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Seminary is full – but cost of training rises BY STUART GRAHAM

The risen Christ is represented at the culmination of the Stations of the Cross at San Giovanni Rotondo in western Italy. (Photo: Günther Simmermacher)

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HE number of men called to study for the priesthood has been rising steadily at St John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria in the past three years—but so has the cost of educating the young seminarians. Seminary rector Fr Molewe Machingoane said it takes around R28 000 a semester to train a priest at the seminary in the suburb of Waterkloof. “The money mostly comes from the diocese of the seminarian, but there is also a very small subsidy from Rome. Ninety percent of the cost is carried by dioceses themselves,” he said, adding: “It is expensive to train a priest.” Fr Machingoane said around 116 men are currently at the seminary, with 28 others doing pastoral internships at parishes. “Over the last three years our numbers have been going up,” he said. “Sometimes we have a huge intake. There are some dropouts, due to reasons of formation. Some of the young men discover it is not their way. We also ask certain people to rethink when we see it is not their way.” The rising numbers of seminarians was behind the construction of a new residence block for students in June last year. “The expansion was done to accommodate the growing number of seminarians,” Fr Machingoane said. “We have a target of about 180 seminarians, which the bishops set. When we reach that we will see what other plans have to be made. By around 2017, if we stick to projections, we will hold around 150.” Around 12 or 13 seminarians graduate from St John Vianney each year, after their seven and a half years of training. “They go out in phases, but generally we have between 12-13 each year. “The majority do finish their studies, but we do have dropouts in the range of about 20 or so.” Most of the young men entering the seminary are school leavers from South Africa's villages and townships. “Some come here with a strong matric;

St John Paul II Pilgrimage to Poland Southern Cross

Christ’s Resurrection is depicted in a mosaic at St John Vianney seminary, Pretoria. (Photo: Fr Chris Townsend) others with a poor one. Most of them are from their own diocese. We have a mixed bag of seminarians,” Fr Machingoane said “They represent the typical youth we see today. They face the same challenges that a young person would experience. Some would come from single-headed families and there would be others who would come from solid [traditional] Catholic families,” he explained. “Our task is one of helping them shape lives in terms of Gospel values and to begin to prepare them to be ministers. Most would have been inspired by priests at home,” he said. Fr Machingoane said the young men may have been exposed to formation in their parishes through youth structures. Some of them may have been products of programmes in their parish where they have vocation camps and teams. Priests who care for and nourish their communities generally attract vocations. “The experience of the washing of the feet that a young man would experience in his own parish and a priest who is generally a pastor who loves, cares for and nourishes his community attracts vocations,” Fr Machingoane said. “Many young people see this as an ideal life,” he added.

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The Southern Cross, April 1 to April 7, 2015

LOCAL

J&P: Health is a right BY DYLAN APPOLIS

T Bishop José Ponce de León, with Machawe Ngcamphalala of the diocese of Manzini (second from right) and two trainees, during construction of a new house.

Swaziland steps up on Aids BY DYLAN APPOLIS

HE bishops’ Aids Office has frequently had to change its focus to adapt to the latest realities of the Aids pandemic in Southern Africa. Initially its focus was on the provision of home-based care and residential palliative care, then on antiretroviral drugs, and later on the provision of comprehensive care and services to Aids orphans. “Today, the challenge is to find sustainable livelihoods for them,” said Johan Viljoen, programme manager of the Aids Office. “Problems faced by Aids orphans in Swaziland are particularly severe. The country’s total population is 1,2 million, of whom 120 000 are orphans.” Swaziland has the highest percentage of HIV-positive people of any country globally at 26,5% of the population. Extreme poverty is widespread—63% of Swazis live on less than US$1 per day. In 2014, the Aids Office partnered with German funding agency

Misereor to provide orphans with skills that would enable them to find livelihoods in the construction sector, simultaneously providing housing for themselves and other orphan-headed households. Fifteen orphans were selected to undergo the building and construction course at the Manzini Industrial Training Centre. All of them passed with good results, said Sr Alison Munro OP, director of the Aids Office. “In the second phase of the project, the newly trained orphans constructed new two-roomed houses for destitute orphans. This was to give them the practical experience of building houses,” Sr Munro said. “The programme is on track—to date, four of the seven planned houses have been built. Only three remain. The new houses are of good quality. Bishop José Luis Ponce de León has visited them, and is impressed,” Sr Munro added. Mr Viljoen said the Aids Office is hopeful the Swaziland project can be duplicated in other areas, especially KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

HE Justice & Peace Commission (J&P) of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference is stepping up its campaign to monitor the implementation of universal access to quality health. “The project was inspired by Catholic Social Teaching which emphasises that health care is a human right,” said Fr Stan Muyebe, the coordinator of J&P. “Health care is a fundamental issue of human life and dignity. Human life is precious; every human being should therefore have that basic standard of health care necessary to maintain human life,” the Dominican priest said. “It is our responsibility as Christians to ensure that the poor and the rural people, as children of God, also receive this basic standard. Access to that basic standard of quality care should not be solely dependent on one’s financial status and one’s location,” Fr Muyebe said. J&P, working with diocesan Justice & Peace groups, seeks to influence the discourse on national health care insurance (NHI), including the speed and greater accountability in the implementation of NHI pilot projects. J&P groups are involved in monitoring the pilot projects to ensure that they achieve intended objectives. 2014 saw phase one of the initiative, which was meant to test the feasibility of doing participatory monitoring of the national health insurance. J&P groups in four dioceses—Klerksdorp, Pretoria, Kroonstad and Port Elizabeth—were involved in phase one of the advo-

Members of Catholic Justice & Peace groups from various dioceses attended a planning meeting for advocacy in the pilot projects for national health insurance. cacy. More J&P groups will be involved this year and next. The campaign by the J&P groups is part of a global campaign to ensure that development goals after 2015 include the universal health coverage. “As Pope Francis succinctly puts it, we have developed for ourselves a global health system that leads to globalisation of indifference to the cries of the poor in health care. The Gospel challenges us to listen to the cries of the poor,” Fr Muyebe said. In South Africa, the programme of universal health coverage is being implemented as a national health insurance. The government has set up 12 NHI pilot projects which J&P groups located in the 12 project areas are monitoring. This will be done in partnership with civil society organisations and the Catholic Health Care Association of South Africa (Cathca). J&P is also exploring the possibilities of establishing partnerships between diocesan J&P groups and the office

of Health Standards Compliance to strengthen the spirit of accountability in health care. “Given the deep inequality in health care in South Africa, equity, human dignity and common good need to become explicit policy objectives in our health care,” Fr Muyebe said. Given South Africa’s history of health inequality, the task of setting up NHI coverage has to start with the first phase, namely fixing the capacity of public health systems to deliver quality services, he explained. “This phase is supposed to conclude by 2017, Fr Muyebe said, but warned that “the government has a history of failing to conclude projects within the prescribed timelines”. “We believe the universal health coverage is so important to the poor that such delays should not happen. There is a need to exert pressure on the government to meet its deadline of completing this phase by 2017,” he said.

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The Southern Cross, April 1 to April 7, 2015

LOCAL Southern Cross editor Günther Simmermacher (front centre) delivered a talk on modern media and the newspaper at Durbanville parish in Cape Town, hosted by the parish’s Busconnect group. He is seen here with (back from left): Maryanne Murray, Denzil Smerdon, Fr Michael van Heerden, (front) Tanya Lotz and Catherine de Valence. Busconnect is the parish’s network for business people.

Pilgrimage cross makes its way

PILGRIMAGE cross began its journey a few weeks ago and will be taken up in procession on the days the Grade 11s of the Catholic schools in the archdiocese of Johannesburg gather in May for a morning of unity and celebration of Mass at the cathedral of Christ the King in Braamfontein. The cross, adorned with each school’s emblem, is sent with a prayer message for all the youth in the archdiocese to be faithful witnesses to the Gospel, and remain united in following Our Lord. The cross is a reminder of journeying together on the pilgrimage of faith, and a symbol of building communities in all the Catholic schools in Johannesburg. The next leg of the journey will see Brescia House School delivering the cross to Holy Family College in Parktown on April 14.

Bianca Spinazze (left) of St Theresa’s in Rosebank hands over the Pilgrimage Cross to Sia Philippides of Brescia House School in Bryanston.

