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Child safety pilot policy to be tested BY ERIN CARELSE
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HE implementation of the Child Safeguarding Policy of the archdiocese of Cape Town, which was launched in April last year—a pilot project for the rest of the Southern African Church—will now be audited in every parish. The Child Safeguarding Policy (CSP) applies to all clergy, religious employees, those involved in ministries and volunteers in the parish—including catechists—who interact with children on its behalf. According to the policy, all such people now require a police clearance. In the preamble of the policy, the archdiocese states its commitment to safeguarding all children who interact with the Church, and recognises that in all matters concerning a child, the child’s best interest is of paramount importance. It also recognises that children have a right to be protected from maltreatment, neglect, and abuse; and that the archdiocese has a duty to ensure that these rights are protected in all circumstances in which children interact with the Church. Michael Baker, child safeguarding officer for the archdiocese, said that the first full audit of the state of implementation of the policy in every parish is about to take place. “This audit will help to focus that support, which is so important. For the parish the concept of a formal safeguarding policy is new, and the Child Safeguarding Coordinator ministry is new,” he said. “The growth of a culture of child safeguarding within each parish community can only truly occur with an understanding of the full motivation for the policy. We are safeguarding children within our parish; the law requires it; we can contribute to safeguarding children in our broader communities and lastly, we safeguard the Church, we heal the Body of Christ,” Mr Baker said. The policy has also been distributed formally to other dioceses through the structure of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’
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Conference. Each bishop will then adapt the policy to suit the circumstances of his diocese. “The abuse of the vulnerable in our society, particularly women and children, requires action, requires taking responsibility. The Child Safeguarding Policy is the Church taking action, taking responsibility. It is now up to all of us to play our role,” Mr Baker said. The 40-page CSP was launched in April 2016 with a full workshop comprising all parish child safeguarding coordinators as well as many members of the clergy. Parishes are now at various stages of the implementation process with support from the chancery where it becomes evident that this is required. The purpose of the policy is to ensure that all persons interacting with children on behalf of the Church—in parish or diocesan bodies— take every possible measure to prevent child abuse; to ensure generally the safety and wellbeing of all children; to provide an instrument for the upholding of the rights of children and to align the policies of the Church with the legal framework of the country. The policy aims to ensure a transparent and effective response, if cases of abuse arise. In the foreword to the CSP, Archbishop Stephen Brislin wrote that parishes should be a “home away from home” for children—a place where they will be safe, happy and experience the joy of belonging to a Christian community.
Seen in the corridor of the refurbished dormitory of Napier Centre 4 Healing are (clockwise from front left) Pearl Ramotsamai (member of centre’s executive), Major-General Victoria Mekute (patron), Carl Emmanuel (executive member and construction consultant), local parish priest Fr Paulus Ndlovu TOR, volunteer Charmaine Emmanuel, Murray Leyden (acting treasurer and legal advisor) and patron Cardinal Wilfrid Napier OFM, archbishop of Durban. The drug rehabilitation centre aims to be fully operational by the beginning of 2018. See page 2 for our report on the centre. (Photo: Val Adamson)
Soccer club prays in cathedral
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ERMAN football side FC Cologne hosted an annual ecumenical service in the Catholic cathedral of Cologne before its first home game of the season, against SV Hamburg. Fans holding scarves in the club’s red and white colours filled the huge cathedral, singing along to the club anthem being played on the organ. The badge of FC Cologne, who finished fifth in the Bundesliga last season, pictures the “Dom”, as the cathedral is known in German. Cologne is a traditionally Catholic city. This year was the fourth season-opening service in the cathedral. Remarkably, in each one of those four seasons the team improved from the previous year’s performance, though coach Peter Stöger anticipates a tough 2017/18 season. “It has become a tradition in Cologne as the season begins to ask God for a fair sporting competition—and for calm in the case of defeats,” said Mgr Robert Kleine, representative of the archdiocese of Cologne. He added that the service is an occasion
A flag depicts the badge of FC Cologne with the towers of the city’s cathedral and the mascot, a billy-goat named Hennes. for all football fans of whatever sporting or religious adherence to celebrate and pray— joking that even fans of Bayern Munich, the country’s most-supported and also mosthated club, are welcome. Cardinal Rainer Woelki, archbishop of Cologne, is a keen fan of the club known in his city only as “Der FC”.
Thank you for helping your Southern Cross
hank you! Thank you to the priests who speak about The Southern Cross from the pulpit to encourage their parishioners to buy the newspaper. Thank you to the parishes that sell editions of The Southern Cross which the Post office failed to deliver on time. Thank you to the many people who take such great care that The Southern Cross is collected, unpacked, displayed and sold in the parishes—and a special thanks to those who stand in doorways, refusing to let anyone pass without buy-
ing the weekly Catholic newspaper. These good people, most of them unknown to us, are as important in the social communications apostolate of The Southern Cross as the editor. Thank you to our advertisers, whether they advertise because they know it works or simply as a way of supporting The Southern Cross. as an independent newspaper we rely on circulation and advertising revenue—every advert that is placed helps us survive. Thank you, our loyal readers. While the impact of the digital revolution has
not exempted The Southern Cross from declining circulation, the effect has not been nearly as dramatic as that experience by other newspapers. our readers clearly love their Southern Cross, be it in newsprint or in the form of our digital edition. Thank you to our volunteers who invest so much of their time in keeping the newspaper alive. and thank you to those who support us through the associates Campaign, such as the kind 90+ year old pensioner who signed up to safeguard the newspaper’s
future. The associates Campaign is tightly managed so that contributions can be used only for specified purposes. Most of it goes into outreach programmes and replenishing our depleted reserves. There are many ways to support The Southern Cross to ensure its survival: by buying it, by promoting it in the parishes, by advertising in it, and by supporting our associates Campaign with an annual contribution. To do so is easy: choose one of the categories of associates you would like to
join—Cardinal McCann associate (R1 500 and above), St Maximilian Kolbe associate (R500-1 499), St Francis de Sales associate (R100-499), or Dorothy Day (any amount by debit order). Make your contribution into the account: The Southern Cross, Standard Bank, Thibault Square Branch (Code 020909), acc no: 276876016. Please e-mail or fax payment details and your name and contact details to admin@scross.co.za or 021 465-3850. or visit www.scross.co.za/associ ates-campaign for details.
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The Southern Cross, August 30 to September 5, 2017
LOCAL
New post-drug rehab centre for KZN STAFF REPORTER
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NEW after-care facility for post-rehab narcotics addiction patients, the Napier Centre 4 Healing, is set to open in KwaZulu-Natal. The opening of the centre at Ekukhanyeni mission, near Verulam, is projected for early 2018. The announcement of the centre was made to leaders of civil society, media, the faith community, city officials, business, and stakeholders at St Joseph’s parish in Morningside, Durban. The function was hosted by Cardinal Wilfrid Napier and was at-
tended by the centre’s patrons, executive and support team. The Napier Centre 4 Healing, named after the cardinal, follows in the footsteps of the Denis Hurley Centre in Durban which does innovative multi-pronged campaigning and support work for the city’s poor and marginalised. One DHC project aids street-drug and alcohol users, offering care and support. It is envisaged that the Napier Centre 4 Healing will be run along similar principles: being available to all, and marrying the skills and support of diverse supporters. Initially the centre will be able to
accommodate 14 adult men. Further phases of the project will see its facilities extended for women. “So many of society’s challenges in regard to broken families, crime and community tension, can be traced to street-level substance abuse,” Cardinal Napier said. “The need to support recovering addicts is enormous.” “While more fortunate people may be able to pay for time at a private clinic to reach for recovery, the poor can’t afford the help they need,” explained Fr Stephen Tully, chair of the centre’s executive. “Those who sincerely want to
break their addiction to alcohol or drugs can go to a government detox centre. But with nowhere to go except back to the streets, they quickly relapse.” The Napier Centre 4 Healing will provide the secondary care most addicts require, with residential rehabilitation of up to 12 months. The programme will be headed by a house “mother” and “father” on site, with specialist professionals. The centre will be open to all denominations, with a focus on helping residents reconnect spiritually. The final phase will include training for employment, to give recov-
ering addicts purpose and hope. The main building at Ekukhanyeni mission has been renovated to be the dormitory, thanks to the generosity of a private donor. Additional support will be needed to get the centre running. The premises are in a tranquil environment outside the temptations of the city, yet close enough to commute to various destinations, and in the vicinity of other support and community facilities. n For more information visit www. napiercentre4healing.org.za or contact Fr Stephen Tully on frstephen@ napiercentre4healing.org.za
Ex-nuncio to SA dies CWL ‘not just tea and cake ladies’ STAFF REPORTER
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HE papal nuncio to Southern Africa from 2012-15 has died in Italy, just over a week before his 74th birthday. Archbishop Mario Cassari (pictured) died on August 19 in Oristano where he had been hospitalised. He began his tenure in Pretoria in May 2012, succeeding Archbishop James Green, and left in early 2015. Archbishop Cassari had previously worked in the Pretoria nunciature as secretary to Archbishop Joseph Mees from 1985-87, and then to Archbishop Ambrose De Paoli until 1989. His first stint in Pretoria was marked by successive states of emergency and the ruthless suppression of dissent. During that time he was available for counsel to the bishops of Southern Africa. He supported the anti-apartheid struggle, and urged the bishops to be “the voice of the voiceless”, when he briefly ran the nunciature between the resignation of Arch-
bishop Mees, who did not propose confrontation with the apartheid regime, in October 1987, and the arrival of Archbishop De Paoli in 1988. Archbishop Cassari was born in Ghitalla on Sardinia, Italy, and was ordained a priest in 1969. He had a doctorate in theology and a licence in canon law. He graduated in diplomatic studies in 1977 at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome and was admitted to the diplomatic service of the Holy See the same year. He was ordained an archbishop in 1999. Archbishop Cassari worked in various nunciatures worldwide before coming to Southern Africa. In his time as nuncio in Southern Africa, Archbishop Cassari kept a low public profile.
BY ERIN CARELSE
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FTER three years in Pretoria, the national council of the Catholic Women’s League in Southern Africa will be based in Johannesburg after the election of Bernice Cocci as the new president. Ms Cocci was elected at the 28th national conference of the CWL, and takes over from Veronica Malan-Lebona. The conference was attended by close to 600 women from across the country, and included members from Swaziland and Namibia. The CWL national conference takes place every three years and rotates between the various dioceses. The Catholic Women’s League strives to be a sign of hope and love, of harmony and reconciliation, and an example of all socioeconomic and cultural groups acting as one, the organisation said. It also seeks to develop leadership qualities and enable its members to take an active role in the affairs of their communities.
Members of the CWL dressed in cultural clothes for a themed dinner at the national conference in Pretoria. About 600 women attended. As newly-elected president Ms Cocci presented the CWL’s theme for the next three years: “Whom shall I send?” “Thuma mina” (“Send me”) (Isaiah 6:8).
She said the objective for the next three years is to obtain positive results from the resolutions and recommendations carried at the Pretoria conference. “One of the important tasks we, as the national team, will do is to visit the Catholic Women’s League branches in their parishes. “There, we will experience firsthand just some of the amazing work carried out by our members,” she said. “They help to raise funds to build churches, clean churches, supply and arrange flowers in churches, teach catechism, act as Ministers of the Eucharist, feed and care for parish priests, run soup kitchens and crèche/childcare centres, feed the hungry, and aid adoption societies and family life centres. “Yes, we are not only the ‘tea and cake ladies’ serving at many parish functions,” Ms Cocci said. The CWL is represented in 24 dioceses in Southern Africa, with membership at about 5 000.
