200513 by The Southern Cross

The

S outher n C ross

May 13 to May 19, 2020

Reg No. 1920/002058/06

No 5186

www.scross.co.za

Bishop Dowling: Now is a chance for change

R12 (incl VAT RSA)

How to deal with our grief in Covid times

Cardinal and soccer ultras work together

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St John Paul II at 100 His life and influence in text & pics

Centenary Jubilee Year

SA youth day postponed BY ERIN CARELSE

Pope St John Paul II in 1978, the year he was elected the 263rd successor to St Peter, with coat of arms and signature. Over four pages this week we explore the life and legacy of the Polish pope who would have turned 100 on May 18. (Photo: Arturo Mari, L’Osservatore Romano)

OUTHERN Africa’s third Mini World Youth Day has been postponed indefinitely due to the implications of Covid-19 and for the safety of the young people. The event was set to be held in the archdiocese of Pretoria from December 9-13, preceded by four “Days in the Parishes”. At their virtual May meeting, the administrative board of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) approved the postponement. The postponement had been proposed by the MWYD presidium committee, chaired by Bishop Stanislaw Dziuba of Umzimkulu and Sr Hermenegild Makoro CPS, secretarygeneral of the SACBC. “When we sent out the initial e-mail concerning the plans to host another MWYD we narrated the plans of the conference and what the MWYD Teams, the youth and young adults of the SACBC and beyond were working on and looking forward to,” said a statement signed by Bishop Dziuba, as the SACBC liaison bishop for youth, and national youth chaplain Fr Mthembeni Dlamini CMM But, it continued, “little did we know that we might end up having things like the lockdown, quarantine, sanitising, washing of hands, self-distancing, walking around in masks, working from home, closure of schools and universities as early as March”. The organisation of MWYD had already made much progress, they said. The MWYD logo, theme, poster, official prayer, bookmarks, budgets, main venue, registration packages, website, and so on were already in place. The organisers were also in the process of finalising deals with bus companies, accommodation venues, catechetical venues, catering companies, and so on. Due to the Covid-19 crisis, all public gatherings were suspended from March, including schooling, academics and religious gatherings. With schools and universities closed for

The logo for Mini World Youth Day 2020. Set to be held in Pretoria in December, the event has been postponed indefinitely. this long, there is a possibility that the academic year may run up to late December or even spill over into 2021. This would have made it impossible for students to attend MWYD in early December. Many people are also facing employment and financial challenges which might take a long time to recover from, the statement noted. Bishop Dziuba and Fr Dlamini also noted that “we might have this virus around for some time into 2021, and continuing with plans [for MWYD] will result in a huge financial loss which the SACBC cannot manage”. Besides, it would be “extremely difficult to organise anything” at this stage since most service providers are closed during lockdown. There were also concerns that staging a youth event at this stage would have health implications. “The Church, as a loving parent, would not wish to have anyone put in danger,” the statement said. Continued on page 2

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iD you know that The Southern Cross is entirely independent and unsubsidised, surviving on revenue from sales and advertising — and the kind support of our readers? The Southern Cross has survived for nearly 100 years on strength of tight financial management and the great sacrifices by its small, loyal staff. But now the survival of our only national Catholic weekly is in great danger. The closure of our churches in the national lockdown has robbed us of our main source of income: sales at the church door.

We have made the weekly edition available for FREE on our website, going online every Friday at 11:00. That way, all Catholics will have access to the Catholic weekly. Subscribers get their edition on Wednesdays, with premium content for the duration of the lockdown. We are asking those who take up our offer of the free newspaper to make a donation, or to subscribe. An encouraging number of people have already done so. We remain positive that by God’s grace we can survive this crisis. But that also requires YOUR help.

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The Southern Cross, May 13 to May 19, 2020

LOCAL

Crisis a chance to ‘bring out treasures’ of being disciples STAFF REPORTER

HE bishop of Rustenburg has said that the current coronavirus crisis is a time to look at the future of the Church. Writing in this week’s edition of the British Catholic journal The Tablet, Bishop Kevin Dowling said he hopes that, “as time goes on, we can start to discern what the experience of this pandemic calls for from the Church in terms of its vision, mission and ministry”. The closing of churches and the suspension of public Masses “is challenging us to become a different kind of Church”, the bishop said. Noted that South Africa is facing “a serious crisis”, Bishop Dowling explained that the Church leadership in Southern Africa, under the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference and its president, Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Mthatha, “has encouraged us to respond as creatively as possible to the needs of the people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable”. “We cannot go back to what was normal in the past. We must be a Church which is much more inclusive of the destitute and of those who are suffering in so many ways: the victims of violence against women and children, all those who are stigmatised or suffer discrimination,” he wrote. “This requires addressing hon-

Bishop Kevin Dowling of Rustenburg, seen here in January at the launch of the new Pastoral Plan in Soweto, has said that the closure of churches “is challenging us to become a different kind of Church”. (Photo: Sheldon Reddiar) estly the systemic issues in the political fabric of the nation, the massive corruption, mismanagement, and incompetence. But it also requires of us as Church to reflect on and discern what the signs of the times call us to be and do, what model of Church we need to create and develop,” Bishop Dowling wrote.

“I hope and pray that this crisis will bring out the treasures of who we are called to be as disciples of Jesus, and to be the field hospital that Pope Francis dreams of,” he said “This means building on what we have achieved in the past—but then, to be creative in imagining something new for the future.”

Fr Lawrence Mduduzi Ndlovu of Our Lady of Peace parish in Roodepoort, Johannesburg, expresses his gratitude to Nomvula Mokonyane after the former government minister came through with a full van of food parcels for the parish’s Society of St Vincent de Paul to distribute in the community. “We have been overwhelmed with food shortages since this virus began,” said Fr Ndlovu. “Our SVP team has been very busy and is running low on food to give to families who are going through difficulties during this time.” The food is distributed to people on the parish’s list of those who are in need of help, “and the many others we have found during this Covid-19 time”, he said.

Mini-WYD postponed Continued from page 1 As a faith community we cannot “test God”, the statement said. “Even Jesus refused to do such a thing,” it added, referring to the temptations in the wilderness. “We have been warned and given tips for survival—and let us abide by those regulations,” Bishop Dziuba and Fr Dlamini said. Their statement gave no indi-

cation of an alternative date. Several other global Church events have also been postponed. The International Eucharistic Congress, scheduled for September, has been postponed to next year. The World Meeting of Families in Rome has been moved from 2021 to 2022, and World Youth Day in Lisbon has been moved from 2022 to August 2023.

Parishioners’ message touches mothers’ hearts Southern Cross is our region’s only Catholic weekly, and so it is crucial in bringing Catholic news and thought to the People of God. Without it an important Catholic voice will be lost.

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VERY year on Mother’s Day, men of St Anthony’s church in Greyville, Durban, come together very early on Sunday morning to prepare a special breakfast for the parish’s mothers, with fried bacon and eggs, and all the trimmings. This year, because of the lockdown and churches being closed, the breakfast obviously was not possible. So at short notice, the men and parish priest Fr José Alton dos Santos came up with a plan to make Mother’s Day special in another way. Within a day they created the poster below. The image was then posted on the parish’s Facebook page on Sunday morning. For the mothers of the parish, the message—and the effort that went into coordinating its production—was special indeed. Now everybody hopes and prays that next year on Mother’s Day, the men of the parish will be able to return to their stoves for those bacon-and-eggs breakfasts.

The Southern Cross, May 13 to May 19, 2020

LOCAL

Churches urge new economy, Day of Prayer STAFF rePorTer

DDRESSING “a nation boxed in by the double whammy of Covid-19 and the junk status of our economy”, the South African Council of Churches (SACC), of which the Catholic Church is a member, has called for a post-crisis restructuring of the economy that is inclusive and for the benefit of all. “The big question is whether inequality can ever be addressed without measures to slow down the rate of wealth growth for the extremely wealthy while building up the capacity for wealth creation by those in the dungeons of poverty,” the SACC said. The Covid-19 crisis “has laid bare the effect of poverty and inequality in South Africa,” the council noted. It warned that “some will use the government relief provisions for evil and greed. Please look out for who will use this as opportunity for corruption and personal gain.” Such people should be identified and reported to the SACC’s “Mpimpaline” on 0800 111114. The SACC also counselled prudence in the consideration of reopening churches. “We have supported suspending

public worship for very practical pastoral reasons, and it is necessary to remind ourselves of that context today,” the pastoral letter said. It noted that while 80-85% of the infected will not be seriously affected by the virus, it poses a lifethreatening danger to the remaining 15-20%. “These realities require of leaders to think carefully and prudently about the conditions under which we can encourage a return of the faithful to congregation worship,” the SACC said. To that end, the SACC National Church Leaders Forum has established a task team, chaired by Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, to address “the question of what will be the new normal for churches, and how we can continue to worship while containing the spread of the virus and protecting our most vulnerable”. After discussions by all Church leaders, the SACC will make submissions to government “on the proposed way forward for church worship”. The SACC noted that some churches, mainly in urban areas, have been using technology to offer

which various Christian and other faith traditions might “have a day when a slot can be afforded for a moment of worship that allows the faithful to hear a familiar approach to worship on their radio and television”.

Hand-washing is important in warding off Covid-19 infection. In a new pastoral letter, the South African Council of Churches has commented on various social and faith issues related to the coronavirus crisis. services to congregations in their homes. Noting that receiving streamed material is expensive in data costs, the SACC said it is exploring with the public broadcaster a way by

he SACC condemned violence, by security personnel and in homes, during the lockdown. “South Africa has earned the unwelcome notoriety as the home of gender-based violence, gruesome rape, and killing of women in what has been dubbed the Republic of Sexual Abuse,” it said. “Such domestic abuse has increased frighteningly now with victims trapped in lockdown with abusers.” The SACC also noted that there have been “several cases of reported brutality and excessive force used by members of the security forces on people in the context of the managing and enforcing lockdown regulations…against poor communities of mainly black people”. “We take a very dim view of this, and call on the political and operational leaders of these forces to not be inordinately defensive, but to

look seriously into this tendency, investigate every reported case, and act decisively and transparently,” the SACC said. “This is important for the continued support of the work of the security forces in their necessary role through this difficult episode of human history.” The council also addressed domestic violence. It praised frontline workers in the fight against Covid-19, including health workers, and police and army personnel. “We ask you to pray for them as they risk getting infection for the sake of our collective health. Let us find ways to support their families as they live in our midst,” the SACC said. The council said it plans to hold a National Day of Prayer, including all faith traditions, to “take a moment to thank God that infections have remained relatively low” in South Africa. “It is a time for us to remember those who have lost their lives, and to thank God for the hard work of those whose job is to save lives and protect the nation from the worst, the frontline workers.”

Covid-19 lockdown hits youth programme hard By erIN CAreLSe

L Charmaine de Maudave Bestel and Danielle Simpson at work making facemasks for the Denis Hurley Centre in Durban. The stalwarts of the Society of St Vincent de Paul in Durban North parish say that even in lockdown, they can still make a difference.

The people behind the facemasks S By JereMy SIMPSoN

ITTING at their russet diningroom table, Charmaine de Maudave Bestel and Danielle Simpson pieced together their first masks. Pale-blue pleated cloth with elastics hugging your ears tightly. For many, a mask feels restrictive, filtering out the world and reinforcing the frightening reality of a global pandemic. Yet, this mother-daughter team has turned the mask into a symbol of community and service by embarking on a project to make 400 for the Denis Hurley Centre in Durban. After two weeks of tinkering with the design at home, Ms Simpson decided it was time to take this idea to Raymond Perrier, director of the Denis Hurley Centre. Though they are familiar faces in the centre’s community, for the last few weeks the two women have been stuck at home social-distancing, like so many other volunteers. Yearning to continue their work, they embarked on a project to make 400 masks. They leaped at the target, sewing masks with determination—using every last scrap of unused fabric lying around the house. Ms Simpson ironed the fabric on a miniature board before she passed it on to Ms de Maudave

Bestel at the sewing machine. When their reserves ran out, the operation had to continue. “After our fabric ran out, I decided to contact a good friend of mine, Carla Antil, to see if she had any offcuts she could donate. We have made over 200 masks with her generous donations,” Ms Simpson explained. Over WhatsApp and e-mail, they enlisted more Durban friends and family, bringing them together as fabric-donors or sewers. They saw this as the perfect opportunity to reignite a sense of community and companionship around a common cause, something many of their friends at the St Vincent de Paul Society at Blessed Sacrament parish in Durban North, such as Bridget Patterson, have excitedly become a part of. So too has Ms Simpson’s sister, Del Mullen, and others—all of whom have added their own creative touch to the masks. Despite the isolation of lockdown, “we are still able to make a difference”, Ms Simpson said. “There are things we can do at home—like these masks, for example—that can help the more vulnerable people in our community, such as those being sheltered by the Denis Hurley Centre.”

