r5,50 (incl Vat rSa)May 18 to May 24, 2011 www.scross.co.zareg No. 1920/002058/06 No 4726

Parish of theMonth from the north

Page 10

Jewellery design as a sacred vocation

Page 2

Priest on the hazards of a

Catholic weddingPage 9

StaFF rEPortEr

THE deputy foreign minister of theUnited States headed a delegationthat visited Nazareth House in Johan-

nesburg.Deputy secretary of state Tom Nides vis-

ited the home with representatives of thePretoria-based Centre for Disease Control(CDC).They were welcomed by Dominican Sis-

ter Alison Munro and Theresa Bossert ofthe bishops’ conference’s Aids Office, DrRuth Stark of Catholic Relief Services, andSr Sylvia Simpwalo and her staff andpatients at Nazareth House.Mr Nides is the head of the President’s

Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR),the US government-funded programmethat has provided support to initiativesaddressing HIV and Aids worldwide, andparticularly in sub-Saharan Africa for thepast seven years. PEPFAR’s website describes the funding

initiative as “the largest by any nation tocombat a single disease internationally”.Funding for Catholic Church sites in

South Africa was initially received throughCatholic Relief Services.A second delegation including represen-

tatives of the US Department of Health andHuman Services, US Agency for Interna-tional Development, the US National Insti-tutes of Health, US Congress, the WhiteHouse and the US Department of Defencevisited Nazareth House a day later. Theywere among 400 international delegates ata PEPFAR conference in Sandton, Johan-nesburg.

The anti-retroviral treatment site atNazareth House in Johannesburg, one of14 treatment sites currently receiving PEP-FAR funding through the bishops’ AidsOffice, has about 1 820 patients on treat-ment, and 3 230 in care and not yet ontreatment, said Sr Munro. In March 1500patients were also screened for TB. The Nazareth House site serves a huge

migrant population, with patients comingfrom many countries, including Zimbabwe,Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, the Democ-ratic Republic of Congo, and Cameroon.Both delegations also visited the chil-

dren’s home where most of the childrenare on ARV treatment.“PEPFAR funding in South Africa is cur-

rently being received by local SouthAfrican non-governmental and faith-basedorganisations, which is different from thepast when American-based organisationsreceived grants to work with local SouthAfrican organisations,” Sr Munro said.“Further transitions and changes are

expected in the future. PEPFAR funding tonon-governmental and faith-based organi-sations is to decrease, and PEPFAR fundingwill help build the capacity of staff and therequired infrastructure at South Africanpublic health facilities,” she said. “The SACBC Aids Office is actively

engaging with PEPFAR/CDC and the SouthAfrican Department of Health in differentprovinces to ensure that patients are trans-ferred to provincial facilities, or that theDepartment of Health provides the neces-sary drugs and laboratory services toChurch sites,” Sr Munro said.

By Carol Glatz

NATIONS and individuals have a dutyto reduce greenhouse gas emissionsand enact policies that mitigate glob-

al warming, according to a Vatican-spon-sored working group of experts.“The business-as-usual mode will not be

possible because of both resource depletionand environmental damages,” the groupsaid in a report released by the PontificalAcademy of Sciences.The cost of reducing greenhouse gas

emissions, increasing reforestation, cuttingair pollutants and helping poor regionsadapt to climate change “pales in compari-son to the price the world will pay if we failto act now”, it said.“We call on all people and nations to

recognise the serious and potentially irre-versible impacts of global warming causedby the anthropogenic emissions of green-house gases and other pollutants, and bychanges in forests, wetlands, grasslands, andother land uses,” it said.The 15-page report on the impact human

beings have on the environment was titled“Fate of Mountain Glaciers in the Anthro-pocene”. It was compiled and signed by 23internationally renowned scientists, moun-taineers, and lawyers. The academy’s chan-cellor, Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, wasalso a signatory of the working group report.The academy selected participants for the

April workshop at the Vatican to discuss thephenomena of melting mountain glaciersand to draw up recommendations inresponse to the risks and threats of climatechange.

Vatican spokesman Fr Federico LombardiSJ said in a written statement that while

the report reflects the findings of the authorsand is not “an act of the magisterium of theChurch”, it is still “a significant scientificcontribution to be valued in the context ofthe concerns about environmental problemsoften shown in recent magisterial docu-ments and in the words of the Holy Father”.Pope Benedict has been very vocal about

his concern for environmental degradationand has criticised a lack of real commitmentto mitigating climate change.Fr Lombardi said the group of glaciolo-

gists, climatologists, meteorologists, hydrol-ogists, physicists, chemists and others repre-

sented “an extremely qualified workinggroup” that issued “an important state-ment”.The report summarised recent findings of

the effects climate change has and will haveon world populations. It said diminished airquality due to particulates, soot and gases“result in more than 2 million prematuredeaths worldwide every year and threatenwater and food security”.Melting glaciers put drinking water secu-

rity at risk and climate disruptions threatenthose living in coastal and storm-proneareas.“The concentration of carbon dioxide in

the air now exceeds the highest levels of thelast 800 000 years,” the report said, addingthat the gases and pollutants pumped intothe atmosphere are to a large extent “man-made”.

The idea that human activity could sodrastically alter current and future cli-

mate conditions has required the assigningof a new name to the current geologicalperiod: anthropocene. The term was coinedby Nobel Prize-winning atmosphericchemist Paul Crutzen, who was one of theworking group’s co-chairs.The working group made the following

recommendations:l Immediately reduce carbon dioxide

emissions worldwide by employing renew-able energy sources, halting deforestation,increasing reforestation and deploying tech-nologies that “draw down excess carbondioxide in the atmosphere”.

l Cut heat-absorbing pollutants likesoot, methane and hydrofluorocarbons by50%.

l Help countries assess and adapt to theenvironmental and social impacts climatechange will bring.“The group’s consensus statement is a

warning to humanity and a call for fastaction—to mitigate global and regionalwarming, to protect mountain glaciers andother vulnerable ecosystems, to assessnational and local climate risks, and to pre-pare to adapt to those climate impacts thatcannot be mitigated,” the report said.The working group also said another

major threat that humanity poses to theworld’s climate is “the threat of nuclear war,which can be lessened by rapid and largereductions in global nuclear arsenals”.—CNS

Children from Nazareth House in Johannesburg with gifts from US visitors. two delegations ofhigh-powered officials from the United States, including the deputy secretary of state, visited thehome, which also serves as an anti-retroviral treatment site. (Photo courtesy of SaCBC aidsDesk)

High-powered US delegatesin SA to discuss Aids funding

Vatican plan to save the earth

By Carol Glatz

UNDER the patronage of the PontificalCouncil for Culture, a Rome film fes-tival features historic and modern

films that highlight Jesus, the priesthoodand Pope Pius XII.The May 12-21 International Catholic

Film Festival also will award a new prize—The Silver Fish—for best film, best documen-tary, best short film, best actor/actress andbest director chosen from a total of 746 filmsthat “promote universal moral values” andpositive role models, festival organisers said.Liana Marabini, an Italian director, pro-

ducer and president of the film festival, toldreporters she wanted to focus on the priest-hood because priests are often “overlooked”or portrayed in a negative light in films.Italian Biblicist and composer, Mgr

Marco Frisina, said art is a valuable way tocommunicate important values because “itcan open the heart even in people whodon’t believe” in God.With music, films and other art forms,

“people are naturally predisposed to listen”to the creator’s message, he said.Best film, best director and best actor or

actress will be chosen on May 19 from threefinalists: Duns Scoto, an Italian movie aboutBl John Duns Scotus, by Fernando Muraca;God’s Mighty Servant, a German film aboutPope Pius XII’s adviser and helper, Sr Pas-calina, by Markus Rosenmüller; and Marceli-no Pan y Vino, José Luis Gutiérrez’ Mexicanremake of the religious classic.The best documentary was to be chosen

from Nine Days That Changed The World,about Bl Pope John Paul II’s 1979 visit toPoland; Teresa di Gesu Bambino, an Italiandocumentary about St Thérèse of Lisieux;and La Última Cima (The Last Summit), afilm about the life and death of a Spanishmountain climber and priest.Films on the festival’s programme

include The Miracle Maker (2000), Christus(1916), Of Gods and Men (2010) and AlfredHitchcock’s 1953 drama I Confess, starringMontgomery Clift as a Catholic priest.—CNS

Vatican to give silver fish to films

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SPRINGFIELD CONVENT JUNIOR

SCHOOL

applicants are invited for the following post

FOUNDATION PHASE CLASS TEACHER

To commence 1 January 2012

the successful applicant will:

Be a fully qualified, enthusiastic teacher;

Understand, identify with and contribute to the Catholic ethos and values of the

school;

Demonstrate proven leadership and interpersonal skills;

Be willing and able to teach the Catholic religious education syllabus;

Be able to teach all subjects in Foundation Phase;

Be registered with SaCE;

Be willing to become fully involved in the school's curricular and co-curricular

programme.

apply in writing, giving details of qualifications, experience and the names of three

contactable referees, including your Parish priest or Minister, to:

the Principal

Springfield Convent Junior School

St John’s road

Wynberg

7800

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 15 June 2011

The school reserves the right not to proceed with the filling of this post. An application will not in itself

entitle the applicant to an interview or appointment, and failure to meet the

minimum requirements of the advertised post will result in applicants automatically disqualifying them-

selves from consideration.

No faxed applications accepted.

Candidates not contacted shall consider their application unsuccessful.

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By ClaIrE MatHIESoN

THE archdiocese of Johannes-burg is encouraging its youngadults to get involved in Per-

sonality and Human Relations(PRH)—an international pro-gramme for the emotional andspiritual development of adults .Founded in 1970 by French

Jesuit Father André Rochais, theprogramme encourages partici-pants to explore and research the

developmental processes in thehuman person and find answers tothe question: who am I?The international movement is

new in South Africa with only sixpeople qualified to give courses inthe country. According to MagdaCuyvers-Uyttersprot, president ofPRH-International, the movementcan now be found in 40 countriesand has gained popularity becausethe course allows people to devel-op their “own personality, their

relational life and their commit-ments in society, while remainingfaithful to themselves”.A course lasts five days and can

be spread out over weekends orweekdays. Course leaders are spe-cially trained to help people workon their own growth and healingthrough a course that is based onthe dynamic and positive vision ofthe person. The archdiocese ofJohannesburg has reported thatgroups have continued to work

together even after the completionof the course. PRH has received a positive

response from participants. ThaboKennedy Mlotshwa said after com-pleting the course it has helpedhim deal with past hurts and “torelate to others better”. Maseeiso Pelesa said the work-

shops “helped me to know ‘Who Iam’, accept myself with all myweaknesses, my strengths and myunforgiving of the past painful

hurts. It is a process that helpedme to realise and appreciate myselfas an important gift to this worldregardless of the hardships Iendured in the past”. The movement is gaining popu-

larity in the country and is expect-ed to launch in other diocesessoon. n For more information about PRH contact Fr Richard BroderickMSC on 012 341 4728 ordbroderick@mweb.co.za

PRH course helps adults discover who they are

By ClaIrE MatHIESoN

AJesuit priest has said thedeath of al-Qaeda leaderOsama Bin Laden in Pakistan

at the hands of United States Spe-cial Forces raises many questionsto which there “are no morallyeasy answers”.The legitimacy of the secret

operation has a foundation, saidJesuit Father Anthony Egan SJ onhis blog on the website of the Jesuit Institute South Africa(www.jesuitinstitue.co.za). Had American forces dealt with

the Pakistani government, it islikely al-Qaeda sympathisers within the government mighthave compromised the operation. Furthermore, Fr Egan said the

raid was appropriately carried out.However, Fr Egan said, the big

argument concerned the killing ofBin Laden. Some have argued that

he should have been put on trial atan international court. “My contention is that keeping

bin Laden in prison [pre-trial andthen after sentencing] invites therisk of al-Qaeda hostage-takingoperations to get him released.Killing him seems to be the lesserevil,” said Fr Egan. “But it seems he was unarmed.

