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May 22 to May 28, 2013

Meet bishops’ new media coordinator

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www.scross.co.za

In search of Catholic celebrities

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No 4824

What does the Sign of Peace really mean?

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The Catholic Church in global numbers BY CAROL GLATZ

Pilgrims on The Southern Cross pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Rome and Assisi enjoy a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee on a boat that is an approximate replica of the type of fishing vessels used on the lake in Jesus’ time. The group, which will return to South Africa on May 25, is led by Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria (at the back). Also in the group is Fr Evantus Kene SMA of Sunnyside in Pretoria, wearing a Roman collar in this picture. The Southern Cross’ second pilgrimage of 2013, led by Bishop Joe Sandri of Witbank and following the same programme, will depart in September. In May 2014, The Southern Cross will go to the Holy Land, Rome and San Giovanni Rotondo, led by Archbishop Stephen Brislin with Southern Cross editor and Holy Land Trek author Günther Simmemacher. A youth pilgrimage is planned for July 2014, led by national youth chaplain Fr Sammy Mabusela CSS. Places are still available for both pilgrimages; further details on page 4. (Photo courtesy of Fowler Tours)

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS SPECIAL ISSUE

he Southern Cross is planning its annual special supplement on Catholic Education for the issue of June 19. Catholic schools and other interested bodies are invited to present their work and charism in display adverts. Bookings and artwork must be received by May 28. Please contact Elizabeth Hutton on 021 465 5007 or e-mail advertising@scross.co.za. To preorder extra issues of the edition, please contact Avril Hanslo at subscriptions@scross.co.za

HE number of Catholics in the world and the number of priests, religious men and seminarians all increased in 2011, while the number of women in religious orders continued to decline, according to Vatican statistics. The number of permanent deacons is showing “strong expansion” globally, but especially in Europe and the Americas, it said. At the end of 2011, the worldwide Catholic population reached 1,214 billion, an increase of 18 million or 1,5%, slightly outpacing the global population growth rate, which was estimated at 1,23%, said a statement by the Vatican press office. Catholics as a percentage of the global population remained “essentially unchanged” at around 17,5%. The statement reported a handful of the statistics contained in the Statistical Yearbook of the Church, which reported worldwide Church figures as of December 31, 2011. According to the yearbook, the increase in the number of Catholics in Africa (4,3%) and Asia (2%) greatly outpaced their regions’ population growth, which was 2,3% and 1,2% respectively. The growth of the Catholic community in Europe and the Americas was even with regional population growth, which was about 0,3% for both, the yearbook said. At the end of 2011, most of the world’s Catholics (48,8%) were living in the Americas, followed by Europe (23,5%), Africa (16%), Asia (10,9%), and Oceania (0,8%). The Vatican said the number of bishops in the world increased from 5 104 to 5 132. The total number of priests—diocesan and religious order—around the world grew from 412 236 to 413 418, increasing every-

where except the Americas where numbers stayed mostly the same, and Europe, where the number of priests has gone down more than 9% over the past decade. The number of permanent deacons reported—about 41 000—was an increase of more than 1 400 over the previous year and a 40% increase over the past decade. The vast majority—97,4%—of the world’s permanent deacons live in the Americas or in Europe. The number of men joining a religious order showed substantial growth over the past decade in both Asia (up 44,9% since 2001) and Africa (up 18,5% since 2001); in contrast their numbers fell in Oceania by 21,9% over the past ten years, in Europe by 18% and in the Americas by 3,6%. The number of women in religious orders has shown “a sharp downward trend” with a 10% decrease in the numbers of women religious worldwide since 2001. The increases in Africa and Asia weren’t enough to offset the reductions seen in Europe, the Americas and Oceania, the yearbook noted. Catholic women’s orders went from having a total of more than 792 000 members in 2001 to just over 713 000 women at the end of 2011. The number of candidates for the priesthood—both diocesan seminarians and members of religious orders—showed continued growth worldwide, rising from 118 990 at the end of 2010 to 120 616 at the end of 2011. In the past ten years, the yearbook said, the number of men preparing for the priesthood rose more than 30,9% in Africa and 29,4% in Asia. However, numbers decreased in other regions of the world, particularly in Europe, which saw a 21,7% drop in priesthood candidates between 2001 and 2011.—CNS

Catholic school learners say thanks to taxi drivers STAFF REPORTER

EARNERS from Rose Cottage, the Grades R to 3 streams of Holy Family College in Johannesburg, have taken the time to express their gratitude to their taxi drivers who deliver the learners to and from school daily. The Rose Cottage learners shared drawings and cards with the drivers as a sign of appreciation for the courtesy they have experienced by the drivers on their way to and from school, said Fr Mokesh Morar, the school’s chaplain. “Dear Taxi Driver, we love and thank you for bringing us safely and on time to school,” said one of the messages delivered to the drivers, who were both male and female. The event was part of Catholic Schools Week and included the learners, teachers and department head Priscilla Naidoo organising a special lunch for the drivers. “During this week Catholic schools, in South Africa and the rest of the world, focus on their charism of service and outreach to others in society, that culminates on Catholic Schools Sunday,” said Fr Morar. The drivers were moved by the school’s gesture.

“Wow, this is the first time something like this has happened” said one of the drivers who bring the learners from as far as Soweto to the Parktown school. The drivers said their job involved getting up at 3am in order to collect all the children and be on time for the school. “The hardest part is in the afternoon after extramural classes when we are stuck in the traffic with the kids and we get home only by 8pm,” said another driver, adding that the “little ones are well disciplined, it is just the older ones that can be difficult and rowdy”. Fr Morar said the drivers receive special training in advanced driving as well as customer care for transporting school children. The drivers also belong to a special association of school taxi drivers. “For everybody the day was special, considering the general attitude towards taxi drivers in South Africa,” said Fr Morar. The priest highlighted the vital role the drivers play in the education of the children, explaining that “many parents do not have the means to bring their children in person to the school due to work and other reasons”.

A taxi driver thanks a Grade 3 learner of Holy Family College in Johannesburg for a card that expressed the pupil’s appreciation for the people who transport her to school every day. In the background are posters made by the children with messages for the drivers.

The Southern Cross, May 22 to May 28, 2013

LOCAL

Catholic book sells out in first week STAFF REPORTER

At the Durban launch of the book Tradition: Fixed and Mobile were (from left): Sr Sue Rackozy IHM, Fr Rodney Moss, Bishop Barry Wood, Fr Brian Southward, Itumeleng Mothoagae, Fr Paul Decock OMI and Fr Anselm Prior OFM.

NEW book brought out by the Catholic Theological Society of Southern Africa (CTSSA) has sold out within a week of its publication. The book, Tradition: Fixed and Mobile, is a collection of essays which pay tribute to Fr Rodney Moss who has recently retired from St Augustine College, Johannesburg, where he was head of the School of Theology for ten years. Two book launches were held in August at St Augustine College and at St Dominic’s parish in Hillcrest, Durban, where Fr Moss assists Fr Brian Southward, the parish priest and organiser of the event. More than 60 people gathered at the first event to honour Fr Moss and listen to a lecture by him on the role of theology in the Catholic tradition, and more than 80 attended the second launch.

Among those present at the Durban launch were Bishop Barry Wood, auxiliary bishop of Durban; Mgr Paul Nadal and Fr Paul Decock OMI, both of whom are founder members of the CTSSA; and Sr Sue Rackozy IHM, one of the contributors. Edited by Itumeleng Mothoagae, president of the CTSSA, and Fr Anselm Prior OFM, the group’s secretary, tthe book addresses current issues in the Church, both in South Africa and beyond The book looks at answering how the “ordinary” Christian hears, understands and lives according to the will of God as revealed to humanity. “Looking for meaning in life is one of the most pressing issues for people in today’s so often alienating world. The theologians who have written these articles have searched the scriptures and dug into the Christian tradition in

order to relate this heritage to contemporary problems,” said Fr Prior. The book of essays is the CTSSA’s “way of showing gratitude to one who has devoted himself tirelessly to theological thinking and writing. It is also their way of using this opportunity to continue his work by making a further contribution to theology, which has always been a necessary part of the Church’s tradition”, he said. Fr Prior said due to the great response, a second printing is in process. Nonnie Fouché, secretary of the Research Institute for Theology and Religion at Unisa, which published the book, said this was the first time a book has sold out within a week of its launch. nTo order the book, contact Mrs Fouché on fouchjmc@unisa.ac.za, or 012 429 4407.

Annual Fatima pilgrimage a success We Are All Church SA, bishops to keep talking STAFF REPORTER

STAFF REPORTER

RCHBISHOP Jabulani Nxumalo of Bloemfontein has indicated that he would be recommending further engagement between the bishops and We Are All Church SA (WAACSA) on ways in which the movement might take its legitimate place in the life of the Church. WAACSA, modelled on the international We Are Church movement, but independent from it, met in Johannesburg with the Theological Advisory Committee (TAC) of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) to discuss the progressive movement’s relationship with the bishops—and more broadly, the Church—in South Africa. Archbishop Nxumalo is the chairman of the TAC. The committee’s delegation also included SACBC associate secretary-general Fr Grant Emmanuel and Jesuit Father Anthony Egan. The discussion was a follow-up to the first meeting between the TAC and

WAACSA’s national coordinator Brian Robertson last September. “The tone of the meeting was positive,” Dr Robertson said, adding that the TAC expressed the hope “that WAACSA would be able to assist the bishops in getting the laity more engaged in the mission of the Church in South Africa”. “As a movement dedicated to advancing the spirit of Vatican II, we want, if possible, to work with our bishops. Our hope is to have the bishops support our central tenet that dialogue and debate on all topics are necessary for an adult faith, in the development of the Church and its engagement with the modern world,” Mr Robertson said. He noted that the SACBC’s initial response to WAACSA’s formation was “hesitant” and that “some individual bishops have adopted an adversarial position”. The Johannesburg meeting, he said, “was marked by a cordial atmosphere, with a frank discussion of perceptions, experiences; with an emphasis on the need for trust”.

