140205 by The Southern Cross

The

S outhern C ross

February 5 to February 11, 2014

Cardinal Napier on the state of the Zuma nation

Page 7

reg No. 1920/002058/06

No 4860

www.scross.co.za

Memories of Hurley, 10 years after his death

Pages 8-9

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Priest in a bullet-proof vest

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Region’s bishops gather to hail new Swazi bishop By ClairE MaTHiEsON

N his first homily as the head of Swaziland’s only diocese, Manzini, Bishop José Ponce de León hailed the work the Church has done in the country over the past 100 years and committed the Church to helping eradicate Aids and to promote hope for the youth. Bishop Ponce de León, formerly of Ingwavuma in KwaZulu-Natal, was installed in the presence of all bishops but one in the Southern African region. The ceremony was timed to coincide with the centenary celebrations of the first Catholic missionaries arriving in Swaziland. Today about 5% of the country’s population is Catholic. Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban described Bishop Ponce de León’s installation, which was attended by between 3 500 and 4 000 locals and visitors, as a “most joyous and happy occasion”. The visitors included 29 bishops, representatives of the pope and King Mswati III as well as top leaders and representatives of government. “It was truly ecclesial and a civil celebration,” Cardinal Napier tweeted. Bishop Ponce de León paid homage to the first missionaries, the Order of the Servants of Mary, as well as to those who followed: Benedictine Sisters, Mantellate Sisters, Dominicans of Oakford and Cabra, Montebello, Salesians, Cabrini Sisters, the Swazi Servite Sisters and the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual

Help. He also commended the diocesan priests “who, since 1964 have been serving our communities”. Bishop Ponce de León said the growth of the Church in Manzini was reminiscent of so many images in the Gospel, including the mustard seed (Mk 4:31-32) and the five loaves and two fish that served thousands (Mk 6:3444). “But most of all, that ‘the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it’ (Mark 16:20) has shown his presence and guidance”, he said. “The celebration of these first hundred years has been, to each one of us, an opportunity to remember with joy so many moments of this journey,” said the bishop. The visiting bishops took time to visit Mater Dolorosa in Mbabane to offer a short prayer where the first four missionaries arrived on January 2, 1914. Bishop Ponce de León said that it was through this remembrance and celebration that “we renew our commitment to be Good News to all in every part of our country and all over the world”. The Argentine-born bishop of Manzini, a member of the Consolata Missionaries, referred to Pope Francis’ views on “missionary disciples”. “I like the expression because it reminds us always to remain disciples and [that] the light of Christ leads our lives. At the same time we need to make sure we do not remain locked inside our churches. We are to go out, to every person, every family, every situation that needs to be touched by the Good News of Jesus,” he said.

Pope is working on green encyclical By ElisE Harris

OPE Francis has begun to work on a text surrounding the topic of ecology, which could eventually become an encyclical. Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi SJ confirmed the news in a statement, noting that the pope intends to give a strong emphasis to the theme of “human ecology”—a phrase that was originally coined by retired pontiff Benedict XVI. This expression, Fr Lombardi said, describes not only how the faithful must respect the environment, but also how the

nature of the person must also be defended. Fr Lombardi said the text is still in its early stages and it is too early to predict a possible time of publication. Pope Francis’ first encyclical, Lumen Fidei (“Light of Faith”) was released in July. It was written by the pontiff as a completion of the work initiated by his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who resigned before the document was finished. According to an Italian bishop writing on his website last May, Pope Francis is also in the process of writing another encyclical on poverty, which is to be titled after the beatitude “Blessed Are the Poor”.—CNA

Bishop José Ponce de león is flanked by Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban (left) and archbishop stephen Brislin of Cape Town, the president of the southern african Catholic Bishops’ Conference, during his installation as bishop of Manzini, swaziland’s only diocese. Bishop Ponce de león was transferred from the vicariate of ingwavuma, KwaZulu-Natal. Bishop Ponce de León praised the work being done in the diocese to support those infected and affected by Aids. The centenary celebrations also coincided with the launch of the book Catholic Responses to HIV/Aids in Southern Africa, edited by Sr Alison Munro OP and Fr Stuart Bate OMI (see report on page 2). Swaziland reportedly has the highest per capita infection rate in the world. “Our dream should be to make Aids history, something that our children will only learn in books of the history of our country. That remains a challenge to us all, parents, grandparents, youth, children. I believe we can,” Bishop Ponce de León said. The bishop also committed the Church to assisting further with quality education in Swaziland, a service which King Mswati III, speaking through Prince Simelane, hailed. The Church’s 64 schools in the country have “contributed extensively to the country’s education, because a majority of the education centres provide inclusive education”, the prince said during the celebrations. Addressing the Mass, Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg called the new Swazi bishop a good shepherd. Paraphrasing Pope Francis’ now famous quote, he said that “a good shepherd should always smell like his flock; the bishop should always be synony-

mous with the people he leads”. Archbishop Tlhagale explained: “Smelling like your flock is as good as becoming one of them. When they starve, you starve with them, and when they share a bountiful harvest, you also enjoy with them. Smelling like your flock means becoming a part of their whole, crying with them during painful moments and also dancing with them when they celebrate.” Apart from the bishops of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference—which covers South Africa, Botswana and Swaziland—the celebration was also attended by Bishop Xavier Munyongani of Gweru, representing the Zimbabwean Catholic Bishops' Conference. Frs Richard Menatsi and Oskar Wermter SJ represented The Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (Imbisa). The week-long celebrations formed part of the bishops’ biennial plenary session during which the bishops discussed the situation of the family in preparation for the synod in October and various diocesan celebrations of the family expected to take place throughout the Year of the Family. The SACBC will also issue two pastoral letters this year, on the general election and on the 20th anniversary of full democracy in South Africa.

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Pro-life organisation needs help Church launches new Aids book T I By POrTia MTHEMBu

HE Culture of Life Apostolate has been a home to many pregnant young girls and women who, due to abuse and rejection, have often found themselves in pregnancy crises with no place to go. Advocating the Catholic Church’s teachings on abortion, the non-profit organisation has played a significant role in saving human life and assisting vulnerable mothers, and is appealing to the public for financial support. After being emotionally or physically abused, many pregnant mothers flee their homes and turn to the streets, Raphael Lallu, communications officer at the Culture of Life Apostolate, which operates in Gauteng and Roodepoort, told The Southern Cross. Alone, vulnerable and under severe stress, the mothers’ rationale is usually to terminate their pregnancies. However, as the Culture of Life Apostolate promotes respect and recognition of unborn babies and dignity of mothers, it offers the overwhelmed pregnant women accommodation in one of two Divine Mercy pregnancy crisis homes, where they are offered post-trauma counselling and skills upliftment, providing them with a real alterna-

By POrTia MTHEMBu

The Culture of life apostolate needs funds to maintain publicising the pro-life message and aiding pregnant girls and women tive to the situations they find themselves in. “After having given birth to their precious babies, the residents of both homes attest to being very relieved that they did not go through with aborting their babies, as they fear they would never fully recover from such a harrowing experience,” said Mr Lallu. Although the services offered by the Culture of Life Apostolate are much needed, Mr Lallu said in order for the organisation to sustain itself in the future, it is in need of the public’s contribution.

“We have to look at upgrading our training workshop areas for both homes as they are very basic,” he said. We would like to ensure that residents receive the best possible training to empower them.” Interested parties can assist the organisation by signing up to its pledge form in which a dedicated monthly fee is given. n For more about the Culture of Life Apostolate visit its website at www.cultureof life.co.za or “like” its Facebook page, “The Culture of Life Apostolate”. Raphael Lallu is available on 079 779 5596.

Little Eden on the mend after hailstorms sTaFF rEPOrTEr

T the end of last year, Little Eden—the Johannesburgbased home for the intellectually challenged—suffered the destruction, due to devastating hailstorms, of sugar bean and mielie crops as well as the pecan nut trees at Elvira Rota Village. In the process, the enclosure for the birds was also destroyed and all the birds were lost. But the year has started on a positive note for the home. “We were able to recover a small percentage of the mielies that were not completely destroyed in the storms,” said Little Eden’s Nichollette Muthige, adding that a new crop of sugar beans was also planted.

Furthermore, the birdcages have been restored and are well stocked again thanks to generous donations of birdlife from Lynn Patterson and Wayne Taylor. Also energising Little Eden is its upcoming fete, the home’s main fundraising event, to be held on March 1 at the Domitilla and Danny Hyams Home in Edenvale. Donations of cash or kind will be greatly appreciated. The bottle tombola stall needs any unopened bottle, such as bath salts, wine, chutney and toiletries. Crafts, books, plants, knitting, needlework and cakes are also welcome. Ms Muthige told The Southern Cross that the home thanks the

community for support during the hailstorms that destroyed crops. “Because of it, some good came from the destruction. The love and care shown by the community confirms the values we at Little Eden hold close to our hearts.” The society previously received over R300 000 annually from the sale of its pecan nuts, mielies and sugar beans. The lost income will now have to be secured from alternative sources in order to make up the shortfall of over R12 million per year that Little Eden must raise to ensure the ongoing care of all the residents. n For more information, contact Nichollette Muthige on 011 609 7246 or visit www.littleeden.org.za

N an effort to illustrate the Catholic Church’s work on the scourge of Aids in Southern Africa in the past 30 years, the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) has launched a book titled Catholic Responses to AIDS in Southern Africa. The book is a compilation of papers from various theologians and Aids activists, and examines the “theological motivation and pastoral outreach” of the Church’s involvement. Since the beginning of the Aids crisis, the Church has been at the forefront, consistently providing services to the sick and the dying, education around prevention and care for orphans and vulnerable children, said Sr Alison Munro OP, co-editor of the book and director of the SACBC Aids Office. However, in spite of its efforts, the Church seems to have garnered negative comments, specifically relating to its refusal to promote the use of condoms. “Just like society, the Church is infected and affected by Aids and is sometimes involved in stigma, discrimination and silence,” Sr Munro told The Southern Cross. By launching the book, the SACBC hopes to improve the perception held by society, and aims to show what the Church has “achieved locally and at diocesan and national levels regarding treatment, home-based care, care for orphans and vulnerable children, and HIV prevention,” Sr Munro said. “It highlights the role of religious sisters in particular, and those working with them, who have been at the forefront of the Church’s response,” she added, “and it examines the tricky question of condom use.” “In addition, the book deals with the question of sin and the HIV testing of candidates for the priesthood and religious life,” she said. Offering their insights are prominent religious leaders such as Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban, who in his chapter speaks about the re-

