Dance of a thousand hands

The proverbial 'they' say that good theatre is good liturgy. If that's true, then the ancient cultures who have become so good at theatre have much to teach us, and perhaps we are wise to listen.

This year, as part of the Spring Festival celebrations which marked the Chinese New Year, a group of twenty-one dancers performed the Dance of a Thousand Hands. To the western eye, this is a beautiful mixture of colour and movement that is a true display of talent, but moreso of discipline and what must represent HOURS of work.

The accomplishment is all the more remarkable considering that all the performers are deaf. They can't hear any of the music, and must rely on prompts from trainers who are situated at the four corners of the stage!

The Dance of a thousand hands was first débuted on the international stage at the Athens Paralympic Games in 2004, but it has long been part of the repertoire of the Chinese Disabled Peoples Performing Arts Troupe and has appeared in more than 40 countries.

Farewell ... and hello

Yesterday, the Holy Father concluded his visit to Cameroon. As is his custom, he delivered a farewell speech at Nsimalen International Airport in Yaoundé before boarding the plane for the journey to Angola.

The Holy Father is pictured here arriving at the airport in Luanda, Angola.

A few hours later, he arrived in Luanda (Angola) and shared warm greetings at the 4 de Fevereiro International Airport in that city. The Holy Father acknowledged his desire to visit all of Africa, but recognized that it has been necessary to restrict the itinerary to Yaoundé and to Luanda.

The remainder of the day yesterday was devoted to a meeting with civil authorities and members of the Diplomatic Corps of the country of Angola (which took place at the Presidential Palace) and to a meeting with the bishops of Angola and Säo Tomé (in the chapel of the Apostolic Nunciature in Luanda).

Today, the Holy Father was expected to celebrate Mass with the bishops, priests, religious people, ecclesial movements and catechists of Angola and São Tomé at São Paolo Church in Luanda, and then to attend a special meeting with youth at Dos Coqueiros Stadium in Luanda.

A word of fraternal encouragement

The last of the Holy Father's scheduled meetings during his brief visit to Cameroon took place last night. The invited guests were the members of the Special Council of the Synod for Africa, who have been busy preparing the documents which will lay the groundwork for an important encounter scheduled to take place in October 2010 in Rome.

Just yesterday, the official Lineamenta (outline of the meeting) and the Instrumentum Laboris (working document) were presented publicly by the Pope himself. Tonight's meeting with the Special Council gave him the opportunity to suggest some specific reflections on the themes of reconciliation, justice and peace, thereby adding his own thoughts to the process of preparation for this significant meeting.

The Instrumentum Laboris concludes with a special prayer which the Holy Father invited the gathered members to recite on a regular basis in the coming months, along with the faithful as a vocal commitment to prayer for the success of the Synod.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, Protectress of Africa, you have given the
world its true light, Jesus Christ. By your obedience to the Father and by the
grace of the Holy Spirit, you have given us the source of our reconciliation and
our joy.

Mother of tenderness and wisdom, show us Jesus, your Son and the Son of
God, sustain our journey of conversion, so that Jesus may enlighten us with his
Glory in all the settings of our personal, family and social life.

Mother full of Mercy and Justice, by your docility to the Spirit, the
Comforter, obtain for us the grace to be witnesses of the Risen Lord, so that we
may become ever more fully the salt of the earth and the light of the
world.

Mother of Perpetual Succour, to your maternal intercession we entrust
the preparation and the fruits of the Second Synod for Africa. Queen of Peace,
pray for us! Our Lady of Africa, pray for us!

If words could heal

Yesterday, the Holy Father met with a group of sick and suffering folk in Cameroon. The location of this meeting was the Paul Émile Léger Centre, named for the Canadian Cardinal who was so well known for work among the people of that country.

Continuing the theme of his pastoral visit, the Holy Father spoke words of consolation to those who were gathered, telling them that they are not alone: that Christ himself is close to all those who suffer. Like Jesus himself, who chose to spend time in presence of those who were suffering the Pontiff's purpose is to demonstrate his fraternal tenderness and benevolence towards all the broken-hearted, all whose bodies are wounded.

For so many years, the people of Africa have been the outcasts, thanks to those of us who find ourselves living in other parts of the world. Therefore this visit bears all the more relevance as the Pope demonstrates his fraternal concern for those who suffer in silence or otherwise. This is the task set before all of us who follow in the footsteps of the Lord: bring good news to the poor ... proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind ... let the oppressed go free ... proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord (cf Lk 4:18-19).

