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July 5 to July 11, 2017

Martin Scorsese: How faith shaped me

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Do you wear the stench of corruption?

Making it rain with prayers of pilgrims

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Tell pope what you think, youth urged

BY ERIN CARELSE

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HE South African youth chaplain has urged young people to tell the Vatican what they think in preparation for next year’s Synod of Bishops.

The Vatican has set up an online questionnaire on its website which will enable Catholic and even non-Catholic youth to communicate their views and concerns to the Church.

The idea is for the bishops to better understand the lives, and attitudes of young people,.

The Vatican has released an online questionnaire, asking young people across the world for their opinions on social issues, and the Church, and about their lives and influences.

“All the youth, not just Catholic—of any religion and any denomination—should contribute and fill in the questionnaire online as this will influence the shaping of the programme for next year,” said Fr Mthembeni Dlamini CMM, youth chaplain and coordinator of youth programmes in the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and national chaplain to the Association of Catholic Tertiary Students (Acts).

He cited Pope Francis who has said “that we often talk about the youth, and we decide for them, but we never listen”.

“This is their opportunity to be heard,” Fr Dlamini said.

The youth chaplain also encouraged dialogue within parishes.

Clergy of the archdiocese of Cape Town at a Mass in the city’s St Mary’s cathedral to launch the year of celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of the Catholic Church being established in South Africa. In the facing aisle sat religious. On the left in the right front pew is Sr Hermenegild Makoro CPS, secretary-general of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference. (Photo: Günther Simmermacher) South African youth at World Youth Day in 2016. The Church is inviting young people to tell the Church what they think in an online questionnaire. (Photo: Lebogang Lentsoane) “Starting next Palm Sunday, leading up to the synod, will be an opportune time for adults in the Church to reach out to the youth, in their parishes and locally,” Fr Dlamini said.

“Take some time to listen to the youth, engage with them, support them, and respond to their needs,” he said.

Noting that some parishes have no youth structure, he said that support for the youth is lacking. “This has an impact not just on the Continued on page 3

Catholic schools likely safe from ruling

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ATHOLIC schools are unlikely to be affected by a court ruling that public education institutions cannot promote any one religion to the exclusion of others.

Judge Willem van der Linde of Johannesburg’s High Court ruled that religious observances may be conducted at state or state-aided institutions, as long as they are held on an equitable basis and attendance was voluntary.

Special Pilgrimage to Portugal and Spain

State-funded Catholic schools—the socalled public schools on private property—are subject to specific legal agreements in accordance with the South African Schools Act and policy.

The ruling does not apply to private Catholic schools.

The Catholic Institute of Education said it is studying the judgment before it will comment on it.

The

SA Church now in year building up to bicentenary STAFF REPORTER

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HE Southern African Church is now in the year leading up to the 200th anniversary of its founding.

The year was officially rung in with a solemn in Cape Town’s packed St Mary’s cathedral at which chief celebrant Archbishop Stephen Brislin was joined by ten other bishops from around the country.

In his opening remarks, Archbishop Brislin stressed that this is a national jubilee that must be celebrated in all dioceses. The appointment in June 1818 of Bishop Bede Slater OSB to provide pastoral care for the vicariate of the Cape of Good Hope marked the birth of the Catholic Church in what is now South Africa.

In fact, Archbishop Brislin pointed out, the vicariate of the Cape of Good Hope was also responsible for the pastoral care of the territories of Australia and New Zealand.

In that way, Cape Town is the mother church of those two countries.

Archbishop Brislin blessed jubilee candles

S outher n C ross &

for every diocese in the Southern African region. These are to be lit on the day when the Church cerebrates its 200th birthday next June.

In the interim, the archdiocese is staging several events to build up to the jubilee, including choir festivals, a youth competition, deanery celebrations, and a street procession of the Blessed Sacrament.

The opening Mass for the jubilee year was a multi-cultural affair, with readings delivered in Portuguese and Afrikaans, and the offertory procession punctuated by Xhosa chants.

The music for the Kyrie, Gospel acclamation, the Sanctus, Mysterium Fidei and Agnus Dei was composed by Fr Martin Pender, who until recently served in Cape Town.

At the beginning of the Mass, Archbishop Peter Wells, apostolic nuncio to Southern Africa, read out a message from Pope Francis.

In it the pope hoped that “like the first Christians, Catholics in South Africa may be Continued on page 3

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The Southern Cross, July 5 to July 11, 2017

LOCAL

Sailors get rare chance for Mass ‘Church and state S must cooperate’ EAFARERS arriving at the ports of Durban and Richards Bay in KwaZuluNatal were given the rare chance to live their faith when their ships docked at the ports.

Arrangements were made by port chaplains from Catholic charity Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) so the men were able to celebrate Mass.

In Durban, port chaplain Fr Herman Giraldo celebrated Mass for a group of members of the container ship Seroja Lima. They had not been able to attend Mass or receive Communion for about three months.

At the start of Mass, Fr Giraldo invited the men to put forward their prayer intentions–—each one asked for prayers for their families at home and that God would protect them and keep them safe.

“In my homily I spoke about the love of the Father, and the love of the Son that is given to us in a spiritual love, calling to mind the verse in scripture ‘I will not leave you orphans, I will send the Holy Spirit to be with you forever (Jn 14:18)’,” the chaplain said.

“They were pleased and grateful to be able to celebrate Mass and practise their faith,” he said.

In Richards Bay, AoS port

STAFF REPORTER

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Fr Herman Giraldo, port chaplain in Durban, gave Catholic crew members of the container ship Seroja Lima the chance to attend Mass and receive Communion during their port stay. chaplain Fr Bongani Xulu celebrated Mass for 20 seafarers from the ship Lunita on the same day.

“I also gave them rosaries, prayer books and other faith material for which they were very appreciative,” said Fr Xulu. He added the crew are due to return to Richards Bay at a later date and the ship’s captain has requested another Mass be said.

Many seafarers come from countries with a large Catholic population, such as the Philip-

pines, Poland and India; hence being able to live out their faith is important to them. However, many are unable to attend Mass and receive the sacraments regularly because of long voyages at sea, busy work schedules and short port stays.

By going out to ports and ships, AoS port chaplains in South Africa are able to reach out to those on the margins, including seafarers, as Pope Francis encourages us to do.

OUTH African Sister Alison Munro OP was a speaker at the Universal Church and Mission 2017 conference in Würzburg, Germany.

The meeting was organised by the German bishops’ conference and attended by the heads of Catholic aid agencies, missionaries and people working in various dioceses.

In a panel on international perspectives on religion and development, Sr Munro presented her experience of the potential and limitation of the Church’s engagement for development, looking at cooperation between Church and government institutions.

Noting her own experience from the Aids Office of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, she stressed the need for the funding of development programmes, the Church’s role in advocacy, the pioneering role of the Church where government programmes do not exist, and the call to the Church to provide services to marginalised communities.

She noted the complex reality of the post-apartheid period. Issues include the still-uncontrolled TB, HIV and Aids epidemic, the influx of migrants, faithbased responses provided by various inter-faith groupings, and the overarching call to address socioeconomic

challenges facing the country.

The experience in South Africa of collaboration between Church and government, she told the conference, could be described as an “uneasy relationship”, in part because of the huge fragmentation within the faith sector, and in part because collaboration does not always happen where it is needed most.

Government does have expectations concerning the role of faith-based organisations and communities, and it is true that faith agencies on occasion do the work of government agencies, Sr Munro noted.

“The willingness to collaborate needs to be fostered from both sides,” she said.

“There are pitfalls and challenges as well as opportunities for those involved in development work,” Sr Munro said. The agendas of funding agencies, of government, and also of the Church can be obstacles, funding requirements can be manipulative, and inadequate funding can set programmes up for failure.

“Collaboration on programmes benefits everyone, but also requires commitment and investment by all,” the Dominican said.

“The Aids agenda, among others, needs to go back onto political agendas if change is to happen,” she said.

Jesuits offer ecology workbook and seminars

BY ERIN CARELSE

T

O mark the second anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’, the Jesuit Institute has published a workbook for use in small groups in parishes, schools and organisations. It also now offers “Care for our Common Home” seminars.

A seminar on how to implement the message of Laudato Si’ was held in Lilongwe, Malawi.

It was hosted by the director of the Jesuits of Africa Social Centres Network, Fr Rigobert Minani SJ. Delegates from all corners of Africa

attended, including Malawi, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

The seminar allowed delegates to showcase their work on ecology in various Jesuit centres. This ranged from enhancing policy implementation through fostering stakeholder relationships, to organic gardening and recycling in homes for abandoned children.

Sustainable farming in an increasingly environmentally stressed Africa was a hot topic.

Climate change was an underlying theme of many presentations

and discussions. It is a global phenomenon which has local impact.

For example, planting trees has always been considered a good deed for the environment; however, planting the wrong trees in the wrong place can have a devastating impact on that local environment.

Learning to improve sustainable agriculture in a world where the climate is changing, especially with decreasing rainfall volumes, was repeatedly discussed.

The Jesuit Institute of South Africa is now continuing its work on ecology and offers the workbook.

The book has been endorsed by Bishop Abel Gabuza of Kimberley, who also chairs the bishops’ Justice & Peace Commission.

“This book,” he said, “will be a very helpful tool in assisting us enter into conversations about the environment. It is practical and applies Laudato Si’ to our own context.

I recommend its use in parishes, schools and any forum that would help us talk about and face up to this enormous challenge.” n For more information on the seminars or to buy the workbook for R120, contact martin@careforourcommon home.co.za

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S outher n C ross Pilgrimage

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The Association of Catholic Tertiary Students held its annual conference in Mahikeng, Kimberley diocese. Bishops Stanley Dziuba of Umzimkulu, liaison bishop for youth in the SACBC, and Abel Gabuza of Kimberley also attended, as well as many priests. Students from all nine provinces elected the new national executive council and finalised the ACTS constitution. Members of the National Movement for Catholic Students from Cameroon were also present, to learn about best practices and share information. Bishop Dziuba is pictured with ACTS NEC members and visiting students from Cameroon.

New Twitter campaign on homeless

BY ERIN CARELSE

25 Aug - 8 Sept 2017

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HE Denis Hurley Centre in Durban has started a daily Twitter campaign to share information about the situation of the homeless in the city.

The campaign aims to prepare for the centre’s annual Dare2Share conference on July 14, organised in partnership with iCare, which works with street children.

Each day, one or two factoids about homeless people in Durban are being posted on the Denis Hurley Centre’s Twitter (@DenisHurleyDBN) and Facebook (DenisHurleyCentre) accounts.

Raymond Perrier, director of the Denis Hurley Centre, said: “Our hope is that readers will retweet or share these facts with their friends and followers as a way of helping fellow citizens in Durban and beyond in getting to know each other better.”

The Dare2Share event, to be held at the centre next to Emmanuel cathedral, will be a more personal way of getting to know the homeless, he said.

“Those who are used to more comfortable living will have the chance to share the city after dark with some of the homeless people who are on the streets every night,” Mr Perrier said.

During the evening there will be an opportunity to share food and music, as well as prayer and fellowship.

Those who choose to can then unroll their sleeping bags and share the night with the homeless, sleeping out in Cathedral Mall—though this part, Mr Perrier stressed, is optional.

To attend the evening or night event, register in advance via iDare2Care@iCare.co.za There is an entrance fee of R100 and participants are then challenged to raise R1 000 in sponsorship from friends to support the work of the Denis Hurley Centre and iCare.

The Southern Cross, July 5 to July 11, 2017

LOCAL

Women raise major issues STAFF REPORTER

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OMEN raised the issues of violence against them, the need to have men as active marriage partners, and the lack of access to leadership roles in the Church at a women’s dialogue hosted by the Justice & Peace Commission of the archdiocese of Durban held in Pietermaritzburg.

