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Bishop’s great voice falls silent

BY ERIN CARELSE

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At the conclusion of the St Augustine’s cathedral 150th jubilee celebrations in Port Elizabeth, administrator Fr Jerry Browne gave a special blessing to about 20 members of the Straw Dogs Motorcycle Club. The special Mass brought to an end a jubilee year of celebrations to commemorate the cathedral’s opening in 1867. The bikers’ stage frequent charity runs. Their most recent charity run raised R30 000 for the Mercy Sisters’ Feeding Scheme in the Uitenhage/Kirkwood area.

Beauty queen now in convent

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AST year Esmeralda Solís Gonzáles was crowned a beauty queen in her city, with a view to competing in the Miss Mexico contest— and now she has joined a religious order with a view to becoming a nun.

Twenty-year-old Ms Gonzáles was a beauty contestant and trained nutritionist, but now she is a postulant with the Poor Clare Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament at Cuernavaca in Morelos state.

“You really don’t know what religious life is until you’re within it. So far I have been able to see from another perspective what the world is and what it offers you,” she told the the Catholic ACI Prensa website.

“I was very happy with everything I had, but it does not compare with the happiness that God now places in my heart.”

Ms Gonzáles was born on April 12, 1997 in Valle de Guadalupe, Jalisco state, to a Catholic family. In March she gave her first yes to her vocation, on the feast of the Annunciation.

She met the Poor Clare Missionaries some five years ago at 14, when her concern for a religious vocation “was awakening” through “vocational days, missions and camps”.

“God’s timing is perfect,” she said. During

Esmeralda Gonzáles, 20, as the winner of Miss Valle de Guadalupe 2016, and with sisters of the congregation she joined in March. her time of discernment, “he allowed me to have some experiences such as being a beauty queen, and other experiences, which forever left their mark and which allowed me to learn a lot for what was to come later”.

The discovery of the vocation to which she had been called was always present in her life, like a “little thorn,” Ms Gonzáles said.

“I realised that I had to make room in my life to know what it was that God had Continued on page 5

ISHOP Barry Wood’s great dream was to return to Lourdes as an expression of his love for Our Lady—but he died just a few months before he was scheduled to go on a pilgrimage there.

The bishop was to head a pilgrimage to Lourdes and Rome with the Denis Hurley Centre in September, accompanied by centre director Raymond Perrier.

“When we discussed it he told me of his deep love for Mary and spoke with infectious joy at the thought of returning to Lourdes 40 years after he was last there,” Mr Perrier recalled.

“He said that it has been his great desire to return to Lourdes before he died. He was not able to do so—though he did have the pleasure of looking forward to the trip,” said Mr Perrier, adding: “I have no doubt that he is now being warmly welcomed in eternity by Archbishop Hurley and Our Lady of Lourdes herself.”

Bishop Wood, auxiliary bishop in Durban, died on May 2 at the age of 74. He was appointed bishop in October 2005 and ordained on February 26, 2006.

Born on June 23, 1942 in Port Elizabeth, he was educated by the Dominicans at St Anne’s Convent and then by the Jesuits at St Aidan’s College in Grahamstown.

In 1961 he joined the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, making his first profession the following year. From there he went to St Joseph’s Scholasticate near Pietermaritzburg to begin his priestly studies.

Having made his final profession in 1965, he was ordained to the priesthood on July 14, 1968 in St Bernadette’s church in Walmer, Port Elizabeth, by Bishop Ernest Green.

After ordination Fr Wood served at Emmanuel cathedral in Durban, Seven Oaks in the Midlands, Greytown, and later in Port Shepstone. From 1977-85 he was involved in the formation of Oblates, including a long stint as novice master in Germiston, Johannesburg.

He then served as rector of St Joseph’s Scholasticate, as provincial superior of the order in Natal, and as vicar-general and chancellor of the archdiocese of Durban.

In the latter position he also took over the pastoral care of Woodlands/Montclair, Clairwood and Merebank parishes.

Nationally, he chaired the Justice & Peace Commission of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference for several years.

In a statement, the SACBC said that Bishop

The late Bishop Barry Wood OMI, in typical preaching pose.

Wood’s “intention was simply to serve his Master to the best of his ability, and it was the Lord who was pulling him up along the way”.

Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, archbishop Durban, tweeted “Feeling lost & at sea because of sudden death of my Auxiliary & Friend, Bishop Barry Wood OMI! Timely reminder our health is really fragile!”

Paddy Kearney, the biographer of Archbishop Hurley, said he always admired Bishop Wood’s powerful voice when he was saying Mass or preaching.

“It could fill the largest church, and he always thought carefully about what he was to say. His passion for justice and for the poor was always evident in his words and actions,” Mr Kearney said.

Fr S’milo Mngadi of Vosloorus in Johannesburg archdiocese, observed of Bishop Wood: “He always saw goodness in others.”

From a young age, his family’s habit of praying the rosary daily was instilled in him.

In a 2016 Southern Cross article Bishop Wood wrote that he saw in Mary an “inspiration for the mission to serve the poor”.

He described that through his priestly ministry, he had always felt that he had been accompanied by Mary, walking hand in hand with her, hearing her say to him, as she said to the wedding stewards at Cana: “Do whatever Jesus tells you!”

The Requiem Mass for Bishop Wood will take place on May 13—the centenary of the first apparition on Our Lady at Fatima—at the Royal Showgrounds in Pietermaritzburg. Burial will be in the cemetery at St Joseph’s in Cedara.

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, May 10 to May 16, 2017

Cardinal gives inaugural lecture honouring Little Eden founders

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UPPORTERS of Little Eden, a home for children and adults with profound intellectual disability, gathered at St Augustine College in Johannesburg as Cardinal Wilfrid Napier presented the inaugural Danny and Domitilla Hyams Memorial Lecture, honouring the founders of the home.

The day started with Mass celebrated by Cardinal Napier.

Among the guests were delegates from Associazione Domitilla Rota Hyams Onlus in Italy, who presented a replica statue of Our Lady

of Cornabusa to Little Eden.

The original statue is displayed in the Cornabusa sanctuary in Italy, and the replica will be permanently placed at Little Eden’s Elvira Rota Village in Bapsfontein.

The write-up of Cardinal Napier’s keynote address is available on www.littleeden.org.za n For more information about the work carried out at the home, and how you can help, contact Nichollette Muthige on 011 609 7246 or e-mail info@ littleeden.org.za

Dr Paula Galo addressed the 27th annual general meeting of Kolping South Africa (KSA) at the Holy Cross Retreat Centre in Parow Valley, Cape Town. The AGM was attended by more than 50 delegates from the dioceses of Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Kimberley and Cape Town. (From left) Simphiwe Ralane (Johannesburg Kolping), Fr Dominic Helmboldt (acting KSA national praeses), Andries van der Poll (KSA national secretary), Dr Galo (KSA national chairperson) and Fr Christian Frantz (KSA outgoing national praeses).

LOCAL

Farewell to ‘housemother’ of many St Joseph’s priests

BY ERIN CARELSE

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HE “housemother” to many priests who studied at St Joseph’s Theological Institute (SJTI) in Cedara, KwaZulu-Natal, died on April 22.

Lorraine Kalicharan, bookkeeper-receptionist at the scholasticate that trains many religious priests, was “a friend and a second mother to many students, and was loved by all the brothers, priests and colleagues who worked and studied there for over 20 years”, said Fr Neil Frank OMI, president of St Joseph’s.

Mrs Kalicharan had worked at SJTI since 1996.

“Lorraine was known to keep a candle lit in her office during exam time, interceding for worried students,” said Fr Frank.

Former and present staff and students recalled her helpfulness and her generosity.

“When I left SJTI she gave me an image of the Divine Mercy, telling me never to lose my trust in Jesus and in his mercy. She really did trust in Jesus,” said Tshepo William Duik, a former student.

Philisiwe Mncube, a former colleague, said: “Lorraine taught me to be a good mother to my daughter and to put God first.”

At a memorial service held at the Institute, she was described as a “valiant woman”, someone who faced the struggles of her life with deep faith and constant attentiveness to the grace of God. “Lorraine’s life was a testament to the life of a true disciple of

SPRINGFIELD CONVENT SCHOOL Applicants are invited for the following post:

HEAD OF THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT To commence 1 January 2018

Springfield is a day school for girls from Pre-School to Matriculation, set in beautiful gardens on Wynberg Hill in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. Founded by the Irish Dominican Sisters in 1871, Springfield has a caring, Catholic atmosphere, a proud academic record, vibrant Music, Art and Drama Departments and excellent facilities for Sport.

Springfield Convent School requires the services of a suitably qualified full-time Head of our vibrant Music Department.

The successful applicant will: •Be a fully qualified, enthusiastic teacher, experienced in teaching both practical and subject music, theory, history of music and aural •Understand, identify with and contribute to the Catholic ethos and values of the school •Have a proven record of good leadership qualities and people skills in managing a vibrant, diverse group of full-time as well as part-time staff •Have a proven record of innovation, commitment and professionalism •Be well versed in curriculum and assessment for Creative Arts in the Senior Phase •Have an interest in Junior School music in order to build a growing number of musicians for the Senior School, with the possibility of choosing music as a subject choice in the FET Phase •Have effective organisational and administrative skills •Be available in afternoons, evenings and at other times for extra-curricular teaching, involvement in special events and concerts, school productions and tours •Have good computer skills •Be registered with SACE •Be willing to become fully involved in the school’s curricular and co-curricular programmes Apply in writing to: The Headmistress, Springfield Convent School, St John’s Road Wynberg, 7800, Email: headmistress@springfieldconvent.co.za giving details of qualifications, experience and names of two contactable referees.

Closing date: Monday 29 May 2017

The School reserves the right not to proceed with the filling of the post. An application will not in itself entitle the applicant to an interview or appointment, and failure to meet the requirements of the advertised post will result in applicants automatically disqualifying themselves from consideration.

Please note no faxed applications will be considered and only those applicants invited for an interview will be contacted.

Springfield is a member of the Independent Schools’ Association of Southern Africa.

Lorraine Kalicharan, who has died, was a beloved “housemother” to many students at St Joseph’s Theological Institute.

Christ, acknowledging that life would not always be easy or fair or comfortable; but that it would always be full of peace if you placed your hope in God—for in him all things are possible,” said Ryleen

Balawanth, her grandchild.

“Although Lorraine would be wholeheartedly described as a devout Catholic, her life was by no means typical, lacklustre or easygoing. She worked hard to provide for her family and experienced many hardships in her life,” said Fr Frank.

She had lost a 20-year-old son, an infant grandson and her husband in the space of five years. She also suffered from various illnesses throughout her life which sometimes made daily activities difficult.

“Despite all this, we cannot say she was not blessed,” said Fr Frank.

Mrs Kalicharan, through her steadfast faith, taught her family how to centre their lives on Christ—a lesson, her children testify, that had kept their family unit from falling apart during the extreme periods of their lives.

“She taught us to always set our sight upon God, to consult him in every plan made, and to pray about every situation and decision.

Even on family holidays we knew always to choose a destination with a Catholic church nearby, as our mother would not let us skip Holy Mass,” they said.

“Mom loved the Divine Mercy, she taught so many people about Jesus and his mercy and it was so apt that she went home during the week of Divine Mercy. Her life was a testimony to the mercy of God,” said her daughter Michelle Francis.

Mrs Kalicharan leaves behind three children and their spouses, and six grandchildren.

Soweto hosts vocations day

BY TEBOGO PETJA

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HE call to vocations was in the spotlight when the youth group of a Soweto parish invited different religious orders in the archdiocese of Johannesburg to present their charism and teach young people about God’s invitation to follow him.

