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Denis Hurley centre kicks off

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Dark, angry start for 2015 BY STUART GRAHAM

Fr Michael van Heerden with a new recycle bin which his parish of Durbanville in Cape Town has received to make its contribution towards a waste-free South Africa. The brightlycoloured bin stands on the church property ready to receive paper. Fr van Heerden predicts that if each family and their friends recycled, green consciousness could become contagious. All funds received from the recycling project will be used for the parish’s community projects. The bin will be open from 9:00-12:00 weekdays as well as before and after the weekend Masses. (Photo from Mary-Ann Murray)

XPECT the coming year to be off to a dark and angry start as Eskom fights to keep the power grid functioning and bitter political battles continue in Parliament, warned Mike Pothier, lead researcher of the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office. There will be some light at the end of the tunnel however. With crime-fighting projects expected to continue taking effect and a glimmer of hope that unions and business will take a stronger leadership role in the economy. “What is happening at Eskom is a big deal because it is about the economy,” said Mr Pothier. “There are some fairly scary predictions that if we keep going through this kind of load shedding, it will play havoc with the economy and employment.” Mr Pothier said it is important to consider the underlying problem at Eskom, which was a lack of adequate foresight and planning going back more than a decade. “When building power stations you have to have enormously long horizons to plan effectively,” he said. “We are now bearing the brunt of decisions that should have been taken 10-15 years ago,” Mr Pothier explained. “If the blackouts continue to hurt the economy, and South Africa has another year of 1% growth, it will mean that the government will be way short of its job creation target.” As a result of this, said Mr Pothier, potential investors will look at South Africa with a more “jaundiced eye”. “Never mind labour relations, there are some big investments that are in the balance because of the Eskom situation,” said Mr Pothier. The blackouts come as South Africa faces increasing competition from the rest of Africa. “Many African countries coming off a much lower base than ours are making great strides,” said Mr Pothier. “I don't think it is ever too late to do the right thing and implement programmes that will bring serious progress, but at the same time the longer you leave it, the longer it takes to turn it around.” Mr Pothier said the problems could be dealt with by bringing “a couple of huge power stations on stream” and by implementing a new

The Southern

labour relations regime “that doesn’t require everyone going on strike once a year like clockwork”. On a social level, unemployment is South Africa’s biggest problem and requires leadership not only from the government but also from business and trade unions. “Unemployment has to do with the way our economy developed since gold was discovered,” said Mr Pothier. “I don’t believe that just by getting a new president, unemployment will become a nonissue. A different approach may speed up a reduction in unemployment, but the direction the economy takes is not only up to the government,” he said. Employers are said to be sitting on R500 billion, which they are willing to invest when the time is right, Mr Pothier pointed out. “It is the people who run the private sector, who take investment decisions and those in charge of trade unions who should provide the leadership,” he said. “Everyone has a role to play in bolstering and serving people. If we leave it up to the government, it is never going to happen. It is people with money and labour. They make the economy.” Mr Pothier said South Africans should expect disruptions and conflict to continue in Parliament in the early part of 2015, with threats to interrupt President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation address. “I will be happy if by the end of the year that Parliament has been dealt with,” said Mr Pothier. He hoped that the various parties would agree on how to conduct themselves properly in Parliament. “I would like to see a non-partisan speaker appointed who enjoys the respect of all in Parliament,” Mr Pothier said. “I would also like to see a mature House of Assembly that goes about its business without being distracted by histrionics.” The fight against crime is one area where progress is being made, Mr Pothier noted. “If you look at the figures, most of the serious crimes have come down in frequency. Continued on Page 2

Cross PILGRIMAGE 2015

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The Southern Cross, December 24 to December 30, 2014

LOCAL

CWD acts as fire Microsoft chooses Joburg school season erupts STAFF REPORTER

DYLAN APPOLIS

LMOST 120 people were left homeless and faced a bleak festive season after a fire swept through Kanana informal settlement in Gugulethu, Cape Town, this month. The residences of Kanana informal settlement lost all their possessions during the fire. It was one of several informal settlements affected by fires this month, with Dunoon, near Milnerton, affected for the sixth time this year. The Phoenix Burns Project expressed its solidarity with the many people of fire-affected informal settlements. “These severe fires are sadly an all-too-common phenomenon in South Africa, and are often an unfortunate consequence of the power and housing shortages we face,” said Dr Peter Martinez, president of the project, an NGO founded in 2006 by a group of Catholics to counteract the effects of fire. “The load shedding that we are experiencing may lead to more fires resulting from accidents associated with open flames being used for cooking, lighting and heating, as electricity supply is disrupted,

sometimes unpredictably,” he said. Around 46 shacks were destroyed in the Kanana fire. Residents didn’t have enough time to save what was inside their homes, said Nontsikelelo Dwangu, crisis relief manager of Catholic Welfare and Development (CWD). CWD distributed basins and clothes to people in Gugulethu who had been affected by the shack fires. “We also distributed basins and clothing to two other areas affected,” she said. “One of them was Kosovo informal settlement at Philippi, which left 150 families homeless,” Ms Dwangu said. At Kanana, residents said the fire began “when a shack dweller left a candle burning and went to the shop”, said Wilfred Solomons-Johannes of the City of Cape Town’s disaster management. The fires came just after the Western Cape government showcased its readiness to deal with the Cape Town fire season. The city said the affected households were provided with hot meals, blankets, backpacks, brunch and supper for three days

RESCIA House School, along with four of its teachers, has been recognised as a global leader in successful integrations of technology with teaching and learning Brescia has been selected by Microsoft as a 2014-2015 Microsoft Showcase School. It joins an exclusive community of over 150 premier schools selected from around the world, celebrating their pioneering efforts and innovation in rethinking teaching, learning and assessment in order to drive deep 21st-century competencies. As a Showcase School, Brescia House will work closely with Microsoft. “Microsoft Showcase Schools are inspiring examples of how schools are using mobile-first, cloud-first technology to increase students’ productivity and develop the skills needed in the workplace,” said Anthony Salcito, Microsoft’s vice-president for worldwide education. In addition to this significant achievement, four teachers from Brescia House School were selected by Microsoft as Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts (MIE Experts) for 2015. Teachers Tracy Heath, Anne Sug-

MIE Expert teachers (from left) Tracy Heath, Anne Sugden, Jilian Cederwall and Lyneth Crighton from Brescia House School. den, Jilian Cederwall and Lyneth Crighton were chosen for their excellence in using technology to help students learn and achieve more. Microsoft selects MIE Experts to be part of an exclusive global community that is paving the way for their peers to share ideas, try new

approaches and learn from each other. “We are extremely proud of our school and our teachers on being selected as the Microsoft Showcase School in South Africa,” said Mrs Ann Owgan, one of the headmistresses at Brescia House. “Exciting times lie ahead.”

Dark, angry start for 2015

Enjoy prayer and picnic at a wine farm

Continued from Page 1 “Murder is down and many serious crimes are down. It points to a substantial improvement over the last five to eight years,” he noted. “The police and initiatives like community policing forums are making a difference. There have also been a lot of initiatives to make the courts more efficient.” Mr Pothier has one major hope in 2015 for something South Africa has never managed to achieve. “I really hope that we win the Cricket World Cup next year,” he said. “That would make me very happy”.

STAFF REPORTER

HE 16th annual blessing of the vines at Nagenoeg Farm near Stellenbosch in January is set to be a special day not only for the local community but also for Capetonian Catholics who enjoy a day out with prayer and a picnic. “Everyone is welcome. We always encourage our friends to bring their families and friends to this event,” said owner Schalk Visser. Mass will be said at the farm’s St Anthony’s chapel, followed by a ride through the vineyards in a procession of tractors and trailers, and bakkies, for the actual blessing.

“We will drive through the vineyards at a slow speed and stop at regular intervals for photo opportunities and to admire the views,” he said. “The Mass is the most important part of this event. We pray for a good harvest and for a blessing of all involved in the harvest and those who are working on the farm,” Mr Visser said. “Mass will be said in memory of two special people. We will remember the late Archbishop Lawrence Henry, who said Mass [at last year’s blessing] and who suddenly passed away a mere five weeks later, and Awie Willemse, a dedicated worker for 44 years on the farm who died

FRANCISCAN NARDINI SISTERS

earlier this year after a long illness,” Mr Visser said. This is followed by a picnic under the oaks. Children will be able to enjoy the swimming pool, at their own risk. A collection will be held at the picnic. “We encourage visitors to donate to this as we do not charge anything for the preparation or the clean-up afterwards. The money will be for the St Anthony’s Chapel Fund, and will be used for the upkeep of the chapel and also for sponsoring school clothes for the farm kids and other necessary school fees like educational tours and extra courses,” Mr Visser said.

