160817 by The Southern Cross

The

S outher n C ross

August 17 to August 23, 2016

Reg No. 1920/002058/06

No 4994

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Be prepared for Fatima centenary

Page 9

Why God had to become man

Page 7

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Priest’s journey from the mines to the SACBC

Page 10

Dominicans, Oblates celebrate

Dominican friars at the celebrations of the Gauteng Region of Catholic Schools under the Dominican Order at St Dominic’s in Boksburg to mark the 800th anniversary of the order. See page 3 for more Dominican celebrations. (Photo: Kerrelin Khan)

Bishop Barry Wood OMI, auxiliary of Durban, preaches the homily at the celebration of the founding of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, by St Eugene de Mazenod 200 years ago, in the Olympia Hall of the Royal Showgrounds in Pietermaritzburg. (Photo: Sydney Duval)

Bishop: We must be people of hope STAFF REPORTER

HE mission of Catholics today is to be people of hope, a bishop told the congregation at a Durban Mass to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Bishop Barry Wood, auxiliary in Durban and himself an Oblate, preached on the life of Oblate founder St Eugene de Mazenod and of the order itself at the Mass in the Olympia Hall of the Royal Showgrounds in Pietermaritzburg. “Christian hope stretches far beyond the limitation of our own psychological strength, for it is anchored not just in the person or the individual but in God’s selfdisclosure in history,” the bishop said. “Our hope is rooted, grounded in the person of Jesus who came to show us the way to life and the fullness of life—in him we glance at the beauty of our human destiny.” About 3 000 clergy, religious and laity attended the bicentennial Mass for the order which was founded in the French town of

Aix in 1816 and has been active in Southern Africa for 164 years. Among the guests was Fr Louis Lougen, the superior-general of the Oblates worldwide. Large statues of St Eugene de Mazenod and the Blessed Virgin were placed on the altar. As the statue of Our Lady was enthroned before the liturgy began, Fr Sibonelo Mbanjwa OMI sang a solo. Zulu imbongi Bheki Zulu sang the praises of St Eugene, and Fr Zaba Mbanjwa OMI gave an outline of the history of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. During the Mass Speeches were made by Fr Lougen, Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban, and civic leader Ben Ngubane, while Fr Freeborn Kibombwe OMI delivered the vote of thanks. Bishop Evans Chinyemba OMI of Mongu, Zambia, led the prayer for a renewed act of commitment to the evangelisation of the most abandoned and for the future of the order. In his homily, Bishop Wood recalled that more than 150 years ago, St Eugene pre-

dicted an “explosion of faith” in Africa. When the first Oblate mission in presentday KwaZulu-Natal failed in 1860, St Eugene wrote to the Oblate missionary Bl Joseph Gérard: “The time will come when the merciful grace of God will produce a sort of explosion and your African Church will be formed.” To another early missionary, Fr Barrett, the founder wrote: “Continue to plant and to water, the increase will come when it pleases the Lord to grant it.” Bishop Wood told the congregation: “Jesus is the person of hope who trusted unconditionally the One from whom he came. He entered death with nothing but hope. He died, rose again and is with us to help us translate his vision, his hope, into action. “Eugene de Mazenod grasped this vision and lived it despite the circumstances of his time, his own limitations, his own inadequacies,” the bishop said. “This is our challenge today: to be apostolic men of new hope—to stretch beyond our limited vision, our human ideologies,

our man-made philosophies,” he said. “We must lead people to act like human beings first of all, then like Christians and finally we must help them to be saints.” The bishop reminded the congregation that the Oblates’ vocation is tied to the preferential option for the poor “Today we are experiencing the best of expectations, the worst of fears. Ours is a time of oppression, a time of liberation, a time of searching for peace, a time of horrible violence,” Bishop Wood said. The Christian response to that should be to “constantly renew ourselves in the spirit of our vocation”, he said. “We give thanks today for the past 164 years of evangelisation in Southern Africa and 200 years all over the world. The local African Church which Eugene spoke of to Joseph Gérard is a reality,” Bishop Wood said. The order’s task now is to step “into a bold new world, going from a safe place into an unpredictable future”.

with special visits to the Tomb of St Teresa of Avila and the Eucharistic Miracle at Santarém

The Southern Cross, August 17 to August 23, 2016

LOCAL Youngsters from Most Holy Redeemer parish in Pretoria were confirmed by papal nuncio Archbishop Peter Wells (centre back)

Papal nuncio confirms youth BY MANDLA ZIBI

OST youths get confirmed by their local bishop, but 14 young Catholics of Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Mmakau in Pretoria archdiocese had the memorable honour of receiving the sacrament from the papal representative. Archbishop Peter Wells, the papal nuncio to the Southern African region as well as Lesotho and Namibia, was assisted by Fr Sakhi Mofokeng of the Department of the Laity at the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) and Fr Paul Tatu, parish priest of Mmakau and SACBC com-

munications officer. In his homily, Archbishop Wells urged the young people to always engage in the works of mercy, beginning with “small, everyday merciful actions”. He also reminded them that confirmation is the beginning of the journey of proclaiming the Good News—not the end of coming to church. The nuncio presented the young people with rosaries, exhorting them to always call on the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for them to God. Archbishop Wells ended the Mass by conferring the papal blessing on those present.

Mgr Ottmar Dillenburg, the international director of the Kolping Society, visited the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office (CPLO). He was accompanied by the delegate for Africa, Volker Greulich, and Fr Christian Frantz, the local chaplain. Kolping is involved in development work throughout the world and on advocacy with political institutions on behalf of the poor. (Back from left) CPLO research coordinator Mike Pothier, CPLO programme coordinator Karen Morris, (front) Fr Frantz, CPLO director Fr Peter-John Pearson, Mgr Dillenburg and Mr Greulich.

(From left) Mariannhill missionary Frs Mbuso Duma, Donatus Ndwalane, Bheki Shabalala and Bernard Thiel celebrate their various jubilees at Mariannhill. (Photo: Sydney Duval)

Bishop: help out fellow religious who struggle BY MAuRICIO LANGA

HE official date of the feast of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Mariannhill was also an occasion to celebrate milestones of five confreres. Fr Bernard Thiel celebrated 50 years of priesthood; Fr Bernard Ngidi 50 years of profession; Fr Donatus Ndwalane 25 years of priesthood; and Frs Bheki Shabalala and Mbuso Duma 25 years of profession. On account of ill-health, Fr Ngidi could not make it to Mariannhill to join his confreres in the feast of the congregation. Members of the clergy, the faithful, family members and friends braved the inclement weather as they descended into the Mariannhill monastery church to join the jubilarians. Newly-ordained Bishop Siegfried Jwara of Ingwavuma vicariate, a member of the Mariannhill congregation, thanked the Lord for the

blessings the jubilarians have received during the past 25 and 50 years of religious life and priesthood. Bishop Jwara said that celebrating a jubilee does not mean that you have conquered, but that you stop everything and reflect on the long journey that you have travelled along the years. “For the past 25 and 50 years that our jubilarians have travelled, they have done many good works—and made more than a few blunders— and this is what we acknowledge today,” he said. Addressing the jubilarians, he said: “We salute you for the efforts you have made to follow Christ, even though you have met so many challenges.” He warned the jubilarians not to consider themselves as heroes, but to pray: “God thank you. God give me strength, and give more grace so that I may do better in the next 25 years.” The bishop noted that there are many other people who did equally

well in life but never had the opportunity to celebrate jubilees because God took them away from us. Others journeyed for a while but could not make it and left religious life. Addressing the congregants and religious people in particular, the bishop emphasised mutual understanding and helping one another, particularly those members who might be struggling with their vocation in one way or another. He called on religious people to desist from the tendency of rejoicing over other people’s failures or problems, but rather to lend a helping hand or ear to struggling confreres or members of the Church. This, he said, is fitting for the occasion of the Year of Mercy. “It is a challenge that we cannot take for granted, we need God’s prayer all the time, and we will be able say we have made it when we say: Rest In Peace, Father; Rest In Peace, Brother; and Rest In Peace Sister,” he concluded.

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The parishes of St Peter Claver and St Albert the Great in Maokeng, Kroonstad diocese, hosted St John Vianney Day for diocesan priests. (Back from left) Fr Mulula Mokhoamate (Welkom), Fr Vincent Mepa (Virginia), Fr Moshoeshoe Ntomane (Winburg), Fr Patrick Anyanwu (Hoopstad), (front) diocesan chancellor Fr Michael Rasello, vicargeneral Fr Molibeli Lisene, Bishop Peter Holiday, and Fr Thabo Chomane.

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Elizabeth Haupt, a parishioner of St Theresa’s, Welcome Estate in Cape Town, and long-standing Secular Franciscan, celebrated her 99th birthday. She marked the occasion with Mass at St Theresa’s by Capuchin Fathers Donal Sweeney (left), parish priest at St Theresa’s, and Fr Seán Cahill. (Photo: from Theresa Louw)

The Southern Cross, August 17 to August 23, 2016

LOCAL

Dominicans celebrate 800th birthday BY MANDLA ZIBI

HE Dominicans’ Jubilee Hall in Boksburg was packed to the rafters when the King Williams Town (KWT) chapter celebrated, along with the rest of the Dominicans in South Africa and the world, 800 years of the order. The Order of Preachers, more commonly known as the Dominican Order, was founded in August 1216 in France by Spanish priest St Dominic de Guzman. Bishop Duncan Tsoke, auxiliary of Johannesburg, was the main celebrant while Dominican Fr Martin Badenhorst preached the homily at the Mass which was also attended by hundreds of learners, Dominican teachers, religious and alumni. KWT Dominican Sister Sandra Becker said the initial spark for a celebration came from Sr Geraldine Devine, the chairperson of the education team at KWT. “Her idea raised great enthusiasm and spread further to embrace all Dominican schools in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, the Free State, Eastern Cape, and Limpopo.” She said the day also encom-

passed two schools for the deaf—St Vincent’s and Hammanskraal—as well as San Salvador, the home for mentally challenged women. “We needed a home large enough to accommodate over 1 000 people. Under the efficient leadership of Sr Geraldine and Kelsay Correa of the Catholic Institute of Education, and as a result of every school’s active involvement, the foundation of the celebration was laid.” A highlight of the day, courtesy of Sr Margaret Schäffler’s creative imagination, was a powerful historical narration as St Dominic himself took to the stage—in the person of Fr Badenhorst. “He did not speak about St Dominic, but ‘became’ Dominic, sharing with us his life story, his hopes and disappointments, his challenges and above all his growing relationship with God and all people, especially those trapped in a life-destroying heresy—Albigensianism,” Sr Becker recounted. The Albigensian heresy denied the divinity of the physical person of Jesus Christ, and was suppressed by the Dominicans.

