190515 by The Southern Cross

The

S outher n C ross

May 15 to May 21, 2019

Reg No. 1920/002058/06

No 5135

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When the pen is mightier than the sword

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Where the Risen Christ walked

Contemplative prayer expert coming to SA

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Priest to tour SA to teach happiness STAFF REPORTER

The Southern Cross pilgrims to the Holy Land and Rome are seen at the Colosseum in Rome. The pilgrimage, which ends on May 17, is led by Fr Russell Pollitt SJ with Günther Simmermacher, editor of The Southern Cross and author of The Holy Land Trek.

Pope Francis: I thanked Jean Vanier before his death By CiNDy WOODEN

OPE Francis told reporters he had been kept informed about Jean Vanier’s failing health and had phoned him a week before his death. “He listened to me, but he could barely speak. I wanted to express my gratitude for his witness,” the pope said, the day Mr Vanier died in Paris. “He was a man who was able to read the Christian call in the mystery of death, of the cross, of illness, the mystery of those who are despised and discarded,” Pope Francis said. But, also, he said, Mr Vanier stood up for those “who risk being condemned to death even before being born”. “Simply put, I want to thank him and thank God for having given us this man with such a great witness,” the pope said. The death of Mr Vanier, whose ministry helped improve the lives of developmentally disabled people in dozens of countries, drew prayers and words of condolence from Church leaders around the world. Mr Vanier, who died of thyroid cancer at the age of 90, founded L’Arche in 1964, allowing people with developmental disabilities

Jean Vanier, founder of the L’Arche communities, died aged 90. Mr Vanier’s charity work helped improve conditions for the developmentally disabled in multiple countries over the past half-century. (Photo: Jean Vanier Association/CNS) and those who assist them to share their lives while living in community in an atmosphere of compassion.—CNS

HIS year’s Winter Theology will help participants in various centres in South Africa, Botswana and Eswatini to live a happy life. The annual Winter Theology series, a collaborative venture between the Jesuit Institute SA, the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference and Fordham University in New York, will be presented in June and July by Fr David Marcotte SJ. Fr Marcotte is an associate professor of psychology and director of clinical training at the Jesuit-run Fordham University. His series of lectures is entitled, “How to live a happy life. The spirituality and psychology of wellbeing”. “We have invited Fr Marcotte as the issue of wellbeing is pertinent in South Africa,” said Fr Russell Pollitt SJ, director of the Jesuit Institute. “South Africa is a highly stressed society. A limping economy, poverty, crime, violence and the breakdown of family and social relations all contribute to rising stress levels, depression, burnout and higher suicide rates—especially among young people,” he noted. “We hope that Fr Marcotte will help the Church to understand and respond more effectively to these issues.” Fr Marcotte will look at stress, burnout, depression, anxiety, compassion-fatigue, suicide and addiction, offering participants practical skills that will counter these and advance wellbeing. He believes that meditation and contemplative practices are an essential part of wellbeing and has done empirical studies which he will share with participants. It will be Fr Marcotte’s first visit to South Africa. He said he hopes to present “the emerging research on the psychology of wellbeing and contemplative practices”, and how these practices “can helps us navigate

Fr David Marcotte SJ, who will present this year’s Winter Theology on the subject of attaining happiness. (Photo: Fordham News) our way through stress, burnout, depression and addiction”. Fr Marcotte will give an evening lecture at Christ the King church in Queenswood, Pretoria, on June 3. From June 4-6 he will speak at the Lumko Institute in Benoni. He will then visit Cape Town (June 11-13 at St Francis Xavier Seminary), Durban (June 18-20, St Joseph’s in Morningside), and Port Elizabeth (June 15-27, St Luke’s Retreat and Conference Centre). Fr Marcotte will give a one-day lecture in Manzini, Eswatini, on June 22 and, for the first time this year, Winter Living Theology will also be presented in Gaborone, Botswana, for a one-day workshop on July 3. n For more information or bookings go to www.jesuitinstitute.org.za/index.php/wlt 2019/ or e-mail wlt@jesuitinstitute.org.za

S outher n C ross Pilgrimage

CATHOLIC FRANCE 6-16 October 2019

Led by Bishop Joe Sandri

Lourdes, Paris, Nevers, Paray-le-Monial, Avignon, Marseilles, Orleans and more...

For more information or to book, please contact Gail at info@fowlertours.co.za or phone/WhatsApp 076 352-3809

www.fowlertours.co.za/sandri

The Southern Cross, May 15 to May 21, 2019

LOCAL

Mercy House offers women refuge from violence By ERiN CARELSE

OR two decades, a Pretoria home set up by the Sisters of Mercy has provided protection for victims of human trafficking and domestic violence. Established in 1998 to offer special assistance to victims of domestic violence, Mercy House has developed further to offer counselling and shelter to victims of human trafficking. It houses up to 21 women and children at a time and is run by Sr Mary Mmushi, a quiet and dedicated woman who despite her calm exterior has seen terrible things and coped with many crisis situations. “We can offer a safe haven for these girls for up to two years,” said Sr Mmushi. “Often their cases take this long to be heard.” The legal process is certainly lengthy. Several of the women are there under witness protection. South Africa is noted as a major source as well as point of transit and

destination of people sold for forced labour and sexual slavery. Thousands of trafficked women coming from Thailand, Mozambique, Nigeria, Lesotho and many other parts of Africa, are brought to South Africa with the promise of paying jobs, accommodation and the hope of a better life for themselves and their families. Girls even younger than 17 respond to advertisements on the internet—and are often never seen again by their families. On arrival, many of them are drugged, raped, beaten and forced into prostitution. Any identity papers they have are taken. And it is not just young naive girls who are trapped by promises of a better life. At one stage Mercy House sheltered a woman with a university degree who had responded to an advertisement for an office job. She was trafficked on arrival. “The only reason she got to Mercy

The Sisters of Mercy’s Mercy House in Pretoria shelters women and children affected by domestic violence and human trafficking. House,” Sr Mmushi said, “is because she jumped out of the five-story building she was being held in.” In Pretoria and Johannesburg

Marist Brothers Linmeyer in Oakdene, Johannesburg, celebrated World Read Aloud Day by offering Grade 8 students an opportunity to read to the Grades 1 and R, while Grades 6 and 5 students read to the Grade 3s. (From left) Grade 8 Nokukhanya Tshabalala reads to Saanthan Govender, Emma Tandy, Victoria Medeiros, Berlyn Black and Connor Lane.

The

alone there are more trafficked women than people are aware of. On Pretoria’s Lynnwood Road—a central connecting street to the

major university, schools and sports stadiums—are countless brothels. This is where the crime investigation unit the Hawks plays a central role. With its intervention many places of forced prostitution have been located and disbanded, and scores of women set free, many with no identity papers. The transition back to a normal life is a difficult one. Many leave such places with no clothes but what they are wearing, and in no condition to seek employment anywhere. At one stage, 80% of trafficked women sheltered at Mercy House were from Thailand, and the Thai embassy’s chief-of-missions Paisit Boonparlit donated some R50 000 to the Sisters of Mercy in gratitude for their work. n Mercy House is a non-profit organisation. To sustain its work, donations are needed. Contact Mercy House on 012 329-6682 between 7:00 and 14:00 daily.

Sanctuary revamp for church in PE

AINT Kevin’s Catholic church in Windvogel, Port Elizabeth, has rebuilt its sanctuary, replacing the old wooden altar table with a marble one, and the sanctuary carpets with a more modern and presentable look. The parish, under the guidance of Fr Callistus Nwosu SDV, has held activities and fundraisers to ensure that it cares for the needs of both the community and parishioners.

St Kevin’;s church in Port Elizabeth has renovated its sanctuary.

S outher n C ross

Tour to Mauritius Priests who attended a lunch in Cape Town are (from left) Frs Gerardo Garcia, Stuart McGregor, John Malayil, Frank Whyte, Stanley Botha, Gerry Masters and Dick O’Riordan. Seated are Frs Brian Gelant (left) and Ralph de Hahn. (Photo: Eileen Reynolds)

See Pope Francis at the Papal Mass! Explore Catholic Mauritius... and relax a little 7-14 Sept 2019 • Led by Fr Russell Pollitt SJ A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY: Fly to Mauritius to attend the PAPAL MASS during Pope Francis’ historic trip to this tropical island. See the great CATHOLIC SITES of this faith-filled country. Includes a GUIDED RETREAT at the beach and spiritual direction by the popular Fr Russell Pollitt SJ — and time for relaxation and fun in one of Mauritius’ best 4* resorts.

Family hosts remaining priests of peer support ministry for lunch

REMNANT group of the Priests to Priests ministry in the archdiocese of Cape Town gathered for lunch at the Mowbray home of the Reynolds family, which over the years has hosted many distinguished clerics and religious. The priests have met periodically since the inception of the Priests to Priests ministry, introduced in the 1990s to dioceses in Southern Africa. The ministry is geared towards

Cape Town couple celebrate 62 years of life together For more information or to book contact Gail at

info@fowlertours.co.za or phone 076 352-3809

www.fowlertours/mauritius

ROTHER Longinus Kharjia OFM CAP blessed Harold and Joan Smith on their 62nd wedding anniversary at St Theresa’s parish in Welcome Estate, Cape Town.

peer support among priests. The Mowbray home where the lunch was held has hosted many priests and nuns in the past, including Archbishop (later Cardinal) Owen McCann and the late Bishop Bruno Hippel of Oudtshoorn. At the lunch, the priests ended the get-together with a lively discussion on Jesus’ Resurrection and the practical implication thereof for daily living.

