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January 22 to January 28, 2020

Reg No. 1920/002058/06

No 5171

www.scross.co.za

Porn: The big threat to our children

Nuncio speaks on his time in SA

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R12 (incl VAT RSA)

Centenary Jubilee Year

The truth on venerating images

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MATRIC CELEBRATION BUMPER 20-PAGE ISSUE

Best matric in 15 years for Catholic schools STAFF REPORTER

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Pilgrimage 2020

S outher n C ross

ATHOLIC schools recorded their highest pass rate in 15 years, with an overall average of 90,8%, according to statistics from the Catholic Institute of Education (CIE). In the National Senior Certificate exams, the pass rate for Catholic schools was 88,5%, a significant 7,25% above the national average of 81,3%, and 3,3% higher than the 2018 result. The pass rate for Catholic schools writing the Independent Examination Board (IEB)— usually private schools—was 99%, the same as last year’s result and 0,8% above the IEB average. Pupils at state-funded Catholic schools achieved a 49,7% bachelor pass rate, against 36,9% nationally. In the IEB examination, this was 89,5%, exactly the same as the overall average. Nine Catholic school pupils writing the IEB exam achieved “Commendable” passes, which means they were in the top 5% in five subjects and a rating of 7 in Life Orientation. Five pupils at Catholic schools achieved “Outstanding” passes, which means they were in the top 5% in six or more subjects and a level 7 pass in Life Orientation. However, said Anne Baker, deputy-director of the CIE, “our thoughts [also] must be with those young people who did not pass and who may be facing deep disappointment and

even despair”. “It is up to parents and teachers to help the young people in their care to see this as a part of their life journey and that they can try again,” she said. President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed the 81,3% matric pass rate—the first time it has exceeded the 80% threshold since 1994—as “a triumph and a clear signal that government’s substantial investment in education, in pupil and teacher support and in educational infrastructure is yielding results”. Ms Baker welcomed the improved national matric pass rate. “We would like to acknowledge the very hard-working teachers, especially those in Catholic schools,” she said. “With this examination being so important in the country, we need to congratulate parents, teachers and especially the pupils who have worked hard to achieve this gateway qualification.” However, she also pointed to problem areas. “Much hard work is directed towards Grade 12s every year. Schools face daunting pressure to achieve 100% pass rates, and the competition to be the ‘top’ province absorbs a great deal of time and energy in districts and circuits,” she noted. This competition, she said, leads to a dropout of pupils in order for provinces to obtain higher pass rates. Continued on page 2

Vendor Vusi Meyiwa with some of the books he has had for sale as part of the Street Lit project. Along with other homeless people, Mr Meyiwa sold second-hand books on the Durban beachfront. (Photo: Illa Thompson)

Hunger for books feeds homeless in Durban

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N just two weeks over the festive season, more than 1 000 books were sold on the Durban beachfront to holidaymakers which produced a substantial income of over R20 000 for the homeless men and women who were set up as booksellers by the Denis Hurley Centre as part of the Street Lit project. Street Lit aims to put books back on the streets and in the hands of people who really want to read but cannot necessarily afford new books. The beachfront sales showed that there is a substantial market for books and that there are homeless people with great skills as booksellers. “Just as everyone has the chance to enjoy the beach, everyone should have the chance to read on the beach,” said Raymond Perrier, director of the Denis Hurley Centre. Books are sold at R10 or R20 each. Richard Nzima is one of the booksellers. Until a few months ago, he was sleeping rough on the streets of Durban. He said he was overwhelmed by the support from the general public. “So many people came up to us to say what a great idea this was. One couple from

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Johannesburg asked us to come and start the project to help homeless people there!” People loved taking photos with the booksellers in their distinctive uniforms, which were sponsored by Jonsson Workwear. Pat Khumalo, another bookseller, joked that they might one day be as much a part of the Durban beachfront as the rickshaw drivers or the bikini-clad surfers. The booksellers were given first-aid training by St John Ambulance. “I was twice able to step in and help someone who was knocked over by a bike,” Mr Khumalo noted. Mr Perrier, who is also chair of the eThekwini Task Team on Homelessness, is confident that Deputy Mayor Belinda Scott will want to see the pilot expand. “We hope to have a regular permit for several points along the beachfront,” Mr Perrier said. “Thereafter the scope is to use our mobile book trolleys to have book sales all around the city centre, at taxi ranks or in open areas. We have proven that there is a thirst for good books at affordable prices—and we have given some homeless people a chance to turn their lives around.”

Pray in Medjugorje and visit Rome, with papal audience, Assisi, the town of St Francis, Loreto with Mary’s House. Plus a tour of historic Split in Croatia. Three countries in one tour!

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The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

LOCAL Napier Centre for substance abusers seeks marketing ace

Shock and grief over killing of ‘hero’ priest A BY ERIN CARELSE

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ATHOLICS in the diocese of Klerksdorp were in shock and grief after a veteran priest was found killed in a robbery at a parish in Bodibe, near Mahikeng in North West Province. Fr Jozef “Jef� Hollanders OMI, who was 82 and had been a priest for 56 years, was killed on the night of January 12. A parishioner discovered his body in the afternoon of the following day. Bishop Victor Phalana of Klerksdorp said that North West deputy police commander Lt-Gen Sehlahle Fannie Masemola had committed his best team to handle the case. Bishop Phalana said he had last seen Fr Hollanders in December on a visit to Bodibe pastoral district. “This is a great loss,� the bishop said. “Fr Hollanders was a hero, a brave missionary.� The late priest was a local superior of the Oblates’ Potchefstroom district and a member of the College of Consultors of Klerksdorp diocese. “He spoke his mind, loved God immensely, loved his diocese, and loved to be among the poorest of the poor,� Bishop Phalana said. The Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Southern Africa expressed their devastation at Fr Hollanders’ violent death. “We were reminded that Jesus died at the hands of others and

Fr Jozef ‘Jef’ Hollanders OMI of Klerksdorp diocese was killed in a home robbery. imagined that Fr Hollanders, too, would have said, ‘Forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ Our hearts are sore indeed,� a statement by the Oblates said. Klerksdorp parishioner Lerato Maleshoane said that Fr Hollanders had “given his life to the People of God�. He had “fed the hungry, visited the sick, comforted the dying, uplifted the poor in their communities, and educated the children�, she said on Facebook. “A dedicated, saintly Catholic

priest like him will not as much as get a footnote in the news bulletins because his story is about goodness, sacrifice, service and love,� she said. Fr Hollanders was born in Belgium on March 4, 1937. He took his first vows as an Oblate on September 8, 1958, and was ordained a priest on December 26, 1963. He arrived in South Africa in January 1965. “For 55 years Fr Hollanders was a dedicated and faithful missionary in the Tswana-speaking area, now North West Province of South Africa,� the Oblates said. “There is much evidence of how close he was to the people and of the success of his pioneering pastoral ministry over the years. He enjoyed starting new Christian communities, which became parishes or stations of parishes in what has become the diocese of Klerksdorp.� The Oblates noted that Fr Hollanders lived a simple life and was a very practical man. Even at the age of 82 he had remained enthusiastic about the new missionary vision of the local Oblate province, as was evident at their recent workshop for Local Superiors. Fr Hollanders is survived by his brother, two sisters, and their children in Belgium. His Requiem Mass was to be held at the cathedral of Christ the Redeemer in Klerksdorp on January 22.

NEW charitable organisation always needs good marketing and fundraising, and the Napier Centre 4 Healing in Durban is no different. The centre offers an after-care facility for street-dwelling substance abusers who have been through a detoxification programme, providing them with a holistic healing programme. This includes training for employment to give recovering substance abusers a sense of ownership of their own lives, together with purpose and hope for the future. The centre, named in honour of Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban, is open to people of all faiths, or none. It is an independent trust project and is rooted in Catholic values. The Napier Centre 4 Healing is

now inviting applications from candidates for a six-month contract position as marketing and fundraising manager. Among the requirements for the position are hands-on professional experience of fundraising and marketing, with excellent written and communication skills in English 9, and a working knowledge of isiZulu would be an advantage. The successful applicant should have the ability to work from home with their own computer and Internet access. A full set of job requirements and responsibilities as well as application requirements are available from the centre at HR@napiercentre.org. Applications close on January 31. n For more information about the Napier Centre 4 Healing see www. napiercentre.org

Matric 2019: The problem areas Continued from page 1 The race to be “top province� is also “an unfair competition� due to the huge differences in numbers of learners writing matric exams in each province, Ms Baker said. Top province Free State had 22 602 pupils writing while KwaZulu-Natal had 95 017 pupils. “Grade 12s in public schools are sent on matric camps where they are drilled by teachers and often stay in unacceptable conditions,� she noted. Two provinces, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape, reported spending R992 million on these camps.

“However, as many education experts have highlighted, the emphasis on Grade 12 does not address the deficit which begins in the foundation and intermediate phases,� Ms Baker pointed out. “Pupils enter high school lacking basic skills, which causes the gap to increase year on year.� Ms Baker said the lower results and number of pupils taking mathematics is of concern, with 14 178 fewer taking the subject in 2019. Other subjects with declining numbers were accounting and English as first additional language.

St Do ominic’s Catholic Schooll for Girls, Boksb u rg marketing@stdominics.co.za nics.co.za | (011) 917 5150

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The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

LOCAL

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Papal nuncio: What I love about SA STAFF REPORTER

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HE varied nature of the Catholic Church in South Africa is unique, and he loves doing pastoral work and going out into the parishes across the country, the papal nuncio told Archbishop William Slattery in an interview. Archbishop Peter Wells (pictured) was appointed nuncio—the representative of the pope—nearly four years ago, on February 9, 2016. “I love to do pastoral work and so I might do two or three things in a day,” he told Archbishop Slattery on Radio Veritas. “So in the morning, I can be in a township with a wonderful vibrant liturgy, in the afternoon, in Pretoria where the liturgy is different and maybe more like what you find in an Irish parish, and then I might find myself in a coloured community which also has its own flair,” Archbishop Wells explained. “Every group has its own personality and flavour which is a wonderful thing that this Church offers because, at the end of the day, even though they may be different in many ways which reflect the rainbow nation so beautifully here in

South Africa, they are all one, and there is great unity among the Church.” Another thing he is inspired by is the youth of the Church in Southern Africa, which he says is incredibly young. “When you go to churches you see they are filled with young people who are very much involved, enthusiastic, and vibrant. This is a different experience than you will find in Europe and even places in the United States, or other countries right now,” Archbishop Wells noted. “I’m very hopeful about the future of the Church in this country and what it has to contribute, not only to greater Catholicism but in a particular way to society here in Southern Africa.” Prior to his appointment to Pretoria, the 56-year-old US-born nuncio served in various positions at the Vatican. He noted that secularism is a particular problem facing the Church across the word. “Sometimes it leads to great misunderstanding about the intention and the role of religion in modern society,” he said. “There is also an attempt at times

to exclude religious discussion from the public forum, which is a big mistake [as] we have seen historically,” he said. Another global challenge for the Church is the generally diminishing number of young people who are interested in institutionalised religion, which Archbishop Wells said might also have to do with a crisis in institutions. “In the last number of years we have seen that institutions, especially the ones which have been around for a while, are particularly challenged and are under an enormous amount of scrutiny, and at times attacked.

And I think it’s more difficult maybe for young people to see themselves as part of this greater community,” the archbishop said. He pointed out that the Catholic Church has been going through a terrible challenge with the scourge of sex abuse. “We will continue to do everything we can to make sure that we have safe environments, and that we are fostering healthy and good and wholesome priests, and that children are safe in our institutions our churches and places,” he said. “We have to continually keep in mind—and this is something we have not done such a good job of in the past—that we have to always think about the victims” of abuse. “We have to remember that the victims of sexual abuse are not a problem; they are part of the solution. And I think until we involve them in the conversation—realising that they are the ones who can help us move forward as part of the solution—we are going to continue to be challenged,” Archbishop Wells said. The rise of political populism is another concern for the Church, according to the nuncio. “Some of the very violent and ag-

gressive approaches to immigration are big concerns for us,” he said. “Something that we always have to be reminding the international community about is our responsibility as people of goodwill and people of hope, who really want to be welcoming. “We need to do what we can to help those marginalised brothers and sisters of ours who find themselves, almost always through no fault of their own, in circumstances they can’t control, and they need our assistance, compassion and charity,” Archbishop Wells said. Speaking on a greater role for women in the Church in general and in the Vatican, the archbishop said it’s important to point out that this really began with Pope Benedict XVI. “He is the one who started pushing for higher roles in the Vatican— his entire staff in his house, with the exception of one or two. [He also] pushed to have them in different places. Pope Francis has done a lot too to promote women, especially in the office of religious and communications,” he said. “There is, however, still lots of room for improvement,” the nuncio added.

