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Mixed reaction to bishops’ book on sex By ClaIRE MatHIESoN

HILE the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference has said that the book God: Love, Life and Sex, written by the country’s five metropolitan archbishops and published in June, has been well received and has already been sold out in some dioceses, a priest has called for the book to be rewritten. The book was a response to the “most urgent pastoral priorities for the Catholic Church in Southern Africa” identified as marriage and family life, faith formation of the laity and youth ministry. The book, laid out in a simple, easy to read format, is intended to serve a “guide and resource”. But Fr Christopher Clohessy of Cape Town, former rector of the now defunct archdiocesan St Francis Xavier seminary, said the book contains “impracticalities, unsubstantiated claims and weak theology”. “I am unconvinced that an all-male group of celibates should be drilling people in matters of sex and marriage. This is surely the work of competent lay theologians, men and women alike,” Fr Clohessy wrote in a review that went viral on the social media. “But even if I am wrong, I am entirely convinced the South African bishops could have done an immeasurably better job,” he said in his critique. The critique was first sent to Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town, followed by a few theologians, “many of whom agreed with what I was saying”, said Fr Clohessy. He said that he had not intended his critique “to go out the way it did”. The priest said the subject of the book does not address the important issues faced by families today. “Sex is not an issue of the day. People paying bills, that’s a problem. Violence, crime, corruption—these are concerns. The bishops need to speak on this. They don’t need the answers, but they need to be shepherds and tackle those issues.” But the bishops don’t agree. Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria, spokesman of the bishops’ conference, said Fr Clohessy’s critique implied the bishops were out of contact with the ordinary experience of countless South Africans. “The Church is continually dealing with the daily needs of ordinary South Africans. Every diocese in the country has projects of all kinds: kindergartens, homes for disabled children, feeding schemes, skills centres, places for abused women and children, shelters, and

Priests hear confessions as people gather outside a Catholic church for services marking the feast of the icon of the Mother of God in the village of Budslav, Belarus. Catholics from Belarus and neighbouring countries marked the 400th anniversary of the revered Marian icon during celebrations that spanned three days. (Photo: Vasily Fedosenko, Reuters/CNS) schools. The bishops are continually involved in all these schemes,” Archbishop Slattery said. Archbishop Slattery, one of the contributors to the book, said the publication is not “an encyclopaedia” but is intended as a resource. Fr Clohessy said that the book is not without merit, describing the chapter on abortion as “well expressed”. He criticised the book for lacking lay theologian voices. “One cannot publish anything in today’s world without consultation,” he said. The book’s authors say they had consulted widely. Fr Clohessy said the weakest section of the book is its treatment of same-sex issues. “The text uses ‘same-sex attraction’, ‘same-sex friendship’ and ‘same-sex relationship’ almost

interchangeably, despite these being very different things,” said Fr Clohessy. Archbishop Slattery said that the book and the Catechism of the Catholic Church point out that “homosexual attractions and homosexual activity are a wide-spread phenomenon in the world today and have been for thousands of years. The bishops are quite clear that wonderful friendships exist and enrich people of the same sex. What the Church has difficulty with is when the relationship between two people of the same gender involves sexual expression.” Explaining his decision to write a critique of the book, Fr Clohessy said sometimes it’s important to not remain quiet on certain issues. “The bishops don’t like to be wrong, but it’s not disloyal to inform them when they are wrong,” he said.

“I’m in favour of Church teachings, but we need to position this correctly,” Fr Clohessy said. “People have the right to good spiritual theology. St Paul writes theology that can be lived. Things in this book cannot be lived and will just increase our guilt.” He advised the bishops to rewrite the book. “Argue your points, consult widely with lay theologians—male and female. Argue and prove your point; don’t just throw it out there and expect Catholics to listen simply because the bishops said so,” he said. Archbishop Brislin, who as head of the archdiocese of Cape Town is Fr Clohessy’s ordinary, was out of the country and could not be reached for comment by the time of going to press. n God: Love, Life and Sex can be ordered at R40 at www.godandlife.co.za

Indulgences for Youth Day By CaRol Glatz

Dominican Father Brian Ndabaningi Mhlanga was ordained in Malawi by archbishop tarcisius ziyaye of Blantyre who, a few days afterwards, was appointed archbishop of lilongwe. Fr Mhlanga returns to Emaphethelweni priory in Pietermaritzburg where he has been studying.

O help encourage prayers for a spiritually fruitful World Youth Day (WYD) in Rio de Janeiro this month, the Vatican has announced that Pope Francis authorised a special indulgence for those who attend the event’s liturgies and prayer services or follow along online in the proper spirit of prayer and contrition. Pope Francis decreed that WYD participants can receive one plenary, or full, indulgence a day if they meet the usual conditions. WYD runs from July 23-28; the pope arrives on July 22. An indulgence is a remission of the temporal punishment a person is due for sins that have been forgiven. The conditions necessary for receiving a plenary indulgence include having recently gone to confession, receiving the Eucharist

and offering prayers for the intentions of the pope. The faithful must also carry the proper spirit of being “truly repentant and contrite” and participate in the gathering’s sacred events and “pious exercises” with prayerful devotion. Those who are “legitimately prevented” from being physically present in Rio may also obtain the indulgence as long as they meet the same prayerful and “spiritual and sacramental conditions” as well as participate “in spirit” in the sacred liturgies and prayer services via television, radio or “new means of social communication”, the decree said. The decree, signed by Cardinal Manuel Monteiro de Castro, head of the Vatican office that deals with indulgences, said a partial indulgence is also available to all Catholics who, no matter where they are, offer prayers with the pope for young Catholics.—CNS

the Southern Cross, July 17 to July 23, 2013

LOCAL

Special collection for Hurley Centre StaFF REPoRtER

C Youth called to lead By ClaIRE MatHIESoN

HE Young Christian Workers (YCW) movement has been relaunched in Cape Town years after it was started in response to the needs of the youth during the apartheid years. “YCW was a powerful organisation in South Africa in the 1970s,” said Kevin Johansson, who is trying to revive the organisation which is still actively operating in 60 countries around the world, with its headquarters in Rome, Italy. Mr Johansson said the YCW is a great way for youth to fill the gap between school and work. “Our youth need an identity,” he told The Southern Cross. The YCW is a movement of young people; young men and women who are in work or studywork situations, who are unemployed or in insecure or casual work. The aim of the YCW is to help young workers reflect and take action themselves in order to gain freedom from what prevents them living with dignity and to bear witness to the presence of God and his plan in Jesus Christ within the world of working youth. “The YCW engages young people in a process of personal transformation and the transformation of the situations and conditions which affect them in their everyday lives. It promotes an analysis of the realities of life, gospel-based reflection and appropriate action in every aspect of daily life an outgoing care and concern for those around them,” said Mr Johansson. In the words of founder Cardinal Joseph Cardijn of Belgium,

YCW members “see, judge and act”. Through this they are able to consider more clearly the experiences of their daily life and that of their friends and identify the causes and consequences within a wider context”, Mr Johansson said. Mr Johansson said the YCW brings young people together into small groups to help them answer their own needs and those of other young people through action. This action may be taken by an individual member in his place of work, in the family or with friends. The group may take collective action to change a particular situation for example by campaigning for the rights of young people, working for better facilities at work and in the community. “We want to restart this organisation and we are looking for young leaders between the ages of 18–36,” said Mr Johansson. Full training will be given to the leaders. “The transition from school to work is a big leap into the unknown, so become part of the family, and belong to something worthwhile that will help give you an identity.” “The YCW offers a faith experience of Church gradually gained through discovery of Jesus Christ, reflection in small groups on the Word of God, lived Christian experience and meaningful celebration of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist,” said Mr Johansson. “No one should look down on you because you are young.” n Visit www.cijoc.org or www.ycwimpact.com or contact Kevin Johansson on 082 371 1370 or e-mail kevin@johansson.co.za

ARDINAL Wilfrid Napier has requested that parishes in the Durban archdiocese have a special collection for the Denis Hurley Centre at all Masses over the weekend of July 27 and 28. In a message to priests, the cardinal said that the Denis Hurley Centre Project had reached a “crucial stage in which sufficient funds have been collected to commence building”. The plans, he said, had been approved by the eThekwini municipality and the appointed contractor had taken over the site. This means that the demolitions of the parish centre will commence shortly, followed by the construction of the Hurley Centre, to be completed before the end of 2014. An amount of R3,4 million was still needed to complete the construction. Cardinal Napier has urged priests to encourage their people to give generously. “The purpose of the building is to serve poor and vulnerable groups. One sign of how much this is needed is that the number of people assisted by the Nkosinathi Feeding Scheme, the Usizo L’wehtu Clinic, Refugee Pastoral Care and the Job Linx Office has increased in the past few months from about 4 000 to about 6 000 per month,” the cardinal said. Cathedral administrator Fr Stephen Tully has made homily notes available for the collection weekend. “For many years at the cathedral, we have been asking the Lord to

Matric learners from Maris Stella in Durban, one of the schools participating in a concert which will benefit the Denis Hurley Centre. guide us as to how he wants us to help the poor, destitute and lonely in the city of Durban. We believe he is calling us to provide a sacred space to interact with the needy he sends to our doors,” said Fr Tully. “May Archbishop Denis Hurley’s legacy of standing by the voiceless in their hour of need be an inspiration to all of us.” Meanwhile, four of Durban’s Catholic schools will be holding a “Concert of Sacred Choral Music and Dance” at Emmanuel Cathedral on Friday, July 26 as their contribution to the diocesan collection that weekend. The concert is an initiative of Matric learners at Maris Stella, who visited the projects at the cathedral in 2012. “They were so impressed by the work with refugees, home-

Fr John Moffatt SJ leads a reflection on moral reasoning at a parish workshop in Kwazakele, Port Elizabeth. the parish workshops form part of the Winter living theology 2013. the programme is taking place in Bloemfontein (august 13-15), Cape town (august 20-22) and Durban (august 27-29). Call 011 482 4237 or e-mail admin@jesuitinstitute.org.za for information.

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less and unemployed people, as well as those with HIV/Aids, that they decided to do something to help, especially now that the Hurley Centre is about to be built,” said Paddy Kearney, the project’s coordinator. Joining them will be choirs from St Francis College, Mariannhill, Holy Family College and Glenmore as well as dancers from Kwa Thintwa School for the deaf, which was founded by Archbishop Hurley. The concert begins at 18.00 A collection will be taken and refreshments will be on sale. n Prayer bookmarks, collection envelopes, t-shirts, mugs and DVDs available in English and isiZulu can be ordered from Jean-Marie Ntamubano on 031 301 2240 or jean -marie@denishurleycentre.org.

