161012 by The Southern Cross

The

S outher n C ross

October 12 to October 18, 2016

Orange doek to fight violence against women

Page 2

Reg No. 1920/002058/06

No 5002

www.scross.co.za

R8,00 (incl VAT RSA)

How Church can serve the disabled

Profile of a rocket scientist tenor

Page 9

Page 10

Catholic university offers bursaries amid #FeesMustFall By MANDLA ZiBi

S Pope Francis visits a monument to those who died for independence in Baku, Azerbaijan. See page 4 for a round-up of the pope’s visit to the country with a population of only 600 Catholics, and to Orthodox-majority Georgia. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

First Communion at 101

T 101 years old, Doña Penha has seen quite a bit of life. But the centenarian experienced something new when she received her First Communion during Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel nursing home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For those who witnessed the occasion, it was a great testimony to the love of God. “It was a very beautiful moment that showed us that it is never too late to receive the Eucharist, which for someone seeking God, neither time nor shame can prevent,” said Josiane Ribeiro, the administrative assistant of the nursing home. She added that occasions like this help “reaffirm faith”. Ms Ribeiro said that Doña Penha arrived about a year ago at the nursing home, which is run by the Sisters of the Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima Association. There is a chapel on site where Mass is celebrated during the week. Doña Penha began to attend Mass with the other women. One day, she asked to go to confession. Fr Domingos Sávio Silva Ferreira realised she had not yet received Communion and asked the sisters to prepare her to receive the sacrament. After that preparation, Doña Penha received Communion for the first time. According to nursing home officials, those who were with her could see that “that was what she really wanted”. Even at 101 years of age, they said, “she is very lucid, and [was]

Doña Penha receives First Communion at the age of 101 (Photo: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Nursing Home)

prepared to receive First Communion from the heart”. For Ms Ribeiro, the occasion was a witness of God’s love—not just for the people who live with Doña Penha at the nursing home, but also for the many others who could share the moment through social media. “We put the photos on the nursing home's Facebook page, and many people saw it, commented and congratulated,” she said. The nursing home’s Facebook post received hundreds of likes and shares. Among the comments, one user emphasised: “There is always time, and her time was now! God bless you!”—CNA

OUTH AFRICA’S only Catholic university is making available 180 bursaries for financially needy students next year. St Augustine College, which is based in Johannesburg, is offering the bursaries thanks to North American Catholic funders. “St Augustine is particularly grateful for the support, which has made available bursaries for study at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in 2017,” said Prof Garth Abraham, president of the university. Depending on need and individual circumstances, bursaries will cover 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% of the tuition fee; in exceptional circumstances an additional stipend might be granted to cover living expenses, he said. Prof Abraham said St Augustine “acknowledges that it is responsible to contribute concretely to the progress of the society within which it works, and is committed to the principle that those with ability should not be denied access to education because of financial need”. He emphasised the difference between bursaries awarded by the state and those offered by St Augustine. The St Augustine bursary need not be repaid, but its annual re-award “will be dependent on the academic performance and potential [of students], and on graduation, a commitment to contribute to the common good”, he said. Noting that South Africa’s public universities continued to be rocked by violent protests which had led to death, injury and closed campuses, Prof Abrahams said: “Destruction of property at public universities will cost the South African state—and, ultimately, the South African taxpayer—in excess of R640 million.” He noted that students’ demands for university education fees to be scrapped “clearly posed an enormous challenge for the South African fiscus”. Prof Abraham said it is important for South Africa that university enrolments and pass rates increase. In 1994, some 495 396 people were enrolled at South African universities, a figure which by 2012 had increased to 953 373. But these figures, Prof Abraham said, belied the fact that only about 17,3% of youth between 18-24

Graduation at St Augustine College in 2015. South Africa’s only Catholic university is offering 180 bursaries to needy students. (Photo: St Augustine College) years of age are currently enrolled in higher education, according to the White Paper for PostSchool Education and Training of 2013. “If South Africa is to effectively compete internationally, this number must be increased; it is the ambition of government to increase enrolment to about 1,6 million persons—or 25% of the relevant age cohort—by 2030,” he said. Prof Abraham further argued that while increasing the number of students enrolled for tertiary education is critical, “perhaps of even greater concern are woefully inadequate ‘throughpass’ rates. Research has shown that only about 25% of those who register for undergraduate study at contact universities graduate in regulation time; about 48% graduate within five years.” At distance education providers such as the University of South Africa (UNISA), figures were even lower, he said. These figures mean that only about 45% of a typical yearly intake will eventually graduate, translating to an average throughput rate of below 20%. Given that a majority of university students are recipients of state bursaries that must be repaid upon graduation, the poor throughput rates make the financial challenges all the more harder, said Prof Abrahams. “Without increased financial support for Continued on page 2

The Southern Cross, October 12 to October 18, 2016

LOCAL

Doeks weapon of choice in war against violence By MANDLA ZiBi

STAFF REPORTER

EVERAL Johannesburg parishes will be awash with orange this summer as we count down to the 16 Days of Activism of No Violence Against Women and Children in December. This follows the recent launch of the Orange Doek movement by members of the Justice and Peace (J&P) Department of the archdiocese of Johannesburg in 15 parishes. The movement is an offshoot of an ongoing campaign by the J&P to counteract gender-based violence (GBV) in the region. According to Charmaine Khawula, the campaign’s project coordinator, 2016 has been a year of much activity—and more is planned to follow the three-month Orange Doek campaign. “In May this year, before we launched the movement, J&P presented a report on a GBV survey to the SA Police Service (SAPS) locally,” she said. “This survey was conducted last year by 16 parishes from six deaneries, at police stations, parishes and communities. The report contained hard information on the state of GBV in the areas covered, and also included findings and recommendations.” One recommendation proposed that J&P, in cooperation with the SAPS, should conduct awareness campaigns and workshops during Women’s Month in August and during the 16 Days of Activism of No Violence Against Women and Children later this year. Participants in the Orange Doek campaign comprise both women and men. Women are encouraged

Holy Rosary sisters seek historic 1796 monstrance

Male and female supporters of the Orange Doek campaign against violence directed at women or children show their support with badges and orange doeks. to wear orange doeks and men badges in support victims of gender-based violence. Over a thousand doeks have been sold so far by volunteers in about 23 parishes around Johannesburg. The doeks are made by refugee women at Bienvenu shelter in Bertrams, Johannesburg, and the badges by J&P volunteers from St Albert’s church in Vosloorus. The doeks are sold for R30 while the badges cost R10, Ms Khawula told The Southern Cross. Although the campaign is mainly funded by the archdiocese of Johannesburg, other stakeholders

have given support. These include nongovernmental organisations such as Johannesburg Child Welfare and Polokong Children’s Village; companies such as Shoprite Checkers and others; and public entities such as the City of Johannesburg, Charlotte Maxeke Hospital and Phafogang School in Rockville, Soweto. Leading up to December, some of the events planned as part of the campaign include “masculinity talks” with the Catholic Men’s forum; meetings with taxi drivers at taxi ranks; and more gender-based violence workshops held jointly with the police.

HE Holy Rosary Sisters in Edenvale, Johannesburg, are hoping to locate an 18th-century monstrance that came from Ireland to South Africa. Fr Gerry Comiskey of Drumlane parish near Killeshandra in County Cavan, Ireland, contacted the Holy Rosary Sisters as the monstrance that once belonged to his parish was last located in Raedene, Johannesburg. The monstrance has an inscription: “Dedicated to God and His Holy Mother by the Society of B.V.M. of Drumlane, A.D. 1796.” It was first given to the Holy Rosary convent in Killeshandra, Fr Comiskey wrote. The last note on it in parish records says that it was in use at Raedene, where the Holy Rosary Sisters had a convent that closed around 1970. “We have no idea to whom the monstrance might have been

given,” said Holy Rosary Sister Lorna Costa. She speculates that it might have been given to a local parish that was in need of a monstrance. Fr Comiskey is hoping that the monstrance can be found as part of his research into the parish’s history. “It would be great to get a photograph of it for our parish history,” he wrote, “or, if it is located and not in use, we might be able to talk about returning it to the parish. “If it is in use, then we could give a gift of a new one to replace it, and since this one is so historic, maybe we could arrange to have it returned to the parish of its origin,” Fr Comiskey wrote. “We live in hope that the monstrance might be located,” Sr Lorna said. n Anyone knowing of the monstrance’s whereabouts may contact Sr Lorna at mshr@netactive.co.za or 073 145 9977.

Sisters of Calvary nuns of the Gaborone diocese in Botswana are pictured in the studio recording their first album.

St Augustine College looks to the future HOLy siTEs TRavEL We offer pilgrimages to Europe and The Holy Land

Prices from R25,500.00 [t&c] Phone us now to enquire.

Tel: 082 975 0034 or 021 447 0690, Or visit our oﬃce at 331 Lower Main Road, Observatory, Cape Town E-mail: elna@holysites.co.za

Grade 3’s from Holy Rosary Primary School in Edenvale, Johannesburg, visited a Carmelite convent, a contemplative order where the nuns devote their lives to prayer. They are also in charge of making the altar bread for the district, and the children were shown how the hosts for Communion are made. The girls were told about the life of a nun and they sang some hymns with Sr Therese on the kora (Ethiopian harp).

Continued from page 1 the public universities, the situation will continue to deteriorate; financial constraints will impact on all aspects of the academic enterprise, ranging from infrastructure and research development to staff-student ratios in the lecture theatre—all of which will, in turn, impact on throughput rates.” The undergraduate throughput rate at St Augustine is significantly higher than that of the large public institutions. In 2013 St Augustine had a throughput rate double that of the state average, Prof Abraham said. The rector restated St Augustine’s commitment to the values of the Catholic intellectual tradition, which is to produce graduates who have learnt “to think rigorously, so as to act rightly and to serve humanity better”. “We pride ourselves on the personal attention we devote to students. St Augustine’s favourable staff-student ratios and high-impact teaching—higher than normal ‘contact hours’ between staff and students— allows opportunity for interaction and debate, as well as personal growth and the development of self-confidence,” he said.

VIVA SAFARIS Parish donates to Denis Hurley Centre KRUGER PARK with

STAFF REPORTER

P send your overseas friends and family on an unforgettable safari with viva saFaRis

www.vivasafaris.com Bookings: vivasaf@icon.co.za or 071 842 5547

ARISHIONERS of St Joseph’s church in Howick, archdiocese of Durban, donated funds raised this year as part of their 75th jubilee to the Denis Hurley Centre in Durban. Raymond Perrier, director of the centre, was presented with a cheque for R10 000 by Fr Cecil Dowling CSsR and parishioner Nonjabulo Mlotshwa. Mr Perrier spoke at all the weekend Masses at St Joseph’s. The late Archbishop Hurley, after whom the centre is named, is well remembered by many older residents of Howick. One parishioner is Joycelyn Leslie-Smith who runs the Hurley archive at Cedara, and is also a relative by marriage. Another parishioner is Marj Barrett who recalls playing badminton with the young Fr Hurley 70 years ago when he was rector of the Oblate Scholasticate in Pietermaritzburg. “I was thrilled by the warm welcome I received and the generosity of the parish,” Mr Perrier said. “The people of St Joseph’s have proven that it is not true when they say, ‘Out of sight, out of mind’. Instead, people here really do care for those who are suffering in our cities.”

Howick parishioner Nonjabulo Mlotshwa (left) and parish priest Fr Cecil Dowling CSsR (right) hand over a cheque for R10 000 for the Denis Hurley Centre to its director, Raymond Perrier.

