The Southern Cross - 120815 by The Southern Cross

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August 15 to August 21, 2012

Abortion: Church to take to the streets

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HOPE&JOY: The power of youth

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R6,00 (incl VAT RSA)

Reg No. 1920/002058/06

No 4788

Life on Mars? What would God do?

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Bishop: Road safety is a Christian issue BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

At the beginning of Walter de Jesus and Samantha Duddy’s nuptial Mass in Nazareth House chapel, Pretoria, Fr Kevin Reynolds, uncle of the bride, explained why Samantha’s cartoon in their wedding invitation depicted the priest with no mouth. He reminded the congregation that the bride and bridegroom, not the priest, are the ministers of the sacrament of matrimony. Mr de Jesus’ long-standing friend and mentor, Fr Pius Afiabor SMA, vicar-general of Rustenburg diocese, concelebrated the nuptial Mass with Fr Reynolds. (Photo: Derek Brown)

Pope’s new book done; next encyclical? BY CINDY WOODEN

OPE Benedict has finished the third volume of his opus, Jesus of Nazareth, and perhaps will also publish an encyclical letter during the upcoming Year of Faith, according to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state. The cardinal, Pope Benedict’s top collaborator, told reporters that the pope had finished his manuscript on Jesus’ infancy and childhood. “It is a great gift for the Year of Faith,” the cardinal told reporters . The first volume of Jesus of Nazareth, covering the period from Jesus’ baptism to his Transfiguration, was published in 2007. The second volume, looking at his passion and death, came out in 2011.

In a statement, the Vatican press office said the book is being translated into a variety of languages from the German original. “It is hoped that the book will be published simultaneously in the most widely spoken languages; this will require a certain amount of time to ensure the accurate translations of a text that is important and longawaited.” The press office did not comment on a possible new encyclical. However, many observers expect there to be a document focusing on the virtue of faith to complete a series of Pope Benedict’s reflections on the theological virtues. His encyclical on charity (Deus Caritas Est) was published in 2005, and two years later he released his encyclical on hope (Spe Salvi).—CNS

N Eastern Cape bishop wants to know “why Christians who worship God forget their virtues, values and morals when it comes to traffic?” In a pastoral letter, Bishop Michael Wüstenberg of Aliwal North has called for Christians to take responsibility on the country’s roads. “We cannot avoid death. But we can avoid premature death [which can come through] through crime, some diseases like Aids and through accidents. We have a choice. Accidents are man-made, many are avoidable. They bring unnecessary misery and pain for the victims and their friends and families,” he said. Bishop Wüstenberg said the dangers of the country’s roads are evident to many who have mourned the loss of life and health. Some 1 475 people were killed on the country’s roads during the 2011/12 festive season alone. But when most of the drivers on the roads are Christians, many of whom pray, “I wonder how the Good Spirit of God seems to evaporate when they enter vehicles as drivers or participate in traffic as pedestrians”, the bishop wrote. The bishop said the carnage on the country’s roads comes from people who drive drunk, drive recklessly, use cellphones whilst driving, or drive cars that are unroadworthy or overloaded, and from pedestrians, who are drunk or do not wear reflective clothing, and children who run into the road. He said that people might at times feel tempted to break traffic law, for example by drinking before driving or using cellphones while operating a vehicle. “But we do not have to give in either to temptation nor to intimidation,” Bishop Wüstenberg said. The bishop said because we are created in the image of God we should care and do more to improve the situation on the roads. “We are like [God] when we are lovers of life and prevent premature death. Even in traffic we share the healing ministry of Christ. Our commitment to life is part of our mission and proclamation as Christians,” Bishop Wüstenberg said. “Your style of driving and walking on the roads should be Good News for others.”

The rules of the road are meant to safeguard life, not limit freedom. All road users should be able to trust others to adhere to the rules of the road. “Participation in traffic is a matter of trust. As God’s faithful we are principal agents of trust,” the bishop said. The bishop said the way we act on the roads is a direct reflection of our faith. “How can people believe that we found the God of Life through Jesus Christ if Christians do not care about life? And how can people believe that Christians are agents of the Gospel which many times says: ‘Do not be afraid’ but they intimidate people through their way of driving or walking? And how can people believe Christian preaching if we talk about the dignity of each person guaranteed by God and do not show respect?” The bishop called on prayer groups, sodalities and organisations to reflect on why Christians behave poorly on the country’s roads. “Plan what you can do to contribute to safety on the roads. Make concrete and lasting resolutions and evaluate them by sharing your experiences during a follow-up meeting.” Bishop Wüstenberg said the potential outcomes could be resolutions where Christians around the country will act positively towards improving the roads. “Start a campaign in your sodality or Small Christian Community to use seat belts; dissuading people who want to drive drunk; educate children about participating safely in traffic; resolve not to drive after even drinking a little; or many other good things that you can do. In all this choose life. You are not alone. We can support one another. We can do what God expects from us: Choose life!” The bishop also called on his diocese to pray for road victims and their families; for those that do drive responsibly; for traffic officials and emergency services, and for those who through their behaviour endangered or even ended the lives of others. “We are looking at a matter of life and death”, said the bishop. “Jesus gave us his example so that we care for life in all its stages and in all its forms, from conception to death.” Therefore, we must also care for life on the roads.

Bishops elect new three top officials BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

RCHBISHOP Stephen Brislin of Cape Town was elected the new president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) during the bishops’ plenary session held in Mariannhill this month. The new president succeeds Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg who has served the conference as president for two terms since 2007. The outgoing president congratulated the new “troika” which includes Archbishop Jabulani Nxumalo of Bloemfontein as first vice-president and Bishop Sithembele Siphuka of Mthatha as second vice-president. All were voted into their positions through an absolute majority. Archbishop Brislin has most recently served the conference as the second vice-

president. He was also the bishop of Kroonstad before being appointed archbishop of Cape Town in December 2009. The last SACBC president from Cape Town was Cardinal Owen McCann from 1961-74. Since then, the position has been held by Archbishop Denis Hurley of Durban, Archbishop Joseph Fitzgerald and Bishop Reginald Orsmond of Johannesburg, Bishop Louis Ndlovu of Manzini, Swaziland, and Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban, the latter for two separate periods. The president, vice-presidents, and department chairmen form an administrative board which coordinates the conference's activities between its plenary sessions. The bishops will vote on the leadership for departments, offices and associate bodies in January 2013, when the new SACBC leadership takes over. SACBC communications and media offi-

cer Fr Chris Townsend said the bishops have announced that they will make their ad limina apostolorum pilgrimage to Rome in April 2013. The ad limina visit is required of bishops every five years to report on the state of their dioceses to the pope and various dicasteries of the Roman curia. Fr Townsend said the bishops also had a two-day workshop on the direction that the conference and the Church is heading. “It was decided that the conference focus on ad extra issues such as developing ethical leadership; promoting development of schooling and education; striving for a just economy consistent with Catholic social teaching; healing and reconciliation; and supporting marriage and family life as the foundation of society.” Fr Townsend said the ad intra issues the bishops focussed on included developing a sense of ownership and Catholic identity

The new SACBC troika: (from left) second vice-president Bishop Sithembele Sipuka; president Archbishop Stephen Brislin; first vice-president Jabulani Nxumalo. among the laity; remembering our African nature; developing a well-formed and zealous priesthood through on-going formation and support; stewardship and financial responsibility; forming youth and young adult programmes that focus on a sense of calling and service in young people; building self-reliance and using the professional skills of the laity to build competence; and encouraging family and religious education and formation.

LOCAL

The Southern Cross, August 15 to August 21, 2012

Our pass marks are failing our children BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

A collection of nearly 200 masters dissertations and doctoral theses of students who received financial help from the Institute for Catholic Education (ICE) was handed to Fr Michael van Heerden (left), vice-chancellor of St Augustine College, South Africa’s Catholic university by Allan Schwarer, ICE chairperson and Fr Anselm Prior OFM. The Institute was founded in 1962 by Fr Fergus Barrett OFM, and businessman Harold Schwarer with the purpose of working towards an educational “top storey” in the Catholic Church, particularly among the diocesan clergy. One of the means for achieving this goal was to promote and encourage the publication of any literary works, lectures and papers which might advance the teachings of the Church. Over the years, generous assistance has been given to clergy and laity, Catholics and members of other denominations, in order to pursue studies in areas such as theology, philosophy, law, medicine, the social sciences, music, education, social welfare, art, and history.

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ASSING the grade at school is not enough—learners must be instructed to pass well, according to the Catholic Church’s national youth chaplain. “I am so disheartened with what is going on in our schools,” Fr Sammy Mabusela told The Southern Cross. Fr Mabusela made the statement after spending time at his former school, Holy Trinity in Attridgeville, Johannesburg. The teachers at the school, much like any other South African school, were talking in the staff room about pass marks. “They wanted to know if their learners had passed,” the priest said. But the 33,3% that constitutes a pass mark in South Africa, which is the mark the teachers were aiming for, is an “unacceptable benchmark for students to achieve”.

BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

APE Town’s Catholic youth are encouraged to attend a free “prayer jam” on August 25 with international musician and Catholic evangelist Jesse Manibusan. Organiser Jon Jon San Juan said the event will be an interparish gathering to excite the youth on their faith. The event will encourage the archdiocese’s youth to “stand up, walk and live”, Mr San Juan told The Southern Cross. Mr San Juan, who is from America, said a prayer jam is a way for archdioceses to get parishes “really amped up”. The event, the first of its kind, will see multiple parish groups, LifeTeen groups and young adults

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descend on the Cape Town International Convention Centre where Mr Manibusan will perform and talk to the youth, along with other local Catholic bands. “Jesse Manibusan is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and storyteller,” Mr San Juan said. “He is well recognised throughout the world as a dynamic, eclectic speaker and musician, Jesse shares from his heart the love of Christ and the call to live out our baptism in every aspect of Catholic life.” Mr San Juan said the event would be something very special for the archdiocese’s youth, and for Mr Manibusan, who will visit the continent for the first time, following a calling. The singer, who holds a holds a master’s degree in multicultural ministries from the

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Fr Mabusela said if learners are passing with the bare minimum, the country’s future work force could be filled with “doctors, engineers and even teachers who know only one third of their work”. The youth chaplain said the Church must encourage the government to enforce a higher pass mark. “The Church needs to be the conscience of the government,” said Fr Mabusela, adding that the government must guide and challenge teachers to produce more than the 33% capable learners they are producing today. “The Church was known to create good people and good learners. But the lack of vocations means that our schools have a different motivation today. We, the Church and her schools, need to want to make a difference once again,” he said.

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“It means that these learners are going into the world with a 70% deficit. It means they will have problems in the future without access to jobs or university.” Fr Mabusela said the pass mark stipulated by the Department of Education was not helping learners, but instead limiting them to a pass mark so low that “their potential will never be reached”. Fr Mabusela said the youth are not being put in a position where they will be able to succeed in the international climate of today. He said the fact that many will be working in a global community means that they need to be able to work at the same level as their international counterparts. A pass of 33%, he said, is not the same level. “We will also not see the further development of the country—not politically, economically or socially.”

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Jesse Manibusan will be presenting “Prayer Jam” on August 25 at the CTICC. Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, California, will also be engaging with the youth through faith talks on topics such as “Secrets of a Catholic ninja” and “God bless stress”. “The one-day conference will be a great opportunity for discussion and prayer,” said Mr San Juan. The event takes place on August 25 at the CTICC. n For more information visit www.facebook.com/prayerjam

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LOCAL

The Southern Cross, August 15 to August 21, 2012

Church takes to the streets on abortion I STAFF REPORTER

N response to 15 years of abortion on demand in South Africa, the Church is taking a stand, with pro-life procession in Cape Town and Durban on August 25 and September 8 respectively. In Durban, Cardinal Wilfrid Napier challenged the Church to come together and act against abortion in the form of a public walk. “The number of abortions is horrendous, mostly due to the government’s aggressive promotion of ‘abortion on demand’, as a back-up to its failed contraception policies and programmes,” the cardinal said in a statement. The Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1997 (TOP) was initially intended to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, elimination of back-street abortions and enable women to enjoy the same level of sexual freedom as men, the cardinal said. “The truth is the very opposite!” Cardinal Napier said. “Teenage pregnancies are at crisis

level; advertisements for back street abortions are on every wall and lamppost in every town and city; violence against and abuse of women and children is on a scale never known before in peace time.” The cardinal called on Catholics in Durban to make a stand for the most vulnerable and defenceless through a clear and visible statement that “we are fully committed to stand up for life, in particular life that is still in its mother’s womb”. The Walk for Life will take place on Saturday, September 8 at Holy Trinity church in Berea, Musgrave Road, starting at 9.30am Cape Town is also acting against abortion. A pro-life Mass and procession, led by Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town, will take place on Saturday, August 25 at Sacred Heart parish in Green Point at 9:30am. Meanwhile, the Justice and Peace Commission of Cape Town’s cathedral parish hosted a seminar on the Church’s response to abortion in its

Adverts for backstreet abortions on a pole outside Khanya House, the bishops’ headquarters in Pretoria. (Photo: Günther Simmermacher) new Leslie Johnson Memorial Hall. Joan Armstrong, a board member of the Mater Domini Home for

women in crisis in Claremont, outlined the institution’s function: to offer young pregnant women an alternative to abortion. The home celebrates its fifth anniversary in September and has helped many troubled women through their pregnancy, and often to turn their lives around. Mrs Armstrong recalled how during a protest outside Cape Town’s Marie Stopes clinic a woman entering the building for an abortion turned to demonstrators and asked: “Where else can I go?” This, Mrs Armstrong said, was one of the motivations behind the founding of Mater Domini Home, modelled on the Mater homes in the archdiocese of Durban. Mrs Armstrong pointed out that Mater Domini Home relies on donations to perform its pro-life work, adding that often finances are very tight. Southern Cross editor Günther Simmermacher in his talk said that the pro-life message is best commu-

Education for Life plans local Youth Day BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

UNDRAISING efforts have started for Education for Life, the youth development programme which will celebrate ten years in 2013, with organisers saying small contributions will make a big difference. Education for Life is a programme of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) aimed at the formation and support of our youth in good Christian principles, a healthy way of living and a deep respect for all

life. “It encourages a healthy approach in relationships between members of the opposite sex and abstinence of sexual intercourse before marriage. It points to the dangers which confront our youth of today, and educates accordingly, especially towards the harmful effects of drug-taking so that our young people be empowered in fulfilling their goals and dreams,” said Sr Victoria Sibisi FCSCJ, the programme’s national coordinator. Next year will see the programme’s tenth anniversary. “We

want to celebrate with all the youth of Southern Africa, including Botswana and Swaziland. There will be those who want to share their testimonies and to encourage other young people to see the importance of abstinence and live life positively,” Sr Sibisi told The Southern Cross. The celebration will also coincide with World Youth Day, to be held in Rio de Janeiro. “Many of our youth won’t be able to go to Brazil. We need them to take this opportunity to be part of the National Youth Day here in South Africa,” said Sr Sibisi, adding that the cele-

brations will be sure to include youth in rural areas, who are often left out of national events. “We need to accommodate our youth in such events because we always speak of urban areas not rural areas. What we are planning to do will help our young to understand the norms of the Catholic Church and they can be counted as strong Catholics. Education for life is embracing everyone not in the Catholic Church only but any young people who want to live life positively and become an agency of change.”

nicated not by “intemperate” language, but by showing those who are open to persuasion the Church’s compassionate side. He said that a slogan or a strategy that works in one context might have no benefit in other circumstances. “Sending the right message at the wrong time and place can even have negative consequences,” he said. “The public should not see our faces distorted by anger about abortion, but our arms wide open to embrace troubled women who seek an alternative to abortion,” he said. “These homes…should become the public face of our pro-life mission,” Mr Simmermacher said. Pro-life campaigner Peter Throp told the meeting that the government’s agenda is opposed to the pro-life ethic and is pushing the evil of abortion in schools. He warned that the next step will be the legalisation of euthanasia which would enable “grandchildren to have their grandparents killed”.

Sr Sibisi said Education for Life was starting the fundraising effort early because she believed in being self reliant. Referring to a pastoral letter from the bishops in 2005, Sr Sibisi said Education for Life wanted to financially support itself, instead of relying on funds from the SACBC. The tenth anniversary will be the Catholic youth’s own National Youth Day in 29 dioceses across Southern Africa. Sr Sibisi said her office will be working hard to raise funds but also that “we need your financial support in this effort. It will be wonderful to have your support.” n To donate R1, SMS “Education for Life” and your name to 32310

The Southern Cross, August 15 to August 21, 2012

INTERNATIONAL

Now priests guide visitors to the Vatican Museums BY CINDY WOODEN

HE Catholic Church teaches that beauty can be a path to God, and in an attempt to make that path easier for visitors to follow, the Vatican Museums have assigned two priests to guide the searching. Or just to talk. “Art and faith: A priest for you”, says the sign on the table where a priest from Togo and another from Nigeria took up their posts this month on an experimental basis. Bishop Giuseppe Sciacca, general secretary of the Vatican governor’s office, said: “Especially as the Year of Faith is about to begin, it seemed opportune to take this pastoral initiative.” With thousands of visitors passing through the museums each day, “we decided a discreet presence should be offered for those who feel a need to talk or seek advice. Who knows, it could even lead to a confession,” he said. “Art is a path to beauty and truth, and therefore to God.” The two pioneer priest-guides are members of religious orders, one is a Sacred Heart missionary and the other is a member of the Orionine Fathers. Both are studying at pontifical universities in Rome and they both speak Italian, English and French. Mgr Paolo Nicolini, managing director of the Vatican Museums, said the Vatican is calling the assignment an experiment because “it’s something absolutely new”. “We need to be able to understand and eventually make adjustments or—as we hope—increase it. Obviously, it’s not a question of evaluating this from a numerical point of view—we won’t keep a list

Left: Visitors look over the study “Mother and Child” by Henri Matisse at the Vatican Museums. For the first time beginning this month, the museums have a pair of priests serving as guides to visitors as they view the Vatican’s vast collection of artwork and artefacts. Right: Ancient tombs are pictured in the necropolis discovered beneath Vatican City in 2003. Parts of the necropolis of Santa Rosa will be open to visitors at the Vatican Museums later this year. (Photos: CNS) of those who turn to the priests— but we need to know if we are meeting a real need and if we are doing it well,” the monsignor said. Like the world’s other major museums, the Vatican Museums are packed with the old and the ancient, but regularly seek new ways to display the treasures and help visitors enjoy them and learn from them. Multimedia displays and environmental sensitivity are part of the modern museum mix, including at the Vatican Museums. In late July, an Italian company gave the Vatican governor’s office two all-electric, 14-seat, wheel-

chair-accessible minivans, which the museums will use to drive visitors through the Vatican gardens without leaving a trace of exhaust behind on the flowers, fountains, lawns and woods.

hen the museums announced they were reopening the necropolis of Santa Rosa, the 2 000year-old series of tombs unearthed in 2003 when the Vatican was digging a parking garage in the northeast corner of Vatican City State. It is not connected to the underground tombs on the other side of the Vatican hill where St Peter’s tomb is believed to be.