Some 76 women took part, including women from two Anglican parishes and a neighbouring Charismatic church.

Violence against women was a key focus and most felt the Church is silent on this and should do more.

They said Catholic women’s groups should be promoting the rights of women and children, above fundraising and praying.

The women said many women fail to believe their children when they report rape or abuse by family members—if the

Cyril Mwandla from the Diakonia Council of Churches, one of the facilitators at a women’s dialogue in Pietermaritzburg, hears from participants. abuser is the father, the family might lose its breadwinner.

Another issue was marriage.

The women said when marriages fail, they are blamed, and nothing is said about men. They believed said men also play a critical part in ensuring marriages stay sacred and successful, and that alone they cannot save their marriages.

Lack of education compels many women to stay in abusive marriages, as they are without independent means and dependent on their husbands’ incomes, the meeting agreed.

Also, the meeting felt, girls today are under pressure to marry young. They marry for the wrong reasons and are then trapped in unhealthy marriages.

Sr Anne Gray and Sr Marina Lawrence celebrated their golden jubilees as members of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary in Constantia, Cape Town. The celebration of thanksgiving was conducted by the city’s Archbishop Stephen Brislin, accompanied by a number of parish priests. Sr Marina has been based at Maryland, Hanover Park, for many years, working particularly in adult education. Many of her contemporaries from her old parish of Holy Cross in Walmer Estate, who formed the backbone of the youth club there during the 1950s, were present. (Supplied by Henry Jacobs)

The meeting also addressed teenage pregnancy, and it was suggested that the Church run programmes by older women to teach young girls about chastity.

Looking at the Church itself, the women wanted the chance to play a vital role in leadership.

They said even in parish pastoral council elections, women are sidelined or overlooked.

Equality is an issue the Church has to preach about, and then ensure it becomes reality.

Most women said the Church should have women’s conferences for full dialogue with the Church hierarchy.

The dialogue was co facilitated by J&P’s archdiocesan coordinator Kalie Senyane and Cyril Mwandla from the Diakonia Council of Churches.

“As a man, being around 76 women, I learnt a lot about how much harm is being caused by us men,” Mr Senyane said.

Vatican’s questions for world’s youth Continued from page 1 Church, but on the country as a whole,” Fr Dlamini said.

The Synod of Bishops will be held in the Vatican in October 2018 with the theme “Young People, the Faith and the Discernment of Vocation”.

The Vatican’s questionnaire features 53 mostly multiple-choice questions divided into seven sections. Some invite written answers on topics such as self-image, the best age to leave the family home, and what influences young people have.

The answers to the questionnaire, along with contributions from bishops, bishops’ conferences and other Church bodies, “will provide the basis for the drafting” of the instrumentum laboris (the working document for the assembly), synod officials said in January.

Young people from all backgrounds are encouraged to take part in the questionnaire.

The Synod of Bishops was established by Pope Paul VI in 1965. It is an assembly of bishops from around the world to assist the pope by providing counsel on important questions facing the Church. n The questionnaire is at www.youth.synod2018.va/ content/synod2018/it.html

Pro-life Mass for Jhb cathedral

BY ERIN CARELSE

T

HE Culture of Life Apostolate (CoLA), and Divine Mercy House for pregnant women in crisis will hold a Mass For Life on July 27 in Christ The King cathedral in Johannesburg to pray that children in the womb may be protected.

CoLA was formed in 2011 in the archdiocese of Johannesburg to promote the recognition and respect of human life at its most vulnerable stages, namely the baby in the womb.

“The Mass is so necessary, not only to promote life but also to get Catholics together to show support for mother and baby and also to make our Catholic faith visible,” said Marilyn Cheketeri, Divine Mercy House coordinator.

The goal at CoLA is to provide young mothers who are experiencing a pregnancy cri-

sis and want to keep their baby rather than terminate their pregnancy, with food and shelter as well as access to professional services such as social workers and doctors.

Many young women often don’t have the necessary support, Ms Cheketeri said.

The mothers receive care from the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary. Sr Justine runs the house and makes sure the young mothers receive the care and support they need.

“We are proud of these young mothers who have taken the brave decision to keep their babies—often under very stressful conditions. Many come to us with no family support or resources, but feel that keeping their babies is worth all the pain and suffering. We have experienced real success stories where we have managed to reconcile mothers and ba-

bies with their families,” Ms Cheketeri said.

CoLA also participates in other activities such as rallies and Masses praying for an end to abortion, and runs education and formation courses at schools and parishes.

The courses are based on the Theology of the Body and various papal encyclicals.

“We believe in the miracle of life. Our goal is to create alternatives for those young women and men that will allow them to bring their children into the world,” Ms Cheketeri said.

“We want to provide young women with another option, other than abortion.

Our hope is that by providing this service to young women, the number of abortions will decrease.

“The Gospel encourages us to choose life—always.” n The July 27 Mass begins at 10:00. All are welcome.

SA Church enters 200 years jubilee Continued from page 1 filled ‘with the conviction born of faith which brings grandeur and fulfilment to life, a faith centred on Christ and on the power of his grace’” (Lumen Gentium 5), the pope said.

Pope Francis imparted his apostolic blessing on those present.

At the beginning of Mass, representatives of religious congregations and orders in the Cape Town archdiocese brought up symbols of their charism.

In his homily, Archbishop Brislin noted the great contribution made to the Church and the people of our region by those who came before us.

“The history of the Catholic Church—tainted as it may be with intentional or unintentional collusion with colonialism and apartheid, discrimination and sex abuse cases—has nonetheless, through the strength of Christ, brought life and hope to Southern Africa,” he told the congregation.

The archbishop noted that the first missionaries arrived primarily to minister to Catholic colonialists and soldiers, but soon “took the Gospel to indigenous peoples, to the oppressed and indigent—the very peripheries Pope Francis talks of”.

“To establish the Church and spread the faith also meant to provide education and medical care, and many such facilities were established for millions over the course of these 200 years.

“The frontiers have changed,” he said. “No longer do we need to travel on long and dangerous journeys to other continents and peoples, but we turn to our own brothers and sisters. Our aim is not so much to win converts as to open hearts to Christ, to transform our society in the image of Christ.”

The jubilee year is planned to culminate with national Masses of Thanksgiving at noon on June 10, 2018, in every cathedral, parish and mission station throughout Southern Africa. n An edited version of Archbishop Brislin’s homily will appear in next week’s issue.

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The Southern Cross, July 5 to July 11, 2017

INTERNATIONAL

Fresh from the consistory: Warm welcome for five new cardinals

BY CINDY WOODEN & JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES

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HE Church’s five new cardinals received a warm reception from family, friends and the general public after Pope Francis inducted them into the College of Cardinals.

The atrium of the Vatican audience hall, where the reception was held, is air-conditioned, but the Roman heat and the press of wellwishers quickly diminished any hint of cool air.

Before the public was let into the atrium, Cardinal Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun of Pakse, Laos sat quietly alone. Asked what it was like to become a cardinal when he had been ordained to the priesthood in a refugee camp and spent three years in a communist prison, he said it was just the next step in his life, which “will continue in the same way”.

The cardinal’s red clothes, he said, do symbolise a willingness to suffer for the faith, but for him, “red also means love”.

A long line of well wishers was on hand to greet Sweden’s first ever cardinal, Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Stockholm. One of the first to greet him was Lutheran Archbishop Antje Jackelen of Uppsala, head of the Church of Sweden.

In Sweden, where about 60% of the population has been baptised Lutheran and just over 1% is Catholic, “the general tone has been one of joy” over the news of a Swede being named a cardinal, she said. Especially since Pope

Cardinal Jean Zerbo of Bamako, Mali, poses for photos after Pope Francis elevated him and four other men to the rank of cardinal during a consistory in St Peter’s basilica at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) Francis visited last October for an ecumenical commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, Christians increasingly realise “we are one body, and if one member is honoured we all can rejoice”.

In a society where so few people go to church and where “faith is so criticised”, she said, “we are in one boat together. We cannot afford to think something good happening to one is bad for us, and that’s deeply un-Christian as well.”

Cardinal Arborelius said that precisely because of its small size, the Catholic community in Sweden is strong. “Those who remain and want to be Catholic in Sweden, they are really faithful.

“In this secular atmosphere, you have to have a very personal faith,” because the culture does not support belonging to a Church and, even less, practising a faith, he said. “They want to be Catholic; that is why they are there.”

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n the eve of receiving his red hat, Spanish Cardinal Juan José Omella of Barcelona told reporters that Pope Francis’ habit of looking to the peripheries for new cardinals meant becoming a cardinal was the furthest thing from his mind.

People must realise how the Church outside Europe is growing, he said. “It is not we, Europe, who are the navel of the world.”

While Europe has played a significantly weighty role in the development of Christianity, the cardinal said, “now we see how the Church is growing in numbers in Latin America, in Africa and in Asia. The pope is making this clear.

This universal character of the Church is very beautiful”.

Vatican security tried to keep the media from bothering Cardinal Jean Zerbo of Bamako, Mali, after speculation that he might not attend the consistory amid media reports that he and other Mali bishops had Swiss bank accounts worth millions of dollars.

Gabriele Avanzi, who works with a small group of Italian Catholics supporting projects in Africa, including Mali, told Catholic News Service he has known the cardinal for 30 years and is convinced the stories are false.

“He is simple, positive, hardworking and loves his people,” said Mr Avanzi. “It would be just impossible for someone with all that money to live in the poverty he lives in.”

Standing at the back of the atrium was Manuel Roberto López, El Salvador’s ambassador to the Holy See. Wearing a colourful sash and several medals bearing the blue and white colours of the Salvadoran flag, the ambassador beamed with pride as Salvadoran Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chávez greeted people.

“The truth is I feel just how I look: very happy,” Mr Lopez said.

“It is a joy that comes from the

heart because it is truly a historical event, the fact that a cardinal from El Salvador has been named. We never expected it!”

Cardinal Rosa’s elevation to the College of Cardinals, he said, is in keeping with Pope Francis’ call for Christians to “be surprised by God”. “"This was a surprise not just for me, but for all of El Salvador, for all of Central America, for all of Latin America and for the world,” Mr López said. “That this small country where a great light has risen— which is Bl Oscar Romero—now the pope has turned his gaze towards us, towards the country, and first gave us the beatification of Bishop Romero in 2015 and now a cardinal that we never expected.”

The five new cardinals were created at a consistory led by Pope Francis. After reciting the Creed and taking an oath of fidelity to Pope Francis and his successors, each cardinal—in his new red robes—went up to Pope Francis and knelt before him. The pope gave them each a cardinal’s ring, a red skullcap and a red three-cornered hat. The crimson hue the cardinals wear is a reminder that they must be courageous and faithful to Christ, his Church and the pope to the point of shedding blood, if necessary.

In his prayer over the new cardinals the pope said: “Jesus has not called you to become ‘princes’ of the Church, to ‘sit at his right or at his left’. He calls you to serve like him and with him.”—CNS

INTERNATIONAL

The Southern Cross, July 5 to July 11, 2017

Middle East consecrated to Our Lady at Fatima L

EBANESE Cardinal Bechara Rai consecrated Lebanon and all the Middle East to Mary in Fatima, praying for peace and stability.

Thousands of faithful from the Middle East as well as the Lebanese diaspora from around the world also made the pilgrimage for “Lebanon Day in Fatima”, which began with the recitation of the rosary and a candlelit procession.

“We have come from Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, the Holy Land, Egypt, the Gulf countries, Australia, Canada, the US, Europe—to continue, from generation to generation, to honour our Blessed Virgin Mary,” Cardinal Rai said during his homily. He concelebrated Mass with Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan and a delegation of bishops and priests.

