The Threshold of Hope

Best of the Blog

2008-12-31T16:59:00.000+08:00

Here are a selection of topics that can be found in our pages.
They are here to provide first time readers an overview of what can be found in this blog, and also so that you don't miss some really insightful and informative pieces that have appeared in the past.

Personal Sharings

The Catholic Church in Singapore

Compare... the Veritas! Website- comparing two church websites leads to an informative debate on whether the church should pay for quality work. (Aug 06)
Is the Sunday Missal meant to be read during Mass?
The Church and Media relations:- On the Archibishop's response to the tsunami
Familiar or Foreign?: Church Architecture and Worship
Should we sing the 'Our Father' in Latin?
On the recent changes to the way we celebrate mass in Singapore: more on the Latin debate.
Should Catholics read the Da Vinci Code?
Good ole Liturgy - the Latin rite

Youth Ministry

Confirmation : Problems with our catechesis and what to do about it.
Discovering the Purpose of Youth Ministry

Catholicism and Protestantism

Theology

I wish to thank every single writer that has contributed to this blog for spending the time and energy to share. "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find" (Matthew 7:7) I am sure you will find, as I have, that writing in these pages has allowed each of us to grow in our own way.

Embryo: a debate

2008-02-25T22:08:00.001+08:00

Embryo debate between Saletan & George/Tollefsen

Little Children by William Saletan
Embryonic Debate by Robert P. George & Christopher Tollefsen
The Machine of a new Soul by William Saletan
Civil Engagement by Robert P. George & Christopher Tollefsen

Saying what needs to be said

2007-12-27T15:22:00.001+08:00

Seen in a parish bulletin. A letter from the pastor to his parishioners.

My dear people of St. Matthew’s,
Recently we have been discussing what it means to be a “practicing Catholic.” We saw that the Catechism of the Catholic Church, published in 1992, lists five “precepts,” or basic laws, that are fundamental to living the Catholic Faith. In short, following these precepts is absolutely necessary in order to call oneself a “practicing Catholic,” although much more is required than the bare minimum to call oneself a “good Catholic.”
The First Precept, as we saw previously, is: You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on Holy Days of Obligation and rest from servile labor.
It is the widespread violation of this precept that has caused the greatest number of problems in our Church over the last forty years. Currently, the number of Roman Catholics in the United States who live this precept and attend Mass every Sunday and Holy Day is roughly 20 percent. Obviously, this is a deplorable statistic, and is the explanation for many of the troubles in our Catholic families.
Marriage is a sacrament. When a couple comes to a Catholic parish wanting to get married, they first must have an interview with a priest or a deacon. Any Catholic clergyman will tell you his experience is that the overwhelming majority of couples who approach the Church seeking the sacrament of marriage are living together, and are not attending Mass on any regular basis. Now, if a couple are not practicing Catholics, why would they want to get married in the Church? The answer, I suppose, is that they feel “culturally Catholic.” They want to have a traditional wedding, with all the trappings, and they want to have it in the parish church with which they have family associations. After the wedding, they never set foot in church again until the first baby needs baptism. Then, when Catholic couples divorce in the same percentages as the rest of society, everyone is mystified. If they speak to a priest at some point, inevitably the question comes: “How could God let this happen?” The only answer we can give to a question like that is: “You never allowed Him into your marriage in the first place. You never prayed, you never came to Church, you never went to confession, and occasionally you received Communion unworthily. How did you expect Him to help you when you shut Him out of your life so completely?”
The other place where this manifests itself so clearly is in the area of religious education. Here at St. Matthew’s we have an excellent religious education program, staffed by very hard working employees and dedicated volunteers. We try our best to provide a quality, orthodox Catholic education for our young people, and strive each year to improve it. The problem is that very few of the 2,000 children in the program are ever taken to Mass by their parents. The numbers are no different in St. Matthew’s than they are in any other parish in our diocese, or in our country for that matter. I will tell you honestly, I simply do not understand why parents bring their children to religious education classes if they are not practicing Catholics and never come to Mass. If I were a parent and not at all religious, I simply wouldn’t bother. And if I did, I certainly would not complain constantly about the minimalist requirements of the program. I do not want to sound blasphemous, but why would parents take their children to soccer practice each week and then never take them to play in a game?
It is hard, perhaps, for parents who are not religious to understand, but the Catholic Church cannot give their children anything that they are not first receiving at home. In the religious education program, we have children for about an hour a week for twenty-four weeks a year. The kids come late, and leave early. They miss classes. They never come to Mass unless mandated by the program under pain of expulsion. Is it any wonder, then, that they are bored, misbehave, learn to hate religion, and don’t know even the most basic Catholic prayers by the seventh grade? Anyone with any sense knows that Catholic religious education in America is a complete and utter failure. But the reason for this is directly related to the refusal to come every week to Sunday Mass. Absent that, everything we do will be nothing more than going through the motions. Our children deserve better.

-Fr. McCartney

Source: Creative Minority Report (with link to original)

Old Wine, New Wineskins

2007-12-26T20:08:00.001+08:00

An old article on this blog has been given a new lease of life (with illustrations too) on The Prompt webzine.

Do pay a visit to The Prompt for an updated version of an old post I first posted here on Threshold of Hope.

Reactions to the CDF clarification

2007-07-24T08:31:00.001+08:00

On the Boundless.org blog, The Line, there is an interesting discussion going on about the recent document released by the CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH titled RESPONSES TO SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING CERTAIN ASPECTS
OF THE DOCTRINE ON THE CHURCH.

Read the discussion here.

PORN STARS @ CANA

2007-02-28T03:39:00.000+08:00

For local (Singapore) readers of this blog, there was an article in this issue of Catholic News where John Tan (name has been changed) shared how he overcame his addiction to pornography. He will share his story in full detail at CANA - The Catholic Centre (55 Waterloo Street, Level 2) on Thursday, March 15, 7.15pm. His session will be the first of four sessions collectively titled "Porn Stars @ CANA", and you can ask him your questions at this session.

In line with this healthy interest in the topic of pornography, may I present the following session on behalf of CANA:

PORN STARS @ CANA

CANA is holding a series of four sessions collectively titled at "Porn Stars @ CANA", where porn takes a starring role in a series of forums. The sessions will be held on Thursdays - March 15, 22, 29 and April 12 - at 7.15pm.

The first session (March 15) will be an interview with a young man "John Tan" (name has been changed). John is a good Catholic man who not only attends Mass faithfully every Sunday, but at some points even attended daily Mass. He frequently received the sacraments, was looked up to by his friends, was very active in church ministry and later on in his university. But behind all this, he kept a dark secret - he was addicted to pornography. John will bare his soul at this session at CANA, and share how his dirty secret brought harm to him and the people around him, how he sunk to his lowest point, and how he eventually managed to overcome his addiction.

In the second session (March 22) will be a forum discussion with a youth, a parent, and a priest. The panelists will share their experiences on encountering the topic of porn in their circles, and what they, as Catholic individuals, did about it. The topic then turns to the floor and invites audience members to share what they, as Catholic individuals, are doing about the problem of porn which is so rampant in our Singapore society.

The third session (March 29) will turn the discussion towards finding out what Catholics, as a body or organization, can do about the problem of pornography. We will hear from Catholics in the media industry and staff from the Family Life Society on what is already being done, and find out what more we can do to help fight the problem of porn in our society.

The fourth session (April 12) will be an introduction to Theology of the Body by Dr John Hui from the Catholic Medical Guild. He will present the solution to the problem of pornography found in Pope John Paul II's teaching, which teaches the 'why's behind the Catholic Church's "strict rules" on sex and marriage, and explains how God can be found in our very nature as humans.

We understand the possible apprehension faced by youths in attending such sessions alone, so we would like you to invite the youths that you know to come attend the sessions as a group. All of us are either part of the problem or part of the solution. Come find out how you can be the latter! Please spread this news as far as your network stretches.

For more information, please email cana@catholiccentre.com.sg or call 6336 4815.

"Are homosexuals welcome in the Catholic Church?” draws strong views

2007-01-29T03:12:00.000+08:00

“Are homosexuals welcome in the Catholic Church?” draws strong views

CatholicNews published part one of Father Albert Renckens’ reflection titled “Are homosexuals welcome in the Catholic Church?” in the last issue (CN, Jan 7). We have received many letters commenting on it. Here are some of them.

Are we really ignorant?
Priest’s view is disturbing
Mixed feelings
Shocked
Not in line with church teaching
More confident now in serving church

Eugenia says:

January 27th, 2007 at 9:16 pm

I feel that Catholic News, as commissioned by the Archdiocese of Singapore, has the responsibilty to ensure doctrinally-sound publications. I ask of Catholics News to be extremely discerned and prudent when publishing articles written by people expressing their views on the Church’s doctrine.

We, as Catholics, listen and accept the teachings of the Church. There is no room for debate when it comes to dogmatic doctrines i.e. the Truth. Please do not create the space for confusion.

Read the rest here: http://www.catholic.org.sg/cn/wordpress/?p=1273

I'm too tired to even respond...

YawningBread has a commentary here: http://www.yawningbread.org/arch_2007/yax-706.htm
Dominic Chua has a response to these articles:

It was with tremendous sadness and pain that I read the responses to Fr. Renckens’ article "Are Homosexuals welcome in the Catholic Church?" that were printed in the 21 Jan 2007 edition of the Catholic News. If anything, taken together, they constitute a resounding ‘no’ to the question posed by the title of Fr. Renckens’ original article.

It does not seem worthwhile to take each of the responses separately and respond to them in great detail. Rather, it is more important and more constructive to address the highly problematic mindset of intellectual and spiritual torpor and passivity that characterizes all the replies. Collectively, the letters reflect an unwillingness to engage the issue in and of itself, and bleat the same line if something is out of step with Catholic orthodoxy, it cannot and should not be voiced. Some of the responses take this one step further -- if the Catechism of the Catholic Church or the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (CDF) says that something is sinful and wrong, it must be so.

more: http://www.yawningbread.org/apdx_2007/imp-299.htm

The Prompt is back with a bang!

2007-01-25T23:05:00.000+08:00

From the editors of The Prompt:

Dear friends,

The Prompt is back with a bang! Three new, thought-provoking articles await you:

* She's no Old Lady who Lived in the Shoe but mother-of-three Patricia Rozario-Tan still faces the Baby Inquisition!

* Young, Restless and Catholic - Part 1 in a series of 3 by Nick Chui that traces the turbulent and exhilarating early years of the Catholic Students' Society in the National University of Singapore.

* Get thee to a nunnery? No need. Professor Donna Orsuto, a lecturer at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University, tells Nick Chui about authentic lay spirituality and what a 14th century Italian woman mystic can teach us about that.

http://theprompt.faithweb.com/

The Prompt Be Edified. Be Provoked. Be Prompted.

Pornography and Sex Addiction: From Shame to Healing

2006-11-24T04:53:00.000+08:00

The Colorado Catholic Herald ran a special section titled "Pornography and Sex Addiction: From Shame to Healing" on Nov 10. It is a 12-page long feature on the effect pornography and sex addiction is having on families, as well as some recommendations on dealing with and healing from the problem. The section was created, in large part, as a resource for parishes to use in bringing this issue to greater attention and as a means of helping someone towards healing and recovery.

You can download the special section here.

I think it's great that a Catholic parish, regardless it being in the U.S., has dared to come forward and say openly that pornography and sex addiction is a real problem among Catholics, and to offer hope and healing for those addicted to sex. I hope something like this is possible here as well, since Singapore Catholics are not exempt from pornography and sex addiction.

Wranglers vs Stranglers

2006-10-20T12:39:00.000+08:00

Wranglers vs Stranglers

by Ted Engstrom

Years ago there was a group of brilliant young men at a midwestern university, who seemed to have amazing, creative literary talent. They were would-be poets, novelists, and essayists. They were extraordinary in their ability to put the English language to its best use. These promising young men met regularly to read and critique each other's work. And critique it they did!

These men were merciless with one another. They dissected the smallest literary expression into a hundred pieces. They were heartless, touch, even mean in their criticism, but they thought they were bringing out each other's best work. Their sessions became such arenas of literary criticism that the members of this exclusive support group nicknamed themselves "The Stranglers".

Not to be outdone, the university's women of literary talent were determined to start a support group of their own, one comparable to "The Stranglers". They called themselves "The Wranglers". They, too, read their works to one another, but there was one significant difference between the two groups. The criticism of "The Wranglers" was much softer, more positive, more encouraging. In fact sometimes there was almost no criticism at all. Every effort, even the most feeble attempt, was gleaned for some bit to be praised and encouraged.

Twenty years later, the university's alumni office was doing an exhaustive study on the careers of its alumni, when it was noticed that there was a great difference in the literary accomplishments of "The Stranglers" as opposed to "The Wranglers". Of all the bright and talented young men in "The Stranglers", not one had made a significant literary accomplishment of any kind. From "The Wranglers" had come six or more successful writers, some attaining national reputation.

Talent between the two? Probably the same. Level of education? Not much difference. But "The Stranglers" strangled, while "The Wranglers" were determined to give each other a boost. "The Stranglers" created an atmosphere of contention and self-doubt. "The Wranglers" highlighted the best, not the worst.

******
The reason I am sharing this story with you is that I noticed that this blog attracts only men. When was the last time a woman visited the blog and made a comment or posted an article?

As men, we like to argue with one another on the finest details. We look at a good post and pick out only the bad points and criticise them. Instead, we should be highlighting the good points and helped to boost one another.

I believe that this is a way that this blog can grow and to be more open to the admission of women as well. It's not that this blog discriminates against women, but clearly we do not attract any female readers to share with us.

I believe that this is something worth looking into, and that we can all try to focus on one another's good points raised in each post, rather than to "strangle" each other, for in doing so, we are also strangling each other's self-esteem and the progress of this blog.

What do you think?

A brief history of the Mass

2006-10-18T04:29:00.000+08:00

I have been reading "The New Question Box" by Father John J. Dietzen, who has been answering questions with the Catholic News Service for many years. This book is a compilation of frequently asked questions in the 1990s. Not much has changed since then, and I found a few interesting questions and answers which I want to share with you.

The reason I choose to share this is because some of us Catholics like the "old Mass", but we choose to stop our preference at a particular point in history, rather than to go all the way back to how the Mass was celebrated before that point. So here is a brief history of the Mass and how it came to be what it is today.

The church is not a museum, but the living, breathing body of Christ, and it has changed much. Many of our beliefs and practices developed and changed in varying degrees over the past 2,000 years.

The same is true with the Mass. It has undergone hundreds of changes through the centuries. The form of the Mass most older Catholics grew up with was simply one of the many the church has experienced throughout its life.

Our present ritual is, therefore, only one in a long series of "new Masses" in the church's history, though it has many more similarities to the "old Mass" of the early Christians than any other format the Mass has enjoyed during the last 1,000 years.

During the first 15 centuries of the church's life, the Mass was not the same in all the churches. Especially in the first several centuries, the celebration of the Eucharist was just that - a celebration. Actions, words, music and whole atmosphere of the Mass were different according to who was there, the condition and circumstances of their lives, and so on.

For a variety of reasons, the Mass gradually ceased being an event that the people participated in as members of the Body of the Risen Christ. It became rather a sacred ceremony carried out by the priest that the rest of the people were simply required to watch reverently.

By the time of the Council of Trent in the 1500s, much of the early history of the Mass which we are aware of today had been completely lost. The bishops at that council, however, were faced with numerous attacks against the Mass and the Eucharist from leaders of the new Protestant Reformation. They understandably responded to these attacks by taking one form of the Mass - the form used in Rome at that time - and declaring it the only form of the Mass allowed in the Western Church. Every action an prayer was spelled out in minute detail. No options were offered. No variations were permitted.

Long before the Second Vatican Council, church leaders were aware that this kind of frozen liturgy was blocking the growth of real liturgical prayer and worship and that something had to be done to loosen things up. The purpose wasn't variety for variety's sake. It was to enable people of different ages and times and temperaments and circumstances to make the Mass a genuine, living worship-celebration of their Christian life.

Variations are now specifically allowed and suggested in the official instructions on the Mass. Numerous options for Scripture readings are offered. Several prayers or exhortations are accompanied with the notation that the priest should "use these, or similar words". Wide leeway is given in such things as music and actions. The Sign of Peace, for instance, is to be given "according to local custom".

The Mass will always be the same in its essentials - the renewal of the offering which Jesus made to the Father on Calvary, and the Communion of his body and blood as the sign and source of the one Body of Christ. In other words, it will always be a sacrifice, and a sacred meal.

Apart from these essentials, however, Eucharistic worship will depend on the culture, customs, language and temperaments of the people who offer it.

Certain historical circumstances have caused most of us to think of the Mass as unchanging and "universal" in the wrong sense. Enormous and irreparable damage has been done to the cause of the church because of small-mindedness and short-sightedness in this matter. A few hundred years ago, for example, an imaginative missionary effort that might have brought all of China into Christianity collapsed because officials in Rome insisted on such things as that all Masses be in Latin, that priests must wear Western-style dress and vestments, and so on.

This attitude, long in disrepute, was officially put down by Pope Pius XII. When the church attempts to call a people to a better way of life under the inspiration of the Christian religion, he said in one of his encyclicals, "she does not act like one who recklessly cuts down and uproots a thriving forest. She grafts good stock upon the wood so that it may bear even better fruit." The policy of using anything in local cultures, even religious customs, that can conceivably be meshed with Christian beliefs is now well established.

When you are present for a Mass that is different than you're used to, why not relax, try to get into the spirit of it and share in it as well as you can? A little giving in, and trying to share what others are feeling could be a real act of charity towards those around you as well as to yourself.

- compiled from "The New Question Box - Catholic Life for the Nineties" by John J. Dietzen, Guildhall Publishers

Taking off shoes: What to do?!

2006-10-16T13:41:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday at mass, the uncle beside me took off his sandals and then placed them on the kneeling board. He crossed his legs slightly so that his foot was rather close to me and very visible. I was very uncomfortable as I did not think it was proper to take off your shoes in church, but yet, I did not know what to say to him. This is further complicated by the fact that properly we are supposed to remove our shoes in a house of worship...

What do you think I should have done or said? What would you have said?

Update about this blog

2006-10-16T12:29:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone.

The initial intent of this blog was not to be a discussion forum, but to be a base of writing - writing that has an element of outreach and education. If you think a discussion forum is a better medium, then one could be set up quite easily. E.g: http://www.livingstones-online.org/forum/ Let me know what you think.

I have decided to move this blog to Wordpress. We will move as soon as I update the posts and write a new introduction to the blog.

There is a new direction that I believe this blog can take. I have not the energy to share it at the moment.. please ask me personally if you are interested for the time being...

Chris

Holy Spirit and Sermons

2006-10-16T11:10:00.000+08:00

I would like to start another thread of discussion. Is the spread of the Gospel of God dependent on the people, or will it spread by itself?

Secondly, does the Holy Spirit comes upon us only through some experience like Life in the Spirit Seminar or through some form of camps or talks?

The reason I present these questions is because I question the lacklustre way in which most priests give homilies, sermons and talks. If our reaction to the Gospel is dependent on faith (gift of the Holy Spirit) then surely any priest or speaker who tries to spread the Gospel in any form (interesting or boring) would be able to touch the listener.

But in reality, with the influx of experience with good speakers in our workplace and professional seminars, when we are exposed to entertaining speakers, would such mediocre homilies be able to touch the masses? And can the church or church groups facilitate the touching of the Holy Spirit? Other than the socalled LISS experience, surely there are no outward expression of the Holy Spirit, except through Confirmation.

What I am trying to get through here is, the church's primary objective is to spread the gospel and to go forth and baptise people in Jesus' name. I wonder if the church is properly doing that. I agree that the priests are doing a very good job in offering a physical church for people to pray and also to administer the sacraments when needed, but are they doing a proper job in offering us the Gospel? Indeed, we should be the one who evangelise and bring people into Church. However, that's all we can do. Being the steward of the Church, the masses are drawn or push away by what they receive from the priests. They are the "professionals", if they are not doing their jobs, then I think there is only that much we laypeople can do.

From my experiences with priests, they refuse to acknowledge the fact that people look upon them especially in spiritual guidance and knowledge. In fact the best time to evangelise and strengthen the beliefs of the congregation is through homilies in mass. But alas, they often give a slipshod effort with this opportunity. But I qualify, I'm speaking about the older priests who don't even prepare their homilies but speak off-the-cuff.

Whatver the case, can people also comment if priests are already doing all they can, what do you think we laypeople should do to compliment the priests? Please share non-cliche activities like joining groups or living the gospel by being a good Christian.

Suggestions for the Veritas website

2006-10-10T15:16:00.000+08:00

Ok. Here are my suggestions for the Veritas website.

The Veritas website currently:

Pros:

The website provides a comprehensive list of parishes, communities, and organizations (etc.)
The search engine is working well
Most of the links are usable

Cons:

Nothing more that an online church directory.
Some information is outdated.
The presentation is staid and does not give a good impression.
There is no central direction by the archdiocese.

Suggestions:

Step 1: Decide if you want Veritas to be the Official Website of the Catholic church here, or if it should just be the Official Online Church Directory of the Catholic church.

1) If you decide that the website should be an official website, then some money should be raised privately (if the church is not willing to invest in it) to hire a professional web design company, or some relevantly experienced person, to redesign the look of the website.

2) In this website, include some general information about the Catholic church in Singapore.

E.g.
- General information about the Catholic faith and Christianity in general.
- Information about the Catholic Church in Singapore, such as its structure, organisation, mission, activities, agencies, history, etc.
- Information about the RCIA programme, and more direct information about how and where to join.

-or-

3) It could be a simple front page that links to all the various websites of the Catholic church in Singapore.

In other words, if you want it to be a website , then make it a website that caters to the people who might want to view it - people interested in the Catholic Faith, non-Catholics and Catholics who are searching alike. This is a one-time process as it does not require major updating or maintenance subsequently.

The Church Directory function of the current Veritas can still be part of this website. If you decide that it should not be a website but only a Church Directory, then rename the website as an Official Church Directory.

Suggestions for the Church Directory part:

3) Coordinate with the team that publishes the church directory. Information from the publication can be updated to the website . Information will thus be at most one-year old. (This can be done by setting up a computer database)

4) Send out an annual or bi-annual email to all the emails on the database kindly asking for their cooperation in keeping the Online Church Directory up-to-date. Emails that are not replied to can then be considered unusable and should be removed.

These are just a few simple suggestions that I believe quite feasible and helpful. I don't see why they cannot be done if people believe in the usefulness and function of the Veritas website. Please share you comments and thoughts on the matter.

