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S outher n C ross www.scross.co.za

December 28, 2016 to January 3, 2017

How the SVP celebrated 160 years in SA

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How not to fall for fake news

This was Pope Francis’ Year 2016

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T The he

INSIDE

Ss Basil the Gr Gregory of Nazz eatt & ianzen

2017 SAINTS WALL CALENDAR

I

Sou uttth h e r n C ro ro

www.scoss.c

Baptism of the

o.za

facebook.co

m/thescross

Most Holy Na e of Jesus

(Epiphany trra nsfeerred to Sunday))

Lord

St Raym mond of Penyyafoort t

St Hilarry of Po itiers

St Anthhony of E

St Francis de S

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ossZA

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Marry Mothher o f God

St Sebastian St Fabian Bl Cyprian M Tansi

ypt

ales Con ers ion of Paul S s Ti othy & T itus

St Angela Mer ici

Epiphany

Saturday Mass of Our Ladyy

Bl Benedict Da swa Presentatti on of the Lord St Paul Miki &

2nd Sunday of the Yeear

St Tho as Aq uinas

St Peter Da i an

Se en Fou de rs o Servite Order f Chair of St Pet er

St Polycarp

4th Sunday of the Yeear

ssmedia

St Blaise t A sgar

St Scholastica

Ss Cyril & Met hodius

3rd Sunday of the Yeear

St Agnes

St Josephine Ba kh t Jerome Emilia ita ni

co

Saint Calendar s2

oss ss

southerncro

Saturday Mass of Our Ladyy

5th Sunday of the Yeear

6th Sunday of the Yeear

Our Lady of Lo urdes

Saturday Mass of Our Lady

Saturday Mass of Our Lady

Ss Perpetua & F elicityy

St John of God

7th Sunday of the Yeear

St Benedict th Moor, St Isido e re

Holy Week

St Joseph

5th Sunday of St Viincent Fer rer

Holy Week

Easter Octave

St John de la S

St Mark

PUBLIC HOL IDA

YS 2017 January 1: N ew Years Da y Ja n u a r y 2 : P u b li c H o li d a y

Holy Thursday

Easter Octave

Good Friday

alle

Lent

St Joseph the Wo orker

St Athanasius

Ss Philip & Ja mes

Easter Octave

Easter Octave

St Pius V,, St Peter Chan St Louis Gri nel, ion de Montfoort St Cathherine of Siena

Ss Nereus & Achilleus; St Pa ncras O r La dyy of Fatti

Easter Su day

St John I

2nd Sunday of Easter

3rd Sunday of Easter

St Rita of Casc ia

Bl Joseph Géra rd

April 17: Eas ter Monday/F a mi l y D a y April 22: Free d o m D ay May 1: Work ers’ Day

Our Ladyy Help of Christians

Lent

St Cyril of Jeru salem 3rd Su day of Lent

Annunciation

4th Su day of Lent

4th Sunday of Easter

Palm Sundayy

Easter Vigil

1st Sunday of

2nd Sunday of Lent

St Turibi s of Mogrovejo

St Justi thhe M artyyr

n this issue please find our first illustrated wall calendar with the year’s feast days of saints and liturgical seasons, to guide you through the year with faith.

We are hoping that Catholic schools and catechism classes will make use of the calendar (which is why we use the Monday to Sunday system), using the illustrations of the saints and feast days of the Church as a way of discussing the life of faith.

Some famous saints are missing, such as St Teresa of Avila, St Thérèse of Lisieux and St John Paul II. This is, of course, because their feast days falls on Sunday, when our focus is directed on the Lord alone.

Please give us your feedback: it will determine how or whether we will produce another saints calendar next year.

St Fidelis of igm aringen

Holy Week

Easter Octave

St Casimir St Frances of R ome

St Patrick

8th Sunday of the Yeear

St John Bosco

Easter Octave

017

Ash Weednesda y

St Bedee the Veenerable, S Gregoryy VII, St t M Magdalene dee P arryy azzi

St Bernarrdine of Siena

St Philip Neri

St Auguustinne of Ca ntterburryy

a

5th Su day of Easter

St Bonifaace

6th unday of Easter

St Onophrius

Ascension

St Norbert

Viisitattion of Ou r Lad

Ss Marcelli us & Peter

St Ephrem

St Anthho y of P adua

St Ro uald

Ss Thomas Mo re & Jo St Aloysius Go nzaga St Pau hn Fisher; linus of Nola S acred Hearrt of J esus

St Charles Lw wanga

& co

Saturday Mass of Our Ladyy

Saturday Mass of Our Lady

Nativity John the Bapist

Pentecost

Trrinity Sunday

Corpus Christ

i

12th Sunday of the Yeear

September 2 4: Heritage September 2 5: Public Ho December 16 : D ay o f R e

A s a ue on he oo o No e Dame ca hed a n Pa s s seen du ng a supe moon h s mon h Pho o Ch s an Ha mann Reu e s CNS

What we can expect in 2017

By MANDlA ZiBi

I

N 2017, the Church in Southern Africa will be faced with the implications of interpreting and implementing Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis’ much-discussed document on the family, according to a Catholic commentator.

Fr Russell Pollitt SJ, director of the Jesuit Institute of South Africa, previewed what he thinks will be major issues for the Church in the coming year.

“In the local Church, we need to find better ways of thinking through and creatively implementing Amoris Laetitia. The Church has to do better at ministry to families—in all dimensions,” Fr Pollitt told The Southern Cross.

“In 2017 we need to continue to implement the vision of the Church that Pope Francis is offering us—a Church which is a “field hospital” in the midst of the challenges of life. This may mean we need to be more critical of what we are doing and the way we are doing things. We may need to be more daring and creative in thinking and rethinking the way we minister,” he said.

Looking back at 2016, Fr Pollitt hailed a number of positive developments in the local Church and the Southern African region as a whole.

“The appointment of new local bishops— Bishop Duncan Tsoke as auxiliary in Johannesburg and Bishop Mandla Jwara in Ingwavuma—is an important step in the local Church becoming self-sufficient and taking responsibility for its own faith vitality,” He also acknowledged the role the Church has played in public life.

He referred to the Dominicans who in March asked the Public Protector to investigate state capture. “The release of the resulting report played a significant role in the National Prosecuting Authority dropping exaggerated charges against finance minister Pravin Gordhan,” Fr Pollitt noted.

Another important instance of the Church’s role as a social actor was in “the tensions at Wits University in the midst of #FeesMustFall”, he recalled.

“Holy Trinity Church [in Braamfontein, Johannesburg] was an important and significant symbol, despite the difficulties, of meeting, engagement and seeking alternative solutions to a national crisis,” he said.

“Both this and the Public Protector’s report remind us that the Church has a very important mission to play in South Africa today—maybe one we are not always conscious of—in seeking to live a faith that does justice,” said the priest.

Fr Pollitt also mentioned as a highlight the appointment of the new “excellent” apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Peter Wells, who assumed duties in May. According to the priest, Archbishop Wells “has already begun to make a significant contribution to the local Church”.

Politically and economically, the coming year will continue to be one of “struggle” in South Africa as “things will be difficult as we continue to face a leadership deficit in the country and on the international front. The Church needs to make sure that she uses her voice discerningly in responding to the needs of God’s people, especially the poor,” Fr Pollitt said.

“Our response to the tertiary education challenges will be important in 2017.”

M

ike Pothier of the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office (CPLO) said that a number of important pressing political decisions will depend on the outcome of the African National Congress’ elective conference, which will be held in December. ANC politicians will likely spend most of the year “manoeuvring to put themselves in the best positions,” the political analyst said.

“The big question is the one of political succession. Who will take over from Jacob

Zuma as president of the ANC in 2017, and therefore as presumptive president of the country in 2019?” Mr Pothier told The Southern Cross.

“Another question is whether Pravin Gordhan will be allowed to do his job as finance minister,” he added.

The political fate of Mr Gordhan is important in the light of a possible downgrading of South Africa’s sovereign debt by international rating agencies in June. The finance minister’s efforts were seen as instrumental in South Africa’s success in staving off junk status so far, Mr Pothier noted.

He warned that South Africans will need to watch the proposed nuclear power programme.

“The cost ramifications are enormous, possibly up to a trillion rand. We cannot afford it. There is, of course, also the worry that corruption will accompany it,” he said.

Mr Pothier raised concerns regarding social security payments, or welfare grants.

“There seems to be some worry that the system is not working well and that the new one, to begin in April next year, is not on track.”

He said that it will be “interesting” to see how the local government cooperation deal Continued on page 2

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The Southern Cross, December 28, 2016 to January 3, 2017

LOCAL

SACBC looks back at 2016, the Jubilee Year of Mercy

By MANDlA ZiBi

I

N the year 2016, God was “seen walking with us during the entire Jubilee of Mercy”, said the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) as it looked back at the year that was.

“As Pope Francis had wished, it has been “a living experience of the closeness of the Father, whose tenderness is almost tangible, so that the faith of every believer may be strengthened and thus testimony to it be ever more effective”, said a statement by the SACBC general-secretary Sr Hermenegild Makoro CPS. The SACBC “has experienced the presence of God in various symbolic gestures”, the Precious Blood sister wrote.

At the SACBC’s January plenary session, which marked the conclusion of the Year of Consecrated Life, the bishops shared as a “joint witness of faith” with the Leadership Conference of Consecrated Life in Southern Africa, Sr Makoro noted.