The Southern Cross, October 12 to October 18, 2016

LOCAL

SA Christians still need 23 million Bibles By MANDLA ZiBi

ORE than 23 million Bibles are still needed in South Africa, according to research company Ipsos, commissioned by the Bible Society of South Africa (BSSA). The survey polled South Africans from a representative sample of 3 786, of whom 2 567 were Christians older than 15 years, across all provinces, race/language groups and rural/urban areas. It was held between the end of March and early April this year. The responses were extrapolated

to the entire adult South African population (15 years of age and older), resulting in a total just shy of 26,5 million people. Ipsos found that some 44% of South African Christian households indicated that they did not need additional Bibles, while 46 (7%) still needed between one and three Bibles for members of their household. “Asked to indicate how many Bibles are still needed, 26,6% indicated at least one Bible; 15,8% at least two Bibles, and 7,6% three to five Bibles. “The statistical sum then arrived at was an estimated 23

million Bibles,” said Mims Turley of the BSSA. The poll shows that 68,8% of the South African population 15 years and older belong to the Christian faith and according to denomination they broke down as 44% Protestant (including Dutch Reformed, Anglican, Evangelical, Pentecostal and so on), 37% Zionist Christian Church or other African Independent Christians, and 18% Catholics. Just over a quarter of the population (25,4%) do not belong to any religious group. “In one way it is positive that so many people in our country still need the Bible. On the other hand

we still have an enormous challenge to make affordable Bibles available to all. We will carry on with the work of translating and producing the scriptures in all the languages of our country,” Ms Turley said. “The Bible remains very relevant to most Christians in the country. On a scale of one to 10, where 10 represents most relevant, the findings show that 64,9% of respondents rated the importance of the Bible in their lives between 8 and 10. The majority of Christians in the country (79,1%) already own one or more Bibles. Yet there are 5,5% of Christians who do not

own a Bible at all.” The research also revealed that South African Christians (62,4%) still prefer to read newspapers, magazines and books in print format. A further 21,7% indicated that they do not only read printed material, but also utilise digital formats. Only 3% indicated that they only read in digital format. The Bible Society of South Africa was founded in Cape Town in 1820 as an auxiliary society of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Today the Bible Society of South Africa operates as a non-profit company.

Pregnant women’s home launches donation drive By MANDLA ZiBi

TREATMENT centre for pregnant women in crisis has launched a regular giving scheme called “The Mater Domini Circle of Friends 100 Club” as part of a fundraising campaign to sustain monthly running costs. The Mater Domini Home in Claremont, Cape Town—not to be confused with the Right To Live Campaign’s home of the same name in Pinelands—made an appeal to all “who have a heart for vulnerable women and babies” to pledge at least R100 per month to the club to help traumatised, abused, ill and destitute women find shelter and care within its doors. “In particular Mater Domini offers an alternative to abortion—and encourages mothers to birth their babies, provides hope and opportu-

nity for mothers to continue to care for their babies, and offers support and assistance in instances where mothers decide on adoption,” the home said in a statement. “Mater Domini receives neither corporate nor government funding; therefore, it is essential that we build a sustainable income stream. As well as supporting a great cause, members of ‘The 100 Club’ will be eligible to become members of Mater Domini. They will also receive prior notice of any events on our calendar.” A regular donation through “The 100 Club” is tax deductible, and tax certificates are issued once a year. Mater Domini marked its 9th birthday in September. Although a Catholic facility under the patronage of Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town, the centre is open to all women, regard-

less of religious persuasions. “We do not discriminate against residents, and will help any woman regardless of race, creed, marital or economic status. When we talk about the nameless, faceless and voiceless victims of abortion, we have to include the mothers, who so often find themselves in helpless circumstances, with little other alternative but to make the difficult choice to end the life of their unborn child,” said the statement. The home offers women “the opportunity to escape violence and brutality, live in a socially acceptable and family context, with the opportunity to recover from their trauma, empower themselves, build their resilience and grow their confidence and skills to enable them to re-establish independent living”. n For more details visit www.mater domini.net

Commonwealth essay award for Brescia House student

STUDENT at a Johannesburg Catholic school finished third among 13 500 entries in an international essay-writing competition. Brescia House School Grade 11 pupil Kate Watson was awarded a bronze certificate for her entry, titled “Let Them In” in the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition. It is the world’s oldest international schools’ writing competition, having started in 1883. The competition is open to all citizens and residents of the Commonwealth, aged 18 and under. This year about 13 500 entries were received from nearly every

Commonwealth country, according to the competition’s website. The competition is run by the Royal Commonwealth Society, in partnership with Cambridge University Press. Queen Elizabeth II is the patron of the Royal Commonwealth Society. The judges of the competition were impressed by this year’s entries, describing them variously as “inspirational”, “brilliantly written”, and “mind-blowing”. “This is a remarkable achievement and Kate is congratulated on not only proudly representing her school, but also her country,” Brescia House said in a statement.

Brescia House Grade 11 student Kate Watson won bronze in an international essay competition.

ST ANTHONYS CHILD and YOUTH CARE CENTRE Keeping Children safe within families

Wendy Brent, a long-standing parishioner of the Holy Spirit parish in East London, sells The Southern Cross on Sunday mornings before and after Mass. Ms Brent also ensures that those who sneak into the “cry room” don’t escape without putting something in the collection. Please keep sending in photos of the people in your parish who sell The Southern Cross.

The Missionaries of Africa in Merrivale, KwaZulu-Natal, are part of St Joseph’s Theological institute, Cedara. Six of their candidates were ordained deacons, together with two religious of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, who live in Pietermaritzburg. The ceremony took place in the parish church of St Joseph’s in Howick, archdiocese of Durban. (From left) Deacons Anthony, Daniel and Amorain, Bishop Jan de Groef of Bethlehem (himself a Missionary of Africa), superior-general Fr Stan Lubango, and deacons Erick, Alfred and Théophile.

Laity preaches mercy

IVE lay people addressed a Johannesburg meeting on the topic “Mercy in Everyday Life”. “What set this platform apart from more theological-based forums was that all the speakers were drawn from the laity. This was a form of advocacy to encourage the awareness of mercy in everyday life focusing on ordinary people—the audience—and given by ordinary people, the speakers,” said MaryAnn Alho of Bryanston’s Renew Prayer Group, who initiated the meeting. The meeting, held in the community centre of Rosebank church, was borne out of a prayer group in Bryanston. They had spent some time reading the clerical literature that was being furnished as a result of Pope Francis’ exhortation to undertake spiritual and corporal acts of mercy, especially in this Year of Mercy which ends in November. Speakers addressed four topics, namely: “Talking mercy in the profession (nursing), (marriage tribunal)”, “Talking mercy in the

neighbourhood”, “Talking mercy in the family”, “Talking mercy in prison ministry”. Real-life testimonies came to the fore, with each speaker focusing on personal experiences of either showing mercy or being the recipient of mercy within the context of their topic, Ms Alho said. The audience, mainly Catholics from Bryanston, Rosebank and Victory Park, also included members of other Christian denominations. “Mercy as the overarching theme raised the consciousness of forgiveness, compassion, solidarity, applying the ‘spirit of the law’ rather than the ‘letter of the law’, inclusivity over exclusivity, as well as restoration of the wrongdoer by acceptance without condoning wrongdoing,” Ms Alho said. “A lack of mercy breeds alienation, blame and formidable punitive measures, both psychological and corporeal. Because it is an exhortation by Pope Francis and not merely a ‘suggestion’, one is beckoned to take heed,” she said.

ROMAN UNION OF THE ORDER OF ST URSULA

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)

admin@stanthonyshome.org www.stanthonyshome.org

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

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

The Southern Cross, October 12 to October 18, 2016

PAPAL VISIT

Pope visits Azerbaijan’s 600 faithful Catholics By CiNDy WOODEN

ATHOLICS must not “economise” when it comes to spending time in prayer with God and in service to other people, Pope Francis told members of Azerbaijan’s tiny Catholic community. Arriving in the predominantly Shiite Muslim nation after two days in neighbouring Georgia, the pope went directly from the airport to Azerbaijan’s only Catholic church, the parish of the Immaculate Conception. Officials said about 300 people— more than half the number of Catholics in the entire country— were in the church for the Mass. Reflecting the backgrounds of members of the congregation, the prayers and readings at the Mass were in Azeri, English and Russian. The responsorial psalm, a chant in Azeri, was accompanied by the lilting tune of a tutek, a type of flute. In improvised remarks at the end of Mass, Pope Francis said some people might think he was “wasting” his time travelling so far to visit such a small community, but the first Christian community visited by the Holy Spirit—Mary and the disciples—was even smaller. The Holy Spirit gave the disciples the courage to live and share their

Pope Francis gives the homily as he celebrates Mass at the church of the immaculate Conception in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS) faith with others, the pope said, and he visited Baku to encourage the Catholic community. Reading his homily in Italian, Pope Francis told the parishioners that, like the threads of a traditional Azeri rug, their beauty and usefulness as a Catholic community come only from being woven together. “Stay united always, living humbly in charity and joy,” he said. Preaching on the Sunday Mass readings, the pope told them that while faith is a gift from God, it is

something they must feed and nurture. Faith “is no magic power which comes from heaven”, he said, and “it is not a special force for solving life’s problems”. If faith were only something useful for satisfying one’s own needs, it would be selfish, the pope said. Christians are called to serve others not as the price of purchasing some kind of reward from God, he said, but as an essential part of imitating Christ.—CNS

Pope in Georgia: Apostles Andrew, Peter were brothers By CiNDy WOODEN

AYING honour to the steadfast faith of Orthodox Christians in Georgia, Pope Francis nevertheless urged them to draw closer to other Christians and work together to share the Gospel. Georgian Orthodox Patriarch Ilia II, who recently has been cautious in his relations with leaders of other Churches, greeted Pope Francis when he arrived at Tbilisi airport, welcomed him to the patriarchal palace that evening and hosted him again at Svetitskhoveli cathedral in Mtskheta. Walking into a meeting hall at the patriarchate, Pope Francis helped the 83-year-old Patriarch Ilia, who moves with great difficulty because of Parkinson’s disease. More than 80% of Georgians are Orthodox; Catholics from the Latin, Armenian and Chaldean churches form about 2% of the population. When the pope arrived in Georgia, small groups of Orthodox faithful gathered on the road outside Tbilisi airport holding signs protesting the his visit. One sign called him a “heretic” and the other accused the Catholic Church of “spiritual aggression”. The Orthodox groups most opposed to dialogue with Western Christians have expressed fear that closer ties with the West will lead to

Pope Francis and Orthodox Patriarch ilia ii of Georgia arrive for a meeting at the patriarchal palace in Tbilisi, Georgia. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS) what they see as moral decadence. Nevertheless, Patriarch Ilia spoke warmly of Catholic-Orthodox dialogue and practical cooperation and he welcomed the pope, saying: “This is truly a historic visit. May God bless our two Churches.” “Faced with a world thirsting for mercy, unity and peace,” Pope Francis told the patriarch and members of the Georgian Synod of Bishops, God asks Catholics and Orthodox to “renew our commitment to the bonds which exist between us, of which our kiss of peace and our fraternal embrace are already an eloquent sign”.