-------------

Here are the previous posts related to the Veritas Website:

Websites of the Catholic Church in Singapore:

http://thresholdofhope.blogspot.com/2006/08/websites-of-catholic-church.html

Comparing the Veritas website:

http://thresholdofhope.blogspot.com/2006/07/comparethe-veritas-website.html

Some background:

I've been using the Veritas website every once in a while to check on addresses and contacts of churches and priests. More than once, the email or contact number of the priest I tried to contact was inaccurate. I also felt a lingering sense of embarrassment each time I visited. It's like walking past a very badly designed poster advertising the Catholic Church and wondering what kind of impression others would have when they walked by and saw it. (*Note: I really appreciate and honour the work the volunteers have put into the website, but this is a real and honest opinion). When Nicholas one day complained to me about the website, and I happened to see the St Mary's website, I decided to ask others to compare the websites and to garner their opinions.

I wanted to know if others were similarly embarrased as Nick and me, and to figure out what can be done about it. We felt that the fundamental problem was the inability of the church administration to see that there was a need to project a good "corporate image" to the general public. If other churches and other organisations could maintain a professional and informative website, why couldn't we? Part of the issue here was that the website was maintained by volunteers, and received no funding. This led to a discussion on why the church needs sometimes to pay for professional services. Volunteers ultimately cannot produce the same results that a dedicated professional can.

The Veritas discussion led to many lessons for me:

The local archdiocese does not believe that a professional "corporate image" is important. We should work to change this.
The local archdiocese does not want to invest in professional services as it still believes in the spirit of volunteerism. Laypeople should provide the willpower, direction, and funding to move in this direction if they believe in it.
It is not enough to complain on this blog. We need to make real changes by contacting people and doing something about it.
This blog has limited function and appeal. We should do something about it

Perhaps you may wish to reflect on these points as well.

Sincerely,
Chris

What makes a Youth Mass?

2006-10-10T00:28:00.000+08:00

I've been to a few so-called youth mass, and I have a few thoughts and questions in my mind which I hope readers can comment and give me some valuable insights.

First of all, how do we make the distinction between a normal mass and a youth mass?

Secondly, what is Liturgically acceptable in a youth mass, musically and other aspects if any.

Thirdly, has anyone gone for any of such masses, and do you have any thoughts?

After going for those masses, I sincerely believe our church is not reaching out adequately to the youths. I see youths talking and zoning out during mass and especially during homily liken any talk given by their teachers. I look at, or rather listen to the awkward guitars and drums trying to play our traditional church songs and how its disturbing the serenity of a mass.

But how does the church make themselves relevant to the youths? How does it attract the youths who are just bored by the slow mass? Telling them that its important to spend time with the Lord and consuming His Body and Blood is important is just not convincing enough anymore.

Please share with me your thoughts.

Gregorian Chant in October

2006-10-09T12:30:00.000+08:00

+J.M.J+ Mass with Gregorian Chant St Luke, Apostle, Evangelist 18 October, Wednesday St Teresa's Church 8 pm. Liturgy of the Hours Vespers and Compline 22 October, Sunday Adoration Chapel @ Church of Sts Peter and Paul 8 pm. Translations are provided for all events.

Pope's remarks on Islam

2006-09-27T23:33:00.000+08:00

Don't really have a proper commentary on this, but it seems that the recent incident of Pope Benedict's remarks on Islam is a positive demonstration of how we should handle matters that arise now and then in the public sphere. Bro. Micheal Broughton gave a very lucid and exemplary interview to the CatholicNews, which was reprinted by the TODAY newspaper. The CatholicNews should also be commended for coming out very quickly with a full spread of articles relating to the matter, the interview of course, as well as the Pope's full speech. Best of all, the archibishop issued a public statement, read at all churches, stating publicly our sincerity and apology. In my view, this whole affair was dealt with promptly, appropriately, gracefully, professionally. Well done. Let's pray that future affairs may be handled as such.

In fact, the pope's words seem to reflect a growing need for us to engage the public sphere, i.e. the rest of the word. His invitation to Muslim leaders, but more so his very initial words show that he is not afraid to speak out and take a stand on issues. Thus, there is a need for us to not shy away from the media but to learn how to use it effectively to engage others.

The pope's remarks are controversial, but thought-provoking. Fundamentally, it is a call to reason, or rather, a call to connect our faith and reason. Indeed, it is my belief that a lot of the worlds ills are caused by today's faithful disregarding reason, and today's thinkers disregarding faith. This is a rather deep point that maybe some of us can reflect upon. Have you thought and understood enough about your faith and the world?

This Blog is in Desperate Need of Spiritual Direction!

2006-09-20T20:12:00.000+08:00

This blog is in desperate need of spiritual direction.

Please pray for us.

(and leave your comments if you have any)

Some links to ponder:
http://catholicwriter.wordpress.com/
http://theprompt.faithweb.com/
http://www.catholic.org.sg/
http://nuscssalumni.wordpress.com/

Gregorian Chant in September

2006-09-13T14:46:00.000+08:00

+J.M.J+

21 September 2006

Feast of St Matthew
Mass with Gregorian Chant

8 pm
Church of St Teresa

---------------------------------------------------
24 September 2006

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Vespers and Compline

8 pm
Adoration Room
Church of Sts Peter and Paul

Translations are provided for all events.

Should the Catholic Church employ more professional laypersons?

2006-09-10T01:56:00.000+08:00

One of the issues brought up in a previous post was that the Catholic Church should attract more professionals by offering them a higher pay. I would like to address this issue, as suggested by Chris, by bringing it up in a separate post.

FIRSTLY, the Catholic Church does employ a good number of people already, some with years (or decades) of experience in their field, often a very specific field, such as in pastoral care. Many of the people employed in the Catholic Church have a job scope that is specific towards the Catholic Church's needs, and there are very few people who meet those qualifications, regardless of their job experience in the secular world.

For example, if the diocese is looking for a highly qualified catechist, it would not offer an attractive pay even if its applicants are former teachers and lecturers of many years of experience, simply because while their experience in the secular world is of some use, they lack the specificity required in that particular job.

It is more than a mere job switch, it is closer to a career switch, since the aim, regardless of the job, tends to be quite different. As such, why should the Church pay a professional an attractive pay, if his profession is not exactly what the Church is looking for? Using the example of catechist, only one who has been trained in the specific field of catechism deserves such a pay.

SECONDLY, I certainly do believe that the majority of Church employees are already receiving a reasonable pay. If not, how would they be able to survive this long in such a job? Furthermore, how many Church employees have left their job solely because they are not being paid enough? None that I know of. Can anyone give a figure?

In the secular world, it would seem that many people never seem satisfied with their pay. People often leave their job for another because of a higher pay.

Some questions raised on this issue are:

- Is working in the Church just another job?
- How much does one consider a reasonable pay?
- Could one do with a lower pay by cutting down on unnecessary forms of expenditure, for example?

If insufficient pay really is the issue that makes working in the Church unattractive to some people, then I would say the reason for wanting to work in the Church is somewhat questionable. After all, what Church employees are paid is already reasonable, as shown in their length of employment. What may be a reasonable pay to some may be too low for others, but this is a subjective matter. Church employees have and still show that the Church does provide for them reasonably well.

THIRDLY and perhaps most importantly, a professional layperson is more valuable to the Church by being a Christian where he is in the professional world, than by being working in the Church. The laity is the front line of the Church in the world. If he is indeed a professional and good at what he does, then he will definitely do more good out there than working in the Church.

In an ideal situation, positions within the Catholic Church should be filled up by religious and priests. These minister to the laity, who in turn carry out the work of evangelisation. But we are not in an ideal situation, and we have far too few religious and priests, hence the need to hire laity to fill up roles that should rightfully be filled by the religious and priests.

The professionals, by virtue of their capabilities, belong in the secular world where they do the Church the most good there. This is, after all, the mission of the laity.

IN SUMMARY, the points are:

1. Lack of specificity in profession does not justify an attractive pay.

2. Using a higher pay to attract better workers raises the question of motive of working in the Church.

3. The mission of the laity is to be a Christian in the world. Professionals, by virtue of their capability, do the most good for the Church in the secular world.

What are your thoughts on this?

Singapore - The Malay Archipelago - Alfred Russell Wallace

2006-09-06T13:21:00.000+08:00

I was reading this chapter on Singapore written by Lord Alfred Russell Wallace (Yes, the compatriot of Charles Darwin) who was in Singapore around 1854, and there was a quaint little entry about St. Joseph's Church! It would be lovely to get my hands on the recently published book about the history of the church in Singapore. Does anyone know the title and where to get it? Anway, click on the link above to read the whole of Wallace's chapter.

In the interior of the island the Chinese cut down forest trees in the jungle, and saw them up into planks; they cultivate vegetables, which they bring to market; and they grow pepper and gambir, which form important articles of export. The French Jesuits have established missions among these inland Chinese, which seem very successful. I lived for several weeks at a time with the missionary at Bukit-tima, about the centre of the island, where a pretty church has been built and there are about 300 converts. While there, I met a missionary who had just arrived from Tonquin, where he had been living for many years. The Jesuits still do their work thoroughly as of old. In Cochin China, Tonquin, and China, where all Christian teachers are obliged to live in secret, and are liable to persecution, expulsion, and sometimes death, every province—even those farthest in the interior—has a permanent Jesuit mission establishment constantly kept up by fresh aspirants, who are taught the languages of the countries they are going to at Penang or Singapore. In China there are said to be near a million converts; in Tonquin and Cochin China, more than half a million. One secret of the success of these missions is the rigid economy practised in the expenditure of the funds. A missionary is allowed about £30. a year, on which he lives in whatever country he may be. This renders it possible to support a large number of missionaries with very limited means; and the natives, seeing their teachers living in poverty and with none of the luxuries of life, are convinced that they are sincere in what they teach, and have really given up home and friends and ease and safety, for the good of others. No wonder they make converts, for it must be a great blessing to the poor people among whom they labour to have a man among them to whom they can go in any trouble or distress, who will comfort and advise them, who visits them in sickness, who relieves them in want, and who they see living from day-today in danger of persecution and death—entirely for their sakes.

My friend at Bukit-tima was truly a father to his flock. He preached to them in Chinese every Sunday, and had evenings for discussion and conversation on religion during the week. He had a school to teach their children. His house was open to them day and night. If a man came to him and said, “I have no rice for my family to eat today,” he would give him half of what he had in the house, however little that might be. If another said, “I have no money to pay my debt,” he would give him half the contents of his purse, were it his last dollar. So, when he was himself in want, he would send to some of the wealthiest among his flock, and say, “I have no rice in the house,” or “I have given away my money, and am in want of such and such articles.” The result was that his flock trusted and loved him, for they felt sure that he was their true friend, and had no ulterior designs in living among them.
The island of Singapore consists of a multitude of small hills, three or four hundred feet high, the summits of many of which are still covered with virgin forest. The mission-house at Bukit-tima was surrounded by several of these wood-topped hills, which were much frequented by woodcutters and sawyers, and offered me an excellent collecting ground for insects. Here and there, too, were tiger pits, carefully covered over with sticks and leaves, and so well concealed, that in several cases I had a narrow escape from falling into them. They are shaped like an iron furnace, wider at the bottom than the top, and are perhaps fifteen or twenty feet deep so that it would be almost impossible for a person unassisted to get out of one. Formerly a sharp stake was stuck erect in the bottom; but after an unfortunate traveller had been killed by falling on one, its use was forbidden. There are always a few tigers roaming about Singapore, and they kill on an average a Chinaman every day, principally those who work in the gambir plantations, which are always made in newly-cleared jungle. We heard a tiger roar once or twice in the evening, and it was rather nervous work hunting for insects among the fallen trunks and old sawpits when one of these savage animals might be lurking close by, awaiting an opportunity to spring upon us.

1 Corinthians 9

2006-08-30T22:53:00.000+08:00

In an earlier post, Mark mentioned this passage, so I thought I'd just put it up as a reflection piece...:

1 Corinthians 9

The Rights of an Apostle

1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4Don't we have the right to food and drink? 5Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas^{[ a]}? 6Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?

7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? 8Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn't the Law say the same thing? 9For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." ^[b] Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more?

But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 13Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

15But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast. 16Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it.

19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Church sued over 'exorcism'

2006-08-30T22:47:00.000+08:00

Church sued over 'exorcism'

Woman claims damages for trauma of alleged exorcism by two priests and helpers at Novena Church

Wednesday • August 30, 2006

— Channel NewsAsia

NOVENA Church, two priests and seven helpers are being sued for an alleged act of exorcism, in an incident believed to have taken place two years ago.

Ms Amutha Valli Krishnan, 50, an athlete in the 1980s, claimed that attempts to exorcise her later led to chronic post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. A writ of summons was served last Thursday.

In the writ, Ms Amutha Valli claimed that on August 10, 2004, she went to Novena Church to pray with her son, daughter and a close friend. She fainted while she was there.

She is alleging that two priests from the church, Father Simon Tan and Father Jacob Ong, claimed she had been possessed by a spirit, and then performed an act of exorcism, helped by seven others.

The ritual is said to have lasted two-and-a-half hours, during which time Ms Amutha Valli claimed she had resisted furiously. She claimed she was strangled, pinned down and verbally abused.

When contacted, Father Tan claimed Ms Amutha Valli did not faint in church. In fact, he said, she had walked in asking for help, saying she was possessed.

Father Tan also denied any act of exorcism. He said he, Father Ong and seven helpers only said prayers over her.

Ms Amutha Valli's claims against the defendants include trespass, assault, false imprisonment and negligence. She is also asking for damages for loss of income and injuries.

Mr Suppiah Jeyabal, her husband, said: "Before, she was an athlete and ... a very tough person, you know, who (liked) to exercise; she must run and exercise. She also used to coach children — a very tough and active person.

"But now, she's more like a vegetable."

A medical report by a Changi General Hospital psychiatrist states that Ms Amutha Valli's symptoms — which are persistent, severe and extremely disabling —- are a direct result of the traumatic incident she experienced at the church.

According to the report, this has affected her ability to cope with self-care, demands at home and relationships with family members. The doctor added that she would require long-term treatment and follow-up, and is unlikely to fully recover.

Ms Amutha Valli's lawyer said it is still too early to comment, but he believed this is the first such case in Singapore.

The lawyer for the defendants says his clients deny liability and will file their defence by Sept 16. The civil suit is estimated to cost at least $1 million.

Just incidentally, last Sunday's papers quoted a Novena priest describing an exorcism in which a very shy girl suddenly having immense strength. Are priests allowed to share such things?

Back to this case, the Church takes exorcisms extremely seriously, so I doubt that the priests would have performed an exorcism so wantonly. Also, I don't see any reason that the priests should lie. However, there is enough evidence to say that something happened, and that this lady suffered for it. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. Did the priests do something wrongly? Is this women a pathelogical liar? Will people be afraid to go the Novena Church now?

With the Catholic Church being in the public limelight yet again, I do hope that we do nothing to affect our public image negatively, and I do hope that we actually put a positive light to this sorry incident. It is times like this where I wonder if the church should have a full time publicist. I hope that the evidence reassures the public that we do not abuse and exorcise people like so, and I also hope that the women receives fair recourse and all the help that she needs. Even if the church wins this case, which it should I think, it must be careful not to come across as having condemned this women as a madwomen and putting her down just as a liar.

In my view, the church has not given a good account of itself in the public eye in recent times. There was the vague response to the tsunami. There was silence on the Nguyen (btw, there is another drug trafficker due for execution) and casino issues when other churches were more clear on their stances. The Da Vinci Code has surely damaged some opinion, and the Joaquim Kang case got a lot of publicity, but scarcely a squeak from the church. Through it all, I do feel that a normal person will just be that slight bit less inclined to find out about the church and know Christ through all the negative perceptions in the public eye. To do justice to our faith, we need to project a good impression of our faith.

Why do our young men choose to go overseas to become priests?

2006-08-26T22:16:00.000+08:00

Nelsoh Quah, in the Sept 3rd issue of the Catholic News asks:

... Some pertinent questions which have been recurring in the minds of many Catholics are: Why do our young men today choose to make personal sacrifices to go overseas and become religious society priests? Why are they not interested in going to the local seminary and becoming diocesan priests?

Perhaps, it is time for the local chuch authority and some relevant organization to do some soul-searching to search for the right answers. Catholics should pray that the Lord of the Harvest will reveal the answers to them.

Of course, a very easy answer would be that God is calling them overseas and not here, and maybe because they feel blessed to live in Singapore and want to serve elsewhere. However, Mr Quah is not really hiding the fact that he knows what the real reason is. It is that the archodiocese is not being professional enough and thus not attracting the right people...

Please do not respond if you don't know the meaning of constructive criticism.

Websites of the Catholic Church

2006-08-26T14:59:00.000+08:00

The Holy See

Veritas! The Official Website of the Archdiocese of Singapore

St. Bernadette

The Redemptorists/Novena Church

Church of Holy Family

Church of Holy Trinity

Our Lady of Perpetual Succour

St. Francis of Assisi

St. Ignatius

St Mary of the Angels

Church of the Holy Cross

Christ the King

Our Lady Star of the Sea

St. Anthony

Holy Spirt

St. Joseph's Bukit Timah

Risen Christ

St. Francis Xavier

Immaculate Heart of Mary

St. Anne's Church

Feast of St Bartholomew

2006-08-22T15:14:00.000+08:00

Feast of St Bartholomew
Mass in Latin with Gregorian Chant

Church of St Teresa

510 Kampong Bahru Road
Thur 24 Aug 2006, 8pm

Celebrant: Fr rene Nicholas

*Parallel Latin-English translations provided

For enquiries, please call John Goh at 97386572

Organised by:

Schola Cantorum Sancti Gregorii Magni

Archdiocesan Liturgy Music Committee

The Catholic View on The Death Penalty (?)

2006-08-13T14:55:00.000+08:00

Is someone able and willing to enlighten me on what exactly is the the Catholic Church's stand on the death penalty, specifically with relation to Singapore? What should an ordinary Catholic here understand of the Singaporean laws on the death penalty?

As I currently understand it, we are supposed to be in opposition to the death penalty, chiefly because life is God given and should not be man-taken. Yet, as some Catholic lawyers here have pointed out, the Church is not opposed to the death penalty. This is presumably because some evil men (PC:'persons'; e.g. serial murderers) deserve the death penalty. So, what is the ordinary Catholic to think of it? Would a fair statement be: "let's just leave it to the lawyers and theologians to think about; It's none of our business"?

Sociologically and politically, it seems that the local church is not willing to act on this issue because there are more important social issues to cover (such as poverty and raising funds for a new church). It seems like more good can be achieved by avoiding certain topics that are deemed too 'sensitive' or 'complex'.

Please feel free to add to or correct what I have expressed here, which is a purely personal and unresearched opinion.

Compare..the Veritas! website

2006-07-19T14:46:00.000+08:00

Compare the online face of the Catholic Church, with the online face of a Catholic Church:

Veritas

St Mary's

Liturgy of the Hours in Latin - 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2006-06-19T17:34:00.000+08:00

Liturgy of the Hours
Vespers and Compline
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sung in Latin

Sunday, 25 June 2006
8 pm to 9 pm
Adoration Room
Church of Sts Peter and Paul

Parallel Latin-English translations provided

Schola Cantorum Sancti Gregorii Magni
Archdiocesan Liturgical Music Committee

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

2006-05-23T00:04:00.000+08:00

In Visitatione Beatae Mariae Virginis
The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mass with Gregorian Chant

31 May 2006 (Wed)
7.30 pm

Chapel (3rd Floor Parish Building)
Church of Sts Peter and Paul
222 Queen Street

Parallel Latin-English translation provided

Schola Cantorum Sancti Gregorii Magni
Archdiocesan Liturgical Music Committee

Novena Dilemma

2006-05-21T12:45:00.000+08:00

by Ian Finian Heng, on his blog
3 March 2006

If you go to Novena on Saturdays, you will find that on your way from the MRT to the church, there are many hawkers along the way. And when I say 'hawkers', I do not mean the ones who sell food. Instead, they sell other items.

You must be thinking, 'What hawkers? I thought there were only beggars?' But you see, these people are not begging for money. They are providing a service. At least, this is the way I see it.

Typically, the moment you leave the MRT station, the entrances are noticeably infested with dozens of students carrying tin cans for flag day. As you go up the escalator and exit the glass door, there is a man on a wheelchair selling Big Sweep tickets. Just before the newspaper stand is a busker who plays the guitar.

Along the path can be found can-carrying students. There is this blind man who peddles tissue. 4 for a dollar. He sings Marian hymns while hawking his wares. So he's like holding the nightstick in his left hand and holding some plastic packets in his right, while singing 'I hear the bells, of Mary's Ave ringing. Joy to my heart, like angels' voices singing..'

Towards the bus stop can be found more innocent students. On a bad day, you can see some commercial entities who carry charity work for commission. You know, those guys who ask 10 dollars for a ticket? Capitalistic bastards.

At the foot of the staircase is another blind man with a middle aged woman, presumably his wife. Formerly he used to sell Tai Sun Peanuts (2 packets for a dollar), but now he sells pens. The lady carries a NYP Open House 2006 paper bag. Last Saturday I didn't see the man and his wife. Instead there was a new arrival; a middle aged woman peddling tissue. 4 for a dollar.

After you go up the staircase, there will be another middle aged woman along the path. She has white hair and glasses. She sells tissue, 4 for a dollar. Pleas sound out from her, 'Please help me, please help me.' On some days she gives you more packets at the same price.

What is the problem now? We have 1 big sweep man, 1 busker, 3 tissue sellers, 1 peanut/pen man and wife, X number of flag day students, Y number of con jobbing money hijacking profiteers.

Are you going to help all of them? Ok, its all right not to pay the busker if you think his music sucks or his strumming is lousy. It's also all right not to entertain the machiavellians. We can also assume that we will only donate to one lucky student, most likely the convent girl with the shortest skirt. So that leaves us with 1 big sweep man, 3 tissue sellers, 1 peanut/pen couple, 1 flag day student.

Are you going to buy 12 packets of tissues, big sweep tickets, peanuts or writing instruments, things which you don't really need? Yet if you help them they will be so thankful.

What a dilemma.

Liturgy of the Hours in Latin - 7th Sunday of Easter

2006-05-14T14:13:00.000+08:00

Liturgy of the Hours
Vespers and Compline
7th Sunday of Easter

Sung in Latin

Sunday, 28 May 2006
8 pm to 9 pm
Adoration Room
Church of Sts Peter and Paul

Parallel Latin-English translations provided

Schola Cantorum Sancti Gregorii Magni
Archdiocesan Liturgical Music Committee

Contraception, Why Not?

2006-05-03T01:34:00.000+08:00

I found this very interesting article after browsing around after reading Daniel's post. It's VERY long, but in my opinion Dr Smith explains very well the Church's stand on the use of contraception. But, as she answered in the Q&A, I find it sad that "studies show that only 35% of Catholic priests support the Church's teaching on this. I've seen as high as 47%. I expect it's as low as 35% or lower." As the writer from Daniel's post says: "Instead of looking at an issue like contraception and wondering if what the Church taught were true, I had the attitude that I accepted this doctrine as true and that I needed to learn why it was true." I sincerely feel that this lacks in many of the Catholics throughout the world now - the trust and willingness to accept the Church's doctrine first of all and to learn why it is true, if ever we do not understand the Church's stand. And even then, we usually stop our reasoning at the primary meaning of the text, and not at the deep underlying meaning of what has been written.. if we ever read what has been written in the first instance..
Lyndley
PS: There is an external link to the acticle

Liturgical Anonymous

2006-05-02T00:29:00.000+08:00

The Curt Jester has a cute article on liturgical abusers

Here's an excerpt:

The first step on the way to authentic liturgical recovery is of course to admit you have a problem. Many liturgical addicts deny they have a problem and will often brow beat those who complain about their "little changes" to make the liturgy more relevant and more oriented to the people. Denial is very common and when challenged to explain why all the attempts at opening the Mass to the people results mainly in declining Mass attendance will just complain that the pew sitters just don't get it.

