150506 by The Southern Cross

The

S outhern C ross

May 6 to May 12, 2015

Reg No. 1920/002058/06

Big celebration for Archbishop George Daniel

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No 4923

www.scross.co.za

Interview with Fr Nicholas King SJ

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R7,00 (incl VAT RSA)

‘Real or not, let Turin Shroud speak to you’

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Bishops apply to shift feast days BY STUART GRAHAM

HE Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) has applied to the Vatican to shift the feasts of the Assumption and Ascension Thursday to the following Sunday. Conference spokesman Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria said the bishops decided to apply for the move because many worshippers live in rural areas and are unable to attend Mass during the week. “Last year the bishops decided that the solemn feasts of the Assumption and Ascension Thursday should be transferred to the Sunday following,” Archbishop Slattery said. “The reasons for the decision to ask for the move of those are the inability of many of the faithful to take part in celebrations due to the rural nature of the Southern African Church and work commitments inhibiting peoples’ ability to attend Mass during the week.” If the feast of the Assumption falls on Saturday, for example, rural communities use the day to celebrate weddings or hold funerals. Many in these areas have to walk several kilometres to attend Mass. Holding a service on successive days burdens those who do not have transport, he explained. Priests in rural areas tend to serve a number of communities and have to perform up to six

services in different areas every weekend. Archbishop Slattery said until a response was received from the Vatican, it would remain the prerogative of the bishops in the respective dioceses to promulgate shifting the feast day, or not to do so. Ascension Day marks the end of Easter and occurs ten days before Pentecost. The date is governed by the phases of the moon, but Ascension Day always falls on a Thursday. The feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, South Africa’s patronal feast, is celebrated every year on August 15. It is a holy day of obligation, meaning that Catholics are required to attend Mass on the day. “We would like our people to honour Our Lady that day, but during the week many people may not be able to attend Mass,” Archbishop Slattery said. “The feast of the Ascension is a hugely important feast, but having it on Thursday sometimes means that people do not celebrate.” The application has to be approved by the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Archbishop Slattery said the decision would not affect Botswana and Swaziland, which form part of the SACBC region, where both feast days are public holidays.

Fr Noel Rucastle (front) of Hout Bay, Cape Town, took the idea of getting closer to God literally when he fulfilled a long-standing dream of skydiving. The following day the priest told The Southern Cross: “It was an amazing experience and I’m still wearing the broad smile.” He is seen here with tandem diver Rainer of Skydive Cape Town, near Melkbosstrand. The dive was a surprise birthday present from parishioners at Hout Bay’s St Anthony’s parish. “A few weeks ago one of my parishioners was surprised by her husband on the morning of her 65th birthday. Her present that morning was a tandem dive. When she told me at Mass that Saturday evening, I made a big fuss of it by congratulating her during the parish announcements. I also told the parishioners that skydiving had been on my bucket list for a long time and I would get around to doing it sometime.” The parishioners decided to make “sometime” arrive sooner. For Fr Rucastle’s 47th birthday they surprised him with the gift of the tandem dive which took place on Freedom Day.

Precious Blood Sisters won’t close doors after nun’s murder BY STUART GRAHAM

HE Sisters of the Precious Blood will keep their house open to the community and refuse to allow the April murder of 86-year-old Sr Stefani Tiefenbacher at her community’s Sacred Heart Home in Ixopo, south-west of Durban, to hamper their work. Austrian-born Sr Tiefenbacher, known by the people of Ixopo as “Sister God Bless”, was due to celebrate her 65th jubilee as a Precious Blood Sister in May. “We made a decision that her murder is not going to affect us,” said Sr Clair Wade, who administers the home. “Our house is open and we are there for the people. No, it is not going to affect us. Sr Stefani was a people’s person. She would not want us to close off to the community.”

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St Stefani Tiefenbacher CPS, who was murdered at the age of 86. Sr Tiefenbacher was buried on April 27 in a funeral Mass attended by more than a thousand people. She leaves a younger sister

and brother in Austria. “Her funeral was wonderful, it was like a celebration,” Sr Wade said. “Every race and denomination were present. It was a community. Sr Stefani would have looked down and said, ‘Was that possible for me?’,” Sr Wade said. “That community has rallied around us,” she added. “It has brought all of us together. People who didn’t know about us before know about us now.” Sr Tiefenbacher was found by her fellow sisters in her bedroom at the Sacred Heart Home early on the morning of April 19. A novice and a young nun who had only recently taken her vows, had noticed that her door was open. They called for her, but when she did not respond they went in and discovered her body. She had been tied up with ribbon of the

St John Paul II Pilgrimage to Poland Southern Cross

typewriter with which she used to write her extensive correspondence, gagged and suffocated. A rosary was wound around her wrists. The suspect or suspects stole cash and ransacked the house’s pantry, taking alcohol and groceries. They had entered the house through an unlocked side door. The police speculate that Sr Tiefenbacher might have been targeted because she administered funds for the community. Two suspects have been arrested. Archbishop William Slattery, the spokesman for the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said the murder of Sr Tiefenbacher was “absolutely shocking” for everybody “in and out of the Church”. “Sr Stefani spent more than 60 years serving people. That she should die in this manner is disgraceful,” he said. Continued on page 3

A journey to the places of St John Paul II’s life and devotions, led by a Bishop who knows Poland intimately.

Led by Bishop Stan Dziuba 13 - 21 May 2016

The Southern Cross, May 6 to May 12, 2015

LOCAL

SACBC relaunches bishops’ foundation BY DYLAN APPOLIS

HE Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC), after five years, has decided to relaunch the SACBC Foundation as it was previously known. Fr Barney McAleer told The Southern Cross: “It was a national effort that each archdiocese should take part in, but somehow the foundation fell off the radar.” The foundation has now been relaunched. “This is the right time to relaunch the foundation, because this is the time for new life, resurrection

and new beginnings. We are currently in the process of doing it and we are to call it the SACBC Catholic Bishops’ Foundation,” Fr McAleer said. The Catholic Bishops’ Foundation is a legally registered body set up by the SACBC with a properly constituted board of trustees to manage the money donated to the Catholic Church by means of this campaign. The campaign for the foundation is to raise R50 million to maintain and help the Church to grow. This money will be invested and only the interest used to support the

different ministries in the Church. The foundation needs the funds, as for years the Catholic Church locally has been dependent on funding from overseas to maintain many of its charitable activities. Now the time has come to build a self-sustaining Church. “The simplest example would be the education of young men for the

priesthood. Other Church ministries are included, such as supporting the work of evangelisation, youth work and also supporting charitable projects such as shelters for the homeless and soup kitchens,” Fr McAleer said. The campaign is part of the work of evangelisation. It is a method by which everyone can have a share and participate in the evangelising work of the Church. We all have different talents and gifts. “This is a wonderful opportunity for people to share the blessing of the Lord in their life with others

who will benefit from people’s contributions and generosity. By contributing, you identify yourself as a Catholic, as committed to the work of the Church, and as a fervent and faithful disciple of the Lord,” Fr McAleer said. Contributions are tax-deductible. The foundation is registered with SARS and as such can issue all donors with a certificate to claim a tax benefit on their contributions. n For further details on the Catholic Bishops’ Foundation go to www.bishopsfoundation.org.za or contact Fr Barney McAleer on 072 469 3710.

Bible Society project to tackle xenophobia

Bishops from around the world gathered in the Holy Land for an international conference of the Neocatechumenal Way. Seen outside the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is the South African delegation: (from left) Dino Furgione, who is responsible for the Neocatechumenal Way in Southern Africa, Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town, Bishop Giuseppe Sandri of Witbank, Bishop Vincent Mduduzi Zungu of Port Elizabeth, Fr Andrew Wolf, vicar-general of Kimberley, Fr Samuel Setshedi of Pretoria and Roberta Furgione.

HE Bible Society of South Africa has launched a local project, “I Was a Stranger”, to reach out to the many people affected by the xenophobic violence in South Africa. After a discussion with Church leaders, the Bible Society seeks to join hands with the many churches that are already involved with physical and spiritual care of immigrants and refugees affected by violence. “Many of the immigrants, mainly in the Durban environment and in Johannesburg, have had to flee their homes and lost their businesses. Some are being housed in camps amid difficult circumstances,” said Rev Dirk Gevers, chief executive officer of the Bible Society of South Africa. Through this project the Bible Society wants to make 20 000 copies of “I Was a Stranger” available, as well as 1 000 English Bibles and

Zimbabwe nationals carry their bags before boarding a bus home from a camp for those affected by anti-immigrant violence near Durban. (Photo: Rogan Ward, Reuters/CNS)

1 000 Bibles in other languages, including French, Shona, Chichewa, and Portuguese. For this, R92 000 is needed, Rev Gevers said. “We are deeply aware that the Bible teaches us to care for strangers,” Rev Gevers said. “In Leviticus 19:33-34 we read, ‘Don’t mistreat any foreigners who live in your land. Instead, treat

them as well as you treat citizens and love them as much as you love yourself.’ With this project, the Bible Society wants to bring comfort and hope to people who currently find themselves in a dark place.” n For more information or to contribute, visit www.biblesociety.co.za or call 021 910 8705.