Preparing for next year ... with the help of the Saints

Next Fall, there will be a special assembly organized by the Synod Office and held in Rome to discuss issues pertaining to the Church in Africa. In preparation for this Assembly, the Holy Father presented the working document (called an Instrumentum laboris) during a meeting with the Bishops of Cameroon today.

Fourteen years after the publication of the Post-synodal document on the Church in Africa, the Holy Father now called today on his brothers in the episcopacy and others who will partake in this meeting, to prepare well for the exchange which will take place next year.

The unveiling of the Instrumentum laboris took place at the conclusion of a publicly celebrated open-air Mass which the Holy Father celebrated, accompanied by the bishops and priests as well as the faithful of Cameroon. This celebration took place in the Amadou Ahidjo stadium in Yaoundé.

During his homily, the Holy Father reflected on the example of Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary, whose Feast day is celebrated today. He called all those present to be people of faith and trust, accepting the duty and role which has been consigned to us by the Lord, looking to him for guidance and assurance in time of trial, but also trusting that he will inspire us to fulfill the tasks entrusted to us with care, love and attention.

These words, spoken to the people of Cameroon, are equally applicable to all of us who strive daily to live lives of faith, to seek the answers that only come with trust and prayer, and to share the values of love and commitment with those entrusted to our care. We model that which we have learned in the school of prayer, at the feet of the saints like Joseph, and his wife Mary.

Day 3

Continuing a tradition which he himself began during his extra-Vatican voyages, the Holy Father met this morning with representatives of the Muslim community in Cameroon. The diplomacy which is characteristic of the Vatican was more than evident in the wording of the speech he gave to the gathered dignitaries:

Our encounter is a vivid sign of the desire we share with all people of good will – in Cameroon, throughout Africa and across the globe – to seek opportunities to exchange ideas about how religion makes an essential contribution to our understanding of culture and the world, and to the peaceful coexistence of all the members of the human family.

Focusing on the common tasks which Christians and Muslims must face in the immediate future, the Holy Father expressed his belief that we must strive to unveil the vast potential of human reason, which is itself God’s gift and which is elevated by revelation and faith. Belief in the one God, far from stunting our capacity to understand ourselves and the world, broadens it. Far from setting us against the world, it commits us to it. We are called to help others see the subtle traces and mysterious presence of God in the world which he has marvellously created and continually sustains with his ineffable and all-embracing love.

Seeking out the common threads which we must all cling to and work from is the key to any negotiations, be they around the bargaining table or involving the most delicate of international relations.

These words, which seem to roll off the tongue, are presented in the context of some very auspicious moments, but the hard work of bringing these dreams to reality is the challenge which the Pontiff leaves behind, entrusting to the local Church and to the members of the Muslim community in Cameroon, the task of working out the details. All efforts toward peace and reconciliation are to be lauded, and a gesture of support such as this can only serve to help solidify the working relationship which is so essential if such dreams as peace, concord and understanding are to come about.

Questions and answers ... and more

The Holy Father's on the move again. This time to the heart of darkness as he ventures to Cameroon and Angola. Whenever the pontiff travels, there is great interest generated, and words spoken at key moments have a way of making their way into the media, even half a world away.

Yesterday, he granted an audience to journalists aboard the flight from Rome, a gesture which has become part of the protocol at least since his predecessor began to undertake international travel with such frequency. The Globe and Mail reported details about the Holy Father's comments specifically on the subject of contraception and fighting the spread of AIDS, but as expected, the discussion aboard the papal plane was much more broad scoped. Here, read for yourself some of the comments about the impact of the world economic crisis on the poor of the world, and the comments he made about Africa and the importance of sects compared to the message proclaimed by the Church.

Arriving at the airport in Yaounde, Cameroon, the Holy Father was received by President Paul Biya, as well as a delegation which included Archbishop Simon-Victor Tonye Bakot of Yaounde, President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, and Cardinal Christian Wiyghan Tumi, archbishop emeritus of Douala. His pastoral greeting spoke of his duty to confirm brothers and sisters in the faith and to celebrate with you the life- giving faith in Christ that sustains and nourishes so many of the sons and daughters of this great continent.

Benedict did speak with those gathered at the official welcoming ceremony about the horrible truth and devastation caused by AIDS, but his tone was definitely one of concern and love: The Holy Father praised the local Church's concern for sick people, describing the fact that AIDS sufferers in Cameroon are able to receive treatment free of charge as "particularly commendable". He also mentioned Church commitment to education, especially in the work of the Catholic University for Central Africa, "a sign of great hope for the future of the region".

Referring to Cameroon as a land of hope, life and peace, His Holiness began what is scheduled to be a 4-day visit in Cameroon, before he continues to Angola, and spends another three days greeting the faithful in that country.

