170405 by The Southern Cross

The

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

April 5 to April 11, 2017

The sites of Holy Week in Jerusalem

‘How I received divine mercy after abortion’

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Reg No. 1920/002058/06

No 5066

R8,00 (incl VAT RSA)

An old saint who is relevant to SA today

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The good news as Zulu Catholic paper is revived BY SYDNEY DUVAL

WAZULU-NATAL premier Willies Mchunu gave a rousing welcome to the relaunch of UmAfrika, Mariannhill’s iconic weekly Zulu newspaper which was closed in 2013 after being published for some 84 years. Addressing some 60 community, business, political, religious and media leaders gathered in the monastery dining room, Mr Mchunu spoke of the long history of Mariannhill and UmAfrika in supporting the holistic development of people. “The priests and missionaries were an integral part of our lives—they were close to us,” he said. “They were active in supporting youth development and education, in agriculture and teaching us to till the land to grow food, in crime prevention, and in teaching people to care for what they have and to share what they have.” Mr Mchunu called for a new partnership with UmAfrika in building social cohesion, moral regeneration and human development in the nation. The newspaper could play a critical role in nation-building because of its non-partisan approach to journalism. Mr Mchunu called on the newspaper to report accurately and objectively, with a balanced view of events and issues. the ANC politician added: “Like everyone else in society, UmAfrika needs to point out what is wrong, but also what is good.” Mr Mchunu noted that Mariannhill itself had also served a critical role during the political strife in the 1990s in giving refuge to people fleeing violence. He himself had found refuge at the Mission Centre. “We must remember, too, the ecumenical spirit in which churches cooperated against social injustice,” he noted. Guests at the breakfast relaunch were able to browse through their copies of the newlook UmAfrika which has retained much of the design of the old masthead. One speaker with a long association with the publication said: “Here’s the good news:. UmAfrika is back!” In his opening prayer, Fr Bheki Shabalala, provincial of the Congregation of Mari-

Cyril Madlala (left) with new UmAfrika editor Thulani Mbatha. Under Mr Madlala’s watch UmAfrika became the country’s biggest alternative newspaper. (Photo: Sydney Duval) annhill Missionaries, recalled that UmAfrika was founded on virtues proclaimed by God’s Word. “May the plans that we have for this publication never deviate from the truth and may our reporting always be influenced by a spirit of excellence and honour. May this newspaper assist our people to praise you better through its aim, which is that of evangelisation,” Fr Shabalala prayed. “We appreciate UmAfrika’s role in supporting the liberation struggle and we appreciate its commitment to being a non-partisan voice in public life,” said city councillor Sfiso Mkhize, representing Durban mayor Zandile Gumede, who was away in London. “We support this initiative in the belief that the people of KZN do need an objective voice in giving us the news and reporting on what the municipality is doing to uplift people’s lives.” Other speakers included new editor Thulani Mbatha; Fr Mxolisi Ngcobo OMI, who works with the Mariannhill Development Office at Pfanner Centre; and Sinenhlanhla Gwala, the marketing administrator, who presented a marketing strategy with plans in the pipeline to take the weekly further afield to the Eastern Cape and Gauteng. Among the VIP guests were Archbishop Continued on page 3

Youth group members of the parishes of All Saints and St Kevin’s in Brackenfell and Northpine, Cape Town, conquered Lion’s Head during Lent as part of a team-building exercise. The complaints of tired legs and chimes of “whose idea was this anyway” which commenced within a metre of the start of the trail had all but vanished when all members reached the summit together in a little under two hours. Members motivated others who wanted to quit—even strangers who sat recovering on the side of the trail. (Photo & report: Leigh Everton)

Fatima seers saints this year?

HE bishop of Fatima, Portugal, believes the centenary of the Marian apparitions there would not be complete without the announcement of the canonisation of Bls Francisco and Jacinta Marto, two of the children who witnessed the apparition. “We are in time for it to be on May 13, but everything depends on the exclusive competency of the pope,” Bishop Antonio dos Santos Marto of Leiria-Fatima said. In late March Pope Francis approved the decree recognising a second miracle attributed to the intercession of both siblings. This opens the way for their canonisation. Together with their cousin Lucia Santo, the brother and sister witnessed the 1917 apparitions of Mary. Francisco and Jacinta died soon after, in 1919 and 1920 respectively. Lucia became a Carmelite nun, and died in 2005. Bishop dos Santos Marto said the announcement was not a surprise but he hadn’t expected it “to be so soon”. Now there’s just one remaining decisive step, “which belongs to the Holy Father: choosing the date and location of the canonisation”. He indicated that information will not be available until the April 20 consistory. The postulator for the cause of canonisation of Bls Francisco and Jacinta, Sr Angela Coelho, pointed out that “the little shep-

The visionaries of Fatima: Lucia Santo, and siblings Francisco and Jacinta Marto. herds, who died at the age of ten, will be the youngest saints in the history of the Church, with the exception of child martyrs”. Sr Coelho said the miracle attributed to the intercession of the children involves the cure of a child in Brazil. The healing began to be studied in 2013, but “more details on the case are not allowed to be revealed” because it concerns a child and the need to protect the child’s identity. The religious is also the vice-postulator of the cause for the beatification of Sr Lucia. No announcement is expected concerning the process of Sr Lucia’s beatification. “That’s a separate cause,” she explained.—CNA

S outher n C ross Pilgrimage HOLY LAND • ROME •ASSISI • CAIRO 25 Aug - 8 Sept 2017 • Led by Archbishop William Slattery OFM For more information or to book, please contact Gail info@fowlertours.co.za or 076 352-3809

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The Southern Cross, April 5 to April 11, 2017

LOCAL

Expert on Theology of the Body to visit SA BY MANDLA ZiBi

BEST-SELLING author and expert on Pope John Paul II’s concept of a new evangelisation through a Theology of the Body will visit South Africa for a conference in September. Christopher West will conduct talks on Pope John Paul’s teachings on the meaning of the human person including love, sex and marriage. His global lecturing tours, bestselling books and multiple audio and video programmes have made him the world’s most recognised teacher of the Theology of the Body. “The Theology of the Body is a bold, biblical vision of love and sexuality that takes us to the cor (heart) of what it means to be human,” said Marie-Anne te Brake, chair of the Foundation for the Person and the Family, which is hosting Mr West. As founder and president of the Cor Project, Mr West leads an international outreach “devoted to spreading this liberating teaching and empowering others to live and share it”, Ms te Brake said. His work has been featured in the New York Times, on ABC News, Fox News, MSNBC, and many Catholic and evangelical media outlets. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses on the subject since the late 1990s, having served on the faculties of St John

Christopher West Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, the Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha, Nebraska, and as a visiting professor of the John Paul II Institute in Melbourne, Australia. In 2004 he co-founded the Theology of the Body Institute near Philadelphia. Since 2010, a team from the Foundation for the Person and the Family has promoted and used his programmes and materials in an effort “to share the hope and healing of Christ with South African youth and married people”, Ms te Brake said. According to her, the Theology of the Body “dismisses the idea that Catholicism has a starvation approach to sexuality. True understanding, modesty and chastity are promoted and articulated” through these teachings of John Paul II. Pope John Paul II spent the first five years of his pontificate largely talking about marriage during his

general Wednesday audiences in St Peter’s Square. “He perhaps said more about marriage and sexuality than all the other previous popes combined. Either this was a prophetic and timely gesture or it was a huge blunder,” Ms te Brake said. “Since the sexual revolution in the 1960s, the institution of marriage and traditional values have been under immense threat. The degradation of marital life in the last 40 years has created an abundance of social, economic and spiritual problems,” she said. She said the Theology of the Body teaches people about the “wondrous plan that God has for each man and woman, married or celibate”. When a true message about the body is taught, “conversions happen and lives are changed”, said Ms te Brake. “It is thanks to lay people like Christopher West that the teaching has been suitably adapted to be understood by ordinary people, and it becomes easier to learn how to build beautiful relationships based on respect, sacrifice and honour. “The Theology of the Body seeks to transform our culture to stand for life, unconditional love and a return to family values,” she said. n For more information on Christopher West’s itinerary and to book an “early-bird special”, go to www.tobsa.co.za. See also page 10.

St Joseph’s Theological Institute FOURTH ACADEMIC CONFERENCE

From conflict to communion then and now At the 500th anniversary of the Reformation

20 April (begin 16h00) – 22 April 2017 (end 12h00) St Joseph’s Theological Institute Cedara KZN

The reformation led to 500 years of Christian religious conflict. Today there is a growing spirit of unity and a common Christian mission to bring peace and goodwill to situations of conflict in our societies.

Our conference explores these dynamics in relation to the African continent today. Conflicts of all kinds in our societies call the Church to a mission faith hope, peace and charity.

SOme TOpICS » Redreaming a new African Renaissance The many reformations of women’s religious life » Church and global security: 50 years after Pacem in Terris Church and the workers: Young Christian Workers in South Africa » The role of psychology in developing hope in Africa The spirituality of a pastoral counsellor Important Letters of Archbishop Hurley after Vatican II » Indulgences from Luther to us: contrast and renewal ecumenical collaboration in addressing social concerns today » Challenged at the Eucharistic yet sent for a common mission Registration R200. Students with student Card R50 Registrations 14h00 to 16.00 on Thursday 20 April or online via email conference2017@sjti.ac.za

FOR INFORmATION, ReGISTRATION AND ACCOmmODATION See Conference website http://www.sjti.ac.za/conference2017.html For info phone Gugu at 072 461 1985

(Left) Henry Jacobs at the opening of the UCT library named after his late friend Vincent Kolbe (above). (Photo of Mr Kolbe by John Edwin Mason)

Catholic historian honoured at UCT BY MANDLA ZiBi

HE name Vincent Kolbe evokes the vibrant, eclectic culture of the Cape—and now the University of Cape Town has honoured the late Catholic jazz musician and community historian by naming its undergraduate library wings after him. Aside from his music and community work, Mr Kolbe was also a public librarian and raconteur extraordinaire. And he was a Catholic who left the faith in his youth but later returned to it. District Six-born Mr Kolbe, who died at 77 in 2010, now has a place of honour on UCT’s upper campus, following the renaming of the Knowledge Commons in the Chancellor Oppenheimer Library as the Vincent Kolbe Knowledge Commons. He joins AC Jordan, the celebrated author of the book Wrath of the Ancestors; author and intellectual Neville Alexander; and social activist Cissy Gool, whose names grace buildings and a plaza on UCT’s main campus. “They were activists and pioneers in the arenas of language, race and gender, as was Kolbe, who created an open and inclusive reading culture in Cape Flats communities through public libraries,” said Renata Meyer, head of special collections at UCT library. Catholic Capetonians welcomed UCT’s gesture as a celebration of their own. “As a member of the Holy Cross parish of District Six, Vincent was fully involved in the activities of the church during the reign of Frs Tom Gill and Seamus Peart, the golden era of Holy Cross in the 1950s,” Henry Jacobs, a friend of Mr Kolbe, told The Southern Cross. “Already at an early stage, Vincent stood out figuratively and literally head and shoulders among his peers,” said Mr Jacobs, who was at

the renaming ceremony, also attended by former finance minister Trevor Manuel. “Serving on the executive of Holy Cross recreation club, participating in the various stage performances including the annual Passion Play, Vincent was fully immersed in the cultural life of the parish. But it was his prowess as a pianist—self-taught—and bubbling personality that drew others towards him,” Mr Jacobs said. Among Mr Kolbe’s contemporaries were the late Archbishop Lawrence Henry, Fr Laurie van Schoor, Srs Iris Jansen and Mary Carolissen, as well as Sr Marina of Maryland and Gerald Searle, who is now in Australia. Mr Jacobs recalled that after two years of secondary education at the now-defunct St Columba’s school in Athlone, Mr Kolbe did his matric at Immaculata High in Wittebome. He and his schoolmate Professor Clifford Jansen, now in Toronto, had the distinction of being the only male alumni of the girls-only school. Professionally it was as a librarian that Mr Kolbe made his mark. “With his font of knowledge, he became the individual in Cape Town all visitors resorted to for information,” Mr Jacobs said. It was Mr Kolbe’s “deep research into the cultural evolution” of the Cape, as well as the subsequent demise of his beloved District Six that led him to become a leading figure in the establishment of the District Six Museum in Buitenkant Street, Mr Jacobs said. Mr Kolbe was the first man of colour to obtain a librarianship degree at UCT. In recognition of his invaluable contribution in the literary field he was awarded an honorary MA in 2002. He passed away after finally losing a long and, what Mr Jacobs described as, “frankly heroic” battle with cancer.