Surely it was wrong to kill him?”Fr Egan goes on to say in his blog. “Here some insight into other

anti-terrorist operations may clari-fy matters; if there is any attemptby a suspected terrorist to resist,the standard procedure is ‘shoot tokill’, for fear that the suspect mayhave a hidden weapon. This hashappened in the past in hostagerescue situations. It is a reality ofwhich police and military SpecialForces are all too aware.”Fr Egan said that in the short

term one can expect hard-line

Islamist protests, even possiblerevenge attacks. “But the astute Middle East

journalist Robert Fisk might beproved right when he says that binLaden and al-Qaeda have largelybecome irrelevant. Fisk points outthat while bin Laden envisioned anew united Muslim caliphate [reli-gious monarchy] purged of West-ern influences; the current trendin the Muslim world is towardsdemocracy.”Fr Egan said the uprisings in the

Middle East against “corrupt pro-Western regimes” have been infavour of democracy, and a moveis being seen towards democraticstates with moderate Muslim val-ues. Fr Egan added that, “If Fisk is

right, and I hope he is, Bin Laden’svision was ‘dead’—even before hewas shot.”

Questions around the death of BinLaden has no ‘easy answers’

Fr Mbongiseni Shabangu was ordained by Bishop Xolelo thaddeusKhumalo (left) of the Eshowe diocese as the first zulu Salesian priest. Fr Shabangu hails from Paulpietersburg in Kwazulu-Natal. In 2010 he finished his theological studies at tangaza College in Nairobi, Kenya.Bishop Khumalo and Fr Shabangu are photographed with Fr FrancoisDufour, Salesian Provincial for Southern africa. (Submitted by ClarenceWatts)

LOCAL the Southern Cross, May 18 to May 24, 2011 3

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Fr Urs Fischer 031 700 2890

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Cellphones:

083 9633848 Fr Urs Fischer

083 5441504 Bro Crispin

082 7307180 Mrs N Qupa

Personally guided retreats may be arranged at any time throughout the year to suit individual need.

PO Box 11095, Mariannhill 3624

La Salle College is a Catholic Independent Day School for girls and boys

from Grade R to Grade 12 and committed to the ideas of a Gospel inspired

education in the traditions of the De La Salle

Congregation.

APPLICATIONS ARE INVITED FOR THE POST OF

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (HOD)

TERM 1 2012

the incumbent will be expected to have:

• the requisite academic and professional qualifications and SaCE

registration.

• a strong personal commitment to the objectives and ethos of

Catholic education

• experience in a Catholic educational environment

• a successful teaching record and involvement in extramural

activities

• a good understanding of current educational practice

the incumbent will be expected to:

• be a practising Catholic

• co-ordinate the religious Education programme of the College

• teach religious Education from Grade 7 to 12

• teach another subject in accordance with qualifications in the High

School section of the College

• participate in extramural activities

applications should be addressed to the Principal and should include

certified copies of all relevant certificates as well as a motivation and names of

two contactable references, which should include one from a Catholic priest.

applications should reach the College on or before the 10 June 2011,

delivered by hand to the College or emailed to principal@lasalle.co.za.

the College reserves the right not to proceed with filling the post. an

application will not in itself entitle the applicant to an interview or appointment

and failure to meet the requirements of the post will result in the applicants

automatically disqualifying themselves for consideration.

Candidates not contacted before 17 June 2011 should consider their applica-

tion unsuccessful.

LA SALLE COLLEGE DISCOVERY

ANEW book celebrating thepioneers of Catholichealth care in Southern

Africa will be launched in Johan-nesburg on May 24.The book, titled In the Service

of Healing, is being published byCatholic Health Care (Cathca). The idea was conceived in

2008 when Cathca celebrated its20th anniversary. The book,from which The Southern Crosspublishedan excerptlast week,is a compi-lation ofs t o r i e s ,a r t i c l e s ,a r c h i v a lm a t e r i a lC a t h c ar e c e i v e dfrom ther e l i g i ou scongrega-tions. It isa historical account of thehealth care work of the CatholicChurch in South Africa thatcombines old pictures, recordsand personal stories. The book will be launched on

24 May at 15:30 at RosebankParish Centre in Keyes Avenue,Johannesburg. Guest speakerswill include Archbishop WilliamSlattery of Pretoria. nTo attend please contact LoekGoemans on 011 880 4022 oremail admin@cathca.co.za

By ClaIrE MatHIESoN

SEMINARY formator Fr ChrisChatteris SJ said in a recentfeature article that finding

one’s vocation in life, “whatever itmay be, is cause for celebration”.This was true for Adam Bremner,who after six years of discernmentwith the Redemptorists decided toleave his studies towards thepriesthood to follow his true pas-sion: jewellery design. The Durban-born designer said

after eight years as a jewellerydesigner, lecturer and jeweller, hewas attracted to the charism of theRedeptorists. “I studied for threeyears towards a diploma in jew-ellery manufacturing and designand then worked towards gainingmy trade papers,” said Mr Bremn-er. He was then invited to lectureon jewellery design. “I think it wasthis experience that opened a newarea of life. Lecturing sparked thepossibility of the priesthood.” After working for commercial

jewellers, Mr Bremner said the cut-throat business kept his spiritdown and he was looking forsomething else. He was acceptedto join the Redemptorists for ayear of postulancy which hedescribed as a “come and see”opportunity. “I then spent a yearin intense prayer in the novitiateafter which I took temporaryvows,” he said. For three years MrBremner lived as a Redemptoristbrother. But during Mr Bremner’s studies

in philosophy, as part of his train-ing towards the priesthood, he

started questioning things.“Preaching required extra effort,but creativity came easily!” He shared his thoughts with his

community and was sent to thecongregation’s monastery inBergvliet, Cape Town. “I was sent to spend time with

Br Richard Maidwell. It was like atwo year apprenticeship in iconwriting and an internal strugglewith discernment,” Mr Bremnersaid. “It was a time of beauty at the

monastery. I was in a good spaceand was able to come to a decisionto leave positively. I owe a lot tothe Redemptorists for the total

acceptance and support they gaveme —even when I said I was leav-ing.” Mr Bremner left the order and

within two years has set up a busi-ness that designs and manufac-tures sacred jewellery. He said he was faced with a big

question: “How do I, as a child ofGod, gifted with creative talents,contribute to our experience andupliftment of the beautiful and thesacred; how do I become a co-cre-ator of beauty with God for theGlory of God?” After ponderingthis and prayerfully searching, MrBremner decided, after nearly sixyears of formation, not to renew

his temporary vows as a Redemp-torist but to continue his vocation-al discernment with God as asacred artist. “I avoid using unnatural sub-

stances. I try staying away fromplastic and man-made substances.I consider myself a co-creator ofbeauty with God for the glory ofGod.” Mr Bremner said he was dis-

turbed by many Catholic reposito-ries stocking sacred jewellery frommass producers in countries suchas China. He said what makes hisjewellery different is that, due tohis past, he understands Catholicethos and the importance ofsacred jewellery. His work, he says,is his prayer. “I think people can appreciate

getting jewellery from an authen-tic source,” Mr Bremner said,pointing out that commercial jew-ellers are motivated by profits.“Something like an engagementring is sacred. People forget this!”Mr Bremner said all of his workhad a sacred intention. Today, Mr Bremner works from

a small studio in Cape Town, pro-ducing natural material sacred jew-ellery in “an atmosphere ofprayer”, using gold, silver, dia-monds, precious and semi-preciousstones in unique and custom madedesigns. He said he feels it is his true

vocation to glorify God in thebeauty of his designs and to offerthe public jewellery that hasmeaning and prayerful intention. n For more information visitwww.abjewellery.co.za

Jewellery design – one man’s vocation

a former redemptorist brother, adam Bremner left the formation to becomea designer of sacred jewellery.

CATHCAbook launch

ABOUT 340 000 young peoplefrom more than 170 countrieshave signed up to participate in

the World Youth Day (WYD) eventsin Madrid in August, theCatholic News Agency hasreported.The August 16-21 WYD will

include lectures, meetings, cat-echetics and cultural events,culminating with a vigil andMass with Pope Benedict.The head of WYD 2011,

Yago de la Cierva, said theplanning phase ended in Janu-ary 2011. Since then, organis-ers have been working with the Vati-can and Madrid city officials onimplementing the plans. A large contingent of full and part-

time volunteers has been assembled tomanage logistics.The culture and faith of Spain will

be front and centre of the event, de laCierva said. “Everything ought to berooted in the 20 centuries of Catholictradition in this country.”

The WYD will begin on August 16with an opening Mass.The traditional catechetical ses-

sions will take place on August 17 and18 at more than 200 parishes through-

out Madrid, led by bishopsfrom around the world.On August 18, Pope Bene-

dict will be welcomed atCibeles Square.The next day the Way of

the Cross will be prayed andthe weekend will be spent atthe Cuatro Vientos airfield. Avigil will take place there onSaturday night and the closingMass will be celebrated on Sun-

day morning.Pope Benedict is also scheduled

meet with university professors,women religious, seminarians, volun-teers, those with disabilities and thesick.World Youth Day cultural activities

will fill the streets of the Spanish capi-tal, with more than 300 different sitesavailable for young people, the CNAreport said.

