| April 2009 |
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Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam Bulletin for April 2009 Sunday Mass Times
0730 Mass in Thai Weekday Mass Times
18.00 Mass in Thai in Chapel of Building 3 HOLY WEEK 2009 Each Liturgy is at 19.30 (7.30 pm) in the large chapel in Thai with some English Maundy Thursday 9th April – Mass of the Lord’s Supper Good Friday 10th April – Liturgy of the Passion Holy Saturday 11th April – Easter Vigil Liturgy
Easter Sunday 12th April – Eucharists as usual
APRIL General: That the Lord may bless the farmers with an abundant harvest and sensitise the richer populations to the drama of hunger in the world.
Mission: That the Christians who work in areas where the conditions of the poor, the weak and the women and children are most tragic, may be signs of hope, thanks to their courageous testimony to the Gospel of solidarity and love.
In May
Collection The Sunday Offertory Collection for the month of February was 40,282 Baht. We thank you for your very generous support of the mission & outreach of The Seven Fountains Spirituality Centre.
Merging Worlds – Slime Moulds, the Environment and Human Dignity http://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20090311_1.htm
Pray-as-you-go can be found at www.pray-as-you-go.org Sacred Space may be found at www.sacredspace.ie livesimply is a challenge to live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with people in poverty. www.progressio.org.uk/livesimply/AssociatesHome2/92990/livesimply/
“You are the mystery that is placed upon the Lord's table. You receive the mystery that is yourself. To that which you are, you will respond, 'Amen.'" From: Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation by Martin Laird, O.S.A. p. 14-15.
Cardinal Calls Poverty a Moral Problem Urges Change in Short-Term Gain Mentality Poverty is a problem posed to humanity's moral conscience, and cannot be explained solely from the material point of view, says Cardinal Renato Martino, the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Addressing the topic of poverty and pandemics, especially AIDS, Cardinal Martino called for "greater and more exact consideration of the intrinsic moral implications that such a relationship entails." He underlined two ethical points for the fight against illness in poor countries. It is necessary, he said, "to make medicines and necessary care available to poor people, reconsidering the system of patents through the assumption of responsibility by the international community, to guarantee all men and women the necessary basic health care." He also called on the global community to "hasten educational campaigns for a sexuality that responds fully to the dignity of the person."
The cardinal reminded his listeners that "everything that weakens the family causes harm that is discharged on children; where the dignity of woman and motherhood is not promoted, the dignity of boys and girls is also wounded." He affirmed that the food crisis "is characterized not by the insufficiency of food, but by the lack of a network of political and economic institutions capable of addressing needs and emergencies." At the world level, he said, the most serious problem is "the increase of the inequality between rich and poor," because "of the technological change" and "the price dynamics of industrial products, which increases more rapidly than the price of the goods and services produced by the poorest countries." Moral struggle Cardinal Martino stressed that the struggle against poverty, far from implying an increase of material aid, entails a "moral change." He highlighted the need to "rediscover the natural law, namely, the shared ethical code that gives meaning to the common commitment to build peace." He also mentioned the need to renew the norms that govern international trade, especially the abrogation of "protective, unjust and anachronistic measures" used by industrialized countries, as well as the establishment of a "culture of cooperation" among the poor countries. Addressing the present economic crisis, the cardinal clarified once again that it is "an ethical problem," and that it is necessary to change "the mentality that reigns in financial activities, all based on self-reference and short-term gain," and to place it in "the perspective of the common good." He emphasized the importance of putting the person at the center of the economy. He affirmed, "The problems of development, aid and international cooperation are often resolved without really involving people, but only as questions of predisposition of mechanisms, of specifying tariff agreements, of accreditation of anonymous financing, while, on the contrary, the struggle against poverty needs men