IKE many other NGOs, the Salesian Institute Youth Projects in Cape Town are struggling. Yet as an organisation, it will need to keep offering its skills-development programmes after lockdown. After 110 years of commitment to the youth of Cape Town, the Salesian Institute Youth Projects (SIYP) is now facing an unprecedented challenge. “All funding has been redirected to Covid-19 efforts—and so it should be—but we now face a huge challenge as the youth rely on us,” said Salesian Father Patrick Naughton, SIYP chief executive officer. “The pandemic, national lockdown, and resulting economic slowdown affect every aspect of South African society. Given the already weak state of the economy, the country’s high levels of unemployment, poverty, and inequality; we, as an organisation, now are faced with financial constraints to continuing with our programmes offered to youth from marginalised backgrounds,” Fr Naughton explained. SIYP, as many other NGOs, performs crucial capacity development, humanitarian, and advocacy functions and are an integral part of the fabric of our society. These programmes depend on

grant-funding and individual donations to support their operations. As local and international funders are also affected by economic downturns, less funding will be available to support NGOs. “Covid-19 is not an event with a defined beginning or end, and it is likely to remain an ongoing threat for the foreseeable future,” Fr Naughton said. “This situation makes us extremely vulnerable. We are already experiencing a decrease in funding, and we fear funding-cuts in the future. This is not the time for complacency; we will continue with smart leadership and creative fundraising efforts to prevent the downscaling of operations or staff losses,” the priest said. SIYP is operating remotely during the lockdown, providing essential services such as food parcels to their beneficiaries in vulnerable communities across Cape Town. “These interventions complement those of government and other stakeholders and form an integral part of a collective national response to the Covid-19 pandemic,” Fr Naughton noted. SIYP hopes to maintain its development programmes for youth from at-risk backgrounds after lockdown, and is encouraging civil society to invest in its efforts to keep the Learn to Live School of Skills and other programmes alive.

The Learn to Live School of Skills was designed specifically for vulnerable and at-risk children and youth. It has been recognised as an independent school by the Western Cape Education Department. The programme provides basic education and skills training to youth at risk who, for various socio-economic reasons, cannot cope in mainstream schooling. There are very few such schools and it caters for 230 learners aged 14-18. The SIYP Waves of Change Programme prepares disadvantaged and unemployed youth between the ages of 18-35 years to find work in the maritime industry. “We are appealing to civil society, who we know is being bombarded with many aid requests, to please consider the work the SIYP has been doing for over 110 years in Cape Town. Our goal to uplift and provide training and employment opportunities for at-risk youth, and facilitate sustainable livelihoods is an important one,” said Fr Naughton. Donations will go towards the post-lockdown continuation of SIYP’s programmes which address youth unemployment and skills development. n To donate visit www.salesian youth.org/donate-today/donate/ or contact Frieda Pehlivan at Frieda. Pehlivan@salesianyouth.org.za or on 082 584-4405

The Southern Cross, May 13 to May 19, 2020

INTERNATIONAL

Churches in Europe to open with restrictions BY CAROL GLATZ

W Cardinal Rainer Woelki and ultra fans of FC Cologne in front of the archdiocesan seminary where they serve the homeless. (Photo: Archdiocese of Cologne)

Cardinal hails football ultras A N unusual collaboration between a cardinal and ultra football fan groups has resulted in 140 homeless people being fed in the German city of Cologne. The city’s archbishop, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, opened the archdiocesan seminary as a refuge for the indigent. The archdiocesan canteen prepares food for around 140 homeless people every day. In that initiative, the cardinal has received support from many volunteers. Among them are members of the two ultra fan groups of FC Cologne (or 1.FC Köln) club, the “Wild Horde” and “Coloniacs”. The hardcore football fans are usually known for their pyrotechnics and sometimes questionable banners at football games of their club. But currently they are supporting the seminary in the soup kitchen and serving food to the needy. The ultras have also produced facemasks which have become bestsellers. The proceeds from sales go to the archdiocesan feeding initiative. Cardinal Woelki, himself a fan of FC Cologne, has thanked the two ultra groups, which have a record of fundraising outside the stadium for charitable causes. “I have come to know young, engaged people who stand up not only for their club but also for people in need. Great guys,” he told the Geissblog website. The club these ultras support is

also helping the archdiocese: with a ticket system for church services where seating capacity is limited due to the coronavirus social-distancing restrictions. “We are very thankful to 1.FC Köln for the quick and uncomplicated support in this unusual time,” said vicar-general Mgr Markus Hofmann. “This is a beautiful sign of solidarity.” Since the first weekend in May, public church services have been permitted again in Germany’s most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia, but under certain conditions. Visitors must maintain a set minimum distance from each other and the number of worshippers at a service is limited. The archdiocese is using an online ticket-reservation system that the club employs in planning for events such as autograph-signing sessions. Now FC Cologne is training staff members of parishes in using the system. “It would make us very happy if we could help people in our city, despite the restrictions of the corona crisis, live and practise their faith,” said Alexander Wehrle, managing director of FC Cologne. The archdiocese said the ticket system guarantees that worshippers do not show up at churches only to be turned away. In addition, possible infection chains can be traced.

S outher n C ross

Jubilee Year Camino to Santiagode Compostela

The

Official 7-Day Camino From Lugo to Santiago de Compostela

June 2021

Led by a spiritual director

ITH a number of countries in Europe slowly easing restrictions as part of a longterm strategy for containing the spread of the coronavirus, churches, also, are seeing changes in what is or will be allowed. Where possible, for example in Italy, protocols were the result of government officials, public health experts and Church leaders working together to find ways religious practices and public worship could be resumed without posing risks to individuals and public health. Where Masses are resuming, most include some common rules such as limits on the size of the congregation, use of hand sanitiser by everyone before entering the church and by those distributing Communion immediately before doing so, no holy water in fonts, no exchange of a sign of peace, and Communion only in the hand. Here is a roundup of what some European countries had decided: • The French government announced that it would begin a grad-

ual easing of restrictions after its sixweek lockdown. But churches will not be able to resume public liturgies until at least June 2. • In Switzerland, the Catholic bishops’ conference issued guidelines on the norms to be followed when church services are set to open to the public starting on June 8. Based on each building’s normal occupant capacity, only one-third of that number will be allowed inside so people can maintain a personal space of 4m2. Family members living together may sit together, but throughout, people can sit only in every other pew. The faithful must leave in a precise order, maintaining social distance and avoiding any crowding, especially outside. After Mass, all objects and everything people came in contact with must be disinfected. • In Germany, dioceses were able to decide on the date to open churches for public worship after a six-week lockdown. Common protocols include the need for individuals to wear a face-

mask, sit in designated seats, and maintain a distance of 1,5m from others. There are limits to how many people may be allowed inside and many parishes ask that reservations be made online or by phone. Floors are marked for where to stand when waiting to receive Communion. • In Italy, the public will be allowed to be present for liturgical celebrations starting on May 18. Among the norms that must be respected are that members of the public must wear a facemask inside the church, avoid any form of assembly throughout the structure, and maintain a 1,5m distance from each other. The parish should provide, if possible, seperate entrances, doors should be left open before and after Mass so people don’t have to touch handles, and additional services should be provided during the day if there is not enough room for people wishing to attend a Mass. Outdoor Masses should be considered and the livestreaming of Masses for those who cannot participate is encouraged.—CNS

Pope advances sainthood cause of selfless Italian teenager BY JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES

19-year-old Matteo Farina has been declared a Servant of God.

OPE Francis advanced the sainthood causes of one woman and four men, including an Italian teenager who dedicated his brief life to spreading faith and happiness to his peers. The pope signed the decrees during a meeting with Cardinal Angelo Becciu, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes. The pope recognised the heroic virtues of Matteo Farina, a 19-yearold who, while seemingly living a normal life for a person his age, dedicated himself to helping others after being inspired by a dream of St Pio of Pietrelcina at the age of nine.

Despite being diagnosed with cancer at the age of 13, Matteo continued to write and speak about the importance of being happy and holding onto faith. He died in 2009. Pope Francis also recognised the heroic virtues of Maria de la Concepcion Barrecheguren Garcia, a Spanish woman who died in 1927 at the age of 21 after battling tuberculosis. He also recognised the heroic virtues of her father, Redemptorist Father Francisco Barrecheguren Montagut who, after the death of his daughter and his wife, entered the order in 1944 and was ordained a priest in 1948. He died in Granada, Spain, in 1957.—CNS

Viganò accuses Cardinal Sarah of causing him ‘harm’ over letter

ONTROVERSIAL Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò has accused a Vatican cardinal of causing him “serious harm” in a bitter war of words over a contentious open letter regarding the coronavirus crisis. Cardinal Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Sacraments, denied on Twitter that he had signed the letter, which had by that time already been published. The letter argued that as a result of the pandemic, centuries of Christian civilisation could be “erased under the pretext of a virus” and an “odious technological tyranny” established in its place. “The imposition of these il-

liberal measures is a disturbing prelude to the realisation of a World Government beyond all control.” Archbishop Viganò said that in denying that he had signed the letter, Cardinal Sarah had used Twitter “to make statements that cause serious harm to the truth and to my person”. The archbishop, an outspoken opponent of Pope Francis, said he had a recorded a telephone call in which Cardinal Sarah consented to being a signatory to the letter, which critics have dismissed as a conspiracy theory. In his tweets, Cardinal Sarah said: “A cardinal prefect, member of the Roman Curia has to observe

a certain restriction on political matters. ” He did not distance himself from the content of the letter: “From a personal point of view, I may share some questions or preoccupations raised regarding restrictions on fundamental freedom but I didn't sign that petition.” In his statement, Archbishop Viganò said he had chosen to publicise his private conversations with Cardinal Sarah because he had a duty to tell the truth, and “also for the sake of fraternal correction”. He confirmed that Cardinal Sarah’s signature has now been removed from the open letter.

Redacted report on Cardinal Pell published BY MICHAEL SAINSBURY

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

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HE Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse published redacted sections of its 2017 report, and new findings said it did not believe some of the testimony given to it by Cardinal George Pell. In Sydney, Cardinal Pell issued a statement saying he was surprised by some of the commission’s views, because they were “not supported by evidence”. The Royal Commission,

which ran from 2013 until it handed down its 16 volumes of findings in 2017, had previously redacted some sections concerning Cardinal Pell while criminal proceedings against him remained in the court system. Sections that had been edited said the Royal Commission rejected much of the evidence that Cardinal Pell gave via video link from Rome in February 2016. In that testimony, the cardinal denied any knowledge of sexual abuse by priests.

“We do not accept that thenBishop Pell was deceived, intentionally or otherwise,” the commissioners found. But the commission also rejected the allegation made against Cardinal Pell that he had attempted to bribe a victim of abuse to stop him complaining to police about his uncle. The cardinal, who was involved in the transfers of two prominent priests, denied knowledge of their activities at the time.—CNS

INTERNATIONAL

The Southern Cross, May 13 to May 19, 2020

Church oppose plans to annex West Bank land BY JUDITH SUDILOVSKY

OVING forward with an Israeli plan to unilaterally annex West Bank land could mean the end of the already languishing Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, said the heads of the Holy Land Churches. “An array of plans for Israel to unilaterally annex West Bank land, backed mainly by right-wing factions, raises serious and catastrophic questions about the feasibility of any peaceful agreement to end the decades-long conflict, one that continues to cost many innocent lives as part of a vicious cycle of human tragedy and injustice,” Church leaders said in their statement. Among those who signed the statement were Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, apostolic administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and Franciscan Father Francesco Patton, custos of the Holy Land. Also in early May, Israeli Defence Minister Naftali Bennett initially approved a construction project that has been under discussion for 20 years and would see 7 000 new housing units built in the West Bank Israeli settlement of Efrat, expanding the settlement towards its border

with Bethlehem. A new government coalition agreement between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz allows Netanyahu to present his longdiscussed annexation proposal to the government. US President Donald Trump has expressed support for the annexation plan, which would bring 30% of the West Bank under Israeli permanent control, contingent upon the offering of limited statehood to the Palestinians in the remaining territory—something the Palestinians have rejected. Patriarchs and heads of the Holy Land Churches said they viewed such annexation plans “with the utmost concern”. They called upon Israel “to refrain from such unilateral moves, which would bring about the loss of any remaining hope for the success of the peace process”. Church leaders called on the US, the Russian Federation, the European Union and the United Nations to respond to the plans with a timedefined and phased peace initiative of their own based on international law and UN resolutions to “to guarantee a comprehensive, just and long-lasting peace in this part of the world that is considered holy by the

three Abrahamic faiths”. They also urged the Palestine Liberation Organization, which they called “the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people”, to resolve all internal and factional conflicts so it could present a united front “dedicated to achieving peace and the building of a viable state that is founded upon pluralism and democratic values”. Regarding settlement expansion, Palestinian and Israeli opponents of the plan say it will prevent any potential expansion of Bethlehem, already being blocked on two sides by other building projects in Efrat and in Har Homa. Israel considers Har Homa a neighbourhood of Jerusalem, but Palestinians call it a settlement built on land belonging to Palestinians from the city of Beit Sahour. The non-governmental organisation Israeli Peace Now said in a statement: “This is a cynical move by a caretaker defence minister at the end of his mandate, while the nation is still reeling from the corona crisis, to advance a dangerous plan aimed at entrenching permanent Israeli domination in the southern West Bank.” —CNS

Vatican Museums eyes reopening BY JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES

S Italian authorities prepare to slowly relax lockdown restrictions in the country, a Vatican City official said it will enact new measures and protocols to ensure the safety of visitors to the Vatican Museums. In an interview with Vatican News Bishop Fernando Vergez Alzaga, secretary general of the Governorate of Vatican City State, said that due safety preparations, the museums “do not yet have a definite date on reopening”. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced that libraries, exhibitions and museums would be al-

lowed to open nationwide on May 18 with limited entrance if they could guarantee visitors would observe social distancing and if the institutions followed health regulations designed to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Bishop Vergez told Vatican News that once they reopen, “the museums can be accessed only with a reservation”, he said. “This will allow us to stagger the entrances during opening hours.” Visitors will be required to wear a mask. The Vatican Gardens, as well as the museum at the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo, will also open with similar protocols in the hopes that local visitors taking weekend trips

will visit the summer residence of the pontiffs, he said. While the pandemic has forced many institutions to allow access on the web through virtual tours, Bishop Vergez said the museums preferred not to publicise exhibitions and instead chose to remain in “silence”. “We saw Pope Francis alone in a deserted St Peter’s Square. Every day we see the rooms and galleries of the museums empty of people. The silence calls for prayer. That’s why we preferred to reduce our communication to a minimum and give a testimony in this sense,” the bishop said.—CNS

