Dialogue and Reconciliation in the Near East That a spirit of dialogue, encounter, and reconciliation emerge in the Near East, where diverse religious communities share their lives together.
Far too many wars, political divisions, conflicts and hostilities between the diverse religious communities within the Near East have left populations scared and crippled in moral, financial and spiritual ways. This race to dominate has led to vicious murders that have little regard or respect for one’s neighbor.
Local leaders have manifested horrendous attitudes of greed and thirst for power leading to domination and autocratic decision-making, manifesting little interest in what is the best for their people and for humanity as a whole.
May enough people in the Near East be sufficiently open and committed to practice repentance or “teshuvah,” working towards a change of attitude in order to encounter “the other” who is different. This will require greater efforts to engage in healthy dialogue. Such action will remove the possibility of losing hope. We remember the words of Pope John Paul II, how we “must not abandon ourselves to despair.” We pray with Pope Francis for a spirit of openness, for compassion and respect towards those we see as different; may this lead to eventual peace between different communities and diverse religions.- http://popesprayerusa.net
Sr Anna poses in front of the enlarged portrait of Venerable Sr Thecla Merlo, co-foundress and first superior general of the Daughters of St Paul, after her election, 2 Oct 2019, Ariccia Italy.
ARICCIA, Italy: A lawyer among the Daughters of St Paul was elected to head the congregation of media sisters recently.
On 2 October 2019, Sr Anna Caiazza was elected Superior General of the Daughters of St. Paul during their 11th General Chapter (5 Sept – 5 Oct 2019)
A little over 100 years after the Institute’s foundation (15 June 1915), the 60 Chapter delegates from over 50 countries on all the continents reflected on the theme chosen for this event: Arise and set out on your journey (Dt. 10:11), trusting in the Promise.
Their multicultural and inter-ethnic presence, the challenges of the world of communications, the cultural turning points they are living and the epochal change underway that crosses every latitude of the planet are all elements that Sr Anna must allow to interpellate (question) her in guiding the Institute for the next six years (2019-2025).
Sr Anna was born on 24 July 1952 in Casavatore (Naples), Italy. She obtained a Master’s Degree in Law from Frederick II University, Naples, followed by a License in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome.
She has held roles of responsibility within the Congregation such as that of provincial councilor in Italy, and General Councilor for two terms of office.
The new Superior General and her council, together with the Chapter delegates, will have an audience with Pope Francis on 4 October–an event that, occurring as it does at the beginning of the Extraordinary Missionary Month 2019, urges the new General Government of the Daughters of St Paul to launch out on the new paths that the Spirit is opening for announcing the Word – (FSP website).
KOTA
KINABALU: There is new hope for the media in Malaysia to enjoy a higher level
of press freedom.
Leong (left) giving his talk on role of the press and press freedom at seminar organised by the Institute for Development Studies (Sabah), in Kota Kinabalu on Sept 12, 2019.
This
was the opinion of Joseph Leong, head of the Social Communications Commission
(SOCCOM) of the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, who spoke on the role of the
press and on press freedom at a recent seminar here.
He
noted that since the 14th general elections (GE14) top national and
state leaders had pledged that the government would uphold the principle of
freedom of the press and freedom of expression.
“This
is well and good. As for the media, we hope that these good intentions shall be
reflected by the way members of the press are being treated,” he said.
According
to him, the government has to be seen to take positive actions that allow
openess and free access to information.
Datuk Jaujan Sambakong, Deputy Chief Minister
and Minister of of Local Government and Housing, represented the Sabah Chief
Minister, Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, as guest of honour at the opening
ceremony.
Leong
said that there had been times in the past when Malaysia was seen as a fine
example of a nation where peoples of diverse beliefs and cultural background
could live in peace and harmony.
However,
from time to time racial and religious polarisation rise to alarming heights.
“Instead
of being actively engaged in seeking common ground and creating harmony despite
the many ethnic walls that separate the peoples, there are those who seem
determined to fortify such walls.”
He
said the press have been there, faithfully reporting and recounting these good,
bad and ugly deeds and events in Malaysia.
Joe
Leong said that since he was invited to give the talk in the name of the
Catholic Church, he recalled the so-called “Allah” issue that raged
through the nation for months in 2013-14.
He
viewed it as “a sad episode” in Malaysia’s history. He had written on the
matter then saying that it was totally improper and unwise to try and give a
name to God.
“When
the creator of heaven and earth spoke to Moses at the burning bush, he had
clearly said that it is pointless for man to ask him for a name, declaring that
‘I am, who I am‘.”
