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S outher n C ross www.scross.co.za

July 3 to July 9, 2013

Pope’s vision for the Church in action

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South Africa and the US of A

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Comrades winner on his life and faith

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Recession hits seafarers hard BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

Southern Cross editor Günther Simmermacher met Mother dolores Hart during the Catholic Press Association’s convention in denver, Colorodo. Mother dolores, who has just published her memoirs, The Ear of the Heart, was the first actress whom Elvis Presley kissed on film and was on her way to movie stardom when she decided to become an encloistered Benedictine nun. She was the subject of the Oscar-nominated documentary God Is The Bigger Elvis. Mother dolores told the convention that she wears the beret not because of artistic pretension, but simply to keep her head warm.

Syrian priest killed during rebel attack on Franciscan convent BY CINdY WOOdEN

SYRIAN priest and hermit was killed, apparently when a group of rebels attacked the Franciscan Convent of St Anthony in Ghassanieh, a village in the north near the Turkish border. Franciscan Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the head of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, told Vatican Radio that Fr François Murad was not a Franciscan, but had taken refuge in the convent when it became clear he was not safe at the Syriac Catholic hermitage he was building nearby. Syriac Catholic Archbishop Jacques Behnan Hindo of Hassake-Nisibi told Fides, the news agency of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, that Fr Murad “sent me several messages which showed he was aware of living in a dangerous situation and was willing to offer his life for peace in Syria and the world”.

Fr Pizzaballa said that Ghassanieh,“ like other Christian villages, has been almost completely destroyed and is almost totally abandoned.” He said he believes the only people left in Ghassanieh “are the rebels with their families, rebels who are not from Syria and who are extremists”. “The only thing we can do, other than pray for Fr François and all the victims, is pray that this folly ends soon and that no more weapons are sent to Syria because that would only prolong this absurd civil war,” Fr Pizzaballa said. The Franciscan leader said Syria is a “battleground, and not just between Syrian forces, but also for other Arab countries and the international community. “The ones paying the price are the poor, the small and the least, including the Christians”. “The international community must put the brakes on this,” he said.—CNS

WING to worldwide recession, one of the most “physically and emotionally challenging” occupations has become harder. This is the sentiment of those that work with seafarers, the Apostleship of the Sea (AOS), who say conditions for fisherman and seafarers have deteriorated since 2008, resulting in ships and their crew being abandoned in foreign ports with no money, and no clear cut way to get home. “Things are really bad since the recession in 2008. Often ships and all their employees are abandoned in a foreign port; sometimes people aren’t paid. We help out at times like this,” said Deacon Gerald Sobotker of the AOS, also known as Stella Maris. “We attend to the needs of seafarers—from hospital visits and ship visits, to helping them contact home and we provide counselling,” he said. It is estimated that the Catholic seafaring world comprises more than 70% of the seafaring population. “We attend to their spiritual needs, but our services are not limited to only Catholics,” Deacon Sobotker said. “The ministry of the AOS is the missionary wing of the Catholic Church amongst seafarers, in South Africa. We are active in the ports of Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London,” said Cape Town’s chaplain Fr Jorge Guerra CS. “Seafarers are away from their families for anything between six and ten months on the commercial ships, and the fisher folk are away for as many as 36 months.” “This puts a strain on family life and the ministry of the AOS is to make the seafarer at home away from home,” said Fr Guerra. “Through our ministry we provide the means for the seafarer to contact their families by providing telephones, emailing facilities and internet access, we also provide counselling where required, especially when [seafarers] are faced with some crisis, such as the ill health of their family members or even death at home whilst they are at sea.” Apart from the emotional and mental strain of being away from home for long periods of time, the fishing industry and those in it are often faced with “unscrupulous shipowners, shipping and employment agencies, especially those operating under ‘flags of con-

venience,’” said Fr Guerra. “Japanese, Vietnamese, Taiwanese and many others, operate from Cape Town harbour to the ‘deep south’. They employ people with a poor education and these seafarers are often manipulated to sign contracts up to three years,” said Deacon Sobotker. “Often, basic safety measures are non-existent. These fishermen often suffer from frost bite from working with frozen fish,” he said. “They come under false pretences and after being at sea for three months, they realise this is not the job they want.” “These people receive no payment are threatened with jail, are in a foreign country and often helpless.” Deacon Sobotker said when the AOS finds such cases, they work closely with other organisations that minister to seafarers as well as with international bodies to help rectify these situations. “We’ve had to help people who are without work, without food and without money, far from home. This is where our welfare ministry comes in.” Another issue is that of payment. Many of the seafarers earn $180-$200 (R1 800-R2 000) per month, but will receive payment only at the end of their long contracts. “A small portion is paid to their families every month, but the seafarers themselves don’t see much money until their three-year stint is over. They don’t have much money when they’re in port, so we often have to help them communicate home and occasionally with food,” said Deacon Sebokter. The AOS also works with commercial ships and liners. “The conditions on commercial ships are better than those on fishing trawlers, but our service extends to all sea workers,” the deacon told The Southern Cross. “These people usually have a better education, so they tend not to fall into the same traps the fishermen do. However, these people still need spiritual assistance.” From dealing with being away from home for long periods of time, to coping with deaths at sea, or even deaths at home, “we deal with depression and concerned seafarers who are not able to go home.” “Things have definitely deteriorated for sea-farers. It’s one of the hardest jobs around and now it’s even harder.” n This year’s Sea Sunday collection is on July 14.

Pray with the pope in Brazil

A woman with the international aid agency Oxfam lays flowers at gravestones in front of City Hall in Belfast. The display, set up during the Group of Eight summit in Northern Ireland, marked the loss of life in Syria’s civil war. (Photo: Cathal McNaughton, Reuters/CNS)

HE Catholic faithful from around the world are invited to send their prayer intentions to the shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida for the Mass that Pope Francis will celebrate there during his visit to Brazil this month. The press office of the shrine of Aparecida announced that it will collect all of the intentions that it receives in a special book that will be given to the Holy Father. The deadline for receiving prayer intentions for the Mass is July 14. Pope Francis will be visiting Brazil for World Youth Day 2013, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro from July 23-28. He will celebrate Mass in Aparecida on July 24 at 10:30 local time. “It is a great blessing to have the Vicar of Christ on earth among us, and it is an even greater grace to pray together for the interces-

The national Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil. (Photo: Roosevelt Cassio, Reuters/CNS) sion of the Mother of God, Our Lady of Aparecida,” said Auxiliary Bishop of Aparecida Darci Jose Nicoli. “Let us join with the Pope in his intentions. Let us pray with him and for him.” —CNA n Those who wish to send in their prayer intentions should visit www.a12.com/campanhadosdevotos/papa.

The Southern Cross, July 3 to July 9, 2013

LOCAL

Blow for deaf ministry BY MAuRICIO LANGA

Mgr Paul Nadal (right) hands over a letter to Bishop Barry Wood, Auxiliary, of durban. The letter will be given to Cardinal Wilfrid Napier and indicates that R170 000 had been raised by Mgr Nadal’s Camino walk. In the course of the dinner, that amount went up to R187000 as a result of a raffle and auction of a Hurley portrait. (Photo: Illa Thompson)

Camino walk raised R187 000 STAFF REPORTER

NOTHER R187 200 has been raised for the Denis Hurley Centre (DHC) thanks to the efforts of Mgr Paul Nadal who was sponsored for walking the Camino to Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage. Mgr Nadal, 81, a close friend of Archbishop Denis Hurley and his last vicar-general, is an avid supporter of the DHC project. Mgr Nadal commenced his 300km Camino walk with friends on May 20 and ended on June 3, travelling north through Portugal and visiting the Marian shrine of Fatima en route. The cheque was handed over during a gala dinner during which Mgr Nadal was dressed in his walking gear including a jaunty hat with a South African flag, walking shoes and walking stick. The function, which featured an outsize cake and candles, was also a celebration for his 81st birthday. Delivering his keynote address, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Dr Zweli Mkhize stressed his strong personal support for the Hurley Centre. Dr Vincent Maphai, head of corporate affairs and transformation at SAB Miller, recounted some of his own memories of Archbishop Hurley and explained why he has persuaded his

company to back the project. He also urged other corporates to do the same. Other guests at the banquet included city officials from eThekwini municipality, including councillor and speaker Logie Naidoo, representing Mayor James Nxumalo; head of international and governance relations Eric Apelgren; and senior clergy and faith leaders, including Bishop Barry Wood of Durban, Bishop Mike Vorster from the Methodist Church, and Saydoon Sayed from the World Council of Religions for Peace representing the Muslim faith. Bishop Vorster was introduced as a new DHC patron. Prior to the function, R170 000 had been raised by people sponsoring the walk. By the end of the evening the amount had increased to R187 200, with R7 200 collected from a raffle and R10 000 through auctioning a portrait by Guy Savy of Archbishop Hurley. In total the monsignor’s walk has raised R187 200 for the centre. Mgr Nadal has offered to visit parishes in Durban which would like to hear a talk about his Camino experience. At such talks a collection will be taken for the Denis Hurley Centre. n For more information, contact Paddy Kearney on 031 2013832 or 072 8064417.