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LOCAL
Tavern owners speak out against abuse of women T
AVERN owners from Khuma, Kanana, Tigane, and Jouberton in Klerksdorp diocese mobilised their patrons, and attended an event in commemoration of Women’s Month, as part of the HeForShe campaign. With the street closed off, close to 600 people gathered to reflect on the rape culture and increase in killing of women in their communities. The HeForShe campaign is a global initiative run by the United Nations’ women’s department to fight violence against women. It previously held a three-day training workshop, the HeForShe Taverns Project, facilitated by the diocesan and national Justice & Peace offices of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (on which The Southern Cross reported). The campaign helped tavern owners realise that a firm stand must be taken on violence against women. It saw them pledge their support and promise to lead from the front to fight harassment of and violence against women in their vicinity and community. Bishop Victor Phalana of Klerksdorp, who attended the event, said where it was hosted was very important. “We had chosen to close the street in front of a very popular tavern in the township. We wanted to preach the message out there in the community and not in the comfort of a building, like Pope Francis encourages us to do,” Bishop Phalana said. “We were very thankful that tavern
Bishop Victor Phalana of Klerksdorp chats at a HeForShe event organised by Justice & Peace which brought out 600 people, including local tavern owners, to speak out condemning violence against women. owners came out and spent the entire day with us, considering it would have been a busy day for them in terms of business. “This confirmed for us their commitment to fighting any form of women-harassments, as well as their agreement to not sell alcohol to under-age and pregnant women,” he said. Activities on the day included testimonies from tavern owners, patrons and their partners on the impact the cam-
paign had on their relationships at home and in the tavern communities at large. A HeForShe Taverns Pool Tournament will be launched in September to run through to December, leading up to the 16 days of activism. The tournament will be another avenue to stimulate conversations around the role of men and boys in ending violence against women, and for increasing HeForShe sign-ups.
The Southern Cross, August 30 to September 5, 2017
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Neighbourhood Old Age Homes
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Radio Veritas launches ‘show for men by men’ BY ERIN CARELSE
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ADIO Veritas is launching a new show for Christian men, hosted by Men in Christ. Beginning in September, “Men in Christ—The essence of the Christian man” is billed as “a show for men by men”. The Men in Christ group first got involved with Radio Veritas during the station’s fundraising telethon in June. Carlos Camara and Paul Cook put out a challenge to their men’s group to support Radio Veritas. Calls came in and the challenge was passed on from each of the men to others. The outcome impressed Radio Veritas. Men in Christ was initiated at Maria Regina parish in Centurion, in the archdiocese of Pretoria, by Albert de Nobrega and Mr Camara. It is now a multi-parish group that meets periodically throughout the year. It
organises an annual gathering of men, usually at a retreat or conference centre in the Gauteng area. Together, Mr Camara and Mr Cook had discussed the idea of reaching out to more men in Christian communities, and perhaps doing a radio show on Men in Christ to get the message out on air. Olinda Orlando, creative director of programming at Radio Veritas, suggested a meeting with station director Fr Emil Blaser OP and production manager Khanya Litabe.
The idea for a programme for Christian men was received with enthusiasm by the station, and instead of talking about one show, the idea grew of launching a series of shows. There was a consensus that men must become more involved in the Church, in their homes, and in their communities. Listeners can expect a show developed by men, hosted by men, and for men, but for all to listen to and participate in. Over the course of the series, topics such as The Role of the Spiritual Man, To Be a Man in the World Today, Addictions and Men and From a Teen to a Man will be presented. Listeners will be able to call in and share their opinions. n The “Men In Christ Show” airs on Radio Veritas from September 6 at 19:00 on medium wave 576AM (in Gauteng), or DStv audio channel 870, or streamed on www. radioveritas.co.za
Parish raises R120 000 for training priests BY ERIN CARELSE
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HE repository of a Johannesburg parish has raised R120 000 for a priests’ training fund. Parishioner Pam Goemans of St John’s church in North Riding, Johannesburg, had been looking for something special to do, and when asked if she would like to take over the repository eight years ago, she knew it was God answering her prayer. “I approached Fr Jonathan Petersen OMI, then our new parish priest, to ask him whether all the profits from the repository, instead of going into the general church takings, could go towards the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate Priests’ Education Fund, which is very important to me,” she recalled. The parish’s finance committee agreed and issued the go-ahead. At the time the repository was just one small counter in the foyer of the church, with no display cupboards or storage facilities, stocking only a few items. Ms Goemans approached Fr Petersen for a loan and immediately set out to get stock. Norman Towell, brother of former parish priest Fr James Towell OMI, offered to supply his handmade wooden crucifixes; a parishioner had a mother who made magnificent rosaries; and another parishioner made candles which could be
The repository at North Riding parish in Johannesburg has raised R120 000 to help train Oblate priests. personalised for baptisms, weddings, First Communions and confirmations. With all the products now filling the repository, space was next on the agenda. “We were outgrowing our space in the foyer, and luckily for me, the parish was undergoing a huge building process to enlarge our church. I asked if we could have a new repository,” Ms Goemans recalled. She was given permission, as long as she undertook the project herself. “We were assigned an ideal space right at the door of the church. I shopped around and found someone to install the
cupboards, and together we planned and designed the new shop,” she said. In its new setting, the repository flourished. The team has been able to donate more than R120 000 to the Oblates’ education fund, with its latest donation being 15 base-and-mattress set beds to the novitiate in Germiston. Novice master Fr Rodney Moss OMI said he was delighted with the donation of the beds. At the repository the rosaries are the best sellers, as well as the personalised candles. They also sell lots of wooden crucifixes, pictures, greeting cards and a large selection of Italian statues. One of their biggest sales was a concrete garden statue of Our Lady and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and they have recently supplied and shipped a large statue of Our Lady to a parish in Port Elizabeth. Ms Goemans appreciates the time and effort given by her team of 20 plus reliable and dedicated helpers. Angela Amorim, who sells The Southern Cross in the parish, helps with the packing and marking of goods in the repository as a school initiative. “We have come a long way from our one little counter,” Ms Goemans said. “I feel blessed to have been given this task and thank God for his many blessings,” she said, adding: “Fr Petersen reckons we have the best repository in South Africa.”
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knock Shrine Museum, knock Feast of assumption, Masses, Confessions, Chapel of Reconciliation, Private devotion, Concelebrated Mass, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary Procession to the Shrine 13 – 23 august 2018 R 33 995.00 incl. airport taxes Tel: 012 342 0179/Fax: 086 676 9715 info@micasatours.co.za
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The Southern Cross, August 30 to September 5, 2017
INTERNATIONAL
Pope on migrants: When there is a knock, open the door W BY CINDY WOODEN
Poor Clare sisters view this month’s solar eclipse in the United States through a pair of special lenses at the monastery of St Clare in St Louis, Missouri. The order excitedly anticipated the event for months, comparing the thrill of it to the 1999 visit to their city by Pope John Paul II. (Photo: Lisa Johnston/St Louis Review)
Kenya’s bishops condemn post-election violence
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HE bishops of Kenya have condemned violent protests and several deaths in the wake of this month’s presidential election. International observers called the vote that saw the re-election of Uhuru Kenyatta free and fair. Challenger Raila Odinga claims the election was rigged. At least 24 people were killed during violent protests in the wake of the vote, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. Anti-riot police shot protesters, and some children are reported to have been struck and killed by stray bullets. “Dear Kenyans, to lose even one
life because of elections is abominable,” the Kenyan bishops said in a statement signed by Bishop Philip Anyolo of Homa Bay, chairman of the bishops’ conference. The bishops castigated the riot police who confronted protesters. The violence was a reminder “of the post-election violence of 2007/08 that we, as a nation, had vowed never again to experience”, the bishops said. Mr Odinga has called for peaceful protest and strikes, and has said he will mount a legal challenge to the result in the courts. He claims computer fraud gave extra votes to Mr Kenyatta.—CNA
ITH millions of people fleeing violence, persecution and poverty around the globe, individual nations must expand options that make it possible for migrants and refugees to cross their borders safely and legally, Pope Francis said. “The principle of the centrality of the human person, firmly stated by my beloved predecessor, Benedict XVI, obliges us to always prioritise personal safety over national security,” Pope Francis wrote in his message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2018. The Vatican will mark the day on January 14. The pope’s message for the annual event was released earlier than normal to stimulate Catholic involvement in the UN process for developing and adopting a Global Compact for Migration and a Global Compact on Refugees.
To fulfil its duties towards migrants and refugees, he said, the Church needs all of its members to act in solidarity with them, whether it is in countries of departure, transit, arrival or return. Even when faced with situations in which someone has entered a country without the proper legal permits, “collective and arbitrary expulsions of migrants and refugees are not suitable solutions, particularly where people are returned to countries which cannot guarantee respect for human dignity and fundamental rights”. Nations and local communities, the pope said, need to do more to integrate migrants and refugees in the communities that welcome them. Integration does not mean the newcomers will be asked to give up their cultural identity, but that they will have opportunities to share their cultures and to discover the cultural heritage of their new communities”.—CNS
Basilica sheltered 800 scared people during Barcelona terror attack BY MIGUEL PEREZ PICHEL
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MID the horror and chaos of the recent terrorist attack in Barcelona, more than 800 people found shelter in the basilica of Santa Maria del Pi. The Gothic church, situated in the historic centre of Barcelona, is next to one of the streets exiting Las Ramblas, the popular tourist area where a van ploughed into a crowd, killing 13 people and injuring more than 100. Applicants are invited for the following post: Jordi Sacasas, the basilica’s archivist, said that he was with the sacristan and several other people in the To commence 1 January 2018 basilica archives when the Springfield is a day school for girls from Pre-School to Matriculation, set in attack took place. From the beautiful gardens on Wynberg Hill in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. Founded by the balcony of the archives, Irish Dominican Sisters in 1871, Springfield has a caring, Catholic atmosphere, a proud academic record, vibrant Music, Art and Drama Departments and excellent they could see people stamfacilities for Sport. peding. “When we saw this, we Springfield Convent School requires the services of a suitably qualified fullwent down to the church time Music Teacher to join our vibrant Music Department. doors and brought in those fleeing. Police orders were for people to take shelter, The successful applicant will: and as the basilica has a • Be a fully qualified, enthusiastic teacher, experienced in teaching both large entrance, we could
SPRINGFIELD CONVENT SENIOR SCHOOL MuSiC TEACHEr
practical music, music theory, aural and class music • Play a key role in enthusiastic development and growth of musical participation in the junior grades • Be based primarily in the junior school but be conversant with ensemble and instrumental work throughout all grades • Be an able keyboard accompanist, offer an orchestral instrument and have orchestral experience • Teach instrument lessons and be involved in ensemble work at both junior and senior levels • understand, identify with and contribute to the Catholic ethos and values of the school • have a proven record of innovation, commitment and professionalism • Be able and willing to provide accompaniment at assemblies and school liturgies • have effective organisational and administrative skills • Be available in afternoons, evenings and at other times for extra-curricular teaching, involvement in special events and concerts, school productions and tours • have computer skills • Be registered with SaCE • Be willing to become fully involved in the school’s curricular and co-curricular programme
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: Friday 15 September
The UN hopes to have a draft of the compacts ready by February and to present them to the General Assembly in September 2018. Approving the development of the compacts, “world leaders clearly expressed their desire to take decisive action in support of migrants and refugees to save their lives and protect their rights”, the pope said in his message. He urged Catholics to get involved by lobbying their governments to include in the compacts proposals that would ensure the welcome, protection, promotion and integration of migrants and refugees. For Catholics, he said, “every stranger who knocks at our door is an opportunity for an encounter with Jesus Christ, who identifies with the welcomed and rejected strangers of every age”. “The Lord entrusts to the Church’s motherly love to every person forced to leave their homeland in search of a better future,” Pope Francis wrote.
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.