Touching
on freedom of the press and freedom of expression, Leong highlighted some of
the existing laws seen to be stiffling press freedom in the country.
He said one of the key Malaysian legislations often cited as curtailing freedom of expression is the Printing Press and Publications Act.
Under that Act, the Minister of Home Affairs reserves the right to impose a list of conditions in the licence and/or permits of publications. He reserves the right “to revoke or suspend such licence for any period he considers desireable”.
Such conditions of publications, Leong pointed
out, apply not only to daily newspapers, but to other publictions, like the Catholic
Sabah, a fornightly tabloid.
From time to time, the editor of this official
publication of the Catholic Church in the state would receive notices from
officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs questioning why they had printed
certain prohibited words.
In
his half-hour presentation at the seminar organised by the Institute for
Development Studies (Sabah), Leong spoke on how the press and freedom of the
press could enhance the check and balance of democracy in Malaysia.
“Indeed,
the press is playing an active role in enhancing check and balance to ensure
that the human rights and democratic rights of the peoples in Malaysia are
sustained.”
He said nation building is a long and hard journey and saying that the Federation of Malaysia has only entered into her 56th year of existence.
“Looking at recent events across the country, the road ahead shall not be an easy one,” he added.
A panel of nine speakers presented papers and
spoke on how to strengthen and restructure the critical and core institutions
of democary in Malaysia from the Sabah perspective.
Group photo of speakers and participants of the IDS seminar with: Jaujan Sambakong (6th from left, front row), Simon Sipaun on his left and Leong (2nd from right) shortly after the opening of the seminar on Sept 12, 2019.
In his opening remarks, Leong paid tribute to
Tan Sri Simon Sipaun, chairman of IDS (Sabah) as “one of the post powerful
advocates of human rights and democratic rights in Malaysia”.
SOCCOM is grateful to Juliana Ringgingon, a
Senior Research Associate of IDS and the organising chaiman of the seminar, for
making it possible for the Commission to give its views on the role of the
press in Malaysia.
Among Catholic officials who present were: Dominic Lim, Executive Secretary at the office of the Archdiocese; and Patricia Regis, a long-serving member of SOCCOM. – kkdiocese.net
Bishop Cornelius Sim (3rd left) after his final talk on June 26, 2019, is seen renewing friendship with some young parishioners of SHC whom he had met during his previous visits to the parish, together with Fr Paul Lo ((2nd right), the parish priest.
KOTA KINABALU: Parishioners
of Sacred Heart Cathedral (SHC) here were given an opportunity to know and
understand the deeper meaning and purpose of their devotion to the Sacred Heart
of Jesus in preparation for their parish feast day celebration on June 27.
This came in the form of a
series of three talks presented by Bishop Cornelius Sim of Brunei, on three
consecutive nights prior to the feast day at the Cathedral attended by a steady
crowd of around 300 each night.
He told Catholics at the SHC
on the final night of the talk (June 26) that he was very impressed by their
presence in following the talks and expressed the hope that by doing so they
had gained an experience of the love of God and a deeper desire to love him in
return.
The talks were conducted
after a Gospel reading in the midst of a Holy Hour each night, with adoration
of the Holy Sacrament and Benediction. They were richly interlaced with
biblical and magisterium quotations and teachings.
At the end of the final day
of the SHC Triduum, Fr Paul Lo, the parish priest, expressed his thanks and
appreciation to Bishop Sim for his talks which he said were very enlightening.
Bishop Sim told the Sacred
Heart devotees said the human heart is the most powerful sign of the love of
God shown to us through human communication.
“The Sacred Heart of Jesus is
the centre of who he is and reveals who God is. The heart of Jesus is the heart
of God.”
Throughout his talks, Bishop
Sim made references to the experience St Margaret Mary Alacoque of Burgundy,
France, who over one-and-a-half years starting from Dec 27, 1673 had visions of
Christ and his Sacred Heart.
Jesus Christ had chosen her
as an instrument to spread the devotion of his Sacred Heart and (through her)
had asked that the feast of the Sacred Heart be established.
In his first talk, Bishop Sim
spoke of how the heart of Jesus reaches out to us, has a deep desire to draw us
nearer to God and is attracting us towards him.
He explained in his second talk the deeper meaning of the four signs appearing in the image of the Sacred Heart as seen by St Margaret Mary (see picture) – the flame, the wound, the thorns around the heart and the cross above it.
He said the flame represents
the warmth, strong power and energy of Christ in attracting his disciples, like
the experience of the apostles on Pentecost day when tongues of fire appeared
on their heads.
The wound was caused on Jesus
on the Cross by the lance pierced by the soldier through his heart bringing out
blood and water, symbols of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist.