The Vocations Open Day was organised by the youth group of St Martin’s parish in Meadowlands, with young people from neighbouring parishes also attending.

It was a response to Pope Francis’ prayer intention for April: “That young people may respond generously to their vocations and seriously consider offering themselves to God in the priesthood or consecrated life.”

It was also a response to a

Young people gathered at St Martin’s parish in Meadowlands, Soweto, for a Vocations Open Day, including the vocation of marriage. challenge the pope had posed: “You, young people, are the ones who hold the future! I ask you to be builders of the world, to work for a better world. It is a challenge, yes, it is a challenge, and do you accept it?”

Jesuit Father Bruce Botha gave

an introductory talk on vocations.

Different religious orders were represented by their vocations promoters. The Sisters of the Holy Cross were led by Sr Teresa Mafutha, Fr Bruce represented the Society of Jesus, Br Clarence Watts represented the Salesians of St John Bosco, Fr Innocent Daniels the Claretians, and Fr Patrick Dladla the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Sr EstherMaris Okoro from the archdiocesan vocations office also addressed the youth.

The vocation to marriage was also presented by Mr and Mrs Moeketsi of the St Martin’s Renew married couples group.

During a break, attendees had opportunities to meet representatives of the orders one-on-one, and to ask questions about their congregations.

Namibian bishops warn on new abortion law STAFF REPORTER

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S Namibia is considering the legalisation of abortion on demand, the Catholic bishops of the country have called on citizens to constitute themselves and “investigate the root causes prompting the shocking increase of abortion instead of passing the law”.

The present law allows for abortion only in cases of serious threat to the maternal or foetal health, or when the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest.

Namibians must be looking at the causes, effects and aftermath of abortion, the Namibian Catholic Bishops’ Conference said in a position paper, signed by its president, Archbishop Liborius Ndumbukuti Nashenda.

The bishops noted that the “Catholic Church from the be-

ginning has consistently upheld the sanctity of the life of the unborn child,” citing the 1st-century Didache, which taught: “You shall not procure abortion, nor destroy a newborn child.”

The Namibian bishop quoted Pope Francis in his 2016 apostolic letter Misericordia et Misera: “I wish to restate as firmly as I can that abortion is a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life. In the same way, however, I can and must state that there is no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach.”

Pope Francis has granted to all priests the faculty to absolve those who have committed the sin of procured abortion.

Priests, the Namibian bishops said, “should be available for counselling of people affected by abortion”.

David Worswick is an enthusiastic seller of The Southern Cross at the parish of the Resurrection in Table View, Cape Town. We love receiving your photos of parishioners selling The Southern Cross—and so do our readers! Please keep them coming. Send photos to pics@scross.co.za

The Southern Cross, May 10 to May 16, 2017

LOCAL

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Bishop warns on youth wage subsidy STAFF REPORTER

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YOUTH wage subsidy may serve only to boost profit margins for companies without helping the poor, a bishop has warned.

The impact of the youth wage subsidy needs to be carefully investigated, said Bishop Abel Gabuza of Kimberley, chairman of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference’s Justice & Peace Commission.

The youth wage subsidy will form part of deliberations at the policy conference of the governing African National Congress in June.

At present the employment tax incentive (ETI) provides a subsidy of up to R1 000 a month to employers of people aged between 18 and 29 earning less than R6 000 in their first formal jobs, decreasing to R500 in the second year and falling away in the third year.

Critics say the ETI has effectively introduced a two-tier labour market that makes young workers cheaper than other jobseekers.

Noting that millions of young South Africans without work are desperate, Bishop Gabuza said that Justice & Peace believes that “youth

unemployment in our country has now reached dangerous levels, with many of our unemployed youth now being highly exposed to drug abuse, human trafficking, recruitment to a life of crime and manipulation by unscrupulous politicians who recruit them for violent protests and political destabilisation”.

This requires a response from government. However, the bishop urged the government and the ANC policy conference “to review the youth wage subsidy and its ability to reverse youth unemployment trends in South Africa”.

“In the absence of an impact study that demonstrates the contrary, to us the youth wage subsidy will remain a costly and unsustainable venture which subsidises private companies and boosts their profit margins, without creating an enforceable obligation on the part of private companies to develop a certain level of skills and retain a certain percentage of young people as permanent employees,” Bishop Gabuza said.

He also warned that youth unemployment “will not be addressed comprehensively in our country if

the culture of corruption and patronage networks continues to prevail”.

He agreed that to bring down youth unemployment, a programme of “radical economic transformation” will be needed. “It should, however, be a radical economic transformation that benefits all, and not only a few who are politically connected,” he said.

However, he added, “the current culture of political leadership, which is rooted in corruption and patronage politics, lacks the ethical capacity to realise such a radical and inclusive economic transformation”.

Cape Town parish scores a first

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Comboni Missionaries working in South Africa gathered in Pretoria for their annual provincial assembly. At the meeting, Fr Gordon Rees, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, on the occasion of his 55th birthday and 15 years of priesthood received a token of appreciation from Bishop Joe Sandri of Witbank, watched by Fr Jude Burgers, provincial superior of the Comboni Missionaries in South Africa.

Napier for Durban Fatima walk

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ARDINAL Wilfrid Napier will lead a candlelight procession to the parish of Our Lady of Fatima in Durban North to celebrate the centenary of the Marian apparition which the church is named after.

The procession on May 12, for which participants are asked to bring their own candles, will begin at Blessed Sacrament church in Virginia and conclude at the Marian garden of Our Lady of Fatima, about 2,7km away.

The event will begin at 17:30

HE parish of St Mary Magdalene in Lentegeur, Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, has hosted its first women’s conference.

Running over a Friday night and weekend, it was organised by Deacon Basil Sampson, with the help of Portia Thwaites and Jacob Eiman.

When the conference opened, Deacon Sampson was attending a meeting on Robben Island and, in his absence, Mr Eiman and Ms Thwaites welcomed all participants.

The first night saw 65 women attending, and parish priest Fr Brandon West offered the church as an alternative venue if more arrived.

There were five topics addressed at the conference.

The first talk, given by Fr West, was “‘Wives, submit to your husbands.’ Is this still relevant?”

This was followed by “The spiritual role of women” by Deacon Johann Baartzes.

Women at St Mary Magdalene in Lentegeur, Cape Town, listen to speakers at the first women’s conference held by the parish.

The third topic was “Being a dignified woman in the Church and the modern world” by Sr Marion Hendricks.

Sandra Sampson then spoke on

“Fearless women in the face of adversity”.

The final talk was given by Teresa Roberts on “Women of power and strength”.

Teachers at St Mary’s Primary School in Cape Town, members of the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union, gathered outside their school in silent protest against abuse towards teachers. They feel they have no rights when it comes to disciplining learners, yet learners can even physically attack teachers, who can do nothing about it. (Photo: Michelle Perry)

with a Marian Mass at the Virginia church, followed by the start of the procession at 18:30.

People can also join the procession at four stopping points: Virginia Circle, Northwood School, Northlands Park and Fatima Marian garden.

Volunteers will shuttle pilgrims back to the gathering points.

After the final decade of the rosary and closing prayer at the garden, there will be an inter-parish social at Fatima school hall with live entertainment and food.

Pilgrimage to The Holy Land

Led by Fr. Joseph Msomi 01 – 10 October 2017 R24 995.00 incl. Airport taxes

Members of the St John Vianney Seminary Class of 2000 met at St Bernard’s parish, near Siloe School for the Blind, at Zebediela in the diocese of Polokwane. (From left) Frs Vincent Mepa (Kroonstad), Mokhesi Mokhesi (Bethlehem), Donald Mabitsela (Polokwane), Elias Senona (Pretoria) and Michael Rasello (Kroonstad). (Photo and information: Courtesy of Mxolisi Ndakana)

Chaplains met on Queen Mary

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HEN the luxury line Queen Mary docked in Cape Town with passengers and crew, it was an opportunity for port chaplain Fr Geraldo Garcia CS to meet full-time on-board chaplain Fr David Gabarl.

The crew were presented with prayer cards and rosaries.

The Apostleship of the Sea ministers to seafarers on board, and at the port mission the chaplain and volunteers make contact with seafarers.

Mass is said at the centre every Satur-

day night. There are also requests for Mass to be said on board, for example, in response to loss at sea.

“The mission centre is at the disposal of the seamen,” said Gerard Assam of the Apostleship in Cape Town. “Many come from far, and some serve long contracts with low salaries under poor conditions. They seek advice at times to solve problems, or address trauma situations.” n To contact this ministry or support it, visit www.apostleshipofthesea. org.za

Our mission has always been to give human and Christian education to the young, especially to the poor.

Saint John baptist De La Salle gave a new meaning to the school by making it accessible to the poor and offering it to all as a sign of God's kingdom and as a means of salvation.

Today, De La Salle Brothers, in addition to teaching in school, are also involved in educational ministry.

Br Patrick Letswalo, De La Salle Brothers Po Box 35687, Northcliff 2115 078 344 8238, patrickletswalo@yahoo.com

Pilgrimage of Divine Mercy - Poland

led by Fr Pierre-Thaddee Mbayi Bakadibamba (Bloemfontein) Visit St. John’s Cathedral, the museum of St. Maximiliam Kolbe, Sightseeing of Krakow, Visit Wadowice and Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Visit the Blessed Sister Faustina Convent 10 – 20 September 2017 R29 995.00 incl. Airport taxes

Pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes, Rome and Medjugorje

led by Bishop Joale John Tlhomola 10 – 22 October 2017 R 44 995.00 incl. Airport taxes Tel: 012 342 0179/Fax: 086 676 9715 info@micasatours.co.za

4

The Southern Cross, May 10 to May 16, 2017

INTERNATIONAL

Pope has left a mark on Egypt

BY DALE GAVLAK

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OPE Francis’ historic, 72-hour visit to Cairo has left a profound mark on Egyptians, Catholic leaders said, as they anticipate increased ties with fellow Orthodox Christians and Muslims.

“The pope’s visit was a big blessing to the Egyptians, both Muslims and Christians. It boosted the morale of the Egyptian people, especially after the Palm Sunday blasts,” Fr Rafic Greiche, spokesman for the Egyptian bishops, told Catholic News Service.

“He gave a message of love, peace and hope.”

Fr Greiche referred to a pair of terrorist attacks at two Egyptian churches. ISIS claimed credit for the attacks, which killed at least 45 people, injured more than 100 others, and shook the Middle East’s largest Christian community to the core.

“The pope’s visit for Catholics in Egypt was a great happening, very positive,” Jesuit Father Samir Khalil Samir, a noted Egyptian Catholic theologian and Islamic studies scholar, said. The professor teaches at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome and St Joseph’s University in Beirut.

Even more important, he said, was the historic improvement in ecumenical ties between the Catholic and the Coptic Orthodox Churches. Pope Francis and Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II signed a declaration on common baptism.

“This was a big step,” said Fr Samir.

“In Egypt, there are a lot of mixed marriages between Catholics and Orthodox,” Fr Samir explained, citing the previous Coptic Orthodox requirement that new members joining the Church—including those who had previously been baptised as Catholic—had to be baptised again.

“This was very unhappy,” he said. Now both Churches agreed to recognise each other’s sacrament of baptism and pledged to continue

working towards greater unity.

“In general, the ecumenical relations with the Coptic Orthodox Church made very good steps and can go further,” Fr Samir predicted, citing a possible reconciliation over the celebration dates of Christmas and Easter.

