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Caritas to go national T

HE auxiliary bishop of Johannesburg has been tasked to oversee the establishment of Caritas in all dioceses of the Southern African pastoral region, with a view to having the Church’s charitable arm present in all parishes.

Bishop Duncan Tsoke has been appointed president of Caritas SA, and is the liaison bishop for the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC).

The Southern African bishops had resolved to establish Caritas SA during their plenary Session in August 2016 in Gaborone, Botswana.

Caritas has long been present in the SACBC as a desk within the Siyabhabha Trust, which continues to function as an SACBC agency for development, overseeing the disaster management within the SACBC region.

Siyabhabha has always been affiliated to Caritas Internationalis.

The difference now is that Caritas will be established as an entity in every diocese and parish in the whole SACBC region. All works of charity, such as justice, peace, social development, education, health and so on, will be coordinated under one roof and office in every diocese.

Bishop Tsoke’s three-year mandate is to enact the vision of Pope Benedict XVI’s 2012 motu proprio, Intima Ecclesia Natura (On the Service of Charity) which states that “the service of charity is a constitutive element of the Church’s mission and an indispensable expression of her being”.

Last month Bishop Tsoke, SACBC president Archbishop Stephen Brislin and other SACBC representatives joined their counterparts from 43 countries of the Caritas Internationalis Africa Region in Dakar, Senegal, on the theme “Organising the Service of Charity in Africa: The Role of the Bishops.”

This followed the first such gathering in 2012, held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Dakar meeting—which was also attended by Cardinal Peter Turkson, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Caritas Internationalis president Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, and Cardinal Dieudonne Nzapalainga of Bangui, Central Africa Republic—undertook the following commitments: l To pay more attention to migration and refugee problems, and to the consequences of political crises and natural disasters. l To be involved in the preparation and participation in the next Synod of Bishops on young people, whom the conference said are the wealth of the Church and of their nations, and to do everything possible to make

St Charles’ church in Victory Park, Johannesburg, is in a glow as 51 young people received the sacrament of confirmation by Archbishop Buti Tlhagale. (Photo: Gino Zambetti) them feel at home in the Church. l To strengthen the participation of women and make visible their contribution to the development of families and communities. l To integrate into the religious and priestly formation the systems of the social teaching of the Church and the minima of the principles of transparent management of the property of the Church belonging to the poor. l To develop a genuine synergy of action at the level of the continent, sub-regions (zones), bishops’ conferences and dioceses, with a view to productive ecclesial communion in the service of integral human promotion.

Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of Catholic relief, development and social service organisations operating in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

The first Caritas was founded in 1897 in Germany.

In 1951 the various national Caritas organisations set up an international conference of Roman Catholic charities, and in 1954 took the name Caritas Internationalis to reflect the international presence of Caritas members on every continent Its general secretariat is located in the Palazzo San Calisto in the Vatican.

Catholic Ireland A pilgrimage with Bishop Victor Phalana Feast day at shrine of Our Lady of Knock, PAPAL MASS in Dublin*, and much more * subject to confirmation

Pope to make out-of-this-world telephone call

F

Bishop Duncan Tsoke, president of Caritas SA

The

ROM the start of his pontificate, Pope Francis has gained a reputation for his phone calls to people around the world—including a priest with cancer, a Jesuit doorman, and a mother who had just lost her son.

The next call on Pope Francis’ list is going to be out of this world—literally.

Pope Francis will contact NASA’s International Space Station via a satellite call on October 26 at 17:00, according to the Vatican.

Aboard the International Space Station are a total of six astronauts, including three Americans, two Russians and one Italian who have been orbiting the earth, about 350km away.

Pope Francis’ call will mark the second time a pope has contacted astronauts in space. Pope Benedict XVI called the International Space Station in 2011 via satellite link and spoke with 12 astronauts for about 20 minutes—CNA.

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The Southern Cross, october 18 to october 24, 2017

LOCAL

Church anger at pensions looting plan STAFF RePoRTeR

T

HE Justice & Peace (J&P) Commission of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference has expressed outrage over alleged plans to plunder the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), and the pensions of millions of hardworking government employees and pensioners.

Bishop Abel Gabuza, J&P chair, said if the allegations of plans to capture the asset manager were

true, then the country’s moral barometer has hit a new low.

“The office of the finance minister currently suffers from a credibility deficit which could cost the efficient performance of the treasury, the economy and the livelihoods of the poor,” Bishop Gabuza said.

In the light of the mounting revelations about state capture, it is difficult to trust what the finance minister tells the nation, and his efforts at restoring public confidence over the PIC allegations have not al-

layed their fears, the bishop said.

“More needs to be done. Further strengthening of governance should be considered to prevent a raid on the pension savings of workers,” Bishop Gabuza said. “We join calls for greater involvement of parliament in the appointment of the PIC board and its chairperson”.

He added: “The concentration of the appointment powers of the minister of finance, without some form of parliamentary oversight, makes the PIC highly vulnerable to

political interference, looting with impunity, and the negative influences of ANC factionalism.

“We also want a representation of workers on the PIC board and the disclosure of unlisted portfolios of PIC to be fast-tracked and institutionalised.”

Bishop Gabuza said if the finance minister wants to restore his credibility and public confidence on the PIC, he should consider these and other anti-graft measures with the seriousness they deserve.

TV star inspires Catholic schoolgirls By eRiN CARelSe

A Archbishop Peter Wells, apostolic nuncio to Southern Africa conducted a baptism mass at Christ the King parish in mabopane, Pretoria archduicese, wich is under the administration of Fr Joseph molapo. Archbishop Wells was joined by two bishops who visited him from the US.

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WARD-WINNING TV presenter Leanne Manas encouraged learners to use their school years to explore all the activities available to them because one can always discover new talents and interests.

She addressed the girls of St Teresa’s School in Rosebank, Johannesburg, at their first Cultural and Sports Celebration.

The purpose of the event was to acknowledge the contribution of all the girls who regularly participate in co-curricular activities, and share the experiences of the matric committees on arts, culture and sports.

Mrs Manas encouraged the girls to appreciate the journey on the way to achieving their goals in order to prepare them for an interesting and active adulthood.

She stressed that “being engaged in a variety of activities ensures that we become interesting people”, with the added benefit of being able to discuss a variety of topics in a variety of settings.

The matric students who achieved an award at any level in either a cultural or sports activity throughout high school were recognised with a certificate.

TV presenter leanne manas addressed girls at St Teresa’s School in Rosebank, Johannesburg, at their first Cultural and Sports Celebration. She was presented with flowers as thanks by pupil Savannah Taitz.

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By FR ANSelm PRioR oFm

T

WENTY theologians gathered to discuss various topics around the theme “Reformation: Whose history? Voices from the South” when the Catholic Theological Society of Southern Africa held its annual conference at Koinonia, Johannesburg.

The keynote speaker was Professor Rothney Tshaka, a leading South African theologian and acting director of the School of Humanities at Unisa. He addressed the gathering on the subject of Reformed theology in this country today.

Reformed thinking from the Lutheran tradition had a strong influence in South Africa, and was widely used as a justification for apartheid.

However, for a sizeable number of Reformed theologians, the theology of Karl Barth actually challenged racial discrimination and showed how important it is to take into account the contemporary socio-economic situation of the oppressed.

The challenge today is for members of the Reformed tradition to enter into dialogue with current issues.

It was a fully ecumenical meeting in tune with Pope Francis’ call for dialogue between the Catholic Church and those of the Reformation churches.

At the AGM of the Theological Society, Fr Thabang Nkadimeng, OMI, was elected the new president, replacing Itumeleng Mothoagae who had held the position for six years.

Dr Nontando Hadebe of St Augustine College is the new vicepresident.

Professor Ruth Mampane (UP) was elected secretary and Dr David Tutty treasurer. lutheran Bishop munib younan of Jerusalem greets Pope Francis at lund cathedral in Sweden in october 2016.

Bishop younan will be the guest of honour at an ecumenical service in emanuel cathedral in Durban.

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Contact: Mother Prioress, Carmelite Convent 68 Retreat Road, Retreat 7945, Cape Town, South Africa Tel.#:021 713 6744 email: carmelitenunsretreat@gmail.com

Theology meeting put focus on Reformation

SA ecumenical service for Lutherans’ 500 years

A

CROSS the world, Lutherans are celebrating 500 years since the actions of Martin Luther on October 31, 1517, triggered the start of the Reformation.

To mark the 500th anniversary in solidarity with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of South Africa, Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban is

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inviting all Christians to participate with him and other religious leaders in an ecumenical service at Emmanuel cathedral on October 20, from 11:30.

Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan of Jerusalem, former president of the Lutheran Worldwide Federation, will be the guest of honour.

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The Southern Cross, october 18 to october 24, 2017

LOCAL

Community celebrates opening of new church By eRiN CARelSe

N

OURIVIER, a small hamlet tucked away in the hills of the Kamiesberge, about 40 minutes from Kamieskroon in the Northern Cape, celebrated the blessing and opening of its new church.

The new St Sebastian church, which can seat 150 people comfortably, replaces an older prefab building which the late Fr Alois Eckerstorfer OSFS erected for the community in the 1980s.

Fr Sebastian Rossouw OMI motivated parishioners, who enthusiastically set about raising funds from their meagre resources.

Parishioners of Nourivier made

the cement blocks with which the church was built. Benefactors throughout the country donated windows, the granite altar, and the lectern.

Contractor Zihaadt Cloete and his workers from Springbok donated their time and expertise.

Much support was received from Catholics in Springbok.

Fr Rossouw asked his many friends and parishes in Johannesburg, and in particular his home parish of Eldorado Park, for help..

The church was completed within a year.

It is situated in the heart of the Methodist mission territory.

Catholics settled there in the 1950s.

3

Three oblates of mary immaculate at the entrance to the new church of St Sebastian in Nourivier, Northern Cape: (From left) Fr Sebastian Rossouw, Bishop edward Risi of Keimoes-Upington and oblate provincial Fr Ronald Cairns. The church replaces an older prefab building from the 1980s.

Nourivier parishioners themselves made the cement blocks the new church is constructed from.

The two churches have always enjoyed good relations, with Catholics at times gathering in the Methodist church, and their children to this day attending the Methodist school in the area.

Bishop Edward Risi of KeimoesUpington consecrated the church with Oblates provincial Fr Ronald Cairns and Fr Rossouw.

The small church was packed to capacity and beyond, with a tent outside for the occasion.

At the entrance to the church a sign quotes Psalm 127, which was cited when the first sod was turned at the blessing of the foundation: “Unless the Lord builds the house, in vain do its builders labour.”

Priest shares his perspective on life in new book By eRiN CARelSe

I

N this new book, Collared & Content, Perspectives @ 40, Fr S’milo Mngadi shares his views from his 40 years on earth and 15 years as a priest, ranging from family to society; politics to people; theology to religion, sexuality to identity and much more.

Fr Mngadi says his book is not an autobiography nor is it a memoir, though it has elements of both. He described it as a collection of viewpoints arising from his life-experience. It follows his life-story from birth up until his present role as pastor of St Albert’s parish in Vosloorus, Johannesburg archdiocese.

“The elements of a memoir are that it’s selective; not mentioning

every detail,” he said, joking that “a man must keep some cards up his sleeve”.

“However, these autographical and memoir traits were a springboard for the reason of the book being from my perspective. By perspective, I basically mean how I view things. Obviously, how we view things can be quite fluid,” he said.

Fr Mngadi admitted that his views are not absolute and noted the possibility that on some subjects he might be missing the point altogether.

He said he sees his book as a proverbial song which may be out of tune with many currently popular tunes but which he must not die without singing.

“Most probably, by the time you read this book, my ‘perspectives’ on certain matters dealt with in it would have changed. It is a risk that I understood and consciously took,” Fr Mngadi said.

Fr Paul Manci SCP, rector of St John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria, “a man of wisdom and great intellect”, told Fr Mngadi: “Maybe we are afraid to write because in future our ideas will change, but books with our names will continue to represent what we no longer hold and we will thus be embarrassed by the products of our pens.”

Fr Mngadi dedicates his book to God for “I am because She is”, as well as to his late parents, Max and Sis Thoko, who accepted him as a

tender from God, and his late spiritual fathers, Fr James Dlamini—his parish priest for 36 years—and Bishop Paul Themba Mngoma, who ordained him.

Günther Simmermacher, editor of The Southern Cross, wrote the book’s foreword.

Fr Mngadi was born in Mariannhill diocese in KwaZulu-Natal.

After finishing school, he trained for the Catholic priesthood and was ordained in 2002 at the age of 25.

He has served in his home diocese and in Gauteng as a pastor in various parishes. A former social communications officer of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, he presents a regular show on Radio Veritas.

St Mary’s cathedral in Cape Town to host monthly concerts to raise funds

C

APE Town’s cathedral parish is hosting a series of monthly concerts to raise funds for its running costs.

The first concert will take place on Sunday, November 12, at St Mary’s cathedral.

The Encore Chamber Choir will be performing under the direction of Chad Siljeur and Jason Atherton.

The organist will be Steven Siljeur.