The Southern Cross, May 6 to May 12, 2015

LOCAL Nuns to continue despite murder Continued from page 1 “A crime like this is absolutely devastating to the human spirit,” he said. Archbishop Slattery said the crime should bring people together. “It shows that we should treasure the people who are giving their lives to Christ.” The Sacred Heart home, opened in 1923, is home to elderly sisters, who teach at an adjoining school and volunteer at a local hospital. The sisters had all played cards together on the night before the murder. “She loved her meals,” Sr Christopher Kneringer told the Daily News newspaper in Durban. “She was very generous, she was

ever ready to do something for someone else.” According to Precious Blood Sister Gerald Frye, Sr Tiefenbacher had dedicated her life to the service of the poor. She was especially committed to helping impoverished children and worked in the mission school for 40 years until 1992. Sr Tiefenbacher was part of an education outreach programme for children and adolescents from disadvantaged communities for more than 12 years. It was the second murder of a Precious Blood Sister in less than a year. In June 2014 US-born Sr Mary Paule Thacke was kidnapped and murdered in Mthatha, Eastern Cape.

Bosco Centre in Randvaal, Gauteng, celebrated the first Mass of newly ordained Salesian Father Lingoane Tlaile of Maseru, Lesotho. Some 350 young people from various Salesian presences gathered to witness the occasion. The Mass was one of many celebrations taking place during the bicentenary year of St John Bosco’s birth.

Scholar on St Teresa of Avila STAFF REPORTER

US academic, regarded as an authority on Christian mysticism, will speak on St Teresa of Avila in Cape Town this month. Professor emeritus Bernard McGinn of the Divinity School at the University of Chicago will deliver a talk on “Teresa of Avila: The Contemplative in Action” on May 14 at 14:30 at UCT, hosted by its Department of Religious Studies. This year marks the 500th an-

niversary of the birth of the Spanish Carmelite reformer and mystic. In his talk, Prof McGinn will show how St Teresa became a reformer able to combine contemplation with action. Prof McGinn holds doctorates from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and Brandeis University, Kentucky. The talk will be held on the first floor of the Chemical Engineering Building. Entrance is free and all are welcome.

Archbishop Daniel launches memoirs BY STUART GRAHAM

RIENDS, bishops and priests packed Sacred Heart cathedral in Pretoria to pay tribute to Bishop Emeritus George Francis Daniel, who was celebrating his 40th anniversary as a bishop as well as the 50th as a priest, and to launch his memoirs. Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria said his predecessor-butone had served the Church in South Africa “with faithfulness and generosity” for 40 years as a bishop. Archbishop Daniel headed Pretoria archdiocese from 1975 until his retirement in 2009. “He has played an especially important ecumenical role by building relations with other churches,” Archbishop Slattery noted. “He uses the name George. George was a war-like saint, but Archbishop Daniel is more like St Francis—gentle and courteous,” Archbishop Slattery said, making reference to Archbishop Daniel’s middle name. Ten bishops attended the celebration, including Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban and Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town, president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference. Two of the priests who were ordained with Archbishop Daniel in Rome in 1964 travelled from Australia and Britain to celebrate with him.

Archbishop George Daniel signs a copy of his memoirs, That They May Be One, at the book’s launch during his anniversary celebrations.(Photo: Karin Human) Archbishop Daniel now cares for the disabled at Sizanani Village in Bronkhorstspruit. During his time as archbishop he ordained 69 priests. He led the Pretoria archdiocese during the struggle against apartheid and was among the bishops who travelled to Lusaka to meet leaders of the then-banned African National Congress. In Lusaka he spoke to future President Thabo Mbeki and Chris Hani, the South African Communist Party leader who was murdered in April 1993.

“During the meeting Chris Hani told him, ‘I am a Catholic, and when I come to Pretoria I would like to attend your Mass’,” Archbishop Slattery said. Archbishop Daniel was born on April 23, 1933 in Pretoria into an Anglican family and became an Anglican priest. He felt called to the Catholic Church, however, and joined St John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria. He was later sent to Rome where he completed his studies and was ordained on December 19, 1964 with 56 other priests. Archbishop Daniel’s memoirs, titled That They May Be One, were launched after the jubilee Mass. Published by Cluster Publications in Pietermaritzburg, the book is available at Catholic bookshops. In a speech during a Unisa doctoral ceremony in 2009 Archbishop Daniel said the direction of his life was completely changed in 1951 when he read Alan Paton’s Cry the Beloved Country and Trevor Huddleston’s Naught For Your Comfort. “These two authors opened my eyes to the plight of the underprivileged and led me to abandon my architectural studies at the University of Pretoria in order to begin the study of theology,” he said. “I believed that as a pastor I would be more equipped for service to the poor and oppressed peoples. That desire was fulfilled when I was a pastor in Tembisa.”

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The Southern Cross, May 6 to May 12, 2015

INTERNATIONAL

Church recalls martyrs 70 years after Dachau BY JONATHAN LUxMOORE

OLAND’S Catholic Church has urged a fitting tribute to hundreds of its priests who died during World War II at the Nazi concentration camp in Dachau, Germany. “Dachau was the main camp for priests from all over Europe, and over half came from Poland,” said Mgr Jozef Kloch, spokesman for the Polish bishops’ conference. The Church observed the 70th anniversary of Dachau’s liberation by Allied forces. About 800 priests and 30 bishops from Poland attended the event near Munich in southern Germany. Many priests who survived Dachau were harassed as suspected American spies by the secret police when they returned home after the war to communist-ruled Poland, Mgr Kloch said. Despite the sufferings of the Polish clergy, their story remained little known and Mgr Kloch said he was shocked to discover that virtually all of Dachau’s buildings had since been demolished. “Unlike at Auschwitz, where much still remains, there’s now hardly any trace of Dachau at all. It’s as if history itself has been erased there,” he said. “This anniversary should remind the world of the terrible thing which

An image of Fr Alois Andritzki hangs above the altar during his Mass of beatification in Dresden, Germany. The young German priest was executed in 1943 at the Nazi death camp of Dachau. (Photo: KNA-Bild/CNS) war is, and draw attention to the fate of the many clergy who died in camps like this.” Poles, a third of them Jews, made up more than 60% of the 200 000 inmates at Dachau and about 20% of the 149 000 people who died there in the 11 years the Nazis operated the camp. Polish priests comprised 1 777 of the 2 794 priests imprisoned at the camp.

Muslims need to see Christians visit Holy Land BY MARK PATTISON

A total of 46 Polish clergy victims of Dachau were beatified as martyrs by St John Paul II in 1999. Auxiliary Bishop Michal Kozal, who was executed by an injection of carbolic acid in 1943, was declared blessed in 1987. The anniversary events on April 29 included Mass at the camp concelebrated by Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich-Freising and Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki of Poznan, Poland, presidents of their respective bishops’ conferences. Addressing a Warsaw conference, Anna Jagodzinska, of Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance, said the Nazis had planned to eliminate Poland’s Catholic clergy as a “barrier to Germanisation”, while Poland’s later communist government had prohibited any acknowledgement of “clergy wartime martyrs” to aid its campaign against the Church. “The German Church is aware of the terrible things done to Poles by German soldiers during World War II,” he said. “It’s not always known that the imprisoned clergy could have left Dachau at any moment as free men, [but only] on condition they resign their priesthood and declare themselves supporters of the German Reich. None of them did so and this is why they suffered.”—CNS

USLIMS, more than 90% of Jordan’s population, need to see Christians visit the country’s biblical sites, said the Melkite Catholic priest who established the Jordanian Interfaith Coexistence Research Centre. “How can the Muslims believe this is the Holy Land if they don’t see anybody here?” asked Fr Nabil Haddad, who is also pastor of Ss Peter and Paul Melkite Catholic church in Amman, Jordan’s capital. “I want to take pride in the tourist presence here, that this is the Holy Land.” Tourism in Jordan was down in 2014 compared to 2013, despite Pope Francis’ 18-hour stop in Jordan as part of a more extensive pastoral visit to the Holy Land. Fr Haddad acknowledged during a dinner meeting with US religious writers and bloggers that many of Jordan’s neighbours are in various states of upheaval, but that Jordan itself has remained unaffected thanks to efforts at virtually all levels of public life to foster tranquillity and acceptance of others, despite differing religious beliefs. If it can be done in heavily Muslim Jordan, he said: “Why can’t we do the same in Lebanon? Why can’t we do the same between Turkey and Greece? Why can’t we do the same between Sudan...and South Sudan?” Fr Haddad said various sectors in Jordan keep things stable, but outside influences can disturb that stability. “Every time we saw something happening in the US against Islam, your brothers and sisters in the re-

Fr Nabil Haddad, founder of the Jordanian Interfaith Coexistence Research Centre, said that Muslims, who make up 90% of Jordan’s population, need to see Christians visit the country’s biblical sites. (Photo: Mark Pattison/CNS) gion suffered,” he said. “Every time we saw some pastor in Florida do a stupid thing like threatening to burn the holy Quran,” he added, “there was turmoil in the streets...the Muslims here hold that all Christians are in some way responsible.” Jordanian law bans Christian proselytising. Asked whether the law should be changed, Fr Haddad voiced satisfaction with the law. “Jordan is very Muslim. Plus, we are less than 4%” of the population, he said. “But I have never seen anywhere in Jordan where it says, ‘For Muslims Only.’“ He added: “I preach my message, not necessarily carrying a copy of the holy Bible...but giving a message of love and respect.” —CNS

Pope: Bishops of Namibia and Lesotho must see to the poor US cover-up bishop quits BY LAURA IERACI

