131204

Page 1

The

S outhern C ross

December 4 to December 10, 2013

Reg No. 1920/002058/06

The water crisis is here already

No 4851

Page 7

www.scross.co.za

R7,00 (incl VAT RSA)

Reviewing the Year of Faith in SA and Rome

Pages 3,8& 9

See Roman catacombs on Google Maps

Page 5

Family survey: What comes next? BY CLAIRE MATHIESON

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HE Southern African bishops will collate the consultation of the laity on family life, held in preparation for next October’s extraordinary session of the Synod of Bishops, in January, according to their communications officer. In November the bishops issued the Vatican’s questionnaire to each diocese in order to get results from all corners of the country on the synod’s theme of “Pastoral Challenges to the Families in the Context of Evangelisation”. “It is the first time ever that such a vast spectrum of people are invited to answer a questionnaire in preparation for a synod,” said Fr S’milo Mngadi, communications officer of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC). The priest, who is coordinating the findings from around the country, said traditionally a synod takes six stages, including the announcement and the distribution of a questionnaire, called a lineamenta, which is to be answered by bishops and other concerned people. In this particular case, the views of all Catholics will be considered. Answers from the questionnaire are then collated at the conference level and sent to the synod council. “The synod council formulates the working document, called instrumentum laboris, which is sent to the synod participants—the bishops,” Fr Mngadi explained. Some time after the synod assembly takes place the pope will issue a post-synodal exhortation. “So, we are at stage two of the process; the answering of the lineamenta,” Fr Mngadi said. While some dioceses around the world have asked laity to fill out online surveys, the SACBC decided that the questionnaire should be answered at the level of each diocese in an attempt to include as many views as possible. “Catholics need to check with their priest or bishop as to what process their diocese will follow,” said Fr Mngadi.

H

e said the greatest challenge facing the success of the survey is the limited time frame. “The collated document from our conference should be submitted to Rome at the beginning of February 2014. Since our dioceses are different operationally, each one chooses the most expedient way to get the answers, collate them and submit them to the conference before January 13, 2014.”

In this way each diocese has to determine its collation teams at the level of the parish, deanery and diocese, depending on the method it has chosen. At the level of the bishops’ conference, a team has been appointed to collate diocesan reports into a single report, Fr Mngadi told The Southern Cross. The priest said while the move to include the views of lay Catholics is profound, the process must not be seen as a referendum on the doctrines of the Church governing family life. “It is actually an effort at how to minister the eternal Gospel to and with the families better in this day and age,” he said. The survey “will help to ascertain how much of the Church’s teaching about the family is known to the laity—in other words, how good is our catechesis about families,” said Fr Mngadi. He said the bishops are eager to get the involvement of priests, deacons, religious, lay ministers and laity in the parishes of their dioceses.

Fr Cyril Axelrod CSsR with Steven Lombard and Faith Conwright of the Cape Town Deaf Association who flew to London to witness the South African-born priest’s award by Queen Elizabeth II of the Order of the British Empire medal. Fr Axelrod founded the Cape Town Deaf Association. (Photo: Majella Williams)

Queen honours deaf-blind SA priest STAFF REPORTER

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Seen supporting The Southern Cross at the closing ceremony of the Year of Faith in Pretoria is Steve Mokone, who every Sunday sells the newspaper at St Anne’s parish in Atteridgeville, Pretoria. (Photo: Mathibela Sebothoma)

HE queen of England told Johannesburg-born deaf and blind Redemptorist priest Fr Cyril Axelrod that she knew of his work and commended him for it. Queen Elizabeth II awarded Fr Axelrod the Order of the British Empire (OBE) medal for his worldwide work in training sighted people to guide and communicate with deaf-blind people. The priest, a convert from Judaism, was the first deaf-blind person ever to receive the medal. He was born deaf, and in his 40s developed the Usher syndrome which caused his blindness. Fr Axelrod, 71, was accompanied by his close friend Fr Larry Kaufmann, provincial of the Redemptorists in South Africa, through whom the priest and the queen communicated. Both priests wore their Redemptorist habits to the ceremony at Windsor Castle. “She pinned the medal on and said, ‘I have received a copy of your book. Thank you for it. I will read the enclosed letter’,” Fr Kaufmann told The Southern Cross. Fr Axelrod told the queen that “my disability is a gift from God”. The queen replied: “No doubt, you have used it well. I am aware of the work you have done throughout the world. May you have good health to continue your services you have begun.” Fr Kaufmann said that Queen Elizabeth and others “were clearly fascinated as I put

Fr Axelrod (left) with Fr Larry Kaufmann CSsR outside Windsor Castle. her words into finger spelling”, by writing words on the palm of Fr Axelrod’s hand. At a function after the investiture ceremony, Fr Axelrod donated his OBE and citation to the Hong Kong Society for the Blind, which he founded and which nominated him for the OBE. During apartheid, Fr Axelrod established a multi-racial school for deaf children in Soweto, a hostel for deaf homeless people in Pretoria, and an employment centre in Cape Town. The England-based priest visits South Africa regularly to lead retreats with his Redemptorist community.

FATIMA • LOURDES • AVILA Join The Southern Cross and the Diocese of Tzaneen on a Pilgrimage of Prayer for the Sainthood Cause of Benedict Daswa to places of Our Lady in France, Spain & Portugal!

Led by Bishop João Rodrigues • 25 Sep to 6 Oct 2014

Benedict Daswa

Fatima with candlelight procession | Avila & Alba de Tormes (St Teresa) | Madrid | Zaragossa (Our Lady of the Pillar) | Lourdes with torchlight procession | Nevers (St Bernadette) | Tours (Sr Marie of St Peter) | Lisieux (St Thérèse) | Paris with Notre Dame and Rue de Bac (Miraculous Medal) | and more...

For full itinerary or to book phone Gail at 076 352 3809 or 021 551 3923 info@fowlertours.co.za www.fowlertours.co.za


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