and women who live fraternity profoundly, who are able to support individuals, families and communities in endeavors of genuine human development." He continued: "It is impossible to help the poor if they are seen only as part of a balance sheet of costs and benefits, as numbers and, in the end, as problems." Social doctrine In the struggle against poverty, it is necessary that Catholic organizations "know well" the social doctrine of the Church, because the object of this doctrine is and will always be the sacred dignity of man, made in the image of God, and the safeguarding of his inalienable rights, explained the cardinal. Social doctrine's basis, he affirmed, is "the truth about human nature itself, truth understood by reason and enlightened by revelation, its moving force, love as evangelical precept and norm of action." The cardinal stated that the Church, in offering her social teaching, "does not limit herself to offer principles for reflection, orientations, guidelines, observations or appeals, but she also presents norms of judgment and guidelines for action that every Catholic is called to put at the base of his prudent experience, to translate it later and concretely into efficacious categories of collaboration and commitment." He added: "The light of the truth of man, created by God and redeemed by Christ, is an answer to one of the greatest weaknesses of contemporary society: the inadequate vision of man." This vision, he said, "must differentiate a Catholic NGO from those nongovernmental organizations that are also dedicated to the struggle against extreme poverty and hunger." ZENIT is an international news agency. Visit us at: http://www.zenit.org Thoughts
Victory breeds enmity; the defeated live in pain. The peaceful live happily, avoiding both victory and defeat.
Contentment is a pearl of great price, and whoever procures it at the expense of ten thousand desires makes a wise and a happy purchase. Scripture Series
These will continue on 16th December
THE HEYTHROP INSTITUTE FOR RELIGION ETHICS AND PUBLIC LIFE Thinking Faith http://www.thinkingfaith.org/index.htm Thinking Faith is a free on-line publication of the British Jesuits. Subscribe to these Thinking Faith alerts using This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Report from CAFOD.
Some people claim there is an irreconcilable split between faith and the spread of HIV – but being a faith-based agency actually provides many special strengths in the fight against HIV and AIDS. At the grassroots level, faith organisations often draw on people from within local faith communities – so people know we and our partners are there for the long-term. This provides a unique level of trust, while our shared connection means we are well-placed to serve the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of those affected by HIV. Our partners have an intimate understanding of the complexity of the lives of people they serve, and testify that there is no simple, single prevention solution
Faith provides many ready-made networks close at hand that can access even the remotest communities – the Catholic Church is especially important in this outreach, as evidenced by my blogs from the 2008 UNAIDS Conference in Mexico . Churches also often carry a huge amount of influence, and can help get the voice of local communities heard at national and international levels – and we encourage Church leaders to hold governments to account where possible. Our partners have an intimate understanding of the complexity of the lives of people they serve, and testify there is no simple, single prevention solution. An all-round strategy is the only solution - there is no “silver bullet”. Responses to HIV need to provide good quality care and support to those affected, offer effective prevention, and push hard for changes to the social and economic injustices highlighted by HIV. At CAFOD, we advocate a three-way approach (outlined in our Working Positively leaflet ) - reducing the risk of infection, tackling the root causes, and lessening the impact. It is obvious that people must be helped to reduce or remove their risk of infection,. So, with our partners, we believe people should have full and accurate information on the effectiveness and limitations of all risk reduction options We also respect a person’s right to make decisions consistent with their own religious convictions and individual circumstances – whatever they may be. But risk reduction alone is not enough – there are many underlying problems that make people more vulnerable to HIV infection, such as poverty, lack of education and gender inequality. Tackling these problems is also essential if prevention is to be effective. It is our core work as CAFOD. Lessening the impact