HE poorest in society must be offered “careful spiritual attention”, Pope Francis told the bishops of Namibia and Lesotho, who were in Rome for a joint ad limina visit. Lesotho and Namibia are both “known for their flourishing Christian faith”, which is the legacy of “the labours and sacrifices of many Christian missionaries” and sustained by “generations of indigenous co-workers”, the pope said. Noting the numerous churches, schools and health care institutions built and operated by the Church in both countries, he urged the bishops to continue to support these missions, “even when resources are

sparse, for the Lord promises that he will not fail to bless us”. The pope said he recognised the many daily challenges faced by the people of southern Africa and said he thinks “particularly of those suffering with HIV and Aids” and of families “fragmented due to employment far from home” and divorce. The pope exhorted the bishops to bring “the tenderness of Christ where threats to human life occur, from the womb to old age”, to strengthen the faithful “in love to overcome selfishness in private or public life”, to offer families “help and guidance” and to be of “fresh resolve” in marriage-preparation. He also thanked the bishops for their efforts in “promoting healthy family life in the face of distorted

views that emerge in contemporary society” and urged them to continue their “paternal care” of priests and priestly vocations. The poorest must be given “careful spiritual attention” in pastoral planning, the pope continued, urging the bishops to entrust all their projects to “God’s care” and to persevere “as men of deep and constant prayer”, in the footsteps of Bl Joseph Gerard, the French Oblate missionary priest who helped to bring the Catholic faith to Lesotho in the late 19th century. “May your visit here lead you to bring Christ’s healing mercy ever more abundantly to all for whom you have care,” the pope said. —CNS

BY CINDY WOODEN

OPE Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City-St Joseph, Missouri, who was convicted in 2012 on one misdemeanour count of failing to report suspected child abuse. The Vatican offered no further comment. Marie Collins, a member of the Pontifical Commission for Child Protection and a survivor of abuse, told the news site Crux, “I cannot understand how Bishop Finn is still in position, when anyone else with a conviction that he has could not run a Sunday school in a parish. He wouldn’t pass a background check.”

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Diocesan authorities’ failure to immediately report a computer technician’s discovery of child pornography on a computer used by Fr Shawn Ratigan, led to Bishop Finn being charged with misdemeanours for failing to report suspected child abuse to state authorities. The child pornography was first discovered in December 2010. Authorities were not notified until six months later, when a search of the priest’s family home turned up images of child pornography. The bishop was sentenced to two years’ probation. The charges carried a possible maximum sentence of one year in jail and a fine of up to $1 000 (R12 000). —CNS

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A group of readers is preparing audio tapes of excerpts from The Southern Cross for interested people who are blind, sight-impaired, unable to hold a newspaper or illiterate. Anyone wanting to receive tapes as part of this service, available for an annual subscription fee of only R50, may contact Mr Len Pothier, 8 The Spinney Retirement Village, Main Rd, Hout Bay, 7806 or phone 021-790 1317.

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INTERNATIONAL

The Southern Cross, May 6 to May 12, 2015

Pope to priests: No boring homilies please BY CINDY WOODEN

O Protesters argue with a riot policeman during clashes in Bujumbura, Burundi. Two demonstrators were killed that day in clashes with police after President Pierre Nkurunziza announced that he would seek a third term. (Photo: Thomas Mukoya, Reuters/CNS)

Burundi bishops to president: Time to go T WO demonstrators were killed and three radios’ broadcasting frequencies were blocked after Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza announced that he would seek a third term. The nation’s bishops, national intelligence services, the opposition and at least 300 civil society organisations, as well as the US government, the UN secretary-general and the European Union have opposed the move. “The truth is clear. The president elected by the people of Burundi must not exceed the two terms of five years stated in the constitution,” said a statement signed by the country’s eight bishops. “Leaders and politicians should not fall into the trap of misinterpreting the constitution to suit their vested interests.” The supporters of President Nkurunziza, a member of the Hutu ethnic group, said that the president was put in place by a peace deal in 2005 brokered by the international community, and that his first term, which ended in 2010, does not count. Article 96 of Burundi’s constitution says the president is elected by universal direct suffrage for a mandate of five years, renewable one time. President Nkurunziza, a “bornagain Christian”, said that anyone opposed to his third term is “opposing the will of God”. In response to widespread calls by the opposition to Burundians to demonstrate against the third term, the government banned all demonstrations and Pascal Nyabenda, the ruling party president, said that anyone demonstrating their opposition would be considered to be obstructing elections. 70% of the population of Burundi is Catholic, and the Catholic Church plays an important role in the country’s political life. For the bishops, the issue at stake

is the quality of the young and fragile democracy that has been in place in Burundi since a 2003 peace agreement, partly brokered by South Africa, addressed the interethnic conflict in which at least 250 000 lost their lives. The agreement brokered a kind of powersharing arrangement between Hutus and Tutsis, although strong ethnic tensions still persist. “The real solution to the problem is a true democratic process. One important feature of any good democracy is the timely and peaceful renewal of its institutions through free and fair elections,” the bishops said. In mid-April, 65 of 120 people demonstrating against a third term were charged with “participation in an insurrectional movement”. In February, when Godefroid Niyombare, Burundi’s chief of intelligence, warned the president against seeking a third term, he was fired, after only three months in the job. In recent weeks, the houses of opposition leaders have been searched by the police, and opposition activists have alleged that high-ranking military officers have been arming and training Imbonerakure, youth affiliated with the ruling party, who the Catholic bishops said “seem determined to use violence”. The Burundian Catholic Church has spoken out against violence, miscarriage of justice and human rights violations. In February, prominent radio journalist Bob Rugurika was released on bail after Mgr Antoine Pierre Madaraga, vicar general of the Diocese of Ngozi, called for his release on the Catholic-run Radio Maria. Mr Rugurika was imprisoned in January after broadcasting claims that the state intelligence services were implicated in the September 2014 rape and murder of three Italian Sisters of Mary in Bujumbura.—CNS

Nuclear test-ban advocate thanks pope for support BY ELLIOT WILLIAMS

OPE Francis “has been a tireless advocate for a world free of nuclear weapons”, said the head of the Comprehensive Nuclear-TestBan Treaty Organisation. Lassina Zerbo, the organisation’s executive director, spoke to Pope Francis at the end of the pope’s weekly general audience and said he thanked the pope for the work he’s done “to ban nuclear testing and to rid the world of the abomination of nuclear weapons”. The pope’s support should encourage other religious leaders to rally their faithful in pushing reluctant nations to sign and ratify the test-ban treaty, Mr Zerbo told Vatican Radio. The eight countries with nuclear technology who have not signed the treaty are: China, Egypt,

India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the United States. “One should see the disaster that nuclear testing represents,” Mr Zerbo said. “We should consider the 21st century as a century of peace, stability and security, should we take the leadership to that effect. “There should be no testing above ground, underground, underwater or in the air,” he added. Vatican officials have held a number of meetings recently to discuss nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation ahead of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference at the United Nations. In addition, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Vatican’s permanent observer to the United Nations, hosted a conference “Nuclear Weapons and the Moral Compass”.—CNS

RDAINING 19 men to the priesthood, Pope Francis told them to make sure their homilies were not boring and he offered advice on how to ensure their preaching would touch people: speak from your heart. Priests are called to nourish the faithful, he said, so they must ensure “that your homilies are not boring, that your homilies arrive directly in people’s hearts because they flow from your heart, because what you tell them is what you have in your heart.” Celebrating World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Francis planned to use the set homily given in the ritual book for priestly ordinations; but as he has done in the past, he added his own reflections as well, including his homily tips. The prepared homily speaks of the effectiveness of a holy priest’s example. The pope added: “Examples edify, but words without examples are empty words, they are just ideas that never reach the heart and, in fact, they can harm. They are no good!” Pope Francis told the thousands of people gathered for the Mass in St Peter’s basilica that the men were accepted and put forward by their bishops. “And the bishop risks—he risks!—and chooses them, just as the Father has risked for each one of us.” Reading the prepared homily’s exhortation for priests to be mind-

Pope Francis celebrates the ordination Mass for 19 new priests in St Peter’s basilica at the Vatican. In his homily, the pope told the new priests to make sure their homilies were not boring. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS) ful always of the mystery they celebrate when they preside at Mass, Pope Francis told them: “Never rush it!” And, he read, you will bring new faithful into the people of God through baptism. But he added, “never refuse baptism to those who request it”. In the sacrament of reconciliation, he said: “You will remit sins in the name of Christ and of the Church. And I—in the name of

Jesus Christ the Lord and his spouse, the holy Church—ask you never to tire of being merciful. You will be in the confessional to forgive, not to condemn. Imitate the Father who never tires of forgiving.” A priest must be intent only on pleasing God and not himself. “It is ugly to see a priest who lives to please himself, who acts like a peacock” strutting around, the pope said.—CNS

The Southern Cross, May 6 to May 12, 2015

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Xenophobia betrays Mother Afrika