REMEMBERING OUR DEAD

“It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins” (II Macc XII,46) Holy Mass is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month in the All Souls’ chapel, Maitland, Cape Town at 2:30pm for all souls in purgatory and for all those buried in the Woltemade cemetery.

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“This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a day picnicking on a farm with friends and family in a safe environment,” said Mr Visser. Guests are asked to bring their own picnic baskets, blankets, chairs and wine. “As this is a wine farm, please bring wine and not beer. The wine industry is suffering so we would like you to rather enjoy the fruit of the grapes,” said Mr Visser. The event takes place at Nagenoeg Farm on Saturday, January 24, with Mass at 11:00. n For more information contact Mr Visser on 082 414 8333 or beesting@ mweb.co.za

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LOCAL

The Southern Cross, December 24 to December 30, 2014

Symbolic key handover for Denis Hurley Centre ILLA THOMPSON

The Daughters of St Francis of Assisi in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal, celebrated 92 years of existence. This year they celebrated with a group of young girls who came for a vocations workshop. They also launched the Year of Consecrated Life by lighting the candle of the year.The main celebrant was Fr Americo CMM (seen behind).

New bishop’s ordination date set for January 25 STAFF REPORTER

HE new bishop of Klerksdorp will be ordained on January 25 in the town’s Oppenheimer Stadium. Pope Francis named Mgr Victor Phalana, vicar-general of the archdiocese of Pretoria, bishop of Klerksdorp in late November. The date for the ordination of the 53-year-old bishop-elect was set to coincide with the plenary session of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference at St John Vianney seminary in Pretoria. This way all bishops of the Southern African region will be able to attend the episcopal ordination of their newest member. Mgr Phalana is the third successive vicar-general of Pretoria to be named a bishop, following the ap-

Bishop elect Victor Phalana pointments of Bishop Abel Gabuza to Kimberley and Bishop Dabula Mpako to Queenstown. The bishop-elect was born on April 3, 1961 in Erasmus, now in the North-West province. He was ordained to the priesthood in Pretoria on March 14, 1988. In Klerksdorp he succeeds Bishop Zithilele Mvemve, who resigned in 2013 after 19 years as head of the diocese.

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pleted, fundraising continues in earnest to equip, furnish and staff the centre. “The Denis Hurley Centre is about kindness and love,” said Belinda Scott, KwaZulu-Natal’s MEC for finance. “It is an initiative which the premier feels very strongly about and about which I am very passionate. We are delighted that we have been able to contribute towards such an important inner city project.” n Visit www.denishurleycentre.org for more information.

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Sodality, which funded the statue— and Gill Stroh, widow of statuemaker Reg Stroh. The statue is the centrepiece of the building’s atrium, visible from all four levels. The statue and the building was blessed by Cardinal Napier, who affirmed that the centre is “a home for all nations and all faiths”. Volunteers have tirelessly campaigned for six years to get sufficient funds to build such an ambitious building as the DHC. Now that the building is com-

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The moment of unveiling the Archbishop Denis Hurley Centre statue was the culmination of the key handover ceremony at the brand new centre in Durban. The statue was unveiled jointly by Archbishop Hurley’s niece Mikaela York; Cecilia Mkhize, former president of the Sacred Heart Sodality, which funded the statue; and Gill Stroh (in blue top, widow of the late Reg Stroh, who made the statue. (Photo: Rogan Ward)

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FTER years of planning, fundraising and careful strategising, the Denis Hurley Centre (DHC) in Durban’s inner city is officially complete. The keys were handed over to Cardinal Wilfrid Napier by Greg Hayhoe on behalf of contractors GVK:Siya Zama in a poignant blessing service around the centre’s atrium. In his introduction, Fr Stephen Tully, administrator of Durban’s Emmanuel cathedral, called the new centre “a miracle building; a dream come true”. The centre, which took 15 months to build at a cost of R32 million, is a legacy project honouring the late Archbishop Denis Hurley’s significant role in opposing apartheid and promoting the vision of a just society. The distinctive new triangular building has worthy neighbours: Emmanuel cathedral, Victoria Street market, the bustling taxi rank, the historic Madressa arcade, and the imposing Juma Masjid mosque. The multi-purpose community facility will promote extensive outreach and training for the homeless, unemployed and refugees. It will also provide primary health care as well as community building programmes in one of the most diverse, challenging and impoverished neighbourhoods of downtown Durban. The building was blessed by interfaith prayers led by Ela Gandhi, a Hindu, and AB Mahomed, a Muslim, as well as by Anglican Bishop Rubin Phillip and Methodist Bishop Mike Vorster. The ceremony also saw a bunch of more than 200 functional keys being handed over to centre manager Jean-Marie Ntamubano. The culmination of the evening’s programme was the unveiling of the magnificent Denis Hurley statue by Archbishop Hurley’s niece, Mikaela York, Cecilia Mkhize—former president of the Sacred Heart

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The Southern Cross, December 24 to December 30, 2014

INTERNATIONAL

Pope: Don’t be indifferent to tragedy of exploitation BY CAROL GLATZ

HEN shopping and when interacting with people on city streets, everyone can help fight the evil of modern-day slavery, Pope Francis said in his annual message for the World Day of Peace on January 1. “Together with the social responsibility of businesses, there is also the social responsibility of consumers,” the pope said. “Every person ought to have the awareness that purchasing is always a moral and not simply an economic act.” But with the Global Slavery Index estimating there are nearly 30 million people worldwide living in slave-like conditions, Pope Francis said “We are facing a global phenomenon which exceeds the competence of any one community or country. In order to eliminate it, we need a mobilisation comparable in size to that of the phenomenon itself.” “I urgently appeal to all men and women of goodwill not to become accomplices to this evil, not to turn away from the suffering of our brothers and sisters, our fellow human beings, who are deprived of their freedom and dignity.” The pope’s message was released at a Vatican news conference led by Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. The pope called for personal responsibility, grassroots action and international cooperation to combat the new and growing forms of “this abominable phenomenon” of human exploitation. His message, which the Vatican sends to heads of state around the world, invited everyone “to practise acts of fraternity toward those kept

Children display a sign asking for food from motorists by the side of a road in Dolores, Philippines, in Eastern Samar province. Typhoon Hagupit weakened into a tropical storm after leaving at least 21 people dead and forcing more than a million people into shelters. (Photo: Erik De Castro, Reuters/CNS)

Pope Francis speaks at a ceremony with other faith leaders at the Vatican in observance of the UN Day for the Abolition of Slavery. The pope’s World Day of Peace message focused on human trafficking, which he has pledged to eradicate by 2020. (Photo: GFN handout, Chris Warde-Jones, CNS) in a state of enslavement”. Make an effort to “feel challenged when, in our daily lives, we meet or deal with persons who could be victims of human trafficking, or when we are tempted to select items which may well have been produced by exploiting others,” he said. Instead of closing one’s eyes to this tragedy, “do something about it,” he said, by joining an association or “offering a kind word, a greeting or a smile” that may give hope or change the life of someone who might be a victim of exploitation. Pope Francis said his thoughts were with the many men, women and children in the world who have been robbed of their freedom and human dignity. His thoughts went to those subjected to forced labour in the agricultural, mining and manufacturing industries, domestic workers, sex slaves, women or girls forced into marriages, people forced to fight as

soldiers, and victims of terrorists, organ trafficking and “disguised forms of cross-border adoption”. “I think also of the living conditions of many migrants who, in their dramatic odyssey, experience hunger, are deprived of freedom, robbed of their possessions or undergo physical and sexual abuse”, he said, denouncing the sometimes “inhumane conditions” migrants face when they are detained by authorities. While many find themselves working illegally or living clandestinely, others, in an attempt to act within the law, may “agree to disgraceful living and working conditions, especially in those cases where the laws of a nation create or permit a structural dependency of migrant workers on their employers, as, for example, when the legality of their residency is made dependent on their labour contract,” he said.— CNS

Two Palestinian nuns on the road to sainthood BY ANN SCHNEIBLE

OPE Francis has approved the advancement in the causes for sainthood of two Palestinian nuns. The Holy Father authorised the promulgation of the decrees for three Blesseds and five Servants of God. The promulgation declared miracles attributable to the three Blesseds, paving the way for their canonisations. Beatified under Benedict XVI in 2009, Bl Marie-Alphonsine (18431927) was a Turco-British Palestinian and co-foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Rosary of Jerusalem of the Latins. She was born in Palestine and spent much of

(From left) Bl Marie-Alphonsine and Bl Mariam Baouardy. (Images: fr.lpj.org) her life in Bethlehem and its environs, assisting the poor and establishing schools and orphanages. A mystic and stigmatist, Bl Mary of Jesus Crucified (Mariam Baouardy)

was a Palestinian Discalced Carmelite nun who lived from 184678. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1983. Her family were of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, and in the religious life she spent time in France and India before helping to found a Carmel in Bethlehem in 1875. A miracle was also attributed to Bl Jeanne-Emilie de Villeneuve (181154), French foundress of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Castres. Pope Francis also authorised the promulgation of the heroic virtue of two Italians, two Spaniards, and a religious sister from the Czech Republic.—CNA