Precious Blood Sisters notch up nearly 500 jubilee years BY MANDLA ZIBI

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TOTAL of 490 years of combined religious service were celebrated in Mthatha at the jubilees of ten Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood. Celebrating their diamond jubilees (60 years) were Srs Irmgild Mbana, Canisia Kaulela, Irene Kuboni and Maria Corda Waldhor. Srs Mary Dionys Ngcobo, Sigrid Ngcobo, Gaudentia Mqhakama and Mary Gerard Mbhele celebrated their golden jubilees (50 years). Srs Vincentia Mokoqama and Alphonsa Cepu celebrated their 25th anniversaries. “The day felt like the sum of my life, [comparable] to the final coming of the spouse. I was 20 years old at first profession and on fire; now I’m

Ten Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood celebrated their jubilees in Mthatha. Left are (from left) Srs Alphonsa Cepu, Vincentia Mokoqama, Mary Gerard Mbhele, Gaudentia Mqhakama, Mary Dionys Ngcobo, Sigrid Ngcobo, Maria Corda Waldhor and Canisia Kaulela, and right are (seated from left) Srs Irene Kuboni and Irmgild Mbana. nearing 80 and feel softly glowing,” Sr Corda told The Southern Cross. In his homily, Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Mthatha congratulated

the Sisters on their achievement: “I am sure your hearts are moved today, because you know yourselves too well how weak you are, and yet

are here celebrating 25, 50 and 60 years, which is only due to the grace of God. Hallelujah!” But to counter becoming obso-

lete, he urged that missionary and evangelising work continue. “Are funerals, jubilees enough? Are there other activities that link this mother house of the Sisters to the wider missionary work of the Church?” Citing the example of “young women who sell their bodies next to our cathedral and in many other corners of our city”, he bemoaned “sitting in our convents doing inhouse work”. However, although they are unmarried and childless, Bishop Sipuka praised the Sisters for having “given birth to thousands of people”, through their ministry. “There is a Xhosa saying, undizele, which says that when you have done something good for a person, or assisted somebody, you have given birth to that person.”

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The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

INTERNATIONAL

How Benedict VI withdrew name from celibacy book A BY CINDY WOODEN

T the request of retired Pope Benedict XVI, his name was removed as co-author of the book From the Depths of Our Hearts, defending priestly celibacy, said the book’s author, Cardinal Robert Sarah, the Vatican official who coordinated work on the book. The tweeted announcement came after Cardinal Sarah had issued a formal statement accusing people of slandering him by saying that while Pope Benedict might have contributed notes or an essay to the book, he was not co-author of it. Archbishop Georg Gänswein, personal secretary to Pope Benedict, said the retired pope had requested that his name be removed as co-author of the book, its introduction and its conclusion. The archbishop confirmed that the book’s first chapter, attributed to Pope Benedict, was the work of the pope emeritus. In a chapter originally attributed to both the retired pope and the cardinal, they said the book resulted from an exchange of “ideas and our

Pope Francis visits his predecessor, retired Pope Benedict XVI, at the Vatican. (Photo: Vatican media/CNS) concerns”, particularly related to last October’s Synod of Bishops for the Amazon, which heard repeated calls for considering the ordination of married elders to serve far-flung communities and provide greater access to the Eucharist and other sacraments. Pope Francis’ response to the requests of the synod is expected early this year. Observers noted how unusual it was for the retired pope to intervene publicly on an issue the reigning pope is considering.

According to the published excerpts, the chapter signed by Pope Benedict noted how today many people assume the gradual adoption of the discipline of priestly celibacy was a result of “contempt for corporeality and sexuality”. The error of that thinking, he said, is demonstrated by the Church’s high view of the sacrament of marriage. And, while acknowledging that celibacy has not always been a requirement for priesthood, the retired pope said that married priests were expected to abstain from sexual relations with their wives. Renouncing marriage “to place oneself totally at the disposition of the Lord became a criterion for priestly ministry”, Pope Benedict said. The published excerpts did not discuss the continuing practice of ordaining married men in the Eastern Catholic Churches nor the exceptions granted by Popes John Paul II and Benedict to married former ministers of the Anglican Communion and other Christian denominations who become Catholic.—CNS

Vatican: Pope Francis is not in favour of optional priestly celibacy BY HANNAH BROCKHAuS

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VATICAN spokesman has said that Pope Francis’ position on priestly celibacy is “known”, quoting the pontiff’s remarks in a January 2019 press conference, in which he said he does not agree with making priestly celibacy “optional” in the Latin rite. The statement by Holy See Press Office director Matteo Bruni was said to be in response to questions regarding a new book on priestly celibacy, the crisis in the Church, and the priesthood authored by Cardinal Robert Sarah, who is head of the pope’s liturgical office. Mr Bruni quoted Pope Francis’ comments aboard the papal plane

to Rome from Panama on January 28, 2019, in which he said: “Personally, I think that celibacy is a gift to the Church. I would say that I do not agree with allowing optional celibacy, no.” The pope added at the time that he thinks there is room to consider some exceptions for married clergy in the Latin rite “when there is a pastoral necessity” in remote locations due to lack of priests, such as in the Pacific Islands. Mr Bruni’s statement also noted the pope’s quotation of the words of Pope Paul VI: “I prefer to give my life before changing the law of celibacy.” The publication of the book From the Depths of Our Hearts by Cardinal

Sarah prompted reports that by arguing in favour of priestly celibacy, the retired pope has placed himself in opposition to Pope Francis, who is right now considering allowing an exception to priestly celibacy by the ordination of proven married men, so-called viri probati, in the Amazon region in response to severe priest shortages. At the end of the Amazon synod the final document of the synod fathers called for the ordination of married men as priests. The pope’s own document on the synod, called a post-synodal apostolic exhortation, is highly anticipated, primarily for how it will respond to that suggestion and others from the synod fathers.—CNA

Enkuthazweni Centre A BIG opportunity exists!

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OPE Francis baptised 32 babies in the Sistine Chapel, telling parents not to worry if their children cry at Mass. “Let the children cry,” the pope said. “It is a beautiful homily when a child cries in church, a beautiful homily.” Pope Francis celebrated Mass with the parents and godparents of 17 boys and 15 girls, who were baptised surrounded by Michelangelo’s frescoes. “Just as Jesus went to receive baptism, you bring your children,” Pope Francis said. “The power of the Holy Spirit comes to defend them for the rest of their lives.” “This is why it is so important to baptise them as babies because they grow with the power of the Holy Spirit,” the pope added. Pope Francis said that he wanted to keep his homily short because the babies might not feel comfortable in their baptism gowns and in a new environment. “Babies are not used to coming to the Sistine Chapel,” he joked. The pope reminded the parents that their personal example at home will help their child to grow in faith. He said that baptising a child is an act of justice because the child receives the pledge of the

Holy Spirit through the sacrament. Each of the 32 baptised infants are children of Vatican employees and where born in 2019. Pope John Paul II began the papal tradition of baptising children in the Sistine Chapel. Following the Mass, Pope Francis prayed the Angelus prayer from the window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace with pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square. “As soon as Jesus was baptised in the Jordan River, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove, while a voice rang out from above saying: ‘This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,’” he said. The pope said that it is important for each Catholic to know and remember the date of their own baptism. This is a date to be celebrated, he said, because it is when we received the Holy Spirit that remains with us. “As Jesus is the beloved Son of the Father, we too, born of water and the Holy Spirit, know that we are beloved children…invested in a great mission to testify and announce to all men the boundless love of the Father,” Pope Francis said.—CNA

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Enkuthazweni Centre, a well known NGO for those with disabilities, is situated in Nemato township in the picturesque town of Port Alfred. It has a school for children with intellectual disability, a skills centre for young adults with intellectual disability and a Rehab section for children with severe/profound disability.

The OT would manage and guide the Rehab section. The ideal person would have a love for children with disability, and would be passionate about making a difference in their lives. She/he would lead a team of four community disability carers who currently visit the children in their homes to offer stimulation and assist their parents/ guardians. Our hope in the next few years is to set up a Day Care Centre so that the children with severe and profound disability can come to the

For more information contact Sr. Mary at marymc@msassumption.org or 046 624 1470 or Mzameli Dikeni at 073 019 9813

Pope: It is beautiful when babies cry at Mass

Cardinal Pell transferred to high-security prison

For an OT who is really passionate about helping children with disabilities.

Centre daily. The OT would help us draw up plans for this Day Care Centre and would help set it up.

Pope Francis baptises a child in the Sistine Chapel. (Photo: Vatican Media/CNA)

Contact Vocation Coordinator on 072 989 2286 nardvocprom1855@gmail.com Facebook: Franciscan Nardini Sisters of the Holy Family

ARDINAL George Pell has been transferred out of the Melbourne prison in which he has been incarcerated for more than a year after a drone illegally flew over the prison grounds. According to the Herald Sun newspaper, Cardinal Pell was moved out of Melbourne Assessment Prison after a drone flew over the prison garden in an apparent attempt to capture footage of him working there. The cardinal was then transferred to a maximum-security prison south-west of the city. Cardinal Pell had been in the Melbourne prison, located within the city centre, since his sentencing in December of 2018 on five counts of sexual abuse. For his own safety, Cardinal Pell has been kept in solitary confinement, although one of his tasks was to tend to a prison garden. On Christmas Eve, a group of about two dozen local Catholics gathered outside the Melbourne prison to pray and sing Christmas carols for him. He is now at HM Prison Barwon, a maximum-security prison that holds some notorious crime bosses. Cardinal Pell, the former archbishop of Melbourne and Sydney, was appointed by Pope Francis to head the Vatican’s Prefecture for the

Cardinal George Pell. (Photo: Michael Dodge/Getty Images/CNA) Economy in 2014 and oversee the Vatican’s finances. In 2013, Victoria Police opened Operation Tethering, an open-ended investigation into possible crimes by Cardinal Pell, although no victims had come forward against him and there had been no criminal complaints made against him at the time. In 2017, Cardinal Pell was charged with sexually abusing two minors, and left Rome to return to Melbourne and stand trial. He was convicted in 2018 on the evidence of a single victim-accuser; the second alleged victim died of a heroin overdose in 2014. The cardinal’s conviction was upheld on appeal by the Victoria Supreme Court in August. The Australian High Court will hear his appeal of that decision in the coming months, possibly in February. —CNA

The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

INTERNATIONAL

5

Bishops on Holy Land trip see Gaza suffering BY JuDITH SuDILOVSKY

I Peter Maganjo and Isaac Ndung’u, farmers in Kirinyaga County in central Kenya, look at a young locust swarm. (Photo: Fredrick Nzwili/CNS)

Beat pans, blow whistles to fight locusts, Catholic leaders urge BY FREDRICK NZWILI

A

S swarms of desert locusts continued to advance in Kenya, Catholic leaders urged local communities to use all means possible to fight the herbivorous insects— even cooking them. Local communities have been beating metal pans, blowing whistles, hoooting and burning cow dung to smoke away the insects, as government help took too long to arrive or became limited, Church leaders said. Other Kenyans chanted day and night to scare away the insects. “We have been encouraging them to use anything at their disposal to scare away the locusts. The destructive insects do not like noise. The people are very persistent in creating as much noise as possible,” said Fr Isaac Racho, vicar-general of Marsabit diocese. “The swarms that landed here have moved away, but

after much destruction. We still remain on the alert.” A large immature swarm that made landfall in the north-eastern county of Mandera has spread south to several other counties. Recently, one immature swarm in northern Kenya occupied an area measuring 60km long by nearly 40km wide. The emergence of the migratory insects has triggered fear among East African farmers, since the locusts threaten food crops and animal pastures. “I think the government needs to give a clear direction and move with speed to ensure the insects are stopped. A good harvest is anticipated in most parts of the country, and that is now under threat,” Stephen Kituku, the Caritas Kenya director, told Catholic News Service.—CNS

‘Preaching one thing, yet doing another is ‘pastoral schizophrenia’ BY CINDY WOODEN

T

HE crowds following Jesus during his lifetime said he taught with “authority” because he lived what he preached, Pope Francis said. “Authority is seen in this: coherence and witness,” the pope said during his early morning Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae. In the day’s Gospel reading, people in the crowd remark on the authority of Jesus and how “he commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him”. Jesus’ exercise of authority, the pope said, is authentic because it can be seen. “What is seen? Coherence. Jesus had authority because there was coherence between what he taught and what he did, how he

lived,” Pope Francis said. The scribes in the Gospel, on the other hand, act in such a way that Jesus tells the people, “Do what they say, but not what they do.” The scribes suffered from “pastoral schizophrenia”—saying one thing and doing another, the pope said. They were prime examples of what Jesus often called “hypocrites”. “Hypocrisy is the way of acting of those who have responsibility—in this case pastoral responsibility—but are not coherent,” Pope Francis said. “And the people of God are meek and tolerant; they tolerate so many hypocritical priests, so many schizophrenic priests who say but don’t do.” A hypocritical, inconsistent, schizophrenic priest can do so much damage, the pope said. —CNS

N addition to a sense of isolation, young people in the Gaza Strip are experiencing an unemployment rate of 70%, and most see emigration as their only solution, said US Archbishop Timothy Broglio. “This is a challenge for young people,” he said. “They are facing uncertainty and insecurity about their future.” Archbishop Broglio was one of 15 bishops—mostly from Europe and North America—who took part in the annual week-long Holy Land Coordination visit to support the Holy Land’s local Christian communities. “The future for young people is very tenuous,” he said. “Basically, the only solution they see is getting out. But that is very problematic, because once they do get out, there is no coming back [because of travel restrictions by Israel.] Leaving means an indefinite separation for families.” Basics such as water and electricity are interrupted daily, he said. The Gaza Strip has been under an air, land and sea blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt since 2007, when Hamas took control of the Palestinian area from the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority. The 1,8 million Palestinian residents of the coastal Gaza Strip are cut off from the remainder of the Palestinian territory by the blockade, which also restricts their free travel access to the rest of

Palestinians are seen in central Gaza Strip. Bishops took part in the annual visit to support the Holy Land’s local Christian communities. (Photo: Mohammed Salem, Reuters/CNS) the world. The US, the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Egypt, Israel and other countries list Hamas as a terrorist organisation, charging that it is funded by Iran. The bishops began their visit in Gaza and celebrated Mass with members of Holy Family Catholic parish there. They also met with local families and religious Sisters working in Catholic charitable institutions and visited the Daughters of Charity, the Thomas Aquinas Training Centre and the Caritas Medical Centre. With just over 1 000 people, the Christian community in the Gaza Strip is very tiny, but the educational, vocational and health services it provides to the general population

are highly regarded. Archbishop Broglio said that just over 10% of the 700 students attending Catholic schools are Catholic; the majority of students are Muslim. Irish Bishop Noel Treanor of Down and Connor noted that while the Thomas Aquinas Training Centre provides advanced training for young people, the availability of good jobs is so minimal that often thousands of applicants vie for one position. “Opportunities are so limited... the current situation is not sustainable,” he said. “A solution must be found. Though the Catholic community is vibrant, the number of Catholics has gone down drastically ...and the fact so many people are leaving has an impact on the Christian population.” Still, despite the political complexity and economic difficulties people face in their daily lives in Gaza, Canadian Archbishop Richard Gagnon said, he was struck by the real sense of joy and positivity he sensed within the Catholic community. “They have a real sense of who they are and what their identity is,” said Archbishop Gagnon. “They provide wonderful opportunities for people in Gaza, both Christians and non-Christians, through their schools and charitable organisations.”—CNS

Nuns: Response to 2010 Haiti quake created new problems BY CHRIS HERLINGER

T

HE response to the massive earthquake that hit Haiti ten years ago was well-intentioned but did not bring about structural change that could have helped lift the country’s overwhelming poverty, said Sisters reflecting on the earthquake’s legacy. The disaster killed an estimated 220 000 people, injured more than 300 000, and left 1,5 million homeless, according to British humanitarian organisation Disasters Emergency Committee. Catholic Sisters with long-time ministries in Haiti agreed the outpouring of humanitarian assistance was remarkable but also called into question Haiti’s long relationship with humanitarian groups. Many Haitians said much of the aid was not effective and did not reach them.