INTERNATIONAL4 the Southern Cross, May 18 to May 24, 2011

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VISITING Venice, the cityof gondolas and canals,Pope Benedict said Chris-

tians must make sure their livesas individuals and communitiesreflect the life-giving qualities ofwater and not the chaos anddestruction it can bring.“Water is an ambivalent sym-

bol: of life, but also death; thepopulations struck by floodingand tsunamis know this,” thepope said at the end of a two-day visit to Aquileia and Venicein northern Italy.Seated in a white gondola

amid a colourful flotilla of allkinds of boats, Pope Benedictrode to a meeting with Venetiancultural, artistic, political andeconomic leaders.He said Venetians know how

fascinating water has made theircity and, yet, how many diffi-culties it causes, particularly forthe health and stability of thecity.Residents, he said, can

choose to reflect either thebeautiful or the problematicqualities of water in their rela-tionships with others and in theway they organise their lifetogether. Either they are “fluid”to the extent of being adrift anddestructive, or they hold firm totheir Christian heritage andbecome a source of life for all.Celebrating Mass for an esti-

mated 300 000 people in a parkin nearby Mestre that morning,Pope Benedict preached aboutthe Gospel story of the disciplesmeeting the risen Jesus on theroad of Emmaus. The story, hesaid, is about “conversion fromdesperation to hope, conversionfrom sadness to joy and, also,conversion to community life”.“Sometimes when one speaks

of conversion, people think

only about the hard work,detachment and renunciation itinvolves. But Christian conver-sion is most of all a source ofjoy, hope and love,” as seen inthe Gospel story when the disci-ples discover that Jesus trulyrose from the dead and theyreturn to Jerusalem to share thegood news with the other disci-ples.Too many Christians today

tend to live like the disciplesgoing toward Emmaus: Theyonce knew Jesus or heard abouthim, but now they are“immersed in doubt, sadnessand disappointment”, the popesaid.“The problem of evil, of pain

and suffering, the problem ofinjustice and oppression, thefear of others, of foreigners andof those from far away whoreach our lands and seem to

threaten who we are, can leadChristians today to say: We hadhoped that the Lord would freeus from evil, pain, suffering, fearand injustice.”The only truly Christian

response, he said, is to recognisethat Christ has risen and contin-ues to be present in his Church,helping people respond to newchallenges with hope and trust.The pope began his weekend

visit in Aquileia, an ancientRoman city at the extremenorth-eastern edge of Italy.Many of the town’s early Chris-tians were martyred under theEmperor Diocletian in 303.During an outdoor meeting

with residents of the town, PopeBenedict said he wanted to visitAquileia “to admire this richand ancient tradition, but alsoto confirm you in the deep faithof your forefathers”.—CNS

By CINDy WooDEN

OFFICIALS and supporters of Caritas Interna-tionalis will travel 100km on a historic Vati-can train to celebrate the charitable organi-

sation’s 60th anniversary.Dubbed the “Caritas Express” for the occasion,

the Vatican’s train—pulled by classic steam andelectric locomotives—will run a few hundredmetres of track from inside the Vatican to its bor-der with Italy on May 21, and then will carryguests to Orvieto, an Umbrian hilltop town 100kmnorth of Rome.Caritas Internationalis, the Vatican-based

umbrella organisation for national Catholic chari-ties, said the Vatican’s is “the shortest national rail-way system in the world with just one tiny station,no registered rolling stock and no railway workers”.Three historic first-class carriages and two sec-

ond-class carriages will transport invited guests,diplomats and other who have supported Caritas’response to natural and human-made disasters, theorganisation said.While the Vatican City railway station was built

under Pope Pius XI, he never passed through it toboard a train. Pope John XXIII used the station in1962 when he went from the Vatican to Assisi,and Pope John Paul II used it in 1979 and 2002.—CNS

Boarding the charity train

340 000 sign up forWorld Youth Day

Pope Benedict takes a gondola across the Grand Canal during his visitto Venice. (Photo: alessandro Bianchi, reuters/CNS)

By CINDy WooDEN

ARCHBISHOP FernandoFiloni, a Vatican diplo-mat who was serving as

nuncio to Iraq when the Unit-ed States and its allies invadedin 2003, has been appointedprefect of the Congregation forthe Evangelisation of Peoples,the curial office overseeing theChurch’s work in missionaryterritories (which includeSouthern Africa).Archbishop Filoni, 65, suc-

ceeds Indian Cardinal IvanDias at the helm of the evan-gelisation congregation. Cardi-

nal Dias reached the custom-ary retirement age of 75 inmid-April. He served at theVatican for almost five years.According to statistics pub-

lished in October, the congre-gation is responsible foralmost 1 100 dioceses andother Church jurisdictions onevery continent, exceptEurope. The congregationoversees 495 jurisdictions inAfrica, 472 in Asia, 85 in theAmericas and 46 in Oceaniaand the Pacific.Since 2007, Archbishop

Filoni has held the post of“substitute for general affairs”

in the Vatican Secretariat ofState, putting him in charge ofdaily Vatican affairs.Born in southern Italy in

1946, he was ordained to thepriesthood in 1970 andentered the Vatican diplomaticcorps in 1981. He served in SriLanka, Iran, Brazil, the Philip-pines and at the Vatican beforePope John Paul II ordainedhim a bishop and made himnuncio to Iraq in 2001.Pope Benedict named his

nuncio to Cuba, ArchbishopGiovanni Becciu, to succeedArchbishop Filoni at the Secre-tariat of State.—CNS

New head for evangelisation

Pope in Venice: Likewater, faith gives life

INTERNATIONAL the Southern Cross, May 18 to May 24, 2011 5

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St. Kizito Children’s Programme (SKCP) is a parish-based movementresponding to the needs of orphans and vulnerable children in the Archdio-cese of Cape Town. SKCP is currently working in sixteen parishes servinglargely disadvantaged communities, where local Parish Groups of volun-teers work directly with the children, caregivers and families who are inneed of their services. The Parish Groups are led and guided by ParishGroup Mentor responsible for a cluster of participating Parishes.

St. Kizito Children’s Programme is seeking to employ as of 1 July a

PariSh GrOuP MenTOr The key performance areas of the Parish Group Mentor are to:

• Establish Parish Groups• Parish capacity building and support to Parish Groups• Monitor and evaluate Parish Groups• Ensure effective communication within SKCP• Record keeping• Networking with interested individuals and agencies

The Parish Group Mentor will have the following attributes:• A good understanding and appreciation of the Catholic Church structure and ethos

• Love and concern for children• Extensive life and community experience• Ability to work well within a team• Facilitation and training skills• Self-leadership• Fluency in Xhosa• Ability to communicate well in English (written and spoken)• Computer literacy• Own transport and valid driver’s licence• The willingness and ability to work at weekends and outside normal

working hours.

Closing date for position: 13 June 2011

Please submit CV and letter of motivation to The Coordinator, PO Box 69, Philippi, 7781 or info@stkizito.org.za

No late applications will be considered and only those short-listed will be contacted

St Kizito Children’s ProgrammeCape town

Egypt’s Christians live in fear and hopeBy CINDy WooDEN

EGYPT’S Christian minoritylooks toward the future withhope for greater freedoms for

all citizens but continues to havesome fear that the revolution willbe hijacked by Muslim fundamen-talists, said the Vatican’s nuncioto Egypt.Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald,

the nuncio and former presidentof the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, spoke about thestate of Christian-Muslim relationsin Egypt just hours before Chris-tians and Muslims clashed thismonth in one of Cairo’s poorestsuburbs, leaving at least 12 deadand hundreds injured.The revolution that led to the

downfall of Egyptian PresidentHosni Mubarak in February and topromises of greater freedombrought young Muslims andChristians to the streets together,Archbishop Fitzgerald toldCatholic News Service in Rome.The young people of both faith

groups were asking for greaterfreedom and for social reformsthat would ensure the country’sdevelopment and progress wouldbenefit more than just Egypt’swealthiest citizens, the archbishopsaid.“The Catholic Church and the

Christians in general go alongwith those demands and, of

course, there were Christians andMuslims together demonstrating,”he said. “The other side, thedownside of it, is the fear of theChristians that this revolution,which was not at all religious inits claims, its demands, has beentaken over by Islamic fundamen-talists in certain ways.”“There is hope and yet there is

a degree of anxiety,” he said in theinterview the evening before vio-

lence broke out in Cairo’s Imbabaneighbourhood. The clashes reportedly began

outside St Mina Orthodox church,where several hundred Salafi Mus-lims gathered, claiming a Christ-ian woman married to a Muslimman was being held there againsther will. The violence spread toother Orthodox churches in theneighbourhood.The Salafis are a Muslim sect

dedicated to the spread of whatthey believe is traditional, Ortho-dox Islam, including in the politi-cal life of predominantly Muslimcountries.Archbishop Fitzgerald said

Catholics and other Christians arewaiting to see the direction thecountry takes, particularly onceelections are held in Septemberand work begins on revisingEgypt’s constitution.Like members of the special

Synod of Bishops for the MiddleEast, which was held at the Vati-can in October, the archbishopsaid he and Egypt’s Catholic bish-ops are encouraging the country’sChristians to get involved in thepolitical process, “playing theirrole in society without fear, givingtheir own testimony”.The official Catholic-Muslim

dialogue in the country is thatconducted by Cairo’s al-AzharUniversity and the Vatican.But the Muslim clerics of al-

Azhar announced in January thatthey were suspending the dia-logue.Archbishop Fitzgerald said the

decision was based on “the HolyFather’s statements about his con-cern for Christians generally inthe world and particularly inEgypt after the bombing of thechurch in Alexandria [in Decem-ber] and this was taken as a formof interference. But if you exam-

ine the statements carefully, this isonly appealing to the governmentto look after their citizens and notsaying we are going to intervenein anyway”.“We hope this will blow over

eventually,” the archbishop said.At the same time, he said, dia-

logue between Christians andMuslims in Egypt continues on alocal level.“The young people whom I

mentioned who are engaged inrevolution are Christians andMuslims together. And that dia-logue on the question of humanrights, of citizenship has beengoing on for quite some time. Thisis not an official religious dia-logue, but it’s a dialogue betweenChristians and Muslims as indi-viduals, as citizens,” he said.In a speech at the Lay Centre

in Rome, Archbishop Fitzgeraldsaid official dialogue meetings are“only valid if they are at the ser-vice of the dialogue that is goingon all the time around theworld”.The meetings of theologians,

scholars and religious leaders mustbe “an example and a stimulus” topeople in parishes and mosquesaround the world, he said.“The real dialogue is the dia-

logue of living in peace and har-mony together, living in friend-ship together, working together,”the archbishop said.—CNS

Christians clean up a Coptic Christian church after it was set on fire duringclashes between Muslims and Christians in Cairo. at least 12 people werekilled during the violence. (Photo: Mohamed abd El-Ghany, reuters/CNS)

Africa ‘needs better formation’By BarB FrazE

ALTHOUGH African voca-tions are flourishing, thecontinent needs people to

form those vocations, andAfrican bishops visited Washing-ton looking for such help.Tanzanian Cardinal Polycarp

Pengo said the major regionalseminary in his city, Dar esSalaam, has 192 students andonly ten formators.“Of course, the formation

cannot be that good,” the cardi-nal told Catholic News Service inan interview. “For me, this [for-mation] is the greatest need wehave.” Cardinal Pengo, president of

the Symposium of EpiscopalConferences of Africa and Mada-gascar (Secam), said he wouldlike to see US seminary lecturersspend time teaching in Africa.He said he would like to sendseminarians to the United States,where some could remain for awhile after graduation while oth-ers would return to Africa toteach.Archbishop Charles Palmer-

