202102

FR S’MILO MNGADI: The Sodalities of SA

WALKING THE WAY: The Camino de Santiago

THE PURPLE SEASON: Seven Tips For A Good Lent

Southern Cross

Est. 1920

The

February 2021

The Catholic Magazine for Southern Africa

How SA priest sees, speaks and hears with his hands

VERITAS’ KHANYA LITABE: VOICE OF THE MORNING

SAINT OF THE MONTH: ST JOSEPHINE BAKHITA

R30 (incl. VAT in SA)

Catholic Institute of Education

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• September: Holy Land & Rome Led by Fr Tom Segami OMI • October: Sacred Heart Pilgrimage to Lourdes, Paris & Paray-Le-Monial Led by Fr Lawrence Mduduzi Ndlovu

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HELP! MY GRANNY’S DOG IS A RACIST!

9:40 AM

“This book is a gift to South African Teachers and Parents”

Many of us are still recovering from the damage apartheid did to us. Crime and racist tendencies nourish one another and feed off each other. Read why Help, My Granny’s Dog Is a Racist proves this astonishing claim — and others too — that will make you cry or laugh or angry or at least embarrassed.

Written by Franciscan Paddy Noonan, author of the acclaimed They’re Burning the Churches.

What readers said:

David Sadie, director, Imsimbi Training: The book should be compulsory reading in our schools, helping to create a solid foundation for our united rainbow nation.

Albert Nolan OP, theologian and best-selling author: For those white people who cannot understand why black people react so strongly at even the slightest sign of racism today, this book will be a real eye-opener. Anyone interested in the real meaning of racism today would do well to read this book.

Rev Gift Moerane, ecumenist and Executive Mayor, Emfuleni: This easy-to-read book provides invaluable information and points of referencing for any national dialogue or public debate on social cohesion and even reconciliation. The questions at the end of each chapter in the new edition will be of great help to readers, teach-

ers and educators. I recommend Help! My Granny’s Dog is a Racist as a resource manual for ideas on national reconciliation and nation building. Its timing is overdue.

RM Mogane, paediatrician, St Anne's Sodality, Gauteng: I believe we blacks have much to learn from these pages. I never knew what white people were feeling or going through in the ’80s when apartheid was falling asunder. This book offers compelling suggestions for group discussions in parish groups and schools.

Fr Mokesh Kantilal Morar, Young Christian Students organiser: With many people, even within the Churches, in a state of denial, amnesia or lethargy, this essential book comes at the right time.

Terry Oakley-Smith, Thought leader and

commentator on diversity: I recommend this book for all South Africans who want to play a role in bringing our fractured unequal lives together.

Kenneth N Lukuko, Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, Cape Town: This small volume opens for us in a most original and sometimes moving manner a thoughtful journey of discovery which points towards social cohesion, a common humanity, and ultimately even reconciliation. It should draw widespread circulation in government and church schools and institutes of educational.

John Allen Green OFM, writer and former chaplain to the Knights of De Gama: The story of Ruth and her inner journey of discovery of the nonsense she grew up accepting should be the basis of a play; compelling, thought-provoking, tearful and

sometimes infuriating. It has all the makings of a Broadway hit. The pertinent, sometimes humorous questions at the end of each chapter will add flavour to the discussion. It is a story of hope! It is a book for our world and our time.

Didi Kgongoane, medical student: Help, My Granny’s Dog is a Racist! unveils the forgotten story of the opening of Catholic schools to all races, the secret persecution of South African clergy in the ’80s stretching as far as Washington, how other countries and individuals deal with reconciliation even today, and the struggles of the multi-cultural community of the early Church. Catholics don’t know these things! A perfect book gift.

Thank you, Fr Noonan!

AVAILABLE from Catholic bookshops, Amazon and Write-On Publishing: frank@writeonpublishing.co.za or writeonpublishing.co.za or tel: Trudy (Vanderbijlpark Parish) 076 416 1808 See also: www.patricknoonanbooks.org.za or read the review

Welcome

The spiritual couch potato hazard Dear Reader,

L

AST YEAR WE ENTERED THE SEASON OF LENT just as the first coronavirus restrictions started to hit us, with Ash Wednesday Masses among the first events to be affected. After a long year, for many traumatic, we are finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully soon we will return to some kind of normal. Whether it will be the much-vaunted “new normal” or just a return to how things were as we entered February 2020, time will reveal. Certainly, some things have irrevocably changed; the magazine you are reading now is one example of a “new normal”.

For the Church, one transformation has been the necessary move to livestreamed Masses. But now there is a credible concern that many people will have become so used to the comforts of switching on screens at their convenience to have Mass that they will not return to church, even when their local bishop revokes the coronaera exemption that let us off our Sunday obligation.

Their reasoning will be that they can worship at home just as sincerely and effectively as they can in church.

There are many convincing arguments against that view, but the most obvious is the absence on digital services of the Body of Christ, the Real Presence. Spiritual Communion, no matter how devoutly one makes it, is a poor substitute for being in the presence of and receiving the real thing. Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, has rightly pointed out that “no broadcast is comparable to personal communication or can replace it. On the contrary, these broadcasts alone risk distancing us from a personal and intimate encounter with the incarnate God who gave himself to us not in a virtual way.”

We must beware of becoming spiritual couch potatoes, divorced from Christ in the Eucharist.

One man who knows more than his fair share about lockdown is Fr Cyril Axelrod, the deaf and blind priest on our cover this month. This year, his isolation as a result of having no hearing nor sound was compounded by the physical separations which lockdown forced on the Johannesburg-born priest. But Fr Cyril inspires us in the ways he rises above these limitations. So, during lock-

S outhern Cross The

The Catholic magazine for Southern Africa • Est. 1920 Annual subscriptions: Print & Digital: R480 (SA); Digital only: R300; Print only: R480 (SA)

down, he had a book of his paintings published. Consider the courage in that: Many artists who can observe their art feel vulnerable about displaying it, because art can reveal such a lot about the inner life of the artist. How much more so is that the case for an artist who has never seen his paintings! Fr Cyril truly inspires us with his witness of courage and willingness to give so much of himself.

Our Saint of the Month is another example of a person raising herself out of potentially destructive adversity.

As a child, St Josephine Bakhita was abducted from her village and enslaved. She did not know God, but after she became a Catholic, St Bakhita realised that God was with her all the time in her painful journey. The horror of that experience still remained with her and would reveal itself in nightmares. But she found healing and forgiveness in Christ, through whom everything is possible.

That was the message of a fine film in 2010 called The Way, which told the story of a bereaved man who does the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, the walking pilgrimage which has become popular even among secular hikers (quite a few of whom have had conversions en route). In this issue we tell the history and nature of that pilgrimage to the shrine of St James the Greater in northern Spain, which this year marks a Jubilee Year.

And, returning to the opening theme of Lent, we feature two articles which may help us on that spiritual pilgrimage to Easter. One of them offers seven tips on how to make this Lent enriching. We wish you a blessed Lenten journey, which we begin this year on February 17. May public health conditions enable us all to go to Easter Mass on April 4.

Thank you for reading The Southern Cross!

Yours in Christ,

Günther Simmermacher (Editor)

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The Southern Cross

3

Contents FEBRUARY 2021

10

Seven Tips for a Good Lent Get ready for a fruitful Lent with these seven good pieces of advice

11

The Point of Fasting The reason for fasting and abstinence, and the difference between them

15

Like Birds of a Feather Fr S’milo Mngadi looks at sodalities whose members are like-minded

16

Twenty Years an Editor Günther Simmermacher considers his two decades as Southern Cross editor

21

12 Fr Axelrod’s 50 years as a priest

A Model Catholic Politician Ross Ahlfeld explains the Catholic virtues of Germany’s old chancellor Konrad Adenauer

26

How We Grow in Teachings Sarah-Leah Pimentel argues that we need more than the catechism to form a moral conscience

29

12 Great Benefits of Mass Think that livestreamed Masses are as good as the real thing? Think again.

EVERY MONTH 6 YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED You ask, and our team of experts replies

24

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Have your say!

25

THE MILLENNIAL CATHOLIC Nthabiseng Maphisa looks at Valentine’s Day

27

FR RON ROLHEISER OMI

St Bakhita: 12 years a slave

17

With pull-out poster!

How our wounds can heal others

28

RAYMOND PERRIER Let there be love!

30

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

32

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

34

COOKING WITH SAINTS Grazia Barletta tries out recipes from the past

36 4

...AND FINALLY History in Colour, Inspiring Quotes and a Last Laugh

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Feet on the Camino de Santiago

22

8

Khanya: Voice of the morning

31 Years Ago: February 25, 1990

FROM OUR VAULTS Bishops on Mandela release

The release of Nelson Mandela from prison after 27 years “hopefully signals the end to a particularly sad chapter in South African history in which many lost their lives and countless others suffered detention, imprisonment and exile in their struggle for justice”, the bishops of Southern Africa have said.

Convent’s contents auctioned

The contents of St Elmo’s Convent School in Umzumbe, southern KwaZulu-Natal, were auctioned off after the Dominican school, which Archbishop Denis Hurley had attended as a child, closed in 1988 due to diminishing vocations.

Much of the classroom equipment has been donated to rural schools.

25 years a cardinal

A Mass was celebrated at St Michael’s church in Rondebosch, Cape Town, to mark the 25th anniversary of Cardinal Owen McCann, retired archbishop and Southern Cross editor, being made a cardinal.

How to dress for Mass

In an editor’s comment, Cardinal McCann writes that there is a correct way of dressing for Mass: “The Church requires that the dress for Mass be that of ordinary affairs. It may be casual in a relaxed way, provided it is decent.”

What else made news in February 1990:

• Opening parliament on Friday, February 2, President FW de Klerk unbans the African National Congress, Pan African Congress and other anti-apartheid movements. (The same evening, a mob murders Catholic school headmaster Tshimangadzo Benedict Daswa near Thohoyandou. He was beatified in 2015.)

• Fifty people are killed in violence between Inkatha and United Democratic Front members in KwaZulu-Natal on February 13.

• The Soviet Union’s Communist Party agrees to allow opposition political parties, clearing the way for multiparty elections.

• The United States, Britain and France give Germany the go-ahead to reunify.

• Outsider James “Buster” Douglas knocks out previously unbeaten boxer Mike Tyson to become undisputed heavyweight world champion.

• Bette Midler’s song “Wind Beneath My Wings” wins the Grammys for Song and Record of the Year.

Eight young Oblates of Mary Immaculate took their first vows in St Charles’ church in Victory Park. From left: Cedric Mchunu, Alexis Tlali (RIP 2005), Patrick Motlhwa, Joseph Jantjies, novice master Fr Stanley Tebele, Basilius Likuwa, Vusimuzi Francis Mazibuko, Mhlanganisi Dlamini, and Mario Martins. The photo was taken by Fr Ignatius Fidgeon OMI.

Mart ha Makone was installed as head girl of Lore to Conv ent School in Pretoria.

The top stud ent’s mother had also been head girl at a Lore to school, Guar dian Ange ls in Glen Crowie.

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5

Photos: Günther Simmermacher (Our Father) & Catholic News Service (Pope Francis, page 6), courtesy Arenas Group (Jesus) & Fleischerei Mosshammer (Meat)

Was Jesus black?

Q. Why are Jesus and Mary usually depicted as white people when they were, in fact, dark-skinned?

T

HE HOLY FAMILY, AS PALESTINIAN Jews, were indeed dark-skinned. To have a good idea of what the local people of the New Testament looked like, one need only look at today’s Palestinians — and especially the Christians among them, who have had an unbroken presence in the Holy Land — and Jews from the Middle East.

In biological anthropology, the Holy Family would be classified, like all indigenous Middle Eastern people, as Caucasoid. Their skin, eyes and hair would have been dark. But in art, the norm was to present the Holy Family as European-looking, even with blue eyes and blond hair.

Why was that? Because European artists portrayed the Holy Family to look like the people who would view these artworks. Their job was not to create factual likenesses of biblical figures — Europeans knew what Palestinian Jews would have looked like — but to present them to their audience in such a way that people could identify with the scenes presented. In this

way, art was being used as a device of inculturation.

By the time Europeans went out to evangelise other parts of the world, their view of the Holy Family as looking like themselves had become a norm. They took their art to the mission territories, and the idea of Jesus, Mary and Joseph as “Europeans” took hold. Some scholarship suggests that these images helped to entrench racist attitudes, deliberately or incidentally.

There is merit in a debate on that subject, especially in South Africa.

Inculturation — the adaptation of Christian rituals and symbols to incorporate local culture — might also have been at play in the way that visionaries have experienced apparitions by Mary and Jesus. To those who saw them, they looked culturally appropriate to the particular location. For example, Our Lady of Lourdes has delicate French features, Jesus of the Sacred Heart looks Central European, Our Lady of Akita is Asiatic, Our Lady of Guadalupe has the dark skin and features of the indigenous people of Mexico, and so on.