“We have come to renew the

Lebanese Cardinal Bechara Rai, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, led a pilgrimage to consecrate Lebanon and all the Middle East to Mary. (Photo: Mychel Akl, CNS)

dedication of Lebanon and the countries of the Middle East to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, according to her wishes. This dedication is to repent, to stop wars and to consolidate peace,” Cardinal Rai said.

Beginning in June 2013, Cardinal Rai has annually consecrated Lebanon and all the Middle East to Mary at Harissa, home of Our Lady of Lebanon. This year, the consecration at Fatima commemorated the centennial of the apparitions.

“We have come to ask for the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima for peace in the Middle East region, and for stability in Lebanon, to preserve our country’s mission and model of coexistence among religions and cultures, especially among Christians and Muslims,” Cardinal Rai said in his homily at Fatima. —CNS

Murdered bishop beatified A N archbishop who was murdered by Soviet police to prevent him attending the Second Vatican Council became the first communist-era martyr beatified in Lithuania.

“Long, hard years of prison, labour camp and house arrest may have gradually impoverished this strong, courageous witness of the Gospel, but persecution and torture never broke his will,” Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Saints’ Causes, said at the beatification Mass for Archbishop Teofil Matulionis.

“We could ask why a man who spent so many years of life in prisons and labour camps and wore prison clothes until retirement never felt hostility for his enemy. The answer lies in God’s grace, which ennobles the soul, enabling it to see God’s goodness and providence in others, where some see only hatred and evil,” he said at the Mass in Cathedral Square.

The cardinal said Bl Matulionis, who was murdered in his flat with a

Archbishop Teofil Matulionis, a Soviet-era martyr, has been beatified.

(Photo: Diocese Kaisiadorys/CNS) lethal injection in 1962 after 16 years of Soviet incarceration, had remained a “humble, generous, gentle and loyal man”, despite “relentless dictatorship”. He said one Soviet official had predicted the archbishop would be proclaimed a saint and attract pilgrims to his graveside.

“The memory of past suffering

should not cloud our joy, but it should remind everyone to respect their neighbour,” Cardinal Amato said.

Born at Kudoriskis, Bl Matulionis was ordained in St Petersburg, Russia, in 1900 and ran the city’s St Catherine church after parish work in neighbouring Latvia. In 1929 he was secretly ordained a bishop, but was sent without trial to a labour camp, before being allowed back to Lithuania in a 1933 prisoner exchange.

Appointed bishop of Kaisiadorys, he was again arrested in 1946 for refusing to collaborate with Lithuania’s Soviet occupiers. When he was released from prison camps in 1956, he secretly resumed his episcopal functions.

Pope John XXIII elevated him to archbishop in 1962, but the Soviets refused to let him attend Vatican II. He was killed by an injection believed to be administered by a KGB police nurse following a brutal beating in his flat.—CNS

Scorsese: Church shaped me

BY CINDY WOODEN

F

AITH and films have been lifelong obsessions for director Martin Scorsese, obsessions that he said have given him moments of peace amid turmoil, but also challenges and frustrations that, in hindsight, he will accept as lessons in humility.

“For me, the stories have always been about how we should live who we are, and have a lot to do with love, trust and betrayal,” he said. Those themes have been with him since his boyhood spent in the rambunctious tenements of New York and in the peace of the city’s St Patrick’s old cathedral, where he was an altar server.

Mr Scorsese spoke in Quebec City, Canada, at a conference for Catholic media professionals.

Before Mr Scorsese talked about his recent film Silence, which is based on the novel by Shusaku Endo. The book and film are a fictionalised account of the persecution of Christians in 17th-century Japan; the central figures are Jesuit missionaries, who are ordered to deny the faith or face death after witnessing the death of their parishioners.

Although Silence was not nearly as controversial as his 1988 film, The Last Temptation of Christ, Mr Scorsese said the two films are connected.

Even before filming began on

Movie director Martin Scorsese accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Signis at the Catholic Media Conference in Quebec City. (Photo: Sam Lucero, The Compass) The Last Temptation of Christ, which is based on a novel by Nikos Kazantzakis and explores the human side of Jesus, people were writing letters to the studio and producers complaining about plans to bring it to the big screen.

Recounting the story, Mr Scorsese said a studio executive asked him why he wanted so badly to make the film.

“To get to know Jesus better,” Mr Scorsese said he blurted out.

“That was the answer that came to mind. I didn’t know what else to say.”

If one affirms that Jesus is fully divine and fully human, he said, people should be able to look at his humanity.

But Mr Scorsese told his Quebec City audience that his explorations of who Jesus is and what faith really means were by no means exhausted by The Last Temptation of Christ.

In reading Endo’s novel, working on and off for two decades to make Silence and in finally bringing it to completion, Mr Scorsese said he was “looking for the core of faith”.

The climax of the film is when one of the Jesuits gives in and, in order to save his faithful who are being tortured, he tramples a religious image. However, the character believes that act of official apostasy is, in reality, a higher form of faith because, by sacrificing his own soul, he is saving the lives of others.

“It’s almost like a special gift to be called on to face that challenge, because he is given an opportunity to really go beyond and to really get to the core of faith and Christianity,” Mr Scorsese said.

In the end, the priest “has nothing left to be proud of”—not his faith or his courage—and “it’s just pure selflessness,” the director said. “It’s like a gift for him.”

“I think there is no doubt it is a believer’s movie,” he said. “At least for me.”—CNS

5

The new wooden church in Reydarfjordur, Iceland (Photo: TASR/CAN)

New wooden church a unique building in Iceland

A

FRANCISCAN Capuchin parish in Iceland has doubled its seating capacity from 25 to 50 with a wooden church built with the help of the Church in Slovakia.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico joined Bishop David Tencer of Reykjavik for consecration of the church in Reydarfjordur in north-eastern Iceland.

Wood is scarce in the volcanic, rocky country of Iceland, so the church was made of Slovakian wood, then disassembled and shipped to Iceland for reassembly.

“You will not find a single house or church of this type in Iceland,” Bishop Tencer, a Capuchin Franciscan and a native of Slovakia, told The Slovak Spectator.

The church is in the shape of a St Damian crucifix, an eastern-style icon sometimes called a Franciscan crucifix because St Francis of Assisi prayed before a cross of this style when he received a commission from God to rebuild the Church.

The new church doubles the seating capacity of the previous chapel of the Capuchin friars from 25 to 50, allowing them to accommodate the growing number of people who

come from all regions of the country to attend Mass with the friars.

Iceland’s population is mostly Lutheran, with the country’s 13 000 Catholics making up only 3,7% of the country’s 350 000 population.

Many of Iceland’s Catholic population are Polish immigrants who moved to the country for work.

Most of the country’s priests also come from elsewhere, including Poland, Slovakia, Ireland, France, Argentina, Britain and Germany.

The country is divided into six parishes, in a single diocese of Reykjavik.

But the small size of the Church in Iceland is part of its charm, Bishop Tencer said, because this means “I know many of its members in person”.

It is also a result of a turbulent history of Catholicism in the country, which was nearly wiped off the island during the Reformation and the rule of a harsh Danish king in the 16th century. Bishop Jon Arason, the island’s last Catholic bishop until 1929, was executed in 1550 for his refusal to accept the Reformation.— CNA

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6

The Southern Cross, July 5 to July 11, 2017

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

Let there be love

T

HIS month 50 years ago, The Beatles released their classic hit song “All You Need Is Love”, which promised that love is the answer to our personal, societal and political troubles.

Today, as it perhaps already was in 1967, the word “love” is at risk of overuse, to the point of banality. Its true meaning, and power, needs to be reasserted.

In the English language “love” is used to describe different types of affection. In the terminology of the Beatles song, and in the application of the word in the socio-political context, we refer to the Greek word agape.

Agape, the Christian writer CS Lewis wrote, is “a selfless love that is passionately committed to the wellbeing of others”.

Pope Benedict XVI, in his 2005 encyclical Deus caritas est (God is Love), taught that love can change the world, a sentiment that coincides with the Beatles song.

When Christians are a sign of God’s love for humanity, our love will change the world and reawaken hope that goes beyond death, Pope Benedict said in a commentary on the encyclical.

There is a danger of seeing love as a weakness, its proponents offering themselves to be ideological punching bags, especially in an age when political discourse is increasingly predicated on hate-filled partisanship.

But to truly pursue the philosophy of love—of agape—takes courage and strength.

Love demands concrete action. Christian liberation theology—from Martin Luther King Jr to South American Catholic priests in the 1970s to Archbishops Denis Hurley and Desmond Tutu—understood that.

Love must provoke legitimate anger. Jesus himself gave an example of that when he overturned the tables in the Temple.

This was, among other things, a profoundly political act against the exploitation of the poor. It was, by way of being an act of solidarity with the vulnerable, also an act of love.

The Church, Pope Benedict said in Deus caritas est, “has to play her part through rational argument and she has to reawaken the spiritual energy without which justice, which always demands sacrifice, cannot prevail and prosper”.

The terminology of love, in the sense of agape, can be applied to hold to account politicians and even business.

For example, when a government perpetuates the lie of “austerity” to reduce services to the poor (and middle classes) and at the same time cuts taxes for the elites, it must be accused of acting contrary to the principles of love.

For Christians and all people of good will, love—agape— should be the measure of our politicians, more than party political loyalties or ideology.

When politicians are lacking in love, we must ask what or whom they are serving?

Love must compel us to challenge the dictatorship of profit, of corruption, of economic policies that do not serve the greater good.

Love must compel us to challenge all unjust discrimination and other failures of social justice. Love must compel us to be engaged in the protection of the most vulnerable, be it the unborn child or the homeless person sleeping in a doorway.

Pope Benedict’s encyclical took its title from the beautiful words in the First Letter of John: “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him” (4:16).

The early Christians, tradition holds, became exasperated with John’s relentless admonition to love one another. In today’s society St John’s exhortation remains as counter-cultural as it was then. All Christians are called to a personal conversion as part of a counter-revolution to greed, anger, injustice and violence.

“Love of God and love of neighbour are thus inseparable, they form a single commandment,” Pope Benedict XVI wrote.

Concretely that means that no Christian can claim to love God and at the same time be indifferent to those on the margins. No Christian can claim to love God and at the same time support government policies or business practices that disadvantage the vulnerable further.

Oscar Romero said: “Let us not tire of preaching love; it is the force that will overcome the world. Let us not tire of preaching love. Though we see that waves of violence succeed in drowning the fire of Christian love, love must win out; it is the only thing that can.”

The Editor reserves the right to shorten or edit published letters. Letters below 300 words receive preference. Pseudonyms are acceptable only under special circumstances and at the Editor’s discretion.

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

We need holding hands at Mass

M

ICHAEL Shackleton’s “Open Door” article on holding hands during the recitation or singing of the Our Father (May 31) perplexes me.

With due respect to Mr Shackleton and his liturgical knowledge, I am sadly surprised at the tenor of his article on holding hands during the recitation or singing of the Our Father.

Definitely it is not in line with the spirit of the document on liturgy of Vatican II or with Pope Francis’ apos-

Catholics and Christians

M

OLLY Hayward’s letter (April 26) proves my point conclusively; space does not permit me to reply comprehensively.

I thought it was obvious that I was being facetious. There is a perception among some that Catholicism is the only road to salvation, to the exclusion of other faiths.

Jesus never came down to earth to start a new religion; if that was the case, then the prophetic voice would have been so.

Before exile, the watchword of the prophets was punishment, during exile, it became consolation, and post-exile, it was restoration and finally Messianic hope and the restoration of the Davidic line.

The role of the Apostles was to baptise converts and spread the Good News of the salvation of the Cross. The Good News is not a new religion but the fulfilling of the prophecies.

We must remember that Jesus was Jewish and taught in the Temple, and that in the beginning of the new order, Gentiles were not accepted into the community of worshippers.