During the same occasion, the Catholic Board of Education was

launched “as a ground-breaking platform and renewed the Church’s commitment to providing education for the African child”, she wrote.

Sr Makoro said the year saw the Church continue in its ecumenical effort to expand interreligious dialogue, when the president of the Universal Society of Hinduism in the United States, Rajan Zed, visited the SACBC secretariat in August.

“He was pleased with the progress in the relationship between Hinduism and the Catholic Church, both in the US and in our conference region,” Sr Makoro observed.

The secretary-general noted the ordination of two new bishops this year: Bishop Duncan Tsoke as auxiliary of Johannesburg in April, and Bishop Mandla Jwara CMM for the vicariate of Ingwavuma, KwaZuluNatal, in July.

It was an active year on the international front as 2016 saw the SACBC sending a delegation of three bishops on a solidarity visit to Burundi, a country which experienced a period of serious political

turmoil. Four priests from South Sudan visited in November 2016 to plead for help on behalf of their people and to request intervention in the human suffering of the South Sudanese.

As Botswana celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence from British colonial rule, Batswana Catholics also marked a series of 50ths. “It was joy as the diocese of Gaborone celebrated 50 years of its existence; 50 years of the Sisters of Calvary, and Bishop Valentine Seane 50 years as a bishop,” Sr Makoro said.

In August the SACBC held its first plenary session on Botswana, at Ave Maria Pastoral Centre in Gaborone. Each bishop was assigned a parish on Sunday, August 14, to celebrate the jubilee with the people under the motto: “O Kereke, Ke Kereke, Re Kereke” (“You are the Church, I am the Church, We are the Church”).

“Many bishops are now easily using this motto in their homilies,” Sr Makoro noted.

This year the SACBC also re-

sponded to a call by Pope Francis, that a triduum of prayer, reflection and penance for victims of sexual abuse by members of the Church be held in dioceses and parishes within the 16 days of activism for violence against women and children in South Africa in December.

Another milestone was reached when Coolock House’s ongoing formation winter programme turned 15 years.

“Priests from various dioceses, once again, gathered in September for their own journey of faith in an ongoing formation,” Sr Makoro said, extending the SACBC’s gratitude to “the stalwarts and organisers of the programme”. Fr Vincent Brennan SMA, Fr Mosebetsi Mokoena and Sr Bernadette Duffy HC have hosted 266 participants in those 15 years.

The following month, Catholic media practitioners got a shot of inspiration when one of the most respected Church broadcasters, Capetonian Prof Sean Lovett of Vatican Radio, held a successful workshop at Lumko.

Fr Severiano Phiri is seen with newly-ordained Deacon Tumelo Francis Mosita, who was ordained

by Bishop Abel Gabuza at St Mary’s cathedral in the Kimberley diocese.

Priests meet to look at deaf ministry

By MANDlA ZiBi

T

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HE concerns of deaf people in the Church should be on the agenda, including the learning of sign language by priests, the vicar-general of Leribe diocese in Lesotho told a meeting of Catholics.

Held in Maryland, Leribe, the event saw representatives of deaf Catholics from South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho gather to talk about common issues and elect new leadership.

According to Fr Paul Tatu, who represented the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference at the event, the vicar-general, Fr Meshack Maine Phenete, demonstrated how sensitive the Church in Lesotho is about the plight of deaf people.

“He made us aware that the

Church today has no choice but to appreciate and engage deaf people without leaving them behind,” Fr Tatu said.

Fr Phenete is the priest at Mount Royal church, the only parish in Lesotho where deaf people have the opportunity to celebrate Holy Mass using their language every Sunday.

“Spending time with deaf people was a very positive and moving experience indeed. I was part of deliberations on their challenges, projections and recommendations for the betterment of their future,” Fr Tatu said.

It was the second gathering of the Lesotho/SACBC committee since its inception two years ago. The first was held in Cape Town two years ago.

“The meeting was very successful

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and many representatives from different regions of the SACBC and Lesotho bishops’ conference participated. Unfortunately in the past there has been little attention given to the demographic reality of our congregations, especially the deaf,” said Fr Tatu.

“The Church has built places for blind people, such as those at Itireleng in Garankuwa in Pretoria, and at Bethesda for both physically and mentally disabled children, but there has been less attention given to the deaf community,” he noted.

“Their pastoral needs have been really a challenge in terms of attending to them as their language is not known; therefore making it hard for their needs to be known,” said Fr Tatu.

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LOCAL

How SVP celebrated its 160th anniversary in SA

By MANDlA ZiBi

A

S the year 2016 closes, so do the celebrations of the 160th anniversary of the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) being founded in South Africa.

Celebrations were held throughout the country. A highlight of these was the gathering of hundreds of members at the graveside of the founder of the local SVP, Alexander Wilmot.

A weekend of festivity in Cape Town this month included a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town with his vicargeneral, Fr Peter-John Pearson, to pay homage to Mr Wilmot, a young Scottish immigrant who brought the originally French society to South Africa in 1856.

Before that, the SVP’s Cape Town spiritual advisor, Fr Mark Pothier, led a walk to the Maitland cemetery where Mr Wilmot is buried, saying the rosary.

After Fr Pothier’s recitation of the Office of the Dead and a short homily, the outgoing national president of the SVP, Clem Venter, and his successor, Peter Keshwar, laid a wreath at the grave. Members then laid their own floral tributes and Fr Pothier blessed the grave and flowers.

A representative of the SVP’s International General Council in Paris, Br Joseph Makwinja, attended the anniversary.

New SVP national president Mr Keshwar identified four key areas as the main challenges of his tenure: poverty alleviation, spirituality and training, advocacy for justice, and communication/innovation.

“By strengthening our communication and by being innovative in our actions without losing our core value of serving the poor we would modernise our modus operandi to better serve and reach the poor. We need to embrace modern technology to better support our conferences,” Mr Keshwar said.

3

The Southern Cross, December 28, 2016 to January 3, 2017

What we can expect in 2017 Continued from page 1 between the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) unfolds in the metros of Tshwane, Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay. Mr Pothier also highlighted a growing willingness in parliament for ANC MPs, in particular, to hold the government to account, as evidenced by the recent parliamentary committee inquiry into the state of the South African Broadcasting Cor-

poration (SABC).

“A number of senior MPs in the ANC are people of strong integrity and they realise what their duties as public representatives are. They are just doing the job they are supposed to do,” Mr Pothier said.

“2017 will be another difficult year politically and economically but by the end of the year we should have a much clearer idea of where we are going as a country,” he summed it up.

The SVP’s Cape Town spiritual adviser Fr Mark Pothier leads a walk to Maitland cemetery, where the founder of the SVP in South Africa, Alexander Wilmot, is buried.

Innovative communications would also grow the society through attracting more members, he said.

Mr Keshwar said working with the poor has the potential to unite all religions and creeds.

“How can this Vincentian reality [referring to SVP inspiration St Vincent de Paul] not just be a Catholic thing, not just be a Christian thing, but be something that unites Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Muslims, Buddhist and Hindus, agnostics and atheists, around the shared value of advocacy? Hopefully this could become a common ground to address other critical issues facing the world today,” Mr Keshwar said.

T

he Society of St Vincent de Paul was founded in 1833 in Paris by a young university student, Frederic Ozanam, and like-minded friends.

According to Bernard Kohler, a senior member of the SVP, Bl Frederic and his group soon realised that intellectual discussions were of limited value.

After much soul-searching, Bl

Frederic declared: “We must seek the blessing of the poor.” He and his friends then started collecting donations, and distributed them to the poor and homeless. Two years later their fledgling society was placed under the protection of Mary and the patronage of St Vincent de Paul.

On November 17, 1856, Alexander Wilmot established a conference of the SVP at St Mary’s cathedral in Cape Town. He went on to establish conferences in Port Elizabeth, Grahamstown, Oudtshoorn, King Williamstown, Kimberley, Uitenhage and Johannesburg.

The SVP is now established in 250 parishes throughout South Africa, and its 2 700 members directly and indirectly touch the lives of more than 40 000 poor every month.

“Parishioners across the country donate food items, clothing, bedding, household goods, toys, books, magazines, toiletries and cash. The core function of the society is the visiting and praying with the poorest of the poor, and this is done with commitment and love, with no questions asked,” Mr Kohler told The Southern Cross.

Deacon Tumelo Stephen Mohlaping is pictured next to Bishop Jan de Groef of Bethlehem, distributing Communion at his diaconate ordination.

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The Southern Cross, December 28, 2016 to January 3, 2017

INTERNATIONAL

Ageing priests face Catholics, Protestants depression, overwork denounce arms trade A G

By NiCK BRAMHill

GEING priests across Ireland are increasingly falling victim to depression and mental health problems, an influential group representing Catholic clerics warned.

With the average age of Irish priests nearly 70 and significant numbers who are in their 80s and some who are even in their 90s still working, leaders of the Association of Catholic Priests said finding a solution for the welfare of what it describes as “Ireland’s lost tribe of priests” is their primary objective.

Fr Brendan Hoban, an association founder, said the problem has been fuelled by the increasing pressure priests face to continue working beyond the normal retirement age of 75 because there are not enough ordained clerics coming through the seminaries to replace them.

“Not so long ago, priests would normally have expected to retire at 75, but that’s no longer the case,” said Fr Hoban, 69. “Because of the vocations crisis, most priests are being encouraged to continue working. So in effect, retirement is no longer an option. It’s almost as if it’s been abolished.”