“Christ the Healer” icon by Joe Malham. The icon is intended to comfort not only those who are ill but also those who have lost their jobs as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo: Joe Malham/ Chicago Catholic/CNS)

Christ the Healer icon inspired by pandemic BY MICHELLE MARTIN

HEN word came that residents in the US state of Illinois were being asked to stay home and the archdiocese of Chicago suspended public Masses in mid-March, iconographer Joseph Malham was at a loose end, like so many others. He decided to use the time to create, and the result is a 1x1,2-m icon of Christ the Healer, an image he completed in just three weeks. “Like the rest of the world, I thought, ‘I can sit around listening to my own fears and anxieties and uncertainties or I can do something creative,’“ said Mr Malham. “That’s when I came up with doing this for the sufferers of Covid-19.” The icon is intended to comfort not just those who are ill or who have loved ones who are ill or have died. It’s also for all those suffering financially or emotionally, those isolated from friends and family members, and those who put their own health at risk to care for people who are sick, Mr Malham said. He counts himself among that number, as the work he does creating icons for parishes and other institutions has dried up and art restoration

jobs are all gone. At the same time, it has become impossible to get some of the materials he usually uses, so everything in the icon comes from supplies he had on hand. The board that forms the base is a piece of oak he found in the parish garage. Because he could not get the gesso primer he usually uses, he coated the board in plain white paint. Since he had no gold leaf, the icon is highlighted with gold paint. “I’m not striving for anything that is perfect or beautiful in a technical sense,” Mr Malham said. “I think it’s the most genuine icon I’ve ever done.” Its message, he said, is a plea for help, but a plea made to Jesus in hope rather than fear. That’s also the tone of a prayer that accompanies the icon composed by Auxilliary Bishop Mark Bartosic of Chicago. The first half of the prayer calls on Jesus who sees what we cannot. “It’s the idea that Christ sees to the bottom of everything,” Bishop Bartosic said. “Something what seems so opaque and dark to us is not opaque and dark to Jesus. It’s to trust that we don’t have to see to the bottom of it because he does.”—CNS

Caritas: Global action needed to alleviate hunger BY CAROL GLATZ

CONOMIC stagnation, ongoing sanctions, food shortages and reduced funding all risk making life in a post-pandemic world more dangerous and deadly than the coronavirus itself, said Vatican-based international network of Catholic charities Caritas. “Unfortunately, the aftershock of the pandemic” is proving to be “even more complicated and more deadly than the impact of the virus itself, especially for the most vulnerable communities in the poorest countries”, Caritas Internationalis said in a statement. It urged the international community and donor countries “to take courageous and immediate action” or else millions of vulnerable people will face worsening

malnutrition or starvation. The UN World Food Program estimates that the number of people on the brink of starvation worldwide “will double as a result of Covid-19 and could reach 230 million people”, it said. “Africa is the worst-affected continent, experiencing food shortages due to the lockdown, as well as a diversity of disasters such as floods, drought, locust invasion and poor harvests. Many countries in the Middle East, Latin America and in Asia are already on the verge of a severe food crisis leading to child malnutrition and starvation” among adults, Caritas Internationalis said. Other vulnerable groups include migrants, internally displaced people, recent returnees from conflict areas and,

particularly, undocumented migrants who would not be able to get public assistance, it said. “Access to essential, affordable services, and in particular to healthcare, should be guaranteed by local authorities” to undocumented workers, it added. Aloysius John, Caritas Internationalis’ secretary general, said: “We are conscious that we are before an atypical emergency wherein the major donor countries are the most affected by the virus. But we need to know that the diversion of international aid to respond to national needs will not be the right solution. “We can stop another major humanitarian crisis if courageous and bold actions are taken to anticipate and support the most vulnerable communities,” Mr John said.—CNS

Film, books will commemorate St John Paul’s legacy BY CAROL GLATZ

ANDEMIC restrictions have upset plans for pilgrimages and major public Masses celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of St John Paul II. But it hasn’t stopped book launches and an online film premiere about the life and legacy of Karol Wojtyla, who was born on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland. Spanish filmmakers have released a new documentary, Wojtyla: The Investigation, and Mario Enzler, a former Swiss Guard, has a book out titled, “I Served a Saint”, reflecting on his service at the Vatican from 1989-93. While many people will be able to

look back and remember key events, iconic images and inspirational teachings from Pope John Paul’s life and pontificate, the Vatican publishing house has released a book aimed specifically at the countless young people, “who still know very little or even nothing” about the saint, who died 15 years ago, said Alessandro Gisotti. “We thought it would be wonderful to produce a very simple, very slick volume to be a gift, especially for the younger

generation,” Mr Gisotti, the vice-editorial director of Vatican media said. Titled A Celebration: In Words and Images, the 128-page book on St John Pau will also be published in English by Paulist Press. Pope Francis, who wrote the book’s preface, called his predecessor “a great witness of faith, a great man of prayer” and a “trustworthy guide for the Church at a time of great change”. “So many times over the course of my life as a priest and bishop, I looked at him and prayed for the gift of being faithful to the Gospel as he himself gave witness to,” Pope Francis wrote. His 84 years of life and 27-year-long pontificate left a “living legacy” to the Church today, the pope wrote.—CNS

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The Southern Cross, May 13 to May 19, 2020

The

LEADER PAGE

S outher n C ross

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

John Paul II at 100

S we mark the centenary on May 18 of the birth of Karol Wojtyla, we particularly celebrate the epochal papacy of Pope John Paul II. When Pope John Paul died in April 2005, The Southern Cross produced a special memorial edition. On the cover we titled the late pontiff “John Paul the Great”. Many tributes since have echoed that title. One need not agree with all of its directions to see that Pope John Paul II’s 26-year papacy, the third-longest in history, was marked by greatness, if such things are measured by leadership, impact, prophetic witness, integrity and service. Pope John Paul’s papacy, much as that of Pope Francis today, forces us to reconcile positions which may at first glance be irreconcilable. The Polish pope’s contribution to bringing down Soviet communism delighted Western capitalists to such an extent that they saw John Paul as one of theirs (as did many of their opponents). But he was also a fierce critic of capitalist systems that fail to serve the common good, and especially the poorest. And his historic visit to Cuba in 1998 brought the island nation’s enemies, chiefly the United States, much discomfort. But during that visit, he also criticised the Castro regime. Often, John Paul would use foreign trips to intercede prophetically in political affairs. For example, when he controversially visited Chile in 1987, he told fascist dictator Augusto Pinochet—a murderous tyrant as well as a pious Catholic—to accede to demands for a referendum on his continued leadership. Pinochet did, and lost. Pope John Paul also sent a clear message to the apartheid regime, whose system he despised, by excluding South Africa from his 1988 tour of the region. When he was forced to land in Johannesburg, he met foreign minister Pik Botha with a studied lack of warmth. Pope John Paul had a special love for Africa: both synods of bishops concerning the continent were called by him (though the second one was presided over by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI). In the bloodiest of centuries, Pope John Paul epitomised, by word and deed, the pursuit for

peace. In that, he stands alongside the likes of Gandhi, King and Mandela. In a world that increasingly had lost its moral direction, John Paul provided an ethical compass. He spoke from convictions that were not shared by everybody, but his moral stature demanded that he—and the Church he led— at least be heard. A conservative on doctrinal issues and a progressive on social justice, John Paul attracted criticism from many within the Church. Some objected to his preferential option for the poor or his ecumenical initiatives, others were opposed to issues of Church governance or certain inflexible positions in moral teachings. And, like any of us, John Paul had flaws. He was so convinced of his own positions and devotions that he could not entertain the notion that others might legitimately not share in these. It has been said that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, his doctrinal chief and eventual successor, at times had to put the brakes on the pope. John Paul was also a poor judge of character, an affliction shared by many popes before and after him. Several of the individuals he appointed to lofty curial and other positions of great influence were particularly regrettable choices. Some of them can be held responsible for the Church’s disastrous response to the sexual abuse scandal; some were even guilty of sexual abuse themselves. There are people who resent the late pope for “dialling back” the progress of the Second Vatican Council. There is a fruitful debate to be had on that subject, but such claims also miss the point that the pope did implement the fruits of the council to which he had contributed—in the way he understood it. In our front-page editorial in 2005, we noted: “People will remember John Paul in many ways: the people’s pope, the Polish pope, the African pope, the pilgrim pope, the teacher pope, the pope of the youth, the Marian pope, the media pope, the pope of peace, the evangelising pope, the pope of social justice, the saint-maker pope, the writer pope, the pro-life pope, the innovator pope, the suffering pope [and] the holy pope.” On the centenary of his birth, we recall Pope St John Paul II in all of these attributes.

Our Catholic radio needs generous support

OVID-19 has hit the world, which is recovering, so to speak, as if it was knocked out by a heavyweight boxer. Everybody is struggling to their feet, dazed and trying to regain a sense of reality. Thousands have lost their lives and many thousands feel helpless. In the end corona will not win. What the coronavirus has done is to bring out the best in human nature. It has been incredible to see the solidarity and collaborations, in South Africa and around the world. At the invitation of President Cyril Ramaphosa, the people have responded generously to the solidarity fund initiated by him. Even without being asked, people have responded super-generously. Indeed, several wealthy people have responded magnificently, including our fellow Catholic, Patrice Motsepe. They have contributed billions of rands and I feel very proud to be a South African and to note this credible generosity and response. Some years ago, our Catholic schools were in danger of being lost, and our bishops appealed for support. The generosity of our community saved our schools. In those days, we did not have coronavirus or the economic crisis as we do today. Nevertheless,

SC a lighthouse

AY I commend the editor and staff involved in producing the issue May 6-12 in very difficult circumstances caused by the lockdown. From cover to cover there is good reading on a variety of topics that affirm The Southern Cross as a window on the Catholic world— serving as a lighthouse in dark times. I am writing these thoughts on May 7, the day Second World War ended in Europe in 1945 with the surrender of the Nazi war machine. Günther Simmermacher’s research and his naming of German and Austrian lay and religious Catholics who were martyred for resisting Nazism in the death camps is a masterly piece of journalism. St Maximilian Kolbe is well known to us, but many others mentioned are not. From civil servant Erich Klausener, the first lay person to die, to Fr Otto Neururer, the priest who died after hanging upside for 34 hours, we have a sobering account of the dehumanising culture that dressed death camp victims in pyjamas before killing them with Zyklon B in the gas chambers. Imagine the horror of it all—this

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Catholics responded more than generously. Today the Church faces another crisis, which calls for heroic response. Radio Veritas is the only Catholic voice we have on air in South Africa, but after 20 years of vibrant and inspirational broadcasting it finds itself on the brink of closure. There are 2 000 donors who support our Catholic radio station on monthly basis. If it were not for them, there would be no Radio Veritas. These generous people contribute R300 000 a month—but we need to double that amount to cover our monthly costs. There are over four million Catholics in South Africa and even if we had 100 000 listeners, each day there should be no undue problem if each contributed just a little bit.

he fact is that we are entirely dependant on the donations of our fellow Catholics, and just as South Africans and particularly Catholics have been super-generous in the response to our needs. I am convinced that Catholics would take up the challenge of supporting their only radio voice on air. It can be done. It will be done to keep alive our Catholic flame of Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in Letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the Catholic hierarchy. Letters can be sent to PO Box 2372, Cape Town 8000 or editor@scross.co.za or faxed to 021 465-3850

destructive perversion of truth and life and liberty and compassion. The editorial balances the crimes of the Nazis with the frank statement by the German bishops acknowledging the complicity of their predecessors in war crimes, in particular their uncritical position concerning the war. Here in South Africa, during the worst of apartheid oppression, we were blessed with a courageous community of Catholic bishops, priests, religious and laity who spoke up, who acted against the perpetrators of crimes against humanity. It was our hierarchy who called Catholics to respond in conscience, who published pastoral letter after pastoral letter calling for social justice to guide, reshape and rehumanise our society through gospel values, who called us to be communities serving humanity in the spirit of Christ. As far back as 1954 the SACBC had launched its special campaign

truth and not only inform the country about the truth but bring encouragement and hope to those who have lost it. This is a time for us Catholics to show what we are made of. Recently a school in Bergville was vandalised and set on fire. I saw the report repeated at least 17 times on the SABC but not once did I see the report on the vandalisation and desecration of St Mary’s cathedral in Cape Town. I learned about it only from The Southern Cross. Why have our Catholic been so slow to make a noise about that act of destruction? So let us take up the challenge of standing up for our faith unashamedly. Radio Veritas desperately needs your help now, and we hope that this appeal will touch the whole of South Africa, especially Catholics. What can you do now to save our voice on air? May I also add a word of appreciation to The Southern Cross for being available online free of charge in our time of crisis. Our Catholic newspaper, too, is worthy of much greater support. You can send donations to: Nedbank Cresta, branch code 191305; Radio Veritas, account number 1913 296 067. Fr Emil Blaser OP, Johannesburg

to save Catholic black schools from Bantu Education—at great cost to dioceses and with great sacrifices by teachers. From what I recall, not one of these schools was closed between 1954 and 1994, the year when South Africa became a democratic, non-racial society. The same issue notes that Durban’s inaugural Passion Play was first produced at the Marian Congress at Greyville Racecourse in May 1952. This is incorrect. The play was first produced in Durban’s City Hall in Lent of April 1952. I should know because I was there at the City Hall and the racecourse as a 16-year-old scene shifter under orders from set designer and architect Alan Woodrow. Sydney Duval, Cape Town

