Aug 2020 230 by EuropeAxess Media

Editorial by Fr. Michael Bonifacio

Firstly, greetings to all faithful readers of this monthly, diocesan, catholic publication: ‘Upon this Rock.’ I am sure you will initially be a bit surprised by a new face. Fr. Stuart is presently on a well-deserved extended break and until his return, I will write the Foreword. So, please, fear not. I trust you will not mind me standing-in.

lso, I pray that you are all well. I’m sure this pandemic and subsequent measures can be most draining, even to the very best of people.

Permit me to be honest. It is in times like these that we review the important things in life, especially, the fragility of life and the world. Correction: even in times like these, we are made strong with God’s grace. The important thing is to maintain a positive frame of mind. Yet, I suppose, that people differ in how they see, perceive and interpret the world.

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Do we need a new PERSPECTIVE? Talking about perception. What do you see in these images? In the first picture on the left, some may see an older or younger woman. In the middle image, you may see two men looking at each other or a vase. In the final image on the right, you might see a face or a man

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wearing a hat and playing the saxophone. Don’t worry if you cannot see both sides of each picture. This style of illustrations shares one common pattern: they are all intentionally ambiguous. These images can make your vision and brain work harder to discover alternate facets/ meanings to an image. They can

Image courtesy Vatican Muesums

be fun, but, they can also reveal how we see and give meaning to the world around us. This has a bearing on our sense of sight when things are not going that well. Do we see what we want to see or -with a little more focus- do we discover a hidden image that previously was not that apparent. The right attitude or the proper vision shows itself most clearly in the midst of tragedies. The humble person suffers, just like the arrogant person, but the humble person is strong enough to keep things in proper perspective in the midst of suffering. And as a result, a right vision actually makes suffering fruitful. Cardinal Faulhaber, one of the courageous leaders of the Church in Germany during the tragic period surrounding World War I, witnessed this kind of True Sight in action. He was once visiting a veterans’ hospital reserved for soldiers in all stages of blindness. Some could see light faintly; others could see nothing. As he walked quietly through the wards, he heard one young soldier praying: “Lord, I beg you not to take away the light of my eyes. But if it is your will that I should be deprived of it, then leave me, at least, the light of my mind. But if

it is your will that I be deprived of that, leave me, at least, the light of my faith.” The Cardinal stopped and asked: “Son, where did you learn that beautiful prayer?” The soldier answered: “Your eminence, when I was a boy in Austria, I used to lead the old Cardinal of Vienna into his garden and stay with him there. He was 90 years old. I heard him say that prayer often. I have never forgotten it.” A right perspective had given that young soldier’s soul 20/20 spiritual vision, and that vision was giving him strength amid terrible suffering.

The Big Picture

The right outlook always gives us strength amid suffering, because it reminds us that there is a bigger story going on, and it helps us keep first things first, and to see clearly what those first things really are. In psychological/medical studies of Michelangelo’s famous picture from the Sistine chapel ‘The Creation of Adam’ (shown above), claims were made that… “what almost everyone has missed is the hidden message that Michelangelo inserted: a human brain dissimulated in the figure of God.” In other words, there is

supposed to be a hidden image of a human brain as you gaze upon God and His enveloping cloak. If you would like my penny’s worth on this, I would say that we are then missing the Big Picture. I think these studies are trivial – and I think a significant and remarkable clue is missed: God is passing the spark of life from his finger to Adam – just like the spark of life which ignites the petrol/air mixture in the combustion chamber of a petrol engine. Michelangelo is giving us his perception on the true meaning of life, in one word: GOD. How God creates man; how God gives life to humanity. I use this example to illustrate that we can all fail to see the Big

Picture! We oftentimes omit God from the scene we are looking at or we cannot appreciate what action he is in fact taking. Oh yes, we are totally free to relinquish the divine or the spiritual, but, doing so, are we seeing what we want to see, or, what is really, actually there? Is the world in a better place by not including God in the scene? I will let you reach your own conclusions. Personally speaking I have met very few people with perfect 20/20 physical and spiritual vision. I am reminded of the soldier in our story earlier on. He talked of the light of eyes, light of mind and light of faith. In a way, three types of light: eyes, mind and faith. Perhaps, when watching the world and our own lives, we require a combination of all three types of light. We do not just see things. Upon what we see, we reason. But always, allowing faith to shed its light upon our eyes and minds. We always will need God’s spark of light that Michelangelo so aptly painted. It is not just Adam’s creation, it is also ours!