Little Eden: join pilgrimage

EADERS are invited to join Little Eden residents and staff on a pilgrimage on Easter Monday, April 17, to start at the Domitilla and Danny Hyams Home, Edenvale, and going to Elvira Rota Village, Bapsfontein. The bus will leave Edenvale at 08:00 and return from Bapsfontein at 15:00. All are welcome to attend this event, at which the organisation will give praise to God for his guidance and protection over the past 50 years. Visitors are advised to bring sunhats and wear comfortable shoes. Tea and sandwiches will be served on arrival at Bapsfontein and packed lunches will be available for sale at R50 each. Some Little Eden residents will be part of the pilgrimage. Those who, on the day, would like to walk with or push residents in wheelchairs through the pilgrimage are welcome to do so—to spend one-on-one time with individuals.

Nearly five decades ago, the late Domitilla Rota Hyams (founder of Little Eden) had a reported apparition of Our Lady, where she entrusted a group of children to her. This confirmed for Domitilla Hyams that she should care for the intellectually disabled. Throughout 2017, Little Eden will host events in celebration of the 50th anniversary. n For bus bookings and catering, it is essential that you RSVP by contacting Gugu on 011 609 7246 or reception@ littleeden.org.za. For more information on anniversary events, please visit the website at www.littleeden.org.za

The Southern Cross, April 5 to April 11, 2017

LOCAL

Conference on Christian unity STAFF REPORTER

PEAKERS and participants at the upcoming fourth academic conference of St Joseph’s Theological Institute (SJTI) will explore the links and parallels between Reformation history, the journey to Christian unity, the “growing sense of social disillusion” in our region and the need for reform. The April 20-22 conference theme, “From Conflict to Communion Then and Now”, reflects the intention to mark 500 years of the Reformation. “The theme of religious conflict which underlies Reformation history also carries with it ongoing attempts to find the unity promoted by Jesus: ‘that all of them may be one (Jn 17:21)’,” said Dr Stuart Bate OMI, research and development officer at SJTI. He said this injunction had empowered the ecumenical movement in the Church, which had led to the Lutheran-Catholic Joint Declaration on Justification in 1999 and the unanimous adoption of the Declaration by the World Methodist Council in 2006. “From Conflict to Communion” is the theme of the LutheranCatholic common commemoration of the Reformation in 2017,” Fr Bate said. “However, we believe that this theme is also a metaphor for

many of the struggles that are going on in South Africa and beyond its borders today. This is because it can also be applied to the Church’s response to the current context of hopelessness, seeking hope within the social conditions of Africa today.” A sense of disillusionment among some of the peoples of Africa has emerged, Fr Bate noted, as witnessed by migrations out of the northern half of the continent—where poverty, conflicts and Islamist militancy abound— to the “nirvana” of Europe. In the South this disillusionment is also shown by recent elections and violent service delivery protests, while the turmoil in Zimbabwe and South Sudan reflects even greater signs of hopelessness and frustration, he said. “We are living now in an increasingly more sombre time than recently. Protest, violence and migration to perceived better places are signs of human disempowerment among frustrated poor people. Here is a situation in need of a mission to reform and renewal.” Fr Bate quoted a 2016 address by Fr Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, chairman of the Moral Regeneration Movement, who described the current situation in South Africa as a series of challenges including murders of children and

Dr Stuart Bate OMi spouses, substance abuse, violent public protests, bloody political infighting, the unprecedented destruction of schools and universities, state capture, implosion of trade union federations, rampant corruption and ostentatious consumerism, among others. Fr Bate pointed out that Fr Mkhatshwa had warned that while this scenario was alarming, “we dare not succumb to national depression. All citizens are the architects of the future,” he said. “Theologians from Lutheran and other Christian traditions meeting in Windhoek in 2015 presented four crucial approaches to a theology of social transformation as the Lutheran World Federation prepared to mark the 500th anniversary of the Refor-

mation in 2017. A number of papers at the April conference will deal with the theological issues around reconciliation between Protestants and Catholics. These include “New insights into scripture and tradition from Catholic and Protestant perspectives”, “Ecumenical collaboration during apartheid as a model for Christian churches”, and “The many reformations of women’s religious life” . Others will propose pastoral approaches to moving from conflict to communion, such as “The Church and the problem of global security: 50 years after Pacem in Terris”, and “The Church and the working-class: The case of the YCW in South Africa”. The lineup of speakers includes Georg Scriba; Paul Decock OMI; Susan Rakoczy IHM; Fr Rodney Moss; Gloria Marsay; Chris Grzelak SCJ; Emmanuel Ndlovu CMM; Clifford Madondo; Jean Davidson; Joseph Phiri OMI; Nhlanhla Mhlanga OMI; Fr Bate and others from the Catholic, Reformed and Methodist traditions. The conference will be held at the Cedara campus of the SJTI near Pietermaritzburg. n Details at www.sjti.ac.za/conference2017.html, e-mail Conference2017@sjti.ac.za, or call Gugu on 072 461 1985.

UmAfrika is back Continued from page 1 Paul Mandla Khumalo CMM, who had served as chairman of the old UmAfrika board; and Vusi Mvelase, the new publisher of UmAfrika with his background in choral productions and competitions. A Catholic from Hammarsdale, Mr Mvelase is already running a recording studio at the monastery called Monastery Zayaba Studio. He also owns Coshela Enterprise, a publishing company. Fr Shabalala summed up the relaunch of UmAfrika as part of a programme of renewal as the monastery opens its doors to people and business. The historic gatehouse at the entrance to the monastery has already been carefully renovated to serve as UmAfrika’s new premises. The monastery is now part of the Mariannhill Business Consortium which has bigger plans for the area, and to advise the Congregation of Missionaries of Mariannhill on making optimum use of its resources. One of South Africa’s oldest newspapers, UmAfrika, began life as Izindaba Zabantu in 1910, before becoming UmAfrika in 1929. It’s motto was “For the truth” and its vision was “Better fields, better homes, better hearts”. By 1993 it had become the biggest alternative newspaper in South Africa, with a weekly circulation of 72 000 under the editorship of Cyril Madlala. After a spell under the management of Media 24, it was closed on June 7, 2013, with a view to returning the paper and trademark to their heritage and roots at Mariannhill. UmAfrika received funding support from Missio Aachen, a Catholic German charity, at a crucial stage in its development, as it entered the competitive era of desktop publishing in the 1990s.

Retreat opens way to Ignatian prayer STAFF REPORTER

A tsoletsela retreat offered a way into ignatian spirituality for participants.

Christian Brothers Centre, Stellenbosch an Eco-Justice, Spirituality Centre.

For conferences, retreats, workshops, family breaks, etc. Simple and aﬀordable, youth & family-friendly. Single or shared en-suite rooms for 20 -40 adults.Dormitories with bunk beds for 24 + 28 youth,with adjacent supervisors’ rooms. Self-catering facilities, Chapel, Meditation & Seminar rooms, outdoor play and pray areas. Mid-week specials available.

We oﬀer our Engage! Sabbatical programme 1st Oct to 26th Nov 2017. Modules of Scripture, Clinical Pastoral Education, Eco-Spirituality & Integral Life. We oﬀer our Silent Retreat from 11th to 17th Dec, 2017 led by Fr Roger Hickley, inspired by Philip Newell’s book The Rebirthing of God. SOCIALLY JUST – ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE SPIRITUALLY FULFILLING

For more information and booking call Mavis on +021 880 0242 between 9 and 3 Mon–Fri, cbcstel@gmail.com, www.cbcentre.com

ARTICIPANTS at a tsoseletsa (renew) retreat were introduced to a number of Ignatian ways of prayer. The retreat was presented by Frances Correia from the Jesuit Institute at the St Lucia Retreat and Training Centre in the vicariate of Ingwavuma. “Ignatian spirituality gives emphasis to seeking God in the people and events of our everyday life. This retreat was a very African way of encountering it,” said Ursuline Sister Elisabeth Marie Ansart, director of the centre.

