150729

The

S outhern C ross

July 29 to August 4, 2015

Reg No. 1920/002058/06

No 4935

www.scross.co.za

Eight things to know about Pope Francis

Bishop Phalana reflects on Benedict Daswa

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Page 10

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Long journey from car guard to lawyer

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Sodality gives R160000 to diocese

BY MAuRiciO LANgA

T

HE Sodality of the Sacred Heart in Mariannhill has raised R100 000 towards the education of future priests and another R60 000 for the revamp of the Kevelaer pilgrimage site.

In a packed Mariannhill cathedral, the sodality first presented Bishop Pius Dlungwane with a cheque of R100 000 as hundreds of people gathered to witness the priestly ordination of four priests and two deacons applauded loudly.

Then the sodality handed the bishop a second cheque of R60 000 towards the renovations of Kevelaer, a mission station on the road leading from Ixopo to the Drakensberg established in 1888 by Abbot Francis Pfanner, founder of Mariannhill.

The presentation came as a surprise to an emotional Bishop Dlungwane. He said he did not expect the handover of the cheques during the ordination Mass.

The bishop explained that his diocese had launched a fundraising campaign to ask the faithful to help in the training of future priests as expenses are increasing every year.

As part of fundraising campaign on a deanery level, the bishop said that “we hold once a year a Sunday worship together with all the parishes of a deanery, during Mass we make a special collection towards seminary expenses”.

Furthermore, “we request all sodalities and associations of the faithful to make a special collection for the same purpose”.

Four priests prostrate themselves before their bishop during their ordination at St Joseph’s cathedral in Mariannhill, KwaZulu-Natal. For the full story on the ordination see page 3. At the same Mass, the Sacred Heart Sodality presented Bishop Pius Dlungwane with cheques amounting to R160 000. (Photo: Mauricio Langa) In parishes special envelopes are circulated with a request for contributions towards the education fund of the seminarians in the diocese of Mariannhill.

The bishop commended the Sacred Heart Sodality for its response to these requests.

He noted that the Sacred Heart Sodality made its offering during the ordination

Mass to drive home “the importance of these contributions to the members of the faithful who had gathered for the Mass of priestly ordination”.

The contribution is so significant, he said, because Sacred Heart is the largest sodality in the diocese, with a membership that includes women, men and the youth.

The bishop said in view of the declining numbers of missionaries, particularly those from Europe, contributions such as those of Sacred Heart encourage the local Church leadership to appreciate that the faithful are prepared to take initiatives in supporting the Church’s drive towards self-reliance.

Bongani Ngcobo, the president of Sacred Heart Sodality, stressed the importance of assisting the bishop in the education of seminarians. “It is a good call to make and we are proud of ourselves because we know the burden that the bishop is faced with.”

Mr Ngcobo added that the faithful are encouraged in assisting the Church when they see that their efforts have a positive impact in the diocese and the Church in general.

Commenting on the development of Kevelaer, Mr Ngcobo said that all the funds have come from the contributions of the members of the sodality in response to the call made to all sodalities within the diocese of Mariannhill.

“Each sodality was given a target figure to raise. Our sodality was requested to raise R50 000, but we managed to go beyond the set target, and raised R60 000,” he said.

Warning: Govt’s land plan could create a food crisis STAFF REPORTER

A

PROPOSAL by the government to expropriate land from those who own it in “excess” will cause a “ballooning” bill for South Africa and may pose a domestic threat to food security, a Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office research paper has warned.

The paper on land reform, by Jesuit Father Matsepane Morare, said it is “doubtful” whether the country could afford the expropriation bill that would come with restricting land ownership to 1 000ha for a viable commercial small-scale farm, 2 500ha for a medium farm and 5 000ha for a large com-

mercial farm.

“Any land in excess of these limits would be expropriated. This means those with ‘excess’ land would lose it, while the rest of society would face a ballooning bill to pay compensation for all this land,” the paper said. “It is doubtful whether the country could afford it.”

Even if South Africa could afford the bill, many key agricultural sectors, especially maize, wheat and cattle, are simply not commercially viable on farms as small as 5 000 ha.

“To impose a blanket restriction of this kind would pose a far greater risk to domestic food security than foreign land owner-

ship currently does,” Fr Morare said.

“On the face of it, it might seem like a good idea that foreign land ownership be scrutinised for its effects on food security for the country, but simply banning foreign land ownership does not in itself ensure food security, nor does it ensure just land access to the previously dispossessed.”

President Jacob Zuma said in his State of the Nation speech this year that the foreign acquisition of land will be limited to “leasehold”, and that the Regulation of Land Holdings Bill will regulate foreign ownership of mainly agricultural land.

This comes out of a concern that South Africa might lose control over food security.

Fr Morare said the president’s announcement seemed to be a reaction to a political sentiment that accuses foreigners of buying up large tracts of land and housing, pushing up prices and making property unaffordable for locals.

The government, the paper said, should rather focus on who controls land, what they use the land for and how it contributes to the wellbeing and development of the country.

“Domestic food security depends on domestic food production across all agricultural land, irrespective of who owns it at any point in time, whether for export or for domestic consumption,” Fr Morare said.

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2

The Southern cross, July 29 to August 4, 2015

LOCAL

The Holy Land came to Cape Town STAFF REPORTER

T

HE Holy Land was much in focus in the archdiocese in Cape Town in July as a visiting tour guide and the author of The Holy Land Trek delivered talks on the region in which the Christian faith was born.

Tour guide Andre Moubarak, a Maronite Catholic, addressed four parishes. He told his audiences how he grew up in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City. While playing on the Via Dolorosa as a sevenyear-old, he would show people around. This, he said, is how early his guiding days began.

He pointed out that there are about 14 000 tour guides in the Holy Land, but only about 150 of these are Christian.

Mr Moubarak, who was brought to South Africa by St Gerard’s Tours, delivered his talks in Elsie’s River, Crawford, Retreat and Parkwood.

The events also included praise and

worship, as well as a healing service.

He was the second Holy Land tour guide to visit the city this year; in March, senior Holy Land guide Rimon Makhlouf, a Latin-rite Catholic, visited for a series of talks.

Günther Simmermacher addressed a Charismatic Renewal group at Maitland’s Holy Spirit Centre—not as the editor of The Southern Cross, but as the author of The Holy Land Trek book.

Noting the recent Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr and the vast crowds at Mecca, Mr Simmermacher said: “For the Muslims it’s important to make a pilgrimage to the most important place of their faith. Why are we Christians so obsessed with going on holiday to Europe or Thailand or Australia, but not on a pilgrimage to the most important places of our faith?”

In his talk Mr Simmermacher explained that most of the sacred sites in the Holy Land were not randomly appointed.

For example, referring to the church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, he said: “If our Redeemer was executed today, we would remember where he was born in 1980, wouldn’t we? And we’d point to the spot and tell our children, ‘This is where our Saviour was born’. We wouldn’t forget that even if it wasn’t written down.”

So when the early Christians, “who were prepared to die for their faith”, venerated the spot of Jesus’ birth, “they knew exactly what happened there”, Mr Simmermacher said. Moreover, the Romans unwittingly kept the memory of Jesus’ birthplace alive by erecting a pagan temple on the site in the 2nd century. It was removed in the 4th century to make way for the church of the Nativity.

The Romans had also built a temple, dedicated to Jupiter, over Golgotha, the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.

Mr Simmermacher said the

church of the Sepulchre, first consecrated in 338 AD, is on the authentic place of Golgotha, citing historical and archaeological evidence.

He said that people can touch the rock on which, “without a doubt”, the cross stood.

“The very place where Our Lord was crucified, and we can touch the rock! Why is this not the most famous place in the world for Christians? How can it be that not every Catholic wants to go Jerusalem and touch the very place of Our Saviour’s crucifixion and pray in the very the tomb of his resurrection?”

Mr Simmermacher asked.

He also explained how records and archaeology prove the remains of a 1st-century house in Capernaum to be that of St Peter, in which Jesus performed several miracles.

“We even know that the house, because the way it was built, it must have had a removable roof— through which one could lower a paraplegic man for Jesus to heal,”

A workshop for security cluster chaplains, organised by Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria, dealt with spiritual growth, sharing of experiences and challenges facing the chaplains in their ministry. Two social workers were given a slot to address the chaplains on marriage counselling and bereavement.

(From left) spiritual worker Fr Bongi Sithole, social worker Refilwe Matsimbi, army chaplain Fr Eugene Mhlongo, correctional Services chaplain Fr Jordan Ngondo, police chaplain Fr chaka Motanyane, social worker Deon Bekker, army chaplain Fr Alfred Ntuli, military personnel chaplain Deacon Twice Moganyaka, army chaplain Fr Silas Rangwaga, and Archbishop Slattery, who serves as military ordinary.

Unemployment has profound impact on country’s youth

BY STAFF REPORTER

T

HE failure to find employment in spite of considerable effort is having a deep psycho-social impact on South Africa’s youth, the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office said in a research article written by Lois Law and Kenny Pasensie.

The CPLO, commenting on the National Youth Policy, said frustration, anger and resentment caused by the “huge disparities of wealth and opportunity” in South Africa can often spill over into crime, domestic and genderbased abuse among the youth.

“Too many of them have grown up in a society that is largely untransformed,” the CPLO said.

“While some progress has been made in the educational system, the matric pass rate remains poor and opportunities for higher education are few.” Many students who have matric, and even some with additional qualifications, have expectations that may not realistically be met, the article said.

Also, many young people are confined to the informal settlements in which they live due to their distance from economic centres and their lack of financial resources for public trans-

port. This makes the search for employment more difficult.

“The failure to find employment in spite of considerable effort and in the face of many difficulties results in considerable disappointment, often with serious consequences,” the report said.

The CPLO said the publication of the National Youth Policy Document is timeous and welcome.

The principle objectives in the policy document include the empowerment of youth, the cultivation of self-sufficiency, the presentation of a holistic programme, and the fostering of national pride and patriotism.

The CPLO said that while the intention of the policy is laudable, a lot of work needs to be done regarding setting real specifics.

The policy proposes that the participation of youth in the Expanded Public Works Programme should gradually be increased to 50%, and that a National Youth Volunteer Programme should be developed.

There is also increasing awareness of the value of internships for young people as a chance to gain work experience. This may include a small stipend to cover travelling expenses.

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“Again, how is this, what is proven to be St Peter’s actual house in which Jesus worked miracles we know from Scripture, not one of the greatest sites in our faith?”

Closing the meeting, Charismatic Renewal evangelist Stephen Selbourne briefly recalled his own experience as a Holy Land pilgrim, recalling how seeing the many holy sites mentioned in the Gospels which he saw, brought the Bible alive to him.

Mr Simmermacher invited his audience to join him and Archbishop Stephen Brislin on The Southern Cross’ Pilgrimage of the Peacemakers to the Holy Land and Egypt in February 2016.