“The earthquake was a disaster of staggering proportions, but so was the disaster that followed: promises of aid that morphed instead into relief money going to consultants and foreign companies instead of Haitian workers,” said Sr Marilyn Lacey, executive director of the humanitarian agency Mercy Beyond Borders and a member of the Religious Sisters of Mercy. “The Red Cross promising thousands of new houses and delivering only a few dozen. A UN contingent that not only brought cholera into Haiti, but also the sad reality of hundreds of children fathered by UN troops who then abandoned them,” Sr Lacey said. The response reinforced troubling dynamics in the Caribbean nation of 11 million people, where concerns over corruption and poor governance have become increasingly public. Haitians have taken

to the streets of cities and in the countryside in protest against the government of President Jovenel Moise. Populations that have been exploited by colonial or autocratic governments “live with decades of simmering anger that can explode into violence without much provocation”, said Sr Lacey. “It’s the ‘last straw’ phenomenon, and we’ve seen it in Haiti these past two years.” She said she believes the response to the earthquake was wellintentioned and good in many ways. “It saved lives. It restored some infrastructure. It brought hope to a dazed people,” Sr Lacey said. But “it did not bring systemic change or transparency in government or widespread employment opportunities or much economic lift”.— CNS

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The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

The new pastoral plan

A

FTER many years of extensive work and consultation, January 26 will see the official launch of the local Church’s new pastoral plan at a Mass in Soweto’s Regina Mundi church. The new pastoral plan replaces its predecessor, Community Serving Humanity, which was issued in 1989. That pastoral plan was compiled during the last (and most repressive) years of apartheid. Within just a year of its release, South Africa’s political landscape had changed fundamentally. Much good came from Community Serving Humanity, but as a reference point for the local Church’s direction, it didn’t penetrate the consciousness of the wider Catholic community. The relative successes and shortcomings of the implementation of the 1989 pastoral plan must help guide us as we begin to put into practice the 2020 pastoral plan. The title of the new pastoral plan, Evangelising Community, Serving God, Humanity and All Creation, will probably not catch on, but it sums up its objectives well. The introduction for the pastoral plan says that in intent, it “helps and guides us all to listen and respond to the leading of the Spirit, to enter into the Father’s plan for our Church and our world; to be missionary disciples of Jesus in the present and to let the Spirit guide us into the future”. Within three umbrella areas, there are eight focus points: Evangelisation; Laity formation and empowerment; Life and ministry of priests and deacons; Marriage and family; Youth; Justice, peace and non-violence; Healing and reconciliation; Care of creation and the environment. These are indeed crucial areas of concern which present opportunities for fruitful engagement. It is good to see that the formation and empowerment of the laity enjoys a privileged place in the pastoral plan, as does the ministry of the clergy (though religious in the consecrated life might have been served to be included in the latter section). We also hope that the focal area of “Justice, peace and non-violence” will animate the revival of Justice & Peace structures in those dioceses where that ministry has diminished, as a contributor in this week’s edition calls for. Indeed, without active diocesan

and parish J&P structures, it is difficult to see how some intentions in the pastoral plan’s vision can be realised. It is good that the section on “Marriage and Family” includes such important areas of pastoral care as hurting and broken families, divorced Catholics and single parents. May these not be an afterthought. The Church’s task is to call and guide people towards their salvation. So the section on “Evangelisation” rightly ranks first (and we must hope that the final area, “Care of creation and the environment”, is not going to be the least of our concerns). “Our own evangelisation and the evangelisation of others begins with hearing about Jesus and coming to know him personally,” notes the plan. Surprisingly, the text omits mention of the primary method of evangelisation: social communications. Indeed, social communications might have warranted a focal area of its own, raising the importance of media in evangelisation, a matter neglected by the local Church for the past quarter of a century. The pastoral plan suggests that in putting into action evangelisation, we should “identify possible pastoral agents who can drive the implementation of this focus area and possible pastoral programmes which could be of assistance in the implementation”. The use of Catholic media and the Internet in evangelisation, especially through social media, should be at the centre of any missionary effort. Let us be reminded of the importance of media every time we read the Scriptures—the brightest example of social communications. Of course, in its limited format, the pastoral plan leaves many gaps to fill. It is a guiding document allowing for expansion where pastoral concerns or opportunities present themselves. One of these must be the accompaniment of those abused by Church personnel, and those who feel marginalised by the Church and society. Our prayer is that the pastoral plan will energise those already engaged in the Church’s pastoral activities, at all levels, and galvanise into action those Catholics who are not. May the new pastoral plan fertilise the fields of a local Catholic Church that is missionary in nature and of service in the building of the Kingdom.

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.

What of our own homosexual children?

D

EACON Tony de Freitas’ letter (“Science research: no gay gene exists”, December 11), with the implication that family factors contribute to the incidence of homosexuality, angered me. My son, our second-born, is homosexual, my daughter being older. He played with “normal” boy toys during his younger days. My uncle was also homosexual and the second-born with an older sister. He married and had a daughter, and his wife, being a Catholic, would not divorce him so they stayed married. They had a long marriage but slept in separate rooms.

Church needs to up its tax game

T

HANKS to Fr Chris Townsend for his article about the Church and taxes (January 8). The Catholic Church is a Public Benefit Organisation which allows it to accept donations in return for a receipt for tax-deduction purposes. In the diocese where I used to be a parishioner, I donated for many years, but never received a receipt. I complained in several emails to the local bishop, but I did not receive an answer. I stopped the donations. JH Goossens, Pretoria

Are finances transparent?

Y

OUR recent articles on the “Buckets of Love” campaign recalled last year’s heart-wrenching acts of selfless charity extended by retrenched Catholic Welfare & Development (CWD) staff to continue to fill and distribute buckets with enough food to feed a needy family of four over Christmas. A donation of R250 funded one bucket and contributions could be paid in to a CWD Grapevine account. It is encouraging that Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town “has assured that the appeal is genuine and that all funds raised will be used to buy food for the campaign and not for any other purpose”. It has been over a year since CWD’s demise, with the promise of prosecution if fraud or theft could be established. We may hope that a full financial accounting of the collapse and alleged irregularities will be made public in the interest of transparency. Are we in South Africa free of

Does this mean that homosexuality is heredity? Maybe a faulty gene? One of my friends has a homosexual daughter, her muchloved only child. Please explain the theory of child-upbringing in this case? I love my son and my only regret is that he has never had children. He has been in the same relationship for 14 years now. Dr Whitehead, quoted by Deacon De Freitas, refers to biology, but what is his competence regarding the sociology he theorises about? Has he (or indeed Deacon De Freitas) homosexual Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross 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

any mismanagement of all funds donated to the Church? Assurances from the hierarchy need to be backed up by the transparent publishing of financials. It is incumbent on the Church to demonstrate good stewardship of monies harvested from the faithful. Our country is cash-strapped through corruption, misappropriation and theft of billions of taxpayers’ money. Surely we, the Catholic Church, need to openly demonstrate transparent accountability concerning donations from our faithful for the good works? Pray for accountability and transparency in the Church. We are a worthwhile community that must not fall apart through default. Michael Bouchier, Stanford, Western Cape

Eucharist puzzle

J

OHN’S Gospel has Jesus proclaiming the necessity of eating Christ’s body in order to be a follower of his. The reaction of the people was, to my mind, both predictable and understandable—many left him as a result. I too have reservations about accepting this account at face value, assuming it is accurate. It should be borne in mind that this event occurred long before the Last Supper; there was no precedent that I know of. Without having given it the consideration required, I have incorrectly assumed in the past that the institution of the Eu-

children? Are they speaking from personal experience? And if Deacon De Freitas had a homosexual child, I wonder how he would have reacted to a letter such as his which implies that a child becomes homosexual because they might have been neglected, abused or exposed to pornography. Please remember that we are all children of God, good or bad, we are taught to love one another as we love ourselves. If one does not love oneself, one cannot spread love. Sheila de la Bat, Johannesburg

charist had already occurred, which belief might give more support to John’s account, but that was not so. In the event no person is recorded as having ever eaten of Christ’s body that I know of, this begs the question, who is saved? Any comments? Cecil Cullen, Cape Town

Great homilies

I

S Roy Glover (“We urgently need engaging homilies”, December 11) really from Knysna? No priest, I guess, delivers great homilies 100% of the time, but if he were to listen to both of our Knysna priests, Mr Glover might well be inspired/interested/encouraged a good bit more than 75%. Not a bad record, I would say. Margaret von Solms, Sedgefield

Thank you John Lee: I miss you

I

WAS very sad to read about the passing of John Lee in The Southern Cross of January 8. Mr Lee really was a very active writer for many years, and I enjoyed reading all his letters. It was for a while now that I had missed his letters, and I was wondering why he was so quiet. I even tried to look him up on Facebook but didn’t find him there. I wanted for some time to become friends with him because we both had a love for Charismatic Renewal. I will miss his valuable contribution to The Southern Cross. My deepest condolences to his family, and I will keep you in my prayers. May his dearly departed soul rest in God’s eternal peace. Stephen Selbourne, Cape Town

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PERSPECTIVES

The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

7

Why is it hard for us to say sorry? A Raymond Perrier CHEESY cartoon from the 1970s had the slogan, “Love is… never having to say you are sorry”. I think that as Christians we should beg to differ, because one of the marks of Christian love is that we should be willing to say we are sorry. Unless we do so, we will persist in kidding ourselves that we have not done anything wrong and so run the risk of repeating our mistakes. Pope Francis recently gave a good example of this. Other journalists and commentators have discussed at great length the now infamous hand-slapping incident in St Peter’s Square on New Year’s Eve and whether the pope reacted out of anger or pain. But what struck me was that at the earliest opportunity—and in a forum even more public than the original incident— Pope Francis apologised for his behaviour. What is more, he did so without trying to justify or mitigate it. “We often lose our patience; me, too, and I apologise for my bad example last night,” he said. The pope has not only apologised but given us permission to keep an eye out for this kind of behaviour in the future. It was a refreshing example of what makes his leadership style different. When was the last time that a politician apologised for ignoring a voter, or a mayor apologised for poor service delivery, or a president apologised for the rolling blackouts? We get plenty of explanations—some more believable than others—but rarely an apology. It is right that we demand better accountability from our politicians. But do we, as a Church, set a good example? We should be able to expect a greater willingness to apologise from our religious leaders since, after all, accountability is at the heart of our life as Christians. We have

the sacrament of Reconciliation which begins with the need to confess and express “a firm desire of amendment”. More frequently than that, we are led in a collective act of saying sorry in the penitential rite at the beginning of every Mass. Note that in the words we say we are confessing not only to God but also to the community—”and to you my brothers and sisters”. Note also that it is not the insincere apology of people who say, “I am sorry if I have upset you”, or “I am sorry that you are upset”. Both of these greatly weaken the admission of responsibility. Here we say categorically: “…that I have sinned through my own fault”.

I

am reminded here again of Pope Francis’ words when asked by a journalist how he would describe himself. He drew on the language of St Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, and familiar to any who have followed the Spiritual Exercises: “I am a sinner on whom the Lord has turned his gaze.” But perhaps admitting that I am a sinner might just be the kind of rhetorical device that politicians (and often celebrities too) use to appear humble, even when they are not. It is only when we admit spe-

“One of the marks of Christian love is that we should be willing to say we are sorry,” writes Raymond Perrier..

Let’s just be courteous T HE medieval English mystic Julian of Norwich wrote the earliest surviving book in the English language to come from the hand of a woman. It is known by the title Revelations of Divine Love. Of the many quotations from her work, I am always struck by the three words that head this piece when she refers to God as “My courteous Lord”. There is courteousness in the relationships between us that reflects the care of the home, warmth and security. It is worthwhile reflecting a while on “courtesy”, or its absence, in our present days. It is an important matter that is portrayed in many small and simple ways. In busy traffic, when parked cars obstruct the road, we often have to wait for traffic coming the other way to pass through. Then our patience is rewarded by a raised hand in acknowledgement that a problem has been solved through the courtesy of two strangers who happened to meet on the road. They may never meet up again, but they have done each other a favour. The courtesy of casual conversation is often lost in the city but not in smaller towns and villages. Passing a stranger, out walking a dog, offering a smile and a good morning greeting takes little time but is valued. We are not good at it, whether out of shyness or reserve, but such an exchange helps to give a lift on the way. Who welcomes you when you arrive for the celebration of Mass on a Sunday morning? Or do you walk into church without anyone speaking to you? That is one positive action that the Chair or members of the Parish Council

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Courtesy costs us nothing and makes the world just a little better. could undertake. We are not a disparate gathering of individuals who happen to be passing by but a family coming together to share the Eucharist one with another.

