SC October 13 19 CA (Page 1)

PAGE 2 PAGE 2 PAGE 10 PAGE 7 Parish Stained Healing Parish mourns glass power of of the after murder preservation relics month October 13 to October 19, 2010 www.scross.co.za R5,50 (incl VAT RSA) Reg No. 1920/002058/06 No 4697 SOUTHERN AFRICA’S NATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY SINCE 1920 RCHBISHOP Stephen Brislin of Cape Town will celebrate a Mass followed by Aa special benediction service to mark the 90th birthday of The Southern Cross this month. The Mass will be celebrated on October 15 at 13:10 at St Mary’s cathedral. The Southern Cross will publish a special anniversary edition on October 27. Parishes may order extra copies by contacting Avril Hanslo at [email protected] or 021 465 5007 Inside Calls for better water use A parish in Rosebank celebrate World Habitat day by warning about water crisis—Page 3 Attracting youth to religious life Dozens of religious and lay Church leaders have looked at the next steps needed to attract more youth to religious life —Page 4 Where was my Church? Mphuthumi Ntabeni discusses an eviction crisis—Page 9 What do you think? In their Letters to the Editor this week, readers discuss The Southern Cross under threat, homosexuality and immodest dress—Page 8 The annual Blessing of the Fishing Fleet took place the first weekend of October in Cape Town. The Portuguese tradition sees prayers offered for the forthcoming fishing season and an anchor of flowers is thrown into the sea for those who have been lost. Statues of St Peter and Mary were carried to the boats, followed by an at-sea blessing given by Archbishop Lawrence Henry. This week’s editorial: PHOTO: CLAIRE MATHIESON Driving safely Bad driving to be punished BY CLAIRE MATHIESON HE negative statistics that govern our roads “have to change”. This is the mes- Tsage behind various safe-driving campaigns currently on the go and is the philoso- phy behind the government’s Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto), or driver points-demerit system, which will be No laughs for rolled out in 2011. Transport minister Sibusiso Ndebele said in a statement that the new system will “certain- ly reduce lawlessness on our roads and con- Berlusconi tribute significantly to a reduction in road HE Vatican newspaper has criticised Ital- crashes and deaths”. The system aims at ian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi encouraging responsible use of the road. T(pictured above) for telling a At OR Tambo airport in Johannesburg, a “deplorable” joke about the Jews and the Road Traffic Management Corporation Holocaust. (RTMC) education campaign this month Mr Berlusconi, chatting with supporters informed people about the Aarto system and outside his home, told a joke about a Jew encouraged people to sign their names on who charged a fellow Jew 3 000 euros a day large canvas walls as a pledge towards driving to hide him in his basement during World sober and within the speed limit. War II. Mr Berlusconi’s punch line was: “The The Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office Jew says, the question now is whether we (CPLO) has welcomed the proposed AARTO Visitors to OR Tambo International Airport pledge to drive safely, particularly not to drink-drive or speed and to wear a seatbelt. The signature campaign formed part of an education cam- should tell him Hitler is dead and the war is demerit system. CPLO Researcher Lois Law paign on the new points-demerit system.. over.” said: “The Demerit system has proved a suc- PHOTO: GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER The joke was videotaped and posted on cessful deterrent against reckless driving in the website of the Italian newspaper La other countries, notably in Australia.” launched nationally before the official launch lives lost and financial expenses. “It is esti- Repubblica. The main objective of the campaign is dri- of the system. mated that the cost of traffic crashes to indi- The Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore ver responsibility as well as educating drivers Aarto has met with opposition, most viduals, commerce, communities and the Romano said the story “offends both the sen- of the future repercussions of the new demerit notably from taxi associations who have sug- country is in the region of R38 billion annual- timents of believers and the sacred memory system. gested it will have a detrimental impact on ly,” said the 2009 road traffic Arive Alive cam- of the six million victims of the Holocaust”. Aarto will add to the current fining system the taxi industry. paign report. Statistics from December 2009, It said the prime minister’s words were a by leading to the suspension and cancellation The CPLO has urged further consultation traditionally the most dangerous month on “sad” example of the uncivil language being of driving licences, professional driving per- among stakeholders