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State withdraws abuse charges against priest

BY STuART gRAHAM

C

HARGES of abuse against a Pretoria priest were withdrawn after the complainant failed to appear in court.

Fr Craigh Laubscher had appeared in the Pretoria magistrates court, but his accuser, now 18, was absent.

This was confirmed in a statement issued by the chancellor of the archdiocese of Pretoria, Fr Robert Mphiwe.

Fr Laubscher’s arrest related to charges of alleged inappropriate conduct with the boy, who was 16 at the time.

The complaint was initially laid with the Pretoria archdiocese and Fr Laubscher was immediately placed on administrative leave.

Church officials immediately advised the family of the complainant to report the case to the police, as required by law.

Fr Mphiwe said “all such matters” are taken “very seriously”.

He said the archdiocese is committed to full cooperation with the civil authorities tasked with the investigation and prosecution of this case, to the protection of all the minors and adults who may have been directly or indirectly involved in this case, their families and their good name and “appropriate and transparent communication with the families and the media”.

The South African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC)

“has stringent measures in place to counteract child abuse allegations against its bishops, members of religious congregations, senior religious staff and priests”, the archdiocese said.

The SACBC has a protocol for the procedure to investigate complaints of child abuse, which has been in place since 2007.

T

he Church will proceed with its own investigation into the allegations against Fr Laubscher.

Archbishop William Slattery told The Southern Cross now that the state has withdrawn charges against Fr Laubscher, the Church will “proceed with protocol” and conduct its own investigation into the matter.

“The Church is very strict with allegations of this kind,” Archbishop Slattery said. “We must be extremely protective of our children. It is one of the great tasks of the Church.”

Fr Laubscher will not be involved in any active ministry until there is an outcome from the Church procedure, Archbishop Slattery said.

He added that the case was still at a sensitive stage as Fr Laubscher, who was arrested in February 2014 on charges related to the Sexual Offences Act, is yet to be acquitted by the court.

“The case still has to pass through various corridors in the justice system.

“The state may still reinsti-

tute the case. The basic situation is that he is not on active service.”

According to ecclesiastical procedure, the Church must hold its own investigation into the matter, but only once it has passed through the justice system. The investigation will take place regardless of the outcome of the judicial case.

When a minor is involved the police or social services must be called in immediately.

“Once the case has passed through the justice system and a complaint is received, the bishop sends someone immediately to speak to witnesses and the victim,” Archbishop Slattery said.

“If the victim is a minor, they must be accompanied by their parents or guardians.

“If it is determined that there is something real here, the Church will authorise an investigation.”

Archbishop Slattery said the Church had appointed a doctor and an advocate to investigate the case against Fr Laubscher.

“When the investigation is finalised, the investigators will sit down with the Church’s protocol manager, lawyers and canon lawyers and will present their findings to the bishop.

“If it is a case that involves a minor, it must be sent to Rome.”

Fr Laubscher has not been convicted of any crime and must therefore be presumed innocent.

LOCAL

The Southern cross, July 29 to JulAugust 4, 2015

3

Ignatian Day focus on loneliness

BY DYLAN APPOLiS

A

New priests (from left) Fr Basilio chilequene cMM, Fr Nkosinathi Vezi, Bishop Pius Dlungwane, Fr Thamsanqa Njiyela cMM and Fr Mandla Mchunu cMM. (Photo: Mauricio Langa)

Bishop: priests to be with the faithful

BY MAuRiciO LANgA

O

RDAINING four priests and two deacons at St Joseph’s cathedral in Mariannhill, Bishop Pius Dlungwane said: “We need committed priests who spend more time ministering to the people rather than priests who spend time in offices or indoors.”

Three of the newly-ordained priests—Frs Basilio Fernando Chilequene, Thamsanqa Paulos Njiyela and Mandla Raphael Mchunu—are members of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Mariannhill, while Fr Nkosinathi Moses Vezi was ordained for the diocese of Mariannhill.

The newly ordained deacons were Mthembeni Cosmas Khwela and Falakhe Issac Nyuswa.

Bishop Dlungwane warned the ordinands that being ordained into priesthood does not mean that “you have made it” and that now it is time for relaxation. “It is a time in which you have to begin from scratch again.”

One of the most important aspects of being a priesr is the ability to understand and embrace the ministry you have chosen in accepting God’s call, the bishop said.

He urged the newly-ordained priests and deacons to constantly strive to be real leaders in the Church, adding that such leadership qualities would be evidenced by their exercise of the virtues of compassion, understanding and love for the people they are ministering to and the people they are working with.

“Today we are encouraging these young men whom we are ordaining to embrace God’s call and also to be honest in their ministry and never lose focus,” said Bishop Dlungwane.

The bishop also addressed the clergy present at the ordination, saying office work was not a priest’s primary duty.

Priests should work closely with members of the faithful to help them in bureaucratic tasks, counting the offertory collection, collecting pledges (isondlo) and so on.

The bishop said priests can then supervise such helpers instead of “wanting to do everything” themselves.

Mariannhill cathedral was filled to capacity, with a large number of people following the Mass from TV screens mounted outside. People came from as far as Mozambique and Zambia.

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METHODIST minister and author in Ignatian spirituality drew a record audience for the annual Ignatian Day, hosted by the Jesuit Institute at McAuley House School in Johannesburg.

Rev Trevor Hudson, author of A Mile in My Shoes and The Way of Transforming Discipleship, outlined different “faces” of loneliness in his keynote address.

He noted the different types of loneliness: the loneliness of grief, of superficial relationships, of depression, and of responsibility.

Almost 200 people from a range of Christian denominations packed the school hall to listen to Rev Hudson. This was a record number for the 15-year-old event, said Annemarie Paulin-Campbell, who heads up the Jesuit Institute School of Spirituality.

“We had people drawn to the event who have never experienced Ignatian spirituality yet.”

Ignatian Day “brings together many people who are giving Ignatian retreats, parish retreats and engaging in the ministry of spiritual direction,” Dr Paulin-Campbell said.

“It’s also a great opportunity to share something of the rich heritage of St Ignatius Loyola with people new to Ignatian spirituality.”

Rev Hudson also spoke on friendship with God, and invited

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N agreement to curb Iran’s development of nuclear weapons while allowing it to continue to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is a “vindication of the principle of dialogue in international affairs”, Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office director Fr Peter-John Pearson has said.

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people to respond to God’s invitation to friendship. Using the example of “Jesus the friend” he encouraged those gathered to reflect on the friendship God desires with each one of us, and ways that we can nurture that friendship.

After the address, participants were able to join workshops on topics such as “Finding God in all things”, “Journalling as a spiritual practice”, “Unhooking from our busy life: The examined life is worth living” and “Why make the Spiritual Exercises?”.

Jesuit Grant Tungay offered a well-received workshop on Pope

Francis’ new encyclical Laudato Si’, while Fr Anthony Egan SJ gave a lecture on “Turbulent priests and the prophetic calling”, which focused on the late archbishops Denis Hurley and Oscar Romero.

Fr Egan also performed a oneman play on the life of Archbishop Romero, which he scripted and had previously performed at the National Festival of the Arts in Grahamstown.

“The play gave a rich sense of the outer and inner influences through which Romero came to see and respond to God’s invitation in his own life,” Dr Paulin-Campbell said.

Iran agreement ‘vindicates’ dialogue

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“This opens the way for Iran to play a more hands-on role in the region,” Fr Pearson said. He said there “can be little doubt” that Iran is seen as an important ally in the war against Islamic State and there is the hope that it will play a role in preventing any escalation in the Sunni-Shia conflict in the region.

Both the Holy See and the South African government welcomed the agreement, which came after almost three months of intense negotiations and many years of diplomacy.

The Vatican expressed the hope that the spirit of the agreement

would extend to other areas as well.

It has described the agreement as “fruitful”.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite NkoanaMashabane said South Africa looked forward to the resumption of normal bilateral trade relations with Iran.

She welcomed the agreement that the atomic and energy agency and Iran would resolve outstanding issues regarding Iran’s nuclear programmes by the end of 2015.

In the month prior to sanctions being imposed in 2012, South Africa purchased oil from Iran in the region of 68 000 barrels per day.

4

The Southern cross, July 29 to August 4, 2015

INTERNATIONAL

Vatican hosts world’s mayors to tackle climate change, poverty BY cAROL gLATZ

A Neighbourhood rubble with a message painted on a wall is seen in gaza city. (Photo: Paul Jeffrey/cNS)

Gaza still rebuilding

BY PAuL JEFFREY

C

ATHOLIC Relief Services is building hundreds of what it calls “transitional houses” throughout Gaza, where more than 10 000 houses were completely destroyed in last year’s conflict.

They are designed to last at least five years, after which residents hope they will be able to move into a more permanent dwelling.

Yet in a land where residents have experienced three wars in the past six years, people will most likely have to stretch the word “temporary” as long as they can.

Deya Al Baba, a CRS shelter specialist, said getting victims of war out of crowded shelters and into decent housing is a critical contribution to helping Gaza begin to recover.

“Palestinians in Gaza consider their house as their paradise. They spend most of their lives building a new house to provide adequate and dignified space for their children.

There are no green spaces to let their children play outside, so the house becomes a place for the children to play, learn, cook, eat, watch television, all the normal things of life. So when they lose their homes, they are heartbroken and depressed, ” he said.

Matt McGarry, CRS country representative in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, said the narrow territory along the Mediterranean is a frustrating region in which to work.

“During the war, Gaza was very bad. During normal times, it’s just bad. The blockade and siege [by Israel] never go away,” he said. “The

unemployment rate here is 44%, the highest in the world. It’s difficult to get in and out, there’s a dysfunctional political system and economy, and so most of what we try to do is keep things from getting worse for ordinary people.”

Sami El-Yousef, regional director for Palestine and Israel for the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, said the gritty resolve of Christians in Gaza to keep rebuilding after repeated outbreaks of violence is inspiring.

“The Rosary Sisters’ school was damaged in the 2008-09 war and the 2012 war, and we fixed it. And then last year, it was damaged again in the war. So we fixed it. We keep coming back again and again because these people here are the living stones.

They provide critical services to the community, he said.

Tensions between Gaza’s small Christian community and Hamas appear to have eased. “There has been a shift in thinking within Hamas toward the Christian community and institutions as a result of our interventions during the war,” Mr El-Yousef said. “I think Hamas woke up all of a sudden, after a tense period of two years in which they’d been trying to enforce the segregation law in the schools, and they realised that the Christian institutions are a plus for them and for society. So there’s a new respect for the Church.

Christians in Gaza recognise that and remain committed to living in Gaza, as complicated as it is.—CNS

FTER decades of world leaders trying to set global goals to address climate change and extreme poverty, city mayors gathered at the Vatican to pledge they will take real action and lead the fight on their streets.