Tickets will be on sale at the door for R50 from 11:30.

The idea to raise funds with con-

certs was raised by Mr Siljeur, one of the three resident Cathedral organists. He suggested having monthly concerts to use the opportunity of the magnificent cathedral organ, its acoustics, and the cathedral’s longstanding tradition of good liturgical

and sacred music.

In the last year alone, the cathedral has hosted the Cape Town Chamber Choir, the Cape Town Youth Choir, the Youth Choir of Trier Cathedral (Germany), and Cancioneta Praga (Czech Republic).

At the end of October, the Cardinal Vaughn Schola Cantorum from Britain will sing at Mass.

The cathedral has also undertaken to replace its old hymnbooks, and to procure new vestments for altar servers and clergy.

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The Southern Cross, october 18 to october 24, 2017

INTERNATIONAL

Pope: Death penalty contrary to Gospel

By CiNDy WooDeN

T

HE death penalty, no matter how it is carried out, “is, in itself, contrary to the Gospel,” Pope Francis said.

Marking the 25th anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church at the Vatican, Pope Francis said the catechism’s discussion of the death penalty, already formally amended by Pope John Paul II, needs to be even more explicitly against capital punishment.

Capital punishment, he said, “heavily wounds human dignity” and is an “inhuman measure”.

“It is, in itself, contrary to the Gospel, because a decision is voluntarily made to suppress a human life, which is always sacred in the eyes of the Creator and of whom, in the last analysis, only God can be the true judge and guarantor,” the pope said.

The death penalty, he said, not only extinguishes a human life, it extinguishes the possibility that the person, recognising his or her errors, will request forgiveness and begin a

new life.

The Church’s position on the death penalty, he said, is one example of how Church teaching is not static, but grows and deepens along with a growth in faith and in response to modern questions and concerns.

In the past, when people did not see any other way for society to defend itself against serious crime and when “social maturity” was lacking, he said, people accepted the death penalty as “a logical consequence of the application of justice”.

In fact, he said, the Church itself believed that, and the death penalty was a possible punishment in the Papal States. It was only in 1969 that Pope Paul VI formally banned the death penalty, even though it had not been imposed since 1870.

“Remaining neutral today when there is a new need to reaffirm personal dignity would make us even more guilty.”

The first edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, published by Pope John Paul II in 1992, recognised

“as well-founded the right and duty of legitimate public authority to punish malefactors by means of penalties commensurate with the gravity of the crime, not excluding, in cases of extreme gravity, the death penalty”.

At the same time, it said, “bloodless means” that could protect human life should be used when possible.

But the language was formally changed in 1997 after St John Paul II issued his pro-life encyclical, Evangelium Vitae. Since then, the catechism has specified that the use of the death penalty is permissible only when the identity and responsibility of the condemned is certain and when capital punishment “is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor”.

The development of Church teaching, Pope Francis insisted, is not the same as contradicting or changing Church teaching. “Tradition is a living reality and only a partial vision would lead to thinking of ‘the deposit of faith’ as something static.”— CNS

Iraqi-Kurdish war would be deadly for Christians

By SimoN CAlDWell

T

WO millennia of Christianity in Iraq could be wiped out completely if war breaks out between Iraqi forces and Kurdish nationalists, warned an adviser to the Chaldean Catholic Church.

Stephen Rasche said the international community must act quickly to prevent a new conflict in Iraq following the referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan, where 93% of 3,3 million voters chose independence.

The poll triggered a hostile reaction from the Iraqi government, which immediately halted flights

over Kurdish air space and stopped recognising visas issued by the Kurdistan regional government.

Mr Rasche said unless tensions between Baghdad and Irbil are defused, Christian refugees returning to towns on the Nineveh Plains could find themselves in the midst of a “greater war” than that fought against ISIS. If the refugees were unable to resettle because of a new conflict, then “Christianity in Nineveh is gone,” he said.

“It will disappear after 2 000 years if we do not rebuild now,” said Mr Rasche.

“Archbishop Bashar Warda of

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Irbil has said repeatedly over the last year that what comes after ISIS could be even more dangerous to the Christians than what came during ISIS,” he said.

“There is real concern that war could break out between those aligned on the Iraqi side and those aligned on the Kurdish side,” he said.

“The biggest and most important thing the international community could do right now is prevent a war,” Mr Rasche continued, adding that “intense diplomatic pressure” needed to be exerted on the two sides now to prevent a conflict.—CNS

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A statue is seen in the Vatican Gardens. The Vatican is involved in a fiveyear project to develop ecologically friendly cleaning agents and techniques to clean, restore and maintain the 570 works of art, including fountains, statues and stone plaques, on display outside. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)

Vatican uses essential oils on outdoor art CiNDy WooDeN

R

OUGHLY half of the Vatican’s 445 154km2 is devoted to gardens, and a major project is underway to keep them as “green” as possible.

It’s not about watering the plants, although that was a big concern this year with a drought in Italy.

The Vatican Museums and the Vatican City governor’s office— which includes the gardeners—are involved in a five-year project to develop ecologically friendly cleaning agents and techniques to clean, restore and maintain the 570 works of art on display outside. Those works include fountains, statutes and stone plaques.

The project involves art experts and biologists, including several dedicated to studying medicinal plants and essential oils extracted from plants.

At a day-long scientific conference at the Vatican Museums, the

scientists and restorers presented their work. Showing a slide of a gardener wearing a hood, jumpsuit, mask and gloves, one researcher told the audience they want such a picture to be a thing of the past.

The artwork needs to be conserved, but without harming the plants, animals and birds who live in the gardens or the men and women who work there, researchers said.

For the Vatican, the project is not just about killing bacteria, removing fungus and algae, controlling rust and chipping off calcium deposits.

The entire process is being meticulously documented—from the original state of degradation to the formulae of substances applied and the long-term tracking of their effectiveness—in the hopes of being able to offer other cities and institutions “green” methods for preserving outdoor art.—CNS

UN nuncio: Poverty and violence hinder women C ONDITIONS in many parts of the world force women and girls to bear the burden of carrying out everyday chores for their families and communities, keeping many of them from getting even a basic education, the Vatican’s UN nuncio said.

Females are often the victims of sexual and other violence, which prevents them from improving life for themselves and their families, said Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Vatican’s permanent observer to the UN, Migrant women and girls are particularly vulnerable to these situations, he added.

He addressed the issue of women’s advancement during a session at the UN of the Third Committee, which focuses on social, humanitarian and cultural issues.

“Young women in rural areas are disproportionately involved in unpaid domestic work and especially bear the greatest burden when access to clean water and sanitation is not readily available,” Archbishop Auza said. “They are forced to spend considerable time and effort collecting water for the community, and in doing so, their access to basic education is often thwarted, not to mention that, in many isolated places, they are also exposed to risks of violence.”

Failure to achieve “that basic human right” of universal access to safe drinkable water “can undermine other human rights, as it is a prerequisite for their realisation”,

he said.

Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si’ points to “the abandonment and neglect…experienced by some rural populations which lack access to essential services”, Archbishop Auza said, quoting the document. In many areas, the pope noted, “some workers are reduced to conditions of servitude, without rights or even the hope of a more dignified life”.

Women and girls often bear “the heaviest burden from these deprivations”, the archbishop said.

Regarding education, “significant progress has been made towards parity between boys and girls from families of relative wealth or decent economic standing”, the archbishop said, but women and girls who live in poverty lack schooling, literacy skills and opportunities for adult education.

“Whenever young women and girls do not have access to education, they are hindered from becoming dignified agents of their own development,”Archbishop Auza said.

To change this reality, the “basic material needs of every school-age girl living in rural areas must be addressed”, he said. One initiative that has “proven efficient”, he said, is providing school meals to reduce girls’ absenteeism. Such efforts should be encouraged “to guarantee access to education to each and every girl”, he added.—CNS

INTERNATIONAL

The Southern Cross, october 18 to october 24, 2017

Pope: Church committed to fight online child abuse

By CiNDy WooDeN

A

CKNOWLEDGING how often the Catholic Church failed to protect children from sexual abuse, Pope Francis pledged “to work strenuously and with foresight for the protection of minors and their dignity”, including online.

“As all of us know, in recent years the Church has come to acknowledge her own failures in providing for the protection of children: Extremely grave facts have come to light, for which we have to accept our responsibility before God, before the victims and before public opinion,” the pope said.

Pope Francis welcomed to the Vatican participants from an international congress on protecting children in a digital world. Hosted by the Pontifical Gregorian University’s Centre for Child Protection in partnership with WePROTECT

Global Alliance, the congress was designed to get faith communities, police, software and social media industries, mass media, non-profits and governments working together to better protect minors.

Participants appealed to governments, Church leaders and tech companies to do everything possible to remove online images of children and young people being sexually abused, identify and help those children, and end cyberbullying and “sextortion”, which is using sexual images to blackmail someone. They also asked people involved in health care to increase the training needed to know when a young patient is being abused and how to help them.

Pope Francis told the group that as a result of the “painful experiences” of seeing some of its clergy abuse children, but also as a result of “the skills gained in the process of conversion and purification, the

Aussie bishops seek to restore trust T

By CARol GlATZ

HE top leaders of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference and chair of the Church’s Truth, Justice and Healing Council met with Vatican officials to discuss issues emerging from national investigations into the abuse of minors.

“Topics covered included the Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the relationship between the Church and society at large, the restoration of trust, and greater participation of the laity in decisionmaking roles in the Church,” the Vatican press office.

The bishops’ delegation met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state; Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Vatican foreign minister; Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops; and Archbishop Giacomo Morandi, secretary for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Archbishop Denis Hart of Melbourne, conference president, and Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane, vice-president, took part in a “wide-ranging discussion concerning the situation of the Catholic Church in Australia at this time”, the Vatican said.

The two officers were accompanied by Neville Owen, a former judge of the Supreme Court of Western Australia and the current chair of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council.

The council was established by the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference and Catholic Religious Australia to oversee the Church’s engagement with the royal commission, which conducted a state inquiry into clerical sexual abuse.

The commission said that, since 1980, 7% of the nation’s priests had been accused of child sexual abuse and 4 444 people had reported allegations of child abuse to church authorities.—CNS

Pope tops 40 million followers on Twitter By mATTHeW FoWleR

P

OPE Francis’ @Pontifex Twitter accounts reached more than 40 million followers just a few months before the fifth anniversary of when Pope Benedict XVI launched the initiative.

The papal Twitter accounts, in nine different languages, have grown by over 9 million followers in the past 12 months, representing the interest and attention of “the people— ordinary people, Christians and non-Christians, political leaders—for the Holy Father’s tweets”, the Vatican Secretariat for Communication said.

The accounts, it said, are a way for Pope Francis to personally connect with people around the world.

“Every day, through his tweets, Pope Francis makes himself available to men and women through social media, at times offering a spiritual thought,” it said, “other times sharing with his followers a reflection on events of great significance for the international community.”

The secretariat’s prefect, Mgr Dario Vigano, told Vatican Radio that “the pope takes great care of his social profiles, to such an extent that he closely and carefully checks all

the tweets, which are then published.”

It shows the pope’s concern and “care for relationships” even over the internet, even though the pope has admitted he is not savvy with new technologies, Mgr Vigano said. The pope knows, he said, that the web is “a network not of wires but of people”.

In a recent report on Twitter by Twiplomacy.com, which ranks world leaders’ impact on the social media platform, the @Pontifex accounts had the second-most followers among world leaders, only 200 000 followers behind the US president, @realDonaldTrump. Since the report, both the president and the pope’s followers have continued to grow, with Mr Trump’s account exceeding the 40,3 million mark, maintaining a tight lead over Pope Francis.

Twiplomacy ranked the pope as coming in third among world leaders with the most interactions and being the most influential because of his average of 41 000 retweets.

The pope also communicates digitally via Instagram. His account, @Franciscus, was approaching 5 million followers since its creation March 19, 2015. —CNS

Church today feels especially bound to work strenuously and with foresight for the protection of minors and their dignity, not only within her own ranks, but in society as a whole and throughout the world”.

The 80-year-old pope said that with the explosive growth of digital technology, “we are living in a new world that, when we were young, we could hardly have imagined”.

“If, on the one hand, we are filled with real wonder and admiration at the new and impressive horizons opening up before us,” he said, on the other hand its quick and widespread development has created new problems.

“We rightly wonder if we are capable of guiding the processes we ourselves have set in motion, whether they might be escaping our grasp, and whether we are doing enough to keep them in check,” Pope Francis told the group.—CNS

5

morgan Freeman is pictured with villagers during the ethiopian Peace Ceremony in omo Valley in a scene from the documentary series The Story of Us. A companion to National Geographic’s emmy-nominated The Story of God, The Story of Us explores universally human themes in vignettes. As he has done in the first series, Freeman becomes the viewers’ guide and an actor in his global journey to discover “the ties that bind us, the common humanity inside us, which is the ‘story of us’.” (Photo: maria Bohe, National Geographic/CNS)

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6

The Southern Cross, october 18 to october 24, 2017

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Church supports organ donation WOULD like to respond to Peter sick who sometimes have no other I(September Hoar’s letter on organ donation hope� (Evangelium Vitae, 86) is a 27). beautiful act in the culture of life.

