The SSoouutthheerrnnCCrroossss Centenary Jubilee Year May 20 to May 26 , 2020 Reg No. 1920/002058/06 No 5187 www.scross.co.za R12 (incl VAT RSA)

Bishops speak A visit to Schooling: out on Nazareth, Holy Lessons from Covid-19 crisis Family’s home lockdown Pages 2-3 Page 10 Page 9 Open churches? ‘Keep faith and be patient’

BY ERIN CARELSE even though we cannot go to church,” he said. TTENDING church is of great impor - Churches in many other countries are tance for Christian people because it is opening for Mass, under strict conditions. In Aan expression, experience, and witness Australia, for example, churches may admit of faith—but we cannot tempt the Lord and only up to ten people. common sense by opening churches too “If we had to introduce that, it would be The reputed footprint of Jesus, left in stone at his Ascension, in the mosque of the As - soon, according to the spokesman for the quite difficult because our congregations are Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Confer - cension—originally a Crusader chapel—on the Mount of Olives. This year the feast of generally quite large,” Archbishop Slattery ence (SACBC). the Ascension is on May 21, but the solemnity is transferred in Southern Africa and noted. With lockdown set to be eased even fur - other regions to Sunday, May 24. (Photo: Günther Simmermacher) “Our people are really missing going to ther—at least to Level 3—voices calling for church, and so they would come back in large the reopening of churches have become louder. numbers,” he predicted. “I think it’s a bit hasty to be opening “I don’t think churches can go ahead and churches, because it’s through human contact say, ‘Look we trust in the Lord, all back to church tomorrow.’ We cannot do things like Stolen items recovered in all its form that this pandemic is spread,” said SACBC spokesman Archbishop William that,” the archbishop said. “We simply have to observe the ordinary BY ERIN CARELSE “The police contacted the minister but Slattery, retired of Pretoria. failed to show up at the agreed time and He noted that it is important to observe laws of humanity and of nature and every - OME of the items stolen from St Mary’s thing else like Jesus did. We cannot expect a place. The next day, when the police still the lawful restrictions laid down by the gov - cathedral in Cape Town last month have hadn’t met up with him and taken his state - ernment in trying to contain this virus, miracle by having 400 people in church, been recovered after a young man tried some of whom may have the virus, and every - S ment, he drove into Cape Town and dropped “It is important to go to church, yes, and to sell them to a Protestant minister in one goes home and in perfect health. That’s off the items at the Central Police Station.” we are getting a lot of hits on the streaming Khayelitsha. The next morning, two detectives arrived of Masses on Sunday because we Catholics re - not how it works,” he added. The minister, who may not be named, He noted that many who attend Mass are at the presbytery in Vredehoek to inform Fr quire and are receiving Communion spiritu - was handing out food parcels when a man Smuts that “they were in possession of some ally,” Archbishop Slattery told The Southern elderly—and these are the most vulnerable to approached him with an offer to sell reli - items and wanted an inventory of all the Cross . Covid-19. gious items. items that were stolen” in the cathedral bur - “But streamed Masses are different to at - “We really are suffering with our people. When he took a closer look, he recognised glary, Fr Smuts said. tending a Mass and receiving Holy Commun - We, the priests and bishops, are missing them that these were items stolen from the cathe - Frs Luigi Benigni and Smuts were asked to ion, because Jesus says, ‘Take and eat”,” he and we would love to have them back. But at dral and told the young man so. come to the police station to identify the acknowledged. the same time, and out of love for them, we At that, the man abandoned his loot and items and take possession of them, but when “Faith largely depends on community. realise the danger and say: ‘Wait a little ran away, leaving the minister with the God formed a community in the desert, and longer’,” the archbishop said. items. they arrived, the station had been closed Jesus from the beginning set up a community “Continue your prayers and pray for one “The minister insisted that I come to down for fumigation and cleaning due to a of apostles and told us to be one,” Archbishop another. The great witness of being Catholic Khayelitsha and collect these items since he positive Covid-19 case. Slattery noted. is having charity and love for each other,” did not want to have them in his house,” The next day, one of the investigating of - “We need to express that physically as well Archbishop Slattery said. said Fr Rohan Smuts, administrator of St ficers called to apologise for the inconven - as spiritually. But, on the other hand, we are Relaxation of lockdown in both Botswana Mary’s cathedral. ience caused and promised to call back next bound by the national law which is necessary and Eswatini has permitted the restricted re - “I indicated that since it was an active po - week to arrange a time. This did not materi - for conserving health by keeping ourselves opening of churches. lice case, the investigating officer would be alise. isolated and maintaining social distancing. The Catholic dioceses in those countries, contacting him to arrange for the collection “When I had not heard anything back, I “These are actually acts of religion because which are part of the SACBC, are currently of the stolen items and to take his state - sent a WhatsApp message to the detective in they are acts of charity and caring. So in a lot studying the possibility of reopening ment,” said Fr Smuts. charge of our case expressing our displeasure of ways, we can express that we are Catholics churches. But this turned out to be a taxing mission. Continued on page 3 How can you help The Southern Cross

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BY ERIN CARELSE of time appears to create an oppor - angry and alienated,” he said. tunity for some men to become vi - Some health workers have lost N a new pastoral letter, the arch - olent towards women.” their lives after being infected by bishop of Johannesburg said that If only a fraction of the resources the patients they served in hospitals Ithe strict regime of “stay at Archbishop Buti mounted against Covid-19 were and this no doubt has had a devas - home” during the lockdown has re - Tlhagale of dedicated to uprooting violence tating effect on their families, said vealed—or perhaps brought into Johannesburg, against women, the change in the the archbishop. the open—some of South Africa’s in a new attitude of both men and women “Many knew of the danger but more serious societal challenges. pastoral letter, would be remarkable, Archbishop continued to help others to recover Coronavirus has turned the said the national whole world upside down and vir - Tlhagale said. from their illness. Doctors and nurses lockdown has Even during the lockdown, there take care of the sick because it is their tually brought it to a grinding halt, revealed the said Archbishop Buti Tlhagale. have been instances of break-ins job. True. But there is something extent of many “The affliction of Covid-19 and looting, he noted, but what has more. In carrying out their duties, of South Africa’s forced the hand of the authorities been most unusual is the vandalis - they also make the infirmity of oth - to declare a National State of Disas - underlying ing and setting alight of more than ers their own. Theirs is a beautiful act ter. As a result, the already sickly problems. 200 schools across the country. of self-giving,” he said. economy ground to a halt,” the “In some cases equipment has When religious gatherings are al - archbishop noted. been stolen. In other cases, the lowed, which is expected to be at Industry stopped functioning, schools were set alight without any Level 1, “Christian believers will businesses closed, and people’s lives break-ins. Wanton destruction of link the victims of Covid-19 and were thrown into disarray, he said. jobs join the 29% who are already archal and violent society. property appears to be the South their families with the painful cru - The archbishop pointed out that unemployed. The scourge of unem - “Christianity teaches the equality African way of expressing deep- cifixion of Jesus Christ”, Arch - many employers did not have ployment leads to homelessness, of man and woman. Many men who seated grievances and of rebelling bishop Tlhagale said. enough money to pay employees poverty and a plethora of other so - exchange marriage vows of equality, against society,” the archbishop said. “We will celebrate our liturgies in and some businesses would fold. cial ills,” Archbishop Tlhagale said. of belonging together, of becoming “Covid-19 and its ‘stay at home’ solidarity with the dead, not in their “Many simply lost their jobs, In regard to violence against one person, do not appear to believe restriction offer an ‘excuse’ and an anonymity, but as deceased persons thus bringing hardship, disappoint - women during the lockdown, he ob - in what they say,” he said. opportunity to commit crime. But whose hope is brought to fruition in ment and unhappiness to many served that the lockdown has shown “‘Stay at home’ in a restricted the burning of schools is done by the Resurrection of Christ the Re - families. Those who have lost their South Africa to be still a deeply patri - space for an unusually long period young men who appear frustrated, deemer of humankind.” Catholic school broken into SA bishops laud dedication of

BY ERIN CARELSE thing is fine. That’s how I came The school was connected by across the burglary,” she said. alarm to an armed response serv - nation’s nurses in Covid-19 fight CATHOLIC school in Cape The thieves gained access to ice, but it seems there was a prob - Town was broken into while the property by breaking burglar lem with the signal between the STAFF REPORTER they are community-builders, mentors, schools are closed due to A bars and removing the window control room and the school. counsellors, and educators who provide the national lockdown. HE bishops of Southern Africa have psychosocial support beyond the med - pane at the back of the hall. The alarm at the school was still The principal of St Mary’s Pri - hailed the work of nurses, especially ical domain. The CCTV footage shows the activated when Ms Sellar went to during the Covid-19 crisis. mary School in Gardens, Cape T “Without our nurses, particularly thieves walking down the passage inspect the premises. The nurses at the “frontline” of the Town, discovered the burglary those in underserved parts of the coun - to the other, checking all class - The failure of the sensors to response against the virus “have shown after checking the CCTV footage. try, South Africa’s fight against Covid-19 rooms to see which were open. pick up movement and the sub - us an example of heroism and self-sac - The four men and one woman would be lost,” the bishops said. They eventually saw, through sequent experience of service rifice”, the Southern African Catholic in the footage are still at large. the window of one of the Grade 3 They called on the government and from the alarm company have Bishops’ Conference said in a statement This burglary came after St classes, toilet paper that students others to ensure nurses and other front - highlighted a set of problem signed by Archbishop William Slattery, Mary’s cathedral, just down the had brought for class use. line health workers, especially those in areas, as Ms Sellar explained. retired of Pretoria. road, was broken into and van - According to Ms Sellar, it took With the numbers of Covid-19 infec - marginalised and remote communities, dalised last month. them about 30 minutes or more Police have taken fingerprints “have adequate access to the means to and requested the CCTV footage tions rising daily, their work in screen - Principal Fiona Sellar made to break down the door, which ing and treating patients is a vocation protect themselves against the disease— to assist them with investiga - the shocking discovery of the they eventually managed to do. that involves dedication to the com - today, tomorrow and in the days after”. tions. burglary of St Mary’s—one of Items stolen from the class - mon good, the bishops said. Many hundreds of healthcare work - South Africa’s oldest schools, room include a projector, an in - St Mary’s Primary School over “Besides providing treatment to ers across South Africa have tested pos - founded by the Dominican Sis - teractive whiteboard system, and the past 150 years has changed those infected, nurses have provided itive for Covid-19, and several have ters in 1863—when she did her all of the toilet paper, wet wipes considerably, from an exclusive much-needed support to the dying and died, including nurses. daily monitoring of the footage. and hand sanitisers. private school for girls to a co-ed - those who have lost loved ones because “We mourn these unsung heroes “Every day, I monitor the The thieves also stole a projec - ucational state-funded primary of the disease,” they noted. whilst keeping them, their families and footage of the school with an app tor and an interactive whiteboard school, serving the needs of the “Our nurses are more than nurses. As their colleagues at the frontline, in our on my iPad to make sure every - system from the hall. wider community. President Cyril Ramaphosa said so well: prayers,” the bishops said.

The Author explains Catholic terms The SSoouutthheerrnn CCrroossss STAFF REPORTER source for candidates who are preparing to be received into the ATHOLIC terminology Church, for catechumens, spon - can be difficult to under - sors and catechists who are in - Jubilee Year Camino to Cstand even for cradle volved in RCIA, for altar servers, Catholics, so an Eastern Cape lay ministers—sacristans, pro - author and publisher has pro - claimers and Communion-givers duced a glossary of 200 Catholic who assist us to worship in truth Santiago de Compostela words and phrases. and in spirit, and for those who In his new book Do You Speak are in the initial stages of forma - Catholic? Frank Nunan defines tion and training: postulants, Official 7-Day Camino words such as “aspergillum” or novices and young seminarians.” “mozetta”, in alphabetical order, From Lugo to Santiago de Compostela in one illustrated resource. Do You Speak Catholic? is ded - Mr Nunan is the founder of icated to the late Fr Paul Fahy, September 2021 SA Catholic Online Books. who served the Eastern Cape Do You Speak Catholic? has an community for 50 years. With spiritual director Fr Chris Townsend imprimatur and nihil obstat from More than 160 full-colour il - Bishop Vincent Zungu of Port lustrations accompany the 200 Elizabeth, who also wrote the Catholic words and phrases. foreword. By arrangement with Fr Joe The idea for the book has its Falkiner OP, all purchasers of the book will also receive a free roots in New Zealand, where Mr some words used in the liturgy, Nunan heard two presentations, eBook version of his book An In - aimed at children. Remember - troduction to the Sunday Readings titled “Sacred Spaces” and “Sa - ing the presentations, I thought cred Vessels and Vestments”, by for Year A . that it could make a great little The book is available at R175 Fr Lio Pator of St Mary’s in book,” Mr Nunan said. (plus p&p) from SA Catholic On - Northcote, Auckland. “The project grew and grew line Books at www.sacatholic In these presentations Fr from an initial 40-odd words to Pater “named and explained the the nearly 200 now in the book. online.org/index.php/speak- various parts of the church and I would wake up at 3am, with catholic , and 40% of the profits the vestments and vessels used new words running around my from the book will go to three in the liturgy”, Mr Nunan said. head.” causes: the Eastern Cape Sick “He graciously gave me these Bishop Zungu was pleased Priests’ Fund, the Covid-19 out - presentations and I later pre - with the result. In the foreword, reach projects in Mr Nunan’s sented them, adapted, to our he wrote that he thinks the book parish, and Radio Veritas. congregation [in St Francis Bay], will help deepen readers’ Parishes, schools, and other where they were very well re - Catholic identity, giving them organisations or institutions re - To book or for info contact Gail at ceived,” the author explained. “a sense of appreciation of our ceive a 10% discount on orders [email protected] or call 076 352-3809 “One day I came across a heritage” and enhance their par - of ten or more copies. Bulk or - www.fowlertours.co.za/camino small pamphlet on the Internet ticipation in the Eucharist. ders will also be delivered free of with pictures and definitions of “This book is a valuable re - charge within South Africa. LOCAL The Southern Cross, May 20 to May 26, 2020 3 Nazareth Care loses three to DHC to host online concert HE Piano Passion Project is or - ganising a thanksgiving concert Covid-19 despite protocols Tinspired by jazz musician Dar - ius Brubeck in aid of the Denis Hur - BY ERIN CARELSE tact with the deceased resident were ously followed by management in ley Centre in Durban on May 27. immediately tested for Covid-19 The Villa, was implemented imme - The online concert will feature HE retirement home for priests and placed into quarantine. diately within this,” he said. 18 pianists from South Africa, and and nuns at Nazareth House in To isolate the spread of the virus, Mr Devy said that limitations to others from Britain, the United TCape Town was affected by an management further tested the re - testing capacity are a challenge for States and the Netherlands. Links to outbreak of Covid-19 at two maining 23 residents. Nazareth Care. the concert will be sent out at 18:00 Nazareth Care facilities in the city. “The test results confirmed that The limited “availability of that day. Even with good protocols and four of the residents, including the swabs for testing and the delay in Tickets are R80 each and avail - proactive measures by management deceased resident, had tested posi - receiving the results are detrimental able on Webtickets ( www.webtickets. during lockdown, two residents in tive for Covid-19. The remaining to the speed of responding to the co.za ), with the option for patrons Nazareth Care’s dementia care facil - three residents who tested positive outbreak and the investigation it - to donate more. ity, The Villa, passed away, and one have been placed in an isolation self. This has been most frustrating The event forms part of the at The Main House, for the elderly. wing at the facility. One of these and has raised the level of anxiety weekly UKZN Centre for Jazz and The first resident had been ter - residents has subsequently passed and fear for all staff and residents’ Popular Music and iSupport Creative minally ill, and as a precaution was on,” Mr Devy explained. families alike,” he said. Business’ Music Unlocked Sessions. tested for Covid-19. The test results The Villa has 76 staff who attend Nazareth Care will be working Many Piano Passion Project per - came back positive, said Wayne to residents, 47 of whom have been with the Department of Social De - formers have previously worked Devy, Nazareth Care Africa’s CEO. tested. Of those, 13 tested positive velopment to deploy and provide with the Denis Hurley Centre and “On hearing this unfortunate and were immediately placed in counselling and psychosocial sup - want to give back to the organisa - news, management immediately quarantine outside the facility. port for staff and family members. tion in its time of financial need. stepped into action by restricting On May 5, at The Main House, a “We are doing everything in our Darius Brubeck, son of jazz leg - the movement of all residents and resident who was also terminally ill power to keep our residents and our end Dave Brubeck, taught music at Pianist Neil Gonsalves will be staff within the facility, to enable a passed away. The post-mortem tested staff safe. We understand that such the University of Natal from 1983 among those performing at an on - full deep-clean and sanitisation. her positive for Covid-19. news is most concerning for family to 2006. He recently survived a line thanksgiving concert. The following day, a professional Mr Devy explained that the resi - members of all residents, and we Covid-19 infection in London, with long, with pianists presenting a set of decontamination company sani - dent had shown no virus symptoms. again confirm our commitment to doctors giving him a 50/50 chance around five minutes each. tised the entire facility,” he said. “As this is a different unit, iso - transparency,” Mr Devy said. of survival. n For further information contact to A full investigation was carried lated from The Villa, the origin “We send our heartfelt condo - The concert will be two hours Thulile Zama at [email protected] out by management to ascertain and/or transfer of the virus within lences to the deceased residents’ which members of staff had been in this facility is of major concern. The families. We will continue to serve contact with the deceased resident. same procedure regarding deconta - and care for our residents, as we re - All staff members who were in con - mination and isolation, as previ - main stronger together.” Bishops urge patience