Pope Francis told the mayors that they were important because they were at the “grass roots” and could make concrete changes and put pressure on leaders above them.

The pope spoke briefly off-thecuff in Spanish after more than 60 mayors attended a daylong workshop on modern slavery and climate change, sponsored by the pontifical academies of sciences and social sciences in the Vatican’s synod hall.

The academies invited the leaders to share best practices, to sign a declaration recognising that climate change and extreme poverty are influenced by human activity, and to pledge to pursue low-impact development to make cities “socially inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”.

Mayor Mitchell Landrieu of New Orleans told Catholic News Service, “There is a vivid recognition that mayors are key players in changing how policies are actually applied on the streets of the cities. Mayors are responsible for getting things done.”

Mayor Kagiso Thutlwe of Gaborone, Botswana, said that he disagrees with claims that radically reducing greenhouse gas emissions will hurt development.

“There was a period when our

Pope Francis addresses mayors from around the world at a workshop on climate change and human trafficking at the Vatican. Also pictured is cardinal Francesco Montenegro of Agrigento, italy. (Photo: Paul Haring/cNS) forefathers didn’t know anything about development,” he said. That changed when outside assistance brought in modern methods “and this development is now making us be engaged with the world” and getting his people access to new technologies, he said.

In fact, Mr Thutlwe said he sees public-private partnerships as being key to growing a more “green” development, for example by partnering with solar-panel companies to exploit his country’s abundance of sunshine and get needed electricity to more people.

Mayor Gregor Robertson of Vancouver, Canada, told CNS that governments are not accustomed to hearing spiritual leaders speak so courageously and effectively about social and ecological ills.

A number of mayors said that

Pope to Salesians: Love remains key BY ciNDY WOODEN

W

HILE youth ministry and education programmes must be updated to meet the needs of young people today, the Church’s outreach still must be based on love, concern and spiritual guidance, Pope Francis said.

Writing to members of the Salesian religious orders marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of St John Bosco, the pope said, “The world has changed much in these two centuries, but the spirit of

young people has not: young men and women still are open to life and to an encounter with God and with others.”

Pope Francis told the Salesian priests, brothers and sisters that they must look at “the resources the Holy Spirit raises up in situations of crisis”, and not just the ways modern culture “injures” the young.

The challenges present in Turin, Italy, in the 19th century—challenges which led St John Bosco to found his order and his schools “have taken on a global dimension:

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their countries and cities are still learning about the actual extent and seriousness of modern-day slavery and human trafficking and therefore found it helpful the Vatican invited two former victims to tell their stories.

Mayor Angela Brown-Burke of Kingston, Jamaica, said that if local people have no options, they will continue to use polluting fuels.

“People aren’t stubborn. They are trying to make a living,” she said.

“They say, ‘If I need fuel, don’t tell me not to cut down my trees because that’s the only way I am going to be able to cook my food,’” she said.

On the topic of trafficking, Ms Brown-Burke said that “today’s slavery is much worse, [because today’s] chains are invisible, they’re in your mind in a sense and they are just as real if not worse.”—CNS

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The Southern cross, July 29 to August 4, 2015

5

Byte-sized faith: Priests Pope’s Jubilee of Mercy launch podcast T

BY ANDREA gAgLiARDucci

BY JAN BENTZ & MARY REZAc

P

ODCASTS are arguably the greatest comeback-kids of the Internet. Once thought to be slowing fading into oblivion, the boom of smartphones and Bluetooth technology, and hits like Serial, brought the medium back with a force.

There are podcasts about every subject under the sun, from sports to mystery stories to in-depth explanations of how things work, and often the listener has to commit 20 or more minutes to get the full story.

While these can be perfect for long road-trips or time-sucking commutes, sometimes listeners don’t have much time to devote to a podcast.

And that’s where Catholic Bytes wants to step in. It’s a new podcast started by three young American men—two priests and one deacon— studying in Rome who want to tell everyone about the beauty of Catholic faith and culture in, well, byte-sized pieces.

“Each episode is under ten minutes, and therefore it can be easily listened to while travelling to and from school or work, during a break, or whenever you have a few minutes to spare,” Catholic Bytes co-creator Deacon Greg Gerhard said.

Just because the podcast is brief, does not mean it will lack depth.

Rome is a great place to access all kinds of Catholic experts in various vocations and fields, co-founder Fr Andrew Mattingly said, allowing Catholics and those curious about Catholicism from around the world to learn from them without having to travel all the way to the Vatican.

There is a “vast number” of English-speaking priests, deacons, seminarians, religious, and lay people that live, work, and study in Rome — “and many of these people are here

working on advanced degrees, such as in dogma, morality, biblical studies, liturgy, or Church history, to name a few”, he said.

The three founders also sat down and strategically planned out over 400 episodes that, once finished, will cover several years and a wide range of topics. The podcast is set to release an episode every Monday, Wednesday, and first Friday.

“Our goal for the entire project is to convey a systematic presentation of the faith,” Deacon Gerhart said, “with topics ranging from scripture, ethics, spirituality, the sacraments and also personal witness to living the faith, as well as apologetics.”

The third co-founder, Fr George Elliot, said the project has given him a lot of hope and confidence in the ability of Catholics to use their gifts to evangelise.

“I’ve become more aware that the future of the Church is bright, talented, and capable. I’ve seen that the future leaders of the Church have something worthy to say and know how to communicate it to the world today,” he said.

The founders are hoping to draw everyone to Christ through their podcast, whether they are an already-engaged Catholic looking to know more, or someone who knows next to nothing about the Church but is curious and wants to learn.

The Catholic Bytes podcast can be downloaded for free from catholicbytespodcast.com Users can also subscribe through iTunes, and connect with the hosts through Facebook or Twitter.—CNA

WELVE prominent events, each with the participation of Pope Francis, have been scheduled in Rome for the upcoming Jubilee of Mercy.

The twelve big events will be: 24 hours for the Lord, a day-long period of Eucharistic adoration, To Dry the Tears prayer vigil, and jubilees centred on pilgrimage workers, the sick and disabled, catechists, deacons, teenagers, priests, volunteers of mercy, the Curia, Mary, and Divine Mercy spirituality.

In addition to these events, a “Jubilee for Padre Pio’s prayer group” will take place on February 13 as the body of the Capuchin saint who bore stigmata for much of his life will be exposed in St Peter’s basilica from February 8-14.

The jubilee for pilgrimage workers will take place from January 1921. It will start with an international gathering of pilgrimage workers together with priests, rectors, and staff of shrines. A Mass will be said on January 19 at the basilica of St John Lateran.

On the feast of the Chair of St Peter, February 22, the pope will also celebrate a special jubilee for the Roman curia, the Vatican Governatorate, and the institutions linked to the Holy See. From April 1-3, 2016, during the Easter Octave, the jubilee of Divine Mercy spirituality will be celebrated.

On April 1, some Roman parishes will celebrate a penitential rite, and the following day Pope Francis will lead a prayer vigil in St Peter’s Square.

The teenagers’ jubilee will begin

Father Robert Barron, a mediasavvy priest, has been named an auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese of Los Angeles. Fr Barron may be best known to viewers for having hosted Catholicism, a tenpart DVD series. He is the founder of Word on Fire catholic Ministries and has written ten books and does radio commentary. His reason for using video? “if you want to find the unchurched catholics and the secularists, you have to invade that space.”

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with an April 23 evening festival at Rome’s Olympic Stadium, followed by a Mass said by Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square the following day.

The jubilee of deacons will take place from May 27-29, with conferences on their role as icons of mercy for the new evangelisation in their families, parishes, and jobs. They will gather in Rome’s seven parishes named for St Lawrence, and on May 28 will have adoration, confession, and pilgrimage to the Holy Door, then attend a Mass said by Pope Francis on May 29.

Priests will celebrate their jubilee from June 1-3. The first day will be dedicated to Eucharistic adoration, lectio divina, and confessions. The Holy Father will preach their spiritual retreat on June 2, and June 3 will say Mass with them.

The jubilee of the sick and dis-

abled will occur from June 10-12.

The participants will gather in the jubilee churches, and from there they will go to the Holy Door. A celebration will be held in the gardens of Castel Sant’Angelo on June 11, and a Mass in St Peter’s Square with the Holy Father on June 12.

From September 2-4 the volunteers of mercy will gather in Rome for catechesis and a Mass with Pope Francis.

The catechists’ jubilee is scheduled for September 23-25. The first day, they will have the option of either visiting San Luigi dei Francesi to contemplate Caravaggio’s paintings of St Matthew’s calling, inspiration, and martyrdom; or the Sistine Chapel to view salvation history through the ceiling painted by Michelangelo.

The following day will see a catechesis on mercy in the jubilee churches and a prayer vigil at St John Lateran. Pope Francis will say Mass on September 25 in St Peter’s Square.

A Marian jubilee will be celebrated from October 7-9, which will gather delegates from Marian shrines across the world.

Added to these particular jubilees are two additional events: the 24 hours for the Lord, culminating on March 4 with a penitential rite, and the “Vigil to Dry Tears”, scheduled for May 5 and described as a vigil for all those who need consolation. Pope Francis will preside over both the vigils.

The jubilee year will open on December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, and will close on November 20, 2016, the Solemnity of Christ the King.— CNA

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KeY PeRFORMANce AReAS • Ability to nurture and develop the Catholic ethos of the school • Guiding, leading and supporting the academic and ancillary staff • Initiating and supporting staff development • Monitoring the quality of teaching and learning • Financial management skills • Commitment to continuous improvement in all aspects of the school • Critically evaluating academic results and implementing appropriate interventions • Excellent interpersonal, organizational and communication skills

The Board invites interested applicants to email the following to Sr Janine Coleman at msafin@inamandla.co.za or post them to her at Maryvale College, PO Box 51698, Raedene, Johannesburg, 2124: • • •

A Curriculum Vitae not longer than three A4 pages Three contactable referees, one of whom is a parish priest or a minister of religion A letter stating both your vision for the school and your previous leadership achievements • Certified copy of SACE registration Short-listed applicants will be asked to kindly bring certified copies of their academic and professional qualifications to the interview. The closing date for applications is Friday, 28 August 2015. The school reserves the right not to make an appointment. Submission of an application does not in itself entitle the applicant to an interview.

6

The Southern cross, July 29 to August 4, 2015

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

The Mandela cult

A

RECENT opinion piece in the secular press by a young writer took issue with the “Mandelification of the struggle”.

In her Sunday Independent article, Mailaka wa Azania points to “a deliberate process of socialisation spanning decades” that constructed a personality cult around Nelson Mandela which ignores the contribution of others—individuals, movements and the unnamed masses—to the struggle against apartheid.

The 23-year-old author’s pseudonym suggests an affinity with the politics of black consciousness, whose supporters are justifiably aggrieved that the proponents of that ideology have been marginalised in the memory of the struggle.