The Southern Cross, May 15 to May 21, 2019

LOCAL

Bishops elect 2020 papal congress delegate By ERiN CARELSE

ISHOP Victor Phalana of Klerksdorp has been elected the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference delegate to the papal International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in 2020. The congress is to be held under Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses president Archbishop Paolo Marini and secretary Fr Vittorio Boccardi. The September 2020 IEC, the 52nd, will take place in Budapest, Hungary. The theme is “All My Springs are in Thee”, coming from Psalm 87:7. The one-week event has been held regularly since 1881, and in re-

cent times, the congress has been held every four years. Each IEC celebrates the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, and strives to show that the Eucharist is “the source and summit of Catholic life”. An international gathering of people, it also aims to help improve understanding and celebration of the liturgy, and draw attention to the social dimension of the Eucharist. The wider programme includes other liturgical events, cultural events, catechesis and testimonies, and workshops during the week of the congress, but daily celebration

of the Eucharist is at its very heart. Pope Francis has noted the need for a “Eucharistic culture” that creates “a cradle of attitudes that impel us to express in our way of life and our thinking the grace of Christ who gave himself to the full”. “Against the backdrop of a great European city,” the pope said about the 52nd Eucharistic congress in Budapest, “Christian communities await a new evangelisation capable of meeting the challenges of secularised modernity.” The Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses encourages, among other objectives, the celebration of national, diocesan, inter-diocesan and parish

Eucharistic congresses, which can possibly have ecumenical and interreligious dimensions. Budapest previously hosted an IEC in 1937, when delegates prayed for peace and Christian unity, with the outbreak of World War II on the horizon. Registration for the 2020 Budapest IEC opens in September 2019. To learn how you can become a delegate and to sign up for a newsletter from the IEC planning team, visit www.iec2020.hu/en Fowler Tours is putting together a package for those who would like to attend the congress. The Southern Cross will release more information closer to the time.

Bishop Victor Phalana of Klerksdorp will be the Southern African delegate to the 2020 international Eucharistic Congress in Budapest.

Learning early about your vote

Notre Dame Kroonstad students gear up for United States trip

By ERiN CARELSE

OLY Rosary School in Edenvale, Johannesburg, held a “Voting Day” for Grades 0 to 7, teaching pupils about the importance of democracy and voting. It was teachers who came up with the initiative, aiming to add excitement to the Grade 6 syllabus, covering South Africa, democracy, voting, and elections. “I thought the best way for the children to learn—besides just getting notes and seeing videos—was to actually experience the voting process,” said Grade 6 teacher Yvette Bibis. “As it was a general election this year, it was a perfect time to do this: the girls’ parents would be voting, and conversations would be taking place at home,” Ms Bibis explained. Instead of political parties, the teachers arranged an election for all the girls to vote for fun parties such as the Pyjama Party, Ice-cream Party, Dancing Party, Swimming Party and Tea Party. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) kindly gave the Holy Rosary School three official voting booths and a ballot box used in the training of IEC officials before the election. The voting station was set up in the school library and each grade had the

Grade 6s at Holy Rosary School acted as voting station officials when the school held a mock-election to teach pupils about the importance of democracy and voting. chance to vote. The Grade 6s were the voting station officials—they stamped the ballot papers, inked the girls’ thumbs, controlled the door, and made sure everything ran smoothly. The votes were tallied and the winning party was the Pyjama Party, with 67.3%. “We hoped this exercise would encourage the girls to vote when they are older one day, and we also hoped it would open up conversations at home, and encourage pupils’ parents to vote,” Ms Bibis said.

OUR Grade 11 learners from Notre Dame St Peter’s High School in Kroonstad—Dipuo Seripe, Katleho Temeki, Lerato Masiu and Tokelo Qhena—will represent their school at a student leadership conference in Boston in the US in June. The annual conference brings together student leaders from 12 high schools under the proprietorship of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur across the US. The 100 student delegates will discuss the theme “Tools for Moral Leadership and a Global Consciousness”. The Kroonstad four will be the only learners from outside the US this year, and their trip is being sponsored by the Ohio state Sisters of Notre Dame. St Peter’s deputy head (ethos) Derek Musambasi will be travelling with the group. The Boston conference will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the canonisation of St Julie Billiart, founder of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. This year Notre Dame St Peter’s High School, formerly St

Four Grade 11 pupils at Notre Dame St Peter’s High School in Kroonstad are off to an international student leadership conference in the US. The four (from left) are Dipuo Seripe, Lerato Masiu, Katleho Temeki and Tokelo Qhena. With them are head Zunelle de Ru and deputy head (ethos) Derek Musambasi. Peter Claver’s, added Notre Dame to its name, to show its long association with the Sisters, who first opened it in Marabastad in 1916, and to link it with the worldwide Notre Dame network. Twelve Kroonstad pupils applied to attend the Boston conference. The Sisters of Notre Dame shortlisted and interviewed six of them, and noted

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The Southern Cross, May 15 to May 21, 2019

INTERNATIONAL

Lessons from Mother Teresa in her birth city P OPE Francis went to the tiny Balkan nation of North Macedonia after visiting Bulgaria to pay tribute to a tiny saint who accomplished big things: St Teresa of Kolkata. Mother Teresa was born Agnes Ganxhe Bojaxhiu to Albanian parents in Skopje on August 26, 1910. The pope visited the memorial and museum built on the site of the church where she was baptised. The church was later destroyed in an earthquake. “Moved by the love of God,” the pope said, Mother Teresa “made love of neighbour the supreme law of her life.” At the memorial, Pope Francis did not speak about the saintly founder of the Missionaries of Charity, but after praying silently before her relics, he praised God for the gift of her life and prayed for her intercession for North Macedonia. The pope also prayed that God would give Christians the grace “to become signs of love and hope in our own day when so many are poor, abandoned, marginalised and migrants”. Among the guests present at the memorial were dozens of Missionaries of Charity, about 100 of the people they serve in Skopje, and two of Mother Teresa’s cousins, the Vatican said. Celebrating Mass in the nearby Macedonia Square on a brisk spring morning, Pope Francis drew people’s attention to human hungers—the hunger for bread, but also the hunger for truth, for God and for love. “How well Mother Teresa knew all this and desired to build her life on the twin pillars of Jesus incarnate in the Eucharist and Jesus incarnate in the poor,” he said. “Love received and love given” marked her journey from Skopje to India and kept her going. Too many people, the pope said, “have become accustomed to eating the stale bread of disinfor-

(Left) Pope Francis gives the homily as he celebrates Mass in Battenberg Square in Sofia. (Right) Pope Francis givesFirst Communion to a child during a Mass with first Communion at the church of the Sacred Heart in Rakovski.

Pope Francis prays in front of a statue of Mother Teresa at the Mother Teresa Memorial during a meeting with religious leaders and the poor in Skopje, North Macedonia. (All photos: Paul Haring/CNS) mation,” and so they end up being prisoners of a worldview that makes them either indifferent to others or downright hostile. Christians must never be afraid to tell God that they are hungry “for an experience of fraternity in which indifference, disparagement and contempt will not fill our tables or take pride of place in our homes”, he said. “We are hungry, Lord, for encounters where your word can raise hope, awaken tenderness and sensitise the heart by opening paths of transformation and conversion.”

unger for connection, for peaceful relations and for a better world are the stuff of young people’s dreams, Pope Francis said later at an afternoon meeting with Christian, Muslim and Jewish young people. “What adventure requires more courage than the dream...of giving hope to a weary world?” the pope asked the young people gathered at the pastoral centre of Sacred Heart cathedral. “Our world is weary and di-

vided, and we can be tempted to keep it divided and to become divided ourselves,” he said. But young people must keep dreaming to “keep alive our certainty that another world is indeed possible and that we are called to get involved, to help build that world through our work, our efforts and our actions”. Think of Mother Teresa, the pope told the young people. She could not have imagined what her life would become, but “she kept dreaming and tried to see the face of Jesus, her great love, in all those people on the sides of the road” in Kolkata. “She dreamed in a big way, and this is why she also loved in a big way.” Mother Teresa liked to call herself “a pencil in the hands of God”, he said, and when she gave God control of her life, he “began to write new and amazing pages of history with that pencil”. “Each of you is called, like Mother Teresa, to work with your hands, to take life seriously and make something beautiful of it,” the pope told them.—CNS

The pope visits Bulgarian Orthodox Patriarch Neophyte and members of the Holy Synod at the Palace of the Holy Synod in Sofia.

Pope Francis visits refugees in Sofia.

Pope: Don’t let differences divide SA’s National Catholic Weekly Newspaper

JOurNAliSM iNTErNSHiP The Southern Cross in association with Missio Germany are offering an

The internship position will suit a young journalism graduate with talent and strong writing skills in English who wishes to gather hands-on experience in journalism in The Southern Cross’ Cape Town newsroom. The successful candidate will: • Have a degree or recognised diploma in journalism • Have excellent written and verbal communication skills in English • Display attention to detail and problem-solving skills • Be a self-starter who is keen to learn • Be able to work on print and digital platforms • Contribute to the implementation of our social media strategy • Proofread both hard and electronic ﬁles • Be able to source news for both print and digital • Ideally have knowledge of Wordpress

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e-mail applications with a motivating covering letter and CV to: editor@scross.co.za Deadline: 10 June 2019 The Southern Cross reserves the right not to fill this position.

By CiNDy WOODEN

N the day Bulgarian Orthodox Christians celebrate as ‘St Thomas Sunday’ and read the Gospel about the apostle asking to touch the wounds of the Risen Lord, Pope Francis said the divisions within Christianity are “painful lacerations on the body of Christ, which is the Church”. Immediately after meeting Bulgaria’s prime minister and president, he went to the Palace of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church for a meeting with Patriarch Neophyte and top bishops. Also present was King Simeon II, 81, who ruled only as a child in the 1940s, was exiled and returned to his homeland in 1996. Speaking of St Thomas and the wounds of Jesus, Pope Francis prayed that Catholics and Orthodox, like the apostle, would “touch those wounds, confess that Jesus is risen and proclaim him our lord and our God”. Patriarch Neophyte welcomed the pope with kisses on each cheek and the greeting, Christos vozkrese (Christ is risen). According to reporters present, the pope kissed the patriarch’s “engolpion”—an icon on a chain worn instead of a pectoral cross. In his speech to the patriarch and synod, Pope Francis expressed hope that one day Catholics and Orthodox could

Pope Francis attends a meeting for peace with Bulgarian representatives of various religious in Nezavisimost Square in Sofia. celebrate the Eucharist together, but he pointed to signs that show there already exists a level of oneness in faith. First, he said, are the “witnesses of Easter”, the Catholic and Orthodox martyrs who gave their lives freely for the faith, especially during the times of communist persecution. “I believe that these witnesses of Easter—brothers and sisters of different confessions united in heaven by divine charity—now look to us as seeds planted in the earth and meant to bear fruit,” the pope said. The 9th-century missionary brothers, Ss Cyril and Methodius, are highly venerated in both Bulgaria and North Macedonia. The broth-

ers, who evangelised Central and Eastern Europe before the division of Catholicism and Orthodoxy, are considered saints by both Churches. After the pope’s formal meeting with the Orthodox leaders, Metropolitan Antoniy of Western and Central Europe accompanied Pope Francis to the nearby St Alexander Nevsky Orthodox cathedral. The Orthodox synod had said their clergy would not participate in any joint prayer with the pope, so a chair was placed before the altar and the pope prayed alone in silence for several minutes. In the square outside the church, the pope then led an estimated 3 000 people in praying the Regina Coeli prayer.—CNS