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sponse to Aids of an urban diocese. In contrast, Bishop Kevin Dowling of Rustenburg describes the response to Aids of a rural diocese. Anyone interested in finding out about the Church’s action on Aids will be keen to buy the book, said Sr Munro. At the various launches, she was joined by fellow editor Fr Stuart Bate OMI, who recently was appointed research and development officer at St Joseph’s Theological Institute. Together they provided information about the book’s contents. Guest speakers at each of the venues also gave their input regarding the Church’s achievements. Book launches were held in Kensington South in Johannesburg and Morningside in Durban. The last launch will be held on February 11 at Cathedral Place, 12 Bouquet Street in Cape Town at 17:00. Catholic Responses to AIDS in Southern Africa is available at the Paulines’ bookshop in Johannesburg or from the SACBC Aids Office from mid-February. n For further information please visit the SACBC Aids Office’s website on www.aidsoffice.org.za

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DA intake may flop M sTaFF rEPOrTEr

a series of DVDs based on the Theology of the Body is being produced by a team specifically for south africa. The “isipho—The Gift” team that will pioneer this project is (from left) steven Edwards, Dean spiller, Mila szczecina, andrina Moodley, Diana Chigumba and (front) Marie-anne Te Brake.

Theology of the Body to come out as DVD series sTaFF rEPOrTEr

N honour of the April canonisation of Bl John Paul II, a team of facilitators has been formed to develop a uniquely South African Theology of the Body as a DVD series. According to team member Andrina Moodley, the move was inspired by the late pope—his canonisation just eight years after his death and his “significant popularity with the youth”. The series, entitled “Isipho—The Gift”, already has support from Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg, Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria and Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban. “Being the founder of World Youth Day, Bl John Paul II has entered the hearts of the young but it is through his writings on the Theology of the Body that he has been able to further touch the hearts and lives of millions throughout the world even years after his death,” Ms Moodley told The Southern Cross. The Theology of the Body (TOB) was the pope’s integrated vision of the human person—body, soul, and spirit. In the writings he attempts to answer three fundamental questions about life: What does it mean to be human as male or female? Where am I headed? How do I live out my life in a way that brings true happiness? Ms Moodley said a group of South African TOB facilitators had been busy with the teachings over the past five years. “Under the guidance of Marie-Anne Te Brake of the Foundation for the Person and the Family, these facilitators have spread the

message of TOB from Johannesburg, Pretoria, KwaZulu-Natal and even Zimbabwe, reaching over 3 600 young adults and teens.” Ms Moodley added that the team was also responsible for bringing Jason Evert, a renowned TOB speaker from the US, to Johannesburg, where he addressed hundreds of youth and parents. “For many young South Africans who have attended a TOB seminar, not only have their lives been touched and changed but, so too, have their spiritual and interior lives.” The vast majority of resources available to facilitators is US-based. “While the content appeals to the entire human race, the way in which it is delivered is not appealing to our linguistically and culturally diverse nation,” Ms Moodley said. “Developing a TOB DVD series for South Africa comes as a response to this need.” The team behind “Isipho—The Gift” consists of TOB facilitators who have skills in the areas of music, writing, directing, producing, research and web design. The DVDs will be distributed to schools, prisons, and hopefully every Catholic church in South Africa. “To realise the project, R1,3 million is needed to fund research and production of the series,” Ms Moodley said. “We wish to appeal to business men and women or any Catholic who is able to make a donation to support this initiative. The youth of the world are hungry for truth and TOB speaks truth to the human heart.” n For queries or to make donations to this project, contact Marie-Anne Te Brake on +2711 7935653 or e-mail matebrake@global.co.za

Special vigil to be held for Benedict Daswa By ClairE MaTHiEsON

HE diocese of Tzaneen will host a vigil of prayer with Holy Mass for the success of the cause of the Servant of God Benedict Daswa—a strong case for South Africa’s first saint. The 12-hour event will start at 18:00 on Saturday, February 15 at Mater Dei Pastoral Centre in Mokopane, Polokwane diocese. The evening will begin with a welcome from Bishop Jeremiah Masela of Polokwane and an explanation of the purpose of the night vigil by Bishop João Rodrigues of Tzaneen. The evening will include song, dance and lots of prayers as well as a drama reenacting Daswa’s martyrdom written by Bishop Emeritus Fritz Lobinger of Aliwal North. Sr Claudette Hiosan FDNSC, promoter for the cause, said the evening will also include personal testimonies by friends and family members and a short reflection on why Benedict

Daswa’s life is an inspiration for us. Personal testimony responses to this will be given by a lay person, a religious sister and a bishop. “During a period of exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, there will be a time of silence during which there will be a guided meditation, with readings from sacred scripture, on aspects of the life of the Servant of God followed by sharing in twos on what has touched us in his life and death,” Sr Hiosan told The Southern Cross. There will also be an update on the progress of the memorial shrine. The prayer vigil will conclude with the celebration of the Eucharist on early Sunday morning. The vigil will be preceded by praying the novena through the entire conference area from February 6. n For more information contact bendaswa@mweb.co.za. The Southern Cross and Bishop Rodrigues will go on a pilgrimage of prayer for the cause of Benedict Daswa in September (see the panel on the front page).

AMPHELA Ramphele’s move to join the Democratic Alliance as its presidential candidate will not result in an upsurge of votes for the party, says one Catholic commentator, but she will become a potent force in parliament, both as a response to patriarchy in South African leadership and in her capacity as an experienced business woman and academic. Mike Pothier, research coordinator of the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said the 2014 election season has already been turbulent, with Julius Malema’s leaving the ANC to found Economic Freedom Fighters; the fragmentation of Cosatu and the sidelining of its errant secretarygeneral Zwelizima Vavi; the booing of Jacob Zuma; and the increasing prominence of Cyril Ramaphosa as the real face of the ANC. But the DA announcing Dr Ramphele as its presidential can-

didate is “groundbreaking in principle,” said Mr Pothier. “Up to now, the DA has attracted very few credible African politicians with anything approaching a track record in the struggle. Some of its up-and-coming African members, such as Lindiwe Mazibuko and Mmusi Maimane, are evidently capable politicians who promise much for the future; but they were children when apartheid ended.” In contrast, Dr Ramphele’s struggle credentials are well known and extensive. “That someone with deep roots in Black Consciousness should now feel comfortable to join what is still seen by so many South Africans as a white, or whitecontrolled, party, is remarkable. Anything that helps to break the racial mould of our politics should be welcomed,” Mr Pothier said. He acknowledged that it was possible Dr Ramphele had no choice as Agang, the party she started, had little support. “This is true enough, but she could simply have withdrawn and

gone back to the various other activities, commercial and philanthropic, that have occupied her in recent years,” Mr Pothier said. “Her decision to join the DA must thus be seen as something more decisive than desperate.” Mr Pothier believes, however, that the DA’s excitement is misplaced. “Whatever miniscule percentage of votes Agang might have earned would have come largely from DA voters or potential voters, and disillusioned COPE supporters. It is likely to be an electorally neutral move for now, but one with the potential to strengthen the DA’s appeal over the five years to 2019.” Mr Pothier pointed out that many of the DA’s top public faces are those of women: Helen Zille, Ms Mazibuko, Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille, Dr Sandra Botha, and now Dr Ramphele. “This is in itself significant and further undermines the notion that the DA is somehow still a ‘white man’s party’,” Mr Pothier said.

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Cardinal defends publication of John Paul II’s private notes By JONaTHaN luxMOOrE

HE former personal secretary of Bl Pope John Paul II has approved the publication of the late pontiff’s private notebooks, despite a request in his will that they should be burned. “In writing his will, the Holy Father knew he was entrusting these notebooks to someone who would treat them responsibly,” said Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, who served as the pope’s personal secretary throughout his almost 27year pontificate, and before that was his secretary in Krakow. “I had no doubt these were such important items, testifying to the spirituality of a great pope, that it would be a crime to destroy them,” Cardinal Dziwisz told a news conference in the southern Polish city to announce the release of the notebooks by the Znak publishing house. However, the planned February 5 publication of the notebooks has been widely criticised in Poland as an act of disloyalty towards the late pope, who said in his will, published at his death in April 2005, that he counted on his secretary to ensure his wishes were observed after his “years of cooperation and help, full of understanding”. An expert on the Catholic Church’s communist-era role, Fr Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski, urged Poles to boycott Znak and said publication of the notebooks would be “very hurtful” in “consciously violating the pope’s will”. “In European culture, a final will is always binding, as long as its realisation isn’t against the law and morality—this is required not just by legal statutes and good manners, but also by respect for the dead,” the priest told Poland’s TVN television. “This public act of disobedience

Cardinal stanislaw Dziwisz prays at the new tomb of Bl Pope John Paul ii in st Peter’s basilica in 2011. The pope’s former personal secretary has defended his decision to publish the pontiff’s private notes. (Photo: l’Osservatore romano/CNs) is a form of anti-witness and can’t be justified by any explanation that it’s for the good of the Church.” In a statement, Znak said Cardinal Dziwisz had acted “out of respect for John Paul II” in not destroying the “two simple notebooks”, covering the years 1962-2003, which contained the pope’s “most important personal questions”. It added that the 640-page book, I Am Very Much in God’s Hands, would allow readers to “know Karol Wojtyla’s weaknesses,” and “accompany the pope at moments of his greatest closeness to God”. Znak’s director, Henryk Wozniakowski, described the notebooks as “a publisher’s dream”. Znak is ready to collaborate with “all the biggest world publishing houses” on foreign-language editions. However, a Catholic Polish Radio commentator called the publication “no more than a marketing ploy”. “The pope left a great deal behind him, illuminating his views and beliefs in every area, and these notebooks merely confirm what we already know,” said Malgorzata Glabisz-Pniewska.