They rightly reject the notion that the African National Congress (ANC) was the only significant agent of liberation, and object to the primacy given to Mr Mandela as the liberator of the oppressed.

There is a hazard, however, in a revisionism that could serve to diminish the crucial role which Mr Mandela played in the struggle and in the transition to democracy.

In jail, he was an important symbol of apartheid repression; as a free man his example shaped the future of South Africa. Before he sported his casual range of shirts and became the loveable grandfather of the world, Mr Mandela was a formidable and thoroughly principled politician whose pragmatism was rooted in true courage, not deceitful expedience.

It was this integrity, and that of other struggle icons, which created the conditions for South Africa’s relatively peaceful transition.

Much as one may object to the hagiographies, the commercialisation and the mythologising of Madiba, and much as one might interrogate whether the reconciliation project has failed, Mr Mandela cannot be regarded as anything else but the Father of the Nation.

But as the figurehead Father of the Nation, Mr Mandela is also an open canvas upon whom people project their own perspectives.

He shares this with the other figureheads in history: the likes of Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr, on whom we project notions of decency and goodness; or the likes of Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin, who epitomise evil. Of course, none of these men acted in isolation.

Unlike Gandhi and King (or,

indeed, Hitler), Mr Mandela enjoyed a long retirement during which the Madiba brand was built, with the incessant audiences for international celebrities and the industrial-strength charities that carry his name.

The longer Mr Mandela lived, the more he became loved. This love finds enthusiastic expression even after his death, as the annual “67 Minutes for Mandela” days demonstrate.

As past elections have shown, the ANC continues to profit from the Mandela cult, the liberator.

During the struggle in the 1980s, the ANC capitalised on Mr Mandela’s incarceration, no doubt more helped than hindered by the apartheid regime’s banning of the man. “Free Nelson Mandela” was the succinct rallying cry, with the name of Mandela representative of the oppressed.

This, alongside the 1983 founding of the charterist United Democratic Front, gave the ANC a pre-eminence in the struggle which it had lacked after its banning in 1960. Indeed, the pivotal Soweto uprising of 1976 was spearheaded by the Black Consciousness Movement, not the ANC. The ANC has appropriated the liberation from apartheid solely for itself, with Nelson Mandela as the figurehead. One may rightly take exception to that.

But if the ANC wants to be seen as the party of Mandela and liberation, then it must be measured by the model of integrity provided by Mandela, and by the objectives of the liberation struggle. At present, the governing party is failing on both counts.

Instead, the present government, which in practice is inseparable from the ANC’s leadership, is dogged by a ceaseless stream of charges of corruption, aggressive cronyism, careless incompetence and a resistance to engage accountable and transparent leadership. It is self-evident that President Jacob Zuma is no Nelson Mandela.

The liberation struggle sought a post-apartheid society where race would be of secondary importance, and where a democratic government would serve all South Africans, including and especially the poor, with integrity and aptitude. We have not succeeded.

The necessary question, therefore, is not whether Mr Mandela’s status as a liberator is being exaggerated, but how South Africa can be truly liberated.

The Editor reserves the right to shorten or edit published letters. Letters below 300 words receive preference. Pseudonyms are acceptable only under special circumstances and at the Editor’s discretion.

Name and address of the writer must be supplied. No anonymous letter will be considered.

An economy where people matter

Y

OUR editorial “An economic revolution?” (July 15) was very thought-provoking, and is asking for a radically serious and different form of economics from what prevails today.

I think Pope Francis describes this very comprehensively and clearly in Laudato Si’, and he is echoing what the economist EF Schumacher said 50 years ago: that the study of economics should be as if people mattered.

At about the same time, the Club of Rome, under the leadership of its founder, Aurelio Peccei, was already promoting the thinking along similar lines of sharing the limited world resources more equitably across all nations.

This was again brought to the fore in 2007 by Richard Layard in his book on happiness, where he basically says people today are no happier now than they were 50 years ago, notwithstanding all the technological and scientific advances that have taken place.

In blunt language Layard says the human race has lost the plot. It has lost the reason for being on this earth, and it is time to look inward into one’s own soul to find the real

Reach out to those on the margins

I

N response to letters regarding homosexuality a few weeks ago, I have some thoughts to share.

Firstly, contemporary literature refers to members of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered and Intersexed (LGBTI) community, not merely homosexuality.

I believe that the issues of samesex unions and accepting members of the LGBTI community into the Church should not be conflated.

Neither should it be intimated that people in favour of same-sex unions are also invariably pro-abortion and euthanasia.

For those of us in the benches, it should matter little what the origin of our fellow Catholic’s sexual persuasion is, or what they do behind closed doors. What matters is that we love one another.

Let us look at Pope Francis’ approach to homosexuality and related topics. He has encouraged clergy to move away from an “obsession” with sexual issues towards a greater concern for the poor and those rejected by the Church and society, which would include many LGBTI Catholics.

Returning from World Youth Day in 2013, Pope Francis responded to a question about whether a gay man could be a priest by saying: “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge? They

reason. He suggests that the meditation practices of all the great religions of the world would be a good place to start.

One very salient point Layard also makes is that human beings are happiest when they are helping someone else.

He gives a constructive economic outline (edited here) of the way world economics could be managed in the most ethical and moral way: • We should monitor the development of happiness as closely as we monitor the development of income.

• We should rethink our attitudes on many standard issues. On taxes, we should recognise the role they play in preserving the worklife balance. On performance-related pay, we should worry about its tendency to encourage the rat race.

On mobility, we should consider its tendency to increase crime and weaken families and communities.

• We should spend more time helping the poor, especially in the third world.

• We should spend more on tackling mental illness. This is the greatest source of misery in the West.

Psychiatry should be a top branch shouldn’t be marginalised. The tendency [to homosexuality] is not the problem…they’re our brothers.”

Perhaps the way to look at these controversial issues is to view the LGBTI community with an “open mind” and a pastoral approach.

Spend time with Catholic LGBTI people who are grappling with their sexuality in the practice of their faith, in an effort to understand and support, not judge, them.

Can they suggest a compassionate pastoral solution? I would hope that people who are struggling in their faith would find in the Church compassionate ministers who would encourage them to discern their life’s purpose; not judge them for who and what they are.

Regarding Scripture, I’d propose contemplating Jesus’ examples of forgiving the immoral woman (Luke 7), visiting the home of Zacchaeus (Luke 19), and washing the feet of his disciples (John 13).

Jesus broke societal taboos, ignored cultural stereotypes and, as his ministry grew, became more popular with social outcasts. Why? Because Jesus went to the lost. He went to where the need was. He did not judge, he loved.

He spoke the truth, but reached out in love. He was interested in people’s hearts. He was content to spend time with those society (Church) shunned.

He called all people to repentance, including the righteous.

Kelsay Corrêa, Johannesburg

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Compassion for the remarried

H

OW very sad to read the views of Damien McLeish (July 15) on the prospect of the Church taking a more lenient, and Christ-like, attitude on receiving holy Communion for divorced and remarried individuals.

His letter sounds much like the attitude of the Jewish high priests and elders of old, who failed to interpret the Jewish Mosaic laws in the spirit they were intended, as Our Lord did.

Perhaps a spiritual trip down the Damascus road might soften Mr McLeish’s heart.

But should his strict adherence to the present application of Catholic teaching remain fixed, then maybe he should let the Holy Spirit decide on the issue, and graciously accept the outcome.

Ron Hancock, Kloof, KZN Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in Letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the catholic hierarchy. The letters page in particular is a forum in which readers may exchange opinions on matters of debate. Letters must not be understood to necessarily reflect the teachings, disciplines or policies of the church accurately.

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

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of medicine, not one of the least prestigious.

• To improve family life, we should introduce more familyfriendly practices at work: more flexible hours, more parental leave and easier access to childcare.

• We should elevate the professions of teaching, nursing and policing, regarding them as the pillars of life support of the community and not just as an unfortunate necessary expense.

• We should eliminate high unemployment.

• To fight the constant escalation of wants, we should prohibit commercial advertising to children, as in Sweden. We should also cut tax allowances for pictorial advertising to adults by business.

• Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we need better education, including moral education. We should teach the principles of morality as established truths essential for a meaningful life. We should teach the systematic practice of empathy, and the desire to serve others.

I hope this will initiate further discussion among all Catholics and others, for the purposes of adding increasing, influential weight to the message of Pope Francis.

Antonio G Tonin, East London

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The Southern cross, July 29 to August 4, 2015

PERSPECTIVES Judith Turner

Let women shine!

A

UGUST is Women’s Month in South Africa, a time when we focus on women and the role they play in our country.

August showcases women who have been successful and who can serve as role models for other women. Sadly, it also highlights the many challenges faced by women, such as economic inequality, domestic violence as well as sexual and other abuse and exploitation.

The role models girls and women are exposed to today are mostly related to fashion and show business. These models appeal to appearance and to popularity in the world of entertainment and rarely as models of Christian womanhood.

In Proverbs 31 we read of the ideal woman. This noble woman makes all her children’s clothes by hand; she gets up in the early hours of the morning to bake bread and cook food; she is a hardworking and successful businesswoman, not to mention all the good work she does in her community.

There are very few women who reckon that they can live up to this impressive list of accomplishments. Rather, their children on many days eat instant noodles for supper and sometimes go to bed with dirty feet. Many women cannot bake a cake that is presentable for the school sale, and community involvement…with what time?

Do women have to feel bad or guilty because they do not live up to this noble woman in Proverbs? What meaning can modern-day women attach to the Proverbs 31 woman? She represents a list of qualities any woman can aspire to, rather than a list of requirements that women have to fulfil in order to be good women.

Proverbs 31 also inspires families and communities to assist women and create conditions for women where they are able to achieve their best selves: to give women enough space and support so that they have the opportunity to flourish wherever they are.

No woman, who has a daily struggle just to survive or who is exploited and abused or who does not have access to necessary basic resources, can even begin to grow and develop into the woman she is created to be.

Also, as families and communities, we should give to each woman the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships, to develop intellectually and emotionally, and—very important—to play and to relax. Many women do not have these opportunities.

A

ugust is also the month in which we celebrate the Assumption of Our Lady.

Like Mary, all women are called to cooperate in the redemption of the world. In

“A woman’s essence is best illustrated when she becomes a gift of love in and through her specific calling. The influence that she can then exert is enormous,” Judith Turner writes. (Photo: Paul Jeffrey/cNS)

Faith and Life

doing so, women are able to receive, savour and transmit natural and supernatural life.

Mary did so in silent, selfless service and availability, always aware of her calling and mission.

Similarly, a woman’s essence is best illustrated when she becomes a gift of love in and through her specific calling. The influence that she can then exert is enormous; it is however not exercised through dominance but rather by example and gently guiding persuasion. Her strength is in her gentleness.