Editor: Fr. S. Chipolina: editor@uponthisrock.gi. Interim Editor Fr. Michael Bonifacio. Production Editor: A. Sargent: angela@europeaxess.com. Upon this Rock magazine is entirely supported by advertising and donations. It is run in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar by EuropeAxess Media Ltd. as a not-for-profit project. For Advertisers: This magazine is handdelivered to homes, many businesses around Gibraltar every month Covid-19 guidelines permitting. To discuss your advertising requirements, or promote your church group or charity, call Tel: +350 200 79335 email: angela@europeaxess.com. Editorial is selected by EuropeAxess Media in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar. Neither of these parties is responsible for the accuracy of the information contained herein, nor do the views and opinions expressed herein necessarily reflect the views and opinions of either party. Advertisers are not endorsed by virtue of advertising in this magazine. EuropeAxess Media Ltd. reserves the right to refuse space to any submissions or advertisements. Efforts have been made to establish copyright owners of images, but if we have used your material, and have not credited you, please contact us to discuss restoration. Cover: ‘St. Bernard at his church in Gibraltar’ © Gerard Carroll

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Rosary Anewfirst Events

RelayFeedback Thank you for making the Worldpriest Global Rosary Relay 2020 such a resounding success!

he Worldpriest Global Rosary Relay for the Sanctification of Priests 2020 saw the entire world encircled with prayer in June this year. Marion Mulhall, Founder of Worldpriest was delighted that despite the Covid 19 pandemic restrictions, the event saw all previous records broken as people joined in virtually

from all corners of the globe. The organisers wish to send a big thank you to everybody who worked so hard to make this prayer event so special for our priests, they also extend their gratitude to media partners EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) for all the global, national and local TV broadcasts and to Inside the Vatican Pilgrimages, for their collaboration with the Virtual Rosary. Worldpriest look forward to building on this enormous success by welcoming you all back for the Worldpriest Global Rosary Relay on 11 June 2021!

at the Cathedral Bishop Carmel invites Orthodox Vicar General to Celebrate Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned, the first event of its kind there.

n Sunday the 23rd of August 2020 at 13:00 Archimandrite Demetrius (Saez), Vicar General of the Holy Orthodox Metropolis of Spain and Portugal and Exarchate of the Mediterranean Sea (Ecumenical Patriarchate), will celebrate the Divine Liturgy for the Apodosis of

the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary in Gibraltar. Thanks to the generosity of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar, the venue will be the Cathedral of Saint Mary the Crowned, 215 Main Street.

please visit christiansinparliament.org The image is a screenshot

from the event just as some participants had concluded saying the Lord’s Prayer.

Christians inUKParliament The National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast, which is open to all, is an annual recognition of the contribution that Christianity makes to the life of the UK.

This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast took place online and was live streamed on Tuesday 30 June. The event was chaired by Marsha de Cordova MP and the main speaker was the Bishop of Kensington, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Graham Tomlin, who addressed the theme of ‘Hope and peace in a time

of fear and suffering’. For more information about the Christians in Parliament APPG,

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Anne Mesilio writes

Heartb e a t s “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it!” (Proverbs 4:23)

TODAY MATTERS! t is so easy, especially after months of Covid19 restrictions to slip into the role of becoming

Headlines © Lorna Roberts | Dreamstime.com

prisoners of ourselves.

We have been ‘doing time’ and now need to break out of the tunnels of our minds and escape these past weeks of frustration, tribulation and struggle. We may feel diminished but listen for the flickering spark that is our heart beat and strength trying to reassert itself. We cling to the old and comfortable traditions, mainly for security, a defence against

living in the uncertainties of this unstable world. Trying to make sense of what is happening today, and Covid lingers in wait, as ongoing wars, famines, power politics, or as simple as discovering there is no milk for breakfast, just trying to cope with the crisis of today can throw us into a blue funk. What about living in the NOW, this great cosmic movement, never ceasing, always moving forward. It is August, the month that sings of summer, dancing waves on sandy beaches, of so deep blue skies, the smell of the sea on the breezes that gently caress us, tender sunrises that end in blazing sunset colours to touch the heart. Yes, your heart, it beats about 100,000 times in one day, let some of those beats be in thanksgiving for these days of Summer. It is high holiday month. Pope Francis; “Together with a culture of work, there must be a culture of leisure as gratification. To put it another way: people who work must take the time to relax, to be with their families, to enjoy themselves, read, listen to music, play a sport.” Holidays, by now plans

would have been made and excitement growing for that all important get away couple of weeks preferably in the sun. August, that “auspicious” month, so named for Ceasar Augustus, has always been the best time for vacations. Unspoilt, idyllic, glistening sand, turquoise water… the stuff of holiday dreams makes our hearts beat faster in anticipation of getting out on the water, whether swimming, diving, kayaking, paddle boarding or sailing. Ah, we are in the mood for Summer. Stopped in our tracks by