Our Lady of Fatima Dominican Convent School Durban North Primary School Teaching Post: January 2013 Afrikaans – First Additional Language Grades 4 – 7

Applications are invited from experienced educators who possess appropriate qualifications, are registered with SACE and fit the following profile: Senior school trained educator (preferably a BEd Graduate/ BA Graduate & a PGCE) with recent experience teaching Afrikaans, Grades 4 – 7. Extensive knowledge of the Intermediate school curricula. Recent experience in an Independent school will be an advantage. An appreciation of the School’s traditions and Catholic ethos. Sound interpersonal skills and an ability to communicate effectively with learners, staff and parents. Duties will include: Attendance at related workshops and parent interviews. A full and active role in the co-curricular life of the school incl. extra-curricular activities, etc.

Failure to meet the advertised minimum requirements for the post will result in applicants automatically disqualifying themselves from consideration. Applicants are required to fill in a covering information form which is available from Mrs Bennison, or it can be posted to you on request (Tel. 031-563-5390). You can email fatimacs@fatima.co.za for an electronic version of this form. Detailed CV to be submitted with the information form to: The Principal, Our Lady of Fatima D.C. School, 155 Kenneth Kaunda Road (Northway),Durban North, 4051. CLOSING DATE: Friday, 20 July 2012

HE annual Fatima pilgrimage proved to be more successful than anticipated and surpassed the target number of pilgrims set. Manny de Freitas, co-convenor of the pilgrimage, said a target of 2 000 pilgrims had been set, an increase of 500 from last year. “However, some 2 500 pilgrims walked the pilgrimage this year! This is truly amazing and exciting as the messages of Fatima are spread wider,” he said. “There is no doubt that the heightened media coverage of this event, not just in the Catholic media but also in the secular media, assisted in awareness of this pilgrimage,” said Mr de Freitas, adding thanks to Radio Veritas whose greater medium-wave reach had helped publicise the event. “The assistance and support of the Portuguese media can also not go unnoticed as they too extensively published and supplied information on the pilgrimage,” he said. The Johannesburg pilgrimage is the seventh that has taken place in succession; the first took place in 1991 with only 80 pilgrims led by the parish youth group at the time. The pilgrimage on foot cele-

Pilgrims walk the roads of Johannesburg to honour Our Lady of Fatima. brates the apparitions of Our Lady to three shepherd children in the hamlet of Fatima in Portugal over a six-month period in 1917. “Since these apparitions, millions of people have changed their lives positively and come to practise the messages of Fatima. Because these apparitions took place in Portugal, the Portuguese have a special devotion to Our Lady of Fatima,” Mr de Freitas

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said. This pilgrimage commenced at the Blessed Sacrament church in Malvern East and ended at the Schoenstatt shrine in Bedfordview. Pilgrims prayed the rosary as they walked the 4km. The pilgrimage culminated with Holy Mass at the shrine. Mr de Freitas said one of the most encouraging things was the great jump in pilgrim numbers.

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Thurs 30th May- Holy Mass (7.00pm) Theme: “Faith & Foolishness” – Fr Matsepane Morare SJ v Fri 31st May-Holy Mass- (7.00pm) Theme: “Mary-Figure of Faith” – Fr Peter-John Pearson v Saturday 1st June – Holy Mass (5.30pm) Theme: “Holy Eucharist” Sacrament of Faith, Hope & Love (6.30pm) Candle Light Eucharistic Procession: Frs Rufino Ferris, Ralph de Hahn & Canice Dooley v Sunday 2nd June Holy Mass – (08.00am & 10.00am) (4.00pm) Re-commissioning of the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion from the Archdiocese of Cape Town with Archbishop Stephen Brislin. (5.00 pm) Holy Hour with Archbishop Stephen Brislin For more Information Office Tel: 021 761 3337 Fax: 021 761 3388 Email: CorpusChristiWynberg@gmail.com

The Southern Cross, May 22 to May 28, 2013

LOCAL

Farewell to Durban centre BY STAFF REPORTER

Parishioners of Durban’s Emmanuel cathedral process around the 109-yearold parish centre which will soon be demolished to make way for the Denis Hurley Centre. At Sunday Masses there were special events as a “farewell” to the old building. (Photo: Theo Lazaral)

ARISHIONERS of Durban’s Emmanuel cathedral have said farewell to the rundown parish centre which will be demolished and become the site of the new Denis Hurley Centre. “The parish centre at Durban’s Emmanuel cathedral has served the parish and the diocese for 109 years, many thousands of people benefiting from its facilities. But now it is dilapidated and unable to provide the services needed by a growing parish with a strong emphasis on social outreach. So the building is to make way for the Denis Hurley Centre which will be constructed on the same site,” said Paddy Kearney, coordinator of the Denis Hurley Centre. To provide an opportunity for parishioners to take their leave of a building that has been a landmark, farewell events were held. At each of four Masses, special prayers of

the faithful were said, and reference made to the role of the parish centre by Mgr Paul Nadal in a sponsorship appeal for the 300km Camino pilgrimage he is undertaking from May 24 to June 5, to raise funds for the new building. After each Mass, cathedral administrator Fr Stephen Tully sprinkled holy water on the outside of the building followed by a procession of parishioners blowing vuvuzelas and singing hymns of thanksgiving, said Mr Kearney. “A final prayer was said by Fr Stephen highlighting the enormous role played by the building in its long history. Parishioners were then invited to write ‘graffiti of gratitude’ on the walls of the building and also to make final visits,” said Mr Kearney. For the first 50 years of its existence, the building had been home to St Augustine’s Primary School, run by the Holy Family Sisters.

Since that time it has been the parish centre for the cathedral, providing space for countless meetings, workshops, and“night schools”— during a time when these were illegal—and giving refuge to people during the apartheid years and the recent xenophobic attacks. Mr Kearney said the Catholic Africa Union was based at the centre for many years and regular gatherings of several major sodalities took place. “A wide variety of social events and celebrations were hosted in these walls, as well as concerts and plays.” In recent years Refugee Pastoral Care has had its diocesan office on the site, as well as the Nkosinathi Feeding Scheme and the Usizo L’wethu Primary Health Care Clinic. Mr Kearney said all parish activities had been temporarily relocated to the Surat Hindu Association Building in Dr Goonam (formerly Prince Edward) Street, until the Denis Hurley Centre is built.

Imbisa meets with Zambia CLAIRE MATHIESON

HE committee of the Inter-Regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (Imbisa), tasked with monitoring elections in the region, has continued its tour of neighbouring countries, asking for assistance in ensuring Zimbabwe’s forthcoming elections are free, fair and peaceful. The Imbisa committee travelled to Zambia, a region outside the Imbisa conference, to meet with that country’s bishops and learn from their experiences during elections. The assembly follows meetings in Mozambique and South Africa. Bishop Alexio Churu Muchabaiwa of Mutare, Zimbabwe, shared Imbisa’s concerns and hopes with the Zambian Episcopal Conference (ZEC). “We want political stability that gives rise to economic growth and well being of the people. We believe that free and fair elections are the key to the resolution of the crisis and so are asking you to please lobby your government to positively influence Zimbabwe.” The bishops requested that the

Zambian government ensure the Global Political Agreement be upheld. The SADC and AU are already guarantors of the agreement which ensures electoral, media and security sector reforms but these have yet to be implemented. The bishops also requested their Zambian counterparts help guarantee the security of the vote and the security of the outcome of the vote. “All Zimbabweans must vote in peace without intimidation, victimisation, violence or being forced to attend a political meeting of this or that party,” Bishop Muchabaiwa said in the Imbisa presentation. In its recent pastoral letter, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference asked that the code of conduct for political parties crafted by the organ for national Healing and Reconciliation be made compulsory, that is, made by law with accompanying penalties for defaulting parties to create a conducive environment for free and fair elections. “We were impressed by your last elections here [in Zambia] and the role played by the Church,”Bishop

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tions, a feat which impressed Imbisa. “Funders required Caritas Zambia should work with other organisations and they were able to identify seven with whom they could do so. Together they formed the ‘Civil Society Election’s Coalition’. The whole project was a success. As votes were counted at each polling station before being sent to a central office, Caritas and their partners already had the final results 24 hrs after the elections while the government took three days to announce them,” Bishop Ponce de Léon said, adding that the bishops of the ZEC were behind the whole process and very supportive. He said a common concern noted by both the ZEC and Imbisa was the place of the media, particularly in countries where there is only once voice and where opposition parties hardly get any space. It is also true, he said, that many people today turn to “satellite TV” in order to hear other voices, for example on the outskirts of Harare (Zimbabwe) there are many dishes outside houses.

Sr Sizakele Mbeje CPS received a donation of 300 T-shirts from Bernard Gonizalves, a parishioner of Christ the King in Umzimkulu, for the youth of the diocese for the celebration of the Year of Faith and the 10th anniversary of Education for Life at Emaus Langen Youth Centre. CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, our report on the episcopal resignation of Bishop Patrick Zithulele Mvemve of Klerksdorp incorrectly stated that his resignation was accepted in terms of canons 401 and 402 of the Code of Canon Law. It was, in fact, accepted in terms of canon 401.2. We apologise for the error.

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Muchabaiwa told the delegation. “That is also the reason why we are here to learn from you, not only about the conduct of elections but also to help us position our Church and the country for the post-election period, which we are praying will be a good one.” One of the participants, Bishop José Ponce de Léon, told The Southern Cross the election monitoring was “very demanding”. “It requires being involved before, during and after the elections, developing training material, helping in the registration of voters, being involved in the review of the ‘code of conduct’ and, most of all, identifying ‘monitors’. “ In 2011, Caritas Zambia started monitoring the national elections of the country, even though there were already many organisations doing so at that time. The bishops heard that in order to do a good job at the 10 000 or so polling stations, two people needed to be appointed at each station, equating to 20 000 people being recruited, trained and sent. The ZEC reported Caritas was able to reach 90% of the polling sta-

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Failure to meet the advertised minimum requirements for the post will result in applicants automatically disqualifying themselves from consideration. Applicants are required to fill in a covering information form which is available from Mrs Beechey, or it can be posted to you on request (Tel. 031-563-5390). You can email fatimacs@fatima.co.za for an electronic version of this form. Detailed CV to be submitted with the information form to: The Principal, Our Lady of Fatima D.C. School, 155 Kenneth Kaunda Drive (Northway),Durban North, 4051. CLOSING DATE: Friday, 22 July 2011.

