OCTOBER 21, 2012, Vol 62, No 21

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www.catholicnews.sg SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

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ARCHBISHOP’S MESSAGE FOR WORLD MISSION SUNDAY (OCT 21)

VOL 62

NO. 21

INSIDE HOME Reaching out to poor for 50 years SVDP members honoured for service „ Page 2

“Called to radiate the Word of truth� (Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei, n. 6)

Preparing to be church guides

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

cant this year as it coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the opening of the Year of Faith, which has as its theme “New Evangelization�. cation to spreading the Gospel with even greater zeal and courage. Evangelisation is still valid today with the number of those who do not know Christ growing. Pope Benedict XVI places the Church’s missionary nature at the centre of ecclesiology. “Today as in the past, Christ sends us through the highways of the world to proclaim his Gospel to all the peoples of the earth� (Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei, n. 7.) Entrusted with this missionary mandate, we must take up with urgent stride and apostolic zeal, the duty of proclaiming the Word of God to those who do not yet know Him. Through the actions of missionaries, the proclamation of the Gospel becomes much more – intervention on behalf of one’s neighbour, justice for the poorest, the possibility of education in the most remote villages, medical aid in isolated places, emancipation from poverty, rehabilitation of the marginalised, the overcoming of ethnic divisions, and the respect and support for the development of all people. Our personal encounter with Christ All humanity hungers and thirsts for Christ – the living bread and the water. To be effective messengers of God demands however that we Gospel of Jesus. Indeed, one of the major obstacles to evangelisation is the personal crisis of faith. Fundamentally our personal encounter with Christ must be our basis for evangelising. It is the joy of the Lord’s presence and the desire to make ! " that propels us with renewed energy.

Nativity parishioners take up course „ Page 4

School broadcast station launched Holy Innocents students learn to be DJs „ Page 5

‘Pray well to sing well’ Renowned conductor gives tips to choirs

We must take up with urgent stride the duty of proclaiming the Word of God to those who do not yet know Him. # $ " ! % " and foremost a gift and a mystery which must be welcomed and shared. It is a talent received so that it may bear fruit; it is a light that must never be hidden, but must illuminate the whole house. It is the most important gift which has been made to us in our lives and which we cannot keep to ourselves. The core of the proclamation is always the same: that Christ died and rose for the world’s salvation, God’s absolute love for every man

and every woman that resulted in Him sending His Only-Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus, who redeemed the world from sin and death by the offering of Himself on the Cross. Daily renewal Our enthusiasm for communicating the faith & es of an increasingly changing world. A New Evangelisation will bear fruit in communities and countries losing their reference to God only if we can reawaken in them the joy of believing. The drive to evangelise must never remain on the margins of ecclesial activity and in the personal life of Christians. Rather, it must strongly characterise it, strong in the awareness that they are missionaries of the Gospel and that those who receive the Word are those for whom the Gospel is intended. „ Continued on page 5

„ Page 7

ASIA ‘Forced’ to attend govt classes Shanghai’s priests, nuns made to attend sessions „ Page 10

THE MISSION A look at missionary work by S’pore Catholics „ Pages 20-21

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Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Serving SSVP for 50 years Two Society of St Vincent de Paul members receive awards for their half century of service By Yvonne Choy % " \ # " & ] < M

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Mr Benedict Goh (above) was one of two Society of St Vincent de Paul members who received a 50-year Long Service award from Archbishop Chia. The other was Mr Joseph Francis.

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Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Celebration of culture, diversity on Migrant Sunday It was a colourful cultural celebration as more than 300 migrants gathered at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour to mark Migrant Sunday. The church was festooned with banners, balloons and nation € K & { Chia, together with six chaplains serving foreigners, celebrated the special Mass on Sept 30. It began with an entrance procession of migrants dressed in their national costumes, and holding candles and their countries’ € / Later, the prayers of the faithful were read in Malay, Burmese, Malayalam, Mandarin, Sinhalese, Tagalog, Tamil and Thai, while > € overhead. During the offertory, gifts such as Indonesian batik, Filipino cassava cake and Thai fruit carvings were brought up. _ " K & Chia said that widespread migration today offers an opportunity for the proclamation of the Gospel to non-Catholics. He urged Singaporean Catholics to “be examples to others in our attitudes and behaviour towards migrants�. “We must live out the Golden Rule each day and treat others the way we ourselves would want to be treated,� he said. K & K sion for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People MK _Q parishes to start their own migrant ministries in the coming months. The cultural concert in the church hall which followed saw enthusiastic participation from both performers and audience. “Khop khun kha! Terima „ „ { „ Bohoma istuti!� the people chimed in after each group’s presentation. These included country and western numbers from local favourites Matthew and the Mandarins, a fan dance from southern Thailand, a modern interpretation of the Balinese dance, a Filipino “back to the 80s� number, a Tamil comedy mime drama and a Sri Lankan street dance item. “I’m very happy that I took part in the Migrant Sunday celebration and represented the Vietnamese group to carry the candle and offertory item,� said Vietnamese Catholic housewife Mary Thao. She added that she was grate K _ % ers in Singapore. “We enjoyed very much

Filipinos perform a ‘back to the 80s’ number during the Migrant Sunday celebration at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.

Myanmar nuns pose for a photo with Archbishop Chia.

watching the presentations ‌ from various countries, with lively and joyful dances and songs,�

$ = { " a Myanmar nun from the congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph K / “The whole programme showed that the differences in cultures do not separate us but rather enrich us deeply. It showed unity in diversity in God’s loving family.� Mr Leong Tian Siong, a Ma-

laysian accountant who has been working in Singapore for four years, said, “I could see all the migrants sharing their own cultures ˆ _ & everyone to know and accept each other.� Special guests who attended the Migrant Sunday celebration included the Philippine and Sri Lankan ambassadors, the Thai Minister Counsellor and a senior deputy director from Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower. „

Thai women with their offertory gift.

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Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Archbishop sends congratulatory message to new Anglican bishop

Nativity parishioners learn to be church guides

Rt Rev Rennis Ponniah has been appointed the 9th Anglican Bishop of Singapore Dear Bishop Rennis Ponniah, On behalf of the Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations upon your appointment as the 9th Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Singapore. We pray for God’s rich blessings upon you as you prepare to lead the Anglican Diocese of Singapore and are con strides towards further enhancing inter-religious friendship, unity and goodwill between our faiths. Together with the Anglican community, we would like spreading our universal message of love, faith and hope. We have particularly ben vancing congenial CatholicAnglican relations through active promotion of ecumenism and appreciate your fervent leadership of prayer services during the annual Christian Unity Week of Prayer as vicar of St. John’s–St. Margaret’s church.

Volunteer guide Gertrude Tan giving advice to Nativity Church parishioners on how to conduct tours of their historic church for visitors. The installation service for Rt Rev Rennis Ponniah is scheduled for Oct 20.

We look forward to working closely with you towards furthering our strong relationship and good ties with the Anglican community as you continue to act as a catalyst for greater inter-religious cohesion and the harmony in our multi-religious and multi-racial society. Yours in Christ,

Archbishop Nicholas Chia

By Darren Boon Some 90 parishioners of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary learnt how to lead guided tours of their church recently, thanks to the Preservation of Monuments Board (PMB). On the weekends of Sept 2930 and Oct 6-7, volunteer PMB guides conducted seven hour-long educational tours of the historic Hougang church to help participants lead similar tours for visitors. According to PMB director Jean Wee, her organisation came to learn of the church’s 160th anniversary celebrations this year, and “the tours were initiated by

PMB as our contribution to national monuments celebrating important anniversaries�. Nativity Church is one gazetted monument. Other Catholic churches also gazetted as national monuments are the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, St Joseph’s

The educational that the Preservation Monuments Board has organised for a monument’s anniversary.

Church (Victoria St), Church of Sts Peter and Paul, Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, and Church of St Teresa. Ms Wee told CatholicNews that the educational tours “are the x < [ monument’s anniversary. One of the tours was conducted by Ms Gertrude Tan, a Catholic. She told participants there are three areas they can share with visitors. These are the role the church has played in Singapore’s history and how it contributed to education for residents in the area, interesting personalities and stories surrounding the church, and the church’s unique art and architecture. Parish priest Fr Henry Siew said that there will be further training for those who will eventually be church guides. The parish will be adding a “religious dimension� to the training, Fr Siew said. “Whenever there are groups of visitors, they [the trained parishioners] will be called upon to play host.� Parishioners who attended the tours said they found it useful and informative. Madam Jenny Lim, who took notes during the tour, said she does not mind becoming a guide for the church as she is “quite interested in sharing�. Another parishioner, Alice Cheong, who is with the Mandarin RCIA ministry, said the session has helped her to be more ” the church from those attending the RCIA programme. The Preservations of Monuments Board is holding a tour titled Mission Possible on Oct 27, which would cover St Joseph’s Church (Victoria St), Church of Sts Peter and Paul and Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. Go to http:// www.pmb.sg/?page_id=1303 for more information. darren.boon@catholic.org.sg

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Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Holy Innocents pupils put broadcast skills into practice School launches broadcast station as it celebrates 120th anniversary Holy Innocents’ High School was abuzz recently when its broadcast

" _ ' K " cially launched by celebrity DJ, Violet Fenying, of Love 97.2FM. The event took place during the school’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebration on Sept 14, and saw Sec Two students from the school’s Journalism and Broadcast enrichment programme showing off their talents. One student interviewed Chinese-language DJ Fenying, who gave tips on how to be an outstanding DJ. Other Chinese-language student broadcast DJs showed off their skills as well to the crowd comprising students, staff, parents, alumni and the school’s partners in the media and mass communication sector. Visitors were also given the opportunity to give their “maiden broadcast� with HIHS On Air. The Journalism and Broadcast enrichment programme, launched in January, is a 20-session programme involving 100 students in Sec Two. It provides students with skills in DJ broadcasting, journalism, publicity and performance. To allow students to put into practice what they have learnt, the school set up in July its own broadcast station, HIHS On Air, which broadcasts over the school’s sound system. Since then, students have held regular Wednesday morning broadcasts in Chinese before school starts. These include song dedications, interviews, talk shows, fashion updates and news reporting. Staff and students in the English Language, Malay Language, History and Science departments have also conducted short broadcasts to reach out to the student population. The enrichment programme not only teaches students to express themselves clearly, it also helps them learn how to use microphones, monitor their posture on stage, apply journalism skills during inter% % U / Students taking the progamme shared their dreams with CatholicNews. Su Zhi Ying said she hopes to join Mediacorp and

help build a caring and loving society. Another student, Wang Zi An, wants to inspire others to pursue their dreams of becoming DJs. The launch of HIHS On Air and the Journalism and Broadcast programme take place as the school celebrates its 120th anniversary this year. The highlight of the celebrations was a musical, I am Special – The HIstory, staged in the school hall on April 14. The production took the audience back in time to the school’s humble beginnings as a village school, set up in 1892 by missionaries from the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It also portrayed the challenges of World War II, and the various changes the school underwent ending in its present-day campus located in Hougang Central. Over the years, the school transitioned from a Chinese-medium boys’ school offering classes from primary to pre-university levels, to an English-medium coeducational high school providing secondary education. The school will hold its 120th anniversary Mass in the school’s Chapel of the Holy Innocents on Nov 17 at 6pm, followed by a dinner in the school hall. Tickets at $100 can be purchased at the 6283-3381 to make reservations. „

Students of Holy Innocents’ High School in the 1950s.