O

ne of the most important tasks that I undertook as headteacher of our school was to make a mug of tea at about 8:40 and then go out to the playground to talk with groups of parents who had brought young children to school. That way we got to know each other without the formality of an appointment. Often it gave the opportunity for a parent to ask for a quiet word about something, and without any fuss we could go into school and talk. There is courtesy in being available when others need you. When we frequently visit somewhere local we get to know people and know them by name. I often use a café near home for a morning coffee and toast, time to read and write. There I am greeted by

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Faith and Society

cific mistakes and seek forgiveness that we genuinely show that we are aware of our faults. As the old millennium was coming to a close, St John Paul II apologised for a host of sins from the Church’s past: her treatment of Jews, Muslims, aboriginal people, slaves, women and Galileo. These actions were symbolically important and the list was long (though not exhaustive). But, as has been pointed out, the sincerity of his apology of how women were mistreated by the Church in the past surely must be compared with his actions—or inactions—in addressing examples of mistreatment in the present. Isn’t that what we mean by a firm desire of amendment? In fact, I am not sure that our religious leaders do always set a good example of admitting fault and asking forgiveness. Bishops, and conferences of bishops, are now asking for forgiveness for the failure to respond to the child abuse catastrophe. But often it is not coming from the bishop who was actually the one at fault but rather from his successor. And, even then, the apologies have come after many, many years of denying the problem and usually only after external investigations have forced bishops to face the truth. And this is not the only way in which some religious leaders—bishops, priests, provincials—have let us down. I can think of so many cases of mismanagement that I have seen ranging from liturgical translations, to poor appointments, selection of Continued on page 11

Chris McDonnell

Point of Church

name and return the compliment. There I value the courtesy that we show each other. Others do us service, the postman and the rubbish collectors. It doesn’t hurt to say “hello” and wish them a good day. Pope Francis continually asks us to dialogue, to exchange views and opinions with each other for the good of the Christian message. It is important that we do so, on every level. Speaking is one thing, really listening is another. If all speak together, no-one hears anything, ideas are lost in the cacophony of sound. If you are thinking of your response to another person’s story, ready to jump in as soon as they have finished, you will miss the meaning. Our courtesy in listening is often as much as is required, for often while others tell their story they realise their own solution. That courtesy extends beyond our own personal comfort zone, to those who are in so many ways different whether through colour, gender, race or religion. Only by the experience of sharing community will we come to understand the common problems that we face. Solving the big issues facing our planet begins with our attempts to meet the challenge of everyday incidentals, one step at a time, remembering Julian’s relationship with God, our courteous Lord. n This article was first published in the Catholic Times.

1 Plein Street, Sidwell, Port Elizabeth

Migrants float on a dinghy off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy. (Photo: Nick Jaussi/Sea-Watch)

Chris Chatteris SJ

Pray with the Pope

The world is on the move General Intention: We pray that the cries of our migrant brothers and sisters, victims of criminal trafficking, may be heard and considered. ERHAPS there are places in the world which homo sapiens should leave empty. If you go outside unprotected in the Sahara or Antarctica, you die quite quickly, which is quite a good reason for not going there, though not all of us take Mother Nature’s hint. The high seas are another such hazardous environment where only a few venture. Harsh conditions and disease are the earth’s ways of keeping us and our tendency to trash everything, confined. However, because of our growing population, homo sapiens has pushed into more and more inhospitable regions of the globe, has survived and even made life comfortable enough there. This is normally done by the exploitation of fossil-fuel. For example, without its oil, Saudi Arabia would not have been able to sustain, in air-conditioned comfort, the population that it does. Ditto for people living in northern Canada and Norway, except that there the fuel is needed for heating rather than cooling. But what happens when the climate becomes rougher, causing the economies and the political systems of such regions to flag or fail? What happens if things break down so badly that war breaks out? What happens is that the most vulnerable try to leave and seek a new home where the climate is kinder and the politics and economy are more stable. They become migrants, “climate migrants”, “economic migrants” or political refugees. This is happening now, and no longer in slow motion or on a small scale. There are some 70 million people who have been forcibly displaced in the world today. Compare that to the very roughly estimated 11 to 20 million people forcibly displaced during and after the Second World War. This is not a problem which is going to be solved easily or quickly. The population of the world was 2,5 billion in 1950 and today it stands at 7,7 billion, and climate catastrophes are going to squeeze more people out of the marginally habitable places on the planet. We might see migration out of Australia as it becomes a continent of intolerable temperatures and endless bushfires.

P

O

ne thing is certain: people across the globe are on the move, especially the poorest and most vulnerable. It is a situation ripe for exploitation by traffickers and people-smugglers whose callousness was illustrated last year in the case of the 39 Vietnamese people who died of suffocation in a refrigerated lorry heading for the UK. The stories of such migrants are heart-rending, even if they make it. Some endure untold horrors for months before they get close to their goal, totally dependent on their brutal traffickers, often not even knowing where they are. They are abused, raped and forced into slave-labour en route. Pope Francis has made the plight of refugees and migrants a central concern of his papacy. While he challenges the Church and people of good will to listen to the cries of migrants and to find space for them in our hearts and our homelands, he has also tackled the climate change issue with his magisterial encyclical Laudato Si’. In it, he appeals to us to listen to the “cry of the earth and the cry of the poor”. What can we do? At the parish level, we have here a great opportunity to live the love we profess as Christians. Parishes which have welcomed immigrants into their congregations have truly listened to this dramatic of the times and have responded. In the process they have been enriched by the new life which immigrant communities always bring to the local Church. In many parts of the world, like South Africa or the southern USA, it is precisely where there are migrant communities moving into parishes that the Church is developing and growing. For long-term action we all need to undergo an “ecological conversion”, as Pope Francis puts it. There is much to pray for and much to do.

8

The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 30, 2020

COMMUNITY

At a youth Mass at St Philip Benizi parish in Meyerton, Johannesburg archdiocese, young people in school uniform came up to receive blessings from Fr Mathew Otika. They also participated in the readings, taking up the offertory, and in bidding prayers and music. Catechists and youth coordinators Gladness Mashubuka,Thato Mosieleng, Portia Msimango and Rebecca Tshabangu helped organise the event. (Submitted by Elaine Prosper)

The Goxo family of St Peter Claver parish in Pimville, Soweto, donated a fully-completed built office to the St Vincent de Paul Society in memory of their late mother Ruth Margaret Goxo. (Photo: Sello Mokoka)

St Joseph’s parish in Primrose, Johannesburg archdiocese, held a First Communion and first confession retreat, and children are seen with parish priest Fr Laszlo Karpati, exhibiting their retreat craft work. (Submitted by Karen Biassoni) We apologise for the incorrect 2018 photo used on the Community Page in our January 1 issue.

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The altar servers at Our Lady of Loreto in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, attended a refresher training course and retreat with parish priest Fr Boniface D'Souza OCD and Deacon Alpheus John. (Photo: Chris Perumal)

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PERSPECTIVE

The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

9

Time to revive Justice & Peace ministry The Justice & Peace ministry has become inactive in many dioceses. In the face of many social crises, now is the time to revive it, argues KALIE SENYANE.

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T is so encouraging to see the Catholic bishops coming forward to support women and girls by saying, “No to Abuse of Women and Children”, and affirming their support for the victims of domestic violence and abuse. Reading their recent pastoral letter, written so beautifully, makes me, as a man, want to do more in my own private space to challenge the mentality of my peers, and to fight for the victims of domestic violence and abuse. However, I wonder how it is, when our bishops show so much care and support, that in many dioceses Justice & Peace has no voice or even has died. There are models of functioning J&P structures in Southern Africa, and the J&P Commission of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference is very active nationally. The diocese of Klerksdorp runs the Tavern Project to change the patriarchal culture that leads to violence against women and children. The J&P Commission of the archdiocese of Durban, which I serve, conducts community dialogues with men and boys, women and girls, towards the same goal. Justice & Peace has been a driving force over the years within the SACBC region; it even used to be

recognised even by government agencies. Once J&P was recognisable everywhere throughout the region. Today, I am not sure whether it has a profile outside the archdioceses of Johannesburg, Durban and Klerksdorp. Does this mean that in most other dioceses, the J&P ministry is not seen as important anymore? Can our bishops see a need to rekindle this important ministry of the Church which over the years has done wonders to break barriers, and during apartheid advocated for black people? Today there is the great challenge of abuse of women and children, and J&P can help to advocate for the victims of abuse, and for a modification of values and behaviour to prevent such abuse. When the COP 17 conference on climate change was held in Durban in 2011, then-national coordinator Fr Mike Deeb OP brought almost all 29 dioceses to participate in it. Catholic cyclists rode from Musina to Durban, in scorching heat, to advocate for environmental justice. We need a revival of that broad commitment on diocesan levels. There are many pressing issues of injustice which we are facing within our societies: poverty, inequality, unemployment, racism, lack of clean water and sanitation, xenophobia, discrimination against migrants and refugees, abuse of women and children… Isn’t it the function of Justice & Peace work within respective dioceses to challenge these social issues? Isn’t it our job, as advocates of the poor, to address, challenge and act on these social injustices?

Bishop Victor Phalana of Klerksdorp chats at a 2017 event organised by Justice & Peace which brought out 600 people, including local tavern owners, to condemn violence against women. How, as the Church, are we going to fight against injustice if we allow the important ministry of Justice & Peace to die out?

Willing and able to help My dream is to see the bishops in their respective dioceses revive this important ministry of the Church. I, for one, am willing to resuscitate it within the metropolitan region of Durban, which covers all the dioceses of Kwa-Zulu Natal as well as that of Mthatha. If need be, I’ll help to do so diocese by diocese. There are so many trained J&P advocates who surely would return, if given the platform to do so. I humbly ask our beloved bishops to sit down and look at this

issue as matter of urgency. Having said that, I must doff my hat to Bishop Victor Phalana for the great work that has been done in his diocese by J&P agents (helped by the SACBC’s J&P). As the national chair for J&P, he shows that he doesn’t just occupy that position but lets his diocese speak by action. That is what I would like to see my beloved bishops do in their respective dioceses. Only they can revive this ministry, and then it will become a driving force again in challenging the injustices of this era on the local level. Speaking personally (as I have throughout this article), and not as

J&P coordinator of the archdiocese of Durban, I am sure my fellow J&P comrades will support me in this matter, and that they would avail themselves if bishops asked them to help to re-establish this ministry in their dioceses. I know comrades from the diocese of Klerksdorp who, like me, are willing to help other dioceses revive their J&P ministry. A few weeks ago I spoke about these concerns with Archbishop Abel Gabuza, the coadjutor archbishop of Durban and previous chair of the SACBC’s J&P Commission. He said that it is important to have committed individuals who can take the J&P ministry to new heights. If parish priests and parish pastoral councils display an interest in J&P, that ministry will flourish through their support. Archbishop Gabuza noted that due to conditions set by overseas funders, especially at national level, things such as conferences cannot be hosted anymore. That means that the impetus must increasingly come on the diocesan level. He suggested that dioceses should do more to fundraise to revive J&P or keep it functioning. He emphasised that each diocese need to have two or three most important issues or projects to focus on, and work closely with government entities towards a common goal. We have the experience, structure and ideas to make Justice & Peace flourish again. Now we need the engagement. n Kalie Senyane is the J&P coordinator of the archdiocese of Durban. This article is written in his personal capacity and reflects his own views.

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The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

BOOK REVIEWS

Sunday readings come to life AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SUNDAY READINGS; Year A of the Lectionary, by Joseph Falkiner OP. SA Catholic Online Books. 2019. 98pp SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS 2020, by Nicholas King SJ. The Catholic Bookshop, Cape Town. 2019. 64pp Reviewed by Gßnther Simmermacher ITH the tenor among many Catholics—in South Africa and around the world—bemoaning the general quality of homilies, many of our preachers seem to need a little inspiration in their preparation of sermons.

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This is where Fr Joseph Falkiner, a Dominican currently in Pietermaritzburg, and Fr Nicholas King SJ, the world-renowned English Scripture scholar, offer relief—as does Fr John Allen Green OFM with his weekly reflection on the Mass reading on The Southern Cross website (www.scross.co.za/category/features/sc ripture-features). Fr Falkiner told The Southern Cross in November that he hopes his book might help priests pick up ideas for homilies from his brief and uncomplicated summaries of the readings for Sunday Masses and those for feasts such as the Ascension, the Assumption, Corpus Christi, Sacred Heart and so on.

His introductions end with an appropriate prayer. These direct the focus on the theme of the readings. The concept of these introductions was developed for the social media platforms of the Association of Catholic Tertiary Students and Radio Veritas, so Fr Falkiner’s book has useful application also for lay people. Indeed, they might help parishioners to preach to themselves when their priest doesn’t. So it is with the booklet of Fr King’s reflections published by the Catholic Bookshop in Cape Town. Southern Cross readers needn’t be introduced to Fr King or his col-

umn. Though long based in his native England after his time in South Africa, the Jesuit still writes his weekly reflection on the Mass readings exclusively for The Southern Cross. And every one of these columns is freshly written. Most of the writings in the Scripture Reflection 2020 booklet are recycled from Fr King’s corresponding columns from the last time we went through the current cycle of the lectionary. Needless to say, these writings are still as world class as they were the last time they appeared in print on the backpage of The Southern Cross. At R20, it is virtually a gift. Southern African Catholics are

indeed favoured to have access to such a variety of excellent resources to prepare for Sunday Mass as those offered by Frs Falkiner, King and Green. n Fr Falkiner’s book sells for R150 and is available from the author at joefalkinerop@gmail.com. Fr King’s booklet sells for R20 from the Catholic Bookshop (www.catholicbookshop. co.za).

