni Shaeangu SdB. (Submitted by Pamela Jagesar)
The youth group who led the parishioners of St Bernard’s in Cape Town in carols by candlelight. (Submitted by Colleen Robus
BLIND READERS OF A group of readers is preparing audio tapes of excerpts from The Southern Cross, including editorials, selected articles, and regular features such as Father Nicholas King SJ and Chris Moerdyk, as well current affairs in the Church. Anyone wanting to receive tapes as part of this service, available for an annual subscription fee of only R50, is invited to contact Ms Veronica Vieyra at “Clareinch”, union ave., pinelands, 7405 or phone 021-532 0661.
The Post Office will deliver and return tapes without charge. Should you know of any interested blind person, please inform them of this service.
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The Southern Cross, January 11 to January 17, 2012
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Vatican II and the family G ENERALLY, what the Second Vatican Council said is quite informative, not least for the way in which so many of Vatican II’s documents were written—as compromise texts, combinations of conservative and progressive, traditional and innovative theological thinking. In addition, when one reads the social analysis in many of the documents, one sees the influence of the times on the authors. In some cases, these times have changed quite dramatically. This is particularly noticeable in Vatican II’s reflections on marriage and the family. Reflecting on Gaudium et Spes (47-52), Joseph Ratzinger noted how Vatican II had significantly shifted the Church’s understanding of the family away from a classical Stoic understanding of marriage as rooted in the procreation of children and something “according to nature”. While not rejecting this at all, the Council came to see marriage and the family as something profoundly spiritual. Some authors would see this shift as the affirmation of family as the “domestic church”, a means of grace and growth in the Christian life. Bringing together as it does marriage, love and the raising of children, Gaudium et Spes sees family as a “school for human enrichment” and “a place where different generations come
Anthony Egan SJ
A Church of Hope and Joy
together and help one another to grow wiser and harmonise the rights of individuals with other demands of social life; as such it constitutes the basis of society”. It is a place for love, companionship, “equal affection, agreement of mind, and mutual holiness [by which families] bear witness by their faithful love in the joys and sacrifices of their calling, to that mystery of love which the Lord revealed to the world by his death and resurrection” (52). With these great words and with considerable attention to the mutuality of respect and responsibility of husband and wife in raising families, Gaudium et Spes offered something of a renewed theology and spirituality of family life. Simultaneously it affirmed much of the classical Catholic doctrine based heavily on ancient philosophy and a form of natural law that stressed procreation as the fundamental reason for marriage. Though nuanced somewhat by an appeal to conscience and the recognition of the problem for some couples of having more children than they perhaps can
afford, the document reaffirmed the prohibition (expressed in Pope Pius XI’s encyclical Casta Connubi in 1930) on artificial birth control as sinful, contrary to nature and a potential threat to marital fidelity. Near the beginning of the section (47) it also sounded a warning about the growth of divorce, adultery and the persistence of polygamy as threats to family life.
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hile the problems Gaudium et Spes identified persist, when we read it from the present day perspective, we see how even more complex they have become. Defenders of polygamy, including Christians, have presented a powerful case for its defence on grounds of culture, the notion of extended family and the claim that it has a basis in at least parts of the Hebrew scriptures. Against them are ranged the majority of Catholics and a goodly number of secular feminists who would otherwise rather be seen dead than agree with anything we say! More complex too is the question of divorce. Though few Catholics today would treat it lightly, many pastoral cases arise where marriages have become so destructive to all concerned (including the children) that even conservatives might admit that divorce (whether with or without an annulment) seems if
A family at prayer before Mass. The vatican II document Gaudium et Spes stressed the idea of the family as the “domestic church”.
not for the best then the least disastrous option. There has also been a radical shift in the understanding of what constitutes a family. In many countries, including South Africa, the single parent family has increasingly become the norm. In most cases this is a result of circumstances and few would consider the situation desirable: family life is made more difficult in many respects, particularly for children. With the effects of HIV/Aids we now see child-led families too. And in some countries where it is permissible, we see families headed by same-sex couples.
Blanket condemnation of the situation is unhelpful. In fact condemnation may merely add further burdens on families in complex situations. However difficult the circumstances, and however much we find the “traditional” family preferable, I think we need as Church to support these families drawing on the principle of compassion that guided the Council. We need to be creative in our application of the principles Gaudium et Spes identified as signs of positive family values and inspire in all families the ideal of making the home truly the “domestic church”.