Today, the pope met with the 31 bishops who presently exercise their episcopal ministry in Cameroon. The venue for this encounter was the church of Christ-Roi in Tsinga, Yaounde where he shared some precious time reflecting on the fraternity which is essential to those who must be signs of unity and peace as we proclaim the message of life that Jesus first came to speak. He praised the bishops for the numerous vocations which are currently being nurtured in Cameroon and urged the bishops to renew their efforts at evangelization as a means of countering the trend toward a multiplicity of sects.

Tonight, the Holy Father celebrated Vespers in the Basilica Marie Reine des Apôtres in Mvolyé, Yaoundé and tomorrow his public activities include the celebration of Mass in the Amadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé where he will publish the Instrumentum Laboris (working document) for the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops; as well as three other meetings with members of the Muslim community of Cameroon, with the world of suffering people, and with members of the Special Council for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, probably a followup to the publication of the working document, and a preparatory session for the upcoming Synod.

Wow, he's a busy guy!

A Priestly Year

Jean Marie Vianney, better known as the Curé d'Ars has been dead a very long time. In fact this year marks the 150th anniversary of his death, and to mark this 'special milestone' the Holy Father announced this morning in Rome that there will be a special Year of Priesthood observed once the Pauline Year comes to an end.

The Year of Priesthood will begin on June 19, 2009 and will end on June 19, 2010 and will be moulded by the theme Christ-like faith, priestly faith. The Holy Father will innaugurate this special year by presiding at Vespers on the evening of June 19, first vespers of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the World Day of Sanctification of Priests, in presence of the relequary of the Curé d'Ars and the Bishop of Belley-Ars. His Holiness will close the Year of Priesthood on June 19, 2010 by participating in a World Meeting of Priests which will take place in Saint Peter's Square in Rome.

During this coming jubilee year, His Holiness will proclaim Saint Jean-Marie Vianney as Patron saint of all priests and a special Directory for Confessors and Spiritual Directors will be published along with a collection of texts prepared by the Supreme Pontiff on the essential themes of the life and ministry of priests today.

The Congregation for Clergy, along with Diocesan Ordinaries and Major Superiors of Religious Orders will be entrusted with the promotion and coordination of a variety of spiritual and pastoral initiatives aimed at allowing all people to better appreciate the role and the mission of priests in the Church and in the world today. It is hoped that this will be a springtime of discovery for those discerning a call to priesthood, and will also be beneficial to those who are currently in formation for ministry.

In the press

In addition to the reflections provided this week about the recent declaration that the excommunications imposed against the Lefebvrist bishops were lifted (see A storm a'brewing ... and then the fallout), here are a few more of the media reflections I've uncovered: all evidence of how much confusion there is over this 'act of mercy':

• Rome responds to Saint Pius X uproar, which appeared in the magazine America (February 16, 2009)


• A gaffe too far, an article by the BBC Rome and Vatican correspondent David Willey, which appeared in The Tablet (February 7, 2009)


• Old wounds open, an article by The Tablet's France correspondent Alain Woodrow (February 7, 2009)


• Healing the rift, an article by Edward Kessler which appeared in The Tablet (February 7, 2009)


• Two faiths together, an article by Isabel de Bertodano, which appeared in The Tablet (February 7, 2009)

On Detachment

For the better part of the day yesterday, and for quite a few days earlier this week, I struggled with a decision. I knew that this morning, I would be standing in front of a crowd of people thirsting for some truth, some wise words, some reason to deepen their understanding of God and-or the level at which they would marvel at the way He accompanies us on our journey through life. The question though was what exactly would I have to say to this crowd? How would I tell the truth that I've been called to share with them?

Finally yesterday afternoon, I sat down and wrote a few thoughts. I've been asked on at least three other occasions to lead one of the five Saturday sessions which form part of this mini retreat, and every time, I'm nervous about what I will say.

The theme for this year's retreat is Who are you in Christ? This subject is broad enough to allow for a number of different interpretations and there's lots of room for individual personalities to enter the picture. As subtexts to guide our preparation, a series of titles were provided to the presenters, and mine was Detachment from the world.

Many possible images danced in my mind but it wasn't until I was actually standing in front of the gathered crowd that I was able to begin expressing the truth that needed to be told. For a professed introvert who likes to know what's going to happen even before it takes place, that's a difficult thing to do, but it's a lesson in trust that I guess I need to learn.

