The Southern Cross - 100127

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Bishops’ letter to the youth

Benedict XVI in a synagogue

The day that changed SA forever

A lifetime of studying the heavens

www.scross.co.za

January 27 to February 2, 2010 Reg No. 1920/002058/06

No 4660

SOUTHERN AFRICA’S NATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY SINCE 1920

Haiti: SA Catholics step up to help

Inside Installation plan explained The archdiocese of Cape Town has explained whyattendance at the installation of Archbishop-elect Stephen Brislin had to be limited.—Page 3

Agca wants to see JP2 tomb After his release from a Turkish jail, the man who shot Pope John Paul II in 1981 declared that he wants to visit the late pontiff’s tomb in St Peter’s basilica.—Page 4

STAFF REPORTER

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Pope to discuss sex scandal Pope Benedict has convened Ireland’s bishops for a two-day meeting at the Vatican to discuss the ongoing fallout from the priestly sex abuse scandal in the country.—Page 5

The propaganda battle In his monthly reflection on the pope’s prayer intentions, Fr Chris Chatteris SJ looks at the secularists’ propaganda.—Page 9

We and the New Media In his weekly column, Chris Moerdyk outlines how The Southern Cross is making use of the New Media technology.—Page 12

What do you think?

In their Letters to the Editor this week, readers discuss home-grown priests, homilies and editorials, Chris Moerdyk’s column, driving, birth control, the installation of an archbishop, the Mass, a priest’s anti-gay comments, and corruption.—Page 8

This week’s editorial: The 20 year transition

Cardinal sorry over trip to Medjugorje

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R5,00 (incl VAT RSA)

ARDINAL Christoph Schönborn of Vienna, Austria, has faxed a letter of apology to Bishop Ratko Peric of Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina, over a December visit to the site of alleged Marian apparitions in Medjugorje.

The visit had drawn the dismay of Bishop Peric, in whose diocese Medjugorje is located. The bishop is treating the reported Marian apparitions with outspoken suspicion.

At the time, he said Cardinal Schönborn’s visit had aggravated problems in his diocese, the Catholic News Agency reported.

He also expressed his shock and disappointment at the fact that Cardinal Schönborn had failed to observe the courtesy of bishops of informing the local ordinary of a diocese of their plans to visit.

In a statement published on its website, the diocese of Mostar noted that Cardinal Schönborn faxed a handwritten letter of apology to Bishop Peric soon after a private audience with Pope Benedict in Rome in mid-January.

In the letter, Cardinal Schönborn wrote: “I regret if you have the impression that my pilgrimage to Medjugorje did a disservice to peace. You can be sure that this was not my intention.”

The Catholic Culture website said the timing of the apology, soon after a private audience with the pontiff, “lends weight” to a report by an Italian Catholic website that Pope Benedict was also unhappy about the publicity generated by the cardinal’s Medjugorje visit.—cathnews

A child at a makeshift camp in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is pictured after a heavy aftershock hit the devastated capital that morning, creating panic among survivors of the earthquake that devastated the city the week before. South African Catholics have responded generously to an aid appeal issued by the Southern African bishops.

PHOTO: JORGE SILVA, REUTERS,CNS

Matric: Catholic schools shine

BY MICHAIL RASSOOL

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ATRICULANTS at Catholic schools have continued to do well, achieving a 83,9% pass in last year’s examinations, 23,6% above the national pass rate, a leading monitor of Catholic schools has said.

Anne Baker, deputy director of the Johannesburg-based Catholic Institute of Education (CIE) said 6 308 learners at Catholic schools wrote both the Independent Examination Board (IEB) and the national exams— the pass rate in the IEB exams 99,8% and the national exams 79,2%.

Springfield Convent School in Cape Town was placed second in the Western Cape, with Megan Woodward holding sixth place in the province.

Catherine Paverd from De La Salle Holy Cross College in Johannesburg achieved 11 distinctions and came first in the IEB exams.

Sixteen other Catholic school learners achieved an outstanding or commendable pass, Ms Baker said. At Mount Edmund Christian Brothers College, Pretoria, head boy Lawrence de Jesus passed the national exam with nine distinctions.

Ms Baker said learners from townships and rural Catholic high schools achieved well above the national average.

Two learners from Tsogo High School in North West province, John Maubane and Lesego Phateng, achieved eight and seven distinctions respectively. The school achieved a total of 51 distinctions and a 99,2% pass.

At St Matthew’s High in Soweto, 98 of the 101 learners had a university entrance pass (now called a Bachelor’s pass). Siyabonga Maseko achieved six distinctions, with 100% for mathematics and just missing a distinction for his 7th subject at 79%. Fellow pupil Maletsatsi Monanaetsi also achieved 100% for mathematics with six distinctions.

Jared Devar and Carise Frank of Holy Family College, Durban, achieved nine and seven distinctions, respectively, and the school itself had 67 distinctions.

Tshepo Maubane and Lesego Phateng of Tsogo High School in North West, earned eight and seven distinctions respectively.

Catherine Paverd (inset) of De La Salle Holy Cross College in Johannesburg achieved 11 distinctions Schools for learners with special needs did very well too, with two schools in KwaZuluNatal which wrote the normal state exams achieving very good results. Seven out of ten KwaThintwa School for the Deaf passed well, while the other three were eligible to write supplementary exams, and all passed English.

St Martin de Porres school in Port Shepstone for learners with multiple disabilities, after teachers had put in many extra hours to prepare learners for the examination, achieved a 67% pass.

The Dominican Grimley School for the Deaf in Cape Town, the only school of its kind in the Western Cape offering Grade 12 to learners, achieved a 100% Bachelor Pass rate. St Vincent’s School for the Deaf in Johannesburg also achieved a 100% pass.

“It is important to remember the many teachers, from Grade R to Grade 12, who laid good foundations for learners that allowed them to pass,” Ms Baker said. “Catholic schools must not become complacent in their success, but strive consistently to offer the very best education to the children who come to their schools.”

ITHIN the first week after launching its appeal for donations to aid Caritas’ relief efforts in earthquakedevastated Port-au-Prince in Haiti, the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference had raised almost R380 000, according to SACBC information officer Fr Chris Townsend.

Caritas, the international umbrella body of Catholic charities, has been deeply involved in providing disaster relief in Portau-Prince.

Fr Townsend stressed that the disaster relief efforts will be a long-term project as the city’s entire infrastructure, which already had been inadequate, was devastated. For example, eight of the city’s 11 hospitals had been seriously damaged or destroyed.

In a letter of appeal for Haiti, Archbishop Jabulani Nxumalo of Bloemfontein wrote: “I visited Haiti for a month a number of years ago. Haiti is one of the poorest places—poorer than many of the countries in Africa—that I have visited. A very unstable government and a turbulent history have left the people of Haiti impoverished.”

Experts believe that it will take several years to rebuild Port-au-Prince, and warned that in the aftermath of the disaster, there are serious public health concerns about water, food, sanitation and hygiene-related diseases.

In South Africa, the National Church Leaders’ Consultation (NCLC), of which the Catholic Church is a member, issued a strong appeal for donations for Haiti, saying that “Haiti’s devastation will need the whole world to respond”.

The group asked churches “to offer prayer for the situation” and to “consider a special collection for disaster relief in Haiti”.

The NCLC also appealed to the international financial institutions “to cancel Haiti’s considerable international debt, allowing the country to make a new start”.

It also called on President Jacob Zuma “to drive an African response at the upcoming African Union summit”.

The South African Relief Team, with the Cancun Mexico Rescue Brigade, has been working closely with Caritas in Port-auPrince.

The South African and Mexican teams were involved in the rescue of Enu Zizi, who had been buried under the ruins of the cathedral complex.

However, the archdiocese’s vicar-general, Mgr Charles Benoit, was found dead, with his hands around a reliquary with a wafer inside.

Caritas praised the South African Relief Team and doctors. “The doctors, the Mexican and South African Search and Rescue teams, and the nuns who are working with Caritas deserve recognition for their bravery and generosity,” said Fr Antonio Sandoval, regional coordinator of Latin America, who is in Port-au-Prince.

“The generosity continues and they show us how life can overcome death.”  Details of the bank account for the Caritas/SACBC appeal: Name: Project Caritas Bank: Nedbank Acc No: 1604750693 Bank Code: 160445 Swift code: NEDSZAJJ

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LOCAL

The Southern Cross, January 27 to February 2, 2010

Haitian chaplain relieved his family is safe

BY MICHAIL RASSOOL

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FORMER Scalabrinian chaplain to French-speaking Capetonians is thrilled to know that family members in his native Haiti have survived the severe earthquake which hit the Caribbean island country earlier this month.

Fr Arlain Pierre CS has since December been based in the archdiocese of Nampula, Mozambique, where he serves a rural flock of around 20 parish communities, including refugees. He said after five days of trying to get in touch with people back home, a niece finally let him know via the Internet that almost all his family was safe.

He said the pace of communications in Mozambique is not particularly quick, and news takes up to two or three days to reach there, and a friend had alerted him to the

quake by SMS. Fr Pierre said the few family members in the capital, Port-auPrince, managed to escape to their home province of Nord, which suffered considerably less damage and much fewer casualties.

Almost all of them were now marooned there, while the humanitarian response, search and rescue, and emergency infrastructural operations were underway. A source said his twin brother is currently undergoing training, also as a Scalabrinian priest, in Argentina.

Fr Pierre said he did not know yet how many friends and acquaintances had been lost in the disaster.

Call for Bosco past pupils group

BY MICHAIL RASSOOL

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GAUTENG Salesian priest has said he wishes a more concerted Bosco Past Pupils Association were formed. St John Bosco College was closed in 1993.

Fr Robert Gore SDB, director of the Bosco Youth Centre in Walkerville, south of Johannesburg, believes that one reason for former pupils returning often to the site of their old school is the consistency of values that they still find there.

“People wander, stray spiritually and return for refreshment in a place where the faith is consistent,

and which has a sense of being anchored in its values,” the priest pointed out.

He said he is sad that there is no longer a school through which to teach the values of Salesian founder St John Bosco, and feels that many young people nowadays have been cheated out of one. St John Bosco, Fr Gore said, believed in educating the poor spiritually and materially.

Fr Gore said although annually the Centre hosts a gathering of past pupils, it is fleeting with the emphasis being on socialising and impressing, with no deeper sense of engagement based on shared values.

Bishops invite youth to healing and full life

BY MICHAIL RASSOOL

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HE bishops of Southern Africa have invited Catholic youth to show the way forward by living a new lifestyle and working for the healing of the woundedness and hopelessness that so many young people experience.

In a special message, entitled “Healing Statement for the Youth of South Africa”, the bishops referred to a Christian lifestyle which also embraces the cultural values embodying the spirit of ubuntu, which means thanking God for the gift of life, one’s own and that of others, which “mother earth nourishes”.

They said it also means uniting and working with all who share the same values, nurturing a healthy self-esteem in Christ, fostering a culture of education, sharing resources and information, caring for the marginalised; respecting the rights of people, upholding a culture of human rights, preserving the earth, and ploughing gained skills back into communities.

The bishops said their hope is that young people will live their lives to the fullest (after Jn 10:10), by coming to know Jesus as the fulfilment of all their potential as young persons living in the midst of so many challenges and difficulties they face daily.

The history of South Africans, they pointed out, recounts many heroic deeds by youth, with June 16, 1976—the Soweto uprising— standing out in particular. Here, the bishops said, young people

were witness to the struggle waged for their country, and their contribution helped shape the path to the democratic and non-racial elections of 1994.