Art has changed over the centuries, and we increasingly see incul-

Do I sin if I eat meat during Lenten fast?

Q. If I accidentally eat meat on a day of Lenten fast — Ash Wednesdays or Fridays — must I confess my sin?

F

OR THOSE OF US OF A CERTAIN age, our primary image of God was of the “Great Enforcer”, evervigilant to punish us for stepping out of line.

That is not what Jesus taught us about God. The Lord loves us, created us for a reason, is on our side, and wants to bring us to heaven.

And, of course, “intention” is key to sinfulness. Do you remember learning as a kid that one of the requirements for serious sin was “full consent of the will”?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines this as “consent suf-

ficiently deliberate to be a personal choice” (#1859). So if you forgot that it was a day of abstinence from meat when you had a sausage — relax. You didn’t mean to do anything wrong, so you didn’t even need to be forgiven.

Some years back, I was at a meeting. A bishop and I were at a lunch, enjoying bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches — when at virtually the same moment we realised, to our dismay and embarrassment, that it was Ash Wednesday.

As I recall, we finished the sandwiches rather than wasting them, and I am quite certain that neither of us ever felt compelled to confess it.

(Fr Kenneth Doyle)

Jesus as portrayed by Argentinian actor Juan Pablo Di Pace in the 2015 miniseries A.D.: The Bible Continues.

turated representations of Gospel scenes. A particularly beautiful example of this is a series of artworks made in the 1970s called “The Life of Jesus Mafa”, which depicts the life of Jesus as an African man in the context of the Mafa people of Cameroon.

We may admire Christian art, but we must not seek biographical information in it. Rather, we ought to consider the message of the Gospel that is contained in artworks. And as we do so, we should acknowledge that Jesus and Our Lady transcend their physical traits.

(Günther Simmermacher)

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7

Is the pope changing the Bible now?

Q. There is a post going around in social media, even in Catholic groups, claiming that the pope is going to change the Bible. I don’t believe this but could you please clarify?

E

VEN WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT the creators of these posts have in mind when they make such claims, we can say with confidence that Pope Francis is not “changing the Bible”.

Sacred Scripture is the Word of God, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The pope has no authority to change the Bible. However, throughout history and throughout Christian denominations, there have been different translations from the original Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (Old Testament/ New Testament), and different interpretations about the meaning of scriptural passages (known as exegesis). The endeavours of translators and exegetes are not “changing the Bible”; and that is not the pope’s job, nor his intention.

These social media posts might refer to the recent decision by the Italian bishops’ conference to change in the missal (not the Bible!) the phrase in the Our Father “lead us not into temptation” to “do not let us fall into temptation”. Pope Francis has approved that change. In their view, the old formula once made linguistic and

theological sense but, with the evolution of languages and theology, it now causes confusion.

In 2017, Pope Francis said: “It is not a good translation because it speaks of a God who induces temptation. I am the one who falls. It’s not him pushing me into temptation to

Your Questions answered

Do you have questions ab out our faith ?

Send them wi th your name and location to: editor@sc ross.co.za Subject line: Q&A

then see how I have fallen. A father doesn’t do that; a father helps you to get up immediately. It’s Satan who leads us into temptation— that’s his department.”

The French bishops in their missal have also changed the line, to “do not let us enter into temptation”. They believe that this captures the sense of what Jesus taught the disciples better than the translation we still use in English. Some may disagree, but that doesn’t mean that the pope or the Church are “changing the Bible”.

The new translations are consistent with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which notes that the verb in the Greek source text “means both ‘do not allow us to enter into temptation’ and ‘do not let us yield to temptation’” (#2846).

There will always be debate about certain Scripture translations and exegesis as the meaning of the words we use change and we gain new theological insights. In the details, the last word is never spoken.

How many languages does Pope Francis speak?

Q. How many languages does Pope Francis speak?

A

S AN ARGENTINIAN, POPE FRANCIS’ FIRST language is Spanish. As the son of immigrants from northern Italy, he is also fluent in Italian and the dialect of the northern Italian region of Piedmont (around Turin), where his parents were from. As a priest, he had to learn Latin.

He also speaks French, German (he studied in Germany for some time in the 1980s, but his German, like his French, is basic), Brazilian Portuguese, and English. He has also studied Biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek.

It is English he struggles with in particular. He tried to learn English when he was studying for a while in Ireland.

6

The Southern Cross

“The hardest [language] for me has always been English. Above all, the pronunciation, because I don’t have an ear for it,” Pope Francis has said. Generally, he is open about it that learning languages is not his greatest skill.

His predecessors had better ears. For Pope Benedict XVI, we can list his mothertongue German (and doubtless the regional dialect of Bavarian, which has only a passing acquaintance with High German), Italian, Latin, French (all fluently), Portuguese and English (reasonably well).

The real pontifical polyglot was St John Paul II. He could walk into any pub and converse in Polish, Italian, Spanish, French, English, Portuguese, and Latin, and get by with Russian, Ukrainian, Slovakian and Japanese. (GS)

The morning voice of

Catholic radio A veteran of Radio Veritas’ early days, Khanya Litabe presents the station’s morning show and helps run it behind the scenes. He spoke to DALUXOLO MOLOANTOA.

was about eight or nine, my father HE LATE DOMINICAN FATHER urged my older brother, Prince, and me Emil Blaser, founder of Radio to join the church youth choir,” Khanya Veritas, used to say: “There is recalls. They rehearsed from 4-6pm on nothing wrong with dreaming. weekday afternoons. “On our first day And it is particularly rewarding when we found the choir singing to musical one’s dream becomes a reality.” He notes posted on a wall.”

The experience he gained at the might well have had Radio Veritas station manager Khanya Litabe in mind Protestant church in Phuthaditjhaba led him to become involved in various when he said that.

Khanya, a Wits journalism and choral music activities in the Catholic media studies graduate, has spent his Church after he moved to Johannesentire broadcasting career at Radio Ver- burg. He has served as organist at Our itas, South Africa’s only Catholic radio Lady of Assumption church in Molapo, station. He was there in the station’s Soweto, and Sacred Heart church in infancy, 20 years ago, as a student vol- Katlehong on Johannesburg’s West unteer. At the time it had no broadcast Rand. Drawing from his choral backlicence yet and would send pre-pack- ground, Khanya has also been instruaged content to community radio sta- mental in the creation of the popular tions that had been granted temporary Radio Veritas Choir Music Festival. licences.

Life at Veritas But first, let’s rewind to the beginning. Hailing from the town of PhuthaMusic forms part of his greatest ditjhaba in the former homeland of memories from his two decades at the Qwa-Qwa in the Free State, Khanya was raised in a single-parent household. His father, a school teacher and choir conductor, was the sole parent and breadwinner. The second of five siblings, Khanya from an early age harboured ambitions of a career in music, as a singer or — the apple did not fall far from the tree — a choir conductor.

As a youngster, when other boys were playing soccer or riding their BMX bicycles, he would be in Khanya Litabe in 2019 choir practice in the local with his great mentor Dutch Reformed church Fr Emil Blaser, who (he later converted to died last November.

Catholicism). “When I

T

8

The Southern Cross

Khanya Litabe in the studio.

station — from his days as a student volunteer and throughout the years of rising through the ranks to his current position as the station’s general manager. He laughs when he thinks back to the early days of being on air. “When Veritas Productions, as we were called then, was granted a temporary radio licence, we prerecorded our shows and put them on air. I nearly fell off the chair when I heard my voice for the first time on air.”

Khanya has a repository of broadcasting anecdotes. “A memorable occasion was when I used to do the birthday celebration show in the afternoons. I once called a traffic officer live on air to wish him a happy birthday. It turned out that when I called, he was busy at a roadblock, and had just stopped a vehicle. He told the vehicle’s occupants that they were live on the radio, and they joined me in singing happy birthday to him.”

When Fr Blaser retired from presenting the morning show in 2018, Khanya succeeded his mentor. He is a rare breed: a South African radio station manager whose voice is heard daily on air. He hosts the weekday morning show, called “Matins”, alongside former SABC radio broadcaster Colin Yorke.

“When Fr Emil retired from the morning show, I was asked to carry on from where he left off. Those were big shoes to fill, and so both Colin and I had to take one shoe each! Colin is a welltravelled veteran broadcaster, and his knowledge of Church music is unmatched. He is good fun to be with on the

show, and everyone, young and old, can relate to him.� “Matins� is produced by Olinda Orlando, a self-proclaimed “Dominican granny�. “Olinda is a very talented and creative person. She was instrumental in the establishment of Radio Veritas with Fr Emil in 1999. Normally she has the show ready the day before the broadcast. Depending on what we are doing on the show, preparation might involve reading up on a certain subject, watching the news, research, arranging interviews, having the Catechism of the Church in front of you, and so on,�

Khanya explains.

The great mentor

But his great mentor was, of course, Fr Emil, who died on November 16 last year. Khanya’s singing at the priest’s Requiem Mass touched all present, in the Springs church and behind screens following the livestream. “I spent two decades working with Fr Emil. He was, and still remains, my hero and mentor. The kind of broadcaster I am today, was shaped by Fr Emil — through him identifying the talent in me, his encouraging words, his corrections of pronunciation. I learned almost everything I know about radio broadcasting from him. I have benefited a lot from his love for languages, his curiosity, his desire to always learn, his ability to listen,�

Khanya says. “He was sometimes stern and firm, but always aiming at the good that would come out of a situation. He was not lacking in praise where it was due, and would put his foot down where a situation demanded. From him I learnt humility, resilience, patience. Through working with him and Olinda, I learnt that Catholic radio in a country like ours is a unique kettle of fish.�

Khanya also learnt from his mentor by observation. “Fr Emil’s face would light up when he listened to good music in the studio. He’d always say, ‘Now listen to this‌’ Before the live broadcast of Mass at noon, he would say, ‘Give me some time to think about the readings’, and he would sit on the couch in his office and close his eyes for a few minutes. Then he’d walk into the studio, celebrate Mass, and give the most inspiring homily, using real-life examples.â€?

The loss of his mentor was one of the big blows of 2020. Another one was being diagnosed with Covid-19. “It was of a mild form, but still not an easy journey,� says Khanya. “I had observed all the safety regulations, yet I still contracted it. So there was an element of self-blame, because surely I must have dropped my guard somewhere along the way. It affected the station; we had

Khanya Litabe is not

to close down for a only a talented period to meet safety broadcaster but also regulations.

Those a keen photographer. close to me had to go into quarantine. I had to self-isolate for 14 days. I experienced some true suffering and gnashing of teeth when my face or jaw would even go into spasm.

Out of all this I learnt the importance of a family support structure. My wife Phenyo was a grand pillar,� he recalls.

There is still one particular ambition Khanya harbours: an academy for Catholic journalists. “The Khanya’s view is that Radio Veritas Catholic media landscape in South Africa is in a healthy state, but it could will grow from strength to strength, improve immensely. A well-funded, going into the future. “We will continue well-run, well-staffed academy for to serve our community, the Church,�

Catholic print, online, radio and TV he promises. “We aim to bring more media professionals and students could programmes that matter to the listener. make a huge difference,â€? he suggests. In For that, we’re going to build more colsuch an academy, clergy, religious and laborations with our community. It is laity would learn the methods of effec- our intention to maintain Fr Emil’s tive communication, and how these legacy of bringing ‘the Good News, for can be applied in different situations a change’ — our motto — to all those which the Church, and therefore also who encounter Radio Veritas.â€? general society, faces. “More collabora- • Radio Veritas broadcasts in Gauteng tion is what our Catholic media needs. on 576AM, on DStv audio channel It has proven to work wonders in the 870, and streams live on its website: www.radioveritas.co.za recent past.â€?

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The Southern Cross

9

Lent is not only about what you give up, but also about what you do. Here are seven creative and challenging ways your Lent can make a difference this year.

1. Get creative for God

Paint a picture, write a story, sing a song, make music, make Christmas cards — you get the picture. God gave you talents; start using them to bring God to people. Make the commitment during Lent to discover or rediscover your God-given talents; you never know what you’ll discover about yourself.

2. Forgive someone

Is there someone who has deeply hurt you? Thoughts about them may bring up feelings of hurt and betrayal that you have buried deep inside you. For each day of Lent pray a Hail Mary for the person. This challenge forces you for 40 days to pray for the person who has hurt you deeply — something Jesus told

us to do. This is a difficult Lenten challenge but we may begin the healing process for ourselves and let go.

3. Compliment your online friends

Message a compliment or positive thought to a friend every day for Lent.

The more we love others, the easier it becomes.

4. Give alms

Almsgiving is one of the three pillars of Lent. It doesn’t always have to be monetary either. Spare food or items go a long way in helping those who need it most.