Enjoy!

- Daniel

The Autopsy of Christ

2006-04-12T16:12:00.000+08:00

JAMA Vol. 255 No. 11 March 21, 1986

On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ
William D. Edwards, MD; Wesley J. Gabel, M Div; Floyd E. Hosmer, MS, AMI

Jesus of Nazareth underwent Jewish and Roman trials, was flogged, and was sentenced to death by crucification. The scourging produced deep stripelike lacerations and appreciable blood loss, and it probably set the stage for hypovolemic shock, as evidenced by the fact that Jesus was too weakened to carry the crossbar (patibulum) to Golgotha. At the site of crucifixion, his wrists were nailed to the patibulum and, after the patibulum was lifted onto the upright post (stipes), his feet were nailed to the stipes. The major pathophysiologic effect of crucifixion was an interference with normal respiration. Accordingly, death resulted primarily from hypovolemic shock and exhaustion asphyxia. Jesus' death was ensured by the thrust of a soldier's spear into his side. Modern medical interpretation of the historical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead when taken down from the cross. (JAMA 1986; 255:1455-1462)

The life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth have formed the basis for a major world religion (Christianity), have appreciably influenced the course of human history, and, by virtue of a compassionate attitude toward the sick, also have contributed to the development of modern medicine. The eminence of Jesus as a historical figure and the suffering and controversy associated with his death have stimulated us to investigate, in an interdisciplinary manner, the circumstances surrounding his crucifixion. Accordingly, it is our intent to present not a theological treatise but rather a medically and historically accurate account of the physical death of the one called Jesus Christ.

SOURCES
The source material concerning Christ's death comprises a body of literature and not a physical body or its skeletal remains. Accordingly, the credibility of any discussion of Jesus' death will be determined primarily by the credibility on one's sources. For this review, the source material includes the writings of ancient Christian and non-Christian authors, the writings of modern authors, and the shroud of Turin. (1-40) Using the legal-historical method of scientific investigation, 27 scholars have established the reliability and accuracy of the ancient manuscripts. (26, 27, 29, 31)

The most extensive and detailed descriptions of the life and death of Jesus are to be found in the New Testament gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. (1) The other 23 books of the New Testament support but do not expand on the details recorded in the gospels. Contemporary Christian, Jewish, and Roman authors provide additional insight concerning the first-century Jewish and Roman legal systems and the details of scourging and crucifixion. (5) Seneca, Livy, Plutarch, and others refer to crucifixion practices in their works. (8,28) Specifically, Jesus (or his crucifixion) is mentioned by the Roman historians Cornelius Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, and Suetonius, by non-Roman historians Thallus and Phlegon, by the satirist Lucian of Samosata, by the Jewish Talmud, and by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, although the authenticity of portions of the latter is problematic. (26)

The shroud of Turin is considered by many to represent the actual burial cloth of Jesus, (22) and several publications concerning the medical aspects of his death draw conclusions from this assumption. (5,11) The interpretations of modern writers, based on a knowledge of science and medicine not available in the first century, may offer additional insight concerning the possible mechanisms of Jesus' death. (2,17)

When taken in concert, certain facts -- the extensive and early testimony of both Christian proponents and opponents, and their universal acceptance of Jesus as a true historical figure; the ethic of the gospel writers, and the shortness of the time interval between the events and the extant manuscripts; and the confirmation of the gospel accounts by historians and archaeological findings (26,27) --ensure a reliable testimony from which a modern medical interpretation of Jesus' death may be made.

GETHESMANE
After Jesus and his disciples had observed the Passover meal in an upper room in a home in Southwest Jerusalem, they traveled to the Mount of Olives, northeast of the city (Fig 1). (Owing to various adjustments of the calendar, the years of Jesus' birth and death remain controversial. (29) However, it is likely that Jesus was born in either 4 or 6 BC and died in 30 AD. (11, 29) During the Passover observance in 30 AD, the Last Supper would have been observed on Thursday, April 6 (Nisan 13), and Jesus would have been crucified on Friday, April 7 (Nisan 14.29) At nearby Gethsemane. Jesus, apparently knowing that the time of his death was near, suffered great mental anguish, and, as described by the physician Luke, his sweat became like blood.1

Although this is a very rare phenomenon, bloody sweat (hematidrosis or hemihidrosis) may occur in highly emotional states or in persons with bleeding disorders. (18,20) As a result of hemorrhage into the sweat glands, the skin becomes fragile and tender. (2,11) Luke's description supports the diagnosis of hematidrosis rather than eccrine chromidrosis (brown or yellow-green sweat) or stigmatization (blood oozing from the palms or elsewhere). (18-21) Although some authors have suggested that hematidrosis produced hypovolemia, we agree with Bucklin5 that Jesus actual blood loss probably was minimal. However, in the cold night air, (1) it may have produced chills.

TRIALS

Jewish Trials
Soon after midnight, Jesus was arrested at Gethsemane by the temple officials and was taken first to Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest for that year (Fig 1). (1) Between 1 AM and daybreak, Jesus was tried before Caiaphas and the political Sanhedrin and was found guilty of blasphemy.1 The guards then blindfolded Jesus, spat on him, and struck him in the face with their fists. (1) Soon after daybreak, presumably at the temple (Fig 1), Jesus was tried before the religious Sanhedrin (with the Pharisees and the Sadducees) and again was found guilty of blasphemy, a crime punishable by death. (15)

Roman Trials
Since permission for an execution had to come from the governing Romans, (1) Jesus was taken in the early morning by the temple officials to the Praetorium of the Fortress of Antonia, the residence and governmental seat of Pontius Pilate not as a blasphemer but rather as a self-appointed king who would undermine the Roman authority. (1) Pilate made no charges against Jesus and sent him to Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Judea.(1) Herod likewise made no official charges and then returned Jesus to Pilate (Fig 1).(1) Again, Pilate could find no basis for a legal charge against Jesus, but the people persistently demanded crucifixion. Pilate finally granted their demand and handed over Jesus to be flogged (scourged) and crucified. (McDowell25 has reviewed the prevailing political, religious, and economic climates in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus' death, and Bucklin (5) had described the various illegalities of the Jewish and Roman trials.)

Health of Jesus
The rigors of Jesus' ministry (that is, traveling by foot throughout Palestine) would have precluded any major physical illness or a weak general constitution. Accordingly, it is reasonable to assume that Jesus was in good physical condition before his walk to Gethsemane. However, during the 12 hours between 9 PM Thursday and 9 AM Friday, he had suffered great emotional distress (as evidenced by hematidrosis), abandonment by his closest friends (the disciples), and a physical beating (after the first Jewish trial). Also, in the setting of a traumatic and sleepless night, he had been forced to walk more than 2.5 miles (4.0l km) to and from the sites of the various trials (Fig 1). These physical and emotional factors may have rendered Jesus particularly vulnerable to the adverse hemodynamic effects of the scourging.

SCOURGING

Scourging Practices
Flogging was a legal preliminary to every Roman execution, (28) and only women and Roman senators or soldiers (except in cases of desertion) were exempt. (11) The usual instrument was a short whip (flagrum or flagellum with several single or braided leather thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals (Fig 2). ( 5,7,11) Occasionally, staves also were used. (8,12) For scourging, the man was stripped of his clothing, and his hands were tied to an upright post (Fig 2) (14) The back, buttocks, and legs were flogged either by two soldiers (lictors) or by one who alternated positions. (5,7,11,28) The severity of the scourging depended on the disposition of the lictors and was intended to weaken the victim to a state just short of collapse or death. 8 After the scourging, the soldiers often taunted their victim. (11)

Medical Aspects of Scourging
As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim's back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues. (7) Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. (2,7,25) Pain and blood loss generally set the stage for circulatory shock. (12) The extent of blood loss may well have determined how long the victim would survive on the cross. (5)

Scourging of Jesus
At the Praetorium, Jesus was severely whipped. Although the severity of the scourging is not discussed in the four gospel accounts, it is implied in one of the epistles (1 Peter 2:24). A detailed word study of the ancient Greek text for this verse indicates that the scourging of Jesus was particularly harsh. (33)) It is not known whether the number of lashes was limited to 39, in accordance with Jewish law.(5) The Roman soldiers, amused that this weakened man had claimed to be a king, began to mock him by placing a robe on his shoulders, a crown of thorns on his head, and a wooden staff as a scepter in his right hand. (1) Next, they spat on Jesus and struck him on the head with the wooden staff. (1) Moreover, when the soldiers tore the robe from Jesus' back, they probably reopened the scourging wounds. (7)
The severe scourging, with its intense pain and appreciable blood loss, most probably left Jesus in a preshock state. Moreover, hematidrosis had rendered his skin particularly tender. The physical and mental abuse meted out by the Jews and the Romans, as well as the lack of food, water, and sleep, also contributed to his generally weakened state. Therefore, even before the actual crucifixion, Jesus' physical condition was at least serious and possibly critical.

CRUCIFIXION

Crucifixion Practices
Crucifixion probably first began among the Persians. (34) Alexander the Great introduced the practice to Egypt and Carthage, and the Romans appear to have learned of it from the Carthaginians. (11) Although the Romans did not invent crucifixion, they perfected it as a form of torture and capital punishment that was designed to produce a slow death with maximum pain and suffering. (10, 17) It was one of the most disgraceful and cruel methods of execution and usually was reserved only for slaves, foreigners, revolutionaries, and the vilest of criminals. (1,25,28) Roman law usually protected Roman citizens from crucifixion, except perhaps in the case of desertion by soldiers.

In its earliest form in Persia, the victim was either tied to a tree or was tied to or impaled on an upright post, usually to keep the guilty victim's feet from touching holy ground. (8,11,30,34,38) Only later was a true cross used; it was characterized by an upright post (stipes) and a horizontal crossbar (patibulum), and it had several variations (Table). (11) Although Archaeological and historical evidence strongly indicates that the low Tau cross was preferred by the Romans in Palestine at the time of Christ (Fig 3), (2,7,11) crucifixion practices often varied in a given geographic region and in accordance with the imagination of the executioners, and the Latin cross and other forms also may have been used. (28)

It was customary for the condemned man to carry his own cross from the flogging post to the site of crucifixion outside the city walls. (8,11,30) He was usually naked, unless this was prohibited by local customs. (11) Since the weight of the entire cross was probably well over 300 LB (136 kg), only the crossbar was carried (Fig 3). (11) The patibulum, weighing 75 to 125 LB (34 to 57 kg), (11, 30) was placed across the nape of the victim's neck and balanced along both shoulders. Usually, the outstretched arms then were tied to the crossbar. (7,11) The processional to the site of the crucifixion was led by a complete Roman military guard, headed by a centurion. (3,11) One of the soldiers carried a sign (titulus) on which the condemned man's name and crime were displayed (Fig 3) Later, the titulus would be attached to the top of the cross. (11) The Roman guard would not leave the victim until they were sure of his death. (9,11)
Outside the city walls was permanently located the heavy upright wooden stipes, on which the patibulum would be secured. In the case of the Tau cross, this was accomplished by means of a mortise and tenon joint, with or without reinforcement by ropes. (10,11,30) To prolong the crucifixion process, a horizontal wooden block or plank, serving as a crude seat (sedile or sedulum), often was attached midway down the stipes. (3,11,16) Only very rarely, and probably later than the time of Christ, was an additional block (suppedaneum) employed for transfixion of the feet. (9,11)

At the site of execution by law, the victim was given a bitter drink of wine mixed with myrrh (gall0 as a mild analgesic. (7,17) The criminal was then thrown to the ground on his back, with arms outstretched along the patibulum. (11) The hands could be nailed or tied to the crossbar, but nailing apparently was preferred by the Romans. (8,11) The archeological remains of a crucified body, found in an ossuary near Jerusalem and dating from the time of Christ, indicate that the nails were tapered iron spikes approximately 5 to 7 in (13 to 18 cm) long with a square shaft 3/8 in (1 cm) across. (23, 24, 30) Furthermore, ossuary findings and the Shroud of Turin have documented that he nails commonly were driven through the wrists rather than the palms (Fig 4). (22,24, 30)

After both arms were fixed to the crossbar, the patibulum and the victim, together, were lifted onto the stipes. (11) On the low cross, four soldiers could accomplish this relatively easily. However, on the tall cross, the soldiers used either wooden forks or ladders. (11)
Next, the feet were fixed to the cross, either by nails or ropes. Ossuary findings and the Shroud of Turin suggest that nailing was the preferred Roman practice. (23, 24, 30) Although the feet could be fixed to the sides of the stipes or to a wooden footrest (suppedaneum), they usually were nailed directly to the front of the stipes (Fig 5). (11) To accomplish this, flexion of the knees may have been quite prominent, and the bent legs may have been rotated laterally (Fig 6). (23-25, 30)

When the nailing was completed, the titulus was attached to the cross, by nails or cords, just above the victim's head. (11) The soldiers and the civilian crowd often taunted and jeered the condemned man, and the soldiers customarily divided up his clothes among themselves. (11, 25) The length of survival generally ranged from three or four hours to three or four days and appears to have been inversely related to the severity of the scourging. (8,11) However, even if the scourging had been relatively mild, the Roman soldiers could hasten death by breaking the legs below the knees (crurifragium or skelokopia). (8,11)

Not uncommonly, insects would light upon or burrow into the open wounds or the eyes, ears, and nose of the dying and helpless victim, and birds of prey would tear at these sites. (16) Moreover, it was customary to leave the corpse on the cross to be devoured by predatory animals. (8,11,12,26) However, by Roman law, the family of the condemned could take the body for burial, after obtaining permission from the Roman judge. (11)

Since no one was intended to survive crucifixion, the body was not released to the family until the soldiers were sure that the victim was dead. By custom, one of the Roman guards would pierce the body with a sword or lance. (9,11) Traditionally, this had been considered a spar wound to the heart through the right side of the chest fatal wound probably taught to most Roman soldiers. (11) The Shroud of Turin documents this form of injury. (5,11,22) Moreover, the standard infantry spear, which was 5 to 6 ft (1.5 to 1.8 m) long, (30) could easily have reached the chest of a man crucified on the customary low cross. (11)

Medical Aspects of Crucifixion
With knowledge of both anatomy and ancient crucifixion practices, one may reconstruct the probable medical aspects of this form of slow execution. Each wound apparently was intended to produce intense agony, and the contributing causes of death were numerous.
The scourging prior to crucifixion served to weaken the condemned man and, if blood loss was considerable, to produce orthostatic hypotension and even hypovolemic shock. (8, 12) When the victim was thrown to the ground on his back, in preparation for transfixion of his hands, his scourging wounds most likely would become torn open again and contaminated with dirt. (2, 16) Furthermore, with each respiration, the painful scourging wounds would be scraped against the rough wood of the stipes. (7) As a result, blood loss from the back probably would continue throughout the crucifixion ordeal.

With arms outstretched but not taut, the wrist were nailed to the patibulum. (7,11) It has been shown that the ligaments and bones of the wrist can support the weight of a body hanging from them, but the palms cannot. (11) Accordingly, the iron spikes probably were driven between the radius and the carpals or between the two rows of carpal bones, (2, 10, 11, 30) either proximal to or through the strong bandlike flexor retinaculum and the various intercarpal ligaments (Fig 4). Although a nail in either location in the wrist might pass between the bony elements and thereby produce fractures, the likelihood of painful periosteal injury would seem great. Furthermore, the driven nail would crush or sever the rather large sensorimotor median nerve (Fig 4). (2, 7, 11) The stimulated nerve would produce excruciating bolts of fiery pain in both arms. (7,9) Although the severed median nerve would result in paralysis of a portion of the hand, ischemic contractures and impalement of various ligaments by the iron spike might produce a clawlike grasp.

Most commonly, the feet were fixed to the front of the stipes by means of an iron spike driven through the first of second intermetatarsal space, just distal to the tarsometatarsal joint. (2,3,8,11,30) It is likely that the deep peroneal nerve and branches of the medial and lateral planter nerves would have been injured by the nails (Fig 5). Although scourging may have resulted in considerable blood loss, crucifixion per se was a relatively bloodless procedure, since no major arteries other than perhaps the deep planter arch, pass through the favored anatomic sites of transfixion. (2,10,11)

The major pathophysiologic effect of crucifixion, beyond the excruciating pain, was a marked interference with normal respiration, particularly exhalation (Fig 6). The weight of the body, pulling down on the outstretched arms and shoulders, would tend to fix the intercostal muscles in an inhalation state and thereby hinder passive exhalation.(2,10,11) Accordingly, exhalation was primarily diaphragmatic, and breathing was shallow. It is likely that this form of respiration would not suffice and that hypercarbia would soon result. The onset of muscle cramps or tetanic contractions, due to fatigue and hypercarbia, would hinder respiration even further.(11)
Adequate exhalation required lifting the body by pushing up on the feet and by flexing the elbows and adducting the shoulders (Fig. 6).(2) However, this maneuver would place the entire weight of the body on the tarsals and would produce searing pain. (7) Furthermore, flexion of the elbows would cause rotation of the wrists about the iron nails and cause fiery pain along the damaged median nerves. (7) Lifting of the body would also painfully scrape the scourged back against the rough wooden stipes. (2,7) Muscle cramps and paresthesias of the outstretched and uplifted arms would add to the discomfort. (7) As a result, each respiratory effort would become agonizing and tiring and lead eventually to asphyxia. (2,3,7,10)

The actual cause of death by crucifixion was multifactoral and varied somewhat with each case, but the two most prominent causes were probably hypovolemic shock and exhaustion asphyxia. (2,3,7,10) Other possible contributing factors included dehydration, (7, 16) stress-induced arrhythmias, (3) and congestive heart failure with the rapid accumulation of pericardial and perhaps pleural effusions. (2, 7, 11) Crucifracture (breaking the legs below the knees), if performed, led to an asphysic death within minutes. (11) Death by crucifixion was, in every sense of the word, excruciating (Latin, excruciatus, or "out of the cross").

Crucifixion of Jesus
After the scourging and the mocking, at about 9 AM, the Roman soldiers put Jesus' clothes back on him and then led him and two thieves to be crucified. (1) Jesus apparently was so weakened by the severe flogging that he could not carry the patibulum from the Praetorium to the site of the crucifixion one third of a mile (600 to 650 m) away. (1,3,5,7) Simon of Cyrene was summoned to carry Christ's cross, and the processional then made its way to Golgotha (or Calvary), an established crucifixion site.

Here, Jesus' clothes, except for a linen lioncloth, again were removed, thereby probably reopening the scourging wounds. He then was offered a drink of wine mixed with myrrh (gall) but, after tasting it, refused the drink. (1) Finally, Jesus and the two thieves were crucified. Although scriptural references are made to nails in the hands, (1) these are not at odds with the archaeological evidence of wrist wounds, since the ancients customarily considered the wrist to be a part of the hand. (7,11) The titulus (Fig 3) was attached above Jesus' head. It is unclear whether Jesus was crucified on the Tau cross or the Latin cross; archaeological findings favor the former (11) and early tradition the latter. (38) The fact that Jesus later was offered a drink of wine vinegar from a sponge placed on the stalk of the hyssop plant (1) (approximately 20 in, or 50 cm, long) strongly supports the belief that Jesus was crucified on the short cross. (6)
The soldiers and the civilian crowd taunted Jesus throughout the crucifixion ordeal, and the soldiers cast lots for his clothing. (1) Christ spoke seven times from the cross. (1) Since speech occurs during exhalation, these short, terse utterances must have been particularly difficult and painful. At about 3 PM that Friday, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, bowed his head, and died. (1) The Roman soldiers and onlookers recognized his moment of death. (1)

Since the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the crosses after sunset, the beginning of the Sabbath, they asked Pontius Pilate to order crucifracture to hasten the deaths of the three crucified men. (1) The soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves, but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. (1) Rather, one of the soldiers pierced his side, probably with an infantry spear, and produced a sudden flow of blood and water. (1) Later that day, Jesus' body was taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb. (1)

DEATH OF JESUS
Two aspects of Jesus' death have been the source of great controversy, namely, the nature of the wound in his side (4,6) and the cause of his death after only several hours on the cross. (13-17)
The gospel of John describes the piercing of Jesus' side and emphasizes the sudden flow of blood and water. (1) Some authors have interpreted the flow of water to be ascites (12) or urine, from an abdominal midline perforation of the bladder. (15) However, the Greek word πλεύρα (or pleura) (32,35,36) used by John clearly denoted the laterality and often implied the ribs. (6,32,36) Therefore, it seems probable that the wound was in the thorax and well away from the abdominal midline.
Although the side of the wound was not designated by John, it traditionally has been depicted on the right side. (4) Supporting this tradition is the fact that a large flow of blood would be more likely with a perforation of the distended and thin-walled right atrium or ventricle than the thick-walled and contracted left ventricle. Although the side of the wound may never be established with certainty, the right seems more probable than the left.
Some of the skepticism in accepting John's description has arisen from the difficulty in explaining, with medical accuracy, the flow of both blood and water. Part of this difficulty has been based on the assumption that the blood appeared first, then the water. However, in the ancient Greek, the order of words generally denoted prominence and not necessarily a time sequence. (37) Therefore, it seems likely that John was emphasizing the prominence of blood rather than its appearance preceding water.
Therefore, the water probably represented serous pleural and pericardial fluid, (5-7, 11) and would have preceded the flow of blood and been smaller in volume than the blood. Perhaps in the setting of hypovolemia and impending acute heart failure, pleural and pericardial effusions may have developed and would have added to the volume of apparent water. (5,11) The blood, in contrast, may have originated from the right atrium or the right ventricle (Fig 7) or perhaps from a hemopericardium. (5,7,11)
Jesus' death after only three to six hours on the cross surprised even Pontius Pilate. (1) The fact that Jesus cried out in a loud voice and then bowed his head and died suggest the possibility of a catastrophic terminal event. One popular explanation has been that Jesus died of cardiac rupture. In the setting of the scourging and crucifixion, with associated hypovolemia, hypoxemia, and perhaps an altered coagulable state, friable noninefective thrombotic vegetations could have formed on the aortic or mitral valve. These then could have dislodged and embolized into the coronary circulation and thereby produced an acute transmural myocardial infarction. Thrombotic valvular vegetations have been reported to develop under analogous acute traumatic conditions. (39) Rupture of the left ventricular free wall may occur, though uncommonly, in the first few hours following infarction. (40)
However, another explanation may be more likely. Jesus' death may have been hastened simply by his state of exhaustion and by the severity of he scourging, with its resultant blood loss and preshock state. (7) The fact that he could not carry his patibulum supports this interpretation. The actual cause of Jesus' death, like that of other crucified victims, may have been multifactoral and related primarily to hypovolemic shock, exhaustion asphyxia, and perhaps acute heart failure. (2,3,5-7,10,11) A fatal cardiac arrhythmia may have accounted for the apparent catastrophic terminal event.
Thus, it remains unsettled whether Jesus died of cardiac rupture or of cardiorespiratory failure. However, the important feature may be not how he died but whether he died. Clearly, the weight of historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead before the wound to his side was inflicted and supports the traditional view that the spear, thrust between his right ribs, probably perforated not only the right lung but also the pericardium and heart and thereby ensured his death (Fig 7). Accordingly, interpretations based on the assumption that Jesus did not die on the cross appear to be at odds with modern medical knowledge.

