The Southern Cross - 121128

November 28 to December 4, 2012

What the pope says in his new Jesus book

Page 5

www.scross.co.za

Holy Land Trek on Jerusalem’s Via Dolorosa

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R6,00 (incl VAT RSA)

Reg No. 1920/002058/06

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HIV/Aids: Why counselling is so crucial

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Bishop to ANC: Remember to keep integrity

BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

A

S the African National Congress’ national elective conference in Mangaung from December 16-20 approaches, Catholic leaders have called on the ruling party to vote for candidates that will have a positive impact on their communities, especially the most vulnerable.

They also warned that the election of the party’s new leadership should not be popularity contests and counselled against voting for personal gain.

“The country is slowly but surely losing hope because the soul of the movement is lost. The time for a liberation movement to become a modern democracy government has come,” said Bishop Barry Wood, auxiliary bishop of Durban and liaison bishop for Justice & Peace (pictured right).

“People are angry, as we witness every day on our news bulletins. The poor are becoming poorer every day and a few privileged rich seem to have no spirit of sharing or working out strategies to bridge the widening gap. We all need to make a preferential option for the poor and work out strategies of how to implement this option,” the bishop told The Southern Cross.

The Mangaung conference will elect the party’s new president and other office bearers. The ANC’s president will be the presumptive presidential candidate in South Africa’s 2014 general election.

At the last elective conference, held in December 2007 in Polokwane, ANC members elected Jacob Zuma and ousted President Thabo Mbeki.

The conference will also determine the ANC’s policy direction for the next five years.

Catholic commentators have noted that the current political priorities seem to reside not with improving conditions in South Africa but with gaining personal advantage.

“If we look at the founding fathers of the ANC we see people of faith, integrity, selfsacrifice and a yearning for true freedom. Many politicians need to study their history and their heroes and learn from their example,” said Bishop Wood.

He also referred to the National Development Plan. Headed by minister in the presidency Trevor Manuel, it has set the country’s agenda for the next 20 years and has been widely agreed upon by various role players and politicians.

The nine priority issues include the poor quality of education; unemployment; corruption; an ailing health system; inadequate infrastructure; the residue of apartheid; lack of service delivery in public service; and ongoing social divisions.

“If all the parties focused on [these] priorities, instead of entitlement, corruption, infighting, power and succession struggles, dishonesty and gross immorality, then perhaps there would be hope for the future,” said Bishop Wood.

Fr Mike Deeb OP, director of Justice & Peace at the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said he hopes that the best interests of the country and of the party will be the focus of Mangaung—“with a focus on principles rather than personalities and a sober reflection on the best person for each position”.

However, he added, the current political climate may not be conducive to such decisions.

Fr Deeb said it was the role of the Church to stay out of internal party power struggles, but instead to “urge a focus on the right issues: effective leadership and concern for the poor”.

Bishops working on statement to ‘mobilise effective action’

BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

T

HE Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference is currently working on a vision statement, titled “Community in Service of Reconciliation, Justice and Peace”, which will “go a long way to mobilise the local Church to effective action”, according to Bishop Barry Wood, the liaison bishop for Justice & Peace.

“We commit ourselves to work with likeminded groups to develop ethical leadership and responsible citizens in order to promote political maturity,” he said.

“We wish to develop and promote the ongoing development of schooling, strive for a just economy consistant with Catholic Social Teaching to redress the gross inequalities. To foster the process of healing in response to our painful history, to promote human dignity and support marriage and family life as the foundation of our society

and to address forces that would diminish and destroy it,” Bishop Wood said.

“If we can mobilise the whole Church of Southern Africa to put all our energy into that vision, then we hope to have a ripple effect on the country as a whole. If we can achieve the above goals, then the onceprophetic voice of the Church before 1994 will again be heard powerfully in our land,” the bishop said.

Bishop Wood quoted the popular writer and psychiatrist M Scott Peck: “Our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy and unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways and for truer answers.”

“These words seem particularly apt for us as a nation as we thunder towards the end of another year,” said Bishop Wood.

A Palestinian woman lights a candle during a prayer service to show solidarity with Gaza at a Catholic church in the West Bank village of Beit Jala. Israeli missiles launched into residential areas of Gaza have killed many people, including children. In a statement, Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal expressed his deep concern at the escalation, reiterating that violence will not solve the crisis. Only a global solution can find a resolution to the conflict. “In this particular tense context, the patriarch is in solidarity with all victims who are at the centre of his thoughts and prayers,” the statement said. “He also prays that all those in position of responsibility in this situation do not give in to hate.” (Photo: Ahmed Jadallah, Reuters/CNS)

Pope to youth: Let Christ embrace you, share his love

BY CINDY WOODEN

W

HEN young Catholics from around the world gather in Rio de Janeiro next July, they will be under the gaze of the city’s famous statue of Christ with outstretched arms, a reminder of his desire to embrace all people, Pope Benedict said in his message for World Youth Day 2013.

The pope asked young people to welcome Christ’s embrace and share with others the joy of being loved by him.

In preparation for the international youth gathering from July 23-28, Pope Benedict asked young Catholics to “reread your personal history”, looking at how the faith was passed down to them from previous generations.

The pope also asked them not to wait to begin the task of sharing their Christian faith with others.

“We are links in a great chain of men and women who have transmitted the truth of the faith and who depend on us to pass it on to others,” he said.

Referring to the WYD 2013 theme, “Go and make disciples of all nations”, the pope said: “This mandate should resound powerfully in your hearts.”

In fact, he said, the heart has a major role

to play in bringing them closer to Christ, motivating them to share his Gospel and determining the words and actions they should use in approaching others.

“Many young people today seriously question whether life is something good and have a hard time finding their way,” the pope said.

Faith helps people see that “every human life is priceless, because each of us is the fruit of God’s love.

God loves everyone, even those who have fallen away from him or disregard him.”

Pope Benedict asked young Catholics to reach out with love to their questioning or doubting peers, helping them find the hope and meaning faith brings.

As the Catholics most impacted by globalisation and new technology, Pope Benedict said, young people need a special awareness and have special responsibilities in those areas.

“We are passing through a very particular period of history. Technical advances have given us unprecedented possibilities for interaction between peoples and nations. But the globalisation of these relationships will be positive and help the world to grow in humanity Continued on page 4

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LOCAL

The Southern Cross, November 28 to December 4, 2012

Mass to mark World Aids Day

CIE to launch donation drive STAFF REPORTER

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HE Catholic Institute of Education (CIE) will launch its Donate to Educate campaign in December which will aim to raise a minimum of R120 000 towards the Caring Schools Project—an initiative which supports orphaned and vulnerable children to overcome barriers to education.

“For most of these learners, a quality education is their only escape from the cycle of poverty into which they are born,” said the CIE’s Cullen MacKenzie.

The Caring Schools Project has been operational since 2007, and “its success is largely due to the role teachers play in identifying learners who are vulnerable. As they work with the children daily, teachers get to know their social circumstances and are able to identify children in need”, Mr MacKenzie said.

It costs the CIE approximately R1 000 a year to provide support to a vulnerable child in a rural school.

The support covers various areas of the child’s life, including nutritional support in the form of food parcels to take home, as well as healthy food to supplement the school feeding scheme, which is often insufficient for their needs.

The programme assists with providing school uniforms, healthcare and toiletries—and includes funds for transport to the nearest clinic when ill, and

safe transport to and from school.

“Little girls are particularly vulnerable when walking long distances to school in rural areas,” said Mr MacKenzie.

The CIE programme also takes into account the need for psychosocial support as many children identified as vulnerable have been traumatised by the loss of parents or are heavily affected by their social circumstances.

Many of the learners are eligible for social grants, however, “some of the learners in our schools do not even have birth certificates to apply for social support grants, and so they receive assistance from their Pastoral Care Committee for this purpose,” said Mr MacKenzie.

The CIE aims to raise R120 000 which will mean an additional 100 vulnerable learners can be assisted in the schooling network. “Our target is 500 vulnerable learners,” said Mr MacKenzie, adding that the project has already made a big difference in the lives of many.

The CIE will be raising funds through various channels including an SMS line where the public can donate through their cellphones. n SMS LEARN to 40305 to donate R20 towards the CIE’s work in rural schools.

To donate through other means contact Karen, Desiree or Busi at the CIE development office in Booysens, or on 011 433 1888.

I

N recognition of World Aids Day on December 1, members of the public are invited to attend a special Mass at St Agnes Church, Woodstock, Cape Town to “show solidarity and support for those living with HIV and Aids”, said Sr Margaret Craig of Nazareth House.

Archbishop Stephen Brislin will preside over the special Mass, which will also be a chance to pray for those who have died of Aids and to pray for families affected.

The Mass starts at 10am.

Nativity play at racecourse

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HE Durban Catholic Players Guild and the Knights of Da Gama are going to stage their annual theatrical presentation of Christ’s birth on December 16 at 7pm at Greyville Racecourse.

As always, the play will feature animals and the chance for all present to sing Christmas carols.

Entrance is free, but the audience is asked to bring a toy—new or used in good condition—which is to be donated during a special procession, and a picnic basket to enjoy on the grassy area in front of the stands before the play.