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Cyberslums need pastoral care BY CAROL GLATZ

NEW kind of ghetto needs the Church’s presence and people’s solidarity: the “digital slum” where cyberbullying and online pornography and abuse run rampant, said speakers at a Vatican news conference. Online harassment and abuse are “a new form of violence” against many young people and children, said Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Despite many national and international laws and agreements, “humanity still hasn’t been able to uproot completely the different forms of violence and exploitation against children”, he said. Cardinal Turkson organised the news conference to highlight ongoing threats against children and young adults 25 years after the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. “Virtual” abuse and harassment result in real, not virtual, damage, said Fr Fortunato Di Noto, an Italian priest who for the past 25 years has been leading the fight in Italy to protect children from online predators around the world. With Pope Francis’ emphasis on a Church that needs to go out to the peripheries to meet those who are hurting, Fr Di Noto said the “periphery” includes a kind of emotional ghetto online where paedophiles and those addicted to

pornography roam. In the process of notifying police about online abuse, Fr Di Noto said that he and his association, Meter, encounter abusers and witness “the ambiguous suffering of humanity” in their tortured lives. They find people who, while inflicting pain on others, are looking for affection, meaning in life or trying to decipher their own pain, he said. “We have to make sure that these places of emotional destitution, these new digital peripheries that I would call ‘digital slums’, can be made habitable because places that lack all forms of compassion and human connection attract ravenous vultures,” Fr Di Noto said. Education and awareness still play a major role in preventing and eliminating “the terrible plagues” of human rights abuses that are facilitated by or carried out over the Internet, Cardinal Turkson said. Just as there is a convention on the Rights of the Child, “perhaps we should create a Convention on the Responsibilities of the Adult” to remind adults of their duty to watch over and protect all children, Fr Di Noto said. “The problem isn’t the Internet, the problem is the human being,” Fr Di Noto said. “It is the human evil or weaknesses that the person brings to the world through whatever medium.”—CNS

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INTERNATIONAL

The Southern Cross, December 24 to December 30, 2014

Bishops get questionnaire for 2015 family synod T BY FRANCIS X ROCCA

Indian sex workers attend a rally for their rights in the red-light district of Kolkata, India. A small group of nuns join police to raid brothels in Kolkata at night, snatching young women and girls as young as 12 from the clutches of their captors. (Photo: Piyal Adhikary, EPA, CNS)

Brave nuns raid brothels at night BY CAROL GLATZ

EAVING their habits behind and disguised along with police in regular clothes, a small group of three or four nuns raid brothels in Kolkata, India, at night, snatching young women and girls as young as 12 from the clutches of their captors. In four years, “we have put 30 traffickers in jail”, Sr Sharmi D’Souza, a member of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate, told journalists at a Vatican news conference. She and a number of other religious women attended the event that presented Pope Francis’ World Day of Peace message, which urged everyone to fight modern forms of slavery. “In one night, we saved 37 girls,” she said, adding that ten were minors. The sisters take the women to safety and offer them support and assistance; the women also provide critical information to police, such as names of traffickers and the location of other brothels. If police refuse to go with the nuns on a raid because they have been bribed by traffickers, the nuns go to someone higher up on the chain of command, “and they take action”, she said. “We never go alone. We go along with other NGOs together. But we need our pastors to come along with us, our bishops, our priests to support us, because if they are with us we can do still more,” she said. The ongoing call to get more priests and men religious active in the fight against trafficking was reiterated by a US priest in the audience during the question-and-answer portion of the news conference. “The presence of such dedicated women religious is extraordinary. The absence of priests and male religious [at the news conference] is even more noticeable,” said Fr Jeffrey Bayhi. He appeared to be the only priest in the audience who was not part of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, which presented the pope’s message to the press.

ven though February 8, the feast of St Josephine Bakhita, will be the first International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking, Fr Bayhi said “in the United States, very few people are going to know who she is, and very few priests will be able to tell them about her” or about the global problem of human slavery. As a child, St Josephine was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Sudan and Italy. Once she was freed, she dedicated her life to sharing her testament of deliverance from slavery and comforting the poor and suffering. Fr Bayhi suggested the Church develop a short practical guide to help priests develop homilies for the day of prayer as well as offer courses or information for priests and seminarians about human trafficking. While women religious are on the streets helping victims, priests

need to take advantage of “the pulpit” to speak out against the exploitation of other human beings. “That’s the one microphone we have got worldwide, that the priest in the Church can help educate” others, he said. Pastoral letters about trafficking “are great, but until it gets in the parish on the pulpit with the priest” where it might lead to a conversion of hearts and action, “I’m afraid very little will be done”. The real cause behind all the new forms of slavery and exploitation is “human life has been so devalued”, he said. “Life is seen only as something for profit, pleasure or possession. Unless we address that societal ill that is worldwide,” exploitation will keep happening. The “snakes” of evil, he said, will never be wiped out “as long as there is a market for venom”.

r Monica Chikwe, a member of the Hospitaler Sisters of Mercy who works with trafficked Nigerian women in Italy, said former victims sometimes become traffickers themselves, deceiving others into thinking they can go abroad to make lots of money. Women and girls keep falling prey to traffickers because even rescued victims who are ready to start a new life back home never explain what really happened to them and the risks involved, she said. Sr Chikwe said prevention programmes are aimed at schools and families because family members, too, traffic their children. Fr Bayhi, who is currently trying to build a shelter for exploited minors, said a number of youths they are rescuing from exploitation and prostitution are children who were being trafficked by a parent, close relative or guardian. He said a classic example is an uncle or “a mother who is addicted to drugs, she needs the money, she has a daughter...” The priest was in Rome as part of his efforts to fight trafficking in Louisiana. Fr Bayhi said Consolata Sister Eugenia Bonetti, the head of anti-trafficking initiatives for the Italian Union of Major Superiors, helped educate Louisiana state officials about the problem and “we’ve had 500 arrests in the last two years”. Sr Bonetti said the only way to help potential victims or people at risk is to go to them—“direct contact”, which is why she and her community hit the streets of Rome late at night and speak to foreign women who have been trafficked into prostitution. “We tell them there is an alternative” and that they can be free, she said. A toll-free hotline has allowed women to get help, she said, resulting in freeing more than 6 000 women in Rome from traffickers in the past two decades.—CNS

O help set the agenda for the 2015 Synod of Bishops on the family, the Vatican is sending the world’s Catholic bishops’ conferences a list of questions on a range of topics, including matters of marriage and sexuality that proved especially controversial at the 2014 family synod. Together with the final report of the 2014 assembly, the 46 questions published by the Vatican comprise a preparatory document, known as a lineamenta, for the October 4-25 synod, which will have the theme “The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and the modern world”. Bishops’ conferences are being asked to consult with “academic institutions, organisations, lay movements and other ecclesial associations” in preparing their responses, which are due at the Vatican by April 15. The bishops’ responses will serve as the basis for the synod’s working document, to be published by mid-year. A list of 38 questions, sent to the world’s bishops in October 2013, was widely circulated on the Internet and helped generate advance interest in the 2014 synod. The questionnaire for 2015 instructs bishops’ conferences to “avoid, in their responses, a formulation of pastoral care based simply on an application of doctrine”, in favour of what it describes as Pope Francis’ call to “pastoral activity

that is characterised by a ‘culture of encounter’ and capable of recognising the Lord’s gratuitous work, even outside customary models”. Yet the questions echo the relatively conservative tone of the 2014 synod’s final report, which emphasised traditional Catholic teaching by comparison with the same assembly’s midterm report. The earlier document had stirred controversy with remarkably conciliatory language towards people with ways of life contrary to Church doctrine, including the divorced and civilly remarried and those in same-sex unions and other nonmarital relationships.

egarding the pastoral care of “persons with homosexual tendencies”, the questionnaire repeats the Catechism of the Catholic Church’s admonition against “unjust discrimination” and asks: “How can the demands of God’s will be proposed to them in their situation?” Referring to a controversial proposal to make it easier for a divorced and civilly remarried Catholic to receive Communion, even without an annulment of his or her first, sacramental marriage, the questionnaire asks: “What is possible? What suggestions can be offered to resolve forms of undue or unnecessary impediments?” A related question asks how the marriage annulment process can be made “more accessible, streamlined and possibly free of charge”—the

mandate of a commission that Pope Francis established in August. While acknowledging that positive elements can be present in a civil marriage or in nonmarital cohabitation between a man and a woman, the questionnaire asks how such a couple can be encouraged to marry in the Church. Consistent with Pope Francis’ emphasis on social justice, the questionnaire repeatedly solicits thoughts on the social, economic and political causes of stress on the family. But it also asks how the Church should respond to the “diffusion of cultural relativism in secularised society and to the consequent rejection, on the part of many, of the model of family formed by a man and woman united in marriage and open to life.” In asking how to “guide the consciences of married couples” with respect to contraception, which is forbidden by Church teaching, the questionnaire emphasises the practice’s impact on birth rates, asking: “Are people aware of the grave consequences of demographic change?” The questionnaire alludes to invitro fertilisation, which was not a prominent topic at the 2014 synod, asking how the Church can uphold the “human ecology of reproduction” in its dialogue with the “sciences and biomedical technologies”. It also asks how to “combat the scourge of abortion and foster an effective culture of life”.—CNS