He also said Pope Francis and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah elSissi reached a better understanding. This is important for the country’s Christians, who are among the oldest communities in the Middle East, dating back to the apostle Mark.

“By meeting the president and having a normal, positive relationship, the pope is supporting the only one who can help the Christians,” the theologian said. “Being a very pious Muslim, el-Sissi is also the one trying to protect the Christians against ISIS.”

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ope Francis has backed Egypt’s efforts to tackle Islamic militancy, saying the country has a special role to play in forging regional peace as well as in “vanquishing all violence and terrorism”.

Yet, Fr Greiche believes it may be difficult to protect Christians and other Egyptians from growing acts of extremist violence.

“Criminal acts are designed in the heads of terrorists first. You cannot say that Christians are safe or anybody is safe from any terrorist attack. We pray and we ask for our Saviour to help us and not to experience more than what we already have,” the priest said.

“We cannot say that Christians will be more safe due to the pope’s visit, because terrorists are always there,” he added.

However, Pope Francis’ call to expose extremist violence carried out in God’s name impacted Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb, who heads alAzhar University in Cairo. He hosted the international peace conference attended by Pope Francis, Pope Tawadros and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual head of the Eastern Orthodox

Churches.

Although “ISIS will not listen to whatever the pope says”, Pope Francis has now put the Vatican’s relationship with al-Azhar on a stronger footing, said Fr Samir.

A

s the world’s highest authority in Sunni Islam, al-Azhar trains Muslim clerics and scholars from around the world and has the potential to change the discourse.

Critics, including el-Sissi, complain the university is not doing enough to properly challenge Islamist extremists on theological grounds. However, scholars also point to a dichotomy in the Quran in which Islam’s Prophet Muhammad at times espoused peaceful interactions with Christians and Jews and at other times violence.

By emphasising non-violence and that “only peaceful means are acceptable, it will help some Muslims to go along this line—to be non-violent”, Fr Samir said. “The main thing is to change the mentality of Muslims, especially of the teaching of Islam, which is mainly the teaching in al-Azhar. ” Fr Samir also pointed to another challenge.

“In the last five to six years, there is a new element, the militarisation of radical Islam,” he said.

The scholar blames the US and some European countries for providing arms to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which allegedly finance radical Islamic movements.

“The problem is much larger. It’s a question of rethinking Islam,” Fr Samir said.

Pope Francis also met with Egyptian seminarians, priests and religious before wrapping up his Cairo visit, leaving a deep impression on them, too.

“He greatly encouraged us to live a life dedicated to Christ, the living hope. And to instil that hope in all we minister to: the disabled, the poor and disadvantaged,” Fr Shenouda Andraos, the head of St Leo Great Coptic Catholic Seminary, said.—CNS

Pope Francis, Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual head of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, attend an ecumenical prayer service at the church of St Peter in Cairo.

(Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

An image of Pope Francis is seen on the vestments of Coptic clergy as they gather before celebrating Mass in Cairo, ahead of the pontiff’s arrival for a two-day visit to Egypt. (Photo: Amr Abdallah Dalsh, Reuters/CNS)

The pope waves to people from the Apostolic Nunciature overlooking the Nile River in Cairo. (Photo: L’Osservatore Romano/CNS)

The pope lights a candle outside the church of St Peter in Cairo in remembrance of victims of a December 2016 bombing inside the church. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

Pope Francis embraces Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar University, at a conference on international peace in Cairo. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

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

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Pope Francis listens as Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar University, speaks at a conference on international peace in Cairo.

(Photo: Paul Haring/CNS) Priests react as Pope Francis arrives to celebrate Mass at the Air Defence stadium in Cairo.

(Photo: Paul Haring/ CNS)

The Southern Cross, May 10 to May 16, 2017

INTERNATIONAL

5

Pope plans Pentecost with Charismatics

BY CINDY WOODEN

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OPE Francis has invited thousands of Catholic Charismatics and members of Pentecostal and Evangelical churches to Rome to celebrate Pentecost and mark the 50th anniversary of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

The pope will lead a prayer vigil on June 3, the eve of Pentecost, at Rome’s Circus Maximus, an open field that was the site of an ancient Roman stadium used for chariot races. Participants will join the pope the next morning for Pentecost Mass in St Peter’s Square.

In 2014, Pope Francis had invited Charismatics and Pentecostals to Rome in 2017 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Catholic Charismatic Movement, which traces its origins to a retreat held in 1967 at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

The anniversary event is being organised by the Vatican-based Inter-

national Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services.

The jubilee celebrations will begin in Rome on May 31 with prayer meetings, a youth festival, meetings for theologians and workshops.

“Pope Francis asked us to plan a jubilee that is as inclusive as possible,” particularly by including other Christians who also emphasise the

importance of baptism in the Holy Spirit,” said Michelle Moran, president of International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services.

According to Ms Moran’s office, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is present in more than 200 countries and has reached an estimated 120 million Catholics.

Meeting with Charismatics and Pentecostals in 2014, Pope Francis admitted he was not always comfortable with the way they prayed, but he knelt onstage as they prayed for him and over him by singing and speaking in tongues.

“In the early years of the Charismatic Renewal in Buenos Aires, I did not have much love for Charismatics,” the pope had explained. “I said of them: They seem like a samba school.”

But little by little, he said, he came to see how much good the movement was doing for Catholics and for the Church.—CNS

New head for Knights of Malta

BY JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES

T

HE new lieutenant of the grand master of the Knights of Malta will lead efforts to reform the order following a tumultuous period that brought to light many of the ancient institution’s internal disputes.

Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre, elected to lead the Knights of Malta for a one-year period, will work on a constitutional reform that “will address potential institutional weaknesses”, the order said in a press release following the election.

Fra’ Dalla Torre’s election closes

Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre is seen during the oath ceremony at Santa Maria in Aventino in Rome. (Photo: Knights of Malta) a difficult chapter in the order’s history and tensions that led to previous grand master Matthew Festing’s resignation at the behest

my parents, siblings and true friends. Even though I could have developed myself in some other setting, I feel that if the Lord needs me then I can bear fruit in a different way,” she said.

Ms Gonzáles has a few words for young people and said that in any vocation they will find difficulties, “but if you go and take God's hand, you'll always be able to take the next step”.

The young novice also said that it is true that “the reality and the supposed happiness that the world sells is very attractive” but “it is

of Pope Francis, who had established a commission to investigate his removal of the order’s grand chancellor, Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager.

The reform now led by Dalla Torre, the Knights of Malta said, will “also focus on strengthening the order’s spiritual life” and on efforts to increase the number of its professed members.

The Knights of Malta have 13 500 members, as well as 80 000 volunteers and 25 000 medical professionals providing relief and humanitarian aid in 120 countries.—CNS

necessary to fix your eyes on what lasts”.

“You mustn't be afraid. If God is calling you, he'll take care of everything. All you need to do is receive him with a lot of peace, joy and confidence. I believe fear is a big excuse that is responsible for truncating the true happiness that only God can offer,” she said.

The Poor Clare Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament are a Religious Institute of Pontifical Right founded by Blessed María Inés Teresa Arias in 1945 in Cuernavaca, Mexico.—CNS

Italian Cardinal Nicora dies at 80

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A

S many as 16 000 displaced people have fled to the protection of St Mary’s cathedral compound in Wau, South Sudan, in the hope that the church would keep them safe as their country spirals into greater violence.

“It wasn’t safe anywhere, but people said that if they were going to be killed, they preferred to be killed in the church because this is the place that Jesus is present. They wanted to die in the church rather than die in their homes,” said Fr Germano Bernardo, a priest in Wau. Although tensions had been building for months, last June intense fighting broke out between soldiers of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, who are mostly members of the dominant Dinka tribe, and a mixture of local opposition groups and members of other ethnic communities.

Sporadic fighting around the city has continued since, with occasional incidents that push a new group of civilians out of their homes.

Thousands have fled neighbouring villages for the safety of Wau’s churches, including more than 5 000 who filled the grounds of an Anglican church.

The churches have received help from Catholic Relief Services and other groups that provided shelter materials, hygiene kits, cooking pots and food. The church drilled two

A man sits with his child at a camp for internally displaced persons on the grounds of St Mary’s cathedral in Wau, South Sudan. (Photo: Paul Jeffrey, CNS) new wells to supplement two existing wells on the cathedral grounds, but that’s still not enough for the displaced who make the cathedral grounds their home, so Oxfam brings water into the site every day.

More than 30 million people need food assistance in Yemen, South Sudan, Nigeria and Somalia due to conflict and drought, but the head of the World Food Programme, David Beasley, has said the UN only has enough money to help 8,4 million of them.—CNS

GET YOUR CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER EVERY WEEK

BY CINDY WOODEN

ORN in Varese, Italy, March 16, 1937, Cardinal Attilio Nicora died on April 22 at age 80. He was ordained a priest of the Milan archdiocese in 1964. After teaching canon law at a northern Italian seminary, he became the seminary rector, a post he held until he was named an auxiliary bishop of Milan in 1977.

He headed Caritas Italy from 1990-92, the became bishop of Verona. In 1997, he left Verona to become the top expert on legal affairs for the Italian bishops’ conference, a post he held until his Vatican appointment as president of Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See and president of the Vatican Financial Intelligence Authority in 2002.

As president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See, he oversaw the management of the Vatican’s financial holdings as well as personnel policies and decisions. Pope John Paul II made him a cardinal in 2003.—CNS

South Sudanese flee to cathedral for protection

BY PAUL JEFFREY

Beauty queen joyful on joining convent Continued from page 1 planned for me. In the process of discerning my vocation there were also fears and doubts, but the love that Our Lord was showing every day made me overcome any feeling of discouragement,” she said.

Ms Gonzáles said she had discovered that God was calling her “to serve him in a radical way,” that is, changing her “life to embrace the cross of Christ and live it more closely”.

“Change is hard for the family because it involves detachment, but I have always had the support of

A man walks past a banner in Kisumu, Kenya, calling for prevention of violence during the general elections. In 2007 election results were disputed, resulting in widespread death and diplacement of people. Kenyan Catholic bishops said they fear widespread violence and called for peaceful and credible elections on August 8, and cautioned youth against being used by aspirants to kill, maim or cause violence. (Photo: Baz Ratner, Reuters/CNS)

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6

The Southern Cross, May 10 to May 16, 2017

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

Walking with Mary

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NE of the great treasures in the practice of the Catholic faith is the special relationship it encourages with the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is a privilege we Catholics share with sister churches such as the Orthodox and Coptic Churches.

Christians who have a special relationship with Mary receive her as a source of strength and of comfort. When we feel too unworthy of being in the presence of her Son, we can be certain that his Mother—our Mother—is there to mediate on our behalf.

Our Lady accompanies us on our pilgrim journey through life.

For Catholics this is an assurance that finds expression in acts such as our devotion to the rosary.

So the 100th anniversary of the reported apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima in Portugal to three peasant children is a cause for great excitement which will surely stimulate a renewed sense of Marian devotion.

Pope Francis is honouring the centenary by making a visit to Fatima and canonising two of the visionary children, Francisco and Jacinta Marto (the sainthood cause for the third, Sr Lucia dos Santos, who died more than 80 years after the Marto children, is running separately).

The centenary celebrations, which in Fatima run until October and in the worldwide Church until November, put a renewed focus on the content of the messages that were conveyed to these three children.

For most Catholics, the elementary premises of these messages are uncontroversial and profoundly Catholic: love and worship the Lord, be good to others, repent for sin and pray often, especially the rosary.

