202311 by The Southern Cross

HOW A PODCAST DEEPENED MY FAITH

CORRUPTION-BUSTER: THE CHURCH AND I

TALKING TO OUR DEAD

Southern Cross The

Grazia on food and faith

The Catholic Magazine for Southern Africa

HALF A CENTURY: 50 YEARS AT THE SOUTHERN CROSS

Est. 1920

November 2023

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Remembering well Dear Reader,

uring the month of November we Catholics remember our dead. Our feature article in this issue on how we relate to our departed loved ones will, we hope, help many people who are living with grief. We Christians have great comfort in knowing that death is not the final word, and that those who have left us are still with us, and we with them in our prayers. Knowing this, and to be reminded of it, is a consolation even as we mourn the terrible gaps which loss of loved ones tears into our lives. Our cover this week combines the November practice of remembrance with the here-and-now importance of food. It shows our columnist Grazia Barletta with the delicious results of this month’s recipe, an All Souls tradition from Italy. Grazia also offers a reflection on food and faith, which come together in the Bread of Life.

hree years ago we celebrated the centenary of The Southern Cross with a special issue, which also told the history of what for a hundred years was the national Catholic weekly newspaper. At the time, so soon after the rather sudden but necessary transition from newspaper to magazine in 2020, our future was in the balance. We trusted, and continue to do so, that the Holy Spirit would guide us to safe shores. Today we are still hoping to reach those safe shores, but the good ship Southern Cross is now sailing on less perilous seas — which, however, does not rule out sudden storms! We still need to grow our readership and advertising base. And without the former, we cannot even think of appointing an advertising manager to accomplish the latter. But our readership is growing. After a recent promotion in Manenberg, Cape Town, the parish tripled its order. And Maitland parish, also in Cape Town, in one sweep went from a base of 15 copies

Welcome

to 60, all signed up. We are excited to see so many young people taking an interest in the magazine, as we can see in the photo below. It shows medical students of the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, who are also members of the Association of Catholic Tertiary Students, on a hike up Nkopo mountain near Pretoria. With them, they had current and back-issues of The Southern Cross. It may be that some people think a Catholic magazine might not appeal to them; perhaps they imagine that it would be too grey, too preachy, too technical. When they actually see The Southern Cross, they find a vibrant Catholic magazine which engages, entertains, edifies, educates, elucidates, evangelises and enhances people’s faith. A home with The Southern Cross on the proverbial coffee table is one where the Catholic Church is visibly alive. For that reason it is important that parishes, sodalities, schools and other institutions as well as individual readers spread the word about The Southern Cross and its attractive, accessible and faithbuilding content. This will aid our mission of evangelisation, and it will help in taking us to the safe shores where the publication’s future — and that of our essential digital presence — is assured.

n December 3, we will mark the 50th anniversary of Pamela Davids’ time at The Southern Cross. Arriving as a freshfaced teenager in 1973, she became the newspaper’s business manager in 1995, serving in that position for 28 years, until she handed the baton to Eugene Jackson a few months ago. Even now, Pamela remains involved as our subscriptions manager. We thank God for the gift that is Pamela. Read about her on page 10 in this issue. And on page 9, you can win something really special: a personally dedicated autograph by Cardinal Stephen Brislin, on the cover of the September issue of The Southern Cross which pictured His Eminence. You have until December 4 to enter! God bless,

Günther Simmermacher (Editor)

Contents NOVEMBER 2023

New Mother Teresa film The makers of a new film depicting St Teresa of Kolkata say they seek to inspire others

Visit to the tomb of St Paul We look at the basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls

Half a century of service Pamela Davids is celebrating 50 years at The Southern Cross. She tells us about her times.

Corruption-buster with faith

22 Pilgrims in the

Professionally, Nomzamo Radebe tackles corruption, but outside her work, she is dedicated to her faith

Holy Land and Egypt

How we talk to our dead Our faith gives us the capacity to deal with grief and to feel a connection with those whom we mourn

Pope Francis: Anyone can be a saint We don’t need to be “superheroes” to be saints

How a podcast deepened faith Using digital media can be full of pitfalls but also of many graces, as Robyn Harry explains.

Pilgrimage in pics and words A round-up of The Southern Cross’ pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Egypt with Bishop Victor Phalana

Reflection on food and faith Grazia Barletta reflects on the interaction between food and faith, and offers a new recipe for All Souls

The mystery of Vatican II’s seats What happened to the chairs used at Vatican II?

EVERY MONTH 5

FROM OUR VAULTS

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

The Southern Cross 26 years ago

You ask and we answer questions about purgatory, believing in miracles, and “unsainting” saints

Win Cardinal Brislin’s autograph

24 Grazia Barletta

on food and faith

SAINT OF THE MONTH The life of St Charles Borromeo — with pull-out poster

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Have your say!

POINT OF REFLECTION Fr Ralph de Hahn on the state of our conscience

RAYMOND PERRIER On .honouring the past

FR RON ROLHEISER OMI On writing our own obituaries

PRAY WITH THE POPE Fr Chris Chatteris SJ reflects on the pope’s prayer intention for November

Did you know?

In our digital ed ition, all links to websites are live. Just click, and th e site opens in your br owser!

PRAYER CORNER

TRY IT!

Your illustrated prayers, to cut out and collect

TWO PAGES OF PUZZLES Two Crosswords, Wordsearch, Dropped Letters, Catholic Trivia Quiz, and Anagram Challenge

...AND FINALLY Pope Leo XIII in Colour, Inspiring Quotes on Sainthood, and a Last Laugh

14 How we talk to our dead

Cover photo of Grazia Barletta by Robert Kirsner

FROM OUR VAULTS 26 Years Ago: November 30, 1997

Catholic Church before TRC

Testifying before a special hearing for faith bodies at the Truth & Reconciliation Commission (TRC), Bishop Kevin Dowling of Rustenburg listed the ways in which the Catholic Church had fought apartheid. However, he said, more could have been done, and the Church in the communities was still divided along racial lines. In a bizarre twist, two TRC commissioners raised in the hearing the global policy of the Catholic Church reserving the priesthood to men only.

Justice sacrificed for truth

In his testimony before the TRC, Fr Buti Tlhagale OMI, secretary-general of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, warned that “we cannot undo the political compromises that were made in order to achieve reconciliation. There is, however, a concern that the victims [of apartheid-era human rights violations] may have been asked to sacrifice individual justice for truth.” He criticised some perpetrators of gross human rights violations for not taking personal responsibility or making reparations.

Editorial: Year of Holy Spirit

As the Year of the Holy Spirit begins, editor Michael Shackleton calls on dioceses and parishes to spend the year invoking in prayer the Spirit’s gifts and “begging the healing of all discord and division”.

What else made news in November 1997:

• Former state president PW Botha announces that he will refuse to appear before the Truth & Reconciliation Commission. The TRC responds that it will issue a subpoena. (Botha never did appear before the TRC.) • Mary McAleese is elected president of Ireland in succession to Mary Robinson. It is the first time in global history that one woman has succeeded another as elected head of state. • Some 62 people, mostly tourists, die in a terrorist attack outside the temple at Luxor in Egypt. • The partial skull of a 2,5 million-year-old human ancestor is found in Ethiopia, confirming and establishing the newly-discovered species Australopithecus garhi. • Hastings Banda, the first president of Malawi, dies at 99 in Johannesburg on November 25. • On their tour of Europe, the rugby Springboks beat England (29-11), France twice (36-32 and 52-10) and Italy (62-31). On December 8 they go on to complete a clean sweep by beating Scotland 68-10. Schoenstatt Sister Marina Lawrence (right) has been awarded two prestigious honours: the ithemba Bridge-Builder Award and the Spirit of ithemba award. The latter was awarded for “keeping hope alive in the face of oppression”. Sr Marina is seen with fellow recipient Hope Barlow.

An advert for Viva Safaris, a Kruger Park resort. Viva Safaris, who are still running, advertised loyally in The Southern Cross for nearly 25 years.

As Catholics, must we believe in miracles?

Q. I am a Catholic and my faith in the Lord and his Church is strong. But I struggle with the concept of miracles, as many seem to be based on superstition. Is my faith incomplete because of that?

Do you have questions about our faith? Send them to: editor@scross.co.za

O CATHOLIC IS REQUIRED TO believe in any reported miracle, but those who close themselves off to the possibility of miracles may exclude themselves from experiencing God’s grace at work in our lives. A miracle, according to the teachings of the Church, is an extraordinary event that goes beyond the ordinary course of nature and is attributed to the power of God. They can be seen as manifestations of God’s power and his Providence over humanity. To be classified as a miracle, its effect must be unexpected or different from what would normally occur, and inexplicable to science or reason. A medical miracle involving a healing must be spontaneous and permanent. Miracles are not appeals to ignorance but rather appeals to knowledge, as they are meant to provide evidence and attest to the truth of God’s power and his connection with the supernatural world. Miracles can also serve as confirmation of the sanctity of individuals, such as saints. The Church applies stringent rules to the investigation of reported mira-

cles before they are declared worthy of belief. The process usually begins with an investigation at the local level. In cases involving physical healings, independent medical professionals are appointed to examine thoroughly the medical records and the person who claims to have been healed, assessing the possibility of a natural explanation for the healing. Concurrently with the medical examination, a theological commission studies the reported miracle. The commission analyses the circumstances, prayers, intercession of saints, and any other religious aspects associated with the case. They evaluate whether the claimed miracle aligns with Catholic teachings and the understanding of divine intervention. After examining all the evidence and opinions gathered during the investigation, the local bishop or the del-

Can saints be unsainted? Q. If a big scandal is revealed in the life of a saint, can their canonisation be reversed?

N THEORY, A CANONISATION CAN be rescinded. The Catholic Church has the authority to revoke the veneration of a person who has been canonised as a saint, if it is discovered that the person was not truly worthy of veneration or if new information comes to light that calls into question their heroic virtues or miracles, or that they actually existed. However, the process of reversing a canonisation is not explicitly described in Church resources. It would certainly involve a formal process similar to the one used for canonisation itself, which includes a thorough investigation and examina-

6 The Southern Cross

Your Questions answered

tion of evidence. Moreover, the complex question of whether canonisations are, in fact, infallible pronouncements would need to be settled first. In short, it would require a scandal of immense proportions to open that can of worms. At this point it is important to remember that canonisation is simply the Church’s way of affirming that an individual is in heaven with God. Stripping that person of the status of being a canonised saint would not presume that he or she is not with God, — after all, that is God’s business alone. In practice, canonisation is permanent. But some saints, especially some whose veneration precedes the

egated authority reaches a judgment. They determine whether the alleged miracle meets the Church’s criteria for authenticity, which includes the requirement that the event is beyond any natural explanation and can be attributed to divine intervention. If the local investigation concludes that the alleged miracle is worthy of further consideration, the case is forwarded to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, which reviews the entire dossier and makes a final judgment on the authenticity of the miracle. If it approves the miracle, it is presented to the pope for his final approval. The pope has the authority to declare the miracle as authentic and worthy of belief by the faithful. This declaration often leads to the beatification or canonisation of the person whose intercession is associated with the miracle. However, nobody is required to believe in such miracles.

A canonisation ceremony is held in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican. While in theory it might be possible for a pope to rescind a canonisation, in practice it is unlikely that he would.

institution of canonisation in 993 AD, were dropped from the Vatican’s list of official feast days in 1968, in some cases because of doubts about whether they actually existed.

is PURGATORY real? Q. What exactly is purgatory? Has the teaching of it fallen out of favour? And if purgatory exists, what happens there?

VEN IN OLD TESTAMENT TIMES, there is evidence of prayers for the dead. Maccabees 12:40-46 mentions sacrifices offered for the dead, so that they may be freed from their sins. In the New Testament, Jesus also gave this warning: “Let anyone speak against the Holy Spirit and he will not be forgiven either in this world or in the next” (Matthew 12:32). The dead would not need prayer if they were already in God’s heavenly presence, nor if they were doomed to hell. The implication is that they are in an intermediate state. In the early days, the epitaphs and inscriptions on Christian graves testify to the belief that the dead can be helped by the prayers of the living. The writings of the early Fathers of the Church up to about the 7th century tell of belief in the effectiveness of prayer for the dead. The Council of Trent in 1563 spelt

out the doctrine clearly, saying that purgatory exists and that the prayers of the faithful can help those who are detained there, especially through the sacrifice of the Mass. In medieval times, stress was laid on the sufferings endured by the souls in purgatory, making them almost as fierce as the torments of hell. The image was that of the souls being cleansed by fire. In recent times, the understanding is that the soul is purified or purged of the effects of sin in a different way. When the soul receives the divine judgment, it is overwhelmed by the immense outpouring of God’s love and has a burning desire to return that love. Knowing its state of imperfection, it is in a bittersweet condition, craving God yet still feeling impure for his all-holy embrace. In praying that the dead may experience God’s mercy, we trust that our Father will hear us and show them mercy. The reason is that we are all united in Christ in the communion of saints. We live a life of supernatural grace that is not affected by physical death. In the words of the liturgy:

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“An Angel Frees the Souls of Purgatory”, by Ludovico Carracci (1555–1619).