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HE Catholic Church’s deaf ministry has been dealt a major blow following the untimely death of one of its prominent priests in South Africa. The faithful, in particular from the deaf community, filled the Mariannhill Monastery church to capacity to bid farewell to the Fr John Turner, whom they viewed as advocating and ministering to their needs. Fr John Turner, 68, a member of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Mariannhill, died suddenly on June 17 of heart failure in his room at the Capuchin convent on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast. Fr Turner worked with the deaf for over three decades and will be missed for the contribution he made in the deaf ministry not only in South Africa but also in neighbouring countries. In an interview with the Marriannhill monastery website in 2012, Fr Turner said the Catholic Church had done a lot in improving the lives of people with disabilities, especially in areas of education, social and spiritual ministries. He raised concerns that the deaf ministry needed to be further funded to ensure that it fully catered for the needs of the hearing impaired, such as utilising hearing aids and other technologies.

Fr John Turner, advocate for the deaf, died on June 17. Fr Bheki Shabalala CMM, provincial superior of the Missionaries of Mariannhill in KwaZuluNatal, described Fr Turner as a highly committed person in his ministry to the deaf, and that he lived a simple life and he was indeed a humble servant of God. “He travelled across the country as part of his ministry, and even to neighbouring countries such as Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. He really loved his ministry,” said Fr Shabalala. He said that the deaf community will feel orphaned with the passing of Fr Turner, but added that Mariannhill will continue supporting the deaf ministry. Meanwhile, in a letter of condolence addressed to Fr Shabalala,

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Bishop Pius Dlungwane of Mariannhill said the whole diocese is shattered to learn about the sudden death of Fr Turner, saying that it would be extremely difficult to find his replacement. “There are certain things which he worked very hard for and spent his life dedicated to in which he will be irreplaceable,” Bishop Dlungwane said. The bishop also recalled the humility and friendship that Fr Turner gave out so generously to all the people he met. Lastly “we acknowledge his personal effort in building up and presiding over the centre for the deaf and dumb in the Monastery and the diocese of Mariannhill”, said Bishop Dlungwane.

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The Southern Cross, July 3 to July 9, 2013

LOCAL

Jesuit: Welcome refugees STAFF REPORTER

midst [today] and give them a chance to tell their story as well.” Fr Hlobo said many refugees had their human dignity and rights violated in countries where they seek asylum—including South Africa. “For South Africans, however, one could argue that World Refugee Day be a day when we also remember that we too were once refugees in foreign lands,” the Jesuit priest said, adding that it should “help us recognise the fact that refugees are in that undesirable situation that ideally and humanly speaking could be prevented”. The month of May saw the fifth anniversary of violent xenophobic attacks in Alexandra township where 60 people were killed, dozens raped and over a hundred thousand displaced. But what is more concerning is that “xenophobic attacks in South Africa have not stopped,” said Fr Hlobo. “The phenomenon is largely encouraged by the impunity of these activities and the fundamental lack of understanding that the geographical origins of a person do not determine whether one is a human being or not.” The Jesuit Refugee Services director said we need to be reminded that refugees “have the same need for affection and protection like any other human being. They have a dignity that reflects the image of God. They too are human beings!”

HEN South Africans were refugees during apartheid, neighbouring countries were supportive. Today, South Africa is host to many refugees from neighbouring countries, but for one Jesuit priest, South Africans have not returned the support or granted refugees the dignity they deserve. “Spending my teenage years in what was then volatile and burning Soweto, not only made me streetwise but politically aware and conscious. I was very much aware that there were many of our South African ‘comrades’ who had to leave their families and their beloved country South Africa for protection somewhere else,” said Fr Rampe Hlobo SJ, country director of Jesuit Refugee Services. Fr Hlobo said those in exile received the support of the international community. At the demise of apartheid, many returned with qualifications and skills acquired through the help of these countries to lead the new nation that emerged in 1994. “Thanks to the support and treatment received while they were refugees in exile, many of them could come back and make a meaningful contribution. “The story of many of these young South Africans should help us appreciate the refugees in our

Having returned from Rome, Cardinal Wilfrid Napier relaxed on holiday when he was given a front and backroom visit at uShaka Marine World with deacon Tony de Freitas, a previous CEO of the South African Association for Marine Biological Research, SAAMBR, an NGO dedicated to marine conservation. SAAMBR runs the uShaka Marine World and here Cardinal Napier is meeting the dolphin Frodo who is the mother of six of the dolphins born in the aquarium.

New home for terminal Swazi children BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

FTER witnessing numerous children desperately ill and dying in hospitals in Swaziland, one group was motivated to do something to alleviate pain and suffering and to bring dignity into the lives of these children. The Rocking Horse Project was launched in June and was officially opened by the deputy prime minister of Swaziland, Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku. The project is a partnership with Hope House in Manzini, which was started by the late Bishop Louis Ndlovu for terminally sick adults. “The Rocking Horse Project means we can receive children too,” said Bishop Jose Ponce de Leon of Ingwavuma, the apostolic administrator of Swaziland who visited the project before it opened. “The Rocking Horse Project signed a memorandum of understanding with Hope House, allowing us to refurbish two of their units and make them child-friendly,” said Denise Mortlock, the project’s director.

The Rocking Horse Project home has been painted with sunflowers which have been named after children. Mrs Mortlock said the project received initial funding from an international donor and then subsequent funding of R50 000

from Standard Bank Swaziland which has committed to give for a further three years—R200 000 altogether.

The Rocking Horse Project will provide paediatric palliative care which aims to improve the quality of life for children when a curative treatment is no longer an option. The home will care for children with “life-threatening illnesses in our hospitals, hospices and homesteads,’’ Mrs Mortlock said. “Our aim is to make the last days of children as pain-free and as happy as we possibly can,” said Mrs Mortlock of the home, which has been painted with sunflowers. The names of the children at the Rocking Horse Project will be written on the sunflowers and will always be remembered. “It is our privilege to do whatever is possible to make the wishes of our children come true,” said Mrs Mortlock. The main purpose of the Rocking Horse Project is to relieve suffering, whether physical, spiritual or emotional, and to promote quality of life. “We work in partnership with hospitals, hospices and homes to help them introduce or upgrade paediatric palliative care facil-

ities,” she added. The new home is furnished and decorated with designated play areas to allow children to access education and interact with siblings and friends and participate in normal childhood activities. “We furnish and decorate rooms dedicated for end-of-life care so that the child and their family may have dignity and privacy,” Mrs Mortlock said. In Swaziland, 64% of all deaths are Aids-related. Life expectancy in Swaziland has fallen from 61 years in 2000, to 32 years in 2009. The home is in need of “whatever you can give to make the life of a dying child happier,” said Mrs Mortlock. “Toys, crayons, books, pyjamas, clothes, slippers or bedding are always welcome. In any project, one hopes to have many people but in this case we hope one day, these houses will be empty,” she said. n For more on the Rocking Horse Project visit http://off356.wix.com/rockinghorseproject or call + 268 2404 8375 or + 268 7635 5152.

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The Southern Cross, July 3 to July 9, 2013

INTERNATIONAL

Green Catholics back Obama climate plan BY dENNIS SAdOWSkI

U A boy covered with mud and dried banana leaves attends a Mass celebrating the feast of St John the Baptist in the remote village of Bibiclat, Philippines. Hundreds of Catholics participated in the religious tradition, which has been held in the village annually since 1945. (Photo:Cheryl Ravelo, Reuters/CNS)

Pope: Catholic-Jewish dialogue enriches faith BY CINdY WOOdEN

OPE Francis said he knows from personal experience that local dialogue and friendships with Jews enrich participants and help them grow both as believers and as human beings. Meeting with members of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, a coalition of Jewish organisations that engage together in dialogue with the Vatican and other Christian groups, Pope Francis said 40 years of official Catholic-Jewish dialogue have promoted mutual understanding and friendship. But the official international dialogues are just “the most visible element” of a change in relationships between Catholics and Jews all over the world, “as I know from personal experience”, the pope told the 30-member delegation. Pope Francis said that as archbishop of Buenos Aires, he had the pleasure of “maintaining relations of sincere friendship” with Jewish leaders. They included Rabbi Abraham Skorka, rector of the Latin American Rabbinical seminary, and co-author with the pope of the book, On Heaven and Earth.