Biggest diocese

n the article on the new bishop of Oudtshoorn (May 6), you refer to the diocese of Oudtshoorn as being geographically the biggest diocese in the country (113 343km2). The diocese of Keimoes-Upington is 250% bigger than that, 270 000km2. Bishop Edward Risi, Keimoes-Upington

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PERSPECTIVES

Hear people’s stories E VERY year in this period after Easter, the Church’s daily readings take us through the book of the Acts of the Apostles. My religious education teacher at school was a Welsh Baptist minister who encouraged us as teenage boys to read Acts because it was “as rollicking as any adventure story!” Well, I fear that he was exaggerating somewhat, but what the author Luke does give us is a fantastic spread of characters. We not only have the original Apostles of the title, but a whole host of other personalities, each with their virtues and their vices. We have those who are honest, and those who are complete frauds, the martyrs and the villains (and the villain who eventually becomes a martyr), men and women, old and young, rich and poor, Jews, Romans, Hellenists and all kinds of foreigners, some of whom are well-connected and others definitely on the margins of society. What Luke is showing us is that the Church is made up of the full breadth of human life. One thing that we are all missing by not being able to go to our churches on a Sunday morning is the chance, each week, to be reminded that we could well be sharing our pew with someone who has almost nothing in common with us— except for a shared desire to journey towards God. It is important that we have that regular reminder. Otherwise we might fall into the trap of thinking that the Church is not a school for sinners but a club for saints. Even if we feel we have only just gained admission, we might still be tempted to pull the door shut behind us. One of the challenges we have with people who are not like us is that it takes us more time to get to know them and to hear their story. There may be some basic problems of language but also more complex problems of the type of language we use: grandchildren and grandparents locked down together over these few weeks may have found the time to better understand how the other expresses themselves. Sadly, preconceptions can get in the way, so that we think we know about someone just from the way they style their hair or their accent or their clothes. And often we just do not have the chance to have that conversation even when we want to. Overcoming preconceptions is a constant challenge in the work that I do with homeless people. But I do have plenty of opportunities. For the municipal officials who have been working with us to run emergency

shelters for the homeless in Durban, this has been a remarkable new opportunity to get to know homeless people as people. Indeed that has also been true of some of our priests who have been working as chaplains to the shelters. I cannot invite you to come and sit with a homeless person in Durban, but I can do so virtually. Samora Chapman is a skilled storyteller who has been taking photos of some of our homeless men and capturing their stories. I will give you a sample here of just one, not least because Sandile sporting a rosary and a Muslim prayer cap immediately caught my attention. You can read and see more stories like these in the full article in the Daily Maverick (bit.ly/2LjKCwA or Click Here). And if you are inspired by the photographs, you can buy high-quality, limitededition signed prints of these and others in a fundraising sale that the Denis Hurley Centre will be holding towards the end of May. For more information see our Facebook page or e-mail news@denishurley centre.org.

Sandile’s story Meanwhile, let Samora introduce you to Sandile who is in lockdown at the Denis Hurley Centre along with 100 other homeless people. What follows is Samora Chapman’s interview with Sandile. Sandile has a wonderful talent for singing and songwriting and has high

Faith and Society

hopes of a career in the creative world after lockdown. He loves to play soccer in the churchyard and give inspirational speeches to anyone who has time to listen. “I never went to school, I never had a chance to learn. Everything I know I have learnt on the street. I never liked to be a criminal, but my family never gave me the love that each and every child should have,” Sandile says. “So I smoked drugs. I tried to hang myself but it never killed me. Sometimes I feel lonely, I feel hurt, it’s like I don’t exist. “If you call your child a dog, he will become a criminal. It’s painful when I see people afraid of me. I’m a human too,” he says. “I was made to be a servant of God. But I’ve dwelled in places I shouldn’t have. If I could’ve had a parent’s love I wouldn’t have misused it. I can’t be a child again. I can’t return to my mother’s womb. “The street is not good, I don’t like this life. You experience a lot of things. You learn bad.” Sandile came to the city when he was 13 years old and ended up committing acts of crime, including robbery. Sandile is originally from the Mthethwa King’s area near Richards Bay. He has no birth certificate, no ID. Continued on page 11

Sandile, who features in Samora Chapman’s series of photos and stories of people served at the Denis Hurley Centre in Durban. Sandile tells his story in this article. (Photo: Samora Chapman)

Back to the basics now G O back to your households, your homes, your families. Go back to the place of resilience, of strength, of support—or possibly go back to the place of dysfunction, of anxiety, of pain. The president has spoken—decisively. Some 73 000 troops were rallied, philanthropists have been emerging and people have been soothed, temporarily at least. South Africa is ahead of the game in the coronavirus crisis, with government communications managed, testing scaled up, world accolades for following the rules, temporary housing for the homeless, social grants distributed, and the banking sector reflective rather than demanding. However, families across South Africa must ask: “Go back to what and whom and under what conditions?” If ever there was a moment in postapartheid South African history, when the role of family should be advocated for, now is that moment. The family has overnight become government’s “go-to” for the education of children, sharing of resources, care for vulnerable persons. And families are left dealing with grave uncertainties relating to household economy and personal survival, whether that be paying rent, a bond, acquiring electricity, water and data to stay connected, food, personal and hygiene products—all without knowing when this will end. The huge infrastructure projects, bailouts of state-owned entities, junk status and the 55% of South Africans who live

Raymond Perrier

Many are going hungry due to the Covid19 crisis, but in South Africa, hunger didn’t begin with coronavirus, Imelda Diouf notes. (Photo: Queven/Pixabay) in poverty have all become secondary to the might of the security cluster who are charged with keeping us in our homes, with our families. And they do so despite the lack of water and sanitation in many communities, despite the forced close proximity of crowded townships and informal-sector living, all of which are ideal conditions for the breeding of viruses and spreading of disease.

Hunger before Covid-19 While the Covid-19 crisis might be exacerbating hunger, poverty and unemployment, it was not their cause. The government’s White Paper on Families (2013) details three key objectives: l Enhance the socialising, caring, nurturing and supporting capabilities of fami-

Imelda Diouf

The Family Brief

lies so that their members are able to contribute effectively to the overall development of the country; l Empower families and their members by enabling them to identify, negotiate around, and maximise economic, labour market, and other opportunities available in the country; and l Improve the capacities of families and their members to establish social interactions which make a meaningful contribution towards a sense of community, social cohesion and national solidarity. Where does this leave us? In a state of lockdown while a policy that was published in 2013 remains just a locked-down policy. Putting on the family lens provides an opportunity to look beyond Covid-19. South Africa must pay attention to placing families at the centre of development. Role players—including bishops, pastoral councils, clergy and active citizen families—must be vociferous in how we build a post-Covid-19 nation. Go back to the basics. Improve the conditions of households and families that reside in those four walls. Strengthened families have a critical role in implementing a rebooted socio-economic system. A family focus is the catalyst for change. Now is the time to implement the White Paper on Families. Now is the moment!

The Southern Cross, May 13 to May 19, 2020

Fr Pierre Goldie

Christ in the World

Pandemic needs jubilee response T

HE global pandemic makes new demands on society as a whole, including the economy. In the struggle with this seemingly implacable virus, business needs realignment, reorientation. Maximising profit in our grim situation, which some have likened to the Second World War in gravity, is not a valid objective in the short term, and business needs to look at practical ways of helping the world at risk. In situations of war, the economy focuses on armaments; in context of a global pandemic, effort needs to be redirected to defeating the silent killer. Jubilee theology, as commanded by God in the Book of Leviticus, was intended to remedy the excesses of the economy which placed many in situations of permanent financial servitude. It did not involve “pushing the reset button” and cancelling all debt, but people were allowed to return to their ancestral property. There were set formulae for selling property in terms of these divine directives, so God did not abolish the entire market system. Interest could not be charged on certain loans. The whole Jubilee Year (every 50th year) was designed to correct the excesses of the market system, a check against humanity’s natural instinct to acquire, to hoard, to get richer. The Bible has much to say about that! It was also a recognition that land, labour and capital originate from God, and we are stewards of creation, not absolute owners. This Jubilee dispensation was observed for centuries. Surrendering assets, properties and goods is not, therefore, a socialist intrusion, but an inherently religious solution to the world crisis. God did command humankind to “subdue” the earth, and to be masters of the world’s resources, so I adamantly maintain that work is a holy activity, willed upon us by God, not as a punishment, but as a participation in the ongoing work of creation, of finishing of an unfinished world, of ensuring that everyone has a dignified living. The command to Adam and Eve to work came before the Fall. Work was always God’s agenda for humanity. The fact that it is characterised by tensions and hardships is because of the Fall.

Now is the time to give back Restrictions on human mobility are in tension with the need to keep businesses running, to pay salaries, to settle accounts, to keep up the cashflows, to provide essential services and products. Business has the acumen to know what can and cannot be done in the complex, interrelated world of economics. A sacrifice is called for, especially by companies that have ample reserves. Many of the larger businesses in South Africa have benefited substantially from the availability of the cheap labour of peoples unfamiliar with the world of mining and industry. Now is the time to give back, to reciprocate for the substantial benefits enjoyed over the past century, built up by entrepreneurs with a tradition of business, of mercantile flair, and assisted ably by those to whom industry was a new experience, and were coerced into the cash economy by the demands of state-imposed taxes and loss of farms. The government has announced a special R500 billion package to assist those people who lack basic goods. I am confident that big business can make even more substantial contributions to our ailing country. We need to remember that even before the pandemic, many South Africans did not have the resources to simply live a reasonably dignified life. May the business world respond with ingenuity and generosity, and keep the larger picture in mind, and move to assisting all to lead dignified lives. We pray that the many Eucharists and prayers celebrated throughout South Africa will provide a spiritual energy for leaders to redress our country’s key socio-economic issues. Life was difficult for too many people in our country, it has just become even more difficult. I am confident that business has the imagination to implement solutions, to allow the Spirit of the Risen Christ to enter the marketplace, where he always belonged.

The Southern Cross, May 13 to May 19, 2020

ST JOHN PAUL II

From left: Baby Karol Wojtyła with his mother who died when he was nine in a photo specially colorised for The Southern Cross; Karol’s First Communion; Karol Wojtyła as a stage actor during World War II; Fr Wojtyła after his ordination; Bishop Wojtyła in 1963 during Vatican II in St Peter’s Square.

This was the man Karol Wojtyla St John Paul II was a modern-day apostle and the world’s conscience. This is the life of the man born Karol Wojtyła on May 18, 1920.

OPE John Paul II, whose centenary of birth we mark on May 18, was a voice of conscience for the world and a modern-day apostle for his Church. To both roles he brought a philosopher’s intellect, a pilgrim’s spiritual intensity and an actor’s flair for the dramatic. That combination made him one of the most forceful moral leaders of the modern age. As head of the Church for more than 26 years, he held a hard line on doctrinal issues and drew sharp limits on dissent. The first non-Italian pope in 455 years, Pope John Paul became a spiritual protagonist in two global transitions: the fall of European communism, which began in his native Poland in 1989, and the passage to the third millennium of Christianity. For many years he was a tireless evangeliser at home and abroad, but towards the end his frailty left him unable to murmur a blessing. After St John Paul died on April

2, 2005, at age the age of 84, an estimated 4 million people paid their respects over several days. His funeral six days later was broadcast around the world and drew more than a million people, including kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers, and representatives of many faiths. Seeming to respond to the “Santo subito!” (“Sainthood now!”) banners that were held aloft during his funeral in St Peter’s Square, his successors—Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis—respectively beatified and canonised him, after waiving the normal five-year waiting period for the introduction of his sainthood cause.

A series of tragedies Karol Jozef Wojtyła was born the youngest of three children on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, a small town near Krakow, in southern Poland. His older sister died before Karol was born. His mother, Emilia, died from a heart attack and kidney failure when he was nine. When he was 12, his only brother, Edmund, died. And he lost his father, Karol Sr, at age 20 in 1941. “At 20, I had already lost all the people I loved,” St John Paul later recalled. In 1938 her and his father had move to Krakow, where the young

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, soon to be Pope Benedict XVI, incenses the coffin of St John Paul II during the late pope’s funeral in St Peter’s basilica on April 8, 2005. Right: The cover of the special edition of The Southern Cross marking the death of Pope John Paul II.

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The

man enrolled in the Jagiellonian University. There he became exposed to the theatre, and let his talent for language blossom. Eventually he spoke 12 languages: his native Polish, Latin, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, English, German, Ukrainian, Serbo-Croatian, Slovak and the international language Esperanto. But his studies were cut short by the German occupation in 1939. The university was closed, and Karol was required to work. From 1940-44 he worked as a messenger, in a limestone quarry and in a chemical factory, all to avoid deportation to forced-labour camps in Germany. Jewish authorities have said that Wojtyła also helped protect many Polish Jews from the Nazis.