References
Matthew 26:17-27:61, Mark 14:12-15:47, Luke 22:7-23:56, John 13:1-19:42, in The Holy Bible (New International Version). Grand Rapids, Mich, Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1978.
Lumpkin R: The Physical Suffering of Christ. J Med Assoc Ala 1978;47:8-10, 47.
Johnson CD: Medical and cardiological aspects of the passion and crucifixion of Jesus, the Christ. Bol Assoc Med PR1978;70:97-102.
Barb AA: The wound in Christ’s side. J Warbury Courtauld Inst 1971;34:320-321.
Bucklin R: The legal and medical aspects of the trial and death of Christ. Sci Law 1970; 10:14-26.
Mikulicz-Radecki FV: The chest wound in the crucified Christ. Med News 1966; 14:30-40.
Davis CT: The crucifixion of Jesus: The passion of Christ from a medical point of view. Ariz Med 1965;22:183-187.
Tenney SM: On death by crucifixion. Am Heart J 1964;68:286-287.
Bloomquist ER: A doctor looks at crucifixion. Christian Herald, March 1964, pp 35, 46-48.
DePasquale NP, Burch GE: Death by crucifixion. Am Heart J 1963;66:434-435.
Barbet P: A Doctor at Calvary: The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ as Described by a Surgeon, Earl of Wicklow (trans). Garden City, NY, Doubleday Image Books, 1953, pp 12-18, 37-147, 159-175, 187-208.
Primrose WB: A surgeon looks at the crucifixion. Hibbert J, 1949,pp 382-388.
Bergsma S: Did Jesus die of a broken heart? Calvin Forum 1948; 14:163-167.
Whitaker JR: The physical cause of the death of our Lord. Cath Manchester Guard 1937;15:83-91.
Clark CCP: What was the physical cause of the death of Jesus Christ? Med Rec 189o;38:543.
Cooper HC: The agony of death by crucifixion. NY Med J 1883;38;150-153.
Stroud W: Treatise on the Physical Cause of the Death of Christ and Its Relation to the Principles and Practice of Christianity, ed 2. London , Hamilton & Adams, 1871, pp28-156, 489-494.
Allen AC: The Skin: A Clinicopathological Treatise, ed 2. New York, Grune & Stratton Inc, 1967, pp 745-747.
Sutton RL Jr: Diseases of the Skin, ed 11. St Louis, CV Mosby Co, 1956,pp 1393-1394.
Scott CT: A case of haematidrosis. Br Med J 1918;1:532-533.
Klauder JV: Stigmatization. Arch Dermatol Syphilol 1938;37:650-659.
Weaver KF: The mystery of the shroud. Natl Geogr 1980;157:730-753.
Tzaferis V: Jewish tombs at and near Giv’at ha-Mivtar, Jerusalem. Israel Explor J 1970;20:18-32.
Haas N: Anthropological observations on the skeletal remains from Giv’at ha-Mivtar. Israel Explorer J 1970;20:38-59.
McDowell J: The Resurrection Factor. San Bernardino, Calif, Here’s Life Publishers, 1981, pp 20-53, 75-103.
McDowell J: Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Historical Evidences for the Christian Faith. San Bernardino, Calif, Here’s Life Publishers, 1979, pp 39-87, 141-263.
McDowell J: More Than a Carpenter. Wheaton, Ill, Tyndale House Publishers, 1977 1977, pp 36-71, 89-100.
Hengel M: Crucifixion in the Ancient World and the Folly of the Message of the Cross,Bowden J (trans). Philadelphia, Fortress Press, 1977, pp 22-45, 86-90.
Ricciotti G: The Life of Christ, Zizzamia Al (trans). Milwaukee, Bruce Publishing Co, 1947, pp 29-57, 78-153, 161-167, 586-647.
Pfeiffer CF, Vos HF, Rea J (eds): Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago, Moody Press, 1975, pp 149-152, 404-405, 713-723, 1173-1174, 1520-1523.
Greenleaf S: An Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists by the Rules of Evidence Administered in the Courts of Justice. Grand Rapids, Mich, Baker Book House, 1965, p. 29.
Hatch E, Redpath HA: A Concordance to the Septuagint and the Other Greek Versions of the Old Testament (including the Apocryphal Books). Graz, Austria, Akademische Druce U Verlagsanstalt, 1142.1975, p
Wuest KS: Wuest Word Studies From the Greek New Testament for the English Reader. Grand Rapids, Mich, WB Erdmans Publisher, 1973, vol 1, p 280.
Friedrich G: Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Bremiley G (ed-trans). Grand Rapids, Mich, WB Erdmans Publisher, 1971, vol 7, pp 572, 573, 632.
Arndt WF, Gingrich FW: A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. University of Chicago Press, 1957, p 673.
Brown F, Driver SR, Briggs CA: A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament With an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic. Oxford, England, Clarendon Press, 1953, 1953, pp 841, 854.
Robertson AT: A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in Light of Historical Research. Nashville, Tenn, Broadman Press, 1931, pp 417-427.
Jackson SM (ed): The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge. New York, Funk & Wagnalls, 1909, pp 312-314.
Kim H-S, Suzuki M, Lie JT, et al: Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) and diseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC): Autopsy study of 36 patients. Arch Pathol Lab Med 1977;101:65-68.
Becker AE, van Mantgem J-P: Cardiac Tamponade. A study of 50 hearts. Eur J Cardiol 1975;,3:349-358.

Liturgy of the Hours in Latin

2006-04-09T22:58:00.000+08:00

Liturgy of the Hours
Vespers and Compline

Sung in Latin

Sunday, 23 April 2006
8 pm to 9 pm
Adoration Room
Church of Sts Peter and Paul

Parallel Latin-English translations provided

Schola Cantorum Sancti Gregorii Magni
Archdiocesan Liturgical Music Committee

Universal approval of Latin Missal could be on the way

2006-04-04T12:55:00.000+08:00

Chanced across this article and thought of John Goh's comment in the chatterbox. For the original article, click on the title of the post:

Vatican City, Mar. 31, 2006 (CNA) - The St. Pius V Missal, which the Catholic Church used until 1962 before it was replaced by the new ordinary following the liturgical reforms of Vatican II, could be approved for universal use, according to sources close to the Vatican.

The decision on the use of the Missal, which was the subject of consultations between Pope Benedict XVI, the cardinals of the Church and the heads of the different Vatican diacasteries, could be announced after another meeting the Pope has scheduled for April 7 with Curia leaders.

The Pius V Missal contains the Mass celebrated in Latin according to the “Tridentine” rite and is currently allowed only with the permission of the local bishop. Universal approval would mean the traditional rite could be celebrated freely throughout the world by priests who wish to do so.

The move is not directly related to the Lefebvrist schism, since as a theologian the Pontiff had always expressed in interest in bringing back the rite. Nevertheless, Vatican sources note that this would be an important step in resolving the schism, as the possibility of freely celebrating the Mass of St Pius V is one of the points of contention with the Lefebvrists.

In July, the Society of St. Pius X—known as the Lefebvrists—will elect a new superior. The group will chose between openness to reconciliation embodied in the current superior Bernard Fellay or the decidedly anti-Vatican stance of Richard Williamson, another of the four bishops illicitly consecrated by the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

Perhaps what strikes me most about this article is the motivation behind such a move, which is the desire to strive towards reconciliation with the Society of St. Pius X rather than mere sentimental value or personal preference for the Tridentine rite.

- Daniel

White elephants in our churches?

2006-03-27T16:11:00.000+08:00

Posted on behalf of Chris Ow

A perverse thought came to my mind just one weekend ago: Have we been breeding white elephants within our Church buildings? The idea arose not from some strange encounters with albino pachyderm excrement, but from a random association between a north-eastern landmark of a train station and an integral part of Catholic Church architecture.

I was a visiting worshipper in a parish church in the northeast. It was the Saturday before Ash Wednesday and I was hoping to go for Confession before the anticipated Sunday Mass (otherwise known as Sunset Mass). So upon entering the church, I stopped to ask one of the wardens about the possibility of having my confession heard.

She pointed me to the Confessionals but warned me that sometimes the priests don't turn up. Notwithstanding her well-intentioned warning, I decided to sit at the pew next to the confessional and wait anyway. The wait was in vain.

Confessionals would surely seem to be architectural anachronisms to a disinterested non-Catholic observer noting their use (or rather their under-utilisation). Have we as Church turned our confessionals into white elephants? Are we not treating them as relics of a bygone era?

Catholics are not afraid of the Sacrament. The long lines at Advent and Lenten penitential services should serve as ample evidence. If that will not suffice, the hunger for the Sacrament is also manifest at St Alphonsus everyday of the week, and especially on Saturdays. The Redemptorists fathers seem to understand well this need, and they work to meet it.

Yet it does seem that the simple anonymity, privacy, and intimacy of the Confessional is no longer preferred in some of our parish churches. Perhaps the Singaporean Catholics of today are more comfortable confessing face to face in the priest's office or elsewhere, but on the basis of (my rather limited) personal experience and discussions with others, I find that quite unliklely. I might be wrong about this, but I think a large majority of local Catholics would be far more comfortable making their confessions within the Confessional rather than without.

It's also a chicken and egg problem of course. If priests don't enter the Confessionals routinely, penitents will not come. Yet if the demand for Confession is perceived to be low, priests will push the hearing of Confessions in the parish Confessionals down their long list of priorities.

Action is what is needed. And this on both sides at once. Parishioners need to be more vocal in expressing their desire for their priests to be available for Confessions, especially before Masses. Priests too should be bold in taking the initiative to make the Sacrament available.

I recall with fondness an old missionary priest (now deceased) whom I knew had a habit of always carrying either his breviary or missal with him. Before each Mass, he would sit waiting outside the Confessional. He was ready at the slightest notice to step in to hear a Confession, even if it was before an early morning Mass. Why are such examples so rare these days? Have we lost something along the way?

Written by Chris Ow

Population Control

2006-03-27T03:53:00.000+08:00

It is extremely interesting to learn of some of the things our parents had to go through. One of them was the government's policy to "Stop At Two", just as China now has the policy for each family to only have one child. One of the consequences of carrying out this policy is the now lack of population growth which has resulted in the government offering tax benefits to those with larger families, and to import foreign talent, because its only natural resource - population - is dwindling.

Some of our parents in Singapore greatly resent the government for this, especially those who were deceived into sterilization, which is, after all, an irreversible process.

Other forms of contraceptives have also resulted in many of today's problems. Breakdown of marriages, for one. And indeed an overall devaluation of sex. The primary reason why our teenagers are having sex at such a young age is because of a contraceptive mentality that is prevalent in our society.

What is a contraceptive society? One that believes pregnancy to be a disease, usually economically, and does what it can to "cure" or prevent this disease.

What our government, and many governments in the world today, fail to realise is that their solution to the rampant problem of promiscuous sex is the very root of the problem!

The first paragraph of the Fourth Sunday of Lent's first reading from 2 Chronicles holds a deeper meaning for our world today, with the new Temple of the Lord being the human body.

2 Chronicles 36:14-16

All the heads of the priesthood, and the people too, added infidelity to infidelity, copying all the shameful practices of the nations and defiling the Temple that the Lord had consecrated for himself in Jerusalem. The Lord, the God of their ancestors, tirelessly sent them messenger after messenger, since he wished to spare his people and his house. But they ridiculed the messengers of God, they despised his words, they laughed at his prophets, until at last the wrath of the Lord rose so high against his people that there was no further remedy.

I think what's even more amazing is Pope Paul VI's predictions made in 1968. He predicted in his encyclical "Humanae Vitae" that the widespread use of contraception would lead to "conjugal infidelity and the general lowering of morality."

This is exactly what has taken place. Who would deny that the rates of abortion, divorce, family breakdown, wife and child abuse, venereal disease and out-of-wedlock births have all massively increased since the mid-1960s?

Skeptics would claim that there is no correlation between these statistics and the use of contraceptives. Indeed there would be none if the Church today claims that the contraceptives play a major role in this. But what makes the Church's claim effective and plausible is that it made this claim, this prediction, before the troubles occurred on such a large scale.

Even in science, one of the criteria of the validity and truth of a scientific theory is that it must be able to make accurate predictions about an occurrence. But where does religion and science meet in this case? In the field of social science.

What contraceptives has done since 1968 is to drive the transformation of attitudes towards sex. This rapid change in the attitudes towards sex would not have been possible or sustainable without easy access to reliable contraceptive. In this prediction, Paul VI was right.

But that's not all. He also warned that man would lose respect for woman and "no longer [care] for her physical and psychological equilibrium", to the point that he would consider her "as a mere instrument of selfish enjoyment, and no longer as his respected and beloved companion".

What this means is that, according to the pope, contraception might be marketed as liberating for women, but the real "beneficiaries" of birth control pills and devices would be men.

Now, three, coming to four, decades later, exactly as Paul VI suggested, contraception has released males - to a degree never seen or recorded before in history - from responsibility for their sexual aggression.

In this process, one of the stranger ironies of the contraception debate in the past generation has been that many feminists, particularly in America, have attacked the Catholic Church for her alleged disregard of women. But the thing is, the Church in "Humanae Vitae" was the one who first identified and rejected sexual exploitation of women years before that message entered the cultural mainstream.

So again Pope Paul VI made an accurate prediction here.

But now we come to Pope Paul VI's third prediction, which brings us back to the title of this post.

The pope also warned that the widespread use of contraception would place a "dangerous weapon... in the hands of those public authorities who take no heed of moral exigencies."

One of the Nazi efforts to produce the ultimate race of human beings was to explore the field of eugenics, and we know that didn't disappear in 1945.

In fact, population control policies are now an accepted part of nearly every foreign aid discussion. Massive export of contraceptives, abortion, and sterilization by the developed world to developing countries is a thinly disguised form of population warfare and cultural re-engineering. In addition such are frequently as a prerequisite for aid dollars and are often in direct contradiction to local moral traditions.

Once again, Pope Paul VI has been proven right.

Fourth, he warned that contraception would mislead human beings into thinking they had unlimited dominion over their human bodies, relentlessly turning the human person into the object of his or her own intrusive power.

Here we see yet another irony: In evading the truth and fleeing into the false freedom provided by contraception and abortion, an exaggerated feminism has actively colluded in women's dehumanization.

A man and a woman participate uniquely in the glory of God by their ability to co-create new life with Him. At the heart of contraception, however, is the assumption that fertility is an infection which must be attacked and controlled, exactly as antibiotics attack bacteria.

In this attitude, we can see the organic link between contraception and abortion. If fertility can be misrepresented as an infection to be attacked, so too can new life!

In either case, a defining element of woman's identity - her potential for bearing new life - is recast as a weakness requiring vigilant distrust and "treatment". Woman becomes the object of the tools she relies on to ensure her own liberation and defense, while man takes no share of the burden.

Once more, Paul VI was right.

From this last point, much much more has been born, if you pardon the expression, from contraceptive technology - in vitro fertilisation, cloning, genetic manipulation, and embryo experimentation.

Contraceptive technology, because of its impact on sexual intimacy, has subverted our understanding of the purpose of sexuality, fertility and marriage itself.

All this leads to a greater and more widespread acceptance of homosexuality, abortion, disregard of human life, euthanasia, throwing newborn babies down the rubbish chute, masturbation, pornography, multiple sexual partners at all ages, even bestiality.

Welcome to the world we live in where such problems invaded our shores the day we opened our doors to contraceptive technology. In country after country, it is always the same thing. Once you have contraception, the rest is completely predictable.

But as it says in John 3:17, Christ came not to condemn but to save. So Pope Paul VI did not condemn his and our generation, but offered the teaching of the duties and responsibilities of married life.

And in our own generation, Pope John Paul II in his Theology of the Body explained the reasons behind Pope Paul VI's teachings. And today, we have Christopher West who translates John Paul's very philosophical and scholarly language into simple English that you and I can understand.

Are you ready to be a Christian, to do what is necessary to preserve the sanctity of life and the human body?

(Some parts of this post has been extracted from Archbishop of Denver, Colorado (USA), Charles J. Chaput, ofm, in his pastoral letter to the people of God of northern Colorado on the truth and meaning of married love on June 22, 1998, titled "Paul VI was right".)

Laetare Sunday

2006-03-25T23:32:00.000+08:00

The 4th Sunday of Lent is known as Laetare Sunday, because the first word of the Introit (ie. Entrance Antiphon) is "Laetare". The vestments used by the priest can be pink, instead of violet.

Laetáre Ierúsalem, et convéntum fácite omnes qui dilígitis eam: gaudéte cum laetítia, qui in tristítia fuístis: ut exsultétis, et satiémini ab ubéribus consolatiónis vestrae.

Laetátus sum in his quae dicta sunt mihi: in domum Dómini íbimus.

Rejoice, O Jerusalem; and gather round, all you who love her; rejoice in gladness, after having been in sorrow; exsult and be replenished with the consolation flowing from her motherly bosom. (Isaiah 66:10-11)

I rejoiced when it was said unto me, "Let us to go the house of the Lord". (Psalm 122(121): 1)

Translation from The Gregorian Missal.

It signifies a time of restrained rejoicing, which I personally observe is manifested in the words of the opening prayer.

Father of peace, we are joyful in your Word, your Son Jesus Christ, who reconciles us to you. Let us hasten towards Easter with the eagerness of faith and love.

More from the Catholic Encyclopedia also. Fr John Zulhsdorf also explains a bit and provides a more literal translation of the Latin of the Opening prayer.

I hope the priest celebrating Mass in your parish mentions the why and what of Laetare Sunday. Mine did, and I'm grateful.

Did they teach you about the sign of the cross?

2006-03-24T00:23:00.000+08:00

Did your Sunday school teachers teach you how to make the sign of the cross?

I did not even dare ask whether they taught you what the sign of the cross meant, or why do we sign ourselves with the cross or when should we sign ourselves with the cross. Such is my confidence in Sunday school these days, and the signs are very telling. One of the reasons why our youth are leaving could be that they have been presented with a very one-dimensional faith. One that is stripped of its rich heritage and history, reduced to some modern day pop-psychology or some simplistic view, a Jesus and me relationship and nothing more.

Anyway, back to my original question. I only fully realised that many sacred signs and participation at the liturgy have been forgotten when I stumbled upon this article in Adoremus Bulletin by Rev Cassian Folsom some years back. Let me try to adapt the section on how to make the sign of the cross here.

In the Byzantine tradition, the sign of the cross is made with the thumb, forefinger and middle finger held together whilst the ring finger and pinky should be touching the palm. In this simple gesture contains a mini catechesis. When we sign ourselves with the cross, we remind ourselves of the triune God whose name we begin our prayer and bless ourselves. We also remind ourselves of the dual nature of Jesus Christ that we profess in our Credo, that Jesus was truely God and truely man.

Pope Innocent III had this to say, "The sign of the cross is made with three fingers, because the signing is done together with the invocation of the Trinity. This is how it is done: from above to below, and from the right to the left, because Christ descended from the heavens to the earth, and from the Jews (right) he passed to the Gentiles (left)."

Fr Cassian then quotes Msgr Romano Guardini, an insighful educator and writer of Catholic spirituality. "When we cross ourselves, let it be with a real sign of the cross. Instead of a small cramped gesture that gives no notion of its meaning, let us make a large unhurried sign, from forehead to breast, from shoulder to shoulder, consciously feeling how it includes the whole of us, our thoughts, our attitudes, our body and soul, every part of us at once, how it consecrates and sanctifies us. It does so because it is the sign of the universe and the sign of our redemption. On the cross Christ redeemed mankind. By the cross He sanctifies man to the last shred and fiber of his being."

When do we make the sign of the cross?

In the Liturgy, there are many occasions when we make the sign of the cross:

with holy water before Mass begins;
at the beginning of Mass itself;
at the Gospel: "may the Lord purify my understanding, my speech, and my heart, so that I may receive the words of the Gospel";
we make the sign of the cross in the rite of baptism, for anointing the sick, for exorcisms, when we pray throughout the day;
in the Divine Office, we make the sign of the cross when we begin the Benedictus and the Magnificat, because they are Gospel canticles, and the Gospel stands for Christ Himself.
(if you now ask what is the Divine Office, well, I just have to cover that in another post)

Fr Cassian ends of the section on the sign of the cross with this:
"In the library of Sant'Anselmo in Rome, a place where I spend a good deal of time, there is a fine mosaic floor showing the cross of Christ, surrounded by the words: Ave Crux, Spes Unica. Hail O Cross, our only hope! The cross of Christ is indeed our only hope -- there is salvation in no other name. So when we make the sign of the cross, which we do many times each day, let's do it well!"
Truely, let us continue to mine the internet to understand and cherish our faith and tradition. And let us pray for our young ones that they be taught the same faith and tradition that have been passed down through the ages.
Many things we do now have lost their meaning
Many things that should be done are not
Many things have come to replace
what ought to be
Many things will not be remembered
if we do not cherish them
and what a great loss that will be

Songs at Mass

2006-03-11T23:58:00.001+08:00

I first would like to thank Chris Yeo for putting me on the list of bloggers who can post. Now to fire my first salvo.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us in paragraph 1158,

The harmony of signs (song, music, words, and actions) is all the more expressive and fruitful when expressed in the cultural richness of the People of God who celebrate.²⁵ Hence "religious singing by the faithful is to be intelligently fostered so that in devotions and sacred exercises as well as in liturgical services," in conformity with the Church's norms, "the voices of the faithful may be heard." But "the texts intended to be sung must always be in conformity with Catholic doctrine. Indeed they should be drawn chiefly from the Sacred Scripture and from liturgical sources."

In the CCC paragraph highlighted above, it basically says the text for songs used at Mass has to be chiefly from Scripture and Liturgy, and in harmony with Catholic doctrine. Firstly, scriptural text. Open your Sunday Missal and you have the "Entrance Antiphon" and "Communion Antiphon". We have different antiphons for each Sunday. Look carefully to see where they come from. They come mainly from the Psalms and various parts of the Bible.