Newcastly Dominicvan Sister Felicity Cunningham welcomes religious and laity to the celebration of 800 years of Dominican life. “With the establishment of his order St Dominic completed his mission—a journey of uniting people in Christ’s love so that, empowered by each other, they would go out and preach the liberating truth: Veritas,” Sr Becker said, referring to the Dominican motto. Eight-hundred years later, the situation has not changed, she ob-

served. The world needs more Dominics and his brothers and sisters to preach the Good News. To grasp the Dominican message more readily, participants in Boksburg “broke away” into 27 groups to focus on specific themes which take centre stage in Dominican spirituality. These included current affairs issues such as “What would St

Catherine tell Pope Francis?” by Dr Nontando Hadebe, and “A Dominican response to the Signs of our Times” by Madeleen Gorst-Allman. Others focused on personal growth and healing such as “Mercy and Social Reconciliation” by Terry Sacco, and “Body, Prayer and Movement” by Katy van Wyk OP. “There were themes on encouragement, including “Preach on Sister” by Petrus du Toit and “Preach on Brother” by Mduduzi Zwane. Care of creation and spirituality were equally present in Jason Schäffler’s theme, “Earth, Water, Wind and Fire” and Sr Colleen Moore’s input entitled “The Environment and Spirituality”. Bishop Peter Holiday of Kroonstad—a diocese previously headed by two Dominican bishops—gave a vote of thanks while stressing his appreciation for the Dominican presence in his diocese. He pointed out that it was the Dominican sisters and brothers who had brought the diocese into being, and who continue to spread the Gospel message.

THE HOLY LAND TREK An itinerary of the great holy sites of the Holy Land and Jordan by Günther Simmermacher.

‘Simmermacher has captured the essence of the pilgrim’s Holy Land.’ – Pat McCarthy, NZ Catholic

‘Simmermacher marshalls a mass of material, presenting it simply and vividly.’ – Paddy Kearney, The Southern Cross

‘Turning the pages of the book is a journey in itself.’ – sydney Duval, Archdiocesan News, Cape Town

At their Winter Carnival, some of Holy Rosary School in Edenvale’s moms and staff members performed a surprise dance item “Black and White”. Seen here (from left) are Eunice Shewring, Candice Tootell, Nonhlanhla Motshwene, Tanya Botha, Annelize Arthur, Beth Longhurst, Rina Francis, and Bonnie Phillips.

College students get moving in Limpopo

IFTEEN Grade 10 and 11 volunteers from De La Salle Holy Cross College in Johannesburg travelled to Limpopo to take part in a student-run, education-based outreach project, aimed at bridging the gap between urban and rural schooling. The Nthabalala-Thusanani Project was started in 2012 by one of the college’s pupils, Tumi Masipa, and her mother Angie. The project gives learners from the college an opportunity to stay and teach in Nthabalala village for a week. The volunteers teach at the local primary school, help the community with maintenance projects and experience a rural lifestyle. The college collects donations of food, stationery, playground and educational equipment, blankets, shoes and clothing for the Nthabalala Primary school

Retirement Home, Rivonia, Johannesburg Tel:011 803 1451 www.lourdeshouse.org

Grade 10 and 11 students at De la Salle Holy Cross College in Johannesburg headed to Limpopo for a school outreach project. and the local community. “This is a wonderful opportunity for our learners and I am very proud of their dedication and commitment,” said De La Salle principal Debbie Harris. “They truly embody the college

motto of, ‘Be first that you may be of service’, and we thank the community of Nthabalala for welcoming and hosting our learners every year.” n For more info see www.bit.ly/ 2aV16YI

Frail/assisted care in shared or single rooms. Independent care in single/double rooms with en-suite bathrooms. Rates include meals, laundry and 24-hour nursing. Day Care and short stay facilities also available.

Also available as an eBook R150 (plus R25 p&p in SA) from books@scross.co.za or www.holylandtrek.com or call 021 465-5007

The Southern Cross, August 17 to August 23, 2016

INTERNATIONAL

Christians fear return even if ISIS is defeated BY DALE GAVLAK

I This photo, taken by a BBC photographer, shows Bishop Daly waving a blood-soaked white hankerchief, pleading for safe passage for the wounded 17-year-old Jackie Duffy, during the Bloody Sunday massacre in 1972.

Iconic ‘Bloody Sunday’ bishop dies at 82

ETIRED Bishop Edward Daly of Derry, remembered across Ireland for his ministry advocating for peace during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, has died aged 82. Bishop Daly was well-known for waving a blood-stained white handkerchief over one of the victims of the Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry, a 1972 incident in which British soldiers shot at unarmed civilians protesting against the British internment of more than 300 suspected Irish Republican Army sympathisers, many of whom were innocent. “Bishop Daly served, without any concern for himself, throughout the traumatic years of the Troubles, finding his ministry shaped by the experience of witnessing violence and its effects; through this dreadful period he always strove to preach the Gospel of the peace of Christ,” Bishop Donal McKeown of Derry said. Bishop Daly was born in 1933. He was ordained a priest of the diocese of Derry in 1957, and consecrated its bishop in 1974. He remained bishop of Derry until 1993, when hev resigned at the age of 59 after suffering a stroke. After his retirement he served as

the Derry diocese’s archivist, and as a hospice chaplain until this February, “a ministry in which he touched the lives of so many people”, Bishop McKeown noted. Bishop Daly was made famous during Bloody Sunday on January 30, 1972, when as a priest at Derry’s cathedral he carried a white handkerchief while leading a group of men carrying Jackie Duddy, a 17-year-old fatally-injured victim of the shooting by British soldiers. Duddy was one of 14 persons who were fatally shot during the protest march; Bishop Daly anointed him before his death. His contribution to the peace process in Northern Ireland resulted in his being given Derry’s Freedom of the City award in 2015, together with James Mehaffey, who was the Church of Ireland’s bishop of Derry from 1980 to 2002. Bishop Daly also received attention for his 2011 memoir, in which he suggested that while “there is certainly an important and enduring place for celibate priesthood… I believe that there should also be a place in the modern Catholic Church for married priesthood”.— CNA

‘Mercy received must be shared’

OD’S mercy is infectious and must be shared with others, Pope Francis said. Mercy is “a journey that departs from the heart to arrive at the hands”, the pope said at his weekly general audience. Pope Francis focused on the Gospel story of Jesus raising from the dead the son of the widow of Nain, giving renewed hope not just to the woman and her son, but to all. “The powerful word of Jesus can

make us rise again and takes us, too,” the pope said. “His word revives us, gives hope, refreshes weary hearts and opens us to a vision of the world and of life that goes beyond suffering and death.” Pope Francis ended his main talk by insisting that “Jesus watches you, heals you with his mercy and says, ‘Arise’, and your heart is new.” The pope then asked: “And what do I do now with this new heart healed by Jesus?”

RAQI Christians appear divided about whether they will be able to return home after Islamic State militants are flushed out of the battle-scarred Ninevah Plains region. They say their safety must be guaranteed at all costs. “If the liberation of the Ninevah Plains region is successful, infrastructure is rebuilt and there is security, I would want to be among the first to return,” said Fadi Yousif, who teaches displaced children in the Ashti II camp for displaced Christians in Ainkawa, near Irbil. “It’s my home. I love that place. But what is absolutely essential is that we have real security there.” Housed in an unfinished concrete building, Yousif and other displaced people live in containers that take the place of homes lost to the Islamic State. He said his home region would be a different place from what he remembers due to the dispersal of friends and family abroad because of the long wait to rid the area of the Islamist extremists. “About 60% of my friends are now living in exile, whether in neighbouring countries or Europe. My mother, father and two sisters are now in Lebanon. I have a brother in Jordan. My uncle is in the US. Only another brother and I are still in Iraq,” he said. It was

N the shadow of the 71st anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bombs and the end of World War II, the Japanese bishops have warned against legislative proposals they believe will cause their nation to become further entangled in world violence. In a message signed by Archbishop Joseph Mitsuaki Takami of Nagasaki, president of the Japanese bishops’ conference, the bishops said that “appropriate steps are required to be taken constantly” in light of issues of violence and discrimination which occur in Japan “on a daily basis”. “We must not fail to be wary of security-related laws and the movement to change the Constitution which will inevitably involve the Japanese people in the cycle of violence,” the statement reads. The statement is a response to prime minister Shinzo Abe’s call for a revision of Article 9 of Japan’s constitution, which outlaws war as a

St Angela Merici founded the Ursulines in the 16th century, naming them after St Ursula, leader of a company of 4th century virgin martyrs.