With fewer priests, their workload has increased as well, Fr Hoban said.

“If you’re younger and in good health, saying four or five Masses on a weekend isn’t a problem, but it is challenging if you’re older. Also 20 years ago, it was easy to get someone to fill in if the priest wanted to take

a holiday. That’s now a lot more difficult and there would be some priests who don’t take a day off at all,” he said.

“These men lived through a time when there were plenty of vocations and their churches were full at Mass, so there’s a loss of esteem,” the priest added.

In the past, most parish rectories had live-in housekeepers who cooked and kept a rectory clean.

Today, Fr Hoban said, most don’t and priests must tend to such duties themselves.

“These priests are what I describe as the lost tribe. They’ve no longer any quality of life and they need our attention, because many are in a desperate situation. We’ve noticed there’s a high level of depression amongst the clergy and there are some who must be wondering if they’ll just be left to die alone in their homes,” Fr Hoban said.

Fr Seamus Ahearne, an association leader, supported Fr Hoban’s account.

He expressed concern that priests are left to deal with their ministry and health challenges without a support system. “I’m not sure what the solution is, but we have to find one,” he said.

The 1 000-member priests association has suggested reforms to address what some observers have described as a vocations crisis, including relaxing the rules on celibacy, ordaining married men, inviting back priests who had left their ministry to marry and ordaining women to the diaconate.—CNS

By JoNATHAN luxMooRE

ERMANY’S churches denounced their country’s growing arms sales to the Gulf states and demanded tighter export controls on weapons manufacturers.

“Over the past 20 years, the federal government’s reporting of contracts has become quicker and more transparent, while public awareness and debate around the issue has also intensified,” said Mgr Karl Justen, director of the German Church’s Catholic Office in Berlin and cochairman of the Catholic-Protestant Joint Conference on Church and Development, known by its German acronym as GKKE. “But while government policy allows exports to third countries in regions of crisis and conflict only in justified individual cases, the data show otherwise—this is why we’re asking for a new law requiring the reasons for arms exports to be stated,” he said.

Speaking at the Berlin launch of the joint conference’s latest report, the priest said government licences and German arms exports had risen 96% in 2015 to a value of $13.6 billion, with 59% going to non-NATO countries.

He added that government fig-

W

Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Natasa Govekar, a theologian, serves as director of the new theological-pastoral department of the Vatican Secretariat for Communications, and Paloma Garcia Ovejero is assistant director of the Vatican press office.

In addition, the Vatican communications’ apparatus’ includes many female journalists, and women scholars and restorers work at the Vatican Library, secret archives and museums.

Organisers said D.VA is not a union or a pressure group, but is a “network of friendship, exchange and solidarity among all for human and professional growth”.—CNS

CBC Mount Edmund and Board of Governors wishes to announce the retirement of Peter Ross as Principal. Mr Ross has been an esteemed member and leader of the College for 15 years, and he will be greatly missed by students, parents and colleagues alike. We wish Peter well in his future endeavours.

The Board has named Bernard Langton as his successor and expresses its sincere confidence in Mr Langton's abilities and qualifications to assume Mr Ross's many roles. Mr Langton will assume his position as Principal from January 2017. We also wish him well in his new role.

ures for the first half of 2016 had “confirmed the negative trend”, with a further sharp increase over the previous year.

Mgr Justen called it “completely unacceptable” that $798 million in arms were sold over the same period to Saudi Arabia, and $1,77 billion to Qatar.

While Qatar was “massively violating human rights and supporting militant Islamists around the world”,

Suds and solidarity: Beer helps Benedictines rebuild basilica

By CiNDy WooDEN

Vatican OKs its women employees association OMEN—lay and religious—make up almost 20% of the Vatican workforce, and a group of them have formed an association designed as a forum for collaboration, sharing and outreach.

“D.VA”—for (“Donne in Vaticano”)—“Women in the Vatican”— was approved as an association by the Vatican City governor’s office.

So far, about 50 women have joined the association that a dozen Vatican employees started organising several years ago. They say 750 women—19% of the Vatican work force—are eligible to join.

The female employees include two undersecretaries—Flaminia Giovanelli of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and Sr Nicoletta Spezzati, who works at the

Supporters of the Houthi rebel movement in Sanaa, yemen. Germany’s churches denounced their country’s growing arms sales to the Gulf states. (Photo: yahya Arhab, EPA/CNS)

the priest added, both countries were also engaged in a war in Yemen which had “trampled international humanitarian law underfoot” and left 10 000 dead.

Germany’s Catholic bishops have frequently condemned their country’s arms industry, which employs more than 80 000 and earns $2 trillion annually despite falling domestic demand from the German army.

German newspapers say the country is now the world’s thirdlargest arms supplier, after the US and Russia.

In its 118-page report, the Joint Conference on Church and Development said arms exports to states outside NATO and the European Union should remain the exception and urged the German parliament to “send a strong signal” by demanding an embargo against Saudi Arabia, including a ban on weapons components.

The report said a new arms export control law should combine existing regulations with increased transparency, while also strengthening parliamentary control powers.

It added that restrictions were being bypassed through defence sector mergers, as well as through the supply of German parts to other European manufacturers.—CNS

T

A bottle of Nursia beer is seen in Norcia, italy. it was brewed by Benedictines monks in the monastery of St Benedict in Norcia, which was first damaged and then destroyed in two earthquakes, in August and November.

Sales of the beer will help to rebuild the church that stood on the birthplace of St Benedict. (Photo: Günther Simmermacher)

HE Latin-liturgy chanting, beer-brewing Benedictine monks of Norcia, Italy, the birthplace of St Benedict, are living and praying in temporary structures after an earthquake in August damaged their buildings and a big quake in late October razed their basilica, except for the facade.

The monks have not been able to brew beer since before the August quake, but in a newsletter to supporters they reported that bottles shipped earlier are available for purchase online (birranursia.com/purchase).

The purchase of beer will help the monks rebuild and will help the devastated town of Norcia.

“The monastic presence in Norcia is extremely important for the identity of the town, so rebuilding the monastery means giving new life to a town that finds itself sorely tried,” the monks said. “Our neighbours count on our solidarity, both spiritual and material.”

Before the earthquakes, the

monks were tithing 10% of beer profits to charity. Now, they said, 15% of profits will go to charity and a portion of all earthquake-recovery funds raised will be used to help the people of Norcia rebuild.

Outside Norcia, the monks have set up a temporary monastery, and they announced that Sunday morning Masses open to the public would be celebrated in their makeshift chapel of St Andrew.

“The brewery, which was located in the basement of the now-ruined monastery, was largely spared any damage,” according to the monks.

But local officials declared the building unsafe and off limits.

“All of the brewing equipment that has made the beer you’ve all come to love will be salvaged, and, as soon as possible, transferred to a new brewing location outside the city walls,” the monks said. “This may take a few months to find a suitable space, and therefore, brewing is suspended until an alternative brewing quarters is secured.”—CNS

Mater Domini Launches the Circle of Friends “100 Club” Planned Giving initiative.

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Join the 'The Mater Domini Circle of Friends 100 Club'. – donate at least R100 per month Please join hands with us and help us to make a strong start to this initiative!

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The Southern Cross, December 28, 2016 to January 3, 2017

5

Pope on Peace Day: Violence fixes nothing C Mgr John Kozar, head of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, helps a tribal woman down the stairs from a small chapel at village in northeast india. (Photo: John Kozar, CNEWA/CNS)

Missionaries take Gospel to poor in jungle areas

By BARB FRAZE

I

N remote north-eastern India, where Christianity is largely unknown, members of two Eastern Catholic churches are taking people on a journey of faith simply by living with them.

Priests, nuns and laypeople are living in mud-and-dung huts among tribal Indians, “reaching the unreached”, said Mgr John Kozar, president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, which supports Eastern churches in India and other areas.

Mgr Kozar described remote areas of jungle, forest, rolling hills and tea estates, where it is not unusual for people to have family members trampled to death by elephants.

Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara Catholics are “doing some wonderful evangelisation work there” in a delicate situation, he said.

Mgr Kozar asked not to specify the towns he visited. Although the Indian government says it accepts all religions, hardline Hindu nationalists have attacked Christians when they thought they were trying to convert people.

“It’s living with the people; letting them come to know Jesus” by getting to know the missionaries who live with them, he said.

“The sisters and the priests—the greatest witness that happens is they live” in the same conditions as the tribal people, inviting them “to get to know them, to get to know how they pray”.

He said there is no presumption that anything will happen, but there is an attitude of “we’re here, showing who we are”.

In these situations, people “draw closer to Jesus”, he said. They are learning stories about the faith.

“This plays out in such a wholesome, beautiful way. You’re taking people who had no affiliation but they have this yearning to relate to a higher power,” he said.

The tribal languages are initially a barrier, Mgr Kozar said. “There aren’t even textbooks to learn these languages.”

Religious are making portions of the Bible available in local languages and are beginning to train catechists, he said. This is especially challenging because many villages have no school, or people can only attend school for about five years, so they would not even have a middleschool education.

Despite all these obstacles, the missionaries are “trying to bring the good news of Jesus where he has never been known”.—CNS

Religious prejudice in media on the rise

By CARol GlATZ

G

OVERNMENTS need to report, condemn and address all forms of discrimination against Christians, including intolerance shown in the media and public debates, said a Vatican diplomat.

