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February 18 to February 24, 2015

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Pope on abuse: No more cover-ups!

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Family synod: Bishops want laity’s views

BY STUART GRAHAM

S Pope Francis has appointed Lt Col Christoph Graf, 53, as the new commander of the Swiss Guard. He replaces Col Daniel Anrig, who had served as the guard’s commander since 2008.

Born in the Swiss canton of Lucerne, Col Graf—seen here on Christmas Day—joined the Swiss Guard as a young soldier in 1987. In his 27 years of service to the Swiss Guard, he has been an instructor to new guards. Since its founding in 1506, the corps—currently numbering 110 guardsmen—performs honorary and ceremonial duties, as well as guarding the life of the pope and keeping watch over the pope's residence. They are trained in the latest defence techniques, including martial arts and modern firearm use. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

Lay council still this year

BY STUART GRAHAM

T

HE Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) hopes to establish a laity council before its next plenary in August.

SACBC spokesman Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria said the bishops have asked each diocese to elect an executive to be on the 29-member council.

“We want each diocese to elect an executive to plan the future structure and life of the laity council,” Archbishop Slattery said.

“The council wants to give a platform to the laity to have their voice heard,” he said.

“It is important for us to listen to the voice of the laity so that the Church can respond to the real world and real experience of people and families.”

The person selected must be someone who is “active and participating in the work of the Church in his or her diocese. They should also have “some expertise”, if possible.

Archbishop Slattery said parishes are being encouraged to grow structures in which lay people, including the youth, can participate “in the life and mission of the Church”.

Marriage and family life are the foundations of society and are in line with one of

the top priorities of the bishops’ conference, he said.

The laity council will encourage the development of ethical leadership and responsible citizenship in order to promote political maturity.

“Hopefully it will lead to a procedure by which bishops can listen to the voice of professional groups, such as health professionals, educational people, banking and marketplace people, and housewives and the youth,” Archbishop Slattery said.

He noted certain “difficulties” involved in forming the council, such as the cost of transporting council members to meetings.

Each diocese is being asked to contribute to the costs of the meetings and travelling expenses.

It has been proposed that there should be a fund to help the executive once it is elected.

Members of the laity council may have their own meetings in their own areas after the meetings with the bishops.

The bishops also felt that a youth council should not be formed, but the person who is employed by the SACBC to do youth work and the president of the national structure should be part of the laity council.

OUTHERN Africa’s Catholics are called to take part in a discussion on “all issues” around family life ahead of the Synod of Bishops on the Family in Rome later this year—including controversial issues such as Communion for remarried divorcees and pastoral care for homosexuals.

The call by the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference follows the selection of Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town and Bishop Zolile Mpambani of Kokstad to represent the region at the October 4-25 synod.

“The issue of marriage, family and the building up of family units is very important,” Bishop Mpambani told The Southern Cross.

“The Church can play a great role if priests pick up the theme of family and marriage. If a marriage is strong, the family is strong,” Bishop Mpambani said.

Parishes around the country have been sent questionnaires inviting input on all “important questions” regarding marriage and the family.

The extraordinary synod in October 2014, which served as a prepatory meeting for this year’s synod, was marked by sharp disagreements on issues such as the pastoral care for homosexuals and Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics.

Bishop Mpambani said that while the topic of pastoral care for homosexuals is likely to be discussed at the synod, it has not been a major issue for the local Church.

“In South Africa, being a country that has allowed gay and lesbian marriages, people have not picked that up,” he said. “In the area where I am, I have never met or heard of people who want to be in a gay union.”

He said many problems in families start before couples married. “A lot of the problems in the marriage depend on how [partners] were behaving before,” he said, explaining that sexual behaviour before marriage often is the starting point of problems within it.

He stressed the importance of good marriage preparation.

Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria, spokesman for the SACBC, said all of South

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Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town and Bishop Zolile Mpambani of Kokstad will represent the SACBC at the Synod of Bishops on the Family in the Vatican in October.

Africa’s Catholics are invited to be involved in discussions leading up to the synod.

“All diocese will be issued questionnaires inviting parishioners to make their contribution to these great challenges of today,” he said.

“Above all we want to point out the beauty and the importance of family life,” he added.

Archbishop Slattery said the Church wants to help people to “prepare better” for family life because “we know family life can be difficult”, he said.

Questions to address include “what is the role of the spirit of Christ in preparing us for married life?” and “how can we deal with difficulties in family life?”

Other issues include “dealing with a world where divorce and marriage break-up is commonplace” and protecting children in marriages that are fragile.

“We must also look at the situation of people who are divorced and remarried, and how to relate with people who have a same-sex orientation,” Archbishop Slattery said.

The SACBC hopes that during February and March people will discuss the questionnaires which will then be collated at a diocesan level and eventually sent to the SACBC secretariat.

“These contributions will contribute to what takes place in Rome,” Archbishop Slattery said.

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2

The Southern Cross, February 18 to February 24, 2015

LOCAL

Trees bring new vibrancy to parish

BY STUART GRAHAM

T

HE deserted courtyard of Our Lady of Good Help parish in Verulam outside Durban has been beautified with 100 cyprus trees which parishioners are using as prayer points for their deceased loved ones.

Parish councillor Deon Govinden said it was hoped that the trees would create a serene praying atmosphere at the church.

“It was a community-building

exercise for the church. Parishioners were here digging holes and planting trees. There was a very warm family atmosphere on the day,” Mr Govinden said.

Each tree that was planted represents a deceased parent or grandparent of a parishioner who was involved in building the church.

“Now we can pray at a tree in remembrance of our forefathers and ancestors,” said Mr Govinden.

Parishioners are streaming back to the Zulu and English parish.

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Numbers at the church had dwindled in the past decade, but the activities have created a new unity.

“We have had a number of initiatives, like the spiritual cleansing and candle lightings at the church…because of these activities people are coming back,” Mr Govinden said.

“There is a new spiritual energy at the church. People who have not been here for ten years are coming back,” he explained.

“One lady who had left the

parish bought a tree because her parents were parishioners here.

Now she is back in church.”

The tree planting was not only about aesthetics, but also about trying to bring people to the parish, said Mr Govinden. “When you have initiatives like this, it is a community-building activity. You give people a single purpose.”

The next activity for the parish will be a major “spiritual mission”, now being discussed by at parish pastoral council level.

Parishioners at Our Lady of Good Help in Verulam have embraced a tree-planting drive.

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Maarten van den Belt, Albert de Vries and Rob Manassen hand over a cheque for the money raised during a fundraising cycling intiative in Africa to Marike van Seetert, director of Homeplan. The funds will be used to build 15 houses for child-headed and grandmother-headed households under the auspices of Homeplan and the bishops’ Aids Office.

Cyclists help build houses

BY DYLAN APPOLIS

W

HEN the programme manager of the bishops’ Aids Office took to the saddle last October to cycle through part of Africa, he realised a dream trip and the raising of funds for building houses for orphans in KwaZuluNatal.

Johan Viljoen set out with three Dutch businessmen—Maarten van den Belt, Albert de Vries and Rob Manassen—on mountain bikes to cycle from Pomeroy in Dundee diocese to Nairobi, Kenya.

The purpose of the expedition was to raise funds for the Homeplan/SACBC Aids Office collaborative programme, started in 2010, to build houses for orphans in remote rural areas—in this case in Pomeroy.

“The initiative has seen the construction of simple two-roomed houses for child-headed and grandmother-headed households in some of the poorest communities in South Africa and Swaziland,” Sr Alison Munro OP, director of the Aids Office, told The Southern Cross.

“I am an enthusiastic long-distance cyclist, and have always dreamed of cycling through Africa,” Mr Viljoen said.

“I am also very concerned with the plight of destitute orphans in this

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country, working in affected communities on a weekly basis. It was a great way to combine these two elements: cycling, and simultaneously raising funds for orphans’ houses.”

Funding was raised in the Netherlands for the duration of the journey.

The four participants paid their own way—every cent raised was to be used for orphans’ houses.

Mr Viljoen completed half of the 2 500km journey, going as far as the Malawi/Mozambique border. The three Dutch men continued all the way to Nairobi, a total distance of about 5 000km.

Recently, the three Dutch team members visited the Homeplan office in Breda, Netherlands, to hand over a cheque of Euro 54 413 (about R700 000).

Speaking about how it felt to have helped raise enough funds to build 15 houses, Mr Viljoen said: “It’s amazing, especially in view of the virtual impossibility of raising funds for Aids-related causes nowadays. It especially feels good that homeless orphans in rural Zululand will receive houses because of our efforts.”

He described the fundraiser as a success.

“We wanted to be able to sponsor at least ten houses. We raised enough money to build 15,” he said.

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The Southern Cross, February 18 to February 24, 2015

LOCAL

3

Brislin: religions must advance peace STAFF REPORTER

H

ISTORY shows that “people of faith are all too often part of the ‘world of hate’ and many conflicts have, at least, a faith element”, a Catholic archbishop has told the South African Jewish Board of Deputies.

Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town gave a talk at the invitation of the board as part of the UN World Interfaith Harmony Week.

Noting the elements that unite people of different faiths—such as belief in God, care for the poor, mercy, justice and concern for the family—Archbishop Brislin said that if faith bodies want to promote ubuntu, “we have to begin by looking at ourselves, as people of faith, and our relationship with each other”.

“Peace is possible. Neighbours

usually live in peace, whether they are Muslim, Jewish, Christian or of another faith. In Cape Town, Christians and Muslim have lived side by side, rubbed shoulders for centuries, and have got on together in good neighbourliness, not only tolerating each other but also caring for each other,” he said.

The archbishop said that tolerance and respect among faiths “are more likely to exist when there has been an encounter between people of different faiths—when they know each other as people”.