Other matters in the revelations continue to stir controversy, such as whether the popes have properly met Our Lady’s request for the consecration of Russia to her—Sr Lucia confirmed that they have—and conspiracy theories over the so-called Third Secret.

It is legitimate to study and discuss the content of the messages conveyed at Fatima, an approved site of Marian apparitions.

But we must beware of debates about them that cause division and antagonism between Catholics. Our Lady must not be abused as a source for acrimony.

Inevitably, the Fatima centenary will also raise questions

about the authenticity of the apparitions.

There are many reasons to believe that what the three children reported was genuine. Under cruel interrogation, they independently and consistently stuck to their account, even at the threat of being boiled in vats of oil.

Their persistence would not conform with the actions of kids playing an elaborate prank. Nor did these children have the maturity or educational attributes by which they could invent such complex messages as they conveyed to the public.

Moreover, the Miracle of the Sun—interpreted as the miracle which Our Lady promised at an appointed time as a means of confirming the children’s reports—cannot be simply ascribed to coincidence, nor to the absurd suggestion of a mass hallucination involving up to 100 000 people. Whatever happened that day, and specifically at that time, is inexplicable.

Still, Catholics are free to doubt the apparitions, in part or total.

Nothing in Catholic teaching obliges us to accept any apparition of Mary or Jesus as authentic.

They are what the Church terms private revelations.

The approval of any apparition

by Church authorities does not serve as a definitive confirmation of their authenticity. So Catholics may disregard the visions of any or all reported apparitions and the specific devotions associated with them.

Indeed, a Catholic’s faith or devotion to Our Lady is not diminished or impoverished by scepticism about reported apparitions.

Of course the converse also applies: a healthy devotion to an apparition and its message can also be an immense enrichment to a Catholic’s faith and relationship with Our Mother.

And even if one has doubts about reported apparitions, the fruits of the essential messages and devotions associated with them can nonetheless yield great spiritual rewards by emphasising the need for prayer for ourselves and others, the call to selfless service, the battle against sin, the love for the Lord, our acceptance of his mercy and so on.

The centenary of the Fatima apparitions gives us cause to celebrate all these gifts of faith.

VIVA SAFARIS KRUGER PARK with

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

Broken world needs urgent prayer

I

N your edition of April 26, Fr Chris Chatteris SJ writes of “SA’s entangled society”, Fr Ron Rolheiser of “500 years of misunderstanding” between Christians themselves (as well as with other faiths), and the Fatima message asks for the rosary to be said for world peace. We have so many problems.

Some 500 years before Christ, Confucius wrote that those wishing to change the character of the world’s people would “first set their hearts right and wills sincere”.

Two-thousand years ago Christ came, in service and self-sacrifice, to teach us to “love one another” (Jn 13:34), “love your neighbour” (Mk 10:21), “love your enemy” (Lk 6:27).

However, as the “human face of God’s mercy”, he knew that, as science seems to now be discovering, due to the strongest basic instincts of “self-preservation” and “belonging to groups” in the DNA of all living creatures (as Professor P Domning wrote in the Jesuit journal America), we would find it very difficult to live up to these precepts.

Get Marian shrine done properly

I

BELIEVE Our Lady will support the Marian shrine project of the archdiocese of Johannesburg, and that she will make an appearance.

And then what? How will we cope with the pilgrims this will generate?

I believe we should do the following: concentrate on buying the adjacent land in the area of the proposed shrine. Insist on wealthy parishes contributing significantly over the next five years to reach the R100 million needed to do the job properly.

This is for Our Lady—let’s get it right.

Deacon Alex Niven, Johannesburg

Shrine to Mary vs the destitute

I

AGREE with Clare Drew’s letter “Marian shrine an opulent mistake” (April 5).

The Saturday Star of March 25 published the story of the death from neglect of a young 15-year-old boy living in the community of Syferbult on the dejected outskirts of Magaliesberg. He died of starvation and Aids, and weighed 17kg.

HIV/Aids is rampant in this community, all of whom can’t afford to get their medication in Koster.

A mobile clinic visits intermittently. These people see themselves as forgotten.

Days before the death of this boy, following inquiries by the Saturday Star, the North West’s social development department held a

So Jesus also taught us to pray the Our Father, asking for God’s help, and urged us to be “peacemakers”.

Nigerian theologian PI Odozor has observed that in many African societies, traditional customs limited ubuntu to one’s own family, tribe, or ethnic group.

This may also be the case in many other countries and societies, leading to “self-centred” leaders and societies today.

Almost 800 years ago, St Francis of Assisi gave us a peace prayer, which many still pray and sing today.

In 1985, our bishops issued cards asking for this prayer to be said for Southern Africa. The words were slightly adapted: “Lord, make me an instrument (channel) of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, harmony. O Lord, grant that I may not so much seek to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; to receive sympathy, as to give it—for it is giving that we shall receive; in pardonOpinions 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

meeting to discuss how to better help the community of Syferbult.

The needs of these forgotten people are far greater than that of building an opulent shrine in Magaliesberg.

Pete van Staden, Johannesburg

Celibacy practised for love of God

C

elibacy, Romany Rubin (April 19), says, is a Catholic imposition, creating a false mantle of purity which actually belongs to the domain of virgins and women. I think, however, there is nothing false about the purity of celibacy when practised for the love of God. It is unclear to me, moreover, whether he is suggesting that women cannot be virgins or that virgins cannot be women.

Mr Rubin deplores that priests are “called Father and generally treated as sacrosanct”. Many priests offer their parishioners the Blessed Sacrament more than 300 times a year, and surely deserve the honoured title of Father.

My parish priest might not feel he is generally treated as sacrosanct by the laity.

“So many strange men join the priesthood,” comments Mr Rubin.

If holiness is strange, yes they do, and I thank heaven for it.

A four-times-married nonCatholic friend of mine attended a family celebration at our church, which was concelebrated by seven elderly priests. He asked me why our priests seemed so different from other men. “In what way?” I asked.

ing, that we shall be pardoned; in forgetting ourselves that we shall find unending peace with others.”

Fr Chatteris mentions ProfJonathan Jansen’s description of South Africa’s “entangled” society today. The Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office has also quoted Professor Jansen’s argument that transformation was not just about social justice but also about “changing mindsets and attitudes—starting with our own”.

The St Francis prayer echoes all the above, so perhaps we can add it to the Fatima prayers suggested by Professor Michael Ogunu in your April 26 issue.

Let us, especially pilgrims for Fatima, pray for South Africa, Africa and the world: “O God of justice and love; bless us, the people of [country/continent] and the world, and help us live in your mercy, love, justice and peace. Grant us gentleness of spirit and understanding of heart so that we may enfold your world in lasting friendship and peace.”

Athaly Jenkinson, East London “Well, good, nice, holy, but so unlike most other men you meet.”

I was as stunned at my response as he must have been. “It is not impossible,” I said, “that some of these priests might still be virgins. That should strike us as unusual.” He nodded vigorously: “You’ve just explained to me what I see,” he said.

I’m sorry, Mr Rubin, that your experience of priests and their not unnatural but supernatural vow of celibacy, has been so different from mine. Though some priests give celibacy a bad name, let’s not trivialise the many good ones.

You have given your honest opinion. It is without wishing to offend, therefore, that I respond with the words “Honi soit qui mal y pense”, or “Let the discredit be due to the one who thinks ill of the situation.”

Luky Whittle, Kroonstad

Don’t dismiss DA

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OUR editorial “A disunited front” (April 19) makes some telling points, but its views regarding the approach of the Democratic Alliance need to be examined.

Hard-earned taxpayers’ money, which could and should be used meaningfully, is being scandalously wasted.

President Jacob Zuma, spending huge sums of money on Nkandla, was (thank goodness) censured by the Constitutional Court in ruling on applications by the Economic Freedom Fighters and the DA, “that Jacob Zuma had failed to uphold the Constitution by flouting a directive from Public Protector Thuli Madonsela that he pay back public money spent on luxuries, including a swimming pool, added to his rural home”.

It could be naïve of us to think that the ANC of its own accord would censure Mr Zuma.

The DA’s approach via the judiciary is the correct route to follow.

Corruption is an offence which is punishable by law, not by negotiation.

Patrick Dacey, Johannesburg

PERSPECTIVES Emmanuel Ngara

Christian Leadership

What to do about false prophets?

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Y last column ended with questions about what members of mainline churches should do to curb unacceptable practices by the leaders of some Pentecostal churches who call themselves “prophets”.

This is not an issue that can be dealt with in one article at the length available for this column. Accordingly we will tackle the questions in two parts: The first part will deal with general principles, and the second part with structures and implementation.

What is suggested here may have been already proposed by organisations such as councils of churches and heads of denominations that exist in the countries of our region, the Southern African Development Community (SADC). While what is proposed here may not be entirely new, it is necessary to emphasise the importance of protecting the authenticity of Christianity and to ensure action is taken in order to: • Protect the dignity, sanctity and authenticity of the Christian faith; • Prevent or minimise the watering down and abuse of the Gospel message of Christ; and • Protect the citizens of our countries from exploitation by leaders who claim to represent Christ when their motives are not genuinely spiritual.

In order to ensure that the above objectives and others are met, it is proposed that a number of steps should be taken, especially the following: 1. Religious practice by all who claim to preach the word of God in the name of Jesus Christ must be professionalised.

2. There should be a body in each country and in the region which has authority to regulate religious practice and to recognise and derecognise pastors, priests and preachers.

3. There should be a code of conduct to which all priests, pastors and preachers must abide.

W

hat’s meant by “professionalisation”? We can answer this question by referring to a number of existing professions. In the medical, teaching and legal professions, professionalisation includes the following, among other criteria: • There is a period of training in which the aspiring professionals learn to acquire the tools of the trade—both the theory and practice of the relevant profession.

• The aspiring professionals are awarded a qualification in the form of a certificate, diploma or degree or some other formal means of recognition. The award is given by a recognised and authorised body.

• In some fields a code of conduct is a requirement.

With regard to the period of training, we are all aware that in the mainline churches there is a period of rigorous training for priests and pastors—more rigorous in some churches than in others. This should be a requirement in every country for all the churches and sects that preach the Gospel message of Christ in order to avoid simplistic and outrageous interpretations of the Scriptures.

The training should result in an award by an accredited institution. How this can be done will be discussed in the next column.

A code of conduct for religious practitioners is, in my view, an absolute necessity in view of some of the outlandish practices referred to in the previous column.

Let me mention the medical field as an example of what can be done: Medical professionals are expected to take the Hippocratic Oath which requires new practitioners to uphold certain ethical standards. The practice comes to us from ancient Greece where new physicians were supposed to swear by certain healing gods and to uphold specific ethical standards.

The are various versions of the modern Hippocratic Oath. One short version reads: “I swear to fulfil, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant. I will respect the hardwon scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.”

If doctors are required to have an oath, it is equally important, if not more critical, for religious pastors and priests to have such an oath.

Pastors and priests deal with people’s spiritual needs and people’s souls. They deal with what we Christians believe to be the purpose and ultimate goal of human life.

As priests and pastors they should show the rest of us what it means to be a Christian, and how we should conduct ourselves religiously, morally and ethically.

The Southern Cross, May 10 to May 16, 2017

7

Privacy going down the YouTube Mark G Pattison OVERNMENTS, having observed shameless efforts by mass-media marketers to use children to separate parents from their money, have had to step in repeatedly over the past 40-plus years with laws and regulations to stop this kind of exploitation.

Today, though, governments and regulatory bodies seem nearly powerless when up against the online advertising juggernaut—even though polite exploiters wouldn’t use as crass a phrase as “advertising”.