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“Having given so much of himself to the world, John Paul II had a right to keep something private. He taught us the good of the individual, however interesting to others, must always take priority over the good of society,” she said. Cardinal Dziwisz, 74, said in the foreword to the new book that he had “faithfully followed the Holy Father’s will” after his death by “distributing all his possessions, particularly his personal mementos”. However, he added that he had not “had the courage to burn the notebooks” because they “contained important information about his life” and provided “the key to his spirituality”. Speaking at the news conference, Cardinal Dziwisz said he would use his share of profits from the book to complete a 1200m2 complex being built at a cost of R440 million in memory of Bl John Paul in Krakow. The complex will include a basilica housing blood and other relics from the pope. He added that burning the pontiff’s notebooks would have been comparable to destroying the wartime letters and notebooks of Pope Pius XII, which many historians and researchers had since “deeply regretted”. The former secretary-general of Poland’s bishops’ conference, Bishop Tadeusz Pieronek, said that he believed the pope had “not left an unambiguous instruction” to burn the notebooks, adding that Bl John Paul would have agreed to their publication if they were judged “creative and useful to others”. The editor of Krakow’s Catholic Tygodnik Powszechny weekly, Piotr Mucharski, said he believed criticisms would “die down” when readers “saw the value of the book”.—CNS

a statue of Bl John Paul ii is seen in front of the church of san Pietro della ienca, near the italian city of l’aquila. Thieves reportedly stole a relic of the late pontiff—a piece of fabric soaked in his blood—from the country chapel. The intruders had sawn through on a window and made off with the relic as well as a cross. (Photo: Max rossi, reuters/CNs)

Zambian govt targets NGOs By MWaNsa PiNTu

AMBIA’S Catholic bishops have urged the government to stop using state security institutions to intimidate people and warned that changes in tax legislation could lead to severe cutbacks in services that the Church offers the poor. Zambia’s political environment “is characterised by manipulation, patronage and intimidation of perceived government opponents”, the bishops said in a statement. The revocation of the tax exemption for public benefit organisations, including the Catholic Church, “is seriously ill advised”, the bishops said, noting that if this is not reversed, “it will be impossible to offer social services as the Church is doing now”. “The poor, who are the main beneficiaries of the services of the Church, will suffer as they will be deprived of essential social services

provided by donations from overseas through local charities,” they said. Approximately 40% of social services in Zambia are provided by non-state charities, with the Catholic Church dominating the sector. The government’s move has been criticised by rights activists who say the state should prosecute those who abuse the tax break instead of cancelling the exemption. Joseph Silavwe, a parishioner at St Stella Maritz church in Mpulungu, said the change will affect the quality of services and eventually force some charities to close. It is a “deliberate plan by the state to shut down” some Zambian NGOs, Mr Silavwe said, noting that the government “is so scared of criticism [by these organisations] that it will do everything possible to disrupt their operations”.—CNS

Pope: If you can cheer for your team, you can cheer for God By CiNDy WOODEN

RAYERS of praise for God aren’t just for charismatics, Pope Francis has said in a morning homily. “We find it easy to understand praying to ask God for something and also to thank the Lord,” he said at his early morning Mass in the chapel of the Vatican guesthouse Domus Sanctae Martae, where he lives. But prayers of praise “don’t come so spontaneously”. According to a report in Vatican Radio, Pope Francis focused his homily on a line from the day’s first reading, which described David as “dancing before the Lord with abandon”. Pope Francis said he could imagine someone objecting,

“but, Father, that’s for people in the Renewal in the Spirit, not for all Christians”. “No,” he said, “prayers of praise are Christian prayer.” In fact, the pope said, the Psalms are filled with prayers of praise and that’s what the Sanctus or “Holy, Holy” and the Gloria recited at Mass are. Returning to possible objections, he said he knows some people might think they just can’t pray that way. He said he would counter: “You’re able to shout when your team makes a goal, but you cannot sing the Lord’s praises?” Explaining more of the biblical story from the 6th chapter of the Second Book of Samuel, Pope Francis noted how Michal,

the daughter of Saul, reproached David for dancing in public and making a spectacle of himself. The chapter ends abruptly with the line, “Saul’s daughter Michal was childless to the day she died.” “I wonder how many times we scorn in our hearts good people who praise the Lord naturally, spontaneously,” rather than formally or with great dignity, he said. When the Bible says Michal remained childless, it is telling believers that “prayers of praises make us fruitful,” he said, while “those who close themselves up in the formality of a cold, careful prayer might end up like Michal in the sterility of her formality”.—CNS

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The southern Cross, February 5 to February 11, 2014

Bullet-proof priest backs self-defence groups By DaViD aGrEN

ATHER Gregorio López Gerónimo wears a bulletproof vest while celebrating Mass. A bullet hole marks the wall of his office behind the cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Apatzingán, a city of 99 000, where armed self-defence groups have formed to fight back against a drug cartel accused of causing chaos in the western state of Michoacán. The priest even ordered hundreds of clubs, which he wants a citizen group he’s coordinating to carry in an attempt to take back the streets—peacefully, he insists. “We’re speaking out because someone has to do so,” Fr López,

the diocesan vicar, said while attending to multiple foreign correspondents in his office, which is adorned by photos of him meeting Bl John Paul II. Priests such as Fr López have played prominent roles in recent months, offering spiritual, moral and material support for anti-cartel self-defence groups, which have surged in the region around Apatzingán over the past year and taken at least 15 communities under cartel control. With the media converging on this corner of Michoacán—where the soldiers and federal police were sent to disarm the groups and re-establish order earlier in January— priests such as Fr López have

Pope: Give women greater role in Church and society By CarOl GlaTZ

OMEN should play a greater role in society and the Church without sacrificing their essential attention and contribution to their families, Pope Francis said. Women’s distinctive skill-sets and sensibilities make them invaluable not only for building “peace and harmony” in families, but for all of humanity, too, he said. The pope made his remarks during an audience at the Vatican with women taking part in a national congress hosted by the Italian Women’s Centre, a Catholic women’s association promoting greater democracy, solidarity, human rights and human dignity. In his speech, Pope Francis said: “I strongly wish that (opportunities and responsibilities) may open themselves up further to the presence and participation of women, both in the Church as well as in society and the professional sphere,” including a greater role in decision making, he said. However, the pope also said that he hoped such new opportunities and responsibility would not

mean forgetting “the irreplaceable role of women in the family”. But just as “a greater contribution of feminine genius” is important in the professional world and public sphere, the same gifts “remain essential for the family, which for us Christians is not simply the private realm, but is the domestic church whose health and prosperity is a condition for the health and prosperity of the Church and society itself”. The critical question for each woman, the pope said, is to discern the right balance of work, community and family. “How is it possible to expand an effective presence in so many areas in the public sphere, in the world of work and in the places where the most important decisions are made and at the same time maintain a special presence in and preferred attention for the family?” he asked. A “diligent and persistent” prayer life, reflection on the word of God and taking part in the sacraments are key to that process of discernment, the pope said, so that women can always be responding in new ways to the Lord’s call.—CNS

prominently been featured in their coverage. Their candour contrasts with other prelates in troubled parts of Mexico, who have preferred to stay silent on the issues of crime and drug cartels. Fr López has participated in protests in Apatzingán, denounced the local police as being in the employ of criminals and highlighted how the cartel carried out crimes such as kidnappings, rape and extortion. He also made national news by saying that five gunmen killed by the federal police had plans to assassinate him for his outspokenness. Alejandro Rubido, executive secretary of the National Public Security Information System, denied the allegations. But such has been the Church’s stature in this region of ranches and lemon groves that the comments of priests and a pair of pastoral letters from Apatzingán’s Bishop Miguel Patiño Velázquez—including one calling Michoacán “a failed state”— brought the conflict in Michoacán to the forefront. The federal government, meanwhile, prefers to talk about other topics, such as the economy and structural reforms. “The only institution they’ve been unable to corrupt is the Catholic Church,” Fr López said of the cartel. A conflict pitting the Catholic Church against a cartel called Knights Templar—named for a Christian military order fighting in the Crusades—was an irony not lost on observers. But the cartel’s name reflects its quasi-religious nature. It formed a congregation known as “New Harvest” and teaches from its own ver-

Fr Gregorio lópez Gerónimo, vicar of the diocese of apatzingán, Mexico, in his office wearing the bulletproof vest he uses while celebrating Mass. He is among priests who support self-defence groups that have formed to fight off a drug cartel. (Photo: David agren/CNs) sion of the Bible. It previously denounced drug use even as it made methamphetamines in clandestine laboratories. As the self-defence groups took more towns back from the Knights Templar in recent weeks, photos emerged of captured cartel kingpins in lavish homes and with statues dedicated to “San Nazario”, the fallen crime boss Nazario Moreno González, who has been venerated by his henchmen. In spite of his comments, Fr López insists he is not in the self-defence groups’ camp and calls them, “the best of the bad options we have”. Other priests in the diocese of Apatzingán say that they have allowed the groups to ring church

bells in times of trouble and brought in food and materials for people in communities coming under siege by Knights Templar foot soldiers. Many also are open in their opinions that the government made a mistake by sending soldiers to disarm the groups—some of which are accused of possibly having ties to rival cartels and appear unwilling to disarm until the government captures Knights Templar’s senior leaders. “We believe that disarming the self-defence groups is putting them at the risk of death,” said Fr Patricio Madrigal, parish priest in Nueva Italia, where self-defence groups expelled the Knights Templar.—CNS

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The southern Cross, February 5 to February 11, 2014

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Don’t kick up a stink over rosary