Fear, sometimes based on a historical “root of bitterness” that has not been healed, can cause mistrust.

“If we do not or are unable to trust the motivation of others, we cannot build a healthy relationship with them and it becomes a relationship of politeness rather than a genuine concern,” Archbishop Bris-

lin noted.

Fear can also lead to isolationism, “to withdrawing into one’s own group”, he said. “It becomes easy to see others as a group, not as individual personalities with hopes, dreams and aspirations. It is easy to demonise the group. Once others are seen as demons, the soil is fertile for violent conflict,” the archbishop said.

Secularism, “has led to some feeling threatened”, he said.

“I think it has led to a tendency to reassert our religion, whether it be by dress code or other means, to become more uncompromising and to shrink into a group mentality.”

Archbishop Brislin warned that attempts by civil authorities to coopt faith “destroys our integrity, our commitment to truth and justice, as well as polarising us from other faiths”, noting that “when faith and

political power become too closely intermingled, faith suffers and there are severe, long-lasting consequences”.

He said that inter-faith dialogue is essential to “promote the values of ubuntu in a world of hate”. For this dialogue to succeed, faith bodies must “live and concretely promote among our own adherents the values we profess and believe in: family, respect for life, the dignity of each person, tolerance, justice, peace”.

Faiths must be humble, he said, noting that “so many of the conflicts of the past—and the present— were caused by sheer arrogance”.

He counselled against “emotive language that can establish a mindset leading to violence”.

The archbishop noted that there are extremist groups in most faiths.

“There is a need for discourse and dialogue within our own faiths

Metro police talk to children after Mass

BY DYLAN APPOLIS

M A metro police officer talks to children after Mass at Yeoville parish.

ETRO police took part in a Mass at St Francis church in Yeoville, Johannesburg, and addressed both adults and Sunday school children on civic duties. The team was led by Sgt Khensani Maswanganyi.

The police asked the congregation to cooperate in addressing issues such as illegal parking, said Joseph Dube, of Yeoville parish’s Justice and Peace group.

They also spoke about illegal trading which is one of the big challenges in Yeoville.

The metro officers explained why trading next to the local market was not allowed and pleaded with Catholics to raise awareness and encourage the traders to apply for space in the market.

“We also spoke about noise from liquor outlets, to be considerate of communities, especially of children who need to study and rest for the next day,” Sgt Maswanganyi said.

The officers also spoke about road safety.

At the end of the Mass, Fr Johannes Silalahi prayed for all police in South Africa and blessed the metro police.

After the Mass, parishioners had the opportunity to ask questions and seek clarity on the issues the officers had raised during the service.

“The church plans to organise a public meeting to deal with illegal trading, with the hope of finding a long-lasting solution,” Mr Dube said.

and, in fidelity to what we believe, we must have the courage to denounce extremism when it threatens and indeed breaches the values we believe in, when there is blatant injustice. We have to be able to say ‘not in my name’,” Archbishop Brislin said.

He said that religious bodies should “establish peace groups or movements that transcend faith differences, drawing from our common beliefs”.

“I have no blueprint for this or a particular vision, but I believe that there is an urgent need, a responsibility that we have, to work for the things that make for peace. Surely, this—more than anything else—is something that we can work towards, not only to build bridges, but to be faithful to the God who created us,” Archbishop Brislin said.

Pupils and teachers at St Catherine’s in Johannesburg teach orphan children from the Epworth Children’s Home how to swim. The school helps the community in a new way every month.

ST AUGUSTINE COLLEGE OF SOUTH AFRICA HEAD: DEPARTMENT OF THEOLOGY

Founded in 1999, St Augustine College of South Africa is a private higher education institution in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition promoting ethical leadership, dignity of the human person and the common good. It offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and certificates which are accredited and registered by the Council for Higher Education and the Department of Education.

The College seeks to appoint a full time Head of the Department of Theology at the rank of Senior Lecturer or Associate Professor. The successful candidate, who must be a Catholic, will be responsible for oversight and development of the Theology programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in cooperation with College administration and members of the Department. S/he is expected to supervise students’ research, to initiate, coordinate and conduct academic research and research projects, to excel in teaching at all levels, to represent the Department at all relevant meetings, to oversee any revisions of the existing programmes, to prepare an annual budget for the Department, to determine the necessary personnel as well as participate in other aspects of the School's activities.

Applicants must have a Doctorate degree in Systematic Theology from within the Catholic Tradition. The capacity to teach over a substantial breadth will be considered an asset. The candidate should have teaching experience at a tertiary level within a multicultural setting, a very good publication record and relevant research experience, strong skills in verbal communication and inter-personal relationships and ability to work as part of team. Previous experience in administration will serve as a strong recommendation.

Persons interested in being considered for appointment to this position are invited to provide the College with an expression of interest and a concise C.V., highlighting qualifications, experience and relevant skills as well as the names of three referees.

Salary range will depend on qualifications and experience. The College reserves the right not to make an appointment. If no response is forthcoming, please assume the application was not successful.

Closing date for applications: 31 March 2015

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Please send your submission to: Prof Nicholas Rowe, Academic Dean, St Augustine College of South Africa P O Box 44782, Linden, 2104, Fax: (011) 380 9251, n.rowe@staugustine.ac.za

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The Southern Cross, February 18 to February 24, 2015

INTERNATIONAL

Abuse: No more cover-ups

BY CINDY wOODEN & FRANCIS X ROCCA

L

Demonstrators shout slogans as they hold placards during a protest outside Sacred Heart cathedral in New Delhi, India. Five churches have been attacked in Delhi in the last two months and yet “not a single arrest has been made so far” said Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi. (Photo: Anindito Mukherjee, Reuters/CNS)

Pope: Critical thinking guards youth against materialism

BY CAROL GLATZ

E

DUCATION that teaches critical thinking and moral values can protect Africa’s young people from “harmful lifestyles” that pretend power and money matter more than anything else, Pope Francis told bishops from Africa.

“It is the youth who need your witness. In Africa, the future is in the hands of the young, who need to be protected from new and unscrupulous forms of ‘colonisation’ such as the pursuit of success, riches and power at all costs,” he said.

“The most effective way to overcome the temptation to give in to harmful lifestyles is by investing in education,” he said.

The bishops were in Rome attending a standing committee meeting of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, (SECAM).

The pope told them that education also will help youths overcome “a widespread mentality of

injustice and violence as well as ethnic divisions”.

The kind of education most needed is one that teaches young people “to think critically and encourages growth in moral values”, he said.

The pastoral care of students is also important as well as uniting “academic studies with the explicit proclamation of the Gospel” in Catholic or public schools, the pope said.

Pope Francis encouraged the Church’s efforts to strengthen the family, saying it “is the real source of all forms of fraternity and the foundation and primary way of peace”.

He also praised the “magnificent witness to charity” given by African missionaries and others in response to the Ebola virus.

“As followers of Christ, we cannot fail to be concerned for the welfare of the weakest; we must also draw the attention of society and the civil authorities to their plight,” he said.—CNS

EADERS of the world’s bishops’ conferences and religious orders must ensure they are doing everything possible to protect children and vulnerable adults from abuse and are offering appropriate care for victims and their families,” Pope Francis said in a letter sent to the presidents of national bishops’ conferences worldwide and the superiors of religious orders.

“Priority must not be given to any other kind of concern, whatever its nature, such as the desire to avoid scandal, since there is absolutely no place in ministry for those who abuse minors,” he said.

“Families need to know that the Church is making every effort to protect their children. They should also know that they have every right to turn to the Church with full confidence, for it is a safe and secure home,” the pope said.

“Bishops who do not comply with the child protection norms adopted by their bishops’ conferences and approved by the Vatican must face real consequences, said Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

The commission, of which Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference secretary-general Sr Hermenegild Makoro CPS is a member, “is very, very concerned about this whole area of [bishops’] accountability” and has a working group drawing up recommendations for Pope Francis.

The proposed new norms, “would allow the Church to respond

BY SIMON CALDwELL

A

CHALDEAN Catholic archbishop called for the redeployment of US and British troops in Iraq to prevent the “genocide” of Christians and other minorities by Islamic State militants.

Archbishop Bashar Warda of Irbil, Iraq, said he believed the US had a duty to “finish the mission” in his country by ridding the Ninevah Plain of extremists who last summer drove some 120 000 Christians from their homes.

He described the Islamic State as a “cancer” which had to be cut out if it was not to infect future generations of Muslims and create a poten-

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a little pope” in his diocese and “can do whatever he wants” with regard to national guidelines, Fr Zollner said. “Only the pope has authority over him.”

Mr Saunders told reporters that if in the next year there is not “firm action” on accountability and the implementation of child-protection policies around the world, he would leave the commission. Marie Collins, an Irish survivor of clerical abuse, who was appointed to the commission about eight months before Saunders, told reporters she also would leave if no progress is seen soon.

“We’re not here for lip service,” Mr Saunders said, but to protect children.

Cardinal O’Malley said 96% of the world’s bishops’ conferences have sent the Vatican their child-protection norms, as requested in 2011 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Some of the norms are “weak”, he said, and the commission will work with those countries and countries without norms to bring them to full compliance.

Fr Zollner said only five of the world’s 112 bishops’ conferences have not submitted norms. All five are in French-speaking West Africa and are facing the challenges of civil strife, the ebola epidemic, poverty and a lack of people familiar with both canon and civil law, something necessary for drawing up effective guidelines.

The pope’s letter to the bishops also encouraged bishops to meet with and listen to survivors, which is something Cardinal O’Malley said “many bishops have not yet done”.—CNS

Iraqi archbishop: Cut out ISIS cancer

CATHOLIC LITURGICAL ARTS

ON TAPE

in an expeditious way when a bishop has not fulfilled his obligations,”said Cardinal O’Malley.

