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Next step in creating new pastoral plan BY ERIN CARELSE

HE bishops of Southern Africa are working on a new pastoral plan to replace 1989’s “Community Serving Humanity”. The development of a new pastoral plan which will respond to the signs of the times was central to the discussions of this year’s first plenary meeting of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) in Pretoria. SACBC spokesman Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria said that the heart of the new pastoral plan would be evangelisation— the bringing together of people to encounter Jesus Christ. “The old pastoral plan has worked quite well for many years, but now we’re in a new world in South Africa and we want to engage in a dialogue with all our people to see what is the ministry of the Church today; how we should respond to the word of today,” he told The Southern Cross. Archbishop Slattery explained that what was presented at the bishops’ plenary meeting was a summary of what has been done so far in drafting the new pastoral plan. That draft is the result of five years of inter-diocesan consultations in various phases under the leadership of the SACBC Department for Evangelisation. Further consultation based on the draft will involve priests, religious and laity throughout the country. The bishops will present the preliminary document to priests and pastoral councils throughout the region. From this dialogue and the findings, they will be returned to the bishops’ conference and the new pastoral plan will be formulated. The focus areas of the pastoral plan include evangelisation, laity formation and priestly formation, marriage and family, youth, justice and peace, healing and reconciliation, and care of creation and the environment.

The

The previous pastoral plan made a very serious impact to the life of the Church in catering for the needs of the people during and after the apartheid era, Archbishop Slattery noted. Many experienced the prophetic witness of the Church as it participated actively in fighting the injustices of the regime and standing with the marginalised and the suffering. According to Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban, who was involved in the drafting of the 1989 pastoral plan, the Church through “Community Serving Humanity” succeeded in its mission because the vision and goals were clear, and there was a serious commitment in implementing them. These are the elements that must also be considered in the process of drafting the new pastoral plan, he urged. He also emphasised the importance of not leaving the people of God behind during the drafting process and during the implementation.

he new pastoral plan, Cardinal Napier said in a talk to the bishops, “is our dream and commitment to subscribing to and working conscientiously towards making sure everyone in the Church, but also those to whom the Church is sent and commissioned to serve, know and feel that they are welcome; they are needed; they belong and are to participate in all the benefits that the Church has been given to work towards making God’s Kingdom come among us”. Addressing the plenary meeting, Bishop Kevin Dowling of Rustenburg reminded the bishops: “The way we articulate the mission of evangelisation is the way we as Church conceptualise and live our particular response to [the] evolving context in our three countries [South Africa, Botswana and Swaziland], so that we can enable the promise of Jesus to be fulfilled for our people: ‘I have come that you may have life and life to

Fr Stan Botha blessed people in the security sector, from police and law enforcement to neighbourhood watch members, at a Police Day Mass in the church of the Annunciation in Milnerton, Cape Town. Fr Botha himself goes on daily patrol for his local Neighbourhood Watch and is usually accompanied by his dogs, Donovan and Sipho, who were allowed in the church for the blessing. (Photo: Gail Fowler) the full’.” Archbishop Slattery said these evolving contexts have raised new issues. “We now live in a new democratic society, a globalised world, where the role of women needs to be promoted. We hope that in the new pastoral plan the environment will become an important issue,” he told The Southern Cross. “But above all, we wish to challenge our

society, which is weighed down by corruption, uncertainty, unemployment, poverty, poor education and the exclusion of the majority of our people from the opportunity of wealth,” Archbishop Slattery said. “To quote Jesus: ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full,’ and the pastoral plan helps to bring that life which Jesus offers, into our society, our families and our own hearts,” he said.

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The Southern Cross, February 7 to February 13, 2018

LOCAL Fr Vic Kotze, who co-wrote the book Elements of Counselling, with psychologist Geordie Pilkington, a contributor to the book, and her daughter Nicky at the launch in Johannesburg. (Submitted by Sr Biddy Rose Tiernan)

Port chaplains to nourish sailors’ faith during Lent A

POSTLESHIP of the Sea (AoS) port chaplains in South Africa will help seafarers live out their faith during Lent as they visit the many crews arriving on ships in ports across the country. In Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Richards Bay, AoS chaplains like Frs Herman Giraldo, Gerardo Garcia and Bongani Xulu will distribute ash on Ash Wednesday, provide materials to help sailors reflect on the meaning of Lent, and celebrate Mass on board ships. Many Catholic seafarers, away at sea for long periods of time, sometimes up to a year, will not be able to share in the Lent and Easter services in a parish. Many come from regions such as the Philippines, Poland, Goa in India, and Indonesia, and cherish being able to attend Mass, especially during Lent. Fr Giraldo, AoS Durban port chaplain, said that seafarers have few opportunities to meet a priest and receive the sacraments, making it all the more special that they are able to do so during Lent. Fr Garcia, AoS port chaplain in Cape Town, agreed: “On several occasions when celebrating Mass, seafarers have said this has been the only chance to be at Mass for a long

Port chaplain Fr Gerardo Garcia (right) with seafarers. Chaplains will distribute ash on Ash Wednesday, provide materials to help sailors reflect on the meaning of Lent, and celebrate Mass on board ships. period of time. These are very special and joyous occasions for them.” In his Lenten message in 2013, Pope Benedict XVI underlined the importance of being aware of and responding to spiritual hunger. “Seafarers, while working on ships, are often unable to celebrate their faith as they would like. They do not have the opportunity to receive the sacraments as ports are usually far from towns and churches,” the now retired pope said. AoS, an agency of the Church, relies on donations to support the

faith and pastoral needs of seafarers. AoS also needs volunteers to help carry out its ministry. Those interested can contact John Green at john.green@stellamarismail.org n Donations can be made by EFT—it is safe and minimises costs to donors and recipients. EFT contributions can be made to: Nedbank account name: The Apostleship of the Sea; account number: 1335047492 (cheque); branch code: 112205 (Malvern, Queensburgh). Please e-mail deposit slips or confirmations to john.green@ stellamarismail.org

Jo’burg priest co-wrote ‘essential tool for activists’

HE new expanded guide Elements of Counselling, which was co-authored by a Catholic priest, was launched at the Jesuit Institute in Johannesburg. This book, the third updated and expanded edition of what was first published in 2005, was co-written by to Fr Vic Kotze, a psychologist and parish priest of St Francis Xavier’s in Martindale, Johannesburg. Fr Kotze was the co-founder of the Martindale Counselling Centre in 1984 with Dr Joan Schön, another co-author of the book. The counselling centre, now housed at its own site in Westdene,

is today known as Sophiatown Community Psychological Services. The launch was attended by friends, colleagues and parishioners of Fr Kotze. A short address was given by Hanif Vally, deputy director of the Foundation of Human Rights, who hailed the book, and its two predecessors. He said Elements of Counselling was a useful tool for all involved in the caring and teaching professions, and working with members of vulnerable groups in our society. Mr Vally hailed the book as an “accessible publication…and an essential tool for all social activists”.

Women to join in prayer across globe BY ERIN CARELSE

W The international Women’s World Day of Prayer, to be held on March 3 this year, has been celebrated in South Africa for 88 years.

OMEN from Johannesburg, Pretoria, Krugersdorp and neighbouring regions will fill the air with sounds of praise and worship in support of the international Women’s World Day of Prayer. Taking place on Saturday, March 3, at 9:00 at Regina Mundi church in Moroka, Soweto, it will focus on the plight of women in Suriname in South America. Mahadi Buthelezi, marketing coordinator at Radio Veritas, said that women from all denominations will be sharing and networking, but

more importantly joining in prayer. “Women are the same in nature: they cry, smile, love passionately, yet continue to worship and praise God through it all,” she said. This year, the theme focusing on Suriname is “All God’s Creation is Very Good!” Women’s World Day of Prayer has been celebrated in South Africa for the past 88 years. For Radio Veritas and the Friends of Radio Veritas, the initiative began four years ago as part of the spirit of ecumenism as advocated by the Church. Radio Veritas and the Protestant Radio Pulpit will be com-

ing together in solidarity on the day. The theme of God’s creation being good is indeed going to hit home for many of us, Mrs Buthelezi said. “Are you really good in your daily life? In what you say, and do?” She added that there had been “a phenomenal increase in the number of women at the event who promise to be there the following year”. Last year’s prayer day in Pretoria attracted around 3 000 women, and this year’s invitation is again for all women, from all walks of life, all creeds and religions. n For more information contact Mahadi Buthelezi on 011 663 4700.

Convent swimmer Jesuits offer Ash makes SA team Wednesday retreats

LEARNER at a Johannesburg Catholic school will compete for South Africa in the Commonwealth Games to be held in April on the Gold Coast in Australia. Kate Beavon, a Grade 12 pupil at St Teresa’s School in Rosebank, has been called up to the national swimming squad. The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) has named a powerful team to represent the country at the Commonwealth Games from April 4-5. Team South Africa athletes will do battle across 16 codes, including para-sports athletics, lawn bowls, swimming, and powerlifting. Aquatics is the biggest code in terms of numbers, with 28, comprising 23 swimmers, three divers, and two para-swimmers. Ms Beavon, 17, will be in a squad that includes Olympic champions Cameron van der Burgh and Chad le Clos. “All of us at St Teresa’s are immensely proud of Kate, and wish her huge congratulations,” said Debbie de Koning of St Teresa’s School.

S in previous years, the Jesuit Institute is offering a Day of Recollection on Ash Wednesday in both Johannesburg and Cape Town. The Johannesburg retreat will be held on February 14 at the Jesuit Institute in Auckland Park, and will be presented by Fr Russell Pollitt SJ and Dr Annemarie Paulin-Campbell. The Cape Town retreat, on the same day, will be held at St Bernard’s church in Newlands, and will be led by Fr Michael Lewis SJ. The cost for both events is R200. The Jesuit Institute will also offer a residential Triduum retreat at Lumko in Benoni, outside Johannesburg, from Holy Thursday afternoon until Sunday after breakfast. This will be a silent retreat with some input on themes of the Passion. There will be plenty of time for silent prayer and reflection, and a sharing in all the liturgies. n Those interested may contact Margaret on m.back well@jesuitinstitute.org.za or see www.jesuit institute.org.za/index.php/spirituality/retreats/ lent-preparing-for-easter

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LOCAL

Bishop: Engage with issues rather than just bash Zuma BY ERIN CARELSE

C Bishop Victor Phalana (far right) with a group of faith leaders at St John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria. (Photo: Fr Paul Tatu CSS)

SA bishops met with other faith leaders

HE bishops of Southern Africa set aside time during their plenary session to meet with leaders from other faiths, saying this was especially important in the year of the bicentenary of the Catholic Church in South Africa. At St John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria they met with representatives from various Christian communities as well as Muslim, Jewish, Bahai, Buddhist and Hindu leaders. During the meeting, the bishops and faith leaders discussed issues of common concern and ways of cooperating, said SACBC communications officer Fr Paul Tatu CSS. They also had a time of prayer together. “We are all affected by the same challenges,” Bishop Victor Phalana

of Klerksdorp, chairman of the bishops’ Department for Ecumenism, told the Spotlight.Africa news site. “We were saying, that we need to promote unity and peace in our country. We need to encourage our country to come back to its senses and to values. Thank God that despite our different faiths there are common values among us,” he said. “We have to do something concrete, come closer together, respecting each other’s dignity, respecting our diversity, and work towards our common goal. “That goal is to build peace and unity, and encourage our country to move towards progress and development. Our people are our concern,” Bishop Phalana told Spotlight.