STAFF REPORTER nections, we find [ourselves] feeling St Mary’s cathedral stolen items found helpless and incapacitated,” the bish - HE bishops of Southern Africa ops said. “One may feel of ‘no use’.” have acknowledged that peo - Continued from page 1 But, the bishops said, we are Tple are feeling stressed by the “valuable in the very sight of God, that nothing had materialised since Priests at St lockdown but have urged them to our Father, valuable for ourselves. some of the stolen items had been Mary’s cathedral be patient. He has no one else unique like each returned,” Fr Smuts said. in Cape Town, “We are concerned in a particu - one of us.” “I had as yet not completed the which was burgled lar way for our many brothers and They noted that “the agony of insurance claim form as I did not and vandalised, sisters who are experiencing stress waiting” weighs heavily upon us. want to claim for anything that were delighted to at this time of lockdown. To defeat Our modern lifestyle does not may have been found. Within a recover a the pandemic and protect our minute I got a response that my neighbours we are physically cut off appreciate waiting, but there are significant number signs that waiting and hoping pro - message had been forwarded to the of the stolen from consolation, companionship commanding officer and that I and joy,” the bishops said in a mes - duce great fruits, the bishops said. objects, including “The children of Abraham should have a response to my several from the sage signed by Archbishop William query,” he said. waited 40 years in the desert to tabernacle chapel. Slattery, retired of Pretoria. Eventually the two priests were “We all go through times of dis - enter the Promised Land. Jesus lived able to access the evidence room. tress in life: funerals, divorce, poor hidden from the world as a carpen - “We were presented with two sil - that was in the tabernacle, a chalice Frs Smuts and Benigni expressed relationships, poverty, insecurity, fi - ter in Nazareth for 30 years. Mary ver candelabra, that were situated and paten set, a paten dish, and the their gratitude and appreciation to nancial breakdown, poor housing Magdalene waited outside the next to the tabernacle, and four large sanctuary lamp. the countless individuals who and hopelessness,” the bishops tomb, and the disciples in the upper cardboard boxes of various metals,” All these items, including the reached out to them, offering their noted. Normally we deal with these room. What came from this waiting Fr Smuts said. tabernacle that was broken into var - prayers and financial support. by calling on family and friends, en - in the time of God was the transfor - “Upon inspection, we discovered ious pieces, will need to be fixed “When news of the recovery of gaging in distractions such as shop - mation of life,” the bishops said. a further two silver candelabra in and restored by various artisans. the stolen items was making the ping, praying in churches, receiving They added: “The parishes are pieces, as well as four gold-plated The stolen microphones, and the rounds, someone aptly said: ‘This is the Eucharist and so on. lonely for you, you are missed. We candelabra, also in pieces,” he said. pyx and lunette in the tabernacle, what happens when you have a “Isolated we feel our humanity is will meet again; he is risen, he is be - Also recovered were a ciborium have not been recovered. praying community,’” Fr Smuts said. diminished. Deprived of social con - side us.” Winter Living Theology lecture series postponed

STAFF REPORTER the South African government about the peak of the Covid-19 HE Winter Living Theology pandemic in the country. (WLT) 2020 series of lectures Both scheduled speakers have Thas been postponed due to also been banned from travel by the Covid-19 pandemic, as have their institutions of employment, the planned visits by two US-based Fr Pollitt said. academics. Prof Faggioli has already ex - Fr Carlos Alvarez Mendoza OP was pressed his willingness to come scheduled to deliver the WLT lectures when conditions allow. on “Suffering, resistance and hope in an era of violence”. He currently can “This is a time of challenge and no longer travel to South Africa, has stretched us to think and work Eswatini and Botswana. in different ways,” Fr Pollitt said. “However, Fr Alvarez has com - “We will continue to endeavour municated his willingness to come to do what we can to offer re - in 2021 should the prevailing con - sources to the Church in South ditions change and travel be al - Africa and engage in ways that we lowed,” said Fr Russell Pollitt SJ, can change to meet the needs in director of the Jesuit Institute, our difficult context. which organises the annual WLT. “The future is unpredictable and “By cancelling WLT, we, in turn, so we cannot make any plans now. will have to cancel bookings made We will, however, communicate around the country, which will re - any new endeavours as soon as sult in loss for some of our Church- things stabilise and become possi - run institutions,” Fr Pollitt said. ble again,” he added. “This is a sad and harsh reality “We know that this is a very dif - for us all, as we know that many of ficult time for all God’s people who our institutions are fighting for sur - cannot gather for worship, for vival.” priests, parishes, bishops and dio - The Jesuit Institute also had to ceses,” Fr Pollitt said. postpone the visits of Fr Bryan “As we find other ways of living Massingale in July and Prof Mas - and worshipping together in our simo Faggioli in early August, in diaspora, please be assured of our light of the predictions made by prayerful support.” The Southern Cross, May 20 to May 26, 2020 INTERNATIONAL 4 No evidence St John Paul covered up abuse

BY CAROL GLATZ out in the Vatican archives,” he said, speaking in Italian. HE postulator and the commis - The historical commission, which sion involved in investigating is part of the tribunal that hears from Tthe life of St John Paul II for witnesses and examines documents sainthood found no evidence that and facts about a sainthood candi - the pope knowingly neglected or date’s life, is in charge of investigat - covered up abuse scandals, the pos - ing different subjects and accessing tulator said. archives directly, Mgr Oder said. Mgr Slawomir Oder, the promoter However, the Vatican archives of the cause, told reporters in Rome they needed to access were—and still during an online meeting that he are—closed, he noted. Materials re - and investigators saw nothing “that lated to each pontificate are re - could possibly be claimed as being a stricted, with access usually granted Vatican workers in protective gear sanitise various surfaces inside St shadow of guilt in regard to John only 75 years after the end of the Peter’s basilica at the Vatican ahead of the resumption of Masses during Paul II”. pontificate. the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo: Vatican Media/CNS) However, Mgr Oder also ex - It was possible, instead, “to draw plained that the investigators did not up questions pertinent to the sub - have direct access to the relevant ject” of abuse and then the “research Vatican workers sanitise Vatican archives but had to send the Pope John Paul II is seen at the of the documents was carried out by topics they wanted to explore and Vatican in 2011. The postulator for people authorised by the Secretariat questions to the Secretariat of State. the sainthood cause of Pope John of State, experts”, Mgr Oder said. St Peter’s basilica The Polish monsignor had been Paul II said he and the commission Those heading the Secretariat of asked whether it would have been found no evidence the pope know - State during the diocesan phase of BY CAROL GLATZ never reach “zero”, which would better to have been more careful or ingly neglected or covered up investigation, which began in 2005 require the kind of sterilisation to have waited longer before begin - and ended in 2007, were Cardinal N preparation for the May 18 abuse scandals. (Photo: Max resumption of public liturgies practised in operating rooms. ning the pope’s sainthood cause, Rossi, Reuters/CNS) Angelo Sodano, followed by Cardi - St Peter’s basilica has been given what has come to light con - nal Tarcisio Bertone. A panel of re - Iin Italy and a morning Mass closed to tourists and visitors since cerning past abuses by the late Mar - during the sainthood process “all viewers at the Congregation for with Pope Francis at the tomb of St March 10. The Vatican has held a cial Maciel Degollado, founder of the questions were faced, even the ones Saints’ Causes voted unanimously in John Paul II, Vatican workers Legionaries of Christ, and former- you are talking about” related to 2009 that Pope John Paul had lived cleaned and sanitised the inside of number of private, livestreamed Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. abuse. a life of heroic Christian virtue. — St Peter’s basilica. services from the basilica in the Mgr Oder told the reporter that “Extensive research was carried CNS Vatican workers will also sani - presence of a reduced number of tise the other major basilicas in faithful and a pool of photogra - Rome: St John Lateran, St Mary phers. Major and St Paul Outside the Pope Francis offered his morn - Walls, according to a communique Tough times but Vatican not going bankrupt from the Vatican press office. ing Mass on May 18 at the tomb of St John Paul II in the basilica in LTHOUGH the Vatican is fac - doesn’t mean that we are not nam - not make new trips or organise new Andrea Arcangeli, vice-director ing difficult years ahead due to ing the crisis for what it is. We’re cer - conferences. of the sanitation department for memory of the 100th anniversary Athe economic fallout of the tainly facing difficult years” ahead. When asked about the pope’s Vatican City State, said that they of his birth. The Vatican has not coronavirus pandemic, its budget is The Italian newspaper Il Messag - meeting, Fr Guerrero said the Vatican were using detergent on the floors given a date for when the basilica not facing a massive default, said the gero published what it claimed was is determined “to find a way to en - and a bleach-based solution will be opened again to the public. prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for an internal analysis given to the sure our mission” and determine sprayed onto surfaces. The process of sanitising all of the Economy. pope during a recent meeting with “what is and what is not essential”. Evidence suggests Covid-19 Rome’s parish churches began on Jesuit Father Juan Antonio Guer - the heads of the Roman curia. The However, “our economy cannot be may survive for hours to days on May 13. Following a request from surfaces made from a variety of rero, the prefect, denied reports documents highlighted scenarios completely measured merely in the vicariate of Rome, the city of materials, but that it can be easily claiming that an internal analysis from best- to worst-case should rev - terms of deficit or cost”. Rome called on the Italian army given to Pope Francis places the Vat - enues continue to decline drastically. “We are not a business, we are not destroyed by chemical disinfec - and the city sanitation department ican’s annual deficit at risk of grow - The article also stated that Pope a company,” he explained. “Our ob - tants. ing 175%. Francis advised curial heads to be fru - jective is not to make a profit. Our Mr Arcangeli said they will be to sanitise all of Rome’s parish “The Vatican is not in danger of gal, freeze the hiring of new employ - bottom line is in view of mission.”— able to reduce the viral and bacte - churches in preparation for the re - default,” Fr Guerrero said. “That ees, eliminate superfluous costs and CNS rial load on the surfaces, but it will sumption of public liturgies.—CNS Radio host influences priest’s climate change actions in Nigerian parish