“Life is changed, it is not ended.” We cannot say anything about where purgatory is nor what precisely the cleansing process is nor how long it takes, but our faith assures us that purgatory exists and that the souls detained there can be helped by the prayers of the Church on earth, particularly by means of the eucharistic sacrifice. (Michael Shackleton)

The basilica of

St Paul’s tomb

URING THE MONTH OF November, the Church marks the feasts of the dedication of three of Rome’s four major basilicas: St John Lateran on November 9, and St Paul Outside the Walls and St Peter’s on November 18. The fourth major basilica, St Mary Major, was built after those three, in the 5th century, with its feast day on August 5 (it was featured in our August 2023 issue. We will visit the other two basilicas at a later stage). In around 65 AD, during the reign of Emperor Nero, the apostle Paul was beheaded for preaching the faith in the Lord Jesus. After his execution, Christian followers buried him in a small cemetery on the Via Ostiense, just outside the ancient city walls of Rome. For the next 250 or so years, the site was venerated by successive generations of Christians, even when it was necessary to temporarily remove St Paul’s relics, and those of St Peter, to the catacombs of St Sebastian for safekeeping. In 313 AD, Emperor Constantine

Pilgrims pray at the tomb of St Paul below the altar of the basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.

legalised Christianity, which meant that the followers of the faith could now build churches. By 324, a church was consecrated on the site of St Paul’s tomb and named St Paul Outside the Walls (or San Paolo fuori le Mura, in Italian). The same year the basilica of St John Lateran was built, and the original St Peter’s basilica was under construction over the tomb of St Peter.

Big fire of 1823 Over the centuries, St Paul Outside the Walls underwent several reconstructions, including repair to damage sustained in an earthquake in 801. Perhaps the most significant remodelling occurred 200 years ago, after a fire on July 15, 1823, destroyed much of the basilica’s interior. The fire was caused by a welder named Giacomo who had accidentally left a pan of coals burning on the roof. But before that finding was made, conspiracy theories made the rounds, pointing the finger at revolutionary movements and, in keeping with the anti-Semitism of the age, the Rothschild family, who had happened to be in Rome at the time. In 1825, Pope Leo XII in his encyclical Ad plurimas, encouraged donations for the reconstruction. The restoration of the basilica became a symbol of unity and cooperation among different nations and faith bodies. Various Catholic rulers, along with contributions from other Christian communities and countries, generously supported the reconstruction efforts. Help came even from the Ottoman ruler of Egypt, Muhammad Ali Pasha, who donated alabaster columns. Pope Leo ordered that the basilica be rebuilt according to its original 4thcentury design, while retaining the great surviving artworks. While that plan was not entirely possible, the reconstructed basilica has a general resemblance to the

original, though the portico with its 150 columns was added a century later. Inside, the central nave is flanked by side aisles, leading to the imposing apse at the far end. The 80 colossal granite columns lining the nave add to the grandeur of the space. The rebuilt basilica, reconsecrated in 1854, has a magnificent interior with superb mosaics, impressive columns, and intricate artwork. Especially stunning is the 5th-century mosaic in the apse, which depicts Christ flanked by Ss Peter and Paul, among other scenes from the Bible. Above the columns that separate the aisles from the nave, every pope in history is represented in a mosaic medallion form (before the 1823 fire, these were murals). The incumbent pope is illuminated by a spotlight. Also worth noting is the richly decorated 5,6m-high marble Easter candle stand, created in the 12th and 13th centuries.

Tomb of St Paul But the highlight, of course, is the tomb of St Paul, located in a crypt 1,3 metres beneath the main altar. The relics — minus the head, which tradition says is kept in St John Lateran basilica — rest in a white marble sarcophagus. In 2009, radiocarbon tests dated the bones in the sarcophagus to the 1st or 2nd century, suggesting that they are indeed Paul’s. The crypt is not accessible, but parts of the sarcophagus can be seen through a window below the altar. The altar boasts one important relic: the chains which, according to tradition, bound St Paul in captivity. Attached to the usually tranquil basilica is a Benedictine monastery, which was established there in ancient times. The current structures date to the 1200s.

The Southern Cross’ pilgrimage to Rome and the Holy Land in May 2024, led by Mgr Simon Donnelly, will include tours of all four major basilicas, including St Paul Outside the Walls. See www.fowlertours.co.za/romehl2024 for details.

The three most recent popes are depicted in mosaics, with a spare medallion next to Pope Francis reserved for the next pontiff.

New Mother Teresa film seeks to inspire

Francesca Pollio Fenton

NEW FILM WEAVES TOGETHER THE LIVES OF two women experiencing self-doubt, but in the end both women meet the challenge of their vocations despite their personal struggles. Mother Teresa & Me, which received the Best Film award at the Mirabile Dictu International Film Festival in Rome, tells the story of Kavita, a young woman who finds herself with an unexpected pregnancy. Battling to decide whether or not to get an abortion, she returns to her hometown in India where her now very old nanny shares the story of Mother Teresa’s first days working in the streets of Calcutta (now Kolkata). Learning how Mother Teresa faced many doubts after no longer being able to hear the voice of Jesus, Kavita is inspired. The film premiered at a special event in New York on September 5. “Mother Teresa & Me is an attempt to inspire people around the world to follow the example of Mother Teresa, and through small acts of kindness make a better world,” said Thierry Cagianut, executive producer of the movie. He explained that the filmmakers decided to take on the difficult endeavour of showing the time in Mother Teresa’s life when she experienced darkness and a spiritual crisis similar to what saints like John of the Cross and Teresa of Ávila had experienced. “When you see the struggle [Mother Teresa] was in and how she persevered, then suddenly she becomes much more human, because she’s also a woman with a lot of suffering, and that makes her relatable,” Cagianut explained. In an effort to accomplish this, they introduced the story of Kavita, because “we thought it might be more accessible, more interesting, to discover Mother Teresa through the eyes of a young mother and woman living today”. Kavita is not only dealing with an unexpected pregnancy and being abandoned by the baby’s father, but she is also battling her parents who want her to get married according to Indian tradition. As the movie goes on, “the influence of Mother Teresa changes her life”, said Cagianut. “We hope that people seeing the movie might get affected by Mother Teresa and discover that they should also do little acts of kindness and be more compassionate and have more open eyes and be less about themselves.”

Cagianut called Mother Teresa “an extremely strong character who we can only emulate and can only give us courage in our own travail in everyday life”.

Proceeds go to the poor

As they began to make the movie, those involved thought it should be made “in the spirit of Mother Teresa” and that the proceeds from the film should go back in their entirety to the poor. Therefore, the Zariya Foundation was created to accomplish this mission. The foundation was founded by Jacqueline Fritschi-Cornaz, the actress who plays Mother Teresa in the film, and her husband, Richard. The film was entirely financed by donations, allowing all proceeds to be distributed to the poor instead of having to repay outstanding costs with the money generated by ticket sales. Cagianut explained the name Zariya (it means “source” in Urdu) was chosen because Mother Teresa herself was a source “of great love and compassion and the film will be a source, a well, that will not go dry, where we will be able to alleviate poverty through people watching it”. Cagianut hopes the movie reaches the “Kavitas of the world” and that they will be moved after watching the film. It was made in the hope that people will realise that “you don’t need to start a foundation and give tons of money — most of the time little gestures, a little bit of time, attention that you give to someone... that makes a better world”. At the time of going to print, there were no plans to bring Mother Teresa & Me to South Africa. For more information and to watch the trailer, go to www.mother-teresa-andme.film/

Win a Cardinal Brislin autograph!

Win a copy of the September issue of The Southern Cross

signed by Cardinal Stephen Brislin — with a personalised dedication!

To enter the competition for an autographed copy, simply name any of our writers in this edition and email the answer by December 4 to

competitions@scross.co.za

Two more copies will go to SUBSCRIBERS (as at December 4) who enter the giveaway. To enter, simply email your subscriber number and address to

competitions@scross.co.za

Competition closes on December 4, 2023

Cardinal Brislin with Southern Cross MD Eugene Jackson and our September issue. His Eminence will sign four copies with a personal dedication.

The Southern Cross 9

50 Years of serving The Southern Cross On December 3, 1973, Pamela Davids began her half-century career at The Southern Cross.

IFTY YEARS AGO THIS MONTH, a shy teenager who had just finished her exams arrived at The Southern Cross’ offices to be interviewed for a job in the newspaper’s administration. Jean Pothier, the imposing chairman of the board, must have seen something in the girl, for he gave her the job. So on December 3, 1973, Pamela Davids started her long tenure at The Southern Cross. Half a century later, Pamela is still serving the Catholic publication — the longest term of any staff member in the publication’s 103-year-long history. Pothier might not have guessed it that day in 1973, but Pamela would one day become the newspaper’s business manager, when in 1995 she succeeded Noel Bruyns. By then, she had occupied practically every position there was in ensuring that the newspaper would get into the hands of readers every week, and advertisers be accommodated in its pages. Pamela remembers the interview in November 1973: “I was very nervous. Mr Pothier made me spell ‘accommodation’.” Pamela could spell the word, launching what would also become a long professional association with the Pothier family. “Jean Pothier was succeeded on the board of directors by his son Bernard, and later Bernard’s daughter Rosanne Shields joined the board. She now chairs the board. So I have worked with three generations of Pothiers,” she notes. She recalls her early colleagues. “Kristina Berge, a Polish lady doing the accounts, helped me so much as I had only just turned 16, straight out of Standard 8. Eileen Christie was the manager when I started. In time she would teach us staff members each other’s work, so if anyone went on leave, we could fill in their position.” Pamela’s arrival coincided with that of a new editor. “Fr Louis Stubbs, who had been the editor since 1948, was retiring, and Fr Donald de Beer took over in December 1973,” Pamela explains. In her time, she has worked with six different editors. She has fond memories of the

people she has worked with, and some amusing reminiscences to go with them. For a long time, the managing director was William O’Grady. “I remember that when Cardinal Owen McCann — who became editor for a second term in 1986 — would come into the manager’s office, Mr O’Grady would practically stand to attention and straighten his jacket. And when Mr O’Grady went home early on a Wednesday — or to the horse races — the staff would down tools as well, or take out a book to read. Those were the early years.”

Many highlights

There have been many highlights in Pamela’s time at The Southern Cross. Being promoted to business manager in 1995 was one of them. “I had never thought I could do it, but the board of directors, under the chairmanship of John Robertson, had confidence in me.” Another highlight was going on

a particularly special memory. And then there was the special honour of receiving the papal Bene Merenti medal from now-Cardinal Stephen Brislin in 2014, shortly after Pamela celebrated her 40th anniversary at The Southern Cross.

A devout family

Born in Cape Town to Sagan and Martha Davids, Pamela and her siblings — Neville, Avril, Owen and Paul — grew up in a devout Catholic family. They were parishioners of Corpus Christi in Wittebome, the parish Pamela still belongs to, and also attended Mass at the Schoenstatt shrine in Constantia. The Davids family made their debut in The Southern Cross more than a decade before Pamela joined the newspaper’s staff, when a photo of the family’s Schoenstatt consecration in September 1962 was published in the newspaper. Sadly older siblings Neville and Avril have now passed away; Avril also worked at The Southern Cross for more than 20 years, starting in 1995. Pamela was educated at St Augustine’s Primary in Wittebome and Immaculata High in Wynberg. The devotee to St Anthony of Padua — “he always helps me find things” — has a rich faith life, and is actively involved in her parish, especially in the Society of St Vincent de Paul. “Occasionally I also help out with the Schoenstatt family group,” she says. Having belonged to Schoenstatt since childhood, Pamela’s favourite prayer is the movement’s Payer of

Pamela could spell the word ‘accommodation’, launching a 50-year career

10 The Southern Cross

Southern Cross pilgrimage twice, in 2000 and 2013, travelling to the Holy Land, Egypt and Italy. Seeing Pope Francis close-up in St Peter’s Square is The young Pamela Davids swings the bat at a softball game.