Editor: GĂźnther Simmermacher

Mission to the youth

T

HE missionary field has changed fundamentally in the recent past. Where once missionaries left their homes to convert people who had not heard the Good News, today the message of Christ’s love and sacrifice must be communicated to many of those who have heard but do not embrace it.

It is true that the Southern African region has not abandoned God. Church attendance in our region is, by and large, still encouraging. Yet, there are many brought up in the Catholic faith who are abandoning it for other churches or none.

The Church’s missionary apostolate must reach out to these former Catholics. The starting point for that must be to identify the reasons for which such people leave the Catholic faith, and, if possible, address them on these terms.

This examination will form part of the focus in the Synod of Bishops on the Youth in October 2018. To that end, the Vatican has collected by way of an online questionnaire the views of young people around the world. Notably, the invitation to tell the Church about the experience of being young today was extended also to non-Catholics and those with no faith.

The challenge for the synod and for the Church in general is to identify how to convey the good news of the Gospel persuasively at a time when, more than ever, young people are subjected to a cacophony of mixed messages.

The Church competes with many influences that place a premium on the pursuit of selfish interests and instant gratification.

For many young Catholics, the Church and its teachings are irrelevant, its liturgy unattractive, and its community too judgmental. These sentiments may well be induced by a modern culture that is at odds with Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular.

The popularity of Pope Francis, who is urging the Church to open its doors to the marginalised and the seekers, may help to present the Catholic Church as a more inviting place.

But other churches, especially the evangelical types such as Hillsong, are doing a much better job of attracting young Christians— many of whom come from the Catholic Church.

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

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

We must interrogate why this is so. Does it simply owe to styles of worship, or do these new churches offer a better experience of the Christian life than the Catholic Church does? Do these Christians find it easier to locate Jesus there than in the Church which Christ actually called into being?

The Catholic Church cannot go on helplessly blaming external elements—an amoral world, antiCatholic bias, proselytism by well-funded churches, and so on.

Sometimes the liability resides in our inability to understand and engage with the youth.

We must ask: how can it be that some parishes have vibrant youth groups while neighbouring parishes have no youth mission?

The mission territory has expanded. In the age of instant engagement on social media, missionary activity can be conducted, at least to some degree, even on a cellphone.

And this is where we find young people: on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, in WhatsApp groups and on Snapchat. Pope Francis has called on the Church to go out to where the people are.

This is where the Church must be to proclaim the Good News.

Of course, though they have the capacity to reach out to individuals and to build community, the innovations of technology cannot replace personal contact.

Young people especially must also be personally engaged.

In the parishes, young Catholics have to be catechised in ways that make sense to them. A central component of that must be to equip young Catholics to live as disciples of Christ in an often hostile world, and t empower them to do so as active and responsible members of the parish community.

No amount of exemplary youth ministry guarantees that young Catholics won’t abandon the faith of their childhood. However, a good Catholic grounding—including an appreciation of the Mass and the unique sacrifice of the Eucharist—will help to lay the foundations to which these people may return at a more mature stage in their lives.

For this to happen, the Church’s catechetical efforts must be so persuasive as to compete with the rival influences of secular society and the new churches.

This is our missionary challenge today.

The Church strongly believes that life is sacred, as the creation of God; we are stewards, not owners of our bodies. A person is a composite of body and soul; as long as there is a living body, even if mental capacity is reduced or absent, there is still a person present.

The subject of organ donation is a tough one for newly bereaved families. It is, however, one of the issues the Church fully supports.

Both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have said they are available to be organ donors.

Pope John Paul II said that “the donation of organs, performed in an ethically acceptable manner, with a view to offering a chance of health and even of life itself to the

Purgatory roots in 2 Maccabees

I

AM replying to the various letters on purgatory (August 30).

2 Maccabees was written 40 years after the event by Jason of Cyrene (M2:23) and belongs to books known as deuterocanonical or apocrypha. They were not part of the inclusive canon of Greek scriptures. For Catholics they belong to the canon of scripture but for most Protestants, who follow the Jewish canon, they do not.

Their disputed status is expressed in the terms “deuterocanonical� (a second canon) and “apocrypha� (hidden away).

Early Christians focused on the martyrdom accounts in 2 Maccabees, and some also valued its references to the afterlife and perhaps even to purgatory.

St Jerome, commissioned by Pope Damasus I, revised the Old Testament on the basis of Hebrew manuscripts. This was completed in 404AD. It was known as the common version in Latin, editio vulgata, which we know as the Vulgate.

The Jewish Bible (Tanakh) is essentially the Bible determined at Jamnia at 90-100AD. The Gutenberg Bible was the first Bible printed, in 1456, an edition of the Vulgate.

Since the Catholic Old Testament derives from the Septuagint and not from the Hebrew Bible of Jamnia, it contains seven books not included in the Hebrew canon plus additional material.

This was in opposition to the Reformers, who made the Bible their basis of belief.

The Council of Trent (1545-63) decreed that tradition—the part of revelation not written down in the scriptures but transmitted through

He was speaking of organ donation after death.

The Church also teaches that organ donation by the living is morally good.

William May of the Catholic University of America in Washington DC writes on the morality of organ transplants: “Theologians agree that organ donation and transplants from living donors are morally justified and are indeed noble and good actions� (www.ewtn. com/library/ISSUES/zmorgtrans.htm) He says the most common position held by theologians was developed by Jesuit Father Gerald Kelly, which holds that “such donation and transplantation is justified by the principle of fraternal charity or opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in letters to the editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the Catholic hierarchy. The letters page in particular is a forum in which readers may exchange opinions on matters of debate. letters must not be understood to necessarily reflect the teachings, disciplines or policies of the Church accurately.

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

the teachings of the Church—was of equal authority with the Bible.

Catholics were prohibited from reading any translations, with this restriction being removed late in the 18th century.

The Protestant Reformers went back to the Hebrew text for the Old Testament and the Greek text for the New Testament.

Early in the 1520s, the New Testament was translated by Martin Luther into German, by Jacobus Faber into French, and by William Tyndale into English. The same translators’ versions of the Old Testament appeared the following decade.

Tyndale’s objective was that the ploughboy should know the scriptures better than the pope.

The Catholic Church first declared heretical results of historical and scientific research that undermined traditional Church teaching.

Under Pius XII (1939-58) it supported research, declaring that the results, if true, would not vary from the Church’s traditions and dogma.

Personally, I couldn’t care two hoots about tradition. I put my tent in holy scripture and spirituality.

I also donate R50 every month from my pension to Radio Veritas, and have done for several years. I am appalled at the apathy of Catholics.

The Southern Cross and Radio

love when doing so is of great benefit to the recipient, with the proviso that the harm suffered by the donor is limited and morally acceptable�.

The Church also holds that donation of body organs does not preclude the resurrection of the body after death, which is what I think Mr Hoar in his letter is concerned about.

Body mutilation can occur in life as a result of amputations following disease or injury; there is no reason to limit God’s power to raise us up whole and perfect at the last day.

Pope Benedict wrote in November 2008: “The act of love which is expressed with the gift of one’s own vital organs is a genuine testament of charity that knows how to look beyond death so that life always wins.�

Yvonne Morgan, Catholic Healthcare Association of Southern Africa

Veritas deserve better support, and I challenge every pensioner to equal or better my monthly donation.

John Driver, Daveyton

Church and ANC sadly similar

O

VER the past few years I have come to recognise some striking resemblances between my Church and the African National Congress.

The most significant are: • Clinging to an identity which belongs to the past and refusing to adapt to the needs of the society in which it exists. • Holds its power and authority in the hands of an elite few. • Leadership values power over authority. • A failure to listen to critics within and without their structures. • Regards internal criticism as disloyalty and punishes or silences the offenders. • Values collective conscience (obedience) over personal conscience (mature deliberation) • Demands that internal disputes be kept within the “familyâ€? and imposes secrecy to achieve this. • Tightly controls its discussion agendas. • Refuses to be moved by voices of outsiders, seen as hostile opposition even when legitimate and patently valid. • Insists on steering its own reform within self-appointed structures without advice from outsiders or its own membership. • Pays strong lip-service to democracy but is seldom seen to practise it. • Imagines that it will rule “till Jesus returnsâ€?.

Paul Traynor, Benoni

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PERSPECTIVES

The diary of an iron padre Fr Chris I Townsend GYM. I love my time at gym. I need my time at gym. As a priest and as a pastor, the gym is a very important part of my day.

It has always been part of my routine—sometimes more regularly than at other times, but in the last 20 months in particular, it has become a vital part of my stress management and self-management.

But let me rewind a little. A few years ago I was bitten by a black widow spider—in my bathroom in the middle of the night as I put on my slippers to subdue my restive dogs. The results of that spider bite have been long-term.

Thanks to the spider’s bite I have connective tissue damage and it was a long and fairly unpleasant recovery after spending 36 hours in ICU and three days in hospital.

The consequence of this damage is that I need to keep moving. Near-constant motion was already part of my life as I am at least ADD—that was never diagnosed because in my youth we who have some attention deficit disorder were just called unruly and unmanageable; or just bored and uninterested.

I have had to learn that my body needs the movement and the discipline of gym and pilates—and the attention of a rather fearsome personal trainer who has greatly helped my recovery.

Recently I discussed professional conduct and ethics with the Cape Metropolitan Province AGROP (Annual Gathering of Recently-Ordained Priests). This is an opportunity for those priests who were ordained five years ago or less to spend time together to reflect on their vocation and ministry, and also their difficulties.

I can’t speak for their current difficulties, but one of the things I have learned in 17 years of ministry is that we often take too little care of ourselves—or we take too much care and become defensively selfish.

The time I spend at the gym, then, becomes for me a safe and structured space for downtime, an opportunity to take a few hours each day just taking care of the whole person.

There are just a couple of days a year

when there is a focus on the care of the priest. Birthdays and anniversaries are very important to many priests. I personally am not particularly fazed by them, but that’s just me.

The feast of the Sacred Heart is also developing into the International Day of Prayer (and Care) for Priests. It seems like a really good idea to identify this day as a care day for priests. Some parishes take this very seriously with lunches and gifts for their pastors. Some dioceses have wellness days for their priests while others organise sports tournaments.

M

y favourite priests’ care day, however, is the International Buy Your Priest a Beer Day. I have no idea of the origin of this marvellous idea, but I see that it is being promoted on the www.catholicgentleman.net site.

Fr Chris Townsend pumps iron at gym.

Working out is an important part of his daily routine, as a means of managing stress and for health purposes.

Pastor’s Notebook

On the second Monday in September, parishioners are invited to take their priest out for a beer.

This gives us a chance to chat together over a pint and feel that we are actually a safe part of a community. And it needn’t be tied to just one day a year.

Of course, it must be emphasised, I don’t advocate that we priests have a beer with every parishioner…that would be irresponsible. But maybe this sort of opportunity allows us as priests to feel part of the communities for which we have responsibility.

So often, with the increasing needs and decreasing clergy, we enter into a service-provider mentality with the communities we pastor. We have also often been placed on an isolation-pedestal which makes it difficult to be part of our communities.

Communities are themselves cautious about welcoming any priest with open arms when they arrive and it’s often years before we are part of communities—and sometimes never really are a part of them.

The unreflective space of particularly diocesan clergy—the so-called “secular clergy”—managed on a religious community model by bishops appointed from religious communities increases this sense of isolation and detachment.

Our appointment for six years—if you ever get there!—means that you spend two years learning the story, two more years changing the story, and two further years mourning the end of the story.

This is why I think it is important for parishioners to learn something about their priest: his hobbies, his interests outside the Church, and his favourite beer…

And I’ll gladly take the pint with you—and then meet you in the gym tomorrow to work that beer off. n See more articles by Fr Townsend at www.scross.co.za/category/perspectives/ fr-chris-townsend/

Religious life needs good vocations Br Simeon A Banda FSS S I am writing this article, I am meditating on the Canaanite woman, who seeks out the Son of David to have mercy on her daughter victimised by sickness. Thus Jesus enters her territory.

Do we take advantage of conversion when Jesus enters our territories, as the Canaanite woman, a Gentile, did?

For paedological reasons, Jesus seems to harshly say no to her petition because there is no need to waste the food of the children (Jews) to dogs (Gentiles). She knows the historical privilege of the People of the Covenant but she insists that those of the uncovenanted remain. It is her insistent faith that Jesus rewards.

When I look at the young men from the Southern Africa province of the Marist Brothers who have come to the postulate in Malawi, where I now serve, I say to myself that Jesus is present in Southern Africa.

Faith must be criterion number one for anyone aspiring to the religious life. Jesus will test them to see if they are serious in their search for the consecrated life.

Many people nowadays say that vocations to the consecrated life are not a numbers game. I sometimes agree with them, going by the rate of departure of indispensable Brothers in my sector.

What really matters in any vocation in the Church today is the clear motivation to work for the Kingdom of God, to go to

Point of Vocation

marist novices from southern Africa in malawi. the other gentile territories where people are desperately seeking the mercy of Jesus, the Messiah.