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

Getting married right

ILLIONS of television viewers around the globe were witness to a rather unusual nuptial ceremony recently as 33 couples were wed during the Grammy music awards show. The “ceremony”, on a stage made to look like a church with stained glassed window, was presided over by rapper/actress Queen Latifah, while singer Madonna pronounced the couples married. Self-evidently the event was a publicity stunt. Since there were same-sex couples among those who were wed, the obvious point of the exercise was to campaign for the legalisation of gay marriage. As a political manoeuvre, it may well pay off by amplifying support for same-sex marriage in the United States. Naturally, the Church will have taken a dim view of the stunt, especially in the light of her opposition to same-sex marriage. Few Catholics, even if they differ with the Church on the question of same-sex marriage, would commend an event which, far from celebrating matrimony, made a mockery of it. An awards show is not an appropriate setting for a wedding, nor should the act of getting wed provide the forum for making political points. Matrimony is serious stuff. Although usually entered into in a radiant spirit of love and joy, a wedding ceremony is also a solemn occasion as two people make what should be a life-long commitment. There may be an audience of many witnessing the occasion, but as the couple exchange the marital vows, entering a covenant that is dissoluble, they are alone before God. It is an intimate act. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations it may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes”. “These differences should not cause us to forget its common and permanent characteristics. Although the dignity of this institution is not transparent everywhere with the same clarity, some sense of the greatness of the matrimonial union exists in all cultures,” the Catechism says. Jesus performed his first public miracle at a nuptial feast. The Church, as the Catechism notes,

“attaches great importance to Jesus’ presence at the wedding at Cana. She sees in it the confirmation of the goodness of marriage and the proclamation that thenceforth marriage will be an efficacious sign of Christ’s presence.” The Grammy awards wedding ceremony did little to entrench the notion of marriage as sacred, and certainly gave no indication of Christ’s presence. Paradoxically, the setting trivialised the sanctity of matrimony while at the same time it advocated marriage as desirable (if not necessarily permanent). The question of appropriate settings for weddings is one that vexes many pastors. It is becoming increasingly fashionable, even for Catholic couples, to locate the ceremony outside church buildings. Many priests receive requests to officiate at weddings on wine farms or at upmarket hotels. Some priests are happy to oblige, others insist that the only proper place for a Catholic wedding is in the House of God. The Catechism counsels that Catholic weddings should take place in churches, and in the context of a Mass, if both partners are Catholic. It is fitting, it says, “that the spouses should seal their consent to give themselves to each other through the offering of their own lives by uniting it to the offering of Christ for his Church made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice, and by receiving the Eucharist so that, communicating in the same Body and the same Blood of Christ, they may form but ‘one body’ in Christ”. Theological and sacramental considerations aside, it is proper that a Catholic wedding should take place in the building where the Catholic family life will likely be lived: in regular Mass attendance, baptisms, first communions and confirmations, even funerals. Much time and money— though sometimes too much—is expended on the wedding reception, and it is right that the event be marked with a joyful celebration. However, it is not the party that should be the focal point but the ceremony at which Christ is present. It is this essential element of weddings which must be respected and preserved, regardless of prevailing fashions and the examples provided in the media.

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N his Second Letter to the Corinthians, the apostle St Paul writes: “We are the aroma of Christ for God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2:13). One can understand Bernie Viljoen’s annoyance at discovering a beautifully crafted rosary offered as a fashion article in a jewellery store (January 8). It can also not be denied that very likely quite a number of people regard wearing a rosary around their neck as a good luck charm. How often does one also see a rosary dangling from the rear mirrors of taxis? We should overcome our annoyance and our desire to kick up a stink. Rather let us see the widespread popularity of the rosary—

Teach the rosary

N response to Bernie Viljoen’s letter about rosaries (January 8), we as Catholics have the responsibility to teach and educate not only our own but all young people who wear it as a piece of jewellery. Our own Catholic young are allowed to display the rosary and their friends obviously see it as a good idea to do the same. As adults we hang it in our cars and over pictures to express our Catholicism. The question is, do we as the Church allow this but not for others? I would like to be blunt about this as a few of my daughter’s school buddies, non-Catholic but Christian, came to visit on her Confirmation day, wearing the rosary openly. I did not want to be too harsh, even as I felt offended by the rosary being used only as attire. So I popped the question if they knew what it meant. I want to share some of the responses that came forth. Some said that the rosary made them feel good and closer to God. Others said everybody is doing it, following rappers and artists. One girl even had a rosary tattooed on her ankle. She drew comfort from the fact that having it there means God is always on her journey of life. One boy said he wore it only because my daughter was Catholic, so to him it suited the occasion. After explaining the rosary, its origin and what it meant for us as Catholics—that the rosary is a prayer meditation about the life of Jesus and how special Mary, the Mother of Jesus who prays with us, is to us as Catholics—they found new respect for it. Later that evening l noticed two of the boys had put it under their shirts. Our Church is universal, for all people, and we include all people in our rosary prayer. I agree with Bernie Viljoen that

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also among non-Catholics—as an opportunity to evangelise. In his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis writes that he wants to see every member of the Church become a “spirit-filled evangeliser” (259) who “boldly takes the initiative, goes out to others, seeks those who have fallen away, stands at the crossroads and welcomes the outcast” (24). Applied to the issue raised by Mr Viljoen, this calls for having no fear of asking a person wearing the rosary around the neck, or using it possibly as a good luck charm in their car, whether they know to pray the rosary and to offer one’s help to explain the rosary and to teach how to pray it. At times the evangeliser may suffer a rough or even uncouth rebuff

we are not doing enough to promote the rosary, nor to stop the scourge of it becoming a sales item from vendors on the streets and fleamarkets. As a Church we are allowing our rosary, a sacred and holy instrument of our worship, to be devalued and become mere merchandise. Not too long ago l saw a rosary made from Coke bottle tops. I’m sure our Jewish, Hindu or Islamic communities would be in an uproar of note if their sacred symbols and items were misused like that. We Catholics must stand strong in our belief and protest against the sacrilege of our rosary, but do so by educating and evangelising its purpose and cause. I challenge Catholic bishops and all priests to make a statement and use all forms of media in a loving manner to do so, otherwise it will be up to the laity to do it, in a spirit of love and rosary prayer. Wayne Carolissen, Cape Town

Renew yourself

ILL Benson’s letter “Renew parishes” (January 1) refers. While it is no doubt true that some (older) parish priests may no longer, or have not always, “led from the front”, such criticism always begs the question to the critic: “What have you done and what are you doing to ameliorate the ‘drastic effect’ on young people who no longer practise their faith?” In my opinion, it is by no means only the clergy who must “get out of their comfortable positions and talk and meet with the faithful to try and solve some of our very obvious, serious deficiencies”, nor do I understand this to be Pope Francis’ view. Alexandra Botha, Johannesburg

Parish pests

AVING belonged to many parishes over the years, I have often seen the situation where a retired person in the ministry of the sacristan controls the parish priest and more or less runs the presbytery. Very often they target gentle folk and make life such a misery for them that, sadly, I have known them to leave for “other pastures”. The source of the problem, I now know, is what one Orthodox theologian, Fr James Doyle of the Orthodox Church of America (see page 101 of The Catholic Church at the End of the Age by Ralph Martin), calls the perennial Catholic and Orthodox heresy, the emphasis being on traditional forms, blurring the fundamentals of the Gospel. Piety is centred on icons, statues, incense and novenas (not that these are in themselves wrong). Beforehand, according to Fr Doyle, they were like demons, and now they have become demons, evidenced by their unloving and spiteful attitude to others, in their fight for “power” and to “hold the reins”. In the past I was rather shocked by the harshness of this passage,

in return to this offer, but more likely we will often be happily surprised by the response we receive. In the same vein, why not offer the jewellery shop a good booklet or pamphlet on the significance of the rosary and how to pray it well? “In virtue of their baptism, all members of the People of God have become missionary disciples”, Pope Francis reminds us, and further says: “Every Christian is challenged, here and now, to be actively engaged in evangelisation; indeed, anyone who has truly experienced God’s saving love does not need much time or lengthy training to go out and proclaim that love” (120). Surely, the Blessed Virgin will also bestow her motherly blessing on the suggested apostolic boldness! Bishop Hubert Bucher, Retired of Bethlehem but now, considering it with this quote from St James’ letter, I am inclined to agree: “But in your heart you are jealous, bitter and selfish...Such wisdom does not come down from heaven, it belongs to the world, it is unspiritual and demonic” (James 3:15). The buzzword these days is evangelisation, and I’m convinced that this is a huge part of the problem. Bl John Paul II wrote: “There are Catholics who have not experienced Christ personally, only ‘the values’ of the Gospel, instead of the living Lord, the Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn 14:6). (See John Paul II in L’Osservatore Romano of March 24, 1993, page 5.) Such a distortion of not practising the basic message can only end up in a life of frustration and lack of love. Pope St Leo the Great (440-461 AD) puts it even more strongly: “Unless a man believes in Jesus Christ, true God and true man, and accepts him as his own personal Saviour, the salvation that is offered to the whole of mankind will be of no avail to him.” (See The Binding of the Strong Man by Sr Anne Shields SFM.) We need to accept Jesus personally in our lives before God can even begin to work on our sinful and pride-filled situation, one expression of which is: “I don’t go to confession as I have nothing to confess.” The loss of the sense of sin is a tragedy beyond measure, especially the tongue (on which many of us insist on receiving the Eucharist), which is the cause of much sin. S Laverne, Pretoria

Fr Connery notes

EADING about the New Evangelisation, I realise how fortunate we were to have had Fr Didacus Connery OFM in South Africa for four years, up to his untimely cancer death in November 1994. Fr Connery was a forerunner of current thinking on the New Evangelisation. I have managed to gather some of his talks to university students and other lay groups. If anyone else has some of that material, I would be pleased to have it. He never taught me at St John Vianney Seminary, so if any of his ex-students have any notes of his class lectures or other work in the seminary, I would greatly appreciate receiving them. My postal address is PO Box 9141192, Wingate Park 0153. Bonaventure Hinwood OFM, Pretoria 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

