Friday, August 5th 2022 Established 1905 222 South & Wellington Streets, Georgetown, Guyana Year 117, No. 30
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The unity of the Catholic Church’s bishops is fundamental in correcting past wrongs and in confronting challenges today, Pope Francis said. Meeting with a group of Jesuits in Canada July 29, the pope said his visit was made possible by the unity of the country’s bishops in seeking reconciliation (please turn to p11) Pope Francis meets with Jesuits working in Canada during a meeting at the archbishop's residence in Quebec July 29, 2022. Pictured with the group is Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
Editorial: To rest is to be human - p2 Letters to the Editor - p2 German Synodal Path must not create new structures, doctrines, Vatican says - p3 A Christian Perspective on Social Issues - p4 Sunday Scripture - p5 Nicaragua: A persecuted Church - p6 Gospel Reflection - p6 Small businesses invest in common good in local communities, pope says - p7 Journeying with the Word of God - p7 Service at Home for those unable to attend Mass - p8 Children’s Page - p9 Parishes celebrate Emancipation Day - p12 Saint of the Week - p12 On the Lighter Side - p12
St. Ignatius celebrates Feast Day, 6th
Bishop’s Engagements Sunday, August 7th 09:00 hrs – Mass and Confirmation at St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, Little Diamond, EBD Wednesday, August 10th 11:15 hrs – Travel to Karasabai Saturday, August 13th 08:30 hrs – Return to Georgetown Sunday, August 14th 07:00 hrs – Mass and Confirmation at St. John the Baptist, Plaisance
L
ast Sunday July 31st, on the feast of Saint Ignatius of Loyola — the founder of the Jesuits — the church of St. Ignatius, St. Ignatius, Central Rupununi,
celebrated their feast day and the sixth anniversary of the opening of their new Church building. In addition, the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony was celebrated, and
long-serving Parish Lay Assistants (PLAs) were honoured. This was also the first Mass in the Rupununi for Fr. Joel Thompson SJ who was ordained recently.❖ (St. Ignatius Mission Facebook Page)
Francis Alleyne OSB
222 South & Wellington Streets, Georgetown, Guyana Telephone: 226-2192 email: catholicstandardgy@gmail.com https://issuu.com/catholicstandard
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, August 5th, 2022
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Praise God in what we do
Dear Editor, In our Christian love and service we are summoned to work at this world’s tasks. Each one of us will find a task which is truly his or her own. The writer, the manager, the housewife, the trade unionist - in a word, everyone who is deeply involved in his or her earthly task, who is skilled
EDITORIAL To rest is to be human By Hosffman Ospino “Workaholic,” “productive,” “unstoppable,” “24/7,” “busy bee,” “overachiever,” etc. These words and expressions, and others similar, have come to be omnipresent in our everyday vocabulary. We often feel proud when identified with them. Common words and expressions often reflect the character of a culture. What do the above terms say about who we are? For some, they point to the human drive to do, achieve and produce. We want to change things; transform them whenever possible. We want to be known for doing something. For others, those words are reminders of the frenzy of a society that seems to have lost the sense of pacing itself while longing for constant outputs. We seem to have forgotten when to stop. Our outcomes define us; without them we feel incomplete. Being aware of our natural drive to do things and to achieve, which is something good, must be balanced with the sobering realization that we are more than what we do and produce, also something good. A sense of joy inhabits somewhere in between these two realities. Catholics have a long tradition of affirming the importance of rest. Such tradition is grounded in the Scriptures themselves. In the first chapter of Genesis, we find God resting on the seventh day after creating all that exists. What a beautiful image! Does God need rest? Was God tired? We can speculate at infinitum, but that is not the point. God rested and contemplated. God rejoiced. On the seventh day we encounter a God who finds joy in being a God who rests. The Hebrew biblical tradition reminds us of the importance of moments of rest, also dedicated to honor God: the Sabbath day, the seventh year after working the land during the previous six years, the jubilee after 49 years of labor, etc. God rests. The workers rest. The land rests. I love those Gospel passages that portray Jesus resting: He takes time away from the crowds, retreats with his friends, seeks moments of silence, and sleeps. Christians throughout the centuries have affirmed the importance of rest. Societies with a strong Catholic influence are known for having more holidays. In Latin America religious and secular holidays are days of rest and simultaneously occasions for fiesta. (please turn to page 3)
in the sober wisdom of his or her own particular work, brings about something real which they offer to man and God. In this sense, we may speak of the priestliness of every calling. The love involved will bear fruit for eternity. We are learning to see more and more clearly that our work on material things influences strongly on the development of man. This creates an atmosphere where we can flourish. In view of all of this, it is not only
important that we should have a pure intention in our work but it is also important that our work should be done well. As long as it is honest work at earthly things, it is service of mankind at the end. One should try humbly and joyously in what one does to be outgoing, to give oneself as Our Lord did. The fear of the Lord helps us to recognize our accountability to God for the stewardship of leadership. Leon Jeetlall
Can the sinner demand forgiveness? Dear Editor, It was good to read Mike James’ report on Pope Francis’ recent interaction with the indigenous peoples of Canada. The Pope begged forgiveness for the Church administration’s compliance and possible connivance with the then secular administration’s exploitative policies. Church administrations still do those things today under the guise of current science – and daily in economics.