Those who pray the Liturgy of the Hours regularly will know that the Psalms themselves are hymns expressing all sorts of emotion. Some Psalms beg the Lord for mercy, some praise Him for his goodness and so on. We know for sure that Jesus and Mary prayed the Psalms. The Antiphons have been used at Mass for a very long time, and the liturgical reforms of 1970 did not do away with them.

Yet, I'm sure we all agree it is common practice in our Archdiocese for choirs to make their own choices of hymns to be sung at Mass. Sometimes, (and often) the choices made tend to reflect the personal preferences of whoever is in charge of choosing the songs - and not the suitability for use at Mass. However, it is not a question of whether people know how to choose the right song. What I want to ask is this:

Why are we ditching the Psalms and Scripture Verses, meticulously chosen for us by the Church which have been in use for centuries, in favour of our personal preferences? And in the process, run the risk of going against what the Church teaches?

This question results from observing current liturgical practices.

Firstly, musical issues and the use of the vernacular at Mass. Musical settings of the Antiphons come down in the form of Gregorian chants (in Latin), which are difficult to sing. It would take some time for a group of singers to be competent in singing chant. There are simpler settings, such as the Simple Gradual, which is a collection of Psalms set to vastly easier melodies. These are approachable by anyone who has had basic musical education. Yet the Simple Gradual is in Latin - which generally conflicts with the normal practice in parishes nowadays to have Mass (and everything at Mass) in the vernacular.

Secondly, we actually can sing hymns at Mass- provided they are in a collection of hymns approved by the Bishop (see the GIRM, para 48) - and of course the hymns have to be in harmony with the Catechism's requirements. Unfortunately, Singapore does not have such a collection of hymns. The best we can do is to buy a hymnal which already has an imprimatur. Yet, policing is lax and choirs are left to choose from whatever music they can get their hands on, whether imprimatur or not, protestant, evangelical, lutheran etc etc. It also seems that not many people are well-formed enough (myself included) to look at texts inorder to check their conformity with Catholic doctrine.

Thirdly, the mistaken notion that the liturgical term "active participation" means external actions like singing, moving, doing and so on. This leads to choosing hymns that "the congregation knows" ie. already been sung in the parish for some time. Presumably, this is to avoid complaints from members of the congregation that they are unable to sing along. It might be unacceptable to some for me to say this - but we really don't have to get everyone to sing everything at Mass. "Active Participation" is primarily interior - we come to Mass to pray and unite ourselves with God's sacrifice, by virtue of our baptism.

We can't go wrong by singing Psalms. A setting of Psalms like By Flowing Waters can be used. Simple tones already available for Responsorial Psalms can be used too. These are simple enough for many choirs to manage. In places where the congregation still want to sing hymns, those found in the Liturgy of the Hours could also be used, as they are metrical and can be set against existing hymn melodies (eg. books like "Everyday Prayer"). Using existing hymnals with imprimatur, carefully scrutinized to screen out the dodgy hymns, is also possible. Finally, we can only pray for the Singapore collection of hymns to be ready.

Although the Antiphons are the least important part of the Mass, I have devoted an entire blog post to it. What is at stake here is the beliefs of the faithful. We pray about what we believe in, and vice versa. Singing the wrong kind of text has disastrous consequences for the faithful, especially those whose only contact with the Church is the Sunday Mass. If only it could be a simple manner for us to open the book, and sing what the Church tells us to.

Can We Keep Our Churches Catholic?

2006-03-04T17:32:00.000+08:00

A few months ago, Chris Ow posted an article "Familiar or Foreign?: Church Architecture and Worship". I was working on an article for the new church to be built in Pasir Ris, and was checking up on this guy, Denis McNamara, when I came across this article which might interest some of us:

"CAN WE KEEP OUR CHURCHES CATHOLIC?
A Critical Look at "Environment and Art in Catholic Worship"--With Hope for the Future"

Do check it out and share your thoughts on this.

St. John's Illuminated Bible

2006-02-27T00:20:00.000+08:00

The first fully handwritten illuminated bible in 500 years.

Some of its beautiful pages can be browsed here.

Change the church? How?

2006-02-19T20:29:00.000+08:00

Unhappy with the archdiocese? Do you feel a burning desire to make changes in the Church, but feel continually frustrated? I'd like to share with you the following article. Think about it, pray about it, and ask yourself, what do you think God is calling us to do?

Building a Catholic Action Plan for Reform
by Peter Mirus, special to CatholicCulture.org
February 14, 2006

Among the concerns of many Catholics across the world is how to faithfully deal with a bishop who manages his diocese in a manner that undermines or offers little support to the teachings of the Church or its disciplines and norms. Many Catholics feel called to action, but nearly as many feel that they are without an action plan.

I’m one of those tortured souls who have been – especially at times – frustrated into immobility. However, I’m also one of the lucky ones who live in a community with many faithful Catholics. In the absence of this support, it is easy to feel like you are on an island, and the sheer agony of this aloneness has driven many to the point of despair. I’m keenly aware of the pain suffered by many of our readers, whose impassioned letters detailing their untenable situations have given me a window into their plight.

So what to do? Ask your parish priest how one may morally show disagreement with one’s bishop without exhibiting disobedience? Even with a good priest, this would be a very awkward discussion – and many people are without a sound spiritual director to turn to for consultation.

These are some of the frustrations that have been shared with me in person, over the phone, and through email. And yet no matter how incapacitated each one believes himself to be, almost every writer has in some way made a suggestion as to how we can begin the reformation of our episcopacy. There is much wisdom in our readership, and the following list of suggestions is as much a product of their reflection and authorship as it is my own.

The Problem of Anger, the Primacy of Prayer

The first step toward mobility is to free ourselves from that which binds us. To state it simply, we cannot allow anger to immobilize us. For both spiritual and strategic reasons, this is conflict that will not be resolved through angry actions or expressions.

St. Francis de Sales wrote:

Most emphatically I say it…on no pretext whatever suffer your heart to admit anger and passion. St James says, plainly and unreservedly, that “the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” Of course it is a duty to resist evil and to repress the faults of those for whom we are responsible, steadily and firmly, but gently and quietly…. Correction given in anger, however tempered by reason, never has so much effect as that which is given altogether without anger.

It is unfortunate when anger robs one of his ability to pray. Certainly, if you feel that a bishop or priest does more of the devil’s work than God’s, you are indeed allowing the devil to work if you are so angry that you cannot sustain the interior life that is so vital to the life of the soul. As you have a greater responsibility for your own soul than for the soul of your bishop or priest, it is advisable to refuse to give in to anger, as you would to any other passion that can prevent you from having an unfettered relationship with God.

It might assist Catholics who struggle with this particular matter to reduce things to their essentials. The battle for sanctity and holy leadership in our clergy, particularly among the episcopacy, is a battle between good and evil. In other words, it is a war waged against God by the devil, in which we are merely instruments of God (to the extent that we are cooperative). Therefore, inasmuch as prayer, particularly of a contemplative nature is important to calming our passions and gaining perspective through reason, so it is also our most important weapon in the battle against evil. If we desire to do good in this conflict, it behooves us to try to find out in what way we will be of most use.

The Letter and the Boycott

The two most mentioned measures (after prayer, prayer, and more prayer) revolve around the power of the pen: as in, the pen that writes letters and writes checks.

In both the letter and the boycott there are strategic elements that must be included to produce the maximum effect. For a relatable example, I’ll talk about the much discussed issue of boycotting certain production and distribution companies in the movie industry. Let’s assume that a company has released some movies that are morally objectionable but also others that are good. If you boycott all films released (which I call a “blind boycott”), you have half the impact that you would have if you follow the strategy of boycotting the bad films and attending the good ones.

A case study: if Christians had decided to boycott all films distributed or produced by Newmarket Films because of past movies with “graphic sexuality”, we would have missed out on The Passion of the Christ. But the fact that many Christians went to see this film has raised the likelihood that major production companies will be willing to participate in such projects in the future. In the latest issue of Crisis, film critic William Baur writes that the authenticity of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is likely due in part to the success of The Passion.

But Walden [Media] managed to persuade the always politically correct Disney to come in primarily as a marketer and distributor—only after Disney had promised to respect Walden’s faithful approach. Certainly, the success of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, which grossed more than $400 million worldwide, encouraged Disney’s involvement.
When it comes to both letter and check writing, I would encourage a similar mentality. Discourage what is bad, encourage what is good.

In terms of financial contributions, this strategy might entail refusing to contribute to general fundraising appeals where you are unsure where your money is going. Examine the different diocesan programs to see which ones are deserving of your support and which are not. Some parishioners have opted to make contributions to a very select group of diocesan, parish, and outside charities in order to provide approximately the same support to essential ministries and services without compromising the commitment to fidelity.

You might even donate to another diocese’s efforts. You can always send your financial support to seminarians in an African diocese in the hopes that they will someday be sending mission priests to your diocese. (Don’t laugh, it could happen.)

The letter writing process can be painful. In the reexamination of wrongs that you would like to express, emotions may surface that make it difficult to be calm, clear, and charitable. In keeping with the strategy of focusing both on the good and the bad, you need to hit both the highlights and the lowlights, without being personal. If you are having trouble thinking of something good to mention, you can always fall back on something relatively generic (like exhibiting concern for the poor) and go on to point out areas that require improvement (like faithfulness to liturgical norms and a commitment to orthodoxy in seminary training).

Freedom of Association

There is a lot of merit to the idea of forming or joining lay action groups that strive to bring reason to a disordered diocese. In one diocese that I know of, one such group put pressure on the bishop to prevent him from installing one of the recently ballyhooed sex-education plans that are emerging in many dioceses (“Talking About Touching” and the like). The bishop did not install such a program.

You have to be wary when joining such an organization to make sure that its goals are faithful to the Magisterium and that they plan to conduct their efforts with dignity and prudence. Many of the groups receiving the most attention have some sort of an axe to grind relating to one or more issues that are incompatible with Church teaching or discipline: women’s ordination, priestly celibacy, gay rights, a greater role for the democratic process in the selection and promotion of bishops, etc.

One of the beauties of our current age is that it is very easy to connect yourself to individuals and organizations that aren’t actually located in your particular area, but have experience that you lack. You can educate yourself and get good advice on all manner of issues. An example: research how to form a group that advocates the greater availability of Eucharistic Adoration. Another example: learn how to form a group that teaches the Theology of the Body and Natural Family Planning. If you have the will to undertake these kinds of tasks, you can contact groups that will help you.

Conclusions and Reflections

I wonder what immeasurable amount of good might be done merely by praying for good bishops and priests daily, writing one letter to our pastors and bishops every month, being more discriminatory in our charitable giving, and finding at least one small way to be involved in a good organization that works inside dioceses to promote a more faithful Catholic culture.

Of course, each one must act according to his vocation—and this is another reason why prayer is the first and most essential task in approaching reform. We need divine Wisdom to show each one of us how to act. “If any of you lacks wisdom,” says St. James, “he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it.”

Whatever your mode of action, don’t deprive yourself of the mystical by focusing on the physical. Use your spiritual eyes. Just as you see our crucified Savior rather than just a piece of bread and cup of wine, see the Mystical Body of Christ rather than just a parish or a diocese.

We are never more active or more social than when we are united to the Mystical Body. The more deeply we trust in Christ, the more deeply we enter this community. If we act apart from it we are adrift at sea, but vertitatem autem facientes in caritate crescamus in illo per omnia qui est caput Christus — “doing the truth in charity, we may in all things grow up in him who is the head, even Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)

From http://www.catholicculture.org/highlights/highlights.cfm?id=98

© Trinity Communications 2006.

"our Muslim brothers and sisters"

2006-02-17T10:46:00.000+08:00

I read a ST news report on a statement by Archbishop Chia about the cartoon row, and I did a little pause when we addressed Muslims as "our Muslim brothers and sisters".

I of course believe in the human family, but this reference could be construed as patronising. I'm not sure if all Muslims are quite as willing as us to call others brother and sister. Please correct me if I am mistaken.

I'm wondering if this statement was a slight gaffe by the Archibishop, or a deliberate wording. Or am I making an issue out of nothing?

-just honestly asking-

Feb 17, 2006
Insensitive to run cartoons: S'pore Archbishop

By Ken
Kwek
THE Catholic Church in Singapore condemns the publication of cartoons
satirising Prophet Muhammad that first appeared in the Danish newspaper
Jyllands-Posten.

Archbishop Nicholas Chia said it was a 'deeply
irresponsible action and grossly insensitive' to Muslims' feelings.

In a
statement yesterday, he said the Catholic Church stood in solidarity with
Singapore's Muslims who were offended by the 'insensitive and provocative'
publication of the caricatures.

While upholding the principle of free
speech and expression as 'a fundamental human right and the basis for free and
democratic societies', he insisted that such freedom had to be exercised
responsibly.

Freedom of speech and expression imposed a 'serious
responsibility on those who claim it'. And it did not imply the right to offend
the religious sentiments of believers of any religion, he said.

'We view
the publication of the cartoons as a deeply irresponsible action and grossly
insensitive to the feelings and faith of our Muslim brothers and sisters,' he
said.

'We condemn all forms of incitement to hatred on the basis of race
or religion, and any form of denigration of religion.'

But he added that
the provocation caused by the cartoons 'does not justify the violent reaction of
some who have protested against them'.

...

Liturgy for Ignoramuses

2006-02-15T17:25:00.000+08:00

Your first step to liturgical understanding.

Another good one from Curt Jester.

There are just some absolute brilliant reading at http://www.catholicblogawards.com/

The Curt Jester: New Rite of Excorcism

2006-02-15T16:29:00.000+08:00

Brilliant. Please read and comment if you like.

Take Off Your Shoes

2006-02-12T13:23:00.000+08:00

A recent convert came up to me to ask a question: If we say that the church is the house of God and is considered holy ground, why do we not take off our shoes at the entrance?

At that time, I dismissed the question but it came back to me again after visiting India, where the Catholics do take off their shoes at the entrances. In many of the churches there, there are no pews in the church hall. Worshippers arrange themselves neatly on the floor. Some bring small carpets or clothes to sit or kneel on.

This is a form of inculturation. If you think about it, wearing shoes into a house is very much a Western culture. In Asia, it is considered rude to wear your shoes into someone's house. In temples and mosques in Singapore, people take off their shoes before entering the place of worship. Why has no church called for the respect of such a local culture?

On the practical aspect, the removal of pews creates a lot of space in a church hall, which aids in solving the problem of overcrowding. Some pews with padded kneelers can be left in the back rows or the side for the elderly.

What are your thoughts on such a suggestion?

The Pipe Organ - the most fitting?

2006-02-12T11:04:00.000+08:00

Should drums, pianos and guitars be allowed in mass worship, or should the pipe organ be the only one that is allowed? This question parallels very much the debate over whether some Latin should be reintroduced into mass. It puts into focus the two diverging sentiments of modern day worship: to freely express love and worship of God, or to seek the sacred, majestic and mysterious in tradition.

Br.Lawrence commented in another post the following:

You mentioned that the pipe organ is the "most perfect instrument". The Church recommends first and foremost that the voice is unaccompanied in liturgical music. The voice is the most perfect instrument because it is natural and created by God. To support the voice, the pipe organ is allowed and most fitting.

Why? Because it produces sound following the same principles as the human voice - the expansion of air that is pushed through pipes and expelled as a melodious sound. On this principle, the organ was felt to have the same natural tonality as the human voice and hence best suited to complementing the human voice.

Organ music in its own right is a later innovation and because it works like a human voice, it is tolerated in church. Otherwise, the Church still frowns on the use of all other musical instruments in church... This is because the human voice is the only fitting instrument used in praise of God and musical instruments can and often do drown out or obscure the human voice and the sacred texts which they sing in praise of God.

For the sake of clarity and understanding, I wish to put forward the following arguments one might have against the above.

The Church recommends first and foremost that the voice is unaccompanied in liturgical music.

1. If so, why has no liturgical committee or local church pushed for a completely unaccompanied celebration in Sunday worship?

Because it produces sound following the same principles as the human voice, the organ was felt to have the same natural tonality as the human voice and hence best suited to complementing the human voice.

2. Felt by whom? Isn't that subjective?
3. The violin also replicates and complements the human voice, some say better. Should that be allowed?
4. The flute as well as other wind instruments pushes air through pipes and expells melodious sound. What about these?
5. If a modern pipe organ were able to electronically reproduce the sound of the pipe organ perfectly, would it be allowed even though it does not 'push air through pipes'?

This is because the human voice is the only fitting instrument used in praise of God and musical instruments can and often do drown out or obscure the human voice and the sacred texts which they sing in praise of God.

5. Church choirs use perfect instruments but often drown and detract the congregation with complicated parts and their volume. Should all choirs that sing in parts therefore discouraged?
6. If a musical instrument were used in such a way that it truly complements and does not obscure the voice of worship, should this be allowed? Is this to you possible?

Marketing of Evil

2006-02-09T02:21:00.000+08:00

In "The Marketing of Evil," I interview the co-founder of America's abortion movement, Bernard Nathanson. He founded the largest abortion clinic in the Western world, and co-founded NARAL, the vanguard group that got abortion legalized in New York in the 1960s. Most impressively, he sat around with a few others and literally made up the original marketing slogans, "freedom of choice" and "women must have control over their own bodies." Here's what Nathanson told me. Quote: "I remember laughing when we made those slogans up. … They were very cynical slogans then, just as all of these slogans today are very, very cynical."

In other words, they knew they were just conjuring up deceptive marketing messages.

Nathanson today admits he and his abortion colleagues lied left and right. They fabricated statistics and poll results and fed them to a willing news media. What's the most powerful abortion marketing slogan of all? "Women are dying." It just seems to trump all other points. In the years before Roe v. Wade, we always heard that 5,000 to 10,000 women were dying every year in the U.S. from illegal, botched abortions. This is what Nathanson and his abortion marketer cohorts were claiming. But it wasn't true – not even close – and they knew it.

Some people say, "Hey, Nathanson is a pro-lifer now, so how can you believe his criticisms of the abortion industry?"

If you don't believe Nathanson, do you believe the Centers for Disease Control? Do you know how many women actually died from illegal, botched abortions in 1972, the last full year before Roe v. Wade? According to the CDC, it wasn't 5,000 or 10,000, it wasn't even 1,000 – it was 39.

For the rest of this (long) article, go here: http://www.drjudithreisman.com

This article is found on a website: www.drjudithreisman.com. She is a researcher who blew the whistle on Kinsey's book in 1948, pointing out what should have been blatantly obvious.

Incidentally, I came across this website from another excellent Catholic website called: www.pornnomore.com, which is dedicated to helping those who are addicted to pornography, and those whose lives are affected by people addicted to pornography. The question concerned that led me to Dr Judith Reisman's site was related to whether masturbation for the release of sexual tension was okay.

I recommend this site to those who know someone caught in the cycle of sexual addiction.

Making Lemonade and Being Discerning Catholics

2006-01-27T18:45:00.000+08:00

Saw this blogpost in Fr Aloysius Ong's blog that is so good that I've copied it entirely here. I hope he forgives me for not asking permission first, but I'd like to touch up the blog before inviting him to look. - chris

Came across a report from Zenit concerning the upcoming movie of the infamous (and the utterly self aggrandizing) Dan Brown's book 'The Da Vinci Code' and how despite its notoriety, is bringing about some interesting and positive enquiries for the Opus Dei, which is (ridiculously)portrayed as the main villian in the (stupid!) book and presumably in the movie.

Marc Carroggio, who oversees Opus Dei's relationship with the international media, told ZENIT that interest about the book and the film "is turning out to be a sort of indirect publicity for us." Carroggio added that, given the existence of the movie, there will be no fight against anyone. An effort is being made to take advantage of the great interest aroused to propose the figure of Jesus Christ, he stressed.

Hear! Hear! I have already sounded off to the catechetical coordinator in the parish to see if there is any opportunity to look into the area of pre-empting the (obviously) wrong impression that may arise from the upcoming movie, with a series of talks or presentation about this topic and other relevant issues to be given to the youths here. This is because, they were the most affected (including some young adults who seemed taken in by the need to find any fault with the Church so that they won't feel guilty with their strange sense of freedom in doing whatever THEY want) group of people who are unable to discern and sift through the nonsense this novel has churned up.

Even other local Christian groups have already put into place several activities and talks to address this! I'd say this is a very good opportunity for us to work together and bring about further closer ties in ecumenical efforts.

But what about the general public? Or the general parishioner, the Sunday Catholics and those who go through life with whatever they see fit to suit their theology or principles (if they even have one)? Here is where a wise answer from Marc Carroggio can give us some food for thought:

"The novel is essentially parasitical: The author makes a name for himself by attacking a major cultural figure, and he presents it as art. If the plot did not center on Jesus Christ, the book would lose its appeal. I think that the best response is simply to help people to know Jesus Christ. I suspect that in the coming year, many people will be moved to read the Gospels or a book about the life of Jesus Christ. They will be drawn to consider the great themes of faith, which give light to the most difficult questions of human existence. For me, these are all ways of turning the lemon into lemonade."

Turning lemon into lemonade. Another wise and simpler way to say, "If life gives you a lemon, make lemonade!" A positive manner to approach a seemingly notorious problem that seems to a have mind of its own, running roughshod over all sense of order and reality. Then we also have Rom 8: 28 to give us that reassurance that evil or anything that goes against the Christian sense will eventually be overcome by God's own will and power for those who continue to place their trust in Him.

I'm sure there are some of you out there who are wondering why can't we, the Church, sue Sony-Columbia for defamation. After all the name of the Church and in particular the Opus Dei have been maligned. Another wise stance from Marc:

"Suppose a movie revealed that Sony-Columbia was not what we had always thought but was a secret group of assassins run by the Mafia, but included a disclaimer that it was just fiction. Somehow I doubt their lawyers would be satisfied. I am sure they would threaten a suit. Still, legal action is like an icon of institutional conflict. It would be "Opus Dei vs. Sony-Columbia." To me that just sounds almost surreal. As I said earlier, the only thing Opus Dei is going to do is to make a declaration of peace."

Ironic isn't it? In the business world, especially in entertainment, anything goes - if you can make it stick! Fairness? No such thing!

So, do we SEE the movie? The following again will be a good rule of thumb:

"An interesting question is whether this movie should be only for adults. Any adult with a minimum of education can distinguish reality from fiction. But when history is manipulated, you cannot expect a child to make proper judgments. Merely adding a disclaimer that says 'Fiction' is not enough. Just as we protect children from explicit sex and violence, it would seem to make sense to protect them from violence that is more subtle and thus more insidious. I think it is reasonable to be concerned about this question. Besides thinking about profits, one should also think about possible negative influences on the young. As I said earlier, this is not the time for sowing disharmony among persons, nations and religions, but rather understanding."

Should YOU see the movie? By all means go ahead! Just check your brains outside the cinema and enjoy the braindead nonsense it serves up with usual cinematice wizardry that we come to expect these days. After that, go for coffee or tea or whatever fancy your palate and discuss the merits of the director's choice in casting Tom Hanks as the hero of the plot and why must 'Da Vinci' be used and not 'Leonardo'... ;)

An SFX Musical

2006-01-26T23:28:00.000+08:00

This is a belated post, and one I apologise for, because this wonderful event is so deserving of praise.