Günther Simmermacher signs copies of his book The Holy Land Trek. Since its publication by Southern Cross Books in late October, sales of The Holy Land Trek have been very encouraging, Mr Simmermacher said. The book covers all important sites of pilgrimage in the Holy Land and Jordan, and includes a foreword by Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town, the grand prior for South Africa of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. Mr Simmermacher said the website for the book (www.holylandtrek.com), which includes more than 250 photos and many articles about pilgrimages and the Holy Land, is regularly updated. The Holy Land Trek can be ordered at R150 (plus R15 p&p in SA) from books@scross.co.za or by phoning 021 465 5007 or from the website. It is also available at some Catholic bookshops.

Learners pitch in to help

BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

G St. Pius Pastoral Centre East London

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RADE 10 learners from St Henry’s Marist College in Durban have dedicated their time and energy to the improvement of a local outstation as part of their annual community service.

Each year, Mike O’Neill, head of religion at St Henry’s, organises all Grade 10 learners to complete three days of community service—an exercise both valuable for the recipients and the learners, said the school’s Rowan Phillips.

Geography master Peter Robinson approached his Grade 10 class to see if learners were interested in doing work on a building which had not seen renovation in many years. “The response was very good and there was a waiting list in the end,” said Mr Phillips.

The learners stayed at the seminary at Merrival and traveled to Nhlosana each day for three days. Nhlosana is an outstation of St Joseph’s church in

St Henry’s pupils busy painting at Nhlosana in KwaZulu-Natal.

Howick and is used for services every month. The parish priest is Redemptorist Father Scott Davidson, who was head boy at St Henry’s in 1982.

The learners put in ten hours each day, painting the building inside and out. Work also included removing a tree that had collapsed on the church.

Making the work even more

challenging was the fact that the building has no electricity or running water.

The work was made possible by a St Henry’s old boy, Craig Beckett, who donated paint for the outside of the building, and by funds raised through the MySchool card programme which were used to buy paint for the inside of the building.

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LOCAL

The Southern Cross, November 28 to December 4, 2012

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Event to boost SA youth ministry

BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

Y

OUTH leaders around the country are invited to the 2013 Catholic Youth Leaders’ Training Conference to be held in Cape Town in February in the Mother City.

“The first conference last year was really inspiring,” said event organiser Steven Edwards.

“There were two speakers and an experienced Catholic musician from Life Teen in the United States who gave talks. Life Teen wants to support youth leaders in South Africa so that we can lead more

people to Christ. So we invited them to come back, which they were delighted to do,” he said.

The first event in Durban saw more than 100 leaders, priests, sisters, teachers, musicians and volunteers learn how to take the ministry further.

Next year’s conference is aimed at anyone who is involved with youth ministry in a parish or school setting. From priests and religious to paid youth leaders, volunteer youth leaders, musicians or teachers—the conference is “open to everyone, as it will build,

train and inspire anyone involved with young people”.

Mr Edwards said it was decided next year’s conference would be in Cape Town as there was a noticeable increase in the number of parishes in the archdiocese using resources from Life Teen.

“Fr Charles Prince, the youth chaplain for Cape Town, is very supportive of the Life Teen model having seen the way in which it is helping young Catholics to grow in love for Christ, their faith and the Church,” he said.

The conference kicks off with

an Exalt evening on the Friday night, mainly for youth and young adults, but everyone is welcome, said the organiser.

“There will be games and music leading into joyful praise and worship, followed by a talk by one of the Life Teen staff from the States and then Eucharistic Adoration, confessions and quieter worship.”

The conference itself will run from Saturday morning until Sunday lunchtime and will include “inspiring talks, small group sessions and music sessions with practical guidance for youth min-

istry and music ministry leaders”.

On Sunday evening the conference participants will unite with the community to celebrate Mass at St Michael’s in Rondebosch.

Mr Edwards believes the success of Life Teen is due to it being authentically Catholic-centred on the Eucharist and the Sacraments, built through relationships with Christ and others, and conveying the vital Truth of Faith in a way young people can relate to. n The conference runs from February 22-24. For more information and to register visit www.sacylc.co.za

iSchooling for convent

B

MW South Africa has provided support for an iPad lab to Dominican Convent School in Belgravia, Johannesburg.

The effort will expand the existing iSchool Africa programme, begun in 2012 with the support of MINI South Africa.

The initial iSchool Africa programme was introduced to develop

learners’ media production and content creation skills. With iPads, teachers will have a new channel to enhance curriculum delivery.

“We are affirmed by the trust placed in us to use emerging technology to develop innovative class room practice, and scaffold learner skills to work in the media world after ma triculation,” said headmaster Mike Thiel.

Turffontein fundraising day Mgr Barney McAleer celebrates at his recent appointment as prelate of honour with Sr Hermenegild Makoro CPS, secretary-general of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and Sr Jordana Maher OP, the SACBC’s national liturgy coordinator at the bishops’ Pretoria headquarters, Khanya House. Mgr McAleer is the secretary of the Department of Evangelisation. (Photo: Toni Rowland)

H

OLY Family parish in Turffontein will host a fundraising Family Day on December 8, from 10am to 5pm.

There will be activities such

as stalls, jumping castles and games.

Those who would like to participate, for example by hosting a stall or offering financial support, are asked to contact the parish on 011 434 0206.

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The Southern Cross, November 28 to December 4, 2012

INTERNATIONAL

Pope’s message for WYD 2013 Continued from page 1 only if it is founded on love rather than on materialism,” the pope said.

“Love is the only thing that can fill hearts and bring people together.”

While asking the young to bring their Christian values to their social media networks and other online activities, he also cautioned them to use the media wisely.

“Be aware of the hidden dangers they contain, especially the risk of addiction, of confusing the real world with the virtual, and of replacing direct and personal

encounters and dialogue with Internet contacts,” he said.

Pope Benedict also told the young people that the responsibility to share the faith flows from their baptism into the Church, is sustained by prayer, nourished by receiving the Eucharist, purified through confession and strengthened by confirmation.

“If you are to remain firm in professing the Christian faith wherever you are sent, you need the church,” he said. “No one can bear witness to the Gospel alone.” n The full text of the pope’s message in English is available at http:// bit.ly/Wbz6AB

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Health care is a right, not a commodity

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OOD health is a benefit that needs to be defended and guaranteed for all people, not just for those who can afford it, Pope Benedict told hundreds of health care workers.

The New Evangelisation is needed in the health field, especially during the current economic crisis “that is cutting resources for safeguarding health,” he told participants at a conference sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry.

Hospitals and other facilities “must rethink their particular role in order to avoid having health become a simple ‘commodity’, subordinate to the laws of the market, and, therefore, a good reserved to a few, rather than a universal good to be guaranteed and defended,” he said.

The international conference focused on the theme: “The Hospital, Setting for Evangelisation: A Human and Spiritual Mission.”

The pope told the 600 participants that, on the one hand, advancements in science and medicine have led to greater possibilities for curing the physical ailments of those who are ill.

“But on the other hand, it seems to have weakened the ability to care for the whole and unique person who suffers.”

Such advancements, the pope

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said, seem “to cloud the ethical horizons of medical science, which risks forgetting that its vocation is serving every person and the whole person, in its different phases of existence” from conception to its natural end.

Bringing life-giving and evangelising assistance to others will always be expected of Catholic health workers, he said.

Being Catholic brings with it a greater responsibility to society, and Catholics need to live their lives with courage as a true vocation, he said.

Croatian Church hails release of generals from war crime sentence

BY JONATHAN LUXMOORE

C Let gÜNTHER SImmERmACHER guide you through the great holy sites of the Holy Land and Jordan on a virtual itinerary. Read about the history of the places where Jesus and his disciples worked and walked, about their biblical and historical significance — and meet some interesting people along the way in the new book.

Cardinal Wilfrid Napier speaks at the International Conference of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry at the Vatican. (Photo: Paul Haring, CNS)

Professionals and volunteers working in health care represent “a unique vocation, which necessitates study, sensitivity and experience”, he said. However, it’s also necessary to go beyond academic qualifications and develop a true capacity to respond to the mystery of suffering and see one’s work as a human and spiritual mission, he said.

In a talk at the conference, Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban said that “bishops need to speak up in support of health care workers” and to support them spiritually.

Catholic “workers are under tremendous pressure to conform to political whims” that go against Church teaching and their facilities run the risk of forfeiting public funding when they refuse to cooperate with unethical policies, he said.

Bishops and the religious orders that run Catholic facilities need to be “the caregivers of the caregivers”, helping them face the risks and withstand the pressures by bolstering their faith.

Offering people in the health field spiritual and pastoral support “dignifies their work, grounds their work in God and inspires workers to see their work as a service to Christ and to the least of his brothers and sisters”, Cardinal Napier said.— CNS

ROATIA’S Catholic Church has welcomed the release of two Croatian generals from war crimes sentences amid nationwide rejoicing in the Balkan country.

“Truth is the only guarantee of peace and the truth is that the Croatian nation and society were subjected to terrible aggression, destruction and annihilation in the name of hateful ideologies aimed at destroying our right to a free country,” Cardinal Josip Bozanic of Zagreb said.

“The Croatian nation had a right to defend itself, and did so at the cost of enormous sacrifices, which are still felt today.