Pilgrimage to FaTima, Salamanca, avila, Loyola, LouRdES and Paris Led by Fr. Justin Stirton 11 June – 21 June 2017 R 29 995.00 incl. Airport taxes

Life of Christ Pilgrimage to The Holy Land Led by Fr Gwanisheni Paulus 13 – 22 September 2017 R20 495.00. Airport taxes

Pilgrimage to italy and medjugorje Led by Fr Joseph matsau 02 – 13 October 2017 R 29 995.00 incl. Airport taxes

Tel: 012 342 0179/Fax: 086 676 9715 info@micasatours.co.za

“Through reflection and sharing, the group came to a greater appreciation of dreams, the importance of ancestors, and the sharing of our own stories,” Sr Ansart said. One participant, 25-year-old Siyabonga, found the retreat powerful. “As an African, the tsoseletsa experience spoke very much to me, and also to my friends from Khula village and the two Ursuline novices from Senegal and Nigeria. “It made me realise the important influence my ancestors played on setting me on this journey within the Catholic Church,” she said. “For instance, I remember my

grandmother telling me that when she married my grandfather, she was not a Catholic. However, her fatherin-law, who rarely went to church, told her the whole family were loyal Catholics. As a young bride, she obliged the family,” Siyabonga recounted. “Years later, she insisted that her young grandchildren went to weekly Mass. Because of her, I am today a Catholic.” St Lucia will be hosting further Ignatian spirituality retreats. n For more information see www.st luciaretreat.org or contact retreats@ jesuitinstitute.org.za

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The Southern Cross, April 5 to April 11, 2017

INTERNATIONAL

Pope to world leaders: We must talk, not nuke BY CAROL GLATZ

BY CiNDY WOODEN

ODAY’S threats to global peace and security must be countered through dialogue and development, not nuclear weapons, Pope Francis told the UN at a conference on nuclear weapons. “How sustainable is a stability based on fear, when it actually increases fear and undermines relationships of trust between people,” the pope asked in a letter sent to a UN meeting on nuclear arms. “International peace and stability cannot be based on a false sense of security, on the threat of mutual destruction or total annihilation, or on simply maintaining a balance of power,” he said in the message, released by the Vatican. The message was read aloud at the UN by Mgr Antoine Camilleri, Vatican undersecretary for relations with states. The pope’s message was sent to Elayne Whyte Gomez, president of the UN Conference to Negotiate a Legally Binding Instrument to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, Leading Towards Their Total Elimination. The conference was being held at the UN headquarters in New York. A number of nations—many of which already possess nuclear arms —were boycotting the negotiations to ban such weapons. These included the US, France, the UK and about 40 other nations. Some continue to support the Non-Proliferation Treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology.

owever, Pope Francis said in his message that the strategy of nuclear deterrence was not an effective response to today’s threats to peace and security: terrorism, cybersecurity, environmental problems and poverty. “Peace must be built on justice, on integral human development, on respect for fundamental human rights, on the protection of cre-

Promise you’ll never bully, pope asks kids P

Mgr Antoine Camilleri, Vatican undersecretary for relations with states, delivers a message from Pope Francis to a UN conference on nuclear weapons. (Photo: Rick Bajornas, UN/CNS) ation, on the participation of all in public life, on trust between peoples, on the support of peaceful institutions, on access to education and health, on dialogue and solidarity,” he said. The world needs “to adopt forward-looking strategies to promote the goal of peace and stability and to avoid short-sighted approaches to the problems surrounding national and international security”, he said. The complete elimination of nuclear weapons is “a moral and humanitarian imperative” that should prompt people to reflect on “an ethics of peace and multilateral and cooperative security that goes beyond the fear and isolationism that prevail in many debates today”. Making a total global ban possible will demand more dialogue, trust and cooperation. “This trust can be built only through dialogue that is truly directed to the common good and not to the protection of veiled or particular interests,” he added. Humanity has the ability, freedom and intelligence to work together to “lead and direct technology, to place limits on our power, and to put all this at the service of another type of progress: one that is more human, social and integral”, he said.—CNS

OPE Francis asked 45 000 children preparing for confirmation to promise Jesus they would never engage in bullying. Turning stern during a lively and laughter-filled encounter, Pope Francis told the youngsters he was very worried about the growing phenomenon of bullying. He asked them to be silent and reflect on if there were times when they made fun of someone for how they looked or behaved. And, as a condition of their confirmation, he made them promise Jesus that they would never tease or bully anyone. The pope ended his daylong visit to Milan by participating in an expanded version of the archdiocese’s annual encounter for pre-teens preparing for confirmation. An estimated 78 000 people filled the city’s famed San Siro soccer stadium; the archdiocese expects to confirm about 45 000 young people this year. A boy named Davide asked the pope: “When you were our age, what helped your friendship with Jesus grow?” First of all, the pope said, it was his grandparents. One of his grandfathers was a carpenter, who told him Jesus learned carpentry from St

An image of Jesus is seen as youths perform for Pope Francis during his meeting with confirmation candidates at San Siro stadium in Milan. (Photo: Alessandro Garofalo, Reuters/CNS) Joseph, so whenever the pope saw his grandfather work, he thought of Jesus. The other grandfather taught him to always say something to Jesus before going to sleep, even if it was just, “Good night, Jesus.” His grandmothers and his mother, the pope said, were the ones who taught him to pray. Playing with friends taught him joy and how to get along with others, which is part of faith, the pope

said. And going to Mass and to the parish oratory also strengthened his faith because “being with others is important”. Parents asked the pope’s advice on educating children in the faith. “Your children watch you continually,” the pope said. “Even if you don’t notice, they observe everything and learn from it,” especially in how parents handle tensions, joys and sorrows.—CNS

Romero canonisation date not yet set

HILE documentation regarding an alleged miracle attributed to the intercession of Bl Oscar Romero is being studied at the Vatican, there is no date scheduled for his canonisation, the archbishop of San Salvador said. “I must say, in all sincerity, that there is no date. And we understand it well because it involves a process. Bl Romero’s cause is at a decisive phase that is necessary for his canon-

isation,” Archbishop Jose Luis Escobar Alas said during a memorial Mass for Archbishop Romero in Rome. Oscar Romero was assasinated during Mass in San Salvadore in 1980 “The pope told us that it would be very good if the places associated with Romero—his relics and the place where he was killed—would become places of pilgrimage,” the archbishop said. The alleged miracle involves a

pregnant woman in El Salvador who was in in danger of dying. Archbishop Paglia, promoter of the Romero cause said: “Several friends of this family prayed to Bl Oscar Romero. And in a short time, the baby was born and the mother is well.” The Congregation for Saints’ Causes had opened the documentation concerning the alleged miracle and would begin studying it.—CNS

Cardinal Pell on Trump, Brexit, latest technology BY JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES

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LTHOUGH new technologies can promote employment and new opportunities in an ailing economy, if used improperly, they can also lead to tragedy and affect the course of history, a Vatican official said. As the use of modern technology and artificial intelligence increases in the world, those who suffer its effects due to lack of employment will be unable to “cope with additional misfortune”, said Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy. “Drugs and alcohol enhance the tragedy, but certainly the decline in social capital; for example, family breakdown, extranuptial births, widespread pornography, addictive computer games and the decline in religious faith and practice,” Cardinal Pell said during the presentation of a book on technology’s influence on society. Connected World, by Fr Philip Larrey, a philosophy professor at Rome’s Pontifical Lateran University, studies the impact and long-term consequences of increasingly advanced technology and the rise of artificial intelligence on society. Cardinal Pell acknowledged that while he is not an expert in the field, the consequence of artificial intelligence on society is an issue “I am interested in, and increasingly so”. The Australian prelate said that while computers and robots are never evil in themselves, “they can be used to perform actions we rightly call evil”. Citing Pope John Paul II’s words on the dignity of work, the cardinal said governments must contemplate

Australian Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Vatican’s Secretariat for the Economy, speaks at the presentation of the book Connected World at the Vatican. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS) whether “advances in technology will leave more jobs destroyed than created or vice versa”. “Would a democratic government ever be reconciled to a situation where an inactive majority receive a living allowance?” he asked. It is “a spectacular new option for a welfare society of unhappy dependants”. As the free market faces new challenges with the rise of technologies, the cardinal said, governments must ensure “that economies aren’t trapped by their own successes”. The election of Donald Trump as president of the US and the exit of the UK from the European Union, he added, “have shown that a strong majority of elite opinion will not necessarily prevail with the majority of the voters”. Cardinal Pell said if people experience personal tragedies and “radical inequality”, it “will provoke huge political changes. I think the bitterness will really increase if Trump is unable to effect any or many of his promised reforms”.—CNS

The Southern Cross, April 5 to April 11, 2017

INTERNATIONAL

Abuse commission: We want input from victims BY JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES

OLLOWING the resignation of a prominent member and abuse survivor, a pontifical commission charged with addressing issues related to clergy sex abuse vowed to continue to seek input from victims and survivors. The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors said the resignation of Marie Collins was a “central topic” of its plenary assembly, and it “expressed strong support for her continuing work” to promote healing for abuse victims and ensuring best practices for prevention. “Commission members have unanimously agreed to find new ways to ensure its work is shaped and informed with and by victims/survivors. Several ideas that have been successfully implemented elsewhere are being carefully considered for recommendation to the Holy Father,” the commission said in a statement published by the Vatican. Among the main concerns addressed by the commission was outreach to victims, an issue first raised by Ms Collins shortly after she resigned from her position.

In an editorial published online by National Catholic Reporter, Ms Collins said an unnamed dicastery—widely assumed to be the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith—not only refused to respond to letters from victims, it also refused to cooperate on the commission’s safeguarding guidelines. In its statement, the commission emphasised Pope Francis’ letter to the presidents of the bishops’ conferences and superiors of institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, in which he called for their close and complete cooperation with the Commission for the Protection of Minors. “The work I have entrusted to them includes providing assistance to you and your conferences through an exchange of best practices and through programmes of education, training and developing adequate responses to sexual abuse,” the pope said. Commission members spoke again of their willingness to work together with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, communicating a “guidelines template” to episcopal conferences and religious congregations, both directly and through the commission website,

the statement said. At a child protection seminar sponsored by the commision, Cardinal Sean O’Malley said: “Let there be no doubt about it: Pope Francis is thoroughly committed to rooting out the scourge of sex abuse in the Church” and “effectively making our Church safe for all people demands our collaboration on all levels”. A representative of every office of the Roman curia attended the seminar held at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University. After leading a prayer calling for a greater love for God and his creation, especially “your little ones”, Cardinal O’Malley said holding a study day was an important part of fighting complacency and knowing “we must continue to learn from our experiences, including our mistakes”, and to better share resources and knowledge. “There is simply no justification in our day for failures to enact concrete safeguarding standards for our children, young men and women and vulnerable adults,” he said. The Church not only needs to “reform and renew” its own institutions, but its members also must be “witnesses and strong advocates” in society.— CNS

A view of a section of the wall separating Mexico and the United States.The archdiocese of Mexico City has condemned Mexican companies wishing to work on the proposed wall. (Photo: Edgard Garrido, Reuters/CNS)

Church: Mexicans who build wall are traitors BY DAViD AGREN

HE archdiocese of Mexico City condemned Mexican companies wishing to work on the proposed wall being built on the US-Mexico border as “traitors”. “What’s regrettable is that on this side of the border, there are Mexicans ready to collaborate with a fanatical project that annihilates the good relationship between two nations that share a common border,” said the editorial in the archdiocesan publication Desde la Fe. “Any company that plans to invest in the fanatic Trump’s wall would be immoral, but above all, their shareholders and owner will be considered traitors to the homeland. Joining a project that is a grave affront to dignity is like

DR Congo’s bishops give up on peace mediation

ATHOLIC bishops in the Democratic Republic of Congo have abandoned attempts to arrange a government-opposition power-sharing agreement, amid rising violence. Archbishop Marcel Utembi Tapa of Kisangani, the bishops’ conference president, said the latest round of political negotiations were not satisfying the Congolese people. He said bishops had continued working with both sides but that all parties were pulling back from a consensus on issues previously agreed upon. “This lack of sincere political will did not allow for an agreement,” the archbishop said. “We are therefore bringing the political impasse in these discussions to national and international attention—as well as the lack of political goodwill and the incapacity of the political and social actors to find a compromise.” Archbishop Utembi said the bishops believed power-sharing negotiations, which followed a December

UN peacekeepers patrol near Kananga, DRC. The Catholic bishops in Congo have announced they are withdrawing from the peace process because of lack of progress. (Photo: Aaron Ross, Reuters/CNS) 31 Church-brokered peace accord, were now “in a state of failure”. He added that the politicians involved had failed to prioritise the nation or the people’s welfare. “The bishops’ conference cannot