ATHOLICS must speak with originality and deeper insight as they engage with the issues of today, instead of just joining in an “orgy of Zuma-bashing”, a bishop said at a Mass to celebrate 200 years of the Church in Southern Africa. Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Mthatha gave the homily at the Mass, with the bishops of Southern Africa present, at the church of the Beatitudes in Pretoria East. It was presided over by Cardinal Wilfrid Napier. The bishop told his fellow bishops that “we must examine how original and informed by the Word” we have been in making statements, or whether “like the scribes, we are merely repeating what everybody is saying”. He spoke of the challenges for the second 200 years of the Church. “Some of the challenges we face are inspiring our priests and priestcandidates to find God and God alone as sufficient, and to be inspired by God in what they do and say, instead of finding their joy and a sense of purpose in material things and lazing around,” he said. “Another challenge we face is that of the shortage of vocations, particularly women religious. Without them, the Church is diminished in its prophetic role. They have to discern their own way of being prophetic in today’s circumstances.” Bishop Sipuka noted the striking demographic change of the leader-

Memorial Mass to be held for Fr Ted Rogers

ARDINAL Wilfrid Napier will celebrate a memorial Mass for the late Fr Ted Rogers SJ who died in January at the age of 93. The Mass will be held in St Ann’s Hall at Mariannhill monastery on Friday, February 23 at 17:30. Concelebrants will be Frs Bheki Shabalala CMM, provincial of the Mariannhill Missionaries, and Lawrence Mota CMM, superior of Mariannhill monastery. The Zimbabwean Choir of Em-

manuel cathedral will lead the singing, including some Shona and Ndebele items. Refreshments will be provided and Fr Rogers’ two books, Ted Rogers: Jesuit, Social Pioneer and AIDS Activist in Zimbabwe and Missionary Martyrs of Rhodesia and Zimbabwe: 1976 to 1988, will be on sale. The latter was published just weeks before Fr Rogers’ death in Britain. Cardinal Napier recalled of Fr Rogers: “The most fruitful time in

our friendship was when he was director of the secretariat of Imbisa (the Inter-regional Meeting of Bishops in Southern Africa). “True to form, Fr Ted was not only thinking of things to do and ways to do them. “No, he was always challenging us bishops and other leaders in the Church to see the needs of the people in our care and to devise the most effective ways of meeting them,” the cardinal said.

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Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Mthatha delivered the homily at the Mass to mark this year’s bicentennial of the Church in Southern Africa, held in Pretoria East. Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban was the chief celebrant.

ship of the Church. “When I was ordained a priest nearly 30 years ago, 85% of the priests participating in the ceremony, including the bishop, were European missionaries, and 15% local. Fast forward that to today, and the opposite is true, if not even less,” he said. “The prophets in the form of European missionaries of the past 200 years are gone, and the locals from among our own brothers and sisters are being raised up to be prophets. “It is good that this message is repeated, so that locals realise that the continuation of what the missionaries started now rests with them— and not just the maintenance, but also the growth of the Church,” Bishop Sipuka said. He commended the dedicated

involvement of lay people in the mission of the Church and expressed his wish that the newly-established Council for the Laity will achieve its purpose of conscientising the faithful of their obligation to that mission. Bishop Sipuka called on the bishops to be supportive of priests, so that they in turn could be caring to the faithful entrusted to them. “We thank God for the 200 years of the Church in Southern Africa, and for the missionaries who laid the foundation,” he said. “As we take the baton for the next 200 years, we are all asked to be committed to the mission given to us, and to exercise our ministry with the authority that wells from our deep personal relationship with Christ.” Fr Msisi Joseph Mabaso was ordained for the diocesan priesthood on December 16 in Eshowe and returned later to celebrate his first Mass in his home parish of St Francis of Assisi in Eastwood, Pietermaritzburg. Fr Mabaso is seen with fellow priests who joined him for the occasion. (Submitted by Fr Sanil Michael SCJ)

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INTERNATIONAL

New evidence: Chilean bishop investigated BY CAROL GLATz

BY CINDY WOODEN

OPE Francis asked a longtime expert in handling abuse allegations to gather new information in Chile concerning Bishop Juan Barros of Osorno. The pope is sending Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta to review the matter after he received “some information recently with regard to the case” of Bishop Barros, the Vatican said. Pope Francis decided to send the archbishop to the Chilean capital “to listen to those who expressed a willingness to submit information in their possession”, the communiquésaid. Archbishop Scicluna is president of a board of review within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; the board handles appeals filed by clergy accused of abuse or other serious crimes. The archbishop also has ten years’ experience as the Vatican’s chief prosecutor of clerical sex abuse cases at the doctrinal congregation. Some have accused Bishop Barros of having been aware of abuse perpetrated by his former mentor, Fr Fernando Karadima. The priest was sentenced to a life of prayer and penance by the Vatican after he was found guilty of sexually abusing boys. Despite the claims against Bishop Barros, Pope Francis named him to head the diocese of Osorno in 2015, saying he was “personally convinced” of the bishop’s innocence after the case was investigated twice with no evidence emerging at

Pope revises norms for priest training C

Bishop Juan Barros of Osorno, Chile, is accused by victims of witnessing and covering up sexual abuse of minors. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS) the time. The decision set off a wave of objections and calls for his resignation from several priests. The pope said that while “covering up abuse is an abuse in itself”, if he had punished Bishop Barros without moral certainty, “I would be committing the crime of a bad judge.” Archbishop Scicluna has often been called to look into allegations involving high-profile clergy. For example, after years of allegations about abuse committed by Fr Marcial Maciel Degollado, founder of the Legionaries of Christ, in 2005, the Vatican sent then-Mgr Scicluna to listen to his alleged victims. Several months later, Pope Benedict XVI ordered Fr Degollado to “a life reserved to prayer and penance, renouncing any public ministry”.—CNS

ATHOLIC university programmes in philosophy, theology and canon law—especially those designed for future priests—must be marked by fidelity to Church tradition, academic rigour and an awareness of the challenges to belief in the modern world, Pope Francis said. In the apostolic constitution Veritatis Gaudium (“The Joy of Truth”), the pope issued revised norms for what are known as “ecclesiastical universities and faculties”—those that grant Vatican-recognised degrees, which are necessary for teaching most philosophy, theology and canon law courses in seminaries and pontifical universities. Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, presented the document at the Vatican, saying it “indicates the meaning and, more specifically, the basic criteria for a renewal and relaunching of the contribution of ecclesiastical studies to a missionary Church that ‘goes forth’”. The constitution replaces Sapientia Christiana (“Christian Wisdom”), an apostolic constitution issued by Pope John Paul II in 1979; the new document includes the amendments made to the norms in Sapientia Christiana by Pope John Paul in 2002, by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011 and by Pope Francis in 2015, the cardinal said. Pope Francis wrote in the new

constitution that it was time “to promote with thoughtful and prophetic determination the renewal of ecclesiastical studies at every level, as part of the new phase of the Church’s mission, marked by witness to the joy born of encountering Jesus and proclaiming his Gospel”. A key motivation, he said, was to find ways to respond positively to the call of the Second Vatican Council “to overcome this divorce between theology and pastoral care, between faith and life”. The study of theology, Pope Francis wrote, “is fruitful only if it is done with an open mind and on one’s knees”, so it must be based both on sound academic investigation and a deep faith. A missionary approach to Catholic philosophy, theology and canon law studies, he said, must take into account the “social and cultural meditation on the Gospel undertaken by the people of God in different continental areas and in dialogue with diverse cultures”, as well as modern scientific discoveries, modern challenges to human life and dignity, and threats to the environment. “Theology must doubtless be rooted and grounded in sacred Scripture and in the living tradition,” the pope wrote, “but for this very reason it must simultaneously accompany cultural and social processes and, particularly, difficult transitions.” Only when those who teach in

the Church’s name know its tradition, love its faith and understand the modern world will they be able to engage in “creative apologetics” that help people see how the responses to their deepest desires can be fulfilled by faith in Christ, the pope wrote.

rchbishop Angelo Vincenzo Zani, secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, said the new constitution does not replace or change the apostolic constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae, which provides more general norms for the world’s 1 365 Catholic colleges and universities, except for the ecclesiastical faculties of theology, philosophy or canon law that may be part of those universities. Unlike Sapientia Christiana, the new constitution foresees the possibility of an ecclesiastical faculty including a professor or professors from other Christian churches or other religions, he said. The document insists, though, that they not teach students in the “first cycle”, the initial years of study. The first cycle, Archbishop Zani said, is designed to provide students with a foundation in Catholic philosophy, Scripture and Catholic theology. Once that foundation is laid, he said, “it is a great gift to be able to have the expertise and knowledge” of professors who respect the Catholic Church but have studied the Christian community or religion to which they belong.—CNS