Angela Campbell, an attorney with the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, not only related the sad history of ads targeted at children in a scholarly paper, “Rethinking Children’s Advertising Policies for the Digital Age”— she spelled out today’s dangers as well.

Computer technology has grown so sophisticated that a user’s online habits can be readily tracked—including the habits of kids.

“Online ad networks use a central server to deliver advertisements to consumers, which enables targeting, tracking, and reporting consumers’ impressions in ways not possible with analogue media alternatives,” Ms Campbell said. “When children watch videos on YouTube, a great deal of information is collected from and about them.” She quoted Time magazine: “YouTube pretty much owns kids’ eyeballs at this point.”

“Not only is marketing more personalised, but it is increasingly integrated into content,” Ms Campbell said. “The distinction between content and marketing has become even more blurred on the Internet, where much of the advertising looks similar to news clips or independent product reviews, a practice referred to as ‘native advertising’.”

Indeed, a Common Sense Media survey of US kids ages 10-18 issued in March showed that children between 10 and 12

prefer YouTube over Facebook as their online news source.

Ms Campbell pointed to a recent survey of youths between 13-17 to rank their favourite celebrities from a list of 20 names. Two names are easily recognisable: pop music stars Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars. The others in their top 10 were YouTube stars.

O

ne “YouTuber” is EvanTube. “Evan’s father started making and posting videos of Evan opening, playing with and talking about toys and other products when Evan was eight years old,” Ms Campbell explained. “Now he has four YouTube channels and reportedly makes millions of dollars.”

YouTube, sensing the ability to make more money, put together a “partners programme”, allowing creators to monetise content on YouTube by letting Google stream advertisements in exchange for a cut of the ad dollars.

In some quarters, it’s nice that EvanTube is now a brand. But traditional brands have caught on.

“The growth in the number of brand channels and brand videos has been re-

Websites are targeting ads at us according to our browsing habits—with YouTube aiming specifically at our kids. (Graphic: Gerd Altmann)

A timely call for renewal T HIS weekend, Pope Francis is visiting Fatima for the centennial celebrations of Our Lady’s apparition to the three shepherd children, and the canonisation of Jacinta and Francisco.

It will be a time of looking back and looking forward—back on a hundred years of prayer for the world and forward to the needs of our world today, especially peace, justice, respect, and the protection of all life.

Over the last four months in this space we have travelled to every continent and have united our prayers to our suffering brothers and sisters. It is fitting to end this journey of prayer and solidarity in the Middle East where the People of God have walked for millennia and which today is as plagued by conflict and power struggles as it was in the time of the Old and New testaments.

The scriptures of the three Abrahamic faiths are filled with the names of places that are today the theatre of conflict—as scenes of violence or neighbours affected by war—in Palestine, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.

God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai in Egypt, the same region where the Coptic Christians are being currently targeted by ISIS. In this place, God called his people to honour and glorify his name and to protect life. Instead, today brother kills brother, justifying the violence by saying that it is to protect God’s name and laws.

St Paul had his life-changing conversion experience on the road to Damascus, the capital of modern Syria and the focus of most international news since the civil war broke out in 2011—one so merciless that it has even seen the deployment of chemical weapons on civilians.

The conflict has created the world’s greatest refugee crisis since the end of the Second World War. Some 4,8 million Syrians have fled the country since 2011 and 11 million people who are still in Syria are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.

At the same time, European countries and the US claim that they can no longer absorb the financial cost of the constant flow of refugees, and in some cases have lost the political will to help the victims of state-sponsored and extremist violence.

For the Israelites fleeing Pharaoh’s slavery in Egypt, Canaan was a land of “milk

People attend a conference on international peace attended by Pope Francis during his two-day visit to Cairo April 28. In Egypt the pope said: “Our world needs people who can build bridges of peace, dialogue, fraternity, justice and humanity.”

(Photo: Paul Haring/CNS) and honey”, promising the Hebrew people a homeland after 40 years of wandering in the desert. In the aftermath of World War II, the international community helped to create the modern state of Israel, allowing the millions who were displaced by Hitler’s madness to start afresh.

B

Point of Media

markable,” Ms Campbell said. “According to video advertising technology company Pixability, by 2013, all but one of the top 100 global brands had a YouTube channel, and 56 had ten or more. By 2015, the top 100 brands collectively had 2 400 brand channels, 611 000 branded videos, and 40 billion channel views.”

The year 2015 also saw the debut of the YouTube Kids app for the youngest possible audiences, often known simply as YTK. “Google [YouTube’s owner] designed YTK specifically for children ages 5 and under,” according to Ms Campbell. “In Google Play and the App Store, Google describes the app as ‘designed for curious little minds’. This is a delightfully simple—and free!—app, where kids can discover videos, channels and playlists they love.”

Who supplies the video content?

YouTube celebrities, also known as influencers. “Many of the influencer videos feature sweets and snack foods,” Ms Campbell noted.

“For example, children can learn to make a Nutella milkshake [or] lip gloss from a Snickers bar. Entire channels are devoted to sweets reviews.”

Ads eventually came to YTK. YouTube put a policy into place to regulate the ads, which is routinely flouted. The result, Ms Campbell said, is that “young children are exposed to a great deal of marketing at odds with long-standing policies regarding marketing to children”.

Our privacy, and that of our children, seems to be going down the YouTube. n Mark Pattison is media editor for Catholic News Service.

Sarah-Leah Pimentel

The Mustard Seeds

tion to this war of brothers, especially for as long as international political interests continue to prosper from this conflict.

These conflicts can be a call for us to see human events through the eyes of faith and overcome our cynicism and preconceived ideas about the Middle East.

Pope Francis calls us rather to see the potential of this region, with its ancient and religious history.

On his recent visit to Egypt, the Holy Father reiterated a message he has proclaimed many times before: that “our world needs people who can build bridges of peace, dialogue, fraternity, justice and humanity”.

For too long, religion has been used to justify the conflicts in the Middle East, but Francis reminds us that the “brutal violence” is caused by “sheer desire for power, the arms trade, grave social problems and that religious extremism which uses the Holy Name of God to carry out unprecedented atrocities and injustices”.

As we prepare our hearts for the Fatima celebrations, let us join our hearts to Pope Francis’ prayer for “peace, love, and mercy” that peacemakers may have the courage to help find “solutions to pressing and complex problems that need to be faced now in order to avoid the spread of worse violence”.

As Catholics, we are also called to inform ourselves, responsibly and without prejudice, about these and other conflicts Continued on page 11

ut this came at the cost of Palestinian sovereignty and had a direct impact on the people who had lived there for centuries, even millennia.

Feeling itself under threat in a region that is dominated by Islam, the Israeli government continues to strangle the Palestinian nation which has been pushed to the margins; most of Palestinians now live under occupation in the West Bank, where Israel has been building settlements that are illegal in international law.

Many feel that the only way to resolve this political crisis, THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY which has dragged on since the OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA 2017 late 1960s, is to adopt a two11 TO 28TH OCTOBER state solution. Except it’s not that easy.

THE ANNUAL MARIAN PILGRIMAGE It is unlikely that Israel will Visiting Fatima for the Anniversary Celebrations, agree to having an independLisbon, Paris, The Vatican City, Rome, Assisi ent Palestinian nation state at and Medjugorje. 1 SEAT LEFT its borders. And Palestinians Led by Fr R Nkululeko Meyiwa OMI will not accept the fragmented Organised by Victor and Jacinta David. shape such a state would take, nor give up on what they call Cost from R45900 the right to return to the land Tel: (031) 266 7702 Fax: (031) 266 8982 and homes they lost in 1948.

Email: judyeichhorst@telkomsa.net We’re unlikely to see a solu-

8

The Southern Cross, May 10 to May 16, 2017

COMMUNITY

Divine Mercy Sunday was celebrated for the 20th year at Mater Dolorosa parish in Kensington South, Johannesburg, with Archbishop Buti Tlhagale. The archbishop is shown blessing pictures of Divine Mercy and the people who attended. (Photo: Christina Ricchiuti)

Send your photos to

pics@scross.co.za

Archbishop Stephen Brislin washes the feet of a parishioner at St Mary’s cathedral in Cape Town on Holy Thursday.

(Photo: Michelle Perry)

The congregation at Holy Family parish in Turffontein, Johannesburg, is led during the Easter vigil by Auxillary Bishop Duncan Tsoke and Fr Jean-Paul Amuli.

De Grendel Lions club member Mike Wood and Oblate teaching nuns Sr Antonia and Sr Anita, with the more than 850 Easter eggs given to Koelenhof mission school near Stellenbosch, Western Cape, which teaches pupils who come mainly from families of local farmworkers. The Easter eggs were donated by the Edgemead and Monte Vista primary schools in Cape Town, who collaborated with the Lions and Catholic care groups.

Deacon Victor Ho lights the Easter candle from an outside fire at St John Bosco parish in Robertsham, Johannesburg, during the Easter vigil. The light from the candle was then passed on from altar servers to parishioners during a short procession led by the Easter candle into the church, where Mass was celebrated by Fr John Thompson SDB.

St Therese parish in Edenvale, Gauteng, started the Easter weekend with a Passover meal organised by the Catholic Women’s League. The CWL team comprised (back row from left) Rosemary Shannon, Jean Lydal, Gail Yates, Maria Hill, Zelda Bennet, Anna Lugano, Rose Hacket and Ingrid Strohbach, and (front row from left) Angela Rebello and Sheila Bagnall.

The RCIA group of 2016-17 at the Easter vigil Mass with Fr Grant Emmanuel, parish priest of Chatsworth, Durban.

Emeritus Archbishop George Daniel, assisted by Sisters of the Imitation of Christ, washed the feet of residents of Little Eden home for children and adults with profound intellectual disabilities in Edenglen, Johannesburg, during Holy Week.

Holy Cross Primary School in Aliwal North, Eastern Cape, contributed R2 500 to the Lenten Appeal 2017. Pupils hand over the money to Mgr Joe Kizito. (Photo source: Holy Cross principal Sr Bridget Cronin)

Kreste Modisa parish in Mahikeng, North-West Province, celebrated a joint Palm Sunday service with the outstation in Mokgobistad.

Women of St Anthony’s parish in Sedgefield on the Garden Route folded crosses for Palm Sunday.

(From left) Bernie, Brigid, Felicity, Fay, Fiona, Lyneen (obscured), Joan and Paddy.

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The Southern Cross, May 10 to May 16, 2017

FATIMA 100

9

What happened at Fatima in 1917?

Starting on May 13, the Church enters months of celebration of 100 years since the reported apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima, Portugal. JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES looks at what took place in 1917.

W

HILE conversion and prayer are at the heart of Mary’s messages at Fatima, Portugal, the miracles and unexplained phenomena that accompanied the events 100 years ago continue to intrigue believers and nonbelievers alike.

The apparitions of Mary at Fatima in 1917 were not the first supernatural events reported there.

Two years before Mary appeared to the three shepherd children— Lucia dos Santos and her cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto—they saw a strange sight while praying the rosary in the field, according to the memoirs of Sr Lucia, who had become a Carmelite nun.

“We had hardly begun when, there before our eyes, we saw a figure poised in the air above the trees; it looked like a statue made of snow, rendered almost transparent by the rays of the sun,” she wrote, describing what they saw in 1915.

The next year, Francisco and Jacinta received permission to tend their family’s flocks and Lucia decided to join her cousins in a field owned by their families.

It was 1916 when the mysterious figure appeared again, this time approaching close enough “to distinguish its features”.

“Do not be afraid! I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me,” Sr Lucia recalled the angel saying.