“We celebrate such events with pride and we find the courage to continue to face many other challenges with confidence,” they said.

“Among the challenges ahead of us is addressing the growing gap between those who have and those who do not have—a gap which continues to widen. While some of you tell us of your great hopes and expectations for the future, many others relate to us their experiences of hopelessness and despair.”

They pointed out that each young person experiences the need for healing in one form or another, be it spiritual or emotional, healing of relationships, and, for those who bear the burden of low selfesteem, a healing in Christ, which

brings a new sense of inner strength.

The bishops cited Pope Benedict who told participants at World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, Australia: “Make space for prayer in your lives! Learn to pray and thus grow in the experience of faith.

Take part in your parish liturgies and be abundantly nourished by the Word of God and your active participation in the sacraments. As you know, the summit and centre of the life and mission of every believer and every Christian community is the Eucharist.”

They said Matthew’s gospel says that through encountering Jesus people found healing. “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is he who takes no offence at me” (Mt 11:4-6).

Therefore, the bishops said, young people should develop and experience a “youth spirituality in Christ”, which means recognising in the daily circumstances of life the invitation to encounter Jesus and go forward with him. The Gospel teaches that Jesus’ healing touches the whole person, spiritually, emotionally and socially,” they said.

Young people, filled with the hope that Christ brings, take ownership of their lives through selfmastery, which includes selfknowledge and self-acceptance, and celebrate the “gift of self”.

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The Southern Cross, January 27 to February 2, 2010

‘Brutus fought for justice’

Former Zim Catholic magazine editor dies

BY MICHAIL RASSOOL

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FORMER Church-based justice and peace activist has paid tribute to deceased fighter for justice and equality Professor Dennis Brutus (pictured).

Neville Gabriel, executive director of the Southern Africa Trust and former coordinator of the bishops’ Justice and Peace Department, called Prof Brutus, who died late last month, “an extraordinary man”, an activist to his last days whose loyalties lay uncompromisingly with the poor and those treated unfairly everywhere in the world.

“When a just cause seized him, he would not think twice about acting on whatever creative idea he had to support it,” Mr Gabriel said. “That’s well known from his tireless international work to build the sports boycott against apartheid.”

In the 1950s, the young Brutus joined the Anti-Coloured Affairs Department (Anti-CAD) group, formed in protest against an attempt by the apartheid government to institutionalise divisions between blacks and coloureds.

He was arrested in 1960 for breaking the terms of a banning order and sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, before escaping to

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Mozambique, where he was shot by local police, rearrested and sent back to South Africa. He was imprisoned on Robben Island for 16 months and was housed in a cell next to Nelson Mandela’s.

Prof Brutus’ first collection of poetry, Sirens, Knuckles and Boots, was published in Nigeria while he was in prison. Forbidden to teach, write and publish in South Africa then, he ultimately would go on to publish 14 books.

Mr Gabriel said Prof Brutus’ family extended to anyone whom he saw as a supporter of social justice.

He said the great-grandfather of four wouldn’t hesitate to rail with “righteous indignation” at anyone or any institution he saw as undermining the success of poor people’s struggles for justice.

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HE former editor of Catholic Church News a Zimbabwean Church magazine has died at 42.

Petronilla Chikambi Samuriwo passed away after a short illness on January 17 at Fr O’Hea Mission Hospital in Kutama, near her rural home of Chikambi village in Mashonaland West.

According to In Touch With Church And Faith, a Jesuit online journal, Mrs Samuriwo is credited with virtually creating and managing Catholic Church News in the 1990s.

After obtaining a diploma in journalism and a stint with the community newspapers, Mrs Samuriwo joined the Social Communications Department of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference as editorial assistant for Catholic Church News.

“She soon became editor and turned the little paper into a respectable magazine. Her skills in computer technology and as a lay artist, her lively and curious mind and her talent for writing gave the magazine a new face,” wrote the past social communications spokesman, Jesuit Father Oskar Wermter who closely worked with her then.

She left the publication in 2001. After a spell as information officer with an Aids organisation, she went to Britian where she obtained a master’s degree in gender studies. She completed a special one-year course at St Joseph’s Seminary in Cedara, near Durban, KwaZuluNatal.

“Her unexpected death deprives the Zimbabwean media of a great talent,” said Fr Wermter.

MAXIMUM RESPECT: A thanksgiving celebration will be held in honour of King William’s Town Dominican Sister Natalie Kühn (far right), principal of the Dominican Convent School in Belgravia, Johannesburg, from 1986 to 2004, at Shanahan Park, Edenvale, on Saturday, February 13, from 14:30. Former pupils are invited to participate. The event is being organised by a group of former pupils and will also be attended by other retired teachers who stepped down during Sr Kühn's tenure.

It will honour the former principal and her colleagues for the role they played in moulding their students to be the people they are now, said Kananelo Buthelezi, internal auditor of Eskom and a youth presenter on Catholic broadcaster Radio Veritas, herself a former pupil.

She said tickets to the event are available at R290. Ms Buthelezi can be contacted on 072 737 3888, kani@radioveritas.co.za Or contact Mpho Ramohan on 083 2774 303 or mramohan@mccain.co.za.

Archbishop’s installation limits

BY MICHAIL RASSOOL

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RGANISERS of the installation of Archbishop-elect Stephen Brislin of Cape Town have spoken of the limited time-span in getting the event together, and of the need to organise a venue that would accommodate a maximum of 5 000, a manageable amount dictated by municipal regulations.

The installation, which takes place at the Bellville Velodrome on Sunday, February 7, starting at 16:00, had to be scheduled to take place before the start of Lent on February 17, Joan Armstrong, the installation coordinator, told The Southern Cross.

One big challenge, she said, was

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how to allocate 5 000 tickets in an archdiocese with 237 000 Catholics. She said it was decided to use a survey of Mass attendance at the different parishes over three years as a basis for allocating the limited number of tickets.

Understandably, Mrs Armstrong said, some concern has been expressed in the archdiocese over the ticket allocation as well as the venue.

Having established that the new Cape Town Stadium, erected for the 2010 World Football Cup, was as yet not available for big civic events and the Good Hope Centre was booked up right into 2011, the only reasonable venue left was the velodrome.

Wherever the installation takes

place, said Mrs Armstrong, City of Cape Town regulations set the manageable number of guests at 5 000 for effective security and disaster management.

Moreover, she pointed out, only 8 000 attended outgoing Archbishop Lawrence Henry’s installation at the old Goodwood Showground in 1989. The installation of his predecessor, the late Archbishop Stephen Naidoo, at St Mary’s cathedral was attended by 6 000. Former auxiliary Bishop Reginald Cawcutt’s consecration at the Good Hope Centre was attended by 5 000, Mrs Armstrong said.

She pointed out that much effort this time was put into better representation, amid huge con-

straints. For the first time, every parish will be represented and deacons’ wives and altar servers from each deanery will also attend.

Significantly, Mrs Armstrong added, the laity is exercising a dominant role in much of it, unlike in the past.

Mrs Armstrong said that deaneries would organise special events for Catholics to meet the new archbishop.

“Admittedly, nine months’ planning would have resulted in something different and better, but we don’t have the luxury of time on our side,” she said. “So we’re really doing our utmost to turn this installation into something positive and truly worthwhile.”

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The Southern Cross, January 27 to February 2, 2010

INTERNATIONAL

In synagogue, pope honours Holocaust victims

BY CINDY WOODEN

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AYING a wreath at a memorial to Roman Jews rounded up by the Nazis in 1943 and joining in a standing ovation to a dwindling group of Holocaust survivors, Pope Benedict broke the ice with Rome’s Jewish community even before he began to speak.

The pope’s first visit to Rome’s main synagogue strongly affirmed the Catholic Church’s commitment to improving Catholic-Jewish relations, its respect and appreciation for Jewish faith, its condemnation of anti-Semitism and his own hope that Catholics and Jews can work together to bring biblical values back to society.

Pope Benedict began by telling the 1 500 people in the synagogue that he came to “confirm and deepen” the dialogue and to demonstrate “the esteem and the affection which the bishop and the Church of Rome, as well as the entire Catholic Church, have towards this community and all Jewish communities around the world.”

But he also responded to a widespread impression within the Jewish community, especially the community in Rome, that Pope Pius XII did not do enough to speak out against the Holocaust.

Pope Benedict’s decision in December to advance the sainthood cause of Pope Pius led for calls within the Rome community for the visit to be cancelled and some people boycotted the meeting.

The pope said he could not come to the synagogue without remembering the Jews of Rome “who were snatched from their homes, before these very walls, and who with tremendous brutality were killed at Auschwitz”.

“How could one ever forget their faces, their names, their tears, the desperation faced by these men, women and children?” he asked.

While many people remained indifferent to Hitler’s attempt to exterminate the Jews, he said, “many, including Italian Catholics, sustained by their faith and by Christian teaching, reacted with courage, often at risk of their lives, opening their arms to assist the Jewish fugitives who were being hunted down, and earning perennial gratitude.”

Throughout the meeting, Holocaust survivors, wearing light and dark blue striped scarves, and their children wept at mentions of the Nazi attempt to exterminate the Jews.

Without mentioning Pope Pius by name, Pope Benedict told them that “the Apostolic See itself provided assistance, often in a hidden and discreet way”.

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elcoming the pope to the synagogue, Riccardo Pacifici, president of Rome’s Jewish Community, said the only reason he was born was because his father had been hidden by nuns in a convent in Florence, but many others

The rabbi said that despite continuing tensions, Catholics and Jews must move forward in their dialogue.

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Pope Benedict XVI with Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni during the pontiff’s visit to Rome’s main synagogue.

PHOTO: L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO VIA REUTERS/CNS were not so lucky.

“The weight of history is felt even at today’s event because there are wounds that are still open and cannot be ignored. For this reason, we also respect those who decided not to be here today,” he said.

Mr Pacifici told the pope: “The silence of Pius XII during the Shoah [Holocaust] is still painful today.”

If Pope Pius had spoken out more loudly, he said, “maybe he would not have been able to stop the death trains, but he would have sent a signal, a word of comfort, of human solidarity, for our

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brothers and sisters who were transported to the chimneys of Auschwitz.”

Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, the chief rabbi of Rome, spoke about the responsibility of people of faith to protect God’s creation, starting with human life and human dignity.

“The silence of God or our own incapacity to hear his voice in the face of the world’s evils is an inscrutable mystery,” the rabbi said. “But the silence of man is on a different level; it makes us wonder, it challenges us, and it does not escape justice.”

ll of the speakers mentioned Pope John Paul II’s visit to the synagogue in 1986 and every mention was met with clapping, but the longest applause came when Pope Benedict greeted the retired chief rabbi, 94-year-old Elio Toaff, who had hosted Pope John Paul’s visit.

In his speech, Pope Benedict said that “the closeness and spiritual fraternity” of Catholics and Jews flows from sharing the Hebrew Scriptures or Old Testament.

While Christians and Jews pray to the same God, “they often remain unknown to each other”, he said. “It is our duty, in response to God’s call, to strive to keep open the space for dialogue, for reciprocal respect, for growth in friendship, for a common witness in the face of the challenges of our time, which invite us to cooperate for the good of humanity in this world created by God.” After the pope’s visit, Rabbi Di Segni told reporters: “I think the speech calmed the atmosphere”, which was tense after Pope Benedict advanced the cause of Pope Pius. “My first reaction is decisively positive,” the rabbi said.