This verdict has restored dignity to these sacrifices and the wounds of victims,” he said.

The cardinal’s statement came after the International Criminal Court in The Hague acquitted Ante Gotovina and Mladek Markac, who were jailed in April 2011 for killing ethnic Serb civilians. The ruling overturned a 2011 verdict that the men had deliberately targeted civilians with artillery as part of “a joint criminal enterprise”.

Archbishop Zelimir Puljic of Zadar, president of the Croatian bishops’ conference, said their release would end “long years of suffering” in the country, where more than 80% of the 4,4 million inhabitants are Catholic.

He added that the acquittal had come as a surprise, suggesting it was “God’s work”.

“If the first-instance judgments had remained in force, we would have carried a stigma for decades,” said Archbishop Puljic.

“I think those who testified, helped or in any way participated in preventing this victory should now feel ashamed and apologise if they have any honour.”

Mr Gotovina and Mr Markac

were sentenced to prison terms of 24 and 18 years, respectively, on charges related to the August 1995 “Operation Storm” military offensive to recapture Croatia’s eastern Krajina region from Serb separatists. The offensive resulted in the deaths of 324 Serbs and forced 90 000 people to flee, according to the United Nations.

Their release was met with bitterness in neighbouring Serbia, which still has military and political leaders on trial in The Hague, including former Bosnian Serb leaders Radovan Karadzic and

Ratko Mladic.

Serb human rights groups said the International Criminal Court had failed to ensure justice and predicted the move would hinder reconciliation, Agence France-Presse reported.

The European Union made compliance with war crimes investigators a condition for Croatia’s entry next July. Pope Benedict supported the entry into the EU during an audience on October 29 with Croatia’s Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic.—CNS

Prince Albert II of Monaco and his South African wife, Princess Charlene, speak to Monaco’s Archbishop Bernard Barsi as they leave the cathedral after a Mass for Monaco's National Day in Monte Carlo. The Mass marks the community's ties to the Catholic faith. (Photo: Jean-Paul Pelissier, Reuters/CNS)

INTERNATIONAL

The Southern Cross, November 28 to December 4, 2012

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Calls to vote in peace Priest laicsed over women’s ordination

BY DAMIAN AVEVOR & FRANCIS NJUGUNA

T

HE president of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference called on Ghanaians to show professionalism during the December 7 general elections.

Bishop Joseph Osei-Bonsu of Konongo-Mampong said in a statement that all Ghanaians have a stake in ensuring that the elections are peaceful.

“All Ghanaians, especially politicians, need to be reminded that politics, like religion, is devoted to the service of personal and social vocation of the same human being,” he said.

The statement urged political parties to discourage their supporters from engaging in voting multiple times and voting in the name of the deceased. It also urged candidates to educate their supporters on the dangers of cheating.

It urged candidates to accept

election results, noting that “good losers are also peacemakers”.

Meanwhile, Kenya’s bishops urged voters to elect people of high integrity when they go to the polls for general elections on March 4.

They told voters to avoid candidates with a track record of corruption, crime and violence, and “unfit candidates” who do not fear God and do not follow or respect the law.

The bishops also advised against voting for candidates who keep changing their position on important national issues.

About 20 candidates have declared they are running for president in the first elections since the new constitution was enacted.

Two presidential candidates— Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto—are among four Kenyans facing charges in the International Criminal Court for their involvement in post-election violence after the 2007 election.—CNS

BY DENNIS SADOWSKI

T

HE Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has dismissed Canadian-born Roy Bourgeois, 74, from the priesthood because of his participation in the invalid ordination of a woman and “a simulated Mass”.

The Maryknoll order said in a statement that the canonical dismissal came after Mr Bourgeois’ participation in an invalid ordination in Kentucky in 2008.

“Disobedience and preaching against the teaching of the Catholic Church about women’s ordination led to his excommunication, dismissal and laicisation,” the order said.

Mr Bourgeois (pictured) called his expulsion from the priesthood and the Maryknoll order “very difficult and painful”.

“The Vatican and Maryknoll can dismiss me, but they cannot dismiss the issue of gender inequality in the Catholic

Church,” he said in a statement.

“The demand for gender equality is rooted in justice and dignity and will not go away.”

The Church holds that it has no authority to ordain women.

Mr Bourgeois said “the exclusion of women from the priesthood is a grave injustice against women, our Church and our loving God, who calls both men and women to be priests”.

Catholics “profess that God created men and women of equal worth and dignity,” he said. “As priests, we profess that the call to the priesthood comes from God, only God. Who are we, as men, to say that our call from God is authentic, but God’s call to women is not?”

The Maryknoll statement said: “Mr Bourgeois freely chose his views and actions, and all the members of the Maryknoll Society are saddened at the failure of reconciliation.”

The former priest was excommunicated on November 24, 2008, latae sententiae (automatically) for not recanting his public statements supporting the ordination of women.

Maryknoll leaders and Bourgeois have met repeatedly since 2008 in an attempt to reach reconciliation. The Maryknoll order had issued two canonical warnings during the process, as called for by canon law. In the end, the gap between Bourgeois’ beliefs and public actions and Church law could not be reconciled.—CNS

Nativity story still unfolds, says pope in new book

BY CAROL GLATZ & FRANCIS X ROCCA

T

HE Nativity story, like the whole story of Christ, is not merely an event in the past, but has unfolding significance for people today, with implications for such issues as the limits of political power and the purpose of human freedom, Pope Benedict writes in his third and final volume on the life and teachings of Jesus.

Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives is only 132 pages long, yet it includes wide-ranging reflections on such matters as the significance of the virgin birth and the distinctive views of nature in ancient pagan and Judeo-Christian cultures.

In the book, Pope Benedict examines Jesus’ birth and childhood as recounted in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. His interpretation of the biblical texts refers frequently to the work of other scholars and draws on a variety of academic fields, including linguistics, political science, art history and the

history of science.

The book’s publication completes the three-volume “Jesus of Nazareth” series, which also includes From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration (2007) and Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection (2011).

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said that while much of what the pope says is accepted Catholic dogma, the texts themselves are not part of the Church’s magisterium and their arguments are free to be disputed.

In his new book, the pope argues that Matthew and Luke, in their gospel accounts, set out to “write history, real history that had actually happened, admittedly interpreted and understood in the context of the word of God”.

The pope calls the virgin birth and the resurrection “cornerstones” of Christian faith, since they show God acting directly and decisively in the material world.

The pope enriches the gospel accounts with personal reflections as well as questions and challenges

for his readers.

For example, considering the angel’s appearance to the shepherds, who then “went with haste” to meet the child Saviour, the pope asks: “How many Christians make haste today, where the things of God are concerned?”

P

ope Benedict examines the political context of the time of Jesus’ birth, which featured both the socalled Pax Romana—the widespread peace brought by the Roman ruler Caesar Augustus—and King Herod’s thirst for power, which led to the

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slaughter of the innocents.

“Pax Christi is not necessarily opposed to Pax Augusti,” he writes.

“Yet the peace of Christ surpasses the peace of Augustus as heaven surpasses earth.”

The political realm has “its own sphere of competence and responsibility”; it oversteps those bounds when it “claims divine status and divine attributes” and makes promises it cannot deliver.

The other extreme comes with forms of religious persecution when rulers “tolerate no other kingdom but their own”.

The pope writes that the Three Wise Men symbolise the purification of science, philosophy and rationality.

“They represent the inner dynamic of religion towards selftranscendence, which involves the search for truth, the search for the true God,” the pope writes.

The pope also argues that the star of Bethlehem was a true celestial event.

It “seems to be an established fact,” he writes, that the conjunc-

tion of Jupiter and Saturn happened in 7-6 BC, which “as we have seen is now thought likely to have been when Jesus was born”.

A key topic in the book is the role of human freedom in God’s divine plan for humanity.

“The only way [God] can redeem man, who was created free, is by means of a free ‘yes’ to his will,” the pope writes. It is precisely “the moment of free, humble yet magnanimous obedience”, such as Mary and Joseph showed when listening to God, “in which the loftiest choice of human freedom is made.”

Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection is a story filled with contradiction, paradox and mystery, the pope writes, and “remains a sign of contradiction today”.

“What proves Jesus to be the true sign of God is he takes upon himself the contradiction of God,” Pope Benedict writes, “he draws it to himself all the way to the contradiction of the cross.”—CNS

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The Southern Cross, November 28 to December 4, 2012

LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor: Günther Simmermacher

Misunderstood teaching

N

O Catholic can be untouched by the death in Ireland of Savita Halappanavar, the 31-year-old expecting mother who was denied a potentially life-saving termination of pregnancy, a decision reportedly justified with the words, “This is a Catholic country”.

Our first concern and prayers must be with the family of Mrs Halappanavar, especially with her husband whose dreams of a happy family have been so cruelly shattered.

It has been unfortunate that some pro-choice activists took to the public forum with opportunistic anti-Catholic rhetoric which took scant account of the Church’s teachings, and cared not to interrogate what exactly the doctor meant with the statement, “This is a Catholic country”.

One of Ireland’s most prominent pro-life leaders, Dr Patricia Casey, has said that Mrs Halappanavar’s pregnancy should have been terminated immediately. When a woman presents herself with a miscarriage while leaking amniotic fluid, as Mrs Halappanavar did, it is the duty of the doctor to immediately remove the foetus, whether it has a heartbeat or none.

