170809 by The Southern Cross

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

August 9 to August 15, 2017

Fr Rolheiser: How to deal with suicide

Page 12

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Pregnancy and a women’s struggle with her body

Page 9

No 5044

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Cut-out and keep: Prayer for feast of the Assumption

Page 11

Daswa medal approved by local bishop BY ERIN CARELSE

DEVOTIONAL “saint medal” for Bl Benedict Daswa, the first to be produced in South Africa, has been given official Church approval. The medals, the design of which is not yet available to the public, are produced by Immaculate Heart Gifts and Media, based in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg. Bl Daswa was beatified as a martyr in Tshitanini in Limpopo in 2015. “Our first introduction to Benedict Daswa was in Mass. We saw posters outside the church seeking his beatification and were intrigued by his life, and researched who he was,” said Earl David, who with his wife Bernadette runs Immaculate Heart Gifts and Media. “We did not know that the company that we would start in the same year would form part of the team for the beatification in 2015.” In November 2014 the couple met with Radio Veritas station director Fr Emil Blaser OP and presenter Akani Malobola to propose the services they wanted to provide. A few months later, while finalising the merchandise, the date for the beatification was set for September 2015. "We created the official logo and merchandise for Bl Benedict Daswa, which is recognised worldwide, and Radio Veritas provided the opportunity for us to introduce the memorabilia for the beatification,” Mr David recalled. Fr S’milo Mngadi, then communications officer of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC), asked them to produce a website and to generate the logo. After the beatification the couple met with Sr Claudette Hiosan, then-promoter of the Daswa sainthood cause, and Bishop Hugh Slattery, who as head of Tzaneen diocese initiated the cause for Benedict Daswa’s sainthood. “We proposed the idea of the medal, and both Sr Hiosan and Bishop Slattery suggested that we should do it ourselves, to keep it

Mary's Assumption is depicted on a relief in Fatima’s Holy Rosary basilica. The feast of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven, which is South Africa’s patronal feast, falls on August 15. In Southern Africa it is transferred to the following Sunday—this year on August 20.

Eight days of Assumption The official logo of the sainthood cause for Bl Benedict Daswa. Bishop João Rodriguez of Tzaneen has approved a devotional Daswa medal proudly South African. This would be the very first time a ‘saint-medal’ would be produced in South Africa," Mr Davids said. Sr Tshifhiwa Munzhedzi OP, who has succeeded Sr Hiosan, called the couple in late July with the news that ecclesiastical approval had been issued by Bishop João Rodriguez of Tzaneen, the diocese responsible for the Daswa cause. Bl Daswa was murdered by a mob on February 2, 1990, near Thohoyandou. A school headmaster, lay leader in the Church and father of eight, Bl Daswa was 43 when he died. His beatification by Cardinal Angelo Amato on September 13, 2015, was attended by tens of thousands. For his cause to proceed to cantonised sainthood, one approved miracle will be required. The images and medal will be released to the public once all logistics for international and national channels of distribution have been set up. Details on where and how to obtain the medals will be issued then, Mr David said.

BY ERIN CARELSE

HE feast of the Assumption of Our Lady on August 15 is transferred to the following Sunday in South Africa—this year on August 20—but the faithful and parishes are still encouraged to observe the national patronal feast also on its day, according to the bishop in charge of liturgy. “All our great feasts have a sense of eight days attached, which means that Catholics are free in families and homes, and by way of private prayer and devotion, to celebrate the feast on its calendar day of the feast and the days that follow,” said Bishop Edward Risi, chair of the Department of Christian Formation at the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) . But the focus must remain on the liturgical feast day when it is transferred, as is the case with the feast of the Assumption. This means that the liturgical celebration on August 15 and the days that follow must be conducted “with less solemnity, that is, without it outshining the celebration of the coming Sunday”, Bishop Risi said. This usually means that the Gloria may be omitted, the creed is omitted, and readings can be reduced to two. “The bishops in their dioceses encourage the celebration of the feast of the Assumption on the day itself or any other weekday within

the octave in schools and institutions which fall under the guidance and administration of the local diocese and parish,” he said. The feast commemorates Mary falling into eternal sleep and her bodily assumption into heaven. It is observed on August 15, as it was in the Middle Ages. Bishop Risi said that the bishops decided some years ago to transfer the feast to the following Sunday for pastoral reasons, “to facilitate the participation of the majority of the Catholic faithful” who have difficulties going to Mass on a weekday. The feast of the Assumption is a holy day of obligation—in Southern Africa this now applies to August 20 this year, not August 15. “A minority of people would be able to celebrate the patronal feast on the weekday, which does not allow us to, and even prevents us from, giving the feast the liturgical prominence it should have,” Bishop Risi explained. Moving the feast to the nearest Sunday gives more people the opportunity to celebrate the day with an air of liturgical solemnity. “This provision to transfer the feast was already foreseen in the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council,” he said. Bishop Risi noted that the solemnities of the Epiphany, Ascension, Corpus Christi, Assumption and All Saints are also moved to the nearest Sunday.

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The Southern Cross, August 9 to August 15, 2017

LOCAL

Joy as Salesians elect new SA provincial A

N Indian-born priest will become the new provincial of the Salesians of Don Bosco as of January 1, 2018. Fr Joy Sebastian Thekumcherikunnel has been elected to lead the Salesians in Southern Africa, succeeding Fr Francois Dufour, who has served as the order’s provincial since January 2007. Fr Thekumcherikunnel was born in 1958 in the south-western Indian state of Kerala, the fourth of Devasia and Aley Thekumcherikunnel’s ten children—half of whom became religious and priests. Fr Thekumcherikunnel’s desire to go to the missions grew in him during his novitiate year, in 1976/77, after he saw four of his recently professed seniors leave for the Assam missions in north-eastern India. He joined the Salesian province

of Assam from his first profession on May 24, 1977. After the general chapter in 1978, there was a call for volunteers to join the new venture of Project Africa, and Fr Thekumcherikunnel submitted his candidacy to his superiors. His provincial refused the application, saying Assam was already mission territory and only perpetually professed members were considered for the African mission. After his ordination on New Year’s Day 1986, Fr Thekumcherikunnel again declared his availability to go to the missions anywhere in the world. Again he was told to be a good missionary right where he was. For 15 years he served as administrator of the provincial house, and then of the post-novitiate, as a high-school headmaster and a curate, and as head of a vocational

training centre. One day he was asked by a senior confrere, a missionary in Namibia, to come out to the African missions as there was a dire need for priests. Fr Thekumcherikunnel replied that he had already been refused permission, but expressed his willingness to the order’s mission councillor. In 2000 the mission councillor was looking to recruit 125 missionaries to mark the 125th anniversary of the first Salesian missionary expedition. Now Fr Thekumcherikunnel’s provincial could not refuse. In 2000 Fr Thekumcherikunnel left India for the province of Southern Africa—not to Namibia—and was assigned to serve in Lesotho. Some 17 years later he is still in Southern Africa and as of the new year, Fr Thekumcherikunnel will begin his six-year term as the leader of the regional Salesians.

Fr Sergio Durigon celebrates his last Mass at St Patrick’s parish in Rossettenville, Johannesburg. Fr Durigon, a Scalabrinian priest, has taken up a transfer to a town on the outskirts of Rome. The dean of the Southern Deanery, Fr John Thompson, was present, as were Fr Durigon’s colleagues at St Patrick’s, Frs Ivaldo Bettin and Jorge Guerra. Four Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood convent at Mariannhill, Kwazulu-Natal, celebrated their 75th, 65th, 60th and 50th jubilees. The sisters renewed their vows. (From left) Sr Tabitha Maria Königseder (50 years), Sr Hubertina Fink (60 years), and Sr Christophori Kneringer (65 years). Not in the photo is Sr Frances Götte (75 years).

SPRINGFIELD CONVENT JUNIOR SCHOOL

Applicants are invited for the following post

GRADE THREE CLASS TEACHER

From 1 January 2018

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

The successful applicant will: • Be a fully qualiﬁed, enthusiastic teacher, experienced in teaching in the Foundation Phase; • Understand, identify with and contribute to the Catholic ethos and values of the school; • Be willing and able to teach the Catholic religious education syllabus; • Have a proven record of innovation, commitment and professionalism; • Be well versed in curriculum and assessment for the Foundation Phase; • Have a sound understanding of the Foundation Phase learner, in particular Grade Three; • Have eﬀective organisational and administrative skills; • Be available in afternoons, evenings and at other times to attend workshops, courses, school functions and educational outings and tours; • Have good computer skills; • Be registered with SACE; • Be willing to become fully involved in the school's curricular and co-curricular programme.

Apply in writing, giving details of qualifications, experience and the names of three contactable referees, including your Parish priest or Minister, to: The principal, Springfield convent Junior School, St John's Road, wynberg, 7800, or email: principal@springfieldconvent.co.za closing date for applications: Thursday 24 august 2017.

The school reserves the right not to proceed with the ﬁlling of this post. An application will not in itself entitle the applicant to an interview or appointment, and failure to meet the requirements of the advertised post will result in applicants automatically disqualifying themselves from consideration. No faxed applications accepted.Candidates not contacted shall consider their applications unsuccessful.

Indian-born Fr Joy Sebastian Thekumcherikunnel—seen with children from the village of Ha Seleso, south of Maseru in Lesotho, where he has worked for many years—has been elected the new head of the Salesians in Southern Africa.

World’s Loreto schools meet in SA for education conference BY LUCY RUBIN

VER 70 Catholic teachers and principals from around the world gathered at Loreto School in Queenswood, Pretoria, to brainstorm the way forward to an education relevant and responsive to the needs of children in an ever-changing social, economic and political climate. With each nation represented by Loreto teachers at the conference, it was clear that there were different priorities and needs. Sr Cecilia O’Dwyer, international Loreto NGO representative at the United Nations, presented the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals, to be implemented by 2030. The first of these is to end poverty and hunger. Idealistic these goals may be, said Sr O’Dwyer, but if educators did not have a “positive narrative” for the future, the present difficulties could be daunting. Doing their bit, most Loreto schools provide recycling facilities. Irish Loreto schools, for example, work towards being awarded a “Green Flag”. Sr Patricia Mclaughlin, representing Loreto schools from Peru, highlighted lack of running water and electricity as just some of the problems experienced. Roselyne Thomas, represent-

Loreto School in Queenswood, Pretoria, hosted an international education conference. Facilitator Br Michael Burke (front right) is shown with Queenswood principal Marcello Pallotzi (kneeling) and Loreto teachers from around the world. ing Loreto schools in Port Louis, Mauritius, said they had a breakfast and lunch feeding-scheme for over 900 poorer pupils. Sandeep Singh from St Mary’s, Delhi, indicated that his school’s contribution to the “positive narrative” was giving 25% of all poorer day girls their tuition free. The spotlight fell on South Africa with an address by Melanie Verwoerd, daughter-inlaw of apartheid architect Hendrik Verwoerd. Loreto schools’ attempt to redress separate education began a long time before 1994, with

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

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Loreto taking in black pupils under apartheid. Ms Verwoerd stressed how difficult this was, with government funding virtually non-existent to establish anything viable for the needs of all. Loreto pre-school teacher Karen Engelbrecht said she has children as young as three coming to school on public transport. She said Catholic educators needed to look to the whole wellbeing of pupils. Bishop Kevin Dowling of Rustenburg, an old Loreto pupil, quoted Einstein: “That we are separate is but an optical illusion!” To believe we are not connected, nor should be, has damaged South Africa as a nation, he said. Theologian Dr Nonthando Hadebe invited educators to be enriched by differences, and to practise the African concept of ubuntu, which means our shared humanity. Queenswood principal Marcello Pallotzi said he believed that, revitalised by each other’s contributions at the conference, Loreto schools will continue to flourish in every environment. The closing Mass was celebrated in the school chapel, “to transform our schools and all their people, to the glory of your name”.