Confidence: “I trust your might your kindness, Mother dear, I do believe you are always near, whatever happens, Mother Mild, I blindly trust in you and in Your Child.” In her young days, Pamela was a well-regarded softball player, and also played volleyball. She also has enjoyed going to gym. She is a keen follower of sports, especially cricket and rugby.

Serving the Church

Pamela says she is happy having served the Church through The Southern Cross for five decades. “The office always had a family atmosphere — which sometimes also meant quarrels, as in any family. But over the years, I worked with many friendly, caring and supportive people. We never had very strict rules and regulations as you would have in the corporate world, so things have always been quite harmonious in the office. But above all, working in a Catholic environment has taught me a lot about the Catholic Church and my faith.” The worst thing about her 50 years at The Southern Cross? “Moving offices! I have done it five times now, and that’s quite enough for me!” The deterioration in the services and reliability of the Post Office runs a close second. “It has certainly cost me a lot of nerves, and us a lot of readers.” Things have changed a great deal since she turned up at work for the first time in 1973. “The change in technology has been mind-boggling,” Pamela notes. “We used to hand-write invoices and statements, and had to use carbon paper in the typewriter for duplicating things. Everything went by mail or telephone, with no guarantee that you would reach the person. Nowadays you can get answers

Left: Pamela Davids at the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt during the 2000 Southern Cross pilgrimage.Right: Pamela receives the papal Bene Merenti medal from Archbishop (now Cardinal) Stephen Brislin at Cape Town’s St Mary’s cathedral in 2014.

from people straightaway by email or even WhatsApp.”

The biggest change

The biggest change, of course, was the transition of The Southern Cross from being the national newspaper it had been since 1920 to a monthly magazine in 2020. This took place at the same time all staff were retrenched. A dedicated skeleton staff of four, including Pamela, have remained as “freelancers”, working at substantial financial sacrifices. “That happened very suddenly due to the pandemic. Losing our colleagues was unexpected and actually traumatic, and we didn’t know whether The Southern Cross would survive.” Distributing a magazine was a huge learning curve, but Pamela’s years of experience in every domain of administration meant that she was able to adapt quickly. Things changed very suddenly for

Pamela Davids (middle-row, third from right) with staff of The Southern Cross and the Catholic Bookshop and directors of the Catholic Newspaper & Publishing Co, which publishes The Southern Cross. In front we see Cardinal Owen McCann. Editor Fr Donald de Beer is at his right. Managing director William O’Grady is second from left in front. Eugene Donnelly, who worked for The Southern Cross for 42 years, is at centre in the back.

Pamela in January this year. Injuries sustained in a horrific car accident — a taxi crashed at full speed into the driver’s side of her car — and the long period of convalescence meant that Pamela had to relinquish her position of business manager after almost 27 years. “I had planned to retire after I’d celebrate my 50th anniversary at The Southern Cross, but God had other plans,” she says. Pamela was succeeded by Eugene Jackson — but even as circumstances forced her to step back, she remains involved with her life’s work. Indeed, her work has come a full circle: When Pamela started at The Southern Cross in December 1973, her first duty was to send out subscription renewal reminders. Now she has taken over the subscriptions department again. “It’s nice to be still involved with The Southern Cross, and to be able to engage with readers,” she says. “God has been good.”

The Southern Cross 11

Corruption Buster

led by faith

In her professional life, Nomzamo Radebe tackles corruption, but outside her work, she is dedicated to her faith and Catholic youth, as she tells Daluxolo Moloantoa.

F THERE WAS A CONTEST FOR THE BIGGEST South African buzzword for the past decade, “corruption” would likely win it hands-down. This national scourge has dampened the spirit of the South Africa, and given rise to despair to the nation’s young people in a drastic way. But a Catholic youth leader is playing her part in the struggle to end the plague of corruption.

Nomzamo Radebe is a deputy-director in the National Treasury for Business Continuity Management and AntiCorruption. She has worked in various capacities in government over the past ten years. “I view my work in government as a service to others, as Jesus did as a sign of love to his brothers and sisters,” she told The Southern Cross. Nomzamo was born on June 21, 1989, in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria. She is a twin in a family of two sets of twins and two other siblings. She and her twin brother Xolani are the youngest of six children, three boys and three girls. She has attended Mass at St Charles Lwanga church in Soshanguve since childhood. The parish became synonymous with anti-apartheid activist priest Fr Smangaliso Mkhatshwa during the struggle against apartheid in the 1980s. Nomzamo did all her schooling and tertiary education in Pretoria, before joining public administration. Since 2013, she has traversed the scale of work in government with positions in various departments, including in the Office of the Presidency. “This is where the human resources, the finance and the supply chain obligations of the president’s office are managed,” she said. Previous public service engagements include the Gauteng Department of Social Development in 2014, the Gauteng Department of Economic Development in 2018, and Helen Joseph Hospital in 2020. Her current position in the National Treasury entails ensuring that crisis situations are promptly dealt with, and instances of corruption are efficiently handled by the department. “Basically, my role is to ensure that operations continue as normal in the event of a disaster. This means implementing measures to avoid catastrophic damage in, for example, service delivery, and reaching operational goals,’ she said. “In relation to anti-corruption, I am responsible for conducting preliminary investigations in cases of fraud and for the implementation of the department’s

12 The Southern Cross

Ethics Programme — awareness, lifestyle audits, other remuneration outside the public service, and so on. We also identify ethics risks which exist within government.” In terms of her career goals, “my dream is to one day become a chief risk officer of a public or private institution”, she said.

A leader of youth

Beyond public service, it is in her role as a youth leader in the Church that Nomzamo finds the greatest fulfilment. She is a long-time member of Young Catholic Adults (YACO), and has held various leadership positions in the organisation. One highlight as a youth leader was attending World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow, Poland. Another highlight was participating in a gala fundraising dinner for St Charles Lwanga church in August this year (see our report at www.rb.gy/xyf93). Nomzamo has served as YACO’s parish chairperson, and is currently part of the liturgy leadership team in the NorthWestern deanery in the archdiocese of Pretoria. Recently she

was one of five YACO members who were chosen to form part of the liturgical proceedings for this year’s North-West deanery celebration of the feast of the Assumption at the church of Mary Assumed into Heaven in Jonathan, west of Brits (see www.rb.gy/c31c9 for our report), Nomzamo’s activism within the Church goes back to her days in the Chiro youth movement, the Altar-Servers’ Association of the archdiocese of Pretoria, and now YACO. “Having joined YACO fresh from the Chiro movement in 2018, I have found the journey to be immensely fulfilling, especially in terms of my spiritual growth. A foundation in Christ is a lifetime blessing, so as a young woman I believe that the Church needs us to stand together in unity and plant love, peace and joy to become builders of our Church,” she said. This activism within the Altar Servers’ Association, Chiro and now YACO has facilitated growth in the Catholic Church. “Beyond being a part of the arrangements for the liturgical part of retreats, revivals, feast days and so on, I have also embraced my ability to inspire and motivate young people through praise, worship and at times also meditation exercises. Every time I am with young people, I feel so content in knowing that Christ indeed works through me.”

attention to address their many trials. “There are a lot of challenges facing our young girls today. We need older women to become sisters to the younger generation, providing support, mentorship and moral guidance,” Nomzamo said. “A lot of young girls fall pregnant at a very young age. We need to advocate to young girls that pre-marital sex carries undesirable repercussions. We can achieve all of this through initiatives such as the Take a Girl-child to Work initiative, through hosting seminars and other activities geared towards the girl-child. We are the examples and role models to young women to show that we live in Christ and work for Christ.” In the near future, she would like to see herself helping to expand YACO’s footprint not only within the archdiocese of Pretoria but also into other dioceses and beyond South Africa. Nomzamo would also like to see the youth and young adults in her archdiocese become active leaders and shepherds of other young people within the Church. She recommends the following for a fulfilled life: “Always put God first, before anything. That means, when making decisions, consider the importance of involving God to ensure that these decisions become fruitful. Love God, family and community. A child is raised by nations and your success is the success of the nation. Furthermore, also dream big, knowing that even if that big dream does not come through, something worthy will manifest out of your dream.”

A foundation in Christ is a lifetime blessing

Women must stand together

Nomzamo believes that the role of women in the Church has long been undervalued, and this is an area which needs to be increasingly recognised. “Women in the Church occupy a very important and critical role. They are the cornerstones of the Church. They are the pillars on which the Church stands, and on which it needs to remain strong,” she said. This also applies to the role of women in society generally. “Women are the builders of families and communities. They are nurtures of faith, love, peace and joy to others. We, as women, must always strive to support and fix each other’s crowns as queens — displaying unity beyond it all. We must ensure, for example, that children who are orphans do not feel the void. Instead, like all other children, they too should feel the warmth of experiencing motherly love.” Young women in the Church, in particular, need special A product of the Chiro Youth Movement, nomzamo Radebe is now a member of Young Catholic Adults.

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The Warden looks after the property and the needs of the residents and the Chaplaincy. He or she resides free of charge in a cottage on the property. The post also carries a modest stipend. This is however not a commercially remunerated position, but an opportunity for service.

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Further information can be obtained from Michael Janisch (Chair of Trustees) on janisch@capebar.co.za. The Southern Cross 13

How we talk to

OUR DEAD Losing a loved one is always traumatic as we grapple with our grief. But our faith gives us the capacity to deal with grief and to feel a connection with those whom we mourn.

14 The Southern Cross

misunderstand what happens to souls after death, she urges caution when discussing what it means to talk to dead loved ones. “If they’re speaking to a loved one, how are they doing that? Is it through saying, ‘Hey grandma, I think you’re up there in heaven with God. I really hope you pray and look over me.’ That sounds fine,” she said. However, if they are going to a psychic or a medium, they are in conflict with Catholic teachings. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “all forms of divination are to be rejected”, which includes the “conjuring up the dead”. However, the Church encourages Catholics to pray for the dead as one of the spiritual works of mercy. “From the beginning, the Church has honoured the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of

the dead,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church states. “Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.”

importance of prayer

“Prayer, prayer, prayer,” Nygaard reiterated, noting that because Catholics do not know the state of the souls of their loved ones when they die, it is important to pray for them after their death, as prayers can help the souls in purgatory get to heaven faster. The Liturgy of the Hours, a set of prayers said periodically throughout the day by priests, religious and some lay Catholics, includes a special Office of the Dead, a set of prayers said specifically for those who have died. Nygaard often encourages Catholics who are grieving a loss to ask for the intercessory prayers of saints already canonised by the Church, which means that they are assured to be with God in heaven. “Maybe it was that my greatgrandmother was really close to St Anne. I’m going to ask St Anne, Photo: Dominic Ebenbichler/Reuters/CNS

N THE 2017 DISNEY-PIXAR MOVIE Coco, main character Miguel accidentally passes over into the land of the dead on Dia De Los Muertos — the Latin American “Day of the Dead” — while trying to reconcile his love of music with his family’s ban on it. There, he learns that the dead can visit their loved ones on that holiday only if they can prove there is a photo of them on their family’s ofrenda, an altar with photos of loved ones, colourful decorations, and the favourite foods, drinks and mementos of the deceased. “We’ve put their photos on the ofrenda so their spirits can cross over. That is very important! If we don’t put them up, they can’t come!” Miguel’s grandmother explains. While in the land of the dead, Miguel bumps into his own deceased family members, and learns his true family history. Though Miguel’s experience is fictional, it is not uncommon for grieving loved ones to experience what psychologists call “after death communication”, in which the bereaved believe that they see, hear or even smell their dead loved ones. These experiences, sometimes called “bereavement hallucinations”, can be healing and comforting for those who grieve, multiple studies have found. But Catholics should proceed with caution when “communicating” with the dead, two Catholic psychologists have warned, and they should ground their communications in prayer. Dana Nygaard is a Catholic and a licensed professional counsellor who speaks to grief groups and counsels clients through loss. Nygaard said that because many Catholics

A scene from the 2017 film Coco, with Miguel and his grandmother, who advises the boy on how to remember the dead. ©Disney-Pixar

‘Would you please look after my sweet great-grandmother? I pray she’s there with you in heaven.’ I’ve known people also to pray, ‘God, I’m asking you, do I need to keep praying for my father?’,” she said. Nygaard said that those she counsels through grief will sometimes, after a period of prayer, feel a deep sense of peace that their loved one is in heaven.

Plan for for grieving times Plan grieving

Dr Chris Stravitsch, a professional counsellor and marriage and family therapist, said that in addition to prayer, he counsels his clients to prepare for their first year of grief, which can often be the most difficult. “There are a lot of ‘firsts’ to pass through: the first Christmas without him or her; their first birthday without them present; the first wedding anniversary alone; and so on. I counsel people to prepare for these occasions in advance because we know it will be painful and difficult.” Stravitsch tells his clients to plan in advance how and with whom they will be spending these difficult days, and how they will be remembering their loved ones at those times.