“The peaceful contribution of religion to public life seems not only to be rejected, but also contested” in many areas, said Mgr Janusz Urbanczyk, the Vatican’s permanent representative to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

And wherever “fundamental freedoms are questioned, security also can be endangered”, he said, during a special conference in Vienna on combating intolerance and discrimination against Christians across the OSCE region, which includes 57 countries in Europe, Central Asia and North America.

In addition, Mgr Urbanczyk said, “offending, insulting or attacking Christians because of their beliefs and their values, including in the media and in public debate, based on a distorted and misinterpreted concept of freedom of expression, often goes uncontested”.

This “worrying trend,” he said entails “aggressively orchestrated actions, especially in the media and in public discourse, against Christians and all others who express peacefully their religious views, traditions

and values”.

“This seems to be true in particular for those who defend human nature from being reduced to mere matter and from the new ideological colonisation that invades human thought, under the pretence of virtue, modernity and new attitudes, and which is contemptuous of reality as God has created it,” he said.

“Freedom of expression on these issues seems to be threatened, and believers who share publicly their convictions are often labelled as intolerant or accused of bigotry,” he added.

The monsignor called on member states to act decisively to protect Christians “and to address properly, including by adequate legislative measures, all cases of intolerance, discrimination, hate crimes, and violent incidents.”

He said the Holy See also encouraged them “to address the new forms of discrimination, including in the mass media and in public debates, and report and condemn these incidents promptly.”

It is only when government authorities protect and promote tolerance and non-discrimination can peace and security be assured and a peaceful environment be fostered “where Christians, as well as all other religious groups, can freely profess and practice their faith.”— CNS

ALLING for a new style of politics built on peace and nonviolence, Pope Francis also called for disarmament, the eradication of nuclear weapons and an end to domestic violence and abuse against women and children.

“Violence is not the cure for our broken world,” he said in his annual message for the World Day of Peace Day on January 1.

“It is a challenge to build up society, communities and businesses by acting as peacemakers. It is to show mercy by refusing to discard people, harm the environment or seek to win at any cost,” he added.

The message, released by the Vatican, said building a world of peace requires a “willingness to face conflict head on, to resolve it” and to make it part of a new process of choosing solidarity and building friendships.

“Active non-violence is a way of showing that unity is truly more powerful and more fruitful than conflict,” the pope said. While differences will sometimes lead to difficulties, “let us face them constructively and non-violently”, so that tension and opposition can turn into “diversified and life-giving unity”, preserving “what is valid and useful on both sides”.

His message, which the Vatican sends to heads of state around the world, invited everyone “to banish violence from our hearts, words and deeds, and to becoming non-violent people and to build non-violent communities that care for our com-

mon home”. It is in the family that people can learn how to communicate, be generous and caring, and resolve conflicts “not by force but by dialogue, respect, concern for the good of the other, mercy and forgiveness”.

B

uilding a new politics of non-violence starts in the human heart and the home, he said.

This “ethics of fraternity and peaceful coexistence” can never be “based on the logic of fear, violence and closed-mindedness, but on responsibility, respect and sincere dialogue”.

“Hence, I plead for disarmament and for the prohibition and abolition of nuclear weapons: nuclear deterrence and the threat of mutually assured destruction are incapable of grounding such an ethics,” he said.

“I plead with equal urgency for an end to domestic violence and to the abuse of women and children.

“To be true followers of Jesus today also includes embracing his teaching about non-violence,” he said, and following his practice of tackling evil with love and truth.

In fact, an important “manual” for peacemaking, he said, is Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, where he presented the Beatitudes.

Applying the Beatitudes, which outlines how to be blessed, good and authentic, “is also a programme and a challenge for political and religious leaders, the heads of international institutions, and business and media executives”, the pope said.

The “politics of non-violence”, he said, also begins with each individual, who will never miss an opportunity to offer a kind word, smile or simple gesture that “sows peace and friendship”.

“I ask God to help all of us to cultivate non-violence in our most personal thoughts and values. May charity and non-violence govern how we treat each other as individuals, within society and in international life.”

When victims of violence resist the temptation to retaliate, “they become the most credible promoters of non-violent peacemaking” in the tradition of those who struggled actively and non-violently for change such as St Teresa of Kolkata, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and the thousands of women in Liberia who helped end their nation’s civil war, Pope Francis wrote.

Many religious traditions contribute by promoting compassion and non-violence and protecting victims of injustice, he said. For that reason, “I emphatically reaffirm that ‘no religion is terrorist’“ and the name of God can never be “used to justify violence. Peace alone is holy. Peace alone is holy, not war”, he said “In the most local and ordinary situations and in the international order,” he wrote, “may non-violence become the hallmark of our decisions, our relationships and our actions, and indeed of political life in all its forms”.—CNS

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8

The Southern Cross, December 28, 2016 to January 3, 2017

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

What we pray for in 2017

T

HE year 2016 will be remembered by many as an annus horribilis, a year that brought little by way of good news.

Perhaps the Holy Spirit was at work when Pope Francis declared the Year of Mercy for what would become a period that would be marked by selfishness, fear, greed and brutality. Amid the cycles of depressing news, the Church has been a beacon of hope.

Pope Francis himself gave counterwitness to the world’s failures in giving mercy, for example when he personally brought 12 Syrian refugees to Rome at a time when many in Europe want to close the door to desperate migrants.

We pray that the Church’s witness on behalf of those on the periphery will help change hardening hearts.

A recent focus has been on the utter savagery of the war in Syria, one of the huge humanitarian catastrophes of our times.

We must pray for an end to the long civil war there, and that a true peace will return to that suffering country. We must also pray for a solution to the equally barbaric war in Yemen, for an end to the ongoing suffering in Iraq, and for peace in the whole Middle East.

There are worrying signs of war also in Africa. The South Sudanese civil war is threatening to take on genocidal forms, while the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gambia are both powder kegs. We pray that these regions, and all others afflicted by war or the threat thereof, turn to peace.

We also pray that the world powers which profit so handsomely from war by its trade in weaponry will be pressured to control in whose hands the arms they produce will fall.

I

n South Africa we have no cause yet to fear a full-blown civil war, although the level of anger that has fuelled the excesses in the ongoing protests over the past couple of years issues a warning that our country is not immune from that possibility.

We have a president who in his governance seems to be controlled almost entirely by self-interest, to the cost to the poor.

President Jacob Zuma’s rule has served South Africa inadequately. We pray that the African National Congress will unite in developing an exit of a failed president and find a successor who is prepared to work for the common good.

A new president would not solve all our social and economic problems overnight. The anger of the poor must be heard and properly addressed, and the rich

must make sacrifices to do so appropriately. We pray for the wisdom that will lead South Africa towards a more equitable—and less racist—society.

2017 will mark the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther firing the first salvo in what would become the Reformation. After centuries of war and then hostile suspicion between Catholics and Protestants, over the past 50 years we have seen much progress in the churches coming closer together, a development that has also included the Orthodox churches.

While the idea of formal unity of all churches in one body seems unattainable, the increasing collaboration gives hope to those who want to see the realisation of Christ’s prayer that they be one.

The joint service of the Catholic bishops of Southern Africa with Lutherans and Methodists in January will be a local landmark event on which further ecumenical work can be built. The same holds for international ecumenical endeavours which were so keenly promoted

by St John Paul II, and on which Pope Francis is now building.

We pray that the interdenominational service in Pretoria and the ecumenical initiatives worldwide will produce rich fruits.

We also pray for internal unity under our Holy Father in the Catholic Church, at a time when this unity is being tested by some who seek to undermine this pope.

A

t a time when prejudice and hatred for others is gaining in currency, Pope Francis has led the way in opposing all that feeds hatred. He has condemned the prejudice against LBGTQ people, and violence—in deed or word—against people on account of their faith.

We pray that the pope’s wisdom will find an echo throughout the Church and the world.

Especially we pray that Islam not be defined by the extremists who blasphemously claim to kill on God’s behalf, but by the majority who seek peace and see no common ground with these terrorists.

We also pray for the persecuted Christians in many parts of the world, including those in many Muslim countries.

There are, of course, many more areas to pray about: the current drought, climate change, life issues, peace in Palestine/Israel, the effects of the Trump presidency and so on.

As always, we pray that the readers, associates, promoters, pilgrims, contributors, friends and supporters of The Southern Cross may have a peaceful and grace-filled 2017.

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.

Get smart to defend Catholicism

S

URROUNDED as we are by Christian fundamentalists and other anti-Catholics, we Catholics need to have at least some knowledge of fundamentalist dispensationalism, and what is termed “the rapture”.

Dispensationalism is a theological movement that many fundamentalists hold to. It refers to a belief that God has divided biblical history into various periods, or dispensations, each one having distinctive administrative principles.

The movement began in the 1830s.

The Catholic understanding of what is termed “the end times” is quite different from “the rapture” of many other, mainly fundamentalist, Christians.

Catholic doctrine teaches that at Christ’s Second Coming time will end, all men will be judged and the Kingdom will be consummated, with Christ handing over the Kingdom.

Dispensationalists teach that

Cardinals simply hypocrites

T

HE four cardinals (December 14) who are questioning Pope Francis’ summary of the past two synods, specifically Chapter 8 of his apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, should consider the saying, “People in glass houses should not throw stones.”