Buckle of Accra, Ghana, added

that the need for formationextended beyond priests and reli-gious.“When we talk about agents

of evangelisation, we shouldlook at the formation of the layleadership of the Church inAfrica, namely catechists,Catholic teachers, Catholicpoliticians, Catholic parents...sothat they also know what will berequired of them, particularlyformation in...Catholic socialteachings.”The archbishop said forming

lay leaders was especially impor-tant given the growing democra-cy movement in Africa. TheChurch needs “people who arewell-qualified in politics, in eco-nomics, in finances and otherprofessions” to deliver Catholicsocial teaching, the archbishopsaid.Cardinal Pengo also empha-

sised the importance of Africa’sCatholic universities in formingfuture leaders. Because theyaccept more than Catholic stu-dents, “differences which are atthe moment pretty threatening,”such as the “presence of Islamic

fundamentalism...can be ironedout through these universities.”Archbishop Palmer-Buckle

recalled Pope Benedict’s com-ment that Africa was “the spiri-tual lungs of the world” as wellas the pope’s caution that Africacould suffer from the “viralinfections” of materialism, athe-ism and relativism.The Church must know “how

to form people to be able to ridewhat I may call the crest, thewave of huge exponential evan-gelisation, but at the same timehow to help forestall whatevercould be the pitfalls” of what thepope called “the toxic wastefrom the West and at the sametime the fundamentalistextreme”.He said the Church must

move into “ongoing formation,what we call post-confirmationcatechesis for various laypeople,then formation that goes intovocation, into religious life andinto vocation of family life, mar-riage and everything.” Suchongoing formation is whyCatholic universities “are very,very necessary”.—CNS

Pope: Bible not just phrasesBy CINDy WooDEN

WHILE Catholics believethe Bible is inspired bythe Holy Spirit and

that it is true, one cannot takeindividual biblical quotes orpassages and say each one is lit-erally true, Pope Benedict said ina message to the Pontifical Bibli-cal Commission.“It is possible to perceive the

Sacred Scriptures as the word ofGod” only by looking at theBible as a whole, “a totality inwhich the individual elementsenlighten each other and openthe way to understanding,” thepope said. “It is not possible to apply

the criterion of inspiration or ofabsolute truth in a mechanicalway, extrapolating a singlephrase or expression.”The commission of biblical

scholars, an advisory body tothe Congregation for the Doc-trine of the Faith, met at theVatican to continue discussions

about “Inspiration and Truth inthe Bible”In his message, the pope said

clearer explanations about theCatholic position on the divineinspiration and truth of theBible were important becausesome people seem to treat theScriptures simply as literaturewhile others believe that eachline was dictated by the HolySpirit and is literally true. Nei-ther position is Catholic, thepope said.“An interpretation of the

sacred writings that disregardsor forgets their inspiration doesnot take into account their mostimportant and precious charac-teristic.” The Catholic position is that

the Holy Spirit inspired the bib-lical writers so that “humanwords express the word of God.“Through his word God

wants to communicate to us thewhole truth about himself andhis plan of salvation for human-ity.”—CNS

THE sainthood cause forformer French foreignminister Robert Schuman,

whose initiative set in motionthe founding of the EuropeanUnion, is stuck because of alack of miracles, the EU Observ-er has pointed out.The Institute Saint-Benoit,

a foundation in Montingy-les-Metz, France, where Mr Schu-man spent much of his life,was set up in 1988 to promotehis candidacy for sainthood.The foundation has the

backing of Bishop Pierre Raf-fin of MetzAccording to its official lit-

erature, the foundationbelieves that Mr Schuman wasan “exemplary Christian”both in terms of his personallife and the “holiness of hispolitics” in seeking to preventanother World War II-typeconflict in Europe.—cathnews

EU founder waits for miracle

Mugabe and theCatholic Church

IRECEIVED news of RobertMugabe presence at the beatifica-tion of Bl John Paul II with suchutter disgust that my 54 years as apractising Catholic have beenripped from within me, and I donot know what to believe anymore.I have bought various books and

studied the Church’s history so thatI could with authority counter andprotect my Church against attackby fundamentalists. However, whathas happened now is beyond belief. Thousands of people have been

tortured and murdered by thistyrant, and he still the murders andtortures—yet he attends Mass andtakes Communion in the Vatican?Is this a throwback of the Church’sauthoritarian, could-not-care-about-the-people style of yesteryear? I don’t know what to think of

my Church. If the ordinaryCatholics, priests and bishops ofSouthern Africa don’t speak upagainst this gross injustice againstthe people of Zimbabwe thenthey/we are equally to blame. Noth-ing but a public apology, and chas-tisement of Mr Mugabe’s deeds, bythe pope will do.

Frank Stuyck, Velddrif

Confused andbetrayed

IT is very difficult for an ordinary,simple, practising Catholic tounderstand the mysterious andsometimes convoluted thinking ofthe hierarchy.The presence of President Robert

Mugabe of Zimbabwe at the beatifi-cation of Pope John Paul is mind-boggling. This is a man who authorised the

massacre of 20 000 people a genera-tion ago in Matabeleland. Not onlyhas he not apologised, but he hascontinued his violent and oppres-sive ways of ruling Zimbabwe tothis very present day, killing, maim-

ing and intimidating those whooppose him. As a Catholic I feel confused,

betrayed and very cross, as I am sureevery other Catholic in Zimbabweis. To see the photograph of himreceiving Communion just illus-trates the hypocrisy of it all. Theanti-Catholic population of Zimbab-we and the worldwide secularistscould well interpret this invitationas a gesture of solidarity by theChurch with Mr Mugabe.I sincerely hope and pray that Mr

Mugabe will mend his ways.I am more concerned about the

long term effects that this invitationwill have on the Church and it’smembers in central and SouthernAfrica.

Desmond Foley, Randburg

Vegan: no biblicalsupport

NEIL Mitchell, “Ethical Eating”,April 13, points out that, while

the creation myths of Genesis 1:28and 1:19-30 exclude the killing andeating of animals for food, it is onlyafter the fall that God permitshumans to kill and eat animals forfood. With the Mosaic Law (Leviticus

11), there are eating prohibitions inrespect of many animals, particular-ly scavengers. Pork is perhaps thebest known. Nowhere was any men-tion made of the ethics of it all.In relating the parable of the five

barley loaves and two fish, Jesusdoesn’t seem to have reservationsabout the ethics regarding eating ofmeat in that celebration, as also inthe Passover meal. From these and other instances

in the gospels, it is clear thatnowhere in the New Testament dowe find any instance of God, ourCreator and redeemer, prohibitingthe killing and eating of meat andfish, in anticipation of possiblefuture global warming and dangerto the environment.While we do have a duty to con-

serve our planet, it is not for us to

attempt to play God. The com-mandment: “Thou shalt not kill”,refers only to the intentional andmalicious killing of a fellow humanbeing, not everything that moves,down to insects.

John Lee, Johannesburg

Bully priest

THERE is a flipside to “volunteersfrom hell”, to borrow ChrisMoerdyk’s term. There are priests towhom I could cheerfully apply thatterm. This is the tyrannical priest, abully of the first order. He beats upon his parishioners from the pulpit(nothing to do with the day’s ser-mon).It is to this priest that I find it

hard to apply the term personaChristi. Christ was a shepherd full ofcompassion and kindness. Thispriest has no compassion in hisdealings with his flock. Parishioners who serve the parish

in specific areas are obliged toattend training courses in their par-ticular field, which teach them thatthe priest appointed to their parishhas the final say in all things per-taining to that parish. They are helpers in the priest’s

administration—they can onlyadvise and consult. Unfortunately,this type of priest will not considersuggestions made by parishioners,but makes his decisions based onhis own ideas, never failing to tellyou that he has the power of yay ornay. Many of those decisions do not

benefit the parish at all. Catholicsknow they have recourse to a higherauthority to ease their lot, but mostare reluctant to walk this road. They hope and pray instead that

the priest may be transferred else-where. Sadly some valuable peo-ple—catechists, members of PPC,PFC etc—begin to disappear fromthe parish scene, having joinedother parishes. But sadder still someabandon the Catholic faith and joinother churches or simply nevercome back.

Lily P Fynn, Johannesburg

LEADER PAGE6 the Southern Cross, May 18 to May 24, 2011

INMay, while on holiday, we wentto the 8:00 Sunday Mass at StBoniface’s church in Knysna. It wasso special that we decided to share itwith your readers. Mass was of course as always the

universal celebration of the Paschalmystery. But it was particularlybeautiful. We arrived to an alreadyfull church, and seeing two spacesnear the front, went to those seats.It was only later that we realisedthat we had barged into an areausually used by the choir (or per-haps I should say “the leaders of thepraise singing”, for that is what theywere). But no-one showed any signof us not being welcome in thoseseats. On the contrary, we had not

seen or picked up the parish bul-letin when we arrived, and a fewminutes after Mass had started, thecharming, smiling lady sitting nextto me passed me her copy, indicat-ing that she would share her neigh-bour’s. We immediately felt wel-comed into the community! The homily, delivered by the

deacon, was outstanding. What agift the parish has in this man! Thecelebrant was clear, warm and holythroughout. The liturgy was anexample of dedicated adherence tothe norms, but—so importantly—with gentle warmth through theentire service. Two superbly trainedaltar servers added to the quality ofall the movements on the altar.

The music was wonderful, withtwo excellent guitarists (not strum-mers, but true guitarists in the Nar-cisso Yepes tradition) leading somebeautiful and for us previouslyunknown hymns and a stunningsung Mass. Any musical puristwould have rejoiced.Even the parish notices were spe-

cial. Three people spoke on threedifferent community matters, all ofthem clearly drawing attention to afocus on the greater good of all.Congratulations, St Boniface’s.

We were totally won over to Knysnaby your warmth and your commu-nity worship. We look forward toregularly spending time with ourfamily in your beautiful town andwith your beautiful community.

Ruth and Chris Busschau,Johannesburg

The Editor reserves the right to shorten or edit published letters. Letters below 300 words receivepreference. Pseudonyms are acceptable only under special circumstances and at the Editor’s discre-tion. Name and address of the writer must be supplied. No anonymous letter will be considered.