PERSPECTIVES

The state of the Zuma nation: SA’s sad story of dashed hopes T WENTY years ago, in the full flush of euphoric hope and optimism, flowing from the “miracle” elections and transition to democracy, almost everyone in South Africa was fully convinced that together, black and white, we could realise the impossible dream: a life in peace and harmony in our common homeland. We believed we had it in us to work and struggle together selflessly to achieve the objective of becoming a “winning nation”. How times have changed! At that time, we were led by a statesman who knew how to sacrifice his own dreams and ambitions in order to lay the foundations for a united nation out of the rich variety of peoples who made up South Africa. At that time, we looked forward every week to being inspired by our president as he reported on the progress the Reconstruction and Development Plan was making in redressing the inequalities and disparities of the past, little step by little step. At that time, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was day by day exposing the atrocities committed in the name of apartheid. Victims or their families were brought face to face with the perpetrators to learn from them the truth about what apartheid and its agents had done to hold on to power. A major fruit of the TRC was the way it exposed those horrific acts of inhumanity to the light of forgiveness and reconciliation which was miraculously still present in the human heart. At that time, the country prayed fervently that God, who had made the “miracle” happen, would bless us with the spirit of Jesus, not only to forgive but also to bring good on those who both plotted and executed unspeakable pain and suffering on fellow human beings. At that time, we waited in anticipation and amazement at what our president would do for reconciliation and nationbuilding, by his actions more than by his words. At that time we clung on to the impossible dream that black and white together could make democracy work for the benefit of each and every citizen, immigrant, refugee and vulnerable person, man, woman or child. Then one day we woke up to find that the dream was no longer as clear and compelling as we had envisioned. Instead it was fading, dispersing, disappearing. Suddenly we were no longer one people, black and white together, sharing one homeland, working to reach one common goal. Somehow we had become “a nation of two peoples, one black and poor, the other white and rich”. The dream had mutated into a nightmare. The Race Classification Act, the first apartheid law to be expunged from the Statute Book, was surreptitiously making a comeback under the guise of “Affirmative Action”, “Black Economic Empowerment” and “Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment”. With this daily diet of racial categorisation of people in governmental policy statements, racial profiling was back in force, determining who had what rights and under what conditions. Worst of all, even the “born frees”— those born in 1994 and after—were being draped with the albatross of race around their educational, political, social and economic necks. Race was back in fashion. It was the criterion for apportioning rights and benefits, even those guaranteed by our much lauded Constitution to each and every citizen and inhabitant without distinction and certainly without discrimination. Once this notorious “apartheid” barrier had been breached, it was only a matter of time before the “untouchable” elite, en-

Cardinal Wilfrid Napier OFM

Talking Frankly

sconcing itself in the chambers of power, would set about diligently laying the foundations of its empire of corruption. It would not be long before we would see the tentacles of secrecy make their way into political thinking, policy and practice under the guise of state security. Of course this had to be accompanied by the gradual and systematic assumption of control over those state structures designed to inspire, nurture, grow and protect the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Creating such a culture necessitated the removal of all actual and potential obstacles. One of the most important to go was the Scorpions. This extremely effective crimebusting unit was ruthlessly pursued, discredited and eventually disbanded in what can only be described as suspicious circumstances. It was replaced by a more compliant structure that fell firmly within the South African Police Service, which was once described by one of its own as “corrupt from the top to the bottom, from the bottom to the top”. Even the new unit’s title, “The Hawks”, tells you that this new creature is much more benign, much less threatening to those involved in unlawful activities.

ext the elite applied itself assiduously to state security. The attacks on the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington on September 11, 2001 saw the United States and the West feverishly export a new terror/terrorist psychosis to the rest of the world. It wasn’t long before the South African government resurrected some of the most hated security laws of the apartheid regime as its contribution to making the world safe from terror attacks. Indeed, responding to the “new terrorist threat” was made the reason for tightening up that legislation. An example is the Protection of State Information Bill. Without providing tangible evidence of resurgence in terrorist activity, state security is being used as a pretext for covering up a variety of scandals ranging from the Arms Deal and the so-called “Gate” scandals that implicate President

Jacob Zuma: Guptagate and Nkandlagate. These are simply the cherry on the top of a veritable fruitcake of maladministration that is having a disastrous effect on every area of life—education, healthcare, social development, commerce, governance. Are we reaching the point where we have to dust off and re-examine the strategies and tactics such as civil disobedience and prayer for the downfall of an unjust and corrupt government which has become a self-serving regime? But it would be irresponsible to advocate such a drastic course of action without ensuring that both its reason and goal are well founded in the Scriptures, the Tradition and the Social Teaching of the Church. As I reflect on this radical option, I am reminded of the fearless declaration of one of the outstanding Church leaders of that time: “I am calling for prayers for the downfall of this heartless apartheid government.” It is sad but true that many of the things that he decried in the conduct of the apartheid regime are starkly evident in our day. Hence the question: Has the time come for a similar call? At that time, our first recourse was to engage government on the serious issues of the day in an attempt to persuade them to take urgent and drastic action to correct them. Then, we served notice of the action that would follow failure to act appropriately. Thirdly, we launched the Standing for the Truth Campaign, deliberately and systematically, with a strident call for civil disobedience to all unjust laws, the endorsement of the call for economic pressures/sanctions and a general appeal to all Church members to join our Prayer Campaigns. The great advantage of these three measures, but especially the Prayer Campaign, was that they were non-violent, non-denominational, non-racist, non-discriminatory. No individual, no group, no race or culture was singled out. In concluding I have to admit that I am shocked that in 20 short years we should have reached such a pitch of hopelessness and frustration with the powers that be that we should be thinking like this, let alone contemplating the actions outlined above. May the all-merciful God help us to find the right answer together, black and white together. n Cardinal Wilfrid Napier is the archbishop of Durban. He is writing in his personal capacity.

supporters of Jacob Zuma celebrate the aNC’s 2009 election victory in Durban. in his article, Cardinal Napier writes that the optimism that followed the 1994 election has given way to race-based policies, and corruption. (Photo: Mike Hutchings, reuters/CNs)

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The southern Cross, February 5 to February 11, 2014

Mphuthumi Ntabeni

Pushing the Boundaries

How do we Catholics vote?

FRIEND of mine, from abroad, asks if “the Catholic vote” makes a difference in our political sphere, as it is sometimes said to do in the United States. I didn’t need to think long before answering him that there’s no such thing as a Catholic block vote in South Africa. There was a time when most, though not all, Catholics fought and voted, in as far as the law allowed them to, against apartheidaffiliated politics. But after 1994 things changed and got muddled up. The Church in South Africa operates as a part of civil society, doing its best to inform and direct the conscience of not only the faithful but all citizens. My friend asked me to explicate on my statement about South African Catholics voting with their conscience. It turned out I was not certain about what I really meant by that. I agree with the recent Southern Cross editorial which pointed out that no political party in South Africa satisfies completely the Social Teaching of the Catholic Church. I’m not sure though if this means that South African Catholics vote for the party closest to those (and other) teachings. The truth is that South Africans in general vote mostly based on lines of historical loyalty (such as the liberation struggle alliance), cultural or class association, or identity (race) politics. I suspect very few South African Catholics actually take a moment to compare the party political manifestos or vision statements to see how they measure up against the Church’s Social Teaching. In fact, I suspect, very few South African Catholics know intimately the Church’s teachings on social and economic issues. This is mostly revealed by the astonishment most Catholics (and, of course, non-Catholics) register at the utterances on the subject of economic justice by Pope Francis. Most things the pope says on social justice can be traced back to Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical, Rerum Novarum. In details, such as his critique of capitalism, Francis echoes closely his immediate predecessors, Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II. What Pope Francis achieves brilliantly is to put a human face to the teachings of the Church by restoring not just our sense of being Catholics, but also of our faith in humankind. He has elevated mercy and grace to its rightful place within the discourse of the Catholic faith. Recently Pope Francis’ representative at the annual economic forum in Switzerland, Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, lamented the fact that in Davos all people seemed to be interested in whether the pope is a “Marxist” or not. This suggests that they find his economic persuasions too left-leaning for their liking. It is no secret that the Church’s socio-economic teachings coincide in many ways with the positions of the left, but they certainly are not “Marxist”. In his apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis makes it clear that the Church regards business as “a noble vocation, provided that those engaged in it see themselves challenged by a greater meaning in life”. Karl Marx, it is safe to say, had a rather different view of business. With all that in mind, let’s return to my friend’s original question; How do Catholics in South Africa vote? To be honest, your answer is as good as mine.

The southern Cross, February 5 to February 11, 2014

FOCUS

Remembering Denis Hurley larry Kaufmann Cssr

sue rakoczy iHM

Paddy Meskin

Nomabelo Mvambo-Dandala

Ten years after the death of Denis Hurley, CLAIRE MATHIESON speaks to those that knew him.

“With the church surrounded by police and a large media presence, I knew that Hurley’s mitre had might!” said Fr Kaufmann. “He is a legend. He is central to the Catholic Church’s legacy in South Africa. He is one of our great prophets.”

Fr Larry Kaufmann CSsR met Archbishop Denis Hurley during his time at St John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria between 1973-1978. “A law had come in requiring newly ordained ministers to serve in the army as chaplains. I chose to become a conscientious objector and received immense support from Hurley.” As it turns out, Fr Kaufmann never went to the army, but the connection continued. Fr Kaufmann’s father, an attorney, was also the legal advisor to the Bishops’ Conference, so the relationship took on many forms. Fr Kaufmann hails the late archbishop’s vision as his most important attribute. “He had a vision of a future non-racial South Africa. But Hurley’s vision was strongly influenced by his faith and his theological vision of the Reign of God. With Hurley’s vision came strong leadership qualities.” Fr Kaufmann recalls the archbishop fondly for his humour and his support. While stationed at Howick/Mphopomeni during the Sarmcol strike, Fr Kaufmann was detained for his support of the strikers. “Archbishop Hurley came to mediate between me—as local parish priest—and members of the white congregation of Howick who were Sarmcol management. “It was not a pleasant meeting, to say the least. Anyway, after the henchmen left, Hurley said to me: ‘Now we deserve a good glass of wine! What have you got?’” Archbishop Hurley was known for his solidarity with the priests who fought injustices and for those afflicted by them, often attending funerals for strikers killed by the regime—without being prompted to. “He did so as an act of solidarity not only with the bereaved, but I’m sure with me too as the local priest.” One fond memory Fr Kaufmann has was before a funeral service began, the archbishop began scratching in his bag and said: “I think we’ll give the people the dignity of a mitre.”