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US cardinal dies at 86

mediate endlessly. It will now be up to President Joseph Kabila to find quick ways to implement agreement on a national unity government that can lead the country to presidential and parliamentary elections.” The bishops’ conference launched a mediation bid after opposition leaders accused Mr Kabila of seeking to retain power after the expiration of his second and final term. Under the December 31 accord, the president was to remain in office pending elections by the end of 2017, alongside a government headed by an opposition-nominated prime minister, but it also had to comply with constitutional provisions barring him from a third term. However, press reports said the accord’s implementation had been left in doubt since the death of opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, who was to have headed a 28-member national transition council.— CNS

BY GEORGE MATYSEK

ARDINAL William Keeler, of Baltimore, US, who was an international leader in CatholicJewish relations, died at age 86. Born in San Antonio and raised in Pennsylvania, William Keeler was ordained a priest in Rome July 17, 1955. He served as assistant priest before acting as a peritus, or special adviser, during Second Vatican Council meetings in Rome. He later was named vice-chancellor and vicar general of the Harrisburg diocese and an auxiliary bishop for the diocese in 1979. Four years later he was appointed its bishop. Pope John Paul II made him a cardinal in 1994. He retired in 2007. As part of his work with what is now the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Keeler developed a reputation for effectively building interfaith bonds. He is particularly

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noted for his work in furt h e r i n g Catholic-Jewish dialogue and was appointed moderator of Catholic-Jewish Relations. One of the cardinal’s last Cardinal William Keeler. Photo: Gre- major efforts gory Shemitz/CNS) was the R400 million campaign to restore US national shrine, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary basilica. Cardinal Keeler suffered serious health problems in the latter years of his ministry. He had to have brain surgery in 2006 following a car accident in Italy that resulted in the death of a friend.—CNS

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shooting yourself in the foot.” President Donald Trump ran on a promise of constructing a wall between the US and Mexico and has signed an executive order to begin building the barrier on the nearly 3200km US-Mexico border. The Mexican government has repeatedly said it will not pay for any border wall. Security analysts say illegal merchandise mostly crosses through legal ports of entry and express doubts a wall would keep out drugs, as Mr Trump insists. Catholics who work with migrants transiting the country en route to the US express doubts, too, saying those crossing the frontier illegally mostly do so with the help of human smugglers, who presumably pay bribes on both sides of the border.—CNS

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SA Youth Day 2017: What is being planned BY MANDLA ZIBI

HERE will be no registration on site at the Mini World Youth Day (MWYD) pilgrimage and celebrations to be held in Durban in December, according to the head of the organising team. The MWYD will be the second to be staged in South Africa. The first took place in December 2015 in Johannesburg. Fr Mthembeni Dlamini CMM, who also is the national youth chaplain, said instead of on-site registration, the whole process will be online in order to avoid the long queues and chaos that plagued the first MWYD. “Registration was one of our biggest headaches last time and we have decided to create an online platform which will be accessible only to youth chaplains and parish coordinators,” the priest told The Southern Cross. “This is to make sure we eliminate the wrong element that disrupted our last celebrations and that we protect the integrity of the event.” He pointed out that the decision also took account of the fact that the registration process contained an element of education as to the purpose and nature of the event. “To that end we will issue everyone with registration packs that speak to the issues pertinent to the celebrations and pilgrimage.” Regarding accommodation, this year will also do away with tents and dormitories that were used in 2015. Fr Dlamini confirmed that a number of hotels and lodges had been approached to provide accommodation for the pilgrims, saying that negotiations are at an advanced stage. Regarding catering, the priest said initially the organising team had considered engaging food franchises but was now concerned about delivery and health issues. “We are now working with an events company and they have suggested that a catering company is the best way to ensure that everything goes smoothly as far as food is concerned. This was again one of our biggest challenges in 2015,” he said. Another innovation this year is the “Days in Parishes” concept, which draws from the “Days in the Dioceses” concept of World Youth Days.

T he

Young pilgrims will spend at least two days in face-to-face interaction with ordinary parishioners in the archdiocese of Durban or the dioceses of Eshowe and Marianhill. “We envisage that on December 4-5 the youth will engage in parish and deanery activities respectively. We are talking to families in these parishes about accommodating the pilgrims during those days,” Fr Dlamini explained. “We also appeal to the religious community to open the doors of their religious houses and institutions to the young people during the event,” said the priest, himself a Mariannhill Missionary. “This could also be part of vocations promotion, where young people could learn about the work the brothers and sisters are doing. This may contribute to alleviating the prospect of some religious houses being on the brink of closing down on account of dwindling numbers,” he said. Fr Dlamini also appealed to dioceses to start fund-raising now in order to find sponsors for young people attending the event. Registration will close by October 31, and “everything should be paid for by then”, he said. The event is planned for 5 000 people . Each diocese should establish the number of pilgrims it will send as soon as possible. Every diocese has been allocated 172 places at MWYD. Should a diocese send fewer pilgrims they are urged to inform the registration team so that other dioceses can be allocated the balance. At least 400 volunteers—half of whom Durban archdiocese has already pledged—will be required for safety and security at the event. The expectation is that they will all be assembled at the Durban Exhibition Centre on the eve of the celebrations. “Unlike last time, this year we have a logo and a motto, ‘Young People’s Face and Vocation’, which is taken from next year’s Synod of Bishops on the Youth in the Vatican,” Fr Dlamini said. All the bishops who were asked to participate at the event have confirmed attendance and the final Mass will be conducted by the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Peter Wells

Brett Montanari as Jesus is tormented by two Roman soldiers. A scene from last year’s Way of the Cross performed by the Durban Catholic Players Guild at Mariannhill monastery. This year’s Way of the Cross will again be at Mariannhill on April 9. Entrance is free.

Dramatic Way of Cross for Durban BY MANDLA ZIBI

HE Durban Catholic Players Guild will once again perform the annual Way of the Cross at Mariannhill monastery church on Palm Sunday. The production will this year feature new actors from Mariannhill. The Guild has a long history of using drama to spread the Gospel, having produced the Durban Passion Play every five years—a tradition begun in 1952 by Fr Noel Coughlan OMI of Durban. In the years between Passion Plays, the Way of the Cross is produced. For many years it was performed at the Greyville Racecourse, but has now moved to Mariannhill. “The new venue in the cloister garden is perfect for meditation on the journey of Christ from his condemnation by Pilate to his crucifixion,” said Dawn Haynes, president of the Guild. “The performance consists of a narrated meditation accompanied by singing led by the choir from the Immaculate Conception church in Pinetown. There are about 30 cast members, five backstage technicians, two narrators, and the choir and musicians—about 60 people altogether,” she said. The performance is just under an hour long and the Knights of Da Gama are assisting with the organising, advertising and setting up on the day of the performance, said Ms Haynes. “Last year we had two performances, one

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at Greyville and one at Mariannhill. Around 600 people attended. Many people contacted us to say how moving the performance is and how it is a truly spiritual experience. There is no charge and all are welcome,” she said. Ms Haynes said she felt that the Way of the Cross was “the closest one can get to actually walking the path to Calvary” and a “personal journey with Christ” from the condemnation to the crucifixion. Mariannhill monastery has allowed the players the use of the former farm house to store all their props and costumes. Over the past 18 months, the Guild has renovated the house and now has a "home" at Mariannhill, Ms Haynes said. “Our way of thanking them for this is to perform the Way of the Cross at Easter as well as Carols by Candlelight at Christmas. We did this for the first time last year, so this is our second year at Mariannhill,” she said, adding that the brothers and the local community have been very supportive and excited to be involved in this form of evangelisation. “Fr Lawrence Mota and Br Konrad are always there to advise, assist and support us. I am sure that this collaboration with Mariannhill will be a rewarding experience to all, Ms Haynes said. The Way of the Cross will be performed on April 9 at 15:00 at Mariannhill monastery. Free entrance is through the church at the back of the tea garden. For enquiries 083 564 2929.

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The Southern Cross, April 5 to April 11, 2017

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

Are you at the cross?

URING Holy Week, many Catholics will sing the moving AfricanAmerican spiritual “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord”. And as they do, they may well feel like trembling, trembling, trembling. But this trembling should be occasioned not only by our horror at the suffering of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, which the hymn recalls. We may also have cause to tremble at the answers to the question the hymn poses for us today. Are we there at the cross, standing with the women whose devotion to Jesus conquers their fear, whose fidelity to the Lord is complete? In truth, most of us at some point—or maybe even much of the time—have taken flight from Christ, like the male disciples did, because we are so often faced with having to make compromises in our temporal decisions, in our careers and in our private desires, which come in the way of an absolute fidelity to Christ. We may, like Peter in the courtyard of the Sanhedrin, deny Christ: by doing things that we know violate the code of ethics instilled into us by our faith in Christ. When we sin, we deny Christ. We are no better than Peter in that courtyard. This indeed should cause us to tremble, tremble, tremble. But we have the consolation, like Peter did, that Jesus loves us unconditionally. No matter what we have done, there is always a way back to him. This is the lesson Bernadette Goulding shares with us in this issue when she narrates her emotional and spiritual struggles after having had an abortion, and her eventual healing and reconciliation with God. We might not be there when they crucified the Lord because we pass by the scene in our busy lives, not indifferent but occupied with more important things, thinking it is enough to attend to Christ on Sunday. Are we there with Jesus at all times? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Sometimes we may be: not as the grieving women but as the people hammering the nails through his wrists and ankles. Many who profess the Christian faith are acting in

ways that not only deny knowing Jesus but even repudiate his teachings. We may do this, for example, through our disregard for the poor—be it through the commission of common crimes or business collusion such as price-fixing or simply self-centred indifference to the impact our decisions have on those Christ calls us to aid. We nail Christ to the cross when we engage in activities that harm others, and keep on hammering in acts of spite or callousness that assail the dignity of groups of people, individuals and life itself. Few of us can claim to be entirely innocent of the charge of having been there, hammer in hand, when they crucified the Lord. But, like the centurion with the lance at the cross—the man tradition names as Longinus, who caused the last of the Five Holy Wounds of Christ—we always have the option of turning away from our big and small iniquities. Like Longinus, we have the option of looking at the Lord on the cross, repenting and exclaiming: “This man truly was the Son of God,” and accepting grace. And there are two others present when they crucified our Lord: the men executed on crosses at each side of him. One taunts him, rejects the promise of salvation. But the other condemned man acknowledges Christ as the Saviour and is redeemed. As Christians it is our calling to live in such a way that we won’t end up on a cross—but if we do, we still have the hope of salvation. None of us is beyond redemption, if we genuinely seek it. Very likely, most of us at various points are like the women at the cross, like the disciples going into hiding, like the centurion with the hammer, like the unengaged passer-by, like Longinus, like the “Good Thief”. Our question this week is whether we will stand with the women at the foot of the cross, loyal to Christ in every way, even if it hurts us. And will we accompany Mary Magdalene to the empty tomb, joining her in the witness that Christ is risen?