Priest helps homilists confront ‘crisis of bad preaching’ THE CRISIS OF BAD PREACHING: Redeeming the Heart and Way of the Catholic Preacher, by Fr Joshua J Whitfield. Ave Maria Press. 2019. 192 pp. Reviewed by David Gibson S there a “secret ingredient�, a special yeast that enables a homilist’s words to rise to the level of something others will find worth hearing? The question matters, Fr Joshua J Whitfield makes clear in The Crisis of Bad Preaching. He comments: “Bad preaching is part of the reason so many people have given up on the practice of the faith or have left the Church.� Too often it is “painfully clear ... that the homilist hasn’t employed any noticeable mental energy that would warrant taking up another person’s time�, Fr Whitfield writes.

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He exhorts those who preach to realise that “the Gospel is more intriguing than we’ve been leading people to believe�. Is excellence lacking in Catholic preaching to the degree this author suggests? It depends on whom you ask, I am sure. After all, every homilist is unique. Still, the issue of excellence in preaching is real, and a discussion of how to achieve it has continued in the contemporary Catholic Church for decades. Often that discussion zeroes in on the need to set aside enough time to prepare a homily well. Fr Whitfield emphasises preparation as one of the essentials of a good homily. But he cautions

against the kind of preparation that reduces a homily to the level of “a book report� or to merely relaying “ideas and “detached values�. Lack of preparation time is a perennial challenge for homilists. Fr Whitfield is “mindful of how unreal� so many proposed preparation methods seem to them, given how busy their lives feel. This book includes an extended exploration of what homily preparation entails. A homilist ought to pay attention to “four essential areas� when preparing a homily, according to Fr Whitfield. Attention should be directed to sacred texts, but also to the world and real people, to liturgy

and liturgical time, and to oneself and one’s vocation. The last of those points highlights a huge concern of this author, a lack of personality in preaching, which he laments. He holds that “the preacher’s personality� must come into clear view, even though it is Christ’s word that the preaching delivers. This all has to do with the homilist as a person. “Too much preaching, in tone and gesture, simply lacks personality.,� Fr Whitfield writes. “Clunky, formulaic, cut and pasted, impersonal, it just doesn’t touch listeners. And that’s because listeners have nothing to touch in return—no person, no heart, just a voice, just words.� The attention homilists pay to the lives of their listeners means

“resisting the temptation to abuse the pulpit by using it as a forum for personal pet issues or for putting one’s alleged expertise on display,� says the author. Instead, “the preacher should be alert to the trials, tribulations, triumphs, challenges and goings-on of listeners, and preach as if these things really exist and really matter�. Time spent with Scripture helps to assure that “the Gospel preached� is Christ’s, and not “the gospel of the self�. The author recommends the lectio divina, encompassing prayerful reading and meditation on Scripture. This book might well be adopted as a discussion tool for small groups of homilists and even groups involving homilists and laity. For, the author comments, “a homily is dialogue, not monologue�.—CNS

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The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

BOOK REVIEW

11

A helpful overview for dealing with kids THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT BAD BEHAVIOUR: Why Kids Are Less Disciplined Than Ever—And What To Do About It, by Katherine Reynolds Lewis. Public Affairs (New York, 2018). 339pp Reviewed by Mark Potterton HE cover photo of The Good News About Bad Behaviour is of an upside-down smashed plate on top of spaghetti on the floor. On seeing it, I assumed that the plate on the floor was the outcome of a child’s tantrum. In her book, author Katherine Reynolds Lewis argues that childhood and parenting have radically changed in the past few decades. This means that children today struggle to manage their behaviour. I agree. Lewis contends that “we face a crisis of self-regulation”, and that parents and teachers struggle daily with difficult behaviour. She shows that in the American context, about half of the current generation of children will develop a mood or behavioural disorder or a substance addiction by age 18. That is scary indeed. The thrust of her argument is that contemporary children needed to learn independence and responsibility—and our old ideas of punishments and rewards are preventing this from happening. I find this argument very compelling. Lewis is a journalist, a certified parent educator and mother of three who set out to investigate over five years why so many children have trouble managing their behaviour and emotions. The book grew out of her July 2015 article for Mother Jones maga-

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zine about school discipline. Within days of appearing on MotherJones.com, the article became the site’s most-read story ever, getting more than 4 million views and 980 comments. Parents and teachers around the world wrote in to say how the article changed their approach with children. It made its way into conference sessions and university curricula, and attracted interest in Sweden, Germany and here in South Africa. Clearly, millions of people face similar fears, confront the same problems, and are looking for solutions. In her book Katherine Reynolds Lewis articulates what she calls “The Apprenticeship Model”, a new theory of discipline that centres on learning the art of self-control. Blending new scientific research and powerful individual stories of change, Lewis shows that if we trust our children to face consequences,they will learn to adapt and moderate their own behaviour.

ogy and social media has exploded. Third: Children today are too “unemployed”. She doesn’t simply mean the occasional job for a high school teen. She refers to household jobs that can help younger children build confidence and a sense of community: “They’re not asked to do anything to contribute to a neighbourhood or family or community,” she notes. Lewis has written an important book that will give some hope and support to parents and teachers who want both understanding and answers. I wrote to Lewis last year, and tried to get her to come run seminars in South Africa. I had made arrangements with other principals around the country to fund a visit. But the costs of a first-class airfare and a $30 000 workshop fee was just too much, and I was forced to abandon the project. Still, her main ideas are important for us here in South Africa too.

From chaos to peace

Lewis argues that children don’t need additional rewards to behave, but rather that parents and teachers provide models and train children in self-regulation. She argues that overscheduling, lack of sleep and outdoor play, poor diet, too much screen time, and undiagnosed learning or attention disorders must be dealt with. Her main argument is that children need to learn independence and responsibility, and that we need to teach them the skills to succeed. Lewis believes that empathy and

She argues, like a good sales person, that chaotic homes can become peaceful, that bewildered teachers can see progress, and that she has seen her own family grow and evolve in the light of these new ideas. Lewis has identified three factors that have contributed to the current crisis. First: Where, how and how much kids are allowed to play has changed. Second: Their access to technol-

Skills to be independent

physical touch helps humans selfregulate, and that this is more powerful when it comes from a parent or other close relative. She encourages parents to connect though special one-on-one time, verbal encouragement, weekly family fun, doing household work together, and especially recognising a child’s interests. She emphasises: “Connect before you correct”. Lewis suggests that we ask questions to stimulate children’s thinking, and not to always solve the problems for them. “Talk less and listen more,” she advises. “Don’t assume you know what’s wrong; get the child’s input. Speak with the respect you’d offer a friend. Give information, not orders.”

Stress the positive Lewis says that we should not label children but rather describe their behaviour and emphasise the positive traits we notice. We need to focus less on academic, sports and arts performance and focus more on emotion management, executive function, and life skills. “It helps children’s mental health to contribute to the family, school, or community,” she writes. According to Lewis we need to help children learn what helps

them to self-regulate—whether it’s a quiet corner, physical exertion, a fidget or stress ball, conversation, a hug, or another tool. Adults, Lewis observes, also have bad days and struggle with self-regulation. She says we need to learn what we need to model healthy stress management, conflict resolution, respectful communication and use of technology. Consequences for children should be set by mutual agreement and be reasonable and respectful. The child should definitely know what the consequences are in advance, she advises. We should put children in charge of tasks or pick the most difficult one to help. And parents need to view screen time as a privilege that accompanies responsibilities. This book is a work of narrative journalism and not a parenting or teacher manual. You’ll discover an in-depth review of a lot of current research, many case studies and well-written portraits of critical incidents. It’s all very readable and engaging, but you will still need to seek out a hands-on manual. The Good News About Bad Behaviour is not the holy grail. n Dr Mark Potterton is the principal of the junior school of Sacred Heart College in Johannesburg.

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12

The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

INSIGHT

Guiding students into university A young graduate saw that many young people struggle to enter university, and decided to take action, as DALuXOLO MOLOANTOA reports.

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ROM a young age I knew that my legacy would be the lives that I would touch,” says a young Catholic woman who started an organisation helping high school students to navigate the demanding task of university registration. Annah Tlou, a graduate of the University of Stellenbosch, started the Annahzma Mentoring Programme in 2015 after realising that an overwhelming number of high school students fail to acquire university registration due to a lack of information and funding to do so. Her organisation, which she registered as an NPO in 2016, helps to raise funding for registration for high school students going into tertiary education. It provides a mentoring programme for career guidance to Grades 10-12 students, and also provides information and helps high school students apply for bursaries and learnerships. In its three years as a registered NPO, Annahzma has assisted 424 students to register, 165 of these were for university applications and 183 to apply for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. Last September, her organisation scooped a Community Lead-

Annah Tlou, a graduate from Stellenbosch university originally from Mmakau near Pretoria, has made it her mission to help young high school students successfully enter institutes of higher learning. ership Award from for the Nelson Mandela University, where Ms Tlou is currently studying for her second degree. Ms Tlou, who hails from Mmakau village near Pretoria, was also a pioneer in becoming the first and only girl altar server at her parish, the Most Holy Re-

deemer, for some time. Her organisation provides these services to students mainly in the townships in Port Elizabeth, and to those in rural areas. “In my third year at the University of Stellenbosch I was part of the university’s mentoring programme for younger students,” Ms

while working through their uniTlou said. “I felt that I was called to be a versity registration,” Ms Tlou said. “Many end up in questionable part of the programme for a greater reason. I then decided that circumstances and some even end upon completion of my studies up living on the streets,” she there I would start my own organ- added. “Having realised this challenge, isation with the aim of mentoring other students especially at univer- at the beginning of last year I went on Annahzma’s Facebook page and sity-entrance level”, she said. made an appeal to anyAnnahzma has also one willing to accommoembarked on an ambi‘Many date a student to come tious project to get all forth,” she said. universities in South “The response was Africa to develop a men- students end overwhelming countrytoring programme where up in wide. Many people of all final-year students are matched with first-year questionable races offered to open up their homes to allow stustudents to help guide them in their studies circumstances dents some time to sort out their university resiand offer advice where it and some dential applications. It is is needed. such unexpected gestures “Most times students that make me want to do are inclined to think that even end up she related. they can get everything living on the evenInmore,” terms of her work they need to get through as a Catholic, she hopes their university studies at streets’ to build a closer relationa touch of the button ship between Anthrough technology. “My experience has taught me nahzma’s mission and the Church. “I hope to see a future partnerthat technology does not have all the answers, hence my interven- ship between my project and the tion in getting the universities to Church through the creation of a provide one-on-one personal men- bursary scheme and fundraising torship to entry-level students,” for less privileged Catholic students at tertiary institutions,” she she pointed out. As much as technology does said. “I also wish that the pool of pronot provide all the solutions to the challenges, she explained, it was fessional Catholics present within technology which led to one of our parishes could be utilised in her proudest moments since she terms of fundraising and career guidance to our students going started her organisation. “Due to their hunger for tertiary into higher education and at the education, at the beginning of beginning of their careers.” every academic year many stu- n The Annazmah Mentoring Prodents travel from their rural homes gramme can be reached at www. and to tertiary institutions having annahzmah.co.za or at info@ no plan to be accommodated annahzma.co.za or 071 173-9636.

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The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

INSIGHT

13

Porn: The big threat to our kids Our children now have ready access to porn, and child pornography is on the rise, with half of South African learners having actively searched for sexual material. LOIS LAW looks at what that means, and how we should respond.

I

pornography source. These continuing developments have made children increasingly vulnerable and in need of greater and more effective protection. Frequent exposure to violence— including sexual violence—in the media can be confusing to children, who are not yet able to distinguish readily between fantasy and reality. “At a later stage, violence in the media can condition impressionable persons, especially those who are young, to regard this as normal and acceptable behaviour, suitable for imitation,” the Pontifical Council for Social Communications warned already in 1989.