The Southern Cross, May 22 to May 28, 2013

INTERNATIONAL

Pope at first canonisation: Don’t be too comfortable BY FRANCIS X ROCCA

OPE Francis has warned against “gentrification of the heart” as a consequence of comfortable living, and called on the faithful to “touch the flesh of Christ” by caring for the needy. The pope’s words came in a homily during Mass in St Peter’s Square when he canonised the first Colombian saint, as well as a Mexican nun and some 800 Italians martyred by Ottoman Turks in the 15th century. Mexico’s St María Guadalupe García Zavala (1878-1963), the pope said, gave up a “comfortable life to follow the call of Jesus, taught people to love poverty, in order the more to love the poor and the sick”. “How much damage does the comfortable life, well-being, do,” the pope added, looking up from his prepared text. “The gentrification of the heart paralyses us.” The Mexican saint, known as Mother Lupita, “knelt on the floor of the hospital before the sick, before the abandoned, to serve them with tenderness and compassion”,

and in doing so, “touched the flesh of Christ”, he said. Pope Francis said the Mexican founder of the Handmaids of St Margaret Mary and of the Poor sets an example for everyone “not to retreat into oneself, into one’s own problems, into one’s own ideas, into one’s own interests in this little world that has done us so much damage,” but to share God’s love with the needy “through gestures of delicacy and sincere affection and love”. The pope also praised St Laura Montoya (1874-1949), the “first saint born in the beautiful land of Colombia”, as a “spiritual mother of the indigenous peoples, in whom she infused hope” and taught about God in a way that “respected their culture and was not opposed to it”. Mother Laura founded the Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate and St Catherine of Siena, who today “live and bring the Gospel to the most remote and needy places, as a kind of vanguard of the Church”, he said. “She teaches us to see the face of

A nun wears a Mexican sombrero as people wait for the start of a canonisation Mass for the first Colombian saint, as well as a Mexican nun and about 800 Italians martyred by Ottoman Turks in the 15th century. (Photo: Stefano Rellandini, Reuters/CNS) Jesus reflected in the other, to overcome indifference and individualism, welcoming everyone without prejudice or constraints, with love,

giving the best of ourselves and above all, sharing with them the most valuable thing we have, which is not our works or our organisa-

tions [but] Christ and his Gospel,” the pope said. Pope Francis also paid tribute to the approximately 800 people in Otranto, southern Italy, who in 1480 were decapitated by invading Ottoman forces for refusing to convert to Islam. “Where did they find the strength to remain faithful?” the pope asked. “Precisely in faith, which allows us to see beyond the limits of our human eyes, beyond the boundaries of earthly life, to contemplate the ‘heavens opened,’ as St Stephen said.” The pope then prayed for “those many Christians who, in these times and in many parts of the world, right now, still suffer violence,” and asked God to “give them the courage and fidelity to respond to evil with good.” Colombian and Mexican pilgrims, waving or wearing their countries’ flags, were notable in the crowd filling the square to witness the first canonisation ceremony presided over by the first Latin American pope.—CNS

Jesuit’s cause finally proceeds Christians targeted in CAR violence BY CINDY WOODEN

LTHOUGH it has taken more than 400 years, the sainthood cause of Jesuit Father Matteo Ricci, the 16th-century missionary to China, appears to be back on track. Bishop Claudio Giuliodori, apostolic administrator of the diocese of Macerata, Italy, where Fr Ricci was born in 1552, has formally closed the diocesan phase of the sainthood process. The cause now moves to the Congregation for Saints’ Causes at the Vatican. Bishop Giuliodori said Pope Francis, a Jesuit, in a meeting had highlighted Fr Ricci’s “innovative method of evangelisation based on the inculturation of the faith” and the missionary’s courage and humility in learning from the Chinese. Fr Ricci died in Beijing in 1610, and his death was followed by centuries of Church debate and even disputes over the extent to which a very limited number of Confucian practices—including veneration of ancestors—could be seen as a tolerable part of Chinese social and cultural tradition rather than as religious practices incompatible with Christianity.

A detail from an illustration of Fr Matteo Ricci at the Beijing Centre for Chinese Studies The diocesan phase of Fr Ricci’s sainthood cause opened in 1984, but was almost immediately closed when questions were raised about his commitment to pure Christianity. Opened again with Vatican approval in 2010, much of the work over the past three years has involved an examination by historians and theologians of Fr Ricci’s writings and of the writings of those who worked with him.—CNS

SLAMIST rebels who have taken over the Central African Republic are targeting Christians and their churches, and the population is “living in permanent anguish”, said the Catholic bishops’ Justice and Peace Commission. “What abominable acts, what humiliating, degrading and inhuman forms of treatment: Not knowing what to do next, the population is living in permanent anguish, amid fear, pillage, rape, injustice, violence and the settling of scores,” the commission said in a statement signed by its president, Bishop Albert Vanbuel of Kaga-Bandoro. In the statement, which named numerous Church workers and buildings attacked, the commission said that people had been left scarred and traumatised by gun battles in the capital, Bangui, while rebel alliance members “continue to kill each day”. “Our country has shifted very negatively since the arrival in power of a rebel chief, self-proclaimed as a republic president,” said the commission. It added that the Catholic Church nationwide had “paid a

heavy price in damage”, leaving the dioceses of Kaga-Bandoro, Bambari, Alindao, Bangassou and Bossangoa “seriously shaken up”. “This commission is alarmed at continuing acts of barbarity by elements of rebel group Séléka, especially when power is held by one on them,” the statement said. “This is a rebellion of religious extremism with evil intentions, characterised by profanation and the programmed and planned destruction of religious buildings, especially Catholic and Protestant churches.” The Catholic Church’s nine dioceses make up around 30% of the 4,4 million inhabitants of the Central African Republic, one of the world’s poorest countries. The Séléka (or Union) movement launched an offensive in early December, accusing President François Bozizé of reneging on promises to share government posts and integrate rebel forces into the national army. The movement, composed partly of Arab-speaking Islamists, suspended the government, parliament and constitution after seizing Bangui in late March and has been accused of attacking Chris-

HOLY LAND • ROME PADRE PIO

HOLY LAND & CAIRO YOUTH PILGRIMAGE

11 – 23 May 2014

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and Holy Land Trek author Günther Simmermacher Join The Southern Cross and the Archbishop of Cape Town (right) on a special pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Meet with local Christians before travelling to Italy to see the Pope in Rome and to pray at the places of Padre Pio.

with

tian parishes. “What do these Séléka elements want? The risk of releasing interfaith conflicts in a spirit of vengeance could provoke a longterm merciless rending of the Central African people at this moment of Gehenna.” The statement follows a letter from Archbishop Dieudonné Nzapalainga of Bangui to Séléka leader and self-proclaimed president Michel Djotodia. The archbishop urged him to denounce the violence, initiate disarmament and indemnify the Church for “stolen, looted and vandalised properties.” The letter also condemned the rape of women and girls and recruitment of child soldiers by Séléka forces and urged the president to declare “Séléka’s true intentions” towards Christians. “We count on the responsibility of the country’s new authorities and their sense of patriotism to see how this crisis is weakening social cohesion and to bring all perpetrators of crime to justice, with reparation and compensation for victims,” the Justice and Peace Commission’s statement said.— CNS

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HOLY LAND: Jerusalem (with Via Dolorosa, church of the Holy Sepulchre, Mary’s tomb). Bethlehem. Nazareth. Cana (with an opportunity to renew marriage vows). Mount of Beatitudes. CaperHOLY LAND: Jerusalem (with Via Dolorosa, church of the Holy naum. Boatride on the Sea of Galilee. Mount Tabor. Jordan River Sepulchre, Mary’s tomb). Bethlehem. Nazareth (with visit to a Baptismal Site. Ein Kerem. Dead Sea. And much more. recreation of 1st century life). Cana. Mount of Beatitudes. Capernaum. Boatride on the Sea of Galilee. Mount Tabor. Jordan ITALY: Rome with PAPAL AUDIENCE, the River Baptismal Site. Armageddon. Caesarea. Mt Carmel. Dead four major basilicas (including Mass in St Sea. And much more. Peter’s), catacombs, ancient sites. Monte Cassino. San Giovanni Rotondo (where Padre CAIRO: as a bonus, enjoy a visit to Cairo with the pyramids, Pio spent almost all of his life). Lanciano (site sphinx and a Nile Cruise. of the first Eucharistic Miracle recognised by the Catholic Church). ISTANBUL: as a bonus, enjoy a day-long excursion of sightseeing in the capital of Turkey, Phone Gail at 076 352 3809 or 021 551 3923 or the ancient Constantinople. e-mail info@fowlertours.co.za www.fowlertours.co.za

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The Southern Cross, May 22 to May 28, 2013

Pope: ‘Satan always rips us off’ BY CAROL GLATZ

A statue of Bl John Paul II is silhouetted in front of the cathedral of St Sebastian in Rio de Janeiro. Pope Francis is expected to celebrate Mass at the cathedral on July 27, during his visit for World Youth Day. (Photo: Ricardo Moraes, Reuters)