Covid, many a heart will have faltered at the realisation that this may not be possible this year. Covid-19 related travel restrictions are in place for international tourists and those wishing to travel must pay attention to these, which is alien to our freedom of movement and choice and so easy to chafe against. Many countries and regions have imposed quarantines, entry bans, or other restrictions for citizens of or recent travellers to the most affected areas. Pope Francis told the faithful to “follow the rules, they are

FUNDING AVAILABLE

The Christian Mission Trust provides local Christians with donations for evangelistic initiatives and outreaches. The Trust is ecumenical and has provided money to many groups, individuals and churches during the last 12 years. It is run by a Board of Trustees. We invite applications for funding from anyone who wishes to launch an evangelistic initiative or who needs support for an existing Christian missionary activity.

Please write to: The Chairman, Christian Mission Trust, 4 South Pavilion Road, Gibraltar. 6 uponthisrock.gi

Eastern Beach July 2020 © A.Sargent

Freedom hearts © Blogwithoutajob.com

rules that help us to avoid the virus getting ahead” again. Yes, let your heart sing and beat in unison with the joy of being alive this August, a month like no other as it emerges from the dark days of lockdown, but, as we immerse ourselves in the waves, please remember that it is not water that spreads the virus but our proximity to others. Follow the rules for distancing, even in the water, do not swim too close to others. However, it is still August, still holiday time, and for many, a time to be grateful

that it is still possible to re adjust and learn some new life lessons. In the secret corners our hearts we are cringing with disappointment but we have choices. We can laugh, cry, look up rather than down, make today a chance to make a difference in our lives and by that maybe in someone else’s. Holidays are synonymous with air travel and this quote from Emilia Erhart (1897… disappeared 1937) is truly inspiring; “Some of us have great runways already built for us. If you have one Take

Off! But if you don’t have one, realise it is your responsibility to grab a shovel and build one for yourself and those who come after you”. How often do we circle uselessly waiting for a glimpse of a safe landing place obscured by the fog in our minds. Today, let us set our faces to the wind, embrace the challenges, the flex and tear that is living, happy in giving, in sharing intimacies, wiping guilt, free to take on new values and ideals, to share them. It does one’s heart good, that does. Ah, the heart, as far

back as the Ancient Greeks the heart has been identified with love, back to the dawn of western civilisation even. Love is a positive energy in our lives, and the heart, sensitive to all emotions is a controlling influence.

TODAY MATTERS!

Let go of the old and comfortable, crawl out of the womb of the past, stop sucking our thumbs in false comfort, reach for our strengths, in this ‘new normal’ we hear so much about, reach out, unafraid to feel life again, let our heart beats guide us, they are the rhythm and flow of ever changing life. It is August, this one month of laughter, friends, life ever flowing as we embrace each day and revel in light, air, rest and find a little bit of Summer to nestle in our hearts to treasure. After thought! If like me you are an August birthday, you are one of the special people! OK, I know, all are born equal, but hey, the best are born in August!!! Happy Summer!

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VOLUNTEERIN G makes us HAPPY A Live-in Caring Opportunity

At L’Arche Preston we’ve taken volunteering to Another Place* through 12 month placements for Assistants. L’ARCHE – THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME!

Can you help? In a world that rewards success and winning, L’Arche communities are places where people can take time to explore who they are, not just what they can do. They are places of welcome where people are transformed by the experience of community, relationship, disability and difference. Whatever your stage of life, whatever your background and experience, L’Arche has

something to offer, and so do you.

‘Quite simply, being part of L’Arche is being loved for who you are.’Archana,

L’Arche London Assistant

Due to the travel restrictions caused by Covid 19, many of our volunteers cannot travel to England. We desperately need your help. NOW.