Touching on the devotion of
the Sacred Heart, Bishop Sim said Jesus had come to the world as one who comes
wounded and in pain.
As for the thorns around the
image of the heart, he said these depict our sins. “Each time we sin, we push
the thorns deeper into the Heart of Jesus.”
He said that in the visions
experienced by St Margaret Mary Alacoque, Jesus had emphasised on sins and the
sin of ingratitude, which we never thought was a sin.
“Every sin is a sign of our
disobedience, our rejection of God’s plan for us. Conversion of sinners and by
staying more and more away from sin, the Heart of Jesus shall experience a
lessening of the pain.”
He appealed to Catholics to
be actively engaged in calling sinners back to the Lord thus removing the
thorns from the Sacred Heart. He called on them to firstly be committed in an
on-going way.
This could be done through
prayer and study that are necessary for growth.
The Bishop of Brunei also
reminded them of the call of Jesus to his followers to carry their personal
cross daily.
He said the way to
consecreation to the Sacred Heart is by committing ourselves, to let the Lord
be the king of our life and to see and obey his will.
Bishop Sim, in his final
talk, offered four “prayerful practices” that would help SHC parishioners
commit themselves to the Sacred Heart: frequently receive the Holy Communion;
attend Mass for nine consecutive First Fridays; attend Holy Hour on Thursday
nights for the devotion of the Sacred Heart; and create the liturgical feast of
the Sacred Heart.
He said the liturgical Feast
of the Sacred Heart was established by Pope Pius IX in 1856 as obligatory for
the whole Church, so today as Catholics we can observe it with special
reverence.
He also spoke about the need
for an exchange of heart with Christ, saying that Jesus yearns to give us his
heart and by doing so, bringing us back to God, for, we all belong to him. –
Joe Leong
L-R: Srs Laura Anggie, Sr Laurin Kowal, Sr Aemy Soo, and Sr Mary Sualeh pose for remembrance after the ceremony at the novitiate chapel in Lipa on 24 June 2019.
LIPA, Philippines – Malaysian Novices Aemy Soo, 29, of Sabah and Laurin Kowal, 28, of Perak made their first religious professions in the presence of Sr. Delia Abian, Provincial Superior of the Daughters of St Paul, during the Eucharistic celebration presided by Fr Rollin Flores, Provincial Superior of the Society of St Paul with several concelebrating priests from the Society of St Paul, the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, and the Oblates of St Joseph on 24 June 2019, Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist at the novitiate chapel here.
Among those present to witness the event were the neo-professed’s family members, relatives, friends and fellow Daughters of St. Paul. The Mass servers were seminarians from the Oblates of St Joseph Lipa.
This is the second time the congregation witnessed the joint first profession of novices from both East and West Malaysia, 19 years after that of Novices Jennifer Han (Sabah) and Elizabeth (Perak) in 2000.
Simple lunch was served after the Eucharistic celebration.
Priestly Ordination of Franciscan Friar – Deacon Friar Cruzander Alex will be ordained priest on 22/10/2019, 7:30pm at St. John’s Church, Tuaran. Please remember him in your prayers, and come, join in this celebration.
ARCHDIOCESAN ANNALS
Sept 04 – Erection of Prefecture Apostolic of Labuan & Borneo (1855)
ORDINATION ANNIVERSARIES
10 Nov – Rev Russell Lawrine (01st)
20 Nov – Rev Gilbert Marcus (01st)
21 Nov – Rev Ambrose Atang (30th)
24 Nov – Rev David Sham (34th)
HOSPITAL CHAPLAINS
For assistance, please call Fr Russell Lawrine (014-9512131), SHC Parish Office 088-224741, 223618,
Fr Johny Raju (013-8025543) & Fr. Mitchelly Kiun (newly appointed) @ 016-78423345 or St. Catherine Parish Office @ 421293
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS
Bereaved families are to contact St Joseph Benevolent Fund office at 088-216321 or Thomas Chew at 010-9570393 for funeral arrangements and confirmation before making obituary announcement in local newspapers.
IN MEMORIAM
Nov 01 – Rev Anthony Toon Mulders mhm (1994)
Nov 12 – Rev Peter Ma (2013)
Nov 16 – Rt Rev Simon Fung Kui Hiong (1985)
Nov 17 – Rev John Heuschen mhm (2000)
Nov 17 – Rev Thomas Sham Shen Tsing @Yu Kee (2004)
Nov 18 – Rev Anthony Haidegger mhm (1935)
Nov 22 – Rev Alfred McCarthy mhm (1983)