Kroonstad plan focuses on jobs BY DYLAN APPOLIS

NEMPLOYMENT is one of the biggest challenges South Africa is facing and with more than 4,6 million people without a job, and in the Free State, which has the highest level of unemployed youth in South Africa, about half of all people between 15 and 34 are jobless. Thabiso Skills Development Centre in Welkom, Free State, aims “to alleviate poverty, reduce crime and gangsterism, and assist with the country’s economic development to ensure a better future for all”, said Christine Stander, the centre’s operational manager. The Thabiso centre was established in 2006 by Bishop Stephen Brislin of Kroonstad, now archbishop of Cape Town. The project was started in memory of the late Bishop Johannes Brenninkmeijer, who died in 2003 and was given the nickname “Joy”. The project was named Thabiso, which means joy. The centre offers courses in computers, catering, bricklaying, welding, carpentry, electronics, panel beating, spraypainting, basic business management, and life skills. “The failure rate of Grade 9 learners has in the last 30 years increased from 4% to 13%. The dropout of Grade 10 to 12 learners has increased tremendously; only 34,8% of learners who started school in 2002 passed matric last year,” Ms Stander said. “These learners who fail and drop out turn to gangsterism. Sta-

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Young Catholics from across the archdiocese of Durban celebrate at their all-night youth pilgrimage.

Young adults take part in Ntshogweni all-night vigil BY DYLAN APPOLIS

ORE than 300 young people took part in the annual all-night youth pilgrimage to St Albini parish in Ntshogweni in the archdiocese of Durban. The all-night gathering started off with a reconciliation Mass, concelebrated by Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, followed by confession and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with rosary prayers. The night also included praise and worship, and the Stations of the Cross. This year’s theme was “Blessed are the pure in heart, for theirs is the kingdom of God” (Mt 5:8). Some ten priests and numerous nuns from all over Durban were there with the young people and got a platform to call the youth to

answer the call to religious life, in view of the current Year of Consecrated Life. “Gatherings like this are quite important as we take some time off our busy schedules just to pray and contemplate,” said Boniswa Moto, media and publicity officer of the Association of Catholic Tertiary Students (Acts). “Being part of this pilgrimage was an amazing experience as it was the first time for some of us [from Acts] to gather with other young people just to reflect on our lives and pray together,” Ms Moto said. She said the pilgrimage was a huge success. Quoting archdiocesan youth chaplain Fr Phelelani Mswane, she said that there was an increasingly contemplative attitude from the youth.

tistics shows that gangsterism among youth is a social problem that is rapidly growing in the Free State,” she added. Identifying the problems in the Free State province, the Thabiso centre focuses on empowering the community, changing the focus of youth to establish cooperatives or SMMEs (small, medium and micro enterprises). Entrepreneurship, Ms Stander said, is vital for a developing economy like South Africa, to unlock growth and economic inclusion. The centre aims to fill the gap between theory and practical innovations. “Taking into consideration the social circumstances the learners come from, it is vital for all learners to attend the two-week life skills course,” Ms Stander said. “Through this course learners are taught to deal with issues such as communication skills, peer pressure, substance abuse, conflict management, CV-writing, interviewing skills, and so on.” Learners who need counselling due to abuse are assisted during the life skills course. They are also exposed to a 40hour training session in basic business management to equip them as potential entrepreneurs. They are identified, mentored and coached for a year. Urgent financial assistance is needed for facilitation, assessment and moderation fees as well as operational costs of the centre. n For more information contact Christine Stander on 057 356 0006 or christine@thabisosdc.co.za

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The Southern Cross, April 1 to April 7, 2015

INTERNATIONAL

Pope to share the mercy he received BY CINDY WOODEN

P Pope Francis holds a reliquary containing what is believed to be the blood of St Januarius at the cathedral in Naples, Italy. After the pope handled the relic, the blood apparently liquefied. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

Pope slams mafia in Naples BY ELISE HARRIS

OPE Francis told the people of Naples—a city ravaged by crime and mafia violence—that change is possible, and encouraged those involved in organised crime to convert and work towards a better future. “It’s time for Naples to surrender: this is my wish and my prayer for a city that has so much spiritual, cultural and human potential, and above all so much capacity to love,” the pope said at a Mass in the city’s Piazza Plebiscito. The future of Naples “is not resigned to fold in on itself, but to open to the world with confidence”, he said, adding that “to hope is already to resist evil…to hope is to wager on the mercy of God, who is Father and always forgives and forgives everything”. Pope Francis met with people from various social classes and spoke harsh words against corruption, saying that “a corrupt society stinks like a rotting corpse”. In his homily during Mass, he encouraged the congregation to react with firm resistance in the face of organisations that exploit or corrupt the youth, the poor and the weak, as well as the “cynical drug trade” and other crimes plaguing the city. He called on all those involved in organised crime, including their accomplices, to convert back to the path of love and justice. “Let yourselves find the mercy of God! With the grace of God, which forgives all, it’s possible to return to

an honest life,” he said, explaining that “the tears of the mothers of Naples”, as well as those of Mary, are begging for this. On his visit the pope also condemned unemployment and the exploitation of workers, especially migrants. He gave an example of a young woman who was offered a job working 11 hours a day for a pittance, with no insurance or pension fund, and that she was told that “if she had refused, many people were seeking that job”. “This is slavery, this is exploitation. It is not human, it is not Christian. If someone doing this described himself as a Christian, he is a liar,” the pope underscored. At the end of a meeting with priests, religious and seminarians in the cathedral of Naples, a vial of dried blood from fourth-century St Gennaro (also known as St Januarius) liquefied as Pope Francis held it to administer a blessing. This phenomenon is said to happen three times a year: May 1, September 19, which is the saint’s feast day, and December 16. The last time this occurred with a pope was in 1848 with Pius IX. When the pope returned the reliquary, the cardinal told him: “It seems that St Gennaro loves the pope, because the blood is already half liquefied.” Pope Francis quipped in response, “You can see that the saint only loves us a little. We have to convert more,” drawing laughter from those within earshot.—CNA

OPE Francis’ decision to convoke a special Holy Year of Mercy has its roots in the event that led a teenage Jorge Mario Bergoglio to the priesthood. Pope Francis has recounted the story several times in the past two years. On one occasion early in his pontificate, he told members of Catholic lay movements about his faith journey, particularly the importance of growing up Catholic and the influence of his grandmother. Then he said: “One day in particular, though, was very important to me: September 21, 1953. I was almost 17. It was ‘Students’ Day,’ for us the first day of spring. Before going to the celebration I passed through the parish I normally attended, I found a priest that I did not know and I felt the need to go to confession. For me this was an experience of encounter: I found that someone was waiting for me. Yet I do not know what happened, I can’t remember, I do not know why that particular priest was there whom I did not know, or why I felt this desire to confess, but the

truth is that someone was waiting for me. He had been waiting for me for some time. After making my confession I felt something had changed. I was not the same. I had heard something like a voice, or a call. I was convinced that I should become a priest.” Over and over again, Pope Francis tells people: God is always there first, waiting for you; the sacrament of confession is an encounter with the merciful God who is always ready to forgive those who seek pardon; and recognising how merciful God has been with you should make you merciful toward others. The pope chose his motto from the Venerable Bede’s homily on the Gospel story where Jesus sees Matthew, says “follow me”, and Matthew does. The pope’s motto is miserando atque eligendo, which St Bede used to describe Matthew, calling him “wretched, but chosen”. Irish Jesuit Father James Corkery, a professor at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University, said the pope’s Jesuit training, specifically through the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola, built on his experience of

mercy as a young man. St Ignatius “gets you to reflect on how you haven’t been perfect and then he gets you to be filled with wonder and awe that the Lord could show you all this kindness,” Fr Corkery said. “Ignatius has an immense sense that God did something for him and that links up with the consciousness of mercy.” Pope Francis’ motto, “Wretched, but chosen”, shows that he and St Ignatius are on the same page when it comes to being overwhelmed by God’s goodness and mercy, the Irish Jesuit said. At the penance service announcing the Holy Year, Pope Francis gave a homily on the Gospel story of the sinful woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. “Thanks to Jesus,” the pope said, “God threw her many sins over his shoulders and remembers them no more. That is because this is true: when God forgives, he forgets.” The Jesuit said the pope knows from his own experience that “you would be stuck, you would not be able to move forward, if you did not know there was mercy at your back”. —CNS

Cardinal Kasper urges prayers for upcoming synod on family BY CINDY WOODEN

ATHOLICS should let their bishops know their hopes and concerns for the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the family, but even more importantly, they should pray that the Holy Spirit guide the bishops’ deliberations, said German Cardinal Walter Kasper. “We should all pray for it because a battle is going on,” he said in a speech presenting his new book, Pope Francis’ Revolution of Tenderness and Love, published in English by Paulist Press. Bishops attending the synod,

scheduled for October 4-25, will be called to discern ways the Church can communicate joy to all families, including those who have experienced the brokenness of a sacramental marriage, he said. “Hopefully, the synod will be able to find a common answer, with a large majority, which will not be a rupture with tradition, but a doctrine that is a development of tradition,” the cardinal said, adding that if the Church believes it has a “living tradition”, it means that there is room for it to develop. Pope Francis chose Cardinal Kasper to make a presentation to the