Sr Sue Rakoczy IHM was one of the sisters invited to South Africa by Archbishop Hurley and Bishop Kevin Dowling in 1985. “I came in 1989 and met him soon after. He would become a great friend.” Sr Rakoczy recalls the archbishop for the way he stood up against apartheid from the very beginning. “Many bishops did not agree with him. Many thought it would fizzle out and the Church should not get involved in politics, but Hurley recognised it as an evil system.” For the American sister, his involvement in Vatican II was crucial. “He loved to tell stories about the council. He often told of how he received Pope John XXIII’s call to the council in 1959, where the pope asked for ideas. Like many bishops, he didn’t think much of it, so he put the letter aside. Another call came. So he got his Latin dictionary out and he sketched out his ideas and sent them along.” It was later discovered that his ideas were discussed thoroughly at the council and he would go on to make several important interventions. “He breathed the air of the council. He would be very happy with Pope Francis today,” Sr Rakoczy told The Southern Cross. “I was in high school and university at the time of the council. I was young and it was the spring of the Church. The pre-Vatican II Church was very repressive, but the Council was incredibly in sync with young people who carried the spirit of the council. Archbishop Hurley emulated this spirit.” When asked what the archbishop might think of the state of the country today, Sr Rakoczy said he would be sad—especially with the levels of inequality and corruption. “But he would be happy with the tone of Pope Francis and incredibly happy with the Denis Hurley Peace Institute and the outreach of the Denis Hurley Centre currently under the watchful eye of his Muslim friends.” Paddy Meskin, president of the Religions for Peace in South

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Africa, just one of the many interfaith movements the archbishop founded, remembers fondly how Archbishop Hurley worked “with all of us”. From the beginning of their friendship and working partnership in the 1980s to the days of his retirement, Ms Meskin, a prominent member of the Jewish faith, said the archbishop always made himself available to address different religions and could always be called upon to talk on topics that other religions were not willing to do. “He embraced those with Aids and wasn’t afraid of the disease at a time when many other leaders were not interested. It has been said that had the religious leaders of the time been more involved like Hurley was, then we possibly would not have had the situation today. He ensured the dignity of all, remembering that each one of us is created in God’s image.” Ms Meskin said she was honoured to have worked with the archbishop. “He was a lovely man, who often told stories with the most wonderful sense of humour. He was very down to earth. You always felt as if he really cared about what you were saying.” Ms Meskin hailed the way Archbishop Hurley led by example. “He didn’t tell us what to do, he showed us. He was a man before his time— he had an amazing openness and a way at looking at things.” “He lived what he believed and he tried to show us the way we should be with people—especially when times were tough.” Nomabelo Mvambo-Dandala, director of Diakonia, met Archbishop Hurley when she joined the organisation in 1984, a time when the archbishop was chairperson of the Economic Justice Process within the organisation. “He was very keen on getting different faiths working together. He was very passionate about the work at Diakonia,” Ms Mvambo-Dandala told The Southern Cross. As a Methodist and a former trade unionist, she said Diakonia was a way to bring two major aspects of her life together as the Church was active in the struggle. “Diakonia is a big part of his legacy. The Church is a critical roleplayer in society. The Church needs

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to be enabled to bring about transformation. It cannot be just concerned with baptism, confirmation, marriage and burials. It must connect with social justice. This is something Archbishop Hurley knew.” Ms Mvambo-Dandala said the archbishop was a humble and insightful man, “profoundly committed to justice”. “I remember him sitting in meetings with his eyes closed. Many thought that he was asleep, but at the most appropriate time, he would make a very important and profound contribution.” Diakonia is concerned not just with social welfare but social justice —asking deep questions to find solutions and to facilitate processes to bring the Church to make a change. “Like Denis Hurley, we want to see the Church interact with the people where they are at.” Jay Naidoo, former cabinet minister, met the archbishop during his time as a trade union leader. “We needed as much help as we could get and we knew we could turn to the Church in times of stress,” he told The Southern Cross. “Also there was a substantial constituency of trade unions and similar organisations that were Catholic which all faced tremendous challenges for freedom. During disputes, we would turn to people who would stand for justice and Archbishop Hurley was a prominent person we could call upon.” Mr Naidoo said the archbishop stood explicitly against apartheid and these values are missing today. “We need to teach the next generation about integrity, humility and service. We need to continue to live by the values he lived by—more so than build statues; we need to be taught that compassion matters. “We should be caring. And we should be teaching our leaders of today to do the same. Integrity matters. We need to be honest to serve people. That’s what Archbishop Hurley did. He represented a generation of service.” Mr Naidoo also recalled that while the archbishop was a “funny guy”, he always stood by his morals. “He was a very open person and wasn’t interested in decorum.” Mr Naidoo drew parallels between the archbishop and Pope Francis. “If you want to serve faith then go to the people and speak truth to power. I wish we had more people like him.” Fr Chris Chatteris SJ worked in the archdiocese of Durban between 1985 and 1991. “It was an interesting time to be in his diocese. And a worrying time. There was an explosion of violence.” But Fr Chatteris said it was a good time to be there with Archbishop Hurley. “He supported you and it was good to know him.” The Jesuit spoke fondly of the open lunches the archbishop made available to the priests of the archdiocese to join him at his table. He enjoyed conversation and we got news and views. It was how he kept in touch with the priests of the archdiocese. We went regularly. You always felt that you were welcome.” But the archbishop was also a formidable character. “He always seemed to get his own way in meetings. No matter what the topic, in the nicest possible way, Archbishop Hurley got what he wanted from the meeting. Some people didn’t like that but he was brilliant at it.” Fr Chatteris today works at St Francis Xavier Seminary in Cape

Town where Archbishop Hurley’s legacy is passed on in stories and examples. “Many of my students from Durban know of him and are proud of him.” But he is in many ways an unsung hero, said Fr Chatteris, mentioning that Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu often took centre stage. “It was at this time that the archbishop seemed to outgrow his diocese and went international— something we really needed. The rest of the world needed to know what was going on and a bishop had weight in passing on a message. I think he was doing the right thing, although some complained he wasn’t in the diocese enough.” Günther Simmermacher, editor of The Southern Cross said Archbishop Hurley had a long relationship with the newspaper. “As a child in the ’20s, he was a member of Fr Frederick Kolbe’s children’s page club. As a bishop he would often write for the newspaper, including 32 articles from Vatican II, written incognito,” Mr Simmermacher said. “In 2001 we asked him to write an article on Vatican II. He responded apologetically by saying that one wouldn’t suffice, could he write two articles. Then that wasn’t enough, could he do three or four articles? I told him to write as many articles as he wanted, and I’d run them all. Of course, I was delighted, having the great Hurley write worldclass eyewitness articles on an epochal event in Church history!” The series turned into a 17-parter and provided the basis for his posthumously published book of memories, Vatican II: Keeping The Dream Alive. But with Archbishop Hurley it wasn’t all Church talk. “When we conversed, we’d usually get all the cricket news out of the way first. One player he was particularly excited about when we talked shortly before his death was Hashim Amla, then only 19 years old,” Mr Simmermacher said. Fr Albert Danker OMI, a fellow Oblate priest, met the young Hurley after he had returned from his studies in Rome and France. “He was the curate at the cathedral and I was a member of the youth. I remembered he used to play badminton at the church hall.” Fr Danker would be ordained a priest by the late archbishop and was soon sent off to study the Young Christian Workers’ Movement in Europe. “He had two heroes: Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Fr Joseph Cardijn and I was able to meet Cardijn myself.” Fr Danker remembers the archbishop with great affection. “He was an amazing man with tremendous humility. He was one of the greatest sons of the Oblate congregation. He remained loyal even though he was an archbishop.” The Oblate priest remembered how important the interfaith movement was to the archbishop and how he held solidarity with people of all races. “He also started a deaf school in Inchanga. They’ll be unveiling a statue of him soon. He wouldn’t like that. He didn’t want to be recognised. He was very humble.” “He was a brilliant man and even the way he died was beautiful. Driving down Nicholson Road in Durban, while the trees were in full flower, he simply said: ‘Isn’t God wonderful?’ He then leant over and died. Isn’t that wonderful?”

The southern Cross, February 5 to February 11, 2014

FOCUS

Hurley: A life of love, faith and justice Archbishop Denis Hurley’s long life was characterised by love, faith and justice, as his long-time friend and biographer PaDDy KEarNEy explains.

HOSE who were closest to Archbishop Denis Hurley OMI say that prayer was central for him: early morning meditation, recitation of the breviary, and the celebration of Mass were never sacrificed, no matter how busy he was. One of his secretaries saw how he would also often interrupt his desk work by a visit to his private chapel or a few minutes of quiet prayer at his desk, when crucial decisions had to be made. In writing a biography of the archbishop, I was also struck by the fact that he was a lifelong learner, someone who loved to discuss new ideas and who kept himself up-todate by reading and study. As a young priest in the early 1940s it was this that attracted him to take part in the Pietermaritzburg Parliamentary Debating Society; 20 years later it was this that made the Second Vatican Council what he called “the highlight of my whole life”, and it was also the reason why, in the 1990s, he relished being chancellor of Natal University, in frequent contact with lecturers from many different disciplines. Discussion, debate and reading

were the oxygen of his spirit—keeping him in touch with the “signs of the times” so that he could be aware of the critical issues facing the Church. At the time of his studies in Rome he (like slain Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was also at the Gregorian University at that time) had been impressed by Pope Pius XI’s vigorous opposition to the great dictators of that era: Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin. In his own prophetic ministry Archbishop Hurley insisted that if the Church was to speak out, it must be thorough in its research, having the facts and figures at its fingertips. Equally strong was his insistence that though the Church should keep out of party politics, it must be involved in politics. He urged Pope John Paul II to write an encyclical that would clarify the difference. Truth and the courage to speak the truth are crucial for prophetic ministry. Archbishop Hurley was unwilling to disguise his own views on controversial topics for the sake of advancing his career or making himself popular. At the time of the Humanae Vitae crisis, when after some agonising, he made a statement publicly disagreeing with Pope Paul VI’s view on birth control, he said to a priest friend: “They can have my mitre, but I won’t change my standpoint.” Well, the Vatican didn’t deprive him of his mitre, but it also didn’t give him the “Red Hat” for which many felt him eminently qualified.