A section in the four cardinals’ dubia issued to Pope Francis–—referring to St John Paul II’s encyclical Veritatis Splendor (79), saying it was based on Scripture and on the tradition of the Church, and supported absolute moral norms that prohibit intrinsically evil acts and that are binding without exception—is hypocritical in the context of the various abuses, sexual and other, perpetrated

by Catholic clergy during the past century. We do not even know what happened previously.

A very wise priest, now deceased, once said: “Our Church welcomes both sinners and saints.”

In the case of a Catholic who ends up divorced through no fault of his or her own and has remarried, why should they have to endure the embarrassment of sitting before a “tribunal” and having to explain their particular situation to their parish priest, with two outsiders sitting in?

Thank goodness Pope Francis has now laid this responsibility solely on the parish priest.

The pope is acting similarly to the time when Jesus blasted the hypocrites in Jerusalem, calling them “vipers” (Matthew 23:33). If Pope Francis has erred, why has the Church then not included other “sinners”—murderers, for instance—in the rule which forbids

Christ will return twice—once secretly for the church (“the rapture”) and then in glory to conquer evil at the Second Coming, followed by an earthly reign of 1 000 years, a rebellion by Satan, and, finally, eternity.

They also believe that at least three events must take place before the Second Coming: an unparalleled period of tribulation and apostasy, the spread of the Gospel to all the world, and the recognition of Jesus as the Christ “to all Israel”.

Dispensationalism, like so many cultural and theological movements, is not seamless but is full of competing groups who disagree with one another, sometimes violently.

Obviously, the difference between Catholic beliefs on the Second Coming and dispensationalist beliefs cannot be reconciled.

The word “rapture” means to “snatch away” or “take away”. The term is taken from 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

so-called “adulterers” from participating fully in the Eucharist? To appease the mafia, perhaps?

Pope Francis has nothing to fear from the four cardinals questioning his values, which place him in the exalted company of St Mother Theresa, St Francis of Assisi, St Ambrose and many other saints, all of whom associated themselves with the poor and outcasts of society.

Patrick Dacey, Johannesburg

Pro-Life action on abortion Act

T

HE article “How abortion became legal in SA” (November 2) mentioned attempts by the Church and other South African entities in 1996 to prevent the legalisation here of abortion by the proposed Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act. However, the anti-abortion activity of Dr Claude Newbury, president of Pro-Life, at this critical time greatly exceeded that described in the said article.

In fact, Dr Newbury, at his own expense, briefed expert counsel to lodge with the Constitutional Court an objection to the court’s certification of the new South African Constitution (an essential requirement for it to become law) on the 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.

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grounds that it would permit the legalisation of abortion on demand.

It is a most sobering thought that, in our entire nation, only two anti-abortion legal actions were ever actually submitted to our courts, the one being the said ProLife objection, and the other an unsuccessful challenge of the proposed abortion Act by the Christian Lawyers’ Association of SA in the then-Transvaal Supreme Court.

Damian McLeish, Johannesburg

Aids: no place for sexual abstention?

I

REFER to the feature article “What it takes to kill Aids by 2030” by Sr Alison Munro OP (November 23).

I am dumbfounded that nowhere in the article is any reference made to the simplest and cheapest methods of prevention of the spread of Aids.

Surely some reference should have been made about the Church’s role in the ethical prevention of the spread of Aids—and then by moral means hopefully!

Prevention is achieved by the simple ABC principle that should surely be supported by the Church.

A. Abstain from having sex, especially out of wedlock. A moral Church teaching.

B. Be faithful to your one partner in marriage. A Church teaching.

C. Remain celibate—for those who choose not to marry. Also a Church teaching.

Is that so difficult to teach? No, it is not. And it will virtually guarantee the disappearance of Aids, because there will be almost no new infections, and hence not to newborns.

Frans van Neerijnen, Cape Town

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The Greek root of “rapture” is harpazo, which literally means “to seize upon” or “snatch away”. This was changed to the Latin word rapiemur, from which the English word “rapture” was derived, in the translation of the Bible from Greek into Latin.

It was St Jerome (circa 340 to 420AD), a Catholic, a priest, a monk and a Church Father, who worked on the Greek to Latin translation, known as the Vulgate.

Many defenders of “the rapture” are opposed to Catholicism, and claim that the use of Latin by the Church was meant to keep the Scriptures from the ordinary, uneducated people during the Dark Ages, and even now to maintain control over modern-day Catholics who cannot read the language!

In our journey as Catholic defenders and evangelisers, it is our duty to equip ourselves as thoroughly as possible in defence of our faith in Jesus Christ and the Gospel.

John Lee, Johannesburg

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PERSPECTIVES Emmanuel Ngara

To lead like Moses W T HERE are many lessons that we learn in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In this column we will focus on one aspect: the fact that Moses was an exceptional kind of leader.

In the closing chapter of Deuteronomy it is recorded: “Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt… For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel” (Deut 34:10-12).

What were Moses’ qualities as a leader?

I will not talk about the miracles he performed at God’s command, such as stretching his staff over the sea and parting the waters, or striking the rock at Horeb and water coming out of it for the people to drink. I will focus on a number of natural human qualities.

First, Moses was a courageous person.

When he saw the burning bush he went to investigate, and when God spoke to him in Exodus 3, Moses interrogated the Lord, wanting to know what his name was and how he would convince the Israelites about the mission given to him.

This also points to another special characteristic of Moses: he spoke directly to the Lord, and the Lord, in turn, spoke to him face-to-face.

Speaking directly to the Lord demonstrates a key characteristic of Moses: he was a man of faith; he was convinced that God would do whatever he promised to do.

The Southern Cross, December 28, 2016 to January 3, 2017

hen they were about to reach the Red Sea and saw that Pharaoh’s army was following, the Israelites began to complain to Moses that it would have been better to be slaves of the Egyptians than to die in the desert. To this Moses responded, “Do not be afraid…The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Ex 14: 13-14). And indeed the Lord

Moses is depicted in a chapel in the church of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, Galilee. (Photo: Günther Simmermacher)

Pope Francis endorses this article Joe F Towalski IRST of all, let me be clear: The above headline is not true. I made it up. But another, equally outlandish, claim— “Pope Francis shocks world, endorses Donald Trump for president”—was a real headline that made its way around Facebook in the lead-up to election day in the US in November.

It popped into the feed of a friend of mine who isn’t Catholic. She was highly suspicious of the claim but still was compelled to ask me: “This isn’t true, right?”

I assured her it wasn’t true. Popes don’t endorse candidates for political office, I explained. And if Pope Francis actually did that, Facebook wouldn’t be the only source of information about it.

I wish I could say this was the only fake news I saw over the course of the long election season. But it wasn’t.

Another story I spotted on social media carried the headline, “FBI agent suspected in Hillary email leaks found dead in apartment in murder-suicide”. I searched several news sources that I trust because of their thoroughness and accuracy. A little research confirmed what I suspected: There was no truth to the story.

Fake news sites have been getting a lot of attention in recent months. Media and political commentators have raised concerns that stories published by these sites might have influenced some people’s voting decisions in the US election. And there have been calls for social media sites to limit the spread of fake news.

News media, when properly used, should be in the service of accuracy and truth.

In their annual World Communications Day messages, both Popes Benedict XVI and Francis have emphasised that communications should happen in the context of charity, respect, responsibility and truthfulness—all of which is overlooked by purveyors of the kind of fake news making headlines today.

But placing limits on such content is a

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in this age of unreliable information being peddled on the internet, we must become much more media-savvy than we had to be in the past, as Catholic journalist Joe Towalski explains in this article. tricky task. There are free-speech protections that must be respected. And where do you draw the line between clickbait that intentionally misleads on the one hand, and on the other hand humour or satire, which can serve an important role in the marketplace of ideas?

That’s why it is more important than ever—although also more challenging than ever—to be a savvy news consumer.

T

he Internet and social media give the average person the power to publish and reach a wide audience. Gone are the days of relying on daily newspapers and TV or radio for news. Today, as news streams 24/7 on our televisions, our tablets and our phones, it is increasingly difficult to keep up with the flood of information and the motives of its creators and distributors.

But we aren’t powerless. We can use

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Pope Francis embraces Rev Martin Junge of the lutheran World Federation, during an ecumenical prayer service at the lutheran cathedral in lund, Sweden, on october 31. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

Christian leadership

fought for the Israelites, and the entire army of Pharaoh perished in the sea (14:27-31).

The faith that Moses had in God resulted in him being a loyal servant. His loyalty can be explained by comparing him with his brother Aaron.

When Moses went to Mount Sinai to get the stone tablets of the covenant law, the Israelites asked Aaron to make them gods other than the Lord, and despite the signs that the Lord had shown to him and Moses, Aaron made a golden calf for the people to worship.

When Moses saw the Israelites worshipping this false human-made god, he was so angry that he threw the stone tablets down and they broke to pieces (Ex 32).

Finally, the life of Moses shows that leadership is not a walk in the park. The Israelites, like any human nation, were a difficult people to lead—always complaining, often rebelling against him and God, but with humility and faith, Moses led them to the Promised Land.

And, like many liberation war heroes, he did not live to enjoy the fruits of liberation, but died on Mount Nebo across from Jericho.

“I have let you see it [the Promised Land] with your eyes”, said the Lord, “but you will not cross over into it” (Deut 34:4).

the opportunity to brush up on some basic news literacy skills to help us—and others—navigate through the labyrinth of news sources and stories we encounter every day.