The path to vocation In 1940 Karol was introduced to Carmelite mysticism and the Living Rosary youth groups. This exposure to spirituality, his father’s death, and a series of accidents led Karol to think about becoming a priest. An accomplished actor in Krakow’s underground theatre during the war, Wojtyła changed paths. He tried to enter the Carmelite monastery but was turned away with the advice: “You are destined for greater things.” In October 1942, he knocked on the door of the Bishop’s Palace in Krakow and asked to study for the priesthood. Archbishop Stefan Sapieha approved, and Karol entered his clandestine seminary in the palace. When a German lorry hit Karol in 1944, he suffered severe concussion and a shoulder injury. He interpreted his survival as a sign that he was right to follow the path of a priestly vocation. He was ordained on All Saints’ Day, November 1, 1946, by nowCardinal Sapieha. Fr Wojtyła was sent to do theological and philosophical studies in Rome, eventually earning a doctorate with a thesis on “The Doctrine of Faith in St John of the Cross”. According to Wojtyła’s schoolmate, the future Austrian Cardinal Alfons Stickler, the young Polish priest in 1947 visited Padre Pio. The controversial mystic heard his confession and told him that one day he would ascend to “the highest post in the Church”. Fr Wojtyła believed that the prophecy was fulfilled when he became a cardinal.

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Pope John Paul II flashes his familiar smile during a visit to Paris in 1980, the first by a pope to France since 1814.

A priest in Krakow Fr Wojtyła returned to Poland for parish work in 1948. His first assignment was in the village of Niegowic, 24km from Krakow, at the church of the Assumption. His first action on arriving there was to kneel and kiss the ground, a gesture he had picked up from the patron saint of priests, St John Vianney. It later became a trademark of his papacy to kiss the ground of countries he visited. Transferred to Krakow, he taught at universities, and set up a popular youth group which combined prayer, spirituality, theology and charity with adventurous outdoor camps. This was a risky undertaking for a priest in communist Poland, so Fr Wojtyła told is charges to call him “Wujek”, meaning “Uncle”, to avoid detection. It was a nickname that became popular and stuck. During that time he also wrote a column for a Catholic newspaper in Krakow. When named auxiliary bishop of Krakow in 1958—Fr Wojtyła learnt about it while he was on a kayaking holiday—he was Poland’s youngest bishop. He became the archbishop of Krakow in 1964. By then Bishop Wojtyła had already come to the attention of the universal Church. In 1962 he was delegated to the Second Vatican Council. There he contributed to two of its most significant documents, the Decree on Religious Freedom (Dignitatis humanae) and the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et spes). Pope Paul VI made Archbishop Wojytla a cardinal in 1967.

The non-Italian pope Though increasingly respected in Rome, Cardinal Wojtyła was a virtual unknown when he was elected pope on October 16, 1978. (Click here for an article on how he was elected.) In St Peter’s Square that night, the first non-Italian pope in 455 years set out his papal style in a heartfelt talk—delivered in fluent Italian, interrupted by loud cheers from the crowd.

As pastor of the universal Church, he jetted around the world, taking his message to 129 countries in 104 trips outside Italy. These included a 1988 visit to Botswana, Swaziland (now Eswatini), Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, during which he had to make an unscheduled stop in Johannesburg. South Africa had been excluded from the schedule because Pope John Paul abhorred apartheid. He made his only visit to South Africa in October 1995, an overnight stop with a single public Mass in Johannesburg. It remains the only papal visit to South Africa.

The great evangeliser Whether at home or on the road, Pope John Paul aimed to be the Church’s most active evangeliser, trying to open every corner of human society to Christian values. He laid out his vision of the Church’s future and called for a “new sense of mission’’ to bring Gospel values into every area of social and economic life with a landmark document, the apostolic letter Novo Millennio Ineunte (“At the Beginning of the New Millennium’’). His social justice encyclicals also made a huge impact, addressing the moral dimensions of human labour, the widening gap between rich and poor and the shortcomings of the free-market system. At the pope’s request, the Vatican published an exhaustive compendium of social teachings in 2004. Over the years, public reaction to the pope’s message and his decisions was mixed. He was hailed as a daring social critic, chided as the “last socialist”, cheered by millions and caricatured as an inquisitor. Pope John Paul never paid much attention to his popularity ratings. Within the Church, the pope was just as vigorous and no less controversial. He disciplined dissenting theologians, excommunicated self-styled “traditionalists”, and upheld Church teaching against artificial birth control. At the same time, he pushed Catholic social teaching into relatively new areas such as bioethics, Continued on page 9

ST JOHN PAUL II

The Southern Cross, May 13 to May 19, 2020

Pope Francis speaks on John Paul II In a new book, Pope Francis has spoken about his great admiration for St John Paul II. CINDY WOODEN reports.

AINT John Paul II taught the world that truly great faith and holiness dwell in “the normality of a person who lives in profound communion with Christ”, according to Pope Francis. Precisely because he allowed people to see he was a human being—whether skiing or praying, hiking or suffering—“every gesture of his, every word, every choice he made always had a much deeper value and left a mark”, Pope Francis told Fr Luigi Maria Epicoco, author of the Italian book San Giovanni Paolo Magno (“St John Paul the Great”). The book was written to mark the 100th anniversary of St John Paul’s birth on May 18, 1920. Much of the book is biographical information about the late pope, but each chapter includes Pope Francis’ response to questions from Fr Epicoco about his relationship with the late pope and observations about St John Paul’s spirituality, personality, events in his life and his teaching. The priest said he spoke to Pope Francis about St John Paul several times between June 2019 and January 2020. A theologian and popular retreat leader, Fr Epicoco is president of the Fides et Ratio Institute for religious

studies in Aquila, Italy. Pope Francis said there is “total harmony” between his thoughts about the meaning of ministerial priesthood and Pope John Paul’s teaching on priesthood. Asked if he thought the abolition of mandatory celibacy for most Latin-rite Catholic priests would be a way to address the priest shortage, he responded: “I am convinced that celibacy is a gift, a grace, and following in the footsteps of Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, I strongly feel an obligation to think of celibacy as a decisive grace that characterises the Latin Catholic Church. I repeat: It is a grace.”

Church and women Fr Epicoco also asked Pope Francis about Pope John Paul’s insistence that women cannot be priests because Jesus chose only men as his apostles. “The question is no longer open for discussion because the pronouncement of John Paul II was definitive,” Pope Francis said. However, he said, usually the question betrays a misunderstanding of the role of ministerial priesthood and focuses only on people’s function in the Church, not their importance. Like Mary, he said, women are the ones who “teach the Church to pass through the night trusting the daylight will come, even when daylight is still far off. Only a woman is able to teach us a love that is hope.” Fr Epicoco also noted how often Pope Francis speaks of evil, and he asked the pontiff where he sees evil at work today.

The cover of the new book in which Pope Francis remembers Pope John Paul II—it depicts the two men in 2001, when the future Pope Francis was made a cardinal. Right: Pope Francis during the canonisation of St John Paul II in St Peter’s Square on April 30, 2014. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS) “One place is ‘gender theory’,” Pope Francis said. “Right away I want to clarify that I am not referring to people with a homosexual orientation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church invites us to accompany them and provide pastoral care to these brothers and sisters of ours.” Gender theory, he said, has a “dangerous” cultural aim of erasing all distinctions between men and women, male and female, which would “destroy at its roots” God’s most basic plan for human beings: “diversity, distinction. It would

make everything homogenous, neutral. It is an attack on difference, on the creativity of God and on men and women.”

Wojtyła an African pope? Speaking of his relationship with John Paul II, Pope Francis said he was in the car in Argentina when he heard that Cardinal Karol Wojtyła had been elected pope in 1978. “I heard the name Wojtyła and thought, ‘an African pope!’ Then they told me he was Polish.” Pope Francis, then Fr Jorge Mario Bergoglio, said he liked the new

The Polish pope Karol Wojtyla Continued from page 8 international economics, racism and ecology. He led the Church through soulsearching events during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, fulfilling a dream of his pontificate. His pilgrimage to the Holy Land that year took him to the roots of the faith and dramatically illustrated the Church’s improved relations with Jews. He also presided over an unprecedented public apology for the sins of Christians during darker chapters of Church history, such as the Inquisition and the Crusades. The pope approved a universal catechism as one remedy for doctrinal ambiguity. He also pushed Church positions further into the public forum. In the 1990s, he urged the world’s

bishops to step up their fight against abortion and euthanasia, saying the practices amounted to a modern-day “slaughter of the innocents”. His sharpened critique of these and other “anti-family” policies helped make him Time magazine’s choice for Man of the Year in 1994.

The ecumenist The pope was a cautious ecumenist, insisting that real differences between religions and churches not be covered up. Yet he made several dramatic gestures. These included launching a CatholicOrthodox theological dialogue in 1979; visiting a Rome synagogue in 1986; hosting world religious leaders at a “prayer summit” for peace in Assisi in 1986. Travelling to Damascus, Syria, in 2001, he became the first pontiff in history to

Left: Pope John Paul II appears from St Peter’s basilica following his election on October 16, 1978, when he was 58. Right: Pope John Paul II after being shot in St Peter’s Square on May 13, 1981. Bullets fired by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca struck the pope’s hand and lower abdomen.

Left: Pope John Paul II sits with his would-be assassin, Mehmet Ali Agca, in Rome’s Rebibbia prison in 1983. He publicly forgave his assailant. Right: Pope John Paul II tries to speak from the window of his private apartment at the Vatican on March 30, 2005. It would be his last public appearance. He died three days later.

visit a mosque. To his own flock, he brought continual reminders that prayer and the sacraments were crucial to being a good Christian. He held up Mary as a model of holiness for the whole Church, updated the rosary with five new “Mysteries of Light”, and named more than 450 new saints—more than all his predecessors combined. St John Paul lived a deep spiritual life—something that was not easily translated by the media. Yet in earlier years, this pope seemed made for modern media, and his pontificate has been captured in some lasting images, like huddling in a prison-cell conversation with his would-be assassin, Mehmet Ali Agca, who shot the pope in St Peter’s Square on May 13, 1981, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. St John Paul credited Our Lady of Fatima for his survival, and later placed the bullet that nearly killed him into the crown of the Portuguese shrine’s statue of Our Lady. That bullet put his papacy on hold for several months. Assailant Mehmet Ali Agca served 19 years in an Italian prison before being sent back to Turkey. The pope was soon back on the road, eventually logging more than a million kilometres. His 14 visits to Africa were part of a successful strategy of Church expansion there; in Latin America he aimed to curb political activism by clergy and the inroads made by religious sects. In his later years, the pope moved with difficulty, tired easily and was less expressive, all symptoms of the nervous system disorder of Parkinson’s disease. By the time he celebrated his 25th anniversary in October 2003, aides had to wheel him in on a chair and read his speeches for him. Yet he pushed himself to the limits of his physical capabilities, convinced that such suffering was itself a form of spiritual leadership. With the third-longest pontificate in Church history, St John Paul died at the age of 84 on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday. Divine Mercy Sunday had special significance for the pope, who made it a Church-wide feast day to be celebrated a week after Easter. Pope Benedict beatified him on Divine Mercy Sunday, May 1, 2011, and Pope Francis canonised him on the same feast day, April 27, 2014.

pope right away, because of his reputation for spending time with university students, being a sports enthusiast, his devotion to Mary— and, especially, because of his reputation as one who prayed often and deeply. “In 2001, when I was made a cardinal, I felt a strong desire when I knelt to receive the cardinal’s biretta not only to exchange the sign of peace with him, but to kiss his hand. Some people criticised me for this gesture, but it was spontaneous,” Pope Francis said. “We cannot forget the suffering of this great pope,” he said. “His refined and acute sensitivity to mercy certainly was influenced by the spirituality of St Faustina Kowalska, who died during his adolescence, but also—perhaps, especially—because of his having witnessed the communist and Nazi persecutions. He suffered so much!” Pope Francis’ homilies and pastoral letters as a bishop in Argentina in the 1990s were full of quotations from Pope John Paul, Fr Epicoco noted. “Yes, I was perceived by many as a conservative. Some saw me that way, but I simply always felt great harmony with what the pope was saying,” Pope Francis said, “Somewhere I read an article by a man analysing the Church today and, speaking about me, he said— and I quote—’I don’t know how this man emerged,’” he said. “I wanted to respond, ‘I don’t either,’ because the Holy Spirit always intervenes in certain choices. I think it’s right that the Holy Spirit can continue to surprise us.”—CNS

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ST JOHN PAUL II

John Paul II’s very strange day A violent hostage drama, a precarious flight, and an unexpected stop in Johannesburg turned September 14, 1988 into one of the strangest days of Pope John Paul II’s long pontificate. GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER looks back at the drama.

OPE John Paul II visited 129 countries in his 104 international journeys, but surely no day was as bizarre as the one when he was forced to land in Johannesburg en route to Maseru in 1988. The pope’s visit to Southern Africa from September 10-19, 1988 was controversial long before it began. It included Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique—but not South Africa. For many South Africans the reason for that omission was obvious: the country was subject to international boycotts in the struggle against apartheid, and a papal visit might have been seen as legitimising the regime and encouraging the boycott busters. Other South Africans took the opposite view: the pope should come on a pastoral visit to his flock in South Africa, and, if he wanted to, take the opportunity to speak out against the injustice of apartheid. The debate was fierce, and in the months preceding the papal trip, the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) sought to calm tempers by ascribing the exclusion of South Africa from the papal itinerary to issues of scheduling. The pope’s purpose in coming to Southern Africa was at the invitation of the Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (Imbisa), to address the region’s bishops at their plenary in Harare, Zimbabwe. The wheels were already in mo-

tion for that when in June 1987 John Paul cleared the way for the beatification of Fr Joseph Gérard OMI, the apostle of Lesotho’s Catholic Church. With the beatification, the programme was indeed too full to include a visit to the Church in South Africa which would include the main centres. Far better to do one-day and half-day trips in bordering countries, especially as two, Botswana and Swaziland, were within the territory covered by the SACBC. What the bishops were not saying too loudly, probably to keep the controversy at bay, was that they in fact had not even extended an invitation to the pope. Feelers about a possible papal visit had been put out as early as 1982. As talks went on, the South African government was asked if it would welcome the pope (it would), but nothing further came of it. Bishop Wilfrid Napier of Kokstad, later the cardinal archbishop of Durban, had actually explained the bishops’ position a year before the papal visit in Inter Nos, the bishops’ newsletter. He noted that it would be “incongruous and unacceptable in the present situation” to have the pope being protected by the same security forces that visited “terrible repression” upon the people. Bishop Napier saw political capital in a papal boycott: “The refusal of the pope to come to South Africa…is a much more devastating blow to PW Botha than if the pope had come to South Africa and denounced apartheid.” The bishops doubtless wanted to spare John Paul embarrassment when they told him in 1987 that a visit would be inadvisable. Reportedly a Vatican official had told Vatican Radio that Pope John Paul was “horrified at the prospect of being escorted and protected by [State President PW] Botha’s brutal police”.