The Southern Cross, December 24 to December 30, 2014

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

Our prayers for 2015

S we change our calendars from 2014 to 2015, we give thanks to God for his abundant graces, even those we are unable to discern in times of difficulty. We give thanks for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, whose leadership is revitalising the Church and opening the hearts of many who once were closed to its message. We pray that Pope Francis will remain in good health, especially in consideration of his arduous travelling commitments. In October the Synod of Bishops will continue to discuss the family. As this year’s extraordinary synod indicated, there will be stark divergences of perspective among the bishops, and among the faithful in general. Invariably, the outcome of the synod will not please everyone. We pray that, even in disagreement, the bishops and the faithful may act in collegial unity in fidelity with the love which Christ calls us to, and not fall prey to divisiveness and calumny. In our local Church, the big story of the year will be the likely beatification of Benedict Daswa. We pray that the cause of the South African martyr will proceed, and that through this the faithful of Southern Africa and the whole continent will learn to know and love this great Catholic. We also pray that the cause and beatification ceremony receive the necessary logistic and financial support. We pray for our brothers and sisters in Pakistan, where Christians are feeling especially vulnerable after the lynching of a young couple in November and with two Christians on death row for supposed blasphemy. We pray that Pakistan’s leadership will show the courage to overturn the unjust blasphemy law and give Christians the imperative protection. We also look with concern to India, where fundamentalist Hindus have been issuing unsettling anti-Christian propaganda. With several pogroms against Christians still fresh in mind, we pray that India’s political leaders will take the necessary action to forestall the renewed persecution of Christians. The past year was calamitous for Christians in the Middle East with the spread of the Islamic

State in Iraq and Syria. We pray that Muslim leaders will rise against the persecution of Christians and other minorities by Islamic fundamentalists and offer their protection in concrete demonstrations of solidarity. We also pray that the Christians in these regions will be fortified in their anguish by the love of the Creator as we await the return of conditions in which they will be able to live in peace. The political situation in the Holy Land is now on a precipice. Israel’s disproportionate assault on Gaza and continuing inhumane blockade and its daily acts of economic and political oppression, coupled with routine acts of brutality of Israel’s army and settlers even against children, threaten to provoke a third intifada (or uprising). These injustices also affect our Christian Palestinian brothers and sisters, who in increasing numbers are leaving the land of Christ in search of a better life. We pray that among Israelis and Palestinians a new leadership may emerge which can forge a peaceful and just solution to the conflict. In a special way we pray for the Christians of the Holy Land and all of the Middle East, that they may have the courage to remain in the region as the “Living Stones”. In this Year of the Consecrated we are called to pray for those in the religious life, as well as for the future of our orders and congregations. We also pray for a renewal of vocations to the consecrated life, and that the various orders and congregations may discern their way forward by being able to adapt to new realities. The postal strike of 2014 has done enormous and potentially lasting damage to this newspaper. At a time in which there is much uncertainty about the future of the newspaper industry in general, we pray—and ask you to pray with us—that we find the right ways to sustain The Southern Cross, which receives no subsidies, so that it can serve future generations of Catholics, as it has done for 94 years. And as always, we pray that the readers, associates, promoters, pilgrims, contributors, friends and supporters of The Southern Cross may have a blessed and peaceful 2015.

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

Praying for nation’s moral fibre

T is heartening and challenging to note that in a recent speech, the secretary-general of the governing African National Congress, Gwede Mantashe, called on the churches to help restore the moral fibre of the country by their prayers. Mr Mantashe pointed out that prayer is a duty of the churches and he asked Christians to pray for the

Living the consecrated life

N his article on the consecrated life (November 26), Fr Bonaventure Hinwood OFM refers to consecrated persons as living “under vows and promises as their particular way to live out Jesus’ call to all of us to imitate him and be holy...” It is of interest that he specifically states that the call is to “all”, as I have always understood that everyone, by baptism, is consecrated to live a spiritual life. The religious life, as most people understand it, is essentially that of individuals who make vows and promises to God, and who can afford to live in poverty because all their needs are met by the institution to which they belong. They might even find it easier to live a life of chastity by virtue of the support they find in community living. The consecrated life as was lived in the years of the early Church did not entail the making of vows or promises to God. Virgins and widows were consecrated by the bishop by the Rite of Consecration. These groups were known to belong to the Order of Widows or the Order of Virgins and lived under the guidance of their bishop. This is much like the consecration of diocesan priests who do not live in community and do not make vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. God, by the ministry of the bishop, consecrates the person who freely chooses to embrace the spiritual life of poverty, chastity and obedience. Their consecration cannot be revoked by a superior, bishop or even pope. Nowadays superiors have the “power” to send away persons whom they deem to be ill-suited to the “religious” life. I was in conversation with a religious nun some time back who considered diocesan priests not to be true priests as they did not “make vows”. Most diocesan priests that I know live true spiritual lives of poverty, chastity and obedience without belonging to a congregation who supports them. There are also many unmarried persons who live true spiritual lives of poverty, chastity and obedience.

president and the government. He went on to say that meetings need to begin by prayer to invoke God’s guidance on deliberations. In our liturgies, especially our Sunday Mass, when the crowds of believers gather to worship God, explicit prayer for the president and the government needs to be said and encouraged on an ongoing

The Rite of the Order of Consecrated Virgins living in the world was restored on May 31, 1970 and is too little known. Antoinette Padua, Cape Town

Hurley letters

S many people know, the late Archbishop Denis Hurley was a prolific letter writer. A large number of his letters are in the archdiocesan archives in Durban as well as the Oblate archives at Cedara. But there are many other letters in the possession of individuals and institutions. If you have such a letter or letters which you are willing to share with us, please scan and e-mail to either denis@ukzn.ac.za or pkearney@saol. com, or mail photocopies to P Kearney, 15 Vindol, 29 Ebor Avenue, Durban, 4001. As we are about to enter the Hurley Centenary Year, we are planning to ensure that the archbishop’s extensive correspondence is properly catalogued and preserved for posterity. Philippe Denis OP and Paddy Kearney, Durban

Women’s role

EGARDING the lead article of November 19 on women priests, I believe that when God decided it was good to create a human to be on the earth, he created a man first and then a woman to be his helper. God knew what he was doing. In the Old Testament we read about what God did to continue to have humans on earth: he chose Noah. God told Abraham how his people would fill the land. God chose Joseph to feed his people in the famine, and all our prophets are here men, for example, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel. Also, what about David, Moses, 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

basis and not in vague terms such as “for all in public office”—words which fail to touch the heart. The glaring deficiencies in our government are evident. The power of ongoing, fervent prayer in our churches and in private will undoubtedly touch and convert hearts, and, it is hoped, will result in good governance, leading ultimately to justice, integrity and peace. Sr Monica Shanley IBVM, Cape Town

and so on. We women are needed in our churches, and they are aware of it, and we do it so well, keeping the church clean, making it beautiful with flowers, keeping choirs going, teaching children about their faith, keeping faith sharing going, raising funds for the church with cake sales and so on, housekeeping for the priest. Leave the more stressful work to the men, they are stronger, we are too emotional. God doesn’t want us to be hurt. Men just shake problems off and carry on. Enjoy being God’s women. Mary Bowers, Cape Town

Handshaking no

LEASE can we stop handshaking after the sign of peace, as this causes the spreading of germs, from one hand to another, as people cough and sneeze into their hands? I suggest we turn around to one another and just say “Peace be with you” instead of greeting with a handshake as this would be much healthier. Maureen Serra, Cape Town

Beheadings shock

HE world has been stunned at the recent decapitations of American and British hostages shown on public videos. It is, however, possible that the explicit horror of these videos may result in the world realising and accepting the very real link between, and similarity in wickedness and method of the said decapitations, and the treatment meted out to unborn babies during abortions. There can, of course, be no more horrific and sinful a deed than for a mother to kill her own child, or for a government to legalise and support such morally despicable conduct. It is thus submitted that if the said decapitations do in fact result in a worldwide realisation and acceptance of the above realities, and also of Mother Teresa’s statement that world peace is impossible while there is “violence in the womb”, the unfortunate but heroic victims murdered by these atrocities will not have lost their lives in vain. GB Elisio, Jukskei Park, Gauteng