BY VALENTINE IWENWANNE that Fr Mba had started projects based on the programme until their conversation HEN Fr Innocent Mba was trans - went off air. ferred to Holy Cross church in “Sometimes he sends in a text message WEha-Amufu several years ago, the at the end of the programme requesting parish premises was in a state of abandon. clarification on the topic discussed on air,” Rubbish covered the grounds, and parish - Mr Odigwe said. ioners cut trees and burned bushes. Fr Mba started teaching his parishioners Fr Mba is not just listening to Mr Ekene’s programme for leisure. Behind his parish about conservation, having learned about 2 climate change on Ekene Odigwe’s “Cli - hall, he has converted about 97m of land into a rice farm. He said the value of the rice mate Time” radio programme, which fo - Ekene Odigwe in Radio Nigeria’s studio in cuses on raising awareness to reduce the harvested could reach up to (R18 5 000). Enugu, where he broadcasts his “Climate societal impacts of climate change in Nige - “The rice farm creates labour and brings Time” radio programme, which focuses on ria. in money for the development of the “When I heard Ekene talk about climate reducing the societal impacts of climate parish structures. The proceeds are also in - change over the radio, it attracted me be - change in Nigeria. (Photo: Valentine Iwen - vested in our school,” Fr Mba said. cause it’s a programme that resonates with wanne/CNS) “But beyond these, [it] also serves as a my interest in tree planting and conserva - young climate champions. tool for evangelisation, as it draws more ST ANTHONYS CHILD and tion of farmlands, and also discourages Every Monday, for 30 minutes, Mr parishioners to God,” he said. bush burning,” Fr Mba said. Odigwe discusses the climate, weather and “When I came in 2017, we used to have YOUTH CARE CENTRE Mr Odigwe is a young Catholic and a how people can take care of their environ - only eight people who attended morning popular radio presenter on Radio Nigeria, ment. Some of the programmes also focus Mass, but the participation has risen up to Keeping Nigeria’s first national public radio station on how materials like plastic can be prop - about 80, while we also have an exponen - that reaches up to 3 million listeners across erly managed. tial increase of 150 communicants to about Children safe 11 states. He’s also one of Nigeria’s leading Mr Odigwe said he did not even know 400 during Sunday Mass.”—CNS within families Advocates seek debt relief for poor nations DVOCATES for debt relief for the which was rescheduled to take place online. world’s poorest countries are calling Eric LeCompte, executive director Ju - Aon international policymakers to bilee USA, an alliance of faith-based devel - cancel debt payments and expand debt re - opment and advocacy groups that drafted lief for developing nations to bolster the letter, said that action on cancelling the healthcare and protect vulnerable people debt would allow poor countries to devote and workers during the coronavirus pan - more resources to respond to the pan - demic. demic. The request from more than 100 organ - The G-20 nations agreed to suspend isations, including more than two dozen Catholic religious congregations, came in a debt payments owed to them by 76 of the Family members carry the coffin of a 51- world’s poorest countries. The agreement letter to the International Monetary Fund, year-old Covid-19 victim at a cemetery in representatives of 20 industrial and emerg - covers payments through 2020. Cape Town. Advocates are calling for the Debt cancellation and the suspension of ing economies, or G-20 nations, and US cancellation of debt payments for poorer payments was one of four policies the ad - President Donald Trump. nations. (Photo: Sumaya Hisham/CNS) [email protected] It comes at the opening of the World vocates said were necessary to prevent a se - www.stanthonyshome.org Health Assembly, the decision-making The global pandemic response will be the rious financial crisis from engulfing the body of the World Health Organization. major item of business during the meeting, world economy, Mr LeCompte said.—CNS INTERNATIONAL The Southern Cross, May 20 to May 26, 2020 5 Pope Benedict: John Paul’s life of mercy, not rigidity

BY JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES HE continuity between Popes John Paul II and Pope Francis is Trooted in the message of God’s divine mercy for all men and women, retired Pope Benedict XVI said in a letter commemorating his predecessor’s birth. Throughout his life, Pope John Paul sought to spread the message that “God’s mercy is intended for A child stands next to Covid-19 graffiti in Nairobi, Kenya. Young Catholic every individual”, Pope Benedict said Africans have called for governments to consider the environment when in a letter to Polish Cardinal Stanis - planning Covid-19 recovery. (Photo: Thomas Mukoya, Reuters/CNS) law Dziwisz, the former archbishop of Krakow and longtime secretary to Pope John Paul II. Pope Francis, St John Paul II and retired Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Bene - “John Paul II is not the moral rig - dict wrote a letter commemorating his predecessor on the centenary of St Keep environment focus orist” some people have portrayed John Paul II's birth. (Photo: Paul Haring/Joe Rimkus/CNS) him as being, the retired pope wrote. Instead, “with the centrality of di - tion that he and his country found the rule of Gorbachev, during which during virus recovery vine mercy, he gives us the opportu - themselves in. This is somewhat the powerful structure of the Soviet nity to accept the moral requirement characteristic of his whole life and state collapsed under the process of BY FREDRICK NZWILI cult to respond to the disease. He said the current pandemic had for man, even if we can never fully work.” its reform,” he recalled. HE head of an African network meet it”. After his election as pope in 1978, Nevertheless, from the start of his underlined how the health of people for young Catholics warned and that of the planet are intercon - The retired pope’s letter, including Pope Benedict continued, St John papacy, St John Paul “aroused new against prioritising economic with an English translation, was re - Paul found himself leading a Church enthusiasm for Christ and his T nected. interests over social and environ - leased by the Polish bishops’ confer - that was “in a dramatic situation” in Church”, especially in his words to “It is a grim reminder of the ever- mental concerns as nations work to ence to mark the 100th anniversary which the deliberations of the Sec - Catholics during his inaugural Mass: increasing risks that arise from the recover from the Covid-19 pan - of the birth of Pope John Paul on ond Vatican Council spilled over “to “Do not be afraid! Open, open wide destruction of biodiversity, making demic. May 18. the public as a dispute over the faith the doors for Christ!” contact between humans and Written in German, Pope Bene - itself”. “This call and tone would charac - Allen Ottaro, executive director of wildlife more frequent and therefore dict’s letter recalled his predecessor’s Furthermore, Pope Benedict said terise his entire pontificate and made Catholic Youth Network for Environ - increasing the chances of diseases humble beginnings and youth, the that the dispute led to a “feeling that him a liberating restorer of the mental Sustainability in Africa, spoke moving from wildlife to humans,” death of his mother, brother and fa - nothing was any longer certain”, Church,” Pope Benedict wrote. “This to CNS during Laudato Si’ Week, he said. ther, and the difficulties Poland lived particularly in the implementation was conditioned by the fact that the from May 16-24 to mark the fifth an - Mr Ottaro suggested implement - through after World War I and, espe - of liturgical reforms, which made it new pope came from a country niversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical ing regular car-free days in major cially, during World War II. seem “that the liturgy could be cre - where the council’s reception had on “Care of our common home”. cities and creating better infrastruc - The young Karol Wojtyla, the re - ated of itself”. been positive: one of a joyful renewal “As countries look to the post ture for non-motorised transport like tired pope said, “not only studied “At that time, sociologists com - of everything rather than an attitude Covid-19 recovery phase and restart - cycling and walking to further help theology in books but also through pared the Church’s situation to the of doubt and uncertainty in all.”— ing economies, there is a huge risk reduce carbon emissions. his experience of the difficult situa - situation of the Soviet Union under CNS that economic considerations will be He also highlighted strengthening placed ahead of environmental con - local production and manufacturing siderations and ultimately, this could as key to reducing emissions related lead to much higher levels of pollu - to large-scale industrial complexes tion and carbon emissions than be - and transportation. He said people fore the pandemic,” Mr Ottaro said. growing their own food would help Laudato Si’ anniversary year begins “However, there is also an oppor - build resilience against supply shocks tunity to take a different trajectory resulting from restricted movement. BY JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES terrelated and today’s problems call compassion and solidarity and a and ensure our economies in a green “The world has an opportunity to for a vision capable of taking into more harmonious relationship with HE Vatican announced that it way, an eco-friendly way.” shape the future as we emerge from account every aspect of the global the natural world, our common Mr Ottaro said the pandemic has this crisis, and everyone can con - will commemorate the fifth crisis,” the statement said. home,” the dicastery’s statement anniversary of Pope Francis’ not stopped the global climate crisis, tribute to shaping it,” said Mr Ot - T Among the events set to take said. and its effects were making it diffi - taro.—CNS encyclical on the environment with place throughout the year are “As Pope Francis reminds us,” it a year-long series of initiatives ded - prayer services and webinars dedi - said, “all of us can cooperate as in - icated to the safeguarding of and cated to environmental care, educa - struments of God for the care of cre - care for the Earth. tion and the economy. The ation, each according to his or her In a statement released by the dicastery also detailed the rollout of own culture, experience, involve - Australia entrusted to Mary Vatican, the Dicastery for Promot - a “seven-year journey towards inte - ments and talents.” ing Integral Human Development gral ecology” for families, dioceses, Recalling the fifth anniversary of ATHOLIC bishops in Australia and the Caribbean entrusted their announced a “Special Laudato Si’ schools, universities, hospitals, his encyclical after reciting the will entrust the country to the nations to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Anniversary Year” from May 24, businesses, farms and religious or - Regina Coeli prayer, Pope Francis Ccare of Mary, Help of Chris - On May 1, bishops in the US and 2020, to May 24, 2021, which will ders. expressed his hope that the message tians, on her feast day, May 24. Canada reconsecrated their nations emphasise “ecological conversion The Dicastery for Promoting In - of “ Laudato Si’ will encourage peo - Mary, Help of Christians has been to Mary. Other countries throughout in action”. tegral Human Development said ple to take upon themselves the the official patroness of Australia the world have done the same. As the world continues to deal that amid the current pandemic, shared responsibility of caring for since 1844. This year, her feast coin - In a message issued as “A word of with the coronavirus pandemic, the “Laudato Si’ can indeed provide the the Earth”. cides with the feast of the Ascension, dicastery said, the encyclical’s mes - moral and spiritual compass for the “In these times of pandemic, in so the bishops agreed the entrust - encouragement to the Catholic peo - sage is “just as prophetic today as it journey to create a more caring, fra - which we are more aware of the im - ment also could take place on May ple of Australia”, the bishops urged was in 2015”. ternal, peaceful and sustainable portance of caring for our common 25. the faithful to continue to adhere to “Truly, Covid-19 has made clear world”. home, I hope that all our common On March 11, Pope Francis en - government and medical advice and how deeply we are all intercon - “We have, in fact, a unique op - reflection and commitment will trusted the world and Italy to Mary said Catholic leaders were working nected and interdependent. As we portunity to transform the present help to create and strengthen con - during the pandemic. On Easter, with authorities on when and how begin to envision a post-Covid groaning and travail into the birth structive behaviours for the care of April 12, bishops of Latin America to reopen churches.—CNS world, we need above all an integral pangs of a new way of living to - creation,” the pope said. — approach as everything is closely in - gether, bonded together in love, CNS Priest: Zoom is a way to comfort suffering