Pik Botha’s changing mood For the apartheid regime’s foreign minister, Pik Botha, only the bishops were to blame for the

Pik n Pope: South Africa’s foreign minister Pik Botha escorts Pope John Paul II through Jan Smuts Airport after the papal flight made an emergency stop in Johannesburg during the Holy Father’s visit to Southern Africa in September 1988. pope’s exclusion of South Africa. His statement on the visit betrayed hurt feelings—but his spirits were soon to be lifted. Having visited Zimbabwe and Botswana, Pope John Paul, his aides and the pool of journalists covering the visit were departing Gaborone for Maseru in Lesotho in an Air Zimbabwe Boeing 707. Just after takeoff, the weather turned bad, and later storms in Maseru knocked out the airport’s navigation beacons and radio signals. The pilot had already opened the aircraft’s flaps in preparation for descent when he decided against landing. The aircraft now had too little fuel to return to Botswana, so the flight was rerouted to Johannesburg—and with that Pik Botha got to meet the pope on South African soil after all. The foreign minister and a big entourage were already at what was then Jan Smuts Airport when the 707 landed. A beaming Mr Botha welcomed a visibly uncomfortable pope, who broke with custom by refraining

from kissing the tarmac. The South African government was going to grab the opportunity to demonstrate its organisational mettle in the spotlight of the world’s media. Things swiftly moved into gear to get the pope and his fellow travellers safely to Maseru. A motorcade of 25 cars, led by the pope in a bullet-proof silver BMW, took off from Kempton Park towards Lesotho, escorted by ambulances, helicopters and the security whose notional protection had previously horrified the Holy Father. At the border, the pope and his party were placed into the care of Lesotho’s ruler, Major-General Justin Lekhanya, a friend of Pretoria. The caravan rolled safely into Maseru, having missed a major drama, one related to the pope’s visit, by just minutes.

Hijacking drama The previous day, members of the anti-Lekhanya Lesotho Liberation Army had hijacked a bus packed with pilgrims on their way from Qacha’s Nek to Maseru for

the papal Mass, holding the 71 passengers hostage. Their demand was to meet the pope, in the mistaken expectation that he would help topple Lekhanya. The pope was, in fact, not even told about the hostage drama. After a 26-hour standoff, a gun battle erupted on the pavement outside the British High Commission in Maseru between the rebels and a South African commando, called in by Lesotho’s military council. Eyewitness accounts differed on who shot first. When fire ceased, three hijackers and two hostages, one a girl of 16, were dead. Eleven men and nine women, including two nuns, were hurt and hospitalised. Mahanoe Makhetha, the 29-year-old organiser of the pilgrimage, lost both legs. The papal motorcade had passed the scene only half an hour earlier. When Pope John Paul heard of the tragedy he was dismayed. He asked to be taken to the Elizabeth II hospital, where the survivors were being treated. At the Mass the next day, the pope expressed his distress at the tragedy. “I have come to Southern Africa as a pilgrim of peace, carrying a message of reconciliation,” he said. “I am saddened to learn that others on their way to join me in this pilgrimage have been the victims of a hijack that caused such anguish and ended in bloodshed.”‘ Pope John Paul eventually made it to South Africa, on a oneday trip in 1995. He never returned for a full visit. And while Pik Botha was a gracious host who at virtually no notice organised safe passage for the Holy Father, the regime didn’t like the Catholic Church any better. Almost a month to the day after the pope set foot on South African soil, on October 12, security agents of the apartheid government bombed Khanya House, the Pretoria headquarters of the SACBC

John Paul invented new Church customs Pope John Paul loved traditions so much, he instituted a few of his own, as JOHN THAVIS reports

F there’s anything Pope John Paul II loved more than following traditions, it was inventing new ones. During his pontificate, the Polish-born pontiff filled his calendar with annual events of every variety: hearing confessions, baptising babies, visiting Rome parishes or holding youth rallies, to name a few. That’s on top of the traditional papal ceremonies which he had inherited when elected in 1978. Only when his health and mobility seriously declined in his later years did he cut back, reluctantly, on several of these self-styled customs. In 1980, he instituted the practice of hearing confessions in St Peter’s basilica on Good Friday, apparently becoming the first pope in history to hear the confessions of ordinary Catholics. The year before, he began writing an annual Holy Thursday letter to priests of the world, as a sign of his special concern for the priesthood and the burdens of pastoral ministry. The pope liked to move around, and in 1979 he revived the practice of leading an Ash Wednesday pro-

Among the new customs introduced by Pope John Paul have been the baptism of babies by the pope, World Youth Day celebrations (seen here in Czestochowa, Poland, in 1992), and kissing the ground of countries he visited (here in 1989 in Jakarta, Indonesia). cession on Rome’s Aventine Hill, before placing ashes on the foreheads of cardinals, bishops and religious at the basilica of Santa Sabina. The Lenten season “cannot pass unnoticed”, he remarked during the ceremony. For many years on March 19, feast of St Joseph, he travelled to an Italian factory or other workplace to highlight Church concerns about the world of labour. The pope also wanted to be seen engaged directly in pastoral action, not sitting behind a desk in his private library. The events often had a sacramental character. Soon after he was elected, he began ordaining bishops in a lengthy liturgy in St Peter’s basilica on the feast of the Epiphany. Later, he made an annual tradition of baptising babies from around the world in a Mass mark-

ing the feast of the baptism of the Lord.

First World Youth Day World Youth Day, launched by the pope in 1986, has become one of the most popular international celebrations on the Church calendar. Every two or three years, Pope John Paul presided over a megagathering of young people. The pope also established the World Day of the Sick, on February 11, feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, for which he prepared an annual message. In 1997, he instituted a World Day of Consecrated Life, celebrated on February 2, feast of the Presentation of the Lord. One of Pope John Paul’s biggest innovations was his pastoral visits to Rome parishes. Pope Paul VI paid occasional visits to churches in his

diocese, but this pope made it systematic, calling on more than 300 parishes. In 2002, when ailing health made such visits too cumbersome, he amended the tradition to have representatives of Rome parishes visit him at the Vatican. It was a natural choice for the Polish pope—he had visited parishes week after week as archbishop of Krakow and considered it one of the best parts of his job. For many years, the pope also revived the custom of a December 31 papal visit to a Rome church to offer a year-end Te Deum of thanksgiving. Another tradition Pope John Paul brought to the Vatican was a simple one that resonated with Catholics all over the world: a Christmas tree and a Nativity scene in St Peter’s Square, just below the papal window. Like

thousands of others, he visited it during the Christmas season. Not all the pope’s new traditions were publicised, however. On his birthday, he usually invited cardinals in Rome who were over age 80 to a lunch and some open talk about Church issues. It was a sign that he appreciated their input, even though he maintained the rule of excluding them from a conclave because of their age. For many years, just after Christmas, the pope often paid a couple of barely noticed visits to two other groups: He met with rubbish collectors at a small office near the Vatican,and with nuns and homeless people at a shelter operated by the Missionaries of Charity in the Vatican. Small traditions—but, like the big ones, Pope John Paul made room for them on his calendar.—CNS

ST JOHN PAUL II

Extra for Subscribers: The Southern Cross, May 13 to May 19, 2020

The Polish pope’s role in the demise of communist rule When Karol Wojtyła was elected pope in 1978, the communist system seemed unshakable. Just over ten years later, it was gone. JOHN THAVIS traces the role played by Pope John Paul in this historic event.

N the view of many political commentators, history will best remember Pope John Paul as the spiritual godfather of communism’s demise. Although he refused to claim personal credit for the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and its decline elsewhere around the globe, the pope was keenly aware that his moral prodding, especially in his native Poland, helped to redraw the ideological map in the late 20th century. “I think the crucial role was played by Christianity itself: its content, its religious and moral message, its intrinsic defence of the human person. All I did was recall this, repeat it and insist on it,” the pontiff said in a 1993 interview. His election in 1978 as the first pope from behind the Iron Curtain immediately sparked interest in Washington and apprehension in Moscow, two poles of a renewed Cold War. For decades the Vatican had followed a policy of quiet negotiation with communist regimes, to win realistic concessions on reli-

gious rights. Many thought the new pope would throw out this Ostpolitik in favour of more aggressive approach. But in the end, Pope John Paul made Ostpolitik his own. He kept up the quiet negotiations, but in documents and speeches around the world he began making notso-quiet pronouncements about communist ideology and practice. In 1984, for example, the pope publicly criticised Moscow for not letting him go to Lithuania for religious celebrations. The same year, a Vatican document approved by the pope referred to communist regimes as the “shame of our time”.

Testing ground Poland The real testing ground of East European freedom was Poland. When the pope visited his homeland in 1979, he helped to ignite a sense of spiritual purpose that nurtured the political hopes of the Solidarity labour movement. After martial law was imposed and Solidarity outlawed, the pope returned to a discouraged nation in 1983, but in talk after talk raised the country’s morale and political resolve. Back once again in 1987, he repeatedly praised the original Solidarity ideals, hammered the government’s labour record, called for religious freedom, and said Marxism had lost credibility. “Save your strength for the future,” he told a crowd of millions in Gdansk, where the pro-democracy movement had begun. Two years later, a revived Soli-

Pope John Paul waves to people gathered for Mass in Poznan during his 1983 visit to Poland. In seven cities under martial law, the pontiff spoke out against Soviet domination and communist rule. darity swept to political power in historic free elections, and European communism began to unravel. From 1980 onward, the United States sent high-level officials from the state department and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to brief the pope about Soviet policies in Poland and elsewhere. The Vatican never denied that these meetings took place, but denied the claim of a US-Vatican “holy alliance” to thwart communism. In fact, when the first big cracks appeared in the European communist facade, the pope turned East, not to the West, for

help. His overtures to Soviet reformer Mikhail Gorbachev culminated in their historic meeting at the Vatican in 1989 and led to the restoration of Church rights throughout the Soviet bloc.

Fall of Soviet Union When the Soviet Union disintegrated, the Vatican took further advantage of the situation by quickly establishing diplomatic relations with the newly independent countries. As Pope John Paul remarked, it was clear that Marxist ideology was “completely exhausted”. A key part of the pope’s strategy

was to encourage communist countries to sign human rights accords, then insist that they live up to them. Another factor working for the pope was that the Vatican’s “blessing” was important to countries seeking economic and political favour in the West. As communist ideology weakened, the regimes sometimes advertised their more liberal approach by offering concessions on religious freedom. The pope adopted the same strategy during his historic pastoral visit to Cuba in 1998, encouraging President Fidel Castro to make political and religious reforms while urging the international community to stop isolating the Caribbean nation. The pope realised that the moral victory over communism marked the start of a delicate reorganisational phase for the Church and its pastoral mission. In the space of a decade, Pope John Paul called two special synods for Europe to discuss evangelisation plans in the wake of the Soviet collapse and emphasised that the demoralising effects of a half-century of communism could not be erased overnight. He also rejected ideological triumphalism. Rather than dance on communism’s grave, he preferred to warn that unchecked capitalism held its own dangers—especially in the countries emerging from Marxist shadows. The pope made a point to visit 18 former Soviet republics or satellites in the years before his death.—CNS

The pope who gave world a moral compass Pope John Paul was seen by many observers as tremendously influential. JOHN THAVIS examines the pope’s efforts to make the world a better place.

World debt—a request that added a moral dimension to the issue and helped bring about debt relief for some of the poorest nations. The pope conferred with presidents, stood up to tyrants, and preached to crowds of more than a million people. Almost immediately after his election in 1978, he began using the world as a pulpit: decrying hunger from Africa; denouncing the arms race from Hiroshima; and promoting human equality from caste-conscious India. As Poland’s native son, he had a special interest and a key role in the demise of European communism (see story above).

OPE John Paul II spent more than 26 years as a dominant figure on the world stage, using his moral leadership to promote human rights, condemn ethical failings and plead for peace. He had the ear of presidents, prime ministers and kings, who came in a steady stream for private audiences at the Vatican. Although the pope’s fading health in later years made these one-on-one meetings less substantive, his encounters with US and Soviet leaders gave a spiritual impetus to the fall of European communism. More than any previous pontiff, he pushed religious teachings into the centre of public debate, arguing that universal moral norms—such as the sanctity of life—are not optional for contemporary society. Pope John Paul’s bold words and gestures won acclaim, but not from all quarters. As his pontificate wore on, his message increasingly went against conventional thinking on issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and genetic research. When it came to war, the pope gave no comfort to those pressing for the use of military force. His outspoken opposition to the US-led war on Iraq in 2003 was based on the conviction that both sides should have done more to settle the dispute peacefully. He mobilised an unprecedented,

Critic of capitalism Pope John Paul II walks from a thatched hut to celebrate Mass at Parakou Stadium in Benin in 1993. His 104 trips outside Italy made him by far the most widely-travelled pope in history. though unsuccessful, diplomatic effort to help prevent hostilities. Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks by extremists acting in the name of Islam, the pope led a spiritual campaign against all violence in the name of religion. He convened a meeting of Muslims, Christians, Jews and others in Assisi in early 2002; the gathering produced a joint statement against terrorism.