is also essential. It is vital to stop the circular effect of poverty and infection. For instance, supporting an HIV-positive mother means her children are not orphaned, which in turn can reduce their vulnerability to exploitation and infection. And support stretches beyond those already HIV-positive. Celina (pictured) has to nurse her own parents who both have HIV, as well as bring up her brother, sister and son – all while living in a drought-stricken region of Mozambique. Thankfully, she does not have to shoulder this burden alone. She has help from Amelia, one of many HIV volunteers who stand alongside families in need, supported by our local partner CEDES. Celina says: “This has made a big difference. Her presence supports me and it means I have more time to look after the children. We are so glad for the help.” At this moment, around 95 per cent of people with HIV and AIDS live in developing countries – we must remember that this vast epidemic actively reverses development, as poverty increases while access to education, jobs and healthcare goes down. This is why the efforts of faith-based groups are so crucial – our own mandate from the Catholic Church is to promote human development and social justice in witness to Gospel values. As the Ghana Bishops’ Conference says: “If the yardstick of our faith is unconditional love, then our response to people living with HIV and AIDS will be a measure of our faith.” Pope Benedict’s visit to Israel in May 2009. Here is an article from Father Tom Wynne who is the Parish Priest at St Margaret’s RC Church, Roybridge, Scotland. “Pope Benedict has been invited to visit Israel in May, and his visit will strengthen the friendship between the Jewish people and the Church. However, when it was announced some time ago, that the cause of Pope Pius XII was being considered for canonisation, the Vatican was severely criticised by a number of leading Jews for they believed that Pius XII did little to help the Jewish people during the war, and could have prevented the deaths of many if he had intervenedwiththeNazis. I hope the following article will allow readers to know the full truth of the incredible work Pope Pius XII did to save the Jews and how he has been slandered and falsely accused by enemies of the Church who were very much in the pay of communists. The article is by an acknowledged historian, Con McGillicuddy, and is entitled The myth that Pope Pius X11 was Hitler’s Pope A number of books have been written in recent years antagonistic to the person and life of Pope Pius XII, the most recent being Hitler's Pope by John Cornwell. In all of these anti-Pope writings the common themes of distortion and misrepresentation of the actions of the pope emerge. When Pope Pius XII died just fifty years ago, he was acclaimed and praised by Chaim Weizmann, Israel's first president; Prime Minister Moshe Sharett; Rabbi Isaac Herzog, chief rabbi of Israel and many others. Golda Meir, Israel's foreign minister, sent a message of condolence to the Vatican, ' we share in the grief of humanity, when fearful martyrdom came to our people in the decade of Nazi terror the voice of the pope was raised for victims'. Sir Martin Gilbert, one of the most distinguished historians and biographers of our time, states that Pius XII personally through his representatives had a direct role in saving hundreds of thousands of Jews.' This work of the pope is well documented in books written by Jewish authors to counteract the false, misleading and slanderous words of commercial writers. In 1955 the Israeli authorities wished to confer an award on Archbishop Montini, Secretary of State to the pope (and later himself the future Pope Paul VI), for his work in saving their fellow countrymen. Montini declined saying: 'all I did was my duty. I only acted upon orders from the Holy Father; nobody deserves a medal for that." As in Italy, so it was in France, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Romania. The Catholic Church carried on this great humanitarian work of saving Jewish people from the concentration camps because Pope Pius XII directed his bishops and priests to rescue these persecuted people. In 1957, the Israeli government expressed profound gratitude to Cardinal Roncalli for his help in saving thousands of Jews in the Balkans. Roncalli, the future Pope John XIII, said: ' In all these painful matters I referred to the Holy See and afterwards carried out the pope's orders first and foremost to save human lives.' The vitriolic slanders on the name of Pius XII by John Cornwell in his book Hitler's Pope and by other anti-papal writers are contradicted by reputable Jewish writers and historians. In the misleading front jacket of his book, Cornwell has a picture of Pius in