The Southern Cross, August 9 to August 15, 2017

LOCAL

Charismatic Renewal 50th conference for Cape Town

Fr Sabelo Mkize, parish priest at Holy Trinity in Musgrave, Durban, and Fr Ewen Schwartz OMI from St Joseph’s Theological Institute in Cedara, gave a talk on the family and canon law to members of the Catholic Women’s League at the parish. (Photo: Rea Mina)

HOSE who couldn’t attend the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal celebrations in Rome earlier this year can now join Charismatic Renewal’s 50th anniversary golden jubilee conference in Cape Town in October. Charismatic Renewal consists of over 160 million members since it was established 50 years ago by a group of students at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The international speaker at the Cape Town conference will be USbased and Ghana-born Mark Nimo. Drawing from a local pool, Frs Ebuka Afoma, Peter-John Pearson

and Brian Williams will be teaming up to present talks based on “Promoting the Culture of Pentecost”, “Serving the Church as a Whole”, “Moving in Mission and Evangelisation” and “Our Lady of Fatima—Centenary Anniversary”. The conference starts on the evening of Thursday, October 12 and ends on Sunday, October 15 at 13:00. It will be held at Holy Cross High School Hall, Coronation Road, Maitland, Cape Town. n Limited seating is available. Contact Susan on 072 202 0470 or Theresa on 072 289 8265 or e-mail spreading thefire17@gmail.com

Four sisters made their first vows at Assisi Convent in Port Shepstone, in Umzimkulu diocese, KwaZulu-Natal, under the leadership of Sr Dominica Mkhize FSF. The new nuns belong to the Congregation of the Daughters of St Francis of Assisi. (From left) Srs Sebastian Mtshali, Angelica Mkhonza, Nicolas Mjoli and Francis Cele.

God, love, life, sex speaker for SA BY ERIN CARELSE

HE Church in Gauteng and Cape Town is gearing up to welcome Christopher West, a world-renowned speaker on John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (TOB), in September for a week-long seminar. Mr West, whose talks are billed as seminars on “God, Love, Life and Sex”, will speak at different events and to specific audiences in Johannesburg and Cape Town. In Johannesburg he will speak in Edenvale, Woodmead and in the cathedral from September 7-10. In Cape Town he will speak to young people in Rondebosch on September 10 and to priests and religious on September 11 at the Holy Cross

Provincial House. Bookings are essential. Mr West will unpack the TOB, attempting to help find answers to questions such as: Who am I? What is my purpose in life? Why did God create me male or female? How can I find true happiness here on earth? How can I find love that really satisfies me? What is my destiny? “TOB helps us to learn to receive God’s love so we can give and receive it with others in our lives,” said Marie-Anne Te Brake, chair of the Foundation for the Person and the Family, which is hosting Mr West’s visit. “The body is not bad or dirty, and instead of treating our sexual desires like they should be repressed or ignored, the TOB reveals that our

body and its desires actually point us to the meaning of life,” she said. “Our bodies are holy and good. The TOB helps us to discover the beauty and purpose of our sexuality and why it is such a major part of our ability to love,” she added. “God’s plan for life and love is so profound and beautiful that, once it is revealed to us, we’ll never look the same way at our relationships, especially that of between a man and a woman,” Ms Te Brake said. “When we see the truth about our bodies and the truth about sex, we change our lives not as a result of persuasion, guilt, fear of pregnancy or disease, or because we have to, but because God’s view of love is everything that the human

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Elana Beukes hands over a wheelchair to Anthony Harmse while executive members of the Interact and Common Ground clubs at Selly Park Secondary School in Rustenburg look on. (From left) Olebogeng Thlong, Otshepeng Kobedi, Direlang Rammutla and Dipere Mashishi.

Rustenburg school funds wheelchairs

INCE its inception, Selly Park Secondary School in Rustenburg, North West, has had a robust Interact Club which has reached out to the local community with various endeavours. This is in accordance with the school motto— “All things to all people”—and with the strong religious ethos of the school. A more recent club, Common Ground, focuses on environmental issues. Acting in tandem, the two clubs welcomed three special guests to the school: Elana Beukes, Anthony Harmse and Charlotte Matlou. Ms Beukes, who is disabled, and her mother were responsible for introducing The Sweetheart Foundation to Rustenburg. Ms Beukes said she could not bear to think of people needing wheelchairs but being unable to afford them. The Sweetheart Foundation encourages people to collect plastic for recycling in order to buy wheelchairs for those who need them. Selly Park Secondary collected enough bread tags to raise the money for two wheelchairs, one for Mr Harmse and one for Ms Matlou. The Beukes, Harmse and Matlou families met with staff and students of Interact and Common Ground at a small function at the school. Principal Heidi Lowe addressed the gathering, the wheelchairs were handed over and the three families shared their stories.

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heart longs for.” Mr West’s talks will reflect these principles, she said. His work has been featured in countless Catholic, evangelical andsecular media in the US. “It is thanks to lay people like Christopher West that the TOB teaching has been suitably adapted to be understood by ordinary people, and it becomes easier to learn how to build beautiful relationships based on respect, sacrifice and honour,” Ms Te Brake said. “The TOB seeks to transform our culture for life, unconditional love and a return to family values.” n For Mr West’s itinerary and to book tickets go to www.tobsa.co.za or call Marie-Anne Te Brake on 078 534 0386.

Christopher West

SPRINGFIELD CONVENT SENIOR SCHOOL applicants are invited for the following post:

SuBJecT HeaD oF THe enGlISH DepaRTMenT To commence 1 January 2018

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

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

The successful applicant will: • Be a fully qualified, enthusiastic teacher, experienced in teaching English Home Language • Understand, identify with and contribute to the Catholic ethos and values of the school • Have a proven record of good leadership qualities and people skills in managing a vibrant, diverse group of full-time staff • Have a proven record of innovation, commitment and professionalism • Be well versed in curriculum and assessment for English Home Language • Have effective organisational and administrative skills • Be available in afternoons, evenings and at other times for extra-curricular teaching, involvement in special events associated with the subject • Be computer literate • Be registered with SACE • Be willing to become fully involved in the school’s curricular and co-curricular programmes

Apply in writing to: The Headmistress, Springfield Convent School, St John’s Road Wynberg, 7800, Email: headmistress@springfieldconvent.co.za giving details of qualifications, experience and names of two contactable referees.

closing date: Monday 21 august 2017

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

Please note no faxed applications will be considered and only those applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. Springﬁeld is a member of the independent Schools’ Association of Southern Africa.

The Southern Cross, August 9 to August 15 2017

INTERNATIONAL

Holy See: Middle East needs Christians T

HE Middle East needs peace, human rights, and the continued presence of Christians, a Holy See diplomat has told the United Nations Security Council. “Christian communities have existed for 2 000 years in that region and have peacefully coexisted with the other communities. The Holy See urges the international community, through the Security Council, not to forget them,” said Mgr Simon Kassas, interim chargé d’affaires of the Holy See’s permanent observer mission to the UN. “The Holy See believes that the rule of law, including respect for religious freedom and equality before the law based on the principle of citizenship and regardless of one’s race, ethnic origin or religion, is fundamental towards the achievement and maintenance of peaceful and fruitful coexistence among individuals, communities and nations in the whole region and beyond,” he continued. Mgr Kassas spoke in an intervention during the Security Council’s open debate on “The Situation in the Middle East, including the

Palestinian Question”. He voiced the Holy See’s regret at the loss of lives and property in wars and conflict in the Middle East, particularly in Syria, Yemen and Iraq. In these places “the dramatic humanitarian situation calls for renewed commitment by all to arrive at a political solution to these conflicts”. The diplomat said Pope Francis “deeply appreciates the tireless efforts of those toiling to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria [and] encourages all actors to work towards a Syrian-led political process leading to a peaceful and inclusive transition”. Peace in Syria will also create an environment for effective counterterrorism efforts and maintain “the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian state”.

A Palestinian Christian prays in the church of Nativity in Bethlehem, West Bank. A Vatican diplomat has called for the protection of Christians in the Middle East, and for renewed urgency in finding a peaceful and just solution to the Israeli-Palestine conflict. (Photo: Debbie Hill/CNS) tion is found. “Notwithstanding the multiple challenges facing the Middle East today, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process cannot be allowed to slip out of the top priorities of the international community and this council,” the Vatican diplomat said. The Holy See voiced support for

urning to the Israeli-Palestine conflict, Mgr Kassas said the Palestinian question is debated four times a year and this debate sometimes sounds like “broken records”, but this will continue until a solu-

a two-state solution in which both Israel and a Palestinian state exist side-by-side “in peace within internationally recognised borders”. “For this process to happen and succeed, Israelis and Palestinians must agree on substantial steps to lower tensions and de-escalate the violence on the ground,” Mgr Kas-

sas said. This includes refraining from actions, including Israel’s construction of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, that contradict their stated commitment to a negotiated solution. He cited Pope Francis’ exhortation to pray for peace and to promote a culture of non-violence so that everyone can bequeath “a culture capable of devising strategies of life, not death, and of inclusion, not exclusion”. “We must also not forget Jerusalem, a city sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims,” the diplomat said. “The historical status quo of the holy sites is a matter of profound sensitivities.” Mgr Kassas reaffirmed the Holy See’s support for “a comprehensive, just and lasting solution” regarding Jerusalem and reiterated the importance of internationally guaranteed special status that ensures religious freedom of all its inhabitants and “the secure, free and unhindered access to the holy places by the faithful of all religions and nationalities”.—CNA

Priest horrified at horror films in abandoned church A

N Irish priest has decried a film festival’s plans to screen two horror films in an abandoned church this month. The Belfast Film Festival plans to show two horror movies, The Exorcist and The Omen, at Holy Rosary church in Belfast, a landmark church that has been abandoned since 1980 and is no longer owned by the Catholic Church. Local parish priest Fr Patrick McCafferty told the Belfast Telegraph that the plan was a “cheap stunt” and disrespectful to what once had been a sacred place. “What is their motivation for showing those types of films in what was once a sacred building that will have such special memories of spiritual occasions for lots of people?” he asked. “Should they not be sensitive to the fact that

many people in that area have fond associations and it is sacred to the memories of many people who were baptised or married or buried there?” The old church is currently set to be renovated into an Italian restaurant, with which Fr McCafferty said he has “no problem”. However, he added, “the screening of horror films in there is another matter entirely”, he told Ireland’s The Times. The Exorcist (1973), based on William Peter Blatty’s novel by the same name, is the horror movie famous for levitating beds, spinning heads and “pea-green soup” vomit. The book and film portray the demonic possession of a 12-yearold girl and her exorcism by two Catholic priests. Mr Blatty said he drew inspiration from a 1949