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the Southern Cross, July 17 to July 23, 2013

LOCAL

Former inmate helps community By ClaIRE MatHIESoN

FORMER inmate from Oudtshoorn is using his second chance to make a difference in his community. “It is now five years since I have been released and successfully finished my parole,” Jerome Opperman told The Southern Cross. But since being released, Mr Opperman has been faced with a new challenge: “I never knew that finding a job with a criminal record would be the hardest thing.” Despite this, Mr Opperman is committed to staying out of prison, unlike so many in his position that return to crime. “I have done a great deal of harm to the community,” said Mr Opperman, who is now looking for a way to make reparations to the community. “I believe that now is the time to earn the trust and the respect of the people of Oudtshoorn, to show them that I have changed and that I love them just as I love myself. And therefore I am giving myself to them,” he said. Mr Opperman said he wants to give back to the community by focusing on youth development and outreach programmes.

Mr Opperman said there is no infrastructure in his community and nothing for children to do after school. Using his single computer, Mr Opperman helps children do their school tasks. He also teaches basic computer skills to up to ten children a day in a small structure he has built alongside his house. “The demand is high and more children are coming to my house every day,” said Mr Opperman. He now plans to expand and have 20 computers to assist the community’s children. “It’s hard to start something like this without the necessary funding,” said Mr Opperman, who is unemployed but has been given money by his family to help make a difference. But it’s not only the technological skills of the youth that Mr Opperman is trying to help. He has also founded a youth development programme based on morals and values, directed at mending broken family relationships and focusing on the restoration of one’s identity. With his partner, Frank Fransen, Mr Opperman is able to uplift children’s lives. “The crime statistics are high in this area and 40% of the

67 minutes in Bethlehem By ClaIRE MatHIESoN

ETHLEHEM Catholics are called to serve their 67 minutes at St Kizito Children’s Programme on Mandela Day, July 18, when South Africans are asked to serve their communities in the same way Nelson Mandela served the country for 67 years. St Kizito Children’s Programme, based in Qwaqwa, is a non-profit organisation based within the premises of Tseseng Catholic Church. “The organisation’s main objective is to take care of the orphans and vulnerable children around the community,” said coordinator Johannes Mabuya. Mr Mabuya said the call to volunteer, which falls on the birthday of Mr Mandela, is a way to “celebrate Madiba by spending 67 minutes helping those in need”. St Kizito’s focuses on general and vocational education and interventions in child protection and clinical nutrition intervention. “In the beginning the main focus was mainly on nutritional support for the orphans and vulnerable children, but the realisation soon came that food alone is not enough,” said Mr Mabuya. “The needs of these children are far greater, so the programme was ex-

panded in order to cater to all five dimensions that is needed by every child for development: physical, emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual.” Mr Mabuya said the programme also focuses on general health, HIV/Aids education, psychological care and psychosocial support. Community carers are trained to understand healthy child development and how to work with children holistically, thereby identifying vulnerability or problems in the child’s individual development or environment. Mr Mabuya said he hoped Catholics would use the day as an opportunity to honour the “legacy of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s former president, and his values, through volunteering and community service.” n For more information on how you can volunteer or make a donation, contact Johannes Mabuya on 058 789 8438

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Jerome opperman stands outside the structure he has a built to house a computer training facility for his community in oudtshoorn. youth are using tik,” he said. Mr Fransen is a retired policeman and correctional officer. “He is my neighbour and he also shares my vision to uplift our community.” Mr Opperman said the use of

drugs has led many of the youth to a life of crime and gangsterism. “Frank and I want to change this and we are primarily going to focus on the drug users and gang members.” Mr Opperman will do this at the same time as assisting children with computer classes. He believes computer literacy is the only way to secure employment, but when the majority of dwellings are without electricity, it is up to those who do have electricity to make a difference. Mr Opperman himself was given a computer while in prison, donated by Thelo Wakefield, the president of Western Province Rugby Union. “While I was in prison I was forced to teach myself to be a computer technician.” He said this helped make the difference in his life. Another contribution was made by the efforts of this newspaper. “The Southern Cross laid the foundation for me getting the finance and sponsorship to finish matric and to graduate in business management,” he said. Mr Opperman said thanks to his exposure in The Southern Cross, he gained a lot of support from the Catholic community, including Fr

Wim Lindeque, Jean Gloyne, and Bishops Edward Adams and Frank de Gouveia of Oudtshoorn. “As a Catholic I believe in the principles of Jesus Christ and what he stood for. We should stand for restoration, healing, upliftment and everything that has a positive impact on the lives of those individuals that are in a disadvantage position,” Mr Opperman said “Catholics showed me that they believed in me and in my capacity for change, although at the time they didn’t know me. They have shown me unconditional love by giving and helping a total stranger. And this is what I aim to do. Not only in words, but in deeds. This has now become my passion and I really want to do that till the day I leave this earth.” To see Mr Opperman’s outreach succeed, he is looking for donations of computers, money, computer hardware and stationary. Mr Opperman has also called on local businesses to help provide the children with a meal a day. n For more information or to help contact Jerome Opperman on 076 628 6354 or 074 605 9276.

Eastern Cape grows family ministry StaFF REPoRtER

CCORDING to Toni Rowland of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference’s (SACBC) Family Life Desk, the Eastern Cape is the region in the country that is most interested in parish family ministry at the moment. “Training workshops have been held in Aliwal, Queenstown and Mthatha to introduce the programme, orient diocesan animator teams and parish teams,” Mrs Rowland told The Southern Cross. “The Church is a Family of God as was presented to us in the first 1994 African Synod and the family is the little church of the home.” “Concretising these concepts and their interrelationship is the more difficult part and in the workshops, using the manual developed by the Family Life Desk, the teams were provided with information, formation, experiential activities, faith and scripture sharing, all aimed at bringing faith and family life together,”she said.

a diocesan animator team from Mthatha, Eastern Cape practise their steps. In a planning exercise most of the teams selected the Family Life calendar theme for July—Faith and the Elderly for an initial activity in their parishes. “A grandparents blessing, a thank you, and a cup of tea or soup, make the oldies feel loved, but highlighting the plight of many older people living alone and in unsafe environments also needs to be

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the Southern Cross, July 17 to July 23, 2013

INTERNATIONAL

Pope to set up ‘study group’ to check Vatican finances CaRol Glatz

OPE Francis will be forming a new committee to investigate the findings and concerns expressed in an external audit of the internal budgets of Vatican offices. The pope told the Council of Cardinals for the Study of the Organisational and Economic Problems of the Holy See that he was thinking of forming “a study group” that would look at issues such as transparency and accountability, according to Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban. Basically, the group would look into how the Vatican could better manage “what, why and how” monetary resources are being used by the different Vatican offices and entities, he said. The cardinal is part of the 15member council that meets twice a year to review budget forecasts and final budget reports for the preceding year. At the end of their July meeting, they met with Pope Francis who told them “that certain things needed to be put right”, Cardinal Napier said. An external group of “high-level, international auditors” are called in from time to time, he said, to take an independent look at the Vatican’s budgets. “The report this time said quite a few things need attention,” the car-

Cardinal Wilfrid Napier dinal said. “It’s quite clear Pope Francis was listening very carefully” during the pre-conclave meetings in March during which the world’s cardinal made strong recommendations for greater reforms. The pope “is going to make sure that something will happen”, the cardinal said. The recent arrest by Italian authorities of a former Vatican employee on charges of fraud and corruption just “adds grist to the mill” that should prompt Vatican officials “to keep digging” to root out and prevent any financial improprieties, Cardinal Napier said. “The main problem we’re facing is credibility,” and all it takes is “one bad apple in the basket” to make the whole organisation look suspect, he said. Because the cardinals’ council

won’t meet again for another six months, Cardinal Napier said it’s possible the pope will cobble together a kind of “interim group” to get started so that in January when the council meets again, “there would be a clearer picture” about the make-up and mandate of a more permanent group. Cardinal Napier said the biggest problem is the lack of a “unified finance controller and policy” in the Vatican. Some offices work together and some are independent when it comes to budgeting and oversight. The patchwork approach, he said, means “no one knows what’s going on” in the big picture. He said that coming from an Anglo-Saxon culture means he is used to a budgeting approach that involves the allocation of a set amount of resources along with a review of how the resources were used and why. What Cardinal Napier described as the “Roman” method of accounting seemed to involve simply calculating annual profits and losses, and comparing those figures to past years, he said. “For us it’s a bit strange. It doesn’t seem normal,” he said, but until now no one at the Vatican seemed to understand why he and other cardinals found that odd.—CNS

Pope objects to ‘pickled peppers’ faces By CaRol Glatz

E joyous, authentic and loving while resisting fly-by-night commitments, catty gossip and sleek cars, Pope Francis told future priests, brothers and nuns. Vocations don’t come from catchy campaigns or pursuing personal goals; the consecrated life is the result of prayer and answering an “unsettling” yet loving invitation from God, he told some 6 000 seminarians and men and women who were considering religious life. Men and women from 66 nations came to Rome on a four-day pilgrimage as part of the Year of Faith celebrations, which included

an informal audience with Pope Francis and a papal Mass. The pope spent more than 45 minutes speaking off-the-cuff to a packed audience hall, giving a thorough how-to guide on the secrets of a successful vocation. Some of the greatest dangers standing in the way of a happy religious life are materialism and a culture that believes nothing is forever, he said. Even religious men and women have to avoid the temptation of thinking “the latest smartphone, the fastest moped and a car that turns heads” will make them happy. True joy doesn’t come from

things or “living on the edge,” having wild, fleeting experiences, he said. “It springs from an encounter, a relation with others, it comes from feeling accepted, understood and loved, and from accepting, understanding and loving” others. Joy is contagious, he said, and attracts people to learn more about the source of that happiness. “Please, no nuns or priests with the face of a pickled pepper,” he insisted. “There is no holiness in sadness.” The source of that dissatisfaction and sadness is not celibacy, the pope said; it’s living a consecrated life that is sterile and lifeless.—CNS

Members of the Sisters of life compete in a game of ultimate Frisbee during a “Fools for Christ” festival for Catholic high school students, college students and young adults in Garden City, New york. (Photo: Gregory a Shemitz, long Island Catholic)

Catholics back Egypt takeover By JoNatHaN luxMooRE

GYPT’S Catholic leaders have welcomed the military overthrow of the country’s Islamist president and voiced confidence that Christians and Muslims can work together to build a “real democracy”. “What has happened is absolutely not a military coup—our armed forces have responded to the desire of the people,” said Fr Hani Bakhoum Kiroulos, spokesman for the Catholic Coptic Church. “Millions of people took to the streets because they were unable to live under such a regime. They expressed their views and demanded freedom, and the military took action accordingly.” Fr Kiroulos said the protests in which the military deposed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, had united Christians and Muslims. “The Church isn’t just a collection of buildings, but a mass of people—and we are part of the Egyptian people and with the majority who’ve expressed their will,” Fr Kiroulos said. The move was welcomed as a “defining moment in the nation’s history” by Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II, who appeared be-

side the head of Egypt’s armed forces, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, during his televised address, along with the country’s grand imam, Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb. Fr Kiroulos said the presence of religious leaders alongside Gen alSisi had been a “very important sign of Egyptian unity”. “Our own Catholic Church has enjoyed very good unofficial relations with the army,” said the priest. “By contrast, we received no help or support from President Morsi, only smiles. Although our relations started well, and he showed some concern for Christians, this never went beyond an official level.” In an interview with Fides, the news agency of the Vatican’s Congregation for Evangelisation, Coptic Catholic Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sedrak said Catholics had been celebrating that “the people of Egypt have peacefully regained their country,” adding that he was confident the country would not “repeat the mistakes made in the past” and would move towards “full restoration of democratic order.” He said at least 5 million Egyptians would go on supporting the “radical beliefs” of Mr Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, adding that he also feared “feelings of revenge.”—CNS

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the Southern Cross, July 17 to July 23, 2013

Pope: ‘Repent for the treatment of migrants’ By CINDy WooDEN

Traditionally fishery and tourism operators, the people of Lampedusa have spent decades dealing with the impact of immigrant arrivals and political battles over immigration policies.