Inside the basilica of Santa Maria del Pi in Barcelona (Photo: Mikhail Zahranichny via CNA) offer shelter to a lot of people,” he said. Once the doors were closed, the basilica employees worked to calm the terrified masses. “We were providing information in French, English and Italian over the church’s sound system, since the majority of the people were tourists and we had a person who could speak several languages,” he said. “We were providing information that the regional government and the police were sending us, so there
would be clear information.” Local businesses also showed their solidarity with those taking refuge inside the church, offering food and drink during the threehour lockdown before the police allowed people to leave the area. “One bakery almost emptied its shelves bringing us bread and sandwiches. A cafe brought us water. What was impressive and so moving was the solidarity of people in such dramatic moments,” Mr Sacasas said. Church employees also worked to help those who were injured from falling in the stampede that resulted from the attack. The basilica of Santa Maria del Pi, which was built in the 14th century, has a long history of welcoming those in need. It has previously opened its doors to immigrants, offering them use of its facilities. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the terror attack. One of those arrested for it said that the larger plot had involved the bombing of several major monuments, including the iconic Sagrada Familia basilica.—CNA
Family world meeting reveals theme BY SARAH MAC DONALD
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HE president of the 2018 World Meeting of Families stressed that “there is no such thing as the ideal family” but that “there is an ideal of family”, which is what the Church is seeking to promote through the international gathering of families in Ireland. In his homily delivered to a packed basilica at Knock shrine in County Mayo, Dublin’s Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said while there is no family that is ideal, there are “families who struggle, at times heroically”. He also asked: “How do we help our young people to encounter the path of faithful love as the only true path toward human happiness? How do we teach fidelity in a world where everything is disposable?” Archbishop Martin said that the international gathering, which up to 5 000 families are expected to attend, would not be “a seven-day wonder”. The meeting is scheduled from August 21-26. He said the Church must witness within society to what fidelity means and “show young people that long-term fidelity
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin. (Photo: John McElroy/CNS) leads to a deep fulfillment, and that there is real value in that”. During the ceremony in Knock basilica, Archbishop Martin unveiled and blessed a specially commissioned icon of the Holy Family by Romanian icon writer Mihai Cucu, with the assistance of the Redemptoristine Sisters in Dublin. The icon will be taken around the Irish Church’s 26 dioceses to raise awareness of Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation on the family Amoris Laetitia and World Meeting of Families.
Archbishop Martin said Pope Francis had told him of his wish to come to Dublin for the gathering, which has the theme, “The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World”. The closing Mass will be on August 26. Anne Griffin, general manager of World Meeting, said the event was aiming for a minimum daily participation of at least 15 000 people. There were already double the number of registrations for the International Eucharistic Congress in 2012 at the same stage.—CNS
INTERNATIONAL
The Southern Cross, August 30 to September 5, 2017
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World’s biggest crisis in 70 years BY BRONWEN DACHS
C The sun sets behind a statue of Mary on Apparition Hill in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Archbishop Henryk Hoser, who inspected the shrine for Pope Francis, predicts the Vatican will soon recognise its Marian apparitions. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)
Archbishop thinks Vatican will approve Medjugorje BY JONATHAN LUxMOORE
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he Polish archbishop who inspected Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Medjugorje shrine for the pope predicted the Vatican will soon recognise its Marian apparitions. “Everything suggests the apparitions will be accepted before the year ends,” said Archbishop Henryk Hoser of Warsaw-Praga. “It’s difficult to believe the six visionaries have been lying for 36 years,” the archbishop said. “What they say is coherent, and none is mentally disturbed, while the apparitions’ faithfulness to Church doctrine is also a powerful argument for their authenticity.” “Everything is moving in a good direction. My mission wasn’t aimed
at closing Medjugorje down, but at evaluating whether pastoral work is being properly organised there in line with Church teaching,” Archbishop Hoser said. “My conclusions are that it is, and my impression is highly positive,” he told KAI. Six teenagers claim to have seen the Virgin Mary on June 24, 1981, near Medjugorje. Since then, they have reported more than 42 000 apparitions at the site. Bishop Ratko Peric of MostarDuvno, the local ordinary, has consistently dismissed the Medjugorje apparitions as false, like his predecessor, Bishop Pavao Zanic, and appealed to bishops abroad not to support pilgrimages there.—CNS
ONFLICT and drought are threatening more than 20 million people in four countries with the prospect of famine— and the United Nations has called this food crisis the largest humanitarian crisis since the world body was formed more than 70 years ago. Additional resources and funding are needed “to pull people back from the brink of famine” in Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and northeast Nigeria, the UN Security Council noted this month in a statement. Humans cannot control the weather patterns, such as drought. But increasingly, aid officials find access to areas of need blocked by ongoing conflicts or inaccessible because of poor infrastructure. Yemen has relied entirely on imported food since 1991. It has been embroiled in civil war since 2015, which includes a Saudi Arabia-led blockade of the country. Yemen’s food system has collapsed, said Jerry Farrell, former Save the Children’s country director in Yemen until mid-2014. He called the situation in Yemen “horrific”, a famine that is entirely man-made, noting that even hospitals have been bombed, and it is “as difficult to get medical supplies into the country as it is to get food in”. The World Health Organization reports 436 000 cases of cholera in Yemen. Bishop Paul Hinder, who heads the apostolic vicariate of Southern Arabia from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, said that the blockade of Yemen hinders the reconstruction of the destroyed sanitary system. “As long as the minimal infra-
Selfies for Mary artwork BY PERRY WEST
A composite image of the Black Madonna from the website of the Living Crown of Mary Project (www.livingcrownofmary.com). be an additional Marian prayer or sacrifice. Fr Tarnacki said the project originated from the order’s members in Poland as a means of honouring Mary and spreading Marian spirituality, especially among the youth, and to give pilgrims an opportunity to participate in a spiritual offering to Mary. “They offered to the Blessed Mother their entire life, families, difficult situations, unemployment, illnesses. I remember one couple who offered to Mary their resolution to live in chastity before they get married.” Fr Tarnacki estimated the number of photos received to be around 2 000, ranging from cell-
phone selfies to old black and white photos, from about 60 countries. All the photos will be digitalised, then a computer software programme will arrange the pictures into the image of Our Lady of Czestochowa. The Pauline Fathers, or the Order of St Paul the First Hermit, are the original protectors of the image of the Black Madonna, first established in Poland in 1382 at the shrine of Jasna Gora. Having a large portion of the Polish immigrant community dedicated to Czestochowa in the US, a copy of the icon was brought there in 1951 and a shrine was later established in Doylestown in 1955.—CNA
Vatican pharmacy business booms BY CINDY WOODEN
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ERVING an average of more than 2 000 clients a day, the Vatican pharmacy may be one of the world’s busiest in-person dispensaries of pharmaceuticals, soaps, ointments and elixirs. Run, since 1874, by the Hospitaller Brothers of St John of God, the pharmacy continues to produce some of its own ointments and potions, phar-
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n South Sudan, nearly 2 million people are on the cusp of famine, said Jerry Farrell, who is now CRS’ country representative there. It is hard to get food to the hungry because the country has “virtually no infrastructure”. In the fertile land of South Sudan’s Western Equatoria state, which has avoided the drought afflicting other parts of the country, little grows because of the civil war, he said. And even if the residents were still able to grow fruit, there are no roads to get any excess food to people outside. In distributing food airdropped by the World Food Program, CRS finds “some places very difficult to get to because of active conflict”, he said. Other places are unreachable for many months because of flooding. About 200 000 of the 2 million internally displaced people in South Sudan are in UN-run camps, Mr Farrell said. The rest have fled into the bush or into neighbouring communities—“and they all want to go home to their land”. In 2013, two years after gaining independence from Sudan, South Sudan was caught up in a civil war. “South Sudan is a new country,
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N an effort to draw the “selfie generation” to Marian spirituality, the Pauline Fathers of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, have collected photos from dozens of countries around the world for a mosaic of Our Lady of Czestochowa, the Black Madonna of the Polish shrine. “In the history of Our Lady of Czestochowa, it was a tradition to offer to her new crowns and dresses, made of precious stones and jewels,” said Fr Timothy Tarnacki, the coordinator for the Living Crown of Mary Project. “But today, the world is changing, and we have to find new ways of how to reach people, how they can make their faith and their relationship with Jesus and Mary more personal,” he said. The project was started almost a year ago and the priests collected photos until August 20 to build a large mosaic of the Marian image. It will be revealed on September 10 in celebration of the 300th anniversary of Poland’s coronation of Our Lady of Czestochowa. Along with a photo, the Living Crown of Mary Project required the participant to offer a spiritual gift to Mary, which may
structure in many parts of the country is not functioning, we cannot expect that the cholera can be stopped” or that “the starving people” can be properly fed, Bishop Hinder said. “As I believe in the power of prayer, I can only ask the faithful around the world to keep in mind the suffering people in Yemen— Muslims as well as the few remaining Christians, including the Missionaries of Charity,” Bishop Hinder said.
macy director Br Thomas Binish Mulackal told the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano. The Vatican’s own products include a cream for preventing bedsores, anise and quinine elixirs, six different fragrances of soap, lavender water, an anti-acne lotion and a specially produced aftershave, said Br Mulackal. The laboratory where the products are made—and where
pharmacists mix some drugs to meet physicians’ exact prescriptions for their patients—is about to undergo an expansion, he said. About half of the clients are Vatican residents, employees and their family members. The rest come from outside the Vatican for medicines that are not available in Italy or are difficult to find. Outsiders must have a prescription and valid ID to enter.—CNS
rich in resources, and all this suffering is preventable,” said Mr Farrell. “Education is what matters most for young people because they will be the new leaders,” he said. Instead, because of the conflict and violence, all efforts need to be directed into emergency feeding programmes, while 75% of women in the country are illiterate.
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n north-eastern Nigeria, the effects of violent conflict as well as changing weather patterns have exacerbated poverty and led to 5 million people in need of emergency food aid, said Elizabeth Carosella, who works for the US Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Abuja. Deaths from famine-related causes have already occurred in Borno state. Since 2009, more than 20 000 people have been killed and 2,7 million forced to flee their homes by the Boko Haram insurgency, aimed at creating an Islamic state in north-east Nigeria. While the severity of the region’s hunger crisis is caused by conflict, the shorter rainy season of recent years has dramatically reduced harvests, and much of Lake Chad has dried up, partly because of shifting climate patterns. Somalia’s “continuous conflict and instability”, along with changing weather patterns, are responsible for its current crisis, Lane Bunkers, CRS country representative for Kenya and Somalia, said. Somalia is a “very undeveloped country that relies on rain, with rain-fed pasturelands”, and there has been insufficient rain for two years in a row, he said. More than 766 000 people have been displaced by the drought since November.—CNS
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The Southern Cross, August 30 to September 5, 2017
LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Church must act and take the lead
Editor: Günther Simmermacher
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Politicians in church?