Above: A student interviews DJ Violet Fenying (third from left) as principal Soh Lai Leng (second from left) and alumni vice-chairperson Verlyn Neo look on. Left: Musical on the school’s history.

Holy Innocents’ High School today.

‘The world still needs missionaries’ „ From page 1 Proclamation is our duty and the expression of ultimate communion The world is still in need of missionaries. “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!� said the Apostle Paul (1 Cor 9:16). This quote has a strong resonance for every Christian and for every Christian community in the world. “Mission aware-

ness� should be a dimension of each of our lives. Every year priests, men and women Religious from every part of the world, laypeople and even entire families leave their countries and their local communities and go to other Churches to bear witness to and to proclaim the Name of Jesus Christ. It is an expression of profound communion – sharing and promoting charity among the Churches, so that every man and

woman may listen again to the saving proclamation and approach the sacraments that are the very source of true life. Dear brothers and sisters, we pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, so that God’s grace may empower us to do His Work. Together with our Blessed Pope, I would like to pray: “O Lord, accompany your missionaries in the lands to be evangelised, put the right words on their lips

and make their labours fruitful.� May the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and Star of Evangelisation, accompany all Gospel missionaries. „ Yours sincerely,

Archbishop Nicholas Chia

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Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Reaching out to needy kids CHIJ (Kellock) students helped provide some educational fun to underprivileged children By Don Gurugay CHIJ (Kellock) students helped organise games and activities for underprivileged children at Universal Studios Singapore. The primary school, together with Business Times and The Arts House, organised the Oct 4 outing for 1,255 children under the Education Ministry’s Financial Assistance Scheme called Children for Children. The event, held on the eve of Children’s Day, had the theme My World, My Adventure. Prior to it, CHIJ students put together an “adventure pack� for the children containing a clapper, poncho, water bottle and “passport�. The “passport� was used by % " resenting different regions of the world, where the CHIJ students would help them with games and activities. After visiting each station,

the children had their “passports� stamped. Later, some 100 CHIJ students put on dance performances at a nearby theatre. The young audience then went on to enjoy the amusement rides in Universal Studios. Many told CatholicNews they enjoyed themselves. So did the CHIJ students. Primary Five student Alissa Tong shared: “I think it was an enriching experience because not everyone has the opportunity to volunteer to help underprivileged children and bring smiles to their faces.� Elisha Tindoy her classmate quipped, “It’s not every day you can make a difference in other people’s life. After all, it is Children’s Day.� Teacher Nur Huda told CatholicNews that the whole preparation took about two months. “Each item in the

CHIJ (Kellock) students helping disadvantaged children with games.

Some of the items in the ‘adventure pack’.

adventure pack means something. For example, the clapper is meant to celebrate success in your life ‌ We can see that they are very happy to get the adventure packs and to be here today.â€? According to CHIJ (Kellock) principal Clara Lim-Tan, Children for Children “is a very powerful learning experience for our pupils. It provides a wonderful opportunity for values like empathy and compassion to be put into actionâ€?. % year the school has taken part in the Children for Children project.

“Children’s Day has taken on quite a different meaning for pupils at CHIJ (Kellock),â€? said Mrs Lim-Tan. “They no longer view it as just another school holiday.â€? The girls now see it as “an opportunity ‌ to do something special and meaningful for others, particularly children from less privileged backgroundsâ€?, said Mrs Lim-Tan. Mr Chan Chun Sing, Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports was the guest of honour at the event. „

From left: El Shaddai founder Mariano Velarde speaking at the event, the Manila Gospel Choir leading in praise and worship, and participants at the celebration.

Filipinos pack sports hall to mark El Shaddai anniversary By Martin See Some 3,000 people, mostly Filipinos, packed the Toa Payoh Sports Hall on Oct 7 to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the El Shaddai movement in Singapore. The full day event included a Mass; a talk by Mr Mariano Zuniega Velarde, the Philippines-based Charismatic movement’s founder; and lively praise and worship from the Manila Gospel Choir. Mr Verlarde, in his one-and-a-halfhour message in Tagalog and English, spoke about faith, believing the Word of God and practising what the Bible says. Mr Verlarde, popularly known as Broth-

er Mike, cited Bible verses and encouraged the crowd to grow in their faith. Prior to his talk, Indonesian priest Fr Gerardus Suyono, Filipino priest Fr Romeo Yu Chang and Singaporean priest Fr Michael Sitaram celebrated Mass. Fr Romeo gave his homily in Tagalog and stressed the importance of married couples being strong in their faith. Fr Sitaram and Fr Suyono then put on a skit illustrating the theme. In a light-hearted dialogue, they shared how a faithful prayer life is instrumental in keeping a marriage alive. Participants gave faith testimonies during the event and participated in the praise and worship led by members of the Manila

Gospel Choir, part of the El Shaddai movement in the Philippines. Altar servers from Blessed Sacrament Church also put on a musical presentation on the life of 17-year-old Filipino martyr, Blessed Pedro Calungsod, who is to be canonised on Oct 21. “I’m happy to be in the El Shaddai community,� Ms Gemma Paclar, a Filipino parishioner of Blessed Sacrament Church who has been living in Singapore for 10 years, told CatholicNews. “I knew about El Shaddai from the Philippines in 2001.� El Shaddai started in the Philippines in 1984 and now has millions of members worldwide. The Singapore chapter started

with just seven members who met under a tree near the Cathedral of the Good Shep *ZZ8/ formed the following year and held meetings at the Church of Sts Peter and Paul with about 200 regular members. Today, about 600 regular members meet at Blessed Sacrament Church each Sunday from 12.30pm-4.30pm. Mass is also celebrated. The group also conducts prayer meetings and Bible study on weekdays. Additional reporting: ROWENA AMIT JUBELAG

For more information on El Shaddai in Singapore, call 6474-0741. „ martin.see@catholic.org.sg

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Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Pray well in order to sing well This was the message renowned conductor Chris Walker gave at a music workshop By Martin See Church choir members have to be people of prayer before they can sing God’s praises effectively, internationally-renowned lecturer, composer and conductor Christopher Walker told participants at a music workshop. “A choir is not just a social group, it is a powerful instrument for God to do the work He wants us to do,� he said during the Oct 4-7 workshop at Church of St Mary of the Angels. Some 500 people, mostly from parish choirs in the West District, attended the programme. Members of the music ministry from Church of Divine Mercy, St Joseph Church (Bukit Timah), Church of the Holy Family, Novena Church and Church of St Anthony also attended. Walker, who is based in the US, said that Mass is attended by a wide variety of people. Hence the music has to be thoughtfully selected, well sung and related to the liturgy of the Word so as to be able to reach out to people in meaningful ways.

His advice to choir members is to take the time to “connect with the text� they are about to sing. “That is done by looking at that relates to their lives, then place,� he said. “Don’t sing in monotone but place emphasis on the words,� he said. He also shared some good habits choirs can imbibe, such as sharing God’s Word, praying together before choir rehearsals and going through the Mass readings of the week. [ growing spiritually, the choir’s music can transform lives, he said. It is important that the music ministry, especially the choir, sings well so that the congregation can actively participate and be in communion with one other, he added. He explained that a music minister is to be a servant of the Lord and to be in His service either as a choir member, cantor or musician. Throughout the three days,

Choir members should take time to ‘connect with the text’ they are about to sing. – A tip from Christopher Walker (left)

Walker also conducted practical sessions and gave tips on singing techniques for the different liturgical seasons.

Mr Charles Chan, a choir leader from St Mary of the Angels, said he found what Walker shared useful.

“What I heard in the workshops has refreshed my understanding [of] the music ministry, like being adequately prepared technically and spiritually,� he said. “Chris Walker is able to integrate music with the Church’s teachings with his sense of humour and personal experience,� said Mr Chan. “Some things he said we are already doing, but I think it’s about how we can do it better.� Walker told CatholicNews that he was “extremely impressed with the singing ability and enthusiasm� of the participants. „ With additional reporting by freelancers martin.see@catholic.org.sg

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Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

New IJ Village to serve more disadvantaged kids Ms Teo Poh Choo (centre) will be one of the six senior residents at the new IJ Village. With her are Mr Ow Chee Kin and Ms Susan Leen from IJHCC. Artist’s impression of the IJ Village to be located at Ang Mo Kio.

By Martin See A special centre catering to disadvantaged children and teenagers, called the IJ Village, is expected & ” of 2013. The $4.5-million project of the Infant Jesus Homes and Children’s Centres (IJHCC) is expected to serve the needs of up to 160 young people, double that served by its three present centres. IJHCC runs the Infant Jesus Centre, which has a residential facility for children, and the Galilee Centre and Oasis at Clementi Primary School, both of which provide day care for children (see other story). The IJ Village, to be located at K 9 " & ” house disadvantaged children and teenagers from about three to 16 years old, IJHCC management committee chairman, Mr Ow Chee Kin told CatholicNews. Unlike its Infant Jesus Centre

which can accommodate children only till they complete PSLE or when they about 12, the new centre offers “continuity and permanenceâ€? till the children complete secondary school if their parents are not ready to take them in yet, said Mr Ow. The new centre has residential facilities for up to 30 children. The Infant Jesus Centre can accommodate only 11. However, the IJ Village is not looking to replace any of its other centres but rather to offer more facilities and services. According to Ms Susan Leen, _\ % " IJ Village will provide a stable environment with learning support programmes and skills enhancement activities that kids from the other IJHCC centres can also utilise. These include a performing arts and dance studio, a pottery room, a training kitchen and a cafĂŠ. ^[ ! learning activitiesâ€? to help them

learn “respect, service and other ” & prepare them for adulthood�, she said. The IJ Village, to be built on the grounds of the former Infant Jesus Home in Ang Mo Kio, will also accommodate six senior resi-

The IJ Village will have a performing arts and dance studio, a pottery room, a training kitchen and a cafĂŠ.

dents from that home. They were left with the home as orphans or were abandoned by their parents. Some of been have been with the home since the 1930s. One resident, Ms Teo Poh Choo, 63, shared: “I’m grateful for the IJ Sisters for providing me accommodation and the chance to work at St Nicholas Convent.� She was abandoned as a child by her parents and is wheelchairbound as she suffers from polio. Ms Teo lived with and was educated by the Canossian Sisters in their schools since the age of seven. She was later cared for by the Infant Jesus Sisters.

Ms Teo had worked as an administrative assistant, and also as a clerk at St Nicholas Girls’ School. According to IJHCC, some $3 million have already been raised for the IJ Village. Another $1.5 million is needed. Those who wish to donate may write a cheque out to IJHCC and mail it to Blk 641, Ang Mo Kio Ave 4, #01-800 Singapore 560641. For online donations, go to www.sggives.org, click Search & Donate to Charities and select IJHCC. „ martin.see@catholic.org.sg

IJHCC CENTRES Galilee Centre Galilee Centre serves children and families in the Ang Mo Kio area. It provides essential daycare services and programmes for children aged three to 13 backgrounds. Location: Blk 641, Ang Mo Kio Ave 4, #01-800 Singapore 560641. Tel: 6454-0528, email: gcijhcc@singnet.com.sg

Children at the Galilee Centre

Infant Jesus Centre The Infant Jesus Centre provides disadvantaged children aged three to 13 years a nurturing, caring, secure and educative environment where life skills are taught and character building is emphasised. The centre has residential care and “out-of-school hours� programmes.