With his Jewish friends, the pope said, “we often talked of our respective religious, the image of man found in the Scriptures, and how to keep an awareness of God alive in a world now secularised in many ways.” “I met with them on various occasions to discuss the challenges which Jews and Christians both face,” he said. “But above all, as friends, we enjoyed each other’s company, we were all enriched through encounter and dialogue, and we welcomed each other, and this helped all of us grow as people and as believers.” Pope Francis also used the audience as an opportunity to reaffirm the Church’s commitment to the teaching of the Second Vatican Council’s document Nostrae Aetate, on relations with other religions. “In that council text,” he said, “the Church recognises that ‘the beginnings of its faith and election are to be found in the patriarchs, Moses and prophets’.” The text also “firmly condemned hatred, persecution and all forms of anti-Semitism,” the pope said. “Due to our common roots, a Christian cannot be antiSemitic!”—CNS

The

S CATHOLICS working for environmental justice have welcomed President Barack Obama’s plan to address climate change, saying it is an ambitious proposal that deserves watching to ensure that it is carried out. The primary concern identified by the faith-based environment advocates revolves around how the plan will affect low-income communities around the world and workers who may be displaced because of the shift toward renewable energy sources. “It seems ambitious and it seems like it’s hitting all the right notes in terms of meeting some basic moral criteria that the bishops have,” said Dan Misleh, executive director of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change. “But the proof will be in the pudding to see if the administration can be sure these plans don’t add additional burdens to poor people,” Mr Misleh said. “It’s nice to see the administration doing something significant about climate change. The question for Catholics [is], ‘Are we promoting our economic good or are we promoting the common good?’” Introduced during a speech at Georgetown University, Mr Obama’s plan places tighter limits on power

uS President Barack Obama pauses and wipes his forehead as he talks about his vision to reduce carbon pollution during a speech at Georgetown university in Washington. (Photo: Larry downing, Reuters/CNS) plant emissions and stresses the importance of meeting the United States’ growing electrical demand through renewable energy sources. It also calls for upgrades to the country’s electrical grid. Mr Obama’s wide-ranging plan also seeks to raise energy efficiency standards for household appliances, boost mileage standards for heavyduty vehicles, expand renewable energy programmes on federal land, reduce methane emissions and curb

Catholic TV sends programmes to China BY MARk PATTISON

ALT+LIGHT TV, the Torontobased Catholic television programmer, is using the Internet to send its Chinese-language programming to mainland China. And, unlike some of the North American giants of online services, Salt+Light’s programming is not getting blocked by Chinese censors. “We have never experienced any government intervention from China. We have done our work quietly and have never tried to do things illegally,” said Basilian Father Thomas Rosica, Salt+Light’s CEO. Salt+Light has produced programming in Cantonese and Mandarin for eight years, but only

recently did it try to make an inroad into the world’s most populous nation. “Our first goal was to reach out to Chinese Catholics in Canada,” said Fr Rosica. “It is a real blessing for us that in our tenth year, we have been able to penetrate China!” Fr Rosica said he had “never any trepidation” about the Chinese service. “But we never imagined that our programming produced in Canada would make its way so quickly into China,” he said. “We began noticing this two years ago during Holy Week and our transmission and commentary of the Vatican ceremonies. We received

S outher n C ross

5 – 14 July 2014

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Claire Mathieson of The Southern Cross

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word from lay catechists in China that they were using our feed and broadcasting it to large audiences in several Chinese provinces.” Based on the reception so far, “we are planning more Chineselanguage programmes to address the needs of Chinese around the world, including those who are in China,” Fr Rosica said. “We are producing regular programming on current events of the Church as well as topical special programs. “Two examples of topical programmes are our production on the election of Pope Francis entirely in Chinese this year and the ordination of Bishop Daqin Ma of the diocese of Shanghai in 2012.”—CNS

Benedict’s eyes ‘bright and joyous’

Youth Pilgrimage 2014 O HOLY LAND & CAIRO with

hydrofluorocarbon usage in refrigeration and air-conditioning. It calls for supporting efforts in local communities to strengthen health systems, transportation infrastructure and utility services to better respond to and withstand drought, storms and rising sea levels. “A low-carbon clean-energy economy can be an engine for the American economy for decades to come. But it doesn’t mean we’re going to stop using fossil fuels. Transition to a clean-energy economy takes time,” he told the Georgetown audience. “What is true is that we cannot just drill our way out of the energy and climate challenge we face.” Mr Obama said to ignore climate change would be disastrous for poor people today as well as for future generations. He challenged members of Congress who refute scientific evidence that points to the burning of fossil fuels as the reason for rising temperatures around the globe. “I don’t have much patience for anyone who denies that this problem is not real,” the president said. Mr Obama pledged that the United States would take a leadership role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions to serve as an example for the rest of the world and to continue working with leaders in Brazil, China and India—major emerging economies—on clean-energy initiatives.—CNS

BY SARAH MACdONALd

NE of retired Pope Benedict XVI’s oldest confidants downplayed concerns about the pontiff’s health, saying his friend was mentally and physically “fresh”. Salvatorian Father Stephan Otto Horn, president of the “Ratzinger Schülerkreis” (Ratzinger Student Circle), said that he met the retired pope in Rome in early June, and he acknowledged his mentor was frail. “He is 86 now. At that age you are not so strong, but he seemed to me to be very fresh. His memory is fresh and his eyes are very bright and joyous,” Fr Horn said. Fr Horn was an academic assistant to then-Fr Joseph Ratzinger from 1971 to 1977 at Germany’s University of Regensburg. In early June, the priest met the former pope for an hour to discuss this year’s Ratzinger Schülerkreis, scheduled to meet in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, in August. The circle of the retired pope’s students has met since 1978 to discuss topics in theology and the life of the Church.—CNS

INTERNATIONAL

The Southern Cross, July 3 to July 9, 2013

Pope’s commission to study activities of Vatican Bank BY CAROL GLATZ ANd CINdY WOOdEN

P People demonstrate outside the uS Supreme Court building in Washington. The court ruled as unconstitutional the federal defence of Marriage Act in a 5-4 decision which could lead to the broad legalisation of same-sex marriage throughout the united States. (Photo: Nancy Phelan Wiechec/CNS)

Churches welcome aid and religious freedom link BY JONATHAN LuxMOORE

HURCHES in Europe have welcomed pledges by the European Union to make financial help for countries around the world conditional on their protection of religious freedom. The Brussels-based Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community, COMECE, said that action was needed “given the systematic and increasing violations of freedom of religion by some governments and non-state actors”. It said the new EU guidelines provide “an operational set of tools to be used in relations with third countries...designed to protect all individual believers and religious communities”.

The Council of the European Union’s Foreign Affairs adopted “Guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief”. Linking EU aid to protection of religious rights was one of 11 policy recommendations by COMECE in 2010. The non-Catholic Conference of European Churches, which said its representatives had helped draft the guidelines, also welcomed the European Union taking steps to make “freedom of religion or belief...a priority in its foreign policy”. Calls for tougher action to combat anti-religious violence and discrimination, especially against Christians, have mounted in the 785-seat European parliament and other institutions.—CNS

OPE Francis has created a fiveperson commission to review the activities and mission of the Vatican bank. The new pontifical commission, which includes two US members, reflects the pope’s desire to ensure the bank’s activities are in harmony with the mission of the universal Church and the Apostolic See, said a Vatican communique. The communique, issued by the Vatican Secretariat of State, said the commission’s aim is “to collect information on the running of the Institute” for the Works of Religion, the formal name of the Vatican bank, and to then present the results to Pope Francis. The commission, which has already begun its work, is part of the pope’s larger efforts to reform the central offices of the Church, the statement said. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told reporters that members of the College of Cardinals had asked the new pope “to work on how the central government of the Church works and he’s doing so with great commitment, using instruments that he finds helpful to get the information he needs to make his decisions and exercise his responsibilities”. While the bank “will continue to function according to its current statutes,” Fr Lombardi said, the papal commission will help the pope decide if reforms are neces-

Amid widespread speculation about a complete and quick reorganisation of Vatican departments, Pope Francis has created a commission to review the activities of the Vatican bank. (Photo: L’Osservatore Romano via Catholic Press Photo/CNS) sary and whether they are “reforms in the way the bank operates or reforms of other kinds.” The commission, is to have wide and unencumbered access to all “documents, data, information,” the Vatican said. The pope authorised the commission’s creation with a document called a “chirograph”, a brief writing on a very limited subject. In the new document, Pope Francis said issues of confidentiality and other restrictions “will not inhibit or limit” the commission’s access. However, the commission will have to do its job in a way that does not interfere with “the norms that safeguard the autonomy and independence of the authorities who supervise and regulate the institute”. The pope said he was acting in

continuity with a 1990 reform of the bank ordered by Pope John Paul II and a call by Pope Benedict XVI “to allow Gospel principles to permeate economic and financial activities, too”. The document said the commission was created in consultation with various cardinals, bishops and others, as well as “in light of the need to introduce reforms in the institutions that assist the Apostolic See”. In February, Pope Benedict appointed German industrialist Ernst von Freyberg as president of the bank. The president has told reporters that he was surprised to find so few problems in the bank’s operations, which convinced him that the biggest problem the bank faces is its reputation. Fr Lombardi said Pope Francis’ establishment of the commission does not cast doubt on Mr Von Freyberg’s statements or on his responsibilities at the bank under the current statutes. The commission members “will not be making technical checks on the [bank’s] operations. Mr Von Freyberg is in charge of technical, operational matters and making sure they are done correctly,” he said. In establishing the new commission, Fr Lombardi said, “the pope is raising a broader question, which is the relationship between this institution—its reality, the way it functions—and the framework of the mission of the Church and the Holy See”.—CNS

The Southern Cross, July 3 to July 9, 2013

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günter Simmermacher Guest editorial: Michael Shackleton