5. Break a bad habit

Break bad habits and start new good ones! Whatever your bad habit is, confront it and start new holy habits to replace them. Morning prayer, evening Bible reading, the rosary — all powerful spiritual weapons to fight bad habits.

Let Lent be that first step towards breaking a bad habit.

6. Reach out

If you know someone who is lonely, reach out. This can also be tied to number three, but for those who are not online, a simple call or visit to show they are not alone in the world can sometimes save a life. Do it this Lent.

7. Read a psalm a day

They say a psalm a day keeps the devil away! One psalm a day is also easy reading. The Book of Psalms is full of beautiful and powerful prayers and imagery.

Psalms are also very personal: there’s a psalm for every situation you are facing.

If you manage all seven of these or just one — live Lent well! n This is an edited version of an article which first appeared on CatholicLink.com

Tony Wyllie & Co.

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Lent: Fast and abstain!

Lent is the time before Easter during which the faithful abstain and fast in remembrance of the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made on Calvary.

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HERE ARE TWO MAIN WAYS that Catholics use to focus on growing closer to God during the Lenten season: abstinence and fasting.

Abstinence

Abstinence is the act of “doing without” or avoiding something. For example, someone may abstain from chocolate or alcohol by not consuming them. Particular days of abstinence during Lent are Fridays, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. As canon law states, Catholics over the age of 14 are expected to abstain from the eating of meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays throughout the Lenten season (Canon 1250 -1253). If abstaining from meat is not an option, the bishops of Southern Africa have advised that Catholics may substitute something else, such as alcohol, or undertake some other act of

Five ways to give alms in a concrete way

penance on Fridays.

During Lent, Catholics are also encouraged to undertake some sort of personal penance or abstinence. Examples include giving up sweets, a favourite TV show or not listening to the radio in the car on the way to work. Giving up these things isn’t some sort of endurance test, but these acts are done to draw the faithful closer to Christ. Consider devoting the spare time to prayer or perhaps time spent with family.

As always, when considering acts of penance that are stricter than the norm, it is important for a Catholic to speak with a priest or spiritual director. Any act of penance that would seriously affect one’s health or the health of others would be contrary to the will of God.

Fasting

Fasting is the act of doing with less.

In the Catholic Church, those ages 18-

Papal tips for Lent

• Cut out “superfluous” stuff this Lent.

The money we save from not eating out or cutting back on desserts (or whatever else) can be given to someone in need.

• Sign up to volunteer with a parish outreach programme on a regular basis.

• Set up an automatic regular donation from a credit card/bank account towards a charitable organisation.

• Start keeping a supply of snacks or care packages in your car for poor people on the streets.

• Go over the list of spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Pick the ones you can realistically do, and then go out and do them.

Deacon Brenton Cordeiro, CatholicLink

Pope Francis

59 must fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (Canon 97). On such days, those fasting may eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals, sufficient to maintain strength. However, together, the smaller meals should not equal a full meal.

Eating between meals is not encouraged, but liquids are allowed.

It is important to understand that the Church excuses certain people from these obligations. Examples include those who are frail, pregnant or manual labourers. The Church understands that certain people are not able to commit to the Lenten fast.

The time of Lent, through fasting and abstaining, may be an important reminder of what it means to suffer. This small suffering should not be met with misery but with great joy as we better understand the incredible sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for humanity.—CNA

Three questions to ask yourself half-way through Lent

1. Has your fasting and penance brought you joy?

Are the rigours of your Lenten prayer and practices becoming a source of a deeper excitement for and engagement in life? This should be the case!

• Put down phone, and pick up the Bible.

• Lent isn’t just about penance — it’s also a time of hope.

• This Lent, ask God for the gift of tears.

2. Has examining you heart led to greater stillness and availability?

Are you becoming less selfish and more attentive to the people around you — loved ones, family members, friends, strangers?

Pope Benedict XVI

3. Have you grown in mercy?

Patience in others’ sins and faults should be growing in your heart as a result of your own intentional prayer life and penances.

• Live Lent with courage.

• Lent is a time to look evil in the face.

• Lent is a time of conversion, not self-realisation.

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PERSONALITY

Deafblind priest now speaks through art Redemptorist Father Cyril Axelrod cannot hear nor see, but he always finds new ways of communicating God’s love. GüNTheR SiMMeRMAcheR looks at Fr Cyril’s 50 years as priest and a new book of paintings.

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IS FINGERS AND HANDS ARE HIS EYES, MOUTH AND EARS. FATHER Cyril Axelrod is deaf and blind, so he talks, hears and sees with his hands. The Johannesburg-born priest, who will turn 79 on February 24, sees his disability as “a gift from God”.

The Redemptorist has used that gift over the 50 years of his priesthood to minister to the deaf and deafblind as well as giving preaching missions in countries around the world, from South Africa to Hong Kong.

Born into a Jewish family in 1942, and deaf from birth, he was educated at St Vincent’s School for the Deaf in Johannesburg. Fr Cyril had originally planned to become a rabbi, but in 1965 he converted to Catholicism. He decided to become a priest when at Mass one day, he noticed fellow deaf people who were missing out on what the priest was saying.

After studying at St John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria, he was ordained by Bishop Ernest Green of Port Elizabeth in Johannesburg on November 28, 1970. He was only the third deaf priest in the world and the first in Africa — and that was possible only through a papal dispensation secured by Bishop Green. The new priest’s parish, The Southern Cross reported at the time,

The Southern Cross

would be all of South Africa. Soon, Fr Axelrod established a school for deaf children in Soweto, a hostel for deaf homeless people in Pretoria, and an employment centre in Cape Town.

In that ministry, he cheerfully defied apartheid laws. Fr Cyril once described his vocation as helping deaf people “open their hearts to see how powerful God is in their lives”.

His path to the priesthood was written in God’s famously crooked lines, and his vocation did not follow a conventional path either, partly because of reasons beyond his control, and partly of his own choosing. Initially ordained for the diocese of Johannesburg, he entered the Redemptorist order a few years later.

He describes himself as a “rabbipriest”.

“It has always been a wonderful and challenging experience to walk on the long journey of priesthood. It helps me to discover many ways of faith in God,” Fr Cyril told The Southern Cross in an email interview from London, where he has lived for the past two decades. “I have been trying to embrace both Judaism and Christianity as one faith, as it helps me to feel so close to both Jews and Christians in the world. It motivates my continual service towards all people, irrespective of colours and creeds.”

Darkness falls

In 1979, Fr Cyril was diagnosed with Usher syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which would gradually rob him of his sight. By the 1990s he was heavily sight-impaired. By 2001, a year after he moved to London, he was completely blind. Since losing his sight — which made interaction with sign language and lipreading impossible — he has used the finger-signing method of communicating. When meeting people who are not versed in that technique, which involves touch on the palm of the hand, he usually has a “comm-guide” at his side to translate.

“I am happy to accept my deafblindness, as it is a gift from God,” Fr

Above: Fr Cyril Axelrod teaches a friend finger-signing, the method of communication for the deafblind priest. Centre: Fr Cyril at the time of his ordination in 1970. Right: Fr Cyril (left) and his “soul-friend” Fr Larry Kaufmann CSsR.

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Cyril said. “This can be the source of encouragement for others to understand what I contribute to the people.”

His ministry has reached out to deaf and deafblind people by helping them to live active lives, but also to those who encounter them, by breaking down barriers.

“It is God’s will for me to do things for people,” he said. And in meeting God’s mandate, Fr Cyril travelled around the world, often unassisted. In 2013 he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. Fr Cyril also met Pope Francis during the Year of Mercy in June 2016, and took the initiative to bless the pope before the Holy Father could reciprocate. At the time, Fr Cyril led a celebration for people with disabilities in Rome. During a Question-and-Answer session, he encouraged parents of deaf children: “Don’t worry about words, words, words. Give the children Holy Communion!” At the same time, however, he insisted that “catechesis must be available for people of all ages and all abilities”. It may be difficult, he acknowledged, but every child who is deaf or blind or has another disability may need tailormade faith formation.

Fr Cyril had planned to come to South Africa last November to celebrate his jubilee with public Masses in Cape Town and Johannesburg, but the Covid-19 pandemic made this impossible. He thinks his travelling days are

‘I am happy to accept my deafblindness, as it is a gift from God’ over now. “I spent many years travelling all over the world, giving preaching missions and human development services in South Africa, Hong Kong and Macau. I feel that my travel is fulfilled now, and do not plan to travel again due to my age. Now I live a retired life, doing art and writing a book about my life and faith.”

He lives self-sufficiently in a flat in London where he even cooks for himself. During the coronavirus pandemic, he experienced a “double lockdown”, as Fr Cyril’s close friend and Redemptorist confrere Fr Larry Kaufmann explained: “Being both deaf and blind, Cyril knows a thing or two about the ‘lockdown’ of his disability. The Covid-lockdown doubled Cyril’s sense of isolation.”

Fr Cyril told The Southern Cross: “Both coronavirus and lockdown have affected me in some ways, but I make an effort to keep my life creative by doing the art and writing the book. It is so important for me to keep myself motivated and stimulated in my darkness.”

Fr Larry — whom Fr Cyril calls his “soul-friend” — used his lockdown period creatively as well: by editing a book of his friend’s paintings, which have been exhibited in a London gallery. The book is titled Light in Silent Darkness: Paintings by Deafblind Rabbi-Priest, and published

by Redemptorist Pastoral Publications.

Painted from inner eye

Fr Cyril creates his paintings by using a technique involving strings with which he forms the outlines of his motifs. More strings identify the colours he uses in his art. His sketches are created freehand. He visualises the scenes he paints from his memory and imagination, an inner eye. Motifs range from biblical scenes to the BoKaap in Cape Town to still-lifes of flowers or landscapes.

Continued on page 14

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Three of Fr Cyril Axelrod’s paintings in the book Light in Silent Darkness depicting reeds, a barmitzvah, and the BoKaap in Cape Town.

“Art flowing from my hands creates images arising from my soul.

Blindness can never hinder the paint I put to canvas using my forefinger. This is because for me there is always a close relationship between the beauty of the world and my abiding sense of the gift of my humanity in the midst of my silent darkness. Humanity needs to express itself in beauty.

My endeavour in art is to bring light to frame, shaping an object originating in the heart of my heart,” Fr Cyril wrote in an introduction to the book.

“I was convinced of the miraculous gift of Cyril’s artistic skills, so I spent six months collating his drawings and paintings, and allocating them to different individuals to write reflections,” Fr Larry recalled.

Among those who wrote reflections on particular paintings are artists

Steven Raphaely and Jan Haen CSsR, iconographer Richard Maidwell CSsR, floral artists Gail Taverner, Jill Hoskin and Rev Delysia Timm, Fr Mark James OP, Fr Michael van Heerden, Prof Tally Palmer, and others.

A particularly moving reflection is offered by 18-year-old Christopher Cerfontyne of Port Elizabeth, who as a young child mastered finger-spelling so that he could communicate with Fr Cyril, his “hero”.

“Cyril has never seen a single painting which he himself created. Instead, he invites you to use your own gift of eyesight to see them. But beyond that, to experience them with ‘heart-sight’, as he does,” Fr Larry wrote in the preface to Light in Silent Darkness.

According to Fr Larry, “with the book, Cyril has indeed come to South

‘Art flowing from my hands creates images arising from my soul’

Where to buy Light in Silent Darkness Light in Silent Darkness, which includes 36 paintings and sketches in highquality reproduction, sells for R300. It is available online at www.rpp.org.za or from: • Carmen (Cape Town) 082 949-004 • Bonnie (E Cape) 083 357-2610 • Janet (Redemptorist Pastoral Publications) 083 228-0297 or janet@rpp.org.za

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Africa to celebrate his golden jubilee.

Cyril’s humanity, humour, spirituality, pastoral wisdom and 50 years of dedicated priesthood are truly present in this book.”

For Fr Cyril, the book is another way of building bridges between those who see and hear only by touch, and those whose senses are intact. “This book of art has a purpose of helping the reader to unfold a deep silence in the ‘darkness of deafblindness’. It also encourages the reader to feel comfortable when acquainting with a person who cannot see and hear,” the priest told The Southern Cross.

Fr Cyril does not know whether he will travel to South Africa again. “It all depends on a strange circumstance.

Only God knows. And that’s the best plan for me in future.”

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Fr S’milo Mngadi continues his overview of SA’s sodalities

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N OLD ADAGE SUGGESTS that “birds of a feather flock together”. This is also an anthropological truth.

People who share the same things tend to group together. Among other things, this is for support in sustaining their state of life.

Christianity was built on this “flocking together” mentality. Those who bought into Jesus’ idea and mission moved with him and were “with him, so that he may send them [later]” (Mark 3:14). These followers, later to be known as apostles, left their marital homes and parental responsibilities (notwithstanding, Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians 9:5) to identify with the celibate, childless and itinerant Jesus.