Location: Blk 422, Clementi Ave 3, #03-99 Singapore 120442 Tel: 6777-3893, email: ijhcc1@singnet.com.sg The Oasis at Clementi Primary School This out-of-school hours programme, a collaboration with

Clementi Primary School, caters to students from low income families. It provides social, emotional and academic support to students from this school. Location: 8 Clementi Ave 3, Singapore 129903. Tel: 67736063, email: ijoasis@singnet. com.sg „

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Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Marking 11 years as archbishop SINGAPORE – More than 800 laypeople, Religious, priests and seminarians gathered at the Catholic Spirituality Centre (CSC) on Oct 7 to celebrate Archbishop Nicholas Chia’s 11th anniversary as archbishop. During the Mass that he celebrated with five priests, he thanked God for His graces over the past 11 years. Archbishop Chia also explained that he chose Oct 7, the Feast of the Holy Rosary, for his episcopal ordination date as Mary was “the one who understood the mystery of salvation� best. He urged those present to pray the rosary, adding that it will help them appreciate their faith better during the Year of Faith. During the celebration, CSC spiritual director Fr William Goh presented Archbishop Chia with a “spiritual bouquet� – a special card on which is written the kind of spiritual support that people have given him. It includes 1,188 Masses, 1,844 rosary prayers, 433 Divine Mercy chaplets, fasting, prayer vigils and intercessions from CSC members and other Catholics. Prior to the Mass, CSC members held an overnight prayer vigil from midnight on Saturday, Sept 30, to 5.30am the following day to pray for the Church and the archbishop’s intentions.

Above: Archbishop views people’s well wishes.

Archbishop Nicholas Chia cutting a cake commemorating his anniversary as archbishop during a celebration at the Catholic Spirituality Centre.

An hour of intercession for the archbishop was held just before the Mass. The archbishop later cut a special cake marking his episcopal ordination and received congratulations from those present. „ Contributed by CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY CENTRE

National Geographic story links Philippine priest to ivory smuggling WASHINGTON – A National Geographic magazine cover story identifies a Philippine Catholic priest accused of sexual abuse in the United States as fuelling his country’s illegal trade in ivory. In the course of his research for the October issue, writer Bryan Christy learned that Msgr Cristobal Garcia, director of worship for the Archdiocese of Cebu, Philippines, had been accused of child sex abuse more than two decades ago but was still serving in priestly ministry. Christy said he was “surprised�. The article highlights Msgr Garcia’s extensive ivory religious icon collection and quotes him giving tips on how to smuggle ivory into the Philippines. It also included details of the sexual abuse complaint against him from the 1980s, when he served as a Dominican priest in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He was expelled from the Dominicans and returned to the Philippines. In a statement on Sept 26, Cebu archdiocese said the Vati-

can had been looking into the sexual abuse complaints against Msgr Garcia “long before the [ivory trade] controversy erupted�. ^_ % See’s instructions regarding submission of documents and acting upon related consequences,� Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said in the statement. At a news conference the same day, a diocesan official said the Vatican had ordered Msgr Garcia suspended from priestly ministry months ago while he is investigated on the charges. “Let it be made clear that the Church supports the ban on ivory as it is consistent with her doctrine on stewardship of creation,� the archbishop’s statement said. “The Church does not condone ivory smuggling or other illegal activities, although in the past, ivory was one of the materials used in the adornment of liturgical worship.� „ CNS „ See letter on Page 18

Left: Catholics offer congratulations.

10 ASIA

Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Shanghai’s priests, nuns forced to attend government classes SHANGHAI – Priests and nuns in Shanghai diocese have been forced to attend “study classes� imposed by Chinese authorities, say observers. This is believed to be in response to the new Shanghai auxiliary bishop’s renunciation of the Catholic Patriotic Association. In September, approximately 80 diocesan priests and 80 nuns of the Our Lady of Presentation Congregation were divided into three groups to take three days of classes at the Shanghai Institute of Socialism, reported the Asian Church news agency, ucanews.com. Classes lasted 12 hours each day and included university professors lecturing about strengthening the sense of duty toward China, the law and the principle of Church independence, ucanews.com reported. The main subjects included state-religion relations, the Communist Party’s religious concepts, policies and regulations, the socialist core value system and economic development in China, it said.

Government authorities made nuns and priests of Shanghai diocese attend study classes, apparently in retaliation against Auxiliary Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin (left) announcing that he was quitting the Catholic Patriotic Association.

A priest who requested anonymity told ucanews.com that all priests and nuns obeyed directives given by the diocese, so the classes ran smoothly. ˜ and district levels sat in throughout the classes, he said.

Auxiliary Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin, 45, quit the government-approved Catholic Patriotic Association during his ordination on July 7. Since then, he has been in “retreat� at the Sheshan Seminary with a “certain degree of freedom�, sources told ucanews. com. The priest said he thought % cise Bishop Ma’s episcopal ordination during the classes but they did not. “Anyhow, it is understood that the so-called study classes were to counter the ordination,� the priest said. “The classes were very strict. No one was allowed to miss them. We had to take an exam on religious regulations and policies and write an account on what we learned at the end,� he said. „ CNS

ASIA 11

Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Caritas helps villagers rebuild lives AMMAYWALA VEHRA, PAKISTAN – When last year’s mon-

their homes.

soon rains struck Pakistan, they did so with dramatic and disastrous effect. “It rained as if the sky had opened,� says Ms Martha Masih, who lives in the village of Ammaywala Vehra, near the border with India. “We were inside when the whole house caved in. I quickly

% U U & & and a log struck me on my back. The hearth shattered, spilling the € /x After an hour’s frantic digging, Ms Masih and her three children were pulled out by her neighbours. Among other injuries, she had sustained seconddegree burns on her foot from the coals. She was rushed to hospital, where she recovered. But the troubles were only beginning for her and some of the villagers. With their dwellings destroyed, they spent a full year in tents provided by the local parish priest. But their plights started to change recently when a team from Caritas Pakistan Lahore spotted the plight of Ms Masih and 33 other families. “We were assessing villages affected by the latest monsoon rains when these vulnerable lo-

cals asked for help,� says Caritas coordinator Rojar Noor Alam. “We wanted them to own their places so we encouraged them to build the foundations themselves.� Even with one foot still in bandages, Ms Masih was eager to take on the task, as were the others. They set about shifting and laying the bricks and concrete blocks for the foundations. “The organisation will provide the construction materials step by step, right up until the ceilings are completed,� Mr Rojar says. With work progressing quickly, all the foundations have now been laid for the 21-sq-m oneroom houses. Caritas recently

– Caritas coordinator

! " # $

supplied the materials for the next stage of the project. This partnership between Caritas and local people is being replicated elsewhere. In Mahalam Kalan, another rain-affected community, reconstruction is in full swing, with the village’s St Peter’s Church the centre of operations. The hardships are not over. Like others, Ms Masih and her family have had to keep the cement bags inside their small tent, which already contains a bicycle and a bedstead, in case of more rain. But her concerns for the safety of children are over. “Those were tough times,� she says. “Hopefully they won’t happen again.� „ UCANEWS.COM

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Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

A ‘balanced sentence’ VATICAN CITY – “It’s a good sentence, a balanced sen-

tence� Ms Cristiana Arru, lawyer for the papal butler, told reporters after the court verdict on him was read on Oct 6. A three-judge panel of Vatican jurists found Paolo Gabriele guilty of aggravated theft and sentenced him to 18 months in jail for his role in leaking private papal cor % Ms Arru said that the authorities would take him back to his Vatican apartment under house arrest. Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told reporters Pope Benedict XVI was informed of the results of the trial immediately and was studying the matter. The spokesman said he believed it was likely the pope would pardon Gabriele, although he had no idea when that would occur. The verdict was read by the president of the threejudge panel Giuseppe Dalla Torre, just two hours after % „ CNS

& '"*+ $ / 3 $ 4 7 $ 4 7/ % session of his trial in a courtroom at the Vatican on Oct 6. CNS photo

Sri Lankan cardinal against tourist projects NEGOMBO, SRI LANKA

– Sri

Lanka “needs development� but must focus on “its people’s welfare, and respect everyone’s dignity, rights and liberty�, said Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka. “By contrast, making decisions on people’s backs will not turn it into the ‘Marvel of Asia,’� he said. During a press conference at the Cardinal Cooray Educational

in the area of tourism, to turn Sri Lanka into the “Marvel of Asia� with resorts and luxury hotels. The goal is to attract 2.6 million tourists and billions of rupees by 2016. However, the projects were given to multinational corporations without any input from local residents. The latter at best ! & resorts, after having their property seized and their rights apparently violated. " ^ € -

The cardinal called on the government to review its tax policies, slamming choices that favour multinationals at the expense of people and nature. – Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka (left)

Bangladeshi court orders protection of religious sites DHAKA, BANGLADESH – The Bangladeshi Supreme Court on Oct 3 ordered the Home Ministry and police chief to increase security around houses of worship across the country, after a series of attacks on Buddhist and Hindu communities. The violence in southeastern Chittagong and Cox’s Bazaar districts on Sept 29 and 30, allegedly over a photo posted by a Buddhist on Facebook of a burning Qur’an, left 19 temples, 100 homes and several shops burnt to the ground. “The constitution of the country ensures the security of every citizen and protects religious freedom. Recent violence against minorities shows how vulnerable they are, and they need protection,� said Supreme Court lawyer Mr Yunus Ali Akand, a Muslim who petitioned the court for the ruling. He added that the government was continuously failing to

tial people are using the lagoon as a dumping ground for waste,� said one priest, Fr Pradeep Chaminda. This and the destruction of the mangroves are causing huge damages to the local ecosystem. If it continues, “the livelihoods of as many as 4,000 families could be jeopardised�, the priest said. “There is a sense that there is % ermen, young people and children,� said another priest, Fr Terrance Bodiyabaduge. „ ASIANEWS

’

– Supreme Court lawyer Mr Yunus Ali Akand, a Muslim who petitioned the court for the ruling

protect the rights of minorities. Earlier this year there were two major hate attacks against Hindu communities, in southeastern Chittagong in February and northwestern Dinajpur in September. Dozens of Hindu temples and homes were burnt down by Muslim mobs. Radical Islamists were blamed for orchestrating the violence, and some have been charged in court.