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“It’s helpful to surround yourself with other loved ones who understand your loss, while also setting aside a little time to be alone in prayer and reminiscing,” he said. “These are meaningful days to attend Mass, so that you can cling to Christ and receive his consolation. Visiting the grave or a place where you have a special memory can also be meaningful, whether that is done alone or with the support of others. Furthermore, be sure to tell stories and talk about your deceased loved ones. We need to continue coming together at various times to remember them in a spirit of love and prayer. This is a balm for the brokenhearted.” Stravitsch said it is important for Catholics to remember that death and grief are painful things to experience, and that Jesus himself wept at the death of his friend Lazarus. Jesus, he said, “wants to be with us and share our grief”. This means that Catholics should be sensitive towards those who are grieving, and avoid well-intentioned but unhelpful comments such as: “It was God’s will”; “It was their time to go”; “They’re in a better place now”; or “There’s a reason for everything”, Stravitsch said. “Simply saying, ‘I’m sorry’, giving a warm embrace, sharing a tear, and remaining at their side as long as needed can be far more consoling,” he said. Other ways Catholics can show compassion are by checking back in after the funeral has passed, and continuing to talk about the deceased with those who are grieving, he added.

Call on the saints

Both Nygaard and Stravitsch said that they have found that clients are usually deeply comforted by the Church’s teaching on the communion of saints and the promise of everlasting life for all souls who are united with God.

“In the Catholic Church, we have the mystical body of Christ. And we know that the souls in heaven are surrounding the altar during Communion,” Nygaard said. “I have found that this normally brings a great sense of peace [to the bereaved]. It’s not just me sitting there when I go up for Communion...we’re mystically connected, and we can ask for the intercession of the saints”, which means any soul that is in heaven with God. The Letter to the Hebrews says that the faithful are surrounded “by so great a cloud of witnesses”. The Catechism expands on that: “When the Lord comes in glory, and all his angels with him, death will be no more and all things will be subject to him. But at the present time some of his disciples are pilgrims on earth. Others have died and are being purified, while still others are in glory, contemplating ‘in full light, God himself triune and one, exactly as he is’. “All of us, however, in varying degrees and in different ways, share in the same charity towards God and our neighbours, and we all sing the one hymn of glory to our God. All, indeed, who are of Christ and who have his Spirit form one Church and in Christ cleave together” (954). These teachings are a “great consolation for the bereaved,” Stravitsch said. “Not only is there the hope of being reunited with our loved ones after death, but there is the reality of remaining mysteriously connected with them even today. Whether we are interceding for them as we pray for the repose of their soul or we are asking for their prayers, there is a sense that we are within reach of one another,” he added. “The bonds of true love are not destroyed in death but are made ever stronger. The Church recognises this in a unique way when we celebrate All Souls Day and we call to mind our deceased loved ones,” Stravitsch said. “We are united in Christ.”—CNA sales@catholicbookshop.co.za Tel 021 465-5904 WhatsApp: 063 222-2724

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The Southern Cross 15

Pope: Anyone can be a

SAINT

Sainthood is reserved not just for special people who are out of our reach. All of us are called to be saints — to be in heaven with God.

VERYONE CAN BE A SAINT, according to Pope Francis. Saints are not “supermen” who are born perfect, but rather ordinary people who followed God “with all their heart”, the Holy Father has said. “They are like us; they are like each of us. They are people who before reaching the glory of heaven lived a normal life, with joys and griefs, struggles and hopes,” the pope said on All Saints Day last year. Each saint changed his or her life “when they recognised the love of God; they followed him with all their heart, without conditions and hypocrisies. They spent their lives in the service of others, they endured suffering and adversity without hatred and responded to evil with good, spreading joy and peace,” he said. “Sanctity is beautiful! It is a beautiful way,” Pope Francis stressed. “The saints give us a message. They tell us: Be faithful to the Lord, because the Lord does not disappoint! He does not disappoint ever, and he is a good friend always at our side.” To be a saint, the pope said, “is not a privilege of a few... all of us in baptism have the inheritance of being able to become saints. Sanctity is a vocation for everyone. All of us are called to walk in the way of sanctity, and this way has a name, a face: the face of Jesus Christ.”

Pope Francis said the feast of All Saints “reminds us that the goal of our existence is not death, it is paradise! The saints, the friends of God, assure us that this promise does not disappoint.”

‘Before reaching the glory of heaven, saints lived a normal life’ He said the Kingdom of Heaven is for those who trust in the love of God and do not put their security in material things. It is for those with humility and a “simple heart” who do not judge others. The Kingdom of Heaven is for “those who suffer with the one who suffers and rejoice with the one who rejoices”. At a conference on “Holiness Today” in the Vatican last year, Pope Francis said

Banners of new saints on the facade of St Peter’s basilica as Pope Francis canonised ten new saints in 2022. The Holy Father says it is possible for any of us to become a saint. Photos: Paul Haring/CNS

that holiness “is not primarily a matter of struggle and renunciation. First and foremost, it is the realisation that we are loved by God and freely receive his love and mercy.” He emphasised that the witness of the Church’s canonised saints is timeless and never loses its relevance. “The saints are precious pearls… they provide a fascinating commentary on the Gospel. Their lives are like a catechism in pictures, an illustration of the Good News that Jesus brought to humanity.” The pope highlighted how the universal call to holiness was at the heart of the Second Vatican Council. “Today, too, it is important to appreciate the sanctity present in God’s holy people: in parents who raise their children with love, in men and women who carry out their daily work with dedication, in persons who patiently endure sickness and infirmity, and in the elderly who keep smiling and sharing their wisdom.” Pope Francis said that media could help people to learn about the Christian life of individual candidates for beatification or canonisation. “However, in the use of digital media, and social networks, in particular, there can be a risk of exaggeration or misrepresentation dictated by less than noble interests,” he added. “Consequently, there is a need for wise discernment on the part of all those who examine the contours of the reputation of holiness.”

www.radioveritas.co.za

16 The Southern Cross

Saint of the Month: St Charles Borromeo

The saint who dodged a bullet

As a Church reformer and corruption-fighter, St Charles Borromeo made many enemies — including a priest who tried to assassinate him.

AINT CHARLES BORROMEO WAS the patron saint of Pope St John Paul II — and like the Polish pontiff in 1981, the 16th-century saint survived an assassination attempt. On October 26, 1569, while kneeling at evening prayer in the cathedral of Milan, St Charles became the target of a bullet fired by Girolamo Donato Farina, a disgruntled priest opposed to the archbishop’s corruption-busting ways. The bullet only grazed its intended target and Borromeo lived. His survival was hailed as a miracle, as would be that of John Paul II almost 412 years later. Although not physically harmed in the shooting, it had a lasting impact on Borromeo’s life. It fortified his commitment to bring about spiritual and ethical renewal at a time of the Counter-Reformation. Carlo Borromeo was born on October 2, 1538, the second son of a wealthy aristocratic family in Arona, at Lake Maggiore, about 50km from Milan. His father, Gilbert, was the count of Arona; his mother, Margaret, a member of the Milan branch of the House of Medici. He had two uncles who were cardinals. Charles received an excellent education from an early age. Recognising his intellectual abilities and spiritual inclination, his family sent him to study law at Pavia University when he was just 16

St Charles at a glance

name at birth: Carlo Borromeo Born: October 2, 1538, in Arona, Duchy of Milan Died: November, 3, 1584, aged 46, in Milan Beatified: 1602 Canonised: 1610 Feast: November 4 Patronages: Cardinals, bishops, seminarians, spiritual directors, spiritual leaders, catechists, catechumens, stomach and intestinal disorders

years old. He eventually earned a doctorate in canon and civil law. Young Charles had long experienced a profound calling towards the priesthood, and was ready to renounce his claim to inheritance and accept ordination as a priest, despite opposition from some family members.

Made a cardinal at 22

Such opposition did not come from his uncle, Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Medici. When Medici was elected as Pope Pius IV on Christmas Day 1559, he summoned his nephew to Rome. Within five weeks and in keeping with the common practice of nepotism of the times — which Charles would come to oppose — the new pope made his 22year-old nephew a cardinal and appointed him secretary of state. Such nepotism was widespread throughout the Renaissance, and in the cut-throat world of Italian Renaissance politics, drawing on family loyalty was considered necessary and even wise. Borromeo stayed in Rome for four years, living in self-imposed austerity. Not a man of great humour, Borromeo was criticised for depriving Rome of its joy — and potential for corrupt dealings. He even ordered members of the Roman curia, the Church’s government in the Vatican, to wear sober black.

Above: St Charles Borromeo ministers to a young man afflicted by the Black Plague in a painting by Carlo Saraceni (1579-1620). Right: St Charles painted between 1575-99 by Giovanni Ambrogio Figino.

During that time, in 1562–63, the fervent reformer organised the third and final session of the Council of Trent, which sought to reform the Church as a response to the Protestant Reformation. In 1562, Charles’ older brother, Count Federico, suddenly died. His family pressured Charles to seek laicisation — easy, since he had not been formally ordained to the priesthood — in order to marry and have children, but he decided to remain in the ecclesiastic state. In 1560, Borromeo was appointed administrator of the archdiocese of Milan. Three years later he decided to be ordained a priest. Soon after, on December 7, 1563, he was consecrated as bishop in the Sistine Chapel. In May 1564, he was formally appointed archbishop of Milan.

Great reformer of Milan

At the time, the Catholic Church was facing significant challenges, including corruption within its ranks and failings in the pastoral care for the faithful. These were exacerbated in dioceses like Milan, which had had no resident archbishop in 80 years. Borromeo recognised these issues and became a fervent advocate for reform, including the notion that an archbishop of a diocese should actually reside there. As archbishop, Borromeo focused on three main areas: fighting corruption among clergy and in religious orders, improving education and formation of priests, and revitalising religious devotion among the faithful. He encouraged regular confession and Communion as essential spiritual practices. Believing that the abuses in the Church had their roots in the ignorance of clergy, rather than ill will, he established seminaries, colleges and communities for the formation of candidates for holy orders. His times were marked by the plague and famines. Borromeo worked tirelessly

The Southern Cross 17

St Charles Borromeo

The

Southern Cross

‘

’

If we wish to make any progress in the service of God, we must begin every day of our life with new eagerness. We must keep ourselves in the presence of God as much as possible, and have no other view or end in all our actions but the divine honour.

‘St Charles Borromeo in Prayer’, Lombard School, 17th century

1538

A Timeline of St Charles BorromeO

Born on October 2 in the castle of Arona in the Duchy of Milan into a wealthy and noble family.

1554

Inherits the family estates and titles following the death of his father. Enters the University of Pavia.

1559

Earns a doctorate in canon and civil law.

1560

Is created a cardinal at age 22 by his uncle, Pope Pius IV, and appointed secretary of state as well as non-resident administrator of the archdiocese of Milan.

1561

1569

Escapes an assassination attempt while at prayer in Milan’s cathedral, hatched by monks of the Humiliati order.

1576

Milan is hit first by famine due to a crop failure and then by a severe outbreak of the plague. Borromeo organises the relief efforts and provides care and support to the afflicted.

1577

Founds the Oblates of St Ambrose, a lay order dedicated to education and missionary work.

1578

Establishes the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine to promote religious education and catechism.

Founds a college at Pavia, dedicated to Justina of Padua (today known as Almo Collegio Borromeo).

1583

Resists pressure to return to the lay state and start a family following the death of older brother Federico.

1584

1562

1562-63

Organises the third and final session of the Council of Trent.

1564

Is named archbishop of Milan and in 1565 becomes the archdiocese’s first resident bishop in 80 years.

Conducts an apostolic visitation to Switzerland to combat heresy, which includes a witch hunt. Dies on November 3 at the age of 46.

1602

Is beatified on May 12 by Clement VIII.

1610

Is canonised on November 1 by Pope Paul V.

Above: The remains of St Charles Borromeo in his tomb in Milan’s Duomo. Right: “il Sancarlone”, a huge statue of St Charles Borromeo erected at his birthplace of Arona, northern italy, in 1697. The work of Giovanni Battista Crespi, the statue is 23m tall and stands on a 12m-high plinth.