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

Trauma shakes nation

OUTH Africa has emerged from a traumatic month which has shaken the nation and damaged the country’s reputation. The xenophobic violence in Durban and elsewhere revived a bigotry that never went away after the pogroms of 2008. Much has been said about how the violence is directed not so much at foreign nationals as it is an expression of the frustration at unemployment and poverty. This may serve to explain the phenomenon, but it cannot justify it—less so when the flames were fanned by King Goodwill Zwelithini, whatever his intentions were in his March 15 speech in Pongola. It is unconscionable that the government and the king blamed the media for quoting his words. Blaming the media is the mendacious refuge of those who will not shoulder responsibility for their own failings. The violence has damaged South Africa’s reputation internationally, with attacks against South African interests reported in Nigeria, and Australia and Britain incongruously issuing travel advisories. The world is wondering what has happened to the country of Mandela, Tutu and Luthuli. The shattering murders of Precious Blood Sister Stefani Tiefenbacher and Port Elizabeth teacher Jayde Panayiotou further cut into South Africa’s psyche— not only because of their senseless savagery, but also because in some quarters they prompted outrightly racist reactions. In April we further had the continuing trauma of the statue protest, heightening racial tensions and entrenching racist attitudes on both sides of the debate. After the anarchic month of April, and whatever the next months will throw at us, South Africans yearn for stability and hope. The large turnout for the marches in protest against the xenophobic violence shows that the majority of our people want peace, justice and stability. What we need is a new transformation, one that seeks the political, economic and social solutions we have squandered. South Africa has shown in the past its ability to transform itself—but where are the leaders to bring this about now? Transformation requires the decisive leadership which

presently is provided neither by political nor religious leaders. There is no Nelson Mandela to guide us, no equivalent of exceptional leaders such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu or Archbishop Denis Hurley. The transformation needed requires above all vision, competence and leadership. The present government provides little orf them. Economic empowerment policies have benefited a few while the masses remain poor. This needs to be transformed. True transformation does not require the window dressing of racially classifying athletes. The question should not be how many black players are selected in a cricket or rugby team, but how we can ensure that every family has the means to provide their children with sports gear, and that communities have the facilities on which their children can practise these sports. The decisive issue is not race but poverty—even as race still impacts on economic prospects. It is towards the crisis of poverty that the government ought to apply its energy, not trivialities. There are many obstacles to the transformation which South Africa needs. At the centre of these is President Jacob Zuma. Instead of being a president who unites, he divides; instead of providing leadership, he has no compass, moral or otherwise. The president’s pre-term departure would benefit the country—provided that a new government seeks to bring on board the most talented and principled politicians in the deeply divided ANC in place of factional loyalists, unsuitable deployees and careerists. Mr Zuma may well see expediency in exiting the presidency in exchange for his corruption charges being dropped definitively and the Nkandla Report being buried, rather than perpetuating the turmoil by fighting these as a sitting president. The departure of a failed president who has provided negligible leadership would, as a final act of service, show great leadership by putting country before self. And then the leadership must emerge, in various areas, to begin rebuilding this shattered, traumatised country. • This editorial represents the views of The Southern Cross, not necessarily those of the SACBC.

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HE media is abuzz, TV and radio are abuzz, Twitter is tweeting, the WhatsApps are apping, and the BBMs are messaging: “Run! Run! Here comes the monster called xenophobia!” Or is it Afrophobia? Our Mother Afrika is mourning, weeping at the top of her voice: “Why are you, my beloved children, massacring each other? Is the singing of our national anthem, Nkosi Sikelel iAfrika in vain? We are all children of our Mother Afrika!

Why are we born?

N the Easter season especially, my thoughts turn to the question: Why are we born? We are not born to die. We are born to eternal life, to be saints in heaven. In the Resurrection of Jesus, we see our own resurrection, our own true destiny. The Risen Lord beckons us to his glorious state. In doing so, “he became what we are that we might become what he is,” according to St Athanasius. There are an unlimited number of saints in heaven, “a huge number impossible to count, of people from every nation” (Rev 7:9). Sacred Scripture and the whole tradition of the Church show the role of saints in the plan of God. The word of God attests the saints as having “washed their robes in the blood of the lamb” (Rev 7:14). They are the ones “who stand in the holy place, with clean hands and clean heart” (Ps 23:3). Interestingly, St John in his first letter writes that “we are already children of God” (1 Jn 3:2) and by being faithful to Christ in the test of time we shall “be like him and see him as he really is”. Jesus spells out the way to sainthood in the Beatitudes, which end with the assurance that our “reward will be great in heaven” (Mt 5:12). In the early Church, its members, the body of Christ, are called saints, especially the martyrs who died for Christ like Christ died for them. That leaves me thinking about what French writer Léon Bloy said: “There is only one sadness—not to be a saint.” Fr Allan Moss OMI, Merrivale, KZN

No to liberal bias

T SEEMS to me the Jesuit Institute and The Southern Cross are very happy to publish “What SA Catholics say on family issues” (April 22) because the response is basically in line with the liberals and you both can safely hide behind this survey. Surely as a Catholic publication

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Stop butchering each other! Stop killing each other! Have we forgotten that a tooth for a tooth leaves us toothless, reducing us to the state whereby we can’t chew and enjoy lovely lamb chops, pork chops or tenderised spare ribs. Have we forgotten that an eye for an eye makes us all blind, crippling us in such a way that we cannot watch lovely soapies and movies, are not able to admire lovely flowers such as roses, proteas,

you should adhere to the teaching of Holy Mother the Church. Given that so many of us Catholics do not know our faith very well and at best have been “educated” by the secular press, the results of the survey come as no surprise. Had there been any other result I would have been surprised. I do think, however, that you should publish balance at the same time. For example: “the survey says ... but the teaching of the magisterium is ...” Instead, the silence or lack of balance creates the impression that it is OK. Thank goodness the Church is not a democracy. The one paragraph I wish to challenge is: “The exclusion from the Eucharist of parents has the potential to confuse children and undermines the message of love and mercy that we preach.” Are these children not already traumatised by the separation of their parents who should maybe have considered this before any drastic decisions were taken. Why is it now suddenly a problem? Now before I get accused of being harsh and judgmental, I must stress as strongly as possible that mercy is paramount and we must love the sinner not the sin. Nevertheless love and mercy, as important as they are, cannot trump the truth and I suggest we all read Mark 10:2 and read what Jesus said. Finally a rhetorical question to which I expect no answer: Where were the Jesuits at the publication of Humanae Vitae and more recently “The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World”? Deacon Mike Harrington, Johannesburg 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

Margarets and the like? Have we forgotten the lovely song we sang so sweetly and at the top of our voices: South Africa, We Love You? Let us all say no to xenophobia/Afrophobia! Let us all build bridges of trust and friendship. Let us turn this gigantic stumbling block into a gigantic stepping stone and enjoy the fruits of our freedom, which should always remind us that we are a “Rainbow Nation”. Simunye—We are one! Fr Andrew Thomo, Cosmo City, Gauteng n The Holy Father has invited Catholic laity to give their view on the Church’s pastoral response on issues affecting the family. Using the same points raised in the Vatican questionnaire, the Jesuit Institute obtained answers from South African Catholics. As the pope does, so do we think it is important to know what the faithful are thinking, regardless of whether or not one agrees with their views.—Editor

Married priests

N Matthew 16:16, Jesus said to Peter, the first pope: “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” This authority of binding and loosing has been explained in the context of serious sin. In the passage quoted, Jesus’ address to Peter is not given in the context of forgiving or withholding forgiveness of sin. Consequently, could it also apply to whatever “loosing” which the Church sees necessary for the continued and sustained evangelisation of God’s people? The present shortage of priests in the Church refers. Prayer has been offered unceasingly for priestly vocations. Perhaps God’s answer to prayer differs from the preconceived, fixed notion of only one possibility. The shortage of priests not only in South Africa, but worldwide, causes concern. There are many “priestless parishes” while priests, in their efforts to minister to a number of parishes, must be deemed overworked and stressed. It seems that Jesus had no problem with the fact that his first pope was a married man, as probably were the other apostles. It would be instructive to know when and why mandatory celibacy for ordination to the priesthood was introduced by the Church. Sr M Shanley IBVM, Cape Town

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The Southern Cross, May 6 to May 12, 2015

PERSPECTIVES

A group that shows how unity works Fr Evans S Chama M.Afr O far in this series I have looked at particular “Saints of Christian Unity”, but this month I’d like to focus on a special group that I believe merits inclusion: the Groupe des Dombes. Groupe des Dombes is a group of Catholic and Protestant theologians engaged in ecumenical dialogue and common prayer in an informal way. The group started in a very humble way when Paul Couturier (whom I wrote about in February’s column) invited a small group of Catholic priests and theologians to meet annually with a group of Lutheran and Reformed theologians and pastors, mainly from France and Francophone Switzerland. The first meeting, in 1937, was held at the Cistercian abbey of Notre Dame des Dombes, near Lyon, France—hence the name Groupes des Dombes. It is the oldest round-table ecumenical dialogue between Protestants and Catholics. The group flourished especially when it revived the dialogue after the Second World War. Since 1948 the group has met every year at the beginning of September, in an atmosphere of fraternal discussion and prayer, to treat important points of faith deemed to be areas of divergence and division for lack of clarification. The group treats the subjects in the following manner: study a given topic; review the subject from the scriptural and historical development; identify the areas of agreement and disagreement; put forward suggestions for convergence; and finally, call for the conversion within each church in the areas of attitudes, teachings, and practices.