Lord’s Prayer: Germans to stay, Italians to change BY CAROL GLATz

FTER special study, the German bishops’ conference has decided to stick with the traditional wording in the Lord’s Prayer while the Italian bishops’ conference has decided to change the words of the prayer in their translation of the Roman Missal. The decisions come after the French bishops decided that beginning in early December last year, French Catholics would change the line, “Lead us not into temptation”, to the equivalent of “do not let us enter into temptation”. The issue got wide attention after Pope Francis discussed the line, “And lead us not into temptation,” with Fr Marco Pozza, a Catholic prison chaplain as part of a television series on the Lord’s Prayer. Pope Francis said the Italian and English translations of the Our Father can give believers the wrong impression that God can and does lead people into temptation. He told Fr Pozza: “I’m the one who falls. But it’s not God who pushes me into temptation

to see how I fall. No, a father does not do this. A father helps us up immediately. “The one who leads us into temptation is Satan,” the pope said. “That’s Satan’s job.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church, in its discussion of the Lord’s Prayer, says: “Our sins result from our consenting to temptation; we therefore ask our Father not to ‘lead’ us into temptation. It is difficult to translate the Greek verb used by a single English word: The Greek means both ‘do not allow us to enter into temptation’ and ‘do not let us yield to temptation’.” The German bishops’ conference announced that after indepth study, it would keep the line “And lead us not into temptation” unchanged, particularly to use the same wording as most Catholics and most other Christian denominations. But, it added, it would like to see more done in offering the faithful a clear and fuller explanation and discussion of the prayer’s meaning. The line in the prayer, the bishops’ committee said, is not about persuading God to not

tempt the faithful, but rather it is a recognition of one’s own weakness and one’s trust in God’s guidance—that he does not lead people to make the wrong choice. However, when the Italian bishops’ conference adopted a new translation of the Bible in 2008, they chose “do not abandon us in temptation” for the Lord’s Prayer both in Matthew 6 and Luke 11. The Lectionary also contains the change and received Vatican approval. Cardinal Giuseppe Betori of Florence, a noted biblicist, said study of the prayer had begun in 1988. The problem, he told the newspaper Avvenire, was the Italian verb (“indurre”) that had been used “is not equivalent to the Latin ‘inducere’ or the Greek”. Both Cardinal Betori and the German bishops said they were pleased Pope Francis’ comments brought wider attention to the prayer and greater discussion of its meaning. It was important to “seize the opportunity” and offer better explanations, the German conference wrote.—CNS

Portuguese poet to lead Lenten retreat

OPE Francis has chosen a Portuguese priest and poet to lead his 2018 Lenten retreat. Fr José Tolentino de Mendonça, who also serves as vicerector of the Catholic University of Lisbon, will guide Pope Francis and top members of the Roman curia in their meditations from February 18-23 at a retreat house in Ariccia, outside of Rome. According to the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano the overall theme of Fr de Mendonça’s meditations will be “In Praise of Thirst”. The 52-year-old Portuguese

Fr José Tolentino de Mendonça is to lead the curia’s Lenten retreat. (Photo: Wikipedia) priest will give ten talks during the retreat, beginning with a meditation titled “Apprentices of Awe”. The other presentations in-

clude examining the meaning and experience of thirst, “the thirst for nothing”, “the thirst for Jesus”, “tears and thirst”, “desire and the beatitude of thirst”. In addition to being an awardwinning poet, Fr de Mendonca is a biblical scholar and a consultant to the Pontifical Council for Culture. Born in December 1965 on the island of Madeira, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1990. During the retreat, all the pope’s normal appointments, including his weekly general audience, are cancelled.—CNS

INTERNATIONAL

Pope: Form couples’ conscience for marriage BY CAROL GLATz

HE Catholic Church must dedicate itself to properly forming and safeguarding the conscience of its faithful, especially young people, so they can see God’s plan for the sacrament of marriage as a great joy for the Church and all of humanity, Pope Francis said. The recent synods on marriage and the family, as well as the apostolic exhortation on the family, Amoris Laetitia, were focused on “how to save young people from the uproar and deafening noise of the ephemeral, which leads them to reject taking on stable and positive commitments for the individual and collective good”, the pope said. In a speech to members of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, which mainly deals with appeals filed in marriage annulment cases, the pope examined the central role conscience plays in the process of discerning the nullity or validity of the bond of marriage. “The conscience takes on a decisive role in the demanding decisions engaged couples must face in accepting and building a conjugal union and family according to God’s plan,” he said. The conscience is that inner space “that only God enlightens and opens to life, if people let him in”, the pope said. Pastoral activity dedicated to “the recovery, the protection and the care of a Christian conscience,

enlightened by Gospel values”, he said, is “so priceless and urgent” right now. The synods and exhortation made a key point about the “necessary relationship between the regula fidei (rule of faith), that is, the Church’s faithfulness to the magisterium that must not be touched, as it is in regard to the Eucharist, and the urgent attention of the Church to the psychological and religious processes of all people”, who are called to choose a life of marriage, he said. In this sense, the union of marriage “can be called true only if the human intention of the spouses is oriented towards that which Christ and the Church wants,” he said. Quoting from the teachings of Bl Paul VI, the pope said that enlightening consciences according to the rule of faith requires “avoiding the opposite extremes—both from those who appeal to tradition in order to justify their own disobedience to the supreme magisterium and to the ecumenical council” and from those who uproot themselves from the very heart of the Church by “corrupting the genuine doctrine of the Church”. “Both attitudes are a sign of illicit and perhaps unconscious subjectivism” or else “obstinacy, stubbornness or mental imbalance. These are postures that wound the heart of the Church,” he quoted Bl Paul as writing in 1976.—CNS

Cassocks fly in priests’ John Paul II Skiing Cup

RIESTS could be spotted flying down the hills for the 21st annual Pope John Paul II Skiing Cup at the Polish ski resort of Wisla. The competition, which awards the John Paul II trophy to the best competitor, has an unusual set of participants: priests and seminarians. According to Fr Gregory Szwarc, one of the event’s organisers, the race was named after St John Paul II because of the good example he set. “Our Pope John Paul II went skiing, so that is why we gave the competition his name,” Fr Szwarc said. Participants race in honour of St John Paul II, who was a lifelong skier and lover of the outdoors. The goal behind the cup is to give clergy the opportunity to set an example of healthy competition and prayer, while also giving them the chance to relax and enjoy the outdoors. Dozens participated at the 21st annual event held in Wisla, about 60km southwest of Bielsko-Biala in Poland.

OPE Francis has recognised the martyrdom of a bishop, seven Trappist monks and 11 other religious men and women killed by extremists in Algeria in the 1990s. At a meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, Pope Francis signed the decree for the causes of Bishop Pierre Lucien Claverie of Oran, Algeria, and 18 companions, paving the way for their beatification. The 19 men and women died from 1993-96, while Algeria was locked in a ten-year-long armed conflict between government forces and extremist Islamic rebel groups; the conflict left tens of thousands of

WMF catecheses available online

BY CAROL GLATz

O help parishes, groups, individuals and families better prepare for the World Meeting of Families, Vatican organisers are releasing a multimedia series of catechetical materials in five languages online. The Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life has launched a digital series of seven catecheses that include musical interludes starring famed Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. There are also monthly video shorts meant for groups and parishes. All the materials are available for free on the dicastery’s site (www.laityfamilylife.va) and its YouTube channel, PcFamiglia. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the dicastery, said that the series provides simple and inspiring ways to reflect, pray and prepare over the next seven months until the start of the world meeting in Dublin from August 21-26. The theme of the gathering is “The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World”. The five-day meeting, he said, is to promote the Catholic Church’s teachings about love and family life as well as encourage, guide and help all families and individuals without excluding anyone, in line with the text and spirit of Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis’ post synodal apostolic exhortation on the family. Workshops, sessions and semi-

A specially commissioned icon of the Holy Family at the National Novena in Knock, Ireland. The icon was written by the Redemptoristine Contemplative Community in Drumcondra. The icon is meant to encourage both reflection and prayer as part of the journey of preparations to the World Meeting of Families 2018. (Photo: Irish Bishops’ Conference) nars will touch on various aspects concerning the family, and Cardinal Farrell confirmed there will be a seminar, led by Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, dedicated to the protection of minors and vulnerable adults. The Pontifical Gregorian University’s Centre for Child Protection, based in Rome, also will be involved in the seminar.

While the Vatican had not yet released an official papal schedule, Cardinal Farrell said the pope has assured him, Irish bishops and key Irish officials that he is planning to attend the event. The cardinal said he was not in a position to know whether the papal trip would include a visit to Northern Ireland.— CNS

S outher n C ross PILGRIMAGE TO

Priest takes part in the annual Pope John Paul II Skiing Cup. (Photo: CNA) The oldest among the racers was Fr Wladyslaw Nowobilski, who is 76 years-old. “I am persistent,” Fr Nowobilski said in a video for the BBC. While the competition was previously reserved for priests, it was recently opened up to other religious leaders and the laity of the priests’ parishes. Each participant also received a commemorative mug with an image of St John Paul II—CNA

Pope recognises Algerian martyrs BY CAROL GLATz

The Southern Cross, February 7 to February 13, 2018

people dead. Bishop Claverie and his driver were killed by a remote-controlled bomb left at the bishop’s residence, and the seven Trappist monks, who had been kidnapped from the monastery of Tibhirine, were beheaded by a group of Islamic terrorists trained by the al-Qaida network. The monks’ story was treated in the film Of Gods and Men, which won the grand prize at its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010. Trappist Father Thomas Georgeon, postulator of the cause, told the Italian bishops’ radio station that a date for the beatification ceremony had not yet been set, but he hoped the Mass would be celebrated in Oran, Algeria.—CNS

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LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: GĂźnther Simmermacher

The feast of love

PECULIAR quirk of the calendar this year times Ash Wednesday to coincide with Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, and Easter with April Foolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day. While Catholics will not mistake the Resurrection for an April Foolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s joke, some will likely be torn between observing the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disciplines governing Ash Wednesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the start of the penitential season of Lentâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expectations of cheerful consumption on Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day. The choice is between a day of fasting, abstinence and prayer, or one of uninhibited declarations of romance in the setting of fancy restaurants. The Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s discipline is clear: most Catholics over the age of 14 are required to fastâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; that is, they may have one main meal and two small meals which combined are smaller than a normal mealâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and to abstain from meat. For Catholics, the obligations of Ash Wednesday must take priority over the traditions of Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day. On Ash Wednesday we cannot toast our romantic luck over a lavish dinner, and the Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chocolate hearts should not be consumed. Some Church leaders have suggested that Catholics transfer the feast of romanceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;which bears the name of a martyr and saint who was not particularly romanticâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to the day before Ash Wednesday: Shrove Tuesday (or Carnival or Mardi Gras, as the day is known in many parts of the world). That is a sensible suggestion. The two days before Ash Wednesday are supposed to be days of joy and enjoyment, a jovial time before the 40 Lenten days of sacrifice, penance and interior cleansing begin. That call for sacrifice, penance and interior cleansing requires us to give up a luxury or comfort during Lent, and/or take up acts of mercy and charity. Indeed, this weekend many Catholics, and other Christians, will put their minds to what their Lenten sacrifice will be this year. This is commendable, but Pope Francis sounds a warning about that, using the metaphor of suffocation to describe the risks of making Lenten sacrifices purely for their own sake. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lent is the time to say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;noâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