John Paul’s fighting spirit Pro-life issues brought out a fighting spirit in the Polish-born pontiff. In 1994, for example, he challenged UN population planners on abortion and birth-control policies and steered an international development conference towards a moral debate on life and family issues. The pope and his aides took

some flak for that. But as he aged, he seemed even more determined to speak his mind, applying Church teaching to technical areas such as economics, biology and demographics, and prodding individual consciences on what he has called a worldwide “moral crisis”. The Gospel of Life, his 1995 encyclical on pro-life issues that he addressed to “all people of good will” and sent to government leaders around the globe, reflected the pope’s sense of resolve. Pope John Paul’s pro-life stand also virtually excluded the death penalty, and he made frequent appeals against executions in the United States. During jubilee celebrations in 2000, he continually prodded and pressured global financial powers to forgive at least part of the Third

But the pope was also a sometimes-unwelcome critic of capitalism, warning that the profit motive alone would never bring justice and cautioning about the effects of “globalisation” in the post-communist era. Modern leadership is often a question of personal rapport, and Pope John Paul met with world figures across the spectrum. The pope’s door almost always was open to the world’s powerful, a policy that brought controversial figures to his private library— among them Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Cuban President Fidel Castro and former Austrian President Kurt Waldheim. Many observers said Pope John Paul’s influence on world events was tremendous. They praised his political savvy, reflected less in the public realm than in behind-thescenes efforts by Vatican diplomats. The pope’s tenure saw a neardoubling of the number of countries with which the Vatican holds diplomatic relations. At the same time, his flair for

the dramatic gesture helped make him the most-televised pontiff in history. That was a form of global influence that this pope never underestimated. Millions watched him walk through crowds of African poor or visit a shantytown family in Latin America. As Pope John Paul once said, one reason he kept returning to these places was that he knew the cameras would follow, highlighting human problems around the globe. The pope was a consistent critic of war and a booster of peace, and during his pontificate the Vatican issued major statements calling for disarmament. His aides successfully headed off a war between Chile and Argentina in 1978. But sometimes the pope’s peace efforts went unheeded, to his bitter disappointment. That was true not only in Iraq; his warnings about conflagration in the Balkans and his horror at ethnic fighting in Africa illustrated the limits of papal influence. When Pope John Paul first addressed the United Nations in 1979, he emphasised that harmonious international relations were deeply tied to a proper understanding of freedom and respect for moral precepts. Returning to the UN in 1995, frailer but just as forceful, he again insisted that the “family of nations” must be founded on strong moral principles and warned of “unspeakable offences against human life and freedom”. The pope never stopped prodding the world’s conscience, nor did he shy away from appealing directly to heads of state. In these interventions, Pope John Paul felt certain that he acted in the name of civilians who had little or no voice in world events.—CNS

The Southern Cross, May 13 to May 19, 2020

LIFE

How to cope with our collective grief The effects of the Covid-19 are giving many people anxiety and a sense grief for what has been lost. CHRIS HERLINGER explains how a psychologist advises us to deal with individual and collective emotions.

Be conscious of others

In this time of coronavirus lockdown and its effect, many of us are feeling a collective anxiety and grief. Australian Sister of Mercy Maryanne Loughry, a doctor in psychology, has good advice for those who are struggling to cope with the loss of the “previous life”. (Photo: Richard McCall) inal 1969 book On Death and Dying laid out the idea of sequential stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and, finally, acceptance. While Dr Kübler-Ross’ insights about grief are still affirmed, the field of psychology has since embraced the idea that the stages are not always in sequence. “We grieve differently,” Sr Loughry said. “We move back and forth [between the stages]. We move around the different stages. That’s what emotions are.”

Emotions in flux And emotions are very much in flux right now, given that people are experiencing both personal loss and a shared, profound collective loss in communities and societies. “We’ve lost a lot in this pandemic,” Sr Loughry said. “We’ve not just lost people we’ve known and loved: family, community members, people from our own countries, routines and jobs. But our natural world has been turned upside down. So we’ve lost that sense of what our world is about and what we’re about.” What people have known and experienced in the past—the basic fibre and texture of life as people experienced it, the pillars “we rested on”—have “now receded”, Sr Loughry said. “We never thought we wouldn’t be able to bury our dead or visit the sick. But that’s what’s

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happening right now.” And in some regions, the situation is exacerbated by already-existing humanitarian and social challenges. “In some countries, people don’t even get to hospitals,” Sr Loughry noted. But, she added, at both the collective and personal levels, people have experienced grief before. And people have, perhaps more than they know, the tools to deal with the situation right now, despite its unprecedented nature. Noting a string of natural disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the recent Australian bush fires, as well as manmade tragedies like the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Sr Loughry said that ultimately people rebuild their lives. “What we know about collective grief is that we survive. We move on,” Sr Loughry said. “Our world is different, and we know [more] about ourselves and our society.” That was one affirmation and insight. There were many others. Don’t underestimate collective grief right now. One of the things many are mourning is “our lack of normalcy”. That’s a shared, collective experience, “a source of grief for us”, Sr Loughry said. But another source of grieving is what we see around us. “We know our families and the local businesses we deal with are suffering.” That sadness is accentuated by

our day-to-day disconnection from others. “We’ve also had a profound loss of connection. We can’t physically embrace anybody.” The result? “This can lead us collectively to grieve what we’ve lost.”

Grief in anticipation Be aware of another kind of grief. That is “anticipatory grief”— waiting for something to happen. People have “anticipation that this tsunami, or epidemic, is going to overwhelm us”. And that means real worries about mortality, both ours and that of others. “I could be taken by this pandemic. You could be taken by this pandemic. It threatens our very being,” Sr Loughry said. And that results in a feeling of “loss of safety. A lot of us don’t feel safe anymore.” Now is the time for “naming and claiming” grief. Specifically, now is the time to share and name what is being lost and what is happening in the world and to ourselves. Sr Loughry noted that people throughout history have established commemorations and memorials for collective tragedies, like the Holocaust. At the root of those is the need for naming. “To hold it in and not to share it is actually something that can overwhelm us,” Sr Loughry said. At an individual level, this is perhaps the moment to ask what helped us in the past when we grieved.

Some people—Sr Loughry was speaking specifically of religious Sisters—will be in denial, constantly saying they are fine. But that is often a barrier. Sr Loughry advises not to raise that concern now. This is the time of affirmation, affirming “that people are moving at different stages”, she said. That is especially true at a moment when “people are in confined spaces”. Sr Loughry added: “It’s a time at the moment for compassion, not for challenge.” At the same time, don’t be afraid of emotions. “It’s OK at the moment to be emotional” and allow raw, unfiltered feelings to rise to the surface, Sr Loughry said. That could mean being “teary, because that’s exactly what your body and your emotions need”. That may be uncomfortable, because it shows your vulnerabilities. But there is no reason to hide such emotions because “it’s not something that can be easily covered up”. It is important to affirm people’s comfort, as “we don’t know how much longer we’ll be in lockdown and you don’t want to increase their vulnerability”. Sr Loughry also affirmed the need some will feel to remain silent and not to share.. Religious faith is “a real resource” right now, Sr Loughry said. There are the biblical and historical anchors: Church forebears experienced drought, famine and other calamities and got through them. Sr Loughry noted that the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded during Lent and Easter, with the attendant echoes of death and resurrection. “We do know that we are going to get out of this, and that there is another side,” she said. “We know this time will pass. We don’t know when, but we know it will.” n Both articles on this page originally appeared on globalsistersreport.org

When our tears lead us to God By VIRGINIA HERBERS

OVID-19 is teaching us a whole lot of things about need, about fear and hope, about certainty and uncertainty, about ourselves, and about our relationship with God. One of the more surprising lessons I’m learning about myself and about God is that there are different kinds of tears that spring up as we journey through these days together. I suppose I knew this already, but it feels like a new understanding born out of this utterly unique context. Here is what I’ve been noticing: Tears come from pain. Watching the news, listening to friends and family experiencing loss, knowing about the rising numbers in unemployment, witnessing the growing hunger and desperation of so many, I find tears often welling up and brimming over. There is so much suffering, so much loss, so much pain right now all around us and within. We are hurting and so we weep. Tears come from fear. The uncertainty of how much longer we must shelter in place, the scary reality of financial or work insecurity, the dread that “getting back to normal” might never happen—all of this can paralyse us and leave us weeping silently in the dark, needing desperately to have an outlet for the fear, and yet equally desperate to spare our loved ones from more anxiety by exposing our own gnawing fright. We are afraid and so we weep. Tears come from anger. When human realities seem to be eclipsed by politics or

Image: Nina Akin

AY to day, things remain at a standstill in much of the world. And out of that standstill comes grief, says Sr Maryanne Loughry, who talks about how to deal with anxiety and stress during the Covid-19 pandemic. Sr Loughry, a Sister of Mercy from Australia, is a trained psychologist who has led numerous psycho-social and well-being trainings as part of research and ministry in many parts of the world, particularly among refugee communities. She holds a doctorate in psychology from Flinders University of South Australia. In a webinar, coordinated by the Rome-based International Union of Superiors General, Sr Loughry’s focused on personal and social (or collective) grief as well as “anticipatory grief”—waiting for tragedy to unfold. As she did in the earlier webinar, Sr Loughry made clear that we must respect others’ different experiences and reactions right now, that everyone is dealing with this unsettled moment in different ways and at different paces. That affirms an insight that New York Times opinion writer Charlie Warzel recently made: “Tragedy and suffering is unevenly distributed, and everyone’s lived experience is unique. It feels a bit like we’re living with one foot in two different worlds, or experiencing every outcome of a projection model at once.” The idea of different “projection models” is a good segue into one of Sr Loughry’s key points. She praised the insights of the late Swiss-American psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, whose sem-

“We need to go back to that again,” she said. “Who did we reach out to? How did we respond? What was helpful, what wasn’t helpful?”

greed, when the food so desperately needed by some is rotting in the fields of others, when images appear of medical professionals pleading for help and muchneeded supplies, I feel red-hot tears of anger crying out for compassion, justice and a collective commitment to the common good. We are angry and so we weep. Tears come from joy. An unexpected bouquet is dropped off at the front door. A phone call comes from a childhood friend with whom I have not had a decent conversation in decades. A YouTube video of virtual choirs. The colours of spring and the beauty of the sky remind me of the unrelenting nature of life and renewal. Tears come swiftly with a smile and a deep sigh of gratitude. We are joyful and so we weep. Tears come from relief. Finding out a loved one who has been hospitalised is coming home, seeing the curve flatten—

these things relieve our pent-up worry and well-justified anxieties, and the unburdening often releases a stream of tears. We are relieved and so we weep. Tears come from beauty. I look at the delicate pink dogwood framed against a deep blue sky, I listen to Pope Francis’ words in an empty St Peter’s Square, I listen to Yo-Yo Ma play Mozart in his series “Songs of Comfort”. The sheer beauty of life and love overwhelms me and serves as a powerful antidote to the daily weight of uncertainty and difficulty. As I allow the beauty to wash over me, the tears come. We experience grandeur and beauty and so we weep. Tears can come from nowhere. Then, for no apparent reason, with no apparent catalyst, I find myself standing over the dishwater or digging through the garden or scrolling through Facebook posts, and the tears just stream. They come without drama or even affect, they come without thought or consciousness. But they come. We experience our humanity and the realities of life and it makes us weep sometimes. The source of our tears varies, but their destination remains the same. Our tears bring us to the embrace of God. God it is who holds us, cradling us in our fears; God it is who receives our tears as fragile offerings of trust and hope; God it is who stays right here with us. And the response? “I have loved you with an everlasting love; you are mine. I will never leave you” (Jeremiah 31:3; Isaiah 49:15). As the river is promised to the sea, so are we promised to our God.

The Southern Cross, May 13 to May 19, 2020

YOUR CLASSIFIEDS

Fr Boniface KasaliIsaho

ATHER Boniface KasaliIsaho of Aliwal North died on April 26 at the age of 56 in his home diocese of Butembu-Beni in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Born in Butembo on October 10, 1963, and ordained to the priesthood on October 3, 1991, he came to South Africa in 2003. Fr Isaho served in Aliwal until earlier this year, having ministered in parishes in Umhlanga, Aliwal North, and Sterkspruit, and at St Teresa mission. For his pastoral work he learned Xhosa, which he loved very much. Fr Isaho was a very spiritual priest, hard-working, and always

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happy with people. He had a very good working relationship with children, youth and adults. He enjoyed gardening during his free time. As his bishop, I will miss him very much, since you could count on him for any pastoral work. For the past three months Fr Isaho had been in the DRC waiting for a kidney transplant, necessitated by kidney failure, but due to the lockdown there, he was unable to have that operation. His funeral took place on April 27 in the DRC. The diocese of Aliwal North will have a memorial Mass for Fr Isaho once the lockdown is lifted. By Bishop Joseph Mary Kizito

PERSONAL

Continued from page 7 “I’m a songwriter, director, musician. A song knows how to heal wounds. I want to write movies. But I have nobody to help me reach my goals. It’s painful to sit here and wait for people to serve me. I want to take care of myself,” Sandile says. “There are stories on the streets. Talents. People here are gifted,” he adds. Sandile says the drug whoonga— black-tar heroin mixed with other substances—is the biggest problem. “Most of the people doing the

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crimes are on whoonga, but you can’t always blame the drug. “I have spilled blood, but God gave me mercy,” he says. “I went to prison and learned to control my emotions. To take time to make decisions. To respect different types of people. I don’t have that anger anymore. There were 12 of us in my crew and I am the only one who survived,” Sandile says. “I was chosen to raise my voice for those who are not heard. I want to lead by example. There’s no more blood I have to spill.”