The early Christian community followed suit. Many sold all they had, put it at the feet of the apostles for common use, and lived together (Acts 2:44-47). The eremitical and later monastic movements were to follow the same principle. Even the priests formed a presbyterium around the bishops, which was the precursor of what is now called the cathedral chapter (canons 503-510).

Besides uniting under a charism, apostolate or vision, many lay people also formed themselves into associations that spoke to their state of life as children, youth, young adults, men, women, husbands, wives and so forth. These associations were meant to feed into their living the Gospel according to that state.

Among those within this group who have a presence across the bishops’ conference territory (Botswana, eSwatini and South Africa) are Masolenyana a Kriste Morena (Little Soldiers of Christ the King), Holy Childhood Association, Children of Mary, Daughters of St Anne, Sodality of St Joseph, Catholic Women’s League, Catholic Women’s Association, and the Knights of Da Gama.

Fluidity of association

There are, however, others which remain merely at a parish level or at a supra-parish level with or without the diocesan bishop’s approval. They prefer fluidity in lieu of the rigidity that is necessary to keep the bigger sodalities intact and in line. They may also be avoiding the payment of “subscriptions” that have become so central in many sodalities.

However, as the gender and other categories of humans/persons are increasingly becoming blurred or are crumbling, sodalities which embrace all — irrespective of age, marital status and so on — are emerging as stronger. The perfect example of this is the Sodality of the Sacred Heart.

The devotion to the Sacred Heart (which a number of members do not overly stress in their spiritual life) comes secondary to the “all-embracing” nature of this group. This sodality provides a community with warm camaraderie (and identity) which the parish/deanery/diocese may lack, and it carries no exclusivity of any nature (be it gender, marital status, apostolate) which is characteristic of other sodalities.

This fact eminently explains why it is the largest and the fastest-growing sodality in South Africa.

Sodalities of this category are the strongest. A bishop, who recently died, once exclaimed after one of them held a “national conference” in his diocese: “They are a mini-Church.” Indeed, that is true.

Many members of these sodalities pay more allegiance to the sodality than they will ever do to the parish and the diocese. However, as groups, they form the cornerstone of many parishes, deaneries and dioceses in stewardship of time, talent and treasure.

n Fr Mngadi is a priest of the diocese of Mariannhill. He is looking at different types of sodalities over several editions of The Southern Cross.

Fr Mngadi has published a new book on liturgy, a first in isiZulu, titled Imikhosi yeBandla. It is available at Mariannhill Repository, Emmanuel Cathedral Repository in Durban, and from the author via WhatsApp 072 110-8613.

Archbishop William Slattery, spokesman of the SACBC, has endorsed the book: “It will enrich our Zulu Catholic culture, and gives meaning to the liturgy and the great feasts of the year.”

The Southern Cross

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Long haul: 20 years as Southern Cross editor In February 2001, GüNTheR SiMMeRMAcheR became the editor of The Southern cross. Here he reflects on the past 20 years, the present and the future.

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OMETIMES YOU LOOK AT THE calendar and note with alarm a landmark anniversary of the kind that forces you to confront the relentless march of time. So it is this month, as I mark the 20th anniversary of becoming editor of The Southern Cross.

I might exaggerate my shock a little; early last year I observed the 25th anniversary of my employment with this publication in a short article in what then was still a weekly newspaper. Who knew that I would celebrate the 26th anniversary, and the 20th as editor, in my home-office, producing a monthly magazine instead of a weekly newspaper?

Which brings me to a question I’ve put to myself several times over the past few months: am I a happier editor of a newspaper or of a magazine? I’ve yet to arrive at a conclusive answer. I do miss the weekly cycle of news, working in an office with great staff, and seeing the result of our labour every seven days. But I really love editing this magazine, and I like to think that the enjoyment I derive in this relatively new task finds expression in an attractive publication.

In the task of producing a magazine I have also found a new creative energy which, after 19 years and seven months of editing the newspaper, had ebbed a little. The Southern Cross was a

very good newspaper right to its end, but the formula was set.

One thing I do not miss (yet) is having to write an editorial every week. I’ve never acknowledged it, but many times I experienced something akin to stagefright before I set out to write editorials.

They are hard work, but rewarding as well. They gave me a weekly opportunity — one I hope I used with integrity — to stimulate sensible dialogue.

There were times when that was particularly important. For example, the year after I became editor, the clergy abuse scandal broke in the United States. The response from the Church’s leadership was generally unimpressive.

There was a need for journalists in the Catholic press to speak out forthrightly about the scandal. I believe The Southern Cross did so. It’s fair to say that I attracted both approval and hostility for what I wrote and published. In the long run, everything The Southern Cross said then about the scandal, even the most controversial points, is being said by the Church now.

In the world media

Over the past two decades, The Southern Cross has been influential in other ways, at one point apparently even playing a decisive part in the appointment of a cardinal. International media outlets, from the BBC to Time magazine to the Washington Post, have

Left: Günther Simmermacher at work in 2002.

Above: Southern Cross staff in 2010.

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The Southern Cross

quoted The Southern Cross or interviewed me on diverse issues, as did Vatican Radio. I also graced our TV screens a number of times. In 2013, the Associated Press claimed, inaccurately, that I had been The Southern Cross’ editor “for decades”, which rather conjured images of myself as a grizzled old sage.

But for all the validation this attention offers, that was never a primary motivation — and if it was, I’d have become quite frustrated, since the world media wasn’t exactly kicking in our doors daily in their unquenchable thirst for my pearls of wisdom. Cliché as it possibly sounds, my incentive has always been to serve my Church, my God, and my readers. I am both a Catholic and a journalist, and it is a true blessing to live out my faith in my profession.

My job really is a vocation.

Though not everybody has thought that I qualify to wear either of these hats. One reader decided that I was “a stinking goat”. Another speculated that my stated opposition to excluding gay men from the priesthood had something to do with such a rule preventing me personally from entering Holy Orders (I doubt my wife would have allowed me to pursue that path). Some criticism directed at me has been nasty, sometimes shockingly so.

But in my experience, almost all Southern Cross readers are good people from very different walks of life who show how Christ is active in their lives.

Many I have travelled with on pilgrimages or met at functions. So many others I’ve never met, but I know of their love for The Southern Cross.

We saw that in action when The Southern Cross was on the verge of closing last year. The Catholic community rallied and raised funds. Some gave two-digit figures, some five — and put together, it all counted to keep The Southern Cross alive. We are not yet out of the woods, and we still need financial support, but if we reach our circulation goals — and here we really need the help of the Catholic community to promote this magazine — The Southern Cross will survive.

As I mark my 20 years as editor, this is my hope: that in decades to come, there will be more Southern Cross editors to mark their own anniversaries. Just…not yet. I’m hoping to stick around for a little while yet.

12 years a slave

Saint of the Month: St JOSEPHINE BAKHITA

Abducted as a little girl, St Josephine Bakhita was tortured and mutilated during her 12 years of slavery. In freedom, she became a nun.

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ANY YEARS AFTER SHE had been abducted and sold into slavery, St Josephine Bakhita was asked what she would do if she met her captors again. She replied: “If I were to meet those who kidnapped me, and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands. For, if these things had not happened, I wouldn’t be a Christian and a religious today.”

It is for this level of forgiveness that St Josephine was canonised by Pope John Paul II in 2000. But it is for the manner of survival that she is the patron saint of people who have been trafficked. The International Day of Prayer for Victims of Human Trafficking falls on February 8, St Josephine’s feast day.

St Josephine Bakhita was born in around 1869 in the village of Olgossa, in the Darfur region of what is now Sudan.

Due to the trauma which she would experience, she forgot her birthname. But she did recall that her father was relatively well off, and that she had three brothers and three sisters, including a twin. “I lived a very happy and carefree life, without knowing what suffering was,” she would later recall. That changed when she was six: Arab slavetraders abducted her sister. “I remember how much mom was crying and how much we too were crying.”

Two years later, foreign slavetraders caught her while she was walking with a friend around fields outside her village. Renamed Bakhita (Arabic for “fortunate”), the girl and other slaves were forced to walk barefoot the 960km to ElObeid. At one point she escaped, but the man who seemed to help Bakhita just sold to other slavetraders.

In El-Obeid, Bakhita was first bought by a rich Arab who used her as a maid for his two daughters. She was treated well until she fell foul of the

St Josephine Bakhita at a glance

Name at birth: Unknown Born: c. 1869 in Olgossa, Sultanate of Darfur (Sudan) Died: February 8, 1947, in Schio, Italy Beatified: May 17, 1992 Canonised: October 1, 2000 Feast: February 8 Patronages: Victims of human-trafficking, Sudan, South Sudan

owner’s son, who whipped and kicked her so severely that she spent more than a month unable to move. The next owner, her fourth, was a Turkish general. His wife and mother-inlaw were cruel to their slaves. St Josephine would recall: “During all the years I stayed in that house, I do not recall a day that passed without some wound or other. When a wound from the whip began to heal, more blows would pour down on me.”

But her most terrifying memory was being marked as a slave by scarring.

Some 114 intricate patterns were cut into her breasts, belly and right arm, and salt poured into the wounds for a month to widen them. “I felt I was going to die any moment, especially when they rubbed my wounds with the salt.”

A mysterious strength

Throughout the ordeal, Bakhita would recall, she felt “a mysterious strength within me that always sustained me”. Later she realised that it was God with her all the time.

In 1882 the Turkish general and his vicious family had to flee Sudan. Bakhita was bought in Khartoum by the Italian vice-consul Callisto Legnani. He treated

her kindly. When Legnani himself had to return to Italy, Bakhita begged to go with him. He consented.

Safely arrived in Italy, Legnani turned ownership of Bakhita to the Michieli family, who took her to the family villa at Zianigo, near Venice. For three years Bakhita served as nanny to the Michielis’ daughter Alice, known as Mimmina, who was born in 1886.

Shortly after, Bakhita returned with the family to Africa for nine months.

When the Michielis decided to buy a hotel at the Red Sea in Sudan, they left Mimmina with Bakhita in the care of the Canossian Sisters. It was there that Bakhita encountered Christianity for the first time. “Those holy mothers instructed me with heroic patience and introduced me to that God who from childhood I had felt in my heart without knowing who he was,” she later wrote.

When the Michielis were ready to move permanently to Sudan in 1889, Bakhita refused to go with them. Backed by the Sisters, the case went to the courts. The court ruled that she had never been legally enslaved according to Italian, British or Egyptian law. After 12 years as a slave, she would now be a free woman. A year later, Italy formally abolished slavery.

As a free woman, Bakhita chose to remain with the Canossians. On January 9, 1890, she was baptised and confirmed with the names of Josephine Margaret Fortunata (the latter being a Latin translation of Bakhita).

Almost four years later, on December 7, 1893, Josephine Bakhita entered the novitiate of the Canossian Sisters, Continued on page 20

The Southern Cross

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Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him.

Southern Cross St Josephine Bakhita

The

A Timeline of St JosephINE BAKHITA 1869

Born in Olgossa in Darfur (now in western Sudan), near Mount Agilerei.

1875

her sister is captured by slavetraders.

1877

caught by slavetraders and given the name Bakhita (Arabic for “fortunate”). Sold several times to owners who torture and mutilate her in el-Obeid.

1883

convent at Schio, near Vicenza, where she spends the rest of her life.

1927

Makes her perpetual vows.

1931

her biography is published, making Sr Josephine famous throughout italy.

1935-39

Tours canossian convents in italy to tell her story.

1947

Bought in Khartoum by the ital- Dies on February 8 at 20:10 at ian Vice consul callisto Legnani, the age of (probably) 77. who treats her kindly. in 1884 1959 they escape revolutionary her canonisation process is apSudan to italy. proved by Pope John XXiii. She is declared “venerable” in 1978.

1885 Given to Augusto and Turina Michieli in Zianigo, near Venice. 1969 in February 1886 becomes the Body moved to church of the holy Family in Schio. nanny to their newborn daughter, Mimmina.

1888

The Michielis leave Mimmina and Bakhita in the care of the canossian Sisters in Venice while they go to Sudan to buy a hotel there. in the convent, Bakhita is introduced to the christian faith.

1889

Bakhita refuses to go with the Michieli family to Sudan. A court declares her enslavement invalid and emancipates her.

1890

is baptised with the names Josephine Margaret Fortunata and confirmed on the same day.

1893

enters the novitiate of the canossian Sisters.

1896

Makes her first vows as a canossian Sister.

1902

Assigned to the canossian

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1992

Beatified by Pope John Paul ii on May 17. her feast day is set for February 8.

2000

canonised by Pope John Paul ii in St Peter’s Square in Rome on October 1.

making her vows in 1896. In 1902 she was transferred to the Canossian convent at Schio, in the northern Italian province of Vicenza. She would be based there for the rest of her life. She worked mostly as a cook, seamstress, sacristan and porter.