BY LISE ALVES ries brought them comfort,” he added. HEN a family friend The priest said he sees this died in Spain, which type of “goodbye” as a real possi - Wwas on lockdown be - bility for the Amazon region, cause of Covid-19, Spanish priest since, according to the latest Father Luis Miguel Modino cele - worldwide reports, the pandemic brated the wake and connected is likely to last a while. [email protected] family members using Zoom. But Fr Modino lives in Man - “Not being able to say good - aus, Brazil. bye to a loved one holds the same sentiment as if someone He said that 20 people, quar - CASA SERENA antined in six different locations had disappeared in a river and The retirement home The video conferencing app the body had not been recovered. throughout Gijon, Spain, con - with the Italian flair. nected to the Mass. Zoom allowed family locked There are no goodbyes,” Fr “The woman who died was a down in different places to par - Modino said, trying to explain 7A Marais Road, friend of the family, so I offered ticipate in a wake. the feeling of people quaran - Bedfordview, Jhb. ony Wyllie & Co. relatives the possibility of saying by his side,” he added. tined. Provides full board T their goodbyes now, instead of Fr Modino said he sees video - “I think a video wake could Catholic Funeral Home and lodging, medical waiting for weeks until the re - conferencing as a new opportu - bring comfort at this very dis - strictions are lifted,” Fr Modino nity to render comfort, which tressing time,” he said, adding services and transport. Personal and Dignified said. “should always be one of the fun - that he has discussed the possi - Senior citizens wishing 24-hour service damental missions of all or - bility with a few other priests in “It was a celebration in which to retire in this beautiful 469 Voortrekker Rd, Maitland, Tel: 021 59 3 8820 everyone had the opportunity to dained ministers”. the archdiocese. pray; where there was the possi - “It is a temporary solution for “The forms are secondary, but Home, please phone 48 Main Rd, Muizenberg, Tel: 021 78 8 3728 bility to see, to participate, to these trying times,” he said, not - we must not forget that every - 011 284 2917 [email protected] thank God for the life of some - ing that the deceased woman’s thing that helps to comfort suf - www.casaserena.co.za one who left and together pray to daughter and son thanked him. fering, whether in the body or in [email protected] the God of mercy to receive her “I think sharing their memo - the soul, is of God.”—CNS Member of the NFDA 6 The Southern Cross, May 20 to May 26, 2020 LEADER PAGE LETTERS TO The Editor reserves the right to shorten or edit published letters. Letters below 300 words receive pref - THE EDITOR erence. Pseudonyms are acceptable only under special circumstances and at the Editor’s discretion. The SSoouutthheerrnnCCrroossss Name and address of the writer must be supplied. No anonymous letter will be considered. Editor: Günther Simmermacher Let us show our gratitude to God and our fellows O not many of us fall short in cleansed? Where are the other I think too of the lovely refrain to Dexpressing gratitude to Our nine? Has no one returned to give the hymn “For the Beauty of the Reopening churches Lord and our fellow men for our praise to God except this for - Earth”: “Christ our God, to thee we many blessings? eigner?” (Luke 17:16-19). raise this our sacrifice of praise.” Jesus experienced this, when What better words than those of Finally, a special thanks to the ATHOLICS are longing to systems of providing the faithful after healing ten lepers, only one re - the great psalmists, particularly Southern Cross editor and staff for be united again in the Mass with fair admission to Mass need and to receive the Eu - to be worked out. Such systems turned to give him thanks —and he David, as in: “Bless the Lord, O my keeping our paper going and worth - C was a Samaritan. soul: and all that is within me, bless while reading. charist. And so the voices for would have to take into account churches to be reopened will that not everybody has access to Jesus asked: “Were not all ten his holy name” (Psalm 103). Peter Onesta, Johannesburg grow louder as the stages of lock - digital means of communication. down decrease. The logistics have to be Indeed, the reopening of planned before the government laity to have a say in the election churches would be of great bene - greenlights the return to worship. Opinions expressed in The Southern Cross , especially in Letters to the Editor, of bishops has been omitted. fit to this newspaper and its staff, Even then, the manner in Laity is indeed do not necessarily reflect the views of the A most notable change is the all of whom are making great sac - which we celebrate Mass will not Editor or staff of the newspaper, or of the inclusion of the name of Jesus represented Catholic hierarchy. The letters page in par - rifices to keep our national be the same as it was before the AY I ask that we focus on the Christ and the mention of the Catholic weekly afloat, since the coronavirus pandemic. ticular is a forum in which readers may ex - Mtopic under debate, not on change opinions on matters of debate. Gospel. But there’s still nothing return of public Masses would Of course, it is nothing new the people engaging therein. Letters must not be understood to neces - about the magisterium, Church also restore our points of sales. that the Church takes extraordi - In that regard it was wrong of sarily reflect the teachings, disciplines or policies of the Church accurately. teaching or tradition as necessary Prudence and charity, how - nary measures during this time of me in my letter of April 29 to guiding principles in the formula - ever, mitigate against the reopen - pandemic, as our article on page Letters can be sent to PO Box 2372, point out that there were no black Cape Town 8000 or [email protected] tion of dogma and praxis. ing of churches for Mass just yet. 11 illustrates. So we will have to names among the leadership of We or faxed to 021 465-3850 I believe most bishops keep Firstly, all public gatherings adapt. Are All Church SA. fairly close to the people they that bring together random Some of the likely regulations The point I was making was of the Church; serve through the existing struc - groups of people represent a pub - were already in place during the that before demands are made to • A positive attitude toward sex - tures, and so far we are not hearing lic health risk. While there will short period of restrictions before be heard by those at the top, it uality, and a recognition of personal calls for the kinds of things that come a point when we will have lockdown. should be demonstrated that all conscience in decision-making; we are accused of not listening to. to live with that risk, we have not Holy water fonts will remain members of the Church are being • A message of joy and not con - The structures of consultation reached it yet. dry, the Sign of Peace will exclude equally engaged with. The refer - demnation, including dialogue, Secondly, as Archbishop the shaking of hands (or may be are certainly in place—from the ence to apartheid was simply to freedom of speech and thought. Parish Pastoral Council to the Dean - William Slattery points out in our omitted altogether), Communion point out this lacuna! No anathemas and no exclusion as frontpage article this week, char - on the tongue or from the chalice ery Pastoral Council to the Dioce - Secondly, there exist, I believe, a means of solving problems, espe - san Pastoral Council, not to ity demands that we have a per - will not be possible. in every diocese, structures of con - cially as this applies to theolo - sonal obligation to protect other The not universally loved prac - mention others like finance boards sultation which enable parish - gians.” people from the risk of infection. tice of holding hands during the or committees, or building commit - ioners to participate in the life and The current objectives of This applies especially to the eld - Lord’s Prayer will also be ruled out. tees, on which laity have a place. ministry of the Church. WAACSA as per its mission state - erly, who make up a big part of Radical directives might even Having stated the above, I Those structures are designed to ment are (I quote): our congregations but are also exclude congregational singing hereby respectfully give notice be representative of all members of • To promote open dialogue the category most at risk from because of the risk of errant fluids the diocese, and they meet regu - that I will be withdrawing from Covid-19 infection and its worst being spread through ill-fitting about contemporary theological this discussion as long as partici - larly at various levels leading up to and pastoral issues and concerns, consequences. facemasks. the Diocesan Pastoral Council, pants are not protected from per - especially those that arise from lay Nobody who advocates cau - Priests might also be in - which here in Durban meets twice sonal attack. perspectives; tion in the reopening of churches structed to wear facemasks, along a year. Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, • To support primacy of con - is happy to do so. This is counsel with the congregation. So there is in effect regular con - Durban science and the need for question - borne with a heavy heart. This would raise the question sultation between the laity, the re - ing and dialogue; And even when our churches of how the mandatory wearing of ligious, the clergy, and the bishop are eventually allowed to reopen, facemasks will be handled during and his consultors. • To promote a culture within the Mass will be subject to restric - the priest’s consecration of the Let that be the context against our Church communities which Take heart on tions. And these will require plan - Eucharist and the congregation’s which we engage in the matter in will enable women and men synodal Church ning. reception of Communion. hand. equally to play a more active part HANK you, Mervyn Pollitt, for The government will doubt - These logistics, too, must be in First, where WAACSA comes and take up appropriate leadership Tyour effort to let We Are All less impose limits on the number place before churches can re - from. roles in the Church’s mission; Church SA have more of a voice in of worshippers, reducing the per - open. And they will need to be The “Founding Principles” of • To promote a more inclusive KwaZulu-Natal (March 25). mitted capacity of churches to a clearly and openly communi - the International Movement We Church and help Church commu - Take heart for, as The Southern fraction of what they can hold. cated to the faithful, many of Are Church (IMWAC), the mother nities to become “a place for all”, Cross reported on March 18, the For parishes that have several whom will raise their objections. body to which WAACSA was affili - where people who feel margin - next synod of bishops, announced priests to celebrate multiple The bishops will need to take ated, are stated in the invitation alised for whatever reason might for October 2022, will be on the Masses a day, as well as the care that in their communication letter, which, I believe, was issued be welcomed and loved; synodal Church. human and material resources to they do better than some mem - before the launch of WAACSA. • To study the Gospel message In that report, Cindy Wooden of disinfect churches after every bers of government who issued “To join IMWAC, we must be to discern how to live it in our the Catholic News Service elaborated Mass, this may be no more than arbitrary directives without ex - willing to accept the five points of own times and contexts; on what this means, and WAACSA a major challenge. plaining why they thought these their ‘Manifesto of the People of • To continually deepen our has been calling for just that, syn - But in parishes served by a sin - were necessary (if, indeed, they God’, namely: own personal encounters with odality, for a long time already. gle priest, and perhaps less re - were necessary at all). • The building of a Church of Jesus Christ, in community with I know several people who have sourced to repeatedly disinfect The faithful, especially those brothers and sisters that recognises others. attended Mr Pollitt’s meetings in the churches, there will be a limit to of more critical mind, will have the equality of all the baptised, in - A careful reading of the above past, and I know about WAACSA un - the number of Masses that can be to invest trust in the directives is - cluding the inclusion of the People suggests that some principles re - fortunately being “squashed” in the offered. sued. Whatever they are, these re - of God in the election of bishops main much the same in substance. Durban archdiocese. Even if such parishes include strictions will not be a sign of in their local churches; The language has perhaps been As a joke I like to add: the CEO Communion services, the de - deficient faith, nor of ideological • Equal rights for men and toned down. For example, “equal of a medical scheme promised me, mand for places at Mass may out - design. They will be the result of women, including the admission rights for men and women, includ - in a dream, to provide the partici - strip the supply. people dealing with a situation of women to all Church ministries; ing admission to all Church min - pants from KwaZulu-Natal in the Before the reopening of none of us have dealt with before • Free choice of either a celibate istries” has been toned down to 2022 synod with free hearing aids. churches can even be considered, and nobody can predict. or married life for all those who “appropriate leadership roles”. Marie-Chantal Peeters, dedicate themselves to the service Further, the demand for the Pietermaritzburg

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Towards an income for all Mphuthumi HEAR everyone say, with much hope, benefits to recommend it, and it has had Ntabeni that the Covid-19 virus will change an impressive list of supporters, not least The Public Square Ihow the world operates. the Catholic Church. These supporters range from libertar - When I hear that, I keep quiet because they see as socialist freebies for the lazy. ian economists like Milton Friedman to I don’t want to seem pessimistic. But I be - So it was wonderfully surprising to civil rights campaigners such as Rev Mar - lieve that the selfish hegemony of capi - hear welfare-resistant countries like the tin Luther King Jr. talism in our economic affairs will make United States being among the first to It doesn’t take a genius to guess which it very difficult to make any real struc - offer $1200 to its unemployed adults cit - side St Thomas Aquinas would be on. In tural changes, as it always has. izens. his Summa Theologica , written from I doubt much will change, even Many countries have UBI in some 1265–74, he said: “Man ought to possess though, with 18th-century philosopher form or the other. These include nations external things, not as his own, but as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, I do believe that as diverse as Cyprus, France, Brazil, common, so that, to wit, he is ready to we’re innately good by nature. Canada, China, Kenya, Iran, and Saudi communicate them to others in their To paraphrase Thomas Hobbes, for Arabia. All range on an average of $1000 A man applies disinfectant in a US church ahead need.” many people, life in capitalist nature is (about R1 9 000). of the resumption of public Masses. (Photo: Rick nasty, brutal and short. I find that baf - This is basically where the Church Musacchio, Tennessee Register/CNS) takes her ideology of the universal desti - The less said about South Africa’s R350 fling, since our adopted Anglo-American unemployment grant the better, espe - financial systems are purportedly driven nation of things that says, yes, we hold property, but we should hold it as if it is cially when you consider that our UIF is by the theological (Protestant) work val - limited and serves less than 30% of our ues and ethics. But this is not the place not completely ours and dispense with it that way, too. unemployed at any given moment. nor time to argue that. Pope Francis, in his letter to popular Fr S’milo Mngadi Suffice to say, from where we are now A move towards income grants movements in April, got to nitty-gritty that we would serve the demand of “not of the challenges UBI is supposed to Point of Debate letting a crisis go to waste” best if history Currently we’re noticing that even countries that are normally opposed to tackle. looks back at our coronavirus era as a wa - “I know that you have been excluded tershed moment that ushered in and the idea of UBI are moving closer to it in practice. These are mostly strident propo - from the benefits of globalisation. You made standard the Universal Basic In - do not enjoy the superficial pleasures What next for come (UBI), or Basic Income Grant. nents of free-market economics which are generally vehemently opposed to what that anaesthetise so many consciences, After all, we look back at the murder - yet you always suffer from the harm they Church in pandemic ously brutal epochs of pandemics like the produce,” the pope said. Black Death and cholera as times that “The ills that afflict everyone hit you HE Church must have taken note of the ex - brought us better public hygiene by mak - twice as hard. Many of you live from day perts’ current position on the coronavirus ing plumbing and water reticulation stan - to day, without any type of legal guaran - pandemic, as encapsulated by Prof Shabir dard in human settlement. T tee to protect you. Street vendors, recy - Madhi of the Wits University’s vaccinology de - Of course, we still struggle to fulfil clers, carnies, small farmers, construction partment:: these demands for public hygiene facili - workers, dressmakers, the different kinds l About two-thirds of the South African popu - ties in informal areas, but we’re all agreed of caregivers: you who are informal, lation will be infected with Covid-19, and about that they must be standard everywhere. working on your own or in the grassroots a third will be symptomatic. Among these, about So, the UBI proposal is to give each economy, you have no steady income to 10% will need to be hospitalised while roughly adult member of the society minimal get you through this hard time—and the 5% (mainly, the elderly and other immune-chal - means to look after their basic life needs lockdowns are becoming unbearable. lenged persons) will die of the disease. through monthly cash, tax-funded trans - “This may be the time to consider a l This pandemic active lifespan will be about fers, with no strings attached. universal basic wage which would ac - three years. This provides them with the means to knowledge and dignify the noble, essen - l A vaccine will be first available no sooner participate in the economy, which they also A man searches through a dumpster in tial tasks you carry out. It would ensure than in six months, and it will reach the wider boost through creating demand for manu - Sidon, Lebanon. The Covid-19 pan - and concretely achieve the ideal, at once community much later for “wealth is health”. factured goods, produce and so on. demic is an opportunity to roll out Uni - so human and so Christian, of no worker l Lockdowns will not be sustainable for too Though seemingly utopian, if you look versal Basic Income around the world, without rights,” the pope said. long. The unemployment rate will skyrocket and into research and history you discover writes Mphuthumi Ntabeni. (Photo: Ali History will record our response to the health services like the immunisation of children that the proposal has an array of practical Hashisho, Reuters/CNS) conditions the Holy Father outlined. and the constant supply of chronic medication will be heavily compromised with multiple fatal ramifications. Cabin fever and instances of suicide, domestic violence, depression, among other effects, are al - Be a slave to sin or a disciple for good ready having adverse societal effects. l The best way to traverse this quagmire is HE Resurrection of Christ means through best-hygiene practices: social distancing, that I can no longer be a slave of sin. handwashing, surface-cleaning, constant screen - TIn dying Christ destroyed death— Lionel Fynn ing and PPEs. In brief, the solution lies in personal the final wages of sin. In rising he restored responsibility rather than enforcement and lock - down. life. Point of Reflection Yet the inclination to sin—concupis - Consequences for the Church cence, for example—remains. The Resur - rection gives me the power to fight this What does this mean for us, as the Church? temptation, day after day, and through the economy and industry. These give rise to Weeks ago, we prophetically “locked down” Holy Spirit within me, I find the courage pollution, global warming, ozone layer de - our churches following not just the government to know and pursue the good instead. pletion, acid rain, natural resources deple - regulations but the expert advice backing it. Thus the choice becomes basic: be a tion, overpopulation, waste disposal, Now that the expert advice has developed slave to sin or a disciple of good. deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and so on. from lockdown to personal responsibility, how A disciple is one who freely chooses to Unusually clear water is seen in the The gradual increase of these phenom - can we be prophetic? How can we, as a moral follow a master. In one way or another, the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, during the ena as a result of our economy and indus - compass, assist this new cause to “save lives and preserve livelihoods” through inculcating the master has convinced the disciple that his Covid-19 lockdown because of less pol - try can lead to a point in the future where value of personal responsibility in our people? way of life is worth living. the environment on planet Earth becomes lution.There is a challenge in that for Hitherto, the Church has been “on mainte - Should the disciple change his mind unlivable. us, argues Lionel Fynn. (Photo: Manuel nance mode” regarding Covid-19, and rightly so. and find the way of life of the master to be Al Jazeera journalist Nick Clark has Silvestri, Reuters/CNS) But is the next step now not “Divine Renovation: faulty, he can choose to stop following warned: “We will sleepwalk into another From Maintenance to Mission”, our fundamental him. Thereby the disciple retains his free global crisis more malevolent by far than lockdown brought is disastrous. ecclesial vocation, so well expressed by Fr James will. the coronavirus.” At the same time, the environmental Mallon? A slave is someone who is forced to restoration which this same lockdown The pause which the lockdown brings allows me to reflect on the reality that Is silent adherence to government regulations serve a master. He may not like the mas - brought is significant. prophetic while the health experts are giving a ter’s way of life, yet he has no choice but these phenomena can be reversed, that the A benefit of lockdown current status quo may be working against different counsel, frightening as that counsel to please the master, even against his own seems? will. He does not have the freedom to leave In China, the drop in airborne pollu - me in the long-run, and most importantly that I have the power to change it. Are we discerning new but genuine—faithful as long as his master has need of him. Thus tants has had a beneficial impact, with car - to Scripture and Tradition—ways of being Church Thus I am challenged to face an impor - the slave forfeits his free will. bon dioxide emissions dropping by 13,5% (for example, sacraments, worship, fellowship, tant question: once the lockdown is over, Christ’s Resurrection not only encour - in January/February. witness, ministry) while also strictly following the will I continue in the economy and indus - ages me but also gives me the power to That decrease made the air become a bit guidance of the health experts? constantly fight the inclination to sin, cleaner and the environment more try which is slowly killing the planet, or Is the model devised by the government and opening me up to the good spirit which friendly for both plants and animals. will I be brave enough to redefine myself Church of the hardest-hit Italy—the seat of our pri - moves within me. It gives me the grace to A good example can be seen in the two and become part of a new and promising mal see—not a pointer of what we could consider, find the good in everything, even my cur - giant pandas in Hong Kong zoo who re - world order? obviously with relevant contextual adaptations? rent situation of lockdown. cently successfully mated after 13 years. In other words: Am I a slave of the cur - The governments and the churches of our The blow to world economies and the The damage which our environment rent status quo or a disciple of a good world neighbours with whom we share the bishops’ reduction in industry which the forced faces is largely due to the human agency of order? conference—Botswana and Eswatini—have re - solved to permit public worship at various dates this month, with proper restrictions as advised by the health experts. Other countries, such as Burk - Frail/assisted care in shared or ina Faso, Senegal and Ghana, are doing the same (Agenzia Fides , May 13). single rooms. It is commendable that the South African Council of Churches (of which the SACBC is a Independent care in single/double member) is consulting and seeking counsel around these matters, as The Southern Cross re - rooms with en-suite bathrooms. ported last week. Retirement Home, Rates include meals, laundry and Indeed, ecumenical and interfaith effort is the Rivonia, way to go. Denominational and faith narcissism 24-hour nursing. can only be self-destructive for “a house divided Johannesburg in itself cannot stand” (Mark 3:25). Tel:011 803 1451 Day Care and short stay facilities n Fr S’milo Mngadi is a priest of the diocese of Mar - www.lourdeshouse.org also available. iannhill. i Extra for Subscriibers: The Southern Cross, May 20 to May 26, 2020 SHRINES The world’s Top 50 Marian shrines