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PERSPECTIVES

Eskom’s seasonal gift S ENSITIVE readers look away now! I have some shocking news: Jesus was not born on the 25th of December. I realise that this might come as a bit of a surprise to some (and I won’t even touch on the question of the veracity of Santa Claus). But we have to admit that it is pretty unlikely that December 25 was Jesus’ actual birthday. In fact, the chance is precisely 1 in 365. We do know that he was born and where he was born; we just don’t know when. But since we have to celebrate his birthday on some given date, December 25 is what we have. But there is, of course, a reason for that date. It is the darkest part of the year, in fact the shortest day in the northern hemisphere is on December 21. And so the Church decided that this would be an appropriate time to celebrate the arrival on earth of the “Light of the Nations”. In so doing, the Church also encouraged people to switch smoothly from the mid-winter celebrations they already had—so the Druidic feast of the Winter Solstice (and its “Yule” traditions) and the Roman festival of the Sun God (as opposed to the Son of God) became subsumed into a conveniently placed mid-winter celebration of Christmas. All well and good—but that is the other side of the Equator. If you are reading this lying on the beach in Durban or baking beside a flaming braai at the Vaal or sweating in a stuffy church in Springbok, the idea of shortest days or darkness must seem rather remote. For here in the southern hemisphere, this is mid-summer not mid-winter, the lightest time of the year not the darkest. When the “Light of the Nations” is born here in December the light does not stand out against the black night as Christmas lights do on London’s Oxford Street. And yet, here we are also “the people who walk in darkness”. Unless there has

been a miracle since I wrote this, South Africa has for a few weeks now been experiencing unprecedented levels of power cuts. Eskom’s seasonal gift to us is a package of euphemistically named “load shedding” that has disrupted our cooking, entertaining and shopping plans. Can we find a gift in this?

here is a great Catholic joke told on this subject. Four priests, a lay woman and a Vatican official were sitting around having a meeting when suddenly the lights went out. The Franciscan spoke first: “The Lord has given us an opportunity here to reflect on the plight of the poor and the darkness of their lives.” The Dominican disagreed: “No, here we are reminded of the injustice of climate change and the need to get out and campaign for a fairer world.” The Jesuit had a different contribution: “This unexpected technological fault shows how important it is for me to persuade my superior to send me away for several years to study electrical engineering so that I can master this subject.” The diocesan priest on the other hand

The sudden loss of electricty might give us reason to pause in our day and notice something else. (photo: morguefile.com)

Blame it on the taxis? T RAVELLING from Randburg to Pretoria in the early morning traffic can be a nightmare. Anyone listening to the traffic updates on the radio will hear almost daily about troubles on Malibongwe Drive. Traffic lights, accidents and taxis are some of the major causes of frustration, which in turn lead some people to road rage too. Taxis invariably pass you on the left verge or bump along the dirt track next to the road or even cross over from the right. Four of them jumped a red robot in front of me. And no one ever seems to get arrested. My point is not so much a diatribe against the traffic police but to ask what this behaviour says about lawlessness? Surely we should obey laws not only if there is a risk of punishment? If taxis can treat the law with such disdain why can’t I, especially when we think we can get away with it? What does all this griping have to do with Holy Family Sunday, when this edition of The Southern Cross will be on sale in the parishes? What does it take to be, become or try to be a holy family? I don’t believe it is just about a family that religiously comes to Mass every Sunday, even though that is an important and very valuable component to building up family spirituality. Being a holy family is holistic, encompassing all aspects of family life. Pope Benedict XVI put it beautifully in his apostolic exhortation Africae Munus: “In a healthy family life we experience some of the fundamental elements of peace, justice and love between brothers

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Do taxi drivers act at home the way they do in the traffic? and sisters, the role of authority expressed by parents, loving concern for the members who are weaker because of youth, sickness or old age, mutual help in the necessities of life, readiness to accept others and if necessary to forgive them” (43). A healthy family then would be on the way to being a holy family if they then also recognise God present in and amongst them through their actions, as well as experiencing God’s presence in church. Living out the positive values and experiences would contribute to their wholeness, wholesomeness and holiness. The example of love and care they receive at home, and also of justice and integrity, can and should be carried over into society. At the same time, what we practise in society does also impact on what we do at home. So I wonder what those four taxi drivers who added to my travel frustration do at home. Are they impatient with their

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immediately started planning a fundraising drive to rewire the whole of the church. And the lay woman got up and changed the light-bulb. And the Vatican official? Well, the Vatican official didn’t even notice the lights had gone out! My point is that though we individually can do nothing about the load-shedding, the sudden loss of power might give us reason to pause in our day and notice something else. We might notice (like the Franciscan) that while we take power for granted, so many other people do not have that luxury. We might notice (like the Dominican) that electricity today is part of a much bigger question to do with the planet and the fair use of resources and that we ignore that at our peril. We might notice (like the Jesuit) how little we actually understand about how these things work and why there are power cuts, and seek to be better informed. We might notice (like the diocesan priest) that as households and as a country we have to build for the future and we cannot simply take advantage of the investments of the past. Or we might notice (like the lay woman) that sometimes we can take simple actions to make a difficult situation easier. Or (like the Vatican official) we might not notice anything at all! May the Son of God, who is greater than the Sun, be for you, your family and your community a source of great light in the face of whatever darkness you encounter in 2015—whether caused by the seasons or by sadness or by the utility company.

Toni Rowland

Family Friendly

wives and kids, or are they part of a group of rootless, lawless men without families, who sometimes abuse girl passengers and are themselves also at the mercy of taxi owners? Or is that generalising too much? Life is not easy for any of us, but we are called to commit to obeying the law and living righteously. The suggested family theme for 2015 is “Marriage and Family, committed to Love and Life”. The January theme is “Committed to a good start” and daily reflections on aspects of commitment for the months of January-March can be found in MARFAM’s “Thoughts For The Day” booklets. For each of us that theme will be applied in its own way. For now I hope and pray that there will be fewer taxi accidents, injuries and deaths these holidays. And I shall be watching out in January to see if anyone at all will mend their ways and obey the rules of the road, not just for road safety but also for promoting a healthier attitude towards the rule of law, for the sake of our children’s future and our family’s safety. For now I wish all readers blessings and safe travelling for the remainder of the Christmas season, and may the Holy Family inspire and protect you into the New Year ahead. MARFAM publications and the 2015 Family Year Planner can be viewed and ordered from www.marfam.org.za and info@marfam.org.za

The Southern Cross, December 24 to December 30, 2014

Chris Chatteris SJ

Pray with the Pope

A need for dialogue General Intention: That those from diverse religious traditions and all people of good will may work together for peace.

OPE Francis is certainly giving a lead here, living out his own intention by reaching out to non-Catholic and non-Christian traditions. He is on record as having requested a blessing from Pentecostals. On his visit to Turkey in November, he asked Patriarch Bartholomew to pray for him. One of his closest friends is a rabbi. Such contacts with the religious “other” do not always go down well with everyone. It’s hardly surprising that people under persecution might be a little sceptical. Last week’s Southern Cross headline reported that Kenya’s Christians were “living in fear” of being targeted for summary execution just because they are non-Muslims. As extremists move well beyond the lunatic fringe, the possibility of any form of reconciliation, let alone positive dialogue, must seem utterly remote. And if one’s life and the lives of one’s family are threatened, options for action are instinctively narrowed to fight or flight—“the centre cannot hold…” Of course this is just what the men of terror want. They desire to drive a wedge between the faiths. The last thing Boko Haram in Nigeria or Christian militias in the Central African Republic want is a spirit of tolerance and respect between Muslims and non-Muslims. They need the “other” to be a mortal enemy who can therefore be eliminated in their unholy wars. This leads to the classic unbreakable cycle of violence made that more horrible by being sacredly sanctioned. Hence, the importance of the patient and long-term work of dialogue. The more we are rent asunder by religiously inspired violence, the more it is important to reach out to the peacemakers in the other traditions. That we did so, often in practical ways through our institutions such as those caring for refugees, will be remembered and will bear fruit when the time comes for reconstruction.

Religious living Missionary Intention: That in this year dedicated to consecrated life, religious men and women may rediscover the joy of following Christ and strive to serve the poor with zeal.