Book Review: Two new histories of the Church deepen understanding NEW SHORT HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, by Norman Tanner SJ. Continuum, 2011. 344pp CATHOLICISM: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith, by Robert Barron. Image Books, New York. 2011. 320pp Reviewed by Jeffrey Gros FSC ATHER Norman Tanner’s New Short History of the Catholic Church and Fr Robert Barron’s Catholicism give a fresh view to important perspectives on Catholicism. They are welcome additions for the Catholic reader interested in a brief overview either of the Church’s story or of the central mysteries of the faith. They are also accessible and brief introductions suitable for the interested non-Catholic reader or the returning Catholic who has been estranged from the tradition or uninformed by its history and content. The history by Fr Tanner, the premier Jesuit English historian of the Church’s councils, provides a remarkably brief, clear and readable account of the Catholic component of Christianity from its biblical foundation to the 21st century. It includes some penetrating questions in its conclusion about Catholicism’s future as it continues to work out the implications of the First and Second Vatican Councils in the context of a newly globalising Church, in dialogue with the great world religions; economic, technological and political forces; ecumenical progress among Christians; and a commitment to inculturation in a variety of new contexts. Fr Tanner’s mastery of conciliar history enables him to give a harmonious and integrated account of the continuities, discontinuities and unresolved issues at each moment in history. His account of the relationship between Trent
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(1545-63), Vatican I (1870) and Vatican II (1962-65), and summary of their results and continuing contribution are worth the whole of the book. Amid the debates about history circulating in popular Catholicism and the critics of the Church today are caricatures of these three councils and their results, in both the serious literature and in journalistic accounts. These caricatures are a burden on both the relations among Christians and their witness in contemporary society. This brief, comprehensive and careful history should be a good resource for correcting distortions. The author balances the history of institutions, doctrines and leaders, with an account of popular religion, saints, the arts and the wider society within which the Church operated and operates today. As a brief account, his judgments will be challenged by those who have a broad knowledge of the story, and some of his factual errors will be corrected. However these minor quibbles will not compromise the usefulness of the volume in a variety of contexts.
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ather Barron gives a fresh and appealing account of the Catholic faith, enhanced by a beautifully illustrated volume. The treatment of the Christian faith, while richly informed by Catholic doctrine, literature and the arts, is presented from the standpoint of
beauty. The treatment exudes the enthusiasm of the author not only for the incarnational character of the Christian faith, but also its incarnation in the Christian imagination and concrete cultural expressions. The book includes ten chapters covering revelation, the beatitudes, the mystery of God and classical approaches to understanding, Our Lady, Peter and Paul, the Church, the Eucharist and other sacraments, the communion of saints, the Christian life in prayer and the Holy Spirit, ending appropriately with the last things: heaven, hell and purgatory. Ending, he returns to the beginning—God with us, the epitome of all the elements of the Christian faith centred on the Trinity. Each of the themes are enriched by an aesthetic sense of the Catholic doctrine as well as a variety of imaginative and creative forms in which it has been embodied in the lives of Christians and the arts they have produced to honour God, Mary, the saints and the church. This book is suitable not only for those who want to be informed and enriched by the Catholic faith. It will also make for serious spiritual reading for expanding and deepening the appreciation of all aspects of the rich treasures provided in Catholic teaching. The book is a witness to the conviction that the Christian Gospel is about the abundance of life in Christ, and not just about the accuracy of orthodox doctrine or a disciplined life. Both volumes provide a rich foundation for Catholic understanding and witness and could also provide resources for those who wish to enrich their Catholic witness within conversation among Christians, or to inform those outside who wish to discover the richness of Catholic self-understanding.
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The Southern Cross, January 11 to January 17, 2012
TRAVEL
Pilgrim destination: Latin America Latin America is not usually associated with pilgrimages, but the Church and governments in the region are working to change that perception, as EzRA FIESER reports.