47. Our Lady of Nourieh, Lebanon As we will see again in this series, Our Lady often takes GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER is counting care of those stricken at sea. This is also the root for the down the world’s Top 50 Marian shrines. This devotion at Our Lady of Nourieh (or Light) in Hamat, Lebanon. week, we visit places 50-37. Tradition has it that in the 4th century, two sailors in peril were praying to the Blessed Virgin for help when she ROUND the world there are countless shrines dedi - appeared to them in the form of a light, guiding them safely cated to Our Lady. Some of them have their roots in to the shore of Cape Theoprosopon in northern Lebanon. apparitions or reports of miracles, others draw crowds In gratitude, the sailors carved a cave into the cliff and A dedicated it to the Virgin, calling it Our Lady of Light. of pilgrims as places especially built to foster Marian devo - tion, such as the shrine in the archdiocese of Johannesburg A Greek Orthodox monastery was built there in the 17th doubtless will. century. This series of Top 50 Marian shrines (expanded from our An icon of the Theotokos (Mother of God) has been cred - previous series of 40 and featuring a new #1) includes ited with glowing with light to guide wayward ships. mainly the former category—apparitions and miracles—and ranks them in an approximate order of popularity and im - portance. To whittle down the hundreds of Marian shrines to just 50 means that worthy sites may be omitted to accommodate another worthy site. Making these choices is, by definition, a subjective exer - Our Lady of China in Dong Lu (Photo: Yuyencia) cise. As is, of course, ranking them in any order of impor - when 1 0 000 hostile soldiers attacked the Christian village tance and popularity, though the closer we come to the #1, of Dong Lu, in Hebei province. the more measurable the devotion to these shrines become. Just then, the Virgin Mary, dressed in white, appeared in It must be stressed that the apparitions mentioned in the sky. The soldiers shot their guns at the image in the sky, these articles are subjects of private devotion. No Catholic but it would not disappear. Then a vision of St Michael on is required to accept any of them as authentic or have a de - a flaming horse charged at the soldiers—who beat a hasty votion to them, even those that are approved by the Holy retreat, never to return. See as “worthy of belief”. In gratitude, the local priest, Fr Wu, commissioned a Some of them aren’t approved, most famously Medju - painting of the Madonna and Child, dressed in the clothes gorje, though a recent Vatican commission suggested that of the pagan empress. That image is now known as Our the initial apparitions could be accepted. Likewise, the ap - Lady, Queen of China. paritions of Garabandal in Spain have been explicitly re - Dong Lu’s new church became a place of pilgrimage in jected by the local bishop with the backing of the Vatican. 1924 while the bishops of the country consecrated the Chi - While we include Medjugorje in this series as a place that nese people to Our Lady. Notre-Dame-du-Cap (Photo: Saffron Blaze/www.mackenzie.co) enjoys some official tolerance, we exclude Garabandal and The church was destroyed by Japanese bombs in 1941 other places that have no Church acceptance. and rebuilt only in 1992. The image of Our Lady, Queen of 46. Notre-Dame-du-Cap, Canada Other shrines have not been approved by the Vatican yet, China returned to Dong Lu in 1995, with 3 0 000 witnessing but, unlike Medjugorje or Garabandal, the local bishops In the 1870s, Fr Luc Desilets of the parish of Cap-de-la- a solar miracle. Madeleine in Trois-Rivières in Canada’s Quebec region de - have permitted veneration. A year later the Chinese regime banned pilgrimages to This is the case with Ngome in KwaZulu-Natal, where cided to replace the old church, which had been built as a Dong Lu and confiscated the image. It still hasn’t been re - field church in 1720. Trouble was that, with the St Lawrence successive bishops of Eshowe have permitted and encour - turned. Hopefully the recent accord between China and the aged devotion to Our Lady through the visions of Sr River cutting off supply routes and bridges still scarce, it was Vatican will facilitate the return of the image—and pil - difficult to get building materials to the site. Reinolda May. grims—to Dong Lu. Some of the legends and reports of Marian apparitions That problem was solved when during the otherwise seem implausible, and some certainly are just that: myths. mild winter of 1879, an ice bridge formed over the river— Yet for others, there are no rational explanations. You, the just long enough to get all the materials on-site. This was reader, may decide what you feel is true and what isn’t. the answer to the parish’s fervent prayers to Our Lady, so Whatever views one might have of some or all Marian the ice bridge was attributed to her intervention. shrines, even when the source of the devotion may seem The new church was finished in 1888, but the older implausible, all of these places are sanctified by the sincere chapel—in which parishioners had prayed for her interces - prayers of the faithful. sion—was preserved. And that chapel became a site of pil - While most shrines featured are Catholic, a few Ortho - grimage. dox and Coptic sites will also be represented. In 1902, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate assumed A recurring theme is the Black Madonna. These are stat - guardianship of the shrine, installing a Way of the Rosary ues or icons in which the Blessed Virgin Mary is depicted with 15 stations representing one of the traditional myster - with dark skin, sometimes deliberately by way of incultur - ies. ating Our Lady, more often due to discolouration. There are The present basilica was inaugurated in 1964. The church up to 500 Black Madonnas in Europe alone! from 1988 was demolished a year earlier to create a plaza in These 50 descriptions of Marian shrines offer just thumb - front of what is now Canada’s national shrine to the Blessed nails of the various sites. Some shrines deserve to be inves - Virgin Mary. tigated further. If one shrine or the other grabs your attention, why not read up on them, on the Internet or in the library? So over the next five weeks, here are the world’s Top 50 Marian shrines.

Our Lady of Laus recreated at the spot of the apparition 48. Our Lady of Laus, France In 1664, the 17-year-old Benoîte Rencurel was praying the rosary while watching her sheep when she had an appari - tion of the 3rd-century French martyr St Maurice, warning her that covetous people were going to take her flock of sheep. So she should go to the nearby Valley of Kilns in the French Alps where she would find the Virgin Mary. And so it turned out. Over the course of four months, Mary repeatedly appeared to Benoîte, instructing her to have a chapel of Eucharistic adoration built in the local vil - lage of Laus, where the Virgin promised to appear often. And again, so it turned out to be, with Marian appari - tions in the church of Laus reported until 1718. It remained a place of pilgrimage; among the later pilgrims was Eugène Our Lady of Consolation at Lezajsk de Mazenod, founder of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The apparitions of Our Lady of Laus were finally recog - 45. Our Lady of Lezajsk, Poland nised by the Vatican in 2008. In 1578, a pious woodcutter named Thomas Michalek saw a bright light in the forest: it was the Virgin Mary who told him that she had chosen this particular spot in the south- east of Poland for the construction of a church. Notre-Dame d’Afrique in Algiers (Photo: Kie1193/wikipedia) Thomas was scared, and failed to heed the apparition’s request to alert the authorities to her request—with good 50. Notre-Dame d’Afrique, Algeria reason, as it would turn out. So the Virgin reappeared and repeated the request. This Few sites in this series will feature on the mere grounds that time Thomas obeyed—and was not believed. Indeed, the they are dedicated to Our Lady, but Notre-Dame d’Afrique— local priest took legal action against him. Our Lady of Africa—seems the right place to start our jour - After the death of the priest, his successor built a small ney, since it calls us to prayer for Africa, for Our Lady’s chapel on the site of the apparition, which soon attracted protection, and for peace between Christians and Muslims. pilgrims. In 1606 the local bishop built a larger church. The basilica, which overlooks the Bay of Algiers from a The devotion was approved in 1724. cliff, was inaugurated in 1872 by Archbishop (later Cardinal) Charles Lavigerie, who also founded the Society of Mission - 44. Kykkos Monastery, Cyprus aries of Africa. Originally founded in the 11th century in the mountains of Bombing in World War II blew out its 46 stained glass Cyprus, the Orthodox Kykkos Monastery has been repeat - windows, and an earthquake in 2003 did great damage to edly burnt down and rebuilt. the building, which was not repaired for several years. The centrepiece here is the miraculous icon of the Pana - gia, as the Orthodox call Our Lady, which legend says was 49. Our Lady of China, Dong Lu painted by St Luke himself—something which will be a re - The history of China’s national shrine goes back to the anti- curring theme in this series. foreign and anti-Christian Boxer Rebellion of 1899-1901, The icon came to Cyprus via Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, Our Lady of Nourieh SHRINES Extra for Subscribers: The Southern Cross, May 20 to May 26, 2020 ii

The edicule of Mary’s Tomb

41. Mary’s Tomb, Jerusalem Kykkos Monastery In the crypt of the fifth-century church of the Assumption, in thanksgiving for the miraculous healing of his daughter opposite the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, is the by the hermit Isaiah. The emperor also funded the construc - tomb of the Blessed Virgin, from where she was assumed tion of the monastery to house the icon. into heaven. The first president of the Republic of Cyprus, Archbishop The crypt is owned by the Greek Orthodox Church, Makarios III, served as a novice at the monastery in 1926. which shares it with the Armenian, Syriac, Coptic and When he hid there during Cyprus’ civil war in 1974, oppo - Ethiopian Churches—but not with the Catholic Church. Re - sition forces shelled the monastery, causing damage to the markably, Muslims, who revere Mary, are also represented. building. Mary’s tomb itself is housed in an edicule, or enclosed shrine. The pilgrim can touch the stone bench on which Mary’s body rested through holes in a wall. Many churches stood above the crypt and were de - stroyed, but none of the various Muslim rulers destroyed the crypt because it is the tomb of Maryam, mother of the prophet Isa. To reach the crypt, one descends the 47 broad steps of the remains of a Crusader church.

Our Lady of Piat its design. The church was dedicated on the feast of Mary’s Nativity, September 8, 547. The monastery, frequently remodelled over the centuries, was damaged by Muslim fundamentalists in the Syrian civil war. Before that, it was one of the most popular shrines in the Middle East. 38. Our Lady of Piat, Philippines The 16th-century Catholic image of Our Lady in Piat, in the Cagayan province of the Philippines, has been credited with a series of miracles, including the healing of mortally ill and Church of Our Lady of Šiluva psychiatrically tormented people, guiding a ship in distress to safety, giving relief in times of flood and drought, and— 43. Our Lady of Šiluva, Lithuania spectacularly—saving a man from the jaws of a crocodile. In 1608, a group of children in Lithuania was tending sheep The image of Our Lady of Piat was brought to the Philip - when suddenly they saw a beautiful lady holding a baby. pines from Macau in 1604. The number of favours gained She was weeping at the exact place where a Catholic church after prayers before it was so large that the icon soon at - had previously stood. The next day the children brought tracted a zealous following. To this day, pilgrims come in their thousands to pray at some adults to the spot. They all saw the lady as well, even Our Lady of Banneux (Photo: Julien Warnand, EPA/CNS) the Calvinist minister. the minor basilica of Our Lady of Piat. A new church was built over the old one which the lady had wept over, and that church was soon replaced by a big - 40. Our Lady of Banneux, Belgium ger one to accommodate all the pilgrims who came. In 1933, the Virgin Mary reportedly appeared eight times to Pilgrims kiss the rock on which the Virgin wept, beneath 12-year-old Mariette Beco at Banneux, near Liège in Bel - the altar of a chapel in the basilica of the Nativity of Mary. gium. Declaring herself the “Virgin of the Poor”, the “lady Our Lady of Šiluva is the patroness of lapsed Catholics in white” told the girl: “I come to relieve suffering. Believe and of those who pray for them. in me and I will believe in you.” Although Mariette received a lot of ridicule, her visions also attracted veneration, with a chapel built the same year. The small spring which the Virgin said was miraculous now attracts pilgrims looking for healing. In 1949 Pope Pius XII approved the apparition. Mariette lived a long life, dying at the age of 90 in 2011, having withdrawn from public life soon after the appari - tions. “I was no more than a postman who delivers the mail. Once this has been done, the postman is of no importance anymore,” she said in 2008.