Washington Post story about a Jesuit priest’s successful exorcism of a 14year-old boy. While the US bishops have previously said that the film stands on “shaky ground” theologically, Catholic film critics have said that for the most part, it tries to portray a real exorcism as authentically as possible. It won two Oscars in 1974 for best sound and best writing and is one of the 20 highest-grossing films of all time. After the film’s release, interest in exorcism skyrocketed in pop culture, sparking a subgenre of films surrounding the topics of exorcism and spiritual warfare. The other film to be shown, The Omen, is a 1976 British-American film that tells the story of the son of an American diplomat who is marked with the sign of the devil

SPRINGFIELD CONVENT JUNIOR SCHOOL

Applicants are invited for the following post

SPECIALIST MATHEMATICS TEACHER

From 1 January 2018

The successful applicant will: • be fully qualiﬁed to teach in the intermediate and Senior Phase of the GET; • have experience in the teaching of Mathematics in Grades 4 to 7; • be willing and able to promote the school's Catholic ethos; • be registered with SACE; • be willing to become fully involved in the school's curricular and co-curricular programme. • Computer skills and knowledge of interactive whiteboards a necessity.

The school reserves the right not to proceed with the ﬁlling of this post. An application will not in itself entitle the applicant to an interview or appointment, and failure to meet the requirements of the advertised post will result in applicants automatically disqualifying themselves from consideration. No faxed applications accepted. Candidates not contacted shall consider their applications unsuccessful.

and is the antichrist. In 2006, attempts to film a remake of The Omen were disrupted on location in Croatia, with sets vandalised and burnt down. The producers blamed the Catholic Church for the disruptions, saying they had decried the film and sparked the outrage. Catholic reviews of The Omen tend to urge caution, as the film can be seen as depicting evil in a victorious light. Fr McCafferty said he hasn’t seen either film, though he is familiar with their controversial content. “They are not the sort of films that I would choose to watch myself. People have told me about the films and I have seen bits about The Exorcist—I just don’t understand why anyone would like to see it in a church,” he said.

A spokesperson for the film festival has defended the decision, saying that the abandoned church would enhance the audience’s viewing experience, and cited that the church has been defunct for almost 40 years. “Belfast Film Festival is well known for its site-specific special events,” the spokesperson told the BBC, citing its 2015 screening of Jaws on Portrush beach as one example. “The locations chosen add an extra dimension to the screening, and we think the stone-cold surroundings of an abandoned church will make for a suitably chilling viewing experience for The Exorcist.” The screenings of the films have already sold out.—CNA

‘Brutal, savage, criminal’ – pope condemns trafficking

UMAN trafficking is “brutal, savage and criminal”, Pope Francis said, but often it seems like people see it as a sad but normal fact of life. He asked all people to commit to “seeing that this perverse plague, a modern form of slavery, is effectively countered," the pope said on the UN’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. After reciting the Angelus with thousands of people gathered in St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis asked them to join him in pray-

ing a “Hail Mary” so that Jesus’ mother would “support the victims of trafficking and convert the hearts of traffickers”. Catholic humanitarian groups, religious orders and coalitions of women religious who have a long history of helping trafficking victims, appealed for government and community action in a statement to the UN. “People are trafficked within local settings as well as across international borders for domestic servitude, sexual and labour ex-

ploitation, begging, forced marriage, organ removal, surrogate wombs and criminal acts,” said the statement, distributed by the International Union of Superiors General, which represents the heads of women’s orders. Stopping criminal networks of human traffickers will require the creation of “safe, legal and responsible migration pathways” so that vulnerable migrants and refugees do not feel forced to turn to smugglers to reach their destinations, the statement read.

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The Southern Cross, August 9 to August 15, 2017

How communion of saints intercedes for Christian unity W BY CINDY WOODEN

A giant mechanical spider at an art performance in front of Notre-Dame cathedral’s basilica in Ottawa. (Photo: Chris Wattie, Reuters/CNS)

‘Spider’ at cathedral sparks outrage BY DEBORAH GYAPONG

HE archbishop of Ottawa, Canada has expressed regret that several Catholics were shocked at the sight of a giant robotic spider perched on Notre Dame cathedral. Archbishop Terrence Prendergast said he was surprised by the negative reaction to an artistic initiative after critics called the spider’s placement “sacrilegious”, “demonic”, and “disrespectful” of a sacred space. “My cathedral staff and I anticipated that some might object, but thought it would be minimal, as nothing demeaning was intended in the spider being near the church,” said the archbishop to Canadian Catholic News. “I regret that we had not sufficiently understood that others would see this event so differently. I say to those who were shocked that

I understand that this would have been upsetting for them and that I regret that a well-intentioned effort to cooperate in a celebration was anything but that for them.” The spider, named Kumo, is one of two giant robots created by a street theatre company of artists, technicians and performers based in Nantes, France. The company, La Machine, was in Ottawa as part of celebrations marking Canada’s 150th birthday. The spectacle of robots, music and other special effects drew tens of thousands to Ottawa’s CBD. “I guess we thought people would see this as a sign the Church is involved in Ottawa’s celebrations,” he said. “Many people, both Catholic and others, English and Francophone, remarked how pleased they were that Notre Dame was involved in our celebration of Canada 150.”—CNS

HILE Christians on earth may be divided into different Churches and denominations, in heaven their saints are united and can be powerful intercessors for Christian unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch said during a visit to Russia. The cardinal, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, led a delegation to St Petersburg to return a relic of St Nicholas to Bari, Italy, after it had been on loan to the Russian Orthodox since late May. Russian Orthodox officials estimated that some 2 million faithful venerated the relic either at Christ the Saviour cathedral in Moscow or at Holy Trinity cathedral in St Petersburg. At a Mass at the Catholic cathedral of St Catherine in St Petersburg, Cardinal Koch said Catholics and Orthodox believe that when they venerate a saint, they are giving glory to God. “The veneration of the saints is divine worship and adoration of God in his holiness and in his coming, which sanctifies human beings,” he said in his homily. “The saints are like a prism that reflects the light of God’s holiness in different chromatic tones and refractions.” St Nicholas is one of the patron saints of Russia and, having lived and died centuries before the EastWest split of Christianity, he is revered by both Catholics and Orthodox. St Nicholas was born into a

Maronite youth gather in Lebanon to build bridges BY DOREEN ABI RAAD

EARLY 500 young people from other countries joined 1 000 Maronite Catholic youths from Lebanon for World Maronite Youth Days. They came from around the world to celebrate their Maronite faith with clapping and ululating, creating a celebratory atmosphere. Some participants came with a durbakke, a popular Lebanese hand drum, to accent the mood with a rhythmic beat. “Everyone was singing songs, outwardly praising,” said Michel Kahwajy, 24, a Maronite Catholic from the US. “Meeting people who are my age who are passionate about their Maronite faith, that’s been a really moving thing for me,” he said. Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Vatican nuncio to Lebanon, welcomed the people “with great love” and told them “Pope Francis

Young people attend the World Maronite Youth Days in Beirut. (Photo: Johnny Antoun/CNS) is among you and encourages you all”. Each participant received the gospel of Luke in booklet form, a gift from the pope, and the nuncio urged them “to be a living Gospel”. Pilgrims stayed with host families throughout Lebanon’s 13 Maronite eparchies, or dioceses, for the first few days to experience the day-to-day culture and spiritual life in a Lebanese Maronite

Catholic parish. Later, monasteries and convents hosted the youth. Each morning began with Mass, prayers, catechesis and discussion groups. The youth also visited holy sites of Lebanon, including the tomb of St Charbel Makhlouf, and they trekked through the forest of the famous Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab), cited 103 times in the Bible. “Despite differences of culture and language, we are bridge builders,” said Fr Toufic Bou Hadir, coordinator of the youth pastoral ministry for the Maronite patriarchate. He told the young people: “In the face of terrorism, violence and conflicts, let’s say: ‘We are strong and courageous’.” Sandy Agob, 23, said she and 13 others from the area around Aleppo, Syria, were “trying to stay happy, and that’s why we are here to celebrate with the Maronites, although there are bombs and problems in Syria”.—CNS

On holiday? Add value to others’ lives

HILE tourism can broaden travellers’ horizons and improve local economies, it cannot be seen as being part of “sustainable development” unless it includes respect for workers’ rights, the local culture and the environment, said Cardinal Peter Turkson. The UN General Assembly proclaimed 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, noted the cardinal, the Vatican official for integral human development. In a message for the celebration on September 27 of World Tourism Day, Cardinal Turkson said that according to the social teaching of the Catholic Church, “true development cannot be restricted to economic growth

alone. In fact, to be authentic, it must be well-rounded; that is, it must foster the development of each man and of the whole man”. The World Tourism Organisation reported that in 2016, the number of international tourist arrivals was around 1,2 billion; one out of 11 jobs globally are in tourism. “It therefore occupies an important place in the economies of individual states and in policies that focus on inclusive development and environmental sustainability globally,” the cardinal wrote. The Vatican, Cardinal Turkson said, supports the WTO vision of “sustainable tourism”, which is a form of tourism that is “responsi-

ble and not destructive or detrimental to the environment nor to the sociocultural context of the locality. Moreover, it must be particularly respectful of the population and their heritage, with a view to safeguarding personal dignity and labour rights, especially those of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people”. Morally, he said, holiday time “cannot be a pretext either for irresponsibility or for exploitation: In fact, it is a noble time in which everyone can add value to one’s own life and that of others”. Sustainable tourism is a means of development, he said, when “it becomes a vehicle of new opportunities and not a source of problems”.—CNS

A woman lights a candle before a large icon of St Nicholas in Moscow’s cathedral of Christ the Saviour. A relic of the saint was sent from Bari, Italy, to Russia for veneration. (Photo: Robert Duncan/CNS) wealthy Greek family late in the third century in a village located on what is now the southern coast of Turkey. After he was orphaned, he dedicated his life to serving God and used his inheritance to help the needy.

icholas was still young when he was made bishop of Myra. As a bishop, he was renowned for his generosity to the needy, his care for children and his concern for sailors. Persecuted by Roman Emperor Diocletian, Nicholas was exiled and imprisoned. He died on December 6, 343, and was buried in Myra. In 1087 Italian sailors removed the saint’s relics to the Italian port city of Bari.

