Busy Month of Jubilees

Dear Reader,

The Church’s busy Jubilee schedule is especially full in June, with eight separate celebrations taking place in Rome. As we do every month, we bring these jubilees to South Africa by way of articles and reflections.

This month, however, space constraints mean that we’ve had to combine some of the themes. We do so with the jubilees of priests and seminarians, which follow directly after one another, and likewise with those of bishops (celebrated on June 25) and the Holy See (June 9).

If all of this seems rather clerical, take heart: the Holy See also placed the Jubilee of Ecclesial Movements, Associations and New Communities in June — a celebration of lay-driven movements. Many local Catholics live out their gifts in sodalities, associations, movements or tertiary orders. Fr S’milo Mngadi offers a helpful overview of the Southern African scene.

Another jubilee event this month turns to the world of sport, so on page 26 we look at what the Church says about that. Not by chance, our “From the Vaults” column features a rare photo of Fr Karol Wojtyła — the future Pope St John Paul II — in a football team photo. As a boy in Poland, Karol had been a goalkeeper, and that idea has stuck in the popular imagination. But in Rome, he played outfield. I wonder: was he a playmaking Number 10 or a tough central defender?

On page 24, the focus turns to families, whose jubilee is celebrated from May 30 to June 1. The article reminds those of us who raised or mentored children that, as we grow older, we might find ourselves being mentored by them in turn — and that requires humility.

The story of the cover

Our cover features a dynamic artwork from 1881 by the French painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905), a devout Catholic.

It shows the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus and his little cousin John, who would become the forerunner and baptiser of the Lord. It is a sweet and engaging image. Bouguereau had painted a very similar scene six years earlier, with the three dressed identically. In that earlier work, the infant Jesus gives his cousin a tender kiss (see bottom of the page).

Bouguereau’s paintings draw from his imagination. The Gospels give no account of whether Jesus and John met between the former’s leaping in St Elizabeth’s womb and the baptism in the Jordan. Our Saint of the Month feature provides an overview of what we do know about John the Baptiser.

Some readers may ask why we refer to “John the Baptiser”, rather than the more traditional “Baptist”. “Baptiser” is a usage that is increasingly preferred in modern Bible translations. It is drawn from the Greek Iōánnēs ho baptízōn — meaning “John, the one baptising” — and it reflects his role as a prophet whose ministry included baptism, rather than suggesting that it was his “profession”.

As many parishes begin their RCIA classes at this time of year, Sarah-Leah Pimentel’s erudite article provides a fascinating history of adult converts.

RCIA catechumens can benefit richly from The Southern Cross — not only as a source of information, but also as a means of entering more deeply into the culture of the Catholic faith. We hope parishes make them aware of the opportunity our monthly Catholic magazine offers.

The new pope

Finally, where’s the new pope? The production of your monthly magazine is a long process, including the turnaround time needed for printing and distribution. In short, we had to go to print with this edition just before the cardinals gathered in conclave to elect the new pope.

Of course, the new Holy Father will feature in the July issue. And our special memorial issue for Pope Francis is still available (you can order it from Eugene at )

Thank you for reading The Southern Cross.

God bless,

Günther Simmermacher
(Editor)