EFORE saying a word publicly, Pope Francis made the sign of the cross and tossed a wreath of white and yellow flowers into the Mediterranean Sea in memory of the estimated 20 000 African immigrants who have died in the past 25 years trying to reach a new life in Europe. Just a few hours before Pope Francis arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa, the Italian coast guard accompanied another boat carrying immigrants to the island’s port. The 165 immigrants had spent two days at sea making the crossing from North Africa; the immigrants were accompanied to a government reception centre, a locked facility where 112 people—half under the age of 18—already were being housed. Most will be repatriated, although a few may receive refugee status. In his homily at an outdoor Mass, Pope Francis said he decided to visit Lampedusa, a small island with a population of 6 000 and just over 100km from Tunisia, after seeing newspaper headlines in June describing the drowning of immigrants at sea. “Those boats, instead of being a means of hope, were a means of death,” he said. Wearing purple vestments, like those used during Lent, and using the prayers from the Mass for the Forgiveness of Sins, Pope Francis said the deaths of the immigrants

Pope Francis tosses a wreath of flowers into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of lampedusa, Italy. During his visit to the island, the pope memorialised thousands of african immigrants who have died in the past 25 years trying to reach a new life in Europe. (Photo: l’osservatore Romano via Reuters/CNS) are “like a thorn in the heart” which spurred him to offer public prayers for them, but also to try to awaken people’s consciences. “Who is responsible for the blood of these brothers and sisters of ours?” the pope asked in his homily. “All of us respond: ‘It wasn’t me. I have nothing to do with it. It was others, certainly not me.’ “Today no one feels responsible for this,” he said. “We have lost a

sense of fraternal responsibility” and are acting like those in the Gospel who saw the man who had been beaten, robbed and left on the road half dead, but they kept walking. Still, the pope praised the many Lampedusa residents, as well as the volunteers and public security officers who do what they can to help the migrants who reach their shores.

hen the seas are calm, especially when there are wars and political upheaval in northern Africa, the desperate pay traffickers to give them a place on a boat bound for Europe. Usually the boats are rickety and dangerously overcrowded. After getting off the coast guard boat that took him to sea, Pope Francis personally greeted more than 50 immigrants. One of them, speaking in Arabic, told the pope that he and his fellow travellers had dealt with several traffickers before reaching Italy. Pope Francis told the crowd at Mass that the traffickers “exploit the poverty of others” and are “people for whom the poverty of others is a source of income”. The Mass was filled with reminders that Lampedusa is now synonymous with dangerous attempts to reach Europe: the altar was built over a small boat; the pastoral staff the pope used was carved from wood recycled from a shipwrecked boat; the lectern was made from old wood as well and had a ship’s wheel mounted on the front; and even the chalice—although lined with silver—was carved from the wood of a wrecked boat. “Who among us has wept” for the immigrants, for the dangers

they faced and for the thousands who died at sea?” the pope asked. “The globalisation of indifference has taken from us the ability to weep. Let us ask the Lord for the grace to weep over our indifference, to weep over the cruelty in the world, in ourselves, and even in those who anonymously make socio-economic decisions that open the way to tragedies like this,” Pope Francis said. The United Nations has criticised Italy for conditions at the Lampedusa reception centre, which it says can hold 190 people. The UN has also questioned the quick pace of Italian processing, which sees only a handful of immigrants being given refugee status and the rest being flown back to Libya—the usual embarkation point—within a matter of days. At the same time, other European countries have complained that Italy does not patrol the European borders well enough to keep out immigrants who do not have legal permission to enter their countries. Giusi Nicolini, Lampedusa’s mayor, told reporters he hoped Pope Francis’ visit would “change history. Europe, with its migration policies, has avoided the problem up until now, pretending not to see the immense tragedy of the voyages of hope across the Mediterranean.” The pope, she said, “has made the invisible visible, restoring to the migrants the dignity which countries always have denied them.”— CNS

John Paul II miracle woman on her sudden healing By EzRa FIESER

FTER doctors told Floribeth Mora Díaz that a brain aneurysm left her with days to live, she retreated to her Costa Rican home and prayed to Bl Pope John Paul II. From her bedroom in a small town in Costa Rica’s Cartago province, Mrs Mora said she heard his voice: “Rise! ... Don’t be afraid.” She got up from her bed, prompting her husband to ask her: “My love, what are you doing here?” As a teary-eyed Mrs Mora recalled at a news conference in the Costa Rican capital, San José, she responded to her husband: “I feel better.” That was in May 2011. Doctors could not explain the rapid improvement, and Mrs Mora became the second miracle attributed to the Bl John Paul, who died in 2005. The first miracle was a French nun cured of Parkinson’s disease the same year. This month Pope Francis signed

a decree allowing for the canonisation of Popes John Paul and John XXIII. With a portrait of Bl John Paul hanging behind her, Mrs Mora told reporters that she had faced imminent death. “It was very sad,” Mrs Mora said, “seeing my children looking at me, standing next to my bed, seeing my husband making himself strong.” She began suffering from intense headaches in April 2011 and was diagnosed with an aneurysm. Her life was in some danger, her neurosurgeon, Dr Alejandro Vargas, told reporters after the news conference. While Mrs Mora’s condition was potentially fatal, he told the press conference that he had predicted only a 2% chance that the it would kill her. However, Dr Vargas admits that Mrs Mora’s sudden recovery is inexplicable. “What we found remarkable, unbelievable really, was that by No-

vember there was absolutely no trace in her brain that she ever had an aneurysm. I had never seen this in my career,” he said. Mrs Mora’s family had built an altar to Bl John Paul, and she was given a gift of a magazine with his photograph on the cover. She had returned from the doctor’s and watched the beatification of the former pope on television. Afterwards, she said, as she stared at the photograph, Bl John Paul began to speak to her. “I was surprised. I kept looking at the magazine. I said, ‘Yes, Lord’, and I got up,” she told a Mexican television station in an interview. She held the magazine at the news conference as tears rolled down her cheeks. Mrs Mora said her illness left her very afraid. “But I always kept my faith. I have always been a firm believer. I have a deep love of God,” she said.—CNS

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Floribeth Mora Díaz, the Costa Rican woman whose inexplicable cure has been attributed to the intercession of Blessed John Paul II, displays a magazine cover. (Photo: Juan Carlos ulate, Reuters/CNS)

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the Southern Cross, July 17 to July 23, 2013

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

Today’s Catholic youth

N July 23 the world’s Catholic youth will begin to gather in great numbers in Rio de Janeiro for the 14th international World Youth Day (WYD)—and many others back home will join them, in spirit and in prayer. This year’s event will have the extra momentum of a new pope presiding over it. Providence arranged it that the new pope, just a few months after his election, should on his first foreign papal trip return to his home continent to meet with the world’s youth. There are echoes in this of Pope Benedict XVI, whose first papal journey also was to a WYD, in his homeland of Germany. An added poignancy is that WYD’s “founder” and patron, Bl John Paul II, is now standing on the cusp of formal inclusion in the College of Saints. WYD was an innovation of Pope John Paul, who in the mid1980s saw the potential for motivating and empowering young Catholics in their faith by staging an international Catholic youth festival, to be held on a regular basis in different locations throughout the world. It was during one of them, in Denver exactly 20 years ago, that the terminology of the New Evangelisation first gained public currency. Past WYDs have seen octogenarian popes command enthusiastic, cheering audiences bigger than any rock act could draw. The papal Mass at WYD 1995 in Manila drew a record five million young people; the vigil in Madrid in 2011 drew an estimated two million. With its crowds of hundreds of thousands, even millions, WYD is a show of the Church’s vibrancy, a way of building a Catholic identity and of showcasing Christian values. The secular world of the West invariably receives a shock to its preconceived notion of the Catholic Church as irrelevant to young people or society in general. The public celebration of the Catholic faith, especially by members of the demographic which is supposed to be the most detached from the Church, confounds those who insist that religion is a matter best relegated to the private domain. For the participants WYD is a time for spiritual growth through catechism and the experience of fellowship with other young

Catholics from around the world. Many will return to provide leadership in parochial and diocesan youth initiatives, and in other structures available to them. Indeed, there is no good reason why young Catholics should not form part of a parish’s or diocese’s lay leadership, or why there should not be a seat for a youth representative on pastoral councils. Of course, youths need ongoing formation. This should take the form less of imposing doctrines on them—though proper instruction in the teachings of the Church forms part of good catechesis—and more of helping them establish and maintain a relationship with Christ. Arguably, youths are best equipped to form their peers. If this is indeed so, then it is essential that youth leaders are well trained to evangelise and catechise other youth. This is already happening in some parishes. Present plans to set up a formal youth leadership academy must be strongly supported. At the same time, we must acknowledge that even our best efforts notwithstanding, many young Catholics will fall away from the Church. It is, therefore, important that the Church does not close the door on them, and they not on the Church. Even as they move away from the Church, we must aim to impress upon them a positive attitude towards Catholicism. Even those who abandon the Church should feel welcome to regard it as a home to which they may exercise the option of returning at a later stage in life. We must beware of putting too great an emphasis on measuring the success of our catecheses and evangelisation on the numbers of youths who remain active in the faith. The big question is how many of those who fall away might one day return. Indeed, our greater concern must be to maintain the numbers in the 35-50 age group—those Catholics who will form the base of the Church for the next three or four decades. Most of that cohort today are from the generation at whom the first few WYDs were aimed. And as their hair grows greyer and their girths wider, they will have to be replenished by the newer generations of WYD Catholics— and eventually by those who this month attend WYD in Rio, in person or in spirit.