The three told no one about the angel’s visit and received no more heavenly visits until May 13, 1917.

While the children tended their sheep and played, they were startled by two flashes of lightning.

As they made their way down a slope, the children saw a “lady all dressed in white” standing on a

Left: The appearance of an angel to visionary children in the spring of 1916 is represented on the site near Fatima. Right: The statue of Our Lady of Fatima at Apparition chapel at the place where most of the visitations by Mary took place in the sanctuary of Fatima. (Photos: Günther Simmermacher) small tree. It was the first of six apparitions of Mary, who gave a particular message or revelation each time: When asked by the children who she was and where she came from, the lady said she was “from heaven” and that she would reveal her identity later. She asked the children to come back to the Cova da Iria on the 13th day of the month for the next six months, and she asked them to pray the rosary every day “in order to obtain peace for the world” and the end of World War I. June 13: The lady said she would take Francisco, who had turned 9 the previous day, and Jacinta, then 7, to heaven soon while Lucia would remain on earth for “some time longer” to establish devotion to the Immaculate Heart. Indeed, Francisco and Jacinta died in 1919 and 1920 respectively. Sr Lucia died in 2005 at the age of 97.

July 13: The lady said she would reveal her identity in October and “perform a miracle for all to see and believe”. After telling the children to make sacrifices for sinners, she revealed three secrets; two of the secrets were not shared publicly until 1941 and the third secret, written down by Sr Lucia and sent to the Vatican, was not released until 2000.

The first secret involved a vision

of hell in which the children saw “a sea of fire” with demons and human souls shrieking “in pain and despair”. In her memoir, Sr Lucia said people nearby, who had begun gathering around the children on the 13th of the month, heard her “cry out” during the frightening revelation.

The second secret was that while World War I would end, a “worse one will break out” if people continued offending God. The children were told that

Fatima visionaries Jacinta, Lucia, and Francisco

How the Church determines a true Marian apparition

BY JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES

rain, tens of thousands of people went to the Cova da Iria to witness the long-awaited miracle.

The lady identified herself as “Our Lady of the Rosary” and said the war would end and the soldiers would return home. After asking that people cease to offend God, she opened her hands, which reflected a light towards the sun.

Sr Lucia recalled crying out, “Look at the sun!” As the crowds looked on, the sun appeared to “dance,” spinning and changing colours. The children also saw the promised figures of Jesus, St Joseph and Mary.

Amazement at the “dancing sun” turned to panic when the sun seemed to hurl towards earth. Fearing the end of the world, some people screamed and ran, some tried to hide and others remained on their knees, praying for mercy. Then the sun returned to its place.

Thirteen years after Mary’s final apparition at Fatima, the bishop of Leiria declared the visions of the three shepherd children “worthy of belief” and allowed the veneration of Our Lady of Fatima.

Francisco and Jacinta will be canonised on May 13, the 100th anniversary of the first apparition — CNS

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100 Years Fatima Pilgrimage

1 - 10 October 2017 Portugal & Spain

W

HEN it comes to Marian apparitions, the Catholic Church takes a prudent approach that focuses more on the message than the miracle.

Supernatural phenomena, like the reported miracle of the sun in Fatima on October 13, 1917, are not the primary factors in determining if an apparition is worthy of belief.

In that particular case, the bishop of Leiria— where Fatima is located—deemed the apparitions worthy of belief, but not the miracle of the sun.

His ruling came in 1930, more than a dozen years after Mary’s final apparition to Lucia dos Santos and her cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto.

More than 1 500 visions of Mary have been reported around the world, but in the past century, fewer than 20 cases have received Church approval as worthy of belief.

The Vatican’s “Norms regarding the manner of proceedings in the discernment of presumed apparitions or revelations” were approved by Pope Paul VI in 1978. An official English translation was released in 2011.

Like with Fatima, responsibility for determining an apparition’s veracity lies with the local bishop, according to the norms established by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The process is never brief, with some cases taking hundreds of years. Visionaries and witnesses must be questioned and the fruits of the apparitions, such as conversions, miracles and healings, must be examined.

According to the norms, the local bishop should set up a commission of experts, including theologians, canonists, psychologists and doctors to help him determine the facts, the mental, moral and spiritual wholesomeness and seriousness of the visionary, and whether the messages

The

calamity would be prevented if Russia was consecrated to the Immaculate Heart. Although Sr Lucia confirmed that the consecration was done properly by Pope Pius XII in 1942 and by John Paul II in 1984, some Fatima devotees continue to argue that it was not.

The third and final secret, published 83 years after the Fatima apparitions, was a vision of a “bishop dressed in white” shot down amid the rubble of a ruined city. The official Vatican interpretation, discussed with Sr Lucia before its publication, was that it referred to the persecution of Christians in the 20th century and, specifically, to the 1981 assassination attempt on the life of St John Paul II. August 19: The lady—appearing a few days late because on the 13th the children were held for interrogation by the local mayor—asked that the money given by pilgrims be used to build a chapel on the site of the apparitions.

September 13: The lady asked them to continue to pray the rosary “to obtain the end of the war” and said that Jesus, St Joseph, Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of Carmel would appear during the miracle in October.

October 13: Despite the pouring

Led by Fr Brian Mhlanga OP Canonically approved for veneration: (from left) Our Lady of Knock in Ireland; the Miraculous Medal in Paris; Lourdes in southern France. and testimony are free from theological and doctrinal error.

A bishop can come to one of three conclusions: l He can determine the apparition to be true and worthy of belief (as applies to the shrine in Ngome in Eshowe diocese); l he can say it is not true, which leaves open the possibility for an appeal; or l he can say that at the moment, he doesn’t know and needs more help.

In the last scenario, the investigation is brought to the country’s bishops’ conference. If that body cannot come to a conclusion, the matter is turned over to the pope, who delegates the doctrinal congregation to step in and give advice or appoint others to investigate.

Still, the Catholic Church does not require the faithful to believe in apparitions, even those recognised by the Church.

Church recognition of what is called a private revelation, in essence, is just the Church’s way of saying the message is not contrary to the faith or morality, it is licit to make the message public “and the faithful are authorised to give to it their prudent adhesion,” Pope Benedict XVI said in his 2010 apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini (“The Word of the Lord”).—CNS

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FATIMA 100

Niece: Fatima saints a gift from God On May 13, Pope Francis will beatify two of the three visionaries of Fatima. ELISE HARRIS spoke to the niece of Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

T

HE niece of Bl Francisco and Jacinta Marto is excited about the canonisation of her relatives on the May 13 centenary of the first apparition at Fatima.

Francisco and Jacinta were the younger of the three Fatima visionaries. They died young, within three years of the apparition. The third seer, Lucia dos Santos, became a Carmelite nun and died at 97 in 2005.

Bl Francisco and Jacinta will become the youngest non-martyrs in the history of the Church to be canonised.

“My family, my grandparents, my parents, all of us always accepted it as a gift from God,” said Jacinta Pereiro Marto.

“God chose my uncle and aunt because this is what he wanted, so much that my grandfather used to say that the Virgin wanted to come to Fatima and she chose his children, but that we didn’t deserve anything,” she said.

Because of this attitude instilled in the family by her grandfather– the father of Francisco and Jacinta Marto—”we always lived very simply because God chose, and he chooses whom he wants. We don’t deserve anything.”

Ms Marto, 74, is the daughter of João Marto, the brother of Francisco and Jacinta, and she shares the exact same name as her saintly aunt.

Just two years older than Francisco, João was the closest in age to the two out of the many Marto siblings.

Ms Marto said that she had “the joy” of being born in the same family home as Francisco and Jacinta, and to grow up there, since her father continued to live in the house, in the small village of Aljustrel, with his elderly parents.

Speaking of her grandparents, she recalled: “They always instilled in me a great love for God and for the Virgin, a life of simplicity, of belief and of religiosity.”

Their home remains the property of the family, but is now open for visitors and pilgrims to see where the visionaries grew up.

Across the street, Ms Marto runs a souvenir shop and a small museum-of-sorts containing original photos and artifacts belonging to the family, including shawls used

by Jacinta, the rosary Francisco prayed with before dying, and the bed he passed away in.

Left: The tomb of Jacinta and Sr Lucia in the basilica at the sanctuary of Fatima. Right: The Marto family’s home in Aljustrel, with the wall against which the most famous photo of the three children was taken. (Photos: Günther Simmermacher)

Left: The room in the Marto home in which Francisco and Jacinta were born. Right: The sheep pen at the home of Lucia, also in Aljustrel. The Southern Cross’ pilgrimages to Fatima this month and in October will include visits to all these places.

Ms Marto said that it is thanks to her grandmother Olimpia Marto that she received the same name as her aunt. Olimpia had wanted a grandchild who would share the exact same name as her saintly daughter, and was told by João’s wife that the next girl they had would get the name.

“I feel very happy to be Jacinta,” Ms Marto said, explaining that “I feel a very strong presence and a great protection from my uncle and aunt...I feel that they and Our Lady protect me”.

Brother saw nothing Recalling memories shared by her father, Ms Marto said João had been present with Francisco and Jacinta at the apparition of Mary in Valinhos, also near Fatima, which took place in August.

“It was only Francisco, Jacinta, Lucia and my father, but he said that even though he opened his eyes and looked, he saw nothing.”

Around the time Mary was to appear, Jacinta wasn’t there at first, she said, explaining that when Lucia asked him to go and find her, João “didn’t want to, because he

wanted to see”. He eventually went to find Jacinta, and when she arrived Mary appeared, but even though he waited with them, João couldn’t see anything.

When the “miracle of the sun” took place on October 13, 1917, João, who was only 11 at the time, stayed at home because rumours were spreading, likely from other children, that if the miracle which Our Lady had promised didn’t happen, “the whole family would die”.

News reports and witnesses from the time—estimated to be between 30 000 and 100 000, said the miracle took place when the formerly cloudy sky parted and the sun appeared as an opaque, spinning disk in the sky. Additionally, clothes and mud previously wet from the rain had dried.

At just 11 years old, Ms Marto said, João didn’t understand everything that was going on, but after Francisco and Jacinta died in 1919 and 1920 in the flu epidemic, “my father said that he cried a lot...a lot. Because he saw that everything they said was happening.”

Ms Marto said her grandfather Manuel didn’t initially understand

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Papal surprise for KZN nun

BY SYDNEY DUVAL

P Bishop Xolelo Kumalo of Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal, presents Nardini Sister Sola Schaumann, 97, with the papal Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal. (Photo: Sydney Duval)

Soccer star now a Catholic A STA AFF REPORTER

FORM MER Bafana Bafana striker who was received into the Church is “a quiet, modest type of guy”, according to a priest.

Kaizer Chiefs striker Bernard Parker received the sacrament of confirmation with eight other converts over Easter at St Dominic’s church in Boksburg.

He had been preparing for two years while following the RCIA programme under Deacon Bob Johnstone and catechist Tony De Campos.

“As a professional footballer his journey to Catholicism was eventful in that he had constantly to plan ahead so that his football fixtures with Chiefs and his weekly attendance at his catechumen class didn't suffer,’ said Fr Paddy Noonan OFM of St Anthony’s.

“It was a tightrope at times” for the 31year-old football star, the Franciscan added.

As one of two Catholics on the Chiefs teams—the other is Venezuelan Gustavo Paez —fans will have noticed him making the sign of the cross lately on the field of play.

“He is already giving witness to his new Christian status in his chosen life,” Fr Noonan said.

Mr Parker’s wife, former reality TV star Weendy Parker (née Cherry) welcomed her husband to the Catholic faith in an Instagram message.