It was only after the Jerusalem conference that Gentile believers did not have to submit to circumcision and to the entire scope of the Torah.

With respect to the Bible and translation, the original documents were written in Hebrew, Greek, and some in Aramaic.

Molly Hayward is quoting from the official Bible of the Protestant Church of England.

The salutation referred to is “Rejoice you who enjoy God’s favour”, not “Hail Mary”, in the Catholic Bible, the Jerusalem Bible.

Also, in the Jerusalem Bible in Mt 16:18 it says “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my community” (note that it is not Church).

As for the Lord’s Prayer, allow me to quote the one as recorded in The Message, a modern American translation of the Bible: “Our Fa-

tolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel).

What about adaptation and local customs?

In the pope’s letter we read: “How I long to find the right words to stir up enthusiasm for a new evangelisation full of fervour, joy, generosity, courage, boundless love and attraction!” (Nr 261).

Instead of being warned and being put off, our congregations ought to be encouraged to show unity and joy in word and deed.

ther in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what’s best—as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge!

You can do anything you want!

You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes” (Mt 6:9-13).

If it wasn’t for the Reformation, we would all have to read our Bibles in Latin.

Some of the Bible translators, such as Archbishop Cranmer, were put to death during the reign of the Catholic monarch Queen Mary I of England.

We must not lose sight of the fact that it was the Anglican clergy from Holy Trinity Brompton in London who united all Christian Churches, internationally, under the banner of the Alpha course in an effort to revive appeal among youth to attend church.

The New Testament is a statement of the Christian message in terms understandable to the man of the 1st century.

The Gospel accounts were not the foundation of the Christian community but a product of it. It took 300 years before the Canon of the New Testament was established.

The Spirit-filled Christian is in touch with his Maker 24/7. He is guided by the Spirit in all he does.

John Driver, Daveyton

Lesbian letter begs the question

I

’M not sure if I’m shocked or amused at the letter “Catholic lesbian seeks companion” (May 17).

Amused because I’ve been waiting for The Southern Cross to run a “Find your mate” section! There are thousands of Catholics who would love to befriend other Catholics, and many Catholic twentysomethings seeking their “Catholic mate for life” and they don’t have a forum! Why didn’t you start this column years ago?

Alas, you too have climbed on the LGBT rights bandwagon.

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What about “active participation”, if everyone stays rigidly and individually in her or his place?

Of course, some congregations are more actively engaged and extrovert than others. Indeed, as Pope Francis writes: “I realise of course that joy is not expressed the same way at all times in life…”—and in all places, may well be added.

What congregations need are positive forms of encouragement instead of negative warnings in the style of the concluding paragraph of Mr Shackleton’s article.

Faith and life make a celebration.

AJF Vanden Boer, Bethlehem Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in Letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the Catholic hierarchy. The letters page in particular is a forum in which readers may exchange opinions on matters of debate.

Letters must not be understood to necessarily reflect the teachings, disciplines or policies of the Church accurately.

Letters can be sent to PO Box 2372, Cape Town 8000 or editor@scross.co.za or faxed to 021 465-3850

“Name withheld” has every “right” to seek her lesbian companion, but through a Catholic newspaper? The problem is not that she has samesex attraction; the problem is that she blatantly seeks a “lesbian” partner. This immediately implies she is looking for a sexual relationship.

It is her will that she lives “as chastely as possible, pure in thought and in heart” and yet in the next paragraph is seeking an ex-nun “who has left the convent due to also being torn between her need for tangible love and the intangible love of Christ”. It seems she is confused about “sexual” love, using the word “tangible” love. Loving someone is all about selfless self-giving.

If it were not about a sexual relationship, why would she entitle her letter “Catholic lesbian”?

Would the editor have been as sympathetic to a heterosexual divorcée seeking a live-in mate?

Probably not as that would condone licentiousness. What is the difference here? This is where the shock comes in.

Theresa Coll, Johannesburg n As Catholics we are called to reach out and give voice to those on the margins of society. Our correspondent wrote: “It is my will that I live as chastely as possible, pure in thought and in heart.” This conforms to the teachings of the Church. We have no way of knowing, and no right to make assumptions, whether the writer’s need for “tangible” love would go beyond holding hands. There was no good reason to refuse publication.

Thanks to your letter, we are now investigating the possibility of introducing a “Find your mate” section.—Editor.

The Southern Cross, July 5 to July 11, 2017

PERSPECTIVES

How shopping robs us of freedom H ERE’S a quiz. Who said this: “Too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption.

Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns.

“But we’ve discovered that owning things and consuming things does not satisfy our longing for meaning. We’ve learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose.”

Pope Francis, right? Maybe Fr Chris Chatteris SJ in last week’s column? Would it surprise you to hear that this was said by an American president?

In 1979 President Jimmy Carter gave a speech in which he addressed the causes for the economic crisis and recession of the 1970s and identified consumerism as the reason for declining confidence among the American people.

To our modern ears, it may seem strange that consumption could be seen as a cause for economic crisis. The logic of our culture is that spending drives the manufacturing and retail industries, and this in turn provides jobs to millions of people, giving them increased spending power.

However, Mr Carter proposes that true poverty is not the ability to spend but the loss of identity and meaning. Pursued to its bitter end, this unchecked consumption, “leads to fragmentation and self-interest” where we develop a “mistaken idea of freedom” which ruthlessly gives us the sense that we have “the right to grasp for ourselves some advantage over others”.

The only way out of the purposelessness of endless consumption is a “restoration” of values, through which “true freedom” can be found, according to Mr Carter, a devout Christian.

These are courageous words for the president of a nation that is driven by a capitalist model whereby the economic prosperity of the individual has a trickledown effect on the financial prosperity of an entire society.

We have seen that this neoliberal economic philosophy is not true. The gap between rich and poor is ever-widening.

In South Africa we see how a small percentage of the population has the luxury of changing cellphones and cars every few years, and buying new clothes every season simply because we’re tired of items we’ve worn only a few times.

Yet, the masses of the nation cannot even afford to feed their families. They live in haphazardly hammered pieces of tin on overcrowded hillsides and wastelands far from the respectable parts of the city.

These citizens, with supposedly the same rights as you and me, scratch through our garbage for the clothes we throw away, for a piece of plastic, paper, glass or tin that they can sell to recycling companies for a few meagre rands.

H

ow can we look at the homeless man who will wander the streets tonight looking for a semi-sheltered corner to sleep in this bitterly cold winter weather, and still justify our need for the latest smart TV or this month’s fashion trend?

Although I may have the financial ability to purchase all this stuff, is it ethical?

President Carter suggested that it isn’t.

In a call for the restoration of values, he emphasised that “our nation must be fair to the poorest among us”. This included a system of aid to the poorest members of society.

Is our consumer culture in conflict with Christian values? Sarah-Leah Pimentel looks at that question.

Sarah-Leah Pimentel

The Mustard Seeds

We can liken this to the grants system in South Africa, without which hundreds of thousands of families in South Africa would probably starve.

But Mr Carter went further. He called for “conservation…in terms of sacrifice”.

Using the example of oil consumption, he said that “every gallon of oil each one of us saves is a new form of production. It gives us more freedom, more confidence, that much more control over our own lives.” This makes more sense now than ever before.

In the Western Cape we are experiencing a severe drought. By reducing our water consumption, we are giving ourselves a better chance of replenishing our dams during the rainy season so that we’ll have enough water for next summer.

By reducing the amount of stuff I buy and ultimately throw away, I am giving my children and grandchildren a better chance of living on a planet that has not been completely decimated by the pollution of the air, water and landfills. There is a direct correlation between my expenditure and the pillaging of the earth’s resources and the exploitation of the most vulnerable strata of our societies.

Think of it this way, every new cellphone or computer I buy contains a small trace of cobalt which has been mined in inhumane conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo. That new shirt or pairs of shoes I simply must have has been stitched in a sweatshop somewhere in China or India or Indonesia by people who barely earn enough to feed their families.

Our society’s extreme consumerism Continued on page 11

Do you wear the stench of corruption?

Emmanuel Ngara O VER the last few months we have been addressing the problem of “false prophets” and discussing how we can protect the authentic teachings of Jesus against the health- and prosperity gospel preached by leaders of some new Pentecostal churches.

At the beginning I pointed out that our era is one of the most challenging for those who want to lead authentic Christian lives.

Apart from the false teachings that detract believers from authentic Christianity, there are practices that we may not easily detect to be unchristian.

One of these practices is corruption. We find ourselves being caught willy-nilly in the web of corrupt practices which have become such a regular feature of life that we may not even be aware that we are tempted to participate in something that goes against our Christian values.

You compete for a tender, and you won’t get it unless you bribe someone. You want a pre-paid meter to be fitted, but you won’t get that meter unless you pay someone who is employed by the electricity authority to install it. You are a female employee and you want a promotion but might not get it unless you offer sexual favours to a boss.

As a business person, a house owner or subordinate in an organisation you get frustrated, and you see those who are conforming to corrupt practices getting whatever they want.

Women who become mistresses of powerful people find themselves being heads of departments or chief executives of state

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Even Christians can easily fall into the trap of corruption, for example by bribing someone. enterprises. Those who bribe government officials have things done for them. Those who offer kickbacks in order to get tenders become very successful in business. These practices have become such a common feature of life today that our consciences may be blunted to the fact they fly in the face of our faith.

A

priest in a homily I heard recently recalled how at boarding school he and other boys had the duty of feeding and cleaning pigs. In the beginning they felt the smell of the pigsty, but as time went on they got used to the smell. But the boys who had not been to the pigsty would be repulsed by the stench coming from those who had been feeding the pigs.

In the same way, we Christians can become so much a part of the society-corroding corruption that we become unaware of the evil in which we are participating. We

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don’t smell the stench of our corruption.

We are not supposed to conform to the standards of this world. What St Paul said to the Ephesians applies to us today: “So I tell you this and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do.”

Paul goes on to add: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4: 17-24).

What St Paul is telling us, in part, is that we must be spiritually transformed people so that we are able to distinguish between the good and the bad in our complex society; and so that we can choose to be guided by the values of the Kingdom of God instead of conforming to the standards of our secular society.

In the next few columns I will explore the implications of the issues raised in this discussion. We will reflect more on such questions as: what are the implications of participating in corrupt practices; what are our obligations as Christians; and how can we be spiritually transformed as suggested

by Paul?

7

Michael Shackleton

Open Door

Let’s agree on the dates for Easter From media reports I have learnt that Pope Francis is keen to get the Western and Eastern Churches to come to an agreement on the date of Easter. If the Resurrection of Christ is the high point of all Christian liturgies, why cannot all Christians celebrate Easter on the same day every year?

Manoli

P

OPE Francis has made a wry joke about this inconsistency. Addressing seminarians in Rome last month, he said it is scandalous that Christians can say to one another: “When did Christ rise from the dead? My Christ rose today and yours will rise next week.”

In the early Church the custom was to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord on the Sunday nearest to the Jewish Passover. To make a general rule of it, the Council of Nicea in 325 declared that the Easter celebration should be on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox (in the Northern Hemisphere), which is always around March 20/21.

The West and East gladly accepted this and the date was uniformly observed because the annual calendar at the time was still the same one established by Julius Caesar in 46BC. According to this Julian calendar, each year consisted of 364¼ days. To allow for the odd quarter, every fourth year (leap year) consisted of 366 days. The result was that calendar time gained one whole year every 128 years, with the complication that a ten-day difference arose between official time and solar time.

To get around this, Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 introduced a correction which required advancing the calendar by ten days. It took a long time for this uncomfortable shift to be accepted widely in the West. The Eastern Church objected that the decision made at Nicea was binding and could not be changed on the sole authority of the Church of Rome.