Any egocentric privilege loses its place here.

B

ut how many of us came to the consecrated life—or diocesan priesthood, for that matter—just to get a university degree and leave soon after?

These young men stay with us for one year, and it is easy to see who is accepting formation and who is not responding well.

But we offer equal opportunities to all.

In my culture, no man will be given a wife when he does not show any sense of taking care of someone. I say to myself that the religious life too is precious and ought

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not to be offered at a cheap price to anyone who shows no signs of being serious about it.

The Canaanite woman passed the test of faith and her request was rewarded.

Likewise, young men have to prove themselves worthy of such a radical way of life, with faith at the very centre.

Possible deceptions must be scrutinised by the vocation directors. Vocation directors do great work but sometimes they fail.

In Africa the vocations are there but the applicant’s motivation has to be clarified.

Young men who apply to enter the religious life must be followed up for a long time—or we will have false vocations that disappoint us.

Jesus calls out to us: “Follow me!” But at times, it seems, we ask Jesus to follow our will and not his.

Let Jesus remain our centre of focus in our vocation journey and we shall be authentic portraits of the Marist founder St Marcellin Champagnat who was always driven by faith and reliance on Mary’s protection.

The Southern Cross, october 18 to october 24, 2017

7

Michael Shackleton

open Door

Are disasters a sign that end is near?

We have been shocked latterly by the great number of wars, earthquakes, floods and natural disasters ravaging people all over the earth. Surely, this is a sign from God that the end of the world is near. Matthew’s gospel gives us warning that these things will happen, adding that “all this is only the beginning of the birthpangs” (Mt 24:8), meaning that the coming of the kingdom is at hand.

Do you think the world right now is experiencing signs that its end is near and the Lord will be coming back soon?

Russell

N

O, I don’t think so. Greater and lesser natural disasters have been afflicting the earth for centuries, yet it is still spinning.

Modern communication methods now thrust news of them into our faces even before we can digest them. It is a simple step to think they are happening more frequently than ever before, but it would be difficult to measure the difference.

The connection between earthly calamities and God’s design for salvation comes from the Old Testament. The prophet Joel among others foretold that the “Day of the Lord” would bring earthquakes, and the sun, moon and stars would stop shining (Joel 2).

The Christian belief is that the Day of the Lord signifies the return of Christ in judgment and to reign over his everlasting kingdom. The text that you refer to does not indicate when this is to be.

We must be ready for it, “for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Mt 24:44).

Our preparedness for Christ’s return to establish his kingdom is a lesson the Church teaches us insistently. We must understand wars, evil deeds, earthquakes, floods and natural disasters as a continual warning that the kingdom is not of this world and it is always near.

Hebrews 13:14 puts it bluntly: “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come.”

Until the kingdom of Christ is revealed, all the signs of the Day of the Lord point to the here and now. This means that on any day and at any time in history, Christ will return in glory as king and judge.

In the meantime he is among us through the presence of the Holy Spirit who urges us to heed what St Paul wrote: “From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free” (Rom 8:22-23).

Our planet is unstable in many human and natural ways. We need firm faith to acknowledge that these “birthpangs” will bring forth a triumphant Christ whose reign will establish peace and order for creation.

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, october 18 to october 24, 2017

COMMUNITY

Nineteen candidates were confirmed at our lady of Perpetual Help parish in West Park, Pretoria.

They are seen with archdiocesan vicargeneral Fr Robert mphiwe and assistant parish priest Fr Sibi Kalarickal Cmi.

Students at St Teresa’s School in Rosebank, Johannesburg, celebrated mercy Day by preparing stationery packs for charities. Seen here are Grade 12 students (from left) michaela Honselaar, Savannah Taitz and erin Knoesen.

A group of pilgrims, flying the flag, were led by Fr Gavin Atkins on a trip to Rome, Assisi and medjugorje.

(Photo: micasa Tours)

A group of Grade 11 girls at Holy Rosary School in edenvale, Johannesburg. (Back from left) micaela da Silva, Nadia Tozzi, megan Bertasso, Chiara Hoskin, Gabriella de Stefano, Kiara Janse van Rensburg, Chrislin Nieuwoudt, Grace morgan, Daniella Ribeiro, Tina estrela, Catherine Ryan, Alexia mendes and Bontleng Dibakwane. (Front) Devan Cerrai, Kathryn Brink, Federica Giuiricich, and religious education head Sharon meyer.

Send your photos to

pics@scross.co.za Fifteen Grade 11s were inducted as the new leaders of Assumption Convent School in Germiston, Johannesburg, for 2018. (Back from left) Nontuthuko Nyembezi, Gabriella Horn, Keeyanda Tshipamba, Tyla de Freitas, Annalisa Taffara, Kiana van der Schyff, emilie Godwin and Kimberley Klette.

(Front from left) Tamryn Peel, mikaela Simoes, Natasha Kasambira (head of religion), Gabriella Dunn (headgirl), Katie-meg Weinerlein (deputy headgirl) and Carnia Adams.

Novice brothers from the oblate novitiate, with their novitiate master Fr Rodney George omi, celebrated mass with the congregation at St Peter Claver parish in Pimville, Soweto. (Photo: Sello mokoka)

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The Southern Cross, october 18 to october 24, 2017

FAITH

9

Large tattoo a public declaration of faith For a young Durban Catholic a large tattoo of a crucifix is a public declaration of his faith which was deepened by two encounters with Pope Francis. illA THomPSoN reports.

I

N Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago famously told Roderigo to wear his “heart on his sleeve for crows to peck at�, metaphorically using his body to physically and publicly expose his truest and most intimate emotions.

In these days of the tattoo generation, our entire body becomes our canvas with which to visually proclaim affirmations, images and icons which are important to us.

A young Durban Catholic, Liam Smithers, has supersized this concept and has the most magnificent enormous crucifix tattooed onto his back. With this, he publicly declares his faith and living with the visual reminder of Christ’s love for us, literally branded upon his back. “I had it done some years ago after a great deal of praying and reflection,� Liam said. “I wanted to acknowledge everything I have and be reminded that without the power of God I would

pope said, ‘Please pray for me. Don’t forget‌’ I was enormously moved to be asked to pray for the pope. It meant a lot to me, the idea that my prayers were worthwhile and that I could pray for him,â€? Liam said. “The suggestion that our prayers are just as important as his was probably one of the most defining moments in my adult life, and gave me a new perspective on my faith,â€? he said. “I mean, I am a random person from Durban, but I was made to feel as though I can make a difference.â€?

His second encounter with Pope Francis was “quite by accident�.

Again the organisers needed a representative from the continent of Africa and, after an all-night vigil, Liam was at the right place at the right time to be selected. All the young people were blessed by the pope and all received a mini wooden statue of the great Brazilian icon, Christ the Redeemer.

Liam has presented his statue to the archdiocese of Durban, where it is displayed.

be a lot less than I am today. I have a blessed life, and I am grateful that I know where I came from.�

His tattoo depicts a bold, detailed cross, with the words “God� and “Power� intersecting.

Liam is delighted that the Mini World Youth Day (MWYD) is coming to Durban this December.

Through attending previous global World Youth Days (WYD) he has twice met the Pope: experiences which have changed his life profoundly.

He was at the WYD 2013 in Rio de Janeiro—a place with similar social divisions, poverty, corruption and crime challenges as those in South Africa.

In Rio, the organisers asked for volunteers to put their names forward, and Liam was happy to be chosen to represent the continent of Africa.

Pope asked: ‘Pray for me’ He had the phenomenal opportunity of having a one-on-one conversation with Pope Francis himself.

The Holy Father asked Liam about himself and presented him with a rosary. Just before the Rio trip, Liam had lost his special rosary which he had been given during his first holy Communion—so to receive a new one from the pope was particularly special. “At the end of our encounter, the

Theology in the pub Durban Catholic liam Smithers with his tattoo for God. He urges young Catholics to come to Durban in December to take part in mini World youth Day. (Photo: Rogan Ward)

Liam is still very involved in youth structures and is part of the young Catholics’ initiative, Theology on Tap, where young people meet informally once a month, in a pub or restaurant, to talk about current faith issues in a contemporary,

non-threatening, inclusive way. “We are all on a different faith journey, and all face our challenges in different ways. Theology on Tap is one way in which we can accommodate young adults who respond to an informal platform,� Liam explained.

He urges young adults to come to Mini World Youth Day to experience the size and scope of the local Church. “Many of us are stuck in our parishes and are used to being with 20 or so fellow young Catholics.

Whereas attending the MWYD will give attendees the chance to meet thousands of young people and help us all to understand what it means to be Catholic, and how universal our Mass is. “I think you can stagnate if you try and celebrate faith in isolation.

Attending MWYD helps you to realise that you are not alone,� he said. n The Mini World Youth Day will take place in Durban from December 6-10.

For more information contact Barbara Koorbanally at the archdiocese of Durban on 031 303 1417 or the Conference Company on 031 303 9852.

(Both in office hours. Or see www.miniworldyouthday.co.za or e-mail louise@confco.co.za. Follow MWYD: Facebook: Mini World Youth Day 2017 / Twitter: @MWYD_ Durban / Instagram: mwyd_durban

Does Church approve of tattoos?

Does the Bible and Church forbid or allow tattoos?

ADDie meNA found out.

praised. But one who submits himself to be tattooed for superstitious reasons in the manner of the heathens will derive no benefit therefrom.�

At the time, pre-Christian pagan tattoo traditions still existed among some Britons. The acceptance of tattoos lingered in English Catholic culture for several centuries after Northumbria, with legend saying that English King Harold II was identified after his death by his tattoos.

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HERE’S no biblical or official proscription banning Catholics from getting tattoos that would apply to Catholics today—contrary to some false reports of a ban by Pope Adrian I, which cannot be substantiated.

But many early theologians and bishops commented on the practice in either word or deed.

One of the most common citations against the use of tattoos among Christians is a verse in Leviticus forbidding Jews to “cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves.�

(19:28).

However, the Catholic Church has always distinguished between Moral Law and Mosaic Law in the Old Testament. Moral Law—for example, the Ten Commandments—remains binding on Christians today, while Mosaic Law, which deals largely with Jewish rituals, was dissolved by the new covenant at Christ’s crucifixion.

The prohibition on tattoos is included among the Mosaic Law, and therefore the Church does not see it as binding on Catholics today.

Also an important historical note: according to some sources, this prohibition was sometimes ignored even among Jewish believers around the time of Christ, with some mourners tattooing their loved ones’ names on their arms after death.

Also of interest was the larger cultural practice within Roman and Greek cultures of marking slaves and prisoners with a “stigma�, or tattoo, to show whom a slave belonged to, or the crimes a prisoner had committed.

Was St Paul tattooed?

St Paul even references this reality in his letter to the Galatians: “From now on, let no one make troubles for me; for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body.�

While biblical scholars argue that St Paul’s point here is metaphorical, the point still stands that marking oneself with a “stigmata�—generally understood as a tattoo—was a common

Franciscan tattoos

A South African Holy land pilgrim sports a tattoo from a Bethlehem parlour of the Jerusalem Cross, a design from the 11th century to symbolise the Five Wounds of Christ, or Christ and the four “corners� of the world. practice to make the analogy.

Moreover, there is some evidence that in certain areas before the rule of Constantine, Christians began to anticipate the “crime� of being followers of Christ by marking themselves as Christians with tattoos.

Early historians, including the 6th-century scholar and rhetorician Procopius of Gaza and 7thcentury Byzantine historian Theophylact Simocatta, recorded stories of local Christians willingly tattooing themselves with crosses in the Holy Land and Anatolia.

There is also evidence among other, smaller communities in Western Churches of early Christians marking themselves with tattoos or scars of the wounds of Christ.

By the 8th century, tattoo culture was a topic that was raised in many dioceses across the Christian world, from the tattooing of early pilgrims to the Holy Land to the question of using formerly pagan tattoo customs among new Christian populations.

In the 787 Council of Northumberland—a meeting of lay and ecclesial leaders and citizens in England—Christian commentators distinguished between religious and profane tattoos.

In the council documents, they wrote: “When an individual undergoes the ordeal of tattooing for the sake of God, he is greatly

Later, some priests—most notably priests of the Franciscans of the Holy Land—began to take up the tattoo needle themselves as the tradition of pilgrimage, and souvenir tattoos began to take off among European visitors to the Holy Land.

That tradition persists to the present day, with Christian tattoo artists offering a variety of designs in places like Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Still other priests of late antiquity and the early Middle Ages sported tattoos themselves.

Yet, not all bishops and theologians in the Early Church were pro-tattoo.

St Basil the Great famously preached in the 4th century: “No man shall let his hair grow long or tattoo himself as do the heathen, those apostles of Satan who make themselves despicable by indulging in lewd and lascivious thoughts. Do not associate with those who mark themselves with thorns and needles so that their blood flows to the earth.�

Some kinds of tattoos were even outlawed outright by Christian rulers.