The necropolis was open to the public in 2006-2009, but has been closed for almost three years as archeologists excavated more of the site and renewed the tourist itinerary, including the addition of touchscreens that allow visitors to zoom in on tombs and objects, and view artistic reconstructions of what the burial grounds might have looked like before 150 AD. Giandomenico Spinola, the director of the museums’ ancient Greek and Roman section, said he hopes to have everything ready for tourists by mid-October. There now are 70 family tombs and some 300 to 400 single burial sites visi-

ble to visitors from a series of grated walkways suspended over the necropolis. While August is by far the most popular time of year for Vatican employees to go on holiday, two restorers remained in Rome. One was using a laser to remove incrustations from a niche in a large family tomb. Another, working on a platform above the necropolis, was cleaning up the remains of a statue of Venus. Mr Spinola said the statue was found, headless, in a much smaller burial ground in the early 1930s when the Vatican was building its supermarket. The piece had been in a museum storage room until the Vatican decided to add exhibition space to the necropolis. Even when the necropolis was closed to the public, archaeologists and anthropologists were frequent visitors, Mr Spinola said. Working with Italian and French specialists, he said, the Vatican is using geo-radar to map the contours of areas still buried, probably by a mudslide in ancient times. Much of what has been uncovered in the necropolis remains where it was found, including several skeletons of children and a few of adults. The area also is filled with terracotta jars containing cremated remains. Mr Spinola said the necropolis has been a goldmine for anthropologists studying ancient Roman burial practices and, particularly, family relationships. “Frequently part of the children’s remains were buried with the mother and part with the father—only an anthropologist can interpret that,” he said.—CNS

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INTERNATIONAL

Pope enjoys taste from Bavarian home

ITH his 88-year-old brother sitting by his side, Pope Benedict was treated to an evening of Bavarian folk music and dancing, a clear expression, he said, of a “cheerful culture, imbued with joy”. More than 1 000 pilgrims from Bavaria—the majority of them members of choirs, bands and dance troupes—joined the pope and his brother in the courtyard of the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo. The men wore lederhosen and women wore traditional dirndl. To announce the groups’ presence and to greet the pope, the Bayerische Gebirgsschützen— Bavarian mountain riflemen—fired several rounds of blanks into the air in the square outside the papal

villa. They deposited their weapons outside the pope’s summer home before joining the rest of the groups inside. The Bavarian folk festival was the result of a “musical pilgrimage” organised by the archdiocese of Munich-Freising in honour of the pope’s Bavarian roots. The pope “knows the churches, the history, the poetry—really he has a deep knowledge of everything about the history and popular traditions of Bavaria. So I thought this would be a beautiful gift,” Cardinal Reinhard Marx, head of the archdiocese which the pope himself once led, told Vatican Radio. At the end of the performances, Pope Benedict told his visitors that Bavarian culture is joyful because

it always has emphasised being in harmony with creation and God the creator. Some people ask if it is right to be so happy “when the world is so full of suffering, when there is so much darkness and so much pain”, the pope said. “The answer can only be a ‘yes’, because saying ‘no’ to this joy benefits no one, it only makes the world darker. To the delight of the crowd of Bavarians, Pope Benedict was in a jovial mood. First he teased Cardinal Marx—a native of Westphalia—for his pronunciation of the Bavarian dialect. Then he excused himself from naming each of the performing groups and thanking them one by one, saying: “The memory of an old man isn’t reliable.”—CNS

The Southern Cross, August 15 to August 21, 2012

Pope Benedict watches Bavarian dancers from the archdiocese of MunichFreising perform during a folk festival at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. (Photo: L’Osservatore Romano/Reuters/CNS)

Life on Mars? No bar to God’s Priests deride China’s ‘freedom’ claim love for all creation BY CINDY WOODEN

HE director of the Vatican Observatory, Fr José Funes SJ, was pleased with the successful landing this month of the Curiosity rover on Mars, and he thinks “everybody should be happy with the success”. The Argentine Jesuit said the rover’s mission is important, “to see if we can learn a bit more about Mars and the possibility of organic elements on the surface of Mars”, which would indicate that some living organism had lived or could live on the planet. The Curiosity is set to explore Mars for two years. Fr Funes told Vatican Radio that he thinks the rover is perfectly named because curiosity is “a driving force to do science, to do research. Human beings basically are curious and we want to know how many things in the universe work: what is the logic, what are the laws in the universe.” In addition, he said, human beings want to know if life forms exist anywhere else besides Earth. So far, there is no evidence of a

living organism elsewhere, “but still the search for life is worthwhile. We can learn many things, even if we cannot find signs of life.” Asked if the Church had anything to fear from the possible discovery of life forms elsewhere, Fr Funes said: “Of course not. We are not afraid of science. “The reason why the Catholic Church has an observatory is because we are not afraid of the truth, whatever the truth might be.” In a 2008 interview with L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, Fr Funes spoke about the search for life on other planets and what it could mean from the point of view of Christian faith. Just as God created multiple forms of life on earth, he had said, there may be diverse forms throughout the universe. “This is not in contrast with the faith, because we cannot place limits on the creative freedom of God.” Asked what the existence of alien life forms might imply for the Christian idea of redemption, Fr Funes cited the Gospel parable of the shepherd who left his 99 sheep

Priest deported from Zambia after homily BY MWANSA PINTU

AMBIAN authorities deported a Rwandese Catholic priest after he was detained for two days and questioned for preaching about poverty and justice for the poor during a Mass. Edgar Lungu, minister of home affairs, confirmed that Fr Viateur Banyangandora, pastor of the parish in Lundazi, Zambia, was sent to his homeland. He declined to say why the priest, 40, was deported. “Fr Banyangandora’s conduct was found to be a danger to peace and good order in Zambia,” Mr Lungu said. Zambian Church officials had no immediate comment on the deportation. Fr Evan Sakala, the parish’s parochial vicar, explained that police pointed to comments that Fr Banyangandora had made in which he castigated the government over its handling of an impasse between cotton growers and cotton ginners. Authorities, Fr Sakala said, apparently considered the comments capable of inciting people to rise against the government. The Zambian government and the Cotton Association of Zambia have been unable to reach an agreement on the price of cotton being paid to growers. The stalemate has led the association to halt the sale of cotton to the Cotton Ginners Association of Zambia, which offered a price more than 50% lower than its 2011 offer. The impasse has led some farmers to burn cotton stockpiles in protest. Fr Banyangandora, a native of Rwanda, came to Zambia for seminary formation and was ordained in the Chipata diocese in 2004.—CNS

ATTORNEYS

NASA’s Curiosity rover transmitted an image of its new Martian home, Gale Crater. (Photo courtesy of NASA via Reuters) to search for the one that was lost. “We who belong to the human race could really be that lost sheep, the sinners who need a pastor,” he said in the 2008 interview. “God became man in Jesus in order to save us. So if there are also other intelligent beings, it’s not a given that they need redemption. They might have remained in full friendship with their Creator,” he said, adding that God’s mercy would be offered to aliens, as it was to humans.—CNS

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T least two priests criticised comments from China’s foreign ministry that dismissed a US government report criticising the state of religious freedom in the country, the Asian Church news agency UCA News reported. The US State Department in its 2011 International Religious Freedom Report identified eight countries “of particular concern”, including China. In response, foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told the state-run Xinhua News Agency: “The Chinese people are best qualified to judge China’s religious situation.” After hearing the ministry’s reply, one Shanghai priest who asked to remain anonymous said: “I would not have offered an opinion in the past. But after the recent incident in my diocese, I think what other people [the US] have said is not without reason.” The priest criticised restrictions imposed by Chinese officials on the ministry of Auxiliary Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin of Shanghai, who stated during his July 7 episcopal ordination that he would give up his role in the govern-

ment-approved Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA). “Chinese officials should no longer work behind closed doors and feel good about themselves. They should learn to respect their people’s freedom,” the priest said. “Are the Chinese people really qualified to judge? Do we judge from our inner hearts or from someone’s will? We have no right to judge; otherwise the Bishop Ma incident would not have happened,” he added. Another priest, F John Baptist, scoffed at the government’s claims. “The CPA’s function has gone far beyond its claim as a bridge between the Church and the government,” he said. “In fact, it became a tool to control the Church without revealing the ruling authority is the real executioner.” Religious practice in China exists within a sphere limited by the government, which “allows you to believe in an ‘alien Catholicism’ that does not comply with the orthodox Catholic faith,” Fr Baptist said, asking: “Can this be called freedom?”