Cardinal Koch said that while meetings of Church leaders are important in the search for Christian unity, the celebration of the saints and veneration of their relics can have an even bigger impact because they involve a much broader group of faithful. After the relics are back in place in Bari, he said, “our task will continue to be that of remaining faithful to praying for unity, continuing to ask for the intercession of the saints”. “In fact,” he said, “our Churches’ saints, who already are united in heaven, are our best intercessors and companions on the ecumenical journey and can help us make Christian unity a reality”.—CNS

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The Southern Cross, August 9 to August 15, 2017

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Pray off the cuff for those in need

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

O many of us Catholics are staunch participants in liturgical prayers and community prayers such as the rosary and the Divine Mercy chaplet, but seldom will we approach others in need to console them with a spontaneous prayer “off the cuff”—“Where two or three are gathered in prayer, there am I in the midst of them.” Recently I prayed with my brother in this way. He was in mourning after the death of a dear friend of 40 years, whom by the grace of God he had brought into the Catholic faith, even though my

100 years Romero

N August 15, many Catholics around the world will mark the centenary of the birth of one of the great saints still awaiting canonisation. On the feast of the Assumption in 1917—while across the Atlantic Our Lady was making her series of appearances at Fatima—Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez was born in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador. The life of the man the world has come to know as Archbishop Óscar Romero was ended cruelly by the bullets of a government death squad on March 24, 1980— while he was saying Mass. At the moment the bullet hit him, he was raising the chalice in the consecration of the Eucharist. Archbishop Romero was a hero to many for his courage in speaking out plainly against the regime’s brutal violence and injustice. His martyrdom brought Archbishop Romero to the world’s attention, more so than those of other Catholic priests who were murdered in those years, especially in Latin America, to silence their Christian witness. Archbishop Romero’s ecclesiastical title contributed to his posthumous prominence, as well as the circumstances of his murder—killing a priest during the consecration of the Eucharist is not just personal, it’s a calculated assault on Christ himself. The hosts on the altar were reportedly soaked with the slain archbishop’s blood. The day before his assassination, Archbishop Romero said in a homily: “Those who surrender to the service of the poor through love of Christ, will live like the grains of wheat that die. They only apparently die. If they were not to die, there would remain a solitary grain. The harvest comes because of the grain that dies. “We know that every effort to improve society, above all when society is so full of injustice and sin, is an effort that God blesses; that God wants; that God demands of us.” This served as the testament of a man who never sought to be a political activist, never mind a hero of a struggle that spans continents. As a young priest, as a Catholic newspaper editor, as a seminary rector, as a young bishop, he was known to be overly scrupulous and firmly conservative.

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.

His appointment in 1977 as archbishop of San Salvador was met with disappointment by social activist priests, who expected no support from him, and with satisfaction by the ruling classes, who expected no opposition from him. He confounded these expectations. Three weeks after becoming archbishop, his friend Fr Rutilio Grande SJ, an activist working with the rural poor, was murdered by the regime. Archbishop Romero recalled: “When I looked at Rutilio lying there dead I thought, ‘If they have killed him for doing what he did, then I too have to walk the same path’.” That path—the denunciation of social injustice, of economic oppression, of political violence, of US support for the junta, and so on—would lead to his death at the age of 62. But the voice of the voiceless did not fall silent. Even in Romero’s death, it spoke compellingly: truth to power, hope to the oppressed, encouragement to the faithful. The example of Archbishop Romero inspired countless Catholics, laity and clergy alike, around the world to join or persist with the struggle against injustice. Among those who took inspiration from Romero was an Argentinian Jesuit, Fr Jorge Bergoglio. As Pope Francis, the Jesuit beatified the martyr in 2015—after the Vatican had, shamefully, stalled the saintly martyr’s cause for political reasons over many years. In South Africa, too, Catholics in the anti-apartheid struggle were inspired by the example of Archbishop Romero. And that example retains currency even today as we are faced with social and economic injustice, the subversion of democracy by special interests and corrupt leadership, racial tension, human trafficking and so on. Archbishop Romero’s life witnesses God’s call to us to always be open to personal conversion and transformation, to hear Jesus’ challenge to leave our comfort zones and follow the demands of the Gospel. Bl Óscar Romero teaches us that even for Christians who are not political and don’t want to be, there are times when our faith demands from us radical discipleship.

Laicisation debate needs to be aired

N picking up The Southern Cross of July 26 I was delighted to see on the top front-page banner that there was an article on laicisation. However, on turning to page 9, I was appalled to see the headline “What Church does about abuser priests”. As a laicised priest, it knocked the wind out of me. The article did explain that priests can be laicised for a number of reasons and sometimes, as in my own case, at their own request, but I feel that message may be lost thanks to the headline. I welcome an exploration and discussion about how the Church deals with the crime of clerical sexual abuse—it’s a topic that deserves a lot of discussion and exposure, and the article is informative and thought-provoking. I also think laicisation is a topic that needs to be brought out of the closet and aired from different points of view, but the seeming conflation of the two is unfortunate and to be regretted. Paul Traynor, Benoni, Gauteng

Priesthood and women in crisis

REFER to Fr Chris Townsend’s thought-provoking article (May 31) on why our Church needs to address “the crisis of vision of the ministerial priesthood” which is provoked by the “hopelessly inadequate formation and training framework” of our Church seminary system. The “Overstretched priests worn down” letter from the distraught mother of a priest, as well as Frank Bompas’ well-reasoned letter (June 21) also refer. Fr Townsend envisages a “local Church that is not holding everything together in desperation, but has a vision of herself that matches our reality”. Bravo Fr Chris; well said! And the current reality also in-

brother is not a practising Catholic. My brother gave me great joy when he phoned me the next day to tell me what a powerful grace this was for him and how renewed he felt by my prayer of worship. We are not accustomed to doing this in our family nor, sadly, with our fellow Catholics. Even in the community where I live, we rarely see people praying spontaneously for each other. Indeed, in the past, when I have done this, I have often been labelled “a fanatic” by some of my fellow Catholics, which hurt, as I was 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

cludes women being relegated to a “second-class citizenship” status, a subtle form of abuse. This may well encourage many of the more serious abuses you describe in your editorial in that same May 31 issue. Women—who, frankly, are the backbone of our Church—need to be accorded the equality they deserve. (Read Genesis 1:27 where male and female are both created equal in the image of God.) Your editorial on the thorny subject of “woman abuse” is a reminder that there has been no response to previous challenges to the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference to outline what they intend doing to address the abused status of Catholic women in our Church. Come on, SACBC, let’s hear something positive from you on the burning situations relating to (a) our priests and (b) our wonderful women. Our Church is in a crisis and you are “fiddling” while it, and we, suffer. Or is the hierarchy waiting to preside over a “meltdown” and some future “re-formation”? Geoff Harris, Rooi Els, Western Cape

Purgatory concept perplexes Catholic

NE Sunday recently the word purgatory was used. It is a word that I had not heard for some time. It is said that by Jesus dying on the Cross we are absolved of our sins. We as humans are continuous sinners but if we repent, his death forgives those sins. The word and idea of purgatory

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ARDINAL Wilfrid Napier of Durban is one of the stars of a video for the official Mini-Wo orld Yo outh Day (MWYD) theme song. The MWYD will be held in Durban from December 6-10 for youth from the Southern African pastoral region and Lesotho. Titled “The Mighty One”, the theme song was written by Justin Nanak and Thandeka Dube-Ndhlovu, who are also the lead singers, backed by the Durban Gospel Choir. The recording was produced by Karen Van Pletsen at Sonic Studios Durban, and is published by Raise Your Voice and Sheer Records. Justin Nanak is a full-time youth and music minister at Blessed Sacrament and Star of the Sea parishes in the Umhlanga area. He released his debut album, Your Wiill Be Done, in 2016. It is available on all online stores. A graduate in analytical chemistry, he followed God’s call to work in the youth and music ministry after attending a Life Teen conference. “My prayer is that this song of praise will help our young people reach a higher level of

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worship as we unite and deepen our spiritual connection with the amazing God we serve,” he said. Thandeka Duma-Ndhlovu, whose mother is a musician, says she loves to sing in her spare time, whether it’s in her local church choir, the St Anne’s Sodality Diocesan Choir or at other functions. The video for “The Mighty One” features solo dancing by Andrea Govender and Katherine Anderson, backed by dancers f rom t he parishes of St Joseph’s in Morningside and St Francis Xavier in Bluff, and hip hop dancers from Blessed Sacrament and Star of The Sea parishes in Umhlanga. It also includes the Kwa Thintwa Signing Choir from the school for the deaf founded by the late Archbishop Denis Hurley. The video was directed by Ms Van Pletsen. The song title draws from the theme fo or the youth day: “The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his Name” (Lk 1:49). See the video at http://bit.ly/2u1ferv and a MP3 of the song can be downloaded at w w w. m i n i w o r l d y o u t h d a y. c o . z a / m w y d - t h e m e song. Booking for MWYD closes on Auggust 31. Details can be found at www.miniworldyouth day.co.za.

Th e Th The

BISHOP met with tavern owners who committed themselves to the fight against a culture of rape and femicide. Bishop Victor Phalana of Klerksdorp described the encounter as “humbling”. Some 45 tavern owners from four communities in Klerksdorp diocese gathered for a three-day training workshop to gain skills and explore responses to gender-based violence. They met as part of the HeForShe campaign, a global initiative run by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women—often called simply UN Wo omen. “I was humbled to see tavern owners, who are normally marginalised and stigmatised, responding to an invitation by a Church body, knowing that they would be challenged and empowered—but not condemned,” Bishop Phalana said. “Initially there was a little apprehension, but once they realised that we were there to invite solutions, they relaxed—and that made me very happy, as I could see the positive change in attitude,” the bishop said. “It was a joy visiting them and reaching out to see how we can empower them to become changemakers and peacemakers.” A total of 68 taverns across the diocese are now involved in this project. The workshop, which was facilitated by the Justice & Peace Commission of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the local J&P, helped participants see the beliefs and attitudes that lead to violence against women and children. The tavern owners, who admitted to being complicit in things that were happening in their taverns, realised that they have to take a firm stand. They pledged their support to fight alcohol-related violence in their taverns and communities and to lead from the front to fight any form of women harassment in their vicinity and community. They agreed to not sell alcohol to minors

S outher outh e r n C ross ro oss ss & he

REFER to the news article “Let’s now break Ramadan fast every year” (July 12) in which a priest says he hopes his experience of breaking the Ramadan fast with local Muslims will be picked up by other priests and Catholics. Interreligious dialogue to proclaim Christ’s mandate to help and encourage the spreading of the message of true salvation is indeed encouraged. But when one partakes and performs rituals of other faiths, it sends out a subtle message of acceptance and approval of those faiths. It is therefore dissapointing and misleading by some priests to do such and further promote their misguided homily of encouraging other Christians to do likewise. Such practices give non-Christians the message that their belief is fine and correct, and is contrary to Christ’s Gospel of salvation for all to be baptised in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. St Paul cautions us about this (Hebrews 13: 7-10, 1 John 4). Edgar Christopher Fredericks, Durban

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Bishop hails tavern owners’ anti-rape action Theme song, video released for youth day in Durban

comes from humans in previous centuries, which makes it a manmade concept. The same with persons who die before being baptised living in limbo (which the Vatican has officially disowned). Where do they come from? Jesus said to the one robber crucified with him: “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Jesus did not say he would first have to repent in some other haven before entering heaven. His sins were forgiven. This is the introduction of the New Testament grace that Jesus introduced in place of the Old Testament law. These are just my thoughts and people will agree or disagree with me. Maybe theologians can explain? Brian Gouveia, Bloemfontein

Why does Church debate get so nasty?