In 316, Emperor Constantine banned the use of penal tattoos on a person’s face, commenting that “since the penalty of his condemnation can be expressed both on his hands and on his calves, and so that his face, which has been fashioned in the likeness of the divine beauty, may not be disgraced�.

With nearly 2 000 years of Christian discussion on the topic, there is no official Church teaching on tattoos. But with such a rich history to draw from, Christians have the opportunity to listen to the wisdom of theologians throughout the millennia as they think before they ink.—CNA

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The Southern Cross, october 18 to october 24, 2017

SISTERS OF NAZARETH

MISSION

Penniless missionaries: Our experiences I

Come and see…

Follow Me… “To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; To seek Him, the greatest adventure; To find Him, the greatest achievement” (St Augustine) Could yoU be the one to share the mission of Christ as a Sister of Nazareth?

Contact: Sr Margaret: 076 399 1015 srmargaretcraig@gmail.com www.sistersofnazareth.com

Jesus asked, “What are you looking for?” ( Jn 1:38)

I “I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.” ( Jn10:10)

Are you searching for God’s desire for you?

We, as Sisters of mercy, seek to be a compassionate presence of God wherever we are.

Contact: Sr Mirriam Senatsi at mirsen9@gmail.com or at Box 55201 Northlands 2116

MISSIONARY CHURCH WITNESS of MERCY

:H DUH³ FRP missioned to announce the mercy of God, the beating heart of the *RVSHO´ ( Merciful like the Father, 12)

³DQG WR SURFODLP mercy in every corner of the world, reaching every person, \RXQJ RU ROG ´

(Pope Francis, Message for World Mission Sunday 2016)

MISSIONARIES OF AFRICA P.O. Box 10057 Edenglen 1613 South Africa

N August priests, seminarians, lay brothers and sisters of the Neocatechumenal Way were sent out on a very particular mission.

They went mostly two-by-two all around South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho for a week announcing the Good News.

In imitation of the Gospel (Mt 10:9-10) they had with them only the Bible, breviary, crucifix, rosary and return ticket. No money, no cellphones.

“We carried this announcement as in earthen vessels, in all our weakness, humbly, sometimes with broken English, but always bringing the witness of the wonders done by the Lord in our lives,” said Dino Furgione, responsible catechist for the Neocatechumenal Way in Southern Africa.

Here four of the 72 missionaries recall their experiences: GEORGE NGISAISE (Seminarian of Redemptoris Mater Seminary, Cape Town). Destination: Nelspruit was sent to Nelspruit in Mpumalanga with Freddie, a m a r r i e d brother from Delft community in Cape Town. On our arrival we were first welcomed in the sister’s convent at St Peter’s. The nuns were very happy to see us.

The day after, we went to the parish priest who, on his day off, organised everything for us. He took us to meet some families and we shared our experiences with them.

We saw that there really is the need to evangelise because these families had a lot of problems which they shared with us. They were so touched and happy to receive the message of the Gospel.

Everywhere we went, we read a passage of the Gospel, chosen by chance—and it was so perfect in every family, really God was speaking to them.

The parish priest arranged transport for us to move on to Witbank. He even offered money for the trip, but we told him we couldn’t accept money.

In Witbank, Bishop Joe Sandri was very happy to see us. He gave us a driver who drove us to two other parishes to meet the priests. It was very good because these priests showered their generosity on us and gave us a warm welcome.

In those days, I met God in many events and his providence was really among us. I could also see the suffering of priests. Being alone in their parish, it is difficult for them to relate and speak about their suffering to anyone.

But most of all we could see people living in hell.

I said to myself: “Lord, if you’re calling me, help me to console these people through your Gospel the good news”.

Tel.: 011.452.5283 Vocation Director: 072.987.2990 Email: mavocsa@gmail.com

Visit our international website: www.africamission-mafr.org

ERROL PILLAY (Pretoria). Destination: Bloemfontein he Bloemfontein mission was a time of grace for me and my companion, Stephen van Reenen.

The communion we shared during this time of mission was the work of God. We arrived in Bloemfontein with great anxiety when the bus stopped in front of a shebeen with a number of intoxicated and visibly drugged youth. What

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could I expect? What will I say!

Will I have a warm bed? What if I have no food this week? And where is my wife?

Over the next days I discovered that God has always been ahead of us.

In Botshabelo we thanked God that we had everything, including a warm bed already sorted by the generosity of the Franciscan Sisters along with Frs Harrison and Michael.

One priest we met said that in his more than 20 years of priesthood, this was the first time he had received the good news like this—the Church is in motion! I was humbled and needless to say emotional how God is using these simple unworthy men for his work—and how!

This mission has changed my life and saved me. I write this with tears of joy and a deep sense of humility overcoming me. God loves me this much that he has given me, this sinful, arrogant man, a time to walk with him concretely and to help me grow in faith.

ERICA PARATO (Port Elizabeth/ Oudtshoorn). Destination: Durban he thought of this mission both frightened and intrigued me.

On the one hand, precariousness is already part of our life as a family in mission, but on the other hand being sent two-by-two, with no bag, no money, no cellphone, is precariousness taken to the extreme, even to the limit of madness.

In addition to this, being a woman and having to leave my six children without being able to receive news about them for six days...

Now back home healthy and safe, one word comes to mind: Dayenù! It’s a Hebrew word meaning: “That would have been good enough!” (As a summary of the Magnificat).

The Lord has been faithful to the promise made: “Behold, I am with you every day!”

Dayenù: an angel named Maryse at St Joseph’s in Durban, who welcomed us women with a smile: you will be my guests! And another angel named Sue, who opened her home to us for the last few days, with amazement and curiosity driving us all over the city.

Dayenù: when in trouble in the streets of Sydenham, where no one could help us, another angel, named Alexis, gave us a lift to the desired destination.

Dayenù: all the priests and sisters who welcomed us as angels, listened, telling us the experience of their vocation, prayed and thanked us. And they gave us a glass of water!

Dayenù: the few priests who refused us, or listened indifferently to us and considered what we were doing crazy, yet we felt no need to retort, and felt real peace in the heart.

Dayenù: in front of the suffering of the innocent, with Mother Teresa’s sisters, touching Christ in the last of the lasts whom the nurses care for with a love that can only come from God. Dayenù: the profound communion with Natalie, my companion, whom I did not know before, fruit of so much prayer and dialogue. Without her I would not have stayed in the mission.

Dayenù: all the missionaries of the world together as an army in the battlefield, and the families in

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mission, being the Trinity in mission, an instrument of the merciful God to save his Church (and the priests).

Dayenù: the Word that accompanied us every day. The word of the last day, on the way back: Thy mercy is enough; in fact, strength is manifested in weakness (2 Cor 12: 9).

Dayenù: my marriage with Andrea, rebuilt once again. Dayenù: the children, who have received a teaching that is worth more than my own words: only God is enough.

Dayenù: Christ Our Passover has risen for us, Alleluia!

BIANCA DONOUGH (Cape Town). Destination: Johannesburg his mission was the most amazing experience of my life.

In the first parish we visited in Johannesburg we attended Holy Mass, as it was Sunday and we had travelled 20 hours through the night.

At the consecration, I found myself in tears. At that moment God inspired me to look towards my two companions, whom he had sent with me. God showed me that I was not alone: he and my companions were with me.

This was God’s way of preparing me for the rejection which was to come that night.

By Sunday evening we were still without shelter for the night. As we were about to leave we asked for directions and an angel called Solomon took us to our destination, a convent.

The sisters were not disposed to house us for the night and after much discussion and no conclusion the Sisters felt we had invaded their privacy and they called the police... We were then taken to the police station and that is where we spent the night, sleeping on the floor or on a mattress for prisoners, with rats everywhere.

The next day we walked for 14 hours, from rejection to rejection, but with joy, sustained by the word of God and the help of the two ladies he put with me. I saw how God had provided for us every day as a group and individually, physically and spiritually.

When we were in a difficult situation, God was always faithful through his word; God answered us, directly relating to the situation we found ourselves in.

He guided us to the places and people he wanted us to see.

I found myself in a city in desperate need of evangelisation, families in need of the kerygma (preaching the Gospel).

I saw myself truly in dirt, physical filth, human waste, poverty, drugs, prostitution, and evil. This called me to humility, called me to abandon myself by asking others for help.

I am the type of person who always seeks to be in control of everything in my life. God brought me to my knees, showing me my own poverty—but he sustained me through my prayer and the Gospel.

When we came back, a wound on the leg of my companion Amanda became a nightmare.

The doctors were about to amputate, but we asked the intercession of our protectress, Carmen Hernandez—the late co-founder of the Neocatechumenal Way— and everything went well, to the surprise of the doctors.

It was a miracle that made us able to say: “Dayenù!”

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MISSION

The Southern Cross, october 18 to october 24, 2017

11

A great missionary remembered On World Mission Sunday, DAlUXolo moloANToA remembers a very special missionary in Pretoria whose work was cruelly cut short by deadly bullets.

Builder of laity

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HE Italian priest known as Masusumetsa “was a great friend of South Africa, and its people”. These were the words of Nelson Mandela, in remembrance of Fr Michele D’Annucci after the priest’s violent death.

On a wet December morning in 2001, Fr D’Annucci had just paid a visit to a family in Block DD in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, when he was accosted by two armed car hijackers in the family driveway.

The criminals shot the priest in the foot and hand when he refused to hand over his car keys. When Fr D’Annucci called for help, they shot him at point-blank range.

They left him to bleed to death in the street as they made off with his car, cellphone, Bible and other possessions.

As they shot down the priest, the three armed robbers—all of them would be caught and sentenced to life in jail—did not know that their act would change the face of the Catholic community, in the Pretoria region and beyond.

Over the span of three decades in which he personified and spread the spirit of “Community serving Humanity”, Fr D’Annucci was a worthy leader who led with utmost diligence, energy and candid prudence.

This legacy remains etched deep in the memory of those whose lives he touched, and those the Stigmatine Father so self-effacingly served.

Michele D’Annucci was born on September 17, 1941, in the province of Potenza in southern Italy. The second-born child of Giovanni and Calandriello D’Annucci, he was raised in a family firmly rooted in human and Christian values.

In 1960 he entered the religious family and joined the Stigmatine Fathers in Verona, Italy. In 1961 he

Fr michele D’Annucci, an influential italian Stigmatine missionary in Pretoria archdiocese who was murdered in 2001, is seen with Nelson mandela. Fr D’Annucci was a model of the modern missionary in South Africa. made the novitiate and, four years later, in 1964, he made his perpetual vows.

Making of a missionary In 1967, at the age of 26 he answered his call to serve humanity in the downtrodden regions of the world, and came to South Africa.

He completed his theological studies in South Africa, at the St John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria, and was ordained a priest on June 22, 1969 at the Most Holy Redeemer church in Mmakau village, northwest of Pretoria.

Upon his arrival in South Africa, Fr D’Annucci had taken particular cognisance of the untold hardships inflicted by the apartheid system on the African majority. Encouraged by the Church’s teachings on social justice, and his deep belief in the goodness of all people, he became an active advocate of religious revival and social justice for the disenfranchised section of South African society.

THE CAPUCHIN POOR CLARE SISTERS

To this effect, he initiated and played a major role in the beginning of social responses to the wrath that apartheid wrought on the disenfranchised. This earned him many arrests and repeated stints of jail time—at times in solitary confinement—at the hands of both the South African Police and the homeland Bophuthatswana police.

D’Annucci held a firm and steadfast belief in education as a tool to liberation. It was at the opening of Tsogo High School in 1975 that he declared to the school’s new students: “Your task and duty is to fight apartheid and social injustice from the school desk, for a future free, and postapartheid South Africa.”

Fr D’Annucci, who was affectionally named Masusumetsa (meaning “changemaker” in Setswana) by those served, founded and initiated countless community projects, particularly in Pretoria’s northwestern black urban communities.

His commitment to social justice

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and empowerment found expression in the various initiatives which he pioneered and implemented. Among these are: • 28 Catholic church buildings.

• Two health centres.

• Five community centres.

• A centre for the visually handicapped.

• Eleven kindergartens.

• A centre for the physically handicapped.

• A food programme for the needy.

• Construction of water reservoirs and provision of piped water to Brits communities.

• Legal and material support to families of political detainees during the anti-apartheid struggle.

• An interdenominational communal farming project in GaRankuwa, north of Pretoria.

Through his friendship with Mother Teresa of Kolkata, he presided over the settlement of her Sisters of Charity in South Africa in 1988.

Beyond the key roles he played in the implementation of these social services, Fr D’Annucci was deeply passionate about the advancement of lay participation in Church activities.

Among the programmes which he was highly involved with and played a crucial role in their implementation and execution were Wedding and Family Preparations, the Chiro Youth Movement and the formation of Small Christian Communities.

A mark of Fr D’Annucci’s genius was his ability to collaborate with various stakeholders in bringing to fruition a particular goal. Being the hands-on man that he was, he would go over the plans for a particular project, and immediately get stuck in, helping with his own bare hands. It always came in handy whenever his abilities as a trained electrician and plumber were needed.

Fr D’Annucci’s violent death left many stunned and without words to express their pain. His untimely passing left many feeling lost.