Mr Pacifici, the president of the Rome community, said: “I think he understood what we were saying.”—CNS

www.scross.co.za

HE man who tried to kill Pope John Paul II in 1981 has said he intends to write “the perfect Gospel” after his release from a Turkish prison.

Mehmet Ali Agca, 52, was taken from prison to a military hospital to be assessed for compulsory military service, which is obligatory for all Turkish men. Agca fled the military draft in the 1970s.

In a statement released by his lawyer immediately after his release, Agca made the kind of wild declaration for which he has become known, proclaiming himself “the Christ eternal”, saying he intended to write the perfect Gospel and predicting the end of the world in this century.

Agca, who had connections to a Turkish ultra-nationalist group, shot and seriously wounded Pope John Paul in St Peter’s Square on May 13, 1981. He was apprehended immediately, tried in an Italian court and sentenced to life in prison.

Pope John Paul publicly forgave his assailant, and in 1983 he visited Agca in a Rome prison cell. In 2000, with the pope’s support, Italy pardoned Agca and returned him to his native Turkey, where he began serving a sentence for the 1979 murder of a Turkish journalist.

In recent weeks, as his prison release date approached, Agca

Mehmet Ali Agca, the man who shot Pope John Paul II, is surrounded by journalists in Ankara, Turkey, after he was released from prison.

Agca spent nearly 30 years in jail following the 1981 assassination attempt in St Peter’s Square.

PHOTO: OSMAN ORSAL, REUTERS/CNS made several written statements, saying among other things that he wished to visit the tomb of Pope John Paul II at the Vatican and hoped to team up with writer Dan Brown on a “Vatican Code” project.

At the Vatican, Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said he had no objection to Agca coming to pray at the tomb of Pope John Paul.

“This is a normal thing to do…The first to forgive him was John Paul II,” Cardinal Turkson told an Italian TV news network. However, Agca would have to be accompanied by a

large number of security guards if he visits the Vatican.

Over the years, Agca has claimed to be Jesus Christ, an angel and a prophet. His incoherent ramblings have touched on topics including World War II and the dogma of the Assumption.

When Pope John Paul expressed his belief that Mary had saved his life during the papal shooting, which occurred on the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, Agca began studying the Marian apparitions at Fatima and soon began proclaiming himself an agent in a divine plan.—CNS

Pope: Youth need help to understand sex

BY CAROL GLATZ

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OUNG people need help in avoiding a lifestyle where relationships and sexuality are trivialised, Pope Benedict has said.

“The Church asks for everyone’s collaboration, in particular from those who work in schools, to teach a lofty view of love and human sexuality,” the pope said in a speech to Italian officials.

Young people today are looking for answers that can explain the human condition and the future of humanity as well as

“for answers that can show them how to base their life on timeless values”, the pope said.

Christianity offers a “loftier vision of humanity” and the Church can contribute much to the urgent task of teaching young people about relationships and sexuality.

“It’s necessary to avoid exposing adolescents and young people to ways that promote the trivialisation of these fundamental dimensions of human existence,” that is, the dimensions of human sexuality and love.

The pope said when the

Church says “no” to particular behaviours and lifestyles, “in reality it is saying ‘yes’ to life, to love lived in the truth of giving oneself to another, and to love that is open to life and is not closed up in a narcissistic view of the couple”.

A healthy sense of love, the family founded on marriage between a man and a woman, and respect for life from its conception to its natural end are all part of the Church’s promotion of an authentic form of truth that leads to true freedom and human growth, he said.—CNS

INTERNATIONAL SADDLE UP: Cardinal Angelo Comastri offers rosaries to men on horses just outside St Peter’s Square.

The Italian cardinal blessed farm animals brought by an association of farmers and ranchers.

PHOTO: CNS

The Southern Cross, January 27 to February 2, 2010

Abortion could derail constitution

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LTHOUGH a harmonised draft constitution has now been handed over to Kenya’s parliamentary select committee, Christians are warning that the question of abortion could derail the constitutional review process.

The draft, assembled by a Committee of Experts, actually contains no specific reference to abortion, but the National Council of Churches (NCCK) and the Catholic Church are up in arms about a phrase stating that “everyone has a right to life” while failing to define where life begins and ends.

Church leaders are adamant that any ambiguity that could see abortion rights in Kenya expanded is unacceptable.

“Life is sacrosanct. The definition of life must be stipulat-

ed in the supreme law of the land, the Constitution. Life must be defined as starting at conception and ending at natural death,” Canon Peter Karanja of the NCCK said.

When the expert committee heard submissions from the public on the draft in December 2009, the clergy and other anti-abortion campaigners took issue with the fact that the document did not reinforce Kenya’s current laws that clearly outlaw abortion.

Currently abortion is permitted in Kenya only to save the life of the mother. Despite this, every year large numbers of women seek assistance to terminate pregnancies wherever they can find it.

Nerida Nthamburi, executive director of Kenya’s Centre

Church must ‘build peace’ in Mid-East

BY CAROL GLATZ

C

HRISTIANS in the Middle East are called to be courageous builders of peace in a region too often marred by violence and oppression, according to the outline for the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East.

Islamic extremism, too, represents a threat to everyone in the region and it must be confronted by Christians banding together with Muslims who share the same concerns, the lineamenta, or outline, of the synod’s theme added.

The theme of the synod, scheduled for October 10-24, is: “The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness: ‘The community of believers was of one heart and mind’.” The quotation is a description of the unity of the early Church from the Acts of the Apostles.

The synod’s outline said the two main goals for the October assembly were “to confirm and strengthen Christians in their identity through the Word of God and the sacraments and to deepen ecclesial communion among the particular churches”.

A renewal of faith and improved ecumenical collaboration also will help Christians to better understand their role in Muslim societies and how they can aid their nations by being authentic witnesses of Christ, the outline said.

The only way to find the strength to overcome the fear or desperation often felt by the Christian minority and to carry out the mission to “assist your Church and your country to grow and develop in peace, justice and equality for all citizens” is to deepen one’s faith, it said.

Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, introduces the theme of this year's Synod of Bishops for the Middle East. PHOTO: PAUL HARING,CNS The lineamenta contains dozens of questions about some of the problems confronting Christians and how the Church can better prepare people for the challenges they face.

Bishops’ conferences and other groups in the region were asked to respond to the questions by April 4. The responses will form the basis of the synod’s working document.

A

major problem many face in the Middle East is political conflict, for example the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, divisions in Lebanon and the war in Iraq, which has “unleashed evil forces within the country” that target all Iraqis, the document said.

The increasing influence of Islam on politics and the retreat of Christians from political life, as can be seen in Egypt, have led to intolerance, inequality and injustice, it said.

In some countries authoritarian regimes force all citizens, including Christians, to silently accept the status quo, the document noted.

The influence globalisation is

having on cultures, including in the Middle East, can help promote human rights, but it also risks destroying local value systems, the institution of the family and spirituality, it said.

Responding to threats to traditional values, Islamic fundamentalism has spread—blaming the source of all social ills on neglecting Islam.

“These extremist currents, clearly a threat to everyone, Christians and Muslims alike, require a treatment in common.”

Christians and Muslims share some of the same concerns, especially regarding the threats of atheism, materialism, relativism and indifference, said the outline, and working together to overcome these tendencies is needed.

Living in a region caught up in so many military conflicts can make working for peace seem impossible, it said, “considering that war and violence are virtually forced upon us.”

“The solution to conflicts rests in the hands of the stronger country in its occupying and inflicting wars on another country. Violence is in the hands of the strong and weak alike, the latter resorting to whatever violence is within reach in order to be free.”

Christians must courageously denounce those who oppress, who work against their country’s best interests, or who resort to violence in order to overcome oppression, said the outline.

It will take a great deal of courage for Christians to convince people that violence has led only to failure and that, with dialogue, “peace is the most realistic path to follow even though the majority of people might reject it.”—CNS

Pope calls Irish bishops to Rome

P

OPE Benedict has convened Ireland’s bishops for a two-day meeting at the Vatican to discuss the ongoing fallout from the priestly sex abuse scandal in the country.

The meeting will take place from February 15-16, and is expected to include the heads of major Vatican agencies. The Vatican press office confirmed the meeting, but did not specify what would be on the agenda.

According to sources in Ireland, the pope will address the bishops and each bishop will have seven minutes to offer his views on the crisis. The meeting is expected to produce some concrete proposals, with final reflections by the pope.

Each bishop is then to return to his diocese for Ash Wednesday liturgies on February 17, addressing Catholics on how the Church intends to move forward.

The Vatican meeting was announced as the pope was preparing a special pastoral letter to Irish Catholics on the sex abuse cases and the damage it has inflicted on the Church.

Bishops said they expected the papal letter to outline several initiatives, including public services of repentance for Irish bishops and priests.

Last November, a report by an independent Commission of Investigation, headed by Judge Yvonne Murphy, looked at the

5

handling of 325 sex abuse claims in the archdiocese of Dublin in the years 1975-2004.

The report concluded that during those years, rather than being concerned about the victims, Catholic leaders were more interested in “the maintenance of secrecy, the avoidance of scandal, the protection of the reputation of the Church and the preservation of its assets”.

The report caused widespread indignation among the Irish faithful and criticism of Church leadership, as well as calls for the resignation of some bishops.

Four Irish bishops who were named in the Murphy report have since offered their resignations.—CNS

for Legal Information and Communication, declared the expert committee’s decision to resist the call to define the right to life in line with the churches’ demands is a victory for women’s rights.

But the churches are furious, threatening to mobilise against a “yes” vote in the eventual referendum on the constitution.

“Should the harmonised draft remain as it is without defining when life begins, we shall explore legitimate options as stipulated under the Kenya Constitution Review Act, 2008 to seek amends. What is clear is that this issue needs to be taken seriously as it will definitely take centre-stage with regard to the referendum,” said Canon Karanja.—CISA

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6

The Southern Cross, January 27 to February 2, 2010

INTERVIEW

Studying the heavens keeps priest excited Fr George Coyne SJ has studied the heavens for more than half a century. He tells DENNIS SADOWSKI about his life in astronomy.

Y

OU could say that for most of his life Jesuit Father George Coyne has taken up space.

The retired director of the Vatican Observatory, Fr Coyne, 77, has studied the wonders of outer space for more than 50 years.

Since earning a doctorate for his study of the chemical composition of the lunar surface in 1962, the Pennsylvanian has been a leader in the field of astronomy.

Familiar to astronomers around the world, Fr Coyne headed the Vatican Observatory from 1978 until his retirement in 2006, and now is president of the foundation that supports the observatory’s work.

The American Astronomical Society recently honoured Fr Coyne with its George Van Biesbroeck Prize for the “diversity and scientific richness” he has brought to astronomy. In particular, the society cited his leadership of the Vatican Observatory Summer School for up-and-coming astronomers as well as “the unique role he has played at the juncture of science and religion.”

What is the work of the Vatican Observatory Foundation?

It supports the research of the Vatican Observatory and its institute in Tucson, Arizona, principally the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope. It’s best explained by a brief history.

Until the mid-1970s we were happy with our observatory in Castel Gandolfo [near Rome] in addition to going elsewhere to observe with major telescopes.

However, it became clear we could no longer observe there [because of light pollution]. Vari-

ous solutions were proposed. The one that was finally settled upon was to open a research institute in Tucson and use the facilities at the University of Arizona.

In 1980 we started the institute. Then in 1985 we were offered a magnificent possibility to collaborate with the university in building a telescope. We hesitated because we had promised the Vatican we would not make any capital investment. For the Vatican, whose annual budget for us was about $1 million, the cost was to be about $4,5 to $5 million.