L’Arche Preston, was founded in Preston, Lancashire, UK, in 1998 and since then we have grown our Community to welcome more people, with and without learning disabilities, to share life together. We are a Community in which all its members are given the opportunity to grow, nurture meaningful relationships, and be recognised and treated as valued members of society. L’Arche Preston has two community houses in which people with and without learning disabilities live

One of Antony Gormley’s Iron Men Sculptures from the installation entitled ‘Another Place’ at Crosby Beach, Liverpool is seen with members of L’Arche Community in the image to the left. Amy, an Assistant from Manchester, is seen with Laura.

together. In addition we have lots of friends who are closely involved with the community in many different ways and who join us in sharing and celebrating life together. One of our houses, Moor Fold, is within Moor Fold Park; a beautiful quiet green space within the city of Preston. Our second house, The Loom, is fully wheelchair accessible and has a beautiful garden to rival Moor Fold’s green space! JOIN US AS AN ASSISTANT People choose to join L’Arche as a support worker for people with learning disabilities (we say ‘assistants’) for a variety of reasons. Some are mature individuals wanting to give their lives new meaning. Some come to L’Arche to learn or develop new skills and attitudes to people with learning disabilities. Others may be professionals seeking a new context and deeper meaning within which to practice their chosen career. CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY We are ecumenical Christian communities that welcome people of all faiths and none.

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Photos from larche.org.uk If you are hoping to develop your spiritual life there will be opportunities through regular reflection, prayer, retreats and pilgrimages. Whoever you are, in return for the gifts you’ll bring, you will discover a very simple and honest joy in the relationships you build with other people, both with and without learning disabilities. L’Arche is unique, with faith and inclusive community values at our heart. We are a high-quality care and support provider, regulated by the Care Quality Commission in England & Wales and the Care Inspectorate in Scotland. Excellence in care and a commitment to living in community are essential. Amy – An Assistant’s story Amy spent a year as a livein assistant in the L’Arche Manchester Community. “I came to L’Arche because I wanted to experience a different and deeper way of being with people in the world. I was grateful that through previous experiences I had lived a life where encounter with marginalised people was at the heart of what I did, but I sensed

that L’Arche would take me deeper into what it means to be with people. We live in a society in which accomplishment and status are rewarded, vulnerability is rejected, and the value of being in relationship with, and to, one another is diminished. Living, and sharing a home, with people with learning disabilities changes the way that you see and experience the world. It confounds so much of what you thought you knew because suddenly you are living life alongside people who experience the world in a different way. Living life with Laura, I have experienced the world through her lens. Although she has limited speech, Laura can express herself richly and connects deeply with people. Laura has taught me to understand and experience communication in entirely new ways. She taught me about joy and wholeheartedness. We share a similar sense of humour and my days with Laura were often characterised by our bouts of laughter, and conversations that

were sung and signed. Laura is quick to forgive and equally quick to say sorry when she feels she has wronged a person. Witnessing this compels me to be more like her. Knowing Laura has enriched my life. Living L’Arche is like holding a mirror up to yourself and seeing the very best and sometimes the very worst of yourself reflected back. To embrace L’Arche is to accept and love vulnerability and fragility – in yourself and others – and to live the joyfulness that life offers us.” ROLE DESCRIPTION FOR A TEMPORARY CHARITY WORKER (known as ‘Live-In Assistant’)

Identity Statement We are people with and without learning disabilities, sharing life in communities belonging to an International Federation. Mutual relationships and trust in God are at the heart of our

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journey together. We celebrate the unique value of every person and recognise our need of one another. Mission Statement To make known the gifts of people with learning disabilities, revealed through mutually transforming relationships. To foster an environment in community that responds to the changing needs of our members whilst being faithful to the core values of our founding story. To engage in our diverse cultures, working together towards a more human society. Place: L’Arche Preston Community House Working hours: A live-in assistant in the Community supports the Community up to 48 hours flexibly across the week, including evenings and weekends. Duration: The maximum time that it is possible to be a Temporary Charity Worker is one year.

For more information visit https://www.larche.org.uk/ residential-assistants

Surgeon’s Hand image © Sherry Young | Dreamstime.com

G OR AN

DONATION Part Two: Fromthe Dead to the Living

Some of you may remember the 1998 scandal involving the unauthorized retention of hundreds of organs taken from children at post-mortems in the Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool.

he extreme reactions shown by the children’s parents and relatives surprised many and delayed the lobby for the introduction of assumed consent legislation for organ donorship.