“Let Jesus Christ be your one and only treasure – For there also will be love!” (St Angela – 5th Counsel)

website: ursulines.org. za Tel: 011 953 1924 Fax: 011 953 3406 e-mail: ursulinekdp@vodamail.co.za

unclear whether Yousif’s family would regather in Iraq following the liberation. Um Fadi, a 37-year-old Chaldean Catholic mother, also is concerned about safety. She and her family of six live in Ashti II. “I swear, I never saw something like this except in a horror film. But I actually witnessed people

Japan’s bishops: Keep pacifism

ROMAN UNION OF THE ORDER OF ST URSULA

For more information: The Vocations Promoter P O Box 138 KRUGERSDORP 1740

A refugee prays at a camp in Calais, France. (Photo: Stephanie Lecocq, EPA/CNS)

being killed and saw dead bodies with my own eyes,” she said of her escape from the Islamic State’s assault on her village of Qaraqosh two years ago. “Of course, we are frightened to return. What are we going back to? The houses and churches have been bombed. My children, particularly my youngest son, is very frightened about the idea of returning there,” Ms Fadi said. Other Christians, like Saif Haney, told CNS they will never go back home because they heard that Islamic State militants used their family houses as execution dens. Some Iraqi Christian political leaders are calling for the inclusion of armed Christian militias to participate in the liberation of Mosul and the Ninevah Plains, their ancestral homeland, alongside USled coalition forces, Iraqi troops and Kurdish fighters. “The battle for the Ninevah Plains against Islamic State will be complex, but the military forces involved must perform as one, unified entity,” Christian politician Yousif Yaqoob Matti told CNS. “After the liberation, demining efforts will take place and electricity, water and other necessary infrastructure will need to be rebuilt. It is hoped that after four months, people may be able to return safely.” —CNS

Itsukushima Shinto shrine in Hiroshima, Japan. means for settling international disputes. There is also controversy regarding security legislation passed in 2015 reinterpreting the language of Article 9 to allow for “collective selfdefence”, which would include assisting allies under armed attack, such as the US, even if Japan itself

were not under threat. This reinterpretation of the article is Japan’s largest movement away from the pacifist foreign policy adopted in the 1947 constitution, in the light of World War II. “World peace has been shattered and is constantly threatened by such events as the Syrian war, terrorist activities by fundamentalists and others, armed conflicts involving control of resources and hegemonic shows of force,” the bishops’ message states. Because of terrorist attacks around the world many people, including women and children, have been forced to leave their homes, or have been killed or injured. “That is why we pray that powers in both Asia and the West will move toward reconciliation rather than a sort of cold war, and that the spirit of peace enshrined in the European Union will spread globally and tensions in East Asia will be reduced.”— CNA

Pope brought peace to CAR

INCE Pope Francis’ visit to the civil war-torn Central African Republic last November, “we have lived a life full of grace; a life of mercy showered upon us from heaven above”, according to the archbishop of the country’s capital Bangui. “Right now in my country, everyone will tell you the same thing. Be they Muslim, Protestant, Catholic, everyone! They will say the same thing: Pope Francis brought a breath of fresh air to our country and individual lives,” Archbishop Dieudonné Nzapalainga, speaking in French, told Vatican Radio in an interview. “Before he came, we were divided into our little camps, chained to our hatreds; isolated and busy meting out the most barbaric punishment against those we considered our enemies. From the moment Pope Francis set foot on CAR, right

up to today, I really can tell you that there is a different atmosphere in our land,” he explained. “Yes, we still have many challenges, but those of us who live here know that things are now different and better. Nothing compares to where we were before. Now we can talk to each other in spite of our differences. “People are now able to look each other in the eye and even shake hands. I see forgiveness and reconciliation every day. Relationships across communities have improved and continue to improve,” Archbishop Nzapalainga said. The archbishop said that before the papal visit, the idea of a peaceful presidential election was unthinkable. “But we did it. We have done it,” he said. President Faustin-Archange Touadera was peacefully elected in February.

Mr Touadera’s government faces enormous challenges. The new government is struggling to disarm, demobilise and reintegrate the many armed militants spread throughout CAR. Archbishop Nzapalainga admits that it will take a time to normalise things, but he is confident and upbeat about the future. “We still face so many challenges, but it can be done. After the peaceful presidential election, we all know now that everything is possible. The coming of Pope Francis has allowed us to look towards the future with hope,” he said. “That’s why for his first international trip, the newlyelected president felt duty-bound to go to the Vatican to meet and personally thank Pope Francis for his visit to CAR,” Archbishop Nzapalainga said.—CANAA

INTERNATIONAL

The Southern Cross, August 17 to August 23, 2016

Pope ‘sneaks’ out for Sunday lunch BY CINDY WOODEN

P Pope Francis prays in front of the place of the first Nativity scene in Greccio in January. This month he snuck out for lunch with nuns and a bishop in nearby Rieti. (Photo: L'Osservatore Romano/CNS)

OPE Francis “snuck” out of the Vatican for a drive, a walk in the woods and lunch with an Italian bishop at a small convent. Long after the pope had returned to the Vatican from two small towns near Rieti—about 80km north-east of Rome—the Vatican confirmed the pope had made a “private visit” to the area. According to Vatican Radio, Pope Francis was accompanied by Bishop Domenico Pompili of Rieti in his visits to a convent of the Sisters of the Reparation of the Holy Face in Carsoli and the Franciscan convent of St Filippa Mareri in Borgo San Pietro. A local newspaper, writing about the visit to Carsoli, said Pope Francis greeted each of the sisters before

heading to their chapel to pray with them and Bishop Pompili. After the prayers, the pope and bishop went for a walk around the wooded, parklike property, returning for lunch at noon sharp. “He tasted and appreciated all the dishes prepared by the sisters and complimented them,” according to the Aquila edition of the newspaper Il Centro. Pope John Paul II regularly left the Vatican unannounced. In his early years, he would spend an afternoon skiing or hiking. As he aged, he would go for picnics in the hills and visits to little churches and convents. Such private escapes seem to be much rarer for Pope Francis; at least, they have not been reported.—CNS

Catholic editor flees Bangladesh

OSALINE Costa, 67, a Catholic, has been the editor of Hotline Bangladesh for 30 years. The monthly newsletter chronicles corruption, crime, terror and religious violence in the nation, which borders India to the east. Ms Costa (pictured) left Bangladesh after she had been harassed and threatened. She is stayiing with family who have also fled the country. Her niece’s Muslim uncle was trying to force her into marrying him, Ms Costa said, and one nephew was taken to a mosque and told to convert to Islam under fear of death. What happened to her kin, according to Ms Costa, is a microcosm

of what is happening to Christians throughout the country, as the police and judicial system are either too weak to deter such criminality or indifferent to it. Religious violence has spiked in Bangladesh in recent years. In May, an Italian priest was shot in Dhaka, the capital. Earlier this year, the Commission on International Religious Freedom included Bangladesh among the countries it is monitoring, although Bangladesh did not make the list of the worst

nations, or even the commission’s “Tier 2” group of bad actors. “I made several editorials in the newsletter” decrying the upsurge in religious violence, Ms Costa said. “In the last two-and-a-half months I could not go out of the house.” Although she has spent 30 years leading a crusade for ethics, fairness and tolerance in Bangladeshi society, journalism has not been the sole focus of Ms Costa’s life. In 1994, she organised women at a garment factory into a labour union and also worked to better the lives of poor children in Bangladesh. The work won her awards in Nepal and South Korea.— CNS

Seal of confessional upheld

STATE appeals court in Louisiana reaffirmed that Catholic priests cannot be forced by law to violate the seal of the confessional. The court ruled that Fr Jeff Bayhi does not have to disclose any discussion that took place during the sacrament of confession. At issue is a civil lawsuit involving a woman who said that in 2008, when she was a minor, she told Fr Bayhi that she was being abused by a parishioner. The alleged conversation with the priest took place during the sacrament of confession. The woman is now in her mid-20s. Louisiana law requires clergy to report sexual abuse. Parts of the law grant an exception when abuse allegations are revealed during confidential religious communication such as confession. However, other parts of the state code require mandatory reporting “notwithstanding any claim of privileged communication”, the New Orleans Advocate reported.

The young woman and her family sued the priest and the diocese for damages, saying they were negligent in allowing the abuse to continue. The estate of the man who allegedly molested the woman is also named in the suit. The accused man died in 2009. A trial court had denied the diocese’s motion to prevent any plaintiffs from testifying about any confessions that may have taken place between the then-minor and the priest. However, a state appeals court had ruled that the alleged confession was legally confidential and that the priest was not a mandatory reporter. Later, the Louisiana Supreme Court overturned the appeals court. It said that a fact-finding hearing should determine whether the priest had the duty to report alleged abuse under the state’s mandatory reporting law. In doing so, it returned the case to a lower court for further action.

New African liturgical rite approved for DRC BY MARK PATTISON

N 1969, four years after the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, the bishops of the Democratic Republic of the Congo petitioned the Vatican for permission to use a new rite that spoke to the needs of Catholics in the sub-Saharan African nation. Nineteen years and two popes later, that permission was granted. By 1988, though, the country’s name had been changed to Zaire, so the liturgical rite became known as the Zairian rite. The biggest changes from the Roman rite known to most Catholics in the West to the Zairian rite are slight changes in order. The penitential rite follows the homily, and is followed by the sign of peace. “We cannot ask for forgiveness until we have heard the word of God,” Congolese Cardinal Laurent

Monsengwo Pasinya of Kinshasa said in his address during the Third African National Eucharistic Congress, held in Washington. “We have to know the teaching of the Church first.” The Mass also features a moderator, an important element in Congolese culture. It also features the invocation of ancestors, which has long been part of African practices. In addition, dancing is common in Masses using the rite. The rite is approved for use only for Masses in the dioceses of Congo. Work on the rite had begun in 1961, before Vatican II had begun. Vatican II’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, adopted in 1963, called for liturgical adaptation. The Zairian rite is one of two rites particular to Africa; the Ge’ez rite has been approved for use for Catholics in Ethiopia and Eritrea.—CNS

In February of this year, Louisiana District Judge Mike Caldwell said that the priest was not required by law to report the alleged sex abuse if informed about it within the confidential seal of confession, which priests cannot break. The appeals court ruling upholds that decision, while allowing the plaintiff to testify about what she said in the confessional. Earlier this year, Bishop Robert Muench of Baton Rouge discussed the case in a statement. “I extend my compassion and offer prayer not only for the plaintiff who may have been harmed by the actions of a man who was not an employee of the Church, but also for all who have been abused by anyone,” he said. He also emphasised the importance of protecting the seal of confession, saying, “the court’s decision to uphold the right to the free exercise of religion is essential”.—CNA

A sand sculpture of Blessed Teresa of Kolkata in Rourkela, India. Although the September 4 canonisation of Bl Mother Teresa is at the Vatican, special festivities to honour her will continue in Kolkata until Christmas. (Photo: EPA/CNS)

Kolkata gears up for canonisation BY SAADIA AZIM

GROUP of young independent photographers are busy clicking away, taking photos of the “City of Joy”. Their photos, part of the crowdsourced “Sainthood Project”, will be displayed in several locations in Rome in early September, to coincide with the canonisation of Bl Teresa of Kolkata. The photographers are volunteers, trying to highlight aspects of the young Mother Teresa, who founded the Missionaries of Charity to serve the “poorest of the poor” in India. The young people are funding their own travel to Rome to participate in the ceremony and exhibit the photographs in open-air galleries. “This is our tribute to Mother,” said Srijita Deb Burman, 25, a business professional. “These images will depict the inspiration that must have attracted Mother to this city.” Scholars, priests, students and artists are continuously holding seminars, exhibitions and prayer meetings every day across the city to propagate “Mother Teresa’s philosophy towards humanity”. “I have made several new paintings depicting her ideology that will be exhibited at the arts exhibition at St Xavier’s School in Kolkata until her canonisation,” said noted artist Sunita Kumar, a Sikh who volunteers for the Missionaries of Charity. Park Street, Kolkata’s vibrant street and a prominent hangout for young people, has already been renamed Mother Teresa Sarani. Special festivities will continue in that area until Christmas. At Mother Teresa’s home, the headquarters of the Missionaries of