There is righteous consternation in the world when the Pope is reported to have said the offender has a right to be forgiven when it is begged. A sinner can ask for forgiveness, but no sinner may say he has a right to be forgiven, much less demand it. Christians, however, are enjoined by Christ to forgive. Therefore the Pope, as a teacher, must also teach the faithful, be they offended or offenders, to forgive. But the right to forgiveness is not for the offender to
demand. So I hope Pope Francis made it clear he was wearing two hats: one as the representative of the sinner asking forgiveness, and the other as teacher instructing the Christian victims to forgive. Whether he is entitled to wear both hats on a mission to seek forgiveness is a matter of debate. God have mercy on us. Alfred Bhulai Exaudi Domine justitiam
Re-habilitating Guyanese Politics by Citizens Assembly on Article 13 Dear Editor, What passes for politics in Guyana is so removed from civilized compromise that the recent announcement of Government’s intention to launch a process of constitutional reform next month induces only eye-rolling resignation. While a national conversation on our political battlefield is urgently needed and would be welcomed by Policy Forum Guyana (PFG), a formal constitutional process requiring 60% Parliamentary approval is not a serious proposal at a time when political leaders cannot even shake hands. Policy Forum Guyana (PFG) believes a consultative process - a Citizens Assembly – not involving political parties - on the meaning of Article 13 of the Guyana Constitution would be of far more practical value. It is a foregone conclusion that whatever the issue, control of a Parliamentary process and its outcome would remain firmly in the hands of the ruling party from start to finish. Even were that not the case, the Parliamentary Opposition’s predictable reduction of such an initiative to a parade of all of its grievances, would be equally unproductive. In other words, the nation should not be exposed to a constitutional reform exercise which cannot meet minimum criteria of impartiality, independence and national healing. While welcoming the idea of public discussion, which Guyana so badly needs, PFG believes it is imperative that this not be yet another exercise doomed to predictable control and failure. The stated intention to imitate the Constitutional reform
process of 1999-2000 is misplaced. That process worked well due to genuinely inclusive all-party leadership in the persons of Ralph Ramkarran PPP (Chair), Haslyn Parris PNC (Secretary), and Rupert Roopnaraine WPA. Moreover, the work of the Commissioners was complimented by the civic Forum on Constitutional Reform which mobilized trade union, faith-based and NGO energies around reforms. Nothing comparable currently exists in terms of political or civic relationships. Another little acknowledged factor weighing against genuine consultation is the fact that the Guyanese economy was shifted by the PPP in the 1990s from total State control to total free market ideology, while leaving the same deformed Constitution in place. The constitutional reform process of 2000 removed the more naked powers of a paramount Presidency. By also reforming the electoral system and approving a system of 40 single-seat constituencies and a National Top Up List of 25 seats the reform process also sought to undermine the culture of centralized decision-making. However, both parties found this democratic socialist hang-over to be very congenial and it has remained in place. The electoral reforms while unanimously approved by Parliament were never subsequently implemented. Under the pretext that too little time existed to implement the full system in time for the 2001 system, 25 seats were divided between the 10 Administrative Regions with a National List of 40 seats, a system which has survived until the present. Neither of the two major parties have ever
referred back to these unimplemented reforms. In this context the central political issue is to find a method of implementing the approved reforms, not to open up another constitutional reform process to allow the major parties the opportunity to unravel them again. Guyana urgently needs substantive deliberation among many different kinds of people woven into the decision-making process. This process should be funded by Parliament, but entirely outside of party control. In other countries, Citizens Assemblies are proving attractive and effective in contexts to which National Assemblies and Parliaments are unsuited. Such Assemblies have been employed to help reduce complex subjects to a set of propositions that Parliament can use as the basis for policy-making. France and the UK used Citizens Assemblies to get to grips with the climate crisis and Ireland held one to help determine the abortion issue. Citizens Assemblies consist of a cross -section of citizens being selected carefully by a process known as sortition to ensure diversity, balance and representativeness. The Assembly comes together over a fixed period, or a number of week-ends or other suitable period. They are assisted and guided by experts and aim to draw up a series of recommendations on how to address a complex issue. Scepticism over nonexperts trying to accomplish this is inevitable, but, experience in other places proved otherwise. Empathy rather than (please turn to page 10)
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, August 5th, 2022
German Synodal Path must not create new structures, doctrines, Vatican says
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Ordination Anniversaries Wednesday August 10th Monsignor Terrence Montrose celebrates the anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood on August 10th. Forty seven years serving in the vineyard. (1975)
Sunday August 14th Fr. Marlon Inniss SJ celebrates the anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood on August 14th. Twelve years serving in the vineyard. (2010) We wish them God’s richest blessings as we journey with them. ❖
EDITORIAL (From Page 2)
Leaders of the second Synodal Assembly are pictured during its opening session in Frankfurt, Germany, in this Sept. 30, 2021, file photo. An unsigned "declaration from the Holy See," published by the Vatican press office July 21, warned that Germany's Synodal Path cannot institute "new modes of governance and new approaches to doctrine and morals." (CNS photo/Julia Steinbrecht, KNA) VATICAN CITY (CNS) — “It seems necessary to make it clear that the ‘Synodal Path’ in Germany does not have the power to compel bishops and the faithful to assume new modes of governance and new approaches to doctrine and morals,” said an unsigned “declaration of the Holy See.” Released by the Vatican press office in German and Italian July 21, the declaration said the Catholic Church in Germany could not “initiate new official structures or doctrines in the dioceses prior to an agreed understanding at the level of the universal church.” Doing so, it said, “would represent a wound to ecclesial communion and a threat to the unity of the church.” The fourth assembly of the Synodal Path is scheduled to meet Sept. 8-10 in
Frankfurt with plans to debate a series of revised texts and vote on them for possible adoption as resolutions of the Synodal Path. The assembly is made up of the members of the German bishops’ conference, 69 representatives of the Central Committee of German Catholics, and other representatives of spiritual ministries and church offices, young people and individuals. In total, the synodal assembly comprises 230 people. At its meeting in early February, the assembly passed resolutions calling for a greater role and voice for laypeople in church decision making and for the involvement of laypeople in cathedral chapters that have a voice in recommending the names of candidates to