This is the position of Irish medical law, and it is the teaching of the Catholic Church, as the physician who referred to Ireland as “a Catholic country” should have known.

Pope Pius XII outlined the Church’s position more than 60 years ago. In a 1951 address he said: “If the saving of the life of the future mother...should urgently require a surgical act or other therapeutic treatment which would have as an accessory consequence, in no way desired nor intended but inevitable, the death of the foetus, such an act could no longer be called a direct attempt on an innocent life.

“Under these conditions the operation can be lawful, like other similar medical interventions—granted always that a good of high worth is concerned, such as life, and that it is not possible to postpone the operation until after the birth of the child, nor to have recourse to other efficacious remedies.”

Pope Pius invoked the theological principle of “double effect”.

Accordingly, physicians must do everything in their power to save

both the mother and the child. If the attending doctor decides that the mother’s life can be saved only by means which cause the foetus’ death, then this intervention would not be categorised as an abortion.

But if the lives of both mother and child can be saved, the principle of double effect does not apply.

The bishops of Ireland have pointed out: “The Catholic Church has never taught that the life of a child in the womb should be preferred to that of a mother. By virtue of their common humanity, a mother and her unborn baby are both sacred with an equal right to life.”

In short, neither Catholic teaching nor Irish law precluded the necessary medical intervention in trying to save Mrs Halappanavar’s life.

And yet, the fallout for the Church and the pro-life movement has been immense. Large sections of the Irish public have held the Catholic Church liable for Mrs Halappanavar’s death, especially on account of the “Catholic country” line.

With that statement, the Church and the pro-life movement have been held complicit in Mrs Halappanavar’s death, the facts notwithstanding.

Public pressure will now doubtless accelerate the legalisation of abortion in Ireland.

The Catholic Church, meanwhile, is being accused of having created a culture where a doctor supposedly felt so intimidated as to deny Mrs Halappanavar the treatment which even Pope Pius XII would have green-lighted.

The Irish Church’s reputation, already at a low, is shattered once more—not because an offense was committed, but because of something which many people instinctively expect the Church to be culpable of.

This poses an important question: Why do so many people think, mistakenly, that the Church’s teachings would have obstructed the medical treatment which Mrs Halappanavar required?

The Catholic Church should now review whether its pro-life teachings, especially on abortion, are truly understood in all their nuances, or whether the manner in which they are communicated might create unwelcome misinterpretations, as they clearly did in Ireland.

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.

Palestinian suffering continues AM disappointed that Andre du because their members are mainly IChenne has allowed himself to (but by no means entirely) Muslims? be influenced by American and Israeli propaganda (October 31).

It is not Israel that has to defend itself; it is the Palestinians who have to keep trying to regain what is rightfully theirs.

Why are Hezbollah and Hamas labelled extremists? Is it because their parties have Arabic names, or

Role of deacons

I

WRITE with regard to the enlightening and, indeed, thought-provoking article by Br Damazio Ngoma OP on “The deacon in the parish” (October 17).

Given the varying extent of parishes, particularly widespread parishes in which some deacons serve, and the concommitant expenses such as travel and telephones, I wish to enquire as to whether the Church permits parishes the discretion to reimburse or contribute towards defined expenses in needy cases where these can be justified.

My own view, in the event of there being no such facility, is that parishes be vested with discretionary authority to take such decisions having regard to a variety of considerations, not the least of which ought to be affordability.

Tommy Sierra, Cape Town

Walk to Emmaus

I

RECENTLY returned from Bloemfontein, where I attended my fifth Walk to Emmaus, which was once again a very spiritual, uplifting time for me.

For those readers who don’t know about an Emmaus walk, allow me to explain.

In Luke 24 we read the story of the risen Christ appearing to two disciples who were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus.

Jesus explained the Scriptures and their hearts were warmed.

Their eyes were only fully opened to recognise him when Christ took the bread, blessed and broke it, then gave it to them. They then shared the news with the other disciples.

The Emmaus movement came to Southern Africa in 1990 from the United Methodist church in the United States, which in turn developed it from the Spanish Catholic Cursillo de Christianidad (a short course in Christianity) which was established as far back as 1940, Protestant theology, and some Methodist emphasis.

In practice the Emmaus move-

Hezbollah has been effective in Lebanon in a positive way and has many non-Muslim supporters.

Israel not only wants as much Palestinian territory as it can lay its hands on (as the illegal settlements in the West Bank show), but it also keeps a greedy eye on Lebanese territories. If not for ment is ecumenical.

The Walk to Emmaus is a 72hour experience from Thurday evening to Sunday afternoon. The time is spent studying, discussing, worshipping and living together.

Fifteen talks are given by clergy and laity, which form the basis of the discussions and projects the pilgrims are involved in.

There is also daily chapel with Communion.

At our men’s walk, we had email greetings and prayers from America, Canada and South Africa, and also from many other parts of the world.

Emmaus aims to inspire, challenge and equip local church members for Christian action in their homes, churches and places of work.

It provides a means by which we can grow together in love, grace and servanthood as members of the body of Christ.

I will gladly assist any interested reader, and am contactable at 046 604 0401.

Joe Stas, Port Alfred

Ubuntu lives

T

HANK you so much for your article by Prof Nomalungelo Goduka (October 10), who holds the research chair in indigenous knowledge systems at Walter Sisulu University.

As a foreigner to South Africa, not having lived under apartheid, I am amazed at the grace of Africans towards non-Africans. Ubuntu has really been practised towards whites in giving forgiveness.

I had not realised that the Catholic Church, too, had been poisoned by racist ideologies, for example by making Africans sit at the back of the church.

May Mary, the Mother of God, 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.

Hezbollah, Israel might by now have pushed its way further into Lebanon.

Hamas is a legally elected political party, but has had to continue behaving like a liberation movement because the West does not recognise its status.

The history of Palestine since 1948 makes for unbearably painful reading. Palestinians have been suffering for more than 60 years, with no end in sight.

Yvonne von Mayer, Johannesburg sanctify the Church from all evil and help her to be a sign of communion in our fragmented society.

Romany Rubin, Pretoria

Orphanage visit

I

T was truly a fun-filled day as the youth of St Michael’s church at Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape brought smiles to the faces of the children at Sivenathi orphanage on a November 17 visit.

Sivenathi, which is run by ten volunteers, struggles to keep up with daily demands, without any government help.

The youth of St Michael’s entertained the children with games and held a mini-concert with the orphans.

The youth also distributed clothes, non-perishable food items as well as sweets, chips and cold drinks.

And by the look on each child and volunteer’s face we could see the excitement and appreciation.

The visit to the orphanage was truly an eye-opener for each one of us. We realised that we are privileged to have what we have even if it’s not much.

We as the youth of St Michael’s Catholic church will continue to strive to help these children, with our parish priest, Fr Selwyn Francis, and our parishioners, in our efforts to make a difference in our communities.

Patrick Christian, Fort Beaufort

Eucharist query

H

OW do fellow Catholics feel about the singing when going to receive the Holy Eucharist?

After I have received the Blessed Host and returned to my seat, I feel the warm glow in my mouth, and I experience a sense of joy.

In my view, during the time of the Eucharist the organist should only play background music, and thereby give us that moment to enjoy and pray.

This how I feel. I would really be interested in the views of other readers.

Michael Joseph Ellis, Durban

St Mary’s Cathedral

Our Lady of the Flight into Egypt

Nine lessons and carols On the 9th December at 19h00, the Anglican Choir of the Parish of St Michael’s and All Angels, Observatory, under the direction of Dion Irish, will present an evening of nine Lessons and Carols at St Mary’s Cathedral in Cape Town.

All Welcome!

Tel: 021 461 1167 stmaryscathedral1851@gmail.com

PERSPECTIVES Toni Rowland

Money, money, money T HERE are lots of songs about money and getting rich, or about being poor, and sometimes we sing them happily without really thinking too deeply about the words.

Of course we do the same with most of the hymns we sing in church too, which is something else we ought to think about.

Right now in South Africa, money is a big issue. One can’t help feeling quite befuddled to hear that miners are on strike demanding R16 000 per month while farm workers are fighting for R150 per day, which works out to R3 000 per month for 20 working days.

Where is the correlation? Both kinds of labourers work hard, as do so many other workers earning vastly different amounts, some with prescribed minimum wages and others based on market-related factors which applies mainly to the very highincome earners.

We are also often reminded that at least half of South Africans are living in poverty, earning less than R1 000 per month and/or with many of their family members unemployed.

There is massive inequality between the very rich and the very poor, and South Africa has one of the greatest inequality levels in the world.

That is very serious, but my concern here is about the growing inequality factor within the middle-class.

It used to be that one would start at entry level, move up within a company— often the same one for most of one’s working life—and get an annual increase and build up a reasonable pension.

But that is no longer the case. Most of us older parents find that many of our children are earning a lot more than we are, because of the nature of their work

and not necessarily their educational qualifications.

Clearly not everyone in a family would be in the same boat. Some do extremely well, others battle financially.

Some job-hop for better pay or for greater work satisfaction. Some have an entrepreneurial spirit while others are more conservative or cautious. Is it luck or skill?