UO VADIS religious life? There’s a sense in which one never knows the answer to this question. Religious life has always been as unpredictable as the Spirit who constantly inspires it. A colleague who knows the history of the Church in Cape Town intimately can show that the “footprint” of religious in the city has shrunk dramatically in the last 30 years. The physical presence of schools and hospitals and other institutions has disappeared in many parishes along with the decline in numbers of sisters, brothers and religious priests. This is a picture being reproduced all over the developed world—large-scale religious communities much diminished but trying to make their presence felt in new ways. The “Nun’s Life” website (www.anunslife.org), covered in The Southern Cross recently, is one such way. The Jesuit Institute (most of whose workers are laypeople) has raised the profile of the Jesuits in South Africa. Bucking the trend of decline are the new religious movements, such as the Neocatechumenal Way who are currently establishing their formation centre in Rondebosch in Cape Town. The acid test, of course, will be the attraction of local vocations, not an easy task in this very Westernised part of Africa. In the developing world the footprint of the traditional orders is expanding. In Malawi the Jesuits are putting up a new high school. In East Africa a Jesuit University is being mooted. The post-colonial development trajectory of religious life in these regions resembles that of Europe and the Americas after the Second World War, when expansion was the name of the game. Whatever our situation, the intention is relevant Continued on page 11

The Southern Cross, December 24 to December 30, 2014

YEAR-END REVIEW

Pope Francis’ 2014 in pics

Pope Francis and a group of Southern African bishops on April 29. The bishops were making their ad limina visit to the Vatican. The pope met them in small groups. (Photo: L’Osservatore Romano/CNS)

A priest hears Pope Francis’ confession during a penitential liturgy in St Peter’s basilica at the Vatican on March 28. (Photo: L’Osservatore Romano/Reuters/CNS)

US President Barack Obama shares a laugh with Pope Francis as he receives a copy of the pope’s apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium during a private audience at the Vatican on March 27. (Photo: Stefano Spaziani, pool/CNS)

Pope Francis poses for a selfie while eating lunch with youth at the major seminary in Daejeon during his visit to South Korea, on August 15. (Photo: L’Osservatore Romano/CNS)

Pope Francis looks at a life-sized replica of himself made entirely out of chocolate in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on February 5. Made of 1,5 tonnes of cocoa, the chocolate image was given to the pontiff during his general audience. (Photo: L’Osservatore Romano/Reuters/CNS)

Pope Francis rides in a bus with cardinals and bishops at the end of their week-long Lenten retreat in Ariccia, Italy, in March. (Photo: L’Osservatore Romano/Reuters/CNS)

Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople embrace during a prayer service in the patriarchal Orthodox church of St George in Istanbul on November 29. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

Do you feel called to the Franciscan way of life?

Pope Francis looks on as dancers perform during a meeting with 50 000 Catholic charismatics at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on June 1. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

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The Southern Cross, December 24 to December 30, 2014

FOCUS

Ten years after tsunami, trauma remains Ten years ago on Boxing Day a giant tsunami devastated coastlines in Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and other countries. PAUL JEFFREY reports from Indonesia a decade after the catastrophe.

EN years after a giant tsunami swept across South Asia, survivors across the region still wrestle with the trauma that lingers long after the water receded from thousands of seaside towns and villages. “When the waters rose around my house during recent flooding, it brought back memories of the tsunami, and I felt some of that fear all over again,” said Nyak Minah, a tsunami survivor in the seaside village of Kubang Gajah. Ms Minah’s mother died during the December 26, 2004 tsunami, which left an estimated 280 000 people dead or missing in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and several other countries. Ms Minah said she escaped because she was away from home at the market when the waves struck. In the months that followed, the Indonesian government tried to force Minah and her neighbours to relocate their village further inland, but they successfully fought the idea. Catholic Relief Services, the overseas aid agency of the US bishops’ conference, built her a new home. She has added on a kitchen and a small store, from which she sells food and household supplies. In late October, heavy rains led to severe flooding in the community, the worst that Ms Minah, a widow who says she’s about 50 years old, can remember. Deforestation to clear the way for expansion of nearby palm oil plantations has exacerbated annual flooding, she said. A new early warning system in the area means a siren will sound if a tsunami is suspected. Residents are supposed to flee to a nearby

Nurul Huda fishes from his small boat off Nias Island, Indonesia. Ten years after a giant tsunami swept across South Asia, survivors across the region still wrestle with the trauma that lingers long after the water receded from thousands of seaside towns and villages. (Photo: Paul Jeffrey/CNS) palm oil processing plant, which is located on elevated ground. Ms Micah said that tests of the siren bring back uncomfortable feelings. “When I hear the siren, or I see the floodwaters, I remember that day. It all comes back. I remember the destruction, the fear, and the sadness of looking in vain for our loved ones afterward,” she said. A Catholic priest in Banda Aceh, the city on the northern tip of Indonesia’s giant Sumatra island and ground zero for the destruction, said Ms Minah’s experience is common. “Many of the survivors are still victims, suffering from psychological distress,” said Father Hermanus Sahar, pastor of Sacred Heart church. “That stress manifests itself in a variety of ways. Some have lingering physical problems for which

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there’s no other explanation. And some remain afraid of everything. When there’s an alarm or a loud noise, some people start screaming, not from pain, but simply because they are afraid,” Fr Sahar said.

he tsunami, provoked by the third-strongest earthquake ever recorded, also brought positive changes to the Aceh region. Long afflicted by a separatist insurgency, Aceh’s warring parties stopped fighting and signed a 2005 agreement on autonomy for the region. The capital city of Banda Aceh, much of which was reduced to rubble a decade ago, is today a thriving modern city with fancy stores and traffic jams. Large infrastructure projects, such the Mother and Child Hospital built by Catholic Relief Services, are symbols of the es-

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timated $14 billion (R160 billion) in international aid that poured into the region after the disaster. Fr Sahar said the aid helped spur economic progress throughout Aceh. “There was a lot of international aid that helped the people to recover, and that provided infrastructure we didn’t have before. There are now roads, for example, providing good access to many places that were not connected to the economy before. Although there are many tragic stories, the tsunami brought blessings to some of the survivors,” Fr Sahar said. Some elements of the aid response didn’t go well, however. In several areas, houses built for survivors today stand empty, the result of pressure to build things quickly before local communities could

make comprehensive decisions about their future. In some other communities, complaints abound of families that tricked aid agencies into building them more than one house. Some negative elements of the aid response are not as visible. Raihal Fajri, executive director of the Katahati Institute, an Acehbased organisation advocating for democracy, said the widespread implementation of “cash for work” programmes, where local residents were paid to do reconstruction work, eroded the willingness of many to engage in volunteer work. “The value of communal work was changed by the United Nations agencies and international NGOs that wanted to give something to motivate people to get involved,” Ms Fajri noted. “But before the tsunami, when the village chief asked the people to work, they did so. And no one paid them for it. Now people won’t do anything unless they get paid. If an NGO wants to have a meeting, people ask what they’ll get paid to come to the meeting. Volunteerism has been lost.” According to Ms Fajri, many aid agencies also had difficulty understanding the nuances of gender in Aceh. “Because Acehnese culture tries to protect women, the family house and the land where it sits is usually given to a daughter, not a son,” she said. “If the daughter marries and has children, and then her husband divorces her or dies, the woman has the security of owning the house. That protects her and her children from abuse.” Yet not everyone who came to Aceh after the tsunami understood that principle. “The United Nations Development Programme wanted to issue land titles only in the husbands’ names, and we had to push to get them to recognise local customs and issue the titles in the women’s names. If there is other property, such as agricultural land, that is usually registered in the name of the man. But the house should be in the woman’s name,” Ms Fajri said.—CNS

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The Southern Cross, December 24 to December 30, 2014

MISSION

A missionary on the frontline Wherever there is a frontline, Catholic missionaries are bound to be there. WINNIE GRAHAM recalls one such missionary of compassion.

N 1975 the apartheid government erected a lethal electric fence along the border separating South Africa from Mozambique. The state’s intention was clear: they did not want the tens of thousands of refugees caught up in civil strife there to seek shelter in South Africa. But not even an electric fence could stop the influx. Unable to get through, desperate women and children, whose husbands had been commandeered to join the civil war, made their way through the Kruger Park. Some reached safety, some were killed by lions and other wildlife, some were caught by the police patrolling the park. And some, the lucky, reached reach safety and friends in the old Gazankulu homeland. What would become of them? I first became aware of the refugee problem when my son, Bruce, returned from the game reserve with a guest. He had spotted a woman struggling with her child in arms, so he stopped to give them a ride. They had travelled only a few kilometres when a patrol stopped us. The woman and child were ordered out the car and placed in a

pick-up. They were illegal migrants, he was told, and had to return to their country. Not for a moment was a thought given to the plight of the woman desperate enough to cross a wildlife sanctuary with lots of lions. She was one of countless thousands who escaped home at a time her country was locked in civil war, a war that was to endure for 16 years—and one in which the then South Africa was implicated. In the next few years more than 1,5 million women and children were to seek refuge in neighbouring states. It was around that time when I visited Fr Angelo Matordes, a Comboni missionary in what is now Mpumalanga. I had first met Fr Angelo on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Working at the Comboni mission in the area, he invited me to come and see for myself. So it was that I got to experience the great work being done by this dedicated group of priests and fellow religious sisters.