College of Cardinals in early 2014 about possible ways the Catholic Church could welcome some divorced and civilly remarried Catholics back to the sacraments. The pastoral care of divorced and civilly remarried Catholics became a focus of sharp debate but no consensus was reached on Church outreach to those people whose marriages have failed. Cardinal Kasper said Pope Francis’ approach to the synod is that it is an appropriate forum for discerning, with the help of the Holy Spirit, how best to respond to the faith and needs of the Catholic people. —CNS

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The Southern Cross, April 1 to April 7, 2015

Syrian patriarch: No military intervention BY LAURA IERACI

T Passionist Father Francesco Guerra talks about artwork above the Holy Stairs as people pray on their knees at the Pontifical Sanctuary of the Holy Stairs in Rome. Tradition maintains that Jesus climbed the stairs when Pilate brought him before the crowd. It’s believed that Constantine’s mother, St Helen, brought the stairs to Rome from Jerusalem in 326. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

Pope asks homeless to hand out Gospels at Angelus BY ANN SCHNEIBLE

OPE Francis invited members of Rome’s homeless community to join volunteers in handing out copies of the Gospel to pilgrims during the Angelus in St Peter’s Square, a reminder of how God’s word is found among the poorest of society. “Even in this we see a very beautiful gesture, which pleases Jesus,” the pope said, “those most in need are those who give us the word

of God.” The volunteers, who included homeless persons living on the streets of Rome, handed out small copies of the Gospel in Italian to those who had braved the chilly and wet morning to come and pray with the Holy Father. Meanwhile, Pope Francis reiterated the importance of always carrying a copy of the Scriptures to read throughout the day. “The word of God is light for our journey!” he said.—CNA

Nigerian bishops visit Boko Haram refugees BY PETER AJAYI DADA

DELEGATION representing Catholic organisations in Nigeria offered words of comfort and pledged help for Nigerian refugees who fled to neighbouring Cameroon because of a violent insurgency by Boko Haram. Led by Bishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji of Umuahia, chairman of Caritas Nigeria, the fact-finding delegation visited Minawao Camp in Maroua, Cameroon, to meet with some of the estimated 36 000 Nigerians who have sought safety in recent weeks. The visit was arranged after the Cameroonian bishops’ conference approached the Nigerian bishops about the plight of the refugees. “We are here to facilitate your going back to Nigeria. We will ensure that your plight here will get the immediate attention of the federal government of Nigeria who, too, are aware of our visit,” Bishop Ugorji told the refugees.

“Christ was a refugee in Egypt. And it is only a refugee who understands better the feelings and emotions of a fellow refugee. “Today, this camp has become your Egypt, ” the bishop added. The delegation included Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme of Maiduguri; Bishop Stephen Dami Manza of Yola; Fr Evaristus Bassey, executive secretary of Caritas Nigeria, and Fr Christian Anyanwu, director of the communications office of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria. Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme of Maiduguri, whose diocese has been the most adversely affected by the insurgency, described the visit as giving the refugees a “moral boost”. “Boko Haram is evil and we must use every resource at our disposal to get it out,” he said in the statement. “We don’t have [a] gun. Our gun is our prayer. We urge all Christians to pray, especially in this period of Lent, for a lasting peace and final resolution of the crisis in Nigeria so that our people can live.”—CNS

Marian text messages not approved by Church BY LAURA IERACI

HE Catholic bishops of Ivory Coast have denounced the increasingly recurrent circulation in their country of e-mails and text messages claiming to include messages from Mary. In a pastoral letter, the bishops said the authenticity of the messages “has neither been proven nor approved by the Church”. In fact, they said, most of the messages are “contrary to the teachings of the Church”. “People, claiming to be from the Catholic Church, have given themselves the mission to disseminate messages that, according to their authors, are from the Virgin Mary,” said the bishops. After reviewing their content, “the conclusion is that the content of most of these messages is con-

trary to the spirit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ...for some messages may even disturb public order and create psychosis and fear among the people”. The apocalyptic messages, which describe impending calamity for Ivory Coast and the coming of “the victory of God”, call people to prayer and repentance. In response, the bishops have invited the faithful to exercise “prudence and discernment” so as not to be “troubled or frightened during this time of Lent, which is a time of trial, where all sorts of temptations may present themselves to lead us away from God”. The bishops did not identify the person or persons allegedly sending the messages and they did not provide details about the content of the messages.—CNS

HE head of the Melkite Catholic Church has rejected outright all calls for an international military intervention in Syria and urged Pope Francis and all Christian churches to “promote a concrete and realistic road map” to peace in the beleaguered nation. “It is reckless to think of military interventions, conducted from the outside, to defend Christians in Syria and the Middle East,” said Melkite Patriarch Gregoire III Laham, who is based in Damascus, Syria. “If we really want to bring an end to the tragedy of the Syrian people, there is only one way: enough [with the] war, enough [with the] arms, money and ploys used to attack Syria,” he said. The patriarch presided over a prayer vigil for peace at the Melkite cathedral of the Dormition of Our Lady in Damascus. Through prayer, the patriarch said, Christians demonstrate that they are “the true promoters of peace in Syria”. The patriarch said he was “calling on Pope Francis, and on all Churches and Christian communities, so that the two billion Christians worldwide, speaking with one voice, promote a concrete and realistic road map, asking all the forces in the field to put aside their calculations for power and the causes that fuel war”.

“Only in this way can the suffering of our people end,” he said. He noted the power of prayer, recalling how, after Pope Francis had called for a universal day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria in September 2013, naval ships that were heading to Syria turned back. “While we were in prayer these past days, we heard news that Western countries will reopen negotiations with [Syrian President Bashar] Assad,” the patriarch said. “This is now the realistic path to follow, if we really want peace.”

he Melkite cathedral in Damascus was full for the prayer vigil, and the bishops of the various Catholic and Orthodox Churches were present. Archbishop Cyril Vasil, secretary of the Vatican Congregation for Eastern Churches, also attended. In his reflection, Archbishop Vasil said he was sent by Pope Francis to “express his spiritual closeness with all those who suffer”, namely with the displaced, the hungry and those who have been kidnapped. “The pope never forgets you,” he said. “And I am also here to assure you that, along with the Holy Father, the whole Church is and will always be close to you in prayer and charity.” Noting that Syria has entered its fifth year of war, he said: “We do not accept that this war lasts much longer. Every day is one day too

much; every death is one too much.” He said Christians have the vocation “despite everything, to be messengers of hope”. “In a world that is increasingly torn apart, we are real bridges of reconciliation,” he said. “We do not forget the victims and we are close to those who mourn the loss of their family members. We firmly believe that their blood is a seed of faith.” Archbishop Vasil said the upcoming Holy Year of Mercy, which Pope Francis announced, is “a grace for the Church in Syria and for the whole Church”. He said the Year of Mercy would “bear precious fruit” for Syria. “And I am sure that our Lord will continue to perform miracles by granting—the day that he wants—the desired peace,” he said. The archbishop also expressed “profound gratitude” to the witness of the bishops, priests, religious men and women, pastoral workers and volunteers in Syria, who “despite everything, remain with their flocks, who are dear to them”. Not all Church leaders agree that military intervention should be avoided. Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar Warda of Irbil, Iraq, has reiterated his calls for international military intervention to stop Isis and to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul.—CNS

The Southern Cross, April 1 to April 7, 2015

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Devil not fanciful medieval figure

Editor: Günther Simmermacher Guest editorial: Deacon Greg Garnie

The fact of Resurrection T

HE pinnacle of all four gospels is the Resurrection of Jesus. As events go, this is the most dramatic turning point in human history, thanks to the faith conviction of the disciples of Jesus down the ages. Yet not everyone accepts that Jesus died and rose again. There are many dissenting voices, both religious and secular. A relook at the gospels from a different perspective might help to address these doubts. What makes the testimony of the Resurrection of Jesus so compelling is not so much what is stated or claimed, but rather who it is making the statement. Who are these people? Jesus’ followers were very simple people indeed; fishermen, migrant workers, those with no significant status in society, even outcasts of society. Literacy levels were very low in the population, even among Jesus’ followers, so they would have been in awe of, if not intimidated by, the highly educated, powerful religious and political authorities at the time. On top of that, they were well aware of the intolerance to any form of political or religious dissension, and having seen the treatment of Jesus, they were understandably afraid of meeting a similar fate. In the days after the crucifixion, they were mourning the loss of their friend and hiding. This was their reality immediately following the arrest, crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus. Only Matthew’s gospel deals with the tomb being guarded, as his target audience is his fellow Jews. They were sceptical of the Resurrection, having been influenced by the powerful religious authorities. These authorities, on hearing of the strange events at the tomb of Jesus, bribed the tomb guards and fabricated a story to discount the Resurrection. They claimed the body was stolen by the disciples. If they acknowledged the Resurrection they would automatically have condemned themselves for having agitated for the death of the Messiah. Theirs was a truly human response of covering up. The gospels of Mark, Luke and John do not concern themselves with this detail as their target audience is the gentiles and Jews in the diaspora.

