NOVEMBER 03, 2013, Vol 63, No 22

www.catholicnews.sg SUNDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2013

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Pope Francis entrusts the world to Mary

NO. 22

INSIDE HOME ‘Pray for the city’ Participants urged to do so at NCC Day „ Page 2

VATICAN CITY – Before a congre-

gation of more than 100,000 in St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis formally entrusted the world to Mary.

of us is precious in your sight,� the pope said on Oct 13, facing the statue of Mary that normally stands in the shrine at Fatima, Portugal. “Guard our lives in your arms, bless and strengthen every desire for goodness.�

The short ceremony was the culmination of a special Marian Day organised for the Year of Faith.

In his homily during the morning’s Mass, Pope Francis celebrat

delity and gratitude to God. “Let us invoke Mary’s intercession,� he said. “May she help us to be open to God’s surprises, to be faithful to Him each and every day, and to praise and thank Him, for He is our strength.�

Many in the crowd held small replicas of the crowned statue of Our Lady of Fatima, which had arrived in Rome the previous afternoon on a TAP Portugal air

An Italian air force helicopter transported the statue, inside an ivory-coloured triangular container resembling a musical instrument case, to Vatican City.

The statue was then brought to the residence of retired Pope Benedict XVI at the Mater Eccle venerated the statue in the monastery’s small chapel. Afterwards, Pope Francis welcomed the statue at the Vatican guesthouse where he lives.

At the beginning of an Oct 12 prayer vigil in St Peter’s Square, four attendants carried the statue on a litter through the crowd and brought it up to the front of the basilica. Pilgrims waved white handkerchiefs in a traditional

VOL 63

Trusting in Divine Providence Newly-ordained Fr Jovita Ho talks about his faith journey „ Page 4

Building happier, stronger families Speakers share how to achieve this at forum „ Page 7

WORLD End to US govt shutdown Church groups highlight crisis’ impact on marginalised „ Page 11

On divorced and remarried Catholics The pope prays in front of the original statue of Our Lady of Fatima during a Marian vigil in St Peter’s Square on Oct 12. He entrusted the world to Mary the next day. CNS photo

gesture of devotion as the statue passed.

Pope Francis led the vigil, which included a recitation of the seven sorrows of Mary. In a catechetical talk, the pope said that all believers can emulate the Mother

! " Jesus� when they assent freely to His call.

“Believing in Jesus means giv # ity and courage of Mary, so that He can continue to dwell in our midst,� the pope said. “It means giving Him our hands, to caress the little ones and the poor; our feet, to go forth and meet our brothers and sisters; our arms, to hold up the weak and to

Guard our lives in your arms, bless and ‘strengthen every desire for goodness. ’ – Pope Francis, in a prayer to Mary

„ Page 12

work in the Lord’s vineyard; our minds, to think and act in the light of the Gospel; and especially our hearts, to love and to make choices in accordance with God’s will.�

Later that night, Pope Francis sent a video message to Catholics gathered at 10 Marian shrines around the world, stressing Mary’s role as a bridge to her son. “Mary points to Jesus,� he said. “She asks us to bear witness to Jesus, she constantly guides us to her son Jesus because in Him

LETTER

„ Continued on Page 14

„ Page 17

Celebrate Halloween in a different way Have kids dress up as their favourite saints „ Page 17

ALL SAINTS’ DAY MASS SCHEDULE

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Sunday November 3, 2013 „ CatholicNews

NCCs urged to make Christ known It is paramount that each and every Catholic lay person seek holiness in the professional and social life as it is there that Christ needs to be witnessed.

This was the core message in Fr Eugene Vaz’s address to participants of the Neighbourhood Christian Community (NCC) Day held at Catholic Junior College on Oct 12. The theme was Making Christ Known, and it was attended by 230 representatives from the communities in 19 parishes.

In order for lay people to strive for sanctity and witness effectively, Fr Vaz continued, it is necessary to understand our professional and social life well.

Being city dwellers, each of us is faced with the challenge of bringing Christ into our hectic lives and our social circles, he added.

Fr Vaz also used a short video presentation to communicate that Christians should not see city life as incompatible with being religious.

Fr Vaz noted that cities in antiquity bore similarities with those of today. The city, then and now, remains a place of refuge, where justice is maintained, and a place of spiritual seeking. Christians bring their faith into city life so that cities remain the best expres-

Left: Fr Erbin Fernandez speaks to participants of the NCC Day. Right: Small group discussions.

sions of human civilisation, he said.

Episcopal Vicar for the New Evangelisation, Fr Erbin Fernan $ the NCCs to pray for the city.

He said that when the city prospers and becomes what God had intended it to be, the Kingdom of God becomes visible and concretely felt by people.

Reinforcing this year’s NCC Day theme during his homily at Mass, Archbishop William Goh

encouraged the neighbourhood communities to keep sharing their faith with one another, and with those whom they meet in their daily lives.

He underlined the necessity for a community-consciousness in the work of making Christ known and added, “No Christian works alone.�

Some participants shared their experience of being in NCCs. “My faith has grown in and through the experience of love shared among

the community,� said Mr Michael Lewis from the Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea. “The mutual support and inspiration shows me that Christ lives in my community.�

Ms Noella Antony from the Church of St Michael said, “Through my NCC, people from many walks of life are brought together. In the sharing of stories and testimonies, I see God living and moving, this is how my faith is deepened.� „

Each year, the archdiocese celebrates the presence and ministry of the Neighbourhood Christian communities with an NCC Day. All baptised Catholics belong to a Neighbourhood Christian Community according to their area of residence in Singapore. Find out more about your own community by contacting Daphne Leong at daphne@one. org.sg or call 6858 3011.

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Sunday November 3, 2013 „ CatholicNews

Consecrating the world to Mary in Singapore While the pope consecrated the world to Mary on Oct 13, Archbishop William Goh led the Singapore archdiocese’s celebration

By Darren Boon The world is facing the scourge of secularism but prayer and an encounter with Christ can heal the ills of the world, said Archbishop William Goh at a Mass to mark the Consecration of the World to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Archbishop Goh was the main celebrant at the afternoon Mass held at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Oct 13. The apostolic nuncio to Singapore, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, and more than 20 priests concelebrated the Mass.

Pope Francis consecrated the world to Mary on Oct 13 as part of a special Marian Day celebration

organised for the Year of Faith.

Previously, Pope Pius XII had consecrated the world and later Russia and its people to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1942 and 1952 respectively. Pope John Paul II also consecrated the world to Mary in 1984.

The Sunday Mass marked the culmination of an Oct 9-11 triduum held in parishes across Singapore.

Speaking to the 800 faithful gathered that afternoon, Archbishop Goh said that when Russia turned to communism, it was the “greatest enemy of the Church� in that era.

Although Russia is no longer communist, today’s problem is that of secularism where people

Archbishop William Goh praying the consecration prayer during the Mass at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.

Today we live in such a secularised world ‘ that God cannot be spoken in public places... at least not too loudly.’

–Archbishop William Goh

give up their faith and belief in God. People’s pride and human reasoning have led them to believe that there is no God, Archbishop Goh said.

Coat of Arms of the Archdiocese of Singapore Archbishop’s Mitre, Crozier & Archiepiscopal Cross above the shield indicates that these are the arms of an archdiocese; under the authority of a prelate of the rank of Archbishop

ĂŒ The Lion represents the Republic of Singapore

Ă‹ Bicolour

above White are the colours of the National

Singapore

ĂŒ

The Azure Star represents the Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of the New Evangelisation, illuminated by God to lead us to Jesus despite the tempestuous seas

Ă‹

Ă‹

ĂŒ

The Fleur-de-lys, which is typically associated with France, refers to the founding of the Catholic Church in Singapore by the French Missionaries

The Double Sail Ship represents Mission and the co-responsibility of the Clergy (Black) and the Laity (Gold) in moving the Church forward in the New Evangelisation

“Today we live in such a secularised world that God cannot be spoken in public places, not even in Catholic schools sometimes... at least not too loudly,� he said.

Christians cannot speak of God in public places lest they be accused of having no respect for others or proselytising, the archbishop pointed out. “We can’t speak of our moral values because it might be discriminating some people. We are silenced even in the truth.�

But Archbishop Goh said “it is possible� that a new miracle would happen through the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and through Mary’s intercession.

For people to return to God, Archbishop Goh said it is important to give them an encounter with Jesus.

The Church and its people "

is through prayer that one can encounter the Lord, he said.

The archbishop pointed out that Mary in her apparitions had prescribed the “same antidote to heal the illnesses of the world� – that of prayer and penance. “Prayer can change the

% foremost changes our hearts,� he said.

The archbishop also highlighted Mary as a role model of faith as well as evangeliser. He later led the congregation in the Prayer of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The archbishop also crowned a statue of Mary.

A Holy Hour was held before the afternoon’s Mass with rosary prayers, Eucharistic adoration and benediction.

The afternoon’s Mass also saw Archbishop Goh inaugurating and blessing the Coat of Arms of the Archdiocese of Singapore (see story on left). „ darren.boon@catholic.org.sg

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Sunday November 3, 2013 „ CatholicNews

Living his vocation with trust in divine providence

By Darren Boon His is a “circumstantial vocation�, says newly-ordained Fr Jovita Ho. He shared that he encountered circumstances in life that made him question if there was more to life than what he then was doing, or whether God was possibly calling him to the priesthood.

Fr Ho was ordained at the Church of Christ the King on Oct 15 by Archbishop William Goh. Archbishop Emeritus Nicholas Chia was also present to concelebrate the Mass with priests of the archdiocese.

There was no dramatic “St Paul experience� for him, said Fr Ho. However, he had felt initial

stirrings to the priesthood when he was an altar server in his teenage years. One experience of serving alone at a funeral Mass with an elderly priest at his former parish of Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour – where he had also served as a catechist, cantor and in the liturgical ministry – made an impression on him.

Fr Ho recollected that the priest had asked if he knew who the deceased was, and he replied that he did not. The priest then told him that it was a teenage girl who had committed suicide.

The priest said with tears in his eyes that “we as Church have failed to be there for the young

& ' * # + seeing an old priest shed tears, and his words left an impression

Fr Jovita Ho at his ordination Mass on Oct 15. Photo by ! "#!$ %&$' #( )*+ # !

on the teenage boy and set him thinking.