LETTERS TOTHE EDITOR

Mugabe in the Vatican

WHEN television broad-casts of the beatifica-tion of Pope John Paul

II in the Vatican showed Zim-babwe’s President RobertMugabe receiving Holy Commu-nion, many Catholics in south-ern Africa were scandalised.This week we publish just

two of the many letters we havereceived that express anger andhurt at Mr Mugabe’s warm wel-come in the Vatican and hisreception of the Eucharist at sopublic and exalted an event.How, many ask, can it be that aman who is responsible for thekilling and persecution of somany people may take his placeat the Lord’s Table?Cardinal Wilfrid Napier,

spokesman for the SouthernAfrican Catholic Bishops’ Con-ference and a critic of the presi-dent’s human rights record,explained: “For any Christian,receiving Communion is an actof personal choice made out ofconscience before God. As such,it is a matter for the internalforum—between God and thebeliever.” No person but Mr Mugabe

and perhaps his confessor canknow whether he was in a stateof grace when he presentedhimself for Communion in StPeter’s Square. It is not our placeto interrogate Mr Mugabe inter-nal forum. Moreover, as long as Mr

Mugabe is not under interdict(as some Catholic pro-choicepoliticians in the United Statesare, at the discretion of localbishops), he may continue toreceive Communion. We musthope that his personal chaplainwill offer him the appropriatespiritual advice.But why was Mr Mugabe

allowed to attend the beatifica-tion ceremony of the pope whoin 2003 gave the Zimbabweanambassador a most devastatingpublic dressing-down over hisregime’s reign of terror? Cardinal Napier points out

that “no official invitations wereissued to heads of state”. But itis not a case of Mr Mugabe sim-ply presenting himself at thegates of St Peter’s Square’s VIPenclosure, demanding admis-sion. Because the European

Union’s travel ban on MrMugabe excludes the VaticanCity state, Italian immigrationmust allow him passage through

Italian territory. This means thatthe Vatican’s Secretariat of Statehad to make the necessaryarrangements through its diplo-matic channels once Mr Mugabehad declared his wish to attendthe beatification ceremony.Evidently the Vatican saw no

cause to ask Mr Mugabe to stayat home nor to decline toengage its diplomatic channelson his behalf. Internationaldiplomacy sometimes requiresunpalatable things of its practi-tioners. Protocol would demandthat the Vatican will not revealwhether this was one such occa-sion.Clearly, however, Mr Mugabe

was made to feel thoroughlywelcome. And it is at the tele-vised sight of the tyrant beingwarmly embraced by a broadlysmiling prelate that Catholicsmay register indignation. That public embrace is

embarrassing for the courageousbishops of Zimbabwe, and tothe clergy, religious and laitywho strive for a peaceful transi-tion to an equitable andaccountable democracy. Shortly before departing on

his “absolutely heavenly” Vati-can sojourn, Mr Mugabedescribed the Zimbabwean bish-ops as “so-called men of Godwho lie” and “mere puppets ofWestern countries”. In that light particularly, Mr

Mugabe’s reception in the Vati-can has created an impression,surely inaccurate, that the Vati-can sides with him against thebishops of Zimbabwe. We can be certain that Mr

Mugabe will refer to his wel-come in the Vatican when nexthe feels compelled to insult andattack the bishops of his coun-try, and to denounce their apos-tolic obligation to work for jus-tice and peace. Their teachingauthority on issues of social jus-tice has been compromised.It is important that such a

perception is vigorously coun-tered to preserve the authorityand dignity of Zimbabwe’s bish-ops and the laity’s confidence inthe episcopate and, indeed, inthe Vatican. Inestimable harm has been

done to the Church by MrMugabe’s trip. Zimbabwe’s bish-ops have been undermined, andthe faithful have been scan-dalised. Now that damagerequires correction.

Editor: Günther Simmermacher Knysna parish a blessing

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PERSPECTIVES the Southern Cross, May 18 to May 24, 2011 7

IHAVE just washed nine mugs—in thedishwasher—plus a sundry collectionof plates, glasses and the odd dish, all

built up over a few days of living lazilyalone. That has been my life and I am look-

ing ahead to a much longer time of liv-ing alone, with my youngest daughternow engaged and a wedding on thecards some time in the future. That has caused me to sit back and

reminisce a little before looking ahead tosome attempts at pearls of wisdom forother family people. What is the point, then, of the hot

cross buns? These ever popular buns areno longer eaten only on Good Friday,but for many of us are a significant partof the Holy Week and Easter season. They are not part of my Dutch family

background and I really encounteredthem only when I joined the Rowlandfamily in the early 1960s, having met myfuture husband Chris in the parishchurch choir. For more than 50 years Easter has

meant time spent in church at the vari-ous Easter ceremonies. As a member ofdifferent choirs over the years it meantsinging or playing at some of myfavourite ceremonies —and of course hotcross buns on Good Friday for tea. Whenwe married it became hot cross buns forbreakfast (for some in bed, it being a dayof fast and abstinence). For the next few years there were

babies on board, and as our little familycontinued to grow, it was hot cross bunsfor breakfast, buttered and toasted underthe grill. As we rejoined the choir thesmall people sat, played or slept underthe bench in the choirloft, or sat withNan and Grandad. Seen from a distance,

they were remarkably good. After this wewould be off to their house for the tradi-tional hot cross buns. The family grew, tastes developed and

some preferred them microwaved withmelted butter. Over the years too we dis-covered that food fundis held competi-tions as to the best-tasting, most spicy,richest-in-fruit buns. So time went by, the family continued

to grow; over the years they graduallyleft home and buns would be left over,to dry out and still be eaten by a can’t-waste-food mom, or they would stay inthe freezer for a month or more. Afternoon tea with the grandfolks

continued until they passed on. In timethere were just three of us left, eatingbuns for breakfast and afternoon tea.When Chris died, there were just two ofus, and the tradition just wasn’t quitethe same, as mom and daughterwouldn’t necessarily both be there at thesame time doing the same things. Will this year’s hot cross buns have

been the last in company? From now on,am I to eat them alone? Six in a pack is alot. Should I find someone to share with,join a commune or just become a her-mit? There are times in one’s life whenall these options are considered. But work keeps me going for the pre-

sent. Developing the May focus on Fami-ly Life has been time-consuming, on topof other family-promoting activities,writing, workshops and talks. The Family Desk at the bishops’ con-

ference was delegated to take on the taskand I highlighted aspects that may notnormally be part of Church life. May is Mary’s month. There is also

Vocations Sunday. How often in com-memorating the feast of St Joseph the

Worker, on May 1, do we not only hon-our him but use the opportunity toreflect on the topic of work and howimportant its impact is on family life? Mother’s Day may be a commercial

gimmick, but it does give us an opportu-nity to focus on the gift, the blessing andthe responsibility of motherhood in fam-ily life. It also highlights the fact thatwomen are the ones who have abortions,who deny themselves or are denied thefullness of motherhood, for whateverreason. UN International Day for Families on

May 15 was a significant one too. Notnearly enough attention is paid inChurch and society to the importance offamilies and the need to build up andstrengthen family life for its own goodand that of society. Pope John Paul II in the commemora-

tive issue of The Southern Cross is creditedwith many good things, but there is nomention of all the things he did and saidabout family life. Familiaris Consortio andhis Theology of the Body teachings sure-ly are crucial to respond to his oft repeat-ed exhortation: “The future of theChurch and of society is through thefamily.” I concur and am sure will continue to

do so next year and thereafter, evenwhile I eat my hot cross buns alone. For more on the May family focus and

the daily prayer for families—which inci-dentally need not end when the monthis over—visit www.marfam.org.za.blog.

From one hot cross bun to anotherToni Rowland

Family Friendly

SOME stories, like the following,bring tears to your eyes: One day ayoung man was shopping in a super-

market when he noticed an elderly ladywho seemed to be following him. What-ever aisle he turned down, she turneddown. Whenever he stopped, shestopped. He also had the distinct impres-sion that she was staring at him.As the man reached the checkout,

sure enough, the lady was right there.Politely, he motioned for the woman togo ahead of him.Turning around, the elderly lady said:

“I hope I haven’t made you feel uncom-fortable. It’s just that you look so muchlike my late son.”Touched, the young man said, “Oh,

no, that’s OK.”“I know that it’s silly,” continued the

lady, “but could I ask you to do some-thing for me? Could you call out, ‘Good-bye, Mom’, as I leave the store? It wouldmake me feel so happy.”The young man was glad to oblige.

After the lady went through the check-out and was on her way out of the store,he called out: “Goodbye, Mom!”The lady turned back, smiled and

waved. The young man’s heart swelled,seeing that his small gesture had broughtsuch joy into someone’s life. As he went to pay for his groceries,

the clerk said, “That comes to $121,87.”“Why so much?” said the young man.

“I only have five items.”The clerk replied: “Yeah, I know, but

your mother said you’d be paying for herthings, too!”OK, OK, so those tears that I spoke of

at the beginning of this column? Well,they’re tears of laughter. And they’resomething I hope you’re having plentyof throughout the seven weeks of theEaster season.

I recently came across a phrase that Ireally like: risus paschalis. It’s Latin for“Easter laughter”. Although some tracethis expression back to St Gregory ofNyssa (died 385), the Catholic Encyclope-dia says that it refers to a “strange cus-tom” that was common in 15th-centuryBavaria. Apparently, priests would usefunny stories in their homilies on Easterto get their parishioners to laugh. Then amoral was drawn from the story. As timewent on, though, abuses crept into thepractice, prompting Pope Clement X(1670-75) to prohibit the risus paschalis.It’s too bad those abuses occurred,

because joy and laughter should be a bigpart of the Easter season. After all, in theResurrection, death was defeated; itdidn’t have the final word. And webelieve that Jesus’ resurrection is some-thing that we already share in, thoughnot yet completely. How can we not bejoyful?Unfortunately, many people today are

weighed down by their own sinfulnessand by the multiple tragedies that theysee daily recounted in the news: wars,injustice, natural disasters, murders,poverty, hunger and disease. As Chris-tians—people of the Resurrection—we’recalled to usher in hope where there isdespair, light where there is darkness,and joy where there is sorrow.One way to do that is to resurrect, so

to speak, a healthy risus paschalis. Hope-fully, our Lenten disciplines made usholier, more willing and able to bringGod’s joy and healing to the world. Ourgood practices of prayer, fasting andalmsgiving should not have ended withEaster. The only thing that shouldchange is our motivation for doingthem.As I look back on this past Lent, there

were some bright spots, but I also fell

short in other areas, especially with my“Lenten Tasks” bucket. I gathered up “todo” items that I’d been procrastinatingon and wrote them down, one per smallpiece of paper. I’d intended to pick oneout of the bucket each day of Lent anddo what was written there. In the end,let’s just say that there were still a lot ofpapers “to do”. Knowing that these arethings that will bring a smile to the faceof another—a r isus paschalis—I’verenamed the bucket “Easter Tasks” andintend to have it emptied by the timePentecost rolls around on June 12, theend of the season of Easter.One of the things many people men-

tioned in the sacrament of reconciliationthis Lent was how impatient they are.Because our schedules are so packed withcommitments, there’s no time left torenew our spirits; we’ve forgotten how toappreciate and enjoy life. In short, we’veforgotten how to laugh.If this describes you, open your heart

this Easter season to some “Easter laugh-ter”, the new life of the risen Jesus. Try by doing something different—a

new recipe, an alternate route home, afresh radio station or genre of book—toreawaken feelings of peace and joy. Takepleasure in moments when things goright: when computers don’t crash,when your kids actually do what you askthem to, when you catch people doinggood. Let’s all rediscover a wholesome risus

paschalis—even if we get fooled by anelderly lady at the supermarket.n This article first appeared in The Leaven,newspaper of the archdiocese of KansasCity. Fr Goldasich is its editor.

Fr Mark Goldasich

Point of reflection

n Send your queries to Open Door, Box 2372, Cape Town,8000; or e-mail: opendoor@scross.co.za; or fax (021)465 3850. Anonymity can be preserved by arrangement, butquestions must be signed, and may be edited for clarity.Only published questions will be answered.

Michael Shackleton

open Door

Is God leading us into temptation?