So [the Vatican] said: “We’ll not only allow you to, we’ll help you to raise funds.” We set up the foundation to raise funds to build the telescope. Now it’s primarily to maintain, operate, improve the equipment in order to support research.

What have been some of the observatory’s significant accomplishments?

We cover vast areas of research. The Jesuits on our staff are trained in very special fields.

The principal areas are the aging of galaxies, comparing images from our telescope of nearby galaxies, which are old, with Hubble [Space Telescope] photographs of far away galaxies, which are young. We try to build evolutionary theories on the aging of galaxies.

We have a very strong focus on planetary sciences. We have a very precious meteorite collection, which was a showpiece.

Now it’s a research piece.

What is the Vatican Observatory Summer School?

The school began in 1986. I had become director of the observatory in 1978. Fr Martin McCarthy SJ [now retired] said: “You know, George, we do a great job with our colleagues, but unlike most astronomy departments we have no young people.

We have no educational programme. Why not think of having a summer school?” So we

began summer schools at Castel Gandolfo. They were so successful that we continued them. The young people are exciting. They have all the new ideas. We typically get 200 to 300 applications.

We select 25 of them. It’s developed into a very well known summer school.

What does the George Van Biesbroeck Prize mean to you?

The prize means a lot for two reasons. It recognises the Vatican Observatory as a research institute. Until the 1970s or so, we were very small. When I came there were only three research astronomers. We now have 12 Jesuits on our staff.

The other initiative it recognises is the science-religion dialogue.

That is very important. Our staff is peculiar in that sense. We’re professional astronomers number one. But we’re also Jesuits who have been trained in philosophy and theology. I think we can make a unique contribution to this dialogue. But I have insisted, and the current director insists, we have no reason entering into this dialogue unless we are doing hard-core research.

What prompted you to enter the field of astronomy?

There are no big philosophical, theological reasons. I had a teacher of Latin and Greek and I was 21 years old studying classical languages, which we all had to study as seminarians. This professor had a master’s degree in mathematics and had a deep interest in astronomy. When he was teaching us Greek, he would get distracted and talk about astronomy.

He called me in one day and he asked: “Why, whenever I get distracted and talk about astronomy, you’re sitting on the edge of your chair?” I said: “Father, I love it!” He said: “Well, we have to feed it. You have to start reading.” Then he looked at himself and said: “Damn, we have this rule; you can’t take any books out of the library except in ancient

Jesuit Father George Coyne, president of the Vatican Observatory Foundation and retired director of the Vatican Observatory has studied the wonders of outer space for more than 50 years.

PHOTO: BOB ROLLER,CNS

literature and ancient history.”

He said: “That’s stupid. Why can’t you spend a little time nourishing this interest that you have?”

He picks up the phone, calls the Reading Public Library and arranges for me to get a few astronomy books out. So I did.

He gave me a flashlight and I had to read these books with a blanket over my head. It was forbidden fruit and it was good fruit.

Here was a great educator who said any interest and intellectual pursuit should be nourished.

That’s what got me started.— CNS

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HISTORY

The Southern Cross, January 27 to February 2, 2010

7

The day that changed South Africa forever Churches took the fight for freedom into the very heart of mainstream Christian thinking, making political activism far more widespread. MICHAIL RASSOOL.recounts the political landscape of the ’90s that led to South African democracy and the role played by the Church.

T

WENTY years ago this week, on February 2, 1990, the apartheid government of FW de Klerk unbanned or lifted restrictions on political organisations, including the exiled African National Congress (ANC), Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) and South African Communist Party (SACP).

Commentators saw it as a totally unexpected, unilateral move (in which the existing State of Emergency was also scrapped), in a period that had come to be characterised by intensified anti-apartheid resistance and repressive measures on the state’s part.

Nine days later, the world’s most famous political prisoner and human symbol of the struggle for freedom, Nelson Mandela, was released from Victor Verster prison in Paarl, near Cape Town, after a 27year incarceration.

His release followed those of several senior figures, such as Govan Mbeki and Walter Sisulu, over the previous two years. It ushered in a three-year period of multi-party negotiations between the ruling National Party, in power for more than 40 years, and a now free and unexiled ANC, PAC, SACP and other political groups.

The Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) forum was held from December 1991 to November 1993 at the World Trade Centre in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, with occasional major setbacks, withdrawals and re-constitutions, against a backdrop of brutal internecine political violence.

These included alleged stateorchestrated, third-force violence intended to destabilise the process of change and to prevent a political settlement that was agreeable to all.

Yet ultimately negotiations prevailed, resulting in South Africa’s first free and fair national elections of April 27, 1994.

By the 1990s, the local churches had become an entrenched voice in the struggle for justice in South Africa, with such figures as Nobel Peace Prize recipient Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Rev Frank Chikane, secretary-general of the South African Council of Churches, taking centre stage.

Another equally significant voice

in the struggle was that of the late Archbishop Denis Hurley of Durban. Seeing thousands of his own flock and others suffering as a direct result of unjust laws, policies and regulations, Archbishop Hurley took a very public, pro-active, courageous stand against these.

Through their programmes, organisations such as the archbishop’s ecumenical brainchild, the Diakonia Council of Churches, brought the fight for democracy and human rights, especially equal rights and freedom of association and movement, into the very heart of mainstream Christian thinking and practice.

They made political activism far more widespread, no longer the preserve of a radicalised, anti-establishment minority with a deep sense of injustice.

Mindful perhaps of compromising their own institutional stature, and peopled in the main by individuals with the same colonial cast of mind, the churches were known to be slow in assuming more proactive stances in challenging the apartheid system.

But as the intensity of state repression against political opponents grew and draconian measures became even more severe—emergency regulations, detentions without trial, cross-border incursions and massacres, death squad murders, and so on—it became increasingly difficult for religious institutions to see themselves as immune, and not take a moral stand against what was going on.

Given a widespread sense of anger and indignation that existed towards the end of the 1980s, a rather turbulent decade in South Africa, the unbannings took many by surprise. Many of them had thought they would be waging a long-running battle against a regime whose legitimacy even the international community had repudiated.

F

or Fr Peter-John Pearson, director of the bishops’ Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office and parish priest of St Matthew’s church in Bonteheuwel, Cape Town, during much of the turbulence in the 1980s, it is significant that the unbannings were initiated by the government itself, ensuring it made the first move in a process of change.

He said such an action was really a mandatory function for the forces of liberation marching against authoritarian rule, in which thousands were almost prepared to be “mowed down”, imprisoned and/or tort u r e d , because t h e y

believed they were on the side of right.

Despite this, Fr Pearson said, in the face of injustice the unbannings were still a victory for all the principled courage shown throughout the struggle.

He pointed out that having courage and vision in a situation that is hard and daunting 20 years on is still the most important lesson to be learnt from the February 2 event, especially for the struggles that continue—the need to reduce poverty and ongoing inequalities that still correspond with racial differences.

It also has significance for the real achievements of a brave new country—constitutional democracy and democratic values, things that were actively fought for, Fr Pearson said.

He commended protagonists such as Mr Mandela, who saw the common good as being far more important than narrow sectoral victories, and that a conciliatory approach to forging a meaningful democracy owned by all was key to its success.

“Thanks to the lessons of the past, today one understands that struggles for transformation are not quick-fix affairs,” he said. “They call for principled action and commitment that need ongoing prophetic voices.”

T

he unbannings had taken place less than two years after Fr Victor Phalana’s ordination, when he was based in the bantustan of Bophuthatswana, and the churches there—along with civic organisations and other structures— were waging a struggle against the repressive regime of Lucas Mangope.

The stalwart of the South African Council of Priests said the events of February 1990 gave one the feeling of a yoke being lifted, the result of a struggle, both external and internal, and of prayers and night vigils, and of diplomacy, especially between Mr Mandela and the PW Botha/FW de Klerk regime.

President de Klerk, in particular, did something different, unlike his predecessors, which almost nobody thought would take place so soon.

For this perhaps he was justified in receiving 1993’s Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Mr Mandela, Fr Phalana said.

Despite crediting Mr de Klerk for his contribution, he said he still failed to understand how he could have allowed the system of violence to continue, much of it allegedly

The euphoria of freedom gripped South Africa when political parties were unbanned in February 1990.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORY ONLINE AND THE NELSON MANDELA MUSEUM

orchestrated by third force elements in the then South African Defence Force.

Its personnel were said to have supplied arms and logistical support to violent operatives of the Inkatha Freedom Party, who were hounding and slaughtering ANC supporters, whether in the rural areas of the then Natal or the mining compounds of the East Rand. “Yet we continued to pray, to hope and to negotiate,” Fr Phalana pointed out.

Like Fr Pearson, Fr Phalana commended Christian leaders such as Archbishops Tutu and Hurley, Rev Chikane and Dutch Reformed ministers Revs Alan Boesak and Beyers Naude, whom he credits for providing moral voices in keeping the often-faltering negotiations on track. He said it was a time which also called for strong, tenacious, substantive and decisive political leadership.

“When, for example, Mandela said the ANC’s armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, should give up the armed struggle, in which he was contradicted by his wife Winnie, he was backed by Lusaka [the organisation-in-exile’s headquarters], thus allowing the negotiations to take place,” he said.

“We were entering another phase of political engagement, so we needed to go forward, and this was the pitch dark before a glorious dawn, redemptive suffering before the resurrection.”

Adv Mike Pothier, research director of the CPLO, and Justice and

Peace activist at the time of the unbannings, said the key questions to ask at this stage are, “Where are we?”, “What were we emerging from?”, “What do we look like now?”, “Across the board, have things really improved?”

Yes, he declared, things have improved very much, and South Africa has a stable, functioning, multi-party system.

It has seen four successful general elections as well as fruitful municipal elections, with credible results (however unhappy the procedures occasionally were) and a constitution that guarantees people’s basic freedoms. “We should measure what we have become against what could well have been,” Mr Pothier said.

Ideally, he said, a working democracy should have a good social security system, land security, functioning schools, a working health system, low poverty levels, effective crime fighting.

South Africa still falls far short, what with large-scale poverty (2530%) and unemployment, the highest levels of HIV infection, high crime levels, corruption in politics that has raised the question of whether the justice system has been manipulated, a “single blot in a relatively stable society”.

Mr Pothier believes that if there had been a more concrete programme of action from the De Klerk government after February 2, much of the violence and sense of frustration that followed could have been avoided.

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8

The Southern Cross, January 27 to February 2, 2010

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

The great transition

T

WENTY years ago on February 2, President FW de Klerk formally pronounced the death of the apartheid system with his dramatic speech to parliament in which he unbanned the African National Congress and other proscribed movements and individuals. More even than the iconic 1994 elections, this was the most consequential moment in South Africa’s modern history.

Nine days later, Nelson Mandela was released from imprisonment after 27 years in captivity, ushering in a slow— and, alas, often violent—interregnum between white rule and the general franchise.

Within four years, negotiators had arrived at a transition towards full democracy, and the world declared a miracle.

Sometimes, it seems, the accomplishment of the country’s transition, which could have been so much more bloodstained, is not fully appreciated. When ANC Youth League leaders and others speak dismissively of Mr Mandela’s efforts at reconciliation throughout the 1990s, they exhibit a gross lack of political understanding. It was that policy of reconciliation and accommodation which facilitated the relatively peaceful transition.

The alternative was a protracted civil war.