Fr Ho, now 38, said he then wondered if he could do more than just be active in church, and that was when he began to feel a greater attraction to the Sacraments and Mass.

There were other developments as well.

When he signed on with the Singapore Armed Forces for six years, he remembered someone telling him that if God was call-

From Divine

‘the idea of obedience and availability to

ing him, He would still call him after six years.

He signed on because he had /

and the loan was for 25 years.

However, he remembered also praying that God would clear the obstacles preventing him from entering the seminary. And the Lord answered his prayers, said Fr Ho. He told CatholicNews he felt both “surreal� and “a great sense of calm� about his ordination. “And I suppose I attribute my calmness to the fact that in this long journey, somehow God and people have been signs of my af & He added that since his seminary days, he has lived out his vocation trusting in “Divine Providence�. To trust in Divine Providence means “where I’m told to go, I will go; where I am asked to assume responsibility, I will assume; when I’m told to let go, I will let go; and when I am told to leave a particular place, I will leave�.

From Divine Providence,

availability to what the Church asks of me�, Fr Ho said.

Apart from his duties as assistant priest at Church of the Holy Cross, Fr Ho has also been appointed chaplain to the National University of Singapore’s Catholic Students’ Society.

He says he hopes to get to know the life of the students there and to understand their needs. „ darren.boon@catholic.org.sg

Cemetery blessing on All Souls’ Day On All Souls’ Day, Nov 2, the Choa Chu Kang Catholic Cemetery will be consecrated and blessed by the priests of the North District as sanctioned by Archbishop William Goh. The ceremony will begin at 10 am in the cemetery chapel.

During the procession, hymns will be sung, with readings and psalms offered for the souls of the faithful departed. The blessing of graves will then follow. „

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Sunday November 3, 2013 „ CatholicNews

opens its Yishun premises

By Darren Boon Clarity Singapore, a Caritas Singapore member that provides mental health services, held its of % 6 7: That day was also World Men # < Archbishop William Goh and Member of Parliament for Nee = !> < ? cially opened the centre at Yishun > > Board members and volunteers from Clarity, as well as representatives from mental health and charity organisations were

% In his speech, Archbishop Goh praised Clarityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;response to the call to Christian charityâ&#x20AC;? in its @ He noted that a mentally ill patient is â&#x20AC;&#x153;still a child of Godâ&#x20AC;?, and thus his or her human dignity % Clarity, the archbishop said, is the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Catholic response to recognising and promoting human dignity by way of providing clarity

& This it does by helping the af "

and working towards eradicating the stigma associated with mental

Clarity chairman Joseph Tan, in his address, highlighted some of the charityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities and ser" "

He said Clarity has served Q:: % -

About Clarityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clients

Yishun premises.

chotherapy and professional counselling services, while its outreach % " 7 Z:: Clarity organises various mental wellness programmes such as relaxation exercises in English and Chinese, art therapy sessions as well as public talks on overcoming depression, midlife transition, and positive psychol The eveningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s celebration also saw Clarity presenting tokens of %% 77 "

" 6 "

Lester Ho, a second-year James Cook University psychology student, told CatholicNews that volunteers undergo training to help them listen more effectively to people, educate people on mental illnesses and help out with Clar + " " He described the volunteering [% &

For more information on Clarityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s upcoming activities, visit http://www.clarity-singapore. org. The organisation can also be reached at 6757-7990. Â&#x201E; darren.boon@catholic.org.sg

Clarity has served about 300 clients while its outreach programmes

1 2

some 1,200 others

According to Ms Grace Ang, Clarityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s executive director of Clarity, most of its clients are in \: ]:

depression, anxiety and other

The bulk of the cases come from referrals from the Family Service Centres, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, priests or other Church organisations such as the Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and ' ^ %

Most of the issues include those concerning family, relationships, career, livelihood, marriage, stress, trauma, loss and grief, Some migrants also [% / Ms Ang said that with depression becoming a growing problem, Clarity is looking to increase its number of permanent staff from its current number of " %

%

Clarity is also planning to have a second centre at Agape

Z:7]

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Sunday November 3, 2013 CatholicNews

Dear Hindu friends, Immaculate Heart of Mary parish organised a charity golf as part of its diamond jubilee celebrations.

IHM golf event raises $200K for cathedral Some 148 golfers gathered at the Tanah Merah Golf & Country Club on Oct 3 for the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary’s Charity Golf.

The event, held in conjunction with the church’s diamond jubilee celebrations, was to raise money for the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd’s Restoration Fund.

Immaculate Heart parish priest Fr Adrian Yeo had suggested that the proceeds go towards assisting the archdiocese’s “Mother

Church”, the Good Shepherd Cathedral, in restoring its building.

With the support of parishioners, other parishes and benefactors, the target amount of $200,000 was met. A cheque presentation ceremony was held during the dinner that followed the event.

Mr Lim Boon Heng, chairman of Temasek Holdings and de-facto chair of the cathedral’s Restoration Fund Raising Committee, was the guest-of-honour for the event.

With heartfelt thanksgiving, I share in your joy on this vibrant festival of Deepavali, which celebrates the triumph of good over evil and of light over darkness.

As you unite yourselves with fellow Hindus all over the world during this Festival of Lights, may God bless you abundantly as you renew ties of friendship with God, family and friends and also all of humanity in goodwill.

In recent months, the world has again witnessed chaos of dire proportions: civil war, suicide attacks, shootings, rebel incursions, natural disasters and other tragic events.

As believers of the power of God over all that is damaging to peace and harmonious living among the people globally, let us unite in prayer and active works of charity to

foster deeper understanding and respect for the dignity of human life, regardless of race, language or religion and the protection of our environment.

We are very fortunate that in Singapore we enjoy peace and respectful living which,

As you unite ‘ yourselves with fellow Hindus all over the world during this Festival of Lights, may God bless you abundantly.

’

in no small part, is due to the efforts of our Catholic and Hindu communities and the congenial bonds of friendship that have been forged by our leaders and active interfaith practitioners across the years.

We certainly hope that these

bonds may be further strengthened through increased interfaith interactions, particularly amongst our younger generation of believers.

There are many avenues that we can explore in order to concretely touch the lives of the people around us and to bring about wholeness. This will surely contribute to the ongoing interreligious harmony that we enjoy between our communities.

On this note, on behalf of the Catholic community of the Archdiocese of Singapore, I would like to wish all our Hindu brothers and sisters a Happy Deepavali and Saal Mubarak.

Most Rev Msgr William Goh Archbishop of Singapore Msgr Philip Heng Vicar General (Inter-Religious Affairs)

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Sunday November 3, 2013 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

Helping parents build happier, stronger families Four speakers share how to do this at a recent Family Life Society forum

By Gwendolyn Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara

Creating a positive learning environment is an important factor as many children nowadays often face a negative â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;talk-downâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; approach by parents, said Dr Jennifer Kiing, a speaker at the forum.

and Lorna Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara A forum to educate parents of young children on some simple and effective ways to optimise their childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s early development was held on Oct 12 at the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Auditorium. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The purpose of holding such an event, is to empower parents to build happier and stronger families,â&#x20AC;? said Mr Paul Long, executive director of the Family Life Society, which organised the event.

Mr John Ooi, a father of six children and author of two books, spoke on Achieving Work Life Balance for the Family.

This, according to him, is

% and responding adequately to the demands of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key roles. # % % " | % | odology to help parents achieve @|

It involves parents identify| ing their goals for their key roles, identifying other events that they want to spend time on, identify| | @ key goals or events, identify| | @ events, and lastly reviewing and %

results possible.

Mr Adrian Lim Peng Ann, a counselling psychologist with 20 years of therapeutic and training experience, spoke on The Fa| therâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Role in Early Childhood.

He urged fathers to play a more active role in taking care of their children. He also pointed out how a father should be a sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playmate and in the eyes of his daughter, a blueprint for a future | |

Most importantly, a father has the power to shape his fam| ilyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifestyle and should al| ways remind himself of his purpose and role as a father, he said.

Dr John Hui, a family physi| cian and father of four spoke on The Best Gift You Can Give Your Child.

He emphasised the impor|

A parent speaking during the question-and-answer segment of the forum.

Mr John Ooi

Mr Adrian Lim Peng Ann

Dr John Hui

Dr Jennifer Kiing

tance of having a strong marriage between husband and wife that would ultimately strengthen the family unit.

This involves putting oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s % % % | ing each other, sharing from the heart, empathising with oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spouse and constantly asking for forgiveness when in the wrong.

Dr Jennifer Kiing, clinical di| rector of the Child Development Unit at National University Hos| pital, spoke on Optimising Your Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Early Development.

She dealt with the topic of ensuring a safe and interesting environment for children to grow up in. Creating a positive learn| ing environment is an important factor as many children nowa|

" @| downâ&#x20AC;? approach by parents, she said.

She also stressed the im| portance of parents caring

for themselves too as this is a large contributing factor with regard to how they raise their children.

Forum participants said they found the talks informative.

Ms Samantha Song, 32, and Mr Gregory Lee, 33, parents of

two children, said Mr Limâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk

doing for their children.

Mr Noel Ng, 35, and Ms Kim|

% | | old son shared that the forum gave useful and practical tips that they could learn from.Â&#x201E;

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Sunday November 3, 2013 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

ACMA celebrates its last Mission Sunday Mass

Fr Kenson Koh receiving the gifts offered on behalf of the congregation by the members of various international communities.

By Keith Neubronner â&#x20AC;&#x153;We often pray for ourselves only.

We should pray for the glory of God,â&#x20AC;? said Fr Kenson Koh. Fr Koh was the main celebrant of the Mission Sunday Mass held at the Church of St Ignatius on Oct 20. It was organised by the Archdiocesan Commission for Missionary Activity (ACMA) of which he was chairman.

He reminded the congregation that â&#x20AC;&#x153;mission is not just about giving money; what we do must re

" ! & He added that mission is when we become Jesus to others.

The Mass was also attended by about 50 representatives, from the Filipino, German, Indonesian, Japanese and Spanish-speaking Catholic communities, dressed in their traditional costumes.