to the asphyxia of a prayer that soothes our conscience, of an almsgiving that leaves us selfsatisfied, of a fasting that makes us feel good,â&#x20AC;? the pope said at last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ash Wednesday service. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lent is the time to say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;noâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to the asphyxia born of relationships that exclude, that try to find God while avoiding the wounds of Christ present in the wounds of his brothers and sisters.â&#x20AC;? It is a time to remember Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mercy, â&#x20AC;&#x153;not the time to rend our garments before evil but rather make room in our life for the good we are able to doâ&#x20AC;?, the pope said. In other words, Pope Francis is calling on us to give meaning to our sacrifices by detaching ourselves from materialism and turning our concerns to those who are sufferingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;materially, socially or personallyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;because it is in them that we find Christ. The Church has long taught that we ought to give the savings we make from our Lenten sacrificesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;from giving up chocolates or smoking or alcohol or the Internetâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to the poor. But the wounds of Christ are present not only in the poor. We can find them in the oppressed, for whom we can engage ourselves. We can find them in the stigmatised, for whom we can advocate. We can find them in the lonely, whom we can visit. We can find them in the unforgiven, to whom we can extend forgiveness and reconciliation if they have wronged us; and of whom we can ask forgiveness and reconciliation for where we have wronged them (for example, by withholding forgiveness). We can find the wounds of Christ everywhere in our broken world. Lent is an opportunity for us to have a renewed experience of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love, given to us in Christâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a love that each day we, in turn, must pass on to our neighbour, especially to the one who suffers most and is in need. If Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day is indeed the feast of love, then it seems suitable that this year it coincides with Ash Wednesday. This year, let Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love be the focus on Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and leave the romance stuff for another day.

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 Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s discretion. Name and address of the writer must be supplied. No anonymous letter will be considered.

Real Adam and Eve are Khoisan

N response to Jennifer Jansen van Rensburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assertion that scientific evidence pointing to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eveâ&#x20AC;? being an African is â&#x20AC;&#x153;a jokeâ&#x20AC;? (January 24), one needs to ask why the mythical biblical story of Adam and Eve is still being taught as literal or factual? Origen, the second-century Christian scholar, asked: â&#x20AC;&#x153;What intelligent person can imagine that there was a first â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, then a second and a third â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;evening and morningâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;without the sun, the moon, and the stars?â&#x20AC;? Just as many cultures have mythological â&#x20AC;&#x153;creationâ&#x20AC;? stories, the Hebrews have, too.

Pope not divisive: he seeks mercy

T is with some sadness that I read in JH Goossensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; letter (January 24) that he finds Pope Francisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; exhortation Amoris Laetitia in contradiction of the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teaching. First, I would like to correct a small error, in that Pope Francis did not have to interpret Amoris Laetitia; he actually wrote it. I agree entirely with Archbishop Stephen Brislin that the pope is indeed the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unifying aspect. Central to the popeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s philosophy is the Christ-like understanding of mercy. It is this that is causing those without meditating on the full meaning of mercy such distress. As practised by Jesus Christ, mercy is when Christ said to the adulteress, about to be stoned by her accusers, all insisting on the authority of the law: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rise up and sin no more.â&#x20AC;? This was preceded by his injunction that he who had no sin was to throw the first stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and they all walked away. The popeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s message in everything he says is about mercy and understanding, including his encyclical Laudato Siâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. I also remember clearly his stating, when Amoris Laetitia was first published, that he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t changing Church teachings on marriage, but was exhorting all clergy not to summarily judge divorced couples, but rather understand their predicament, and help them to deeply understand what they are doing. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the meaning of mercy. It is still leaving the full responsibility with the couple. They entered the spiritual contract voluntarily with God, and they, in their conscience, with the spiritual help of the clergy, must ask for Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wisdom and mercy in coming to a decision. After all, Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commandment to us is very clear: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thou shalt love the Lord Thy God with thine whole body, mind and spirit, and thy neighbour as thy self.â&#x20AC;?

In fact, the Hebrewsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; creation story is tens of thousands of years behind those of the Khoisan and Australian aborigines who, unfortunately, had not acquired writing and so did not record their history. Also, Margaret von Solms criticises the article â&#x20AC;&#x153;Was Jesus black?â&#x20AC;? (January 24) and says it should rather not have been written or published. However, we white Africans need to understand that the Europeanised images of Mary and Jesus donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sit well with many indigenous Africans as they are indelibly linked to colonialism and apartheid. Mrs Von Solms also says colonialOpinions 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 POâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Box 2372, Cape Town 8000 or editor@scross.co.za or faxed to 021 465-3850

When we judge ourselves, we also need to show mercy to ourselves as we need to do to others, imitating that supreme moment when Christ forgave the good thief and said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This day you shall be with me in heaven.â&#x20AC;? Antonio Tonin, East London

Childbirth pain from original sin

URTHER to JH Goossensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; letter on Mary not having pain during childbirth (January 10), I agree that Mary had no pain when she gave birth to Jesus. Mary was not born with original sinâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;she is the Immaculate Conception. Painful childbirth is a punishment from God for Eveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disobedience. After the fall, Eve was told by God that â&#x20AC;&#x153;you will bring forth your children in painâ&#x20AC;? (Genesis 3:16). Hence Mary was exempt. There is a lovely story told about that first Christmas Eve: Mary and Joseph enter the stable and after a while Joseph goes out to look for a lamp as it is dark. He leaves Mary kneeling in prayer. A very bright light surrounds her and all of a sudden Jesus is lying on the straw that Mary had prepared. And he too is a bright light. As Joseph enters with his little lamp, he is amazed by the light surrounding Jesus and Mary. Mary then wraps Jesus in swaddling clothes. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if this is true but for me, it is very believable. After all he was transfigured on Mount Tabor! Moira Gillmore, Durban

ism brought many more benefits than drawbacks. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure the Khoisan will have issues with that sentiment as the arrival of the colonists effectively ended their 50 000-year way of life, forcing them to migrate to the arid Kalahari. We colonists (and everyone else on our planet) originate from the Khoisan, they are the real Adam(s) and Eve(s). Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve inherited all their human attributes: family, music, dancing, and humour. And yet, just as Jesus was led to his trial and execution by his very own people, so too have the Khoisan been marginalised by their â&#x20AC;&#x153;own peopleâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;us. History definitely repeats itself. Patrick Dacey, Johannesburg

Rolheiser wrong on birth pains

HE extract from the late Archbishop Fulton Sheenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book The Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First Love, as submitted by JH Goossens (January 10), provides a far more reasonable assessment of the nativity of our Saviour than does the highly respected Fr Ron Rolheiser, who appears to have overlooked the miraculous conception in his column (December 20, 2017). Pain in human childbirth derives from the stain of original sin, of which the virgin mother of the Son of God was absolutely free. For an in-depth exposition of the night of the nativity, so beautifully and sacredly depicted in that renowned hymn, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Silent Night Holy Nightâ&#x20AC;?, the attention of readers is alerted to the English abridged version of The City of God. The book reveals what Our Lady told Mother Mary of Agreda (The City of God is obtainable at reasonable cost from the Paulist Press). The book is Ciudad de Dios in the original Spanish, written in the 1650s. That Mary suffered greatly in other ways, as did St Joseph, prior to the virgin birth and after the presentation of Our Saviour in the temple, is not an issue in this context, and Fr Rolheiser, as an Oblate of Mary Immaculate, is obviously conscious of this. Kevin Andersson, Pietermaritzburg

Viva matrics!

OW! Congratulations and thanks to the editor and all who contributed towards the special matric results issue of The Southern Cross (January 17). There were so many inspiring articles; and it was great to see Catholic schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; academic wins. From an appreciative reader and with best wishes for this coming year and beyond. Kay Temple, Pietermaritzburg

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PERSPECTIVES

Extra time with God! N EXT week is the first Sunday of Lent and many of us will be thinking of what we will be “giving up” for the next six weeks. Lent isn’t just about giving something up for a time. It’s about giving more of ourselves in order to get closer to God. We can give up something that we like to do, in order to make extra time to communicate with God—extra prayer time. By having additional time to pray, we have an opportunity to deepen our relationship with God, trusting in him more, and having the confidence that he will listen to us and hear our prayers. We can ask God for specific things during Lent. Each week we can focus on one thing and ask God to strengthen us in that area. We can gain our extra time for prayer during Lent by giving up, for example Internet and social media (except work-related purposes or research), playing computer games or watching 7de Laan. Here are some things that we can ask God for during the six weeks of Lent that will help us and the people around us: We can ask God to help us to be attentive to what truly matters and not to be distracted by trivial things. There are so many things that distract us during the day that we find it difficult to focus our attention on what is important. For instance, we can start watching a video clip on YouTube, and before we know it, we are watching one clip after the other. When the day is over we realise that we have wasted a lot of time and we have missed out on opportunities to show care and support to the people living and working with us. We can ask for strong relationships with family and friends in a bond of loving community. Relationships are not always easy. But they are important. It is

from our relationships that we draw strength and energy. All of us need people who love us, who have our backs, who are there for us when it really matters. So we can ask God at this time to help us nurture loving relationships among our family, friends, colleagues, community members—relationships that are life-giving, appropriate and beneficial for the entire community. We can ask God to help us to be free from all that burdens us. Past mistakes, fears, destructive habits or hurts that other people have inflicted on us—none of us wants to live in the past, but we do take our past with us wherever we go. Sometimes something bad that happened to us tends to rear its ugly head, and then weighs on us and affects us negatively. We cannot ask God to take our painful experiences away from us, but we can ask him for the ability to deal with them in order not to be negatively affected whenever these experiences come to mind.

Lent is a season to make extra time to spend with God. Judith Turner gives some ideas for what to talk with God about.

The single-issue Church R ECENTLY I received an e-mail from one of the many Catholic mailing lists I belong to. The mail asked me to pray for US President Donald Trump, and went on to tell me how profound this man was as a president of the United States because he had spoken at the March for Life and defended the fight against abortion. I instructed that I be removed from that list—but not because I won’t pray for Mr Trump or the US under his leadership, nor even because I don’t agree with the vital importance of fighting against an abortion culture. I wanted out because of a very dangerous principle that needs to be resisted. It’s the idea of becoming a single-issue Church. Thus, because Mr Trump spoke against abortion, all the other issues that he has got wrong—and they are myriad, from Russia to the blanket condemnation of, to rephrase him, “long-drop toilet countries”—are swept aside because he has spoken about this one idea that has captured the imagination of part of the American Church. As a student I had the great privilege of

US President Donald Trump addresses the annual March for Life rally in Washington from the White House on January 19. (Photo: Kevin Lamarque, Reuters/CNS) studying the approach of the late Cardinal Joseph Bernadin of Chicago who proposed to the very divided US Church that all moral thought was a Seamless Garment. Building on the great tradition of Catholic moral thought, the Ten Commandments are never to be seen in isolation. So while we might not murder, we might need to approach our whole lives with a consistent life ethic.