On December 22nd, I attended a concert at the Victoria Concert hall that was organised by the St. Francis Xavier Youth Choir. I am admittedly a great fan of the choir, but they truly outdid my expectations.

I can't remember all the songs they did but I remember especially their wonderous and rousing rendition of 'When you believe' from the movie Prince of Egypt, replete with the glorious Hebrew section in the middle. The first half of the concert included performances by several other choirs as well (Edward Baccharus Choir; Catholic High Choir; etc.).

The second half was to be something which I had not a clue about - a Musical. The only two other church "musicals" I have attended left me with mixed feelings about how it would turn out. However, whatever reservations I had were completely blown away by their excitingly choreographed and musically inspired rendition of the life and mission of St. Francis Xavier. In my opinion, no church musical should ever be staged from now on unless they are helmed by a choir.

Our very own John Goh played St. Francis, and the songs were beautifully written, beautifully original, and beautifully sung. The acting was simple and minimal, but that let the costumes, choreography and lyrics shine through. Simply superlative. My absolute congratulations to John, Dennis, and the choir; I believe St. Francis would have been proud of you. I know I am.

Article from CN: St. Francis Xavier’s 500th birth anniversary celebrated with sell out concert

SINGAPORE – In celebration of the 500th birth anniversary of its patron saint, the St. Francis Xavier Youth Choir staged its first public choral concert at the Victoria Concert Hall on Dec 22 last year. The Youth Choir also staged a colourful musical on the life of St. Francis Xavier titled “Hidden, I Will Show Him”.

The Edward Becheras Choir of Catholic High School and the Edward Becheras Vocale also lent their voices to the evening of spiritually-inspired music, which was attended by Archbishop Nicholas Chia and Archbishop Emeritus Gregory Yong. The Youth Choir’s mission is to bear witness to Christ through music and song.

Each year, it celebrates the anniversary of its patron saint with a concert in the hall of their parish of St. Francis Xavier. This year, however, as it is a milestone anniversary, parish priest Father Anthony Ho suggested having a public concert which also serves evangelisation purposes. The 880 tickets were snapped up just two weeks after they were put on sale.

The $16,500 raised from the ticket sales went to the Assisi Home and Hospice, as the Youth Choir’s aim for the concert was purely to use song to share the Word of God using the life of St. Francis Xavier as a role model.

The Youth Choir won its first Gold Award (Senior Youth Category) at the 21st Century International Choral Festival at Genting Highlands, Malaysia, in December 2003. It was set up 18 years ago under the director of Denis Leong, who is also the choirmaster of the Edward Becheras Choir.

Sermons in Mass

2006-01-26T13:38:00.000+08:00

Every aspect of the mass is important. Thus no part can be removed nor is any part lesser in importance, theorectically.

If one actually take note, every part of the mass is ritualised with fixed prayers to say. Except the sermon, where there is some opportunities for individual creativity and interaction by the priest to give their 15 mins of preaching and sharing of their spiritual knowledge.

However, what I find very frustrating is that lack of good sermons. Perhaps it's the quality of oratory skills or perhaps the sermon lacks content. Whichever the reason, usually I find it boring and meaningless.

I speak for myself, but how often do we find priests struggle to find anecdotes or some far-fetched internet stories to fit into the theme of the week? Or how some priests read off word-for-word from their scripts. Or worse, some old-timers think they can just rattle off without preparing.

In this modern society, with information overload and for some intellectuals who have some bible knowledge, I believe such sketchy and surface interpretations of the readings are unacceptable and insulting to the congregation.

Faith-teacher, please speak with conviction and with depth of thought and substance, for the people are looking forward to good sermons to kick-start their week and to be motivated about life. They want to hear God speak to them through the readings and they need you to explain to them how the scripture can inspire them.

Indeed Saint Paul said that when we are young, we need baby food. But I suspect that the majority of the congregation had come of (spiritual) age and is ready for more substantial spiritual knowledge and inspiration. I would even go as far as to say the people would love to know how to interpret the bible from the priest's point of view so that in the future, they themselves can read the Sunday or Daily Missal and let the scriptures inspire them without the spoon-feeding by the priests.

Don't get me wrong, I am not looking for any pomp or fireworks, nor am I looking forward to any Anthony Robbins or Adam Khoos to give us those motivation talks. What I am looking for is something simple and relevant. I can look into my life and ponder on how God have been relevant and present in my life if and only if I know how to interprete those Testaments of my forefathers. And I would only know how to interprete them if and only if I am guided by these teachers who stands at the rostrum.

Thus, standing at the rostrum and giving a half-hearted sermon is certainly serving injustice to the thousands who faithfully attend mass.

Priests resist condom use in HIV-hit Tanzania

2006-01-25T12:53:00.000+08:00

Priests resist condom use in HIV-hit Tanzania - 23/01/06

A new school science syllabus in Tanzania that incorporates the teaching of how condoms should be used has been described by Roman Catholic bishops as “unacceptable”, in spite of the spread of HIV-AIDS, writes Frank Jomo for Ecumenical News International.

“Introduction of the [teaching of] use of condoms in schools, apart from being sinful, is indeed justification and opening the door for immoral lifestyles,” Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, the archbishop of Dar es Salaam, said in a statement issued by Tanzania's Episcopal Conference this month.

It continued: “Teaching children, some as young as 12 years old, the use of condoms is disastrous.” Development workers vigorously disagree.

Read the rest of this article at ekklesia.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - A Christian Appreciation

2006-01-25T08:20:00.000+08:00

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - A Christian Appreciation -->
By Sister Wendy Ooi, fsp

“Someday you will be old enough to start reading (watching) fairy tales again”—
Preface to “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe”

(Warning: This article contains spoilers for those not familiar with the plot)

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA – THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE (“Narnia”), the film adaptation of C. S. Lewis’ book “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, will appeal to more than just Christians.

It is a fantasy adventure of four children who discover Narnia, a magical world filled with talking animals and mythical fauns and centaurs.
Unfortunately, Narnia is under the spell of the evil White Witch, who has cursed Narnia with perpetual winter “but never Christmas”. The children battle the Witch to free Narnia forever from her spell with the help of Aslan, the noble and mighty lion.

Lewis’ imaginary world of Narnia has taken more than half a century since the publication of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” in 1950 to come to the big screen. One reason may be that only today’s film technology and Computer-Generated Imagery makes possible a realistic portrayal of Narnia and her inhabitants. Another possible reason is the commercial viability of Christian-theme movies following the enormous success of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”.

Though “Narnia” does not include everything in the book, and there are even slight changes from it, it is a faithful adaptation and fans of C. S. Lewis will not be disappointed. While cherished as a fairy tale with mythic motifs on one level, a deeper perspective reveals beautiful Christian allegories.

(Continue reading on The Catholic News)

Same-sex Marriages

2006-01-25T04:05:00.000+08:00

I came across this interesting article in Catholic World News (CWN) regarding same-sex marriages. As more countries and states legalise same-sex marriages, what if one day Singapore faces this option? How should you as a Catholic argue against the legal recognition of same sex marriages?

The same-sex marriage proposal is a scam. Here's why.

A) Eric is married to Kate. Their marriage provides the state with many significant benefits.

1) They produce in their children the next generation of citizens.

2) They provide a very great part of the education and socialization of their children, teaching them to communicate, to cooperate with others, to do their fair share of the common toil, to restrain their appetites in service of a common good. Most of the values that incline citizens to contribute to society (and to act so as to stay out of jail) are learned in the home and inculcated and reinforced by parents and siblings.

3) When the young behave in harmful ways, most of the needed disciplinary correction will be meted out by their families and the more stable the family, the more effective the correction is likely to be.

4) Eric and Kate are interested in the welfare not only of their children but of their children's children, and consequently have a vested interest in the long-term prosperity of the state (and neighbourhood), and inculcate the same sense of responsibility in their children.

The state can, in unusual circumstances, provide or attempt to provide benefits 2, 3, and 4. The state will almost never succeed in providing them as well as an average family, and the expense involved will always be grotesquely disproportionate to the effect, as compared to the same benefit provided in the context of married family life. Because Eric and Kate make sacrifices in order to stay married and raise a family (sacrifices involving career choices, education and health expenditures, etc.), the state traditionally acknowledges the benefits provided by partially compensating Eric and Kate in legally "privileging" their marriage: recognizing the marriage as a civil reality, making it difficult to dissolve, penalizing polygamy (whether serial or concurrent), protecting property by inheritance law, and so forth.

B) Greg and Charlie graduated from college together and both have entry-level jobs in business. They are friends, and room together to cut expenses by sharing rent and utilities, and because they enjoy each other's company. Their main interests are in providing economic prosperity and security for themselves and in pursuing their own amusement. Their conjunction, in and of itself, provides no benefit whatever to the common good; each individually makes contributions as a working and tax-paying citizen, but each would make the same contribution if he lived alone.

C) Dave and Jason live in the apartment below Greg and Charlie. They graduated from college together and both have entry-level jobs in business. Their main interests are in providing economic prosperity and security for themselves and in pursuing their own amusement. Each individually makes contributions as a working and tax-paying citizen, but each would make the same contribution if he lived alone. Dave regularly sodomizes Jason. The principal reason they share the domicile is to facilitate this conjunction.

Question: what good does the conjunction of Dave and Jason provide the state that the conjunction of Greg and Charlie does not? How do we, their fellow citizens, benefit from their partnership? In what sense is their relationship productive of the common good such that the state would want to assimilate it to the marriage of Eric and Kate? Keeping in the mind that the recreative appetites of Greg and Charlie were not specified and so may be heterosexual or homosexual or some combination thereof what is it that we, the citizenry, stand to gain by the fact that Jason is sodomized by his roommate?

Or, if this picture is seen as too reductionist, what public, civilly verifiable fact about Dave and Jason's relationship makes it a "same-sex partnership" in a way that distinguishes it from the same-sex co-habitation and friendship of Greg and Charlie? What, in short, is the state imagined to be rewarding in granting civil recognition to their partnership?

Edit: Link provided.

Understanding the Latin 'Our Father'

2006-01-15T21:58:00.000+08:00

In this week's Catholic News, a Benjamin wrote in to express shock that the Our Father was being sung in Latin at a mass he attended. He basically says that:

1. We don't understand Latin
2. We can't pronounce Latin
3. Therefore it takes away the meaning of anything
to sing in Latin
4. Therefore Latin is unnecessary
5. Therefore, let's keep to English.

It is true that we don't understand Latin. But we do know what the Our Father says, so we do in fact know the meaning of Pater Noster. In an interesting coincidence, Peter Low in another part of the CN refers to the Latin mass:

"We were singing in a language that we did not speak, but that doesn't mean we didn't understand it (the worship)," he said and likened the practice to that of Buddhists who chant in Sanskit and Muslims in Arabic."
I'm in favour of selective use of Latin as it's strongly endorsed by Popes JPII and Benedict XVI as the language of the Roman Catholic Church. It's a connection not only between nations but with our past."
He feels that singing the "Our Father" and the "Creed" in Latin adds a sense of the sublime.

"Adds a sense of the sublime" - I second that

I wonder if any public debate will be ignited by Benjamin's
letter.

There has been some previous debate about the reintroduction of Latin into our masses. Please go to Should we sing the 'Our Father' in Latin? and On the recent changes to the way we celebrate mass in Singapore to read those posts.

I will now here attempt to share what little I know about the latin Our Father so that those of us who come across it can have better appreciation of it. After singing it for so long in mass, I have been able to remember to and even understand it a little, as English has many roots in Latin. Do give understanding it a try; its not that difficult.

Pater noster qui es in coelis,
Father-our-who lives in-heaven,
sanctificetur nomen tuum;
sanctified-your name,
adveniat regnum tuum,
come-your kingdom,
fiat voluntas tua,
be done-your will,
sicut in coelo et in terra.
as-in-heaven-and-in-earth.
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie,
Bread-ours-daily give-us-today,
et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
and-forgive-us-sins-our,
sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
as-and-we-forgive-those who owe us.
et ne nos inducas in temptationem
And-not-us-induce-in-temptation
sed libera nos a malo.
but-liberate-us-from-evil.

Basically, if you sing the Our Father in your head, you'll find that you can already guess at the meanings of lots of the words. Here's some words that you'll find easy to understand:

pater: Father
noster; nostra: Our (Latin can have different inflexions on a word but the root meaning remains)
nobis: us
adveniat: advent/coming
fiat: by fiat means to have something done by will
voluntas: will, same root as voluntary
sicut: as
terra: earth, as in terrestrial
Panem: panis means bread
et: and, as in et cetera - and the rest
demitte: forgive
debita: sins, or debit/due
malo: evil

I hope that by knowing these few words, you might be willing to attempt praying the Our Father in another language. It would certainly be an interesting experience. Try it!

Theology of the Body

2006-01-15T04:40:00.000+08:00

I've been wanting to write an article on Theology of the Body for some time, but have never had the chance to put my thoughts down till today.

For the uninformed, Theology of the Body is a compilation of Pope John Paul II's 129 short talks over the first five years of his papalship. It is the source of the sexual revolution that he tried to bring about, but the message of his theology is only now starting to be felt in Singapore.

This article is taken from the OXYGEN sharing on Jan 15. Since I wrote it already, I thought it would be good to put it out as a sharing/article here in this blog. It comes from a reflection on the biblical passage 1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20, which is the second reading for the second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

So, here goes:

When we think of the sacraments, we realise that each one deals with the body and the soul. Think about the sacraments. In Baptism, running water is poured onto our foreheads. In Confirmation, we are anointed on our skin with holy oil, the same as during the Anointing of the Sick. In Holy Communion, we receive and eat with our mouths, the Body of Christ. In Reconciliation, we confess our sins with our lips to another person, another body, through which Christ acts. During Holy Orders, we lay our bodies down prostrate before the Lord. And during Marriage, the primordial sacrament, we make love to our spouse, professing with our bodies the vows that we took at the altar.

Every sexual act that we make has to be a reflection of the vows we make at the altar. It has to be a free choice between both spouses, giving of themselves and receiving each other totally. It has to be done only with each other, and it has to be open to life.

Hold on, you may say. Why does every sexual act with my spouse have to be open to life? If we allow that one to go by, then we might come to ask as well, why must every sexual act be with my spouse? Both are vows taken at the altar, and to let one go means a weakening of the marriage bond, which can and does lead to unfaithfulness. If you doubt me, just take a look at the world around us today. See how much the marriage bond has weakened in society because the society has what Pope John Paul II called 'the culture of death'. It begins with the weakening of the marriage bond and this begins when couples are lie to each other with their bodies.

Hold on, hold on, you may say again. What is this about lying with my body? A couple who engage in sexual intercourse while using contraceptives is saying that they are not open to life. Which means to say, the Lord, the giver of life, the Holy Spirit, is not welcome in their union. They are saying, "God, we don't want you in our marriage. Stay out of it. If you try to come in, we will kill any life that you try to create." Hence, culture of death.

What does this contracepting culture lead to? Firstly, we know that no matter how good a contraceptive is, there is always room for error, particularly human error, misuse of the condom or the pill. Regardless of how, pregnancies do take place even when contraceptives are used, correctly or incorrectly. A couple that has sex and are not open to life are putting themselves in a position where a pregnancy, if it occurs, is unwanted.

Therefore, we have unwanted pregnancies, abortions, parentless children. Have you ever heard parents tell their children, "I never wanted to have you"? Even if they don't say it, the children will grow up in an environment where they were never wanted.

But contraceptives were invented to prevent the spread of diseases through sexual intercourse, we might say. Does it work? I have to ask. Since contraceptives were invented, more and more people have contracted AIDS and other STDs. Why? Because of incorrect use, firstly. But more importantly, if people don't want to contract such diseases, then they can abstain from sex. That's a 100% way of not contracting STDs.

If you look at it closely and honestly, you cannot help but admit that contraceptives were invented for one and only one purpose - for people to have sex for pleasure and only for pleasure. What does this lead to? It leads to the human body being used for pleasure only. It leads to an increase in pornography, both male and female. This leads to young girls being kidnapped or paid to bare their bodies on cameras. It leads to child pornography and all other perverse forms of pornography as well, because different people have different fetishes. And of course it leads to masturbation.

It leads to the human body being used as a commodity. Once a woman can no longer satisfy a man during sex, or vice versa, they are discarded and a new one found. This leads to extra-marital affairs, and we know that adultery is the number one leading cause of divorce.

With the human body being used as a commodity, we are led to a culture where humans are made to be used. We have immoral forms of scientific research - cloning, embryonic stem cell research etc - which pays no heed to human life, since it is now a commodity to be bought and used.

I read in a friend's blog today that asks "What worth is a theory or principle if it doesn't have any bearing on everyday life?" Today's reading seems to be the old, boring teaching of the Church that tells us not to have sex outside of marriage. What relevance does an ancient, old-fashioned tradition have in today's world? As you have seen, it has a lot to do with today's world.

Today's world has many problems. As you can see, unwanted pregnancies, abortions, unwanted children, divorces, contraceptives and its side-effects, pornography, adultery, increase in cases of AIDS and other STDs, cloning and other immoral forms of scientific research (including faking of cloning results), etc, they all come from one source - the abuse of sex.

The Church is not down on sex. Far from it. The Church places such a high value on sex, which is why it has so many rules on it. The Church is trying its best to protect one of its greatest treasures - God's gift of sexual union, because it is a reflection of Christ's union with his Church.

And Satan knows it. Satan assails the world's view on sex, because he knows it is one of humanity's greatest treasures. He has profaned it greatly, largely through the help of us humans who fail to understand the beauty of sex as God meant it to be.

So the question today is: whose side are you on? God's or Satan's? There is no in between. And remember, what you profess with your soul must be reflected in your body, because they cannot be separated. Your body is the voice of your soul.

**********
A book I would recommend for much, much more is "Theology of the Body for Beginners" by Christopher West.

Okay, you can start commenting now. :)

Preach message of abstinence with proper understanding

2005-12-22T13:48:00.000+08:00

Sex education is sometimes set up as a fight between the "safe sex message" and the "abstinence message". The Singapore government has been stepping up its campaign to publicise "safe sex" - the use of condoms to prevent disease and pregnancy. In a letter to CN, John Ooi points out that the safe sex is not really that safe. I reply that his use of statistics is unfair, and that perhaps both messages can be allowed in schools. Catholics should remember that the church does not condone premarital sex and that abstinence is the only way to practice "safe sex".

Dear Editor,

I am writing in reply to John Ooi’s letter ‘“Safe” sex is not really safe’ (CN, 25th Dec 2005). In it, John argues that condoms are neither effective in preventing pregnancies nor sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and that abstinence is more effective than practicing “safe sex”. I agree wholeheartedly that the abstinence message is not “out-of-touch with reality” and should be propagated. However, there are certain misrepresentations that need to be addressed, lest we come away with a skewed perspective regarding the “safe sex” message, and be accused in the end of being “out-of-touch with reality”.

First, John states that “studies show that the user-effectiveness rate of the condom against pregnancy is 86 percent”. While this statistic is correct[1], it is from a study of couples that use condoms as a birth control method. It turns out that most of these condom failures are caused by errors in use, "most notably the failure of couples to use condoms during every act of sexual intercourse."[2] Its true effectiveness in preventing pregnancy is probably much closer to the estimated 97 percent if ‘used perfectly’[3]. In fact, if calculated on a per condom basis, its effectiveness is closer to 99.96 %[4].

Next, John extrapolates from this 14 percent first-year failure rate, to a 26 percent failure rate over two years. While this is correct, it needs to be put in perspective in that an estimated 85 percent of women using no method of birth control will become pregnant in the first year[5]. Using the same reasoning, 97 percent, or 970 out of 1000 teens will become pregnant in two years if they do not use birth control. But this would not be a fair representation of the statistics. We should also not use such extrapolations and large sample sizes to make the numbers support our argument; we should present the facts as fairly as possible.

In truth, these statistics about failure rates are actually not relevant to the question of how effective the “safe sex” message is. The relevant statistics should be “how many teens get pregnant after being taught only the ‘safe sex’ message” versus “how many teens get pregnant after being taught only the abstinence message”. It is not at all clear in this regard that the abstinence only message is more effective.

John also refers to how condoms are not actually effective in preventing a number of common STDs. This is true. He then adds that it is logical to conclude that condoms are not any more effective in preventing the transmission of AIDS then in preventing pregnancy. There is an unfortunate impression that condoms are not at all effective in preventing AIDS. As a clarification, while latex condoms provide almost no protection against HPV (human papillomavirus), the cause of genital warts and cervical cancer, lab studies show that using a latex condom to prevent transmission of HIV is more than 10,000 times safer than not using a condom[7].

Here, if we are arguing about effectiveness, the relevant question is whether more teens will catch HIV if they are taught the only “safe sex” message, as opposed to if they were taught abstinence only. Again, it is questionable that the abstinence only message is more effective. If even one straying teen could be prevented from catching HIV by the proper use of a condom, it is arguable that teaching “safe sex” is justifiable just to save that one life. In my opinion, we should not be opposed to the teaching of the “safe sex” message as long as abstinence is taught correctly and as the primary message.

I thank John for educating us about the fact that condoms are not really as effective as commonly thought, but his use of statistics and talk about effectiveness is skewed and misguided. Individuals such as John and organisations such as the Family Life Society should be honest and responsible in propagating the truth about Catholic teachings. Feeding us such figures while ranting against the popular perception of the “safe sex” message only invites people to blindly believe in the abstinence only message. This is actually why we are being accused of being “out-of-touch with reality”, and prevents the message from being more widely accepted.

Most of my information was gotten from this website: The Truth About Condoms (2002),
While a good article to read about sexual education in Singapore is What should be taught in sex education?

[1] R. A. Hatcher, et al., Contraceptive Technology, 17th revised edition (New York: Irvington Publishers, Inc., 1998), p.328.
[2] CDC Update, Questions and Answers on Condom Effectiveness, January 1997.
[3] R. A. Hatcher, et al., 1998, p. 328.
[4] Ibid, p. 329.
[5] Ibid., p. 216.

[7] R. F. Carey, et al., "Effectiveness of Latex Condoms As a Barrier to Human Immunodeficiency Virus-sized Particles under the Conditions of Simulated Use," Sexually Transmitted Diseases, July/August 1992, vol. 19, no. 4, p. 230.

“Safe sex” is not really safe
Letter from John Ooi (Published in an edited form in CN, Dec 25)

Practise safe sex - use the condom, and you’re be protected against pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease (STD)! This is what articles about sexually active teenagers that appear regularly in the secular press push for. And in discussing sex education, these articles may make the Church’s teachings on chastity (which means abstinence for the unmarried) appear out-of-touch with modern day reality.

It is agreed that there is a problem, which is that a portion of our youth are sexually active. There are generally two options to solve any problem. Option 1 (the safe sex message) is to go for a quick fix that its proponents hope would be adequate. Option 2 (the abstinence message) is more difficult but more effective as it identifies and addresses the root causes.