Paddy Kearney (right) with archbishop Hurley and advocate (now Judge) Chris Nicholson (left) outside Durban’s Cr swart Police Headquarters on september 11, 1985, the day of Mr Kearney’s release from political detention as a result of a supreme Court ruling by Judge ray leon. adv Nicholson had prepared the application for release in the name of archbishop Hurley.

In questioning the papal decision about birth control, the archbishop had been emboldened by the collegial atmosphere of the Second Vatican Council and the promise it seemed to offer of a future in which the bishops would govern the Church together with the pope and important decisions would not be taken by the pope alone. But that promise hasn’t been realised in the intervening 50 years. Archbishop Hurley would, however, have been heartened by reports of the cardinals’ pre-conclave discussions before the election of Pope Francis last year. He would have discovered that he was by no means alone in his longing for the collegiality promised by Vatican II: in fact, the promotion of collegiality became part of the mandate for the one who would be elected to succeed Benedict XVI.

rchbishop Hurley was well known as an intellectual and a fine administrator who enjoyed writing scholarly articles and planning ambitious campaigns for Church and societal reform. But if his presence was needed anywhere to comfort or stand alongside suffering individuals or communities, he would readily put aside desk work and make himself available to show solidarity, no matter how busy he was. His presence—and good humour—were often a calming influence in tense situations. It was his great desire that the Church be a “community serving humanity”, the theme that he persuaded the Southern African bishops to adopt for their pastoral plan. Like Pope Francis, he didn’t want the Church to be “turned in on itself”. The Church is not meant to be a club but rather a sign of God’s love for all people. One theologian has even said that the Church exists “for the sake of those who are not its members”. Pope Francis and Archbishop Hurley would agree, I think. How should this service to humanity be expressed? Archbishop Hurley spoke of a continuum of compassionate responses—ranging from social welfare, through to advocacy, development and liberation. The Church has to be involved in this whole spectrum, but often seems most comfortable with welfare work and gets stuck there. Archbishop Hurley liked the Young Christian Workers’ simple method—“See, Judge, Act”—which always asks the questions: Why are people poor? Why are they unem-

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Paddy Kearney admires a contraption archbishop Hurley had to wear when he had shingles that deprived him of movement in the right hand in 1999. (Photos courtesy of Paddy Kearney) ployed? Why are they homeless? What can we do about the causes? And he admired the Rome-based Community of Sant’Egidio because their members were engaged in all aspects of the continuum. Discovering the causes of major social problems and then seeking to bring about change—this is what drew him to the ecumenical and inter-faith movements. Despite our differences, he would say, there are so many things we agree on and could tackle together: human rights abuses, poverty and inequality, violence and war, global warming and climate change, to mention just a few. Archbishop Hurley was keen that people of different denominations and religious beliefs work together on these issues and become a powerful force for change. This is why he founded the Diakonia Council of Churches and played an active role in inter-faith work.

he final aspect of Archbishop Hurley’s legacy that I would like to focus on in this personal reflection is that at the end his great message was about the primacy of love. In a conversation with Fr Wilhelm Steckling, then Oblate superior general, just days before Archbishop Hurley’s death, he said: “You know, more and more I realise that love is the only thing that matters. Love makes the difference. Paul said that out of faith, hope and love, love is the most important. Sometimes we want to turn it

around...saying that faith comes first. We should return to the original message: give love the place of honour. Love is the distinguishing mark of the Christian.” For Jeremy Hurley, nephew of the archbishop, this is the most important aspect of his uncle’s legacy. Love makes sense of all that the archbishop did in his life, all his emphasis on ecumenism and social justice, his great compassion for people in any difficulty or suffering, his loving relationship with his family. In old age it had become clearer than ever to him that love was the unifying principle. How overjoyed Archbishop Hurley would have been (is?) at the election of Pope Francis and all that has happened since. Imagine, if you will, a conversation between these two, in expressive Italian; Francis speaking about the importance of mercy, and Denis about the importance of love! Of course it would hardly be an argument—rather an enthusiastic delight in these great divine qualities. Recently Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of the Mahatma, spoke with excitement about Pope Francis, and then added: “But you know you could have had a pope like that long ago if you had elected Archbishop Hurley!” n Paddy Kearney is the author of Archbishop Hurley’s biography, Guardian of the Light (2009) and its abridged version, Truth to Power (2012). He is also the coordinator of the Denis Hurley Centre in Durban.

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COMMUNITY

John and lyn stanton of Maria regina parish in lyttelton, Centurion, renewed their vows on their 50th wedding anniversary at a Mass concelebrated by Mgr Vincent Hill (front left) and Fr arsene Muhau (front right).

The children of Our lady of lebanon Maronite church in Mulbarton, Johannesburg, received their first Holy Communion.

The Mitchell brothers (from left) adrian, Nicholas and Gerard Mitchell, who serve on the altar at Corpus Christi parish in summerstrand, Port Elizabeth, are pictured with sister Nina and parents russell and alvira who are lay ministers in the parish.

Visitors to stella Maris chapel in Herolds Bay, George, are pictured after the final Mass of the summer holidays. The chapel, built in 1933, serves the summer holiday congregants who come from all over the world. Chaplain of stella Maris, Fr Cosmas Onwukwe saC (third right), celebrated eight Masses over the Christmas season. The star mosaic (inset) at the chapel was made with shells by Herolds Bay resident Mel Walton, to commemorate 25 years of service by the former beach chaplain Fr Frans Boumann, now retired at the Pallottine house in Blanco, George.

Fr Jude Fernando TOr of st anne’s mission in Mpophomeni, KwaZulu-Natal, presented a Tau cross which he had made to Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban as part of a fundraising drive for the church. Pictured (from left) Fr Fernando, Cardinal Napier, building committee members from the archdiocese of Durban and st anne’s mission, and Deacon seraphicus Nzimande TOr.

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DEAR MR JOSÉ CAMARA,

It is with great joy in my heart that I received your telephone call last week informing me that it would be possible for me to receive another statue of Our Lady of Fatima for our outstation church in Clarens. I am therefore taking up this very generous oﬀer of yours by formally requesting now a statue of Our Lady of Fatima for the Holy Cross Church in Kgubetswana-Clarens. This is a community which for years seemed to be dying until one of the women of the parish began leading the few people in church in the prayer of the rosary. Now the attendance at Mass on Sunday has doubled. We have also been able to have First Holy Communions. Collections have also increased. Mr Camara, it is my intention to let the statue of Our Lady of Fatima visit the homes of the parishioners before enthroning Our Mother in the sanctuary of the church. I believe that by doing this Our Mother will shower many more blessings on the Holy Cross Catholic Community. Surely, Our Blessed Mother is blessing you abundantly for spreading devotion to her by donating statues of her image to various communities in this country. I pray that priests who receive these statues may also speak to their communities about the Message of Fatima and not just see the gift as a “decoration” for their churches. Mr Camara, once again many thanks for your very generous gift. Yours gratefully in the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary, REV MSGR GREGORY JOSEPH VAN DYK

Fr John Clarke (second from left) of st Joseph the Worker parish in Port Elizabeth celebrated his golden jubilee of priesthood at Chatty Community Centre. Pictured are some of the vocations that Fr Clarke fostered: (from left) Deacon Evenie Turner OFM, Fr Clarke, Provincial of Good shepherd sisters sr Zelna Oosthuizen and Br Clarence Watts sDB.

The new Grade 8 pupils of st Catherine’s school in Johannesburg underwent a ten-day orientation at their new school. activities included a scavenger hunt and being doused with flour, eggs and ice-water as well as performing a concert and having an induction ceremony where they were presented with their blazers.

The southern Cross, February 5 to February 11, 2014

CLASSIFIEDS

Denis Hurley anniversary events All events will take place at the Denis Hurley Centre, Emmanuel cathedral and the Diakonia centre. See www.denishurleycentre.org or Tel: +2731301 2240. February 13—Anniversary day—5:30 Blessing of foundation stone of Denis Hurley Centre by Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, 6:00pm Mass; February 14—6:00pm Supper and Hurley lecture by Fr Séan O’Leary; February 15—2:00pm-5.00pm workshop at Diakonia Centre, topic: Lessons from peacemaking in other parts of Africa, 5:30pm Mass celebrated by Archbishop Liturgical Calendar Year A George Daniel and procession to tomb; Weekdays Cycle Year 2 February 16—7:45am Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin Dowling, 9:45am Mass celebrated by ArchSunday, February 9, 5th Sunday bishop George Daniel, 11:45am Mass celebrated byIsaiah 58:7-10, Psalm 112:4-9, 1 Corinthians 2:1Bishop Abel Gabuza , 5:00pm Public meeting presided 5, Matthew 5:13-16 over by Bishop Barry Wood. Monday, February 10, St Scholastica 1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13, Psalm 132:6-10, Mark 6:53-56 Tuesday, February 11, Our Lady of Lourdes 1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30, Psalm 84:3-5, 10-11, Mark SOLUTIONS TO 588. ACROSS: 3 Vox populi, 8 Pail, 9 7:1-13 Dispensed, 10 Respin, 11 Glass, 14 Dunce, 15 Hymn, Wednesday, February 12 16 Dross, 18 Ties, 20 Clang, 21 Rinse, 24 Bogota, 25 1 Kings 10:1-10, Psalm 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40, Mark Gregorian, 26 Sufi, 27 Indelible. DOWN: 1 Aphrodite, 2 7:14-23 Dissenter, 4 Odin, 5 Papal, 6 Punish, 7 Lees, 9 Diced, Thursday, February 13 11 Goose, 12 Synagogue, 13 Enigmatic, 17 Scion, 19 Single, 22 Sarai, 23 Wren, 24 Baal. 1 Kings 11:4-13, Psalm 106:3-4, 35-37, 40, Mark 7:24-30 Friday, February 14, Ss Cyril, Monk and Methodius 1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19, Psalm 81:10-15, Mark 7:31-37 Saturday, February 15, Memorial of the BVM 1 Kings 12:26-32; 13:33-34, Psalm 106:6-7, 19-22, Mark 8:1-10 Sunday, February 16, 6th Sunday Sirach 15:15-20, Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34, 1 Corinthians 2:6-10, Matthew 5:17-37

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DEATH

COWLEY Josephine Edna ann (Horné)—in loving Memory of our wonderful Mother and Ganna who left us for the lord’s call in the New year of 2014. May her soul rest in peace with our Dad, who passed away in 2000, in the year of the new Millennium God Bless them both and may they rest in peace. May the love we all shared with both of them live forever in our hearts and bring our family and friends and loved ones, bring us comfort and lasting peace.…” Our Mother is still with us, she will never leave us, and her spirit is our guide”… May her and my Father’s memory always be blessed and lead us through each day to come. May our tender thoughts allow them to stay in our hearts forever. The Cowley family. PIENAAR—leticia, passed away suddenly on Jan 21, 2014. Will always be remembered by her son alois, family, Bishops, Priests, Nuns, friends and parishioners of st Mary’s Cathedral in De aar. Thank you for being so faithful preparing the altar.