Canossian Sr Marion Liong, who has been based in Myanmar

since 2007, was also present at the Mass. She told CatholicNews that she â&#x20AC;&#x153;never dreamed of doing mission workâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thought I would live and die in Singapore, she said. That was until I had to accompany some Sisters-in-formation to Myanmar.

The cry of the poor was greater than any obstacle. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve not regretted being sent there ever since.â&#x20AC;?

The priests who concelebrated the Mass were themselves â&#x20AC;&#x153;sentâ&#x20AC;? from international countries â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Msgr Philip Heng (Malaysia), Fr Antonio Gonzalez (Spain), Fr Rafael Sambodo (Indonesia) and Fr Paul Staes (Belgium).

This was the last event for ACMA, following the announcement that it will be incorporated into 6

Â&#x20AC;" tion. Fr Koh expressed his gratitude to the organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s members past and present, and exhorted them to continue being Christ to others. Â&#x201E;

Montfort Sec students, staff and alumni visit St Theresaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Home Some 150 Montfort Secondary School students, staff, parents and alumni visited St Theresaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Home at Upper Thomson Road on Oct 19.

The Parents Support Group (PSG) and Montfort Alumni felt this was one way to help Montfortians realise their vision of being â&#x20AC;&#x153;a Man for Othersâ&#x20AC;?.

The students performed a lion dance and a wushu demonstration, while the National Cadet Corps students performed a precision drill.

Principal Andrew Tan also sang three songs for the residents, including Collin Rayeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Love Me, while the alumni performed three songs, including I Will Follow Him and Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Together Again.

Above: Students feeding a resident during a meal. Below: Precision drill The nurses, who were performance by the Montfort Secondary National Cadet Corps. mainly Filipinos, were also invited to perform the song, Child, in Tagalog.

During the mealtime, the volunteers brought food to the residents and later joined them in an impromptu karaoke session.

The Montfort community had also raised $4,500 prior to the visit and the cheque was handed over to Brother of Mercy Thomas Chia, the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assistant director of nursing.

Goodie bags and 200 Toyogo boxes with snacks for each resident were also given out. } " / activity organised by the secondary school PSG and alumni. Â&#x201E;

ASIA 9

Sunday November 3, 2013 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

CHURCH IN PHILIPPINES

Quake damages churches, homes

A family looks at a partially destroyed church, while (in picture right) a statue of Mary and Jesus is seen in front of the destroyed centuries-old Our Lady of Light Church in Bohol. CNS photos MANILA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Following a 7.2-magni-

tude earthquake that struck parts of Philippines on Oct 15, Bishop Leonardo Medroso of Tagbilaran told ucanews.com on Oct 16 that all 58 churches in Bohol province were damaged.

Meanwhile, the social action arm of the Catholic bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; conference announced on Oct 16 that it is allocating at least US$9,000 (S$11,000) as an initial fund to assist earthquake victims in Bohol.

Fr Edwin Gariguez, executive secretary of Caritas Philippines, said the resources of Tagbilaran and Talibon dioceses were not enough to respond to the needs of victims. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are monitoring the distribution of services and will be

ready to complement the emergency efforts of affected dioceses,â&#x20AC;? Fr Gariguez said on Oct 16.

He said resources from other dioceses are being tapped on, to provide emergency assistance to affected areas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Information and assessment reports are now being sent to Caritas member organisations to appeal for immediate emergency assistance,â&#x20AC;? Fr Gariguez said.

Some churches in the Archdiocese of Cebu cancelled Masses as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;precautionary measureâ&#x20AC;?, Msgr Achilles Dakay, spokesman of the Archdiocese of Cebu, told ucanews. com. Masses were being celebrated outside of churches as authorities

In Cebu City, the earthquake damaged the Basilica Minore de Santo Nino (Basilica of the Holy Child), the oldest church in the Philippines and home to one of

Archbishop Socrates Villegas told clerics to focus their attention on the victims, not collapsed churches. the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important religious icons.

Archbishop Socrates Villegas, who will become president of the Philippine bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; conference on

Dec 1, told clerics to focus their attention on the victims, not collapsed churches, reported ucanews.com. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If at the point of a calamity [bishops] still think of my building, my church, my diocese ... itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not Christ-like,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We should focus all our attention and resources on Bohol and Cebu, because thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where the needy are,â&#x20AC;? Archbishop Villegas told ucanews.com.

As of Oct 20, the death toll from the earthquake has reached 185.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said at least 3.4 million people had been affected by the quake.

The agency said at least 600 homes were destroyed while more

than 1,400 were damaged.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has reported more than 100 aftershocks in Bohol since the quake.

Social media users in the Philippines and around the world sent messages to pray for the quake-affected central Philippines known as the Visayas, where Bohol, Cebu and more than a dozen other island provinces are located.

Many users tweeted messages of prayer for victims of the earthquake using #PrayforVisayas.

One message that was being reposted read, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Churches were destroyed because God was busy %

His.â&#x20AC;? Â&#x201E; UCANEWS.COM, CNS

Christian churches unite New evangelisation conference hosts delegates from all over Asia over â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;pork barrelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; scandal MANILA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pope Francis has called

on Catholics in Asia to bring Jesus into all aspects of modern life, and reminded them not to forget the poor and disenfranchised. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bring Jesus now into the world of politics, business, arts, science, technology, and social media,â&#x20AC;? he said in a video message on Oct 18.

This was during the end of ^ %%

New Evangelisation, held at the 400-year old University of Santo Tomas in Manila. The conference hosted around 6,000 delegates.

Speaking in English, Pope Francis said he hoped conference attendees â&#x20AC;&#x153;would experience the presence of Jesusâ&#x20AC;? in their lives.

At the end of the three-day conference, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila led a prayer service with leaders of other faiths where he asked for forgiveness for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;sins of the Churchâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to say how sorry we

are for the sins, the hurts that we "

non-Christians,â&#x20AC;? the prelate said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to ask forgiveness from the women who have been degraded, dehumanised,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Manila Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We ask forgiveness of children who did not experience caring. We want to ask forgiveness of

communities always a home that will welcome them.â&#x20AC;?

To those who have hurt the Church, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to say we forgive you, we love you, and we hope we can start to build a world of love, justice, truth, and peace, not just for ourselves but for the next generations.â&#x20AC;?

Cardinal Tagle convened the conference as a response to calls

by Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI to make evangelisation â&#x20AC;&#x153;more relevantâ&#x20AC;? in the face of the changing social, technological, cultural, economic, civil and religious landscapes.

He said the event is the Philippinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;humble contribution to the construction and strengthening of the Church rooted in Jesusâ&#x20AC;?.

Conference delegates came from throughout Asia, including Hong Kong, India, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Myanmar, Japan, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. A contingent from the United States also attended. Â&#x201E; UCANEWS.COM

MANILA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Thousands of church bells tolled simultaneously across the country for several minutes at noon on Oct 11, as Catholic and Protestant churches joined in the growing clamour for the immediate abolition of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;pork barrelâ&#x20AC;?, a government scheme that many say is riddled with corruption. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The moment they hear the bells they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deny anymore the extent of the peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cry to have this abolished,â&#x20AC;? said Fr Ben Alforque, convenor of the Church Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alliance Against Pork Barrel.

Various organisations and ordinary citizens have been holding protests in recent weeks to pressure the government into ending its Priority Development Assistance Fund, also called the â&#x20AC;&#x153;pork barrelâ&#x20AC;? fund for legislators.

The growing call for the abolition of the fund came after a state audit revealed that some 200 million pesos (S$5.5 million) is allocated to each of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 24

senators and 70 million pesos to 294 lower house lawmakers, for supposed development projects in their constituencies.

The audit result released in August alleged that 6 billion pesos in pork barrel money was misused between 2007 and 2009. At least 12 senators and 180 congressmen and congresswomen had fund allocations channelled to dubious non-government organisations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let us be united in praying for our lawmakers and the Supreme Court so that they will abolish this pork barrel in all its forms,â&#x20AC;? Fr Alforque said, adding that the ringing of the bells is also a call for repentance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;God is calling us to Him, therefore we have to return to Him and ask the leaders of our country to repent,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Those who stole from the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coffers should return [the money] and use it for social services like education, health and housing for the poor.â&#x20AC;? Â&#x201E;

UCANEWS.COM

10 ASIA

Sunday November 3, 2013 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

Church agencies in India brace for relief work after Cyclone Phailin THRISSUR, INDIA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Church chari-

' % %

massive relief work after Cyclone Phailin left nearly 9 million peo%

India.

6

" ? '

" [

job with the massive evacuation that saved many lives,â&#x20AC;? said Mr John Shumlansky, country representative in India for the US bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Catholic Relief Service.

Mr Shumlansky told Catholic News Service on Oct 15 from eastern Orissa state that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the chal &

Phailin hit Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s east coast on Oct 12 with winds of up to 190km per hour; it devastated the coastal areas of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh states.

Only about two dozen people @

Â&#x2021;

trees â&#x20AC;&#x201C; because nearly 1 million people were evacuated by the "

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The people need to be helped to rebuild their house and lives.

Many of them have lost their livelihood,â&#x20AC;? Mr Shumlansky said af " ^

made landfall; houses had been blown away and roads were littered with broken trees.

Â&#x2C6;

Â&#x2030; to 180 families today,â&#x20AC;? he added. >=+ is to reach out to 10,000 families

* +/ $ 7 9 7 % ; * ' CNS photo

to help them buy essential items. Â&#x160; 6

7\ ]:: "

7Z tricts were affected, with 234,000 6 More than 485 hectares of crops

Mr Antony Chetri, relief work coordinator for Caritas India, told CNS that the Caritas network would provide shelter material like tarps for most needy families. = "

% " %

people [in more than 1,000 relief % Â&#x2030; %

it. We will try to identify those in remote areas and help them,â&#x20AC;? said # % @

Orissa, where he was held up af

% %

@

%

material had not reached their area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We distributed relief material to 500 families in Ganjam,â&#x20AC;? he added. >

"

@ & } farmers have been badly hit with coconut trees uprooted, banana % %

} also have lost their boats and nets.â&#x20AC;?