Peter Saunders, a survivor and commission member, said, “Bishop accountability is most definitely something that is a concern and central to some of the work that is going to be carried out by the commission.”

Mr Saunders, who is from London, said he knows the Vatican and the Church at large “operate in a slightly different time dimension” where the definition of “quick” may be months or years. “I get that,” Mr Saunders said, “but when it comes to time, children only get one stab at childhood”.

“It is not disputed that there have been far too many cover-ups, there have been far too many clergy protected, moved from place to place— this has got to be consigned to history very quickly,” he said.

Jesuit Father Hans Zollner, a psychologist and member of the commission, said, “as far as we know”, the number of bishops who have not followed their conference’s childprotection norms is not large, “but it is certainly a huge problem in terms of publicity and in terms of the authenticity of the Church. If you have bishops who do not comply with the Church’s own norms, we have a problem”.

Currently, he said, even though bishops are part of a bishops’ conference, they are accountable only to the pope and there is no procedure for investigating the way a bishop complies with the norms and nothing that spells out the consequences of noncompliance.

“Until now every bishop has been

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tially greater threat than Afghanistan under the Taliban and al-Qaida.

“I would like to see American or European or international troops alongside Iraqi troops working to liberate these lands, not alone but together.”

US military expertise and resources were crucial in defeating the Islamic State, he said, because neither the Iraqi army nor the Kurdish Peshmerga militia were sufficiently trained or equipped for the job.

“They [the Americans] know how to tackle these terrorist groups,” said Archbishop Warda. “The sooner they finish the mission the better, because this is a cancer which needs to be stopped and treated.”

He added: “We have got 1,8 million displaced people in Kurdistan.”

“It is not just Christians; everyone is there.

“It is hard for a Catholic bishop to say that we have to advocate a military action, but we have to go for that. There is no other option,” he said, warning members of parliament that time was running out for Christian refugees.

Archbishop Warda continued: “Military action is needed, a powerful one where they could really get those people out of these villages so that our people and others can return. Please use all of your efforts to make this happen.”—CNS

INTERNATIONAL

S

AYING he knows the history of the subjugation of women continues to have a negative impact on how women are treated, Pope Francis has called for greater roles for women in the Church.

Pope Francis told the Pontifical Council for Culture that its study of women’s cultures was a topic “close to my heart”, and that he fully recognises the need “to study new criteria and methods to ensure women feel they are not guests, but full participants in the various spheres of the life of society and the Church”.

“This challenge can no longer be postponed,” he said.

The preparatory document for the meeting said that in the West, more and more women between the ages of 20 and 50 are leaving the Church. Many have “reached places of prestige within society and the workplace, but have no corresponding decisional role nor responsibility” within the Church community.

Pope Francis told the council— whose members are all cardinals, bishops, priests and laymen—“I am convinced of the urgency of

5

Vatican: What makes for a good homily

Women are not guests in Church

BY CINDY wOODEN

The Southern Cross, February 18 to February 24, 2015

offering space to women in the life of the Church and to welcoming them, taking into account specific and changing cultural and social sensitivities.”

“A more widespread and incisive female presence in the community is hoped for so that we can see many women involved in pastoral responsibilities, in the accompaniment of persons, families and groups, as well as in theological reflection,” he said.

The council’s preparatory document used the technical term “generativity” to discuss the aspect of women’s lives involving physically or symbolically desiring new life, bringing it into the world, caring for it and finally letting it go.

Richard Rouse, a council official, said in essence it means “helping life flourish”.

Pope Francis told the council: “We must not leave women alone to carry this burden and to make decisions,” he said. “Rather, all institutions, including the Church community, are called to ensure freedom of choice for women, so that they have the possibility to take on social and ecclesial responsibilities in a way that is in harmony with family life.”—CNS

BY CINDY wOODEN

A

HOMILY at Mass is not a mini catechism class, the Vatican says in a new document on homilies, but it is an opportunity to explain Church teaching using the Scripture readings and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The Homiletic Directory was published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.

Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, whom Pope Francis named prefect of the worship congregation in November, told reporters that for many Catholics the homily, experienced as “beautiful or awful, interesting or boring”, is their basis for judging an entire Mass.

The directory recommends that a homily be “neither too long nor too short”. Determining exactly how many minutes such a homily would be, Cardinal Sarah said, depends on the people at the Mass, their culture and the occasion.

“Clearly in the West, going over 20 minutes seems like too much,” he said, “but in Africa, 20 minutes isn’t enough because people travel a great distance to hear the word of God. If the priest speaks only for ten or 15 minutes, it’s just not enough. How to nourish the people of God depends on the culture."

British Archbishop Arthur Roche, congregation secretary, said it is important that “a homily isn’t boring”.

If one looks at the homilies of Pope Francis, he said, “there is nothing boring. There is always something that challenges people. This is the point.”

Fr Corrado Maggioni, congregation undersecretary, said laypeople

German Cardinal Karl Josef Becker, a Jesuit professor of dogmatic theology and consultant to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, died in Rome on February 10 at the age of 86.

Born in Cologne, Germany on April 18, 1928, he was ordained in 1958. His brother was also a Jesuit priest. From 1969-99 he taught at the Jesuit-run Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He took part in the Vatican’s work on approving the text of the 1999 Catholic-Lutheran Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification and was a part of the doctrinal congregation’s special commission to conduct a dialogue with the traditionalist Society of St Pius X. Pope Benedict XVI named him a cardinal in 2012. Popes use the nominations of churchmen over the age of 80 and, therefore, ineligible to vote in a conclave, as a way to honour them for their scholarship or other service to the Church. He did not attend the actual induction ceremony at the Vatican for reasons of health.—CNS

2014-2016 the SACBC bishops’ Focus on Families

r10

The Vatican advises: “Little notes might help you not go off on a thousand tangents.” (Photo: Gregory A. Shemitz, Long Island Catholic/CNS) can help their priests. “We priests may need someone to tell us: ‘It’s too long’, ‘It’s too repetitive’, or maybe ‘Little notes might help you not go off on a thousand tangents’.”

Pope Benedict XVI had asked the congregation to draw up the directory after many participants at the 2005 Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist and the 2008 synod on the Word of God requested a handbook to help priests with their homilies.

B

ecause of “the integral bond” between the homily and the Eucharist and because the homily itself is “an act of worship”, the directory reaffirms Church discipline that only ordained ministers—bishops, priests or deacons—are to deliver the homily at Mass.

“Well-trained lay leaders can also give solid instruction and moving exhortation, and opportunities for such presentations should be provided in other contexts,” but not at the moment after the readings and before the liturgy of the Eucharist at Mass, it says.

In making suggestions, the direc-

tory notes that its application can and should vary depending on the congregation and the individual preacher with his “gifts and limitations”.

In general, however, it says an effective homily always requires prayer, preparation, knowledge of the people who will be in the congregation, a reflection on what is happening in the community and the world, and an invitation to the Holy Spirit “as the principal agency that makes the hearts of the faithful amenable to the divine mysteries”.

While the directory offers suggestions for how to tie specific Sunday readings to Church teaching on a variety of theological and moral topics, it insists a homily cannot “address some issue completely unrelated to the liturgical celebration and its readings” or “do violence to the texts provided by the Church by twisting them to fit some preconceived idea”.

The second part of the directory, focused on the “art of preaching”, gives practical suggestions for putting together prayer, biblical study and the Catechism in preparing homilies for the Masses of the Triduum and Easter season, the Christmas season and the Sundays of Lent and Advent.

On the feast of the Holy Family, immediately after Christmas, for example, it encourages preachers not to ignore the “great challenges” facing families, but “rather than simply giving a moral exhortation on family values”, they should reflect on how the readings present the family as a school of virtue and discipleship.— CNS

Showers, barbers for Vatican homeless

BY CAROL GLATZ

H

OT showers, a soapy shave and spiffy haircuts are available for free for those whom the Vatican calls “our homeless pilgrims”.

Thanks to charitable contributions from Pope Francis and private donors, the Vatican has finished remodelling and expanding a public bathroom a few steps from Bernini’s Colonnade, surrounding St Peter’s Square.

The Vatican announced that the construction work was finished and that the updated bathrooms now include three showers and a barber’s chair.

Free haircuts will be offered every Monday by volunteer barbers and students graduating from hairstylist school. Most barbershops and hair salons are closed on Mondays in Italy, making it the one day of the week hairstylists are easily available to volunteer their services.

The showers will be open every day except Wednesdays—general audience day—and days when other large events are planned in St Peter’s Square or the basilica, the Vatican said.

“Our pilgrims without a home will receive, along with a shower, a complete change of underwear and a kit with a towel, soap, toothpaste, razor, shaving cream and deodorant, according to different individual needs,” the Vatican said.

While most of the supplies are donated by businesses and individuals, whatever other items are missing will be purchased by the Vatican almoner’s office using the proceeds from the offerings people make for parchments certifying a papal blessing.

Vatican workers carried out the shower construction, and the final result reflects “great sobriety and dignity, while also using modern features: every sink has hot water, a soap dispenser and hand dryers—all of which are motion activated”, it said. Walls have been sealed with a “unique resin” rather than the usual porcelain tiles to guarantee “maximum cleanliness”.

The Vatican said the St Peter’s shower project is part of a larger initiative, in partnership with local parishes, to install similar amenities throughout the city in areas where there are large numbers of homeless people.—CNS

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The Southern Cross, February 18 to February 24, 2015

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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.

Evangelisation is core priority

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

Open dialogue in Church A

A

LMOST two years into the papacy of Pope Francis, it has become clear that this pontiff thrives on hearing different opinions in the Church.