20 The Southern Cross

to improve the living conditions of the people by tending to their physical needs, even during the Black Plague. During a famine, he fed up to 70 000 people every day, using up his own wealth and even going into debt to provide for the hungry. His selfless acts of charity earned him the admiration of Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

Almost lethal opposition

In an age of political unrest and power struggles, Borromeo remained steadfast in his commitment to serve God and his people, and to reform the Church. That prompted hardened opposition from many Church leaders, including the pope, and especially from some religious orders, including that of the misnamed Brothers of Humility, the Humiliati, a penitential order which owned about 90 monasteries, despite having only 170 living members. Some of these Brothers conspired against Borromeo’s life, which is where the failed assassination in 1569 comes in. Instead of succumbing to fear or intimidation, the archbishop stood firm in his convictions, refusing to compromise on matters that would bring about genuine change within the Church. That included demonstrations of mercy: when his wouldbe assassin Farina and the co-conspirators were sentenced to death, Borromeo appealed for clemency. The pope rejected these appeals and ordered the assassins’ execution. While he faced much opposition from people within the Church, civic leaders throughout Europe valued Borromeo’s guidance, including the Catholic monarchs Henry III of France, Philip II of Spain, and Mary, Queen of Scots. In his zeal to combat heresy and witchcraft, Borromeo was uncompromising. In 1583 he began an apostolic visitation of all cantons of Switzerland. During that visitation, 150 people were arrested for practising witchcraft. Twelve people were condemned by the civil authorities to be burned alive. After a lengthy bout of illness, Charles Borromeo died on November 3, 1584, at the age of 46. Devotion to the archbishop of Milan began almost immediately. St Charles Borromeo was canonised by Pope Paul V in 1610. His feast day is on November 4, and he is the patron saint of bishops, catechists and seminarians. St Borromeo is entombed in Milan’s cathedral, the Duomo — against his wishes. Almost 400 years after Borromeo’s death, another great reformer of the Church, Angelo Roncalli, chose November 4, the feast of St Charles, as the date for his papal coronation as Pope John XXIII.

next Month: The Holy innocents

How a podcast deepened my faith The digital age offers us both opportunities and challenges for spiritual growth. robyn harry explains how we can benefit from life online and avoid its pitfalls.

Y BIGGEST SIN MAY BE that I sometimes struggle to make time for the Lord. I rise before the crack of dawn and my body is programmed to get-up and go. Within the blink of an eye, I wake up and repeat an airtight routine. A frightful habit I have acquired is devoting only a few quiet minutes to God before I drift off to sleep. Yes, I speak to God throughout the day, and yes, I occasionally open the Bible — but I will admit that is not enough. I’m 23. I spend a lot of my spare time online instead of with God, or learning about him. A few years ago I stumbled upon a daily prayer podcast. A verse of the day speaking about the adoration of God brought me to tears. It was the first time I consumed the Gospel digitally. Its non-traditional form allowed the narrator to explain the verse in a way that I would never have been able to interpret on my own. In that moment, I realised that social media and religion do not necessarily counteract each other. In his message for World Communications Day in 2014, Pope Francis offered a profound perspective on the role of social platforms in spiritual growth. These platforms, he said, present an invitation to uncover the splendour of faith, experience the joy of the Trinity, and provide an opportunity to evangelise the Gospel.

Finding the the balance Finding balance

There must be a balance between digital engagement and fostering a robust spiritual life. Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda, a Jesuit canon lawyer, has raised concerns about the impact of the digital world on spiritual wellbeing. Cardinal Ghirlanda contends that the screen often fuels an insatiable curiosity about trivial matters, distracting individuals from the contemplative practices necessary for a thriving spiritual life. He advocates periodic disconnection from the digital world to engage in prayer and contemplate scripture,

asserting that this detachment is crucial for nurturing spiritual growth. At the heart of the discussion lies the concept of communion, the spiritual unity that binds individuals within a community. Communion fosters a shared sense of purpose and belonging, allowing active participation and engagement in a collective mission. This participation amplifies the impact of individuals and promotes collaborative efforts to fulfil the divine will.

More culture Moreinclusive inclusive culture The central themes of the ongoing Synod on Synodality — Communion, Participation, and Mission — capture the core of this discussion. Rooted in the insights from the Word of the Lord and directed by prayer, the Synod aims to traverse these fundamental ideals. The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) has acknowledged varied responses to the Synod, particularly about the laity’s concerns regarding gaps in biblical knowledge. There is an evolving consciousness to foster a more inclusive culture in the Catholic Church. The SACBC highlights the importance of faith formation, emphasising the need for improved catechesis and ongoing faith development, especially among the youth. Strengthening this relationship requires intentional efforts; including impactful catechetical programmes, meaningful liturgy, welcoming spaces, and deeper spirituality. Utilising social media presents an excellent opportunity to engage and connect with younger audiences.

For this year’s World Communications Day, Pope Francis underlined the value of genuine communication, emphasising the importance of listening and speaking with pure intentions. In a world characterised by complexity, authentic communication enables individuals to move beyond surfacelevel interactions and navigate intricate realities.

Navigate Navigatingdigital digital world world

Harnessing the power of technology to grow deeper in faith involves a deliberate approach. One must successfully navigate the digital landscape while nurturing one’s spirituality. To ensure a well-rounded and accurate understanding of Catholic teachings, it’s essential to rely on trustworthy sources. Seek information from established Catholic websites, respected blogs, and reputable podcasts — many of these are hosted by trusted authors, theologians, and priests who offer insightful content. Participate — with civility and charity — in the content you consume by joining discussions, posing questions, and leaving comments, as this not only enhances your understanding but also builds connections and a sense of community. However, be cautious about what you encounter online, as not all content is reliable. Cross-reference with the Bible and established teachings to verify the accuracy of all information you receive — and that of your response, if you choose to offer a comment. The website Magisterium AI (magisterium.com) is an excellent new resource for confirming Catholic teachings. The digital age presents both opportunities and challenges for spiritual growth. Discovering the daily prayer podcast deepened my faith by offering an exceptional experience of the Gospel of a kind to which I had not been exposed before. The podcast’s regular publication allowed me to add it into my routine as I anticipated a new message each day. Thanks to immersing myself in the Word, I found the strength to leave a toxic job, let go of anxieties about finding the perfect relationship, rise above ill-treatment from others, and develop unwavering faith in the Lord’s plan — no matter the challenges ahead.

Robyn Harry is a marketing professional in Cape Town.

The Southern Cross 21

Holy Land Pilgrimage:

A pilgrimage of surprises In September a group of Southern Cross pilgrims toured and prayed in the Holy Land and Egypt. Günther Simmermacher reﬂects on the journey.

The Southern Cross pilgrims on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

Left: Calvary Sister Maria Masasa rejoices in the River Jordan. Right: Guide Gaby Makhlouf with pilgrims in the sanctuary of Gloria in Excelsis Deo chapel at Shepherds’ Fields, near Bethlehem. Bishop Victor Phalana celebrates Mass on the Catholic altar at the site of Jesus’ crucifixion in the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. History and archaeology leave no doubt that this is the authentic site of the events from almost exactly 2 000 years ago.

All photos, except group picture, by Günther Simmermacher

22 The Southern Cross

N OUR WAY TO OUR FINAL MASS, WE observed the strong Christian faith of some of Cairo’s poorest people. The neighbourhood of Zabbaleen is populated by rubbish pickers — all of them Copts, as Egypt’s Christians are called. Images of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin are everywhere as one ascends Mount Mokattam, which is regarded as holy by the local faithful (I told the story of the miracle there at www.scross.co.za/2016/05/cairo-christians/) On top of El Mokattam is the monastery of St Simon the Tanner, built by the people of Zabbaleen. Our pilgrimage’s final Mass was in one of the monastery’s several cave churches. Our opening Mass had been in the basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, where the story of the Incarnation begins with the angel’s visit to Mary. Now our final Mass was at a place where the Incarnation has tangible life, lived by people whom we saw on our way up. In his homily on El Mokattam, our spiritual director, Bishop Victor Phalana of Klerksdorp spoke of the hope and consolation we derive from our faith. On our way down, we saw how these words take on concrete form. During our time in Egypt, which took us to Cairo and Alexandria, local guide Alfred Saber explained the history and situation of the country’s Christians, who make up about 20% of the population. Our group was surprised to learn that the Copts have a pope (the current one, number 118, is called Tawadros II). Coptic popes are Orthodox, and their title precedes that of the Roman pontiff.

The language of faith

The pilgrimage’s final Mass in a cave church at the monastery of St Simon the Tanner on Cairo’s Mount Mokattam. On the way up, the group saw profound faith amid abject poverty.

In the Holy Land — as we should always call the territories covered by Israel and Palestine — our guide was the superb Gaby Makhlouf, son of the late Rimon, doyen of Christian tour guides. As a Latin-rite Catholic and a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre, the Jerusalem-born Gaby speaks our language of faith, from the heart. But he is more than just a tour guide. His profound biblical knowledge and ability to place Old Testament prophecies into the contexts of the Gospels are eye-opening. Even after having led many pilgrimages, I still find surprises. This group produced several firsts.

In pics and in words For the first time there was a child in my group, a nine-year-old girl travelling with her mother and extended family. She was impeccably behaved. At the request of her mother, the girl was baptised on the banks of the River Jordan, with its waters. The following day she was anointed in Jerusalem’s church of St Peter in Gallicantu, above the dungeon in which Jesus was held by the Sanhedrin before his condemnation by Pontius Pilate. One place marked the beginning of the Lord’s public ministry, the other its end. I hope the girl will grow up to be a faithful Catholic; she will have a beautiful story to tell of her baptism, by a bishop in special places in the Holy Land. Another special grace of the pilgrimage was the choir which formed spontaneously under the expert direction of pilgrim Patrick Smith, who offered post-dinner singing lessons on the terrace of our beautiful (and Catholic-owned) hotel in Bethlehem. The choir’s gorgeous Southern African singing brought strangers to tears in more than one church. The choir lent the whole group an extraordinary cohesion, and it fed our communal spirituality. I use the term “Southern African” deliberately: we also had pilgrims from Botswana, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, in addition to some who joined us from New Zealand, Scotland and Ireland.

Pilgrims at the grotto of the Annunciation in Nazareth (left), and at the Sea of Galilee in Tabgha, site of Christ’s post-Resurrection appearance.

Pilgrims pray at the Rock of the Agony in the basilica of Gethsemane before Mass there (left), and Mass in St Catherine’s cathedral in Alexandria, Egypt.

The stations of Jesus’ life

Apart from seeing the pyramids and the treasures of Tutankhamun, there is a good reason for us to visit Cairo. In its Coptic quarter, the church of Abu Serga covers the cave in which the Holy Family is said to have lived during the exile in Egypt. With the inclusion of that church in the programme, our group got to visit the important places of Our Lord’s earthly life: the Incarnation (and later his home) in Nazareth, the birth in Bethlehem, his baptism in the River Jordan, the calling of the disciples at Tabgha and Capernaum, his ministry around the Sea of Galilee, his first public miracle in Cana, the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, the raising of Lazarus in Bethany, the institution of the Eucharist on Mount Zion, and the Passion and Re-surrection in the Garden of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives and in Jerusalem’s Old City. That is a special grace of a Holy Land pilgrimage: to be in the very places which we read about in the Gospels, to see what Jesus and Mary and the apostles and prophets saw, and even to put feet on the very steps that they walked on, as one can on Mount Zion. The Holy Land brings the Gospel alive. In Jewish custom, there is a common farewell greeting: “Next year in Jerusalem!” Indeed, I hope to return to Jerusalem next May, with a new group of Southern Cross pilgrims, led by Mgr Simon Donnelly (for details, see advert on page 35). In the meantime, I shall feed my spirit with the fruits of this very special and memorable pilgrimage.

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The Southern Cross 23

Food & Faith

OOD NOURISHES THE BODY while prayer nourishes the mind and soul. Growing up in an Italian household, food was always the centre of our conversations. Food brings people together, whether at a dinner party, a birthday celebration, a work social or just a family gathering. Similarly, prayer and one’s faith bring people together, whether it’s the rosary group praying daily together or everyone gathering at Mass on the weekend. Bringing people together is what food and faith have in common. Food is a gift from God, so we give thanks before a meal is enjoyed. Eating fare from the five food groups — fruit and vegetables, starches, dairy, protein, and fat — gives us all the nutrients we need. Proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre, and water are all nutrients that are important for good health and to reduce the risk of disease. There are ten healing foods in the Bible: fish, raw honey, olives, sprouted grains and breads, goat’s milk and products, fruit, herbs, beans and lentils.

fats which can help reduce inflammation and even lower blood pressure. Grains: Healthy grains were a primary staple in biblical times. Grains are among the natural foods that can be preserved for years. Throughout the Bible, bread is a symbol of God’s lifesustaining provision. Jesus himself is the Bread of Life — our true source of spiritual life. The bread that Jesus represents never perishes or spoils, unlike the bread which goes mouldy if you leave it open or don’t finish it before the sell-by date. The best Bible verse about food is found in the Gospel of John: “Then Jesus said: ‘I am the bread of life. Who-

Food is a gift from God, so we give thanks before a meal is enjoyed

Foods in the Bible

Fruit: In biblical times, people ate many of today’s most nutritious “superfoods”. Take, for example, pomegranates. They are mentioned several times in the Old Testament (for example Numbers 13:23; Deuteronomy 8:8), and are believed to have highly beneficial anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumour properties. Vegetables: God provided vegetables and legumes packed with nutrients, fibre and protein to power the people in the Bible. In Babylon, Daniel and his friends observed a diet of only vegetables. Fish: Seafood was another staple in the Bible; we recall that four of Jesus’ apostles were fishermen. However, only certain fish was suitable for eating. Today we know that fish such as tuna, salmon, cod and many others are high in protein and healthy omega

---24 The Southern Cross

ever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (6:35).