Single women, who do not have families (and who we mistakenly might think do not have a calling), also assist in building up society, and also cooperate in the redemption of the world, like Mary.

Single women contribute to the growth of society through their dedication and availability to assist where needed. The contribution of those single women and widows who are always available to stand in where needed is very valuable because not even families can live without the help of those who have no families.

So instead of feeling bad and less of a woman, because she does not live up to the Proverbs 31 woman, let us women always remain aware of our sacred calling and mission to serve with love and gentleness, and let us fulfil this mission as confident leaders.

If women generously fulfil their mission in serving God and people, they live up to the call of Jesus Christ: “I have not come to be served but to serve.”

A Greek Orthodox giant of unity Fr Evans A Chama M.Afr RISTOKLES Spyrou was born in 1886, in Greece. After completing his seminary education he was ordained a deacon in 1910 and took the name Athenagoras.

He was still a deacon when he was appointed the Greek Orthodox bishop of Corfu in 1922. Later, in 1930, he was appointed archbishop of North and South America in order to restore harmony to the American diocese at a time of dissension.

In 1948 he was elected Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, the first among equals in the Orthodox Church. His patriarchate would be marked by tireless and limitless efforts for unity of Christian churches. Here are some highlights of his ecumenical efforts.

In 1952, Athenagoras issued an encyclical that officially approved the Orthodox participation in the Ecumenical Movement and membership in the World Council of Churches.

Later, in 1960, he convoked the Pan-Orthodox Conference of Rhodes through which efforts of reconciliation with other Eastern Churches began.

In his address to the Patriarch Maximus, of the Greek Melkites, Athenagoras declared: “We are living in a new era. Let us lay aside the past and let us leave the theological issues which divide us to the pundits and the experts; as for us...let us aim always to be united through the love of Christ.”

The most momentous ecumenical event is the 1964 encounter of Athenagoras and Pope Paul VI in Jerusalem. Before his departure for Jerusalem he said: “I have always dreamed of meeting the pope. May the day of our meeting be a great day for Christianity and for the whole of humanity.” He added: “I am going to meet the pope and embrace him in a fraternal manner. We will leave discussions to the the-

Saints of christian unity

Pope Paul Vi and Patriarch Athenagoras at a prayer service in Jerusalem in 1964. ologians.” And on the flight to the Holy Land he exulted: “What joy! What delight!

I am living in a dream, a dream which fills my heart with great hopes.”

Later he expressed his satisfaction to Italian news agency: “I was especially impressed by the fact that the pontiff has completely forgotten the ugly past and made it possible for us to inaugurate a new era.” He then added: “My conscience is at peace before God. Orthodoxy means freedom, and it is the free who make progress.”

O

n December 7, 1965—the day before the Second Vatican Council closed— Athenagoras and Paul VI mutually lifted the anathemas pronounced in 1054, when the Catholic and Orthodox Churches split.

In their Joint Declaration they affirmed that they were answering God’s call in overcoming division and start again to journey together in unity. They regretted and thus removed “both from memory and from the midst of the Church the sentences [of the anathemas]... and they commit these... to oblivion....”

Since then, the pope of Rome has been included among those commemorated by

the patriarch of Constantinople in the Divine Liturgy.

During his 1965 visit to Rome, Athenagoras observed that the Catholics and the Orthodox belonged not to two different Churches but to two branches of the same Church, with more things that unite than separate them.

Athenagoras extended the gesture of reconciliation also to Anglicans and Protestants. In the Anglican cathedral in London he said Christians were tired of the long centuries of quarrels that have brought nothing but spiritual coldness.

He maintained the same message of reconciliation to the Orthodox, too. He challenged the faculty of theology in Belgrade that this was no longer the time for theological controversy and polemic but for reconciliation by the language that expresses the truth with love. And in his Christmas message of 1967 he called upon all Christians to lower banners of hatred and raise the Cross of love and sacrifice.

Who cannot but marvel at such an ecumenist? Yet to some of his Orthodox brethren, Athenagoras was no more than a betrayer of true faith. This is owed to the way the Orthodox Church considered itself as the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, from which all others split.

Thus, mixing with non-Orthodox was tainting the true faith—an attitude that sounds quite familiar to many Catholics.

That is why while the world over applauded the encounters of Athenagoras Continued on page 11

7

Michael Shackleton

Open Door

How is the pontiff supreme?

The pope and the world’s bishops together make up one college of authority in the Church, known as the magisterium. In what way, then, can the pope be given the privilege of being called Supreme Pontiff? How is he supreme?

S Ndiki T may surprise you, but your question is similar to one that exercised the minds of the world’s bishops during the sessions of Vatican II (1962-65).

Every bishop at the council accepted the Church’s teaching that St Peter was the head and leader of the twelve apostles. Everyone accepted that their successors, the bishops of Rome and the world’s bishops, were their legitimate successors.

And everyone agreed that Christ gave them as a body his own authority to teach what he had commanded (Mt 16:16; Jn 21:15: Mt 28:18). This was nothing new.

What was new was the question of clearly explaining and accepting the precise nature of the relationship between the pope’s primacy and the teaching authority of the rest of the world’s bishops.

The council made it clear that there is only one teaching authority, and that is the entire college of bishops in solidarity with its head the bishop of Rome. Without being in communion with the Roman pontiff, the bishops together would have no authority.

This was one of the big features of Vatican II, although it also acknowledged the jurisdiction each bishop has in his own right.

All along it was known that the pope, the bishop of Rome, was the head of that college and that he could define divinely revealed dogmas when he spoke as pastor and teacher of all the Church. Once he had defined a teaching as authentic doctrine in matters of faith or morals, this had to be held by the whole Church, because of Christ’s words in Matthew 16:16-19.

There could not be two holders of supreme authority in the Church, as if the pope was on one side and the bishops on the other. As a single college holding firmly to Christ’s truth, there could be no such division.

It is advisable to remember that the source of the Church’s magisterium and its ultimate measure is the revelation given it by Jesus Christ. This revelation ceased with the death of the last of the apostles. The magisterium therefore cannot transmit anything new, but only what it safeguards intact and hands down from Christ without error, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit in the here and now of history.

By virtue of his being head teacher and pastor of the Church, and also as its pivotal centre of unity, the pope alone has the final word when there is any doubt or conflict in regard to the Church’s faith and moral teaching.

I

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

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

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8

The Southern cross, July 29 to August 4, 2015

COMMUNITY

The choir of Our Lady of Peace parish in Roodepoort North, Johannesburg diocese.

The residents of the communicare-managed creswell House in Springs Way, Newlands, celebrated Mandela Day at St Bernard’s parish in cape Town. Fr christopher clohessy is pictured with Rieta Apperley who has been a resident since 1987 and who celebrated her 90th birthday on July 22.

Debutantes from Holy Rosary High School in Johannesburg joined 5 000 other Stop Hunger Now volunteers at the Sandton convention centre for Mandela Day, where 1,2 million meals were packaged for underprivileged pre-schoolers.

Holy Rosary Primary School in Johannesburg made sandwiches for the Khanyisa soup kitchen at the Edenvale Methodist church for Mandela Day. The sandwiches were delivered with a chocolate and a card wishing the recipient a “Happy Mandela Day”. Pictured are grade 4 pupils (from left) Kezia Malyon, Kiana da Silva, Emily Roelofsz, Palesa Mokose, Tyla carpenter and Alexandra Ramsarup.

grade 3 pupils from St Teresa’s School in Johannesburg celebrated Mandela Day by visiting the REEA epilepsy centre to provide residents with food and to entertain them with singing.

HOPE cape Town staff and friends dedicated their time in honour of Mandela Day feeding over 600 children of the Blikkiesdorp community in Delft, cape Town.

Little Eden in Johannesburg thanks all individuals, corporate, schools and church groups who chose to spend their 67 minutes of Mandela Day at Little Eden.

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The Southern cross, July 29 to August 4, 2015

CHURCH

9

At last: a saint of our own!

On September 13, the Church will beatify the South African martyr Benedict Daswa. BiSHOP VicTOR PHALANA of Klerksdorp reflects on this great event for our local Church.

I

AM so excited that one of our own kind, our own flesh and blood, our own countryman, is to be beatified.

On September 13, 2015, Tshimangadzo Samuel Benedict Daswa, who was born at Mbahe in Limpopo, will be beatified as a martyr. It is the last step before canonisation to the sainthood.

I appreciate how Bishop Emeritus Hugh Slattery and his successor in Tzaneen, Bishop João Rodriguez, have stood up and upheld the virtues of Benedict Daswa: The virtues of faith, family life, charity and zeal for evangelisation.

We owe our gratitude to the promoters of the cause, as well as to the clergy, religious and laity of Tzaneen diocese for serving the cause of the Servant of God, Benedict Daswa.

Without their hard work, prayers, research, writing down stories and testimonies, fundraising and many other initiatives, we would not be having this beautiful occasion.

For one to be declared “blessed”, or to be beatified, a miracle must usually be proven. But for a martyr of faith, this requirement need not be met.

The diocese of Tzaneen presented Daswa’s case to the Church, as someone who was killed for his belief in the teaching of Christ.

Daswa believed that some popular beliefs of his own people in witchcraft were against the faith and he opposed them. He opposed witch-hunting which led to the persecution and even death of many innocent people. He opposed the use of muti, or traditional medicine, to win soccer games. He refused to pay R5 to his village, as everyone else was expected to do, to solicit the services of a diviner, who was supposed to come and “smell out” witches who could be held respon-

sible for storms and lightning strikes in the area.

The Church teaches: “All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to ‘unveil’ the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers.

“They contradict the honour, respect and loving fear that we owe to God alone. All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others—even if this were for the sake of restoring their health—are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion.

“These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2116-7).

This teaching is what Daswa died for. He was standing solidly on the side of truth and of the Gospel.

In the evening of February 2, 1990, Daswa was stoned, bludgeoned to death and then his body was covered with boiling water. Just 25 years later, we will see him raised as a martyr for the faith.

W

e must give thanks to the diocese of Tzaneen for inviting the whole of Southern Africa to its region to witness South Africa’s first beatification.

We are grateful to the bishops’ conference, especially the general secretariat, for supporting the cause.

A little while ago, the clergy of Klerksdorp was visited by Fr Sakhi Mofokeng and Fr S’milo Mngadi from SACBC. They explained the story of Benedict Daswa and the cause for his beatification. They also shared with us a prayer to implore favours through the intercession of the Servant of God Tshimangadzo Daswa. It goes like this: “Loving God, keep me free from all deeds of darkness. Protect me from evil spirits and all the powers

Benedict Daswa, who will be beatified on September 13, was murdered by a mob because he refused to take part in a witch-hunt. of evil. Following the example of Benedict Daswa, make me a true apostle of life in my family and in society. May your light, O Lord, shine upon me and through me.

Amen.”