be submitted to the pope for possible nomination as bishops. The assembly also made its initial consideration of motions to encourage a relaxation of the rule of mandatory celibacy for most Latin-rite priests and in favor of the ordination of women as deacons. The blessing of same-sex unions has been widely discussed as well, but not formally adopted by the assembly. The power of the assembly to make decisions for the Catholic Church in Germany has been widely and repeatedly discussed. Bishop Georg Bätzing, president of the of the German bishops’ conference, in an April letter responding to bishops from other countries criticizing the German process, insisted all (please turn to page 10)
The term holiday in Spanish is “festivo,” a festive day. Resting is an act of justice toward ourselves and others — and the created order. We are not machines and should resist treating ourselves or be treated as such. We must not deny the humanity of others by denying them their rest. We are human and thus we must rest. To rest of an act of love for ourselves and others — and the created order. I must confess that I am among those who derives much pleasure in putting extra hours of work, producing something new regularly, sometimes sacrificing necessary rest. The first person who needs conversion in light of this reflection is me. We need to grow more in our appreciation of the need and wisdom of resting. Sometimes we need to understand that it is OK to say, “I am tired and need some rest.” Being tired does not make us less human. All the contrary, needing rest reminds us of how human we are. To appreciate the value of rest, we need each other’s support. This is exactly why being part of a community is important. Not only we need others to remind us that we need to rest. We grow as human beings as we rest with our families and friends. We grow as we rest with the created order. Let’s make sure to find the time to rest. Ospino is professor of theology and .❖
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, August 5th, 2022
A Christian Perspective on Social Issues The poor of Guyana getting poorer: God sees, knows By GHK Lall The poor in this country are getting poorer, finding it a greater struggle to get by on a daily basis, and having to do without some of the basics of life. There are those approaching the poverty line, while some have already fallen far below it. Spiraling prices and skyrocketing cost of living would do that most strapped for extra spending money for necessities. Jesus would not have loved this; certainly, his Father in heaven is having problems with what is taking place here. He gave Guyana so much, and yet its peoples are so wretched, especially the poverty-stricken masses who don’t feature highly in the big picture of bigger people with the biggest visions of what to do with all these riches. So rich, yet so poor is the cry and Jesus has to be wondering how come even his own faithful are not too overly concerned about the plight of the poor, daily falling into that growing category. If I recall well, he did speak about the considerations due to the hungry, the thirsty, the sickly, and the shabby, among others that he counted as his brothers. Yes, I know; perhaps we will find some space in our congested calendar to get around to such, pardon me, inconveniences. For Jesus, they weren’t considered trouble, but brethren prized highly. I don’t think that that has undergone any material change; at least, not from his standpoint. I am wondering where that leaves us Christians and Catholics, which means me too. The problem is that some in the Christian community have gotten so close to those calling the shots, and who make things happen for them, that they forgot those who Jesus held dear. Also, there is the slight bother of not
wanting to upset any applecart by pointing to them, or insisting that something better be done for them, now that we have all this money coming from all over, including oil fund, loans, grants, and so forth. The irony is that Guyana is a nation that is awash in prosperity while many of its people live in misery. Yes, I know that I am speaking out of turn or turning out to be a thorn in the flesh of those who matter, but somebody forgot to send me the memo to be quiet. When the Savior, the one who redeemed me from poverty of the spirit, tells me enough said, then I listen, spring to attention, and stand down. I can’t be the only lost soul actually hearing him, not when we have all these gatherings and readings and understandings. Look at the state of our poor, and it is clear that they are on their own. They are a mixed bunch ranging from bottom feeders to low grade public officers to those I call minimum wagers. The oil riches came in a rush, yet the life sentence of Guyanese poor was not lifted in any way that mattered. I go back to Jesus and ask myself what he is thinking, how he is reacting to this seeming contradiction of poverty amidst plenty. Surely more than that pittance of an increase for pensioners ($3,000) qualifies as a perversity before him, since it is what would make some paralyzed people consider work. As for that now ancient COVID-19 cash handout ($25,000), it was good for one trip to
the supermarket, with a longing look at the greens market (maybe some other time, when another giveaway came their way); and the new minimum wage is so meaningless that it couldn’t make a miniskirt, if those were still around, and the cloth was free. One boss sharing out cash gift thinks of himself as a figure that older Guyanese used to call ‘Christmas Father’, except his toys barely holds up past the day; while another holds himself out as a new and improved version of that character of myth and magic ‘Honest John’, but is the essence of deception himself. Meanwhile, the poor remain rich in hope since that is all they have got left. That is, until the covetous come and yank that away from them too. It is their land, their environment, their future. I remind all Guyanese, particularly all Christians who should know, of those many powerful bigshots from way back. Men like Tutankhamun, Amenhotep I, and Rameses I, who all thought that they could beat the odds and get around the system by coming up with the cleverly creative. They took all their ill-gotten gains with them into those lavish pyramids, along with sacrificed humans to stand guard, only for the graverobbers to come and carry their treasures away. As the poor in Guyana would say: ‘God doesn’t sleep,’ and as scripture confirms over and over, he hears the cry of the downtrodden. God knows everything, and he knows the plight of the poor in this rich country.❖
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Prayer for our Priests
Gracious and loving God, we thank your for the gift of our priests. Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments. Help our priests to be strong in their vocation. Set their souls on fire with love for your people. Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom. Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel. Allow them to experience joy in their ministry. Help them to become instruments of your divine grace. We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest. Amen
Counselling Services at Brickdam Presbytery Carmelite Sisters are available for counselling on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00am to 12 noon and 1:00pm to 2:00 pm, at the Cathedral Presbytery. They are also available by appointment. Persons are encouraged to avail themselves of these services. Kindly contact the Cathedral parish office on tel. no. 226-4631 for details.