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.

Pope Francis said nothing new

N your editorial of June 26 reference was made to “the statement made by Pope Francis in which he apparently said that non-believers could be saved through Christ “if they do good”. The context and tone suggest that this is a new teaching, which is the way the secular press also treated it: part of the innovative activity of the new pope. Yet it is the clear teaching of Vatican II that divine providence does

Homosexuality: Let God judge

APPLAUD Dr Vincent Couling’s courage (May 22) in defending what must be the most persecuted and misunderstood group throughout history—those with a same sex orientation. What an insult to the dignity of those with a same-sex orientation that Michelle Evert (June 12) should classify them as “mentally disordered”. Is Ms Evert treating gay people with sensitivity and respect, avoiding every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard? We all have our weaknesses: why should homosexual genital activity be singled out and the hurdles raised especially in relation to them? Luke 18:9-14 should always be our warning against pride and Phariseeism, and judging others (see James 5:12). Most authorities estimate that at least 10% of the population belongs to this group of “mentally disordered” people. But not all gay people are sexually active and not all are orientated exclusively to their own sex. Some are bisexual. Many, out of a deep need to have children, love and a family, are in fact married. Who would choose such an orientation, persecuted as gays are, with rejection from every side and in every age? The attraction in most goes back to their formative years. One with such a sexual attraction can even become a saint, as was St Aelred of Rievaulx, who undoubtedly had a same sex orientation (see De Speculo Caritatis, 109-110). There are other examples: St Perpetua, St Felicity, St Anselm of Canterbury, Gilbert Crispin, to name a few. Let’s think before judging and employing our own erroneous ideas to bolster our narrow, distorted homophobic views of human love. I don’t think God will be as much interested in our sexual orientation on Judgment Day, as in how much we have loved him and our neighbour in life. Gordon Beasley, Pretoria

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not “deny the help necessary for salvation to those, who without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God, but who strive to lead a good life, thanks to his grace” (Church 16). This salvation can come only through Jesus Christ, the one Mediator between God and human beings, as Vatican II says (Missions 3). The Council further tells us that by taking on our human nature “the

Gay marriage is a profanity

ATRIMONY for homosexuals would be a profanation of the sacrament. Marriage is a sacrament, it’s an instrument of sanctification instituted by Christ. It can be entered into only by one man and one woman and consummated by the marriage act (Gen 2:24, Eph 5:31). Therefore the marriage act is holy, pursuing any other avenue would be a denial of the Lordship of Christ. Christ has given each of us a cross to bear, and same-sex attraction must be one of the heaviest. While on earth Jesus allowed people to touch him enabling power to go out of him and heal them. The Body of Christ, the Church, still possesses that power in the form of the sacraments. Combining them with psychology, Dr Richard Fitzgibbons has achieved remarkable healings with same-sex attraction sufferers over the years. Christ left us with one new commandment: to love one another as he did. St Thomas Aquinas said “love is willing the good of the other as other”, in this case willing heaven for my brothers and sisters with same-sex attraction. As a Christian I have a duty to remind them of the consequences of their activities—is this homophobia or homophilia? St Paul clearly states that we are to lookout for one another (Phil 2:4, Col 3:5-17). Only in the light of eternity can Jesus’ statement “deny yourself, pick up your cross everyday and follow me” make any sense in this relativistic age. Jan Kalinovski, Asssagay, KZN

Celibacy is good

DON’T think there is anything wrong with celibacy. The Bible has so many instructions on how we should behave in order to get to heaven. I have been celibate all my life and, no, I am not a nun. I heard from the Bible about the purity that should exist when a man and woman get married, and as long as I am not married I will remain celibate. I do not have stunted emotions, as Marco Compagnoni’s letter of May 22 might suggest. My sexual desire will remain intact for use only when necessary. I have not lost perspective on life either, nor do I lack anything. The gift of sexuality is inside each one of us—we just don’t use it all the time. There is, therefore, nothing wrong with behaving yourself and having respect for your body. There is also no reason to change celibacy rules for priests and reli-

Son of God has united to himself in some fashion with every man” (Church Today 22). By this he, and he alone, is the source and channel of grace to every human person, irrespective of whether or not they have an explicit knowledge of him, or even a belief in God. So Pope Francis was not saying something revolutionary, but simply stated the Catholic truth, to which Vatican II had already given witness, not as something new, but as part of our tradition. Bonaventure Hinwood OFM, Pretoria gious. To contain one’s self in a disciplined fashion never harmed anyone. One just needs to focus on God—it is he they work for, after all. Use your gift as faith suggests. J Jansen van Rensburg, Cape Town

Keep talking

OUR report “We Are All Church SA, bishops to keep talking” (May 22) seems to indicate that at last the WAACSA movement in South Africa may get a hearing on how to modernise the Church. The article notes that “some individual bishops have adopted an adversarial position”. This comment raises some pertinent questions which require examination. It is no secret that our beloved Catholic Church is in serious trouble. We have had the sex abuse scandals, which have done the Church catastrophic damage. Last year we had the Vatileaks scandal which clearly indicates that there has been maladministration and corruption at the Vatican. Here clear answers are still awaited. Further, many younger people are leaving the Church in significant numbers and nobody seems to care. The comment by Pope Benedict XVI that he would want to see a smaller Church of quality rather tham a larger Church of less committed Catholics is unacceptable. It seems to confirm the view of many lay Catholics that the Vatican does not care, is not transparent and is totally out of touch with the 21st century. WAACSA has been trying to start a meaningful dialogue with our bishops for at least three years.They have to date met with resistance. Indeed in one diocese the bishop forbade this organisation to use Catholic premises for their meetings. The bishops must realise that the laity have in their midst many learned people who have a great deal to offer the Church. Their opinions and views can no longer be ignored if the Church is to stop the ongoing exodus. As a lifelong Catholic I ask the local bishops to give effect to the undertaking to engage with the laity through movements such as WAACSA. Mervyn Pollit, Waterfall, KZN 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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the Southern Cross, July 17 to July 23, 2013

PERSPECTIVES

Love, sex, celibacy and faith

N a letter to The Southern Cross, published on May 22, an atheist raised, at least indirectly, a very challenging question: how do you become a fully grown person? How do you realise your potential and become fully human? St Paul wants us “to come to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Eph 4: 13). What is maturity? Or, in terms of the Gospel, “the full stature of Christ”? The opposite would be “stunted growth”, like that of a spiritual dwarf, a crippled, disfigured human being, retarded in his personal development. Having tried it and found it was not for him, the letter writer, Marco Compagnoni, is convinced that celibacy is “stunting” the growth of people. In other words, not being “sexually active” is deforming people and stopping them from fully developing their humanity. That is, of course, a very common view these days. Every tabloid paper and most talk shows are selling sex as the most vital elixir of life. No doubt, celibacy, like marriage, can go wrong. Pope Francis recently had something to say on this when addressing a group of women religious superiors who had come to meet him. He mentioned “chastity as a precious charism, which widens the freedom of the gift to God and to others, with the tenderness, the mercy, the closeness of Christ…in the Church. The consecrated woman…must be a mother. But, please, a ‘fecund’ chastity, a chastity that generates spiritual children and not a ‘spinster’,” he said, adding: “Be mothers, as the figure of Mother Mary and of the Mother Church. “ A mother has found fulfilment as a woman. She lives for her family. She is a person-for-others, and as such she realises her very self. We realise ourselves, and our potential, by being for others, living for others. That is different from the current western ideal of “self-realisation”, which implies “doing one’s own thing”. Jesus put it paradoxically: “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it” (Mk 8:35). This was no more than the actual

pattern of his life. In life and in death he was the perfect man-for-others. As such, he was simply the perfect man. What do we live for? The answer is simple: Love. It is exemplified and realised once and for all in Jesus’ self-giving. He did not live for one woman, for one beloved wife; he was celibate, but he lived to do the will of the Father and to live for his brothers and sisters, members of his bride, the Church. “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good… Be perfect therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:44-45,48). “God is love”, and perfect love makes us perfect humans. Love, not a lived out sexuality, makes us fully human, is our full maturity and fulfilled humanity. Love for the tabloid readers is sex. Not quite. There is loveless, exploitative sex.

ove, whether or not it finds sexual expression, is life-giving. There was a little baby-boy dumped on the streets of a big city. Police picked him up and took him to a hospital. The nurses fed the baby, bathed and clothed him dutifully. They came and went, on and offduty. The baby remained very tiny and did not grow. Then a children’s village took him in. One of the “housemothers” accepted the little one as her own. He responded to her

Fr Oskar Wermter SJ

Point of Reflection

love, and after a few months he was a heavy, healthy, happy little boy. Love gives life and growth. Sexual intimacy should be an expression of the love of man and woman for each other; their mutual self-giving as husband and wife should be fruitful in giving life and love to children. But love is not confined to this intimate union, though marriage will be forever the most obvious symbol of love (which is why Scripture compares God and his people, Christ and the Church, with a loving couple). A loving person is not centred on himor herself, but on the beloved. A loving person is forever engaged in what Pope Francis has described as an “exodus”, in going out of himself or herself, is habitually a person in relationship, a person reaching out in love to the loved ones, forgetting self. We need a lifetime to complete this exodus, this leaving ourselves behind and becoming “people for others”, in perfect love with their Father, in conformity with the Son and driven by the Holy Spirit. It’s a pity that Mr Compagnoni left the seminary under the impression that he had escaped from a “stunted” life. Celibacy just was not meant for him. There are countless ways to God. If one door is closed that does not mean that the door to God is closed altogether. There are the spinsters and bachelors among celibates who still need to be freed from Egypt and its “fleshpots”, undertake their “exodus” and reach the promised land of God’s love. But most, I dare say, who have heard the Lord’s call to a life of consecrated chastity want to love the people to whom they are sent as much, or even more so if that is possible, as their parents loved them, or rather as the Lord loves them which is without limit. Nothing can “stunt” or cripple us as long as we walk with Christ. His love is the fullness of life (Jn 10:10). n Fr Oskar Wermter SJ is based in Harare and assists the Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (Imbisa) in theological and pastoral matters.