His was an extraordinary life, and Fr D’Annucci’s remarkable contribution as a champion of charity has not been forgotten.

The posthumous honours came soon. On March 24, 2002, Italy’s President Carlo Azeglio conferred the Gold Medal for Civil Value on him.

On September 22, 2002, Fr D’Annucci was officially declared a martyr of the Catholic Church, and his name was included in official martyrology documents in Rome.

His death, however, was not all in vain. It is not evil which has won. Evil has not defeated his mission.

Fr D’Annucci is victorious and captures the palm of martyrdom.

And the blood of the martyrs will be the seed of new Christians. n Daluxolo Moloantoa is the content manager for the Scalabrini Institute for Human Mobility in Africa. He is planning a book to celebrate Fr D’Annucci’s legacy. If anyone has any information that may be of use, please contact him on 081 063 1242.

Do you want Jesus Chrrist to be known, loved, and served throughoutt the world?

Join our international C Community, Join the

Contact details: Sr Elisabeth Marie 073 389 4356 https://ursul ulinesouthernaffrica.jimdo.com/

12

The Southern Cross, october 18 to october 24, 2017

BOOK REVIEWS

The story of ‘first media star’ Luther A SHORT LIFE OF MARTIN LUTHER, by Thomas Kaufmann.

(William B Eerdmans, Michigan) 2017. 146 pp Reviewed by Paddy Kearney N October 31 it will be the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing the famous “95 Theses” to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany.

Throughout this much-anticipated year, Lutherans the world over are holding events to celebrate the occasion.

These commemorations began with a high-level ecumenical event at Lund in Sweden last year, attended by Pope Francis who warmly embraced the Lutheran Archbishop of Sweden, who happens to be a woman.

In recent years there has been sustained dialogue between the Catholic and Lutheran Churches and the gap between the two denominations seems to have been considerably narrowed.

The teachings of Luther have been revisited in a more friendly ecumenical atmosphere less fraught with papal excommunications and reference to the pope as the “antiChrist” which would have made a

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cool, calm examination of doctrinal differences impossible 500 years ago.

I’m not sure whether author Thomas Kaufmann has had the benefit of information about the recent cordial discussions between Catholics and Lutherans because he makes the startling claim that “according to Roman Catholic teaching, Luther is damned for time and eternity. The condemnation applies not only to Luther himself but also to all those who might feel committed, directly or indirectly, to his interpretation of Christianity” (meaning all Lutherans?).

This is not my reading of the agreements we have reached with the Lutheran Churches and certainly Pope Francis could hardly have been thinking about his Lutheran hosts in Sweden along the lines suggested by Kaufmann.

Nevertheless this book is worth reading because the author has packed a great deal of useful information into this slim volume which brings out clearly the enigma that was Martin Luther, with all the contradictions of his personality making him a man of opposite extremes.

This was a profoundly inward

person who nevertheless, by using the printing press, became the “first media star of history”; a contemplative and an activist; a man of piety who could resort to foul language in ordinary domestic conversation; a man who oscillated between the highest degree of self-assurance and the deepest sense of unworthiness and dark self-accusation; someone who described himself as “a stinking bag of worms” and yet claimed to have reformed more than “the pope’s church could do with five councils”.

Kaufmann recounts the great achievements of Luther. By making the Bible available in the vernacular he “transformed Western Christianity”. His attack on indulgences unleashed “a dynamic that would produce the most fundamental changes ever experienced in the Western Church”.

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ut there was also a dark side which Kaufmann recognises.

Luther had many enemies, but Kaufmann claims that Luther imagined many more enemies than he actually had.

Those whom he regarded as his enemies he saw also as the enemies

of Christ. In the context of being excommunicated as a heretic by the pope, he gave as good as he got by declaring the pope to be the antiChrist.

His other great enemy was “the Turk” whom he regarded as the “very devil incarnate”. But the Turks were not to be fought militarily through the Crusades, but through repentance and prayer.

Just slightly less of an enemy than pope or Turk were Jews for whom Luther developed an obsessive enmity as “a brood of vipers” and “children of the devil”, climaxing In his late years in a belief that Jews should be expelled from Protestant cities as a “most sacred obligation”.

While one may be horrified by these attitudes towards Muslims and Jews, one has to ask whether Catholic attitudes at that time were any better?

One of the most fascinating aspects of Kaufmann’s biography is his description of Luther’s love of community.

He had been an Augustinian monk, living in large monasteries, rising even to the position of number two Augustinian in Germany

with direct supervisory authority over 11 Augustinian houses.

Later he would live in what had been an Augustinian house, with his wife (a former nun), their children, domestic workers, relatives from both sides, 10-20 students, some tutors, and visitors, perhaps as many as 50 people.

Luther never complained about the constant hubbub, though he certainly would have had the power to change things—clearly he didn’t want to.

Missions priest shines light on suffering KEEP IT LIGHT: Praying through Suffering into Joy, by Larry Kaufmann CSsR (Redemptorist Pastoral Publication, Merrivale). 2017.

84pp. R70 Reviewed by Fr Kevin Reynolds HE sub-title of this 84-page book by the well-known South African Redemptorist missioner, Fr Larry Kaufmann, succinctly states its purpose.

In his introduction, the author writes that the book’s eight chapters rest on a single foundational principle: “The only spiritual life is life itself in all its ambiguity and pain; its hopes and dreams. The ‘spiritual’ part of ‘spiritual life’ does not discard our humanity or put us onto some sort of angelic plane. For the Christian it refers to the grace and working of the Holy Spirit at the

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heart of human existence itself.

Grace builds on nature. Grace does not replace nature.”

This means the spiritual life is open to everyone, not only to the clergy and religious.

Those who have attended a parish mission conducted by Fr Kaufmann are familiar not only with his clear and enticing style of preaching but also with his practical teaching in his optional school of prayer offered every morning after the second parish Mass.

This school exposes participants each day to different methods of prayer. With such an emphasis on prayer in his parish missions, it is not surprising Fr Kaufmann concludes each chapter in this book with an ancient prayer from our Judeo-Christian tradition, a psalm, that reflects beautifully the essential

content of his presentation.

As I read this book, I grew in my own sense of its developing mood of prayer interwoven in everything Fr Kaufmann records.

The chapter headings strikingly illustrate the author’s sensitivity to life’s limitations and brokenness.

What makes Fr Kaufmann’s narrative authentic is his sharing events from his own life to illustrate his message.

Thus, in his first chapter on depression he admits that as a growing boy, if post-natal depression had been more freely spoken about, in his later childhood and early teens he might have been more understanding of his mother after each of his younger four siblings were born.

In his chapter on healing memories, Fr Kaufmann recounts how as

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THE HOLY FAMILY ASSOCIATION ONE FAMILY with five vocations.

Appreciating differences and recognising the amazing Oneness as human family within the earth community,

WITH ONE PURPOSE: The prayer of Jesus in John 17 “THAT ALL MAY BE ONE” (Jn.17) For more information contact: Sr. Breda Grehan at 011 9065392 or grehanbreda@gmail.com

a four-year-old in hospital, he thought his parents were abandoning him as they bade him farewell at the end of visiting hours. This misunderstanding was healed only in his adult years.

Similarly, in his chapter on suffering and injustice, Fr Kaufmann shares his experience in 1986 of being detained by the Security Police for two weeks, for his pastoral care for striking workers of the Sarmcol rubber factory in Howick, several of whom were his parishioners.

A particularly touching incident of Fr Kaufmann’s detention was what his father, Anthony, inscribed in a copy of the Bible he brought him in prison: “To Larry, Matthew 3:17, Your Dad”. When Larry checked that text he found that his father had highlighted it, “You are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”

In the spirit of Fr Kaufmann’s openness to his own human vulnerability, I found his chapter on debilitating illness particularly valuable in the light of my minor stroke in July.

Appropriately, a confrere of Fr Kaufmann, deaf and blind Fr Cyril Axelrod, writes the book’s foreword.

In coming to terms with his physi-

cal impairments, Fr Axelrod describes them as God’s special gifts to him.

Significantly the last section of the book’s final chapter states again, “The only spiritual life is life itself.”

Once more this emphasises that this book is intended for everyone and as such can assist us all in our lifelong journey. n Also new from Redemptorist Publications is The Prayer Book of Jesus

by Fr Sean Wales CSsR, and the revised edition of Learn To Pray. See rpp.org.za

A rich mine for reflection

SILENCE AND SOLIDARITY: Celebrating 30 years of the Centre for Christian Spirituality. Barnabas Publishers (Wellington). 2017.

Reviewed by Elsabe O’Leary HIS is a most extraordinary anthology, dedicated to Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.

It pays wonderful tribute to Rev Francis Cull, who was the first director of the Centre for Christian Spirituality, and acknowledges those who have been part of holding and guiding its vision and work.

In these pages one meets a wide variety of people and organisations that have contributed to building a growing and open community of those who seek silence while searching for an expression of solidarity and compassion.

This book is a colourful window into the life of the centre.

The chapters titled “Voices from the past”, “Silence and Solitude”, “Community and Training”, “Beauty and Creativity” and “Solidarity” surprised me with the breadth and depth of the lives touched through the spiritual formation, retreats, programmes and outreach over these 30 years.

T

Essays in the book explore both contemplative prayer and how we are transformed by prayer, as well as solidarity with transitional realities in our society and our care for Mother Earth.

The reader encounters a rich diversity through those who share something of their personal experience. The centre’s engagement with the many pathways to a deeper encounter with God is made visible in the pieces on Taizé, Celtic spirituality, the Shalom Institute, creation spirituality, the Parliament of the World’s Religions, the Cape Town Interfaith Initiative and many more.

The prayers, poetry, prose, photographs, descriptions of programmes and other contributions offer a wealth of inspiring material for reflection and a heart filled with gratitude. n To order, e-mail Sally Argent at sally.argent @gmail.com.

REFLECTION

The Southern Cross, october 18 to october 24, 2017

13

The Christian life – a call to holiness What does it mean to be ‘holy’? What does the Christian life look like when we are disciples of Christ?

JoACHim ANAKWeNZe looks at the road we must all walk when we say ‘yes’ to the Lord.

O

UR daily lives are constantly filled with many struggles.

Some struggles may seem unsurmountable, others can be dealt with by slow and steady work.

For those who manage these struggles, it is not an effortless achievment; they do it through a sincere and untiring effort. It is not just the case of bread and cheese; rather it is built on hard work.

Every day of our lives, we are faced with the need to survive, to be happy, to be good, and also the need to do greater things in whatever field we find ourselves.

This can be seen as the essence of our existence since it is rare to see a human being who does not fall into any of the categories mentioned above. With this in mind, we begin to ask many questions in search of answers that may not be out there in the world.

Some of these questions are: What must I do to be happy? Why are my brothers, peers, or friends progressing while I am regressing?

What steps should I take to be successful in life? What should I do to be seen as a good person by others?

These questions occupy our minds as we move on in life, and

As Christians we are called to walk through the narrow gate—that means not solving our problems as the world solves them but relying on our mystical union with Christ for all things, writes Joachim Anakwenze. their exact nature differs from one person to another, and from one group of people to another.

I would like to narrow these questions down to the Christian life, a life worth living for those who really know what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Not all who describe themselves as Christians fall into this group.

There are the nominal Christians— those who bear the name but do not really try to meet the requirements of true discipleship (bearing in mind that many of us who do try often fail).

T

he true Christian life is not easy, but we are left with two options: either to live it the way we should, or live it the way we want. Both are

different because they refer to the narrow and wide gates respectively.

We need to enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to destruction is wide and spacious, and many take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it (Mt 7:13-14).

The Christian is called to live a holy life in imitation of Christ. We do this through our different individual and sincere efforts. Much as we may fail in these efforts, we are called to attain a height of holiness as Christians.

“Your minds then must be sober and ready for action; put all your hope in the grace brought to you by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Do not allow yourselves to be shaped by the passions of your old igno-

rance, but as obedient children, be yourselves holy in all your activity, after the Holy One who calls us, since scripture says, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’,” Peter wrote in his first epistle (1:13-16).

A

s Christians, we need to be “set apart” from the world unto the Lord. We need to live our lives according to God’s standards, not the world’s. God is calling us to be distinct from the world.

Peter describes Christians as “a holy nation”. As Christians, we are separated from the world, and as such, we need to live out that reality in our everyday lives.

We are called to live out our struggles in following the Christian way. These daily struggles can come

in different ways.

It can be the struggle either to be holy, to abstain from sin, to overcome our daily temptations, to live a prayerful life, to be a saint and so on. These daily struggles come out of a struggle between the two natures in us. Often we give in to the flesh—to gratify ourselves or to receive a pleasure we want—and try as much as we can to subdue the Spirit of God living in us.

But as Christians, we must not always do what pleases us. We must always be alert to whether what pleases us now will become an obstacle to our salvation.

We must always have Christ’s admonition in mind: “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it” (Mt 16:24-25).

With this in mind, we Christians should not place the pleasures of this life before God. When we do not subordinate ourselves to God, will we receive eternal life?