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Pope’s Intentions August Monthly Intention:
For Small Businesses We pray for small and medium sized businesses; in the midst of economic and social crisis, may they find ways to continue operating, and serving their communities.❖
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, August 5th, 2022
FIRST READING: Wisdom 18:6-9 By the same act with which you took vengeance on our foes you made us glorious by calling us to you. That night had been foretold to our ancestors, so that, once they saw what kind of oaths they had put their trust in, they would joyfully take courage. This was the expectation of your people, the saving of the virtuous and the ruin of their enemies; for by the same act with which you took vengeance on our foes you made us glorious by calling us to you. The devout children of worthy men offered sacrifice in secret and this divine pact they struck with one accord: that the saints would share the same blessings and dangers alike; and forthwith they had begun to chant the hymns of the fathers. Responsorial Psalm: Ps 32:1,12,18-20,22 Response: Happy are the people the Lord has chosen as his own. 1. Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just; for praise is fitting for loyal hearts. They are happy, whose God is the Lord, the people he has chosen as his own. Response 2. The Lord looks on those who revere him, on those who hope in his love, to rescue their souls from death, to keep them alive in famine. Response 3. Our soul is waiting for the Lord. The Lord is our help and our shield. May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you. Response SECOND READING: Hebrews 11: 1-2, 8-19 Abraham looked forward to a city founded, designed and built by God. Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at present remain unseen. It was for faith that our ancestors were commended. It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call to set out for a country that was the inheritance given to him and his descendants, and that he set out without knowing where he was going. By faith he arrived, as a foreigner, in the Promised Land, and lived there as if in a strange country, with Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same
promise. They lived there in tents while he looked forward to a city founded, designed and built by God. It was equally by faith that Sarah, in spite of being past the age, was made able to conceive, because she believed that he who had made the promise would be faithful to it. Because of this, there came from one man, and one who was already as good as dead himself, more descendants than could be counted, as many as the stars of heaven or the grains of sand on the seashore. All these died in faith, before receiving any of the things that had been promised, but they saw them in the far distance and welcomed them, recognising that they were only strangers and nomads on earth. People who use such terms about themselves make it quite plain that they are in search of their real homeland. They can hardly have meant the country they came from, since they had the opportunity to go back to it; but in fact they were longing for a better homeland, their heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, since he has founded the city for them. It was by faith that Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He offered to sacrifice his only son even though the promises had been made to him and he had been told: It is through Isaac that your name will be carried on. He was confident that God had the power even to raise the dead; and so, figuratively speaking, he was given back Isaac from the dead. (Shorter Form: Hebrews 11: 1-2. 8-12)
living a stewardship way of life for years, today’s readings invite us to ask ourselves an important question to ponder. The questions is this: “What do you treasure?” Of course, we all know the “right” answer: we treasure our faith, Whether you are just beginning your our family, and our friendships. But stewardship journey or have been Jesus tells us in the Gospel passage
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GOSPEL: Luke 12: 32-48 You too must stand ready. Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom. ‘Sell your possessions and give alms. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ‘See that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them. It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the third, but happy those servants if he finds them ready. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’ Peter said, ‘Lord, do you mean this parable for us, or for everyone?’ The Lord replied, ‘What sort of steward, then, is faithful and wise enough for the master to place him over his household to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this employment. I tell you truly, he will place him over everything he owns. But as for the servant who says to himself, “My master is taking his time coming”, and sets about beating the menservants and the maids, and eating and drinking and getting drunk, his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful. ‘The servant who knows what his master wants, but has not even started to carry out those wishes, will receive very many strokes of the lash. The one who did not know, but deserves to be beaten for what he has done, will receive fewer strokes. When a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be demanded of him; when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more will be expected of him.’ (Shorter Form: Luke 12: 35-40)❖
from Luke how we can discover the real answer to this question. He says, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” To discern what we really treasure, we need to do a check on our hearts. We can each ask ourselves, “Where do I spend the majority of my energy? Where do I find my thoughts dwelling?