N recent years Africa has seen exceptional growth in the use of information and communication technology. At the same time, the sex industry has flourKids are exposed to porn ished because there is such a large market for the merchandising of While parents would ideally women and children. want children to learn about sexuNotwithstanding the positive ality and reproduction at home, in aspects of the Internet, it also a loving and secure environment, brings risks in the form of online the harsh reality is that nearly half criminal offences, especially those of children between the ages of 9perpetrated against children. 16 experience regular exposure to These include unsolicited expo- sexual images. sure to sexually explicit material Researcher Chantelle Blokdyk (pornography), the production observes that “we are the first genand distribution of child pornog- eration to have the conversation raphy, grooming of children for about Internet pornography with sexual exploitation, and sexual ex- our children”. tortion. The vulnerability of children in “Through information and the age of social media communications techcannot be overestinology, the ability to sexmated—and the children A basic ually abuse a child is now most affected may well in the hands of every perprinciple of be the younger ones. son,” UNISA’s Dr AnResearch shows that toinette Basson points the Internet is media has a tremendous out. capacity to teach. HowChild sexual abuse that nothing ever, it’s what it teaches materials are considered that is posted that is the concern. to be any visual depiction Exposure to media ongoes away line, on cellphones, of a minor, or an individual who appears to be a through games and in minor, who is engaged in movies—particularly where the sexual or sexually-related conduct. content is violent, gender-stereoThe Film and Publications typed, and/or sexually explicit— Amendment Act 3 of 2009 states skews children’s world view, that child pornography “includes increases high-risk behaviours, and any image, however created, or alters their capacity for successful any description of a person, real or and sustained human relationsimulated, or who is depicted, ships. made to appear, look like, repreMs Blokdyk emphasises that sented or described as being under parents need to start the conversathe age of 18 years”. tion with their children as soon as However, the effectiveness of they can, as “establishing healthy the Act is severely compromised sexual boundaries and values from by the Internet, which is ex- a young age is essential to prepare tremely difficult to police. them for protecting their minds “What once was taboo, hidden and bodies”. inside a suitcase or wardrobe in an Adolescence is a particularly older male relative’s girlie maga- critical period, especially for male zines, has moved into all of our children. homes,” as an article on Effects of pornography legalbrief.co.za put it “The influx has been facilitated Psychologist Dr Victor Cline by the mass media and more posits four progressive effects of specifically the Internet, mobile pornography in these words: phones and television. However, it l Addiction, where the need to is no longer just a centrefold view pornographic materials leads model but a deluge of online and to a loss of free control over behavincreasingly bizarre or violent con- iour; tent.” l Escalation, where the person The Internet is the cheapest, delves into progressively harder fastest, and most anonymous

Easy acess to the Internet has also increased children’s exposure to porn, with potentially disastrous consequences for how they form their worldview. pornography, usually to attain the same level of sensation and arousal; l Desensitisation, whereby the user is no longer morally sensitive to the shocking, illegal, repulsive, perverted, or immoral quality of the material, but instead views it as acceptable and begins to look upon others as objects; and l Acting out, where the fantasising becomes overt behaviour. Although the adult mind is vulnerable to pornographic imagery, children are the more severely harmed. Behavioural scientist Ralph DiClemente comments that “children can’t just put [porn] in their worldview, because they don’t have one. This becomes one of the building blocks that they’re going to put into their worldview, and that’s what we don’t want.” Children’s minds are still developing, so they do not have the capacity to understand the harmful and profoundly disrespectful nature of pornography. These distortions become the filters through which the rest of life is seen and understood. The end results include emotional trauma; having sex earlier; desiring and pursuing sex apart from emotional attachments; diffi-

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culty in establishing emotional attachment; and a higher risk of sexual compulsions and addictions. According to Pretoria child psychologist Marita Rademeyer, “exposure to pornography amongst South African children appears to be on the increase”. She notes that the youth research unit of the Bureau of Market Research at UNISA “found that 48,4% of learners who partook in their study [had] searched intentionally for online pornography, many on a daily basis”. “The use of pornography by young children is thought to contribute to early sexual debut, sexual exploitation of other children, lack of sleep, depression and other negative outcomes,” according to Ms Rademeyer.

Unfortunately, children may enable their own vulnerability in what they post on the Internet, even on supposedly private sites. One of the basic principles of the Internet is that nothing that is posted goes away. Attorney and social media expert Emma Sadleir notes the harsh reality that the “minute it has been shared or seen, it exists in cyberspace and may come back to bite you. It is impossible to completely erase content once it has been posted online or on social media. “Even if you delete the content from your Instagram account, many people may have taken a screenshot of it or downloaded your images,” Ms Sadleir warns. Likewise peddlers of child pornography have access to these images and there is nothing preventing them from using these images for their own exploitative and nefarious purposes. Our present legal framework has proven inadequate and does not provide children with sufficient care and protection. Furthermore, it does not protect society from the psycho-social consequences of exposure to child sex abuse materials and the insidious nature of these crimes. Attention should be given to making it an offence for any person who becomes aware of the existence of child sexual abuse material not to report it to the authorities. Present legislation tends to limit the duty of reporting to specific categories, such as teachers, social workers or medical practitioners.. The Church must also make the best possible use of its own institutions and personnel to give education and formation concerning the media of social communications and their proper role in individual and social life. Sound laws must be enacted where they are lacking, weak laws must be strengthened, and existing laws must be enforced. n This is an abbreviated version of a research paper which Lois Law wrote for the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office. For the full version go to bit.ly/2QTB91r or www.cplo.org.za

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14

The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

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REFLECTION

The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

15

The measure of a pontificate In debates about the Church and even politics, labels like “Conservative� and “Liberal� are becoming increasingly useless, as CHRISTOPHER ALTIERI suggests.

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OR years—decades, I suspect— Catholics have lamented the intrusion of political categories into the vocabulary and common parlance of the Church’s public discourse. The chief offenders are “liberal� and “conservative�, though there are others: “progressive� and “reactionary�, for example. The trend has proved persistent. If reversing it is impossible, we ought to nevertheless paint a bright line between conservatism or liberalism in politics and conservatism or liberalism in religion. In the remarks to follow—offered transparently as commentary—I will focus primarily on the difficulties and analytical deficiencies of “conservatism�, which strikes me as a term with definite though very limited critical usefulness. Though I have described myself as a conservative in the politics of the United Stares, the country of my birth, I have always recognised that I am of the reluctant and atypical variety in US conservatism. Now, I find it increasingly difficult to stake out common ground with self-described conservatives in both politics and in religion. The reasons for that are complex. At bottom, I simply do not recognise many of them as conservative, or recognise myself in what has come to be (or pass for) conservatism, especially in politics, but not only there. In religion, the conservatives of 2019 would keep something I’ve lately seen described as the “JPII Consensus�. Roughly, it is a reading of the Second Vatican Council with a hermeneutic of continuity—the suggestion that Vatican II was a reaffirmation of, not a break with the past—and a set of liturgical and catechetical commitments that seek to couch tradition in language reasonably current and at any rate accessible to persons working into and out of a contemporary cast of mind. I do not know whether that project, such as it is, ever had any hope of achieving stability, let alone proving durable. While I would hesitate to describe Pope Francis as a doctrinal conservative, I reject the notion that he is any more formally heretical in his views than either of his two predecessors. He probably falls

Pope Francis: He is neither an oracle nor a heretic, writes Catholic journalist Christopher Altieri (inset). (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS) between John Paul II and Benedict XVI, both of whom held personal views on theological questions that were not obviously in line with the mind of the Church. One thinks of St John Paul II’s personal fondness for the expression “co-redemptrix�, or of Benedict XVI’s affinity for the idea that a defect of faith might invalidate marital consent.

Traditional Pope Francis There is a strong case to be made for affirming Pope Francis as traditional in the substance of his personal faith—ultimately, all Catholics are, as to be Catholic is to be a disciple and a steward of Tradition. Of course, there are many ways in which that discipleship and stewardship can be conceived, ordered, and carried out. But his willingness to countenance development, while necessary and even admirable in any individual pastor or thinker, does not lend itself to the kind of informed, prudent, and restrained teaching by which his current office broadly and generally is best served. (That is a criticism, of which his predecessors going back at least a hundred years may be to some measure susceptible, and may come to nothing more than a truism: Nobody’s perfect.) Fighting over his excesses or deficiencies in these regards seems pointless to me. This goes for folks on both ends of the spectrum: I reject and deplore efforts to turn either Francis or the papacy into a sort of oracle, just as I reject and deplore denunciations of the reigning pontiff as a “heretic� and “enemy of the Church�. People will take different views of which is the more dangerous approach, which more deleterious in the short term, but the fact is that

both are silly and destined to perish before too long. As the Romans say: “Morto un papa, si fa un altro� (Roughly: “When one pope dies, they make another�). Francis’ quirks of personality and style will matter little after he is gone. The venomous sort of irreducible and unreconstructed Traditionalists will find someone to hate, I warrant. They are, however, only a loud and obnoxious minority-within-aminority, the great part of whom neither hate the Second Vatican Council nor count themselves among the enemies of the postconciliar Church, but find solace in ancient forms of worship, devo-

tion, and doctrinal formulation. “Team Francis� may have to cast about a good bit for a new hero. In any case, no one will accuse me of being a shill for Francis—I have been called a dupe and a stooge of his regime, simply for saying he isn’t a heretic—which reminds me of US President Abraham Lincoln’s (apocryphal) faint praise of his vice-president: “Andy ain’t a drunkard.� Though I have been called “anti-Francis�, disloyal (I worked for him for nearly five years) and a dissenter, simply because I have criticised his governance. That is not a complaint: in my line of work as a Catholic journalist, one calls ‘em as one sees ‘em, and takes the hits as they come. It would be disingenuous to pretend that criticism of governance— his or another’s—does not often appear to involve at least implicit criticism of teaching. In the case of Amoris Laetitia, for example, the way that Francis has governed has allowed pastors to wink at Church teaching while they dispose of Church discipline in a manner apparently incongruous with established magisterial pronouncement. Said shortly: Francis has tried to accomplish through an exercise of governing power, what he could not accomplish by an exercise of teaching authority. The issue, as far as I can see, is not his goal—further and hopefully complete reintegration into the sacramental life of the perfect society that is the Church, of persons heretofore in some measure and to some extent cut off or stopped

from full participation—but the modes and methods by which he has attempted to achieve it.

Not taking sides As a journalist, it isn’t my job to take sides. As I’ve said elsewhere: the crisis facing the Church in every part of the world is one of leadership, and Francis is pope now. I am likely more sympathetic to the notion of “resistance� to his governance than others, who have recently and unfairly found themselves attached with the epithet “ultramontane� (advocating supreme papal authority in matters of faith and discipline). The real criticism of their view of the papacy is that it is in essence oracular, treating the pope of Rome as though he were more like a Mormon prophet than the chief of the Apostolic College. So long as those resisting understand and are clear regarding the person they are resisting and the office he legitimately holds, and are really attempting to resist legitimately, it seems to me they act within the scope of properly Catholic faithfulness. What one might think of their specific attempts at resistance is another matter. I am, after all, an ultramontane: through-and-through, as much today, at least, as I was on March 13, 2013. n Dr Christopher Altieri is the cofounder and general manager of Vocaris Media and Rome bureau chief for The Catholic Herald. He spent more than a dozen years on the news desk at Vatican Radio.

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16

The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

FAITH

The truth about venerating religious images Why do Catholics venerate images, and doesn’t the Bible forbid this? Over two weeks, PROF MICHAEL OGuNu will address these and other questions about images in the Church.

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N image is an imitation or likeness of a person or thing. Images need not be exact likenesses, but may vary from actual photographs to conventional figures which are representative of types rather than of real persons or things. Images are different from symbols. While there can be images of any material thing or any person, non-material realities are better represented by symbols. A symbol is some form or figure that is not a likeness but represents and calls to mind the unseen reality. An artist’s portrayal of Christ’s crucifixion is an image, while a cross is a symbol of Christ’s sacrifice and man’s redemption. The art of the earliest Christian ages was mainly in symbolic form. There are two chief reasons for that. Firstly, there was a prohibition of images in Exodus 20:4-6, intended to protect the Hebrews from the idolatry of neighbouring nations. Secondly, symbols provided the best representation of the great Christian realities. For example, bread and fishes in a basket represented the Eucharist as foreshadowed in Christ’s

feeding of the multitude (John 6). Soon Christians began to picture episodes and persons from the Bible, such as Daniel in the lions’ den and the baptism of Christ. Those who had been pagans were accustomed to portraits of their ancestors and remembered the flower-bedecked pictures of great men and heroes. It was natural for them to desire pictures of Christ and of the martyrs. Christ was depicted especially as a shepherd and as a king and world ruler. An exact image of him was not available, since the apostles and other eyewitnesses had not described his physical appearance.

Struggle about idolatry There were, however, some disagreements about the practice of picturing the God-Man and holy persons. Some people began to argue that honouring images was a form of idolatry. A long and complex struggle gradually developed. In one of the early episodes of image-breaking, Pope Gregory the Great (590-604) explained and defended the Christian use of images in a letter to Bishop Serenus of Marseilles: “We have been informed that thoughtless zeal has led you to smash pictures of saints and that you have excused yourself on the grounds that pictures should not be worshipped. “For forbidding their worship, you deserve only praise, but for smashing them you must be censured. It is one thing to worship a painting, but another to be reminded by it of its subject. For what writing is to the literate, painting is to the uneducated.

Images in the life of the Church are used to help Christians to meditate on the lives of Our Lord and the saints which they represent. (Photo: Günther Simmermacher) “Paintings are employed in churches so that the illiterate can at least read by looking at the walls what they cannot read in books.” The Catholic viewpoint was summarized in the 13th century by St Thomas Aquinas. St Thomas taught that images instruct the uneducated, remind people of the mystery of the Incarnation and of the example of the saints, and inspire devotion.

When Passiontide begins, for example, the images in churches are veiled as a reminder that it is a period of mourning. To show honour to images is not idolatry. It is not the statue or picture—the material thing itself— which is honoured, but the person who is represented. External gestures of reverence must be an expression of interior attitudes of reverence, or they mean nothing at all. To show honour to Christ’s image is to adore Christ himself.