AYBACK with Satan is rotten as he pushes people to be loveless and selfish, finally leaving them with nothing and alone, Pope Francis said. “Satan always rips us off, always!” he said during a morning Mass homily in the chapel of his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae. During the Mass, attended by employees of the Vatican Museums and a group of alumni from Rome’s Pontifical Portuguese College, the pope said selfish people don’t understand what giving and love are. Judas exemplified this self-centredness when he complained that the expensive oil Mary of Bethany used to anoint Jesus’ feet could have been sold for money to give to the poor, the pope said. The account from the gospel of John explains that Judas didn’t care about the poor and wanted

the money instead because he was a thief and would steal the contributions. The account suggests that Judas’ attitude toward money was a form of idolatry, the pope said. “This is the first reference that I have found in the gospels of poverty as an ideology. The ideologist doesn’t know what love is because he doesn’t know how to give himself,” he said. Judas was “distant in his solitude” and his selfishness grew to the point of betraying Jesus, he said. The selfish person “takes care of his own life, grows in this egoism and becomes a traitor, but always alone”. People who isolate their conscience within their egotistical world end up losing their conscience, like Judas who “was an idolater, attached to money”. “This idolatry led him to isolate himself” from the community and

from others. “This is the ordeal of an isolated conscience, when a Christian begins to isolate himself, he also isolates his conscience from the sense of community, the sense of the Church and from the love that Jesus gives us,” he said. On the other hand, it’s only by giving one’s life and by “losing” it, as Jesus says, that one regains it in fullness, the pope said. People who “give their lives for love are never alone, they’re always in a community, in a family,” he said. People, like Judas, who want to keep their life all for themselves end up losing it, he said. That is why “Satan’s payback is rotten,” he’s always tricking people into a bad deal. If people want to follow Jesus, they have to “live life as a gift” to give to others, “not as a treasure to keep” for one’s own, he said.—CNS

Patriarch blames Syria war on the West BY DOREEN ABI RAAD

HE Syriac Catholic patriarch has said that events in Syria were the result of Western nations carrying out a geopolitical strategy “to split Syria and other countries” in the Middle East. “It’s not a question of promoting democracy or pluralism as the West wants us to understand of its policies. This is a lie, this is hypocrisy,” Syriac Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan told Catholic News Service. Western nations did not heed warnings and so “bear responsibility for what is happening in Syria”. “We were warning all those involved, the countries in the region and in the West—that means the United States and some of the European Union countries, like the United Kingdom and France—that this kind of violence would lead to chaos and the chaos to a civil war,” Patriarch Younan said. “And at that time, two years ago, they chose not to believe that.” The patriarch spoke as Western nations gave contradictory reactions to the war between the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad and rebel forces. The United States and Russia were calling for an international conference on Syria in Geneva at the end of May, but US President Barack Obama was said to be considering arming rebel groups as war intensified in certain parts of Syria. “Since the beginning, they [Western nations] just stood against the regime, calling it a dictatorship, saying the dictatorship

must fall. Now it’s over 25 months, the conflict is getting worse, and the ones who are paying the price are the innocent people,” said Patriarch Younan, leader of nearly 40 000 Syriac Catholics in Syria. He said the morale of Christians in Syria is “very, very low”. Patriarch Younan was elected patriarch of the Syriac Catholic Church in January 2009. He and other Eastern Catholic patriarchs in Lebanon have repeatedly warned against toppling Assad, calling instead for dialogue to solve the crisis in the country.

he patriarch emphasised that “we are not siding either with Assad or with his regime. We are with the Syrian people, and our concern is how can we get this country [Syria] back on its feet for the sake of the population. “We are accused of siding with the [Syrian] regime. This is not the truth,” he said. “Sure, we did say from the beginning, this regime has to make reforms, true reforms, both political and in the area of civil liberties.” But the patriarch said that does not mean ousting the regime is the solution, because it could then be replaced with fundamentalist groups, as Church leaders had warned, citing Libya and Egypt and other countries of the Arab Spring. “We are not politicians,” the patriarch said. “We just want our people to be able to stay in their own country and to live peacefully with others, and we want true civil rights and religious liberty.”

He said Western nations must look at what happened in Iraq, which still suffers from confessional conflicts, killings, bombings and kidnappings and has already experienced the exodus of more than 50 percent of its Christians.

faith means a lot. For us, religious liberties come first, otherwise we would not have been surviving for centuries in this area. Western leaders don’t want to understand this,” Patriarch Younan said. “Christians in the Middle East have been not only abandoned, but we have been lied to and betrayed by Western nations, like the United States and the European Union,” he said. “And I believe there will be a time coming when the Christians of the Middle East will no longer look to the West for support and perhaps to better strengthen their roots with the Eastern culture and civilisation. They are better to look to the East, to...Russia, to India, to China,” he said. The number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon already is more than a million, equal to one quarter of Lebanon’s population. Every day, Patriarch Younan said, Christian families from Syria who have left everything behind, come to the patriarchate in Beirut seeking refuge.—CNS

atriarch Younan described the situation in his native province of Hassake as “very critical” and said Christians were being pressured to leave the area. “People live in fear. They fear kidnapping and killing, and many of the Christians just want to get out in whatever way they can,” he said. “It’s very sad to say that there is no hope for the future for the young generations, all because of the lasting conflict, and the West bears the responsibility of this conflict.” He said Western nations encouraged conflict in the Mideast Syrian Catholic Patriarch Ignace “in the name of the so-called Joseph III Younan says that the awakening of people, of democWest did not heed the warnings of racy”. He said that “the so-called the Church—and Christians are payWestern democracy” cannot be exing a price for that. (Photo: CNS) ported to countries that still look at religion as a base for ruling their regimes or political life. Those attempts over the past 20 years to bring socalled democracy in the region, he said, instead were not for the good welfare of the Christians in the Middle East and “were very much harming our very The Prison Care and Support Network (PCSN) is an NGO operating under the existence”. auspices of the Catholic Church and routed in Jesus ministry of healing and “And for us Middle compassion to those on the margins of society. As an organization we seek to Eastern Christians, the respond to the spiritual and emotional needs of the incarcerated and released persons. and their families, providing both care and support. Our programmes aim to restore hope in the individual and is underscored by our restorative justice approach. An opportunity exists in the organization for a dynamic leader to take on the exciting position of Co-ordinator. The incumbent will be based at our Pinelands, Cape Town, office and will assume overall responsibility for the organizations strategic leadership.

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The Southern Cross, May 22 to May 28, 2013

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

Worse than other sins

EFORE he was elected to the papacy, Pope Francis made a most startling statement: corruption, he said, is worse than any other sin because it hardens the heart against shame, repentance and conversion. “Situations of sin and the state of corruption are two distinct realities, even if they are intimately linked to one another,” he said in a booklet titled Corruption and Sin: Reflections on the Theme of Corruption, published in 2005 when he was Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires. “A sinner expects forgiveness. The corrupt, on the contrary, don’t because they don’t feel they have sinned. They have prevailed,” the future Pope Francis said. In short: corruption impairs the individual’s relationship with God. The absence of shame and guilt over one’s infringements, and the self-justifications accompanying, find rich expression in the culture of impunity that afflicts many societies on several levels. Obviously, they are also grave sins in as far as they do harm to others. In South Africa we have witnessed the rampant looting of the state by the powerful and the connected. All hopeful noises to the contrary, corruption is allowed to persist with impunity. Those who forthrightly act on corruption—people such as public protector Thuli Madonsela or the former head of the Special Investigating Unit, Willie Hofmeyr—may expect to be not protected by the government, but to be smeared, hounded and even fired. South Africa’s story of corruption reached a point of the truly brazen with the saga of the Gupta family wedding. Archbishop Stephen Brislin, in a statement issued on behalf of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, of which he is the president, pinpointed the problem: “This whole episode merely reinforces the perception that people who are well-connected politically do not have to observe the same rules as ordinary citizens.” He added: “We cannot afford to gain the reputation of being a country where it is ‘who you know’ that counts, and where wealth can buy privileged treatment from the authorities.” Since the scandal broke, we

have learnt more about the various ways in which the powerful Gupta family are alleged to take the allocation of state resources in their direction for granted and bullies those who stand in their way of receiving favours at the expense of the taxpayer. Alas, the public outrage will inevitably blow over, because we have collectively resigned ourselves to accepting corruption as the way of things, be it on the level of politicians trading honesty and accountability for venal self-aggrandisement, or the gluttonous racketeering by financial institutions, or the crude shakedown of motorists by members of the police. As a nation, we have submitted to a culture of impunity and the failure to curb it. The culture of impunity—the sense of exemption from responsibility towards others and to one’s own conscience—is at the root of all corruption. We see it in politics, business and finance, and we see it in criminals who fancy their chances of not being caught and convicted. We might see it even in those whom we know, or even ourselves. The culture of impunity manifests itself on our roads, where motorists believe traffic laws need to be obeyed only at the threat of these laws being enforced. The culture of impunity has infected all of us who commit notionally minor infractions— drink-driving, littering, petty theft, tax evasion, adultery—simply because we can. The erosion of ethics and morality in South Africa is linked to this festering culture of impunity, the lack of personal, social and national responsibility and accountability. South Africa’s ethical regeneration is tied to the defeat of the culture of impunity and corruption. And that fight begins with us, in all we do. So when Pope Francis speaks of corruption as worse than other sins, he is referring not only to dishonest politicians, greedy bankers, price-fixing manufacturers, exploitative employers, heartless criminals and ethnic cleansers, but to all of us who are tempted by life’s seemingly minor infractions. And, crucially, he warns that corruption is worse than any other sin because it alienates us from God.

The Editor reserves the right to shorten or edit published letters. Letters below 300 words receive preference. Pseudonyms are acceptable only under special circumstances and at the Editor’s discretion. Name and address of the writer must be supplied. No anonymous letter will be considered.

Watching porn is a moral choice HE recent awarding of a licence human beings precisely because to TopTV to broadcast three human beings have the ability to T adult-content channels refers. reflect on their actions in the past, I have often wondered about feminist groups and others who say that pornography is an abuse of women. Certainly, where women (and others) are forced to participate in the production of pornography against their will, there is abuse taking place. But can we really say that those who participate in the porn industry out of their own free will are being abused? Moral responsibility extends to

Pray for Africa

T Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) espoused peace-making and non-violence. In 1219 he pleaded with the Christian commanders of the Fifth Crusade to end their siege at Damietta in Egypt, to no avail. So at risk of his own life, he gained an audience with the Islamic leader, Sultan al-Malik alKamil, and these two men placed their common belief in God before the enmity at that time between Christianity and Islam. Today the Damietta Peace Initiative forms PACTS (Pan-african Conciliation Teams) all over Africa to promote peace among communities of ethnic, religious and linguistic diversity. Perhaps we could say a prayer on Africa Day (May 25) and often thereafter (in our parish it is said during Benediction on the first Friday of every month). O God of justice and love, bless us, the people of Africa, and help us to live in your peace. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, let me sow pardon; Where there is discord, let me sow harmony. Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek To be understood, as to understand; To be loved, as to love; To receive sympathy, as to give it. For it is in giving that we shall receive, In pardoning that we shall be pardoned, In forgetting ourselves that we shall find unending peace with others. Amen. St Francis of Assisi brought about peace in Damietta in Africa. Let us pray for his intercession to bring it about again. In this Year of Faith, let us ask for his courage to bear witness to our faith as he did. Let us pray with St Francis that Africa may draw closer to the Heart of Christ. Athaly Jenkinson, East London

present and future. This is what makes human beings moral agents. It is also why animals and human beings with atypical cognitive development are not considered moral agents: they lack the ability to rationally reflect on their actions. If we thus categorise all participation in pornography as abusive of women in an absolute way, then we are the ones being abusive: we deny people their agency.