Meanwhile, Ms Babita Allick, team leader of the disaster

' dia, told CNS that it has released US$16,500 (S$20,400) for emer

@ for the dioceses of Berhampur and Balasore. Â&#x201E; CNS

Fund for Pakistan church bomb victims CNS photo

PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Paki-

stanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif announced on Oct 10, the establishment of a 200-million rupee (S$2.2 million) fund to help victims of the deadly Sept 22 attack on a Protestant church in northwestern Pakistan. He also vowed to % % At least 85 people were killed and over 140 were wounded when two suicide bombers blew themselves up at the 130-year-old All Saints Church in Peshawar. = " %resentatives of the minority com " militancy-hit province since com

Bishop Humphrey S Peters, % ^

tion of families of the victims and other minority representatives to Governor House to meet the Prime Minister.

The money will be allocated to help the survivors and the families of those killed in the attack.

! " ! ! # # $ ! % $ # % &&'

Half the amount will be provided Â&#x2020; ^ @ @ "ernment, while the other half will

" â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is extremely deplorable that people from every section

rorists,â&#x20AC;? said Mr Sharif, add "

" % % %

}

% %

faced by the families of victims, %

fected were poor people who

% % treatment. Â&#x201E; UCANEWS.COM

WORLD 11

Sunday November 3, 2013 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

The statue of Grief and History stands near the US Capitol dome in Washington. The US federal government reopened on Oct 16. CNS photo

Catholic Church groups welcome govt reopening WASHINGTON â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Catholic Church

groups welcomed the congressional deal of Oct 16 that reopened the US federal government after a 16-day shutdown, but some

business of Congress as well as the circumstances that brought about %

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The shutdown has had a widespread impact on many people, especially the poor, who suffered for lack of basic services during the period,â&#x20AC;? said an Oct 17 statement by Bishop Stephen E Blaire of Stockton, California, chairman of the US bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the government now % " services, particularly the elderly and children, can hope to resume a normal life with a safety net securely in place,â&#x20AC;? Bishop Blaire said.

Network, the Catholic social justice lobby, said in an Oct 17 statement it was pleased with the vote that ended the shutdown, but â&#x20AC;&#x153;our gratitude is tempered by the devastating impact of recent congressional extremism on people at the economic margins. We also hope that lessons have been learned about how not to govern.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is fair that furloughed federal workers, who were liter

@

be paid so they can care for their families. However, little attention is paid to the plight of low-wage government contract workers who will lose two-and-a-half weeks of pay,â&#x20AC;? the statement said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many work in government lunchrooms and mailrooms, clean the buildings and perform other needed duties. And a large number are people with disabilities.

There are also many, many others living paycheck to paycheck,

usual, people at â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;theAseconomic margins suffer the most.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Network, the Catholic social justice lobby

including those who depend on tourism, who will never recover their losses. As usual, people at the economic margins suffer the most. That is unconscionable.â&#x20AC;?

The US bishops are part of the Circle of Protection coalition, formed to make sure budget policies donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t adversely affect the poor. Coalition members waged

& Â&#x2021; aloud from the Bible across the street from the Capitol for a week whenever Congress was in session until the deal was reached. Â&#x201E; CNS

A priest runs in a 100m relay race on the main road leading to St Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Square at the Vatican on Oct 20. CNS photo

Pro, amateur athletes race with faith to St Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Square VATICAN CITY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Seminarians,

Vatican guards, Olympic champs, regular children and people with disabilities all took part in a morning â&#x20AC;&#x153;Race of Faithâ&#x20AC;? to highlight how the Church can help foster a world of sport that better respects human dignity.

6 ^

Council for Culture, a 100-metre, three-lane tartan track was temporarily laid down along the main boulevard leading right to the edge of St Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Square.

A few hundred people showed up early morning on Oct 20 for a three-hour programme featuring relay races and testimonies of faith. It was part of the councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s promotion of the Year of Faith.

Msgr Melchor Sanchez de Toca Alameda, head of the councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Culture and Sportâ&#x20AC;? section, said the council wanted to relay race not just because of St Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s frequent analogies of the faith life being like a race, but because passing a baton onto others is also â&#x20AC;&#x153;just like passing on the faith from person to personâ&#x20AC;?.

After reciting the Angelus with people gathered in St Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Square, Pope Francis greeted the race participants and asked them to remember that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the believer is an athlete of the spiritâ&#x20AC;?.

Participants included British 2004 Olympic medal winner and world indoor sprint-champion, Mr Jason Gardener, as well as Mr Andrea Bartali, son of the late Italian champion road cyclist, Gino Bartali.

The council then held a daylong conference on Oct 21, bringing together sports educators and representatives from Catholic sports associations and bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; conferences to discuss how the Church can encourage the sports world to put priority on the human person and better protect human dignity.

Meanwhile, the Vatican is about to launch its own cricket

+ Â&#x2039; %

Â&#x201E; CNS

Singaporean Canossian Sr Josephine Sim, who is working in the Canossian General Curia in Rome, taking part in the 100m relay race.

The Year of Faith event drew several hundred people, including Olympic medallists, disabled people and children.

12 WORLD

Sunday November 3, 2013 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

teaching on divorced, remarried Catholics VATICAN CITY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Amid rising

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (left) and new Vatican secretary of state, Archbishop Pietro Parolin (right). CNS photos

Cardinal Bertone steps down as secretary of state VATICAN CITY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Cardinal Tarcisio

Bertone, who as Vatican secretary of state drew rising criticism for failures of the Vatican bureaucracy he oversaw, stepped down on Oct 15 with a speech praising % ^ % Benedict XVI and stressing its continuity with that of Pope Francis.

The cardinal made his remarks at a ceremony in the Apostolic Palace marking the end of his seven years as the chief aide to two popes. Before his speech, Pope Francis thanked the cardinal for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;courage and patience with which you have lived the adversities you have had to face. They are so many.â&#x20AC;?

The ceremony had also been planned as a welcome to the in-

coming secretary of state, Archbishop Pietro Parolin, but to the surprise of most in the room, Pope Francis announced the archbishop had been unable to attend on account of a â&#x20AC;&#x153;small surgical interventionâ&#x20AC;? that would keep him away from work for a â&#x20AC;&#x153;few weeksâ&#x20AC;?.

The Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, said the archbishop had travelled to his native Veneto region of northeastern Italy for the surgery, whose nature the spokesman declined to specify.

The new secretary of state,

= % served as papal nuncio to Venezuela, could be in Rome by the end of October, Fr Lombardi said. Â&#x201E; CNS

expectations that the Catholic Church might make it easier for divorced and remarried members to receive Communion, the +

barring such persons from the sacrament without an annulment

riage.

But Archbishop Gerhard L Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, acknowledged that many

+ be invalid, and thus eligible for annulment, if spouses had % "

contemporary conceptions of marriage as a temporary arrangement.

The archbishopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s words appeared in an article published in the Vatican newspaper on Oct 22. =%

in practice has grown since Pope Francis told reporters accompanying him on his plane back from Rio de Janeiro in July that [ = ? %

explore a â&#x20AC;&#x153;somewhat deeper pastoral care of marriageâ&#x20AC;?, including the question of the eligibility of divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion.

The Vatican also announced on Oct 8 that an extraordinary

= ? % will meet from Oct 5-19, 2014, to discuss the â&#x20AC;&#x153;pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelisationâ&#x20AC;?.

Archbishop Muller acknowledged that a â&#x20AC;&#x153;case for the admission of remarried divorcees to

CNS photo

Gospel â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ofThe the sanctity of marriage is to be proclaimed with prophetic candour.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Archbishop Gerhard L Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

the sacraments is argued in terms of mercyâ&#x20AC;? but wrote that such an argument â&#x20AC;&#x153;misses the markâ&#x20AC;? in regard to the sacraments, since the â&#x20AC;&#x153;entire sacramental economy is a work of divine mercy and it cannot simply be swept aside by an appeal to the sameâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Church cannot respond to the growing incomprehension of the sanctity of marriage by pragmatically accommodating the supposedly inevitable,â&#x20AC;? he wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Gospel of the sanctity of marriage is to be proclaimed with prophetic candour. By adapting to the spirit of the age, a weary prophet seeks his own salvation but not the salvation of the world in Jesus Christ.â&#x20AC;?

However, Archbishop Muller acknowledged that contemporary social and cultural ideas of marriage are relevant to the validity of a sacramental union, to the %

with which the spouses undertake it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mentality is largely opposed to the Christian understanding of marriage, with regard to its indissolubility and its openness to children,â&#x20AC;? he wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because many Christians are in days are probably invalid more often than they were previously, because there is a lack of desire for marriage in accordance with Catholic teaching, and there is too little socialisation within an environment of faith. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Therefore assessment of the validity of marriage is important and can help to solve problems,â&#x20AC;? he wrote.

But where the requirements for an annulment are lacking, he wrote, civilly remarried Catholics may receive Communion only if they promise to abstain from sexual relations, living together â&#x20AC;&#x153;as friends, as brother and sisterâ&#x20AC;?. Â&#x201E; CNS

Vatican gets .catholic domain VATICAN CITY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; As top-level

Internet domain names are being rolled out and up for grabs, the Vatican has scored control of .catholic.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which coordinates the assignment of Internet domain names and addresses around the world, has been allowing entities to apply for ownership of hundreds, and soon thousands, of new domain names such as .london, .insurance and .xbox, among others. } ^

= cial Communications completed the application process last year

" tion that it will control the new Internet address extension .catholic and decide who is allowed to use it.

The Vatican will run .catho-

lic and its equivalents in other languages using Latin letters, as well as the equivalent of the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;Catholicâ&#x20AC;? in the Cyrillic, Arabic and Chinese alphabets.

Msgr Paul Tighe, secretary of the social communications coun

= " Oct 15, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very happy the approval has been achieved, but there is still a lot of work to do before it goes live.â&#x20AC;?