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HE oldest cathedral in the Americas sits just off a busy plaza in the colonial district of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, the nation that shares a Caribbean island with Haiti. However, it’s the nearby bronze Christopher Columbus statue, Hard Rock Café and cigar shops that draw the lines of tourists in the plaza. “We came to see the colonial area. The churches are a nice part of that. But they’re not the reason we came,” said Maria Torres, who perused the shops that ring the plaza after snapping a photo of the statue. A life-long Catholic, Ms Torres, who was visiting from Spain, asked: “The oldest in the Americas? I had no idea.” Catholic leaders here want to get the word out about the area’s significance. A spokesman for the archdiocese of Santo Domingo said it is trying to bring attention to the area as a key site for 500 years of religious history. Working with tourism officials, the archdiocese developed “religious route” itineraries, taking tourists past 16 churches, convents, monasteries and hospitals that were the foundation of the development of Santo Domingo, the first city in the New World. Last August, it opened a museum dedicated to the area’s religious history, culminating in a
year-long effort by Cardinal Nicolas Lopez Rodriguez of Santo Domingo. The museum’s opening coincided with the end of the 500-year anniversary of the founding of the diocese. Throughout Latin America, Catholic leaders and tourism officials are working to bring more attention to their religious places and events. More than five centuries since Columbus landed in the Caribbean and Catholicism began to spread through the hemisphere, the region is gaining recognition from international tourists. “As a destination for faithbased tourism, we’re seeing Latin America receive more attention than it has in the past,” said Kevin Wright, director of growth markets at NTA, a Kentucky-based travel association. Years ago, Latin America was barely on the radar, but in what Mr Wright called the “new era” of faith-based tourism, the region appeals to younger and more adventurous travellers. “It offers a diversity of experiences,” he said. “It’s an emerging market.” The faith-based travel portion of the tourism market is worth an estimated R147 billion a year around the globe. The most popular destinations for Catholic pilgrimages remain, by far, the Holy Land and Europe. Although they receive far less attention than traditional destinations, significant Catholic sights—such as the cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor in Santo Domingo—are scattered throughout Latin America. They range from Mexico’s basilica of Our Lady Guadalupe, considered one of the holiest places in the Americas, to breathtaking churches tucked into Andean valleys. Even the iconic symbol of Brazil’s most celebrated city, Rio de Janeiro, is a Catholic monu-
ment: Christ the Redeemer, towering over the city below, was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. Within the region, religious travel has long been an important cultural event. Holy Week, marked in many countries by elaborate, sombre processions, remains the busiest travel week for most countries in the region. The Guatemalan colonial city Antigua—population 45 000—sees about 300 000 visitors that week. Other places, such as Las Lajas sanctuary, a nearly 90m tall basilica built into a ravine in southern Colombia, attract visitors yearround; many pilgrims to Las Lajas cross the border from Ecuador on pilgrimage. Las Lajas became the poster child of the Colombian government’s effort to attract more religious tourists when it launched a “Roads of Faith” promotional campaign in 2010. The campaign, which highlights events and places throughout the South American country, was aimed at drawing tourists from Spain, Italy and Latin American countries, said tourism minister Ivan Mauricio Florez. The importance of promoting the destinations to tourists from around the world was highlighted in a message from the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travellers. “It must be an objective priority of our pastoral care of tourism to show the true meaning of this cultural heritage, born from faith and for the glory of God,” said the 2011 World Tourism Day message. “We cannot allow ourselves to view the tourist visit as simply a step in pre-evangelisation but, on the contrary, we must see it as a platform to realise the clear and explicit announcement of Jesus Christ.”—CNS
Lights illuminate the cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor in Santo domingo, dominican Republic. The cathedral is the oldest in the Americas, with construction beginning in 1514 and completed in 1540. It is one of many significant Catholic sights scattered throughout Latin America. (Photo: Eduardo Munoz, Reuters/CNS)
The sanctuary of Las Lajas which became the poster child of the Colombian government’s effort to attract more religious tourists.