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10 ways to combat racism this Lent

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HE president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC) has apologised for the local Church’s historical failures in the colonial and apartheid eras, as well as for the sexual abuse of minors by Church personnel, over the 200 years since the Catholic Church was established in South Africa. Addressing the bishops’ Januar y plenar y i n P r e t o r i a , A rc h b i s h o p S t e p h e n B r i s l i n o f Cape To own said: “We…apologise unreser vedly for incidents of sexual abuse of minors which have occurred in the Church of Southern Africa. Thank God, today we have committed ourselves to rooting out this evil and to protecting children.” He expressed the Church’s “remorse for the times when we remained silent about— or even worse, were part of—the negativity of colonialism and apartheid”, acknowledging that “people have been hurt by the Church in this regard, and in other matters”. He called on Catholics to remain hopeful about South Africa despite current problems, and to work for the countr y they want. This, he said, includes confronting the problems of racism and economic injustice. He stressed that dealing with racism is “an essential ingredient to the healing and reconciliation that is needed in our countr y, without which I do not believe we will ever be able to achieve any true peace”. A rc h b i s h o p B r i s l i n s t r o n g l y c o n d e m n e d corruption, noting that there is a general feeling of helplessness and despair. “If this is true , then the cr ime is e normous and those responsible should be brought to account and face the legal consequences,” he said. “Leaders in whom the electorate placed their trust have betrayed the countr y, and most especially betrayed the poor, for their own selfish and greedy interests.” Acknowledging the need to correct econ o m i c i m b a l a n c e s , A rc h b i s h o p B r i s l i n s a i d that “we must accept and help others to ac-

T The he

cept, and it will involve sacrifices on the part of some”. He pointed out that besides state-capture, corruption is rife in South Africa, referring to massive corruption in the corporate environment. “The corrupt include people who sit on the pews of churches, mosques, temples and synagogues for their weekly worship,” he noted. The Church needs to raise awareness among the faithful about corruption and challenge them where it occurs, he said. This also means that the Church must be transparent and accountable in its finances, stressing that “we use our temporal resources honestly, wisely and in the service of evangelisation”. Archbishop Brislin also addressed the formulation of a new draft Pastoral Plan for the local Church with a vision of an “Evangelising Community Ser ving God, Humanity and All Creation”. This, he said, has eight themes: evangelisation; laity formation and empowerment; life and ministr y of priests and deacons; marriage and family; youth; Justice and Peace and non-violence; healing and reconciliation; and care of creation. Citing Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, he said that priests are called to “accompany and support people, even if their life situations do not reach the ideal”. He emphasised the importance of the work done at the grassroots level, which he said is one of the Church’s strengths. With a view to the current bicentennial jubilee, which will culminate in countr ywide celebrations in June, Archbishop Brislin said: “To ogether, as the Catholics of this countr y, united in our faith in Jesus Christ, we continue the tradition handed on to us over the past 200 years. “Because we believe, we continue to speak, to evangelise and to glorify God, in anticipation of the Resurrection and our meeting once again at the side of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

We can ask God for joy and a sense of humour. God gives the gift of joy to share, and Lent is the time of all times to share, to give, and to make other people happy. The Lenten journey should be kept between the penitent and God, but the joy and gladness which flows from reconciliation can touch and inspire others. This is the essence of Lent: to happily renew faith and recover newness of life, to rejoice in this new life, and to be glad with our brothers and sisters. We can ask God for the grace to be able to rest, become aware of God’s presence and enjoy it. Many people, especially moms and dads, are guilty of not being able to rest—there is always something to do. Even if there is nothing to do, they will look for something to do. Every day, each one us need our dose of nothingness—to rest, be quiet and be alone. It is in this aloneness that we are more able to hear God when he speaks to us. We need to sacrifice our desire to want to complete tasks, and replace it with the humble ability to do nothing and wait for God’s voice, and to delight in hearing it. We can ask God for a passion to pursue justice. We live in a very unjust world and many of us are lukewarm about the issues of injustice. There are many reasons for such tepid attitudes, the biggest of which is the fact that we ourselves are many times not affected by the injustice. Often the only hope that the victims of injustice have is that others may have passion for their plight, and lobby and fight on their behalf. Ask God for this passion. I wish you a holy, happy and transformative six weeks of Lent.

Fr Chris Townsend

Pastor’s Notebook

This is why I cannot avoid commenting on the sounds being made on the death penalty all the way to the Water Wars in the Cape to the danger of our racism in thought and action. We cannot say that all will be well with the world because Donald Trump spoke about abortion—the same man who has the delicacy of a Blue Bull forward. And why is this important for our South African narrative now? One of the things I admire about the US Church is that it’s a Church that is passionate. The American Catholic is a generally passionate Catholic. The Church—at least the one that remains after the suggestion that the biggest religious group in the US after Catholics is lapsed or ex-Catholics—is a Church that has issues to engage with, one that tries. The danger is that it is a single-issue Church. But at least it has issues. I’m concerned that we don’t have any of that passion in the South African Church.

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Fr Fannie Raymond Msiza of Pretoria with family and parishioners after his ordination by Archbishop William Slattery at Ekangala Community Hall. Fr Msiza celebrated his first Mass the following day at St Bartholomew church in Ekangala, which is about 60km from Pretoria. (Photo: Mathiebela Sebothoma)

More Dead Sea Scrolls decoded

HE Dead Sea Scrolls, which are among the oldest extant biblical manuscripts, have been a topic of interest since they were discovered in the Qumran caves in the occupied Weest Bank in 1946. More recently, Israeli scholars have pieced together some of the last fragments of the ancient documents, revealing new information about the scrolls. Dr Eshbal Ratzon and Prof Jonathan BenDov of Haifa University decoded 60 previously unread fragments over the course of a year to discover a festival marking each changing season which was celebrated by t h e J e w s . T h e r e s e a rc h e r s a l s o f o u n d t h e name for the festival: the Hebrew word tekufah, meaning “period”. These fragments, some of which were smaller than a centimetre, identified the seasonal celebrations, which included the festivals of New Wheat, New Wine, and New Oil, which are linked to the Jewish festival of Shavuot. These celebrations were based on the 364-day Jewish calendar. Additionally,, the researchers found that a second scribe made additional notes on the scroll, correcting some mistakes and omissions made by the original author. According to Dr Ratzon, these notes made it easier for them to decode the ancient scrolls. “What’s nice is that these comments were

Faith and Life

Interview with veteran Vatican II bishop

Bishops sorry for Church’s past failures T

Judith Turner

A facsimile of Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran i n t h e We s t B a n k , w h e r e s o m e o f t h e o l d e s t extant biblical manuscripts were found. (Photo: Günther Simmermacher) hints that helped me figure out the puzzle— they showed me how to assemble the scroll,” said Dr Ratzon, according to the BBC. The writing of the ancient texts are attributed by many to the Essenes, a Jewish sect who lived in the desert. The scrolls, around 900 in number, contain Hebrew,, Greek, and Aramaic writing, and are thought to date to between 300 BC and AD 100.—CNA

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The Southern Cross, February 7 to February 13, 2018

Mgr Vincent Hill

Point of Church

Safe answers not always the best

N response to Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation on the family, Amoris Laetitia—and specifically the footnote that opens the door for some people in “irregular” marriages to receive Communion—three bishops presented a statement about the “immutable truths” of sacramental marriage, and four cardinals sent a dubia to Pope Francis—and then made sure that the press gave it full coverage. My Lords and Eminences, this is not “fraternal correction” but a political tactic known as lobbying, with the aim of creating a pressure group. Their presumption is that Pope Francis’ teaching is opposed to the message of Christ; that he doesn’t know how to be pope. I am a priest of the archdiocese of Pretoria, South Africa; now retired. Being in a mission area, our diocesan tribunal was established only in the 1960s. I was a notary at the time. To my dismay, I was informed that a case had been referred to us which had been “pending” for 25 years! The reason for delay was that the point at issue involved the African traditional understanding of marriage. Since we had no African priests yet with canon law doctorates, the case had been shelved. The Church claims to give moral guidance, but when appealed to for an answer on a most urgent point, the Church had no answer—for 25 years! You want an answer; you need an answer; but you get no answer. What faith that petitioner had, despite it all, to continue believing in the Church! What about a case where a petitioner is morally certain that the mutual marriage consent was defective—and even the officials of the tribunal agree, internally—but it cannot be proven. No nullity decree can be granted without evidence. Is this not recognised as a problem? Of recent years, the “pastoral solution” has been offered. In applying this, it seems the couple is usually told to live “as brother and sister”. How realistic is this? In the seminary we were given a useful guide for moral choice: “Nemo tenetur ad impossibile”, meaning, “No one is bound to perform the impossible”. And there are degrees of physical or moral impossibility. Attempts to impose one standard on all can contribute to serious consequences, such as unfaithfulness, alcoholism or violence. I cannot simply turn my back and say: “It’s their problem”.

ur canon law is based on Roman law, on contracts and facts: “Is it, or isn’t it?” In offering guidance on moral matters, our canonists tend towards the “safe” answer, as the Pharisees did in biblical times. Yes, our moral teaching should be immutable, infallible. But the law which we use to express that teaching may be limited, defective, incomplete (using human concepts and terminology, ignoring relevant circumstances). The Church’s teaching on marriage has in fact developed (changed). Jesus stated clearly: “What God has put together, man may not divide.” But within 50 years of Jesus saying that, Paul was dealing with a problem: A pagan woman converts to Christ. Her husband reacts with violence. Must she stay, or be martyred? Paul says she may leave him and remarry. The explanation—”it was not a sacramental marriage”—was developed afterwards, and labelled Pauline Privilege. Later, the popes are found dissolving sacramental marriages which were “not consummated” (Petrine Privilege). In the application of the Pauline Privilege, in justice the non-Christian party must be given a chance to accept or reject the spouse’s conversion. The missionaries to the slaves of Brazil asked the Holy See for guidance, since the interpellations were simply impossible. The popes agreed. A converted slave would be free to marry (or remarry). In the above examples, the justification for the change was developed after the papal decision. Again, to counter grave abuse, the Church imposed new rules, for validity (priest plus two witnesses). These rules did not apply in apostolic times. Even today, a couple living in Tristan da Cunha might have to wait more than six months for the next priest to visit the island. They would not be bound by that new rule. All these are examples of the Church’s power to “bind or loose”. It seems to me that Pope Francis is simply allowing discussion on a difficult problem—without judgments, condemnations, and neurotic warnings.