In that exercise, the group gives special attention to identifying points of unity. One remarkable characteristic of this group is its optimism. It’s not just sentimental, but the kind of optimism rooted in the certainty and trust that the effort which the members invest in their work will one day help churches realise visible unity.

embers enter open-heartedly in dialogue with others while remaining faithful to the traditions of their denominations. There is no attempt to win over others, no deadlines to meet—thus no need to hurry. Everything is done in a spirit of friendly and mutual respect, confident that this work, done in good faith, is not in vain—it will bear fruit in due course. Hence, the spirituality of this group— that is, the manner of its collaboration—is that of trust, honesty, patience and freedom. Despite whatever differences there may be, every member is aware that he is united with others in the common waiting: Maranatha—Come Lord! That is why members demonstrate this unity by joining in the common liturgy proper to the different

The Groupe des Dombes

Your gossip can kill G

OSSIP! Many of us have engaged in this unkind act at one stage or another in our lives, probably even without realising it. Gossip divides. Gossip destroys. Gossip kills. I would like to base this article on what Pope Francis has to say about gossip. Quite frankly, it was because of his talks on gossip and how it kills people that many of us became aware in a renewed way of the evil of this shameful act. Pope Francis puts it so clearly that I would like to share a few of his comments below: He addressed religious communities, but it goes without saying that his message is for all of us. “Please,” Pope Francis said to the superiors, “don’t let the terrorism of gossip exist among you. Throw it out. Let there be fraternity. And if you have something against your brother, tell him to his face. Sometimes it might end in fisticuffs, that’s not a problem. It’s always better than the terrorism of gossip.” The pope reminded the superiors: “Our religious communities mirror what civil communities often are: a group of people of different ages, abilities and interests called to cooperation and mutual respect.” But in a religious community, “we try to live as brothers. Certainly, we don’t always succeed; we make mistakes because we are all sinners, but we recognise we have erred, we ask forgiveness and we offer pardon.” Such an example, he said, “is good for the Church. It makes fraternity circulate in the body of Christ. And it’s good for society, too.” The pope called gossip rotten. “At the

Pope Francis warns us that our gossip “can kill”. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS) beginning, it seems to be something enjoyable and fun, like a piece of candy. But at the end, it fills the heart with bitterness and also poisons us,” he said. “I am convinced that if each one of us would purposely avoid gossip, at the end, we would become a saint! It’s a beautiful path!” The Fifth Commandment says, “Do not kill,” the pope noted, and then recalled the words of Jesus: “But I say to you: Whoever is angry with his brother will be guilty before the court” (Mt 5:22). “With this, Jesus reminds us that even words can kill,” the pope explained, adding: “When it is said that someone has the ‘tongue of a serpent’, what does it mean? That his words kill.”

ere the word “to kill” does not necessarily mean to cause physical death, as Pope Francis explains. “Therefore, not only must one not make an attempt on the life of others, but one must not even pour on him the poi-

Saints of Christian Unity

denominations represented in the group. The fact that the Groupe des Dombes is not sponsored by any particular church— and members therefore are not appointees of church authority—gives it room for independent and frank dialogue, free from constraint of censure. But since members are not representatives of their denomination, their many beautiful documents lack ecclesiastical authority. Nevertheless, Groupe des Dombes was a great source of inspiration for the Vatican II’s documents regarding ecumenical dialogue. Since 1998 the meetings have taken place at the Abbey of the Benedictine Sisters at Pradines in Lyon, after the monks left the abbey of Notre Dame des Dombes. Since the same year, the group has seen the participation of women theologians. It is this spirit of all-embracing frankness and mutual respect in common study and prayer that this group is certainly a model of ecumenical dialogue to any group really engaged in the efforts to live Christian unity in the midst of the existing divisions. Working for unity is not something to be sanctioned from above; it is a way of life that should begin from the grassroots. Groupe des Dombes is our inspiration. n For previous articles, go to www.scross. co.za/category/perspectives/chama

Judith Turner

Faith and Life

son of anger and hit him with slander, nor speak ill of him. And here we arrive at gossip. Gossip can also kill, because it kills the reputation of the person.” Killing the reputation of a person is an ugly reality in our organisations today, within the Church as well as in politics and civil society, as we so regularly witness in the media. And for what reason? To show that he or she is bad and I am good. Or, in a more sinister way, to manipulate things to gain a strategic advantage. In our own country, today, we can see the results of what could easily have been the consequences of gossip. Xenophobia! The incorrect spreading of information about people. It starts off quite simply and innocently, and most of the time quite ignorantly. And the result is the brutal killing of one by another. Francis urges us to refrain from gossiping about another person, instead we should “go and pray for him! Go and do penance for her! And then, if it is necessary, speak to that person who may be able to seek remedy for the problem.” Our talk always should create harmony and bring people together—not divide and destroy people. “Facing one another, discussion and prayer. This is how conflicts are resolved in the Church. Facing one another, discussion and prayer,” Pope Francis says. “We ask for grace so that we and the entire Church may convert from the crime of gossip to love, to humility, to meekness, to docility, to the generosity of love towards our neighbour,” he says.

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Tony Magliano

Point of Social Justice

How your words can feed violence

CCORDING to the New York Times, during a White House luncheon in 1954 Winston Churchill said: “To jaw-jaw [talktalk] always is better than to war-war.” While clearly not a pacifist, the British World War II prime minister had seen upfront the absolute horror of war, and became convinced that tirelessly striving to resolve disputes through respectful dialogue was always preferable to war. Yes indeed, “to jaw-jaw always is better than to war-war”. But then why is it that when faced with differences of opinion we often opt for violence instead of dialogue? When harsh words are directed at us, why do we often respond with a harsh reply? When spouses continue to hurt each other, why do they often resort to a mean-spirited divorce? And when different ethnic groups, tribes, religions and nations find themselves at odds, why do they so often take up arms to kill each other? I suspect that the sin of pride—the foundational sin of all other sins—is at the centre of all this. Pride puffs up the ego, which tempts each one of us to selfishly concentrate on what we want, often with no thought of the Godgiven rights of others. Instead of taming the pride-filled ego with honest humility, we often allow it to dominate our thoughts, words and actions which make respectful dialogue nearly impossible. And when respectful dialogue is absent, violent words, violent actions, murder, and the mass murder of war take over. Unfortunately, many people often rationalise that violence must be met with violence. They have not learned the tragic lessons of history. Violence never leads to genuine lasting peace. Instead, it plants the seeds for future violence which grows like weeds. Respectful dialogue is absolutely necessary to root out the weeds of violence. Respectful dialogue communicates first and foremost from the heart. It speaks from the heart and listens from the heart. It is heart-to-heart communication. It tries to genuinely understand the other person’s legitimate needs, and the pain of not having those needs met. Respectful dialogue walks in the other person’s shoes. The late Marshall Rosenberg, teacher of peace and founder of the Center for Nonviolent Communication in the US (www.cnvc.org), insightfully said: “When our communication supports compassionate giving and receiving, happiness replaces violence and grieving.” The late Jewish philosopher Martin Buber offers wise and lovely insight here. In his book I and Thou, Buber explains that there are two primary ways of being in relationship with others: “I-Thou” or “I-It”. We are in an “I-It” relationship when we think of and treat another person as an “it”, that is, as an object to be measured, manipulated and used. How sad it is so many persons today are treated as an “it”. But when we are in an “I-Thou” relationship we see each other as another self—another human being of equal dignity. Buber further explained that this respectful view towards each other invites us to relate our entire being to another person. This in turn leads to a response of give and take for the mutual good of both persons. This is what respectful dialogue is all about; where, as Buber points out, real communion with each other is possible, and God’s presence is experienced. In the words of Pope Francis: “All wars, conflicts and troubles we encounter with each other are because of a lack of dialogue.” Instead, we must “dialogue to meet each other, not to fight”. n Tony Magliano is an internationally syndicated social justice and peace columnist. His columns appear on The Southern Cross’ website. Go to www. scross.co.za/author/tonymagliano

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The Southern Cross, May 6 to May 12, 2015

COMMUNITY

St Mary’s Primary School in Cape Town held a Stations of the Cross procession which began at the school and continued onto Plein Street in the central CBD, past the parliament buildings. (Photo: Dylan Appolis)

Banele Mzobe (right) together with his brother Bayanda (second right) of St Patrick’s parish in Eshowe diocese invited their neighbours to join them in searching the family flower garden for hidden Easter eggs.

The youth of St Anthony’s and Our Lady Star of the Sea in Hout Bay, Cape Town, put hours of practice into reenacting Our Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, under the direction of Carmen Hendricks and parish priest Fr Noel Rucastle.

HOPE Cape Town and KFC teamed up to give children from Blikkiesdorp day care in Cape Town a treat.

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St Mary's cathedral in Kimberley held a womens’ day of prayer with a Bahamas theme. Participants from five different denominations attended. Members of the Methodist Church in Kimberley are pictured in the cathedral.

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Bishop Victor Phalana of Klerksdorp admires a spread of chocolates during an Easter Sunday visit to Schweizer-Reneke in his diocese. Siyabonga and Philani Mnchunu are pictured with Sr Collette Mthimkhulu of the SACBC Aids Office in front of their new house in the diocese of Dundee. The Aids Office funds the orphan housing programme of the Maria Ratschitz mission, building 24m2, two-roomed houses for destitute orphans.

‘We believe that each person is special in God’s plan and has a mission nobody else can fulﬁll.’

The archdiocese of Durban held a Mass for its altar servers at Immaculate Conception parish in Pinetown.

Florence Arendse celebrated her 94th birthday. She is pictured with Fr Sean Cahill OFM Cap, who was her first parish priest at Holy Family church in Manenberg, Cape Town where she served as sacristan for 35 years.

The Southern Cross, May 6 to May 12, 2015

FAITH

Real or not, let the Shroud of Turin talk to you, Church says With the Shroud of Turin currently being exposed, the arguments whether it is the genuine burial cloth of Christ or not continue—but for the Church the authenticity is secondary to its real meaning, as CAROL GLATZ reports.