If we live our Christian lives the way we ought to, then we will see ourselves saying, like St Paul: “I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come for me now is the crown of uprightness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his appearing” (2 Tim 4:7-8). n Joachim Anakwenze writes from Jouberton in Klerksdorp diocese.

14

The Southern Cross, october 18 to october 24, 2017

SA CHURCH 200

How religious orders built the local Church The local Catholic Church was built by missionary orders. In the second part of his look at Church and colonialism, FR ANTHoNy eGAN SJ explains how South Africa was evangelised.

R

ELIGIOUS orders played the greatest role in African missions in South Africa.

While some, such as the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and Jesuits, operated in both the colonial towns and rural missions, others—notably the Mariannhill Missionaries (emerging from the Trappists) and later the Franciscans—concentrated on rural evangelisation.

A brief examination of a few of these congregations illustrates this.

On their arrival in Natal, the Oblates set up their base in Pietermaritzburg, the colony’s capital.

Three priests (one a bishop), a deacon and a lay brother constituted this group.

As frequently happened in mission territories, the superior of the mission, Marie Jean Francois Allard. was made vicar-apostolic and bishop of the new territory, arriving in 1852.

The vicariate, which later moved its headquarters to Durban, became the archdiocese of Durban in 1951.

It would be under Oblate bishops until the appointment of a Franciscan, Wilfrid Napier, in 1992.

They found a rough and ready colonial arrangement. Fr Murphy, a diocesan priest from the Eastern Cape who had spent time in Natal, had warned about drunkenness and debauchery among the community.

Civil marriages and concubinage was common, as was marriage be-

tween Catholics and non-Catholics, a practice frowned upon by the Church at the time.

Bishop Aidan Devereux in the Eastern Cape had tried, at a distance, to resolve such issues, drawing on the subtleties of canon law which recognised the validity of nonCatholic marriage so long as it did not include a formula allowing divorce. Even African customary marriage was recognised, insofar as it did not allow for polygamy.

These challenges, together with rumours that the Portuguese Catholics at Delagoa Bay (now Maputo, Mozambique) had rebelled against the Church, made Bishop Allard’s early ministry in Natal worrisome.

Added to this, he had to establish permanent congregations in Pietermaritzburg, Durban and, significantly, Bloemfontein, which fell within the vicariate even though it was in the Republic of the Orange Free State.

In the latter, the Norbertine Father Jacobus Hoendervangers had established a Catholic community.

There, and in Fauresmith, Smithfield and Harrismith, he’d managed, despite government resistance, to obtain land or promises of land.

Three years after his arrival, in 1855, Bishop Allard started the first mission to Zulus in Natal, sending two of his small band of priests to live in a kraal to learn the language.

Ministry to whom?

This had been part of the plan of the vicariate from before its inception and had been a priority of Eugene de Mazenod, the founder and superior-general of the Oblates.

But, following a clear pattern elsewhere in South Africa, Bishop Allard’s priority was summed up in a letter: “We have to minister to

Bishop Henri Delalle of Natal visits the Zulu mission chapel at Weenen in April 1921. According to The Southern Cross, “he was received by the zealous and devoted missioner, Father Bold”.

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(From left) oblates of mary immaculate founder St eugène de mazenod (1782-1861), Bl Joseph Gérard omi (1831-1914), mariannhill missionaries Father Bernard Huss (1876-1948) Catholics first.”

He was also quite pessimistic about the Zulu mission, seeing them as “uncivilised” (owing in part to their alleged nudity, and berating the colonial government for doing nothing about it!) and having no religion. The latter were common perceptions among Christian missionaries in South Africa, and were further intensified by the Catholic perception of the time that outside the Catholic Church the chances of salvation were limited to non-existent.

Bishop Allard came under heavy criticism from De Mazenod for dragging his feet. This could not have helped Allard, who had an obsessive streak that frequently alienated those around him. He found it difficult to adjust to the pastoral flexibility Rome counselled in mission territories.

He had a tendency to mistrust both the British colonial authorities and the Boer government in the Free State, despite reassurances from Bishop Devereux that the Brits weren’t all that bad and Fr Hoendervangers’ successful wooing of the Boers.

During Bishop Allard’s 23-year tenure, conflict with his clergy would lead to a few priests quitting the Church. (He would, in fact, be recalled under a cloud, albeit one deftly handled by his superiors to preserve his dignity.)

Although the start was shaky, the Oblate mission in the vicariate grew steadily. Their work in particular in Basutoland (present-day Lesotho) would net them many converts— and the first southern African candidate for sainthood in Bl Joseph Gérard, a French missionary seen today as the most significant figure in the emergence of Catholicism in the kingdom.

As the Oblates moved northwards to the Transvaal and westwards to the Northern Cape diamond fields, other congregations like the Oblates of St Francis de Sales (OSFS) moved from the west coast eastwards into the Kalahari areas.

The OSFS mission in the most inhospitable areas of the Northern Cape worked with the Khoikhoi, the Baster peoples and the Batswana. Notable here is how they would build a “cathedral in the desert” at Pella, transporting materials by wagon from the coast.

Even the mission among the Zulus in Natal grew, dramatically increasing through the work of the Mariannhill community, both before and after their expulsion from the Trappist order.

By the early to mid20th century Mariannhill’s mission work extended throughout present-day KwaZulu-Natal and southwards into the Transkei, in some cases deep into the Eastern vicariate itself.

The missionaries made learning Zulu and later Xhosa a priority; some of them, notably Fr David Bryant, became key figures in developing standard Zulu grammars.

Mission schools were

prioritised. This served a dual purpose: education itself and deepening Catholic beliefs among the people.

Mission of education One should not underestimate the latter point. For the Mariannhillers (and by extension the other men and women religious orders dotted around South Africa in 1900 and afterwards), the first priority was getting the faith established and strong.

Second in line was a “civilising mission” that would westernise African peoples. If English Protestant missionaries’ vision was of creating a class of black Englishmen, the Catholic vision was of black Catholic Europeans.

Largely in response to seeing the emergence of African nationalism, a few missionaries like Mariannhill Missionaries Father Bernhard Huss CMM started to think in terms of a gradual assimilation of an African Catholic elite into the colonial society. But, in terms he expressed that found their way into mainstream missionary correspondence, this was going to be a slow process.

Although the Jesuits had turned down an invitation to work in Natal in the 1850s, by the 1870s a sprinkling of Jesuit works had arisen in the Eastern Cape. In 1875 the Jesuits took on St Aidan’s College, a boarding school for “sons of colonists” created by the diocese in Grahamstown.

The school, which struggled financially from the beginning, was the largest single work of the Jesuits in South Africa for almost 100 years.

(It closed in 1973.)

Beyond the school, the Jesuits served parishes in Graaff-Reinet (where it also had a novitiate to train Jesuit candidates), Cape Town and Transkei. It would also set up a mission for a short time in Vleeschfontein (present-day North West province) as the society moved northwards past the Boer Republics into Southern Rhodesia, present-day Zimbabwe.

This move was partly the result of very limited access to missions in the Eastern Cape but primarily the result of a plan developed in the 1880s to expand Catholic missions northwards.

Obtaining land at Dunbrody on the Sundays River, near Port Elizabeth, from the Trappists, the Jesuits set up a mission farm that also served as a headquarters (seminary

A beer ad in The Southern Cross in 1930 celebrates the colonialist Cecil John Rhodes, whose admiration for the Jesuits at the time was very much reciprocated.

and proto-provincialate) for what they called the Zambesi/a Mission.

Suffering from severe drought for most of its existence, Dunbrody struggled to maintain its viability— even as the Jesuit presence in Southern Rhodesia thrived. Heavily in debt, it was sold in 1932 following a disastrous legal dispute with the Cape government over underground water rights.

What is most interesting about the Jesuit missionary presence in 19th century South Africa is how it shines a light on the complex coexistence of the colonial and missionary Church.

Reports in the Zambesi Mission Record, the Jesuits’ in-house magazine of the time, and the publications of St Aidan’s College, reveal a general acceptance of colonial society and a rather patronising attitude to African culture. They were glowing in their admiration for Cecil John Rhodes, who though not particularly religious admired the Society of Jesus and gave them land for their missions in Zimbabwe.

Moreover, while Jesuits’ attitudes to Protestants on the rural missions were universally hostile, their urban counterparts were more generous.

Particularly in Grahamstown, the Jesuits’ attitude to non-Catholics was civil, sometimes even with a hint of warmth.

Another aspect of the Jesuits’ mission work was intellectual. Many of the Jesuit missionaries were accomplished amateur naturalists, who wrote eloquently of geology, flora and fauna they encountered.

They were also amateur anthropologists, whose descriptions of African customs—though substantially accurate—were laced with a patronising tone characteristic of many of their professional counterparts of the time, both anthropologists and missionaries (of every denomination). It goes without saying that they were men of their times.

Two Catholicisms Times change, of course. Although the practices of the segregationist and later apartheid state would successfully maintain the “two Catholicisms” of the 19th century well into the 20th century, the Catholic Church as an institution changed ahead of the state.

A renewed missionary effort after the First World War shifted the Church’s focus to the development of local clergy, something that had been lacking before, particularly in South Africa.

By the 1960s too, the Eurocentric assumptions of Catholic belief had also taken a knock.

Drawing on ideas previously rejected—notably the Jesuit missions in China’s attempt to interpret and teach Christianity through Confucian philosophy—the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) actively promoted the inculturation of religion. In South Africa the Church initiated numerous projects in this regard, the most notable being the Lumko Institute in Transkei (later moving to Germiston, near Johannesburg).

Lumko started initially to train clergy in African languages. This expanded into developing African Church music and new forms of liturgical celebration, notably the use of traditional dance.

A new generation of black South African theologians—inspired by counterparts elsewhere on the continent—started to develop a homegrown African Catholic theology.

This project was delayed, however, by the renewed Church engagement in the struggle against apartheid. Many rightly saw that before one could have an African Catholic theology there needed to be liberation from colonialism’s pervasive legacy, apartheid.

It is to the Church and race, the Church and the struggle against apartheid that I shall turn to in future articles. n This article was produced by the Jesuit Institute in association with The Daily Maverick.

The Southern Cross, october 18 to october 24, 2017

CLASSIFIEDS

Fr Paul Fahy

F

ATHER Paul Fahy, 74, beloved pastor of the Kouga Communities of Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp and St Francis Bay in Port Elizabeth diocese, died suddenly on September 6 after suffering a massive heart attack.

Fr Fahy had celebrated his golden jubilee barely three months earlier, on June 10. He had just returned a week prior to his passing from Ireland, where he celebrated his jubilee once again with family and friends.

His Requiem Mass at Sacred Heart parish, Kabega Park, Port Elizabeth, was attended by nearly 1 000 people. More than 40 priests concelebrated with Bishop Vincent Zungu. A very moving homily was delivered by Fr Matt Gormley OFM Cap, who had been a close friend of Fr Fahy’s for a number of years.

All his surviving siblings— from Ireland, the US and Australia—as well as other members of his family attended the funeral, and beautiful tributes were delivered by his brothers, Pat and Ed

Fahy, and sister Mary Cairns.

Diana Alberts delivered a simple and heartfelt tribute on behalf of the Kouga Communities.

Fr Fahy’s close friend Mgr Brendan Deenihan noted that the late priest had “given 50 glorious years of priesthood” serving in the Port Elizabeth diocese.

“Ever since he arrived in the diocese he identified totally with the people and learned their language and understood and respected their culture,” Mgr Deenihan said..

“Paul always put people before his own needs, and his whole ministry was to develop people’s talents and skills in all the parishes he ministered in over the years. He had a special love for the mentally challenged and provided a beautiful school for them in King William’s Town.

“Those in prison were always close to his heart and his concern for them and their rehabilitation formed an integral part of his priesthood.

“Wherever Paul ministered, a

Vocations our duty

By FRANCiS J XAVieR

O

FTEN, when the faithful hear the term vocation, they think of more clergy or religious. But vocations mean more than that. Catholic dictionaries define the term as a call from God in which a person can reach holiness. The Second Vatican Council says there is a universal call (vocation) to holiness in the Church (Lumen Gentium 29).

In that context, there are four types of vocations: married life, single life, religious life, and ordained life. Here I am looking particularly at the latter two.

And let us be clear that it is not only the vocation director’s or priest’s duty to promote vocations.

The Second Vatican Council lays it out nicely for us: “The duty of fostering vocations pertains to the whole Christian community...The principal contributors to this are the families which...become a kind of initial seminary, and the parishes in whose rich life the young people take part.

“Teachers and all those...in charge of the training of boys and young men, especially Catholic associations, should carefully guide the young people entrusted...so that these will recognise and freely accept a divine vocation.

“All priests especially are to manifest an apostolic zeal in fostering vocations...by their own life lived in a humble and industrious manner and in a happy spirit...” (Optatam Totius 2).

In October—Mission Month—especially it is important for us to reflect on this. It is the duty of all to promote vocations. If we really want the Church to grow then we will meet that obligation.

CLASSIFIEDS

15

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

great concern of his was the liturgy and how it was celebrated.

