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Responsible votes
As South African voters prepare to go to the polls on April 22, they will be well advised to refer to the Catholic bishops’ pastoral statement “Awake! Awake! Protect our Democracy”. The bishops’ pastoral statement should be required reading even for non-Catholics because it outlines persuasively the responsibility of every South African citizen to be involved in the political processes of the country — and not only at election time.
Read more…
There but for God’s grace go I
the column of Chris Moerdyk “How it might have been for Jesus on his visit to hell” (February 4- 10) warrants a response, perhaps by one of the priests who write for The Southern Cross. The latter part of Mr Moerdyk’s article is not only disturbing but erroneous too. He says: “I am quite sure…Christ would have seen a certain Mr Mugabe entering its fiery portals.” Read more…
Awake! Awake! Protect Our Democracy
SACBC Pastoral Letter in preparation for South Africa’s Elections in 2009
“Awake! Awake! Protect Our Democracy”
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, After 15 years of democracy, we are once again about to take part in elections to choose a new government. Since the “miracle” elections of 1994, when God answered our prayers for peace, the excitement about the end of apartheid and the new experience of voting is over. South Africa is an emerging democracy, with all its vigorous debates, conflicting interests and related power struggles. Read more…
Catechism on a new wicket
The success of the South African cricketers in Australia recently will undoubtedly increase the interest of our youth in this great game.
It also reminded me of a quite remarkable project involving cricket which sought to demonstrate the fundamentals of Christianity to a group of youngsters. Read more…
Teachable moments
The theme for the 6th World Meeting of Families held recently in Mexico City was “Families as educators in human and Christian values”. But we could ask: “Who and what does most of the educating these days, not just of children but of all members of the family?” Read more…
Why new Mass translations were necessary
By Cardinal Wilfrid F. Napier OFM
The trouble with the current debate on English in the liturgy is that it has been allowed to deviate from the rules, with many choosing to play the man rather than the ball. Indeed, some have not even bothered to learn the rules before joining in the free-for-all that this has become. Read more…
The absence of love
IN his Lenten message, Pope Benedict urges Catholics to detach themselves from material goods and to give to the poor. When we “mortify our egoism and open our hearts to love God and neighbour”, the pope says, we come closer to Jesus.
Read more…
Invite the angels
The celebrant of a Mass I attended recently said beliefs of many in our town in potions and icons to protect them were misplaced.
It is Catholic teaching that there are angels; that each one of us has been assigned a personal guardian angel from infancy. Many of these beings must be disappointed at being ignored for most of our lives! Read more…
Interfereniks in the parish
When I was an altar server more than half a century ago, there were so many priests at my parish I could hardly remember all their names. Those were the days when parish priests could pop in every so often and have tea with parishioners, spend hours at sickbeds, and generally live a pretty peaceful, unhurried life with oodles of time for prayer and contemplation. Read more…
Funding parties, buying favours
Elections, many argue, are won first in the media, then at the polls. The party that successfully saturates radio, television, print media and (increasingly today) online with its message is the party that wins. In the age of ‘spin-doctoring’ the media consultants and advertising companies vote early and vote often — at a price. One might argue that elections can be ‘bought’ without bribery of voters. If you have enough campaign funding you ‘take’ the country. Read more…