Here are a few, simple tips for starters: l Check your sources. Who is publishing the story? Are they a trustworthy source?

If you aren’t familiar with the source, do a little research. Are they committed to sharing accurate information or do they have some other purpose? l If a story makes claims that seem farfetched or extraordinary, check other news sources with good reputations. Are they covering the story, too? If not, be wary of the claims being made. l Pause before you hit “share” or “send”. Wait until you know for certain that what you are sharing is accurate and truthful before bringing it to the attention of others. l If you watch TV news, switch channels every few days or weeks. Read widely.

Follow a variety of news sources on Facebook and Twitter—not just the ones whose views you tend to agree with.

This will broaden your perspective, help you understand all sides of a story, and ensure your opinions are wellformed.

Pope Francis didn’t endorse this article. But I suspect he would be in favour of us honing our skills so we can be better consumers and communicators of news and information. n Joe Towalski is the editor of The Visitor, the newspaper of the diocese of St Cloud, Minnesota, in which the article originally appeared.

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Pray with the Pope

That we may be one Intention: That all Christians may be faithful to the Lord’s teaching by striving with prayer and fraternal charity to restore ecclesial communion and by collaborating to meet the challenges facing humanity.

HE Jesuit pope has made this Jesuit’s life a little more difficult in 2017, bless him! Until last year Francis used to publish two intentions per month well in advance, a universal intention and a missionary one. The former was focused on the needs of society and the latter on the Church.

This year, he tells us who write reflections on his prayer intentions, he is going to publish only the missionary intention in advance.

He will release the intention focussed on the needs of society—taking the place of the general intentions—monthly in response to situations which arise in the world. But because these are likely to come out after the deadlines by which the editor needs this column to be filed, it may not be possible for me to comment on them in time, and so I may not always be able to cover both intentions. What I will try to do, therefore, is to comment at a little more length on the monthly missionary intention.

For this first month of 2017, it is that members of the Christian community might work to restore Christian unity and thereby face the challenges facing humanity.

That sounds familiar—old hat even—but there is an interesting underlying assumption worth exploring: that what we do as members of Christ’s body has an effect on the wider world.

Christian unity is good for unity in general. This should not surprise us. The Lord prayed that we should be one so that the world should see it and believe that the Father sent him. “See how these Christians love one another”, should be what people say of us, and when they do say that, we hope that they will be inspired to do likewise.

In other words the state of the Church makes a difference for people both inside and outside the Church. It makes a difference for the state of humankind. And this is very important to remember at a time when for many people the influence of the faith is regarded at best as irrelevant and passé, and at worst an obstacle to human progress.

It is also important at a time when some of the more extreme proponents of secularism are pushing to exclude the voice of the Church from the global conversation of humanity. For them the exchange of ideas is regarded as a good thing—except in the case of people of faith.

Hence our contributions to the debate about how our world can find peace, shared development and sustainable progress can end up being studiously ignored or sidelined. We have to regain the attention of people with this mentality—and how we love one another, or not, will always be crucial.

Pope Francis himself does a good job of showing us how we can speak with the authority which commands respect.

When he asks us to do something, he leads by personal example and personal involvement. He doesn’t just talk about refugees; he goes out to meet them personally. He doesn’t just express nice sentiments about Christian unity; he prays with and humbly seeks the blessing of the leaders of other churches and asks forgiveness for the damage done to Christian unity by Catholics in the past.

All this is noticed, by believers whose own religions experience internal tensions and even by unbelievers seeking unity around a vision of a shared humanity. (Here is an interesting article which illustrates the point: www.bit.ly/2hsqJpy) Our unity makes a difference for the unity of humankind. Let us pray for it at the beginning of this New Year.

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The Southern Cross, December 28, 2016 to January 3, 2017

YEAR-END REVIEW

Pope Francis’ 2016

By CiNDy WooDEN

P

OPE Francis has described 2016 as a “packed year”, one full of initiatives that helped Catholics “see and touch with their hands the fruits of the mercy of God”.

“The Lord always surprises us and goes beyond our expectations,” the pope said as he looked back at what happened over the past 12 months, especially in events related to the Year of Mercy.

While the jubilee celebrations dominated the papal calendar, they did not halt other activities and responsibilities, nor other surprises.

After decades of work and hope and prayer, Pope Francis finally was the first pope to meet with the Russian Orthodox patriarch. He and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow met briefly in Cuba in February and signed a joint declaration.

In April, after visiting with refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos, Pope Francis—without prior announcement—brought 12 of them back to Rome with him.

In May, Pope Francis held a dialogue with the superiors general of women’s religious orders from around the world and agreed to establish an official commission to study the question of the identity and role of the women described as deacons in the New Testament and early Christian writings.

Here’s a look back at some other items from the pope's 2016 diary: • In January, Pope Francis became

the third modern pope to visit Rome's main synagogue. He told the congregation that while the Catholic Church affirms that salvation comes through Jesus, it also recognises that God is faithful and has not revoked his covenant with the Jewish people.

• In February, his meeting with Patriarch Kirill took place during a stopover on his way to Mexico for a pastoral visit that included intense personal prayer at the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a special Mass in Ciudad Juarez at a site just a few yards from the US-Mexican border.

• In March, Pope Francis continued his practice of holding a Lenten penance service in St Peter’s basilica, going to confession and hearing confessions. The sacrament was a centrepiece of the Year of Mercy celebrations.

• In April, the Vatican released Pope Francis’ post-synodal apostolic exhortation on the family, Amoris Laetitia. The pope called for an overhaul of marriage preparation programmes and for the prayerful accompaniment of Catholic couples whose marriages have failed.

• In May, Pope Francis received the Charlemagne Prize and delivered a major speech on his vision for a Europe that overcomes division, economic struggles and fear of immigrants.

• In June, in a small, family-like gathering, Pope Francis helped retired Pope Benedict XVI celebrate the

Pope Francis wears a helmet of Paris’ French firefighters after his weekly audience on April 13 in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican. (Photo: l’osservatore Romano/ Reuters/CNS)

Pope Francis visits the main synagogue in Rome on January 17. He was received with a standing ovation. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

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65th anniversary of his priestly ordination.

• In July, Pope Francis joined hundreds of thousands of Catholic young people in Krakow, Poland, for World Youth Day and, like many of them, he paid a silent, prayerful visit to Auschwitz, the nearby Nazi death camp.

• In August, the pope made a brief visit to Assisi for the 800th anniversary of the “Pardon of Assisi”, a celebration of God’s forgiveness.

• In September, Pope Francis canonised St Teresa of Kolkata in the presence of hundreds of Missionaries of Charity, thousands of poor people assisted by the order and tens of thousands of Catholics from around the world.

• In October, Pope Francis flew to Sweden to join Lutheran leaders beginning a year long commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. The pope and Lutheran leaders, focused on a common baptism in Christ and a common call of discipleship.

• In November, the pope closed the Year of Mercy, but before doing so, he created 17 new cardinals.

Meeting with people who had been involved in coordinating Year of Mercy events, Pope Francis said: “Something truly extraordinary happened and now it must be inserted into our daily lives so that mercy becomes a commitment and a permanent lifestyle of believers.”

Pope Francis visits a monument to those who died for independence in Baku, Azerbaijan, on october 2.

(Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

Pope Francis arrives for a July 30 prayer vigil with World youth Day pilgrims at the Field of Mercy in Krakow, Poland. (Photo: Bob Roller/CNS)

Pope Francis watches as children wave a peace document during an interfaith peace gathering outside the basilica of St Francis in Assisi, italy, on September. 20. The event marked the 30th anniversary of the first peace encounter hosted by St John Paul ii. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

A man becomes emotional as he meets Pope Francis at the Moria refugee camp on the island of lesbos, Greece on April 16. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

Pope Francis lays his hands on Archbishop Peter Wells, papal nuncio to South Africa, Botswana, lesotho and Namibia, during his March 19 ordination to the episcopate in St Peter’s basilica. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

Pope Francis and Russian orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow attend a ceremony to sign a historic joint declaration during a meeting at Jose Marti international Airport in Havana on February 12. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

Pope Francis and new cardinals visit Pope Emeritus Benedict xVi at the retired pope’s residence after a consistory at the Vatican on November 19. Pope Francis created 17 new cardinals at the consistory. (Photo: l’osservatore Romano/CNS) Pope Francis greets the crowd while wearing a hat before celebrating Mass with priests and religious at a stadium in Morelia, Mexico on February 16. (Photo: l’ osservatore Romano/CNS)

The Southern Cross, December 28, 2016 to January 3, 2017

CLASSIFIEDS Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns By liSE AlVES

C

ARDINAL Paulo Evaristo Arns, known as the “cardinal of the people” and one of the most active voices against Brazil’s military dictatorship, died in São Paulo on December.

14 at 95 of pneumonia.

Cardinal Arns was born in 1921, in Criciuma, Brazil. In 1945, he was ordained a priest and served in Petropolis. He was ordained a bishop in 1966 and was named archbishop of São Paulo in 1970, during the most violent years of Brazil’s military crackdown. Three years later, in 1973, he was elevated to cardinal

by Pope Paul VI. That same year, the cardinal sold his ornate residence and its surrounding park to support Church workers in the slums.