Back to the roots

N his recent Mail & Guardian interview, Cardinal Wilfrid Napier said that same-sex marriages go against “reason and revelation”, and that “there's something radically wrong with the thinking that marriage can be devoid of the concept of bringing life into earth”. A small return to the sources, namely scripture and the insights of the early Church Fathers, would help. Having searched the New Testament high and low, I haven’t found a single passage relating marriage to reproduction. What about the Church Fathers? Orthodox theologian Paul Evdokimov writes that St Chrysostom, doctor of the Church, argued that marriage was instituted for two reasons: “to lead a man to be contented with one wife and to give him children, but it is the first which is the principal reason”. Marriage does not absolutely include procreation, “the proof of which is the number of marriages which do not have children”. St Basil, another doctor of the Church, says that children are added to marriage as “a possible, not an indispensable, consequence of marriage”. In this view, the primary purpose of marriage is not procreation or the control of lust. Rather, it is about sanctification, and participation in the divine life. In the words of the theologian Eugene Rogers, marriage “is a discipline whereby we give ourselves to another for the sake of growing in holiness—for, more precisely, the sake of God.” The reciprocal love of the spouses is ultimately about their completion Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in Letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the Catholic hierarchy. The letters page in particular is a forum in which readers may exchange opinions on matters of debate. Letters must not be understood to necessarily reflect the teachings, disciplines or policies of the Church accurately. Letters can be sent to PO Box 2372, Cape Town 8000 or editor@scross.co.za or faxed to 021 465-3850

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But this extends also to the various religious groups who object to the green-light given to TopTV. In doing so, they deny people their agency; their right to make a decision for themselves to watch pornography or not, because if pornography is not being screened (which religious groups want), then people can’t choose to watch it anyway. Religious groups should, instead, be far more concerned with educating people about the dangers of pornography, and leave it to the informed consciences of moral agents to decide for themselves. Wade Seale, Cape Town in Christ. Now we have the relatively recent anthropological discovery that some men and women are born gay, and are not heterosexuals behaving in an unnatural way, as previously thought. Cutting-edge research is finally unravelling this intricate puzzle, pointing to epigenetics, the biological regulation of gene expression, as the source of homosexuality (http://bit.ly/STj0xm). In the light of this knowledge, are we able to deny our gay brothers and sisters in Christ the opportunity of entering into covenantal unions, relationships of reciprocal love, marriages? Sacred scripture states that “it is not good for man to live alone”. Surely, whenever God creates a gay Adam, he creates for him a suitable helpmate in a gay Steve; an Adamina for a gay Eve. Denying gays the right to marry seems to be denying them a fundamental discipline ordered towards sanctification and a fuller participation in the divine life itself. Authentic dialogue and fearless scientific and theological enquiry are critical to any honest resolution of this most pressing pastoral question. Vincent Couling, Pietermaritzburg

No gay partners

HAT is right? There is much discussion over gay unions, how the Catholic Church responds, and whether it should be called marriage or garriage. I feel the true issue is being clouded. Members of the Catholic Church trying to appease homosexuals and lesbians, by saying it’s alright, are wrong. We do them a disservice. The next step in a gay union is adoption. Pope Francis has said that gay adoption is tantamount to child abuse. Let us heed his words. By trying to appease everybody and all their sexual appetites, we displease God. Romany Rubin, Pretori

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The Southern Cross, May 22 to May 28, 2013

PERSPECTIVES

What does the peace greeting mean? Emmanuel Ngara L AST month we reflected on how God’s ways differ from ours by examining the life of Jesus. In this article, I will try to show how we can bridge the gap between God’s ways and our idea of things by surrendering ourselves to God in all situations. Let’s start with Abraham, our father in faith. In Genesis 15 we are told God said to him: “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them ... So shall your offspring be”. Abraham could not count the stars, and he and his wife were too old to have children. It was inconceivable that a man and a woman of that age could have children— let alone that number of children! But the Bible makes a point of telling us: “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness”. It was the same absolute faith in God which made Abraham obey the command to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22). Abraham did not have a full understanding of what God meant, but we now know that not only did he and Sarah have a son, Isaac, but the promise of children as numerous as the stars of heaven has been fulfilled. Today there are literally billions of people who acknowledge Abraham as their father in faith, in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We, the children of Abraham, are, from generation to generation, as impossible to count as the stars of heaven! God’s meaning of children was clearly different from what Abraham understood, but Abraham had faith in God. The bulk of the Christian children of Abraham seem to be in a situation where they misunderstand an important dimension of their faith without the kind of

faith and surrender to God that Abraham had. After his resurrection, Jesus had a favourite expression which he used to greet his disciples: “Peace be with you!” Today in the Catholic Church and other Christian churches, the peace greeting is an important part of worship. We Catholics just love the peace greeting. It is a lively part of the Mass and songs have been composed about peace which we sing with great jubilation. We have done this over 2000 years, and yet we still live in a world of war, turmoil and tribulation. So, where is the peace that we make such song and dance about? Has Jesus failed, then, to give us the peace he promised? This is not to say that we should not pray for peace in our countries and the world; but we need to have a deeper understanding of what Jesus meant by peace. A key to an understanding of what Jesus meant is what he said to his disciples before he was arrested, tortured and cruci-

In search of Catholic celebrities

ECENTLY I learnt that one of the world’s most beautiful women is a devout Catholic who goes to Mass every week. In her line as one of the world’s top supermodels, Adriana Lima has revealed much skin, and yet the Brazilian preserved her virginity until she married basketball star Marko Jarić in 2009, when she was 27. Lima has told interviewers that “sex is for after marriage”. Men, she told the men’s magazine GQ in 2006 “have to respect that this is my choice. If there’s no respect, that means they don’t want me”. In a society which sees non-marital sexual activity as inevitable and even ridicules sexual abstinence as the state of the credulous or the frumpy, Lima showed great courage in so publicly proclaiming her virginity, and the set of ethics on which it rested. It is a courage which Catholics can take inspiration from. Celebrities influence the mores of society, though rarely for the better. They may not choose to be role-models—indeed, a fruitful debate can be had on whether celebrities, by virtue of being public figures, should be required to bear that responsibility—but many people do follow their lead. This, of course, is particularly true of young people who are still forming their identity. Some have non-celeb adults in their environment from whom they can draw inspiration, others have no such mentors and look to public figures (it could be Nelson Mandela or Paris Hilton, or even both). Most, I would suggest, look to both sources. This is where Catholic public figures are so necessary in providing leadership, as a service to their Saviour. Adriana Lima has provided a wonderful example of that. It is her kind of example that we need as a model for Catholicism, rather than that of Mel Gibson, an ultra-traditionalist

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Supermodel Adriana Lima is outspoken about the importance of the Catholic faith in her life—and she is not the only celebrity. who in drunken rages—in vino veritas est— yells misogynist, racist and anti-semitic abuse. The star of Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ, Jim Caviezel, is a devout Catholic of conservative views who seems to walk the line and who speaks very openly about his faith. He wasn’t speaking about his pal Mel, but he might as well have done so when he told BustedHalo.com: “I can’t sit on the other side and say I’m not going to be Christian because this guy did this and that guy did that.” It’s a very obvious point; so obvious that sometimes we forget to make it. Both ex-wives of the Scientologist Tom Cruise—who grew up a Catholic and once considered becoming a Franciscan priest— reverted to their Catholicism after leaving the actor. Nicole Kidman ascribed the end to their decade-long marriage to religious differences (though one would presume there

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fied: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (Jn 14:27). Jesus never promised us protection from the problems and challenges of this life. On the contrary, he said: “In this world you will have trouble” (Jn 16:33). The world will always have wars and all kinds of problems. Jesus also said: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.” What Jesus is talking about, therefore, is spiritual and psychological peace— the peace of mind that comes to us because we remain connected to him and we have faith in God and surrender ourselves to God in the face of all trials and tribulations. This absolute trust in God and surrender to God is the kind of faith that Abraham had. It is this faith in God that gives us the peace and joy that the apostle Paul refers to, the kind of peace that the world cannot give: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:4-7).