Mr de Klerk must be given credit for neutralising militant white opposition. South Africa also owes a debt to such keen supporters of apartheid as General Constand Viljoen, who persuaded the militant right to participate in elections instead of fostering an armed rebellion.

President Jacob Zuma understands the importance of this: his cabinet includes Pieter Mulder, the current leader of the party founded by General Viljoen.

Only two decades ago, South Africa was an international pariah, not even allowed to participate in international sports. This year the world’s focus will be on South Africa. It seems appropriate that the 20th anniversary of the death of apartheid should coincide with South Africa taking the

global spotlight as the host to the world. Here is an opportunity to present this country as a nation that can overcome the divisions of history, race, ethnicity and economy—even if only in an imperfect truce.

Of course, beneath the occasional flashes of national unity and the veneer of a political miracle, the wounds of apartheid have yet to heal.

Some of these are mending— interaction between once separated race groups is increasing, especially among young South Africans. Other legacies of apartheid, such as the social and economic imbalances, will take many generations to be adjusted, policies of aggressive social engineering notwithstanding.

South Africans must not be impatient with the social healing process. White South Africans in particular are in no position to prescribe to what extent those who were oppressed under apartheid should forget the past. Many white South Africans sadly fail in acknowledging their country’s history with accuracy, sensitivity and humility.

At the same time, the idealism that united so many people of different social, racial, religious and ideological backgrounds in the struggle against apartheid has given way to division and, not infrequently, mercenary greed.

Postapartheid governments have not always ruled with the highest standards of ethics or competence. Some heroes of the struggle have turned out to be mere venal career politicians.

But where just over two decades ago it was a hazardous venture to criticise, never mind oppose those who governed, today it is a right that is protected by an admirable Constitution and Bill of Rights.

For that, we have to thank those who guided South Africa through the chaotic years preceding the drafting of our Constitution.

In the words of Advocate Mike Pothier, whom we quote this week, “we should measure what we have become against what could well have been.”

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.

Thanks for home-grown priests

‘W

E have a shortage of priests, please pray that more young men may heed God's call to serve him in a special way.”

This message is heard in every Catholic parish in South Africa at least once a year.

We can be justifiably proud of the number of priests produced locally in recent years.

Not too many years ago the

Church in Africa depended almost entirely on “imported” clergy. But I now find that the Church has established an import/export business with our hard-won priests as product. (No sarcasm intended; I am simply looking for answers to the questions that arise from this “exchange” programme.)

Can someone just explain why this exchange of priests is neces-

sary or even desirable? Foreign priests arrive on our shores hardly able to say “hello” in English, let alone the other commonly spoken local languages. The same obviously applies to our priests arriving in countries where no English is spoken. How long does it take for someone to leam a new language?

How good is it for the morale of the priest when his frustrated parishioners can barely understand what he is saying?

Lily P Fynn, Johannesburg

Great editorials

The wrong place

Not ‘traditional’

A

I

T

S usual, your editorial ”The preaching problem” (January 13-19) hit the nail on the head.

It naturally reminded me of several lessons taught by our professor of homelitics, Fr Frank Doyle OFM, at St John Vianney Seminary in the ‘60s.

One was his recommendation that we read the Rand Daily Mail’s editorials by the erudite Lawrence Gandar. In a similar vein, I suggest that in our homily preparation, we preachers could benefit well by regularly reading your editorials both for their clarity of style and relevant content.

Your thought-provoking editorials are characterised always by their breadth of opinion, balance and sensitivity, and are composed in a truly loving way.

Fr Kevin Reynolds, Pretoria

Flawed column

I

N years gone by, my main aim in buying The Southern Cross was to read the back page which was always a delight. I regret to say that in recent times I have been most disappointed with the quality of Chris Moerdyk’s articles, which often are childish and stupid.

I am surprised that you have seen fit to include them in such an important Catholic publication as The Southern Cross. What do other readers think?

WQ Benson, Johannesburg

Let God drive?

I

AM a member of the Sacred Heart Auto League.

This league will send anyone who asks for it a beautiful prayer which encourages people to be better drivers, and a sticker of the Sacred Heart to remind whoever looks at it that everyone is loved

by God. I am sure this would help to lessen the high death rate on our roads. The address of the Sacred Heart League is Box 304, Aliwal North, 9750.

Edna Marambos, Cape Town

AM deeply disappointed about the attendance limit for the installation service for the new archbishop of Cape Town, Stephen Brislin. We have missed a wonderful opportunity to unite our archdiocese, to be inclusive of our many communities and parishes, and to foster a common identity as well as to welcome our new archbishop.

Better than the Bellville Velodrome, with its seating limit of 5 000, better would have been the Bellville Athletics Stadium next door. Cape Town has great weather in February.

Chris Hill, Cape Town  See report page 3

Pill right for me

I

DISAGREE with Colette O’Sullivan (December 23-29) on the subject of the pill.

After four children I went on the pill because we battled to make a living and my health suffered badly.

I am 65 now, and am not sorry for going on the pill. I’m sure thousands of Catholics have done likewise, rather than have large families as Catholics did in times gone by.

Ever wonder why everybody has no more than two kids?

It is immoral to have an abortion, but if women use the pill, then abortion will not be necessary.

Which is worse: to prevent a baby being conceived, or to kill the foetus? The Church is trying to close the stable door after the horse has bolted.

Marelize Shade, Somerset West

Mass is tops

W

E go to Mass to offer sacrifice to God, to ask God to forgive our sins, to petition him for all or spiritual and material needs, and lastly to give him praise and thanksgiving for his glory.

The Mass is the highest form of worship. Hence its importance— daily Mass as well as the the obligatory Sunday Mass.

Samuel Solomon, Soweto

HE reported response of Mgr John Baptist Kauta, secretarygeneral of Uganda’s Catholic bishops’ conference, to his country’s proposed anti-gay law (December 30), that “homosexuality…is not a traditional culture of Uganda” is silly.

Though probably a feature of all cultures across all ages, homosexuality is not a “traditional culture” anywhere, with the possible exception of ancient Greece.

What has happened is a growing tolerance and acceptance of homosexuality in many countries.

This seems to be a far more Christian approach than marginalising, imprisoning and even executing homosexuals.

Comments such as those of Mgr Kauta dodge the issue and give tacit approval to an inhumane law.

Miranda Voss, Cape Town

Be ever watchful

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COMMEND the Cape Town archdiocese’s Justice & Peace commissioner Billy Maseti on his stance on corruption.

It is important to expose corruption and cronyism in all sphere's of government.

Everyone should hold all political office bearers accountable.

The ruling party élite enrich themselves and their families to the detriment of the very people who elected them into those positions, so it is imperative to have an effective opposition party watchdog.

Mr Maseti and other vigilant groups play a vital role in our society. In the 2011 municipal elections I urge the voting public not to believe empty promises.

Teresa Omodeo, Cape Town Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in Letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the Catholic hierarchy. The letters page in particular is a forum in which readers may exchange opinions on matters of debate.

Letters must not be understood to necessarily reflect the teachings, disciplines or policies of the Church accurately.

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PERSPECTIVES Toni Rowland

Family Friendly

Families on the ball

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S I am writing this column we have just celebrated the feast of the Baptism of Jesus.

What happened right then with the Holy Spirit descending on him and the Father’s voice saying “This is my Son, my beloved” always touches me, and the readings during this time from the first letter of John on the theme “God is love” developed this too.

At the end of the holidays, the beginning of a new school and working year I wonder if parents can say that about their children. Are we truly sick of one another by now, have we been able to work on this parent-child love relationship or are we sad that we haven’t seen more of one another?

Although holiday time is over for us in South Africa, now there is nevertheless a kind of holiday atmosphere being kept on the boil. The 2010 World Cup is going to consume much of our attention and energy for the next six months at least. Is that going to be a good or bad thing for families? I believe that we will need to be particularly vigilant not to be sucked up into the hype as individuals or age or interest groups, but to make the best of it as families too.

Yes, concerns are justified over serious issues of prostitution and the human trafficking of women and children during the World Cup, and there is a great need for vigilance. Rowdiness and hooliganism are to be expected from overexuberant visitors and that can rub off on our own people. Everyone who has anything to sell or to offer is bent on making whatever profit they can—hopefully by fair means, not foul.

So what will all this do for and to families?

The very busy-ness can pull us apart, but a number of positive options do exist over the next months.

The 2010 SACBC Family Calendar’s overall theme “Families Play The Game” and the monthly themes can give families something to talk about, especially during a weekly Family Hour which is an activity being promoted actively through the Marriage and Family Living magazine.

Family Hour is spending some quality time together, ideally an hour or so, once a week. On the spiritual side it can include the Sunday readings and some sharing on how they relate to our family, but also important is a chance for members to share their own concerns and issues and be listened to and accepted.

This is a very important technique to be learned and practised in families. Some time for a meal or a snack and playing a game together will make the time fun.

January’s family theme is “The Game of Life” and can deal with different aspects including a concern with the environment and climate change. February’s theme “Match Play” is about love and marriage.

In families that have a Family Hour regularly members get turns to choose the activity for that week. It does take commitment and sometimes sacrifices too but with Lent starting already in the middle of February families can make this a Lenten project which will hopefully be found to be beneficial and continue on beyond Lent. A Family Reconciliation service in homes some time during Lent can be encouraged by parishes.

Maybe parishes are already organising some families games, football or others, to engage with the spirit of things. Inter-parish football games and possibly a family day on Easter Monday (which in South Africa is Family Day), can be planned. Also keep an eye on the website www.churchontheball.com for information.

The 2010 theme will keep coming up, of course, and it is good to begin to plan now at the beginning of the New Year, when resolutions are possibly still being made or already being reviewed, if not being abandoned.

A good family slogan for the year ahead is “The family that prays and plays together stays together”, and one can say that good, quality family time can keep families “on the ball.”

VALLEY VIEW TRAVEL NEW FOR 2010 1-12 May 2010 OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY RETIRED PERSONS PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLYLAND A leisurely pilgrimage of the Christian sites in Israel Organised and led by Mrs Elizabeth Oberholzer Accompanied by a Spiritual Director Cost: R18 965 Tel: (031) 266 7702 Fax: (031) 266 8982 Email: judyeichhorst@telkomsa.net All pilgrimages can be viewed at www.catholic_friends.co.za

The ways for the African Church to grow up

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SAYING of the Bemba of Zambia goes “Mukolwe pakukula, afuna ipindo” (meaning “the cock fractures its wing in the course of maturing”). This hints at the consequences of the risks taken or encountered in the process of somebody becoming an adult.

It is not a rule, nor must it be so, but rather it is a general observation of the process of growing up. This growth will lead some to explore new things that are risky, not necessarily out of rebellion or defiance. Inexperience also may account for possible accidents, which become occasions for correction, learning and gaining confidence. This may happen to anyone, even to a person who remains open to advice and correction of those who are more knowledgeable and experienced. The morale is that growing up can be a dangerous endeavour. Isn’t this true for the African Church?

These days we are speaking with enthusiasm about the growing Church in Africa, still with high numbers of youth practising the faith, and the growing numbers of local clergy and religious. Yes, on this level it’s a picture of hope, at times spoken of with a lot of fuss. Yes, we have a growing Church.

But to become adult means also taking responsibility to do things for oneself and not expect others to do them. So, how much is the African church taking the risk of growing up, of taking responsibility? How much is it promoting this aspect both among the faithful and in the clergy?