LEADER PAGE

The Southern Cross, August 15 to August 21, 2012

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Editor: Günther Simmermacher

Being truly pro-life

T is encouraging that throughout South Africa, Catholic homes are increasingly being established for pregnant women in troubled circumstances. The latest such home, Divine Mercy House in Brakpan, opened its doors in late July, while the Mater Domini Home in Cape Town will celebrate its fifth birthday in September. In South Africa the concept of these homes was spearheaded in the archdiocese of Durban under the guidance of Fr Massimo Biancalani. The importance of these homes cannot be overstated. For mothers who have nowhere else to go, they provide a sanctuary and often the only alternative to having an abortion. The homes speak the language of compassion and mercy, in emulation of Our Lord. And it is this language which will reach pregnant women who are faced with difficult choices, in ways that labelling them or issuing threats of automatic excommunication will not. The Church must, of course, continue to argue against the Termination of Pregnancy Act. We must oppose the aggressive implementation of a policy which seems to regard every abortion as some sort of success. But we must also be cautious about how, in different situations, we articulate our feelings about abortion. A slogan or a strategy that works in one context might have no benefit in other circumstances. It is a limitation in our pro-life initiatives that the compassionate dimension of the Church’s response is not widely known. The pro-choice lobby arguably benefits when the pro-life position is perceived to lack a compassionate dimension, caricaturing it as unreasonable, oppressive and anti-women. We must acknowledge, however, that most of the people who support abortion-ondemand are principled people who occupy their standpoint with good intentions, even if we fundamentally disagree with them and regard their position as facilitating an evil which they cannot see. While we cannot compromise our opposition to abortion, we must also seek the common ground in our efforts to save

unborn lives. We will not convince the current legislators that life is sacred because it begins at conception. In South Africa, there is no prospect that the abortion law will be overturned. Our primary objective, therefore, must be containment, as the bishops of Southern Africa have repeatedly acknowledged. For the pro-life message to be seen as credible by those who do not believe that life begins at conception, the Church must find ways of making known its constructive ministries to pregnant women in troubled circumstances and to women who are suffering post-abortion trauma. These homes, and not the placards with angry slogans, must become the public face of our pro-life mission. It is right to protest against abortion as a matter of principle. But our opposition to abortion must be seen to be backed up by action. And in that, our advocacy efforts should be geared towards petitioning the government to amend the legislation so that public resources may be allocated to homes that offer alternatives to abortion without being party to the facilitation of termination. This would serve the common good. There is no reason for the government to regard the 233 legal abortions it facilitates every day as a victory, even if it does not share the Church’s moral perspective. Every abortion is a tragedy. Every abortion is a life killed. And behind most abortions, there are stories of human tragedy. Added to that is the profound psychological trauma many women experience after an abortion. Many women will still make use of access to abortions, as the law allows them to. But the government must also give concrete support to alternative options, such as those offered by Church institutions and by independent organisations such as Birthright. The state should seek to reduce abortions by supporting and creating relevant social services and structures, which in turn would give proper meaning to the term “choice” in the Abortion Act’s title. It is our job now to persuade the government of this.

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

A culture of corruption? R ECENTLY much has been said and written about corruption in the public sector. A number of civil society conferences have taken place whereby corruption has been unanimously condemned. Among others, religious leaders have been rather vocal in this condemnation. Yet hardly anything is mentioned about the notion that corruption is systemic. It is a cancer in a society and the public sector, given its nature, is the one organ

Make it a habit

URTHER to your article “Religious Orders After Vatican II” (August 1), little boys want to become policemen, firemen, and so on, impressed by the uniforms and the respect these people demand. So it was with priests— when they were still in their habits. Now, wearing “civils” priests and nuns have, in my view, lost that attraction. I went one day with some nuns to a church and there in front of us was a gentleman in a kneeling position. One of the nuns asked me: “Is he a priest, for I would like to go to confession?” If he had been “dressed” like a priest she would not have needed to ask. Mother Teresa had an enormous amount of candidates interested in joining her Missionaries of Charity. They live and work in the world, but they are dressed in their habit. The same thing applies to the Schoenstatt Sisters who in summer wear white habits, in winter in dark blue. It hurts me when I see pictures of nuns or priests in your newspaper not wearing their habits. Gone is the awe and respect for our priests and nuns since the change and I am sure that this is the greatest reason for the drop in vocations. Maria Gaertner, Cape Town

The freedom of celibacy

ELIBACY is a call, a gift, a charism and a task. It is a call because it entails a genuine response to the one who is called. The initiative comes from God. The one called will have to follow Christ and to discover the hidden treasure, giving up everything, even married life for the sake of the Kingdom (Mt 19:1012).

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Jesus is there to lead us in how to live and the Holy Spirit comes in to protect us. The way we religious live in obedience and poverty will differ according to our diverse congregations worldwide. But celibate chastity is the only one thing that is lived equally by all congregations. No congregation can claim to have a particular way of living celibacy. Celibacy is a gift which is not for everybody. It has to be accepted in freedom. When freedom is absent, those who receive the gift live in fear. Celibacy is a charism, a grace given for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is like a shock therapy when lived with integrity. A charism helps people to draw closer to God. Celibate chastity can be compared to a farmer who had poultry, cows and pigs which contributed to the running of the farm. One day a chicken said she contributes eggs, a cows responds that she contributes milk. Then came the turn of a pig, “what do you contribute?” The pig after a short pause said, he contributes his life—a sacrifice of the whole life. Celibacy requires a daily effort of the one called to it. Celibacy is a journey of the sacrifice of a pearl initiated by God. It has to be lived jealously, whether people see me or not. I believe nothing is impossible with God. When a person feels celibacy is imposed on him or her by canon law, there is a good chance of betraying the vow of chastity when an opportunity presents itself. Celibacy must be lived with joy and freedom because it involves inclusive open relationships with all. Br Simeon Banda FMS, Matola, Mozambique

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of society where this cancer is most evident. The public sector is part of, not apart from, society. Social scientists have alerted us to the fact that if there is a huge challenge with corruption within the public sector then it is almost certain that corruption is a challenge in the entire society. Civil society conferences will therefore do well to examine their own constituencies and try and curb a culture of corruption there

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first. This will surely go much farther than simply condemning public sector corruption. Are we even open to suggest that there might be corruption in the Church? Condemnation of the public sector is the easy option. It is easy to challenge elected officials and call for them to be accountable. But surely all those who hold office should be accountable; especially the unelected ones? Ah, I suppose that’s what we have God for. Really? Wesley Seale, Antwerp, Belgium

pation of Catholics in political life, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the highest authority of Catholic teaching, stated that Catholics may never vote for pro-abortion politicians (an apt description of several of our political parties). This was signed by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in 2002. Our Catholics should be informed of this crucial prohibition urgently. Damien McLeish, Johannesburg

Michael, defend us in battle

‘I

AM the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done unto to me.” Mary spoke these words 2 000 years ago to the angel of God when she received the good news that she was to bear God’s child. It is your chance to do something to stop abortion. When you kill an innocent child, it means you kill the world. God only knows the plan he has for these children. Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defence against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl about the worldfor the ruin of souls. Amen. Daniel Phiri, Johannesburg

Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross, especially in Letters to the Editor, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the Catholic hierarchy. The letters page in particular is a forum in which readers may exchange opinions on matters of debate. Letters must not be understood to necessarily reflect the teachings, disciplines or policies of the Church accurately.

By Graham Pugin, SJ

Catholic Chaplain to the University of Cape Town

WHERE HAVE ALL THE YOUNG ONES GONE?