Cooking for Jesus

The patron saint of food is St Martha, sister of Lazarus and Mary. She is an ideal patron saint of cooking and hospitality because she served dinner to Jesus himself. Martha was from Bethany, a village a few kilome-

Grazia Barletta with the biscuits she baked for her monthly recipe on the facing page.

tres from Jerusalem. She was considered diligent and meticulous, and she was one of the first to believe in Jesus’ divinity. A dependable and determined person who was full of faith and spiritual depth; a hard worker and a beloved daughter of God. We can relate to the everdutiful St Martha who wanted to make sure that family and guests were well fed. But we need to be reminded that we should be nourished not only physically but also spiritually. Reading the Bible daily can give us the nourishment we need. Make time to pray daily and spend time meditating on the things of God. Programmes such as Alpha and Ecclesia are a great way of learning more and reflecting on the teachings of God. In 2017 I was privileged to join my parish on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. What a life-changing experience that was! Besides being in the Holy Land and tracing the steps which we read about in the Bible, special friendships were also made along the way. If the opportunity should ever arise for you, then I urge you to go and visit the Holy Land. The wonderful food we enjoyed along the way and the beautiful churches we visited daily were unforgettable. Food and faith, always nourishing us. Grazia Barletta, our monthly “Cooking with the Saints” columnist, is an author of cookbooks, book designer, and food photographer and stylist. She can be contacted at graziabarletta1@gmail.com She blogs at momentswithgrazia.com

Photo: Robert Kirsner

Food plays an important role in the Bible, most crucially in the Bread of Life! Grazia Barletta looks at the relationship between food and faith.

Cooking with Saints

Every month in her Cape Town kitchen, GRAZIA BARLETTA prepares a recipe inspired by the saints and shares it with our readers in text and photos taken exclusively for The Southern Cross by the chef herself.

THIS MONTH GRAZIA BAKED:

OSSI DI MORTO – ALL SOULS BISCUITS All Saints’ Day Prayer Dear holy saints of God, we join our prayers of praise to yours on this day. With you, we sing of God’s goodness, rejoice in God’s mercy, and celebrate God’s incredible love. Teach us to live as you lived – always thinking of others, always recognising your weaknesses, always rejoicing in God’s gifts, always following Jesus. Blessed are you, happy are you, all holy saints of God. Pray for us that we, too, may someday be among God’s holy ones. Amen

N NOVEMBER 1 AND 2, Catholics around the world observe the feasts of All Saints and All Souls respectively. These are days of remembrance as families honour the souls of their deceased loved ones, especially by visiting their gravesides. In some countries, it is a public holiday, and schools and most businesses are closed. In Italy, on All Saints Day most people attend Mass. All Souls Day, also called The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, is a day of prayer and remembrance. Of course, in Italy, no celebration is marked without some kind of customary treat. The feast of All Souls, or la Festa di Morti (feast of the dead), is marked by biscuits called Ossi di Morto, which are made to resemble the bones of the dead — hence their name, which means “Bones of the Dead”. These traditional Italian biscuits are gluten-free and almond-flavoured with a delicate lemon scent and a wonderful chewy texture. They are easy to prepare and keep well in an airtight container for up to a week — if you haven’t eaten them all at once!

preparation: 30 min (incl. baking) Servings: 25 biscuits

Ingredients

1 egg • 2 cups of almond flour • ½ cup chopped toasted almonds • 1 tsp lemon zest • ¾ tsp baking powder • 1 tsp vanilla essence • 1 tsp almond essence • 1 pinch salt • ½ cup of sugar • Icing sugar for dusting

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Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C and line a baking tray with wax/baking paper. 2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the sugar, extracts and egg until blended.

3. Stir in the almond flour, baking powder, salt and lastly the chopped almonds.

4. Place mixture onto a lightly floured (you can use cake flour) hard surface and gently knead for a minute or two with your hands until smooth. (The dough will be a bit sticky.)

5. Cut off pieces of dough and roll into logs about 2cm in diameter and 20 cm long. Once you have the logs, divide them into further pieces around 6-8 cm in length.

6. Place the logs on the baking sheet a few centimetres apart.

7. Bake the biscuits for about 10-12 minutes for a softer and chewy biscuit, or up to 15 minutes if you prefer it crunchier. 8. Let the cookies cool completely and lightly dust with icing sugar. They are delicious dunked in Vin Santo or your favourite liqueur, tea and coffee.

9. Enjoy with the All Saints Day prayer found on this page.

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The Southern Cross 25

Write to us

We welcome your letters, while reserving the right to edit them. We may publish your letters on our website. Please include a postal address (not for publication). Letters should be no longer than 350 words. Pseudonyms are acceptable only under special circumstances at the Editor’s discretion. Send your letters to editor@scross.co.za

Letters We need a Mass reverence revival

URTHER TO FR RALPH DE HAHN’S letter “What happened to Mass reverence?” (July 2023), perhaps we could give sight to the blind and let the deaf hear through a “Reverence Revival”. We would not need to spend a cent or travel long distances, unlike the three-year Eucharistic Revival in the United States which is culminating in a National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in 2024. This idea flows from five homilies given by a priest named as Fr Keith, titled “Gestures and Postures at Mass” and available on a YouTube playlist (www.t.ly/2rI_Q). Fr Keith speaks about the little mistakes that have crept into Holy Mass over the years. Examples include the use of the orans gesture by the laity, irreverence during Holy Communion, the hastily made sign of the Cross, among many others. These errors might have crept in unwittingly, but we are not permitted to

Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in Letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reﬂect the views of the publication or those of the Catholic hierarchy.

add or omit anything from the General Instruction of the Roman Missal during Holy Mass. Once these errors are explained, the wrong habits can then be broken through constant verbal and written reminders by the priest and deacon, no matter how long it may take. We can go one step further; within the ordinary Mass, include sacred music and some Latin, as prescribed by Sacrosanctum Concilium (1963), Vatican II’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. The older generation bemoans the loss of the youth (and traditions) in the Catholic Church. Once the mystery and uniqueness of the Catholic Church is brought back, the youth will remain. For those who will oppose “going back” to how worship at Holy Mass should be, please remember that each time we participate in Holy Mass, we are at the foot of the Cross in Calvary, outside of space and time. Lynette Peterson, Cape Town

Flabbergasted by a devout Holy Mass

FEW MONTHS AGO, I ATTENDED Mass at St Lawrence church in Delft, on the Cape Flats, as the church was celebrating the feast of its patron saint. I had visited this church a

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A photo of Mass at St Lawrence church in Delft, Cape Town, taken by reader Daphne Momple.

year previously, and I was flabbergasted at what I noticed at this year’s Mass. New seats had been added, and the church was filled. The congregation of all ages had grown immensely. Everyone, but everyone, was totally immersed in this Mass. There were no unnecessary movements. The congregation’s eyes were focused on Fr Emmanuel Eyeowa CMF or on the prayers on the overhead screen. The prayers were said loudly and the singing by a traditional choir was vibrant and set a lively tone. Fr Emmanuel, I salute you for your own spiritual growth which has filtered down to your congregation. Daphne Momple, Cape Town

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26 The Southern Cross

How’s your conscience doing?

Fr Ralph de Hahn: Point of Reflection

E HAVE HEARD MANY times that “God will judge us by our conscience”, but we also know that in our human situation, many people firmly trust their own opinions. The might say: “I am a mature adult who’s able to decide for myself on what is right or wrong for me.” However, a good Catholic conscience is far more than just an opinion. A good person cannot base their judgment on the voice of modern society, which we know is self-centred and selfseeking. It must be based on the law of Nature, the law of God. This could mean the inner voice instilled into our very nature by a God who is all goodness; that quiet voice which simply prompts us to “do good and avoid evil”. Pope John Paul II reminds us that “in desiring a good Catholic conscience, a person must first seek the truth and then make judgments in accordance with that same truth”. Truth is another issue worth pursuing for it confused the mighty Pontius Pilate who cried, “What is truth?”, when before him stood Eternal Truth (John 18:38). We can all be easily confused because conscience is not infallible, simply because we are gifted with free will. But we exercise this free will in an increasingly godless society, with its own standards of morality, in which so many people hunger for self-gratification, pleasure and material possession, without reference to God’s law.

The erroneous conscience

When we are guided by these influences, we end up with an erroneous conscience and find ourselves living on this level even in our church and sacramental lives. St Paul warns us about this conflict with our sacramental life, showing also that our problems today were present even among the early Christians: “Everyone is to examine himself and only then eat of the bread or drink from the cup; because a person who eats and drinks without recognising the

the sacrament of Reconciliation. Jesus tells us to heed the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, the teachings of the Gospel, and, above all, the example of Jesus himself in his life of love and service. That would indeed give us a correct conscience, for we know from Jesus that living the truth will set us free (John 8:32).

God will be the judge

“At Eternity’s Gate”, an 1890 painting by Vincent van Gogh

body is eating and drinking his own condemnation... If we were critical of ourselves we would not be condemned” (1 Corinthians 11:28-32).

We exercise our free will in a godless society Many of us live with an erroneous conscience, and for many reasons. It could be sheer ignorance, or living in an environment that mirrors only bad examples, or we believe fake news in the media, or are influenced by the wilful rejection of Church teachings and the authority of the Bible. It seems so much easier to flow with the tide. Yet, as Catholics, we are instructed to form a correct conscience by an honest assessment of ourselves in the light of the Church’s teachings — not an assessment viewed through the eyes of humans but by the eyes of God, who is the creator of our minds and conscience. When we fail in this, where do we start to correct ourselves? Well, in our day by day decisions, we must rely on a prayer life, the power of the Holy Spirit,

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God, in his mercy and pure understanding, will judge us in accordance with our conscience. But God will judge severely those who fall into error because of wilful neglect in seeking the truth due to laziness, pride or self-righteousness, and those who choose an immoral way of life. A clear and innocent conscience fears nothing and nobody. We should also be aware that certain sins are intrinsically evil and can never be justified, but what is absolutely certain is that a conscience without God is like a court without a judge. We are thus obligated to take the necessary steps to form a correct conscience. It may be a rocky road with many ups and downs, because our self-interests will always get in the way. Maybe one should begin the trip with this solid resolution: “This is what I want, what I will seek — to live freely by the truth.” We will not get far on that journey without sincere prayer, for nothing really good is achieved without the Power from on high, the Holy Spirit, “who will lead us to the complete truth” (John 16:13). A well-informed conscience is ever sensitive to this inner sanctuary and is always in accordance with human reason and the divine law. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us: “His conscience is man’s most secret core, and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths” (1776).

Fr Ralph de Hahn is a priest of the archdiocese of Cape Town.

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The Southern Cross 27

Why we must honour the past

Dr Raymond Perrier on Faith & Society

HARP-EYED READERS MIGHT have noticed that my byline at the top of this page now has the letters “Dr” in front of my name. (And if you had not noticed before, I have made sure that you definitely have now.) That is because I was recently awarded a PhD by the University of KwaZulu-Natal for my thesis about Paddy Kearney. Many will recall the role that Paddy played in working alongside Archbishop Denis Hurley of Durban and other religious leaders in fighting apartheid through the Diakonia Council of Churches in Durban in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s. In his final years, Paddy founded the Denis Hurley Centre (which I serve as director). He also wrote an awardwinning biography of Archbishop Hurley. The title of that book uses the name which the great author Alan Paton coined for the archbishop, playing on Hurley père’s profession as a lighthouse keeper: The Guardian of the Light. I used to tease Paddy: “This means that you are the ‘Guardian of the Guardian of the Light’.” It seems that I have now become the “Guardian of the Guardian of the Guardian of the Light”! Joking aside, I believe that Paddy Kearney’s life is an important example for us to reflect on what it means to be the Church of today. Although the Second Vatican Council took place 60 years ago, it is clear that it remains hugely relevant for our understanding of who the Church is and what role it plays “in the modern world”. That is how Vatican II deliberately termed it — in, not against or outside or despite, the modern world. The ongoing Synod on Synodality is a direct descendant of a Vatican II approach to Church. Paddy, who was born in 1942, grew up in the “old Church” before Vatican

II. He was nurtured on the Latin Mass and lived in a “Catholic ghetto”. After a few years in religious life, he spent his adult years not just reflecting but also promoting the Vatican II view of Church.