Because it is measured by lunar phases, Easter Sunday can occur on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. With Western and Eastern Churches sticking to two different calendars, the result has been what Pope Francis calls “scandalous”.

Recently, Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II and Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II of the Syriac Church held discussions with the pope to express their support for a common date for Easter.

Apparently, the Russian Orthodox Church also wants a common date but wants it to conform to the old Julian calendar when the Churches of East and West were united.

In spite of this and other dissensions, the drive for a common date is still on track. There is a sense of urgency that achieving it will draw Christians closer together as they feel the threat of cruel persecution and terrorism in many places.

n Send your queries to Open Door, Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000; or e-mail: opendoor@scross.co.za; or fax (021) 465 3850. Anonymity can be preserved by arrangement, but questions must be signed, and may be edited for clarity. Only published questions will be answered.

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The Southern Cross, July 5 to July 11, 2017

COMMUNITY

Newly received Catholics from Christ the King parish in Wentworth, Durban, are seen with assistant parish priest Fr Bonga Mkhize OMI.

Holy Rosary Primary School in Edenvale, Johannesburg, held a Civvies Day in aid of the Knysna Animal Welfare Society after the recent fires in the Knysna area. Pupils, parents and staff raised more than R15 000. (From left) Nikita Rebelo, Tianna Machet, Isabel Curtis, Khethelo Ngombe and Laila Bottega.

St Clare’s parish in Elsies River, Cape Town, hosted members of SPRED, an organisation that supports the religious, spiritual, social and emotional development of people with an intellectual disability, for a First Communion and Confirmation Mass.

De La Salle Holy Cross College Head - Junior School Ğ >Ă ^ĂůůĞ ,ŽůLJ ƌŽƐƐ ŽůůĞŐĞ͕ ĂŶ ŝŶĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶƚ͕ ĐŽͲĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶĂů͕ ĂƚŚŽůŝĐ ƐĐŚŽŽů ŝŶ sŝĐƚŽƌLJ WĂƌŬ :ŽŚĂŶŶĞƐďƵƌŐ͕ ŝƐ ŝŶǀŝƟŶŐ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ ŽĨ ,ĞĂĚ Ͳ :ƵŶŝŽƌ ^ĐŚŽŽů͕ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ ĨƌŽŵ ϭ :ĂŶƵĂƌLJ ϮϬϭϴ͘ WĞŶĚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƌĞƟƌĞŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ ŽƵƌ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ ,ĞĂĚŵŝƐƚƌĞƐƐ ŝŶ ĞĐĞŵďĞƌ ϮϬϭϳ͕ ƚŚĞ ŽĂƌĚ ŽĨ 'ŽǀĞƌŶŽƌƐ ŝŶǀŝƚĞƐ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ ŽĨ ,ĞĂĚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ :ƵŶŝŽƌ ^ĐŚŽŽů͘ dŚĞ ƐƵĐĐĞƐƐĨƵů ĐĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞ ǁŝůů ƌĞƉŽƌƚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŽůůĞŐĞ WƌŝŶĐŝƉĂů͕ ĂŶĚ ǁŝůů ďĞ ƐŽŵĞŽŶĞ ǁŚŽ ŝƐ ĂďůĞ ƚŽ ĞŵďƌĂĐĞ ƚŚĞ ĂƚŚŽůŝĐ ĞƚŚŽƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƐĐŚŽŽů ĂŶĚ ǁŚŽ ŝƐ ĐŽŵŵŝƩĞĚ ƚŽ ŶƵƌƚƵƌŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ǀŝƐŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ŵŝƐƐŝŽŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƐĐŚŽŽů͘ dŚĞ ŵŽƟǀĂƟŽŶ͕ ůĞĂĚĞƌƐŚŝƉ ĂŶĚ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ ŽĨ Ă ƌĞŵĂƌŬĂďůĞ ƚĞĂŵ ǁŝůů ĞŶƐƵƌĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚŝƐ ƉĞƌƐŽŶ ŵĂŝŶƚĂŝŶƐ ĂŶĚ ŶƵƌƚƵƌĞƐ ƚŚĞ ĞdžĐĞƉƟŽŶĂů ƐƚĂŶĚĂƌĚ ŽĨ ŚŽůŝƐƟĐ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ƐĐŚŽŽů͘ tĞ ĂƌĞ ůŽŽŬŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ Ă ƉĞƌƐŽŶ ŽĨ ǀŝƐŝŽŶ ƚŽ ƚĂŬĞ ŽƵƌ ŽůůĞŐĞ ĨŽƌǁĂƌĚ ŝŶƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĨƵƚƵƌĞ͘ Key performance areas should include: ͻ ĞŝŶŐ Ă ƉƌĂĐƟƐŝŶŐ ĂƚŚŽůŝĐ Žƌ ŚĂǀŝŶŐ ĂŶ ƵŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ ŽĨ ĂƚŚŽůŝĐ ĞƚŚŽƐ ĂŶĚ ǀĂůƵĞƐ͘ ͻ ĞŝŶŐ ĐŽŵŵŝƩĞĚ ƚŽ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ǀŝƐŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ŵŝƐƐŝŽŶ ŽĨ ŚŽůŝƐƟĐ ĂƚŚŽůŝĐ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ͘ ͻ ŐŽŽĚ ƵŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ ŽĨ͕ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵŵŝƚŵĞŶƚ ƚŽ͕ ŽŶŐŽŝŶŐ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚƐ ŝŶ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ͘ ͻ dŚĞ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ĂďŝůŝƚLJ ƚŽ ƵƉŚŽůĚ ƚŚĞ ĂĐĂĚĞŵŝĐ ƐƚĂŶĚĂƌĚƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŽůůĞŐĞ͘ ͻ Ŷ ĂƉƉƌŽƉƌŝĂƚĞ ůĞǀĞů ŽĨ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ĂĐƵŵĞŶ ĂŶĚ ƐŽƵŶĚ ĮŶĂŶĐŝĂů ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ͘ ͻ ^ƚƌŽŶŐ ŝŶƚĞƌƉĞƌƐŽŶĂů ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟǀĞ ƐŬŝůůƐ͘ ͻ dŚĞ ĂďŝůŝƚLJ ƚŽ ůĞĂĚ͕ ŐƵŝĚĞ͕ ŵĂŶĂŐĞ ĂŶĚ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ Ăůů ŵĞŵďĞƌƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƐĐŚŽŽů ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ͘ ͻ džĐĞůůĞŶƚ ƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐ͕ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƟŽŶĂů ĂŶĚ ĂĚŵŝŶŝƐƚƌĂƟǀĞ ƐŬŝůůƐ͘ ͻ WƌŽĮĐŝĞŶĐLJ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƵƐĞ ŽĨ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶĂů ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ͘

A group of young people were confirmed by Archbishop Buti Tlhagale at St Therese’s parish in Alberton, Johannesburg diocese. Their teachers were Monique Baeta and Storm van der Walt, supported by parish priest Fr Kevin Bugler.

The netball teams of Assumption Convent School in Germiston, Johannesburg, took part in the Inter-Catholic Schools Netball Festival hosted by Holy Rosary High School. The senior top team won for the third year in a row. With the team are Assumption principal Neville Workman and coach Sonia Henderson.

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YƵĂůŝĮĐĂƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ƐŚŽƵůĚ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞ͗ ͻ dŚĞ ƌĞƋƵŝƐŝƚĞ ĂĐĂĚĞŵŝĐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ƋƵĂůŝĮĐĂƟŽŶƐ͘ ͻ ^ ƌĞŐŝƐƚƌĂƟŽŶ͘ ͻ ŵŝŶŝŵƵŵ ŽĨ ϱ LJĞĂƌƐ͛ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ůĞĂĚĞƌƐŚŝƉ ĂŶĚ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ͕ ƉƌĞĨĞƌĂďůLJ ŝŶ ĂƚŚŽůŝĐ ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ͘ ƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚƐ ĂƌĞ ƌĞƋƵĞƐƚĞĚ ƚŽ ĞŵĂŝů Ă ƐŚŽƌƚ ƵƌƌŝĐƵůƵŵ sŝƚĂĞ͕ ;ŶŽ ůŽŶŐĞƌ ƚŚĂŶ ƚŚƌĞĞ ϰ ƉĂŐĞƐͿ͕ Ă ůĞƩĞƌ ŽĨ ŵŽƟǀĂƟŽŶ ǁŝƚŚ ƌĞĨĞƌĞŶĐĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚ͛Ɛ ǀŝƐŝŽŶ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƐĐŚŽŽů ĂŶĚ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ ůĞĂĚĞƌƐŚŝƉ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞŵĞŶƚƐ͕ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ ĚĞƚĂŝůƐ ŽĨ ƚŚƌĞĞ ƌĞĨĞƌĞĞƐ ;ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ǁŚŽŵ ƐŚŽƵůĚ ďĞ Ă WĂƌŝƐŚ WƌŝĞƐƚ Žƌ Ă DŝŶŝƐƚĞƌ ŽĨ ZĞůŝŐŝŽŶͿ͕ ƚŽ͗ ƚŚĞ WƌŝŶĐŝƉĂů ŽĨ Ğ >Ă ^ĂůůĞ ,ŽůLJ ƌŽƐƐ ŽůůĞŐĞ Ăƚ͗ ƉƌŝŶĐŝƉĂůΛĚůƐŚĐĐŚ͘ĐŽ͘njĂ͘ ůŽƐŝŶŐ ĚĂƚĞ ĨŽƌ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ŝƐ ϭϬ :ƵůLJ ϮϬϭϳ͘ WůĞĂƐĞ ĐŽŶƐŝĚĞƌ LJŽƵƌ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ ƵŶƐƵĐĐĞƐƐĨƵů ŝĨ LJŽƵ ŚĂǀĞ ŶŽƚ ŚĞĂƌĚ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ƐĐŚŽŽů ďLJ Ϯϴ :ƵůLJ ϮϬϭϳ͘ Ğ >Ă ^ĂůůĞ ,ŽůLJ ƌŽƐƐ ŽůůĞŐĞ ƌĞƐĞƌǀĞƐ ƚŚĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ ŶŽƚ ƚŽ ƉƌŽĐĞĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ĮůůŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƉŽƐƚ͘ ^ƵďŵŝƐƐŝŽŶ ŽĨ ĂŶ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ ĚŽĞƐ ŶŽƚ ŝŶ ŝƚƐĞůĨ ĞŶƟƚůĞ ƚŚĞ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚ ƚŽ ĂŶ ŝŶƚĞƌǀŝĞǁ Žƌ ĂƉƉŽŝŶƚŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂŶĚ ĨĂŝůƵƌĞ ƚŽ ŵĞĞƚ ƚŚĞ ŵŝŶŝŵƵŵ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĂĚǀĞƌƟƐĞĚ ƉŽƐƚ ǁŝůů ƌĞƐƵůƚ ŝŶ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚƐ ĂƵƚŽŵĂƟĐĂůůLJ ĚŝƐƋƵĂůŝĨLJŝŶŐ ƚŚĞŵƐĞůǀĞƐ ĨƌŽŵ ĐŽŶƐŝĚĞƌĂƟŽŶ͘ Ğ >Ă ^ĂůůĞ ,ŽůLJ ƌŽƐƐ ŽůůĞŐĞ ŝƐ ĂŶ ĞƋƵĂů ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƚLJ ĞŵƉůŽLJĞƌ͘ www.delasalleholycrosscollege.co.za

Retired apostolic delegate for overseas Chinese Fr Paul Pang (with sunglasses) had lunch with Bishop Vincent Mduduzi Zungu of Port Elizabeth (with cross), Fr Ignatius Ou (in wheelchair) and the city’s Chinese Catholic community.