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PERSPECTIVES

The listeners’ right to hear

T is a pity that many Catholics do not go over the Sunday readings prior to the celebration of the Eucharist. Many hear the readings for the first time when they are proclaimed during Mass. Unfortunately, not all those who proclaim the word of God have the gift of eloquence and audibility. As a result, no matter how hard the faithful strain their ears, twitch their eyes and pull their heads closer to the readers or preachers, they sometimes receive very little to revive their drooping spirits. Public speakers or preachers must learn to estimate their audience and project their voice in a way that everybody will hear and understand them. To address hundreds of people as though talking to a group of ten is doing great injustice not only to the congregation but also to the Word of God. The lectern and the pulpit are splendid places from which to proclaim the Word and to preach, but it is so unrewarding to stand and talk there when nobody actually understands a word that’s being said. In the celebration of the liturgy of the Eucharist, we have two tables; the table of the Eucharist and the table of the Word. For one reason or another not everybody is blessed to receive the body of Christ which is broken at the table of the Eucharist. However, all the faithful have the right

and the privilege to receive the Word of God at the table of the Word. They should never be denied this right, neither by those who proclaim the word nor by those who preach. In addition, not all the faithful come to church as a duty; people are always in dire need of God’s consolation. They need someone to break down for them the Word of God in a way that is meaningful in their lives. Preachers should be alive to this fact. After the Gospel is proclaimed, the faithful are unconsciously drawn to the preacher who, they feel, has a real message that he zealously desires to communicate to them. A well-prepared sermon is already nine-tenths delivered. Well-preached sermons are those that accomplish the most good in the lives of the people. But what a disappointment when the sermon becomes dry, disconnected and undigested. For a preacher, the sermon should be “bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh, the child of his spiritual labour and the output of his own creative energy”. Such a sermon will live and move and enter into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God, it will enter into the hearts of men and women causing them to rise like eagles and to walk in the way of duty and not faint or tire. In the Catholic Church, the length of our sermons are getting shorter while the

When love is true love

UR present generation is absorbing a rather glowing and wildly outrageous manifestation of love and loving, thanks to the modern media in all its fascinating forms. And the consequences vibrate all about in anxiety, stress and devastation. This cannot be the kind of love that the Creator intended: “May you be grounded in love and have the grace to comprehend…the breadth, length, height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge” (Eph 3:17). In modern culture, the emphasis seems to be on pleasure and possession at all costs. There is very little mention of the Origin of love, or the purpose of the Creator, or even any form of responsibility. Sexual activity is replaceable; love is not. The world of romantic music will speak of “a love for you that will never end”, or loving you “beyond eternity” and so on, because the human heart dreams of a love eternal—and so it is, but only with God. Love is indeed mystery and uncreated. It is in God’s love that we share; it is secretive, sacred and ever searching; is ever alive, ever fresh, a mystery to be unravelled stage by stage; it is never stagnant but ever discovering more and more the uniqueness in others. And in this process we, in fact, transform ourselves through loving. Yet, familiarity can breed contempt and staleness, boredom and blindness. When the human desire and hope and mystery is “solved” we look elsewhere— and then suffer the inevitable consequences. For, surely, what we completely possess we no longer desire. We often use the phrase “falling in love”. That, however, may have very little

to do with real love. It may well be some form of illusion, or even an addiction, or possibly some self-satisfying, emotional and thrilling infatuation which in turn leads to abuse, false expectations and heartbreak.

ature, of course, is our real teacher— not books, movies or song lyrics. In the order of nature there is that inborn desire simply because the soul is ever yearning for its Creator. However, tragically, most people in this world are, in fact, unloved. The result is a world of many lonely, broken hearts. There are many creatures and persons we would not like to be with, but we can still love when we come to comprehend the universal nature of love. But true love is not blind; indeed, nothing is more clear-sighted. To define love is nigh impossible. It is mystery, yet we do know that it is the way to happiness, since perfect happiness is union with God. Love is necessarily free, a concept so often neglected by lovers. God is perfect love, and he is totally free. Love is spiritual freedom; it is gratuitous, like a rose offering its perfume to all, giving freely and asking nothing in return. Love is false when it seeks only self gratification, or is under any form of pressure, coercion or control; and when it is cruelly possessive it becomes very hurtful. True love can exist and live and breathe only in freedom. How can one truly love a person when one manipulates them? Love is spiritual freedom. Good feelings are so easily and wrongly equated with love knowing that these feelings can come and go. Love is eternal. It embraces all creation. It is never selfish, does not discriminate,

Samuel Francis IMC

Point of Debate

announcements keep getting longer and longer. Often announcements are made with great alacrity; loudly and clearly, repeated over and over to make sure that nobody misses a point. How beautiful it would be if our sermons were given similar attention. It is interesting to note that many Christians leave the church not remembering what the preaching was about, yet the same Christians can give you an elaborate account of all the announcements made. The word of God is meant to change our lives, but how can we change when we leave our churches without anything to remember? This is a great challenge to our preachers. Preachers should learn to brood over their texts so as to hatch a whole flock of promising spiritual ideas which will in turn nourish their listeners and bring about transformation in their lives. Our faithful are hungry for the Word of God. They need to be consoled, encouraged, healed, reconciled, motivated and inspired. They need to know that God loves them. They won’t receive these gifts anywhere else except in our churches. But that can only happen if we give the Word of God the attention it deserves.

Fr Ralph de Hahn

Point of Reflection

clings to nothing. It widens its heart to all creation; it is in love with every living creature and all of life, ever sensitive to every uniqueness and beauty of all that is. True love excludes no one. All this power is in us, in our human fabric; however, we ourselves place so many obstacles in the path to loving and happiness. We should remember the Rich Man who cannot yet enter the kingdom of love because he chooses to hold on to his possessions (Mk 10:21). Jesus preached that if your eye or hand should prove an obstacle to the kingdom of true love, then discard it (Mt 5:29). Jesus also prayed to his Father “that the love with which you loved me may be in them” (Jn 17-26)—imagine God’s pure allembracing love in us! It’s easy to say, “I love you”, but it is quite another power to truly love, for “our love must not be mere words but something real and active” (1 Jn 3:18). And finally, let’s revisit that famous text from chapter 13 of Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians. Let us prayerfully reflect on it and perhaps see it in a totally different light: “Love is always patient, always kind, does not seek self-interest; it is never jealous, never boastful, never conceited, never provoked, never rude or selfish or possessive; it does not take offence and is not resentful; it takes no pleasure in other people’s weaknesses but delights always in the truth; it is always ready to forgive, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes. “This kind of love does not come to an end...there are three great things—namely faith, hope and love—but the greatest of these is love.”

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The Southern Cross, August 15 to August 21, 2012

Michael Shackleton

Open Door

What does the Roman curia do? Here’s a question I’ve been meaning to ask for years: what is the Roman curia? What does it do for the Church? Roland Byrne

HE Roman curia is an organisation of various administrative offices that assist the bishop of Rome—that is, the pope—to carry out his mandate to govern the Church. In its decree on the pastoral office of bishops, Vatican II (1962-65) made this statement: “In exercising supreme, full and immediate power over the universal Church, the Roman Pontiff makes use of the departments of the Roman curia. These, therefore, perform their duties in his name and with his authority for the good of the churches and in the service of the sacred pastors” (Christus Dominus, 9). The same document called for the curia to be reorganised and better suited to the times, and over the years this call has been slowly implemented. The curia’s top department is the Secretariat of State. Its function is to deal with the Church’s international relations, particularly on the political and diplomatic levels. It is pivotal in the Church’s interaction with the world. Then there are nine congregations (or dicasteries) acting like the ministries in a modern government. They are the congregations of Doctrine of the Faith, Eastern Churches, Divine Worship, Causes of Saints, Bishops, Evangelisation of Peoples, Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Catholic Education. The three judicial tribunals are the Apostolic Penitentiary (for indulgences and the lifting of excommunications and censures), Apostolic Signatura (for settling disputes among the dicasteries and other judicial matters) and the Roman Rota (dealing mostly in appeals for nullity of marriages). There are 12 smaller agencies called the pontifical councils and, like the other offices, each deals with specific issues: laity, Christian unity, family, Justice and Peace, humanitarian relief (called “Cor Unum”), care of migrants, health care workers, legislative texts, interreligious dialogue, culture, social communication, promoting the New Evangelisation. The Vatican State’s financial matters are managed by three Offices: Apostolic Camera (principal board of finance), Patrimony of the Apostolic See (controlling the Holy See’s properties), Economic Affairs (the Vatican’s auditors for balance sheets and budgets). There are other lower-level offices and institutions in the curial system. These take care of such matters as the papal household, papal liturgical celebrations, dealings with the press, statistics, the Secret Archives, library, Academy of Sciences, papal charities, Vatican Radio, sacred archaeology, cultural heritage, “Ecclesia Dei” (which works towards reunion with the Society of St Pius X and other traditionalists), and the Pontifical Swiss Guard.

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

The Southern Cross, August 15 to August 21, 2012

COMMUNITY

Four young adults received the sacraments of baptism and confirmation at Corpus Christi chuch, Humewood, Port Elizabeth. The candidates had undergone instruction from Fr Noel Winston and parish chairman Bernard Hutton. (From left) Nkeletsang Monyepi, Regina Wamba, Latifa Mkwawa and Ofentse Mohutsiwa.

16-year-old Denzil Jonas from Nightingale Hospice children’s centre in De Aar, Northern Cape was chosen to participate in a learner exchange program in the United States. While attending school there, Denzil will also have the opportunity to participate in various leadership camps, youth seminars and will be an ambassador for Priests and deacons of the Queenstown diocese attended South Africa. He is pictured with Avie Cherringa Hope&Joy workshop facilitated by Fr Peter Knox SJ. ton.

We apologise for the delay in publishing photos due to a backlog

An anti-abortion march was organised by Culture of Life in Johannesburg. (From left) Nhlanhla Mdlalose, Br Mojela Fihlo and Fr Mbongiseni Shabangu with the Bosco LoveMatters banner.

Send photographs, with sender’s name and address on the back, The Southern Cross, Community Pics, Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000 or email them to: pics@scross.co.za

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Archbishop Stephen Brislin visited St Anthony's parish, Langa, Cape Town. He is pictured with six-year-old Likarabo Manciya.