Reflecting Vatican ii

For example, the Fathers of the Council showed Catholics how they could work closely with other Christians (see the decree on ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio) — and Paddy did this through Diakonia. They encouraged Christians to look positively at people of other faiths (Nostra Aetate) — and Paddy showed how this could be possible, through the Denis Hurley Centre and also the Gandhi Development Trust. The Council urged the Church to be close to people in “their joys and hopes, sufferings and anxieties” (Gaudium et Spes) — and Paddy’s

There are great stories to be recorded of the lives of ‘ordinary people’ work as a social activist was informed by this. And most significantly, Paddy — who worked not only with cardinals, archbishops and bishops of the Catholic Church but also with leaders of all denominations and faiths — did so as a “mere” layman. He was someone who never held an office nor a title within the Church, and yet his influence in the Church and wider society was profound, and his advice was sought by Archbishop Hurley and a host of other Church leaders. Remember it was Vatican II that, for the first time in the nearly 2 000 years of Christian history, dedicated a docu-

The

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28 The Southern Cross

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Paddy Kearney with Archbishop Denis Hurley in 1999. The late biographer of Hurley is the subject of Raymond Perrier’s doctoral thesis.

ment, Apostolicam Actuositatem, to the role of lay people, who make up 99,92% of the Church’s membership. So Paddy’s life is a way of seeing what it is to live out the challenge of Vatican II. Reflecting on his life can then help us to ask ourselves what we can do in our own context to contribute to the role of the Church as defined by the Council to be “the light for all peoples” (Lumen Gentium).

Why i wrote about Paddy

This is one of the reasons why, for me, writing about Paddy was important. There was also a personal reason, since he was a man whom I greatly admired. What is more, many other people did so too. Durban’s Emmanuel cathedral was packed for his funeral, five years ago this month, and a number of cabinet ministers had flown in from Pretoria to give him honour. As former finance minister Pravin Gordhan said to me at the time: “You don’t know how often Paddy saved my life!” But it is also important to write that story because people like Paddy generally do not get written about. Our history shelves are full of the lives of “great men” (and it is predominately men): the presidents and monarchs and bishops whose names are celebrated. It is rare to be able to read about the story of an ordinary person, albeit one who did extraordinary things. But Paddy is not alone. In each of our families and communities, our parishes and our towns, there are great

stories to be recorded of the lives and exploits of “ordinary people”: the priest who led the community in the face of great obstacles; the teacher who inspired a generation; the gogo who dedicated her life to her children and other people’s children; the hardworking volunteer who was the backbone of the SVP or sodality.

Telling stories

In researching the life of Paddy, I had the chance to interview 70 people who worked closely with him. They delighted in telling me their stories and I am supremely grateful to them for doing so. But each of them has many more stories to tell which are well worth capturing. Sadly a few have died since I started the work — most recently the charming and kind-hearted Br Mario Colussi, who had been a fellow Marist novice with Paddy. But many are still alive, so their stories can be recorded before it is too late. I had the structure of a PhD to do my research, and the benefit of an excellent supervisor in Br Philippe Denis OP. But any one of us has the chance to sit down with someone who is advancing in years, with a notepad or recorder — or both on smartphones — and encourage them to share their stories. And thanks to the Internet and social media, any one of us can write up and publish those stories so that they are not forgotten. In November, we focus on remembering those who have passed before us; but we have the chance to memorialise them now before they die and thereby make sure that when they do go, their voices are not silenced.

Raymond Perrier will be delivering a lecture about Paddy Kearney in Cape Town on October 30 and in Johannesburg on november 11. A book based on his thesis will appear next year. Anyone who wants a copy of the thesis (all 241 000 words) is welcome to contact him on raymond@denishurleycentre.org.

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Writing your own obituary

HERE COMES A TIME WHEN IT IS time to stop writing your CV and begin to write your obituary. I’m not sure who coined that line, but there’s wisdom in it. What’s the difference between an obituary and a curriculum vitae? Well, the former details your achievements, the latter expresses how you want to be remembered and what kind of oxygen and blessing you want to leave behind. But, how exactly do you write an obituary so that it’s not, in effect, just another version of your CV? Here’s a suggestion. There’s a custom in Judaism where as an adult you make out a spiritual will each year. Originally, it was more in line with the type of will we typically make, where the focus is on burial instructions, on who gets what when we die, and on how to legally and practically tie up the unfinished details of our lives. Through time, however, this evolved so that today this will focuses more on a review of your life, the highlighting of what’s been most precious in your life, the honest expression of regrets and apologies, and the blessing, by name, of those persons to whom you want to say a special goodbye. The will is reviewed and renewed each year so that it is always current, and it’s read aloud at your funeral as the final words you want to leave behind for your loved ones. This can be a very helpful exercise for each of us to do, except that such a will is not done in a lawyer’s office but in prayer, perhaps with a spiritual director, a counsellor or a confessor helping us. Very practically, what might go into a spiritual will of this sort? If you are looking for help in doing this, I recommend the work and the writings of Richard Groves, the co-founder of the Sacred Art of Living Center. He has been working in the field of end-of-life spirituality for more than 30 years and offers some very helpful guidance vis-à-vis creating a spiritual will and renewing it regularly. It focuses on three questions.

Three questions First: What, in life, did God want me to do? Did I do it? All of us have some sense of having a vocation, of having a purpose for being in this world, of having been given some task to fulfil in life. Perhaps we might be only dimly aware of this, but, at some level of the soul, all of us sense a certain duty and purpose. The first task in a spiritual will is to try to come to grips with that. What did God want me to do in this life? How well or poorly have I been doing it?

Second: To whom do I need to say, “I’m sorry”? What are my regrets? Just as others have hurt us, we have hurt others. Unless we die very young, all of us have made mistakes, hurt others, and done things we regret. A spiritual will is meant to address this with searing honesty and deep contrition. We are never more bighearted, noble, prayerful, and deserving of respect than when we are down on our knees, sincerely recognising our weaknesses, apologising, asking where we need to make amends. Third: Who, very specifically, by name, do I want to bless before I die and gift with some special oxygen? We are most like God — infusing divine energy into life — when we are admiring others, affirming them, and offering them whatever we can from our own lives as a help to them in theirs. Our task is to do this for everyone, but we cannot do this for everyone, individually, by name. In a spiritual will, we are given the chance to name those people we most want to bless. When the prophet Elijah was dying, his servant, Elisha, begged him to leave him “a double portion” of his spirit. When we die, we’re meant to leave our spirit behind as sustenance for everyone; but there are some people whom we want to name, to whom we want to leave a double portion. In this will, we name those people.

Four things we need to say In a wonderfully challenging book, The Four Things That Matter Most, Ira Byock, a medical doctor who works with the dying, submits that there are four things we need to say to our loved ones before we die: “Please forgive me”, “I forgive you”, “Thank you”, and “I love you”. He’s right; but given the contingencies, tensions, wounds, heartaches, and ups and downs within our relationships, even with those we love dearly, it isn’t always easy (or sometimes even existentially possible) to say those words clearly, without any equivocation. A spiritual will gives us the chance to say them from a place that we can create beyond the tensions that generally cloud our relationships and prevent us from speaking clearly, so that at our funeral, after the eulogy, we will have no unfinished business with those we have left behind. So, here’s my counsel: seek out what does that for you. It doesn’t have to bring tears to your eyes, it just has to point you with searing clarity towards home!

The Southern Cross 29

Photo: Lola Gomez/CNS

PRAY WITH THE POPE Every month Fr chris chatteris SJ reﬂects on Pope Francis’ prayer intention

Pope Francis is welcomed by children dressed in traditional dress in Ulaanbaatar during his September visit to Mongolia.

Pray for the pope’s mission!

Intention: We pray for the Holy Father; as he fulfils his mission, may he continue to accompany the flock entrusted to him, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

OPE FRANCIS MEMORABLY recommended that the pastors of the Church should have the “smell of the sheep”. I think we can safely say that he gives an admirable example in this regard. The Holy Father really does endeavour to put into practice what he preaches. There is no doubt that he has the “common touch” and is energised by his meetings with people. This is also quite remarkable given his health struggles and, at almost 87 years, advancing age. He takes the trouble to go to the margins of society and the Church in search of the members of the Lord’s flock. His concern for refugees was underlined early in his pontificate when he visited the Italian island of Lampedusa, a hotspot for migration from Africa and the site of many tragedies. Recently, in September, the pope vis-

ited Mongolia, a place which many would struggle to find on a map. What is interesting about this visit is that the number of Catholics in this vast territory is tiny, about 1500 people. Some might ask whether such a visit is worthwhile, but imagine the impact

Pope Francis goes to the margins of society and the margins of the Church that such a visit will have on the Mongolian Church itself. Imagine being a Mongolian convert in a country in which you are in a microscopic minority, but the Holy Father comes to visit you anyway.

Catching up with a vision

Such journeys convey to us the pope’s vision of the “flock entrusted to him”. It is a vision which is truly Catholic and warmly embraces the people of the “world-Church” which the theologian Fr Karl Rahner wrote about. For the fact is that even with the broader vision of the Church given to us by the Second Vatican Council, in practice the institution has lagged behind when it comes to

realising this vision. We have all heard the jokes about how, when it comes to beatification and canonisation, it really helps to be Italian. I very much doubt that Italian candidates for raising to the altars are today disadvantaged over Mongolian or South African ones (to mention a country which is geographically a long way from Rome) — but perhaps their advantage has been reduced. Where is the Lord’s flock then? Who are its members? These are the questions that Francis is challenging us to consider. It is not a question only for him, the Chief Shepherd. Anyone with any form of leadership in the Church must consider it. We all tend to see our local parish as the flock, and this is a good start since that is where we can have some immediate influence. I may be more aware of the Mongolian Church now that the pope has been there, but I am unlikely to be able to have any influence there. On the other hand, there may be strangers or newcomers on the margins of my own parish. Just by welcoming them, as Pope Francis would, I can push out the boundaries of my own limited vision of the Lord’s flock. May the Holy Spirit continue to inspire Pope Francis in his challenging outreach to Catholics, all Christians, people of other faiths and all people of goodwill.

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30 The Southern Cross

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Prayer Corner Your prayers to cut out and collect

ST BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX Marian Prayer In all dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary and call upon her. Let not her name depart from your lips, never allow it to leave your heart. Neglect not to walk in her footsteps so that you will surely obtain the assistance of her prayers. With Mary for a guide you shall never go astray, while invoking her you shall never lose heart. So long as she is in your mind you are safe from deception. While she holds your hand you cannot fall; under her protection you have nothing to fear. If she walks before you, you shall not grow weary and if Mary shows you favour you shall reach the goal. Amen.

Do you have a favourite prayer? Please send to editor@scross.co.za

Flame of Love Movement Cenacles of Reparation begin and end by making the sign of the Cross five times with meditation on the five wounds.

THE PRAYER OF JESUS (e Unity Prayer)

My adorable Jesus, May our feet journey together. May our hands gather in unity. May our hearts beat in unison. May our souls be in harmony. May our thoughts be as one. May our ears listen to the silence together. May our glances profoundly penetrate each other. May our lips pray together to gain mercy from the Eternal Father.