Sr Josephine was known for her gentle voice and ready smile, as well as her personal holiness and charisma. Her remarkable story was first recorded in a biography, published in 1931, which made her famous throughout Italy. From 1935-39 she visited other Canossian communities in Italy to talk about her experiences and to help prepare young Sisters for work in Africa. She disliked the travelling and being displayed as a novelty, but she also encouraged the missionary work, and prayed that her family might be baptised.

During World War II, the people of Schio already considered Sr Josephine a living saint whose mere presence would protect them from bombs. She could not prevent the bombings, but the war passed Schio by without a single casualty. Bakhita had the gift of prophecy, and was also very witty. One night a fellow nun bumped into her in the convent corridor. “You are so black, I couldn’t see you in the dark,” said the Sister. Bakhita replied: “In the dark, you’re not white either.”

Bakhita suffered poor health and much pain in her last years, but even confined to a wheelchair, she was always cheerful. Asked how she was doing, she would reply: “As the Master desires.”

On her deathbed the torment of her years as a slave revisited Sr Josephine. In a delirium, she cried out: “The chains are too tight; please loosen them a little!” When she awoke, one of the Sisters told her that it was a Saturday, the day of the week dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. “Yes, I am so happy: Madonna...Madonna!” Those were her last words.

Sr Josephine died at 20:10 on February 8, 1947, at the age of 77 (or 78). Thousands of people paid their respects as her body lay in state. Petitions for her sainthood cause began almost immediately, and her process officially commenced in 1959. Pope John Paul II beatified her in 1992, and canonised her on October 1, 2000. Since 1969, her tomb has been in the church of the Holy Family of the Canossian convent of Schio.

St Josephine Bakhita’s life is a sign of hope, of transformation from abject suffering to joy in Christ, of finding forgiveness even for the most heartless perpetrators of cruelty.

On February 10, 1993, Pope John Paul visited Sudan, where only nine months earlier news of St Josephine Bakhita’s beatification had been banned by the hardline Islamist regime. “Rejoice, all of Africa! Bakhita has come back to you,” the pope proclaimed.

“The daughter of Sudan sold into slavery as a living piece of merchandise and yet still free.

Free with the freedom of the saints!”

politician

Photo: KAS-ACDP/Peter Bouserath, CC-BY-SA 3.0 DE

This was a true CATHOLIC In a time of social and political division, the example of a Catholic politician may guide us in seeking the common good, ROSS AhLFeLD suggests.

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N THE GERMAN FOLKTALE “THE Town Musicians of Bremen”, an old dog, an old cat, an old hen and an old donkey band together, despite their apparent differences, for their own mutual self-interest and common good. This is basically how an acceptable civil society functions. The tale also echoes the basic principles of community-organising, seeking out those who are different from us, finding a shared issue, entering into a relationship with them, and then pursuing a shared goal together.

Sadly, there hasn’t been much entering into mutual associations or searching for the shared common good in much of the world lately. Populist leaders win and entrench power by sowing division. A man like Donald Trump has systematically undermined people’s trust in both American and global institutions, with his trashing of the United Nations, NATO, European Union, World Health Organization and so on — all of them, like those animals in the fable on their way to Bremen, associations that overcome their differences for their own mutual self-interest and common good.

It remains to be seen just how much of a loss of faith in institutions there has been. Even so, if we’ve learned one thing over the past four years, then it is that lone wolves and mavericks posturing as radical outsiders — individuals who did not emerge from an association and are not anchored to or restricted by an existing community, movement, party, association or aforementioned institution — can be very dangerous.

This is true not just of our political leaders but also for our Church, where Catholic polemicists advocate a form

of Catholic integralism which cares very little for Catholic Social Teaching, solidarity or the common good.

Voters should be wary of populist politicians whose rhetoric rages against the so-called metropolitan liberal elites before, once in office, going on to implement further deregulation and even more neoliberal policies, which hurt the poor. These are the policies successive popes over the past century have condemned. From Leo XIII to Francis, every pope has emphasised the core of Catholic Social Teaching: that all political and economic activity be ordered towards the common good.

We might look back to postwar Germany to find a Catholic politician who offers a vision of virtue, decency, and positive statecraft and statesmanship. In the years following World War II, Konrad Adenauer emerged as the first chancellor of the newly-established state of West Germany, taking a broken and ruined country from shame and despair to economic prosperity and reconciliation.

The Adenauer legacy

His legacy is not simply the postwar Wirtschaftswunder (“economic miracle”). Adenauer is still relevant for us today, especially as we see the rise of right-wing expressions of political Catholicism. “Der Alte” — or “The Old Man”, as Germans called him — came from a culture steeped in the tradition of Catholic intermediary organisations which operated in the space between the market and the state: workers ‘guilds, societies, unions and clubs.

After the war, Adenauer led Catholics away from the old confessional Catholic Centre Party towards the newly-formed, centre-right Christian Democratic Union by entering

Konrad Adenauer (1876–1967) was West Germany’s first chancellor. A devout Catholic from Cologne, he presided over a “social market economy”, which is capitalism moderated by elements of social welfare and Catholic Social Teaching.

into a political association with Lutherans and other German Christians. This journey represented a movement away from the desire to dominate and coerce others.

Adenauer understood himself to be a proud Rhinelander, a German and a Western European, without any contradiction. All of these identities easily coexisted. For most modern Germans, they still do, thanks to a federal system which helps to foster a positive sense of regional pride.

Most importantly, Adenauer reconciled Catholics with democracy, and reconciled France with Germany. He breathed life into the Christian Democratic philosophy of Jacques Maritain, and his pursuit of social market polices gave political expression to the papal encyclicals Rerum Novarum and Quadragesimo Anno, written by Popes Leo XIII and Pius XI respectively.

Konrad Adenauer resisted the extremes of fascism and communism, militarism and monarchism, clericalism and unrestricted capitalism — and this is why he is still so relevant today.

Finally, maybe we should be a little more relaxed about Joe Biden’s slightly advanced age. Konrad Adenauer took office at the age of 73 and retired in 1963, when he was 87. Like the Town Musicians of Bremen, Adenauer did all his finest work in his senior years; perhaps President Biden might too. n Ross Ahlfeld is a Catholic journalist in Glasgow, Scotland.

The Southern Cross

21

Feet on the

CAMINO

2021 is a Holy Year in Santiago de Compostela, the

destination of the famous Camino de Santiago. What is behind this popular route for pilgrims and hikers?

I

N THE 2010 FILM THE WAY, THE GREAT CATHOLIC actor Martin Sheen plays a bereaved father who virtually stumbles onto the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

There he experiences community, compassion, selfawareness and healing. These are experiences reported by many who have made this ancient pilgrimage to the shrine of St James the Greater in the northern Spanish town of Compostela.

For Christians, the element of faith is obviously at the centre. As the pilgrims are separated from daily life, they have much peace and quiet to reflect and pray, surrounded

by God’s creation. It is like a retreat with physical exercise.

They also have opportunities to communicate with others on the same physical (and perhaps similar spiritual) journey, and in the process they may even receive clarity about their own lives. That is also the key theme in the film.

The common notion has it that there is only one Camino de Santiago route, leading from France via northern Spain to the tomb of St James, the 1st-century apostle of Iberia and first bishop of Jerusalem.

And, indeed, that route, and all those of northern Spain, are World Heritage Sites. But, historically, it was just one of a network of routes

T

2021: A Holy Year in Santiago

HE YEAR 2021 IS A JUBILEE YEAR FOR THE CAMINO. A Holy Year is celebrated in Santiago de Compostela whenever July 25, the feast day of St James, falls on a Sunday. The tradition of the Holy Year in Santiago goes back to the 15th century.

St James the Greater was the disciple who went to Iberia to evangelise the people there. After a slow start, he succeeded, according to tradition, thanks to an apparition of Our Lady in Zaragoza.

The hermit Paio discovered the purported tomb of St James in the 820s. With the support of the king, a sanctuary was created, and soon pilgrimages to the tomb flourished.

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that led from all over Europe to Compostela, starting in the mid-1000s and really taking off in the 12th century.

Promoted especially by Pope Calixtus III (1119-24), the various routes were punctuated by pilgrims’ hostels, mostly run by religious orders who would accommodate rich and poor pilgrims alike. Before too long, the Camino was among the most popular pilgrimages in the world, even a cultural marker. In Spain, the popular name for the astronomical Milky Way is El Camino de Santiago; one fable tells the tale that the constellation had been formed from the dust raised by travelling pilgrims.

After its heyday in the medieval age, enthusiasm for the Camino declined over the centuries, though chapels for Camino pilgrims would still be built all over Europe, which suggests that it didn’t fall into obscurity either. But the great revival started in the second half of the last century, with the Camino becoming a phenomenon for pilgrims and secular hikers alike especially as of the 1990s. Today, hundreds of thousands walk the Camino every year.

Every route has its stations, or refugios: towns or villages where pilgrims stay overnight and receive

The Southern Cross

Pilgrims who walk to Santiago de Compostela during a Holy Year and pass through the Holy Door of the Santiago cathedral are forgiven all their sins through a plenary indulgence.

It requires of Catholics to visit the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, say the Creed and/or the Lord’s Prayer, and ask for the pope’s blessing, attend Mass, and receive the sacraments of penance and holy communion in the two weeks prior or after the visit to the cathedral.

During Holy Years, many extra events are put on for the pilgrims in the towns through which the routes pass, and in Compostela itself.

Go on the Camino this year

S

The cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

stamps in their pilgrims’ credenciales, “passports” which prove that they have walked from one refugio to the next. A fully-stamped credencial, and a statement to the effect that they made their journey for religious reasons, qualifies pilgrims for a certificate, issued in Compostela and named after the town.

In medieval times, pilgrims would return home not with a compostela but with a scallop shell from the region of Galicia, where the town of Compostela is located. The scallop shell has become a symbol of all pilgrims, and especially of the Camino. Direction markers on the route can be identified by the depiction of a shell.

At the end of the Camino, peregrinos (pilgrims) attend Mass at noon or 19:30 in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, which dates back to 1211. With a bit of good timing, pilgrims may attend one of the solemn Masses at which the Botafumeiro, a huge thurible which is said to be the largest censer in the world, swings above the heads of the congregation. During Holy Years, such as 2021, it is used at all Pilgrims’ Masses. The Botafumeiro is filled with 40kg of charcoal and incense. Eight red-robed tiraboleiros pull the ropes of a pulley mechanism and bring it into a swinging motion almost to the roof of the transept, reaching speeds of 80km/h, dispensing thick clouds of incense.

And St James? His relics and those of two of his disciples, St Theodorus and St Athanasius, rest in a silver reliquary in the crypt below the main altar.

OUTH AFRICANS HAVE THE CHANCE to go on a Camino pilgrimage in the Jubilee Year 2021. Organised by Fowler Tours in association with The Southern Cross and led by Fr Chris Townsend of Pretoria, the pilgrimage from September 12-21 will follow the last 100km on the most ancient of the Camino routes, the “Camino Primitivo”.

The Southern Cross pilgrims will stay in comfortable hotels with private rooms (sharing two to a room) and en-suites, with breakfast and dinner included. And the good news: their luggage will be transported from one destination to the next. So pilgrims need to carry only what they require for the day. Fr Townsend will be available for spiritual guidance, including the sacrament of reconciliation, for those who request it.

The Camino Primitivo (The Simple Way) is particularly scenic, following an ancient Roman trade route over five days. Beginning in the historic town of Lugo, it takes pilgrims through the heavily forested region of rural Galicia, where one can observe the Roman influence on Spain’s roads and bridges.

Along the way, special places to see include the shrine of St Irene of Portugal near Pedrouzo, and the Monte do Gozo hill, from where one gets the first glimpse of the towers of the cathedral. In Compostela, the group will attend the Pilgrims’; Mass, with the huge swinging thurible, and benefit from the plenary indulgences of the Holy Year.

With one exception, daily routes are between 15-20km in length. The longest day, between San Roman da Retorta and Melide is 28,6km (but on flat terrain). Everybody may walk at their own pace, and rest when they wish to. The paths are well-marked, and after Melide other routes join up, so there will be many other peregrinos to guide the way.

Pilgrims must be reasonably fit; if in doubt, consult your doctor before deciding to go. All participants will receive a training plan specially designed by a qualified fitness trainer.

Places on this special Holy Year Camino are limited. For more information or to book, contact Gail at info@fowlertours.co.za or call/WhatsApp 076 352-3809, or go to www.fowlertours.co.za/camino

The Southern Cross

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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

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.

The Southern Cross constellation can be seen clearly in the night sky in the southern hemisphere. It is very distinct and a natural heavenly formation. Perhaps that can be superimposed on the cover somehow.

Lucy Rubin, Pretoria

Mary might have died

Y

OUR LOVELY ARTICLE ON THE Holy Family (December 2020) states that it is Catholic dogma that Mary did not die. The dogma of the Assumption states: “When the course of her earthly life was over, Mary was taken up Body and Soul into Heaven.” It deliberately did not state that Mary died or did not die. It left that as an open issue.