Günther Simmermacher

Point of Faith

were other reasons). The Australian actress has frequently spoken about her faith since rejoining the Catholic Church. Second wife Katie Holmes publicly returned to the Catholic faith after divorcing Cruise last year, and even defied the apostle of Scientology by enrolling their daughter in a Catholic school. Talking of divorcees, actress Denise Richards returned to her faith after the death of her mother. She was married to Charlie Sheen, who was raised Catholic but hasn’t done much to reflect the faith’s ethos, much to the pain of his father, the great actor Martin Sheen, who is a very devout and active Catholic. Actor/producer Mark Wahlberg has credited his Catholic faith from pulling him back from a life of iniquity. After walking out of prison, where he served a term for attempted murder, he immediately sought out a priest. Wahlberg still makes questionable choices, but believes his faith gives him the strength to fight his demons. “Being a Catholic is the most important aspect of my life,” he has said. Bradley Cooper, one of the brightest stars in Hollywood at the moment, would agree. He has said that he is “Catholic in my bones”. He regained his strong faith after a stint in rehab and has said that he prays daily. And, of course, there is the great American satirist Steven Colbert, who regularly refers to his Catholicism and even teaches catechism in his parish. Other (self-)reportedly practising Catholic celebrities include Steve Carell, Alec Baldwin, Lea Michele, Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Chris O’Donnell, Sylvester Stallone, Alexis Bledel, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mickey Rourke, Pierce Brosnan, Continued on page 11

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Chris Chatteris SJ

Pray with the Pope

Listen with respect General Intention: That a culture of dialogue, listening, and mutual respect may prevail among peoples. IALOGUE” sounds like something engaged in by divines and diplomats. I’m tempted to banish the word to my cliché list, but it’s hard to find an alternative! However, I notice that many writers are currently favouring the word “conversation”. This sounds less technical since ordinary mortals converse all the time. Diplomatic dialogue is essential and to be encouraged, of course. However, it often cloaks the exercise of brute and corrupting power. Its cover slips a bit in the phrase “diplomatic offensive”, or the use of diplomacy to gain the upper hand. Dialogue is clearly too important to be left to the diplomats and the divines. Ordinary Catholics have a current window of opportunity for engaging in dialogue, or conversation with others. The election of the new pope has sparked much interest. I believe this is because, in the last half-century, the popes have emerged as truly international religious figures. And not only religious. Ever since John XXIII addressed his encyclical Pacem in Terris to all people of good will, the papacy has continued to articulate many of the aspirations of the whole of humanity— for peace, a more just and equitable world and a humanity in balance with the natural environment. Today the pope has the influence of a kind of religious UN general-secretary. So when people ask us questions such as why Pope Francis chose that name, or why he comes from Argentina, or whether we will ever get an African pope, or why he wears white or why he washes and kisses the feet of young offenders, this is a wonderful opportunity to have a conversation (or dialogue if you prefer) in which we can help others to understand our faith. But, as I argue below, we have to do our homework in order to do this. Do we know why he wears white? Ask the Dominicans!

‘D

Evangelise anew! Missionary Intention: That where secularisation is strongest, Christian communities may effectively promote a New Evangelisation. N what ways is the “New Evangelisation” new? In traditionally Christian countries it’s new in that it is no longer a question of sending priests and sisters out to the “foreign” missions. Today traditionally Christian countries are the missions. It is also new in that here is a new kind of society to be evangelised in the “First World”—highly educated, scientifically sophisticated and materialistic. In the past, evangelisation was often carried out from a position of cultural, educational, economic and political dominance, often referred to as colonialism. In this new milieu there is no more talking down to the unconverted. It’s a dialogue of equality and one in which all of us, laypeople, religious and clergy, have to engage. My colleague Fr Peter-John Pearson thinks dialogue is a revival of the ancient art of rhetoric, the serious discipline and training in persuasion of someone schooled in civic virtues. It is far removed from a condescending “dialogue of complacency”. Fr Pearson likes to quote Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe on the need to do some serious homework if we are to be worthy partners in the dialogue. The late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago was in agreement on the difficulties of dialogue, especially when trying to impress on the secular world the importance of the Church's view of human life. “It is a daunting task to build consensus in the Church and civil society around the vision of the consistent ethic of life,” he once said. Fr Pearson sums up what we might call “evangelical dialogue” in the “four Ls”: listening, learning, loving and leveraging. Quite a task. Quite an intention.

The Southern Cross, May 22 to May 28, 2013

COMMUNITY

The Salesian Youth Movement in Cape Town organised a Way of the Cross at St Norbert’s parish in Kommetjie, Cape Town. About 100 young people took part in a prayerful and silent reflection on the last few hours in the life of Jesus. Fr Eoin Farrelly (centre) celebrated Mass with the group. Apart from the youth from the Salesian-run parishes of Hanover Park, Westridge and Lansdowne, youth from seven other parishes in the archdiocese of Cape Town took part.

A goup of 24 infants from St Anne’s parish in Mpophomeni, archdiocese of Durban, was baptised by Fr Jude Fernando TOR.

Send your photos to pics@ scross.co.za or post to Community Pics, PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000 We endeavour to publish all photos of adequate quality, but due to the volume of contributions we receive, we ask for your patience.

Little James Aidan Hartwanger was baptised at St Patrick’s parish in East London. He is pictured with his dad Aidan and his mom Tamara.

RCIA candidates from St Clare's parish in Elsies River, Cape Town. (Back from left) facilitator Anthony Hector, Dillon Clarke, Reubin Bailey, Gershan Uys. (Front) facilitator Olga Mitchelson, Nicolene Wilschudt, Lezette De Long, Anthony Adonis, facilitator Ursula Heynes, parish priest Fr Job Kaleekaparampil MSFS, Bridgette Williams, Mandi April, Avril Olkers and Sharon Mentoor.

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The pre-school children at Marist Brothers Linmeyer, south of Johannesburg, had an Easter egg hunt in the garden of their school.

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The Southern Cross, May 22 to May 28, 2013

CHURCH

The bishops’ new media plan The bishops of Southern Africa want to be heard, and the appointment of a full-time media secretary is intended to achieve this, as CLAIRE MATHIESON reports

HE country’s bishops have stated their intention to work hard to communicate better with Catholics and non-Catholics around South Africa. Working alongside the liaison bishop for communications and with a group of media advisers, the bishops hope to reach Catholics through all avenues of media: print, radio, internet, and even down to the parish newsletter—to ensure South African Catholics are kept in the know. Fr S’milo Mngadi, the newly appointed secretary for communications and media at the bishops’ conference, has been tasked with translating this vision into reality. Fr Mngadi, who is from the diocese of Mariannhill, KwaZulu-Natal, has succeeded Fr Chris Townsend, who left the Social Communications Department of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) last year. Unlike Fr Townsend, who now serves the Pretoria parish of Queenswood, Fr Mngadi occupies the position full-time. “I was the media spokesperson for Mariannhill from 2006,” said Fr Mngadi. He said it was Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, the former liaison bishop for social communications, who invited him to consider the position. “I was invited to attend the January plenary session where I saw the new direction the bishops wanted to go in and how I might fit into that picture,” the priest told The Southern Cross. Even while being a priest for ten

years in the Mariannhill diocese, Fr Mngadi was involved in local media, often at community level; an area of particular interest to the bishops. “I worked in community radio and UmAfrica newspaper”—the media through which many rural Catholics in his region receive their news. Sr Hermenegild Makoro CPS, secretary-general of the SACBC, shares the view that effective communication is “imperative”. Media work cannot be negotiable for any organisation that seeks to “have an impact in the society it serves”, she said, adding: “And how much more in the Church where the message of Christ needs to be preached?” The Precious Blood Sister told The Southern Cross: “Communication is a tool for evangelisation, a means of education, a means that the Church can disseminate her teaching. That is why our bishops see the need to communicate.” Sr Makoro said the bishops want to use communication not only as a way of sharing information with the public on projects and work being done, but also for their fundamental function: to evangelise. “For bishops to communicate the Good News, to evangelise, new forms of media must be used. This is the mandate for Fr S'milo—to see how these new forms of communication can be utilised by the Church.” In his new role, Fr Mngadi will be responsible for ensuring communication from the SACBC to Catholics through various media outlets. These will include independent sources such as The Southern Cross, Internet platforms such as the bishops’ website (www.sacbc.org.za) and the SACBC Facebook page (http://on.fb.me/12upGph), as well as secular media at community and national level. The recent resignation of Pope

Benedict and election of Pope Francis provided a key example of the Church in South Africa needing effective communications as there is definite interest in the Church, Fr Mngadi said. “But we don’t want to communicate only when something big happens in the Church. The bishops also want to communicate when something big happens in the country,” said Fr Mngadi. This, he said, includes both positive and negative events. “The Church wants to be a reliable voice in the country,” he said. “It is about the Church wanting to be seen and wanting to be heard. We want to make our values visible in society—not only for Catholics but the average South African too.”

hile working in his new fulltime position, Fr Mngadi will also be helping at Pretoria’s Sacred Heart cathedral, which has five Masses over the weekend. “It’s very exciting and I have high expectations. This is definitely a good new direction for me and the Southern African Church,” said Fr Mngadi. Fr Mngadi did admit to some anxiety on taking the new challenge. “It’s not always easy to communicate the structure of how the Church operates. We need to consider what the bishops’ conference is—and all its departments—versus what the Church is. What are the visions and values of each and how do we communicate this?” Fr Mngadi will face challenges in the new position. Improving internal communication between the various desks and associate bodies within the SACBC will be a big project, he said. Secondly, ensuring communication between the SACBC and people at parish level will be demanding. “We want to create awareness of what the bishops’ conference is, the work we do and the avenues

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Fr S’milo Mngadi, the new secretary for communications and media at the bishops’ conference, has been tasked with putting into action a new media strategy for the local Church. through which we work,” but the diversity of the work encompassed under the SACBC name is vast. “News and workshop information doesn’t always filter down. How can we rectify that? How can we ensure that the parish priest gets this information?” Fr Mngadi said it would be a challenge to crystalise the communication vision. Fr Mngadi said he’d like to work closely with media representatives at diocesan level and to familiarise himself with relevant people. Sr Makoro said Fr Mngadi will also have to establish how best to communicate with different types of people. “How can the youth be evangelised in these modern times? The faithful are on Twitter and Facebook today. Christ’s disciples were fishermen and he called them at sea fishing and the Church has to preach the Good News by means in which they can be found,” she said. Sr Makoro added that the new communications officer will be making links with all members of our society: Catholics, media

houses, politicians, and trade unions. “He has to make sure with the help of other experts in this field, what our leadership communicates can reach the remotest areas, making it appeal to today's audience,” she said. Accordingly, both Fr Mngadi and Sr Makoro will attend the Intermeeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (Imbisa) new media workshops, the goal of which is to develop the Imbisa region’s communications strategy. This, Fr Mngadi said, is part of the effort to further networking and media training. The communications department will also work closely with a group of media advisors from different backgrounds, to help ensure the right messages are being received by the relevant people. “Fr S’milo’s appointment is important,” said Sr Makoro. “The main goal is to bring the Message of Christ to the people of God, that they are able to hear Christ today through different forms of media.”