At a celebration for his 95th birthday, leaders of Brazil’s landless movement as well as former government leaders, intellectuals and journalists held a party at São Paulo’s Catholic University and spoke about Cardinal Arns’ dedication to the poor and his fight against political persecution during the 1964-85 military regime.

In one of his most famous actions against police violence in the 1970s, Cardinal Arns faced a military squadron to retrieve the body of Santo Dias da Silva, labour leader and member of the Church’s workers’ pastoral.

“When we arrived, the medical institute was surrounded by police officers,” recalled lawyer Luiz Eduardo Greenhalgh.

“Cardinal Arns came out of the car and waved his hand with the [bishop’s] ring, to the side.

The cops backed away [from the entrance] and we passed. We went in and Cardinal Arns looked at the bullet holes on Santo’s body. He pointed his finger at the policemen and said ‘Look what you did.’ And all of the officers lowered their heads in shame.”

In his 28 years as head of the São Paulo archdiocese, he created 43 parishes and built more than 1 200 community centres. Under Cardinal Arns, the archdiocese of São Paulo also had Aids education and prevention programmes.

São Paulo was the world’s largest archdiocese—with 9,6 million Catholics—until it was split into five separate sees in 1989.

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After the division, however, the cardinal criticised the split as dividing the poor from the rich.

Cardinal Arns received more than 40 awards, diplomas, titles and honours.

Between 1979 and 1985, he coordinated, clandestinely, the project Brasil: Nunca Mais (Brazil: Never Again), where episodes of torture under the military dictatorship are documented. In 1983, he was part of a group that started the Voting Rights Now movement, which eventually led to Brazil’s return to democratic rule.

His death leaves the College of Cardinals with 227 members; it did not affect the number of electors, who can only vote until age 80.—CNS

Your prayer to cut and collect

A Prayer for the New Year God, thank you for a new year. May everyone in our family be willing to begin anew with a clean slate. We know that you are always ready to forgive us. Help us to be willing to forgive ourselves and to forgive one another.

As we begin a new year, remind us of our truest values and our deepest desires. Help us to live in the goodness that comes from doing what you want us to do.

Help us to put aside anxiety about the future and the past, so that we might live in peace with you now, one day at a time.

(Loyola Press)

Word of the Week

Apostolic succession: The teaching that there is a direct line of descendents with its requisite authority that proceed from the original apostles down the line of bishops in the Church.

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Liturgical Calendar Sunday January 1, Mary, Mother of God Numbers 6:22-27, Psalms 67:2-3, 5-6, 8, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:16-21 Monday January 2, Ss Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen 1 John 2:22-28, Psalms 98:1-4, John 1:19-28 Tuesday January 3, Most Holy Name of Jesus 1 John 2: 29-3, 6, Psalms 98:1,3-6, John 1:2934 Wednesday January 4 1 John 3:7-10, Psalms 98:1, 7-9, John 1:35-42 Thursday January 5 1 John 3:11-21, Psalms 100, John 1:43-51 Friday January 6 1 John 5:5-13, Psalms 147:12-15, 19-20, Mark 1:7-11 or Luke 3:23-38 Saturday January 7, St Raymond of Penyafort 1 John 5:14-21, Psalms 149:1-6, 9, John 2:1-11 Sunday January 8, Epiphany of the Lord Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalms 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13, Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6, Matthew 2:1-12

This week we congratulate: January 6: Bishop Edward Risi of Keimoes-Upington on his 68th birthday January 7: Bishop Jan de Groef of Bethlehem on his 69th birthday

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PRAYERS

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

PERSONAL

ABORTION WARNING: The truth will convict a silent Church. See www.valuelifeabortion isevil.co.za ABORTION ON DEMAND: This is legalised daily murder in our nation, silence on this is not golden, it’s yellow! Avoid pro-abortion politicians!

LORD GOD, this candle that i light here today reminds me of the light that you enkindled in me at my Baptism. Renew the flame of your love in me. let it burn away all my egotism, my jealousy, my pride and my failure to love. let me have a warm and generous heart. lord, i am not able to remain here in this church very much longer: i have to go. So, please accept this candle in my place. let it be like a part of me that i give to you. Here, before the image of Blessed Mary, Mother of God, and imploring her powerful intercession, i ask you, as i offer you this humble candle, to allow my prayer to penetrate every activity and every facet of my life, so that everything will be shaped and formed by the burning flame of your love. i ask this for Jesus’ sake.

Amen.

O VIRGIN Mother, in the depths of your heart you pondered the life of the Son

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Give us your vision of Jesus and ask the Father to open our hearts, that we may always see His presence in our lives, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, bring us into the joy and peace of the kingdom, where Jesus is lord forever and ever. Amen.

going?” let them be brave 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.

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December 14 to December 20, 2016

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CIOLLI—Mary-Anne (Dickie) née Dixon. Passed away on January 18, 2015, after a long illness, borne with dignity and great courage, deeply mourned and will be forever remembered, with great love, Remo, Catherine, Michael, David, Stephan and grandchildren. RiP HARKER—Reynold. January 4, 2009. Those we love do not go away, they walk beside us every day.

Prayerfully remembered by your loving sister Sharlene and Dominic, nieces lauren and Megan (Australia) and Aunty Suzanne, relatives and friends. Rest in peace.

SACCO—louise Francoise. in loving memory of my beloved daughter louise called to eternity on November 20, 2011. Always in our prayers and thoughts. We recall your encouraging words; there is love in death and there is newness of life in death.

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The other day in Bethlehem... The children of Leratong creche in Bohlokong in Bethlehem, Free State, performed their annual Nativity Play. Over the years it has become a tradition in The Southern Cross to feature the creche’s children in its pages during Advent.

Bishops’ say sorry for sex abuse failures

Pope grants Fatima indulgences C

BY MARIA XIMENA RONDON

F

OR the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, Pope Francis has decided to grant a plenary indulgence opportunity throughout the entire anniversary year, which began on November 27 and will end on November 26, 2017.

The rector of the Fatima Shrine in Portugal, André Pereira, said that the plenary indulgence can be obtained during the entire Jubilee Year. There are three ways of obtaining the indulgence, detailed in a statement on the shrine's website.

To obtain the plenary indulgence, the faithful must also fulfil the ordinary conditions: go to confession and Communion, be interiorly detached from sin, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.

The first way is for “the faithful to make a pilgrimage to the Fatima Shrine in Portugal (pictured) and participate in a celebration or prayer dedicated to the Virgin”. In addition, the faithful must pray the Our Father, recite the Creed, and invoke the Mother of God. The second way applies to “the pious faithful who visit with devotion a statue of Our Lady of Fatima solemnly exposed for public veneration in any church, oratory or proper place during the days of the anniversary of the apparitions, the 13th of each month from May to October 2017, and there devoutly participate in some celebration or prayer in hon-

our of the Virgin Mary,” the website says.

Regarding this second way, the rector said that the visit to the statue of the Virgin “does not necessarily have to be only at Fatima or exclusively in Portugal”, but can be done anywhere in the world.

Those seeking an indulgence must also pray an Our Father, recite the Creed and invoke Our Lady of Fatima.

The third way to obtain a plenary indulgence applies to people who, because of age, illness or other serious cause, are unable to get around.

These individuals can pray in front of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima and must spiritually unite themselves to the jubilee celebrations on the days of the apparitions, the 13th of each month, between May and October.

They also must “offer to merciful God with confidence, through Mary, their prayers and sufferings or the sacrifices they make in their own lives”.—CNA The Southern Cross is hosting a pilgrimage to Fatima in May 2017, led by Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town. See the panel ad on the backpage for more information.

BY MANDLA ZIBI

ATHOLIC parishes across South Africa marked three days of prayer and fasting in support of sexual abuse victims, including those of Catholic priests.

This followed a statement by the region’s bishops in which they acknowledged “failure at times” to adequately deal with the issue and to empathise with the pain caused.

Addressed to “the clergy, religious and faithful, brothers and sisters”, the statement by the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) was read out to congregants at Sunday Masses as part of the 16 Days of Activism and No Violence Against Women and Children.

Unambiguous in its tone of contrition, it was a major pronouncements on the sex abuse scandal.

“We, your bishops, acknowledge our own failures at times in adequately dealing with issues of sexual abuse, especially when we have failed to listen to the cry of those abused within our own Church structures and our failure to empathise with their pain,” the statement said.

“We ask forgiveness for ourselves and for our clergy for having not done enough in recognising the physical, emotional and psychological pain and trauma which many victims of sexual abuse have suffered at the hands of family members, members of society at large and within our own church structures,” said the document, signed by SACBC president Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town.

To show solidarity with victims of abuse “wherever it occurs, whether in the Church,

in the family and elsewhere in society”, the bishops called the faithful to “unite in observing three days of prayer, one of which will be a day of fasting”.

“We want to work with all structures in society and especially with our priests, Church personnel and Church workers in creating a safe environment for children and vulnerable people and in meeting the demands of justice in redressing the crimes and failures of the past regarding sexual abuse,” the bishops told the faithful.

Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria told The Southern Cross of his visits to two parishes during two of the three days.

In Laudium, southwest of Tshwane, “we prayed for a new sensitivity to the suffering and also the healing of the abused and vulnerable”, he said.

Saying that the Church had “responded too slowly to reported cases of abuse”, the prelate said at Laudium the congregation prayed also for the offenders, so that “they may be aware of the tremendous damage done by abuse...and the absolute destructiveness that it causes to a person’s whole future”.