Starting with the parable of the rich young man, I tried to reflect on the call that each of us faces to be a disciple, a call to let go of our security blankets and to trust that all will be well in the murky land of the unknown. This is a call that necessitates a certain letting go, and sometimes the process of surrendering can be the most difficult challenge in and of itself. But then again, that's one of the truths that Lent calls us all to face: the fact that whether or not we want to admit it, we're not in charge of the big picture, and when God calls, all we can do is cooperate. If we try to put up roadblocks, He just finds another way around, like water that's momentarily stopped by a fragile dam.

Life presents all kinds of challenges. Many of us are all too aware of economic turbulence that characterizes the investment horizon these days. Living with the uncertainty of this turbulence can indeed be very trying, but in the end, if we're able to keep at least a modicum of perspective and find at least some balance in the midst of everything that we have to juggle, there is a ray of hope.

A world that has become too accustomed to material wealth is now being severely tested, but at the other end of the tunnel, what we stand to gain will be a renewed appreciation for the people in our lives, and a humility that allows us to reach out a hand of assistance to those who need our help while also being able to admit that we ourselves can't live life on our own, without the help of others from time to time. Other generations have known this truth; we just need to learn it.

The morning ended with some time to reflect on the parable of the prodigal son, yet another wonderful example of the power of detachment, and the freedom that comes when we put our energies into building and cultivating relationships rather than amassing tangible wealth. Someone who has experienced the power of this kind of love is truly wealthy, and is able to share an inexhaustible source of blessings with others.

... and then the fallout

This morning, the Pope's letter to brother bishops was published in Rome, and while the Press Conference was going on in the Aula Paolo VI, the Holy Father himself was meeting with representatives from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. In his address to the gathered leaders, he expressed his joy at the prospect of visiting the Holy Land. Plans for this voyage were announced just a few days ago.

Was it by coincidence that this meeting happened on the same day as the Holy Father's letter to bishops was being published? The letter and its contents are being read and digested by many and the fallout from the Holy Father's words are already resounding, either in whispered corners or through resounding hallways.

Evidence the Tablet's coverage:

• Church in the World: Pope's letter defends overtures toward SSPX
• Full-bodied row in Bordeaux (October 28, 2006)
• Already inside the tent: Benedict and the Lefebvrists (February 14, 2009)
• Now it's up to them (February 14, 2009)

Not to be overlooked in the debate over the lifting of the excommunications, Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna. Along with other German-speaking Cardinals, Schönborn has been noted to remark: "A mistake has obviously occurred here. Someone who denies the Holocaust cannot be rehabilitated to an ecclesial office. One cannot but voice a certain criticism of the Vatican for not looking into the matter more closely."

Poor Holy Father. Even as the plans for his upcoming visit to the Holy Land are being completed, there is already concern being voiced over his decision not to enter Israel's main holocaust museum during the trip which he will undertake in early May. Don't worry, concerns such as these are a normal part of the posturing that takes place in the run-up to any papal voyage. The truth of the matter, at least on this score, will only be known in the coming weeks.

A storm a'brewing

On January 24, 2009, during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the Holy Father declared that the Lefebvrists - the four bishops who had been excommunicated in 1988 latae sententiae.

Since that time, Rome and many other parts of the ecclesial world have been all a-twitter (please excuse the pun) about this decision which although meant with all good intentions, has left many questions unanswered.

In the January 31, 2009 issue of The Tablet, Robert Mickens published a very good exposé on the matter in his article entitled Benedict's high risk strategy. The Holy Father's intentions were and are good. 'According to the Vatican statement issued last Saturday,' (January 24, 2009), ' the Pope hopes that full communion would be reached as soon as possible, but the decree has raised many questions about the relationship between the Society of Saint Pius X (otherwise known as the Lefebvrists) and the Vatican, concerns among the faithful about the impact on the Church and shock at the apparent welcome of one of the bishops, Robert Williamson, who has made outrageous anti-Semitic statements (which Vatican officials have roundly condemned).'

This morning, the Vatican Press Office issued a special statement of clarification which His Holiness has addressed to the bishops of the world. In his letter to his brothers in the episcopal ministry, His Holiness acknowledged that the remission of the excommunication of the four Bishops consecrated in 1988 by Archbishop Lefebvre without a mandate of the Holy See has for many reasons caused, both within and beyond the Catholic Church, a discussion more heated than any we have seen for a long time. What was intended as a gesture of reconciliation, ended up causing controversy because the Williamson case came as an unforseen mishap.

A gesture of reconciliation with an ecclesial group engaged in a process of separation thus turned into its very antithesis: an apparent step backwards with regard to all the steps of reconciliation between Christians and Jews taken since the Council.