He made the celebration of the liturgy a highlight in every parish he was in,” Mgr Deenihan said.

“A great concern of Paul’s too was always the quality of the parish buildings and especially those in which the community worshipped—St Francis of Assisi in Humansdorp and St Clare of Assisi in Jeffreys Bay are of outstanding beauty, and testimony to a dedicated pastor who gave his all in humble service,” he said.

Frank Nunan

Liturgical Calendar Year A – Weekdays Cycle Year 1 Sunday October 22, 29th Sunday of the Year, Mission Sunday Isaiah 45:1, 4-6, Psalms 96:1, 3-5, 7-10, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, Matthew 22:15-21 Monday October 23,St John of Capistrano Romans 4:20-25, Responsorial psalms Luke 1:6975, Luke 12:13-21 Tuesday October 24, St Anthony Mary Claret Romans 5:12, 15, 17-21, Psalms 40:7-10, 17, Luke 12:35-38 Wednesday October 25 Romans 6:12-18, Psalms 124, Luke 12:39-48 Thursday October 26 Romans 6:19-23, Psalms 1:1-4, 6, Luke 12:49-53 Friday October 27 Romans 7:18-25, Psalms 119:66, 68, 76-77, 93-94, Luke 12:54-59 Saturday October 28, Ss Simon and Jude Ephesians 2:19-22, Psalms 19:1-4, Luke 6:12-19 Sunday October 29, 30th Sunday of the Year Exodus 22:21-27 (20-26), Psalms 18:2-4, 47, 51, 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10, Matthew 22:34-40

Your prayer to cut out and collect

Prayer to the Holy Spirit Spirit of wisdom and understanding, enlighten our minds to perceive the mysteries of the universe in relation to eternity.

Spirit of right judgment and courage, guide us and make us firm in our baptismal decision to follow Jesus' way of love.

Spirit of knowledge and reverence, help us to see the lasting value of justice and mercy in our everyday dealings with one another. May we respect life as we work to solve problems of family and nation, economy and ecology.

Spirit of God, spark our faith, hope and love into new action each day. Fill our lives with wonder and awe in your presence which penetrates all creation. Amen.

ONESTA—Dinte, Kathleen.

Dad died 30 years, mom 10 years ago. loved and fondly remembered by Peter, Robert, relations and friends.

VERGOTTINI—laura Celestine. in loving memory of our precious mommy and Granny. Passed away october 24, 2005. you are the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the garden path. you are the smell of the flowers i pick, the fragrance of life itself. you are the smell of roast chicken and potatoes on a Sunday morning. you are the cool hand on my brow when i'm not feeling well, my breath in the air on a cold winter's day. you are the sound of the rain that lulls me to sleep. you are the colours of the rainbow in the sky. you live inside my laughter. you are the place i came from, my first home, and you are the map i follow with every step i take. you were my first love, my first friend, my first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate us—not time, not space and not death. you are always with me. With love from Anthony, Alfred, Wendy and family.

PRAYERS

O, MOST beautiful Flower of mount Carmel, Fruit Vine Splendrous of Heaven, immaculate Virgin assist me in my necessity. o, Star of the Sea, help me and show me you are my mother. o Holy mary, mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth, i humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to secure me in my necessity. There are none that can withstand your power. o mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (say

three times). Holy mary i place this cause in your hands (say three times).

Thank you for your mercy towards me and mine.

Amen. Say this prayer for 3 days, after that the prayer will be answered and the prayer must be published.

PmD.

THANKS

PRAYERFUL thanks to the Holy Spirit, Ss Jude and Anthony for prayers answered.

PmD.

PERSONAL

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Traditional Latin Mass

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Email: sspx.capetown@gmail.com The

Southern Cross

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Southern CrossWord solutions

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SOLUTIONS TO 781. ACROSS: 2 Confidence, 8 Wicked motive, 10 Belts, 11 Seducer, 12 Dispel, 13 Flambé, 16 Nearest, 18 Taste, 19 Strong breeze, 20 Succeeding. DOWN: 1 Law-abiding, 3 Oversee, 4 Famish, 5 Doted, 6 Novice master, 7 Ecclesiastic, 9 Irreverent, 14 Later on, 15 Staged, 17 Evoke.

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Our bishops’ anniversaries This week we congratulate: October 25: Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Reginald Cawcutt of Cape Town on his 79th birthday

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the

30th Sunday: October 29 Readings: Exodus 22:21-27, Psalm 18: 2-4, 47, 51, 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10, Matthew 22:34-40

I

T is quite simple: love is the name of the game. That is the message that comes from next Sunday’s readings; and our task this week is to rise to the challenge.

In the first reading, love is to express itself in terms of our treatment of immigrants and refugees. And why? “You are not to molest or oppress a refugee, because you were refugees in the land of Egypt.”

And there are other classes who are singled out as being at the lowest point of society, namely “widows” and “orphans”. They are singled out because in a culture with no welfare society, these are the very people who are likely to suffer, those to whom love should be directed: “If you do wrong to them and they cry out to me, then I shall certainly hear their cry.”

It is a failure to respect those at the bottom of the heap that will arouse God’s anger: “I’ll kill you with the sword, and then your wives will be widows and your children orphans.”

And there is another class of person singled out for the love of God, those who fall into debt, and though it is permissible to lend them money, we cannot charge them interest; and you can demand a collateral on a loan, their

S outher n C ross

Love is the name of the game “cloak”, for example, but “you must give it back before sunset—it is all he has got.”

And, once again, we hear the expression of God’s love for the poor: “If he cries out to me, then I shall hear him. For I am merciful.”

Our love for our neighbour, this week, must imitate the love of God. The psalm for next Sunday sings a song of love for God: “I love you, Lord, my strength…

Lord my rock, and my fortress and shield and the horn of my salvation.”

Then at the end (of a slightly eccentric selection of verses) we are invited to sing: “The Lord lives, and blessed is my rock, exalted the God of my salvation.” We should join in the powerful enthusiasm for the God whose very existence is reason for loving praise: “You have given steadfast love for your anointed one.”

If you find yourself operating in terror of your God, then perhaps you should have another look, and pray, this week, to be seized with the love of God, and above all, with the certainty that God loves you. Are you up for it?

There is something of this notion in the second reading, Paul urging his Thessalonians to “be imitators of us and of the Lord; for you received the message with much tribulation,

with the joy of the Holy Spirit”. Only love can explain this ability to cope with suffering; but it means that the Thessalonians have become “an example to imitate for the faithful in the whole of Greece, North and South… and everyone is talking about it”.

So there are emails going round the Mediterranean about “what kind of an arrival we had at your place, how you turned to God from the idols, to serve the Living and True God”.

Do you see how love is at the heart of the matter here? And this is what enables them to “Wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who is delivering us from the wrath that is coming.” Love is the name of this game.

And that is what comes out of Sunday’s Gospel. Jesus has just routed the Sadducees, and the Pharisees are determined to get him.

It starts in a sinister way: “they gathered for the same purpose” (using the same verb as Matthew had used to describe Herod’s “gathering of the Chief Priests and scribes” when the Magi had turned up. Death was on the agenda then, as it is now).

And they offer him a dangerous question,

The language of the soul T

itual director. The spiritual director, while not denying him arthritis and a mid-life crisis, tells him that he should understand this pain as his Gethsemane, as his cross to carry.

Notice all three diagnoses speak of the same pain but that each places that pain under a different symbolic hedge.

Language speaks at different levels and only a certain language speaks at the level of the soul. Recently we have been helped to understand this through the work of Carl Jung and a number of his disciples who have helped us to see more explicitly the language of the soul and how that language uncovers deep archetypes within us.

W

e see the language of soul, among other places, in some of our great myths and fairytales, many of them centuries old. Their seeming simplicity can fool you. They may be simple, but they’re not simplistic.

To offer one example, the story of Cinderella. The first thing to notice in this story is that the name, Cinderella, is not a real name but a composite of two words: Cinder, meaning ashes; and Puella, meaning the eternal girl. This is not a simple fairytale about a lonely, beaten-down young girl.

It’s a myth that highlights a deep structure within the human soul, namely, that before our souls are ready to wear the glass slipper, be the belle of the ball, marry the prince, and live happily ever after, we must

Conrad

HIRTY years ago, the American educator Allan Bloom wrote a book entitled The Closing of the American Mind.

This was his thesis: In our secularised world today our language is becoming ever-more empirical, one-dimensional, and devoid of depth and this is closing our minds by stripping us of the deeper meanings inside our own experience.

For Bloom, how we name an experience determines to a large extent its meaning.

Twenty years earlier, in a rather provocative essay titled “The Triumph of the Therapeutic”, Philip Rieff had already suggested something similar.

For Rieff, we live our lives under a certain “symbolic hedge”, namely, a language and set of symbols within which we interpret our experience.

And that hedge can be high or low and consequently so too will be the meaning we derive from any experience. Experience can be rich or shallow, depending on the language by which we interpret it.

Take this example: A man has a backache and sees his doctor. The doctor tells him that he’s suffering from arthritis. This brings the man some initial calm.

But he isn’t satisfied and sees a psychologist. The psychologist tells him that his symptoms are not just physical but that he is also suffering from a mid-life crisis. This names his pain at a deeper level and affords him a richer understanding of what he is undergoing.

But he’s still dissatisfied and sees a spir-

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Sunday Reflections

with an apparently respectful introduction: “Teacher—What’s the Big Commandment in the Torah?” Now there were 613 of these commandments (count them for yourself), and if he got it wrong, he could be in serious trouble.

Watch carefully what Jesus does: he does not hesitate for a second, and gives them not one but two commandments: “You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your understanding. This is the Big and the Number One commandment”.

That might have been the end of the story; but he gives a special offer: “Number Two is just like it: ‘You are to love your neighbour just like yourself’.”

Love, then, is the name of the game: we are to love God, and to love our fellow humans. And we are to single out for special treatment those whom society regards as the lowest of the low.

That is how God asks us to love, this week.

Southern Crossword #781

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

first spend some necessary time sitting in the ashes, suffering humiliation, and being purified by a time in the dust.

Notice how this story speaks in its own way of our spirituality of “Lent”, a season of penance, wherein we mark ourselves with ashes in order to enter a desert of our own making.

Cinderella is a story that shines a tiny light into the depth of our souls. Many of our famous myths do that, though nothing shines a light into the soul as deeply as does scripture, the Bible.

Its language and symbols name our experience in a way that both honours the soul and helps us plumb the genuine depth inside our experiences.

For example: We can be confused, or we can be inside the belly of the whale. We can be helpless before an addiction, or we can be possessed by a demon. We can vacillate in our prayer lives between fervour and dark nights, or we can vacillate between being with Jesus “in Galilee” or with him in “Jerusalem”.

We can be paralysed as we stand before a globalisation that’s overwhelming, or we can be standing with Jesus on the borders of Samaria in a first conversation with a SyroPhoenician woman.

We can be struggling with fidelity and with keeping our commitments in relationships, or we can be standing with Joshua before God, receiving instructions to kill off the Canaanites if we are to sustain ourselves in the Promised Land.

We can be suffering from arthritis, or we can be sweating blood in the garden of Gethsemane.

The language we use to understand an experience make a huge, huge difference in what that experience means to us.

In The Closing of the American Mind, Bloom uses a rather earthy, but highly illustrative, example to explain this.

He quotes Plato who tells us that during their breaks his students sit around and tell wonderful stories about the meaning of their immortal longings. My students, Bloom laments, sit around during their breaks and tell stories about being horny.

We are losing the language of the soul and we are poorer for it.

ACROSS

2. Moral certainty about small company fenced in (10) 8. I’ve to wed Mick for evil reason (6,6) 10. Strikes leather straps (5) 11. Devilish enticer (7) 12. Lisped to make disappear (6) 13. Some half lamb eaten after it blazed (6) 16. Steer an alternative distance (7) 18. Set at mince flavour (5) 19. It may have fanned them at Pentecost (6,6) 20. Doing well following the bishop’s predecessor (10)

DOWN

1. Bad wailing could be for good citizens (3-7) 3. Where the bishop will supervise (7) 4. Mash if made to fast (6) 5. Was very fond of (5) 6. Religious candidate takes orders from him (6,6) 7. Priest of the Church (12) 9. Disrespectful to the faith? (10) 14. Not yet (5,2) 15. Presented a Passion Play (6) 17. Bring to mind it’s OK with Eve (5)

Solutions on page 15

CHURCH CHUCKLE

F

ATHER Mike told his doctor: “I’m run down. I can’t concentrate when in confession, I don’t get joy any more from Mass, I’m just burned out.”

His doctor said: “Father, you need some variety.

Take a week off, get somewhere far away, take the collar off and do something enjoyable.”

Next week Fr Mike, many kilometres away, riding a motorbike, decided to go to the local Christian heavy metal concert.

Father was having fun in the thick of the crow, wearing his heavy metal T-shirt and jeans when suddenly he heard a woman shout over the noise.

“Why, hello Fr Mike.”

“But you don’t know me,” he protested.

“Of course I do! I’m Sister Bridget,” the woman said. “We go to the same doctor.”

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