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.

Banks must be nailed for collusion

COULD not agree more with Bishop Abel Gabuza, chairman of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference’s Justice & Peace Commission, regarding the need to seek proper redress from parliament for collusion among the biggest cartelled banking system in the world (March 8). In South Africa, the banks are allowed by government to carry on as if nothing sinister, underhand, corrupt or diabolical has happened. The Competition Commission’s banking industry findings, with the courts of SA pronouncing on major bank collusion shenanigans, must be made to be binding and obligatory on all banks in SA and internationally. This should happen whether or not they are involved in the big banks’ currency pegging and manipulation scandal. The Parliamentary Standing

Müller a disgrace on Marie Collins

OUR editorial (March 8), on Marie Collins’ resignation from the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, was brilliant. I agree with it 100 percent. But the subsequent comments reportedly made by Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, are arrogant, demeaning and insulting to Ms Collins, especially as she is a mature woman. Cardinal Müller should publicly apologise to her for such disgraceful behaviour. I presume the cardinal did not ever suffer abuse. He said of Ms Collins that her accusations are based on a “misunderstanding”, and that bishops and religious superiors “who are closer to victims of clergy sexual abuse” are charged with their pastoral care. He ought to be reminded that she was very much closer—she was a victim! Furthermore, for Cardinal Müller to think that the description of the very obvious, serious problem Pope Francis is having with certain conservative members of the hierarchy, “is just a cliché that must be stopped”, means he can’t face up to the fact that, after 50 years, the vision of the Church Pope John XXIII had at the Second Vatican Council, is finally being actively promoted by Pope Francis, with the encouraging help of the Holy Spirit. As a lay person I want to know when certain members of the hierarchy worldwide are going to take seriously Papa Francesco’s injunction to get off their thrones and act like real, merciful, compassionate and understanding shepherds, and treat the laity as equal human beings? Antonio Tonin, East London

Committee on Finance must flex its potentially powerful muscles in this regard. I see no reason why they don’t act now already, as the evidence is plain for all South Africans, Africa, and the world, to see. Yes, due process must be followed. The people who can least afford to be ripped off are the ones who suffer the most in the banks’ collusion. A South African populationbased national civil action, in the form of a class action, involving human rights lawyers and the Hunan Rights Commission, must take these banks to task. There is ubiquitous colluding to manipulate for gain in already highprofits, private-sector cartels in SA and the Western world, and their directors, CEOs, CFOs, COOs and shareholders must pay dearly in kind and penalty, as they are the chief beneficiaries of these ill-gotten gains. Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in Letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the Catholic hierarchy. The letters page in particular is a forum in which readers may exchange opinions on matters of debate. Letters must not be understood to necessarily reflect the teachings, disciplines or policies of the Church accurately. Letters can be sent to pO box 2372, Cape Town 8000 or editor@scross.co.za or faxed to 021 465-3850

Marian shrine an opulent mistake

N the report “Archbishop turns sod for Jo’burg’s Marian Shrine” (March 8), Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg is quoted as saying: “The shrine is a response to the apparent loss of Catholics to the aggressive wave of the Pentecostal, Evangelical and Charismatic movements. It seeks to reinvigorate our lukewarm Catholic faith; to kindle the faith of lapsed Catholics and to invite back those who have abandoned the Catholic Church.” He then said that R9 million worth of land had been allocated to the project but “more money is needed…about R8 million”. As a Catholic convert of some 33 years, I feel a sense of profound hopelessness and, yes, even anger, at the movement to establish this archdiocesan Marian shrine. We, the churchgoing Catholics, are being pressured to hand over ever-increasing amounts of money to build a shrine that is evolving into a monument of opulence. We saw the artist’s impressions in the March 2017 issue of AD News. How do we reconcile this with: “Archbishop Buti said those who are diseased, impoverished, rejected or overburdened can see their predicament through the

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Companies individually, as living legal entities, be they famous brands or not, must also bear the full brunt of such a national civil suit. This must be done even at the expense of imploding the SA economy, to truly restructure it fairly for the sake of the transformation so desperately needed here in SA. This statement sounds harsh and irresponsible, yet did these demeaning and diabolical minds—in these inhumane general businesses, led by supposed captains of industry, partaking knowingly in these evil collusion practices—ever consider that the poor and indigent were the ones being robbed for their extremely high gain? That to them is not even a blip on their consciences as they have very expensive, imported singlemalt whiskeys and the best imported Cuban cigars to put them to sleep every night. Justice is needed here in SA now! Denzel Harper, Port Elizabeth

prism of Mary, the Mother of Mercy. Mary is also the Mother of Sorrows”, as reported in the same issue of AD News? Surely these vast amounts of money could help alleviate the impoverishment, disease, and homelessness the archbishop refers to? In The Southern Cross, he offers another justification for the shrine: it’s “only a taxi away”. Do these “little people” have money to eat, buy medication, pay school fees, let alone take a succession of taxis to arrive at this place of plenty? We wonder how people living in shacks or on the streets might feel about the money being pumped into this shrine. We wonder. Will this building be a bulwark against fleeing Catholics? Might our humble Mary, Mother of God, have a view about her name being attached to this? Is our merciful God going to say, “Well done, my good and faithful servants?” Clare Drew, Johannesburg

Hearing the Word

S a speech and drama teacher, I offered to read at Mass. My parish priest reminded me that we should proclaim the Word and not treat it as a private conversation or a quiet bedtime story. After proclaiming the Word a few times, he suggested I take a step back from the microphone. I really did not need it. There is no need to shout, most churches have microphones nowadays. Many parishioners, especially the elderly, were delighted to “hear” the readings. Hoping for an improvement all round. Name withheld

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PERSPECTIVES

A child-centred SA I N the midst of the political muddle that is South Africa, we need to re-vision a defining ideal. Part of the frustration and disillusionment of the current molasses mess we find ourselves in is that the defining narratives and metaphors no longer hold the popular imagination. When the political capital of the liberation struggle, the so-called Rainbow Nation, the colonial mentality and the unresolved trauma and anger no longer hold our attention, what can we say that the psyche of South Africans—as defined by the Freedom Charter—will be captured by? In Johannesburg, and in many other parts of the country, the early pioneers of Catholicism focused on the real needs that they found in this dusty and “temporary” settlement. From the arrival of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Bordeaux, they tackled courageously the defining problems of an area that was initially ignored by the rudimentary government of the time. Kruger’s Volksraad hoped (like a later president did with the HIV pandemic) that the settlement would just disappear, like other gold rush places. It was all about exploitation. The Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek never made provision for healthcare or education in the tent city that was Johannesburg. That’s where the courageous Sisters of the Holy Family of Bordeaux came in. They and the Church that followed their lead focused on children and healthcare. If we are to find a new defining narrative for South Africa after the inevitable departure of the current president pro tem, what should that be? I think that we need to re-vision a country to be child-centred. Imagine a defining vision that starts from the health of mother and child in the womb, to proper care and provision for dignified housing, proper schooling, effective nutrition and so on. This child-centred vision is not the banaba Mbeki idea of endless grants but a

defining vision of community and government placing children at the centre of everything we do. Imagine a country and a Church where our central tenet and focus is on our children! In some ways the current South African political process has this in play with such legislation as the Children’s Act and the very interesting efforts of the Department of Basic Education to focus on Early Childhood development best practice. Yet, this focus won’t reach fruition as those who are trying to pursue this vision have been hamstrung by the Termination of Pregnancy Act. By choosing death over life, I believe that they have killed the possibilities of a child-centric country.

his country is very young. Part of the attraction of the angry narrative of the Economic Freedom Front and others is that these are generally disruptive young people who will not keep quiet about their exclusion and marginalisation. No longer will a delayed gratification promise be useful or effective. If we take the child seriously, it will dictate so many of the policies and priorities of community and government. Imagine if you asked the state security apparatus if the 26 vehicles of the presidential motorcade is child-centric? What of the behindthe-bicycle-shed scraps that is parliament,

if South Africa became a truly child-centric nation, much would change, argues Fr Chris Townsend.

An old saint for SA today I NSPIRATION. Encouragement. This is what ordinary people are searching for as they struggle for happiness in their everyday lives. No doubt it is this that distinguishes Pope Francis from most other leaders in the world today. Our present crop of political leaders leave much to be desired as they espouse anything but the values of Christ. Most of us look back to Christ for inspiration and many find it easier to be inspired by ordinary people like ourselves who have incarnated the values of Christ, or by what we commonly call the Gospel values. In South Africa many look back to Nelson Mandela as a great leader. But he would be the first to acknowledge his frailty. Many nations have shining examples of sanctity. South Africa has entered this league with the beatification of one of our own, Bl Benedict Daswa, who was martyred less than 30 years ago. The Church is blessed with a galaxy of saints who stood out in some way, incarnating the values of the Gospel. With our history of apartheid one saint who stands out as a shining example and inspiration is the Dominican St Martin de Porres. Even though born as long ago as 1579, St Martin continues to be an inspiration to people across the world who have a strong devotion to him and who continue to re-

icon of St Martin de Porres, a 16th-century saint who is relevant to South Africa today, Fr Emil Blaser OP writes. quest his intercession. Martin was born illegitimately of an African slave woman and a Spaniard, loyal to the Spanish throne. His father disowned him and his name is not even mentioned in the baptismal register.

ecause Martin was of mixed race he was initially not allowed to be clothed in the habit of the Dominican order, which was the practice of the time. Thanks be to God, during his lifetime he was admitted to full membership of the order and clothed accordingly. St Martin experienced racial discrimination at first hand. But this did not deter him from struggling for his human rights

Fr Chris Townsend

Pastor’s Notebook

the Twitter outrages, the never-resolving discussions on race and colonialism and tribal politics? I hazard that if we focus on being child-centric, this will be relegated to the position that it should occupy. If a whole country focuses on the child, we can demand that healthcare be revisioned so the benefit works to the child and the parent. We can demand that education is removed from its current reductio ad absurdium downward spiral. We can ask if the refugee Child or undocumented migrant child can be included and not excluded as it currently is. We can see that transport legislation focuses less on who isn’t paying and more on the horrifically unsafe transport solutions for children. Possibly the deepest and most profound re-visioning will be the need of parents to rethink their responsibility towards their children. Our urban South African culture—and possibly most of our culture—has forced or allowed parents to abandon their children to the other: the educator, the hired help, the relatives. In my work with schools, many schools have children on premises from 6am to after 6pm. This is a culture that has put career over children. Yes, many parents need to work absurd hours to make ends meet— most South African children coming as they do from single-parent households— but is this the future that we want? In the Church we often hear that most irritating and fairly inaccurate idea that “the youth are the future of the Church”. If we as Church are going to lead the paradigm shift to being child-centric, we need to be able to recognise—as Our Lord Jesus did—that children in so many ways are the Church and that we need to be able to revise our interaction to be child-centric. One wonders if this focus would not radically change our approach to liturgy, language and mostly catechesis.