2017 FAMILY YEAR PLANNER FAMILIES WALK THE TALK, Act justly, Love Mercy and Walk Humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8) with monthly family themes for reflection and discussion

The

While the Georgian patriarchate traces its origins to the preaching of the apostle Andrew, the Church of Rome was founded by the apostle Peter. The two apostles were brothers, Pope Francis noted, and the Churches they founded “are given the grace to renew today, in the name of Christ and to his glory, the beauty of apostolic fraternity”. “Dear brother,” the pope told the patriarch, “let us allow the Lord Jesus to look upon us anew, let us once again experience the attraction of his call to leave everything that prevents us from proclaiming together his presence.”—CNS

Pope Francis walks with Sheik Allahshukur Pashazade, the region’s chief imam, during a meeting with representatives of other religious communities at the Heydar Aliyev mosque in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

Pope: We must walk with gay Catholics C By CiNDy WOODEN

ATHOLICS who are homosexual, confused about their sexuality or convinced they were born in the wrong body deserve the same attentive pastoral care as anyone else, Pope Francis said. Flying back to Rome after a visit to Georgia and Azerbaijan, the pope was asked, given his criticism of “gender theory” and of what he describes as “ideological colonisation”, how he would provide pastoral care to a person who felt his or her sexuality did not correspond to his or her biology. Pope Francis began responding to the reporter’s question by saying that as a priest, a bishop and even as pope he has “accompanied people with homosexual tendencies and even homosexual activity. I accompanied them; I helped them draw closer to the Lord, although some couldn’t. But I never abandoned them”. “People must be accompanied like Jesus would accompany them,” he said. “When a person who has this situation arrives before Jesus, Jesus certainly will not say, ‘Go away because you are homosexual.’ No.” Pope Francis said what he was condemning was “indoctrination of gender theory”, teaching small children that no matter their biological sex, they can choose their gender. He said a Spanish father told him he had asked his son what he wanted to be when he grew up and the boy replied: “A girl”. The father realised the child was taught in school that gender is a choice “and this is against nature”. “It is one thing for a person to have this tendency, this option and even to have a sex change, but it is another thing to teach this in schools in order to change mentalities. This I call ideological colonisation,” the pope said. The pope also told the story of a Spanish husband and wife who visited the Vatican. The husband was born a girl, but always felt like a boy. When she was in her 20s, she told her mother she wanted a sex change

operation, but the mother begged her not to do it as long as she was alive. When her mother died, she had the surgery, the pope said. A Spanish bishop, “a good bishop”, spent time a lot of time “to accompany this man”, who later married, the pope said. They asked to come to the Vatican “and I received them and they were very happy”. In the town where the man lived, he said, a new priest, “when he would see him would shout at him from the sidewalk: ‘You will go to hell!’ But when he’d meet his old priest, he would say to him, ‘How long has it been since you’ve confessed? Come on, confess so you can take Communion.’” “Do you understand?” the pope asked the journalists. “Life is life and you must take things as they come. Sin is sin. And tendencies or hormonal imbalances” create problems “and you cannot say, ‘It’s all the same, let’s throw a party.’ No”. Welcome the person, study the situation, accompany the person and integrate him or her into the life of the community, the pope said. “This is what Jesus would do today.” “Please,” the pope told reporters, “Don’t say: ‘The pope will bless transgender people,’ OK?” “I want to be clear. It is a moral problem. It is a problem. A human problem,” the pope said. “And it must be resolved the best one can— always with the mercy of God, with the truth” and “always with an open heart”. The pope was also asked by a reporter what Catholics should do in a presidential election where both candidates hold some positions contrary to Church teaching. Catholics facing difficult political choices must study the issues, pray about the election and then vote according to their consciences, Pope Francis said. The pope said he would never comment on a specific electoral campaign. “The people are sovereign,” he said. “Study the proposals well, pray and choose in conscience.”—CNS

S outher n C ross Announcing a special pilgrimage to

Holy Land • Rome • Assisi September 2017

and more

with CALENDAR PRICES: BULK from 100 for R350 plus R75 postage 50 for R200 plus R60 postage 25 for R150 plus R50 postage smaller orders R5 each plus pp Oct-Dec Mercy Minutes R8 ea

Orders MARFAM, tel 0825521275 P.O.Box 2881, Randburg. info@marfam.org.za www.marfam.org.za

Archbishop William Slattery OFM Contact Gail for more information at info@fowlertours.co.za or 076 352 3809

In tribute to Fr Xolile Kondlo (1978-2016) register today to be an Organ Donor today.

It’s easy at www.odf.org.za

Toll Free 0800 22 66 11

INTERNATIONAL

The Southern Cross, October 12 to October 18, 2016

Early beatification for French martyr priest? By ELiSE HARRiS

HE French diocese of Rouen has officially begun an inquiry into the beatification of Fr Jacques Hamel, the priest who was killed by Islamic terrorists on July 16, after receiving a note from Pope Francis waiving the traditional fiveyear waiting period. Rouen’s Archbishop Dominique Lebrun made the announcement after celebrating a Mass to re-open the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, where Fr Hamel was killed by supporters of the Islamic State while saying Mass in July. Typically there is a five-year waiting period required after the death of a person before a diocese can begin official investigations for the beatification. Though waiving the rule isn’t normal, other modern examples of the exemption are St Teresa of Kolkata and St John Paul II. According to a statement released by the French bishops conference, Archbishop Lebrun was informed by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints that Pope Francis “has dispensed of the five-year waiting period usually required before starting the official investigation of the beatification”. In order to thank the pope for “this exceptional gesture”, Archbishop Lebrun decided to start the process on the day when Fr Hamel’s parish was re-opened. To mark the re-opening of Fr Hamel’s parish, which had been closed since his bloody death, the archbishop held a special Mass that began with a procession from the

Archbishop Dominique Lebrun of Rouen, France, leads a procession for a Mass reopening a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, where Fr Jacques Hamel was murdered in July. (Photo: Christophe Petit Tesson, EPA/CNS) parish rectory to the front doors of the church, which were re-opened after he offered some brief comments. The liturgy included the reading of scripture, special prayers and Mass, all of which were focused on themes of forgiveness, reconciliation and peace. The specific rite used for the Mass was the one prayed in cases of desecration and had been adapted for the occasion. Pope Francis had previously expressed his confidence that Fr Hamel was a martyr during a September 14 Mass at the Vatican in memory of the priest. Archbishop Lebrun, Fr Hamel’s sister, and about 80 other pilgrims from Rouen were present. Archbishop Lebrun, who was Fr Hamel’s bishop, asked the pope if he

would sign a photograph of the murdered priest for them to take to the three religious sisters who witnessed Fr Hamel’s murder, but were unable to travel to Rome for the Pope Francis walks in the earthquake-ravaged town of Amatrice, italy Mass. The archbishop was surprised during an unplanned impromptu visit. The town was devastated by an when Pope Francis told him to put earthquake that claimed the lives of nearly 300. Looking over the rubble the photo on the altar before Mass, where the town centre once stood, the pope prayed in silence for the victims of the quake. (Photo: L’Osservatore Romano/CNS) though. “After he greeted everyone, he was signing the photo and told me: ‘You can put this photo in the church because Fr Hamel is blessed now; and if someone tells you that you have no right, you tell them that the pope has given you percan help in the mission’,” Archbishop education of South Lebrun said.—CNA

Man attacks statues in Rome

TALIAN police arrested a 39year-old man who entered several historic churches in central Rome to destroy a number of statues, creating panic among the faithful and tourists who were there at the time. At St Praxedes basilica, near St Mary Major, the Ghanaian national destroyed a statue of St Praxedes, and then did the same with a miniature reproduction of St Anthony, cutting off the head, according to reports by various Italian media. The basilica’s pastor, Fr Pedro Savelli, said that “thank God we were able to get him out before he could destroy everything. He said children cannot be taught to believe using sacred images as we do”. The attacker also tried to de-

stroy a crucifix but the priest managed to grab him by the leg and stop him. The act occurred a few minutes after the end of a Mass and just before a concert for the Slovak community. “I don’t know if he was a terrorist, but there certainly was an enormous lack of respect for religion,” Fr Savelli said. “People were fleeing, escaping. I was able to stop him when he was on top of the altar. Some other people came to help me, but he managed to escape; we were afraid, we were terrorised; we didn’t know if he was armed.” After this attack the man went to Via de Colle Oppio where the other two churches he entered are located: St Sil-

vester and St Martin in the popular Monti neighbourhood. There he beat on one of the statues situated in the central nave of the church. The following day he began a new round of attacks. It was San Vitale’s turn on the Via Nazionale—one of the main streets of the city—where he attacked another three statues and a candelabrum. Before being arrested, the attacker made a final incursion in San Giovanni ai Fiorentini church in Piazza dell’Oro. There also, in front of terrified faithful and tourists, he attacked several statues. He was able to escape again, but shortly after police arrested him in a nearby street.—CNA

Cardinal: I’ll allow funerals for euthanasia deaths By PHiLiPPE VAiLLANCOuRT

ARDINAL Gerald Lacroix of Quebec said he has no intention to follow in the steps of his fellow Canadian bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories in refusing funerals for those who asked to be euthanised. “I don’t plan specific directives aimed at refusing this support or refusing access to the anointing of the sick and the celebration of funerals,” Cardinal Lacroix said in a statement. The cardinal was reacting to a document published earlier this month by the bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories, addressed to the clergy, in which they said these sacraments and

celebrations may be refused for those opting for assisted suicide or euthanasia. “The Catholic Church accompanies people in every step of their life. We do that in dialogue with every person and every family that wishes to be accompanied,” said the cardinal. He also reminded people of everyone’s “unconditional dignity in the eyes of God”. “This is why we will always opt for palliative care accessible for everyone instead of euthanasia,” Cardinal Lacroix said. He recognised that recent changes in the laws of the province of Quebec and in the Canadian penal code offer “new pastoral challenges” for the Catholic Church.

In Montreal, Archbishop Christian Lepine also said he does not intend to ask his priests to refuse funerals for those who choose the now legal medically assisted dying. The Alberta and Northwest Territories bishops said in a statement that euthanasia is a “grave violation of the law of God”. They offered pastoral guidance and indicated that a person’s judgment may be impaired through “depression, drugs, or pressure from others”. They said it would be “truly scandalous” if funerals were to become a celebration of the decision to choose euthanasia or assisted suicide. “Such a request for funeral rites must be gently but firmly denied.”—CNS

OMi sTaMPs

yOUR UsED KLERKsDORP aNNUaL RETREaT PREACHED BY sTaMPs Africans for the PRiEsTHOOD at St Joseph’s Scholasticate, Cedara, KwaZuluNatal.