Ta’ Pinu church in Gozo (Photo: Mojpe/Wikipedia)

37. Ta’ Pinu, Malta In 1575 a representative of the pope turned up on Gozo Is - land, which is part of Malta, and ordered the demolition of The destroyed church of La Vang several run-down churches. One of those was the chapel of the Gentile, named after 42. Our Lady of La Vang, Vietnam a local family. But as a worker was about to deliver the first In 1798, Vietnamese Emperor Canh Thinh attempted to blow in the demolition, he broke his arm. That was seen as suppress Catholicism, forcing the faithful to go into hiding a sign that the chapel must be retained. in the jungle. Two decades later the church was renamed the church of While in hiding, the community gathered every night at Ta’ Pinu (meaning, of Philip). It was rebuilt in the 1610s. a tree to pray the rosary. One night, Our Lady appeared to Fast forward to 1883, when a peasant woman named them in the branches, wearing traditional Vietnamese dress Karmni Grima heard a female voice coming from the Ta’ and holding a child in her arms, with two angels beside her. Pinu chapel, calling her to enter. Inside she was asked to say She offered comfort and told them to boil leaves from the three Hail Marys. trees to cure illness. For two years Grima kept this encounter secret. When In 1802 the Catholics returned to their villages, passing Our Lady of Saidnaya (Photo: Bernard Gagnon/Wikipedia) she told her friend Francesco Portelli about it, he confirmed that he too had heard that female voice at around the same on the story of the apparition. The story spread and many 39. Our Lady of Saidnaya Monastery, Syria people came to pray at the site, called La Vang. time, telling him to honour the “Wound of Christ”. Portelli In 1820, a chapel was built but it was destroyed in the Our Lady of Saidnaya, a Greek-Orthodox monastery, about too had kept the encounter secret. 1830-85 persecutions. In 1886 construction of a new chapel 27km from Damascus, is one of the oldest monasteries in Shortly after that conversation, Grima’s mother was began; it was consecrated to Our Lady Help of Christians in the world, believed to have been founded by Byzantine em - miraculously healed after praying for the intercession of the 1901. peror Justinian I in 547 AD. With its icon of Mary attributed “Madonna ta’ Pinu”. La Vang became Vietnam’s national Marian shrine in to St Luke (a recurring theme in this series), it is an impor - Pilgrimages to the chapel began very soon after. Eventu - 1961, but was destroyed in 1972 during the last years of the tant pilgrimage site for both Christians and Muslims. ally, in 1922, the old church was demolished to make way Vietnam war. According to tradition, the monastery was built by the for a more suitable church, which was completed in 1932. Although not officially recognised by the Vatican, Pope Byzantine emperor Justinian I after he had two visions of Pope John Paul II visited it in 1990; Benedict XVI in 2010. John Paul II recognised the importance of Our Lady of La Vang Mary. One indicated the site of the church the Blessed Vir - n More great Marian shrines in next week’s Southern Cross sub - in 1998, and expressed his desire that the shrine be rebuilt. gin asked to be built, the other gave instructions regarding scribers’ supplement. 8 The Southern Cross, May 20 to May 26, 2020 MINISTRY Caring for seafarers in corona times

The Covid-19 restrictions have also limited the work of the Apostleship of the Sea, which provides pastoral care to seafarers. But its port chaplains remain committed to their ministry, as GREG WATTS reports.

HE global Covid-19 crisis has meant that in South Africa, TStella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea) port chaplains are not being allowed to visit ships. “At the moment we are not able to get access to any of the ports as Nicholas Barends, national director of the Apostleship of the Sea. our work is deemed ‘non-essen - tial’,” said Nicholas Barends, the with some of them who are on the “From the moment the lock - charity’s national director and a dock,” he explained. down started in South Africa, no port chaplain in Cape Town. “Every day I send messages to chaplains were allowed to enter “The Mission to Seafarers in them, asking how they are, giving the port. Even the mission has Cape Town’s harbour has been them updates of what is going on been closed until the lockdown is closed since the last week of here in Cape Town, and asking lifted.” Fr Herman Giraldo, port chaplain in Durban, whose mission is closed March, and we do not have any ac - them to be careful and stay safe.” under lockdown. cess to seafarers at the moment,” Fr Talisic has been providing Helping seafarers he said. fishers with data and simcards. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the time of writing, has recorded and go out only once or twice a “I was told that the seafarers are “With the communication I Stella Maris port chaplains would just 11 Covid-19 cases and no day. But seafarers can’t even do not being allowed shore leave and have with them, I learned there is be offering a range of practical deaths—said a number of vessels that. It’s very tough for them,” the only authorised port officials are nothing to worry about—except help and pastoral care to seafarers, have been placed in quarantine. priest said. allowed entry on board vessels,” that many of them have no more such as providing warm clothing, “In the Seychelles the situation “I know of a number of seafarers Mr Barends explained. cellphone data to continue their arranging transport to local shops, is bad for the seafarers and their who are in isolation on a ship. We Fellow Cape Town port chap - communication with family and or lending a listening ear to a sea - families, and even the community, are working with shipping compa - lain Fr Rico Talisic commented on friends, and to have access to the farer experiencing personal prob - due to lockdown imposed by the nies to help them communicate the situation of ministry to fishers. outside world beyond the port.” lems or concerns about pay and government and the health de - with their families back home.” “At this moment of national In Durban it’s a similar story, conditions on board ship. partment,” Alfred Napier said. The Covid-19 pandemic is lockdown, there is no way of visit - said port chaplain Fr Herman Gi - Elsewhere, the Stella Maris port “The semi-industrial fishers likely to have a huge impact on ing the fishers. But I have contact raldo. chaplain in Seychelles—which, at cannot go on with their activities the mental health of some seafar - to provide fish to the community ers, he suggested. and for exports.” “Seafaring life is generally very The Philippines accounts for isolating. But when you know you approximately a third of the have family back home that are world’s 1,5 million seafarers. fighting the virus, that’s very stress - Manila port chaplain and Stella ful on seafarers. They are so far Maris regional coordinator Fr away and can do nothing,” Fr Paulo Prigol and his Lavers said. team are accommodat - “In some cases, family ing 120 seafarers in three or friends have died from seafarers’ centres during We are not the virus. The seafarers feel lockdown, providing helpless. They can’t leave them with daily meals. able to get work. Sometimes they The centres, which access to any have to work longer than are cleaned daily with their established contract, disinfectant, each have a of the ports as because they can’t get gym, cable TV, and a home,” he noted. good Internet service our work is “And families back with free WiFi. deemed ‘non home get stressed when “As of now, food sup - they hear a seafarer is in ply is available and we essential’ quarantine or in hospi - are allowed to go to the tal. This is a very stressful supermarket once or twice a week time for seafarers,” Fr Lavers only. The local government units added. have issued identification cards for “You also have seafarers at each centre,” Fr Prigol said. home who can’t go to work to He added that in the local cul - earn money for their families. If ture, a seafarer’s family is perceived seafaring is your life and only as being “well-off”. Consequently means of income, it’s a very diffi - it is widely thought that there is cult situation.” no need to help them. Martin Foley, European re - “But this is not true, because gional coordinator and chief exec - the family breadwinner is no utive officer of Stella Maris in longer able to provide for them,” Britain, said that despite the re - the priest explained. strictions placed on the ministry’s’ “It is often said that seafarers are activities by the Covid-19 pan - ‘one-day millionaires’. This crisis is demic, “Stella Maris chaplains all proving how true it is. They are left around the world remain active, without a basic source of income finding ever-more creative ways to and the little savings they have are support seafarers, fishers and their going to be depleted very soon.” families”. “We will remain here for them Hard on seafarers as the world emerges from the In Britain, Southampton port pandemic and the true impact is chaplain Fr John Lavers said that felt,” Mr Foley said. lockdown can be especially hard “The world may have changed for ship crews. forever but our commitment to “If you’re a seafarer, you work service remains unchanged.” on a ship for months at a time. But n For more information on the Apos - now you can’t get off it. People say tleship of the Sea in South Africa, see it’s hard having to stay indoors www.apostleshipofthesea.org.za

1 Plein Street, Sidwell, Port Elizabeth ISSUES The Southern Cross, May 20 to May 26, 2020 9 Pope on fake news: Don’t fall for lies

On May 24, the global Church observes World Communications Day. This year, Pope Francis urges us to be wise to destructive fake news and gossip, and rather tell constructive St Dominic’s in Boksburg held a Zoom assembly to announce the stories that nourish life. 2020 prefects in the primary school. Grade 7 girls were asked to join the announcement in their school uniforms. ITH fake news becoming ever-more sophisticated, Wpeople need the wisdom, courage and patience to discern and embrace constructive stories, Lessons learned in Pope Francis urges us. “We need stories that reveal who we truly are, also in the un - told heroism of everyday life,” the Holy Father says in his message for lockdown limbo Pope Francis greets journalists after the final session of the Synod of World Communications Day Bishops for the Amazon at the Vatican last October. In his message I started being interested in biology 2020. in Grade 5 when we were talking World Communications Day for World Communications Day on May 24, the pope has called on the Lockdown forced schools about human evolution and how will be celebrated on May 24 at faithful to reject destructive fake news and gossip and look instead for with the means to do so to there was one type of ape that did the Vatican and throughout the constructive stories. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS) switch to remote learning. evolve to be a human and another world—albeit in most places that did not. under conditions of restrictions. with false promises and uses the the human heart and its beauty, As the local Church marks “If there is any chance, I cer - The message for 2020 is based power of storytelling “for pur - the Holy Spirit is free to write in Catholic Schools Week, tainly would like to learn more on the theme, “‘That you may tell poses of exploitation”. our hearts, reviving our memory your children and grandchildren’: MARK POTTERTON sees about biology when school comes “How many stories serve to lull of what we are in God’s eyes”. back.” Life becomes history.” us, convincing us that to be happy “When we remember the love promise for the future in that. The passage, drawn from the we continually need to gain, pos - that created and saved us, when Successes and challenges Book of Exodus, highlights the im - sess and consume. We may not we make love a part of our daily portance of sharing “knowledge of S soon as it became clear that We noted that the take-up of all even realise how greedy we have stories, when we weave the tapes - the Lord” and meaningful memo - the Covid-19 pandemic the activities offered was not con - become for chatter and gossip, or try of our days with mercy, we are ries, stories and experiences, so would impact on schooling, sistent in the senior primary how much violence and falsehood turning another page,” Pope Fran - A school. Not all the students en - that they may transform people’s we at Sacred Heart College in Jo - we are consuming,” Pope Francis cis advises. lives, Pope Francis says. hannesburg began talking about gaged with all the activities. says. “We no longer remain tied to Jesus, who is “the quintessen - how we would continue school Another big challenge for us is “Instead of constructive stories, regrets and sadness, bound to an tial storyteller—the Word”, spoke using the online platforms available that some of the parents are essen - which serve to strengthen social unhealthy memory that burdens of God “not with abstract con - to us. tial workers and have not been able ties and the cultural fabric,” he our hearts.” cepts, but with parables, brief sto - In the high school and in Grade to be at home with their children. says, “we find destructive and With God, “we can reweave the ries taken from everyday life” so 6, the teachers were familiar with This means that they’ve had to en - provocative stories that wear down fabric of life, mending its rips and that “the story becomes Google Classroom, so that’s the gage with their children after work - and break the fragile tears”, and realise that “no one is part of the life of those technology they went with. ing hours. threads binding us to - an extra on the world stage, and who listen to it, and it In the preschool they had used Another challenge was that not gether as a society.” everyone’s story is open to possi - changes them”, the a platform called Seesaw. In the everyone had enough airtime and When Such stories piece ble change”, the pope says. Holy Father explains in end the preschool mainly used bandwidth for WiFi at home. This together scraps of “un - “Even when we tell of evil, we his message. falsification is WhatsApp—and did so very cre - was an obstacle particularly where verified information” can learn to leave room for re - “God has become atively, sending videos and photos our material was data-dense. increasingly and repeat “banal and demption; in the midst of evil, we personally woven into of what children were doing. Some teachers noted that it was deceptively persuasive can also recognise the working of our humanity, and so In the primary school, study- hard to “stop working”, as they sophisticated, arguments”, sending goodness and give it space.” packs and workbooks were sent were engaging with children and has given us a new way we need the out “strident and hate - The pope encourages people to home and teachers made use of e- their parents most of the day. Some of weaving our stories,” ful messages” which ask Mary to “teach us to recognise mail and WhatsApp. teachers were even contacted long he says. wisdom to serve only to strip oth - the good thread that runs through We decided from the start that after the normal working hours. “Stories influence our ers of their dignity, the history” and to loosen “the tan - we would make it personal and in - Another teacher said: “This has lives, whether in the welcome pope notes. gled knots in our life that paralyse clude weekly phone calls to the par - been a wonderful experience; I have form of fairytales, nov - At a time “when fal - our memory”. ents. learnt so much and I have done els, films, songs, news— beautiful and sification is increas - He prays that she will inspire Engagement with parents on a what I thought I never would do.” even if we do not always true stories ingly sophisticated, trust in people and “help us build popular platform like WhatsApp She went on to say: “I really do realise it.” People often reaching exponential stories of peace, stories that point was very effective. It was easy and worry about my children who decide “what is right or levels—as in deep to the future. And show us the familiar. struggle in class though, I am not wrong based on characters and fake—we need wisdom to be able way to live them together.” In reviewing our programme one sure that this is the best way for stories we have made our own”. to welcome and create beautiful, teacher said: “I really got to know them to learn.” So many stories throughout true and good stories,” Pope Fran - Prayers for journalists our parents and our families. We So, while we were going full- history share a common thread in cis says. Earlier this month, Pope Fran - have become so close.” steam on our digital approach in which heroes, including everyday “We need courage to reject cis offered his early morning Mass A parent gave this feedback: the main school, our Three2Six heroes, follow a dream and “con - false and evil stories. We need pa - for journalists and members of “Thank you for handling the class’ Refugee Support Project wasn’t that front difficult situations and com - tience and discernment to redis - the media who, despite the risks, transition to online study so effec - lucky. bat evil, driven by a force that cover stories that help us not to work tirelessly to inform the pub - tively. What could have easily been The project serves out-of-school makes them courageous—the lose the thread amid today’s many lic of the ongoing pandemic. ‘remote’ schooling was a very con - refugee children on three campuses, force of love”, Pope Francis says. troubles. We need stories that re - “Let us pray today for the men nected and vibrant experience for and doesn’t have the same access to These kinds of stories can give veal who we truly are, also in the and women who work in the Tim.” technology. people both the example and rea - untold heroism of everyday life.” communications media,” the The teachers took up the chal - This speaks loudly to the digital sons “to heroically face the chal - pope said on May 6 at the start of lenge to go online with enthusiasm. divide in our country and how chil - lenges of life”, to grow, be Find the good news his livestreamed Mass in the Some of them made use YouTube dren with little access to technology enriched and to discover them - A good story stands the test of chapel of his residence, the videos to enhance the students’ don’t benefit. selves better. time, too, because it nourishes Domus Sanctae Marthae. learning experience, while others On the positive side, our and renews life. “In this time of pandemic, they convened groups on Google meet. Three2Six teachers did send mes - Stories of false promises The Scriptures and the stories take many risks and there is much sages and some work home—but However, the pope warns, “our of the saints are just some of work. May the Lord help them in A student’s feedback this was limited. story has been threatened” by the those good stories, the pope says. their work of always transmitting One primary school student had We also did a radio broadcast on temptation of evil that entices As they always “shed light on the truth,” he said.—CNS this to say about what he was learn - Radio Veritas. ing: “I am finding that learning and Another challenge was ensuring working with schoolwork at home that the food programme we of - is completely different to what it fered in Three2Six continued dur - ing these tough times. We were was at first glance. The outhern ross “I find it a big change to be fortunate to get food vouchers to SSouthern CCross working with technology through - families. out the entire day and seeing my Providing high-quality online re - Engage with us online classmates’ written down state - sources to the entire Catholic edu - ments and questions that are asking cation network does hold some and answering things related to promise. If we share what well-re - facebook.com/thescross school, yet I’m not actually seeing sourced schools have and pool them in front of me.” these resources, we’ll have the The remote-learning experience power to create a truly powerful twitter.com/ScrossZA gave this student better insight into learning platform that all Catholic his own interests: “I am particularly schools could benefit from. instagram.com/thesoutherncross_ interested in biology and would cer - n Mark Potterton is primary school tainly like to learn more about that. principal at Sacred Heart College. www.scross.co.za 10 The Southern cross, May 20 to May 26, 2020 PILGRIMAGE A visit to Jesus’ hometown

This week we begin a virtual pilgrimage to the Holy Land, guided by GüNTHer SiMMerMAcHer and based on his book The Holy Land Trek . In the first part, we visit Nazareth, the place where the story of the Lord’s Incarnation begins.