The court also ordered authorities to explain within a week why law enforcement failed to stop the violence more quickly. Fr Tapan De Rozario, a Catholic diocesan priest and professor of World Religion at Dhaka University welcomed the court directives, but said that sustaining religious harmony is the best protection against violence. “With the court order I hope the administration will be more sincere now, but the real protection is supposed to come from the heart,� said Fr Rozario. Muslims make up about 90 percent of Bangladesh’s 152 million people, and the majority practise a moderate form of Islam. However, in 2001 the country began to see a sharp rise in militantdriven violence, when religious minorities, especially Hindus, came under a series of attacks. „ UCANEWS.COM

Filipinos clamour against cybercrime law MANILA – CEAP, the Catholic

Centre in Negombo on Oct 4, the prelate called on the government to review its tax policies, slamming choices that favour multinationals at the expense of people and nature, especially in Negombo Lagoon (Central Province), the area most affected by the rush towards development, known as Little Rome because its inhabitants are predominantly Catholic / In 2011, President Mahinda Rajapaksa launched a series of development projects, especially

‘

The constitution of the country ensures the security of every citizen and protects religious freedom.

Educational Association of the Philippines, on Oct 8 called on the government to heed calls for an amendment of a newly-enacted cybercrime law. The Supreme Court suspended the laws the following day after *1 / CEAP which represents 1,252 Catholic universities and colleges, said in a statement that some provisions of the law violate the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of expression and speech, and “transgress our right to privacy�.

“We are wary that this law, while intending to combat criminal activities on the Internet, unlawfully curtails the individual right to free speech,� the statement said. “We are disturbed that this law, while hoping to respond quickly to offences committed online, gives blanket authority to the executive arm to restrict or control data.� The group cited the provisions on online libel and real time col striction of access to computer data.

CEAP said such provisions may “pave the way for another era of suppression of liberties by the state. We call for the immediate repeal or amendment of these provisions�. The statement called on legislators to remember the words of Pope John Paul II during his visit in 1981 – that legitimate concern for the security of a nation “could lead to the temptation of subjugating to the state the human being and his or her dignity and rights�. „ UCANEWS. COM

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Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

SYNOD OF BISHOPS

Humility, solidarity key to evangelisation, say bishops CNS photo

Pope Benedict XVI leads a meeting of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican on Oct 9.

VATICAN CITY – Solidarity with

the poor, dialogue with others and the use of media were some of the topics addressed as a worldwide meeting of bishops got underway in Rome. A Philippine archbishop told the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelisation that it is possible $ " but only as long as the preacher shares their poverty. ^ $ & to empty stomachs, but only if the stomach of the preacher is as empty as his parishioners’ [stomachs],� Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan told the gathering on Oct 9. The Oct 7-28 meeting aims to help Catholics strengthen their faith and to encourage lapsed Catholics to return. “The new evangelisation calls for new humility,� Archbishop ] / ^ $ thrive in pride ... Evangelisation has been hurt and continues to be impeded by the arrogance of its messengers.�

Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, also noted that being humble means recognising when the Church does not have all the answers. < œ $ cholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, told synod members they must be very serious in looking at the state of Catholic education. There are more Catholic schools and universities than ever, but that growth seems to be accompanied by “a growing crisis of faith�, he said. $ K & $ Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, told the synod that effective evan ” Church “overcome certain intra-

Participants at the synod.

ecclesial debates� between socalled conservatives and so-called progressives. Instead, he said, Church members must focus on sharing the $ in unity with the Church and in harmony with its teaching. Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo of Esztergom-Budapest told the synod on Oct 8 that the Church needs to use its media and social networks to spread the faith because much of the news media cover the Church in a way that “is full of lies�. Across Europe, there is “a spreading ignorance about the Christian faith� which is exacerbated by the media “misinforming the public� said Cardinal Erdo,

‘The new evangelisation calls for new humility.’

- Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, the Philippines

president of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences. Mexican Archbishop Carlos Aguiar Retes of Tlalnepantla, president of the Latin American bishops’ council, stressed that the Church must “employ new communications technologies to allow the life and mission of the Church to be known and for dialogue with the world�. _ ' $ cias of Mumbai, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, shared that Asia is experiencing a boom in communications technology. “This is not to be viewed as a threat, but a great $ & the good news.� Tanzanian Cardinal Polycarp Pengo of Dar es Salaam, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, said the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Africa is a challenge to the work of the Church there. He noted that the small groups of fundamentalists are not open to dialogue. „

‘Balance Church structures and new movements’ VATICAN CITY – In its renewed commitment to evangelisation during the Year of Faith, the Church must unify its local pastoral efforts without allowing bureaucracy to suffocate new movements, said Archbishop Rino Fisichella, presi < Promoting New Evangelisation. “We need to return to being communities that proclaim the living encounter with the Lord and who are able to express the joy of this encounter,� he told journalists at a news conference

on Oct 9, presenting details of the Oct 11 Mass that will open the special year. “The new evangelisation is one of the fruits of the Second Vatican Council because Vatican __ & $ the people of today,� he said. But there must be balance between traditional Church structures and new Church movements, he said. What has to emerge is a Church that moves forward as a whole, not one that emphasises “the original-

ity of a particular experience�, he said in his speech to synod participants earlier the same day. While building this greater unity upon a common language and the “wealth of ecclesial and cultural traditions�, the Church % ^ x ing its task, the archbishop told the bishops. There have been moments in the life of the Church, he explained to journalists, when traditional Church structures no longer furthered the task of evangelisa-

tion but were actually “suffocating the evangelising action of the Church�. “I think there have been times we have overly bureaucratised ecclesial life and also the sacraments, sacramental life,� he said. Church communities that appear “tired, repeating obsolete formulas that don’t communicate the joy of meeting Christ and are uncertain about which road to take� in life hurt the mission of evangelisation, he told synod participants. „ CNS

Ex-Irish president’s take on Vatican II DUBLIN – The former president

of Ireland says an attitude of “creeping infallibility about everything� is increasingly apparent in the Catholic Church, while collegiality, one of the major aspirations of the Second Vatican Council, “is chaotic� because of the council’s failure to articulate clear guidelines on Church governance. Ms Mary McAleese told Catholic News Service (CNS) in a phone interview that what has emerged since Vatican II is an argument “against ever having another Vatican council�. She said the Church’s best experts “cannot coherently explain the Church’s governance structures or their juridic infrastructure� largely because of Vatican II, which “failed to articulate clear guidelines for the future development of conciliar collegiality or Church governance at any level�. Co-governance by bishops never happened, she said. The former professor of criminal law at Trinity College Dublin is now pursuing a canon law de ˜ < $ rian University. Discussing the thesis of her new book, Quo Vadis? Collegiality in the Code of Canon Law, she told CNS the Church’s code “carries inside it all the alleged indecisiveness of Vatican II about how the Church would be governed, particularly the idea that the Church would be governed in a collegial fashion�. In the conclusion of the book, Ms McAleese wrote: “For those who hoped for greater co-governance of the universal Church between the pope and the College of Bishops, it has been a journey of disappointment since the council. “On the other side of the equation, the council fathers who worried that ‘collegiality’ would be a runaway horse that would do untold damage to the primacy of the pope and the unity of the Church need not have worried.� „ CNS „ See story on Page 15

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Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Pope adds two saints to list of Church doctors CNS photos

Catholic leaders: Nobel Prize for medicine a triumph for ethics MANCHESTER,

A painting of St John of Avila.

St Hildegard of Bingen depicted in an icon.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict added a 16th-century Spanish priest and a 12th-century German abbess to the roster of doctors of the universal Church. The pope proclaimed the new doctors, St John of Avila and St Hildegard of Bingen, at Mass on Oct 7 in St Peter’s Square, where the thousands in attendance included pilgrims waving Spanish € " $ tional habits. In his homily, Pope Benedict said that St John, “a profound expert on the sacred Scriptures�, knew how to “penetrate in a uniquely profound way the mysteries of the redemption worked by Christ for humanity�. Noting St Hildegard’s knowledge of medicine, poetry and music, the pope called her a “woman of brilliant intelligence, deep sensitivity and recognised spiritual

authority. The Lord granted her a prophetic spirit and fervent capacity to discern the signs of the times�. The doctors of the Church, saints honoured for particularly important contributions to theology and spirituality, come from both the Eastern and Western Church traditions. The 35 doctors include early Church fathers such as Sts Jerome, John Chrysostom and Augustine, and theologians such as Sts Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure and John of the Cross, but also St Therese of Lisieux, who was honoured by Blessed John Paul II in 1997, despite her lack of scholarly accomplishment. St Hildegard is the fourth female doctor of the Church, joining Sts Therese, Catherine of Siena and Teresa of Avila. „ CNS

Bible most preferred reading of Filipinos PHILIPPINES – A readership survey conducted by Philippines’s National Book Development Board (NBDB) has revealed that the Bible is still the most preferred reading material of Filipinos. The NBDB survey showed that the Bible continues to be the most popular book read among

58 percent of respondents, followed by romance books (25 percent) and cookery books (21 percent). In NBDB’s 2007 survey, the Bible also came out on top at 67 percent. The nationwide survey of 1,200 adult readers was conducted in May. „ UCANEWS.COM

ENGLAND

CNS photos

–

Catholic leaders in Europe hailed the decision to give a Nobel Prize to two pioneers of adult stem-cell research as a triumph for ethics. A statement from the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community, known as COMECE, said that awarding the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine to Prof John B Gurdon and Prof Shinya Yamanaka represented an “important milestone� in recognising the superior potential of adult stem-cell research over destructive experimentation on human embryonic stem cells. The Anscombe Bioethics Centre, an institute serving the Catholic Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland, also described the award as an “achievement of great ethical significance�. “This technique offers hope of progress in stem-cell research without relying on the unethical destruction of human embryos,� said Dr David Jones, director of the Anscombe centre in Oxford, England. “The past attempts to clone human embryos and the bizarre experiments to create admixed human-nonhuman embryos have delivered nothing,� he said. “In contrast, the transformation of adult cells into stem cells is making great progress,� he continued. “This is science at its best: both beautiful and ethical.� The Nobel committee said England’s Prof Gurdon and Japan’s Prof Yamanaka had “revolutionised� science through their work. “These discoveries have also provided new tools for scientists around the world and led to remarkable progress in many areas of medicine,� the committee said. Both scientists were in-

Kyoto University Professor Shinya Yamanaka of Japan.

Professor John Gurdon of Britain.

This is an important milestone in ‘ recognising the key role that non-embryonic stem cells play in the development of new medical therapies as alternatives to human embryonic stem cells.

’

– A statement from the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community

volved in research into changing mature cells into stem cells, which have the potential to become specialist organ cells and be harvested in the potential treatment of a variety of diseases. Many hope such work may prepare the ground for therapies to repair heart tissue after heart attacks, for instance, or to reverse the progress of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. In an Oct 8 statement, COMECE said the award should encourage European Union institutions to switch funding from “ethically problematic and scientifically and economically less-promising� embryonic stem-cell research to nonembryonic stem cell research,

which held out greater potential. “This is an important milestone in recognising the key role that non-embryonic stem cells play in the development of new medical therapies as alternatives to human embryonic stem cells,� the statement said. “There have been continuing scientific advances in fields of research involving alternative stem cells ... [that] present better prospects for clinical applications; or have indeed already demonstrated widespread clinical results and do not raise any special ethical problems,� it said. “Today’s Nobel Prize rewards such efforts to discover alternatives,� the statement added. „ CNS

Pope grants indulgence for Year of Faith events VATICAN CITY – Catholics who

participate in events connected with the Oct 11, 2012 to Nov 24, 2013 Year of Faith can receive a special indulgence, the Vatican said. Pope Benedict XVI authorised the granting of a plenary, or full, indulgence in order to highlight the Year of Faith and encourage the “reading, or rather, the pious meditation on� the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic

Church, a Sept 14 Vatican decree said. The decree, which the Vatican released on Oct 5, was signed by Cardinal Manuel Monteiro de Castro, head of the Vatican tribunal that deals with indulgences and with matters related to the Sacrament of Penance. An indulgence is a remission of the temporal punishment a person is due for sins that have been forgiven. Pope Benedict established the

The plenary indulgence is being offered to pilgrims who visit sacred shrines, to Catholics who participate in local events connected to the Year of Faith, and to those who may be too ill or otherwise prevented from physical participation.