The psychological trauma experienced by families was obvious, and the long-term effects were studied at length. Sadly, it is obvious that the newly introduced legislation in Gibraltar and the UK might well permit these experiences to be repeated by families again and again. So, having discussed assumed consent for the post-mortem donation of our vital organs, let us take a look now at the issues that surround the act of donation itself. The Homiletic and Pastoral Review of April 1999 stated that: “if the separation of the body and life cannot be verified, or if there is doubt about the separation of the body and life, organ excision is morally

10 uponthisrock.gi

prohibited and should not be allowed”1 This you may think is rather obvious – none of us would wish our vital organs to be removed prior to our death, thereby causing our death! Unfortunately, issues do exist concerning the diagnosis of the moment of death. In this case, in the diagnosis of “Brain Death”. The Vatican accepts that the “Definition of the Death of the Whole Brain,” accepted in the majority of countries in the world, is perfectly valid.

This states that death has occurred once there is an “irreversible cessation of all cerebral activity”.2 However, a considerable body of medical practitioners, researchers, and bioethicists exist who have doubts about the use of this definition. Why? Well, for two main reasons: doubts regarding the diagnostic medical criteria used to demonstrate that Brain Death has occurred; and concerns as to whether or not medical science can diagnose irreversibility with any certitude. Medical Science is always in motion, and what was accepted as true in the past is often disproved in the present. How then can society be sure that the medical profession is correct in its diagnosis of brain death? Key to this problem is the connection between Brain Death and Vital Organ Donation. It is essential that any donor organs are in the best condition possible when taken, as this gives the recipient the best chance of recovery. However, if the doctors wait for the traditional signs that death has occurred, such as the onset of rigor mortis, the pooling of blood in the body, the absence of a pulse, fixed eyes, etc., the vital organs will no longer be suitable for donation. So the Medical Profession set out to discover a way to diagnose death before these signs appear, as soon after the moment of death as possible. They looked for a way to do

Rev. Dr. Bernard Farrell-Roberts helps us understand difficult questions this while the dead body was still connected to life support machinery that could maintain the aerated blood flow to the organs, and thus ensure that the vital organs remained in the best possible condition for donation. Eventually they arrived at the “Definition of Brain Death” in the 1960s, a definition that made the desired early diagnosis possible. Unfortunately, the difficulty of medically diagnosing with absolute certainty the irreversibility of death, or that death had already occurred, has haunted this definition ever since. It was these issues that led such individuals as Prof. David Jones, Professor of Bioethics at St. Mary’s College, London, to conclude that he could not accept that brain death could be assumed for any cadaver with a beating-heart, and he challenged the ethical acceptability of the use of any such cadaver for donor purposes.3 The late Dr. Phillip Keep, former consultant anaesthetist at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, risked his career by publicly saying that: “Almost

everyone will say they have felt uneasy about it”. (“It” refers here to the taking of vital donor organs from those diagnosed as “Brain Dead”).4 Dr. David W. Evans, cardiologist, formerly of the Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire, is one of a number of medical professionals who had serious doubts as to whether all organ donors diagnosed as “brain dead” were actually brain dead at all. He was convinced that “brain death” was an invention of those promoting organ transplantation, and stated as much in a letter to the British Medical Journal that the: “explicit recognition that ‘brain death’ is a recent invention for transplant purposes is most welcome and should do much to expose the fallacies and fudgings associated with this supposed new form of death, which have been hidden from public and professional view for far too long.”5 The difficulty in ascertaining whether a potential organ donor is dead was exemplified in a University of Bonn Medical Centre study where 2 of 113

who were initially diagnosed as being mortally brain-damaged defied the fatal prognosis and made recoveries. The study involved neurosurgical patients mostly suffering brain trauma injury, and intracranial haemorrhage. The decisions to terminate further treatment were made after stringent and extensive brain activity testing had been carried out. Yet, despite this, two such “end of life” diagnoses were subsequently reversed, and the patients made unexpected recoveries. The above accounts and many others of misdiagnosis serve to demonstrate just how difficult it is to diagnose that death has actually occurred in individuals diagnosed as Brain Dead. The fault does not lie with the definition, but with the accurate diagnosis according to the published criteria that in reality are incapable of demonstrating irreversibility. Nevertheless, it would be a tragedy if the uncertainties I have highlighted above were to prevent anyone from receiving a much-needed vital organ,