Some are able to send their children to expensive schools and have great holidays while others in the family make do with whatever schooling they can afford and are lucky to have a holiday occasionally.

Birthday and Christmas presents, eating out, clothes and electronic gadgets are all dependent on one’s financial position.

Family Friendly

Weddings, and in some communities funerals, can be massively expensive and are also dependent on one’s attitude or value system.

These events come with extra expenses which can be a great burden for the wider family. Some relatives, friends and colleagues may be able to afford to stay over at venues, but can a family member with three or four children? No one wants to be beholden either and receiving hand-outs from wealthier family members—if that happens it is very helpful and much appreciated, but it does not feel good.

It is a dilemma and it’s hard when you’re not all in the same boat. Some are in a cruise ship, some in a speedboat, and some in a fishing boat. Somehow we all have to paddle our own canoe and deal with our own reality. Can that be something to think, and sing, about these Christmas holidays?

Come to think of it, will they be real Christmas holidays for much longer, or just year-end holidays?

That may be food for another family reflection, one every family should have, possibly in a regular family hour which I still advocate strongly to build family unity and develop a family’s spirituality with special attention in this Year of Faith.

The December family theme is “Family a Gift”, not necessarily one to go out and buy, but one of the ultimately most rewarding gifts we can give one another is time, to communicate, to share, to decide how else we can be a gift to other families, always doing our best to remember that, as the slogan goes, “Jesus is the reason for the season”.

Science and faith: two sides of the same coin Glen Argan

S

IMPLY put, faith and science are two basic forms of knowledge available to human beings and there is no contradiction between them.

Science aims to know physical beings; faith strives to know spiritual beings—all that transcends nature and is not visible.

The human person is the one being that is both spiritual and physical and so is an object of both faith and science.

Pope Benedict’s call for a deeper dialogue between faith and science seeks a conversation that is especially urgent in today’s society.

The dialogue ought, first, to distinguish scientific truth from religious truth in order to eradicate superstition and to preserve human dignity. Second, it needs to bring ethical considerations into contact with science since not everything that can be done should be done.

The first area of dialogue may seem simple. However, some modern philosophies maintain that all knowledge is scientific and that anything to do with the spiritual or religion is superstition. Not only does this view deny the existence of God, it also denies the existence of human reason and will, reducing human beings to complex machines.

Conversely, there is a tendency among some—not just religious believers—to disregard scientific findings that contradict their beliefs. One example is,

Pray that AFRICA may draw closer to the HEART OF CHRIST 2 Chron 7:14 Matthew 7:7-12

Point of Reflection

Science and faith are not in conflict, but complement one another. (Photo: Bob Roller) of course, the belief of some that the first chapters of Genesis are a science textbook. Other beliefs such as astrology try to describe and predict events in the material world with no explanation of the process of cause and effect.

There is a difference in how people assent to the conclusions of science and faith. If the truth of a scientific theory is clearly demonstrated, the human will is forced to give its assent.

Spiritual knowledge, in contrast, involves communication between two or more free and intelligent persons. For knowledge to occur, one person must open up to the other. Intimacy can develop when two persons open up to each other. The trust that develops from

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intimacy can lead to love.

Some scientists have tried to reduce faith and love to biological processes.

While faith and love may indeed lead to physiological changes, those changes are not the essence of the thing.

Proper science is no threat to faith. In fact, science assumes that the universe is ordered. If the universe were chaotic, science would be impossible. An ordered universe, however, points to the existence of a being who is the source of that order.

This Being who orders the universe is not the same concept of God in the Old and New Testaments, but he can surely fit within that concept. The Judeo-Christian God is not only the God of love, he is also the Creator.

In the final analysis, science and Christianity are not at odds; they complement one another. n Glen Argan is the editor of the Western Catholic Reporter, the newspaper of the archdiocese of Edmonton, Canada, in which this article first appeared.

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The Southern Cross, November 28 to December 4, 2012

7

Michael Shackleton

Open Door

When did Jesus realise his divinity?

I recently saw an overseas television programme on the early life of Jesus, who was portrayed as a young person normal in all respects: helping St Joseph, playing with his contemporaries, and very bright, maybe even a savant.

But it was stated that Jesus was not aware of his divinity until he was baptised in the River Jordan with the descent of the Holy Spirit. How would the Church respond to this viewpoint?

Rex Barnes ROM as early as the first century, Christians acknowledged that Jesus Christ the man was both divine and human, as is plainly expressed in the Apostles’ Creed.

In time, speculation began on how it was comprehensible that a created man could be united with the uncreated divinity. This was a difficult exercise because Jesus Christ the God-man was a mysterious and unique event in human history.

Words and phrases had to be found to express this mystery, but these had to be in a way precise enough for general agreement. Because of this initial conjecture, misunderstandings arose, some of which were condemned as heretical.

Among these heresies was that of Nestorius, bishop of Constantinople. In the early 5th century he taught that there are two persons in Christ.

The divine person dwells in the human person.

This would make Mary the mother of the human person but not of the divine person.

The television documentary that you viewed seems to have shared this idea. If Jesus did not know he was divine, then he must have used his knowledge as a human person. But he is not a human person.

“The Word was made flesh” (Jn 1:14) demonstrates that the Word, the Second Person of the Godhead, became man. Jesus is a divine person possessing the nature of God and the nature of man.

The Council of Chalcedon (451) declared that in Christ the divinity and humanity are united in a single divine person, without confusion, change or separation.

Theologians point out that as man Christ learned from use of his senses and reason (acquired knowledge), his soul was in communication with the Father (infused knowledge) and he was united in the divine nature with God himself (beatific knowledge).

In Christ there is no human individual or human person distinct from God the Son, so there was never a moment, either before or after his baptism by John, that Jesus was unaware of being “the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14).

F

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.

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Organised and led by Rev Fr Christopher Slater Cost from R22020 Tel: (031) 266 7702 Fax: (031) 266 8982 Email: judyeichhorst@telkomsa.net

8

The Southern Cross, November 28 to December 4, 2012

WORLD AIDS DAY

Removing the fear from HIV

When a patient is told they are HIV-positive, the first thing the counsellors do is tell them that it is “not the end of the world, a death sentence or the end of their life,” said Ms Coleske. “We tell them that there is hope, that with the medication they can still live a good life.”

The counsellors at Siyathokoza say that often patients are shocked when they hear their status; they are in disbelief and cry.

Others go into denial.

“Some will get angry and accuse us of lying to them, or say the test is not correct.

OUNSELLING is a vital part of an We tell them that we cannot lie to them, HIV-positive patient’s treatment. So that we do two tests, we try to calm them says Lindie Coleske, the Aids treat- down, to go home and think about their ment programme coordinator at Siy- results, we give them a date to return for the CD4 test [which indicates the stage of athokoza in Botshabelo, near Bloemfontein.

Speaking on behalf of her team of three HIV or Aids in a patient],” Ms Coleske said.

But it is often not only the patient who counsellors, Ms Coleske said: “It helps the patient accept their status. If they accept it, needs emotional support. Sometimes famithey will make good decisions about their lies need it too.

“If the patient agrees to disclose to famihealth, and that is good for their families.

We counsel patients so that they know ly, a partner or a buddy, we will counsel there is support, they are not alone, and them with the patient,” said Ms Coleske.

She said patients who disclose their status there is someone to help them, to confide to their families tend to do better because in.”

Patients receive pre- and post-testing families help them to remember to take the counselling. “During the pre-test coun- ARVs and to go for blood tests and see the selling, counsellors assure the patient of doctor. They will also help them to make choices about food and not to drink alcohol. absolute confidentiality,” she said.

Nardini Sister Hedwig Mapumulo works She added that while patients are not obliged to inform family or friends of their at Sizanani Outreach in Nkandla, in the KwaZulu-Natal diocese of Eshowe. She status, counsellors encourage it. believes that counselling removes fear from clients.

Sr Mapumulo encourages patients to talk and share their status.

Pretoria realises the devastating effect “If they say they are HIV-positive then I tell them I am impressed that of Aids on the community, and they are so brave as many people would like to extend a message have died because they did not want of support to all caregivers, to check and have themselves sortsocial workers and counsellors. ed.”

She often shares her personal May God bless you in your endeavours and experiences with her patients. “I

South Africans have become accustomed to hearing statistics and stories of people contracting HIV, taking antiretrovirals or dying of Aids-related causes. But all those speak of the physical side of the devastating disease. What about the emotional side?

CLAIRE MATHIESON learns more.

C

Loreto Convent School

give you courage and strength

Sister Gladness Ntuli meets with a patient to review her health and distribute antiretroviral drugs for treatment of Aids at a clinic in Phelandaba, KwaZulu-Natal. Counselling is an important part of treating HIV, especially at the time of testing. (Photo: Debbie DeVoe, Catholic Relief Service) also share with them about my own two sisters and two brothers who are HIV-positive and how I won them into testing and disclosing at least to one of their older children.”

She said this helps the patients know that she is speaking of a common reality many people face.

“Counselling makes the person feel that they are not alone, they are understood.”

The Nardini Sister said many people simply do not want to be tested. “My follow-up question is to ask them if they would be happy lying in the grave knowing that their children and relatives are accusing each other of having bewitched them when they knew very well what was wrong. I usually encourage the patient to test.”