How valid is the safe sex assumption that the condom would address the problem of teenage pregnancy and of teenagers contracting STDs such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, genital herpes, HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) and HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which leads to AIDS)?

The user effectiveness rate of the condom is of the order of 86% (1). This means that of 1000 women and their partners who are using the condom, 140 would be pregnant after one year. Now if the remaining 860 women continue using the condom for a second year, another 14% of this group (or 120 women) would possibly be pregnant by the end of the second year, that is, there is a 26% chance of an unintended pregnancy after 2 years. The probability of an unintended pregnancy would increase with length of use – this is a statistical fact.

As for the effectiveness of the condom in preventing STD transmission, what is the scientific evidence? This was the question that brought together a number of public health agencies in the United States at the start of this millennium. The scientists involved reviewed and discussed the data from many published studies. As indicated in the table below, they were unable to conclude that the condom can effectively prevent the transmission of a number of common STDs. One reason for this could be that these STDs infect the entire genital area and are spread by skin-to-skin contact. Also, if one compares the factors involved in achieving pregnancy versus AIDS transmission, it would be logical to conclude that the condom cannot be more effective in preventing AIDS than in preventing pregnancy. Should one promote an airline that has a crash rate per year of 14% or higher?

Condom Effectiveness for STD Prevention (2)

—————————————————
STD Effectiveness
—————————————————
Chlamydia No proof of effectiveness
—————————————————
Gonorrhoea Men: Some risk reduction; Women: No proof of effectiveness
—————————————————
Syphilis No proof of effectiveness
—————————————————
Genital Herpes No proof of effectiveness
—————————————————
HPV No proof of effectiveness
—————————————————
HIV / AIDS Significant risk reduction (but not elimination of risk)
—————————————————

An effective approach must first understand why people get sexually active. Our youth, indeed all of us, search for love and happiness. Unfortunately, some mistakenly believe that they will find this love and happiness in sex or through sex. Abstinence education helps our youth to understand that, while we are all sexual beings, we are more than just being physically male or female. Our sexuality includes, in addition to the physical, all the mental, emotional and spiritual characteristics associated with being male or female. The way we think, feel, behave, react - these are all affected by our being male or female. One interacts with and builds up relationships with other persons as a complete and whole sexual person.

Abstinence education suggests to our youth that, before marriage, it is best to develop a relationship by focussing on these other aspects of sexuality first (that is, to learn to relate to each other mentally, emotionally and spiritually). Only after a couple have developed a great relationship and sealed their commitment to each other in marriage will sexual intercourse (which is the intimate language of the body in marriage) be an appropriate way to express, strengthen and deepen that love further. This contrasts with unmarried teenage couples involved in a sexual relationship where the focus on sex makes it difficult for their relationship to progress beyond a shallow, physical level. The common experience is that most of these relationships break up eventually after the initial attraction has died away.

Beyond the physical, the condom provides our youth with no protection against emotional hurts from relationships that have gone wrong, nor does it help to develop their self-mastery. Compared with the safe sex message which is based on erroneous beliefs, abstinence education is more consistent with the aim of education to develop our youth holistically, for it does not pander to desires but strengthens the will, develops self-mastery and enhances self-esteem.

(1) Robert A. Hatcher, et. al. Contraceptive Technology (17th Revised Edition). New York: Ardent Media, Inc., 1998. Table 31-1, p. 800.

(2) From the Summary Report on Scientific Evidence on Condom Effectiveness for Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention prepared by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Dept of Health and Human Services, USA, July 20, 2001.

The Catholic News online

2005-12-21T01:26:00.000+08:00

Good news! It appears that the Catholic News has a web presence after all! It has a good stock of past articles in a blog style and it looks promising. It can be found at http://www.catholic.org.sg/cn/.

now the bad news.. In this Sunday's edition of the Catholic News, the forum ('Viewpoints') directs readers to http://www.catholic.org.sg/cn/ for longer versions of the published letters. However, it appears that they have not been added yet. Daniel, can you feedback to your editor on this?

I think the CN has come very far over the past year. Keep it up! On this note, I would like to welcome readers to share their suggestions and comments about the Singapore Catholic News.

May Christmas bring you the blessing of Peace, Hope and Love!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

2005-12-15T10:43:00.000+08:00

Sr Wendy Ooi, fsp has posted a sharing on the book at her blog:

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Directed by Mike Newell
Screenplay by Steven Kloves
Novel by JK Rowling
Genre: Adventure/Fantasy/Mystery/Thriller
Rating: PG for fantasy violence and frightening images
Duration: 157 mins

Harry is in his fourth year at Hogwarts which opens its doors to host the international Triwizard Tournament. Although officially under aged, he is named the 4th champion to compete in the tournament and faces the greatest challenge of his life.

The Harry Potter books and their film adaptations are secular stories. In Goblet of Fire, Christmas is celebrated in a secular way in the Yule Ball. There is no mention of the main reason for the season, Jesus Christ himself. Professor McGonagall even describes the evening as one of “well mannered frivolity.”

Nevertheless, there are Christian and moral values that can be gleaned from this film, and Harry Potter, the atypical hero who still suffers moments of being the underdog, can be a point of reflection for Christians committed to live Gospel lives.

The Narrow and Difficult but Right Path
In Matt 7:13-14, Jesus recommends his disciples to take the narrow gate and difficult path rather than the wide gate and easy path. Professor Dumbledore towards the end of the film tells Harry, “Tough and difficult times lay ahead Harry. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy." Dumbledore sums up what Harry has been doing all along in the film.

Harry consistently chooses and does the difficult and right, not the easy. During the tournament, Harry continually faces the choice between winning and ensuring the safety of the others. He consistently and courageously chooses the latter.

From the very start, Harry shares with fellow competitor Cedric Diggory, about the first task...
Please continue by clicking here.

What is the difference between a Catholic bible and a Protestant bible?

2005-12-12T23:36:00.000+08:00

Do you know? Fr Paul Staes asked this question over the weekend, and here is his answer:

The Catholic bible...

...is always covered with dust..

and a Protestant bible...

...you can smell it.

(just imagine where it is held usually)

It's funny because it's true!

Fr Paul also asked another question: What is your favourite verse or chapter in the bible? Try answering it before reading on.

Too often we don't have one, or don't know what chapter or verse it is. The moral is that we should learn to use the bible much more. We must use it as a reference; there really is no reason why not. Our bibles really should be dirty and 'smelly'! How can we know God better without knowing the bible?

What is the difference between Protestant and Catholic Bibles? For the actual answer a simple web search will do: e.g., http://www.twopaths.com/faq_bibles.htm:

At the time the Christian Bible was being formed, a Greek translation of Jewish Scripture, the Septuagint, was in common use and Christians adopted it as the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. However, around 100 A.D., Jewish rabbis revised their Scripture and established an official canon of Judaism which excluded some portions of the Greek Septuagint. The material excluded was a group of 15 late Jewish books, written during the period 170 B.C. to 70 A.D., that were not found in Hebrew versions of the Jewish Scripture. Christians did not follow the revisions of Judaism and continued to use the text of the Septuagint.

Protestant reformers in the 1500s decided to follow the official canon of Judaism for the Old Testament rather than the Septuagint, and the excluded material was placed in a separate section of the Bible called the Apocrypha. Protestant Bibles included the Apocrypha until the mid 1800s, but it was eventually dropped from most Protestant editions.
The Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches continue to base their Old Testament on the Septuagint. The result is that these versions of the the Bible have more Old Testament books than Protestant versions. Catholic Old Testaments include 1st and 2nd Maccabees, Baruch, Tobit, Judith, The Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), additions to Esther, and Susanna and Bel and the Dragon which are included in Daniel. Orthodox Old Testaments include these plus 1st and 2nd Esdras, Prayer of Manasseh, Psalm 151 and 3rd Maccabees.

The Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox New Testaments are identical.

Drug trafficker confronts hanging

2005-11-27T12:35:00.000+08:00

These articles talk about Nguyen Tuong Van's conversion to Catholicism, and his faith in God as he confronts his death. Van will be excecuted by hanging on Friday, Dec 2nd at 6 am.

I've linked these articles here for our own reflection.

Nguyen seeks solace in martyr

Loving son's letters from death row

Nguyen's correspondence

The local church in 20 years

2005-11-25T17:18:00.000+08:00

Let's talk about vision.

Practicalities aside, what would you want the Catholic Church in Singapore to be like in 20 years time? What would be different, ideally?

The Seven Deacons

2005-11-24T21:40:00.000+08:00

ActsChapter 6
1
1 At that time, as the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.
2
2 So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, "It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. 3
3
Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task,
4
whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
5
The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the holy Spirit, also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
6
They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them. 4
7
The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
------------------------------------------------------

As I ponder about the role of the priests or for that matter parish priests in our Catholic Church today, I cannot help but think about this passage from the Acts.

What is the original role of our priests? Is it just a managerial role, to be concerned with the profit and loss and fund-raising? Or to provide sacraments to the people?

A priest can do the job of a 'deacon' but certainly, a group of 'deacons' cannot administer any sacraments like a priest.

With all due respect to priests and their vocation, by controlling everything in their little 'kingdom', it would take very little for the power to get into their head. Such that they lose focus in the taking care of parishioners and offering them spiritual food but instead be overly concerned about their physical aspects such as fund raising, rebuilding and renovations.

I wonder why there are so little spiritual programs offered on a local basis, or community services offered to the less fortunate.

But yet there are so many "fund-raising activities" going on in all churches.

Am I missing anything here?

Is there any reason behind this lack of empowerment? The cynical me questions if it's because they want to hold on to the power, so there is a lack of oppurtunities for lay people to be involved in church. So by keeping us at bay, they will keep that power of spiritual knowledge and we will continue to hold them with respect because we would not know what is the spiritual truth.

Jesus said. "No one should be called teacher". So power and prestige should be secondary for religious.

Does anyone have a different view or am I myopic?

Full Time Workers in Church

2005-11-10T13:00:00.000+08:00

Recently, I had this sudden urge of seeking an oppurtunity to work in the church. The thought had come into my head again after a hiatus of a few years. Perhaps something might change.

But I was thinking it wouldn't be different and had even soughted the websites of protestant churches hoping to get some headway.

However, something told me that I should just try asking at the relevant authorities and speak to someone and at the same time send in my resume.

So I went to SPI and spoke with Miss Wendy Louis. I must say that she is encouraging but the fact remains, the situation isn't encouraging.

First of all, SPI has a small team of workers only and there is no budget to increase the workers. Even in schools, those pastoral workers are employed as teachers. In fact, the budget for anything that needs to be done is limited. She gave me the example saying that their website is simply done because there is no money to pay anyone, and so it was done for free.

Then she told me, even if she were to offer me a post, like all jobs interview, she would like to know if I have any 'paper qualifications'. That was a fair question, but I told her that if that is her criteria, then it would seem like she would have problems employing anyone at all for the church since no one would have studied in any Catholic University with any degrees.

We talked about the lack of education and the lack of oppurtunities for interested person to study and come back to serve in the church. And I told her that it would be impossible for anyone to want to go study if there is no guarantee of any oppurtunities. Especially since a theology degree is pretty much useless in secular Singapore.

The bottom line is this, she told me to try out CAYC and see what they have to say.

CAYC said they are not employing. Apparently the 3 of them is enough.

So I guess I should go take a look at the Salvation Army.

Fr. Aloysius' Blog

2005-11-07T20:06:00.000+08:00

I chanced upon this blog of Fr. Aloysius Ong. It contains links to many other interesting Catholic blogs. It appears that there are many Singapore Catholic bloggers out there.

I wish to ask:
Should we introduce him to our blog? What do you think he will make of it? Are we ready to 'publicise' this blog in this way?

I'd like to hear your comments. We could discuss the point of this blog, what we're trying to achieve, etc. etc.

Sincerely,
Christopher Yeo

Social Work and the Church

2005-11-02T11:36:00.000+08:00

The Salvation Army is a church that runs a gamut of social services - for the prisons, drug addicts, teens, disabled, elderly, etc. There is no denying the good that these services provide. There is also no denying the evangelism that takes place through these good works.
The Catholic Church also runs a range of social services (and I do not deny the good work that they do too), but these are run by the religious, and appear limited in reach and variety.
The Catholic Church does not pay for full-time social workers to contribute to society and the church, and many Catholics who want to work as social workers find no place within the church. It is therefore ironic that so many Catholics are now working in the Salvation Army, rather than in the Catholic services that surely require help.

This interesting factoid came up recently, and I would like to ask for people in the know to elaborate. Many years ago, a priest by the name of Vincent -something, I forget- was investigated by the government and deported because of communist activities. This was a famous case, but people of my generation do not seem to know of it. I remember having heard about this case before because somebody commented that the Catholic church and Archibishop Emeritus lost a lot of its bite after the government arm-twisting in this case.

According to my choir master, the reason why the church does not fund full-time social workers may be linked to this bit of history. Apparently the church did hire full time social workers in the past, and this Fr. Vincent -something- was heading the group. After the clampdown, all funding for lay social workers was stopped, and seems to have remained that way till now.

Today, the church may be gearing up again to fund lay social workers. I hope to find out if there is any truth in this link, but I want to add that after more than 15 years, there really should be no more reason for the church to hold back in this regard. Let's encourage the church to look towards full time social workers, teachers, youth workers, organisers and the like. It is the only way forward.

"If you can't trust a priest, who can you trust?"

2005-11-02T11:27:00.000+08:00

In the most recent news on the saga of Fr Joachim Kang's case, Emily Chan was quoted as saying:

"If you can't trust a priest, who can you trust?".

I would like to invite your views on this comment.

Some links to the case:
Priest Kang loses appeal, has to return money to Emily Chan

Disgraced priest gets seven years for stealing millions in church funds

Nature's hand or God's?

2005-10-11T14:47:00.000+08:00

This is an email sent by my friend in regards to the world's evil. Is it natural order or is this the work of God? Please share your views.

Referring to Ephesians 6, and Revelations (16-17?)

there is so much emphasis in the bible that our fight
is not against fellow creatures, but the principalities/spirits/evil
forces that are around us.. and worse, they are around in an active
manner, almost scheming to plot our fall into temptation? then there is
revelations telling us that our every act is a reflection of our Choice,
our excercising of Free Will to be either for God or not for Him.

sorry am rambling... my question is, is every event
presented before us either a movement of God or not of
Him, is there no randomness, no coincidences? Does
Chaos theory not hold any water? can no event be
interpreted as merely an occurrence of the physical
laws that earthly govern? .. a world where cancer is a
genetic anomaly and a tummy ache is not a signal
psychosomatic spiritual forces at work but mere
indiscretion on the part of the gluttonous soul who
enjoys the myriad of tastes the earthly world has to
offer...? er.. what i am trying to ask is: is
everything that happens to us a direct result of the
choice between a dichotomy, and is every choice we
face, whether seemingly frivolous, really a dichotomy?

Youth Ministry - pic

2005-09-26T00:00:00.000+08:00

Appreciate a good design when I see one. Simple yet funky. From St. Joseph's Church.

Forest fires happen - the problem of unnecessary suffering

2005-09-23T14:16:00.000+08:00

Forest fires happen, and forest fires kill animals. Some suffer horrible burns and die only after many hours of pain. To me, this pain seems unnecessary. To me, there exist cases of unnecessary suffering.

I've been thinking somewhat about the problem of evil lately, specifically, the question of whether natural 'evil' is really evil. I still think that this poses a problem for a rational person's belief in God. If God were good, it does seem that he would want to prevent unnecessary suffering. So why does unnecessary suffering exist? If you can share your thoughts on the above example, I would be very appreciative, as I cannot get around this problem.

New Article Ideas

2005-09-07T12:24:00.000+08:00

This is a sort of scrapbook for ideas of future posts that we are thinking of writing for this website. Writers, please add your ideas by editing this post in Blogger.

Comments and suggestions are welcome!

A candid comparison of Protestant and Catholic Praise and Worship - Chrisyeo
Sister Wendy Ooi defends herself after CN readers attack her for speaking up for Harry Potter - are we too conservative? - open
Should the Church deny condom use in Africa? - open
A new introduction to this blog - where do we want to go from here? - Chrisyeo

The Taizé Community -- the death of Br. Roger

2005-08-18T18:07:00.000+08:00

Frère Roger has entered the life of eternity

During the evening prayer on Tuesday 16 August, in the midst of the crowd surrounding the Community in the Church of Reconciliation, a woman - probably mentally disturbed - struck Brother Roger violently with knife blows. He died a few moments later.

This was very shocking news when I first came to know of it yesterday. And it comes amidst the events of World Youth Day too. Br. Alois, who was chosen by Br. Roger eight years ago to succeed him, has left the WYD in Germany for Taize.

As some have speculated, it is possible that the Holy Father would head to Taize after the WYD. After all, Br. Roger is likely personally acquainted with the Pope (Correction: I cannot verify if they were friends as mentioned previously, but certainly the Pope has great admiration for him.)

He was at the funeral Mass of JPII and received Communion from then Cardinal Ratzinger. (Update: Wikipedia suggests this was accidental.)

Extensive coverage of Br. Roger's passing at this blog.

Even the Times of London carries a glowing obituary.

The History of all Christian Denominations

2005-08-16T10:44:00.000+08:00

What is the History of Your Church?

By Nick Teo

Church Year Established Founder Where Established

Catholic 33 Jesus Christ Jerusalem

Orthodox 1054 Schismatic Catholic Bishops Constantinople

Lutheran 1517 Martin Luther Germany

Anabaptist 1521 Nicholas Storch & Thomas Munzer Germany

Anglican 1534 Henry VII England

Mennonites 1536 Menno Simons Switzerland

Calvinist 1555 John Calvin Switzerland

Presbyterian 1560 John Knox Scotland

Congregational 1582 Robert Brown Holland

Baptist 1609 John Smyth Amsterdam

Dutch Reformed 1628 Michaelis Jones New York

Congregationalist 1648 Pilgrims and Puritans Massachusetts

Quakers 1649 George Fox England

Amish 1693 Jacob Amman France

Freemasons 1717 Masons from four lodges London

Methodist 1739 John & Charles Wesley England

Unitarian 1774 Theophilus Lindey London

Methodist Episcopal 1784 60 Preachers Baltimore, MD

Episcopalian 1789 Samuel Seabury American Colonies

United Brethren 1800 Philip Otterbein & Martin Boehn Maryland

Disciples of Christ 1827 Thomas & Alexander Campbell Kentucky

Mormon 1830 Joseph Smith New York

Methodist Protestant 1830 Methodist United States

Church of Christ 1836 Warren Stone & Alexander Campbell Kentucky

Seventh Day Adventist 1844 Ellen White Washington, NH

Christadelphian (Brethren of Christ) 1844 John Thomas Richmond, VA

Salvation Army 1865 William Booth London

Holiness 1867 Methodist United States

Jehovah's Witnesses 1874 Charles Taze Russell Pennsylvania

Christian Science 1879 Mary Baker Eddy Boston

Church of God in Christ 1895 Various churches of God Arkansas

Church of Nazarene c. 1850-1900 Various religious bodies Pilot Point, TX

Pentecstal 1901 Charles F. Parkham Topeka, KS

Aglipayan 1902 Gregorio Aglipay Philippines

Assemblies of God 1914 Pentecostalism Hot Springs, AZ

Iglesia ni Christo 1914 Felix Manalo Philippines

Four-square Gospel 1917 Aimee Semple McPherson Los Angeles, CA

United Church of Christ 1961 Reformed and Congregationalist Philadelphia, PA

Calvary Chapel 1965 Chuck Smith Costa Mesa, CA

United Methodist 1968 Methodist and United Brethren Dallas, TX

Born-again c. 1970s Various religious bodies United States

Harvest Christian 1972 Greg Laurie Riverside, CA

Saddleback 1982 Rick Warren California

Non-denominational c. 1990s various United States

How did this phenomenon come about? All stem from Jesus, but yet all so different...

Intoxicating Chant

2005-08-15T16:05:00.000+08:00

Having read Michael's blog, I must confess to having a similar sickening or nauseous feeling when I was singing for the usual Novus Ordo Mass on Saturday.

It has been slightly more than a week since the helter skelter of preparing for my role in the Schola Cantorum, the trepidation of blowing the one chance that "friends and family" had to experience the beautiful Tridentine Rite after a space of thirty years.

I am not sure whether it was the adrenalin of preparing for the huge task of chanting the various propers (call it post production blues) or was it the sense of reverence and mystery in the chant that we rendered. I really missed singing chant at Mass. I wouldn't go so far as to criticise the current repertoire we have for Mass, to the extent that it has no value. I am more of the view that chant and the Mass really were meant to go together. The music at Mass is supposed to lift the minds of the people of God to the things of heaven, to lead them to the vision of this celebration "on the altar of the world".

Current repertoire seems more like a filler for happenings at Mass, like giving the congregation something to do when the priest is preparing the gifts, or for people to sing something when they are done with their thanksgiving after communion.

I read with interest on the criticisms of hymnals by OCP publication, and I note that my parish will be purchasing the next year's Breaking Bread, if no good reason can be given for other hymnals. Thus lies the tremendous task ahead of justifying the purchase of either GIA, Collegeville or Adoremus hymnals. Can someone help to give a thorough and unbiased account of the best choice of hymnals to purchase for the parish? (the article I read, I suspect, would not sit very well with the liturgical music committee of my parish)

On another front, I would soon be trying to introduce chant into a Saturday morning Mass. A proposal will be made to my parish priest as soon as my Graduale Romanum is delivered. Meanwhile, I must think of which chants to introduce and at what pace.
Hopefully, the more mature crowd which attends that Mass would be more receptive to chant.

As an aside, I have borrowed a copy of a 1936 Liber Usualis from my parish's music room. No one will miss it for now, cos no one really cares. There are two more copies in there. I may just pass it to my priest for safe keeping. Anyone has any tips to preserve a book that is 80 years old with a damaged spine?

Meanwhile, patience and perseverance are called upon to endure the banality of some music that we sing at the mass.

(In)credible "intelligent design" -- what should science teachers be teaching?

2005-08-09T01:15:00.000+08:00

Over at Mirror of Justice (described as "A blog dedicated to the development of Catholic legal theory."), the creationism/ intelligent design/ evolution debate gets a mention because of another NYT op-ed, not Schonborn this time but Paul Krugman.

I am 100% with Rick Garnett when he writes:

I suspect that their support does not reflect a considered judgment that "evolution is just a theory" or that "God designed the universe" is "science", but rather a concern that "evolution" sometimes serves not as the fundamental (and fundamentally sound) account of the universe's history and development, but as a kind of religio-philosophical creed. That is, I suspect that most who harbor some sympathy with the Intelligent Design movement have no interest in introducing religion into science classes, but simply in making sure that science is not made into a religion.

Whilst this seems to be a non-issue for us here in Singapore, I think it teaches us some important lessons. Perhaps the most important one is the danger of conflating science with scientism -- where philosophical(typically metaphysical) claims are made that aren't warranted by science.