or to give to others one of the greatest gifts that any of us can give to anyone: our organs, and the possibility of a longer life. Instead, let us support the medical scientists and engineers who are working so brilliantly to find ways to produce vital body parts via the use of adult stem cells; and those who are striving to find improved ways to diagnose death soon after this occurs. In part three of this trilogy on Vital Organ Donation I shall be looking at how the Catholic Church views the issue of whether or not death has occurred before vital organs are removed for donation, and then in part four I shall reveal some of the amazing ways that medical science is beginning to reduce the requirement for vital organ donor organs. 1. Byrne et al. The Homiletic and Pastoral Review, Ignatius Press, Apr 1999 pp.62-66. 2. Byrne Paul, 1998, Ethics of Organ Transplantation, Human Life International, Reports. 3. Jones, D. 2007, pers. comm., 19 Feb 4. Keep Phillip, 2000, UK physicians urge potential organ donors to be anesthetized even after certified brain dead, Transplant News, October 2000 5. Evans David, 2002, Brain death is a recent invention, BMJ 2002;325:598, London

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EU: Mozambique indanger of becomingnew centre of jihadist extremism

he debate, which took place yesterday (Monday 6th July), followed the EU Committee on Foreign Affairs receiving fresh information about Islamist group Al Sunnah wa Jama’ah’s occupation of the port town of Mocímboa da Praia, in Cabo Delgado province. The committee called on the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to help the government of Mozambique to respond to the crisis. Erminia Notarangelo, EEAS head of the Southern Africa and Indian Ocean division, told the committee: “Africa cannot afford to allow itself yet another region under terrorist rule.” Ms Notarangelo said more than 500,000 people had

been affected by the jihadists’ actions. Paulo Rangel, Portuguese MEP and vice president of the EPP (European People’s Party parliamentary group) told the committee: “This situation is extremely worrying. “At the moment there are more than 200,000 refugees and there might be more than 1,000 deaths… I am really very worried.” He stressed that the gas deposits off the coast of Mocímboa da Praia were bigger than those in Qatar: “There is enormous interest in the natural gas reserves.” Speaking to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) following the meeting, Mr Rangel said the Affairs Committee’s discussion had been “a first step towards the European Union once again putting Mozambique at the centre of its humanitarian

concerns”. Mr Rangel underlined the lack of up-to-date information about the situation in northern Mozambique. He said: “I was fortunate enough to obtain all this information via the foundation ACN International, which is in contact with the local Catholic Church”. ACN’s dossier included photographs showing the destruction of buildings

including the town’s Catholic church, Januário Pedro secondary school and the district hospital. Mr Rangel added that he would ask Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, for “an immediate meeting”. Image above: The Catholic Church in Mocímboa da Praia was attacked by armed extremists on 27th & 28th June 2020 (©ACN)

The world is largely silent in the face of Christian persecution. The scale of the problem is so great, silence is no longer acceptable. Persecuted Christians need YOU - and all of us! Together our prayers and actions can make a difference. You can PLEDGE YOUR SOLIDARITY by: • Praying ACN’s Prayer found in leaflets in your local Church, or your own prayers for Persecuted Christians in danger. • Sharing this article and Christian Persecution facts with others so that all understand the need.

Set up a monthly gift:

Bishop Carmel Zammit Lenten Appeal for‘Aid to the Church in Need’, Gibraltar International Bank, Account Name: ‘Trustees RCC/CAN’ Account Number: 00812022, Sort Code: 60-83-14.

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ALARMED by jihadist attacks in northern Mozambique, the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs has called for decisive action to stop the country becoming a hub of Islamist terrorism.

Maria Lozano, John Newton and Fionn Shiner

describe how Bishop Carmel Zammit’s Lenten appeal funds are badly needed to help rebuild Church communities affected by violence.

Farewell tothe

Fearless Good Samaratin A

PRIEST, who is retiring from a leading Catholic charity after 14 years risking his life to bring aid to the Church in need, has been named a modern-day Good Samaritan by Iraq’s most senior Christian leader. Mgr. Andrzej Halemba served as Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) projects coordinator for Asia-Africa, covering hot spots including Syria, Iraq and Eritrea – countries across the Middle East and parts of South Asia. Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Cardinal Raphael I Sako of Baghdad honoured the 65-year-old Pole with the title Chorbishop, equivalent to monsignor in the Western (Latin) Church. Describing the monsignor as “the Good Samaritan of today”, Patriarch Sako said Mgr. Halemba “was always present with us, building housing caravans for the displaced, polyclinics and schools and everything.” Dr. Thomas Heine-Geldern, Executive President of ACN (International), said that he “has repeatedly put his life on the line, going to places of acute danger in the service of the suffering Church. “His faith, his courage, his organisational ability, his good humour, his language skills