How do I choose to spend my time when I find myself with a few spare moments? What do my spending habits reveal about my what is important to me? As Christian stewards, we are called to live our lives in grateful response to all that God has given us. Do I recognize and treasure these gifts? ❖
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, August 5th, 2022
Gospel Reflection
T
oday’s Gospel contains the advice Jesus gave his disciples when he urged them to be like good and faithful servants who are ever watchful for the coming of their master. He describes the attitude of expectation that should identify his followers of every generation – they wait, prepared, amid difficulties, conflicts and the sameness of each day. Each of the four parables brings out images of Christian expectation – the treasure in heaven, the servants awaiting their master’s return, the burglar who comes when he is not expected and the faithful and unfaithful stewards. These parables are still relevant to each of us individually and to the Church of our day. They ask us to be expectant and at the ready.
The Christian is one who accepts life as a gift that unfolds as we live it, for however hard we may try, we can never have complete control over what happens. The Christian is not discouraged by failures and disappointments but sees them as opportunities for spiritual growth. Our life is a journey into the unknown and is full of uncertainties. But we are conscious that we are not alone on this journey of life. We are journeying as members of a believing community and the faith of the community will support us when our own faith does not measure up. It is a great comfort knowing we can put our faith in God’s hands and so open ourselves to the full grace of God’s protection. ❖ [From: Journeying with the Word of God, The Religious Education Department, Diocese of Georgetown, Guyana ]
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Nicaragua: A persecuted Church
The government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega expelled 18 Missionaries of Charity from the Central American country on July 6. The nuns crossed on foot into neighbouring Costa Rica. (Aleteia) - In less than four years, the Catholic Church in Nicaragua has suffered 190 attacks and desecrations, including a fire in the Managua Cathedral, as well as persecution of the clergy under the Daniel Ortega regime. Last month, the Missionaries of Charity were expelled from the country. The regime alleged that the missionaries are not accredited “by the Ministry for the Family to function as a nursery-center for childhood development, home for girls, and home for the elderly,” nor “do they have an operating permit from the Ministry of Education to provide remedial education for students” and that their “financial statements reported to the Ministry of the Interior don’t agree” with other documents presented for review. A report elaborated by Martha Patricia Molina Montenegro, a member of the Observatorio Pro Transparencia y Anticorrupción called Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church? (2018-2022), shows the Catholic Church has been systematically targeted by Ortega’s regime, which has unleashed an “indiscriminate persecution against bishops, priests, seminarians, religious, lay groups and everything and everyone who has a direct or indirect relationship with the Catholic Church.” The report focuses on the socialpolitical crisis that broke out in April 2018 in Nicaragua. Then, demonstrators took the streets to protest a series of reforms the Ortega regime implemented in the social security system, increasing taxes and decreasing benefits. The government responded violently to these demonstrations, leaving at least 355 dead, according to the report. Montenegro explains that, before that April, abuses against the church were sporadic. But after the demonstrations, hostilities increased:
“The offensive, threatening language of the presidential couple against the Catholic hierarchy became more and more evident and frequent; and the actions of some public institutions against the charitable work of the church increased,” Montenegro explains. “Before President Ortega took office, these kind frontal attacks against religious institutions did not take place.” Montenegro’s report explains the attacks against the Catholic Church include a mob storming Managua’s Cathedral, death threats against Nicaraguan priests, and the desecration of different churches. In 2019 alone, the church suffered 48 direct attacks, including death threats against the auxiliary bishop of Managua, Silvio José Báez Ortega, who was exiled. The 40 attacks that took place in 2020 included a Molotov attack against the Managua Cathedral. During 2021, another 35 attacks were recorded, including desecrations and different robberies in churches, and direct attacks from the president Daniel Ortega against bishops and Catholic priests, whom he accuses of plotting and orchestrating a coup d’état. So far, in 2022, 21 attacks have already been registered. Especially important are the political and police harassment of Matagalpa’s Bishop, Rolando José Álvarez, and expelling the Missionaries of Charity. José Daniel Ortega Saavedra has been serving as President of Nicaragua since 2007. This is far from being his first time leading the country. He served as the coordinator of the Junta of National Reconstruction from 1979 to 1985 and took office as president from 1985 to 1990. Fidel Castro aside, Ortega is one of longest-serving non-royal rulers in the world and the longest serving non-royal leader in the Americas.
In the 1984 Nicaraguan general election, Ortega won Nicaragua’s presidential election as the candidate of the Frente Sandinista. A self-labeled Marxist–Leninist, Ortega implemented a series of left-leaning reforms across Nicaragua, but gradually shifted to a more moderate pro-business policy later, and even tried to build alliances with the Catholic Church, adopting a series of pro-life policies. Ortega was defeated in the 1990 Nicaraguan general election by Violeta Chamorro but won the presidency again back in 2006. After creating strong alliances with other Latin American caudillos (the former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez in particular), Ortega’s administration became increasingly anti-democratic. Some of Ortega’s own former revolutionary allies ended up comparing him to Somoza, the very same president they themselves had overthrown. A month after the demonstrations in April 2018, Amnesty International and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the OAS reported that Ortega “had engaged in a violent oppression campaign against protesters in response to the anti-Ortega 2018–2021 Nicaraguan protests.” Repression against his political opponents and the Catholic Church increased yet again in 2021, with the jailing of most of his potential rivals (and former allies) in the 2021 Nicaraguan general election. In that very same year, Ortega’s administration cancelled the operating permits of six U.S. and European NGOs. After Ortega’s 2021 reelection, President Joe Biden banned him from entering the United States.❖
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, August 5th, 2022
Small businesses invest in common good in local communities, pope says
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Journeying with the Word of God
MAKING THE WORD OF GOD YOUR OWN Step 1: Look at today’s Readings prayerfully.