For more reactions to the Cardinal's op-ed, see these articles at Societas and American Thinker.

Where do the souls of those who died professing other faiths fit in?

2005-08-07T05:05:00.000+08:00

I have a question.

Church doctrine teaches us that the Church is made up of the Church Triumphant (those in heaven), Church Suffering (those in Purgatory) and Church Militant (those still on earth).

Where do the souls of those who died professing other faiths fit in? Or do they fit in at all?

Same-sex marriage -- an oxymoron?

2005-08-04T15:09:00.000+08:00

Connecting the dots on same-sex marriage.....

The post that started it all: The weakness of the public position of those opposing same-sex marriage

Dot #1: Natural family bonds

Dot #2: Same-sex marriage is not about equal rights

Dot #3: Parental rights and responsibilities

Dot #4: Essay on the nature of human culture

Want to include this box on your own web page?

The weakness of the public position of those opposing same-sex marriage
by Father Thomas Dowd
Tuesday, March 1, 2005

We had a meeting of our West Island deanery today (a "deanery" is, in our case, a regional grouping of parish priests or other priests working in that region), and the discussion turned — you guessed it — to the topic of same-sex marriage. It was quite freewheeling, and no-holds barred. I love it when that happens.I must admit though, upon hearing what everyone was saying (and I include myself in that), that we really haven't succeeded at articulating our position on same-sex marriage in a way that makes sense to many people. I think of Eric, who posted this message in a comments box some time ago:

A question I always had: Since there are technically a lot of marriages
that aren't "official" from the point of view of the Roman Catholic Church (took
place outside, legal-only, Buddhist, etc.), why is so much being made of gay
marriage? Aren't they just one more on the list?
I am Roman Catholic and married, with a child and another on the way.
Apparently, this definition of family is supposed to be threatened by the idea
of gay marriage. We just don't feel threatened. I'm open to the idea that I am
viewing this incorrectly, so if someone could tell us why, that would be
cool.
In an age of rampant divorce, cheating, etc. why would we get concerned
that a loving couple would want the same civil (and only civil) rights as
others? I would NEVER want to see legislation to force the church to marry gays
and lesbians, but if it remans a civil matter, aren't they just one more on the
list?

"We just don't feel threatened." I think Eric captures the essence of the attitude of so many Canadians. This point needs to be taken seriously. I remember visiting my parents' parish and hearing my very first homily on the subject. The preacher said, and I quote, "If this goes through, same-sex marriage will destroy the family." The thing was, he never said *how*. I asked him about that in the sacristy afterwards. "Can you connect the dots for me on that one, please? How will it do this? I need for you to show me how legalizing same-sex marriage on Day 1 will lead to the destruction of the family on Day 1000. I'm not saying there isn't a connection. I'm just saying that the connection isn't obvious. So what are the intermediate steps?"

(crickets chirping)

I'm still waiting for an answer. In the meantime, the teacher in me is looking for the necessary pedagogy to be able to provide an answer to honest people like Eric, an answer that will be more than clever rhetoric or an argument from authority. One thing I always admired about St. Thomas Aquinas is that he really understood the points his intellectual opponents were trying to make, sometimes better than they did. And he never shied away from addressing those points square on, with great humility and unassailable logic. It was never ad hominem with St. Thomas.

Nor can it be with us. I do not begrudge those who will defend traditional marriage with their flyers and their bullhorns. Go for it! You are defending a good cause. As for myself, though, I'm a teacher, not a social activist. My charism is to clarify and explain. And so that is what I am going to try and do. Eric, thank you! I hope any answers I can provide can do your question justice.

Good ole Liturgy

2005-08-04T14:55:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow night and again on Sat night, there will be two Latin masses celebrated in the Tridentine Rite at the Church of the Holy Cross.

Fri 5 Aug 7.30pm
Sat 6 Aug 8.00pm

The priest is from the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter.

Our very own John Goh will be singing in the schola cantorum.

This is a one-off event, and is not likely to be repeated anytime soon. Please don't miss this wonderful opportunity to experience the Liturgy of 1962.

To get an idea of what it will be like, see the text of the Mass here.

Good Samaritans in short supply

2005-08-04T14:54:00.000+08:00

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | 'I kept saying, "Help me, help me." But no one did'

Paul's blog pointed me to this story.

It is something that could have happened right here in Singapore too. And I wonder how I would react under such circumstances. Would I have melted away with crowd? Washed away in a sea of indifference? None of my business?

Honestly I don't know how I'd react, and that scares me.

Dressing Etiquette of Catholics

2005-07-30T17:59:00.000+08:00

This matter was brought up to me by someone a few days ago. I suppose it's not new, since our church bulletins have probably been having reminders to dress properly for Mass.

Do you think it is appropriate for people to come for Sunday Mass dressed in slippers and bermudas? Should their clothing be neatly pressed? Should ladies be dressed in what some might call sexy outfits? Where should the line be drawn?

This same person also brought up to me that brides are wearing more and more daring outfits for their weddings.

So I ask again, where should the line be drawn as to what Catholics can and cannot, or rather, should or should not wear for Mass?

I am of the opinion that a person must consider why he is wearing what he is wearing and if it has never occurred to him, it falls on his community to point it out.

How about you?

What is your model of the church? [Dulles]

2005-07-24T20:20:00.000+08:00

QuizFarm.com :: What is your model of the church? [Dulles]: "You scored as Servant Model.

Your model of the church is Servant. The mission of the church is to serve others, to challenge unjust structures, and to live the preferential option for the poor. This model could be complemented by other models that focus more on the unique person of Jesus Christ.

Servant Model
83%

Mystical Communion Model
78%

Sacrament model
78%

Herald Model
50%

Institutional Model
33%"

Visiting A Church just to have Quiet Time

2005-07-22T10:21:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I decided to drop by Church of Holy Cross just to take a break, to pray and to read the Sunday Missal. Just to take one of my occasional 'retreats'. Holy Cross is my favorite place to pray, I do not know if it's because this church is convenient, where the parking is just beside the church or is it because this church is single-storeyed so there is no need to climb stairs.

Anyway, what came to my mind is that at 4pm in the hot afternoon, is that there are already a few others in the church before me. I wondered to myself how many people are there to pray for desperate cases or simply there like me just to pop in and say "hello!" to God.

Not that it matters which is the reason, but I find that very encouraging that the faithfuls or desperates are taking time off during their daily schedules to make time to go to a church and pray or just to spend a quiet moment.

(Actually if any of you had gone to Novena church, the turnout is excellent, you can never find the church empty no matter what time of the day you are there. )

So I guess to these people, myself included, praying in a church is very different from praying "anywhere for God is everywhere". It is just different psychologically, for somehow knowing that Jesus' body is in the tabernacle or perhaps just the grandious size of His Crucifix just creates an awe-effect to focus our attention.

I encourage all of you to take time off to your own parish and pray sometimes, not for mass or for other activities, but just to pray and spend some time with Him. It can be very gratifying and interesting. You might actually hear God speak.

He usually does when I'm there.

Nick Teo

Please sign up with the mailing list!

2005-07-21T00:00:00.000+08:00

Dear friends,

There are only 8 people subscribed to our mailing list:

Loretta

Chris Ow

Chris Yeo

Maureen

Joan

John

Irene

Nicholas.

It appears that these are the only people reading this blog. I implore other readers to please join the mailing list because the posts here are somewhat infrequent and you probably won't check back regularly. Joining the mailing list allows new posts and comments to be sent to your mailbox so that you'll know when this blog is updated. Don't be worried, there are not that many posts so your mailbox won't be flooded. You can unsubscribe anytime anyway.

On this blog..
I think it is time that we invite more people to read and write on this blog. Perhaps CSS and Little Crosses will be good starting points?

We need to rethink the purpose of this blog and to rewrite the "about this blog" section. I think a friendlier more open atmosphere will be more beneficial to all.

How do you think this blog has stood up so far? How can we improve or change it? Let's have everyone's views please!

Creation and Evolution

2005-07-14T15:14:00.000+08:00

Fascinating turn of events as reported by the New York Times.

Kenneth R. Miller's book Finding Darwin's God is on my reading list. You can read an excerpt here. See the book itself here on Amazon. A critique of the book is here.

Priests' Annual Retreat: What is it like?

2005-07-14T10:36:00.000+08:00

As you probably know, our diocesan priests have gone on their annual retreat from 11 - 15 July 2005.

Have you ever wondered what priests' retreats are like? What do they do? How do they interact with one another? Do the priests welcome the annual retreat or look at it as something that they have to do? Have you ever spoken with your priest about it? What did they say?

Familiar or Foreign?: Church Architecture and Worship

2005-07-14T02:33:00.000+08:00

My friend, Paul, blogged about Church architecture sometime back. One point he made which struck me was this:

When I look at those religious buildings in Singapore, I know immediately which one is which. Were I to seek a Muslim house of worship, I would enter the mosque. The photo on the left of the Purajaya Mosque in Malaysia is instantly recognizable as a mosque. It's geometric shapes and patterns, the dome, the small minarets in the four corners are all hallmarks of the Islamic house of worship.

The same should be true of our churches. There should be
certain hallmarks that set them out as Christian house of worship, apart from the cross... and a number of modern churches don't even have these!

My parish church is about to undergo extensive remodelling. Many churches in Singapore have recently been renovated or rebuilt. Sad to say, they sometimes lose their distinctive characteristics in the process. My hope is that the same will not happen to my parish church.

Amy Welborn's blog has a fascinating debate about a more fundamental issue (of which humdrum church architecture may be merely a symptom) -- namely the question of familiarity in the worship experience. Do read all the comments. Some commenters discuss the 'megachurch' phenomenon in the US, which might seem somewhat remote and irrelevant. But then, we have our local variants too. Think NCC and CHC.

So what is your take on 1. Church architecture, 2. The nature of the worship experience -- should be it familiar, a seamless fit with other activities that form part of our 'lifestyle'; or should it retain some sense of mystery, wonder, or even bafflement?

The Problem of Evil: A Reflection in the Wake of the Asian Tsunami

2005-07-12T01:12:00.000+08:00

"natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis, which are the result of the laws of nature, are part of God’s plan for the world."

A really thought provoking piece from Edmond Eh on The Prompt webzine. It's seven months behind the tragedy, but still as poignant.

It also makes reference to an earlier post about whether Archbishop gave a proper reply when asked by the media how the Catholic faith reconciles their belief in a good god with all that suffering.

Another old post on this blog on the Asian Tsunami: Why God 'allowed' deadly tsunami to strike.

Christian P&W at Indoor Stadium: 5-7 August. Join us!

2005-07-04T00:39:00.000+08:00

Click for a larger picture. Would you like to go?

on the Youth Fest by the Catholic Archdioscese for Youth...

2005-07-01T13:22:00.000+08:00

On the 18th of June 2005, the Catholic Archdioscese for Youth organised a day of funfair, talks and rally mass for the youths, coined the Youth Fest at Upper Seranggoon, Youth Center. For me, it was a vain attemp to the point of dismal. However I speak for myself, when I say that I was not entirely hopeful that it would turn out very well. However, I would had thought that the bunch of full-timers with the whole archdiosce supporting them can make this affair into a very successful one.

Anyhow, I only reach there around 330pm, and behold a half empty fun fair greeted me. It was very strange. After all, they had been publicising this event for more than a month. I would had thought that every youth would be there. To put it mildly, the moment we were there, we were ready to take off. But decided to stick on for the food, since we got about $60 bucks worth of coupons.

Now, the problem with this youth event is that the food was also prepared by youths, so you can imagine the standard of the food. Of course, we can never have too high expectation about church food much less fun fair's, but I think that is such a terrible excuse for the horribly prepared yet very expensive food. But because of the lack of outlets, we had to give away the coupons that we can't finish.

Now for the most amazing and incredible thing, in the background was some band playing loudly, which I suspect was not church songs. It would not be a problem, if the band was good. The problem was that it was horrible to start with, and then its loud. It's a wonder if there was any audition or quality control at all for any section of the Youth Fest.

Basically it was a hot day, with very little entertainment. Luckily for us, we had ourselves to entertain ourselves. And thought that we could at least make the evening worthwhile by attending mass. How wrong can mass be right? It seemed rather promising with the outdoor stage with fancy sound system and lighting.

Then we realised that there is a pre-mass praise and worship by this Christ The King team. Well, personally I think there is nothing wrong if they want to bring in a band and play church songs and music that are popular and ra-ra the spirit and atmosphere. But it's another thing when it lacks originality and the leader seems so 'protestentish'. And what is especially sad and disturbing is when the leader sings into the microphone even though her voice is jarring and terribly off. In fact, this particular cantor/leader sings into the mic for almost all the hymns throughout mass. And hymns during mass is supposed to be soothing, however with her voice, it just made praying so difficult in an already different setting.

However mass proper wasn't too bad. Father JJ did a pretty decent homily but somehow, I feel that mass took a very different approach. It felt like a Hungry Ghost getai, call me traditional, but mass should always be solemn. Even if it's not in church, it should be kept solemn. We are not a parade, nor a talk show and definitely not a performance. Prayer should be done in an atmosphere of serenity. All these dancing and singing, with loud music just disrupts the soul and the spirit. At least for me. What is even more strange is that there was this silent skit. I think it's an attempt to be a neo-dance piece. Fanciful but clueless.

Nevertheless, I think it is a good attempt at trying to rally the youths and it shows that the church is willing to change and improve to suit the new Catholics. However, basics and traditions must remain especially when it comes to mass. Or maybe, its the coming of age. And jumping around is really only for the younger people.

But my biggest criticism is that the Youth Coordinators of the Archdioscese is not spending enough time to network with the parish youth coordinators. Albeit the Catholic church is a top-down religion, still do not for a moment take for granted that the parish leaders are obligated to support all archdioscese events. We need to be motivated and we need to know what we are supporting. It would be a terrible oversight if they think that all youth leaders would be enthusiastic in their responses.

I was looking so forward to their initial attempts to reach out to us, but apparently those attempts were mere sparks and not sustainable. I just hope that they realised that and start meeting us soon.

Do you pray in public?

2005-06-30T10:22:00.000+08:00

Do you pray in public? If so, do you give thanks always and everywhere, as the Prefaces to the Eucharistic prayers suggest we should? Do you pray discreetly or do you always make the Sign of the Cross quite overtly?

I am usually make the Sign of the Cross before praying the Grace before Meals. Some of my friends do likewise. And I do this even if I'm eating in a Muslim restaurant, e.g. a prata shop or a nasi padang shop.

What is your practice of praying in public?

PS: The post title is a link to an article on the topic. Alternatively, you may click here.

Good reads: Other blogs; Teri Schiavo

2005-06-30T10:09:00.000+08:00

I shared this with John Goh. Reading this brought tears to my eyes, especially near the end where the text of the Nunc Dimittis appears.

Here is something on the Teri Schiavo case. Never knew her real name was Theresa. The article is long, but worth the read. Gives a lot of background that the popular press omitted.

Two blogs that I'd recommend. Here is one by a priest, and here is one a Dominican novice.

Online Poll: What is your theological worldview?

2005-06-30T09:41:00.000+08:00

You scored as Roman Catholic. You are Roman Catholic. Church tradition and ecclesial authority are hugely important, and the most important part of worship for you is mass. As the Mother of God, Mary is important in your theology, and as the communion of saints includes the living and the dead, you can also ask the saints to intercede for you.

Roman Catholic

93%

Neo orthodox

82%

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

82%

Emergent/Postmodern

64%

Charismatic/Pentecostal

57%

Classical Liberal

46%

Modern Liberal

25%

Reformed Evangelical

21%

Fundamentalist

14%

What's your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com

Just took a quiz on my theological worldview. hehe..

Really, I dunno what it would mean to get 100% catholic. Would that mean i'm ultra conservative? Its interesting to note that I am supposedly 57% pentecostal, and 64% postmodern and thank goodness i'm only 14% fundamentalist, although I'd rather not at all.

Abortion, a necessary evil?

2005-06-29T22:43:00.000+08:00

On behalf of La Bona, I've posted this up seperately so that anyone can comment on it. - CY

I am inviting your views on ABORTION in order to present a case to help those in the developing world.

I personally see abortion as a NECESSARY EVIL and that unwanted pregnancy is not only a personal problem and it is also a very real problem for the society at large.

Do you think it is right to burden say a 15 years old school-going girl with a new life when she is yet to have any economic mean to sustain herself and obviously, most girls of her age are not mentally ready for a family life. Furthermore, is it fair to rob her of her career, aspiration, dream etc., in the name of preserving a life that is yet to be fully developed?

If you have an opinion, please email it to me at divinetalk@gmail.com or if you wish, you may post your comment here: Your Opinion Counts!

Thanks,
La Bona

On the recent changes to the way we celebrate mass in Singapore

2005-06-21T06:42:00.000+08:00

In recent times, notably after Archbishop Nicholas Chia was ordained, I have noticed a few changes to the way mass is celebrated.

The first change was when all the Eucharistic ministers were no longer wearing cassocks but only a white sash and long sleeve white shirts, black trousers and tie. They were also more often being referred to as extraordinary ministers of communion(EMOC). They were also no longer standing on the altar but had a pew reserved for them.

At communion time, it used to be that the celebrant and the EMOCs would give out communion. Now, all the priests are involved in giving communion.

As Chris had earlier noted, his choir has now started to sing the Pater Noster in Latin.

Overall, I sense that mass is being celebrated with an increasing awareness of the theology of mass and a better study of the Conciliar and post conciliar documents of Vatican II(VaII). But wait a minute, isn't singing the Pater Noster in Latin contradictory to VaII's decree for the mass to be in vernacular.

Frankly, we must be very careful about listening to anyone who refers to VaII and what it says. Unless it comes from a reputable authority, I feel it is still best to read the document yourself and come to some conclusion of your own. Take for example the introduction of the vernacular in our Eucharistic celebration. You probably have been given the strong impression that VaII says that the Eucharist should be celebrated in the vernacular, so that more people can participate and understand what is being said. That VaII states that the priest must face the people during mass (versus populum rather than ad orientem). That VaII says that we must join hands at the time when we sing the Pater Noster (Our Father).

The sad fact is that VaII and its documents has been severely misquoted at some points to support the "abuses" that have occurred in the way we celebrate mass.

I will only deal with the use of vernacular and the introduction of the Pater Noster in latin. Here is the often misquoted portion on the use of vernaculer.

Sacrosanctam Concilium, Chapter III on reform of the Liturgy, C) Norms based upon the didactic and pastoral nature of the Liturgy, point 36.

1. Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites.

2. But since the use of the mother tongue, whether in the Mass, the administration of the sacraments, or other parts of the liturgy, frequently may be of great advantage to the people, the limits of its employment may be extended. This will apply in the first place to the readings and directives, and to some of the prayers and chants, according to the regulations on this matter to be laid down separately in subsequent chapters.

3. These norms being observed, it is for the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned in Art. 22, 2, to decide whether, and to what extent, the vernacular language is to be used; their decrees are to be approved, that is, confirmed, by the Apostolic See. And, whenever it seems to be called for, this authority is to consult with bishops of neighboring regions which have the same language.

It is not difficult to see that it is not that Latin should be totally excluded from the liturgy, but that the vernacular should be included at certain points of the mass.

With the RE-introduction of the Latin chant of Pater Noster into our mass, there is seemingly a move to correct or find a equilibrium between the use of vernacular and the preservation of Latin, as was first deliberated upon in the document and the council fathers. Furthermore the use of chant was supposed to be given pride of place.

Sacrosanctam Concilium, Chapter IV on Sacred music.
116. The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.
But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action, as laid down in Art. 30.

117. The typical edition of the books of Gregorian chant is to be completed; and a more critical edition is to be prepared of those books already published since the restoration by St. Pius X.

I would not be surprised that we would see more Latin chant being introduced back, and the priest singing a bit more than usual. there is also talk about not joining hands during the Pater Noster (Do I hear gasps?) But more importantly, with the age of the internet and the increased availability of church documents, coupled with the higher education level of Catholics in Singapore, it is inexcusable if we were not more aware of what the council documents say and not more critical of abuses in the way liturgy is celebrated.

The re-introduction of Latin chant for the Pater Noster is only a superficial signal to the observance of the council's teaching on the liturgy and the norms that have been decreed. For everything that was decreed in the documents and the norms of the liturgy do not exist without a reason. Every action, every word uttered has a deep theological meaning that it gives expression to. I am personally beginning to discover more, the richness of our liturgy, and I invite you all to examine the documents and help educate one another on the highest form of our Catholic worship.

You can read Sacrosanctam Concilium or Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy at http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/v2litur.htm

I have also been recommended to read Pope Benedict's Feast of Faith, written when he was known as Cardinal Ratzinger.

Should Catholics read the Da Vinci Code?

2005-06-21T00:19:00.000+08:00

I remember when the Catholic News first posted a writeup on The Da Vinci Code, it included a priest (can't remember who) who implied that a good Catholic should not read the book because we should not expose ourselves to falsehood. I disagreed very strongly with that point. A good Catholic should read the book (borrow, don't buy), because many, many people, Christians and non-Christians, have read the book and have formed opinions based on it. To be a Christian in touch with the world is to understand and be able to correct these misconceptions should the opportunity present itself. After all a true, strong faith is one that is forged in fire, and not one sheltered from infancy. It's ironic that the second article by CN is subtitled "some advice from Father Henry Siew to people who cannot resist reading the book".

Just as a point interest, my students in NJC are very much still interested in the book. We set them a response paper asking them to critique a summary of the arguments in the Da Vinci code. Many had excellent responses while some truly believed Dan Brown's arguments.

Also, being very much knowledgable of early Christian belief in the Eucharist, why did Leonardo Da Vinci leave out the chalice in The Last Supper?

Detail of The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci

Should we sing the 'Our Father' in Latin?

2005-06-21T00:07:00.000+08:00

In the past few weeks, my church choir has started singing the 'Our Father' in Latin. I'm not sure whose decision it was, and whether this has been instituted in all the churches, but I'm not so sure that it is such a good thing, especially when one of the principles of the revised General Instructions of the Roman Missal is that "participation of the faithful is the goal to be considered before all others".

I quite like the Latin version in fact. I think that it is good to change things about the way we celebrate mass because as human beings we will eventually find things repetative and stale. But people need to be taught in a systematic way how to understand and pray the Latin words. Otherwise, it will become a rote song and a meaningless prayer. I also disagree if someone thinks that it is good to sing in Latin because we are returning to our traditional "roots" - the way it was sung 40 years ago. If they want that why don't we sing it in Aramaic?

Does your church sing the 'Our Father' in Latin? Do you think we should?

--
If you have not heard it before, I have a beautiful version sung by the late pope here. (right-click and save-as)

Pater noster qui es in coelis,
sanctificetur nomen tuum;
adveniat regnum tuum,
fiat voluntas tua,
sicut in coelo et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie,
et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
et ne nos inducas in tentationem
sed libera nos a malo.