The Southern Cross, February 7 to February 13, 2018

FAITH

How Lent was observed – and how to do it now The way the Church has observed Lent has changed since the early days of the Church. Professor MICHAEL OGUNU charts the development of Lent, and explains how we best follow the 40 days leading up to Easter today.

ENT, which begins on Ash Wednesday—this year on February 14—is the part of the Church year during which we prepare for the risen Christ. It is a time of prayer, fasting and penance in the period of 40 days preceding Easter. The English word “Lent” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “Lenten”, meaning spring because in the northern hemisphere, Lent always falls during the spring time of the year. Before the 4th century, only catechumens who were in the final stages of their preparation for baptism on the Easter vigil observed a fast. For three weeks before the celebration of the paschal mystery, the candidates for baptism attended special classes in Christian doctrine. This catechumenate in its traditional form of classes, daily exorcism, and the fast, dates from the latter half of the second century. However, quite early, many devout Christians took it upon themselves to renew their own baptismal dedication to Christ by observing the fast and joining in the various exercises of the catechumenate. After the periods of persecution by the Roman Empire had ceased with Christianity’s legalisation in AD 313, the Church used this originally private devotion as a way of keeping before all Christians the ideal of a Christ-centred life. The length of this fast and the rigour with which it has been observed has varied greatly at different times and in different countries. In the 2nd century, the time of St Iranaeus, the fast before Easter was very short but very severe. Some ate nothing for 40 hours between the afternoon of Good Friday and the morning of Easter. This was the only authoritatively prescribed fast known to the Tertullian (c155-c240), the African “Father of Latin Christianity”.

Changing rules of fasting In Alexandria, Egypt, about the middle of the 3rd century, it was already customary to fast during Holy Week. The first mention of the Lenten

The Mount of Temptation, near Jericho in the West Bank, where Jesus is believed to have spent 40 days and 40 nights before beginning his public ministry. (Photo: Günther Simmermacher) fast, or Quadragesima, is in the fifth canon of the Council of Nicaea (325), and from this time it is frequently referred to—but chiefly as a season of preparation for baptism, of absolution of penitents or of retreat and recollection. Fasting played a part during this season, but it was not universally or rigorously enforced. In Rome, for instance, the whole period of fasting was but three weeks long, according to the 5thcentury historian Socrates of Constantinople; these three weeks were probably not continuous but, following the Roman custom, broken by intervals. Gradually, however, the fast as observed in the East and West became more rigorously defined. In the East, where after the example of the Church of Antioch, the Quadragesima fast had been kept distinct from that of Holy Week, the whole fast came to last for seven weeks; Saturdays and Sundays (except Holy Saturday) were, however, excluded.

Everybody’s expelled Early in the 7th century the fast was made to last 40 days, beginning from Ash Wednesday. The name Ash Wednesday arose from the institution of public penance. On that day, public sinners were sprinkled with ashes and expelled from the Church in order to be readmitted on Holy Thursday. The adoption of the number of 40 days was a development inspired by biblical and symbolical considerations. As Nigerian Fr Martin Dama puts it, “40 days is the measure used in the Bible for man’s preparation to meet God”. • When Moses went up Mount Horeb to receive the tablets of the

Covenant, he stayed there for 40 days and 40 nights, eating no bread and drinking no water (Deut 9:911). • Elijah, strengthened by the food the Angel of Yahweh invited him to eat in the wilderness, walked for 40 days and 40 nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God (1 Kings 19:6-9). • The 40 days fasting period reminds us of the 40 days and 40 nights spent by Christ in prayer and fasting before he began his public ministry (Mk 1:12-13; Mt 4:1-11). In the early centuries of the Church, Lent was characterised by prayer and fasting. The people gathered each day to listen to the Bible being read and to sing psalms. All day, before the prayer meeting they would fast. As already explained, the custom of Lenten fasting might have originated in the prescribed fast of

A PRAYER FOR LENT

Father of my soul, Mother of my heart, I know your love for me is limitless beyond imagining. You care for me as a loving parent. Through my smallest Lenten sacrifices, help me to become less selfish and more aware of your ways. Fan the flame of my desire to draw ever closer to you. Guide me to seek your love. candidates for baptism. The emphasis on fasting was on the preparations for spiritual renewal as demanded by Easter. From the 5th century onwards, the observance of the fast was very strict. Only one meal a day, in the evening, was allowed. Meat and fish, and in most places even eggs and dairy products, were absolutely forbidden (as we can see, veganism is not a new fad). Meat wasn’t even allowed on Sundays. However, from the 9th century onwards, the practice began to be considerably relaxed. The prohibition against fish was removed during the Middle Ages, while the use of dairy products came to be more general. In the course of the last few centuries, the Holy See has granted more substantial relaxations of the laws of fasting. Meat was allowed at the principal meal on Sundays, then gradually on weekdays, but Fridays were always exempted.

Positive sacrifices The trend on greater emphasis on other forms of penitential works, rather than on fasting and abstinence—particularly on exercise of piety and other works of charity—found legislative expression in Pope Paul VI’s 1966 apostolic constitution Poenitenmini. Accordingly, abstinence is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on all Fridays of the year that do not fall on holidays of obligation, while fasting as well as abstinence is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Additional fasting is left to the discretion of individuals, while other forms of self-denial and good works are encouraged. But the most effective fast is fast-

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ing from evil, from laziness at work, from cheating our workers or our employers or our clients. The purpose of Lent is conversion. Through a complete rightabout-turn in life, we Christians are called again to become better disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ through self-denial. “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain” (Jn 12:24). In his illuminating book titled Following Christ Crucified, Bishop Anthony Nwedo CSSp reminds Christians of the age-old teaching of the Church that fasting, prayers and alms-giving form the triple remedy which work together to purge away sins, cleanse man’s soul and reconcile him to God. Apart from the penitential discipline of self-denial which we should willingly impose upon ourselves, there are more positive acts of love of God and neighbour by which we open wide the windows of our souls. By this I am referring to our common offering with our priests of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which may be our daily Lenten banquet; or sharing with our brethren in those devotions, notably the meditation on the Stations of the Cross, which remind us so forcibly that Christ’s sufferings and death were in truth the price of our salvation. Beyond these, and springing from them, we should also be prompted to acts of charity, the relief of want and misery, the actual involvement in the care of the aged and infirm, not as a duty grudgingly undertaken, but as our Christian privilege. When we do this, it is Christ we serve (cf Mt 25:31-46).

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The Southern Cross, February 7 to February 13, 2018

SA CHURCH 200

How bishops took on apartheid A new wind was blowing in the 1960s as the bishops of Southern Africa intensified their opposition to apartheid, as FR ANTHONY EGAN SJ explains in the second part of his article on the Church’s early response to the racist system they had called “evil” and “blasphemous”.

Y 1960, the political crisis in South Africa had intensified. The decade of defiance had reached something of a climax: the African National Congress and its allies in the Congress Alliance had produced the Freedom Charter in 1955. It was essentially an alternative constitution for South Africa, demanding full democratic rights for all citizens, plus a more socialist or social democratic economy to redress past inequalities. Though invited to participate, the Catholic Church—together with most other churches and white opposition parties, including the Liberal Party—had made no formal contribution to its drafting. Within a year a bloc within the ANC had broken away to form the Pan Africanist Congress, and the state had intervened by arresting 156 members of the Congress Alliance and charging them with treason. The great Treason Trial would last five years, yielding no convictions, but by the mid-1960s the

ANC, the PAC and other allies would be banned. As the SACBC gathered for its meeting at the end of January 1960, it realised that something stronger needed to be said about the situation. Issued in February 1960, its pastoral letter insisted that politics was a religious matter, that it was “subject to the law of God” and that people were justified in struggling for their legitimate rights— peacefully. (The latter point was tested in the decades that followed as the ANC and PAC embarked on armed struggle and the state cracked down on opposition with increased ferocity.) Given that theirs was a dual task—speaking to South African Catholics and to people outside the Church, Christianity or any form of organised religion—the tone of the document took on two aspects. The first underlying theme emphasised theological anthropology: that all humanity was under God’s providence, that all were equal in the sight of God, and that Christian faith was rooted in the command to love. The command to love was not simply reduced to personal relations but to the social and in justice. This meant that Christian love was expected to embrace “(t)he essential unity of the human race, and the fundamental rights that follow from it…Justice is giving our neighbour what is his (sic) due, love is going beyond that, seeking understanding of one another, rendering aid, tolerating injuries, associating in a spirit of friendship and human solidarity with those

The Southern Cross in 1962 runs the full pastoral letter of the bishops on apartheid. In it, the bishops said: “We dare not remain silent and passive in face of injustices inflicted on members of the unprivileged racial groups. Colour must never be permitted to offer an excuse or a pretext for injustice.”

Archbishop Denis Hurley led the Catholic opposition against apartheid from the 1950s. with whom our particular circumstances brings us into contact”.

Committed to human rights The other theme, perhaps with an eye to a wider, secular community, was human rights. While couched in theological terms, the SACBC outlined its commitment to human rights for all. These rights included rights to life, religious freedom, marriage and family life (implicitly attacking the Mixed Marriages Act), the right to work and access to material goods. The SACBC explicitly condemned segregation, the migrant labour system (as an enemy of family life) and proposed a “franchise based on justice”. The latter insisted that “colour should not be the criterion; the qualification [to vote] should be the ability to exercise the vote in a truly responsible manner”. How this qualification would work is not examined in detail but, if one follows the thought patterns of earlier SACBC statements and those of white opposition parties in the 1950s, it would have entailed some elements of basic education, property ownership or income. Ironically, on this point, while the SACBC were in accord with parliamentary parties like the Progressives, they were behind the Liberal Party. By 1960 the Liberals had accepted the notion of universal suffrage without qualifications, having concluded—rightly, I would argue—that that time had passed. Not all bishops, I suspect, were happy with this compromise document. A growing number of them, centred around Archbishop Denis Hurley of Durban, saw the need to take a stronger stand against apartheid. While studying in Rome during the 1930s, Archbishop Hurley had done his licentiate in theology (in South African terms, a higher master’s degree) in Catholic Social

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Thought. His studies, and his encounter with black and Asian students from around the globe, had convinced him that apartheid was both unworkable and evil. Backed by a group of Catholic theologians (mostly Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Franciscans and Dominicans) quietly doing innovative theology that would become mainstream after the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), and by a group of white Catholic laity emerging from the university student movement where they’d mostly gravitated towards the Liberal Party and National Union of South African Students, Hurley’s struggle was an uphill battle. With the SACBC comprising a significant bloc of expatriates and white South Africans still deeply concerned about anti-Catholic hostility from the ruling National Party, any attempt to speak about race and justice was muted. Compromise was essential.