How much is the African Church taking seriously this growth in terms of overcoming conformity or timidity by re-reading Scripture, the tradition and the laws of the Church in order to come up with the explanation of faith, pastoral orientation and the evangelisation with a tone that is really African? Sure, this opens the door to mistakes—but then, with readiness to accept correction when errors are made, it becomes an occasion for growth because that calls for further reflections and evaluations.

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have a great admiration for Latin America in regard to their liberation theology, despite the different reactions, even suspicion, it has excited. Well, what’s wrong is wrong and what’s right is right; there could be little room for discussion when that is established. In fact, my admiration is not conditioned by, nor is it concerned about, wrong or right. But I do appreciate this creativity to read the signs of time and go back to the sources to see if there is inspiration to help in addressing the problems at hand in a way well suited to particular situations.

I value this prophetic boldness that gathers the necessary energy, and I know it costs a lot, to step beyond the already beaten path, the classical or traditional approach to evangelisation. The idea is not to send Africans to go and learn liberation theology (even if that could be helpful). The point, the question really is: what is the African Church’s

The Southern Cross, January 27 to February 2, 2010

Chris Chatteris SJ

Pray with the Pope

The prof delusion

Evans Chama

Echoes of African Synod way to stand up to her challenges?

Africa is hit by HIV/Aids and the situation is a disaster. Disasters that have befallen other countries, such as earthquakes or cyclones, pass quickly, followed by a (hopefully quick) rebuilding. In Africa, the disaster takes place anew every day, for decades to come.

This has raised questions especially on preventatives as a topical issue.

This issue, however, is not discussed as it might be in other parts of the world. In Africa, we often have a hushed discussion, and even among bishops, priests and the laity we find divergent views. Why not table such issues? Why not be open to those hot debates that are truly part of our situation? Is the maturity of the African Church to be sought in the quick silencing discussion with official moral statement or reference to canon law? That is a refusal to reflect, a refusal to do theology; a refusal to allow Africa to come up with something in response to her particular problem, to be shared with others too.

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he echoes of the 2009 Synod for Africa should open our eyes, and we must make an effort to begin to see and to act not only differently but also a bit further than usual.

The observation is that there is a need to apply the Gospel to the concrete life of the people. This will succeed not only through statements of what people must know and follow, but also by allowing people to participate in thinking out, and phrasing their faith—it could be a manner of evangelising and teaching that is going to lead people to own their faith and even its expression. It is a sign of maturity when people debate and finally come to formulate the faith of the Church in their own way, with a language sensitive and relevant to their situation.

One of the participants of the Synod, in his personal observation, remarked that the African Church needs to look at herself in an honest way, in truth. Secondly, it should be ready to take the risk of speaking up, for it is the same timidity that lets a lot of abuse go effectively unchallenged.

And this is why I feel that the African Church should rise, take up her pallet and walk, especially by the teaching authority of the African Church, helped by theologians, to state the faith of the Church. And this must not be done by referring to manuals, but by statements of faith and morality that grow from the African Church’s own continuous reflection and formulation.

This might also include revisiting those open-ended answers in canon law; are these not areas where the African Church can prove its creativity and maturity?

REMEMBERING OUR DEAD “It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins” (II Macc XII,46) Holy Mass will be celebrated on the first Sunday of each month in the All Souls’ chapel, Maitland, Cape Town at 2:30pm for all souls in purgatory and for all those buried in the Woltemade cemetery.

For further information, please contact St Jude Society, Box 22230, Fish Hoek, 7975 Telephone (021) 5511747

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General Intention: That scholars and intellectuals, by sincere search for truth, may come to know the one true God. HE cartoon-image of the eccentric professor, cut off from reality in his ivory tower, is out of date and should be discarded. This is the age of the the people’s professor, of hugely influential people like Richard Dawkins and Stephen Hawking who write best-sellers about science.

We live in an age of the scholar-superstar who lectures to students in the classroom by day and popularises for the masses on television by night.

The impact of Dawkins’ polemical book, which attacks belief in God and organised religion, cannot be underestimated. Note its clever, catchy title: The God Delusion.

So although there was a time when the ideas of intellectuals would take a generation or so to trickle down to the popular level, today this process is accelerated by scholars themselves. The ideas of Dawkins have been eagerly propagated by the secularists who have even become a little like street evangelists, going as far as paying for slogans on the sides of buses proclaiming that “God probably doesn't exist, so relax and enjoy life”!

Clearly we are dealing with some formidable competitors in these crusading, media-savvy intellectuals. Their zealotry rather reminds me of St Paul breathing out threats against the Christians. Probably nothing short of a Damascus experience could change their very made up minds.

Damascene conversions are therefore what the Holy Father is effectively asking us to pray for in these hardened cases. Fortunately, with the more open-minded thinkers, who don't hog the headlines, we have an easier task.

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Missionary Intention: That the Church, aware of missionary identity, may strive to follow Christ faithfully and to proclaim his Gospel to all peoples. s a teacher and retreat-giver I have had frequent contact with the students of missionary congregations. I am frequently struck by how focused and unified these young men and women are. Although they come from very varying regions and cultural backgrounds, they often have a strong esprit de corps springing from a clear missionary identity, which marks them out. Perhaps it is because they know from the start that their vocations will be hard, and that, young as they are, they have already counted the cost.

I find it impressive in this day and age when young people spend half their lives discovering who they are, that there are those who buck this trend. They find their identity early on and then commit themselves and get on with living it.

When you hear a young person say in all straightforwardness and simplicity: “I’m a missionary”, it’s hard not to be impressed and moved.

Another notable aspect of the identity of these young apostles is that they often come from countries which used to be or may still be considered “mission territories”. So they know all about how the faith came to their people and they will speak appreciatively of the first missionaries who brought it.

Clearly there will be very few missionaries coming from European or other Western countries for the foreseeable future, so it is the sons and daughters of what we used to call “the missions” who must now take up the task to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

What more worthy intention could there be than to support them with our prayers as they prepare themselves for their missionary endeavours?

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The Southern Cross, January 27 to February 2, 2010

CORN AT THE MOVIES % Ok for everybody & Fine, as long as you’re older than 6 * Alults

Up In the Air

P

OLISHED but morally ambivalent comic drama about an emotionally isolated, though contented, single businessman (George Clooney) who spends his life in chain hotels and airports as he travels from city to city firing employees on behalf of downsizing corporate clients until his rootless lifestyle is threatened by a tech-savvy new colleague—who wants their company to terminate workers via the Internet—and by his deepening feelings for a fellow executive wanderer with whom he initiated a casual romp. Jason Reitman’s screen version of Walter Kirn’s novel is initially engaging and adroitly acted throughout, but the script winks at commitment-free encounters, while what appear at first to be the lifealtering events of the plot turn out to be mere incidents with little spiritual impact. ,

Avatar

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MONG the most expensive and highly anticipated films ever made, director James Cameron’s visually arresting science-fiction adventure sends a paraplegic soldier to a planet called Pandora where he falls in love with a native princess

, Problematic adult content ' Morally unsuitable for Catholics and must choose between her ecologically enlightened culture and his own violent, rapacious species.

Amid passages resembling a Vietnam War movie, a western—pitting bellicose interlopers against spiritual natives in harmony with their natural environment—and a Disney animated musical, Cameron marshals impressive resources to tell an entertaining story, though whether the aliens’ pantheistic religion is meant to be a model for humanity or merely an indigenous cult remains unclear. *

The Fantastic Mr Fox

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ROLL stop-motion animated adventure, set in the animal world of rural Britain, in which the titular vulpine creature (voice of George Clooney), now a respectable newspaper columnist with a wife (Meryl Streep) and son (Jason Schwartzman), tries to recapture his wild past as a chicken thief poaching on local farms, but his renewed raiding enrages a trio of mean-spirited farmers whose escalating countermeasures endanger the whole burrowing community. A touch of menace and a fleeting joke about Mrs Fox’s youthful indiscretions aside, director and co-writer Wes Anderson’s clever, lovingly crafted

REVIEWS adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1970 children’s book offers sophisticated family entertainment, with abundant fun for youngsters and a few insights into the tensions and paradoxes of human nature for adults.

(Opens on February 12) %

The Lovely Bones

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ARRATING from beyond the grave, a 14-year-old girl recounts her murder at the hands of a psychopath (a squirm-provoking Stanley Tucci) and the effects of the crime on her devastated parents, her boozy but sensible grandmother (Susan Sarandon) and her sensitive younger sister, who eventually joins the obsessive dad in a determined hunt for redress. Director and cowriter Peter Jackson’s adaptation of Alice Sebold’s best-selling 2002 novel features a visually rich, though theologically vague vision of “the In-Between”, a picturesque purgatory in which the youthful heroine is trapped as she works through her rage and desire for revenge. The attempt to blend genres with a story that mixes elements of suspense, emotion-driven drama and a morality tale about the limits of human justice and the dangers of fixation eventually becomes scattershot. (February 19) *

The Princess And the Frog

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NCHANTING animated musical, set in 1920s New Orleans, in which a voodoo sorcerer casts a spell that complicates the lives of a visiting prince, the headstrong heiress he hopes to marry and her industrious working-class best friend. The lavish hand-drawn romance emphasises the value of love over material wealth and provides quality entertainment for all ages, though images of fire-breathing masks and evil sprites may scare some tots. %

A Perfect Getaway

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EWLYWEDS on a hiking honeymoon in a remote area of Hawaii fear that an unwed couple they’ve befriended may be serial killers on the lam. After a reasonably intriguing central twist, though one that fails to jibe entirely with what has gone before, the thriller becomes overwrought and excessively violent. ,

Ninja Assassins

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YPERACTIVE, contrived and excessively violent comeback for the martialarts genre with a thin plot, a heavily ramped-up spatter factor and soulful Korean pop star Rain playing a ninja fighter, trained from childhood to become an assassin, who breaks with his gang in time to stop a string of murders in Germany, save the agent investigating them and wreak revenge on his former comrades. '

Planet 51

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ELIGHTFUL animated comedy based in a galaxy far, far away where little green aliens live in a 1950s-style suburbia, complete with white picket fences, backyard barbecues and monster movies playing at the drive-in. When a real alien, in the shape of a human astronaut, drops from the sky, all heck breaks loose as this E .T. tries to return home with the help of a gaggle of teens led by a shy would-be astronomer. Some mildly suggestive humour aside, the generally wholesome film—which features positive life lessons about friendship, loyalty, and acceptance of others—offers fun for all ages. %

Amelia

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ILARY Swank portrays aviatrix Amelia Earhart in a handsome, mellifluous biography suitable for viewing by multiple generations.

Yet it fails to soar as an adventure or romance. No one could expect director Mira Nair, using two literary biographies as source material, to offer the definitive take on Earhart’s personality, let alone solve the mystery of her disappearance over the Pacific in 1937, but the vague insights into her character and relationships, both with husband George Putnam (Richard Gere) and intimate friend Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor)—though ultimately affirming the bonds of marriage—prove frustrating, particularly coupled with the film’s lack of sustenance for aviation buffs. &

All About Steve

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IRESOME romantic comedy about a motormouthed, triviaspouting crossword-puzzle writer (Sandra Bullock) whose isolated life is transformed when she falls for a TV news cameraman (Bradley Cooper). Obsessive love prompts her first to throw herself at him in a bid for immediate intimacy, then to dog him from one news event to the next. The movie is hobbled by a central character whose supposed quirkiness is grating rather than endearing and, a few digs at media excess aside, neither the humour nor the more serious moments affirming individuality and emotional sensitivity succeed. *

George Clooney features in two films reviewed this week: Up In The Air and The Fantastic Mr Fox. (entertainingly sly Robert Downey Jr) and his perennial sidekick Dr Watson (Jude Law) on the trail of a Satan-worshipping homicidal aristocrat who has inspired a wave of public panic by apparently rising from the dead after his execution.