Let us try, as believers, to make the story of Tshimangadzo Benedict Daswa known to all people. Let us encourage public veneration of this special man: a father, a husband, a catechist, a school principal and a convinced Catholic.

Each one of us in the conference area has been asked to give a R5 coin in memory of Benedict Daswa.

These coins are to be sent to Tzaneen, where the diocese is hard at work trying to put up an appropriate shrine for this first recognised martyr of Southern Africa.

All Catholics and people of goodwill, as far as I am concerned, should be there, if they can. This is a special moment, a moment of truth and grace.

The beatification is also an ac-

knowledgement of the hard work of the missionaries. They brought the faith, and people like Daswa embraced it and died for it.

At the same time, the beatification is an acknowledgement that we are now a maturing Church. We are starting to produce our own saints.

This is the Church of Africa coming of age. It is an acknowledgement that there are many other saints in our Church and community cemeteries who are yet to be recognised by the whole Church.

This is just a beginning.

D

aswa’s story reminds me of the book of Revelation 7:13ff.

“Who are these, dressed in white?

These are the people who have come safely through the terrible persecution. They have washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb.”

Let us pray for Tzaneen diocese.

It has a small but vibrant Catholic

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population. Most of the people in the region still hold on to traditional religions and do not want to embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Most of them rely on the powers of ancestors and have no regard for the Blessed Trinity.

Culturally it is a very rich diocese. The Venda people are kind, hardworking and intelligent. Their landscapes are breathtaking. There is cultural diversity and cultural dynamism in the whole area.

I see it as a fertile ground for true inculturation. I believe that the wonderful cultural values they keep are the seed-beds of the Gospel.

The Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church and the Swiss Mission, among others, have done a lot in trying to evangelise the people, but it has not been easy. Going to that area you realise that it is very difficult for some people to give up traditional religions for Christianity.

Let us pray for more vocations and for passionate evangelisers for Tzaneen.

One dangerous phenomenon in that diocese is the presence of a new form of Pentecostalism, with an overemphasis on deliverance. Most of the people of the area, especially young people, are exposed to these “deliverance services” every week.

These services include mass hysteria and mass deliverance where people fall on the ground, scream and roll in front of cameras and in public view, each and every week.

They are made to throw up and to humiliate themselves in front of everyone.

We must also pray for this diocese because there is a strong fear of witchcraft and an exaggerated fear of demons: fertile ground for the mushrooming of sects and strange religious movements.

People are still being accused of being witches; but thanks to the government, the University of Venda and the judicial system, witch-hunting is on a decline.

Tzaneen is an economically impoverished diocese, and for that reason we need to be generous and support them to the best of our ability.

The Servant of God, our first martyr and an apostle of life: Tshimangadzo Benedict Daswa, pray for us.

10

The Southern cross, July 29 to August 4, 2015

PERSONALITIES

Catholic’s long journey from car guard to lawyer A long journey came to a happy end when the car guard at a Catholic church in Port Elizabeth obtained his law degree. STuART gRAHAM reports.

N

EARLY 20 years ago when Gunya Pamla told his mother that he wanted to be a lawyer one day, she was quick to point out that he had a difficult road to travel if he was to make his dream come true.

Now the dream has come true for the 38-year-old who worked as a car guard at St Peter’s Catholic church in Motherwell in Port Elizabeth, Maria Pamla, now 56, was a single mother working as a domestic in Port Elizabeth at the time.

Money was scarce for her, her son and her daughter who shared a house together. But that wasn’t going to deter her son.

“When Gunya told me he wanted to be a lawyer I said you know how difficult it is,” Mrs Pamla told The Southern Cross.

“He said, ‘I know mom, but I am going to do this. I want to be a lawyer’.”

In 2000, when Mr Pamla enrolled for a law degree at the Nelson Mandela Bay University, his mother smiled in admiration at the young man’s steely will.

“I could see in his eyes that he meant what he said,” Mrs Pamla said. “Nothing was going to stop him.”

Mr Pamla was on his way, but his mother was right. The road ahead was going to be tough.

Mr Pamla said he often had to give up his studies—once for a period of two years—due to a lack of funds.

English was not Mr Pamla’s first language and he struggled with some of his subjects. He had to repeat some of his courses before he could progress.

gunya Pamla, who overcame the odds to graduate in law.

Often he did not have the money to photocopy notes and had to spend hours studying at the university library before travelling back each day to his home in Motherwell.

“He struggled... We didn’t have any money,” Mrs Pamla said.

“Sometimes he would drop out so that he could find a job. But still he found the determination to keep going.”

In 2006, Mr Pamla took the job as a car guard at St Peter’s, where his mother worked.

The parish, under parish priest Fr Ted Molyneaux, gave him emotional support and financial backing. It became a job he is not quite ready to give up.

Earlier this year Mrs Pamla said she was home when her son arrived.

“He came in and told me, ‘Mom, I am going to graduate with an LLB’,” the proud mother recalled.

“I can’t explain the feeling I had... I don’t know... He had struggled so much. I was so proud of him. It was the best day of my life.

576AM

My entire life.”

Mrs Gunya said when it was announced at Mass that Sunday that Mr Pamla would graduate with a law degree, the parish burst into applause.

Afterwards, a parishioner approached Mr Pamla and asked him to drop off his CV. “He did this and some time later Gunya was phoned by a law firm in Port Elizabeth with an offer for him to complete his articles,” Mrs Pamla said.

The law firm where Mr Pamla would complete his articles was Friedman Scheckter, one of the top in the city.

Gerald Friedman, a partner at the firm, told Port Elizabeth’s The Herald newspaper that it was “out of pure intrigue” that they interviewed Mr Pamla who quickly blew his interviewers away.

“You don’t find that kind of stamina very often,” Mr Friedman told the newspaper.

The firm is helping Mr Pamla to obtain his learner’s licence.

Mr Pamla, who is the first person in his family to obtain a degree, said the congregants at St Peter’s, who describe him as humble and determined, are like family to him.

Although his background is very different to that of his new colleagues, Mr Pamla told The Herald that he fitted in from day one.

“They treat me like one of them,” he said.

Mr Pamla will continue to work as a car guard over weekends. He still works as a gardener at the homes of some of the parishioners.

“I love being a car guard but I always wanted more,” he said.

“People close to me encouraged me not to give up.”

Mrs Pamla said her son, who used to be part of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Motherwell, has humility and respect.

“Apart from being a hard worker, he loves people,” she said.

“Especially poor people. I have no doubt that he will be a great lawyer.”

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A young girl embraces Pope Francis during an audience for families in St Peter’s Square in June. it has become apparent that the pope does not mind being embraced, but he does not like people running at him in expectation of a papal hug. (Photo: giampiero Sposito, Reuters/cNS)

Eight things we have learned about Pope Francis BY ciNDY WOODEN

P

EOPLE make special preparations for welcoming a special guest, and watching what worked and did not work during Pope Francis’ visit to Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay this month tell us much about this pope.

Watching the pope in South America it is clear: l Pope Francis loves a crowd.

He walks into events with little expression on his face, then lights up when he starts greeting, blessing, kissing and hugging people. Persons with disabilities, the sick and squirming babies come first. l The pope does not mind being embraced, but he does not like people running at him. As a nun in Our Lady of Peace cathedral in La Paz, Bolivia, rushed toward Pope Francis, the pope backed up and used both hands to gesture her to calm down and step back. In the end, she did get a blessing from him, though. l At Mass, Pope Francis tends to be less animated. His focus and the focus he wants from the congregation is on Jesus present in the Eucharist. At large public Masses on papal trips, he sticks to the text of his prepared homilies, although he may look up and repeat phrases for emphasis. l A meeting with priests, religious and seminarians is a fixture on papal trips within Italy and abroad. At vespers, like at Mass, Pope Francis tends to follow his prepared text.

However, when the gathering takes place outside the context of formal liturgical prayer, he never follows the prepared text, even if he may hit the main points of the prepared text. l Pope Francis has said he needs a 40-minute rest after lunch and his official schedule always includes at least an hour of downtime.

However, like his “free” afternoons at the Vatican, the pope often fills the breaks with private meetings with friends, acquaintances or Jesuits. In fact, his trips abroad have always included private get-togethers with his Jesuit confreres, although in South America one of the meetings—in Guayaquil, Ecuador—was a luncheon formally included in the itinerary.

But he also spent unscheduled time with Jesuits at Quito’s

Catholic university the next day.

In Paraguay, he made an unscheduled visit to 30 of his Jesuit confreres in Asuncion and then went next door to their Cristo Rey School to meet with more than 300 students from Jesuit schools. l In South America, Pope Francis specifically asked that his meetings with the bishops be private, informal conversations—similar to the way he handles the regular ad limina visits of bishops to the Vatican to report on the state of their dioceses.

For the ad limina visits, he hands them the text of a rather general look at their country and Catholic community, then begins a discussion.

However, when he makes a formal speech to a group of bishops, his words can seem critical. But, in fact, the tone tends to be one of addressing his “fellow bishops” and his words are more of a collective examination of conscience than a scolding. l Pope Francis’ speeches in general—whether to presidents, civic and business leaders, young people or even, for example, prisoners in Bolivia—acknowledge what is going well and being done right, then seeks to build on that. It’s a combination of a pat on the back and a nudge forward.

While Bolivia’s Palmasola prison is notorious for its difficult conditions and while the pope pleaded for judicial reform in the country, he also told the prisoners: “The way you live together depends to some extent on yourselves. Suffering and deprivation can make us selfish of heart and lead to confrontation.” l Since the days of the globetrotting Pope John Paul II, the nunciature stakeout has been a staple of papal trips. In fact, anywhere a pope sleeps, people will gather—shouting and singing—in the hopes that the pope will make a special appearance. St John Paul, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have all obliged on occasion.

Although in Quito, Ecuador, it seems that Pope Francis was inspired at least partially by the complaints of neighbours about the noise.

The three nights Pope Francis stayed there, he came out to say good night. Increasingly his tone was that of a dad who had already told his children five times to go to bed.—CNS

CLASSIFIEDS

Anne Justine Webster

T

HE Catholic community and people of East London were shocked at the death of Anne Justine Webster in an accident in the Vincent Park parking area on June 10, just 15 days before her 75th birthday.

The word “legend” is often used rather loosely in our modern world, but in the case of Mrs Webster it was well merited. She was perhaps best known for the 25 years she spent as a sister of the Hospice Movement.

Sister Anne had many qualities, but the one that stands out was her compassion. For Mrs Webster, compassion was not just feeling sorry for people. For her, it meant to suffer with a person.

This is what her many cancer and HIV patients will remember most.

She allowed herself to enter

into the suffering of others, immersing herself in their fears of death and the pain that might accompany it.

She loved her work and the people she served, never hesitating to be honest and truthful in alerting them to the seriousness of their condition, but at the same time preparing them for the great adventure of death—meeting the Trinity of love, the loving Father and Jesus his Son, united by the Spirit of love.