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.

The simple question arises: Could the disciples of Jesus have overcome their fear of the authorities, within days of Jesus’ death and burial, to be able to remove the body from the guarded tomb? If we put ourselves in their shoes we realise that they were not capable, psychologically and emotionally, of stealing the body of Jesus, even if the tomb was unguarded. The startled reaction of the disciples when Jesus appears to them is well documented. They could touch him and eat with him. Jesus reaches out to their disbelief and transforms this into faith. It is these same simple people, hiding from the authorities, who, a short while later, came out of hiding to boldly proclaim Jesus as the Christ, the Risen Saviour, not just of the Jews but of all humankind. Their transformation is impressive and cannot be ignored; from a state of fear, sadness and despair to one of courage, joy and hope. The book of Acts records the experiences of the disciples— their successes, joys, hardships, adversity, persecution and even the martyrdom they endured, freely, for their faith. There is a record of the disciple Stephen, a deacon, who became the first martyr for his faith in the Risen Jesus. When we reflect on the experiences of the disciples we cannot but sense their simple yet authentic testimony to the Resurrection of Jesus. There is no complex theological, philosophical or intellectual formulation needed to believe it. It is not their claim of a Resurrection having taken place which makes it true, but rather their transformation in response to the Resurrection that eloquently testifies to the truth. Without the Resurrection, they would surely have gone back to their old ways of life— and the Church, the Body of Christ, would not be. Every human being is indebted to Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, Peter, John, Thomas, Paul and all the others for proclaiming the truth. Their question put before this generation is simple: How is the Resurrection of Jesus transforming your life and witnessing to the truth?

T is said that in our day there are no devils left in hell: they have all been let loose on earth destroying marriages, disrupting communities and governments, and causing wars, in addition to tempting individuals, particularly in the weaker areas of their lives, as never before. Yet there are many today, including clergy, who consider the devil and his cohorts to be a medieval superstition, and that psychology can cure what was formerly, even in scripture, attributed to the evil one. The very reason for Jesus’ coming was to confound the works of the devil and to make heaven a possibility for those who repent and live lives in tune with the Gospel. There remain, nevertheless, those who see this area as savouring of superstition and primitive religion. It is true that every temptation is not necessarily the result of direct demonic activity. Many temptations are due to our weakness and

Playing organ an act of joy

OUR article “Recognise the organists’ labour of love” (December 10) refers. Having read this article with great interest, since I am the official cathedral organist in Oudtshoorn, I have a few ideas which I’d like to add in counterpoint, so to speak. For a long time I struggled with the problem of being the everbadly-done-by, unappreciated and lonely church organist. Sunday upon Sunday I returned home from Mass licking my wounds, so to speak. Did nobody appreciate the music or have the slightest idea of just how much hard work and expertise had gone into its preparation? The “answer” came upon me in the form of a realisation which in its turn engendered in me an entirely new attitude to that which I had hitherto suffered with the congregation’s immense indifference and, frankly, ingratitude. It occurred to me that they did not flock to thank the officiating priest for his wonderful homily. On the contrary, I noticed that, on completion of the Mass, people bombarded him with personal questions, seeking further advice and so on. This realisation was the most sobering experience. What, I asked myself, was I after? It is, after all, not a concert, but the performance of a ministry. As such, playing the organ is an integral aspect of the liturgy and ought to be approached and experienced as such rather than as a separate “item on the programme”. The organist’s ministry has as its function the musical expression of

sinfulness. On November 15, 1972, in a general audience, Pope Paul VI made the following statement (which was, incidentally, much criticised) in reply to the question, “What is the greatest need of the Church today?” The pope said: “Do not let our answer surprise you as being over-simple or even superstitious or unreal. One of the greatest needs is defence from the evil which is called the devil. Evil is not merely a lack of something, but an effective agent, a living, spiritual being, perverted and perverting, a terrible reality. “It is contrary to the teaching of the Bible and the Church to refuse to recognise the existence of such a reality, or to explain it as a pseudoreality, a conceptual and fanciful personification of the unknown causes of our misfortunes. “That it is not a question of one devil but of many is indicated by various passages of the Gospel (Lk 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

the liturgy, and at no point should the organist or his ministry draw attention to themselves. The organist’s and priest’s acts are complementary (not complimentary!) and together they are celebrating, with the congregation, the greatest gift God has bestowed on mankind, the Eucharist. How privileged one is to be able to execute a ministry of God at this level. What thanks can we rightfully expect when, in fact, it is we who are called to give thanks to God through the art which he gave us. The psalmist says: “O sing to the Lord, giving thanks; sing psalms to God with the harp” (Ps 147 146). How beautifully this reminds us that through our music we bring an oblation of love to the feet of our Lord. Whether we are appreciated in earthly terms or not is, quite frankly, of no importance to me at all. Hugh Miller, Oudtshoorn

Church finances

OR many years now there have been, from time to time, letters published in The Southern Cross from parishioners about Church finances. Sadly, apparently few or no responses were received to support the writers in their endeavours to

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obtain information regarding their parish’s financial position from their pastors or finance committees. Mervin Pollitt’s excellent letter, published in August 2014, called on parish priests to be prepared to talk finance from the pulpit. It is indeed disconcerting that there appear to be parish priests and finance committees that are unjustifiably reluctant to disclose financial information to those who willingly support the Church each Sunday or through their monthly planned giving. It would be remiss of me not to pay high tribute to Fr Kevin Reynolds, previously of Sunnyside parish in Pretoria, where my family attended Mass for many years. Fr Reynolds spoke regularly about matters financial, and published financial results on bright yellow paper on the bulletin board each quarter. Apart from Fr Reynolds, my general experience has been that scant or no financial information is presented to the parishioners, even at the end of the parish’s financial year. The Church needs financial support from its parishioners to fulfil and promote its mission on earth. Without this, the Church cannot effectively function. Parish priests and finance committees should understand that parishioners—even if not all—are interested in the amount contributed each week, and an analysis of how figures compare to the previous year. Such transparency might, in fact, encourage increased contributions. Beneficiaries, beware of alienating your generous benefactors. Name withheld

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11:21, Mk 5:9) ...a whole mysterious world upset by an unhappy drama of which we know very little. What are the signs of diabolical action and what are the means of defence against such an insidious danger?” (L’Osservatore Romano, November 23, 1972) In Turin in Italy, for instance, the activity of Satan is so strong that several official exorcists have been assigned to the archdiocese. No wonder, this is the city where the Shroud of Turin is kept. There was the publicised event, some years ago, when a possessed woman caused such a tumult in St Peter’s Square during one of Pope John Paul II’s audiences that even the Holy Father was prevailed upon to try to exorcise the woman, well known in the area, on whom several exorcisms had been attempted in the past. The activity of the evil one in our day is certainly not a fanciful medieval superstition as some would suppose. John Lee, Johannesburg

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The Southern Cross, April 1 to April 7, 2015

PERSPECTIVES

How to understand Easter B ECAUSE Holy Week commemorates the culmination of Christ’s human life, it is observed by Christians as the most sacred time of the year. Its first day, Palm Sunday, recalls Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, but days before the cheering crowd became a jeering mob demanding his life. Maundy Thursday commemorates Christ’s institution of the Eucharist and the Christian priesthood while Good Friday focuses on his suffering and death. The following evening and Easter Sunday celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the dead. How can we approach Easter with a fresh understanding in view of our having heard Christ’s “story” very often and know already its outcome? Perhaps the best way to celebrate Easter is to discover its meaning in our lives, since what makes us human is our capacity to love. Sadly for most Christians, the saving action of Christ is confined to the events of his last 24 hours on earth. However, it is necessary to appreciate, too, the value of every day of his human life. Basically Christ became Christians’ Lord and Saviour by living his human life to the full, moment-by-moment, day-by-day, year-by-year right up to his excruciating

death on the cross of Calvary. In doing so, He was the one who ultimately got right the “human equation” by responding in every situation and experience of his life in, through and out of love. By living like this from his attaining the age of reason, Christ was able to respond perfectly to the major choices he faced on the last day of his human life. This is the theology of Easter. How do we experience it in our own lives?