The words “and lead us not into temptation”in the Our Father bother me. It is inconceiv-able that God would lead one into tempta-tion. If this is explained as a mistranslation ofperhaps “save us from being led into tempta-tion”, it raises the question of how manyother mistranslations there are in the Bible.

Jimmy Carter

LET us begin with a glance at Psalm 141:4:“Let me feel no impulse to do wrong, toshare the godlessness of evildoers.” This is

an example of the Hebrew literary style of whatis known as poetic parallelism. There are twoexpressions of the same idea: let me not dowrong; let me not share evildoing. If you read the psalms especially, you will

find many more examples of this Hebrew formof parallelism.Now take a look at the words “lead us not

into temptation but deliver us from evil”. Canyou see the parallelism: let me not be tempted;let me be delivered from evil? These two expres-sions of the same sentiment go together in orderto emphasise the appeal of the prayer, which isfor protection from what is harmful to us.“God cannot be tempted to do anything

wrong and he does not tempt anybody. Every-one who is tempted is attracted and seduced byhis own wrong desire” (James 1:13-14). Thisassurance should help us see that God does notlead us into temptation. He cannot do sobecause he is all-holy. So, why do English trans-lations, which are not mistranslations, persist inusing the words “lead us not into temptation”?The original Greek is closer to “let us not

enter (eisenegkes) into temptation” and the Latinis closer to “do not bring or induce us (inducas)into temptation”.The English word “lead” seems to embrace

these nuances, upholding God’s being in charge.He leads us by his grace at all times.Connect this to Psalm 23, the well known

“The Lord is my shepherd”. The psalmist imag-ines himself as a sheep of the flock, led andguided by God, confident that because the Lordleads him, he fears nothing: “Though I passthrough a gloomy valley, I fear no harm; besideme your rod and your staff are there, to heartenme.”In this vein, perhaps we can appreciate that

our Father in heaven will lead us not into temp-tation but will deliver us from evil.

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The Divine Mercy Parish, in Walkerville, Gauteng, hosted their 3rd Divine Mercy Feast Day. They are in the process of building a churchbut in the interim they have extended their daily Chapel and createdan Ante-Chapel to accommodate the parishioners. Prior to this, allthe functions as well as the Masses were held in a large tent measuring15m x 33m. The decision was made to move from the tent due to thediscomfort of the cold in the winter and the heat in the summer.

They have started the building of the church with very generousdonations received.The decision was made to host the Feast Day in their present circum-stances with a small Chapel and Ante-Chapel and the rest of the seat-ing outdoors.

The confessions were held in the catechism classes—the buildingbeing a renovated chicken run!!! The message of trust and humility istruly experienced by the Divine Mercy Parish!! Four priests wereavailable for confessions and every effort was made to ensure that allattending the Feast Day took advantage of the availability of theSacrament of Reconciliation and the promise of Jesus that all soulsreceiving the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Communion on theFeast Day will receive total forgiveness of all sins and punishment—agift that is comparable to a new baptism.

The Parish received Votive Offerings on the Feast Day for DivineMercy Miracles received. The Divine Mercy of Jesus is so available toeveryone and Jesus told St Faustina that she would prepare the worldfor His FINAL coming. It is the mission of the Divine Mercy Parish toensure that this message of love and forgiveness is made available toall.

The Parish continues to distribute the Images of the Divine Mercyand the intention is to penetrate Africa. This is done by visiting Reli-gious who continue to take the Images into all parts of Africa. TheImages were made freely available on the Feast Day as well as litera-ture on the Divine Mercy message. Over 100 000 images have beendistributed so far.

The Sisters of the Merciful Jesus, in Poland, have agreed to come outfrom Poland and take up permanent residence to help the parishdevelop with projects such as a crèche, a school for adult illiterates, aHouse of Mercy for the sick who cannot afford doctors and expensivemedicines as well as the visiting of the sick as the Walkerville area isextensive and it is not possible for one priest to reach all the sick andthe families who are not able to get to Mass.

At 3pm each day, the “Hour of Mercy”, a bell which is a “bush versionof a bell” (a motor car rim hung in a tree!!), is rung to call all the work-ers and whoever is available to the Chapel in order to pray the Chap-let of the Divine Mercy. When the church building is complete thebells will be rung from the bell tower on the “Hour of Mercy”. Themembers of the Parish pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy for thesick and the dying when called to the hospitals or homes of the sick.

The Divine Mercy Parish wishes to thank all those who attended theirFeast Day and extends their gratitude for the generous donationsreceived and also wishes to thank the Southern Cross for affordingthem the opportunity of publishing this article.

Article written by Rona Fabian

Divine Mercy Parish Walkerville Feast Day, 1st May, 2011

FAMILY the Southern Cross, May 18 to May 24, 2011 9

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SOMETIMES I think that wed-dings are the most hazardouspart of parish ministry. I never

quite know what new and fashion-able trend will rear its head when acouple approaches me requestingmarriage. More and more I notice how

wedding ceremonies (and nuptialMasses) have undergone a signifi-cant shift: from the sacred to thesecular.A number of couples who want

to get married do not practise theirfaith. Why get married in theChurch when you do not partici-pate in the life of the Church?Often they respond: “It’s the rightthing to do, Father,” Isn’t that likefilling the petrol tank of the carand then parking it in the garageand taking the wheels off? Like all the sacraments, matri-

mony should be lived in the con-text of the Church community. Tobe married in the Church is to sayyes to what the Church teachesand understands marriage to be.“We want to get married at a

wedding venue, we can get a gooddeal if we use the chapel at thevenue and it’s easier for ourguests.”Is the wedding about a good

deal or the convenience of theguests? The real focus of the wed-ding, as far as the Church under-stands it, is your relationship,commitment and God. TheChurch has good reasons for say-ing, in canon law, that marriageshould take place in a parishchurch. The parish church is the very

context in which marriage andfamily life is to be lived. I thinkthere is something sacred aboutentering the place where it all hap-pened week after week. This willbe the same place where your chil-dren are baptised, confirmed andmarried. Venues come and go;parishes are here to stay—hopeful-

ly like your marriage.If the Church is not important

to couples and it’s a case of “Inever go to Church but was bornCatholic” or “My parents andgrandparents really want this forme”, then are we not all involvedin a disingenuous undertaking? Honest and frank discussion

about this is, I think, crucial.Everyone’s integrity is at stake—the couple, parents, grandparentsand the priest. It would be, in myopinion, more honest to go downto your local home affairs office,sign the deal and have the party.Let’s not pretend it’s somethingit’s really not.Once we have crossed that hur-

dle we need to jump another: mar-riage preparation. “Why? Weknow each other really well—infact there is nothing we don’tknow!” Isn’t that a shame? Surely mar-

riage is about discovering moreand more about each other, anadventure which in time revealsnew things you didn’t know aboutyour partner? If you think youknow everything about each other,do you also know everything thatthe Church thinks about marriage(that is, what the Church reallythinks, and not what the mediasays the Church thinks)? It is interesting to me how

many couples claim to knoweverything about one another and,after the preparation course, comeback and tell me something newthey discovered or something theyhad not spoken about (or avoidedspeaking about) before. The com-mitment to preparation revealssomething about the very way youview your relationship and pro-posed marriage.

The actual wedding itself: wed-dings have become a business

(and, sadly, often a show). Thesocial pressure and “Hollywoodmodel” often take the very heartout of weddings. I get the feeling sometimes that

the wedding ceremony is just thecurtain raiser to the jol afterwards.More energy goes into preparingthings like flowers, the unity can-dle (which is not part of the rite bythe way), where the photographerand videographer will stand, andhow many candles can be put intothe church rather than into howbest to celebrate the commitmentin a spirit and faith-filled manner.The more grandiose, the more

complicated, and the more com-

plicated, the less meaningful—that’s my experience anyway. At wedding rehearsals everyone

becomes a liturgical expert; per-sonal preferences and creativeinnovations abound. The weddingin the latest movie on circuit or onthe favourite soap opera nowbecomes the liturgical norm. Weoften have to steer around otherhazardous tensions at the rehearsalso that mother-in-law’s or aunt’seccentric ideas or desires can beincorporated to keep everyonehappy.Strange requests often reveal

what unthinking fashion slaves wehave become. Bride says to me:“Father, there is a very meaningfulsong we want at our wedding;both of us love the tune and myaunt sings it beautifully, is it okay

for her to sing?” Cautiously Irespond: “Well, if it’s appropriate;what is the song and in which partof the liturgy do you want itsung?” The bride replies: “Wewould love her to sing it while weare signing the register, it’s called‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’mLooking For’ by a band called U2—have your heard of them Father?” Irespond: “Yes, I have heard ofthem. No, you cannot have itsung!” Do I live on another planet?

“For better or worse…from thisday forward…”—and now we lis-ten to “I still haven’t found whatI’m looking for”?The rite of the Church is simple

and focuses on the essentials.Done well, the rite is beautiful andneeds no frills. Don’t try and fix

something that’s not broken.

The actual day: Gum chewingguests arrive and the church

becomes a party hall rather than aplace of prayer. As we wait for thearrival of the bride, people loudlyembark on fashion consults andcomparisons or family catch-ups(“I haven’t seen that side of thefamily since the last time we had aconversation at the last familywedding in the church. PS: She iswearing the same dress!”).Inevitably the bride is late: “It’s

her special day and her preroga-tive, Father”. It’s not. It’s disre-spectful to me and the guests whohave made the effort to be thereon time. On the odd occasion thebride is on time she has to drivearound the block or go into hidingbecause other guests are late. Ifyou are invited to someone’s wed-ding you have no excuse, get thereon time!There is also the occasional

wedding when the groomsmen(and the groom) have a drink (ortwo) in the car park to “calm theirnerves”. It certainly doesn’t calmthe nerves of the bride when shewalks up the aisle, smiling at theman she is about to marry, andthen gets the whisky whiff.It becomes exceedingly difficult

to stand in the pulpit with theconviction that this is a sacredmoment when everything else isso secular. I may be a cynic, butsometimes I am tempted to thinkthat it’s easier (and more consol-ing) to celebrate funerals ratherthan weddings.The challenge, for priests and

couples, is to work hard togetherto regain a sense of the sacred incelebrating matrimony. It beginsby ensuring that we have good cat-echesis about matrimony, and thatwe work to actively return to theessentials—even if these arecounter-cultural.To make things simple; we must

put the heart back into weddingsby ensuring we move from the sec-ular into the sacred. The Church has a great gift to

offer in the way we celebrate mat-rimony; let’s use it well and in theright context. It will be a lot lesshazardous for bride and groom—and the priest!n Fr Pollitt is the pastor of Holy Trin-ity parish in Braamfontein, Johannes-burg. This article first appeared onhis blog on The Southern Cross’swebsite (www.scross.co.za/catego-ry/pollitt/)

What is a priest to do whenthe bride wants a U2 songsung at her wedding in aprivate venue? rUSSEllPollItt SJ argues that thefaith of the Church cannotbe separated from Catholicweddings.

a newly married couple rushes to attend Pope Benedict’s weekly generalaudience in St Peter's Square. In his article, Fr russell Pollitt discusses theshift of nuptial ceremonies from the sacred to the secular. (Photo: Paul Haring, CNS)