She always offers patients hope. If the patients take their medication and listen to the nurses, then “maybe by the time treatment to cure Aids comes out, they are still alive”.

Currently Sr Mapumulo spends most of her time assisting children and educating them on their status. Many are either on treatment or pretreatment.

Ms Coleske said the counsellors at Siyathokoza consider their work to be very challenging.

“Sometimes the patient is someone you know or a friend or family member. Sometimes patients will ask us, ‘What will happen when I die, what about my children, where did I get this illness?’ It is difficult to answer because sometimes we do not know the answers.”

But Sr Mapumulo said through counselling and the disclosure of status, the patients and their families can support each other, which makes planning and answering questions easier.

While some questions are impossible to answer, through support networks, the disease need not spread and lives can be lived healthily while the fear subsides.

Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference

St Joseph’s theological institute and SACBC AIDS OFFICE JOINT CONFERENCE

Catholic Responses to AIDS in Southern Africa, 30 years after the discovery of HIV 20 January 2013 (beginning 16hoo)-22 January 2013 (ending 17hoo)

THE INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

KEYNOTE ADDRESSES

Monsignor Robert J. Vitillo, (Head of Delegation to the UN in Geneva and Special Advisor on HIV/AIDS for Caritas Internationalis)

THE WIDER AFRICAN RESPONSE.

Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator SJ, (Hekima College, Nairobi, Kenya)

THE SACBC AIDS OFFICE, CHALLENGES AND RESPONSES Sr Alison Munro OP, Director of the SACBC AIDS Office

RESPONSES OF THE CHURCH IN AN URBAN CONTEXT Cardinal Wilfrid Napier OFM, Archbishop of Durban

RESPONSES OF THE CHURCH IN A RURAL CONTEXT Bishop Kevin Dowling CSsR, Of Rustenburg

OTHER PAPERS

Papers by staff of St Joseph’s Theological Institute and others will be presented On a number of themes including the following: Spiritual Direction, Historical perspectives, Moral teaching; theology OF hivprevention; Inter-faith collaboration, Feminism, HIV and theological education; a Theological responses to challenges to Catholic teaching, comparisons with Brazil

VENUE: St Joseph’s Theological Institute at Cedara, Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands region.

Conference Fee: R200 per person. This includes morning and afternoon tea.

R300 per person (includes lunch and evening meal)

Applications to conference2013@sjti.ac.za Fax 086 657 0012 Tel.087 353 8940 (Shantel) Private Bag 6004, Hilton, 3245 KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

FOR INFORmATION REgISTRATION AND ACCOmmODATION See Conference website www.sjti.ac.za/conference2013.html

WORLD AIDS DAY

The Southern Cross, November 28 to December 4, 2012

9

Why an HIV cure won’t solve Aids crisis Catholics would welcome a cure for HIV/Aids, but warn that it would not solve all problems caused by the disease, as PAUL JEFFREY reports.

A

S someone living with HIV, the virus that causes Aids, Joshua Mavundu would welcome a cure for the disease.

He knows intimately its ravages. His weight dropped to 32kg before he was tested and put on antiretroviral medication (ARV) by a Catholic Aids programme in Zimbabwe. Today, he feels healthy and weighs almost 79kg.

“I openly live with HIV, so I share the excitement about a possible vaccine and cure,” Mr Mavundu said. “But we need to look back at what we’ve learned about solidarity, about people coming together and being united, and we should keep that intact. Talking about vaccines is fine, but we shouldn’t forget solidarity and justice and community.”

Mr Mavundu is the gender and advocacy officer of the Batanai HIV and Aids Service Organisation in Masvingo, a programme supported by Trocaire, the Irish bishops’ overseas aid agency.

There have been rumours of a cure before, but the deadly virus has proved itself to be a wily survivor. This time around, however, scientists and Aids officials believe they’re on the verge of something big.

Like Mr Mavundu, many activists are concerned that the sudden interest in the science of curing Aids will distract the world from the lessons learned in 30 years of battling the epidemic.

They say simply coming up with a pill to kill HIV won’t solve all the problems the virus has caused.

Fr Richard Bauer, who runs a massive HIV education and treatment programme in Namibia, said that while finding a cure is

Aids workers note that only when a whole community is engaged in the fight against HIV/Aids are all the problems addressed. (Photo: Paul Jeffrey, CNS) vital, it is important that Aids workers remember to work with local communities to limit the spread of the disease.

Fr Bauer said the virus will leave behind a painful legacy, even if a cure is found.

“Even if we got a vaccine tomorrow and a cure on Monday, we have two generations of children who have not been parented. They’re now becoming parents and they’ve never been parented,” he said.

“In the high-impact countries that had all the deaths in the late 1990s and early 2000s, nobody is talking about the social and developmental ramifications of not being parented. Even if they announce a vaccine and a cure at this meeting, we still have a lot of work to do.”

Mr Mavundu pointed out that some 8 million people around the world are eligible for antiretroviral treatment but cannot afford the medicines. Such inequality, he warned, will likely plague the distribution of any new drugs.

“Even with a cure, there’s no guarantee that everyone can access it. Already we see shortages of ARVs in Africa, especially in my country,” he said. “So if a cure comes today, not everyone will be able to afford it.”

Michele Broemmelsiek, the global director for AIDSRelief at Catholic Relief Services (CRS), said organisations like hers work best when they help community members solve their own problems.

She was previously responsible for CRS country programmes in South Africa, Angola, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

“When you truly engage the community, that’s when you really win the fight against HIV/Aids. If you just base your work on a medical response, train doctors, get the best laboratory equipment and fix up the pharmacy, you still haven’t won the fight against the disease.

When you can address the stigma and provide support to affected people in the community, that’s when true justice happens,” she said.

Catholic institutions have long offered clinic- and homebased health care programs, but Ms Broemmelsiek said HIV/Aids has pushed the Church deeper into communities.

“As faith-based groups advocate for health for everyone, they’re building a future at the grassroots that’s more important than a vaccine or new treatment, because it reknits the community together,” she said.

Finola Finnan, chair of the Catholic HIV/Aids Network and the head of Trocaire’s HIV and gender equality programme, said the political and social context that made HIV infection a fatal epidemic remains a challenge, whether or not a cure appears.

“The epidemic has taught us that we need to go back to our roots and talk about justice, gender and equality. Those are the social determinants that are driving this epidemic. HIV has put a spotlight on those at the margins who need to have a voice, on women needing to be at the decision-making table, and on the factors that drive poverty,” she said.

“That’s what the epidemic has taught us, and we won’t end it until we deal with those issues.”—CNS

Everybody is called to live life to the fullest (John 10.10) Accept your brother or sister living with HIV Be non-judgmental Care for affected or infected people Don’t stigmatize

and if you are living with HIV add: Accept yourself Be sure god loves you unconditionally Care for your body and your soul Do know that there is a future for you HOPE Cape Town Association P.O.Box 19145 Tygerberg 7505 www.hopecapetown.com 021 - 938 9930 admin@hopecapetown.com

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The Sisters and Staff of Nazareth House express our deep gratitude and appreciation to all our generous friends, benefactors and anonymous donors for assisting us in our ministry of care and support for our children and young people who are infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. We ask our Heavenly Father: • To look on those whose lives are touched by AIDS • To enlighten those who try to find a cure • To bring strength and courage to those who are infected • To be with doctors and nurses caring for them • To give to their families loving acceptance And to give us hearts of mercy, to do what we can to • show your compassion and love. Amen.

ST FRANCIS HOSPICE PORT ELIZABETH EASTERN CAPE

• Provides Holistic Palliative Care support for short life expectancy patients and their families.

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The Archdiocese of Johannesburg AIDS Commission asks you to join us in prayer for God’s children living with HIV and AIDS

Prayer of Hope

God of Hope, All of us are affected by HIV and AIDS. At this time of Advent Hope, As we prepare for the coming of your Son into this world, We give thanks for signs of hope: For growing understanding For medical advances For changing attitudes and behaviour For greater awareness and concern in your church.

God of Unity, Bind us together with strong ties of love That this church community may be a place where all can find acceptance.

May it be a place where care is given and received, Where stories are told and heard, Where fear is overcome by love, Where You are to be found. Amen.

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10

BOOKS

The Southern Cross, November 28 to December 4, 2012

On Jerusalem’s Via Crucis Jerusalem’s Via Dolorosa follows the supposed path which Jesus took to Calvary.

In this edited excerpt from his book The Holy Land Trek, GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER looks at the Via Crucis.

W

HEN we follow the Stations of the Cross in our churches, particularly during Lent, we do so in reverent calm, using the quiet to facilitate our prayerful meditations on the stages of Our Lord’s suffering before his broken body was finally laid in the tomb, whence he would rise again.

The Stations of the Cross in our churches were introduced in the 17th century for the benefit of the majority who would never travel to the Holy Land. They were even given the same indulgences as those who did the Stations in Jerusalem.

The Franciscans were the frontrunners in that endeavour. And rightly so: it was their founder, St Francis of Assisi, who first set up chapels for devotions to Christ’s final journey.