Her palliative expertise helped them to leave this world as painlessly as is humanly possible.

This self-sacrificing attitude stemmed from her love of God. Mrs Webster was a very spiritual person, well tutored by Fr Dan Abdo who instructed her in the Catholic faith when she con-

verted from Calvinism. She drew strength from her religion, especially the Mass, which she tried to attend several times every week and, of course, on the weekend.

Through her faith she experienced the gentleness of Christ which she strove to impart to her patients. She helped them come to terms with their condition and to accept the will of God. Immaculate Conception church was full to capacity on the day of her funeral. Everyone knew her as an extraordinary minister of Communion and a member of the finance committee.

Mrs Webster is survived by her children Sean in Sydney, Janine in East London, and Paul in Durban, and by her brother Dr Brink in Boston, USA. Fr Billy Barnes

Br Peter Simmonds SDB

S

ALESIAN Brother Peter Simmonds died on May 28 at the age of 87.

Born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, on November 22, 1927, he was the eldest of five children.

His brother John became a Franciscan priest of the Friars Minor.

Br Peter received his early schooling in Bedford, where he equipped himself of his father’s talent for wood and metal turning. On completion of his school certificate, he attended De Havilland Aeronautical Technical school for a four-year course in production engineering.

After seeing a film about Salesians founder Don Bosco, he made contact with the Salesians in Battersea, London. He was professed as a Brother on September 8, 1953. In December 1954 he set sail for South Africa.

Thus began an apostolate at the Salesian Institute in Cape Town, which was to last for 53 years, apart from a break of seven years in Lansdowne in the Mission Office and parish administration (1993-2000).

He fulfilled many roles over the years, as technical instructor in cabinet making and metal work, headmaster of the technical and secondary school, manager of the printing press and of the reposi-

tory. What Don Bosco said to his first Salesians can be said of Br Peter: All that you have done was “not only useful but necessary”.

Perhaps the highlight of Br Peter’s life was when he was given permission to start the street children apostolate in the 1980s. This kind of work had long been his dream and he set up the Learn to Live school programme and the Don Bosco Hostel, approaching it in his characteristic way: dedicated, efficient, meticulous, innovative, responding to the call of duty and never fearing a challenge.

These were not easy times for the community and staff, but gradually the complete sense of Br Peter’s vision became a well-recognised and successful programme.

Br Peter embraced his Salesian vocation and lived it to the full. Al-

An Orthodox saint of Christian unity Continued from page 7 and Paul VI, it was quite another story among some Orthodox. Some Orthodox monasteries would no longer cite Patriarch Athenagoras during Divine Liturgy as a sign of communion.

Metropolitan Philaret, then president of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, protested to the patriarch against the lifting of the anathemas and his praying with the pope, a “heretic”. A good Orthodox, the reasoning went, should have nothing to do with heretics and schismatics like Catholics, Armenians, Anglicans and Protestants. Athenagoras’ ecumenism was thus seen as treason.

Another member of the Orthodox hierarchy, US Archbishop Gregoire, registered his protest in these words: “The reader will no doubt be filled [with] horror by the time that he finishes merely reading the pure apostate evil that spewed forth from the lips of this man, or rather, this wolf in sheep’s clothing...”

While others saw heretics everywhere, Athenagoras remarked: “I don’t see them anywhere! I see only truths, partial truths, reduced truths, truths that are sometimes out of place...”

His unrelenting efforts for unity under such hostile conditions confirm his profound ecumenical convictions.

Athenagoras, who died on July 7, 1972 at the age of 86 in Istanbul, certainly is a great “Saint of Christian Unity”.

though for the past few years he was in poor health, he continued to do his bit for the mission of Don Bosco to the very end.

His health began to fail when he reached his eighties and he suffered a great deal in his last years, but accepted this with true dignity, always grateful for any act of kindness towards himself.

He continued to keep himself informed of current affairs, especially within the Church and the Congregation.

He was a quiet, retiring person, never seeking the spotlight, but always ready to serve. He spent himself for others. He was familiar with sacrifice and in the last few months of his life he accepted his suffering as “redemptive”.

Br Peter’s joy and fidelity over the 61 years of profession was because he loved much: God, his vocation, Don Bosco, the youth entrusted to his care, and the Salesians who nurtured his growth.

It was his acceptance of God’s will for him in the good and difficult times and his faithful living out of the consecrated life that formed him into the fine person he became.

He was a wonderful example of a Christian gentleman—the image of a Salesian Brother.

Fr Geffrey Johnson

Liturgical Calendar Year B Weekdays Cycle Year 1 Sunday August 2 Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15, Psalms 8:3-4.23-25.54, Ephesians 4:17.20-24, John 6:24-35 Monday August 3 Numbers 11:4-15, Psalms 81:12-17, Matthew 14:13-21 Tuesday August 4, St John Mary Vianney Numbers 12:1-13, Psalms 51:3-7, 12-13, Matthew 14:22-36 Wednesday August 5, Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major Numbers 13:1-2, 25--14:1, 26-29, 34-35, Psalms 106:6-7, 13-14, 21-23, Matthew 15:21-28 Thursday August 6, The Transfiguration of the Lord Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14, Psalms 97:1-2, 5-6, 9, 2 Peter 1:16-19, Mark 9:2-10 Friday August 7, Ss Sixtus 11 PM & companions Ms Deuteronomy 4:32-40, Psalms 77:12-16, 21, Matthew 16:24-28 Saturday August 8, St Dominic 2 Timothy 4:1-5, Psalms 37:3-6, 30-31, Matthew 5:13-16 Sunday August 9 1 Kings 19:4-8, Psalms 34:2-9, Ephesians 4:30-5:2, John 6:41-51

The Southern cross, July 29 to August 4, 2015

CLASSIFIEDS

11

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 (R1,50 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication.

DEATHS

TAYLOR—Peter. Husband of Maureen, father of Susan and Michael, grandfather of Samantha and Sean and brother of Paul died on July 10, 2015 in Johannesburg after a fiveweek hospital battle with cancer. Sent on his last journey after Requiem Mass by his St Aidan’s school friend of 67 years, Fr Michael Austin, assisted by his St Paul’s school friend of 71 years, Fr Peter Doherty and his parish priest at Maryvale parish, Fr Petrus Shiya. Supported by many old friends of both schools.

IN MEMORIAM

BLAIS—André Joseph, Very Rev Father OMi. in loving memory on the 23rd anniversary of the death of our Father and founder. Died August 7, 1992, buried at Bosco House, the general administration of The Servants of christ the Priest, Hammanskraal. May you continue to watch and pray over our beloved institutes. You are always in our daily prayers and Holy Mass. Pray for us and make powerful intercession for us before the throne of god. Rest in peace Father, from your beloved sons Bros Daniel Ambrose Manuel and Victor Pather ScP. CERFONTYNE—Michael . in loving memory of our dear son and brother who passed away July 16, 2010. We will always love and keep you in our hearts. Sadly missed by Mom, Dad, Heidi and carla.

DICKESON—John. Jan 29, 1934-Jul 30, 2010.

Still loved and not forgotten by your wife Maureen, daughters Patricia and Deidre and grandchildren. RiP. DICKESON—ciaran. Apr 12, 1965-Aug 1, 1992.

Still missed, never forgotten. Mom, Patricia and

Deidre and nieces. RiP. MARUSIC—Martin (Tinko). gone to his eternal rest 5/08/2014. Those we love don’t go away; they walk beside us day by day. Lovingly remembered by wife Poppie, children Susan, Steven, Sonja and families. Sister Ruzica, Makso and nieces.

SANVIDO—Tony. in loving memory of my dear husband Tony who passed away August 1, 1998. Will always be remembered with love by his wife Nancy, his children and grandchildren.

RiP. TOWSEY—(SMiTH) Paula/Pauline. Beloved daughter, sister, wife of John, who died suddenly on August 4, 2014. We still find it difficult to accept your tragic death; our beautiful, talented, brilliant girl. What a gap in our lives. Be at peace my lovely girl, from your mother carmen, all the family and John.

PRAYER

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. Riccarda.

HOLY SPIRIT you make me see everything and show me the way to reach my ideals. You give me the divine gift to forgive and forget. in all instances of my life you are with me, protecting me and opening for me a way where there is no way. i thank you for everything, and confirm once more that i never want to be separated from you, no matter how great the material desires. i want to be with you and my loved ones in your perpetual glory.

Amen. in thanksgiving for favours granted. chris H.

THANKS

GRATEFUL thanks to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,

Our bishops’ anniversaries

This week we congratulate: August 3: Bishop Zolile Peter Mpambani of Kokstad on the second anniversary of his episcopal ordination.

August 6: Bishop Mlungisi Pius Dlungwane of Mariannhill on the 15th anniversary of his episcopal ordination, and ninth as ordinary.

Southern CrossWord solutions SOLUTIONS TO 665. ACROSS: 4 Jupiter, 8 Reeves, 9 Isolate, 10 Uranus, 11 Eunice, 12 Hedonism, 18 Skylight, 20 Make-up, 21 Review, 22 Stature, 23 Lesser, 24 Calends. DOWN: 1 Brought, 2 Heralds, 3 Return, 5 Unseemly, 6 Island, 7 Entice, 13 Inspired, 14 Against, 15 Steward, 16 Martha, 17 Kettle, 19 Lieder.

Our Mother Mary and Ss Rita, Joseph, Anthony, Jude and Martin de Porres for prayers answered.

Riccarda.

PERSONAL

ABORTION is murder.

Silence on this issue is not golden, it’s yellow!

Avoid pro-abortion politicians. See www.hli.co.za ABORTION: Who broke the baby, god or man?

Read Exodus 23:26.

ASSUMPTION CONVENT SCHOOL, Johannesburg is looking for a wooden statue of Our Lady approx. 1.5m tall for our new hall. can anyone assist? Please contact Marinella 011 616 5053 or admin@ assumptionconvent.co.za THE DIVINE MERCY Pregnancy crisis Houses would like cyclists to “Ride for a Purpose” at the 94.7 cycle race on November 15. cut off date August 31. contact Marilyn 084 461 2592.

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

LONDON, Protea House: Single ₤30(R510), twin ₤45(R765) per/night.

Self-catering, busses and underground nearby.

Phone Peter 0044 208 7484834.

KNYSNA: Self-catering accommodation for 2 in Old Belvidere, with DStv and wonderful lagoon views. 044 387 1052.

MARIANELLA guest House, Simon’s Town: “come experience the peace and beauty of god with us.” Fully equipped with amazing sea views.

Secure parking, ideal for rest and relaxation. Special rates for pensioners and clergy. Malcolm Salida 082 784 5675, mjsalida@ gmail.com

CASA SERENA The retirement home with the Italian flair.