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Charity, the doors are open for all, and followers and admirers come every day, visiting and praying in her tomb. Many say they have been doing so for a long time and vouch that their prayers have been heard. Some people drop in to be counselled by the sisters, asking for solace; others come looking for medicine or other daily items. “Mother Teresa has always been the icon for the confluence of faiths, and that’s why I have such devotion for her saintly powers,” said Aarti Kumari, a Hindu and a regular visitor who comes for counselling from the nuns on family issues. Mother’s home is already a place of worship, where novices and ordinary people can be seen carrying their books to the tomb seeking blessings. “It was her influence that I joined the order at 18,” recalled Sr Ruth from Andhra Pradesh state. Srs Laisa and Ansavio stood near Mother Teresa’s statue, distributing small packets of medicine to a few local visitors who had come seeking help. Mother Teresa’s relics have been placed near her tomb on the ground floor of the motherhouse, but very soon the place will be dedicated for worship to the saint. Representatives of the Missionaries of Charity say they have plans for regular special Masses and prayer meetings. About 30 members of the Missionaries of Charity will travel to the Vatican for the canonisation. Later in September, a series of festivities have been planned across the city, where many believe Mother Teresa’s work had already made her a saint.—CNS

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The Southern Cross, August 17 to August 23, 2016

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

Thank you, missionaries

HE Church in Southern Africa was built by missionaries. Men and women belonging to diverse religious orders left home and family, mostly in Europe, to spread the Gospel on the southern tip of Africa where for a long time the Catholic faith was suppressed and later only grudgingly tolerated. These early missionaries, and many who came after them, faced many hazards and endured much deprivation. It is their legacy that around 7% of the South African population is Catholic, making our Church the second-largest single religious body in the country, after the Zion Christian Church. Two of the great pioneering orders in Southern Africa are celebrating grand jubilees this year: the Dominican Order its 800th anniversary of foundation by St Dominic Guzman, and the Oblates of Mary Immaculate their 200th by St Eugene de Mazenod. The Dominicans are the largest order of women religious in South Africa; the Oblates the largest of religious priests. Both orders were at the forefront of building the Church in various parts of the region. The first bishop in what would become South Africa was an Irish Dominican. Bishop Raymund Griffith OP served as vicar apostolic of the Cape of Good Hope from 1837-61, supported by a small group of Dominican friars. Later, in the 20th century, the Dominican friars took responsibility of the Kroonstad region, and were among the very first Catholic missionaries on the mines. Many Dominican nuns from Ireland, England, Germany and elsewhere have served this region. Dominican sisters from chapters throughout South Africa—Cabra, King William’s Town, Montebello, Newcastle, Oakford—literally built the Church in many parts of South Africa, if necessary by putting brick to mortar themselves to erect schools and churches. The number of South Africans schooled over the generations by Dominican sisters is inestimable. Many of these schools still exist; many others are now gone (the offices of The Southern Cross are located in a former Dominican girls’ school). The Dominican schools were at the vanguard in smashing schools apartheid in 1970s, a hammerblow to the institutionalised racism of the time which took

enormous courage and provided the local Church with necessary prophetic witness. The Dominican presence in Southern Africa remains strong, and their service is tremendous. The bishops entrust their Justice & Peace Commission to Dominican leadership, currently in the form of Fr Stan Muyebe; the bishops’ Aids Office is headed by Dominican Sister Alison Munro. And South Africa’s only Catholic radio station is run by the Dominicans—it even bears as its name the order’s motto: Veritas (Latin for “truth”). The Oblates of Mary Immaculate were the primary evangelisers of present-day KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho, and have had a decisive influence on the growth of the faith in areas such as Johannesburg and Bloemfontein. Its most famous South African member doubtless was Archbishop Denis Hurley, the first locally-born Oblate bishop. Many have followed him, including the four current SA-born Oblate bishops: Archbishops Buti Tlhagale and Jabulani Nxumalo, and Bishops Edward Risi and Barry Wood. Lesotho may claim as their own Bl Joseph Gérard, the Oblate apostle to the Basotho who was beatified in 1988, but the French missionary was ordained a priest in Pietermaritzburg in 1854, and first evangelised among Zulus, albeit with little success, before moving to what is now the Free State and Lesotho. It is largely due to Bl Gérard that Lesotho today is one of Africa’s few countries where Catholicism is the majority religion. The Oblates have also educated generations of local priests at their scholasticate in Cedara, near Pietermaritzburg. Of course, many other orders and congregation have contributed to the growth of the local Church, in many different ways. As we celebrate the colossal service of the Dominican and Oblate orders on the occasion of their anniversaries, we must also tip our hats to the many religious congregations that were and are their partners in building up the Church of Southern Africa. But on the anniversaries of the Dominicans and Oblates especially, let us pray for the heroic missionaries who came here, and for those, born locally or elsewhere, who are leading these orders into the future.

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.

Pull together for Southern Cross!

WRITE in response to the article entitled “Imagine a Church without The Southern Cross” (July 20. The article clearly sets out the serious plight of the only Catholic weekly newspaper in South Africa. I believe that the time has come to speak about how we as Catholics must face some hard facts. Firstly we, both laity and clergy, must shoulder much of the blame for the diminishing circulation figures of The Southern Cross. The laity for not purchasing this excellent newspaper either weekly after Mass at a cost of R8 or by making an annual subscription of R450 to receive this publication by post. Other options are to subscribe to receive it digitally. The clergy must also accept their share of the blame for not promoting The Southern Cross from the pulpit. Certain parishes in the Durban archdiocese, with more than 500 families registered on their books,

Secular radicals threaten us too

OUR editorial “Beating the terrorists” (August 3) refers. I should like to start with the concession that it is hardly possible to exhaust so dense a topic in so short a piece, but the absence of the aspect of radical secularism leaves a gaping centre in your analysis. The violence in gunmen walking into the newsroom of Charlie Hebdo magazine and the carnage that follows outrages us, and rightfully so. Yet we seem to be all too content about the violence of said magazine presenting a cartoon of God the Father having anal sex with Jesus as a “satirical” response to the Catholic Church’s intellectually dense opposition to gay marriage, which is essentially based on its positive teaching on human sexuality and philosophical anthropology. That such unspeakable desecrations of that which people hold sacred; that such violence can be protected under the banner of freedom of expression, to my mind, is the missing ingredient in our discourse on terror. Abortion is regarded a liberty! And this is the war. It is a war between clashing radicalisms: radical Islam which makes use of the Quran to justify its reaction to an ungodly culture, and that ungodly culture, radical secularism, which insists more and more in dictatorlike fashion that individual human beings are, essentially, choice-making creatures. What we call “terror” is the response of a sect in Islam to Descartes saying that his existence does not depend on God, but

PRICE CHECK

have a standing order of only between 20 and 30 copies of The Southern Cross per week. I well remember as a youngster growing up in Pretoria in the 1950s how the Redemptorist priests in my parish would actively encourage parishioners to purchase The Southern Cross. Sales after Sunday Masses were such that the weekly order had to be increased more than once. Further, one has to question the role of the bishops of South Africa in supporting The Southern Cross. From personal experience in discussions with certain bishops, it is clear that some of them feel that The Southern Cross does not “promote certain views”, that the letters page contains “too many complaints”. My response is that The Southern Cross contains both local and international news relevant to today’s Catholic Church. It also publishes some very thought-provoking articles of importance to all Catholics.

rather, “I think, therefore I am.” It is all good and well for Christians and Muslims to join hands and sing Kumbaya to irritate ISIS, but we must be consistent and unite, with equal purpose and force, against the violence of radical secularism, often disguised as liberties and servants of peace. Wade Searle, Cape Town

Embrace your gay fellow Catholics

H GOOSSEN (June 29) wonders what Jesus would think of Shirley Doyle and myself for empathising with homosexuals. I venture to say that I think he might understand the pain we feel for the suffering caused to our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters by the failure of the religions of the world, including our religion, to accept that they do not choose to be gay, but that God made them (about one tenth of the human race, plus many species across nature) attracted to the same sex. They are “different” not by choice but by the design of the Creator, and we should embrace their diversity, not condemn them and call them “an abomination”. I’m not proposing promiscuity, but a committed relationship between same-sex couples, blessed by the Church. How does that compromise marriage between heterosexuals or the innocence of our children? Jesus must surely also feel the pain inflicted on our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters by society. How would Jesus judge those who can’t empathise with them?

The inhuman and cruel attitude towards our homosexual brothers and sisters has resulted in the most terrible suffering—not only in incidents like the Orlando massacre, but every day, across the world, in innumerable ways. Even here in South Africa, where gay rights are enshrined in the Constitution, these attitudes result in the most terrible suffering by young teenagers who realise that their Creator has made them differently, but who do not know how to tell their parents out of fear of their painful rejection. Some parents despise their gay children and even throw them out, instead of giving them the love, support and understanding that they so desperately need. Sometimes this ends in suicide. When we stand in church and say, “Forgive me Father for I have sinned, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault”, we are called to change our thinking by accepting, supporting and loving our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, and to embrace the diversity of the created world. June Boyer, Johannesburg Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in Letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the Catholic hierarchy. The letters page in particular is a forum in which readers may exchange opinions on matters of debate. Letters must not be understood to necessarily reflect the teachings, disciplines or policies of the Church accurately. Letters can be sent to PO Box 2372, Cape Town 8000 or editor@scross.co.za or faxed to 021 465-3850

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As for the letters page, this sets out the thoughts and opinions of mostly lay Catholics, and as such should be carefully considered by our bishops. Surely the time has come for a new approach to ensure the future of our only Catholic weekly. From our bishops, very clear directives to parish priests to promote The Southern Cross from the pulpit or in weekly parish bulletins. Such promotion could highlight particular news or articles. From the laity, the duty to keep up to date with Church news and views. The cost of a weekly edition is roughly the cost of a can of soft drink and the annual subscription the cost of one meal at a middleclass restaurant. What must be maintained is the independent status of The Southern Cross, so important to our free press in the new South Africa. Let’s all pull together to keep The Southern Cross. Mervyn Pollitt, Waterfall, KZN