dancers in Aztec attire perform in front of the modern basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Aztec dress calls to mind St Juan diego, the Indian to whom Mary appeared in 1531. (Photo: Paul Haring, CNS)
The famous Christ the Redeemer statue atop Corcovado Peak in Rio de Janeiro. (Photo: Shana Reis via Reuters)
The Southern Cross, January 11 to January 17, 2012
Prisoners grateful for support
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AM awaiting trial at Pollsmoor Female Prison in Cape Town and would like to say a special thanks to the Prison Care and Support Network for their support. They are a candle in the dark. As a Catholic I am grateful for the Prison Care and Support Network who visits weekly and do Bible studies with us. Fr Babychan Arackathara MSFS, Sr Marie Brady and Sherly Johnson do a remarkable job for the Prison Care and Support Network. We feel listened to, supported and blessed in their prayers. Our souls are fed and it’s
in darkness that a beautiful transformation happens. Light shines, people choose to change for the better, we learn to choose God, to choose our families and we start with ourselves. One by one our group has grown over the years! This means God is winning at a fantastic speed. I do pass on my personal gratitude to this network for reaching out and feeding our hungry souls with healthy Catholic soul food. On behalf of all Catholics and other faiths, we are grateful for the work done and request for
more support to the Catholic Prison Network so that they keep on with this good work. The Catholic Prison Network not only visits prisons, they also visit our families which further bridges the gap between family members and inmates. Therefore we put a big price and deep gratitude on choosing God and never turning back! I encourage readers to support this non-profit organisation because when you do the light prevails in the dark and blessings always will follow. Mariah Paulsen, Pollsmoor Female Prison, Cape Town
Support the Good News
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WOULD like to congratulate Radio Veritas, Fr Emil Blaser OP and all the staff on having obtained the long awaited medium-wave licence. One can only hope that the South African Catholic community will see this as an opportunity to be involved in bringing the Good News to the people. Parishes too should get involved and support this
endeavour with donations. One never hears about this wonderful radio station in the parish and yet over the years I have learned so much and heard so many thing about the faith and Church that is never even mentioned on a parish level. One such programme was the series given by Mgr Marc de Muelenaere on the role and responsibility of the parish council.
Abortion: A human rights issue
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EFERING to the abortion problem, Frank Bompas (December 21) calls spending time and energy to propagate Christian moral principles to a society that is no longer Christian, wasteful. But the abortion
carnage, apart from being a moral problem, is foremost a human rights issue. Bl Pope John Paul II wrote in Christifideles Laici: “The common outcry...on behalf of the right to health, to home, to work, to fam-
Liturgical Calendar Year B Sunday, January 15, 2nd Sunday 1 Samuel 3: 3-10, 19, Psalm 40: 2, 4, 7-10, Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20, John 1:35-42 Monday, January 16, St Berard of Carbio 1 Samuel 15:16-23, Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23, Mark 2:18-22 Tuesday, January 17, St Anthony 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Psalm 89:20-22, 27-28, Mark 2:23-28 Wednesday, January 18 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 4051, Psalm 144:1-2, 9-10, Mark 3:1-6 Thursday, January 19 1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7, Franciscan protomarPsalm 56:2-3, 9-13, Mark tyr, 3:7-12 St Berard Friday, January 20, Ss Fabian & Sebastain 1 Samuel 24:3-21, Psalm 57:2-4, 6, 11, Mark 3:1319 Saturday, January 21, St Agnes 2 Samuel 1:1-4, 11-12, 19, 23-27, Psalm 80:2-3, 57, Mark 3:20-21 Sunday, January 22 Jonah 3:1-5, 10, Psalm 25:4-9, 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, Mark 1:14-20
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GORDON’S BAY: Beautiful en-suite rooms available at reasonable rates. Magnificent views, breakfast on request. Tel: 082 774 7140. bzhive@ telkomsa.net
DENOON—Leone Fabia went to her eternal rest on Friday, december 16, 2011. Sadly missed by her children Michael, veronica, Mary, Leo, Martina, Bernadette, Teresa, Margaret and Antoinette.