and his professionalism – these qualities and many more he has harnessed for the good of persecuted faithful. When they needed somebody for them, he came to their aid.” Mgr. Halemba’s ministry had been largely confined to Europe and Africa until 2010 when ACN appointed him to lead the charity’s project outreach to the Middle East at a time of unprecedented upheaval in the run-up to the Arab Spring. Travelling repeatedly into Syria and Iraq during the height of the Daesh (ISIS) invasion, the monsignor significantly up-scaled the charity’s work, providing emergency relief as well as pastoral aid for hundreds of thousands of people, especially Christians. His task was to enable persecuted Christians to find refuge and in due course enable – where possible – their return home once occupying Islamist forces had been forced into retreat. The monsignor’s aid programmes are credited with slowing the exodus of faithful, in a region where Christianity has been threatened with extinction. Mgr. Halemba worked to bring closer cooperation between the many different Catholic and Orthodox Church communities and was frequently commended for his

emphasis on ecumenism. ACN (UK) Head of Press and Information John Pontifex, who travelled with him extensively in the Middle East and Pakistan, said: “In every respect, Mgr. Halemba has made a huge impact – his capacity for work is matched only by his unfailing compassion for those he serves.” Mgr. Halemba, who stressed that he was always inspired by Fr. Werenfried van Straaten, the founder of ACN, said: “What always needs to be stressed is the spiritual character of ACN as we can never become a secular, humanitarian agency. “Instead, we are a Catholic charity, helping people to live the life of Christ – we enable people to respond to the needs and suffering of humanity and above all we are there to dress

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the wounds of the bleeding Church and dry the tears of the God who weeps.” Last year, the President of Poland awarded the Polish priest with the golden cross of merit. For his work helping refugee Christians fleeing from Syria to Lebanon, in 2015 Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop Issam John Darwish of Zahle and Furzol in eastern Lebanon, named Mgr. Halemba an Archimandrite, an honorific title. In his first four years with ACN, starting in 2006, Mgr. Halemba was projects coordinator for English and Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa, drawing on more than 12 years as a missionary in Zambia. Above: Andrzej Halemba © Aid to the Church in Need

NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CABEZA

The Church of

The History of Gibraltar’s Churches serialised by Manolo Galliano

Today we start a new series of articles especially edited for Upon This Rock readers, dedicated to the history of Gibraltar’s many churches and chapels – not only those which are in existence in the present day, but also the very many religious establishments which were once the centre of daily life on the Rock since the early 14th century.

The information is extracted from the following series of books, written by the author of these articles and published by the Gibraltar Heritage Trust - ‘Under the Shadow of the Crescent and the Cross’, ‘The Franciscan Monastery of Gibraltar’, ‘Of Monks and Nuns’ and ‘Mirrors of Sanctity’. The photographs and illustrations in these articles are by Victor M. Hermida L.R.P.S. These books are available at the Gibraltar Heritage Trust Shop.

Part One

he Church of Nuestra Señora de La Cabeza, situated within the Moorish Castle precincts, was the very first of Gibraltar’s Christian places of worship, having originally started off as an Islamic place of worship. In 1160, with a new city ordered to be constructed by the Almohad ruler, AbuMuhammad Abd-al Mu’min ibn’ Ali, a small mosque was built in what came to be known as the Medinat al-Fath [City of Victory]. The place chosen was the raised meseta on the north escarpment of the Rock and the works were carried out by the architect Ahmad Ibn Baso and the engineer Al-Haŷŷ Yi’īs. The latter had been responsible for re-constructing the Roman aqueduct in Seville and the underground cistern at Europa Point, popularly known as the Nun’s Well. For the next century and a half, the mosque became the city’s main place of worship for the followers of Islam, although the Governor of the Castle had his own private prayer chamber within the Calahorra [Tower of Homage]. However, on 12th September 1309, following a short siege by Christian forces commanded by Alonso Pérez de Guzmán and the Catalan naval commander Jaspert de Castellnou, the fortress of Gibraltar capitulated. A few days later, on 14th September, King Fernando IV of Castile arrived on the Rock, accompanied by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Seville, Don Fernando

Upon This Rock is online