Veneration of images Veneration paid to saints and their images is called dulia, meaning the reverence and homage owed to servants of God. Because of Mary’s pre-eminence, the honour paid to her and to images of her is called hyperdulia, a superior veneration. Latria is the name given to the worship of God himself. The Council of Trent (1543-63) defended the Catholic use and veneration of images: “The images...of Christ, of the Virgin Mother of God, and of the other saints, are to be...kept in churches and due reverence and honour be paid to them; not because it is believed that there is any divinity or power in them or

that anything may be asked from them or that any faith may be put in them as the heathen are wont to believe...but because the honour shown to them is referred to the prototypes which they represent; so that, through these images which we kiss and before which we bow with bared heads, we worship Christ and honour the saints whose likeness they display.” The private and personal use of religious images should be guided by the doctrinal principles stated above for their public veneration. The honouring of statues and religious pictures in Christian homes and the use of medals bearing images is an ancient and still valid custom. Church authorities exercise direction over the use and veneration of sacred images. They also judge the suitability of particular likenesses. In 1628, Pope Urban VIII recommended that only the form of a dove or tongues of fire be used to represent the Paraclete, and in 1745 Pope Benedict XIV forbade the representation of the Holy Spirit in human form. In more recent times, the image of a heart alone was forbidden as a representation of Christ for devotion to the Sacred Heart. Some people think that it is wrong to use holy pictures, medals, crucifixes, rosaries and other sacramentals in our religious devotions. According to these people, the Bible does not permit the use of images for worship; for to use them would amount to the worship of idols. Certainly, only God should be adored or worshipped. Adoration belongs to God alone. This is the Catholic teaching. But it is wrong to say that the Bible does not permit the making and the use of images as an aid for religious devotion. We shall see in Part 2 next week what the Scripture says about this. The Catholic Church teaches that “images must not be prayed to because they can neither hear, see nor help us”. In other words, the images have no life. Why then do we have images in the Church? They are used in the Church to help Christians to meditate on the lives of Our Lord and the saints which they represent. Furthermore, images help to arouse a feeling of religious devotion and develop a spirit of contemplation. n Part 2 of this article will run next week.

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RELIGION

The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

17

Two events that split the Church Two main events split the Church between Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. PAuL DE MARCO gives a brief overview of how these schisms happened.

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WO disputes over dogma, which started off as relatively minor matters, soon escalated to the point where they actually split the Church. The first involved Ignatius, the patriarch of Constantinople, and a Byzantine noble named Bardas, who was the brother of Theodora, empress of the Eastern Roman Empire. Bardas was in a relationship with his daughter-in-law, and because of this, Ignatius refused to give him Communion on the feast of the Epiphany in 857 AD. Bardas and the emperor, Michael, were incensed by this public affront, and so they accused Ignatius of treason, had him arrested and stripped him of the title of patriarch. Bardas then designated Photius as a successor, and had him rushed through holy orders in just six days before he was ordained as patriarch by Gregory Asbestas of Syracuse. Photius was a brilliant academic in disciplines ranging from law to medicine, and from science to theology, but he now found himself at the epicentre of a great rift in the Catholic Church. When word of all this reached Rome, Pope Nicholas I declared that Ignatius had been deposed illegally, and so he rejected the ordination of Photius.

But there was also a technical reason why the ordination was invalid, and that was because Gregory Asbestas had earlier been excommunicated by Ignatius. The pope sent legates to Constantinople to gather information on the case, before pronouncing in favour of Ignatius and insisting that he be reinstated. However, Bardas then wrote to the pope stating that all the patriarchs in the East had sided with Photius, and that he wouldn’t be removing him from office. Bardas became caesar in 862, and the rift within the Church continued even after his assassination four years later. Photius then denied all papal authority, and he even excommunicated Pope Nicholas in 867. The pope died on November 13 that same year. A “truce” prevailed for the next ten years, during which time Ignatius was even reinstated as patriarch. Then, in a bizarre twist, when Ignatius died in 877, Photius was again made patriarch of Constantinople—this time with the approval of Pope John VIII. But the relationship between the Church of Constantinople and the Church of Rome had been compromised and would never be the same again. The formal split between the Churches happened in 1054, when Michael Cerularius, the patriarch of Constantinople, once again contested papal authority and was excommunicated by Pope Leo IX. In a re-run of events from 187 years earlier, Cerularius then excommunicated the pope, and the two Churches have remained divided.

History’s most famous divorcee: King Henry VIII, who split from the Catholic Church due not to theology but marriage arrangements.

The Protestant schism The second split within the Church involved the Protestant Reformation and King Henry VIII. The origins of the Reformation can be traced as far back as the late 1300s, when John Wycliffe, professor of divinity at Oxford, openly challenged teachings on transubstantiation and confession. It was Wycliffe who first made translations of the Bible in English, which was forbidden at the time. After Wycliffe’s death in 1384, the fight to translate the Bible into the vernacular continued with reformers like Jan Hus, Desiderius Erasmus, Martin Luther and William Tyndale. It was the German Martin Luther who famously challenged the practices of the Church in the 95 questions he nailed to the doors of

Wittenberg cathedral on October 31, 1517. It wasn’t just these reformers who precipitated a split in the Church, but it was also caused by the king of England. Catherine of Aragon had been betrothed to the Prince of Wales, Arthur Tudor, at the age of three, and they were married in 1501 when Arthur was 15. He died just five months later, on April 2, 1502, leaving his younger brother Henry as heir to the throne. Henry VIII married Catherine of Aragon in June 1509. Although they had a daughter, Mary, they didn’t have a son. Desperate to have a male heir, Henry sought to have his marriage annulled in order to marry Anne Boleyn. Henry claimed that because he had married his brother’s wife, his marriage to Catherine was invalid.

He quoted Leviticus 20:21 to substantiate his claim: “If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonoured his brother. They will be childless.” So a court was convened to hear Henry’s case, officiated by Cardinal Wolsey, and with legal representation from Rome. After a lengthy delay, Pope Clement VII refused to annul the marriage. So Henry asked the English Archbishop Thomas Cranmer to annul it instead. Henry married Anne Boleyn on January 25, 1533, and parliament passed the Supremacy Act on November 3, 1534, declaring that the king was “the only supreme head on Earth of the Church of England”. By doing this, parliament had asserted the independence of the English Church. Catherine of Aragon was banished from court and lived out her life at Kimbolton Castle in Cambridgeshire, surrounded by loyal staff who still considered her to be their queen, until her death in 1536. It’s ironic that in 1521, Pope Leo X had conferred the title “Defender of the Faith” on Henry because of a pamphlet against Martin Luther which the king had written. In 1544, the English Parliament conferred this very same title on Henry once again. The Catholic Church has had a rich and difficult history, but Roman persecution aside, nothing has challenged her more than the schism with the Eastern Church, the Reformation, and the subsequent establishment of the Protestant churches. n Paul De Marco is author of Fatima 2017, Bernadette of Lourdes, and Resurrection Evidence.

18

The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

FILM REVIEW

Film celebrates life of a Catholic martyr On January 31, a film about a Catholic victim of the Nazis opens in South Africa. JOHN MuLDERIG reviews A Hidden Life, about the martyr Bl Franz Jägerstätter and his wife Franziska.

So, as they wait for the possible news that Franz has been conscripted, she too has to struggle with the radical consequences of the commitment she inspired. Primarily set amid the splendours of the Austrian countryside, surroundings of which cinematographer Jörg Widmer makes the most, A Hidden Life is beautiful both to look at and to contemplate. Yet the movie requires patience since it largely consists of scenes of ordinary domestic activities and farming chores, many of them overshadowed by the dread of what, at first, may lie ahead and later certainly does.

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N 2007, Franz Jägerstätter (1907-43), a devoutly Catholic Austrian farmer martyred by the Nazis for his stance as a conscientious objector, was declared blessed. In the luminous, though deliberately paced, drama A Hidden Life, writer-director Terrence Malick paints a striking and memorable portrait of Jägerstätter, one that will be especially prized by believing viewers. Malick focuses on the happy home life of his gentle protagonist, played by German actor August Diehl, sacrificed in order to be obedient to his conscience. Motivated by his faith, Jägerstätter was determined not to take the oath of loyalty to Adolf Hitler that was demanded of all those drafted into the Wehrmacht during World War II. Refusal of the oath would ultimately mean execution. Along with his much-loved young daughters, Jägerstätter also

The original cover of Franz Jägerstätter: Letters and Writings from Prison, edited by Erna Putz, which formed the basis for A Hidden Life. It has been republished in the uS by Orbis Books, with a cover featuring a still from the movie. would be leaving behind his wife, Franziska, known as Fani (Valerie Pachner), with whom he shared a deep spiritual and emotional bond and under whose influence he first became serious about his religion.

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till, by a process of accretion, Malick succeeds in building a sturdy bridge of sympathy between the audience and the central duo as they live out their doomed existence together—an idyll interspersed with drudgery. Thus by the time of Franz’s death, which Malick depicts with both deftness and sensitivity, attentive moviegoers will feel the weight of his loss to the full. Malick—whose interest in Christianity, broadly considered, is well-known—celebrates Jägerstätter’s quiet heroism unreservedly. But his portrayal of the parish priest and bishop the future martyr consulted about his defi-

August Diehl and Valerie Pachner star as Franz and Fani Jägerstätter in a scene from the movie A Hidden Life. The film, which opens in South Africa on January 31, tells the story of the couple’s home life and Franz’s martyrdom at the hands of the Nazis in 1943. (Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures) ance of the regime is ambivalent at best. Bishop Fliesser of Linz (Michael Nyqvist) is noncommittal and, although Fr Furthauer (Tobias Moretti)—the pastor of their hometown of St Radegund, accompanies Fani on her last visit to Franz—he first counsels the latter that he has a duty to the Fatherland and is later so anxious to save his parishioner’s life that he advises him to take the oath without meaning it. In a sign of the times, the real Franz apparently speculated, after their meeting, that Bishop Fliesser might have feared that he was a Gestapo spy out to trick the prelate into saying something dangerous. For Swedish actor Michael

Nyqvist, it was a final performance before his death in June 2017. A Hidden Life was also the last film role of veteran Swiss actor Bruno Ganz, who died in February 2019. Here he played Judge Lueben. It is satisfying to record that Fani lived long enough to attend her husband’s beatification, an experience perhaps unique in the long annals of the Church. A Hidden Life, which draws on the 2009 book Franz Jägerstätter: Letters and Writings From Prison (edited by Erna Putz), ends with Fani’s yearning to be reunited with Franz, an eventuality that it is not presumptuous to trust transpired at her death, age 100, in 2013.—CNS

The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020

YoUR CLASSIFIEDS

Fr Leonard Mncwabe CMM

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ARIANNHILL Missionaries Father Leonard Ndabenhle Mncwabe died after a long illness on January 2 at the age of 45. Born on March 15, 1975, at KwaMnyamana, an outstation of Kevelaer mission, he was the fourth of eight children of Innocent and Lizer MaNdlovu Mncwabe. He did his primary schooling at Mnyamana Primary and secondary school at Ndabakazibuzwa School. As a young man, his desire to become a priest was inspired by his parish priest, Fr Urban Dietrich. Upon completing his secondary schooling, in 1995, the young Leonard joined the Congregation of Mariannhill Missionaries postulancy in Mariathal under the guidance of Fr Vincent Mdabe CMM, and entered the novitiate at Mariannhill on February 1, 1996, until February the following year. Novice director Fr Peter Grand CMM described the young novice as a “maturing young man who takes his religious life very seriously and lives it in a humble and obliging way with-

out much fuss and noise”. After his first profession in 1997, Fr Leonard studied philosophy and theology at St Joseph’s Theological Institute in Cedara. With the help of his formators—Frs (now Bishop) Siegfried Mandla Jwara, Vincent Mdabe and Daniel Perreault—Fr Leonard displayed a tremendous growth in prayer life and was enriched by the experience of community life, most particularly in a multicultural congregation. Fr Leonard was ordained to

the priesthood on June 16, 2003, at Kevelaer mission. He worked in various dioceses: in Mariannhill at Mariathal mission; in Durban at Ekukhanyeni and Elandskop; in Umzimkulu at Margate and Gamalakhe; and from 2018 until his death, in Ingwavuma at Manguzi at Immaculate Conception parish. Throughout his priestly life, he showed leadership skills and great ability to work well with parishioners entrusted to his care. As such he served as vicar-general of Umzimkulu diocese, dean of Ingwavuma vicariate, and superior of Mariannhill monastery. Fr Leonard was always willing to take up different assignments and tasks in his congregation. He has left a legacy of hard labour, in the spirit of Abbot Francis Pfanner. His humility was something to emulate. He had great skills to unite people and his consultative skills remain a very good example for all of us to learn from. He was a dignified man who did not use many words. On January 2, Fr Leonard succumbed to liver cancer at Hilton hospital in Pietermaritzburg. Fr Lufeyo Mpaha CMM

FROM OUR VAULTS 68 Years Ago: January 31, 1951

New hierarchy for SA The newly-established hierarchy of South Africa will have four metropolitan archdioceses, which will be headed by Archbishops Denis Hurley OMI (Durban), Owen McCann (Cape Town), John Garner (Pretoria) and Herman Meysing OMI (Bloemfontein).

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

WIDoWER SEEKS LADY CoRRESPonDEnT: I am a Catholic widower aged 76 years. My wife passed away in 2014 and I now live with my two grandchildren. At times I am very lonely, and need someone to talk to! I am a hard-working person, a member of St Joseph’s Sodality, and love attending Mass on Sundays, reading, and my grandchildren. Widowed women are most welcome to write to me. Name and address: Ntsiapane J Taetsane, 1255 Matsie Street, Tumahole, Parys 9585. Phone: 078 603 0520 from 8pm to 8:30pm. ABoRTIon WARnInG: The truth will convict a silent Church. See www.valuelifeabortion isevil.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

PRAYERS

o MoST beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendour of heaven,

blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me where you are, Mother of God. Queen of heaven and earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succour me in my necessity. There is none who can withstand your power. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands. “Say this prayer for three consecutive days and then publish. Leon and Karen.

HoLIDAY ACCoMMoDATIon

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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, 10.0015.30. Contact Jill on 083 282-6763 or Jane on 082 783-0331. Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Good Shepherd parish, 1 Goede Hoop St, Bothasig, welcomes all visitors. Open 24 hours a day. Phone 021 558-1412. Helpers of God’s Precious Infants. Mass last Saturday of 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.