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RESIDENT Jacob Zuma, it seems, cannot stop himself from issuing his admonition that churches should keep out of his business—politics—and concentrate on theirs, which is to save souls. We commend our column this week by Professor Emmanuel Ngara to President Zuma. As a pastor—Mr Zuma was ordained as such at a meeting of independent Charismatic churches in 2007— the president should understand the Gospel command that compels the Church to speak out against social ills, including and especially those caused by corrupt and incompetent governments. The president may also benefit from a gentle reminder that in his criticisms he should not expose himself to charges of hypocrisy. If his expectation is that politics and religion be kept apart, then he cannot use churches for his party political endeavours. Yet, this is what he did when he used the setting of a Catholic church in Bulwer in the diocese of Mariannhill, KwaZulu-Natal, to officially launch the campaign for the presidency of the African National Congress of Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. From a Catholic point of view, this event was regrettable—and also instructive. As Prof Ngara points out this week, Scripture calls us to give due respect and honour to our political leader. We must not, however, confuse respect and honour for leaders with acquiescence in their errors and transgressions. We, as the Church, must state our discontent with political mismanagement, corruption and immorality vigorously and explicitly, but in doing so we must not assault the human dignity of those we protest against. That is respect. We can honour our politicians by welcoming them as congregants or guests into our churches, but we do not dishonour them when we assert our expectations as to their conduct when they visit us. Mr Zuma and Dr DlaminiZuma should have been advised that it is not proper conduct to use a church as the venue for party political campaigning. While it is good that Dr Dlamini-Zuma has maintained her Catholic faith and still regards Bulwer parish as her spiritual home, she dishonoured the Church by using it as an official
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.
launchpad for her presidential ambitions. This is compounded by the fact that as health minister in the Mandela government, Dr Dlamini-Zuma was the chief protagonist in the legalisation of abortion. There is justifiable confusion and anger when Catholic churches are abused for party political purposes. At least one bishop—one with struggle credentials—wrote on social media that he has difficulty participating in diocesan events in Mariannhill when there is a lack of clarity about its relationship with Mr Zuma and his faction of the ANC. Some Catholics are now persuaded that the Catholic Church has endorsed Mr Zuma and Dr Dlamini-Zuma. Absurd as this notion may seem—the bishops’ conference has been highly critical of Mr Zuma’s presidency and endorses no particular party—such perceptions have traction. At the same time, it should be understood that sometimes politicians will speak in a church, and when they do so, their words will be filtered through their political worldview. Short of banning politicians from going to churches and addressing congregations—a proposal that cannot be feasibly entertained—this is inevitable. Nonetheless, when politicians—be it a ward counsellor or the nation’s president—are invited to speak in churches, due care must be taken that their appearance does not take the form of partisan politics, and that their presence cannot be seen as an endorsement by the parish or the Church in general. And when it does, it may be essential for the local bishop, or even the bishops’ conference, to clarify the circumstances and, if necessary, to create a distance from it. Priests have a responsibility to their parishioners and to the Church to be mindful that their own words and actions cannot be reasonably interpreted as party political partisanship. At the same time, sometimes it is necessary to identify politicians or parties whose actions or policies violate the Gospel—for the Church to speak Truth to Power. We cannot shy away from that, no matter how much politicians want us to. Indeed, perhaps the visit to a church by a president is a very good time to do just that.
OUR editorial “Shout from the rooftops” (August 2) was brilliant and one of the best I have ever read over the past 86 years. What you have made abundantly clear, is that our Lord did not follow. He came to lead and show us the way, and when he left us in physical form, he left his Church to take over and do his work on earth. The Catholic Church is the lead-
ing Christian faith and should lead and set an example for all others to follow. I do sincerely hope those in authority read your exceptionally good editorial and act on it. A few suggestions on areas where the Church can speak out to the world: • Deal publicly and as forcefully as possible with priests or religious
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him, praise him, thank him, adore him, and make reparation to him and through him. We offer this divine wealth to the Father to pay our debts and those of the whole world. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains its doctrine on purgatory very well in paragraphs 1031 and 1472, and refers to 1 Peter 1:7 and Corinthians 3:15. Moira Gillmore, Durban
book of Maccabees in his Bible so this book, and six others, can only be found in Catholic Bibles. That is also one of the reasons Protestants don’t pray for the dead. But Jews still do, their prayer for the dead being the Kaddish. JH Goossens, Pretoria
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heaven after death if we Catholics did not believe in the existence of purgatory, one of the most consoling teachings of the Church. There are several scripture verses supporting the existence of such a state—2 Maccabees 12:43-46, 1 Corinthians 15:29, Matthew 12:32, 1 Hebrews 12:23, Luke 12:42-48, 1 Peter 3:18-20, Luke 12:59—as well as the testimony of the early Christians and the Fathers of the Church. 2 Maccabees 12:40-46 affirms sacrifices offered for the dead to free them from their sins. The dead would not need prayer if they were already with God, nor if they were in hell. See also 1 Corinthians 3:15 and Luke 12:59. Then there are Jesus’ words: “Let anyone speak against the Holy Spirit, and he will not be forgiven, in this world or in the next” (Matthew 12:32). In the early Church, inscriptions on Christian graves also testify to the belief that the dead can be helped by the prayers of the living. The writings of the Church Fathers up to about the 7th century richly contain references to purgation, as a cleansing in which heaven is delayed for those who died before being able to make full reparation for sins. There are also the testimonies of St Bridget of Sweden, St Catherine of Genoa, and many other saints throughout history. True, Jesus, our only Saviour, has opened the gates of heaven for us sinners, but the Church and its authority is the means by which this is appropriated, and souls are freed from the cleansing of purgation, for nothing defiled can enter heaven. John Lee, Johannesburg
We must fully honour God first
AM no theologian but I offer the following thoughts which could assist in making sense of purgatory, in response to Brian Gouveia’s letter (August 9). It is quite true that Jesus’ death on the Cross offered to God all the glory our sins deprive him of, but we have to acknowledge that, especially at Mass, and prayerfully accept it. We hear the prayer, “Through him and with him and in him, all glory and honour is yours, Almighty Father, forever and ever”, and we respond “Amen”. How conscious are we of this great truth? Our sins, even though forgiven in confession, have robbed God of the glory he is due. If we have not given God this during our lives, we must go to purgatory when we die. There we will render to God what he is due. Is this not what Jesus meant when he said: “You will not get out until you have paid the very last penny (Matthew 5:26; Luke 12:59)”? The Good Thief on the Cross was privileged to die at the same time as our Saviour, and recognised who Jesus was. He reprimanded the other thief for his disrespect, and asked to be remembered in the Kingdom. I think he gave a most beautiful homily, containing great truths. So following from this, if we go to confession often, hear Mass prayerfully with grateful and attentive hearts, and try to live good Christian lives, then I believe the Father will accept the glory and honour that Jesus gives, as our very own. This can be very difficult for us frail humans, but let us at least try. We must also receive Communion into a prepared heart and soul. When the priest says: “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper” we respond by saying: “Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” We should respond devoutly, and see Jesus saying the word over our souls, transforming them into palaces of love. We could ask Mary to help us receive Jesus as we should. Then we lovingly converse with
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involved in sexual abuse. • Publicly denounce greed. It’s one of the greatest crimes, because it so reduces others and is the major cause of unemployment and crime. This is a wonderful world and there is enough for all. But the majority of us—God’s sheep—are lost and wandering about. Our Church must take the lead, continue his wonderful work, and set an example. Roy Glover, Tzaneen
Temporary time of needed Soul’s ‘scar tissue’ cleansing RIAN Gouveia’s letter on purgatory refers. must be removed BVery few of us might attain
O answer Brian Gouveia’s question about purgatory we have to go back to the pre-Christian era. In 2 Maccabees 12:43-46 we read how the Jews prayed for their fallen comrades. Praying for the dead makes sense only if these prayers can benefit the dead. If the dead had already arrived at heaven or hell, the prayers would be futile. So the Jews supposed there would be a third state, where the souls of the dead would go to be purified before they would be able to see God face to face. Because nothing impure or sinful can enter into his presence (Revelations 21:27). Even after our sins, which inflicted wounds on our soul, have been forgiven in the confessional, our soul still has scar tissue. This needs to be removed and that is done in that third state which later came to be called purgatory. There purification is done by the burning love of God. The New Testament confirms the reality of purgatory. See 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 and 1 Peter 3:18-20. The list of the great Fathers of the early Church who encouraged prayers for the dead is impressive—praying would hasten God’s work of purification and lessen the time spent in purgatory. Although the Bible warns that we should not subtract from it (Deuteronomy 4:2), Martin Luther discarded the above-mentioned 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. letters can be sent to PO Box 2372, cape town 8000 or editor@scross.co.za or faxed to 021 465-3850
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PERSPECTIVES
Why Jesus tells us to fight injustice Emmanuel Ngara T HE Christian life is a very challenging life in that, among other things, we have an obligation to fight against the social evils that arise in society—we are supposed to make the world we live in a better world. By virtue of being followers of Christ, Christians assume a leadership role in society. As individuals we can play this leadership role in a variety of ways—by the way we live; by participating in campaigns or marches or prayer meetings against a particular social or political problem; by writing about such issues and so on. The question that arises: What is the scriptural basis for the assertion that Christians are supposed to play a leadership role in society? The answer is found in the Gospel of Matthew and the First Letter of St Peter. It is in Matthew where we find the famous “salt” and “light” imagery used by Jesus; “You are the salt of the earth,” Jesus tells his followers, “You are the light of the world.” If salt loses its saltiness, Jesus goes on to explain, it is no longer good for anything, “except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot”. As light, Christians are like a lamp that should not be put under a bowl, but should be put on its stand so that “it gives light to everyone in the house” (Matt 5:1315). These are very strong images to highlight the absolute need for Christians to be an example to everybody else in society. Jesus concludes by explaining that the images are meant to reflect the visible and
noticeable character and good conduct of Christians, and the impact such conduct should have on fellow human beings: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Mt 5:16).
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n his letter, Peter echoes Jesus’ words as he urges the followers of Jesus to live exemplary lives among the pagans: “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Pet 2:12). He goes on to admonish believers to honour and respect secular authorities such as the emperor and governors. Now, what do these scripture passages
When Jesus calls on us to be the salt and light of the world, he asks us to fight against social ills. (Photo: Günther Simmermacher)
Christian Leadership
teach us about our social role in society? First, as already suggested, Christians have a social responsibility, a leadership role in society. We often think in terms of our obligations to God only. In this regard, we tend to think that all we have to do on Sunday is to go to church and fulfil our Sunday obligation. Scripture tells us that there is much more to the life of a Christian than going to church to pray. The other dimension of the Christian life has to do with how we impact the lives of others in the society in which we live, how we preach the Gospel by the way we conduct ourselves in everyday life, and what we do about the problems and social ills that plague our society. What this means is that, as Christians, we are not supposed to witness things like corruption, abuse of women, oppression and social injustice happening in our society and simply be content that we are not doing those things ourselves. On the contrary, we are supposed to take a stand and to play a leadership role in showing others what should be done. So next time anyone tells the Church to mind its own business, here is where we find our answer.
How much should you give the Church? Sarah-Leah A Pimentel FEW weeks ago in our RCIA group, someone asked: “Do Catholics tithe?” This is a topic that generates some controversy. “Give generously,” I answered. “But generosity is very subjective,” the adult convert commented. “How can you be sure that everyone gives equitably to the Church?” “We can’t,” I answered, “but God knows our hearts. He knows our individual needs and knows the extent of our generosity, or lack thereof. We also have a duty of care to those that the Church serves, so we hope that people give generously.” When I went home and thought about it some more, I realised my response was inadequate. Google the word “tithing” and you get 390 000 results, most of them from Evangelical churches. On some sites there’s fierce debate about tithing percentages, whether to calculate it on gross or net income, whether church membership is contingent on tithing and what happens if you default. It made my head reel! It also made me very glad that I am Catholic. On this issue at least, we’ve made it very simple: Be generous. I realised, however, that especially for Catholics, who don’t have a culture of tithing, the concept is alien and there are many misconceptions. A friend once said to me: “The Church is so rich, it doesn’t need my hard-earned money. I have needs of my own and can only put a few coins into the collection box on Sundays.” We need to put tithing into its proper context. It goes back to the time of the Israelites. The Old Testament describes the tithe as a payment given to the priests “in return for the service that they perform” (Numbers 18:21). The priests were the spiritual guides of the Israelites and it was their duty to care for the widows and children. The priests didn’t till the land or produce goods to be sold. The Israelites gave a portion of their produce to the priests for their upkeep and for the good works they did for the needy. The Early Church also talks about
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The Mustard Seeds
How much is right to tithe? In her column Sarah-Leah Pimentel ponders how much one should give to the Church. tithing and we read how the people “would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:45). This is still the work of the Church today. And in Africa, the Church is poor. Gone are the days when the Catholic Church received generous donations from overseas benefactors for the work in missionary countries. The Catholic Church in South Africa is expected to be self-sufficient.