They married in 2012 in Ballito, KwaZuluNatal.

Th T he The

Football star Bernard Parker is blessed by Fr Paddy Noonan OFM as (from left) Deacon Bob Johnstone, catechist Tony De Campos (behind him), Fr Jeff Jawaheer OFM look on at St Anthony’s church in Boksburg. His wife Wendy stands behind him as sponsor.

(Photo: Wendy Parker/Instagram) Mrs Parker told TshisaLIVE that her husband had been “nervous but excited” before the confirmation. “I am happy because this will bring more stability into his life,” she said.

The Boksburg-born player has represented South Africa in 70 games from 2007-15, scoring 21 goals. His clubs before joining Chiefs in 2011 included Thanda Royal Zulu, Red Star Belgrade in Serbia and FC Twente, with whom he won the Dutch league in 2010.

OPE Francis had a big surprise for Eshowe’s Bishop Xolelo Kumalo and Sr Sola Schaumann, a 97-year-old Franciscan Nardini nun dubbed the “Florence Nightingale of Nkandla”.

Bishop Kumalo had asked the pope to honour Sr Sola’s 60 years of missionary service in the diocese with the Bene Merenti medal.

When he opened the package from the Vatican it contained the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal, the highest papal honour for distinguished service to the Church and the pope by laity and religious.

Bishop Kumalo shared this news with local VIPs, clergy,, religious and laity gathered for the celebration Mass at Holy Trinity church at Nkandla.

“I asked for a papal award that would not only honour Sr Sola, but through her all the religious who have done such tremendous work, from the time of the pioneers, by deepening evangelisation through health care, education, pastoral outreach and socio-economic development of the local people in this diocese,” Bishop Kumalo explained.

“I received a request for more information about Sr Sola which I sent off. Imagine my great surprise when I opened the package from the Vatican to find not the Bene Merenti, but the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal.”

Addressing Sr Sola, he said: “Yo ou are a beautiful woman who has done wonderful work for God and his people. Wee need more young religious to follow your inspiring example.”

The regional superior of the Franciscan Nardinis, Sr Ellen Lindner, noted that seven years ago former German President Horst Köhler honoured Sr Sola with his country’s highest civil award, the Distinguished Service Cross, for her work in health care and alleviating poverty.

“Today it is Pope Francis who honours Sr Sola for her work as a missionary whose work of evangelisation included making the world around her a better place for families and communities,” she said.

“Sr Sola was able to do this because she had the wonderful gift of reading, understanding and responding to the needs of the times. Her maternity work at the old Benedictine Mission Hospital, now Nkandla District Hospital, sensitised her to the socio-economic circumstances of the communities ser ved by the hospital.

“She wasted no time in doing something

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about it—in living out the charism of our [congregation’s] founder, Bl Paul Joseph Nardini, who was a great social reformer of his time.

She, too, felt compelled to act with the compassion of Christ,” Sr Ellen noted.

O

n weekends Sr Sola accompanied the Benedictine priests to the outstations, bringing her in closer touch with the realities of the hardships caused by apartheid: the disruption of families through men migrating for work; poverty and severe malnutrition; and the heavy burden carried by women in caring for their families.

“Sr Sola immediately saw the advantages of the health department’s mobile health clinic system which she introduced to Nkandla. She set up women’s clubs at the clinic points with more intensive teaching in health issues, nutrition, child care, and encouraging them to explore various ways of improving their situation through incomegenerating initiatives. She set up community gardens and sewing clubs, followed by training in handcrafts,” Sr Ellen noted Sr Sola soon saw the need for a more structured approach and in 1976 she established Sizanani Centre as an adult education facility, with support from the motherhouse at Mallersdorf in Germany.

She offered courses in sewing, weaving, beadwork, knitting, culinary skills, and smallscale farming. Credit clubs were added. These were efforts to help people overcome adversity as integral to her missionary calling. She also brought the women together in a spirit of sharing, of worship, of solidarity, of becoming spiritual companions on the way to selfupliftment.

When Sr Sola arrived in South Africa in 1955 she was told that she would have to redo her nursing training to qualify for service here. She went off to the Benedictine Sisters at Nongoma where she trained under Sr Reinolda May, the visionary of Ngome whose cause for beatification has been opened.

Sr Sola got her driver’s licence only at the age of 54. Br Bernard Pachner OSB of Inkamana is still driving her old Land Rover that has now clocked up more than a million kilometers.

Noting that Sr Sola has served the people of Eshowe diocese and Nkandla, “as a missionary who has made God’s love for humanity a lived experience”, Sr Ellen concluded: “She is a woman of value. A woman of our times. And Pope Francis thinks so, too!”

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‘Like a bee in a jar’ After the first appearance Manuel accompanied his children to the following apparitions, and although he didn’t see anything, “he said that he heard a sound, like a bee inside a jar”.

He was also present for the miracle of the sun, Ms Marto said, saying that “if he believed before, he continued to believe” after.

Ms Marto said that for her, this belief was extraordinary. “When their children died, they were known—but not with the fame of sanctity” as they became known later.

“So they thought their children

were a little different from the others, but they didn’t know how it was going to be.

Ms Marto said she feels “a big joy” knowing her uncle and aunt will be proclaimed saints.

However, the news “is not only for the family, it’s for Portugal and the whole world. Because Our Lady came for the world, and they were a message for the world,” she said.

“I sometimes ask myself how two children who were seven and nine years old managed to capture and respond to the message of God. They had a message and assumed this message,” she said, noting that Francisco was all about “praising God, adoring God, worshipping God”.

Jacinta, however, was primarily concerned with conversion, and wanted that “everyone return to God, that everyone convert, that everyone went to heaven”.

At just seven years of age, Jacinta had visions of wars, famines and persecutions, and as a result she “assumed the responsibility” of offering and making sacrifices so that everyone could be saved.

“And us? What are we doing?” she asked. With television and social media it’s not necessary to have a vision of the suffering and tragedy in the world, but “we are part of this humanity and we are a bit responsible for everyone. Sometimes we don’t think well about this”, Ms Marto said.

For her, the core of Our Lady of Fatima’s message is that she came “that we might return to God. That we don’t forget that God loves us, but that we have to praise him and must give thanks to him.”

In addition to this, “we must pray for each other,” she said, explaining that in her instructions to the children, Mary “didn’t ask many things that we can’t do”.— CNA

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some of what was happening either, but had always believed his children were telling the truth.

Jacinta was the first one to tell her parents about seeing Mary after coming home from the first apparition, Ms Marto said. When people began to say the children had made everything up, her grandfather would respond: “My children are not liars. I taught them, so if they say they saw, I think they saw.”

Jacinta Pereiro Marto, niece of Francisco and Jacinta in Fatima, Portugal (Photo: Ibaez/CNA)

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CLASSIFIEDS

Sr Simona Entius OP

D

OMINICAN Sister Simona Entius died on April 7 at the age of 87 at Emmaus Convent in East London.

She was born in Hoorn, the Netherlands, on July 23, 1929, into a devout Catholic family of three brothers and four sisters.

Her family attended church services regularly and prayed together as a family. There was a Dominican church in her home town and she always went there as a teenager. She loved to go to evening compline with the Dominican community in the beautiful church.

After Sr Simona’s first vows in 1950, she left Holland and arrived at the motherhouse in King William’s Town. For five years she studied and taught in the Dominican schools in King and Queenstown. In 1955 she at-

tended the Teachers’ Training College in Grahamstown.

She taught at various convent schools in the Eastern Cape: St Theresa’s in Izeli, Sacred Heart Convent in Graaff Reinet, St Francis Xavier in East London.

At the general chapter in 1969, Sr Simona was elected gen-

eral councillor and served in this capacity for 12 years. After her term of office she returned to the Eastern Cape as vicaress and superior in King William’s Town.

In 1989 she attended a geriatrics course in Sydney, Australia, and made good use of the newly acquired skills when visiting the Mater Dei Hospital (later St Dominic’s) and as superior at St Pius in Cambridge.

Sr Simona is remembered as a loving community sister, very capable, inventive, and gifted with a melodious singing voice.

In May 2015, Sr Simona had a fall and though she fractured no limbs, she could no longer stand or walk alone. This necessitated her being transferred to the frail care section at Emmaus.

Sr Simona died peacefully in the presence of several sisters.

Via Lucis: Stations of the Resurrection

CLASSIFIEDS

IN MEMORIAM

ABRAHAMS—Christian Joshua. In memory of my loving husband who passed away May 2, 2003. Precious memories of you live on. Lovingly remembered

by Shirley and family. Also Magdalene, passed away May 7, 1994, and Barbara, April 23, 2008. Fondly remembered by Abrahams family.

LATEGAN—Peter Angus.

Passed away May 5, 2016.

Lovingly remembered by his wife Beryl, daughters Letitia, Corinna and Tracy, sons-in-law Terence and Byron, grandchildren Meagan, Peter and Keren.

Gone but not forgotten.

Rest in Peace.

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

Liturgical Calendar Year A – Weekdays Cycle Year 1 Sunday May 14, 5th Sunday of Easter Acts 6:1-7, Psalms 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19, 1 Peter 2:4-9, John 14:1-12 Monday May 15 Acts 14:5-18, Psalms 115:1-4, 15-16, John 14:21-26 Tuesday May 16 John 14:21-26, Psalms 145:10-13, 21, John 14:2731 Wednesday May 17 Acts 15:1-6, Psalms 122:1-5, John 15:1-8 Thursday May 18, St Pope John I Acts 15:7-21, Psalms 96:1-3,10, John 15:9-11 Friday May 19 Acts 15:22-31, Psalms 57:8-12, John 15:12-17 Saturday May 20, St Bernadine of Siena Acts 16:1-10, Psalms 100:1-3, 5, John 15:1821 Sunday May 21, 6th Sunday of Easter Acts 8:5-8, 1417, Psalms 66:1-7, 16, 20, 1 Peter 3:15-18, St Bernardine of Siena John 14:15-21

Station 8: The risen Lord gives the disciples the power to forgive (John 20:22-23). Confessional in the basilica of Annunciation in Nazareth, Galilee.

A call for renewal Continued from page 7 in the world, so that we can “unmask the peddlers of illusions” and those who “preach hatred in order to rob the simple of their present life and their right to live with dignity”.

It is not just the duty of political leaders, but of each one of us to “dismantle deadly ideas and extremist ideologies [including our own Christian extremism] and to believe responsibly…that God is the God of freedom”.

Fatima is more than the commemoration of a religious milestone. Fatima is a call for renewal. It is a call for us to pray for a better world.

It is also a call to live out the ideals of God’s kingdom in our midst by building bridges of peace, love and mercy in our own lives, thereby serving as examples for others. n Catch up with previous articles by Sarah-Leah Pimentel at www.scross.co.za/category/perspectives/ sarah-leah-pimentel/

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) 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 race-

course 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.

Secure parking, ideal for rest and relaxation. Special rates for pensioners and clergy. Phone Malcolm Salida on 082 784 5675 or e-mail mjsalida@gmail.com

PRAYERS

from 5 to 13 each month.

For prayers/hymns write to jjvcamara@gmail.com 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.

PERSONAL

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

This is part 3 of our series of images to illustrate the Via Lucis, or Stations of the Resurrection, for you to cut out and collect. Obtain the text of the readings, prayers and responses from the Salesians at sdbprov@iafrica.com

11

Births • First Communion • Confirmation • Engagement/Marriage • Wedding anniversary • Ordination jubilee • Congratulations • Deaths • In memoriam • Thanks • Prayers • Accommodation • Holiday Accommodation • Personal • Services • Employment • Property • Others Please include payment (R1,70 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication.