Please send them to: OMi stamps, Box 101352, scottsville, 3209

RABBUNI CENTRE

FR DON BOHÉ OMI THEME: FOR ME TO LivE is CHRisT Phil 1:21 5th December, supper ending with lunch on the 9th December

R1 800 per person

For information & bookings contact: Colleen Barnes 083 287 6526 / 018 462 7711 e-mail: rabbuni@telkomsa.net

The Southern Cross, October 12 to October 18, 2016

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher By the Editorial Advisory Board

Healing our universities

OUTH Africa is faced with myriad protests, often accompanied by violence. From service delivery protests to the students’ uprising, often accompanied by burning of infrastructure, we are a country that is familiar with anger in action. There is a temptation to identify partisan root causes in the #feesmustfall protests: mismanagement plus fiscal and political pressures coupled with a lack of dialogue; and student freedom and recalcitrance as the driver of destructive protests. But we must beware a polarising narrative that runs contrary to the Christian ideal of building unity and which also disrespects the individuality with which we are blessed. How often do we read about the monoliths—the students, the government, the universities— without acknowledging that there are individuals at all levels, motivated by different experiences, perspectives and aspirations? Although almost war-like realities persisted across campuses, they were largely ignored by various other narratives reflecting divergent sympathies and antipathies—the violent or aggrieved students, the out-of-touch or victimised universities, the weak or robust government. Our society was removed from unity, and so close to losing its sense of humanity. In 2016, this situation persists. Pope Francis counsels us: “I encourage you—in an orderly, peaceful and responsible way, motivated by gospel values—to continue to overcome apathy and offer a Christian response to the social and political concerns present in your countries.” This must serve as the blueprint for a gospelbased response to the protests. While there can be no tolerance for destruction and violence as an expression of protest, condemnation alone offers no solution. The question must be asked: What drives some young people to assert their frustrations and aspirations through destruction? How did we arrive at a point where “orderly, peaceful and responsible” dialogue has become unachievable? What is beyond dispute is that there is real poverty among students. A few years ago, it was discovered that some students at Pretoria universities were sleeping in doorways on campus because they could not afford digs. Students speak of their struggles in long bus

commutes between campus and townships where they live in dingy, poorly-lit, crowded quarters, and struggle to do assignments. When the ashes—literally and figuratively—of the protests have settled, the priority will have to be how our tertiary education system can be restructured, not least to ensure that no student needs to sleep in doorways. Questions of funding will have to form part of that dialogue. The Catholic bishops of Southern Africa have urged the private sector to inject more funding into tertiary institutions. Government will need to examine whether its budget for tertiary education is reasonable. Past expenditure has been comparatively measly; in 2012, Ghana’s investment in higher education in GDP terms was double that of South Africa’s. Crucially, there will be a need to heal our universities. The debates and conflicts on campuses have had a polarising effect, among students and academics alike, with little opportunity for bridging the massive racial, ideological, economic and political divides. There is a need to open the painful debate about the slow pace of transformation, the alienation black students are experiencing, the dissatisfaction with the way they are taught, and how subtle and not so subtle exclusionary practices still continue, the lack of leadership, the abuse of authority, the failure of government and so on. That debate, perhaps facilitated by the truth and reconciliation commissions proposed in some universities, also will need to interrogate how the rights of individuals not involved in the protests were infringed. This process of debate and ultimately healing is where Catholics can offer leadership. The words of Pope Francis in Laudato Si’ on the interconnectedness of all living beings has particular relevance to us as the struggles of students cannot be isolated from us but are intimately tied to us. We must enter into the crisis at our universities, into the lives of students and their families, and into our society which has created the conditions in which these student protests take place. As Catholics we are called to bring into the world Christian harmony and to strive at all times to apply our moral and compassionate lense in a polarised world. This is a time to put this calling into action.

Let’s do annual collection for SC

ONGRATULATIONS on the epic event of your 5 000th edition (September 28). Well done, and in a sort of birthday mood: Many happy returns. Which brings me to the point that Archbishop William Slattery made on behalf of the bishops’ conference: “We applaud you and invoke the Lord’s blessing on your important work of evangelisation.” In my humble opinion then, I would suggest that, as there are a number of yearly second collections

Southern Cross touches lives

EARTY and prayerful congratulations on The Southern Cross reaching another milestone, its 5 000th issue. The content of this special 24page number is so typical of what readers have come to expect, especially under Günther Simmermacher’s editorship, of our Catholic newspaper: enriching of our faith, balanced in opinion. I am sure I can speak for thousands of your readers in saying that The Southern Cross has been an integral part of our Catholic lives. When my father, Anthony, arrived in South Africa from England in 1935, he quickly made friends with several Cape Town priests, including Fr Louis Stubbs, who later became the longest-serving Southern Cross editor. Not surprisingly, therefore, I grew up with my parents buying and reading your newspaper every Sunday. I would like to thank the staff of The Southern Cross for their unstinting sacrifices in ensuring our country continues to have its own Catholic weekly publication. Fr Kevin Reynolds, Pretoria

Catholic paper a ‘weekly miracle’

HE 5 000th Southern Cross allowed me to ponder on my long connection with what your former managing editor Eugene Donnelly called “the weekly miracle”. Writing my “Coffee Break” columns, I made both friends and enemies. The friends wrote to me directly and their comments made me feel like a million dollars. Some letters came from priests and religious living in near-solitude many kilometres from cities for the sake of God’s kingdom. I know that these saints loved The Southern Cross for its struggle to maintain an authentic witness. The foes castigated me in the columns of the letters page. I took what I saw as justified criticism on board and agreed to disagree with the rest, having made a policy deci-

PRICE CHECK For the price of one issue of The Southern Cross you get 18 seconds with a lawyer T he The

S oou s s u r n C rro oss o utt h e uthe er ss

September 28 to October 4, 2016

Reg No. 1920/002058/06

IIss the the bishop’s bishop’s ccross ross to to heavy heavy to to bear? bear?

P Page age 19

No 5000

www.scross.co.za w ww.scross.co.za

Colour C olour in in your your ffa aith: New New fad fad faith: ffor or adults adults

Dawn Nortje (right) sells The Southern Cross every Sunday after Mass as people are leaving All Saints church in Brackenfell, Cape Town. She is seen here with an unnamed reader. Ms Nortje is one of many people around the country who volunteer to sell the Catholic weekly at t h e c h u r c h d o o r — a l o n g w i t h p r i e s t s m e n t i o n i n g a r t i c l e s i n t h a t w e e k ’s e d i t i o n f r o m t h e p u l p i t , the Southern Cross sellers are the best way of promoting the newspaper. If somebody sells The Southern Cross in your parish, please send us a photo of them doing so for publication— i t ’s o u r w a y o f t h a n k i n g o u r m a n y c o - w o r k e r s i n t h e s o c i a l c o m m u n i c a t i o n s a p o s t o l a t e . (Photo: Eugene Jackson)

P Page age 22 22

BY MANDLA ZIBI

OLLOWING reports that 36 psychiatric patients had died from undisclosed causes within four months of being moved by Gauteng health authorities from a secure care centre to local nongovernmental organisations, the chairman of the bishops’ Justice & Peace Commission said that putting profit before the health of people iss “a death sentence for the poor”. “A health system that puts profit before people, and without adequate measures for cost control, is both unsustainable for the country and a death sentence for the poor,” said Bishop Abel Gabuza of Kimberley in a statement. “The lives of the mentally ill should therefore be considered to be more important than fiscal efficiency and profit making,” he said. The victims were part of a group of patients moved from Life Healthcare’s Esidimeni

Centre after the provincial health department cancelled the contract with the institution. The deaths sparked calls for the MEC of health in Gauteng, Qedani Mahlangu, to resign or be fired. In the statement, Bishop Gabuza welcomed the launch of an investigation by the national health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi into the whole process of moving the patients, including their deaths. T h e b i s h o p c a l l e d o n t h e n a t io n a l h e a l t h department to ensure that “the investigation should include an urgent assessment of the current standards of clinical care and the respect of patient rights in the NGOs where the patients were transferred”, adding that “to save lives, urgent remedial action should be taken if the ser vices are below the required standards”. Bishop Gabuza urged that the results of the inv

R8,00 (incl VAT RSA)

BY MANDLA ZIBI

WO archbishops have hailed The Southe r n C ro s s a s a u n i f i e r o f t h e C a t h o l i c faithful throughout its 96 years of uninterrupted publication. South Africa’s only weekly Catholic newspaper is publishing its 5 000th issue today, having appeared every week since it first came out on Saturday, October 16, 1920. “Five-thousand uninterrupted editions of The Southern Cross—what an important milestone to celebrate! Through wars, discrimination, oppression and economic hardship, the Catholic voice has been heard and the Gospel proclaimed,” Archbishop Stephen Brislin, president of the Southern African CatholicsBishops’ Conference (SACBC), said in a congratulatory note. “This achievement has been possible only through the sacrifice and dedication of many people, whose love for God and the Church gave them the passion to unite Catholics throughout our conference area.” Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria, the SACBC’s spokesman, concurred with Archbishop Brislin on the unifying role played by the newspaper. “Our whole Catholic community must surely congratulate The Southern Cross on its 5 000th issue It has never failed to appear

Page Page 20 20

w o r l d , T h e S o u t h e r n C ro s s h a s u n i t e d t h e Catholics of South Africa in a bond of belonging and closeness,” he said. “In a Church commissioned by the Lord to communicate truth and life to the world , The Southern Cross has been a faithful and courageous messenger.” T h e p r e l a t e l i k e n e d T h e S o u t h e r n C ro s s t o an Irish Catholic tradition from the 5th and 6 t h c e n t u r i e s wh e n s o m e o f th e fo u n d er s o f parishes did not build churches. “They simply left a bell. This bell was a voice calling the faithful to become a community of faith. The Southern Cross has been a bell uniting our scattered communities from the Cape to Limpopo to share their common faith.” He obser ved that the newspaper “has looked on the world with profound understanding and sincere admiration, with the intention not of condemning but of strengthening it,” Archbishop Slattery said. “It has been an exercise in listening as well as speaking. It has allowed generations of Catholics to listen and be enriched by each other’s faith. It has assured Catholics that we are part of the great worldwide family of saints and sinners. Each week we have awaited the paper like a letter from home,” he said. “To the editor and staff of The Southern Cross; we applaud you and invoke the Lord’s

for the support of various mission and evangelising causes in the Church, an annual collection for the continued existence of The Southern Cross should be made mandatory. Judging by the appeals you are continually making for funds through your Associates Campaign, it is clear that survival is on a very fine, unstable edge. Seeing that we are in the game of promoting the most important human endeavour—spreading God’s kingdom on sion not to reply to criticism. This I broke when, during the apartheid era, accused of racism, I wrote back to say I hoped the authorities had taken cognisance of the indictment. I failed to add that during those pain-wracked days, a dossier existed on my husband and myself on account of our involvement with the banned Christian Institute. The family feeling I have for The Southern Cross was confirmed when on page 1 of the 5 000th issue I read Archbishop Stephen Brislin’s praise of the paper as a Catholic voice and proclaimer of the Gospel. I first saw the archbishop when, as a cherubic little altar boy with curly black hair and glasses, 50 years ago, he struggled to carry a massive book to the gospel side of the altar at St Dominic’s church in Welkom. “Little boy,” I thought, “One day you’ll be a holy priest.” Like The Southern Cross, he’s still giving his all to the Church and I’m proud to say I’ve attended each of his ordinations. During those 50 years I’ve addressed him variously as Stevie, Stephen, Father, Monsignor, Your Lordship and Your Grace. I told him this somewhat whimsically one day and the archbishop, who has always mixed saintliness with a dollop of common sense, countered: “Not to mention the ones you’ve called me under your breath.” Luky Whittle, Kroonstad

Pro-life decline

OTHER Teresa of Kolkata was one of the most vocal critics of the evils of abortion, and often stated publicly that “there can never be peace in the world while there is violence in the womb”. 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

PUBLIC LECTURE

“AUTHENTIC SPIRITUALITY/S IN A SECULAR AGE: A CATHOLIC RESPONSE” What s authent c catho c sp r tua ty? Are we a ca ed to be myst cs?