A vendor sells vegetables at a market in Damascus, Syria, March 18, 2022. In a video message released by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network Aug. 2, Pope Francis offered his August prayer intention to small- and mid-sized business owners. (CNS photo/Firas Makdesi, Reuters) VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis asked people to pray for those running small- and medium-sized businesses since they contribute so much to the good of the local community and are still hard-hit by so many crises. “As a consequence of the pandemic and the wars, the world is facing a grave socio-economic crisis. We still don’t realize it! And among those most affected are small- and medium-sized businesses,” the pope said. In a video message released by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network Aug. 2, the pope offered his prayer intention for the month of August, which he dedicated to the owners of small- and medium-sized businesses. At the start of each month, the network posts a short video of the pope offering his specific prayer intention. The pope highlighted the importance of small businesses, whether they be “stores, workshops, cleaning businesses, transportation businesses” and others. These kinds of businesses are the ones “that don’t appear on the world’s richest and most powerful lists and, despite the difficulties, they create jobs, fulfilling their social responsibility,” he said. They are “the ones that invest in the common good instead
of hiding their money in tax havens. They all dedicate an immense creative capacity to changing things from the bottom up, from where the best creativity always comes from,” he added. “With courage, with effort, with sacrifice, they invest in life, creating well-being, opportunities and work,” he said. Concluding his prayer intention, Pope Francis said, “Let us pray for small- and medium-sized businesses, hard-hit by the economic and social crisis, so they may find ways to continue operating and serving their communities.”❖
1st Reading: Just as God came to the rescue of the Jews in Egypt, so he will save those who put their trust in him. 2nd Reading: We are called to imitate the faith of Abraham, our ‘father in faith’, who journeyed into the unknown while putting himself fully in God’s hands. Gospel: The parables in today’s Gospel urge a constant watchfulness and faithfulness.
Step 2: Applying the values of the Readings to your daily life. 1. Reflect honestly on your own life. Would you say you are open and ready for the coming of the Lord? 2. What do you feel you need to change in your life, what baggage you need to let go of, in order to be more open and ready for the coming of the Lord? 3. How do you experience God’s kingdom breaking into your own life? Sometimes it is difficult to recognise this because we are not normally conscious of it. 4. “We are not remembered for how we die but rather for how we live.” What is this statement saying to you?
Step 3: Accepting the message of God’s
Word in your life of faith.
Today’s Gospel speaks of what a basic Christian attitude is like – the expectation and belief in the coming of God’s kingdom into our lives and into our world. It doesn’t matter whether or not we have done everything we would like to have done. All that matters is the spirit of our service to God and to others. As Mother Teresa said: “We are not called to be successful, only to be faithful.”
Step 4: Something to think & pray about 1. List all the things you need to change in your life and work diligently at making all the changes you have listed. 2. Try to cultivate an attitude of readiness as suggested in the Gospel message today. Think of ways you can help others to develop the same attitude. 3. How do you feel you are called to live out the Gospel message this coming week. How do you expect to put this into practice? 4. In what way do you hear the Lord asking to be invited into your life? Do you think there is anything keeping you from letting God into your life? 5. Pray that you may never lose your trust in God when faced with the fears and anxieties of the future. ❖ [From: Journeying with the Word of God, The Religious Education Department, Diocese of Georgetown, Guyana ]
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, August 5th, 2022
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Service at Home for those unable to attend Mass NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C READINGS – 1st Reading is taken from Wisdom 18:6-9 Responsorial Psalm – Ps 32 (33):1,12,18-20,22 2nd Reading is taken from Hebrews 11:1-2,8-19
PREPARATION: • Comfortable seating, place in a semicircle if possible. • A table with a candle, crucifix or image of Jesus, • Identify family members who will proclaim the Scripture and perhaps give a brief reflection. • Select 2 or 3 hymns that everyone knows LEADER: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen “In truth I tell you once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them.” (Mt: 18:19-20) The Candle is now lit LEADER: Let us acknowledge before the Lord that at times we have failed to be trusted stewards and believe fully in his promises and in his future. (PAUSE) Lord Jesus, forgive us when we make material things a priority and neglect the treasure of your word; Lord, have mercy. Christ Jesus, forgive us when we do not prepare for your coming with faith, hope, and loving service; Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus, forgive us when we abuse the trust you give us by being unkind and cruel to our brothers and sisters; Lord, have mercy. LEADER: Lord, let your kind forgiveness strengthen our faith and hope. Lead us to everlasting life. Amen. LEADER: Let us Pray: Generous God, Thank you for gladly desiring to give us the Kingdom of Heaven. Forgive us for doubting your generous heart. Too often we live as if we are owners and not stewards. Too often our sense of identity comes from what we do instead of to whom we belong. We are your servants and you are our God. Help us to serve you faithfully in the present and to be ready to follow you in the future. Take us by the hand and guide us through all obstacles to the land of your promise. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
GOSPEL (Luke 12:32-48) A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Luke Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom. ‘Sell your possessions and give alms. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ‘See that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them. It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the third, but happy those servants if he finds them ready. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’ Peter said, ‘Lord, do you mean this parable for us, or for everyone?’ The Lord replied, ‘What sort of steward, then, is faithful and wise enough for the master to place him over his household to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this employment. I tell you truly, he will place him over everything he owns. But as for the servant who says to himself, “My master is taking his time coming,” and sets about beating the menservants and the maids, and eating and drinking and getting drunk, his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful. The servant who knows what his master wants but has not even started to carry out those wishes, will receive very many strokes of the lash. The one who did not know, but deserves to be beaten for what he has done, will receive fewer strokes. When a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be demanded of him; when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more will be expected of him.’ The Gospel of the Lord A Short Reflection can be given or a period of silent reflection