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Five -p ag WYD e roun d-up

ope to youth: Teach adults! BY CINDY WOODEN

The sun sets over World Youth Day pilgrims as Pope Francis leads a prayer vigil at the Field of Mercy in Krakow. An estim hosted in Panama C

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WARE of the risk of being called naive or being accused of spouting platitudes, Pope Francis called on young people to model for adults the paths of mercy and respect, and then demonstrated what he meant. “Today we adults—we adults—need you to teach us, like you are doing now, how to live with diversity, in dialogue, to experience multiculturalism not as a threat but an opportunity,” the pope told young people gathered for a prayer vigil at World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland. “Have the courage to teach us that it is easier to build bridges than walls. We need this,” he said. Many people find it easy to sit on the couch and tweet popular stereotypes like “All Muslims are terrorists” or “Immigrants steal our jobs”. Pope Francis acknowledged that it is a huge task to build bridges and said he knew many people might not feel up to it at first. But, he said, Christians have an obligation to make at least an attempt. Start small, he said. Take the hand of someone next to you. It is possible that no one will accept that extended hand, he said, “but in life you must take risks; one who never risks never wins”. At a time when civil discourse seems not only to have rejected “political correctness”, but also grandma’s “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”, Pope Francis said Christians are called to watch their tongues—and their texting fingers. “We are not here to shout against anyone. We are not about to fight. We do not want to destroy. We do not want to insult anyone. We have no desire to conquer hatred with more hatred, violence with more violence, terror with more terror,” he said. “When it comes to Jesus, we cannot sit around waiting with arms folded; he offers us life. We can’t respond by thinking about it or texting a few words,” he told the 1,6 million young people, thousands of whom had spent the night camping at an area dubbed the Field of Mercy, at the closing Mass. “People will tr y to block you, to make you think that God is distant

people. “Instead, our heavenly Father ‘makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good’. He demands of us real courage: the courage to be more powerful than evil by loving ever yone, even our enemies.”

n Johannesbu g & beyond

erhaps more than any event so far in the Year of Mercy, the WYD celebrations focused on the traditional Catholic lists of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy: feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty; clothe the naked; welcome the stranger; assist the sick; visit the imprisoned; bury the dead; counsel the doubtful; teach the ignorant; admonish sinners; comfort the sorrowful; forgive offences; patiently bear with troublesome people; and pray for the living and the dead. A year before the Krakow gathering, Pope Francis sent young people a letter asking them to prepare for World Youth Day by performing one of the works each month. And, in solemn prayer, the pope and the youths meditated as the seven corporal works and seven spiritual works were paired with one of the 14 Stations of the Cross at the Krakow celebration. “In the face of evil, suffering and sin,” the pope told them, “the only response possible for a disciple of Jesus is the gift of self, even of one’s own life, in imitation of Christ; it is the attitude of service. Unless those who call themselves Christians live to serve, their lives serve no good purpose. By their lives, they deny Jesus Christ.” The reality of evil, violence and terrorism filled the newspapers, strongly contrasting with the sight of young Catholics dancing in the streets of Krakow or a million of them on their knees before the Blessed Sacrament or thousands standing in line for confession in a park. Pope Francis invited the youth to continue along the path that began with their pilgrimage to Krakow and bring the remembrance of God’s love to others. “Trust the memory of God: his memor y is not a ‘hard disk’ that saves and archives all our data, but a tender heart full of compassion that rejoices in definitively erasing ever y trace of evil,” the pope said at the closing Mass. The next World Youth Day will be held in 2019 in Panama City The event

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PERSPECTIVES

The Southern Cross, August 17 to August 23, 2016

Why God came to dwell among us G OD is pure spirit, infinite in all perfections, untouchable, far beyond any means of measure or definition. He exists in himself, and for himself, with no beginning and no end. Man is his creature, created from nothing. Yet he seeks to love and be loved, for the human soul ever seeks to rest in that supreme pure love of the Creator God. But man has a fallen nature; we are sinful. Reason tells us that a love-friendship between the two natures is impossible; the gap is so wide—infinitely wide and beyond measure. The solution demands a basic sanctification of the lower nature in order to establish some kind of bond between the infinite God and us. We can understand that God as God, by his very nature, can love only that which is Godlike, all pure and divine. St Paul seems to penetrate the mystery when he writes: “The Spirit reaches the depths of everything, even the depths of God. After all, the depths of man can be known only by his own spirit, not by any other man; and, in the same way, the depths of God can be known only by the Spirit of God” (1 Cor 2:10-11). We know about the maternal love of a mother for her child because of their nature, but there is nothing in man that merits the pure love of an all-pure, infinite God simply because of the immense difference in nature. We need a bridge, a means of communication, to bring about some kind of equilibrium to make this lovefriendship relationship possible.

The answer to that came from God himself: the Incarnation.

he Incarnation was the only possible response of the heavenly Father—to place himself on the same footing as man by becoming man. A divine, unspeakable condescension! This condescending act of the Creator was to change the whole history of the world. The second Person of the Blessed Trinity would be born to a virgin mother by the infinite power of the Holy Spirit. He

The Archangel Gabriel tells Mary about her role in the Incarnation on a relief outside the basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth.

Fr Ralph de Hahn

Point of Reflection

would send his angel Gabriel to ask her consent: “And the Word was made flesh and He dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). And he was named Yeshua, or Jesus. This Jesus would assume the nature of man while also remaining totally divine, thus possessing two distinct natures in one person. As man, this Jesus would now share all man’s limitations, weaknesses, his finiteness—even unto death (Heb 4:15). Although seen as a human being, he remains a divine Person, the only son of the Father. “I and the Father are one…he who sees me sees the Father also” (Jn 14). This mystery of the Incarnation remains one beyond measure, beyond human reasoning. It is the bewildering power of God’s love made manifest in and through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. It must, however, be understood that the love revealed to man is that love expressed by the human heart of Jesus; hence the worldwide devotion to the Sacred Heart. The impact of the Incarnation on all history is far beyond words or description—yet it is a marvellous reality. n Fr Ralph de Hahn is a priest of the archdiocese of Cape Town.

Five points about the local election Mphuthumi I Ntabeni FIND myself asking the question why this month’s local government elections are being hailed as our post-1994 political watershed moment. Of course, such glib statements have been made before, for example after the tragic Marikana killing of miners by police in 2012. But let me point to five points of significance about these elections. Firstly, it is with great gratitude that I watch the maturing spirit of our political culture. Even the political assassinations, reprehensible as they were, could be ascribed mostly to internal party conflict, rather than as having targeted opposition parties. Secondly, we know that we are on volatile ground, with some form of social upheaval in the offing. It is good that our citizens seem to be realising that the best way to release steam is through the ballot box. Voters, in the metros in particular, have been making a conscious effort to disrupt the state of the old political set-up. We might not yet be at the stage of tumultuous party politics which we have seen lately in more established political systems, such as the fallout from the Brexit referendum in Britain. But the catharsis has begun, as we could see on the deflated face of President Jacob Zuma during the IEC’s result announcement ceremony. There no longer were the displays of arrogance or contemptuous giggling in disregard of opposition parties and public opinion. Thirdly, we seem to be avoiding heading for a two-party system, one I despise for its tendencies of elitist power hoarding. The two-party system creates an insulated class that is instrumental in bolstering a top-down approach to governing, thereby limiting the opportunities for democratic participation. This system of plutocracy insulates the political class against all forms of deliberative democracy, giving voice and power mostly to the rich who sponsor the party politics. Fourthly, our mixed political system of

Pushing the Boundaries

A ballot paper in this month’s local government elections. proportional representation is enforcing coalition municipal governances on our political parties. This can only be good for service delivery since the governing parties will keep each other on their toes. It is clear now that it is a far better electoral system than the weak, limited principles of representation of our national and provincial level. Our national and provincial electoral system gives too much privilege to stability over proportionality, thus devaluing participation-democracy.

ince it does not look like any party will ever gain a two thirds majority again in our elections, perhaps political parties represented in our national assembly have to explore ways of amending our Constitution to accommodate a mixed electoral system for our national and provincial elections also. What is required now is a coherent narrative of political reform that would unite

opposition parties, especially the smaller ones. The voters are sending clear messages in that direction. The trick will be in finding common values that can unite them. Moreover, the more serious trick would be to convince South Africans to move away from identity politics. The EFF provided those who wish to get away from nostalgia politics with a protest vote. But it has not managed to break the identity and regionalism mould. As such the Freedom Front Plus, Inkatha Freedom Party, and so on have shown significant resilience. South Africans are still extremely distrustful of each other, and, yes, they still vote along racial lines and ethnic passions. Breaking this mould would probably take longer than three generations and would require a much more honest interrogation of the man in the mirror than of institutions. For now what we can agree on is a fair system of economic and social justice to blunt the violence of our coming social upheaval. I could not escape the irony of reading about the national success of Rwanda from the ashes. In 1994, while we were celebrating our freedom and the so-called Rainbow Nation, Rwandans massacred one another in a civil war. Now a little more than 20 years later, it is us South Africans staring into the pits of social upheaval and Rwandans are emerging from their own man-made hell. I have confidence things will not become as bad as that for us. If anything, these local government elections testify to how sensible South Africans really are. I just so wish we wouldn’t let ourselves down due to pride and closet prejudice.

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A priest hears the confession of a World Youth Day pilgrim in Krakow. (Photo: Bob Roller/CNS)

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Open Door

Mortal vs venial sin Could you explain the difference between venial and mortal sins, and why such categories exist in the first place?

ET’S begin with baptism, which does an extraordinary thing. It raises us immediately above our natural life and draws us into the mystery of the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This love is dynamically intense, uniting the three persons so perfectly that they are one God. Baptism unites us with that pure love, but it also demands that we love the people around us. Jesus told us that the greatest commandment is to love God and, at the same time, to love our neighbour. You can’t have one without the other (1 Jn 4:20). We are all one in Christ. So, when we sin, we show less than love for God and neighbour, sometimes even hatred. This interferes with our life in God and can completely separate us from his grace, although God never stops loving us. It is this love that invites us to repent for our sin. If we refuse or ignore the invitation, the question must be asked: have we killed the life of God in us (mortal sin) or have we only diluted it by our pride (venial sin)? The Church teaches that God forgives all sin as soon as the sinner heartily repents. But sin also harms the body of the Church, that is the faithful, and the classic distinction between mortal and venial sin arose from the way in which the Church administered the sacrament of penance. Grievous sins such as murder and adultery do more than just break the law of God. They break the precious bond of love between us and God, and us and our neighbour. The sinner needs to be reconciled with the rest of the Church whose common vocation is to love God and neighbour. The Church has guided both priest and penitent to recognise mortal sin as one in which offenders have gambled away their chance of living for ever in God. Such sin needs absolution in the sacrament of penance. Venial sin is characterised as a sin, such as small theft or lying, that does not, after repentance, necessarily need sacramental absolution.