IN MEMORIAM

HUSKISSON—Claire. Passed away on February 9, 2009. Thank you Claire, for all the love and joy you always showered upon us. Forever you are remembered by your husband Des and all your children and grandchildren. “so Much love”

PERSONAL

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PRAYERS

HOLY ST JUDE, apostle and martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke you, special patron in time of need. To you i have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg you to come to my assistance. Help me now in my urgent need and grant my petitions. in return i promise to make your name known and publish this prayer. amen. FE O MOST beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful

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6th Sunday: February 16 Readings: Ecclesiasticus 15:15-20, Psalm 119: 1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34, 1 Corinthians 2:6-10, Matthew 5:17-37

God’s law provides a framework

Nicholas King SJ

S God’s Law a burden to us or a signpost? Is it an imposition, against human rights, or is it God’s gift to us? It is fashionable to insist on the freedom of human beings, but perhaps we need to recognise that laws provide society with a framework within which we can make grown-up choices, and so find our freedom. Our first reading next Sunday is addressed to traditionally-minded Jews, worried that perhaps their religion was a bit “old-fashioned” for the modern era (rather as we sometimes fear today, with regard to our own beliefs); and it tells them: “If you want, you will keep the commandments, and to keep the faith is your choice; he has placed fire and water for you—to whichever you want you will stretch out your hand.” In other words, you have a choice: “Humans have life and death before them, and whatever they choose will be given them, for the Lord’s wisdom is immense.” The psalm for next Sunday is a tiny excerpt from the longest hymn in the entire book of psalms, a meditation on the gift of

sunday reflections

God’s law, and it begins (like the Beatitudes) with the word for “happy”: “Happy are those who are blameless on the way and who walk in his Law; happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him with all their heart.” And it is all about God: “Do good to your servant and I shall live; open my eyes and I shall see your marvels.” This speaks of a marvellously intimate relationship between the poet and his God, and it continues: “Lord, teach me the way of your commands; I shall keep them to the end.” The last words of our excerpt are lovely: “I shall keep them with all my heart.” This singer is not burdened by any sense of oppression.

The second reading does not speak precisely of law; but the misunderstanding between Paul and his Corinthians is a bit like our mindless rejection of law. Here the debate turns on the word “wisdom”. The Corinthians put a high value on this idea, and were inclined to reject Paul because he did not have enough of it; but Paul invites them to distinguish between “the wisdom of this world, and of the rulers of this world who are being annulled”, and “God’s wisdom, hidden in a mystery, which God arranged in advance”. The inferior kind of wisdom was that which led “the rulers of this world” to “crucify the Lord of glory”. It may not be the most obvious thing, but “God revealed it to us through the Spirit”. In the gospel for next Sunday, we are at a very important point in the Sermon on the Mount. We have had the beatitudes, and the image of “salt” and “light” that Christians are to be in the world, and now Jesus faces the question of the significance of the Jewish Law.

Follow the right star home E

XTERNAL appearances can easily fool us, and often they do. That’s true in every area of human life, and religion is no exception. Some years ago, I lived in a seminary for nearly two years with a young seminarian who, by all outward appearances, appeared to be the ideal candidate for priesthood and ministry. Intelligent, conscientious, prayerful, strongly committed to his studies, and with a deep concern for the poor, he seemed above the more mundane and secular concerns of his peers. He wasn’t interested in drinking beer, arguing football, gossiping, making small talk, or wasting time with the other seminarians. While these other things were going on, he was normally found in either the chapel, the library or at this desk, busy about more serious things. Moreover, he was always courteous and polite to a fault; no harsh words, bitter slang, or salacious jokes issued from his mouth. He did all the right things. But none of us living with him confused him with a saint. He was a sincere young man but not a particularly happy one. Why not? Because, while externally he was doing everything right, what radiated from his person was not life but depression. His entry into a room had the effect of draining some energy from the room. He was doing everything right, but his energy wasn’t right. The other seminarians, for all their mundane interests, were perceptive and good-hearted enough to recognise that he needed help and would play the Good Samaritan, taking turns sitting beside him at the table, hoping to cheer him up a little.

Conrad

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final reflection

The seminary rector too recognised a problem and sent him to a psychologist who told the young man that he was on the edges of a clinical depression and that he would be well-advised to leave the seminary, at least for a while. The young man did leave the seminary, eventually regained his health, and is today a man who brings a robust energy into a room. This is not an uncommon example. One of the struggles we perennially face with religious discernment is that it’s easy to mistake depression for sanctity, sentimentality for piety, rigidity for orthodoxy, narrow sectarianism for loyalty, repressed sexuality for wholeness, and denial of one’s complexity for stability. Depression can look like sanctity because the person within its grip will appear to be free from the normal urges that come from our more-earthy passions.

entimentality invariably gravitates towards piety and dresses itself as devotion. Rigidity invariably cloaks itself as an overzealous concern for truth and orthodoxy, just as narrow sectarianism forever presents itself as fierce loyalty, and repressed sexuality and denial of one’s complexity—especially one’s sexual complexity—take on the guise of wholeness and stability.

Depression, sentimentality, fearfulness, rigidity, sectarianism, repression, and denial like to hide behind nobler things. I say this sympathetically. None of us are free from such struggles. But, that confessed, we shouldn’t be fooled by false sanctity. Depression, sentimentality, fearfulness, narrowness, rigidity and repression drain the energy from a room. Real sanctity, piety, orthodoxy, loyalty, wholeness and stability bring energy into a room and don’t make you swallow hard and feel guilty because your own blood is filled with a more robust energy. The presence of real sanctity sets you free and gives you permission to feel good about your humanity, no matter how red your blood. Real sanctity attracts and radiates life; it doesn’t unconsciously beg you to play the Good Samaritan to cheer it up. We see this, for example, in Mother Teresa. As we now know from her diaries, she spent the last 60 years of her life in a deep, painful dark night of the soul. During the last 60 years of her life she was struggling interiorly for consolation. Yet everything about her radiated the opposite. She filled a room with energy. She lit up a room like a powerful light bulb. She wasn’t just doing all the right things; she was radiating a life-giving energy. And that is how, in the end, we need to discern genuine sanctity, genuine piety, genuine orthodoxy, genuine loyalty, and genuine wholeness from their false guises. Genuine sanctity brings energy into a room, depression drains it from a room; genuine piety, like a beautiful icon, attracts you, but sentimentality makes you uncomfortable, wanting to shield your eyes; genuine orthodoxy makes you want to embrace the whole world, rigidity makes you fearful and petty; genuine loyalty has you standing up for your loved ones, narrow sectarianism makes you a bigot; genuine wholeness has already faced the dark chaos of your human and sexual complexity, but repression and denial make you huddle in fear before those dark corners. There’s a double challenge in this. First, as this pertains to our own lives, we must be more courageous in facing our own chaos and recognise our perpetual propensity to disguise our weaknesses as virtues. Second, we need, as the poet William Stafford puts it, to make sure that we are not following the wrong star home.

Matthew’s contemporaries, the “synagogue across the road”, will certainly have been accusing him, and this new “Jesusmovement” that thought the Messiah had come, of selling the pass, of “destroying the Law and the prophets”. The reply from Jesus, and from Matthew’s Church, is emphatic: “Until heaven and earth pass away, not a single iota or a single serif will pass away from the Law, until it all happens.” So every single commandment (and the rabbis counted 613 of them, negative and positive) in the Torah had to be obeyed, and anyone who taught (or did) anything different was to be “regarded as least in the kingdom of the heavens”. Then the message is bolted home with a line that will have caused great astonishment among his hearers: “You see, I am telling you, that unless your righteousness abounds to a greater level than that of the scribes and the Pharisees, no way will you enter the kingdom of the heavens.”

Southern Crossword #588

ACROSS 3. Majority opinion in ancient Rome (3,6) 8. Jesus didn’t have one at the well (Jn 4) (4) 9. Pins deeds on those let off an obligation (9) 10. Rotate again (6) 11. It might be architecturally stained (5) 14. Foolscap bearer (5) 15. Sacred song with no vowels (4) 16. Rubbish (5) 18. Relationships on site (4) 20. Metallic sound in clan gardens (5) 21. Wash with clean water (5) 24. Capital place for Columbian Church (6) 25. Plainchant for the modern calendar (9) 26. If us, there’s a Muslim holy man here (4) 27. Kind of mark of a sacrament (9)

DOWN 1. I harped to see Greek goddess (9) 2. One disagreeing with Church teaching (9) 4. Scandinavian deity (4) 5. Appal the pope’s office (5) 6. Inflict penalty (6) 7. Dregs of the wine (4) 9. Gambled (5) 11. Mother of the nursery rhymes (5) 12. In here the congregants hear the Law (9) 13. Meat icing is very puzzling (9) 17. Descendant from a hundred in Sion (5) 19. Uniquely unmarried (6) 22. Abram’s wife (Gn 11) (5) 23.The bird of St Paul’s cathedral (4) 24. Canaanite god (I Kg16) (4)

solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

YRIE ELEISON: The only Greek words that most Catholics can recognise, besides souvlaki and baklava. MAGI: The most famous trio to attend a baby shower. MANGER: Where Mary gave birth to Jesus because Joseph’s medical aid savings account had been depleted by December. PEW: A medieval torture device still found in Catholic churches. send us your favourite Catholic joke, preferably clean and brief, to The southern Cross, Church Chuckle, PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000.