Feed your soul with The

S outher n C ross

IT’S WORTH IT!

earth—the members of the Church in South Africa, as far as possible, should contribute to the build-up of a reserve fund that would see The Southern Cross survive these turbulent times. I sincerely hope the SACBC takes this suggestion seriously. May the Holy Spirit continue to provide you and your team, with the guidance, strength and courage to steer The Southern Cross in its successful journey through this turbulent phase of human history. Antonio Tonin Sr, East London However, this statement was not mentioned during her recent canonisation ceremony, a fact which, together with the dearth in Rome for several years now of any anti-abortion sermons or encyclicals, indicates a worldwide decline in Catholic prolife interests and activities. In South Africa, with legalised abortion on demand, there is no episcopal directive to our faithful that they may not vote for this. The American pro-life situation is very similar to our’s, with the result that this US will soon probably also re-elect a viciously pro-abortion regime with support, inter alia, for the horror of partial birth abortion. This tragic situation could, however, be avoided if the American Catholic bishops, publicly supported by Pope Francis, and prayers for her intercession to St Teresa of Kolkota, direct their congregations never to support such a regime at the ballot box. Damian McLeish, Johannesburg

Greed and love

HE problems we have in the world at present are directly related to a lack of love and excess of greed. The word “love” has been made cheap by being so closely related to sex that people are embarrassed to use the word and consequently have moved away from its use. Just think how many people who are not near relatives or very dear friends will ever say they love you. In moving away from love, we are moving away from God, who is love. Love was the main reason that Christ came into the world. He showed us a new way and love directly related to the two main commandments he gave us. Sometimes our priests overcomplicate religion and it loses its profound message: that we should practise the love our Lord gave us. Religious leaders are failing when they do not emphasise our lack of love for others and make people feel far too comfortable. I think they should emphasise that our Lord gave us two very clear commands; they were not suggestions. Roy Glover, Tzaneen

LENT IN THE

HOLY LAND 18-27 March 2017

Fr Brian Mhlanga OP of Rad o Ver tas Contact Ga at 076 352 3809 o 021 551 3923 nfo@fow ertours co za

FR GERARD WALMSLEY SJ

www.fowlertours.co.za holyland

TUESDAY 25TH OCTOBER AT 7 30 PM

n Johannesbu g & beyond

Former Incumbent Of The Copelston Chair Of Philosophy At St Augustine College

C Canonisation anonisation pilgrimage in in pilgrimage pictures pictures

Archbishops hail Southern Cross

T Bishop slams ‘death sentence for the poor’

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.

CK Storey Ha beh nd Method st Church Ma n Road Rosebank Cape Town Park ng and Entrance v a Chape Road

WE ARE ALL CHURCH SA

576AM

DStv Audio 870

www rad over tas co za s eam ng ve

41809 MASS o owed by Mass n en on 41809 VER o owed by commen s

PO Box 4599 Edenva e 1610 011 663 4700 eb ase @ ad ove as co za

PERSPECTIVES

The wounded silences of faith T HE haunting image of the solitary figure of a seemingly broken Pope Francis on his visit to AuschwitzBirkenau in Poland during World Youth Day is something that surely will be enmeshed in his legacy of Mercy. It reminded me of the saying by the late Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel: “It is not because I cannot explain that you won't understand. It is because you won't understand that I can't explain.” Though he called himself a voice of victims everywhere, Wiesel, who died on July 2, had his shortcomings. For one, he was blind to the sufferings of the Palestinian people against the legalised terrorism of the Israeli state in the occupied West Bank and in East Jerusalem Still, in his book Night, Wiesel explores, with great insight, what he calls “a wounded faith”. Others have termed it the “Job syndrome”: a believing person’s accusation of God. Wiesel speaks of Silence as a witness, and explores what he calls the archaeology, theology and history of silence. We know well the history of silence in this country—today you can't find anyone who supported apartheid, yet it stood triumphantly for almost 50 years. In a few years’ time, perhaps nobody will admit to having been a Zuma supporter. Wiesel speaks more hauntingly about the silence of goodness before the mystery of evil. This silence may be self-imposed out of fear, or complacency, or laziness, and so on. In the end, it all becomes complicit in evil because it feeds and is promoted by the silence of good men. But there is another kind of silence, as seen in Gethsemane, that comes from the strength of goodness refusing to be drawn into the tactics of evil—refusing to resist evil by evil. I felt what I would term the “rage of silence” on a visit to the village of Nyarubuye in the Rwandan province of Kibungo. I was younger then, so my blood raged high against the fallen nature of things. A peat-frothed river snakes the foothills, creating smoky nooks and lush swamps along it. Village women with children strapped on their backs, and thatched crowns on their heads balance their load, singing softly as they walk.

Nothing about the village looks temping to the reaper’s scythe. As you climb the hill you remember another man who climbed Calvary wearing a crown of thorns, another victim of the fallen nature of things. Nothing here suggests that you are about to have an encounter with gruesome scenes where numerous people died as they hugged the church doors of betrayal. I’ve never been to Auschwitz, but I’m sure those dreary factories of death, somehow, communicate their deeds from afar. Nothing does that in Nyarubuye. All you find is haunting ordinariness, a bleeding downpour of the humdrum without trace of the hanging pall of depression you would expect in a place with such a gruesome history. At the crown of the hill, where the church of death stands, you become overwhelmed by incomprehension. Not sadness, not anger, not revulsion nor anything like that. Just utter incomprehension, an inability to penetrate the situation. Disbelief, if you like!

ou try to comprehend how people killed those who were known to them, more or less, all their lives using machetes without remorse or guilt, just because their victims were of a different ethnic group. This incomprehension is also what Pope Francis’ silence at Auschwitz communicated to me. Inside the church on top of that hill, the essence of death was still naked. I didn’t believe it initially, but there’s great wisdom in not marking such places with sculpted memorial illusions or something like that. They must remain

Pope Francis at Auschwitz in July. (Photo: Alessia Giuliani via CNS)

Mphuthumi Ntabeni

Pushing the Boundaries

bare, stripped of our lies and denials to testify what we are capable of—to what has happened since Calvary: bodies left to decompose where they fell; pews draped in black mummified human remains; everything melting down to the floor; decapitated children’s skulls. Let it all remain, no matter how overwhelmingly piercing the sight of it all is. We must face up to what we are. So be it if we’re blinded into despair by it. To quote Nietzsche: “Does Zarathustra want to rob the Devil of his morsel?” I once read A Memoir of Iris Murdoch by John Bayley, her long-devoted and suffering husband, because of her infidelities. Somewhere in the book, Bayley says: “Rubbish becomes relaxing where there’s no will to disturb it.” I linked it to Keats’s poem “Hyperion”, in which the poet writes: “But where the dead leaf fell, there did it rest…” I still discern wisdom in that, though I don’t fully get it. What I do get is Wiesel when he says: “Never shall I forget that night. The first night in camp that turned my life into one long night, seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the small faces of children, whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky. Never shall I forget those flames, that consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget, the nocturnal silence that deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul, and turned my dreams into ashes. Never shall I forget those things, even if I were condemned to live as long as God himself. Never!” Never! Other people have to live with their own horrible nights. If you have been lucky enough to be spared that, be careful with your words or silences, lest you feed what haunts their lives. Don’t ask people to forget and move on, especially on issues you don’t even fully comprehend. Learn humility and sympathetic silence where words fail you.

Looking ahead to a new future R ECENTLY, a young Franciscan was recounting his experience of meeting a new person in the prison facility where he ministers. The inmate was quite intimidating with his thick physique, massive tattoos and dominating presence. The young priest was a regular visitor who ministered in the prison but he admitted to being anxious when this new inmate requested some time with him. It turned out to be a grace-filled experience. One of the things that became apparent to the priest was that he was focusing on the man’s past—the events that led him to prison, represented in his very daunting presence—while the inmate was focused on the present moment and what lay ahead. His desire was to move from a painful past into a new future. Perhaps it is that same dynamic that St Paul so often brought to the surface in his New Testament writings. A very good example can be found in Ephesians 2:1-10. It begins by outlining what is in the past: “You were dead in your transgressions and sins in which you once lived… disobedient…following the wishes of the flesh.” It ends by proclaiming what God has done and will do, “brought us to life with Christ…to show the immeasurable riches of his grace”. In the middle of this section, verse 4, is the “hinge”, that piece that allows the past to be closed and the future to be opened. It is this succinct experience and description of divine intervention: “God, who is rich in mercy”. The early Church witnessed to a very clear sense of God’s initiative in freeing believers from the burdens of their own sinfulness. Were there consequences to immorality and selfishness and ignorance of God’s way of living? Of course. Those consequences were seen in the

Cackie Upchurch

year of Mercy

descending spiral of self-hatred or guilt and shame or further immorality, what Paul describes as death. Freedom from that spiritual death is not something that can be accomplished by one’s own power or good intention or good deeds, but by God’s initiative, God’s mercy and love. In the passage cited from Ephesians, this God who is “rich in mercy” and because of “the great love he had for us” brought us to life. This life is described in verses 5 and 6: life with Christ, raised up with him, and seated with him in the heavens. Notice the repeated use of the word “with”.

hat God has done for Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him next to the Father, God is doing for us, even when it seems we may not deserve such lavish mercy and love. We are experiencing these things with Christ, in the present and more fully in the future. Ephesians 2:8 sums it up beautifully:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God.” Mercy, grace, love— all of these are expressions of God’s nature, reminders that even through our best efforts to change, salvation cannot be earned. In spite of our sinfulness, salvation is freely given not because of what we have done or who we are, but because of who God is. Simply put, even our best efforts to reform ourselves cannot outdo the grand scale of God’s grace and the lavishness of God’s generosity on our behalf. In his book The Name of God is Mercy, Pope Francis writes: “Pius XII, more than a half century ago, said that the tragedy of our age was that it had lost its sense of sin, the awareness of sin. Today, we add further to the tragedy by considering our illness, our sins, to be incurable, things that cannot be healed or forgiven. We lack the actual concrete experience of mercy. “The fragility of our era is this, too: we don’t believe there is a chance for redemption; for a hand to raise you up, flood you with infinite, patient, indulgent love; to put you back on your feet. We need mercy.” The beauty of it is that God’s mercy is already available to us and it does not simply heal the past. God’s mercy invades our present circumstances so that we can look hopefully to the future. n This is the eighth column in a 13-part series of reflections on the Year of Mercy. This article was originally published in Arkansas Catholic.

The Southern Cross, October 12 to October 18, 2016

Michael Shackleton

Open Door

Priest refused to give absolution A fellow Catholic I know went to confession. The priest apparently declined to give absolution. I was not told why. Under what circumstances may a priest do this, especially in this Year of Mercy? Groucho

HEN a priest decides whether or not to absolve a penitent, he makes an act of judgment which is essential in his ministerial duty towards the penitent. To do this, it is usual for the priest to ask questions in order to be satisfied that he knows two important things: the seriousness of the sin, and the penitent’s full sorrow and repentance for that sin. Canon 980 of the Code of Canon Law says: “If the confessor is in no doubt about the penitent’s disposition and the penitent asks for absolution, it is not to be denied or deferred.” If the priest denies absolution it is most probably due to the penitent’s not showing true and sincere sorrow for the sin in question. For example, if someone confesses having committed adultery, and is aware of its serious nature, the priest will be satisfied that there is guilt there. But absolution cannot be given unless the penitent expresses true and sincere sorrow for the offence as well as the firm purpose of amendment, which is the determination to avoid all occasions that could lead to committing that sin again. Priests have wide experience of hearing confessions and they may sense that the penitent is not revealing all the circumstances of the sin. So a question something like this could be asked: “Is your partner in this sin someone you see often or someone you will never see again?” If it is someone with whom one works or frequently plays sport, the priest must judge prudently whether this may be an occasion of sin and help to dispose the penitent’s conscience accordingly. In any event, he must show compassion and understanding without playing down the grave sinfulness of adultery. Canon law (c978) reminds confessors that they are ministers of divine mercy, but it adds that they are also ministers of divine justice. Pope Francis has encouraged priests to show mercy in this holy year, but as a minister of God’s justice the priest also has to caution penitents who do not make a clean breast of their sins or show inadequate repentance, that they could be vainly trying to deceive God. Refusing sacramental absolution is based on John 20:23: “If you retain the sins of any, they are retained”, and it is done purely to urge the sinner to appreciate that the immense gift of divine forgiveness requires humble acceptance and sincerity. Justice always holds out the invitation to repentance and divine mercy.