Renaissance master Pintoricchio’s 15thcentury fresco of the Resurrection in the Vatican’s Borgia Apartments. (Photo courtesy of Vatican Museums)

Fr Kevin Reynolds

Point of Reflection

It is relatively easy to acknowledge verbally that Jesus is our Lord and Saviour. Experiencing and living that reality is another matter. It calls for us to similarly live each day as Christ did, responding in every circumstance and situation of our lives in, through and out of love. The acid test of such living is how we cope with pain, suffering and simply life’s daily demands, like routine, effort and irritation. There is no doubt that the measure of a person is indicated by how one handles this human phenomenon. A mature handling of life’s demands never crushes a person. Rather, it is the occurrence of genuine human growth. Certainly, this is how Christ coped with his ultimate suffering. Anyone who follows his example in this respect similarly grows and experiences a redemptive value in his or her own suffering. Only when one suffers or shares the suffering of another does it make sense and bring home the meaning of Christ. Living like this is the reality of Christ’s rising from the dead. Therefore, I trust, your own life experience reflects Easter every day of the year.

Jerusalem: My home and yours M Y home is Jerusalem. This is what I always answer when my tour groups ask me where I’m from. I was born on the Mount of Olives and lived in Jerusalem all my life. I grew up in the Christian Quarter of the Old City. My father is buried on Mount Zion and my grandfather’s tomb is in the Garden of Gethsemane. As a child I helped my father, George, when he did contract work at the church of the Holy Sepulchre. I was amazed at this holy place and the number of foreigners who came there to visit and pray. I was fascinated by the tour guides and soon I followed tourists inside the church and offered to guide them. And so, in the holiest place in Christianity, the actual place of the crucifixion and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, my vocation as a Christian tour guide took off. It was on February 19, 1980 when I picked up my first group, Baptists from Cleveland. On our first full day we awoke in St George’s Hotel in Jerusalem to find my beloved city knee-deep in snow. As a Latinrite Catholic, I took the group on the Via Dolorosa and the church of the Holy Sepulchre, little realising that Baptists don’t do these things! I quickly had to learn that not

all Christians do things the way we Catholics do. A Christian tour guide is different from a secular one, and also from one who is not a follower of Our Lord Jesus. The secular guide and the one who isn’t a Christian takes tourists to different sites and churches and talks about the significance and history of these places. The Christian guide is different, because his visitors are pilgrims, not tourists. Christian guides communicate the Christian faith in the land where it was born. They can make the Gospel come alive to the pilgrims because they believe. But we are also ambassadors of our land and our people, of our culture, of our religious traditions, of our history, of our sufferings and our hopes. As a Christian Palestinian guide I am a “Living Stone” among the ancient stones of this land. We, the Palestinian Christians of the Holy Land, are the connection between the sites of the Gospel and the living faith that continues to breathe here today. My job, which provides me and my family with a living, is also a ministry.

ften people ask me whether I ever get tired of going to the same places all the

Rimon Makhlouf with pilgrims in the courtyard of the basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth during last May’s Southern Cross pilgrimage with Archbishop Stephen Brislin. inset: Jerusalem seen from the Mount of Olives. (Photos: Günther Simmermacher)

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Point of Reflection

time. But how can I tire of being at the places of Our Lord’s birth, childhood, ministry, death and resurrection? Even after all these years, every time I take a group to the church of the Holy Sepulchre, I touch the stone on which we know for sure the cross stood. Like a priest who never tires of saying Mass, so do I never tire of going to the same places in the Holy Land. I have worked to pass on my experience and my passion for the Holy Land to the next generation. After I earned the travel expert licence in 1995 I taught tourism at Bethlehem University for 12 years. At the same time I was able to negotiate and convince the Israeli Ministry of Tourism to allow Palestinians who lived in Jerusalem to get licensed as tour guides. After developing the programme in English, the first guiding course for East Jerusalem started in 1997. We now have more than 300 Palestinian tour guides who are licensed by the state of Israel. It is estimated that 80% of the tourists who visit the Holy Land are Christian pilgrims. As a Christian tour guide I always make sure to connect them to the land historically and spiritually, letting the Bible unfold as they see the places they had only ever read about. To me, it is not only a profession, but also a ministry. Many of my pilgrims go home and write me “thank you” letters for helping them strengthen their faith, and also for opening their eyes to the truth and the realities facing the Christians of the Holy Land today which they never knew about because of the distortions in their media. Sometimes I don’t even have to say anything… My home is Jerusalem. And when I receive a group of travellers from anywhere on earth, I welcome them home, for Jerusalem is home to the whole world.

n Rimon Makhlouf is a tour guide based in Jerusalem. In late March he was in South Africa for a series of talks. Next month he will guide The Southern Cross pilgrimage with Archbishop William Slattery. It will be his seventh South African group.

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Open Door

News from synod? What are the chances that the upcoming October Synod of Bishops in Rome will find a pastoral way for divorced and remarried Catholics in a stable union to be readmitted to full participation in the Eucharist? V B Fraser

IKE everything else in the institutional Church there are conservative and progressive arguments for and against. In this case, the conservative argument is the dominant one, namely, that the Church cannot dissolve a valid sacramental marriage, and the marriage bond remains intact even if a civil divorce takes place. Divorced and remarried Catholics are not free to enter a second marriage, with the consequence that they are denied the Eucharist. Canon law states that it is not lawful to contract another marriage before the nullity or the dissolution of the previous one has been established lawfully and with certainty (c1085.2). Pope Francis has taken note of the deep concerns of pastors in regard to divorced Catholics who are settled into a second marriage and who feel alienated from the Church because they may not receive Communion. He said that the Church should consider a merciful approach in such situations. Of course, mercy is shown to those who are sorry for an offence. When Catholics repent for failing to keep their marital vows by attempting a second union, yet are settled in that union and have not abandoned the faith, there are current arguments that it may be possible to let them receive Communion, which they seriously desire. Cardinal Walter Kasper, who has written extensively on the Church exercising Christ’s mercy in the world, has suggested that the principle of epikeia should be applied in such cases. Epikeia identifies an action in an individual situation which is so exceptional that it does not fall within the ordinary provisions of canon law, that is, it is a unique and not a general event. He would like to see its application not so much in legal terms but as practical and individual cases of the divine mercy, with the caveat that it will be applied to individuals who request it, not generally. This progressive view has been countered by canonists who believe it presents a new criterion of tolerance that is incompatible with Church teaching. Meanwhile, the bishops of Germany have signalled their intention to admit divorced and remarried Catholics to Communion in particular cases and they are ready to debate it in October. Pope Francis, it would appear, wants this debate to take place. He wants the Church to demonstrate the Lord’s own mercy to the poor, the marginalised and those who feel pastorally neglected. He has publicly praised Cardinal Kasper’s latest book entitled Mercy. So, what are the chances that the synod will find a way to bring divorced, remarried Catholics fully back into the fold? We’ll have to wait till October to find out what view prevails at the synod. And even then, we will not know until the pope makes a pronouncement on the matter, possibly in his apostolic exhortation on the synod, a document for which there is no deadline.

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

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

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Feast of Divine Mercy Celebrations

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The Southern Cross, April 1 to April 7, 2015

COMMUNITY

The Portuguese Prayer Group at Durbanville parish in Cape Town held their annual colourful procession during Mass. The group and congregation joined in singing Portuguese songs of praise and worship.

A Holy Childhood Mass was held at St Mary of the Angels in Cape Town, at which St Augustine’s Primary of Parow Valley presented a spiritual dance for Communion reflection. Cape Town Archbishop Stephen Brislin is shown (centre back), with Carol Sivalingam (left), Fr Gordon Rees (right), and the young dancers from Parow Valley. To find out more about spiritual dance, contact Mrs Sivalingam on 072 841 9381.

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Markos Asefa and Zenebech Markos of the Ethiopian and Eritrean community were married by Fr Melese Tumato MCCJ at St Francis of Assisi parish in Johannesburg. The couple are from St Joseph parish, vicariate of Hosanna in Ethiopia. Their traditional wedding celebration was held at Yeoville community hall by Fr Johannes Silalhi CICM and Community National Coordinator Hailu Adalo. Church singer Mulgeta Dula sang in the Amharic language.

Fr Wilfred Joye OMI of Klerksdorp diocese celebrated his golden jubilee.