Saints and miracles

OPE Francis may be ready to canonise Blessed John Paul II soon, if reports of a second miracle attributed to the latter are confirmed as true. Pope John Paul himself beatified and canonised more than 400 during his long pontificate. Now his turn for sainthood is in the offing. His spate of canonisations did not impress many cynics who asked themselves whether the Church did not have enough saints, patrons or otherwise, to inspire the faithful and the clergy. He was well aware of the jibe that he had “inflated” the Church’s calendar of saints. Pope John Paul had proclaimed more saints and blesseds than all his predecessors since the year 1588. He gave a threefold response to his critics. Firstly, he observed that Vatican II had insisted that holiness was an essential mark of the Church, and its holiness is manifested in the lives of its saints. If the Church is not holy it cannot be the Church of Christ. Secondly, he explained that the quest for ecumenism is a quest for holiness among Christians and therefore unity among Christians implies a holy Church. Thirdly, the local Church benefits when one of its own is beatified or canonised. The worthiness of Bl John Paul to have his name placed among the Church’s great saints cannot be disputed. At his death there was a general clamour for his being declared a saint immediately. All the same, the touch of cynicism and incredulity remains among secular observers when there is any suggestion of a miracle being invoked to establish the authenticity of sainthood. Disbelievers will not be persuaded easily that miracles occur. On the other hand, the Church does not accept that miracles are possible except in the name of, and by the power of, Jesus. Even after his Ascension, Jesus worked with his disciples “confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it” (Mk 16:20). A miracle is an authenticating sign of Christ’s actual and effec-

tive presence. It is not an arbitrary event but has its roots in the divine promises that the blind would see and the deaf hear (Is 29:18; Mt 11:5). It is a sign from God that a particular event is credible. It is not a violation of the laws of nature but a showing forth in the present time of the all-embracing authority of God over created things. Canonisations and miracles go hand in hand because of the holiness of God in himself and in his presence among the People of God. Although not all the faithful will reach a high level of sanctity and holy living, the presence of the Holy Spirit within them constantly calls them to obey the commandments and observe the Christian virtues of faith, hope and love. In the earlier years of the Church legends and glamorous stories became attached to some of the histories of the saints. Perhaps their courage under adversity may have become larded over with exaggerations and fibs. But in more recent years we have the example of St Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower. Hidden in the cloisters of a Carmelite convent, she unobtrusively kept communion with God and grew in holiness to the extent that, contrary to her wishes, her story of virtuous obedience to God and to the religious rule of her order was published and became a source of inspiration to the Catholic world. The news of a possible, if not likely, canonisation of Bl John Paul this year therefore is to be seen in this light of a Church striving to achieve holiness in all its members, because this is her goal. Far from taking sides with an indifferent secularism, Catholics should appreciate why the Church is holy in spite of its human weaknesses, and embrace the way in which saints are given to us and miracles can still occur, because Jesus Christ, “the holy one of God” has not left us orphans. There are surely many “Little Flowers” in our midst. Canonised or not, they will always be a source of grace and blessing for the entire Church.

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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.

Homosexuality and genetics

ICHELLE Evert’s opinion on homosexuality (June 12), where she refers to genetics playing a part in our behaviour patterns, is perplexing. We know that our genes play a part in terms of tendencies we inherit, but surely our behaviour patterns are to a large degree shaped by influences during our formative years. These influences could be hugely instrumental in affecting our lives as adults. Being gay is not easily explained. Humans are gregarious by nature and thus seek companionship. When we leave our late teens and head into adulthood, most of us

Gay marriage

T is frightening to see the momentum which the gay marriage movement has gained, France being the latest major country to pass a law to legalise it. What Catholics should realise is that for years the lobbies related to that movement have worked very hard to normalise their situation, and now it would appear that many Catholics have tended to start accepting the unacceptable. These lobbies are powerful and militant worldwide. However, let Catholics not be fooled either: that movement in itself is not all that powerful (they lack the supernatural weapons that only Catholics possess), they are going against nature, against the established order. Then, let Catholics be on their guard, be extremely vigilant, never be complacent, and understand that once unnatural marriage is in force, then adoption of children by same-sex couples will logically be demanded. A child needs a father and a mother, the normal family is sacred and is the centre of society. Let no one tell us that two men adopting a small child is normal. God did not envisage that folly which has started to take root on earth. Euthanasia is next in line, then polygamy; that’s coming fast. Let’s understand the fanatical aim of all these diabolical proposals: to destroy the family, to destroy the Catholic Church, and establish the reign of Satan on earth, aided in no small measure by occult sects which operate in darkness. The persecution of the Church has started in earnest, is gaining momentum. St Michael, we need you now more than ever... The social reign of our Lord Jesus Christ: that’s what we Catholics need and want. He must reign on Earth. PR Margeot, Durban

gradually begin to pair off with the opposite sex. If we are shy or reticent in relationships, we will find during the post-teen stage that, as our previous friends begin to drift away in one-on-one relationships, we could very well begin to experience the “being alone” feeling which could be the catalyst that nudges us into a same-sex relationship. As Ms Evert says, Biblical scripture was referring to the two opposite sexes where we read in Genesis: “Be fruitful and multiply.” From an evolutionary point of view, for millions of years, male/female pairing has been the only way to procreate, and added to this fact, the mode of

Prayer first

HE secular media reports daily on crime and violence, especially to women and children. Our local paper headlines “Where is the Church?”, a letter from Bishops Kevin Dowling and Abel Gabuza, in the SACBC Justice&Peace department urges “serious dialogue on the underlying causes”. According to Nigerian Associate Professor PI Odezar of the University of Notre Dame in the US, in The Tablet, ubuntu, the traditional African culture of respect and hospitality to others is often confined to one’s own family, tribe and ethnic group. Aren’t there often many groups, not only in Africa, like this? Maybe it is because of the nonrecognition of the God-given human dignity of any “outside” our group? Jesus gave us the commandment to love one another, and many do work to achieve this. Perhaps, however, following Jesus’ example, our first priority should be prayer, the celebration of faith in God’s help in keeping this commandant. In our suburb, the police station commander has gathered an ecumenical group to pray monthly about the crime and violence (especially the horrifying, high incidence of rape of women and children) in his large area. We meet at the police station or the local primary school or the local informal settlement itself’s community hall. We say Benediction on Fridays and ask Our Lady Mother Africa to 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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ventro-ventral sex (face to face copulation) has played a vital part in the development of male/female relationships. What is a concern to many people is same-sex couples engaging in sex. Ms Evert points out as well that male/female anatomies are perfectly structured for this purpose and therefore anything other could be viewed as being misguided. Same-sex relationships for the purpose of companionship fall quite comfortably into the biblical statement that “it is not good for man to live alone”, and one must assume that the growing international acceptance of gay marriages is an acknowledgement of this human trait. Patrick Dacey, Johannesburg pray for us. Prayer leaflets are also available, containing prayers for Africa, as well as for overcoming crime and violence, with suggestions to recognise both of these within and outside our selves, to read Romans 12:9-21 to turn our anger and outrage into prayer. Readers are encouraged to pray that peace may be restored in our homes, our communities, our country, our continent of Africa, and our world. SMS 083 544 8449 for a copy. Perhaps we can also pray to St Joseph the worker for help to settle strikes with peace and justice, and ask the Holy Family to remember that they fled to Africa as refugees from Herod’s violance, and we need their help. Athaly Jenkinson, East London

Celibacy positive

ATHER Ron Rolheiser’s column “The hell and beauty of celibacy” (May 22) refers. Celibacy is an issue which has been debated over many years, without any strong enough motivation for or against it. Firstly, celibacy is not traditional. Priests were married in early Christianity, and a commitment to celibacy only came much later. It has not always been easy for priests to adhere to vows of celibacy, because the sexual need is the second strongest after that of nourishment. Secondly, the ordinary man can never be compared to Jesus regarding sexuality. Man has inherited a sinful nature through Adam and Eve. The apostle Paul once said, according to scripture, “I sometimes do the things I don’t want to do”. Logical thinking is necessary when discerning the facts of celibacy, bearing in mind what one of the Church fathers wrote, that reason supports faith. Even the Bible teaches us to meditate deeply—to reason when solving any problem. Do it with prayer. AJ Kock, Port Elizabeth

PERSPECTIVES Raymond Perrier

SA and the US of A T HE recent visit of President Obama, and now this week’s celebration of July 4, the US day of independence, has again prompted a focus in South Africa on all things American. Not that it needs much prompting: American brands, American music and American films are so present that we don’t even notice after all a while that they are imports. Mr Obama is of course not alone in travelling the long distance—16 hours even if you fly non-stop—across the Atlantic and across the Equator. Last year, 327 000 American overseas visitors to South Africa outnumbered all others except Brits. But perhaps it is fitting that the country which was the first to create a modern-style rights-based constitutional republic should take a keen interest in our more recent version. It is 19 years since South Africans threw off the yoke of oppression; the comparable point in American history would be 1795 and there are some intriguing similarities. About 80% of Americans then were working on farms and living in one-room cabins; those living in cities were mostly crammed into boarding hostels and insalubrious apartment buildings. A political row was caused by an attempt to raise money for road-building (in Kentucky); the government sent in troops against their own people after a local protest about whiskey taxes. And while the former oppressors (in their case the British) were signing agreements to make good the results of their rule, the formerly oppressed were showing that they could hand out oppression themselves (to Native Americans). Meanwhile, the nation was preparing for life after its founding father (George Washington retired as president in 1797 and died two years later). There are sadly many Americans who after a short visit to this country announce that they have “done Africa”. After all, they have visited Mandela Square from their gated hotel in Sandton,

they have been to the wild (in the form of a luxury safari lodge) and even have been on a “safari” to a township. It is too easy to mock such visitors while counting their especially welcome dollars. I remember once, at the end of a tour of Robben Island, an elderly American lady had clearly been moved by the tales of sacrifice but not quite grasped the politics. “But who did this to you?” she asked the exprisoner turned guide. “Was it the Russians?” But there are also Americans who come to learn, and do so humbly and respectfully. At the Jesuit Institute we have the privilege of hosting students and faculty from American Jesuit universities such as Georgetown and Fordham. One group of undergraduates have spent a semester at the University of Pretoria, not just studying but also working 1-2 days a week in local community development projects. They have to some degree, been able to provide some practical assistance and share some skills. But more than that they are returning back to their own cities with a deeper understanding of poverty and how the poor can be empowered (and also disempowered). Strange that they have to travel 13 000km to discover this when there