INTERNATIONAL

The Southern Cross, May 15 to May 21, 2019

Pope: Study on women Pakistan frees Asia Bibi to join family deacons inconclusive P T By CiNDy WOODEN

he commission Pope Francis appointed to study the history and identity of women deacons did not reach a unanimous conclusion about whether deaconesses in the early Church were “ordained” or formally “blessed”, the pope said. “What is fundamental is that there was no certainty that there was an ordination with the same form and same aim as the ordination of men,” the pope told reporters flying with him from North Macedonia to Rome. Pope Francis spent just under half an hour on the short flight answering questions, including about the study of women deacons he commissioned in August 2013. After the six men and six women scholars on the commission finished their work, he said, there was “some agreement”, but not on the crucial question of whether women were ordained or solemnly blessed like abbesses are. “Some say there are doubts,” the pope said. “Well, then, let’s study some more. I don’t have a problem with that.” At a May 2016 meeting with the women’s International Union of Superiors General, leaders of women’s religious orders, one of them had asked Pope Francis, “What prevents the Church from including women among permanent deacons, as was the case in the primitive Church? Why not constitute an official commission to study the matter?” The pope had told the Sisters that his understanding was that the women described as deaconesses in the New Testament were not ordained like permanent deacons are. Mainly, he had said, it appeared that they assisted with the baptism by immersion of other women, with anointing women and with giving witness on behalf of women seeking a dissolution of their marriage because their husbands beat them. However, the pope had promised

Pope Francis pauses as he answers questions from journalists aboard his flight from Skopje, North Macedonia, to Rome. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS) to set up the commission, and two of the scholars said in January that they had completed their work. The pope did not tell reporters what steps, if any, would come next. Pope Francis said he wanted to share with reporters two moments he described as particularly “touching” during the trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia. The first, he said, was giving First Communion to 245 children in Rakovski, Bulgaria, which made him think back to his own First Communion. And, he said, he was moved seeing Missionaries of Charity in Skopje, North Macedonia, where St Teresa of Kolkata was born, and noticing the meekness and tenderness of the Sisters with the poor.

ope Francis also mentioned the ongoing Catholic-Serbian Orthodox tensions over the sainthood cause of Bl Alojzije Stepinac, archbishop of Zagreb from 1937-60. Cardinal Stepinac remains a national hero for Croats, but not for many Serbian Orthodox and some Jewish groups, who have accused him of being a Nazi sympathiser. “He was a virtuous man and for

The statue of Our Lady of Carmel and the Christ Child during a procession outside the church of St Joseph in Haifa, israel. (Photo: Debbie Hill/CNS)

Our Lady of Carmel a vehicle for peace By JUDiTH SUDiLOVSKy

SRAEL’S second-largest annual Christian gathering became a vehicle to pray for peace as tensions between Israel and Palestinians living in Gaza intensified. The observance of the centennial of the Our Lady of Carmel procession saw 10 000 local Christians join festivities that retrace the steps of the return of a statue of Mary from Haifa’s St Joseph church to the Discalced Carmelite Stella Maris monastery after the end of World War I. The statue of Our Lady of Carmel left the hilltop monastery when the Carmelite monks were ordered to evacuate by Turkish soldiers in the war’s early months. The monks and the statue returned to the monastery on the first Sunday after

Easter in 1919 in a festive procession, carried out in an act of thanksgiving to Our Lady of Carmel, who Haifa’s Christian residents believed protected the city during the war. A flower-festooned float, the central piece of the procession, carried a replica of the statue. The scene attracted the attention of non-Christians as well. This year’s celebration became all the more meaningful as cross-border attacks flared in early May between Gaza and Israel. The violence left four Israelis and 25 Palestinians dead. Many attending the procession prayed for a cessation of the fighting and for peace. Although a ceasefire was put in place on May 6, Palestinian and Israeli politicians vowed that the battle was not over.—CNS

this reason, the Church beatified him,” Pope Francis said. “But at a certain point in the canonisation process, there were points that hadn’t been clarified, historical points. And, I who must sign the decree of canonisation, with my responsibility, I prayed, I reflected, I asked for advice, and I saw that I needed to ask for help from (Serbian Orthodox Patriarch) Irinej.” Together the Vatican and the patriarch set up a commission to study Bl Stepinac because “for Irinej and for me, the only concern was for the truth”, the pope said. “What good is a decree of sainthood if the truth is not clear?” The commission ended its work in mid-2017, “but now other points are being studied”, Pope Francis said. Another journalist asked the 82year-old pope the source of the strength and stamina needed for his trips abroad. “First of all, I have to tell you that I don’t go to witches,” the pope said, laughing. “I don’t know, really. It’s a gift from God. When I am in a country I forget everything else. I’m just there.” “I don’t get tired during the trips, but I do afterward,” he said. “I ask the Lord to help me be faithful, to serve him in the work that these trips are, so that the trips aren’t tourism, I ask that.” “But also, I don’t do much work, you know,” Pope Francis said, smiling.—CNS

By SiMON CALDWELL

AKISTANI authorities freed Asia Bibi, a Catholic woman acquitted of blasphemy, and she has flown to Canada to join her family at a secret address. Her release was confirmed by Wilson Chowdhry of the British Pakistani Christian Association, who has been in almost daily contact with Ashiq Masih, Bibi’s husband. Mr Chowdhry, who is based in London, said a British diplomat confirmed that Bibi had left her country. “Ashiq has always remained hopeful of an imminent release from Pakistan, and we have both been shocked at how long it has taken,” he said. Mr Chowdhry said Bibi was “unwell” after being held in isolation for nearly a decade. “She must be treated with utmost care and receive appropriate medical care now she is free,” he said. “The Pakistani government must ensure Asia and her family are compensated for the loss to their freedom and the fragile safety they have had to suffer under its auspices,” he continued. “Moreover, moves must be made to reform or abrogate the infamous blasphemy laws of Pakistan.” Bibi, a mother of five, was sentenced to hang for allegedly insulting Muhammad, the founder of Islam, under Section 295C of the Penal Code. A farmhand, she was accused of

Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Catholic acquitted of blasphemy, has been freed by Pakistani authorities to join her family in Canada at a secret address. (Photo: Asad Karim, Reuters/CNS) blasphemy in June 2009 following a dispute with Muslim co-workers, who objected to her drinking from a common water supply because she is a Christian. Bibi has always denied the allegation. For her own safety, she was held in solitary confinement from November 2010, and while she was incarcerated she saw sunlight for just two hours a month. Both before and after her acquittal, Islamic extremists have been vocal in demanding that she be hanged. Extremists also murdered two senior politicians who championed her cause. Punjab Govenor Salmaan Taseer was assassinated in 2011 and Minority Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Catholic, was gunned down two months later.—CNS

The Southern Cross, May 15 to May 21, 2019

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher Guest editorial: Michael Shackleton

Celibacy needs more explaining

OCATIONS Sunday comes around each year and our parishes focus on homilies and prayers in response to Our Lord’s words: “The harvest is rich, but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into the harvest” (Mt 9:37). This exhortation from the Lord himself so often seems to be like the seed in the parable, which was scattered to fall on ground where it took no root, and so withered and died (Mt 13:7). Sure enough, the labourers are always few, as testified by history. It is encouraging that they are not drying up entirely. We have to ask the question, nevertheless, what is it at this time in history that leaves young and eligible men and women cold to the call of becoming an ordained or consecrated servant of Christ’s kingdom on earth? An obvious consideration could be the problem of celibacy. We must frankly face the lamentable fact that we have been flooded with news reports of priests and religious who have not only failed to maintain their duty of chastity but have also even demonstrated criminal behaviour in their offences. This is not an attraction for any person who feels a serious sense of vocation. No one doubts that to become a priest means to accept permanent celibacy. But when there is a call for young people to come forward and join the ranks of the priesthood and religious life, there is simultaneously little effort to present unmarried, totally committed life as something positive and not so negative as to be a loss. Celibacy consecrated solemnly in the service of the Church is something that has to be lived simply in a spontaneous manner and without fanfare. Our clergy and religious Brothers and Sisters have already given good example for the Church in Southern Africa. Remaining unmarried in this

way brings the person into the realisation that continence has proved itself in past days and even now as contributing to the deeper understanding of total giving of oneself for others. The response to a life without marital intimacy and complete chastity has to be centred in the faith of the individual and the yearning to become like Christ, a servant of others to the greater glory of God. This response requires the support of family, parishioners, friends and even associates in the workplace. Perhaps the average Catholic family resists the thought of having a member enter a seminary or religious congregation. Too many present-day distractions and networks might hinder the possibility, and the thought, of daring to attempt a celibate life in 2019’s turbulent present. But if we are to get vocations that are necessarily linked to a chaste commitment to the service of others in the Church, we must present chastity as a positive way of releasing oneself into the company of so many others who get on with their calling with joy and perseverance. A Carmelite or a diocesan priest, a Precious Blood Sister or a Marist Brother will all have their own charisms, rules and ways of living out their vows and promises. Chastity is part of that and it needs to be explained clearly and enticingly if the scattered seed is to take solid root. Vocations directors are not unaware of this need. The broader Church requires greater awareness that there are Christian ways of being unmarried priests and religious without family responsibilities that are as old as our faith in Christ. The positive benefits to the individual and the Christian community must now be strongly emphasised against the ugly face of the scandals disturbing the Church. Chastity is the duty of every Christian according to their state in life.

The Editor reserves the right to shorten or edit published letters. Letters below 300 words receive preference. Pseudonyms are acceptable only under special circumstances and at the Editor’s discretion. Name and address of the writer must be supplied. No anonymous letter will be considered.