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New pope, new spirit In 1958, Pope Pius XII died. The College of Cardinals elected Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, the elderly patriarch of Venice, as an interim pope. Against all expectations, John XXIII decided that the Church was in urgent need of renewal—aggiornamento, updating so that it could more adequately engage with the modern world. He convened the Second Vatican Council for this purpose. Meeting in January-February 1962, the SACBC plenary had the Council in mind when they produced their new pastoral letter. Archbishop Hurley was by then on the preparatory committee for Vatican II, assisting in preparing the position papers and proposals that the bishops of the world would address at the Council. Within South Africa, too, the bishops were faced with numerous concerns: the banning of various liberation movements shortly after their 1960 statement, a state of emergency in 1960 following the Sharpeville massacre, the emergence of a sabotage campaign to end apartheid and the beginnings of a guerilla struggle. In tandem with all of this was a state cracking down on opposition, the hardening rather than softening of apartheid, and global phenomena such as decolonisation and rapid secularisation of society.

No longer silent With a nod to the latter, perhaps, the 1962 pastoral letter started with concern about “aggressive anti-God forces” seeking to undermine Christianity and “exploit every grievance against injustice”. This is a singularly odd statement for a document that otherwise reiterates the SACBC’s growing opposition to domestic injustice. Having noted that the Church was a spiritual bulwark against godlessness and injustice, the text endorses John XXIII’s call for aggiornamento and the SACBC’s insistence that Catholics had a duty to exercise civic responsibility. The latter responsibility, the bishops said, meant that “we dare not remain silent and passive in face of injustices inflicted on mem-

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Habemus papam! The Southern Cross announces John XXIII as the new pope in 1958. bers of the unprivileged racial groups. Colour must never be permitted to offer an excuse or a pretext for injustice”. The bishops continued: “We must use every lawful means suggested by our Christian conscience in order to counteract and overcome the injustices pressing down on unprivileged groups through the toleration of a starvation level of wages, of job-reservation, of the evils which flow from compulsory migratory labour, particularly when the people who belong to these groups are denied the elementary right to organise in defence of their legitimate interests.” Drawing on Matthew 25, the letter concluded: “Here then is the Christian test which must be applied to racial prejudice. As long as we have acted like that towards anyone who differs from us in colour, so it is that we have acted towards Christ himself.” The significance of this document in the Church’s struggle with apartheid—and indeed its own struggle with racism within itself— is twofold. By its appeal to scriptural texts (as opposed to an earlier emphasis on traditional Catholic moral philosophy) it anticipates the tone and texture of many of its later statements. The passion of tone of the later parts of the pastoral letter would also mark future statements. Secondly, in its comments about specifics, it anticipates not simply more concrete official statements about apartheid, but anticipated how the Church would in the wake of Vatican II put its words into concrete action, supporting labour unions and non-violent protest movements. In the meantime, as the ink on the 1962 pastoral letter dried, the Catholic bishops of South Africa prepared themselves for the Second Vatican Council. Vatican II would not simply shift the Church’s role in political life; it would be the moment that seismically shifted the whole of South African Catholicism. n This article was produced by the Jesuit Institute in association with The Daily Maverick.

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The Southern Cross, February 7 to February 13, 2018

CLASSIFIEDS

Sr Agnes Mary Limbeck HC

OLY Cross Sister Agnes Mary Limbeck died suddenly on November 27 at the age of 76. As a qualified nurse she ministered for many years as a midwife at Lady Selborne, in its early years as a maternity home. Later she moved to Taung and worked in St Conrad hospital as a ward nurse for several years. She had a great love for children and cared for many orphans entrusted to her when she ministered in the Holy Cross Orphanage in Cala, Eastern Cape. In 1997, Sr Agnes Mary helped to start the Isibindi project for Aids-affected and -infected families in the Ndondo square in Cala. In 2004, when the children’s

home was closed, Sr Agnes Mary returned to Lady Selborne where she helped in the nursing care of the sick, the elderly Holy Cross Sisters, and the frail. She had a great interest in raising funds to help maintain various projects in which she was involved.

In November 2013 she was transferred to St Michael’s convent in Aliwal North. Here she lovingly cared for her ageing Holy Cross Sisters until her very sudden death on November 27 following a massive heart attack from which she could not fight back. Sr Agnes Mary is remembered as a woman of great character. She bore sufferings and hardships with a quiet inner strength and held others in a positive regard She was of a friendly nature, had sympathy and many interesting stories to share. She was always quick to forgive offences and had a great sense of humour, accompanied by a healthy and hearty laugh. Sr Bernadette Duffy HC

CLASSIFIEDS

Births • First Communion • Confirmation • Engagement/Marriage • Wedding anniversary • Ordination jubilee • Congratulations • Deaths • In memoriam • Thanks • Prayers • Accommodation • Holiday Accommodation • Personal • Services • Employment • Property • Others Please include payment (R1,80 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication.

PRAYERS

FATHER, you have given all peoples one common origin. It is your will that they be gathered together as one family in yourself. Fill the hearts of mankind with the fire of your love and with the desire to ensure justice for all. By sharing the good things you give us, may we secure an equality for all our brothers and sisters throughout the world. May there be an end to division, strife and war. May there be a dawning of a truly human society built on love and peace. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

Sr Stephen Schneider OP D

OMINICAN Sister Stephen Schneider died on January 20 at Emmaus Convent, East London, at 90, a week after she had suffered a stroke. Sr Stephen was born in Niederkirchen, near Kaiserslautern in Germany. She and her twin brother were born into a family of five children, four of whom entered religious life. Her sisters, Nives and Blanda, also became King Dominican Sisters. Sr Stephen wrote about her family: “My parents were opposites in character. My mother, soft-spoken, self-sacrificing, humble and a very religious person; my father, a very generous man, party and committeeloving, not too Church-friendly and in great need of friends and company. Whenever Dad missed Sunday Mass, Mom would call the family together and announce that she would not talk to Dad until he had gone to confession.

“Once he had been to confession, everybody was happy again and the event was celebrated with his favourite meal and a box of special cigars.” Having received her Dominican training, Sr Stephen came to South Africa. From 1952 to 1994 she taught in many of the KWT Dominican schools, also holding the position of principal in four different schools: at St Agnes, Welkom; St Pius, East London; Our Lady of Mercy, Springs; and Sacred Heart, Belgravia.

Liturgical Calendar Year B – Weekdays Cycle Year 2 Sunday February 11, 6th Sunday of the Year Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46, Psalms 32:1-2, 5, 11, 1 Corinthians 10:31--11:1, Mark 1:40-45 Monday February 12 James 1:1-11, Psalms 119:67-68, 71-72, 7576, Mark 8:11-13 Tuesday February 13 James 1:12-18, Psalms 94:12-15, 18-19, Mark 8:14-21 Wednesday February 14, Ash Wednesday Joel 2:12-18, Psalms 51:3-6, 12-14, 17, 2 Corinthians 5:20--6:2, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Ash Wednesday falls on February 14 Thursday February 15 Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Psalms 1:1-4, 6, Luke 9:22-25 Friday February 16 Isaiah 58:1-9, Psalms 51:3-6, 18-19, Matthew 9:14-15 Saturday February 17, Seven Founders of the Order of Servites Isaiah 58:9-14, Psalms 86:1-6, Luke 5:27-32 Sunday February 18, 1st Sunday of Lent Genesis 9:8-15, Psalms 25:4-9, 1 Peter 3:1822, Mark 1:12-15

She is remembered as a hardworking, fair and conscientious teacher and principal. After her teaching years, Sr Stephen became her congregation’s regional bursar and served on the Cape Regional Leadership Team for two terms, while being a member of the St Pius community in Port Elizabeth. When this convent was sold to the diocese in 2006, Sr Stephen moved with the whole community to Emmaus Retirement Home. Here too, she made herself useful in many ways, such as writing letters for the frail Sisters, compiling obituaries on the deaths of Sisters, and keeping ill Sisters company. During her final illness Sr Stephen could not have been more gracious and thankful at all times. She did not complain and accepted her illness as a preparation for her final union with God.

Our bishops’ anniversaries This week we congratulate: February 14: Bishop Kevin Dowling of Rustenburg on his 74th birthday

Community Calendar

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

CAPE TOWN: Retreat day/quiet prayer last Saturday of each month except December, at Springfield Convent in Wynberg, Cape Town. Hosted by CLC, 10.0015.30. Contact Jill on 083 282 6763 or Jane on 082 783 0331.

Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Good Shepherd parish, 1 Goede Hoop St, Bothasig, welcomes all visitors. Open 24 hours a day. Phone 021 558 1412. DURBAN: Holy Mass and Novena to St Anthony at St Anthony’s parish every Tuesday at 9:00. Holy Mass and Divine

Mercy Devotion at 17:30 on first Friday of every month. Sunday Mass at 9:00. Phone 031 309 3496 or 031 209 2536. St Anthony’s rosary group. Every Wednesday at 18:00 at St Anthony’s church opposite Greyville racecourse. All are welcome and lifts are available. Keith Chetty on 083 372 9018. NELSPRUIT: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at St Peter’s parish every Tuesday from 8:00 to 16:45, followed by Rosary, Divine Mercy prayers, then a Mass/Communion service at 17:30.

kingdom, where Jesus is Lord forever and ever. Amen. LORD, inspire those men and women who bear the titles “husband” and “wife”. Help them to look to You, to themselves, to one another to rediscover the fullness and mystery they once felt in their union. Let them be honest enough to ask: “Where have we been together and where are we going?” Let them be brave enough to question: “How have we failed?” Let each be foolhardy enough to say: “For me, we come first.” Help them, together, to re-examine their commitment in the light of Your love, willingly, openly, compassionately.