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The Southern Cross, May 22 to May 28, 2013

HISTORY

A dark journey from Siberia to SA She was a little girl when her family was taken deported from Poland to Siberia. Here IRENE BANACH tells of her amazing journey from the dark despair of Siberia via Uzebekistan and Persia to shelter in South Africa.

N unforgettable part of my life started 73 years ago, when I was nine years old. Early in the morning on February 10 of 1940, on Saturday, occupying Russian soldiers burst into our home in eastern Poland. “Get up and get ready in two hours,” they said. “Take enough food for a month”. That was the day my family, the Dolinskis—my parents and their four children—were forcibly deported with thousands of others to the Arhangelsk (Archangel) region in Siberia. From the last railway station, we were taken the remaining 150km by sledge, getting closer and deeper inland, with the forest covered by snow. The camp we arrived at was very small, with no Russian inmates, only Russian supervisors. My older brother, Leon, was the first to die, after only a few months, in May 1940. My parents worked in the forest cutting trees, with my eldest sister Eleonora and my brother Tadeusz. Because I was young I had to learn Russian, and could read, write and speak the language. There was no way of escaping—

the nearest village was far away. For almost two years we had no meat and no milk. We lived mostly on potatoes and onions and, in summer, mushrooms from the forest. With whatever else we could get, berries and sorrel were used for making soup. When Germany attacked Russia in 1941, Stalin allowed Polish citizens to form a Polish army, led by Generals Sikorski and Anders, to fight Germany alongside Russian soldiers, for Russia was not prepared for war at all. Stalin also granted an amnesty to all Poles who had been arrested. From Siberia we now travelled to Uzbekistan, one of the points where Polish army units were being formed. Uzbekistan was much warmer than Siberia, but there was also nothing to eat. By the time Polish soldiers came for us, both my mother and father had died from typhoid fever in early 1942. Many, many people died during the typhoid epidemic. The three of us children who survived continued our long journey, and I still wonder how the soldiers found us in such a small village in Uzbekistan. I must say that the poverty and hardship experienced by the Russian people in the Soviet Union was unbelievable. Now they are free and live as Western nations do. Because of the pact with Stalin, deportees who had survived were now to leave Russia. The point of assembly was Teheran in Persia (now Iran). My sister and brother remained in Teheran for a while and I was sent to a French convent in Isfahan

These Polish refugee children found a home in New Zealand. Other children, such as the author of this article, found shelter in South Africa. (Photo: Alexander Turnbull Library) with 100 other girls. My brother joined as a cadet in a Polish military group in Palestine and was killed in a training accident in late 1942. My sister, together with 50 other girls, joined me in the convent. I think that God reunited us.

ut we had to leave Persia. Where to go? My sister’s choice was South Africa, which had offered to take 500 children, 201 girls and 299 boys. We sailed in the Dunera from a port in the Persian Gulf and spent a

month at sea till we reached Port Elizabeth. From Port Elizabeth we were taken by train to Oudtshoorn. I slept on the top bunk, and the beautifully clean sheets were like being in heaven. We were very excited because we knew that this would be our last stop, our new home. The next day, we arrived in Oudtshoorn and were taken to an army camp where our new life began. The attitude of the local population towards us was more

than cordial, understanding and compassionate. When the war ended in May 1945, we stayed on in Oudtshoorn, until 1947. I remember we were still there when the king and queen of England paid a visit, and Princess Elizabeth (now the queen) came over and spoke to children in the parade. I was in my Girl Guide uniform, and some of the children wore Polish national dress. Children who had family living in Poland or elsewhere could leave to join them. Some had no one to go to, and no home, as eastern regions disappeared from the map of Poland, and became part of what is now Ukraine. We lost everything, and the date of a possible return to a free and independent Poland was very distant. So South Africa became our country and our home. I was among 22 children who went on to a convent in George where they prepared us for basic office work to enable us to finally obtain employment and live an independent life. I am thankful to God and the South African people for giving us a normal life and the chance to become citizens of this country. I hope we gave of our best by being hard-working and useful, and repaid what we received from the South African people. In 1952 I married a man who had also survived Siberia, and we had a daughter. My husband died in 2005. Not one from my family in Poland survived. I hope and pray that no one will need to go through what we did.

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The Southern Cross, May 15 to May 21, 2013

In search of Catholic celebs Continued from page 7 Jay Mohr, Jon Voight, Neal McDonough, Brooke Shields, Josh Duhamel, as well as musicians Jack White, Nicole Scherzinger, Harry Connick Jr and Fergie of Black Eyed Peas, who is married to Duhamel (they reportedly attend Mass together). There were many Catholic celebrities in the past—from Spencer Tracy, Gregory Peck, Frank Capra, Alfred Hitchcock, Jane Russell and Claudette Colbert to the recently deceased Charles Durning and Peter Boyle—but the most unexpected of them must be artist Andy Warhol, who presided over a world of artistic hedonism. Warhol, who died in 1987, was in fact a church-going Catholic who, amid all the decadence which he promoted, lived celibately, as reported in Jane Daggett Dillenberger’s 2001 book The Religious Art of Andy Warhol. Warhol was elusive about his faith, but he wore a cross around his neck, carried with him a rosary and a missal, often attended daily Mass and volunteered at a parish soup kitchen in New York. Judging by the number of times one sees sports people, especially

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DEATH

Famous Catholics: footballer Javier Hernandez, singer Nicole Scherzinger, actor Bradley Cooper and the late artist Andy Warhol. footballers, crossing themselves, there must be many Catholics in that community. Argentinian Inter Milan legend Javier Zanetti recently met with Pope Francis (and presented him with an Inter jersey, to add to the football fan pope’s rapidly expanding collection), and tennis star Roger Federer, who is a practising Catholic of the more discreet kind, met with Pope Benedict XVI. And then there are last year’s US Olympic golden girls, swimmers Missy Franklin, Allison Schmitt and Katie Ledecky. Football icons Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba, Miroslav Klose and An-

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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)

CAPE TOWN: Mimosa Shrine, Bellville (Place of pilgrimage for the Year of Faith) Tel: 076 323-8043. May 30: Vigil of the Feast of the Visitation -7.00pm Rosary, 7.30pm Holy Mass Padre Pio: Holy hour 3:30 pm every third Sunday of the month at Holy Redeemer parish in Bergvliet. Helpers of God’s Precious Infants meet the last Saturday of the month except in December, starting with Mass at 9:30 am at the Sacred Heart church

CLASSIFIEDS

in Somerset Road, Cape Town. Mass is followed by a vigil and procession to Marie Stopes abortion clinic in Bree Street. For information contact Colette Thomas on 083 412 4836 or 021 593 9875 or Br Daniel Manuel on 083 544 3375 June 6: Vigil of the Feast of the Sacred Heart, 7pm Rosary, .30pm Holy Mass June 8: Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, 9 to 10am, Holy Hour and Benediction. Confessions available during Holy Hour

drés Iniesta (who promised to make a pilgrimage to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela if Spain won the 2010 World Cup) are also practising Catholics, and Dutch star Wesley Sneijder converted to Catholicism in 2010. Manchester United’s Mexican striker Javier Hernandez even kneels in the centre circle to pray before games. Obviously a compilation of interesting Catholics will not win theological arguments, but their presence and testimony, especially in an environment of moral ambiguity, might give courage to Catholics, especially among the youth, as they are pressured to conform to a secularised mainstream.

Word of the Week

Acolyte: One who assists in the celebration (carrying candles, holding the bishop’s staff and mitre, and so on). Catechetics: From the Greek meaning “to sound forth”, it is the procedure for teaching religion.

Liturgical Calendar Year C Weekdays Cycle Year 1

Sunday, May 26, Holy Trinity Proverbs 8:22-31, Psalm 8:4-9, Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-15 Monday, May 27 Sirach 17:20-24, Psalm 32:1-2, 5-7, Mark 10:17-27 Tuesday, May 28 Sirach 35:1-12, Psalm 50:5-8, 14, 23, Mark 10:28-31 Wednesday, May 29 Sirach 36:1, 4-5, 10-17, Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13, Mark 10:32-45 Thursday, May 30 Sirach 42:15-25, Psalm 33:2-9, Mark 10:46-52 Friday, May 31, Visitation of the BVM Zephaniah 3:14-18 or Romans 12:9-16, Isaiah 12:2-6, Luke 1:39-56 Saturday, June 1, St Justin Sirach 51:12-20, Psalm 19:8-11, Mark 11:27-33 Sunday, June 2, Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Genesis 14:18-20, Psalm 110:1-4, 1 Corinthians 11:2326, Luke 9:11-17

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GRAHAM—Agnes (née Walsh) died April 30, 2013, aged 93. Last of Jimmy and Hetty Walsh’s flock; beloved wife of the late Alan, devoted mother of Ian, Donald, Keith and Mark and revered aunt. May she rest in peace and joy.

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PRAYERS

IN MEMORIAM

DENISON—David. In memory of a loving husband, father and grandfather, who passed away on 3 June 2006. Lovingly remembered by Lorraine and Family. PARKERWOOD— Sheela M J. 14/06/1941 – 31/05/2002. May Almighty God Bless you darling. Lovingly remembered by us, Tony snr and sons Vincent, Tony and John. SETSUBI—Eugene Themba. 6/11/1966 – 11/05/2005. God works in his own mysterious way; after your parents and eldest brother’s visit to you in your elder brother’s home in Cape Town, God decided to recall you, still in your prime of life during a local prayer-meeting in your eldest brother’s house, also attended by your parents. God Bless your elder brother for the then ordeal and may perpetual light shine on you. Your family.

PERSONAL

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POWERFUL Novena of Childlike Confidence (This Novena is to be said at the same time every hour for nine consecutive hours – just one day). “O Jesus, Who has said, ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you, through the intercession of Mary. Thy Most Holy Mother, I knock, I seek, I ask that my prayer be granted (Make your request) O Jesus, Who hast said, all that you ask of the Father in My name, He will grant you through the intercession of Mary, Thy Most Holy Mother, I humbly and urgently ask Thy Father in Thy name that my prayer be granted. (Make your request) O Jesus, Who has said “Heaven and earth shall pass away but my word shall not pass” through the intercession of Mary, Thy Most Holy Mother, I feel confident that my prayer will be granted. (Make your request). In thanksgiving for prayers answered. Stephen. O GREAT St Joseph of Cupertino who while on earth did obtain from God the grace to be asked at your examination only the questions you knew, obtain for me a like favour in the examinations for which I am now preparing. In return I promise to make you known and cause you to be invoked. Through Christ our Lord. St Joseph of Cupertino, Pray for us. Amen. Margaret.