The Southern Cross, July 5 to July 11, 2017

CHURCH

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Becoming one in Christ with former foes For almost five centuries, Catholics and Protestants were in conflict. Today, they seek unity in Christ. BISHOP VICTOR PHALANA outlines how far we have come, and what parishes can do to promote this unity.

I

T was a Saturday, that October 31 in 1517, when the Augustinian monk Martin Luther walked to a church in the German town of Wittenberg and nailed a document to its wooden doors.

This document, named the “95 Theses”, lit the fuse for what would become the Reformation.

From that moment nearly 500 years ago, the Reformation spread quickly and led to much violence, killing millions in places like France and Germany, and setting off centuries of anti-Catholic persecution and laws in Britain and its empire.

The first Catholic bishop for South Africa, appointed in 1818, wasn’t even allowed to stay in the country. Not until 1837 did South Africa have a residential bishop.

More recently, especially since the Second Vatican Council, age-old sectarian sentiments have softened, and ecumenical dialogue between Catholic and Protestant churches has made giant strides.

In this article I hope to explain how far we Catholics have come on our journey with the denomination that goes straight back to Luther: the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).

That journey had its greatest highpoint yet last year on October 31 when Pope Francis travelled to solidly Lutheran Sweden.

In the city of Lund, the Roman Catholic Church jointly held an ecumenical commemoration of the Reformation.

Locally co-hosted by the Church of Sweden and the Catholic diocese of Stockholm, the event highlighted the solid ecumenical developments between Catholics and Lutherans and the joint gifts received through dialogue, particularly in anticipation of this year’s 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

It was held in two parts. The first was a common prayer service in Lund’s 12th-century cathedral, led

by Pope Francis, LWF president Bishop Munib Younan and LWF general-secretary Rev Martin Junge.

The cathedral service followed the Common Prayer liturgical guide, based on a Lutheran-Catholic dialogue report titled “From Conflict to Communion”.

Lund, on the southern tip of Sweden, is widely regarded as the gateway of the first missionaries to Sweden (who, of course, were Catholics).

The other part was a public event at Malmö Arena.

Malmö, a city of 300 000, was founded as a landing berth for the bishop of Lund. It became one of the first cities in Scandinavia to fully convert to Lutheranism, between 1527–29.

Malmö Arena was the stage for activities focusing on the commitment to common witness and service of Catholics and Lutherans in the world.

Pope Francis urged the two churches to move towards greater cooperation and dialogue after centuries of division.

The pope also used this time to ask for forgiveness for divisions perpetuated by Christians from the two traditions, and emphasised the need for the healing of memories.

The Holy Father issued a reminder that “division is a scandal; unity is a journey”.

“Unity is a gift of God, let us pray for it. Human power alone and capacities cannot achieve this holy objective: the reconciling of all Christians in the unity of the one and only Church of Christ,” the pope said.

Pope Francis, at the right in this photo, embraces Archbishop Antje Jackelen, primate of Sweden’s Lutheran Church in Sweden, at an ecumenical prayer service at the Lutheran cathedral in Lund last year. Great strides have been made in the Catholic Church’s dialogue with Protestants, as Bishop Victor Phalana (inset) explains in his article. (Main photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

Dialogue in SA The Church in Southern Africa has been involved in ecumenical events to commemorate the 500 years of Reformation and to advance the road to visible unity.

One of the highlights came in January when all the Catholic bishops of our region gathered with Protestant leaders for ecumenical sharing and a joint ecumenical prayer service in the chapel of St John Vianney Seminary.

The bishops’ department of Ecumenism, Interreligious Dialogue and Dialogue with Secular Culture, has been engaging, in a special way, with the Dutch Reformed Church, Lutheran Church, Methodist Church, Anglican Church and, more recently, the Presbyterian Church.

We are growing together in the appreciation and understanding of each other.

In the beginning there was a Catholic-Lutheran Dialogue. It was based on the historic “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification” which our two churches signed in Augsburg, Germany on October 31, 1999.

There were South African connections present at that historic moment. The declaration was signed by Cardinal Edward Cassidy as president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Until just a few years earlier, the Australian had served in Pretoria as the apostolic nuncio.

Also present at the signing was Rev Dr Ishmael Noko, a South African who at that time was the general-secretary of the Lutheran World Federation.

Seven years later, in 2006, the World Methodist Council added its approval of the Joint Declaration.

The Joint Declaration broke a centuries-old doctrinal deadlock.

Reformation period, which led not only to bitter theological disputes but also wars and persecutions. As noted earlier, it created divisions that were exported beyond the shores of Europe through the missionary expansion of the Church.

Now we can agree that “justification is the work of the Triune God. The Father sent his Son into the world to save sinners. Justification means that Christ himself is our righteousness, in which we share through the Holy Spirit in accord with the will of the Father. Faith is itself God’s gift through the Holy Spirit who works through Word and Sacrament in the community of believers and who, at the same time, leads believers into the renewal of life which God will bring to completion in eternal life.”

Seeking unity In our search for unity, we consider carefully what is essential within our respective traditions.

We acknowledged our communions’ divergent understanding of sacraments but agreed to explore the issue further.

We discussed the issue of Eucharistic hospitality, or intercommunion.

For Catholics, Communion is only extended to those with whom there is full communion in faith, life and doctrine. For us Communion is

not only commemorating Christ’s table fellowship with sinners. To us it expresses fullness of ecclesial communion.

Pope Francis quoted from Methodist co-founder John Wesley’s “Letter to a Roman Catholic” when he addressed a delegation at the opening of a new Methodist Ecumenical Office in Rome: “If we cannot as yet think alike in all things, at least we must love alike.”

The pope continued: “It is true that we do not as yet think alike in all things, for example on issues regarding ordained ministries and ethics. Much work remains to be done.

“However, none of these differences constitute such an obstacle as to prevent us from loving in the same way and offering a common witness to the world.”

We are in dialogue with the churches with whom we have many things in common.

We recognise each other’s baptisms. The central understanding of faith is the same. We hold on to a theology of grace that sees God reaching out in love to the human community. We acknowledge that we have the same number of New Testament books but we do differ on the number of books found in the Old Testament. We can pray together to our triune God. Our Interaction has opened us to riches of other churches.

We see, for example, how important lay leadership is in these churches. Lay people are not treated as “third-class citizens”.

We see the contribution of women to the Church’s ministry.

We see the role of their hymnology in their spiritual life. They are strong in evangelical preaching and Bible study.

They, too, are fascinated by our devotions, the lives of the saints, the centrality of the Eucharist and Church structures.

We need to grow together from a fuller reception of each other’s authentic insight into Christian faith and authentic gifts to a vision of the Catholicity of the Church, fuller and richer than its previous embodiment in various communions.

We must acknowledge the manifold yet unified activity of the Holy Spirit throughout the ages. We must grow in our obedience to and internalisation of the Word of God. We must join hands in playing a prophetic role in our country.

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What is Justification?

In the Joint Declaration, we all agree that “by grace alone, in faith in Christ’s saving work, and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts, while equipping us and calling us to good works”.

Here we acknowledge that the good works are a genuine response to grace not the cause of it.

We rescinded the formal condemnations we had issued against one another in the 16th century.

While we can say that we do not have any church-dividing difference between us any longer on the teaching of justification by grace through faith, there is still a difference on how we interpret the Christian life after being saved by grace through faith. That is why we continue to dialogue.

The significance of this agreement cannot be overestimated, dealing as it does with a question right at the heart of Christian faith and theology: the question of how we are saved.

As we all are aware, this was a primary point of conflict during the

The moral deficit At the Catholic bishops’ plenary early this year, Somadoda Fikeni, a political analyst and social commentator, lamented the fact that a “deficit” has befallen our country.

He spoke of the honesty deficit, courage deficit, compassion deficit, vision deficit, leadership deficit, ubuntu deficit—and everything points to a moral deficit.

Together, as an ecumenical body, we can stand together and take a prophetic stance. We have to speak truth to power and continue to proclaim the goodness, compassion and justice of God, and in turn to inspire people to commit themselves to a life of compassion, of peace and of justice.

I wish to encourage our parishes to continue to move closer to other churches. We can share the Word of God, be constantly in prayer with and for each other, and work together for the common good and for peace and justice where we live.

Ecumenism is not optional. It is as intrinsic to being a Christian as mission and evangelisation are.

To attempt to be the Church of Jesus Christ without unity is to disobey Christ. We must recover the urgency of Jesus’ priestly prayer: “May they be one” (Jn 17).

We must take seriously the words of Pope Francis at Lund last year: “The divisions among Christians go against Christ’s will for his disciples.”

I call on all Catholics to respond generously to the invitations coming from our Dutch Reformed, Lutheran, Methodists and Presbyterian brothers and sisters who have to do with the 500th commemoration of the Reformation. Let this be part of the healing of memories that Pope Francis called for and let us find ways of strengthening our unity.

I make a special appeal to the youth. May our youth learn to respect their fellow youths in other churches and learn to collaborate in common causes. They do not have the baggage of prejudice and wounded memories that the older generation still carries. Let them start now, to dialogue, to share and witness without fear or prejudice.

We can find a common ground and be seen to walk hand in hand in faith in Christ Jesus our Lord. n Bishop Victor Phalana is the bishop of Klerksdorp and chairman of the Department of Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

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10

The Southern Cross, July 5 to July 11, 2017

PILGRIMAGE

From left: Pilgrims pray before Mass in the chapel church of Incarnation convent in Avila • The faithful burn their votive candles in prayer in the Fatima sanctuary. Some candles come in the shape of body parts to represent particular prayer intentions relating to health • Fr Davis Mekkattukkalam and Archbishop Stephen Brislin at prayer during Mass in the chapel of the Angel of Peace in Fatima • Pilgrims pray at the tomb of St Teresa of Avila in Alba de Tormes. (All photos by Günther Simmermacher)

When you pray, have your GPS handy The Southern Cross’ recent pilgrimage to Portugal and Spain was a very prayerful experience. GüNTHER SIMMERMACHER looks at the power of prayer on pilgrimage.

O

N our pilgrimage, the drought in the Cape was very much on our minds, and therefore also part of our prayers.

So at Mass in the chapel of the Angel of Peace in Fatima, our spiritual director, Archbishop Stephen Brislin, placed the need for rain among our prayer intentions.

Next morning it poured with rain. But not in the Cape. In Fatima.

Then it stopped, and started again on our way to Coimbra.

It seems that we had neglected to include the GPS coordinates for exactly where we wanted the rain to fall.

In Coimbra we tried again at Mass in the Franciscan church of Santa Justa. Again we neglected to give coordinates. After a hot and sunny day in that historic city, it rained as we crossed the border from Portugal to Spain.

It was the last rain we had on our journey. Pleasingly, it fell just as we passed a flat landscape of fields, proving that the rain in Spain does indeed fall mainly on the plain.

Our prayers for rain were eventually answered in the right place.

Soon after our return it rained a lot, accompanied in Cape Town by heavy storms. Had we prayed a little too hard?

I have been on many pilgrimages. The surprising thing is—and I trust I’m not tempting fate in saying this—that I have had remarkably few instances of rain on any of them.

Last year it rained on the final day of a winter pilgrimage to the Holy Land. And even then, it did so only after we had concluded our programme–within minutes of doing so.

Inconveniently, we were still in the church of the Visitation at Ein Kerem, which is on a hill one has to ascend and descend on foot. But before that, the rain had stayed away for the entire duration of our programme.

Maybe that was luck, or maybe God blessed our group with good weather. On another occasion I think I might have been an agent in an entirely unexpected change of weather.

It was the Saints of Italy pilgrimage in September 2015, led by Fr Emil Blaser OP. I had studied the weather forecasts which promised sunshine throughout our journey, except for one day: that planned for Venice—a place one really doesn’t want to visit when it rains.