Page 9

Justin Nanak and Thandeka Dube-Ndhlovu, composers and lead singers of “The Mighty One”, the official theme for Mini-World Yo outh Day 2017 in Durban from December 6-10.

merely trying to convey a loving action to someone in need. I thank God for my many years in Catholic Charismatic Renewal for treasuring the grace of spontaneous prayer when I’ve prayed with fellow Catholics who are not so familiar with it, since in worship and adoration our prayer is formal, or set, where our concentration is not so easily focused on the heart and mind as in spontaneous prayer, or even just in a short calling out. This is not to say that the prayer of the rosary or the Divine Mercy chaplet, when said from the heart, and not by rote, are not great treasures of our Catholic tradition. John Lee, Johannesburg

Bishop Victor Phalana of Klerksdorp (second from left) with tavern owners at a three-day workshop designed to give them the skills to implement measures to fight against genderbased violence in their communities. A total of 68 taverns in Klerksdorp diocese are now involved in the project which is spearheaded by Justice & Peace. and pregnant women, and will organise and encourage their clients to attend weekly dialogues focusing on issues around rape culture and femicide. The tavern owners also pledged to organise community protests whenever there is a rape or femicide incident. Together they will work with their Community Policing Forums and police to promote law and order in the communities as well as promote and organise health-testing for their clients in partnership with their local clinics. “We need them to create safe places for ever yone, and make sure that they work for peace, good conduct, harmony, mutual respect and responsible drinking as well as be aware of the community's fight against drug trafficking and human trafficking,” Bishop Phalana said. “We asked them to ensure that they discourage domestic abuse, violence, and harassment of women in their premises,” he added.

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Woman: Genius or victim?

HEN we chose “Gender Justice” as Marfam’s family theme for August, I suppose I was still in the same frame of mind as we so often seem to be. In South Africa, but not only here, women are often seen mainly as victims—of abuse, of violence, of discrimination and lack of opportunities to achieve their full potential. But what is our full potential and how are we able to overcome some of the obstacles in our way? It is impossible to generalise but some observations are offered as food for thought. Many women in my generation did not work full-time when we married, as was expected in those days. Expecting that this would be “my lot”, I continued music studies so as to be able to teach and work from home. When our older children were young that was what I did, with a few extra activities added— Tupperware, Justine, teaching catechism, school tuck-shop, first aid, regular mother-kid tea-parties, gym and so on. I can’t say that satisfied all my ambitions but it was, I still believe, an acceptable way of life that accommodated my husband and children. But we, white women, were not really consulted about this. It was an expectation, but one that not every woman was willing to comply with. There were those who worked more regular jobs. Often they were teachers, nurses, social workers—a kind of extension of the helping and serving roles we played at home. At a very different point on a continuum of women’s roles were thousands of domestic workers, women who left their own children to care for other people’s homes and families. Such was life. But how it hast changed! Was it through women’s genius, wheedling our way into the marketplace where men seemed to enjoy a better life? Was it that more educated women felt a personal urge to achieve more, or were we dissatisfied with our lives of relative comfort? Did women want their own money, a slice of the pie that would give them greater independence, or was it the need to earn money to share the breadwinner role?

ll these factors played a role as society moved on (can we say progressed?) through those 1970s, ’80s, ’90s and into the 21st century. It is true that women, through their “genius”, have achieved much greater freedom, greater independence, greater presence in the workplace— although not 50% representation at all levels. But at what cost? Where do we stand, as genius or victim? Have we genuinely progressed or overburdened not only ourselves? If families are the foundation and centre of society, how have the changes in women’s roles affected family life and its stability? Has a working mother, with a rewarding, full-time career, disrupted family life? Have men compensated by adjusting the balance? It is well known that on top of their work women are still carrying the greater burden of family care. Single moms with one or more children are now the most common of family form. They have to do it all or find help, mainly from other women. Have we not been conned? Is this progress? All kinds of relationships are stressed, children are deprived of a degree of stability, also of parental supervision, at a stage where that would be most valuable. These days there may be a great focus on caring for the environment and finding ways and means to do so. What use is that when our human interactions are equally dysfunctional? Are women in fact the only victims? Are we, as a society, and as the Church, doing enough to assist families to perform a better balancing act between all our roles and functions, for the common and greater good? While not denying women, or men, the right to achieve personal success and satisfaction, should other more basic rights not also be taken into consideration? Surely that is where our genius should come into play and, of course, we women have that genius in a special way. Already from the time of Pope Pius XII and after him Vatican II, Pope John Paul II and most recently Pope Francis have used the concept and terminology of “the feminine genius”. “We have not yet understood in depth what the feminine genius can give us, what woman can give to society and also to us. Maybe women see things in a way that complements the thoughts of men. It is a path to follow with greater creativity and courage.” True gender justice? Amen, Alleluia!?

The Southern Cross, August 9 to August 15, 2017

The Church’s language problem I

N so many areas of our lives, we have overcome our prejudices to exercise gender sensitivity in language. For example, we simply have one term— doctor or plumber or editor—that we apply to anyone who holds this position. We do not modify the term or diminish the person by having a different term for doctors who are women (though some terms, like “actress” or “waitress”, persist). We accept that it is unnecessary and perhaps even harmful to draw attention to the gender of a person when we are really interested in the role they perform. And so we have also, eventually, accepted that we should avoid terms that are unnecessarily gender-specific. Does a meeting really need a “chairman”? The roots of the term aside, the term “chair” or “chairperson” can work just as well and avoid pre-judging who is entitled to hold the office. But the question of gendered language in the Church remains fractious. A glance at our prescribed translations of Scripture or the prayers in our missals show a form of English which almost seems to go out of its way to stress gender. It is as if all the debates in universities, on TV shows and even in religious houses never took place. Let’s start, not surprisingly, with God. It is in the very nature of God that God is neither male nor female; or rather encompasses both male and female. And yet it is very hard not to call God “he”. This is because of the peculiarly gendered nature of the humble English pronoun. When talking about a personal entity we have to decide whether to say “he” or “she”. The third option, “it” makes the focus decidedly inanimate. Because we want to understand God as a personal entity, we do not want to use “it”, so we end up using “he”. When translations were made in patriarchal societies that could not imagine any authority figure who was not a man, this was not a problem. But we now live in a world of women leaders, and so the two sentences “President Clinton ad-

dressed his cabinet” and “President Clinton addressed her cabinet” are both equally likely (or, at least, they almost were). The problem is, if we change from the familiar “God addressed his people”, to the less familiar “God addressed her people”, or the decidedly odd “God addressed its people”, we are making a point that jars on the ears and detracts from the real story. There is no obvious solution: we do not have the luxury that some languages have of a personal pronoun just for God, nor one for personal ungendered entities. So we are stuck with “his” unless we are prepared to get used to the more awkward “God addressed God’s people”.

ut there are other areas of gendered language where we can easily make progress. It seems obstinate of the Church not to do so. For example, we have the words “king” and “queen” in English and they have clear gender connotations. But if we are talking of God’s power, instead of “our God is King”, surely we can say “Our God is Monarch” or, better, simply “Our God reigns”? There are countless other such situations. And while it is clear that Jesus enjoined us to address God as “Abba” (the Aramaic term for “Daddy”) we also have images in the Old Testament of God as mother.

one pushed or shoved. All stood in line. Each person waited patiently for their turn. Within half an hour the job was done. The homeless disappeared over the ridges to their “homes” among the garbage. We watched in silence. y thoughts went back to my childhood during World War II, when countless fathers and husbands went “up north to fight for a better world”. Then food was rationed and life in South Africa was fairly austere—but we always had enough on our plates. South Africa has always escaped largescale starvation. There have always been people willing to share. Nevertheless, one cannot help wondering just why so many people in this country are jobless, homeless and hungry. Is it that the education system in South

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In any case, the point of “Abba” was to draw our attention to an image of God who was a benevolent and caring provider who judged with fairness and mercy. In that case, for most people “mother” would be a better shorthand for that image these days than “father”. Another area where the Church holds to its guns is “man”. The use of “man” as an ungendered personal pronoun in English is dead. It lives on only in Church language. Thus we read: “Man does not live on bread alone.” Clearly in contemporary English that is much better expressed by saying, “People do not live on bread alone” (or just “we”). Such an outdated use of the term “man” creates a distinction which was not intended. A similar unintended distinction arises from the fact that Latin has two words that are both translated as “man” in Church English. One word, “vir”, clearly means man-as-opposed-to-woman. But the other word, “homo”, means humansas-opposed-to-beasts-or-gods. When in the Creed we say, “who for us men and for our salvation”, we imply unintentionally that Christ was born principally for men. But the Latin says he was born for humans. And, worse still, when we say “and became man”, we are stressing “man-as-opposed-to-woman” when the Latin “et homo factus est” simply means “and became human”. The same is true of the Greek in which the Creed was originally written. Latin causes greater confusion still when words which in Latin are not gendered are translated into English ones that are. Continued on page 11

Point of Reflection

The rubbish dump of Oudtshoorn, which poor people have made their home. (Photo: Winnie Graham)

Faith and Society

Winnie Graham

Lessons from a dump A MUNICIPAL rubbish dump is not the sort of place that usually makes news—not unless, of course, it is the scene of a crime. Who, after all, would have reason to go there? Yet a couple of months ago word spread among a group of Catholics in Oudtshoorn that a sizeable number of homeless people were living on “the dump”. The rubbish dump in Oudtshoorn is just a few kilometres from the centre of town. Each weekday municipal trucks collect black bags filled with domestic garbage, drive to the “dump” and offload their cargo there. The area covers several hectares. Now came the news that destitute people had made the dump their home. It seemed difficult to believe that anyone could find shelter, let alone enough to eat, in the huge scrapheap. Moved by their plight and encouraged by their parish priest, Fr Enrico Parry of St Saviour’s cathedral, a group of goodhearted parishioners decided to help. If they couldn’t provide accommodation, at least they could distribute food hampers. It was a warm autumn day the first time the Catholic group drove to the dump. A member of the parish team had visited the people there the day before and asked them to assemble at a given time. So it was that small groups of people— some approaching on their own—assembled quietly. “Women and children first,” one of the Catholics suggested. “Then the men will receive their hampers.” It was a strangely silent morning. No-

Raymond Perrier

Africa has failed to prepare young people for life so that each one is able to provide for himself? Many drop out of school after minimal education: many leave at the end of Grade 5 for “all pay”—a sum barely sufficient to keep them in food and clothing. Ill-equipped for the workplace, many youngsters cannot find work, or must be content with part-time “jobs”. Even well-educated young people are leaving the country in search of a better life. Fewer and fewer employers opt to employ full-time staff, preferring “freelance workers”. In turn these young people need to make their own provision for their medical needs—and to save for their old age, since pension schemes are not necessarily a given these days. Crime is a given. In a village where I once lived, the local charge office used to lock up beggars in the cells overnight, give them a basic meal in the morning and release them on the main street—to beg from passers-by. Has the incentive to work died, or are there really no job opportunities? Yet, for all that, the solution is not that difficult. Jesus Christ provided it when he told his disciples: “Love one another, as I love you.” If we all followed the commandment, there would be fewer hungry people in South Africa—and less crime as well. Those Oudtshoorn Catholics who provided hampers for the homeless on the rubbish dump have led by example.