Contrary to reports that the domain name would go live in October, Msgr Tighe said seeing sites with the .catholic extension online still has â&#x20AC;&#x153;a long way to goâ&#x20AC;?. There are still bureaucratic kinks to iron out, like contracts to sign, technical trials to run and clear guidelines to set up for potential users of the domain name. Â&#x160; = last year, the Vatican plans to al-

low â&#x20AC;&#x153;institutions and communities that have canonical recognitionâ&#x20AC;? to use the extension, â&#x20AC;&#x153;so people online â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Catholics and non-Catholics â&#x20AC;&#x201C; will know a site is authentically Catholicâ&#x20AC;?.

The Vatican does not plan to allow individual bloggers or private Catholics to use â&#x20AC;&#x153;.catholicâ&#x20AC;?, Msgr Tighe said. Use of the domain would be limited to those with a formal canonical recognition: dioceses, parishes and other territorial Church jurisdictions; Religious orders and other canonically recognised communities; and Catholic institutions such as universities, schools and hospitals.

Running the domain name will promote â&#x20AC;&#x153;a more cohesive and organised presenceâ&#x20AC;? of the Church online, â&#x20AC;&#x153;so the recognised structure of the Church can be mirrored in the digital spaceâ&#x20AC;?, he said. Â&#x201E; CNS

POPE FRANCIS 13

Sunday November 3, 2013 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

CNS photo

Catholic media bring Church closer to people, says pontiff VATICAN CITY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Catholic media

Pope Francis is greeted during a meeting with members of the Lutheran World Federation at the Vatican on Oct 21.

Catholics, Lutherans must ask for pardon: pope VATICAN CITY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; As the 500th an-

niversary of the Protestant Reformation approaches, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Catholics and Lutherans can ask forgiveness for the harm they have caused one another and for their offences committed in the sight of Godâ&#x20AC;?, Pope Francis said.

Meeting on Oct 21 with representatives of the Lutheran World Federation and members of the Catholic-Lutheran international theological dialogue, Pope Francis said commemorations in 2017 of the beginning of the Reformation must take place in a spirit of dialogue and humility. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe that it is truly important for everyone to confront in dialogue the historical reality of the Reformation, its consequences and the responses it elicited,â&#x20AC;? the pope told the group.

While the Reformation frac-

Catholics and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Lutherans can ask forgiveness for the harm they have caused one another.

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pope Francis

tured Western Christianity, he said, for the past 50 years Catholics and Lutherans have been committed to dialogue in an effort to restore full unity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Together we can rejoice in the longing for unity which the Lord has awakened in our hearts, and which makes us look with hope to the future,â&#x20AC;? Pope Francis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Patience, dialogue and mutual understandingâ&#x20AC;? will be necessary as the

two communities seek to overcome what separates them, he added.

While theological dialogue is important, he said, the key to unity lies in prayer and trying to follow more closely the teachings of Jesus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the measure in which we draw closer to our Lord Jesus Christ in humility of spirit, we are certain to draw closer to one another,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We must let ourselves be taken by the hand by Jesus Christ.â&#x20AC;?

Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan of Palestine and Jordan, president of the Lutheran World Federation, told the pope that Catholics and Lutherans must solemnly vow to never again use violence against one another or use the power of being a majority to silence their minority counterpart. Instead, he said, they must be committed to â&#x20AC;&#x153;listening and learning from one anotherâ&#x20AC;?. Â&#x201E; CNS

CNS photo

VATICAN CITY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pope Francis de-

nounced widespread hunger due to wasted food as a symptom of a â&#x20AC;&#x153;throwaway cultureâ&#x20AC;? and called for greater effort to build a worldwide â&#x20AC;&#x153;culture of encounter and solidarityâ&#x20AC;? instead.

The popeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s words appeared in his annual message for World Food Day, Oct 16, addressed to

Â? + Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The tragic condition in which millions of hungry and malnourished people, among them many children, live todayâ&#x20AC;? is â&#x20AC;&#x153;one of the most serious challenges for humanityâ&#x20AC;?, the pope wrote.

He called it â&#x20AC;&#x153;paradoxicalâ&#x20AC;? that globalisation is increasing the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awareness of humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs even as growing individualism â&#x20AC;&#x153;leads to a certain attitude of indifference â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at the level of persons, institutions and states â&#x20AC;&#x201C; toward those who die of hunger or

are important not only as means of documenting Church events, Pope Francis said, but especially as means for bringing the Church and the Gospel closer to people.

Catholic media professionals must report news and share stories, â&#x20AC;&#x153;dialoguing with a world that has a need to be listened to and understood, but also needs to receive the message of true lifeâ&#x20AC;?, the pope said on Oct 18.

In a message to employees of the Vatican Television Centre, which was marking its 30th anniversary as a producer and distributor of Vatican and papal video, Pope Francis said the Catholic Church needs the best communications media available, but they must be used as a service to the Church and part of its evangelising mission. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We live in a world in which there is almost nothing that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have something to do with the universe of the media.

Increasingly sophisticated instruments reinforce the almost pervasive role of communications technologies, language and forms in daily life, and not only among the young,â&#x20AC;? he said.

In the midst of all those words, sounds and images, he said, it is not easy to recount events related to the life of the Church â&#x20AC;&#x153;which

is a sign and instrument of an intimate union with God and is the body of Christ, the people of God, the temple of the Holy Spiritâ&#x20AC;?.

Catholic media professionals, the pope said, must have â&#x20AC;&#x153;a strong ability to read reality in a spiritual keyâ&#x20AC;? as well as a thorough understanding of and respect for the religious events they are covering.

Catholic media professionals must have â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a strong ability to read reality in a spiritual keyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

The Vatican Television Centre, he said, can bring the popeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s words to a massive audience, including the lonely and to people who live in places where professing Christianity requires courage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is important to remember that the Church is present in the world of communications, in all its forms, most of all to lead people to an encounter with the Lord Jesus,â&#x20AC;? he said. Â&#x201E; CNS

World needs Gospelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;oxygenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; VATICAN CITY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Evangelisation requires people who joyfully and lovingly live their faith, are not afraid to go out to share it and know how to transmit to others the essential teachings of the Church, Pope Francis said.

The world needs â&#x20AC;&#x153;the oxygen of the Gospel, the breath of the spirit of the risen Christâ&#x20AC;?, Pope Francis told members of the Pon

^ Evangelisation.

Meeting the council members on Oct 14 at the beginning of their plenary meeting, the pope said there are steps both individuals and the Church as a whole must @

share the Gospel with the world.

While faith is a gift, he said, Christians must show others its meaning by being living examples

of love, agreement, joy and trust in the midst of suffering â&#x20AC;&#x153;because this will raise questionsâ&#x20AC;? such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why do they live like that? What motivates them?â&#x20AC;?

Pope Francis said everyone knows many have left the Church or no longer practise their faith as they should, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrong to blame one side or anotherâ&#x20AC;? when there is such a pressing obligation to move forward. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As sons and daughters of the Church, we must continue the journey of the Second Vatican Council, rid ourselves of useless and dangerous things, of false worldly securities that weigh down the Church and damage its true face,â&#x20AC;? he said.

To evangelise, he said, is to focus â&#x20AC;&#x153;on the essential, that is, on Jesus Christâ&#x20AC;?, on His love and on loving others as He did. Â&#x201E; CNS

Pope: Visit retired priests, nuns

Siblings from a Manila slum eat a meal as part of a feeding programme.

suffer malnutrition, almost as if it were inevitableâ&#x20AC;?.

The pope called the waste of food, which, according to the FAO, accounts for approximately a third of worldwide food production, â&#x20AC;&#x153;one of the fruits of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;throwa-

+

men and women to the idols of % % Â&#x2019; of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;globalisation of indifferenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; which is slowly â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;habituatingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; us to the suffering of others, as if it were something normalâ&#x20AC;?. Â&#x201E; CNS

VATICAN CITY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Calling homes for retired priests and nuns â&#x20AC;&#x153;sanctuaries of holinessâ&#x20AC;?, Pope Francis asked Catholics to visit those who spent their lives sharing the Gospel and caring for others.

In his morning Mass homily on Oct 18, he described retired clergy and Religious as â&#x20AC;&#x153;good priests and good Sisters, aged and bearing the weight of solitude, waiting for the Lord to knock on the doors of their heartsâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not forget them,â&#x20AC;? he said during the Mass in the Do-

mus Sanctae Marthae, according to Vatican Radio.

Pope Francis spoke about how Moses, John the Baptist and St Paul all endured suffering, but the Lord never abandoned them.

The pope said when he thinks of the closing days of St Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life, â&#x20AC;&#x153;My heart remembers those sanctuaries of apostolicity and sanctity, rest homes for priests and Sisters.â&#x20AC;?

He said Christians can make a pilgrimage by visiting the elderly priests and nuns. Â&#x201E; CNS

14 POPE FRANCIS

Sunday November 3, 2013 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

Pope shows devotion to

Pontiff gives his views on role of women VATICAN CITY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pope Francis said

womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;vocation and missionâ&#x20AC;? today remain essentially connected to their capacity for motherhood, but warned against unjustly restricting their participation in the Church or civil society on that basis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many things can change and have changed in our cultural and social evolution, but the fact remains that it is the woman who conceives, carries in her womb and gives birth to the children of men,â&#x20AC;? the pope said on Oct 12. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is not simply a biological matter, but carries a wealth of implications for the woman herself, for her way of being, for her

tremes that demolish woman and her vocation.â&#x20AC;? } ty to a social role, to a task, albeit noble, but which in fact sets the woman aside with her potential and does not value her fully in the building of the community. This is both in the civil sphere and in the ecclesial sphere,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I suffer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I speak truly â&#x20AC;&#x201C; when I see in the Church or in some ecclesial organisations that the role of service â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which we all have and should have â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role of service slips into a role of servitude ... when I see women who do things out of servitude, and that it is not well understood what a

The original statue of Our Lady of Fatima arrives in procession at St Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Square before the Oct 13 Mass in honour of Mary. CNS photo

Â&#x201E; From Page 1

" # alone can change the water of our

the wine of encounter, joy and for " # & Pope Francis has signalled his strong devotion to Mary from the

% when he made a brief pilgrimage to the Basilica of St Mary Major, Romeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s principal Marian shrine. # @ % ^ % to Our Lady of Fatima.