Year of Faith, “dedicated to the profession of the true faith and its correct interpretation�, from Oct 11. It begins on the 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II, which is also the 20th anniversary of the publication of the catechism. The plenary indulgence is being offered to pilgrims who visit sacred shrines, to Catholics who participate in local events connected to the Year of Faith, and to those who may be too ill or oth-

erwise prevented from physical participation. It can be granted on behalf of the individual petitioner or on behalf of departed souls. The decree said conditions for the special Year of Faith indulgence include the normal requirements set by the Church for all plenary indulgences: that the person goes to confession, receives the Eucharist and prays for the intentions of the pope. „ CNS

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Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Vatican II teachings are ‘not optional’ WASHINGTON – The teachings of the Second Vatican Council are neither optional nor second-class, but must be seen in the proper context, the former prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said on Sept 26 as he opened a conference at The Catholic University of America in Washington. The talk by Cardinal William J Levada focused on three events that share an Oct 11 date – the opening of Vatican II 50 years ago, the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church 20 years ago and the upcoming opening of the Year of Faith. The cardinal, who retired in July after serving as prefect for seven years, spoke at a Sept 26-29 conference, Reform and Renewal: Vatican II After Fifty Years. He said there is still some confusion and misunderstanding surrounding the 1962-1965 council, such as whether it was doctrinal or pastoral in nature and whether its legacy should be seen in the letter of the council – the documents it produced – or in its spirit. “Vatican II was by intention a pastoral council – it did not develop new dogmas to correct errors of the faith,� he said, describing the council as “doctrinal in principle, but pastoral in its presentation�. On the letter-versus-spirit question, Cardinal Levada said it is “not legitimate to separate the spirit and letter of the council�. He talked about two responses 3 € € continuity of Church teaching and € derstanding.

Cardinal William J Levada, former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, speaking on the Second Vatican Council in Washington, USA.

In the former case, a Dominican provincial in the Netherlands wrote to his colleagues urging the ordination of women and married men and lay-led Eucharistic celebrations as a response to the priest shortage. That proposal, the cardinal said, was “contrary to Church teaching and even heretical�. On the other hand, Pope Benedict’s establishment of structures that allow Anglicans to become Roman Catholics while retaining some of their Anglican heritage and traditions, including liturgical traditions, is a logical follow-up to the council, he said. The cardinal said theses structures, called ordinariates, and made up of former Anglicans who “fully accept the Catholic faith�, serve as a “concrete witness to

help overcome fears that diverse expressions of faith are not allowed� in the Catholic Church. He said the new structure marks “a new relationship between the Church and the modern era�. On the other hand, the situation remains murky for another group that may or may not unite with the Catholic Church in the near future – the traditionalist Society of St Pius X, which rejects most of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. ‘There is division in that house about whether the council should be rejected or not,� said the cardinal. The society leaders have been asked to sign a Vatican document outlining principles and criteria nec

Church and its teaching. The document has not been published. „ CNS

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Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Pope prevented me from joining House of Lords: cardinal MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – Pope Benedict XVI personally intervened to prevent a British cardinal from retired from active ministry. Cardinal Cormac MurphyO’Connor, retired archbishop of Westminster, said the British gov him as a member of the House of Lords after he reached 75, the retirement age for bishops and cardinals. % " < [ posed the idea because he did not have been copied by bishops in

K K ! % their countries, the cardinal said % & 30 by the London-based Sunday Telegraph. � " @}1 prohibits clerics from holding po / ^ ” % "x U' " }8" / ^_ the pope and his chief adviser and "x / ^_ % & /x Asked if the pope had person-

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor addressing the Church of England’s General Synod in 2009. The retired archbishop of Westminster said the British government was considering appointing him as a member of the House of Lords.

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Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

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18 LETTERS/OPINION

Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Fortnightly newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore

2 Highland Road, #01-03 Singapore 549102. Telephone: 6858 3055. Fax: 6858 2055. Website: www.catholicnews.sg MANAGING EDITOR: Father Johnson Fernandez: johnson.fernandez@catholic.org.sg

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LETTER

Are ivory statues the best way to honour God? I refer to the article Blood Ivory published in the National Geographic magazine (October 2012, http://ngm.nationalgeographic. com/2012/10/ivory/christy-text). This article describes the demand for ivory from the Catholic Church in the Philippines and underscores the gravity of its impact on elephants in Africa. In the Philippines, the Santo NiĂąo de Cebu or the Holy Child of Cebu is a celebrated Roman Catholic statue of the Child Jesus and is highly venerated by thousands of Filipino Roman Catholics. While many of these statues &

" ivory from elephants is the preferred material due to a long-held belief that the amount of investment into your statue determines the type of blessings received. Religious statues and objects are created to remind Catholics of what is divine and sacred and to encourage us to live out our faith. Understandably, it is human for people to want to honour God in the best way they can and hence craft statues out of precious material such as gold and, in the case of the Santo NiĂąo de Cebu, ivory. However, when it is a belief that a statue crafted with ivory is “holierâ€? than a statue crafted us &

" & more blessings, it is certainly out of line with the teachings of the Catholic Church as it is only through God’s grace by which we are blessed. Moreover the use of ivory contradicts the Catholic Church’s stand on respecting all life on Earth and of us being stewards of God’s creation. Our faith does not have to be proven by the worth of our religious items but by our good deeds and faith in God. Elephant poaching is a serious threat to the survival of elephant populations in countries such as Chad and Kenya, and has led to increased incidents of violence between poachers and wildlife rangers.

A screenshot of National Geographic magazine’s story.

When a belief that a statue crafted with ivory is ‘holier’ than a statue crafted using wood or

teachings of the Catholic Church. Surveys conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society in Central Africa reveal that elephant populations have halved from 2006 to 2011, indicating the impact of the ivory trade. K not known, there are claims that hundreds of people are killed in anti-poaching wars waged in Central Africa. Unless the demand for ivory is put to a halt, unnecessary numbers of elephants and people will die for the ivory trade.

While ivory may be perceived in the past as a way of honouring God, the reality of today’s ivory trade strongly suggests that such perception needs to be changed fast. We as Catholics need to be more mindful about the religious items we purchase and ensure that our actions do not harm our environment and fellow human beings. Janice Ser Huay Lee Singapore

Will power alone is not enough JOHN SHEA once wrote a haunting poem about John the Baptist. The poem begins with the Baptist in prison, hearing the dancing above his head and knowing that this is soon to culminate in his being beheaded. Strangely, he’s not too upset. Herod is about to give Herodias’ daughter half his kingdom and John the Baptist feels that he might as well die in the bargain, given that he’s only half a man. Why does he feel only half a man? Because, as the poem puts it, he’s only a half-prophet who can only do a half-job. Thus thinks the Baptist: I can denounce a king, but I cannot enthrone one. I can strip an idol of its power, but I cannot reveal the true God. I can wash the soul in sand, but I cannot dress it in white. I can devour the word of the Lord like wild honey, but I cannot lace his sandal. I can condemn sin, but I cannot bear it away. Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. John the Baptist is aware of both his strength and his impotence. He can point out what’s wrong and what should be done, but after that, he’s helpless, with nothing to offer in terms of the strength needed to correct the wrong. In essence, that’s what we bring to any situation when we criticise something. We are able, often with brilliance and clarity, to show what’s wrong. That contribution, like John the Baptist’s, is not to be undervalued. The Gospels tell us that, next to Jesus, there isn’t anyone more important than John the Baptist. But, like John, criticism too is only a half-job, a half-prophecy: It can denounce a king, by showing what’s wrong, and it can wash the soul in sand, by blasting off layers of accumulated rust and dirt, but ultimately it can’t empower us to correct anything. Something else is needed. What? Anyone who has ever tried to overcome an addiction can answer that question. A clear head, a clear vision of what’s to be done, and a

% & & & U! &" step, an important one, but only an initial one. The tough part is still 2 ally change our behaviour and give up a bad habit? Anyone who has ever given up an addiction will tell you that, in the end, they didn’t do it by will power, or at least certainly not by will power alone. Grace and community were needed and they were what ultimately provided what willpower alone could not. At one point in the Gospels, Jesus tells His disciples that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. The disciples are stunned and Peter responds by saying: If that is the case than it is impossible! Jesus appreciates that response and adds: It is impossible for humans, but not for God. Anybody who is in recovery from an addiction knows exactly what Jesus means by that. They’ve experienced it: They know that it is impossible for them to give up the object of their addiction, and yet they are – giving it up, not by their own will power, but by some higher power – grace. The Gospels speak of this as a baptism and they speak of two kinds of baptisms: the baptism of John and the baptism of Jesus, adding that John’s baptism is only a preparation for Jesus’ baptism. What’s John’s baptism? It’s a baptism of repentance, a realisation of what we are doing wrong and a clear resolution to correct our bad behaviour. What’s Jesus’ baptism? It’s an entry into grace and community in such a way that it empowers us internally to do what is impossible for us to do by our will power alone. But how does this work? Is grace a kind of magic? No. It’s not / K " " " & " beyond a simple phenomenological understanding. Simply put, that means that we can’t lay out its inner plumbing. There’s a mystery to all energy. But what we can lay out empirically is its effect: spiritual energy works. Grace works. This has been proven inside the experience of thousands of people (many of them atheists) who have been & them and yet empowers them beyond their will power alone. Ask any addict in recovery about this. Sadly, many of us, who are solid believers, still haven’t grasped the lesson. We’re still trying to live out our lives by John’s baptism alone, that is, by our own will power. That makes us wonderful critics but leaves us mostly powerless to actually change our own lives. What we are looking for, and desperately need, are deeper immersion into the baptism of Jesus, that is, into community and grace. „

YEAR OF FAITH 19

Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Vatican II text on religious freedom is prophetic In this Year of Faith article, Fr Bernard Teo explains why Dignitatis Humanae is even more relevant now as religious freedom is attacked in many parts of the world D I G N I TAT I S HUMANAE, The Declaration on Religious Freedom, was ] __ major document that Pope Paul \ & ]

