Thesoutherncross

The SSoouutthheerrnnCCrroossss September 24 to September 30, 2014 Reg No. 1920/002058/06 No 4892 www.scross.co.za R7,00 (incl VAT RSA) Marriage How to be Benedict Daswa’s advice from channels of son, brother Pope Francis God’s peace speak to us Page 5 Page 7 Page 9 Legal threat to Catholic schools By STUART GRAHAM words trying to influence children in terms of their religious choice,” Mr Faller explained. N application for a high court interdict “The purpose of Catholic schools, how - to prevent public schools from practis - ever, is to make a Muslim a better Muslim, a Aing any form of religion could open the Hindu a better Hindu and a Presbyterian a door to a range of legal challenges against better Presbyterian,” he said. To “push one Catholic schools, the Catholic Institute of Ed - faith against another...would be in direct ucation (CIE) has warned. conflict with the vision of Catholic school - Paul Faller, the national coordinator for re - ing”. ligious education at the CIE, said Catholic While Catholic schools are protected by schools in South Africa would be wise to take the law, he said, “they are protected only so seriously the court action by the Organisasie far as their policies and practices are in line”. vir Godsdienste-onderrig en Demokrasie (Or - Mr Faller said he was working on a re - ganisation of Religious Education and sponse to the interdict. But he warned that it Holy Rosary High School in Edenvale, Johannesburg, held its annual Debutantes Ball to Democracy, or Ogod). is important that Catholic schools get their celebrate its Grade 10 girls’ fundraising efforts. This year R97 0 560 was raised. A portion of “This interdict is a wake-up call to house in order rather than challenging a the funds raised will go towards various charities including the Holy Rosary Sisters, CHOC, Catholic schools to make sure their policies court case or interdict, he said. Love of Christ, St Anne’s Old Age Home, Holy Rosary’s outreach programme Phumulela, and practices are in line,” he said. “If it is suc - and Little Eden. The debutantes are seen modelling their dresses in the school’s yard. cessful, I expect a challenge against Catholic nne Baker, the CIE’s deputy-director of op - schools,” he said, voicing particular concern Aerations, said South Africa has chosen the for those that are privately owned but pub - cooperative model of religion and the state, licly funded. which provides “constitutional separation”. Feasts of Ss John Paul II, John “There are some [religious] practices in “In other words, the Constitution holds Catholic schools that could be challenged by that everyone’s belief or non-belief is ac - it,” Mr Faller warned. knowledged and may not be damaged or im - “In many instances education depart - posed upon,” she explained. XXIII put on universal calendar ments would love to see the demise of Section 61 of the Religion and Education Catholic public schools [on private prop - Policy tasks the governing body of a school By CAROL GLATz erty]”, which constitute 70% of South Africa’s with determining “the nature and content of N light of “countless requests from every Catholic schools. religious observances”. part of the world”, Pope Francis has ap - Ogod indicated that it would ask the high “In other words if there are Hindus or Mus - Iproved putting Ss John XXIII and John court to impose an interdict forbidding the lims in a school they must also be given the Paul II on the Church’s universal calendar of Christian practices and activities at six state opportunity to practise [their] religious obser - feast days. schools and have them declared unconstitu - vances. In any school no-one can be forced to Called the General Roman Calendar, it is tional. take part in religious observances,” Ms Baker the universal schedule of holy days and feast Among the schools affected are the Oudt - said. days for the Latin rite of the Catholic Church. shoorn High School, Langenhoven Gimna - Catholics should be wary of aligning The two saints’ feast days, both of which sium and Linden High School. themselves against the interdict, she warned. have the ranking of an optional memorial, are Mr Faller said that Catholic public schools “Catholic public schools on private prop - on October 11 for St John XXIII—the an - on private property walk “a delicate erty are legally protected under an agreement niversary of the opening of the first session of tightrope” when it comes to remaining true with provinces to be Catholic schools,” she the Second Vatican Council, which he had to their Catholic character. “If this [court ac - said. called—and October 22 for St John Paul II, the tion] is successful, I think the education de - Rev Andre Orffer, a Dutch Reformed date of his papal inauguration in 