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The Southern Cross, August 9 to August 15, 2017

LIFE

The reality of human trafficking in SA What is the nature of human trafficking in South Africa, who is involved in it and where do trafficked people come from? And what can we do to fight this modern slavery? JESSICA DEWHURST looks at answers to these questions.

HE organisation which I cofounded and currently direct, the Edmund Rice Justice Desk, offers its support, expertise, training and educational materials to groups worldwide and also serves as an advisor to the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council. We focus on educating, advocating and equipping youth, vulnerable groups, civil society, and governments across South/Central Africa in human rights, justice and advocacy. We work primarily in township areas and vulnerable communities, empowering and equipping communities to lead their own change since they have the best solutions to their own problems. Our organisation has four departments, 12 key projects, and has trained and equipped thousands of men, women and children to be advocates of hope and change in their communities. In the course of our work we have come across many reports of human trafficking which made me commit to a masters thesis to explore the challenges faced by role-players in the prevention of human trafficking, especially youth trafficking.

Human trafficking in SA The forms of human trafficking found in South Africa include sex trafficking, child labour, domestic servitude, organ smuggling, childbrides (ukuthwala), illegal child adoptions, debt-bondage, forced surrogacy, and the use of body parts for muti. South Africa remains a primary source, destination, and transit country for human trafficking. Human trafficking occurs internally between our provinces, as well as externally across our South African borders. Internally, victims are targeted from economically poorer provinces such as the Eastern Cape, the Northern Cape, and the Free State and brought to cities such as Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town. Externally, across borders, victims are targeted from countries with regions bedevilled by their own socioeconomic and political problems. In Africa such countries include Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Apart from Africa, victims are also trafficked from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Russia, Ukraine, Cambodia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, China, and even parts of the United States. The demand for human trafficking is channelled through the tourism industry, certain cultural and religious practices, the sex trade, and the drug trade. The demand comes from both high-end and low-end establish-

The forms of human trafficking found in South Africa include sex trafficking, child labour, domestic servitude, organ smuggling, child-brides, illegal child adoptions, debt-bondage, forced surrogacy, and the use of body parts for muti. ments. Highly sophisticated syndicates with networks into local communities are able to target a large number of victims, lower their prices significantly and access both whitecollar and blue-collar clients with little fear of prosecution. Thus this situation substantially increases both demand and supply. With regard to the risk profile of victims being trafficked, my study found that women with low education, living in rural or economically poor communities, who are either unemployed or seeking work, within the age bracket of child and youth, are among the most vulnerable. However, it is important to note that many who do not fit this profile have also been targeted. The profile of a trafficker can take many different forms in South Africa. In some cases, people are trafficked by their friends, families, and community members, and may appear to be an average South African citizen. A profile of the trafficker can be identified as mostly male, between the ages of 20 and 40, foreign or South African, well-dressed, and persuasive. Such traffickers may be businessmen, job-recruiters, romantic interests and even friends. Men are not necessarily the only traffickers since women have also been known to traffic men, women and children.

Causes of human trafficking The main causes of human trafficking include South Africa’s sociopolitical and economic context with its high levels of poverty, inequality and unemployment, as well as the low levels or lack of education. Corruption in government departments, within law enforcement units and border-crossing patrols also plays a role in hindering initiatives to prevent trafficking. Furthermore, South Africa’s reliable Internet, phone lines and banking systems offer syndicates a perfect place to set up their trafficking businesses. South Africa’s location makes it easy to travel to other countries, or to travel from other countries to South Africa via boats, planes or our roads. The culture of violence in South Africa, which includes high levels of gender-based violence, domestic

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abuse, substance abuse, murder and rape, have also resulted in an environment that is prone to the exploitation of others. Finally, the legacy of apartheid and patriarchy, together with certain religious and cultural practices such as muti and ukuthwala have all lead to gross human rights violations especially against women and children. We live in a society that does not really value the human person, leading to this commodification of the human body, this modern form of slavery. This should urge all of us to turn to our national patroness, Our Lady Assumed Into Heaven, to intercede on behalf of all victims and to help us to find ways to stop this scourge. Our patroness is our model of human dignity.

Challenges to prevention

coordination among NGOs and other stakeholders is needed. l The lack of designated safe houses for trafficked victims—many victims find themselves housed in multi-purpose shelters with other victims of domestic and alcohol abuse. Trafficked victims need specialised support services. l Gaps in the legal services offered to trafficked victims: A number of prosecutors are not familiar with South Africa’s new human trafficking law. The length of trials is far too long, and often exposes survivors to added trauma during the prosecution period. l Human trafficking syndicates continue to thrive in South Africa. They are well-funded, organised, protected and ruthless. Syndicates are known to threaten the lives of prosecutors, victims and their families, community members, law enforcement agencies, NGOs and government members, which results in people being less likely to take a stand against them. They also legally rent property, hire staff and have legal representatives on hand to ensure that law enforcement agencies are unable to enter their properties or interview their staff.

Innovative strategies In order to truly combat human trafficking, it is vital that the South African government, NGOs and other key stakeholders develop innovative prevention strategies. Such strategies could include awareness-raising in parishes, schools, communities, youth and other vulnerable groups. Specialised training should be given to all those working at places where human trafficking is most likely to occur—such as poor communities, schools, airport staff, our ports, and border control staff. Besides greater collaboration among all those attempting to prevent human trafficking, social media could be effectively used to raise the alarm where suspected trafficking may be taking place and a special helpline should be set up. NGOs and other agencies, as well as individuals, must become familiar with the Trafficking of Persons Act. Finally, we know that the prevention of trafficking cannot be success-

Jessica Dewhurst, the author of this article. ful unless we work towards changing the conditions that leave people vulnerable and open to abuse. Stronger penalties should be put in place for those engaging in human trafficking. The Church can do much through disseminating information and creating a greater awareness of this form of human bondage. No-one from our parishes or communities should fall prey to these traffickers. After all we are our brother’s and sister’s keepers. This feast of the Assumption, which brings to light the full dignity of each person, should urge us to do something in our parishes to help prevent this modern form of slavery that is thriving in our midst! The US anthropologist Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” I believe that human trafficking can be stopped if we work and plan together! May our patroness mobilise us into action! n Jessica Dewhurst is the award-winning co-founder of The Edmund Rice Justice Desk, a human rights organisation which operates in South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. An alumna of Christian Brothers’ College St John’s in Cape Town, she holds various qualifications from the University of Cape Town, the University of Cambridge and the United Nations in Geneva.

Stakeholders in the prevention of trafficking face major challenges. These include: l A lack of awareness or denial from South Africans regarding human trafficking, which has resulted in deficient support for counter-trafficking initiatives, as well as leading to the greater exposure of our people to traffickers who exploit those seeking work, romantic partners, study and travel opportunities and those wanting a better life for themselves. l The lack of adequate information about the human trafficking problem which addresses the many educational levels and languages in our country. l The lack of funding/government support for NGOs, Applicants are invited for the following post law enforcement and government departments which has resulted in poorly resourced From 1 January 2018 prevention efforts with very few rehabilitation services. Springfield is a day school for girls from Pre-School to Matriculation, set in l Key personnel in the beautiful gardens on Wynberg Hill in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. NGO sector as well as law enFounded by Irish Dominican Sisters in 1871, Springfield has a caring, Catholic forcement agencies are underatmosphere, a proud academic record, vibrant Music and Art Departments resourced, overworked, underand excellent facilities for Sport. represented, and undertrained. The prevention of The successful applicant will: human trafficking calls for • Have extensive experience in child-care; specialised training and available resources. • Have excellent administrative and people skills; l The fragmentation of • Have good management skills; services that do exist does lit• Be enthusiastic, reliable and committed to the care of children; tle to win the battle against • Have an up-to-date First Aid certificate or be willing to undergo human trafficking. Greater

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This is a part-time position requiring the successful applicant to work from the end of the school day until 18:00, with flexible hours to fit in with the school calendar. Apply in writing, giving details of qualifications, experience and the names of three contactable referees, including your Parish priest or Minister, to: The principal, Springfield convent Junior School, St John's Road, wynberg, 7800, or email: principal@springfieldconvent.co.za closing date for applications: Thursday 24 august 2017.

The Southern Cross, August 9 to August 15, 2017

LIFE

Pregnant and fighting with my body Now in her fifth pregnancy, JENNY UEBBING does not like her body much at the moment. She explains why and how God can help in body image issues.

JOKINGLY posted on Facebook about my enviable willpower at the supermarket buying only a regular- sized chocolate bar. (Spoiler alert: I ate the whole thing.) Truth be told, pregnancy is a time of life for me that is fraught with peril over food choices and body image, old issues creeping to the surface like so much first trimester acne, erupting in formerly smooth spots where I’d have sworn only a few months ago there were no lingering scars, that I’d successfully exorcised these particular demons. And I don’t think I’m alone in this experience. For my thin and not-so-thin friends alike, there is something uniquely vulnerable about child-bearing, about your body becoming not-your-own in a way that is so radical and externalised, inviting commentary and observation from the outside world as it does. It doesn’t seem to matter if a mom is 55kg or 85kg when she starts growing that baby; it can be jarring whether you’re moving from a size 8 or a size 14. I used to roll my eyes when my really skinny friends complained about topping out at their full-term weight that was within spitting distance of my “healthy” (or at least, typical) before-pregnancy weight. But as I’ve grown older I have re-

alised that even my objectively beautiful friends have their own issues, and that few are the women who stand before a full-length mirror fully satisfied, for better or for worse. My friend with the enviable selfcontrol at the buffet table and a tiny waist hates her hair and her nose. She thinks her arms are too big and she wishes her C-section scars could be erased.