14-17CN22.indd 14

Oct 13 is the anniversary of the last apparition of Mary to three shepherd children at Fatima in 1917. Two of the visionaries, Blessed Jacinta Marto and her brother Blessed Francisco Marto, were beatified by Blessed John Paul II in 2000.

Their cousin, Carmelite Sr Lucia de Jesus dos Santos, died in 2005. Three years later, Pope Benedict exempted her from the usual five-year waiting period between a death and the start of a beatification cause. Â&#x201E; CNS

Women have a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;particular sensitivity for the things of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, says the pope.

CNS photo

relationships, for the way in which we lend respect to human life and to life in general,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Calling a woman to maternity, God entrusted the human being to her in an altogether special manner.â&#x20AC;?

The pope was speaking to participants at an academic confer % ^

Council for the Laity to mark the 25th anniversary of Blessed John Paul IIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s apostolic letter, Mulieris Dignitatem (The Dignity of Women). Pope Francis described it as

the papal magisterium dedicated entirely to the subject of womanâ&#x20AC;?. # of betraying womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inherently maternal role: â&#x20AC;&#x153;two opposed ex-

woman ought to do,â&#x20AC;? he said.

But the pope said there is also the â&#x20AC;&#x153;other dangerâ&#x20AC;? of â&#x20AC;&#x153;promoting a type of emancipation which, in order to occupy spaces taken away from the masculine, abandons the feminine with the precious traits that characterise itâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Woman has a particular sensitivity for the things of God, above all in helping us to understand the mercy, tenderness and love that God has for us,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Noting that the Italian word for Church (â&#x20AC;&#x153;chiesaâ&#x20AC;?) is a feminine noun, the pope exclaimed that the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Church is a woman. The Church is a mother. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful, eh? We have to think deeply about this.â&#x20AC;? Â&#x201E; CNS

23/10/2013 8:00:41 PM

POPE FRANCIS 15

Sunday November 3, 2013 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

The Church canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t close in on itself, says Pope Francis VATICAN CITY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Church can describe itself as â&#x20AC;&#x153;apostolicâ&#x20AC;? only if it shares the Gospel with the world, remaining faithful to the teaching of the apostles and living out Gospel values, Pope Francis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Church closed in on itself and its past, a Church concerned only with its little rules, customs and attitudes, is a Church that betrays its identity,â&#x20AC;? the pope told more than 70,000 people gathered in St Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Square on Oct 16 for his weekly general audience.

Continuing a series of talks about how the creed describes the Church, Pope Francis said the adjective â&#x20AC;&#x153;apostolicâ&#x20AC;? comes from the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s connection to the 12 men Jesus chose as His closest companions and sent to share with the entire world what He had told and shown them.

The Church, he said, has â&#x20AC;&#x153;the " & and of having an obligation to â&#x20AC;&#x153;safeguard and transmitâ&#x20AC;? the teaching of the apostles.

Pope Francis said he wanted to emphasise the connection between the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s apostolic identity and its obligation to be missionary â&#x20AC;&#x153;because Christ calls everyone to go out, to encounter others; He sends us, asks us to move in order to bring the joy of the Gospelâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once again,â&#x20AC;? he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ask ourselves: Are we missionaries with our words, but especially with our Christian lifestyles; are

Pope Francis looks on during his general audience in St Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Square on Oct 16.

CNS photo

closed in on itself and its past, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A Church a Church concerned only with its little rules, customs and attitudes, is a Church that betrays its identity.

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

we witnesses? Or are we closed, both in our hearts and inside our churches? Are we â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;sacristy Christiansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Christians in word only who live like pagans?â&#x20AC;?

The pope said he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t trying to scold anyone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I also ask myself, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;How am I a Christian?

With my witness?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let us rediscover today all the beauty of being an apostolic Church,â&#x20AC;? the pope told the crowd. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And remember, eh, it is apos % Â&#x2021; task â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and because we proclaim the Gospel through our lives and

also with our words.â&#x20AC;?

Pope Francis said the Gospel â&#x20AC;&#x153;isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an idea or a philosophyâ&#x20AC;? but a living relationship with Jesus Christ. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Without Jesus there is no Church.â&#x20AC;?

The Church, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;is like " " %

is always that which comes from the spring, from Jesus himselfâ&#x20AC;?.

The pope also described the Church as being like a plant that grows over time and bears fruit, but lives only as long as it is rooted in Christ. Â&#x201E; CNS

When faith turns into ideology VATICAN CITY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; When Christianity becomes an ideology rather than a faith based on a relationship with God, its followers become proud and rigid, Pope Francis said.

When Christianity becomes an ideology, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jesus isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t there, nor is His tenderness, love and meekness. And ideologies are always rigid, always,â&#x20AC;? the pope said on Oct 17 in a homily at his early morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he lives.

According to a Vatican Radio report on the homily, Pope Francis said that ideological Christians are â&#x20AC;&#x153;rigid, moralists, ethicists, but without goodnessâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When a Christian becomes a disciple of an ideology, he has lost his faith; he is no longer a disciple of Jesus, but of this way of thinking,â&#x20AC;? the pope said.

14-17CN22.indd 15

Pope Francis was commenting on the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gospel reading from Luke (11:47-54) in which Jesus admonishes the scribes and Pharisees for trying to control the faith rather than live it and share it with others.

The Gospel reading included the line: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.â&#x20AC;?

Pope Francis said when Chris-

Ideological Christians are â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;rigid, moralists, ethicists, but without goodnessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pope Francis

tianity is an ideology rather than a faith built on a living relationship with the Lord, â&#x20AC;&#x153;knowledge of Jesus is transformed into an ideological and moralistic knowledgeâ&#x20AC;?.

The ideologues close the door to faith with all their rules, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The key that opens the door of faith is prayer,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am talking about praying, not saying prayersâ&#x20AC;? because the Pharisees recited many prayers in public simply to be seen. Jesus warned his disciples not to follow their example because prayer should be a â&#x20AC;&#x153;heart-to-heartâ&#x20AC;? meeting with the Lord.

Pope Francis said the â&#x20AC;&#x153;poorâ&#x20AC;?

Pharisees were â&#x20AC;&#x153;people sullied by pride. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ask the Lord for

" % praying in order not to lose faith, but also to remain humble.â&#x20AC;? Â&#x201E; CNS

23/10/2013 8:01:07 PM

16 OPINION

Sunday November 3, 2013 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

Fortnightly newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore

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LETTER

My memories of All Soulsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day

The gate of the former Bidadari Cemetery.

As a child of between the ages of [ 7:

always bring me without fail to visit a few graves at the former Bidadari Catholic Cemetery along Upper Serangoon Road every Nov 2 for All Soulsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day. For the entire visit, my mum would not be able to recall the whereabouts of my grandparents and other related relationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; graves.

Eventually with the help of the kebun, a few graves would be located.

I remember my mum telling me at each visit that All Soulsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day is a sacred day where we Catholics have to remember the faithful departed and this tradition has to be carried on for generations to come. The faithful departed must never be forgotten. We must continue to pray for them.

As a child then, Bidadari cemetery was a place very close to many Catholics.

When the cemeteries had to be exhumed for redevelopment, it was indeed very sad and the place that used to be a very beautiful serene cemetery with all the big trees and huge tombstones is missed immensely by many Catholics and other Christians alike.

What I remembered most clearly during the All Soulsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day

14-17CN22.indd 16

grave visits was that my mum used to go in the late afternoon ] Q: % would be much cooler.

We would meet many Catholics and other people we knew who streamed through the graves

It was a like a family affair where people came in large groups.

By nightfall, almost all the graves in the Bidadari Christian

I remember my mum telling me that All Soulsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day is a sacred day where we have to remember the faithful departed. cemetery were lighted up with white candles everywhere. It was a very peaceful, pleasant sight and there were no worries walking in the cemetery even as late as 8 pm.

There was always somebody meeting somebody in the cemetery. Everyone seemed to kind of know each other.

Now that the Bidadari cemetery has been cleared for a major upcoming housing project, many Catholics

would visit the cemeteries in Lim Chu Kang for All Soulsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day. However, these days, the grave visits are not the same as they used to be. Last year, I visited the Lim Chu Kang cemetery on All Soulsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day after work.

By the time I reached the cemetery, it was almost dark and I saw no grave with lighted candles, and no one around. I thought to myself how times have changed from the former Bidadari days.

I was expecting people visiting graves. How wrong I was. Perhaps more of the deceased have been cremated. Perhaps more visitors came in the earlier hours.

How many graves were unkept, forgotten and some never visited by family members and friends in a very long time.

I lighted a candle, placed some % Â&#x160; '

I looked back and noticed from a

candle on a silent grave glowing in the lonely night. The grave was that of my late motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

Hopefully this All Soulsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day, more Catholics in larger family groups would visit the graves they know. Â&#x201E; DeSouza Dennis Gordon Singapore 521247

Thoughts about our disappearing roots â&#x20AC;&#x153;Home is where one starts from.â&#x20AC;? American poet, editor and literary critic T S Eliot wrote that and it describes an experience that can be felt both as a freedom and as a heartache. I cite my own case: I grew up in a second-generation immigrant community on the Canadian prairies. My grandparentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

and everything they built, from their houses to their schools, were understandably built with what they could afford and situated along roads and railways they could access.

They did the best with what they had and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the luxury of building with long-term permanence in mind.

Consequently, many things that surrounded me when I was a child have since disappeared: The elementary school that I attended closed while I was still a student there. Both the building and school grounds " %%

never know that a school once existed on that location.

The same holds true for the high school I attended. It too has dis %% %

' entire town that gave it its address has disappeared.

After high school, I attended two separate seminaries and each of these too suffered the same fate; both stood empty for a number of years }

'

7] % @

freeway and now operates out of new buildings on a different site.

The farm that I grew up on still operates, though the house I grew %

lives there anymore. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s symbolic perhaps that the only building thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still in use from my early years is the church where I worshipped as a child. Every other building of my youth, adolescence, and early adulthood has disappeared. I am an orphan in terms of the buildings that nurtured me in my youth.