PERSONAL

ABORTION WARNING: The truth will convict a silent Church. See www.valuelife abortionisevil.co.za ABORTION WARNING: The Pill can abort. All Catholic users (married or cohabiting) must be told, to save their souls and their unborn infants. See www.epm.org/ static/uploads/downloads/ bcpill.pdf HOLY SPIRIT CENTRE: 161a Coronation Street, Maitland, Cape Town. We offer food and accommodation 70+ guests (school/tour/ youth groups, and so on). Bookings manager 021 510 2988, cell 083 723 0293, e-mail hscentre@ telkomsa.net LOOKING FOR Father Swanton who used to come to Cape Town. Also looking for Avril Blackwell (Smit) of Randfontein. Denise 082 078 1661.

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

O VIRGIN Mother, In the depths of your heart you pondered the life of the Son you brought into the world. Give us your vision of Jesus and ask the Father to open our hearts, that we may always see His presence in our lives, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, bring us into the joy and peace of the

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

MARIANELLA Guest House, Simon’s Town: “Come experience the peace and beauty of God with us.” Fully equipped with amazing sea views. Secure parking, ideal for rest and relaxation. Special rates for pensioners and clergy. Malcolm Salida 082 784 5675, mjsalida@ gmail.com KZN-DURBAN: Self-catering guest house close to churches, shopping malls and beach. Tel: 083 263 2174.

Southern CrossWord solutions SOLUTIONS TO 797. ACROSS: 1 Ends, 3 Amassing, 9 Onerous, 10 Appal, 11 Collegiality, 13 Shalom, 15 Causes, 17 Globetrotter, 20 Throb, 21 Curious, 22 Basilisk, 23 Undo. DOWN: 1 Exorcism, 2 Dwell, 4 Mystic, 5 Small favour, 6 Imputes, 7 Gold, 8 Tower of Babel, 12 Espresso, 14 Allures, 16 Sticks, 18 Thorn, 19 Stab.

Word of the Week

Lent: The forty days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday (not including Sundays) during which the faithful prepare to observe Christ’s passion and death. The word Lent is from the Old English for the season of spring.

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1st Sunday of Lent: February 18 Readings: Genesis 9:8-15, Psalm 25:4-9, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:12-15

S outher n C ross

Temptation tests us all

EXT Sunday is already the first Sunday in Lent; in the Gospel we are invited to contemplate Jesus’ temptation in the desert, not so much to make us feel better about our own failures to resist temptation, more to recognise how very close God is to us, even when temptation seems to press most severely on us. The first reading offers us a picture of the aftermath of Noah’s Flood, and God’s promise: “Look! I am going to establish my covenant with you and with your offspring after you, and every living thing that is with you.” God solemnly affirms that “I shall establish my covenant with you: never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood”. Then there is that unforgettable “sign” of the rainbow: “This shall be the sign of the covenant between me and you and all living creatures that are with you, to the generations of the Age: I shall place my bow in the sky, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. “When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the cloud, then I shall remember my covenant which is between me and you and all the living creatures and all flesh; and never again shall there be waters of the flood to destroy all flesh.”

This is a reminder of God’s fidelity, which we can rely on, no matter how badly we behave; and that is something to hold on to, all through this Lent. The author of the psalm is well aware of our need for God: “Lord, make me know your ways, and teach me your paths”, he sings, “guide me in the paths of your truth and teach me that you are the God of my salvation.” Then (as though God could possibly forget) he begs God to “remember your mercy, Lord, and your steadfast love, because they are from The Age, according to your steadfast love remember me because of your goodness, O Lord”. Here we are not telling God anything that the Almighty does not already know; this is strictly for us, next time we feel that we are enduring impossible temptations. In the second reading, from 1 Peter, we are once again reassured about the outcome, this time because of what Christ has done: “He died once and for all for sins, a just one for the unjust, to bring you to God; he has been done to death in the flesh, but brought to life in the Spirit.” Then we are reminded of the flood mentioned in our first reading: “God waited pa-

tiently in the days of Noah, when an Ark was made ready.” Then we are encouraged to apply this to our own lives: “Baptism saves you now, not putting aside the filth of the flesh, but an appeal to God for a clear conscience”, and to recognise that the battle is already won “through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at God’s right hand”. That is the mood in which we must approach Sunday’s Gospel, recognising that God is in charge; Jesus’ temptation is always the story read on the first Sunday in Lent, but in the other two years, Matthew and Luke give us a rather longer version, with three temptations each. Here the evangelist shows that his interest is more on what God is up to: “Immediately the Spirit expels [Jesus] into the desert.” So that makes it quite clear that what is happening is what God wants. Then we learn that “he was in the desert for forty days”. This echoes, of course, the “forty years” that the children of Israel had spent in the desert, and from which (let us never forget) God rescued them. Then we learn a bit more, that he was “being tested by Satan”, which is presumably a thoroughly uncomfortable business; this

What kind of Messiah? T

Classic Conrad

HERE’S an oddity in the gospels that begs for an explanation: Jesus, it seems, doesn’t want people to know his true identity as the Christ, the Messiah. He keeps warning people not to reveal that he is the Messiah. Why? Some scholars refer to this as “the messianic secret”, suggesting that Jesus did not want others to know his true identity until the conditions were ripe for it. There’s some truth in that; there’s a right moment for everything. But that still leaves the question unanswered: Why? Why does Jesus want to keep his true identity secret? What would constitute the right conditions within which his identity should be revealed? That question is centre-stage in Mark’s gospel, at Caesarea Philippi, when Jesus asks his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answers: “You are the Christ.” Then, in what seems like a surprising response, Jesus, rather than praising Peter for his answer, warns him sternly not to tell anyone about what he has just acknowledged. Peter seemingly has given him the right answer and yet Jesus immediately, and sternly, warns him to keep that to himself. Why? Simply put, Peter has the right answer, but the wrong conception of that answer. He has a false notion of what it means to be the Messiah.

In the centuries leading up to the birth of Jesus and among Jesus’ contemporaries, there were numerous notions of what the Christ would look like. We don’t know which notion Peter had but obviously it wasn’t the right one because Jesus immediately shuts it down. What Jesus says to Peter is not so much, “Don’t tell anyone that I’m the Christ” but rather, “Don’t tell anyone that I am what you think the Christ should be. That’s not who I am.” Like virtually all of his contemporaries, and not unlike our own fantasies of what a Saviour should look like, Peter no doubt pictured the Saviour who was to come as a Superman, a Superstar who would vanquish evil through a worldly triumph within which he would simply overpower everything that’s wrong by miraculous powers.

uch a Saviour would not be subject to any weakness, humiliation, suffering or death, and his superiority and glory would have to be acknowledged by everyone, willingly or begrudgingly. There would be no holdouts; his demonstration of power would leave no room for doubt or opposition. He would triumph over everything and would reign in a glory such as the world conceives of glory—as the Ultimate Winner, the Ultimate Champion, the winner of the Olympic medal, the World Cup, the Academy Award, the Nobel Prize, the winner of the great trophy or accolade that definitively sets one above others. When Peter says: “You are the Christ!”, that’s how he’s thinking about it: as earthily glory, worldly triumph, as a man so powerful, strong, attractive, and invulnerable that everyone would simply have to fall at his feet. Hence Jesus’ sharp reply: “Don’t tell anyone about that!” Jesus then goes on to instruct Peter, and the I can assure you, there’s nothing celestial about it, rest of us, who he really Madam. It’s just the head altar-server coming off his is as Saviour. He’s not a skateboard. Superman or Superstar

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Sunday Reflections

impression is perhaps reinforced by the next remark, that “the wild beasts were with him”. That might be somewhat uncomfortable, of course, as we imagine Jesus under threat from various lions and tigers; but we might remember the ancient Jewish tradition that when the Messiah comes the “lion will lie down with the lamb”. Certainly the next line makes us feel better: “The angels were looking after him.” Whatever went on in the temptation, it is clear that something good happened in the course of it, because, just as with that other temptation that we shall hear about at the end of Lent, in Gethsemane, Jesus emerges from it ready for action. “After John was handed over, Jesus came into the Galilee, proclaiming God’s Gospel, and saying ‘The right time has been fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has drawn near. Change your hearts, and trust the Gospel’.” Whatever happens to us during Lent, our task is going to be to find God’s unfailing presence during every one of these seven weeks.

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Final Reflection

in this world, or a miracle worker who will prove his power through spectacular deeds. Who is he? The Messiah is a dying and rising Messiah, someone who in his own life and body will demonstrate that evil is not overcome by miracles but by forgiveness, magnanimity and nobility of soul, and that these are attained not through crushing an enemy but through loving him or her more fully. And the route to this is paradoxical: The glory of the Messiah is not demonstrated by overpowering us with spectacular deeds. Rather it is demonstrated in Jesus letting himself be transformed through accepting with proper love and graciousness the unavoidable passivity, humiliation, diminishment and dying that eventually found him. That’s the dying part. But when one dies like that or accepts any humiliation or diminishment in this way, there’s always a subsequent rising to real glory, that is, to the glory of a heart so stretched and enlarged that it is now able to transform evil into good, hatred into love, bitterness into forgiveness, humiliation into glory. That’s the proper work of a Messiah. In Matthew’s gospel this same event is recorded, and this same question is asked and Peter gives the same response, but Jesus’ answer to him here is very different. In Matthew’s account, after Peter says: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”, rather than warn him not to talk about it, Jesus praises Peter’s answer. Why the difference? Because Matthew recasts the scene so that, in his version, Peter does understand the Messiah correctly. How do we imagine the Messiah? How do we imagine triumph? Imagine glory? If Jesus looked us square in the eye and asked, as he asked Peter: “How do you understand me?”, would he laud us for our answer or would he tell us: “Don’t tell anyone about that!”

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ACROSS

1. Finals for your purposes (4) 3. Gathering for the Eucharistic Celebration? (8) 9. Our ones find something too heavy (7) 10. Papal arrangement to dismay you (5) 11. The shared authority of pope and bishops (12) 13. Peace greeting among Jews (6) 15. They have effects of preparing for canonisation (6) 17. Missionary who has travelled widely (12) 20. Heartbeat (5) 21. Dog with debts. That’s unusual (7) 22. Herb and ski upset by mythical snake (8) 23. Untie the knot (4) Solutions on page 11

DOWN

1. Ritual way to banish Satan (8) 2. Live in a place (5) 4. Contemplative person comes from being an army stickler (6) 5. Little ways of showing kindness (5,7) 6. Attributes to set up I’m involved in (7) 7. Gift from one who was star-gazing (4) 8. Site where God confused the languages (5,2,5) 12. Get it at coffee-break during Roman synod (8) 14. LA rules by its attractions (7) 16. Adheres to the river of Hades, it’s heard (6) 18. One of those that wounded Jesus (5) 19. Bats come back to let your blood flow (4)

CHURCH CHUCKLE

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