Fr Emil Blaser OP

Point of Devotion

and seeking sanctity. Throughout his life he applied his expertise and skills to whoever needed his services. Despite being at the receiving end of racial discrimination, he manifested love and care to all who approached him. At one moment a sick bishop would request his attention while the next moment he would be sweeping the floor and cleaning the toilets. Devotion to St Martin is popular throughout the world. All kinds of people, across the board, look to him for inspiration and encouragement. In South Africa attention to St Martin was crystallised in the 1950s when Fr Nicholas Humphreys OP pioneered devotion to him. Today this work continues and more and more people are calling upon St Martin to pray for us and to be our inspiration. An inspiring newsletter is published in South Africa every two months and this is printed by kind favour of John Shalala of Jetline. The newsletter is also available on the website www.stmartincentre.org.za or on the website of Radio Veritas, www. radioveritas.co.za Parishes dedicated to St Martin de Porres can request these newsletters at info@stmartincentre.org.za

Fr Thabang Nkadimeng OMI

Point of Reflection

Let popes inspire us in social justice

E missed the 40th anniversary by two years, but when Pope Benedict XVI published his social encyclical Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth) it followed Paul VI’s 1967 encyclical Populorum progressio on human development. We have just observed the 50th anniversary of Pope Paul’s landmark encyclical—and the 30th of that of John Paul II’s Sollicitudo rei socialis, which was published in 1987 to mark 20 years since Populorum Progressio. The immediate link between these three encyclicals is the Christology inherent within the theme of development. Paul VI affirms that “life in Christ is the first and principal factor of development”, a notion underlined by Benedict in Caritas in veritate. Benedict has a thought-provoking way in which he addresses the social issues. Ecclesiology is never divorced from the social doctrine of the Church and he even states that Populorum Progressio would be a document without roots if it were seen apart from the “tradition of the apostolic faith”. The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) is linked in a close way to Populorum Progressio, as Paul VI states in the opening pages of the encyclical and as John Paul II later affirms. Consequently, for Benedict these encyclicals are not only social awareness documents but also documents of faith, linked to the whole life of the Church. The link that these encyclicals have with the whole life of the Church was well expressed by Paul VI in saying: “The whole Church, in all her being and acting—when she proclaims, when she celebrates, when she performs works of charity—is engaged in promoting integral human development.” The need for a Christian humanism is therefore a point of departure, defining what man is and what kind of humanism he should strive to achieve. Charity is the greatest of all the theological virtues because it transforms the earthly city and prepares for the eternal city. Faith and hope are important in the earthly city, but only charity remains in the eternal city. Therefore, to love is to be looking forward to the beatific vision in which love will gaze at Love par excellence. If in the earthly city man may be transformed by charity, then he is in an experience of the “already and not yet”, where he is transformed in the earthly city and given a taste of the Heavenly Jerusalem. The issues of people living in great poverty and misery mentioned by Paul VI—particularly in countries still living under colonialism or those who were about to gain their independence in the wake of 1967—has not changed. Although colonialism was bad and nations needed to be independent, what followed after independence in some places was worse or pretty much the same kind of torment caused by fellow leaders to their countrymen. The relationship, therefore, of Populorum Progressio and Caritas in veritate on integral human development should be seen within the framework of striving for a truly Christian humanism embedded in Christology, ecclesiology and social concern and guiding towards the heavenly Jerusalem, the Eternal City. In 1988, Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote to then-State President PW Botha stating this need for social concern and the end of apartheid. His words can be our concluding remarks too: “Apartheid...claims that what makes a person qualify for privilege and political power is that biological irrelevance, the colour of a person’s skin and his ethnic antecedents. Apartheid says those are what make a person matter. “That is clearly at variance with the teaching of the Bible and the teaching of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Hence the Church’s criticism that your apartheid policies are not only unjust and oppressive. They are positively unbiblical, unchristian, immoral and evil.”

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The Southern Cross, April 5 to April 11, 2017

TRAVEL

The sites of Holy Week in Jerusalem In February GüNTHER SiMMERMACHER made a private visit to the Holy Land. In the fourth of a series of six articles, he follows the sites of Holy Week in Jerusalem.

HAT a scene it must have been when Jesus and his entourage of disciples and supporters descended the Mount of Olives to the cheers of his newfound fans. And what a baffling sight it must have been as Jesus made his triumphal entry astride not a thoroughbred stallion but a humble donkey. The Palm Sunday story begins really on the other side of the Mount of Olives, at Bethany. A few days earlier, Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, in front of many witnesses. While Jesus withdrew for a while to the village of Ephraim, word of this incredible event must have spread quickly, and with it great excitement. Raising people from the dead is headline news in any age. Both Ephraim and Bethany still exist. The former is now called Taybeh, and is the region’s last 100% Christian village. Bethany—which like Taybeh is in the occupied West Bank—is now called al-Eizariya, Arabic for “the place of Lazarus”. Jesus knew the place by its Aramaic name, Beth Anya. Scholars are still arguing over its meaning. But it is from the events there, the hometown of Martha and Mary, that Jesus’ celebrity reached such heights as to attract the cheering crowds as he made his way down the Mount of Olives and into Jerusalem. Jesus knew the Mount of Olives well. Amid its olive groves and graveyards, there were caves where he would shelter with the disciples. In one of them, near the top, he reputedly taught the disciples the Lord’s Prayer. The Paternoster church recalls this by way of featuring the Our Father on ceramic plaques in many different languages and dialects, including six of South Africa’s official languages.

From left: A pilgrim kneels below the altar of Calvary in the church of the Holy Sepulchre to touch the rock on which the cross stood • Station iii (Jesus falls for the first time) in the Polish Catholic Chapel on the Via Dolorosa • Archbishop Stephen Brislin celebrates Mass in May 2014 at the Rock of the Agony in the church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives. (All photos: Günther Simmermacher) Further down he wept for the future destruction of Jerusalem as he looked across the Kidron Valley on the temple (Mt 23:37-39, Lk 19:4144). Jerusalem indeed went up in Roman flames four decades later. The tear-shaped church of Dominus Flevit (The Lord Wept) marks the Lord’s distress over the city’s disastrous future. At the foot of the mount is the Garden of Gethsemane—but let’s return there later, for at present Jesus is still entering Jerusalem to great cheers. Tradition says that he entered the Holy City from the east through what we now call the Golden Gate, which has been walled up since medieval times. Jews believe that the Messiah will emerge from there to raise the dead buried in the vast graveyards on the Mount of Olives. Like the sun rises in the East, so will the Messiah. According to the synoptic gospels, Jesus overturned the tables of the money-changers in the temple after his entry into Jerusalem (John places the incident earlier in his ministry). It probably was above all this act of rebellion against the corrupt and exploitative temple authorities that led to his prosecution, more so than his challenge to Jewish doctrines—such as healing people on the Sabbath—or even his claim to be the Son of God or a king.

The way to Gethsemane The timeline of Jesus’ arrest, trial and execution always strikes me as very tight. The late Holy

Land scholar Fr Bargil Pixner OSB suggested that Jesus’ family had background in the Essene community —whom we know from their Dead Sea Scrolls—who had their Passover seder starting on Tuesday nights. This explanation would give us some time to accommodate the events leading up to Jesus’ death. The Last Supper was held on Mount Zion. Tradition places it at the Cenacle (or Upper Room), now a Crusader structure that later was turned into a mosque. Some archaeological finds suggest that this might indeed be the place where Jesus instituted the Eucharist and from where Judas slunk off to meet up with Caiaphas and pals. On their way to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus and his disciples would have walked on a flight of steps which still exists today, next to the church of St Peter in Gallicantu. These steps date to the first century BC, and they were the only way one would have taken from Mount Zion to Gethsemane. These indisputably are steps on which Jesus, Peter, John and the rest walked. The scenes in the Garden of Gethsemane are thick with anticipation of the worst. In the company of eleven tired disciples, Jesus is alone. Amid the olive trees, he sits on a rock as in prayer he begs to be spared his suffering, weeping and sweating blood (a real medical condition called hematidrosis). That rock, or the one reputed to be, is the centrepiece in the striking church of All Nations, designed by the peerless Antonio Barluzzi. The church is kept deliberately dark, to recall the night. The Rock of the Agony is at the altar, around it a low crown of thorns in iron. While Jesus was praying, the disciples were sleeping, probably in a grotto about a hundred metres away. It is likely that Jesus himself used that cave as shelter. Now it is a chapel, with the cave’s ceiling preserved.

The way to Golgotha In the morning Jesus is brought to Pontius Pilate. He is convicted and sentenced, tortured, and then begins his excruciating walk to Golgotha. Pilgrims recall that journey on the Via Dolorosa, the Stations of the Cross. They begin at the location where the Romans’ Antonia Fortress once stood (first visiting the remains of the Pools of Bethesda and the traditional birthplace of Mary at the 900-year-old Crusader church of St Anne). Scholars believe that Pilate would have held court not at the fortress, in the city’s east, but at Herod’s Palace at today’s Jaffa Gate in the north-west. But the geography is not important—the destination is. The church of the Holy Sepulchre was built over Golgotha soon after Christianity was legalised in the early 4th century. Various historical and archaeological insights leave no room for reasonable doubt that this is the place of the crucifixion and resurrection. Here one touches the rock on which the cross stood—the very spot on which Our Lord let go with the words, “It is accomplished”— and here one may enter the tomb from which he rose again. This place doesn’t merely symbolise the death and resurrection of Our Lord. This is the place! For Christians, there can be no holier spot on earth.

Where the women stood Calvary and the tomb from which Christ rose—located in the now beautifully restored edicule— command our attention. As does the Stone of Unction, which marks the place where Jesus’ dead body was prepared for burial (though the stone itself is only two centuries old). But very few people notice an insignificant-looking canopy in the entrance hall of the church, a few

Jesus in the dungeon

The chapel of the Three Marys in Jerusalem’s church of the Holy Sepulchre, with a view up to Calvary. One would go left to reach the tomb of the Resurrection.

Jesus is arrested and led back to what is now called Mount Zion, back up those steps that still exist today, to the high priests’ palace. Today the church of St Peter in Gallicantu marks the place. Some scholars argue that it can’t be the right spot, for the high priest would have lived high up on the mount. And Caiaphas probably did. But archaeologists have found items and tools that suggest that this was the administrative headquarters of the high priest and Sanhedrin. In the crypt is what is reputed to be the cell in which Jesus was held— likely an unfinished cistern or mikvah (ritual bath), but used as a dungeon. Standing in the dungeon and imaging Jesus’ torment—the fear and isolation!—is unnerving. More so when one spots, in the right lighting, what appears to be the image of Jesus’ face in a crevice in the cell’s wall.