“To violate the sacred privacy of a child’s personality robs that child of the ability ever to trust again. Trust is the fundamental human quality without which we cannot approach other people or God himself,” said Archbishop Slattery.

In Sunnyside, the archbishop urged congregants to report any examples of abuse and to follow strict protocols, as set out in the SACBC documents on the protection of children against sexual abuse.

Archbishop Slattery noted that not only Continued on page 3

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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

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Epiphany of the Lord: Sunday January 8 Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-13, Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6, Matthew 2:1-12

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EXT Sunday we shall in this country be celebrating the feast of the Epiphany, bringing the first part of the Christmas season to its end. Now the point of this celebration is not that it is a private party just for us, but that there is a message here for the entire world; and it is you and I who are charged with spreading that message. Of course, it may not be accepted, and there will be uncomfortable aspects to it, but the message is there.

So in the first reading for the feast, we are told, appropriately enough: “Rise and shine, for your light has come.” It continues with “the glory of the Lord has shone upon you”, and that may serve as a reminder that it is not about us but about what God is doing, in this Christmas season and always.

But then there is an intrusion: “The Gentiles shall come to your light, and monarchs to your shining radiance.” Then it gets worse: “Lift up your eyes round about and see: all of them gathering and coming to you.” So it is no use our saying, “I’d like a bit of peace, if you don’t mind”, for they are our “sons…and daughters” who are coming, and in fact they will bring us joy: “Then you will see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and overflow…

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Lord’s message is for all the riches of the Gentiles shall come to you.”

After that we hear the reason why this reading was chosen for the feast: “They shall carry gold, and frankincense” (this is echoed in the Gospel, of course, though with the addition of myrrh). And, most important of all: “They shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.”

That, and not our own private entertainment, is what the feast is all about.

The psalm likewise forces us (and, incidentally, the newly-crowned king to whom it is addressed) to look beyond ourselves, to the poor. We learn that the king “will judge your people with justice and the oppressed with judgment”. The prayer of the poet is that “justice will flourish in his days, and abundance of peace, until the moon fails”.

Only after this is established does the request come that “all the kings may worship him, and all the Gentiles serve him”. Then, once more, the reminder that the monarch is to be on the side of the marginalised: “For he shall deliver the poor when they cry, and the oppressed who have no helper.” We need to widen our gaze.

The second reading is from the lovely letter to the Ephesians, which again reminds us

to look beyond ourselves. The author writes of the “mystery which was not made known in other generations to humanity, but has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that” [and here is the message that may shake us] “the Gentiles are to be co-heirs and co-body and co-sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel”. We do not have private ownership of the story of what God is doing at Christmas.

The Gospel is always the same on this feast, that story of the first set of Gentiles to revere Jesus as “King of the Jews”; these “Magi” had it right, of course, but today we need to notice the attitude of the authorities in Judea and Jerusalem, because if we take too narrow a view of who God’s people really are, then the story of Herod may be our story also.

Consider how it goes: “Look—Magi from the East!” And these unlikely charlatans are bearers, not only of gold, frankincense and myrrh, but also, much more importantly, of the truth; they have come to worship “the one born King of the Judeans”. Herod and Jerusalem are “disturbed”.

But we notice that they believe the truth

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religious persons around him, the Scribes and Pharisees, his ministry always reached out and included those whose religious practice was weak or non-existent.

Moreover, he reached out especially to those whose moral lives were not in formal harmony with the religious practices of the time—those deemed as sinners.

Significantly, too, he did not ask for repentance from those deemed as sinners before he sat down at table with them. He set out no moral or ecclesial conditions as a prerequisite to meet or dine with him.

Many repented after meeting and dining with him, but that repentance was never a precondition. In his person and in his ministry, Jesus did not discriminate. He offered a safe sanctuary for everyone.

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e need today in our churches to challenge ourselves on this. From pastors, to parish councils, to pastoral teams, to diocesan regulators, to bishops’ conferences, to those responsible for applying canon and Church law, to our own personal attitudes, we all need to ask: Are our churches places of sanctuary for those who are refugees, homeless, and poor ecclesially? Do our pastoral practices mirror Jesus? Is our embrace as wide as that of Jesus?

These are not fanciful ideals. This is the Gospel which we can easily lose sight of, for seemingly all the right reasons.

I remember a diocesan synod within which I participated some 20 years ago. At one stage in the process we were divided in small groups and each group was given the

Classic Conrad

HENEVER we have been at our best, as Christians, we have opened our churches as sanctuaries to the poor and the endangered.

We have a long, proud history wherein refugees, the homeless, immigrants facing deportation, and others take shelter inside our churches. If we believe what Jesus tells us about the Last Judgment in Matthew 25, this should serve us well when we stand before God at the end.

Unfortunately our churches have not always provided that same kind of sanctuary (safety and shelter) to those who are refugees, immigrants, and homeless in their relationship to God and our churches. There are millions of persons, today perhaps the majority within our nations, who are looking for a safe harbour in terms of sorting out their faith and their relationship to the Church.

Sadly, too often our rigid paradigms of orthodoxy, ecclesiology, ecumenism, liturgy, sacramental practice, and canon law, however well-intentioned, have made our churches places where no such sanctuary is offered and where the wide embrace practised by Jesus is not mirrored. Instead, our churches are often harbours only for persons who are already safe, already comforted, already Church-observing, already solid ecclesial citizens.

That was hardly the situation within Jesus’ own ministry. He was a safe sanctuary for everyone, religious and non-religious alike.

While he didn’t ignore the committed

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Sunday Reflections

of this claim, and can even, with the help of an old prophecy, identify where it is to happen, namely “in Bethlehem of Judea”, as the “chief priests and scribes” tell their master.

(These, of course, are the characters who at the end of Matthew’s gospel will be leading the attempt to destroy this newborn king).

Herod, in response, claims to wish to “worship” this infant; but we know that what he has in mind is something quite different, symbolised by the addition of myrrh (signifying death) to the gifts mentioned in our first reading.

Herod’s narrow vision only allows him one appropriate response to the news, namely to contemplate infanticide. That does not happen, of course, because God is in charge, and God warns the Magi in a dream to “return to their country by another route”.

Our celebration of this feast will be severely limited unless we widen our hearts to recognise that the Lord intends this Christmas message for absolutely everybody.

Happy Christmas to you all!

Southern Crossword #739

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

question: “What, before all else, should the Church be saying to the world today?”

The groups returned with their answers and everyone, every single group, proposed as its first priority what the Church should be saying to the world on some moral or ecclesial challenge: “We need to challenge the world in terms of justice! We need to challenge people to pray more! We need to speak again of sin! We need to challenge people about the importance of going to church! We need to stop the evil of abortion!”

All of these suggestions are good and important. But none of the groups dared say: “We need to comfort the world!”

Handel’s “Messiah” begins with that wonderful line from Isaiah 40: “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” That, I believe, is the first task of religion. Challenge follows after that, but may not precede it.

A mother first comforts her child by assuring it of her love and stilling its chaos.

Only after that, in the safe shelter produced by that comfort, can she begin to offer it some hard challenges to grow beyond its own instinctual struggles.

People are swayed a lot by the perception they have of things. Within our churches today we can protest that we are being perceived unfairly by our culture, that is, as narrow, judgmental, hypocritical, and hateful.

No doubt this is unfair, but we must have the courage to ask ourselves why this perception abounds, in the academy, in the media, and in the popular culture.

Why aren’t we being perceived more as “a field hospital” for the wounded, as is the ideal of Pope Francis?

Why are we not flinging our churches’ doors open much more widely? What lies at the root of our reticence? Fear of being too generous with God’s grace? Fear of contamination? Of scandal?

One wonders whether more people, especially the young and the estranged, would grace our churches today if we were perceived in the popular mind precisely as being sanctuaries for searchers, for the confused, the wounded, the broken, and the non-religious—rather than as places only for those who are already religiously solid and whose religious search is already completed.

ACROSS

4. Poems I’d placed on the others (7) 8. Places of entry (6) 9. Took the child legally (7) 10. Pious (6) 11. Not of sound mind at Sea Inn (6) 12. Stopping work in a noticeable way (8) 18. Eats, dies and is dismissed by the court (3,5) 20. The beat of the drum on your skin (6) 21. Dissatisfaction in plain text (6) 22. Harbour about ten with a warning sign (7) 23. Yours truly (6) 24. Deliverer of the Jews (7)

DOWN

1. Jewish tongue? (7) 2. These have trifoliate leaves (7) 3. Stopped work (6) 5. Dim thing after dark (8) 6. Resist face to face (6) 7. Many leave the stage, as Shakespeare directed (6) 13. Simon in a sleepless vigil (8) 14. Dowser is more godlike? (7) 15. Make a person blessed (8) 16. Release of prisoner on good behaviour (6) 17. Standing in society (6) 19. The narrow ways (6) Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

F

ather O’Reilly answered the phone. It was the taxman on the line.

“Father,” the SARS official said, “Do you know a Jim Smith?”

The priest affirmed that he did.

“Is he a member of your congregation?”

“Yes, he is indeed.”

“Did he donate R75 000 to your parish?”

“Yes, he will.”

Hurley Memorial Pilgrimage Presented by the Denis Hurley Centre

Lourdes • Paris • Rome 11 to 21 September 2017

led by Bishop Barry Wood with Raymond Perrier

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