ETTING go of the “obsession” with the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin can free people to discover the real value of the hotly debated, yet much revered icon, said one of the shroud’s leading historians. No matter what science and historical research may yet determine about the age and origins of the shroud, the linen cloth bearing the image of a tortured and crucified man “continues to be something that opens a door to the mysteries of the infinite”, the Passion and salvation, said Gian Maria Zaccone, scientific director of the Museum of the Shroud of Turin. “The position of the Church is very clear,” he said of the shroud which will be exposed in Turin’s cathedral of St John the Baptist until June 24. Whether the shroud is or is not the burial cloth of Jesus Christ “is up to one’s own personal judgment, that is, neither I nor anyone else can tell you that the shroud is authentic or not; each person examines and works out what research has offered” and then makes up his or her own mind, he said. Church doctrine has long held that any reverence or honour given to a religious object or relic must “be given to what it represents” and not to the object itself, he said. The 4,4 × 1,1 metre shroud bears the photonegative image of the front and back of a man whose wounds correspond to the gospel accounts of the torture Jesus endured in his passion and death. Scientists have determined the dark stains around the head, hands, feet and right side are human blood, type AB. Many Christians hold that it is the burial cloth of Christ. The shroud has been chemically analysed, carbon-dated, electronically enhanced and 3D-imaged, and despite today’s advanced technologies, studies have been inconclusive or strongly contested, and no one has yet figured out how the image was made or has been able to

said she has “always believed” the shroud was real. “Think about how many things we believe in in life— things we can’t see,” she said. She said the shroud was important for her because it showed “the Lord’s passion, what they did to him and this has great meaning for me”. Reflecting on the suffering and resurrection of Christ “helps us go on in life, it’s something to hold onto,” she said, explaining how she has been in a wheelchair for half a century and doctors had said there was no way she would live after falling comatose three times at the age of 21. “Now I am 73 and everyone around me is dead—my husband, my family, many friends. It tells you that life doesn’t depend on human ability, it’s about God’s will,” she said.

perfectly reproduce it, Mr Zaccone said. The Church has never officially ruled on the shroud’s authenticity, emphasising instead the shroud’s importance in helping people reflect on the person of Christ, the human dimension of suffering and the mysteries of death and everlasting life.

espite the Church’s efforts to emphasise the pastoral—rather than scientific—significance, “the influence of the Church did not have much bearing on the people who came” to see the shroud back in 1978 when they did a study on how people saw the shroud, Mr Zaccone said. Though no further surveys have been done, he said he thinks that for many people of faith who visit the shroud today, the belief that the shroud is the real burial cloth of Jesus still “is probably strong”. Nevertheless, he said, “what I have learned is that when people then find themselves in front of the shroud, the whole issue [of being authentic] collapses entirely and it becomes a question of a relationship” or personal connection with the image and the reflections and emotions it evokes, he said. “The shroud has something to say to everyone if we know how to liberate ourselves” from what has been called “the obsession with authenticity”, he said. Still, Maria Margherita, a Turin

The face on the Shroud of Turin is seen in souvenir prints near the cathedral of St John the Baptist in Turin. The public exposition of the shroud will run until June 24. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS) resident who said she has seen the shroud twice before, said believing it is authentic “makes some difference” to her—but even if it was not, it depicts “a man who suffered on the cross and that is still deeply moving”. Constance, a young woman from Paris, said she believed the shroud is real. Even though “I am not a chemist and can’t do the experiment myself, I want to believe” it is authentic, she said, smiling. Her husband, Hubert said: “Whether it is real or not doesn’t change the faith. You just have

something concrete, it’s part of a way you believe in God. It’s nice to have something concrete.” Ilarion Bogdanov, who is Russian Orthodox, travelled from St Petersburg, Russia, to see the shroud, which he pointed out is sacred for the Orthodox community, too. While the Orthodox and Catholic faiths “are and should remain separate because they have different dogmas, the shroud is something in common. It is the shroud of our God, we have a common God,” he said. Leni Piovan, a resident of Turin,

How Turin geared up for shroud pilgrims

HE city of Turin, which has been home to the shroud since 1578, has calmly geared itself up for the expected influx of people. The city saw millions come for the last public displays in 1998, 2000 and 2010. Special maps with religious itineraries, pilgrim assistance centres, and wheelchair-accessible confessionals had been set up to help guide and care for visitors, and some 4 500 volunteers wearing violet vests were at the ready with smiles and helpful information. Near the cathedral, a wide pedestrian-only boulevard lined with shops and cafés had made room for a long line of white tents offering local crafts and a huge array of religious souvenirs like rosaries, postcards of popes, plates and holographic posters of the shroud and tackier trinkets like plastic Pope Francis bobbleheads

and tea towels. Security had been heightened around the cathedral and hightech surveillance cameras placed— as they were in 2010—around the shroud. Before entering the cathedral, visitors must walk through metal detectors and put their bags through X-ray machines. Given news reports that prominent Christian places in Italy may be potential terrorist targets, organisers urged visitors to combat today’s “culture of fear” with a “culture of welcoming”. “To celebrate the exhibition of the shroud with serenity means to also say ‘no’ to those who, with violence or fear, want to impose a ‘terroristic’ vision of the world and restrict citizens’ rights and freedoms,” organisers said in a written press release. Pope Francis is scheduled to see the shroud during his visit to

Turin on June 21-22. The pope authorised the public display of the shroud to help commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of St John Bosco, a 19th-century priest from the Turin region who was a pioneer in vocational education, worked with poor and abandoned children and founded the Salesian order. After reciting the “Regina Coeli” prayer in St Peter’s Square in April, the pope said he hoped venerating the shroud “may help us all to find in Jesus Christ the merciful face of God and to recognise it in the faces of our brothers and sisters, especially those who suffer most”.—CNS n The Southern Cross’ pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Italy with Archbishop William Slattery, which is leaving on May 7, is scheduled to see the shroud during a visit to Turin on May 15.

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s it was for countless pilgrims over the centuries, the Shroud of Turin continues to be an invitation to reflect on Jesus’ incarnation, death and resurrection, which in turn inspires and calls people to reach out to others in need, Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia of Turin, papal custodian of the shroud, said in his homily at the Mass to unveil the shroud. “The shroud invites us to never let ourselves be beaten down by evil, but to overcome it with good,” he said. As people gaze at the image, they no longer feel alone or afraid as soon they can discover “it is not we who are looking at that image,” but it is Christ who is gazing back at them, he said. Mr Zaccone, the shroud museum director, told the story of how when St Helen went to the Holy Land in the fourth century to look for the cross of Jesus, there was a widespread belief that the only way to tell Jesus’ cross from the crosses of the robbers crucified with him was to see which cross could resurrect a dead person. The legend lingered for centuries, he said. According to one historical account, a man questioned a bishop in the early 17th century about what miracles the shroud produced and whether it had raised anyone from the dead. According to the story, he said, “the bishop replied, ‘I don’t know if in its history the shroud has raised the dead, but what I can say is that, in front of the shroud, many dead souls have risen again in the faith.’“—CNS n Also see the video at www. bit.ly/1aNPwga

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INTERVIEW

SA a shining example of Christian unity The world-renowned Scripture scholar and long-standing Southern Cross columnist Fr Nicholas King SJ will deliver this year’s Winter Theology lectures in several South African cities. He spoke to FR RUSSELL POLLITT SJ.

HEN Jesuit Father Nicholas King visits South Africa in June and July, he will address the “scandal of Christian division”. Fr King, who has written the weekly reflections on the Mass readings for The Southern Cross for 23 years, is delivering this year’s Winter Theology, organised by the Jesuit Institute South Africa in collaboration with the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference. He will speak on “The Scandal of Christian Disunity – A Biblical Approach” in Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Manzini, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. Fr King is currently visiting professor of New Testament Studies at Boston Colleges’ School of Theology and Ministry, but is returning soon to England to teach in London. He lived and taught in South Africa from the late 1980s to the beginning of this century. Fr Pollitt: Why do you think it’s important to be talking about Christian unity at this time—isn’t this just “pie in the sky”? Fr King: There are two reasons for insisting on talking about Christian unity today. The first is the urgency of the question; our message is one that a broken world desperately needs. One of the reasons that the Gospel is inaudible or derided is the too-obvious divisions among us. It can no longer be said in awe, as it was said in those early centuries, “How these Christians love each other”. The second reason is more hopeful, and it is the remarkable spirit of openness to the Spirit that is visible

among a number of key Christian leaders today, not least Pope Francis —but not just Pope Francis; many other remarkable leaders have at the same time appeared in other Christian churches. This suggests that the Holy Spirit is asking us to journey on that way of unity. And making that journey may lead us to a new understanding of what it means to be “Church”, listening to what the Spirit is saying, rather than insisting that we know already what the Church looks like and will look like in the future. Has Pope Francis’ election opened the door for a more genuine discussion on Christian unity—especially with the Orthodox? Pope Francis’ leadership has been outstanding in this respect, in the gestures that he makes towards other Christians, not to mention believers in other faiths, and those of no faith at all. He has been modelling a much more open and conciliar approach. In this respect, of course he is following the lead of Pope Benedict XVI, who made for such a major shift in ecumenical dialogue, especially with the Orthodox, but also, with his gift for just the right gesture, pushing it forward. What does the Jesuit charism bring to Christian unity and, since Pope Francis is also a Jesuit, is this evident in his approach to ecumenical matters? This Jesuit background of the pope has been a remarkable gift to all Christians, the shared sacramentality of, what may be called, in Ignatian terms, “finding God in all things”. It follows that if it is indeed possible to find God in everything, then we are necessarily open to others, and to diversity. The other element in the Jesuit charism that will help here is the business of “listening”, which is central to the tradition of the Spiritual Exercises. What we have to do, in the spirit of the Exercises, is to listen to our fellow Christians, not in order to prove them wrong, but in order to hear what we can learn from them, and how we can move forward together. This “listening mode” is the way that Pope Francis is leading us, and could be a real Jesuit contribu-

