The SSoouutthheerrnnCCrroossss August 13 to August 19 , 2014 Reg No. 1920/002058/06 No 4886 www.scross.co.za R7,00 (incl VAT RSA) Pope Francis’ Flashback 1914: Why our peace Top 10 tips for The year of prayers are happiness two popes important Page 10 Page 9 Page 7 SA Church: Witchcraft is rampant By STUART GRAHAM lenge it,” he said. Daswa, said Bishop Rodrigues, was a man HE Church is battling a rise in dark arts who was proud of his Jewish-linked Lemba and witchcraft in rural areas around culture. TSouth Africa, according to Catholic “Benedict Daswa was a man of his culture, leaders. but through his faith in Christ, he realised Holy Cross Sister Phutunywa Siyali, coor - that certain things were wrong with this cul - dinator of the Southern African Bishops’ ture,” Bishop Rodrigues said. Conference’ Culture Office, told The Southern In an incident in November, a 60-year-old Cross that after an earth tremor in central grandmother was accused of using witchcraft South Africa on the afternoon of August 5 “a to cause an accident that killed 30 people on number of people” she encountered had the Moloto Road in Mpumalanga. asked: “Who had caused the earthquake?” Soon after the accident, 33 people were ar - The implication of the question was that rested after they burnt down the elderly Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town pins the papal Bene Merenti medal on Southern “someone must have practised a kind of woman’s house in Waterval. Cross business manager Pamela davids during a Mass in St Mary’s cathedral. Ms davids witchcraft. The underlying belief was that Police spokesman Leonard Hlathi said a was awarded the medal in recognition of her 40 years of unbroken service to The Southern someone caused it”, Sr Siyali said. mob had accused the grandmother of be - Cross , as well as her lifelong contributions to the parish of Corpus Christi, Wynberg, and the Witchcraft, she said, is widely practised in witching the bus driver. Schoenstatt Family Movement. Ms davids has been The Southern Cross ’ business manager the Limpopo area, as well KwaZulu-Natal. The police are known to relocate victims since 1995. (Photo: Günther Simmermacher) Sr Siyali said her office has been holding of witchcraft accusations, but are secretive workshops in the SACBC region to educate about the locations of “witch camps”, most school pupils about witchcraft and Satanism. of which are in the Limpopo province. Sr Claudette Hiosan, who works at the Ave Maria Pastoral Centre in Mooketsi outside of n his 2011 apostolic exhortation on the Pope’s advice to altar servers Tzaneen, said witchcraft is strong in the area. ISecond Synod for Africa, Africae Munus , “It is certainly very alive and well up Pope Benedict XVI warned that witchcraft By CiNdy WoodeN here,” said Sr Hiosan. was having a revival in Africa, in part because EETING 50 000 altar servers from The nun is leading the sainthood cause for of people’s anxiety over health, the future German-speaking regions, Pope Benedict Daswa, who was killed by a mob and the environment. MFrancis urged young Catholics to near his village in February 1990 after he re - He asked bishops to face the challenge of make careful use of their freedom, treasure fused to take part in and contribute to witch - Christians who have a “dual affiliation” to their dignity as sons and daughters of God craft. Christianity and traditional African religions. and make time to pray each day. The growth in devil worship and “people The Church, he wrote, must clearly reject “If you follow Jesus and his Gospel, your into the occult” is spreading across Africa, Sr any “magical elements”, which cause divi - freedom will blossom like a plant in bloom Hiosan said. sion and ruin for families. and will bring good and abundant fruit,” the Catholic leaders hope that the cause for Meanwhile Basic Education minister pope said. “You will find authentic joy, be - Daswa’s sainthood will highlight the issue. Angie Motshekga has called on teachers to cause he wants us to be men and women Bishop João Rodrigues of Tzaneen said raise awareness about Satanism in South who are happy and fulfilled.” Pope Francis holds hands with youths during a witchcraft is “bad everywhere”. African schools. For the first time in his pontificate, the meeting with altar servers in St Peter's Square. It is a pre-scientific practice which is She said an awareness drive was launched pope gave a short public homily in Ger - (Photo: Stefano Rellandini, Reuters/CNS) “deeply rooted in a traditional world view earlier this year after teenagers Thandeka Mo - man—a language he learned in the late that is pre-Christian”, he said. ganetsi, 15, and Chwayita