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ew people, it seems, know how our Sunday collection money is distributed. In more well-off parishes, about 20% goes to the diocese. Contrary to popular belief, this money doesn’t go directly into the bishop’s pocket! It is used to help support poor parishes which cannot afford to pay the basic living costs of the parish priest.
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Other money is channelled into the diocese’s social programmes, the education of our future priests, and some of it is also used to pay for the administrative costs of the diocese. What about the other 80% of our Sunday collection? Well, the parish priest needs to eat and he also receives an allowance for his modest personal needs. Some money is set aside for medical emergencies or to pay for a medical health plan. The parish also needs to pay for the running cost of a basic car for the priest to make pastoral calls and carry out other priestly duties that have been assigned to him. The parish itself has running costs: water, electricity, phone and Internet, regular maintenance of the church and presbytery, security, salaries for cleaning staff and, if the parish can afford it, a parish secretary. And don’t forget the cost of buying the hosts for Holy Communion! In addition to all this, many parishes also run outreach programmes and they channel a percentage of the Sunday collection directly into projects that help the destitute and vulnerable members of society. So let’s return to the question: How much should we give? We have a duty and are called to give generously. But the Church also recognises that our individual needs are different. For example, as a single person, I have fewer financial commitments than a family with several children and elderly parents who need care. In South Africa, thousands of families live on grants and in many cases grandparents raise children. I think it’s immoral to ask someone who receives only R1 500 a month and has many mouths to feed to give 10% of their Continued on page 11
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The Southern Cross, August 30 to September 5, 2017
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Michael Shackleton
Open Door
How can I ‘love and serve the Lord’? I try to follow Christ and his teachings as a Catholic. At the end of Mass I am advised to go in peace to love and serve the Lord. I see others loving and serving the Lord in doing parish jobs, joining societies and assisting their neighbour. I have always been too shy to do such things. How can I love and serve the Lord, apart from praying and receiving the sacraments? Ann
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N some ways, your desire to serve Christ without involving yourself too socially with others, is similar to that of a very holy man you may have heard of. He is Bl Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916), a Frenchman who experienced a remarkable conversion from living a wild early life to submitting himself totally to the service of Christ in a very special way. He became a Trappist monk and lived the religious life for seven years. But he was not content. He had an ardent love for his Lord, and so moved to the Holy Land and settled in Nazareth, the town where Jesus was Bl Charles de Foucauld brought up. There he lived as a hermit. His presence in the very place where the Holy Family had lived stirred his imagination deeply. As he moved around the little town, he wondered what Jesus might have been doing as a boy and young man during his “hidden life”, which the gospels disappointingly neglect to tell us. Charles understood that what the Holy Family did was nothing more than to live an ordinary life among neighbours. The thought that Jesus was obeying God the Father’s will in dwelling for 30 years in an obscure little town, doing mundane tasks and chores, filled him with awe. If God should will such apparent insignificance for his Son, then there must be a purpose in it, he reasoned. He decided to build his spiritual life in imitation of the humble life of Jesus. He wanted only to live as God lived on earth, not depending on worldly possessions, happy with his circumstances and doing daily tasks as acts of service and love for God the Father and neighbour. Later, he moved to Algeria, which was then under French occupation. He intended to reside where there were few people, to demonstrate that a simple kind of “hidden life” could be discerned by them as a truly Christian life, unlike the bad impression the local Muslims got from the officious French colonists. He yearned to be an example so that others would say: “If the servant lives like this, what must his Master be like?” He is remembered for this courageous consistency and for his martyrdom during political unrest—he was shot dead by raiding tribesmen in 1916, aged 58. I mention this much of Bl Charles’ inspiring life to encourage you to follow his example and live a “hidden life” for love of Christ and neighbour.
n Send your queries to Open Door, Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000; or e-mail: opendoor@scross.co.za; or fax (021) 465 3850. Anonymity can be preserved by arrangement, but questions must be signed, and may be edited for clarity. Only published questions will be answered.
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8
The Southern Cross, August 30 to September 5, 2017
REFLECTION
How life can change in a flash Most of us go through life avoiding confrontation with our own mortality. A healthscare gave FR KEVIN REYNOLDS cause to face the certainty of eventual death, with God by his side.
F
OR most of our lives we grow so accustomed to the way we live that we hardly ever pay attention to some of the more important aspects of human living. How often do we ever pause at the outset of the day to consider what might come our way until the day ends with our returning to sleep? Along with the Word of God in the Bible, it is the preacher’s task to remind us of the important aspects of our lives. However, from time to time, human events or incidents rudely awaken us to certain facts far more effectively than any preacher’s words. I would like to share how even the preacher can learn more powerfully the meaning of his message from events of his own life—from my own recent experience. When I awoke on July 7, the first Friday of that month, I did not expect it to be a day that would confront me with perhaps the most important fact of life. In so doing, it would radically change the rest of my life. Soon after rising I began to celebrate Mass in my home. Towards the end of the Gospel I felt so dizzy that I decided to pause. While I distinctly recall preparing to sit down, I do not remember what happened afterwards. I had a total blackout which caused me to fall onto the tiled floor, severely cracking my head. I became aware that something must have happened to me only when I felt wetness on the back of my head. It was blood from the head wound I had sustained. When I moved back to resume celebrating Mass, I noticed that I had trampled in my blood on the hard floor. Not surprisingly, I was so concussed I couldn’t complete Mass that morning. Eventually a lifelong friend, Louise Olivier, called to enquire why I was late in meeting her for breakfast. Realising that I had injured myself, Louise made an appointment for me to consult my house doctor. An angel of mercy, she collected me and took me to his surgery. He immediately put eight stitches in my head and referred me to the Pretoria East Hospital.
as possible, I was naturally delighted when on the Wednesday morning my neurologist finally discharged me.
I spent the rest of the day in the emergency room of that hospital, undergoing tests to determine the extent of my injury and the reason for my sudden blackout. Late that Friday afternoon a CAT scan revealed that I had a hairline fracture in my skull through which blood had seeped into my brain. That necessitated my being admitted to the Neuro-intensive Care Unit of the world-renowned brain surgeon, Dr Pieter T Slabbert. Needless to say, I was shocked that by the end of that day I was going to sleep in a hospital bed, not in my own bed back home.
Life goes on, but anew
A failed escape plan Being the bolshie person I am, the next morning I embarked upon a senseless campaign to be released without delay from the hospital. I had a full programme that weekend, including celebrating Sunday Mass at Our Lady Queen of Peace church in ThabaTshswane. I told all and sundry that I was feeling so well and strong that I regarded myself a “fraud” for taking up a hospital bed that could be used better by another patient. I even tried to get around the medical staff with something, I stupidly thought, they would understand: namely, that having stood at many a bedside in ministering to the sick over 49 years I found it intolerable to be confined to a hospital bed myself. I have heard how doctors and nurses, in particular, make for difficult patients. Hospital chaplains, it seems, are of that same awkward cut. Of course, my feeble efforts to escape proved useless. Only in time did I come to understand why my neurosurgeon insisted that I stay in his ICU for at least three days. Apparently, I had suffered a slight stroke—in medical terms, a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA). And those who have had a TIA can experience another one, or even a major stroke, within 48 to 72 hours. I praised the Lord that this didn’t happen to me. However, while I remained in the ICU I received the best possible care available, starting with a brotherpriest, Fr Craigh Laubscher, rushing to my bedside that Friday night to anoint me with the Sacrament of the Sick. On the Sunday afternoon Archbishop William Slattery and my parish priest, Fr Sefiri Motsepe, also visited me. On the Sunday morning Dr Slabbert had a physician specialist examine me. She, in turn, had another specialist do an ultrasound examination of my body. This confirmed the physician’s suspicion that I had a small calcium deposit on my aorta valve and that the blood flow to my
Fr Kevin Reynolds is seen hooked up to electrodes after he experienced a minor stroke. Coming face-to-face with his mortality has been a life-altering experience, he writes. (Photo: Peter Reynolds) brain was somewhat deficient. This could have caused my TIA. On the Monday afternoon I was eventually moved from the ICU to my neurosurgeon’s regular ward. There I met a neurologist, the last of the excellent specialists I encountered in hospital. He immediately arranged for me to undergo an MRI scan. This revealed that my fall on Friday morning had cracked the back of my skull and also damaged its frontal lobe.
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BY ERIN CARELSE
‘Trust Jesus, not horoscopes’ BY JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES
W
HEN passing through the storm of life’s difficult moments, Christians must latch on to Christ and not the false sense of security offered by psychics and fortunetellers, Pope Francis has said. Speaking to pilgrims in St Peter’s Square before reciting the Angelus, Pope Francis recalled the story of Jesus walking on water. Jesus tells St Peter to come to him, but his lack of faith when walking on the water towards Jesus during a storm leads to him slowly start sinking. Christians today, Pope Francis said, also can doubt the assurance of Christ’s presence when confronting life’s “turbulent and hostile waters”. “When we do not cling to the word of the Lord, but consult horoscopes and forve more security, we begin to tunetellers to hav sink,” the pope said. Peter’s request that Jesus call him, his moment of doubt and his subsequent cr y for Jesus to save him, the pope said, “resembles our desire to feel close to the Lord, but also the uish that accompanies the most fear and angu difficult moments of our life and of our communities, marked by internal frailty and external difficulty”. The Gospel “reminds us that faith in the Lord and in his word doesn’t open a path
where everything is easy and calm; it doesn’t take away life’s storms,” the pope said. “Faith gives us the security of a presence, Jesus’ presence, which pushes us to overcome existential storms, and the assurance of a hand that grabs us to help us face the difficulties, showing us the way even when it is dark.” The image of the boat in troubled waters, he added, also can represent the Church, which throughout histor y has faced storms that “threaten to overwhelm her”. What saves the Church is not “courage or the quality of its members”, the pope said, but rather “faith in Christ and his word”. “In short, faith is not an escape from life’s problems but sustains it along the journey and gives it meaning,” Pope Francis said.—CNS
M
INI World Youth Day registration is closing soon, with the target date for young people to book their spots being August 31. The Yo outh Day, a five-day gathering which will be held in Durban from December 6-10 at the Durban Exhibition Centre and surrounds, will bring together young people between the ages of 18 and 35 years from Southern Africa, to unite and celebrate their faith. Registration has also been opened up to three additional countries outside the pastoral region of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference—Lesotho, Namibia and Malawi—by request of young people from those countries. The SACBC region includes South Africa, Botswana and Swaziland. outh Office has embarked The SACBC Yo on a special campaign of mobilising young people from all the dioceses in the region to register. Space is limited and not guaranteed. When the numbers are complete, registration will be finally closed. The Youth Office has appealed to the region’s Catholic youth, their parents, parishes and priests to support this initiative. Fr Paul Tatu, SACBC communication officer, noted that there have been reports from young people that they are not receiving support in some dioceses. “As young people, they need the support o f p a r e n t s a n d l e a d e r s o f t h e C h u rc h a n d parishes to make sure that they attend the event in great numbers to share this wonderful experience,” Fr Tatu said. “We also appeal to people to ‘adopt’ a youngster who would like to attend but can’t afford it and help cover their costs.” Mpilo Khumalo, youth coordinator of the archdiocese of Durban, emphasised that no young person attending will be “just a spectator”.