Where Popes St John Paul II and Benedict XVI sought consensus, even if it had to be enforced, Francis has made it clear that he wants to hear the range of positions held within the Church, by the bishops but also by the clergy and even the laity.

Of course, these views must adhere to the teachings of the Church. Pope Francis is interested not in changing doctrines, but in how to best apply them in the Church’s mission of leading people to God and his promise of salvation. This requires open, sincere and transparent dialogue that is characterised by respect and charity of mind.

The pope planted an important pointer in that direction during the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family in October.

He invited lay people to address the synod, and to his bishops he said: “A cardinal wrote to me saying that it was a pity that some cardinals did not have the courage to say certain things out of respect for the pope, thinking perhaps the pope thought different. This is not good.”

Opposition to pastoral positions ascribed to the pope is permissible.

Pope Francis’ predecessors also had their loyal critics in high places. One may think of Cardinals König of Vienna, Hume of Westminster, Quinn of San Francisco or Danneels of Brussels—and, indeed, our Archbishop Denis Hurley.

Pope Francis might well regard sycophancy as a disloyal value.

The pope has made it clear that he seeks a spirit of collegiality: the principle, affirmed by the Second Vatican Council, that bishops share the responsibility for the governance and pastoral care of the Church with the pope.

There are times, however, when criticism, from whichever side, needs to be tempered and carefully expressed.

For example, some comments

by US Cardinal Raymond Burke can be applied to create partisanship and hostility within the Church. This month he told a French TV interviewer that he “will resist” Pope Francis if the pontiff were to change doctrines (which the pope is not proposing to do), adding that the

Catholic Church is facing “a difficult time” that is “painful” and “worrisome”.

In an interview in November, Cardinal Burke said that “there is a strong feeling that the Church is a ship without a rudder” and that “[i]t seems to many that the Church’s ship has lost its compass”.

Whether he intended it or not, such remarks feed a perception of the Catholic Church being in a situation of chaos and doctrinal crisis.

Commentators who feel that Cardinal Burke represents them, especially in the US, have pushed this narrative. In doing so they may well be seen as adopting a regrettable political strategy which in the past quarter century has served to polarise American politics to levels where fruitful cooperation between parties has become difficult.

In brief, this strategy is predicated on the demonisation of those who hold opposing views— this is true of both the right and the left, and often also finds an echo in Catholic discourse.

The US right especially (but not exclusively) further employs a tactic of presenting opposing administrations as being rudderless and rooted in chaos—reminiscent of the perception of the Church which Cardinal Burke referred to in his interview.

While disagreement on any number of pastoral matters is normal and must be stated freely, the Catholic Church in the Anglophone world and universally must resist whatever agenda polarises the faithful, because polarisation creates disunity. It defies Christ’s call that we shall be one in him, and therefore is a cause for scandal.

Pope Francis knows this, and appeals for open dialogue that is rooted in respect and integrity, not in bitterness and belligerence.

The pope would surely endorse the dictum often attributed, incorrectly, to St Augustine, but which even in its 17th-century Lutheran provenance retains its currency for Catholics: “In essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity.”

The important point for us is not so much to identify which matters are essential and which are doubtful, though there is a place for that, but how to introduce into all things charity.

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PRIORITY for us Catholic Christians is to get involved in the work of evangelisation which is the very reason for the Church’s existence.

It is clear that many of us Catholics are not aware of the basic Gospel message (the kerygma) which is that we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ and by his grace, working in love. This lack has resulted in a timidity in many of us in proclaiming Jesus to others.

Yet Our Lord himself has said that if we deny him before men, he will deny us before his Father in heaven. St Paul hits the heart of the matter: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel” (1 Cor 10:15).

Cardinal Paul Cordes has said: “Evangelisation is not a social process. It must spring from people’s hearts.” The late Cardinal Franz König of Vienna said: “The danger is that of bureaucracy, bring-

SA especially needs papal visit

T

HE invitation to Pope Francis to visit South Africa, as you reported on February 4, is wonderful and timely, and I hope he will accept it.

Should Pope Francis be able to attend and preside over the beatification of South Africa’s first recognised martyr, Benedict Daswa in the Tzaneen diocese, it would indeed be an event of unique significance.

You reflected in your editorial that our society and political leaders no longer hold the moral high ground of Nelson Mandela. There is even more reason and need for some sort of spiritual and moral regeneration to take place in our society. Pope Francis would bring this.

As your editorial noted, he stated in his recent visit to Sri Lanka that national reconciliation is impossible without first seeking repentance and forgiveness.

A visit by the pope would be good news and would bring morale regeneration and national reconciliation to a country which has lost its fundamental values of charity and humanity.

Sean Bozalek, Stellenbosch

No negatives

I

WAS saddened to read the prefix “non” in your report “Bishops meet evangelicals at Pretoria plenary session” (February 4), which stated: “It was part of the effort by the Church to form closer contacts with non-Catholic Christian groups.” In South Africa, the prefix “non” has such negative connotations.

The SACBC has produced two

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ing out too much printed matter. To avoid one’s own conversion, one creates bureaucracy.”

Even in traditional Catholic missionary work in the past, Catholic evangelisation has often taken the form of merely advocating a moral life. Our stressing only the evils of abortion to the world out there which has no capacity to understand grace, is like expecting an apple tree to produce grapes.

We must announce the full Gospel message, with faith in Jesus Christ at the centre. If not, this inevitably results in the centre of attention moving from God to man, and from grace to the law.

If we understand our Christian walk as scoring as many good marks as possible (a misunderstanding of graced good works) in order to avoid hell, and being “nice” to others, we are not yet evangelised but may yet “achieve” heaven, but as booklets, A Directory on Ecumenism (2003), dealing with Catholic dialogue and collaboration with other Christian churches and ecclesial communities, and Fruitful Encounter: Catholic Guidelines and Theological Basis for Dialogue and Collaboration with Other Religious Traditions (2007). These would include traditional religion and culture in Africa, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism.

In describing the path of dialogue the booklet clearly states: “The path described above in NO way entails a kind of pan-religion, nor is it in any way a path to indifferentism, relativism, syncretism, eclecticism, pragmatism or compromise.”

Sr Marie Andre SND, SACBC Department of Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue, Pretoria

Exorcism alarm

R

ECENTLY I attended a retreat in a neighbouring parish, at which the missioner informed us, among other things, that a lot of flies in the house was a sign of the presence of an evil spirit.

After the sermon he proceeded to “exorcise” and bless packets of salt and bottles of water held up by the congregation. He then came around sprinkling holy water on packets of candles.

I do not know what the salt and water was about, but presume that the candles are to ward off the dark evil spirit of Eskom.

We talk about Islam being stuck in the Middle Ages, but I am shocked to find that such superstitious nonsense as this is in use in our own Church in the 21st century.

Brian P Kennedy, Durban

THE JOURNEYS OF A LIFETIME!

“good pagans”.

Cardinal Francis Arinze has pointed out the lukewarmness and indifference of many Catholics and the widespread Catholic confusion regarding the basis of salvation. St John Paul II had these strong words to say in The Protestant Challenge in Latin America, where in Brazil there are more ex-Catholics at Sunday Protestant worship services then Catholics at Mass.

“The success of the sects is owed to the tepidity and indifference of the Church’s children who are not up to the level of their evangelising efforts because of Catholics’ weak testimony of a coherent Christian life ... many Catholics stand in lamentable helplessness before the recruitment work of non-Catholic agents,” Cardinal Arinze said.

Let us pray this year for the grace from God, strong in the intercession of Mary, the Star of Evangelisation, to be powerful evangelisers in the Lord’s Vineyard!

John Lee, Johannesburg

Interfaith prayer

P

OPE Francis’ January intention was for peace—“that those from diverse religious traditions and all people of goodwill may work together for peace”.

Let us pray with him and each other, perhaps with the prayer written by Christians, Jews and Muslims and used around the time of the 1991 Gulf War. “Eternal God, Creator of the universe, there is no God but you.

Great and wonderful are your works, wondrous your ways.

“Thank you for the many-splendoured variety of your creation.

Thank you for the many ways we affirm your presence and purpose, and the freedom to do so.

“Forgive our violation of your creation. Forgive our violence towards each other.

“We stand in awe and gratitude for your persistent love for each and all of your children belonging to all faiths.

“Grant to all people mutual respect in word and deed, restraint in the exercise of power, and the will for peace with justice for all. Amen.”

For a free leaflet with the St Francis peace prayer, SMS name and postal address to 083 544 8449.

Athaly Jenkinson, East London Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in Letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the Catholic hierarchy. The letters page in particular is a forum in which readers may exchange opinions on matters of debate.

Letters must not be understood to necessarily reflect the teachings, disciplines or policies of the Church accurately.

Letters can be sent to PO Box 2372, Cape Town 8000 or editor@scross.co.za or faxed to 021 465-3850

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PERSPECTIVES

Seasons of discomfort and joy

K

EEN readers may have picked up in the last few editions of The Southern Cross that I have just started a new job. That also means that I have moved city, from Johannesburg to Durban.

They say that moving house, changing a job and getting married are the three most stressful things you can do. Well, having just done two of them over one weekend, I am committed to remaining resistant to the third!

It is not that I am not used to moving house. In fact, in the last 16 years I have lived in eight different places and in four different countries—not a bad record of mobility.

So many of the aspects of moving house that some find difficult I have learnt to take in my stride and even enjoy. Not the packing—no one I know apart from my mother likes packing!—but unpacking can be great fun. I actually really delight in deciding where to put things, how to arrange my clothes and books and those sweet little things that we take with us as sentimental reminders (though I really can’t remember why I carry round a little grey pebble).

I suppose that the pleasure comes from re-making order where there was once disorder—finding comfort amidst the discomfort. Because the key experience of moving—house, city, job or all three—is of being discomforted.