The joy of the Mass in my language Emmanuel Ngara A LLOW me to divert from the theme of human development that this column has been exploring and record my experiences at Mass during the last seven months. This period coincides with the time of my relocation to Harare, Zimbabwe, after spending two decades in South Africa. In these 20 years I have always felt there is something I miss when I attend Mass—and that is Shona church music. When I was a child, I used to find Missa Cantata (the sung Mass in Latin) so inspiring and spiritually uplifting that I memorised the Kyrie, the Gloria and can even now still sing the Credo from memory! I was so pleased when, as a result of Vatican II, Shona church music was developed, and I felt a new sense of inspiration when attending Mass in my own mother tongue. This is something I always missed during my 20 years of living in South Africa. When I relocated to Harare in November 2012, I felt the spiritual uplifting I used to experience in my childhood days had come back. In the Latin days my favourite sung prayer was the Credo, but now it is the Gloria (“Mwari Ngaarumbidzwe”). At St Joseph's church in Hatfield, the parish is divided into sections called St Paul, St Peter, St Luke and so on, and these sections take turns to lead the singing on Sundays. At times it is a sodality of young people, the Society of St Agnes and St Alois, that leads the singing and does the readings. Clearly each section (or group) does its best to ensure that when its turn comes the singing is inspiring. The instruments are African drums and rattles. There is dancing that goes with the songs, but it is very different from what you see in some Pentecostal churches, where the singing and the percussion instruments are very loud and the dancing very vigorous. Here the sheer volume can bring the roof down, but the singing is angelic, the instruments controlled, and the dancing graceful and dignified. There is even ululation during the Gloria and other songs, but everything sounds so very dignified, re-

spectful and angelic. Would God not want to have such a choir in heaven? The first Mass is said in English and the choir for that Mass does a really good job of making the worship uplifting, with drums, rattles and all, but there is something about modern Shona church music that makes it uniquely heavenly and angelic, and so I find myself drawn to the Shona Mass which at times is almost twice as long as the English Mass. But there is more to the Shona Mass than the singing and dancing. The procession, for example, is a very important feature of the service. Of particular interest to me are the entrance procession and the offertory procession. Take the entrance procession—it is a very long procession: There are very young servers in front, followed by up to 14 girls and boys with the girls usually in white dresses and two of the boys playing cymbals made of sticks. Behind the girls and boys are older servers, with the priest bringing up the rear. The servers and the priest are processing in the normal way, but the group of girls and boys in the middle are moving in special “steps”, performing a graceful dance that involves the use of both legs and arms, moving towards the altar but alternately turning back, facing the congregation on

Christian leadership

this side and that side of the isle, and singing the entrance hymn in unison with the congregation and the sound of drums and rattles. The girls stay at the bottom of the altar and enact beautiful performances from there during the Lord Have Mercy and the Gloria. At offertory time the procession moves from the bottom of the altar to the back of the church to bring the gifts. The priest and the senior servers are not part of the procession this time, and have been replaced by assistant ministers of Holy Communion and other officers. The gifts are not just bread and wine, but include gifts to the priest such as sugar, bags of oranges and potatoes, tinned foods and others—all brought to the altar. The movements and the dancing are so graceful that one Sunday a visitor could not contain herself—so mesmerised was she that she reached for her camera and started taking photos of this heavenly performance! My next column will deal with the performance of the priest.

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open Door the raising of lazarus is depicted on an altar in Bethany.

Whatever happened to Lazarus’ Bethany? Why is it that Bethany is never regarded as a holy place, the way Bethlehem and many others are? We hardly read about Bethany, except that it was the home of Lazarus. Isn’t it the place of Christ’s Ascension? It is rarely mentioned in pilgrimage tour ads. Rebecca Sauls

ETHANY, a Christian Arab village now known as al-Azariyyah (the place of Lazarus), is part of the West Bank. It is governed by the Palestinian Authority but is simultaneously under Israeli military occupation. This obviously creates several problems. Some pilgrim groups do visit Bethany and its church of St Lazarus, but not all. It depends mostly on which local ground operators the tour company uses. Pilgrim groups that use Israeli ground operators will not visit Bethany simply because Israeli tour buses don’t go there. They also don’t go to Bethlehem, although sometimes pilgrims are taken on a quick tour on a local bus before being returned to the checkpoint that separates the city from Israel. Palestinian ground operators, which usually are Christian-owned, do offer to go to Bethany. However, because there is so much to do in Jerusalem and nearby Bethlehem, and because the Israeli occupation makes access to Bethany so difficult, many tour companies exclude Bethany from their programme in favour of other places. This is a shame, because the gospels tell some important stories set in Bethany (Lk 10:38-42; Jn 12:18). The best known is probably the one you mention, that is, that Bethany was the home of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha, and it was there that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (Jn 11:1-44). In his book The Holy Land Trek, Günther Simmermacher writes that Jesus probably often stayed with his friends in Bethany. This was because “during the pilgrimage seasons, accommodation in Jerusalem was scarce and expensive, so travellers of modest means, such as Jesus and his followers, would stay in nearby villages, such as Bethany”. The Ascension is, however, commemorated on the nearby Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Scripture gives us no clue as to the exact location from which Christ ascended into heaven, and various churches make competing claims. The Catholic Church traditionally places the Ascension on top of the Mount of Olives, in what is now a tiny mosque but once was part of a large Crusader church. Catholic pilgrims commemorate the Ascension on that site, which includes a rock featuring what appears to be the imprint of a foot. According to tradition, this is the footprint left by Christ as he ascended.

n Send your queries to Open Door, Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000; or e-mail: opendoor@scross.co.za; or fax (021) 465 3850.

the Southern Cross, July 17 to July 23, 2013

CBC Mount Edmund steps up to help vulnerable children

At the beginning of 2011, CBC Mount Edmund in Pretoria became involved in the “Plastic View” crèche and feeding project situated in Soshanguve, which is run by the Sisters of Holy Cross Home, north of Pretoria. The Sisters initiated this project, ministering to the poorest of the poor but were struggling to maintain their ongoing involvement and financial support in order to continue the crèche and feeding scheme. During the morning, Plastic View provides day-care, pre-school and school readiness as well as meals for the children aged between 2 and 5 years old, while in the afternoon it converts itself into an after school centre where pupils are given a nourishing meal and homework assistance and supervision. The College pupil’s involvement really began in 2012 when the Grade 10 group was taken on a visit to the “tin shacks”, out of which Plastic View operates. This truly humbling visit led the pupils to launch a “planned giving project”, in which specific pledges of financial help, on a monthly basis for a period of three years was decided on.

While the younger pupils of the Foundation Phase took up the challenge to collect monthly, food items on an ongoing basis. They have also supplied many stationery and winter items in a similar manner. The College’s involvement in this project led others to hear about Plastic View, in turn they too have become involved in this small but worthy cause to look after the vulnerable children of Plastic View. A few parents and other well-wishers have also made financial donations as well a particular company having donated a “beanie” for each child this winter. Two past pupils of CBC Mount Edmund ensure that the cold of winter is kept at bay with their annual donation of winter clothing. They are also engaged in obtaining land with the intention of erecting proper accommodation to house the crèche and after school centre. This year the Foundation Phase initiated a knitting drive at the College for scarves and blanket squares which resulted in virtually the whole CBC Family becoming involved. Parents, teachers and pupils could be seen knitting all over the school and sports fields. Even some male pupils were seen trying their hand, or large fingers, at knitting. CBC Mount Edmund remains committed to the ideals of our founder, Blessed Edmund Rice, and to the development, aims and ideals of Catholic education. By living our faith, through small acts of charity we hope to make a difference in the lives of others less fortunate than ourselves. tel: 012 804 1801 Fax: 012 804 8781 email: info@cbcpretoria.co.za

the Southern Cross, July 17 to July 23, 2013

FAITH

New encyclical reviewed Pope Francis has described his first encyclical, lumen Fidei, as having been written by four hands: his and those of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. Fr aNtHoNy EGaN SJ reviews this unusual papal letter.

OPE Francis’ first encyclical Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith) will go down in Church history as a first: a text represents the collaboration of two popes. In a way it is the last encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, whose theological erudition and rich classical Western scholarship (as well as his pessimism about modernity) are set in often creative, sometimes uneasy, counterpoint to Pope Francis’ pastoral style and concern for social justice. It makes for often difficult reading. What I shall try to do here is highlight a few key themes—and challenges—that Lumen Fidei raises, questions that demand further reflection. Faith—what it is, why it matters, how we live it—is the core of the encyclical. The introduction notes that faith is born of an encounter with the living God who calls us and reveals his love, a love which precedes us and upon which we can lean for security and for building our lives. Transformed by this love, we gain fresh vision, new eyes to see; we realise that it contains a great promise of fulfilment, and that a vision of the future opens up before us (Lumen Fidei,4) In a sense the rest of the encyclical is a close commentary on this position, tracing the history of faith

through the Judeo-Christian scriptures, theology, sacraments and prayer. This is the “storehouse of memory which the Church hands down” (46) to the faithful and to those who seek the truth. Integral to faith, and here we see Benedict’s thinking, rooted in St Augustine and mediated through the philosopher Wittgenstein, is basic trust in a loving God who reaches out to humanity in love. For Wittgenstein, “believing can be compared to the experience of falling in love: it is something subjective which cannot be proposed as a truth valid for everyone” (27). Contra Wittgenstein, Francis (and Benedict, almost certainly) would challenge that faith as loving trust is universally valid; indeed genuine love requires truth, a truth of faith that “is born of God’s covenantal love...which lights up a path in history... [And] sheds light not only on the destiny of one particular people, but the entire history of the created world, from its origins to its consummation” (28).

here is also a tension within the text between on one hand faith as trust and on the other faith as doctrine. On the latter we see very clearly an appeal to faith as an affirmation of the truth of certain doctrines held by the Church and articulated by the magisterium. Faith is mediated—and here an implicit parallel can be drawn between references to Moses and to the magisterium. Such a claim is both true and troubling. It is true in that faith can