Wrecked by love When I look in the mirror and see a stomach wrecked by life-giving love and arms that my dad once jokingly dubbed as “baby cranes”(you know, for hoisting babies), I know I’m looking through eyes that some have admired for their shape and colour, past a nose I’ve been told is perfect, pursing lips that are just the right fullness and look great with colour on them. So it doesn’t seem that all the objective beauty in the world can quite make up for the perceived subjective flaws we all see in ourselves. And for me, the unique spiritual/emotional/physical triple punch of pregnancy is prime time for all the self-loathing. My belly is cute, but only with help of the right shapeware. After five pregnancies, “firm” is not a word that can be accurately applied, at least not at four months along. My skin doesn’t glow, unless the adolescent eruption of redness counts for at least a nice change of pace. And worst of all, as I see the numbers creeping upward on the scale week after week, my resolve to treat this body well melts away like the dregs of an ice-cream blizzard, leav-

Left: Jenny Uebbing eight weeks after having her second child—she thought she looked fat then. Right: Jenny leaving for the hospital to give birth to her fourth child. She is now pregnant with her fifth child, and feels like her body isn’t hers anymore. (Photos from Mama Needs Coffee blog)

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ing behind a sticky, high fructose corn syrup mess of regret by 8:00 most nights. If I’m going to gain weight anyway, I reason, it’s hard to not slip into a YOLO mentality where MSG is concerned. I can’t explain why my pregnancy cravings have more to do with processed chemicals than any real food, except that it’s stuff I’d only rarely “let” myself eat during normal life, and that pregnancy feels like a kind of free-for-all...so what the hell, I shrug, eating the stupid chips.

History of binge & purge I struggled with an eating disorder from age 15 until about 26, more than a decade lost to a vicious cycle of binging and purging. When I was a two-practices-a-day competitive swimmer and track athlete it was easy enough to mask the damage being done. I think that I even attributed some of my svelte body to the behaviour, not realising that I was wrecking my metabolism in the process. Now, half a lifetime later, some of those same feelings surface again each time that second little pink line shows up. If I can keep the first trimester gain below 5kg I consider it a victory, knowing that I’ll be limping across the finish line at 40 weeks having gained about 20 more kilogrammes. I’ve had pregnancies where I exercised six days a week, limited carbs, even maintained a running schedule into the third trimester, and every one of my children has come bearing the gift of a 22kg weight gain. This most recent break between children was our longest lull between babies, and so I didn’t just shed the baby weight from the youngest pregnancy, but also the excess that was still hanging on from his three older siblings, for a whopping total of 30kg lost. What I can’t explain is why I don’t feel ecstatic about that. Even if I gain my usual 22 this time, I’ll still be 8kg shy of where my youngest son took me. But the thought of gaining the 22kg again is mentally crushing. The memory of rolling over in bed with a huge, distorted abdomen pulling on my lower back, trying in vain to find a comfortable sleeping position. The 16 months of careful dieting and exercise it took to get back to a manageable number. The fact that I’m older than I’ve ever been for this pregnancy, that I’m tired, that the mere thought of having to try to lose that weight again only to have it (very likely) come piling back on if we ever welcome number 6. The hardest part of being open to life for me is this radical, bodily loss of self. It’s not the sleeplessness, the

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Pregnancy is the gift of life, but it can come at the cost of the mother’s body image. financial strain, the emotional toil or the creativity required to keep four other humans alive. So far, at least, it’s this: that my body is not my own, and that I have no realistic hope that it will be for quite some time. And by the time I get it back, it won’t be something that I’m all that thrilled to have autonomy over again. Do I feel recklessly selfish admitting this? You bet. Call me a selfish, self-centred millennial who wants to look good in pictures, but I hate the way I’m being called to give myself away, piece by piece, until there’s nothing left but the knowledge of having loved and having been loved. It should fill me with sacrificial joy and satisfaction, but mostly it fills me with resentment and dread. Because I still want to be of this world. I still want to be pretty on Instagram. I love when people raise their eyebrows and tell me I don’t “look like” I’ve had four kids. I want all the accolades that come with being thin and fit and pulled together, and I want to offer a living sacrifice made of something other than my literal, actual body. Pretty much anything but this. And that’s just not how it works.

Get the balance right Most people won’t look awesome after more than two kids. Which is perhaps why many women (not all—please don’t mistake this for obtuse ignorance of infertility, I beg you) stop there. And those women who do look like petite tennis players after birthing six strapping boys? They would probably have looked that way anyway, babies or no, because genetics. I have to learn the balance here. Which is perhaps why God has given me yet another amazing little life to nurture, the lesson having been not fully grasped in a haze of Doritos and prodromal labour four times over. While my body is a gift that I am invited to freely give, it will be taken from me whether or not I cooperate willingly. And I sometimes think I’m self-sabotaging with the poor eating habits and indulgences spanning ten long months because “the weight’s gonna pile on anyway”—which is

accurate enough, though a pound of roasted sweet potatoes is probably not equivalent to a pound of potato chips, all things being equal. How then to gracefully, willingly, joyfully give myself away this time? Entering into a spirit of real self-gift, not resigned fatalism and death by chocolate. I don’t know the answer. But I know that God has some healing here, in this place that is so deeply wounded, torn open afresh by the gift of another new life. Yes, I will probably still gain a ton more weight than my doctor would like to see. And no, I’ll probably never have a celebrity pregnancy invisible from the back and erased by eight weeks postpartum. But I can change my attitude. I can beg God to change my heart. I can enter into this time of waiting and preparation with open hands, asking the Lord what he wants to show me about the broken ways I see myself and the broken relationship I have with my own body, hoping that even for a grand multipara of advanced maternal age, there is still hope for reconciliation. I wanted to put this all out there in case I’m not alone, in case there are other women who struggle in this way, who aren’t completely thrilled with their bodies—babies on board or not—and who are still walking along that road of recovery, hoping for an eventual miracle: to not care about food, and to be at peace with their bodies. I don’t have the answer, but I’m glad to have been given another opportunity to get in the ring and fight. I don’t want to wake up and be 50 years old, still filled with self loathing over the reflection in the shopfront window. I want to be healed. And I want to believe that things can be made new in an area of my life that feels, frankly, unredeemable. But God makes all things new. Even, I want to believe, tired old moms with teenage insecurities still clinging tightly like spandex on hips. n Jenny Uebbing writes the “Mama Needs Coffee” blog at Catholic News Agency (www.catholicnewsagency. com/mamaneedscoffee).

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CLASSIFIEDS ‘Unborn babies detect language’

NEW study has found that babies are able to distinguish between different languages as early as a month before they are born. The study found that unborn children, at an average of eight months in the womb, are able to distinguish between someone speaking English and someone speaking Japanese, even if the languages are spoken by the same person, researchers at the University of Kansas in the United States found. Two dozen pregnant American women took part in the study by a team from the university’s department of linguistics, with the results published in the journal NeuroReport. The study used a non-invasive magnetocardiogram-sensing technology that can detect foetal heartbeats, breathing and other body movements. According to study leaders, previous research had shown

that language development began a few days after birth, with newborn babies showing sensitivities to different languages, such as sucking dummies at different rates when different languages were spoken. “This led us to wonder whether children’s sensitivity to the rhythmic properties of language emerges, maybe, in fact, before birth,” said Utako Minai, associate professor of linguistics and team leader for the study. “Foetuses can hear things, including speech, in the womb. It’s muffled, like the adults talking in a Peanuts cartoon, but the rhythm of the language should be preserved and available for the foetus to hear.” A previous study had also suggested that babies in the womb were sensitive to different languages, but it hadn’t determined whether the babies were reacting to different languages, or just to different speakers.

For this study, Prof Minai had a bilingual speaker make two recordings, one in English and one in Japanese, to play for the babies in utero. English and Japanese are considered to be rhythmically distinct languages. When the American babies heard the familiar English language, their heart rates did not change, even when played a second English recording. However, their heart rates did change when they were first played an English recording, and then a second recording of the unfamiliar language of Japanese. “These results suggest that language development may indeed start in utero,” Prof Minai said. “Foetuses are tuning their ears to the language they are going to acquire even before they are born, based on the speech signals available to them in utero.” He said the finding was “extremely exciting” for language development research—CNA

Hearing the women’s voice Continued from page 7 A good example of this is “brothers”. Imagine that my parents had one other son and two daughters. If I were transported back to Roman times I could tell the local census-taker that I have three “fratres”, and that would be true. But in English it would be absurd to say, “I have three brothers.” I would say, “I have one brother and two sisters”, or possibly “three siblings”. Sometimes a word is tied to a gender and sometimes it is not, but its status in Latin does not

define its status in English. You can see how languagespecific this all is when you reflect how in English we have one word “cousin”, which covers all of a certain kind of relative whether male or female: other languages have two different words. Meantime, we have two words “nephew” and “niece”, which specify gender for the same relationship (and with no one word that combines them): other languages just have one word. A learned person might respond: “But don’t you know, in

Your prayer to cut out and collect

Prayer for the Feast of Our Lady’s Assumption

Father in heaven, all creation rightly gives you praise, for all life and all holiness come from you. In the plan of your wisdom she who bore the Christ in her womb was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven. May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness and join in her hymn of endless love and praise. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Painting by Stephen P. Whatley (2008)

English the male includes the female.” But that is clearly not true now. And in many cases it was never true. So for Women’s Month, let’s see if we can start bringing the English used in Church into the world where English is actually spoken and where men and women are treated as equals. And even if we cannot get round the dilemma of what to call God, I am sure he would be pleased if we did what we can to get rid of unnecessarily sexist language everywhere else in our churches.

Liturgical Calendar Year A – Weekdays Cycle Year 1 Sunday August 13, 19th Sunday of the Year 1 Kings 19:9, 11-13, Psalms 85:9-14, Romans 9:1-5, Matthew 14:22-33 Monday August 14, St Maximilian Kolbe Deuteronomy 10:12-22, Psalms 147:12-15, 19-20, Matthew 17:22-27 Tuesday August 15 Deuteronomy 31:1-8, Responsorial Psalms Deuteronomy 32:3-4, 7-9, 12, St Maximilian Kolbe Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 Wednesday August 16, St Stephen of Hungary Deuteronomy 34:1-12, Psalms 66:1-3, 5, 8, 1617, Matthew 18:15-20 Thursday August 17 Joshua 3:7-11, 13-17, Psalms 114:1-6, Matthew 18:21--19:1 Friday August 18, Bl Victoria Rasoamanarivo Joshua 24:1-13, Psalms 136:1-3, 16-18, 21-22, 24, Matthew 19:3-12 Saturday August 19, St John Eudes, Saturday Mass of Our Lady Joshua 24:14-29, Psalms 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 11, Matthew 19:13-15 Sunday August 20, Assumption of Our Lady (Patronal Feast of South Africa) Revelations 11:19 and Revelations 12:1-6, 10, Psalms 45:10-12, 16, 1 Corinthians 15:20-27, Luke 1:39-56

The Southern Cross, August 9 to August 15, 2017

CLASSIFIEDS

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

IN MEMORIAM

FALLER—Emil. Died August 18, 1990. Father of nine sons and five daughters, now spread across the globe. Lovingly remembered by all. KOHLER—Charles Henry. In loving memory of the beloved brother of Margaret and Ursula who died on August 13, 2014. Rest in peace. Our Saviour’s resurrection was God’s way of telling men that in Christ we are eternal and in him we live again. (Helen Steiner Rice) MARUSIC—(Tinko). Gone to his eternal rest 5/08/2014. Those we love don’t go away; they walk beside us day by day. Lovingly remembered by wife Poppie, children Susan, Steven, Sonja and families, sister Ruzica, Makso and nieces. RATERING—David. 12.08.2015. Beloved son and brother, we miss you and love you so very much. Rest in peace. Forever in our hearts, Mom, Dad, Lisa Karen and family.