Sermons: Toastmasters offers guidance and fraternity REFER to the article by Colleen Not only this, but priests would achieved. Toastmasters clubs are I(May Constable “How to preach better” mix and match with many other folk available in most towns and cities, 1). on a similar self-improvement mis- and always welcome new “recruits” The answer to better homilies is fairly simple. The Toastmasters International organisation provides a fantastic training ground to enable public speakers to gain experience and confidence.

Anglican choral music beats us flat

RECENTLY reread an article by Peter Phillips on music in the Catholic Church which readers may find revealing (The Spectator, December1, 2007). The first quotation (from Erasmus of Rotterdam) is “...amorous and lascivious melodies are heard such as elsewhere accompany only the dances of courtesans and clowns...” The second quotation (from Mgr Valentin Grau at the behest of Pope Benedict XVI) is “The singers wanted to overshoot each other, they were frequently out of tune...the conducting without any artistic power...How far we are from the true spirit of sacred music.” Mgr Grau also said: “Due to general ignorance, especially in sectors of the clergy, there exists music which is devoid of sanctity, true art and universality.” Pope Benedict wanted a return to Gregorian chant, and thank God for someone who knows and cares! By contrast, the Anglicans (as Phillips says), with their long-lived choir schools and uninterrupted support for good choral music, have done much better. Peter Onesta, Johannesburg

Happiness is Easter

Y favourite 50 days of the Church year are Easter Sunday till Pentecost Sunday. It’s when Jesus came back and talked to his apostles, and that’s when they truly believed. It’s because I know the secret to happiness...and it’s big! Believe in God. Truly believe. I hope and pray every day for others to believe too. Think God and thank God all the time. Wil Ulisten, Knysna

Has PC gone mad on Israel Folau?

SRAEL Folau is an Australian rugby player who would be a serious contender for a place in a rugby union World XV. He is also a Christian fundamentalist who believes in the literal wording of the Bible. Recently, he posted the following

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sion, forming friendships and enjoying companionship—which so many seem to lack in their lonely existence. The cost of this self-help project is negligible—and I have personally witnessed and experienced the miracles

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tweet: “Drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolators—Hell awaits you.” As a result of this, his contracts with Rugby Australia and with his rugby franchise team have been terminated, apparently because he included homosexuals in his outburst. I do not agree with Folau’s tweet, firstly, because it is foolish in the extreme to use Twitter to express one’s opinion on such a matter and, secondly, because I agree with Pope Francis, who when asked if he thought that homosexuals would go to hell, said, “Who am I to judge?” But I find it draconian that Folau should lose his livelihood for expressing his interpretation of the Bible. Just as I regard sadomasochism as neither normal nor natural, so I regard active homosexuality as neither normal nor natural. No doubt I will be called a homophobe for expressing these views, but the word “homophobia” has been cleverly hijacked by the gay lobby to create a “no platform” situation to shut down all debate or discussion on the subject. If one checks the meaning of the word “phobia”, one will find that it means an abnormal dislike or fear of something. I neither fear nor dislike homosexuals and believe that the Catholic Church should welcome and show compassion to all those in the groups listed by Folau. In the past, swearing on the Bible was regarded as the ultimate assurance that one was telling the truth, but now one runs the risk of being ostracised for paraphrasing, however inappropriately, the Bible. This to me is political correctness gone mad. Paddy Ross, Cape Town

Bible. I believe we must be tolerant of LGBT people. Tolerance and respect for others of different orientation, colour, creed and nationality is sadly lacking in SA and in our world. Too many reach for the gun to settle differences. Jesus challenged a crowd who wanted a prostitute stoned, asking those without sin to throw the first stone—and the mob drifted away. Would Folau throw the first stone? May Folau come to his senses and understand that Jesus taught us to love our enemies too. Let’s use the issue to learn tolerance. Surely the Aussie rugby board can reconcile player and sponsor, show tolerance for the intolerant Folau, and not stone him? Steve Lincoln, Auckland, New Zealand

Let God judge intolerant Folau

HERE has been a flurry of debate on Aussie footballer Israel Folau sending out warnings to homosexuals on social media. Folau is welcome to his beliefs but if he knew his Bible well, he would know that Matthew 7 cautions us: “Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you.” Let’s leave judging to God and let God judge Folau in turn too. The Bible was written a long time ago and convention then was to outlaw homosexuality. Life evolves and so too must our interpretation of the

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Puzzle of adopting a saint solved

EARS ago I heard a talk where it was suggested that we all adopt a saint. Someone to “have our backs” and pray for us. A condition was added; that we should have something in common with them. All the sweet ladies could pick St Therese of Lisieux, the clever might go for St Alphonsus, the reformed hellraisers St Augustine perhaps. What was disturbing was that I couldn’t find a saint who fitted my profile; surely heaven must have one nutter! I eventually landed on a different idea. I’d hitch my wagon to the holy souls. While not being the brightest stars in the sky, they were on their way, their course was set, they had decided for God, and were little by little headed in the right direction. I would pray for them, and when they arrive in heaven they can pray for me. No one goes to heaven alone, we must be recommended, and it can only be those whom we have helped get there first. Stephen A Clark, Manila, Philippines Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in Letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the Catholic hierarchy.

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

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The Southern Cross, May 15 to May 21, 2019

PERSPECTIVES

On Family Day, have mercy I HAD never been a very dedicated follower of the popular Divine Mercy devotion. But around 2016, the time of the Year of Mercy, and even before when I got hold of a copy of the book Mercy by Cardinal Walter Kasper, the concept began to intrigue me. I understand that the Divine Mercy devotion, based on the diary of St Faustina, focuses very strongly on God’s mercy and, of course, the invocation, “Jesus, I trust in you.” What began to interest me particularly was the wider focus of mercy, and I found it greatly challenging while working on Marfam’s daily thoughts which during that year were called “Mercy Minutes”. This last Divine Mercy Sunday, the Second Sunday of Easter, I was doing parish promotions. I didn’t have much time to share my insight but I tried a little to remind the families in the congregation that “Jesus is the face of the Father’s mercy”, and that each of us, beginning in our families, is called to be “merciful like the Father”. Mercy is such a common word in the Church. We use it all the time. Mercy includes but is also more than kindness and care. It includes reconciliation, forgiving and experiencing forgiveness. In a big way it includes reaching out to times and experiences of suffering. A list of merciful family acts listed such points as: do an extra chore, leave the last biscuit on the plate for someone else, don’t complain, forget about fairness, turn off lights. Yes, nice thoughts, but I believe it still needs to go deeper. In the document “The Face Of Mercy” for the Year of Mercy, and also in his letter at the end of the year, Misericordia et Misera, Pope Francis does so. For him mercy brings joy. “Pardoning offences becomes the clearest expression of merciful love. To let go of anger, violence and revenge are necessary conditions to living joyfully,” he said.

“Mercy is not opposed to justice but expresses God’s way of reaching out to the sinner. God envelops justice and surpasses it with love as the foundation of true justice.” And, Pope Francis noted, Jesus’ mercy restores the dignity of the woman caught in adultery. Since 1994, each year May 15 is International Day for Families. Linked with Sustainable Development Goals, we are invited to commemorate family life with a specific focus, which in 2019 is Climate Action.

nd that brings us to another one of Pope Francis’ concerns: “The world our common home”. We have been anything but merciful in the way we treat our Earth. We abuse her, neglect her needs, squander her gifts and resources, directly and also indirectly through pollution. I hear that some banks and businesses are seriously concerned about reducing their carbon footprint. But what is this and how

Reducing our carbon footprint is an act of mercy, as Toni Rowland explains.

Toni Rowland

Family Friendly

can we all help in our own environments? A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air, mainly through fossil-fuel burning in industry, trucks, planes, ships and cars. Each of us has our own carbon footprint, related to our own energy needs. You need transportation, electricity, food, clothing, and other goods. Saving on electricity in the home is a big saving, for example by using energyefficient light-bulbs, switching off lights and electrical equipment when not in use. Use public transport, walk or ride a bicycle wherever you can. A 2km car trip can put 2kg of CO2 into the atmosphere, and the CO2 in the end is what causing global warming. Pope Francis once even suggested cutting out air-conditioning and reducing heating where possible. Kids are learning about this at school and they can teach the rest of us. We can do many things ourselves, as individuals, families, parishes and communities; lobbying others in the workplace, schools and clubs. There is lots of information available for families to build their awareness, on websites such as www.environment.co.za/ eco-green-living and www.climatekids.nasa. gov/review/how-to-help/ This is a useful theme for being familyfriendly in many ways. And couldn’t we say that being family-friendly is also being merciful? It allows us to think, do, inspire others, help those who suffer, and especially as spiritual people thank and praise God. After all, it is first of all God’s world which he shares with us and has asked us to take responsibility for. So, a happy and merciful International Family Day to all!

When the pen is mightier than the sword Nthabiseng T Maphisa HE old proverb claims that “the pen is mightier than the sword”. This saying has been used time and again and has consequently become tired. Though it is a cliché, my observation of current global affairs leads me to believe that there is a war at place fought with weapons sharper than swords. Last year, there were numerous reports of the disappearance of Saudi author and journalist Jamal Khashoggi. It was then discovered that he had been murdered at the Saudi consulate in Turkey. Khashoggi was an outspoken proponent of press freedom and a Saudi dissident. In a turbulent world often shaken by violence, news reports of killings rarely surprise me. But there is something haunting and chilling about the assassination of a journalist. It is as though an icy wind has blown over and a cold front is coming. What was it about Khashoggi that brought murderous monsters to his doorstep? How threatened could the conspirators to his murder possibly have been to have ordered and committed such an atrocious act of cowardice? Was it his tall and imposing figure, or was it the swords and daggers that he wielded through his words? Maybe the old proverb is really true. What is terrifying about Khashoggi’s murder is not only that he was beaten and his body cruelly discarded; it is what his death was meant to suppress. It was an attempt to silence that which should be proclaimed aloud. It was intended to instill fear in those who would wish to do so. It is a reminder of the forgotten power of the written word.