Why is it hard for us to say sorry? Continued from page 7 over-priced suppliers, irrational investment decisions, ignoring financial corruption, and bad governance of assets. Each of these gets brushed under the carpet until someone else “blows the whistle”. That means that any apology that emerges is too little and too late. Pope Francis was helped towards his apology because the hand-slapping was so public. But can we rely on religious leaders to admit fault when there is no spotlight? The shocking demise of Catholic Welfare & Development (CWD) in Cape Town has been extensively covered in this paper and other media. But again the public admissions of misconduct came only after it was too late to save the organisation. And, so far at least, neither the directors nor the well-paid managers are the ones who have lost out. Instead it is the thousands of people who are no longer helped by the organisation. A similar collapse last year befell Diakonia in Durban. Managers were paid significant salaries, even while it was

Southern Cross pioneer priest dies Oblate Father Leo Sormany of Durban died on January 24 at the age of 73. A steady stream of mourners of all races paid tribute to the priest as his body lay in state. Fr Sormany was one of the driving forces behind the founding of The Southern Cross.

Row over control of holy sites The kingdom of Jordan, which controls Jerusalem, including the holy sites in the Old City and on the Mount of Olives, has installed a controller in the church of the Holy Sepulchre. The installation was supported by Britain but boycotted by France, Italy and Spain as they saw Jordan’s move as an attempt to forestall UN commissioners for holy places.

First-ever SA-born bishop dies Bishop Arthur Doubleday of Brentwood, England, died on January 25. Born in Pietermaritzburg in 1865, he was the first South African to be consecrated a bishop anywhere at his episcopal ordination in 1920.

SOLUTIONS TO 899. ACROSS: 4 Offends, 8 Induce, 9 Evident, 10 Amalek, 11 Finger, 12 Falsetto, 18 Eldorado, 20 Famous, 21 Blames, 22 Pelican, 23 Carnal, 24 Promise. DOWN: 1 Giraffe, 2 Ideally, 3 Accede, 5 Fivefold, 6 Ending, 7 Daniel, 13 Trespass, 14 Warming, 15 Console, 16 Career, 17 Podium, 19 Oilman.

Year A – Weekdays Cycle Year 2 Sunday January 26, 3rd Sunday of the Year Isaiah 8:1-4 (8, 23--9:3), Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14, 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17, Matthew 4:12-23 Monday January 27, St Angela Merici 2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10, Psalm 89:2022, 25-26, Mark 3:22-30 Tuesday January 28, St Thomas Aquinas 2 Samuel 6:12-15, 17-19, Psalm 24:7-10, Mark 3:31-35 Wednesday January 29 2 Samuel 7:4-17, Psalm 89:4-5, 27-30, Mark 4:1-20

Thursday January 30 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29, Psalm 132:1-5, 11-14, Mark 4:21-25 Friday January 31, St John Bosco 2 Samuel 11:1-10, 13-17, Psalm 51:3-7, 10-11, Mark 4:26-34 Saturday February 1, Bl Benedict Daswa Wisdom 2:12-20 or Ephesians 6:10-17, Psalm 27:1-4, John 12:24-26 Sunday February 2, The Presentation of the Lord Malachi 3:1-4, Psalm 24:7-10, Hebrew 2:14-18, Luke 2:22-40

known that they were underperforming; and the directors/trustees kept hoping that the problems would solve themselves. Often they lacked the time, the skills, the objectivity or the impetus to respond. In the case of Diakonia, it was a range of Christian leaders who collectively neglected their duty to the organisation. With several Catholic NGOs (and CWD is simply the biggest example), mismanagement remains unchecked because often the priest or bishop does not want to admit that something is wrong. In a Church structure where our religious leaders often behave as if they are only accountable to God, it is reassuring when, occasionally, they do show that they are accountable to the people of God and are not afraid to admit when they have messed up. But there are some much bigger problems under our ecclesial carpets than the odd act of hand-slapping. n Read more articles by Raymond Perrier at www.scross.co.za/category/perspectives/ raymond-perrier/

Southern CrossWord solutions

Liturgical Calendar

The Presentation of the Lord

19

Our bishops’ anniversaries

This week we congratulate: January 27: Archbishop Jabulani Nxumalo OMI of Bloemfontein on his 76th birthday January 27: Bishop Kevin Dowling CSsR of Rustenburg on the 29th anniversary of his episcopal ordination January 27: Archbishop Paul Mandla Khumalo CMM, retired of Pretoria, on the 18th anniversary of his episcopal ordination as bishop of Witbank January 28: Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town on the 13th anniversary of his episcopal ordination as bishop of Kroonstad

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opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, staff or directors of The Southern Cross.

The Southern Cross is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa. Printed by Paarl Coldset (Pty) Ltd, 10 Freedom Way, Milnerton. Published by the proprietors, The Catholic Newspaper & Publishing Co Ltd, at the company’s registered office, 10 Tuin Plein, Cape Town, 8001.

the

The Presentation of the Lord: February 2 Readings: Malachi 3:1-4, Psalm 24:7-10, Hebrews 2:14-18, Luke 2:22-40

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OR next week, the feast of the Presentation (and therefore the official end of Christmas) trumps the Sunday readings; and the readings chosen for the solemnity are admirably suited to it. The first reading, however, is not as comfortable as we might wish. In it we eavesdrop on God talking of what will happen: “Behold—I am sending ‘my messenger’ (‘malachi’ in Hebrew, why the scroll is given that name), to prepare the way before my face. And he shall come into his Temple, the Lord whom you are looking for…the messenger of the covenant.” But it is not going to be particularly comfortable, so it would seem: “Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears?” is far from comfortable; but then Jesus was not a particularly comfortable person: “He is like the refiner’s fire, or the fuller’s lye.” It seems, though, that it will turn out all right in the end: “The offerings of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and in past years.” And we can see something of this in the baptism that we commemorate today. The psalm for this great solemnity was probably originally a liturgy for the entry of

S outher n C ross

God into his Temple, which fits today’s feast very well: the structure of the Temple is going to have to adapt to what is going on: “Lift up your heads, you gates, rise up, ancient gateways, that the King of glory may come in.” That raises then a question of the king’s identity: “Who is this ‘King of glory’?”, which is followed by a satisfactory answer: “It is the Lord, a mighty warrior, a hero in war.” Then the refrain about the gates is repeated, and we imagine the gates straining to allow God in; and once more comes the question of who this might be: “The King of glory: the Lord of hosts—he is the King of glory.” This is a God who is decidedly inclined to intervene in our world. The second reading is from the challenging Letter to the Hebrews. The mantra is that “Jesus is the Real Thing”, and here the author is wrestling with the all-important question: “What did Jesus do for us?” The answer is that Jesus is one of us: “Since the children had fellowship of blood and flesh, Jesus also in just the same way shared with them, in order that through death he might cancel out the one who had power over death, that is the devil.”

M

Littleness For Thérèse, “littleness” does not refer first of all to the littleness of the act we are doing, like the humble tasks of doing the laundry, peeling potatoes, or giving a simple smile to someone who’s unpleasant. It refers to our own littleness, to our

own radical poverty before God. Before God, we are little. To accept and act out of that constitutes humility. We move towards God and others in her “Little Way” when we do small acts of charity for others, not out of our strength and the virtue we feel at that moment, but rather out of a poverty, powerlessness, and emptiness that allows God’s grace to work through us so that in doing what we’re doing we’re drawing others to God and not to ourselves. As well, our littleness makes us aware that, for the most part, we cannot do the big things that shape world history. But we can change the world more humbly, by sowing a hidden seed, by being a hidden antibiotic of health inside the soul of humanity, and by splitting the atom of love inside our own selves. And yes, too, the “Little Way” is about doing little, humble, hidden things.

Anonymity Thérèse’s “Little Way” refers to what’s hidden, to what’s done in secret, so that “what the Father sees in secret will be rewarded in secret”. And what’s hidden is not our act of charity, but we, ourselves, who are doing the act. In Thérèse’s “Little Way”, our little acts of charity will go mostly unnoticed, will seemingly have no real impact on world history, and won’t bring us any recognition. They’ll remain hidden and unno-

Conrad

‘Granny has just twigged Pope Benedict isn’t pope anymore...’

Sunday Reflections

And there is more to it: “That he might set free these ones who by fear of death had been liable to slavery through all their life.” The heart of the matter is that Jesus’ task is to help human beings (rather than angels). “Therefore,” he continues, “he had to be in every respect similar to his brothers-and-sisters, in order to be a merciful and faithful High Priest before God, to expiate the people’s sins.” So Jesus’ task is a lofty one. The Gospel is Luke’s account of the Presentation. Notice the idea of “fulfilment”, typical of Luke; this indicates that God is in the story; and observe also that Jesus’ parents are Jews utterly observant of the Law. The alert reader, too, will notice that the offering given by Jesus’ parents is that of the “poor” (as prescribed by Leviticus); and Luke has a soft spot for the poor. Then we are introduced to Simeon, who is clearly thoroughly good, “just and pious, open to Israel’s comforting—and the Holy Spirit is upon him” (we may at this point remember that Luke is very much the Gospel of the Holy Spirit, who is mentioned three times in the story). So when he encounters Jesus it is clearly an important moment; and we lis-

What the ‘Little Way’ means OST of us have heard of St Thérèse of Lisieux, a French mystic who died at age 24 in 1897 and who is perhaps the most popular saint of the last two centuries. She’s famous for many things, not least for a spirituality she called her “Little Way”. What is her “Little Way”? Popular thought has often encrusted both Thérèse and her “Little Way” within a simple piety which doesn’t do justice to the depth of her person or spirituality. Too often her “Little Way” is understood simply that we do little, hidden, humble, acts of charity for others in the name of Jesus, without expecting anything in return. In this popular interpretation we do the laundry, peel potatoes, and smile at unpleasant people to please Jesus. In some ways, of course, this is true; however, her “Little Way” merits a deeper understanding. Yes, it does ask us to do humble chores and be nice to each other in the name of Jesus, but there are deeper dimensions to it. Her “Little Way” is a path to sanctity based on three things: Littleness, Anonymity, and a Particular Motivation.

Nicholas King SJ

Jesus is presented to us

ten attentively as he “welcomed him into his arms and sings”. What he “sings” is the lovely poem known as the “Nunc Dimittis”, with which the Church still sings itself to sleep, last thing at night. We watch as Jesus’ parents are told about their child, and what it will mean: “light for the revelation of the gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel”, as Simeon blesses them, and warns the child’s mother that “a sword will pierce your own heart”. Then we listen, again in awe, as Anna, another figure straight from the Old Testament, testifies to Jesus’ identity, “to all those who welcomed the redemption of Israel”. The parents do all that the Law asks of them, and we watch as they disappear back to Nazareth; and the evangelist concludes with the telling comment, one that leaves us aching for more, that “the little child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom”. And the story ends with another hint for the future: “And the grace of God was upon him.” There is clearly more to come here.

Southern Crossword #899

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

ticed; but inside the Body of Christ what’s hidden, selfless, unnoticed, self-effacing, and seemingly insignificant and unimportant is the most vital vehicle of all for grace at a deeper level. Just as Jesus did not save us through sensational miracles and headline-making deeds but through selfless obedience to his Father and quiet martyrdom, our deeds too can remain unknown so that our deaths and the spirit we leave behind can become our real fruitfulness.

Particular Motivation We are invited to act out of our littleness and anonymity and do small acts of love and service to others for a particular reason, that is, to, metaphorically, wipe the face of the suffering Christ. How so? Thérèse of Lisieux was an extremely blessed and gifted person. Despite tragedy in her early life, she was (by her own admission and the testimony of others) loved in a way that was so pure, so deep, and so affectionate that it leaves most people in envy. She was also a very attractive child and was bathed in love and security inside an extended family within which her every smile and tear were noticed and honoured. But as she grew in maturity, it didn’t take her long to notice that what was true in her life wasn’t true of most others. Their smiles and tears went mostly unnoticed and were not honoured. Her “Little Way” is therefore predicated on this particular motivation. In her own words: “One Sunday, looking at a picture of Our Lord on the Cross, I was struck by the blood flowing from one of his divine hands. I felt a pang of great sorrow when thinking this blood was falling on the ground without anyone’s hastening to gather it up. I was resolved to remain in spirit at the foot of the Cross and to receive its dew. “Oh, I don’t want this precious blood to be lost. I shall spend my life gathering it up for the good of souls… To live from love is to dry Your Face.” To live her “Little Way” is to notice and honour the unnoticed tears falling from the suffering faces of others.

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ACROSS

4. Breaks the rule not on the extremities (7) 8. Persuade to undice (6) 9. An obvious clue (7) 10. The man Moses raised his arms against (Ex 17) (6) 11. Digitally altered fringe (6) 12. Unusually high male voice in the choir (8) 18. A door led to the golden city (8) 20. A very well-known clue (6) 21. Makes culpable (6) 22. Bird that symbolises Christ giving his body and blood (7) 23. In regard to the flesh (6) 24. One of those made at your baptism (7) Solutions on page 19

DOWN

1. Fig fear affected the beast (7) 2. Alley I’d get through desirably (7) 3. Agree to having two centuries in it (6) 5. Half of ten times as much (8) 6. Last word of the reading (6) 7. Prophet in denial (6) 13. Intrude in the Our Father (8) 14. Heat that is said to be global (7) 15. Give comfort to the afflicted (7) 16. Life’s occupation? (6) 17. The choirmaster may stand on it (6) 19. Does he provide the chrism for the sacraments? (6)

CHURCH CHUCKLE

A

JESUIT, a Dominican and a Franciscan were walking along an old road, debating the respective greatness of their orders. Suddenly, an apparition of the Holy Family appeared in front of them, with Jesus in a manger and Mary and Joseph praying over him. The Franciscan fell on his face in awe at the sight of God born in such poverty. The Dominican fell to his knees, adoring the Holy Family and making mental notes for the sermon he’d preach about it. The Jesuit walked up to Joseph, took him aside and asked: “So, have you thought about where to send the boy to school?”

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