VI signed and promulgated on Dec 7, 1965. Although a relatively short document, its content went through six contentious drafts and & & sage. Its teachings marked a very important and dramatic crossing for the Church into the modern 3 Church/state separation and the right of religious freedom. At the time of its drafting, there was intense secular and interfaith / the Church any new message to offer the world with its diverse religious faiths, political beliefs, and practices? Was the Church willing to enter into any kind of ecumenical dialogue in a spirit of mutual respect with them? Church of Vatican I Since Vatican I (1869-1870) the Church was a consistent and powerful opponent of the socio-political reforms of the Enlightenment that shaped many European governments. Among its key tenets are Church/state separation, free speech, and religious freedom. The establishment of governments under these principles saw the Church being driven out of the public realm, and many faithful suffered under these regimes. In response, the Church under Pius IX issued the Syllabus of Errors, condemning Church/ state separation, free speech, and religious freedom because she believed that “error has no rights�. Underpinning this position is the conviction that Catholicism is the only true religion. This requires therefore that whenever possible, it be established as the state religion with the state being governed by Catholic principles. In states where Catholics are in the minority, they have the right to public worship. In states where others faiths are in the minority, they have no right to public worship because only the true faith has the right to public worship. This belief that error has no rights created thorny complications for Catholics in public life, particularly in the United States. When John F Kennedy was a serious presidential candidate in the

human rights are grounded on the fundamental right of religious freedom. Wherever religious freedom is violated, our humanity is impoverished by its violence. However, it is never the intention of Dignitatis Humanae to advocate religious freedom as an absolute right. Its claims must be made in the context of other legitimate claims. Thus for example, where the exercise of my religious freedom does harm to others and to the community, it is the right of the community to restrict that freedom. The revered Jesuit, John Courtney Murray, who was one of the architects of the document, came up with a possible solution € in the community. He advocated the position of “as much freedom as possible and only as much restriction as necessary�. Present situation & % < + & < " " ** 4=>?@ Z =>?[7

early 1960s, his Catholicism became a potentially fatal liability for his presidential aspiration. There was strong unease about his true loyalty and identity. Could he be Catholic and a true American at the same time? Would he take instructions from the Pope and the Catholic hierarchy in the running of the country? This is because the American Constitution requires a Church/state separation, religious toleration, and religious freedom. In a landmark speech in Houston to Protestant ministers, he allayed these reservations by pledging that his responsibility as president is to uphold the American Constitution, and that he would not take instructions from the pope in the governance of the country. That paved the way for his election Â? / On another front, the ravages of World War II ushered in an unprecedented scale of cooperation between Catholics and non-Catholics in the social reconstruction of Europe in particular, and also in the US. The Catholic hierarchy was worried that this trend, while good and valuable, might compromise Catholicism as the only true religion, leading Catholics to indifferentism, i.e. the belief that all religions are equal in truth, and that one religion is as good as another. Hence the hierarchy held that Catholics who cooperate with people of other faiths in the work of social reconstruction and social justice

must not compromise the conviction that theirs is the only true faith. Dignitatis Humanae It is against this background that Dignitatis Humanae was received as such a breath of fresh air and a radical departure from previous positions. The document boldly proclaimed that religious freedom is the right of every human person, and it is grounded on the dignity

The document is a direct challenge to oppressive governments who restrict religious freedom on grounds of public order. of the human person. Above all, it declared that “this doctrine of freedom is rooted in divine revelation, and for this reason, Christians are bound to respect it all the more conscientiously�. Its most important statement deserves to be quoted in full: “Freedom of this kind means that all men should be immune from coercion on the part of individuals, social groups and every human power so that, within due

limits, nobody is forced to act against his convictions nor is anyone to be restrained from acting in accordance with his convictions in religious matters in private or in public, alone or in association with others.� (DH 2) This extraordinary statement implies that truth must be sought in a manner consonant with, and respectful of, the human person, human dignity, and human freedom. It implies that people must not be restrained from seeking the truth and living the truth in solidarity with others. The statement therefore rejects and condemns all forms of manipulation by the powers-thatbe that hinder people from seeking and living the truth. It also implies that public authorities must protect and respect these rights through enshrining them in their state constitutions. Pope’s Middle East trip _ most recent trip to the Middle East, Pope Benedict XVI reiterated the necessity of protecting religious freedom in his address to its leaders. For him, the issue is about genuine peace. He said there will be no peace in the Middle East until its nations enjoy religious freedom because peace requires mutual respect, dialogue, seeking mutual understanding and uniting around basic human values. In his view, many

In our current climate where religious freedom is under direct attack in many parts of the world by both secular and religious authorities – these include blasphemy laws and restriction of worship to other faiths in Muslim countries, the issues of public display of religious symbols, both personal and institutional, the mooting of laws to compel disclosures of confessional matters, forcing religious institutions to conduct gay/lesbian marriage ceremonies, requiring the insurance of contraceptive practices for religious institutions, the organised state relegation of religious beliefs and practices into the private sphere where they could be domesticated – the teachings contained in Dignitatis Humanae are even more relevant today and a direct challenge against these practices. Furthermore, this document is also a direct challenge to all oppressive governments who restrict religious freedom on grounds of public order. In hindsight, the € in the process of drawing up the contents of Dignitatis Humanae turned out to be a great blessing, a gift of the Spirit not only to the Church, but to the world at large. It is truly a prophetic document. The full document is at http:// www.vatican.va/archive/hist_ councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651207_ dignitatis-humanae_en.html „ Redemptorist Fr Bernard Teo was ordained in 1979. He teaches moral theology at Yarra Theological Union, Melbourne, Australia, and also in the Philippines.

20 WORLD MISSION SUNDAY

Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

CNS photo

Pope calls for evangelisation from all Catholics Summary of Pope Benedict XVI’s message for World Mission Sunday, Oct 21, 2012 This year, the celebration of World Mission Day coincides with three memorable events: ! The 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. ! The opening of the Year of Faith. ! A Synod of Bishops meeting on “New Evangelisationâ€?. This combination of events is an opportunity to re-launch missionary fundamental mission, to bring the Gospel to the very ends of the earth. Pope Benedict XVI, in announcing the Year of Faith, recently wrote that “today as in the past, Christ sends us through the highways of the world to proclaim His Gospel to all the peoples of the earthâ€? (Porta Fidei, # 7). He was echoing Pope Paul VI, who said that this proclamation, â€œâ€Śis not an optional contribution for the Church. It is the duty in-

cumbent on her by the command of the Lord Jesus, so that people can believe and be saved.� (Evangelii Nuntiandi, #5). The whole Church is therefore now so insistent that the missionary mandate which Christ entrusted to his disciples must be a commitment of all the People of God, bishops, priests, deacons, men and women Religious and lay people. The duty of proclaiming the Gospel in every corner of the world " " & the bishops, who are directly responsible for evangelisation in the whole world. They “have been consecrated not only for a particular diocese but for the salvation of the entire world� (John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio, # 63). The mandate for a bishop to preach the Gospel or send out priests or lay faithful on mission is therefore not limited to that portion

of the People of God entrusted to his pastoral care. Moreover, the Second Vatican Council pointed out, such mandate must also involve all the activities and all the work of the particular Church – her very being. It is always the right time for the Message of Christ – a message that has always responded to the deepest restlessness of every human being. As we proclaim Christ, we are urged to perceive the recurrent problems, aspirations and hopes of humanity in history, which Christ " presence. Mission work includes new forms – in both material assistance,

as well as direct evangelisation (see John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio, # 82). We must remember that “the immense horizons of the Church’s mission and the complexity of today’s situation call for new ways of effectively communicating the Word of God� (Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini, # 97). One obstacle to evangelisation is the crisis of faith in the Western world, who are now losing their reference to God. People hungering and thirsting for God must be invited to the Bread of Life and the Living Water, just like the Samaritan woman who goes to Jacob’s well and converses

with Christ (cf. Jn 4:1-30). This concern to evangelise must never lie on the periphery of Church activity and of the personal life of Christians. Rather, it must be its strong and fundamental character. The core of the proclamation always remains the same: ¤ who died and rose for the world’s salvation; and ¤ $ & % for every man and every woman, which culminated in his sending the eternal and Only-Begotten Son, Jesus. ¤ \ to take on our human nature, loving it and redeeming it from sin and death even to the offering of himself on the Cross. Mission awareness has become very natural for the Churches in mission lands, most of which are young, and even while they themselves are still in need of missionaries. Many people from every part of the world leave their countries and communities and go to other Churches to bear witness to and to proclaim the Name of Christ. Through their action, the proclamation of the Gospel becomes love of neighbour, justice for the poorest, education and medical aid in isolated places, emancipation and rehabilitation of the marginalised, support for the development of peoples, overcoming ethnic divisions, and respect for life. „

Mission group helps needy children in Sabah Sowers in God’s Name (SiGN), a parish overseas mission group from Church of St Francis Xavier was conceived on Sept 5, 2009, in the year of their parish’s 50th anniversary. In December 2009, they sent

Cambodia. In July 2012 and after making %

exploratory mission trips to Cambodia, the Philippines and Sabah, their parish decided to support the works of the Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (FSIC) in Paitan, in providing pre-school education to disadvantaged children living in the interior of Sabah. Paitan is a district at the northern tip of the Sandakan region in Sabah. Most of the villages in Paitan are accessible only by river boat and it is a minimum one hour commute via river boat between villages. Paitan is largely inhabited by an ethnic group called Orang Sungai. Traditionally animists, many have converted to Christianity. Most of the people of Paitan live below the poverty line. In addition to pastoral work, the

FSIC through Sr Dorothy Laudi and Sr Aileen, have taken upon themselves the task of providing preschool education to disadvantaged children living in Sabah’s interior. If not for this exposure to preeducation, many children may not have the opportunity to step into primary school. Sr Dorothy recalls the request by the villagers “to teach the chil K[ x/ dergarten in the village of Dalamas. The word of the nun and the kindergarten in Dalamas quickly spread to the other villagers and within a short time, she had set up seven kindergartens. The kindergartens have all been built with the kind generosity of donors and also operate solely with donations. Children attend the school freeof-charge and all school materials, transport to and from their homes to the kindergartens via river boat, uniforms and meals are provided. Due to distance, several children actually live on site together with the teachers. All board and lodging are also provided without charge.

Above: The kindergarten called Tadika Rumpun Lakang in February 2012 before extension of the building was done. Left: Franciscan Sr Dorothy Laudi with some disadvantaged children in front of a kindergarten in Paitan, Sabah.