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.

Tony Wyllie & Co. Catholic Funeral Home

Personal and Digniﬁed 24-hour service 469 Voortrekker Rd, Maitland Tel: 021 593 8820 48 Main Rd, Muizenberg Tel: 021 788 3728 Member of the NFDA

NEW FOR 2016 5 to 13 Nov

FRIENDS FOREVER PILGRIMAGE

Visiting Old Constantinople(Istanbul) and Israel, the Holy Land

Organised and Led by Rev Fr Bongani Sithole

Cost from R25440

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

The Southern Cross, October 12 to October 18, 2016

CHURCH

How Church can serve disabled better The Church must do better in giving disabled Catholics access to catechesis and the sacraments. Fr CyRiL AXELROD CSsR, who is deaf and blind, suggests how.

ANY years before Vatican Council II, I remember a booklet called A Simple Cat-

echism. It contained treatments on creation, the sacraments, the Lord’s Prayer, the Ave Maria, and Gloria Patri, the mysteries of the rosary, morning and night prayers, the Ten Commandments, the practice of virtues, and many other things. By its very simplicity the booklet became one of the best resources for children and adults in learning the faith. It was also helpful to disabled children and adults in experiencing the faith through different modes of communication as it could easily include sign language, incorporating the spoken word, the visual, the tactile, and body movements such as clapping hands, and, of course, singing. With the Second Vatican Council, the Holy Spirit nudged us towards a renewal of our faith, and this of course affected our catechesis and our liturgy. For example, we were presented with Eucharistic prayers for children. They emphasised Jesus' love for children as part of the People of God. The Council also highlighted the proclamation of the kerygma (a Greek word meaning “preaching”) and the history of salvation, bringing the Gospel of Jesus to bear on people of all ages in the Church’s life and community. Closely related to this have emerged different types of catechism which enabled more potential of learning and comprehension, using different media. So I welcome the renewal of Vatican II. But I believe it is necessary to take it further. We need to think about and develop different types of catechism for disabled children and adults. The Church needs to envisage how catechism is given to individuals with different degrees of disabilities. Greater understanding and tolerance needs to be given to different levels of language acquisition and growth in knowledge and understanding. To this end, what is needed are professionally developed visual, audio and other teaching aids. A practical approach is necessary, respecting how disabled children and adults acquire learning and comprehension according to their limited abilities, whether sensory, physical or mental. I want to promote, therefore, the idea of another “Simple Catechism”, more conducive to disabled people, containing questions and answers in a simple way. This and other resources are needed to help disabled persons of all ages. It should contain the possibility of using different methods to support learning potential, respecting the different degrees of comprehension of disabled persons. In a catechism for the disabled there can never be a “one size fits all”. I would like to promote the idea of a continuing and self-correcting development of a catechism for the disabled, including: l Catechesis, as referred to above, containing simple questions and answers. l Biblical pictures relating to the sacraments. For example the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, relating to the sacrament of baptism. Or the Pentecost scene showing the apostles receiving the fire of the Holy Spirit relating to the sacrament of confirmation. Mary Magdalene washing Jesus' feet relating to penance. The Last Supper between Jesus and the apostles relating to

Holy Mass, and so forth. Disabled people who are sighted need visual stimulus. l Catechetical materials connecting to a visual and audio aid like a DVD for deaf or hearing-impaired persons, tapes and Braille materials for blind or low-visual persons. l A film showing the performance of a baptism, confirmation, penance, the Eucharist and so on may serve the best resources for disabled persons of all ages. But, of course, speaking as a blind person myself, this would be of no use to persons born blind or acquiring progressive blindness. Which proves my point that a lot of imagination and creativity is required. This is quite feasible today with technological development. Being both deaf and blind, I myself am able to use a computer and smart phone linked to a Braille machine. How else would I be writing this document? l Tactile objects such as a cross, a small statue or rosary are helpful to the blind and deaf-blind to create an image relating to spirituality.

efore developing a catechism, it is essential to identify the nature of disabilities affecting the ability of a person for learning, understanding and knowing, all of which impact on our catechesis of the disabled. There are several descriptions of the types of disability. I present here the list provided by Johns Hopkins University, which I like because it is comprehensive: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders; Blindness or Low Vision; Brain Injuries; Deafness/Hard-ofhearing; Learning Disabilities; Medical Disabilities; Physical and Mobility Impairment, including cerebral palsy, motor-neuron disease etc.; Psychiatric Disabilities; Speech and Language Disabilities Naturally, there can be a combination of disabilities. For example, in my own case I have the dual sensory disability of both deafness and blindness. So the disability can be single or multiple. Sensory, physical and mental disabilities obviously may affect the potential for learning and understanding, according to the different degrees of the disability, whether mild, moderate or severe. Catechesis needs criteria for what is the best to offer to persons with disabilities. In the mercy and love of Jesus, I feel strongly that the severely disabled are encouraged to receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist at an early age—and without rigid catechesis, because it is difficult to predict their life expectancy, which may be short or long. I would even add the suggestion that the sacrament of penance can be omitted in cases where the disabled person has no sense of right and wrong, and should be respected for their “invincible ignorance”, to use a term from moral theology as promoted by the founder of my Redemptorist congregation, St Alphonsus Liguori. The main aim is to meet the potential for learning and understanding that people have, whatever the disability. And this must always be in the service of another greater aim, namely, the full participation of disabled children and adults in the Church’s life and community. As a suggestion, a catechism for the disabled should include guidance and encouragement, together with suggested resources, for parents, teachers, priests and others to help them become aware of how they can be more involved in a “Catechism for the Disabled”. It may be worthwhile to consider the inclusion of disabled persons in the Church to bring greater awareness to the faithful when participating in the liturgy. There is a need to develop a liturgical sign language in a catechism for the deaf. Having said this, I want to add that there is another level of catechesis that is required. I refer to the whole community.

Fr Cyril Axelrod, who is deaf and blind, touches a monstrance during exposition of the Eucharist at Chiesa Nuova in Rome in June during the year of Mercy jubilee celebration for the sick and persons with disabilities. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS) The community to which the severely disabled person belongs (for example, a parish) itself needs to be catechised on how to welcome and celebrate the giftedness of their disabled brothers or sisters. Extraordinary ministers of Communion, ushers and many others need to be sensitised to the presence and the rights of disabled people. All should know if and when a disabled child has been admitted to the sacraments. This shows respect for the disabled person, but also serves to avoid embarrassment for others, for example, the parents, family or friends of the disabled person who accompanied them to church.

hat I have written here is my earnest hope and prayer that the Church proclaim the Gospel of Jesus to disabled people. Even though they endure suffering and difficulties in their lives, catechism is a sign of hope and strength for them to experience the presence of. Jesus Christ. To offer catechesis to the disabled is to acknowledge their dignity—their right to be informed. Echoing the words of the prophet Isaiah, Jesus declared right at the beginning of his ministry that his mission included in a profound way a reaching out to the disabled: the blind, the lame, the deaf, the oppressed (and in that, emotional oppression must be included).

To paraphrase Luke 4:18-19 where Jesus quotes Isaiah, we as Church should also be able to say: The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, for we have been anointed to bring faith and the sacraments to the disabled. We are disciples of Jesus. In his mercy and love a deaf person feels the power of his touch; a blind person experiences his loving-kindness; a deaf person who also suffered the loss of speech sings a song of happiness; a lame person praises God’s glory; a mentally ill person senses compassion Disabled persons who belong to the Catholic Church enjoy the privilege of being equal members. They have the right to participate fully in the reception of sacraments. And, as I have said, sometimes this means tolerating a less advanced catechesis. St Paul, my role model and inspiration, said that for those who are in Christ Jesus, there is to be no distinction between Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female. All of us, together, receive the Holy Spirit. Together we form one Body in Christ. And, just as the Holy Spirit leads the disciples of Jesus to the complete truth (John 16:13), so the Spirit leads differently-abled persons to grasp, according to their own means, the truth of God’s invitation to us all to be part of a Pilgrim Church that journeys towards the Promised Kingdom where we shall all see God face to face, no matter what our ability or disability on earth may have been. n Fr Cyril Axelrod is a South African Redemptorist. He currently lives in London.

Pregnant? Need Help? WE CARE

1 Plein street, sidwell, Port Elizabeth

081 418 5414, 079 663 2634 DBN 079 742 8861 JHB

We welcome prayers, volunteers and donations.

www.birthright.co.za

PRIESTS OF THE SACRED HEART “Here I am Lord” Cell: +27 72 769 7396, +27 83 471 6081 E-mail: vocation.office@ dehonafrica.net

Founder: Fr. Leo John Dehon (1843-1925)

Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Charism Then as a‘Loving Daughter of the Heart of and Mary this inImmacualte Suffering is your chance to rekindle the light of LOVE and of the GOOD NEWS to the: Mission’ We evangelise, nurse the sick and aged, catechise youth, children and old, outcast and neglected. For more information contact The vocation Directoress

P.O. Box 17204 Witbank, 1035; Tel: 013 656 3708; Cell: 082 838 5428 lekgala.m@gmail.com

P.O. Box 864, Glen Cowie, 1061 Cell: 076 923 8319

The Southern Cross, October 12 to October 18, 2016

PERSONALITY

Rocket scientist tenor ‘sings prayers to life’

NCE in a while you come across someone who defies the neat categories we use to make sense of the apparent messiness of human endeavour. Dr Ifriky Tadadjeu is such a person. Born in Cameroon 30 years ago, this quietly spoken—but loudly singing—dynamo has always been in constant battle against the fixed idea that one’s career must be confined to an easily identifiable box. “I do not recognise boundaries when it comes to the things I want to do with my life. My aim is to show young people that you can be what you want to be without sacrificing important, essential parts of yourself,” this modern-day “Renaissance man” told The Southern Cross in an interview. Ifriky’s classically trained voice is a familiar feature at Our Lady of the Annunciation church in Milnerton, Cape Town, where apart from sacred music, he also sings popular opera. His version of “The Holy City (Jerusalem)” sends collective shivers down the congregation’s back, parishioners say.

He started his musical journey at age 15 back in Cameroon and became a musical director at 19, winning singing competitions along the way. His CV boasts coaching stints with luminaries such as Prof Kamal Khan of the University of Cape Town’s Opera School and the wellknown singer Wendy Fine, among others. This year the tenor, who is said to have perfect pitch, released an album recorded with other top classical musicians in Cape Town, titled For The Love Of Music (it is available on his website www.ifriky.co.za). “My musical approach is a merging of different styles. I mix operatic vocals with African cultural music,” he says. He has been seen not only at high-profile corporate events around Cape Town but his music has taken him as far afield as Tokyo. In church, Ifriky is lending his musical gifts to a programme that he calls “Let’s Pray”, with the aim being to “bring back the focus on prayer through singing”. The idea is to reinterpret Catholic and Christian liturgical songs with a view to bringing out the prayer within. “Sometimes when we sing in church, the real meaning of words is obscured, lost or forgotten. I would like to put together a group of musicians who would come to churches by invitation to really sing the prayers into life,” he said. He envisages a series of engagements with churches through songs appropriate to liturgical seasons such as Lent and Advent.