Rev Martin Luther king Jr

Faith and Society

is poverty on their own doorsteps. Perhaps we also need to send some of our privileged middle-class learners to the Bronx or South Central Los Angeles to open their eyes to the poverty that they don’t notice here at home. A common thread in the two countries’ history is, of course, race. The Fordham University students, when they first arrived, couldn’t help remarking that South Africans seem obsessed with race compared to Americans. But on further reflection, they concluded that both countries were equally obsessed with race—South Africans showed this by talking about it and Americans by not talking about it. By coincidence, Gauteng theatres have just hosted two American plays about race performed by South African actors: One about affirmative action in a law firm, the other about Martin Luther King. Perhaps the real historic comparison is not with the decades after Independence but the decades after the Civil Rights Movement. Forty-nine years after the Civil Rights Act, the US certainly has a sizeable black middle class. But the majority of AfricanAmericans are less well educated, less well paid, less well housed, less healthy and less politically empowered than their fellow-citizens. Nineteen years after 1994 we are moving in the same direction but hopefully this is one American trend that we won’t feel compelled to follow. Martin Luther King dreamt that his children would live in a nation where they would be judged not by the colour of their skin but the content of their characters. The election of a black president in the US was seen as a great step forwards to this dream being realised. Will South Africa ever be ready to elect someone not for the colour of their skin but for the content of their character?

The important things in life first Judith Turner

RECENTLY facilitated a workshop on time management for a group of emerging leaders and part of the workshop was based on Stephen Covey’s bestseller, the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In this book, Covey teaches us that we should manage our time in a way that helps us to get to where we want to be. He says that when it comes to time, our way of thinking should be based on the compass rather than on the clock. A compass helps us to move in the right direction whereas a clock just tells us how fast we are doing things. Covey also points out that we should make a distinction between what is important and what is not important—we should know the difference—because when we know what is important we know what to focus on. Important things are things that have value for us and that draw on our deepest beliefs and principles and move our lives in the right direction: family life, our studies, friendships and relationships, parish life and parenting. Unimportant things are things that consume our time, but do not really help us to move in the right direction. These things are normally nice-to-do, and can easily deceive us and waste our time. Covey calls the important things “first things”, and in his book he teaches us to put first things first. St Paul tells us in his letter to the Ephesians: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but

Faith and Life

When it comes to time, our way of thinking should be based on the compass rather than on the clock. (Photo: 1 dusty Track)

understand what the will of the Lord is.” When we do the important things first, then we make the best use of our time. When we know what the will of the Lord is for us, then we are able to focus on achieving that will. If I am a student, the Lord wills that I become the best student I can be. A good student knows that it is better to focus on lectures and pay attention during the class. This will help the student become the best student they can be, and they follow their compass in the right direction. The student is focusing on what is important. Once they have taken care of what is important, the rest of student life falls

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into place. As a parent, as another example, I might know that spending quality time with my children over a weekend is important. This makes me a good parent and this is what the Lord wills me to be. I value family, and the happiness and growth of my children forms part of my deepest beliefs and principles. When I focus on this important task and say no to unimportant tasks like spending time at the mall with my friends, I follow my compass and move in the right direction. The parent is putting first things first. Once a parent has taken care of what is important, the rest of the parenting tasks fall into place. What is really important to you? What are the deepest beliefs and principles that you base your life on? What things do you want to and need to put first? The answers to these questions will help you to move your life in the right direction. The gospel of Matthew sets our compass for us, helps us to know what is important, what to focus on and which things to put first: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

The Southern Cross, July 3 to July 9, 2013

Michael Shackleton

Open door

To whom do we pray? St Paul tells us that Jesus stands at the right hand of the Father “interceding for us” (Rom 8:34) and that when we don’t know how to pray “the Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words” (Rom 8:26). Jesus is the second Person of the Trinity and the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the one God. So how can we ask God to intercede for us with God? Carmen Smith

E don’t. It would be absurd to imagine God offering prayers of intercession to himself. To pray is a very human activity, implying that the one who prays is dependent on the one to whom one prays. In this case, prayer is the expression of our acknowledgment of our total subordination to the will of God. But there is no way we can pray to God except in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, our high priest. St Paul put it this way: “For there is only one God and there is only one mediator between God and mankind, himself a man, Jesus Christ” (1 Tim 2:5). Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father is the second Person of the Trinity in his human nature, which emphasises his relationship with humanity rather than his relationship with the Trinity. In “interceding for us” Christ is actually mediating our prayers to God the Father, he is not praying in the sense that we pray as dependent on God’s compassion. Regarding the way in which the Spirit expresses our pleas (Rom 8:34), refer to Rom 8:14 where St Paul talks of being moved by the Spirit. This gives us the context of his narrative, that is, the inspiration that the Holy Spirit gives us, prompting us to pray. Again, St Paul sums it up nicely when he writes: “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3). What this implies is that we cannot approach God in prayer unless he first approaches us. He has done so in sending his Son to become incarnate in order to reopen the way to him, and in sending the Holy Spirit to nudge us to turn to him prayerfully in faith and confidence. We must not forget that finite human nature wallows in its impotence until God lifts it up to himself by means of his loving gift of grace.

n Send your queries to Open Door, Box 2372, Cape Town,

8000; or e-mail: opendoor@scross.co.za; or fax (021) 465 3850. Anonymity can be preserved by arrangement, but questions must be signed, and may be edited for clarity. Only published questions will be answered.

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The Southern Cross, July 3 to July 9, 2013

COMMUNITY

St Joseph’s Theological Institute held its annual graduation where 97 students received degrees, diplomas and certificates in theology, philosophy, religious studies and development studies. (Front) Barney Pityana, dr Stuart Bate OMI (grand chancellor of St Joseph’s), dr Sylvester david OMI (president of St Joseph’s) and Cardinal Wilfrid Napier OFM, together with staff of St Joseph’s and representatives of the Pietermaritzburg Cluster of Theological Institutions of which St Joseph’s is a founding member. Holy Family Sister Theresa Hannon celebrated her golden jubilee of profession with her community in Pietermaritzburg. Pictured with her are Fr Nhlanhla Nkosi OMI and celebrant Bishop Barry Wood, auxiliary of durban.

Members of the Association of Catholic Tertiary Students from Stellenbosch university attended a spiritual retreat weekend. They are pictured in Immaculate Conception church in Parow, Cape Town.

Sacred Heart parish in Graaff-Reinet, diocese of de Aar, celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Pictured on the altar is a statue of Our Lady of Fatima donated by a Portuguese businessman.

Br Clarence Watts and Fr Jeffrey Fernandes presented don Bosco’s System of Education: The Preventive System to the lay mission partners involved in works at Salesian Institute Youth Projects. 40 staff members, including teachers, coordinators, volunteers, catering staff and maintenance staff took part in the formation program at Our Lady Help of Christians parish in Lansdowne, Cape Town.

The Catholic Chinese Welfare Association in Johannesburg held its 48th Annual debutantes Ball. Miss deb 2013 Stephanie Ho Tong is pictured surrounded by first princess, Savannah Ho Tong, Miss deb 2012 Shannon Tenner, and the three princesses danielle Ho Tong, Courtney Lindsay and Maxine Ho Tong. The guest of honour was Fr Terry Nash (third from right) and spiritual director Fr Ronnie Houreld (second from left).

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The Southern Cross, July 3 to July 9, 2013

FAITH

Pope Francis’ vision for the Church in action Pope Francis has made it clear that his vision of the Catholic Church is one that serves the poor and is outward-looking in its evangelisation efforts. SIPHIWE MkHIZE discusses how that vision can be put into practice.

HERE are two threads in the public statements by Pope Francis which I believe will shape his pontificate. In 2007 the then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, told a meeting of Latin American bishops: “We live in the most unequal part of the world, which has grown the most yet reduced misery the least. “The unjust distribution of goods persists, creating a situation of social sin that cries out to heaven and limits the possibilities of a fuller life for so many of our brothers,” he said. As pope he has addressed issues of poverty repeatedly. As a cardinal and as pope he has also spoken about clerical privilege and an insular Church hierarchy. That ecclesial isolation has set the terms of the Catholic Church’s reputation and behaviour for far too long. Before the conclave that elected him, the pope reportedly captured the attention of the cardinal-electors with a short address in which he spoke about the need to escape from a “self-referential Church”. He has also spoken of his longing for a Church “that is poor, and for the poor”. “We have to avoid the spiritual sickness of a self-referential Church,” the man who would become Pope Francis said. “It’s true that when you get out into the street, as happens to every man and woman, there can be accidents. However, if the Church remains closed in on itself, self-referential, it gets old. Between a Church that suffers accidents in the street, and a Church that’s sick because it’s self-referential, I have no doubts about preferring the former.” I think the term “self-referential” is a powerful insight and prophetic critique of what the Church’s institutions have become.