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The murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi raises tough questions, writes Nthabiseng Maphisa. For those of us who hold close to our hearts hardcover journals and ballpoint pens, the joys of writing are felt unceasingly. But it can be tempting to view our writing as something which has minimal impact.

n the peaks, valleys and plateaus of our lives, our writing can seem like an afternoon hobby enjoyed by a few. But the advent of this tragic event has borne a martyr for the cause of press freedom—and it scares me. It scares me because it compels me to be a soldier in a war that I didn't know I could win. But what kind of war are we in exactly,

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and where are the battle zones? I believe that we have the responsibility to do what many choose not to do—and that is to point the world to truth. In a “fake news”-driven media environment, this appears an insurmountable obstacle. There is money to be made in giving light shades of the truth, diluted coffee blends of the truth or just plain lies. But to present realities as they truly are, to break apart untruths to find that which is truth, is a path that rarely brings glory. Those who reveal the truth are often glared at with suspicion. Their motives are questioned and the means by which they gather information are held under a spotlight, such as it is with Julian Assange and Edward Snowden. Hope is a funny thing. It is easily cracked but not easily destroyed. Despite Khashoggi‘s cruel death, I am hopeful for so many things. I have hope that those eloquent enough to speak out on human rights violations will approach the battle with ink and quill. I have hope that those who witness the ravaging of a nation will fire canons of truth through words. It is then my hope that as authors, poets, publishers, biographers and journalists we can inspire the world through wise words and bring an end to raising rifles.

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Open Door

Scruples in temptations I admit to being a scrupulous soul and am often plagued by doubts about whether I have given in to temptations or not. A good priest has been very patient and understanding, and has reassured me that I have not sinned in spite of incessant temptations. Why does God let temptation afflict souls that are sincerely trying to do his will, because I really experience horrible moments at such times? Annie

HE priest you confide in is the one you must trust. You have told him what is in your heart and conscience and he is best placed to support you in your doubts. Have confidence in him. What I add will, I hope, just provide a little extra encouragement for you. Let’s consider how we feel when we think we do something that annoys or upsets a prominent person. We find a parking space in the church grounds, delighted that it is the last free parking spot there. We park, leave the car and go into the church. How embarrassed we feel when a tap on the shoulder and a voice in the ear lets us know: “You have parked in the bishop’s place and he can’t start Mass until you move!” We feel thoroughly ashamed of ourselves, even though we had no thought of delaying the bishop and the Mass. This example illustrates that the higher the dignity of the person we inconvenience, the greater our sense of embarrassment. If we had headed off another driver vying for the same last available parking spot, we may have simply waved and said: “Sorry, but I was first.” A scrupulous person in this instance would be mortified, fretting that they had offended the bishop and the other. Others would laugh it off. When the same person imagines that they have offended the immense dignity of God himself, they naturally can become overawed and crushed by irrational guilt. They feel insecure, not knowing God as well as they know their fellow humans. In all these cases, there is no intention to give offence or to sin. So, does God will you to endure horrible moments of temptation when you are determined not to offend him? No, he does not. People with troublesome scruples are too often self-centred, forgetting that our God is Jesus Christ, the one who is as human as the rest of us. When we pray to him we are, because of God’s enormous love for each one of us, talking to a close friend. We pray honestly, laying our cards on the table, and revealing our anxieties. Then, to take our minds off our self-centredness, we must think of others and how we can spend more time caring for their needs.

n Send your queries to Open Door, Box 2372, Cape Town,

8000; or e-mail: opendoor@scross.co.za; or fax (021) 465 3850. Anonymity can be preserved by arrangement, but questions must be signed, and may be edited for clarity. Only published questions will be answered.

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The Southern Cross, May 15 to May 21, 2019

COMMUNITY

Holy Family parish in Newlands East, Durban, held a Good Friday procession. (Submitted by Toni Joharie)

On Easter Monday the religious of Umzimkulu diocese in KwaZulu-Natal celebrated Bishop Stanley Dziuba’s birthday in the chancery. (Submitted by Zithobile Zondi)

Send your photos to

pics@scross.co.za

St John Bosco parish in Robertsham, Johannesburg, presented newly accepted Catholics from the two-year RCiA programme to congregants. Back row (from left) concelebrant Fr Sean McEwen SDB, RCiA assistant Deacon Victor Ho, parish priest Fr Pawel Michalowski SDB, assistant priest and concelebrant Fr Tim Wrenn SDB, concelebrant Fr Robert Gore SDB, and RCiA leader Sr Patricia Finn FMA. Front row (fourth from left) RCiA assistant iris Seabrook. (Photo: Roy Newton-Barker)

Amy Weinerlein, a Grade 12 pupil and headgirl of Assumption Convent School in Germiston, Johannesburg, won the individual Best Speaker Trophy at a public speaking festival organised by the Speech & Drama College (SA).

Archbishop William Slattery (right) installed Fr Chris Townsend as the new parish priest at the church of the Beatitudes in Zwavelpoort, Pretoria.

Grade 1 pupils at Holy Family College in Glenmore, Durban, enjoyed an Easter egg hunt, finding the answer to a sum before getting their Easter egg. Pictured is Aphiwe Mhlonga.

Holy Rosary School in Edenvale, Johannesburg, ran a junior hockey academy for Grade 1 to 3 girls, in conjunction with a team of parents and siblings. The Legion of Mary in Oudtshoorn diocese held its annual Day of Recollection at St Blaize parish in Mossel Bay. (Submitted by Angie Esau)

Mater Domini launches the Circle of Friends “100 Club” Planned giving initiative.

Mater Domini is well known for its good work across the Cape Peninsula, providing vital services to Women in Crisis Pregnancy. Join the 'The Mater Domini Circle of Friends 100 Club'. – donate at least r100 per month Please join hands with us and help us to make a strong start to this initiative! For more details on how you can be a part of The Circle of Friends “100 Club” visit our website: www.materdomini.net and ﬁll in the form under the 100 Club tab in the menu. Or contact us at: E-mail: communications@materdomini.net Tel: 021 6716008 - Cell: 079 8916749

The maintenance team at the church of the Resurrection in Dawn Park, Boksburg, meets various needs of the parish, including basic repairs, plumbing, electrical work, gardening, maintaining a supply inventory and assisting with preparations for events. The team members (from left) are Martin Mafokwane, Steven Reddy, Deacon Simon Koenane, Baba Ndawo, Fr Peter Wilson OFM, Martin Molobi and Joel Lethulwe. Outgoing PPC chair Siboniso Maseko (inset) is also a member of the team. (Submitted by Modjadji Motupa)

The Southern Cross, May 15 to May 21, 2019

CHURCH

Christian meditation guru comes to SA In September a priest who leads an international Christian meditation movement will visit South Africa. PAUL FALLER provides some background.

N September the spiritual leader of the World Community for Christian Meditation will make a ten-day visit to South Africa. The visit by Benedictine Father Laurence Freeman is being hosted by the Catholic Institute of Education and the Jesuit Institute of South Africa. Fr Freeman will lead a number of public events in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria during his stay. Laurence Freeman, born in London in 1951, was educated by the Benedictines and studied English Benedictine Father Laurence Freeman, director of the World Community for Christian Meditation, who will make a ten-day visit to South Africa in literature at Oxford University. After working at the United Na- September. tions, in merchant banking and journalism, he entered Ealing world came together to shape its pecially valued and a WCCM Abbey in London as a Benedictine future direction and organisation Oblate Community grows within monk. He was ordained in 1980. the larger community of meditaas a “monastery without walls”. His teacher and spiritual guide They named it the World Com- tors. was Dom John Main (1926-82). munity for Christian Meditation Outreach initiatives were forAfter studying with Fr Main during because it was formed and nur- malised on the community’s 20th his novitiate and helping with the tured not only by the practice of anniversary with the opening of establishment of the first Christian meditation but existed to share its Meditatio programme, bringing Meditation Centre in London in this gift with others. the practice of meditation to the 1975, Fr Freeman accompanied The symbol of the commu- worlds of leadership, business, fihim to Canada where they formed nity—two birds looking in differ- nance, healthcare, and education. a new kind of Benedicent directions but In addition, programmes were detine Community. resting on the chalice— veloped to help those in prison That community ‘Meditation is a modern version of and those suffering from substance taught and practised a an ancient way of repre- abuse. way of meditation reduces stress, senting the union of the The Meditatio Centre in Lonwhose roots lie in the contemplative and ac- don coordinates a diverse propromotes desert tradition of early tive dimensions of life. gramme of seminars and Christianity, dating The WCCM commu- workshops. Training programmes personal back to John Cassian nity is a global and inclu- share the insights gained in this and others in the 4th contemplative way with national coordinators wholeness, sive century. family present in over and group leaders around the After Fr Main’s death and develops 120 countries. Countless world. in 1982, Fr Freeman close to Meditatio’s spiritual outreach a new kind of 3individuals, succeeded him. When 000 weekly groups, and thus bridges the religious, the secthe World Community contemplative a number of Christian ular and both the local and the for Christian MeditaMeditation Centres share global. leader’ tion (WCCM) was the peace and compasFr Freeman is active in the conformed some nine years sion that are the spiritual templative meeting of different later, with its internafruits of meditation. faiths, affirming the importance of tional office in London, he became Groups meet in homes, the contemplative dimension in its spiritual guide. parishes, schools, offices, hospi- the resolution of conflict and the The WCCM presents an annual tals, prisons and universities. promotion of peace and justice. John Main Seminar, retreats, semiThere are groups for the homeAgent in peacemaking nars and introductions to medita- less and those in recovery from adtion developed by its School of diction, and a special emphasis of In partnership and friendship Meditation. the community is to share this gift with the Dalai Lama, he led the It supports the practice through of meditation with the poor and Way of Peace initiative which the quarterly Meditatio newsletter, marginalised. formed the centrepiece of the Christian Meditation Centres World Community for Christian social media, a daily reading and weekly mailings, apps and online help to share the teaching. There Meditation’s commitment to medare also several online meditation itation as a common ground for radio. groups. seeking peace and justice. New identity found Because meditation is a univerThe original three-year proIt was at the John Main Seminar sal wisdom, contemplative dia- gramme began in 1998, and inin 1991, led by Bede Griffiths OSB, logue with other faiths is a cluded a pilgrimage to India and a that the community was named priority. The relationship with the retreat in Tuscany, Italy. It culmiwhen meditators from around the Benedictine monastic family is es- nated in an extraordinary three-

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day gathering in Belfast in 2000. Entitled “The Way of Peace: Religious Harmony in the Third Millennium”, the event was attended by 450 people from around the world, and included meetings with community leaders, religious leaders, politicians, young people, victims and survivors of violence, and business leaders. In a warm letter of encouragement, then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair stated: “The purpose of the seminar could not be more relevant to our goal of establishing lasting peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.” In 2009, Fr Freeman was awarded the Order of Canada for his work as director of the WCCM and as a proponent of peace and interreligious dialogue and understanding. Meditatio’s work in introducing meditation into the business and financial worlds began with the conviction that meditation reduces stress—a major cause of burnout and unethical and dysfunctional behaviour—and promotes personal wholeness. But, above all, it develops a new kind of contemplative leader—one who has personal depth and balance, insight, a global perspective, clarity and compassion.