His Holiness then goes on to explain that the remission of the excommunication (a disciplinary measure employed only in cases of extreme necessity) must be understood as different from the doctrinal realities which still need to be healed in the case of the Lefebvrists. The lifting of disciplinary measures could take effect because the four men in question had agreed in principle to recognize the primacy of the Roman Pontiff, althogh they still have some difficulty with acknowledging the validity of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council.

This process has evidently caused a great deal of pain and confusion for many. The act of reversing the excommunication is meant as a signal that reconciliation is en route, but in this case is not a sign that the work is complete.

Effective today, the Holy Father has joined the Vatican offices of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, which was created in 1988 as a means of opening a door to the possibility of reconciliation between the Church and the Society of Saint Pius X as well as other similar groups throughout the world, with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In this way, he hopes to signal the fact that the discrepancies still to be addressed are doctrinal in nature and not disciplinary, at least insofar as they pertain to the members of the Society of Saint Pius X.

Reconciliation is always tricky business, and measures advanced are often misunderstood, but the Holy Father reminds us that the call for reconciliation first echoed in the time of the apostles and invoked on the day of his pontifical innauguration, still remains at the heart of his ministry as Supreme Pontiff. These are certainly very painful times for Benedict to live. There have been both boquets and brick bats hurled at him over these past few weeks, and it will be some time yet before all the smoke clears over this most controversial matter.

Human nature has not changed much since the time when Paul first wrote to the Galatians: "Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’. But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another." (Gal 5:13-15)

At the conclusion of his letter, the Holy Father encourages his brothers, and all Catholics to pray for peace and to see the season of Lent as a liturgical season particularly suited to interior purification, inviting all of us to look with renewed hope to the light which awaits us at Easter.

The travelling pilgrim

Next week, he's off to Camaroon and Angola, and just this morning, the Vatican Press Office announced that he's planning another trip - this time to the Holy Land - after Easter.

Accepting the invitation of the king of Jordan, the President of Israel, the President of the Palestinian National Authority and of the Catholic Bishop's Assembly, His Holiness Benedict XVI will make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land from April 8 to 15, 2009, stopping at Aman, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth.

That's the end of the official communication posted today, but in the coming days, the negotiations will continue. Plans will include who he will visit, for how long, where they will meet, and even what he will say ... all very sensitively crafted but no doubt with his own mixture of pastoral sensitivity and characteristic forthrightedness.

Considering the significance of these lands to the historical happenings that are so central to the Church, and the unrest that has characterized the Holy Land for so long, this journey will be one of personal pilgrimage as well as international political positioning.

Making waves

The proverbial 'they' always say that still waters run deep ... and what happens in the depths of some ponds can have catastrophic ramifications for those who find themselves in the midst of the tidal waves that result.

Evidence our neighbours to the south who have been revelling in the new-ness of a President who is revolutionizing almost all parts of the Office that are within his control. This is nothing new, but the effects of these changes are causing at least a little bit of consternation.

The on-line version of the National Catholic Register published an article this week about Mr. Obama's recently-announced choice for the position of Secretary for Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius from Kansas. According to the NCR, Ms. Sebelius (who we are not sure is related to the music composer of the same name) has had a track record which favors pro-choice issues, and this appointment, if confirmed, will give her a great amount of influence when it comes to policies and procedures on the national front.

From a viewpoint a bit removed, all we can do perhaps is watch ... or can we do something else to influence the choice?

At work in the vineyard

Sorry, it's been a few days since I was able to check in. Lent seems to have just bolted out of the starting blocks.

The past days have been filled to capacity and beyond ... all in the name of doing good (I hope). There are moments of grace all round though. One of the things I have agreed to do is accompany students who are fulfilling requirements for the D.Min. offered at Saint Francis Xavier University as they make their way through the requirements of this distance education program. That means that from time to time, I meet with one or more of the 'students' to help them reflect about their work, and come to conclusions about the next steps that need to be taken. It's pretty rewarding work when we begin to see understanding dawn and the pieces fall into place. Some of the greatest learnings happen not while actually reading the material, but when struggling to understand it, digest it and put it into practice.

It's exciting to see that the students who are preparing for Confirmation have already begun to wade through the first chapter of the required reading and to at least explore the information that is provided on-line as part of their preparation for this Sacrament. In the coming days, the traffic in on our website will increase (I'm sure) now that the Science Fair requirements that most students have been completing are coming to an end, and the first deadlines for the Confirmation prep program are drawing near. Of course, since I'm overseeing this program too, that means that I get to check in on them from time to time - lots of fun and really rewarding for me too.

Combine all this with welcoming the newcomers to our prayer spaces and bidding adieu to those who are now with the Father in our eternal homeland, and it makes for a life that has little time to get dull, but lots of variation and many opportunities to marvel at the goodness, generosity and love of our God.