PERSONAL I find it sad that priests do not emphasise the fact that we are all part of a worldwide Church where we can learn and enrich each other, rather than have us follow their particular devotions and their interpretation of church. Jesus Christ said that we should proclaim the Good News from the housetops. He would do it also through Radio Veritas. Gerti Hoff, Ladysmith
Community Calendar To place your event, call Claire Allen at 021 465 5007 or e-mail c.allen@scross.co.za, (publication subject to space) BETHLEHEM: Shrine of Our Lady of Bethlehem at Tsheseng, Maluti mountains; Thursdays 09:30, Mass, then exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. 058 721 0532. CAPE TOWN: Good Shepherd, Bothasig. Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in the chapel. All hours. All welcome. Day of Prayer held at Springfield Convent starting at 10:00 ending 15:30 last Saturday of every month—all welcome. For more information contact Jane Hulley 021 790 1668 or 082 783 0331. DURBAN: St Anthony’s, Durban
ABORTION is murder— Speak out on this issue. ABORTION WARNING: ‘The Pill’ can abort, undetected, soon after conception (a medical fact). See website:www.humanlife.or g/abortion_does_the_pill.p hp CAN YOU be silent on abortion and walk with God? Matthew 7:21 See www.180movie.com
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ily, to culture is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all the other personal rights is not defended with maximum determination.” JH Goossens, Dundee, KZN
Central: Tuesday 09:00 Mass with novena to St Anthony. First Friday 17:30 Mass—divine Mercy novena prayers. Tel: 031 309 3496. JOHANNESBURG: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: first Friday of the month at 09:20 followed by Holy Mass at 10:30. Holy Hour: first Saturday of each month at 15:00. At Our Lady of the Angels, Little Eden, Edenvale. Tel: 011 609 7246. PRETORIA: First Saturday: devotion to divine Mercy. St Martin de Porres, Sunnyside, 16:30. Tel Shirley-Anne 012 361 4545.
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WANTED URGENT assistance required for the whereabouts of Franco and Marissa Caniato – the latter person left for Italy on August 20, 2009 to join her husband. Their address was 34 Knoll Road, N Tamborine Mountains, Queensland. If any reader is able to supply me with their present address, please write to The Advertiser, P O Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000 or phone 0027 21 465 9048.
PRAYERS HOLY ST JUDE, apostle and martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who
invoke you, special patron in time of need. To you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg you to come to my assistance. Help me now in my urgent need and grant my petitions. In return I promise to make your name known and publish this prayer. Amen. MC. HOLY SPIRIT you who makes me see everything and show me the way to reach my ideals. You who give me the divine gift to forgive and forget all that is done to me. I in this short dialogue want to thank you for everything and want to affirm once more that I never want to be separated from you, no matter how great the material desires may be. I want to be with you and my loved ones in your perpetual glory to the end and submitting to God’s Holy will. I ask from you…. This prayer should be said for three consecutive days and promise to publish the entire dialogue. CS.
HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION BETTY'S BAY: (Western Cape) Holiday home sleeps six, three bathrooms, close to beach, R800/night. 021 794 4293 marialouise@mweb.co.za FISH HOEK: Self-catering accommodation, sleeps 4. Secure parking. Tel: 021
Word of the Week Protomartyr: The first martyr to lay down his life for a cause. Application: St Stephen is considered to be the first Christian protomartyr. St Berard and companions are named the Franciscan protomartyrs.
KEURBOOMS RIVER, PLETT: Cozy log cabin in riverside complex, sleeps 6. Tel: 041 583 3629 carolyn.silversands@ gmail.com 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 R300, twin R480. Phone Peter 021 851 5200. MARIANELLA Guest House, Simon’s Town: “Come experience the peace and beauty of God with us.” Fully equipped with amazing sea views. Secure parking, ideal for rest and relaxation. Special rates for pensioners and clergy. Tel: Malcolm Salida 082 784 5675 or mjsalida@mweb.co.za SOUTH COAST, Uvongo: Secure holiday unit, with lock-up garage. Sleeps 6. In complex. 078 935 9128. STELLENBOSCH: Five simple private suites (2 beds, fridge, micro-wave). Countryside vineyard/forest/mountain walks; beach 20 minute drive, affordable. Christian Brothers Tel: 021 880 0242, cbcs tel@gmail.com
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22 January: 3rd Sunday Readings: Jonah 3:1-5, 10, Psalm 25:4-9 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, Mark 1:14-20