SiGN’s mission statement is to be Christ to others and to experience Christ in the people they serve. They tell Bible stories, sing Christian songs and pray with the children. Through these activities, they plan for the children to be exposed to more conversational English. The mission team assists in

pastoral and faith formation activities initiated by Sr Dorothy. They will also promote friendship with the community through home visits, games with the children and organise interaction activities such the making of rosaries. “Charity is not about giving what we do not want, or giving what

we have excess of. It is about sharing what we have,� said Ms June Oei, a Paitan mission team member. “I was surprised when I saw how little the children in Paitan had but were still happy� said Mr Nicholas Tay, another Paitan mission team member. Funds will be raised periodically to pay for the monthly salaries of two teachers, one cook, petrol for boats to ferry children to the kindergarten, snacks for children, teaching materials and stationery. „

WORLD MISSION SUNDAY 21

Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Canossian Sisters lead Myanmar Mission

Lay missionaries give to villagers

` & { { $ $

In early December 2011, a group that completed a two-year Lay Missionary Formation (LMF) Programme with Archdiocesan Commission for Missionary Activity (ACMA) de

trip to Kampong Bahagia, Sabah under the group name, Lay Missionary Community (LMC), to put their learning into practice. “We faced many challenges in organising this mission trip; one of which was poor communication & standing their real needs,� said Ms Monica Goh, one of the key organisers in the group. “It was not the usual humanitarian type mission trip but one which involved evangelisation among our Catholic brothers and sisters. I wasn’t sure if I was good enough to be of assistance but somehow I felt compelled to serve despite my reservations.� The group landed in Kota Kinabalu on Aug 16, 2012. Early next morning, they headed to 9 [ " % U

drive from Kota Kinabalu. On arrival, they handed over 150 books they brought to set up the library for the village. When the villagers realised the books were a gift, they were overwhelmed with joy. “I thought you are only lending us the books. We have never seen so many books before, and I ` all the books] in your short stay. I really cannot express our gratitude,� said spokesperson Nora. Their weekend programme was packed with activities. The LMC members shared their Catholic knowledge by organising an exhibition. It was held in a new chapel which Singaporeans helped to build through ACMA and Clare’s Missionary. At the end of the visit Ms Beatrix Tanet, an LMC member, asked the village chief his opinion about their presence there. “Yes indeed your visit was most meaningful. Your group are

needs,� he said. „

New Indonesian church lights the way to Christ Singapore missionaries have helped to spread the faith by contributing to the construction of a new church for the Catholic community living on Pulau Cempa, a small island in Indonesia’s Lingga Archipelago south of Singapore. Catholics are thinly spread through the Lingga islands. But the Epiphany Group of the Immaculate Heart of Mary parish are no strangers to the communities of the Riau and Lingga Archipelagos, having worked with them since 2007 on several projects. The involvement with Pulau Cempa started with donation of funds from 2010, to enable this particular church to be built. This funding included two substantial contributions from the Singapore’s Archdiocesan Commission for Missionary Activity (ACMA). In May 2010, a small team spearheaded by Mr TC Tan, a lay mission worker from Singapore and Mr John Sorongan, an Indonesian architect from Pulau Bintan, paid a short visit there to check the

nalise plans to install a solar energy project for the church. Also in the visiting team were the parish priest of St Carolus parish, Fr Romo Agustinus Tupen Belo and members of Epiphany Group. The church building sits on a hill and thus can be seen from far out at sea. “ On reaching the top of the hill I was bowled over by the panoramic view of hundreds of islands dotting the sea,� commented Mr Randel, a member or Epiphany. “With a lighted cross on the top of its steeple, the church will stand as a beacon for Christ, beckoning to all who approach this island,� he said. The small Catholic community on the island has just 30 families and totals 120 people. Most of the Catholics are people who went there originally from other parts of Indonesia, notably Flores and other islands of Nusa Tenggara. There are also Muslims on the island and a handful of the islanders are ethnic Chinese. „

Some of the mission team with the parish priest, Fr Romo Agus (third from 7 # / ^ _ 4% 7

The Canossian Sisters’ presence in Myanmar goes back to 1996, starting with an outreach mission in Taunggyi by the Singapore Sisters. In January 2008, this presence became more permanent when they rented a house in Yangon and started teaching English to the neighbourhood children and the students in a Jesuit Institute. In May 2008, the nuns piloted a programme to train educators for the boarding houses in Myanmar. There are over 500 boarding houses in Myanmar run by the Church. Many young girls, who are unable to clear their 10th standard, often land themselves in boarding houses as caregivers and cooks. The Formation of Educators’ Course, a 10-month course with a one-and-and-a-half months of practicum in a boarding house, was designed to empower these girls to manage the boarding houses. Besides the course, the nuns also facilitate Bible sharing groups for youth and adults, conduct children, youth camps, and vocation promotion camps. Teaching catechism is another key area of the mission. In May 2010, the Canossians launched a Lay Canossians Week and three of the young women who have been journeying with them when they were in Taunggyi responded to & ?

Myanmar. One of them, Ms Antonia, was chosen to represent Myanmar at the last Lay Canossians Convention in Rome in 2011. To date, there are a total of eight Lay Canossians in Myanmar and they come from Taunggyi, Phekhon, Loikaw amd Myitkyina. In 2011, the Canossian Sisters embarked on the building of a formation centre for educators at the boarding houses. Built and furnished with the help of a grant from Caritas Humanitarian Aid and Relief Initiatives Singapore (CHARIS) and also friends and well wishers of the Sisters, the centre now offers a 10-month residential programme for young women who have the passion to work with poor children in remote villages. The training is free and graduates of the programme will receive a small monthly allowance when they start working in the boarding houses. „

22 FEATURE

Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Rosary key to evangelisation, helping families ROME – As the Church starts the

the Year of Faith and a synod on the new evangelisation, the rosary can play a key role in strengthening and spreading the Word of God, said a leading American expert in Marian studies. “This Year of Faith is a call for evangelisation, a new evangelisation that’s to start with ourselves� in reawakening one’s love for Christ and then reaching out to those who have become distanced from the Church, said Holy Cross Fr James Phalan, director of Family Rosary International. October is the month the Church dedicates to the rosary, and the world Synod of Bishops which started on Oct 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Pope Benedict XVI entrusted the synod to Mary’s intercession, and he has said the rosary can stimulate missionary activity by leading Christians to meditate on the life of Jesus. “During this Year of Faith we’re to take up the rosary in our hands again,� Fr Phalan told Catholic News Service during a visit to Rome in mid-September. “Mary has always been the mother of evangelisation,� he

said, because “she’s always been the one who shows us Jesus�. Blessed John Paul II said the rosary is “contemplating the face of Christ with Mary�. By praying the rosary, people are led to listen more deeply to God’s Word, to contemplate events in Christ’s life, to see what

During this Year of ‘Faith we’re to take up the rosary in our hands again.

’

– Fr James Phalan, director of Family Rosary International

presence in one’s own life, Fr Phalan said. “It’s a way of identifying ourselves with Christ, so it’s a profound path to holiness.� Praying the rosary together, especially for a family, has added beauty and power, he said. “It opens up areas of sensitivity, areas of intimacy� because

“prayer is one of the most intimate things we do�, he said. When couples or families pray the rosary together, “there’s a real intimacy that’s bonded in faith� community, he said. The rosary has been “a tried and true� way to strengthen Christian life in the home and to pass on the faith from generation to generation, he said. “I’m convinced that when we talk about the new evangelisation, we need to talk about evangelisation in the home� because unless one’s prayer life and faith are reignited there, “it ‘ain’t gonna’ work, frankly�, he said. Reawakening the faith in the home is not only a very effective way to develop a solid base for evangelisation, it also helps families during troubled times, he said. Family Rosary International was started by the late Holy Cross Fr Patrick Peyton, who coined the phrase, “A family that prays together stays together�, as part of his mission to build family unity through the daily recitation of the rosary. „ CNS

Blessed John Paul II said the rosary is ‘contemplating the face of Christ with Mary’. CNS photo

Social media spurs interest in vocations WASHINGTON – Several Reli-

gious congregations and organisations are taking advantage of social media to “introduce� individuals discerning a call to a vocation, and the seminary, convent / With more than 1,400 likes on Facebook, the National Religious Vocation Conference takes full advantage of social networking, through its Vision Vocation Guide and other outlets. At the website, vocationnetwork.org/match, also operated by the Chicago-based conference, a brief questionnaire tells “discerners� – those considering a commitment to Religious life – what their seminary, convent or monastery matches are. People post questions daily about their life circumstances, inquiring about what resources % " ] them with the congregation that matches their interests. Ms Patrice Tuohy, executive editor of the Vision Vocation Guide, said social media has brought the organisation to a place greater than it could have been 15 years ago.

A US website, uses a brief questionnaire to tell ‘discerners’ – those considering a commitment to Religious life – what their seminary, convent matches are. A screenshot of vocationnetwork.org’s website.

“As the community’s use of social networking has increased, so have inquiries. They have quadrupled since we started having a presence online,� she told Catholic News Service. Vision is primarily a social networking site that attracts more than 200,000 visitors each year.

% U % % 1"888 % match, according to Vision’s tracking records.

Prior to its launch as an online social network, 150,000 copies of the Vision guide were printed, which resulted in 600 inquiries mailed in by readers. Trinitarian Br Josh Warshak of Baltimore credited Vision with giving him the information he needed in deciding what type of Religious life was for him, and he would recommend it to any “discerner�. [ ] " focused on becoming a priest but

didn’t have access to much advice about the topic. “Vision showed me that there are so many other things�, he said, which led him to his community, the Order of the Most Holy Trinity. Br Josh, who is 25, said his Trinitarian vocations director, at 30 years old, was younger than most in that position and was extremely plugged in to social media. Br Josh kept up on the order’s blog and communicated regularly with the director during his dis-

cernment process via Facebook and email. Br Josh said this is something that Religious communities need to embrace. “My generation and younger, we grew up with technology being so integrated in our daily lives. It’s how we connect�, he said. The Congregation of Holy Cross – which founded the University of Notre Dame in Indiana and operates the seminary programmes for its US province there – is using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and blogs to promote its retreat weekends and increase general awareness of the congregation on the internet. The congregation has 55 men in formation, its largest number since 1999. A news release said the province’s vocations programme is “among the healthiest� for US Catholic Religious orders. “The personal interaction still x" # \ $ er, Holy Cross vocations director, said in a statement. “Our social media outlets are just tools we use to help make Holy Cross known, share discernment tips, and help deepen a man’s prayer life.� „ CNS

23

Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

CHILDREN’S STORY:

“Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age.� And Jesus added, “But many that & " & /x Jesus continued on His journey toward Jerusalem. As He walked, He said to His apostles, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and

the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and hand Him over to the gentiles who will mock Him, spit upon Him, scourge Him and put Him to death, but after three days He will rise.� „ Read more about it: Mark 10

Q&A 1. Why did the rich man go away unhappy? 2. What did Jesus say would happen in Jerusalem?

SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS:

PUZZLE:

St Luke

Cross out the books of the Bible that do not belong with the other two. 1. Gospels: MARK MATTHEW 2. Old Testament prophets: ISAIAH BARTHOLOMEW 3. Named after women: ELIZABETH RUTH 4. Poetry/wisdom: PSALMS PROVERBS 5. First books of each testament: GENESIS BARUCH 6. Last books of each testament: MALACHI JONAH

? M / Q author of the Gospel that bears his name and the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. From references made in the New Testament, we know that he was a Gentile (meaning he \ Q" he frequently travelled with Paul on his missionary journeys. Because of this work, we have a good record of Paul’s " Paul had to deal with, which included health problems, persecution and even arrests. When Paul was near death, Luke was with him. Because of Luke we know about Paul, but what happened to Luke after Paul’s death is uncertain. We honour this important man on Oct 18. „

Bible Accent: The Bible is the most important book in our faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church encourages every Christian to make time for “frequent reading of the divine Scriptures�. In order for us to be able to study the Scriptures, the Bible is divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament tells us about events that took place before the birth of Christ, and the New Testament tells us about His life and teachings. The testaments each contain books that have been further divided into numbered chapters and verses. This &

[ & quickly and easily. For example, Genesis 1:1 means the Book of Genesis, Chapter 1, Verse 1. We should know how the Bible has been put together and what it is trying to say to us as Christians. „

WORDSEARCH: „ JESUS „ VILLAGE „ JUDEA „ TEACHER „ ETERNAL „ LIFE „ LOVE „ SELL „ GIVE

„ KNEEL „ YOUTH „ POOR

MACCABEES EZEKIEL ESTHER PARABLES MATTHEW REVELATION

KIDS’ CLUB: Share your thoughts on this week’s Bible story with family and friends by writing an essay in response to this question: What does eternal life in heaven mean to you?