“They are going to be involved in ever ything that happens,” Ms Khumalo said. “Wee are asking young people to be witnesses in terms of their journey, their faith and different vocations.” Catechetical sessions will be presented by bishops and experts in the various fields under discussion, she said. On the December 8 feast of the Immaculate Conception, the patronal feast day of the archdiocese of Durban, Mini World Youth Day will be opened to the Catholic public to let them see what the 5 000 youth and 29 bishops are doing, and celebrate with them. Those who would like to join the youth at the Exhibition Centre that day are asked to liaise with their parish priests. “There will also be a cultural festival where young people will be showcasing and teaching us about their different cultures, which will be a really colourful event,” said Ms Khumalo. “We want to see young people’s talents, and we want the young people to show us what they’ve got. This is not just an event that is an expression of Catholic faith, but also an empowering occasion.” Registration begins from R2 000. This includes accommodation, meals, and shuttles to and from the venue, as well as your registration gift pack. Transport to Durban is excluded from the amount as different parishes and dioceses are organising it for their delegates. Accommodation for the young people has been confirmed in a number of 3-star hotels. The hotels are based within close proximity of the venue: in the city centre as well as on the Golden Mile, Marine Parade, South Beach and Umhlanga. The safety and security of the youth are high on the list of priorities. Host “parents” will be apportioned to each hotel for the duration of the stay to assist the youths ever y day. All information and registration details are at www.miniworldyouthdayy..co.za
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SA’s Youth Day: Time to register is running out Faith, Yo outh, Vocations: Sharing the mission of the Mini World Yo outh Day in December with Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, archbishop of Durban, are (left) Precious Mazibuko and Philiswa Shongwe. Registration for the event has been extended to Catholic youth from six countries and is expected to close on August 31. (Photo: Val Adamson)
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The scan even revealed a previous concussion, sustained ten years ago when I fell in the parking area of a shopping centre. My hopes of being discharged on Tuesday morning were dashed by the arrival of two technicians sent by my neurologist. They glued to my head several electrodes for 24 hours as a final check that my brain activity was in order. Given my initial determination to escape from the hospital as soon
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I returned to living my life as normally as I could—albeit with the aid of a cane. Even though my TIA has put me in a high-risk category for further strokes, I was determined that I would continue to live as fully a life as possible, and to resume my pastoral work. In no time several parishioners saw me for counselling and to celebrate the sacrament of penance. But especially at night, when in a lying position, I have often been aware again of dizziness. If anything, this brings home to me all that I have experienced since that Friday morning, July 7. I must admit that especially in the early hours of the morning, while still in bed, I enjoy a special closeness to the Lord in centering prayer. My overall reflection is how close I came to death on that First Friday in July—and how, in fact, I grow closer to death day by day. Without a doubt, this is the reality of human living that has been impressed upon my consciousness as never before. Certainly, I now better recognise that each day is a gift from the Lord. It has been relatively easy for me, as a preacher over the past half century, to remind people to be prepared to meet their Creator at any time. Now I am aware that in pointing to that reality there are three fingers pointing back at me. Indeed! That is the overall message, I believe, which the Lord has communicated to me in the events of my daily life since July 7. The practical love and concern of my family, friends and parishioners in recent months—best expressed in their prayer for my divine healing— have also impressed upon me my worth and their reciprocal value to me. When I bumped into my archbishop on Women’s Day—we were each buying lunch at our local store—he said that he hoped I wasn’t overdoing things. I heard him and I’m trying to follow his sage advice better, by humbly acknowledging that the Lord doesn’t expect me to save the whole world. In fact, the best I can be for those I am called to serve is to learn more deeply from my recent life experience of being prepared to meet my Maker whenever he chooses to bring me home to him. n Fr Kevin Reynolds is a priest of the archdiocese of Pretoria.
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FAITH
The Southern Cross, August 30 to September 5, 2017
9
Relics: what it’s all about Relics are important in the Catholic faith but derided by others. MARY REZAC interviewed an expert on relics to find out more.
T
HE refrain of a popular 1980s hymn said: “We are many parts, but we are all one body”, quoting 1 Corinthians 12:12. While we are one body in Christ, if you happen to be a Catholic saint, the many parts of your own body might be spread out all over the world. Take, for example, St Catherine of Siena. A young and renowned Dominican in the Middle Ages, she led an intense life of prayer and penance and is said to have single-handedly ended the Avignon exile of the popes in the 14th century. When she died in Rome, her hometown of Siena, Italy, wanted her body. Realising they would probably get caught if they took her whole corpse, the Siena thieves decided that it would be safer if they just took her head. When they were stopped on their way out by guards outside of Rome, they said a quick prayer, asking for St Catherine’s intercession. Opening the bag, the guards found not the dead head of St Catherine but a bag full of rose petals. Once the thieves were back in Siena, Catherine’s head re-materialised, one of the many miracles attributed to the saint. The head of St Catherine was placed in a reliquary in the basilica of St Dominic in Siena, where it can still be venerated today, along with her thumb. Her body remains in Rome; her foot is venerated in Venice. From the Shroud of Turin to the finger of St Thomas to the miraculous blood of St Januarius to the brain of St John Bosco—the Catholic Church keeps and venerates many curious but nevertheless holy artifacts, known as relics. To the outsider, the tradition of venerating relics—particularly of the corporeal persuasion—may seem like an outlandishly morbid practice. But the roots of the tradition pre-date Jesus, and the practice is based in Scripture and centuries of Church teaching. While it’s one of the most fascinating traditions of the Church, it can also be one of the most misunderstood. Companions of the Cross Father Carlos Martins is a Custos Reliquiarum, which is an ecclesiastically appointed curate of relics with the authority to issue relics. He is the head of Treasures of the Church, a ministry that aims to give people an experience of the living God through an encounter with the relics of his saints in the form of an exposition. In this interview Fr Martins answers questions and dispels some common misunderstandings about the tradition of relics. First of all, what is a relic? Relics are physical objects that have a direct association with the saints or with Our Lord. They are usually broken down into three classes: l First-class relics are the body or fragments of the body of a saint, such as pieces of bone or flesh. l Second-class relics are something that a saint personally owned, such as a shirt or book (or fragments of those items). l Third-class relics are those items that a saint touched or that have been touched to a first-, second-, or another third-class relic of a saint. The word relic means “a fragment” or “remnant of a thing that once was but now is no longer”. Thus, we find in antique shops
Fr Carlos Martins, who has the official authority to issue relics, explains in this interview what relics are, why they are relevant even today, and why it isn’t macabre that the bodies of saints have been split up to create relics. “Civil War relics” or “Relics of the French Revolution”. Obviously, we are not talking about these kinds of relics but rather sacred relics. Where did the Catholic tradition of venerating saints’ relics come from? Scripture teaches that God acts through relics, especially in terms of healing. In fact, when surveying what Scripture has to say about sacred relics, one is left with the idea that healing is what relics “do”. When the corpse of a man was touched to the bones of the prophet Elisha, the man came back to life and rose to his feet (2 Kings 13:20-21). A woman was healed of her haemorrhage simply by touching the hem of Jesus’ cloak (Matthew 9:20-22). The signs and wonders worked by the Apostles were so great that people would line the streets with the sick so that when Peter walked by at least his shadow might “touch” them (Acts 5:12-15). When handkerchiefs or aprons that had been touched by Paul were applied to the sick, the people were healed and evil spirits were driven out of them (Acts 19:11-12). In each of these instances God has brought about a healing using a material object. The vehicle for the healing was the touching of that object. It is very important to note, however, that the cause of the healing is God; the relics are a means through which he acts. In other words, relics are not magic. They do not contain a power that is their own; a power separate from God. Any good that comes about through a relic is God’s doing. But the fact that God chooses to use the relics of saints to work healing and miracles tells us that he wants to draw our attention to the saints as “models and intercessors” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 828). When did the veneration of relics begin? It was present from the earliest days of Christianity, during the apostolic age itself. The following is an account written by the Church in Smyrna [modern day Izmir, Turkey] in around 156 AD, when its bishop, St Polycarp, was burned alive: “We adore Christ, because he is the Son of God, but the martyrs we love as disciples and imitators of the Lord. So we buried in a becoming place Polycarp’s remains, which are more precious to us than the costliest diamonds, and which we esteem more highly than gold.” Thus we see that from its outset the Church practised devotion to the remains of the martyrs. What is the spiritual significance of relics? I think that St Jerome [347-420)
A relic of St Francis of Assisi—a piece of his robe—in the chapel of the Transition in Assisi’s basilica of St Mary of the Angels, at the spot where the 13th century saint died. (Photo: Günther Simmermacher) puts it best when he said: “We do not worship relics, we do not adore them, for fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than to the Creator. But we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order the better to adore him whose martyrs they are.” We venerate relics only for the sake of worshipping God. When we collect relics from the body of a saint, what part of the body do we use? Any part of the saint’s body is sacred and can be placed in a reliquary. Any and every bone may be used. In addition, flesh, hair, and sometimes blood, are also used. Sometimes everything from the tomb is dispersed from it. Sometimes a tomb is preserved. At what point in the canonisation process are items or body parts considered official relics by the Church? Before the beatification takes place, there is a formal rite whereby the relics are identified and moved— the official word is “translated”— into a church, a chapel, or an oratory. Put simply, the grave is exhumed and the mortal remains are retrieved. Only the Church has the juridical power to formally recognise the sanctity of an individual. When the Church does this—through beatification and canonisation—their relics receive the canonical recognition as being sacred relics. The Church allows saints’ body parts to be scattered for relics, but forbids the scattering of ashes of the deceased who are cremated. Why is that? Every person has a right to a burial. This means that the community has a duty to bury the dead. Every human society and culture throughout time has felt this duty. The dead have always been buried, and archaeology has never discovered a human community that did not practise this. One could rightly say, therefore, that burying the dead forms part of our human cultural DNA. The theological term for this instinct is natural law. Nature has imprinted a law within the human heart that manifests itself in the practice of burying the dead as a final act of love and devotion, or at least an act of respect and propriety. It should be no surprise, then, that the Church lists as one of the corporal works of mercy burying the dead. Grace does not destroy nature but perfects it. There is flexibility in
the kind of burial. Remains may be buried in the ground, in the sea, or above ground within, for example, a cave or columbarium. The point is that a burial occurs within a single place, such that it can be said that the person “occupies” the place as a final location of rest. The human heart longs for this. We see people arriving at graves and speaking to the grave as if they were speaking to the deceased. And they do so differently than they might speak to the dead at home. At the grave, they speak to the dead as if they are in a place. For this reason, among others, the Church has always taught not only that it is completely beneath the dignity of the human body to have its remains “scattered”, but also completely beneath basic human sensibilities. People need a place to encounter and meet the dead in their physicality. Nevertheless, the saints, as members of the body of Christ, have a right to have their remains venerated. And this right, flowing
Pilgrim Paulus Chabalala venerates a relic of St Anthony of Lisbon (or Padua) in the Lisbon church that marks the saint’s birthplace. (Photo: Günther Simmermacher)
from their dignity as members of the Body of Christ, supersedes their right to have their remains stay in burial. What is the proper way to keep relics? Are lay Catholics allowed to have first-class relics in their homes? Relics are very precious. They are not something that was alive at one time and is now dead. In the case of first-class relics, we are talking about flesh that is awaiting the general resurrection, where the soul of a saint will be reunited with his physical remains. As such, the way we treat relics is of the utmost importance. Ideally, relics should be kept in a church or chapel where they can be made available for public veneration. The highest honour the Church can give to a relic is to place it within an altar, where the Mass may be celebrated over it. This practice dates from the earliest centuries of the Church. In fact, the sepulchres of the martyrs were the most prized altars for the liturgy. As an alternative to encasing them within altars, they may be installed within a devotional niche where people may venerate them. Such shrines are important as they afford people a deeper experience of intimacy with the saint. The Church does not forbid the possession of relics by lay persons. They may even keep them in their homes. However, because of the many abuses that have been committed concerning relics, the Church will no longer issue relics to individuals—not even to clergy. These abuses included failing to give them proper devotion (neglect), careless mistreatment of them, discarding them, and in some cases, even selling them. The abuses were not necessarily committed by the person to whom the Church had originally bequeathed the relics. But when such persons became deceased, and the relics were passed on by inheritance, they were often subject to great vulnerability. With the eclipse of the Christian culture in the Western world, faith can no longer be taken for granted, even among the children of the most devout people. Thus, to protect relics, the Church only issues them to churches, chapels, and oratories. How important is the authenticity of the relic? How does the Church go about determining the authenticity of very old relics from the beginning of the Church? The authenticity is critically important. But for the ancient saints, determining identity is much easier than you might think. It was tradition to build a church over the top of a saint’s grave. That is why St Peter’s basilica is where it is, or why St Paul Outside the Walls is there. Both encompass the tomb for the saint, which is located directly beneath the altar. Modern archaeology has only affirmed what the ancient tradition has believed.—CNA
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10
The Southern Cross, August 30 to September 5, 2017
PERSONALITY
Winning with a rosary in his hand Having won his second Comrades title this year, Bongmusa Mthembu is now a South African marathon legend—and he attributes all that to God. ERIN CARELSE spoke to the runner.