Many at the time thought that death was the result of Original Sin and so Mary did not die. Others said Jesus, the sinless one of God, died so there were different opinions. The dogma therefore wisely states: “When the course of her earthly life was over...”

I don’t think it is Catholic dogma that Mary did not die.

Mgr Brendan Deenihan, Port Elizabeth

An answer to prayer

O

N OCTOBER 31, I WENT TO Mass with my husband, a Knight of da Gama, and prayed to Fr Michael J McGivney, the son of Irish immigrants to the United States and founder of the Knights of Columbus in America in 1882, who was being beatified that day. He is also known for his favours of intercession.

With the world’s problems seeming to grow worse and worse, I prayed for the little St Francis Prayer “Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace” to reach Pope Francis and be spread worldwide.

We don’t always realise that God answers prayers in his own time and

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The Southern Cross

ways, as we do not see the connecting threads behind his “Tapestry of Life”.

Imagine my surprise and joy at finding in your November issue Günther Simmermacher’s excellent summary of Pope Francis’ “letter of love — his new encyclical Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship. I saw that the pope had signed it in October at the tomb of St Francis in Assisi. Reading on, I realised that the document seems to be based on the same thoughts and ideas as St Francis’ prayer — an encyclical of empathy for others and working with them in friendship.

Even if we cannot obtain a copy of the encyclical, Simmermacher’s summary is worth study by all. And if we do not know the prayer “Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace”, we can say Pope Francis’ “Prayer to the Creator” in the “Prayer Corner” of the same issue. Thanks to Our Heavenly Father, and to Bl McGivney, Pope Francis and The Southern Cross.

Athaly Jenkinson, East London

• Thank you for an innovative idea: the title of our publication, of course, plays on the Southern Cross constellation. We are still experimenting with ideas of how to integrate a cross as a permanent feature on the cover. — Editor

Back to the kitchen

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N CHRISTMAS MORNING I decided to take a break from the kitchen by reading the January 2021 edition of The Southern Cross magazine — only to have Grazia Barletta’s “Cooking with Saints” article inspire me to get up and bake! This after I had “hung up” my cookie cutters years ago.

So now, as I am writing, I am enjoying a cup of tea and cookies which hopefully will not spoil my lunch.

Thanks to St Hildegard of Bingen and Grazia Barletta for adding to my Christmas cheer. I’m looking forward to future “Cooking with Saints” articles.

Lynn Petersen, by email

Southern Cross on The Southern Cross? Hats off for fairness

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N YOUR INFORMATIVE JANUARY 2021 issue, Deacon Edmund Burke suggests that you might place a cross on the cover, to identify The Southern Cross as a Catholic magazine.

STRAIGHT TALK: How to have a dialogue

COOK WITH SAINTS: 900-year-old Biscuits

70 YEARS SA HIERARCHY: When our Church grew up

Southern C ross

Est. 1920

Th e

The Catholic Magazine for Southern Africa

January 2021 R30 (incl. VAT in SA)

Profile of a Poet-Priest AFTER LOCKDOWN: MODEL IS READY BREAK OUT

SAINT OF THE MONTH: ST JOHN BOSCO

Visit www.scross.co.za for your Catholic news!

T

HANK YOU FOR YOUR spirited leading article “Good riddance to 2020” (December 2020). I liked the reference to the government’s kleptocracy — a nifty piece of journalism.

I also would like to thank you for printing my letter, even though it offered criticism. I thank Michael Shackleton for his humble, honest and enlightened reply.

Hats off to The Southern Cross for not being afraid to print criticism of its own material. I applaud your impartiality, and I will never refuse to buy The Southern Cross. God bless all of you!

Geoffrey Levington, Cape Town

Behold the heart

Nthabiseng Maphisa: Millennial Catholic

F

EBRUARY IS THE MONTH OF love. This means that there is an impending avalanche of heartshaped chocolates, teddy bears and lacy red lingerie.

This month gives me an excuse to release my inner romantic by indulging in love-song karaoke. I have many favourites. They include Adele’s “Someone Like You” and Ed Sheeran’s “All Of The Stars”. For some reason, an old song is jammed in my inner Spotify playlist: Cher’s “It’s In His Kiss”, from the 1990 movie Mermaids (and itself a cover of an even older soul song from the 1960s). The lyrics include the line: “If you wanna know if he loves you so / It’s in his kiss.” While there are flashes of truth in this statement, I wonder if there isn’t an overemphasis on physical expression as a measure of love.

William Shakespeare wrote that “the eyes are the windows to the soul”, and the Gospel of Matthew quotes Jesus: “The lamp of the body is the eye.

It follows that if your eye is clear, your whole body will be filled with light.

But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be darkness. If then, the light inside you is darkened, what darkness that will be!” (6:22-23) God gave us eyes as more than just being tools that enable us to navigate the world around us. God knows that we crave beauty and therefore gave us eyes that we may behold it. I think he also gave us eyes so that we may see within ourselves, as we might in a mirror. I think of the many blind people who have never laid eyes on themselves but nonetheless trust in the divine image in which they have been created.

God also gave us eyes so that we may see others. This scares us in one

The

Lovers have locked in their commitment on a bridge in Parys, Free State. In her column, Nthabiseng Maphisa reflects on love in the month of St Valentine.

Photo: Arleen Wiese/Unsplash

way but fulfils us in another. We desire to be seen. Nobody likes to go unnoticed. But we may be afraid of being seen as we really are. People might catch on to what is really taking place within our souls. It’s not always pretty, is it? Beneath all that is good in us, there are grudges, lies and wounds.

But isn’t love meant to see another for who they really are — and to love them anyway?

Into-me-see

I once heard it said that intimacy can be understood, by means of verbal wordplay, as “into-me-see”. What happens when we go without intimacy? I think the response can be seen by the world’s many antidotes to intimacy.

There is the standard of chocolate, flowers and teddy bears. And there are other “solutions” given to us by the world, such as binge-watching television series. I’m an expert at this and

have spent a many a night with television as company.

Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate and flowers, even if my current financial situation means that I will need to apply for sponsorship to have truffles and a dozen red roses! But can these things serve as a substitute for being truly known and loved, in spite of all that is known about you? I don’t think they can. The delicate threads of our hearts woven together create a picture which tells us that we want more than just luxurious sweets, flora and cards.

And so, this Valentine’s Day, I pray that everyone may find the intimacy that they long for and deserve. Be brave and look into the eyes of another and truly see them. St Valentine, the martyr, has given us a great example by showing couples that love can survive all things when Christ is at the centre.

St Valentine, pray for us!

S outher n C ross

Jubilee Camino to Santiagode Compostela Official 7-Day Camino 12-21 September 2021 • Led by Fr Chris Townsend

To book or for info contact Gail at info@fowlertours.co.za or call/WhatsApp 076 352-3809

www.fowlertours.co.za/camino

The Southern Cross

25

RefLECTION

Moral conscience needs more than the catechism How do we grow in light of the Church’s teachings? The answer isn’t as simple as it might seem. SARAh-LeAh PiMeNTeL explains.

F

OR MANY GENERATIONS OF Catholics, religious formation began in the early years of our lives. There are holy pictures in our homes and we learn the names of Mary, Jesus and the favourite saints of the household at around the same time as we learn the names of our family members.

Our parents teach us our first prayers.

The Church takes up the formal task of catechism for the parish children. For many, this formation begins at the age of six or seven and continues until confirmation. Confirmation used to happen at the age of about 10 or 11. Only more recently have we waited a little longer for our children to mature before asking them to confirm their commitment to the faith, at around the age of 16.

After this, all formal education around the faith ends. Somehow, we hope, the lists of do’s and don’ts and lessons around a relatively small range of moral decisions (which in the teen years seem to concentrate on sexual choices) are enough to guide the average Catholic through the ups and downs of life.

Perhaps in earlier generations, when people lived simpler lives supported by cradle-to-the grave communities that remained unchanged for decades, this might have been enough. Life had its rhythms and limited choices. So did the Church. Together, the community and Church formed a sufficient foundation for most of life’s moral challenges.

This is no longer the case. Many Catholics today live in large, diverse societies in which one can choose to be anything and do anything. All is seen as valid and almost all is permissible. As a modern woman, I am delighted by the many choices life has offered me. My cosmopolitan existence has allowed me to encounter and befriend people from

all walks of life. Some share my religious background. Many do not.

Two basic choices?

The lack of boundaries in modern living also makes it far harder to make those moral choices. It is almost as if modern Catholics have two basic choices. One is to return to the simplistic lists of dos and don’ts we learned as children and try to make all of life fit into those categories. In some ways, it makes things easier. Things are good or bad.

Black or white. You don’t get lost in the

life becomes complicated) does not offer enough of a foundation which can help them in making moral decisions. This is so for several reasons. Firstly, childhood catechism is taught at the level that the child is at. “Do not steal sweets from your friend” is a very concrete message for a child. But as an adult, the lines of what could constitute theft can become very blurred. Paying tax to a government that misuses taxpayers’ money, or cutting back on employee benefits to maximise profit, or opting to purchase cheaper resources from companies abroad that exploit their workers, are just a few examples.

Can any of us honestly remember from our childhood catechism the Church’s teachings about bioethics? Or rather, did we even cover this topic?

Recently we were faced with social media claims that a cell line of an aborted foetus has been used to manufacture a Covid-19 vaccine. The pharmaceutical companies very strongly denied this, and the Vatican has said that “it is morally acceptable to receive Covid-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted foetuses” in the research and production process when “ethically irreproachable” vaccines aren’t available to the public. But the “licit” uses of such vaccines “does not and should not in any way imply that there is a moral endorsement of the use of cell lines proceeding from aborted foetuses”. As individuals, we cannot possibly make a fully informed moral choice on this, and a plethora of other issues, until we know what the Church teaches.

But even that is not enough. Ultimately, to be a Catholic is not simply to

To be a Catholic is not simply to follow a set of rules

26 The Southern Cross

moral abyss of doubt. But it also makes it far harder to experience or show mercy.

The other option is to delve into the difficult moral questions of a globalised world that no longer has the Catholic Church and its teachings as the moral centre of civil life. It is an uncomfortable space. It challenges the Christian to test, so to speak, the Church’s teachings against the myriad choices that society offers.

Unfortunately, the ten or so years of formal catechism that most Catholics receive before the age of 18 (that is, before

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follow a set of rules. If we are relying on the Church to tell us at every turn how we should live, then we are not exercising the greatest gift that God gave us — our free will.

The gift of free will

Ultimately, the formation of a moral conscience is the exercise of our free will. To have free will is not to do exactly as we please without a care for consequence. It is a discipline that requires discernment, questioning, doubting at times. It is a process that invites us to examine the Church’s 2 000-year wisdom and experience: to read what the Church teaches on a variety of issues, to listen to the full perspective of the Church’s thinkers, both contemporary and historic.

The formation of moral conscience is a prayer exercise: to kneel before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and pray for the courage and wisdom of the Holy Spirit to discern what God’s will is within the context of our individual challenge and the guidance of the Church. And ultimately, the moral conscience makes an informed decision. Time will test that decision and we may revise the decision, based on experience, additional discernment or a change of circumstances.

Very often, the choice may well be in accordance with the Church’s teaching. The difference is that we did not follow blindly but made our decision on the basis of a deep process of prayer and discernment.

Sometimes, however, that decision will be contrary to Church teaching. That does not necessarily mean that we have sinned. It may simply mean that our discernment took into account other factors, such as the greater good, or that we have not yet reached the maturity to make a different decision. In some cases, the Church also may not have complete answers and we chose a different way.

Ultimately, God will not judge us on the decision that we took, but rather on the spiritual growth that led to that decision. We read in the Gospel: “Not everyone who keeps saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will get into the kingdom from heaven, but only the person who keeps doing the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7-21).

The Christian life is about so much more than following rules. It is a journey of discovering the will of God for our lives. No two journeys are the same. The rules help, but ultimately each of us must decide for ourselves. n Sarah-Leah Pimentel is based in Cape Town.

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Our wounds can heal others

N

EARLY 50 YEARS AGO, FATHER Henri Nouwen wrote his book The Wounded Healer. Its reception established his reputation as a unique spiritual mentor, and he went on to become one of the most influential spiritual writers of the past half-century.

What made his writings so powerful? His brilliance? His gift for expression?

He was gifted, yes, but so are many others. What set him apart was that he was a deeply wounded man, and from that disquieted place inside him issued forth words that were a healing balm to millions.

How does this work? How do our wounds help heal others? They don’t. It’s not our wounds that help heal others.

Rather, our wounds can colour our gifts and talents in such a way that they no longer educe resistance and envy in others but instead become what God meant them to be: gifts to grace others.