A new home The WCCM has found a home in France in a Benedictine monastery in Bonnevaux. It’s a beautiful property founded a thousand years ago in a gentle valley near Poitiers—and Fr Freeman will take up residence there shortly. On this ancient foundation the

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Meditation at the Benedictine monastery of Bonnevaux, where the World Community for Christian Meditation is establishing its new home. (Photo: WCCM)

For the price of one issue of The Southern Cross you get only three cigarettes he T The

WCCM is developing a contemplative centre for the 21st century. As a meditation centre rooted in the Christian mystical tradition it will be open to all who seek depth and meaning and desire a more united and just world. It aims to show the potential of meditation, the oldest wisdom of humanity, to unite and heal people of all ages, beliefs and backgrounds. Because the focus is radically simple, it is universal in spirit. It seeks to help bring a contemplative mind to the complex problems of our time and bring the fruits of meditation, deeper than we can measure, to people of all religious or secular beliefs. Retreat facilities will allow people to deepen their own work of silence and so renew their relationships with others. Bonnevaux will have a new Meditatio Centre to unify and pilot new ways of teaching and training teachers of Christian meditation. Fr Freeman has written many books including Jesus the Teacher Within, Christian Meditation: Your Daily Practice, Light Within, The Selfless Self, The Pearl of Great Price, A Simple Way, and The Inner Pilgrimage. His latest book, Good Work: Meditation for Personal and Organisational Transformation, defines good work as “work that brings out the best in the people who do it, and brings enduring benefit to those who are influenced by it”. n For resources and contact details for mediation groups in South Africa, see www wccm.org.za

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New Pretoria archbishop: I’m prepared

BY ERIN CARELSE

or the second time in less than half a year, a former vicar-general of the Pretor i a a rc h d i o c e s e h a s b e e n a p p o i n t e d a n archbishop. Just a few months after Archbishop Abel Gabuza was named coadjutor in Durban, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Dabula Ant h o n y M p a k o o f Q u e e n s t o w n a s n e w a rc h bishop of Pretoria. “I am quietly accepting what’s happening and I’m content; to some extent I could see i t c o m i n g , ” h e t o l d T h e S o u t h e r n C ro s s . “ P e o ple talk, so I was sort of expecting it.” Archbishop-elect Mpako, 59, will succeed Archbishop William Slatter y, whom he s e r v e d a s v i c a r - g e n e r a l i n t h e a rc h d i o c e s e Pretoria before being appointed to Queenstown in 2011. “I’ve been away from the archdiocese for eight years. I was a priest in Pretoria for 25 years, so the priority for me will really be to again familiarise myself with the situation a n d s e e w h a t e m a n a t e s f r o m t h a t , ” A rc h bishop-elect Mpako said. “Building upon a firm foundation laid by my predecessor Archbishop Slattery, I know I’m not starting from scratch. He has done an excellent job so I hope to be able to pick up from where he left off,” he added. Archbishop Slattery resigned last year as canonically required on turning 75. “I welcome Bishop Mpako ver y much to t h e a rc h d i o c e s e o f P r e t o r i a , I t h i n k h e w i l l find something he will recognise, after all he worked here for most of his priestly life,” Archbishop Slattery told The Southern Cross. “The Catholics in Pretoria are ver y welcoming and there is a tremendous generosity of spirit; he will receive a warm welcome.” Bishop Mpako previously ser ved in Pretoria at Mabopane, Capital Park, and Monavoni. He was the rector at St Paul’s Orientation Seminary in Hammanskraal and of St Peter’s

A mother on the long road with her daughter. Mothers’ Day is marked in South Africa this year on May 12—appropriately in a month in which the Catholic Church encourages devotion to our Blessed Mother.

Pope to barbers: Cut gossip Archbishop-elect Dabula Mpako, who will transfer from Queenstown to Pretoria. (Photo: Sheldon Reddiar) Seminar y in Garsfontein, and chairman of the Priests’ Council (2000-06). “Bishop Mpako organised the synod for the archdiocese of Pretoria in 2004 and 2005, which involved meeting parishioners from all the parishes, reviewing the spiritual life of the archdiocese, bringing people together to discuss and make plans for the future,” Archbishop Slattery said. “So he would have a ver y good idea of the state and layout of the diocese, the needs and the attempts already made to respond to the needs of the diocese in the past.” In Februar y this year Bishop Mpako began his term as the first vice-president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, which has its headquarters in Pretoria. “The good thing is, I’ve been a bishop for almost eight years now,, so I’ve adjusted to being a bishop and I’ve had to deal with the challenges, the sorrows, and the joys,” Archbishop-elect Mpako said. “So I’d like to think I’m coming to Pretoria with some experience. If I were to use a comparison to parish priests, I see myself as moving from a smaller parish to a bigger one.”

BY CAROL GLATZ

HRISTIAN hairdressers, beau uticians and barbers can live their faith by being kind and courteous to their clients and cutting out the gossip and petty chitchat, Pope Francis said. “May you always act with integrity, thereby making a positive contribution to the common good,” he told cosmetologists who belong to an Italian Catholic association dedicated to St Martin de Porres. Speaking to members of the association, who were on pilgrimage to Rome, the pope asked that their patron saint help them live out their Christian values in the workp place. “May he inspire you, above all, to carry out your profession in a Christian way, treating clients with kindness and courtesy, always offering them a kind and encouraging word, avoiding the temptation of gossip that easily finds its way in your workplace, too. Everyone knows this,” he said. The pope praised the 16th-centur y Peruvian St Martin, who had been allowed to take the vows of only a Dominican lay brother because of his mixed race. He was the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman and a freed black woman originally from Panama. St Martin de Porres “accepted this humble condition, living a life of total humility, radi-

A monument for hairdressers and barbers in Havana, Cuba. Pope Francis has called on beauticians, barbers and hairdressers to cut the gossip and highlight politeness. (Photo: Günther Simmermacher) ant with love” and dedicated himself with great sacrifice to the poor and ill, using the medical skills he learned working in a pharmacy and for a barber-surgeon, the pope said. St Martin de Porres helped found the first hospital in the Americas in Lima, Peru.

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The Southern Cross, May 15 to May 21, 2019

SCRIPTURE

Where the Risen Christ walked After being raised from the dead, Jesus Christ made several appearances, as Scripture recounts. Over two articles, GüNTHER SiMMERMACHER looks at ten of them.

CRIPTURE records several appearances by Christ after the Resurrection. While some people claim that they are chronologically impossible to reconcile, one can reconstruct a plausible sequence of events from the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles and Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians. Scripture records the encounters which various people had with the Risen Christ over the 40 days between the Resurrection from the tomb and the Ascension. Presumably other unreported encounters also took place. For example, Christ wouldn’t have failed to look up his mother. Much as Mary was aware of Jesus’ special nature, but as her son died on the cross, she must have been engulfed not only by grief but also confusion about what the manner of his death was supposed to mean. Would Christ have kept his grieving mother out of the loop? His appearance to Mary, maybe his very first after rising from the dead, would also explain her absence from the group of women who came to the tomb on Easter morning. Just as the Gospels don’t record every event in Jesus’ life—John’s Gospel points out the obvious truth that “there was much else that Jesus

The appearances of the Risen Christ: (from left) The edicule that covers the tomb of the Resurrection in the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem • A representation of the Risen Lord breaking bread with the two followers at the Franciscan Emmaus in Qubeibeh, Palestine • The Upper Room on Mount Zion, now a Crusader structure. (Photos: Debbie Hill/CNS; Schalk Visser, Günther Simmermacher) did”—so they wouldn’t necessarily detail every encounter with the Risen Lord. One mystery is what physical appearance the Risen Christ took. Neither Mary Magdalene nor the two dejected travellers on the road to Emmaus recognised him. Likewise, the disciples didn’t always immediately recognise him either—so Christ obviously didn’t look as they had known him. At the same time, Jesus breaks bread at Emmaus, and on two occasions is reported to be eating fish, and he invites people to touch his body. So this obviously is no ghost. Scripture gives us at least ten encounters people had with the Risen Christ. Here I will try to synthetise the various accounts for the purpose of one coherent narrative.

Encounter 1: At the tomb After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, Mary Mother of James, and Sa-

lome (or Joanna; women seemed to be interchangeable to the evangelists) go to the tomb to finish the burial rituals for their executed leader. But as they arrive at the tomb, they find the stone has been moved from the entrance. Mark has the women looking inside the tomb. There, “they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right-hand side”, telling them to inform the disciples that Jesus had risen (Luke says they are “two men in brilliant clothes”). They do as told (Matthew has the women meet the Risen Lord on the way, which causes a chronological problem), and Mary Magdalene returns to the tomb with Peter and John. Once Peter and John have observed the scene, they take off, leaving Mary in the garden. There she is being addressed by a stranger. “Are you the gardener?” Mary asks him politely. The man simply says, “Mary!”, and she recognises him as

Passion Pilgrimage 2020

Jesus. He sends her off with the task of informing the others that she has seen the Risen Christ. History and archaeology show that the tomb was in what is now the church of the Holy Sepulchre, in Jerusalem’s Old City. The tomb is enclosed within a structure, called an edicule. Inside, the ante-chamber of the tomb is called the chapel of the Angel, with the stone on which the “young man in a white robe” is said to have sat. Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the Risen Lord can be located outside of the edicule—perhaps exactly where pilgrims wait to enter the tomb.

an allegorical device. But it would seem to be a curious ploy by Luke to refer to the older man in the story specifically by what was an uncommon name—unless a man named Cleopas actually reported the encounter. Had he made up that story, Luke would have inserted a more generic name. According to Catholic tradition, Cleopas was in fact the brother of St Joseph (and therefore Jesus’ uncle). It is said that he was later martyred outside his house for proclaiming that Jesus was the Messiah. As for the anonymous sidekick, according to some early writings it was Cleopas’ son Simeon, who later became the bishop of Jerusalem.