Reverencing and worshipping God is so very different from doing the same for the structures of the Church. And if that preference of the new Pope Francis prevails in Rome, might it even begin to change those Church structures? I fervently hope and pray that a pope from so far who deliberately named himself after St Francis of Assisi will be that agent of change. In the 12th century, the young Francis of Assisi heard a call that became his mission—“rebuild my Church”—straight from the voice of God. And today, the Church needs rebuilding again—to be what the Church was meant to be. But to make those changes, Pope Francis will need to address some very fundamental issues. First, the Church must indeed be transformed to become known as the defender of the poorest and most vulnerable. Biblically speaking, that should be the Church’s first and primary reputation. Sadly, our Church’s hierarchy is not best known for those primary issues today. Second, Pope Francis must address, with both compassion and justice, the enormously painful reality of Church’s sexual abuse of children and the vulnerable. In South Africa as elsewhere around the world, the horrible sins of abusive priests and the cover-up by the Church leadership must be repented and reconciled. Until that happens, the Church’s reputation can never be restored.

hile these are enormous challenges for Pope Francis, the grace of God is sufficient for faithful Church leaders to lead. He is said to be such a man of God—fervent in personal faith and consistent prayer. So let us all do what the first thing the newly-elected pope asked the people in St Peter’s Square to do: pray for him. This then leads me to recent comments by Pope Francis during his address at the Vigil of Pentecost, which he celebrated in St Peter’s Square with about 200 000 different ecclesial movement’s members— what in our local term we call sodalities. He discussed the following questions (a) his faith journey; (b) the challenges of evangelisation; (c) becoming a Church for the poor; and (d) Christian witness. When he answered these questions he spoke about the closed

Pope Francis smiles as he leaves a Pentecost prayer vigil with members of Catholic lay movements in St Peter’s Square. At the vigil he said that an inward-looking, self-referential Church is “sick”. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS) Church. With these answers Pope Francis summed up the most important theme of his pontificate: “At this time of crisis we cannot be concerned solely with ourselves, withdrawing into loneliness, discouragement and a sense of powerlessness in the face of problems. “Please do not draw into yourselves! This is a danger: we shut ourselves up in the parish, with our friends, within the movement, with the like-minded… but do you know what happens? When the Church becomes closed, she becomes an ailing Church, she falls ill! That is a danger. “Think of a room that has been closed for a year. When you enter it there is a smell of damp, many things are wrong with it. A Church closed in on herself is the same, a sick Church.” All of it points in the same direction: towards a Church that exists to serve. What exactly is this thing that our new pope fears? What is a “selfreferential” Church? Clearly the Pope wants a Church that serves God, and serves the People of God, without regard to itself. But how can we know if, or when, the Church is acting that way? It’s all too easy to reply that the pope wants to serve the spiritual rather than institutional needs of the Church. On one level that’s certainly true; the spiritual needs take

O RFO R D

CONSTRUCTION

priority. But it is dangerous to assume that the “institutional Church” is somehow separate from the spiritual body. The Church is an institution, established by Jesus Christ on this earth rather than in some ideal spiritual realm, and it is run by mortal men with human weaknesses. That institution, moreover, has material needs: churches in which to enact the Eucharistic liturgy, rectories in which to house the priests ordained for that purpose, convents and monasteries. A healthy Church will be constantly growing, steadily building, thereby creating still more material needs. When he speaks of a “poor” Church, Pope Francis certainly does not intend that dioceses should suddenly sell off all those churches and hospitals and schools. As a faithful steward the Church should care for these properties, to ensure that they last, to ensure that they serve the people well. If the Church is morally obligated to look after her own material needs, what does Pope Francis mean when he decries the “self-referential” Church?

think that single paragraph at the Pentecost vigil summarises his point neatly: the “self-referential” Church is the Church that has closed up on itself—the Church that is absorbed with self-preservation

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rather than with evangelisation. The “self-referential Church”— the Church that is distracted from its true purpose by all-too-human concerns—has been a special concern of mine for years. In the past I have tried to explain, with concrete illustrations, what Pope Francis conveyed in that single paragraph on the eve of Pentecost. Now, inspired by this new pope’s teaching, I propose to try again: not only by explaining the danger of the “selfreferential Church,” but also proposing a way to escape that trap. For today, consider just one way in which the Church can become closed up within itself: by responding to danger with an eye towards preserving a public image. How many times, in the past decade or two, have we found that a scandal took root because some diocesan official or even Church hierarchy thought a grievous wrong should be covered up in order to protect the Church from public criticism? That attitude—one that spawned the sex-abuse scandal—is, I submit, a perfect example of the “self-referential” Church. The Church is the Body of Christ. How much effort did Jesus devote to protecting his own reputation? He declined to answer his accusers, even with his life on the line. He died as a condemned criminal. When the jeering crowd suggested that he come down from the Cross to prove himself the Messiah, he ignored the taunts. Think about it: Jesus, the Lord of the universe, had the power to come down from the Cross. By doing so he would have silenced the scoffers. He surely would have restored—indeed immeasurably enhanced!—his own public stature in Jerusalem. But he did not do so, because that was not his mission. His mission was to serve; his mission was to suffer. The mission of the Church is the same: to serve and to suffer. The self-referential Church sees public obloquy as a disaster to be avoided at all costs. A healthy Church sees the contempt of the world as a sign of spiritual progress, another welcome opportunity to conform ourselves to the image of Christ. Finally let us lead and live the serving Church and shun a “selfreferential Church”. n Dr Siphiwe Mkhize belongs to St Dominic’s parish in Hillcrest, archdiocese of Durban. He has just finished writing a book on the permanent diaconate.

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The Southern Cross, July 3 to July 9, 2013

PERSONALITY

Catholic Comrades winner on life and faith Eighty-seven kilometres, steep hills, high temperatures and wind; the Comrades Marathon is one of the most challenging sporting events in the country. CLAIRE MATHIESON learns more about the man who won this year’s Comrades.

AST month, he was a hardworking South African, a familiar face at St Margaret’s parish in Diepkloof, Soweto and a man whose family supported his talents and passions. Like many, to achieve his goals, sacrifice and hard work were necessary. But everything changed for Claude Moshiywa when on June 2 he was the first man to cross the finish line of the 2013 Comrades Marathon. When he crossed the finish line, Moshiywa became the first South African to win the Comrades “up run” (when the race runs from Durban to Pietermaritzburg) in 21 years, and the country’s newest sporting hero. “It wasn’t easy,” Moshiywa told The Southern Cross. The 2013 edition of the race will be remembered as one of the toughest. High temperatures and strong winds were some of the factors contributing to one of the highest dropout rates. Of the 14 336 who started the race, only 10 188 finished. But Moshiywa had put in the training and knew this year would be a good race. “I started training six months ago, focusing on Comrades.” A full-time employee, Moshiywa would rise at 3.00am during the week and run at least 30 km before starting work at 7:00am as a First National Bank purchasing officer for catering, a firm he has served for 17 years. “Training has been difficult, but my family has also sacrificed a lot for me. They are proud of what I have done. I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this without their

support.” Moshiywa has been married for eight years and has two boys, aged six and seven. “It’s not been easy for them. They worry when I run in the dark. It’s not safe,” he says, admitting that he himself has often been afraid of running in the dark. Balancing family life, work and training for a world-class event has had its challenges. Moshiywa says having his family behind him all the way was important to his success, but “self-belief also plays a role in achievement”. The 2013 Comrades champion believes this is lacking in South African athletes. While the country is filled with natural talent, South African marathon runners are not performing well on the international stage. “It’s going to take time to change and it’s going to take time to teach our runners to have selfbelief.” Support and belief are key to achieving, Moshiywa told The Southern Cross. Interestingly, he’s not always been a runner, nor a winner. When in school, the young Moshiywa was far more interested in football—a passion that has not dwindled. But when he was 24, Moshiywa saw people running past his home during the Soweto Marathon. “I thought that I was faster than them.” It turns out, he was—but it took time for the 38-year-old to get to where he is today. “I ran my first race in eight hours and four minutes,” a much slower run than his winning time of five hours and 35 minutes—but a sub-nine-hour race is still faster than the winner of the first Comrades in 1921, Bill Rowan. The talent was evident and in 2011, Moshiywa came third. But the key goes beyond natural talent, he says. “You need to love running. You can’t finish a Comrades and do it well if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing. You need to motivate yourself and have selfbelief. You need goals.” And he’s not just talking to top athletes; all runners need a goal and need to be focused. “I’m proud of anyone who finishes the Comrades Marathon. I understand the challenges; I know what it’s like.