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metres from both the Stone of Unction and the tomb. It is not ancient, nor is it a masterpiece of design, and it’s easy to miss as one walks to the anastasis, the part of the church where the tomb is. Nobody really talks about it at all. It is the chapel of the Three Marys, representing the diverse women standing vigil at Calvary in the hours leading to Jesus’ death, who then took him from the cross and prepared him for the rushed internment in the tomb provided by Joseph of Arimathea. The gospels can’t decide on the identity of the women in that small group. The chapel’s eponymous trio of Marys is based on John’s account: Mary the Mother of Jesus, Mary wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene (only the latter is also named by Matthew and Mark, both of whom cite only two Marys; Luke doesn’t even bother with names). The location of the chapel suggests that the women stood at a distance at the foot of the hill of Golgotha (or Calvary), looking up, as we do now in the church of the Holy Sepulchre. In a church where the focus is, obviously, on the crucified and risen Lord, the chapel of the Three Marys is a salutary reminder that Jesus was not alone when he died. And it pays tribute to the courage of women when Jesus’ male friends had run off (only John places himself at the cross). The Church has a way of diminishing the heroism of women, and the important role they played in the ministry of Christ and in his movement. The chapel of the Three Marys helps tell the Good Friday story—but, intended or not, it also pays due tribute to the central place of women in the Nazarene’s movement. And at dawn after the Sabbath, Mary of Magdala returned to that place. Approaching the rock-cut tomb she found that the stone had been rolled away... Next week: The Crusades

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LIFE

Divine mercy after an abortion After having an abortion, BERNADETTE GOULDiNG couldn’t forgive herself — but found that God could!

BORTION has made a deep and hidden wound in societies all over the world. Many women and men in and outside our communities are suffering from the consequences of abortion. I had an abortion many years ago and know the pain, shame, guilt, regret and self-condemnation which follow. It is a life-altering decision. Who are the women who choose abortion? They are our daughters, wives, sisters, relatives, friends and members of our parish communities. Very often they carry a secret wound in their hearts that is reopened every time they hear a baby cry or see a pregnant woman. The pain is so deep that very often many women cannot even say the word “abortion” without suffering interior distress Many women choose abortion to save a relationship, or keep their boyfriend from leaving. Whatever the situation, the sad fact is that most relationships do not survive an abortion. Even if abortion helps you to achieve some desired goal in life, many women discover, as I did, that the goal they have achieved has lost its meaning. Abortion was presented to me as a very simple procedure. I was told by the doctor that nothing was there but merely some cells, and that I would be just fine afterwards.

I wasn’t. Instead, I suffered for many years from depression, anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares, self-hatred, low self-esteem, and undeniable grief. I believed that I had committed the unforgivable sin and that there was no way back for me. For many years I was too afraid to go to confession because I believed that God would not forgive me. Eventually I went to confession, and for a short time I would feel peace— but very soon I’d begin to doubt that I was forgiven. Repeat-confessions are very common for women who have had abortions. With abortion there is no focus for your grief. There is no body to bury, no graveside to visit, no family and friends to help you grieve your loss—so the grieving goes on and on. I felt like I had a big A (for abortion) on my forehead. I felt that I deserved to suffer and that I had no right to be happy ever again.

Don’t waste your suffering I kept the secret of my abortion for many years until one day I confided in a friend, who told me: “Don’t waste your suffering”—let God use it for good. I went to confession and the priest was kind and compassionate. He told me that God had forgiven me, and now I must forgive myself. He asked me to give my baby a name. I named my unborn child Gabriel. My life changed after that. I had touched the hem of His garment. I had experienced his unfathomable mercy. I had to give my guilt and my grief to the Lord.

Bernadette Goulding, who writes here about her experience of having had an abortion and how she found healing. Only those who have experienced such forgiveness can appreciate what I am talking about. It is life-transforming; it is the witnessing of a miracle, a participation in the Resurrection of Christ. The wounds of abortion run deep. Healing can happen only when the isolation and secrecy are dismantled, and your story is shared with others who do not condemn or judge you. Only then is it possible to grieve. Many women and men often consider abortion as the “unforgivable sin”. Feeling alienated from God and without hope of reconcili-

ation has left many too terrified to confess. Absolution takes away the sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders that sin has caused. For many the sacrament of reconciliation is not the end of the journey, but most often, it is the beginning. It’s a beginning made through stepping out in spite of fear, with courage and humility, to receive God’s forgiveness. We know that God works with those who love him, those who have been called in accordance with his purpose, and turns everything to their good (Romans 8:28). When God forgives our sins, he casts them out into the ocean of his mercy, and he puts a sign up on the shore: No fishing! God has healed me and freed me from the human shame of abortion, not because I have forgotten and don’t regret it, but because I have acknowledged my sin, knowing that I do not deserve divine mercy. I had to go before God without my defences, my denial and all my excuses. I had to face my life with honesty.

Miracles out of mistakes God can make miracles out of our mistakes. I have been leading Rachel’s Vineyard retreats in Ireland for the past 14 years. Rachel’s Vineyard is a beautiful weekend retreat for women and men who have been hurt by abortion. It was founded in the United States by Dr Theresa Burke. This beautiful retreat offers women and men an opportunity to examine their abortion experience, identify the ways that the loss has affected

them, and acknowledge the pain and suffering the loss of their unborn child has caused them I have also taken this beautiful retreat to several other countries, England, Scotland, Malta, Lebanon, Korea, the Faroe Islands, Hungary, and just recently had the first Rachel’s Vineyard retreat in Cape Town. For anyone who is suffering after an abortion, there is hope and healing at a Rachel’s Vineyard retreat. God’s mercy is unfathomable. An Irish priest who works with me on the retreats had this to say: “These weekends are truly amazing. Women, who have felt isolated, ashamed and alone, finally get a voice, and are allowed to tell their story in a safe and non-judgmental atmosphere, where they experience total acceptance. They come from all denominations and none, where they can safely talk, share, cry, and laugh together. “The tears of the Catholic, the former Catholic, the Protestant, the agnostic and the atheist are indistinguishable.” They also strengthen the cause of advancing respect for every human life. I have seen how these women— and men too—go on to become marvellous witnesses of hope and healing. In finding forgiveness they find humility and a renewal of their faith. Emptying the grief to make room for God’s grace is the work of Rachel’s Vineyard. n Find out more at www.rachelsvineyard.ie. For Rachel’s Vineyard retreats in South Africa please contact Angie in Cape Town at 082 852-1284 or Moira in Durban at 084 468 8890.

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Is Church hostile to sex? BY MARiE-ANNE TE BRAKE

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HE Catholic Church is hostile to sex.” This comment comes up so often, and I can’t help wondering if people say this to justify society’s and their own immoral sexual behaviour. What most of them don’t realise is that it is not the Church but they who are “hostile to sex”. If we all understood the true, Christian meaning of sexual intercourse—simply put, as the physical expression of the marriage vows made at the altar—then we would realise that our worldly expression of sexual love is an expression of hostility towards its true meaning. The sexual act (or marital act, as it used to be called) is an expression of Christian marital love. What is Christian love? Simply, concern for the other; placing the other first. Sexual intercourse is the most complete way of expressing the total gift of one person to another. What do we mean by total? Total means self-donation of one to the other in its entirety and until death. It can’t be total for a few hours or

just a couple of years. Sexual intercourse is the mystical expression of self-giving love, iconic of Christ’s love for the Church (Ephesians 5:25). How did Christ love his bride, the Church? By laying down his life (total), which he did of his own free will so that we might have life (fruitful) and have it in abundance. Christian marriage reflects this free, total, faithful and fruitful love of Christ. There is much we don’t know about sex and marriage. The worldrenowned Catholic speakers Christopher West and Jason Clark from the COR Project USA will be in South Africa in September to address the youth, married couples, singles, clergy and religious on how the Church is anything but hostile towards sex, and similar topics. n Marie-Anne te Brake represents the Foundation for the Person and the Family. To find out more about the Christopher West conference contact 078 534-0389 for more info or go to www.tobsa.co.za to register. Also see page 2

CLASSIFIEDS

Sr Eunan O’Donoghue HC

OLY Cross Sister Eunan O’Donoghue died on March 10 at the age of 94, in the 74th year of her religious profession. Sr Eunan was an extraordinary and very passionate person: she was passionate about Ireland, about her family, about God, about Jesus, about the Church, about whatever ministry she happened to be engaged in. Her life’s journey took her to many places, such as South Africa, Lesotho, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Her one great ministry was to set up the first school for African girls in Mukaro, Zimbabwe. She was the founding principal. Sr Eunan was prayerful and had a very trusting relationship

with the Lord. She had an uncomplicated faith in God, in Jesus, in the Catholic faith. She loved being a Catholic, a nun, a

Community Calendar

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

CApe TOWN: Retreat day/quiet prayer last Saturday of each month except December, at Springfield Convent in Wynberg, Cape Town. Hosted by CLC, 10.00-3.30. Contact Jill on 083 282 6763 or Jane on 082 783 0331. perpetual Adoration Chapel at Good Shepherd parish, Bothasig, welcomes all visitors. Open 24 hours a day. The parish is at 1 Goede Hoop St, Bothasig. Phone 021 558 1412. DURbAN: Holy mass and Novena to St Anthony at St Anthony’s parish every Tuesday at 9:00. Holy mass

and Divine mercy Devotion at 17:30 on first Friday of every month. Sunday mass at 9:00. Phone 031 309 3496 or 031 209 2536. Overport rosary group. St Antony’s church opposite the Greyville racecourse in Durban. Every Wednesday at 18.30. Contact Keith Chetty on 083 372 9018. NeLSpRUIT: Adoration of the blessed Sacrament at St Peter’s parish every Tuesday from 8:00 to 16:45, followed by Rosary, Divine mercy prayers, then a mass/Communion service at 17:30.

missionary and a Holy Cross Sister. In her long life she taught in various schools, from the foundation phase though to adult education. In her 50s she studied to be a social worker and then devoted herself in that sphere. Later she assisted in the many facets of parish work, even preaching in the cathedral of Mthatha at Sunday Mass. Her last assignment was assisting in the retreat centre in Mariannhill. As well as other things, she was also a talented cook. In the late 1980s Sr Eunan retired to Lady Selborne. Retirement presented its own challenge but Sr Eunan continued to do all she could in the retired community there.

Our bishops’ anniversaries

This week we congratulate: April 10: Archbishop Buti Tlhagale OMI of Johannesburg on the 18th anniversary of his episcopal ordination April 15: Bishop Duncan Tsoke, auxiliary bishop of Johannesburg, on his 53rd birthday

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Liturgical Calendar Year A – Weekdays Cycle Year 1 Sunday April 9, Palm Sunday Procession: Matthew 21, 1-11 Isaiah 50:4-7, Psalms 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24, Philippians 2:6-11, Matthew 26:14--27:66 Monday April 10 of Holy Week Isaiah 42:1-7, Psalms 27:1-3, 13-14, John 12:1-11 Tuesday 11 of Holy Week Isaiah 49:1-6, Psalms 71:1-6, 15, 17, John 13:21-33, 36-38 Wednesday 12 of Holy Week Isaiah 50:4-9, Psalms 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34, Matthew 26:14-25 Thursday 13, Holy Thursday Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14, Psalms 116:12-13, 15-18, Psalms 116:12-13, 15-18, John 13:1-15 Friday 14, Good Friday Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Psalms 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25, Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9, John 18:1--19:42 Saturday 15, Holy Saturday First reading: Genesis 1:1--2:2, Psalms 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12-14, 24, 35 or Psalms 33:4-7, 12-13, 20-22 Second reading: Genesis 22:1-18, Psalms 16:5, 8-11 Third reading: Exodus 14:15--15:1, Responsorial psalm Exodus 15:1-6, 17-18 Fourth reading: Isaiah 54:5-14, Psalms 30:2, 4-6, 11-13 Fifth reading: Isaiah 55:1-11, Responsorial psalm Isaiah 12:2-6 Sixth reading: Baruch 3:9-15, 32--4:4, Psalms 19:8-11 Seventh reading: Ezekiel 36:16-28, Psalms 42:3, 5; 43:3-4 Eighth reading: Romans 6:3-11, Psalms 118:1-2, 15-17, 22-23 Gospel: Matthew 28:1-10 Sunday 16, Easter Sunday Acts 10:34, 37-43, Psalms 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23, Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, John 20:1-9 or Matthew 28:1-10

The Southern Cross, April 5 to April 11, 2017

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ful glance upon those who are suffering, struggling against difficulties, with their lips constantly pressed against life’s bitter cup. Have pity on those who love each other and are separated. Have pity on our rebellious hearts. Have pity on our weak faith. Have pity on those we love. Have pity on those who weep, on those who pray, on those who fear. Grant hope and peace to all. Amen.