The hazards of Catholic weddings

THE showpiece cathedral ofthe diocese of Polokwane,Limpopo, is home to a parish

that reveres the past but has greatplans for the future. The cathedral parish of the

Sacred Heart, in the centre of thecity once known as Pietersburg,has a rich history but is aiming tobring all its families together towork towards a stronger communi-ty in the future. From small beginnings in a lit-

tle wooden and iron building,which still stands in the grounds,the cathedral is now 63 years old,and is an attraction in the diocese.“Catholicism was brought to

the then Northern Transvaal bythe Benedictine priests. In 1928the foundation stone of the pre-sent cathedral was laid by the first

bishop of the diocese, Bishop Sal-vator van Nuffel,” said parish sec-retary Edwina Mbite. Bishop van Nuffel, a Benedic-

tine, headed what was then theprefecture of Northern Transvaalfrom 1922 till 1939, when the Bel-gian-born prelate died at the age of54. The building of the cathedral

began in 1928, but in 1931 spon-sorship was withdrawn from theproject. The Benedictines from theUnited States, under the auspicesof Charity Sister Mary Delphine,came to the rescue by continuingthe funding that was needed tocomplete the building, explainedMs Mbite. In 1933 the building of the

cathedral was completed and itwas consecrated by Bishop vanNuffel.Since those early days, nine

parish priests have served thecathedral. “One of the longest-serving incumbents was Fr GeorgesBral, who served the parish loyallyfrom 1956 till 1995, when hereturned to Belgium. He passedaway on December 31, 2010 inBelgium,” said Ms Mbite. His asheswere recently brought to SouthAfrica and have been placed in theWall of Remembrance at thecathedral. The Wall of Remembrance

serves as a source of inspiration to

the parishioners and as a way tohonour those who have died, saidMs Mbite. Today, the cathedral parish is

served by Fr Bernard Madiba. Activities in the parish are not

exclusive to its immediate vicinity.“We have satellite parishes atWestenburg, a suburb of Polok-wane, and out of town at Ramong-wana (or St Norbert) and Maki-belo,” said Ms Mbete. The parish numbers have

“exploded” in recent years, andthe church now serves more than650 families—and that excludesthe satellite parishes.“The reason for the fast growth

of the parish over the last coupleof years is that Polokwane becamethe capital of Limpopo after the1994 elections, and large numbersof people have moved into townfrom all over the province, causingPolokwane to be one of the fastestgrowing towns in South Africa,”Ms Mbite said. These 650 families are heavily

involved in Church activities rang-ing from Sodality of St Anne,Catholic Women’s League,Catholic Women’s Association,Knights of da Gama, Sacred Heart,St Vincent de Paul Society and aDivine Mercy group. Ms Mbite added that there was

a growing youth group, and theparish was in the process of start-

ing a family ministry at SacredHeart. She said it was hoped thefamily programme will shortly berolled out to the rest of the dio-cese.The youth play another impor-

tant role at Sacred Heart—they arein charge of selling The SouthernCross. Ms Mbite said the newspa-per had been sold at the parish formany years and parishioners areencouraged to subscribe throughthe parish by paying for it month-ly. She said the youth group sellThe Southern Cross every Sundayafter Mass, and the remainingpapers are given to the Catholicbookshop in the parish yard forthose who missed Sunday Mass. The enthusiastic sellers have

been in part responsible for theincrease in sales of The SouthernCross at Sacred Heart, making thechurch the Parish of the Month.The Parish of the Month is selectedon the basis of increased sales in amonth.While parish numbers are

increasing quickly, Ms Mbite said

Sacred Heart was faced with chal-lenges: “Our biggest challenge is tobring the community togetherafter the service on Sunday to par-ticipate in church activities or topractise our faith as a family.” Shesaid the community was incrediblydiverse with parishioners fromaround the world. While many areinvolved in church activities, therewere many who were “left out”,Ms Mbite said. The parish hopes togrow equally with parishionerinvolvement and parishionernumbers. One event that is expected to

see involvement from the parish-ioners is the annual procession tobe held in September at the MaterDei Pastoral Centre, situated a fewkilometres from Mokopane. MsMbite said this is an opportunityfor the parish to be seen actively inthe community, and a great unify-ing experience. The parish is aware of its chal-

lenges, but inspired by its richpast, Sacred Heart strives tobecome a closer knit community.

SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL,

POLOKWANE

FOCUS10 the Southern Cross, May 18 to May 24, 2011

In the cathedral parish of the

Sacred Heart in Polokwane,

the enthusiastic youth are

responsible for selling the

Southern Cross every Sunday.

ClaIrE MatHIESoN

introduces the latest Parish of

the Month.

A parish with a plan for the future

Images of Sacred Heart parish, parishioners and the old and new cathedrals—both serving the diocese of Polokwane, in the limpopo Province.

By CINDy WooDEN

THE Second Vatican Council’srenewal of the liturgy wasn’tso much about changing

texts or gestures as it was aboutchanging Catholics’ attitudetoward the Mass and helping theliturgy change their lives, PopeBenedict has said.“Unfortunately, the liturgy was

seen, perhaps even by us pastorsand experts, more as an object toreform than as a subject capable ofrenewing Christian life,” the popetold participants at a conferencemarking the 50th anniversary ofRome’s Pontifical Liturgical Insti-tute.

A strong pastoral concern forCatholics around the worldrequired the encouragement of “amore active participation of thefaithful in the liturgical celebra-tions through the use of nationallanguages” and an appropriate“adaptation of the rites in the var-ious cultures, especially in missionlands”, he said.But the Church’s liturgy, the

centre of its existence, could notbe changed simply for the sake ofchange, he said. “From the begin-ning it was clear that the theologi-cal foundationof the liturgyhad to be stud-ied in order to

avoid falling into ritualism and sothat the reform would be justifi-able from the point of view of rev-elation and of continuity with thetradition of the Church,” he said.Pope Benedict said too often

Catholics try to set up an opposi-tion between “tradition andprogress” in the liturgy, when “inreality, the two concepts gotogether. In some way, traditionincludes progress. It’s like sayingthe river of tradition carries itssource with it as it flows toward itsoutlet”.—CNS

DEATH

BRANNIGAN—SrDenise. Holy Cross SisterDenise, aged 85, passedaway at Holy Cross Con-vent, Fatima Houseretirement Home, aliwalNorth, on May 1, 2011.lovingly remembered byher family circle in Irelandand the Holy Cross Sis-ters. May she rest inpeace.

IN MEMORIAM

FERNANDES—Debbie.My dearest Mom I willalways love and missyou. Please pray for thesoul of my Mom Debbie.your son Paulo JosephNarciso.

FERNANDES—Debbie.a loving sister anddaughter left on 20th May2001, not a day goes bythat we do not rememberand miss you. Mom Mau-reen, Sisters anita, Belin-da, Cynthia, Evette andFiona, brother in laws,nieces and nephews. rIPtill we meet again.

SETSUBI—thembaEugene. 6/11/1966 –11/05/2005. God’s ways;life nipped in it’s prime.loved, cherished andmissed always. restpeacefully in eternity andin our hearts. your family.

VAN SCHOOR—Fr lau-rence. Went to his rewardMay 19th, 2007. He willalways be fondly remem-bered by the Fernandesfamily of rondebosch forhis caring gentle waysand the support of Deb-bie in her last weeks withus. May his soul rIP.

PERSONAL

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PRAYERS

HOLY St Jude, apostleand martyr, great in virtueand rich in miracles, kins-man of Jesus Christ,

faithful intercessor of allwho invoke you, specialpatron in time of need. toyou I have recourse fromthe depth of my heart andhumbly beg you to cometo my assistance. Helpme now in my urgentneed and grant my peti-tions. In return I promiseto make your nameknown and publish thisprayer. amen. In thanksfor prayers answered.Pr.

O MOST beautiful flowerof Mount Carmel, fruitvine splendrous of heav-en, Immaculate Virginassist me in my necessi-

ty. o Star of the sea, helpme and show me you aremy Mother. o Holy Mary,mother of God, Queen ofheaven and earth, Ihumbly beseech you fromthe bottom of my heart tosecure me in my necessi-ty. there are none thatcan withstand yourpower. o Mary conceivedwithout sin, pray for uswho have recourse tothee (say 3 times).HolyMary I place this cause inyour hands (say 3times).thank you for yourmercy to me and mine.amen. Say this prayer for3 days. EH

HOLY SPIRIT you whomake me see everything.you showed me the wayto reach my ideal. youwho give me the divinegift to forgive and forgetall that is done to me andyou are in all the instinctsof my life with me. I wantto thank you for every-thing and confirm oncemore that I never want tobe separated from you nomatter how great thedesires may be. I want tobe with you and my lovedones in your perpetualglory. this prayer shouldbe said on 3 consecutivedays, after the 3rd day,the request will be grant-ed, no matter how difficultit may be. Promise topublish the entire dia-logue with the conditionof having your requestgranted. Ca

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Southern CrossWord solutions

CLASSIFIEDSBirths • First Communion • Confirmation • Engagement/Marriage • Wedding anniversary •

ordination jubilee • Congratulations • Deaths • In memoriam • thanks • Prayers • accommoda-tion • Holiday accommodation • Personal • Services • Employment • Property • others

Please include payment (R1,15 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication.

Word of the WeekCharism: A grace or gift given by the Holy SpiritApplication: Religious orders each follow indi-vidual charisms: the intellectual charism of StThomas Aquinas; the monastic charism of StBenedict; the service of the poor charism of StVincent de Paul.

Family ReflectionsMay 22nd 5th Sunday of Easter. Our Royal Priest-hood. Peter describes all God’s people as a chosenrace, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation set apartto sing God’s praises. The task of a priest is offeringsacrifice and family life is a life of love and sacrificetoo. Living out our responsibilities and offering themas a sacrifice to God makes us into sharers in thepriesthood of Jesus. Make a habit of praying a dailyprayer of offering to God. “My God I offer to you allthe thoughts, words, actions, joys and sufferings ofthis day. May I love and serve you and all who passmy way today.”

Liturgical CalendarYear A

Sunday, May 22, 5th Sunday of EasterActs 6:1-7, Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19, 1 Peter 2:4-9,John 14:1-12Monday, May 23, feriaActs 14:5-18, Psalm 115:1-4, 15-16, John 14:21-26Tuesday, May 24, Dedication of the basilica of StFrancis of Assisi Revelation 21:1-5, Psalm 95:1-7, John 10:22-30Wednesday, May 25, Ss Bede, Gregory, MagdaleneActs 15:1-6, Psalm 122:1-5, John 15:1-8Thursday, May 26, St Philip NeriActs 15:7-21, Psalm 96:1-3,10,John 15:9-11Friday, May 27, St Augustine of CanterburyActs 15:22-31, Psalm 57:8-10, 12, John 15:12-17Saturday, May 28, feriaActs 16:1-10, Psalm 100:1-3,5, John 15:18-21Sunday, May 29, 6th Sunday of EasterActs 8:5-8, 14-17, Psalm 66:1-7,16,20,1 Peter 3:15-18,John 14:15-21

the Southern Cross, May 18 to May 24, 2011 11

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CAPE TOWN:

CWD craft market May 27,37a Somerset rd, GreenPoint, 17:30-22:30pm.