Encounter 2: Simon Peter

Encounter 4: Easter evening

We will get to the encounter on the road to Emmaus next, but we need to get ahead of ourselves for a moment. Cleopas, the follower of the Nazarene on the Emmaus road whom the Gospels name, seeks out the Eleven to tell them about his experience of meeting Jesus, risen from the dead. In Luke’s Gospel, they believe him, because there’s a precedent: the Risen Lord, they point out, had also appeared to Simon Peter. We know nothing of the circumstances or content of that encounter, but presumably Christ appeared to Peter some time after Mary Magdalene saw him at the tomb in the morning, and before he joined Cleopas and his companion on the road to Emmaus.

We last saw the Risen Christ on the road to Emmaus but we don’t know his whereabouts right now, as evening falls and Cleopas hurries back to Jerusalem to report his pretty big news. Perhaps the Risen Jesus is giving his grieving mother a comforting surprise visit. Cleopas and his companion are presently in the Upper Room to report their encounter to the ten disciples. In Luke, as mentioned, the disciples are not surprised to hear this peculiar story because Peter had seen the Risen Lord, too. In Mark, the disciples don’t believe them. (Matthew rushes through the postResurrection events like a writer who’s about to hit the editor’s prescribed maximum word count; John omits the Emmaus scene altogether). Whether or not they believe Cleopas, things suddenly get a bit weird. “They were still talking about all this when [Christ] himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’ In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost,” Luke tells us (24:36-37). Mark has the disciples “at the table” at that point, suggesting that it’s suppertime. Christ reprimands them for having believed neither Cleopas nor the women witnesses. But having cleared the air on that point, the Lord proceeds to reassure his friends that he is not a ghost but is truly risen from the dead. Luke and John both note that Christ shows the disciples his injuries, and has them touch him. And to drive home the point, he has some fish for dinner. Ghosts don’t eat. But, wait. Ten disciples? There’s one missing. n Next week, six more post-Resurrection appearances.

Encounter 3: Emmaus

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The two disciples, Cleopas and the unnamed companion, are dejectedly trudging along the long road to Emmaus when they are joined by a stranger who, it turns out, isn’t a stranger at all. There’s no need to recount in detail a story we all know very well. After some confusion as to the stranger’s identity, Christ breaks bread with them and then suddenly vanishes. Nobody knows for certain where Emmaus was, other than it was west of Jerusalem. Luke says it was 60 stadia (10-12km) from the Holy City. There are at least four claimants for being the real Emmaus. The most famous of them is at the Trappist monastery at Latroun, about 30km from Jerusalem. The Franciscans, who are the experts on the Holy Land’s New Testament sites, have their Emmaus church in the Palestinian village of Qubeibeh, 11km from Jerusalem. There are those who suggest that the Road to Emmaus Encounter didn’t actually happen but serves as

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The Southern Cross, May 15 to May 21, 2019

Fr Jonathan Shand SCP

ETIRED priest Fr Jonathan Shand SCP died on April 2 at Lady Selbourne Home. He was born to William and Marie Rachel Victoire Shand, the second of 14 children, and as a young man worked in a factory for three years to raise the funds to finish his matric. After matric, he worked as a receptionist at Emmanuel cathedral in Durban, before joining the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He entered the novitiate in Germiston, Johannesburg, and went on to St Joseph’s seminary near Cedara in KwaZulu-Natal where he studied philosophy. During the course of his priestly formation, Fr Shand’s parents died within months of each other and he had to leave the seminary to care for his younger siblings as he was the sole breadwinner. The calling to the priesthood was rekindled when his youngest sister married, 27 years after he had left St Joseph’s. David Francis invited him to join the Servants of Christ the Priest, and Fr Shand entered the postulancy at Hammanskraal outside Pretoria in 1987. He took his first vows in 1989 at the age of 60, and completed his priestly formation at St John Vianney seminary in Pretoria under the direction of Fr William Slattery OFM, thenrector of the seminary and now archbishop of Pretoria.

YOUR CLASSIFIEDS

Anniversaries • Milestones • Prayers • Accommodation • Holiday accommodation Personal • Services • Employment • Property • Parish notices • Thanks • Others Please include payment (R1,90 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication.

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

Fr Jonathan Shand SCP (right) with Bishop Victor Phalana and Southern Cross editor Günther Simmermacher on pilgrimage in ireland in 2018. After his ordination, Fr Shand served as a priest-administrator at the SCP’s Bosco House for a year. He was then appointed assistant parish priest to Sacred Heart cathedral where he worked until his retirement to Lady Selbourne, where he was cared for by Holy Cross Sisters. Fr Shand, who struggled for many years to become a priest, served his Creator faithfully to the end with dedication, humility and obedience. Always putting others’ needs before his own, he was known to have the gift of healing and

touched many lives. Fr Shand was also a devoted member of the Focolare Movement, an international organisation that promotes the ideals of unity and universal brotherhood. Fr Shand, in 2018, just the year before he died, was a member of the pilgrim group to Catholic Ireland led by Bishop Victor Phalana. Although at times needing a wheelchair, he could still dance Irish jigs with pilgrims, and was among the clergy concelebrating the papal Mass in Dublin. By Br Daniel Ambrose Manuels SCP

FACE THE SUN

In times of despair, face the sun,

In times of darkness, face the dangled light, In times of cold, face the universal warmth. At times of rejection, face the Christ,

At times of feeling perpetual misery, face the crucifixion. At times of injustice, remember injustice in his Passion.

At times of unfair treatments, carry your Cross and follow Him. to get rid of fears and shivering, face the Son,

to get rid of brokenness, consume the healing Eucharist.

to give up persecuting yourself with sin, allow baptism to repeat itself, Let the Resurrection consume you once again.

Face the Resurrection in times of anti-Christ protests,

Leave the tomb for good, at times of being buried alive,

At times of losing all you own, be flexible and possessed by the Resurrection.

At times of being judged or discriminated against, wait for your reward of patience. By Siya K Ndwandwe

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODAtION

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

PARISH NOtICES

NEW PARISH NOtICES MOSt WELCOME: if any parish notices listed are no longer valid, call us on 021 465-5007 or e-mail us at m.leveson@scross.co.za so that we can remove them. Also, we’d welcome new notices from parishes across Southern Africa to run free in the classifieds. CAPE tOWN: A Holy Hour Prayer for Priests is held on the second Saturday of every month at the Villa Maria shrine from 16:00 to 17:00. The shrine is at 1 Kloof Nek Road in Tamboerskloof. The group prays for priests in the archdiocese, and elsewhere by request. Retreat day/quiet prayer last Saturday of each month except December, at Springfield Convent in Wynberg, Cape Town. Hosted by CLC, 10.00-15.30. Contact Jill on 083 282-6763 or Jane on 082 783-0331. Perpetual Adoration Chapel

at Good Shepherd parish, 1 Goede Hoop St, Bothasig, welcomes all visitors. Open 24 hours a day. Phone 021 558-1412. Helpers of God’s Precious infants. Mass on last Saturday of every month at 9:30 at Sacred Heart church in Somerset Road, Cape Town. Followed by vigil at abortion clinic. Contact Colette Thomas on 083 412-4836 or 021 593 9875 or Br Daniel SCP on 078 739-2988. DURBAN: Holy Mass and Novena to St Anthony at St Anthony’s parish every Tuesday at 9:00. Holy Mass and Divine Mercy Devotion at 17:30 on first Friday of every month. Sunday Mass at 9:00. Phone 031309-3496 or 031 209-2536. St Anthony’s rosary group. Every Wednesday at 18:00 at St Anthony’s church opposite Greyville racecourse. All are welcome and lifts are available. Contact Keith Chetty on 083 372-9018. NELSPRUIt: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at St Peter’s parish every Tuesday from 8:00 to 16:45, followed by Rosary, Divine Mercy prayers, then a Mass/Communion service at 17:30.

PRAYERS

MAY ALL I DO today begin with you, O Lord. Plant dreams and hopes within my soul, revive my tired spirit: be with me today. May all i do today continue with your help, O Lord. Be at my side and walk with me: be my support today. May all i do today reach far and wide, O Lord. My thoughts, my work, my life: make them blessings for your kingdom; let them go beyond today. O God, today is new unlike any other day, for God makes each day different. Today God's everyday grace falls on my soul like abundant seed, though i

Southern CrossWord solutions SOLUTIONS TO 863. ACROSS: 2 Scandalous, 8 First service, 10 Namer, 11 Eclipse, 12 Sister, 13 Writhe, 16 Cadaver, 18 Promo, 19 Sacramentals, 20 Podiatrist. DOWN: 1 Unfinished, 3 Coterie, 4 Needed, 5 Anvil, 6 Occupational, 7 Promised Land, 9 Generously, 14 Repents, 15 Framer, 17 Versa.

may hardly see it. Today is one of those days Jesus promised to be with me, a companion on my journey, and my life today, if i trust him, has consequences unseen. My life has a purpose. i have a mission. i am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. God has not created me for naught. Therefore i will trust him. Whatever, wherever i am, i can never be thrown away. God does nothing in vain. He knows what he is about. John Henry Newman 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 kingdom, where Jesus is Lord forever and ever. Amen. HEAR ME, LORD, on behalf of all those who are dear to me, all whom i have in mind at this moment. Be near them in all their anxieties and worries, give them the help of your saving grace. i commend them all with trustful confidence to your merciful love. Remember, Lord, all who are mindful of me: all those who have asked me to pray for them, all who have been kind to me, all who have wronged me, or whom i have wronged by ill-will or misunderstanding. Give all of us to bear each other’s faults, and to share each other’s burdens. Have mercy on the souls of our loved ones who have gone before us. Grant them peace and happiness. Amen.