That does not quite mean the same as being uncomfortable. Rather, it is the experience of moving from a situation of comfort, in which all is known and predictable and safe and relatively easy, to one of discomfort where, at least at first, everything is unknown and unpredictable and not yet safe and easy.

So I find myself wandering down the wrong aisle in the supermarket because it is a different chain from the one I am used to. I drive round in circles as I learn to navigate new routes in a new city. And most importantly I have to meet new people, remember names and build new relationships—professional, social and spiritual.

This is not easy but it is worthwhile.

We can sometimes get set in our ways, doing things day in and day out according to a fixed pattern. While there is some value in this, it means that we are no longer so open to surprises—the late British Jesuit Gerry Hughes wrote about

the “God of Surprises”.

Sometimes we are forced by circumstance or bad luck to change our set routines—an illness, or the birth or death of someone close, being retrenched or retired. These are moments when the Holy Spirit creates a gap in our ordered lives and so can breathe new air into our tidy but dusty worlds. It is not easy when that happens but we have to trust that the Lord knows how to help us grow.

I

kept having to remind myself of that because of a particular source of discomfort. I was ready to say goodbye to my old home and my former job—indeed I had chosen to do both of those—but I was not ready for to say goodbye to the comforts of technology.

Within three days I found myself without the laptop and the phone on which I had come to rely. The phone just stopped working but the laptop—more dramatically—was stolen from my car in a smash and grab as I was setting off from Johannesburg to Durban.

Some might call that karma. Had I really lived for five years in that exciting but difficult city and never been a victim of violent crime? Three young men with a brick and a quick getaway proved me wrong in my last five minutes in the city.

Having moved from Johannesburg to Durban, and being robbed of a laptop in the process, offered Raymond Perrier a new perspective on Lent.

Raymond Perrier

Faith and Society

These two objects had become almost extensions of my body. Forced to cope without them, I realised that I had been kidding myself about the ease with which I dealt with change—even as I moved house, like a tortoise I was carrying round a protective shell of familiarity in the form of the laptop and phone.

I don’t think God creates these situations in order to test us or to confuse us— the young thieves can’t claim they were instruments of the Divine Plan! But I would suggest that when these things happen, it gives us a useful pause for thought.

Am I overly reliant on things or routines or the same relationships? Do I leave space for the God of Surprises?

The carol sings of Christmas as the season of comfort and joy; Lent, which we have just started, is a season of discomfort and joy.

Our Lenten observances—fasting, prayer and alms-giving—should make us discomforted, they should force us to look at our lives and our world in a new way.

When we stop drinking or smoking or eating meat, we notice how reliant we have become on our little pleasures.

When we spend more time in prayer, we might actually make space to listen to God as well as talking to him. When we give to the poor, we remember the needs of those around us whom we can so easily overlook.

But it is discomfort and joy. That reading on Ash Wednesday reminds us to look happy and not miserable during this season. The book of Lenten reflections which I have just written with Frances Correia (if you will allow me an ad break) talks about the joy of Lent because we know that it is a season that will end, and will end in the Resurrection.

Lent is a time for us to evangelise others, not because of the sacrifices they see us make, but because of the joy with which they see us living our lives, even as we sacrifice.

So whether involuntarily because of a new job or a Jozi tsotsi, or voluntarily because you make space in your comfortable life, welcome the discomforts of the Holy Spirit and enjoy this Lenten season.

Committing our focus on the family Toni Rowland F AMILY-FRIENDLY, family-focused and family-centred. Are they all the same thing or is it just semantics to pose that question?

After some years in family ministry working in specific programmes, my late husband Chris and I had the idea to promote a family focus in the early 1990s.

It was a happy coincidence that at a meeting of the International Catholic Engaged Encounter executive in the US in 1994, Fr Jerry Foley showed us his new book, Family-centred Church, a New Parish Model. Of course we were over the moon at having come up with a similar concept for family ministry.

This was at the start of Marfam and we used his book in developing and implementing Marfam’s vision.

1994 also happened to be the 1st International Year of the Family, and the same year the first African Synod gave the Church the image of Church as Family.

In addition we had also been exposed to the US bishops’ manual “A Family Perspective in Church and Society”. So there was definitely a move in a particular direction.

An article I wrote in those early days was called “Looking with family eyes”, and that is now also part of the “Parish Family Ministry” manual of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC).

In my years as coordinator of the SACBC Family Life Desk I began to hone in more strongly on a family focus. Working alongside the Department of Social Development, it is gratifying and affirming that the concept has also been adopted as the national focus for South Africa in the White Paper on Families launched in October 2014, and also by the United Nations, whose theme for 2015 and beyond is “Rethinking and Strengthening Social Development in the Contemporary World”.

Why am I telling you all this stuff? Because family matters, in my book. A family focus means looking with family eyes at

Family Friendly

The future of the Church and of the world is through the family. the world around us. Pope Francis and other Church leaders, presidents and prime ministers, financial gurus at the Davos World Economic Forum, and all men and women at all levels of the business world should ideally look with family eyes.

This is more than just being familyfriendly, being nice to family people here and there and considering their needs as may be relevant to one’s position in life.

It’s recognising that we are all, and live as, family people. As has been said over and over, “the future of the Church, and of the world is through the family”. Are we a family-centred Church, or should we be a Christ-centred one as some would say?

P

ossibly the family focus fits our way of thinking best. We can be a Christ-centred Church with a family focus. That is how I see my ongoing ministry, as I will

no longer be coordinating the Family Life Desk.

Marfam’s contribution continues in little ways in “Thoughts for the Day” or in longer more in-depth articles reflecting on aspects of faith. In the upcoming Family Matters magazine a number of articles bring out my understanding of a family focus.

Cardinal Walter Kasper’s great new book Mercy gave me much food for thought on how the quality of mercy, that defines who God is, is learned and experienced in families in their many ups and downs in their daily interactions.

“Commitment” is the family theme for 2015 as part of the 2014-2016 Focus on Families. In February the theme is “Committed to Love”. Yes, romantic love, but also patient, long-suffering, enduring love.

This Lent a commitment to love can be the basis of our daily prayer and examination of conscience as individuals or as a family group. Reflect and share, “How do I rate myself on a commitment scale of loving God and neighbour?”

I’m giving it a try and will help others by publishing the thought for the day on Marfam’s website (www.marfam.org.za) and on Facebook. Other Lenten resources are also available.

Whether we look with family eyes at daily life, or dedicate ourselves to marriage preparation or parenting skills as particular aspects of family ministry, whether we put cute family stickers on the back of the car, take time out to walk with the kids and dogs on the weekend, or pray the Stations of the Cross in the family—we can and should thank God every day that we are created as relational, communal beings: as family.

The Southern Cross, February 18 to February 24, 2015

7

Michael Shackleton

Open Door

What value our Lenten sacrifice?

We are to do penance for our sins and Lent is a good time to concentrate on this. The early Christians seem to have undertaken severe fasts during their days. Now I, as an “old lady”, no longer bound by Church law to observe the Lenten fast, am wondering whether my little Lenten sacrifices are of little value to the Church in comparison with those of our ancestors in the faith. Can you advise me?

W van Graan HEN St Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he told them of the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. The letter kills, he points out, but the spirit gives life (2 Cor 3:6).

Someone who follows Church law to the letter, fasting and abstaining as required, but who lacks the spiritual motive of penance and a deeper life of love and prayer, is a good illustration of what Paul had in mind. Sticking only to the letter of the law is of no spiritual benefit to anyone. It does not deepen one’s relationship with God. Jesus urged us not to make a show of fasting. Do not let others see that you are fasting, he said, but your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you (Mt 6:18).

If the Father is going to reward you, it has to be because of the love for Christ and your neighbour that you express when you make small sacrifices.

St Thérèse of Lisieux can be your model during Lent. She wrote in her autobiography that she could not understand learned books on spirituality and on getting closer to God. She said she quickly tired of them because they broke her head and dried her heart. She left them to, what she called, great souls and great minds.

She wrote: “The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers, and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love.”

This may look like a far too sentimental way of doing something special during Lent but it isn’t.

It brings out the essential penitential nature of Lent, which is a time to make sacrifices of love for Christ and our neighbour.

“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (Jn 3:16). To appreciate the immense implication of these words, we should meditate on them and begin to understand how and why only our love for God and one another, and our gratitude, can give any meaning to any sacrifice we make for his sake.

W

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

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

Do you feel called to the Franciscan way of life?

Contact: Brother Evenie Turner O.F.M. 082 599 7718, 012 345 3732, PO Box 914-1192, Wingate Park, 0153,

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8

The Southern Cross, February 18 to February 24, 2015

COMMUNITY

Ted and Iris Seabrook of St John Bosco parish in Robertsham, Johannesburg, receive a blessing from parish priest Fr John Thompson SDB on the occasion of their 50th wedding Anniversary.

Megan Brown of Springfield Convent in Cape Town was placed on the wCED Top Pupil Merit List for pupils who achieved the highest aggregate in six subjects. Springfield Convent School also received a Certificate for Academic excellence in the National Senior Certificate 2014 examinations at an awards ceremony held at Leeuwenhof in Cape Town.

The Cape Town Lions members of Lions Club International met with Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town. (From left) Jimmy and Paula Lang of Strand parish, Archbishop Brislin and Mike wood of Parow parish in Cape Town. De Grendel Lions Club collectively have over 100 years of service in helping to meet the humanitarian needs of Cape Town’s indigent and handicapped citizens.

Cara Sinden and Tristan Gore of Marist Brothers Linmeyer in Pretoria are pictured on their first day in Grade R.

