Tui Motu InterIslands monthly independent Catholic magazine September 2011 | $6 . editorial sport, earthquakes and elections ugby rules, OK! By the time Sadly they continue . Jim Consedine lives and work together to find a just this edition of Tui Motu points up the resilience of those who common vision . reaches you the Rugby have chosen to remain . Some had Daniel O’Leary gives us a fresh RWorld Cup will dominate sports the means to leave and have done look at the power of personal experi- media worldwide . What has been so; some have gone to relations or ence and the way this opens us to planned for, carefully and some- friends elsewhere . Others remain the Holy Spirit . In vulnerability times with hiccups, has arrived . As a because they want to and can . Many and woundedness, we are open to couch potato rugby spectator, I will have no such options and are strug- the reality of grace — as he puts it, enjoy some of the hoopla and look gling with a situation which is far “…the flavours of God’s presence in forward to revelling in the skill and from ideal . Perseverance, resilience everything that happens to us ”. professionalism of the players lived and courage are words that denote We continue our series on out to the optimum . Mike Riddell’s the endless patience the local people ‘religion and politics’, highlighting article puts the Cup in perspective have shown . matters which may be a stimulus to with wry humour . It all depends Mary Wood’s fairy story high- our thinking and asking questions upon the bounce of the ball! lights the goodness of people who about policy for the forthcoming As a complement to this wit, rise to the occasion of tragedy in general election . This month Ivan Mark Bracewell, one of New unexpected ways . Not only the Snook and Robert Reid give us Zealand’s leading sportsmen, gives students, but the ‘farmy-army’ their perspectives on education and a salutary view of the value of sport and others have given magnificent employment issues . As well, the as something which engenders service, a fine measure of practical comment by Dame Pat Harrison the best in all of us: the ability to religion . Looking forward to a new pulls together threads spread over look out for others, to serve the Christchurch remains largely a many areas: education, health, common good of the team, and to dream, and its planning requires a welfare, justice and the hope for be brought out of insularity and big vision . For most residents and productive employment . selfishness — an important take homeowners, let alone businesses, Finally, I recommend to you on the values sport brings to our crucial decisions remain to be made . the film “Of Gods and Men ”. It largely individualistic society . Our hearts and resources stay with is a remarkable portrayal of cou- One year has past since the the people of the garden city as they rageous Christianity lived in an Christchurch earthquakes began . courageously move to rebuild their interfaith environment . n KT Editorial . .2 A Conversation With Irene… . 20–21 Kevin McBride contents Guest editorial: One year on . .3 On Englishing the Liturgy . 22–23 Letters to the Editor . .4 Prof G B Harrison Comment: Every Child Counts . 5 A True Fairy Story . 24 Dame Pat Harrison Mary Woods The Bounce of the Ball . 6–7 Support for Carers at Home . 25 Mike Riddell A Response from Jan Emson Three Cheers for Sport . 8–9 Letters to the Editor continued . 25 Mark Bracewell The Very Core of the Gospel? . 26–27 A New World is Possible . 10-11 Sr Kathleen Rushton RSM Canon Paul Oestreicher Book and film reviews . 28–29 To Work or Not to Work . 12–13 Robert Reid Cross Currents . 30 Jim Elliston Celebrating Francis . 13 Nicky Chapman Liturgy and Abuse . 31 Fr Peter Norris Are Recent Reforms Working? . 14–15 Ivan Snook Down by the River . 32 Robin Kearns Of Gods and Men . 16–17 Fr Kevin Toomey OP The Senses Have It! . 18–19 front cover illustration: Donald Moorhead Fr Daniel O’Leary 2 Tui Motu InterIslands September 2011 . guest editorial one year on Jim Consedine n the middle of the road outside shoulders when another hits, do a mode of coping . Some are positively my home, a hole about a metre quick estimate of its force — 3 .1 or buoyant, fuelled by the challenges in diameter appears regularly . 