But, in this, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m hardly unique. All of us today, in different forms, are % Â&#x160; 7Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;: Â&#x160; Â&#x160; " }

his famous book Future Shock, pointed out how transience and impermanence are beginning more and more to shape our psyches, as things, people, places, knowledge and organisations pass through our lives at an ever-increasing rate. And he wrote this long before the impact of information technology began to reshape our lives much more radically. } % } 7Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;: dwarfed and taken to their square root by information technology today.

By todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s standards, things, people, places, knowledge, and organisa % " + % \: 7Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;: }

%%

our lives.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to be said about this? What does this transience say about our lives and our times? Is this good or bad?

I suspect that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all still sorting this out. Transience and impermanence arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sins, though they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily virtues either. For me, it seems, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a mixed bag, a mixed blessing.

On the positive side, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve brought us a new freedom. For many centuries, people were too much imprisoned by the suffocating permanence of the things, places, and knowledge of their time. They had sta

%

Â&#x20AC;"

" % } % our lives sets us free in a way that allows us to let ourselves be nourished and blessed by our roots, even as we arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bound by them.

But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a huge heartache in this as well. Constantly having the familiar disappear can also grieve the heart, and it should. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s healthy to want to go back to visit the old houses, schools, neighbourhoods, and textbooks that once nurtured us. And so the loss of the things and places of our youth can be painful.

But the pain of transience and impermanence in our lives also helps point us towards the things that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change, namely faith, hope and

" } "

$ %

[% % @ @ @

freeway, or rendered obsolete by newer software. In this world, scripture tells us, we have no lasting city, but we are already inextricably bound up with things that do last forever.

Centuries before Christ, the biblical writer Qoheleth warned us in the Book of Ecclesiastes that everything in this life is vanity: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vanity of vanities, everything is vanity.â&#x20AC;? However he uses the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;vanityâ&#x20AC;? in a different sense from what we do today. For him, it does not connote a psychological narcissism or an unhealthy preoccupation with our appearance and persona.

Rather, for him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;vanityâ&#x20AC;? simply means vapour, a passing mist, transience, impermanence, something that disappears too quickly.

Experiencing that transience can give us a heartache; but it can also make us search more deeply inside all this impermanence for that which is permanent. Â&#x201E;

23/10/2013 8:01:12 PM

FOCUS 17

Sunday November 3, 2013 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

LETTER

Celebrating Halloween in a different way

CITY

SERANGOON

St Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Church (Victoria St) Oct 31 : 6.30pm Nov 1 : 1.15pm, 6.30pm & 7.45pm

Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Oct 31 : 6.30pm, 8.00pm (Mandarin) Nov 1 : 6.30am, 6.30pm & 8.00pm

Church of Sts Peter & Paul Oct 31 : 6.00pm Nov 1 : 7.20am, 5.30pm & 7.30pm (Mandarin)

Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Oct 31 : 8.00pm Nov 1 : 6.15am, 6.15pm & 8.00pm

Church of Our Lady of Lourdes Oct 31 : 6.30pm Nov 1 : 12.30pm, 6.30pm & 8.00pm (Tamil)

Church of St Francis Xavier Oct 31 : 8.00pm Nov 1 : 6.30am, 6.30pm & 8.00pm

Church of the Sacred Heart Oct 31 : 5.30pm Nov 1 : 7.00am & 5.30pm Church of St Teresa Oct 31 : 7.00 pm Nov 1 : 12.30pm & 7.00pm Church of St Alphonsus (Novena Church) Oct 31 : 7.00pm Nov 1 : 6.30am, 12.15pm & 7.00pm Church of St Bernadette Oct 31 : 6.00pm Nov 1 : 6.30am & 7.00pm Church of St Michael Oct 31 : 8.00pm Nov 1 : 6.30am & 8.00pm

EAST Church of the Holy Family Oct 31 : 7.30pm Nov 1 : 6.15am, 1.00pm & 7.30pm Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace Oct 31 : 6.30pm Nov 1 : 6.30am, 8.00pm (Bilingual â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mandarin/English) Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Oct 31 : 6.15pm Nov 1 : 6.30am, 12.30pm, 6.00pm & 8.00pm Church of St Stephen Oct 31 : 8.00pm Nov 1 : 6.30am & 8.00pm Church of the Holy Trinity Oct 31 : 8.00pm Nov 1 : 6.30am, 6.00pm & 8.00pm Church of the Divine Mercy Oct 31 : 7.00pm Nov 1 : 6.30am; 1.00pm, 7.00pm & 8.30pm

NORTH Church of St Joseph (Bukit Timah) Oct 31 : 8.00pm Nov 1 : 6.30am, 8.00pm Church of St Anthony Oct 31 : 8.00pm Nov 1 : 6.30am & 8.00pm Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea Oct 31 : 8.00pm Nov 1 : 6.45am, 12.15pm & 8.00pm Church of the Holy Spirit Oct 31 : 8.00pm Nov 1 : 6.00am, 6.00pm & 8.00pm Church of the Risen Christ Oct 31 : 7.00pm Nov 1 : 6.30am, 12.45pm, 6.00pm & 8.00pm Church of Christ the King Oct 31 : 8.00pm Nov 1 : 6.30am, 1.00pm, 6.15pm & 8.00pm

14-17CN22.indd 17

St Anneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Church Oct 31 : 8.00pm Nov 1 : 6.30am, 6.15pm & 8.00pm Church of St Vincent de Paul Oct 31 : 8.00pm.

Nov 1 : 7.00am, 6.00pm & 8.00pm

It is that time of the year again when we witness the promotion of Halloween parties, whether as private or public events.

The word Halloween is the shortened name of All Hallowsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Evening, also known as Halloweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;en or All Hallowsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Eve. It is thought to have originated from Irish and Scottish immigrants, who carried versions of the tradition to the US in the 19th century.

Celebrated on the night of Oct 31 each year, Halloween has now evolved to become a night where horror and gore are the staple.

What does concern me as a parent is that more of our young, including good Catholic children, seem to be drawn to it and have little qualm in joining such events. It is not uncommon for children nowadays to ask to join such â&#x20AC;&#x153;Halloween partiesâ&#x20AC;? since it seems â&#x20AC;&#x153;so coolâ&#x20AC;?.

I am sure many of us Catholic parents feel uneasy allowing our children to join such events. Yet, my take on it is that it may not be

wise to merely say â&#x20AC;&#x153;noâ&#x20AC;?. We need to evangelise the culture by giving a more viable alternative. I wish to propose one such alternative that family-oriented or catechetical groups in parishes can consider.

Since Oct 31 falls on the eve of All Saintsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day, we can organise

We can organise events whereby children dress up as their favourite or patron saints (or angels). events during that period whereby children dress up as their favourite or patron saints (or angels). They can share simple snippets with each other as to why they chose to dress up as that particular saint and " [ %

Parents, catechists or other

volunteers can then bring little groups of these children to the various Catholic houses in the parish where the kids can say a blessing to each household they visit, give a little prayer card to the family staying there, and in return be given little blessings, gifts or, of course, sweets and chocolates. Perhaps we could call this event â&#x20AC;&#x153;Halo-inâ&#x20AC;?.

It would be naĂŻve to think this will take off successfully and immediately on a large scale, but given time and support from the various ministries, parishes and priests, it might turn out to be a better alternative than the present one which seems to glorify evil and horror.

Perhaps we should start with the pre-primary and lower primary

' they will likely be more receptive to such events during this period of innocence, curiosity and receptivity to all that is good and beautiful.

John Hui Keem Peng Singapore 560157

WEST Church of St Ignatius Oct 31 : 6.00pm Nov 1 : 7.00am, 6.00pm & 8.00pm Blessed Sacrament Church Oct 31 : 7.30pm Nov 1 : 7.00am, 8.30am, 6.00pm & 7.30pm Church of St Mary of the Angels Oct 31 : 7.30pm Nov 1 : 6.55am, 1.15pm, 6.30pm & 8.15pm Church of St Francis of Assisi Oct 31 : 7.00pm Nov 1 : 6.30am, 7.00pm (Mandarin) & 8.15pm Church of the Holy Cross Oct 31 : 6.00pm (Mandarin) & 7.30pm Nov 1 : 6.15am, 6.00pm, 7.30pm

CATHOLIC PRAYER SOCIET Y Please refer to www.cps.org.sg for details/updates.

Jurong International Business Park Nov 1 : 12.15 pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; please call or see www.cps.org.sg for venue details â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 98316307/93769897 Science Park Nov 1: 12.30pm Science Hub, 87 Science Park Drive Orchard Nov 1 : 12.40pm & 1.20pm Venue : Grand Hyatt Hotel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; please check hotel signage board Contact: 97543672 Outram Nov 1 : 12.15pm Venue : SGH Campus, Medical Alumni Association, 2 College Road, Level 2 Contact: 98233971/98782833 ? Z $ Nov 1 : 11.15am, 12.15pm & 1.15pm Venue : The Third Space, 18 Cross Street #B01-05, China Square Central Contact: 96221775 Shenton Way Nov 1 : 12.30pm & 1.20 pm Singapore Conference Hall (Level 2) Contact:90463061 Suntec Nov 1 : 12.15pm & 1.15pm Venue : Suntec Hall 606 Room F, Level 7, Entrance through Hall 605 Contact: 64087891/93665573 Mass timings correct at press time. Please check with parishes for latest updates.

23/10/2013 8:02:11 PM

18 ALL SAINTSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; DAY FEATURE

Sunday November 3, 2013 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

Pope Francis and his favourite saints

By Carol Glatz Who are the holy men and women Pope Francis looks up to? While a top-eight list does emerge from the interviews with the pope that were recently published, he rejected one interviewerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attempts at giving them a ranking. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rankings are for sports or things like that. I could tell you the name of the best soccer players in Argentina. But the saints ...â&#x20AC;? he told Eugenio Scalfari in an interview published by an Italian daily, La Repubblica, on Oct 1.

Here then, in no exact order, are the saints that Pope Francis has a particular fondness for or credits with playing an important role in his religious formation. The names are taken from the La Repubblica interview; the Sept 19 interview with the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica; and a 2010 compilation of interviews titled Pope Francis: Conversations with Jorge Bergoglio.