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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The Southern Cross, August 17 to August 23, 2016

COMMUNITY

Thirty-two young parishioners of the Sacred Heart parish in Oakford, Durban, were confirmed by Cardinal Wilfrid Napier (centre). Parish priest Fr Khathi Emmanuel Mnelisi (back left) and Deacon Ronald Perumal (back right) are also pictured with the youth.

Send your photos to pics@scross.co.za

Lucia Joja, art assistant and netball coach at De La Salle Holy Cross College Junior School in Johannesburg, passed away after a long illness. Her sister Lauretta Tsheisi is a sports coach at the college.

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CONsTRUCTION

Please be patient there is a queue of photos awaiting publication

St John Bosco parish in Robertsham, held a three-week holiday camp for the youth during the school holidays. under the direction of qualified nursery school teacher Annwynne Williams and pastoral council chairperson Martin Rathinasamy, the children were treated to days of fun-filled activities and entertainment. They also went on a hiking trip in Meyerton and visited Rietvlei Zoo farm. Frank Piquita, owner of the Turffontein Spar, and The Hotspot Curry Den in Oakdene generously donated food and snacks.

The senior primary and high school choirs from Assumption Convent School in Johannesburg took part in the Johannesburg festival for the advancement of music at the Linder Auditorium, Wits university. The high school choir (left) were awarded Diploma Plus, the highest award given by the festival, for their performance of “Breathe Soft”, “Ye Winds” and an a capella version of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”. The senior primary school (right) choir were awarded honours for their performance of “Prayer for the Children” and “When you Believe”.

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Fr Leeto Mabope OFM was ordained by Archbishop Jabulani Nxumalo of Bloemfontein at Botshabelo, Middleburg. This is the first ordination of a Franciscan in the district. (Photo: Sr Winnie Mosolodi OSF)

The Bosco Centre team celebrated Mandela Day with learners from Michael Rua Intermediate Farm School in Walkerville, Gauteng. Learners heard Nelson Mandela’s life story, played games and had a dance competition. The day ended with prayers of thanksgiving.

48 Main Rd, Muizenberg Tel: 021 788 3728 Member of the NFDA

THe 100TH ANNIVeRsARy OF OUR LADy OF FATIMA 2017 11 TO 28TH OCTOBER

THe ANNUAL MARIAN PILGRIMAGe

Visiting Fatima for the Anniversary Celebrations, Lisbon, Paris, The Vatican City, Rome, Assisi and Medjugorje. Led by Fr R Nkululeko Meyiwa OMI Organised by Victor and Jacinta David.

Cost from R42900 Tel: (031) 266 7702 Fax: (031) 266 8982 Email: judyeichhorst@telkomsa.net

SPRED (Special Religious Education) members of St Clare’s parish in Elsies River, Cape Town, received their sacraments. They are pictured with the SPRED team and parish priest Fr Job Kaleekaparampil MSFS.

Holy Rosary School in Johannesburg, in association with the South African National Blood Service (SANBS), held a blood donation clinic, where 31 pints of blood were donated. Grade 10 pupils Kelly Winter and Michaela Mitchell are seen donating blood.

The Southern Cross, August 17 to August 23, 2016

FAITH

How to prepare for Fatima’s 100 years As the Church prepares for the 100th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima, Prof MICHAEL OGuNu suggests ways in which the local Church can celebrate the centenary.

N 1916 an angel appeared to three shepherd children near the village of Aljustrel in northern Portugal. The angel’s purpose was to prepare Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta for the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to them at Fatima in 1917. These apparitions began on May 13, 1917 and ended with what is known as the “miracle of the sun” on October 13, 1917. Our Lady’s messages to the world in each of her six apparitions are so important that all the popes since then have commented on the need for all Christians to heed these for their personal salvation and for peace in the world. To St John XXIII, for example, “Fatima is the centre of all Christian hopes”. When we consider our human frailties, and when all hope seems to vanish, the message from Fatima shines through like the light of a lighthouse in the densest fog. This is so because, as Bl Paul VI said, the message from Fatima brings up to date the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for all to know. Our Lady asked for prayers (daily recitation of the rosary ), penance, sacrifice and reparation, as well as the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart. Our popes—Pius XII, St John Paul II and Benedict XVI—have complied with the last request, the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. And Pope Francis consecrated the world to Our Lady of Fatima on October 13, 2013. But mankind has continued to sin and not done sufficient penance to appease the wrath of God. Consequently, the world is in danger of a just punishment from God for not heeding the message of his Son communicated by Our Lady of Fatima through the three children. The centenary of the Fatima apparitions will be celebrated from May 13 to October 13, 2017. Pope Francis will be going to Fatima to lead in the celebration of the centenary and expects all Catholic bishops to lead their flocks in the celebration in their dioceses. With humility, I suggested that the celebration should include: l Eucharistic celebration in honour of Our Lady of Fatima in the diocesan cathedrals or other appropriate location in the diocese at which the bishop is the chief celebrant in union with all the priests of the diocese as co-celebrants. l Eucharistic adoration with benediction/holy hour of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. l Rosary procession with the statue of Our Lady of Fatima (preferably the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue, if available) in which at least 20 decades of the rosary are devoutly recited round the town, accompanied with Marian hymns. l Talks on the message of Fatima and its relevance to today’s world. Topics for such talks might include: • The message of Fatima and its relevance in the 21st century. • Prayer, penance and sacrifice as essential elements of a Eucharistic life. • Mary as model of Eucharistic life. • Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. • Consecration to God through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. • The rosary as an essential weapon against the evils of our society. • Living the message of Fatima in the context of the New Evangelisation. • Devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. • The practice of First Saturday Devotion as required by Our Lady of Fatima. • The signs of the times and the urgency of Our Lady of Fatima’s call for communions of reparation. • How to offer our bodies as “living

Left: The nightly candlelight procession in the sanctuary of Fatima, Portugal. Above: A statue of Our Lady of Fatima. (Photos: Günther Simmermacher) sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” (Rom 12:1). l Consecration of the diocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (or its renewal if already consecrated) either on May 13; or on the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary which in 2017 is on Saturday June 24; or on Friday October 13, the centenary of the last apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, with an act of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The consecration can be done at any other time considered appropriate by the bishop. At the national level, the Catholic bishops’ conference could consecrate the nation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Care should be taken to ensure that the date chosen for the national celebration is one of the dates of the Fatima apparitions.

hen on October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, he concluded: “Forever we consecrate ourselves to you and to your Immaculate Heart, Oh Mother and Queen of the world. May your love and patronage hasten the victory of the kingdom of God. May all nations, at peace with each other and with God, proclaim you blessed”. The wish of the Holy Father that this consecration would also take place in other countries became a reality in West Germany on September 4, 1954, during the Catholic Day, before 100 000 people in front of the cathedral of Fulda. Since then, other nations have been consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On May 13 this year, the dioceses of Portugal were consecrated to Our Lady of Fatima. A novena in honour of Our Lady of Fatima, starting from May 5, 2017—in which all the faithful of the diocese are encouraged to participate—can precede the May 13 celebration. Prayer in honour of Our Lady of Fatima and the rosary with the Litany of Our Lady can be the main prayers for the Novena. There should be opportunities for confessions—similar to what Pope Francis calls “24 Hours for the Lord” for the Year of Mercy—in all the churches on Friday, May 12. The centenary celebrations should be adequately publicised in all parish Sunday bulletins and in the diocesan and national Catholic newspapers. Throughout history, Mary has always intervened to save Christians from defeat at the hands of an often far militarily superior enemy. Her special weapon in these cases has always been the rosary. In all the six apparitions at Fatima, Our Lady requested the praying of the rosary to end the world war that was raging at the time, and

for peace in the world. The examples of the victories won in the past through the rosary should encourage and spur us into action. Today many countries have nuclear weapons. We are always in danger of a nuclear holocaust. We need to pray about that! The rosary has worked military miracles before. In 1683, Austria was saved from the Muslim Turks of the Ottoman empire. It was not generals, nor battalions, nor arms that brought victory, but Our Lady of the Rosary, as thousands of Austrians said the rosary for deliverance. Over 270 years later, on May 13, 1955, the anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, the four superpowers at the time—the US, Russia, France and Britain—signed an agreement in Vienna to restore freedom and sovereignty to Austria, which was in danger of being drawn into the Eastern Bloc. Other communist countries, like Hungary, revolted and failed, but Austria succeeded in evading Soviet control without such efforts. Why? Because 700 000 people, or 10% of

the population, had pledged themselves ten years earlier to say the rosary daily. This is a modern example of how God can spare many for the prayers of the few.

n addition to the elements of the centenary celebration stated above, bishops should encourage First Saturday Devotion as requested by Our Lord and Our Lady of Fatima in 1925 (this is already taking place in the archdiocese of Johannesburg), as well as other programmes of devotion to Our Lady of Fatima such as visitation of the pilgrim virgin statue to churches in the dioceses that will be organised by the World Apostolate of Fatima (the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima) as part of the general preparations for the celebration of the centenary. Prof Americo Lopez Ortiz, president of the World Apostolate of Fatima, has said the goal Our Lady strives for are clear: world peace, the repentance of sinners, and the establishment of the “Kingdom of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary”, with

everything that it implies. The goals of Our Lady should become the guiding goals of our own lives. Our collective national and international projects should be based on the prophetic vision of Our Lady of Fatima, striving for a new era for humanity, which will be the product of the triumph of her Immaculate Heart over the enemies of Christ. In his 1948 book Vision of Fatima, Fr Thomas Matthew McGlynn pointed out that Fatima is, first of all, a dreadful warning to the world to stop sinning. The enormity of mankind's rebellion against God, and God's infinite aversion to sin, form the foundation of the Fatima message. It is a warning that the time of God's justice will come to pass if men do not take advantage of this time of his mercy, this special opportunity of making reparation through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. n Prof Michael Ogunu is the president of the executive board of the World Apostolate of Fatima for English-speaking Africa and coordinator of the Fatima Apostolate in the African sub-region.