Sadly, the opposite is often true. Our gifts and talents often become the reason we’re disliked and perhaps even hated.

There’s a curious dynamic here. We don’t automatically, nor easily, let the gifts of others grace us. More often, we’re reluctant to admit their beauty and power, and we resist and envy those who possess them, and sometimes even hate them for their gifts. That’s one of the reasons we find it hard to simply admire someone.

But this reluctance in us doesn’t just say something about us. Often it says something too about the persons who possess those gifts. Talent is an ambiguous thing: it can be used to assert ourselves, to separate ourselves from others, to stand out and to stand above, rather than as a gift to help others. Our talents can be used simply to point to how bright, talented, good-looking and successful we are. Then they simply become a strength meant to dwarf others and set ourselves apart.

How can we make our talents a gift for others? How can we be loved for our talents rather than hated for them? Here’s the difference: we will be loved and admired for our gifts when our gifts are coloured by our wounds, so that others do not see them as a threat or as something that sets us apart but rather as something that gifts them in their own shortcomings. When shared in a certain way, our gifts can become gifts for everyone else.

Here’s how that algebra works: our gifts are given to us not for ourselves but for others. But, to be that, they need to be coloured by compassion. We come to compassion by letting our wounds be-

friend our gifts. Here are two examples.

When Princess Diana died in 1997 there was a massive outpouring of love for her. Both by temperament and as a Catholic priest, I’m normally not given to grieving over celebrities, yet I felt a deep sorrow and love for this woman.

Princess Diana and Nouwen

Why? Because she was beautiful and famous? Not that. Many women are beautiful and famous and are hated for it.

Princess Diana was loved by so many because she was a wounded person, someone whose wounds coloured her beauty and fame in a way that induced love, not envy.

Nouwen, who popularised the phrase, “the wounded healer”, shared a similar trait. He was a brilliant man, the author of more than 40 books, one of the most popular religious speakers of his generation, tenured at both Harvard and Yale, a person with friends all over the world.

But he was also a deeply wounded man who, by his own repeated admission, suffered restlessness, anxiety, jealousies and obsessions that occasionally landed him in a clinic. Moreover, by his own repeated admission, amid this success and popularity, for most of his adult life he struggled to simply accept love. His wounds forever got in the way.

And this, his wounded self, colours basically every page of every book he wrote. His brilliance was forever coloured by his wounds and that’s why it was never self-assertive but always compassionate.

No one envied Nouwen’s brilliance; he was too wounded to be envied. Instead, his brilliance always touched us in a healing way. He was a wounded healer.

Those words, “wounded” and “healer”, ordain each other. I’m convinced that God calls each of us to a vocation and to a special work here on earth more on the basis of our wounds than on the basis of our gifts. Our gifts are real and important; but they grace others only when they are shaped into a special kind of compassion by the uniqueness of our own wounds. Our unique, special wounds can help make each of us a unique, special healer.

Our world is full of brilliant, talented, highly-successful, and beautiful people.

Those gifts are real, come from God, and should never be denigrated in God’s name. However, our gifts don’t automatically help others; but they can if they are coloured by our wounds so that they flow out as compassion and not as pride.

The Southern Cross

27

Let there be love!

Raymond Perrier on Faith & Society

I

N FEBRUARY, RADIO STATIONS, shopping malls and advertisers will be reminding us that it’s the “Month of Love”. Of course, their interests are purely commercial: hoping we will be bullied into paying premium prices for chocolates, red roses and sentimental cards as ways of showing how much we love that special person in our lives.

I trust that the sensible, Christian readers of The Southern Cross are not conned by such blatant marketing — we know that there are more sincere ways of showing our love for someone. And we also know that we need not be restricted to one month or one day in the year, even if that day is tenuously linked to the name of a saint.

But this month’s focus on love is a good opportunity for us to reflect on what we mean by love and how we live it out in our Church.

Scripture is full of the word: “God is love”, “God so loved the world…”, “Love one another as I have loved you”. We should be in no doubt that “love” is a defining characteristic of our Christian experience.

St Paul articulates it beautifully in 1 Corinthians 13: “Love is patient, love is kind”, concluding that while “faith, hope and love will abide…the greatest of these is love”. But through overuse at weddings, we have become a bit immune to this reading and it may wash over us. As an experiment, write down each of the phrases on separate pieces of paper, mix them up and then read them out loud at random: you will find the words come to life again.

You may know the hymn with the chorus, “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love”.

The suggestion is not that red roses or heart-shaped chocolates will identify the followers of Christ in a crowd. But if we asked the average non-Catholic what word they would use to describe our Church, or even your local parish, would “love” be the one that comes to mind? Would it be in the top 5, or even the top 10? I fear it might not.

That is partly because the instinctive meaning of the word love has been captured by the marketers and narrowed to be the model of romantic love. But we know how inadequate that is. For most of us, our first experience of love is not romantic but comes from a parent or grandparent or sib-

28 The Southern Cross

ling. Our families should be “schools of love”, where we first see it lived out around us, where we first experience it for ourselves, and where we first learn how to love others: love through actions; love through words; love through gestures; and, yes, love through gifts, but marked by their expressiveness, not their expense.

That love then expands to include love of people outside our families. As

Would most non-Catholics describe our Church with the word ‘love’? children we never tired of telling our best friend that we loved them: when did you last do that as an adult? The esteemed founders of religious congregations sometimes used the language of love when addressing their followers: if you are a religious Brother or Sister, take time to tell a member of your community that you love them — and see the reaction!

Is charity aways love?

One form of love is, I am pleased to say, prevalent in most of our parishes: love of neighbour, especially the one who is in need. We have formal and informal ways of serving people. But we use not the ordinary word “love” to describe that, but the English form of the Latin word for love: caritas.

A good test is to look at the good works you do and ask yourself: even if they are “acts of charity”, are they also “acts of love”? It is interesting that the link is not always automatic.

And then, in the lives of some, romantic love comes along. This is the field where “love” is least likely to be associated with the Catholic Church.

We are seen not as a community of love but as a community of rules. Of course, rules do matter — try driving in a place where no one observes the rules of the road! But to paraphrase Jesus’ words to

his disciples about the Sabbath: “God created rules to serve people; God did not create people to serve the rules.”

A non-Catholic friend of mine was recently asked to be part of a marriage annulment process. Afterwards, she came to me baffled. “Where was love in all of this?” she wondered. I found it hard to give her an answer. Our Church is known for its strict rules about what does and does not qualify as a religiously-sanctioned romantic pairing. The hard lines that include some, inevitably exclude many others. (Curiously, it would have excluded the marriage of the Holy Family itself!)

The argument given is that this “upholds the sanctity of marriage”.

I assume that this is an inductive not a deductive argument since no data is ever provided. But even if there were data, it would hide the impact on the individuals who are affected by these rules.

I can think of two people, very dear to me, both brought up in devout Catholic households. One is my cousin who married young but, after producing three children, left her abusive husband. She has been married now to another man for 25 years, and he has been a wonderful husband and a wonderful stepfather (in the tradition of St Joseph himself). But their marriage has never been recognised by the Church.

Another is my best friend from school who has been devoted to his partner for 30 years and been legally married for over 20. Since they are both men, the state recognises their love for each other but the Church does not.

Both my cousin and my friend have long since left the Church because, they feel, the Church left them.

So let us celebrate our month of love and, rightly, rejoice in those couples visible in our communities who uphold our strict definition of Churchsanctioned love. But I pray that God’s love has space to rejoice also in the invisible couples. Their stories of love do not come out of the Catechism but they are written in the books of their own hearts.

Discussion about such matters used to be closed down with the Latin expression, “Roma locuta; causa est finita”, which means “Rome has spoken; the case is closed”. Swapping a few letters produces a different maxim: “Amor locutus; causa est finita” — Love has spoken; the case is closed.

12 benefits of going to Mass Can livestreamed Masses take the place of the real thing?

Prof MichAeL OGUNU doesn’t think so and outlines 12 benefits congregants receive by going to Mass.

A

T THE LAST SUPPER, THE night on which he was betrayed, Jesus instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood, “in order to continue the sacrifice of the Cross through the centuries until his return� (Sacrosantum Concilium, 47). Thus every Mass is worth as much as the sacrifice of our Lord’s life, sufferings and death.

The saving effects which every sacrifice of the Mass produces in the souls of those who devoutly participate in it are great. These favours or benefits, as listed by the 18th-century Franciscan friar St Leonard of Port Maurice, include: • The Holy Mass is the most powerful atonement for your sins. • At the hour of death, the Masses you have participated in will be your greatest consolation. • Every Mass will go with you to judgment and plead for pardon. • At Mass you can diminish temporal punishment due to your sins, according to your fervour. • By participating devoutly in the Holy Mass you render to the sacred humanity of our Lord the greatest homage.

• It supplies for many of your negligences and omissions. • God forgives the venial sins which you have not confessed. The power of Satan over you is diminished. • You afford the souls in purgatory the greatest possible relief. • You shorten your purgatory each time you devoutly participate in the cel-

ebration of Holy Mass. • Every Mass wins for you a higher degree of glory in Heaven. • You receive the priest’s blessing which our Lord ratifies in heaven. • You are blessed in your temporal goods and affairs.

No human tongue, said St Lawrence Justinian, can enumerate the benefits derivable from devout participation in the sacrifice of the Mass. “The sinner is reconciled with God, the just man becomes more upright, sins are wiped away, vices eliminated, virtue and merit gain growth and the devil’s schemes are frustrated.�

Mass in Johannesburg’s Christ the King cathedral.

Photo: Mark Kisogloo

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The Southern Cross

29

PRAY WITH THE POPE Every month FR CHRIS CHATTERIS SJ reflects on Pope Francis’ universal prayer intention.

Needed: A change in culture Intention for February: We pray for women who are victims of violence, that they may be protected by society and have their sufferings considered and heeded.

right to pontificate to the next-door culture, especially as my Catholic culture has its own skeletons in the cupboard? It’s obviously hard to argue that I should be indifferent or neutral and yet closer to home that we have to on female genital mutilation. There F, IN THIS INTENTION, WE WERE consider. Culture is not an exterior are so many levels on which it is to replace the word “women” dominating force, something which is clearly evil — every level from secular with the word “men”, the sen- not really us. Culture is a human cre- ethics and its view of human rights, tence would sound very odd. Try ation; our ancestors shaped and formed to Christian ethics and the vision of it and see. The oddness underlines the it in the past, and we continue that the human person as created in the fact that we very rarely think of men process in the present. Hence, we have image of God. as victims of the kind of violence the to take responsibility for it.

I might, however, argue that if I pope is referring to, just because they blunder into such areas from an alien The culture fallacy are men. They may be victims of vioculture, I could compound the harm lence because of their race, or creed or If an aspect of our culture is sin- being done, because the reaction to sexual orientation, but not just be- ful, we cannot just throw up our outsiders lecturing us about our culcause they are men. hands and say, “It’s a cultural thing; ture is often very defensive. This is an Women, by terrible contrast, often what can I do?” Although it takes important strategic point. Clearly it are frequently the victims of violence time and persistent effort to effect a might be better to work through those simply because they are women. Why cultural change, history shows that it members of the affected culture who is this? Partly because the perpetrators can be done and is worth doing. The are fighting against female genital are mostly men, and such men mutilation, supporting them visit violence upon women beand playing a secondary role. cause they can. This is what bul- We must form boys to become It’s true that good deeds can lies do: they prey on those who backfire, but it’s not true that we men who accept that all of us are weaker than themselves beshould therefore do nothing. cause they fear no resistance. are made equally in the image The argument that an action The culture of patriarchy is might be counterproductive is and likeness of God also a source of violence and often used to deter activism femicide. For example, so-called against gender-based violence. It runs “honour killings” (such an Orwellian “culture” of slavery is an obvious exthus: if you confront males who rephrase) are part of a patriarchal tradi- ample. gard women as lesser beings, they will tion in which women are male propA related question is whether I feel that their manhood is being unerty, and so heaven help them if they can challenge an aspect of a culture dermined and therefore you end up stray from the path assigned to them that is not my own. For example, can hardening their attitudes. by their male masters.

I —must I — challenge the practice of Well, if the only thing that is However, there is something deeper female genital mutilation? Have I the going to deter a certain type of dangerous male from violent crimes against women and girls is fear, then so be it, and it is up to lawmakers and the poFrail/assisted care in shared or single rooms. lice to ensure they get the message that independent care in single/double rooms the law will not tolerate their crimes. with en-suite bathrooms.

In the meantime it is up to us all Rates include meals, laundry to form boys into men who do not beand 24-hour nursing. lieve that women and girls exist to Retirement Home, Day-Care and short-stay facilities wait on them and to satisfy their Rivonia, also available. every need but rather really accept Johannesburg that all of us are made equally in the Tel: 011 803 1451 www.lourdeshouse.org image and likeness of God.