1978. partments might challenge Catholic schools Church minister in Oudtshoorn West, told The pope determines who makes the uni - Dominican Fathers Emil Blaser and Brian in that category. It could be a landmark case.” Die Burger newspaper that the interdict to versal calendar based on recommendations Mhlanga of Johannesburg celebrate Mass this have various Christian practices at schools de - from the congregation for worship. month at the tomb of St John XXIII in St Peter’s e said schools have to differentiate be - clared unconstitutional is an opportunity for In 2007, Pope Benedict approved stricter basilica. The feast days of Ss John XXIII and Htween proselytising, which is “a con - Christians to bear witness to their faith. guidelines for determining which saints will John Paul II have been put on the Church’s scious effort on the part of teachers to Since the nature of the case had become be remembered with mandatory feast days. universal calendar. (Photo: Gail Fowler) influence children in their religious beliefs known, Rev Orffer said he had had contact The new norms were necessary, the congrega - and identity”, and catechesis, “a process with people from both sides who are trying to tion had said, because the year does not have pontiffs in offering the clergy and the faithful where you encourage and nurture faith”. find sensible responses. enough days to include all the saints in the a unique model of virtue and in promoting “Proselytising occurs when schools try to Rev Orffer said that in the past parents universal calendar, particularly when Sundays the life of Christ”, his decree said. influence a child, when they make it their often relied on schools to provide their chil - and holy days are subtracted. “Taking into consideration the countless mission to turn these children into dren with religious education. But, he pointed Pope Francis, who canonised the two requests from every part of the world,” the Catholics,” he said. out, the family is the primary source of spiri - saints in April, approved the optional memo - pope took “as his own the unanimous wishes “We are talking about direct actions or tual education for children. rials “given the extraordinary nature of these of the people of God,” it said.—CNS SSoouutthheerrnn CCrroossss && RRaaddiioo VVeerriittaass PPiillggrriimmaaggee For info THE SAINTS OF ITALY phone Gail at Led by Fr EMIL BLASER OP 076 35 2 3809 or 021 551 3923 Rome, Assisi, Florence, Padua, Milan, Venice and more [email protected] 6 - 18 September 2015 fowlertours.co.za Rome WITH PAPAL AUDIENCE | Assisi | Venice | Padua | Florence | Milan | Cascia (St Rita) | Siena (St Catherine) | Norcia (St Benedict) | Birthlace of St John XXIII 2 The Southern Cross, September 24 to September 30, 2014 LOCAL Home for ill children New head takes over the reins at Jesuit Institute gets major facelift STAFF REPORTER N September 20 Fr Russell Pollitt SJ formally took over STAFF REPORTER Oas head of the Jesuit Institute N official sod-turning cere - of South Africa from Raymond Per - mony marked the start of a rier, who has been the director since Athree year multi-million-rand January 2010. building and renovations project at Fr Pollitt has a keen interest and St Joseph’s Home for chronically ill understanding of the media and a children in Montana, Cape Town. great belief in a faith that does jus - The home’s director, Thea Patter - tice. He wrote his masters thesis on son, said the renovation took two theology and communication. years of intense planning, working Ordained a priest in February with a wide range of experts defin - 2006, he was parish priest of Holy ing the scope of the project, refin - Trinity in Braamfontein, Johannes - ing the design of the upgrade, and burg, for seven years. Over that pe - still keeping within budget. riod he was chaplain to both the The R36 million project has been University of Witwatersrand and the made possible through a generous University of Johannesburg. overseas donation and will take Fr Pollitt has for several years pre - Fr Russell Pollitt SJ three years to complete. sented shows for Radio Veritas, and The renovations will consist of has been interviewed by many secu - the modernisation of the existing Institute is how it models clergy-lay lar radio stations, as well as by Vati - five wards; the establishment of a collaboration. Raymond has been can Radio. He has also been a pundit therapeutic hub and a family/visi - very good at ensuring, in the spirit of on SABC TV and eNCA News. tors’ area; and the upgrading of the recent general congregations of the nurses’ home and the reception/ He writes regularly for the inter - Society of Jesus, that this is a core admin area. net news site Daily Maverick, and component of the institute.

Load more