As envisioned by director Guy Ritchie, this brawny Sherlock slugs his way through several bonecrunching square-offs across Victorian London while investigating the dark doings of the Masonic-style secret society to which the errant lord belonged and which may hold the key to his seemingly supernatural powers. *

Brothers

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FTER his upstanding Marine brother (Tobey Maguire) is reported dead in Afghanistan, a newly released, charming ex-con (Jake Gyllenhaal) matures as he cares for his grieving sister-in-law (Natalie Portman) and young nieces. His sibling, who has actually been taken prisoner, suffers a moral breakdown in captivity that threatens to haunt him for life. Though a fine cast, which also includes Sam Shepard as the family’s Vietnam-vet patriarch, do their best to lend intensity to this cautionary tale about the dehumanising effects of war and the gulf between combat and civilian life, the clichés and simplistic characterisations leave this adaptation of Susanne Bier’s 2004 Danish film flatfooted. *

The Spy Next Door

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ENERALLY good-hearted but thin martial-arts comedy in which an undercover spy (Jackie Chan), posing as a mild-mannered pen salesman, is left in charge of his girlfriend’s three kids as he works to thwart the evil schemes of a Russian criminal. This family-oriented offering, while sketchy, is mostly free of worrisome content. Scenes of handto-hand combat makes it unsuitable for the smallest viewers and brief interludes of mildly risque humour further restrict its appropriate audience. (February 5) &

Sherlock Holmes

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HIS vigorous but frequently violent addition to the chronicles of the iconic sleuth sees Holmes

Did You Hear About The Morgans?

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LEASANT, if largely predictable, romantic comedy in which a recently separated New York couple (Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker) accidentally witness the contract killing of an arms dealer and, as part of the government’s protection programme, are abruptly relocated to rural Wyoming where they gradually discover the joys of down-home living as they reassess their relationship. The fish-out-of-water tale is an unabashed celebration of marriage and family life and, though it features extensive discussion of the negative effects of infidelity, is mostly free of objectionable material, making it probably acceptable for older teens. *

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The Southern Cross, January 27 to February 2, 2010

Casimir Nthite CMM

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ARIANNHILL Brother Casimir Alfred Nthite, 67, died on Christmas Eve at St Mary's hospital at Mariannhill, KwaZulu-Natal, after a long battle with cancer.

For 25 years boarding master at local St Francis’ College (SFC), Br Nthite shaped the future of many young people. He also served Mariannhill diocese in different capacities.

Those who knew him well described him as highly committed, principled and humorous person who had great love and enthusiasm in working with the youth.

Born in Johannes-burg he joined the Mariannhill community in 1967 and made his final vows in 1973.

Fr Sylvester Namale, superior of Mariannhill province, said the congregation has lost a pioneer.

Br Nthite was the only African

who persevered as a religious brother in the Missionaries of Mariannhill. On February 2 he would have celebrated 40 years of profession.

Mariannhill Bishop Pius Dlungwane said Br Nthite has

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

done a lot for the diocese of Mariannhill and the Church as a whole, most particularly in the formation of the youth both at the parish level and at the boarding school at SFC. “Br Cas, as he was affectionately known, worked with me at the parish and was in charge of the youth and he worked very well with the young people there.”

To control difficulties at SFC Br Nthite was assigned to act as boarding master for the boys in December 1980. “With his diligent and street-wise experience of young people, Br Nthite was able to handle the situation at the college.”

Archbishop Paul Khumalo, a close friend and confrère of Br Casimir Nthite, said he was a man of faith and a gift to the congregation Br Nthite was buried after a Requiem Mass at Mariannhill on December 31.

Maurizio Langa CMM

FAMILY CALENDAR:

 Shrine of Our Lady of Bethlehem at Tsheseng, Maluti mountains; Thursdays 09:30, Mass, then exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.  058 721 0532

JANUARY: The Game of Life

CAPE TOWN:  The Opening Mass of the Charismatic Renewal movement will be at Holy Trinity parish church, Matroosfontein, at 14:30 on Sunday Feb 14.  There will be a St Pio Holy Hour on Feb 21 at 15:30 in Holy Redeemer church, Bergvliet.  Adoration Chapel, Corpus Christi church, Wynberg: Mon-Thur 6am to 12pm; Fri-Sun 6am to 8pm. Adorers welcome.  021-761 3337  Holy Hour to pray for priests of the diocese, 2nd Saturday monthly at Villa Maria shrine Kloof Nek Rd 16:0017:00.  Blessed Sacrament exposed daily Monday to Friday 09:00–22:00 in Holy Redeemer church, Bergvliet Rd, Bergvliet. Visitors welcome.

DURBAN:  The Retrouvaille Marriage Programme starts on January 22-24.  082 850 0500, e-mail dur ban@retrouvaille.co.za, or register online at www.retrouvaille.co.za JOHANNESBURG:  The Retrouvaille Marriage Programme starts on January 29-31.  011 867 7229, e-mail joburg@retrouvaille.co.za, or register online at www.retrouvaille.co.za  First Saturday of each month rosary prayed 10:30-12:00 outside Marie Stopes abortion clinic, Peter Place, Bryanston.  Joan Beyrooti, 782 4331 PRETORIA:  First Saturday: Devotion to Divine Mercy. St Martin de Porres, Sunnyside, 16:30.  Shirley-Anne 361 4545.

Entries in the community calendar, which is published as space allows, are free of charge. To place your event, call Gene Donnelly, 021 465 5007, or email gened@scross.co.za

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BIRTH LANGEVELD—Born to Adrian and Lindy (née Gous) a lovely daughter, Lauren, on 14/1/2010.

God love and bless you always. From grandparents Irene and Ronnie Langeveld.

IN MEMORIAM

Thoughts for the Week on the Family

BETHLEHEM:

2010 FAMILY THEME: “Families Play the Game.”

January 31, 4rd Sunday of the Year C. St John Bosco. The Church as prophet.

Jesus’ prophetic message is rejected in his own town. While the Church's teaching in Humanae vitae on human sexuality is often challenging, Pope John Paul’s “Theology of the Body” speaks of the value and beauty of the human body and of sexuality.

In today's 1st reading Jeremiah, speaking for God, says: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you came to birth I consecrated you.” As family members, share this wonderful thought and help teenagers especially to understand its deeper meaning. That is what St John Bosco, the patron saint of youth, would do.

Mass readings for the week Sundays year B, weekdays cycle 1 Sun January 31, 4th Sunday of the year: Jer 1:4-5.17-19; Ps 71:1-6.15-17; 1 Cor 12:31–13:13; Lk 4:21-30 Mon February 1, feria: 2 Sm 15:13-14.30, 16:5-13; Ps 3:2-7; Mk 5:1-20 Tue February 2, Presentation of the Lord: Mal 3:1-4; Ps 24:7-10; Heb 2:14-18; Lk 2:22-40 Wed February 3, St Blaise martyr, St Ansgar: 2 Sm 24:2.9-17; Ps 32:1-2.5-7; Mk 6:1-6 Thur February 4, feria: 1 Kgs 2:1-4.10-12; Ps 1 Chr 29:10-12; Mk 6:7-13 Fri February 5, St Agatha martyr: Sir 47:2-11; Ps 18:31.47.50-51; Mk 6:14-29 Sat February 6, Ss Paul Miki & comp. martyrs: 1 Kg 3:4-13; Ps 119:9-14; Mk 6:30-34 Sun February 7, 5th Sunday of the year: Is 6:1-8; Ps 138:1-5.7-8; 1 Cor 15:1-11; Lk 5;1-11

VAN DRIEL—James Frederick 10/01/3719/01/09. Your passing has left us with such deep sadness. Your life of service to God, Church and family fulfilled; your reward: God’s eternal love. May Our Lady keep you under her mantle until we meet. Rest peacefully. In loving memory, your wife Eunice and family.

PRAYERS “HOLY St Jude, apostle and martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke you, special patron in time of need. To you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg you to come to my assistance. Help me now in my urgent need and grant my petitions. In return I promise to make your name known and publish this prayer.

Amen.” For John MOST Sacred Heart, Our Lady, St Jude. “St Jude, apostle and martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor for all who invoke you, special patron in time of need. To you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg you to come to my assistance. Help me now in my urgent need and grant my petitions. In return, I promise to make your name known and publish this prayer.

Amen.” Patricia.

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Daily Mass (Resident Priest).

Use of Wellness Centre. Optional meal provision, etc. See www.vichaven.co.za.  Gavin 079 538 2631

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION AZARS B&B — Olde worlde charm in Kalk Bay's quaint fishing village. Luxury double ensuite/private lounge/ entrance. DSTV/tea/coffee. Serviced 3 times a week. Minutes from Metrorail. Enjoy breakfast at different restaurant every day (included in tariff). Holy Mass Saturdays/Sundays within walking distance. Tel/Fax 021 788 2031, 082 573 1251. grizell@ iafrica.com CAPE WEST COASTYzerfontein—Emmaus on Sea B&B and selfcatering. Holy Mass celebrated every Sunday at 6pm.  022 451 2650.

FISH HOEK—Self-catering accommodation, sleeps 4. Secure parking.  021 785 1247.

FISH HOEK, Cape Town: Self-catering holiday accommodation from budget to luxury for 2 to 6 people. Special pensioners’ rate from May to October. Tel/fax 021 782 3647, e-mail: alisona @xsinet.co.za GORDON’S BAY—4-star self-catering. Uninterrupted seaviews, private balcony, DStv, fully equipped kitchen, automated garages. Sleeps 2.

Contact Lynn or  084 520 4777 www.thebluemarine.co. za GORDON’S BAY: Beautiful en-suite rooms available at reasonable rates.

Magnificent views, breakfast on request.  082 774 7140. E-mail: bzhive @telkomsa.net.

KNYSNA—Self-catering garden apartment for two in Old Belvidere with wonderful Lagoon views.  044 387 1052.

MARIANELLA Guest House, Simon’s Town: “Come experience the peace and beauty of God with us.” Fully equipped with amazing sea-views, secure parking, ideal for rest and relaxation, Special rates for pensioners and clergy.  Malcolm Salida 082 7845675 or mjsalida@ mweb.co.za MONTAGU, Rose Cottage—A luxurious selfcatering “home away from home”; stylishly decorated the “coolest” place in town! Sleeps 6.

The most peaceful surroundings, mountain views, www.rosecottagemon tagu.co.za or e-mail: info@rosecot tagemontagu.co.za or call Christa at 084 409 0044 PEACEHAVEN Holiday Flats, Scottburgh. Selfcatering accommodation with magnificent sea views. We offer 24-hour security, secure parking, 6 DStv channels, a laundromat and braai facilities on the premises.

Three-minute walk to

main beach and shops.

Special pensioner rates during low season periods. 039 9761344/ 9783400; Fax 039 9781476. Email peac ehaven@scottburgh.co. za PIETERMARITZBURG— St Dominic Guest House.

Beautiful old house recently renovated, adjacent to Dominican Priory, Chapel and Conference Centre, near the University and a shopping mall. Self-catering, fully equipped kitchen, safe parking and Internet access. Sleeps 8 in single and double rooms.  033 345 2241, 033 845 9103, 083 301 3354, Fax 033 345 2246, guest house@zaop.org SANDBAAI/HERMANUS —Relaxing weekend away. Reasonable rates.