Seven influential encyclicals By FRaNCIS x RoCCa

N encyclical is considered the most authoritative form of papal writing, and though many examples are now remembered only by scholars, the messages of others have continued to resonate within the church and beyond. Here are seven whose impact has proven especially memorable: Quanta Cura (1864): One of 38 encyclicals issued by Pope Pius IX, this document is best known for an annex called the “Syllabus of Errors”, a list of “condemned propositions” associated with contemporary religious, philosophical and political movements, including communism, socialism and liberalism. For many Catholics and nonCatholics, it established the church’s image as resolutely opposed to modernity, an image widely accepted until the Second Vatican Council a century later. Rerum Novarum (1891): Responding to the predicament of the working class in the wake of the industrial revolution, Pope Leo XIII wrote this document laying out the “rights and duties of capital and labour”. The encyclical, which rejected both communism and extreme laissez-faire capitalism, affirmed the right of workers to organise in unions and was crucial to the emergence of a Catholic labour movement. Pascendi Dominici Gregis (1907): St Pius X’s encyclical was a condemnation of modernism, a European Catholic movement influenced by currents in 19th-century Protestantism, which held that even solemnly defined Church teachings could evolve over time. Pius later required all priests, religious superiors and seminary teachers to take an oath against the modernist heresy—a requirement that Pope Paul VI

abolished in 1967. Mit Brennender Sorge (1937): Pope Pius XI’s encyclical, whose German title means “with burning concern,” was smuggled into Nazi Germany and read from the pulpits of Catholic churches on Palm Sunday. Although it does not explicitly mention Adolf Hitler or the Nazi party, it criticises the regime’s “myth of race and blood” and cult of the state and defends the value of the Old Testament and the rights of ethnically Jewish Catholics, though not of Jews in general. Pacem in Terris (1963): Bl John XXIII’s last encyclical was the first such document addressed not just to fellow Catholics but to “all men of good will.” Writing at the height of the Cold War, John called for international and interreligious cooperation for the promotion of world peace. Emphasising the importance of human rights and dignity, the encyclical also recognised the rights of all people to food, water, safety, housing, health care, involvement in public life and affiliation in organisations that promote their well-being, from trade unions to civic groups. Humanae Vitae (1968): Pope Paul VI’s decision to affirm the Church’s traditional prohibition against artificial contraception was met by dissent from a number of prominent theologians and, as demographic evidence suggests, widespread disobedience by ordinary Catholics. Centesimus Annus (1991): Issued on the hundredth anniversary of Rerum Novarum, insisted that the end of the Cold War did not leave “capitalism as the only model of economic organisation”. The document was innovative in the annals of papal social teaching by virtue of its qualified praise for the free market.—CNS

only be mediated through a variety of sources: Scripture, tradition, sacraments and daily life, through those who teach (magisterium and theologians) and through upbringing in families. Faith is also mediated, I would argue, through cultures, and through the fruits of a “faith that does justice”. The former is acknowledged when the pope says: “The encounter of the Gospel message with the philosophical culture of the ancient world proved a decisive step in the evangelisation of all peoples, and stimulated a fruitful interaction between faith and reason which has continued down the centuries to our own times” (32). Similarly, by engaging with modern thought—including one of the “masters of suspicion” like Friedrich Nietzsche, and great writers such as T S Eliot and Fyodor Dostoyevsky— there is a recognition that such an engagement cannot but continue. If anything, there should be more engagement with contemporary critics of religion if faith is to be promoted. Francis also quite rightly warns against unrestrained, unmediated religious subjectivity, which at its extreme can lead to all kinds of spiritual wackiness and religious extremism. Fundamentalist religion is for many people on the edge of faith, on the brink of belief, a massive disincentive to embrace God’s love—which, in the actions and proclamations of crazies of every stripe, gets lost behind fanaticism. It is troubling, for me at least, because the very means of mediation are themselves subject to distortion, to cultural limitations and even sinfulness. We are warned not to confuse faith in the living God with idolatry. Drawing on the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, we are reminded of the temptation to idolatry, the “worship of an idol...the work of our own hands” (16). Here we should note that there are a range of idolatries—all of which boil down to an inordinate desire for money, sex and power in their various guises. And here, too, as we point to society, we must also look critically at ourselves as Church: at what point does our commitment to the Church and faith become idolatrous? At what point does the Church become an end in itself, and not the (emphatically) necessary means to loving faith in Christ?

here is also a certain cultural limitation to this encyclical. It seems very much a text written for a European audience, referring to European high culture and philosophy. Now, while I reject the assumption that one must stick to one’s “cultural particularities”, I would have loved to have seen examples from the rest of the world, for example a shrewd observation about the

Pope Francis prays with emeritus Pope Benedict xVI in March. the new papal encyclical, Lumen Fidei, was in large part written by Pope Benedict but was issued by Pope Francis. (Photo: l’osservatore Romano via Reuters/CNS) complexity of faith from Japanese novelist Shusako Endo, a wry piece of polemic from Chile’s Pablo Neruda, or even—God help us!—a bit of modernist angst from ons eie Australian exile J M Coetzee! The encyclical also troubles me in its pessimism about modernity and relativism. I submit (and brevity prevents deeper explanation) that with regard to the former, modernity is more complex than it appears and that relativism is often confused with cultural pluralism. Given the earlier engagement with critics of faith, it would have been so interesting—and fruitful— to engage with someone like the Canadian philosopher (and Catholic) Charles Taylor. Taylor, who sees secularity (even secularism) with a certain nuanced understanding of why faith apparently disappeared in Europe—and sees how it can come back, even as the old model of a “Christian civilisation” cannot—should be on reading lists of everyone engaged in the New Evangelisation! Sinfulness, too, can be the source of loss of faith. I suspect many people lose faith not so much through encounter with scepticism than through encounters with people of faith who do not practise what they preach, or through negative experiences with a Church that in the name of truth condemns believers for various reasons that seem to them petty or unreasonable.

umen Fidei ends on a more positive and pastoral note, stressing the importance of families in transmitting and witnessing to faith and on the essential connection between faith and justice. The service of the common good generates hope, even in times of suffering, and offers to those who suf-

fer a sense of God’s solidarity with them. Such an observation also concretises the interconnectedness of the three theological virtues—faith, hope and love—and invites us perhaps to revisit and re-read Pope Benedict’s previous encyclicals in the light of this text. There is also a growing shift at the end of the encyclical towards not simply a faith that does justice, but one that espouses love for humanity and creation. “Faith teaches us to see that every man and woman represents a blessing for me, that the light of God’s face shines on me through the faces of my brothers and sisters” (54), the encyclical proclaims. It continues to express the truth that God’s concern is for the salvation of all people and the restoration of all created matter, for within nature we can discern “a grammar written by the hand of God and a dwelling place entrusted to our protection and care” (55). Indeed, “God, by his concrete actions, makes a public avowal that he is present in our midst and that he desires to solidify every human relationship” (55). One might also see in this, Pope Francis’ first encyclical, an agenda for the future. The promotion of faith, a faith that does justice, must be both rooted in tradition but open to the people of our time. It needs to be pastorally-oriented and culturally nuanced towards a worldwide Church, where the challenge is less secularism than poverty and suffering, both of which can play havoc with peoples’ faith in a loving God. The importance of mediated faith must also drive him to continue the necessary and overdue reforms of the Vatican that he has already initiated. n Fr Anthony Egan works for the Jesuit Institute in Johannesburg.

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the Southern Cross, July 17 to July 23, 2013

FAITH

In memory of a child of God On July 5 the Church in Johannesburg buried a 100year-old convert from Judaism. Fr KEVIN REYNOLDS looks back at the remarkable spiritual life of Memory Smith.

GOOD number of priests joined Fr James Ralston OMI of Victory Park on July 5 to celebrate Dina Elizabeth “Memory” Smith and her 100-year-life in a Requiem Mass. Eight of Memory’s ten children along with most of her 27 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren were present. Memory’s eldest son, John, was tragically electrocuted in 1957 while serving his apprenticeship on the railways. Her second eldest daughter, Margaret Dugmore, died of ill health in 1996. Memory, the only child of a Jewish couple who had no relatives in South Africa, was born on May 10, 1913. Shortly after her birth Memory’s father died. Her mother then placed her with a Christian foster family. Knowing that Memory was Jewish, her foster parents gave her no religious instruction. However, her foster mother’s firm belief in God shone through everything she did—such as caring for and accepting Memory and another foster child, under difficult circumstances. For Memory, this confirmed her foster mother’s true Christianity. In 2009, Memory’s spiritual director, Franciscan Father John Allen Green, encouraged her to write an account of her life-long spiritual journey. Memory obliged. In the account she recorded how her foster mother used to say every night: “Thank God for giving me the strength to do what I had to do today.” This made a deep impression on Memory who recalled always implicitly believing in one, living God. At the age of 11, Memory became aware of her need to know more about God. She asked herself many questions: Why did God create people? What was people’s purpose in life? If God created people who, in turn, created God? At that stage in her life, Memory

tried to visualise and understand eternity. She had heard that nothing defiled could enter heaven. She remembered thinking that, if this was indeed the case, no humans could go to heaven. On her own, she knew she could find no answers to her many questions. Memory then started to attend services at one church after another. She still found no satisfying answers. This searching lasted eight years in Memory’s young life. At the age of 19, Memory for the first time attended a Catholic Mass. She was immediately struck by the reverence of the congregation and their rapt attention. A few months later, Memory went to a traditional Sunday evening service of rosary, sermon and benediction. She wrote of that event in her memoir: “I cannot describe the immense feeling of peace and abounding love that I experienced as the Blessed Sacrament was held aloft in the monstrance.” Memory felt she had finally found what she had been searching for and decided to become a Catholic. The parish priest of Pretoria’s church of the Sacred Heart, Fr Foley OMI, referred Memory to the adjoining Loreto Convent for a year’s course of weekly instruction classes. She believed that she was fortunate in having a fine tutor, Mother Zavaria, who gave her a good grounding in the Catholic faith. Memory recalled the moment when she was ready to be received into the Church: “I was ecstatic, filled with God’s grace and the thought that I had arrived.” She felt that she had reached the end of her journey—but she soon realised that her real journey was only starting.

cis in the year 1961. “Being Franciscans became an important part of our lives. We grew spiritually, as we tried to follow St Francis’ way of life learning to disregard material belongings, enjoying the friendship of like-minded people, and gaining strength to bear and accept the sorrows that came our way,” she wrote in her memoir. “We were enriched by our daily attendance at Mass, spiritually uplifted by the many retreats we attended and by the guidance of our Franciscan spiritual directors.”

(above) Memory and arnold Smith and five of their children. (left top) Frs Hyacinth Ennis and Ignatius Fidgeon after a special Mass for Mrs Smith’s 90th birthday. (left bottom) Memory Smith and grandchild Jeanette.

hen she was 22, Memory met a young man, Arnold Smith. He, too, was a recent convert of Fr Foley. They married in May 1937 and started to live their young married lives, “in accordance with the guidance we had received from our shared beliefs”, as Memory put it. Over the following 20 years God blessed Arnold and Memory with ten healthy children: three sons and seven daughters. Although it wasn’t easy to raise such a large family, she and her husband managed to provide their children with a peaceful, stable and happy family life.

Do you feel called to the Franciscan way of life?