AZARETH is where the story of salvation begins, From left: The facade of the basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth • A stained-glass window in the crypt of St Joseph’s church depicts the Nby way of young Mary’s marriage of Mary and Joseph • The wellhouse in Nazareth where the town’s only well was located. Inset in text: A relief of St Joseph and the submission to God’s will that she child Jesus, displayed in Nazareth. (All photos: Günther Simmermacher) bear the Messiah: “Let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). his ABC”, and the bench in the with tapestry hangings, silver metaphor for the small role which of the notorious Herod and One can imagine the scene in synagogue on which Jesus had lamps, and oil paintings. A spot St Joseph plays in the narrative of tetrarch of the Galilee in Jesus’ many ways. No doubt the girl was supposedly sat. marked by a cross, in the marble the Holy Family. time (we know him from the Pas - scared; angelic apparitions were “Christians can lift the bench floor, under the altar, was exhib - For all the Gospels tell us of St sion account, and as the man who exceedingly rare even then, and and move it about,” he reported, ited as the place made forever holy Joseph, he might as well have been ordered the execution of John the the Archangel Gabriel’s request adding with anti-Semitic glee that by the feet of the Virgin when she mute; there is no quote attributed Baptist). was, mildly put, quite peculiar. “the Jews are completely unable to stood up to receive the message of to him at all. Despite its Hellenic culture, Mary must have pondered the move it, and cannot drag it out - the angel. So simple, so unpre - Of course, Joseph was the head Sepphoris probably was an obser - unreality of it all, and then the side”. tending a locality, to be the scene of the family, and custom required vant Jewish city, as suggested by profound consequences of From that we learn that our of so mighty an event!” that his wife and children, even a the absence of pig bones in exca - Gabriel’s proposal: being an un - friend from Piacenza was a racon - By 1955 the church was in a budding Redeemer, would defer to vated rubbish dumps from the first married but betrothed teenage girl teur of the politically incorrect poor condition. It was demolished him. century and the profusion of with child was not going to earn school, but not whether there was to allow for the construction of the He surely was a loving father, stoneware, which Jews tended to her a good reputation at a time a church at the site of the Annun - present church, a magnificent two- and he taught Jesus his craft. prefer over pottery for reasons of when adultery was a capital of - ciation. storey structure which was fin - With Mary, the pious Joseph in - ritual purity. fence. And yet, something per - The more sober seventh-cen - ished in 1969, five years after structed Jesus in the Jewish pre - Many historians believe that suaded her. tury pilgrim Arculf reported hav - being dedicated by Pope Paul VI cepts and practices. Joseph and Jesus did much of their Mary wasn’t the simple country ing seen two large churches in during his January 1964 pilgrim - In Mary’s time, there was only work in Sepphoris, which they girl many imagine her to be. Her Nazareth. age to the Holy Land. one source of water in the little probably knew as Autocratoris, the Its design is intended to evoke hamlet of Nazareth. Located some name Herod Antipas had come up cousin, Elizabeth, was married to a A series of churches priest, and to her Mary would re - the Aramaic meaning of the name 400m from Mary’s grotto, the vil - with for the city. cite the theologically sophisticated When the Crusaders conquered Nazareth: watchtower. It can be lage’s women would come to the In fact, some scholars speculate Magnificat: the Holy Land in 1099, they saw described as two churches within well several times a day to draw that Jesus might even have seen “He has come to the help of his the construction of a church on one: the modern upper level, water for various household pur - theatre productions in the city, servant Israel, for he has remem - the site of the Annunciation as through which light filters poses. and that this influenced him. bered his promise of mercy, the a priority. from the 40m-high If necessary, they would take For example, when Jesus ad - promise he made to our fathers, to By 1106 there was cupola, is the their children with them, or send monishes the Pharisees with the Abraham and his children for a church, which parish church them to fetch water. words, “Do not imitate the hyp - ever.” the pilgrim for the local Today this is commemorated at ocrites” (Mt 6:5), he uses a con - These are not the words of a Daniel of Kiev Catholics, the Greek Orthodox St Gabriel’s temporary term for actors. described as mostly church, built in 1781 over the naive child. Not carpenters We don’t know much about “a large, Palestini - ruins of a Crusader church, in the Mary’s parents, Anne and Joachim, high church ans. crypt of which one can draw water The image of Joseph and Jesus but they probably were urban with three The from the spring of the well, albeit as carpenters may be based on a dwellers originally from Jerusalem, altars”. crypt through a standard tap. cultural mistranslation: the Greek where tradition holds Mary was That level in - The nearby wellhouse marks text of the Gospels refers to Jesus born, at a time when Jews were church cludes the spot of the actual well—the as a tekton , which can be translated well-versed in theology. So God was even the place where Mary and Jesus actu - broadly as a craftsman or builder, chose Mary precisely because she larger than grotto ally stood. but not directly as “carpenter”. was bright. How could she not be the present and the In Nazareth we may treat the Nazareth is and was not blessed if she was going to be entrusted basilica. An remains identification of holy sites with a with an abundance of trees. Build - with raising the Son of God? earthquake of the measure of confidence. The town ings in the village and in Seppho - And as a smart girl she would destroyed it Byzantine has had an unbroken Christian ris were mostly made of stone. Not have questioned and deliberated in 1170. In and Crusader presence since the beginning of so in Europe, where forests were before giving her assent. Her “Yes” quick time, the churches; that Christianity. Surely in Jesus’ home - abundant and most houses were to God was an informed act of Crusaders built a altar is usually town, of all places, it would have made of wood. faith, investing a trust in God new and even bigger used for Mass by pil - been impossible to assign the loca - So in the experience of the Eu - which we are called to imitate church. grims. tion of holy sites randomly or er - ropean translators of the New Tes - every day. After the Muslim reconquest of The Annunciation is pictured roneously. tament, a builder worked with And this we celebrate in 1187 the church fell into gradual in dozens of mosaics from differ - Even if we choose to exercise wood, and so the tekton in the Nazareth’s basilica of the Annunci - neglect. Initially, the Christians ent countries along the walls of scepticism about such things, we Greek Gospel texts became a car - ation. were allowed to remain in the the church’s courtyard, including can definitively locate the histori - penter. church, but by 1363 the monks one from the Vatican featuring cal Jesus at the well, simply be - Whatever his occupation was, The home of Mary were expelled. Pope Paul VI administering a papal cause it was the town’s only source Jesus worked as an artisan before Behind the modern church’s For many generations it was too blessing. of water at the time. embarking on his public ministry. But before we come to the lower-level altar is the grotto dangerous for pilgrims to come to Opposite a side entrance is the The big neighbour which tradition identifies as the Nazareth. When the Franciscans South African mosaic, flanked by places of Jesus’ ministry, we must dwelling place of Mary. were allowed to buy back the those from Guatemala and Viet - Nazareth probably was also a go south to Judaea, as Mary did When the pilgrim Egeria visited church and to settle in Nazareth in nam. Featuring a protea, it was fi - source of labour for the projects in after that strange visit by the Nazareth in about 380 AD, she saw 1620, the church was wrecked. nanced by the late Fr Fergus the neighbouring Greco-Roman angel. And we’ll follow her to the no church; she was shown only “a The Franciscans built a new Barrett OFM, and brought to metropolis of Sepphoris, a build - home of her cousin Elizabeth next big and very splendid cave”. church in 1730. It was that struc - Nazareth by tour operator Val ing project of Herod Antipas, son week. It is unclear when the first ture which the US author Mark Tangney (her adventure is re - church was built over the grotto. Twain visited during his journey to counted in The Holy Land Trek ). In 570, the Piacenza Pilgrim re - the Holy Land in 1867. In his very ported in his travelogue that a funny and occasionally teasingly St Joseph in Nazareth church in the town displayed Our irreverent travelogue The Innocents Adjacent to the church of the Lady’s clothes, which “are a cause Abroad he wrote: Annunciation is St Joseph’s of frequent miracles”. “We went down a flight of 15 church, built in 1914. He also claimed to have seen steps below the ground level, and It is a modest but endearing “the book in which the Lord wrote stood in a small chapel tricked out church, and so serves as a

576 AM in Gauteng DStv Audio 870 Would you like to have or livestreaming from a parish pilgrimage? www.radioveritas.co.za English Mass weekdays at 12:00 Let us arrange your spiritual journey as after the Angelus & Sunday at 11am. a community to the Holy Land, Rome, Sesotho Mass on Sunday at 9am Lourdes, Fatima, Medjugorje etc Zulu Mass at 6pm Contact Gail at 076 35 2 3809 [email protected] a Pilgrims pray in front of the grotto where the angel appeared to Mary— WhatsApp your prayer requests to 066 473-8303 www.fowlertours.co.za the place where the first two lines of the Hail Mary originated—in the [email protected] lower basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth. The Southern Cross, May 20 to May 26, 2020 11

Church’s pandemic creativity YOUR CLASSIFIEDS Please include payment (R2.00 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication. BY CAROL GLATZ a flat spoon, and a fistula or straw- like tube for consecrated wine. Lovingly remembered by let not my trust be con - HE Catholic Church’s ac - Vinegar or a candle flame was used DEATHS your sister Catherine founded. God has granted ceptance of a ban on gath - to disinfect the utensils and the O’CONNOR —Virginia. (Cathy) and children. you the privilege of aiding Tering for public worship minister’s fingers. Passed away peacefully on mankind in the most des - and following other painful perate cases. Come to my The biggest mistakes commu - May 6. Sincere condo - PRAYERS Covid-19 restrictions reflects its nities made, Mr Rapetti Arrigoni lences to her husband aid that I may praise the mercy of God. All my life I long-held understanding that said, were minimising the seri - Patrick (former director of MIRACULOUS PRAYER faith, service and science are not will be grateful to you and ousness of the disease when cases The Southern Cross ), son TO THE HOLY SPIRIT : at war with one another. Fr Hugh O’Connor and will be your faithful devotee first emerged, and inaction or a Holy Spirit, you who makes The Church has centuries of ex - family. From the board of me see everything and until I can thank you in poor response by authorities. perience with the do’s and don’ts directors, editor and staff of shows me the way to reach heaven. Amen. In return I There were also big risks in re - during a pandemic —and has The Southern Cross . my ideal, you who gives me promised to make your often been at the forefront of en - laxing restrictions too quickly, he the divine gift to forgive and name known and publish said, as in the Grand Duchy of this prayer. Amen. CL. dorsing public health measures. IN MEMORIAM forget all the wrong that is One of the most important The Porta Angelica, a gate near Tuscany when it was hit by the done to me, and you who early sets of public health guide - the Vatican that was demolished plague in 1630. POTHIER —Bernard. Gone are in all instances of my PERSONAL but not forgotten, still so lines for quarantine was published in 1888, is pictured in Cardinal Public officials’ plan for a “soft” life with me. I, in this short badly missed. Remem - dialogue, want to thank you ABORTION WARNING: by Cardinal Girolamo Gastaldi in Girolamo Gastaldi’s 1684 man - quarantine wasn’t implemented The truth will convict a bered with great love by for everything, and affirm ual with guidelines for respond - until January 1631 —more than a silent Church. See www. 1684. His nearly 1 000-page folio Margaret, Mike and Siob - once more that I never became “the principal manual for ing to a plague. (Photo: Yale year after the first signs of disease valuelifeabortionisevil.co.za were seen in 1629. Also, numer - hain, Nicholas and Heide, want to be separated from plague response”, wrote Anthony Law School/CNS) Rosanne and Tiernan, his you no matter how great ABORTION WARNING: Majanlahti, a Canadian historian tices, journalist and writer Marco ous people were exempt from six grandchildren and ex - The Pill can abort. All quarantine, particularly mer - the material desires may and author. Rapetti Arrigoni said. tended family. May he be. I want to be with you Catholic users (married or The manual’s “counsel seems chants and other professionals, watch over The Southern and my loved ones in your cohabiting) must be told, to very familiar in today’s Rome: e noted that in Milan during to prevent the powerful Floren - Cross , the paper he loved, perpetual glory. To that end save their souls and their Protect the gates; maintain quar - Hthe plague of 1576-77, St tine economy from collapsing. and intercede for all those and submitting to God's unborn infants. See www. antine; keep watch over your Charles Borromeo had votive The plan resulted in the epi - suffering because of the holy will, I ask from you epm.org/static/uploads/ people. Also, close sites of popu - columns and altars built at cross - demic lasting another two years, coronavirus pandemic. (mention favour). Amen. downloads/bcpill.pdf lar aggregation, from taverns to roads so quarantined residents Mr Rapetti Arrigoni said. POTHIER —Bernard. Died churches,” Mr Majanlahti wrote could venerate the cross atop the Even today, the Catholic May 24, 2011. Nine years NOVENA TO ST JUDE HOLIDAY Church and other religions have THADDEUS : Glorious in an online essay last month. column and participate in eu - later still missed and fondly Apostle, St Jude Thaddeus, ACCOMMODATION Cardinal Gastaldi’s expertise charistic celebrations from their a critical role in caring for those remembered by the staff of true relative of Jesus and The Southern Cross and MARIANELLA Guest was based on his experience dur - windows. hit by disease and in helping end Mary, I greet you through House, Simon’s Town: ing the 1656 plague when he ran The saint assigned priests to epidemics, said Katherine Mar - colleagues on the board of the Most Sacred Heart of directors. “Come experience the Rome’s lazarettos , hospitals where neighbourhoods. When a resident shall, a senior fellow at George - Jesus. Through this heart I peace and beauty of God people were separated for isola - signalled the desire for confession, town University in the US. WINDVOGEL —Magda - praise and thank God for all with us.” Fully equipped, tion, quarantine and recovery. the priest would set up his When trusted by their com - lene (née Ackerman). In the graces he has be - with amazing sea views. But whatever circumstances portable leather stool outside the munities, religious leaders are loving memory of my sister stowed upon you. Humbly Secure parking, ideal for Church leaders found themselves penitent’s closed door to hear it. vital for disseminating important who was called home on prostrate before you, I im - rest and relaxation. Special in during plagues and pandemics, Different utensils were used health protocols, correcting false May 24, 2013. Years may plore you, through this rates for pensioners and many still found a way to minister over history to administer the Eu - information, being role models have passed but you are al - heart, to look down upon clergy. Malcolm Salida 082 with creativity, courage and care, charist while assuring social dis - and influencing people’s behav - ways in my thoughts and me with compassion. De - 784-5675, mjsalida@ spise not my poor prayers; prudently following safety prac - tancing, including long pincers or iour, she said —CNS constantly in my prayers. gmail.com