St Joseph’s Theological Institute

Comrades winner Claude Moshiywa is a member of St Margaret’s parish in diepkloof, Soweto. On the right he is pictured falling to his knees after winning the 2013 Comrades Marathon. (Photo: Beeld) I’m also proud of those who started the race but didn’t finish.” Try again next year, he says.

oshiywa’s personal goals were achieved thanks to a friend who took him to church when he was going through a bad patch. With the help of parish priest Fr Zweli Mlotshwa OMI of Diepkloof, Moshiywa says he was able to work through his troubles. “He has struggled a lot,” says Fr Mlotshwa. “He competes with people who do nothing but run. But he works every day, looks after his family and trains. He is an inspiration to me,” Fr Mlotshwa told The Southern Cross. Moshiywa humbly says people at St Margaret’s must have rushed home from Mass to see the winner cross the finish line on television as he’s been getting congratulatory messages from so many. “It’s been quite overwhelming. It took me a few hours to realise that I had won!” Even though the St Margaret’s parishioner is now a sporting hero, he remains first a family man and plans to invest his winnings in the

education of his sons. His sons are happier about the fact that their father is a champion. “My boys are happy because they were very angry with me when I lost last year,” he jokes. In 2012, he came 11th. “Every year, we call Claude up to wish him good luck for the Comrades race, but this year, he was not a stranger, we were not introducing a man the people did not know. The parishioners are so happy to be associated with him,” says Fr Mlotshwa. He recalls one parishioner saying: “I can live my life happily now because I know a champion.” Moshiywa’s story is one of persevering through adversity. During the race, with 10km to go, cramping set in. He continued and finished more than nine minutes ahead of second-placed Jonas Buud of Sweden. Discipline is key if South Africans are going to earn more medals on the international running scene, he says. “Most of us are not disciplined enough to make sure it happens, to make sure South Africans win,”

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Moshiywa says. “It depends on us to keep on working hard at winning,” he says. The women’s racing scene has been dominated by Russians in recent years with Elena Nurgalieva one win away from equalling Bruce Fordyce’s nine Comrades wins—the most of any runner. “We need to work together. It could be a time for South Africans but only if we put the hard work in,” says Moshiywa. “We need to change our attitudes and we need to be mentally strong.” Fr Mlotshwa says Moshiywa is also a man of faith. “He’s learnt to never give up. For years, Claude was in the top 10 of the Comrades. This year he won because he didn’t give up on his goal.” Fr Mlotshwa says even though the Comrades champion might today be a sporting celebrity, it has not changed him. “Claude is still the same, quiet man. He doesn’t like the spotlight. He still comes to church and happily chats to people but he doesn’t go looking for attention,” the priest said. “He’s an inspiration to us all.”

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The Southern Cross, July 3 to July 9, 2013

CLASSIFIEDS

Sr Benigna Klüber OP

ISTER Benigna Klüber OP, died on May 18, at the age of 90 and in her 63rd year of religious profession. Sr Klüber was born on June 18, 1922 in Modlos, Germany. On August 2, 1948, she entered the Oakford Congregation and was received into the novitiate at Neustadt on July 3, 1949. Soon after her first profession, Sr Klüber left for her mission to South Africa and arrived at Oakford on December 3, 1950. Her religious life was spent in mission to children as a teacher and

at times as a boarders’ mother, stationed at Oakford and at different mission stations. Sr Klüber was industrious in teaching practical skills. She was a member of the St Vincent de Paul Society, offering assistance and material help to the poor. Sr Klüber loved the breviary and common prayers and offered all her prayers to the Lord and to Our Lady, asking them to help those who needed it most at that time. Hers was a childlike trust which she lived all her life and especially during her years of retirement from

Births • First Communion • Confirmation • Engagement/Marriage • Wedding anniversary • Ordination jubilee • Congratulations • deaths • In memoriam • Thanks • Prayers • Accommodation • Holiday Accommodation • Personal • Services • Employment • Property • Others Please include payment (R1,25 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication. 2004 until her death in Pietermaritzburg. There she quietly dedicated herself to beadwork, which she had previously taught to the children so well. Sr Carmen Brokamp OP

Br Cosmas Kihirimana OSB

ROTHER Cosmas Kihirimana died at Inkamana abbey, in KwaZulu-Natal on June 18, after a short illness. He was born in Omaruru in central Namibia on September 6, 1974, into a Herero family. His upbringing was markedly shaped by the rich Herero tradition and legacy. He attended primary school at St Michael’s mission near Outjo and moved to St Joseph’s high school in Döbra, where the German Oblate missionaries had their head office. Br Kihirimana entered Inkamana abbey in June 1997. In April 1998, he was admitted to the novitiate and on February 5, 2000, he professed his temporary vows. On December 28, 2005, he made his final and solemn commitment to the Benedictine way of life. As he intended to become a priest, he began to study philosophy at St Joseph’s Theological Institute in Cedara in February 2000 and moved to St Charles Lwanga major seminary in 2002 to complete his studies. He joined the confreres at Waldfrieden mission near Omaruru, a

dependent house of Inkamana abbey, and became involved in catechetical work. In August 2004, he returned to Inkamana where he assisted the boarding master for a while in the running of the boys’ hostel. In February 2006, he began studying for a teacher’s degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. After finishing his studies, he returned to Inkamana at the beginning of 2010, taking charge of the boys’ hostel and teaching at Inkamana High School. In February 2013, he returned to the University to do further studies. At the beginning of May, while he was preparing for his mid–year exams, he suddenly fell ill and had to be admitted to hospital in Pietermaritzburg where the doctors diagnosed him with meningitis. He spent some time in the inten-

Liturgical Calendar Year C Weekdays Cycle Year 1 Sunday, July 7, 14th Sunday Isaiah 66:10-14, Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20, Galatians 6:1418, Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 Monday, July 8 Genesis 28:10-22, Psalm 91:1-4, 14-15, Matthew 9:18-26 Tuesday, July 9 Genesis 32:23-33, Psalm 17:1-3, 6-7, 8, 15, Matthew 9:32-38 Wednesday, July 10, St Veronica Giuliani 2 Corinthians 4:6-11, 16, 17, Psalm 59:2, 10, 17-18, Matthew 16:24-27 Thursday, July 11, St Benedict Genesis 44:18-21, 23-29, 45:1-5, Psalm 105:16-21, Matthew 10:7-15 Friday, July 12 Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30, Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40, Matthew 10:16-23 Saturday, July 13, Memorial of the BVM Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26, Psalm 105:1-4, 6-7, Matthew 10:24-33 Sunday, July 14, 15th Sunday Deuteronomy 30:10-14, Psalm 69:14, 17, 30-31, 3334, 36-37 or Psalm 19:8-11, Colossians 1:15-20, Luke 10:25-37

Southern CrossWord solutions

SOLUTIONS TO 557. ACROSS: 1 Sickle, 4 Metric, 9 Brown scapular, 10 Lantern, 11 Urges, 12 Often, 14 Idiot, 18 Asher, 19 Opposer, 21 Parts of speech, 22 Resite, 23 Maiden. DOWN: 1 Subtle, 2 Crown of thorns, 3 Lance, 5 Expound, 6 Religious need, 7 Caress, 8 Scone, 13 Earns it, 16 Doffs, 17 Urchin, 20 Papua.

sive care unit and when he was released from hospital his condition seemed to improve from day to day, although he was still weak and had to stay in his room. He was looking forward to joining the community exercises again when a sudden relapse occurred on June 18. Fully aware of his serious condition, he asked for Fr Boniface Kamushishi OSB and, after receiving the sacrament of reconciliation together with the sacrament of the sick, he died peacefully, surrounded by confreres. Br Kihirimana was a very loyal but independent-minded confrere in our community. As he was unable to realise his dream of becoming a priest, he strove all the more to finish his studies and become a teacher at Inkamana high school. He was very close to that goal when he was struck by the illness which eventually led to his death. At the special request of his parents, he was buried in his home village in Hereroland. A Requiem Mass was celebrated at Inkamana on June 22. By Abbot Godfrey Sieber

Word of the Week

DOCTRINE: is the teaching of the Church on matters of faith and morals. All such teaching—or at least the basis for it—was handed down to the Church by Jesus and the apostles prior to the death of the last apostle. Scripture refers to doctrine as “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). Doctrine can develop over time as the Church comes to understand it better—but it cannot change. No one, not even the pope, has the authority to change doctrine.

The members of umlazi deanery will be holding a worship prayer service on July 14, 9:00am at Glebe stadium in umlazi South, durban.The fundraiser will help a parishioner who wishes to attend the seminary. For more info, call 031 700 2704 To advertise in this space call Elizabeth Hutton on 021 465 5007 or email advertising @scross.co.za

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IN MEMORIAM

ALEXANDER—Ralph. In loving memory of my beloved husband Ralph, our father and grandfather who passed away July 12, 2011. May he rest in peace. Always remembered by your wife Evelyn, children Blaise, Imelda, Mark, Celesta, delia and Rowen. daughters-in-law Sandra and Mary Anne, son-inlaw Martin and grandchildren Blayke, Reece, xavier and Cleeve.

come, before you we stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word incarnate, despise not our petitions but, in your mercy, hear and answer us. Amen.

THANKS

PERSONAL

battle, be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen. REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that

PRAYERS

never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, we fly unto

ST MARY’S PRIMARY SCHOOL celebrates 150 years of dominican Education and will be hosting a reunion of past pupils, parents and teachers on August 24, 2013 at 17.00 in St Mary’s school hall. Snacks and wine will be served. There will be a R20 donation in aid of the School Restoration Fund. RSVP by July 31, 2013. Astrid Liddle 021 465 1115 or Fiona Sellar 084 250 9572. ABORTION WARNING: The pill can abort (chemical abortion) Catholics must be told, for their eternal welfare and the survival of their unborn infants. NOTHING is politically right if it is morally wrong. Abortion is evil. Value life!

HOLY ST JUDE, apostle and martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke you, special patron in time of need. To you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg you to come to my assistance. Help me now in my urgent need and grant my petitions. In return I promise to make your name known and publish this prayer. Amen. RCP ST MICHAEL the Archangel, defend us in

you, O Virgin of virgins, our Mother. To you do we

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GRATEFUL thanks to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Mother Mary and Ss Joseph, Anthony, Jude and Martin de Porres for prayers answered. RCP.