Rathazayo, 16, 1980s when he worked on his doctorate in ways know they are protected like the chil - “It is about a dark and negative spiritual were found dead in a field in Dobsonville. Germany. dren of a good father.” world,” the bishop said. The girls, who were dressed in George During evening prayer with the young Still preaching in German, the pope said Khoza Secondary School uniforms, had cuts people, he said, “God showed us that he is a God needed a human being to bring his plan he Church, he said, wants people to em - on their hands and necks. Three black can - good father. How did he do it? Through the to completion: Mary, who “was totally free. Tbrace what is good in their culture, as dles and two new razor blades were found at incarnation of his Son, who became one of In her freedom, she said yes.” Daswa had done, but to exclude what goes the scene. us.” In a Q&A session, Pope Francis told them against the Gospel. The police occult unit was part of the in - In Jesus, the pope said, “we can under - the world needs “people who witness to oth - “As we accept Christ, we have to look at vestigating team amid reports that the mur - stand what God really wants. He wants ers that God loves them, that he is our father,” what is wrong in our own culture and chal - ders could be linked to Satanism. human beings who are free because they al - Continued on page 4 SSoouutthheerrnn CCrroossss && RRaaddiioo VVeerriittaass PPiillggrriimmaaggee For info phone Gail at T H E S A I N T S O F I T A L Y 076 35 2 3809 Led by Fr EMIL BLASER OP or 021 551 3923 [email protected] Rome, Assisi, Florence, Padua, Milan, Venice and more fowlertours.co.za 6 - 18 September 2015 Rome WITH PAPAL AUDIENCE | Assisi | Venice | Padua | Florence | Milan | Cascia (St Rita) | Siena (St Catherine) | Norcia (St Benedict) | Birthlace of St John XXIII | and more... 2 The Southern Cross, August 13 to August 19, 2014 LOCAL Cyclists gear up for Africa charity tour By STUART GRAHAM fice at the SACBC. constructed on tribal land with the The team, which includes Mr permission of chiefs before they are ORGET the Tour de France. The Viljoen and three retired Dutch cy - handed over to orphans, many of Tour de Southern Africa is set to clists from Homeplan, will leave whom live under nothing more start when a peloton of four cy - F from the Pomeroy parish in the dio - than four poles covered with a tar - clists sets off on a 4 550km fundrais - cese of Dundee later this year. paulin sheet. ing journey on the south and east From Dundee, the peloton will coasts of Africa. Mr Viljoen said Homeplan has pedal through Swaziland, then up built around 400 houses in 12 rural The cyclists —who will raise the coast of Mozambique and into funds for the Homeplan group that areas. Each house is built with a Tanzania before cutting inland to 2 500-litre rainwater tank. Parishioners at St Thomas More and St John Fisher parish sign up for the partners with the Southern African Arusha near the base of Kiliman - “There are around four million family programme offered by the parish. Catholic Bishops’ Conference to jaro. The trip will end off in Nairobi build homes for orphans —will take in Kenya. orphans in South Africa. Many of around six weeks to complete the “We’ll cycle between 100km and them are completely destitute and trip. 120km a day. We will be followed have nowhere to live,” said Mr Ixopo focuses on the family Viljoen. “We build houses for orphans by a backup vehicle that will carry HE men and women of the St other and remain accountable to The group also provides medical but funding is difficult to get hold food and puncture repair kits,” Mr Thomas Moore and St John the promises they have made before care, nutrition and school uniforms of these days, so we decided to Viljoen said. Fisher parish in Ixopo, Mari - their family and in the presence of arrange a trip with sponsors paying to orphans. T “If anyone would like to join us, annhill diocese, are getting together the parish community. us in Euros for every kilometre we they are more than welcome.” n For more information contact Johan to build Catholic, Christ-centred The families now meet monthly cycle,” said Johan Viljoen, the pro - Homeplan’s two-roomed houses, Viljoen on 012 323 6458 or jviljoen@ families. to discuss their hopes, aspirations gramme manager for the Aids Of - which cost R4 0 000 to build, are sacbc.rog.za They have committed them - and difficulties. selves to undertake a course in rec - “I hope that with the aid of the onciliation and family-building to men’s group we will be able to offer enrich the lives of their families and this course to the parishioners the faith in their parish.