Mater Dei parish in Parowvalley, Cape Town, bade farewell to their cantor, Janel Speelman, as she left to further her studies in music at the University of Michigan in the US.

St Paul’s parish in Kwambonambi, Eshowe held its annual thanksgiving Holy Mass. Parish priest Fr Augustine Macuacua (centre) and Fr Bongani Manzini (left of centre) celebrated Mass with Dr Clotilda Zondo (right) and the altar servers.

Grace & Truth: Church responses to Globalisation in Southern Africa Subscribe Today A Journal providing academic reflection upon contextual issues today

Globalisation: The Church as an Interlocutor in Public Discussion Peter John Pearson

From Begging by the Roadside to Self Sustainability: A Contextual Reading of Luke 18:35-43.

Quinbert Kinunda M.Afr Enabled Rather Than (Dis)abled: Global Views of (Dis)ability Gloria Marsay

The Catholic Encounter with Muslims in South Africa in the Changing Socio-Political Situation and in Times of Globalization Chris Grzelak SCJ Developing a Theology Curriculum in Southern Africa: Opportunities and Challenges Raymond M Mwangala OMI The Role of the Laity in the Post Conciliar Period: The Church in a Globalized World Siphiwe F Mkhize

This edition of Grace & Truth has been supported by Southern Africa Trust in partnership with St Joseph’s Theological Institute If you would like a free copy of this edition of Grace & Truth please email gracetruth@sjti.ac.za . Offer available while stocks last.

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St Joseph’s theological institute and Catholic Institute of Education Joint Conference Catholic Responses to Education and formation in Southern Africa 9 -11 April 2015

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PERSONALITY

The Southern Cross, February 18 to February 24, 2015

9

Merton at 100: Still inspiring people to get closer to God Fr Thomas Merton has been called the most influential Catholic writer of the 20th century whose fans included Popes John XXIII and Paul VI. DENNIS SADOwSKI looks at the life and legacy of the famous Trappist mystic who was born 100 years ago.

W

HEN Trappist Father Thomas Merton addressed persistent racism in the United States in his writing during the 1960s, his message seemingly reached into the future.

Appealing to society to recognise that all people are children of God, Fr Merton questioned practices that prevented African-Americans from achieving full equality and called for the end of discrimination in all forms.

It was just one of the priest’s stances on important social issues, encompassing race relations, militarism and war, consumerism and the burdens posed by technology.

Fr Merton’s concerns are as pertinent today as they were when he wrote about them half a century ago, said Paul M Pearson, director of the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, which is taking a leading role in celebrating the centennial of the Trappist’s birth.

“He speaks to us because everything he has to say is as applicable now as when he wrote it,” he said.

“Those social issues he addressed, I think he would be horrified that we’re still dealing with them, that nothing has changed.”

Researchers and theologians suggest that Fr Merton’s social concerns stemmed from a deep spirituality and an unending quest to find God. Some consider him a mystic and believe he deserves to be declared a Doctor of the Church. St John XXIII and Bl Paul

VI were among Church leaders who regularly turned to his writing for inspiration.

Merton was born on January 31, 1915 in Prades, France, near the border with Spain. His parents— New Zealand-born father Owen and American-born mother Ruth— were artists. Ruth Jenkins Merton died when Merton was 6; Owen died nine years later.

His challenging childhood and his upbringing and visits to various locales, including France, Italy, New York (after his mother’s death) and England shaped the young Thomas as much as his gradual discovery of the love of God after years of an unsettled, and at times promiscuous, life as a young adult.

Merton entered the Trappists— formally the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance—in Gethsemani, Kentucky, on December 10, 1941, three years after being baptised in the Catholic Church.

He found the structured and prayer-filled life of a monk appealing. The monastery was a place where he could think about life— and contemplate the presence of God. Fr Merton’s massive autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, an assignment from his superior who recognised his desire to be a writer, raised his profile among people searching in their lives. Originally published in 1948, the year before Fr Merton’s ordination, the work has sold more than a million copies and has been translated into more than 15 languages, according to the Thomas Merton Center.

A prolific writer, Fr Merton over the course of 20 years wrote hundreds of poems, dozens of essays, thousands of letters and numerous books. He is acknowledged by scholars and theologians as perhaps the most influential Catholic author of the 20th century.

“He’s a wonderful writer and poet. He gives you the sense that God is present, God is close and God walks with us,” said Christopher Pramuk, associate professor of

theology of Xavier University in Cincinnati.

T

oday, decades after his death on December 10, 1968—from electrocution in Bangkok while on pilgrimage to better interfaith understanding with Eastern religions—Fr Merton’s works continue to be studied; new books reprinting his letters and essays continue to be published.

I

n cities around the world, groups of Merton devotees through the International Thomas Merton Society meet for silent prayer and discussion of the Trappist’s works.

“He was the one who took contemplation and contemplative prayer out of the monastery,” said Ursuline Sister Donna Kristoff, coordinator of the the International Thomas Merton Society’s Cleveland chapter, one of 39 in the US and eight overseas. “He was one of the first ones to show that this is basic Christian practice, that all people need to learn to sit quietly, to find solitude and peace to find God within.”

Sr Kathleen Deignan, professor of religious studies at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York, called Fr Merton a “path maker”.

“He bequeaths these paths to us so that we can actually find them.

He did make the path by walking.

There was nobody in front of him.

No cultural conditions. No family.

He did this great pilgrimage of search.”

Christine Bochen, professor of religious studies at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York, and a founding member of the international Merton society, has edited the Trappist’s work for publication.

She has found the “richness of his personality” evolving over his two decades of writing.

“What is absolutely fascinating to me is that he could see what so many could not,” Prof Bochen said. “He’s withdrawn in a sense, living in a monastery in rural Kentucky, but he could read what the

Father Thomas Merton, one of the most influential Catholic authors of the 20th century. (Photo: Merton Legacy Trust and the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University) Second Vatican Council called signs of the times. He had a deep wisdom and understanding of what was happening in the world.”

In a 1984 documentary funded in part by the Catholic Communication Campaign, author Paul Wilkes explored the monk’s struggles that led to the realisation that the answers to life’s mysteries rest in discovering God. Since reading Fr Merton’s autobiography in high school, Mr Wilkes has found that the monk’s lasting appeal rests in the familiar voice in which he examines basic questions about life.

“It’s like he’s in the room with you,” Mr Wilkes said.

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The Rev Lars Adolffson, a Church of Sweden minister, is coordinator of the Swedish Thomas Merton Society. He said Swedes appreciate the monk’s “gentle style” and the joy he finds in discovering God. “In the search for God, he doesn’t force you,” Rev Adolffson said.

“He doesn’t make any hard strains towards people. He notes how God will act in your life in a positive way.

“He has something to tell us.” n More information about the Thomas Merton Center and the International Thomas Merton Society can be found at www.merton.org

10

The Southern Cross, February 18 to February 24, 2015

TRAVEL

The Catholic vibe of Munich Munich is a metropole in which cultures meet—but the Catholic history of the city is ever-present, GüNTHER SIMMERMACHER writes.

W

HEN God decided that German culture needed some Italian flair, he created Munich—or, as the Italians call it, Monaco (di Baviera).

There are many picturesque towns in Germany, but these are usually steeped in their particular regional culture. Munich is unmistakably German and Bavarian, but the warmth of the Italian lifestyle permeates the city.

And this finds expression in the vast number of Italian restaurants in Munich. There are an estimated 400-500 of them in Munich, reportedly more than in Florence and Siena combined. Even the famous Hofbräuhaus is liable to offer pasta with meat sauce as an alternative to that great Bavarian staple, the Weisswurst.

Hofbräu is one of the six beers that are allowed to have a tent on the famous Oktoberfest, whereas the region’s best-selling beer, Erdinger, may not. The reason resides in geography: the brewery in Erding is just outside Munich, and only beers brewed within the city’s boundaries may be represented at the Oktoberfest.

Half of these beers have Catholic roots, which are revealed in their names: Augustiner, Paulaner and Spaten-Franziskaner.

Throughout Bavaria, and indeed Europe, there are many more breweries that started in monasteries. Back in the day, the monks brewed their strong beer to see them through Lent; its consumption was mainly nutritional, rather than recreational—though, one suspects, the latter was a welcome side benefit.

On holy days, the monks would give the laity some free beer, which, unsurprisingly, boosted Mass attendance. Children would even receive a litre to mark their First Communion.

In Bavaria, the monks’ beer

From left: Frauenkirche, St Michael’s and the Theatiner church. days ended gradually. Some breweries were sold, among them Munich’s big three monks’ breweries; others were forcibly nationalised during the particularly anti-clerical secularisation of 1803.

M

unich’s Old City is beautiful.

While 90% of the city was destroyed in 18 separate bombing raids in the Second World War, the Old City suffered relatively few of them—though these did extensive damage.

Much of the Old City has a Catholic flavour—appropriately, since the root of its German name, München, is “at the monks”, a reference to a monastery that already stood there when the town was founded by Henry the Lion.

Munich’s ornate but quite young city hall, finished only in 1909, is located on the Marienplatz, or St Mary’s Square, which dates back to 1198, forty years after the settlement was first mentioned. It has been Munich’s centre point ever since.

Just behind the city hall is the church of Munich’s oldest parish, St Peter’s. Situated on the inner city’s only significant elevation, the site is believed to be that of Munich’s first settlement.

There might have been a church there already when Munich was founded, or maybe it was a customs house. Either way, an original church is mentioned shortly after Munich’s foundation.

The 14th-century St Peter’s church, which was frequently remodelled over the centuries, was almost completely destroyed in a 1945 air raid. But just as its ruins

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were about to be torn down—to retain only the iconic tower (known to the locals as “Old Peter”) and the choir—the finances materialised to reconstruct the church. Thus, as happened in many German cities after the war, a piece of cultural and religious heritage was saved.