in the industry and South African roads, showed a daily average used increasingly in politics and public life, a mits or operator cards through the accumula- broader society to chart a way forward to end of 36 lives lost and around 20 people perma- trend recently condemned by the Italian tion of demerit points. the continued carnage on the country’s roads. nently disabled as a result of traffic accidents. bishops’ conference. While the system was meant to be imple- “To this end we welcome the recently pro- Mr Ndebele said the number of road The newspaper of the Italian bishops’ con- mented in July, RTMC acting chief executive posed measures on the part of the ministries deaths in our country was “completely unac- ference, Avvenire, said Mr Berlusconi’s joke Collins Letsoalo said problems were identified of transport and education to ensure the safe ceptable” and was confident the system will was “offensive and inexplicable”. during a pilot programme in Tshwane and conduct of children to and from school,” Ms change people’s behaviour and ultimately Mr Berlusconi’s office issued a statement Johannesburg with communication and Law said. reduce the accidents on the country’s roads. saying the joke was told in private, and that information available to the public on their According to the transport ministry’s The minister said one death should not be the responsibility for bad taste belonged to rights and duties within the system. There are Arrive Alive campaign, the current cost of associated with the country’s roads and “as those who publicised it.—CNS further plans for educational campaigns to be accidents on the road is intolerable in both government, we want to make roads safe”. 22 The Southern Cross, October 13 to October 19, 2010 LOCAL Catholics mourn the death of New head of communication for Joburg archdiocese ‘much-loved’ community leader BY CLAIRE MATHIESON BY CLAIRE MATHIESON St Patrick’s parish in La Rochelle, He said that in a spontaneous OMINICAN Father Emil Johannesburg. prayer evening arranged by the Blaser, executive director T John’s parish in North Riding, Lieutenant Colonel Dlamini youth of St John’s on the evening of and station manager of Johannesburg, has been Lungelo, spokesman for the South Mr McLoughlin’s murder, some 200 D South Africa’s Catholic broadcaster Sshocked by the killing of a pop- African Police Services, said the sus- parishioners arrived at the parish to Radio Veritas, has been elected ular member of the community in a pects fled from the scene in two offer their prayers and support. robbery at the Northgate shopping episcopal vicar of communications vehicles, but added that police had “This is a great indication of the centre in north-west Johannesburg. in the Johannesburg archdiocese. “already identified the suspects and love and respect that the communi- Kevin McLoughlin, 38, was killed several leads [were] being followed The new position was created to on October 4 when a gang of ty held for Kevin and the McLough- provide a positive contribution to to arrest them”. lin family,” Mr Lailvaux said. between eight and 12 robbers hit The loss has been felt by family, media in the archdiocese. the NWJ jewellery store where he Mr McLoughlin was a “devoted Fr Blaser explained that a com- co-workers and the Catholic com- and loving husband to Mary and was working. Four other people munity. mittee previously handled com- father to Matthew, and the passion were injured in the incident, which Parish pastoral council chairman munication in the diocese, but at a occurred shortly after the centre Roy Lailvaux said Mr McLoughlin for his ministries were shared with meeting Johannesburg priests felt opened. was a highly respected and an active his wife,” Mr Lailvaux said. “A large more authority was needed. Police reports indicate Mr hole has been left in the communi- The proposal was made for an member of the parish community. Dominican Father Emil Blaser McLoughlin was shot in the left side “He was particularly committed ty with Kevin's tragic passing.” episcopal communications vicar— of his chest and was declared dead to the education of the youth and Other members of the communi- someone to be the archbishop’s by paramedics on the scene. His practised this by being a Phase 4 ty have voiced their anger at North “right hand man for different areas wife, who was 12 weeks pregnant at confirmation teacher.” Gate's centre management as this of responsibility in the diocese”, Fr Blaser has been presenting the time, was left physically Mr Lailvaux said Mr McLaughlin was the fourth armed robbery at the he said. radio and television religious pro- unharmed but was hospitalised for was also an “extraordinary minister centre. It was also the second inci- “By acclamation the lot fell on grammes since 1976, including a observation after going into shock.

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