7A Marais Road, Bedfordview, Jhb. Provides full board and lodging, medical services and transport.

Senior citizens wishing to retire in this beautiful Home, please phone

011 284 2917 www.casaserena.co.za The Southern Cross is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa. Printed by Paarl Coldset (Pty) Ltd, 10 Freedom Way, Milnerton.

Published by the proprietors, The Catholic Newspaper & Publishing Co Ltd, at the company’s registered office, 10 Tuin Plein, Cape Town, 8001.

The Southern Cross is published independently by the Catholic Newspaper & Publishing Company Ltd. Address: PO Box 2372, cape Town, 8000. Tel: (021) 465 5007 Fax: (021) 465 3850 www.scross.co.za Editor: günther Simmermacher (editor@scross.co.za), Business Manager: Pamela Davids (admin@scross.co.za), Advisory Editor: Michael Shackleton, News Editor: Stuart graham (s.graham@scross.co.za), Editorial: claire Allen (c.allen@scross.co.za), Mary Leveson (m.leveson@scross.co.za), Dylan Appolis (intern@scross.co.za), Advertising: Elizabeth Hutton (advertising@scross.co.za), Subscriptions: Pamela Davids (subscriptions@scross.co.za), Dispatch: Joan King (dispatch@scross.co.za), Accounts: Desirée chanquin (accounts@scross.co.za), Directors: R Shields (chair), J O’Leary (Vice-chair), Archbishop S Brislin, S Duval, E Jackson, B Jordan, Sr H Makoro cPS, c Moerdyk, R Riedlinger, Z Tom

Opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, staff or directors of The Southern Cross.

the

19th Sunday: August 9 Readings: 1 Kings 19:4-8, Psalm 34:2-9, Ephesians 4:30-5:2, John 6:41-51

D

O you ever get the feeling that “God has lost all interest in me” and then suddenly discover that God was there all the time? If so, next Sunday’s readings may be for you.

That was exactly the mood of Elijah in the first reading for the day. He has just won a thumping victory over the prophets of Baal, and unluckily won for himself the mortal enmity of Queen Jezebel, so that he is in flight for his life, and actually asks God: “Take my life, Lord, for I am no better than my ancestors.”

Then he goes to sleep, hoping to die, but no such luck, for there is an angel prodding him awake, and compelling him to eat and drink.

He does so, but then goes back to sleep, only to have “the angel of the Lord” wake him again, hinting at a job that he has to do: “Up you get and eat—for the journey may be too long for you.”

It is not particularly comfortable, you see, knowing that God has a job for you to do.

However, and doubtless to his astonishment, he eats and drinks, “and walked forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God”.

There he has a major encounter with the

S outher n C ross

Taste how good is God God whom he thought had abandoned him; but that is another story. The point for us is that God is incapable of abandoning us, and always has a job for us to do.

The psalm knows well that God is always present, even when things are tricky: “I shall bless the Lord at all times, his praise permanently on my lips”, the poet sings, “my soul shall glory in the Lord; the poor will rejoice and be glad.”

Then he tells his story: “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; from all my fears he set me free…this poor one called and the Lord heard.” And he is aware of the presence of angels: “the angel of the Lord is encamped about those who fear him, and will deliver them.”

Then the climax, which we shall do well to recite to ourselves: “Taste and see how good is the Lord—happy is the warrior who takes refuge in him.”

For the second reading, by the author of Ephesians, there can be no question of God losing interest in us, but he can see the possibility of something in the opposite direction: “Do not grieve God’s Holy Spirit, by which you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

Then he offers a list of the kind of thing that might grieve the Spirit: “bitterness, anger, rage, shouting, insulting remarks”, followed by a list of what might signal the presence of God, when people are “kind, merciful, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you”.

Then comes an exhortation that makes it clear how close God is to us: “So become imitators of God, like beloved children, walk in love.” If we can imitate God, then God cannot be so very far away.

In the Gospel, Jesus’ opponents are grappling with what he has said, “I am the Bread that came down from heaven”, a graphic expression of his closeness to human beings, as well as the remoteness that is proper to God. So they try to get a non-divine handle on him: “Isn’t this Jesus, Joseph’s son? Don’t we know his father and mother? What’s this about ‘I came down from heaven?’.”

Jesus has to open their eyes to the closeness of God: it is a closeness that God has willed, as he continues: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them.”

And then we suddenly realise that there is

Power in helpless silence A

slowly. There was no more he could say, but he would not leave her alone with such bitterness. And so he remained on his stool, feeling the emptiness of the room around him, the failure of his learning, the words he had stacked up in his mind, page upon page, shelf upon shelf. He could not speak, but he could stay; he would do that.

He began to silently pray, but did not know how to go on, what to ask for. He gave up, his breath slowed.

“The silence began as a small and frightened thing, perched on the ledge of his window, but as Ranaulf sat in stillness, it grew, very slowly, and filled up the parlour, wrapped itself around his neck and warmed his back, curled under his knees and around his feet, floated along the walls, tucked into the corners, nestled in the crevices of stone.

“The silence slipped through the gaps under the curtain and into the cell beyond.

A velvet thing, it seemed. It swelled and settled, gathering every space into itself. He did not stir; he lost all sense of time. All he knew was the woman but an arm’s length away in the dark, breathing. That was enough.

“When the candle in the parlour guttered, he stirred, looked into the darkness.

‘God be with you, Sarah.’ ‘And with you, Father.’ Her voice was lighter, more familiar.”

T

here’s a language beyond words. Silence creates the space for it. Sometimes when we feel powerless to speak words that are meaningful, when we have to back off

Conrad

RECENT book, The Anchoress by Robyn Cadwallander, tells the story of a young woman, Sarah, who chooses to shut herself off from the world and live as an anchoress—like the mystic Julian of Norwich.

It’s not an easy life and she soon finds herself struggling with her choice.

Her confessor is a young, inexperienced, monk named Father Ranaulf. Their relationship isn’t easy. Ranaulf is a shy man of few words, and so Sarah is often frustrated with him, wanting him to say more, to be more empathic, and simply to be more present to her.

They often argue, or, at least, Sarah tries to coax more words and sympathy out of Ranaulf. But whenever she does this he cuts short the visit and leaves.

One day, after a particularly frustrating meeting that leaves Ranaulf tongue-tied and Sarah in hot anger, Ranaulf is just about to close the shutter-window between them and leave—his normal response to tension— when something inside him stops him from leaving. He knows that he must offer Sarah something, but he has no words.

And so, having nothing to say but feeling obliged to not leave, he simply sits there in silence. Paradoxically his mute helplessness achieves something that his words don’t: a breakthrough. Sarah, for the first time, feels his concern and sympathy and he, for his part, finally feels present to her.

Here’s how Cadwallander describes the scene: “He took a deep breath and let it out

For further info or to book contact Michael or Gail at 076 352 3809 or 021 551 3923 info@fowlertours.co.za www.fowlertours.co.za/ poland-2016/

Sunday Reflections

a new way of talking, as Jesus continues, “and I shall raise them up on the last day”.

The point is that God is indeed remote, but God has found a way round the remoteness: “No one has seen the Father, except for the One who is from God—that one [and the reader is clear that this is indeed Jesus] has seen God.” So slowly we come to get the message about the way in which God is close, succinctly expressed in the double Amen saying: “Amen, amen I’m telling you, the one who believes has eternal life.”

Then he repeats, and we begin to understand: “I am the Bread of Life.”

Our passage then ends with a repetition: “I am the living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, they will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

God is very close indeed, if we will only accept the invitation; and God is willing to pay a very high price.

Southern Crossword #665

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

into unknowing and helplessness but remain in the situation, silence creates the space that’s needed for a deeper happening to occur.

But often, initially, that silence is uneasy. It begins “as a small frightened thing” and only slowly grows into the kind of warmth that dissolves tension.

There are many times when we have no helpful words to speak. We’ve all had the experience of standing by the bedside of someone who is dying, of being at a funeral or wake, of sitting across from someone who is dealing with a broken heart, or of reaching a stalemate in trying to talk through a tension in a relationship, and finding ourselves tongue-tied, with no words to offer, finally reduced to silence, knowing that anything we say might aggravate the pain.

In that helplessness, muted by circumstance, we learn something: We don’t need to say anything; we only need to be there.

Our silent, helpless presence is what’s needed.

And I must admit that this is not something I’ve learned easily, have a natural aptitude for, or in fact do most times when I should. No matter what the situation, I invariably feel the need to try to say something useful, something helpful that will resolve the tension. But I’m learning, both to let helplessness speak and how powerfully it can speak.

I remember once, as a young priest, full of seminary-learning, sitting across from someone whose heart had just been broken, searching through answers and insights in my head, coming up empty, and finally confessing, by way of apology, my helplessness to the person across from me.

Her response surprised me and taught me something I had not known before.

She said simply: “Your helplessness is the most precious gift you could share with me right now. Thanks for that. Nobody expects you to have a magic wand to cure their troubles.”

Sometimes silence does become a velvet thing that swells and settles, gathering every space into itself.

St John Paul II Pilgrimage to Poland Southern Cross

Nicholas King SJ

AcROSS

4. Roman Zeus (7) 8. Threads for old magistrates (6) 9. Tea oils to place in quarantine (7) 10. Planet (6) 11.Timothy’s mother (2 Tm 1) (6) 12. Pursuit of pleasure to hem Don in (8) 18. Window in the roof to see the moon? (8) 20. Compensate for cosmetics (4-2) 21. See again what book critic will do (6) 22. Sculpture of saint has right to show height (7) 23. Not as great (6) 24. First day of month in old Rome (7)

dOwN

1. Bring in the past (7) 2. Angels at the Nativity (7) 3. Come back here (6) 5. Kind of behaviour that’s improper (8) 6. The ... was called Malta (Ac 28) (6) 7. What the devil will do to attract you (6) 13. Inhaled by Holy Spirit? (8) 14. Attorney general saint comes round in opposition (7) 15. Wed star, a foreman (7) 16. Mary’s sister (6) 17. It’s different when it contains fish (6) 19. The German songs begin with untruth (6)

Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

T

HE pope visits the United States to have a summit with the president. The meeting goes on for two days. Finally, a weary president faces the waiting news media and pronounces the summit a resounding success—he and the pope have agreed on 80% of the matters they discussed.

A while later the pope appeared. Looking dejected and close to tears, he pronounces the summit a failure. “But Your Holiness,” a journalist interjects, “the president said the summit was a great success and the two of you agreed on 80% of the items discussed”.

“Yes, the pope answers, “but we were talking about the Ten Commandments.”

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

Kraków | wadowice (on St john Paul II’s birthday) | black Madonna of częstochowa | Niepokalanów (St Maximilan Kolbe) | divine Mercy Sanctuary | warsaw | Kalwaria Zebrzydowska (with miraculous icon) | Zakopane | wieliczka Salt Mine (with Mass!)