THANKS

IN THANKSGIVING to the Precious Blood of Jesus for prayers answered. Devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus —www.PreciousBloodInternational.com. BR.

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Corpus Christi: June 2 Readings: Genesis 14:18-20, Psalm 110:1-4, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Luke 9:11-17

Behold Jesus’ generosity

Nicholas King SJ

EXT Sunday is in this country the solemnity of the body and blood of Christ. It is a mysterious feast, this, in which God, who, not content with giving us himself in the Incarnation of Jesus, and giving us yet more in the raising of Jesus from the dead, now gives us the undying possibility of the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. We gaze in astonishment at the mystery, but cannot hope to understand it. Appropriately, therefore, the Church has opted to give us readings whose brevity is matched by their general sense of mystery. But if we stay with them, we may be granted some illumination about what is going on in this extraordinary gift of God to us. The first reading directs our attention to the mysterious figure of Melchisedek, whose sudden appearance absolutely fascinated the Jews of the 1st century, including the gifted theologian who is the author of the Letter to the Hebrews. Melchisedek appears in our reading as “King of Salem”, which is often taken to be Jerusalem, and as “priest of El Elyon”, which might be translated as “God Most High”, and is said to have brought out “bread and wine” to Abraham, and then blessed him “by El Elyon, who fashioned the heavens and the earth”. Then “El Elyon” is also blessed, “who

Sunday Reflections

delivered your enemies into your power”. Notice the generosity of God, and of his servant Melchisedek, who give what they are under no obligation to give. The reading concludes “he [we presume Abraham] gave him a tenth of everything”, a suitable indication that God’s generosity invites at least some generosity on our part. What are we to make of this ancient transaction? Simply that unconditional giving is at the heart of the matter. The psalm also picks up the figure of Melchisedek, the only other reference to this figure in the entire Old Testament; here it is in connection with a king who is being crowned in the Temple. The king is reminded that his rule is God’s generous gift: “take your throne at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”, and the brief meditation concludes “the Lord has sworn an oath, and will not change his mind: you are a priest for ever, according to my word to Melchisedek”.

Once again, it is far from clear what is going on here, but the major theme is clearly the generosity of God; and the king is not allowed to get above himself, and neither are we, but must simply accept God’s gift to us, and try to respond in generosity. Generosity was not something that the Corinthians, to whom our second reading is addressed, were often able to manage; things had gone horribly wrong at their Eucharist, for they were privileging the wealthier at their weekly meetings, and humiliating the poorer, and Paul had to tell them that this was “not the Lord’s Supper”, which must have shaken them. That is the context of our reading: their ungenerosity, and the generosity of Jesus, who, according to the ancient tradition “on the night when he was being betrayed took bread, and gave thanks and broke, and said, ‘This is my body which is on your behalf. Do this in memory of me’.” Remembering Jesus was precisely not what they had been doing in Corinth. Then Paul continues with the account of the cup: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood”, and the mention of blood reminds us that Jesus’ generosity is absolute, literally a matter of death and life. So we need to take seriously the following words, “Do this,

The hell and beauty of celibacy R

ECENTLY an op-ed piece appeared in the New York Times by Frank Bruni, entitled “The wages of celibacy”. The column, while provocative, is fair. Mostly he asks a lot of hard, necessary questions. Looking at the various sexual scandals that have plagued the Catholic priesthood in the past number of years, Bruni suggests that it’s time to re-examine celibacy with an honest and courageous eye and ask ourselves whether its downside outweighs its potential benefits. Bruni, in fact, doesn’t weigh in definitively on this question; he points out only that celibacy, as a vowed lifestyle, runs more risks than are normally admitted. Near the end of his column he writes: “The celibate culture runs the risk of stunting [sexual] development and turning sexual impulses into furtive, tortured gestures. It downplays a fundamental and maybe irresistible human connection. Is it any wonder that some priests try to make that connection nonetheless, in surreptitious, imprudent and occasionally destructive ways?” That’s not an irreverent question, but a necessary one, one we need to have the courage to face: Is celibacy, in fact, abnormal to the human condition? Does it run the risk of stunting sexual development? Thomas Merton was once asked by a journalist what celibacy was like. I suspect his answer will come as a surprise because he virtually endorsed Bruni’s position. “Celibacy is hell! You live in a loneliness that God himself has condemned when he said: ‘It is not good to be alone!’” However, with that being admitted, Merton immediately went on to say that just because celibacy is not the normal human condition willed by the Creator doesn’t mean that it cannot be wonderfully generative and fruitful and that perhaps its unique fruitfulness is tied to how

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

extraordinary and abnormal it is. What Merton is saying, in essence, is that celibacy is abnormal and dooms you to live in a state not been willed by the Creator; but, despite and perhaps because of that abnormality, it can be deeply generative, both for the one living it and for those around him or her. I know this to be true, as do countless others, because I have been deeply nurtured, as a Christian and as a human being, by the lives of vowed celibates, by numerous priests, sisters, and brothers whose lives have touched my own and whose “abnormality” served precisely to make them wonderfully fruitful. Moreover, abnormality can have its own attraction. As a young priest, I served as a spiritual director to a young man who was discerning whether to join our order, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, or whether to propose marriage to a young woman. It was an agonising decision for him; he wanted both. And his discernment, while perhaps somewhat overly romantic in terms of his fantasy of both options, was at the same time uncommonly mature. Here (in words to this effect) is how he described his dilemma: “I am the oldest in my family and we lived in a rural area. When I was 15 years old, one evening, just before supper, my dad, still a young man, had a heart attack. “There were no ambulances to call. We bundled him up in the car and my mother

CHURCH CHUCKLE MORE MASS DEFINITIONS:

Justice: When kids have kids of their own. Kyrie Eleison: The only Greek words that most Catholics can recognise, besides souvlaki and baklava. Magi: The most famous trio to attend a baby shower. Manger: Where Mary gave birth to Jesus because Joseph’s medical aid savings account had been depleted by December. Pew: A medieval torture device still found in Catholic churches. Reccesional: The ceremonial procession at the conclusion of Mass led by parishioners trying to beat the crowd to the parking lot. Send us your favourite Catholic joke, preferably clean and brief, to Church Chuckle, PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000.

sat in the back seat with him and held him, while I, a scared teenager, drove the car to the hospital some 15 miles away. My dad died before we reached the hospital. “As tragic as this was, there was an element of beauty in it. My dad died in my mother's arms. That tragic beauty branded my soul. In my mind, in my fantasy, that’s how I have always wanted to die—in the arms of my wife. “And so my major hesitation about entering the Oblates and moving towards priesthood is celibacy. If I become a priest, I won’t die in any human arms. I’ll die as celibates do! “Then one day, in prayer, trying to discern all of this, I had another realisation: Jesus didn’t die in the arms of a spouse; he died differently, lonely and alone. “I’ve always had a thing about the loneliness of celibates and have always been drawn to people like Søren Kierkegaard, Mother Theresa, Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Jean Vanier, and Daniel Berrigan, who don’t die in the arms of a spouse. There’s a real beauty in that way of dying too!” Bruni is right in warning that celibacy is abnormal and fraught with dangers. It does run the risk of stunting sexual development and especially of downplaying a fundamental and perhaps irresistible human connection. One of the fundamental anthropological dogmas that Scripture teaches us is contained the story of God creating our first parents and his pronouncement: It is not good (and it is dangerous) for man to be alone! Celibacy does condemn one to live in a loneliness that God himself condemned, but it’s a loneliness too within which Jesus gave himself over to us in a death that’s perhaps the most generative in human history.

Conrad

whenever you drink it, in memory of me”. And he ends with these mysterious words, on which we shall do well to reflect each time we celebrate the Eucharist: “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming the death of the Lord—until he come”. The gospel is Luke’s version of the feeding of the five thousand; and, once again, generosity is the name of the game. It starts with the first word, which can best be translated “having received them”, which is one of Luke’s “hospitality” words, that run through this gospel. Then we learn that Jesus was “speaking to them about the Kingdom of God, and healing those who were in need of a cure”. Then, however, and in sharp contrast to Jesus’ generosity, we hear of the ungenerosity of “the Twelve”, ordering Jesus to “get rid of this crowd...to find sustenance”. Jesus will have none of it: “give them something to eat yourselves”. The disciples jeer at his unreal idealism “perhaps you want us to go and buy things to eat for such a huge crowd?!” Jesus, however, simply orders them “Make them lie down in groups of about fifty”. Then, as though it were the most natural thing in the world, “he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looked up to heaven and blessed them.” And we are not in the least surprised when we learn that “they all ate and were sated”. But we should be; we are talking of God’s astonishing generosity.

Southern Crossword #551

ACROSS 1 and 3. The blameworthy choirmaster must do it (4,3,5) 9. Gather for prayer (7) 10. Adequate in examples (5) 11. Changes of fortune suit Sid’s vice (12) 13. Begin to chant (6) 15. Calvin’s city (6) 17. Semi-curiosity about poor investment return (4,8) 20. Patron doing musical form inside (5) 21. Where famous Council Fathers met (2,5) 22. Seen in these, you could be virtuous (4,4) 23. Stop the flow (4)

DOWN 1. Yashmak (4,4) 2. Windy pain (5) 4. It keeps you covered in path (3,3) 5. Noah’s ark quantifications (12) 6. Uppermost, like the Pontiff (7) 7. Key indicator of the pitch of the notes (4) 8. Prominent musician, maybe? (6,2,4) 12. He does every kind of work (8) 14. Taken by rail to be taught? (7) 16. Go into battle before the wedding? (6) 18. Make a physical effort (6) 19. Is it Prince Charming bewitched? (4)

Solutions on page 11