Memory Smith’s life-long spiritual journey led her to become a Catholic in the 1930s and a Secular Franciscan in 1960. In order to provide a Catholic education for their children, Arnold took on a second job by lecturing at the Pretoria Technical College in the evenings. In 1960, a good friend introduced Arnold and Memory to the

The

Third Order of St Francis, known today as Secular Franciscans. They were immediately attracted to the Franciscan way of life. After a year of formation they were received into the Third Order at La Verna Retreat Centre, on the feast of St Fran-

n 1973, Memory lost her dear husband very suddenly. His death was a wound that time never healed, despite his funeral being a great comfort to her. Seven years before Arnold’s death, Memory had started a small tobacconist in the Pretoria suburb of Sunnyside to assist him in providing for the needs of the family. She ran it successfully for 20 years. Memory remained committed to her Franciscan way of life until she died in the home of her daughter, Winefride Wilson, on June 27, 2013. Although she had moved to Johannesburg for the last decade of her life, Memory continued to attend meetings of the Secular Franciscans in Pretoria. Her fellow Secular Franciscans fondly recalled what a difference her presence made to their gatherings. Without a doubt, the 24 brief tributes from her grandchildren and great-grandchildren in her Requiem Mass booklet testified to Memory’s primary role in life: that of wife, mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother. Jason Smith put it in a nutshell: “The only reason she managed a hundred years was out of love for all of us.” I am writing this from a personal perspective. My mother, Frances, was a life-long friend of Memory until her own death in 1994. As a result of their friendship I grew up knowing Memory and Arnold and their family in the Redemptorists’ monastery parish. Later in life, I had the privilege of being Memory’s parish priest at St Martin de Porres church in Sunnyside for 30 years. From that experience I can say that I was inspired by Memory as the living expression of St Irenaeus’ words: “The glory of God is a human person fully alive.”

S outher n C ross

Youth Pilgrimage 2014 HOLY LAND & CAIRO 5 – 14 July 2014

with

FATHER SAMMY MABUSELA (National Youth Chaplain)

and

Claire Mathieson of The Southern Cross

A special pilgrimage designed specifically for young Catholics from 16-36, with Fr Sammy Mabusela, national youth chaplain, as spiritual director. The programme includes holy sites, hikes in the footsteps of Jesus, outdoor Masses, encounters with local Christians and much more.

A TIME OF FAITH, FRIENDSHIP AND FUN!

Contact: Brother Evenie Turner O.F.M. 082 599 7718, PO Box 914-1192, Wingate Park, 0153, 082 409-1457/ 012 345-1172

Email: evenieturner63@gmail.com

HoLY LAnd: Jerusalem (with Via Dolorosa, church of the Holy Sepulchre, Mary’s tomb, Mount of olives, Mt zion etc). Bethlehem. Nazareth (with visit to a recreation of 1st century life). Cana. Capernaum. Boatride on the Sea of Galilee. Mount tabor. Jordan River,. armageddon. Caesarea. Mt Carmel. Dead Sea. and much more. CAIRo: as a bonus, enjoy a visit to Cairo with the pyramids, sphinx and a Nile Cruise.

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the Southern Cross, July 17 to July 23, 2013

Sr Mary Hugh Creighton UFS

RSULINE missionary Sister Mary Hugh Creighton died on May 19 at the age of 83. She was educated by the Ursulines in Chester, northern England, entered the order and took up her missionary post in South Africa at the age of 21. Sr Mary Hugh was a foundation member of the Ursuline community that started St Bede’s High School in Limpopo, in 1983 and her contributions to education took root in many other Ursuline schools. At the time of her death Sr Mary Hugh was living and working in rural Limpopo at Subiaco Benedictine mission, where she had devoted 25 years of her life to the young people of the surrounding villages who attended St Bede’s High School. She was deeply conscious of the need for each pupil to indigenise

and personalise their faith. She was also a member of the foundation community of Brescia House Ursuline Convent School, established in 1966 in Bryanston, Johannesburg. Sr Mary Hugh dedicated 15 years to the school’s educational growth; her specialist fields being English, history and religious education— the heart of the school’s spirit and

Our bishops’ anniversaries This week we congratulate: July 19: Bishop Michael Wüstenberg of Aliwal North on his 59th birthday

Southern CrossWord solutions SOLUTIONS TO 559. ACROSS: 3 Blaspheme, 8 Albs, 9 Repentant, 10. Yeoman, 11 Spree, 14 Okapi, 15 Draw 16 Ovens, 18 Idea, 20 Laden, 21 Stubs, 24 Sentry, 25 Queenship, 26 Boon, 27 Testament. DOWN: 1 Babylonia, 2 Abrogates, 4 Lien, 5 Sheep, 6 Hatred, 7 Mind, 9 Radio, 11 Steps, 12 Erudition, 13 Twenty-one, 17 Sleep,19 Attest, 22 Besom, 23 Luke, 24 Sion.

Liturgical Calendar Year C weekdays Cycle Year 1 Sunday, July 21, 16th Sunday Genesis 18:1-10, Psalm 15:2-5, Colossians 1:24-28, Luke 10:38-42 Monday, July 22, St Mary Magdalen Exodus 14:5-18, Exodus 15:1-6, John 20:1-2, 11-18 Tuesday, July 23 Exodus 14:21, 15:1, Exodus 15:8-10, 12, 17, Matthew 12:46-50 Wednesday, July 24 Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15, Psalm 78:18-19, 23-28, Matthew 13:1-9 Thursday, July 25, St James 2 Corinthians 4:7-15, Psalm 126:1-6, Matthew 20:2028 Friday, July 26, Ss Joachim and Anne Sirach 44:1, 10-15, Psalm 132:11, 13-14, 17-18, Matthew 13:16-17 Saturday, July 27, Memorial of the BVM Exodus 24:3-8, Psalm 50:1-2, 5-6, 14-15, Matthew 13:24-30 Sunday, July 28, 17th Sunday Genesis 18:20-32, Psalm 138:1-3, 6-8, Colossians 2:12-14, Luke 11:1-13

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ethos. She served at the Ursuline schools of St Ursula’s in Krugersdorp and St Angela’s in Bezuidenhout Valley, Johannesburg. A dedicated and gifted teacher, she continues to be remembered in these schools as a true educationist who knew how to bring out the best in each one of her pupils. Her classroom was a place of lively encounter. “A person very small in stature but in all else very great—and very good!” was the spontaneous comment of one of her many former pupils. Sr Mary Hugh was always visibly inspired by, and fulfilled the words of Ursuline foundress, St Angela Merici: “Act, move, believe, strive, hope, cry out to God with all your heart, for without doubt you will see marvels.” Sr Catherine

word of the week

DISCIPLINE: is man-made and can be changed as often as the Church desires. This is not to say that the authority to enact discipline is man-made. Scripture records the Church’s God-given authority to enact discipline: “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt 18:18). This power to bind and to loose extends beyond discipline, but it includes the authority to enact discipline as well. Examples include mandatory celibacy of the clergy in the Latin rite.

Community Calendar

To place your event, call Claire Allen at 021 465 5007 or e-mail c.allen@scross.co.za (publication subject to space) CAPe town: procession to Marie Stopes abortion clinic in Bree Mimosa Shrine, Bellville Street. For information con(Place of pilgrimage for the tact Colette thomas on 083 year of Faith) tel: 076 323 412 4836 or 021 593 9875 8043. July 25: Feast of St or Br Daniel Manuel on 083 James, 7:00pm Rosary, 544 3375 7:30pm Holy Mass. August 1: 7:30pm Rosary August JoHAnneSBURG 10: Feast of St lawrence, Holy Rosary School Car9:00am-10:00am Holy hour nival: tea garden, market and benediction. Confesstalls, fun zone, cook-off sions available during Holy challenge, Potjie competihour. August 15: the astion, and live entertainment. sumption of our lady august 3 on Holy Rosary 7:00pm Rosary, 7:30pm School Field, 10:00am– Holy Mass 5:00pm. adults–free, ChilPadre Pio: Holy hour 15:30 dren-–R100 (non-stop pm every 3rd Sunday of the access to fun rides). Conmonth at Holy tact: 011 457 0900 or e-mail Redeemer parish in deidre@holyrosaryschool. Bergvliet. co.za. Helpers of God’s Precious KwAZULU-nAtAL Infants meet the last SaturCouples conference at day of the month except in Holy Family College in December, starting with Glenmore, Durban, July 26, Mass at 9:30 am at the Sa27 & 28. R330 per couple. cred Heart church in SomerContact zee or Sharon on set Road, Cape town. Mass 031 207 1843. is followed by a vigil and

to advertise in this space call elizabeth Hutton 021 465 5007 or email advertising@scross.co.za

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In MeMoRIAM

LetoRd—In loving memory of Deacon Roger of Durbanville who passed away four years ago on July 19, 2009 aged 96. Will always be remembered by his family Helen, Stephen, Matthew, thérèse and Kieran, Janet, Dean Michael and Kyle. anne, Basil, Sarah, Warren and Jessica and Joan Swanson. May his soul rest in peace. LIndSeLL—Richard, died July 21, 2004. My dear son and our brother. Will always be remembered in our prayers. Rest in Peace. John and family

PeRSonAL

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 is murder— Silence on this issue is not golden, it’s yellow! avoid ‘Pro-abortion’ politicians. notHInG is politically right if it is morally wrong. abortion is evil. Value life!

PRAYeRS

o GReAt St Joseph of Cupertino, who while on earth did obtain from God the Grace to be asked at your examination only the questions you knew. Please obtain for me a like favour in return I promise to make you known and cause you to be invoked through Christ our lord. St. Joseph of Cupertino, please pray for me. Mercia. o GReAt St Joseph of Cupertino, who while on earth did obtain from God the Grace to be asked at your examination only the questions you knew. Please obtain for me a like favour in return I promise to make you known and cause you to be invoked through Christ our lord. St Joseph of Cupertino, please pray for me. Michelle. o GReAt St Joseph of Cupertino, who while on

earth did obtain from God the Grace to be asked at your examination only the questions you knew. Please obtain for me a like favour in return I promise to make you known and cause you to be invoked through Christ our lord. St Joseph of Cupertino, please pray for me. lemeez. PRAYeR for the release of a loved one from alcohol and Drugs through the Divine Mercy and Blood of Jesus. lord Jesus I place myself into your hand this day. I ask you with all my heart to cure the terrible addiction of drugs and alcohol in (Name). Create in him intolerance for drugs and alcohol. that will prevent him from ever offending those who love him again and grant his loved ones the grace to forgive him for all the hurt he has caused. through the Divine Mercy and Blood of Jesus. I pray that he will be healed of all withdrawal symptoms of this terrible affliction. I sincerely ask this in the name of Jesus. amen. Mercia. PRAYeR for the Release of a loved one from alcohol and Drugs through the Divine Mercy and Blood of Jesus. lord Jesus I place myself into your hand this day. I ask you with all my heart to cure the terrible addiction of drugs and alcohol in (Name). Create in him intolerance for drugs and alcohol. that will prevent him from ever offending those who love him again and grant his loved ones the grace to forgive him for all the hurt he has caused. through the Divine Mercy and Blood of Jesus. I pray that he will be healed of all withdrawal symptoms of this terrible affliction. I sincerely ask this in the name of Jesus. amen. Michelle. PRAYeR for the Release of a loved one from alcohol and Drugs through the Divine Mercy and Blood of Jesus. lord Jesus I place myself into your hand this day. I ask you with all my heart to cure the terrible addiction of drugs and alcohol in (Name). Create in him intolerance for drugs and alcohol. that will prevent him from ever offending those who love him again and grant his loved ones the grace to forgive him for all the hurt he

FRIendS FoR eVeR PILGRIMAGe

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has caused. through the Divine Mercy and Blood of Jesus. I pray that he will be healed of all withdrawal symptoms of this terrible affliction. I sincerely ask this in the name of Jesus. amen. Colin.

tHAnKS

Grateful thanks to Sacred Heart of Jesus. our Mother Mary, St anthony, St Martin de Porres. our lady of Guadalupe. our lady of Fatima. our lady of lourdes. our lady of the Rosary. all our angels and all the Saints. From: Colin, Mercia, Michelle, lemeez, andre’ and Vidal.