CHRIST THE KING Christ Jesus, I acknowledge You to be the King of the universe. All that has been made has been created for You. Exercise over me all Your sovereign rights. I hereby renew the promises of my baptism, renouncing Satan and all his glamour and works, and I promise from this moment to lead a truly Christian life. In particular, I commit to bringing about the triumph of the rights of God and Your Church. Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer You my poor actions so that every heart may acknowledge Your sacred kingly power. May the Kingdom of Your peace be firmly established throughout all the earth. Amen

ALL SAINTS DAY PRAYER

Eternal God, hope of all who trust in you, in Christ you weep with those who mourn even as you cry out in triumph over the grave. Unbind us from sin, release us from captivity, and with Lazarus, raise us from death to life, so that we may join that great crowd of saints who forever sing praise to your holy name, through Christ, the resurrection and the life. Amen. The Southern Cross 31

Bible Word Search

Anagram Challenge 1

Unscramble the clues below to work out which SAINTS hide in these words

A V E R SA Ti LE O A F

P U P HO O F S R E JE CTi O n

A Ci TR U S CO LA

HE R B A L A U CTi O n E E R

F U n n Y A DO A T A HO P

Find the names of these Old Testament cities in the puzzle above

ASSHUR BABYLON BEERSHEBA BETHEL BETHLEHEM

Hint: All of these have featured in our Saint of the Month series

DAMASCUS EGLON GIBEAH HEBRON JAFFA

JERICHO JERUSALEM NINEVEH SHECHEM UR

DROPPED LETTERS: Place the missing letters to get actors who played Jesus J

V O

J MALMO

I P

L O

W I

U F

, Y

M C N

E I

I U

, A

WINER SOLDES ANCOR THREL REMA VERTY FELON HELFE WEATH

AcroSS

5. Do you pay it on a holy day of obligation? (4) 7. This saint may enter a debt (10) 8. You can if you are (4) 10. Doing nothing next to the loch (8) 11 and 17. Red marine ports for the saint from Lima (6,2,6) 12. Kind of services the government provides (6) 14. There was no comfort in this ancient Greek city (6) 16. She heads her sisters (6) 17. See 11 across 19 .Regretted it’s said, being unmannerly (4) 21. Jesus’ happy promises (10) 22. Poems of the synod especially now (4)

32 The Southern Cross

DoWn

1. New Testament’s new Father (4) 2. One who’s more remote than your grandparents (8) 3. Roman emperor and air disturbance (6) 4. Seats in the choir (6) 5. Head of the chapter (4) 6. Very French went by, and offended (10) 9. Spoke very irreverently (10) 13. It can hold the Body of Christ (8) 15. Where the faith is to be spread (6) 16. To make an attack is, alas, wrong (6) 18. Globes held by monarchs (4) 20. Simple (4)

For all solutions turn to page 34

Quick Crossword

Cl 11 ac ro

DoWn

AcroSS

3. Egyptian Church Father (6) 4. Mother of Our Lady (4) 5. Religious Brothers (5) 7. Feast of the Resurrection (6) 8. Noah’s boat (3) 9. Penitential season in December (6) 11. Stephen Brislin’s title (8) 12. Defunct Zulu Catholic newspaper (8) 14. Miraculous Medal saint (9,7) 16. Durban cathedral (8)

17. St Simon Stock’s devotion (8) 19. Name of two apostles (5) 21. Bp Phalana’s diocese (10) 22. Pope John Paul II’s ﬁrst name (5) 23. Name of 12 popes (4) 24. Site of pilgrimage (6) 25. African bishops’ body (abbrv) (5)

The Catholic Trivia Quiz

1. When was Archbishop Owen McCann made South Africa’s first cardinal? a) 1958 b) 1962 c) 1965 2. Who was the first African pope? a) Gelasius b) Miltiades c) Victor I

1. Compassionate treatment (5) 2. Catholic Banyana star (6,8) 4. Roman major basilica (2,4,7) 5. SA theologian Fr Albert (5) 6. 10th word of Our Father (4) 7. Stage before canonisation (13) 8. First editor of The Southern Cross (5) 9. Deities defeated by Elijah (4) 10. French for prayer (6) 12. St Galgani (5) 13. Prayer to Our Lady (4,4) 15. Clerical garment (7) 17. Address for a consecrated woman (6) 18. Women’s teaching order (pl) (9) 20. Biblical port city (5) 25. Hebrew for Peter (6)

6. Which of these Holy Land sites is nearest to Nazareth? a) Bethany b) Cana c) Capernaum 7. Who is a patron saint of the dying? a) Barbara b) Giles c) Ursula

8. In which diocese is the parish of 3. Which apostle was not a fisherman? Ceres? a) Andrew b) Bartholomew c) James a) Cape Town b) Keimoes-Upington 4. Which French cathedral holds the c) Oudtshoorn reputed veil of the Virgin Mary? a) Chartres b) Rouen c) Tours 9. Which 20th century artist was a practising Catholic? 5. Which Argentinian football team does Pope Francis support? a) Andy Warhol b) Frida Kahlo a) Banfield b) River Plate c) San Lorenzo c) Jackson Pollock

Q1: First SA cardinal

Q5: Pope’s football club

10. What was on the site of St Peter’s basilica in ancient Rome? a) Bath house b) Pagan temple c) Sports arena

The Southern Cross 33

Mystery of Vatican II seats Sixty years ago, the Second Vatican Council sat in its second session, from September 29 to December 4, 1963. hannah brockhaus found out what happened to some of the wooden seats on which the Council Fathers were seated.

HE IMAGES FROM THE Second Vatican Council are iconic: the nave of St Peter’s basilica photographed from above; rows and rows of stadium-style wooden seating filled by bishops in white or magenta-coloured vestments. The Second Vatican Council met in four sessions from 1962–1965, gathering Council Fathers — including South African bishops such as Denis Hurley of Durban, Owen McCann of Cape Town and Gerard van Velsen of Kroonstad — to discuss the Church and its role in the modern world. But when it was all over, what happened to the wooden seats used by the world’s bishops and hundreds of other experts? Out of the thousands of chairs used during the ecumenical council, 24 seats can still be found today in a church just a few steps away from the Vatican. The wooden benches with forestgreen seat cushions are used as choir stalls in the church of Ss Michael and Magnus, an easy-to-miss parish sitting right outside St Peter’s Square. The church is hidden from view by surrounding buildings, and its entrance can be reached only by climbing a flight of stairs. Even Google Maps

identifies the church’s position incorrectly as being 200 metres further east. As a site of Christian worship, the church of Ss Michael and Magnus dates back to the 8th or 9th century. It was used by the Frisians, a Germanic ethnic group from the coastal regions of the Netherlands and northwestern Germany, for about 500 years before coming under the control of others. It was restored to the Frisians in 1989 and became the national church of Dutch Catholics in Rome. In the meantime, it had also become the oratory of the Vatican Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Sacrament, a public association of lay faithful that still uses the church for Mass and prayer today.

So how did this unassuming church come to have 24 seats from the Second Vatican Council as choir stalls in the front half of its nave?

SouthernCrossword: ACROSS: 5 Duty,

7 Bernadette, 8 Able, 10 Idleness, 11 Martin, 12 Social, 14 Sparta, 16 Abbess, 17 De Porres, 19 Rude, 21 Beatitudes, 22 Odes DOWN: 1 Abba, 2 Ancestor, 3 Adrian, 4 Stalls, 5 Dean, 6 Trespassed, 9 Blasphemed, 13 Ciborium, 15 Abroad, 16 Assail, 18 Orbs, 20 Easy

Anagram Challenge: 1 Teresa of Avila,

2 Joseph of Cupertino, 3 Carlo Acutis, 4 Catherine Labouré, 5 Anthony of Padua

Dropped Letters: Jim Caviezel (The Passion Of The Christ), Max von Sydow (The Greatest Story Ever Told), Robert Powell (Jesus Of Nazareth), Willem Dafoe (The Last Temptation Of Christ), Jonathan Roumie (The Chosen), Christian Bale (Mary, Mother Of Jesus), Jeffrey Hunter (King Of Kings)

34 The Southern Cross

Seats in hidden church

Solutions

Fr Tiemen Brouwer, a Dutch priest serving at the church, told the Catholic News Agency that he thought perhaps the council seats were gifted to the archconfraternity after Vatican II because they would be useful. The rest of the seats, he guessed, had been destroyed. But no one from the archconfraternity was able to confirm this theory. “No one knows why they are there — just that they are there,” said Rev Kees van Duin, a member of the archconfraternity and a permanent deacon to the Dutch Catholic community, after he had questioned a number of the older members of the religious association. All that is known is that a piece of the Catholic Church’s modern history is preserved there for anyone to come and see. “I always say, wherever you sit [in those seats], you are sure to be sitting where a bishop or maybe even a cardinal sat,” Fr Brouwer said.–CNA

Quick Crossword: ACROSS: 3 Origen, 4 Anne, 5 Monks, 7 Easter, 8 Ark, 9 Advent, 11 Cardinal, 12 UmAfrika, 14 Catherine Labouré, 16 Emmanuel, 17 Scapular, 19 James, 21 Klerksdorp, 22 Karol, 23 Pius, 24 Shrine, 25 Secam DOWN: 1 Mercy, 2 Thembi Kgatlana, 4 St John Lateran, 5 Nolan, 6 Name, 7 Beatification, 8 Kelly, 9 Baal, 10 Prière, 12 Gemma, 13 Hail Mary, 15 Cassock, 17 Sister, 18 Ursulines, 20 Jaffa, Cephas Catholic Trivia Quiz: 1. c) 1965; 2. c) Victor I (in 189 AD; all three were from Africa), 3. b) Bartholomew, 4. a) Chartres, 5. c) San Lorenzo, 6. b) Cana, 7. a) Barbara, 8. c) Oudtshoorn, 9. a) Andy Warhol, 10. c) Sports arena

Next month in The Southern Cross

A preview of some of our top stories in our special Advent & Christmas December issue. Digital issue out on november 22. • Subscribe at digital.scross.co.za/subscribe

Three Advent Lessons

A Pope’s Christmas

The Holy Innocents

With pull-out poster!

S outhern C ross Pilgrimages HOLY LAND AND ROME Led by Mgr Simon Donnelly 20 May to 1 June 2024

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History in Colour

Final Words Great Quotes on

SAINTHOOD ‘You cannot be half a saint; you must be a whole saint or no saint at all.’ – St Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897)

‘Saints are what they are, not because their sanctity makes them admirable to others, but because the gift of sainthood makes it possible for them to admire everyone else.’ – Fr Thomas Merton (1915-1968)

‘How monotonously alike all the great tyrants and conquerors have been; how gloriously different the saints.’ – CS Lewis (1893-1963)

‘Don’t call me a saint. I don’t want to be dismissed so easily.’ – Dorothy Day (1897-1980)

‘I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.’ – Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)

‘The saints do not live merely in books and pictures but in reality.’ – Fr Romano Guardini (1885-1968)

‘Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.’ – St Francis of Assisi (c.1131-1226)

‘There is only one tragedy in the end: Not to have been a saint.’ – Charles Péguy (1873-1914)

‘God save us from gloomy saints.’ – St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

‘Let us become saints so that after having been together on earth, we may be together in Heaven.’ – St Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968)

‘Do you know any better way to make saints than to be one yourself?’ – Prof Peter Kreeft (b.1937)

‘Become a saint – and do so quickly.’ – Pope St John Paul II (1920-2005)

A snapshot from the past, colourised exclusively for The Southern Cross

The social teachings of the Catholic Church have a long history, going straight back to the Gospels. But the pope who defined them for the modern age was Pope Leo XIII, seen here in a photo from 1887, nine years into his long reign.

His 1891 encyclical Rerum novarum (meaning “of revolutionary change”), or Rights and Duties of Capital and Labour, is regarded as the foundational text for all modern Catholic Social Teachings. It condemned “the misery and wretchedness pressing so unjustly on the majority of the working class” and supported the rights of trade unions.

Born as Gioacchino Pecci in 1810 into a family of nobility near Rome, he became pope on February 20, 1878. His 25-year papacy is the fourth-longest on record. It followed the longest reign (after St Peter’s traditional record), that of Pope Pius IX. So over a period of 56 years, from 1846 to 1903, there were only two popes. By comparision, the past 56 years have seen five pontiffs, including John Paul II’s 26-year-long reign, .

When Pope Leo, known in Italy as Papa Leone XIII, died on July 20, 1903, at the age of 93, he was the oldest pope in office in modern history (Pope Agatho is said to have been 104 when he died in 681). Pope Benedict XVI lived two years longer, but renounced the papacy at the age of 85.

Leo XIII was initially buried in the grottos of St Peter’s basilica before his remains were transferred in 1924 to the basilica of St John Lateran, the papal cathedral.

The last laugh

acing death, the stingy old millionaire (the one from the “Church Chuckle” in August) prayed to God that he might take his wealth with him to Heaven. Eventually God agreed. So the millionaire changed all his wealth into gold bricks and diamonds, and packed them in a suitcase. Soon he died and arrived in Heaven

with his suitcase. St Peter met him at the gate and asked: “What’s in the suitcase?” The miser told St Peter to take a look. St Peter opened the suitcase, looked inside, then looked at the man. Shaking his head, St Peter said: “I’m confused. Why would you bring a pavement and pebbles?”

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