Dr ifriky Tadadjeu, 30-year-old opera singer and satellite systems engineer, navigates two vastly different disciplines in a unique way. “Music in the Church has been my faith anchor. I believe people experience faith in different ways. Mine is very much through music. Singing in church is a need,” he says. Happily, his parish has a vibrant music ministry.

e is also keen to help young people find their way. Ifriky’s role as an entrepreneur and author is embodied by his campaign to “expose youth to as many fields of expertise as possible in order to increase the chances that they find something they are truly passionate about”. Titled “Experts Mode”, the project will comprise a series of engagements or interviews with experts in various fields of activity to make it easier for young people to make de-

cisions about which career paths to take. “Young people don’t always know what they want to do with their lives, or know how realistic it is to follow their dreams. They do not always know how to predict future career trends and opportunities. Teachers, lecturers and corporate leaders don’t always find time for personal development or how to keep up with trends and innovation or pursue their own personal dreams and projects,” says Ifriky, pointing out that “Experts Mode” is designed to meet these needs. “The interviews will be published every week on the project website, and each week will feature a different field of expertise. Some of the questions might include: the nature of a specific field of expert-

ise; how it fits in with the world today; how one could cultivate wealth from it; and what practical steps to take immediately to enter the field and eventually become an expert.” And then there is Dr Tadadjeu, the rocket scientist. Ifriky’s doctorate as a satellite systems engineer saw him being part of the launch of the historic Tshepiso satellite in 2013, the first South African nano-satellite in space. “I was part of the testing team in a project comprising postgraduate students from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, working with the French-South African Institute of Technology and the South African National Space Agency (SANSA),” he explained. The satellite was launched from Yasny launch base in Russia and placed in orbit at an altitude of 1 600km. Running on the same amount of power as a 5-Watt bulb, Tshepiso orbits Earth up to 15 times a day and its main mission is to gather data on space weather for SANSA. “I cannot disassociate the scientific and artistic sides of my life. They are both part of a mesh of things that ultimately define who I am. My contribution in life is to make people—young people especially—realise that their dreams are not crazy, that it is not necessary to give up on what you love just because people tell you there is no money in it.” At just 30 years of age, it is quite clear that there is much to be heard from this young man whose zest for life really knows no bounds.

$5 ·6 0 ,67 , ,'

$ 1' 1$

67 ' $9

Dr Ifriky Tadadjeu is a satellite systems engineer, opera tenor, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, author, and devout Catholic who is known for his inspired singing at Mass and concerts. MANDLA ZiBi talked to the all-round talent.

1941

2016

CLASSIFIEDS

Br Paul Hurly CFC

HRISTIAN BROTHER Paul Hurly died in Boksburg on September 22, shortly after his 78th birthday, having spent more than 60 years as a Christian Brother. Johannesburg-born Br Hurly will be remembered particularly by hundreds of past pupils of Christian Brothers colleges in Cape Town, Kimberley, Bloemfontein, Pretoria and Boksburg. When he retired from his last school, CBC Parklands in Cape Town, the dedication in the college annual noted: “Br Paul presented a formidable exterior. Outwardly gruff and apparently a man of plain speech, he shunned publicity to the point of paranoia. Yet this was not the real Paul Hurly, the man who had dedicated his life to the service of others. Those who took the time to engage with Paul discovered a very different character. He was a man who embraced teaching with zeal and got on with the job, whatever the job happened to be.

“He did not tolerate mischief that got in the way of his mission. Students quickly came to love Paul for they recognised that here was a man who modelled Christ, who dispensed wisdom and love in abundance to anyone who sought or needed it.” Responding to the news of his death, former Parklands student and social activist Jessica Dewhurst wrote: “As a young 10year-old girl trying to find my place in the world, Br Hurly taught me what it really means to love through action—that it is little acts of great love that really shake this world.” Evona Rebelo, who taught with Br Hurly in two schools, observed at his funeral: “He was a creative, dynamic, and passionate teacher. A brilliant language teacher, and the very best religious education teacher I have ever known. He was teaching the ‘Bigger God’ theology long before it was in vogue.” Br Hurly died in hospital, just before being discharged after a

DEATHS

hip-replacement operation occasioned by a fall. His funeral Mass was celebrated at the chapel of Marian House in Boksburg, where he had spent the last two years of his life in nursing care, and he was accorded burial in the sisters’ graveyard behind the house. He is survived by the 60 Christian Brothers of Southern Africa, by his sister Ursula, and by the extended family of his siblings who held him in high esteem because of the interest he showed in them.

ter/De Doorns area. Fr Vantomme was a humble servant of the Lord and, in the words of the gospel of the day before his death, would have said of his life: “I did no more than my duty.” He was well-loved by the people he served, especially the youth, and will be sorely missed by the clergy, religious and laity of the diocese. Fr Vantomme’s funeral was celebrated on October 8 in Worcester. Bishop Francisco de Gouveia

Southern CrossWord solutions SOLUTIONS TO 728. ACROSS: 1 Pupils, 4 Plaque, 9 Mary Magdalene, 10 Cheer up, 11 Dined, 12 Steam, 14 Draft, 18 Abode, 19 Ancient, 21 Going to heaven, 22 Retort, 23 Chance. DOWN: 1. Pumice, 2 Perfectionist, 3 Lamer, 5 Leander, 6 Queen of Heaven, 7 Emends, 8 Agape, 13 Avenger, 15 Manger, 16 Dagon, 17 Stance, 20 Czech.

Liturgical Calendar Year C – Weekdays Cycle Year 2 Sunday October 16 Exodus 17:8-13, Psalms 121:1-8, 2 Timothy 3:14-4,2, Luke 18:1-8 Monday October 17, St Ignatius of Antioch Ephesians 2:1-10, Psalms 100, Luke 12:13-21 Tuesday October 18, St Luke 2 Timothy 4:10-17, Psalms 145:10-13, 17-18, Luke 10:1-9 Wednesday October 19, St John de Brébeuf, St Isaac Joques and companions Ephesians 3:2-12, Responsorial psalm Isaiah 12:2-6, Luke 12:39-48 Thursday October 20, Bls Daudi Okelo and Jildo Irwa Ephesians 3:14-21, Psalms 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, Luke 12:49-53 Friday October 21 Ephesians 4:1-6, Psalms 24:16, Luke 12:54-59 Saturday October 22, St John Paul II (above) Ephesians 4:7-16, Psalms 122:1-5, Luke 13:1-9 Sunday October 23 Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18, Psalms 34:2-3, 17-19, 23, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18, Luke 18:9-14

CLASSIFIEDS

Births • First Communion • Confirmation • Engagement/Marriage • Wedding anniversary • Ordination jubilee • Congratulations • Deaths • in memoriam • Thanks • Prayers • Accommodation • Holiday Accommodation • Personal • Services • Employment • Property • Others Please include payment (R1,60 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication.

Fr Nazaire Vantomme O.Praem ORBERTINE Father Nazaire Vantomme of Oudtshoorn diocese died on October 3 at the age of 73. Fr Vantomme was the parish priest of St Joseph’s in De Doorns. Born in Deerlijk, Belgium, on March 31, 1943, he made his profession as a Norbertine in the abbey of Grimbergen, also in Belgium, on August 28, 1973 and was ordained a priest on June 24, 1978. He came to the diocese of Oudtshoorn in September 1981 and ministered in the Worces-

The Southern Cross, October 12 to October 18, 2016

IN MEMORIAM

TUCK—John and Maureen. in loving memory of our mother who died on October 13, 2009 and our father who died on October 8, 2015. Fondly remembered by their children John, Mary, Bernard and Margie. May they rest in peace.

Your prayer to cut out and collect. For St Teresa’s feast, October 15

Prayers of St Teresa of Avila

Christ has no body now, but yours. No hands, no feet on earth, but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world.

Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things pass away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Those who have God find they lack nothing; God alone suffices.

PEILOW (née Houghton)—Mary Theresa Agnes. 1952.09.122016.10.02. Mary, aged 64 years, eldest daughter of the late Bill and Agnes Houghton, passed away in the uK after a courageous battle against pancreatic cancer. Sincere sympathy to her husband Ben, daughters Catherine Marshall and Elizabeth Chard, son-in-law Michael, and grandson James. Lovingly remembered by her devastated sisters Margaret, Bridget, Barbara, brothers-in -law Walter and Derick, and families. May her dear soul Rest in Peace. STRONG (née Daly)—Mary Frances. Beloved mother of Peter, Edwin and Patricia, a darling gran and great-gran and cherished sister of Anne and Christopher, passed away peacefully on September 9, 2016, after a long illness borne with much patience, serenity and faith. Sadly missed and ever remembered by her loving family. RiP

PRAYERS

POWERFUL NOVENA—Saint Jude never fails us. Holy St Jude, apostle and martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles. Kinsman of Jesus Christ and faithful intercessor for all who invoke your special patronage in time of

To advertise call Yolanda Timm on 021 465 5007 or e-mail advertising @scross.co.za

need. To you i have recourse from the depths of my heart and humbly beg you to come to my assistance. Please help me now in my urgent need and grant my petition. in return i promise to make your name known in distribution of this prayer that never fails. May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be forever blessed and glorified. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us and grant my request (name your request). Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be. Say this for 9 consecutive days and your request will be answered.

FATHER, you have given all peoples one common origin. it is your will that they be gathered together as one family in yourself. Fill the hearts of mankind with the fire of your love and with the desire to ensure justice for all. By sharing the good things you give us, may we secure an equality for all our brothers and sisters throughout the world. May there be an end to division, strife and war. May there be a dawning of a truly human society built on love and peace. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen. LORD, inspire those men and women who bear the titles “husband” and “wife”. Help them to look to you, to themselves, to one another to rediscover the fullness and mystery they once felt in their union. Let them be honest enough to ask: “Where have we been together and where are we going?” Let them be brave

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

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

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

CAPE TOWN: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Durbanville fun walk. October 29, 8:00 to 13:00, at Durbanville Racecourse. Parking, food, crafts, jumping castle. Entry fee 5km walk, age 6-12 R30. Age 13-59 R60. Age 60+ R30. Contact ourlady@ctnet.co.za Helpers of God’s Precious Infants. Mass on last Saturday of every month at 9:30 at Sacred Heart church in Somerset Road, Cape Town. Followed by vigil at

Marie Stopes abortion clinic in Bree Street. Contact Colette Thomas on 083 412 4836 or 021 593 9875 or Br Daniel SCP on 078 739 2988.

DURBAN: Holy Mass and Novena to St Anthony at St Anthony’s parish every Tuesday at 9:00. Holy Mass and Divine Mercy Devotion at 17:30 on first Friday of every month. Sunday Mass at 9:00. Phone 031 309 3496 or 031 209 2536.

enough to question: “How have we failed?” Let each be foolhardy enough to say: “For me, we come first.” Help them, together, to reexamine their commitment in the light of your love, willingly, openly, compassionately. THANKS be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, For all the benefits thou hast won for me, For all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother, May i know thee more clearly, Love thee more dearly, And follow thee more nearly, For ever and ever.