St Michael’s fundraising raceday at Kenilworth racecourse-r150 includes lunch andactivities. to support callDiane 082 872 9683 orantoinette 082 855 5372.

Holy Hour to pray for priestsof the archdiocese, 2nd Sat-urday monthly at Villa Mariashrine Kloof Nek rd, 16:00-17:00.

Good Shepherd, Bothasig.Perpetual Eucharistic adora-tion in our chapel. all hours.all welcome.

Day of Prayer held atSpringfield Convent startingat 10:00 ending 15:30 lastSaturday of every month—allwelcome. For more informa-tion contact Jane Hulley 021

790 1668 or 082 783 0331.

Holy Redeemer Bergvliet:Padre Pio prayer group,every 3rd Sunday of themonth.

DURBAN:

St Anthony’s, Durban Cen-tral: tuesday 09:00 Masswith novena to St anthony.First Friday 17:30 Mass—Divine Mercy novenaprayers. tel: 031 309 3496.

JOHANNESBURG:

Family walk talk—May 22,10:30. Start—la Salle CollegeDiscovery, roodepoort, finishSt John’s, Havenga Street,Florida Park. also May 29,11:30

Exposition of the BlessedSacrament: first Friday of themonth at 09:20 followed byHoly Mass at 10:30. HolyHour: first Saturday of eachmonth at 15:00. at our ladyof the angels, little Eden,Edenvale. tel: 011 609 7246..

PRETORIA:

First Saturday: Devotion toDivine Mercy. St Martin dePorres, Sunnyside, 16:30. telShirley-anne 012 361 4545.

Community CalendarTo place your event, call Claire Allen at 021 465 5007 or e-mail c.allen@scross.co.za, (publication subject to space)

Pope: Liturgical reform about changing people’s lives

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6th Sunday of Easter: May 29Readings: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17, Psalm 66: 1-7,16, 20, 1 Peter 3:15-18, John 14:15-21

THE Easter season is nearing its endnow; Ascension is celebrated on Thurs-day (for South Africa is a sensible

country that does not shift the feast to thenearest Sunday!), and in two weeks we shallbe celebrating the coming of the Holy Spir-it; so it is not surprising that the readingsfor next Sunday start to look at that Spirit. In the first reading , we see the Spirit’s

action in that Philip, not waiting at table,which is what he was appointed for, isinstead driven out by the persecution thatwas the aftermath of the death of Stephen,his fellow “deacon”. He ends up in Samaria, as the Lord had

predicted, back at the beginning of Acts,and the Spirit is evidently with him,because he performs “signs”: drives out“unclean spirits which shouted at the topsof their voices”, and cures “many who wereparalysed and lame”. So the Samaritans are duly impressed;

but what has happened needs to be validat-ed by the apostles in Jerusalem, so Peter andJohn are sent to pray over them, “that theymight receive the Holy Spirit; for it had notyet fallen upon them”. And the Spirit dulycomes upon them, though we are not toldwhat that means for them.The psalm for next Sunday makes a pos-

sible suggestion. If you have the Spirit, thenit is natural and right to “sing joyfully toGod, all the earth, play music to the gloryof his name”. That is what the Spiritenables us to do, and we hear the invitationto “come and see the works of God”. What the Spirit does is give us the gift to

see God at work: “Come and listen, and Ishall sing, you who fear God, what he hasdone for my life...bless God, who did notrefuse my prayer, nor take his steadfast lovefrom me.”In the second reading , from 1 Peter, we

are told another fruit of the Spirit: “Keepthe Lord Christ as holy in your hearts,ready to give your defence to anyone whoasks an account of the hope that is in you.”And they are to be ready for suffering, “forit is better to suffer when you do what isgood, if that is what the will of God wants,than when you do something bad”. And for

that we certainly need the Holy Spirit. Thencomes the reminder of why Christ died:“Once for all as a sin-offering...in order tolead you to God, put to death in the flesh,but made alive in the Spirit”. This Spirit issomething else again.And the Spirit, ofcourse, is what the gospel for next Sundayis speaking about. The gospel is taken from Jesus’ “Last

Supper Discourse”; he is talking, the nightbefore he died, to the tiny group of apostlesgathered with him for the last time. Overthem (and perhaps over you?) hangs thesad question, “how can we survive withoutJesus?” Happily, the answer is “you don’thave to”. And the name for the continuedpresence of Jesus is, of course “the HolySpirit”. How do you know when the Spirit is pre-

sent? Easy: “If you love me, you will keepmy commandments; and then I shall askthe Father, and he will give you anotherParaclete, that he may be with you forever.” And this “Paraclete” is given anothername, “the Spirit of Truth¸ which the worldcannot receive” (and we remember that theworld could not receive Jesus, either),“because it does not see the Spirit norrecognise it”.Jesus’ little group, however, is different:

“You recognise [the Spirit] because itremains by you, and will be among you.”Best of all, we hear the promise: “I am

not going to leave you as orphans—I amcoming to you.” And, even if the world isunable to see Jesus, “you people see me,because I live, and you are going to live”.And then Jesus’ followers, assisted by theSpirit, are going to understand what it is allabout: “On that day, you will recognise thatI am in my Father and you are in me and Iam in you.” Finally, in a sentence that we need to

spend the whole of this week pondering,comes a hint of what the Spirit can give us:“The one who has my commandments isthe one who loves me; and the one wholoves me will be loved by my Father, and Ishall love that person, and will revealmyself to that person.” The Spirit is something to celebrate, the

source of Christ’s unfailing presence, andthe condition of possibility of our keepingChrist’s commandments, as well as our con-tact with the one whom Jesus calls“Father”. Let us, this week, concentrate prayerfully

on who this Spirit is, and what the Spiritdoes. And may we notice the Spirit hard atwork in our lives.

Welcome the Holy Spirit into your life

Nicholas King SJ

Sunday reflections

CHURCH CHUCKLE

AFATHER was approached by his small son whotold him proudly: “I know what the Biblemeans!”

His father smiled and replied, “What do you mean,you ‘know’ what the Bible means?”“That’s easy, Daddy,” the young boy replied excit-

edly, “it stands for Basic Information Before LeavingEarth.”

Send us your favourite Catholic joke, preferably clean and brief, to

The Southern Cross, Church Chuckle, PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000.

Southern Crossword #445

DOWN1. Loathed (8)2. Given a penalty (5)4. Nationality of BlessedJohn Paul II (6)5. Brusquely trip employer(12)6. Severe and having noluxuries (7)7. Of times long ago (4)8. He represents the bishop(5,7)12. The marks of St Francisof Assisi (8)14. Tracer I find is not regu-lar (7)16. A cheap American Indi-an? (6)18. Find the old people ofthe Andes, in case (5)19. Could be King David’semblem (4)

ACROSS1. Take off your hat as youspeed off (4)3. Feast day of January 6 (8)9. It may tell the time on aclear day (7)10. Is he found getting upon the staircase? (5)11. Warm weather in lateautumn (6,6)13. Capacity to do your workwell (6)15. Join and give evidence attest (6)17. Carrying off in ecstasy(12)20. Your private teacher (5)21. Roman province whereTarsus was situated (Acts 21)(7)22. Remembered being sum-moned again? (8)23 . Caucasian conceals con-tinent (4)

SOMETHING for which I will forev-er be indebted to my long-sufferingparents was their ability to keep

completely straight faces when, at thetender age of eight, I decided to turnour regular half-hour evening rosaryinto a full blown “high Mass” in thestyle of the Vatican at its pomp andceremonious best. When a slightly older cousin came

to visit, that daily half-hour my familyspent reciting the rosary turned into aperiod of intense self-restraint andinner battles against giggling. One evening, after a particularly dis-

ruptive half hour, my mother told usthat the only way she could think ofstopping our incessant giggling was tomake us lead the rosary. We accepted the challenge, because

in those days misbehaviour usuallyresulted in a clip on the ear from myfather, and in the interest of not goingdeaf before we had a chance to reachpuberty, we were as anxious as mymother to seek some form of solution. We discussed our plan of action the

following morning and decided thatperhaps it would be a good idea toactually look the part. So, we raidedmy mother and sister’s wardrobes andfound some dark flannel nighties, notquite black but close enough to be usedas cassocks. Being altar servers we knew all about

vestments and by chance my cousinhad brought his surplice home fromchurch to have some unidentifiable

stains removed, so he was all set. I had to manufacture one out of a

white T-shirt that I had to wear insideout because it would not have beenappropriate to say the rosary with “MyParents Went Skiing In Obergurgl AndAll I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt”emblazoned across my chest. We decided that since we were

dressed for the occasion, we might aswell go the whole hog. So we fetchedsome cardboard boxes and an oldkitchen door from the storeroom andraided the linen cupboard for a whitetable-cloth and serviettes. Flowerscame from the garden and we got agolf trophy my father had won recent-ly to use as a chalice. Wine came from a half bottle of

medium cream sherry, and sufficienthosts for the family “communion”from a box of Corn Flakes. Everything was set up by midday

and we used the intervening six orseven hours to modify and add to our“chapel” with such enthusiasm andvigour that by 7pm the room lookedlike a cross between the side chapel ofa Russian Orthodox cathedral and aHollywood starlet’s coming out party.

My cousin and I concelebrated theservice which started with the rosaryand all went very well indeed. We wereconcentrating so hard on the job athand that we had no time to giggle.I must say that in spite of being so

young, we took things very seriously,and in hindsight there was absolutelyno vestige of mockery or levity. Neverbefore had we been quite so pious andwell-meaning. But we were also enjoying every

minute, and when rosary ended andthe family started to get up off theirknees and head for supper, my cousinannounced that “Mass” would now fol-low. So we said “Mass”, in Latin, and

gave thanks to those kindly Fathers atthe monastery parish in Pretoria whohad gone to so much pain to teach usthe proper responses at altar servers’practice. The family remained straight-faced

throughout. We did notice that quiteoften they had their heads buried intheir hands, but we just assumed thatthey were devout. We were told onlymany years later that they were desper-ately trying to stop giggling. But we were on a roll. “Mass” ended

and on we went to benediction, hastilycrafting a monstrance out of a tennisracquet and bottle top. An hour and a half after starting, we

were about to bring this Catholic ver-sion of Herman Charles Bosman’sBekkersdal Marathon to a dignified endwhen my cousin lost the plot com-pletely and destroyed what would havebeen a deeply meaningful, religiousexperience by announcing that wewould now proceed to the bathroomwhere my 17-year-old sister would bebaptised by full immersion. My sister chased him into the gar-

den and the last we saw was a ghastlyvision of a 12-year-old boy in a nightiehaving his backside kicked the lengthand breath of the front lawn by anirate teenage girl intent on doing griev-ous bodily harm. The next day my cousin and I decid-

ed that rel igious l i fe was far too dangerous.

Our homemade mass endedon a violent note

Chris Moerdyk

the last Word

Conrad

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