Teresa van der Byl, a teacher at St Anthony’s Primary in Heathfield, Cape Town, met singing star Judith Sephuma, at an all-day “Jazz on the Lawn” festival hosted by St Joseph’s Marist College in Rondebosch. The jazz bands of several schools also performed, including the highly-rated band of St Joseph’s. (Photo: Naomi Gabriel)

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Sr Gabriella Ngxobo made her first profession as a sister at Twasana in the Eshowe diocese. Sr Ngcobo is pictured with Mother General of Twasana Sr Bonaventure Shabalala and (from left) Frs Xulu, Haushiku, Ntshangase, and Mayer.

The Southern Cross, April 1 to April 7, 2015

FOCUS

Making a difference, a cupcake at a time The ethos of her Catholic school helped inspire a young woman who has been honoured by the queen of England to launch an upliftment project in the Eastern Cape, as ROWAN PHILLIPS of St Henry’s Marist College in Durban explains.

NE of the five tenets of the ethos of Marist schools around the world is “Presence”. In practice, it means to give oneself, to be available to another, and to provide freely to another without expecting anything in return. One person who believes that the ethos of her alma mater contributed significantly to moulding her into the person she is today is Patrice Madurai. The head girl of Durban’s St Henry’s Marist College in 2010 moved to Cape Town after her matriculation to study at UCT. She quickly involved herself in various community initiatives. Now, four years later, her efforts and heart of compassion have been recognised: she was awarded the Queen’s Young Leader Award, an honour received by 60 young people from around the Commonwealth, including three from South Africa. Patrice, along with the other winners, will receive the prestigious award in June from Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. In March last year, Patrice was part of UCT’s delegation to the Harvard World Model United Nations

held in Brussels, where over 2 000 delegates from 200 of the world’s best universities met to provide the young leaders with a platform for laying foundations for reforms in global issues. Patrice sat on the World Bank Committee, as a member of the African Union. The committee had days of heated debate on access to finance through greater inclusion of women and the increased implementation of microfinance. In Brussels she also participated in the Resolution Project’s Social Venture Challenge, a competition designed to inspire undergraduate students to propose impactful, socially responsible projects. It was at the forum that she pitched “The Cupcake reSolution”, a project she started and which the South African Marist family, through Marist Mercy Care, has been involved in. Of 150 ventures pitched, the Cupcake reSolution was placed in the top five. The Cupcake reSolution has its roots in December 2012. For a number of years, a group of past head students from St Henry’s had been travelling to help with an annual week-long summer camp in the Addo area of the Eastern Cape. The initiative was pioneered by another headstudent, Jason Grieve (2007). The region is home to some of the most impoverished and disadvantaged communities in the country, with 70% of the population living with HIV. After the 2012 summer camp, Patrice called me to let me know that a little girl to whom she was incredibly close had died. Little Joanne had contracted meningitis and, due to the very poor

Patrice Madurai, an alumnus of St Henry’s Marist College in Durban and founder of The Cupcake reSolution, who is being honoured by the queen of England for her social engagement. state of the health care system in the area, was just given a syrup for headaches and sent home. She died the next morning. Although she was just six years old, Joanne was graceful and truly a light to everyone she encountered. Patrice had promised that she would one day take her to Cape Town. Sadly, that would now never happen.

o keep Joanne’s light shining, Patrice founded the Cupcake ReSolution, a two-pronged solution to facilitate a mindset change by celebrating lives and claiming identities—one cupcake at a time. Patrice says that one of the great-

est lessons she learnt from Joanne was that we should never underestimate the power we have to impact hearts. Joanne impacted her life in a way that opened her eyes to her God-given purpose. Each person has a unique, vital part to play in ensuring that God’s will is done. Patrice’s vision is that, by helping people claim their identities and by celebrating lives, more people will have their eyes and hearts opened. Having started in the Addo area, Patrice’s project runs mobile Home Affairs offices to help people living in South Africa’s townships register as citizens and get identification documents.

The Cupcake reSolution also brings cupcakes to schools for children who have never celebrated their birthdays. Many township children are not registered citizens and, without identification documents, it is difficult for them to work or sit school exams. The project has grown, as has Marist involvement in the Addo communities. The Marist alumni are now being joined by the present head students from all five Marist schools in South Africa—St Henry’s Marist College in Durban; St David’s Marist College, Marian College and Sacred Heart College in Johannesburg; St Joseph’s Marist College in Cape Town. The group interacts with more than 300 children from Langbos township at Addo, helping the two Sisters of Mercy who work with the community, developing sporting, academic and technical skills. iPads given by wellwishers from the United States help strengthen some of the children’s basic understanding of the elements of maths and spelling. With sports equipment donated by the five Marist schools, the Marist alumni and head students teach netball, cricket and soccer skills to youngsters. “There’s still so much to do but it’s a privilege to spread a sense of hope and love,” says Patrice in describing the sense of fulfilment she experiences when she interacts with the children and sees them understand why they are being given cupcakes and having “Happy Birthday” sung to them. The Cupcake reSolution has handed out 7 000 cupcakes and helped 600 people to get ID books since the project began in 2013.

DIVINE MERCY FEAST 2015

CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC CHURCH WYNBERG, CAPE TOWN

Friday 10th April 2015

Theme: God the Father of Mercy

Divine Mercy Holy Hour & Confessions Holy Eucharist with Fr Sean Cahill OFM Cap

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Saturday 11th April 2015

Theme: Mary the Mother of Mercy

Divine Mercy Holy Hour & Confessions Holy Eucharist with Fr Mari Joe OCD

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DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY 12TH APRIL 2015

Theme: We the apostle and secretary of His Mercy

DIVINE MERCY HOLY HOUR & CONFESSION

3:00 pm. 4:00 pm.

3:00 pm.

(With Frs. Ralph de Hahn, George Byarugaba, David Rowles, Siyabonga Dube OMI, John Malayil, Donal Sweeney OFM Cap, Thaddeus Oranusi)

HOLY EUCHARIST with Fr Peter-John Pearson

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Contact: Fr Christopher SAC & Fr Manuel SAC Tel: 0217613337 Email: CorpusChristiWynberg@gmail.com. Website: www.CorpusChristiWynberg.co.za

4:00 pm.

The Southern Cross, April 1 to April 7, 2015

PASSION PLAY

How we evangelise through drama A Passion Play transforms not only the audience but also the cast that takes part in it, as DAWN HAYNES, the co-director of this year’s Durban Passion Play, explains.

N the Middle Ages, priests realised the power of drama as a tool for evangelisation. At Easter time, the priest and acolytes enacted the gospel story of the resurrection in front of the altar. This was so powerful and so well received by the people that they soon started adding more and more to the drama so that within a few years, the story of the Passion of Christ was enacted from the Last Supper through to the Resurrection. So many people came to see these liturgical dramas that the priests eventually had to move the scenes outside as the churches were too small to accommodate the large crowds. Liturgical drama had arrived in the form of these early Passion Plays. The missionary work of drama was established. The Oxford English Dictionary de-

fines a missionary as “a person with a vocation to spread their religious faith”. Drama is active, interactive, visual and often lively. Liturgical or “missionary” drama often incorporates music and dance and, as a means of spreading faith to the people in the 21st century, drama is a wonderful missionary medium, a means of evangelising the Christian message. In an age when visual images abound in movies, television, computers and magazines, drama appeals strongly to the youth yet is

warmly received by people of all ages. The Durban Passion Play 2011 played to almost full houses each night, reaching an aggregate audience of well over 10 000. Feedback received from hundreds of people confirmed just how much missionary work was done by this play. Lapsed Catholics returned to the Church, many had their faith strengthened while non-Christians as well as Christians were moved to tears by the actors on stage. The message of Christ’s Passion and death was made real for all those in the audience. As well as the audience, the cast and crew of nearly 150 people lived the last week of Christ’s life on earth. Every person involved, from the two-year-old shouting “Hosanna!” to the 90-year-old shuffling onto the stage to be baptised by John the Baptist, underwent a true spiritual experience. There is no doubt that this is spreading the faith. This is missionary work which reaches and touches so many people. n Dawn Haynes is the co-director, along with Tanya Conradie, of this year’s Passion Play, which runs from April 1-19 at Durban’s Playhouse Drama Theatre. Ticket prices are R40, R60 and R80, and block bookings are available. All bookings are through Computicket.

The Madonna: LeeAnne Kotze, 41, teacher from Holy Trinity parish. Second Passion Play.

Dawn Haynes: Co-director from Westville parish. Fourth Passion Play as a director (plus more as cast member).

Caiaphas: Malcolm Ayres, 66, pensioner from Manning Road Methodist church. Fifth Passion Play.

Jesus Christ: Denzil Deane, 26, marketing advisor from Newlands East parish. Second Passion Play.

