+e115emal 17.12.2014 16:17 Seite 1 No 1 • January 2015 www.acnmalta.org Published eight times per year © Grzegorz Galazka “We realise all the more that we may not regard divisions in the Church as something natural, inevitable in any form of human association. Our divisions wound Christ’s body, they impair the witness which we are called to give to Him before the world.” Pope Francis, at the conclusion of the Week of Prayer Together in the earthly Jerusalem – for Christian Unity in January 2014 the Pope, the rabbi and the imam. arate us. The division within Christianity is our ecumenical dialogue has, in the deepest a deep wound that stands in contradiction sense, already reached its goal. It was in “Ut omnes unum sint!” This prayer of Jesus to the truth that this Christianity must pro- this spirit that Saint John Paul II wrote: to the Father “that all may be one” is, per- claim to the world. How can we lead others “The witness to Christ borne even to the haps, the most beautiful and important re- to peace if we are disunited among our- shedding of blood has become a common solution we can make at the beginning of selves? Christian Ecumenism does not inheritance of Catholics, Orthodox, Angli- this New Year. Seeing the increasing divi- mean that the various Christian confessions cans and Protestants. Perhaps the most con- sions within our families, vincing form of ecumenism is within our society, our political the ecumenism of the saints and and cultural life, and not least Ecumenism begins of the martyrs. The communio between religions, we yearn with our desire sanctorum speaks louder than more than ever for unity and the things which divide us.” peace. But despite globalisation for reconciliation! we are in an age of increasing Dear friends, may the intentions division between nations and religions. War merely acknowledge and tolerate one an- of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and terror are opening up vast gulfs of ha- other. True ecumenism must have as its (18th - 25th January) stay with us through- tred that appear unbridgeable. Is it even goal full, visible unity; otherwise it is a be- out the year, so that our love for God and possible here to imagine all the inhabitants trayal of the Cross of Christ. The prayer ut- for one another may grow day by day. Let of the earth coming together in unity? Hu- tered by Jesus to the Father – “Ut omnes us consecrate this ecumenical striving to manly speaking it is impossible – but God unum sint!” – is not a hope that is meant to Mary, who gave us the gift of God as the has the power to bring it about! Unity is a find its fulfilment only in the “Heavenly Mother of Unity. For just as the family can- gift that comes down “from above” and the Jerusalem”. Rather, Jesus’ prayer for unity not truly be a family without a mother, so most beautiful fruit of the Love that comes is an urgent call to be fulfilled in the here it is impossible without Mary for the na- from God alone. and now. And it was for unity of believers tions and religions to live together in peace in all nations that Jesus gave His Life on the For Christians love forges unity, love is the Cross. My grateful blessing on you all, first and greatest commandment. Yet al- though we all together profess the Cross True ecumenism begins with our turning in and redemption through Jesus Christ, there humility towards the Cross and with our Father Martin M. Barta are many theological convictions that sep- willingness to seek reconciliation. In this Ecclesiastical Assistant 1 +e115emal 17.12.2014 16:17 Seite 2 Philippines Mightier than the mightiest storm Never before was there such a vast gathering of Christians in this world. On 15th January 1995 between four and five million people came together with Pope John Paul II for the celebra- tion of Holy Mass in Manila. Some 20 years later his successor, Francis has returned to the Philippines, and once again the people thronging in great numbers to Holy Mass. Many of these pilgrims have not come from their homes. They have no homes. Around 14 months ago Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful in recorded history, swept Still waiting for your help – Father through this island paradise. And just a Cosme Almedilla, standing in front of month before that an earthquake had ravaged the ruins of his church. the countryside. The people were still clear- ing away the earth and rubble when Typhoon and houses. The sheer force of Haiyan also doors, windows and benches) with €60,000 Haiyan struck. With winds of over 200 km/h, destroyed the basis of people’s livelihood, in each case. They also had to install new the typhoon tore through the islands, sweep- the fishing boats and the fields with their har- wiring and rebuild the walls. And another ing roofs and entire huts away. More than vests. This was also true of over half the peo- two dozen parishes now also have their 7,000 people lost their lives, while millions ple of the parish of Saint Isidore the Farmer, chapels back, thanks to you. Everything they are still living amid the ruins today. Pope in the diocese of Borongan, which lay in the could do – clearing away the rubble, working Francis has come with a message of conso- direct path of the typhoon. They depended the timbers, repairing the roofs – they did lation and hope. For this time the earthquake on fishing and agriculture, writes Father themselves. What they lacked was the and typhoon did more than just destroy huts Leroy Geli. “For the first time ever, the storm money for the materials. “Love is the meas- raged so fiercely that even all our hope was ure of faith”, said Pope Francis. And in these buried beneath the rubble”, he writes. The small churches and chapels your love is pres- normally cheerful Filipinos were reduced to ent, and mightier than the mightiest storm. despair and are only slowly beginning to re- But there is still much to be done. • cover. Their faith helped them – and the sol- idarity of their brothers and sisters in the faith has helped rekindle hope in their hearts. Power hub of The Pope has come with a message of mercy mission and sympathy. The visible signs of this prac- tical charity and solidarity are the new roofs “We are willing to go anywhere, how- on the churches and the continuing financial ever hard and difficult it may be.” This aid, one year on, after the attention of the is the motto of the Secular Institute of world has moved on, like the storm itself. the Incarnate Word. And perhaps not Their Faith remains; but it needs a roof be- surprisingly, it has missions in Iraq, neath which people can gather for prayer, for Syria (Aleppo), Tajikistan and China – Holy Mass. This is exactly what you have to name but a few. made possible in Saint Isidore with €30,000, Someone to cling to in the storms of and also in the parishes of Saint Lawrence And for the Institute, the Philippines are a this life – little Angelina from the parish and Saint Bonaventure (where Hayian not sort of power hub of the new evangelisa- of Saint Isidore. only tore off the roofs but also destroyed tion. From here its missions extend 2 Any donation you kindly give will go to support these, or similar pr +e115emal 17.12.2014 16:17 Seite 3 © L’osservatore Romano Come to me, all you who are heavy laden (cf. Mt 11:28): The biggest open-air Mass of all time. throughout the region, as far as Africa, as well as throughout the Philippines them- selves. Five years ago the novitiate of Saint Joseph Freinademetz was established close to Lipa – the provincial capital of Batangas Bringing God’s love – and many new vocations. Sisters in front of the congrega- – with two novices. Today there are already tion’s Mother House. ten. “We live by divine providence” says the director of the house, Father Santiago sary of their foundation, the sisters began Vidal. And this providence not only brings A Mother House building a new Mother House. With the new vocations, but from time to time many help of generous friends they were able to hardships as well. At first a four-seater car for God’s Love build the chapel and most of the rooms to was sufficient for their needs, but very soon hold the lectures, training sessions and re- it had become too small and, given the no- The names speak for themselves: treat days. But by then the coffers were toriously bad road conditions, it was in con- House of Hope, Happy Home, Saint empty. And with the meagre earnings stant need of repair and became too Joseph Golden Home. These are the from their own teaching activities, the sis- expensive. They sold it. But this hampered names of the care homes in which ters also supported other communities that their work, including the new evangelisa- the sisters of the Missionary Congre- would otherwise not have survived. But tion on the island itself. Just going shop- gation of Mary look after the elderly the Sisters were also affected by the ty- ping (12 km) or to the hospital (13 km) now and abandoned, the mentally sick phoon, which magnified the need around takes anything from half to a full day – time and the handicapped.