On the morning of that day, it was indeed raining heavily in nearby Padua where we stayed. Before we left I asked our tour director, who comes from the region, whether there was a chance the rain would clear. Her answerer: “Take

have the faith and strength to rise above that and continue to be witnesses of Christ.

St Teresa was also a practitioner of a spirituality that self-inflicts various types of mortifications of the flesh, as a means of penance that imitates the suffering of Christ.

Mortify yourself?

A candle burns during the nightly prayer of the rosary at the chapel of the Apparition in Fatima. your rainjackets and umbrellas; if it rains here in the morning, it will rain all day. That never changes.”

It rained on the way to Venice. It rained while we were having Mass in San Marco basilica. When we emerged from the basilica, the famous piazza before it was flooded.

What a dismal prospect!

Ask and ye shall receive

That morning, in my room in Padua, I prayed for St Scholastica, patron saint of rain-related matters, to intercede on our behalf. Since we had visited her birthplace in Norcia (now destroyed by an earthquake) a few days earlier, I was hopeful that St Scholastica might look kindly upon my request.

I got more than I had any right to hope for. Not only Salesian Institute Youth Projects, a Section 21 (not for profit) did the rain stop, but the Organisation, runs a busy School of Skills at its Cape Town clouds disappeared and we campus in Somerset Road, Green Point. The School serves 200 had a glorious day of sunchildren in the age group of 14 – 18 years old and aims to equip shine, giving us an opportueach learner with a finishing NQF Level 1 standard of education. nity to see Venice as it The School wishes to appoint an experienced principal. should be seen. It was inexplicable.

A couple of days later it was raining as we arrived in Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will have overall Milan. My fellow pilgrims strategic and operational responsibility for the execution of the mission which asked me to invoke St Scholastica again, but I will require a deep knowledge of programs, fundraising and operations. didn’t want to overplay my QuALIFICATIoNS prayerful hands. “You do it,” I told them. Presumably • Advanced degree, with at least 10 years of senior management experience; they did: within minutes the track record of effectively leading and regionally and/or nationally scaling a rain stopped. performance- and outcomes-based organization and staff; ability to point to St Scholastica’s associaspecific examples of having developed and operationalised strategies that have tion with rain goes back to taken an organisation and team to the next stage of growth.

Executive Director

• Steadfast commitment to quality programmes and data-driven programme evaluations.

• Excellence in organisational management with the ability to coach staff, manage, and develop high-performance teams, set and achieve strategic objectives, and manage a budget.

• Past success working with a Board of Directors with the ability to cultivate existing board member relationships.

• Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills.

• Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative approach to business planning.

• Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people.

• Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed. a detailed job description elaborating on the above will be made available for broader discussion to applicants who are selected for interviews.

Please submit covering Letter, CV and expected salary expectations to FrPat@salesianyouth.org.za by no later than 11 July 2017. if you have not received a reply within two of the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.

an episode in her life where she asked for rain, to prevent her brother, St Benedict, from leaving on a rare and brief visit. And the rains came, thereby prolonging what turned out to be the last time they were together.

So when we pray for rain in the drought-stricken areas of our country, we may invoke St Scholastica’s intercession for our intention—but just be clear where exactly you want it to rain.

St Teresa’s big portfolio Rain was a metaphor which St Teresa of Avila often used to describe how grace is like a shower upon souls which lose themselves completely in God. St Teresa was, of course, the second major destination of our journey, after Our Lady of Fatima. Like many popular saints, St Teresa has a large portfolio of patronages. These range from illnesses and headaches to lacemaking and chess.

One patronage has to do with her ecstasies and the spiritual knowledge she derived from them.

Today these are regarded as a spiritual treasure, but in her day Teresa was regarded by many as being possessed of diabolical knowledge. Her claim of having apparitions of Jesus earned her more ridicule.

And so St Teresa is also the patron saint for those who are ridiculed for their faith. In Fatima we prayed also that those who are derided for being Christians may

One can observe a form of selfmortification at Fatima today. Indeed, it is encouraged in the sanctuary where devout people walk on their knees on a specially paved path that goes around the chapel of the Apparitions.

I must confess that this is not my kind of spirituality. I cannot conceive of God inviting self-mortification as a method of securing his favour. Of course, there are graces in suffering, and there’s a whole theology behind it. I cannot reconcile that theology with my personal conception of our loving God, but I am not qualified to challenge it.

Indeed, I found the sight of people walking on their knees a touching sign of profound faith (provided it is not done as an external exhibition of exaggerated piety).

As we prayed the rosary by candlelight at the Apparition chapel, I noticed a family—mother, father, young son—walking on their knees.

The physical pain of that exercise was written in their faces, but also an intense serenity.

No doubt, for that family, this excruciating way of prayer was the best format for their specific intention. And if you opt for this method of prayer, the story behind your intention may well be one of heartbreak and desperation. May it turn out to be one of joy and relief.

On our pilgrimage we prayed for many things, including all who produce, distribute, support and read The Southern Cross. We prayed for individual intentions and general intentions. We prayed for the intentions of all who asked us to pray for them, and those who were praying for us.

Prayer is not only essential to a pilgrimage, but a pilgrimage is prayer itself. n The Southern Cross in association with Radio Veritas will repeat this pilgrimage in October, to be led by Fr Brian Mhlanga OP. For details see www.fowlertours.co.za/fatima

Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

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

For more information contact The Vocation Directoress

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

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

The Southern Cross, July 5 to July 11, 2017

CLASSIFIEDS

Fr Bongani Charles Winston Manzini

F

ATHER Bongani Charles Winston Manzini of Witbank diocese passed away suddenly at the priests’ residence at Burgersfort in Limpopo in the morning of June 15 at the age of 36.

The son of Dumisa Lephoko and Thandi Cynthia Manzini, he was born on July 1, 1980, at Kanyamazane near Nelspruit/ Mbombela.

He did his primary and secondary schooling at Kanyamazane and matriculated at Cefups Academy in 2001.

He began his seminary formation at St Kizito’s in Durban in 2004, moving to St Augustine’s Seminary at Roma in Lesotho from 2005-07 for his philosophical studies. For his theological studies he attended St John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria.

Fr Bongani was ordained to the diaconate on July 15, 2012, in Witbank cathedral and to the priesthood for Witbank diocese at Mbombela on February 2, 2013.

His motto was: “Console my people, console them, says your God” (Isaiah 40:1).

As deacon he worked in the parish of Burgersfort where he continued doing pastoral work as a priest until the day of his death.

He was the diocesan spiritual adviser of the Catholic Young Adults’ Sodality and the diocesan liturgist.

Fr Bongani was well-known, respected and active. He was an enthusiastic priest and an excellent preacher. His friends testified to his remarkable zest for life.

He was buried on June 24 at Maria Trost Pastoral Centre near Lydenburg/Mashishing.

He is sorely missed by his parents, other family members, friends, his bishop, his brother priests and all Catholics of the parish of Burgersfort and of the whole diocese of Witbank.

Bishop Joe Sandri MCCJ

Shopping robs us of freedom Continued from page 7 has not brought us more happiness. Instead, it has filled us with an even greater emptiness and dissatisfaction.

Nor has it contributed to the social and economic betterment of the millions of people who form the backbone of our consumer society. We need a different model that distributes wealth more equitably.

That is the heart of the Christian message. In the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:1-48), Jesus gives us a blueprint for how we are to live. In the beatitudes, he gives us the secret to true happiness.

By reminding us that we are the salt and light of the world, he gives us the key to finding meaning in our lives. The salt is our purpose. The qualities that we have been given only find their true goal when they are mingled with the food we prepare. The food we share.

There can be no meaning in my life if I live in the isolation of my jealously guarded material acquisitions. It is by sharing what I have received that my life takes on a greater meaning.

In this sharing, we become a light and a hope for others.

When I share from my abundance, I allow someone else to dream that a better future is possible. That is very different from exploiting poverty and hopelessness so that I can obtain another cheap commodity.

Jesus challenges us even further. Before we can leave our gift at the altar, we must first be reconciled to our brothers and sisters. Notice the wording of the scripture: “If your brother or sister has something against you...”.

The demand for justice does not come from me. It comes from the other, the one I have wronged.

The beggar on the corner I dismissed with a gruff comment;

the unknown woman who operates a sewing machine on the other side of the world for long hours for a pittance; the blind eye I turn to miners who are little more than slaves and whose wasted lives power my devices: these are the people I have wronged and who demand justice from me.

I might not personally be able to do anything to change their lives, but a sacrifice—no matter how small—of my personal comfort or lifestyle becomes the atonement I bring to the altar in repentance for the great injustice of social and economic inequality in our culture today.

We need to be reconciled to ourselves and to our brothers and sisters, and make small sacrifices so that we are not devoured by the spirit of unbridled consumption. We must adopt a posture of living with less so that others may have more.

Your prayer to cut out and collect

Pope Francis’ prayer for the World Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.

Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth.

Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognise that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light.

(Laudato Si’, 2015)

Community Calendar

To place your event, call Mary Leveson at 021 465 5007 or e-mail m.leveson@scross.co.za

JOHANNESBURG: St Anthony’s in Coronationville needs donations of tinned fish, peanut butter, jam, butter and juice for its soup kitchen. Contact Faried and Nadine Benn on 073 906 6037 or 083 658 2573.

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 Anthony’s church opposite Greyville racecourse. Every Wednesday at 18.30.

Contact Keith Chetty on 083 372 9018.

NELSPRUIT: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at St Peter’s every Tuesday from 8:00 to 16:45, followed by Rosary, Divine Mercy prayers, then a Mass/Communion service at 17:30.

Southern CrossWord solutions SOLUTIONS TO 766. ACROSS: 5 Well, 7 Grand opera, 8 Yarn, 10 False god, 11 Bazaar, 12 Shrimp, 14 Talent, 16 Punish, 17 Attitude, 19 Wish, 21 Kept silent, 22 Mess. DOWN: 1 Ugly, 2 Inundate, 3 Confer, 4 Belles, 5 Wade, 6 Law of Moses, 9 Adamantine, 13 Runs wild, 15 Thumps, 16 Please, 18 Irks, 20 Hate.

Word of the Week Assumption: The taking of the body and soul of Mary, by God, into glory. Tradition holds that she died and was immediately afterward assumed into heaven both body and soul.

Relic: A part of the body of a saint including clothing, jewellery, and so on. The relic is holy due to its association with the saint.

CLASSIFIEDS

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.

IN MEMORIAM

HOUGH—Peter Alexander.

Beloved husband, father and grandfather, called to his eternal reward on July 9, 2016. Sadly missed by his wife Vicky, children SimonPeter, Karen, Felicity, Richard, Paul, Nicole and Andrew, and his grandchildren Jason, James, Jordan, Kimberley, Hannah, Caitlin, Ashley and Megan. Rest in Peace.

SETSUBI—Temba Eugene.

Recalled to eternity twelve years ago as if yesterday.

Time heals many a sore and many a ruffled temper but our prayerful remembrance is forever. May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be merciful to him. Your family.

PERSONAL

ABORTION WARNING: The truth will convict a silent Church. See www.valuelife abortionisevil.co.za ABORTION WARNING: The Pill can abort. All Catholic users (married or cohabiting) must be told, to save their souls and their unborn infants. See www. epm.org/static/uploads/ downloads/bcpill.pdf WOODEN BEAMS NEEDED: Is there someone who can assist with some 6mt strong wooden beams for the base of a new hermitage structure to be erected? Any donation of materials in respect of windows and doors that could suit would also be most appreciated. E-mail john allenofm@live.com

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

CAPE TOWN—Looking for reasonably priced accommodation over the December/January holiday period?

Come to Kolbe House, set in beautiful, spacious gardens in Rondebosch, nestled just under Devil’s Peak.

Self-catering, clean and peaceful. Safe parking.