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HeAR me, Lord, on behalf of all those who are dear to me, all whom i have in mind at this moment. Be near them in all their anxieties and worries, give them the help of your saving grace. i commend them all with trustful confidence to your merciful love. Remember, Lord, all who are mindful of me: all those who have asked me to pray for them; all who have been kind to me; all who have wronged me, or whom i have wronged by ill will or misunderstanding. Give all of us to bear each other’s faults, and to share each other’s burdens. Have mercy on the souls of our loved ones who have gone before us. Grant them peace and happiness. Amen. O HOLY VIRGIN, in the midst of your days of glory, do not forget the sorrows of this earth. Cast a merci-

FATHeR, you have given all peoples one common origin. it is your will that they be gathered together as one family in yourself. Fill the hearts of mankind with the fire of your love and with the desire to ensure justice for all. By sharing the good things you give us, may we secure an equality for all our brothers and sisters throughout the world. May there be an end to division, strife and war. May there be a dawning of a truly human society built on love and peace. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

GOD bLeSS AFRICA

Guard our people, guide our leaders and give us peace. Luke 11:1-13

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Easter Sunday: April 16 Readings: Acts 10:34, 37-43, Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23, Colossians 3:1-4, John 20:1-9 or Matthew 28:1-10

EXT Sunday we reach at last what we have been aiming for all through this Lenten journey: Easter Sunday, the greatest feast of the Church’s year, the climax not only of Lent but of the three special days that begin on Maundy Thursday. And we shall be in Easter mood for the next seven weeks until Pentecost. And what is that Easter mood? It is the certainty that God has conquered death by raising Jesus from the tomb, so that all those earthly powers who knew that they had to destroy him, and all those not-verybrave disciples who ran away when they thought that they had been destroyed, were proved wrong. The mood is given powerful expression in the two Gospels that you will hear on Easter Sunday. If (as I hope you will) you attend the Mass of the Vigil on Holy Saturday night, the Gospel you will hear proclaimed is Matthew’s account of Easter Sunday morning (since this is the year of Matthew). Matthew begins his story “early in the week” (or, just possibly, “early on the Sabbath”), and the appearance of the two Marys, “the Magdalene and the other one”, who come, bravely enough, “to look at the tomb”. But then Matthew offers a highly dramatic

S outher n C ross

Get into the Easter mood effect (as he does at several key moments in his Gospel) with two words: “Behold!” which in Matthew (though some translations, alas, miss it out) always means “Watch out—God is at work” and “earthquake”, which is likewise a sign of the divine activity. And, in case we had not got the point, we have (as at the beginning of his Gospel) “the angel of the Lord having come down from heaven”, who “approached and rolled away the stone”, and then (in a charmingly triumphant gesture) “sat on top of it”. We are given an account of his appearance: “like lightning, and his clothing white as snow”, reminding us of what happened to Jesus at the Transfiguration. Then ironically we are told what happened to the “watchers”, who had been put there in order to avoid the theft of the corpse by Jesus’ disciples: “They were earthquaked and became like corpses” (God has a sense of humour, you see). Meanwhile the angel explains the situation to the women: “Don’t be afraid” (which is what God always says to us), and goes on: “He was raised—as he said.” However, Resurrection does not stop there, for it involves a commission (are you ready for it? This is your task this week): “Off you

go, and tell his disciples that he was raised from the corpses.” Then more about the mission: “Behold” (that word again) “he is going before you into the Galilee [where Matthew’s Gospel began the story of Jesus’ ministry]—you are going to see him there.” Then the message sinks in and the women experience two emotions that are quite appropriate for Easter Sunday: “fear” and “great joy”. Now they run (a rather rare phenomenon in Scripture, so it underlines how special is this day); and into their running, “Behold” (that word again!) comes Jesus; and he deals with the two emotions, saying: “Rejoice”, and “do not be afraid” (just like the angel). They respond in the way that Matthew’s Gospel has commended since its very beginning: “They grabbed his feet and worshipped him.” We should do the same, this Easter Sunday; we cannot stop there, however, but must: “Go and tell my brothers and sisters that they are to go into the Galilee” (which is wherever you will be living this Easter season) “and they shall see me there.” That is quite a mission. The reading for Sunday morning is John’s

What is true forgiveness? A

go deep enough in its understanding and compassion. Virtuous as it is, it still carries a note of moral separateness, of a certain superiority. Further still, it lacks all admission of being itself somehow complicit in the unfortunate circumstances of culture and history that helped bring about this horrible act because it avoids the question: “Why do you hate me?” It is a very positive and helpful note in its refusal of hatred; but, I fear, it may have exactly the opposite effect upon those whom it accuses. It will further enflame their hatred.

ontrast this with the letter the Trappist abbott, Christian de Cherge, wrote to his family, just before he, himself, was killed by Islamic terrorists. He wrote: “If it should happen one day—and it could be today—that I become a victim of the terrorism which now seems ready to encompass all the foreigners living in Algeria, I would like my community, my Church, my family, to remember that my life was given to God and to this country. I ask them to accept that the One Master of all life was not a stranger to this brutal departure. “I ask them to be able to associate such a death with the many other deaths that were just as violent, but forgotten through indifference and anonymity.

Conrad

S Jesus is being crucified he utters these words: “Forgive them, they know not what they do.” It is not easy to say these words and it is perhaps even more difficult to grasp them in their depth. What does it mean, really mean, to understand and forgive a violent action against you? There are various approaches here. For example, in a tragic note, shared countless times on social media, a man who lost his wife in the terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015 wrote these words, addressed to those who killed his wife: “On Friday evening you stole the life of an exceptional person, the love of my life, the mother of my son, but you will not have my hatred. I don’t know who you are and I don’t want to know, you are dead souls. “If this God for whom you kill blindly made us in his image, every bullet in the body of my wife is a wound in his heart. So no, I will not give you the satisfaction of hating you. You want it, but to respond to hatred with anger would be to give in to the same ignorance that made you what you are. “We are only two, my son and I, but we are more powerful than all the world’s armies... every day of his life this little boy will insult you with his happiness and freedom.” While this response is wonderfully heroic and virtuous, it does not, I believe,

Nicholas King SJ

Sunday Reflections

account of the same scene. Once again there is a good deal of running. Here it is only one Mary, the Magdalene, who bravely comes “early on the first day of the week, while it is still dark, to the tomb, and sees the stone rolled away out of the tomb” (which means that God has done it). She runs back and reports to “Simon Peter and the other disciple”, what sounds like bad news: “They took the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him.” This leads to more running, a contest between Peter and “the other disciple”, which the latter effortlessly wins. Courteously, however, he allows Simon Peter to go in first; but it is he, not Simon, who realises what has happened: “he saw and he believed”, so bad news turns into good news. The evangelist then explains: “For they did not yet know the Scripture—that he had to stand up from the dead.” And what of you, this Sunday? Do you know that the Resurrection had to happen, and has indeed happened?

Southern Crossword #753

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

“I have lived long enough to know that I share in the evil which seems, alas, to prevail in the world, even in that which would strike me blindly. I should like, when the time comes, to have a clear space which would allow me to beg forgiveness of God and of all my fellow human beings, and at the same time to forgive with all my heart the one who would strike me down. “I do not see, in fact, how I could rejoice if this people I love were to be accused indiscriminately of my murder. It would be to pay too dearly for what will, perhaps, be called ‘the grace of martyrdom’, to owe it to an Algerian, whoever he may be, especially if he says he is acting in fidelity to what he believes to be Islam. “I know the scorn with which Algerians as a whole can be regarded. I know also the caricature of Islam which a certain kind of Islamism encourages. It is too easy to give oneself a good conscience by identifying this religious way with the fundamentalist ideologies of the extremists. “This is what I shall be able to do, if God wills—immerse my gaze in that of the Father, to contemplate with him his children of Islam just as he sees them, all shining with the glory of Christ, the fruit of his Passion, filled with the Gift of the Spirit, whose secret joy will always be to establish communion and to refashion the likeness, delighting in the differences. “And you also, the friend of my final moment, [my executioner], who would not be aware of what you were doing. Yes, for you also I wish this ‘thank you’—and this adieu—to commend you to the God whose face I see in yours. And may we find each other, happy ‘good thieves’, in Paradise, if it pleases God, the Father of us both. Amen.” Ah, to have grace and compassion to hope to have a drink one day with our enemies in heaven, laughing together at our former misguided hatred, under the loving gaze of the same God!

S outher n C ross & Radio Veritas 100 Years Fatima: Portugal & Spain

aCRoSS

4. Parsees move to destroy your good name (7) 8. Her book follows Judith’s (6) 9. Parchments of the Dead Sea (7) 10. Their sentences appear in the Bible? (6) 11. Turns of phrase (6) 12. Steals and hurried with the bags (8) 18. She’s not clerical (8) 20. Benjamin’s original name (Gn 35) (6) 21. Where you may be in the diocese (6) 22. He deserves the top table at wedding reception (4,3) 23. One who works in 5 down (6) 24. Deal nun out. She’s nothing to carry (7)

doWN

1. Lying in the court (7) 2. One acquiring knowledge (8) 3. Philosopher who tutored Nero in a scene (6) 5. Celebrant’s departure point (8) 6. Strange, it’s not homegrown (6) 7. Formal kind of liturgy (6) 13. Never married (8) 14. Lack of reverence (7) 15. Saint for the losers (7) 16. Dean with me will lose repute (6) 17. On the boards, she extolled the quality of mercy (6) 19. Her law concerns sea hunter (6) Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

OUNG Ernie and his family were invited to have Easter Sunday lunch at his grandmother's house. When Ernie received his plate at the table, he started eating straight away. “Ernie, wait until we say grace,” said his father. “I don’t have to,” the five-year-old replied. “Of course you do,” his mother insisted. “We always say a prayer before eating at our house.” “That’s at our house,” Ernie explained, “but this is Gran’s house, and she knows how to cook.”

The

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