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The Southern Cross is published independently by the Catholic Newspaper & Publishing Company Ltd. Address: PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000. Tel: (021) 465 5007 Fax: (021) 465 3850 www.scross.co.za Editor: Günther Simmermacher (editor@scross.co.za), Business Manager: Pamela davids (admin@scross.co.za), Advisory Editor: Michael Shackleton, News Editor: Claire Mathieson (c.mathieson@scross.co.za), Editorial: Claire Allen (c.allen@scross.co.za), Mary Leveson (m.leveson@scross.co.za) Advertising: Elizabeth Hutton (advertising@scross.co.za), Subscriptions: Avril Hanslo (subscriptions@scross.co.za), Dispatch: Joan king (dispatch@scross.co.za), Accounts: desirée Chanquin (accounts@scross.co.za). Directors: C Moerdyk (Chairman), Archbishop S Brislin, C Brooke, P davids*, S duval, E Jackson, B Jordan, M Lack (uk), Sr H Makoro CPS, M Salida, G Simmermacher*, Z Tom

Opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, staff or directors of The Southern Cross.

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God’s demands not too awesome or too distant 15th Sunday: July 14 Readings: Deuteronomy 30:10-14, Psalm 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37, Colossians 1:15-20, Luke 10:25-37

HERE is a danger that we may find ourselves thinking that God’s demands of us are utterly remote, either hopelessly beyond our understanding or asking of us that which we cannot possibly manage. The readings for next Sunday suggest an alternative view. The first reading wants us to grasp that it is really very simple: “If you listen to the Lord’s voice and keep his commandments and ordinances that are written in the Book of the Law, and return to the Lord your God, with all your heart and with all your soul.” Then the author insists that it is not “too awesome for you, nor too far away”. Nor is it “up in heaven or across the sea”; instead, “the word is very close to you, on your mouth and in your heart, to perform it”. The psalm for next Sunday is quite well aware of this: there is a restful intimacy in the poet’s prayer, as he asks: “Answer me, Lord, for your steadfast love is good.” Not that things are easy for him: “I am

Nicholas King SJ

Sunday Reflections

lowly and in pain,” he sings, but he has confidence, “for the Lord listens to the lowly, and he does not despise those who are in prison”. We need to learn from the closeness of Israel’s relationship with God. The second reading does something very daring indeed; it is a hymn to Jesus, “the likeness of the invisible God”. In other words, if you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus, “the first-born of all creation”. The poet who wrote this hymn looks at the whole of creation, and finds Christ there: “And he is before everything, and everything holds together in him.” And he is even in the Church! “He is the head of the body, the Church, he who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead”; and, we learn, God’s project is at work in Jesus, “because the whole fullness [presumably the fullness of God] was pleased to dwell

in him...making peace through the blood of his cross”. This is not especially comfortable, but the point is that all we have to do is respond to the Lord’s invitation. The work is already done. The gospel for next Sunday starts with a lawyer, and it is often said of lawyers that they make things needlessly complicated; certainly in Luke’s gospel they are not precisely flavour of the month. This adornment to the profession is, Luke tells us, “testing him”, so he gets all he deserves. He asks Jesus how to gain eternal life, and has the question turned on him as a question about the Law: “What is written in the Law? How do you read?” As a good lawyer he can answer that one, and narrows it down to the two great commandments: “You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength and understanding—and your neighbour as .” Full marks to the expert, and so Jesus simply tells him to go ahead and do it. But that was not the answer he was looking for, so he demands a legal definition: “And who is my neighbour?”

Contemplative sound bites R

ECENTLY I attended an institute on contemplative awareness at which James Finley was the keynotespeaker. He brings some pedigree to the task. He has nearly 40 years of experience as a therapist, is a much sought-after lecturer, has written extensively and deeply on the subject of contemplation, and, as a young man, for several years, had Thomas Merton as his spiritual director and mentor. He knows of what he speaks. I would like to share some of his insights with you by way of a collage of sound bites, each of which has a certain “stand-alone” quality; but, when taken together, also sheds some light on the nature of God, on the nature of contemplation, and on our struggles with both faith and contemplation. Here are some of Finley’s perspectives: The mystics bear witness to the perfectly holy nature of human existence, to the fact that we are infinitely loved and held in existence by love, and that there are times when we momentarily glimpse and taste that in our lives. A mystic is a person who has been transformed by such an experience. Anxiety comes from our estrangement from the consciousness of God’s love inside us. Why do we spend so many hours trapped outside the richness of our own lives, living like persons standing outside our own houses looking in through the windows of our own homes? Or, worse still, why are we inside our own houses

Conrad

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

but in a mental condition that has us believing we are living outside? What must we do to wake up before we die? Our lives are habitually pressured and so this is the perennial task: How do we, in the midst of our pressured lives, give ourselves over to the love that holds us? We cannot make a graced moment happen, but we can work at putting ourselves into a position where we offer the least resistance to be overtaken by a graced moment. Contemplative awareness isn’t hard to find—it’s hard to not run away from. Contemplative awareness is seeing things as they are. It’s resting in God. To be in contemplative awareness is to sit like “an unlearned child”, in a time of “nonthinking”. By sitting still we can learn to be still. Contemplation depends upon fidelity: If you are faithful to your practice, your practice will be faithful to you. There are some simple rules for the practice of contemplation: Sit still. Sit straight. Have your eyes closed or lowered. Take slow deep natural breaths. Have your hands in a comfortable position. Then be present, open, and awake: Do not cling to

nor reject anything that comes to you in thought. As a thought arises, let it arise, if it lingers, let it linger, if it passes away, let it pass away, but don’t let the thought carry you away with it. Move gently and slowly in prayer—don’t violate your body’s stillness. A recommended exercise: Go to your room just before sunset some night for no other reason than to be there with God when the sun sets. Have absolutely no other agenda than to watch it grow dark. Sit for a full hour. Sit in the unrelenting sovereignty of the day’s end. Sit in radical obedience to the falling light. You’ll know solitude. People who pray regularly generally do not pray well ... but they become persons who rely upon God to make their prayer well. And those who pray regularly will, like everyone else, still experience sadness and death, but sadness and death will no longer have a tyranny over them. There is a difference between spiritual “sweetness” and spiritual “consolation”: “Sweetness” is feeling good while in prayer; “consolation” is the sense of having your heart enlarged (and that can be painful). Quoting Gabriel Marcel: We know we love someone when we glimpse in that person something that is too beautiful to die. From Theresa of Avila: When you reach the highest level of human maturity, you will have just one question: How can I be helpful? Love is two people sitting in a room, talking to each other. Neither knows what to say, but they recognise each other. Death is the eternal fertility of God. Why do the Buddhists speak of “emptiness” in relationship to the concept of God? They do so to refer to God’s infinite simplicity, that is, God as God is before all the distinctions made about God. “Emptiness” is our standing before God’s ineffability, utterly overwhelmed by an over-fullness. How can we be helpful in the face of others’ suffering when we feel so helpless to do anything about it? When persons share their fragility and pain with someone who hears with a true listening, those others uncover inside themselves the “pearl of great price”. And not least: The generosity of the Infinite is infinite. Among other things, this means that we must give ourselves over to a generous orthodoxy. To be unknown by God is altogether too much privacy! With God, a little sincerity goes a long way!

Jesus, however, obstinately fails to enter into a discussion about the legal definition of this animal, and instead tells a story. He often told stories, and Luke’s gospel has the best of them; and this story, that of the Good Samaritan, is somewhere near the top. Make sure that you read this story, carefully, before you hear it read out on Sunday. You need to know that the road from Jerusalem to Jericho is a rough desert trail, and can be immensely hot. It is also the kind of terrain that lends itself to an ambush by muggers of the sort described in the story. So as the story unfolds, you should be watching with horror as the traveller is virtually murdered and left for dead. Your horror deepens as you see the professional religious people, the priest and the Levite (the Jesuit and the cardinal?) “pass by on the other side”; and then you cheer as the hated foreigner (“Samaritan”—but think of your least favourite ethnic group) does the right thing, with startling generosity. Then, with the lawyer, answer Jesus’ question: “Who became a neighbour to him?” And, finally, do as Jesus instructs the lawyer: “Off you go—and do the same.”

Southern Crossword #557

ACROSS 1. Grim Reaper’s instrument (6) 4. Poetic system of measurement (6) 9. The Carmelite shoulders it (5,8) 10. Lent ran with some illumination (7) 11. Earnestly entreats (5) 12. Frequent decimal system? (5) 14. Heidi, Otto and a stupid person in hiding (5) 18. Fifth portion went to this tribe (Josh 19) (5) 19. One who sides against you (7) 21. Bits of the sermon for the grammar class (5,2,6) 22. Tree is put in a different place (6) 23. Virgin (6)

DOWN 1. Delicately complex, like the serpent in Eden (6) 2. Jesus’ heady burden (5,2,6) 3. It pierced Jesus’ side (5) 5. Explain former British monetary unit? (7) 6. Necessity of having monks and nuns? (9,4) 7. Scares with a gentle touch (6) 8. Little cake like the Scottish stone? (5) 13. One merits what one gets (5,2) 15. Beckham performs but may impede too (6) 16. Removes biretta at Holy Name (5) 17. Being Church includes sea creature (6) 20. Country in Oceania (5)

Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

FTER the baptism of his baby brother in church, a four-year-old boy sobbed all the way home in the backseat of the car. His mom and dad asked him three times what was wrong, getting no reply, only more sobbing. Finally, the boy replied: “The priest said he wanted us to be brought up in a Catholic home, but I want to stay with you guys!” Send us your favourite Catholic joke, preferably clean and brief, to The Southern Cross, Church Chuckle, PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000.