In reality, Jesus’ torturous walk to Calvary was not accompanied by a considerate hush. He had to navigate streets bustling with people making preparations for the Passover and throngs of visitors on their pilgrimage to the temple.

Some of them didn’t pay the condemned man much attention, or perhaps glanced at him with cautious sympathy. Others jeered, taunted and mocked him, rather delighting in the anguish of this minor celebrity with his peculiar messianic ideas.

Most people on the streets that day were probably just annoyed at the interruptions caused by this miserable procession, which probably also included the other two men who would be executed at the same time.

It was a day when everybody was preparing for the Passover, and when Jerusalem was bursting with pilgrims who had come for the

feast. The first-century Jewish historian Josephus Flavius estimated the number of people in and around Jerusalem at Passover to be somewhere around 2,5 million. He might have exaggerated a little, but the city, and especially the Temple, was teeming with people and sacrificial animals (it is said that about a quarter of a million lambs were sacrificed every Passover).

The historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, writing in his engaging biography of Jerusalem, suggests that to get an idea of the throng of people in Jerusalem, one might look to the crowded scenes at Mecca today during the hadj.

A

nd in the middle of all that madness, the condemned Jesus of Nazareth was led to his death.

Following the Way of the Cross—the Via Dolorosa, or Way of Sorrow—in Jerusalem’s Old City gives the modern pilgrim a tiny hint of the chaos that surrounded Jesus as he walked to his death. The route follows narrow streets through busy markets frequented by locals, tourists and fellow pilgrims.

The groups making the Stations of the Cross must be a nuisance in the lives of the locals, who nonetheless tend to accept it as the way of things, as generations before them did.

Most of the locals tolerate these cross-bearing pilgrims. Without pilgrims, almost every Arab family suffers, directly or indirectly, as was evident when the Second Intifadah, which broke out in September 2000, cleared the Holy Land of visitors.

The travellers have long returned, and few locals resent them because they spend money and create jobs. Still, there are the occasional fanatics who enhance the pilgrim’s experience of follow-

ing Jesus’ sorrowful way by mocking the Lord’s suffering. It is very odd that they would do so, even when confronted by cross-wielding infidels, because Islam counts among its prophets Jesus, blasphemy of whom is strictly prohibited.

For the most part, those locals who acknowledge the pilgrims’ presence are friendly, and occasionally amusing.

Traders in the Old City are adept at identifying pilgrims’ national identities just by looking at them. South African groups, known in the Holy Land as “Liquorice AllSorts”, are easily spotted. Still, I was surprised and amused once when one young Arab chap called out to me in Afrikaans, in a near perfect accent: “Hoe is die snoek in die Kaap?” I assured him that in Cape Town the fish in question remains available in admirable quality.

L

ocal Christians have walked the Via Dolorosa since the earliest times, long before Islam was even a vague idea, and pilgrims have done so at least since the times of the Crusaders, even if that form was still rudimentary.

The Via Dolorosa (or Via Crucis; it has many names) as a structured itinerary of prayer and reflection was introduced by the Franciscans in the 14th century, though the route has changed since then. The current course, just under a kilometre in length, was appointed in the 1800s.

It is impossible to say by what path Jesus arrived at Golgotha— then a garden and cemetery just outside the city walls—because there is no reliable record of the location of Pontius Pilate’s Praetorium, his court when he was in the city, the place where Jesus was condemned, scourged and handed his crossbeam.

While the Via Dolorosa begins at the place where the Roman Antonia Fortress once stood, most scholars believe that Pontius condemned

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Top: Pilgrims carry a cross on the Via Dolorosa. Below left: Station III— Jesus falls for the first time. Right: The Ecce Homo arch, built by Emperor Hadrian in the second century. (Photos: Günther Simmermacher) Jesus at the Herodian Palace in the city’s south-west, which throws the historical geography of the Via Dolorosa, which starts from near Lions’ Gate in the north-east, decidedly off kilter.

The first station, where Jesus is condemned by the Roman procurator, then is scourged and given the crossbeam, is set at what is now a madrassa, the Umariyya primary school for boys, just inside Lions’ Gate.

In Jesus’ time, that area was under water—it was the site of a large cistern known as the Struthion Pool, which was so significant as to merit a mention by Josephus Flavius.

The second station recalls Pontius’ uncharacteristic plea for pity, “Ecce homo”—“Behold that man”.

A picturesque arch is named after Pontius’ exclamation. It was quite a

strange thing to say by the man who had himself just ordered the brutal scourging which left the condemned Jesus in such a wretched physical state. “Ecce homo” indeed, Pontius.

Tradition had it that he addressed the people from that arch, but it is in fact part of a triple arch built in the second century during Hadrian’s reign.

In the shared courtyard of the nearby chapels of the Condemnation and Imposition of the Cross, pilgrims can borrow a cross which they can carry on their way along the Via Dolorosa; for a tip young lads will take the cross back for use by other pilgrims. n More excerpts on December 12. To order The Holy Land Trek at R150 (plus R15 p&p) visit www.holy landtrek.com or contact books @scross.co.za.

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The Southern Cross, November 28 to December 4, 2012

CLASSIFIEDS

Russell Hazell

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 (R1,25 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication.

R

USSELL Hazell, a long-time member of St Thomas More parish in Vryheid, KwaZuluNatal, died on October 15, aged 80. He was born in Flagstaff, Transkei and settled in Vryheid 48 years ago with his wife Bridget (née Cavanagh), to whom he was married for 56 years. They immediately became stalwarts of St Thomas More parish.

He served several terms as parish council chairman, vice-chair or treasurer. He was a Knight of Da Gama and member of the St Vincent De Paul Society, in which he served the people of God with deep love, great care, concern and tremendous generosity for many years.

Every Sunday morning, after Mass, Mr Hazell

Liturgical Calendar Year B

Weekdays Year 2 Sunday, December 2, First Sunday of Advent Jeremiah 33:14-16, Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10, 14, 1 Thessalonians 3:12, 4:2, Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 Monday, December 3, St Francis Xavier Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122:1-9, Matthew 8:5-11 Tuesday, December 4, St John Damascene Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17, Luke 10:21-24 Wednesday, December 5 Isaiah 25:6-10, Psalm 23:1-6, Matthew 15:29-37 Thursday, December 6, St Nicholas Isaiah 26:1-6, Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27, Matthew 7:21, 24-27 Friday, December 7, St Ambrose Isaiah 29:17-24, Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14, Matthew 9:27-31 Saturday, December 8, The Immaculate Conception of the BVM Genesis 3:9-15, 20, Psalm 98:1-4, Ephesians 1:3-6, 1112, Luke 1:26-38 Sunday, December 09, 2nd Sunday of Advent Baruch 5:1-9, Psalm 126:1-6, Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11, Luke 3:1-6

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

stood with his “begging box”, quietly offering parishioners the opportunity to help him serve the poor.

His death has left a gaping hole in the local Child Welfare Society, which he supported with great dedication.

At parish level, his expertise and accomplishments are clearly visible throughout the church buildings, the parish hall and parish centre, as well as the Garden of Remembrance where his ashes were interred. Mr Hazell was father to Lynn, Owen, Terry, Jill, Debbie and Colleen.

Four Benedictine priests concelebrated the Requiem Mass at St Thomas More church on October 17.

Cavell Thole

Southern CrossWord solutions

SOLUTIONS TO 526. ACROSS: 5 Sure, 7 Persistent, 8 Wadi, 10 Examples, 11 Escape, 12 Elijah, 14 Fluted, 16 Spirit, 17 Stubborn, 19 Inns, 21 Eastertide, 22 Dyer.

DOWN: 1 Spew, 2 Aspirant, 3 Essene, 4 Decade, 5 Step, 6 Revelation, 9 Absolutely, 13 Initiate, 15 Drowse, 16 Sinner, 18 Bier, 20 Seer.

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GRAAYENSTEIN—Saville and Lynn of Bellville. God’s riches wedding anniversary.

May Almighty God spare you for many more years and your children. Thanks for the good work you are doing in both parishes. Best wishes from your family, friends and parishioners of the Holy Family and Our Lady of Fatima, Bellville.

WENTZEL: Congratulations Richard and Denise on your 40th wedding anniversary.

May you continue to be abundantly blessed. With all good wishes, the Brunner sisters.

IN MEMORIAM

BRUYNS—Noel. Left us far too young on December 6, 2004. Still missed and remembered fondly by his colleagues at The Southern Cross.

PERSONAL

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PRAYERS

HOLY ST JUDE, apostle and martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke you, special patron in time of need. To you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg you to come to my assistance. Help me now in my urgent need and grant my petitions. In return I promise to make your name known and publish this prayer. All honour and Glory to the Sacred Heart, Virgin Mother and St Martha for prayers answered.

MKTJDJ. HOLY ST JUDE, apostle and martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke you, special patron in time of need. To you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg you to come to my assistance. Help me

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now in my urgent need and grant my petitions. In return I promise to make your name known and publish this prayer. Amen. RCP

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AAN die Oblate van Heilige Francis van Sales en die Bisdom van Keimoes.