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The Southern Cross, August 17 to August 23, 2016

PERSONALITY

Passion for the Good News Stigmatine Father Paul Tatu, the bishops social communications officer, has a passion for the new evangelisation work of bringing the Gospel to all people in Southern Africa. He spoke to MANDLA ZIBI

OME time during his training for the ministry, Stigmatine Father Mothobi Paul Tatu took a year off from his order to live with miners in the Free State. He so enjoyed the interlude that he struggled to come back—but eventually he did and the miners’ loss became the Church’s gain.

“After my novitiate in 2003 I asked for leave of one year outside of the order. I had a wonderful experience working with the miners in Welkom in the Free State where I was much engaged in development programmes with them, and experiencing their life. I was living among them, going through all the challenges they were facing,” recalled Fr Tatu, who earlier this became the new communication officer of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC). “A year later I had to separate from the mining industry and leave people who had become my new family. I had a special love for them, but I had to cut the cord between us. It was not easy but I had to pursue another side of life, especially what I had already started.” Fr Tatu was born in Lesotho in

1979. In 1998 he joined the Congregation of Sacred Stigmata of Our Lord Jesus Christ, known as the Stigmatines, as part of the orientation programme. From 1999 to 2000 he did his philosophical studies at St Francis House of Studies in Pretoria. Towards the end of his studies there he was accepted as a postulant, and the following year moved to Botswana for his novitiate. Having completed this stage of his training, the young man decided to take stock of his life and headed for the Free State and a year of living with miners. He was so determined to help empower them that in order to be truly part of them he did some short courses in mining and steeped himself in the language and culture of the mining industry.

Stigmatine Father Paul Tatu is the social communications officer for the SACBC. “I was so dedicated to them and I really helped many of them. I enjoyed being a teacher of mining theory; setting theory; English and other subjects. It was really a fulfilling experience. I also wished to address some of the painful mining industry challenges which af-

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fected them,” Fr Tatu told The Southern Cross. But eventually his priestly calling could no longer be kept waiting. “I came to believe strongly that God was calling me to be a missionary in his Church. In 2004 I went back to the seminary under the formation of the Stigmatines. Towards the end of 2007 I completed my theological studies at St John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria.” Still on probation, Fr Tatu worked in various Ga-Rankuwa parishes, including Mmakau, Mothutlung and Brits, before being briefly transferred to Tanzania, coming back later in the year for his priestly ordination. After a year as a priest he was again sent to Tanzania where he spent five years with the Stigmatines. “It was during this time that my love for communication came to the fore. I undertook communications studies with St Augustine University of Tanzania. It was a struggle but I managed to finish my studies. When I completed my mass communication studies in 2014, I was transferred back to South Africa in Pretoria.” This eventually brought him to Khanya House, the Pretoria headquarters of the SACBC, and his current job as the go-to communications man for the bishops. “Social communications is one of the most important tools for the New Evangelisation. With dedication, cooperation and willing hearts of all in the Church, I believe we can succeed in bringing the Gospel to the people of Southern Africa. I believe very much that mass communication is one of the best tools for carrying the Gospel to the furthest corners of our societies,” the priest said. “The management staff of the bishops’ conference and all my colleagues in the SACBC have been patient in introducing me to the culture of the institution, and other stakeholders of the SACBC have shown their support. On pilgrimages of this nature one definitely never walks alone,” he said. “It is my wish that we become, as with other local Catholic media houses, a community modelled on the first disciples of Jesus Christ— to cooperate humbly with one purpose of taking the Gospel to all corners of South Africa.” To emphasise the immense value of a collaborative approach to his work, Fr Tatu gave the example of a Sotho proverb: Lehlanya lea bokaneloa, meaning that in order to tie up a mad person you have to call other people for help; alone it is just impossible and even dangerous. As for the challenges ahead, the priest sees them not as his alone but as part of the life of the Church as a whole. “The Church in Southern Africa, like the Church around the globe, is aware of the indispensable need of tightening the loosed strings in proclaiming the Gospel,” he said. “I am definitely happy to be a partner in the vision of the Church focusing on New Evangelisation. There is no doubt that communication is part and parcel of the life of the Church in the world of today, and the Church herself has realised that,” Fr Tatu said.

The Southern Cross, August 17 to August 23, 2016

CLASSIFIEDS

Sr Josefila Hartberger CPS

HE oldest member of the Congregation of the Precious Blood died on July 25 at the age of almost 103. Sr Josefila Hartberger was born on September 16, 1913 as the tenth of 11 children to Josef and Elisabeth Hartberger in Munich, Germany. Her family was deeply religious. From an early age Sr Josefila was confronted with the reality of death. At the age of four she lost her mother, and some of her beloved brothers and sisters died in childhood. Four of the remaining siblings entered religious life. When her father had provided for all his children, he himself entered the postulancy of the Missionaries of St Francis de Sales. However, as he was about to enter the novitiate he became ill and died shortly afterwards. Sr Josefila entered the Precious Blood Congregation in HeiligBlut, Netherlands, on September 8, 1931, was received into the novitiate on February 1, 1936, and made her first profession on February 2, 1937, also in HeiligBlut. In the same year she was missioned to the Mariannhill province where she made her final profession on February 2, 1940. Sr Josefila obtained her National Commercial Teachers’

Diploma in 1940. For 38 years she taught commercial subjects at St Francis College in Mariannhill with great love and dedication. From January 1978 onwards Sr Josefila took over the financial administration of the high school office and the boys’ hostel department, and temporarily also in the girls’ hostel in Mariannhill. She was meticulous in the carrying out of her duty. In December 1996 she retired from St Francis College, where she had worked for 56 years. However, she assisted the relevant boarding mistresses in financial matters till the end of October 2011.

Our bishops’ anniversaries This week we congratulate: August 25: Archbishop Jabulani Nxumalo of Bloemfontein on the 14th anniversary of his episcopal ordination as auxiliary in Durban August 26: Bishop Joe Sandri of Witbank on his 70th birthday August 26: Bishop Emeritus Reginald Cawcutt of Cape Town on the 24th anniversary of his episcopal ordination as auxiliary bishop

Southern CrossWord solutions SOLUTIONS TO 720. ACROSS: 2 Birthright, 8 Parishioners, 10 Rhine, 11 The news, 12 Events, 13 Parole, 16 Cithara, 18 Seers, 19 Makes believe, 20 Put asunder. DOWN: 1 Experience, 3 Inspect, 4 Thirty, 5 Rinse, 6 Garden of Eden, 7 Arrive at last, 9 Assessment, 14 Absolve, 15 Carbon, 17 Amens.

Sr Josefila was known for her great charity and would also attend to people outside office hours. She was also an accomplished violinist and choir member. In spite of being very much engrossed in the activities of her working place, she never lost sight of her priority in life, namely God. Throughout her life Sr Josefila preserved a youthful cheerfulness, natural curiosity and interest in life. Her enthusiasm also benefited her community as she often entertained the sisters with plays that she had adapted or written herself. It was a great joy for Sr Josefila when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, with whom she had corresponded while he was the archbishop of her hometown Munich, became Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. The last years of Sr Josefila were not always easy. Her hearing became impaired, and she must have missed the many sisters who had accompanied her for some time on the way but had passed on. Sr Josefila became a patient in the convent infirmary in March 2012, but maintained her cheerfulness and was grateful for any visit. On July 22 she became weaker, and returned to her Creator three days later.

Sunday August 21, Assumption of Our Lady, Patronal Feast of South Africa Revelations 11: 19; 12: 1-6, 10, Psalms 45: 1012.16, 1 Corinthians 15: 20-27, Luke 1: 39-56 Monday August 22, Queenship of Mary Isaiah 9:2-7 (1-6), Psalms 113:1-8, Luke 1:26-38 Tuesday August 23, St Rose of Lima 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 14-17, Psalms 96:10-13, Matthew 23:23-26 Wednesday August 24, St Bartholomew Revelation 21:9-14, Psalms 145:10-13, 17-18, John 1:45-51 Thursday August 25, Ss Louis and Joseph Calasanz 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, Psalms 145:2-7, Matthew 24:42-51 Friday August 26 1 Corinthians 1:17-25, Psalms 33:1-2, 4-5, 1011, Matthew 25:1-13 Saturday August 27, St Monica 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Psalms 33:12-13, 18-21, Matthew 25:14-30 Sunday August 28 Sirach 3:17-20, 28-29, Psalms 68:4-7, 10-11, Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24, Luke 14:1, 7-14

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 (R1,60 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication.

IN MeMORIAM

HARKeR—In memory of Mrs Shirley Harker, August 17th, 2015. Those we love do not go away, they walk beside us every day. Prayerfully remembered by her loving sister Suzanne, daughter Sharlene, son-inlaw Dominic, granddaughters (Australia), relatives and friends. Rest in Peace. RATeRING—David. 12.08.2015. Beloved son and brother, we miss you and love you so very much. Rest in peace. Forever in our hearts, Mom, Dad, Lisa Karen and family!

PRAyeRs

O GReAT St Joseph of Cupertino who while on earth did obtain from God the grace to be asked at your examination only the questions you knew, obtain for me a like favour in the examinations for which I am now preparing. In return I promise to make you known and cause you to be invoked. Through Christ our Lord. St Joseph of Cupertino, Pray for us. Amen. Melanie

A PRAYER LORD May everything we do begin with Your inspiration, continue with Your help, And reach perfection under Your guidance.