Meet some people of the 2015 Durban Passion Play

Judas: Dominic Sandiah, 56, medical orthotist from BellairQueensburgh parish. Seventh Passion Play.

Pontius Pilate: Murray Leyden, 61, legal adviser from Westville parish. Second Passion Play.

Tanya Conradie: Codirector from Queensburgh Methodist church. This is her first Passion Play.

King Herod: Mark Hunt, 53, graphic designer from Pinetown parish. Second Passion Play.

The early days of the Passion Play W HEN the Durban Passion Play was conceived sixand-a-half decades ago, it was modelled on the famous Oberammergau Passsion Play. Indeed, Oberammergau had to give permission to use their abridged script, and that came with conditions. Even the costumes had to be identical. Oberammergau instituted its Passion Play in 1633, as an act of thanksgiving for being spared an outbreak of the plague. It is performed every ten years, with the last being staged in 2010. Durban’s decision to stage its first Passion Play in 1952—on a specially constructed stage at Greyville Racecourse—was not prompted by issues of public health. It was intended as a prelude to the National Marian Centenary Congress which in turn coincided with the centenary of the arrival of the first Oblate in Natal. Bishop Denis Hurley (Durban was not yet an archdiocese) convened a committee of three lay women—Doreen Lyster, Veronica Hassett, Deniece Grobler—and Fr Noel Coughlan OMI to devise an appropriate event to accompany these celebrations. In 1950 Ms Lyster had made a Holy Year pilgrimage to Europe, which included the Oberammergau Play. She acquired the script and Bishop Hurley contacted the mayor of Oberammergau for permission to use the script, omitting the Old Testament tableaux.

He undertook to have the play performed only to desegregated audiences and agreed to some artistic conditions. It was the former which would cause trouble, even involving the German consul. The 1967 play was controversial because for the first time the apartheid regime demanded that black Africans be excluded from performances in Durban’s City Hall, and that two performances be held for black audiences. Matters became worse in the early 1970s when Archbishop Hurley, supported by the archdiocesan Justice & Peace, withdrew his patronage. The German consul intervened as well, pointing out that segregated performances broke the agreement with Oberammergau. The 1973 performance was accompanied by pickets, which even many cast members sought to join. Many priests boycotted the opening night. Five years later the regime yielded, and as of 1978 the Passion Play was performed before integrated audiences. Archbishop Hurley resumed his patronage in 1986. And so, since 1952, the Durban Passion Play has succeeded in meeting the goal of Fr Coughlan, who died in 2009 at 94: “For our part, if one soul is helped on its way to God by our efforts we shall be amply rewarded.” n A comprehensive history of the Durban Passion Play is available at www.catholicplayersguild.co.za/ history/

CLASSIFIEDS

Pope calls death penalty ‘unacceptable’ BY LAURA IERACI

OPE Francis has come out squarely against the death penalty once again, calling it “unacceptable” regardless of the seriousness of the crime of the condemned. Pope Francis met with a threeperson delegation of the International Commission Against the Death Penalty, and issued a letter on the occasion urging worldwide abolition. Citing his previous messages against the death penalty, the pope called capital punishment “cruel, inhumane and degrading” and said it “does not bring justice to the victims, but only foments revenge”.

Furthermore, in a modern “state of law, the death penalty represents a failure” because it obliges the state to kill in the name of justice, the pope said. Rather, it is a method frequently used by “totalitarian regimes and fanatical groups” to do away with “political dissidents, minorities” and any other person deemed a threat to their power and goals. “Human justice is imperfect,” he said, and the death penalty loses all legitimacy within penal systems where judicial error is possible. Increasingly, public opinion is against the death penalty, in view of the effective means available today to restrain a criminal with-

Word of the Week

Relics: The physical remains and effects of saints, which are considered worthy of veneration inasmuch as they are representative of persons in glory with God.

Our bishops’ anniversaries This week we congratulate: April 10: Archbishop Buti Tlhgale of Johannesburg on the 16th anniversary of his episcopal ordination.

Southern CrossWord solutions SOLUTIONS TO 648. ACROSS: 5 Seal, 7 Ecumenical, 8 Soul, 10 Interest, 11 Sticks, 12 Horrid, 14 Smiths, 16 Coptic, 17 Assister, 19 Urge, 21 Pentateuch, 22 Acts. DOWN: 1 Zeus, 2 Implicit, 3 Anvils, 4 Scotch, 5 Slur, 6 Almsgiving, 9 Optimistic, 13 Raptures, 15 Satins, 16 Corban, 18 Imps, 20 Echo.

out denying them the possibility to redeem themselves and of a “greater moral sensitivity regarding the value of human life,” Pope Francis said. The death penalty is an affront to the sanctity of life and to the dignity of the human person, he said. It contradicts God’s plan for humankind and society and God’s merciful justice, he added. The pope went on to say that capital punishment denies the condemned the possibility of making reparation for the wrong committed, of expressing their interior conversion through confession, and expressing contrition, so as to encounter God’s merciful and saving love.—CNS

Liturgical Calendar Year B Weekdays Cycle Year 1 Sunday, April 5, Easter Sunday Acts 10:34, 37-43, Psalms 118:1-2, 16-17, 2223, Colossians 3:1-4, John 20:1-9 Monday, April 6 Acts 2:14, 22-33, Psalms 16:1-2, 5, 7-11, Matthew 28:8-15 Tuesday, April 7 Acts 2:36-41, Psalms 33:4-5, 18-20, 22, John 20:11-18 Wednesday, April 8 Acts 3:1-10, Psalms 105:1-4, 6-9, Luke 24:1335 Thursday, April 9 Acts 3:11-26, Psalms 8:2, 5-9, Luke 24:35-48 Friday, April 10 Acts 4:1-12, Psalms 118:1-2, 4, 22-27, John 21:1-14 Saturday, April 11 Acts 4:13-21, Psalms 118:1, 14-21, Mark 16:915 Sunday, April 12, Second Sunday of Easter Acts 4:32-35, Psalms 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24, 1 John 5:1-6, John 20:19-31

CLASSiFiEDS

DEATHS

LArOS—Andrianus Johannes Theresia (Adje). Our beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away peacefully on 22nd March. He was a remarkable man and will be in our hearts forever and sorely missed by his wife, Marie and children Adrian, Paul, Francis, Jenny, Wendy, Marlene and their families. Donations in lieu of flowers can be sent to Catholic Welfare and Development. LArOS—Adrianus Johannes Theresia (Adjie). Born 27 October, 1930 in Heemstede, Holland, passed away peacefully on March 22 in Somerset West. Fortified by the rites of the Holy Church. Sadly and prayerfully missed by his brother John and family. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord. Together with father, mother, Tonny, Theo and Ceesje. RIP. LArOS—Adrian. Passed away peacefully on March 22. Great associate and supporter of The Southern Cross. Our sympathies to his wife Marie from the directors, editor and staff of The Southern Cross.

in MEMOriAM

THÖLE—Sr M Ann Rosanne. In loving memory of Franciscan Nardini sister, born 11/12/1971, who made the extreme sacrifice and gave her life on April 1, 2007 attempting to save the lives of patients caught in a fire at the hospice at Maria

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Ratschitz Mission, Wasbank. Too special to be forgotten. Lovingly remembered by Clive and Daphne-Ann. JOSEPH—John Kalie. In memory of my loving husband, three years since your passing. You often said that we would miss you. How those words have proved you true. There is a place in my heart no one can fill, I miss you, Joe, and always will. From your loving wife Cecily and brother Peter. JOSEPH—John Kalie. To our loving father, grand-father and great-grandfather. Remembering you is easy Dad, I do it every day. You have earned your place in heaven, Dad. Your nature was loving and giving. Always remembered from Jolien, Ricky, Candice, Angelia and Junaid. JOSEPH—19/02/1934 to 07/04/2012. In loving memory of our dear father, father-in-law and Oupa. It’s been three years God called you home to your reward. You are still in our hearts. We speak of you daily, your spirit remains with us. RIP. Fondly remembered by Marion, Declan, Damion and Stacey-Lee.

PrAYErS

O MOST beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendour of Heaven, blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me where you are, Mother of God. Queen of heaven and earth I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to LOVING FATHER bless us, the people of AFRICA, and help us to live in justice, love and peace Mary, Mother of Africa, pray for us For prayer leaﬂet: sms 083 544 8449

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PErSOnAL

ABOrTiOn WArning: The pill can abort (chemical abortion) Catholics must be told, for their eternal welfare and the survival of their unborn infants. See www.epm.org/ static/uploads/downloads/ bcpill.pdf

LEBAnOn TOur: Two weeks at cost April 25. 2015, Ken 084 783 0726.

nOTHing is politically right if it is morally wrong. Abortion is evil. Value life!