ABORTION WARNING: The truth will convict a silent Church. See www. valuelifeabortionisevil.co.za ABORTION ON DEMAND: This is legalised daily murder in our nation. Our silence on this issue is the reason why it continues.

Avoid pro-abortion politicians.

Station 7: The risen Lord appears to the disciples in Jerusalem (Luke 24:36-39). Mosaic in the church of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy.

The Southern Cross, May 10 to May 16, 2017

O MOST Holy Virgin Mary, who chose to appear on the Sierra de Aire, in the Cova de Iria, to three young shepherds to reveal the treasures of grace held in the recitation of the Rosary, impress upon our souls a fervent love for this devotion. By meditating on the mysteries of our redemption, may we learn how to use the teachings which lie therein and obtain the graces we ask in this prayer. For the Glory of God and the redeeming of our souls. Amen. Novena

Our bishops’ anniversaries This week we congratulate: May 12: Archbishop Peter Wells, Apostolic nuncio to Southern Africa, on his 54th birthday

Southern CrossWord solutions SOLUTIONS TO 758. ACROSS: 1 Bell, 3 Uniforms, 9 Lateran, 10 Inter, 11 Winding sheet, 13 You can, 15 Subtle, 17 Guiding light, 20 Count, 21 Invitee, 22 Delusion, 23 On it. DOWN: 1 Bulawayo, 2 Latin, 4 Nonage, 5 Faithful love, 6 Retreat, 7 Sire, 8 Arrival dates, 12 Vestment, 14 Unusual, 16 Indigo, 18 Get on, 19 Iced.

Word of the Week

Apocrypha: The apocrypha consists of a set of books written between approximately 400BC and the time of Christ. They are rejected by the Protestant Churches but many of the apocryphal books are accepted by the Catholic Church such as Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (also known as Ecclesiasticus), and Baruch.

OMI STAMPS YOUR USED STAMPS

can help in the education of South Africans for the PRIESTHOOD at St Joseph’s Scholasticate, Cedara, KwaZulu-Natal.

Please send them to: OMI Stamps, Box 101352, Scottsville, 3209

Neighbourhood Old Age Homes

We can use your old clothing, bric-a-brac, furniture and books for our second-hand shop in Woodstock, Cape Town.

Help us to create an avenue to generate much needed funds for our work with the elderly.

Contact Ian Veary on 021 447 6334 www.noah.org.za

THANkS be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, For all the benefits thou hast won for me, For all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother, May I know thee more clearly, Love thee more dearly, And follow thee more nearly, For ever and ever.

Traditional Latin Mass

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel 36 Central Avenue, Pinelands, Cape Town Call 071 291 4501 for details.

Email: sspx.capetown@gmail.com

The

Southern Cross

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

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

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

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

the

6th Sunday of Easter: May 21 Readings: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17, Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20, 1 Peter 3:15-18, John 14:20-21

W

E are coming to the end of our Easter season now, and starting to think about the Holy Spirit who comes at its end, and who is always with the Church of God. What does the Spirit do? In our first reading, we watch Philip (who, we recall, had been appointed to serve at tables) preaching the Gospel in Samaria.

In two ways this is unexpected.

First of all, this is part of the after-effects of the killing of Stephen (who had also been appointed to serve at tables), which seemed like a disaster for the young Church. But that is what the Spirit does.

Secondly, Samaria stands for “those other people, not very religious” whom you would not expect to be fertile ground for the Gospel. But Philip is a great hit in those parts, producing signs, getting rid of unclean spirits, and healing paralytics and the lame.

There is one other aspect to this that we might notice, too, namely that the official Church in Jerusalem gets to hear about the word being preached in Samaria, and sends delegates, in the shape of Peter and John.

S outher n C ross

Their task is to “pray that they might receive the Holy Spirit”. Then they “laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit”.

Luke does not tell us precisely what this meant, but it was clearly something that admitted of no possible doubt when it happened.

The psalm does not actually mention the Holy Spirit; but the poet clearly believes in the direct action of God: “sing to God, all the earth, play music to the glory of his name…say to God, ‘How fearful are your deeds!’”

This is what the Spirit can get us to do: “Come and see God’s wonders”, and it ends beautifully: “Blessed be God who did not refuse my prayer, or deny me his steadfast love.” That kind of certainty is the gift of the Spirit.

In the second reading, likewise, the Spirit is not mentioned, but what we are invited to do is all the work of that Spirit: “Make holy the Lord Christ in your hearts, always ready to give a defence to anyone who asks for an account of the hope that is among you—but

do it with meekness and awe.”

And they are not to be worried if they get unjustly punished: “It is better to suffer when you do good—if that is what God’s Will wills—than to do what is bad.”

Then comes the all-important recognition, a gift of the Spirit, that Christ’s death has some relationship to us: “Christ died once for sins, the just one on behalf of the unjust, in order to lead you to God; he was put to death in the flesh, but brought to life in the Spirit.”

That is what the Holy Spirit does, whom we are awaiting at the end of our Easter season.

In the Gospel we are once more in the Upper Room, listening to Jesus’ discourse at the Last Supper; and it is all about love (which is of course a gift of the Spirit).

In our passage, Jesus speaks for the first time of the “Paraclete”, John’s title for the Spirit, which means something like “Counsel for the Defence”: “And I am going to ask the Father; and he is going to give you another Paraclete, to be with you forever: the

To be a Holy Beggar W

you get married, begin a family, and establish a career. As a Student, your primary focus is to enjoy your youth and to prepare for life.

Then you become a Householder. This, the third stage of life, begins with marriage and ends when your last child is grown-up, your mortgage is paid, and you retire from your job. As a Householder, your task is family, business, and involvement with civic and religious affairs.

These are your duty years.

T

he fourth stage is that of being a Forest-Dweller. This period should begin when you are free enough from family and business duties to do some deeper reflection.

Forest-Dwelling is meant to be an extended period wherein you withdraw, partially or fully, from active life to study and meditate on your religion and your future.

Very practically, this might mean that you go back to school, perhaps study theology and spirituality, do some extensive retreats, engage in a meditative practice, and take some spiritual direction from a guide.

Finally, once Forest-Dwelling has given you a vision, you return to the world as a Sannyasin, as a holy beggar, as someone who owns nothing except faith and wisdom.

As a Sannyasin, you sit somewhere in public as a beggar, as someone with no significance, property, attachments or importance. You’re available to others for a smile, a chat, an exchange of faith, or some act of charity.

Conrad

ITH the exception of scripture and a few Christian mystics, Christian spirituality, up to now, has been weak in presenting us with a vision for our retirement years.

It’s not a mystery as to why. Until recently, most people died shortly after retirement and so there was no need for a highly developed spirituality of generativity after our active years.

What are our retirement years meant for, spiritually? What’s our vocation then? What might generativity mean for us, after our work’s been done?

Fr Henri Nouwen, one of the first contemporary writers to take up this question, makes this suggestion: “There comes a time in our lives when the question is no longer: What can I still do to make a contribution? Rather the question becomes: How can I live now so that my ageing and dying will be my final great gift to my family, my community, my Church, and my country?”

How do I stop writing my resumé in order to begin writing my eulogy? Happily, spiritual writers today are beginning to develop a spirituality around these questions and, in doing that, I believe, we can be helped by some rich insights within Hindu spirituality.

In Hinduism, life is understood to have five natural stages: First, you are a Child. As a Child, you are initiated into life, you learn to speak, you learn how to interact with others, and are given time for play.

The second stage is that of being a Student. In Hinduism, you’re a Student until

Nicholas King SJ

The Spirit is with you

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Sunday Reflections

Spirit of Truth, which the world cannot accept.”

And what does this mean? It means that Jesus’ absence is not the disaster that we fear: “I am not going to leave you as orphans—I am coming to you…because I live, you also shall live.”

And there is something else that the Spirit gives, an assurance, sometimes against all the odds: “On that day you will know that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you.”

This has an effect that is visible in our lives: “the one who has my commandments [which are all about love, remember] and keeps them, that is the one who loves me.

And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father; and I shall love that person, and reveal myself to them.”

That is the work of the Spirit to whose coming we are now looking forward as the Easter season rushes to its end.

Southern Crossword #758

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

In effect, you’re a street-person, but with a difference. You’re not a street-person because you do not have other options (a comfortable retirement, a golf course, a cottage in the country), but rather because you have already made a success of your life.

You’ve already been generative. You’ve already given what you have to give and you’re now looking to be generative in a new way, namely, to live in such a way that these last years of your life will give a different kind of gift to your loved ones, namely, a gift that will touch their lives in a way that in effect forces them to think about God and life more deeply.

A Sannyasin gives incarnational flesh to the words of Job: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I return.”

We come into this world possessionless and possessionless we leave it. A holy beggar incarnates that truth.

Imagine what a witness it could be if very successful people—doctors, bank presidents, athletes, journalists, teachers, business people, traders, farmers, and happily married persons who have raised children successfully, people who have all kinds of comfortable options in life— would be sitting, as holy beggars, in coffee shops, in fast-food outlets, in malls, on street corners, and in sporting arenas.

Nobody could feel superior to them or treat them with pity, as we do with the street people who sit there now.

Imagine the witness of someone becoming a voluntary beggar because he or she has been a success in life. What a witness and vocation that would be!

But this concept, being a holy beggar, is obviously an idealised image that each of us needs to think through in terms of what that might mean for us concretely.

In the early centuries of Christianity, spirituality saw martyrdom as the final expression of Christian life, the ideal way to cap off a faith-filled life.

Justin, Polycarp, Cyprian and countless others “retired” into martyrdom.

Later, Christians used to retire into monasteries and convents.

But martyrdom and monasteries are also, at a certain place, idealised images.

What, concretely, might we retire into?

ACROSS

1. Does it bring salvation for the boxer? (4) 3. Standard costumes (8) 9. Rome’s basilica of St John (7) 10. Some quaint error to bury (5) 11. Shroud needing some twisting? (7,5) 13, 20 and 23. Why the rosary can be relied on?

(3,3,5,2,2) 15. Bustle around like the crafty Serpent (6) 17. Does the usher use it in the darkened church? (7,5) 20. See 13 21. He’s asked to be your guest (7) 22. I led us on into make-believe (8) 23. See 13

Solutions on page 11

DOWN

1. About a buoy law in Zimbabwe (8) 2. Classic language (5) 4. Time of immaturity in nonagenarian (6) 5. Steadfast romance of sacramental marriage (8,4) 6. Withdraw for meditation (7) 7. Father figure (4) 8. Fixed times of reaching home when altars varied (7,5) 12. It is worn in the sanctuary (8) 14. Not habitually done (7) 16. I, doing tricks, turn blue (6) 18. Board the bus and prosper (3,2) 19. Kind of water used in tropical baptism? (4)

CHURCH CHUCKLE

A

COWBOY appeared before St Peter at the pearly gates. “Have you ever done anything of particular merit?” St Peter asked.

“Well, I can think of one thing,” the cowboy offered. “Once, on a trip, I came upon a gang of bikers who were threatening a young woman. I directed them to leave her alone, but they wouldn’t listen. So, I approached the largest and most heavily tattooed biker, punched him in his face, kicked his bike over, and shouted, ‘Now, back off’.”

St Peter was impressed. He leafed through the great book he held. “When did this happen?”

“Just a couple of minutes ago,” said the cowboy.

Pilgrimage of Graces

HOLY LAND 8 – 19 September 2017

Led by Fr S’milo Mngadi

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