PRAYERS

ALL GLORY to God for the finding of lost article through the intercession of St Anthony. LORD, inspire those men and women who bear the titles “husband” and “wife”. Help them to look to You, to themselves, to one another to rediscover the fullness and mystery they once felt in their union. Let them be

honest enough to ask: “Where have we been together and where are we going?” Let them be brave enough to question: “How have we failed?” Let each be foolhardy enough to say: “For me, we come first.” Help them, together, to reexamine their commitment in the light of Your love, willingly, openly, compassionately.

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

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

CAPE TOWN—Looking for reasonable 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. Selfcatering, clean and peaceful. Safe parking. Close to all shops and public transport. Contact Pat on 021 685 7370, 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. Malcolm Salida 082 784 5675, mjsalida@gmail.com

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

Community Calendar

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

JOHANNESBURG: St Anthony’s church in Coronationville is calling for donations of tinned fish, peanut butter, jam, butter and juice for their soup kitchen. Contact Faried and Nadine Benn on 073 906 6037 or 083 658 2573. CAPE TOWN: Retreat day/quiet prayer last Saturday of each

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.

month except December, at Springfield Convent in Wynberg, Cape Town. Hosted by CLC, 10.0015.30. Contact Jill on 083 282 6763 or Jane on 082 783 0331.

Traditional Latin Mass

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel 36 Central Avenue, Pinelands, Cape Town

Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Good Shepherd parish, 1 Goede Hoop St, Bothasig, welcomes all visitors. Open 24 hours a day. Phone 021 558 1412.

Southern CrossWord solutions SOLUTIONS TO 771. ACROSS: 4 Heretic, 9 Hallow, 9 Tempted, 10 Levite, 11 Pulpit, 12 Chrismal, 18 Surplice, 20 Demand, 21 Defect, 22 Doubter, 23 Prison, 24 Leprosy. DOWN: 1 Chalice, 2 Slavery, 3 Booths, 5 Exemplar, 6 Expels, 7 Iberia, 13 Misdeeds, 14 Fideist, 15 Seating, 16 Devote, 17 Barber, 19 Poetry.

oMI STaMpS youR uSeD STaMpS

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

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

Call 071 291 4501 for details. Email: sspx.capetown@gmail.com The

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the

The Assumption of Our Lady: August 20 Readings: Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6, 10, Psalm 45:10-12, 16, 1 Corinthians 15:20-27, Luke 1:39-56

S outher n C ross

EXT Sunday, South African Catholics celebrate their patronal feast, the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven. Now the key thing to remember here is that all our doctrines about Mary are not really about her, but about her Son, and about what God is doing in the life of Jesus. This is the message of the readings chosen for the feast. In the first reading we are presented with a picture of a woman, “The Ark of the Covenant”. She is “clothed in the sun, with the moon beneath her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars”. So this is a figure that is very close to the Creator God. Then, however, we notice that the picture is not at all triumphalist; instead she is involved in the ungainly (if also wonderful) business of childbirth. Worse, however, there are forces out to get her: “Look! A great and fiery-red dragon…its tail wiped a third of the stars of the sky and flung them into the sea.” Where is God in all this? That question is resolved only when we meet her son, “a male, who is going to shepherd all the nations with

an iron staff”, and then: “He was snatched up [clearly by God] to God and to God’s throne.” Meanwhile, the woman is on her own once more, although “she has a place prepared from God”, and then we hear the triumphant liturgical refrain that says that God is at work here: “Now has come the Victory and the Power and the Kingdom of our God—and the Authority of God’s Messiah.” The same message is there in our psalm; it is a part of a wedding-song for a new king, whose bride does not seem enormously enthusiastic about her new role. She is of royal ancestry herself, and “clothed in fine gold of Ophir”, but has to be told to “pay attention”, and then to “forget your people, and the house of your father”. Once again, this is not all about the woman in question, but about what God is doing here: “He is your lord, and you are to worship him”, and her women companions are to “enter the palace [or Temple] of the king”. The song is not, you see, about Mary, but about what God is doing.

The same is clearly true in our second reading, where Paul is insisting on the Resurrection, against the scepticism of those terrible Corinthians: “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who had fallen asleep”, and it is his victory over Death that catches Paul’s eye, reversing the catastrophe that had been brought about by Adam’s disobedience. But what is going on is the triumphant vindication of Christ, when “he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father”. In that case, you may ask, why are we listening to it on the feast of the Assumption? Because, of course, whatever is true about what God has done in Jesus is also true of those who belong to Jesus, and above all Mary who attended so obediently to what God was saying to her. This could be our story. The Gospel is the lovely story of the Visitation, and we can feel the presence of God at every step. It starts when this young girl sets off alone on the difficult and dangerous journey from Nazareth to the Judean upland. So we

Redemption from suicide O

Sadly, and this is generally the case when anyone dies by suicide, the manner of that death becomes a prism through which their life and work are now seen, coloured and permanently tainted. It shouldn’t be so, and it’s incumbent on us—the living who love them—to redeem their memories, to not take their photos off our walls, to not speak in guarded terms about their deaths, and to not let the particular manner of their deaths colour and taint the goodness of their lives. Suicide is the least glamorous and most misunderstood of all deaths. We owe it to our loved ones, and to ourselves, to not further compound a tragedy.

o each year I write a column on suicide, hoping it might help produce more understanding around the issue and, in a small way perhaps, offer some consolation to those who have lost a loved one in this way. Essentially, I say the same things each year because they need to be said. As the author Margaret Atwood once put it, some things need to be said and said and said again—until they don’t need to be said any more. Some things need still to be said about suicide. What things? What needs to be said, and said again and again about suicide? For the sake of clarity, let me number the points:

Classic Conrad

NE year ago, virtually everyone who knew him was stunned by the suicide death at 80 of the most prominent American Hispanic theologian produced up to now, Fr Virgilio Elizondo. Virgil wasn’t just a very gifted, pioneering theologian, he was also a beloved priest and a warm, trusted friend to countless people. Everyone dies, and the death of a loved one is always hard—but it was the manner of his death that left so many people stunned and confused. Suicide! But he was such a faith-filled, sensitive man. How could this be possible? And those questions, like the muddy waters of a flood, immediately began to seep into other emotional crevices, leaving almost everyone who knew him with a huge, gnawing question: What does this do to his work, to the gift that he left to the Church and to his community? Can we still honour his life and his contribution in the same way as we would have had he died of a heart attack or cancer? Indeed, had he died of a heart attack or cancer, his death, though sad, would undoubtedly have had about it an air of healthy closure, even of celebration, that we were saying farewell to a great man we had had the privilege to know—as opposed to the air of hush, unhealthy quiet, and unclean grief that permeated the air at his funeral.

1 plein Street, Sidwell, port elizabeth

Sunday Reflections

know that God is with her; then it becomes even clearer when we hear Elisabeth’s reaction: “Blessed are you among women—and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” It is clear that God is the source of this insight, especially when Elisabeth goes on to describe Mary as “the mother of my Lord”. We applaud her for this, and recognise that it is God who has told her. Then Mary sings her song, with which the Church has celebrated evening-time ever since, a motto for all of us: “My soul makes the Lord great.” The whole of the rest of this hymn is about what happens when you put God at the centre of your life, as Mary does: “He looked on the lowliness of his slave-girl…the Mighty has done great things for me; holy is his name.” This is a wonderful feast. Do you wish to be like Mary? Then, this week, simply allow the Lord to take you over as Mary did, and there you will find your triumph.

Southern Crossword #771

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

• First, in most cases, suicide is the result of a disease, a sickness, an illness, a tragic breakdown within the emotional immune system or simply a mortal biochemical illness. For most suicides, the person dies not by his or her own choice, as it is with the victim of any terminal illness or fatal accident. When people die from heart attacks, strokes, cancer and accidents, they die against their will. The same is true in suicide. • We should not worry unduly about the eternal salvation of a suicide victim, believing (as we used to) that suicide is the ultimate act of despair. God’s hands are infinitely more understanding and gentler than our own. We need not worry about the fate of anyone, no matter the cause of death, who leaves this world honest, over-sensitive, overwrought, too bruised to touch, and emotionally crushed, as is the case with most suicides. God’s understanding and compassion exceed our own. God isn’t stupid. • We should not unduly second-guess ourselves when we lose a loved one to suicide: What might I have done? Where did I let this person down? What if? If only I’d been there at the right time! Rarely would this have made a difference. Most of the time, we weren’t there for the very reason that the person who fell victim to this disease did not want us to be there. He or she picked the moment, the spot, and the means precisely so we wouldn’t be there. Suicide seems to be a disease that picks its victim precisely in such a way so as to exclude others and their attentiveness. This is not an excuse for insensitivity, but is a healthy check against false guilt and fruitless second-guessing. Suicide is a result of sickness and there are some sicknesses which all the love and care in the world cannot cure. • Finally, it’s incumbent upon us, the loved ones who remain here, to redeem the memory of those who die in this way so as to not let the particular manner of their deaths become a false prism through which their lives are now seen. A good person is a good person and a sad death does not change that. Nor should a misunderstanding.

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4. The Nestorian in this place has a twitch (7) 8. How everyone inside is a saint (6) 9. Jesus was led to be ... by the devil (Mt 4) (7) 10. Hebrew tribesman (6) 11. it’s raised in the church for the preacher (6) 12. Consecrated oil under the slim arch (8) 18. A vestment that’s left over, we hear (8) 20. Doctor of divinity holds name back on insistent request (6) 21. Abandon the faith due to shortcoming? (6) 22. He thinks like St Thomas did (7) 23. John was kept in there (Mt 11) (6) 24. This disease left the man at Christ’s command (Lk 5) (7)

Down

1. Sacred goblet (7) 2. Valery’s turn to experience bondage (7) 3. Confessions and phone calls are heard in them (6) 5. Maple Rex produces is typical (8) 6. Drives from the school (6) 7. European peninsula (6) 13. immoral acts (8) 14. He has strong faith, if back to the believer (7) 15. Special kind of arrangements for wedding guests (7) 16. Give time to a good cause (6) 17. He trims the monk’s beard (6) 19. Type or miswrite the verse (6) Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

ATHER Peter was not known for his adherence to a rigorous hygiene regimen. More blunt tongues claimed his reputation for smelling preceded him. So it was a surprise to the parish’s deacon when one day he passed Fr Peter, and instead of a whiff of the usual odour, he smelled an attractive scent. “Oh, you are smelling good today, Father,” the deacon remarked. “Thank you,” the priest replied. “Its Chanel No 5 perfume.” The deacon was puzzled. Before he could ask, Fr Peter continued: “You see, Pope Francis has said priests must smell like their sheep—and I’m off to a meeting of the Catholic Women’s League.”

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