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Year C – Weekdays Cycle Year 1

St Rita of Cascia

Sunday May 19, 5th Sunday of Easter Acts 14:21-27, Psalm 145:8-13, Revelation 21:1-5, John 13:31-35 Monday May 20, St Bernardine of Siena Acts 14:5-18, Psalm 115:1-4, 15-16, John 14:21-26 Tuesday May 21, St Christopher Magallanes and Companions Acts 14:19-28, Psalm 145:10-13, 21, John 14:27-31 Wednesday May 22, St Rita of Cascia Acts 15:1-6, Psalm 122:1-5, John 15:1-8 Thursday May 23

Acts 15:7-21, Psalm 96:1-3, 10, John 15:9-11 Friday May 24, Our Lady, Help of Christians Acts 15:22-31, Psalm 57:8-12, John 15:12-17 Saturday May 25, St Bede the Venerable, St Gregory VII, St Mary Magdalene de Pazzi Acts 16:1-10, Psalm 100:1-3, 5, John 15:18-21 Sunday May 26, 6th Sunday of Easter Acts 15:1-2, 22-29, Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8, Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23, John 14:23-29

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The Southern Cross is published independently by the Catholic Newspaper & Publishing Company Ltd. Address: PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000. tel: (021) 465 5007 Fax: (021) 465 3850 www.scross.co.za Editor: Günther Simmermacher (editor@scross.co.za), Business Manager: Pamela Davids (admin@scross.co.za), Advisory Editor: Michael Shackleton, Local News: Erin Carelse (e.carelse@scross.co.za) Editorial: Claire Allen (c.allen@scross.co.za), Mary Leveson (m.leveson@scross.co.za), Advertising: yolanda Timm (advertising@scross.co.za), Subscriptions: Michelle Perry (subscriptions@scross.co.za), Accounts: Desirée Chanquin (accounts@scross.co.za), Directors: R Shields (Chair), Archbishop S Brislin, S Duval, E Jackson, B Jordan, Sr H Makoro CPS, J Mathurine, G Stubbs

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the

6th Sunday of Easter: May 26 Readings: Acts 15: 1-2, 22-29, Psalm 67:23, 5-6, 8, Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23, John 14:23-29

OW are you and I to remain in touch with God’s Easter victory? The readings for next Sunday offer some suggestions that we might follow in the coming week. The first reading is exactly in the middle of the long journey that is the Acts of the Apostles, when an issue arises which could have torn the Church apart in that first century. It is a simple question: should new converts to the Jesus movement be circumcised? Some Christians were arguing that “this is what the Bible says”. And,of course, they were quite right; that is what the Bible says; but, in the meantime, Paul and Barnabas have been bringing in non-Jewish converts, for whom the threat of circumcision would have been a real obstacle to their entering the community. So there is a long debate in the Church (most of which is left out—you could read it through in the coming week), with interventions from Paul and Barnabas (we are not told what they actually said, but can guess), from Simon Peter, who surprises us by taking a fairly liberal line, and even from James, the brother of the Lord, who, more surprisingly, is against any obstacle for prospective converts. So finally they are all agreed, and James

S outher n C ross

and the rest of the Church send a message to the Gentiles in Antioch and elsewhere, to the effect that the Holy Spirit does not want them to be “disturbed”; and an embassy is sent from Jerusalem, to indicate that they do not, after all, have to be circumcised, but only to abstain from food offered to idols (which can be a tricky problem in that world), from animal blood and from eating food that has not been properly slaughtered, and (of course) from sexual immorality. So a new route was charted for the infant Church, and it was enabled in consequence to stay in touch with God’s Easter victory. The psalm for next Sunday manages things by simply (as so often) turning back to God: “May God be gracious to us and bless us; may God’s face shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth.” Then comes a prayer that the “nations” (the “Gentiles” in the first reading) “may be glad and shout for joy”, and the refrain of the psalm is a prayer for just that: “Let the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise you.” For what we are asking for is precisely that God’s name be known everywhere on earth: “May God bless us, and may the ends of the

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We can want something and not want it all at the same time.That’s a common experience. For instance, take a young child who has just been disciplined by his mother. At that moment, the child can bitterly hate his mother, even as at another, more inchoate, level, what he most desperately wants is in fact his mother’s embrace. But until his sulk ends he wants to be distant from his mother, even as his deepest want is to be with his mother. We know the feeling. Hatred, as we know, is not the opposite of love but simply one modality of love’s grieving and so this type of dynamic perennially plays itself out in the befuddling, complex, paradoxical relationship that millions of us have with God, the Church, with each other, and with love itself.

ur wounds are mostly not our own fault but the result of an abuse, a violation, a betrayal, or some traumatic negligence within the circle of love. However, this doesn’t preclude them doing funny things to us. When we’re wounded in love, then, like a reprimanded, sulking child who wants distance from his mother, we too can for a time, perhaps for a lifetime, not want heaven because we feel that we’ve been unfairly treated by it. It’s natural for many people to want to be distant from God. The child bullied on the playground who identifies his or her

Sunday Reflections

earth fear him.” In the second reading, we remain in touch with the Easter victory by way of a powerful vision. The seer is taken “in the Spirit onto a great and high mountain”; and there he is shown “the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God”. Here we are very much in touch with God’s victory, for the City is described as “having the glory of God, and having radiance like a very precious stone, jasper crystallised”. Then we are given the dimensions of its walls and gates, and the twelve angels and the twelve tribes, as well as its twelve foundations, which have the “twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (there is no doubt we are talking of the Lamb’s victory). But its most remarkable feature is that “I saw no Temple in it; for the Lord God almighty is its Temple—and the Lamb”. Not only that: “The City has no need of the sun or of the moon to give it light; for the Glory of God illuminates it—and the Lamb is its lamp.” For the Gospel, we are in the Upper Room, and Jesus is trying to give courage to his disciples; for they need to cope with his imminent death and absence.

Who goes to hell and who doesn’t? ELL is never a nasty surprise waiting for a basically happy person.Nor is it necessarily a predicable ending for an unhappy, bitter person. Can a happy, warm-hearted person go to hell? Can an unhappy, bitter person go to heaven? That’s all contingent upon how we understand hell and how we read the human heart. A person who is struggling honestly to be happy cannot go to hell since hell is the antithesis of an honest struggle to be happy. Hell, in Pope Francis’ words, “is wanting to be distant from God’s love”. Anyone who sincerely wants love and happiness will never be condemned to an eternity of alienation, emptiness, bitterness, anger, and hatred (which are what constitute the fires of hell) because hell is wanting not to be in heaven. Thus there’s no one in hell who’s sincerely longing for another chance to mend things so as to go to heaven. If there’s anyone in hell, it’s because that person truly wants to be distant from love. But can someone really want to be distant from God’s love and from human love? The answer is complex because we’re complex: What does it mean to want something? Can we want something and not want it all at the same time? Yes, because there are different levels to the human psyche and consequently the same desire can be in conflict with itself.

Nicholas King SJ

Holding the Easter victory

And what is their way of remaining in touch with the Easter victory? Simple: “If anyone loves me, they will keep my word. And my Father will love them, and we shall come to them and make our dwelling with that person.” Then they look forward to the really important way of coping with Jesus’ absence that is promised in John’s Gospel, what he calls the “Paraclete”, or “Counsel for the Defence”. Of this being, Jesus says that he is “the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name”, and cheers us by promising that “he will teach you everything, and remind you of everything that I told you”. Then comes the great promise which we need if we are to share the victory: “Peace I leave you, my peace I am giving you…don’t let your hearts be disturbed or fearful.” And that is the secret, because “if you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I”. We are in deep territory here, and we may hardly understand, but we can grasp that victory is won, whatever things may feel like.

Southern Crossword #863

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

bullies with the inner circle of “the accepted ones” will understandably want to be distant from that circle—or perhaps even do violence to it. However, that’s at one level of soul. At a deeper level, our ultimate longing is still to be inside that circle of love which we at that moment seemingly hate, hate because we feel that we’ve been unfairly excluded from it or violated by it and hence deem it to be something we want no part of. Thus someone can be very sincere of soul and yet because of deep wounds to her soul go through life and die wanting to be distant from what she perceives as God, love, and heaven. But we may not make a simplistic judgment here. We need to distinguish between what at a given moment we explicitly want and what, at that same moment, we implicitly (really) want. They’re often not the same. The reprimanded child wants distance from his mother, even as he desperately wants closeness. Many people want distance from God and the churches, even as at another level they don’t. But God reads the heart, recognises the untruth hiding inside a sulk or a pout, and judges accordingly. That’s why we shouldn’t be so quick to fill up hell with everyone who appears to want distance from love, faith, Church, and God. God’s love can encompass, empathise with, melt down, and heal that hatred. Our love should too. Christian hope asks us to believe things that go against our natural instincts and emotions, and one of these is that God’s love is so powerful that, just as it did at Jesus’ death, it can descend into hell itself and there breathe love and forgiveness into both the most wounded and most hardened of souls. Hope asks us to believe that the final triumph of God’s love will be when Lucifer himself converts, returns to heaven, and hell is finally empty. Fanciful? No. That’s Christian hope; it’s what many of our great saints believed. Yes, there’s a hell and, given human freedom, it’s always a radical possibility for everyone; but, given God’s love, perhaps some time it will be completely empty.

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2. Loud ass can be outrageous (10) 8. Early Mass at Wimbledon? (5,7) 10. One who designates you at your baptism (5) 11. It obscures the heavenly body (7) 12. One in the convent related to you (6) 13. Her wit can make you squirm (6) 16. Craved a movement of the body (7) 18. Short promotion (5) 19. Canal masters turn to holy objects (12) 20. Does he treat the feet before the ritual washing? (10)

DOwN

1. Like Schubert’s famous short symphony (10) 3. Exclusive group with baby’s bed next to one of the Great Lakes (7) 4. Required to sound like dough that’s ready (6) 5. Useful tool found in African village (5) 6. Kind of therapy that keeps you at work (12) 7. Territory God gave to Abraham and descendants (8,4) 9. How Christians are urged to give alms (10) 14. Expresses sincere sorrow (7) 15. He can set up the portrait of the saint (6) 17. It goes with vice the Solutions on page 11 other way round (5)

CHURCH CHUCKLE

HE parish hosted its annual fête in the hall. One guest noticed that there was WiFi access available. He approached the young parish priest: “Father, what's the WiFi password?” The priest replied: “Make your confession first.” Desperate to check his Facebook likes, the guy began: “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned, it has been 14 years since my last confession...” Half an hour later he was done confessing and received absolution. “Now, Father, what’s the WiFi password?” The priest replied: “Make your confession first. All lower-case, no spaces.”

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