Southern Cross Word solutions Our bishops’ SOLUTIONS TO 916. ACROSS: 5 Skim, anniversaries 7 High priest, 8 Zeus, 10 Unburden, 11 FROM OUR VAULTS Uplift, 12 Exotic, 14 Prayed, 16 Matter, 17 During this week we con - Deceiver, 19 Arts, 21 Conference, 22 gratulate: Seth. DOWN: 1 Ahaz, 2 Chastity, 3 39 Years Ago: May 24, 1981 Proust, 5 Pebble, 5 Star, 6 Impediment, 9 May 24: Bishop Edward Pope John Paul II shot Experience, 13 Outraged, 15 Divine, 16 Adams , retired of Oudts- Marvel, 18 Etch, 20 Slew. hoorn, on his 86th birthday Pope John Paul II required a lengthy operation after being shot by Turkish terrorist Mehmet Ali Agca. Agca had escaped from jail while being held in connection with the murder of a Turkish newspaper editor. The pontiff was being driven around St Peter’s Square when Agca shot him. “The pope fell into the arms of an Liturgical Calendar aide, his white cassock stained with blood,” The Southern Year A – Weekdays Cycle Year 2 Cross report states. Pilgrims Anne Odre, 60, from the United States, and Rose Hall, 21, from Jamaica, were in - Sunday May 24, jured by stray bullets. Ascension of Our Lord Not the first attempt to kill the pope Acts 1:1-11, Psalm 47:2-3, 6-9, Ephesians The assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II on May 1:17-23, Matthew 28:16-20 13 was not the first. During his visit to Pakistan in Febru - Monday May 25, ary 1981, a bomb went off on a cricket field in Karachi St Bede the Venerable, St Gregory VII, shortly before the pope’s arrival, killing the attacker and St Mary Magdalene de Pazzi a bystander. Acts 19:1-8, Psalm 68:2-7, John 16:29-33 Tuesday May 26, St Philip Neri No one is safe in the 1980s Acts 20:17-27, Psalm 68:10-11, 20-21, In his editorial, Fr Donald de Beer writes that in the John 17:1-11 1980s, no public figure is safe from assassination unless Wednesday May 27, they remain indoors, meeting only screened visitors. “And we do not see our chief shepherd restricting his St Augustine of Canterbury ministry in that way. So he may well be shot again, and Acts 20:28-38, Psalm 68:29-30, 33-36, Pentecost this time killed.” (The assassination attempt on Pope John John17:11-19 Paul was preceded by an attempt on US President Ronald Thursday May 28 Saturday May 30 Acts 28:16-20, 30-31, Psalm11:4-5, 7, Reagan in March, and the murder of John Lennon in De - Acts 22:30; 23:6-11, Psalm 16:1-2, 5, cember 1980.) 7-11, John 17:20-26 John 21:20-25 Friday May 29, Sunday May 31, Pentecost Bl Joseph Gerard, St Paul VI Acts 2:1-11, Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34, Acts 25:13-21, Psalm 103:1-2, 11-12, 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13, 19-20, John 21:15-19 John 20:19-23

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Pentecost: May 31 Readings: Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104, 1, 24, 29- 31, 34; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23 The gift of the Spirit Nicholas King SJ EXT Sunday the Easter season comes Sunday Reflections to its abrupt end with the solemnity of Arabia”. And each of these hears the “great cite, several times a day): “Jesus is Lord.” NPentecost, the Church’s birthday, deeds of God in our own tongues”. Some of the divisions in Corinth came when we revert to ordinary life and our day- That is what the Church does, and has from the fact that they were all over-im - job of preaching the Gospel. And what can never ceased to do, down to the present day, pressed by their own spiritual gifts, and failed be kept out by state-of-the-art technology; the readings for the Solemnity say to us giving God’s good news in all the languages to realise that all these “divisions of gifts” nor, on the other hand, is it possible to forget today? of the inhabited world. That is something to came with “the same Spirit…the same Lord… Good Friday: “He showed them his The first reading , as always on this feast, celebrate. the same God who works everything in every - [wounded] hands and his sides.” But equally is the story of that first event, with the There is celebration also in the psalm for thing”. And that any gift is given as “the rev - Resurrection joy has its place: “The disciples “sound of a mighty wind”, and the “divided the feast, as the singer gives a song of thanks elation of the Spirit to build up” (building-up rejoiced on seeing the Lord.” Then we hear tongues as it were of fire; and it sat on each for what God has achieved: “Bless the Lord, the Church is a very important idea in this Jesus’ characteristic prayer/wish of one of them”. And notice the effect: “They my soul; Lord my God, how great you are.” letter); then Paul develops his idea of the “shalom”—“Peace be with you”. were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” This has And he goes on: “How many are your works, “one body, many parts”, all making up And Easter also means that we have a job then a further consequence, that “they spoke the earth is full of your creatures.” Then he re - Christ’s body. to do: “As the Father has sent me, so I too am in different languages, as the Spirit gave them flects on the effect of God’s “wind” or “breath” The reading ends with a sentence that sending you.” Then comes the “Pentecost to utter”. or “spirit”: “You take away their breath, they should be engraved on our hearts during this moment”, which enables us to do that job: Now Luke gives us a list of the places perish and return to their dust.” And then post-Easter time: “For all of us were in one “Having said this, he breathed on them, and which the Gospel reached on that first Sun - again: “You send your spirit and they are cre - Spirit baptised into one body, whatever our said to them: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” day of its existence: “Parthia and Media and ated—you renew the face of the earth”. cultural and religious (Jews or Greeks) or so - Now we discover what the gift of the Spirit Elam, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia” The great picture here (and one that we cial (slave or free) standing—and we have all means for the infant Church: “Whoever’s sins (what today might be called the “Middle need to remember in the coming year) is that been given to drink of the one Spirit.” We you let go, they are let go; whoever’s sins you East”); next we move west to “Judaea and with which the psalm ends: “May the Lord’s should be greatly heartened by this. hold fast, they are held fast.” Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and glory be forever, may the Lord rejoice in his The Gospel is an entirely suitable one for This great feast, the end of Lent and Easter, Pamphylia”, these last in what today is works…As for me, I shall rejoice in the Lord.” the feast; it brings the Easter part of John’s and the beginning of our “ordinary time”, Turkey; then we cross the Mediterranean to The second reading has Paul (writing to a Gospel almost to its end, with the doors holds in it all the elements of Easter; for, “Egypt and the bits of Libya around Cyrene” very divided Church in Corinth) telling them locked “for fear of the Judeans”, late in the make no mistake about it, Easter is to be the (so this is Africa), then once more across the what the Spirit does. In the first place, the day on that first Easter Sunday. Jesus “came mood in which we live our ordinary time of sea to “Rome”, and back east to “Crete and Spirit enables us to say (what we must all re - and stood in the middle of them”. He cannot mission and evangelisation. Facing our toughest hours Southern Crossword #916 ISCERNMENT isn’t an easy thing. doing something wrong, or that he is at Take this dilemma: When we find the wrong place, or that this community is Fr Ron Dourselves in a situation that’s caus - not worth this suffering. To the contrary: ing us deep interior anguish, do we walk The pain is understood to be calling him Rolheiser OMI away, assuming that the presence of such to a deeper fidelity at the very heart of his pain is an indication that this isn’t the mission and vocation. Final Reflection right place for us, that something’s termi - Until this moment, only words were nally wrong here? asked of him, now he is being asked to Or, like Jesus, do we accept to stay, say - back them up in reality; he needs to swal - ing to ourselves, our loved ones, and our low hard to do it. from them. God: “What shall I say, save me from this “What shall I say, save me from this Marriages, consecrated religious voca - hour?” At the very moment that Jesus was hour?” Do we have the wisdom and the tions, commitments to work for justice, facing a humiliating death by crucifixion, generosity to say those words when, inside commitments to our Church communities, the Gospel of John hints that he was of - our own commitments, we are challenged and commitments to family and friends, fered an opportunity to escape. to endure searing interior anguish? can be abandoned in the belief that no - A delegation of Greeks, through the When Jesus asks himself this question, body is called to live inside such anguish, apostle Philip, offer Jesus an invitation to what he is facing is a near-perfect mirror desolation, and misunderstanding. leave with them, to go to a group that for situations we will all find ourselves in Indeed, today the presence of pain, des - would receive him and his message. sometimes. olation and misunderstanding is generally So Jesus has a choice: Endure anguish, taken as a sign to abandon a commitment humiliation, and death inside his own n almost every commitment we make, if and find someone else or some other group community, or abandon that community we are faithful, an hour will come when I that will affirm us rather than as an indi - ACROSS DOWN for one that will accept him. we are suffering interior anguish (and cation that now—just now, in this hour, 5. Creamless kind of milk (4) 1. Son of Jotham (2 Kg 15) (4) What does he do? He asks himself this often times exterior misunderstanding as inside this particular pain and misunder - 7. Important cleric who ques - 2. A particularly religious question: “What shall I say, save me from well) and are faced with a tough decision: standing—we have a chance to bring a life- tioned Jesus (4,6) virtue (7) this hour?” Is this pain and misunderstanding (and giving grace into this commitment. 8. Top god on Mt Olympus (4) 3. French novelist in a stupor Although this is phrased as a question, even my own immaturity as I stand inside I have seen people leave marriages, 10. Dump the load of your sins (6) it’s an answer. He is choosing to stay, to it) an indication that I’m in the wrong leave family, leave priesthood, leave reli - (8) 4. Small stone (6) face the anguish, humiliation, and pain be - place, should leave, and find someone or gious life, leave their Church community, 11. Elevator to raise your spir - 5. Does it shine on 19 ac? (4) cause he sees it as the precise fidelity he is some other community that wants me? leave long-cherished friendships, and leave its (6) 6. Obstruction in canon law called to within the very dynamic of the Or, inside this interior anguish, exterior commitments to work for justice and peace 12. Cite ox for being foreign (6) (10) love he is preaching. misunderstanding, and personal immatu - because, at a point, they experienced a lot 14. You did it at the prie-dieu 9. Life’s most effective teacher He came to earth to incarnate and teach rity, am I called to say: “What shall I say, of pain and misunderstanding. And, in (6) (10) what real love is and now, when the cost save me from this hour? This is what I’m many of those cases, I also saw that it was, 16. A case not of the spirit (6) 13. A toe drug that leaves you of that is humiliation and interior anguish, called to! I was born for this!” in fact, a good thing. 17. Satan as a deluder (8) infuriated (8) he knows and accepts that this is what’s I think the question is critical because The situation they were in was not life- 19. Creative activities (4) 15. To do with God (6) now being asked of him. often anguishing pain can shake our giving for them or for others. They needed 21. Convention of the bishops 16. Miracle to fill you with The pain is not telling him that he’s commitments and tempt us to walk away to be saved from that “hour”. (10) wonder (6) In some cases, though, the opposite was 22. Another son of Eve (Gn 4) 18. Engrave inside the true. They were in excruciating pain, but (4) sketches (4) that pain was an invitation to a deeper, Solutions on page 11 20. Slay in the past (4) more life-giving place inside their commit - ment. They left, just when they should have stayed. Granted, discernment is difficult. It’s CHURCH CHUCKLE not always for lack of generosity that peo - FTER lockdown, a South African goes to the local ple walk away from a commitment. Some Abeach and just sits there on a dune, looking at

d of the most generous and unselfish people the sea as a gentle breeze blows and the setting sun I know have left a marriage or the priest - creates a spectacular canvas of pink, orange, purple a

r hood or religious life or their churches. and red in the sky. But I write this because, today, so much Soon after, God arrives and sits down next to our n trusted psychological and spiritual litera - friend. o ture does not sufficiently highlight the For a while they sit in silence and look at the sun

C challenge to, like Jesus, stand inside excru - setting into the sea. After a while our friend turns to ciating pain and humiliating misunder - God and says: “Good evening, God. But what are you standing. Instead of walking away to doing here in South Africa, chilling on a beach at someone or some group that offers us the sunset.” acceptance and understanding we crave, God responds: “My child, I’m in my home office.” we instead accept that it is more life-giving to say: “What shall I say, save me from this ‘He wants to know why we aren’t in lockdown.’ Buy the Church Chuckles book of Catholic jokes. hour?” email [email protected] or CLICK HERE

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