S
OUTH AFRICA’S leading marathon athlete clutches his white rosary when he runs—as he did when he crossed the finishing line as the winner of this year’s Comrades. Bongmusa Mthembu, 33, knows that all he has achieved in his career is not because he is talented, but because of the grace of God— and holding the rosary during races serves to remind him of that. “I always run with my rosary, because I was raised in a Catholic home. I always pray before and after my run, and then I leave the rest up to God,” he told The Southern Cross. After winning this year’s Comrades he made a pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Kevelaer in Mariannhill diocese to give thanks to Our Lady. The professional runner, who hails from Bulwer, near Pietermaritzburg, claimed his second title at this year’s Comrades Marathon “up-run” in a time of 5:35:34. With that he became the first South African runner to win two titles since the legendary Bruce Fordyce won his last title in 1990, having won his first title in the “downrun” to Durban in 2014.
Bongmusa Mthembu celebrates his second Comrades win in June with his son Sisanda. A Catholic, he attributes his success to God’s graces. The Comrades is the world’s largest and oldest ultramarathon race. First run in 1921, the 90km run is capped at 20 000 international competitors. Only four South Africans have won it more than twice. This year was especially emotional for Mr Mthembu as his son Sisanda and his family, who had travelled to Pietermaritzburg to surprise him, were waiting for him at the finish line.
Son at the finish line “Seeing my first-born son Sisanda waiting for me at the finish line was a very emotional moment,” he recalled. “I was at camp in preparation for the race and I had no idea he would be there. He doesn’t usually come to watch me because he says he
feels sorry for me and doesn’t want to see me in pain, but I was so glad to see him there to witness this. I felt it was good for him to see that his father accomplished this win, and hopefully, it was motivational for him,” the runner said. “I trained very hard for this race, it was on my bucket-list, and I’m happy that I got to do it in front of my family, especially my son.” Mr Mthembu hopes that this win inspires children, especially from rural and underprivileged areas, to never give up on their dreams. “I hope that I can inspire children, and show them that it doesn’t matter where you come from, or what you’ve dealt with in your life, those things don’t determine who or what you become,” the athlete said.
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Bongmusa Mthembu is seen wearing his white rosary as he runs in 2014, when he won his first Comrades. (Photo: Kierran Allen) “Perseverance, determination and hard work, and being passionate about everything you do, will help you to succeed and achieve your goals. I didn’t let anything stop me.” Mr Mthembu began his running career at Engudwini Primary School and left the rural village of Bulwer after matriculating at Ndingelwa High School and moved to Pietermaritzburg. He found it hard to get a job, but eventually worked as a bricklayer. Throughout this time, he never stopped training and running. In 2004, he began to enter races and won the Maritzburg Marathon in 2005. He always dreamt that he would one day win the Comrades.
Answering the critics He has to date competed in 12 Comrades marathons and has cemented his place as South Africa’s top ultra-distance runner. He came third in the Comrades 2010 and second in 2012, and followed in the footsteps of Catholic Claude Moshiywa when he won the 2014 Comrades Marathon. This made him the second Catholic in successive years to win the title. “I faced some negative comments from the media after the 2014 ‘down–run’, with some speculating that it would difficult for me to compete in the ‘up-run’. Unbeknown to them, in 2014 I had lost my fiancée Lethiwe Vilakazi,
and that despite all of this, I was just happy to be able to finish in 2015,” he said. Winning this year’s up-run was his answer to the critics. “I was very proud of myself after I won the “up-run” Comrades because I know where I come from, what I’ve been through, and what I’ve had to overcome—so to see the fruit of my labour was a very humbling moment for me,” he said. He has also had success outside the Comrades. Mr Mthembu also broke one of the longest standing national records when he came second at the World 100 Championships in Los Alcazares, Spain, in November 2016. He completed the ultra-distance race in 6:24:05 to win the silver medal, breaking the South African 100km record set by legend Bruce Fordyce in 1999. He was only the second South African to finish on the podium, after Cornet Mathomane finished third in 1993. Mr Mthembu said that many people had helped him in his career: his training partner, team, coach, sponsors Nike. “They have all played a very important role. They’ve contributed in making the Bongmusa you’re speaking to today—and for that I want to thank them.” And above all, he attributes his remarkable achievements to the grace of God.
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CLASSIFIEDS
Sr Alberta Schweizer HC
H
several Holy Cross missions in Namibia and throughout South Africa. Sr Alberta was a happy, creative and self-giving sister who enjoyed being with others. She had a deep love for the Eucharist and daily Mass. In 2000 sickness brought Sr Alberta to Lady Selbourne, the Holy Cross Frail Care Centre in
OLY Cross Sister Alberta Schweizer died on July 31 at the age of 92. Born on September 6, 1924, her one life-dream as a young woman was to become a missionary and serve God’s people in Africa. This dream became a reality in 1956 and from there onward she served both young and old in
Pretoria, where she remained for the next 17 years, assisting with the aged and frail while she battled with her own failing health. She spent her time daily preparing for the celebration of the Eucharist, visiting and praying with the sisters confined to their rooms due to sickness, until called home to her heavenly Father.
Sr Annette Grever HC
H
OLY Cross Sister Annette Grever died on August 4 at the age of 82. Born on October 4, 1934, she taught many pupils, and enjoyed the good success of learners and students. She loved books, reading, learning and teaching. During the last few years of her life she suffered from
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson disease which was a severe trial for a very independent person. She remained steadfast in suffering and through her endurance she walked the long path in imitation of Christ’s own suffering until her last days. Sr Annette slipped away from this life into the next without
giving any indication of her imminent departure. It was as if she was saying: “This final journey I wish to walk alone in companionship with my friend and lover, Jesus.” She had a deep love for Christ and used every opportunity to pass on his teachings and faith to those she taught and shared life with.
How much should you tithe? Continued from page 7 income to the Church. It’s equally immoral for someone who lives comfortably and has more than enough money to spare to give little or nothing. There are people who are generously helping struggling family members and friends. Others donate considerable time and money to non-religious organisations that help the poor. This is also important. They’re not giving it directly to the Church, but their offering
of love emanates directly from their love of Christ. In conclusion: the Church does not force us to give a set percentage of our income. Instead, she appeals to our conscience. Everything we have received comes from the grace of God. We must give thanks for what we have received, and we have a duty of care to those who have nothing. Jesus was very harsh with those who meticulously counted out the tithe, but for-
Liturgical Calendar Year A – Weekdays Cycle Year 1 Sunday September 3, 22nd Sunday of the Year Jeremiah 20:7-9, Psalms 63:2-6, 8-9, Romans 12:1-2, Matthew 16:21-27 Monday September 4 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Psalms 96:1, 3-5, 1113, Luke 4:16-30 Tuesday September 5 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11, Psalms 27:1, 4, 13-14, Luke 4:31-37 Wednesday September 6 Colossians 1:1-8, Psalms 52:10-11, Luke 4:3844 Thursday September 7 Colossians 1:9-14, Psalms 98:2-6, Luke 5:1-11 Friday September 8, Birthday of Our Lady Micah 5:1-4 or Romans 8:28-30, Psalms 13:5-6, Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 Saturday September 9, Blessed Virgin Mary St Peter Claver, Saturday Mass of Our Lady Colossians 1:21-23, Psalms 54:3-4, 6, 8, Luke 6:1-5 Sunday September 10, 23rd Sunday of the Year Ezekiel 33:7-9, Psalms 95:1-2, 6-9, Romans 13:8-10, Matthew 18:15-20
St Peter Claver
got the more important things: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practised without neglecting the others (Mt 23:23).” So, then, how much should you give? Only you can know that. n Read past columns by SarahLeah Pimentel at www.scross. co.za/category/perspectives/ sarah-leah-pimentel/
Word of the Week
Apostolate: The ministry or work of an apostle. A term covering all kinds and areas of work and endeavour for the service of God, the Church and the good of people. Crosier: The staff which a bishop carries when he presides at the liturgy.
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 month except December, at Springfield Convent in Wynberg, Cape Town. Hosted by CLC, 10.00-15.30. Contact Jill on 083 282 6763 or Jane on 082 783 0331.
Perpetual Adoration chapel at Good Shepherd parish, 1 Goede Hoop St, Bothasig, welcomes all visitors. Open 24 hours a day. Phone 021 558 1412.
Helpers of god’s Precious infants. Mass on last Saturday of every month at 9:30 at Sacred Heart church in Somerset Road, Cape Town. Followed by vigil at abortion clinic. Con-
tact Colette Thomas on 083 412 4836 or 021 593 9875 or Br Daniel SCP on 078 739 2988. DUrBAn: Holy Mass and novena to St Anthony at St Anthony’s parish every Tuesday at 9:00. Holy Mass and Divine Mercy Devotion at 17:30 on first Friday of every month. Sunday Mass at 9:00. Phone 031 309 3496 or 031 209 2536. St Anthony’s rosary group. Every Wednesday at 18:00 at St Anthony’s church opposite Greyville racecourse. All are welcome and lifts are available. Contact Keith Chetty on 083 372 9018. nelSPrUit: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at St Peter’s parish every Tuesday from 8:00 to 16:45, followed by rosary, Divine Mercy prayers, then a Mass/communion service at 17:30.
The Southern Cross, August 30 to September 5, 2017
clASSifieDS
11
Births • First Communion • Confirmation • Engagement/Marriage • Wedding anniversary • Ordination jubilee • Congratulations • Deaths • In memoriam • Thanks • Prayers • Accommodation • Holiday Accommodation • Personal • Services • Employment • Property • Others Please include payment (R1,70 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication.
in MeMOriAM
fAYle—Catherine Dolores (Dolly). Called to Eternal Rest one year ago on August 27, 2016. Lovingly remembered and cherished by her family and friends.
eVentS
St AUgUStine’S SecOnDArY ScHOOl, Church Street, Parow, class reunion. Did you complete Standard 8JC (Grade 10) at the above school in 1968? If yes, please contact Christian Dryden on 021 931 7573 or 083 290 9930 or e-mail chris@drydendoors. co.za
PerSOnAl
ABOrtiOn WArning: The truth will convict a silent Church. See www.valuelife abortionisevil.co.za ABOrtiOn On DeMAnD: This is legalised daily murder in our nation. Our silence on this issue is the reason why it continues. Avoid pro-abortion politicians. fellOW cAtHOlicS: Visit Pious Ponsiano Kintu’s official website www.ave maria832.simplesite.com This website has been set up to give Glory to the Most Holy Trinity through the healing power of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. View God’s marvellous work of healing and deliverance in various African countries since 2007. More than 20 video clips have been uploaded onto YouTube (simply go to Google and type
Pious Kintu YouTube). Also you will read about African stigmatic Sr Josephine Sul of DR Congo and Padre Pio, among others. Share it with all your friends. Contacts: e-mail avemaria832 @gmail.com and avemaria 832@yahoo.com, cellphone (roaming within Africa) +243 99 0358275 +243 81 6090071.