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Fr Nicholas King SJ, who will present this year’s Winter Theology: “The New Testament is very comfortable indeed with different ways of being Christian. In this respect we have much to learn from the New Testament.” tion to the struggle for Christian unity. In your experience at places like Oxford and Boston College, is it easier to talk unity with mainline Churches or are evangelical Churches interested in dialogue? A good many—not all—members of the mainline churches are clearly interested in talking across our fractures; but whereas many evangelical Christians recognise some Catholics as fellow-Christians, some of them would not recognise the Catholic Church as Christian, which somewhat hampers dialogue. In your opinion, what might be serious obstacles to Christian unity today? “Obstacle” is perhaps the wrong word; we have different churches with different traditions and insights that they cherish and hold sacred. So, for example, some Christians find it profoundly important that women should be ordained, whereas for others such a move contradicts the nature of the Church. When something like that hap-

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pens—and you can certainly think of other examples—it is not a matter of negotiating deals: for example, “we’ll give you women priests as long as you allow us to continue venerating the Virgin Mary”. It is more that on all sides we need to bring these painful issues before God, especially the fact that we have certain strongly held views that are not shared by fellow-Christians whom we respect. The way ahead may be a matter of prayer, of shared discussion, and of working and living together in the everyday, and asking how God can help us move through the difficulties. And we should notice that God works slowly, and that perhaps God is therefore at ease with our present divided state. Then teaching authority is a big issue between Catholics and Protestants; who can give authoritative leadership? In practice, most Christian churches operate in a tension between what you might call “synodical” and “magisterial” models of authority, and in practice all churches probably operate at times as local communities, or on a congregational model. Then at other times all of us find ourselves giving the primary authority to individual readers of the Bible. These different approaches are not just restricted to particular churches, but operate inside all versions of Christianity. Do you think a movement like ISIS will force Christians to look towards each other for support and action? It is important not to overreact to particular incidents, no matter how terrible, coming from an extremist movement within Islam. The last thing we need is Christians ganging up on Muslims. What is important is that the same impulses which lead us towards trying to understand each other also open us up to all that is good and true in Islam. The persecution of Christians because they are Christians should bring us all closer together, as Pope Francis has recently remarked. Is the New Testament comfortable with the divisions between the Churches—the unity in diversity approach? Is there a gift in having “different strokes for different folks”? Yes, the New Testament is very comfortable indeed with different ways of being Christian. In this respect we have much to learn from the New Testament. Surprisingly enough, I think that Catholicism, properly understood, can be of great help here. For Catholicism, as one who understood it well was inclined to remark, means “Here comes everybody”; at its best, Catholicism is an umbrella for a wide range of different modes of being Christian, not a straitjacket

for identical clones. We might learn from the New Testament of the importance of telling stories, and recognising them as our own. One of the problems is that virtually all doctrinal formulations claim to be rooted in Scripture; but Scripture has very little in the way of doctrinal statement: it uses stories and letters and preaching. It attests to living people trying to make sense of the touch of the Spirit. You can only understand creeds properly if you realise that they emerge from that vigorous process, to indicate and discount doctrinal options that have been found not to work in the past. We have to look for the gaps in biblical narrative and work out how to fill them; we have to recognise that there are always, down the centuries, different ways of reading the stories. Story has the flexibility of the Spirit of God, and challenges our overdone certainties. Does the New Testament offer us a framework for progressing towards a greater unity between the churches? Yes it does; the message is that we should not be scared of diversity; unity is not the same thing as uniformity. It is noticeable, on the one hand, that divisions among Scripture scholars are no longer to be found along denominational lines; so a Dutch Reformed scholar and a Catholic may well agree with each other, against members of their own churches, on the reading of a particular text, for example on “justification by faith” or on the best way of reading the “you are Peter” text from Matthew 16. On the other hand, all Christians share a common reverence for the New Testament, which gives us something to build on. We need, perhaps, to get back to telling stories. How do we avoid imposing our post-modern mindset on biblical texts? We have always to be aware that we come to the reading of texts, including biblical texts, with our own cultural baggage; but the Bible has the alarming gift of shaking our security, and challenging our “mindsets”. Are we moving into an era where the biblical texts are problematic rather than helpful for us? Biblical reading has always been difficult and problematic. What we must avoid above all is the coward’s option of running away from difficult passages, instead of sitting with them and listening out for the voice of the Lord. We have to go back to the stories, and see what the Spirit is saying to the churches. You taught in South Africa many years ago and have visited since. Do you think South Africa has any contribution to make to the question of Christian unity? Yes. South African Christians are exemplary in their devotion to biblical texts, and that was one of the reasons why the changeover to democracy worked so well, and without bloodshed. I think that South Africa’s Christians have much to teach the rest of the world; many Christians from different denominations found themselves in prison together because of their Gospel-based opposition to apartheid, and suddenly 16th-century European issues seemed utterly unimportant. They found that they believed the same things as these “other” Christians, and, more important, they did the same things—and sang the same hymns!—and they recognised that what united them was more important than what divided them. I am looking forward to discussing these matters once more in South Africa. n For more information on the Winter Theology presented by Fr Nicholas King visit the www.jesuitinstitute.org.za or e-mail admin@jesuitinstitute.org.za

CLASSIFIEDS

Pope Francis, the football fanatic

OPE Francis is a well-known football fan. His favourite team is San Lorenzo de Almagro, one of the most important teams in Argentina, and the pope still keeps his associate membership card for the club. But what was unknown until now is that as a young boy the future pope was a patadura—someone who is not very good at kicking the ball. He himself admitted this in a brief interview with the online sports news site TyC Sports of Argentina. The interview didn’t last more than a minute. The reporter asked him several questions about his love of football, to which the pope gladly responded. “Did you play soccer?” the interviewer asked. Pope Francis replied: “Eh, I’m a patadura, not so good at it.” The interviewer asked him again: “But what did you play, de-

fence or…” The pope said: “No, no, I was not that good at it… nothing more.” Not giving up, the interviewer asked: “Did you play in the back?” Pope Francis, smiling, explained: “Yes, but I rather played basketball.” Asked whether he ever kicked an opponent, Pope Francis said, “I don’t remember”, and then laughed. The interview then reminisced about the San Lorenzo team of Pope Francis’ youth. Armando Farro, Rene Pontoni and Rinaldo Martino were three of its players considered legendary in Argentina. “Did you go to see San Lorenzo play often?” the interviewer asked. “In 1946, I went to all the games,” the pope answered. On many occasions Pope Francis has demonstrated his affection for San Lorenzo. In Argentina, people still remember the Mass

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he celebrated for the 100th anniversary of the club in 2008, when he was Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires. At that time, the future pope presided at a Mass at the club’s facilities, where he used to come with his father when he was little. This team chose the colours blue and red from the blue and red mantle of the statue of the Virgin Mary, Help of Christians. According to the sports newspaper Olé, during a 2011 homily, Cardinal Bergoglio said: “We don’t take on other colours, we ask the Virgin for hers. Never take away Mary, Help of Christians, from the club because she is your mother.” He noted that the San Lorenzo team’s first organisational meeting began at the San Antonio Oratory “under the protection of the Virgin”.—CNA

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Liturgical Calendar Year B Weekdays Cycle Year 1 Sunday, May 10, 6th Sunday of Easter Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48, Psalms 98:1-4, 1 John 4:7-10, John 15:9-17 Monday, May 11, St Ignatius of Laconi Acts 16:11-15, Psalms 149:1-6, 9, John 15:26-16:4 Tuesday, May 12, St Leopold Mandic Acts 16:22-34, Psalms 138:1-3, 7-8, John 16:511 Wednesday, May 13, Our Lady of Fatima Acts 17:15, 22--18:1, Psalms 148:1-2, 11-14, John 16:12-15 Thursday, May 14, St Matthias Acts 1:15-17, 20-26, Psalms 113:1-8, John 15:917 Friday, May 15, St Isidore the Farmer Acts 18:9-18, Psalms 47:2-7, John 16:20-23 Saturday, May 16, St Margaret of Cortona Acts 18:23-28, Psalms 47:2-3, 8-10, John 16:2328 Sunday, May 16, Ascension of the Lord, 7th Sunday of Easter Acts 1:1-11, Psalms 47:2-3, 6-9, Ephesians 1:1723, Mark 16:15-20

Word of the Week

Titular sees: Dioceses where the Church once flourished but which later died out. Bishops without a territorial or residential diocese of their own, for example, auxiliary bishops, are given titular sees. 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.

The Southern Cross, May 6 to May 12, 2015

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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.

DEATHS

LAWRENCE—Ivan. My beloved brother passed away peacefully on April 18. Sadly and prayerfully missed by his sister, Angie, children and grandchildren. We will always cherish the many beautiful memories we have of you. May Jesus in his Divine Mercy and Mary His Mother, lead you to glory in eternity. R.I.P. LAWRENCE—Ivan. Passed away peacefully on April 18. Deeply mourned and sadly missed by his sister Lorraine, children and grandchildren. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord. RIP.

IN MEMORIAM

SEMPER (BLAND) —Tracy. In loving memory of a wonderful daughter, mother, sister and friend who was called to her heavenly home eight years ago on May 14, 2007. Always in our hearts and prayers and remembered daily by Ken, Kirsty, Carol, Jennifer, Mathew, Paul, extended family and friends. Rest in peace with Mom and Our Lady and her beloved Son, Jesus.