Answers to Puzzle: 1. Maccabees, 2. Bartholomew, 3. Elizabeth, 4. Parables, 5. Baruch, 6. Jonah

JUST as Jesus was leaving a village in Judea where He had been preaching, a man came up to Him and kneeled in front of Him. “Good teacher,� the man asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?� Jesus said to the man, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.� Then Jesus reminded the man about the importance of the Ten Commandments. “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.� Jesus looked at the man with love and said, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.� This request caused the man to be unhappy. He was very rich and

did not want to part with his money or the many things he owned. He walked away without asking anything more of Jesus. After the man had gone, Jesus said to the apostles who were traveling with Him, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!� Jesus could tell His statement had surprised His friends, so He said, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.� The apostles looked at one another and wondered, “Then who can be saved?� Jesus told them, “For human beings it’s impossible, but not for God.� Peter said to Jesus, “We have given up everything and followed you.�

Answers to Crossword Puzzle

By Joe Sarnicola

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Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

WHAT’S ON 25

Sunday October 21, 2012 „ CatholicNews

EVENT SUBMISSIONS We welcome information of events happening in our local Church. Please send your submission at least one month before the event. Online submissions can be made at www.catholic.sg/webevent_form.php

Thursdays Oct 11 to Nov 29 CATHOLICISM 201 7.30-9.30pm: For Catholics who have attended the Alpha course and for non-Catholics who want to know more about Catholicism. At Blessed Sacrament Church (Damien Hall). Register E: bsc.alpha@gmail.com Thursdays Oct 11 to Nov 22 BIOETHICS – EMBRACING THE GIFT OF LIFE 7.30-9.30pm: This module addresses the range of bioethical issues faced by clinicians and researchers in hospitals, laboratories and classrooms, as well as family members caring for others. It covers the ethical issues that arise at the beginning of the human life span, at its end, and in between. Speaker: Fr David Garcia, OP. Cost: $80. Register T: 6858 7012 (Janice); E: janice@catholicspi.org; W: www.catholicspi.org Tuesday Oct 16 and Sunday Oct 21 WHY I BELIEVE WHAT I BELIEVE Oct 16 (7.15-9.30pm), Oct 21 (6.309.30pm): 4 renowned public speakers will share the why and the what of their Christian beliefs in conjunction with Mission Sunday and Year of Faith.

2 & minister Dr Lim Boon Heng and principal Andrea Fang. Speakers for second session: Professor Malcolm Murfett and chaplain Longinus Chew. All welcome. At Blessed Sacrament Church (Damien Hall). Thursdays Oct 18 to Nov 1 SPIRITUAL GROWTH SEMINAR SERIES II 7.30-9.30pm: Holiness for all. Themes from St Therese of Lisieux. Conducted by Fr Tom Curran, OCD. At Church of Sts Peter and Paul (3rd Floor Chapel Parish Building). E: sandra7@singnet.com.sg Friday Oct 19 to Sunday Oct 21 CHOICE WEEKEND Fri (6pm)-Sun (6pm): Take a break you deserve from your busy life. At Jurong West St 42. Register T: 9880 3093 (Dawn), 9046 2297 (Albert); E: registration@choice.org.sg

Oct 20 LIFE OFFERED FAITH PROCLAIMED 7-9pm: Free public seminar on Blessed Pedro Calungsod on the eve of his canonisation. Come and learn about the life of the 17-year-old Asian martyr. At Blessed Sacrament Church, Damien Hall. T: 9643 3799 (Rowena Jubelag) Sunday Oct 21 to Thursday Nov 8 COUPLE EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME Come for the Couple Empowerment (CEP) Discovery Series for four nights to learn the latest life skills to build a more emotionally intelligent marriage. Ideal for young, married couples and all couples open to re-discovering one another. Child-minding services available. At Church of St Teresa (Auditorium). Register T: 9105 9921 (Victor/Annabelle), E: goto_cep@hotmail.com Oct 21 WORLD MISSION SUNDAY EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION 11am: Main Celebrant: Archbishop Nicholas Chia. All are welcome. By ACMA. At St Anne’s Church Oct 21 CATHOLIC MEDICAL GUILD 60TH AGM MASS AND DINNER 4-10.30pm: All Catholic doctors and friends welcome. Starting with AGM followed by a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Nicholas Chia. Fellowship dinner with Bishop Anthony Fisher giving a lecture on Rethinking Principlism in Bioethics. K $ < M? % @ [ Q/ Register E: contactus@cmg.org.sg; W: http://www.cmg.org.sg/60agm Thursday Oct 25 to Saturday Oct 27 RENEWAL IN THE SPIRIT SEMINAR Thu (7-10pm), Fri (1.30-9.30pm), Sat (9.30am-4pm): Conducted by Alex Loo and team from KL. At Church of Divine Mercy (19 Pasir Ris St 72). Register T: 9430 2524 (Irene), 9667 8968(Eileen), 9652 6069 (Gladys) Friday Oct 26 to Sunday Oct 28 JESUIT VOCATION CAMP For single male Catholics 18-40 years old who are discerning priestly and/or Religious vocations, especially those interested in the Jesuit congregation. With seminars to provide participants with information and tools to assist in the discernment process. Free of charge. Limited spots. At Kingsmead Hall (St Ignatius Church). Register T: 9711 9717 (Br Jerome); E: mas-vocations@jesuits.net

Oct 26 CANDLELIGHT ROSARY WALK FOR YOUNG ADULTS 8-10pm: Honour Mary with a candlelight rosary walk in the Garden of Light followed by Eucharistic adoration. By Generation CHRIST! Ministry. At Church of St Ignatius’ Garden of Light (behind Kingsmead Hall). E: gen.christ.ministry@gmail.com Oct 27 MISSION POSSIBLE: TOUR OF CITY DISTRICT PARISHES 10-11.30am: Get a historical and personal insight into how inspiration, faith, grit and destiny combined to make the seemingly insurmountable task of establishing Catholic churches in 19th century Singapore possible. Churches include St Joseph’s Church, Church of Sts Peter and Paul & Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. By Preservation of Monuments Board. Register wiith contact and personal details including NRIC no E: nhb_nationalmonuments@nhb.gov.sg Wednesdays Oct 31 to Dec 16 PREPARATORY CLASS FOR CONFIRMATION 7.30-9pm: Classes leading to = *4 & K & Nicholas Chia. At Blessed Sacrament Church. Register T: 6474 0582; E: §& / / Nov 3 TEOCHEW RETREAT 9.30-3pm: Speaker: Fr Henry Siew. At Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. E: maglink@singnet.com.sg Nov 3 FINDING GOD IN YOUR WRITING PART 2 9.30am-5pm: Experience a deeper awareness of God’s presence in everyday life through writing and other activities. # % writing workshop. Cost: $80 (with lunch). By Centre for Ignatian Spirituality & Counselling. At 8 Victoria Park Rd. Register by Oct 27. T: 6467 6072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com Sunday Nov 4 to Saturday Nov 10 WEEK OF GUIDED PRAYER Learn to Pray with Scriptures using Ignatian Contemplation and Lectio Divina. One-on-one meeting with a prayer guide Mon to Fri. Different times slots to choose from. By Sojourners’ Companions. At Church of St Bernadette. Register W: http://www.catholic.org.sg/sojourners

Nov 10 MEDITATIVE PRAYER USING THE SONGS OF TAIZE 8-9.30pm At The Armenian Church of St Gregory the Illuminator (60 Hill St). T: 9837 7256 (Benny); E: bennycah@gmail.com Nov 15 YD12 – ALTAR SERVER RECOLLECTION 9.30am-1pm: As part of the celebration for Archdiocesan Youth Day 2012. For 13-18 years old. With lunch. [ ž ' & Singapore. Register by Oct 20. E: register@serrasingapore.org Friday Nov 16 to Sunday Nov 18 MY KING & I (RETREAT FOR WOMEN) Fri (7pm)-Sun (5pm): A semi-directed live-in retreat for women. Through € Gospels and one’s own life, discern God’s direction for oneself. Individual spiritual direction offered. Cost: $165 (non-aircon room), $240 (aircon room). By Centre for Ignatian Spirituality & Counselling. At 8 Victoria Park Rd. Register by Nov 6. T: 6467 6072; E: cisc2664@gmail.com Nov 24 I AM SPECIAL! I AM ME! 7.30-9.30pm: Workshop to help children understand themselves better by identifying strengths, combating negative situations and using appropriate support network through the means of games, role-play, skits and videos. Cost: $150 (per person), $240 (couple). By Morning Star Community Services. At 4 Blk 261B Sengkang East Way #01-400. Register T: 6315 8812 (Shuba); E: programs@ morningstar.org.sg

Nov 25 TAMIL CULTURAL MASS 5.30pm: Mass in Tamil and English celebrated by Fr Gerardus Suyono. At Blessed Sacrament Church. T: 9678 3855 Wednesday December 5 to December 9 FAMILY MISSION TRIP For young families with children aged 5-12. Spread joy and share Jesus in Tagaytay, Philippines. By Verbum Dei Singapore. Register T: 6274 0251; E: verbumdeispore@yahoo.com.sg Sunday December 9 to Saturday Decembert 15 MISSION HOUSE BUILDING TRIP TO CAGAYAN DE ORO PHILIPPINES Build houses for victims of Typhoon Washi which struck Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao, Philippines, in Dec 2011. No prior experience required. By CHARIS. T: 6338 0182; E: info@charis-singapore.org; W: http://www.charis-singapore.org Monday December 10 to Sunday Dec 16 DECEMBER MISSION TRIP TO PHILIPPINES Mission trip to Payatas and Montalban, Philippines. Cost: $600 (with airfare, food and lodging). By acts29. Register by Oct 31 T: 9066 6024 (Sherlyn); W: http://www.acts29mission.com Thursday Dec 13 to Sunday Dec 16 X4 YOUTH CAMP 9.30am-1pm: X4 Youth Camp (ĺżƒčĄŒé†’俥) is for young people aged 12-21. By Commission for Apostolate of Mandarin-Speaking in Singapore. T: 9113 6598 (Nicholas); FB: http://www.facebook.com/x4camp

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Sunday October 21, 2012 CatholicNews

PUBLISHED BY ARCHBISHOP NICHOLAS CHIA, 2 HIGHLAND ROAD #01-03, SINGAPORE 549102. PRINTED BY TIMESPRINTERS, 16 TUAS AVE 5, SINGAPORE 639340.

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