Pre-primary children from St Dominic’s Priory, Port Elizabeth, armed with their favourite cuddly toy, went on an adventure around their beautiful campus before settling down to a teddy bears picnic in their playground.

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Parishioners of Our Lady of Pepetual Help in Pretoria West collected clothes and had a street sale in Sousville, Atteridgeville.

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The Soweto youth deanery attended talks by Gcina Luvuno, Lebo Lestoane and Tumelo Mokgosi on Christian leadership, the role of the Church and the structure of the diocese. Fr George Njonge AJ concluded with a talk on the structure of the Church.

The Southern Cross, August 15 to August 21, 2012

HOPE&JOY

Despite challenges, the youth has great power T

HE one thing, it seems, that South African youth have going for them is their youthfulness. With a shortage of job opportunities, the prevalence of disease and the poor state of the country’s education system, the odds are against the youth. However, there are those in the Church who believe the youth occupies a position which will benefit us all. “The youth holds an important power in our Church because they are the present and the future of the Church,” says Mthunzi Manda, Education for Life coordinator of Witbank diocese. Mr Manda says it is imperative the Church work with the youth due to the potential not only for individual formation—which might have been hampered by the country’s challenging circumstances—but also formation for active involvement for the life of the Church. “I believe that youth work is important in making a young person feel welcome and special, especially when the child or young person has not been made to feel that way before,” Mr Manda says. He says it’s not uncommon for young people to feel jaded, lost and uncomfortable both in society and in the Church. He says it is for these reasons that the youth often stray further from Catholic social teaching. But through the help of youth workers, a young man or woman can change their perspective on life. “A young person will aspire to develop into an effective and caring citizen who is economically secure,” Mr Manda says. Effective youth workers, he says, are there to ensure such a transformation is needed. But are youth workers needed? Crime, drugs, Aids, poverty and even cultural traditions are just some of the many obstacles South African youth face in achieving their God-given potential. It is one of the functions of youth workers to engage in the young persons’ lives to help them reach goals they might otherwise not achieve, says Mr Manda.

Claire Mathieson

they have been taught.” Sr Mbeje says with the help of Bishop Stanislaw Dziuba of Umzimkulu, the diocese is dedicated to saving their youth from their circumstances. “The bishop wants the youth to be passionate in their lives. He wants to revive the youth.” Mr Mdlalose suggests that those who work with the youth should also enrich adults. “It is important though that youth and adult programmes are mutually beneficial and that they are not one sided.”

A Church of Hope and Joy

Nhlanhla Mdlalose of Johannesburg’s Bosco Youth Centre believes the youth “have power— but most of us fail to understand it”. The youth worker adds: “We [Catholics] are ignorant of it and so we end up not knowing how to use it.”

e recalled the 1976 uprising of young people sparked by the June 16 protests in Soweto. The oppressed youth throughout South Africa marched against the injustices of the apartheid education system. The strength of the youth then helped shape the South Africa of today, Mr Mdlalose says. But, Mr Mdlalose adds, today’s youth are faced with different problems—Aids, unemployment, high teenage pregnancy, drugs, and so on. “It seems as though the youth now is not driven and passionate enough to die for something, as the 1976 youth was. Instead the youth of today is a generation that is dying at an increasing rate for nothing. If they do not realise their power and utilise it effectively, South Africa might not have a tomorrow.” Mr Mdlalose doesn’t believe the youth are fully aware of the power they hold, and this is where Church involvement is needed. “Adults have been youth before, and are aware of some of the dynamics and challenges that youth face. Therefore they would be in a better position to advise, to groom us, to guide us, to show us a way when we are getting out of line. We need them as much as a sheep needs a shepherd. As young people we sometimes make wrong decisions because of our [limited] experience, and so more mature advice is needed.” It’s not easy to work with the youth. In the vast diocese of Witbank, Mr Manda is challenged when working with youth from different backgrounds and cultures.

Youths at a Lovematters programme at the Salesian Institute in Cape Town. While today’s youth are facing great challenges, they also have a great power which must be tapped, according to Catholic youth workers. (Photo: Salesian Institute) “But what keeps me working more with the youth is the full support that I get from our bishop—Bishop Joe Sandri—and from the three youth chaplains and the young committee. They are always there to help and guide me. The structure that we have in the diocese makes my job easy because I can communicate with relevant people if there is something needed or to be done.”

innie Rocchiccioli, the Religious Education Coordinator for Catholic schools in Rustenburg believes while there are programmes for teenagers and young adults, these programmes focus too much on curing the problem, instead of preventing it. “There is too much emphasis on secondary schooling and very little on primary schooling. That’s where the child is formed—that’s where we should be ensuring their formation is correct.” Ms Rocchiccioli believes the earlier children are informed, the better they will be able to make good choices in life. “If we focus our attention on the young children, we will prevent the problems our youth are facing today.” One can’t go

Pre-school to Grade 12

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL FOR BOYS AND GIRLS YOUR CHILD CAN:

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straight to Grade 10 and expect great results, she says—“you have to start early”. Mrs Rocchiccioli also believes schools are too focused on academic performance. “The younger we start teaching values, the more the child will grow.” She believes Catholic education should not just be about teaching to pass a subject, but instead to develop the whole child—and that needs to start as early as possible. Sr Sizakele Mbeje CPS is the coordinator of Education for Life in the diocese of Umzimkulu. She says it is very difficult to correct a person’s path. To address this, Sr Mbeje is currently developing the bishops’ youth programme to suit the diocese’s needs. “I am visiting all the parishes to see the needs and to develop a new structure.” Like Mrs Rocchiccioli, the nun is not only helping the youth, but also children. “They are still willing to listen and can understand our teaching early on.” Sr Mbeje says the Church intervention has resulted in positive changes. “We see positive growth from our children, but young people fluctuate. They are with you today, but tomorrow they are doing something different to what

imilarly, Mr Manda has learnt valuable lessons through his work with the youth. “The youth helps me to think deeply and critically. When I am with them I feel alive and young again. They are also challenging.” Despite the challenges in youth work, the rewards are rich. National youth chaplain, Fr Sammy Mabusela CSS says his work with the youth is a source of great happiness. Despite the challenges faced and the heartbreaking stories, he finds joy. “The joy I find in working with the youth is the fulfillment I get in seeing someone grow spiritually, intellectually and physically, becoming the best that they can be and knowing that you had a role to play in it,” he says. “The youth are beautiful and they are extremely gifted and I love them to bits,” says Fr Mabusela. “I feel honoured to be part of greatness waiting to happen.” Mr Mdlalose says there is nothing better than seeing the youth succeed. “My hopes are to see them grow in faith and in spirit, to see them standing on their own and even set an example to other young people—to see them succeed, for their dreams to become a reality, and their visions being accomplished.” For Mr Manda, “the youth give me strength and hope in the work that I am doing. They are supportive emotionally and physically”. He adds: “Clearly, they are powerful. Being an Education for Life coordinator has changed my life a lot because of what the youth witness in me.”

NEW FOR 2013 17th TO 30TH AUG

SACRED HEART SODALITY PILGRIMAGE Visiting the Holy Land, Rome, Vatican City, Assisi and Cairo Organised and led by Rev Fr Thabo Motshegoa Cost from R25900 Tel: (031) 266 7702 Fax: (031) 266 8982 Email: judyeichhorst@telkomsa.net

SPRINGFIELD CONVENT SENIOR SCHOOL

EXPERIENCED RELIGIOUS EDUCATION TEACHER GR 8 – 12 Springfield requires the services of a suitably qualified Religious Education teacher (3-year degree +1 year teacher’s diploma or 4 year teacher’s diploma) to commence 1 October 2012. Please apply in writing, giving details of qualifications, experience and the names of three contactable referees, including your Parish Priest to: The Principal, Springfield Convent Senior School, St John’s Road, Wynberg, 7800 Email: postmaster@sfc.wcape.school.za Closing Date: Monday10th September Please note that no faxed applications will be considered and only those applicants who are invited for an interview will be contacted.

Corner: Cussonia Ave & Pretoria Street, Pretoria Tel 012 804 1801 Fax 012 804 8781 Email admissions@cbcpretoria.co.za

576 AM

JO’BURG & BEYOND

also on DStv audio channel 170 & streamed on www.radioveritas.co.za

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The Southern Cross, August 15 to August 21, 2012

Liturgical Calendar Year B Weekdays Year 2

Sunday, August 19, 20th Sunday Proverbs 9:1-6, Psalm 34:2-7, Ephesians 5:15-20, John 6:51-58 Monday, August 20, St Bernard Ezekiel 24:15-23, Deuteronomy 32:18-21, Matthew 19:16-22 Tuesday, August 21, St Pius X Ezekiel 28:1-10, Deuteronomy 32:26-28, 30, 3536, Matthew 19:23-30 Wednesday, August 22, Queenship of the BVM Isaiah 9:1-6, Psalm 113:1-8, Luke 1:26-38 Thursday, August 23, St Rose of Lima Ezekiel 36:23-28, Psalm 51:12-15, 18-19, Matthew 22:1-14 Friday, August 24, St Bartholomew Revelation 21:9-14, Psalm 145:10-13, 17-18, John 1:45-51 Saturday, August 25, St Louis IX Ezekiel 43:1-7, Psalm 85:9-14, Matthew 23:1-12 Sunday, August 26, 21st Sunday Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18, Psalm 34:2-3, 16-21, Ephesians 5:21-32 or 5:2, 25-32 John 6:60-69

Community Calendar

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

CAPE TOWN: Padre Pio: Holy hour 3pm every Sunday of the month at Holy Redeemer parish in Bergvleit. Helpers of God’s Precious Infants meet every last Saturday of the month except in December, starting with Mass at 9:30 am at the Salesians Institue Community Chapel in Somerset Road, Cape Town. Mass will be followed by a vigil and procession to Marie Stopes abortion clinic in

Bree Street. For further information contact Colette Thomas on 083 412 4836 or 021 593 9875 or Br Daniel Manuel on 083 544 3375

NELSPRUIT: Adoration of the blessed sacrament at St Peter’s parish. Every Tuesday from 8am to 4:45pm followed by Rosary Divine Mercy prayers, then a Mass/Communion service at 5:30pm.