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL LEADER: As we stand ready, like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, we ask the Lord to listen to our prayers. Family members are invited to make their petitions. LORD’S PRAYER With the words of Jesus, let us pray to the Father in heaven: Our Father...... LEADER: Jesus is the one reveals the promise of the Father. Though we cannot receive him today let us invite him into our hearts as we pray the Act of Spiritual Communion: ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you were already there and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. AMEN
LEADER: Let us pray: Lord God, You have spoken to us through the words of your Son. You give us your trust, even though we are weak. You give us your love, even though at times we are broken and far from being lovable. You give us the promise of your kingdom, which is our hope and sustenance in life. Keep us ever watchful and keep burning in our hearts, the light of faith. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen BLESSING May Father dispel all our fears. Amen. May the Son keep us attentive and well prepared. Amen. May the Holy Spirit assure us of all that is promised. Amen And may our loving God bless us; In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. ❖ [Diocesan Liturgy Commission ]
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, August 5th, 2022
Treasures in Heaven Dear Girls and Boys, Hunting for treasure is something that has interested people for a long, long time. Have you ever been to a party where they played a Treasure Hunt game? It is great fun! The game is played by giving each player a list of clues which, if followed correctly, will lead them to find a "treasure." Many times the treasure is just a cheap toy or a sweet, so when you play the game, it is important to remember that the fun is in the hunt, not in the "treasure." You might be surprised to know that Jesus had something to say about seeking treasure. One day he said to his followers, “Sell your possessions and give alms. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”(Luke 12:33-34) So, how do we lay up treasures in heaven as Jesus said we should? We do it by taking our eyes off of our own selfish wants, and look at others and their needs. We give to the poor, we help those in need, we love others as we love ourselves. Those are things that will build treasures in heaven and there is nothing that can take them away. Playing a Treasure Hunt game is fun, but building treasure in heaven is very serious business. Let's ask God to help us to search for the right kind of treasure. Father, we sometimes look at all the treasures that this world offers and we lose sight of what you want from us. Help us to serve you by helping others and, in so doing, build our treasure chest in heaven. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. ❖
Treasures in Heaven Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it.
heaven treasure sell moth flock thief heart afraid little poor
[ NFC - Sources: http://www.sdc.me.uk , http://www.catholickidsbulletin.com/, http://www.sermons4kids.com , http://www.salfordliturgy.org.uk & https://thekidsbulletin ]
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CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, August 5th, 2022
Guyana prays for the cure to COVID-19
All-powerful God, With humble hearts and heads bowed down, We thank you for the gifts which we have taken for granted. We thank you for life, health, joy, and peace. We thank you for our families, friends, and neighbours. We thank you for our country, its natural beauty, and its diverse peoples. We thank you for our earth which provides all that we need to sustain ourselves so that we can live. In this time of illness, confusion, and fear Look upon your people with mercy and love. For those already afflicted, We ask you to touch them with the grace of healing and deliverance. For those who are vulnerable, lonely and fearful, Wipe away their tears and help them to trust. We pray for all the essential workers especially those in healthcare, education, agriculture, and law enforcement. Bless their hearts, hands, and minds as they respond with generosity to the cries of your people. Bless your people here in Guyana. Guide the leaders of our country, that they may take wise decisions that will benefit us all. Help us to reach out to the poor, lonely, vulnerable, and fearful wherever they may be. We are on the same boat, fragile and disoriented, called to row together and comfort each other. Protect us, heavenly Father, so that we may be spared the worst of this illness and receive those who have died into your loving embrace. We make this prayer in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.❖
Letters · Letters · Letters expertise is far more relevant to seeing the plausibility of the other side’s case – which is the essence of thinking and acting politically. Policy Forum Guyana (PFG) is proposing that Guyana needs a Citizens Assembly to give direction and recommendations to Parliament on how to move forward on implementation of the following portion of Article 13: “providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens in the management and decision making processes of the State, with particular emphasis on those areas of decisionmaking that directly affect their wellbeing. In pursuing this proposal, the ruling party would reap greater rewards from trusting the Guyanese people than from controlling them. Policy Forum Guyana (PFG)
Path
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resolutions calling for reforms that can only be implemented at the universal church level would be submitted to the worldwide synodal process launched by Pope Francis in preparation for the 2023 Synod of Bishops on synodality. In a 2019 letter to German Catholics — a letter also quoted in the new declaration — Pope Francis emphasized that synodality is a process that must be guided by the Holy Spirit with patience and not a “search for immediate results that generate quick and immediate consequences.” Transformation “calls for pastoral conversion,” he said. “Brothers and sisters, let us care for one another and be attentive to the temptation of the father of lies and division, the master of separation who, in pushing us to seek an apparent good or a response to a given situation, in fact ends up fragmenting the body of the holy and faithful people of God,” the pope said. The July declaration from the Vatican reminded Catholics in Germany of Pope Francis’ words to them in 2019 that the local church and the universal church live and flourish together. If local churches separate from the whole, he said, “they become debilitated, rot and die. Hence the need to keep communion with the whole body of the church always alive and effective.” The Vatican declaration said, “it is hoped that the proposals of the Path of the particular churches in Germany will flow into the synodal path being taken by the universal church for mutual enrichment and a witness to that unity by which the body of the church manifests its fidelity to Christ the Lord.” The Catholic Church in Germany launched the Synodal Path Dec. 1, 2019, in a search for ways to restore trust lost in the clergy abuse scandal. Scheduled to conclude its work by February 2023, it is debating the issues of power, sexual morality, priestly existence and the role of women in the church.❖
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CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, August 5th, 2022
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Prayer for the Synod on Synodality
Thursday, August 4th was the Feast of St. John Vianney - the patron saint of diocesan priests.