PRAYERS

O MOST Holy Virgin Mary, who chose to appear on the Sierra de Aire, in the Cova de Iria, to three young shepherds to reveal the treasures of grace held in the recitation of the rosary, impress upon our souls a fervent love for this devotion. By meditating on the mysteries of our redemption, may we learn how to use the teachings which lie therein and obtain the graces we ask in this prayer. For the glory of God and the redeeming of our souls. Amen. Novena prayers write to jjvcamara @gmail.com PRAYER FOR CONSECRATED LIFE. “Loving Creator, we thank you for the gift that religious life has been within our church and society. Help us to nurture this gift so that the

Congregations may continue to be a healing presence in our world. May we all respond to the realities of our present times, in ways that promote your reign now and in the future. May your kingdom come, may your will be done. Amen” 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. Thanks to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Mother Mary, Ss Joseph, Jude for prayers answered. Chantal.

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.

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7th Sunday of Easter: May 17 Readings: Acts 1:15-17, 20-26, Psalm 103: 12, 11-12, 19-20, 1 John 4:11-16, John 17:1119

ASTER is now rushing to its end, and next Sunday is the Sunday before Pentecost, when the Church receives its mission to proclaim the Gospel of Resurrection. The point is that Jesus is no longer present in the same sense in which he was present during his ministry in Galilee; and so now the burden is on us, first to experience his presence in the present moment, and then to be his presence in a world that needs the good news of Resurrection. So the question is how we are to experience Jesus, and preach the Gospel. And the answer to both questions is that we are invited to relish the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost. The first reading for next Sunday is, like all our Easter first readings, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, at just the point where the early Church is waiting for the gift of the Spirit. Those early forebears of ours have to face the tricky question of how they are to keep going, with only 120 of them, and the Twelve having been reduced to Eleven by Judas Iscariot’s departure; they need to restore the number of witnesses, and the criterion is that they

S outher n C ross

Serving a different God must have been with the group from the Baptism to the Ascension, and their main task (like ours) is to be “a witness of the Resurrection”. So they appoint Joseph Barsabbas Justus and Matthias, and then draw lots between them (trusting in God, of course), as a result of which Matthias is appointed; and it does not matter that he is never heard of again in Acts. The point is that the “Lord, knower of hearts” has made known his wishes; and underlying this remarkable procedure (perhaps a model for the choice of bishops in this very new Church in which we find ourselves today) is the sense of a different kind of God, one who is passionately committed to the human race, and to spreading the Resurrection message. This is the God known to the author of next Sunday’s psalm, of course. Cheerfully the poet tells himself “Bless the Lord, my soul…do not forget all that he has done”; then he reminds us what a very different kind of God this is: “As the heavens are high above the earth, so his love is great upon all his saints.” Then comes an unexpected twist: “As far as sunrise is from sunset, so far have our

sins been removed.” There is no pretence here that we who are called to proclaim the good news of Resurrection are anything but sinners; but God, who has “established his throne in heaven, and his reign rules over all” is very much in charge, and does not require us to be perfect. Then again comes the ecstatic call to “bless the Lord”, but this time addressed to the angels, “mighty in power and performing his word”. God is, after all, in charge. The second reading also points to how we are to experience the presence of God: “If God has so loved us, we must love each other.” The point is that we cannot see God and therefore we need the presence of the “Spirit, from which he has given us”. That is what enables us to “bear witness that the Father has sent the Son as Saviour of the World”; so our task is to “acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God”; then God will abide in us. And that is all that we have to do, to rely on the gift of God; that is what Jesus is praying for in next Sunday’s gospel, what scholars sometimes call Jesus’ “high-priestly prayer”,

An open letter to bishops D

Conrad

EAR Bishops, I write to you as a loyal son of the Catholic Church, with a particular request: Could you make an addition to our present Eucharistic prayers to include an explicit invocation for other Christian Churches and for those who lead them? For example, could the prayer for the Church and its leadership in our various Eucharistic canons have these additions: “Remember, Lord, your entire Church, spread throughout the world, and bring her to the fullness of charity, together with [name] our pope and [name] our bishop, together with all who help lead other Christian Churches, and all the clergy.” Might our Eucharistic prayers have this kind of inclusivity? Why? Why pray for other Churches inside of our Eucharistic prayer? For three reasons: First, we should pray explicitly for other Christian Churches during our Eucharist prayer because Jesus did. In John’s gospel, Jesus prays explicitly for those who hold the same faith but are separated, for whatever reason, from the community to whom he is speaking at that moment. He prays for “other sheep that are not of this fold” (Jn 10:16). Raymond Brown, perhaps the most-respected scholar on John’s gospel, submits that at the time when John’s gospel was written—somewhere between the years 90 and 100 AD—there were already divisions within the Church, akin to our denomina-

tional divisions today, and that Jesus’ prayer for “other sheep that are not of this fold” is in fact a prayer for other Christians who were separated in theology and worship from the community within which John places this particular saying of Jesus. And Jesus, with a heart for everyone and not just for those who are members of this particular community, prays for those others: “I must lead these too. They too will listen to my voice, and there will be only one flock, one shepherd.” Second, if we, like Jesus, in fact love those who share the same faith with us but from whom we are separated, it should be painful for us that our Eucharistic table is not complete, that some of our family are not at table with us, that our table has empty places. Catholics are not a whole family. Protestants are not a whole family. Evangelicals are not a whole family. Free Christian Churches are not a whole family. Only together do we make a whole family. A Eucharistic prayer that prays only for ourselves as a community and for our pope and our bishops, is somehow incomplete, as if we had no need to acknowledge and feel the real absence of so many sincere persons who are not with us as we celebrate the real presence of Christ on our table and experience the intimacy this gives us. It is joyful to celebrate with each other at the Eucharist; but we need, I submit, to acknowledge—at a central place in our prayer—that we long for, wish well to, and

Nicholas King SJ

Sunday Reflections

placed at the end of his discourse at the Last Supper; here his petition to the Father on our behalf is that God should “keep them in our name which you gave me”. If that happens (and it includes, of course, the gift of the Spirit) that “my joy may be filled in them”. This is a very different kind of God whom we are invited to celebrate as we face our task as witnesses of the word and of the Resurrection. It is not an easy task: “The world hated them”, says Jesus, “because they are not of this world, as I am not of the world”. So the prayer is not that we should be removed from “the world”, but that the Father should “make them holy in the truth…that they too may be made holy in the truth.” Before Pentecost arrives, let us gird our loins and ask for the gift of the Spirit by which alone we can face our task as witnesses to the Resurrection. This is a very different God whom we serve.

Southern Crossword #653

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

pray for those who no longer share the family table with us. And such a prayer should not be seen as a concession to our separated brothers and sisters. Its intent should also be to keep us, Catholics, from being content with a family that is fractured, as if we have no need for those who are not with us. Finally, there is also a practical consideration: sensitivity and hospitality. More and more—whether it be at funerals, weddings, interdenominational retreats, or other such events that draw other Christians into our Catholic churches—we are celebrating the Eucharist in situations that require, or at least should require, a keener ecumenical sensitivity. In these situations, personally as a priest, I find it awkward and not fully hospitable to pray for our Catholic community, for our pope, our bishops, and our clergy, without any solicitude for or mention of other Christian Churches, their leadership, and their struggles for community in Christ. I think hospitality asks of us (dare I say, demands of us) a greater ecumenical sensitivity than we have been offering at present. Wouldn’t everyone benefit if we did this? Wouldn’t other Christians, we ourselves as a community of love and hospitality, and the whole Body of Christ (which is wider than our particular historical community), be enriched if we, in this prayer that is so central to us, would pray explicitly for those who share the Christian faith with us, but are separated from us? Wouldn’t this be a gracious gesture of hospitality? What would we be compromising by doing this? What are we protecting by not doing it? Would we not be more sensitive to the Gospel and Jesus’ words and actions by doing this? So this is my straightforward plea: Please add an explicit invocation within each of our Eucharistic prayers that prays for other Christian Churches and their leadership. You will be on safe ground. Jesus did this. I offer this suggestion in all respect, as a loyal son of the Church.

ACROSS

5. Kind of active meddling body (4) 7. Holder of 6 down (10) 8. Defile the earth? (4) 10. Your heart is where your ... is (Lk 12) (8) 11. Disrobes (6) 12. Ancient Gaelic priests (6) 14. Skin-deep military display? (6) 16. Go ahead and influence someone (4,2) 17. A commandment forbids it (8) 19. Vatican court with a duty list? (4) 21. Enigmatic description of the rosary? (10) 22. Posh store (4)

DOWN

1. Prophet (4) 2. Biblical poet (8) 3. He gave Caesar the unkindest cut (6) 4. Really (6) 5. Active insects in 5 ac (4) 6. Consecrated bread (6,4) 9. Danish lout becomes bizarre (10) 13. Fearless (8) 15. Do seas move around Ukrainian port? (6) 16. Not clerical fellows (6) 18. It sheds light on your damaged palm (4) 20. Radical sort inside as well (4) Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

hree men are travelling on a ship, when they are accosted by the devil. The devil proposes that each man drops something into the sea. If the devil can’t find it, he’ll be that man’s slave, but if the devil does find it, he will swallow the man whole. The first man drops a diamond into the sea. Within a second, whoosh, he’s eaten whole. The next man drops a tiny coin. Within a second, whoosh, he’s eaten whole. The third man fills a bottle with water and pours it into the sea and tells the devil: “Try finding that!”

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