I

30

The Southern Cross

Prayer Corner Your prayers to cut out and collect Do you have a favourite prayer? Please send it, preferably with a reference to its origin, to editor@scross.co.za

Blessed Benedict Daswa Prayer O Blessed Trinity, you filled the heart of your Servant Benedict with great love and zeal in building up your kingdom. You chose him and gave him the courage and the strength to stand up for his faith without fear and bear witness unto death.

Loving God, like him, may I always proclaim the truth of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ by the witness of my life. Keep me away from all deeds of darkness. Protect me from evil spirits and all the powers of evil.

Make me a true Apostle of Life in my family and in society.

Father, through his intercession, and according to your will, grant me the grace that I ask of you. I draw strength and courage from the life of your Servant Benedict in the hope that he will be proposed to the faithful for veneration and as an intercessor and model of holiness.

Through Christ our Lord, Amen

VALENTINE’S PRAYER As we draw near to You, Quiet our minds, Refresh our spirits, Inspire our hearts, Bind us together with Your truth.

We dwell in Your promise, Rest in Your grace, Bathe in Your restoration, Meditate on Your goodness.

Bind us together with Your love.

Our Lady of Lourdes Prayer Because you are the smile of God, the reflection of the light of Christ, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, Because you chose Bernadette in her lowliness, because you are the morning star, the gate of heaven and the first creature to experience the Resurrection, Our Lady of Lourdes, with our brothers and sisters whose hearts and bodies are in pain, we pray to you!

(Pope Benedict XVI)

The pope’s prayer intention for February is protection of women from violence, and so we pray...

Prayer for an end to gender-based violence Merciful God, bless those working with survivors and perpetrators of gender-based violence.

May they be helped to bring about lasting transformation of lives.

We pray for those who perpetrate abuse with no sense of guilt or shame.

Bring to justice their actions; change their inner hearts.

Lord, break the patterns of abuse committed down the generations.

Transform attitudes and behaviour in current and future relationships.

We pray for all to follow your example of treating women with equality and respect.

We pray for the dawn of a better world where justice and peace may flourish.

Amen.

Prayer from We Will Speak Out (WWSO)

The Southern Cross

31

Papal Word Search

Anagram Challenge 1

ALEXANDER

INNOCENT

BENEDICT

JOHN PAUL

CLEMENT FRANCIS

LANDO LINUS

BONIFACE GREGORY

JULIUS

MARTIN

PETER PIUS

STEPHEN

SYMMACHUS URBAN

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

HO TE L TO N I CS

2

HE TO WE R S

3

A N I G HTMA R E TO O SA D

4

DU STE R S HA TE D ME

5 A N N I E O V E R R U LE S B I R THDA Y 6

DA R I N G P O THO LE S

VICTOR

Southern Crossword

aCroSS

1. Don’t go to this during Lent (6) 4. Put red man in custody (6) 9. Gentle to the poor and needy (6-7) 10. Reactor turns out to be like God (7) 11. Lying flat, liable to having a weakness (5) 12. The preacher will do it (5) 14. Try to make one sin (5) 18. christian love at the feast (5) 19. Permit from the authorities (7) 21. individuals who are not worldly (9,4) 22. Move up and down in the playground (3-3) 23. Does what the commandment forbids (6)

DowN

1. induce from 14 (6) 2. Religious order of thinkers? (13) 3. Like drops of blood as Jesus agonised (5) 5. christians must give it good (7) 6. Deeds of sorrow for your sins (4,2,7) 7. Sidesteps the law (6) 8. The day of the Resurrection (5) 13. The New World (7) 15. Stops following the church (6) 16. God’s voice came out of it (5) 17. Biblical lines (6) 20. Monk’s room has nothing but an instrument (5)

Solutions on page 34 32

The Southern Cross

Quick Crossword

CODEWORD: Combine the letters in the shaded boxes to form the name of a famous South African Catholic Church leader

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

aCroSS

1. Famous church now a mosque (5,6) 2. Jesus’ Galilean hQ (9) 3. Order of St Martin de Porres (9) 4. english martyr (6,4) 5. catholic movement (8) 6. SA catholic radio station (7) 7. Diocese of Ngome shrine (6)

8. cathedral of cape Town (2,5) 9. Southern Cross columnist (surname) (7)

DowN

1. Jesus’ hometown (8) 2. Last book in NT (10) 3. Saint of Siena (9) 4. NT high Priest (8)

The Catholic Trivia Quiz

1. Which diocese did Archbishop Stephen Brislin head before he was transferred to Cape Town in 2010? a) Keimoes b) Kimberley c) Kroonstad

6. Of which city was Pope Francis archbishop? a) Buenos Aires b) Montevideo c) Santiago

2. How old was Michelangelo when he made his Pietà sculpture? a) 24 b) 44 c) 64

7. In which province is the monastery of Mariannhill? a) KwaZulu-Natal b) Limpopo c) Mpumalanga

3. The founder of Glasgow Celtic football club was from which order? a) Christian Brothers b) De La Salle Brothers c) Marist Brothers 4. What colour do members of the Sodality of St Anne’s usually wear? a) Purple b) Red c) Turquoise 5. Which of these is not a part of the liturgy of the Word? a) The Gloria b) Prayers of the Faithful c) Profession of Faith

8. Who played a Jesuit in the 1986 film The Mission? a) Jeremy Irons b) Kevin Costner c) Robert de Niro 9. Who is the patron saint of comedians? a) Genesius of Rome b) Isidore of Seville c) Vitalis of Assisi 10. Which is the fourth book in the

5. Pope John Paul ii’s surname (7) 6. Archbishop of Pretoria (5) 7. Pope Francis encyclical (7,2) 8. cloth for cleaning the chalice (11) 9. Defunct Zulu catholic newspaper (8) 10. country of Las Lajas shrine (8) 11. Mount from where Moses saw the Promised Land (4)

Q2: Michelangelo’s Pietà

Old Testament? a) Joshua b) Leviticus c) Numbers 11. Which popular devotion can we trace to the small French town of Paray-le-Monial? a) Eucharistic Adoration b) Miraculous Medal c) Sacred Heart 12. Which Gospel is the longest? a) Matthew b) Luke c) John The Southern Cross

33

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

T

Tarta de Santiago

THIS MONTH GRAZIA BAKED:

his delicious, moist and fragrant almond cake with its origin in the middle ages is named in honour of st James the greater (or santiago), the patron saint of spain and universally regarded as the patron of pilgrims (see page 22).

it originated in santiago de compostela, galicia, destination of the famous camino.

Pilgrims and tourists who visit the great cathedral of santiago, where the relics of st James are buried, see the cake in windows of every pastry shop and restaurant. the traditional way to decorate is to sprinkle

icing sugar on the top, with a cutout of a cross or a shell to symbolise st James.

Preparation: 15 min • Baking: 45-50 min • Servings: 8

IngredIentS:

• 2 ⅔ cups ground almonds • ¾ cup flour • 1 ¼ cup sugar • 4 eggs • 160g soft butter • ½ tsp baking powder • Pinch of salt • 4 drops of almond essence • ½ cup water • Zest of 1 lemon • icing sugar PrePArAtIOn:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°c. grease a round springform pan.

2. in a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together.

3. add the butter, flour, baking powder, salt and water, and beat with an

electric beater.

4. stir the almonds and essence into the batter. grate the lemon and add the zest, and stir until thoroughly mixed.

5. Pour batter into a cake pan. Bake in the oven on the middle rack for approximately 45-50 minutes. check after 45 minutes. the cake is done if a cake skewer inserted into the centre of it comes out clean.

6. for the traditional decoration, sprinkle icing sugar on the top to create the shape of a cross or a shell, to symbolise st James. to make a cross you can find a picture of the cruz de santiago or use a clean piece of paper folded in quarters to cut out across. after the cake has cooled, place the cross in the centre of the cake and dust the top with icing sugar. remove gently and you will have your shape.

7. enjoy and say a prayer to st James the greater!

Crossword Solutions: ACROSS: 1 Excess, 4 Remand, 9 Tender-hearted, 10 Creator, 11 Prone, 12 Speak, 14 Tempt, 18 Agape, 19 Licence, 21 Spiritual ones, 22 See-saw, 23 Covets. DOWN: 1 Entice, 2 Contemplative, 3 Sweat, 5 Example, 6 Acts of penance, 7 Dodges, 8 Third, 13 America, 15 Lapses, 16 Cloud, 17 Verses, 20 Cello.

Anagram Challenge:

1. The Lost Coin; 2. The Sower; 3. The Good Samaritan; 4. The Mustard Seed; 5. Labourers in the Vineyard; 6. The Prodigal Son

Quick Crossword: ACROSS: 1 Hagia Sophia, 2 Capernaum, 3 Dominican, 4 Thomas More, 5 Focolare, 6 Veritas, 7 Eshowe, 8 St Mary’s, 9 Perrier DOWN: 1 Nazareth, 2 Revelation, 3 Catherine, 4 Caiaphas, 5 Wojtyla, 6 Mpako, 7 Laudato Si’, 8 Purificator, 9 UmAfrika, 10 Colombia, 11 Nebo — CODEWORD: Denis Hurley Catholic Trivia Quiz: 1. c) Kroonstad; 2. a) 24; 3. c) Marist Brothers; 4. a) Purple;

5. a) The Gloria; 6. a) Buenos Aires; 7. a) KwaZulu-Natal; 8. a) Jeremy Irons; 9. a) Genesius of Rome; 10. c) Numbers; 11. c) Sacred Heart devotion; 12. b) Luke

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O Most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendour of heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin assist us in our necessity.

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The Prayer of St Jude in Thanksgiving

God, who through thy blessed Apostle Jude hast brought us into the knowledge of thy name, grant that by advancing in virtue we may set forth his everlasting glory, and by setting forth his glory we may advance in virtue. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son who livest and reignest with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit. God, world without end. Amen. A.A.

THANKS

Thank you St Jude for prayers answered

Mrs. M. Pitsillis

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Be part of our centenary by joining our Associates Campaign. Sign up for a minimum contribution of R100 per month. TELL US how you would like your contribution to be spent by choosing one of these three options:

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Final Words Great Quotes on

LENT

History in Colour

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

‘Ash Wednesday is full of joy...

The source of all sorrow is the illusion that of ourselves we are anything but dust.’

– Fr Thomas Merton (1916-68)

‘Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy.’

– Pope Francis (1936-

)

‘Lent is a time for discipline, for confession, for honesty — not because God is mean or fault-finding or finger-pointing, but because he wants us to know the joy of being cleaned out, ready for all the good things he now has in store.’

– Rt Rev NT Wright (1948-

)

‘Lent stimulates us to let the Word of God penetrate our life and in this way to know the fundamental truth: Who we are, where we come from, where we must go, what path we must take in life.’

– Pope Benedict XVI (1927-

)

‘God creates out of nothing.

Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: He makes saints out of sinners.”

– Søren Kierkegaard (1913-55)

‘We may be able to do but little, but the enemy nonetheless stands more in awe of those whom he knows can fast.’

– St Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

‘O Lord, make this Lenten season different from the other ones. Let me find you again.’

Pilgrimage 2021

Southern Cross

– Fr Henri Nouwen (1932-96)

This month, it’s seven years ago that, Pope Benedict XVI unexpectedly announced his renunciation of the papacy, becoming the first pope to retire on his own initiative since Celestine V in 1294.

Half a century before that, the future Pope Benedict as Fr Joseph Ratzinger (right) served as a peritus, or expert advisor, to Cardinal Josef Frings of Cologne (left) at the Second Vatican Council. As the Vatican’s long-serving head of the doctrinal congregation, Cardinal Ratzinger would be regarded as an arch-conservative — but at Vatican II, young Fr Ratzinger, still in his thirties, was seen as being on the progressive side of things.

It is said that Fr Ratzinger became a doctrinal conservative in the late 1960s, especially when he observed protesting theology students in Tübingen, Germany, engaging in attitudes he could not understand or approve of.

The last laugh

T

HE CATHEDRAL IS FILLED TO capacity for the 10:00 Sunday Mass. Suddenly the doors burst open and the devil himself comes stomping into the church, all hooves, horns and tail. Sulphurous smoke fills the cathedral as the Lord of Darkness proceeds up the centre aisle, roaring most terrifyingly.

As you may expect, the crowd flees the scene in a panic. The priest locks himself in the sacristy.

Soon, the entire church is empty — except for an old man. Beelzebub walks up to him with beastly shrieks, exuding his revolting odour, but the old man looks serenely at the devil.

“Old man,” the devil roars, “are you not scared of me, the very Lord of Darkness?”

“Oh no, sir,” the old man answers calmly, “I’m not scared of you. Remember, I have been married to your sister for 58 years.”

Buy the Church Chuckles book of Catholic jokes!

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MEDJUGORJE • ROME ASSISI • LORETO • CROATIA May 31 - June 9, 2021 led by Archbishop stephen Brislin

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