PrAYerS
PArentS fOr cHilDren—O Jesus, lover of children, bestow your most precious graces on those whom you have confided to our care. Increase in them faith, hope and charity. May your love lead them to solid piety, inspiring them with dread for sin, love of work and an ardent desire of worthily approaching your holy table. Preserve in them innocence and purity of heart; and if they should offend you, grant them the grace of a prompt and sincere repentance. From your tabernacle watch over them day and night; protect them in all their ways. Grant that they may acquire the knowledge that they need to embrace the state of life to which you have called them. Grant us a sincere love, constant vigilance and generous devotedness towards
Our bishops’ anniversaries This week we congratulate: September 6: Bishop Dabula Mpako of Queenstown on his 58th birthday September 6: Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria on his 74th birthday
Southern CrossWord solutions SOLUTIONS TO 774. ACROSS: 1 Padres, 4 Father, 9 Paul’s epistles, 10 Citadel, 11 Locks, 12 Poppy, 14 Seems, 18 Infer, 19 Tribune, 21 Spiritual life, 22 Athens, 23 Swanky. DOWN: 1 Papacy, 2 Doubts of faith, 3 Eased, 5 Absolve, 6 Holy Communion, 7 Resist, 8 Apple, 13 Portion, 15 Fiesta, 16 Stout, 17 Remedy, 20 In-law.
them. Grant us all consolation on earth and eternal reward in heaven. tHAnKS be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, For all the benefits thou hast won for me, For all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother, May I know thee more clearly, Love thee more dearly, And follow thee more nearly, For ever and ever.
HOliDAY AccOMMODAtiOn
cAPe tOWn: Looking for reasonably priced accommodation over the December/January holiday period? Come to Kolbe House, set in beautiful, spacious gardens in Rondebosch, nestled just under Devil’s Peak. Self-catering, clean and peaceful. Safe parking. Close to all shops and public transport. Contact Pat 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 MOntAgU: Self-catering cottage in central area. Sleeps 3 in lovely garden setting. Braai patio and secure parking. Pets and children welcome. Phone 082 975 8049.
Traditional Latin Mass
Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel 36 Central Avenue, Pinelands, Cape Town Call 071 291 4501 for details. Email: sspx.capetown@gmail.com The
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editor: Günther Simmermacher (editor@scross.co.za), Business Manager: Pamela Davids (admin@scross.co.za), Advisory editor: Michael Shackleton, local news: Erin Carelse (e.carelse@scross.co.za), editorial: Claire Allen (c.allen@scross.co.za), Mary Leveson (m.leveson@scross.co.za), Advertising: Yolanda Timm (advertising@scross.co.za), Subscriptions: Michelle Perry (subscriptions@scross.co.za), Accounts: Desirée Chanquin (accounts@scross.co.za) Directors: R Shields (Chair), Archbishop S Brislin, S Duval, E Jackson, B Jordan, Sr H Makoro CPS, J Mathurine, R Riedlinger, G Stubbs, Z Tom editorial Advisory Board: Fr Chris Chatteris SJ, Kelsay Correa, Dr Nontando Hadebe, Prof Derrick Kourie, Claire Mathieson, Fr Lawrence Mduduzi Ndlovu, Palesa Ngwenya, Sr Dr Connie O’Brien I.Sch, John O’Leary, Kevin Roussel, Fr Paul Tatu CSS
Opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, staff, directors or advisory board of The Southern Cross.
the
23rd Sunday: September 10 Readings: Ezekiel 33:7-9, Psalm 95: 1-2, 69, Romans 13:8-10, Matthew 18:15-20
H
OW are we to deal with people in the community who are difficult, or even “wicked”? That question arises in different ways in all of next Sunday’s readings. In the first reading, Ezekiel, here addressed as “son of man”, is appointed as “watchman for the House of Israel”, which is never likely to win anyone many friends. God says to him: “When you hear a word from my lips then you shall warn them. When I say to the wicked man: ‘The wicked man is certainly going to die’, and you fail to warn them, I shall demand his blood at your hand.” This must not be understood as the angry God beloved of far too many religious people, but the merciful God of whom Pope Francis speaks so eloquently, who cannot see us getting into a mess without trying to get us out of it. That is the God known to (and beloved of) the poet who wrote next Sunday’s psalm for us: “Come, let us rejoice in the Lord and cry out to the Rock of our salvation; let us come before his presence in thanksgiving.” This is simple love for the Almighty; but he is God, and not just a big version of us: “Come in, let us bow down and worship and kneel in the presence of the Lord who made
S outher n C ross
us.” The point is not nearly so much that we should avoid wickedness as that we should recognise that we are not God: “[The Lord] is our God and we are the flock of his hand.” The vital thing is what comes next: “If only you would listen to his voice; don’t harden your hearts.” We are not to be like our ancestors who “saw my works” and still put God to the test. In the second reading, Paul has just addressed a very divisive issue in the Roman church, namely whether they should pay taxes to Caesar; and his answer is that they should. But, he continues, what really matters is love; because that is who God is. So they are told: “The only thing that you should owe each other is to love them, because anyone who loves the Other has fulfilled the Law.” Then he picks up Jesus’ teaching, and argues that all the commandments (“thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not covet, and so on”) are summed up in “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” And he comments: “Love does not work evil for the neighbour. So love is the fulfil-
I
Conrad
and we express gratitude to each other through a number of social formulae, ritual words: Good morning! Good to see you! Have a great day! Have a great evening! Sleep well! Nice meeting you! Nice to work with you! I love you! Thank you! We say these things to each other daily, even though we have to admit that there are times, many times, when these expressions appear to be purely formal and seem not at all honest regarding how we are feeling at that time. Yet we say them and they are true in that they express what lies in our hearts at a deeper level than our more momentary and ephemeral feelings of distraction, irritation, disappointment, or anger. Moreover, these words hold us in civility, in good manners, in graciousness, in neighbourliness, in respect, and in love despite the fluctuations in our energy, mood, and feelings. Our energy, mood and feelings, at any given moment, are not a true indication of what’s in our hearts, as all of us know and frequently need to apologise for. Who of us has not at some time been upset and bitter towards someone whom we love deeply? The deep truth is that we love that person, but that’s not what we’re feeling at the moment. If we only expressed affection, love and gratitude at those times when our feelings were completely onside, we wouldn’t express these very often. Thank God for the ordinary, social rituals which hold us in love, affection, gra-
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Sunday Reflections
ment of the Law.” That must be our model for dealing with those who are difficult or “wicked”. Then the Gospel is from one of Matthew’s great discourses; chapter 18 is sometimes called the “Church Discourse”, and in our section there is the question of how to handle it when “your brother or sister sins against you”. Matthew obviously knew well that there can be divisions even in the local church, and that they could be puzzled (as we are) about what to do regarding it. Notice that he is making the assumption that whatever has taken place can be classified as “sin against you”. (Sometimes it might just be something that you do not particularly like.) On that assumption, he proposes three levels, first: “Have it out between the two of you in private. If the person pays attention, then you will have won them over”. Stage Two: “Take with you one or two [others], in order that {and here he is quoting Deuteronomy} every matter be set up on the basis of two or three witnesses”. Stage Three involves the entire Church; after which some kind of excommunication is envisaged: “Let that person be to
The enduring power of ritual DON’T always find it easy to pray. Often I’m over-tired, distracted, caught up in tasks, pressured by work, short on time, lacking the appetite for prayer, or more strongly drawn to do something else. But I do pray daily; despite the fact that I often don’t want to and despite the fact that many times prayer can be boring and uninteresting. I pray daily because I’m committed to a number of rituals for prayer, the office of the Church, lauds and vespers, the Eucharist, and daily meditation. And these rituals serve me well. They hold me, keep me steady, and keep me praying regularly even when, many times, I don’t feel like praying. That’s the power of ritual. If I only prayed when I felt like it, I wouldn’t pray very regularly. Ritual practice keeps us doing what we should be doing—praying, working, being at table with our families, being polite— even when our feelings aren’t always onside. We need to do certain things not because we always feel like doing them but because it’s right to do them. And this is true for many areas of our lives, not just for prayer. Take, for example, the social rituals of propriety and good manners that we lean on each day. Our heart isn’t always in the greetings or the expressions of love, appreciation, and gratitude that we give to each other each day. We greet each other, we say goodbye to each other, we express love for each other,
Nicholas King SJ
Dealing with the ‘wicked’
you like the Gentile or the tax-collector.” We shall not forget, of course, that Jesus was slightly shocking because of his openness to sinners and tax-collectors (and Gentiles), so perhaps the excommunication is not as radical as all that. But we have not finished, for there is something about what the Church can do: “bind” and “loose”. We are not quite clear what is involved, except that when the Church decides something like that, the decision is recognised by God. And there is a further thing the Church can do: if they agree on something to ask for, “it will happen to them, from my Father in heaven”. And, most important of all, the Gospel ends with the guaranteed presence of Jesus: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in the middle of you.” That, rather than dealing successfully with the wicked, is what really matters to the Church.
Southern Crossword #774
Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI
Final Reflection
ciousness, civility, and good manners at those times when our feelings are out of sorts with our truer selves. These rituals, like a sturdy container, hold us safe until the good feelings return.
T
oday, in too many areas of life, we no longer understand ritual. That leaves us trying to live our lives by our feelings; not that feelings are bad, but rather that they come upon us as wild, unbidden guests. The author Iris Murdoch asserted that our world can change in 15 seconds because we can fall in love in 15 seconds. But: we can also fall out of love in 15 seconds! Feelings work that way! And so we cannot sustain love, marriage, family, friendship, collegial relationships and neighbourliness by feelings. We need help. Rituals can help sustain our relationships beyond feelings. The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer used to give this instruction to a couple when he was officiating at their wedding: “Today you are in love and you believe that your love can sustain your marriage. But it can’t. However, your marriage can sustain your love.” Marriage is a not just a sacrament, it’s also a ritual container. Ritual not only can help sustain a marriage, it can also help sustain our prayer lives, our civility, our manners, our graciousness, our humour, our gratitude, and our balance in life. Be wary of anyone who in the name of psychology, love, or spirituality tells you that ritual is empty and you must rely on your energy, mood, and feelings as your guiding compass. They won’t carry you far. The late peace activist Fr Daniel Berrigan once wrote: “Don’t travel with anyone who expects you to be interesting all the time. On a long journey there are bound to be some boring stretches.” St John of the Cross echoes this when talking about prayer. He tells us that, during our generative years, one of the biggest problems we will face daily in our prayer is simple boredom. And so we can be sure our feelings won’t sustain us, but ritual practices can.
ACrOSS
1. The chaplains (6) 4 and 20. Is this one legally a parent? (6-2-3) 9. Correspondence from the apostle (5,8) 10. I led cat into the fortress (7) 11. They kept Samson’s hair firmly in place? (5) 12. Remembrance Day bloomer (5) 14. appears to be (5) 18. Deduce from the resin fermentation (5) 19. Brute in guise of an ancient Roman officer (7) 21. Existence of your soul (9,4) 22. Where Paul waited for the others (ac 17) (6) 23. Wan sky reveals something luxurious (6)
DOwN
1. Pontiff’s tenure of office (6) 2. They make believing unsure (6,2,5) 3. Became less severe (5) 5. only a priest can do it (7) 6. The first big reception for Catholics (4,9) 7. Sister will not give in (6) 8. This cart must not be upset (5) 13. Enough food for one (7) 15. Festival in Madrid (6) 16. heavily built porter not at the station (5) 17. Treatment for my reed complaint (6) 20. See 4 Solutions on page 11
CHURCH CHUCKLE
A
CATHOLIC priest and a rabbi find themselves sitting next to each other on a long train journey, and after some hesitation start to talk to each other. After discussing the weather and the cricket, the priest turns to the rabbi and says that he thought it was rather strange that the rabbi was not allowed to eat pork, and asked him whether he ever had. The rabbi replied: “Well, when I was a small boy, I did in fact taste a small piece of bacon.” “What was it like?” asked the priest. The rabbi replied: “Not nearly as good as sex.”
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