his role as nuncio to Germany (1917-1929) leaving a government reception with two German soldiers on guard duty. This event took place in 1927 when Hitler was only a minor player in German politics. The use of this photograph under the heading Hitler's Pope gives the impression that the future Pope Pius XII is emerging from a cosy tete-a-tete with Hitler. Making matters worse is the caption inside the British edition which reads: 'Cover photograph shows Cardinal Pacelli, the future Pius XII, leaving the presidential palace in Berlin, March 1939.' This is patently false. Anti-papal writers accuse Pius of being in favour of the Nazi regime as a bulwark against communism. This is untrue. Cardinal Pacellli as Secretary of State to Pope Pius XI formulated the powerful encyclical Mit Brennender Sorge (With Burning Anxiety) and arranged to have it smuggled into Germany in 1937 to be read in all Catholic Churches. This encyclical clearly condemned the anti-Christian, anti-God like laws of the Nazi regime and of course the persecution of the Jews, which was then gathering momentum in Germany. Rabbi David Dalin in his book The Myth of Hitler's Pope recounts the strenuous efforts of Cardinal Pacelli in defence of the persecuted Jews in Germany. The Nazi press lampooned him as 'the Jew loving Cardinal'. The day after his election the Berlin Morgenpost read: 'The election of Cardinal Pacelli is not accepted with favour in Germany because he was always opposed to Nazism and practically determined the policies of the Vatican under his predecessor.' The first encyclical of Pope Pius XII, Summi Pontificatus, expressly rejected Nazism and the hostility towards Jews in Germany. The New York Times greeted this encyclical with a front page headline which read: 'Pope condemns dictators, treaty violators, racism'.' The Manchester Guardian and The London Times continued to praise Pius for his condemnation of Nazi atrocities against Jews in Germany and Poland. Following the Pope's Christmas address in 1941, broadcast on Vatican Radio, The New York Times stated: ' The voice of Pius XII is a lonely voice in the silence and darkness enveloping Europe this Christmas ... the pope put himself squarely against Hitlerism. Pius XII left no doubt that the Nazi aims are also irreconcilable with his own conception of a Christian peace." In 1942 the Bishops of The Netherlands credited Pope Pius as their inspiration in issuing a Pastoral Letter which was read from every pulpit in the country on 19 April, denouncing: 'the unmerciful and unjust treatment meted out to Jews by those in power in our country': Unfortunately the Nazis reacted with fury and intensified their efforts to capture Jews in Holland. In effect the vast majority of Holland's Jews were sent to the death camps. The Nazis slaughtered 110,000 people, or 79 percent of Holland's Jewish population, the highest percentage in any Nazi-occupied nation in Western Europe. This reaction to the strong protest of Church authorities probably influenced Pius to do more by diplomatic means and through the direct intervention of Church people to save Jews. Pius knew well who he was dealing with in Hitler, a ruthless dictator, and his equally ruthless cohorts Himmler, Ribbentrop and Goebbels, who would deny doing harm to the Jews and claim that Pius was an agent and dupe of the Allies. Pius was not naive; he knew megaphone declamations would have no effect. He chose diplomatic intervention and used the resources of his Church to counteract the Nazi terror. Catholics can be proud that we had a pope of great compassion and courage who put into effect his master's command ' love one another as I have loved you' (John 13:34) during the dark days of the Second World War.” New Member of the Seven Fountains Jesuit Community We are delighted to welcome Brother Jaime (Jimmy) Rivera and introduce him to the wider community. Jimmy is from the Philippines and besides continuing his Thai studies, he will be teaching in the Tuition School here in Seven Fountains, as well as in some of the Catholic Schools in Chiang Mai. We hope Jimmy will spend a fruitful time with us before the next stage of his Jesuit training. Pope Accepts Chiang Mai Bishop’s Resignation Pope Benedict has accepted the resignation of Bishop Joseph Sangwal because of ill health. Fr. Francis Xavier Vira Apornrat, presently teaching in the Major Seminary, has been appointed the new Bishop of Chiang Mai. He is to be ordained bishop in Chiang Mai Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on May 1st. Let us keep both men in our prayers. Due to Fr. David’s absence from Seven Fountains there will be no Bulletins published for the months of May and June The next bulletin
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