PRE-ORDER YOUR PAPAL VISIT SOUVENIR COPIES OF THE SCO SEE PAGE 11 FOR DETAILS FOUR WEEKS UNTIL POPE BENEDICT XVI ARRIVES No 5289 Bomb scare at Lourdes is false alarm Page Police and army responded to threat on Feast of the Assumption 23 No 5378 www.scottishcatholicobserver.org.uk Friday August 20 2010 | 90p Deadly disease follows flood HEROIC EFFORTS I Senior Scottish clergymen urge public to support emergency appeals for Pakistan MARY’S MEALS founder is chosen by broadcaster CNN as subject of short film coinciding with heroes award campaign Page 3 SCOTLAND’S PAPAL VISITS MICHAEL TURNBULL examines how Pope John Paul II overcame Main: Flood victims hold out a pot for food along a roadside in Pakistan's difficulties facing his Muzaffargarh District in the province of visit in 1982 Punjab last week. Above: Young flood victims eat outside a makeshift camp in Sukkur. Emergency response teams and Pages 12-13 aid agencies are confronting new dangers posed by disease PICS: CNS IRISH RESIGNATIONS By Ian Dunn places in so much need. I will never for- monsoon downpours have engulfed Mosque’s overseas aid unit who are co- get the destruction and suffering I have much of your country, killing almost ordinating local fundraising efforts, and THE plight of the 20 million people witnessed.” 2000 people and forcing millions from is urging parishioners to support affected by devastating flooding in Pakistan’s high commissioner to their homes,” he said. “The spread of SCIAF’s emergency appeal. Pakistan has moved Scotland’s Britain said it could take five years and disease is likely to follow immediately most senior Catholic clergymen to £9.6bn for the country to recover. on this disastrous flooding. Our Scottish Papal prayers appeal for help on their behalf. Health officials have warned that dis- Catholic International Aid Fund has Church-led charities in Pakistan have Cardinal Keith O’Brien and ease could spread quickly among the already pledged monies through Caritas been at the forefront of flood relief Archbishop Mario Conti have offered millions of displaced people and that Internationalis, the global network of efforts especially since a message was prayers and support for the flood vic- 3.5m children are at risk. Catholic agencies, to respond to the sent to the region by Pope Benedict tims and made urgent appeals for Fr Tom Rafferty, parish priest of Holy urgent need for water, sanitation and XVI. The Holy Father expressed his Scots to give generously to efforts to Name parish, Nowshera, told Aid to the food, and following on the generous condolences in a telegram to SCIAF and emergency campaigns to Church in Need there was an urgent collections of the peoples of Scotland, Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of help those affected by the disaster in need for medical supplies to curb out- we hope to send more financial aid in Lahore, head of the Pakistan Bishops’ Pakistan. breaks of malaria, dysentery, scabies the days to come.” Conference. It reads: “The Holy and other skin rashes, typhoid, cholera The cardinal said the people of Father commends the deceased to the Devastation and other potential health epidemics. Pakistan were in his thoughts and Almighty [and] prays for all involved Three weeks of monsoon rains have “The appeals coming from Nowshera prayers ‘as we pray that other coun- in providing assistance to the victims.” triggered Pakistan’s worst flooding, are becoming more desperate by the tries in the world will also rally to your Cooking equipment, hygiene kits and with an estimated 1600 people killed day,” he said. assistance.’ bedding were being delivered to severe- VATICAN DECLINES and 20 million affected in Khyber- Maurizio Giuliano, of the UN Office Archbishop Conti of Glasgow made a ly hit areas but John Joseph, of Caritas resignations of two Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh for the Coordination of Humanitarian similar plea asking Catholics to bear in Islamabad-Rawalpindi, said it was a dif- auxiliary bishops in provinces, according to Pakistani gov- Affairs (OCHA) estimated that the mind the historic links between ficult situation. ernment officials. number of people at risk from such dis- Glasgow and Pakistan. “Access to a lot of the affected areas is Dublin Archdiocese The World Bank has said it will pro- eases was six million. “Glasgow has close links with still impossible, and it is hard to organise vide $900 million to fund relief but the Pakistan and counts many people of distribution amid the panic,” he said. Page 24 United Nations said on Tuesday that Scottish pledges Pakistani origin among its citizens,” he only a fraction of flood victims in Cardinal O’Brien of St Andrews and said. “At this time of trial it is vital that I You can donate at www.sciaf.org.uk Pakistan have received any help so far. Edinburgh Archdiocese has written to Glaswegians of all faiths and none or by calling 0141 354 5555 At the weekend the UN’s secretary Archbishop Pinto of Karachi and should show solidarity with those who General Ban Ki-Moon said the disaster Archbishop Saldanha of Lahore say- are suffering as a result of the terrible I For more information contact Aid to was the worst he had ever seen after vis- ing the bishops, priests, religious and flooding,” the Church in need on iting affected areas. people of Scotland were ‘aware of the The archbishop has arranged for a http://www.acnuk.org/ “The scale of this disaster is so large,” sufferings of your people.’ direct gift to be made from Glasgow he said. “So many people in so many “We are aware that the torrential Archdiocese to the Glasgow Central I [email protected] SCO, 19 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6BT I tel 0141 221 4956 I fax 0141 221 4546 e-mail [email protected] 2 PICTURE NEWS SUPPORT YOUR NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER Friday August 20 2010 St Mary’s celebrates cardinal anniversary By Martin Dunlop the cardinal said. Two surprises awaited Cardinal CARDINAL KEITH O’Brien, the O’Brien at the end of the Mass of UK’s most senior Catholic clergy- Thanksgiving. Before the final bless- man, continued the celebrations ing, Mgr Regan, introduced Sir Tom marking his silver jubilee as a bish- Farmer, who on behalf of benefactors op, with a Mass with the priests and of the cathedral, presented to the cathe- parishioners of St Mary’s dral in the cardinal’s name, a mace, Cathedral, Edinburgh on Sunday, described as being a symbol of the the Feast of the Assumption. teaching role of the bishop. Having been ordained in the cathe- It was designed by a local craftsman, dral on April 3, 1965 and then ordained Graham Stewart, a silversmith based in as a bishop some 20 years later on Dunblane, and having inscribed on the August 5 1985—both ordinations being mace the coats of arms of Queen conducted by his predecessor, Cardinal Margaret of Scotland, the Papacy, the Gordon Gray—Cardinal O’Brien indi- archdiocese, and Cardinal O’Brien’s cated that it was a great joy being back own coat of arms, with his motto at St Mary’s for this silver jubilee. inscribed ‘Serve the Lord with He thanked the three successive Gladness.’ administrators of the cathedral, who The mace will be held before the car- had worked with him and for him, dinal when he enters the cathedral for including particular praise for the pres- major events. ent administrator, Mgr Michael Regan, At the end of the Mass Cardinal whose material work in the cathedral O’Brien was joined in the piazza in was not as obvious as that of the previ- front of the cathedral by the Polish ous administrators because of many Border Guard Army Band, who are per- unseen and unknown problems, partic- forming at the Edinburgh Military ularly with the roof at present in the St Tattoo this year, and who came to pay Andrew Aisle. tribute to the cardinal and the strong Speaking in his homily the cardinal links between Scotland and Poland. mentioned the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Scotland and that—on the Feast of the Assumption—“We confidently place the Holy Father’s Cardinal Keith O’Brien enjoyed celebra- tions for his Silver Jubilee at St Mary’s visit into the protection of Mary Cathedral in Edinburgh (top). His Eminence assumed into heaven, and we ask Her was was presented with a Mace by Sir to pray for the Pope and for all of us Tom Farmer (far right) as part of the cele- that the presence of the Vicar of Jesus brations. he was also greeted by the Polish Christ and the Successor of Peter Border Guard Army Band (Podhalanczycy), among us will be a great blessing for seen here at Edinburgh City Chambers the Church and for this nation. with the cardinal, Lord Provost George “This will be the first ever state visit Grubb, Polish Ambassador Mrs Barbara by a Pope to the UK, and we are Tuge-Erecinska and Consul General Dr Tomasz Trafas pleased that it will begin in Scotland,” PICS: PAUL McSHERRY A beautiful day to give praise at Carfin Walk for life Saturday 11th September 2010, 10am Water Sports Centre Strathclyde Country Park Are you willing to walk 4 miles to help maintain the pro-life work of SPUC Scotland? THE Feast of the spirituality of Lourdes nearer to at Bellahouston Park will be Bishop Tartaglia led the Paisley SPUC Scotland is once again holding its Assumption on Sunday saw our homes’ as well as highlight- unforgettably joyful and uplift- Diocesan Carfin pilgrimage Yellaʼ Umbrella Sponsored Walk at Strathclyde Bishop Philip Tartaglia of ing the importance of the feast of ing,” Bishop Tartaglia said.