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HERE is in today’s world, with the disappearance of some of the old certainties, a universal quest for meaning; the readings for next Sunday suggest that we find our meaning by listening out for God’s call. If we find our vocation, then we may not always be comfortable, but we shall not be bored, and we shall not be at a loss to find a purpose in life. Next Sunday’s first reading concerns the notoriously reluctant prophet Jonah, whose distaste for his calling leads him to be thrown into the sea, eaten by a sea-monster and then vomited up on land. After this daunting experience he is less resistant to his vocation from God, which comes “a second time” (God should not have to ask more than once!). This time he does exactly what he is told, in the enormous (“three days’ journey across”) city of Nineveh. To his astonishment (and, we later learn, not entirely to his pleasure) the city’s inhabitants believe him, proclaim a fast, and put on sackcloth, and God lets them off. (If you want a laugh, read chapter 4 today, the tale of Jonah’s sulking response). We need to be careful when we respond to the Lord’s call. There is no place for sulking in the psalms,
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Lord teach me your ways and paths Nicholas King SJ Sunday Reflections
and next Sunday’s psalm is a prayer to the Lord to “make me know your ways, teach me your paths”, and to “remember your mercies”, as opposed to “the sins of my youth...remember me only in accordance with your steadfast love”. The psalmist finds meaning for his life in his response to the call of the Lord, who “guides the oppressed in righteousness, and teaches his path to the marginalised”. For Paul, in next Sunday’s second reading, God’s calling to his Corinthian Christians, with their somewhat cavalier attitude towards sexual ethics, demands that they live their life in the context of the Lord’s imminent return, which, at this stage in his life, Paul seems to have thought was “next Wednesday at the latest”. The point is that God’s call to us in Christ
involves us in having a new set of priorities: “the time is constrained—those who have wives are to live as though they did not, those who are weeping as though they are not weeping...for the form of this world is passing away”. Our vocation means that we must find the meaning of our lives in the world that lies just beyond our horizon. In the gospel for next Sunday, there are two callings. The first is that of Jesus; he starts his ministry, “into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God”, and his cue to begin preaching is “the arrest of John [the Baptist]”, and he proclaims that “the time has been fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has drawn near— turn it round and believe in the good news”. However it turns out that Jesus cannot do this alone, but needs helpers (that is to say, you, Dear Reader); and we watch in astonishment as “passing by the Sea of Galilee” (always a sign in Mark’s gospel that something is about to happen), he calls, apparently without a word of introduction, the two brothers, Simon and Andrew, taking them from their profession, which presumably up to that point had been giving meaning to their lives.
Books that found me in 2011 S INCE time is always at a premium, I try to be selective in what I read. As well, I like to keep my diet wide, reading novels, books on spirituality, theological treatises, biographies, and essays on psychological and anthropological issues. How do I select a book? I read reviews, get tips from colleagues, receive books as gifts, and occasionally browse in bookstores—but what I actually end up reading is often more the result of a conspiracy of accidents than of a studied choice. Books that we need to read have a way of finding us. What books of note found me this past year? Among novels: • Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom is a JohnUpdike type of commentary on contemporary culture. It’s an easy read, but packs good emotional intelligence. • Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray is stunning both in language and content—a classic that deserves to be read. In a culture that tends to prize good looks and looking good above most everything else, Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray contains some inconvenient warnings. • Cormac McCarthy’s The Road is a witness to the raw drive to stay alive. This isn’t John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, but it touches some of the same places inside us. • Wally Lamb’s The Hour I First Believed is 200 pages too long, but, like all of Lamb’s books, is deeply insightful apposite to our struggle to forgive and reconcile. Lamb’s central character is invariably someone out of touch with his own anger
Donations and volunteers and prayers always welcome
Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI
Final Reflection
who is eventually brought to his knees in a way that redemptively exposes his anger to himself. • Par Lagerkvist’s Barabbas is a very imaginative take on what happens to Barabbas after Jesus’ crucifixion. • Oscar Casares’ Brownsville Stories and Amigoland: Warm, emotionally insightful, good stories. • Michael Ondaatje’s The Cat’s Table is one of the best reviewed novels of 2011, deservedly so. • Pascal Mercier’s Night Train to Lisbon is your novel if you’re looking for an intellectual hit. Among spirituality and theological treatises: • Judy Cannato’s Radical Amazement: insights and hints about getting into the present moment and seeing the hidden depth within life. • John Shea’s On Earth as it is in Heaven, The Spiritual Wisdom of the Gospels for Christian Preachers and Teachers: If you are dissatisfied with the homily you listen to every Sunday, buy these commentaries on the Sunday readings. • Michael Paul Gallagher’s Faith Maps, The Religious Explorers from Newman to Joseph Ratzinger: A mature apologetics for those seeking to articulate reasons for their hope.
Classic Conrad
‘How nice; they’re printing my bank statements in red now.’