Family Reflections August 19, Our Eucharist, thanksgiving. Fr Peter smiled to himself when he read the words of St Paul: “Be very careful about the sort of lives you lead” and he wondered who was listening. Morag and Joan later discussed whether there is really still such a thing as “women’s work”. Domestic work and nursing is mostly done by women, teaching too nowadays, but one finds women as doctors, in all office jobs, engineering, construction and farming. “We forget sometimes that in many cultures women have traditionally done a lot of the farm work,” Joan said. “I can’t say I’ve seen many women tractor drivers though,” she laughed, “Should there be?” They continued to discuss the impact of women in different jobs and particularly the effect this was having on families. “Thank you women who work! You are active in every area of life—social, economic, cultural, artistic and political. You make an indispensable contribution to the growth of a culture which unites reason and feeling, to a model of life ever open to the sense of ‘mystery’, to the establishment of economic and political structures ever more worthy of humanity. From a letter of Pope John Paul II to Women - 4th World Conference on Women, Beijing 1994.

Word of the Week

DECALOGUE: The Ten Commandments (literally, ten words) given by God to Moses on Sinai. In order to be faithful to the teaching of Jesus, the Decalogue must be interpreted in the light of the great commandment of love of God and neighbour (CCC: 2055, 2056). EPICLESIS: The prayer petitioning God to send the Holy Spirit so that the offerings at the Eucharist may become the Body and Blood of Christ and thus the faithful, by receiving them, may themselves become a living offering to God. In every sacrament, the prayer asking for the sanctifying power of God's Holy Spirit is an epiclesis (CCC: 1105, 1127).

Southern CrossWord solutions

CLASSIFIEDS

Births • First Communion • Confirmation • Engagement/Marriage • Wedding anniversary • Ordination jubilee • Congratulations • Deaths • In memoriam • Thanks • Prayers • Accommodation • Holiday Accommodation • Personal • Services • Employment • Property • Others Please include payment (R1,15 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication.

ANNIVERSARY

RON AND SHIRLEEN COOPER. 70th Wedding Anniversary on August 20, 2012. Congratulations and God bless you on this very special occasion. Thank you for being such wonderful loving parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. Much love, Glenda, Paul and Carol, Richard and Adrienne, Tayla and Michael.

BIRTHDAY

TINA LANGLEY—August 4th. Happy birthday to you, may you have an awesome spirit-filled day. Many blessings, love you Basil, Taryn and Bronwyn.

DEATH

GREGORY—William Robert (Bob) 22-31948–12-7-2012. Past pupil of Marist Brothers’ College, Observatory, Johannesburg. Bob considered it an honour and privilege to be an altar server at the Holy Angels parish in Bez Valley, Johannesburg, assisting the late Fr Peter and Fr Killoran during the celebration of Holy Mass. The legacy Bob leaves behind is a devout family of Catholics. Mourned and remembered fondly by his sister Cynthia and her children Colleen, Patricia, Marc and Liam.

IN MEMORIAM

SOLUTIONS TO 511. ACROSS: 4 Saintly, 8 Taught, 9 Godsend, 10 Middle, 11 Needed, 12 Scrapped, 18 Bedsides, 20 Repeal, 21 Propel, 22 Defrock, 23 Lyceum, 24 Griping. DOWN: 1 Itemise, 2 Murders, 3 Philip, 5 Abounded, 6 Nested, 7 Lintel, 13 Publican, 14 Adopted, 15 Asylums, 16 Meteor, 17 Bear up, 19 Strays.

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space call Elizabeth Hutton 021 465 5007 or e-mail advertising

@scross.co.za

BERGSTEDT—Thomas and Dora, passed away August 17 and 29, 1994. You’ve done such a lot for your parish—Holy Family and our Lady of Fatima, Bellville, Cape Town. Always lovingly remembered by your children, grandchildren, son-in-law and the parishioners.

PERSONAL

CATHOLIC lady, 57 years old of Zulu origin is looking for a trustworthy Catholic male partner or companion. Text or call 072 497 3128. HOUSE-SITTER/AUPAIR/ COMPANION: Based at

Benoni Parish/will travel/with references. Ph Therèse 076 206 0627. NOTHING is politically right if it is morally wrong. Abortion is evil. Value life!

PRAYERS

ST JUDE—Prayer of Thanksgiving. I receive the gifts of God with a grateful spirit. St Jude, help me to see the blessings that surround me and give me life. I offer you my prayer of thanksgiving. Give me the grace to be ever thankful for the love and mercy of God and the gift of life each day. May this gratitude inspire me to give generously in all ways to others. Be with me now, St Jude. Linger with me in gratitude, and let thanks fill my heart, washing away all pain and trouble. May I desire nothing except to be in your presence, walking with you in the world to spread hope, love and thanksgiving among all of God’s children. Thank you for prayers answered. Amen. Colin Arendse. HAIL, HOLY Queen, Mother of Mercy! our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley, of tears. Turn, then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus; O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

ACCOMMODATION

CAPE TOWN: Cape Peninsula Beautiful homes to buy or rent. Maggi-Mae 082 892 4502, AIDA Cape Lifestyle Homes, 021 782 9263 maggimae@ aidacapelifestyle.co.za

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

LONDON: Protea House: Single per night R300, twin R480. Self-catering, busses and underground nearby. Phone Peter 0044 208 7484834.

Jekels Shuttle and travel

6 Venn Place, Buﬀalo Flats, East London, 5209 Cell no: 0826625331 Fax no: 0865325695 E-Mail jekels@telkomsa.net

Pilgrimage to the tabernacle Most high Marian Shrine at Ngome, Northern KZN. Depart From East London Wednesday 31st October 2012 @ 6.00 am via Marian hill Monastery to inkamana Abbey to Ngome. Return Sunday 4th November 2012

CASA SERENA The retirement home with the Italian flair. 7A Marais Road, Bedfordview. Provides full board and lodging, medical services and transport. Senior citizens wishing to retire in this beautiful Home, please phone 011 284 2917 www.casaserena.co.za

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BALLITO: Up-market penthouse on beach, self-catering. 084 790 6562. BETTY'S BAY: (Western Cape) Holiday home sleeps six, three bathrooms, close to beach, R800/night. 021 794 4293 marialouise@ mweb.co.za FISH HOEK: Self-catering accommodation, sleeps 4. Secure parking. Tel: 021 785 1247. GORDON’S BAY: Beautiful en-suite rooms available at reasonable rates. Magnificent views, breakfast on request. Tel: 082 774 7140. bzhive@telkomsa.net KNYSNA: Self-catering accommodation for 2 in Old Belvidere with wonderful Lagoon views. 044 387 1052. KZN SOUTH COAST: Honeywood: Luxury chalets & The Cellar boutique restaurant. 7 x 4-sleeper luxury chalets. Quiet urban forest retreat opposite Sea Park Catholic Church. Ideal for retreats & holidays www.honeywoodsa.co.za honeywood@hon eywoodsa.co.za Tel 039 695 1036 Fax 086 585 0746. MARIANELLA: Guest House, Simon’s Town: “Come experience the peace and beauty of God with us.” Fully equipped with amazing sea views. Secure parking, ideal for rest and relaxation. Special rates for pensioners and clergy. Tel: Malcolm Salida 082 784 5675 or mjsal ida@mweb.co.za SEDGEFIELD: Beautiful self-catering garden flat sleeps four, two bedrooms, open-plan lounge, kitchen, fully equipped. 5min walk to lagoon. Contact 082 900 6282. STELLENBOSCH: Five simple private suites (2 beds, fridge, micro-wave). Countryside vineyard/forest/mountain walks; beach 20 minute drive. Affordable. Christian Brothers Tel 021 880 0242, cbcstel@ gmail.com STRAND: Beachfront flat to let. Stunning views, fully equipped. Garage, one bedroom, sleeps 3-4. R450 p/night for 2 people-low season. Phone Brenda 082 822 0607

RETREATS

PLETTENBERG BAY: Sat Chit Anand Interfaith Spiritual Retreat Centre. Make space in your life for Spirit. Enjoy a peaceful holiday with optional meditation, Mass, theology classes, yoga. Interfaith chapel, library, and healing centre. Self-catering cottages. Priests stay free. See www.satchitanand.co.z a for more info, Phone 044 533 0453 or email satchitanand@global.co.za