Today, St Peter’s is still an active church, popular with tourists who climb up the tower to take in a panoramic view of Munich.

These visitors will be struck by the twin towers of the Frauenkirche (or the church of Our Lady), Munich’s cathedral, and thus the former seat of then-Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI. The two towers, with their unusually rounded peaks, can be seen from afar due to a city ordinance which prohibits the erection of buildings more than 100m high.

It is a huge church. Consecrated in 1494, it can hold 20 000 people— that is 7 000 more than Munich’s entire population at the time.

Legend has it that the decision to build such a big church was made after the death of a girl during Mass in the previous church, which had stood on the spot since the 13th century. That church was so small and crowded that the girl could not be taken outside to be saved; hence the need for a more spacious one.

More likely, the Frauenkirche was built at its enormous size to trump the nearby St Peter’s in a show of old-fashioned ecclesiastic and civic rivalry.

It includes the massive tomb of Louis IV, the 14th-century Holy Roman emperor who found a final

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St Peter’s church in the heart of Munich’s city centre. It is the location of Munich’s first church. Damaged in the war to the point that it was about to be torn down, it was carefully reconstructed. (All photos by Günther Simmermacher) resting place in a cathedral despite having been excommunicated (mostly for political reasons).

A popular detail in the Frauenkirche is the purported footprint of the devil, with spores.

There are two competing legends, both relating to the fact that, before the cathedral was remodelled, one couldn’t see any windows upon entering the building.

In one version of the story, the devil had helped build the church in exchange for the soul of the first person to enter it. The builder, however, shrewdly denied the devil his reward on the grounds that he had delivered poor work, as there were no windows. In anger the devil stamped his foot, leaving a mark.

In the other legend, the devil— this time not part of the construction crew—left his footprint in rage after finding that, contrary to his mocking, the church actually did have windows.

The Frauenkirche is located just off Munich’s main shopping street, the Kaufingerstrasse. On the street, now a pedestrian zone, the Jesuits have their headquarters in St Michael’s church—though one might miss its purpose, since the exterior doesn’t look much like a church.

St Michael’s was built between 1583-97, drawing architecturally from the Jesuits’ mother church in Rome, Il Gesù, and served as Bavaria’s centre of the Counter Reformation. It is the largest Renaissance church north of the Alps.

Its barrel-vaulted roof is the world’s largest after that of St Peter’s basilica in the Vatican— though one has no idea of its vast size when just looking at its façade. It collapsed during a 1944 air raid and was rebuilt.

The baroque interior is

grandiose, with triumphal arches after the fashion of Roman emperors designed to symbolise the One True Faith’s victory of the Reformation.

Among its many tombs are those of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the builder of Bavaria’s fairy tale castles, including the famed Neuschwanstein.

P

erhaps Munich’s prettiest church, and certainly the most Italian, is the yellow Theatinerkirche, founded by the Clerks Regular of the Divine Providence.

Dedicated to the order’s founder, St Cajetan, its architecture was inspired by Rome’s basilica of Andrea della Valle.

Located on one side of Odeon Square, this is the church outside which Adolf Hitler’s 1923 coup attempt was put down. During the Third Reich the Theatinerkirche provided an unwilling backdrop to many Nazi rallies held in front of the huge Feldherrnhalle loggia.

The church dates to the 17th century, though the façade was completed only in 1768. Just three decades later, the monastery of the Divine Providence monks was dissolved by the secular authorities, and the church was placed in the service of Bavaria’s royal court.

The Theatinerkirche also suffered damage in air raids; it was restored by 1955, the year after the Dominicans took charge of it.

These are by no means Munich’s only Catholic churches: just opposite the Theatinerkirche, for example, is the impressive 19thcentury Ludwigskirche.

In Munich, wherever you are, you are always just a short skip away from both a church and a beer house. And the order in which you visit them is between you and God.

Ursulines Ursulines of of the theBlessed Blessed Virgin Virgin Mary Mary We VirginMary, Mary, Weare arethe theUrsulines Ursulines of of the the Blessed Blessed Virgin called througheducation educationofofgirls, girls, calledto toserve serveChrist Christ through women and servants, pastoral and social work. women and servants, pastoral and social work.

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CLASSIFIEDS Sr Thomas Strain MSA

A

SSUMPTION Sister Thomas Strain died on January 21 after a long illness, and several years of weakness which she bore with graciousness and acceptance.

She was born in Ireland in 1925, one of a family of eight children. Her oldest sister, Sr Philip, was also an Assumption sister who ministered most of her life in South Africa. Another sister, Kathleen, was a sister of St Clare; her ministry was mainly in Ireland. Her remaining sister and her four brothers were all married.

She is survived by one brother.

Sr Thomas entered Assumption convent in Ireland in 1945 and was sent to South Africa. Her novitiate was in Grahamstown, and she also attended Grahamstown Teachers’ Training College.

Her first teaching post was at St James School in Schauderville, Port Elizabeth. She taught at various times in Assumption schools in Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria North, as well as in Star of the Sea High School in KwaNgwanase, vicariate of Ingwavuma.

She was assigned to Ireland on a couple of occasions and was a novice mistress there for some years. For another period she was the bishop’s representative on education in the Port Elizabeth diocese.

Sr Thomas was a warm, outgoing person who was greatly loved wherever she went. She had a great sense of humour and was genuinely interested in people, making friends easily.

At her funeral in St Bernadette’s church in Walmer,

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:

Presentation on the life of 19th-century Ecuadoran President Gabriel Garcia Moreno, the 1634 apparition of Our Lady of Good Success, the “miraculous painting” of “La Dolorosa del Colegio de San Gabriel”, and “Our Lady’s prophecies concerning the current dangers to the faith within the Church and a successful outcome yet to come”. March 7 at 15:00 at the South African Centre for the Netherlands in

Pinelands.

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

Our bishops’ anniversaries This week we congratulate: 19: Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria on the 21st anniversary of his episcopal ordination.

20: Bishop Zolile Peter Mpambani of Kokstad on his 58th birthday.

21: Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban on the 14th anniversary of his appointment as cardinal.

24: Bishop Michael Wüstenberg of Aliwal on the 7th anniversay of his episcopal ordination.

26: Bishop Barry Wood, Auxiliary of Durban, on the 9th anniversary of his episcopal ordination.

28: Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban on the 34th anniversary of his episcopal ordination.

OR FOR D

CONSTrUCTION

The Southern Cross, February 18 to February 24, 2015

CLASSIFIEDS

Births • First Communion • Confirmation • Engagement/Marriage • wedding anniversary • Ordination jubilee • Congratulations • Deaths • In memoriam • Thanks • Prayers • Accommodation • Holiday Accommodation • Personal • Services • Employment • Property • Others Please include payment (R1,37 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication.

DEATH

Port Elizabeth, her longtime friend Mgr Brendan Deenihan was the main celebrant, assisted

by Mgr John Clarke and eight priests from the diocese. A niece and a nephew came from Ireland for the funeral.

Sr Mary McAteer MSA

Southern CrossWord solutions

SOLUTIONS TO 642. ACROSS: 5 Kobe, 7 Irreligion, 8 Amok, 10 Triptych, 11 Shinto, 12 Shrift, 14 Umbria, 16 Afraid, 17 Beadwork, 19 Furl, 21 Minor debts, 22 Snub. DOWN: 1 Lima, 2 Reckoner, 3 Giotto, 4 Digits, 5 Knot, 6 Blackfriar, 9 Mohammedan, 13 Rarefied, 15 Abound, 16 Ankara, 18 Dumb, 20 Lost.

Liturgical Calendar Year B Weekdays Cycle Year 1 Sunday, February 22, First Sunday of Lent Genesis 9:8-15, Psalms 25:4-9, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:12-15 Monday, February 23, St Polycarp Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18, Psalms 19:8-10, 15, Matthew 25:31-46 Tuesday, February 24 Isaiah 55:10-11, Psalms 34:4-7, 16-19, Matthew 6:7-15 Wednesday, February 25 Jonah 3:1-10, Psalms 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19, Luke 11:29-32 Thursday, February 26 Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25, Psalms 138:1-3, 7-8, Matthew 7:7-12 Friday, February 27 Ezekiel 18:21-28, Psalms 130:1-8, Matthew 5:20-26 Saturday, February 28 Deuteronomy 26:16-19, Psalms 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8, Matthew 5:43-48 Sunday, March 1, Second Sunday of Lent Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18, Psalms 116:10, 15-19, Romans 8:31-34, Mark 9:2-10

ESTABLISHED 1982

CIOLLI—Mary Anne (Dickie) née Dickson. In loving memory, the mother of my children, born June 15, 1941 passed away on January 23, 2015 after a long illness, loyal and faithful. will be forever missed and remembered in our prayers by Remo, Catherine, Michael, David, Stephen and grandchildren. Rest in peace.

DOMIN—Sr Mathilde. Holy Cross Sister, Sr Mathilde, aged 89, passed away in St Michael’s, Aliwal North, on December 27, 2014.

Lovingly remembered by the Holy Cross Sisters, the Domin family circle in Germany and the people whom she served in Namibia and South Africa.

May she rest in peace! rEINErS—Sr Clemens Maria. Holy Cross Sister, Sr Clemens Maria, aged 89, passed away in St Michael’s, Aliwal North, on January 26, 2015. Lovingly remembered by the Holy Cross Sisters, the Reiners family circle in Germany and the people whom she served in South Africa.

May she rest in peace!

IN MEMOrIAM

OVIS—John of Eerste River, Cape Town. In loving memory of John who passed away February 25, 2009. Always remembered by your wife Theresa, children, grandchildren, sonsin-law, daughters-in-law and all other family and friends.