Graag wil ek baie geluk sê met die viering van wyle Vader Louis Brisson, wat heilig verklaar is. Baie dankie vir die pragtige viering in Matjieskloof, Namakwaland. Dit was baie, baie mooi. Ook aan die studente van Helige Anna wat so mooi gehelp het, dit was pragtig. Mag God u hulle ryklik seen. Baie dankie, Mary da Silva (Pillay en haar familie) GRATEFUL thanks to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Mother Mary and Ss Joseph, Anthony, Jude and Martin de Porres for prayers answered. RCP. IN GRATEFUL thanks to Holy St Jude, Apostle and Martyr, faithful intercessor of all who invoke you, rich in miracles and special patron in time of need, for prayers answered. C de Freitas, Port Elizabeth.

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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.

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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 The Southern Cross is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa. Printed

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2nd Sunday: December 9 Readings: Baruch 5:1-9, Psalm 126, Philippians 1:3-6, 8-11, Luke 3:1-6

What is your wish for Advent?

A

Nicholas King SJ

S Christmas comes nearer, the readings for next Sunday ask us to contemplate what God can do for us when we are exiled or imprisoned, or simply at the mercy of the powerful and malicious.

The first reading is ostensibly set in the time when Israel was to return from exile, though it is hard to give it a precise date.

Jerusalem is told to put on new clothes “take off your mourning-robe...put on a glorious one”; and there is a series of suggestions about what she might wear: “Put the turban of eternal glory on your head.”

And the reason has nothing to do with Jerusalem’s good behaviour, but with what God is up to: “For God will show your radiance to the land that is under heaven,” and the city will even get a new name, “JustPeace-and-Glorious-Piety”.

If Jerusalem is feeling fed up about the mess, she is told (and you must do the same as Christmas approaches): “Arise, Jerusalem, and stand on the heights; look eastwards and see your children gathering from the setting of the sun to its rising, by the Lord’s word, rejoicing at the memory of God.” And the poet draws a powerful contrast between their departure (“on foot and led by

Sunday Reflections

enemies”) and their return (“gloriously raised up, like a throne of monarchy”).

And God is going to make the journey easier, for hills and valleys shall be levelled out, “that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God”. It is a beautiful picture, and we may need to stay with it when times seem hard.

The p salm for next Sunday likewise reflects on the return from exile, but now looking back on that wonderful time: “It seemed like a dream”, the poet reflects, “then our lips were filled with laughter, and our tongues with rejoicing.”

However it is not all plain sailing, and the plea goes up: “Return, Lord, our captivity, like streams in the Negev desert”, and there is a contrast between the tearful sowing of the harvest and its joyful reaping. The point

is that God will see the painful process to its happy end.

The se c o n d re ad in g is written from prison, but, surprisingly, it is Paul’s most joyful letter; notice how affectionate the tone is, with Paul praying for his beloved Philippians “with joy”, “because of your fellowship with regard to the gospel”, and always “trusting in this, that the One who began [the] good work in you will bring it to completion, until the Day of Christ Jesus”.

Then Paul stresses “how much I long for you in the heart of Christ Jesus”, and how he simply wants their love to increase. And the passage ends with a lovely wish for their Christmas present, that they may be “filled up with the fruit of righteousness, the one that comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of God”.

This sense that the only thing that matters is God-in-Christ will stand us in good stead as Advent continues. What would you like for your Christmas present?

The gospel begins in a most extraordinary way. It starts with the only date in the entire New Testament (“the 15th year of the imperium of Tiberius Caesar”), and contin-

Death? Many people have done it S OME years ago, a friend of mine was facing the birth of her first child. While happy that she was soon to be a mother, she openly confessed her fears about the actual birthprocess, the pain, the dangers, the unknown.

But she consoled herself with this thought: hundreds of millions of women have done this and have somehow managed it. Surely, if so many women have done, and are doing, this I too can manage it somehow.

I sometimes take those words and apply them to the prospect of dying.

Death is the most daunting, unsettling, and heavy topic there is, for all of us, our occasional false bravado notwithstanding.

When we say that we are not afraid of dying, mostly we’re whistling in the dark and, even there, the tune comes out easier when our own death remains still an abstract thing, something in the indefinite and infinite future.

My thoughts here, no doubt, fit that description, whistling in the dark. But why not? Surely even whistling in the dark is better than denial.

So I like my friend’s methodology for steeling her courage in the face of having to face pain and the unknown.

Hundreds of millions of women have managed this, so I should be able to manage it too!

And in the case of dying, the numbers are even more consoling: billions

Conrad

Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI

Final Reflection

and billions of people have managed it, and everyone, including myself, is going to have to manage it. A hundred years from now, every one of us reading these words will have had to manage his or her death.

And so I sometimes look at death this way: billions and billions of people have managed this, men, women, children, even babies. Some were old, some were young; some were prepared, some were not; some welcomed it, some met it with bitter resistance; some died from natural causes, some died through violence; some died surrounded by love and loved ones, some died alone without any human love whatsoever surrounding them; some died peacefully, some died crying out in fear; some died at a ripe old age, some died in the prime of their youth or even before that; some suffered for years from seemingly meaningless dementia with those around them wondering why God and nature seemed to cruelly keep them alive; others in robust physical health with seemingly everything to live for took their own lives; some died full of faith and hope, and some died feeling only dark-

ness and despair; some died breathing out gratitude, and some died breathing out resentment; some died in the embrace of religion and their churches, some died completely outside of that embrace; and some died as Mother Teresa, while others died as Hitler.

But every one of them somehow managed it, the great unknown, the greatest of all unknowns. It seems it can be managed. And nobody has come back from the other world with horror stories about dying (given that all our horror movies about ghosts and haunted houses are pure fiction, through and through).

Most people, I suspect, have the same experience that I do when I think about the dead, particularly about persons I have known who died. The initial grief and sadness of their loss eventually wears off and is replaced by an inchoate sense that it’s alright, that they are alright, and that death has in some strange way washed things clean.

In the end, we have a pretty good feeling about our dead loved ones and about the dead in general, even if their departure from this earth was far from ideal, as for instance if they died angry, or through immaturity, or because they committed a crime, or by suicide.

Somehow it eventually all washes clean and what remains is the inchoate sense, a solid intuition, that wherever they are they are now in better and safer hands than our own.

When I was a young seminarian we once had to translate Cicero’s treatise on ageing and dying from Latin into English. I was 18 years old at the time, but was very taken by Cicero’s thoughts on why we shouldn’t fear death. He was stoic, but, in the end, his lack of fear of dying was a little like my friend’s approach to giving birth: given how universal it is, we should be able to manage it!

I’ve long since lost my undergraduate notes on Cicero, so I looked the treatise up on the Internet recently. Here’s a kernel from that treatise: “Death should be held of no account! For clearly the impact of death is negligible if it utterly annihilates the soul, or even desirable, if it conducts the soul to some place where it is to live forever. What, then, shall I fear, if after death I am destined to be either not unhappy or happy?”

Our faith tells us that, given the benevolence of the God we believe in, only the second option, happiness, awaits us. And we already intuit that.

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ues with a list of all the most powerful people in the land: Pontius Pilate, Herod (Junior, not the one who butchered the innocents at the beginning of Matthew’s gospel), and his brothers Philip and Lysanias, then two distinguished members of high-priestly families, Annas and Caiaphas.

Just as you are starting to think that this is as unwholesome a collection of rogues as you could wish to meet on a dark night, but that perhaps they are the people who make history, you discover that Luke pulls the rug from under your feet.

For the “word of God” comes to none of these important people, but to the hairy wilderness figure of “John son of Zachary”, who is preaching “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”, and whose importance is underlined with a quotation from the prophet Isaiah.

Then, just as you are starting to ask what all this has to do with the coming of the Lord at Christmas or at any time, you hear the words that make sense of it all, and on which you will do well to reflect over the next couple of weeks: “All flesh shall see the saving power of God.”

Southern Crossword #525

ACROSS

5. Having no doubt (4) 7. Priest sent to be steadfast (10) 8. Ottawa discloses dried riverbed (4) 10. Instances of specimens (8) 11. Flee from captivity (6) 12. This prophet was a Tishbite (1 Kg 17) (6) 14. Played instrument like a tall, narrow wine glass (6) 16. It led Jesus through the wilderness (Lk 4) (6) 17. Obstinate (8) 19. They could not provide lodging for the Holy Family (4) 21. Treatise Ed altered for festive season (10) 22. Lydia’s occupation (Acts 16) (4)

DOWN

1. Expel from the pews (4) 2. Traps Ian prepared for the postulant (8) 3. More than sense about member of ancient Jewish sect (6) 4. Decadent without New Testament is a mystery (6) 5. Take one at a time (4) 6. Unveiling of the closing of the Bible (10) 9. Yells about unconditionally (10) 13. Inaugurate one who has joined the sect (8) 15. Dowser may drop off on the job (6) 16. He offends against the divine law (6) 18. Sounds like a drink where the coffin rests (4) 20. Observant man of vision (4) Solutions on page 11

CHURCH CHUCKLE

T

HE English writer and raconteur Quentin Crisp once wrote: “When I told the people of Northern Ireland that I was an atheist, a woman in the audience stood up and said: ‘Yes, but is it the God of the Catholics or the God of the Protestants in whom you don’t believe?’”

Send us your favourite Catholic joke, preferably clean and brief, to The Southern Cross, Church Chuckle, PO Box 2372, Cape Town, 8000.