4 .7, whatever — and get on with posed by the re-construction of a INo matter how often the road fixing what they are doing . Such is life in whole city . people come and fill it in with tarseal, quake city . There are some scary things too . within a matter of days it re-appears, It is hard to talk of Christchurch A friend told how she had unwisely slumping into the earth, daring driv- accurately because the whole of the re-entered her red stickered home to ers to circumnavigate . Apparently, city was not equally affected . While retrieve some items, found the front the ground under the road has all in Canterbury felt the quakes, door unable to be re-opened from liquefied and left gaping gaps in the many parts of Christchurch, par- the inside due to quake damage, got subterranean structure . ticularly on the western side of the out through the back door which she One year on, it has become a city, were not damaged to any great locked behind her . She found herself personal symbol of the after effects extent . Electricity was never off, in her own yard, now surrounded of the 7 .1 magnitude earthquake water kept running, schools stayed by two metre cyclone fencing, that struck Canterbury in September open, most still went to work and life virtually imprisoned on a property last year — and of the subsequent was relatively normal . from which she was legally banned . quakes which have held this province But in other parts of the city Eventually she clambered through emotionally captive ever since . While especially on the eastern side, life the wire and escaped! much has been repaired or re-con- as we know it stopped and salvage From a personal perspective, it is structed, some basics may never be and emotional maintenance took great to have the toilet re-connected . fixed properly . One such area is the centre stage . While the inten- Last Saturday, my toilet was flushing land most badly affected by liquefac- sity of such responses has been again and the sewage pipes were all tion . Talk abounds of abandoning reduced substantially, many still up and working . It may seem to be such areas and either creating parks suffer from post-traumatic dis- a small thing, but it was a red letter or allowing them to revert to their tress, high anxiety levels and fear day for me . No more port-a-loos or natural state . for the future . Their homes have chemical toilets! Yea . To survey the Central Business been taken from them and red One year on the new city develop- District is to survey unbelievable stickered, they are forced to rent, ment plan, ‘city in a garden’, is under destruction . Well-known landmarks their emotional wellbeing has discussion, with lots of green spaces, are down everywhere — replaced by been under siege and their future light rail, imaginative buildings empty sections covered in gravel and prospects dramatically affected . and people friendly sites proposed . surrounded by fences . Of course, it Despite all this, the spirit of the Obviously a lot of creative energy has won’t stay that way forever . But that people never ceases to amaze me . already gone into it . is the way it is thus far . While thousands have fled either tem- The advent of spring and warmer Everyone is fed up with the porarily or permanently, most others weather has helped lift the mood of aftershocks, though they are dimin- are showing remarkable resilience . people . The city may be in ruins, but ishing . But most now just shrug their Most have adopted the London blitz no one has told the daffodils . n Tui Motu-InterIslands is an independent, address: Independent Catholic Magazine Ltd, Catholic, monthly magazine. It invites its read- P O Box 6404, Dunedin North, 9059 ers to question, challenge and contribute to its phone: (03) 477 1449 discussion of spiritual and social issues in the fax: (03) 477 8149 light of gospel values, and in the interests of a email: [email protected] more just and peaceful society. Inter-church website: www.tuimotu.org and inter-faith dialogue is welcomed. editor: Kevin Toomey OP The name Tui Motu was given by Pa Henare Tate. It literally assistant editor: Elizabeth Mackie OP means “stitching the islands together...”, bringing the dif- illustrator: Don Moorhead ferent races and peoples and faiths together to create one directors: Rita Cahill RSJ, Philip Casey, Neil Darragh, Paul Pacific people of God. Divergence of opinion is expected Ferris, Robin Kearns, Elizabeth Mackie OP (interim chair), and will normally be published, although that does not Peter Murnane OP necessarily imply editorial commitment to the viewpoint typesetting: Greg Hings expressed. ISSM 1174-8931 printers: Southern Colour Print, 1 Turakina Road, Dunedin Issue number 153 South, 9012 3 Tui Motu InterIslands September 2011 letters new mass text include people in all situations . letters to the editor It was with feelings of shock and The irony hit me that we were incredulity that I read the report in sitting in Mass – the adults had We welcome comment, your paper (TM, August 11) from prepared hymns with exclusive discussion, argument, debate.