HoLIdAY ACCoMModAtIon

London, Protea House: Single per/night R300, twin R480. Self-catering, buses and underground nearby. Phone Peter 0044 208 748 4834. FISH HoeK: Self-catering accommodation, sleeps 4. Secure parking. tel: 021 785 1247. KnYSnA: Self-catering accommodation for 2 in old Belvidere with wonderful lagoon views. 044 387 1052. MARIAneLLA: Guest House, Simon’s town: “Come experience the peace and beauty of God with us.” Fully equipped with amazing sea views. Secure parking, ideal for rest and relaxation. Special rates for pensioners and clergy. tel: Malcolm Salida 082 784 5675 or mjsalida@gmail.com SedGeFIeLd: Beautiful self-catering garden holiday flat, sleeps four, two bedrooms, open-plan lounge, kitchen, fully equipped. 5 min walk to lagoon. out of season specials. Contact les or Bernadette 044 343 3242, 082 900 6282. SteLLenBoSCH: Five simple private suites (2 beds, fridge, microwave). Countryside vineyard/forest/mountain walks; beach 20 minute drive. affordable. Christian Brothers tel 021 880 0242, cbcstel@ gmail.com StRAnd: Beachfront flat to let. Stunning views, fully equipped. one bedroom, sleeps 3. Seasonal rates. From R525 p/night for 2 people—low season. Garage. Ph Brenda 082 822 0607.

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17th Sunday: July 28 Readings: Genesis 18:20-32, Psalm 138: 13, 6-8, Colossians 2:12-14, Luke 11:1-13

T is essential for human beings to establish that sense of relating to God that we call “prayer” (without it, you cannot easily ever grow up); if you have a prayer-life, then you see things differently, see them indeed as they really are. That is the message of the readings for next Sunday. In the first reading we have a debate (following on from the first reading of the previous Sunday, unusually enough) between God and Abraham his faithful servant. It presents a charming picture of the omniscient God needing to find out the situation in Sodom, whether things are as bad as they are painted. Then God’s two inspectors journey on, and Abraham and God are left debating the matter. Somehow (we are not told how) Abraham has discovered God’s intentions, and starts to negotiate with the Almighty: “Are you going to sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” Then the negotiations take a mathematical turn, as Abraham, with exquisite politeness but unmistakable persistence, asks God whether Sodom will be destroyed if there are as many as 50 righteous people in the city.

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Your prayer-life is essential Nicholas King SJ

Sunday Reflections

Then, gradually, but (we must suppose) not entirely reluctantly, God is beaten down, through 45, 40, until finally it is agreed that if there are as many as ten such characters, then the city will not be destroyed. That is the end of the story, although the sad events of chapter 19 reveal that Sodom failed to make the count. The point here is not a homicidal God, but a God to whom human beings can relate, even with a touch of impertinence. We should be encouraged by this. The psalm for next Sunday is a marvellous illustration of this relationship: “I shall thank you with all my heart; before the gods

I shall sing to you.” There is nothing in the ancient world to match this intimacy that Israel had with their God, nothing like the sentiment of “I shall acknowledge your name because of your steadfast love and your truth”, and the confidence of “on the day when I called to you, you answered...Lord, your love is forever; do not abandon the work of your hands”. That is prayer at work. There is not much directly about prayer in the second reading for next Sunday, but the images that the author employs to describe what God has done for us speak volumes of his relationship with the Lord: “We have been buried with him in baptism; in him you have been raised through God’s faithful activity, who raised [Jesus] from the dead”, and then an image from the commercial life, interestingly mixed with that of the punishment that Jesus endured: “He has wiped off the bill which was against us, and has lifted it out of the middle, nailing it to the cross.” In the gospel, as so often in Luke, we see

Are you addicted to comfort? F

IFTY-three years ago a writer named Kay Cronin wrote a book entitled Cross in the Wilderness, chronicling how in 1847 a small band of Oblate of Mary Immaculate missionaries came from France to the American Pacific Northwest. After some bitter setbacks in Washington State and Oregon, they moved up the coast into Canada and helped found the Catholic Church in Vancouver and in significant parts of British Columbia’s mainland. She describes these men, no doubt with some over-idealisation and hagiography, as tough, totally dedicated, and completely without concern for their own comfort and health. They had left their beloved France while still young, knew they would probably never see their loved ones again, and accepted lives that were constantly in danger both from the harsh elements of their frontier environment and from the threat of death from various indigenous tribes and various government forces and mercenary soldiers who distrusted them, for opposite reasons. They were threatened many times, chased out of various missions, some were kidnapped for periods of time, and a number of their houses and missions were burnt down. They lived perennially on the edge of danger, never secure, never free from threat. Moreover, they had next to nothing in terms of creature comforts. They lived in log and mud hovels, ate bad food, and sometimes no food. They had virtually no access to doctors, little access to what

Conrad

083 640 5848

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

might make for good hygiene, and often, while travelling, had to sleep outside without proper shelter from rain and cold, causing many of them to develop rheumatism and other such illnesses at an early age. Moreover, they were never able to sink roots, to become comfortable at any place, to make the kinds of friends and contacts that could be a comfort and support to them. They had faith, God and each other—and little else. But they were able to take all of this in stride, without undue self-pity or complaint. They wrote very positive and idealistic letters to their motherhouse in France and to their families, and kept journals within which they expressed mostly joy about their modest successes in the ministry, seldom uttering a complaint about the bad housing, bad food and instability in their lives. As an Oblate missionary myself, as a member of the same religious family, I read all of this, of course, with pride. I am proud of what these men did, and rightly so. They were selfless to the point of death. But, that being said, reading their

story is also very humbling. Looking at their radical sacrifice of all comfort, for me, is a mirror that I peer into with considerable trepidation and shame. I look at my own life and see far too much in the way of an addiction to comfort and safety. I don’t want what they had: I want healthy food, clean water, proper hygiene, regular rest, access to good doctors, access to news, to information, to travel, regular contact with family and friends, opportunities for retreats and vacations, access to ongoing education, and, not least, I want safety. I want to be a good missionary, but I want to be comfortable and safe. I take some consolation in the fact that times today are very different from what they were when these French missionaries landed in the Pacific Northwest. I couldn’t do the work I do, at least not for very long, without proper housing, proper food, proper hygiene, access to education and information, regular rest, and healthy recreational outlets. My life and my ministry are a marathon, not a sprint, and proper selfcare is a virtue, not a vice. Still, it’s easy to rationalise and become addicted to comfort and safety. St Paul, reflecting upon his own missionary life, once wrote that he was comfortable with whatever was dealt to him—much or little. I like to believe that too for my own life, but, and this is true for most of us, the more we live with much, the more we tend to protect ourselves inside that plenty. Thomas Merton once said that what he feared in his own life was not so much a massive betrayal of his vocation, but a series of “mini-treasons” that lead to a different kind of death. And that’s the peril that I fear too, for myself and for our culture. As children of our culture, I believe, we easily become addicted to comfort and safety. Once we have grown used to safety, good food, clean water, proper hygiene, access to good doctors and proper medicine, access to constant entertainment, access to instant information, regular connection with our loved ones, boundless educational and recreational opportunities, and wonderful creature comforts of all sorts, the danger looms large that we will not easily, or at all, be able to let go of any of these. Consequently we will end up as good persons, no big betrayals, but no big selfsacrifice either; not only unable to give up our lives for our friends but unable to give up even our comfort.

Jesus at prayer, and his disciples are impatiently waiting for him to finish before demanding: “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” So then we hear the slightly unfamiliar version of the Lord’s Prayer that Luke gives us (the one that you recite each day is Matthew’s) and this is followed by a very striking parable encouraging us to be as persistent in prayer as Abraham was in the first reading, where God is, rather daringly, compared to a friend who is reluctant to get out of bed, and is eventually driven to it by shamelessness. The word to notice in this parable is “friend”, which is repeated no less than four times; that is at the heart of the mystery of prayer, that, because of Jesus it is possible for us to regard the maker of our vast universe, the God who is way beyond our imagining, as “friend”, or, in the next lines, as a generous Father, who is “going to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him”. We are invited to do something about our prayer-life in the coming week.

Southern Crossword #559

ACROSS 3. Speak irreverently of lamb, sheep (9) 8. White garments for the cleric (4) 9. Entrap ten to be sorry for sin (9) 10. Money, a person finds for the royal guard (6) 11. Go on it for the wild party (5) 14. Look! A picture of the animal’s here (5) 15. Attract backward (4) 16. You need them for the roasts (5) 18. It’s in your intellect (4) 20. Heavily weighed down (5) 21. What’s left in your cheque book? (5) 24. He’s on watch (6) 25. Feast of Our Lady’s royal title (9) 26. Favour for the hobo on here (4) 27. One of two wills in the Bible? (9)

DOWN 1. A baby lion featured in the Bible (9) 2. Repeals (9) 4. Nile provides a right to property (4) 5. They flock around (5) 6. Thread to intense dislike (6) 7. 18 is also in here (4) 9. Transmitter (5) 11. You can take them up or down (5) 12. Scholarly knowledge (9) 13. Majority years (6-3) 17. Drop off (5) 19. Present at cricket match, I declare it’s true (6) 22. Broom (5) 23. Evangelist (4) 24. Holy mountain hidden by missionary (4)

Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE HERE was a little old Catholic lady living next T door to an atheist. Every morning she came out on to her front porch and shouted: “Praise the Lord!” And every morning the atheist yelled back: “There is no God!” As time went by, the lady ran into financial difficulties and had trouble buying food. She went out on to the porch and asked God for help with groceries. The next morning when she went out on to the porch, she saw the groceries she had asked for, and of course, she shouted: “Praise the Lord!” The atheist jumped out from behind a bush and said: “Ha, I bought those groceries, there is no God.” The lady looked at him, smiled and shouted: “Praise the Lord, not only did you provide for me Lord, you made the devil pay for the groceries!” Send us your favourite Catholic joke, preferably clean and brief, to the Southern Cross, Church Chuckle, Po Box 2372, Cape town, 8000.