Fr Angelo took my ice-cream: ‘We’ll have them after dinner’

e were all acquainted with the political background. The two opposing political groups in Mozambique were fighting for control. There was Frelimo, seen as communist-backed by the South African government, and Renamo, whom South Africa wanted in control. Little was known about the victims of the civil strife, the women and children left unprotected in the villages after their husbands were forced to join one side or the other.

closing their eyes. My son Bruce, who had accompanied me, moved in to help the sisters while I tried to communicate with the refugees. As I could not speak Shangaan, unfortunately, I could not tell their stories, other than that they had miraculously survived the crossing. They brought nothing with them and had no access to water. Most were barefoot.

The late Comboni Father Angelo Matordes, who gave an example of mission with compassion. Fr Angelo’s concern was for the people caught up in the war, those women and children struggling through the park to safety. I joined him on a tour of the area. We went first to the reception centre set up by the sisters. Women and children arrived steadily throughout the morning. The sisters were waiting for them. All were met with a parcel of food—and something to eat immediately. Too exhausted to stand, many simply dropped to the ground,

he war had started soon after Mozambique gained independence from Portugal in 1975. Thousands of Portuguese residents left the country. The new government nationalised privately owned property and the country’s infrastructure collapsed. By 1992 some 1,5 million people had left their homeland for neighbouring states, the biggest migration in sub-Saharan Africa. The Catholic Church had a leading hand in the 1992 Rome Peace Accord between the two conflicting parties which ended the civil war. But that was a long way off in the 1980s when Fr Angelo was involved. Month after month, year after year, the missionaries were there for the people. They were not the only religious denomination working in the area. There were several, in fact. One group attracting a huge following had the preachers predicting colourful scenarios which they believed the people wanted to hear. After some time, the “owner” of the church approached the Comboni Fathers with a proposition. Would they not like to take over their congregation? The well-dressed woman in

high-heeled shoes and expensive clothes said she could let them have it for R3 million. “And you can make a lot more,” she added. The Combonis, it goes without saying, graciously declined. I hesitate to think exactly what Fr Angelo made of the offer. He was a priest of the old school. At the end of our very hot day in the Lowveld, he stopped at a petrol station to refuel. I disappeared into the adjacent little shop to buy us ice creams. When Fr Angelo was back at the wheel, I offered him one. He took it, then he reached out for mine. “We’ll have them after dinner,” he said. That evening we shared our treat with all at the table. No ice cream ever tasted so good! n Fr Matordes died on March 16, 2001 in the Bishop’s House in Witbank after a long illness. He was the diocesan administrator at that time, according to his Comboni confrere, Bishop Joe Sandri of Witbank. From 1983-93 and 1996-97 he was involved with the refugees from Mozambique coming to South Africa especially in the diocese of Witbank and in the parishes of Acornhoek, Waterval and Malelane (now Lebombo parish), bordering with the Kruger Park and Mozambique. He is buried in the cemetery of the Diocesan Pastoral Centre of Maria Trost near Lydenburg/ Mashishing.

TRIBUTE TO SAINT JOHN PAUL II SEND YOUR PICTURE NOW! Include it among the thousands of others that will make up a MOSAIC of ST JOHN PAUL II, which is to be mounted at the VATICAN to mark the first anniversary of the late pontiff’s canonisation. To find out how to do this, visit the website

www.tribute-st-jp2.com set up specially to collect the portraits of Catholics from around the world. It is a PRIVILEGE and an HONOUR to be part of this magnificent project Your contribution is intended to help underprivileged children from Third World countries. It will be used in the building of schools, clinics, water wells, and so on, in association with development agencies who run projects there.

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The Southern Cross, December 24 to December 30, 2014

CLASSIFIEDS Sr Cecile Lewyllie SC

ISTER of Charity Cecile Lewyllie, formerly of Motse Maria in Doornspruit, Polokwane diocese, died peacefully on November 8 in Belgium. Born in Belgium in 1936, she was the seventh child in a family of 11. She entered the convent of the Sisters of Charity in Heule, Kortrijk, in 1956, and in 1957 made her final profession.

A well-trained teacher, she was sent as a missionary to South Africa in 1963. She furthered her studies at the University of Pretoria to become a good maths teacher. She dedicated her whole mission to the students in Motse Maria. She was a hard worker who knew how to bring values into the lives of her students.

Apart from the academic teaching, she took time to educate the students in handwork, and all that she found necessary to give colour to real life. She was a well-loved person in her community. Due to illness, in 2008 she returned to Belgium, where she was well cared for in the community. Isabel Serrao

Pray for those living religious life Continued from page 7 to us all that “religious men and women may rediscover the joy of following Christ and strive to serve the poor with zeal”. In a nutshell, that is what has always inspired the founders of religious congregations. They all fell in love with Christ—they and

their “companions in inspiration”—and simultaneously with the poor. They found themselves urged by the Spirit to become the prophets of their times, challenging both Church and society to pay more attention to God and to those beloved of God.

Liturgical Calendar Year B Weekdays Cycle Year 1 Sunday December 28, Holy Family Gn 15, 1-6; 21, 1-3, Ps 105, 1-6.8-9, Heb 11, 8.11-12.17-19, Lk 2, 22-40 Monday December 29, St Thomas Becket 1 John 2:3-11, Psalms 96:1-6, Luke 2:22-35 Tuesday December 30 1 John 2:12-17, Psalms 96:7-10, Luke 2:36-40 Wednesday December 31, St Sylvester 1 John 2:18-21, Psalms 96:1-2, 11-13, John 1:1-18 Thursday January 1, Mary, Mother of God Numbers 6:22-27, Psalms 67:2-3, 5-6, 8, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:16-21 Friday January 2, Ss Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen 1 John 2:22-28, Psalms 98:1-4, John 1:19-28 Saturday January 3, Most Holy Name of Jesus Philippians 2:5-11, Psalms 113:1-8, Matthew 1:18-23 Sunday January 4, Epiphany of the Lord Philippians 2:5-11, Psalms 113:1-8, Matthew 1:18-23

Southern CrossWord solutions SOLUTIONS TO 634. ACROSS: 4 Useless, 8 Manger, 9 Reptile, 10 Relate, 11 Holier, 12 Venerate, 18 Mediator, 20 Benoni, 21 Sandal, 22 Corinth, 23 Fiends, 24 Granada. DOWN: 1 Improve, 2 Incline, 3 Lector, 5 Shepherd, 6 Little, 7 Silver, 13 Admitted, 14 Student, 15 Artless, 16 Detour, 17 Notion, 19 Italic.

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in MEMOriAM

ALHO–Joáo Goncalves. Passed away January 2, 2012. John, forever in our hearts and prayers. From your wife Julia, children Connie and Johnny, grandchildren and great-grandson. Rest in peace.

PrAYErS

That is what the Church prays for during this Year of Consecrated Life—for a joyful renewal of the charism of the founding mothers and fathers of religious congregations, wherever they are in the world and in whatever phase of their life-cycle they find themselves.

Community Calendar To place your event, call Mary Leveson at 021 465 5007 or e-mail m.leveson@scross.co.za (publication subject to space)

CAPE TOWn: Helpers of god’s Precious infants. Mass on last Saturday of every month at 9:30 at Sacred Heart church in Somerset Road, Cape Town. Followed by vigil at Marie Stopes abortion clinic in Bree Street. Contact Colette Thomas on 083 412 4836 or 021 593 9875 or Br Daniel SCP on 078 739 2988. Padre Pio: Holy Hour 15:30 every 3rd Sunday of the month at Holy Redeemer parish in Bergvliet.

Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration at Good Shepherd parish, Bothasig, in the chapel. All hours.

DurBAn: Holy Mass and novena

to St Anthony at St Anthony’s parish every Tuesday at 9am. Holy Mass and Divine Mercy Devotion at 17:30pm on first Friday of every month. Sunday Mass at 9am. 031 309 3496 Overport rosary group. At Emakhosini Hotel, 73 East Street every Wednesday at 6.30 pm. Contact Keith at 083 372 9018 or 031 209 2536 nELSPruiT: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at St Peter’s parish every Tuesday from 8:00 to 16:45, followed by rosary, Divine Mercy prayers, then a Mass/Communion service at 17:30pm.

Our bishops’ anniversaries This week we congratulate: 26: Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg on his 67th birthday.

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. Gilbert. 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. Pat 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. Thank you St Jude, Our Lady and the late Fr Garth. Maureen.