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.

Thank you for prayers an-

swered. Colleen.

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.

Say three Our Father’s, three Hail Mary’s and three Gloria’s. Thanks to Little King, Ss Jude, Anthony and Martin de Porres for prayers answered. MPA.

ALMIgHTY eternal God, source of all compassion, the promise of your mercy and saving help fills our hearts with hope. Hear the cries of the people of Syria; bring healing to those suffering from the violence, and comfort to those mourning the dead. Empower and encourage Syria’s neighbours in their care and welcome for refugees. Convert the hearts of those who have taken up arms, and strengthen the resolve of those committed to peace.

O God of hope and Father of mercy, your Holy Spirit inspires us to look beyond ourselves and our own needs. Inspire leaders to choose peace over violence and to seek reconciliation with enemies. Inspire the Church around the world with compassion for the people of Syria, and fill us with hope for a future of peace built on justice for all. we ask this through Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace and Light of the world, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Amen. Prayer courtesy of

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the USCCB. THANkS be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, For all the benefits thou hast won for me, For all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother, May I know thee more clearly, Love thee more dearly, And follow thee more nearly, For ever and ever.

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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: Pamela Davids (subscriptions@scross.co.za), Dispatch: Joan King (dispatch@scross.co.za), Accounts: Desirée Chanquin (accounts@scross.co.za).

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2nd Sunday in Lent: March 1 Readings: Genesis 22: 1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18, Psalm 116:10, 15-19, Romans 8:31-34, Mark 9:2-10

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NE of the things that Lent can do for us is to help us see things differently; and that means seeing them the way that God sees them. That is what can happen to us if we pay attention to the readings for next Sunday.

The first reading is a deeply disturbing one, and you will do well to read the whole of Genesis 22 before next Sunday. It starts by telling us that “God tested Abraham”; and what a test it turned out to be! Abraham is unwise enough to say, when addressed by God, “Here I am”, and then we listen in horror as God gives him the instruction: “Take, please, your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a sacrifice.”

Now we all know how the story ends, but even so, we listen, trembling, until finally Abraham is just about to do the terrible thing: “He put forth his hand and took the knife to kill his son.” The tension is increased when the “angel of the Lord called to him from heaven”; but this time he does no more than call Abraham’s name. Once again Abraham says, “Here I am”; we still do not know how

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Conrad

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God tests us to see things anew Fr Nicholas King SJ

Sunday Reflections

this scene is going to play, and we only breathe our collective sigh of relief when finally the angel tells Abraham: “Do not put forth your hand against the lad, and don’t do anything to him”.

But what was it all about? The best thing that we can say is that God sees things differently. God can never ask us to commit murder; that goes without saying. On the other hand, God will sometimes ask obedience of us when we simply do not understand, and do not see how we could possibly obey. What, in this Lent, is God asking you to see differently?

The psalm for next Sunday tells us what the poet went through, and how he was brought

to see things differently. “I kept the faith, even when I said, ‘I am greatly afflicted’.” And, it turns out, not even death is a problem: “Precious in the Lord’s eyes is the death of his holy ones”, and then, as so often in the psalms, he is able to sing: “I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to you; I shall call on the name of the Lord.” And we listen in astonishment as the song continues, “I shall pay my vows to the Lord…in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, Jerusalem. Hallelujah!”

The second reading for next Sunday likewise invites us to see things differently; and it starts by reminding us that “God is on our side”, and therefore no one can be against us.

But it goes deeper, for Paul then echoes what Abraham did, or nearly did, in the first reading, when he says: “[God] did not spare his own son, but handed him over on behalf of all of us.” Notice that we are not supposed to see God as an ill-tempered potentate, who demands blood in order to be appeased; rather, it is that, like Abraham, God is willing to give us absolutely everything: “How will

Taking refuge in daydreams GOOD part of our lives is taken up with daydreams, though few of us admit that and even fewer of us would own up to the contents of those fantasies.

We’re ashamed to admit how much we escape into fantasy and we’re even more ashamed to reveal the content of those fantasies. But, whether we admit it or not, we’re all pathological daydreamers; except this isn’t necessarily a pathology.

Our hearts and minds, chronically frustrated by the limits of our lives, naturally seek solace in daydreaming. It’s an almost irresistible temptation.

Indeed the more sensitive you are, perhaps the stronger will be the propensity to escape into daydreams. Sensitivity triggers restlessness and restlessness doesn’t easily find quiet inside ordinary life.

And what about the contents of those daydreams?

We tend to have two kinds of daydreams: the first kind are triggered more by the immediate hurts and temptations within our lives; for example, a lingering hurt or anger has you fantasising about revenge and you play out various scenes of retaliation over and over again in your mind. Or an emotional or sexual obsession has you fantasising about various kinds of consummation.

The other kind of daydream we escape into takes its root in something deeper,

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Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

something classically expressed by St Augustine in the opening lines of his Confessions: “You have made us for yourself Lord and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

Simply put, we are over-charged for our lives, given infinite spirits and infinite appetites and put into this world wherein everything is finite. That’s a formula for chronic dissatisfaction. What’s our escape?

Daydreams.

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owever, these second kind of daydreams are somewhat different from the first. They aren’t so much focused on the immediate angers and temptations but rather are the habitual imaginary lives that we have interiorly fashioned for ourselves, fantasy lives that we play over and over again in our minds the way we might play and replay a favourite movie.

But there’s something interesting and important to note here. In these daydreams we are never petty or small, rather

we are always noble and grand, the hero or the heroine, generous, big-hearted, immune from faults, drawing perfect respect, and making perfect love.

In these daydreams we, in fact, intuit the vision of Isaiah where he foresees a perfect world, the lamb and the lion lying down together, the sick being healed, the hungry being fed, all restlessness being brought to calm, and God, himself, drying away every tear. Isaiah too fantasied about perfect consummation. His fantasy was a prophecy. In our earthy fantasies we might not prophesise but we do intuit the Kingdom of God. With that being said, we still need to ask ourselves: How good or bad is it to escape into daydreams?

At one level, daydreams are not just harmless but can be a positive form of relaxation and a way to steady us inside the frustrations of our lives. Sitting back in an easy chair and sinking into a daydream can be little different from sitting back and turning on your favourite piece of music.

But there’s a potential downside to this.

Since in our daydreams we are always the hero or the heroine and the centre of attention and admiration, our daydreams can easily stoke our natural narcissism.

And there’s more: Etty Hillesum, reflecting on her own experience as a Jew in hiding from the Nazis, suggested another negative consequence from habitually escaping into daydreams.

She affirmed that because we make ourselves the centre of the universe inside our daydreams we often end up not being able to give anything or anybody the simple gaze of admiration. Rather, in her strong words, in our daydreams we take in what we should be admiring and, instead, “masturbate” with it.

For this reason, among others, daydreams help block us from mindfulness, from being in the present moment.

So where should we go with all of this?

Given both the good and bad within our daydreams and given our near-incurable propensity to escape into fantasy, we need to be patient with ourselves.

Fr Henri Nouwen suggested that the struggle to turn our fantasies into prayer is one of the great congenital struggles within our spiritual lives.

Fr Pierre Teilhard de Chardin shared in his journals that when he was young he struggled a lot with fantasy but, as he grew older, he was able more and more to stand in the present moment without the need to escape into daydreams.

That’s the task we need to set before ourselves.

[God] not give us the whole lot as a free gift?”.

God is in charge, and so Paul can speak, lovingly, of Jesus as “the one who died but, better, was raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who is interceding for us”. This is indeed to see things differently.

And the Gospel is the story of the Transfiguration, where Jesus is seen completely differently, as he really is, in white garments, and chatting on equal terms with Moses and Elijah.

This is indeed to see him differently, and when Peter makes his idiotic suggestion about building tents, God intervenes, and identifies Jesus as “my beloved Son—listen to him”.

That is what we shall have to do. Notice, however, that this is not a comfortable option, because suddenly these three disciples, Peter, James and John, who function in Mark’s gospel as Jesus’ “inner cabinet”, are instructed “not to tell anyone what they had seen until “the Son of Man should be risen from the dead”. That, of course, means that God’s “beloved Son” has first to die on the cross. And that means seeing things very differently indeed.

Southern Crossword #642

ACROSS 5. Part of brick obelisk in Japan (4) 7. Oil ring ire brings about ungodliness (10) 8. Dynamo knowledge will run wild inside (4) 10. Three-in-one icon (8) 11. Japanese religion (6) 12. Priest’s absolution might be short (6) 14. Region of Ss Francis and Clare (6) 16. Do not be ... (Lk 2) (6) 17. Creative job for those praying the Rosary? (8) 19. Roll up (4) 21. Small liabilities of venial sin? (5,5) 22. Turn your nose up at buns (4)

DOWN 1. Home of St Rose (4) 2. Calculator (8) 3. Florentine artist can go to it (6) 4. Numbers of fingers (6) 5. It may be tied at the altar (4) 6. He is a Dominican (10) 9. He goes on pilgrimage to Mecca (10) 13. Fair reed can be very refined (8) 15. One jump will be in large numbers (6) 16. Thank a rabbi hiding in Turkish city (6) 18. Zechariah was struck this way (Lk 1) (4) 20. Sheep to be discovered (4) Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

T

he old cradle Catholic had just turned 92 when she went to her priest and said: “Father, I want to convert and be a Protestant.”

The priest was puzzled: “How can that be, you’ve been a daily communicant for more than 90 years, a lifelong member of the Catholic Women’s League and Legion of Mary,” The woman replied: “Father, my life is nearing its end, and I thought it’s better if one of theirs dies than one of ours.”

Send us your favourite Catholic joke, preferably clean and brief, to The Southern Cross, Church Chuckle, PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000.