Close to all shops and public transport. Contact Pat on 021 685 7370 or 073 263 2105 or kolbe.house@ telkomsa.net MARIANELLA Guest House, Simon’s Town: “Come experience the peace and beauty of God with us.” Fully equipped with amazing sea views. Secure parking, ideal for rest and relaxation. Special rates for pensioners and clergy.

Phone Malcolm Salida on 082 784 5675 or e-mail mjsalida@gmail.com

PRAYERS

LORD GOD, this candle that I light here today reminds me of the light that you enkindled in me at my Baptism. Renew the flame of your Love in me. Let it burn away all my egotism, my jealousy, my pride and my failure to love. Let me have a warm and generous heart. Lord, I am not able to remain here in this church very much longer: I have to go. So, please accept this candle in my place. Let it be like a part of me that I give to you. Here, before the image of Blessed Mary,

Liturgical Calendar Year A – Weekdays Cycle Year 1 Sunday July 9, 14th Sunday of the Year Zechariah 9:9-10, Psalms 145:1-2, 8-11, 13-14, Romans 8:9, 11-13, Matthew 11:25-30 Monday July 10 Geneis 28: 10-22, Psalms 91: 1-4, 14-15, Matthew 9: 18-26 Tuesday July 11, St Benedict Genesis 32:22-32, Psalms 17:1-3, 6-8, 15, Matthew 9:32-38 Wednesday July 12 Genesis 41:55-57; 42:5-7, 17-24, Psalms 33:2-3, 10-11, 18-19, Matthew 10:1-7 Thursday July 13, St Benedict St Henry Genesis 44:18-21, 23-29; 45:1-5, Psalms 105: 16-21, Matthew 10:7-15 Friday July 14, St Camillus de Lellis Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30, Psalms 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40, Matthew 10:16-23 Saturday July 15, St Bonaventure Genesis 49:29-32, 50, 15-26, Psalms 105:1-4, 6-7, Matthew 10:24-33 Sunday July 16, 15th Sunday of the Year Isaiah 55:10-11, Psalms 65:10-14, Romans 8: 18-23, Matthew 13:1-23 St Bonaventure

Mother of God, and imploring her powerful intercession, I ask you, as I offer you this humble candle, to allow my prayer to penetrate every activity and every facet of my life, so that everything will be shaped and formed by the burning flame of your Love. I ask this for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

PARENTS FOR CHILDREN—O Jesus, lover of children, bestow your most precious graces on those whom you have confided to our care. Increase in them faith, hope and charity. May your love lead them to solid piety, inspiring them with dread for sin, love of work and an ardent desire of worthily approaching your holy table. Preserve in them innocence and purity of heart; and if they should offend you, grant them the grace of a prompt and sincere repentance. From your tabernacle watch over them day and night; protect them in all their ways. Grant that they may acquire the knowledge that they need to embrace the state of life to which you have called them.

Grant us a sincere love, constant vigilance and generous devotedness towards them. Grant us all consolation on earth and eternal reward in heaven.

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

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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

15th Sunday: July 16 Readings: Isaiah 55:10-11, Psalm 65: 10-14, Romans 8:18-23, Matthew 13:1-23

H

OW does God work? According to our readings for next Sunday, the answer to that question is: with stunning generosity, a generosity that calls forth from us a similar readiness to give.

The first reading is from almost the end of the prophecy of Isaiah of Babylon, promising that his exiled compatriots will eventually return to their beloved Jerusalem: “Because just as rain and snow come down from the heavens until they have watered the earth…giving seed to the sower and food [or “bread”] to those who eat, so my word which comes forth from my mind shall not return to me until it does my will and does what I sent it for.” In a dry climate, this is a powerful statement of God’s generous power.

The psalm captures the same idea: “You visited the earth and watered it…God’s stream is full of water; you establish their grain.” Once again, the poet is speaking of something well known to those who live in a dry climate: “You crown the year with your goodness…the pastures are clothed with flocks, the valleys are covered with grain; they

S outher n C ross

shout for joy and they sing.”

We need to enter cheerfully into this song of praise and recognise God’s astonishing generosity; and at the same time we should ask what it demands of us.

In the second reading, Paul says the Roman church should recognise that it has grounds for confidence in what God has done in Christ, and Paul himself is in no doubt about God’s generosity: “For I reckon that the sufferings of the present moment are not fit to be compared with the glory that is going to be revealed upon us. For the eager expectation of creation is waiting for the revelation of the sons and daughters of God.” Then he explains the nature of what we are waiting for: “Creation was placed under futility, not of its own volition, but because of the one who placed it there”, and because of God’s generosity we can look forward to a new situation: “For creation itself is going to be set free from the destructive slavery into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” As in the thirsty dry lands of our first read-

ing and psalm: “Creation is groaning and in an agony of childbirth until now…we have the first fruits of the Spirit, and we ourselves groan as we wait…” And it is God’s generosity that we wait for.

The Gospel for next Sunday is the opening of Matthew’s “parable discourse”; we gaze as Jesus “sat by the sea”, and then is forced onto a boat by the crowds, and tells the story of the “sower”, the first of seven parables in this chapter.

And this one is certainly an image of both the generosity of God and the importance of our generosity in return.

It is the picture of God as Sower, casting his seed everywhere, by the road, on thin soil, on rocky ground, on thorns, and finally on good soil, where the yield is prodigious: “some a hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty”.

Then the disciples indicate that they might not be ideal soil, having a certain ungenerosity of their own, as they come and ask, with a hint of closed minds: “Why are you talking to them in parables?” The response sounds as

To whom can we go?

P

an explicit faith in God? A lot of places, it seems.

I think immediately of so many attractive stoics who have wrestled with this question and found solace in various forms of what Albert Camus would call “metaphysical rebellion” or in the kind of epicureanism that Nikos Kazantzakis advocates in Zorba, the Greek.

There’s a stoicism which offers its own kind of salvation by drawing life and meaning simply from fighting chaos and disease for no other reason than that these cause suffering and are an affront to life, just as there is an epicureanism that meaningfully grounds life in elemental pleasure. There are, it would seem, different kinds of saints.

There are also different kinds of immortality. For some, meaning outside of an explicit faith is found in leaving a lasting legacy on this earth, having children, achieving something monumental, or becoming a household name. We’re all familiar with the axiom: “Plant a tree; write a book; have a child!”

P

oets, writers, artists, and craftsmen and women often have their own place to find meaning outside explicit faith. For them, creativity and beauty can be ends in themselves. Art for art’s sake. Creativity itself can seem enough.

And there are still others for whom deep meaning is found simply in being good for its own sake and in being honest for its own sake. There’s also virtue for virtue’s sake, and virtue is indeed its own reward.

Simply living an honest and generous life

Conrad

ETER said to Jesus: “To whom else shall we go? You have the message of eternal life” (Jn 6:68). But these words are spoken in a very conflicted context.

Jesus had just said something that upset and offended his audience—the “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” in the synagogue of Capernaum—and the gospels tell us that everyone walked away grumbling that what Jesus was teaching was “intolerable”.

Jesus then turns to his apostles and asks them: “Do you want to walk away too?”

Peter answers: “To whom else can we go?”

But that’s more a statement of stoic resignation than an actual question.

His words function at two levels.

On the surface, they express an unwanted humility and helplessness that sometimes beset us all: “I have no alternative! I’m so invested in this relationship that now I have no other options. I’m stuck with this!”

That’s a humble place to stand, and anyone who has ever given himself or herself over in an authentic commitment will eventually stand in that place, knowing that he or she no longer has another practical choice.

But those words also express a much deeper quandary, namely, where can I find meaning if I cannot find it in faith in God? All of us have at some point asked ourselves that question. If I didn’t believe in God and had no faith or religion, what would give meaning to my life?

Where can we go if we no longer have

Nicholas King SJ

God calls for our giving

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Sunday Reflections

though the disciples are favoured: “to you people it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God”, whereas “whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken away from them”. So you find yourself asking: “Where is the generosity there, then?”

But the answer (slightly different from Mark’s gospel) is that the reason is their lack of generosity: “The heart of this people has been made gross, and they find it difficult to hear with their ears and see with their eyes.”

Only then does Jesus offer an explanation of the parable, indicating that the different kinds of soil represent the different degrees of generosity with which the stories are heard.

There is no shortage of generosity on the part of the divine Sower; but some soil is “beside the way” or “on rock” or “on thorns” or “good soil”, which represent four different kinds of reception of God’s word.

What is the challenge to you, this week?

Southern Crossword #766

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

can provide sufficient meaning with which to walk through life.

So, it appears that there are places to go outside explicit faith where one can find deep meaning. But is this really so? Don’t we believe that true meaning can only be found in God? What about St Augustine’s classic line? “You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until the rest in you.” Can anything other than faith and God really quiet the restless fires within us?

Yes, there are things that can do that, but all of them—fighting chaos, curing diseases, having children, living for others, building things, inventing things, achieving goals, or simply living honest and generous lives—leave us, in an inchoate way, radiating the transcendental properties of God and working alongside God to bring life and order to the world. How so?

Christian theology tells us that God is One, True, Good, and Beautiful.

And so, when an artist gives herself over to creating beauty, when a couple has a child, when scientists work to find cures for various diseases, when craftsmen and women make an artifact, when builders build, when teachers teach, when parents parent, when athletes play a game, when manual workers work, when administrators administrate, when people just for the sake integrity itself live in honesty and generosity—and, yes, even when hedonists drink deeply of earthily pleasure—they are, all of them, whether they have explicit faith or not, acting in some faith because they are putting their trust in either the Oneness, Truth, Goodness, or Beauty of God. “Lord, to whom else can we go? You have the message of eternal life.”

Well, it seems that there are places to go and many go there. But these aren’t necessarily, as is sometimes suggested by misguided spiritual literature, empty places that are wrong and self-destructive.

There are, of course, such places, spiritual dead-ends; but, more generally, as we can see simply by looking at the amount of positive energy, love, creativity, generosity, and honesty that still fill our world, those places where people are seeking God outside explicit faith still has them meeting God.

ACRoSS

5. Source of oil and water (4) 7. Organ padre plays for musical drama (5,5) 8. The thread of the story?

(4) 10. One not truly adored (5,3) 11. Parish market? (6) 12. Small fry? (6) 14. Gift of money? (6) 16. Unship and treat with harshness (6) 17. Duet at it changes the way you think (8) 19. Kind of list of your wants (4) 21. What Jesus did at his trial (4,6) 22. Communication that’s ageless is in a dirty state (4)

Solutions on page 11

DoWN

1. Repulsive (4) 2. Tide a nun had to flood her (8) 3. Discuss in the conference (6) 4. Pretty girls sound the time on board (5) 5. Walk through the flood (4) 6. Precepts from Mount Sinai (3,2,5) 9. Neat Damian makes it unbreakable (10) 13. Fire moves fast and untamed in hell (4,4) 15. Preacher does it with his fist on the pulpit (6) 16. Make happy if you don’t mind (6) 18. Irritates (4) 20. Have a strong aversion for (4)

CHURCH CHUCKLE

A

NUMBER of priests from different orders are gathered in a church for Vespers. While they are praying, a fuse blows and all the lights go out.

The Benedictines continue praying from memory, without missing a beat.

The Jesuits begin to discuss whether the blown fuse means they are dispensed from the obligation to pray Vespers.

The Franciscans compose a song of praise for God’s gift of darkness.

The Dominicans revisit their ongoing debate on light as a signification of the transmission of divine knowledge.

The Carmelites fall into silence and slow, steady breathing.

And the parish priest, who is hosting the others, goes to the electricity board in the kitchen and replaces the fuse.

Pilgrimage of Graces

HOLY LAND 8 – 19 September 2017

Led by Fr S’milo Mngadi

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