Specialists in:

New Houses • Renovations • Alterations • Additions • Painting • Plumbing

• Property Management and Care For Advice call Julian Orford B.Sc. (Civ.Eng) Tel: (021) 794 5552 Fax: (021) 794 7088 Cell: 082 493 0563 E-mail: orford@mweb.co.za www.orfordconstruction.co.za

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21st Sunday: August 26 Readings: Joshua 24: 1-2, 15-18, Psalm 34: 2-3, 16-23, Ephesians 5:21-32, John 6:60-69

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Worship the one true God

HE secret of getting our lives right is to decide whom we are going to worship. Now it is no good you saying, “Well I don’t think I have gone in much for Baal or Jupiter of late”, for your god is whatever you find you have placed at the centre of your life: the new car, that particular illicit pleasure, your neighbour’s salary. Anything that takes most of your attention is your god; and what you need to do is make sure that it is a god that will not let you down. And be quite clear in your mind: the only god of which that is true is not those old standbys of pleasure, money and power, but the Living God, for whom our entire being longs, and who is incapable of letting us down. So in the first reading, almost at the end of the book of Joshua, before Israel starts on a new stage of its liberation from Egypt, living in the land they have been promised as an inheritance, Joshua offers “all the tribes of Israel” the choice: “If it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, then choose for yourselves today whom you are going to serve: the gods whom your ancestors served across

Nicholas King SJ

Sunday Reflections

the River? The gods of the Amorites?” Joshua, however, is quite certain: “My household and I, we shall serve the Lord”. Put like that, there is evidently no choice, and the people respond accordingly: “For it was the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors out of the land of Egypt and the house of slavery, and who performed such great miracles before our eyes.” And they conclude, triumphantly, “We too shall serve the Lord, for he is our God”. Well it won’t work out quite like that, of course, for they are as human as we are; but if you find yourself jeering at their fickleness, then just have a look at the alternative deities that you have found yourself serving in the course of the last week. The p salm , for the third consecutive

week, is taken from Psalm 34, a lovely thanksgiving to God (and for the psalmist there is one and only one God). “I shall bless the Lord at all times continually”, he sings; but he is also aware that it is possible to serve other seductive idols: that is why he has to remind them to “turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it”. And if you are feeling very down, then remember that “the Lord is close to those whose heart is broken and whose spirit is crushed”. When you hear the psalmist joyfully uttering about all that the Lord has done for us, you wonder that we can ever follow another god again; but it does happen, and we have to get back on track, for “the Lord redeems the soul of his servants, and does not condemn all those who take refuge in him”. For the sec o nd reading , getting your lives right is a matter of “being subordinated to each other in the Lord”. Too casual a reading might leave you thinking that it is all about the inferior position of women, children and slaves, but read it closely and you will see that at the heart of this teach-

How to recognise God’s voice T HERE are a number of old axioms that suggest that virtue and truth lie in the middle, between the two extremes. This was called the “golden mean” and expressed in phrases such as In medio stat virtus and Aureamediocritas. But its meaning can easily be misunderstood and suggest that virtue and truth are found in the lowest common denominator: in mediocrity. Indeed that’s the literal translation of aureamediocritas, golden mediocrity. What these axioms actually point to however is not some mediocrity that tries to avoid the raw edges of the two extremes by staking out some emaciated centre. Rather they tell us that virtue and truth lie in paradox, in carrying the truth of both sides and living inside the tension of that ambiguity. Virtue and truth are not found by choosing “either/or” or in opting for some insipid middle that hasn’t the salt to offend either side. Virtue and truth lie in living out “‘both/and”, namely in carrying and balancing out the truth that is contained in both extremes. And nowhere is this truer than in religious discernment, that is, in the question of how we recognise God’s voice in our lives. Does God speak in whispers or in thunder? Does God speak in pain or in blessing? Does God call us out of this world or more deeply into it? Does God call us through what is comfortable and familiar or does God call us into foreign lands? Does God disturb or soothe us? Is God recognised in miracles or in helplessness? Does God speak through

Classic Conrad

Donations and volunteers and prayers always welcome

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

the rich or through the poor, through the educated or the uneducated? Does God’s voice frighten us or rid us of fear? Is God’s voice heard more through piety or iconoclasm? Does God ask us to renounce the pleasures of this world or does God ask us to enjoy them? God’s voice is in all of these things. It is heard in paradox: • The voice of God is recognised both in whispers and soft tones, even as it is recognised in thunder and storm. God spoke to Elijah in a soft breeze, but to Pharaoh through the plagues. • The voice of God is recognised wherever one sees life, joy, health, colour, and humour, even as it is recognised wherever one sees dying, suffering, poverty, and a beaten-down spirit. God is equally present on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. • The voice of God is recognised in what calls us to what’s higher, to what sets us apart, to what invites us to holiness, even as it calls us to humility, invites us to submerge our individuality into humanity, and rejects everything that denigrates our humanity. The voice of God calls us out of what’s purely human even as it invites us to

humbly take our place within humanity. • The voice of God is recognised in what appears in our lives as “foreign”, as other, as “stranger”, even as it is recognised in the voice that is most deeply familiar and which beckons us home. God’s voice takes us beyond any language we know even as we recognise in it most deeply our mother tongue. • The voice of God is the one that most challenges us, even as it the only voice that ultimately soothes and comforts us. God’s voice does disturb the comforted and comfort the disturbed, but it also comforts the comforted and disturbs the disturbed. • The voice of God enters our lives as the greatest of all powers, even as it forever lies in vulnerability, like a helpless baby in the straw. God’s voice creates the cosmos and keeps it in existence, even as it lies in our world powerless as an infant. • The voice of God is heard in a privileged way in the poor, even as it beckons us through the voice of the artist and the intellectual. God is in the poor, even as the artist and intellectual help reveal the transcendental properties of God. • The voice of God invites us to live beyond all fear, even as it inspires holy fear. When God appears in human history, invariably the first words are: “Do not be afraid!” God’s presence is meant to eradicate all fear, even as it invites us to live in “holy fear”, in a reverence and chastity that help create a world within which no one needs to fear anything. • The voice of God is recognised inside the gifts of the Holy Spirit, even as it invites us never to deny the complexities of our world and our own lives. • The voice of God is always heard wherever there is genuine enjoyment and gratitude, even as it asks us to deny ourselves, die to ourselves, and relativise all the things of this world. Of course to accept this is also to accept living with ambiguity, complexity, unknowing, and a whole lot of patience. God’s voice will then no longer be as clear as our fundamentalist instinct would like, but it will be free both to soothe and challenge us as never before.

ing is the equality of all in the church: husbands must love their wives, to the point of dying for them. Inequality among human beings is idolatry. But it is not easy, following the real God, and in the gospel for next Sunday we hear people pulling back from following Jesus, complaining that “this word is hard. Who can listen to it?” At this point even some of Jesus’ disciples “went off backwards and were no longer walking with him” (that is, they were worshipping other gods). But not all of them: Jesus puts the sad question to the twelve, “What about you? You’re not going away are you?” And we rejoice at Peter, whose impetuosity does not always get it wrong, when he blurts out, on our behalf, the lovely orthodoxy: “Lord, to whom shall we go away? You have the words of eternal life; and we have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God”. In other words, that is for us the way to worship the true God, to listen to the words of Jesus. Do that, and your life will be in order this week.

Southern Crossword #511

ACROSS

4. Quality of holy person (7) 8. Instructed, and pulled tight by the sound of it (6) 9. Divine finish to what’s opportune? (7) 10. You’re not young or old at this age (6) 11. Required (6) 12. Quarelled about what you threw out? (8) 18. Places where doctors show good manners? (8) 20. Revoke and let church bells chime again (6) 21. Drive forward from lopper (6) 22. Deprive of holy orders (7) 23. Garden of Aristotle’s teaching (6) 24. Complaining about tummy ache (7)

DOWN

1. Semite I turn to list in detail (7) 2. Human killings (7) 3. One of the apostles (Mt 10) (6) 5. Came in large numbers (8) 6. Tensed where the birds lived (6) 7. Blood smeared here above the door (Ex 13) (6) 13. Landlord found among the gospels? (8) 14. Kind of sons we become through Christ (Eph 1) (7) 15. Say slums provide safe places (7) 16. Remote heavenly body (6) 17. Support and remain cheerful (4,2) 19. Wanders (6)

Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

N archaeologist was digging in the Negev Desert in Israel and came upon a casket containing a mummy. After examining it, he called the curator of a prestigious natural-history museum. “I've just discovered a 3 000-year-old mummy of a man who died of heart failure!” the excited scientist exclaimed. To which the curator replied: “Bring him in. We’ll check it out.” A week later, the amazed curator called the archaeologist. “You were right about the mummy’s age and cause of death. How in the world did you know?” “Easy. There was a piece of paper in his hand that said: ‘10 000 Shekels on Goliath’.” Send us your favourite Catholic joke, preferably clean and brief, to The Southern Cross, Church Chuckle, PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000.