• Frederick Buechner’s Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale: A great piece of writing on the power of language and the language of the Gospels. • Rob Bell’s Sex God, Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality, and Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived come from the pen of a young minister who writes with extraordinary balance, good insight, and an equal feel for both the Gospel and the culture. Biography: • Two of the most powerful books I read in 2011: Bush Dweller’s Essays in Memory of Father James Gray OSB, and Blue NIghts, edited by Donald Ward, and Joan Didion: Both powerful stories; the first about a hermit who meets and counsels the world from his hut, and the second about a woman struggling to find life in the face of a number of bitter deaths. Treatises, theological and anthropological: • Michael Kirwan’s Discovering Girard is a lay-person’s introduction to the insights of the renowned anthropologist, René Girard. • Bill Plotkin’s Nature and the Human Soul, Cultivating Wholeness and Community in a Fragmented World: As with previous books, Plotkin pushes the edges of mainline spirituality, calling always for a much deeper role for nature. • Dale Schlitt’s Generosity and Gratitude: A Philosophical Psalm: A philosopher with an expertise on Hegel gives us this wonderful, 136-page poem on gratitude, showing that the genuine insights of abstract philosophy can be as God-filled as the Psalms. Varia: • John S Porter’s The Glass Art of Sarah Hall is a spectacularly beautiful book replete with photos that belongs on every coffee table and in every library. • David Servan-Schreiber’s Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life. This book was handed to me at the cancer clinic just as I was beginning chemotherapy and, among the many books on cancer I have perused these past months, I found this one to be the most challenging and helpful. • Kathleen C Berken’s Walking on Rolling Deck: Life on the Arc, with a foreword by Jean Vanier. Berken (faithjourneyhope.com/kathy-berken-jean-vanier.html), a journalist who lived for some years inside the community of L’Arche, takes us inside an alternative world, but without false sentiment or naïve romanticism. These are books that have touched me, but, as St Augustine once famously said: “Concerning taste, we should not have disputes.” Read at your own risk!
What do they do? They are clearly not very well brought-up, for they neither summon the police nor call for the men in white coats, when he says, “Come here, behind me, and I am going to make you fishers for human beings”. Not just that, but it happens again, with two other brothers, “James the son of Zebedee and his brother John”, who likewise answer the call, “abandoning their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants”. We shall be following the escapades of this little group in the coming year, ending up with their running-away and Jesus’ death. So you may find yourself asking, “Well, did they find meaning in their lives, then? Were they not complete failures?” Up to a point; but the legend is probably correct that they were all martyred, and I suggest that you might imagine yourself talking to them as a nosey journalist, just when they are about to be put to death, and ask them, “So, Andrew, Peter, James or John —it was all pointless, wasn’t it; did you find meaning in your lives?” Then listen to the answer they give. And follow the way that they went.
Southern Crossword #479
aCrOSS 5. Object of worship (4) 7. God’s messengers we hear with Noah (10) 8. Long, thin cut (4) 10. Scrooge’s first name (8) 11. Moses’ father-in-law (Ex 2) (6) 12. Ridicule (6) 14. Wickedness and ... of the devil (prayer) (6) 16. Cope (6) 17. Criterion for the flag (8) 19. Helps viral disease (4) 21. List of words for wordy orator (10) 22. Cheese of mixed fate (4)
dOWN 1. Liturgy for the ordinary people (4) 2. Politician who did roof-covering? (8) 3 and 13. He became John XXIII (6,8) 4. Traditional story (6) 5. I shall hear briefly of little island (4) 6. Grave sin does it (7,3) 9. Be laid out for viewing (3,2,5) 13. See 3 15. A hundred races turn out to be rare (6) 16. Mandela’s other name (5) 18. Bright star (4) 20. Speaks (4) Solutions on page 11
CHURCH CHUCKLE
B
EFORE performing a baptism, the priest approached the young father and said solemnly, “Baptism is a serious step. Are you prepared for it?” “I think so,” the man replied. “My wife has made appetisers and we have a caterer coming to provide plenty of cookies and cakes for all of our guests.” “I don't mean that,” the priest responded. “I mean, are you prepared spiritually?” “Oh, sure,” came the reply. “I've got a keg of beer and a case of whiskey.” Send us your favourite Catholic joke, preferably clean and brief, to The Southern Cross, Church Chuckle, PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000.