PERSONAL

ABORTION WARNING: The truth will convict a silent Church. See www.valuelifeabortion isevil.co.za

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

BALLITO: up-market penthouse on beach, self-catering, 084 790 6562. CAPE TOWN: Strandfontein. Fully equipped selfcatering two bedroom apartment, with parking, sleeps four. R600 per/night. Paul 083 553 9856, vivilla@telkomsa.net 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 on 021 685 7370 or kolbe.house@telkomsa.net GORDON’S BAY: Harbour Park. Sleeps 2 adults and 2 children. Fully furnished. R2 100 per week. Ph Alison on 084 577 1356or Delton on 083 414 6534.

The

Southern Cross

Published independently by the Catholic Newspaper and Publishing Co since 1920

Editor: Günther Simmermacher Business Manager: Pamela Davids Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000

10 Tuin Plein, Cape Town, 8001 Tel: (021) 465 5007 Fax: (021) 465 3850

Editorial: editor@scross.co.za News editor: news@scross.co.za Business manager: admin@scross.co.za Advertising: advertising@scross.co.za Subs/Orders: subscriptions@scross.co.za Website: www.scross.co.za Digital edition: www.digital.scross.co.za Facebook: www.facebook.com/thescross

Subscriptions:

Digital: R385 p.a. (anywhere in the world) Print by mail: R450 p.a. (SA. international rates on enquiry)

The Southern Cross is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa. Printed by Paarl Coldset (Pty) Ltd, 10 Freedom Way, Milnerton. Published by the proprietors, The Catholic Newspaper & Publishing Co Ltd, at the company’s registered office, 10 Tuin Plein, Cape Town, 8001.

The Southern Cross is published independently by the Catholic Newspaper & Publishing Company Ltd. Address: PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000. Tel: (021) 465 5007 Fax: (021) 465 3850 www.scross.co.za

Editor: Günther Simmermacher (editor@scross.co.za), Business Manager: Pamela Davids (admin@scross.co.za), Advisory Editor: Michael Shackleton, News Editor: Mandla Zibi (m.zibi@scross.co.za), Editorial: Claire Allen (c.allen@scross.co.za), Mary Leveson (m.leveson@scross.co.za), Advertising: yolanda Timm (advertising@scross.co.za), Subscriptions: Michelle Perry (subscriptions@scross.co.za), Accounts: Desirée Chanquin (accounts@scross.co.za) Directors: R Shields (Chair), J O’Leary (Vice-chair), Archbishop S Brislin, S Duval, E Jackson, B Jordan, Sr H Makoro CPS, J Mathurine, R Riedlinger, G Stubbs, Z Tom Editorial Advisory Board: Fr Chris Chatteris SJ, Kelsay Correa, Dr Nontando Hadebe, Prof Derrick Kourie, Claire Mathieson, Fr Lawrence Mduduzi Ndlovu, Palesa Ngwenya, Sr Dr Connie O’Brien i.Sch, Kevin Roussel, Fr Paul Tatu CSS

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

the

30th Sunday: October 23 Readings: Sirach 35:15-17, 20-22, Psalm 34:2-3, 17-19, 23, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18, Luke 18:9-14

S outher n C ross

OES God have favourites? Put the question like that, and immediately you see the absurdity of it; but it is remarkable how often we assume that God is giving us, or is likely to provide, special treatment. Sometimes we think that we are singled out for punishment, sometimes we think that we are Top of God’s Pops. The readings for next Sunday have nothing to do with any such notion (and we must educate ourselves out of it). The first reading, from a wise old Jew towards the end of the 3rd century BC, roundly asserts: “God is not a judge; and he is not a snob; he shows no favouritism to the poor, and he will hear the prayers of those who suffer injustice.” The sage also singles out those who might be suffering from prejudice in that society: “God does not overlook the prayers of an orphan, and willingly accepts the widow, if she pours out her words.” More than that: “The prayer of the humble passed through the clouds…the Most High

will give the verdict to the just.” There may be some confusion here, as it seems to suggest that the Lord does after all have favourites; but at least they are not those at the top of society. The poet who wrote our psalm for next Sunday is quite clear that God listens to prayers: “Let the poor hear and rejoice…the Lord is close to those who are broken in heart…the Lord redeems the soul of his servants.” There is an impressive confidence here, to which we shall do well to pay attention. In the second reading, we are listening to Paul, a prisoner waiting for death; but the thing to notice is that even though he is in prison, he is certain that God is on his side: “For I am already poured out, and the time of my dissolution is imminent.” Then we get some autobiography: “I have fought the good fight, I have completed the marathon, I have kept the faith.” Now he looks ahead, and, prisoner or not, he trusts in God: “For the rest there is waiting, for me the

gold medal of righteousness, which the Lord, the just judge, is going to give me on that day.” This is the case even though he is bereft of human allies: “The Lord stood by me and empowered me…and I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.” Then his confidence grows as we listen: “The Lord is going to deliver me from every evil deed, and will save me for his heavenly kingdom.” This has nothing to do with favouritism, but with a God who treats all humanity alike, with love. The Gospel tells the splendid parable of the two people who “went up to the temple to pray”. One of them is a Pharisee (so deeply religious and observant) and the other a taxcollector (so corrupt, and a collaborator, an exploiter and a dealer in unclean goods). To our astonishment God’s verdict is not what we should have expected. We listen to the Pharisee droning on about his own merits: “I thank you, God, that I am superior to the human race”, followed by a

Don’t make God a tribal deity I

everyone also struggles to accept, beyond our too-easy espousal of how open we are, that all lives in the world are equally as precious to God as is our own. It is hard for us to believe that we, and our own kind, are not specially blessed and are not of more value than others. There are lots of reasons for that. First, there’s our innate narcissism. Simply put, we cannot but feel that our own reality is more real and more precious than that of others; after all, as René Descartes put it—classically and forever—the only thing we can know for sure is that we are real, that our joys and pains are real. We may be dreaming everything else. Beyond that natural narcissism, other things come into play: blood, language, country, and religion are thicker than water. Consequently our own kind always seem more real to us.

oo many of us live with the notion that God has blessed our race and country more than God has blessed other races and countries and that we are special in God’s eyes. That’s a dangerously false and unchristian notion, directly contrary to the JudeoChristian scriptures. God doesn’t value some races and some countries more than others. Where might we go with all of this, given that it’s hard to see how everyone else’s life is as real and precious as our

Conrad

WAS blessed to grow up in a very sheltered and safe environment. My childhood was lived inside of a virtual cocoon. In the remote, rural, first-generation, immigrant community in Canada in which I grew up, we all knew each other, all went to the same church, all belonged to the same political party, all were white, all came from the same ethnic background, all shared the same accent when we spoke English, all had a similar slant on how we understood morality, all shared similar hopes and fears about the outside world, and all worshipped God quite confidently from inside that cocoon. We knew we were special in God’s eyes. There’s a wonderful strength in that, but also a pejorative underside. When there are no real strangers in your life, when everyone looks like you do, believes what you do, and speaks like you do, when your world is made up of only your own kind, then it’s going to take some painful subsequent stretching, at some very deep parts of your soul, to accept—existentially accept—and be comfortable with the fact that people who are very different from you, who have different skin colours, speak different languages, live in different countries, have different religions, and have a different way of understanding things, are just as real and precious to God as you are. Of course not everyone has a background like mine, but I suspect almost

OR FOR D

CONSTRUCTION

Nicholas King SJ

God has no favourites

ESTABLiSHED 1982

Professional Supervision

Project Management Specialists in:

New Houses • Renovations • Alterations • Additions • Painting • Plumbing

• Property Management and Care For Advice call Julian Orford B.Sc. (Civ.Eng) Tel: (021) 788 9321 Fax: (021) 788 4401 Cell: 082 493 0563 E-mail: julian@orfordconstruction.co.za www.orfordconstruction.co.za

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

Sunday Reflections

list of reasons why God is lucky to have him as a servant. And all of what he says is true: he is a good religious person—but that does not make him God’s favourite. Contrast that with the demeanour of the tax-collector, who is a thoroughly nasty piece of goods. Watch and listen: “The tax-collector stood a long way off, and was reluctant even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he was beating his breast.”. Then he utters his prayer: “O God, have mercy on me, The Sinner.” And the moral? “I am telling you: this one went down to his house much more justified than the other one.” Then comes the reminder about God’s favourites, in a characteristic expression that is often found on Jesus’ lips: “Those who lift themselves up will be put down; those who put themselves down will be lifted up.” God does not have favourites (but he is on the side of the poor).

Southern Crossword #728

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

own? How do we bring our hearts to existentially accept a truth that we espouse with our lips, namely, that God loves everyone equally, with no exceptions? We might begin by admitting the problem, by acknowledging that our natural narcissism and propensity for tribalism do block us from seeing others’ lives as being as real and precious as our own. Very particularly, I suggest, we need to look at false patriotism. We aren’t special as a nation, at least no more special than any other nation. Our dreams, our heartaches, our headaches, our joys, our pains, our deaths, do not count more before God than those of persons in other places in the world, perhaps even less, since God has a preferential option for the poor. The lives of the hundreds of thousands of present-day refugees, so easy to lump into one mass of anonymity to which we can accord abstract sympathy, are just as precious as those of the children in the countries they are fleeing to—perhaps more so, given the truth of our scriptures about God taking flesh in the excluded ones. Today they may be the people of manifest destiny, the ones carrying God’s special blessing. As well, and importantly, we must also correct our bad theologies. The God whom Jesus revealed and incarnated may never be turned into a God of our own, a God who considers us more precious and gifted than other peoples, a God who blesses us specially above others. Sadly, we are perennially prone to turn God into our own tribal deity, in the name of family, blood, church, and country. God too easily becomes our God. But true faith doesn’t allow for that. Rather a healthy and orthodox Christian theology teaches that God is especially present in the other, in the poor and in the stranger. God’s revelation comes to us most clearly through the outsider, through what’s foreign to us, through what stretches us beyond our comfort zone and our expectations, particularly our expectations regarding God. God is everyone’s God equally, not especially ours, and God is too great to be reduced to serving the interests of family, ethnicity, Church and patriotism.

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.

aCROss

1. Learners in sight of teacher? (6) 4. The plate on the memorial (6) 9. She went to the sepulchre (Mt 28) (4,9) 10. Become less downcast (5,2) 11. Completed the Last Supper (5) 12. Kind of power to cook the meats (5) 14. Preliminary sketch (5) 18. If it’s not fixed you’ll be homeless (5) 19. From the distant past (7) 21. About noon gave eight assurance of eternal joy (5,2,6) 22. Sharp response in the laboratory (6) 23. Opportunity that’s possible (6)

DOWN

1. Solidified lava (6) 2. He expects the highest standards (13) 3. Some blame Ron for being more disabled (5) 5. End real shake-up for Hero’s lover (7) 6. Title of Our Lady (5,2,6) 7. Revises the text (6) 8. Christian love feast (5) 13. Engrave about one who gets even (7) 15. Crib of the Christmas Crib (6) 16. God of the Philistines (Jg 16) (5) 17. Attitude of the golfer (6) 20. It’s said to be a bank order for someone from Prague (5) Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

HE parish priest was buttering his breakfast toast liberally when it slipped from the plate to the floor. When he looked to pick it up he was astounded. The toast lay there butter-side up. He called to his housekeeper: “Mrs Riley, come and look. The toast has fallen butter-side up. It always falls butter-side down, as everyone knows. So, this is surely a miracle!” Mrs Riley bent and gazed closely at the toast on the floor. “It’s not a miracle, Father,” Mrs Riley said. “Why not?” he asked. “Because you surely must have buttered the wrong side of your toast this morning”.

For all your sand and stone requirements in Piet Retief, southern Mpumalanga

Tel: 017 826 0054/5 Cell: 082 904 7840 Email: sales@eskaycrushers.co.za