He is the 16th-century founder of the order the pope comes from, the Society of Jesus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jesuits were and still are the leavening â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not the only one but perhaps the most effective â&#x20AC;&#x201C; of Catholicism: culture, teaching, missionary work, loyalty to the pope,â&#x20AC;? said the Pope. Ignatius, â&#x20AC;&#x153;was a reformer and a mysticâ&#x20AC;?, which is critical for the Church because â&#x20AC;&#x153;a religion without mystics is a philosophyâ&#x20AC;?. Â&#x201E;

This saint is also a favourite of retired Pope Benedict XVI. On the saintâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feast day, on Aug 28, Pope Francis said Christians must follow St Augustine and refuse to be â&#x20AC;&#x153;anesthetised by success... [and] powerâ&#x20AC;?. They must keep sharing about Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love and promise of salvation with others. Â&#x201E;

The pope took his name after this 13thcentury Italian friar. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great because he is everything. He is a man who wants to do things, wants to build, he founded an order and its rules, he is an itinerant and a missionary, a poet and a prophet, he is mystical. He found evil in himself and rooted it out. He loved nature, animals, the blade of grass on the lawn @ ? above all he loved people, children, old people, women. He is the most shining example of that agape,â&#x20AC;? that is, to love one another as Jesus loved, said the pope. Â&#x201E;

â&#x20AC;&#x153;St Paul the apostle is the one who laid down the cornerstones of our religion and our creed. You cannot be a conscious Christian without St Paul. He translated the teachings of Christ into a doctrinal structure that...still exists after two thousand years,â&#x20AC;? said the pope.

In a May homily, the pope said St Paul is a model for priests and bishops to " @ ness and love, help them grow and protect them from danger. Â&#x201E;

This 13th-century Dominican theologian and philosopher taught that pride is humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest enemy because it leads a person to believe he or

| ders the person from having a relationship with God. Pope Francis, too, said,

The pope keeps in his room a statue of St Joseph sleeping, and he has a symbol of St Jo % Â&#x2021; % @ Â&#x2021; on his papal coat of arms.

In his homily at his inaugural Mass on March 19, the feast of St Joseph, Pope Francis said that in the Gospels, â&#x20AC;&#x153;St Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak, but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love.â&#x20AC;? Â&#x201E;

This sixth-century Italian monk is most famous for his rule for living, working and praying in community, which still guides the lives of Benedictine abbeys around the world.

While Pope Francis has not spoken more in-depth about this saint, the Benedictine spirituality seeks a balanced way of living with prayer, work and rest that does not ignore the primacy of God. It is also about living out the Gospel by being faithful in the little things of everyday life. Â&#x201E;

The pope used to keep a photo of this 19th-century French Carmelite nun on his library shelf when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires. He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I have a problem I ask the saint, not to solve it, but to take it in her hands and help me accept it.â&#x20AC;?

In a recent homily, he said St Therese displayed patience, trust in God and a â&#x20AC;&#x153;spirit of humility, tenderness and goodnessâ&#x20AC;? that God â&#x20AC;&#x153;wants from all of usâ&#x20AC;?. Â&#x201E;

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The sin that repulses me most is pride.â&#x20AC;? In an interview before he became pope, he said whenever he has acted like a big shot, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have felt great embarrassment, and I ask God for forgiveness because nobody has the right to behave like this.â&#x20AC;? Â&#x201E;

Sunday November 3, 2013 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

19

20

Sunday November 3, 2013 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

By Joe Sarnicola

the one who humbles himself will be exalted.â&#x20AC;?

WHEN Jesus was speaking to a large When Jesus was not teaching, group of people, He told them a story people would bring their babies and about two men from different back- children to Him, so that He might grounds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Two people went up to the touch them or give a blessing. The temple area to pray,â&#x20AC;? Jesus said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One apostles who were with Jesus tried to was a Pharisee and the other was a stop this from happening, but Jesus tax collector. The Pharisee took up spoke to them about the children: his position and spoke this prayer to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let the children come to me himself, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;O God, I thank you that I am % " Â&#x2019; @ not like the rest of humanity â&#x20AC;&#x201C; greedy, dom of God belongs to such as these. dishonest, adulterous â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or even like Amen, I say to you, whoever does this tax collector.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? not accept the kingdom of God like a Jesus then told the people more child will not enter it.â&#x20AC;? about the tax collector. He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;But }

@ Â&#x2122; the tax collector stood off at a distance a question. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good teacher, what must and would not even raise his eyes to I do to inherit eternal life?â&#x20AC;? heaven but beat his breast and prayed, Jesus said to him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why do you â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;O God, be merciful to me a sinner.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; call me good? No one is good but God I tell you, the latter went home justi- alone. You know the commandments,

Â&#x2019; " Â&#x161;Â&#x203A;

Â&#x2019; exalts himself will be humbled, and

@

Â&#x2019;

Â&#x2019;

Â&#x2019; your father and your mother.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

The man said to Jesus, â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of these I have observed from my youth.â&#x20AC;?

But then Jesus said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is still one thing left for you: sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.â&#x20AC;?

This made the man very sad, because he was very rich, so Jesus said for everyone to hear, â&#x20AC;&#x153;How hard it is

SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS:

Wordsearch:

Sts Simon and Jude

Â&#x201E; SINNER

Â&#x201E; ETERNAL Â&#x201E; HEAR

Â&#x201E; GREEDY Â&#x201E; TAX

for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.â&#x20AC;? Â&#x201E; Read more about it: Luke 18

Q&A 1. What was the tax collectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prayer? &' \ # do?

Â&#x201E; RICH

Â&#x201E; COMMIT Â&#x201E; CAMEL

BIBLE TRIVIA: What does the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gospelâ&#x20AC;? mean?

= Â&#x2122; Â&#x153; Â?

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Â&#x2122; Simon was sometimes called the zealot, not because he was a member of the sect called the Zealots, but because of his zeal, or enthusiasm, for the Jewish law prior to being called by Jesus.

Most likely, Simon later preached in Egypt and joined with Jude on missionary journeys.

Even less is known about Jude. There is nothing in the Scriptures about him beyond being chosen by Jesus. There is a New Testament book of Jude, but most scholars believe he is a different person.

We honour these two apostles on Oct 28. Â&#x201E;

Answers to Puzzle: 1) 5; 2) 7; 3) 4; 5) 3; 6) 150; 7) 2;

4) 12; 8) 10.

Bible Accent: The Pharisees placed a very strong emphasis on religious laws and rules. They believed that people who did not follow these rules were sinners. The Pharisees were often very critical of Jesus because they felt he did not respect the religious laws.

The Sadducees were religious leaders and priests who accepted only the written Scriptures and not the oral traditions of their culture that had been passed down through many generations.

Men from these groups often challenged Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; teachings. Â&#x201E;

Answer to Wordsearch

! ! ] ' Some hints have been provided.

1. How many books are in the Pentateuch?

2. How many days of creation were there in Genesis 1 and 2?

3. How many Gospels are there?

4. How many original apostles did Jesus call? [Matthew 10] 5. How many persons are in the Trinity?

6. How many psalms are in the Book of Psalms?

7. How many testaments are there in the Bible?

8. How many commandments did God give Moses in Exodus 20?

Answers to Bible Trivia: Good news.

PUZZLE:

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ON 21

Sunday November 3, 2013 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

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24 POPE FRANCIS

Sunday November 3, 2013 Â&#x201E; CatholicNews

Uniformity â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;kills gifts of Holy Spiritâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Pope gives his views on what makes the Church â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Catholicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; VATICAN CITY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Professing that

the Church is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Catholicâ&#x20AC;? means accepting its teachings, accepting the gifts it offers to help one grow in holiness, and accepting the fact that it is composed of different people with different gifts and opinions, Pope Francis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ask ourselves: Do we live in harmony in our communi ÂŞ 6 selves?â&#x20AC;? the pope asked on Oct 9 as he focused his weekly general audience talk on the meaning of the creedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profession that the Church is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Catholicâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Is there gossipâ&#x20AC;? in the parish or movement, do people â&#x20AC;&#x153;accept each other, accept that there is a correct varietyâ&#x20AC;?, or â&#x20AC;&#x153;do we tend to try to make everything uniform?â&#x20AC;?

Pope Francis asked the estimated 60,000 visitors and pilgrims who braved the rain to join him.

Many in the square had umbrellas, but Pope Francis spent almost 30 minutes in the rain, riding among the crowd in an open popemobile. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are not all the same and we shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t all be the same,â&#x20AC;? he said. Each person has his or her own gifts, qualities and character, which â&#x20AC;&#x153;is one of the beauties of the Church â&#x20AC;&#x201C; everyone brings

what God has given him or her to enrich the othersâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we try to impose uniformity, we kill the gifts of the Holy Spirit,â&#x20AC;? the pope said. He asked people at the audience to pray that the Spirit would make all Church members more â&#x20AC;&#x153;Catholicâ&#x20AC;?.

While the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;catholicâ&#x20AC;? literally means universal, it is not

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â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pope Francis during his general audience

but of unity in faith, Pope Francis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Church is Catholic because it is the space, the home in which the faith is proclaimed in its entirety, where the salvation Christ brought us is offered to all.â&#x20AC;?

Each diocese, each parish can say it is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Catholicâ&#x20AC;? because its members are united in the faith, the sacraments, the ministry of its priests, the leadership of its bish-

op and its unity with the pope, he said.

Being Catholic means being part of a family, he said. No one should or can go it alone; â&#x20AC;&#x153;in a family, each one of us is given what we need to grow, mature and live. We cannot grow alone, we cannot walk alone, in isolation, but we must move forward and grow in a community.â&#x20AC;?

Pope Francis asked those at the audience to consider how they accept the gifts that the Church offers them to help them grow and mature because â&#x20AC;&#x153;in the

saintsâ&#x20AC;?.

However, he said, if people go to Mass like spectators at a ballgame or movie, or if they are too wrapped up in their own problems to accept help and offer their gifts to others, neither they nor the Church will

One obligation, he said, is to share the Gospel message with others and support the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s missionary activity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Church is Catholic because it is universal, it is present in every part of the world and proclaims the Gospel to every man and every woman.â&#x20AC;? Â&#x201E; CNS

The pope arrives amidst rain to lead a general audience in St Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Square on Oct 9. CNS photo

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