O MOsT beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendour of Heaven, blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me where you are, Mother of God. Queen of heaven and earth I

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

JOHANNesBURG/ CAPe TOWN Run Alpha ’16 workshop on running the Alpha course. August 19 and 20 in Johannesburg, at Gracepoint church, Glenferness. August 26 and 27 in Cape Town, at Common Ground church in Rondebosch. Among the speakers will be Fr Peter-John Pearson. R150 per ticket, includes refreshments and lunch. To register, go to runalpha. co.za KZN: Pilgrimage at Kevelaer mission, Donnybrook, KZN. August 20-21 from 10:00 morning till Sunday morning. For Information

call 031 700-2704. DURBAN: Ugu deanery revival. September 4 at St Francis Primary School sports ground, Park Rynie, South Coast. 8:00 till late. To support Bishop Dlungwane to educate Catholic seminarians. Phone Mariannhill diocese at 031 700 2704. NeLsPRUIT: Adoration of the Blessed sacrament at St Peter’s parish every Tuesday from 8:00 to 16:45, followed by Rosary, Divine Mercy prayers, then a Mass/Communion service at 17:30pm.

humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succour me in my necessity. There is none who can withstand your power, O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands. “Say this prayer for 3 consecutive days and then publish. Melanie sT JUDe, Holy Apostle, faithful servant, friend of Jesus, you are honoured and petitioned by the universal Church, as patron of desperate, hopeless and impossible cases. I thank you for listening to my prayers and granting your intercession. In this broken world we have many trials, difficulties, and temptations, thank you for prayers asked and answered for me in God’s presence. St Jude, implore God that my prayers continued to be answered in His way that is best for me and my family. May God give me the grace to see His purpose in all things. Amen. (Petesan)

THANKs

O HOLy sPIRIT, in thanksgiving for favours granted. Chris H sT JUDe, in thanksgiving for favours granted. Chris H. sT JUDe, thank you for being with me during my recent successful prostate operation. I felt your prescence. Dermot PE.

PeRsONAL

ABORTION is murder. Silence on this issue is not golden, it’s yellow! Avoid pro-abortion politicians. See www.hli.co.za ABORTION WARNING: The truth will convict a silent Church. See www.valuelifeabortion isevil.co.za

VIsIT PIOUs KINTU’s official website http://avemaria832.simplesite.com This website has been set up to give glory to the Most Holy Trinity through the healing power of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. View amazing pictures of Pious Kintu’s work in Congo and various African countries since 2007. Also read about African Stigmatist Reverend Sister Josephine Sul and Padre Pio among others.

HOLIDAy ACCOMMODATION

BALLITO: up-market penthouse on beach, self-catering, 084 790 6562. CAPe TOWN: Looking for reasonably priced accommodation over the December/January holiday period? Come to Kolbe House. Set in beautiful gardens in Rondebosch. Self-catering, clean and peaceful. Safe parking. Close to all shops and public transport. Contact Pat 021 685 7370 or kolbe.house@telkomsa.net GORDON’s BAy: Harbour Park. Sleeps 2 adults and 2 children. Fully furnished. R 2100, per week. Alison at 084 577 1356. Delton at 083 414 6534. 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

Traditional Latin Mass Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel 36 Central Avenue, Pinelands, Cape Town Call 0712914501 for details. Email:sspx.capetown@gmail.com

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the

22nd Sunday: August 28 Readings: Sirach 3:17-20, 28-29, Psalm 68:4-7, 10-11, Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24, Luke 14:1, 7-14

S outher n C ross

LIFE of devotion to God can turn things rather upside down. That is the message of the readings for next Sunday. Sometimes it can sound like no more than enlightened common sense; underneath, however, God is at work. The first reading commends humility to us: “Child, do your deeds in mildness and you will be loved by a person acceptable [to God]. The greater you are, the more you should humble yourself, and you will find favour before the Lord.” Then, of course, it all focuses on God: “Great is the power of the Lord, and he is glorified by the humble…there is no healing for the distress of the arrogant, for an evil plant has taken root in him.” In the psalm, likewise, the focus is on God: “The righteous shall exult in the presence of God and be jubilant with joy.” Then we are invited really to let go: “Sing to God, play a tune to his name, make a song

for the one who rides on the clouds.” However, we should notice that there is advice on how we are to treat fellow human beings, for God is “Father of orphans and defender of widows (the most marginalised class of person in that society), God gives the lonely a home to live in”. It is God, we gather, who “showers rain…in your goodness you provided for the poor, O God”. In the second reading we continue the reading from Hebrews, and here the emphasis is on the intangibility of the world into which God invites us: “You have not approached something that can be touched, a burning fire and darkness and gloom and a storm and the sound of a trumpet. “No, you have approached Sion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…and the assembly of the first-born who are written in heaven.” This is a very different world that we are approaching: “Jesus, the mediator of the new

covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more loudly than Abel’s”. The Gospel for next Sunday offers us part of another of Luke’s “disastrous dinner-parties”, in the house of a leading Pharisee. We are told that it is “on the Sabbath”, and that is always the cue for trouble in the Gospel. We know that is coming, anyway, when we read “and they were watching him”. For some reason the compilers of the lectionary omit, however, a major Sabbath crisis, as Jesus heals the man with dropsy; instead our reading goes straight on to Jesus attacking his fellow-guests “because they were choosing the best seats”. So Jesus advises them to start with the last place, otherwise they may endure the embarrassment of being demoted. But it is not really the social impasse that Jesus has in mind; it is the sense that God sees things rather differently, does not judge us by our social successes.

No need to fear God U

Conrad

NLESS you are already a full saint or a mystic, you will always live in some fear of death and the afterlife. That’s simply part of being human. But we can, and must, move beyond our fear of God. As a child, I lived with a lot of fear. I had a very active imagination and too frequently imagined murderers under my bed, poisonous snakes slithering up my leg, deadly germs in my food, playground bullies looking for a victim, a hundred ways in which I could meet an accidental death, and threats of every kind lurking in the dark. As a child, I was often afraid: afraid of the dark, afraid of death, afraid of the afterlife, and afraid of God. As I matured, so too did my imagination. It no longer pictured snakes hiding everywhere or murderers under my bed. I began to feel strong, in control, imagining the unknown, with its dark corners, more as opportunity for growth than as threat to life. But it was one thing to block out fear of snakes, murderers and the dark. Not so easily did I overcome my fear of death, fear of the afterlife, and fear of God. These fears are the last demons to be exorcised, and that exorcism is never final, never completely done with. Jesus, himself, trembled in fear before death, before the unknown that faces us in death. But he didn’t tremble in fear before God—the opposite in fact. As he faced

Nicholas King SJ

Things go upside down

death and the unknown, he was able to give himself over to God, in childlike trust, like a child clinging to a loving parent, and that gave him the strength and courage to undergo an anonymous, lonely, and misunderstood death with dignity, grace, and forgiveness. We need never be afraid of God. God can be trusted. But trust in God does include a healthy fear of God because one particular fear is part of the anatomy of love itself. Scripture says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But that fear— healthy fear—must be understood as a reverence, a loving awe, a love that fears disappointing. Healthy fear is love’s fear, a fear of betraying, of not being faithful to what love asks of us in return for its gratuity. We aren’t afraid of someone we trust, fearing that he or she will suddenly turn arbitrary, unfair, cruel, incomprehensible, vicious, unloving. Rather we are afraid about our own being worthy of the trust that’s given us, not least from God.

ut we must trust that God understands our humanity: God doesn’t demand that we give him our conscious attention all of the time. God accepts the natural wanderings of our hearts. God accepts our tiredness and fatigue. God accepts our need for distraction and escape. God accepts that we usually find it easier to immerse ourselves in entertainment than to pray.

Sunday Reflections

That is what explains the next lecture that Jesus now gives. He turns away from his fellow-guests to his host (who at this point may well have been regretting that he ever thought to invite Jesus), and a lesson on the kind of people whom he should invite. “When you give a breakfast or a supper-party, don’t go inviting your friends or your brothers or your relatives, or your wealthy neighbours.” So whom, we enquire, are we to invite? The answer is rather a shock: not those “who are going to invite you in return”, but “the destitute, the lame the crippled, the blind”. And what is the point of that? “It will be given back to you at the Resurrection of the just”. Do you see how our God turns things upside down?

Southern Crossword #720

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

And God even accepts our resistances to him and our need to assert, with pride, our own independence. Like a loving mother embracing a child that’s kicking and screaming but needs to be picked up and held, God can handle our anger, self-pity, and resistance. God understands our humanity, but we struggle to understand what it means to be human before God. For many years, I feared that I was too immersed in the things of this world to consider myself a spiritual person, always fearing that God wanted more from me. I felt that I should be spending more time in prayer, but too often I’d end up too tired to pray, more interested in watching a sports event on television or more interested in sitting around with family, colleagues or friends, talking about everything except spiritual things. For years, I feared that God wanted me to be more explicitly spiritual. He probably did! But, as I’ve aged, I’ve come to realise that being with God in prayer and being with God in heart is like being with a trusted friend. In an easeful friendship, friends don’t spend most of their time talking about their mutual friendship. Rather they talk about everything: local gossip, the weather, their work, their children, their headaches, their heartaches, their tiredness, what they saw on television the night before, their favourite sports teams, what’s happening in politics, and the jokes they’ve heard recently—though they occasionally lament that they should ideally be talking more about deeper things. Should they? St John of the Cross teaches that in any longer-term friendship, eventually the important things begin to happen under the surface, and surface conversation becomes secondary. Togetherness, ease with each other, comfort, and the sense of being at home, is what we give each other then. That’s also true for our relationship with God. God made us to be human and God wants us, with all of our wandering weaknesses, to be in his presence—with ease, with comfort, and with the feeling that we are at home. Our fear of God can be reverence or timidity; the former is healthy, the latter is neurotic.

ACROSS

2. Esau sold his to Jacob (Gn 25) (10) 8. Members of church district (12) 10. Reveal her in the river (5) 11. A report that may be on the air (3,4) 12. Things taking place at the Olympics (6) 13. Prisoner’s word of honour (6) 16. Cat hair used for old stringed instrument (7) 18. Visionaries (5) 19. Pretends and enforces faith (5,7) 20. Break up the marriage (3,7)

DOWN

1. Knowledge of life (10) 3. Customs official may do it (7) 4. Days of March (6) 5. Risen about to cleanse (5) 6. Place of the first temptation (6,2,4) 7. What the bride will do finally (6,2,4) 9. Masses sent for evaluation (10) 14. Release from sin (7) 15. Paper for the copyists (6) 17. So let it be more than once (5) Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

PRIEST was completing a temperance homily. With great expression he said: “If I had all the beer in the world, I’d take it and throw it into the river.” With even greater emphasis he said: “And if I had all the wine in the world, I’d take it and throw it into the river.” And then finally, he said: “And if I had all the whiskey in the world, I’d take it and throw it into the river.” He sat down. The choir master then stood up very cautiously and announced with a smile: “For our closing song, let us sing Hymn No 365: ‘Shall We Gather at the River.’ ”

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