Contact Jacqui Ferreira.  082 924 5807 SOMERSET WEST: Family flat, sleeps 4.

Secure complex.  021 783 0424, 084 818 5254.

SOUTH COAST—3 bedroom house. Marine Drive, Uvongo.  Donald 031 465 5651, 073 989 1074.

STELLENBOSCH: Five simple private suites (2 beds, fridge, microwave).

Countryside-vineyard/ forest/mountain walks; beach 20min drive.

Affordable. Christian Brothers  021 880 0242 cbc-stel@mweb.co.za UMHLANGA ROCKS: Fully equipped self-catering 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house, sleeps 6, sea view, 200 metres from beach, DStv.  Tina, 031 561 5838 WILDERNESS—Rustic farm cottage, sleeps five, self-catering.  073 478 9038.

WILDERNESS—selfcatering house, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms.

Sleeps 8/10, indoor braai, pool table, DStv. Contact Julia e-mail pro galu@netactive.co.za

PO Box 2372, CAPE TOWN, 8000 Tel: (021) 465 5007 Fax: (021) 465 3850

www.scross.co.za Editor: Günther Simmermacher (editor@scross.co.za)

Advisory Editor: Michael Shackleton Editorial staff: Michail Rassool (mrassool@scross.co.za)

Clutton Patsika (pics@scross.co.za)

Gene Donnelly (gened@scross.co.za)

Gauteng: John Cowan (jandjc@iafrica.com)

Manager: Pamela Davids (admin@scross.co.za)

Advertising: Elizabeth Hutton (advertising@scross.co.za)

Subscriptions: Avril Hanslo (subscriptions@scross.co.za)

Dispatch: Joan King (dispatch@scross.co.za)

Accounts: Desirée Chanquin (accounts@scross.co.za)

Published independently by the Catholic Newspaper & Publishing Company Ltd, Cape Town 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 Post, 8 Jan van Riebeeck Drive, Paarl.

Published by the proprietors, The Catholic Newspaper & Publishing Co Ltd, at the company’s registered office, 10 Tuin Plein, Cape Town, 8001.

STAMPS YOUR USED STAMPS can help in the education

of South Africans for the priesthood at St Joseph’s Scholasticate, Cedara, KwaZulu-Natal. Please send them to: Miss Hazel Gibson, Box 101352, Scottsville, 3209.

SOUTHERN AFRICA’S NATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY SINCE 1920 Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000  10 Tuin Plein, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001 Tel: (021) 465 5007  Fax: (021) 465 3850 Editorial: editor@scross.co.za  Advertising/Subscriptions/Accounts: admin@scross.co.za 5th Sunday - Year C (February 7) Readings: Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 138:1-5.78; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11 NE feature of God we may be in danger of overlooking is God's unutterable holiness. There is a healthy reminder of that in the readings for next Sunday.

The first reading is the account of the calling of the prophet Isaiah, a vision of God in the Temple “sitting on a high and lofty throne”, and surrounded by the seraphim (“Flaming Ones”).

Even those heavenly beings have to cover their faces and their feet. They cry to each other the acclamation that we use as we approach the holiest part of the Mass: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts! The entire world is full of his glory” And “the door-post shook at the sound of the voice, and the House was filled with smoke”.

The effect on Isaiah is dramatic: “Woe is me, I am a man of unclean lips, and it is among a people of unclean lips that I dwell; and yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts!”

Quite unexpectedly, though, the prophet discovers his vocation; one of the “Flaming

O

Listen to God, and do what you’re told Fr Nicholas King SJ

Scriptural Reflections Ones” touches his mouth with a burning ember, and God's voice is heard asking: “Whom shall I send?” To our surprise, and no doubt to his, the prophet finds himself babbling: “Here am I; send me!”

God's holiness, and our lack of it, does not mean that we do not have a vocation, and our attitude towards God should be not so much terror as immense gratitude.

The psalm for next Sunday starts: “I shall thank you with all my heart; before the gods I shall sing to you”. Aware of God's holiness, the poet avows: “I shall bow down towards your holy Temple, and give thanks to your name”, so he is ready for anything God may invite him to do: “on the day I

called you answered me, you strengthened my soul.” He sings: “How great is the Lord's glory!”, and ends, in lyrical vein: “Lord, your love is for ever; do not abandon the work of your hands.”

In the second reading, the holiness of God is not precisely mentioned, but the sense of vocation is unmistakable. Paul is reminding the Corinthians, who had somehow managed to forget it, that Resurrection, the victory of God’s holiness, is at the heart of our Christian faith. He gives an account of this, along with a list of witnesses: Kephas, the Twelve, more than five hundred brothers and sisters at once, James (the brother of the Lord), all the apostles.

Finally, of course, he lists his own encounter with the holiness of the Risen Lord; and that was the moment of his vocation, the reason that he spent the rest of his life buzzing round the Mediterranean like a hyperactive gadfly, talking even to unrewarding characters such as the Corinthians about the holiness of his Lord.

Big changes in the pipeline A

S this wonderful newspaper heads towards its 90th anniversary in October, it faces enormous challenges. Yet whatever is thrown at it by a fickle and sometimes frail media industry, The Southern Cross will prosper.

It has a history of surviving tough times. In its 90 years it has withstood economic recessions and political upheavals, not to mention a world war.

And it has never once missed an issue.

It has been at the back of Catholic churches and in subscribers mailboxes on every single one of the more than 4 600 Sundays since it was launched, and I’m sure the newspaper as we know it will continue for years to come The past year has seen only three newspapers in South Africa actually maintain their readership levels, and I’m proud to say that The Southern Cross was one of them. A huge feather in the caps of editor Günther Simmermacher, manager Pamela Davids and their staff.

Not only in South Africa but worldwide, major newspapers that have been around for decades are struggling to survive. Many famous newspapers have closed down and others are haemorrhaging money at a frightening rate in efforts to stay alive.

Quite simply, easier and cheaper access to immediate news via the Internet and mobile phones, along with an alarming escalation in the cost of producing a newspaper, are contributing to the decline in world newspaper sales.And as sales decline, the efficiency of the advertising in newspapers drops as well. Advertising is the lifeblood of any newspaper, including The Southern Cross. Publication would simply not be possible were it not for its advertisers.

The Southern Cross cannot simply keep

CONRAD

Thank you!

The gospel reading also combines the idea of vocation with a sense of holiness. It is Luke's version of the calling of the two sets of brothers, told very much in Luke's way. The carpenter orders Simon, the professional fisherman, to put out into the deeper part of the Sea of Galilee; the fisherman utters a brief protest (“we caught nothing, even though we toiled all night”) but decides to humour Jesus. The inevitable happens, and the nets start to break with the size of the catch.

Simon Peter's reaction? He falls at Jesus' knees saying: “Go away from me, I am a sinful man, Lord!” This is an understandable reaction, but we must not use God’s holiness as an excuse to run away from our calling.

Jesus’ next words, a gentle joke, are addressed to us, too: “Don't be afraid; from now on you are going to catch human beings.”

We must listen to and imitate the fishermen's response: “Abandoning everything, they became his disciples.” That is our task, this week.

Southern Crossword #375

Chris Moerdyk

The Last Word increasing its cover price and advertising rates, so it has to do something else to ensure that it does the job of communicating with Catholics in our region. And something that it gives more opportunity and value for money to our advertisers.

Already The Southern Cross website (www.scross.co.za) has been upgraded and is now as up to date technologically as any other online news medium. I would encourage you, if you have a computer with an Internet connection, to visit our website, and particularly to subscribe to our free weekly e-mail newsletter, which you can do on the website.

This newsletter, delivered into your in-box every Thursday, contains a lot of different and more immediate information which you will not find in the print edition of The Southern Cross. If you like it, spread the word among your friends.

Advertisers will now have the opportunity of not only placing their advertising in the newspaper but also on the website and newsletter as well—all of which will give them a lot more reach and value for their money.

Very shortly The Southern Cross will launch a digital version of the newspaper via the Internet, in particular to serve those of the South African Catholic diaspora overseas and readers throughout Africa who for various reasons do not subscribe to the newspaper. These subscribers will be able to read The Southern

A new innovation: The Southern Cross’ free e-mail newsletter Cross, looking exactly as the print issue does, on-line.

Already The Southern Cross has received a request from a Catholic in South Africa wanting to subscribe to the digital version for her mother who lives in Europe.

But The Southern Cross has got another enormous challenge: to reach more Catholics in our region. Right now, the newspaper is read by approximately 40 000 Catholics a week—not very good when one considers that there are anything between six and eight million Catholics in Southern Africa.

This is an age-old problem: Günther tells me that one of his predecessors, Fr Louis Stubbs, complained about Catholic reader apathy in the 1950s!

While our website and e-mail newsletter might allow us to eventually reach thousands more Catholics, we needed to think of something that would allow us to communicate with millions more.

And when you think about it, the one thing that almost every South African, both rich and poor, owns is a cellphone.

So The Southern Cross is investigating right now ways and means of using cellphone technology to reach out to those millions of Catholics in this country.

Our website, newsletter and digital version of the newspaper are well under way, and later in the year we hope to have found an economical way of making our content available via mobile phones. As most Catholics in this country are poor, it will be our great challenge to discover a way of spreading the word at minimum or no cost to the poor.

The board, editor, manager and employees of The Southern Cross all have an enormous responsibility to ensure the survival of this great institution. Your prayers will be very much appreciated and your continued support is absolutely vital.

ACROSS 1. Lone brother (4) 3. Type of work for one in holy orders? (8) 7. Ivan ran away to complete bliss (7) 9. Voters go to them (5) 10. Martha was a good example of this busy woman (9) 12. Die like a parking meter? (6) 14. Break the rule (6) 16. Kindly, like your mother's brother (9) 19. An unmarried girl is not quite right (5) 20. Whenever Christ will return (7) 21. Important person with a loud report (3,5) 22. Sage over the centuries (4)

DOWN 1. You'll find him in church and government (8) 2.

Thorn pointing upwards (5) 4. It's missing in the communion wafer (6) 5. Does it educate the body of cardinals? (7) 6. The unrepeated Judgment (4) 8. Tanks not found aboard Noah's Ark? (9) 9. How Jesus suffered (9) 11. Rids mare of hangerson (8) 13. How Jesus expected to find his disciples (Mt 26) (7) 15.Fights over left-overs (6) 17. Regretting (5) 18. Paschal Victim (4)

SOLUTIONS TO #374. ACROSS: 1 Virgin, 4 Search, 9 Commemorating, 10 Lantern, 11 Annul, 12 Harms, 14 Serfs, 18 Usher, 19 Abraham, 21 Holy Communion, 22 Lacked, 23 Deaths. DOWN: 1 Vocals, 2 Roman Catholic, 3 Irene, 5 Emanate, 6 Reign of Christ, 7 Highly, 8 Mount, 13 Miracle, 15 Bushel, 16 Naomi, 17 Amends, 20 Rouse.

CHURCH CHUCKLE

T

HE priest, visiting an elderly parishioner who was not well, said: “I think it’s time you were thinking about the here-after. Would you like me to talk to you about it?”

“Oh no, Father, that won’t be necessary. I’m always thinking about it.”

“I’m so glad to hear that,” said the priest.

“Yes, every time I go into a room, I find myself saying: ‘Now what am I here after?’ ” Brian Reynolds, Potchefstroom

Send us your favourite Catholic joke, preferably clean and brief, to The Southern Cross, Church Chuckle, PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000.