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PRAYERS

MAY ALL I DO today begin with you, O Lord. Plant dreams and hopes within my soul, revive my tired spirit: be with me today. May all I do today continue with your help, O

love. Remember, Lord, all who are mindful of me: all those who have asked me to pray for them, all who have been kind to me, all who have wronged me, or whom I have wronged by ill-will or misunderstanding. Give all of us to bear each other’s faults, and to share each other’s burdens. Have mercy on the souls of our loved ones who have gone before us. Amen.

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

FROM OUR VAULTS 75 Years Ago: May 16, 1945

Pope Pius XII on end of the war

Our bishops’ anniversaries

In a radio broadcast marking the end of World War II in Europe, Pope Pius XII speaks on behalf of the fallen soldiers who admonish the world: “Let the architects of a new and better Europe arise from our bones and graves and the earth upon which we are scattered like seeds of corn.”

This week we congratulate: May 13: Bishop Joe Potocnak, retired of De Aar, on his 87th birthday May 14: Bishop Daniel Verstraete, retired of Klerksdorp, on the 42nd anniversary of his episcopal ordination

Catholics imprisoned at Dachau Many Catholics were imprisoned in the Dachau concentration camp near Munich including “the famous Jesuit, Fr [Rupert] Mayer of Cologne, who was in contact in the camp with Pastor Niemöller”. Others included auxiliary Bishop Michal Kozal of Wloclawek in Poland, and Fr Joseph Kentenich, the Pallottine founder of the Sisters of the Catholic Apostolate, who are working in Cape Town, Oudtshoorn and Queenstown.

Liturgical Calendar Year A – Weekdays Cycle Year 2 Sunday May 17, 6th Sunday of Easter Acts 8:5-8, 14-17, Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20, 1 Peter 3:15-18, John 14:15-21 Monday May 18, St John I Acts 16:11-15, Psalm 149:1-6, 9, John 15:26—16, 4 Tuesday May 19 Acts 16:22-34, Psalm 138:1-3, 7-8, John 16:5-11 Wednesday May 20, St Bernardine of Siena Acts 17:15, 22—18:1, Psalm 148:1-2, 11-14, John 16:12-15 Thursday May 21, St Christopher Magallanes and Companions

Lord. Be at my side and walk with me: be my support today. May all I do today reach far and wide, O Lord. My thoughts, my work, my life: make them blessings for your kingdom; let them go beyond today. O God, today is new unlike any other day, for God makes each day different. Today God's everyday grace falls on my soul like abundant seed, though I may hardly see it. Today is one of those days Jesus promised to be with me, a companion on my journey, and my life today, if I trust him, has consequences unseen. My life has a purpose. I have a mission. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. God has not created me for naught. Therefore I will trust him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. God does nothing in vain. He knows what he is about. John Henry Newman HEAR ME, LORD, on behalf of all those who are dear to me. Be near them in all their anxieties and worries, give them the help of your saving grace. I commend them all with trustful confidence to your merciful

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Hear Sandile’s story

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Fallen Catholic soldiers

Acts 18:1-8, Psalm 98:1-4, John 16:16-20 Friday May 22, St Rita of Cascia Acts 18:9-18, Psalm 47:2-7, John 16:20-23 Saturday May 23 Acts 18:23-28, Psalm 47:2-3, 8-10, John 16:23-28 Sunday May 24, Ascension of Our Lord Acts 1:1-11, Psalm 47:2-3, 6-9, Ephesians 1:17-23, Matthew 28:16-20

The roll of honour of local Catholics who fell in the last weeks of the war includes Lt Cecil Sumner, 26, of Durban; Lt Cecil Boyd, 20, of Durban; Patrick Tanguey; and (mentioned on the front page) Major Adrian Hope of Johannesburg.

Those who have a right to our prayers In his front-page editorial on the end of the war in Europe, editor Fr Owen McCann calls readers to prayers of thanksgiving. “Let us pray, too, for all those who have lost their lives in this gigantic struggle... They are all our brothers and they have a right to our prayers.”

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Editor: Günther Simmermacher (editor@scross.co.za), Business Manager: Pamela Davids (admin@scross.co.za), Advisory Editor: Michael Shackleton, Local News: Erin Carelse (e.carelse@scross.co.za) Editorial: Claire Allen (c.allen@scross.co.za), Mary Leveson (m.leveson@scross.co.za), Advertising: Yolanda Timm (advertising@scross.co.za), Subscriptions: Michelle Perry (subscriptions@scross.co.za), Accounts: Desirée Chanquin (accounts@scross.co.za), Directors: R Shields (Chair), Bishop S Sipuka, S Duval, E Jackson, B Jordan, Sr H Makoro CPS, C Mathieson, G Stubbs

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the

The Ascension of the Lord: May 24 Readings: Acts 1:1-11, Psalm 47:2-3, 6-9, Ephesians 1:17-23, Matthew 28:16-20

EXT Sunday, we in this country celebrate Jesus’ Ascension to his Father, celebrating his complete victory over everything that threatened him (and us). It helps us towards the end of our Easter season, with a sense of victory accomplished. The first reading, of course, is the opening of Acts of the Apostles, which many people regard as the “Gospel of the Holy Spirit”. In our passage, he looks back to Volume 1 (Luke’s Gospel) and “the things that Jesus began to do and teach”. Then he links it all to Volume 2 (Acts of the Apostles) by bringing in the Ascension: “Having instructed the apostles whom he had chosen, by means of the Holy Spirit, he was taken up.” But before he describes the Ascension, Luke gives us the necessary prelude: “He had shown himself alive to them, after his Passion, by means of many pieces of evidence, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things of the Kingdom of God.” Then the disciples are prepared for what is going to happen; they are to “stay in Jerusalem, and wait for the Promise from my Father, of which you heard from me”. Next comes the promise that they are to be “baptised in the Holy Spirit after not

S outher n C ross

many of these days”. Then there is the inevitable dumb question from the disciples: “Is it at this time that you are restoring the Kingdom to Israel?” They have to be reminded that this is, quite simply, none of their business; but, at the right time, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you”. After this there will be a job for them to do: “You are to be my witnesses, in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” Now this more or less reverses the direction of the Gospel, but here there is no room for the Galilee; instead, after Samaria (chapter 8 of Acts), they are to head to “the end of the earth”, which is Athens (chapter 17), and Rome (chapter 28) and you, wherever you are reading these words. Only after giving these vital instructions does he ascend: “As they looked, he was taken up, and a cloud took him from their sight.” Now they have to get on with the job, for there are “two men…in white clothes”, telling them to stop gazing into heaven, because Jesus will eventually return, in just the same way. The Ascension is not an easy business, and our task is just to get on with proclaiming

Jesus tries to calm them, reassure them, give them things to cling to, and ends with these words: “I am going away, but I will leave you a final gift, the gift of my peace.” I suspect that almost everyone reading this will have had an experience of grieving the death of a loved one, a parent, spouse, child, or friend, and finding—at least after a time—beneath the grief a warm sense of peace whenever the memory of the loved one surfaces or is evoked. I lost both of my parents when I was in my early twenties and, sad as were their farewells, every memory of them now evokes a warmth. Their farewell gift was the gift of peace. In trying to understanding this, it is important to distinguish between being wanted and being needed. When I lost my parents at a young age, I still desperately wanted them (and believed that I still needed them), but I came to realise in the peace that eventually settled upon our family after their deaths that our pain was in still wanting them and not in any longer needing them. In their living and their dying they had already given us what we needed. There was nothing else we needed from them. Now we just missed them and, irrespective of the sadness of their departure, our relationship was complete. We were at peace.

Conrad

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Sunday Reflections

that Jesus is risen. The psalm for next Sunday shares the sense of God’s victory: “All peoples, clap your hands, make a joyful noise to God, for the Lord, the Most High is to be feared, great king over all the earth.” Then we watch God’s triumph: “God goes up with a fanfare, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.” After that, it seems, there is to be music, and the command is given no less than five times: “Make music to God; make music; make music to our King, make music, for God is King of all the earth, make music with skill.” There is no shortage of confidence here in the victory of God: “God is king over the peoples; God is sitting on his holy throne.” The second reading for the feast is taken from the lovely Letter to the Ephesians. The author is happily convinced of God’s victory, speaking of the “surpassing greatness of God’s power”, which “God exercised in Christ, by raising him from the dead and by seating him at God’s right hand in heaven above all rule and authority and power and lordship, and above every name that can be named…he subordinated everything under his feet”.

What’ll be your farewell gift? HERE is such a thing as a good death, a clean one, a death that, however sad, leaves behind a sense of peace. I have been witness to it many times. Sometimes this is recognised explicitly when someone dies, sometimes unconsciously. It is known by its fruit. I remember sitting with a man dying of cancer in his mid-fifties, leaving behind a young family. He said to me: “I don’t believe I have an enemy in the world, at least I don’t know if I do. I’ve no unfinished business.” I heard something similar from a young woman, also dying of cancer and also leaving behind a young family. Her words: “I thought that I’d cried all the tears I had, but then yesterday when I saw my youngest daughter I found out that I had a lot more tears still to cry. But I’m at peace. It’s hard, but I’ve nothing left that I haven’t given.” And I’ve been at deathbeds other times when none of this was articulated in words, but all of it was clearly spoken in that loving awkwardness and silence you often witness around deathbeds. There is a way of dying that leaves peace behind. In the Gospel of John, Jesus gives a long farewell speech at the Last Supper on the night before he dies. His disciples, understandably, are shaken, afraid, and not prepared to accept the brute reality of his impending death.

Nicholas King SJ

God’s victory sealed

That is what Ascension means. After this, the Gospel, the very last words of Matthew’s Gospel, does not especially mention the Ascension; but it is very clear about God’s victory. First, there is the fact that there are only 11 disciples, when there ought to be 12. This is a healthy reminder that for all the certainty of God’s victory, the Church has been weak and fallible since its beginning. Secondly, when they meet on the mountain: “They worshipped him—but they doubted.” The Church is not always solid in its certainties. Then Jesus gives them a command, similar to what we heard in the first reading: “Go and make disciples of all the Gentiles, and baptise them into the Triune name of God.” The wonderful ending follows: “And look! I am with you until the completion of the age.” This takes us back to the start of Matthew’s Gospel, and the revelation given to us there that Jesus is “Emmanuel—God With Us”. This puts the seal on God’s great victory.

Southern Crossword #915

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

he challenge for all of us now, of course, is on the other side of this equation, namely, the challenge to live in such a way that peace will be our final farewell gift to our families, our loved ones, our faith community, and our world. How do we do that? How do we leave the gift of peace to those we leave behind? Peace, as we know, is a whole lot more than the simple absence of war and strife. Peace is constituted by two things: harmony and completeness. To be at peace, something has to have an inner consistency so all of its movements are in harmony with each other. It must also have a completeness so it is not still aching for something it is missing. Peace is the opposite of internal discord or of longing for something we lack. When we are not at peace, it is because we are experiencing chaos or sensing some unfinished business inside us. Positively then, what constitutes peace? When Jesus promises peace as his farewell gift, he identifies it with the Holy Spirit; and, as we know, that is the spirit of charity, joy, peace, patience, goodness, longsuffering, fidelity, mildness, and chastity. How do we leave these behind when we leave? Well, death is no different from life. When some people leave anything—a job, a marriage, a family, or a community—they leave chaos behind, a legacy of disharmony, unfinished business, anger, bitterness, jealousy, and division. Their memory is felt always as a cold pain. They are not missed, even as their memory haunts. Some people, on the other hand, leave behind a legacy of harmony and completeness, a spirit of understanding, compassion, affirmation, and unity. These people are missed but the ache is a warm one, a nurturing one, one of happy memory. Going away in death has exactly the same dynamic. By the way we live and die we will leave behind either a spirit that perennially haunts the peace of our loved ones, or we will leave behind a spirit that brings a warmth every time our memory is evoked.

ACROSS

5. Teetotaller’s kind of drink (4) 7. Make your judgment (10) 8. Jesus gave them to Peter (4) 10. Quick snack during Lent? (4,4) 11. A spiritual elevation (6) 12. A gentle bite (6) 14. American epochs are customary (6) 16. I in doing a colour change (6) 17. Begin the procession (5,3) 19. Voice high in the choir (4) 21. Moments when Joseph heard angelic voices (5,5) 22. Burden shared by all (4)

DOWN

1. Evangelist holding old German currency (4) 2. Continuing the chase (8) 3. One not suitable for the job (6) 4. The judge who was distressed? (6) 5. You personally (4) 6. Noah’s illumination? (10) 9. Former place of the Blessed Sacrament? (10) 13. Improper tendency of religious in dirty attire? (3,5) 15. Rainfall for the demonstrator (6) 16. If many turn, there is ignominy (6) 18. Makes free of (4) 20. Drive out of oﬃce (4)

Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

MAN was walking along the beach when he saw a distraught woman kneeling next to a little girl. He rushed to the scene, quickly determined the girl had swallowed something that was blocking her airways, and performed the Heimlich manouevre on her, at which the child coughed out a R5 coin. The relieved mother thanked the man profusely. “You knew exactly what to do. You must be a doctor!” “Oh no,” the man replied. “I’m a retired architect. But I’m now chair of the Parish Finance Council.”

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