ST MiCHAEL the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

PErSOnAL

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The Southern Cross is published independently by the Catholic newspaper & Publishing Company Ltd. Address: PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000. Tel: (021) 465 5007 Fax: (021) 465 3850 www.scross.co.za Editor: Günther Simmermacher (editor@scross.co.za), Business Manager: Pamela Davids (admin@scross.co.za), Advisory Editor: Michael Shackleton, news Editor: Stuart Graham (s.graham@scross.co.za), Editorial: Claire Allen (c.allen@scross.co.za), Mary Leveson (m.leveson@scross.co.za) Advertising: Elizabeth Hutton (advertising@scross.co.za), Subscriptions: Avril Hanslo (subscriptions@scross.co.za), Dispatch: Joan King (dispatch@scross.co.za), Accounts: Desirée Chanquin (accounts@scross.co.za). Directors: C Moerdyk (Chairman), Archbishop S Brislin, P Davids*, S Duval, E Jackson, B Jordan, Sr H Makoro CPS, R Riedlinger, M Salida, G Simmermacher*, R Shields, Z Tom, John O’Leary

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Feast of the Epiphany: January 4 Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72: 2, 7-8, 10-13, Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6, Matthew 2:1-12

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Sunday Reflections

coronation of a new king in Judah, reminds the incoming monarch of what the Lord is doing in his life—and what is expected in return: he is to “judge your people with righteousness and (this is a lesson that we have still to learn today) your poor with judgment”. God demands of the king that righteousness should “flourish in his days”. And only then do we get the ritual prayer for the king to “have dominion from sea to sea”. This God of ours, you see, sheds his light by having a prejudice utterly in favour of the poor: “For he delivers the needy when they cry out, and the oppressed who have no

helper; he has pity on the weak and the needy.” If our society were only like that, then, as we start the new calendar year, we might feel a bit more like celebrating the light of God. The lovely second reading, from Ephesians, focuses firmly on God, speaking of the “stewardship of God’s grace that was given me for you”; and then he mentions the “mystery”. Now God’s “mystery” is not a secret that you can work out like a detective story, but something that we cannot understand until God reveals it; and it is that there are no favourites in God’s people: “that the Gentiles are co-heirs, and co-members of the body, and sharers in the promise of Christ Jesus through the gospel”. There is light indeed. And in the gospel for the solemnity, we have the gentiles taking a very prominent position indeed, in sharp contrast to the religious and political establishment. Matthew places the story right in the middle of his tale of Jesus’ conception and birth, and its menacing aftermath.

A sports hero to truly admire T

HIS month Canada lost one of its great cultural icons, Jean Beliveau, a famed athlete. His name will not mean much to non-Canadians, but he died at the age of 83, and all Canadians, including this Canadian in exile, mourn his passing. Jean Beliveau was more than an athlete; he certainly was a one-in-a-million athlete. The record of his achievements almost defies belief. He played in the National Hockey League for 20 seasons and ended up with ten championship rings. Later, as an executive, he was part of another seven championships. Imagine anyone, in any sport, at the highest level, winning 17 championships! But that wasn’t what defined his greatness, nor the reason why a country fell in love with him and made him a national icon. It was his grace, the exceptional way he carried himself both on and off the ice. Seventeen championships are remarkable, but his real achievement was the respect that he drew from everyone, both inside the athletic arena and outside of it. I don’t know of any professional athlete, in any sport, who has garnered this respect. Indeed, long after his professional career was over, the Canadian prime minister asked him to become the governor-general of Canada, an office offered only to someone who is, for an entire country, a symbol of unity, dignity,

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Jesus brings light into our lives

EXT Sunday we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, a celebration of the light that Jesus brings into our lives. The readings are always the same for this solemnity, year after year, but they are rich enough to bear the repetition, for they speak of the undying freshness of God’s action. The first reading is the lovely one, from almost the end of Isaiah, inviting us to “Rise and shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has shone upon you.” Then the contrast is painted with “the darkness covering the earth”, and, once again, there is reference to “his glory”; at that point a new note is sounded, as we hear that “the Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn”; and along with this vision comes the picture of “your sons coming from afar, and your daughters in their nurses’ arms”. It is a sense of homecoming, and we are to rejoice in what God is doing. Above all, the whole world (and its camels) is on the way to recognise what God is doing in our lives. The psalm, possibly a song sung for the

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Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

and grace. He graciously declined. What made him so unique? There have been other great athletes and pop stars who were humble and gracious. What sets him apart? Greatness is somewhat of an intangible; it’s hard to nail down what precisely sets someone apart in this way. Why Jean Beliveau? He was a just a hockey player after all. What made him so singular in drawing respect?

he renowned Polish psychiatrist Kasmir Dabrowski had a thought-provoking theory about human maturity and what it takes to get here. For him, we grow by breaking down, by being driven to our knees through crises which force us to move beyond our mediocre habits and immaturities. Franciscan Father Richard Rohr calls this “falling upwards”: We mature through failure, grow arrogant through success. Mostly that’s true. Success, more than failure, destroys lives.

Conrad

“The dark night of the soul is tough enough without Eskom chipping in.”

But is that logical? Isn’t it more logical to grow through success? Shouldn’t success induce gratitude within us and make us more generous and big-hearted? Someone asked Dabrowski that question in class one day. This was his answer: “You’re right, success should make us more grateful and big-hearted; that’s the ideal way to grow … except, in more than 40 years of clinical experience, I have never seen it work that way. It only works that way in rare, exceptional cases…and that, I believe, is what makes for a great person.” A great person is someone in whom success enlarges the soul rather than swells the ego. When Jean Beliveau broke into the National Hockey League he was, at that time, the tallest, most skilled, most graceful, and most handsome player in the league. No small gifts to carry. He was a little like the young King Saul in the Bible who, when he was initially crowned king, was described this way: “Among the men of Benjamin was a man called Saul, a handsome man in the prime of life. Of all the Israelites there was no one more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders taller than anyone else.” But, sadly, all of that giftedness and success did not make Saul a good king. Rather it destroyed him. Clinging falsely to his giftedness, his life became a tragedy. His height and grace and handsomeness left him jealous before the gifts of others and he became paranoid and spiteful and eventually ended up taking his own life. Saul’s story is one of the great tragedies ever written; and sadly it keeps getting written too many times in the lives of the hugely talented. Giftedness comes with its own perils. Giftedness and success just as easily swell the ego as enlarge the soul. Sadly we see a lot of that today, not least in the sports world where ego and self-promotion is legitimised and is often even seen as a desired quality inside an athlete, a virtue rather than a vice, because bravado and arrogant strut can help intimidate opponents, win games, and make the world watch. Even so, I’m glad I once knew a different time, a time when athletes and almost everyone else still had to be apologetic about ego and self-promotion. I’m glad that when I was a boy, obsessed with sports and looking for a hero among athletes, there was a superstar, Jean Beliveau, who eschewed arrogance, bravado, strut, the taunting of opponents and crass selfpromotion, and played the game with such grace and humility that it invoked the right kind of admiration—even as it won games.

It starts with a chilling reference to “the days of Herod the King”, which virtually always means trouble; then the gentile astrologers knock on the city gate of Jerusalem, asking a less than diplomatic question, about “the one born King of the Jews”. We are curious to know what Herod’s reaction will be, since he was notorious in his drastic way of dealing with threats to his throne. He is, Matthew tells us, “disturbed”, and takes urgent measures to cope; first he finds out where the Messiah was to be born (so he believes that these gentiles are telling the truth and that the long-awaited Christ has come), and sends the magi off as scouts or forerunners. They turn up in Bethlehem, and give the appropriate gifts; but just as you are worrying if they are going to ruin the whole thing by going back to Herod, God intervenes, and “it was by another route that they went back to their country”. God is in charge, and the dawning of the light is not a hallucination.

Southern Crossword #634

ACROSS 4. Employ a smaller amount? It’s futile (7) 8. Christmas crib (6) 9. Snake in the garden can repel it (7) 10. Have reference to (6) 11. More sanctimonious than thou (6) 12. Genuflect in respect (8) 18. For there is one God and one ... (1 Tim 2) (8) 20. Benjamin’s original name (Gn 35) (6) 21. The monk’s footwear (6) 22. City that Paul addressed his letters to (7) 23. Friends lose right to be devilish (6) 24. Song of the Spanish city (7)

DOWN 1. Get better (7) 2. Tend to go downhill (7) 3. Liturgical reader (6) 5. One of those who saw the baby Jesus (8) 6. Men of ... faith (Lk 12) (6) 7. Metal used by Demetrius (Ac 19) (6) 13. Confessed and was accepted into the church (8) 14. One wanting a degree of recognition (7) 15. Simple-minded in gallery without paintings? (7) 16. Deviation (6) 17. Noon, it seems, is time to get an idea (6) 19. Inclination of the printer (6) Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

PRIEST waited in line to have his car filled just before a long holiday weekend. Finally, the attendant motioned him towards the pump. “Father,” said the young man, “I’m so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip.” The priest chuckled and said: “I know what you mean. It’s the same in my business.” Send us your favourite Catholic joke, preferably clean and brief, to The Southern Cross, Church Chuckle, PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000.