Two of our diocesan priests, Monsignor Terrence Montrose and Fr. Carl Philadelphia celebrated the
day by having lunch together. ❖ (St. Joseph, Husband of Mary Roman Catholic Church FB page)
Church unity fundamental with Indigenous peoples who experienced abuse or attempts at forced assimilation at church-run residential schools. “When an episcopate is united, then it can deal with the challenges that arise,” the pope told his Jesuit confreres. “If everything is going well, it is not because of my visit. I am just the icing on the cake. It is the bishops who have done everything with their unity.” The pope met with 15 Jesuits from Canada during his July 24-29 visit to the country. As has become the practice when the pope meets Jesuits during a foreign trip, a transcript of his remarks was released later by the Jesuit journal La Civiltà Cattolica. According to the transcript of the meeting, published Aug. 4, the pope said that while he witnessed the “familiarity between the bishops and Indigenous peoples,” there are still “some who work against healing and reconciliation.” “Even last night,” the pope recalled, “I saw a small traditionalist group protesting and saying that the church is something else; but that is the way things are. I only know that one of the worst enemies against the unity of the church and of the episcopates is ideology.” Touching upon the themes of the pope’s visit, particularly reconciliation and listening, a Jesuit asked Pope Francis if his experience in Canada
shaped “your synodal vision of the church.” The pope said he was “bothered” by the use of “the adjective ‘synodal’ as if it were the latest quick fix for the church.” “When one says ‘synodal church,’ the expression is redundant: the church is either synodal or it is not church. That is why we have come to a synod on synodality, to reiterate this,” he said. The pope reiterated that the synod “is not a political meeting nor a committee for parliamentary decisions” but rather an “expression of the church where the protagonist is the Holy Spirit.” He also warned that Christians risk “losing the overall picture, the sense of things” if a synod is reduced to focusing on singular issues. Recalling the 2015 Synod of Bishops on the family, the pope said some erroneously believed that “it was organized to give Communion to remarried divorcees.” Nevertheless, he said, his postsynodal exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia,” only addressed that specific issue in a footnote “because all the rest are reflections on the theme of the family, such as that on the family catechumenate.” “There is so much richness,” the pope said. “One cannot squeeze it all into the funnel of a single issue. I repeat, if the church is church, then it is synodal. It has been so from the beginning.”
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Pope Francis also spoke about the fact he did not meet with victims of sexual abuse during his visit to Canada. Apart from scheduling issues, the pope said he also wanted to focus his visit on the Indigenous people. “Many people responded to me saying that they understood that this was not an exclusion at all,” he said. Lastly, a Jesuit asked the pope regarding the debates surrounding the liturgy and its importance in formation. The pope noted that when “there is conflict, the liturgy is always mistreated.” “In Latin America 30 years ago, there were monstrous liturgical deformations. Then they moved to the opposite side with a backwardlooking intoxication with the old. A division was established in the church,” he explained. The pope said his actions, including his recent apostolic letter “Traditionis Custodes” (“Guardians of the Tradition”), “aimed to follow the line taken by St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, who had allowed the ancient rite and had asked for subsequent verification.” “Traditionis Custodes,” Pope Francis said, “made it clear that there was a need to regulate the practice, and above all to avoid it becoming a matter, let us say, of ‘fashion’ and remaining instead a pastoral question.”❖
We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name. With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts; Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it. We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder. Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions. Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right. All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time, in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever. Amen
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, August 5th, 2022
Parishes celebrate Emancipation Day
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Saint of the Week
Monday August 1st was Emancipation Day, and as has become customary, parishioners turned up to mass on the Sunday before resplendent in their African attire.❖
St. Pius X
Fatima
August 8th - St Dominic (August 8, 1170 - August 6, 1221)
Holy Rosary
Sacred Heart Meadow Bank
Born in 1170 in Spain, Dominic became a priest and after strenuous preaching against the Albigensians he founded the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) to continue his work. He died in 1221. Dominic's ideal, and that of his Order, was to organically link a life with God, study, and prayer in all forms, with a ministry of salvation to people by the word of God. His ideal: contemplata tradere: “to pass on the fruits of contemplation” or “to speak only of God or with God.” Saint Dominic is the Patron Saint of Astronomers.❖ [From: Salford Liturgy and Franciscan Media]
On the Lighter Side
Diamond
“I see you’ve laid up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Is this some sort of tax dodge?”