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Second Sunday of Easter: April 12 Readings: Acts 4:32-35, Psalm 118: 2-4, 1315, 22-24, 1 John 5:1-6, John 20:19-31

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Easter joy tempered by reality

EXT Sunday the Easter Octave concludes in a mood of cheerful joy; and that, you will say, is quite as it should be in this Easter season. But if you look attentively at the readings for next Sunday, you will see that there is also another tone there, a sort of underlying sadness. This is not to cancel out our Easter joy; it is rather that it has to be clear-eyed, confidently recognising that it is to be lived in the real world. Easter is not a magical solution to all our problems, but a statement that God is at work where people are hurting. So in our first reading, from Acts, we read Luke’s summary of life in the early Church in Jerusalem, and note, possibly with a touch of envy as we reflect on our own horrid divisions, that they were “of one heart and of one mind”, and that “no one claimed any property as their own—they had everything in common”. We also rejoice, again with regret at our own inadequacies, that the apostles “were giving their testimony about the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ”, and that there was “no one who was poor among them”. But if you are wondering, “Where did it all go wrong? Why is the modern Church not like

Fr Nicholas King SJ

Sunday Reflections

that?”, then turn to the very next story in Acts and read to yourself the unedifying tale of Ananias and his wife Sapphira. Things do not, after all, change very much in the Church, and being witnesses to the Resurrection did not mean our forerunners were perfect. “What then about the psalm?”, you cry. Well, it sings exuberantly enough that “God’s great love is without end”, and invites everyone to join in. But did you notice that reality enters in here too? The poet sings (to God!), “You pressed me hard, and I was falling”, and mentions that “the stone which the builders rejected has turned into the corner-stone”, before returning to Easter joy with the accla-

mation that “this is the day that the Lord has made—let us rejoice and be glad in it”. Similarly the second reading; in the first Letter of John there is a beautiful praise of love and exhortation to faith. It sounds great when John tells us that we are “born of God”, if we “believe that Jesus is the Messiah”; but we notice also the implication that we do not always manage to love our brothers and sisters. We should also notice that bit about “conquering the world”, as we observe when the author says of Jesus that he came “through water and blood”, which, whatever way you interpret it, is clearly not a comfortable option. The Gospel also reveals that things can go wrong, even after the Resurrection. For one thing, the doors are locked where the disciples are, “because of fear”. Then they see Jesus, and eventually go in for a bit of rejoicing, once he has proved his identity. After that, and after the gift of the Holy Spirit, they are given a job to do: “Whose sins you forgive…” Now you might think they would now all be convinced, and duly loving to each other, but not a bit of it. For one thing, they can’t resist gloating over Thomas (“We’ve seen the

Turn to the voice of Easter E

ASTER is about many things. We celebrate God’s power to overcome death, sin, and injustice, but we also celebrate the voices and wounds of the ones who died on Good Friday. To illustrate this, I would like to recount one such voice, that of an anonymous, young woman who was brutally raped and murdered by the Salvadoran military in 1981, at a place fittingly called La Cruz— The Cross. The story was reported by Mark Danner, a journalist. He describes how, after this particular massacre, some soldiers told how one of their victims haunted them and how they could not get her out of their minds long after her death. They had plundered a village and raped many of the women. One of these was a young woman, an evangelical Christian, who had been raped many times in a single afternoon and subsequently tortured. However, throughout this all, this young woman, clinging to her belief in Christ, had sung hymns. Here’s how one of the soldiers described it: “She kept on singing, too, even after they had shot her in the chest. She had lain there in La Cruz with the blood flowing from her chest, and had kept on singing— a bit weaker than before, but still singing. And the soldiers, stupefied, had watched and pointed. Then they had grown tired of

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Final Reflection

the game and shot her again, and she sang still, and their wonder began to turn to fear—until finally they unsheathed their machetes and hacked her neck and at last the singing stopped.” (The Massacre at El Mozote, Vintage Books, 1994, pp 78-79) Gil Bailie, who recounts this story in his monumental book on the cross and nonviolence, notes not just the remarkable similarity between her death and that of Jesus, but also the fact that, in both cases, resurrection means that their voices live on when everything about their deaths suggest that their voices should have died.

n Jesus’ case, nobody witnessing his humiliating death on a lonely hillside, with his followers absent, would have predicted that this would be the most remembered death in history. The same is true for this young woman. Her rape and murder occurred in a very remote place and all of those who might have wanted to immor-

talise her story were also killed. Yet her voice survives and will, no doubt, continue to grow in importance, long after all those who violated and killed her are forgotten. As both Jesus and this young girl illustrate, powerlessness and anonymity, linked to a heart that can sing the words: “Forgive them for they know not what they are doing!” while being raped and humiliated, ultimately become their opposite, power and immortality. A death of this kind not only morally scars the conscience of its perpetrators and their sympathisers, it leaves something that can never be forgotten, a permanent echo that nobody will ever silence. What God raises up after Good Friday is also the voice of the one who died. A critic, reviewing Danner’s book in the New York Times, told how, after reading this story, he kept “straining” to hear the sound of that singing. The task of Easter is to rekindle the creed within ourselves. The earliest Christians, immediately upon experiencing the resurrected Jesus, spontaneously voiced a one-line creed: “Jesus is Lord!” That does, in fact, say it all. When we affirm that Jesus has been raised from the dead and is Lord of this world we are saying everything else within our faith as well. In essence, we are saying that God is ultimately still in charge of this universe, despite any indications to the contrary; that brutality and rape notwithstanding, at the end of the day violence, injustice, and sin will be silenced and overcome. Graciousness and gentleness, as manifested in Jesus, are ultimately what lies at the root of all reality; that this young woman, so brutally violated, has now been raised and lives, joyfully, in the heart of God. Her death, like Jesus’, is redemptive precisely because, like him, she too, in the face of helplessness before the worst brutality the world could perpetrate, could still say: “Forgive them for they know not what they do!” To celebrate Easter is to affirm that all of this is true. But that also asks something of us. It asks, as the critic in the New York Times so aptly put it, that we strain to hear the sound of that girl’s singing, that we struggle to keep her, and her song, in our hearts. She is still alive in God’s heart, but we must keep her alive in ours as well. Why? Not for sentimental reasons, nor simply because her story is exceptional. No. We must keep her alive in our hearts because her song is the leaven, the yeast, of the resurrection and that, and that alone, can raise us up to become exceptional too. One of the tasks of Easter is to strain to hear the voices of Good Friday.

Lord”), like schoolboys in the playground; and he can’t resist making an utterly crude demand for evidence, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails…” He gets what he asked for, when Jesus comes again, this time when Thomas is present. It seems, though, that the message about Resurrection has yet to dawn on them, for the doors are still locked. Jesus concentrates on Thomas, telling him to do precisely what he had asked for: “Come here and see my hands…” To our astonishment, Thomas goes way beyond the evidence, and utters, stunned, the phrase “My Lord and my God”. It does not stop there, though, for Jesus commends those who “did not see and yet believe” (that is you and I, Dear Reader); and then the Gospel ends with the reason why it was written, “that you may believe…and that believing you may have life”. The life, though, is real life, and that means that we do not find ourselves thinking, all the time, that life as a Christian is easy, and that we shall never get things wrong again. A happy Easter to you all.

Southern Crossword #648

ACROSS 5. Authenticate the sea creature (4) 7. Universal kind of council (10) 8. ... Of My Saviour (hymn) (4) 10. Profit from what attracts you? (8) 11. Does not budge (6) 12. Repulsive (6) 14. The families at the metal forge (6) 16. Church of Egypt (6) 17. Helper sounding like a religious (8) 19. Encourage (4) 21. The Torah (10) 22. What the Apostles did on stage (4)

DOWN 1. Principal Olympian (4) 2. Understood little devil permitted by law (8) 3. Heavy blocks hammered by 14 ac (6) 4. Put an end to whisky? (6) 5. Aspersion (4) 6. Offering to the poor (10) 9. Disposition of those with the virtue of hope (10) 13. Seizures of ecstasy (8) 15. Stains found on these fabrics? (6) 16. A gift devoted to God (Mk 7) (6) 18. Little demons (4) 20. Mountain nymph who calls you back (4) Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

HE priest waited in line to have his car filled with petrol just before the Easter weekend. The petrol attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars waiting to be filled up. Eventually, the attendant motioned the priest towards a free pump. “Eish, Father,” said the attendant, “I’m so sorry about the delay. Everybody waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip.” The priest replied: “I know what you mean. It’s the same in my business.” Send us your favourite Catholic joke, preferably clean and brief, to The Southern Cross, Church Chuckle, PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000.